Photo credit: AFP
Funeral of Brother Roger on August 23
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
At His Funeral, Brother Roger Has an Ecumenical Dream Fulfilled
New York Times
By JOHN TAGLIABUE
August 24, 2005
TAIZÉ, France, Aug. 23 - Brother Roger Schutz pursued many ecumenical dreams in his long life, but in death one of them came true: At a Eucharistic service celebrated Tuesday by a Roman Catholic cardinal for Brother Roger, a Swiss Protestant, communion wafers were given to the faithful indiscriminately, regardless of denomination.
Members of the monastic order founded by Brother Roger Schutz carried his coffin at his funeral Tuesday in Taizé in eastern France.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Vatican's council for the unity of Christians, who celebrated the Mass, said in a homily, "Yes, the springtime of ecumenism has flowered on the hill of Taizé." Beyond religious divisions, Brother Roger also abhorred the division between rich and poor. "Every form of injustice or neglect made him very sad," Cardinal Kasper said.
Brother Roger's community and friends, including President Horst Köhler of Germany and the retired archbishop of Paris, Jean-Marie Lustiger, attended the liturgy in the vast wooden monastery church at Taizé, while thousands more followed it on a huge screen in fields outside the church.
Brother Roger was 90 when he was stabbed to death by a Romanian woman, Luminita Solcan, 36, during an evening service in the church one week ago. His successor, the Rev. Alois Leser, a Roman Catholic priest from Germany, prayed for forgiveness: "With Christ on the cross we say to you, Father, forgive her, she does not know what she did."
The gathering here in the hills of eastern France under leaden, showery skies reflected the spirit, and also the popularity, of Brother Roger, the son of a Swiss Calvinist pastor, who first gathered followers here in 1940. The monastic community here encompasses about 90 members from 20 or so countries and virtually every Christian denomination. Four Roman Catholic priests from among the members celebrated the funeral Mass with Cardinal Kasper.
Brother Roger's simple wooden coffin, a wooden icon lying upon it, was carried into the church by brothers. It was followed by a group of Romanian children who had been visiting the community when Brother Roger was killed.
Brother Roger founded Taizé as a monastic order only a 10-minute drive from Cluny, the site of Europe's largest and best-known monastic abbey before its destruction during the French Revolution. In the 1970's, Taizé developed into a pilgrimage site where people from different countries and faiths gathered annually at Easter. Many returned, in sadness, on Tuesday.
Holding candles, they followed his coffin in procession to the Taizé cemetery.
Petra Simmert, a schoolteacher from southern Germany, came with her husband and two children. She is Protestant, he Catholic; one child is Catholic, the other Protestant. "We're an ecumenical family," she said, with a laugh. Watching the funeral of Pope John Paul II on television, they saw Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, give communion to Brother Roger, even though he was not Catholic. "That struck us," she said.
New York Times
By JOHN TAGLIABUE
August 24, 2005
TAIZÉ, France, Aug. 23 - Brother Roger Schutz pursued many ecumenical dreams in his long life, but in death one of them came true: At a Eucharistic service celebrated Tuesday by a Roman Catholic cardinal for Brother Roger, a Swiss Protestant, communion wafers were given to the faithful indiscriminately, regardless of denomination.
Members of the monastic order founded by Brother Roger Schutz carried his coffin at his funeral Tuesday in Taizé in eastern France.
Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Vatican's council for the unity of Christians, who celebrated the Mass, said in a homily, "Yes, the springtime of ecumenism has flowered on the hill of Taizé." Beyond religious divisions, Brother Roger also abhorred the division between rich and poor. "Every form of injustice or neglect made him very sad," Cardinal Kasper said.
Brother Roger's community and friends, including President Horst Köhler of Germany and the retired archbishop of Paris, Jean-Marie Lustiger, attended the liturgy in the vast wooden monastery church at Taizé, while thousands more followed it on a huge screen in fields outside the church.
Brother Roger was 90 when he was stabbed to death by a Romanian woman, Luminita Solcan, 36, during an evening service in the church one week ago. His successor, the Rev. Alois Leser, a Roman Catholic priest from Germany, prayed for forgiveness: "With Christ on the cross we say to you, Father, forgive her, she does not know what she did."
The gathering here in the hills of eastern France under leaden, showery skies reflected the spirit, and also the popularity, of Brother Roger, the son of a Swiss Calvinist pastor, who first gathered followers here in 1940. The monastic community here encompasses about 90 members from 20 or so countries and virtually every Christian denomination. Four Roman Catholic priests from among the members celebrated the funeral Mass with Cardinal Kasper.
Brother Roger's simple wooden coffin, a wooden icon lying upon it, was carried into the church by brothers. It was followed by a group of Romanian children who had been visiting the community when Brother Roger was killed.
Brother Roger founded Taizé as a monastic order only a 10-minute drive from Cluny, the site of Europe's largest and best-known monastic abbey before its destruction during the French Revolution. In the 1970's, Taizé developed into a pilgrimage site where people from different countries and faiths gathered annually at Easter. Many returned, in sadness, on Tuesday.
Holding candles, they followed his coffin in procession to the Taizé cemetery.
Petra Simmert, a schoolteacher from southern Germany, came with her husband and two children. She is Protestant, he Catholic; one child is Catholic, the other Protestant. "We're an ecumenical family," she said, with a laugh. Watching the funeral of Pope John Paul II on television, they saw Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, give communion to Brother Roger, even though he was not Catholic. "That struck us," she said.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Hitchhiking 1
I’ve never thought of this way of traveling and I’ve never done that before in my life. It sounds exciting but also frustrating because one may get stuck on the side of the road to nowhere with nowhere cheap (or just plain nowhere) to stay. But after meeting travelers who are doing hitchhiking along my way, now I’m interested in trying it some day. J
This German girl called Hanna who I met in France has been hitchhiking ALONE through France since the beginning of May. Like many other people, my immediate response after hearing that was “Is it safe?”
“What if somebody really stops his car and offers you a ride but then you don’t feel like getting into his car?”
“What if nobody stops and you don’t have any place to rest your head that night… and then it starts to rain…”
“What if …”
A long list of what-ifs came afterwards. She didn’t answer promptly. Instead, she looked right into my eyes, finally broke into a smile and said “But that has never happened to me before!”
“Really?”
“Yup. You just need to be careful.”
True. One just has to be careful. Anything can happen even if you’re in the safest place on earth. I think most people should be able to use their common sense and distinguish who to trust and who not to on the road.
Hitchhiking 2
My host in Warsaw, Chris, has several hitchhiking experience. Few years ago he traveled through Lithuania and Estonia by hitchhiking and last year he hitchhiked from France to Spain.
Whilst in Provence he worked at a vineyard picking grapes.
“Provence! It must be nice!” I was getting excited as I recalled what I’ve read from Peter Mayle’s Provence series and Van Gogh’s “what an intensity of colors, what pure air, what vibrant serenity” exclamation upon his arrival in Provence.
I trust that the nature there must be beautiful.
“Yup it’s nice,” said Chris.
“Wow.” Eyebrows raised.
“But the people are not so nice.”
“… why …”
“When I was in Marseille, I walked down the streets and everybody smiled at me. But in Provence everywhere is wealthy people and they don’t greet people as warmly as people in Marseille do. Provence is nice, but I like Marseille better.”
“…” We walked back home quietly, both falling into contemplation.
Once again it proves my people-take-more-of-your-heart-than-just-the-place philosophy stand!
Hitchhiking 3
Petr is an outstanding architecture student in Prague. When students care more about their social lives and think studies can wait, he tries to have a balance of both. One day when he was studying, there was a point where he came to know exam was gonna drive him nuts. What am I doing here? I don’t wanna study anymore! He thought. So he took his backpack, blanket, sleeping bag and tent and left for Norway THE NEXT MORNING!
You can imagine he left Prague without knowing where to sleep at all.
But he wasn’t worried.
“See. This is Norway. They have large fields everywhere. You can sleep here, here, here, here, there, anywhere you like!” pointing at a picture of green fields in Norway.
One time he had nowhere to sleep in Finland.
He wasn’t too worried.
He climbed up to the top of a tower (probably not too high)and spent a night at the terrace with his friend.
“We got a nice view from there. That can compete with a pricey hotel!” said Petr.
Yup... and it must be mighty cold and windy too…
Again when Petr was in Paris he didn’t have a hostel to stay.
He wasn’t worried.
Actually this time he had a place more than just a grassy field or hard ground on a terrace. It has proven where he stayed is so nice that everyday he got many unwanted visitors to his place. Perhaps they are all jealous of him to have such a cozy place to rest his head. It caused hassle to him, though and sometimes they really got on his nerves.
You wanna know who these visitors are?
They are the homeless!
because …
he was CAMPING UNDER THE EFFIEL TOWER!
