Shakeleg on Love: Own Less, Give More

Mahatma Gandhi had five possessions: spectacles, sandals, pocket watch, bowl, plate. And he moved millions of Indians to rise against British rule.



Shakeleg has more. And she moved nobody, but herself - to tears for being wasteful and excessive.

Last month, I donated five big bags of clothes, bags, paintings, rugs and cushion covers to the office cleaner and ironing lady.

Last year, I donated a sofa and a bed to an orphanage.

It felt good. Not only to be ridding of unnecessary worldly possessions but knowing they were going to needy folks.



I received so many grateful messages from the "beneficiaries" I blushed. To me, they were junk. But to them, they were lovely gifts.

The office cleaner wore one of my shirts to work the other day. As I entered the door, she twirled herself in front of me and gushed "Beautiful, yes? It's the top you gave me. Thank you."

I was so embarrassed I didn't know what to say.

Fellow Singaporeans here tell the same story of giving - and loving.

Sure, there are many wealthy Indonesians but a lot more are poor. In fact, about 14 percent of Indonesia's 240 million people live below the national poverty line. Contributions, be they material items or skills, are always welcome.

I know of one Singaporean woman who regularly contributes items like stationery to a school. One Singaporean man is actively involved in a youth organisation which works with street children and orphans. I admire their commitment. I joined the organisation as a volunteer but couldn't last beyond two sessions.

You see, I believe I have a good heart but... my body needs a wallop. My biggest problem is that I'm a lazy arse. I suppose at this point in my life, I'm only good at donating my clutter to save the environment and world. Haha. But it's a start.


Exercising regularly does not stop me from being a lazy arse

Living in Indonesia has made me more aware of the material comforts I'm blessed with. And learn to be grateful for the bounty because many people are living with less. I am also more mindful of my spending. I'm not a spendthrift to begin with, but there's always room to be less wasteful.

I've since been hooked on the idea of "minimalist living". Living in an under-500-square-foot apartment, I qualify to join the Small House Movement, an architectural and social movement that advocates living in small homes, or so says Wikipedia.

When previously I turned crimson when I told my Singapore friends about my teeny-tiny apartment, now I announce it with pride. Good things come in small packages, I'd say.

Below, I reveal my teeny-tiny apartment! I know you're going to say "SO TIDY!" Yes, I am very anal about keeping my home clean. I hate mess. But my office desk is a different story. Haha.


This article you're reading is on the screen. Hee.


My bedroom






If you visit me, this is where you will be sleeping

Living simply also means cutting down on junk and living only with the essentials. Gandhi and all the Indonesian have-nots are my role model.

But it's no easy task.

When Singaporean friends visit or when Singaporeans here hang out, we do the ordinary things Singaporeans do but which may appear extravagant to the general population.

A fortnight ago, a Singaporean friend was craving for chicken wings so we had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Our meals cost 400,000 rupiah (about 70 Singapore dollars). That's half of a cleaner's monthly salary.

Last Sunday, another Singaporean friend and I broke fast (it's the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan now) at Marriott hotel's buffet. She said the advertisement stated "150,000+++ rupiah per person", but the total bill was around 650,000 rupiah. At around 50 Singapore dollars per person, that's slightly less than the price one would pay to have international buffet at Singapore Hyatt's Straits Kitchen.

She was apologetic but later said "Phew, luckily I went with you and not with an Indonesian friend. I would feel really bad as it'd cost too much for her."

It's not like I dine at Hard Rock or Marriott every day in Singapore, but an "honest mistake" like that was forgivable and wouldn't burn too big a hole in my pocket. Dining fancy once in a while was not a problem to my Singaporean friends and I. But it's easy to forget that not everyone could afford such luxuries. Much less in Indonesia.


local chips

At my former Singapore office, there was endless supply of fancy cakes and chocolates given free by five-star hotels and goodies from colleagues who travelled to exotic countries. Here, the only staple around was cheap KapalApi-brand coffee powder, tea and sugar. Occasionally, there would be some local chips and kueh-kueh (local cakes) which would be polished off in an hour or two.

I remember buying a modest packet of rice comprising of three standard dishes (beef rendang, chilli prawn and egg) and getting such comments as "Wow Shakeleg, you eat a lot". When I brought Starbucks coffee back, "Wow, that's fancy" greeted me.


Is this a lot? It's standard Singapore serving, right?

So much so that I decided to eat less and finish my cuppa at the lobby, out of their sight to avoid invoking feelings of envy and planting misguided ideas that I was rich. By Singapore standards, I would be considered middle-class, but rich? Hell no I'm not!

A losing battle, I suppose. Just the other day, somebody quipped I was a "rich orphan". You see, we were joking about getting "money packets" much like the Chinese hongbao for the upcoming Hari Raya, which falls on September 10.

So an Indonesian friend said "I usually give to orphans". So I raised my hand, waved frantically and said "Me! Me! I'm an orphan. My father died when I was 6!"

Her reply? "You're a wealthy orphan. You don't qualify."

So, poor little "rich" girl will have to try harder. Maybe it's hard to give up Starbucks coffee now but surely there's something else I could live without. Like utensils.

My mother, who visited me several times, told me to buy more cooking pots. I resisted. I've survived on one pot, one pan and one wok for two years and I've whipped up many a delicious meal in them.

See, I can definitely live with less. But beyond giving (my junk away), I hope to do more loving. Live to give. And live to love. Like Gandhi.



At the end of the day, when I die, I hope to be remembered for what I am and not what I have.

Which sounds better from the mouth of a mourner?

"Oh Shakeleg! The girl who lived in that huge mansion, had a fleet of luxury cars and had so many Birkins she used some to hold the toilet paper in the loo!" (Hello, a girl can dream!)

OR,

"Oh Shakeleg! The teeny-tiny girl who lived in a teeny-tiny house with her teeny-tiny imaginary cat named Luka. Everything about her was teeny-tiny (like her boobs? Haha!) but oh my, she had one big mighty laugh. And heart."

The latter is like music to the ears, yes?

(Oh, lest you forget, my corpse might rise from the coffin to remind you that besides a big laugh, I ALSO had big teeth and eyes)