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13 May 2008

在陽光燦爛的五月裏......

  在陽光燦爛的五月裏,我們絕食了。在這最美好的青春時刻,我們卻不得不把一切生之美好絕然地留在身後了,但我們是多麼的不情願,多麼的不甘心啊!

  然而,國家已經到了這樣的時刻:物價飛漲、官倒橫流、強權高懸、官僚腐敗、大批仁人志士流落海外、社會治安日趨混亂,在這民族存亡的生死關頭,同胞們,一切有良心的同胞們,請聽一聽我們的呼聲吧!


  國家是我們的國家,


  人民是我們的人民,


  政府是我們的政府,


  我們不喊,誰喊?


  我們不幹,誰幹?


  儘管我們的肩膀還很柔嫩,儘管死亡對於我們來說,還顯得過於沉重,但是,我們去了,我們卻不得不去,歷史這樣要求我們。


  我們最純潔的愛國感情,我們最優秀的赤子心靈,卻被說成是「動亂」,說成是「別有用心」,說成是「受一小撮人的利用」。


  我們想請求所有正直的中國公民,請求每個工人、農民、士兵、平民、知識分子、社會名流、政府官員、警察和那些給我們炮製罪名的人,把你們的手撫在你們 的心上,問一問你們的良心,我們有什麼罪?我們是亂動嗎?我們罷課,我們遊行,我們絕食,我們藏身?到底是為了什麼?可是,我們的感情卻一再被玩弄,我們 忍著飢餓追求真理卻遭到軍警毒打……學生代表跪求民主卻被視而不見,平等對話的要求一再拖延,學生領袖身處危難……


  我們怎麼辦?


  民主是人生最崇高的生存感情,自由是人與生俱來的天賦人權,但這就需要我們用這些年輕的生命去換取,這難道是中華民族的自豪嗎?


  絕食乃不得已而為之,也不得不為之。


  我們以死的氣概,為了生而戰。


  但我們還是孩子,我們還是孩子啊!中國母親,請認真看一眼你的兒女吧,雖然飢餓無情地摧殘著他們的青春,當死亡正向他們逼近,你難道能夠無動於衷嗎?


  我們不想死,我們要好好地活著,因為我們正是人生最美好之年齡;我們不想死,我們想好好學習,祖國還是這樣的貧窮,我們似乎留下祖國就這樣去死,死亡 決不是我們的追求。但是如果一個人的死或一些人的死,能夠使更多的人活得更好,能夠使祖國繁榮昌盛,我們就沒有權利去偷生。


  當我們挨著餓時,爸爸媽媽們,你不要悲哀;當我們告別生命時,叔叔阿姨們,請不要傷心,我們只有一個希望,那就是讓我們能更好地活著,我們只有一個請求,請你們不要忘記,我們追求的絕不是死亡!因為民主不是幾個人的事情,民主事業也絕不是一代能夠完成的。


  死亡,在期待著最廣泛而永久的回聲。


  人將去矣,其言也善;鳥將去矣,其鳴也哀。


  別了,同仁,保重!死者和生者一樣的忠誠。


  別了,愛人,保重!捨不下你,也不得不告終。


  別了,父母!請原諒,孩子不能忠孝兩全。


  別了,人民!請允許我們以這樣不得已的方式報忠。


  我們用生命寫成的誓言,必將晴朗共和國的天空!


  絕食原因:第一抗議政府對北京學生罷課採取麻木冷淡態度;第二抗議政府拖延與北京高校對話代表團的對話;第三抗議政府一直對這次學生民主愛國運動冠以「動亂」的帽子及一系列歪曲報道。


  絕食要求:第一要求政府迅速與北京高校對話團進行實質性的、具體的、平等的對話;第二要求政府為這次學生運動正名,並給予公正評價,肯定這是一場愛國、民主的學生運動。


  絕食時間:五月十三日下午二時出發。絕食地點:天安門廣場。


  不是動亂、立即平反!立即對話、不許拖延!為民絕食、實屬無奈!世界輿論、請聲援我們!各界民主力量,請支持我們。


北京高校絕食學生
一九八九年五月十三日

***** *****

這些年來,共和國都好像沒有怎麼晴朗過 (如果不更加黑暗)。

北京奧運遇上四川地震,就好像命中注定。


P.S. 傳甚麼奧運聖火都只是虛火,政府如何善後、人民如何協力,才最見真章。

03 May 2008

Identity and Violence

During the recent heat of rational and irrational patriotism among Chinese around the world, I think of this book, Amartya Sen's Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny.