I’ve never thought of this way of traveling and I’ve never done that before in my life. It sounds exciting but also frustrating because one may get stuck on the side of the road to nowhere with nowhere cheap (or just plain nowhere) to stay. But after meeting travelers who are doing hitchhiking along my way, now I’m interested in trying it some day. J
This German girl called Hanna who I met in France has been hitchhiking ALONE through France since the beginning of May. Like many other people, my immediate response after hearing that was “Is it safe?”
“What if somebody really stops his car and offers you a ride but then you don’t feel like getting into his car?”
“What if nobody stops and you don’t have any place to rest your head that night… and then it starts to rain…”
“What if …”
A long list of what-ifs came afterwards. She didn’t answer promptly. Instead, she looked right into my eyes, finally broke into a smile and said “But that has never happened to me before!”
“Really?”
“Yup. You just need to be careful.”
True. One just has to be careful. Anything can happen even if you’re in the safest place on earth. I think most people should be able to use their common sense and distinguish who to trust and who not to on the road.
Hitchhiking 2
My host in Warsaw, Chris, has several hitchhiking experience. Few years ago he traveled through Lithuania and Estonia by hitchhiking and last year he hitchhiked from France to Spain.
Whilst in Provence he worked at a vineyard picking grapes.
“Provence! It must be nice!” I was getting excited as I recalled what I’ve read from Peter Mayle’s Provence series and Van Gogh’s “what an intensity of colors, what pure air, what vibrant serenity” exclamation upon his arrival in Provence.
I trust that the nature there must be beautiful.
“Yup it’s nice,” said Chris.
“Wow.” Eyebrows raised.
“But the people are not so nice.”
“… why …”
“When I was in Marseille, I walked down the streets and everybody smiled at me. But in Provence everywhere is wealthy people and they don’t greet people as warmly as people in Marseille do. Provence is nice, but I like Marseille better.”
“…” We walked back home quietly, both falling into contemplation.
Once again it proves my people-take-more-of-your-heart-than-just-the-place philosophy stand!
Hitchhiking 3
Petr is an outstanding architecture student in Prague. When students care more about their social lives and think studies can wait, he tries to have a balance of both. One day when he was studying, there was a point where he came to know exam was gonna drive him nuts. What am I doing here? I don’t wanna study anymore! He thought. So he took his backpack, blanket, sleeping bag and tent and left for Norway THE NEXT MORNING!
You can imagine he left Prague without knowing where to sleep at all.
But he wasn’t worried.
“See. This is Norway. They have large fields everywhere. You can sleep here, here, here, here, there, anywhere you like!” pointing at a picture of green fields in Norway.
One time he had nowhere to sleep in Finland.
He wasn’t too worried.
He climbed up to the top of a tower (probably not too high)and spent a night at the terrace with his friend.
“We got a nice view from there. That can compete with a pricey hotel!” said Petr.
Yup... and it must be mighty cold and windy too…
Again when Petr was in Paris he didn’t have a hostel to stay.
He wasn’t worried.
Actually this time he had a place more than just a grassy field or hard ground on a terrace. It has proven where he stayed is so nice that everyday he got many unwanted visitors to his place. Perhaps they are all jealous of him to have such a cozy place to rest his head. It caused hassle to him, though and sometimes they really got on his nerves.
You wanna know who these visitors are?
They are the homeless!
because …
he was CAMPING UNDER THE EFFIEL TOWER!
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Lost
The more south I go, the harder I find to get by given the fact that I don’t speak other European languages. In Barcelona, I didn’t have any difficulties in understanding Raul and Natalia as the Catalan that they speak sounds a bit like French. So a lot of time even if I don’t speak the language itself, I could still pick up a few words and had a clue of what they said depending on the context. But I think I’m more like a mute when I was in Madrid and Valencia. Though Catalan is spoken in the region of Catalonia in Spain, the different accents sometimes cross my legs. At dinner tables, I was often lost when following what people say.
BUT that didn’t prevent me from getting to know what people say, for Spanish people are far too expressive to let you miss it. It’s fun to see them talking! ‘cause there’s so much energy, gesture, and facial expressions in their talking. Stories like a bank teller being hassled by a gay man, or guys peeping girls who are in aerobics class through windows while working out have more to offer- watching them talk is like seeing them ACT! Yea… I love the language. It’s so lively!
Somehow I think Spanish people are just as noisy(or even nosier) than Chinese people while dining at restaurant…
Last-minute decisions
It’s not surprising to see something unexpected popped up along the journey. After all, it’s part of my adventure! But going to places which were not on my way initially is totally a crazy idea for me. This city Stuttgart where I am now is definitely NOT a place where I would visit had I not met Petra. Petra is a German lady who I met in Tazie. She invited me to go stay with her if I travel to Germany. I didn’t take it that seriously at that time. The thought of visiting Stuttgart didn’t come to my mind until I was in Barcelona. I was having great time with Rual and Natalia in Barcelona and I thought it would be neat to stay with friends. So I emailed to Perta and later Susana. Both of them replied! So there I was in Spain!
Then started my search for plane flying to Stuttgart. It wasn’t an easy thing! I was nearly desperate as I saw all the exorbitant prices!!! Oh I’m gonna go broke if I pay for that. I thought.
Fortunately, I managed to get a more reasonable-priced ticket with Sus’ effort, but then the date interrupted my entire plan!!! Instead of July 9, on which date I wanted to leave, the date available for the plane was July 14! So … I was kind of “forced” to stay longer in Spain (actually I enjoy the type of lay-back life in Valencia… I don’t mind staying for longer haha- if I have a vacation which lasts FOREVER!).
That afternoon when I was flipping through the travel guidebook, I thought “okay now I got a few extra days in Spain why not go to Madrid?” I don’t wanna leave Spain without seeing Madrid.
A second round of search began. We got into internet, looked for place to stay and later went to the train station and checked the train schedule with the ticket office. Everything went fine. I’ m glad that I was able to find one nice cheap hostel and get the ticket.
All these were done the day just before I went to Madrid. Everything is just impromptu- I was going a place where I had NO idea of where to stay and whether I could get there or not.
It's hilarious and...
it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done! :-P
Susana
I know I’ve kind of mentioned that before. Still- I wanna say I enjoy my stay with Susana SO much. I’m grateful for EVERYTHING that she and her family did for me. It was a truly make-yourself-home experience. I’m grateful this family is so generous in sharing EVERYTHING with me. Their bed, their laundry, their fridge, their food, their clothes, their beach, their language, their Valencia, their Spain!
The other day when I was talking to my mom, she said I MUST treat Susana like a queen when she comes to Hong Kong. True. I guess I’m gonna owe this family everything that they share with me until the day that they come to Hong Kong.
Or else…
they would be like my credit card- I can never pay them back! ;-)
The more south I go, the harder I find to get by given the fact that I don’t speak other European languages. In Barcelona, I didn’t have any difficulties in understanding Raul and Natalia as the Catalan that they speak sounds a bit like French. So a lot of time even if I don’t speak the language itself, I could still pick up a few words and had a clue of what they said depending on the context. But I think I’m more like a mute when I was in Madrid and Valencia. Though Catalan is spoken in the region of Catalonia in Spain, the different accents sometimes cross my legs. At dinner tables, I was often lost when following what people say.
BUT that didn’t prevent me from getting to know what people say, for Spanish people are far too expressive to let you miss it. It’s fun to see them talking! ‘cause there’s so much energy, gesture, and facial expressions in their talking. Stories like a bank teller being hassled by a gay man, or guys peeping girls who are in aerobics class through windows while working out have more to offer- watching them talk is like seeing them ACT! Yea… I love the language. It’s so lively!
Somehow I think Spanish people are just as noisy(or even nosier) than Chinese people while dining at restaurant…
Last-minute decisions
It’s not surprising to see something unexpected popped up along the journey. After all, it’s part of my adventure! But going to places which were not on my way initially is totally a crazy idea for me. This city Stuttgart where I am now is definitely NOT a place where I would visit had I not met Petra. Petra is a German lady who I met in Tazie. She invited me to go stay with her if I travel to Germany. I didn’t take it that seriously at that time. The thought of visiting Stuttgart didn’t come to my mind until I was in Barcelona. I was having great time with Rual and Natalia in Barcelona and I thought it would be neat to stay with friends. So I emailed to Perta and later Susana. Both of them replied! So there I was in Spain!
Then started my search for plane flying to Stuttgart. It wasn’t an easy thing! I was nearly desperate as I saw all the exorbitant prices!!! Oh I’m gonna go broke if I pay for that. I thought.
Fortunately, I managed to get a more reasonable-priced ticket with Sus’ effort, but then the date interrupted my entire plan!!! Instead of July 9, on which date I wanted to leave, the date available for the plane was July 14! So … I was kind of “forced” to stay longer in Spain (actually I enjoy the type of lay-back life in Valencia… I don’t mind staying for longer haha- if I have a vacation which lasts FOREVER!).
That afternoon when I was flipping through the travel guidebook, I thought “okay now I got a few extra days in Spain why not go to Madrid?” I don’t wanna leave Spain without seeing Madrid.
