Super Moon?!

Super moon = super power =  super disaster...do you believe? or like me, absolutely not!

Sometimes we blame a lot to others when we face difficulties, especially to the nature, but the fact is, most of the reasons are due to human ourselves; our desire of political power, money,  name of famous, power of conquer...what we built may not what we actually need. "Need", something required for survive only, is that so complicated? I doubt.

We can't stop the continue growth of technology, or the living quality that we are enjoying, but we can take a break, think and review again to see if we can start repairing the faults that  we've already made to our planet, and to our life. Take a break from our unlimited desire, that is never worth to be paid by our next generations.

There is no super power from the mysterious space but from us, the power to destroy everything within seconds if we don't control it.

真正財富 The Real Treasure of A Country

日本地震引發海嘯的大災難, 相信不少人感到震驚. 短短在這幾天內, 我們從報紙丶新聞、網站所看到一張又一張的圖片, 除了驚歎海嘯的强大破壞力之外, 市民在當地要面對的各種各樣生活問題, 難過及悲痛, 一幕一幕地浮現在我們眼前. 但最令我印象深刻就是這一張, 巿民安靜守秩序地排隊, 輪候食水的照片.

我們常說國家如何如何强大, 如何富庶, 超級武器裝備如何先進, 人均收入及消費能力如何如何高...但一切也不能承受大自然的攕滅. 只有國民在危難中仍然堅守岡位, 不慌不亂地配合政府的救援工作. 沒有暴亂丶憤慨、指責、呼天搶地, 讓政府可專心進行搶救工作......也許, 這才是一個國家真正值得驕傲的事; 如此高質素的國民, 才是國家真正的財寶.

你或許會說: 這是因為日本巿民一向有危機訓練才會有如此表現. 我不完全認同, 尤其當一個要面對家園盡毁,痛失至親的人來說, 難道我們還能要求他如此理性嗎?

祝願日本巿民平安!

News of Japan earthquake are all around us, lots and lots of photo were posted on the newspaper, TV, blogs or webs. The power of nature destroy everything within minutes, what can citizen do? Cry? Anger? Shout? lost of control? blame the government? turning the place into chaos?......No, but calm, behave, temporary overcome their lost and sadness - be control, helping each others...so the government can concentrate to all the rescue stuff. This is what I felt when I was attracted by this photo.

We've always calculate the strength of a country by their wealth, power of army, how advance of their weapon, how great of the citizen's consuming power or income index..., etc, etc; but none of the above can withstand a strike from the nature, even only once. May be, the real treasure of a country that she could proud of, is having a group of high quality citizen.

Although you may say, Japanese can behave so in order is because they are well trained while they were kids. Well, yes but not totally agree because it's a matter of total lost, not only physically but mentally, the lost of beloved; not only one but unknown, this is not easy to be logical as they are human. We, as human also, should be proud of them.

May God's blessing be with them all.

不能錯過的片尾

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A Series of Unfortunate Events - by Lemony Snicket's

The best of end credit design of both art and music.

一直都想為這套戲寫一篇介紹, 由占基利演出的"連環不幸事件".有趣的是, 片中最好看及最具觀賞價值的一部份來自尾片, 即出roller, end credit 的一段. 加上配樂, 把整個故事濃縮成另一齣動畫,再次用另類手法在觀眾眼前呈現.

短短五分鐘內, 讓我們再次投入整個不幸事件中.那種陰沉,黑暗,無助的氣氛, 配上緊張的背景音樂,跟隨着三姊弟一步一步地逃離占基利的魔掌. 

留意剪影造形, 十分精緻,喜歡美術及設計的朋友, 絕對不能錯過.

Upside Down

Cat loves this position, we human, too. Because this is a gesture of relax, day dreaming, doing nothing, to take a break...

To me, a plus of thinking, reviewing, re-considerate of something stuck into the bottleneck. It takes 5 to 30 minutes, or more; ending with a solution or simply nothing, but it's a good chance to see things from upside down, from another angle of view, a real interesting experience.

