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Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2021
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! Trust this message finds you well and you have been staying safe and healthy. Like the years before, the year 2021 seems to have passed in the blink of an eye and it is that time of the year to reflect and count our blessings. In 2021, the covid19 infection number continued to be reported on a daily basis which is more frequent than any stock market index and we find this rather numbing. Our hands have consumed more alcohol than our mouths ever have since we are not really drinkers. Masks are such an integrated part of our daily wear, we almost feel naked without wearing one. However, if I had to make a list of how or why I do not recognize Hong Kong anymore, these points probably would not even make it to the top 50, and some of the points on the list would clearly explain why I will not be sharing this list even if such a list exists. It is impossible to keep track of the number of friends who have left Hong Kong to pursue a [Better life]. While it saddens us deeply, we fully comprehend why they would choose to leave the place where they were born and grew up. I appreciate the term Better life, does not shallowly mean a better job, making more money, seeing property value rockets, the earthly things that many would say those who left Hong Kong are foolish to give up. Better life is a state of mind, pursuing meaningful things according to their values, rather than things merely for survival or wealth accumulation. Jin continues his Waldorf education, transitioning from Starhill kindergarten in a farm to IWS primary school in the city. He is thoroughly loving his new school and making many new friends. He was also excited to receive gifts from the tooth fairy for the first time. At home, Jin enjoys conducting STEM experiments, performing and inventing card tricks + magic tricks, solving various types of rubik’s cubes, making a lot of handicraft and arts works. Irene and I take joy in doing all these activities with Jin and are learning so much ourselves, I have discovered an artistic side of myself that I didn’t know existed. The perks of living in a small village continue to enable us to go cycling, swimming in the river/club house, hiking up the mountain, planting on the rooftop. Low density neighbourhoods have continued to shield us from the worst effects of the pandemic. Our desire to live a secluded (隱居) life continues to guide us towards simpler village life. I finally summoned enough courage to uninstall social media apps from my smartphone at the beginning of the year, but stopped short at deleting the accounts. Not surprisingly, some friends have been seeking my advice on how I did it. I feel like a former social media addict sharing his experience on how to beat an addiction. This year, I did something for the very first time. I passed my Hapkido belt exam. I always wanted to learn some martial arts, I used to be a regular gym-goer to do simple exercise and now Hapkido has become my twice a week activity. It has been a very long time since I last took any kind of exam, apart from the general medical examination which I also thankfully passed. My smartphone, smartwatch and my smart bathroom scale are monitoring many of my health signs and seem to conclude that I have a body of a 32-year old, and a resting heart rate of 55 bpm. Workwise, since the covid19 situation is well under control within Hong Kong, my classes at CUHK have resumed face to face mode and I have taken up more classes than before, it is such a pity that all overseas field trips are still cancelled. My client work has returned to normal and thanks to technology, my overseas engagement has in fact increased. For Irene, 2021 has passed so quickly that her highlights are all about taking care of all aspects of the well-being of the family during the current pandemic, Jin transitioned to primary school, and matters related to our home. Out of her already very busy schedule, she managed to squeeze in a few Waldorf parents and teachers courses throughout the year. Her quote of the year is 我們不一定知道我們人生的使命，做我們現在必須要做的事便是我們生命的使命。 (We do not necessarily know what our life mission is, doing things that we must do in the present moment IS the life mission). She is content that she is able to practice Tai-chi-yoga almost on a daily basis. It has been almost 2 years since we last travelled, but less air-traffic globally means more blue-sky, and at the same time, we observe more pollution in other forms, such as masks, disposable packaging and utensils. We hope the pandemic situation will be resolved in 2022 and we continue to protect our environment and reduce pollution. We wish you and your family a very joyful and prosperous 2022! Love, Jin, Irene and Dominic
Books read/ listened this year
Favourite timely quotes of the year
Movie/Documentary watched this year that I would recommend
Work - CUHK highlights
Work - others highlights
Public speaking highlights
Live a secluded life (photo taken outside our home) Dominic discovered one of his artistic talents |
