香港長洲依納爵靈修院（思維靜院）之行
當我取笑地用 “morneeng” 去覆實 Fr. Elton Fernandes 我們下午三時的約會時、我已經心情緊張、渴望著參觀長洲的思維靜院。 曾就讀香港華仁書院而現在是溫哥華耶穌會舊生會 JAG 的成員都時常提及這靜院；所以我把它納入了我來港的行程內。每次航程要用上兩句鐘的時間、但這對我並不重要。我把此行視作我給自己的聖誕禮物！ (Morneeng 是 Fr. Fernandes 學回來的菲律賓字句、他專在 JAG 會議時引用！）
在關烈生 （Louis Kwan) 的指引下、我在中環環球大厦下車。午飯後、路經此大厦時、我很驚訝見到那麼多的菲律賓女傭。我深信在這她們中我定會找到一些 sisig （炸豬頭）來送給 Fr. Fernandes。奈在往長洲的快輪上、只見髙樓大廈漸漸消失、取而代之的是岸旁的山和行駛中的貨櫃船。這景象使我想起七十年代後期的香港。
登岸後、亮在眼前的竟是一間「麥當勞」快餐店！我第一感覺是它與這離島不相稱。不久也看見其他豎立在市區的店舗如 7/11 和 「屈臣氏」藥房、這刻才意會到長洲不再是一個偏遠靜寂的漁村、而是一個眾多香港人來消閒消暑的聖地。
中環精力頂沛步伐急速、但長洲卻節奏緩慢；兩者迴然不同。遊人登岸後亦一個一個慢步的往沙灘去。
我見到四名年青人把兩箱盛满海產的發泡膠盒和一箱名貴红酒均衡的裝載在一小型手推車上、似乎他們是為今天星期六晚上狂歡而作準備。
片刻、Fr. Fernandes 帶着笑容出現。自一年前在溫哥華的 JAG 告別後、這是第一次與他相見、所以我感到非常髙興。
Fr. Fernandes 帶著我們在夾窄的小巷左穿右插和繞過手推車沿山坡走到静院門前。如果要我自己找路一定會花雙倍時間、所以我非常感激 Fr. Fernandes 來引路。
上靜院時、Fr. Fernandes 曾兩度著我竭步休息。但我太沉醉於當時之氣氛、雖然氣喘喘的緊隨著他也沒有停下來。回想起來、那陡坡並不難走、只可能是我在銅鑼灣進午飯時多吃了一點餃子罷！
不久、前面一扇大閘門向我們招手歡迎我們、猶如以往它歡迎一眾的人一樣。頓時我想起馬太福音 11:28 章所説的：「凡勞苦擔重擔的人、可以到我這裡來。我就使你們得安息。」
雖然這靜院未及加拿大 Surrey Rosemarie Heights 的依納爵靈修院寛廣、但地方亦足夠。對那些繁忙緊張的香港人來說、是一所難得的地方來靜禱以平衡生活。 靜修的人第一天來到就會整天睡覺。多有趣！
在靜院裡、從花園瞭望點邊緣往下望、見到的是海灘和一整片廣闊沒損壞的沙。我可以想像在這勝景中是不難聽到上主的話的。
這週末、思維靜院「全院滿座」！ 這天 Fr. Fernandes 亦忙於為剛在香港華仁書院舉行之依納爵會議寫學卷。但他在百忙中仍抽空與我交談了一會兒。（是次會議有六百五十人從世界各地來參與）
回程上、意料不到的事情竟發生。
渡輪竟然滿座、我上不到船；就像在加拿大繁忙時段上不到 Canada Line 一樣！我真抓不著頭腦渡船為什麼會滿、亦想不到這景象也會發生在這漁村裡！
既要等船、Fr. Fernandes 就用空當帶我去市集觀光。見到很多店舗門前掛着黃燈籠和退色的揮春、和幾個小孩子在這十二月冬季下午仍在路盡頭處的海灘水裡嘻戲。 我更認識到長洲只有兩部車：一部救護車、一部警察車；那間是 Fr. Fernandes 曾和 JAG 會友 Ignatius Lee 李偉國齊用膳的咖哩店；和長洲的特產是我們在温哥華列治文夜市亦能買到的焗蕃薯。
當再輪候上船、我僥倖地能登上即將啓航的渡輪上。
道別時、喜知 Fr. Fernandes 明年二月十七曰會重臨溫哥華；那時 JAG 定會以「炸豬頭」來欵宴他。
在船上回頭再望碼頭旁的小販和遊客、那熱鬧情景與靜院的寧怗頓成有趣的對比。疲憊不堪；在微浪的搖籃下、我睡著了 ! 我為自己能沉溺禱告感到開懷。
此行才領悟到為什麼會有這麼多華仁書院舊生喜愛這「思維靜院」。
A Trek to Xavier House in Cheung Chau
As I tapped “Morneeng” (a special greeting that Fr Elton Fernandes performs exclusively to JAGs that he picked up from Filipinas somewhere) to confirm our 3 pm meeting last December 27, I was excited to be visiting the Xavier Retreat House in Cheung Chau, Hong Kong. I have heard so much about Xavier House from the Wah Yan alumni in our Jesuit Alumni Group that I had to add it to my itinerary. That it would take around two hours each way did not really matter. This was my Christmas gift to myself.
