Monday, October 31, 2005

Rewinding the time


在Esplanade 剧院度过一个温馨的下午。听耿丽萍的演唱,有一股莫名的冲动,热泪盈眶的感觉。桐瑶模仿邓丽君的台风,惟妙惟肖,风韵多姿。

我曾经跟邓丽君同在一张小圆桌上喝咖啡。匪夷所思?1993年12月,罗浮宫,巴黎的冬天。

那年我从伦敦飞到巴黎,带着第一次到巴黎的太太在罗浮宫走了两个小时。倦了,在小咖啡厅好不容易等到一张四人的小圆桌。坐下没两下子,一位中年妇女向我们示意,然后便和Paul 坐在我们旁边。异地遇到“自己人”,我们都报以亲切的微笑。


走了几个画廊,我们又打了照面。只是觉得这名妇人有些许落寞。她身旁的男士跟她的关系耐人寻味。他们不像夫妇,少了那点默契;不像情侣,少了那点亲昵。倒象是对伙伴,互相尊重又保持距离的朋友。

1995年5月,邓丽君逝世了,带着甜蜜蜜,带着星愿。最后的照片就跟罗浮宫的她那样雍容,处之泰然。我恍然大悟,1993年底在遥远的国度同座共饮的就是她!缘聚缘散就是15分钟。这15分钟比甚么金钱都有价值。这15分钟在我过去十年里留下许多回忆,尤其是重游罗浮宫的时候。

在留君岁月演唱会上,耿丽萍和桐瑶使邓丽君复活,歌声再现人间,连那特殊的转音腔和略带调皮的一面也掌握上。邓丽君在不该离去的年龄离开人间,留下许多无奈。邓丽君变得永恒,永远叫人怀念。在华人的世界与邓小平双邓叱咤风云。

人生历经洗炼,多了内涵,自然散发出撩人的魅力。因为不再在意得与失,所以更能以真心向示。自然便是美,真善美的风采油然而生。

因为有邓丽君,所以人生多了些属于我们年代的故事.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Simplified Thermodynamics


The first lesson of thermodynamics I learnt is about work done. The work process is as follows:

Q---------> Delta U ---------> W

In layman terms, heat is provided as input (Q). Heat goes through a conditional and some energy exchange is going on (Delta U). As a result of the condition change, work produced in a form of output (W). The theory looks rather simple to me today. But in those days, Q, Delta U and W were very abstract. I couldn’t see heat energy, couldn’t feel energy exchange, how could work be done?

When dealing with a business contract, the process leading to contract signing is as follows:

Offer -------> Consideration -------> Acceptance

In this case, the Offer forms the input, Consideration is the condition, and Acceptance is the output. Whether in engineering, in physics or in commerce, the phenomenon is universal and may be shown as:

Input ------> Process ------->Output

In my article “a flower in the universe”, I articulated that flower does not exist by itself. There are causes and conditions which make a flower appears as a flower. Cause is the input, condition is the process, flower is the output.

This theory is universal: cause – condition – effect; offer – consideration – acceptance; Q – Delta U – W; INPUT – PROCESS – OUTPUT. While the theory is universal, real matters take different forms. No matter what form it takes, the principle still stands. Is Q-Delta U-W really that abstract and couldn’t be understood? When I distant myself and read the three letters QUW through a 3rd party’s eye, they become apparent to me. Energy takes various forms. Energy transfers from one form to another. Energy does not dissipate. Energy only transforms.

Therefore, with the presence of causes and conditions, you are what you are, what goes up will come down, dawn will come after dusk, a year in the temperate climate will go through four seasons, living things will go through a cycle of live and death, all suffering will have a way to end. The output hinges on the inputs and the processes that we all have gone through, just like a flower in the universe.

In the course of works, I deal with people of all levels. I interact with people of various characters. With the thinking of a flower in the universe, it strikes me that “I am what I am, you are what you are”. What so great about this verse? Looking back at how a person is developed and nurtured, we receive various influences at very young age. Through the external influences, we form a mental map in our mind subconsciously. Over the years, we reinforce our mental domain through a knowledge acquisition and filtering process to suit our own mental model. We all have different behaviour, we believe in different gods, we love different culture and music. We generalise them by saying that we have different chemistry. Now you see, I am what I am, you are what you are.

Professional researches show that we actually formulated our own mental models as early as seven years old. The influences we received before seven years old actually shaped our characters and possibly our future, our life. Sound scary?

