During the wee hours of Saturday, in Autocity's MacDonalds, I finished an e-book written by popular TV host Meng Fei.
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| Sui Yu Er An : to be at peace with one's encounters |
Abraham Lincoln once said "nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power". In today's border-less world popularity and attention equals power. Being an acclaimed TV host, I find him to be exceptionally interesting and animated on the screen, but a common man on the street he becomes the moment the curtain is drawn to the applause of throngs of audience.
I have enjoyed this book tremendously. This is my first book finished entirely on my iPad, and the experience had been pleasant enough. It has had been a long while since I have focused and finished a book written in Mandarin, since my high school days of wuxia kungfu novels.
In this book I experienced first-hand the more down-to-earth and quiet side of this Meng Fei personality and character, besides his flair for the written word. Despite saying I have enjoyed this book a lot, there were certain junctures when his story was boring and rather dull, something we would not usually expect from a popular TV host currently on the must-see list of Mainland audiences. This betrays his determination to remain attached to his own humanity notwithstanding his appeal and popularity, and by extension, shows how his character had been much refined by real life experiences that now the man is not easily buoyed by instant and immediate situations.
Indeed, in his preface, he expressed astonishment that people would actually take the time to read a book written by him, thereafter reminding his eager readers that he may not be as interesting as they have seen him on television.
To forge simplistic rules and codes in a complex world, by which we abide in our lives, requires wisdom and experience, and without either pillar the argora falls upon its face.
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