Every year, between November and January in Singapore, there is a general sense that people are nicer to each other–not because it is the end of the year or that Christmas is coming–but mostly because the monsoon season is finally here and the weather, even though it can be very rainy and wet, is now also much cooler. For those who are unfamiliar, we do not really have seasonal changes in Singapore. Most of the time it is hot and humid and when monsoon comes, the humidity remains the same (or even worse) but we somehow feel better! Instead of feeling an invisible blanket of moisture stick to our skin, now we can “see humidity” in the form of raindrops, puddles on the floor and wet clothes. Perhaps, to be able to sense moisture like this makes it more tolerable?

Because of the cooler weather, there is no need to turn on the AC in our office for months. We open our windows wide and let the wind come in while overhead ceiling fans ventilate the room and produce a soothing white noise that accompanies our working rhythm. Surely this is some form of simple pleasure in life!

But then the problem starts; our office utilises a lot of paper–to draw, write, edit drafts, make models, jot down notes, printouts of essays and the many many books we have accumulated over the years. In a way, being surrounded by physical materials is our attempt to not stare at computer screens as much as we can. But as we probably experience many times in our lives, paper and wind do not agree with each other very much! A breezy open- window studio is great for the mind and body but can be a real nuisance when loose papers threaten to take flight or when you’re forced to wrestle with book pages that won’t stay put.

Very soon, we realise that one good way to enjoy the wind, while continuously working with paper, is to use paperweights…Of course!

In our office, paperweights are everywhere, and always within reach. They are not particularly remarkable nor are they considered beautiful in the conventional sense (since anything heavy can be a paperweight) but they are always there, always functional, and always ready to be picked up and sit with much authority atop any paper stack or loose sheets. It can be said that this action provides a small sense of control in this wind-induced chaos.

In truth, we do not think much about them, and are more inclined to consider specialised stationeries or tools as more valuable with an intended purpose from the moment we purchase them. Yet, when taking time to observe the things around our work table, the omnipresence of paperweights becomes obvious and it is almost impossible to imagine our ‘day to day work without them. Of course, this does not happen throughout the year; when the windows are closed, ceiling fan motionless and the AC at full blast to combat the humidity outside, these paperweights huddle in various corners of the room, hibernating in wait for the rain to fall again.