A second round of search began. We got into internet, looked for place to stay and later went to the train station and checked the train schedule with the ticket office. Everything went fine. I’ m glad that I was able to find one nice cheap hostel and get the ticket.
All these were done the day just before I went to Madrid. Everything is just impromptu- I was going a place where I had NO idea of where to stay and whether I could get there or not.
It's hilarious and...
it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done! :-P
Susana
I know I’ve kind of mentioned that before. Still- I wanna say I enjoy my stay with Susana SO much. I’m grateful for EVERYTHING that she and her family did for me. It was a truly make-yourself-home experience. I’m grateful this family is so generous in sharing EVERYTHING with me. Their bed, their laundry, their fridge, their food, their clothes, their beach, their language, their Valencia, their Spain!
The other day when I was talking to my mom, she said I MUST treat Susana like a queen when she comes to Hong Kong. True. I guess I’m gonna owe this family everything that they share with me until the day that they come to Hong Kong.
Or else…
they would be like my credit card- I can never pay them back! ;-)
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Re: Cindy
You don´t know what yóu´re talking about when you see Paris from the point of view as a French! Haha... actually Ive heard that a lot of French say they HATE Paris ... except those who are NOT in France! LOL. National pride ?!
Anyway, thanks for your message. I hope you´re having a great time with your dad in Paris!
Re: Christina
You bet - Tim Hortons is a type of coffee dognut shop. Ah ... guess what? I went to a Chinese restaurant with Susana and her friend last night. yea.. here in Valencia... hehe.. ´cause i wanna know how they "Spanishized" Chinese food and they want me to see if what they are having is real chinese food or not...
Well well, we have rice, spring rolls, lemon chicken, beef with bamboo(?) with - Sangria(a sweet punch made of red wine, fruit and sprints) -- what do you think ??? *rolls eyes*
You don´t know what yóu´re talking about when you see Paris from the point of view as a French! Haha... actually Ive heard that a lot of French say they HATE Paris ... except those who are NOT in France! LOL. National pride ?!
Anyway, thanks for your message. I hope you´re having a great time with your dad in Paris!
Re: Christina
You bet - Tim Hortons is a type of coffee dognut shop. Ah ... guess what? I went to a Chinese restaurant with Susana and her friend last night. yea.. here in Valencia... hehe.. ´cause i wanna know how they "Spanishized" Chinese food and they want me to see if what they are having is real chinese food or not...
Well well, we have rice, spring rolls, lemon chicken, beef with bamboo(?) with - Sangria(a sweet punch made of red wine, fruit and sprints) -- what do you think ??? *rolls eyes*
Home sweet home
I still can´t believe where I am as I´m writing this- I´m in Susana´s place!!! I´m in Valencia!!! I´m now with a friend who left Toronto just a month ago!!! It´s hard for me to believe that we´re seeing each other just now. But it feels SO good. Visiting a place where I know somebody is expecting me makes me feel special, for in that sense, I feel I´m more than just a visitor or tourist to a place. Very often I find people take heart more deeply than anything else. Of course architectures, landscapes, attractions of a place can be fascinating, but if you know somebody from a place, that place means more than just a name on the map !
Having been traveling for a month, I feel a bit homesick - homesick for a place that feels like home. Staying with Sus´family helps a whole lot - ´cause here I can have homemade-style food, a bedroom where I can throw out whatever I like and not have to worry about it, a fridge from which I can take anything I like and a mom and a dad. As Sus puts it, " My food is your food. My fridge is your fridge. My house is your house. Whenever you feel hungry, just open the fridge and take whatever you want from it."
This make-yourself-home thing makes me feel truly comfortable to be here!
(Oh btw, another "homey" thing I can do here is to watch Roland Garros ((Spanish Nadal vs Argentine Ruperta)) this year! I miss it SO much! I hardly forget I´m one big tennis geek had Sus not asked ...and also one big soccer fan!)
*****
Blessed by the Meditterranean´s weather, Valencia is drenched with pleasane sunshine all year-round. The beach here in Valencia is just AWESOME! I don´t know how true it is that one doesn´t want to go anywhere after s/he has been to the beach, as Sus insists, but the time spent lying and just enjoying the sun this afternoon was great! I LOVE the beach now! ^.^
*****
Talking about staying here, I now find Spanish people are by far the most hospitable. This couple Raul and Natalia are my host in Barcelona. They are the BEST host I´ve ever had!!! They are such nice host who would like to do something togther with me and getting to know me. Unexpectedly, they prepared lunch when I first arrived, brought me out for dinner and went to places where I won´t go alone normally. I´m glad that they have a genuine interest in meeting and getting to know people. Natalia was so excited when I told her we had the cartoon "Heidi" back home (Raul and I laughed so hard when she was singing the theme song of Heidi in Spanish. Yea- Natalia ws high that time!!! ) and Raul was very impressed when he found me knowing so many soccer players in Real Madrid and Barca (Of course!!! Rual´s actually one of my favorite players!!!).
Being their first guest from Asia, I found them so interested in knowing about me. Sometimes even the most trivial and slightest matter can trigger their curiosity. One night when i was eating noodles with chopstickes , Raul was looking at me in awe. He didn´t say a word. Eventually I turned my head, feeling embarrassed to tell him that - the way that i hold chopsticks is wrong!
"Comment?" He looked in disbelief.
Then I explained that my mom isn´t that strict and she never really corrects me like other parents do by hitting their kids´hands if they don´t hold it right. And - actaully I find a lot of Chinese don´t hold chopsticks correctly!
He rolled his eyes , looking even more puzzled ...
I still can´t believe where I am as I´m writing this- I´m in Susana´s place!!! I´m in Valencia!!! I´m now with a friend who left Toronto just a month ago!!! It´s hard for me to believe that we´re seeing each other just now. But it feels SO good. Visiting a place where I know somebody is expecting me makes me feel special, for in that sense, I feel I´m more than just a visitor or tourist to a place. Very often I find people take heart more deeply than anything else. Of course architectures, landscapes, attractions of a place can be fascinating, but if you know somebody from a place, that place means more than just a name on the map !
Having been traveling for a month, I feel a bit homesick - homesick for a place that feels like home. Staying with Sus´family helps a whole lot - ´cause here I can have homemade-style food, a bedroom where I can throw out whatever I like and not have to worry about it, a fridge from which I can take anything I like and a mom and a dad. As Sus puts it, " My food is your food. My fridge is your fridge. My house is your house. Whenever you feel hungry, just open the fridge and take whatever you want from it."
This make-yourself-home thing makes me feel truly comfortable to be here!
(Oh btw, another "homey" thing I can do here is to watch Roland Garros ((Spanish Nadal vs Argentine Ruperta)) this year! I miss it SO much! I hardly forget I´m one big tennis geek had Sus not asked ...and also one big soccer fan!)
*****
Blessed by the Meditterranean´s weather, Valencia is drenched with pleasane sunshine all year-round. The beach here in Valencia is just AWESOME! I don´t know how true it is that one doesn´t want to go anywhere after s/he has been to the beach, as Sus insists, but the time spent lying and just enjoying the sun this afternoon was great! I LOVE the beach now! ^.^
*****
Talking about staying here, I now find Spanish people are by far the most hospitable. This couple Raul and Natalia are my host in Barcelona. They are the BEST host I´ve ever had!!! They are such nice host who would like to do something togther with me and getting to know me. Unexpectedly, they prepared lunch when I first arrived, brought me out for dinner and went to places where I won´t go alone normally. I´m glad that they have a genuine interest in meeting and getting to know people. Natalia was so excited when I told her we had the cartoon "Heidi" back home (Raul and I laughed so hard when she was singing the theme song of Heidi in Spanish. Yea- Natalia ws high that time!!! ) and Raul was very impressed when he found me knowing so many soccer players in Real Madrid and Barca (Of course!!! Rual´s actually one of my favorite players!!!).
Being their first guest from Asia, I found them so interested in knowing about me. Sometimes even the most trivial and slightest matter can trigger their curiosity. One night when i was eating noodles with chopstickes , Raul was looking at me in awe. He didn´t say a word. Eventually I turned my head, feeling embarrassed to tell him that - the way that i hold chopsticks is wrong!
"Comment?" He looked in disbelief.
Then I explained that my mom isn´t that strict and she never really corrects me like other parents do by hitting their kids´hands if they don´t hold it right. And - actaully I find a lot of Chinese don´t hold chopsticks correctly!
He rolled his eyes , looking even more puzzled ...
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Heliger Strochsack!
Well, now that i can´t get into internet as often as possible I´ll try to tell as much as I can! So much to tell... excuse me if i kind of throw out everything here... can´t get them well-organized.
Perhaps I seemed to be silent for the last two weeks. That´s because I was in a small village somewhere between Dijion and Chalon sur Soane in France. There´s a Catholic community called Taize which kind of welcomes people of different nationalities and religions. Arriving as an individual, I felt a bit of isolated in this community at first. One thing I found it strange - is that wherever I went in Taize, I heard more German and spoke more English than French ! The answer to this mystery is that the first week when I was there was a holiday in South of Germany. So you can imagine bunches of Germans were flocking into this place... a Finnish guy that I met when working joked it as a "German invasion!" But it´s not that bad...I made more German friends and I picked up more German words- enough for me to get by in Germany!
