II. ‘ Outward, Our Boundary- 4^th Squadron’

There they were the enlisted men in uniform sitting orderly next to each other in the boat all having only one common goal in mind- to be the heroic voyagers serving The Country. To those young enlisted men finally completed their advanced trainings from the military school, the ruthless timidity- showing eyes and palms in the puerile days had all gone. The mission of pursuing new land for The Country has been longed from the first day in the military force. Rumors about the glorious mission have repackaged it as the best opportunity of gaining medals or even preceding the military rank. Some might be more absorbed in treasure discovery.

Infantryman Olivia reading the information out from the ‘ Outward, Our Boundary- 4^th Squadron’ among several of others around her gave a dubious look that didn’t attract any attention of others, not even Marie’s who was petrified by the waves that were hitting the boat violently.

General Tarry, who was there to keep the young men company was secretly counting down the hours from his relief- he was to leave the group by the time they had got to the pier where they would be on their own carrying out their plans of concession for The Country. He finished wiping his old spectacles with his checked silk handkerchief, stood up with self-awareness and was ready to make an inspirational speech to the youngers. His speech began with his compliments to the soldiers followed by pages of advices. “ I wish you have all studied the map precisely.” He paused a little bit, cleared his throat and went on, “ I wish you’ve already realized which directions to start your splendid fights…” He skillfully showcased his knowledge in geography and even entomology. He looked at those sitting at the front and expected to collect their admiring faces. His closing was brightened by his easy throw of punch lines.

There they were the enlisted men in uniform sitting next to each other speechless were fed up with that old prick’s nonsense but all a sudden lightened as they were looking at the pier approaching just meters away.

I. Breezes

It all began like a drama.

They were crossing the ocean, a group of soldiers they were.

Those familiar light breezes went perfectly well with the golden dawn that they interknitted as a scenario of serenity which soon was shattered in a flash by tens of boisterous sea gulls who apparently did not have brain enough to realize what those soldiers were just about to go through. Why were their palms sweating so unmanageably? Why such sullen faces? The gulls were wondering what those wooden eyes were really focusing on if there was to be any.

No, the gulls were not wondering what those wooden eyes were focusing on. In fact, the gulls don’t give a damn about the soldiers.

Someone so experienced like those generals from the center knew these all so clearly that some of them, particularly the pathetically cocky ones, have already been praying for those lesser ones. Among the deft generals, there existed an assertion stating that sweating palms were no favorable.

Indeed, sweating palms, unrhythmical heartbeats, lifeless stares, half-open mouths were all omens of failure

幸福論

  劉欣欣, Lau Yan Yan, Aries

  出生日期:1983年3月26日

  星座:白羊座

  居住地點:元朗、CC利樹培515

  家庭狀況: 父、母和年輕六年的妹

  教育:中學畢業於順德聯誼會梁球琚中學,

  現為香港中文大學酒管系三年級生

  感情生活: 與中學時認識的男友拍拖六年

  喜歡: 粉紅、Winnie the Pooh、古巨基、蝦餃 etc 

因為自己的懶散，這個訪問已非新鮮滾熱辣，一拖再拖，曾想過在訪問對象生日前完工，但最後還是錯過了。

即使事隔差不多兩個月，仍清晰記得當日的操場(訪問地點)、公園內的鞦韆、扮哭的0靚妹等。雖是俗氣，但仍是要在此多謝我的首位被訪者對象劉欣欣，願意在寒風下，不明所為地接受訪問。

她的確愛笑，很容易給人「我很幸福」的感覺。或者她生來樂天、知足，但可以肯定的是這跟她那段六年關係有關。

a0a0: 可否簡單說說你和家人的關係?

YY:  我跟媽咪感情較好，我們是那種間中會一起逛街的母女;亞爸呢…他十分疼錫我，但往往過份緊張，會小事化大，就是脾氣較多了吧。中學時，面對一些較重要的事情，如揀科、入大學等，他都有很多意見:他希望我選理，但最後我還是讀商;他想我入PAC，但我就是好酒店管理。細妹比我細六年，我倆溝通不多，不是十分親密那種。可能是因為性格上關係吧，我本身比較急，但細妹做事都很慢，又有點鈍，往往很容易令我生氣。

a0a0:你認為對你影響最深的人是誰?

