WaffleJungle

I remember years ago when I slept with a torch light beside my pillow and the textbook beside my head, studying throughout the night, in-between dreams and moments of sleep. I spent those moments memorizing each character’s stroke and pronounciation, every individual idiom, its meaning and application.

I remember also, the tears shed when try as I might, I always inevitably end up with a C6 for my school tests. I also recall, the month before the ‘O’s when I studied so hard, I almost converted the 8 Chinese vocab guides two idiom compilations into photographic memory.

It has never been easy for me to study the Chinese language. I don’t have the flair for it.

I remember the sense of accomplishment when I finally achieved my As for my ‘O’ Levels.

I have my grouses and misgivings with our Chinese education system. Yet, once in a while, I look back and I feel thankful that I did what I did. The hard work developed my character, the language made me effectively bilingual.

I am thankful that now, I am able to appreciate the elegance of the Chinese language. I’m grateful to my Mom for sharing and for reminding me, the beauty of the language.

诗词的轻描淡写中包含了浓厚的情感，令人陶醉的画面。

Taiwan - Tai O Village, Lantau Island

Calligrapher's Shophouse - Tai O Village, Lantau Island

Came across this poem by John Keats. I couldn’t fathom the reason why, it seemed to resonate with me.

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art —
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature’s patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth’s human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors —
No — yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow’d upon my fair love’s ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever — or else swoon to death.

– John Keats