My favourite Leon Lai saying is:
１. (1) 我朝早唔會空肚食早餐 ＂Ｉ wouldn't eat breakfast on an empty stomach."
2. 27) "希望各界支持Leon的朋友選擇自己願意做的善事，不好勉強自己，如果認為不值得，就證明你同他有緣無分.就不需要做，因為我們沒有欠下任何人，我們只希望能夠做點好事，幫助有需要的人。" I hope that the friends who support Leon Lai (me) will choose to act charitably, but please don't do it if it's against your wishes. If you think it's not worth it, then that is proof that you two are not meant to be, then don't do it because we don't owe anyone anything. We just hope that we can do something good to help those in need.“
^ He sounds like he only has an attention span of 2 seconds. Not convinced? See below.
3. （3） 左手又係肉， 手掌又係肉， 獎就只係得一個， 得冠軍同季軍， 唔知點決定。 “Your left hand made of flesh, and your palm is made of flesh. There is only one trophy. Whether it's winning 1st place or 2nd runner up, you wouldn't know how to choose."
The first sentence is a Chinese proverb that says: "the back of your hand is made of flesh, and the palm of your hand is also made of flesh." It's an analogy that is used to drescribe situations of having a dilemma, when you have to choose between two things that you wish to possess at the same time, yet you must sacrifice one of them. Leon Lai made the mistake of saying your left hand and your palm, which makes no sense. Not to mention the part where he says you wouln't know how to choose between winning 1st and 2nd runner up. Of course winning 1st is ideal!
Reason for Edit: correcting a translation mistake.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Meeting His Honour, Lt. Governor, David Onley
Too tired to type up a full entry right now. Yesterday, I met His Honour at the reception for the Opening Ceremony of the Southern Ontario Model United Nations Assembly (SOMA), organized by the grade 12 students of UTS.
It was fun.
Today, we opened the first day of model assemblies and it was very fascinating to watch. Kids these days are so smart!
It was fun.
Today, we opened the first day of model assemblies and it was very fascinating to watch. Kids these days are so smart!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Life is a Ballgame by Winona Carr
As I was driving to church this morning with my dad sitting beside me, listening to the CBC, I heard this song.
Life is a ballgame
Bein' played each day
Life is a ballgame
Everybody can play
Jesus is standin' at home plate
Waitin' for you there
Life is a ballgame, but
You've got to play it fair.
First base is temptation,
The second base is sin
Third base tribulation
If you pass you can make it in
Ol' man Solomon is the umpire
And Satan is pitchin the game
He'll do his best to strike you out
Keep playin' just the same.
Daniel was the first to bat
You know he prayed three times a day
When Satan threw him a fast ball
You know he hit it anyway
Job came in the next inning
Satan struck him in every way,
But job he hit a home run
And came on in that day.
Prayer will be your strong bat
To hit at Satan's ball
And when you start to swing it
You've got to give it your all in all
Faith will be your catcher
On him you can depend
And Jesus is standing at Home Plate
Just waitin for you to come in.
Moses is standin' on the side lines
Just waitin to be called
And when he parted the Red Sea
He gave Christ is all-in-all
John came in the last inning
When the game was almost don
Then God gave John a vision
And he knew he'd all ready won.
Life is a ballgame
Bein' played each day
Life is a ballgame
Everybody can play
Jesus is standin' at home plate
Waitin' for you there
Life is a ballgame, but
You've got to play it fair.
First base is temptation,
The second base is sin
Third base tribulation
If you pass you can make it in
Ol' man Solomon is the umpire
And Satan is pitchin the game
He'll do his best to strike you out
Keep playin' just the same.
Daniel was the first to bat
You know he prayed three times a day
When Satan threw him a fast ball
You know he hit it anyway
Job came in the next inning
Satan struck him in every way,
But job he hit a home run
And came on in that day.
Prayer will be your strong bat
To hit at Satan's ball
And when you start to swing it
You've got to give it your all in all
Faith will be your catcher
On him you can depend
And Jesus is standing at Home Plate
Just waitin for you to come in.
