Saturday morning, sunny and windy, perfect weather for an outting. I feel forced to open my computer and turn to my FMP training material... An email jumped out---that was from Thu Phong, a German born Chinese, whom I got to know in Passau, Germany, years ago. Reading through his life in Passau, I can feel my thoughts flying, far beyond the tedious "controls", back to those sunny days I spent in Passau... Passau, a small city right at the border of Germany and Austria, is by no means the most beautiful city I had visited in Europe.
Passau is amongst three rivers, one of which is Danube. In those three days in Passau, I liked to stand in front of the ancient castle located on top of the small hill, looking down at the trees display themselves in natural fireworks. Air there was fresh and crisp, and the climate was one that lets you keep your senses with you. When the sun came out those days, I liked to simply sit at the bank of Danube, and let my mind wander, down at the river.
Ulrich Lossen, my AIESEC inspirator, simply drove my tears down by telling me what AIESEC was: "AIESEC was where people all around the world can share one dream." That was the evening before I left for Passau, and the other morning, I saw the huge banner of AIESEC, white and blue, on the platform of Passau railway station. And Thu Phong, my German friend, was holding that banner, with a shining smile on his Chinese face. In those days, I had believed that AIESEC was my fate when I was explaining Chinese culture to Thu Phong till 4:00am in the morning and when I was presenting our exchange project and also presenting China to those German students who seemed to be so much "bigger" and mature than me. In those days, I recognized that AIESEC has made me gained confidence in pitching my mind to all kinds of people around the world.
Time is flowing by, unconsciously, leaving behind memories, dreams and passion. Who can tell me when and how AIESEC has flowed out of my life, when and how passion has been replaced by coldness, when and how sparks of dream have died out in the darkness of reality.
When I was buried in piles of financial reports, when I was forcing myself to climb onto the endless coporate ladder, I saw that "me" years ago, half a world away in Passau, sitting by the rivers, pondering about the meaning of life and the value of the society. Three years, not so long, but already long enough to leave me in plain crowds, jealously watching at that "me" three years ago, who let her thoughts free, soaring all around the world of freedom.
Passau, has been fading away in my memories, but life still has to be carried on...