World of Excesses

I arrived at the Taj resort in Rebak Island in Langkawi yesterday. When the buggy cart took me around the island resort and proudly showed me the lovely pool, my first question was “Is this the only pool?” And when the staff answered yes, I was slightly disappointed.

Later when I reflected, I felt very ashamed of myself. Growing up, staying in a hotel which had a pool was not the norm. It was a privilege. And now many years later, I can afford to come on an impulsive holiday, stay at a 5 star resort, drink cocktails before every meal, and I question why the resort has only one pool?

Jacuzzi pool, splash, pool, wave pool, Olympic size swim pool, lazy-river styled pool- been there, done that. Did they make my holiday better? Marginally perhaps, but not exponentially. What make a holiday is the people you take the holiday with and the experiences and memories you garner.

This got me wondering....we are living in a world of excesses. You have to have more than one pool in a hotel, there’s got to be a private beach at the resort you are staying, a couple with one kid need a 3-bedroom apt- one more room than necessary, the TV...oh my...the TV.. anything less than 52 inches is probably not just worth it. We need our laptops, Blackberry’s, iPhones- and these are just devices to stay connected. When it comes to music, there is the iPod, music system with surround sound (or whatever the latest is in audio technology these days), phone with a radio connection, laptop with all latest music downloads.

Growing up my sister and I used to listen to the radio every night after 9.00 pm. That’s when the new movie promos and songs were aired on Vividh Bharti (I am showing my age here!). The days before cable TV hit India. I remember lying in bed with the radio between us, listening to the upcoming movies and making mental lists of the ones we want to go for (and wondering if our parents would take us for them all). Simple times, simple pleasure.

From there, how did I to here? Where nothing is ever enough. Where Starbucks coffee completes my afternoons and if I can’t take a holiday every 2 months, I feel I am working way too hard. And yes, when I do take that holiday, I get stuck by the only-one-pool syndrome.

From here on...I am going to try and go back to the basics. Aim to take the bus instead up jumping the cab every time, refrain from spending 6$ on a cup of coffee everyday and stop buying stuff I will never use (like my new sun hat) because “it looked so pretty on the mannequin.”

The server is now getting my cocktail, but hey! it does not have the cute l’ll umbrella. But you know what, there is enough tequila in it, so I will be happy with the basics! Who needs excesses, right?