Savor the Moment.

In a world of planned obsolescence and instant gratification, I find immense pleasure in people that have an acute appreciation for history. While over for tea (yes, very British I know) my friend James told me the story about these spoons that he inherited.

His grandmother worked in the RAF as a nurse during WWII and was charged with counting and sorting the silver every night. Apparently, 41 spoons is just as bad as 39 and one night she was instructed to get rid of the additional spoon. She ended up taking it home with her.


The other spoon belonged to his grandfather, which he had engraved with his initials and carried throughout the war. He ended up wounded, sent to RAF hospital and fell in love with a beautiful nurse that ended up taking care of him for the rest of his life.

Two generations later, the matching spoons have found their way to Hong Kong and are kept safe and used often.

I'm always fond of keeping and using things with a past history, especially when it involves the people you love. It makes life richer, more dynamic and also makes you appreciate the lives of those that came before you. I hope that my life story echos that of the silver spoons; and that perhaps one day my great-granddaughter will use an article of mine steeped in love and history.

Thank you James for sharing your wonderful story, I wish you luck with your recent engagement.

Living in a new city, especially such a vibrant metropolis like Hong Kong has encouraged me to open my eyes a little more. I realized that people almost naturally look at the pavement when they walk, instead of keeping their head up and looking around.

I've been making a point to look up, which has allowed me to see the richness and depth that this city has to offer. For example, while walking down towards Soho I saw this magnificent tree, growing out of the wall at a extreme angle - a tree with gumption, ambition and personal resolve who said "Hmmmm... I'm going to puts roots down here."

It's become my local hero of sorts, as it reminds me that when you've put your mind to it - anything is possible. I walk past it everyday and it reminds me of the goals I have yet to reach and the dreams I've yet to pursue.

Caroline Myss once said that "You cannot change anything in your life with intention alone, which can become a watered-down, occasional hope that you'll get to tomorrow. Intention without action is useless." The little tree that could looks down on me some days, as says "my very existence stems on me holding myself up, having built a strong root structure... I've endured typhoons and I'm still growing and prospering... what have you done today?"