Sunday, August 28, 2005

偷得浮生一日閒

We had a fun day at Lifen S/G's house.

Basketball, frisbee, swimming follow by steam room.....sprinkle with light refreshments (Eugenie's almond tofu - I must have finished half of that bowl) and two excellent meals - although our original beach plan was scratched, the day never felt amiss.

I could go on, but the day is getting late, and with my Hungarian national debt project looming ever nearer like a wisp of black clouds (a working man's Monday - it sure isn't much different from a schoolboy's Monday :), I shall retired, but with this little piece of poem, written by Khalil Gibran, a Lebanese poet who lived in the late 19th century New York, dedicate to friends old and new, in 19th century as well as 21st century New York:

"And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

Saturday, August 27, 2005

一封以前寄出的信

有時候想一想,自己在某些方面,是蠻GU MO的。這封信是在許久以前,寫給一位女孩,邀一起看電影的。如今,往事已不復,拿出來,搏君一笑,也未嘗不是件美事。(至於結果,這用腳想也知道,唉!不足道也,不足道也。)

Dear xxx:

我這個人一向是有話就說(的相反)
但今晚,不知是因為那半桶Haagen Dazs所帶來的sugar rush
又或是不甘於這不灰不白的生活
又或者是因為天上的那一輪明月
我決定 抱著荊軻刺秦王的決心...
不對 不對 不對
應該說是拿肉饅頭打狗的覺悟...

就說跳紅溪河的勇氣吧
我想對妳說

­...

我真的...

我真的有United Artist的優待票。

無論你是老人卻幼稚拒絕長大
還是正值學齡期間兒童如同我一樣
你都不該拒絕這能滿足你那童年被強迫看白雪公主的所遺留下創傷
其實我本人覺得白雪公主還蠻好看的
但這不是重點
我想強調的是
你是不該用理智拒絕我這動人的誘惑
想想學校裡除了教你用功用空再用功
還有什麼
那就是正誠情簡
但那也不是重點
這只是讓同住紐約的朋友輕鬆一下
用高雅的姿勢走進戲院

心動了嗎?

還是你一看到 寄件者: chhpotter 就直接刪除
錯過這''與我同行一日遊''而後悔
這個行程最大的特點就是你可以決定你要去哪
甚至可以不去看電...
不行
看電影
這我堅持
名稱更動''與我同行看電影之後,你才可以任意活動之一日遊''
走八
朋友
我已經粉久沒看到妳了
我還是很書呆
再說你已經看我廢言那麼久
別再相信那草率做的不理智決定不去的念頭
忘掉,刪除,拿去資源回收...

告訴我你什麼時候有空八

等你ㄡ~

P.S.
不管你想不想去

我都想告訴你

...

我真的...

我真的是健豪

真的

還有很想卻無法去的人請把這封信好好收藏

我是想著你

才寫出來的。

Chien

Friday, August 26, 2005

關於讀書的二三事


一  以閱讀為職業是一件好事嗎?當讀書成為一種職業時,還能保持原有的樂趣嗎?作為一個自得其趣的書蟲,閱讀自始至終,追求得是好奇的滿足。而好奇的前提是, 不能執著。「愛讀書,不求甚解,每有會意,便興然忘食。」與有目的性的專業,似乎背道而馳。所以,專業讀書人有,但你說專業的讀書興趣,那是無可能eh代 誌!

二 與其說人生像跳舞,不如說人生像摔跤,因為它需要我們立定腳跟,準備迎 接不可預見的每一攻擊。」古羅馬哲學家皇帝的雋語。閱讀大概也是這樣,你得用心出力,才能獲得對打,乃至壓制作者的樂趣。假如你一無主見軟趴趴的,那麼, 你只能「跳舞」,被作者帶著團團轉,頭昏眼花,分不清東西南北,於是只能說:好!好!

