One woman’s journey of getting to the heart of experiencing life in its fullest form, from the biggest to the smallest of moments in her everyday life.
In this light-hearted meditation on living mindfully, Wei Teng Chen describes how by slowing down and paying attention to all that surrounds her, she gets much more out of life, whether at home or carrying her backpack across the globe. In her collection of personal essays written across a decade, Wei Teng’s musings offer us a balm of gentle wisdom that gives comfort in this fast-paced modern life we’ve inherited.
“These days, I stop to breathe in deeply the faint scent of jasmine flowers in my neighbourhood, which I’d never smelt before this time of the year. I like to see that as a small victory; the fact that I manage to slow down my lived-time and create a headspace that is no longer so cloistered and cluttered, leaving no space for such simple wonders…”
Zen Musings From A Fly On The Wall received a 5-stars rating from Readers' Favourite in 2025.
Reena Kandoth
January 7, 2026
I enjoyed reading the book of reflections by Wei Teng Chen. The overall theme is how Wei Teng strives to live with intention and awareness. Her fly on the wall moment is how she observes what goes on around her, for example, her observation about trees, the wind and bonsai trees' beauty in restriction.
Certain stories also made me sit up and take note, for example how a Thai couple's wedding favour of a coin was historically significant. It amazes me that she can still remember her history lessons and connect the knowledge gleaned. Another stand out for me is her reflection of how if she finds it very hard to do something with joy or enthusiasm, she needs to at least learn to accept it. She crystallised these ideas while staying and working at a permaculture farm and experiencing the sounds of nature and working as an apprentice to the master farmer. What an experience!
It is important to mention that she has weaved her teaching journey into her stories. Even though classroom life was hectic, she still found ways to bring calm into her life and condensed her thoughts into stories. Most of all, I like how her reflections speak to me. For instance, how grateful she is that she learnt to ride a bike as a child so that she can explore on bicycle many years later while overseas.
Zen Musings is a calm and gentle read and the stories definitely live up to the title. There are interesting self-reflection nuggets which I enjoyed thinking about and I found myself absorbing the wisdom behind the contemplations. This is also an enjoyable and easy read which reinforces the importance of self-awareness and also intentionally living in the moment.