........
Saying farewell frequently whilst traveling does NOT make it easier for me. Indeed, after two weeks in Taize, I found it really hard to leave. I like this place not only because of tranqility of life and beautiful landscape, but also because of the connection with people I made here. I like the way that I can get to know people at different levels and at my own pace. I enjoyed those friends I made by random conversations and when helping with practical works. I´m grateful for their sharing much of their selves with me. A lot of their stories and thoughts are striking to me and in many ways I think all these are the special gifts I received during this journey.
I chose to go in silence after a week in groups. I was completely freaked out the night before and I kept thinking " oh man I´m gonna have to zip my mouth and save all the words until the silence week´s over!" But the first day in silence passed incredibly well! The time spent taking a walk around the village, sitting in the sun or sleeping under trees and by the lake was just terrific! Isn´t it just great to take time and allow yourself to be embraced by the nature?
In silence I found myself more able to confront myself and reflect on things that i normally have no time or space for. I didn´t intent to think or meditate on certain things. In fact, I found things just fall into their own places. Indeed, it was a time when i came to hear my real inner thoughts and came to understand myself better. Often I find people(including me) can´t really hear their inner voice because they keep themselves so occupied to such an extent- they lose the capability to seek it. I think listening to this voice is vital to us because it gives us direction of where to head to and the strength to move on throughout our lives.
Another thing I enjoy this week of silence is the little but intimate connection with people. I was amazed to see how people communicate without much talking. I guess that´s because without words people have to be more sensitive to the needs of others and more expressive about their care and concern for others in different ways. I´m glad that Johanna and Yuri have been a generuos giver of hugs and smiles thru out that week. Yea... sometimes wordless communication can be even be more powerful.
Tears shed. Kissed and hugged goodbye. Time to move on.
Barcelona next.
Post entry: the heading of this entry is one of the many German phrases I learned during this week. It doesn´t have any specific meaning, but it is used to express exclamation. I thought Taize would be the most boring part of my journey before I came here, but it turned out to be one of the best places I´ve been. What better word can I use to conclude my stay here than an exclamation of Heliger Strochsack(don´t actaully remember the spellimg... but this is close i guess...haha) !
Well, now that i can´t get into internet as often as possible I´ll try to tell as much as I can! So much to tell... excuse me if i kind of throw out everything here... can´t get them well-organized.
Perhaps I seemed to be silent for the last two weeks. That´s because I was in a small village somewhere between Dijion and Chalon sur Soane in France. There´s a Catholic community called Taize which kind of welcomes people of different nationalities and religions. Arriving as an individual, I felt a bit of isolated in this community at first. One thing I found it strange - is that wherever I went in Taize, I heard more German and spoke more English than French ! The answer to this mystery is that the first week when I was there was a holiday in South of Germany. So you can imagine bunches of Germans were flocking into this place... a Finnish guy that I met when working joked it as a "German invasion!" But it´s not that bad...I made more German friends and I picked up more German words- enough for me to get by in Germany!
........
Saying farewell frequently whilst traveling does NOT make it easier for me. Indeed, after two weeks in Taize, I found it really hard to leave. I like this place not only because of tranqility of life and beautiful landscape, but also because of the connection with people I made here. I like the way that I can get to know people at different levels and at my own pace. I enjoyed those friends I made by random conversations and when helping with practical works. I´m grateful for their sharing much of their selves with me. A lot of their stories and thoughts are striking to me and in many ways I think all these are the special gifts I received during this journey.
I chose to go in silence after a week in groups. I was completely freaked out the night before and I kept thinking " oh man I´m gonna have to zip my mouth and save all the words until the silence week´s over!" But the first day in silence passed incredibly well! The time spent taking a walk around the village, sitting in the sun or sleeping under trees and by the lake was just terrific! Isn´t it just great to take time and allow yourself to be embraced by the nature?
In silence I found myself more able to confront myself and reflect on things that i normally have no time or space for. I didn´t intent to think or meditate on certain things. In fact, I found things just fall into their own places. Indeed, it was a time when i came to hear my real inner thoughts and came to understand myself better. Often I find people(including me) can´t really hear their inner voice because they keep themselves so occupied to such an extent- they lose the capability to seek it. I think listening to this voice is vital to us because it gives us direction of where to head to and the strength to move on throughout our lives.
Another thing I enjoy this week of silence is the little but intimate connection with people. I was amazed to see how people communicate without much talking. I guess that´s because without words people have to be more sensitive to the needs of others and more expressive about their care and concern for others in different ways. I´m glad that Johanna and Yuri have been a generuos giver of hugs and smiles thru out that week. Yea... sometimes wordless communication can be even be more powerful.
Tears shed. Kissed and hugged goodbye. Time to move on.
Barcelona next.
Post entry: the heading of this entry is one of the many German phrases I learned during this week. It doesn´t have any specific meaning, but it is used to express exclamation. I thought Taize would be the most boring part of my journey before I came here, but it turned out to be one of the best places I´ve been. What better word can I use to conclude my stay here than an exclamation of Heliger Strochsack(don´t actaully remember the spellimg... but this is close i guess...haha) !
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Paris est maginifique !
Last day in Paris. I can't imagine the day just flew away when I'm here. The weather was gorgeous for the first few days but it was overcast yesterday. I intended to visit the verseille chateau, which is around 45 mins from central Paris, today. But it rained this morning and I'll see if the weather is getting better later today.
I LOVE Paris. It's the most beautiful city I've seen by far. It's just lovely. There's plenty to do here and days here are never boring. Somehow I want to stay here for longer.
Now that I've got used to traveling alone and I pretty much enjoy it! I meet people and it's pretty interesting to talk a bit to each of them.
My host here is a 40-something man, father of a son and two daughters. Adrin, who is his son and is studying in a smaller city close to the border of Germany, is very nice. After spending years there, he confessed that Paris is not a place for him. That morning when we were crossing the street, he told me how different the way of life here in Paris is from his city,
' In Germany when there is green light you dont have to look at the street 'cause cars stop. But here, they dont stop! No discipline! That's a problem!'
I laughed so hard- not only because of the way he said it (I'm not trying to be mean... but just think about his English with strong German accent and he looked SO serious!), but also because it was the first time I heard a French talking much like a German. Haha ... I think something inside his blood has become German(!) after years of schooling in a city close to Germany. LOL.
No discipline !
And he looked rather uptight ... just like a typical German I've met before ... hehe... well, I know I shouldn't stereotype them... *rolls eyes*
My host, Pierre, is an awesome person! We were talking for a while the first night I arrived. Conversing in English, he suddenly asked, ' 你會講國語?' (Do you speak Mandarin?)
I looked at him, startled. My eyes were widely opened.
Then he went on saying, '我會講一點點...(I can speak a bit...)'
I dont remember what he said after that... It actually took me like a few sentences before I came to believe OH YEA HE IS SPEAKING MANDARIN!
Oh ,my gosh a french speaking in Mandarin !!!
Later I found that he had studied Mandarin here for 3years and then he went to Taiwan to study for another year. This morning I asked him if he knows the Chinese characters on his daughter's bag.
'幸運都 (the lucky one),' He answered, pointing out that was simplified Chinese right away.
Wow. Cool. It turned out that he is a french who can speak Mandarin and read both simplified and traditional Chinese. What a French!
Last day in Paris. I can't imagine the day just flew away when I'm here. The weather was gorgeous for the first few days but it was overcast yesterday. I intended to visit the verseille chateau, which is around 45 mins from central Paris, today. But it rained this morning and I'll see if the weather is getting better later today.
I LOVE Paris. It's the most beautiful city I've seen by far. It's just lovely. There's plenty to do here and days here are never boring. Somehow I want to stay here for longer.
Now that I've got used to traveling alone and I pretty much enjoy it! I meet people and it's pretty interesting to talk a bit to each of them.
My host here is a 40-something man, father of a son and two daughters. Adrin, who is his son and is studying in a smaller city close to the border of Germany, is very nice. After spending years there, he confessed that Paris is not a place for him. That morning when we were crossing the street, he told me how different the way of life here in Paris is from his city,
' In Germany when there is green light you dont have to look at the street 'cause cars stop. But here, they dont stop! No discipline! That's a problem!'
I laughed so hard- not only because of the way he said it (I'm not trying to be mean... but just think about his English with strong German accent and he looked SO serious!), but also because it was the first time I heard a French talking much like a German. Haha ... I think something inside his blood has become German(!) after years of schooling in a city close to Germany. LOL.
No discipline !
And he looked rather uptight ... just like a typical German I've met before ... hehe... well, I know I shouldn't stereotype them... *rolls eyes*
My host, Pierre, is an awesome person! We were talking for a while the first night I arrived. Conversing in English, he suddenly asked, ' 你會講國語?' (Do you speak Mandarin?)