Basically, it stresses the different faces of a person, and the danger it creates when we start to group, label and stereotype people.

For example, I am a Chinese woman born in HK. However, my seven years of schooling in Canada also has a great influence of my values and how I see things. While I may support the Beijing Olympic so that China can has a taste of the international society, I am also deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the Mainland. I can have many different, or even conflicting, characteristics but it's still me.

Unfortunately, very often, we focus only one side of a person, and by simple deduction, we believe that s/he must believe in or do certain things. You may not see the impact when that's only me, one person. However, when we single out a big group of people and start to antagonize them, conflict arises. This happens when the book was first written after 9/11, when persons with Islam background or look like an Islam or simple carry some Middle East features are easily labeled as terrorists. The same happens in our everyday lives too.

Not only people have many characteristics, issues can be discussed from many perspectives too. Lately, however, we can only be one way or another.

Identity and Violence is part of the "Issues of Our Time" series. At the end of the preface, the editor Henry Louis Gates Jr. wrote,

These are books, accordingly, that invite the reader to reexamine hand-me-down assumptions and to grapple with powerful trends. Whether you are moved to reason together with these authors, or to argue with them, they are sure to leave your views tested, if not changed. The perspectives of the authors in this series are diverse, the voices are distinctive, the issues are vital.

When the world is becoming more complicated, only one voice is allowed.

23 April 2008

了解.關懷一百萬人的故事 (Understand and Care the 1 Million People)

It's a TV programme in HK that attracts a lot of discussion even after the first of the five episodes was aired on Monday.

Basically, it's a programme produced by the most popular TV station in HK and broadcast during prime time. In each show, TV or movie stars interview those in HK living under the poverty line and show us how the poor faces everyday challenges. We have around 7 millions people in HK. According to the statistics, unfortunately, around 1 million are living in poverty.

Ever since I first watched the promos, I was expecting the programme, although I also expect it to be sentimental and shallow.

The programme doesn't fail me on this. What I didn't expect is the tremendous impact. After only the first show, a facebook was created, and if you search the internet using the programme name, hundreds of people have already written about it.

When we watched the first episode, my mom wet several pieces of tissue. At one point she asked if it's inevitable to have the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer as a society develops. I said yes, but others are not as mean as we HK people.

Don't know since when, we start to hate the rich and are not sympathetic to the poor either. We don't like anyone that's different from us. While "we" have to be right and normal, those that are different are undoubtedly abnormal and unreasonable. There's one popular newspaper in HK that criticizes almost everyone and everything everyday, including the government and the civil society, including the politicians from left to right, including the rich and the poor. I finally understand why it's so popular.

The TV programme attracts a lot of criticisms too. For example, the interviewers (i.e. the TV and movie stars) are so ignorant and insincere. Very often I feel that the TV station is only using the poor as a gimmick. However, I do hope that more people can realize that poverty does exist in our society, and don't tell me why the poor can't work harder. Most have already worked hard enough. They just still can't make a living.

20 April 2008

Wall Colouring

This is what I did yesterday, except having a minor car accident in the morning.

After a year of idling, I did wall "colouring" with the Arts in Hospital again for two Saturday in a row. Yesterday, we went to the Haven of Hope Holistic Centre, a place for hospice care.

