團年 | united with love

這晚終於取出自己醃的鹹蛋，黃用以蒸肉片，白則來炒瓜。開始醃蛋的日期，清楚寫在玻璃瓶上:12月28日。朋友說醃鹹蛋要一個月。大概因為忙碌的關係，不過一個月可就像很久之前的事。

每天上網時，總先看到有關埃及的新聞。埃及離這兒不遠，但讓我看近一點，這城身邊人的故事:青年女子從小在街長大，跟朋友們及男朋友一起生活。去年底她生了小孩子，可是卻不願帶嬰孩離開醫院回她露宿的「家」。嬰孩在醫院留了兩個月，我的朋友一直憂心，四出希望為這狀況找出路。又不時到醫院，看被遺棄的小女嬰。上星期，一個機會。青年女子跟她的小女嬰能一同搬進母親之家的宿舍。青年女子跟男友一同到過位於郊區的宿舍，覺得是不錯的方法。我的朋友跟他們到醫院接走嬰兒，由於她本初棄嬰，所以簽下聲明，青年女子跟女嬰必須一同住進宿舍，而不能帶走嬰兒到別的地方。搬進宿舍的下午，一切看似不錯的，青年女子也像要學當母親了。可到了晚上,她開始嚷著要走，說悶受不了。第二天，她走了，再次留下嬰孩，回到她的街頭。

因為忙碌，遠的近的真真實實正在發生的事,我們關心多少?能作多少?又能明白多少?

明天是年三十晚，是團年的時侯，有焦聚聯合的意思。願團聚生出愛，從而你我得到力量。

明晚不以鹹蛋宴客，不過有很多好菜，十五大人四個小孩一個BB，我想我應付得來的。

Tonight I finally tasted the “salty egg” that I pickled myself. I used the yoke for steam pork, and used the egg white for vege stir-fry. I put the date that I put the eggs in the salt water clearly on the bottle: December 28. My friend told me that I need to put the egg in salt water for a month. Maybe because of business, this month seem so long.

Everyday when I get online, I saw the news about Egypt. Egypt is not that far from here but I try to look closer. A story of people from this city. There is a young woman, grown up and lived in the street. Her life is with her friend and her boyfriend. By the end of last year, she gave birth to her baby girl. But she left the baby in the hospital and doesn’t want to take it with her and lives on the street. My friend cares about her, the baby and the situation a lot. She tried to look for solution and also visited the baby in the hospital. Last week, there was an open door. The young woman could have a chance to move into the mother’s home with the baby. Young woman and her boyfriend pay a visit to the dormitory and felt that it was a good way out. They took the baby from the hospital, promise that she could only stay with the baby if she staying at the mother’s home. That afternoon, everything seems fine and the young woman seems starting to learn to be a mom. And the night fall, she started to say that she wanted to leave. Next day, she left and went back to her street life, and the baby left behind again.

Because of business, how much we care about the things that happen close and far? How much we could do? And how much we really could understand?

Tomorrow night is the Chinese New Year’s eve, is an evening to unite with family. May we could unite with love and be strengthen.

I am not going to serve “salty egg” tomorrow night but there will be plenty of chinese food. There will be 15 adult, 4 kids and 1 baby… I think I could handle that.

2011

星期天下午 a Sunday afternoon

星期天，天晴。前天下的大雪仍堆在街道上。融雪時比下雪時要冷，這是母親說的。

中午時份，與T走到舊城。聽Leah D.說那邊有聖誕市場，我們也很久沒有逛舊城了。寒風之下，也希望到那兒走走。市場找不到，流連舊城區的人也不多。海濱走廊堆着雪，黑海很平靜。T說不如到希臘小館吃午飯，也好。在Constanta外出用膳不過三、兩次。那希臘小店是我們去年與同學職員們到過的地方。從舊城走到店子大概一個小時。小小的餐廳很熱鬧。牆上的電視正播放足球什麼的，見到摩連奴。T問是皇馬的球賽嗎？我看真，那竟是多年前他帶車路士捧英超的頒獎禮及慶祝儀式。你說奇不奇？