Then what about the influences after the age of seven? They change our behaviour, attitude, social value and conduct. But our characters have been shaped, inborn.

I regret that I only thought of “a flower in the universe” after all these years. Otherwise I would have changed my parenting style and have done something different to my children when bringing them up. On a second thought, we are all human. I am learning to try to make myself more perfect than the day before. So past mistakes are just the outputs of causes and conditions. Why should I feel regret?

I do a stock take of what I have done to my children. Four paths have been taken:

(1) Decision making path – they learn to make decision, learn to face consequences with their own acts

(2) Affiliation path – they learn that my shoulders are still there for them to lean on, enable them to take a break and to press on. They also learn to immerse in a social circle, learn to love, to care and to share.

(3) Intense knowledge gaining path – they learn through school curriculum, internet, books, play and physical training.

(4) Life skill development path – they learn to be self-disciplined, managing time, identifying right from wrong, give and take, exploration and discovery. They develop the mental model of HOPE.

Am I giving them too much freedom to pursue the four paths? I think they have the flexibility and at this age, they can afford failure. They will learn through failure. I begin to see signs on my son especially about learning through failure. But having saying all these, they have way past the age of seven. Directly or indirectly, I contributed to the causes and conditions of their upbringing, hence what they are.

That’s life.

Monday, October 24, 2005

A flower in the universe 世界一花


A seminar on ZEN was held at Suntec City over the last weekend. This article shares my thought of the theme “a flower in the universe” (世界一花).

A flower is in the vase. The flower is fresh, beautiful, blossom and fragrance. We appreciate it as if it exists permanently.

As days go by, it withers, turns brown, and soon it dies and be thrown away.

Our mind grasps at the flower from its own side, not realising that “flower” is a living thing. Moreover, the name “flower” is just a noun or a representation that people have given to a certain phenomenon with certain characteristics. People with other languages would call it by other names (e.g. Fleur, Fiore, 花, 꽃, femenino.)

What is the true story of the flower? It is not that “I’m a flower. I’ve always been here and always will be here.” It doesn’t exist in this way always.

In reality, the flower is impermanent, dependent on various causes and conditions to exist, and is not existing in and of itself. The flower comes into existence in dependence upon a seed, soil, moisture and sunlight. Its existence is also dependent on its parts: stem, petals, leaves, cell and atoms that make it up.

By absorbing the energy and the essence from the universe (吸取日月精华), and under a balanced condition of ying-yang (阴阳), the flower exists. It appears to be a real, solid, permanent and independent flower. When we decompose a flower and begin to search for a flower, it could not be found. But this does not mean that there is no flower at all. The flower is only decomposed.

There is a flower – an impermanent collection of parts that comes into existence in dependence on causes and conditions.

In the same way, all things appear to be permanently, inherently, independently existent. But on closer examination, they actually exist in a different way.

After all these elaborations, what are we deriving at? Why should we be concerned about the existence of a flower?

There is this tendency to perceive, believe in and grasp at things as truly existing or inherently existing. Fear, worry, frustration, dissatisfaction, loneliness, grief, pain, and all the other myriad problems and sufferings of mind and body that we experience are caused by this thinking. The self-grasp ignorance leads us to see things as truly or inherently existence. With this thinking, we tend to neglect the surroundings, the “emptiness” of the universe and the true nature of things. We forget the “illusory”.

We want, in fact we have the potential, to enjoy ever-lasting peace, bliss, wisdom and freedom from all suffering. We all want to reach the state of enlightenment. But we are unable to attain this as long as our mind is caught up in ignorance, and does not understand the true nature of things.

A simple analogy is a rainbow. Due to certain conditions in the atmosphere and the play of sunlight and moisture, a rainbow appears in the sky. Although it looks so real, it is insubstantial, momentary. It completely dependants on causes and conditions.

Although most things last longer than a rainbow, the way they exist is similar. They only vary with each others as a matter of degrees. They arise due to the coming together, the integration of different causes and conditions. Like rainbow, they are illusory, empty of permanent, independent, substantial existence.

Can we free ourselves from self-grasp ignorance? Laozi (老子) had already thought of DAO (道) more than 2500 years ago. DAO is about the origin of universe, which is beyond the earth we live in. DAO elevated his body and mind. He lived eternally with the universe.

