Author: experiencetoday

English articles

Edible fruits skin

experiencetoday

People tend not to eat apple skin or bread crust nowadays. This is not necessary and is more like wasting food to me. My friend introduced me to these tiny mandarins from Japan where I can enjoy the skin. I must admit that it’s weird to eat the whole thing, but I feel less “guilty” when I have them.

Known as Kishu mandarins, they are much smaller than regular mandarins or tangelos. Sweet and seedless with a thin, tender edible skin. They are not waxed, and the skin feels natural, not like apples’ waxy skin.

It is always exciting to try out different fruit, but I would prefer not to have too many of them especially the skin of mandarins. Japanese fruits can be high in chemicals as reported in the news. With the expensive price tag, I’d better switch back to regular Mandarins to use the skins for fertilizers or soaps.

As a matter of fact, there is a Japanese version of bananas that you can eat the whole thing including the skin. It’s almost $100 each, and although edible, it’s a strange feeling having the “skin-included” banana in your meal. 

We are programmed with habits, especially when it comes to eating habits and preferences. It will take a long time to convince me to try that “edible peel” banana.

Chinese articles

多角度看愛情

experiencetoday

這套Netflix的西葡小品Até Que a Vida Nos Separe （Until life do us apart）道盡多角色的愛情故事。女主角Vanessa於美術課堂上作人像模特兒，年青不羈的藝術系學生Vasco迷戀她，游說她派對及美國之旅。結果，這個足球派對全男班，俊朗而口才極佳的Vasco未能留住她； Vanessa反而愛上他的好友Daniel。Daniel猶如Vasco的相反照，就如平淡的海水，好好先生的形象，但沒給人太多驚喜。

愛情從來沒有錯與對。二人拍拖時，Vasco仍極力追求Vanessa，不過，年青的Vanessa懷有身孕，跟Daniel搬入他父母的農莊經營籌辦婚禮的生意，養兒育女。男的抱怨為何由攝影師變成婚宴拍照員，放棄了追求理想的機會。 Vasco事業成功，有自己的畫廊。女的感到一生花盡心力經營農莊婚宴生意，丈夫卻不稱職、頻頻出錯、完不投入。如果再揀一次，與Vasco到美國暢遊，是否有更美好人生呢？生活會否有更多火花？

似乎每個平凡夫婦背後，最初結織時都有著甜蜜又令人落淚的小故事，就如Vanessa的父母，二人結婚五十年，就算女開始有腦退化，父親依舊深愛著他；又有誰猜到他年輕時曾經是一個Boxer。在亂世年代，年輕小子滿面傷痕，逃避警察而到她家裡，兩人就此互相認識。康復後，他依然想念她，二人走在一起，不計較貧苦，養育兩位女兒，如今亦多了兩個長大成人的孫仔女。

兩人年邁老去，家中成員依依不捨。數月間發生的這個改變令大家庭失去重心，原來兩位老人家無形『支撐』著各人在農場上生活，儘使生活上、感情上出現問題，都有股動力嘗試迎難而上，是兩老給予大家愛情的典範？還是老人家賦予一股無形的凝聚力？

姊弟拍住協助媽媽經營這盤婚宴生意，到最後瀕臨破產邊緣，仍然立定志向堅持守業。孫女二十五歲，孫仔大既二十出頭。新一代對愛情的看法果然與所不同—— 她愛的是已結婚的靚仔警察，意無反顧，只想有愛，沒有想太多。

弟弟有如父親一樣經常沉點不言，不愛交往，女仔主動獻身，只會嚇怕他。他於虛擬世界交心，對方決意要見他一面，又好像愛上了他，性向對他而言，似乎不是重點的考慮，反而自覺是無性向人士，不想這個虛擬好友失望。

愛的表達有很多。Daniel與Vanessa分手的一刻，在攝影展上，展示了他對Vanessa真誠的愛、Vanessa父母的恩愛，以及葡萄牙人對家庭的重現，為他人生上半場見證的各種情愛作一個完美的總結。

劇集要說的故事和手法真的與英美片不同，有著耐人尋味的情懷感覺。

English articles

Tips for Sleep

experiencetoday

A therapist once suggested taking care of feelings instead of seeking a solution to certain problems. Our minds have emotional needs. My brain started to “digest” what it meant – Listen to your body instead of overthinking to save brain power. 

