難過的一天

星期日，在商場售賣的電腦螢幕上，正播放着阿富汗政府把國家及人民拱手相讓給塔利班的消息，我停下來，心中很不安。

星期一，在新聞得知連總統也不理人民生死⋯逃走了！滿腦子問號＂神啊！當地人民，特別是婦女，將會如何？能承受嗎？＂

今天早上，心裏仍然不安，手機已經傳來弟兄轉發在當地婦女的一個 IG Post, 述說她的絕望。接着，在Times 看到一篇曾經是當地駐軍的退役美軍細説這麼多年究竟在當地發生什麼事，為何美軍對阿富汗政府軍的訓練和所付出的會如此不堪一擊⋯⋯

前幾天，仍在繼續看奧巴馬的書 A Promise Land, 回想書中提及過他要做一個十分艱難的決定：應該增加阿富汗駐軍，還是定下撤離時限？當中要考慮的因素實在太多…

以上一個一個零碎的片段，今天在腦海中不停地交錯浮現。日間，好不容易地勉強集中精神完成一些工作；晩飯看完新聞後，又回到無助的感覺，實在沒辦法繼續工作下去。 

以往會認為始終是遠方的內政，離我們很遠，也很難做到些什麼，所以不會太上心；只是自從香港社運，地球暖化不能逆轉及Covid-19 之後，我感到正在其他國家發生中的事，已經和我們緊緊相連着，只要是地球人便不能幸免，至少，我們的心會被牽動，為當地人民著急!

不經不覺地今天，我在香港渡過了十二多個小時，生活＂如常＂，但對於在阿富汗的人民、婦女，這十二小時是何等漫長.…沉重！即使我明白世界的苦難有定時，也非人可改變，但有時確實難以承受，唯有求神憐憫，求祢保護你所愛的子民！

Jan 2021 Hong Kong

Today is 14 Aug 2021, 

 七夕 Qixi Festival in Hong Kong, but I am not going to write the story of it, instead, something about my yearly appointment on 1 January to Pok Fu Lam on the Hong Kong side.

Right after, I would walk towards Central to take the MTR way home. Before that, I must walked through the narrow streets "up & down" in Sheung Wan; which was enjoyable if you had "strength" and love the old stuff, like this. 

Well, we can still see this kind of stalls in some other old districts like Sham Shui Po, but always a bit different here, may be due to the sloped narrow streets and the "fainted" color of shops nearby. You would get the feeling of returning to the 70's - 80's liked travelling in time machine. 

I loved the kind of  "slow" motion, the aroma of livelihood, the tranquil moment while most of the people were still sleeping after the crazy night on the New Year's Eve... as well as the antique color that could always be captured.

I took this photo simply by my "ancient" iphone SE, as my usual practice, the lighting & color to be reflected as real at that moment as possible, that's the moment of us!

Actually there was the hawker inside, but I tried not to interrupt & therefore took this angle, which was fine provided my "models" were feeling comfortable :p

Before I left this district, one of my favorite spot, here...a very traditional Chinese sausage maker, I wished they would never replaced the incandescent light bulbs, never... the yellow tone that eventually vanishing !

Usually a lot more sausages will be hanging all along on those horizontal railings, by the end of January close to our Chinese New Year, imagine how spectacular it will be; the most happiest festival for Hong Konger, a few more months to go. 

I can't estimate what will going to happen in the coming months before my next visit in 2022, both the pandemic of Covid-19 or the political changes in Hong Kong, but I have confidence as always, hope in human nature...wish we & you all the best!

再見，朋友！

今天無意中得知有一些朋友已經在短時間內離開了香港，一家移居他方。雖然這也不是什麼奇事，但和大家道別一句也沒有，甚至連WhatsApp 通知也欠奉，感覺還是酸溜溜的；是因為未必會再見？又或是離去怱怱呢？！

每個人都有他們對未來的計劃與期望，加上新世代的交通及通訊便利，其實身處何方也沒有特別的距離感，不過，今天的感覺有些不一樣；令我整天即使在工作中，思緒仍難以集中，因為今次的＂距離＂似是很遙遠⋯

昨天晚上和朋友閒談，告訴他們，如果有一天他們也要離去，請務必和我見一次面，好好道別！我還以為這是一個很低的要求，原來不知何時，這已經成為一個可能不能實現的＂強求＂了，心中不是味兒⋯

生活了數十個寒暑，對不少幻變的世事，算是勉強學會了如何去面對。作為基督徒的我，亦實在會多一分力量，深信神掌管一切的信心；或許，這也是我心中此刻仍然可以有一份平安，雖然我不知明天會如何，會否仍然是我能＂承受＂的狀態，我仍然希望有＂希望＂~似是廢話罷😅！不過，我是認真的，因為我們同是地球村的地球人，神所愛的子民，願你們~我的朋友們⋯一切安好！

(窗外突然下着雨，似是代替我們的道別⋯)

Summer Cool Sale

Hey, pal,

Sorry again it seems I do forget to tell you there is a "Summer Cool Sale" 

for Book 2 Entrée Sortie of 39% reduce in price from 1 to 31 August 2021

                                                          

click to enlarge

Meaning, you can purchase in 

$1.99 (US) from Apple Books 

or $15.46 (HK) from Google Books

Enjoy! together with the forever free 

Book One : Pont Neuf of Petit Paris series.

