再聽 Kurumi

記得初中時，曾跟一位數學老師談起金庸的小說。老師剛入不惑的年紀，四十出頭，出生於大陸，長於台灣，成家於美國。開朗、認真，讓當時還是個英文大字不識幾個的我，倍感親切。

老師對我很照顧，因為我的數學程度不錯，她破歷的讓我不用跟著課堂進度，而可以進修更深度的課程。老師同時也是一個金庸迷。她說過，金庸的小說，是活的，是會跟著讀者一起成長的。她讀金庸幾十年，隨著自己的成長與世故，書中的事與人物，也伴著她，不停的在變。

今天，也不清楚為什麼，舊地重遊，把三年前的歌，“Kurumi”，又重聽了一遍，並找到中文的翻譯歌詞來讀，驚覺歌沒有變，但自己已不是那不識愁為何物的男孩了，已不是記意中的那份感觸了，不禁想起老師的話。

“此情可待成追憶，只是當時已惘然”



----
喂～ Kurumi
這街道的景色在你的眼中是什麼模樣呢？
現在的我看起來又是怎樣？

喂～ Kurumi
若是旁人的關心也讓你聽起來像挖苦似的
那個時候又該怎麼做才好呢？

只是回想起過去美好的一切
卻讓人的心情更自覺得瀕老
在這樣的生活裡頭
如今　我正要動起來了
因為我不想只做個齒輪而已啊
伴隨希望的衍生而增加的失望
即使如此明天的內心依舊悸動
「究竟會發生什麼事呢？」
試著去想像看看吧

喂～ Kurumi
假使時間的河流會將一切給洗刷帶走的話
那生存這件事就變得再容易不過了

喂～ Kurumi
在那之後我一次也不曾讓眼淚流下來
可是　讓我能夠開懷真心的笑卻也很少

不知在哪裡扣錯了
發覺到的時候才知道多了一個鈕扣
就像這樣地要是能和 某個有多的鈕扣穴的人相遇
讓一切變得有意義就好了
伴隨邂逅的次數而增加的別離
即使如此內心仍因希望而跳動
每當在走過十字路口的時候
難免也會有迷失方向的時候

總是乞望想擁有比眼前更多
為了追求那不變的愛而高歌
於是齒輪不停轉動
超過必要的負擔 讓齒輪一面發出嘎吱的聲響
伴隨希望的衍生而增加的失望
即使如此明天的內心依舊悸動
「究竟會發生什麼事呢？」
試著去想像看看吧
伴隨邂逅的次數而增加的別離
即使如此內心仍因希望而跳動
現在已經不能夠回頭了啊
向前走吧 踏上沒有你的這條路
----

都江堰

新家，新職位，新的生活作習．．．
也不是刻意如此，但就像燒白開水一般，日子一天一天，看來如如不動，燒水時的前十分鐘是沒有動靜的；但改變，如平地一聲雷，水壺尖銳氣笛，是來的快，更是來的驚。

"又是ㄧ個開始！"想到這，一些壓在心上的事，不知不覺，似乎又鬆了些。有些路，還是得自己走。對自己的期望，一種冰雪般的透徹。

Enough about me! 窮書生還是來掉點書包吧。

各位知道李冰的都江堰嗎？

都江堰是人類文明史上，曠古絕今的一項水利工程。實際上，都江堰其實是三個工程的總稱：魚嘴的功用是分開江中的水與沙；將岷江分為內江與外江，內江位於彎道的內側，所以泥沙會流向外江。寶瓶口能引進水源並且控制引水量。而在上游修築的飛沙堰，則將過多的洪水和泥沙排回外江。

整個過程中，最重要的一環，就是寶瓶口壅水段的保持。經過魚嘴與飛沙堰的引導和排流，少數的泥沙還是會進入寶瓶口。放任泥沙的淤積，都江堰是用不了兩千年的。

所以每年，冬季枯水時，岷江都會進行疏浚和掏淤的工程。

想想，人的心，何嘗不是如此。過多的沙雖然可由飛沙堰引走，但有些心裡的沙，還是得靠自己去清理。

最後，在給大家講個故事。話說許多許多年前的一晚，在黃州（湖北省東部，長江北岸），蘇大學士在一個為他而瓣的餞行宴上，被一位叫做李琪的歌女要求在她的披肩上提一首詩。蘇軾在黃州沒有聽過李琪的名字。他讓李琪磨墨，順手在披肩上提開兩行平淡無奇的開頭：

