talk 711

Plan for the future

jtkoo@hotmail.com

After the last article was posted, my resident editor-in-chief told me that saying we have “beautiful women” at that occasion is not PC (politically correct). I should have said “pleasant companions.” OK, according to feminists, it is degrading to focus only on physical attributes of women. However recently feminists proclaimed in an advanced society, a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. Why advanced society? You need that to have test tube babies otherwise it cannot sustain itself. Also told me for good manners, I should have thanked WT Pang for providing the wine and the Irish Cream Liquor. So I thanked him in person and again here, “WT Pang, Thanks.” It has been said that without women, the arts and religion of the world would cease to exist. He should have added civility to that list.

A few Lighters wrote to me about my dancing lessons mentioned in that article. I take dancing lessons for a multitude of reasons, but dance at the next reunion is expecting too much. However, that would be the topic for another article later. First let me report what have happened in the ensuing months since the last article.

Benjamin Chin (Chinbong, F1) came to visit us on Jan. 28 from Silicon Valley. Hearing his coming, several HK lighters showed up, and my ubiquitous camera captured the moment. WT Pang passed out information about publishing a booklet for the coming 50th anniversary. After a quick glance, Shun-Kai Tse (C10) suggested we should write more about forward-looking future plans instead of reminiscing the past. At first, I wondered if he was talking about “I want to grow up to be a policeman or savior of China” or things like that. Then he said we still have a lot of living to do, and we should write about how we plan to live our future life fully. This is very relevant as we are about to live a life that is new and alien to us (at least me). A life we will smell the roses, a euphemism for I will have nothing to do. The first thing I need to learn is how to sleep inconspicuously at the ballet performances, or the operas, the favorite events of Winnie that I did not have the time to attend before.

Then on Feb. 13, we had the very first dinner gathering for the “2nd Tuesday of even months.” Ten of us showed up, and Kwok Ping Ip (F8) brought a bottle of Chardonnay (Thanks Ip). I followed through with unfinished business of introducing a cousin of Winnie’s friend to CC Luk (D19). She is a Shanghainese commutes between Canada, Hong Kong and Shanghai. They gave me a photo of hers and planned a “boy meets the girl” field trip to Shenzhen, and she will make special trip from Shanghai. One look of the picture, WT Pang, as his better half was not there, or emboldened with IP’s wine, said he would be the back up. Then we took several pictures of CC Luk to reciprocate (attached) the goodwill. While we all had a good time speculating what’s next, CC Luk had a change of heart, and said he is not ready. Subsequently, Winnie’s friend yelled at Winnie, and she in turn yelled at me. Like fine wine, all good things take time and effort. Anyway, what I will not do for a friend.

Then SK Tse showed us the calligraphy of a New Year greeting card he did (attached). I asked what do the writings mean and he told me the original Chinese idioms. To conceal my inadequacies in Chinese literature, also after having had a glass or two of the wine; I blurted out an old subject that the best literatures are often void of the idioms. WT Pang has researched on this subject and concluded that while the poor writers do not use idioms for lack of the knowledge, the good one do not use them either, but with their own original ideas. The mediocre ones use idioms liberally as it is taught and encouraged in schools.

Talked about schools, with the absence of many better halves, and abetted by the imbibing of the Chardonnay, Peter Sun (B9) imprecated that girls from other schools then were prettier. Patrick Chang (A39) blasphemously concurred with him. WT Pang and I rose to the occasion and came to the defense though both of our wives are from other schools. However, by this time, with the communication skill or power of Prof. SS Lau, even my wife Winnie knows I am a secrete admirer of a pretty classmate at PuiChing, but have no idea why WT Pang did what he did at the table. Heroically he did.

Then somehow we talked about French being spoken in Africa. Captain Ip told us about then the danger of piracy in the South China Sea and how did the French navy interdicted his ship searching for illegal weapon shipment when one time he sailed from China to Africa. I also asked how do they cope with medical emergencies and etc. Any way you get an idea about the subjects we discussed at the table. It ranged from future plans (for CC Luk) to the past at PuiChing and life in between. It truly fits the definition of car heaven, and car earth.

I went back to San Francisco Bay Area for the Chinese New Year, and joined the Lighters there for their regular Thursday afternoon coffees. Afraid of raining, a rarity in the sunny California, we had an indoor lunch instead at Fresh Choice, a salad bar. This is typical of those ever health conscious “green” Californians. What impressed me the most is that the majorities of Lighters present are smelling the roses while their wives are toiling away at work. Who said Asia is the heaven for man? Chinbong said he has not seen the write up about his trip to HK and I told him I have not seen that either. Walter Mok, a member of HK’s famous political research Savant Group (“Scholar” in French), teaches entrepreneurship course in HK, also came. He told us about how he is trying to instill a Hi-Tech alternative to MBA students in HK. With beautiful weather, beautiful beaches, beautiful bodies (I ref. to the Governor), beautiful people, beautiful ... ..., can you blame the Californians try to Californianize the whole world? After lunch, Pat Wong (C15), a disabled person, gave me a ride to home. In California, a disabled person drives to give an able body a ride home. Isn’t that a beautiful story? Here is a photo of the gathering.

After the Chinese New Year, Wu Ying (F27) came from Australia to visit us in HK (see photo). He and I had a heated email exchange a few years back as he had a strong opinion about one of my articles. This is the first time we met while we both have forgotten (at least I) the reasons we had that exchange. One look at me, he said, “Koo Teh Zen, you are still like 50 years ago, a 97 pound weakling (文弱書生).” He continued, “I understand you were a secrete admirer of a classmate, but no girls would ever look at you then. Being an athlete, player of many sports, I had many girls following in my wake.” Then we had a good laugh about my poor Cantonese. His comments promptly brought me back the poignant memories of my life in HK or PuiChing in particular. He is so very right. Due to both poor physique, and verbal capability, I failed to attract the attention of any girls then. So I remained as a secrete admirer, silently watched my heartthrob in distance and kept a beautiful memory for all those years. Time heals all wounds. It has smoothed the rough edges, dulled the prickly thorns, and made my memory even more beautiful. So let us plan for the future and smell the beautiful, but thorny roses.