Year-end Series (17)
Editor's Note:
If 2020 is the "stress" year for mankind to encounter the epidemic, then in 2021, mankind has entered the "response" year after the epidemic, began to adapt to a new way of life, adjusted its relationship with life and the world, and looked for a path for self-development in the "post-epidemic era".
It's a goodbye, and it's a reunion—saying goodbye to your former self in the midst of change, and reuniting with your new self in the midst of change.
As 2021 draws to a close, The Daily Supplement has designed a questionnaire with nine simple questions but many different answers. Here, we have chosen those wonderful, sincere, and interesting answers to be published as a record of 2021 and this era.
Guests
Li Shubo
Former journalist and media personality, PhD in Media Culture Studies, University of Westminster, UK, former lecturer at the University of Oslo, Norway, and postdoctoral fellow at the Mikkelsen Institute. Currently a full-time writer and literary translator, he is a member of the Norwegian Nonfiction Writers Association, and his authors are "Painting as a Miracle", "Mediated Sino-African Relations", "The Golden Branches of Art: Western Painting", and "The Millennium of Artistic Eyes: China through the Eyes of Artists (Six Volumes)".
A leaf smells
Born in Heilongjiang, he now lives in Maine, USA, in a cold zone around 45 degrees north latitude. When it is warm, half a day to work in the garden, half a day to write/translate in the room, and when it is cold, read and watch plays to do handicrafts. Neighbors come and go, and listening to them laugh and scold is like listening to folk tales. He has lived in Beijing for 23 years, made a living as a translator, done simultaneous interpretation, turned over blockbusters, and in his spare time, he takes pleasure in translating poems, nursery rhymes, and theological works.
Yuan Wei
He graduated from Northwestern Polytechnical University with a master's degree in mechanical design, and then entered the Beijing Institute of Printing to teach. Currently lives in Auckland. In 2016, Xintu Overseas Research New Zealand Co., Ltd. was established, mainly engaged in micro-study abroad services, and likes to write some Articles related to New Zealand education and culture every day, committed to showing the real New Zealand, and introducing the high-quality resources and information in New Zealand education to more parents and children.
1. For you personally, if you were to record 2021 with three keywords, which three words would you choose? Why?
Li Shubo: The original heart. The gestalt psychotherapist degree has been read into its second year, and both reading and writing take place after class. In the November class, after a series of intense somatosensory exercises, we entered the simulated consultation session, and I did not interfere with the true heart of the patient, and the heart was as clear as a mirror at the moment.
delivery. In the first six months of translating the sixth volume of the Norwegian writer Knausgau's Mein Kampf, he released himself in this final book, intending to single-handedly answer the grand questions of why Hitler became Hitler and how civilization continued after Auschwitz, etc., and the text was densely woven into Heidegger, The Wasteland, and existentialism. For the first time in so many years of writing, I felt like I was on the verge of collapsing against the text, and the editor said it was the first time I was about to collapse. In short, the ball passed by, and in January 2022 the printing plant was printed. My book "The Golden Branches and Jade Leaves of Art: Western Painting" was also published by Shanghai Calligraphy and Painting Publishing House in 2021, and the publication is by no means the end of the author's task, always worrying about the reader's reaction. Writing is a real disaster.
fortunate. At the end of 2021, due to the health of his parents, he returned home for a full month from leaving his home in Oslo to completely ending his health monitoring. Many of the pivotal moments of the journey, especially the fragile and healthy health of my parents, and the time spent with my parents in December, made me feel how gentle God treated me.
A leaf smell: farming, meditation, gratitude.
Wei Yuan: Living in Auckland, I have experienced the process of new Zealand from a model student of epidemic control to today's existence with the virus. 2021 is spent in the process of lockdown, demotion, unsealing, resealing, and unsealing, I used to think that I would always remain calm, but when I found that the virus was around, I still experienced suffering. Anxiety began when my younger son's classmates were diagnosed, fortunately, my son passed by the virus and was safe, but who can be indifferent to the thought that there are many people on this earth who are or are about to be attacked by the virus?
If I had to record 2021 in three key words, I think it would be challenge, change, and gratitude.
challenge. The pandemic has led to border closures in various countries, including New Zealand, and my work has come to an abrupt halt due to its reliance on international exchanges of people. Faced with a job that had just improved, I was a little frustrated. But soon, I realized that I was probably prepared for a protracted battle against the epidemic; in addition, once the city was locked down, the whole family stayed at home, taking care of the family's life became my top priority, and how to live a sound and colorful life was definitely not an easy task.
change. If it comes, it will be safe. I began to accept the lockdown caused by the epidemic, which allowed our family to stay together all the time, because the children had to take online classes, I had the opportunity to know more about the children's learning content and methods in school, which really brought a lot of gains for me who has been working in the field of education, and also provided me with a lot of material and support for my writing. I began to cherish the growth of children even more, especially the eldest son of 13 years old - from the time I looked down at him to the time I looked up, it was only two or three months, and the growth rate of adolescent children was amazing, so I was reluctant to let the children grow up. If there is no epidemic, there must be a lot less feeling.
thanksgiving. The epidemic has been burning around the world for 2 years, there is no sign of ending, every day in a careful life to try to keep smiling, the most grateful thing is that my family can be safe. There is nothing else to ask for but peace.