YY:  (想了一會)…很難答呢!我想影響自己性格最深的始終是父母。他們的管教方式都是很傳統的那種，如在大人面前不要隨便說話，切記要有禮等等。我覺得這某程度上令我現在自信不足，不太敢說話。 ( 例如堂上發問?)

a0a0:可否講一件你近來較難忘的事?

YY: 我想是上年暑假到Disney 做internship那次。除了因為要在完全陌生的地方工作外,最主要的困難是學會自己生活,自己照顧自己並不是想像中那麼易的事。雖然我上了大學後都是住hall的,但這畢竟跟自己到美國住三個月是兩碼子的事。我記得當時大概要花一個月的時間才適應下來。

一個女孩子百談不厭問題:

對於另一半的條件:樣、腦、錢，三揀一，你會如何選擇?

YY: 我覺得錢會是最後…這樣吧，腦、樣、錢。

a0a0: 很多人都認為你的感情生活很理想，其實實情真的如外人所想那樣嗎?

YY: 對呀!(接下來是一陣笑聲)主要是因為我倆性格很合拍，甚至有點相似。

我自己本身是比較急、較執著的那類。假如對方是「點極0吾化」一種就不行。但相反，若果脾氣大的話亦不可，例如以前跟Jason(ex)那樣，拍拖初期還可以，但始終維繫不到較長的時間。

a0a0: 你提到性格之間的相似令你們更融洽。你認為情人間性格上的所謂一凹一凸會較好嗎?

YY:  視乎雙方是哪種性格而已，例如二人的容忍程度。

a0a0: 你最欣賞他甚麼特質?

YY:  雖然他外表不成熟，但思考方面都挺好，可以給我意見。遇到不高興的事時，他都是一個稱職的傾訴/被呻對象。而且他亦非那種不容許我跟異性有任何交往的男朋友。假如是Jason，一定會為我身邊有男性朋友而發脾氣，亦很在意我何時或何地跟他報到。我覺得現在很少不小器之餘又不會冷淡或甚至莫不關心的男朋友。跟他一起就沒有這些壓力。

a0a0: 你們在一起已經六年，而且關係又如此密切，你認為你是否認識到他的全部?

YY:  是。始終一起都已經六年，而且我們對對方都很坦白。

a0a0: 會不會有什麼你對他的想法，例如不滿之處，他是毫不知情的??

YY:  ……都有，有時會因為他經常和朋友一起而不高興，我都知道我較他痴身，有時連自己都會覺得自己煩便不會告訴他了。

a0a0: 你雖然說你們絕少吵架，但分歧或者些少衝突都總會有吧!

YY:  有時問題會因遲到而起，如果是約好了而他又遲到，我便氣急敗壞起來，但我們從不為此吵架。就算有爭執，都總是一方發嬲，另一方忙著「tum」番，每次衝突過後都會二人一起檢討誰對誰錯。

a0a0: 你們一直都是用這樣的相處模式嗎?

YY:  可以這樣說呢.其實早幾年吵得更少，可能現在對對方認識愈多，就更清楚大家缺點,磨擦亦多了。

a0a0: 你最討厭對方說哪一句話?

YY:  並沒有一句話令我特別討厭，但就是不喜歡他在電話上說話太過粗魯。我覺得他是不想在朋友面前表現得太溫柔。

a0a0: 或者他看到訪問會改變一下. 粗魯和冷淡，哪一樣較討你厭?

YY:  粗魯!

7年之癢...

就算畢業後環境有變，都會有信心維繫下去，不會擔心什麼。其實六年間很多事我們都經歷過:對方變心啦，自己和家人又到過Canada短居一個月啦，之後對方repeat，自己升上來year1，而上年暑假自己又到過美國做internship三個月……

往後…

現在的你，對結婚有憧憬嗎?

YY: 都有…我們之間都討論過，但都不會太早結婚。

      後記: 訪問完了，緊隨又是輕描淡寫的笑了一笑。

       有如此美滿的關係，的確值得高興。