Why paying $40 a day for silence was my best investment this year为什么说每天花 40 美元换取安静是我今年最明智的投资
Discover how a silent retreat in Chiang Mai helped a Singaporean embrace solitude, digital detox, and mindfulness for personal growth and clarity. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Without the haste that comes with being socially and digitally connected, the writer felt like she had more than 24 hours in a day.
ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO
Published Sep 19, 2026, 05:00 AM
Updated Sep 21, 2026, 09:50 AM
SINGAPORE – “You are from Singapore? We get many Singaporeans here. Most of them spend a lot of time looking at trees. You have many trees in Singapore. But you don’t have the time to look at them.”
I was at a silent retreat in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when I met Father David Townsend, a Catholic priest in his 80s.
Parks/Nature reserves
没有了社交和数字连接带来的匆忙感，这位作家感觉自己一天有超过 24 小时。
插图：曼尼·弗朗西斯科
发布于 2026 年 9 月 19 日上午 5:00
更新于2026年9月21日上午9:50
新加坡——“你是新加坡人吗？我们这里有很多新加坡人。他们中的大多数人花很多时间看树。新加坡有很多树。但你们没有时间去看它们。”
我在泰国清迈参加静修活动时，遇到了大卫·汤森神父，他是一位 80 多岁的天主教神父。
公园/自然保护区