Having sought Louis Kwan’s advice on how to get to Xavier House, shortly after lunch, I walked past Worldwide House and marveled at how Filipina nannies had occupied the footsteps. If I had a little bit more time, I am sure that I would have been able to get some sisig (deep fried pigs’ head) for Fr Elton. Within minutes, I was walking briskly through the foot bridge that would lead me to the pier.
Our fast ferry soon left for Cheung Chau Island, it was interesting to watch the modern buildings and cityscape disappear in the horizon and to be replaced by mountains and rusty freighters instead; which reminded me of the antiquated, sleepy world of Hong Kong in the late 1970’s.
The moment I stepped out of the terminal, I was greeted by a familiar icon, McDonalds, which seemed to be out of place at first glance. But I immediately saw other familiar retail stores like 7/11 and Watsons. It turns out that this sleepy fishing outpost is a favourite place for Hong Kong residents to escape from their frantic lives specially during the summer.
Unlike Central where the constant churning of energy seems to dictate the pace of life, Cheung Chau seemed to march to a slower beat. Still, the landing had many visitors ambling towards the beach that Saturday afternoon.
I watched four young men, trying to put two styrofoam boxes filled with seafood on a small cart and then to balance it with a box full of expensive red wine. They were getting ready for a night of revelry.
Fr Elton soon appeared with a smile on his face. It was great to see him once again for it has been a while since he bade the JAG goodbye a year ago in Vancouver.
I was grateful that he came to fetch me, judging from how we bobbed and wove around the carts and narrow alley ways, I would have taken twice as long. We wended our way through sloping pathways and soon stood at the foot of the steps that would lead us to the Xavier House.
Climbing the craggy and weather beaten steps, punctuated by verdant shrubs and trees, with each landing connected to an old house, I wondered why people decided to live here, away from the neon lights of Hong Kong. I was reminded of what Lu Xun, one of my favourite writers who wrote, “Hope is like a path in the countryside: originally there was no path, but once people begin to pass, a way appears.” Unlike planned communities Tsing Yi, Cheung Chau appeared to be made up of cloisters of houses with stalls taking up most of the street scene.
Fr Elton on two occasions, invited me to pause to catch my breathe. And while I was trying to keep up with him, I was too caught up in the moment to even considering stopping, breathless as I was. In hindsight, the climb was not that bad, I might have had one too many dumplings over lunch at Causeway Bay.
Soon the huge gated door greeted us, much as it has greeted many, made me think of Matthew 11:28: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Compared to the spacious Rosemarie Heights in Surrey, Xavier House is adequate. But it serves as a much needed place for Hong Kong residents to regain some balance in their lives through quiet prayer, an antidote to their busy and stressful lives. It was interesting to learn that the first thing retreatants do is to spend their first day sleeping.
Standing at the edge of a lookout point in the garden, one could see a beach front with its unspoiled and untrammelled sand. I imagined that the breathtaking view made it easier to hear His subtle voice.
On that particular weekend, Xavier House was full. And while he was trying to complete some scholarly papers from the recent Ignatian conference at the Wah Yan College, Fr Elton graciously made time to chat for a little bit. (The recent conference drew 650 worldwide attendees.)
When it was time to leave, the oddest thing occurred. The ferry I was trying to catch was unexplicably full! It almost felt like being unable to board Canada Line during rush hour! Who would have thought this would take place in a fishing hamlet like Cheung Chau?
With time on our hands, Fr Elton took me around the market square. The many stalls were adorned with faded red papers and some with yellow lanterns. At the end of the road was the entrance to the beach which still had a handful of children frolicking in the waters on a cool December afternoon. Cheung Chau, I learned, had only two vehicles: an ambulance and a police car. And that it was known for its rotating potatoes, which we find in the Richmond Night Market. We even passed the curry restaurant where he and fellow JAG Ignatius Lee had a meal earlier that year.
I successfully got to queue up for the next ferry. As we bid each other farewell, it was good to know that we would be seeing each other again on February 17 in Vancouver, where the JAGs will fete him with unlimited sisig.
Exhausted from my visit, the gentle rocking of the water lulled me to sleep, but not before I caught a last glimpse of the hawkers and the visitors along the quay which provided an interesting counterpoint to the serene image that was Xavier House. I was just grateful for my prayerful indulgence.
No wonder many Wah Yan alumni consider Xavier House as their favourite place!
JAG blogs can sometimes be read in Chinese and French at: jagvancouver.wordpress.com.
My 20000 words.
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