Especially when you are lying on the beach, looking at the sky above, sandals of people, sand and tree root around, searching for new attractions that are not normally found;  your viewing angle is expanding to a great distance, not only the sea in front of you.

Similarly, you will care more other than the tiny problem in front of you, but much more......a person? a long forgotten matter? things happening in other world that far apart? a special moment of something?.......a way out!


If it is so magical, why we don't do it often? Because it takes time - something we are "lack" of; and this magic will never work to the one who refuse to accept the true, even they know the answer is there upside down.

 

一碗冬蔭功的啟示

看這張照片,不會覺得這碗冬蔭功湯很美味.再加上用來承載的碗具,似乎不大吸引.

在香港,現在要喝一碗冬蔭功湯總得花上$40-90不等.美味與否姑且不談.貴在那裏呢?一頭大蝦?一堆香料?幾尾小魷魚?還是在於那用來承湯的精緻小火爐?又或是那模擬泰國的室內擺設?與及幾位穿上泰式服裝的店員所提供的"一般"服務呢?

原本是泰國人民家常便飯的一碗湯, 經過包裝後,甚至為符合市場需求而改變用料,口味,便能成為升價＋倍的菜式,給食店帶來可觀的收入, 這也就是設計和包裝的魔力......卻也可以成為咒詛.

事實上這一碗價值不到$4的冬蔭功,質地粗糙,用料普通,味道不豐富...但收費完全合理,沒有失望,是實實在在的地道平民口味; 總比運用技巧把外在因素提升,但產品卻是連基本水準也達不到的要好.名不符實就是我所指的咒詛.

生活質素絕不等同要享用刻意包裝,擁有浮誇外表的產品.簡單直接,沒有修飾,也可以是其中一種的消費模式,尤其在一些模擬不到的自然環境下享用就更加珍貴了.

年畫Chinese Folk Art

 

年畫-是中國的民間藝術之一, 用農曆新年作為主題的尤其多.但也有不少是取材自民間生活的. 這套共有四款, 名為四合院---春、夏、秋、冬的作品(Artist, Bai Yanping), 不用介紹也知道其內容是環繞北京傳統建築:四合院內平民在四季的生活及景緻.

還記得當年在北京公幹, 小休期間便在某商場內發現這一小套印刷品, 我要强調是印刷品,因為如果是原稿畫作,其色彩必定會更加豐富和較有層次感.年畫的趣味在於沒有透視,即沒有消失點, 所以一眼可以看清前後景所繪畫的內容,這也是我認為最獨特之處.

現在大家不妨細心欣賞這裡四季怡人的景緻.

Chinese Folk Art has one special kind of painting style - 年畫 , celebration of Lunar New Year is the most popular scene that artist will express in their painting, that's why in a straight forward translation, you may call it "Painting of the Year". But besides this, everything related to daily living of Chinese are also their favorite topics, like the one above are a Four seasons drawing in count yard house, i.e,  si-he yuan- a very traditional and historical apartment in Beijing, by artist - Bai Yanping.

This set of commercial print out was found during my business trip, once in Beijing a few years ago. If these are the original paintings instead of print out, you will see a more subtle but rich color effect; but what I like most is the non-existing of perspective = no vanishing point, a very unique criteria of this kind of painting, so you can see clearing what are happening inside each corner of the small garden.

Now, be my guest to take a Four Season trip, enjoy !

Happiness

You may easily recognize this photo is from the film of "The Pursuit of Happyness", one of our recommended film. I am not going to tell you the detail, I hope you can take a break from your work, watch and feel it by yourself.

Happiness - something abstract, can be easily reached; but can also be so apart which seems we don't know each other. The "happyness' that Will Smith come across here  is nothing to do with luxury or desire; but simply SURVIVE. Why is it so difference? so touching, even though we may not have the same experience......

because at the bottom of our heart, we did have the same scenario, some days, some times before - to die for something. Do that "Happiness" still here? or just gone within seconds? hours? days or months?

There are different level of happiness, I believe; to have a long lasting or a most touchable one, will be the total sacrified of our own for somebody we treasure, without calculation of reward or lost.

Official site : The pursuit of Happyness