Tang dynasty poet Wang Bo’s poem on friends separated is a bittersweet encapsulation of what I feel towards my recently departed pal
I am writing this with great sadness. A very good friend of mine died last week in Hong Kong. He was only 65.
He had been enjoying his retirement from the Hong Kong civil service, travelling overseas every other month, when he was diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer two years ago.
Despite the devastating and totally unexpected diagnosis – he never smoked and led an active, healthy life – he remained sanguine about his condition and complied with all the treatments prescribed.
In the two years after his diagnosis, he still travelled and lived life to the fullest. It was only in the last few months that his condition suddenly deteriorated.