2. In 2021, the negative impact of the epidemic on us is self-evident, but from your perspective, what is the positive enlightenment it brings to society? If so, tell us about your experience or opinion.
Li Shubo: In the face of major crises, science and rationality are the most important things to rely on. Concealment, power-basedness, blind obedience, supplication, and obedience to inner fears and emotions are not the way out.
Yiyewen: I do believe that everyone has a vision, and if we practice using our eyes instead of the naked eye, we will be able to see that all tribulations and tests are opportunities for human beings to grow their wisdom. The epidemic has made me more truly appreciate many ancient and often new teachings, such as "great compassion and great compassion without a cause", such as "human beings are one, the earth is one country", such as "all religions are of the same origin, the same way to the same destination". I don't think it's a metaphor now, but I think it's the truth— the whole of humanity is like a living being, and each of us is like its cells; if I try to export healthy energy, I may promote overall health levels.
Yuan Wei: We Chinese often say that "brothers are in the same heart, and their profits are broken", and New Zealand Maori people also have a proverb "you and I basket together, everyone lives a better life". Since the coronavirus challenged humanity, no one in the world has been able to stand alone, and no country has been able to protect itself and stop the virus. The arrival of the epidemic is a reminder to all mankind that it is time to unite to face and solve problems together. In addition to the epidemic, there are also a series of problems such as environmental pollution and global warming that require the people of all countries to work together and cannot be delayed.
3. Which "new thing" will enter your life in 2021?
Li Shubo: Health code. From the beginning of the journey back home, I have been worried about it and happy for it.
One leaf smell: organic cultivation, including how to match healthy soil, why to make mulching, how to plant roses... Of course, I am only a beginner, not too beginner, will make a lot of mistakes, and often regret it, but also gain a lot of fun.
Yuan Wei: Having the honor of becoming a contributor to Beijing Youth Daily can be described as one of the most memorable "new things" for me in 2021. Each stroke of the pen drove me to delve deeper into New Zealand, and in the process, I got to know many experts in different fields of New Zealand. Although thousands of miles away, I am still attracted to the traditional print media.
4. Work, study, socialize, mentality... Eating and living, health and leisure, consumer entertainment... What are your most positive changes in 2021? Let's go into a little more detail.
Li Shubo: Living regularly. Thanks to the 1200-page Mein Kampf 6, I collapsed at 11:30 a.m. for half a year in a row in order to fulfill the delivery time of the contract, and struggled to get up at 5:30 a.m. After handing in the manuscript, you can sleep until 7 o'clock and even feel happy.
Yiyewen: In the past year, we moved to a small town with a population of only 3,000 people on the border between the United States and Canada, living in the old house built in 1869, repairing the house, playing furniture, building a vegetable garden, going to the forest to pick wild vegetables, picking mushrooms, and there is almost no time to idle... Because there has been no such intense physical labor for many years, the muscles, joints, muscles and bones are not adapted, and it feels as if every part of the body has been painful again before it is strong again. The process is a bit like scrap iron back to the furnace, haha. This kind of life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset is very nourishing, nourishing both the body and the heart. Simply put, it's all going your way.
Wei Yuan: It has been six years since our family moved to New Zealand, and the first five years have gone through the process of settling down, re-learning and finding employment. It's no surprise that at any age in New Zealand, my husband and I have been in the university for a long time to adapt to our new life. 2021 is our 6th year in New Zealand, and we have unknowingly embarked on the family's second "five-year plan". In the context of the epidemic, many industries are facing great challenges, but also opportunities, this year we began to prepare for entrepreneurship, the original intention is not only to make money, but more importantly to experience a new way of life. I used to follow a steady work rhythm in Beijing, and I am full of expectations for this.
5. In 2021, what are your most proud, regretful, and painful moments?
Li Shubo: Most proud: Girlfriend writer Green Demon said that after reading my "Golden Branches and Jade Leaves of Art: Western Painting", I knew more about me.
The biggest regret: a series of "inattention" when moving, the loss of some precious items that cannot be compensated.
The most painful: In November, I learned that my mother had breast cancer surgery in September, and she kept it hidden from me, and she was very successful.
Yiye Wen: The most proud thing is that the vegetables grown in our vegetable garden are not only enough for us to eat ourselves, but also distributed to relatives and friends around us. Almost every neighbor has eaten the vegetables grown in our garden.
The biggest regret is that I didn't do my homework to prune the trees, and as a result, many flowers and trees were trimmed too short, which affected the number of flowers, but fortunately the neighbor comforted me and told me that they would grow back.
The most painful moment is to see the sad news - not necessarily about the epidemic, I think the epidemic has continued to this day, human beings as a whole are more and more able to face it rationally, and know how to protect themselves and others, but some social news makes me particularly sad, especially about domestic violence. Every time I see a child or a woman experiencing violence and fear in the family, I cry for a long time, and the empathy is very real.
