On Facebook

I am finally on Facebook.

After resisting it for so long...

Why the change of heart? I realised that quite a few of my colleagues were on Facebook, quite some friends as well. One of the reasons I didn't join Facebook was because my sister wasn't on Facebook, and she told me that I can't be more tech savvy than her. But with everyone else on Facebook, I guess it is only a matter of time before the wave caught me.

You can find me here.

我是真的真的愿意 by 小松小柏

我是真的真的愿意

如果云彩上有不雕零的花，我愿攀上天梯采下，放在你脚旁
伴随着你，用心期待，等你弯腰亲吻着它
如果山顶上有不褪色的虹，我愿谱上绚丽音符，藏在我心中
默默为你，附上新诗，直到你能为它歌唱
我是真的真的愿意，生生和世世只因为爱你
你是否愿意为我守候，让未来的路以永恒为期盼

如果山顶上有不褪色的虹，我愿谱上绚丽音符，藏在我心中
默默为你，附上新诗，直到你能为它歌唱
我是真的真的愿意，生生和世世只因为爱你
你是否愿意为我守候，让未来的路以永恒为期盼

我是真的真的愿意，生生和世世只因为爱你
你是否愿意为我守候，让未来的路以永恒为期盼

(I can't find this on Youtube, so just the lyrics. Recommended by a friend of mine.)

Another collision

Just when you thought things have quieten down for the JMSDF, they decided to get themselves into the news again.

Japanese destroyer tried to stop before collision: defense chief

Not a good thing, too many collisions in too short a timespan.

In collisions at sea, the naval vessel usually comes out the loser. Because you would think that a warship, tasked with shooting the enemy, would have better sense that to get itself into navigational problems. It is hard to shoot the enemy if you can't even navigate safely.

"The mark of a great shiphandler is never getting into situations that require great shiphandling." - Ernest J. King

Other sea service quotes can be found here.

Carrying a notebook

To most of your, carrying a notebook around probably makes you think about carrying a portable computer around. After all, unlike the good old days, when portable computers cost a bomb and weighed like one, the netbooks available nowadays are small and cheap as well.

But no, I am not talking about computers here, I am talking about the paper kind of notebooks.

I used to carry a notebook wherever I went. I would jot down thought, phrases that came to mind. I would then use these to expand on for prose and short writings. The recent spate of works were results of my notebooks.

But I haven't been doing that for a while.

Then an established writer, You Jin, mentioned in a recent newspaper article that she always carries her notebooks with her wherever she goes. It reminded me of my past practice, and I have once again decided to stick with it.

A notebook allows you to capture your thoughts before your forget them. They serve as ideas or references for future expansion, even if eventually you choose not to work on them. The ideas noted down can be built on, expanded, combined with other thoughts/ideas. Or left alone. But if you don't capture them down in a notebook when you can, you will end up losing them. Because too many things race through our minds each day, it is just impossible for us to remember each and every thought/idea.

Calligraphy piece - 精湛 exhibition prep

While in Japan, I spent some time working on my calligraphy piece, which is going to be part of an exhibition organised by 温知会 from 30 Oct to 3 Nov. The final products are below.
One of them will used for the exhibition, depending on my teacher's decision. A vast improvement from the drafts so far.

At Le Soleil

We visited a place called Le Soleil while in Japan. It was a farm theme park, where children get to see flowers, farm animals, even ride on ponies and milk goats. But, it happened to be raining on the day we went, and all the animals went indoors and there wasn't much we could do.

The baby, though, managed to see some goats, and even got a chance to feel a guinea pig. Guess it wasn't a totally wasted trip after all.

Time for change... not

In a previous post about the recent change in the ruling party of Japan, I mentioned that it is unlikely that there will be many significant changes.

The new ruling party promised to end the refueling mission of the JMSDF in the Indian Ocean. And it seemed that, contrary to my belief, they were really going to make good that promise.

Until today.

Kitazawa considers refueling support for antipiracy mission off Somalia

Guess they have decided to end the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean in support of the US's war on terror, only to continue it somewhere else (off Somalia) for a different purpose (war against piracy). But they are still going to deploy the JMSDF overseas in support of an international operation.

I wonder how long it will be before the Japanese people get tired of this playing with words.

