White Ghost

It's snowing!

I took the first direct train out of Shanghai to Nanjing. When I woke up and looked out of the window, tada! The entire city is white! It feels like Christmas again. I stepped out and the snow was really falling heavily. Everything was white and the pine trees are coated in frost. How nice it would be to stay in Shanghai today and take photos during lunch.

Alas, I had a train to catch and my nice camera was at the shop for repairs. I should be able to get it when I go back on Saturday. Yep, damn right. I'm working on a Saturday. Oh well...

The usual 1.25 hour train ride became almost a 2 hour train ride. The train had to stop and slow down coz they were clearing the tracks and I guess a bit too dangerous to travel fast. It was continuing to snow that time. The forecast tomorrow for Nanjing is...more snow. I just hope when I take the train on Saturday, I won't be stuck too long either in Nanjing or inside the train. The mass migration has started for the Chinese New Year holiday. The station today was abnormally packed. Multiply that with people who smoke like a chimney, people who push people around without any care, people who don't know how to line up and take turns, people who don't effing know how to use the ticket pass system, and finally a fistfight right after we got off from the 2 hour journey to Nanjing...Gee, the wonders of traveling in China!

I had a good convo with my officemate today over dinner of steamed buns, toasted bread and cheese and yogurt about how the Chinese suffered greatly during the 60's to 70's. The people were so poor they would eat their own belts or find sustenance in tree barks. She said the people were forced to burn books and renounce confucianism and culture and arts during the Mao era such that when China began to embrace culture again, the western thinking and philosophies came in faster than the old Chinese thinking and philosophies. People, like starved kids, soaked up as much of cultural enlightenment as they can and in the process lead to the thinking of individualism, and surviving and thinking for one's self and own interests. I don't know how true this basis is but all I can say is, the thinking for one's self and own interests part is so true. People don't care about other people. When one meets an accident people just watch and never help.

Case in point, when I was passing by this posh mall, I happened to notice all the commotion. There was a crowd forming. I looked and imagine my consternation to see people just stand there and surround a guy bleeding to death. He was literally lying on the floor in a sickening puddle of his own blood. His girl was beside him crying. And no one moved a muscle, when in fact, the hospital is just across the mall!!

And you know what? I sort of understand. People just don't wanna get involved. They might turn out to be the bad guys. I heard of a news wherein there is this young fellow
who happened to see an old lady get hit by a car. He helped her and got her into the hospital. When the lady woke up, she accused the guy of being the one who hit her. And the craziest thing was, the courts ruled in the woman's favor, charging the young fellow with penalty and payment of all the woman's hospital bill!

How crazy! This is what breeds people who just care about their own selves. The system is crooked, the elders are crooked, the next generation is forced to be crooked.

Anyway, I played in the snow today. For a bit. I threw some snow and took pics with the snow. :) During my last year, God decided to let me see and experience more snow. It is just so pretty.

In other news, your shadow still haunts me. Only when do I get to talk heart to heart with close friends and they give me this tender comforting do I feel the jagged edges of the holes of my insides. It's over. I have to forget you. I find it really sad that we cannot be friends and I mourn for that loss too. I know I have the option to talk to you still but I know it wouldn't be good for me. I miss you but I also don't trust the friendship we have.

How sad things have to end like this.