Newsletter (2017-2018) February 2018 Newsletter | Page 11

the host asked us, “What would you be doing
at this time in Hong Kong?” Some students said
they would be either studying in the library or
on their way home. We all knew that the answer
would not be that we were enjoying the sunset
and eating peanuts in Hong Kong. One student
said: “Here in Nepal, it’s natural to slow down.
However, in Hong Kong, if we slowed down, we
would become very anxious that we would be
left behind.”
During these two weeks, I gained a deeper under-
standing of happiness, and I truly experienced
tranquility. In fact, the philosophy of happiness
is not profound, even if it sounds abstract. What
I came to understand is that by using our eyes to
feel the beauty of nature – feeling the breeze, ob-
Some Nepalese food that Yetta ate, including curry
serving the sky, and paying attention to the little
and milk tea, which she later learned how to make.
living creatures like flowers and birds – happi-
if I was not used to it. During one night at my ness can be felt spontaneously instead through
homestay, I wore a sari, which is the tradition- material objects. Meanwhile, noticing the change
al clothes women wear in Nepal and India. In of our bodies and tasting food using our tongue
the morning, the rolling hills seemed to float in attentively can also help us attain tranquility. If
the mist. I cut potatoes, onions, and tomatoes you are able to feel joy in these small moments,
to make curry. In addition, I used black tea and congratulations, you have attained the happi-
fresh milk to make milk tea. At noon, I laid on ness I felt in Nepal.
the grass and bathed in the warm sunshine, fall-
ing asleep very soon and having a sweet dream.
In the evening, I washed clothes while watching
the sun go down. At night, we raised the bonfire
and watched the flames leaping and crackling.
In general, the living conditions here were very
poor. Water needed to be gathered from a public
water pipe, and there was no hot water. Local
people’s houses were built by themselves using
bricks. However, with less desire and anxiety,
people in Nepal lived in harmony with nature,
and they attained more happiness and plea-
sures in their hearts. Gradually, I was subtly in-
fluenced by the environment and began to per- Yetta and her peers from EdUHK’s December 2017
ceive things I did not notice before. For example, leadership programme in Nepal.
when I went to the toilet in the evening without
a flashlight, I noticed the silver moon. I looked
up at the sky and saw that the stars were shining
like diamonds.
Yetta is a student at
EdUHK studying
Communication
Psychology.
When the weather was good, we went hiking.
When we were tired, we just sat on the grass and
ate peanuts. While we were chatting, the sheep
ran toward us and started to eat the peanut shells
on the ground. It was quite interesting to see a
group of people mingled with a few sheep. Then,
11
FEBRUARY 2018