I typically dislike my return home after a break. The realities of life seem to hit you all at once. Getting back into the swing of things can be overwhelming. But this time it was not so. And that feeling is temporary anyway. What I love about breaks and holidays is that it allows us to step out of our usual environment and bring different perspectives to it.

As you may remember, close to my departure to Europe I had Dengue. It was the front and centre of my brain’s focus. After all, my ‘environment’ had been compromised. Whilst in Europe my brain had a break from Dengue. And now, upon returning, I am cautious, but my new approach to secure my ‘environment’ seems to be working and that’s what matters. Nothing is guaranteed but that is what I can control.

My battles with jetlag were also better this time. Having a diary with pre-arranged meetings meant I had to get back into my time zone in a hurry. Nothing like structure to help motivate the brain. Outside of fixed appointments, there was plenty to do too after being away for 3 weeks. Part of this included reflecting on the 3 weeks and my learnings from them.

Trust was the first learning that popped up. I had an encounter with trust (lack of) last week and it got me thinking. I had stepped into a shop to have my car’s remote control battery checked. My car’s remote control was not working, to lock or unlock, any more and I wondered if it was the battery. I had been to this shop before to buy batteries. I asked the owner to check the battery in my remote control and he put it on his machine and said the power was weak. I could not see the reading but accepted his word. We decided to put a new one in and he checked on another machine and said that it worked. I accepted but was not convinced. My car was parked far away and when I got to it, the remote control did not work. I knew instantly it was not the battery.

I drove back to the vicinity of the shop, parked my car, and went in. I told the owner that the remote control didn’t work. I kept my old battery and told him to read its power. This time he did it in front of me. He tested the new battery and the power was good. He then tested my old battery, and the power was higher than the new one!! He lied about my old battery being weak. He knew instantly I was not happy and promptly gave me my money back. I walked out and knew I would not go back there.

Trust is a fundamental emotion that helps us connect with others. Without trust, there is no foundation for making decisions. That reminded me of driving in Vienna. Part of the Austrian driving curriculum is practicing reciprocal trust and respect. And you can see this when driving around. Something we Malaysian drivers could learn.

When one signals to pull out, the natural response by the other is to give way. That is the only way they can do the speeds they do on the motorways. It is Germany that has motorways without speed limits. That only works because of one thing. Trust. Trust in the other!

It is ingrained in their DNA. In the city, lanes are narrow, and drivers still drive at their normal speed only because they trust other drivers to keep to their lanes. I remember thinking on one of those drives that those lanes would just not work in Malaysia!

I am also missing the spontaneous days I had in Austria. Not much was planned, and much was fluid. Working with the unknown and letting things unfold as they happened was like receiving a gift. Perhaps because there was no expectation just anticipation. Emotions that the brain enjoys. And though I am back at home, I am trying to keep the spirit of spontaneity when and where possible. And seeing new in old, and not having a routine are part of this.

As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com