Moses is standin' on the side lines
Just waitin to be called
And when he parted the Red Sea
He gave Christ is all-in-all
John came in the last inning
When the game was almost don
Then God gave John a vision
And he knew he'd all ready won.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Hands Held High by Linkin Park (Explicit)
Turn my mic up louder, I got to say something
Lightweights steppin' aside when we come in
Feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumping
People on the street then panic and start running
Words on loose leaf sheet, complete coming
I jump in my mind, I summon the rhyme I'm dumping
Healing the blind, I promise to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we march to the drumming
Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumping
Fuck that, I wanna see some fists pumping
List something, take back what's yours
Say something that you know they might attack you for
'Cause I'm sick of being treated like I had before
Like it's stupid standing for what I'm standing for
Like this war's really just a different brand of war
Like it doesn't cater to rich and abandon poor
Like they understand you, in the back of their jet
When you can't put gas in your tank, these fuckers
Are laughing their way to the bank, and cashing their check
Asking you to have the passion and have some respect
For a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In the living room, laughing like, "What did he say?"
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
In my living room watching it, I am not laughing
'Cause when it gets tense, I know what might happen
The world is cold, the bold men take action
Have to react to get blown into fractions
At 10 years old, it's something to see
Another kid my age drugged under a Jeep
Taken and bound and found later under a tree
I wonder if he had thought 'the next one could be me'
Do you see the soldiers that are out today?
They brush the dust from bulletproof vests away
It's ironic, at times like this you'd pray
But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday
There's bombs on the buses, bikes, roads
Inside your market, your shops, and your clothes
My dad, he's got a lot of fear, I know
But enough pride inside not to let that show
My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine on the back
He hand-wrote a quote inside,
"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die"
Meanwhile, the leader just talks away
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
The rest of the world watching at the end of the day
Both scared and angry, like "What did he say?"
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
With hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
***************************************************************
There are several reasons why I love their music, among them: their music rocks hard; they have sections of rap that is ennunciated clearly; and they write meaningful lyrics. Recently, I started listening to Linkin Park again and I was disheartened to find that some of the songs in Minutes to Midnight contain explicit lyrics. This never was the case in their first two albums, Meteora and Hybrid Theory. I acknowledge that there is a place for using explicit language in contempoary mainstream music, and if it's used appropriately the effect is moving rather than disgusting. One of the songs on MTM that can be considered as such is "Hands Held High (see lyrics above)."
For other reasons, I find this song quite sad and troubling, if I've understood it correctly. Clearly, the song is commenting on the Bush's administration and the war in Iraq. It's a call to arms to Americans to stand up and think for themselves, and not just eat up whatever propaganda the government and media dish out on a spoon. It talks about how people in the US are living in their own version of poverty, resulting in a slew of social problems. How can the Bush administration talk about taking care of problems in other countries when the US has their own to deal with? It also points out that innocent Muslims in the Middle East are suffering from bombings, too.
Then I hear this part of the lyrics about a man who carries a red book. I wonder, which red book? I have a Bible that has a red leather cover, but is that what Mike Shinoda was referring to? I looked up the quote that was written on the back of the red book, and it's by Jean Paul Sartre. There is one fellow who claims that it's by Karl Marx and that's just grossly misinformed. That quote is from act 1 of the play, The Devil and the Good Lord (1951). The red book is probably not a copy of the play because the quote was handwritten presumably by the brother, and not printed by the publisher. Is the little red book referring to the Mao Zedong's book? The quote by Sartre actually makes sense in this context because Mao's communist campaign was all about bringing down the rich and wealthy capitalists whose sole interest is in exploiting the poor. "When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die."
What did Mike Shinoda mean when he wrote those lines of the lyrics? Some think that he's projecting socialism as a solution to some of the problems in the US. Others think he's idolizing Mao and Communist ideology, which I find skeptical. What is clear is that the brother who carries that book is portrayed in a sympathetic light in the song.
Then there's the part where "Amen" gets repeated over and over again. And then the lines "With hands held high into a sky so blue / As the ocean opens up to swallow you." The imagery in the first line is beautiful, and in the second, terrifying. When I read the first line, I think of people who are at a Christian music concert, or at church, who have both hands raised high above their heads. This is how Paul the Apostle prayed, and probably many more like him and before him. Is Shinoda making a comment about Christians, then? Is he saying that Chrstians are praying and believing in something that appears so beautiful, but in reality it's something that will smother us or swallow us up? Is he saying that Christians who believe in praying to God are no less blind than the people who believe in the anti-Muslim/anti-Islam propaganda? Is he saying that praying is an ineffective way of addressing current societal problems?
Even if Mike Shinoda were sitting right in front of me, and if I were to ask him these questions point blank, I doubt he'd answer them directly and succinctly.
