上進心

My mum has just returned from Hongkong yesterday...she says that she does not really like it there and it's pretty boring. She said that she would like to go to China with a tour and I told her that this year is out becos of my studies but next year I will bring her. And she says that I have to start saving up...I told her I am also saving the money for my driving lessons come next year. She said to me, " 這樣很好。你有上進心﹐不會一天過一天。”I was quite surprised she said that haha, I thought 我一向都有上進心。Maybe she feels that my work as a social worker doesn't pay much and will not have good prospects. Well, I am secure in it becos I know that it's a choice that I have made and not because I have nowhere to go. Well well, next year will be to China, though I told her that the food may not be clean blah blah but she said that there are very nice places there :) I told her that I am scared to drive and she was shocked again. She said to me, " 你哪里可能會怕﹐你很有膽。佩珍(my sis)這麼沒有膽都學會﹐你可以的。”She related an incident when I was small and I took the token from her at an amusement park and went to play at the rides myself. She said they were looking for me and finally found me in one of the rides (the round and round kind which brings you higher and higher). She said that I did not look afraid at all. As I think back, I am not sure if I was daring or simply becos I was detached. haha...I guess I can be a pretty independent (or individualistic) person. I really enjoyed the talk with her about her parents and her living condition when she was growing up. It is indeed not easy, her having to travel long distances to carry the buckets of water for the family. At that moment, I felt that she is really very strong and I told her that. I can never do what she did. And I cannot imagine myself surviving such conditions. This generation is really deteriorating, we are becoming more consumeristic and taking things for granted. Sometimes it is only when we are in lack that we truly develop the important qualities such as resilience and contentment.

(my mum and sis)