Pain and Pleasure

Why do I run?  

Every time I make a relatively long run, like 10 kilometres or more, my toes hurt, my ankles hurt, my feet hurt, for a day or so afterwards. But it also feels good.  Every time I run a full marathon, the last 10 kilometres is always torturous.  Both legs threaten to cramp.  I have to stop every kilometer or so to stretch my legs so that they do not cramp or stop cramping, And they would cramp anyway. In fact, the cramps and stops come more and more frequently the longer it goes. Towards the end of each full marathon, I tell myself that I would not run them again.  But I have been back.  

Running is particularly hard for me for many reasons. I have such bad flat feet that they hurt if I stand or walk for even a moderate amount of time.  I have to have specially-made insoles in my shoes to support my feet and relieve the stress on my ankles.  I have very poor balance, partially, probably because of my flat feet.  I have never been good at any sports, including soccer, my favourite for the longest time.  

If someone forces me to run marathons, on gun point or some other threat, it would certainly be torture.  I might comply, but I would curse the person and probably wish them death.  When I choose to do it to myself, it would still be painful.  But it actually feels really good too, particularly if I can complete it.  In fact, while I try to ease the cramps and stay on my feet despite the pain, I would be feeling good at the same time.  There is pleasure in knowing that I can keep going despite the pain, that I can persist in running such long distances, that the will can overcome the flesh, sometimes.  That there is meaning in the suffering.

And it feels so good when I complete the run, lie down and put the legs up, and open a can of beer.  The longer is the run, and more painful it is, the better it feels.  Without the pain, it does not feel as good.  You cannot enjoy that good feeling without having experienced the pain first.  

Running usually starts being pleasurable, then gradually it becomes painful if it is pushed beyond a certain point.  But there is always some pleasure associated with it, particularly at the end.  So when is something painful, and when is it pleasurable?  Perhaps they are one and the same, inseparable?  

Painted Shutters

There are a number of interesting paintings on the shutters outside shops in and around Jordan.  

The painting is usually boldly coloured.  Each typically tells a story about the shop, product, or the owners. 

Many are identified as products of the Hong Kong Urban Canvas projects. I understand the project also cover Quarry Bay and Shau Key Wan. 

Some shutters, however, do not seem to be so labelled.  

They are attractive, informative and make you want to linger. 

They are surely a welcome addition to the neighbourhood. 

It is a pity that they are seen only when the shop is closed.  So one has to get up early, or come on a Sunday or holiday. 

I am thankful to the people who put them there.  

Inclusive Nationalism?

In the past couple of centuries, nationalism has helped many nations forge their own identity and liberate themselves from the clutches of imperialism.  However, by now, one of the consequence of nationalism is often deadly conflict, or even war by many name, within and across nations. 

Over the course of history, many nations have been merged and split up, most of the time involuntarily.  The boundaries of each nation expand and shrink.  Practically all nations had at least once been bigger (often as an empire) than its present incarnation.  It is true of many nations, such as Turkey, Russia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Egypt, Iran, Mexico, France, Britain, and many more.  Each can point to some place in an old map and say that “this piece of land was historically ours, we lost it due to aggression of another country.  It is a national shame.  We must rejuvenate ourselves and recover the greatness that is due us.”  

Because of shifting boundaries and other reasons, many ethnic Germans live in Poland, Romania, Czech, …, many ethnic Russians live in Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, … many ethnic Mexicans live in USA, …, many ethnic Chinese live in …, many ethnic Indians live in …, and vice versa.  This ethnic dispersion is the cause of many claims and counter claims, disputes, and wars.  

Each nation wants to recover its past glory, to be great again, to be as big and strong as possible, as safe and secure from aggression as possible, to be as wealthy and prosperous as possible.  Many governments demand that its citizens swear allegiance to this vision.  Dissenters are labeled as un-patriotic, traitors.  

But there is only so much land and so much wealth on earth,.  How are these competing claims to be resolved?  There is no way that both sides of a dispute can both achieve its  claims - while each side considers its claim to be sacred and un-negotiable.  Is it going to be determined by power and might again?  Do we really want to live continuously in a state of conflict and tension, even open war, between nations?  There is no shortage of countries who wants to be the dominant world empire which can then impose a reluctant order on others, making everybody else feel aggrieved.  By definition, there is room for only one dominant nation; all others become losers.  Even if some of these would-be world powers are satisfied with dominating its own region, there are only so many regions on earth; all others are still destined to be losers.  Losers will do all they can to rejuvenate themselves and topple the presently dominating nation. It will never end.  Is that what the world is destined to become, or remain in?  