I know not what is in store

I know not what is in store,
I think back at what was before.
Hating myself, yet without means,
Helpless I am, endless spins.
Only in my dreams I see you,
How I wish sunrise is never due.

(Written on 7 Dec 1998.)

My Sister's Keeper (film)

I caught this movie on the plane. What struck me was the plot. Biologically engineering a child so that parts of her can be donated to help her sister. She was not conceived by accident. Nor was she artificially conceived by childless parents wanting a child. She was artificially conceived to fulfill a purpose in life, that of prolonging the life of her sister.

Anna was raised to help Kate.

To Anna, what was her meaning in life? Her parents have made her meaning in life to be helping Kate.

When Kate dies, what happens to Anna? That is something the movie does not explore. Now that Anna has lost her original meaning for being, how is she is find a new meaning to her life?

(The book has a different ending, with Anna dying and Kate living. Guess that resolves the issue of having to explore what happens to Anna if Kate dies.)

温知会

The calligraphy society that I belong to is known as 温知会 (On-chi-kai). It comes from the Chinese idiom, 温故知新, which means to revise what you already know in order to learn something new.

I think this concept is really important. We need to constantly reviewed what we know, because as we grow in knowledge and experience, we may gain new understanding. We will look at things in different ways and thus even the same event that happened before, will mean something different to us now. This applies not just to calligraphy or taiji, but to all learning processes.

The moment we stop reviewing our past knowledge, we have shut off an invaluable teacher, ourselves.

Making decisions

We all have to make decisions. Some big, some small. We have to decide whether to get out of bed or sleep another 5 minutes. We have to decide whether to wait another minute or dash across the street. We have to decide if we take a risk and invest in a small Internet startup or put our money on established blue chip firms. We have to decide if someone is the one we want to spend the rest of our lives with.

We all will hesitate once in a while, but at the end of the day, things only move when someone makes a decision, even if the decision is a decision not to do anything. It is indecision that we should fear. If we do not decide, we may end up late for work. If we do not decide, then we may miss the bus. If we do not decide, we may miss the chance to make a killing on the stock market. If we do not decide, we may end up losing our partner for life. There are no right or wrong decisions, only good or bad ones.

So decide. Make a choice. Even if the choice is not to choose. Then live by your decisions. Because you made them, and they were the best decisions you could have made at any given time, with your given knowledge and experience.

Be content?

There are people who say that we should never grow contented with what we have. I think being contented with what we have is very important to being happy. Rather than saying that we should never grow contented, we should do our best and then be contented with what we reap. Things can always be better if you put in more effort, but that is when you need to strike a balance. What is it that you want, what is it that your treasure?

I want to live in a world of peace

I want to live,
In a world of peace,
One where people see,
Not just you and me,
But what is inside,
This material shell of mine,
A world where people care,
Not for just you and me,
But for the world itself,
For that cat by the street,
The dog half-dead,
A grizzly wandering,
That gorilla without a home,
For that tree decaying,
That forest being cut.
A world where you and I,
Can live on and pass on,
To sons and daughters,
For future humankind.

I will always be there

Don't worry, I will always be there,
Beside you, anytime, anywhere.
When things look rough,
When times are tough,
Look beside you and you will find,
That I am there, just behind.
Ready to help you whenever I can,
To give you support in all your attempts.
Always there, never far away,
For, away from you I do not stray.
I will stand by you in all that you do,
Lending my hand whenever you need.
So when you need that extra hand,
Do not forget you have this friend.

Shooting star

So swift, so fast,
Not more than a moment did you last,
Little more than a small dot of light,
Yet in the dark you seemed so bright.
Flashing across the sky,
The brightness died even as you fly,
Little more than a single streak,
Yet a sight seeming all too quick.

Men of the sea

Different nations we serve,
Different flags we fly,
Different allegiances we have,
Different doctrines we apply.
Yet we all share a common point,
We all share a common element.
We all share a common friend,
Who is also our common foe.
The unpredictable sea,
Our beloved sea,
On her we live our lives,
To her we lose our lives.
War we may be at,
Enemies we may be,
Yet before we can fight each other,
We must first fight the sea.
Brothers we all are,
We men of the sea,
For in the fight against her,
Differences mean nothing.