Oiseau Distrait

                                                            

    

The Tapestry Poem

Hi, 

 

I would like to share this with you, a wonderful poem selected by Pauline, our team member of "pastor Au + 7 pebbles" for a special study group  in our church.

"The Tapestry Poem"was originally written by Grant Colfax Tullar (1869-1950)

Then being shared by writer Corrie Ten Boom(1892-1983) in the title of "The Weaver".

 

This poem is so meaningful, being loved & broadly shared many many times; 

and I'm pleased to share it again in my blog, wish you like it, too

My life is but a weaving       我的生命

Between my God and me      是主與我編織的掛毯

I cannot choose the colors    我不能選擇顔色

He wealth steadily              主在編織引領

 

 

Oft' times He weaveth the sorrow;    主常常編織悲傷;

And I in foolish pride                    我愚昧驕傲

Forget He sees the upper                 忘了主看到正面

And I the underside                      而我只看到底面

 

 

Not til the loom is silent         直到織機無聲

And the shuttles cease to fly   機梭停止穿梭

Will God unroll the canvas    主會打開掛毯

And reveal the reason why     展現讓我明白看見

 
 

 

The dark threads are as needful      按照主的設計

 In the  weaver's skilful hand         深黑色的線

 As the threads of gold and silver    在熟練織工的手中

 In the pattern He has planned       和金銀線同讓需要

 

He knows, He loves, He cares;    主知道, 主愛, 主在乎;

Nothing this truth can dim.      這個真理從沒變.

He gives the very best to those   誰願順服祂主權

Who leave the choice to Him     主為誰留美好賞賜

P.S. - thanks Pauline for the beautiful translation so we can share with more others :D

 

智者、旅人 The Wise man said...

A tourist who was visiting a small village approached the house of a well-known wise man, and he was surprised to see that he lived in a small, humble room filled with books. The only pieces of furniture were a bed, a table, and a chair.

 “Where is the rest of your furniture?” the tourist asked.

 “And where is yours?” the wise man answered back. 

“Mine?” responded the tourist, surprised. “I’m only here for a short time.”

“Me too,” said the wise man.

事源教會的一個課堂上，大家思考着智慧書，那麼，什麼是智慧呢？一位姊妹便發現這篇文章與我們分享(抱歉忘記了是摘自那裏，如果你知道，煩請告訴我以便加入此文的備註中，先謝過！🙂)，我覺得很有意思，於是繪了這張圖畫，也在此與你們分享。

從信仰的角度，智慧源於我們信靠的神~敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端，認識至聖者便是聰明！(箴言九章10節)人的智慧實在沒法與創造我們的神相比，這是合理不過的; 能夠認識並信靠神，自然能尋到智慧的根源，這也是我們的福氣。那麼，在還沒有認識神之前，是否也可以活得智慧一些而不是愚妄地渡日呢? 

上文述説一個旅人在探訪小村莊的時候，行至一位有名的智者家中，驚覺他居住在一間充滿書的樸實小房子，除此之外，便只有床，書枱和椅子。

旅人問：你其餘的傢俬在那裡呢？

智者回答説的：你的又在那裡呢？ 

旅人疑惑地説：我的？...我只會在此處短暫停留．

智者說：我也是。

或許不用我多解説，你也明白箇中意思。就是這麼簡單地解釋了我們為什麼不需要無止境地追求物慾，除了是物質與心靈所需的分别之外，也就是把有限的時間用在什麼地方上。得到的一齊能成為我們活得更自在和有深度，還是變成享受過後的一些負擔呢？

Listening

 

click to enlarge

I will say this is Part Two of "Hide and Seek", when I was thinking of what to draw in the center page for Book Six - Hear Me, lots & lots of images flash into my mind, they may be real or, are only some wishes that I would like to see someday. Both hide & seek/ hear me & listening would not exist without someone to act, problems remain if nobody care. 

I've always said that "melancholy" happen not only in Paris, but everywhere in the world, we can just ignore them if we think they are the norm, or begin to act bit by bit starting from peoples around us and therefore, this is not merely "wishes" !

Covid-19 pandemic may further increase the distance between us, but a lesson that we've all learnt - to treasure those around you in your life, the bonding of human beings always last wherever we are. 

So, at the end, I make use of the gramophone to deliver the message knowing that there is always someone who is willing to listen as well as to assist. May God bless our planet!