Volunteers have been working on the project for three months already. Along the wall of the corridor, we could see some HK scenery, such as the Lion Rock. Inside each bedroom, we did a border similar to this along the top of the wall. What I did yesterday was to stand on a chair and colour the green leaves. I know you think it's easy. But trust me. It's more difficult than you thought. The actual size I did was about twice as big and I spent my whole Saturday from 11am to 5pm on it! Since we needed to hold up our arm and turn up your head to reach the height, your neck hurt and your arm felt tired simply after the first five minutes.

At first, I thought there was similar wall paper on sale in the market. It might be even cheaper if we counted in the coordination done by the staff and the volunteers' time. But than I thought might be it's the human touch the mattered and couldn't be substitute.

P.S. I am OK. It's just a car crushed on the taxi I was on under heavy rain and typhoon signal no. 3. I didn't go to the doctor although I was a bit dizzy and wanted to vomit at first. Holding up my head to paint was a bit difficult at first cause my neck hurt a bit with the crush.

17 April 2008

棒球狂想曲 in YouTube




真係 YouTube 乜都有

11 April 2008

Level Playing Field

This morning, the cleaning lady asked if she could have the foam board I wanted to dispose for a while so that her kids could use it for a school project. Her daughter was more than delighted when I said yes, and told me foam board was expensive. It costs HK$10 a piece.

When middle-class parents are sending their kids to overseas study tours in summer holiday, we can't deny that our income disparity is becoming more and more serious, and it's getting more and more difficult to climb up the social ladder. What make me most upset is not we have poor people in the society, but we have no sympathy. While our "Asian values" do not appreciate the concept of "individuals", we are also expert in distinguishing "you" and "me", "my money" and "your money".

I watched the first episode of RTHK's "Life on the Margin" (活在邊緣) last week. Although it's not perfect, I do hope that it can make a couple of people less indifferent. I also read 呂大樂's 《四代香港人》(Four Generations of HK People) lately. Although I don't usually like Lui's work and nothing he wrote in the book is something you have never heard of, it provides a structured account of the similarities and differences of the different generations of HK people. I do hope that it can make a couple of people to realize that we can't no longer apply the standard in the 60s to the Asia's World City in the 21st century.

09 April 2008

日唸唐詩三百首

These are what I got today -- kids version of some old Chinese literature.

The wonderful part is, all the Chinese characters in the books have Putonghua pin-yin!

YEAH!!!!! Exactly what I wanted.

The collection has 10 books in total, but I could only find eight today. If you happen to see 三字經 and 成語故事, make sure you let me know!

08 April 2008

Spring Resolution

Off-line by 11pm and sleep by mid-night.

P.S. Mission fails on the first and second days :(

28 March 2008

The Cover

I can't make up my mind, so I will let you have a say.

Do you like this one?

(1) Square (7"x7")










Or, this one?

(2) Standard Portrait (8" x 10")












How about these?

(3) Standard Landscape (10" x 8")



























I started with the square, and still like it the most, but the size is too small. Then, I tried portrait, but today I find it too boring. What do you think about landscape? Never mind the colours and the pictures selection now, cause I only roughly made up three covers tonight. (Of course, you can suggest some colour schemes.)

Better cast your vote quick, or I will be so confused with which one to choose.

For family members, I am looking for pictures! I have already exhausted every single picture in my computer. My wish list includes:

* Birthday
* Graduation
* Wedding
* With individual family (including family members outside the human species)
* With "unexpected" family members (e.g. Di with goo-ma)
* First time doing something (e.g. first day to kindergarten)
* Winning a prize
* Those on top of your TV or hang on your wall, etc. (inspired by someone's picture being replaced by Bacon's on top of a TV)

You got the idea.

22 March 2008

The Tse Family "Cho Uk" (祖屋) – Part 3 of 5 -- The 2nd special item of the house is...

... the stair!

A bridge

The stair is a bridge between the world of Chinese TV (main floor) and the world of English TV (basement). During my stay in December last year, Aunt 2 told me to keep the light on all the time. If I was in an English literature class, I would say that the light that was always on symbolized the always welcomed communications and exchange between the two generations. (Wow! I really did learn something in my English 30!)