I looked at him, startled. My eyes were widely opened.
Then he went on saying, '我會講一點點...(I can speak a bit...)'
I dont remember what he said after that... It actually took me like a few sentences before I came to believe OH YEA HE IS SPEAKING MANDARIN!
Oh ,my gosh a french speaking in Mandarin !!!
Later I found that he had studied Mandarin here for 3years and then he went to Taiwan to study for another year. This morning I asked him if he knows the Chinese characters on his daughter's bag.
'幸運都 (the lucky one),' He answered, pointing out that was simplified Chinese right away.
Wow. Cool. It turned out that he is a french who can speak Mandarin and read both simplified and traditional Chinese. What a French!
Saturday, May 07, 2005
I can hear the Big Ben ringing!
Two days ago I farewell my beloved Toronto and all my friends. Now here I am - in London! Wow. No doubt I'm excited to be here. It's a WHOLE lot different from the North American culture that I'm used to. Getting off the bus without saying thank you to the drivers, absence of Tim Hortons on the streets, always well-dressed people, more architechal buildings, and of course the British accent! Everything seemed to be so weird and strange for me in the first place. But now that i've been here for nearly two days things get way better. Still - it takes some time to get used to everything. I still have trouble reminding myself not going downstairs when I see SUBWAY. That subway never gets me home but to the street right across. Or if not, I get frustrated when people don't understand me, or when I don't understand them. :-/
But all these just won't prevent me from enjoying myself in London! Never!I'm lucky to have pleasant weather. It was sunny yesterday and we only have a few showers this afternoon... not too bad!
I'm not sure if I can update my blog regularly from now on. But I'll definitely do so as far as I'm able to. And if you wanna keep in touch with me during these 3 months, you're most welcome to email me (I love hearing from anyone of you and i promise to reply ;-) ).
Okay, this is a really short update but i hope at least you'll know where on earth I'm now and what I'm doing lately.
Hop to catch you back later!
Two days ago I farewell my beloved Toronto and all my friends. Now here I am - in London! Wow. No doubt I'm excited to be here. It's a WHOLE lot different from the North American culture that I'm used to. Getting off the bus without saying thank you to the drivers, absence of Tim Hortons on the streets, always well-dressed people, more architechal buildings, and of course the British accent! Everything seemed to be so weird and strange for me in the first place. But now that i've been here for nearly two days things get way better. Still - it takes some time to get used to everything. I still have trouble reminding myself not going downstairs when I see SUBWAY. That subway never gets me home but to the street right across. Or if not, I get frustrated when people don't understand me, or when I don't understand them. :-/
But all these just won't prevent me from enjoying myself in London! Never!I'm lucky to have pleasant weather. It was sunny yesterday and we only have a few showers this afternoon... not too bad!
I'm not sure if I can update my blog regularly from now on. But I'll definitely do so as far as I'm able to. And if you wanna keep in touch with me during these 3 months, you're most welcome to email me (I love hearing from anyone of you and i promise to reply ;-) ).
Okay, this is a really short update but i hope at least you'll know where on earth I'm now and what I'm doing lately.
Hop to catch you back later!
Monday, May 02, 2005
A quick update
Finally I moved out from Bethune two days ago. It took me nearly two days to clear up my room and pack everything. As I was throwing out everything, I realized I’ve got so much useless and silly stuff, which made me question why I brought them along with me in the first place. Clothes that I knew I would never wear, books that I knew I would never read, cell phone that I knew I would not use probably, and other little thingy that I knew I would never use or even notice. After a whole morning of struggles, I’ve decided to throw some of them away. Why bother spending few bucks shipping back stuff that you know you would never use? It just isn’t worth it!
I moved into Satoko’s place yesterday. These guys Jeff, Dennis, and Takashi are just awesome! Moving in wasn’t such a hassle as I expected. Two trips and all our stuff were right there. It just took us an afternoon to unpack everything. We got up at 8 (which was unusually early) to wait for their coming as they said they would come by early in the morning. It was 9:30am and still there was no sign that they were coming. Then Satoko got the phone call from them. Having told that they would arrive at around 10, we went grab some coffee. 10. Still didn’t hear from them… few minutes later we were told that they forgot the way and got lost… =.=”
10 sth. Finally they were here!!! And guess what? They’ve got 2 cars!!! We were just surprised. My friend and I were looking at each other, probably thinking the very same thing- guys you’re awesome! I love you!!! So they helped us to move all the stuff into the car and then unload them. Two trips and we were done!
This afternoon I just met up Can and Nway before I left. It was so much fun talking to Nway. She’s such a cute girl. She’s just back from London. Ugh- she said the British accent kills her! Every time when she’s in England, it takes her FOREVER to get used to the accent ‘cause whenever she ordered for food in restaurants, people could immediately spot her American accent and said they didn’t understand American English. Gosh- I hope I can get by with my English there… Still British English proves to be a bit challenging for me to understand. It may take me quite a while. I hope they wont be too harsh toward my rather North American English... *rolls eyes*
I’ve got bunches of stuff that I wanted to talk about. But now my mind just goes blank as I tried to recall what I’ve been doing and my feelings along the way. The only thing I can tell is- now I start to panic! Having no idea of where I’m staying few days later, I realize that it takes up far more effort, hard-work, and energy to plan a trip myself. Now I feel I’m left with my own devices and I’m completely freaked out! But I know panicking gets me to nowhere and all I need is to stay cool. Decision made. There’s no way for me to turn it back and things are going on as the way they are, better or worse.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, practice your rusty French, get a pair of durable sneakers, and get into good shape- there’s a WHOLE lot ahead of me this summer~
Finally I moved out from Bethune two days ago. It took me nearly two days to clear up my room and pack everything. As I was throwing out everything, I realized I’ve got so much useless and silly stuff, which made me question why I brought them along with me in the first place. Clothes that I knew I would never wear, books that I knew I would never read, cell phone that I knew I would not use probably, and other little thingy that I knew I would never use or even notice. After a whole morning of struggles, I’ve decided to throw some of them away. Why bother spending few bucks shipping back stuff that you know you would never use? It just isn’t worth it!
I moved into Satoko’s place yesterday. These guys Jeff, Dennis, and Takashi are just awesome! Moving in wasn’t such a hassle as I expected. Two trips and all our stuff were right there. It just took us an afternoon to unpack everything. We got up at 8 (which was unusually early) to wait for their coming as they said they would come by early in the morning. It was 9:30am and still there was no sign that they were coming. Then Satoko got the phone call from them. Having told that they would arrive at around 10, we went grab some coffee. 10. Still didn’t hear from them… few minutes later we were told that they forgot the way and got lost… =.=”
10 sth. Finally they were here!!! And guess what? They’ve got 2 cars!!! We were just surprised. My friend and I were looking at each other, probably thinking the very same thing- guys you’re awesome! I love you!!! So they helped us to move all the stuff into the car and then unload them. Two trips and we were done!
This afternoon I just met up Can and Nway before I left. It was so much fun talking to Nway. She’s such a cute girl. She’s just back from London. Ugh- she said the British accent kills her! Every time when she’s in England, it takes her FOREVER to get used to the accent ‘cause whenever she ordered for food in restaurants, people could immediately spot her American accent and said they didn’t understand American English. Gosh- I hope I can get by with my English there… Still British English proves to be a bit challenging for me to understand. It may take me quite a while. I hope they wont be too harsh toward my rather North American English... *rolls eyes*
I’ve got bunches of stuff that I wanted to talk about. But now my mind just goes blank as I tried to recall what I’ve been doing and my feelings along the way. The only thing I can tell is- now I start to panic! Having no idea of where I’m staying few days later, I realize that it takes up far more effort, hard-work, and energy to plan a trip myself. Now I feel I’m left with my own devices and I’m completely freaked out! But I know panicking gets me to nowhere and all I need is to stay cool. Decision made. There’s no way for me to turn it back and things are going on as the way they are, better or worse.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, practice your rusty French, get a pair of durable sneakers, and get into good shape- there’s a WHOLE lot ahead of me this summer~
Friday, April 29, 2005
Susana, Je Young, and Saki left yesterday.
This week has proven itself to be the saddest week of the year! Sus said she hated to be the last person in her house to leave ... and see -- now I'm the very last of the last! If you're the first one to leave, you leave saying goodbye to all the people at one time. But for me, the feeling of aloneless is only mounting and penetrating my heart as I see people moving out and leaving for their home countries. Yea, it's building up quietly, but it's not that bad after all. I can take time to accept it as the way it is. What's more, meeting my friends is definietly one of my best experience here. This gives me reason to go to their places to visit or come back. I can't believe now my list of next-travel-destination is growing. So we'll meet- for sure!
Life goes on. :-)
Oh well, in two days I'll be moving out to Satoko's place. Looking at my messy room, I now doubt if I can finish packing. It reminds me of the night before my departure from Hong Kong- while my mom was trying to help me find my jacket, my dad was faxing the closet that I broke when I opened it... and me- I was carrying the phone, doing the talking with freinds as I ran all over my house to look for the mp3 player(It turned out to be in the bag where I put my laptop). Or if not, I was checking my suitcases to ensure my parents didn't put useless stuff like the kind of thick jacket which I would rather go naked than wearing it... I was yelling, feeling confused, a little pissed off ... Ha- it was killing me.
