Stay awake! Be prepared!

As we begin Advent this Sunday, the Gospel from Matthew (24:37-44) talked about how Jesus reminded us to be prepared for the coming of the Son of Man.

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man," Jesus said. Just as most peopel were eating, drinking and marry up to the day that Noah entered the ark, it is just as likely that many of us will be caught unguarded when the day comes if we do not "stay awake" and "be prepared".

The priest took the example of a current event to illustrate how we can never tell when the day will come. A couple of days ago, in Taiwan, Lien Cheng-wen, the son of Taiwan's former Vice President Lien Chen, was shot in the face while campaigning for local elections. The bullet, which struck the left side of his face and exited from his right temple, did not kill him. Another man was struck, reportedly by the same bullet, and died.

The bullet that was meant to take the life of one person ended up killing another.

No one knows when the day will come. So Advent is the perfect opportunity to remind us to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus.

Nowhere else in the world I'd rather be

I remember reading from a travel guidebook about Japan the writer's account of his experience in an outdoor onsen. After trekking for a long time, he managed to find the onsen before it got dark. There was no one around as he dipped into the onsen set in beautiful scenery. Describing his elation, the writer said that there was nowhere else in the world he would rather be.

That was the feeling I had when I was lying on the grass of a mound at the countryside this morning. Suffocated by endless work, I needed to re-charge by re-connecting with Nature. So I cast aside the work and went hiking, on a trail much farther away than those I usually take, where I was sure I wouldn't meet many people. And then I stopped over at that mound. The sun warmed the otherwise fairly cool morning and, together with the gentle breeze, caressed the leaves, which rattled in gratitude. Insects were scuttling or whisking by. Some birds were heard but not seen. Lying on the grass with a book in hand, I also had the feeling that there was probably nowhere else in the world I would rather be. Life's best pleasure is simple and free for all. Somehow we just do not seek it.

As I left my little hideout, I felt much energised, and more ready to take on my ordeals.

Symphony under the stars

I just got back from the Happy Valley Racecourse after attending the annual "Symphony under the Stars" concert.

The cool and crisp weather, the nice sandwich and the good music, combined to make this a near perfect evening.

Except one small thing. The audience. Many of them didn't seem to be coming for the music. There were children running around and people chatting noisily (the word "dinning", which I talked about in the blog a couple of days ago, applies well here) when the performance was going on. The etiquette of respecting the performers and the other attendants by remaining silent did not seem to apply here. I kept reminding myself that the event might have been considered by many who came as an occasion for family gathering rather than a formal concert and so a relatively lax standard might be more appropriate, but I had to hush the group of people sitting in front of me when the second movement of Chopin's piano concerto no.2 was played as the music was completely drowned by the noise they produced.

The only moment of the evening that captured the attention of everyone was when fireworks lit the evening sky as the orchestra played the thundering cannon shots of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. Everyone took out their cameras and madly clicked away.

For a brief moment, I thought I had come to a circus.

"Dinning", anyone?

Can it be that they really mean "Dinning"? Or is this big odd word, seen outside the carpark of one of Hong Kong's most famous commercial buildings, another revelation of the true worth of this "Asia's World City"?

"In China, no verdict is a wrong verdict"

This is another dark, ignominious chapter of China's legal system.

Xinhua News Agency announced yesterday that jailed tainted-milk activist Zhao Lianhai will be released on medical parole. This happened just hours after he sacked his lawyers and forfeited his appeal. The sacking was done through a note to lawyer Li Fangping, signed by Zhao and inked with a palm-sized mark. The lawyer described the move as "mysterious".

This is a development for which one doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Now Zhao no longer needs to serve the 30-month jail sentence which he never deserves. But under this development which is clearly orchestrated by the Chinese government, he remains a criminal. The Xinhua statement reaffirmed that he was guilty as charged. His innocence is the price he and his family have paid in exchange for his freedom.

As a visiting lecturer from China said, dismissing the lawyers may provide a platform for both sides to gracefully resolve the issue. He described the situation well: "In China, no verdict is a wrong verdict."

This is exactly like an extended family in feudal China. The grandfather can never be wrong.

A devoted cat trapper

"I captured three cats this morning!" My colleague crooned when we met in the office this morning. It was a few minutes past eight. I wondered at what hour the capture took place.

It shows what a committed cat trapper she is.

And I am a little proud of that. It was I who introduced the Trap-Neuter-Return scheme to her, knowing that she is an animal lover, and that near where she lives there are a number of stray cats that she's been feeding. She is in a perfect position to help those cats by helping to bring the population under control. And she's been doing that with flying colours.

Her love of animals is shown from the fact that she's fallen for one of the three cats that she got this morning. "I've been struggling about whether to keep that little lassie who is so friendly that she lets me touch her," she said. "This sort of friendliness can be dangerous, you know."

I nodded. Of course I know. The trust and friendship that these these harmless and innocent animals are ready to extend to humans can be ruthlessly exploited by cold-blooded abusers. And there are a lot of these sickos around. Just minutes before my colleague arrived, I had watched the first part of a video clip which was about four well-dressed young girls in China abusing a helpless rabbit to death. I couldn't bear to finish.

"Maybe you might like to keep it?" my colleague suggested, sounding almost off-hand.
So that's what it's all about.

For a moment, I was tempted, but... "I'd love to, but I've already had four, you see."

"I know."

I was almost sorry about how she was a little deflated by my lack of enthusiasm. "Just go ahead and have her desexed," I added. "The programme does stipulate that if the vets find the cats friendly, they may keep them at the SPCA and arrange homing."

That was how we left the matter. I have a feeling, though, that this little kitten might just end up being homed by this big-hearted colleague of mine. And so I wish.

Universal Children's Day (2)

More pictures, these ones showing some Indian children, for celebrating the International Children's Day: