A small tree, next to the foot bridge leading to Tsim Sha Tsui East, was completely browned by the conflagration, perhaps the effect of teargas and fires. Now the half facing away from the most intense abuse is lushly green again. This is no doubt a reflection of our will to not just survive but also to prosper.
The bougainvillea overlooking the carriageway is blooming in a heroic red. The carriage way was once blocked by several low brick walls, littered with broken bricks, with bricks lined up on the ledges overlooking the carriageway, ready for battle. Now it is all cleaned up. The bougainvillea seems to be telling us to forget the past.
The big one, in the middle of the central square, in front of the main building as well as the library, was completely bare after the conflagration. Many were mourning its demise. It is now coming back to life in a hurry, seemingly assuring us of its resilience. And by extension, that of the university.
Even the azaleas are beginning to bloom.
We are being hit by a double whammy - the siege is being followed by the Wuhan virus. The campus is eerily quiet because face to face classes are suspended. But the trees are telling us that we will be back.
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