Ugh. I have to buy travel insurance, confirm the date of flight with Air Canada, ship some of my stuff back, settle the money matters with my mom, meet a few more friends, have some more farewell meals, and get ready for my trip in the summer! I hope I won't run out of time... so much to do...
Shouldn't be blogging ... Alas, there're still some Spanish films I wanna see! I saw "All about my mother" yesterday... it's a really good movie... have some thoughts about it... wanna talk about it... maybe later... get moving, Carlotta... start packing...okay okay, I'll be back soon.
This week has proven itself to be the saddest week of the year! Sus said she hated to be the last person in her house to leave ... and see -- now I'm the very last of the last! If you're the first one to leave, you leave saying goodbye to all the people at one time. But for me, the feeling of aloneless is only mounting and penetrating my heart as I see people moving out and leaving for their home countries. Yea, it's building up quietly, but it's not that bad after all. I can take time to accept it as the way it is. What's more, meeting my friends is definietly one of my best experience here. This gives me reason to go to their places to visit or come back. I can't believe now my list of next-travel-destination is growing. So we'll meet- for sure!
Life goes on. :-)
Oh well, in two days I'll be moving out to Satoko's place. Looking at my messy room, I now doubt if I can finish packing. It reminds me of the night before my departure from Hong Kong- while my mom was trying to help me find my jacket, my dad was faxing the closet that I broke when I opened it... and me- I was carrying the phone, doing the talking with freinds as I ran all over my house to look for the mp3 player(It turned out to be in the bag where I put my laptop). Or if not, I was checking my suitcases to ensure my parents didn't put useless stuff like the kind of thick jacket which I would rather go naked than wearing it... I was yelling, feeling confused, a little pissed off ... Ha- it was killing me.
Ugh. I have to buy travel insurance, confirm the date of flight with Air Canada, ship some of my stuff back, settle the money matters with my mom, meet a few more friends, have some more farewell meals, and get ready for my trip in the summer! I hope I won't run out of time... so much to do...
Shouldn't be blogging ... Alas, there're still some Spanish films I wanna see! I saw "All about my mother" yesterday... it's a really good movie... have some thoughts about it... wanna talk about it... maybe later... get moving, Carlotta... start packing...okay okay, I'll be back soon.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
So two of my friends are gone.
They left here in the morning so as to catch the plane at one.
Went to see them before they headed to the airport. It didn't feel real to have two of my closest friends leaving. Talking with them, I found myself trying to squeeze out whatever came thru my mind to avoid "topic depletion." Frankly, I didn't know what to do or what to say. Content of the conversation concerns me not, but it's the extra time spending with them that I value.
The hardest thing was to hug them goodbye. Hugging is mostly natural for us as we always hug when seeing each other. But it just feels weird to have a goodbye hug today. I quickly gave them hugs, turned on my back, took out my keys, and headed to the residence entrance. I insisted not turning back my head 'cause I didn't even want them to see me. I knew it- I knew I couldn't hold on my calmness. Not long after I gave them hugs, I went back to the residence with Je Young. Eyes welled up.
I used to wonder why such intimate action as hugging does not allow the two people to see each other. I now have a clue.
However affectionate the two people can feel when hugging, they can never see each other's face. It's the only way that friends feel and enjoy the moment of intimacy without sharing the depths of hearts.
It is this tension of closeness and distance where the mystery lies.
Perhaps this act of hugging is meant to be the best way to say farewell with friends.
They left here in the morning so as to catch the plane at one.
Went to see them before they headed to the airport. It didn't feel real to have two of my closest friends leaving. Talking with them, I found myself trying to squeeze out whatever came thru my mind to avoid "topic depletion." Frankly, I didn't know what to do or what to say. Content of the conversation concerns me not, but it's the extra time spending with them that I value.
The hardest thing was to hug them goodbye. Hugging is mostly natural for us as we always hug when seeing each other. But it just feels weird to have a goodbye hug today. I quickly gave them hugs, turned on my back, took out my keys, and headed to the residence entrance. I insisted not turning back my head 'cause I didn't even want them to see me. I knew it- I knew I couldn't hold on my calmness. Not long after I gave them hugs, I went back to the residence with Je Young. Eyes welled up.
I used to wonder why such intimate action as hugging does not allow the two people to see each other. I now have a clue.
However affectionate the two people can feel when hugging, they can never see each other's face. It's the only way that friends feel and enjoy the moment of intimacy without sharing the depths of hearts.
It is this tension of closeness and distance where the mystery lies.
Perhaps this act of hugging is meant to be the best way to say farewell with friends.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Two big meals today- clumsier body and lighter wallet.
But they were very good. We had reali nice chat for the first meal and some of my friends had the Goodbye Burger- Ha ! That's the theme of the day! The second meal was fixed by Kevina and me. Our first time. :-P I'm glad that things went well and they were all satisfied with the food. Hehe... looks like I should cook more often. Anybody wanna taste my food~~ It takes a great deal of courage to taste the food of somebody who cooks for the first time(i mean for a decent dinner).
As I'm writing this, I'm actually about to go (again!). I'm gonna stay over at my friend's place 'cause some of them are leaving tomorrow. :-(
Two more goodbye meals before I go... prepare my stomach and watch out my wallet!
But they were very good. We had reali nice chat for the first meal and some of my friends had the Goodbye Burger- Ha ! That's the theme of the day! The second meal was fixed by Kevina and me. Our first time. :-P I'm glad that things went well and they were all satisfied with the food. Hehe... looks like I should cook more often. Anybody wanna taste my food~~ It takes a great deal of courage to taste the food of somebody who cooks for the first time(i mean for a decent dinner).
As I'm writing this, I'm actually about to go (again!). I'm gonna stay over at my friend's place 'cause some of them are leaving tomorrow. :-(
Two more goodbye meals before I go... prepare my stomach and watch out my wallet!
Friday, April 22, 2005
Feel like a big fish in a pond? You're not alone!
How much will you believe when a wonderful person tells you all the hilarious stories about his/her life? Is it possible that it’s simply a version of truth of that person’s another life in his/her own fantasy?
Not long before I wrote an entry about a young lady who tirelessly portrays herself as glamorous and charming as she could. Here I have to make myself clear; I had NO intention to devalue her. I do believe there IS some truth in what she said. It’s hard to make up stories without any real-life experience, or simply out of imagination.
Like everybody else in Big Fish, I was always one of those people, including the son, who like gathering around her bed and listened intently to her stories. There’s no denying that her stories are full of adventures, fantasies, and memories. But there was a point at which those stories stop working as entertainment and segue to disguise or pretense. As someone who has known the same jokes more than once, it’s best to avoid the joke-teller(storyteller) who earnestly recycles her memories, just as the son does to his dad in the film.
Many times as I grow tired of the lady’s stories and just once would like to hear the truth and how she feels, I was annoyed by her insistence in telling those fake stories. Hypocrisy! I thought at first. Yet it turned out that she is amused to indulge herself in her self-created version of world.
But isn’t it true that we often have our own version of “truth” when we tell our own stories? How many times do we prefer to tell the more exciting versions than the deadly dull but plainly real ones? It simply feels good to have some sparks in those stories- life suddenly becomes elevated! Lies, assertions, swallows to one's pride, denials, addiction to fantasies ... whatever you perceive it! We depend on legends of our lives to give them meaning. Perhaps- sometimes we have been telling those stories not only to others but to ourselves. There is some truth here.
The lady, as I conclude, is only a manifestation of this mentality.
Big Fish(2003)
*****
To: Christina
I’m not sure if you’ve been following my blog. Still - wanted to thank you for your long email (just in case you read it in silence and dismiss quietly… hehe…). It was just a couple of months ago but it feels much longer than that. And you bet- I have never talked that much again! So much has been going on since I left you and I have so much to tell you. I think I’m gonna reply you with a HUGE email very soon. Love you!
P.S. I’ll definitely be mad at you if you wait till expire date of the phone card to call and tell me about your already-2-year-old little Chris! ;-)
*****
This is weird. I thought I would feel sad as everybody was leaving in the next week. It turned out that I’m accepting it as the way it is – at least in the meantime. Or is it just that the feeling has yet to become afloat? It’s hard to imagine how it feels like to have my emotional outburst when the time to go has come. Oh man I’m always pathetic to my own feelings (Think about my apathy at the airport when I left ... ). I used to think it was to retain my composure and rationality when everybody’s gone far too emotional. But now I find it means more than that. I know it’s nothing shameful to be honest to your own feelings. Yet I insist a balance of emotion and rationality is vital when one moves from one life-stage to the next. It's the emotion that keeps the moment real and it's the rationality that enables you to reflect on what it means to you.
As clichéd as it may seem - c’est la vie!
