Rebuked

I was feeling miserable today until I met this old man at the gym...

He was in a wheelechair. I could tell he was trying really hard to get all the workout he can even though he could only do very little. He went around the running track a few times in his wheelechair. Initially I thought it was just his legs that weren't functional until he came close to me, hesitantly, and said: 'Excuse me, will you please help me open my water bottle? It's just that my hands don't work very well.' Neverously, I walked over and helped him twist open the cap of his water bottle. The bottle was quite dirty and it felt sticky. I wonder when the last time was it got washed. Maybe it's because he wasn't physically able to wash it himself. All of a sudden I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness, and then I felt ashamed because a moment ago I was totally consumed with misery by some little things in my own life, which seemed so trivial compared to what this man had to go through everyday of his life.

'Thank you so much', he said.

'You're welcome', I mumbled without looking into his eyes. I quickly turned around and walked away. The feelings of sadness and shame turned into tears. I felt like I had just met with Jesus.

It was first of all a rebuke for me to stop being self-centred, then a reminder to be thankful and content with all that God has blessed me with in life, and a call to give and serve with what I have.

Old Photos

I found these old photos dated in the 80's. They reminded me of my hometown, Taiwan. As a kid I loved running around the rice fields especially during the harvest season when everyone in my extended family was out working together. I used to get this terrible itch after a few hours out in the field (The itch was probably from the dust or the rice husk. It's not an allergy because the itch usually goes away after I take a shower.) My mom used to say that my skin was too delicate for hard labour work.

My favorite memory was the outdoor family BBQ we used to have during the 'Moon Cake Fesitival'. We would BBQ a ton of meat (we used charcoal to get real good flavours!), eat, laugh, watch the full moon and sip some freshly brewed green tea.

The highlight was when all the kids came together to make lanterns from scratch using tin cans (It's really easy. You take the lid off and use a hammer and a thick long nail to punch holes around the can.), and then the older kids would take us the little ones into the dark to 'explore'. I remember it being terrifying but a ton of fun.

Home Sweet Home

I am back in sweet, lil' Calgary.

As soon as the airplane landed, I noticed that the pace of life is definitely slower here, a huge contrast from the crazy efficient Toronto.

- People got up way more slowly (I figured there was about a 10-second delay) to get their luggage.

- There are no huge lineups at Tim Horton's.

- Buses only come every half an hour or so, or longer if the weather is bad.

- People talk at bus stops.

I talked with this old guy who just came back from his vacation in Mexico, whom I'd like to name: 'Mr. Smiley', because he's got a permanent smile on his face, the typical happy Latino grandpa you see on the travel channel. He obviously wasn't dressed appropriately for the Calgary weather. He complained about the cold and was bragging about the warmth and heat in Mexico. I could tell from his sun tan that he wasn't lying.

My bus driver took his time eating his supper at every bus stop with newspapers in his hands. Finally, 2 hours later, I got dropped off at the doorstep of my home.

It's good to be back!