Morning mix

The light plays brightly around the skyscrapers. As I look around, the roofs of Salcedo village light up as they reflect the morning rays. All around me, people live in high-rises, yet I don’t see anyone on balconies savoring the morning light with me. The fact is, most apartments don’t have balconies and I feel privileged to enjoy sitting on mine, with two small palms and the wall tiles providing a green environment.

As the village comes alive, a fresh breeze greets me lightly. When I woke up at 5, the first sound I heard was birds chirping, which surprised me in such an urban environment. I can still here them now, mixed with cars that gently use their horns, as if hesitating to disturb the morning just yet. A school bus of the Manila International School rumbles down the street, and children are singing happy birthday in a classroom somewhere way below my 14th floor vista. Meanwhile, music from a Balinese ethnic jazz group wafts through the open doors of my apartment. And I suddenly realize that the miracle of life is repeating itself yet again. I feel reborn.

Last Friday marked the start of the Balinese new year, traditionally celebrated with a day of quiet, known as Nyepi. The coincidence only dawned on me in the evening, as I realized that my move to Makati’s Salcedo Village fell on the same day. A good time to celebrate, I reflected, as I entered my new life phase. I live by myself again, for the first time after 20 years.

Today, I will select photographs of my loved ones to display in my apartment. I love my new place, and I live forward.

Photograph: Salcedo morning.