回想起少年时期，我当时在北爱尔兰的贝尔法斯特的日子，每当我向他人提及这所学府时，大部分都不曾听过这家学府的名字，或者会觉得震惊，因为当年这里曾发生多宗爆炸事件。但对我而言，这里可是我首个踏足香港以外的地方，我非常想念这里！

我爸爸是个人民公仆——警察，因此他能够获得政府补贴部分资金，好让子女有机会到英国升学。

爸爸为了让他的三位女儿都有机会到国外升学，所以他选择了贝尔法斯特，因为这里的学费较为便宜，他负担得起。

想当年，我们没有智能电话、没有互联网，打长途电话的费用很高，唯一能够和家人联络的方法——写信。爸爸习惯以他办公室内的打字机写信给我，而当时每当收到他的来信，我总是觉得他不善于表达自己对女儿的关爱，因为他都只是叫我们循规蹈矩；我现在终于明白，当时父亲是付出了多少，为的就是希望我们多读书，日后有好日子过。感恩他将自己的一生最好的都给了我们，而我亦因为他的付出，而可以用英语写出这段讯息。

如今，他已年届 70，过着退休的生活，而我终于有机会带着他重返我的中学校园 —— 北爱尔兰贝尔法斯特Methodist College。

照片中的他，站在校舍McArthur Hall 前；他终于有机会看到自己女儿的学府。而在那6年时光，这里有我许多的回忆。

这一刻，无论是爸爸或是我，心里的感觉都非常的激动，我们甚至不敢对望，因为知道滚滚泪水将忍不住落下。

我们的父母，一天比一天苍老，我们永远不知道未来还有多少日子能陪伴他们。所以，请好好珍惜父母亲，将你所有的关怀与关爱给予他们，这是他们值得拥有的……


原文如下：

Back when I was a teenager, I studied in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where every time I told people I studied there, they either had never heard of it, or were surprised because Belfast had troubled times with sectarian violence and bombings during those days. For me however it was the first city other than HK I had ever been to, and I miss it a lot now! I had the opportunity to study abroad because my father, as a policeman and civil servant, was granted government subsidies to partially fund his children to study in the UK.

As my Dad had three daughters and he wanted to ensure all of us would get equal opportunities, he had to choose Belfast where the boarding school fees were much cheaper so he could afford for us all to go.

Back then we didn't have iPhones, no Internet, and IDD calls were expensive, so we couldn't really call home, the only way to communicate was the old fashioned way - letters. My Dad used to type out letters with an old type writer he had in the office, and every time I received a letter from him, in my young mind I felt that he didn't know how to express his love to us. Just telling us to behave and what to do - I now know how hard my Dad worked to ensure all of us would have a better life through studying. He gave everything he earned towards us and I am so grateful. Even the fact that I can write a simple English message like this is because of him!

Today he is a retired 70yrs old, and I finally managed to bring him to Belfast, to our school Methodist College Belfast, where he had only previously seen photos of.

Here he is standing outside my old boarding house - McArthur Hall, where I spent 6yrs growing up in some of the memorable years of my life.

I have to be honest, it was a very emotional moment for Dad and I. I didn't even dare to look at Dad in the eye in case we would both tear up. But I could feel his pride and happiness in finally seeing it in person.

Our parents are only getting older everyday. We never know how much more time we have to give back to them. Treasure your parents and make them your focal point. They deserve it.



图辑：
图片取自胡杏儿Facebook

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