Lightweights steppin' aside when we come in
Feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumping
People on the street then panic and start running
Words on loose leaf sheet, complete coming
I jump in my mind, I summon the rhyme I'm dumping
Healing the blind, I promise to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we march to the drumming
Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumping
Fuck that, I wanna see some fists pumping
List something, take back what's yours
Say something that you know they might attack you for
'Cause I'm sick of being treated like I had before
Like it's stupid standing for what I'm standing for
Like this war's really just a different brand of war
Like it doesn't cater to rich and abandon poor
Like they understand you, in the back of their jet
When you can't put gas in your tank, these fuckers
Are laughing their way to the bank, and cashing their check
Asking you to have the passion and have some respect
For a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
In the living room, laughing like, "What did he say?"
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
In my living room watching it, I am not laughing
'Cause when it gets tense, I know what might happen
The world is cold, the bold men take action
Have to react to get blown into fractions
At 10 years old, it's something to see
Another kid my age drugged under a Jeep
Taken and bound and found later under a tree
I wonder if he had thought 'the next one could be me'
Do you see the soldiers that are out today?
They brush the dust from bulletproof vests away
It's ironic, at times like this you'd pray
But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday
There's bombs on the buses, bikes, roads
Inside your market, your shops, and your clothes
My dad, he's got a lot of fear, I know
But enough pride inside not to let that show
My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine on the back
He hand-wrote a quote inside,
"When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die"
Meanwhile, the leader just talks away
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
The rest of the world watching at the end of the day
Both scared and angry, like "What did he say?"
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
Amen
With hands held high into a sky so blue
As the ocean opens up to swallow you
***************************************************************
There are several reasons why I love their music, among them: their music rocks hard; they have sections of rap that is ennunciated clearly; and they write meaningful lyrics. Recently, I started listening to Linkin Park again and I was disheartened to find that some of the songs in Minutes to Midnight contain explicit lyrics. This never was the case in their first two albums, Meteora and Hybrid Theory. I acknowledge that there is a place for using explicit language in contempoary mainstream music, and if it's used appropriately the effect is moving rather than disgusting. One of the songs on MTM that can be considered as such is "Hands Held High (see lyrics above)."
For other reasons, I find this song quite sad and troubling, if I've understood it correctly. Clearly, the song is commenting on the Bush's administration and the war in Iraq. It's a call to arms to Americans to stand up and think for themselves, and not just eat up whatever propaganda the government and media dish out on a spoon. It talks about how people in the US are living in their own version of poverty, resulting in a slew of social problems. How can the Bush administration talk about taking care of problems in other countries when the US has their own to deal with? It also points out that innocent Muslims in the Middle East are suffering from bombings, too.
Then I hear this part of the lyrics about a man who carries a red book. I wonder, which red book? I have a Bible that has a red leather cover, but is that what Mike Shinoda was referring to? I looked up the quote that was written on the back of the red book, and it's by Jean Paul Sartre. There is one fellow who claims that it's by Karl Marx and that's just grossly misinformed. That quote is from act 1 of the play, The Devil and the Good Lord (1951). The red book is probably not a copy of the play because the quote was handwritten presumably by the brother, and not printed by the publisher. Is the little red book referring to the Mao Zedong's book? The quote by Sartre actually makes sense in this context because Mao's communist campaign was all about bringing down the rich and wealthy capitalists whose sole interest is in exploiting the poor. "When the rich wage war, it's the poor who die."
What did Mike Shinoda mean when he wrote those lines of the lyrics? Some think that he's projecting socialism as a solution to some of the problems in the US. Others think he's idolizing Mao and Communist ideology, which I find skeptical. What is clear is that the brother who carries that book is portrayed in a sympathetic light in the song.
Then there's the part where "Amen" gets repeated over and over again. And then the lines "With hands held high into a sky so blue / As the ocean opens up to swallow you." The imagery in the first line is beautiful, and in the second, terrifying. When I read the first line, I think of people who are at a Christian music concert, or at church, who have both hands raised high above their heads. This is how Paul the Apostle prayed, and probably many more like him and before him. Is Shinoda making a comment about Christians, then? Is he saying that Chrstians are praying and believing in something that appears so beautiful, but in reality it's something that will smother us or swallow us up? Is he saying that Christians who believe in praying to God are no less blind than the people who believe in the anti-Muslim/anti-Islam propaganda? Is he saying that praying is an ineffective way of addressing current societal problems?
Even if Mike Shinoda were sitting right in front of me, and if I were to ask him these questions point blank, I doubt he'd answer them directly and succinctly.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
"狐狸先生的尾巴" 與六四事件有關?
