(* 建議使用 PC 或 laptop 瀏覽以達至最佳觀賞效果. For the best viewing experience, we recommend watching on a PC or laptop.)

Paula和我是在約十年前在香港一同上舞蹈課認識的。後來她到在台灣讀書,我們失去了聯繫,但在她從台灣學成歸來後,我邀請她成為我的合作舞者,重新聯繫。巧合的是,在我們寶貴的合作之後,正是我離開香港的時候。因對於她在台灣的時光感到好奇,並希望在合作上繼續我們的關係,我再次邀請她與我進行對話和交流指令。我們從二零二三年一月開始互相通信。

Paula and I knew each other in the context of dance in Hong Kong ten years ago. We lost contact when she was studying in Taiwan, but we reconnected when I invited her to be my collaborating dancer after she returned from her studies in Taiwan. Coincidentally, it was my time to leave Hong Kong after that precious collaboration with her. With curiosity about her time in Taiwan and the desire to continue our relationship in the context of collaboration, I invited her again to be in dialogue and exchange scores with me in the distance. We have been writing to each other since January 2023.

# 我們的開始 Our start

Suet Wa (2nd Jan 2023):

……Why am I doing this? What is the content created by this format?

現在我想其中一個很重要的動機是想透過同樣和有在他鄉唸舞蹈經驗的舞者交換文字,繼續寫自己語言,疏理我這身體在這邊經歷的種種反思,回望到底香港的身體和舞蹈是怎樣一回事,同時去處理當獨自在這邊studio 舞蹈時出現的孤獨感。所以我創造這條件和形式,用舞蹈去建立遠距離的親近,用表演去創造特別時刻,用創作去回應當下自身的困惑。
……

Paula (6th Jan 2023):

……哲學家Susanne Langer曾說過:「舞蹈最根本的幻覺,是力量的虛擬境界—— 不是真實的、用身體使的力量,而是虛擬姿態所創造的影響與作用之表現。」

作為寫給你的第一封信想用一個懶係高深、浪漫有feel的文字作為開頭。
因為我吾係好明,所以想分享俾你一齊思考下。

關於你提及到香港的身體和舞蹈,我們經常都會說,香港作為一個殖民地並沒有屬於自己的舞蹈。所以當我們要談論香港的身體和舞蹈,我反而是想到,作為香港人的身體和舞蹈是怎樣?如果要「我」跳香港的舞蹈我會怎樣跳呢?但其實我可以跳香港舞嗎?我成日講野吾小心有鄉音同埋懶音。……

# 關於寫信這回事 About writing letters

Suet Wa (15th Jan 2023):
Suet Wa (19th Jan 2023):
Paula (22nd Jan 2023):
Suet Wa (29th Jan 2023):
Suet Wa (10th Mar 2023):

# 我們的身體 Our bodies

Suet Wa (15th Jan 2023):

⋯⋯唔知你台灣讀書時你會唔會覺得自己身體同其他人身體有唔同?同一個地方的人的確會共同分享一些特質,但同時每個人即使係同一地方,各自面對的問題和環境又如此不同,從而好影響身體。

Personal is political. Body is politics. What shapes your body?

我望住西班牙同學們係party 舞動的身姿同我好唔同,但同時我會諗,每個人係party 舞動的身姿都唔同架啦,但同時我留意到大部分西班牙同學們party 舞動的身姿都有一種不能言喻的相似特質,這或跟開party 舞動對他們來說是一件如此日常的事情有關,但同時難說假若有一個香港人每星期都開party,或許他也能有相似舞動特質⋯⋯

Suet Wa (19th Jan 2023):

⋯⋯How are you 翻譯即係「點啊你」,通常係同比較熟朋友先講,但呢度柏林問how are you 就好似當食生菜咁,有時我會諗同陌生人之間距離,人同人之間距離好似近啲係咪因為呢到大家見面都會擁抱同問How are you,而唔係say個hi,揮個手就算?講真,我呢兩年同人擁抱嘅次數係多過我過去20多年同人擁抱次數總和。

呢種日常人同人之間距離同接觸的風俗習慣,係如何反應係我身體、行動同舞動上?⋯⋯

Paula (22nd Jan 2023):

