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COMPASS MAGAZINE, October 2002.

Translated by Fanen        As we enter the new millennium with daily advances in information technology, "speed" has suddenly become a powerful form of ammunition in global competition. Everywhere, people are looking for things that are "speedier and faster." If you have ever walked through the subways in Hong Kong or Japan, you won¡¦t forget the fast pace of the passers-by and their expressionless faces.

       People learn to save as much time as they can. ADSL enables information transmission at the speed of 1536 kps, so one can sit comfortably in an enclosed space and make contact with the world while crossing unlimited time zones. GPS navigation provides magical decision-making for drivers, avoiding heavy traffic for the fastest route to desired destinations. Human inventions bring more convenience to the world; convenience facilitates further inventions. Our race with time seems to fall into a never-ending cycle.

       As for me, I felt the pressing of time most strongly during my years as a radio DJ. Back then, I had to schedule my daily three-hour program by seconds. Upon hearing, "Cathy! Twenty seconds!" I swiftly swallowed down the last drop of water to clear my throat. "Cathy, the singer is stuck in the traffic. Play a song to kill time!" I would put on a song and pray that the guest would show up in the next four minutes and 56 seconds of playing time. "Cathy, don¡¦t forget the commercial at 8:54" and I would attentively start my countdown, 20 seconds in advance. Apart from that, I had to know the exact finishing times of each song I played, so that I would not speak "on" the singer¡¦s voice, which is considered impolite. On top of this, I had to prepare a two-to-three-song mix for my occasional washroom trips and make sure they played long enough for me to make a timely comeback. During every show, I learned to make full use of the 10,800 seconds I had.

¡§Time is Money¡¨

This slogan had once prevailed much of New York City¡¦s Wall Street and provoked much public discussion. To this day, it still strikes many as a motto to guide their behavior. Yet, like many others, I sometimes have the urge to yell, ¡§STOP! ¡§ and put a halt to the bustling in offices, to the endless ringing phones and to the workplace hassles, so I may take a deep breath. Yet, we can¡¦t always get what we want, just like the radio show wouldn¡¦t stop for me for even 30 seconds.

       Now, nearly a year after leaving the station, I have gradually learned to convert my intense 10,800 seconds into three long, relaxing hours, and three hours into one romantic evening. I used to fear of be missing out on things in life; yet, as I have learned to live with a different attitude towards time, I have come to realize that I have benefited much. That is probably why many young workholics, after years of 16-hour workdays, choose to return to a life that only attends to their most basic, simplest needs, like the main character, Forest, in "Forest Gump."

       Maybe you are one of those who are in a constant race with time. However, keep in mind that the world won¡¦t stop for you. However, you can live life in a way that allows you to happily look back into every day before you go to sleep.