不知到是誰 "發掘到" 的. 我就覺可信性很微.
I just read on Wikipedia that 夢劇院's song, "狐狸先生的尾巴" was written in reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre on the morning of June 4th, 1989. I went on Google and tried to find more references to determine if there was any credibility to the claim. I couldn't find any primary sources, such as interview quotes or commentary by media journalists or critics. All I found were people referring to this connection, yet providing no evidence to prove this theory.
I've been listening to this song since the album was first released in 1989. I remember I bought it at around Christmas time. From June 4th to December, that's a mere 6 months. Knowing how long it takes for an album to be written, recorded, mixed and then published, I think six months is rather a short period of time for Paradox (夢劇院) to have done all this. Another thing is Paradox only released one album per year that had completely new songs on it. In between each album, they would release a remix LP. Erica Lee and Yvonne Lau wrote their own lyrics, and they were full-time university students at the time, so that means it would have likely taken them nearly a year to write the lyrics for a full-length album. Hence, the timing just doesn't seem plausible.
One thing about timing that does help this claim is that they probably would have done a lot of the work on their albums during the summer when they had vacation time. But, that's stretching it.
If you look at the lyrics closely, they don't seem to match up entirely with the claim that the song is referencing the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Let me go through it.
I just read on Wikipedia that 夢劇院's song, "狐狸先生的尾巴" was written in reference to the Tiananmen Square Massacre on the morning of June 4th, 1989. I went on Google and tried to find more references to determine if there was any credibility to the claim. I couldn't find any primary sources, such as interview quotes or commentary by media journalists or critics. All I found were people referring to this connection, yet providing no evidence to prove this theory.
I've been listening to this song since the album was first released in 1989. I remember I bought it at around Christmas time. From June 4th to December, that's a mere 6 months. Knowing how long it takes for an album to be written, recorded, mixed and then published, I think six months is rather a short period of time for Paradox (夢劇院) to have done all this. Another thing is Paradox only released one album per year that had completely new songs on it. In between each album, they would release a remix LP. Erica Lee and Yvonne Lau wrote their own lyrics, and they were full-time university students at the time, so that means it would have likely taken them nearly a year to write the lyrics for a full-length album. Hence, the timing just doesn't seem plausible.
One thing about timing that does help this claim is that they probably would have done a lot of the work on their albums during the summer when they had vacation time. But, that's stretching it.
If you look at the lyrics closely, they don't seem to match up entirely with the claim that the song is referencing the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Let me go through it.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
My Favourite Works of Classical Music
Favourite Pieces of All Time
1. The Enigma Variations, Op. 36, by Sir Edward Elgar
My favourite variations are Nimrod, W.M.B. and Troyte, in that order. It is one of the most dramatic pieces of music I've ever heard.
2. Vocalise, by Sergei Rachmaninov
My favourite rendition of this vocal piece is by American opera singer, Renee Fleming. I have heard numerous other versions by other singers, but Ms. Fleming's is the best. The orchestral version is also very nice.
3. The Moonlight Sonata, by Ludwig Van Beethoven
My dad once told me that Beethoven wrote this piece to show a blind girl how beautiful moonlight looks. After researching on my own, I found that this isn't true, but I like it more than all the more plausible stories of this piece's origin.
4. Rêverie, L 68, by Claude Debussy
I first heard this piece when the Great Gordeeva and Grinkov skated to it as an exhibition number at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. I now have all three versions: violin & harp, piano, and orchestra.
5. Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85, by Sir Edward Elgar
My favourite rendition of this piece is by Jacqueline Du Pre. I have spent some time listening to other versions by other cellists, but Du Pre's version is my favourte because of how she plays the opening of the first movement: Adagio - Moderato. When she goes from the low note immediately the high note, it's the most dramatic of all the version's I've heard.
1. The Enigma Variations, Op. 36, by Sir Edward Elgar
My favourite variations are Nimrod, W.M.B. and Troyte, in that order. It is one of the most dramatic pieces of music I've ever heard.
2. Vocalise, by Sergei Rachmaninov
My favourite rendition of this vocal piece is by American opera singer, Renee Fleming. I have heard numerous other versions by other singers, but Ms. Fleming's is the best. The orchestral version is also very nice.
3. The Moonlight Sonata, by Ludwig Van Beethoven
My dad once told me that Beethoven wrote this piece to show a blind girl how beautiful moonlight looks. After researching on my own, I found that this isn't true, but I like it more than all the more plausible stories of this piece's origin.