Similarly, more than 2500 years ago Buddha was enlightened and able to share his deep thinking of the process of nature: Dukkha (affliction) -->Samudaya (arising)--> Nirodha (containment) -->Marga (ways).

Keeping in mind of illusory without grasping at anyone or anything as truuly existing, there is a fascinating discovery: We are all transitional. We are all exist impermenently. Eventually, a dust returns as dust, a soil returns as soil (尘归尘,土归土). Once returns to the origin, eternality arises.

A flower in the universe is not just about a flower in the universe. Don’t you agree?

Monday, October 17, 2005

萤火虫的世界


Have you ever seen limestone passages sculpted by water up close? Have you drifted in silent darkness beneath the luminous blue-green shimmer of thousands of glowworms?

It was a fascinating experience---萤火虫的世界。

你是否见过满天星斗?在城市的月光下星星都黯然失色,光辉敌不过周遭的辉煌。不过在乡野地带四周一片漆黑,满天星斗原来是那么迷人。加上一点想象,星星就不再是星星。它们是爱人,是童年,是梦想,是宿命。

北斗星在正北极上空,是导航员,是希望。郑和在北斗星指引下完成远征非洲的使命。自此中国有了皮休,据说是在非洲带回的长颈鹿。

你是否见过满天萤火虫?那种感觉仿佛在荒山野岭观看满天星斗。星星就在眼前,伸手就能抓上一把。奇妙!

我曾经那么近距离跟萤火虫亲近过,在纽西兰南岛Te Anau。乘船半小时到湖中央的小岛,岛上别有洞天,在这个二十万年的山洞里跟萤火虫近距离接触,好像是神话故事,不过很真实。我们乘坐小木舟,伸手不见五指,随着流水潺潺游荡,荡呀荡的就荡到萤火虫中。一闪一闪的萤光,密密麻麻,带给人无限的暇思。加上一点想象,它们是爱人,是童年,是梦想,是宿命。

萤光亮度越强表示越饥饿,焦急地等待美食上钩。萤光虫的生命也可以很凄美。你或许会若有所悟,宁可挥一挥衣袖,不带走一片云彩,也不想给自然生态带来任何破坏。

那段在纽西兰的日子格外轻松,心情特别漂亮,人在画图中什么脾气都消了。更妙的是在云雾中看世界,一切朦朦胧胧,那头驴子在车前摇头摆尾,把你当成同类。还有更妙的,在冰天雪地的Mount Cook,还有人流了一身汗。那是另一段趣闻,下回分解。

念天地之悠悠,独仓然而泪下,那种感觉也品尝了。从Mount Cook 在暮色中飞驰,夜越深越沉,直抵Queenstown。一路穿过重重山路,两旁是雪山,黑戚戚,路茫茫,山路弯弯,不见车前月,不见满天星斗。前不见古人,后不见来者。这就是荒野。


这段路上不见萤火虫,不然就能走入梦幻世界了。So, have you drifted in silent darkness beneath the luminous blue-green shimmer of thousands of glowworms?

It is a fascinating experience that shouldn't miss.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

You are so blessed


In many instances, we believe that the greener pasture always falls at the other side of the fence. We feel distressed because we do not get what we wanted. The clock is not at our end, the globe does not rotate at our wish, winter comes before the spring, in the morning wake up from the wrong side of the bed...

Wait a minute. Think hard enough, appreciate what is surrounding you. Life isn't that bad after all. My friend from England sent me a blessing. Please read. If you are feeling blessed, repay the blessings bestowed unto you and do something for others. Share your joy with others. Show compassion to others. You can make each other's day a better day.
-------
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness,
you are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation,
you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.

If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment,
arrest, torture, or death,
you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator,
clothes on your back,
a roof over your head and a place to sleep,
you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank,
in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace,
you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive,
you are very rare,
especially in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile
on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can,
but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand,
hug them or even touch them on the shoulder,
you are blessed because you can offer a healing touch.

If you can read this message,
you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world
that cannot read anything at all.


You are so blessed in ways you may never even know. A blessing cannot be kept. The blessing will only keep working if it is continuously passed around.

Keep the blessing working by being the source of blessing to other people.

Sunday, September 25, 2005

中秋月


Mid-Autumn.

There are so many fascinating tales created for the moon in the Chinese history. By far 嫦娥奔月 is the most popular story. 嫦娥應悔偷靈藥﹐碧海青天夜夜深。Chang-er could not resist the temptation of being forever young. She stole the magical medicine from her husband and finished them all. Her body became lighter and lighter and eventually floated to the sky.

