Next Stop Wonderland
热5已有 711 次阅读 2017-02-22 17:34
Do you believe in destiny?
Some say destiny is the term coined by human to define things beyond our
comprehension. Then again, there are so many things we hardly understand--
the size of our universe, dreams, prophesies, death, or pigeons' language.
Have you ever experienced the moments when you had a weird deja vu feeling that
it had once appeared in your dreams or memories? Given the variety of things we
cannot understand, I believe it would do the word destiny justice to give a
relatively narrow definition: the situation when things happen in a magical way.
My favorite film is Next Stop Wonderland in which a man and a woman never met
until the end of the scene on a crowded metro compartment. It is somewhat a
foreign equivalent of the Chinese film 向左走向右走 starring GiGi and Jin Chengwu.
When I was in college, innocent, care-free, and romance-free, I was very into the
idea of two people meant to be with each other keeping crossing path but missing
out. Eventually, perhaps on a large squre full of people, standing a few metres
apart, their eyes locked, and they immediately knew that the other person is THE ONE.
Everyone, man or woman, rich or poor, eastern or western, once dreamed of such
a perfect love story. But one after another, they learn to face reality and start
measuring, evaluating, hesistating, and despairing, as if they are shopping for
a clothing item. I was no exception. There were times when I would list my terms for
a BF as if I was hunting for a job rather than looking for a life partner. Those
terms are probably still here nowadays, only secretly hidden in a corner of my mind,
ready to attack whenever a viable candidate surfaces.
At a young and innnocent age, destiny was all about magic, like a Disney film.
But in the world of adults, destiny becomes more of a description for social or
educational background. When two people of similar caliber in earning power,
appearance, and diplomas meet, they immediately click, calling the encounter destiny.
In a way, it is, because the match will probably last a longer time than other
alternatives. For those who are ready to embrace the reality, this is as good
as destiny gets.
Unfortunately, if adults still watch Beauty and the Beast, if they still remember
新白娘子传奇, if they read the Dreams of the Red Mansion or any work by 张爱玲,
then destiny, the magic encounter of two souls separated by birth, still should be
the order of the day.
In the opening episode of Sex and the City, Carrie talked about the death of
romance in modern Manhanttan. Instead of Breakfast at Tiffany's, people have affairs
they try to forget as soon as possible. "Cupid has flown the Co-op." Come to think
of it, I have never waited until the second or the third date to sleep with someone.
Apparently, it becomes a novelty to date someone for months or years before entering
a physical relationship. It does make sense though--dating is a lot like memorizing
new words: the easier you get it, the faster you will forget it.
Some people blame romantic stories for spoiling their tolerance of the harsh reality,
which apparently does not live up to their expectations. Even now, I still run into
people who write things like "I just want to find someone to cook meals and have a
moonlight walk down the street together." on their profiles. To this, I just want
to say, "you have clearly not been in an actual long-term relationship." Others,
however, thank the stories for bestowing something wonderful on a otherwise plain
relationship. We might have entered an era of fast-food romance, but it could
have happened much sooner and gone much worse without the far-fethced love stories
that have been admired and cherished for houndreds or even thousands of years.
Last night, while chatting, a guy I have recently met told me that I sounded very
aged. "You have a very old soul, quite out-of-touch with our generation," he
concluded. At first, I was offended, because anything remotely close to "old" is
a taboo for a guy my age. As I gave it a second thought, I realized that having
an old soul may not be such a bad thing.
In the film Myth (神话), the girl waited for her love for thousands of years. But
in our time, one cannot wait for one day to have an affair when his partner is
away on a business trip. I don't think any of us is born a slut. Sometimes, when
things are moving so fast, it is difficult to wait that long for anything to happen.
Still, the estranged wish of finding true love should not succumb to time and
social pressure. Maybe, the best way is to keep that innocent idea of destiny
from slipping away from our mind, to live life as if it is a poetry.
虚怀万古愁，胜却浮游意。
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