The Return of the Shopaholic (Day 3)

Day 3 started in the same way that Day 2 did. However, tis day was a bit different in the sense that it was my dad's birthday. So, it had some joyful elements besides the usual groginess that I associate with the mornings.

Well, today, I was being told that I would be brought to Lantau Island. At the mere mention of the name, dread filled my very bones to the max. I remember that the airport was in the Island and it was a rather boring and dense area. Thus, I have to say I wasn't exactly excited when I was furnished with further information, especially when you're told that ur goin to the Po Lin Monastery! I have to apologize if the further contents upset some of the readers of this blog. Therefore, if you reckon that you're a lil' below the limit in terms of patience or that you have a particularly dangerous level of high blood pressure, you may consider quitting the blog RIGHT NOW!

If you're still here reading, then I assume that you are willing to take the risk that the contents may offend you but you're purportedly ok with it! Alright, brace yourselves!

1st of all, I cannot understand why any sane human being with a sincere intent would want to visit a monastery, albeit a very beautiful and famous one, which is located on a remote island and worse still placed on the peak of a mountain!? Haven't any1 considered the fact that the monks who built the monastery in such a desolute place probably had a good reason to do so? Isn't it much easier to built a monastery of such seismic proportions on flat ground? If you fellas who crowd the monastery supposedly with the hope (however, sincere it may be) to pray and worship God, then consider this: THE MONASTERY WAS BUILT SO FAR AWAY FROM CIVILISATION TO GET AWAY FROM YOU(literally)!. A monastary is presumably a place of quiet and peace, hence, I can understand undertaking the hardship of constructing one so far away on the peak of the mountain. Alas, if the monks retreat to their haven in the mountains, then the only way we can reach God is too reach out to them isn't it? I mean that's a monks JOB right? Sigh..sometimes I pity the monks...I can relate to such feelings when you juz feel that ur privacy and personal space is completely violated! (Don't believe me? Try studying in my college's library!)

2nd: It's amazing that these visitors to the monastery claim many good and sincere motives in coming to the monastery. Among the reasons given are trying:

• to reach nirvana (yea rite...how many Buddhas do you know?);
• to make peace with themselves (maybe a lil' easier, but couldn't you juz get a counsellor?)
• to pray (at a monastery on a peak?)
• to reach to God (sigh....)

However, when I did a lil' survey after practically hiking up the hill, I found out that these are the most common reasons to go right up the "stairways of heaven". These reasons include:

• to find a partner for my child (the usual concerns of a parent...so ala Canto soap opera)
• to find ways to enlarge my wealth (ahh.......I'm enlightened.I guess if Donald Trump is proven to be richer than God maybe people will start worshipping him instead! Hey, wait a minute, isn't that happening now? Any1 seen the "Apprentice" recently?)
• to 'make peace' with my enemies (oh...juz shut it! If killing was legal, you would have him shot at the most vulnerable places!)

I have to admit I do not have any noble reasons for being there. I was there only because my guide told me that it was a major tourist attraction in HK and I didn't want to offend her by not paying it a visit. So enough bout the monastery and my views. After the physical and mental exercise (climbing the stairs and trying to get into the minds of other visitors there respectively), my guide soon delighted my mom n sis by announcing that we are going shopping at Causeway Bay!

More Shopping??!!! Oh....NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Of course, they din really dread the idea too much. As a matter of fact, if I'm correct, I actually think that they do like the idea of more walking around the concrete jungles where economic vultures (called a salesperson) circles around you every few minutes like you're a dead carcass. Well, perhaps in a sense, we r a dead carcass, at least BRAIN DEAD, for letting these leeches take advantage of our financial account. Sigh...well at least we r contributing to the recovery of the HK economy. As my mom n sis went around on their routine 'look n shop', I can't help myself drawing an analogy between a Sophie Kinsella book with my current situation.

I should have known that this was a bad omen. Upon returning home, I heard bout the quake which rocked South-East Asia. First and foremost, my deepest condolences to all those who have lost a loved one in this tragedy. This piece of bad news certainly blemished my so far rather satisfactory stay in this former Brittish colony, the pride of the United Kingdom in its days of glory. Even a dinner at the renowned floating 'Jumbo' restaurant did ntg to restore the spirits.

Ended the day by going to sleep with a deep headache and a gutted fear of tomoro's morning papers!