Diana

It has been 10 years since Diana passed away. Why is her death so significant for me? Actually no. She was merely a distant celebrity for me. But I do remember the day when I saw the news on TV, and the image is still so vivid in my memory.

That was a sunny afternoon. I was in Hoping Island, Keelung, in the living room watching TV. Not very comfortable chair, as we picked it up from the trash pile. That's what students do. It was luxury to have TV, and we connected cable from the neighbor so we did not have to pay for it. I was shocked when I saw the news, turned around and talked to J about it. Then I walked up to the balcony, stretched, and took a deep breath. Very sunny that day. I always loved that balcony and salty smell of the air. We had a few talks on the news, and lamented when Diana was pronounced dead. And then I can see the bookshelves that lay on the floor, the speakers we borrowed from a friend, the 486 computer that could not play MP3 at 128bit quality, the fridge which is home to so many roaches. Did not realized I still remember these until when I watched the movie 'the Queen', and now the image has its re-run.

10 years is a long time to change a lot of things. While you are busy with your career, those memories can be triggered and come back at any time. There can be pain, happiness, sorrow, anger, or any combinations of them, but you know you've gone a long way, and what you were and what you have been through make you what you are today. Now I don't remember too much about 1997 other than I made my first trip to US, to El Paso, Texas. But now I'll always remember Diana's death and that afternoon and the place I called home.