Just follow your gut, just do it without thinking, especially before you go to sleep.

You write an address on an envelope. You need not think, it’s just your procedural memory that helps you do the task. You have breakfast. You need not think as you just take that into your mouth and your body automatically digests the food. You get to bed, it’s supposed to be programmed to sleep. If you think too much, it interferes with the original plan and leads to a lot of worries and interference. 

Let the mind wander, stay still, close your eyes, imagine you’re resting and relaxing deep, slow down the breathing like when you’re sleeping. Then a visual will appear. Let it wander. You will realise “I just slept a bit?!”, follow these steps and enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep. 

Thanks to the comic artists who gave us such valuable tips. 

That’s something I have to keep in mind. Let it rest. 

A few more tips from a sleep specialist:

  • Change your thoughts – It’s fine to function the next day even if you do not sleep well tonight. 
  • Accept the fact – the less you struggle with insomnia, the better your chances are of falling asleep.
  • Learn to relax – worry less, see what happens
  • Nervous about our class/meeting – tell yourself worrying is normal, try to accept 
  • Sleep hygiene; sleep early instead of having too many worries
  • Mindfulness in a pleasant environment, feeling the beautiful environment, minimising negative thought
  • Do what is of importance to you – look at the big picture; care about what you want to do, and forget those minor things
  • Not to cancel meeting your friends; normal routine 
  • Immerse less in social media, and focus on what you like to do, e.g. hiking, swimming, heading to the beach 
English articles

Autistic minds

experiencetoday

What do autistic people really feel? I always imagined a small kid playing in a corner of the room until I watched the BBC documentary – inside our autistic minds. 

Two young adults showed the world how they felt when encountering the world in a 2-minute video. I could see two normal human young minds pursuing their own dreams. 

Ethan is a 19-year-old student and rapper. He demonstrated in his video that he is hypersensitive to sounds and noises, as well as to many visual stimulations. Anton, a football lover, lets his friends and family know in a video that routines are super significant to him. Having many things planned ahead of time is super critical to him. If his precise schedule gets disrupted, he feels lost. He can only have fun when he feels safe and secure by sticking to the routine. 

I cannot differentiate Anton’s case from that of an anxious adult. If you know the difference, tell me more.

English articles

Pixar

experiencetoday

Since Apple introduced the Mac, and later the iPhone and iPad, the brand has been a global leader in the market. I later realised how influential Steve Jobs was on Pixar when visiting the Pixar exhibition in Hong Kong.

It surprised me that Steve Jobs was actually involved in Pixar’s success story and sold the company to Disney in 2006. My friend told me their company hired a senior executive whose annual salary is HK$400 million. She considered that salary high, and not reasonable. I disagreed.

If that executive does a brilliant job like those global leaders who moved the brand to the next level, why not pay them a handsome amount of money? They deserve it!

I also grasped the concept of “continuous improvement” in the Pixar exhibition. Take an in-depth look at the stretches of how “Woody” looked at Toy Story or how “Kevin” looked in the movie Up! You would lose excitement if they really looked like that! Fortunately, those are the only stretches. As the team worked on the concept, they improved it bit by bit. They even outlined detailed movement of ears, eye brows, hands and body parts, indicating how those intricate details should look like when the characters were in action. A clay model was also made to allow the creative team to understand the characters in multiple dimensions.

How many hours and manpower went into a single character? Imagine how many characters were in a single Pixar movie? The result was an ” impressive accomplishment”.