Her wish was fulfilled but she also had to stay lonely in the moon, forever. She missed the happiness in life, forever.

Life is a fine balance. You gain some, you lose some. There is no free lunch. There is always a price to pay for. This is about Ying-Yang, about Dao. Happiness arose deep from the heart, deep from the soul. It is all in your mind. Happiness can be very simple but rewarding as long as you perceive your life positively. By appreciating small little things happening around you could brighten your days.

For example, have you tried waking up 15 minutes earlier and send your daughter to school instead of leaving her to the school bus? Have you tried to talk to her during that little 15 minutes journey, Let her shares with you her encounters in school, her sadness and joys? You would possibly feel the differences of her yesterday and today. She is growing up day after day. One fine day she will leave you to pursue her dream. But you will remember the little moments that she spent with you and you spent with her. You will remember the unconditional love between you. This little time, this little share of love that you are together shapes her life.

On the night of mid-autumn festival, the lunar calendar of 15th day of the 8th month, 2005, I strolled with my 11 years old son and 9 years old daughter in the Tampines Tree Garden. There were other families around. The garden was brightened up by the mid-autumn lanterns, hanging on the trees, swinging around with the delighted faces. They lightened the night and brightened the hearts. Life can be as simple as it can be.

Near mid-night, the moon was shining high up in the sky. How many times we really devote a little moment in our life to appreciate what are surrounding us? How many times we know that Chang-er doesn't exist in the moon but just let our own imaginations flow?

藍藍的天空銀河里有只小白船﹐船上有棵桂花樹﹐白兔在游玩。Peaceful life is also a form of happiness. You know the truth but by hiding the truth with right and kind intention can also bring happiness. Why not just let the Chang-er's story last forever rather than revealing the moon is just a piece of vacant land without air and life? Art and science co-exist. don't they?

海為龍世界﹐云是鶴家鄉。The universe is built on relativity and integrated as a coherent whole. Everyone serves their respective lives and stays where they belong. Once we know the balance, lives will no longer be as complicated as they used to be. Happiness will arise from your heart. You can then appreciate life with a totally different perspective. You have elevated yourself into an entirely different context.

Life is beautiful. Just as the mid-autumn moon.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

万水千山总是情

万水千山总是情。千古以来情是不变的变数。触景生情,旧地重游,让你如痴如醉不枉此生的不外是情与景。让你遗憾感慨顿足垂胸的不外是情与景。

去年今日此门中,人面桃花相映红。人面不知何处去,桃花依旧笑春风。因为有情所以我们情牵于景,人生多了几段故事,几段回忆。它们点缀生活,为人类发展制造软性的人文气息。

一旦迷失于森林城市,我们就会失忆,多凄美多纯情的故事都不会保存。Bras Basah 在重新打造中。窝在心中的始终是红墙下的神农药房,红砖砌成的国家图书馆。它们在闹市中的一角默默栽培着一代人,制造了一代人的神话。它们是我们共同的文化,共同的成长,共同的回忆。当这一方寸土迷失在闹市中时,净土何在?

滨海城的未来在打造中。淳朴的依丽沙白道上曾经酝酿着一个个爱情故事。黑发一同变成华发,看着彼此一天天变老。他们要的是淳朴带有咸味的海风还是繁华却不属于他们的赌城?或是美其名为综合娱乐城?

然后我才发觉原来失去了这么多。童年的牛车水充策着生命力,生活气息散发在自然中。今天刻苦营造的牛车水气息并不属于我们这一代。童年的大坡小坡,我找不回失落的回忆。在打造新城市的过程中需要考虑什么人文因素?

(1)个性Character:一个有个性的城市必能吸引人们的目光。一个有个性的城市,一个有个性的民族就能叫人尊敬。如果新加坡只是另一个上海,另一个伦敦的缩影,这个城市还能散发出独特诱人的魅力吗?