Superpower revealed

During our first stay at Uncle and Aunt 2's house, Sara, Rose and Belinda, who were born on the same year, were aged 3Y1M, 2Y9M and 2Y8M. On of our hobbies in the house was to walk up and down the stair. (It's easy to understand. We don't have a stair in our HK apartments!) One day, we were walking up and down as usual. Suddenly, the rather absent minded little Belinda stepped on her long dress and started rolling down the stair. In a split second, I (already landed on the basement) turned and caught her with my hands to avoid her head hitting on the concrete floor.

Till now, I still can't believe I could react so quickly and hold a two year-old when I myself was only eight. May be during time of emergency, our hidden power will reveal without notice.

Guess who?

The first time when the twins stayed at Uncle and Aunt 2's house, they were around three or four and I was already in college. One day I was reading at the basement and suddenly the stair light went on and off non-stop.

"Dai Mui (大妹, the older twin), don't play with the light." I commended.

There's a second of silence.

"It's not me. It's Sai Mui (細妹, the younger twin)." Dai Mui appealed.

"It's you. I saw you."

"No. You can't see me from where you sit." Dai Mui insisted.

"I can see you from here."

And then the twins were gone and the light didn't go on and off again.

After all these years, I have to confess that Dai Mui was right that I couldn't SEE HER from where I sat. However, I could see Sai Mu, who was one step below Dai Mui and was at least half a foot shorter than Dai Mui at the time. With this "height" difference, Sai Mui couldn't even reach the switch.

It's not that difficult to figure out the "doer" for a fan of detective stores.

14 March 2008

Friday off

Visited the "World of Mirrors" at the Science Museum today after having a hair cut. Since it's a mirrors exhibition, not everything you see from the collage is real! There's also a "mirror maze" (2nd to last pictures of the 1st row), which I had to walk through carefully as I have a great tendency crushing myself into any glass/mirror!

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, also at the Science Museum, is great too. Make sure you check it out before 1 May.

First a writer, now a publisher

A colleague sent me this, and I decide to get the Myths and the Facts of the Tse Family published! (RELAX! By "published", it means "to print a hardcopy".)

(Make your own book with) Blurb:
http://www.blurb.com/

I've played around with it, and got the basic layout done. It seems a lot of funs, although the software itself has plenty of room for improvement.

I plan to print some copies as Christmas presents for families. So, if you want a separate copies, drop me an email with mailing address. Deadline for ordering is beginning of November. If you have memorable pictures and interesting stories to share, don't forget to email them to me. I will acknowledge the contributors in the books!

10 March 2008

6:58pm

Haven't left the office so early for a while. I didn't need the magnetic card to pass the gate at the lift lobby downstairs from office, was able to do some (grocery) shopping before dining at home, had plenty of time for my evening walk and some more for a few pages of a good book.

Just couldn't be better.

09 March 2008

How I reborn

Haven't practiced my calligraphy for months, and I am glad that I can finally pick it up again today, although I had to start from the strokes!

08 March 2008

One of my finest hours

I went "wow" when I saw this book in store, after an office event, this afternoon.

Churchill is one of my heroes, and I have been wanting to get this book for a while. I had tried visiting two Page One in one day but all they had were books with lots of scratches on the covers.

Bought some more as well (but where's my time?). The bad thing was -- I thought bookstores were still on sale but the one I visited ended the sale earlier than the others :(

Too bad.

[For those not in HK, bookstores with a Chinese background usually have major sale during Chinese January, cause "book" and "lose" in Chinese sound the same!]

04 March 2008

Tired

I will reborn after 8 March. Stay tune.

13 February 2008

Happy Birthday!

Today is the 7th day of the Lunar New Year. According to Chinese tradition, today's 人日 (People's Day), i.e. everyone's birthday. On this special occasion, let me wish everyone a happy birthday!

As a People's Day Special, let me present to you the following collage of our first year old b-day party pictures:

Quiz 7

For those in the family, can you figure who's who in the collage? (Rule: You can't name yourself nor the one in your immediately family!)