Chinese articles

我終於中了

experiencetoday

由今年初，香港復常，結束3年十分壓迫的生活，口罩令撤回了，對其他國家的入境限制也沒有了。面授課堂和全日制課堂也如常了，似乎大家已很安心外出旅行。

星期一最後一天復活節假期，大早起床，頭痛極了，肚子亦痛，以為是昨日吃的東西變壞了。累極了，只想休息，睡了一回，醒來，又再入睡去，喉嚨有點乾和痛，反反覆覆直到睡到下午二時。早上的快測是一條線，但另一個快測似乎有第二條線，很微弱的，也沒有想太多，反正是假期。三時多再試一次吧，真的是兩條線，四時多，兩條線也很深色。

頭是有點燙熱，很久沒有發燒至38.5C，原來頭燙熱的感覺不好受。吃過退燒藥，減熱完，又升高，如是者，一天過後，37.8C，算是有所改善，頭仍是繃緊的。

精神好多了，沒有想昏睡的感覺，眼睛有點累，想吃清淡而多水份的東西，昨天中午吃過湯飯，胃很舒服；晚餐吃炒意粉，實在太濃味。今早還是吃麥片，喝檸檬水吧！

其實，這次初次中新冠的經歷，最不快的是，未能上班，我不是工作狂，但畢竟我只上班三天，有點過意不去，另外，就是未能享受昨天的假期，以及今個星期的門球練習。

昨天似乎是幾天假期天氣最好的一天，本想去海灘，或來過小行山，但還是未能如願。

今天，趁要看醫生取醫生紙，到公園走走吧！

醫生也一言中的，為何數個月前確診外出是罪，現在病了不返工是則是惡行？我們的價值觀是長久而建立，真不是每一個人都可以在短時間內作出修改。我尊敬他終於自我的精神，也多謝他不讓我回公司傳播病菌。

English articles

Green shopping

experiencetoday

While shopping at the supermarket, my friend kept lecturing me about carbon footprints. Hong Kong is such a business city that we rarely have local produce at a reasonable price. Imported food is natural for us. 

Though many vegetables come from Mainland China, Hongkongers love produce imported from Japan, Europe, Australia and the US. We do not feel guilty for buying goods that have travelled a long way to the shops. Almost no local farms supply enough fresh pak chop, choy sham, or potatoes for our daily consumption. 

Several years ago, a concept store opened called Greenprice that sells near-expired products or canned goods that have passed their best-before dates. I do my regular grocery shopping there.

The stores do not include expired products like meat and dairy, which means that these foods are safe to consume. 

I even found it a fun experience to “seek and hunt” interesting and different brands and snacks at an affordable price. Yes, they are imported and create carbon footprints, but by buying these food items, we prevent gigantic food waste that harms the universe. 

This month, I purchased chunky peanut butter, chocolates, whole wheat pasta, body cream, and potato chips. They are yet to expire and are a deal. The most important is that I couldn’t find some of these goodies in other stores. 

Despite that these items might have travelled a long way, I still advocate green shopping, as these products will be sent to landfill if everyone gives them up.

English articles

Korean pizzas

experiencetoday

Hiking in Hong Kong always ends with a happy meal with friends or hikers. It can also be a fun barbecue time in a country park as many hiking tracks are close to the city. 

I brought my buddies to join a few visually impaired friendly people for an easy hike today. 

The track is home to monkeys, starting at the Shek Lei Pui Reservoir bus stop. Most of the track is flat, wide cement roads, so non-trained volunteers can take visually impaired individuals along the track. 

Then we passed through the Golden Hill Country Park by the Kowloon Reservoir, and ended up at the BBQ site at Shing Mun Reservoir. We’re so excited to find the sizzling BBQ smell was back after the public BBQ sites were closed for almost 3 years. 

