I keep lists on my phone: groceries, mainly, from tubs of Greek yoghurt to punnets of raspberries when they’re in season; tasks such as getting h the handyman to repair our air-conditioner; a reminder to buy wedding gifts for our friends’ ceremony, a little over a month away.
Lists are how I navigate the world, imposing order where there is none. Chaos is more natural, I know, but I resist.
Today my list is both specific and bittersweet: bottles of Karmakamet essential oils we plan on stocking up before we return to KL for good. It’s almost time to leave Bangkok.
Our scented list:
- Eucalyptus x 2
- Geranium x 1
- Ylang Ylang x 2
- Sandalwood x 1
- Lavender x 1
- Bergamot x 1
A little fruity, a little woodsy. Minty, pine-like, with a touch of honey. Most are floral though; we like the fragrance of crushed petals.
Flowers, leaves and grass. Needles and twigs, bark and root. Wood and resin, rind and seeds.
It’s a catalogue of aromatic oils, yes, but also a record of how we perfume our days and months. Our years spent here, our trials and our triumphs.
This is the inventory of our life.