志异 Draft by Drama box december 2013 (english) | Page 13

“Homesickness — it would be simple
if it were simply a longing for fellow
countrymen, for that is human
nature. But for an intellectual,
'space' is added to the equation,
made manifold by 'time', magni?ed
by the memory of the 'culture' and
'vicissitudes of life' — this nostalgia
would then be three-dimensional.
The memory of an individual only
lasts a few decades, but the memory
of an entire ethnicity spans across a
few thousand years. These memories
ferment into allusions, myths and
history that permeate into your very
soul, and you bring it along with
you everywhere you go. Your body
contains the very soul of the Qin
and the Han, the Tang and the
Song dynasties.”
Yu’s definition of nostalgia
or memories is indeed very
different from our laymen
understanding.
In Sophie's World,
Jostein Gaarder wrote, ‘We
too are stardust’, suggesting
that our bodies contain the
memories of the very beginning
of the universe …

The answer of the
universe lies right within
our bodies.
Ah, isn't that touching,
you asked. Yes, indeed, I
replied.
One day, when I should
finally bid farewell to my
body, I will be glad to know
that my body can bring a whole
lifetime-worth of memories
and return to dust, adding
on to the great collection
of memories of the universe.
Shouldn't I strive to live
my life to the fullest then?
Ah, isn't that a moving
epiphany, you asked. Yes,
indeed, I replied.