(which i find SO true!)
How much will you believe when a wonderful person tells you all the hilarious stories about his/her life? Is it possible that it’s simply a version of truth of that person’s another life in his/her own fantasy?
Not long before I wrote an entry about a young lady who tirelessly portrays herself as glamorous and charming as she could. Here I have to make myself clear; I had NO intention to devalue her. I do believe there IS some truth in what she said. It’s hard to make up stories without any real-life experience, or simply out of imagination.
Like everybody else in Big Fish, I was always one of those people, including the son, who like gathering around her bed and listened intently to her stories. There’s no denying that her stories are full of adventures, fantasies, and memories. But there was a point at which those stories stop working as entertainment and segue to disguise or pretense. As someone who has known the same jokes more than once, it’s best to avoid the joke-teller(storyteller) who earnestly recycles her memories, just as the son does to his dad in the film.
Many times as I grow tired of the lady’s stories and just once would like to hear the truth and how she feels, I was annoyed by her insistence in telling those fake stories. Hypocrisy! I thought at first. Yet it turned out that she is amused to indulge herself in her self-created version of world.
But isn’t it true that we often have our own version of “truth” when we tell our own stories? How many times do we prefer to tell the more exciting versions than the deadly dull but plainly real ones? It simply feels good to have some sparks in those stories- life suddenly becomes elevated! Lies, assertions, swallows to one's pride, denials, addiction to fantasies ... whatever you perceive it! We depend on legends of our lives to give them meaning. Perhaps- sometimes we have been telling those stories not only to others but to ourselves. There is some truth here.
The lady, as I conclude, is only a manifestation of this mentality.
Big Fish(2003)
*****
To: Christina
I’m not sure if you’ve been following my blog. Still - wanted to thank you for your long email (just in case you read it in silence and dismiss quietly… hehe…). It was just a couple of months ago but it feels much longer than that. And you bet- I have never talked that much again! So much has been going on since I left you and I have so much to tell you. I think I’m gonna reply you with a HUGE email very soon. Love you!
P.S. I’ll definitely be mad at you if you wait till expire date of the phone card to call and tell me about your already-2-year-old little Chris! ;-)
*****
This is weird. I thought I would feel sad as everybody was leaving in the next week. It turned out that I’m accepting it as the way it is – at least in the meantime. Or is it just that the feeling has yet to become afloat? It’s hard to imagine how it feels like to have my emotional outburst when the time to go has come. Oh man I’m always pathetic to my own feelings (Think about my apathy at the airport when I left ... ). I used to think it was to retain my composure and rationality when everybody’s gone far too emotional. But now I find it means more than that. I know it’s nothing shameful to be honest to your own feelings. Yet I insist a balance of emotion and rationality is vital when one moves from one life-stage to the next. It's the emotion that keeps the moment real and it's the rationality that enables you to reflect on what it means to you.
As clichéd as it may seem - c’est la vie!
(which i find SO true!)
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Last but hardly the least of today
Hey, just wanted to let everybody knows that I've just found out a Cantonese podcast program! It is by far the first Cantonese podcast I've come across. Enjoy!
香港人民廣播電台節目：風蕭蕭 podcast
http://feeds.feedburner.com/shiushiu
Hey, just wanted to let everybody knows that I've just found out a Cantonese podcast program! It is by far the first Cantonese podcast I've come across. Enjoy!
香港人民廣播電台節目：風蕭蕭 podcast
http://feeds.feedburner.com/shiushiu
Shall I compare thee to ...
I hope I don’t sound like a bitch who talks behind somebody’s back. But even if I do, I think I’ve been keeping my mouth shut to others for long and have been trying to laugh it off as best as I could.
This lady who I met at the beginning of school year pissed me off. Congratulations to her – she’s the first person who I’ve ever referred as “bitch.” Probably the last one as well. Lack of common sense and life experience of a person doesn’t bother me, for this is what I’m learning. Besides, I believe that we learn from each other as we travel down life’s pathway. What gets on my nerve, though, is this lady’s trying to portray herself in the best light possible—even when somebody retarded can tell her defense for her lies are totally clueless. There isn’t a lack of instances when she proved herself is nothing but a bitch.
What the f***ing hell are you talking about?
Going to Vancouver for skiing in November? Hello hello it’s on the west coast and west coast doesn’t snow as much as here in the east. What’s more- It hasn’t snowed yet!!! =.=”
I’m sorry-you’ve been to 3 provinces here in Canada? Ha- when were Montreal and Quebec City considered to be in 2 separate provinces??? Wow. Looks like the internal conflict of Quebec’s gonna cause the PM even more headache, after the growing segregation of Quebec from English Canada…
Hum… Quebec used to be a colony of France… that’s why Quebecois speak French…
Oh thanks—now I know the ice cappuccino of Starbucks is good and is your favorite.
Oh yea? You’ve seen so many films! So what do you think about it? (Then she starts talking shit!)
…
The list goes on and on.
Yup, she’s clueless. I dare to say nobody on earth I’ve ever met can be compared to this intelligent lady who tirelessly shares what she knows about chocolate, cheese, wine, paintings, movies, coffee and blah blah blah. She’s definitely generous in sharing her hilarious stories
with numerous guys and showing her dedication in high fashion. What is she trying to say—is how much I’m fortunate to get to know this wonderful lady once in a lifetime!
However glamorous she portrays herself to be, it sucks when you come to have conversation with her. The expertise she claims to be in would soon turn to be mere trivial knowledge without substance. Asking what she thinks about the film or any subject that she's just talked about, she’s always talking crap. No independent thinking but always trying to be a person she thinks other people would want her to be. Oh yea, you’re the dancing queen! No other girls than you can catch more eyeballs of guys. :-/ Even when she was declined by her friends few days before they set off for a trip, she still had no clue what happened. Oh, come on—activate your brain, for heaven’s sake!!! Didn’t you know they HATE you? They told me that they would turn you down long before you realized there was sth wrong. It’s just that you’re stupid!
Well, everything’s approaching to an end. I know I should go on keeping my mouth shut. But after reading her blog, I realized she didn’t learn any lessons. NOT AT ALL! She seems to have an endless list of graceful reasons to excuse herself from this and that—anything that she knows she doesn’t know. The paralyzing fear of being inferior within her must have blinded her from admitting her weaknesses. Wrongly thinks that she lives in a wonderful world surrounded by wonderful people, she feels amused and satisfied by the artificiality and temporary glamour she tries to put on. Perhaps she’s so dumb that she doesn’t even feel the emptiness and loneliness. Perhaps … Sigh! I don’t know. She deserves NO sympathy!!!!
I'm sorry if I sound like a bitch or lose any composure I'm supposed to have. I apologize if you're disturbed by the coarse language I used. This entry doesn't mean to offend anyone and I don't claim to have any right to judge anyone. I just can't keep my feelings repressed and have no way to express this after such a long time, esp after seeing her blog just now. Now I've decided that this deadly stupid f***ing bitch should be forever forgotten. Not in my life anymore!
I'll laugh it off and treat it as a funny story to tell. Life is too short to get pissed off all the time.
I hope I don’t sound like a bitch who talks behind somebody’s back. But even if I do, I think I’ve been keeping my mouth shut to others for long and have been trying to laugh it off as best as I could.
This lady who I met at the beginning of school year pissed me off. Congratulations to her – she’s the first person who I’ve ever referred as “bitch.” Probably the last one as well. Lack of common sense and life experience of a person doesn’t bother me, for this is what I’m learning. Besides, I believe that we learn from each other as we travel down life’s pathway. What gets on my nerve, though, is this lady’s trying to portray herself in the best light possible—even when somebody retarded can tell her defense for her lies are totally clueless. There isn’t a lack of instances when she proved herself is nothing but a bitch.
What the f***ing hell are you talking about?
Going to Vancouver for skiing in November? Hello hello it’s on the west coast and west coast doesn’t snow as much as here in the east. What’s more- It hasn’t snowed yet!!! =.=”
I’m sorry-you’ve been to 3 provinces here in Canada? Ha- when were Montreal and Quebec City considered to be in 2 separate provinces??? Wow. Looks like the internal conflict of Quebec’s gonna cause the PM even more headache, after the growing segregation of Quebec from English Canada…
Hum… Quebec used to be a colony of France… that’s why Quebecois speak French…
Oh thanks—now I know the ice cappuccino of Starbucks is good and is your favorite.
Oh yea? You’ve seen so many films! So what do you think about it? (Then she starts talking shit!)
…
The list goes on and on.
Yup, she’s clueless. I dare to say nobody on earth I’ve ever met can be compared to this intelligent lady who tirelessly shares what she knows about chocolate, cheese, wine, paintings, movies, coffee and blah blah blah. She’s definitely generous in sharing her hilarious stories
with numerous guys and showing her dedication in high fashion. What is she trying to say—is how much I’m fortunate to get to know this wonderful lady once in a lifetime!