Yuan Wei: The most proud moment of 2021 is that beijing youth daily published my full-page article "The Road to the Revival of New Zealand Maori Culture" on the "Diorama" page, and the writing process is vivid, which enhances my joy when I see the article in the newspaper.
The most painful moment was when I learned that my elderly father was sick and hospitalized, but I could not accompany me. If there had been no epidemic, I would have flown back to him immediately, but the border quarantine policy brought about by the epidemic has made this idea unrealistic. Fortunately, I have my sister and the whole family have been around to take care of it, but that feeling of powerlessness can be counted as the most painful moment of 2021 for me, which should also be the most painful part of the heart of all overseas travelers.
Over the years, I have felt more and more the rationality of personality determining fate, and I am a relatively optimistic person, so I generally have no regrets, let alone the most. If there is occasional imperfection in life, it will also find out the reason for its existence, try to understand and accept.
6. What good books or film and television dramas, variety shows, and exhibitions in 2021 have made you unforgettable? Which two would you recommend to everyone and why?
Li Shubo: I recommend Yalong's "Existential Psychotherapy", which talks about death, loneliness, freedom and meaninglessness, the four ultimate concerns of all human beings.
Yiye Wen: Our family has the habit of reading morning and evening, my husband and I read books for half an hour every morning and evening, it feels like tuning our heartstrings - adjusting the heartstrings in the morning, everything in the day is smooth; at night, the heartstrings are adjusted, and the night is also peaceful, and the dreams are peaceful.
Recommend two books to everyone: Abdullah Baha's The Mystery of Divine Civilization and Promoting World Peace. Why recommend these two books? I think that human beings are actually full of confusion until now, and I myself often doubt: Can material civilization and spiritual civilization achieve harmony and unity? Or is it that the richer and more prosperous the material, the more scarce and confused the spirit? The Mystery of Divine Civilization is like answering this question from me. And "Promoting World Peace" is actually a conversational book, very easy to read, it feels like a loving old man sitting in front of him, turning very abstract concepts such as peace, fraternity, and justice into a very intimate and earthy statement, so that we can understand why we should implement these great ideals into our daily lives.
Wei Yuan: In the first half of 2021, Van Gogh's Immersive World Tour came to New Zealand, which is an artistic feast created by the Lumires Lighting Exhibition Studio in France, using music, light and shadow, animation and text to present Van Gogh's creative process and his tragic life. Our family sat on the floor, immersed in light and shadow, and felt Van Gogh's sad and lonely heart that sometimes revealed the yearning for a better life, which was a precious happy time under the haze of the epidemic. That day coincided with my eldest son's 13th birthday, and may he be born like Van Gogh's sunflower forever.
7. If there is a time machine, is there a moment in 2021 that you want to start over? Say exactly what the reason is.
Li Shubo: Before moving, let me choose another moving company.
One Leaf Smell: What I want to do again is to do my homework before sowing or pruning trees, to ensure that every tree, every flower, every vegetable, every seed has the best chance to grow and flourish, rather than letting them stunt and stunt because of my ignorance, affecting them to maximize their potential.
Wei Yuan: February 26, 2021 is China's Lantern Festival, and the day before, Victoria Avenue Primary School, where my youngest son attended, held a lively Lantern Festival celebration that brought traditional Chinese culture into the hearts of everyone present. I had the privilege of participating in the whole process of organizing the event, after 3 months of preparation, more than 2 hours of celebration to raise nearly 4,000 NEW Dollars for the school, full of the enthusiasm of a group of Chinese parents and blessings to the motherland, and the teachers and students of Victoria Avenue Primary School, which attaches great importance to multicultural development, also gave strong support. This is the first time I have participated in organizing such an event, if I can start over, many links should be better, the most regrettable point is that there is no full-time camera crew, let those beautiful moments stay in everyone's mind.
8. Do you have the most important thing you want to say but don't say in 2021? What is it? To whom?
Yiyewen: I want to say to everyone: Say more words of encouragement and appreciation to the people around us, because no matter how old we are, we have a little child in our hearts, and this little child needs to be encouraged and appreciated to be in the best condition.
Yuan Wei: On this occasion of removing the old and welcoming the new, I still most want to say to my relatives in the motherland: "I wish my dearest father health and happiness, my sister's family and all my relatives and friends are happy and safe, and I wish the motherland prosperity." ”
9. In 2022, you must have set yourself some small goals, flags, choose three to share with us (and whether they can be achieved or not).
Li Shubo: Sleep at 21:00, get up at 4:00; deliver a signed translation and writing contract; become a qualified trainee Gestalt psychotherapist.
First, practice several of your favorite piano songs; second, write a small book that will bring laughter; third, plant more flowers in the garden.
Yuan Wei: If I were to say three wishes, first, the whole family would be safe and happy; second, the entrepreneurship would be smooth; and third, the epidemic would subside and there would be world peace.
If you are interested in answering these 9 questions, please send your answers to the small editor's mailbox [email protected]