I’m not very good at being idle but it seems like a skill
that should be relatively easy to acquire during a year-long sabbatical. However, nine months in, I realized that I
really hadn't spent much time doing “nothing”.
If not engaged in travelling (due to the amount of “bumping” involved in
journeying in developing countries, this cannot be considered idle time!) or
fitting in lots of sightseeing and activities then one is usually planning
ahead and working out where to go next, how to get there, where to stay, how
long to stay, what to do and how to do it.
Even when seemingly doing ‘nothing’, my brain is working on a mental
to-do list and generally trying to find the answers to the meaning of life (all
of them, all at once).
The Oxford English Dictionary gives a couple of good
descriptions of ‘idleness’:
“Idleness – a state
of inaction; inactivity”
“Idleness –
characterized by inaction or absence of significant activity”
I quite like the second one – “significant” being the operative
word. It also offers “laziness; indolence” but I find these
to be far too judgemental and derogatory.
In our busier and busier lives, “idleness” seems like a luxury, but one
which could allow us to regain control for short periods of time and give the
poor old brain a welcome rest. If
meditation isn’t my thing then maybe selective ‘idleness’ can be.
In the beautiful, laid-back and friendly environment of
Cambodia, it seemed time to give this a go.
The project started in Sihanoukville but really came into its own on a
paradise-style island called Koh Rong.
In my beach bungalow in Sihanoukville, I set myself the task of not
doing anything all day (apart from eat and read) and, more significantly, not
to feel any guilt. The experiment went
pretty well (the laptop remained largely turned off) but as I didn’t actually
like Sihanoukville (some great views but utterly lacking in charm), it wasn’t
the place to continue putting the theory into practice.
Koh Rong is an island 30 miles off the coast of Cambodia
and takes 2-3 hours by boat, depending on the weather. It is a small island with a handful of
villages, and in the main village there are about 75 local families. Koh Rong has only had tourist development on
it for a couple of years and the four “resorts” are small low- keys affairs
aimed at the lower end of the market (bungalows from $15-$45 dollars). One boat runs back and forwards to the
mainland each day, weather depending. If
you arrive without a room reservation and everything is full, there is no way
back that day but a couple of enterprising locals have basic guesthouses or one
of the expats might find you an unfinished building to sleep in.
Idling seemed to come very naturally for me at Monkey Island resort and my
experiment made great strides forward. I
sacrificed an “en-suite” bathroom for a sea front bungalow so that I could lie
in my hammock and watch the sea and sky unimpeded by man-made structures. Life is simple on the island. There is no mains electricity and the
resort’s generator only comes on for lights from dusk until midnight (they use
a car battery during the day for the bar/restaurant, recharged in the evening). With no fan or aircon, you don’t linger long
in bed after sunrise and so I quickly settled into a routine beginning with an
early morning swim followed by some quality time in my hammock before heading
off the 20m to the restaurant for breakfast.
The gentle rhythm of the rest of the day involved mainly
swimming, reading, gazing, snoozing, eating (repeatedly, in a variety of
orders) as well as watching the local entertainment. In the mornings, the local
children would scamper around in the water laughing and splashing and then in
the afternoon, a little black dog would practice his favourite game of winding
up the water buffalo, resulting in the odd chase up the beach.
I had attempted to idle elsewhere but in the end I concluded
that it was easy to idle on the island as the conditions were just right:
1. Everyone
around you is also living in a relaxed manner
2. The
limited decisions required were only based on a couple of options: “Stripy
t-shirt or blue sundress over my bikini?”, “Daily squid special or vegetable
curry?”, “Breakfast now or swim first?”, “Fresh lime juice or a beer?”, “Stroll
to the other lovely beach or just stay here?”, “Read book or gaze out at the
view?”
3. Everything
is padlock-able (every traveller worth their salt has an assortment of
combination padlocks) and so there is no need to carry a key.
4. No
electricity means no wifi and so any random thoughts worth capturing were
jotted down with old-fashioned pen and paper and put aside to be used at a
later date (i.e. now)
I enjoyed watching the new backpackers arrive off the
boat each afternoon, from the comfort of my hammock. They would stop along the beach and shake their
heads in wonder, gazing at the paradise they had chosen. Often, the water
buffalo would be taking his afternoon bathe.
The only thing to do when you arrive is to throw your cossie
on and sprint into the clear blue, shallow warm water. Once they had finished their swims, I would
head into the water for my sunset hour bathe.
I don’t think I’ve spent so long in the water since France in early 90s.
In my four days on the Koh Rong, I did manage a challenging
jungle hike/climb to the other side of the island to the reward of a magnificent
empty beach and a water taxi home. And,
whilst my brain may have been idle of any daily concerns, I have been working
my way through this year’s Man Booker
short list. This intellectual
pursuit feels like utter luxury and fitted perfectly into the idleness agenda. With only “The Sisters Brothers” left on the
list, I concur with the judges; Julian Barnes' “The Sense of an Ending” is
still my favourite.
Returning to the mainland, I worked my way down the coast
via Kampot to an eco-retreat/organic farm up among the pepper farms near Kep. There is plenty to do and see in this area and
so it was time for a new type of idling: integrating it into days that also
contained significant activity. Many of
the people who come out to the Vine
Retreat are expats looking to escape the craziness of Phnom Penh (they quickly
become repeat customers). Whilst I’ve
been here, there has been a fascinating mix of people: short & long term
travellers, Phnom Penh expats and local NGO workers. Whilst lying by the pool, I often hear day
visitors exclaiming from the balcony, “ooh, c’est magnifique…”.
I instantly felt at home
here. I think that there is something
very comforting about leaving your shoes outside on the rack with everyone else’s
(guests & staff) and wandering around barefoot. There are eight simple guest rooms (excellent
mattresses and sheets) and two floors full of places to sit and relax – you can
choose from the long communal table, hammocks, floor cushions and, my personal
favourite, the raised cushioned benches along the outside of the balcony. These overlook the garden and swimming pool,
as well as the local pepper farms and hills, and on a clear day, Vietnam. While having an aperitif with your book, the
resident cat might come and curl up on your lap.
I seem to need time and space
for idling and lots of natural light and fresh air. These are in plentiful supply at the Vine
Retreat and again, there is a pleasing lack of choice! In the evening, you can have their daily set
menu (sourced from their organic vegetable garden and fruit trees) and so the
only question is, what time would you like it? It obviously helps that the incredibly
friendly staff make your bed every day, serve you lovely healthy food and often
pop by with a glass of water and an encouraging word.
Here I have managed to fit in a
day trip to Kampot, a visit to the local village & NGO, a tour of the farm
and pepper plantation, a good early morning hike up a local hill in addition to
hours of interesting conversation with other guests, dips in the pool and yet
more reading. If I make tentative plans
then they inevitably change as I go with the flow and take the opportunities
that present themselves. I haven’t felt
guilty in days.
So, what is the point of all this idling and have I
mastered it? I’ve definitely improved! It’s good for the spirit. If achievable in spurts in a busy city lifestyle,
then it has the potential to hand back control. I think I might need a hammock in London…
Idling photos:
Want to know more about idling? I recently enjoyed Tom Hodgkinson’s book “How
to be Idle” which is described as:
“an antidote to the work-obsessed culture which puts so many
obstacles between ourselves and our dreams. Hodgkinson presents us with a laid-back
argument for a new contract between routine and chaos, an argument for
experiencing life to the full and living in the moment”.