(2)故事Story:Titanic只是一宗沉船事件,一段凄美的爱情却使平淡化为神奇。男女主角在船桅迎风展翅的一幕成为绝世经典。月落乌啼霜满天,江枫渔火对愁眠。菇苏城外寒山寺,夜半钟声到客船。庭院庙宇何其多,寒山寺凭借落第秀才的一首唐诗,一缕灵气而烟火不断,不到寒山寺一游不能圆梦。

(3)经济效益Economies of scale:一旦经济效益处于主导地位,思考范围自然大受限制,无法乖离MBA设下的框框。人文与经济并存,唇亡齿寒,一个没有人文历史文化的民族只是一个世界公民,四海为家处处家,没有家园没有效忠。

活出个性,活出精采,织一个属于我们的生活,属于我们的故事,留下我们的足迹,是营造未来的过程中不可或却的一环。天上的彩虹也有你我的血汗.

Friday, August 26, 2005

About "DAO" - 道


I feel regret that I did not pick up Taiji in my earlier years. I only started learning Taiji at middle age. In the process, what I have picked up is not just about the martial art. More importantly is the philosophical thinking behind Taiji - a theory about ying-yang, beyond ying-yang, and tracing the origin of the universe.

Why am I thinking about all these? Perhaps is a transition to old age?

老子提出了“道”的概念。而“道”是看不见、摸不到的,它是宇宙唯一的、绝对的物质存在,不会随物的变化而消失,也不会因外在的力量而改变。而其本身不断运动变化,从而产生出天地万物。

自古至今的中外哲学,所要解决的是三个根本问题:一是宇宙和生命起源及演化问题,二是现实世界的本质与基础问题,三是社会与人生的理想问题。老子的道论把这三个哲学问题合在一起加以探讨。他说:“道生一,一生二,二生三,三生万物。”"人法地,地法天,天法道,道法自然。”道,不仅成为道家、道教的最高信仰,亦成为中华民族心目中最高真理的代称。从古至今,多少圣贤志士都毕生竭力于求道、学道、闻道、得道、悟道、体道、行道、宏道,为的是使人生变得更有价值,使世界变得更加美好。可以说,老子建立了一座道的丰碑,诸子百家环绕而敬仰之,得大道之滋润,用大道而生辉。老子的道论是超乎学派的,没有封界的,一切愿意穷根究底和需要安身立命的人们,都可以到大道里面去寻找答案。

<道德经>第一章开宗明义指出:“道可道,非常道;名可名,非常名。无名天地之始;有名万物之母。故常无,欲以观其妙;常有,欲以观其徼。。”道具有万物本原的意义。老子说:有一个混然一体的东西,它先天而存在。无声无形,杳冥空洞,永远不依靠外在的力量,自身不停地循环运行,可以称之为天下万物的母体。我不知道它的名称,把它叫做“道”,再勉强给它起名叫做“大”。道之所以被命名为“大”,是因为其无边无涯。道不止于大,又能不分昼夜的运行不息,故又可谓之“逝”。其愈逝愈远,无法穷尽其源,故又可谓之“远”。但虽远至六合之外,无穷无尽,却始终未尝离道,仍然依道循环运行,故又可谓“反”。这是老子对“道”的全面描述,它将生成天地万物的本体、运动性、规律性、时间和空间的无限性集于一身,指的就是宇宙——万物的本原。

在老子看来,作为万物本原的道,不是物质也不是精神,不能说它有,它是非物,无形无象;又不能说它无,因为它时刻催生着万物,形成异彩纷呈的动态世界。所以道体是无,道用是有,道是无与有的统一,两者同出而异名。他说:无,是天地的原始;有,是万物的根本。所以经常从无形无象处去认识道的微妙,经常从有形象处去认识万物的终极。这两者(有和无)同一个来源,只是名称不同,都可以说是深远玄妙的,是天地万物、一切玄妙产生的总户。

作为大道本体的“无”,又如何产生天地万物呢?老子认为,尽管“无”是宇宙最原始的状态,但此原始之道并非绝对的空无,在它朦朦胧胧、混然一体的之中,包孕着天地万物的基因,这就是精。西汉时期的道家学者曾经比喻说,老子之道就象一个鸿卵一样。鸿卵看上去什幺也没有,既没有头又没有尾,既没有翅又没有腿,可是包孕着鸿的一切;道看上去什幺也没有,既没有天又没有地,既没有人又没有物,可是却包孕着天地人物的一切。这个比喻虽然不十分确切,但却大大有助于人们理解老子所说的道。