Can there be a change of thinking, which allows people to live together, side by side, in peace?  Is there a viable alternative to nationalism, or a more inclusive form of nationalism?  If it turns out to be an oxymoron, what is the alternative? For the sake of each and everyone of the 7.7 billion people who share this earth, we need a more inclusive vision.  God help us. 

Make education responsible

In service-learning in specific, and in education in general, we teach the students to be responsible citizens.  But, is the education that is being given to the students responsible?  By and large, no.  

Education in Hong Kong tells the students how they should think.  The curriculum and the text books tell the students what thoughts they should think.  They tell the teachers  there is no need to think for themselves, just read from the text and ask the students to regurgitate.  Is that being responsible? Of course not.  No wonder many products (students) of the education system are not capable of independent thinking.  They are trained to “just toe the line; don’t think”. 

The education system trains students to take examinations.  The students who can  provide the expected answers in public examinations get the best results.  It does not encourage students to be curious, to experiment, to try out new ideas.  That is considered too dangerous.  No wonder many Hong Kong students are good at following orders but not in creating exciting new ones.  Is that going to result in a productive population?  No.  Is it good for the future of Hong Kong?  No.  Is that being responsible?  No. 

In the universities, professors are generally rewarded for publishing high quality research papers, not for teaching well.  No wonder many professors are not interested in putting their time and effort in teaching large classes or undergraduate students.  They are interested in only teaching smart research students who can help them do research and publish papers.  But aren’t universities being funded with public money to educate?  If some professors are only interested in doing research but not in teaching, don’t they belong more to research institutes rather than universities?  If universities are paid to teach but actually only wants to do research only, is that being responsible?  No.

So the education system aims, ostensibly, to educate students to be responsible citizens; but it itself is not being responsible to the students, nor to society.  

Make education responsible.  

The Hong Kong Way

I had a very full Chung Yeung Festival.  It started when I went with cousins to pay our respects to our grandparents at Aberdeen Chinese Cemetery.  While there, I took the opportunity to visit the former president of Peking University - Tsai Yuan-pei’s tomb.  Then I went to Happy Valley to visit the Muslim Cemetery, and then the Catholic Cemetery where some of my teachers were buried.  

Then I re-visited an important part of Hong Kong’s past - a route that millions of us used to be very familiar with, but now feels very distant.  

It started at Victoria Park.  Which often took hours and hours to get out of.  

We would quickly got stuck outside of a pawn shop, staring ahead at a circular footbridge, waiting and waiting, not knowing when we could move ahead. 

We often had to inch along the road, finding a way through the buses, trams, and other vehicles stuck in the middle of the road because of the traffic. 

We then filled up the huge pedestrian crossing outside one of the most iconic department stores.  I made the mistake once, to meet someone at the street corner outside the department store in the middle of a march.  Big mistake!  But miraculously, we managed to find each other.  That created a special bond between us.  I am sure we will remember that for a long long time. 

We would walk under one of the many footbridges across the main road.  They are always filled with people watching, taking photographs, applauding, cursing, …

Eventually, after many hours, we would arrive at Admiralty, sometimes using a footbridge to cross a main road. 

Other times just pushing across the road itself to arrive outside a small “square”.  

The marches were always peaceful and orderly.  Sometimes other activities take place after the marches along “the way”.  But the marches along “the way” were always peaceful, rational and non-violent.  Many would recognise that as the Hong Kong Way.  

  

Three Cemeteries

On Chung Yeung Festival, the day the Han Chinese traditionally hike to escape from  pandemic, and to remember our ancestors, I went to three cemeteries.  

At a cursory glance, they look quite similar.  Rows and rows of regular and not-so-regular tombstones.  Upon closer inspection, however, there are significant differences.  

At the Chinese cemetery, these is a lot of food, offered to the dead, and then eaten.  There is also a lot of fire - burning of incense, Chinese candles, and lots of stuff - clothing, food, money, … - all made of paper, for the benefit of the dead in the underworld. 

At the Catholic century, no food or burning.  But plenty of flowers.  And prayers.  There are plenty of foreigners, many of them priests.  Several of my teachers from the days when I was at the Salesian Aberdeen Technical School are buried there.  Many are Chinese, others are from Italy, … 

The Muslim cemetery seems to have the strictest of rules.  No sacrificial offerings of any kind (joss-sticks, paper money, fruits, etc.).  No bowing or kneeling.  For women (Muslim or not): must wear Hijab (head covering); NO hot pants, NO mini-skirts, NO low-neckline, …  Most of the names seem to be Chinese, with many surnames that are common among the Muslim minorities.  There are also quite a number of names in foreign languages.  Quite a number of words in Arabic-looking scripts.  There is plenty of water for washing. 

The Muslim cemetery is right next to the Catholic cemetery.  

Hong Kong is truly quite multi-cultural, with the different cultures living side-by-side fairly amiably.