Of course, hiking is not complete without great food, and today, we sat down together at a long table, trying Korean pizzas and fried chicken. Don’t argue with us that Asian pizzas are not authentic or ruin Italian traditions. 

Asians are creative and embrace diverse food cultures. We are not satisfied with plain pasta without meat or vegetable ingredients. A pizza with just mozzarella and herbs looked sad to us, so we tried different ways to make our pizzas yummy.  

I first tried frozen Korean pizzas 5 years ago. They do not have many ingredients because of competitive pricing, so I add chopped tomatoes and beef or cold cuts on top of my meal. 

Korean pizzas, in general, are crispy with a thin crust and usually well decorated with tomatoes, meats, seafood, or even kimchi toppings. If you want extra cheese, order a thick crust filled with cheese. The pizza we ordered at Pizza Maru today looks like a work of art, making our lunch gathering more fun and pleasant. 

The chicken comes in so many flavours. The honey garlic ones and beef tasty sauce ones taste fantastic. The meal was definitely a happy ending for everyone who hiked together today.

English articles

Family harmony

experiencetoday

What happens if different family members have divergent political views? The movie Jojo Rabbit tells a good story about such a situation.

The movie characters advocated for their ideals without conflict. Mom let her son join youth propaganda training, but she supported a propaganda campaign to free Germany. The son discovered his mom’s secret, but didn’t report it to the authorities; instead, he gradually embraced it and even became a Jewish girl’s friend. 

In real life, people join a political party and switch to another after a few years. It might reflect how their mindsets have changed or mean that they are seeking another path that fits with their goals and career development. 

Is that a harmonious choice? Not necessary. We compromise to make life happier. 

Is Jojo Rabbit a war movie? Not exactly, the ending with David Bowie’s music makes it happier and edgier. 

Have a good weekend.

Chinese articles

如何善待患者

experiencetoday

女主角出世時37秒沒呼吸，之後造成腦性麻痺，媽媽很愛她，從洗澡以至外出上車，也看緊她。她的漫畫成為別人的作品，沒有得到讚美，只感到被人利用。一天，她看到一些情色漫畫，突然想嘗試創作這方面的漫畫，她主動到雜誌社跟主編見面，雖然得到主編的欣賞，但就是情愛的描繪不真實，因為她從未試過戀愛，也從未試跟男子作親密過，主編鼓勵她有這方面的經驗後，加入漫畫的元素再次見她吧。

少女對性的疑惑，令她想與男士作一次親密接觸，結果無功而回。她失望極了，但她遇到一個服務殘障人士的性工作者和她的朋友。兩人給少女一種過正常人日子的感覺，唱歌、飲酒、打扮一下。媽媽發現她不再工作、過著不一樣的日子，十分失望，沒收她的電話，也不讓她外出。

殘障人士和其他患者也有其尊嚴，照顧者、朋友和同事或未能理解。她們也想發揮所長。什麼是休息？

這可以是在床上睡著，這亦可以是按摩，這亦可以是作喜歡的事，例如每天精神許可下，寫一點東西、做一點運動、外出呼吸一點空氣，這可能是她們放鬆的地方。醫護人員只顧不讓病人下床，不希望她們跌倒，其實在醫院環境容許下，患者走走又何不可以呢？伸一伸，跟人說笑也是一種休息。看看電郵也可能是一種放鬆，因為這是與別人連繫的感覺，一切都可以從心。

患者重視的地方是工作嗎？她們的重點大多放在自己的身體上，難道她們遇到交通意外，也要第一時間向老闆交待在意外現場，是否有點不切實際。是真心關懷的話，多一點同理心吧。每個人待事待人都不同。

有些殘障人士希望幫助推她一把； 一些患者則會自己『前行』，感到無比快樂。

定律是這樣嗎？ 放大固有的空間吧！

English articles

ADHD

experiencetoday

Without true love and patience, parents and teachers cannot encourage children to learn and grow. I spent two hours at an activity session organised by a non-profit organisation on Saturday afternoon. 

