Condemn the fight back?

Some Christian preachers have been chastising the people who get angry at perceived injustices in society.  That is rather disingenuous. 

They claim that anger leads to violence and sin.  That may be true.  But anger does not necessarily lead to violence and sin.  Anger can also lead to constructive action to correct the injustice.  

They chastise people who call for peaceful protests, claiming that such actions disturb the peace, inconvenient other people.  That may be true.  But all action to address injustice disturb the status quo and inconvenient some people.   Such may or may not be excessive, depending on the strength of such action and the degree of the injustice addressed.  Such action may also inform others, encourage others, leading to a stronger movement towards correcting that injustice.  

They claim that judgement and anger against injustice is the prerogative of God, not of man or woman.  But didn’t God also command us to love justice and hate evil?  Didn’t God also call for us to come to the aid of the widow, the orphan, the oppressed?  What are we if we are to witness someone in need because of social injustice, someone oppressed by injustice and do nothing, say nothing, as if we are blind?  

It may be inadvisable to fight an immensely mighty unjust power with violence for many reasons.  Violence itself begets more violence, leaving behind consequences way beyond toppling the unjust power, even if it succeeds.  Let alone the tremendous destruction and suffering unleashed in the fighting. It can be argued more suffering results from the struggle, hence it is not worth it.  However, non-violent actions shouldn’t be condemned outright.  

Prayer for the victims, prayer for those who commit the injustice, restorative action are the least we all can do.  Rather than condemning those we disagree with, why don’t we do something positive and constructive?  Learn the truth.  Live in the truth.  Love one another despite all the effort to divide.  Be kind to the oppressed. Do not assist the oppressor.  Appreciate, if only in confidence, the brave.  

The Experience of a Handicapped Person

My broken foot is giving me a glimpse of the perspective of life, for a short period of time, from a handicapped person.  

I encounter many very kind persons. Dr. K, the general practitioner who saw me one day after I broke my foot, was very kind, and very good in diagnosing my problem.  The orthopedic specialist doctor who examined my foot half a day later, was the same.  The 4 taxi drivers who drove me and my wife that day were all very kind and considerate. The waitresses at our favourite restaurant, the people who open doors for me, my colleagues, my friends, my family, my wife, above all, are all very kind.  

On the other hand, I was hurting in the MTR between Austin and Hung Hom stations, on my way home after I broke my foot, but nobody paid me any attention.  It was not surprising, since I was still in my running shorts and shoes, sweating profusely - I hardly looked like someone handicapped, even though my right foot was hurting badly and I couldn’t put any weight on it.  Hence I was basically standing and trying to keep my balance in a moving, stop-and-go train, and feeling weak from the shock, but no one noticed it.  

Once I had my air-cast on my foot, everybody treats me kindly. People hold the door for me, hold the elevator for me, or give me room, let me go first. 

Well, almost everybody.  Last Friday, four days after I acquired my air-cast, I was on campus.  After I got in to an elevator, two young female students walked in.  They must have seen me with my air-cast-encased foot and walking stick.  Yet when the elevator stopped, they walked out immediately, as if I did not exist. No letting me get out first. No holding of doors. 

Early this morning, a Monday, as I walked out of our building (in my air-cast, with my walking stick), I held the door open for the young, well-dressed, lady walking out behind me.  I noticed that she was manipulating her smart phone.  She did not extend her hand to hold the door, which would have closed on her automatically if I did not hold it open for her.  Apparently, she was expecting this handicapped person to hold the door for her.  

Just a matter of fact.  No generalisation intended. 

Broken Foot

It happened half way through a 20 kilometre training run on Sunday.  I was in West Kowloon Cultural District, outside M+, going slightly downhill. Stepping off the sidewalk onto the road, the outside of my right foot touched ground first.  Perhaps I miscalculated the drop in the ground, the rest of my foot started to roll outside, trapping the outside edge of my foot under my body.  My foot hurt.  I fell.  

I kind of half rolled onto the ground and then sat up.  I know I shouldn’t move too quickly.  Other than a little scratch on my left knee, it seemed like I wasn’t visibly hurt.  But the right foot was hurting inside.  I believed I sprained my right ankle, similar to the way I sprained my left ankle the last time in Tai Hang Tung.  For a while, I wondered whether I could get up, walk it off, and finish the run.  Very soon, I realised that it was unrealistic.  