吃過美味的午餐，走路回家。這天跟T邊走邊滑行在雪地、冰封的又或是濕滑的路好幾小時。四時許，天還是亮的。大大的月光掛在眼前，很美。

***
冬天已到，我們在羅馬尼亞六個多月。

九月中秋時份，收到Can的月餅和信，多麼高興！她說到我在未明之境，也能在我身上看到平安心裏欣喜，希望她的朋友們可以對生活有一點盼望。不久之後收到好友消息，知道她的小女嬰情況危殆，正在為生命搏鬥。看到作為父母的好友沉重的心，我的心也痛起來。又在電話中，聽到至親的嘆息生命的空虛……

從這陌生的國家、陌生的人民，到我的至親至愛。在過去幾個月在他們身上，叫我重新想到信、望、愛。不再相信、沒有盼望、得不到也不能愛的人，是何等痛苦？我確信世間常存這三樣，可我不願抽離痛苦的現世。願我與人同哭之餘，更可多作一點。願人們在寒冷的日子，看到這天的月光，也可說很美。

Sunday, sunny.  Snow stayed on the streets and starting to melt.

After noon time, me and Titus took a walk in the Old City.  Leah D. said that there’s a Christmas market.  Also we haven’t visited the area for a while, even it was a cold winter day, we would love to take a walk there. End up we couldn’t find the Christmas market and there wasn’t many people wandering around the Old City. Walking by the waterfront, the Black Sea was nice and claim.

Titus suggested to go to the Greek restaurant for lunch. Why not? We seldom go out to eat in Constanta.  The little restaurant was the one that we visited last year with the DTS students and staff.  It took us an hour to walk there. The tiny restaurant was packed.  TV on the walled was showing some sort of football programme.  Then, I saw José Mourinho.  Titus asked if that’s a Real Madrid game.  I watched longer and realised that’s the year when Mourinho leading Chelsea and the TV was showing the celebration of the team wining Premier League.  Strange, no?

***
Winter has come.  We have been in Romania for six months.

In September, I received a box of Mooncake and a letter from Candy.  She wrote that even I am in an unknown situation, I still have peace.  She hopes that her friends could have a little bit of hope in their lives. In October, I heard from my best friend that her little baby girl was in  crucial situation and she was fighting for her life.  I deeply felt the heaviness of my friends’ hearts and my heart was broken. Then, I received phone call, people who are dear in my heart told me that life is meaningless……

From this unfamiliar country, unfamiliar people, to those who closest to my heart. Their lives made me think about Faith, Hope and Love in another perspective.  I believe these three remain and I do not want to isolate myself from the world.  I wish I could do more than sharing people tears.  I wish that in this winter day, when they see the moon, they could still amazed and say how beautiful it is.

1 step at a time

早上起來，天氣涼了。今天是九月的第一天了，時間過得多快。上週日與T到保加利亞首都蘇菲亞的羅馬尼亞領事館辦簽證。37小時的旅程，跨了兩處不同的邊境,四個不同的城市。回家了再等消息。一步一步來，要有耐性。就如之前在網上找到所有的巴士時間表，到了車站便知有多大出入。所以，只有真的一步一步來。

有點冷，去煮杯熱朱古力。

Waking up this morning, felt the chilly air in the room. Today is the first day of September, time flies. Me and Titus went to the Romanian Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria last Sunday. That was a 37 hours non-stop trip, crossed 2 different borders and stayed in 4 different cities. Now, stay home and wait. One step at a time, patience is needed. Take bus schedule as an example. We found all the timetable online but when we arrived the station, we realise how different it could be. “One step at a time” is for real.

Start to feel cold. Better go to make myself a cup of hot chocolate.

36°C

36°C It is really that hot in Constanţa.

On the 5th of August, me and Titus went to Braşov for Ana and Robert’s wedding.  They are our dear friends from DTS last year.  The wedding was joyful.  In the mountain area of Romania, we enjoyed some cool weather.  Monday after the wedding, we traveled to Sighisoara.  A beautiful and peaceful town.  The next day, we took a 11 hours overnight train back to Constanţa.  When we arrived early in the morning,  we felt the breeze.  Oh~ That’s nice!  We though that the hot weather has gone but it hasn’t.  36°C.  It is really this hot in Constanţa.

Titus paints at the Day Care Centre with the team.  Me, working at home, trying to stay focus in the heat while editing the video for DTS and the base.  Going through the footage that I shot last year during DTS, I am encouraged and excited about the coming School.  Next DTS will start in Jan 2011.  I am really looking forward to it.

I felt like not uploading photos to facebook anymore.  No special reason.  I put together some pictures that I took in the past 2 months.  Enjoy:  Summer 2010