03-01-24

We need a place where we can escape for relaxation. Life is short and the world is big. One-week vacations are too short. By the time you relax enough not to worry about work, the week is up. I long to stay idly in a loved city for months. Ideally, it will be a kind of my second home, but it will not be my real home—my home is Hong Kong. I want a third home, fourth home, fifth home…I always fancy a home wherever I have been to. Sadly, eyes are bigger than my pockets.

In a foreign city, there is always something new to discover. One can wander in the streets without a plan. I enjoy getting lost in the city because I love the anxiety of feeling safely helpless. When I have breakfast at a cozy café, buy some untried snacks in a supermarket, visit an endearing museum and read amazing books in a bookstore, I feel like making a movie in a strange place about myself, the lost me—by myself.

Merciless years have done harshly to me. I will face the reality of getting old. Youth was wasted on the money-making chores. Today, I can be myself; and unreservedly do the things that I want to do. I want to fly, like migratory birds that will fly hundreds and thousands of miles to find the best ecological conditions. A person needs just 3 things to be truly happy in this world: some places to love, some places to do and some places to remember.

If I can afford, I desire 6 ‘breakaway city retreats’ every year, each one ideally for one to two months. A married couple told me, “We planned to have a breakaway stay in London for one year after our retirement. It ends up that we stayed there for two years—still not feeling enough.”

The 6 cities that I dream to stay are Tokyo, Qingdao, Vancouver, Bangkok, Taipei and Paris. It may be just a dream but we must have a dream before our dream can come true.

Paris has a rich human history, being over 2,000 years old. Her cobblestone lanes, grand boulevards and charming cafes all provide a honeyed experience for me. Her glamorous fashion scene, apart from arts and culture, is the most enduring appeal of this ancient city of the world.

Taipei is a city of culture. Culture makes the people polite and peaceful. There, bookstores, coffee shops and ‘creative parks’ are common. In Taipei, slow living is the popular motto of taking life at a slower pace and savoring the quiet moments that make up our good life. If you feel bogged down by everyday stressors in Hong Kong, do fly for about an hour to Taipei for a retreat full of spiritual contentment.

I kiss Bangkok for her vibrant activities, delicious street food, bustling nightlife, world famous open-air markets and relaxing Thai massage. The welcoming and colourful atmosphere of this religious city is too hard to resist. The extreme opposite of her disorderliness is the majestic faith of people in Buddhism. Sawadee Krub!

Vancouver has a spectacular backdrop—the snowcapped Rocky Mountains. She always ranks as one of the world’s most livable cities. I delight in the city’s stunning natural scenery, surrounded by mountains, forests and the blue Pacific Ocean, making her the very very picturesque international city. We can do hiking in the mountains, kayaking in the ocean and strolling in the treeful parks scattered throughout the city. After a day of fun and happiness, one can escape to the biggest ‘China Town’ Richmond in the world for scrumptious food. No wonder why Richmond is called the ‘Little Hong Kong’. I got an apartment near Richmond Centre.

Qingdao, near Korea, in China (青島) is a seaport, naval base, and a business centre. The city is a showcase of very traditional and extremely modern Chinese architectures. She has one of the most beautiful coastlines in the country. The local cuisine, between the northern cooking and southern food of China, is marvellous. The city is famous for her tasty seafood and internationally renowned Tsingtao Beer. Beer has been an impressive heritage of Qingdao because of the German influence. She was leased to Germany as a colony in 1898. Japanese started to occupy Qingdao in 1914. The city, full of old German and Japanese buildings, was returned to China in 1922. Traces of the German and Japanese colonial periods can be found everywhere. This explains why the city has many huge Sakura (櫻花) parks. My heart belongs to this romantic city. If you are hungry for a dramatic and contrasting mood, this is what Qingdao is all about. The place offers the Orient and the West; as well as the old and the new. I also miss people-watching there because her people are mostly tall, well-dressed and have fair skin with a velvety and smooth texture. Quite a number of movie stars are from Qingdao.

Oh, Tokyo, my Tokyo! Tokyo means diversity and velocity. She offers an unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment, culture and dinning to her visitors. The city’s old history can be appreciated in traditional districts such as Asakusa (淺草) through her archaic temples, wooden houses and gardens. There are ultra-modern malls, hotels and theatres in trendy districts such as Shibuya (澀谷) which are right next to the olden areas. Tokyo is a magnet for changes and there are more changes taking place in the city than anywhere in the world. Things in Tokyo around me evolve so fast that she always makes my head spin. Staying in Tokyo is surely a kaleidoscopic experience.

Life is short and at my age, I am learning to enjoy it to the fullest. One way is ‘work hard, play hard’. The other way is to travel more so that I can see modestly what a tiny place that I occupy in the world. This is why I wish to short-stay in more places like the 6 cities that I have alluded to.

“Unfinished business is like an open wound that never heals.” My life is usually a long succession of busy nothings. I long for solitude, the kind of quietness in a foreign city, which can open myself for a deeper intimacy with myself.

Song “Free as the Wind” https://youtu.be/DqXOUStiMb8?si=v1krMZVu_C19H9WV Acknowledgement-CB26

Paris Christmas Eve https://youtu.be/pKXMpO46lfE?si=RjMTEMA-7QHOaZjI Acknowledgement – A walk in Paris

Tokyo Walk https://youtu.be/Ze42hH2GzHc?si=iYMu-3MMLH9jHCmV Acknowledgement-HP Walking Tours

Qingdao https://youtu.be/bkESVOp6ObE?si=d2P2QE6y7nm0Xx0y Acknowledgement – Kimberley Exploring

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