道,看起来什幺也没有,所以可称为无。说它是无,那只是相对于天地万物而言的,而不是说它不存在。它是一种无形无象、无分无界、朦胧不清、混然一体的东西。正因其无分无界,混然一体,所以可称其为“一”。这样一来,“一”就从“无”中推衍了出来。老子把这个过程称为“道生一”。这个“一”,指出是阴阳未分之前混沌一体的宇宙。它与“无”字虽然只是一字之差,却体现了道的两种相反的属性。前者体现了道的实在性,后者突出道的虚空性。这个混沌未分的宇宙,“其中有精”,在自我的运动之中,逐渐分剖为阴阳二气,老子把这个过程称为“一生二”。“二”这是阴阳

阴阳的变化,犹如强大的动力,激活了宇宙间的“精”,从而产生天地,产生了人类,他们与道并存,老子把这个过程称为“二生三”,所谓“三”,即指天、地、人三才。宇宙间有了这三种东西,万物得以资生,即通过阴阳运动生成新的统一体后,生化出世界万物,老子把这个过程称为“三生万物”。在对道生化天地万物的整个过程做了描述之后,老子总结说:“万物负阴而抱阳,冲气以为和。”明确地指出,天地万物皆内涵阴阳,阴阳二气又在冲和之气得到统一,万物亦在冲和之气中得到生养。这段话语简直是对宇宙演化进程的一种朴素而形象的描述:从无形无象的道,演化出气态宇宙,演化出固态天地,乃至形形色色的物体;从固态的无机物中,又衍生出有机物,乃至千异百态的生命体,其生成毁灭的根本机理便是阴阳两种原素的变化。在整个宇宙生成链的各个层次上,阴阳是万物生成、生命流动的活力,大道则是贯穿始终、通达万有的根本,老子把它形容为“玄妙之门”,不是非常贴切的比喻吗?

Sunday, August 07, 2005

A sentimental journey


Collected the two tickets of 剑雪浮生 and gave them to father. To him, 剑雪浮生 is not just about 任剑辉,白雪仙和唐涤生, it is also about 陈宝珠, a character that could never be forgotten if you live through the 1960s, and there are much more...

陈宝珠 left the public scene since 1972 but made a return for her master 任剑辉 in 1999. Now, she is bringing 剑雪浮生 to Singapore in September.

For the generation like my father, 陈宝珠 carries another meaning of fond sentimental value of the past, something that can be associated with. When I passed him the tickets, I could smell the spark in his eyes, and the excitement in his old heart.

Time and again people asking me why do I like London. The reason is actually quite simple. The vibrant of the city may be part of the reason. The good mixed of science, technology and art may also be part of the reason.

When digging deep into my heart and soul, I would say that the main reason is deep memory. London is a place that I can connect and associate with. It has a big heart that contains the new and the old, the gentle and the odd. Wherever I step on the street of London, I can find the familiar architecture, I can find my old sentiment, I can recall the fond memories that my wife and I commonly shared.

People may condemn the NHS system, especially those that are not so exposed and only rely on a single source of information. The fact is, my son was born in London, premature with a body length of a pen, and lifted up by me with just two fingers. He survived through the medical care. He discharged from hospital on his perceived birthday that supposed to be. I have no complaint.

People may condemn the transport system, again for those that are not so exposed and only rely on a single source of information. Imagine the network built on the 100-year infrastructure, imagine the 60 over languages co-exist in the same underground that you and I have hopped in. You see what is cosmopolitan. There are many X-factors that we are lacking. Don't always think that we are number one. In many areas we are lagging far far behind. We can be more humble than we are.

Back here, I am actually in a lost city. My old house became a piece of flat land and now is a busy road. My childhood memory is rolling across by cars after cars, days after days. We embrace the modern architecture of the new national library. But it did not grow me. The old library built with red bricks that sat in a quiet corner of the busy Stamford road did! I can't associate the city with my personal past. My heart is quite hollow. We can't build our future by forgetting the past. Can we??

I think I have done a good job by giving the two tickets to my father. For that moment, I brought happiness to him. Happiness is actually so simple!

With 剑雪浮生, with 陈宝珠, I hope he and his accompany can find themselves not in a lost world again. At least for that short three hours.

Saturday, August 06, 2005

There is always a beginning


I first visited this fun land in 1992 when I was at the age of 31. It was a childhood dream that realised in a much later year.

13 years later, I stepped on the fun land with my wife and children.

Dreams after dreams. My next dream is to share the fun with many others through e- blog, a skill that I dream to learn and to master.

Therefore it is not surprising that this site is created but the ingredient is still under construction.