this lovely old couple seated next to us started talking to us. We ended up having a long conversation while we ate our dinners. They told us where to go, asked the shopkeeper to tell us “where to play” in hokkien, even another diner couldn’t help but chip in because they were so enthused about helping us enjoy our time here. It wasn’t the content of the conversation that left such a deep impression on me, but their spirit…I am at loss of words to describe the connectedness I felt in that short time towards these two strangers. They left us with so much joy and warmth. I wonder the meaninglessness of life everyday, yet during such moments I experience a glimpse of what it is all about. Transcendence can be found amongst people. I wanted to ask for their email, but was afraid to start a connection that may not be sustained. In the end, I asked for a picture together on our phone, and the granny took one on her phone too. I can only leave with the best of us intact in those short moments, than to let the tide of time and expectations tarnish our memories. I am here writing this more than an hour later, thinking of them makes the tears in my eyes well up involuntarily.