Half of the children at 3 seem like normal pupils. They pay close attention in classes, enjoy making crafts, following teachers’ directions, and doing fun activities with other children. 

Half of them have very short attention spans. They find watching a video very boring and want to walk around or explore new things in the classroom. 

The Indian boy I looked after on Saturday was smart. He constantly looked for creative things to play with in the room, for example, the swirling chair, or the buttons of a fan. He knows the way to grasp a teacher’s attention and makes the teacher let him do something he likes to do. For the first 45 minutes, he was fine sitting down and drawing, but then he lost patience and began to jump around corners. It was like a physical challenge for me to stop his explorations. I did not want him to get hurt. 

For the second half hour, I observed how he interacted with the teacher he knew. He was still restless and did not want to calm down. The teacher asked him to count from one to twenty, which kept me focused for 2 minutes. Eventually, the teacher had to take him for a walk in another room before returning to the small classroom. 

The boy knows the name of transport means in Cantonese. Intellectually he appears to be a normal child. 

Through the volunteering experience, I have empathy with the parents who raise a hyperactive child. I am still unable to convince myself why doctors prescribe more ADHD drugs to children. Psychiatric drugs require long-term or lifelong use. Why do doctors give 8 – 10 pills to 11-year-old boys and girls whose physical and mental development is not yet complete? 

Maybe simply giving them space to jump around, like young puppies, can benefit their well-being. Maybe we can set a boundary for the stimuli we expose ourselves to. Managing expectations for ourselves and our children will help maintain mental wellness.

English articles

Gluten-free, nutty crackers

experiencetoday

Do you like chips but want something healthier?

These crispy crackers made of chia seeds, flax seed powder, sesame seeds, and assorted nuts are perfect for a mid-morning snack.

To make this thin crisp, all your ingredients need to be mixed with water, then add honey or salt and bake it for half an hour. I usually don’t have the patience to spend hours baking dough, but this recipe takes just a few minutes. It’s ready to serve and delicious. 

Honestly, I do not feel guilty about eating these protein-rich and fibre-rich crackers during a mid-day break. I simply enjoy those anti-oxidant content and nuts. 

Bon appetite. 

Chinese articles

思想改變貧窮

experiencetoday

Jose Mujica 是一位全球最貧窮的總統。他一生不斷抗爭，加入游擊隊，務求推翻軍事政權。他入獄十四年，在獨立的監倉渡過，飽受飢餓、毒打和脫光衣服的侮辱，精神受到影響，出現幻覺。他如何對應？跟內心和心靈對話，給了他慰藉。

他亦逃過了槍傷奪去其生命的厄運，給他做手術的醫生原來是其黨友，幸運地他安好繼續抗爭。出獄後，他和妻子已經過了生育的黃金時間，沒有孩子，兩人默默地當農夫，這也是他生父的職業，借來種子開出白色輕柔的花朵，於市場販賣。

另一方面，他以演說為人民發聲，最後成為參議員。他的一字一句跟政治家有別，真誠的字句猶如跟平民對話，最後成為烏拉圭總統，他認為解決國內的貧窮問題，不單是從增加財富的角度入手，而要從人民的思維入手，當然幫助他們解決生活基本的需要是重要的。若印度的車有如德國那麼多，能解決問題嗎，空氣只會變得難以呼吸，並沒有觸及問題的底部。

他獲邀到東京大學跟學生分享的一席話，一切道理都盡在每一字每一句中： 

「生命不是為了成功。最重要的東西就是鍥而不捨。就算跌倒，也要爬起來。每一次失敗，也要有勇氣重新振作。失業並不是世界末日。就算你坐牢，也會有出獄的一天。你只要在呼吸，你就要生存。

