Tag: #wellbeing

white bark trees
English articles

Reservoir hiking in Hong Kong

experiencetoday

Located in the New Territories and surrounded by beautiful nature and scenery, Shing Mun Reservoir has numerous trails that are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels. 

A circular route around the reservoir requires about 1.5 – 2 hours to complete. However, it takes longer to hike along the reservoir, although people with basic fitness levels can manage it. My friends and I spent 4 hours completing the circular route. Half of it was pavement, half of it was a hiking trail. Many trails are under the shade of trees, suitable for hiking in sunny weather, but the reservoir views are mostly hidden by tall trees and branches. 

Hikers usually take the minibus 82 from Tsuen Wan to the starting point. Getting off any buses passing through Lei Muk Shue is another option as getting up to the starting point takes only around 20 minutes only. I walked along the road to the reservoir with an old lady who made it all the way from Shek Yam. She walks up to the reservoir almost every day and is a regular hiker to the reservoir. 

My friends and I started walking up the stairs from the left. We passed through Pineapple Dam, then the entrance to the Butterfly Garden Nature Trail after 20 minutes, followed by the Waterside paperbarks. The distinctive papery barks from the tall trees on the sides offer a picturesque setting for photo-taking. They are not particularly spectacular on a cloudy day but make the path cool and pleasant to walk along. 

After around 1.5 hours, we reached the Tai Shing stream surrounded by lush forests. We then turned to the shaded hiking path which seemed endless. After another 2.5 hours, we reached the Gorge Dam of Shing Mun Reservoir. This tallest dam is 84m tall and was built by the British Empire. A beautiful spot to take a selfie. 

As we walked towards Lei Muk Shue, we added another 30 minutes to our trip. The bus stop provides a few more bus options than the starting point of the reservoir. By the time we arrived at Tsuen Wan, we were starving and we only wanted to sit down and eat. 

Try the inexpensive curry rice at Bentoya on the ground floor of The Mills which is now a shopping complex revitalized from a textile factory in Tsuen Wan. The Taiwanese eatery Cha Fan at 8 ½ in Tsuen Wan has a variety of bubble teas and fruit teas that instantly quench our thirst and satisfy our palate.

Check out more pictures in our walk

potatoes
English articles

Growing potatoes

experiencetoday

Learning to grow vegetables on a small farm improves mental health and well-being. The joy of harvesting vegetables is beyond buying something that I like in a shop.

Today and yesterday, I took home a few potatoes from the community farm. Some were tiny, some were regular. All are organic and no pesticides are used. The skins are particularly tender and thin, so it is easy to rub them out for cooking.

Growing potatoes is very easy. Seed potatoes are handy when the “eyes” grow bigger and wider over a week or so. Simply put the seed potatoes in the soil with the eyes facing up. In January, when the sun was scarce, my brother planted around 6 seed potatoes. Surprisingly, they grew fast.

I was told that each seed potato produces 4 to 8 potatoes. So far, I have harvested 7 potatoes. They are quality produce, organic, and enough for 3 meals.

It is quite a lazy plant as some of my farm mates just leave them there on their farms. I could see potatoes near the root of the plants.

It took less than three months for me to harvest the first crop. The skin of some potatoes is exposed to the soil when they come close to the surface. I simply added some soil on top till they turned from green to yellow.

potato plants

Basically, when the leaves turn yellow, it is a sign that they are almost ready.

Since last summer, I have felt the power of horticultural therapy. Gardening, such as loosening the soil or planting sprouts individually, makes me feel mindful.

Learning what produce is cultivated on a farm is fun; growing from seed to harvest is surely a sense of achievement. I had beans and okra for two months in summer and now have potatoes in spring. Mints and herbs are usually grown in any season here.

