Now where is the law which says I can't...?

Following on what I said yesterday, I must add, in all fairness, that while in Hong Kong people always try to be one up on you or a step ahead of you, most of them do it in legitimate ways. People seldom go beyond what rules or the law or rules would tolerate. So they don't jump queues. They don't swindle. Before the law banning smoking in public was passed, smokers take a drag in restaurants and ignore whatever "no smoking" signs were put up, but most of them stopped after the law was introduced.

It may annoy you to that no drivers would stop or slow down to let you cross the road, but as long as there are no provision obliging them to do so, they don't see the need or the value to do so. It may drive you crazy to be forced to listen to the phone conversation of the jerk at the next carriage of the train, but unless speaking on mobile phones in public places is banned they just won't have the civility or self-discipline to lower the level of their voices, not to say to stop.

Give way? No way!

There are such a lot of people in Hong Kong that anywhere you walk you are bound to cross path with other people. One brutal difference between the people here and the people elsewhere is that those you cross path with will invariably speed up, take an extra step and cut in before you. Giving way is extremely rare. This phenomenon is not just confined to walking. I also notice that exactly the same happens on the road. In bottle-neck situations where maybe two lanes are converged to one, drivers will scramble for the next spot and frantically try to get ahead of the car at the other lane. And unless there are mechanisms, like a traffic light or a zebra crossing, which make it mandatory for a car to stop, most drivers make full use of their right of road use and do not let the pedestrians cross the road.

Here in Hong Kong, people seldom give way. They compete fiercely, even in situations where competing is not necessary or even counter-productive. They see most situations as a zero sum game and they try to be the winner to take it all. They seldom think about how to create a win-win situation or even let others take the cake. This is not only a rather selfish but also stressful way to live.

As if life in this city of incredibly brisk pace and high cost of living is not stressful enough.

Are you Jo King?

Tim Burr, Justin Case, Barb Dwyer, Stan Still.

These names may sound like bad jokes, but they do exist, according to an online article. Some researchers have scoured through phone records in the UK and the US and unearthed them.

Imagine growing up as someone with one of these names. Imagine having to introduce yourself to a crowd or a class. Imagine how they will smirk, howl, or make fun of the name. As poor Stan Still recalled: "When I was in the RAF my commanding officer used to shout, 'Still Still, get a move on' and roll about laughing."

Here are some more of those unfortunate names:

Terry Bull
Paige Turner
Mary Christmas
Anna Sasin
Doug Hole
Hazel Nutt
Pearl Button
Barry Cade
Carrie Oakey
Priti Manek
Anna Prentice
Bill Board
Jo King

Jo King? Are you joking? Well, this is exactly the question you should ask your parents!

What is draconian and drastic: a vegetarian diet or a western diet?

Which is 'draconian' and 'drastic': a vegetarian diet or a Western diet?

Is going veg something very extreme? Conside these two quotes:

'Some criticize the plant-based diet as extreme or draconian. Webster's dictionary defines draconian as "inhumanly cruel". A closer look reveals that "extreme" or "inhumanely cruel" describes not plant-based nutrition, but the consequences of our present Western diet. Having a sternum divided for bypass surgery or a stroke that renders one an aphasic invalid can be construed as extreme; and having a breast, prostate, colon or rectum removed to reat cancer may seem inhumanly cruel. These diseases are rarely seen in populations consuming a plant-based diet.'
-Doctor Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr.

'I don't understand why asking people to eat a well-based vegetarian diet is considered drastic, while it's medically conservative to cut people open or put them on powerful cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of their lives.'
-Doctor Dean Ornish
(Both quotes are from John Robbins's book Health at 100)

Need one say more?

How luck may not be enough

There is another colony of stray cats which is a few minutes' walk apart from the one I mentioned yesterday. This colony appears to be more lucky, because around the same time every day there is a woman who will bring food and water to feed them (I just said 'appears' because not seeing anyone feed the first colony doesn't mean it doesn't happen; it may just be a matter of my timing). As I can see, she is very good to them, giving them canned food and stroking them while they eat. They are so friendly to each other that it is like she owns them.

It is certainly heartening to see that there are such kind people who would devote their time and love to poor stray cats like that, but I can't help wondering how good such a bond will do to them. There may be changes in circumstances where it becomes difficult or impossible for a carer like this woman to come for the feeding, such as when there is very heavy rain or a typhoon for days. In more extreme situations, the carer may move homes, leave the country or even pass away. In cases like these, the poor cats which have developed a reliance on the provision of the carer will suffer.

There is no easy way out. It's a very noble act for the woman to take care of the stray cats like that, and this colony is very fortunate to have her indeed. But as long as the cats do not have the protection of a home and a real owner, they are always going to be exposed to the all sorts of natural challenges.

When being friendly is not a desirable trait

As usual, while taking my lunchtime hike today, I flirted with one of members of one of the two colonies of stray cats. Unexpectedly, that young cat of about one or two years old responded to my cooing by standing right under my feet. It didn't run away when I tried to stroke it, and it even nudged me after a while.

This people-friendliness is supposed to be a desirable trait, but with some animal-hating cowards lurking in the dark, this trait may put the poor a street cat in grave danger. Those perverts may lure the cat into befriending them, and then make a lethal, cold-blooded strike when the trusting cat least expects it.

In many ways this is a cruel world. For a stray cat without any protection it is even more so.

The power of temptations

I believe the everlasting value of the Bible lies in the richness of meaning of its passages to different people, or to the same people at different phases of their lives.

Take today's Gospel, which is about how the devil tempted Jesus with different means (Luke 4:1-13), for an example. This is a story I've read and heard for countless times since I was a primary student, and I find that my understanding deepens as I come across it and reflect on it yet again.

As I ruminated on it while at church, it dawned on me how powerful and subtle the devil's temptations are. It's almost frightening how the devil will leave no stones unturned to prey on us and how easy it can be for us to be caught off-guard. Here are some examples:

"He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry."

Just as there are moments when we are better prepared to stand our ground (like when Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days), we also have weaker moments (like when Jesus felt hungry after his fasting). And it is during those weaker moments that the devil comes to make an assault.

"Then he led him to Jerusalem, made him stand on the parapet of the temple, and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you, and: With their hands they will support you, lest you dash your foot against a stone.'”

The devil is so good at couching his temptations with truths and sound reasoning. How outrageous it was that he even quoted from the Scripture in trying to tempt Jesus!

"When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from him for a time."

The devil may go off for a while, but he never lets off. He will always be looking for the next opportunity.

By ourselves, it is difficult to withstand such powerful and intricate force, so we must constantly pray for the the vigil to see the temptations and the strength to resist them.