Suddenly into calligraphy

In a carton blanketed with thick dust, an old booklet about Chinese calligraphy caught my attention. It was hand-written and printed on a kind of carbon paper. A printer was unheard of back in 1991. It’s been 19 years since I last practiced calligraphy.

I decided to pick it up. Calligraphy used to be a mandatory course when I was in primary school. But I doubt if it still is today when a kid can use his iphone to photograph his homework and share with his schoolmates. They definitely won’t write so much as to develop hand calluses as we did.

Calligraphy is often associated with tradition and senility. But it shouldn’t have been. It doesn’t matter what you write. The nuances lie in every stroke of the characters and the slight movements of the wrist. Brush pen dances on the paper and ink soaks into it, leaving a special aroma in the air – it’s a wonderful moment.