On the 21.06, my uncle Min, mum, my brother and I went to a very interesting tea place in the morning. We had to wake up very early (6am). The food wasn't very special there and my brother expressed this certainly. However, I found it special, it is the country olden day feel about it that was so so special. It is like a rare gem in a huge mountain of sand.
So, what's so special about it? Unlike the modern and urbanised tea places in HK; most things are DIY and serve yourself style which was very classic of the olden times in HK. We got there, didn't know where we can sit or if it will be arranged; one of the working ladies there just said without even looking at us - "sit wherever you like." Additionally, you make your own tea and go and get from the counter whatever dumplings or dishes you want to eat. The waiter will ONLY bother you when you call them to come to add up the bill for you to pay them. It has a bit of a dirty wet surrounding, you hear the voice of middle age women and men talking loudly about their world. Yet, that wasn't all. You also hear an orchestra of true swallows and "fake" swallows - the sound of the bird singing within their cages next to their dumpling eating owners while the "fake" swallow (a.k.a. majong) being played by locals in the building next door. It was a very special trip, very interesting.
### The first two pictures above is taken at the family house of a surname in the village there.
Although our day had a early start but it ended rather late. Tony and myself got toured around Disneyland by Aunty Connie and Uncle Denny. I know both my brother and I think we were too old for disneyland where kids are in heaven, however it was so amazing. Especially the true people dancing shows were very very amazing; every turn there is a suprise, there was no time for a breath to be taken in between. It was interesting to observe how happy the kids were, more suprisingly; how the adults get to be kids again within Disney was priceless. I wished I had a day in there just taking pictures of people playing - I think it would be so amazing to capture happiness like that.
Disneyland really symbolise forever happiness, a kind of happiness only children are capable of experiencing without being pull back by gravity of the reality of the world around them. However, I somewhat feel the contrasting saddness to what I see while I was in Disneyland. Perhaps it is how happiness seemed to need assimulation - happiness comes with a price tag of HKD400 per day...... This really is something I would spend alot of time thinking about - how costly exactly is happiness? Where and how do one find and get to experience happiness?
Linking the above theme of happiness, recently I watched a Will Smith film called "the pursuit of happiness". It speaks so loudly to me the search and pursuit of happiness that is engaged by the majority of mankind!!! Some of us think money, status and material can provide all we need. Some of us think it is the love for family, our partner or the creator (may it be God or Budha or whoever/whatever else one believes in). Are we going to right way? IS there such a thing as the RIGHT way to get to happiness? As an OT, happiness, quality of life and meaning is the core of life for me. I wish I know the answer to this question.
Perhaps, allow me to dare to try and answer by saying the following......
Maybe, happiness is like that happyness that was in the "pursuit of happiness". Within the film, the character played by Will Smith kept saying to the chinese kindergarden teacher that "happiness is spent with an 'I' NOT a 'Y'" and the lady just ignored him. What I am suggesting is, maybe; happiness is happiness if one feel it even when it is spelt with a 'Y'. I.e. everyone's happiness is subjective just like what we think, we feel happy different so we pursuit it differently. Therefore we need to pursuit what we think/know/feel will make us happy for our only happiness not what the "standard" of happiness that get set as the 'norm' by one's culture or society. To give an example, the common belief is (well at least the chinese as i have experienced as a child) that you need to have all the material things, a car, a house, a good family and lots of nice stuff.
Happyness can cost nothing and can also cost you everything!!
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