2008 -The Worst of Year-The Best of Year
This has been the most difficult and turbulent year I have ever experienced. At times, I wasn't sure whether I could bear through it all during which I thought of Rosella frequently. With the assistance and support of a few old friends, I have managed to survive my tsunami. I am truly a thankful little brat.
Anyhow, it's been a year of changes/transformation in every aspect. I have worked on three different jobs and had to move out from my flat because my landlord had sold it. It was hard for me to move away from the neighbourhood where I had grown up. I am now living up on the hill of Kwun Tong, a more grass-root neighbourhood where some parts of it are still very 60's. I am enjoying the area more than I had expected. The wet market is FABULOUSLY fun! I have never lived this close to a huge wet market before. It's pretty COOL !
For everything that has happened in 2008, it has only forced me to confront with my own mental flaws with more clarity and to let go. To let go of a lot of preconceptions, things and people that I had been clinging on to. I realized that I can't live the second half of my life in the same way as I have with my first half. Have started a process of constant reform that's like a kind of continuous meditation.
The result is a more simple and more quiet life with hopefully less and less duality and more ease in embracing reality as it is.
Heart Warming Moments
The happiest memories in 2008 were my stay at Morrison campus for two nights in May - catching up with Sharon and Terry was such a warm experience. I stayed at the guest room in the co-ed lounge. It was like John Denver's "It's so good to be back home again!" I hadn't seen Sharon since graduation, but when we met, we just picked it up as if we had never parted.
It was lovely watching Sharon taking care of her "BOYS", arranging their meals and sitting down with them to watch vintage Crosby Show. Watching Sharon being a mother, spending quality time with her boys, laughing together, interacting, was a very neat experince. I never thought Sharon could become such a patient, loving, feminine, nourishing caregiver. (Because she was so sporty and used to laugh like a crazy KUNG FU Master when she lived next door to me in the dorm.) Sharon also took great care of me during my 48 hour stay. She has become a truly wonderful "WOMAN" despite the fact that she is married!
The same magic happened when I met up with Susan and Tobia Vandenberg with their families in August here in Hong Kong. We spent an afternoon together over Dim Sum lunch, walking through the HK History Museum, and we spent magic hour up on the Victoria Peak. It was SO GOOD seeing them again! Just wish that we had more time to slow down and catch up over high tea.
Unforgettable
New experience - went to a Zen camp in a forest for Moon Festival and experienced life as a Forest Monk for 24 hours. It was the most beautiful and memorable Moon Festival I have ever had. I bathed under the moon in a creek where there were a lot of dancing shrimps in the crystal fresh water. Slept in a mosquito net outdoor where I could see the moon lying on my pillow. The moon was so gorgeous! The minimalism was so charming and refreshing. To my surprise, I began to crave for the same experience. I can't wait to do it again. The truth is, I don't mind living outdoor for good if I don't have to make a living in the city.
So, amigos, that's some of the highlights of my 2008.
Wishing you all a peaceful and enlightening 2009 !
With Best Wishes
Sherry
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