Thoughts beyond my life & my travel - Bel

Hello, it's only the end of February, and I have already spotted Easter goodies in the shop. Not only the trend of stock market is well ahead of us, but the holiday presents.  Well, they look very happy bunnies.  I don't mind to stay around the shop, maybe get a "bunny" egg home later, simply to cheer myself and my friends up. 

How do you like to spend with $5,000 coupons, $1,000 max per month? Hongkongers should get $5,000 electronic spending coupons this summer as the government wants to boost the economy though many of us prefer to have $5,000 cash for paying rent or daily expenses.  It may not be ideal but we may be able to use it for daily groceries at online stores. My colleague plans for buying a new mobile phone or donates part of it for supporting a child in need. Donation is meaningful idea. Meanwhile, I hope to stock up groceries as we can't roll over the remaining value of the e-coupon per month. Alternatively, a good meal with friends or even a short trip to Macau (if the quarantine rule is cancelled) will be wonderful for boosting up our spirit. 

Be open to try something that you might have tried or tasted before.  I had a bite of this Sunny Hills pineapple cake today, surprisingly it's not the very sweet and fake taste that I always find in pineapple cakes before.  On the Sunny Hills' website , it says their eggs come from a farmer who plays classical music for his hens, and they use pineapples sourced from local family farms.  I must say that this tasty comfort food is like mild sunlight that pleases my palette, but I'm more intrigued with the farmer who likes classical music 😊.

Saudade is an important word in Portuguese language. The portuguese even say that the special nostalgia feeling is unique in their culture and can never be translated perfectly in English or other languages.  Do you find a bit of "sadness" or a sense of "loss" when hearing this language? I can't even recall how many "saudade" that my Portuguese friend told me. Maybe a Portuguese lover is particularly "sticky" and always missing every one he connects with.   Whilst Fado has remained in the soul of many Portuguese music, I'm happy to see that Karetus and Romeu Bairos tried to find a way to "modernize" this traditional tune. Check out their entry Saudade in festival da canção. 

Love this crooner  by Gary Barlow and Boy George. I was a fan of Boy George and even had the urge to go to see a Culture Club concert a year ago, of course, before the pandemic.  I am always amazed with how Boy George transformed himself from an anti-social, fat, hopeless man to become one of the coolest middle-aged singers now. His voice is a bit hoarse now but it fits perfectly his edgy and sexy image. He's no longer a "bad" guy but seems to pursue healthy lifestyle and embrace balance.   The making of "Do they know it's Christmas" video proved that his voice added a reggae touch to the song. All in all, I admire his courage to reinvent himself to be a very much different Boy George. That's the spirit of a true artist.   

This swimming pool artistic display stands proudly along the harbour front. It reminds me the famous "Swimming Pool" interactive installation in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa. You simply had to line up for at least 1.5 hour to buy the ticket and get in. I almost gave up getting in to see this swimming pool in my last journey.                      (Right: from the museum website)

Coffee shops and drink outlets have become the coolest hanging out places for young people or people who want to relax. There must be over 10 coffee shops / cafes in this so-called "museum mall", and all were full in this sunny Sunday afternoon.  We managed to find a table in this cafe. Look at these coffees: the left one is called "Sesalt banana snow" and the right one is named as "Rose raspberry cappuccino". When being asked the ingredients of the coffee, the waiter simply described that the names of the coffee are the artistic conception for the drinks.  We had a high expectation before the drinks arrive, in my opinion, the "artistic work" could be a bit better but luckily the taste was good. 

Quite a few people that I know encountered health problems in the past year. Today, I learnt that my relative also experienced a life-threatening moment, luckily she got a bypass surgery just in time. Her voice was so weak and I could only wish her good health but not to visit because of her age and the threat of the virus.  Not surprisingly, all the Chinese new year greetings are about "good health" in 2021. With the restrictions loosening up a bit, I hope to embrace happiness with more contact with friends and hanging out in libraries, museums and a lot more places.    

The shopping mall seemed to look different today as many of the restaurants could open up to 10pm. Cinemas, gyms and museums are also open. All in the sudden, all kinds of entertainment are back to our life.  But many people seemed to get used to buying take-outs and are still a bit hesitated to dine out at night time. Wait for a day or two, this weekend should be a lot different with many others gathering around.  We embrace our "new normal" life. 

My friend told me that he's got a cologne being placed next to his bed. He will check whether he can still feel that smell or is at risk of catching a COVID. I never consciously check whether my sense of smell is being affected, but the lilies are well blossomed at home and my apartment is full of pleasant fragrance. 😊

"Stay at home" cultivates the culture of "binge-watching" TV series, no matter it's Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO or Korean episodes.  I came across a TV series about an American poet, Emily Dickinson. Somehow audience can connect to her as women today can enjoy the freedom to love and purse your dream career.  Will Emily marry Sue if she's born in 2000s? As tuberculosis is no longer a dying disease now, will she choose Ben or Sue if she were born today? The "modern" Sue needs not to marry Austin and can live independently.  Nevertheless, I love the simple life in the 1800s - no TV, less pollution, and more space for everyone. The joy of simply focus on a hobby or flowers that you like. Don't be surprised if you've found some unrealistic youthful elements in the series, it just lightens up the subject of death Emily always wrote about.   Luckily I could find a more pleasant poem written by Emily:  "Hope is the thing with feathers "Ho...

"Walking around" during Chinese New Year is believed to bring you good luck. I took the advantage of the perfect weather and my work location to have a special walk around the Peak area this year.  This trail is very scenic, enabling you to enjoy a breathtaking view of skyscrapers in Hong Kong. It's simply breathtaking and refreshing except the crowd though we do not have any tourists these days.  I must say that I enjoy the harbour view from the top as much as I look at it from the pier. But I prefer giant trees that form "tunnels" along the trail or smaller trees that touch up the harbour view and the blue sky.  Happy Chinese New Year.   

Everyone has become caring so much about mental health as "lockdown" and "isolation" are so common. I'm grateful to see some academic experts researched on the impact of these measures on human beings. The virus can be dreadful, somehow extreme restrictions can drive people crazy.  In the past few months, we learnt to embrace the sense of freedom, just by going out on the street, not necessarily seeing friends. A solitude feeling of being alone at home for a few days is really devastating and uneasy no matter how much I love my home and enjoy learning a few recipes. Isn't it an amazing feeling to get a little bit more of the sunlight or a little bit more of an open space when you're down on the street?  On a quiet day, I also decided to try a short mediation online, to feel my own energy.  Try this . 

The pandemic has been lingering for over a year. Somehow we need uplifting energy and happiness to enjoy our life, so my plan is to find something positive to share every now and then while the social distancing rule still applies.   I'm having a Portuguese language partner online whom I practise a few times a week. While my memory of many Portuguese words and grammar are fading, I still try to say something simple in this foreign language, just to cheer myself up. Today, I've got a chance to see her write in Chinese. Bravo!  Recently a Portuguese friend also showed up online and said hi. It's always comforting to get to know that your friend still remembers you. We might enjoy spending our time alone occasionally, but somehow feels great to get connected to someone you know. Good memories stay on and give you energy throughout the days.