「我熱愛生命。我還有很多事可以做，不斷撒下種子就是因為這個原因。

「如果你沒有信心，就去建立些你值得信的東西。相信自己和生命，不滿不是壞事。只是投訴但不去改變才是壞事。去找志同道合的人，開始行動。這就是找到生命意義的方法。你們毋須同意我講的話，找出你們正確的道路。」

有年輕人問如何令全世界都開心？

「我們只好竭盡所能。如果你開心，你旁邊的人也會開心，針對你熱愛的東西出發。我喜歡土壤，所以我耕種，這令我快樂。

「生存就是要正視問題，不能逃避問題。重點就是你如何面對問題？

這位80歲的老人家思想清晰，充滿智慧，不得不教人感動。看一次這套電影我貧窮但很快樂。

Chinese articles

非一夫一妻制議題

experiencetoday

紀錄片〖Monogamy, explained 〗探討一夫一妻制的議題，講述人類與動物的天性本是以多伴侶為核心，但隨著倫理道德的概念深入人心，大部分人都奉行婚姻概念，婚外情和出軌便成為罪大惡極的行為，部分地方更視此為罪行。

現代人思想演變，對不同性取向和自我性別的界定，已採取較包容的態度，香港則沒有走得這麼前。十多年前，Hong Kong Magazine是不少熱愛西方文化的香港讀物，雜誌每星期出版一次，轉載了Dan Savage的情愛專欄。這欄目於不少國家也十分知名，內容吸引，作者也十分幽默。我精讀了許多年頭，對他給予同性或異性情侶關係和性需求的疑問可謂大開眼界。其實許多年前不少人要有多一點愛的需要，但不懂得如何探索。紀錄片訪問了Dan Savage 對單一愛情觀的看法。

現代人較敢言，能夠以溝通的形式，向另一半表達希望關係如何發展下去，是要以開放形式聯繫，倍添新鮮感？部分人以二人婚姻作核心，引入三人甚至四人觸感的刺激，令生活增加激情和發揮的空間。

二十一世紀，工作已變得非單一，絕少數人在同一機構工作，斜槓族slasher也與日俱增，始終AI年代快來臨，數年後我們是否留得住現時的工作，也沒有人知道，能夠多方面的工作技能何樂而不為？

與此同時，結婚白頭到老的伴侶越來越少。每次我看到白髮夫婦手牽手，內心也感到他們的甜密。然而，美國的離婚率達三分一，可能半數以上也曾經出軌。葡萄牙的離婚率逹七成。外間誘惑隨處都是，其他國家和香港夫婦分離個案比比皆是。兩人拍拖有不同階段，一生人與不同人相愛也無可厚非。

兩人的結合講求身心靈和思想方面的合拍。人生數十年，走了幾年後，步履可能不一致，對事對人的看法或會不一樣，這可從年輕一代單身比例上升體見出來。

我們似乎追求財務自由之餘，也傾向爭取戀愛和感情自由。

有被訪者在紀錄片中形容單一伴侶就如素食者，但情感的誘惑仍然常在，就如肉香不時在身邊出現，你可能會問不少素食者都不愛肉味，他們鍾愛蔬菜的程度，旁人不能想像。

人類愛情的關係會否進化，真的要視乎大家的接納程度和社會建制能否推進這議題。

English articles

A colourful world of Miro

experiencetoday

After a three-year lockdown, several international art events are finally back in Hong Kong, namely Art Central and Art Basel. I am so grateful to be able to see European paintings in an art museum without much fuss. No vaccination passes, no QR codes.

The debut of our “comeback” featured artist is Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist Joan Miro. He chose art over business at a young age. His works are playful with the frequent use of symbols, shapes, and colours.

He always used black to create shapes or core subjects. Yellow, blue, and red are some of his favourite colours. The combination of these vibrant colours is so Spanish. My friend considered him sad when looking at his paintings. Specifically, she described his paintings as having gray or dark backgrounds and black strokes.