＂東坡四年黃州住，何事無言及李琪。＂

寫完，蘇軾繼續喝他的酒，談他的天。眾人心想，或許蘇學士今天狀況不佳，且詩又還沒有寫完。過一下，李琪再一次上前，要求蘇東坡寫完。東坡帶著微微的酒意，提筆一揮，寫下：

＂卻似西川杜工部，海堂雖好不吟詩。＂

千古才子微醺時所流入出的漫不經心的美感，微妙的恭維這個少女，留下了另一個不朽。

＂海堂雖好不吟詩＂－　寫的好！

讀詩後的意識流

為什麼要分離？

眼淚不會說話，但，從她臉頰上的液體倒映中，他彷彿看見自己在問，為何分離？如何能夠這樣決定？她的眼淚如她眼中的深邃一般，透明，卻絲毫不見清晰。

－－－

＂黯然消魂者，唯別而已矣＂

楊過在絕情谷等不到小龍女，而太陽已下山．．．
張無忌與小昭被迫分手，小昭乘著船，緩緩飄去．．．
蕭峰抱著已死去的心愛阿朱，徘迴在青石橋邊．．．

－－－

妳的一切在今日始終是我的流浪
我只好用詩尋找流失的歸屬
下筆才發現盡是情意的斷句

－－－

"眼見得眼見得那青梗
一路細弱的彎下去彎下去
是不能承受歲月與香氣的重量吧

搖落安足論
瘦與孤清，乃至
輾轉反側。只恨無新句
如新葉，抱寒破空而出
趁他人未說我先說"

-周夢蝶 (花心動 之二)

－－－

信否？路是天下有心人
大手握小手
一步一步走過來的

Wang's Magnificent Sinker

With my new rotation in Structure Credit starting in less than 2 weeks, my manager has relieved me of my daily responsibilities. Instead, I am to focus on regression testing in preparation for a major system upgrade next month and to concentrate on documenting and refining existing procedures and reports that I’ve come into contact with over the last year. It’s a rather boring role, really – writing procedures, implementing new macros, building spreadsheets, etc. And after 7-hours of them your brain turns into this jelly/glue/sulfuric dust mixture. So in a mighty effort to resuscitate myself, here’s a brief musing on Chien-Ming Wang’s pitching repertoire.

Chien-Ming Wang is a power sinkerball pitcher. By “power” I mean his fastball usually sits in the mid 90’s, and his sinker in the low 90’s. We often marvel at young pitchers who can throw fastballs that clock at 96, 98, even 100 mph (refer to affectionately by baseball people as “heat”.) But to quote Bill James (the father of modern sabermetrics), “speed for a pitcher is like looks for a girlfriend. It is meaningful but not determinative.” So a fastball pitcher, to be effective on the big-league level, must have more than just speed. He has to either develop an off-speed pitch (usually a change-up) to mix-in with his fastball, or to incorporate movements into his fastball. Wang's sinker is a fastball that moves. The ball is released with an over-the-top, then outside-in, flip of the wrist. It is gripped along the the two seams, and released as hard as possible.

So why is it so hard to hit, you asked? Well, Wang's pitch is not hard to hit, as evidenced by his low strike-out count. However, it's devilishly hard to hit his pitches well on a consistent basis. His sinker "explodes" in on the hands. The bottom of the ball falls out, and at times it seemed as if batters are having a very difficult time lifting the ball up out of the infield. When you combine a late-action 94mph sinker with a 96mph rising fastball and good controls, you have yourself a very effective ground-ball machine in Chien-Ming Wang.

And that concluded our little baseball musing of the day. Thank you all very much for staying with me.

"Strikeouts are boring - besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. More democratic."
~From the movie Bull Durham

Awakenings: What does it mean to be "alive"?

The movie opens with a scene from a Brooklyn street in the mid 20's. The Great Depression was at its zenith, but for the 8 year-old boy Leonard, that is as far away from him as the moon. He lived his day like most kids in the city - moving joyfully between school, playgrounds, and supper at home. But soon he was gripped by something far more personal and sinister than the Depression - the Encephalitis Epidemic.