⋯⋯回應你問我關於台灣讀書時你會唔會覺得自己身體同其他人身體有唔同? 我睇返果陣既影片係吾會見到我既身影,因為會錄低作為同學參考的都係跳得好標準既同學,我係跳得吾標準果種😂 果陣覺得我既身體同佢地身體有好大既差異,但佢地吾會話我動作吾岩or動得差。身體如何translate動作?都係創作《一切由無意義開始》過程中找到既initiation。 我在想這個作品還沒完成的,還需要時間。⋯⋯

Paula (13rd Feb 2023):

⋯⋯當時有發現自己身體同台灣同學身體的不同,但我冇思考過咩係香港身體,我思考過「我的身體」點解同佢地吾一樣, 大家的訓練背景、用力、習慣、選擇等等都好吾同,其實就算我喺香港跳舞,我都會覺得我同其他香港dancer身體都好吾同⋯⋯

Suet Wa (18th Feb 2023):

⋯⋯每個人身體都好唔同,呢個當然,但我總覺得,亦都係呢年先切身感受到,一個社會文化對於身體嘅影響,從而或者影響到我哋點跳舞,點思考身體,當一個地方睇表演見到裸體係當食生菜到場刊或場地已經唔會再有警告:請注意即節目內容有裸露成份時,當一個地方時不時喺公共空間就有台有音樂有空地俾人一齊跳舞時,當一個地方滿宗教規條同限制時 ......我覺得呢啲嘢都會留好多嘢喺身體,而有時係會共享於一同生活喺同一環境嘅人群身體中......哈,但有時諗太多Identity香港會燒腦,何謂香港身體、香港舞蹈,邊個有Voice講,由邊開始講,感覺我要返嚟讀返個cultural studies master⋯⋯

# 香港身體 Hong Kong Body

# Score

Suet Wa (30th Jan 2023):

我的深夜你的晨早發問

如果就香港身體呢個題目去寫score 可以點入手。有無趣?

Paula (5th Feb 2023):

關於依個Score我仲唸緊要點寫,「香港身體」覺得個topic好大。

Paula (6th Feb 2023):

6/2/2023 19:00 (Hong Kong time)

@五芳街

行過路過吾好錯過

收工的人

派發傳單的人

衝過馬路的人

路旁食煙的人

從7樓向下望頭頂都是黑色的

似乎沒有性別之外、沒有界波袋之分、沒有瑜珈褲之分、沒有喜怒哀樂之分

行過路過吾好錯過

Suet Wa (7th Feb 2023):

晚上六點幾見到你郵件,好感受到時差,想像緊呢個時間你身處位置。

後樓梯

向下望

大電梯

鐵鏈聲

香港舊樓

街好多人

想係相近時間點錄野俾你

我準備搬走離開我住緊呢到

走前記錄下我每日回家的路

6/2/2023 19:55 (Berlin time) 電車M5 往Zingster Str. 至Werneuchener Str. 回家路上,早上曾下雪,地滑,凍

Dear Paula,

I would like to ask if you are free after 4pm HKT on 25/26/27th Feb. I would like to do a score with you together, which lasts around 30 minutes, outside on the street.

Suet Wa

23rd Feb 2023

Two people start to walk on the street in two different cities at the same time

Remember the starting location
Start recording with the phone
Walk towards the Sun
Count your steps
Stop in the 300th step
Observe, sense and remember what is around, what is moving and what is not moving
Check in with your body in this standing position
Connect with the other person in other city who is also doing the same score with you
Stop as long as you want

Continue walking
Count and stop in the 300th steps again
Repeat the task as many times as you want until you feel bored

Stop the recording in the phone when you finish
Find a place and time to recall and write down the moments of pause

Send the recording and writing to the other person.

Each person finds another day to start walking from the same location

Follow the path in Part I as much as you can
Listen to the recording you received from the other person while walking

Walk and stop together with the other person in the past according to what you listen from the recording.

Observe, sense and remember the moment when you pause.

Find a place and time to recall and write down the moments of pause.
Send it back to the other person.