Want to learn more about farming? Farm mates and an instructor taught me how to manage the farm and grow some vegetables. Many YouTube videos can help as well.

grit
Chinese articles

不能選擇的使命

experiencetoday

一位朋友陪伴探望我喜歡的『貓醫生』，我雀躍地跟她分享了一些心理學書本和網上討論渠道之餘， 也可以一齊做一些伸展，身心好像多了一份温暖的感覺，注入了多巴胺dopamine，也增加了與友人互動關懷所產生的oxytocin催產素。

人與人的接觸，真的不要介懷接受別人的幫助，其實別人也可能得著不少。我期望身體回復狀態，能夠閱讀和學習更多。年青時，在公關公司工作時，同事都著意自己有否『自我提升 (grow)』的機會，新一代希望在工作中有更多發揮和自主性，原來已經不再年青的我，也希望像新一代畢業生般在工作中享受這份自主的滿足感，而不單是聽從指示辦事，我深信每個人都有其長處，冀能得到別人的信任和尊重，發揮當中的『使命』，令自己更熱愛生命。

晚上如常追看電視劇，劇中的一位醫生心𥚃有點感到不安—醫生的使命是挽救生命，不能計較病人的背景、就算病人做盡壞事，醫生不能有私心，不能拒絕不治療病人，遇到一些罪犯，內心可能有點掙扎，但亦要保持專業的精神。

我們活著的大環境似乎越來越多東西不在我們掌握和控制之內，工作環境也是一樣。我們的誕生，必有其獨特使命，只要努力不懈，終能夠發揮所長，這份使命感也會轉化成為滿足感，推動我們更加享受生命。

我要學習心理學家Angela Duckworth提出Grit堅毅的精神，在熱情passion和毅力perseverance方面多加努力。

#grit

English articles

The happiest garden in the world

experiencetoday

My friend’s New Zealand trip just began. She followed my advice to explore the small French Akaroa town south of Christchurch. 

The Giant’s House is one of the key attractions in this picturesque town by the harbour. I missed visiting this special garden last year, and I can only blame the rain for that decision. After all, the joyous garden should be a place for taking pictures. Going there in the rain is no fun. 

My friend shared this Giant’s House with me, which was built by artist and horticulturalist Josie Martin. The house was built in 1880 by a bank manager who came from England. When Josie bought the place over 25 years ago, the house needed serious repair and had no garden. 

Josie has always enjoyed gardening and is passionate about art and sculpture. She has a dream of sharing her art with the community in a playful and magical environment.  Her house in Akaroa therefore has become a blank canvas for her creative work.

She turned fragments of lovely old china buried in the ground into mosaics for the floor of the conservatory and steps. The idea worked well. With the help of local craftsmen, her installations evolved and grew. 

The artist called Giant’s House “the happiest garden in the world”, which is full of elaborate, vibrant-coloured sculptures. 

As the artist still lives in the Giant’s House and manages her garden, it feels more alive. 

Why is it called “The Giant’s House?” It was named by a little girl, looking up at it from the valley below, believing it must be the home of a giant.

romantic life
English articles

Live a Romantic Life

experiencetoday

One of the best things to do when spending ME time is to get engaged with people around the world with interesting conversations.

Dating and living with someone can be very romantic, and living by yourself can equally be romantic.

I feel lucky when I could just lie on a sun bed, welcoming the heat touching my body and seeing the clouds drifting in the sky.

When I watch an inspiring movie or read a good book, I feel “wow”, how people can be that creative or talented to do so. A book called Grit tells me that talents may not be as important as passion and perseverance. If you have the intention to do certain things and intent to put them into practice, you can be an expert in that area.

The world has unlimited possibilities and adventures that I would like to create with friends and share.

I spent the weekend visiting the elderly, I saw the sparkles in their eyes and how happy they were when a stranger came to visit them. An 84-year-old man told me that he felt so scared by the protest during the social movement and the pandemic. He dared not to go out unless necessary, but somehow let us (three volunteers) whom he didn’t know to meet him in person, talking for half an hour. He told us how happy he could talk about his feeling and he didn’t quite want us to go. When comparing the fear of the COVID virus and a lack of social connection, actually the latter is far scarier.

Much of the research proved that social connection and support are one of the secrets of longevity and happiness as well. I definitely believe so. Modern life can put us under a lot of stress and unconscious comparisons. I always appreciate connecting with nature and new people. Their stories intrigue me and we all have moments we would like to celebrate.

Enjoy Me time and enjoy time with old friends and new friends.

online dating
English articles

Online dating

experiencetoday

Can a romantic relationship turn into a platonic friendship? 