Fast-forward 36 years. Leonard was a resident at a psychiatric institute in Bronx. We do not know what we see when we look at Leonard. He stays frozen in the same position , day after day after day, unable to speak, unable to move. There are other residents like him, and neither the doctors nor the patients' love ones know what goes inside their mind. Could they be thinking inside? "Of course not," as one neurologist says in the beginning of this movie. Why not? "Because the implications of that would be unthinkable."

The static of the hospital is one day broken by a new doc in town, Dr. Sayer. Like his patient in many ways, he shuns from human touch, preferring instead the company of books and himself. He is shut off by shyness and inexperience, and even the way he holds his arms, close to his sides, shows a man wary of contact.

What then unfolds between Dr. Sayer and his catatonic patients is a summer of miraculous rebirth. The patients are awaken by a new experimental drug after more than thirty years of self-captivity. They were filled with wonder and gratitude to be able to movie and express themselves freely.

But it is not as simple as that. And as the movie unfolds, We are invited to meditate on the strangeness and wonder of the human personality. The movie reminds me of the book "Flowers for Algernon", and it beckons me to wonder: who are we? How much of this "self" that we center our lives around may simply be a result of luck, of being spare from neurological happenstance such as Alzheimer's or Encephalitis? If one has no hope, which is better: To remain hopeless, or to be given hope and then lose it again? I was moved by the extraordinary courage of the patients, especially Leonard, for bracing what life has to give, be it good or bad. In many ways, the movie is itself an "rebirth" experience. I am alive! I have freedom! I can be happy! So I will grow, so live, so die.

"那薔薇。你說。你寧願它
從來不曾開過。

與惆悵同日生：
那薔薇。你說。如果
開必有落，如果
一開即落，且一落永落"

-周夢蝶 (花心動 之一)

炎炎夏夜

冷氣機宣告罷工的夜晚．．．

思緒的殘念像花瓶般被打碎
我試著將你拼湊完整
補綴、黏附、加上適度的焊接

汗水像雨一滴一滴的下
多年前購買的書等待被閱讀
想像你先前不願提及的傷痛與陌生

晚風吹來還有牡丹香的氣息
我看得見你背後街燈搖曳
自動錶針慢下來心卻還沒有死

南柯一夢卻是該歇腳的時候
不用說報歉而你也累了
夏夜言言一再的醒來
溫柔的月光俯下身來安慰你

．．．．．

「唯有寂寞能夠長保清醒，
唯有清醒能夠永耐寂寞。」

熱的睡不著，只能想著余光中的這句話，亂胡一通，記錄那一瞬的心境。

晚安。

一年又一年

派對結束了。

今晚的年度聚餐，熱鬧依舊，但大夥的笑聲中，卻多了一份傷感。

原因，不外乎別的，是因為大阿姨的美華排骨，在營業二十八年後，將在明天劃上休止符。

大阿姨是一個很稱職的老闆。她對員工，只要是肯賣力的，一定報予等值的待遇。所以跟了她的員工，都跟的久，跟的安心。在美華上班的阿姨、叔叔們，背後幾乎 都有一個故事。但到了這裡，得到了一種安定。今晚，從他們不捨的臉上，我看到一種超越雇主與員工的感情。

我 們家的人，one time or another，都在這裡打過工，包括我（送外賣、洗鍋子），弟弟（剝蛋、裝辣椒、洗碗、堂食），甚至三毛姨丈，四阿姨，跟媽媽。一家店，由因緣而起，因 緣而終，卻也造就了無數的因緣。So many memories revolve around this place. I guess I'm gonna miss it, not just for the chicken leg :).

Counting the Loot (that one in the middle is the bingo jackpot; Johnny Boy is treating dinner :P)

Beauty in the House!

Cousins and Bro: From top left to bottom right - Sophia, Mike, Annie, John, Lily, Danny, and Susanna.

