The Early Sign of Spring in London

One day after I got back from China, to my delightful surprise, spring is already here in London. On the way to work today, I noticed that Daffodils are blooming at the side of the green, and cherry trees and magnolia trees are in full blossom. It feels so good with those bright colors in the gardens along the street. There is a beautiful magnolia tree in my next door neighbor's garden, it looks so lovely and alive.

We had a very mild winter, now spring is in the air. And Easter holiday is only a month away. I feel the crave for some sightseeing travel again. But first, I will have a short trip to Stockholm and Munich in a few weeks, a good time to explore the spring there!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

The year of the golden pig, and Chinese New Year seems to be a popular scene around the world. And Chinese new year greeting "Gong Xi Fa Cai" is the quote of the week on the street. It literally means good luck and prosperity, and it originates from Catonese, as people there have a strong drive for getting rich. Well, in a fast moving society swept to the ground by material values, this is hardly a surprise. And today is the 10th anniversary since Deng passed away, who was a paramount leader in the late 21st century in China, and who imported the idea of market economy to China which led us now into one of the most enviable fast growing economies in the world.

His famous quote "Black cat or white cat, as long as they can catch rats, they are good cats. " on his south tour is probably still resonating in a lot of people's mind, and most of them, thankfully, since they have seen real difference in their lives between now and 30 years ago. The quote itself does sound a bit promatic, you would argue, but it was a big motive and encouragement e that is desparately in need after the chaos and depression of cultural revolution. It serves its purpose perfectly well, and almost in a miraculous way.

However, when part of the nation and people are going in full speed to catch up the western world, I am very glad to see that that this year we have a new focus on the crowd we have long forgotten - the less fortunate ones who need to share the benefits of the thirty years of economic development and make the same progress as we have made.

This is indeed a very positive note captured also in the widely watched new year party hosted by CCTV (China Central TV, not the security camera!). The immigrant workers (the group of people who come from countryside to big cities for work), their hard work, their tough life on the edge of the city, and their strong determination to fight for a better life for themselves and their children had not been recognized, appreciated and admired by the rather spoiled people in the big cities. Some of us used to despise them because they look dirty and eat crap food and live in poor conditions.

When in one of the programmes during the new year party covered by national TV, the children of the immigrant workers living in Beijing said in a clear and determined voice, "when other children compare their parents with mine, I compare my future with them instead." Everyone in my family was touched to tears, and obviously one of the hosts on TV as well. We are not born to be equal, but we should all strive for a more harmonized society, a place where everybody has a future to dream and we should help those, the less fortuntate ones to realize their dreams as well. This should really be the theme of the year, and maybe we could all be happier when we make other people happy.

Snow in London

Thursday morning, 8 Feb - when I got up in the morning, there was this snow covered wonderland waiting for me outside the window. When I crossed the green to work, there were some kids playing football in the lawn covered with light snow. They must have found really fun! A unusual event got them quite excited despite the chilly weather. I took a few quick shots, before the snow scene vanished in a few hours!

An old but still dynamic city

After a few rainy months, it seems the weather finally decided to take a positive turn here in London. Since I came back from Beijing, I have been embraced by sunshine and blue sky, which certainly has made the old city more attractive. Yesterday evening, when I was walking around with a friend in leicester square area, I asked him how long those old buildings will be around, "do people get worried that those buildings will be knocked down one day and replaced by some new modern but less stylish high rise buildings?" he said "I guess people just assume they will last forever, or at least in your life time. " Well, I certainly hope they will, since they are part of the appeal of the city.

The view of London from a plane is quite different from New York, for the most part, London feels like an old city, but once you are inside the city, you feel the vibre, the ever moving spirits in the air. The European immigrants in recently years certainly contributed to this dynamic scene, and makes it more well positioned to claim the title as the capital of Europe - although I am sure the French would argue that Paris is the real cultural capital of Europe.

Going, going, going, gone...this is an ad I saw at London underground, quite an eye catching ad, a quick snapshot of the pace of life here. The musicians in the tube (especially the ones in Picadilly circus and leicester square) are one of my favourites in the city, I got a mental boost when I heard the music when walking in the crowd coming out the tube. And then I often think of the movie "Notting Hill", and what Julia Roberts said at the end of the movie (during a press conference when someone asked her how long she would stay in London), "Indefinitely", she said.

Having been moving around between three continents in the past 8 years, I started to think maybe it is time to settle down in one place, it is fun to be able to experience different cultures in your twenties and early thirties but maybe it is not such a bad idea to set your foot in one place when desire for thrill and adventure has slowly been replaced by the desire for a relatively easy and stress free life style. Maybe I am getting old? An reality still find it hard to accept!