Joining Forces: CO-Happening!
From Hong Kong to Paris…and BACK.
When people ask me what is this CO-Happening, the first thing that comes to my mind is not what it is now, but how it all began. As the initiator, I didn’t wake up one day, wanting to create a community. Rather the community came about on its own. All I did was: Embarked a personal quest in 2017 to seek out both dreamers & doers in Paris.
The City of HOW — Hong Kong
I came from Hong Kong, a commercial & pragmatic city that persistently calls every walking creature to survive and thrive - primarily through ensuring materials goods and status.
Hongkongers (香港人) are known to be savvy, on the ball & collaborative. However, not likely that we would live life questioning why we live the way we live. After all, it is the city of HOW.
(Mind you though, it isn’t because we are not capable to ask WHY, but simply because the city runs at bullet speed. Bullets shoot — and that’s what we do! We follow the velocity and let efficiency runs in our vein).
So this is the city where I come from.
I was there for 8 working years (including 2 years in Singapore) after my creative arts study in Sydney. Finally, in 2014 without much risk-calculating thoughts, I bought myself to Paris city — the promised land of freedom & love.
(Note: The city of WHAT — Berlin.
Check out Taking on the challenge at GreenBuzz Berlin)
The City of WHY — Paris
There was no coincidence that I arrived at PARIS: The city of light, of chaos, of ideas, of love, of beauty, of philosophy, of ideal and revolution (which, I came to understand that they’re pretty much the same thing). It is the city of WHY.
Inspired by so many romantic movies, Paris was undoubtedly an escape from the pragmatic commercial world of Asia for me. Here, I could question everything. The time is slow here — people live here to live. They take life as it is. And that people-watching-then-talk-about-them culture? Well, it is true.
As for ambition, efficiency & productivity, they are just topics put on the table with wine and cheese. Yes, I was attracted to such philosophical obsession. Indeed, Paris was a city that I would never dream to complain about.
Well, until I did.
All is possible?! — But where was “I”?
My fantasy on what Paris city and my experience should-be didn’t serve me well. The image I had of myself totally crashed with the reality. Yes, that great invincible woman who was supposed to be independent, international, able-to-adapt, and well-traveled. Ops, it didn’t exist — “I” didn’t exist!
Such realization was like tumbling down the rabbit hole, but unlike Alice in her wonderland, there was no wacky-looking rabbit to chase and colorful teapot to play with.
Self-Questioning.
Indeed, I failed to grasp life, I failed to find my place, my role, my sense… I failed to connect with those around me. What I thought was right, was wrong. What I thought was should, was shouldn’t. What I thought was okay, was not okay. What I thought easy, was hard. What I thought was basic, was impossible. Most of all, it seems what I once thought I was, wasn’t.
I couldn't stop asking myself what the hell happened; I couldn’t stop asking myself what was this shock in France that stripped me naked, making life so dull. I couldn’t stop asking myself where all those beautiful passions that I used to have gone to?
Yes, that boiling craving toward life that I used to have about traveling, discovering the world, so hot and steamy and exciting.
In the end, I felt abandoned and heart-broken. This time, not by the world. But by me - I became stranger to SELF.
A Whole New World
In 2017, I finally couldn’t stand it.
I felt the unspeakable need to make sense of my own setback, and the reason for such sense of failure and disappointment. I needed to learn and put the puzzle back together so that I could transform my “bad feeling” & “bad situation” into an opportunity to improve and grow.
Suddenly,
I remember that I’m from Hong Kong city.
We are self-starters, entrepreneurs, makers of the new world?!
My father, for example, swam from mainland China after the cultural revolution to Hong Kong in the 70s. He created his whole new world with no hesitation. He was focusing on HOW to take the necessary actions for achieving his life. He swam across the sea, climbed mountains for eight days and nights when he was only 16. He got captured 3 times but never gave up! He succeeded to begin his life from scratch, and he got me on earth.
Hm. If he could do it, I could also.
So yes, despite the lack of fire, my inner action-oriented Hong-Konger called me to ask what was possible? Most of all, HOW could I transform this whole new way of being to something useful and value-adding to others? After all, there was no turning back.
Paris city challenged me, confronted me. Paris changed me by getting me out of my little shell called “I”. I could no longer be Here (Europe), nor There (Asia). I could no longer stay as this (Strong & Capable), nor that (Lost & Incapable).
I got out of my comfort zone. I was liminal.
Go beyond oneself with OTHERS…
So an impulse came to me one summer evening in 2017. Instead of waiting, I told myself to call out straightforwardly self-starters that I was sure to be. Yes, to find collaborators who would like to wake up with me this Paris’ dream, making things real!
Since then, it has become my quest to seek out …
Passionate-visionaries who want to re-ignite their inner fire.
Dreamers capable of taking actions (the two cities embodiment).
Ambitious-individuals who care beyond giving out business cards.
Playful-creatives who experienced the “magic” of life and crave for more!
Result-oriented collaborators, who are both open & ambitious.
Project owners who have a clear vision of what they want.
And finally,
Self-starters who do not settle for less in life.
Accomplishing projects together as diverse individuals and cities…
The commons at CO-Happening is not a result of one person’s idea, but an ever-evolving quest to invite dreamers, do-ers and different cities to join forces, accomplishing individual projects.
Here, we believe current skills are secondary to make projects and ideas happen. The resilience of project owners, the ability to learn and detect synergy with like-minded others are the determining factors to succeed. Afterall, resources are in you and around you!
CO-Happening! is an evolving space dedicated for creatives, entrepreneurs & self-starters. Here, we share skills, resources, knowledge, and passion, entering into mindful exchanges as individuals. And through committing to an agile collective process, we strive for a new alternative culture capable of continuous learning in the face of complexity, not-knowing, and constant change.
All participants entering the space have to stay open & agile. Original ideas and projects are called to be transformed into something bigger than themselves alone.
www.cohappening.space
Follow us:
