A magical place in the heart of the city.

Have you ever sat alone to heal your soul? Many people would probably answer no. Everyone is busy with work and family; there's no time to sit still, just sit still, completely detach yourself from life, no longer worrying about work, family, or the cost of living. It's as if you're sitting in a transparent box where time stops, while outside everything continues its hustle and bustle.

Every week I allow myself to "sit still" and observe life like this. Then I suddenly realize, oh, there are so many interesting things, so many wonderful things that I never noticed before. It seems the noisy life happening around me no longer has any connection to me. Cars still rush by on the road. People go back and forth, busy with their own lives. Around the park, cafes play soft music. I see a woman collecting scrap metal going from bar to bar around the park, asking to buy empty beer cans. During the day, the bars are closed and quiet, only bustling at night. Everything is still happening hastily to keep up with the pace of time. And I sit in the park, a magical world , completely separate from the bustling life outside, to quiet myself, listen to the purest sounds, and breathe the most peaceful air.

Since this park was built, people have had a place to play, exercise, relax, and rest. It's only crowded in the early morning and late afternoon. People exercise there, and children play games like electric scooters, roller skating, and painting statues. Therefore, the nearby shops are only busy in the evening. As evening begins, the park transforms completely, becoming crowded, bustling, and noisy. But in the mid-morning, around eight o'clock, it becomes quiet, with only a few people stopping by to rest.

During the day, the park seemed isolated from the outside world. The noise of traffic and the music from the cafes couldn't drown out the chirping of birds calling to each other. Looking up at the lush foliage of the sala and oil trees, it was impossible to find a single singing bird. Only after carefully observing and searching for a while did a tiny bird appear. It was grayish-brown with a white belly and a yellow beak, nimbly hopping from branch to branch, calling to its mate. A few warblers hopped on the grass, chirping and foraging for food. A sala tree was shedding its leaves, the fallen petals fluttering in the air, tumbling playfully before landing on the ground. On the ground, on the green grass, lay countless sala flower petals and stamens. They had withered and fallen, some dark and dried, others still retaining their deep red color. Looking up at the tree, the young sala fruits are beginning to form, and the flowers on the branches are orange-red, not dark red like those on the ground; they're probably withered flowers drying out, making the color darker.

I've never seen a tree with flowers as strange as the sala. The flowers grow in long clusters, some branches extending almost to the ground, resembling graceful, intertwined arms. Looking closely, you'll see that the branches with flowers hanging down to the ground are the ones without fruit; the flowers bloom continuously, so the "arms" hanging down to the base are understandable. Some trees are luckier, bearing fruit from the first bloom, resulting in large, round, dark brown fruits clustered high up. Others are less fortunate, bearing fruit in the second or third bloom, with fruit hanging halfway up the tree. Still others are even less fortunate, with fruit drooping close to the ground. Therefore, a quick glance is enough to tell which trees are lucky and which are unlucky.

Interspersed among the sala trees are gnarled oil palm trees. These trees are drought-tolerant, shed few leaves, and their lush foliage creates a fresh, cool atmosphere. In the middle of the common pathway are flowerbeds planted with vibrant red ixora, occasionally interspersed with ornamental plants shaped like giant eggs. On the ground, between the oil palm and sala trees, scattered patches of colorful petunias are planted. These flowers bloom almost year-round, so the area is always ablaze with red, white, and pink hues.

Sitting in the breezy park feels like being in another world, a place where anyone can leave behind their worries. I call this place my escape cave because stepping inside is like entering another realm, a magical land filled only with purity, peace, and tranquility. Every weekend, just sitting still here heals the soul, and all sadness, envy, and jealousy vanish. Looking at the flowers, the trees, and listening to the birds sing – what could be better!

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