(Sons of the sea share a common challenge, that of facing the tempers of the sea. That is what bonds us together although we all have our differences.)

From my notebook

A collection of short works from my notebook, written between Aug and Oct 1998.

Weary soul,
Troubled heart,
Walking with footsteps so slow,
Closing the distance worlds apart.
Distance so far,
Time so little,
Nothing can bear,
Thoughts so bitter.
(Written on 26 Aug 1998)
------------------------------
The rustling of leaves,
A random sound.
The high flying hawks,
Circling around.
(Written on 29 Sep 1998)
------------------------------
Cold winds chill hearts,
Heavy rains drench souls,
Earthquakes shake spirits,
Lightning scorch bodies.
(Written on 29 Sep 1998)
------------------------------
One, two, three, four,
And as I slowly look around,
More and more appear,
I am filled, astound.
The myriad of lights,
Each one so far away,
Wonderful sights,
Set this night into play.
(Written on 18 Oct 1998)

Lost in a desert

Everywhere I look it is the same,
The same colour, the same sand.
Flat plains, rolling dunes,
This is what they call desert land.
Fine grains make the ground so soft,
It is hard to trudge, feet just don't budge.
Though not wet, it is sticky like a swamp,
But so dry, I wished it was damp.
The horrid sun poured down its heat,
Baking the sand, and all upon it.
Sweat dripped down like a waterfall,
My throat, parched like a furnace wall.
The wind was not a help either,
Carrying sand across the land,
Eroding away all in its path,
Hitting me like little pellets.
Not a person in my sight,
Moisture I seek with all my might.
Could it be that the end is near,
An unmarked grave in a sandy land?

On stars

One looks up at night, to see the little dots,
Scattered all over, decorating the darkness.
One by one, at twilight they slowly appear,
Till the night sky is filled with their brightness.
Seemingly random, to some they may be,
Yet to our ancestors, pictures they be.
A hunter, a bear, a crane and cross,
All these they are, and many more.
Life is out there, somewhere in the stars,
Lying in wait, waiting for us to explore.
Once in a while, one will fly by,
Leaving behind, a path of light.
As quickly as it appears, it disappears,
In the blink of an eye, a turn of the head.
Stars guided our forefathers across the seas,
They helped our physicists with new theories.
Lovers sit together, admiring their greatness,
I lift my head, and wonder at their vastness.

中等美女 by 刚泽斌

《中等美女》
(词: 刚泽斌 曲: 刚泽斌 编曲: 黄韵玲)

这话不知该从何讲起 想起你仍多甜蜜
相遇绝对有其意义 不然嘴角怎会有笑意扬起
有天夜里我一直了无睡意 偷偷爬起只怕惊醒你
轻轻将你的手拉开我的身边 只是怕打搅你做梦的情绪

中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起
中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起

这话不知该从何讲起 走了一圈仍是你
你躺在我的胸口 均匀地呼吸 感动直达心最底
很想把你轻轻的拥在怀里 却不敢移动自己的身体
怕把自己的梦打破惊醒 我仍和那批难兄难弟扬长离去

中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起
中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起

中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起
中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起
中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起
中等美女 我最常叫你的一句 事隔多年 但是却经常想起
这话不知该从何讲起 想起你仍多甜蜜
这话不知该从何讲起 走了一圈仍是你

(Sometimes, it is the average that is most beautiful. Anyway, I couldn't find this on Youtube, so I guess the lyrics will have to do.)

Starry starry night

Starry starry night,
Twinkling jewels of shimmering light,
In the darkness stars so bright,
Come together a wondrous sight.
Beautiful starlight,
Filled my eyes both left and right,
All my dreams I hold on tight,
For them I gladly fight.
Wonderful delight,
Numerous poems I recite,
In the tower at this height,
I stare with all my might.
Blooming sunlight,
Slowly chasing away the night,
Devouring the stars with each small bite,
Until it is bright daylight.

Written about 10 years ago, inspired by the song starting with the same words.

Vincent (Starry starry night) by Don McLean

A song that I like.



Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...

Below is the version by Qi Yu 齊豫, which is the one I prefer.

The road lies ahead

The road lies ahead,
Forked and twisted,
Undulating and unpaved,
Seeming so wasted.