Unfortunately, the chances are less than 10% based on my experience. Specifically, it refers to the success rate of turning my significant others into friends after a breakup. 

No matter where people are, I enjoy exploring friendships. Somehow, a few turn out to be more than just friends. It takes two to make a romantic relationship work. Imagination enhances such development, especially for those who love someone distantly. 

One of the best things I tried was text chatting with someone without knowing what they looked like for over a month. It’s quite a fun game if you are willing to invest your time and bet on furthering a relationship. 

Distance relationships are more common nowadays, and disregardless of any stigmas, online dating can be fun. Why not try express feelings in various ways – a surprise parcel, a warm voice message, or a cute song transformed by an app? All these contribute to a new fond experience. The wild fantasy simply makes online dating a lot more interesting and engaging.

Waiting for someone you fancy to respond can be anxious. I tried to delay revealing the moment of truth for almost two months.  It was all good with the everyday chats and the closeness that I felt through the conversations. I felt connected. I felt loved. I did not want the bubbles to be gone in a second when the gift box was opened. 

Luckily, the moment of truth just brought us joy and enriched our feelings.  

I am sorry
English articles

Apologise

experiencetoday

Nowadays, many people are very opinionated. It’s common to see that people block each other on social media because of disputes or negative feelings. People haven’t thought about resolving the difference or whether they did it wrong. They haven’t thought about opening up a dialogue.

In Asian countries, an apology can be seen as a “lost face”. Self-image and reputation are of importance to many people. It’s not easy for politicians or senior management to apologize because they are concerned that it might lead to consequences that they might not want to see. Even if they apologized, people could feel that they were talking with excuses in mind.

After all, admitting to being sorry can be a very unpleasant experience. It takes a lot of courage to say the words and to say them right in the appropriate tone.

Human beings are not flawless. There are moments when things are wrong or we slip our tongues, hurting someone.

Saying sorry sincerely is definitely the way to apologize and ask for forgiveness. If we rely on written communication to say sorry, the tone and the choice of words are highly critical. , avoid phrases like “if” and “but” as they always convey the impression that you are not committed to doing so. Some companies tend to apologize but they sound like they are blaming someone and do not really express it authentically.

Words can be misunderstood. When saying sorry, tone, facial expression, and body language are vital. And people expect you to tell us what action you have taken. A gift or compensation may help. Even if people don’t accept the apology immediately, they may feel more resolved if you say it authentically. It takes time for people to think about and get over something. I could see the family reconciling after almost 10 years. So don’t feel awkward if you say sorry and the others don’t seem to understand. You’ve made an effort and you accept the mistakes. You do not hold on to something and move on.

friendship
English articles

Friendship

experiencetoday

Friendship can be magical when two people meet on a special occasion, and then connect and become friends. At a certain point, friendship may continue or end. 

As a kid, I mainly looked for friends to hang out with or do activities with. I enjoyed helping my friends with their homework. 

Friendship becomes complicated as one gets older; parties are fun, and traveling together is fantastic, but sharing the same values and thoughts, or even discussing specific topics, is more meaningful to me, and maybe you, too. 

There is always mysterious chemistry when you interact with some people, but not with others.

I don’t mind not having many friends, but I consider myself lucky to have 2-3 best friends and a few likable friends. Friendships are incredibly dynamic and mutual. A critical event such as COVID can reveal the true personalities of our friends. We definitely lost some time to connect with friends and meet new people in the recent 3 years while our lives did not just halt to a stop.

I realized a friend or two had numerous excuses for not meeting for more than 2 years in a small city like Hong Kong, I should refer to them as acquaintances instead. My closest friends might no longer be with me because they have made new friends, are preoccupied with other tasks, or have moved to live in another city. After a relationship ends, it is upsetting that the relationship cannot be transferred to friendship. I lost a friend of mine and I feel frustrated. It is sad to put such a close friendship aside.

I moan at such a loss, and I stand up again, looking for opportunities to meet new people and discover engaging activities with them. In a not-so-familiar environment, meeting new people gives me a sense of excitement.

Life is more enjoyable when I have people around me. Having ME time helps me unwind and appreciate life, but adventures are more remarkable when shared with family and friends.

