There are a few commonalities between my 2 homes – Hong Kong and Canada. Their flags are colored in red and white and include a symbolic flora, and they both share a public holiday on July 1st. In HK, the handover of a colonial democratic government to a brutal dictator regime on July 1st 1997 was an anxious sad day for many Hongkongers, especially so when witnessing the recent happenings since the national security law was imposed a year ago. In contrast, July 1st had been a day of celebration for Canada since the country was founded on that day over 150 years ago.

I chose to celebrate Canada Day quietly in HK with the indulgence of brush-and-ink. I first finished my weekly calligraphy homework before decorating my new DIY papertube lamp with some encouraging words to remind myself not to slack off. Went for an evening run after dinner, the dopamine was badly needed to help me cope with the suffocating atmosphere in HK.

Found out today that Canada will be lifting its quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers entering the country, a good sign that I may get to go back to run a marathon in October. It’s good to have something to look forward to in this gloomy suffocating city.