What caught my attention the most was the use of cardboard and knitted strings as his canvas. I just thought these media were always dark in colour. He even picked up paintings and incorporated his wild imagination of shapes and symbols and letter-like creations on top.

I do not find black strokes indicative of low mood as people always use black pens or paint.
To my surprise, Miro experienced nervous breakdowns at age 18. He also had several depressive episodes throughout his life. Some paintings place curved lines, objects, faces, and symbols chaotically. His paintings often featured ladders as symbols of his struggle with mental state and escaping from chaos.

While some people write to channel their emotions, Miro felt calm when painting. Like Picasso, he lived a long life, survived the Spanish political movement and World War I and II, and died at 90.

In his paintings, he associated blue with calmness, serenity, and spirituality.

Red represents passion, energy, and vitality and may be associated with violence or danger in some of his works.

Miro’s yellow is the colour of celebration, joy, and movement. Black creates depth and darkness within a composition, or even death or mourning. Green was occasionally used in his works to represent nature, growth, and renewal.

It is said that creativity may be related to depression. No matter what, do not undermine your creativity in the arts, writing, or any other form of creation. History shows that mental state does not hinder us from excelling at what we do best.

English articles

Tao Fong Shan

experiencetoday

There is a small path close to Sha Tin subway station leading up to the hiking track to Tao Fong Shan. Starting with narrow steps in a village, my brother and I were already surrounded by trees overlooking the city and the railway.

This track is suitable for a novice hiker as all the steps are cemented.

After 20 minutes’ walk, there was a roundabout and a sign for Tao Fong Shan Road. On our left were a few residential building blocks that look upper middle class. Despite being a weekday, we saw a few hikers. We soon reached a group of low white houses belonging to Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre. More and more worshippers arrived by chartered transport.

Situated in the high mountains, the Christian Centre offers a diverse range of workshops and spiritual activities.

The temple is in Chinese architectural style with Christian symbols. The labyrinth is constructed in a corner with a fun design. It is ideal for taking group photos or spending a solo moment in this tranquil environment.

A very large cross is located at the far end among these white houses, standing tall on top of a bare mountain, exposed in a wide space. Backlights will be switched on to ensure that people from the city can see the cross from a distance at night time.

For Christian believers, it surely gives them spiritual support when spending time at home during COVID. For non-believers, they won’t feel that isolated seeing some lights on the mountains.

Tao Fong Shan is also accessible from Shing Mun Reservoir or Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery where it takes 2 to 3 hours to complete.

Our trip took 1 and a half hours, and was refreshing in the morning before heading to lunch.

Chinese articles

偶遇

experiencetoday

今天遇到一個替Food Panda打工的中年人，身材矮小，不知道他的國籍如何。他在地鐵站前拿著手機正想問路，途人似乎對他想問的確實地址不太認識。荔景山道可以由美孚伸延到荔景。我也不禁停了下來，一股好奇心促使我了解他要到的地方，我也正好要向荔景山道方面走。

有幸的是，好心的途人查看到他要到荔灣花園，我二話不說，便建議我帶路。他的中文，我不太聽得𢤦、英文也不太𢤦，毋須深究他的國籍。

幫助人的心可以是從小處做起，我十分感謝得到助人的機會，畢竟現代人太多負面的想法，又或者對某些人有不好的成見。送遞員的工作可以是很重要的，絕不低微，試想想不能外出的人士可以享有美味的食物，多謝造物主之餘，也要感謝農夫、分發食物的人和送遞食物的人士。造物主把食物送給世界上不同人士，這份慷概的心令我佩服，值得學習。就正如造物主的眼光和量度都比一般人䆖大。

期望世人有䆖大的心，擁抱需要幫助的人。我也要學習「另眼相看」。

English articles

Only you

experiencetoday


I never found the Netflix movie touching, but when the song Only You played in an Italian movie “Ora era” (Still time), tears came to my eyes.” 

