By Marcus Tan
“The best detours rarely feel important when you first take them.”
The shorter route would have taken fifteen minutes.
Instead, I walked.
Not with a destination in mind. Just a preference for taking the longer way whenever time allows.
The route wound through older blocks, past playgrounds and small clusters of shops. Places designed more for the people who live nearby than those passing through.
Halfway through the walk, I noticed a small eating spot tucked beneath a row of flats.
There was nothing remarkable about it at first glance.
A few tables. A handful of stalls. Afternoon light stretching across the floor.
Still, I stopped.
Not because I was hungry.
Because the place felt settled.
The people eating there weren’t discovering anything. They looked like they had been coming for years. Conversations started midway. Orders seemed automatic.
I bought a drink and sat for a while.
The longer I stayed, the more the place felt connected to the neighbourhood around it. Not separate from it.
Like an extension of daily life.
Eventually, I continued walking.
The route home took longer than planned.
I didn’t mind.
Some hidden gems aren’t destinations worth travelling across the city for.
They’re places worth noticing when life happens to bring you near them.
And sometimes, that’s enough.