呆子土地公

窮書生又要講古了。

話說許久以前，在一處偏僻的地方，有兩座不大不小的山。南邊的山上，住著一個土地公﹔北邊的山上，也住著一個土地公。南山的土地公廟建的早，所以北山的土地公，見到南山的土地公，都稱他一聲哥哥。

地處偏僻，兩座廟又建在山上，所以兩個土地公公難得吃的到好的。他倆可能是當時比較瘦的土地公吧。

有一天，南山土地公（簡稱＂南公＂）看到一個牧童打廟前經過，靈機一動，就悄悄的對牧童吹了一口氣。牧童回家後，開始了不知名的發燒。他的父母心裡著急，在牧童身旁守了兩天兩夜，就在第三天的晚上，牧童說話了：

＂我是南山上的土地公。你們的小孩再上山的時候，著了妖氣。只要在我廟前的樟樹幹上，刨一片樹皮回來煮湯喝下去，就會好了。＂

牧童的父母照著作，果然，湯一下肚，燒就退了。牧童的父母準備了豐勝的酒菜帶到廟前供奉。當晚，南公邀請了北公一同來打打牙祭。

酒過三巡，菜過五味，北公奈不住好奇心，抹抹嘴上的油，問起大哥。南公一五一十的說了。北公心中酩記，準備事後也來套這麼一招。

只是這北山土地公腦袋不怎麼靈光。過不了多久，另一個牧童打廟前經過。北公如法炮製。只是當牧童的父親拿著柴刀到了廟前時，這個父親抓了抓腦袋，不知如何是好。

－北山土地廟前，看不到樟樹啊！

父親想著在家生病的小孩，正在那發愁的時後，往土地公的神像一睹，突然想到，土地公公的像是樟木作的啊！
＂真是偉大的的土地公公！＂父親在心裏感激的想。但他在神像前看了許久，想在前劈也不是，後也不是，突然靈機一動，把神像翻過來，往屁股上一刀砍下去。

＂唉喲，我的老天爺啊！＂北公在心裡苦叫。但他心想，為那一桌豐盛的酒菜，屁股挨著一下也算值得。那知這家人很窮，買不起酒菜，帶著牧童在土地廟前磕了幾個頭，就走了。

北山土地公公拖著發疼的屁股，一拐一拐的去找南山大哥。南公聽了之後笑的不支倒地。

＂哈哈哈．．．．！你也真是個呆子啊！＂

－－－－

在聽完這個很無聊的故事，我們學到兩件事：
１　土地公是有求必應的，但前提是肚子得餵飽。　：ｐ
２　土地公是會開玩笑的，大有時候玩笑會很呆，因為土地公本身也很呆。　：）

Excellence is not an act, but a habit.

Saw this commercial a few days ago while watching a televised knicks game in grandpa's house, and I was immediately impressed by the simple elegance of the commercial. It also helps that Yao, one of my favorite player, is the subject of the commercial.

An Article on Taiwanese Politics

In my view, one of the potentally gravest pitfalls of democratic political involvement is when the people - the ultimate servee and server of the system - begin to take the system itself for granted. They either take its benefit as given, or they see its flaws as something immutable and attempt nothing to correct it. I see the Taiwanese Political Transformation as one of the greatest social experiment of the modern era. For it has shown, and is still showing, the process by which democracy takes root in a country previous ran by a authoritarian government and whose culture , 5000 years + and counting, is often though of by cynics as unfit for democratization. This article, written by a very well-known Taiwanese political and social thinker, was written in response to the recent controversy surrounding Ma Ying Jiu and the so-called "special purpose fund". One can either agree or disagree with her views and her displeasure with Ma's rash decision to resign (afterall that's what democracy is for), but you cannot doubt that it is written with care, earnesty, and intelligence. It is certainly thought-provoking, and in this day and age, that is of the utmost importance.

路走得寬闊，人顯得從容

【龍應台】自首報告

當2006年底馬英九的特支費成為一個司法事件之後，我才知道，原來首長特支費中不需收據的那一半，可能並非首長薪水的一部分而是公務費，不能匯入個人薪資。英九，可能因此被檢察官起訴。罪名，可能是貪汙。

我太驚訝了。從1999年秋天踏進台北市政府成為台北市的首任文化局長開始，我的特支費的一半，3萬4000元，就是每個月直接匯入薪資帳戶的。秘書作業自動處理，沒問過我，也沒有任何人告訴過我還有其他的可能作法。我倒是記得跟公務員同仁有一段對話。

Continue...

