On a journey back to my roots
As a skinny 11-year-old, I wrote about the trees in my neighbourhood. I walked around my neighbourhood, looked at all the trees that were there and wrote about how we need to protect our trees for future generations. It was my way of showing my love for trees. That skinny 11-year-old lost the plot somewhere over the last 20 years. But, like they say, life comes full circle and here I am as a 32-year-old writing about my love of trees again.
When I first heard about the harvest project I wasn’t sure what would be an appropriate project. What would encompass the journey I’ve been on over the last six months? What could showcase this transformational journey? And then it hit me! Over the last six months, I’ve spent time befriending many tree beings. In a way it felt like I was going back to my roots, going back to being amazed by these beings like an 11-year-old me was. So, I decided that I was going to write an ode to my tree friends, the ones who have gotten me through rough days, the ones who have given me immense joy and the ones who now feel like family.
If someone asked me what my favourite movie was, or my favourite actor, I’d probably draw a blank. Movie star names and movie names are not something that stays in my head for long. On the other hand, if you were to ask me if I had a favourite tree? Well, the answer to that question would be a resounding hell yes! Not just one, but multiple favourite trees. Over the last 6 months, I’ve spent befriending four majestic trees across the island. It feels like they’ve now become family. I’ve ended long work days by spending time with them and now when I walk out of the door by myself my partner always asks me if I am going to go see my tree. MY tree. Yes, it feels like it's MY tree, my friend, my sibling, my companion, whatever you’d like to call it.
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There’s my favourite rain tree, along the canal near my old neighbourhood. The tree that I just had to stop at on my runs and on my walks back home. It was the tree that my feet would somehow find their way to on hard days. This rain tree overlooks a children's park on one side and the canal on the other and it’s just so beautiful. I’ve spent many hours under this tree pondering life’s most important questions. No, ‘What’s for dinner?’ wasn’t one of them. I’ve also spent many hours talking to the tree, seeing it fall asleep, and seeing the birds take shelter in its canopy. I decided to visit this tree again after ages and it immediately brought me this sense of familiarity, of top-quality hospitality. I’m writing a part of this post sitting under this tree. It feels right. It's a bit sad that I don’t live so close to this tree anymore.
Have you seen Yellow Flame Trees? Well, you should definitely meet the one that sits right outside my home. Our house sits neatly above her canopy and she adds a spark of colour to our home with her presence. She’s majestic. We moved into the house when she had still not bloomed and over the next few months we saw her bloom, bright yellow flowers and with it came the beautiful butterflies, bees, moths and birds. It was magical. She’s my magical tree. Waking up to her green leaves has been so special. I look forward to growing older with her by my side.
When I first visited the Botanic Gardens, we were having a picnic on one of the lawns. A tree a few feet away caught my attention. It was the most perfect tree to climb and sit on top of. It had easy footholds, a sturdy bark and fairly low-lying branches. I loved it, it instantly took me back to my childhood and I wanted to get to know this tree better. So, over the next few months, I saw myself visiting this tree every time I visited botanical gardens. It has become a big part of why the Botanic Gardens feel like home and why my guided walks there feel amazing because I know I have family looking out for me.
I could write about a million other trees that I’ve befriended but I’m going to end with one last tree.. actually, it's more like a grove of fir trees. These Fir trees sit in the Botanic gardens and create such a magical place underneath their canopy. It almost feels like you aren’t in Singapore anymore. I love collecting the pin needles that are littered around the grove and it's also home to many tiny grasshoppers. The trees create a unique ecosystem and I’m happy to be part of this ecosystem.
It's been such a beautiful journey making my way back to my roots, rekindling that relationship that I once used to have with the earth and nature. I don’t think we ever forgot each other — it was like meeting a long-lost friend and this time around I’m not letting the friendship die.
