Operation: Recharge

Some time in early May, i packed my luggage and got together with a trio of friends for a beach retreat in the little island of Perhentian Besar.

Fully expecting to be dropped off at a jetty, i was stunned when our speedboat stopped a few metres from the shore. Thoughts flooded my mind: do they expect us to swim to shore?, oh shit my luggage is going to get wet!. Then came a smaller speedboat and all of us had to move into it, while clumsily lugging our luggages along. Thank God nobody fell into the sea!

Interestingly, that was not the only surprise of the day. The island was so small, there was practically only 3 things to do: get in the water, eat, stay out of the water. Worse, there is no electricity from 12pm to 3pm and the scorching sun (i swear, the sun there is ten times hotter!) surely didn't help. After a couple of hours, i was bored and secretly wishing for the 4D3N vacay to be over. You can take a girl out of the city, but you cannot take the city out of the girl.

Then, the next day came and i started to get a hang of the lifestyle. For the coming days, it was a cycle of sleep, eat, snorkel, eat, chill, swim, eat, sleep. It felt good. It was unlike my other beach getaways where entertainment and technology were easily accessible. It was nothing but private moments between yourself, your thoughts and Mother Nature. It gave me a sense of belonging. It felt like i was 'home' and at one with the trees, sand, water and marine creatures surrounding me.

Everything was so simple, it's special. Even if you had nobody to talk to and could only sit by the beach and look out at the horizon, it would still be okay. Nobody cared if you carried a Gucci or a Cucci, nobody bothered about how little cloth you have on and nobody gave a rat's ass about you because there, it felt that everybody was on equal grounds. Even if you wanted to show off your wealth, there was nothing really you could buy or dress fancily to, to flash your cash. There were no false pretense and expectations to live up to. You just had to be.

We stayed at Mama's Chalet and although it didn't have the best beach of the lot, the staff were amazing. The smaller size of the Chalet (compared to bigger, resort-like accommodations at the island) meant that you received more personalised treatments. People remembered you. They were constantly up for a chat. They said hi and a smile was never hard to find. It was honestly like one big family, if you allowed them to be.

KL is a great place to live in but after Perhentian, i do wonder if city life really is all that. Yes, we get comfort and the occasional pampering but it's also a more complicating world. And when it comes to life, i reckon less is more.