For those not in the family, can you find me in the collage?

Hint 1: There are 19 of us in the generation. Two of us I can't manage to have their photos in time, while some pictures are actually repeating to make the collage a perfect square.

Hint 2: Due to the difficulty to have a hold of all the pictures, some were not exactly one-year old.

Hint 3: You may want to visit my photo album that shows the pictures in bigger size. I also included in the album some other pictures on the same occasions but with more people.

12 February 2008

Isn't it lovely?
















Please support an up and coming young artist:

http://photos.yahoo.co.jp/ph/cchoy/lst?.dir=/a7f0&.src=ph&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.co.jp/&.view=t

11 February 2008

No Right Click

This is the problem of the touch pad of my notebook, so it's gone for maintenance again. (No. I have nothing in the harddisk. Everything is stored in my two portable harddisks, so nothing can be released.)

So I will have no computer at home for a while. That means blog will be updated less frequent (although I have lots to post), and also less traffic in Facebook. Be patient!

09 February 2008

Chinese New Year -- The Tse Family Style -- The Celebration

We had the food, and we had to had a feast (or feasts) to finish them off.

(1) Old days in HK

Since we lived with grandma and grandma and my dad is the oldest brother, everyone came to our house for CNY. (This "everyone" meant Uncles 4 and 5 and their families, while the rest were in Australia and Edmonton. Those days, all that were in Canada were in Edmonton.)

The celebration started on CNY Eve and would last for four days.

On the first day, i.e. CNY Eve, everyone would rush to our house after work for dinner, and my mom would cook for around 13 people (Yiu-lun and the twins were not born yet). Like in Uncle and Aunt 2's house, we couldn't all crowd to the dinning table even though we would "enlarge" the table by adding on a very thin piece of metal plate (as in a Chinese restaurant, but theirs is made of wood. Very common gadget in the house those days when we still had big families.) We would therefore separate into an "adults table" (i.e. the dinning table) and a "kids table" (i.e. the coffee table, still in my house today!). Usually, the kids table would serve fewer, simpler and cheaper dishes than the adults table :(

The Uncles and families would come again on the CNY Day. They would come to our house to greet grandma and grandpa. The Uncles and Aunts and my parents would "pour grandma and grandpa tea" (another Chinese tradition for the young to do to the elderly), I think, and then grandma and grandpa would give them red pockets. Uncles 4 & 5 and their families would stay till after lunch and then off to visit some other friends and relatives. They would come again to have lunch on the 2nd and 3rd days of CNY and then the family CNY celebration was finally over.

One secret I never told anyone before was that I wanted to start my very own "CNY business" during those days. At the time, security of a housing estate was not as tight as now. There would be people knocking your door and said "distributing Choy Son (派財神 distributing "god of fortune")". Basically, it's a small piece of red paper with the words "Choy Son" ugly written on it with a Chinese brush. Usually, since it's CNY, people would receive the "Choy Son", gave the young guy a red pocket and sent him off.

I was less than 10 at the time, but I thought I could use a Chinese brush better than these people, and I had a big pool of "cheap labours" (i.e. Nobel, Sara and Belinda. Simon was too young at the time.), and I should be able to make good money from the same business :P

I thought about the same year after year but couldn't make it real even once :( May be I was too little to propose to my mom this crazy idea :(

(2) Less as old days in Edmonton

Same logic as in HK, everyone goes to Uncle and Aunt 2's house for CNY as they are the oldest in the area and live with grandma and grandpa most of the times. Unlike in HK, the celebration takes part only on CNY Eve (interestingly, on CNY Eve not on CNY day), and hence red pockets are also distributed on CNY Eve rather than Day.

(3) Nowadays in HK

As we are getting old, we have more plans during CNY. The celebration thus only means going to "yum cha" on CNY Day in recent years.

***** *****

The real CNY special of the Fact and the Myths of the Tse Family will come on 13 Feb. Stay tune.