# Score of sharing daily activities

21st May 2023

Daily actions sharing
Find a time in a day
Write down what you did today
Start each sentence with verbs
Send the paper to another person
Date the paper

分享每日行動
在一天中找一個時間點
寫下你今天做過的事
每句句子由動詞開始
把紙傳給另一個人
把今天日期寫在紙上

21st May 2023
Suet Wa (29th May 2023):

on 21 May 2023, you asked:

Can we do score 1 when hk time 5am, your time 11pm

I did your score 1. I meditated at 11pm in my room actually, imagining you were sleeping in the hot weather and breathing on the bed also with me. However, the experience did not go deeper. You still seem very far from me and I am still wearing long-sleeve clothes. For me the whole experience of writing together to each other on 21 May 2023 was that you tried to transmit to me the temperature by telling me how hot Hong Kong is and at the same time shift my awareness to my body temperature.

I am wondering what you are also wondering.

Paula (31st May 2023):

……果日我4:50am起身,由開住冷氣既房間到客廳,感受到果個溫差,我想像,你果邊溫度同香港溫度的差別又係點呢? 然後我瞓喺地下呼吸,然後聽到臨天光先會聽到的雀仔的叫聲,我心諗,你一定知我講緊邊種雀仔、咩叫聲,吾知你知唔知?

果個熟悉的東西令我覺得有一種必然的連繫在我們之間,但這並吾會令我覺得同你近左,as you said you still seem very far from me。

關於score 1,我好奇、感覺可以再發展下 —

關於我哋之間的時差,如果在不受時差的關係的影響下,照著我地各自的時間表,邀請對方同你經歷某一d事,就算果件事並未必你的日程中要經歷的事,例如喺我要食晚餐的時候,邀請你同我一齊進行晚餐。……

Suet Wa (8th Jun 2023):

……最近在睇Yoko Ono 的 Grapefruit, 覺得可以用寫score 的形式為人帶來想像呢件事好有趣,個種想像同日常生活係有關連,之後我再見到雲就會諗起呀我可以停下做佢個個關於雲嘅score,或者你會有興趣望下。
我估緊你可能係講個隻會叫得好性感的雀仔,你甘講我突然發現,呀,係呀,我之前住大埔成日都會晨早就俾雀仔聲叫醒,而且好似呢種身體經驗係一年四季都有,呢到我諗起我對左廿幾年嘅個隻窗,同成日見到嘅紫藍色天空。一個城市的溫度同聲音,我仍然都記得,而我而家可以再透過「你的身體」再次感受。……

21st May 2023
Paula's response to Score 2
Suet Wa's response to Score 2

I don’t have a thermometer.

I just have melted chocolate.

There is no meaning to what I am doing.

The reason is you gave me a score.

It gives me impulses to action.

It gives me imagination.

It gives me a space to dismantle my rational mind.

It’s 15 minutes now.

I finished the score and am going to send you the ''result''.

The Result ------>

When I took a photograph of the ‘’result'', I wished you were here, right next to me.

The ''result'' is not obvious in the photos, but its texture change is obvious when you see the object — the chocolate once being melted and put under my butt again inside a plastic bag for 15 minutes.

I am imagining you are now here eating this piece of chocolate.

Paula (31st May 2023):

……You asked

Q: How can we sense the presence of others when we are not physically together?

依個問題令我唸起一個經驗,當坐喺一張仲殘留著另一個人的溫度既櫈,果種好feel到果個人既存在,而且好intimate的感覺。所以我嘗試proposed 關於「溫度」的score。但未知可以點同你發展依個經驗,吾知你有冇相同的經驗?……

Suet Wa (8th Jun 2023):

……關於殘留著另一個人的溫度既櫈,或者甘講會破滅你的經驗,但由細到大我呀媽會叫我人地起身後唔好馬上坐張櫈,因為會生痔瘡,所以我會覺得坐人地張暖櫈會有噁心的感覺,我會等張櫈涼左先坐。……

# Q&A

  1. Score 對你來說是什麼? What is Score for you?
  2. Presence 對你來說是什麼? What is Presence for you?
  3. 什麼時候你會覺得和人接近? When do you feel in proximity with someone?
  4. 什麼時候你會覺得和人共同在一起? When do you feel togetherness with someone?
  5. 你在台灣的時候會有想和香港繼續連繫的渴望嗎? 如果有,你會如何處理? When you were in Taiwan, did you have the desire to still stay in connection with Hong Kong?
    If yes, how did you deal with it?
Answer from Paula:
1. Score 對你來說是什麼? What is Score for you?

For me ‘Score’ is structure, inspiration, framework, plan, way of generating materials.

