A THOUSAND CROSSINGS X

Dear Diary...
Disgusted
lundi 20 juillet 2009

A few months ago, my mum showed me an award-winning short film called Chicken à la carte. Today, my teacher showed our class the video.

how can someone's laughter bring me close to tears?

This is one of those films that make me sad everytime I watch it. It is also one of those films that make me thankful for being born to an average family, with enough to eat, with clothes to wear, with a bed to sleep on and a blanket to hide under and a roof over my head.

Today, not only did the film make me thankful for being fairly well-to-do, it also made me thankful for not being fed with a silver spoon. After hearing the comments of some of my more affluent classmates, I was so glad I was not born to an affluent family and was never indulged in ever since I was young.

My birth in an average family kept me healthy and warm, and at least alive. And it also allowed me to keep in touch with reality. I never lost touch with the forgotten of our society, neither have I given up my dreams and aspirations. That's the gift of being average.

I was disgusted by the comments some of them made after our teacher showed us the film. The most striking comment I heard was, "Wah! They live a so [sic] f*cked up life also still [sic] pray!?" The cliche 'etched in my mind' description was a mere understatement to how deeply I will remember that comment. That scene in the film was supposed to be a slap in our faces. While we are complaining about not having a pay rise, the government taxing us too much, not being able to go overseas for a holiday, at another part of the world, there are people simply thankful for what they have in their plates, despite the fact that the only thing they have were leftovers.

Man, I even feel guilty for wanting an iPhone.

Now that you've seen the video, do you know how to speel the word 'content'? Is it no more a vestigial word to express the happiness of the present to you?

I guess it is only apt to post this again.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness,
you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week.

If you have never experienced the the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or
the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.

If you attend the church wedding without fear or harassment,
arrest, torture or death,
you are more blessed than almost 3 billion people around the world. (yes, it's a B, not a M)

If you have food in your refrigerator,
clothes on your back,
a roof over your head,
and a place to sleep,
you are richer that 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank,
in your wallet,
and spare change in a dish someplace,
you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive,
you are rare.
Especially so when compared to those in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them
or even touch them on the shoulder,
you are blessed because you can offer the healing touch that has been given to everyone of us.

If you can read this at all,
you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.

Au Revoir

yongliang

be thankful people. lucky souls we are.

he closed his diary at {15:36}