Yet a step I took,
And then another,
Slowly I walked,
Nevermind the bother.
Difficult it is,
Yet challenges nourish,
Heart, mind and soul,
Eventually will flourish.

In time I shall look back,
And see for myself,
What I left behind,
Is now my wealth.
Not in terms of cash,
Nor in terms of land,
'Tis in terms of time,
What I could withstand.
Pains I had shouldered,
Storms I had weathered,
Ideals shattered,
Experiences gathered.

How better to grow,
Than to walk this path,
A road that is rough,
A life that is tough.

Probably written in 1999, which is 10 years ago!

On hawks again

Round and round you flew up there,
With a laziness that seems so rare,
Gliding on the breeze with wings spread wide,
I wished you could take me for a ride.
Life up there must be simple and serene,
Nothing to do, except appreciate the scene,
Food not lacking, water aplenty,
Freedom stretching far beyond the city.
With unhurried speed and confident look,
A majestic sight, my breath you took.
"How many circles have you flown?"
"For as long as the wind has blown."

(Birds of prey, like hawks that I used to see so often, never fail to intrigue me. These majestic creatures have a regal air around them, moving with grace yet with a hint of tenacity, and full of confidence.)

On hawks

In a lazy circle above my head, I watched him fly,
The winds carrying him in the light blue sky.
Round and round, an endless flight,
Flying up there, mocking at my plight.
The poor me, trapped to this earth,
Confined to this land, my own turf.
Run as I might, I soon come to a fence,
Cooped up in this place, I feel so tense.
A screech I heard from the hawk above me,
A mocking laugh to me it seemed to be.
"Where can you go, fenced in on all sides?
Up here without fences, it is I who decide."
With envy I stared at the hawk above.
Freedom it possesses, freedom that I love.
But the hawk too, has the problem of freedom,
Where to go, in this vast big kingdom?

(There are many hawks in the surroundings of my campus when I was studying. They can often be found either gliding in the breeze in lazy circles or perched up high on the rooftops of buildings.)

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear

There is a Buddhist proverb that goes, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."

My Chinese tremendously improved due to my Chinese tuition teacher. He appeared at a time when I was ready to immerse myself in Chinese.

When I was ready to work on my calligraphy, my calligraphy teacher was there ready to teach.

When I was ready to learn more about taiji, I happened upon my taiji teacher.

I guess life is full of learning. When you are ready to learn, someone will be there ready to teach you.

Firefight

Behind a tree I hid in fright,
A battle within myself first I fight,
Tool in hand, trained to use,
Yet right now, I simply refuse.
Rapidly breathing, heart racing,
I knew I better start thinking,
Start deciding, I better be doing,
Before it becomes my own undoing.
The sounds around me helped not,
The screams as comrades were shot,
The booms as bombs were dropped,
The blasts as grenades were popped.

In that split second I resolved,
The conflict within me, now solved,
All doubts in me now dissolved,
Killing the foe my thoughts now revolved.
Rifle in hand, as it always was,
I peeped out from behind my tree,
Only to see, a man, the enemy,
Aiming straight at my best friend Tim.

Principles, morals, mercy,
They flew out of all my thoughts,
The only thing in my mind was now,
He is going to kill my best friend Tim.

Hesitation did not guide my hand,
As I brought the rifle up to stand,
Training my sights at the man,
My finger squeezed, and the bullet went.
Wham! The bullet hit the man,
My aim was true, the head it slammed,
He stood headless, for a second,
Then collapsed, a headless mess.

Oh my God, what have I done?
My first kill, the very first one.
Thoughts sink in, realisation begins,
At the foul deed, I have done.

But there was no time to reflect or cry,
The firefight goes on, and so must I,
The first one done, what is two or three?
I aimed and fired, and fired and fired.
How many I downed, I did not count,
The screams and cries, I do not recount,
In my mind, I only thought,
They must die, or it is my comrades and I.

I probably wrote this after reading some book on the Vietnam War.

七夕夜，静如水

Another poem written some time ago... in fact, 1994.