Thank you, dear friends. 

grit and morale
Chinese articles

意志力Grit

experiencetoday

世界正經歷重大轉變，正如您熟悉的人和事經過歲月的洗禮，也變得不一樣。樂觀地看，不妨花心機嘗試是否跟這些新事物、新人類、新事情是否產生良好的化學作用，看看是否感到任何令人雀躍的感覺或一份暖意。遇到的新鮮人和事又是否給您動力呢？跟個人的價值觀有否相連，感到舒服而快樂？

前幾天，我參與一個關於心理學Grit的討論，心理學家Angela Duckworth提出grit 恴志力包含的熱情和毅力，令人不斷克服障礙而最後逹至目標。不少運動員的故事是當中的俵俵者。

我聴到的一個故事，是關於一個企業家，他於四川地震後，希望盡自己的綿力幹一點工作，於是跟村民開始種竹子，為的是讓村民可以靠著售賣竹筍改善收入。他的一班好朋友沒有一個相信他這股不賣錢的理念。一方面，他亦沒有種竹的經驗，便貿然購入種子栽種，另一方面，他似乎只是一股作氣。

數個月後，他與村民發現竹與竹之間原來需要較多的距離，因為竹的根部橫向地生長，破壞了收成。一次失敗讓他從新學習，再次由頭開始，這次播種換來不錯的收成，竹筍亦很優質。接下來的挑戰是如何銷售大批的收成。

熊貓基地是四川重點保護熊貓的地方，亦是遊客必到的景點。他對村民種出來的竹筍收成很有信心，想到可以給予熊貓基地一些竹筍，試試收成的質素是否合乎要求。

一個月後，好消息送到他的耳邊，跟熊貓基地達成了協議，成為其主要供應商。熊貓有口福了，這也為村民栽種的成果找到一條好出路。

在這個漫長的經歷，他受盡朋友的冷言冷語，亦曾差不多花光金錢。他意志力強頑，堅持不放棄，其後更把竹筍成功賣給高級中餐廳，因為利用竹筍製作的名菜多的是，然而成功之餘，另一個難題亦突然迎頭過來 — 餐廳要求一年四季不絕的供應竹筍，無奈冬天下雪，收成很少，那又如何成事呢？

最後，他鍥而不捨，嘗試在四川氣温較暖和的地方利用稻草堆，先蓋著收成，再於冬天付貨。不得不佩報他的應變能力和堅毅意志。

新人事，新世界，新天地便是靠著意志力而創建。若舊環境舊人事已不再，不要執著，放開心胸，海闊天空，有趣的新人事和新事物自己會在您探索旅程中出現，生活會活得不一樣，可以是更美好呀。

加油吧！

Chinese articles

圓圈畫共同創作

experiencetoday

星期六下午，一班人合力畫圓圈畫，很是新奇，畫紙由十二張普通A3紙組成，我們十二人，不同背景，但又有著不同的經歷，但都很享受和珍惜這次活動的安排。

部分人很專注著眼前部分的畫紙，研究如何以大陽和笑做題材創作。我就不假思索，圓圈內加了星星和一些禪繞的筆法，很簡單地自由地畫，但也留意著身旁朋友如何畫她們的圓圈，我們笑說有一個似菠蘿，另一個簡單的圓形由別人加了幾筆變成了一朵耀目的太陽花。

大家亦可以自由發揮，不受拘束地為其他人的圓形添加色彩、花紋和圖案。轉眼間，那個圖形可能已變得不一樣，也沒有人介懷別人為您的圓形裝飾，大家開懷地、放心地彼此合作享受一心一意繪畫之餘，也好像認識大家多一點，互相欣賞共同的創作，十二張湊合一起後，造成一張色彩繽紛的畫作，過了一個愉快和充實的下午。有朋友說，畫中亦隱藏了一些公仔，就像我們一樣，有時隱藏在人群中，不要忽視自己的存在，自己的能力、使命和才華。

活動籌辦人也跟大家說，支持大家一起走這段路，很是感動。最後這十二張紙再一次分開了，我們每位帶一張回家，重温開心而富有意義的時光。