It tells the story of a workaholic who is always on the go for work and chores in life. After his 40-year-old birthday celebration, he lost a whole year when he woke up the next day. It was his 41st birthday, and he was shocked. 

His days leapt forward so fast that he missed the birth of his daughter, the first time she called her daddy. Every time he woke up the next day, a year passed. One day, he was devastated to learn about his best friend having cancer. He was afraid to lose this friend the next time he woke up. That was a hurtful feeling. Like one day he spent time talking to his dad, but the next moment, he found himself in an empty house. His father was gone. Luckily, his best friend was still around. 

His relationship was a disaster, but he hated no longer living with his girlfriend and his daughter. He missed them so much. 

This special version of “Only You” carries all the sadness of losing the one you really love. Work can take up energy and jeopardize a relationship. 

The song brought out emotion in me. Maybe I feel sad about losing people I love – my parents, and the people I love. 

I know this song by Alison Moyet has qualities that have captivated me for a long time, and because of this remastered version, I feel the lyrics more.  

Songs sometimes help us express our feelings that are hard to express in words.

Looking from a window above, it’s like a story of love
Can you hear me
Came back only yesterday
I’m moving further away
Want you near me
All I needed was the love you gave
All I needed for another day
And all I ever knew
Only you

Sometimes when I think of her name
When it’s only a game
And I need you
Listen to the words that you say
It’s getting harder to stay
When I see you

All I needed was the love you gave
All I needed for another day
And all I ever knew
Only you

All I needed was the love you gave
All I needed for another day
And all I ever knew
Only you

This is going to take a long time
And I wonder what’s mine
Can’t take no more


Wonder if you’ll understand
It’s just the touch of your hand
Behind a closed door
All I needed was the love you gave
All I needed for another day
And all I ever knew
Only you

English articles

Bid someone goodbye

experiencetoday

I recalled the day I got the news about a doctor I admire passing away. Many of us anticipated this day would come but I was more shocked to hear the news when I was on a bus. 

The day before I read the news about a famous Chinese novelist who gave up treatment and died. I totally respected his decision as he said he no longer enjoyed food taste. And he’s over 85 and didn’t want chemotherapy. He’s actually an optimist and I always loved his openness on his talk show. He talked about love, poetry, history, movies and even sex more than a decade ago in this city. People were relatively conservative at the time. 

I let my tears run down and grieved, part of it, for the loss. I grieved, part of it, for my luck working with this doctor and being enlightened by his passion, innovative thoughts, and intelligence. 

No matter how stressful I was the rest of the day, I had to prepare all kinds of communication documents in a short time frame. But because of him, I pushed myself to complete the tasks. I learned to say no and get help when only I was asked to draft all documents. I am not a superwoman. 

When you live to the fullest, life can be filled with glory. His life is so meaningful and has inspired many to fulfill purpose. The purpose of my life is to explore little things with less stress and lead a balanced life. 

Celebrate moments when you feel happy, and cry out when you feel sad. Have a sense of curiosity and a little humour about the world. Don’t keep the emotion deep inside you and build it up till the balloon explodes. 

Observe what your body tells you. Have a sweet dream and a happy day. Every day is a new day. 

English articles

Broken Embraces

experiencetoday

A superb movie directed by Almodovar, Broken Embraces examines the relationship between an incredibly wealthy scriptwriter and a mistress-turned-actress.

Have you been a fan of someone or something you indulged in? It can drive you to do anything to hold onto it and it’s hard to let it go.

If it’s a harmless obsession, we call it love, focus, and passion. If it has become a hurtful relationship or illegal, we call it an addiction, harassment, and an offensive act.

There is a lot of speechless moment when I was watching this film. Not a logical way for a Hollywood movie, but a Spanish Almodovar way. Penelope Cruz is still the star of many of his movies. And I still find her an absolute beauty.

For my love to her, it’s not an obsession, it’s an admiration for her sparkling characters in those movies.

Job well done!