七夕夜，静如水，
独观牛郎织女星，
忆起昔日断肠人相送，
心又乱，肠又断，痛痛痛。

昔日别，今日恨，
秋风何人来共鸣？
梦里归故重见伊人面，
醒时伤，泪两行，伤伤伤。

Women in kimono

Women always look nice in kimono. Or so I think. While the kimono doesn't enhance any of their natural curves (in fact, it hides their natural curves) and wraps them up with little to show, it is exactly these features of the kimono that attracts. The more covered a woman is, the less she has to show to appear attractive. For example, being covered from neck to ankle, just a show of a bit more of the nape of the neck is enough to send suggestive signals. The drawing up of the sleeves to show a bit more of the forearm is enough to do the same too. Definitely more attractive than the near bare-all of bikinis.

For those who don't know, there is actually a lot of knowledge behind kimonos, and it isn't really easy for the untrained to wear on their own. The older generation is used to wearing it (it used to be their daily wear) but the younger generation usually needs someone to help them wear it.

Colours of the seasons

Looking at the two sides of the road,
Left and right in two neat rows,
Trees so tall and growing so straight,
Swaying gently as a breeze blows.
Flowers bloom as weather warms,
Buds opening slowly but surely,
Life peeking out from under hoods,
Steadily becoming a reality.

Sunrises and sunsets pass by,
Sand seeps down the hourglass,
The flowers now past their prime,
Gently descend from their past.
Covering the once empty street,
With petals of colour aplenty.
Until rains fall and winds blow by,
Leaving the street again empty,
The colourful specks that dot the street,
Washed and blown away already.

Yet the green that were the leaves,
Disappoint us they do not be,
Yellow, red, brown, orange,
Changing colours they do freely,
Yet like the flowers these leaves too,
Never everlasting they can be,
Colours to last ever so briefly,
Green no more they drop randomly.

Trunks and branches these trees be,
A single colour they are now,
Not a bud nor a leaf there is,
Awaiting spring with a bald crown.

I used to live on a street lines with cherry blossom trees, and this describes the colourful changes that seasons bring.

A glance, a smile, a turn of the head

A glance, a smile, a turn of the head,
Left a poor soul rooted, face so red,
His heart stopped and his breathing ceased,
His heart stolen and his breath taken.
His gaze followed the departing back,
His mind still shocked from the attack,
His legs started moving down the track,
His pace increasing with each step.

That smile so beautiful, the lips so full,
That glance with eyes gleaming so true,
That face so simple yet so charming,
What else could cause eyes to go wandering?
How is it he never noticed before,
All of these which he now only saw,
Beautiful she never was until this day,
When he saw her in a different way.

Sometimes, we are so used to things that we miss the little things in life that makes a difference. This was written really long ago (maybe 10 years) but I guess it still holds true today.

A temptress, the sea

Gentle waves,
Inching up the beach.
Soft whispers,
They calmly beseech.
Murderous waves,
Pounding the cliffs.
Roaring thunder,
Yet bringing relief.

For the sea is alive,
With a temper her own.
And she speaks her moods,
In her own tone.

A temptress, the sea,
A very fatal one.
How many a calm sea,
Had caused a man undone?
With calmness she lures,
Drawing into her lair.
Then a storm she becomes,
Driving one to despair.
As her hands sweep by,
One after another,
Washing off the deck,
Brother after brother.
Screams and cries,
For help they raved,
All these before,
A watery grave.

As sudden as the storm,
The calmness returns.
Yet on the deck,
My heart burns.
In anguish and frustration,
At the temper she had thrown.
What right has she?
To leave me alone?
My brothers in the water,
Their luck at the end.
The torment of drowning,
I cannot apprehend.

A team we were then,
With confidence we left.
We thought it was simple,
And our skills deft.

But now we are but one,
A lonely soul in water.
Desperately seeking land,
Yet not seeing for that matter.
Lost I had become,
How long can I hold fast?
Before the pains of hunger,
Make me breathe my last.

I am a son of the sea, so the sea is no stranger to me. She is often described using the feminine pronoun, as her tempers are like a woman. A storm at sea is like a woman spurned, and that is what this is all about.

My previous works part 2

When I first started this blog in 2006, I mentioned that I would include some of my previous works as well.

Guess what? I finally found my book of prose/poems, so get ready for a flood of them as I start to post them over the next few days/weeks.

Calligraphy piece - 将能而君不御者胜 again

I really like the phrase 将能而君不御者胜 so I decided to write it again.

This one is definitely better than the previous one.

