生命是美麗的﹐若你把它弄得美麗

 11/17/2025

Helena Chu（夏記）求學時期因為一次交通意外﹐雙足不能自行﹐需要倚靠輪椅﹐但這無阻她在攝影﹑音樂和藝術領域追夢。

世紀疫情期間﹐Helena不幸確診癌症。政府嚴厲的防疫措施令Helena在瑪嘉烈公主醫院的各項檢查﹑手術﹑術後護理和治療﹐均比正常日子難於進行﹐況且她的行動有一定限制﹐整個醫療過程對Helena與醫療團隊都極具挑戰。Helena記得每次進入醫院只能獨自前往﹐沒人陪伴。而且﹐她不想母親擔心﹐沒有把病情告訴媽媽。

Helena既感謝瑪嘉烈公主醫院整個醫療團隊的專業﹑愛心和耐性﹐亦感恩醫院裏非常先進的醫療設備發揮了極大作用﹐這都幫助她盡快康復。

醫院門前掛著一個銅鑼﹐康復的病人都把銅鑼擊響﹐Helena多期望自己也擊響銅鑼。就在她康復那天擊響銅鑼一刻﹐眼淚忍不住流下來。熱淚是衷心感激瑪嘉烈公主醫院﹐也是因為生命恢復活力﹐可以繼續追夢。她現在已經完全康復﹐只需定期檢查。

Helena常掛在口邊一句話﹕「生命是美麗的﹐若你把它弄得美麗」。　

 

During her school years, Helena Chu (nicknamed “Ha Kee”) was involved in an automobile accident that left her paralyzed and dependent on a wheelchair. However, this did not stop her from pursuing her dreams in photography, music, and the arts.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Helena was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer. The government’s strict pandemic-control measures made every step of her medical journey at Princess Margaret Hospital—examinations, surgery, postoperative care, and treatment—far more difficult than usual. Considering her mobility limitations, the entire process was extremely challenging for both Helena and the medical team. She remembers that every time she entered the hospital, she had to go alone, without anyone accompanying her. Moreover, she did not want her mother to worry, so she chose not to tell her about her illness.

Helena is deeply grateful for the professionalism, compassion, and patience of the entire medical team at Princess Margaret Hospital. She is also thankful for the hospital’s advanced medical equipment, which played an important role in helping her recover as quickly as possible.

At the entrance of the hospital hangs a gong, which patients strike to celebrate their recovery. Helena longed for the day she could strike the gong herself. When that moment finally came, she could not hold back her tears. Those tears were filled with heartfelt gratitude toward Princess Margaret Hospital, and with the joy of regaining vitality and being able to continue chasing her dreams. She has now fully recovered and only needs regular check-ups.

Helena often says: “Life is beautiful, if you make it beautiful.”

漂書第六回更添姿彩更貼地

11/08/2025

11月8日在萬民衛斯理社區服務中心舉行的「漂書第六回」﹐誠如主辦者所說﹐這回不僅是一場漂書活動﹐還加入了更多體驗和活動﹐例如咖啡廳﹑遊戲﹑抽獎﹑音樂表演和辯論比賽﹐希望參加者有一個美好的閱讀之秋。

那天下午我和太太在會場漂了三小時﹐我們放下一箱讀過的中文書﹐太太換回四本她喜愛的書。我欣賞了一隊年青樂隊SloMo的演唱﹐並嘗過音樂人兼烘焙達人王靖喬(Silian Wong)的精美甜品﹐還參觀全場粵語辯論比賽。我來了六次漂書﹐這回是內容最豐富﹑最具創意的一次﹐感謝主辦者義務地投放了不少人力﹑物力和心思。

今回新加插的辯論比賽，辯題為《安大略省應否加強監管海外受訓醫生在本地的見習機制﹖》。由"Stream A"和"Stream B"年青香港新移民組成的黎明行動為正方﹐反方是多倫多大學粵語辯論社。三名評判沒有共識﹐各自客觀評分﹐最後結果是黎明行動勝出﹐最佳辯論員是正方結辯江樂林。

一名與會者說﹕『感覺上黎明行動冇乜「我係debate team」嘅形式上嘅包袱。』我同意她說﹐多倫多大學粵語辯論社個別隊員可能太過緊張﹐影響了現場表現。

其中一位評判──資深傳媒人及時事評論員鄭良華在比賽前鼓勵同學們放鬆一點，享受比賽。他認為兩隊已盡全力﹐之前的資料蒐集充足﹐只是黎明行動從立論到闡述觀點較順暢﹑較從容。

Omni TV新聞主播李立本表示﹐很興奮在安省大專中文辯論比賽停辦多年後﹐粵語辯論比賽復辦﹐並再次擔任評判。他指出﹐兩隊大部份成員均是新手﹐在缺乏經驗﹐而且面對一條艱難的辯題時﹐仍有不錯的表現﹐實屬難得﹐令人欣慰。

另一評判是放射學專科醫生廖煒敦﹐廖醫生曾帶領「多倫多大學醫學學會辯論隊」於1993年奪取「安省專上學院粵語辯論邀請賽」冠軍。他不但就辯題提出其專業意見﹐還提點八位辯論員要與觀眾有眼神接觸﹐注意言辭與肢體語言表達。

這場辯論比賽更造就了廖醫生與鄭良華32年後重遇﹐1993年時廖煒敦以醫科學生參加「安省專上學院粵語辯論邀請賽」﹐鄭良華當年是評判。鄭良華感動說﹕「這次與廖醫生一起當評判﹐在場還有好朋友李立本﹐真是一幅美麗的圖畫﹐尋回了美好的回憶。」

主辦者說得好﹕「過去幾次漂書見證了無數書本的漂流﹐人與人之間的連結﹐每一本書的交換都是一次心靈的對話。」而剛結束的「漂書第六回」除了更添姿彩外﹐還進一步走入社群﹐鼓動大家更加關心貼地的社會議題。