However glamorous she portrays herself to be, it sucks when you come to have conversation with her. The expertise she claims to be in would soon turn to be mere trivial knowledge without substance. Asking what she thinks about the film or any subject that she's just talked about, she’s always talking crap. No independent thinking but always trying to be a person she thinks other people would want her to be. Oh yea, you’re the dancing queen! No other girls than you can catch more eyeballs of guys. :-/ Even when she was declined by her friends few days before they set off for a trip, she still had no clue what happened. Oh, come on—activate your brain, for heaven’s sake!!! Didn’t you know they HATE you? They told me that they would turn you down long before you realized there was sth wrong. It’s just that you’re stupid!
Well, everything’s approaching to an end. I know I should go on keeping my mouth shut. But after reading her blog, I realized she didn’t learn any lessons. NOT AT ALL! She seems to have an endless list of graceful reasons to excuse herself from this and that—anything that she knows she doesn’t know. The paralyzing fear of being inferior within her must have blinded her from admitting her weaknesses. Wrongly thinks that she lives in a wonderful world surrounded by wonderful people, she feels amused and satisfied by the artificiality and temporary glamour she tries to put on. Perhaps she’s so dumb that she doesn’t even feel the emptiness and loneliness. Perhaps … Sigh! I don’t know. She deserves NO sympathy!!!!
I'm sorry if I sound like a bitch or lose any composure I'm supposed to have. I apologize if you're disturbed by the coarse language I used. This entry doesn't mean to offend anyone and I don't claim to have any right to judge anyone. I just can't keep my feelings repressed and have no way to express this after such a long time, esp after seeing her blog just now. Now I've decided that this deadly stupid f***ing bitch should be forever forgotten. Not in my life anymore!
I'll laugh it off and treat it as a funny story to tell. Life is too short to get pissed off all the time.
Few days ago I received a letter from school. Not knowing what it is all about and what I'm supposed to do with it, I went to the bank. It turned out to be a statement together with a check.
"A check?"
"Yes, that's how much the school giving you back. They didn't say why here. Maybe you can call and ask. But that's probably because they overcharged you and now give you back the money." said the lady, pointing at the "amount paid."
Wow~ why bother giving the office a call... I don't care...
I'm more concerned about having my money back.
So I went to ATM and had the money transfered to my account.
It feels good to have a few extra bucks in my bank account, esp when the wallet's getting lighter ... hehe ...
"A check?"
"Yes, that's how much the school giving you back. They didn't say why here. Maybe you can call and ask. But that's probably because they overcharged you and now give you back the money." said the lady, pointing at the "amount paid."
Wow~ why bother giving the office a call... I don't care...
I'm more concerned about having my money back.
So I went to ATM and had the money transfered to my account.
It feels good to have a few extra bucks in my bank account, esp when the wallet's getting lighter ... hehe ...
Ce matin
For many days this week, I just woke up much earlier than usual. This morning I got up at seven sth. Sipping my coffee, I’m reading newspaper and checking emails. We’ve basked in glorious weather and have been able to revel in shorts-sandals-and-patio temperatures for more than 2 weeks. No storms. Plenty of sunshine. Dry as bone. Gentle breezes. Cool nights which allowed comfortable sleeping. Two weeks ago, people were saying, “Spring has sprung.” Now it’s “Summer is here.” It hit 27C yesterday!!!
But alas- it can't last!
It’s currently 18C and it is expected to be no higher than 13C for the coming few days. It’ll be cloudy with showers and thunderstorms. Cool and damp. Well, why I’m saying it here is that many of us are winter-weary already and have become verrrrrrrry eager to push the seasons.
The cardinals have elected the new Pope. Didn’t follow the news very closely as I was out for a goodbye dinner with friends (This time we cooked and omg- ALL the food was just yummy!!!) last night. So I guess you'll find me bent over the newspapers and internet news with my cup of coffee for the rest of this morning.
After all, I'm news-addicted! ;-)
For many days this week, I just woke up much earlier than usual. This morning I got up at seven sth. Sipping my coffee, I’m reading newspaper and checking emails. We’ve basked in glorious weather and have been able to revel in shorts-sandals-and-patio temperatures for more than 2 weeks. No storms. Plenty of sunshine. Dry as bone. Gentle breezes. Cool nights which allowed comfortable sleeping. Two weeks ago, people were saying, “Spring has sprung.” Now it’s “Summer is here.” It hit 27C yesterday!!!
But alas- it can't last!
It’s currently 18C and it is expected to be no higher than 13C for the coming few days. It’ll be cloudy with showers and thunderstorms. Cool and damp. Well, why I’m saying it here is that many of us are winter-weary already and have become verrrrrrrry eager to push the seasons.
The cardinals have elected the new Pope. Didn’t follow the news very closely as I was out for a goodbye dinner with friends (This time we cooked and omg- ALL the food was just yummy!!!) last night. So I guess you'll find me bent over the newspapers and internet news with my cup of coffee for the rest of this morning.
After all, I'm news-addicted! ;-)
Monday, April 18, 2005
Best day trip ever!
I'm glad that I eventually made it to go to Niagara Falls again. I was there last year, but it wasn't a really pleasant experience - awful weather, limited time to shop around and everybody was freezing to death.
That was my worst trip ever!
This morning, Jeff picked us up at school and after an hour of bus, we arrived at Niagara Falls.Today- a mix of sun and cloud. Temp 22 degrees. Gentle wind. Nice weather! :-)
Passing through a mall, we went down a slope and headed to the ticket booth of the observation deck Skylon Tower. Being at the top of Skylon, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the Falls and its neighboring areas. It was my first time to see it in that way as I didn't have have time to go up the tower last time. Nothing can put my eyes off the view. I looked at the Falls in awe, wondering how many times must I see it before I get fed up with it - Maybe never!
Then we went further down and passed by Niagara Park. Standing at the bow, I could feel the mist lightly spray my face, which I thought bringing me a bit closer to the Falls. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is wide, and by far the most voluminous waterfall in North America. I could sense the vast power as I heard the cascading water rumbling. There's magic in it! The Maid of the Mist cruises didn't run today, so we couldn't have a ride on it. Or else I could have a real vis-à-vis experience with one of the natural wonders of the world like I did last time!
So we strolled along the sidewalk, took pictures, sometimes stopped for a while to just look long at the Falls. We went window-shopped before heading back to the bus stop. My feet hurt a bit after so much walking today. In the evening we had dinner at my favorite Korean restaurant at Finch. We chatted, joked around, laughed, and ate! Nice meal. Nice friends. Nice chat. A perfect day trip!
I appreciate much for Jeff's help. He IS like our mom today, picking us up, preparing food and drinks, and entertaining us all the time. It was so much fun. As we were free from the bondage of time, we had greater flexibility today. We took time to see, to feel, and to sense everything. My conclusion after so many trips is that it is totally AWFUL to join any types of package tour. I hate the idea of being deprived of my freedom to choose what to do in a trip. Words will not do justice to the experience I had in all those awesome trips I went by myself.
This is my best day trip ever!
A panoramic view from Skylon
I'm glad that I eventually made it to go to Niagara Falls again. I was there last year, but it wasn't a really pleasant experience - awful weather, limited time to shop around and everybody was freezing to death.
That was my worst trip ever!
This morning, Jeff picked us up at school and after an hour of bus, we arrived at Niagara Falls.Today- a mix of sun and cloud. Temp 22 degrees. Gentle wind. Nice weather! :-)
Passing through a mall, we went down a slope and headed to the ticket booth of the observation deck Skylon Tower. Being at the top of Skylon, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the Falls and its neighboring areas. It was my first time to see it in that way as I didn't have have time to go up the tower last time. Nothing can put my eyes off the view. I looked at the Falls in awe, wondering how many times must I see it before I get fed up with it - Maybe never!
Then we went further down and passed by Niagara Park. Standing at the bow, I could feel the mist lightly spray my face, which I thought bringing me a bit closer to the Falls. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is wide, and by far the most voluminous waterfall in North America. I could sense the vast power as I heard the cascading water rumbling. There's magic in it! The Maid of the Mist cruises didn't run today, so we couldn't have a ride on it. Or else I could have a real vis-à-vis experience with one of the natural wonders of the world like I did last time!
So we strolled along the sidewalk, took pictures, sometimes stopped for a while to just look long at the Falls. We went window-shopped before heading back to the bus stop. My feet hurt a bit after so much walking today. In the evening we had dinner at my favorite Korean restaurant at Finch. We chatted, joked around, laughed, and ate! Nice meal. Nice friends. Nice chat. A perfect day trip!
I appreciate much for Jeff's help. He IS like our mom today, picking us up, preparing food and drinks, and entertaining us all the time. It was so much fun. As we were free from the bondage of time, we had greater flexibility today. We took time to see, to feel, and to sense everything. My conclusion after so many trips is that it is totally AWFUL to join any types of package tour. I hate the idea of being deprived of my freedom to choose what to do in a trip. Words will not do justice to the experience I had in all those awesome trips I went by myself.
This is my best day trip ever!
A panoramic view from Skylon