It goes in the office, to remind me constantly of what a good superior should be.

New breed of employees

A friend and I were just discussing about the new breed of employees entering the workforce, and guess what? JapanToday ran a similar article discussing this new breed of people. While the people mentioned in the article are Japanese, Singapore faces a similar situation, with the new breed of employees generally having a different attitude towards work. Maybe it is because of the similar shift in our education system?

I guess one difference is the priority between work and self. People used to be more willing to sacrifice self in order to get work done. With the new breed of employees, the priority is more on the self than on work (that doesn't mean they don't work or make sacrifices for work, just less willing to). Whether this is a change for the better or not, no one can judge, since we all have different values and see things through different perspectives/filters. What hasn't changed, of course, is that as long as you keep an employee happy, he or she will not think of leaving.

Sid

I look at the photo in my hand,
Thinking of a time in another land.
The times we had gone through in training,
The fun we had shared during liberty.
But one day I found him there,
Hanging from his necktie above a chair.
Cold and stiff, suspended in mid-air,
To touch him, I really didn’t dare.
Why, I asked myself, why must this be?
What is it in her that you truly see?
You love her for who she is,
But she loves you for what you can give.
Not for who you are or who you will be,
But for what you bring her, what she receives.
You should have lived life with intrepid,
Yet you do something so really stupid.


Got this idea after the character Sid Worley from the movie “An Officer and a Gentleman”.

Duty, honour, country

With steeled heart and hardened face,
I walked away at an even pace,
Head never turning, pace never slowing,
Even as tears brought my will dissolving.

“Sorry love that I have to go,
This path is for me, yes I know.”
Duty and honour, may they be with me,
For you I can no longer see.

My country I could not let down,
My duty I could not put down.
For their sake we have to part,
The end is always a new start.

Rifle in hand I went and went,
Having to live in a tent,
Shooting and being shot at,
In muddy trenches I sat.

My luck held out over the days,
Not a scratch was all I could say.
I would make it, yes I would.
The luck should hold, yes it should.

As I lay bleeding,
The life from me seeping,
“Sorry my darling,
I am dying.”

---------------------------------------

You said you would be back, that you cannot bear to leave me behind.
You said you would be back, with your letters you constantly remind.
You said you would be back, saying that to us God would be kind.
You said you would be back, for me to this world you would be bind.
Yet where are you now, that clock of yours each day I would wind.
Yet where are you now, horrible thoughts keep coming back to mind.
Yet where are you now, your body they were never able to find.
Yet where are you now, how could you bear to be ever so unkind?

---------------------------------------

This was written way back... probably 1999 or 2000. I forgot what inspired me to write this, but it was probably some war movie.

Sunrise

As he extended each arm,
Warmth crepth slowly,
Over the lands and seas,
Touching even the most lowly.
Each arm brought warmth,
And light to guide the way.
As more arms are spread,
We see another day.
---------------------------
Gloomy,
For you shut yourself in.
Walk out,
Wallow not in sin.
See for yourself,
The bright sun.
Everywhere in this land,
Life has begun.
Hope is in the air,
Joy overflowing,
People laughing,
Life is for enjoying.
---------------
Something that I wrote quite some time ago. Found it while going through my old webpages and thought I would share it. I will be sharing more works.

鬼迷心窍 by 李宗盛

鬼迷心窍
作曲：李宗盛 作词：李宗盛

曾经真的以为人生就这样了
平静的心拒绝再有浪潮
斩了千次的情丝却断不了
百转千折它将我围绕
有人问我你究竟是哪里好
这么多年我还忘不了
春风再美也比不上你的笑
没见过你的人不会明了
是鬼迷了心窍也好
是前世的因缘也好
然而这一切已不再重要
如果你能够重回我怀抱
是命运的安排也好
是你存心的捉弄也好
然而这一切已不再重要
我愿意随你到天涯海角

虽然岁月总是匆匆催人老
虽然情爱总是让人烦恼
虽然未来如何不能知道
现在说再见会不会太早

你好坏 by 黄安

你好坏

你是清清白白
样子多么可爱
天真无邪向我走来
我想对你坦白
我是多么的坏
虽然你现在看不出来
曾经用恋爱证明
我不是小孩
还不清是我感情的债
你相信我会改变
是因为你已出现
希望我真是如你所愿
命运安排你向我走来
你表现的是那么可爱
接受你的爱不知该不该
你是不是会说你好坏
我们越来越老
胆子越来越小
我们变得小心而有礼貌
你是不是唯一现在要让你知道
女人呀!女人我如何是好

(Couldn't find any videos on Youtube so I just put the lyrics here.)

