Through our window....

After 2 months and 5 different residences we moved into our own space a few weeks back. We've stayed in 2 serviced appartments in Singapore and Helsinki, my parents' and in-laws' places in India, my aunt's place in Singapore.And we felt completely at home in each of these temporary residences where we found our favourite spots and fitted into routines of sort.

Our new home is a sprawling( after the match box homes we're used to in Singapore, anything over 1500 sq feet is sprawling!!) 2500 sq feet appartment, over a hundered years old bang in the middle of the city. It has the oldest and most charming elevator in all of Finland (that alone was enough to get me nodding). It faces a 150 year old church and a playground that are both ensconced within a larger park. On the other side is the statue of Sir Lonnrot (still have not figured out who he was or what he did..everything is written in Finnish!!)who also happens to lend his name to our street- Lonnrotinkatu.

There are huge bay windows in nearly every room. But my favourite one is in the formal living room. The windows are so broad and large that its like a moving picture of the outside world. I love to take my cup of chamomile and the kids their milk and we sit on one of the ledges and watch the world go by for a few peaceful minutes.

And what do we see?

The afternoon sun streaming through the sparse tree leaves, gently caressing everybody with its golden rays.Bright yellow and pink flowers fighting their way out of the earth after the long winter spell. Large sea gulls circling around the church spire and occasionally landing on the grass below looking for a tasty tidbit. We hear the beautiful peals of the church bell while we see bottle green coloured trams ambling their way across the park. A flurry of weddings (esp on Saturdays)with the bride and groom running out of the church amidst showers of bubbles and rice . The lush green lawns, dotted with a motely crowd of people- an old couple walking hand in hand, a lady in jogging gear running with her dog, a bunch of girls returning from the icecream shop (on the far end of the park) with delicious looking flavours atop waffle cones, kids in overalls making a sandcastle in the playground, a teenage boy and his friend showing off their skateboarding skills to the world, groups enjoying picnics, an old woman sitting on the park bench and knitting away.

Our windows back in Singapore meant nothing to us. We were greeted with sad sights of hard working men toiling away in the construction site and hear jarring sounds of the ugly crane and drill pounding away. I wonder if our new window seems like a live television set to the kids sans the remote! So much we see happening and yet nothing of big significance. These sights and sounds fill me up with an inexplicable sense of well-being. They are familiar, ordinary and yet reassuring. We are silent spectators watching strangers go about their everyday lives.And I find it all very relaxing and in many ways absolutely calming. Knowing that the world around me is fine, just the way it should be.