AIDS in China

Imagine yourself a normal farmer living your days pretty much as your father and your grandfather had lived it. Your world consists of essentially your home, your crops and field, your family, and those villagers that you called friends.

Then one day, at the urge of local village officials, you were told to sell your plasma. You weren't sure what procedures are involved, but since life for a rural farmer is hardly poetry, you scrap whatever money opportunity you can find. And hey, village officials and the doctors said it's O.K., so it must be alright, right?

Later, much later, you were told, along with dozens, if not hundreds of your fellow villagers, that you were infected with HIV. No officials came to explain or take responsibility for your affliction; no one, except a few doctors came to the village for treatment. You were forced to stay in the village, forbidden any communication with outsiders, and your existence, along with those of your infected villagers, were seem as an annoyance, an eyesore to that giant capitalist machine we call "China". And soon, you feared, you will die and be forgotten, like those neglected fields not far off in the distance.

......

Read this article last week:
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_RVVQSSR&login=Y
(if the site asks for login, use "chhpotter@yahoo.com" for username and "chien" for password.)

I've always held a contempt for the Chinese government, or for that matter, a contempt for any government that refuse to admit to its mistakes and chose oppression over communication, secrecy over transparency. I am proud to be a Chinese (for the cultural heritage in my veins), just as I'm proud to be a Taiwanese (for the beautiful land upon which I was born and raised). 我對中國，有著一種泅於血中，深切厚重的情感。但透過這篇報導，我看見這個我懷有深重情感的土地，卻是一個踐踏我所有價值認同的國度。A passage in 龍映台's 《請用文明說服我》came painfully to mind:

"它，把真理當謊言，把謊言當真理，而且把這樣的顛倒制度化。
它，把獨立的知識分子當奴才使用，把奴性的知識分子當家僕使用，把奴才當─啊，它把鞭子、戒尺和鑰匙，交到奴才的手裏。
它面對西方是一個臉孔，面對日本是另一個臉孔，面對台灣是一個臉孔，面對自己，又是一個臉孔。
它面對別人的歷史持一個標準，它面對自己的歷史時─錯了，它根本不面對。它選擇背對自己的歷史。
它擁抱神話，創造假象，恐懼真相。他最怕的，顯然是它自己。"
．．．．

As a part-time economist, I can say without any attempt at exaggeration that China's economic growth for the last 2 decades is one of the most impressive transformations in modern civilization. But no country is respectable until it treats its people with respect, for a country should exist for no other reason than to serve the welfare of its people. Lastly, to again quote Prof. Lung,

"請用文明說服我，我願意誠懇傾聽。＂

月光中翩翩飛舞的蝴蝶

Found this while cleaning up my hard drive. It was originally intended to be published in a S/G's community newspaper, but due to your dear 窮書生's unparalleled procrastinating skill, it didn't make it to print, and I exhaled a sigh of relief :p. The words does not do justice to the beautiful music nor Joanne's wondrous talent, but at the very least it serves as a keepsake of a wonderful time that we all spend together.

．．．．．

月光中翩翩飛舞的蝴蝶 – 記張瓊文卡內基鋼琴獨奏會

三月二十一日傍晚，擁有哥倫比亞教師學院博士學位的台灣年輕鋼琴家張瓊文(Joanne)在卡內基音樂廳威爾演奏廳舉行個人演奏會，曲目設計保持了她一貫的風格，從巴哈工整的英國組曲、德布西的『貝加馬斯組曲』、鋼琴版的『梁祝』、到最後澎湃、辛辣的普羅科耶夫，Joanne 在這次演奏會中充分的展現出她多方位的音樂才能．

所有曲目中，筆者印象最深刻的，首推德布西的『貝加馬斯組曲』．這是德布西早期的作品，譜寫於一八九零年．德布西既是法國印像樂派的代表，他的音樂首重感受與情意，給人的感覺是一種氣氛．Joanne 在節奏方面掌握的非常好，從前奏的壯麗到第三首『月光』，曲線細緻，充分捕捉到月亮那稍縱即逝，模糊朦朧的感覺．月光在最初的八小節中緩緩下降；茫漠的世界，有著柔和的光輝．最後，主題被段片般的支解，在一樣茫漠的印象中終止．