难以抗拒你容颜 by 张信哲

难以抗拒你的容颜
歌手：张信哲

你仿佛从没见过我
只是让我梦成空
伤心 不语 退缩
幻想也许是你假装不看我
让我得不到更珍惜所有

我试着对你微微笑
你总视而不见
何必 何必 何必
却又难以抗拒难以放弃
就算你对我说别再烦我

你难以靠近难以不再想念
我难以抗拒你容颜
把心画在写给你的信中
希望偶尔能够见到你微笑的容颜

你难以靠近难以不再想念
我难以抗拒你容颜
把心画在写给你的信中
希望明天能够见到你会心的容颜

故人不曾从心去

故人不曾从心去，
新人在旁忆难忘，
久别一逢恨已晚，
流水何知落花意？

出嫁 by 张清芳 & 优客李林

Yet another of those songs that I used to listen to. The uncertainty of what the future holds as two persons embark on a journey together.



出嫁
作曲：詹兆源
作词：詹兆源
演唱：张清芳 优客李林
编制：周晓敏

红红的烛火在案头
我的心也照得发烫
红红的双喜映眼中
脸上却挂着泪两行
总会有这么一天
天真的一切都得走远
我不之所措
怎能不教我不心慌
昨天的潇洒少年郎
今天要变成大人样
掩不住嘴角的轻笑
全都是期待和幻想
他长得什么模样
她长得什么模样
有没有一卷长发
和一颗温暖
包容的心房
对或错有谁知道
能不能白头到老
有没有和我一样
我用一生一世的心
等待一生一世的情
也许是宿命
也许是注定
我真的希望
能多点好运
我用一生一世的心
换你一生一世的情
牵你的手
嗯…

Calligraphy piece - 芷花，蔚蕊

Drafts of a calligraphy piece for my friend's birthday. The actual finished work has been given away.

芷花色颜白，娇丽妩媚多，
蔚蕊形含蓄，娴静处子心。

The Silk Road travelogue - Conclusion

This completes the route that I took along the Silk Road in 1995. Below are the consolidated links to each stop.

Introduction
Xining 西宁
Lanzhou 兰州
Zhangye 张掖
Jiayuguan 嘉峪关
Jiuquan 酒泉
Dunhuang 敦煌
Hami 哈密
Turpan 吐鲁番
Urumqi 乌鲁木齐
Yining 伊宁
Urumqi 乌鲁木齐 again

And here is Kitaro's Silk Road, used as the theme for NHK's documentary on the Silk Road.

The Silk Road travelogue part 11 - Urumqi 乌鲁木齐

Once again we found ourselves back in Urumqi, the final stop of my Silk Road trip.

We didn't do much after returning to the city. There was a visit to the river, but the main purpose coming back here is to catch our flight back home.

The Silk Road travelogue part 10 - Yining 伊宁

The next stop along the trip is the city of Yining 伊宁, right near the border with Kazakhstan.

To get here, we took a small plane. Propeller driven, in fact. This is the smallest aircraft that I have ever flown on in my life till now.

We didn't do much here, though there was a dance by the locals to welcome us. The main attraction here is the wonderful waters of the Yilu river.

Then it was back again to Urumqi 乌鲁木齐.

The Silk Road travelogue part 9 - Urumqi 乌鲁木齐

The next stop along the trip was Urumqi 乌鲁木齐.

This is the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. So we were off again to visit the Uyghur tribe in their yurts.

There is a Heavenly Lake (known as 天池 Tianchi) here too. And the view is heavenly.

Right in the city is a rock, likely to be the remnants of a meteorite.

Next stop is Yining 伊宁.

The Silk Road travelogue part 8 - Turpan 吐鲁番

The next stop is Turpan 吐鲁番.


It rarely rains in Turpan. We were told it rains about 1 or 2 times a year here. By a stroke of luck, it was raining when we arrived at Turpan.

