Wenlin | Wenlin Tan

The moon is always full

One of the first things I learnt as a yoga teacher-in-training in 2016 was the meaning of YOGA - to Yoke, to unite. Yoga is the continual practice of returning to the realisation that you are, and have been, whole. Though this idea resonated deeply with me, it seemed both simple and obvious. I thought I internalised it right away. With the passage of time however, I forgot this seemingly obvious idea. I chased one after another milestone; I did what I had been conditioned to becoming so good at: striving. It was when I came across the concept of…

Where do you feel home?

The story of a droplet on her way home to the ocean There is home, where you were born- the traditions you never questioned, the language you first learnt to speak, and the people with whom you share your blood. I was born in Singapore, a tiny island near the equator in South East Asia, to two teachers. Growing up my mother told me to 'always do your best', while my dad told me to 'take initiative' in all I do. As the second of three daughters in a family of five I slipped easily into the role of balancing…

Remembering Yin-Yang | 铭记阴阳

In the last days of 2021 as a flurry of new year-related posts start to flood my social media feed, Bernie Clark's gentle yet radical article on adopting a Yin approach to new year resolutions crosses my path. Bernie notes that most resolutions are Yang 阳, about changing or doing- I will lose x kilos, make $x, find a new romantic partner, so on and advocates instead for adopting a Yin 阴 approach, prioritising acceptance, compassion and being- I will love my body as it is, I will feel grateful and abundant with my existing financial and living situation, appreciate…

THE TURNING POINT FROM DARKNESS

Winter has arrived. The vivid reds, oranges and yellows of autumn have faded into shades of black, brown, grey, and blinding white. I can only reminisce as my gaze lingers on a photo, taken from the last Autumn evenings as I harvested the fallen leaves nature left behind. Last morning as I watched my partner scraping the ice formed overnight on the windows of his car, I was visited, again, by a rising melancholy. As the end of the year and winter approaches she comes to see me often, sometimes staying for days. We sit together quietly, sometimes she watches…

Serenity in Madness: Shamian Island

Shamian Island is a beautiful piece of history and calm in the insanely busy Guangzhou. Another whirlwind business trip brought me to China once again, this time in the busy city of Guangzhou. Famed as one of the up and coming cities after Beijing and Shanghai, Guangzhou is loud, busy and bustling with life. I knew immediately that I wanted a bit of peace and quiet in the loud place so I jumped at the chance to stay at the lovely Shamian Island. Shamian Island, or Shamin Island, is a small sand bank island in the Liwan District of Guangzhou.…

Garden of lights

Gardens by the Bay is a newly-opened attraction on the bayfront of Singapore that boasts of beautiful flora and fauna and spectacular light shows. Located in the heart of Singapore’s new downtown Marina Bay, next to the Marina Reservoir, Gardens by the Bay has three distinct waterfront gardens – Bay South Garden, Bay East Garden, and Bay Central Garden. It spans 101 hectares and was originally built to enhance the greenery and flora in Singapore. Supertrees are tree-like structures forming the vertical gardens that dominate the Gardens’ landscape and provide plants and shading for the gardens. They are home to…

A piece of Heaven

The richness of its culture, the language I speak as my mother tongue, the diversity of sights and sounds, and the familiar yet strange feeling — these are all the reasons why China is one of my favourite holiday destinations. Due to my work, I am often required to travel to Asian countries, and China is one of them. I’ve been there before since my parents had often brought me to China when I was younger for vacations to explore its beautiful natural scenery. This time, I was brought once again to Beijing, the cultural hub and capital of China…

Stranger in Hong Kong

Cognitive dissonance hits when familiar meets foreign in Hong Kong. I don’t speak Cantonese. Not a word of it. As I set foot into Hong Kong, in the middle of the bustling streets, bright lights, and people hurrying around, as the sound of this foreign language surrounds me, a mix of comfort and alienation overwhelms me. It feels like home; but it isn’t. Familiar, but foreign. The underground trains passing from Central to Hung Hom, the high-rise flats such as Chungking Mansion, the roadside food stalls near Tsim Sha Tsui, even the elderly men, reading the paper at Sheung…

Drifting around in New Zealand

My experience with the beauty of nature in Rotorua, North Island in New Zealand.Home to the elusive kiwis, the place where the epic ‘LOTR’ movie series was shot, I spent my September drifting around in beautiful New Zealand. Though I have considerably extensive travel experience, I had never backpacked before. A free-spirited friend of mine recently quit her job this year to travel in New Zealand and invited me to join her and so I jumped at the chance. I booked a budget flight to New Zealand and met her there, and together with another friend, a very cheerful German…

A different side of Shanghai

Imagine a secluded, peaceful place out of this world- perfect for shooting that low-budget indie film of yours! This place is none other than Wusongkou Pao taiwan wetland park in Shanghai. I travel often to Shanghai for work, and have been to the regular attractions (the Bund, Xintiandi, Pudong, Tianzifang) and I was looking for a different kind of place to spend some time away from the crowds in. It was a photo in an article made by CNN that made me decide to make a trip to Wusonkou Paotaiwan Wetland Park in the suburbs of Shanghai. To get there, you have to take…

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