To Lv

You sound tired. Life must be tough for you. Indeed, we at the ease here can only feel a fraction of the stress that you are dealing with, the grappling with your future directions, and all the unknowns(x, y, z.etc).

I can envision your conditions now. Can you believe it? I paid a visit to your school two years ago. Yeah, the new building in the suburb. You mentioned Tao Yuanming's poem about the country life. I can relate to that. It must feel like being part of a great mission for you, tending to your own life, fighting for your future, and having your own way that looks both promising and uncertain. All out of your own, away from the shelter of your parents.

I understand your stress, and feel heartened that you get along with it.

You mentioned "loneliness", and to "love your loneliness". Great thinking! What I feel now is a bit ashamed that I am too used to the ease and comfort here and the surety of my future that I almost forget about all the hardship that I should and could have faced. Comfort has softened me up, I think. Even when you talk about the chilly drizzle there I could shudder involuntarily...Here I am too used to the sunshine. Sunshine does a lot of good to the skin but it weakens my endurance to harshness, which I think you can deal with it now much better than me.

Indeed. That is how lives are different for us. I remember last time you asked me to write informally. I did try but here comes your serious letter. It really rings a bell in me about what you are going through. Suffice to say that as long as you feel happy about your life, I am greatly relieved:)

Now maybe some really light anecdotes can lighten you up, and it would be great if I could unburden you. You know, I still keep that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" you gave me on Primary 6 sports meeting on my bookshelf. And once you drew a distorted scorpion and used a "flies pat" to crush it. You always wrote "nasty" things on my wish cards, and even the parting message...You copied mine word for word...

And I didn't blame you for all that, and I will never. You must be growing up really fast...(haha)I just hope I can grow just as fast. Being abroad for the first year was a terrible bittersweet experience, but for the second year, I am getting the hang of it, and I feel at ease. Maybe adaptation itself is another form of maturity? I hope so.

I 'll contact you when I return. Now it's time to say "regards". Zhengzhou is chilly now, right? So take good care of your skin. Wash your face with algae salt (if possible) and I hope no more pimples on your face?:D

Friend from Afar

L.Z.