三  書痴是天生的嗎?倒也不一定。「痴」如果不是病,那就另當別論。如果是病,則先天不足,後天失調,都有可能。大體而言,「痴」介乎病與不病之間,要定論, 難也,難也。基本上,書痴者,在於佔有。觀之不足,而必為我之所有;數本之不足,而必朝夕不捨,冀望擁有全部。明明有了平裝本,看到精裝初版加簽名,價錢 多少?三天的薪水?便宜,買!過一陣子又出了限量加長推薦版,how much? a week's paycheck? 爽 這個月不吃早飯! (註:此例僅供君參考,是否真有其人,無須深入)

讀完這篇post的大爺們,小弟由衷的感激。癈言一篇,居然有人賞目,實是人生一件美事。
最後,詩詞時間。這次在營火晚會上朗誦的詩,帶給大家欣賞:

An arrow and a song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I shot an arrow into the air
It fell to earth, I knew not where
For so swiftly it flew that the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.

I breathed a song into the air
It fell to earth, I knw not where
For who has sight so keen and strong
That it can follow the flight of song

Long long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke
And the song, from beginning to end
I found again in the heart of a friend.

Monday, August 08, 2005

We are the beach boys!!!



Click here for more pictures

Yet another Sunday waking up at 7:30am.... Mad alive it feels!


晴天, 白雲, 蔚藍的海, 微鹹的空氣......
好久沒來海邊了
在美女阿姨的帶領下, 跟著眾表弟妹們 (還有海江哥哥跟美女姑姑) 一群人浩浩蕩蕩的來到 South Hampton. 距離所帶來的空間, 使這裡少了其它海灘的擁嚷. 妹妹尤其玩的開心. 一開始不敢下水的她, 後來玩的比誰都起勁.

這一趟的另一個收穫是見到了姑姑跟阿姨的住所. "結盧在人境 而無車馬喧", 沒有海邊豪宅的欇人亮麗, 卻更令人心嚮往之.

這 一次, 帶給各位一首自己兩年前試填的詞. 那個時候住宿舍, 迷上了 Jelly Bean. 一個月亮很圓的晚上, 大考剛過, 了然一身. 在吞了一整包 Starburst Jelly bean (one of those 7-ounce bags), 決定出遊. 走到了四十幾街, 在 United Nation 前的小公園坐下, 看著東河映月, 多少有點感動:

浪淘沙
風驟暗香殘,春意闌珊。 城東河畔小公園,星影稀疏明月照, 隻影憑欄。 寒意透薄杉,無限儼然。 佳人倩影映窗簾。異鄉夜夜, 仰望更思意。

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

胡姬貌如花

(This was originally intended as a response to Jimmy and Lei's comment. But I figure given its apparent length, I may as well post it.)

A just question, Jimmy. Lei, come on, give the man a break. I take Jimmy , like me, only interests in Hu Ji on a intellectual level. (As it is, so far all of my romantic encounters are confined strictly on the page.) Not that it's completely devoid of suspicion, since 胡姬酒肆 is quite literally what we refer to now-a-days as 酒家. Although it should be stressed that the primary functon of these establishments is to sell wine. 胡姬 refers to those women working in parlors, salons, and bars in the city of 長安, during the golden age of Tang Dynasty. Broadly speaking, they were not Chinese in the sense that they weren't of Han origin. "Hu" refers to the region of central Asia, near present-day Tokmak and Kyrgyzstan (Li Bai, it's proposed by many Libai scholars, was probably borned in this region.) 長安 at the time was perhaps the most international city in the world. Students, merchants, monks, and travelers from Japan, middle east, India, central Europe and various places mingled freely in the city. So it's safe to say these 胡姬 probably look more like Russians that Chinese, which helps to explain their apparent popularity among the gentry class.

To wrap up, here's another poem by Li Bai about 胡姬. To read Li Bai is to experience his dashing personality at first hand. After more than a thousand and 200 years, it still feels as lively as ever:

"琴奏龍門之綠桐 , 玉壺美酒清若空 . 催弦拂柱與君飲 , 看朱成碧顏始紅 . 胡姬貌如花 , 當壚笑春風 . 笑春風 , 舞羅衣 , 君今不醉將安歸 ? "