緊跟著『貝加馬斯組曲』是這次演奏會的重頭戲，由Ｉ－Ｌｉｎ　Ｓｕｎ　所改編的鋼琴版『梁祝』．這個版本以一台鋼琴來表現整個交響樂團的音域，對演奏者來說是一大考驗．結構上，依舊忠於１９５９年的原作，大致分為呈示部（愛情主題、求學、到長亭惜別），展示部（抗婚、哭靈、投墳），到最後的再現部（化牒）。在原版中由小提琴所演湊的愛情主題，這次由鋼琴詮釋，別有一番風味。最後的投墳段落，音樂急轉而下，演奏激昂而果斷，鋼琴聲裡彷彿聽到了英台呼天嚎地，悲痛欲絕的控訴。最後，我們又聽到那段熟悉的＂愛情主題＂琴聲多次移調，起伏中，彷彿看到了蝴蝶在空中翩翩起舞．

一個父親和兒子的故事

這個父親是一位聞名世界的導演。

他的電影，陪伴了一整個時代的人的成長。只是這個父親，卻錯過了自己兒子的童年。

而兒子對父親的記憶，是用第三人稱建立起來的：
＂你父親的作品真感人．．．＂
＂我是看你的父親的電影長大的．．．＂
＂真棒，我也希望有一個天才的父親．．．＂
．．．
兒子長大了後，成為了一個庭園設計家，刻意的避開了父親的事業。
但創作的動力，泅在他的血液裡。這是沒有辦法改變的。
一次巧妙的機緣下，兒子在一部父親醞釀已久的電影中當上導演。
父親對公司的這個決定感到強烈的反對，毅然決然退出了這次的拍攝。父子倆在接下來的幾個月中，沒說過一句話。
．．．
時間快轉，電影首映結束後，兒子走上講台，準備對在場的來賓致詞。
不久前，兒子才從一位與父親共事數載的伯伯口中得知，父親來了。
雖然伯伯也說，父親在電影結束後，就走了。但他還是試著在人群中找尋父親的身影。
上台前，伯伯遞了一張紙條給他，寥寥數字，是父親的筆跡：
＂拍的坦率，誠實；很好的電影。＂
兒子的眼框濕了．．．

兒子的名字，叫宮崎吾朗。他的父親，單名一個字，＂駿＂。

－－－

This is a trailer of Studio Ghibli's latest film, called "Tales from Earthsea". The story is adopted from a popular fantasy series of the same name by Ursula Le Guin. The song played in the background is sung by Aoi Teshima. Not yet 18 when the film was made, she sang with a clean, immaculate voice that's simply mesmerizing. She's also the voice actor for the main character Therru.



瑟魯之歌 詞：宮崎吾朗 曲：谷山浩子

在近黃昏的雲層上 總是孤單飛翔著
老鷹應該很悲傷吧
在無聲無息的風中 抓住天空的它的羽翼
無法休息
把心比喻成什麼好呢 像老鷹般的這顆心
把心比喻成什麼好呢 在空中飛舞的悲傷

在細雨飄落的岩石邊 總是小小的開著
花朵應該很痛苦吧
在色彩迷濛的雨中 淺粉紅色的花瓣
無人撫摸
把心比喻成什麼好呢 像花朵般的這顆心
把心比喻成什麼好呢 受風吹雨打的苦痛

在無人煙的野徑上 和我並肩行走著
你也一定很寂寞吧
在蟲兒低喃的草原 一起前行的人們
無話可說
把心比喻成什麼好呢 單獨前往的這顆心
把心比喻成什麼好呢 孤獨一人的寂寞

What is the Matrix Retreat?

Experiment:
1 Zen Buddhist Monk
1 Psychologist
4 dedicated counselors
some involving paricipants
a bunch of 11- to 14- year-old kids (with energy to spare)
2 days in a secluded countryside
20 degree F, with biting winds
And what do you have?

...

A retreat that suprises, perplexes, is sometimes annoying, sometimes insightful, and never, never boring.

Kudos to Pete and Kuo Jeun FaShih, who led some thoughtful discussions; to Anny and Joanne, whose charm and grace no doubt had a calming effect on the more energetic bunch; to all other volunteers, who made this retreat possible; and to the kids, always illuminating.

It was a wonderful weekend.

“The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.

If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.”
-From “The Prophet” by Khalil Gibran

周星星笑哉!

