I’m back online after nearly three weeks away. I didn’t intend to disappear off the virtual map for so long, but our recent relocation from Singapore to the UK took more of a significant chunk out of my mental energy levels than I had initially expected. This was of course compounded by my joining the COVID club after my arrival here, which was a pain having evaded the dreaded virus for the whole of the pandemic while living in Asia.
We are now living on the coast in Anglesey, North Wales. I am working remotely, which means early starts most days to connect with my colleagues in Asia. The location is beautiful and each day it’s difficult not to feel awe at the sight that greets us out of the window. Unsurprisingly, many things about life here are very different from Singapore – the temperature, the people, the pace. It does, however, feel good, and the change was absolutely necessary.
The location we are living in is near to the place where I grew up. In the late nineties, I packed my bags to go to university, and I hadn’t really returned properly – to live here – until now. Coming back is strange in many ways – some things are very familiar, while others are quite alien. A lot has changed over the years while I was away – both in terms of myself and the place I left behind.
One particularly great discovery has been how much the kids have taken to living in the Welsh countryside. One fear we had was the change would be too much for them. Having been in Singapore for the last five years, they didn’t remember life before. But life by the beach, surrounded by greenery and wildlife, has brought them more than we could have imagined and made us realize that the pain and challenges of relocation and leaving our tropical lifestyle really were worth it.
As we settle into our new home, I’ve also finally got back on track with my writing. The first novel’s release date (The Madness of the Faithful / July 28th) is imminent – although it is already available on e-book and printed book. My current focus though is on my second novel, which I’m editing before getting the ball rolling on the next steps. This book is quite different from the first one, so I’m excited to see how it is received by the wider world. In some ways, it was more straightforward to write, but in others, it was a bit more challenging. I’m sure I’ll explain why in due course.
I have other projects to pursue in parallel once the second book’s been sent out into the world. Having written both of my first books in Singapore, I’m interested to see how the change in environment will affect the process, as well as the final deliverable. The Welsh countryside truly is an inspiring place and no doubt will shape my thought processes as I look to draft the next projects.
For now, let me share with you the words of the great RS Thomas, who paints a picture of the Welsh Landscape with powerful words and glorious imagery (and this continues to be one of my favourite poems of all time):