A young couple with two dogs came up and checked on me.  The man picked up my water bottle for me, and helped me to move a few feet away, to sit under the shade of a small tree.  One of the dogs came up to sniff me. That lifted my mood a bit.  

After a while, I was able to get up and limp along. I found that I could not put too much weight on my right foot for many steps.  I decided I was too sweaty to take a taxi.  It was roughly 1.5 kilometres to the Austin MTR station.  I thought I could make it. After 100 meters, I sat on a fire hydrant to get a rest.  Then continued to limp to Austin MTR.  Comparing the experience to the last time I sprained my left ankle, this felt worse.  I was afraid it might be more than a sprained ankle.  

I will not be able to run the marathon in October.  This is a real shame.  I had entered the Standard Chartered Marathon (full marathon) scheduled for February 2020, which was cancelled due to the pandemic.  At the first round of drawing for the 2021 Marathon, I was not successful.  Only in the second round did I succeed, and I was quite happy for it.  That’s the reason I started to train hard a week or so ago, running 3 times for a total of 48 kilometres.  Then this happened.  I was quite upset, but I was not sure what I should be upset with. 

I dared not take off my shoe to check on my foot before arriving home.  When I did, the upper middle part of my foot was swollen and purple.  It is not my ankle that is hurt.  This has not happened to me before.  I was afraid I might have broken a bone, or torn some ligaments.  It hurts badly whenever I put any weight on it.  My wife put an ice pack on it, and helped me put my feet up.  

On Monday morning, we went to see our favourite doctor.  X-ray revealed a fracture on a bone on the outside of my right foot linked to the small toe - the fifth metatarsal.  He said my best option was probably to put my foot in an air cast.  He then sent me to his orthopedist friend.   The doctors put me in an air cast. It is essentially a plastic case lined on the inside with inflatable air pockets, which encase my foot to immobilise it.  The idea is to let the foot heal itself.  Given the situation, that is the best I could hope for.  Now my wife said I look like a stormtrooper (star trooper as in Star Wars) - my foot, at least.  

I had a mishap, due to my own carelessness, and I am suffering a bit for it.  It is more annoying and inconvenient rather than real suffering. But I met so many good people along the way.  Even the taxi drivers were kind and courteous. It is not a bad bargain after all. 

Ham and Nuts Mooncake 金華火腿五仁月餅

This is my favourite mooncake.  Not the lotus paste with double egg yokes 雙黃蓮蓉.  Not iced skins 冰皮.  Not some of the fancy new ones.  But nuts with air-dried ham.  

Crunchy nuts (sesame 芝麻, pine nuts 松子仁, watermelon seeds 瓜子仁, …)  Flavourful ham.  Sweetened winter melon (糖冬瓜). Sweet and slightly salty.  Multi-layered flavour and complex texture in each bite.  Even a small nibble gives you a full range of flavours and texture.  One can choose to spread the experience in multiple small nibbles.  Or treat yourself in full volume with a big bite.  

When I was young I didn't particularly like it.  Then I found my father eating it and I tried.  And it just grew on me.  Now it is my favourite.  Is it because of my father?  Is it my life experience that taught me appreciation of it?  Am I just getting old?  Perhaps a little of everything?  Who knows?  But I am sure of one thing - that I like it. 

This particular one is from a social enterprise that serves the elderly.  

You derive satisfaction from so many different perspectives.  It is well worth the money.  What are you waiting for?  Go get one for yourself, and more for your friends.  

Pity the Professor

I was walking towards campus in the morning, suddenly a conversation caught my attention.  It was coming from a young female and a young male, each carrying a small computer,  walking in the same direction. Most likely they were students going to class.  This is already the second week of classes.  

F: “… we played mahjong until 6 o’clock in the morning, and then …”

F: “… there was O Camp, but I didn’t go.  I went to something else. …”

…

M: “… I went to bed at 2 am. My roommate was still up. …”

F: “… You are well known for going to bed early. …”

…

M: “… I had to wake him up ….”

…

F: “… We had wanted to go to a karaoke room.  But we were afraid of getting into trouble with social distancing regulations. …”

F: “… So we booked a room in a hotel.  There were 10, 20 of us.  We were playing games, board games, etc., all night. …”

My thoughts at the time was that I pitied their professor.  

Then it dawned on me that they could be my students.