4. Rêverie, L 68, by Claude Debussy
I first heard this piece when the Great Gordeeva and Grinkov skated to it as an exhibition number at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. I now have all three versions: violin & harp, piano, and orchestra.
5. Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85, by Sir Edward Elgar
My favourite rendition of this piece is by Jacqueline Du Pre. I have spent some time listening to other versions by other cellists, but Du Pre's version is my favourte because of how she plays the opening of the first movement: Adagio - Moderato. When she goes from the low note immediately the high note, it's the most dramatic of all the version's I've heard.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Domnina & Shabalin's OD - Aboriginal Theme
Which group of Aboriginals are they trying to portray in that dance? If they are generalizing, which Linichuk just admitted, then that's where the problem begins. That sounds more like a mixture of moves and gestures thrown together to create an "aboriginal" dance.
Which group of Aboriginals are being "honoured?" All? Impossible. There are so many aboriginal groups all over the 7 continents, each with their own spiritual beliefs, customs and culture. Again, generalizing is the problem.
Based on what I've learned in Canadian history classes from the elementary to the post-secondary level is that some Canadian aboriginal groups dance for a spiritual purpose. Sometimes it's to honour a god who helped a tribe win a battle in war, or it's to ask for blessings on the young men of the tribe before they go off on a hunting expedition. These dances are sacred. For Domnina and Shabalin to display a gernalized "aboriginal" dance shows how ignorant they are. The very simple fact that they are doing an aboriginal dance without any understanding of the spiritual foundation of these dances is an offence.
They didn't intend to offend? They did.
Which group of Aboriginals are being "honoured?" All? Impossible. There are so many aboriginal groups all over the 7 continents, each with their own spiritual beliefs, customs and culture. Again, generalizing is the problem.
Based on what I've learned in Canadian history classes from the elementary to the post-secondary level is that some Canadian aboriginal groups dance for a spiritual purpose. Sometimes it's to honour a god who helped a tribe win a battle in war, or it's to ask for blessings on the young men of the tribe before they go off on a hunting expedition. These dances are sacred. For Domnina and Shabalin to display a gernalized "aboriginal" dance shows how ignorant they are. The very simple fact that they are doing an aboriginal dance without any understanding of the spiritual foundation of these dances is an offence.
They didn't intend to offend? They did.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Google IME Chinese Simplified
今天， 哥哥教給我怎樣用GoogleIME 的中文拼音輸入法， 挺開心喔！
真的要謝謝他。
現在， 我可以用北京拼音字母來寫中文。 很快就可以寫好了。 =）
真的要謝謝他。
現在， 我可以用北京拼音字母來寫中文。 很快就可以寫好了。 =）
Sunday, January 03, 2010
有很多的感想 II (in memory of Hannah Faith Chan)
Last night, I was at Jack's house again, having dinner with his family. Thanks to Clare for inviting me.
I had a really good day yesterday: having lunch at Pho Hung with Clare's family, shopping at Vaughan Mills, having a Vietnamese dinner with Jack's family.
After dinner, I was chatting with Clare and Jack, and we got onto the topic of tithing for church. I told her that based on my salary, I should be giving approximately $400 each month, and in reality, I'm offering a lot less than 10%. I told her that 10% is just a suggested amount, and some would tithe more than that, while some less. It was a really interesting conversation. At one point, Jack asked me a question.
How can I believe in a God who allows babies to die before they've had a chance to truly experience life and all its ups and downs?
For sure, Jack knows about Hannah's death, and that's probably why he asked it. I feel like God has truly been watching me during these past two months, making sure that if my faith ever were to waver, that someone or something would present itself to me and help me to understand a little of the way how He works. I told Jack what I learned from Pastor Keith. When God takes a baby away to Heaven with Him, it means that this baby never had to experience any unhappiness, shame, persecution or rejection. Everything that this baby knew during her short existence was her parents love, her grandparents' love, love from her aunties and uncles, cousins and friends. Imagine how much God must have loved Hannah to have chosen for her a life so purely made up of love?
How many of us can say that we've lived a life without fear, shame, guilt, or pain? Hardly any. One day, when we meet Hannah again in Heaven, I'm sure we'll hear her tell us about how much love she received. We'd never hear her talk about anything dirty, corrupted or sinful because she never had any experience with these things.