2. Presence 對你來說是什麼? What is Presence for you?

-physical 的在場
-在心中的分量
-氣場
-共同記憶的碎片

3. 什麼時候你會覺得和人接近? When do you feel in proximity with someone?

-分享一張紙巾的時候
-有身體接觸的時候
-講心事的時候
-飲同一杯野飲時
-有情感交流時

4. 什麼時候你會覺得和人共同在一起? When do you feel togetherness with someone?

-與人分工合作完成一件事的時候
-同人玩大電視的時候
-有一樣的目標時

5. 你在台灣的時候會有想和香港繼續連繫的渴望嗎? 如果有,你會如何處理? When you were in Taiwan, did you have the desire to still stay in connection with Hong Kong?
If yes, how did you deal with it?

我記得果陣好少同香港朋友甚至家人有保持聯絡,好想繼續連繫的心是很微弱的, 但直至到2019年透過社交網站得知香港發生的事情,見到一些有共同理念的人在進行集會的時候, 我好想回到香港,同那些人一齊去做某一些事情的心是強烈的。當初做的只有透過社交媒體保持自己對香港資訊的了解。不過在社交媒體上遇到一種很分裂的情況,一邊是在台灣生活如常打卡遊玩人山人海的生活狀態,一邊是政治壓抑的人山人海。

# 替

Suet Wa (2nd Sep 2023):
Paula (4th Sep 2023):

Hi蛙姐,

今日天氣好好,一d都吾覺兩日前打完風。大埔呢個地方除左入黎踩單車或者去大埔藝術中心排舞,我係極少入黎的,更何況係星期日。所以由我住既地方過黎,去每個點我都要Google map, 好似遊客咁。

第一站去左洪記,12:30去到,
呀姨話:賣曬啦。
唯有食住其他先,張喚記-雜菜豬扒米 凍奶茶
吾知你有冇食過呢間?
第二站由熟食中心行去寶湖花園再行去大埔中心,途中好認真地尋找陳先生的影蹤。巧遇吾到佢唯有打俾佢
我:你好呀陳生,你今日會唔會出黎大埔中心果邊吹草呀?
陳生:我岩岩走左返左屋企啦,我煲緊湯呀,你貴姓呀?
陳生話下次吹草再打俾我。

第三站由大埔巴士總站坐75x到九龍城碼頭。我中意坐由總站坐到總站的車,可以盡情瞓覺。其實我係第一次黎呢個碼頭,第一次坐船由九龍城碼頭去北角。

因為電話電量不足,所以我是冇辦法錄影😂
所以總括黎講,你既願望清單裡面,除左去Passover上堂未試,暫時我冇一樣做到。
但我會想再去的。

Suet Wa (5th Sep 2023):

# 在我和你之間 In between you and me

On 3rd Oct 2023, Paula and Suet Wa walked together at the same time in Hong Kong and Berlin. They repeated the route that they walked together on 27th Feb 2023.

After the walk, they wrote a list starting from
In between you and me, I find......
在我和你之間,我找到 ......

Dear 蛙姊,

今次的Walking Together 我用好休閒的步速去進行,大概用了45分鐘左右的時間。行返上次行既路,發覺有幾間鋪執咗。喺行呢段路的過程,我順便去咗誠品睇左15分鐘左右書,買左個炸 dark chocolate doughnut, 同雞蛋仔,完成任務既同時順便滿足自己的慾望。

Paula
4th Oct 2023

Dear Paula,

我用左大概二十分鐘時間行去上次行起點,Tempelhofer feld 最東一邊,之後用左四十分鐘時間起去最西邊。終點時影左呢個全境,俾你感受下個種空曠。回想起第一次同你一齊行個時的狀態,對比現在大約半年後,半年其實好短,原來轉變真係可以好快,兩次與你長行後都係我混亂的生活中俾左我一D安定感覺。

我有諗如果可以早啲知道你唔手寫信俾我嘅原因,我哋嘅交流會唔會唔同。我停下,望到兩個朋友放緊兩隻風箏,呢到D 風非常大,個movement 好美,原來風箏係可以飛成咁,我有連繫到我地。

對比你身邊有好多店舖滿足你的腹慾,我身邊只有遠遠的人粒,但望住佢地做緊唔同活動,一個人,兩個人,一班人,再有個微溫太陽照住我左邊臉。好唔同的節奏,好唔同的距離。

Hugs,
Suet Wa
4th Oct 2023