Chanced upon this on Youtube yesterday. Some of you may have seen it already, but if you haven't, it's a hell of a good laugh :).

And in response to Eatgod's recent comment (愛妳一萬年 remains my favorite line from any movie, and 朱茵 one of my favorite actresses), here's another one of his timeless jokes:

"我最近發明了一種東西，相信可以幫你。手電筒？錯！這一支不是普通的手電筒， 這一支是不需要電池的太陽能手電筒！在有光的時候它就會亮！那如果沒有光的時候......絕對不亮！有沒有可能沒有光的時候它也會亮？問得好！關燈。哪~~你拿出另外一支手電筒來照它呢，它就會亮......嘿~~怎麼樣哪？開燈！這個發明還真有創意啊！"

雨夜

一滴．．兩滴．．三滴．．滴滴落下來．．

下雨的晚上，夜總是讓人覺得比較深。平日的矯情不在，取而代之的是更深沉，更原始的一種感觸。’君問歸期未有期，巴山夜雨漲秋池。何當共翦西窗燭，卻話巴山夜雨時。’其實，要說美，實在沒什麼美的。屋外泥擰，屋內寒氣透身。但，就在這時候，被雨聲阻隔的寂寞，讓想像變的專注，遙遠。黯淡的燈光，透過冰冷冰冷的玻璃窗﹔窗上，房裡熱氣呵成一片霧，看不遠，卻又覺得看的很深。用手指劃去窗上的霧氣，雨一滴，一滴的下。新的霧氣上來，繼續用手指劃，劃著劃著，終於劃出思念中的名字．．．

千江共一月

窮書生講古．．．

佛經＂四世因果論＂裡的一個故事：

話說古印度，世尊的時代。阿育王在一次盛大的宴會中邀請天下人、眾尊者共食。人群中，唯獨不見烰爐尊者。

宴會一連數天數夜。烰爐尊者一直到最後一天的晚上，眾人皆以散去的時候方到達阿育王的宮殿。

王問：『尊者為何故而遲來？』
尊者答曰：『為赴天下人之宴。』
王又問：『單身一人如何赴天下人之宴？』

烰爐尊者不說話，抬頭仰望。這時天色已晚，月明星稀。尊者做一偈答了王：
『千山同一月，萬戶盡皆春；
千山有水千江月，萬里無雲萬里天．．．』

－－－－－－－

這就是蕭麗紅＂千山有水千江月＂小說書名的出處。

此書講故鄉之情，家族之情，乃至貞觀與大信的感情，無依不是細膩，縈懷。縱使結局令人覺得過於倉促，整體而言，卻是一個餘味無窮的好故事。

對這偈（ｊｉ４　ｏｒ　ｊｉｅ２？both seems to be right）的解釋，每個人，因為自己感觸與經歷的差異，一定會有所不同。這本是佛法應有的深度。有江就有水，有水就有月，月亮是緣起，倒映在水中的，是有情。他們不是對立的。

”佛如天上月，本來如如不動，不來人間，有水之處，皆現其影。佛之法身，如如不動，隨眾生心，水清見佛，應身出世。＂

大觀

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/28/arts/design/28muse.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin

感謝Leigo，在回紐約的前夕給我報這麼一個好料，讓我在星期五的一大早，又跑了一次士林。

這次去故宮，是帶著朝聖的心情去的。不為什麼，只因在此次「大觀」的特別展覽中，有蘇軾，更有宋人達中華文化之巔的善本書輯，書法拓本，及北宋窯器。

就如同NY Times所說的，這是一次矌世之展。故宮館藏數載不見的文物，加上世界各地博物館所借來，一次展出。因為是星期五，沒有本地的人，卻有成堆成群的日本、美國、韓國，以及大陸的觀光客。我就跟著他們，看北宋山水畫的震撼，看『雨過天青』的汝窯釉色，看宋人的煥爛書法；在蘇東坡的『書前赤壁賦』前徘徊不以，不能自己。

宋徽宗的『瘦金體』書法。A horrendous emperor, but he sure was gifted.

天下三大行書之一－蘇軾的寒食詩

范寬的『谿山行旅圖』

蘇體（以蘇軾書寫的版本所印）的妙法蓮華經

『雨過天青雲破處，者般顏色做將來