The dry weather here is great for grapes, and there are grapevines all over the city.

And what do the people do for water? After all, there isn't much rain here, and people need water to survive. Grapes need water to grow too. Well, they have a series of underground wells, a qanat system know as karez in the Uyghur language. It is called 坎儿井 (kan'er jing) in Chinese. You can read more about the Turpan water system at Wikipedia.

Turpan has a large Uyghur (维吾尔族 Weiwu'er in Chinese) population, who are Muslims. So it is no surprise that there are mosques in the city.

The most famous one will probably be the Emin Minaret and Mosque.

Near Turpan, there are many historical sites as well. We visited the site of the Jiaohe ruins, which used to be an important city along the Silk Road.

Another historical site is the ancient city of Gaochang 高昌, an oasis city along the Silk Road near Turpan similarly in ruins now. Some of the buildings are very well preserved, as you can see from the photo below.

We also visited the Flaming Mountains, a place made famous by the Chinese novel "A Journey to the West" aka 《西游记》.

While you won't see the Monkey King here, there is a statue to mark its link to the novel.

And while at the Flaming Mountains, we took the opportunity to visit the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves 柏孜克里千佛洞.

Next stop, Urumqi  乌鲁木齐.

The Silk Road travelogue part 7 - Hami 哈密

The next stop is Hami 哈密, where we visited a minority tribe living in the countryside.

The people here are nomadic, raising sheep and riding on horses. They live in yurts on the countryside, where their herds graze.

Here is a display put up for us. It is a cultural event, where men on horseback compete in snatching a sheep. The meat is then cooked for dinner.

Next stop, Turpan 吐鲁番.

历史考试前夕 by 梁文福

Yet another song that I like, was listening this in the car just now and decided to share it with everyone. It is also a quick short intro to Chinese history.

如果秦始皇烧书都烧完
我不必读到三点半
如果周公真的忙着治天下
何必不断催我入梦乡

三闾大夫不投汨罗江
卖粽子老王生活怎么办
如果楚霸王当年不到乌江
隔壁班刘邦不会这么嚣张

西施不浣纱 昭君不和番
现代的古典美人做何打算
如果刘备哭不出诸葛亮
会不会闹出一阵剧本荒

只看过薛丁山 偏要考安禄山
知道冯宝宝她演过杨玉环
若非十二金牌将岳飞来调返
今天还吃不吃到油条香

我吃过月饼当然知道朱元璋
吃榴梿知道郑和下西洋
胡金铨的戏里听过东西厂
看金庸小说知道袁崇焕

只叹林则徐烧鸦片烧不完
西太后偏偏相信义和团
珍妃不该嫁给那个光绪皇
几千年等到一个孙中山

万里长城长 没有历史长
考试题目比那丝路还弯
五胡乱华乱 我的脑筋更乱
心情比那个八国联军慌

多少年的改变已经很习惯
多少次革命总是革不完
谢天谢地近代史老师讲不完
下一代历史考试不敢想像

Flirting with danger - an article in The Sunday Times

Sumiko Tan wrote an article in The Sunday Times today titled "Flirting with danger". It is about harmless flirting that happens as part of human interaction, as well as how to watch for signs that the harmless flirting may be heading towards dangerous waters.

As I was reading it, I can't help but wonder if the article was written because of something happening in her life recently. After all, her old crush from school days met up with her, and continued to contact her when he returned to England after that. Is this a subtle (albeit public) way of telling him that he needs to watch his limits? Or a way to alert herself to catch hold of herself before she plunges into the deep?

I guess we all have our share of old crushes and exs, it all remains to yourself that when you look back and remember the good old times, you should also ask yourself why things didn't work out. It will probably save you some trouble in finding out again.

Of course, flirting around does add favour to the day, no harm to that ("coffee, tea or me?"). Just don't get carried away.

Mid Autumn Festival

Today is Mid Autumn Festival (中秋节). My alma mater has celebrations each year for this festival, and I am sure this year is no different. However, unlike past years, in which my friends and I would use this opportunity to go back and visit, this year, we made no such arrangements.

Other than that, I don't really celebrate this festival. I did get a box of cakes from a fellow taiji student, though. I guess when the baby grows up, this day will be spent with candles and lanterns. But for now, it is just yet another day, with a bright full moon.