I’ve looked at the same limited sky from our apartment building’s atrium countless times. Today on my way out to do some shopping, I looked up, a sudden rush of sadness came to me. I realized it’s probably because I’ll be leaving here, leaving my Mother in a few days. I can’t bear the thought of her sitting idle all day long, wasting her life away. But there seems to be no other alternatives.
Just like the view of the sky from the atrium, limited is the solutions, the possibility, the future..
She just sat there, stared into the void.
I looked up accidentally from the kitchen sink, saw my Mom’s reflection on the tiled wall. She was just sitting there like she always does, her eyes staring straight into nothing. I’ve given up trying to figure out what she’s looking at or thinking.
It’s incredibly frightening for me to imagine her mind goes completely blank, for a large part of her waking hours. It saddens me to see her like that. And there’s nothing I can do..
This afternoon was sunny. I took my Mom out in the wheelchair to a near by park. I’ve seen this tiny library before, but it was weathered by the climate and empty. Today I noticed that from far it somehow looks different. Yes, it has been fixed up and now there’re books inside.
I took a brief stroll around the neighborhood before heading to one of the local convenient stores. These stools were in front of a popular dumpling place, which usually were occupied by patrons. Many stores were still closed today for the Lunar New Year, hence the space was deserted.
Every time when I enter my mother’s room to open the window in the morning or to do some tidying, I will see this wedding portrait of my parents. I wonder a lot of things. But I know that there’ll never be any answers..
No soil, no visible moisture. This plant keeps on growing. It always amazes me to see plants survive in impossible environments.
P.S. I’m not certain but it looks like a young Banyan tree.
In need of a shirt that would match the joyful Lunar New Year, I found this forgotten pinkish shirt in the drawer two days ago. Come to think of it, I wonder why I ever bought this, as right now I don’t particularly care for it that much. Perhaps my aesthetic has changed, or I have outgrown that color. Although it wouldn’t have been my first choice, I’m glad it still fit..
My eldest sister questioned her son about a charge on the App Store on her phone. Her son brushed off the question while his eyes continued staring at his phone. It’s not my position to interfere. I only observed quietly.
Is it always the case that the younger generation takes advantage of older generation’s lack of understanding about modern technology, and get away with their wrong doings?
On my way to the Lunar New Year’s Eve dinner, not far from the old, original Kaohsiung Station, I found that there’s an area full of Indonesian and Vietnamese restaurants. These places were packed with people with different shades of complexion. The signs were in a language I didn’t understand. For a moment it was as if I’ve been brought back to Jakarta or Hanoi. A bit stunned at first, I’d admit. Then I felt proud how much this city that I used to know has changed and is embracing and welcoming diversity.
After a long day of cleaning and preparing, I said goodbye to my Mom and checked into a hotel. My eldest sister and her son live in Taipei. They need a place to stay when they visit Mom during the Lunar New Year, so I volunteered and offered my room.
It was almost 10 o’clock when I reached Kaohsiung Station. I captured this moment before I moved on and headed to the hotel. The station wasn’t busy. I was aware that lots of the people passing by were not locals. They were foreign workers from various countries. I thought to myself how much this city has changed..