Even young children will sometimes be jealous of their siblings, or act selfishly, or show anger towards their parents. As a parent, you would have to teach your child why these behaviours are wrong, and then have to watch their children repeat these mistakes over and over again throughout their lifetimes. But for Alvin and Sze-sze, when that day comes, they will see Hannah in all her glory and purity. Untarnished. What an honour God has bestowed on this faithful couple!
I thank the Lord Jesus for showing His grace and mercy and love.
凌雪
在嚴冬飄雪中,
您能否看見她
在凌空
雪粉霏霏
與陽光
照射著
的光芒?
-朱鳳鳴
I had a really good day yesterday: having lunch at Pho Hung with Clare's family, shopping at Vaughan Mills, having a Vietnamese dinner with Jack's family.
After dinner, I was chatting with Clare and Jack, and we got onto the topic of tithing for church. I told her that based on my salary, I should be giving approximately $400 each month, and in reality, I'm offering a lot less than 10%. I told her that 10% is just a suggested amount, and some would tithe more than that, while some less. It was a really interesting conversation. At one point, Jack asked me a question.
How can I believe in a God who allows babies to die before they've had a chance to truly experience life and all its ups and downs?
For sure, Jack knows about Hannah's death, and that's probably why he asked it. I feel like God has truly been watching me during these past two months, making sure that if my faith ever were to waver, that someone or something would present itself to me and help me to understand a little of the way how He works. I told Jack what I learned from Pastor Keith. When God takes a baby away to Heaven with Him, it means that this baby never had to experience any unhappiness, shame, persecution or rejection. Everything that this baby knew during her short existence was her parents love, her grandparents' love, love from her aunties and uncles, cousins and friends. Imagine how much God must have loved Hannah to have chosen for her a life so purely made up of love?
How many of us can say that we've lived a life without fear, shame, guilt, or pain? Hardly any. One day, when we meet Hannah again in Heaven, I'm sure we'll hear her tell us about how much love she received. We'd never hear her talk about anything dirty, corrupted or sinful because she never had any experience with these things.
Even young children will sometimes be jealous of their siblings, or act selfishly, or show anger towards their parents. As a parent, you would have to teach your child why these behaviours are wrong, and then have to watch their children repeat these mistakes over and over again throughout their lifetimes. But for Alvin and Sze-sze, when that day comes, they will see Hannah in all her glory and purity. Untarnished. What an honour God has bestowed on this faithful couple!
I thank the Lord Jesus for showing His grace and mercy and love.
凌雪
在嚴冬飄雪中,
您能否看見她
在凌空
雪粉霏霏
與陽光
照射著
的光芒?
-朱鳳鳴
有很多的感想 that I would like to share
This has been a tremendously joyous holiday for me, partly because I didn't bring any marking home, and I was able to truly and fully spend time with family and friends, celebrating and enjoying a lot of relaxing activities with those I love most on earth.
It all started with the busy but fun Christmas shopping experience with my parents, friends and my aunt Le. Then it was hosting the Christmas Eve dinner where Mummy and I made 8 Cornish hens. She made 4 in the Chinese style, and I made 4 using a French/English recipe (using port wine). After that, we celebrated Christmas at my uncle Frank and aunt Anita's house, like we do every year. It was a rather small gathering this year since my two other cousins were absent.
My bro and his wife weren't able to attend any of these, but luckily, both families had 2 gatherings before they left on holiday to the Caribbean. Otherwise, it would have a been a bummer. I miss them. I hope they're having lots of fun after the hell they went through at the airport/hotel.
New Years has been unexpectedly amazing this year. First, I went to Jack's house with Clare to celebrate the Eve with his friends. These are friends that I haven't seen in a very long time, so I am so glad that I attended. We had so much fun eating really nicely crafted appetizers of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, ham with a fiery hot mustard, little pastries with minced meat, etc. Jack even placed them on a tiered serving tower, like you would see at a hotel during high tea. It looked very elegant!
For dinner, Jack made us a beef stew, which we had with Yorkshire pudding. My very first time! =D We all had fun commenting on the bitter roasted radicchio and other people's memories of eating brussel sprouts. After dinner, the ladies played Scene It, a film trivia game an guessed our way through almost all of it. Then we watched a movie together with Sandra Bullock in it. It was a very touching story. Too bad one of the ladies had to go and nurse her baby daughter, and so she had to miss most of it. Thanks to Clare, Wendy and Joanne for making the New Year's Eve party feel like a "girl's night in" party.
On New Year's day, Clare came up with an idea t 4:30 in the afternoon to have a get-together. Fortunately, Thai and Cat were available in the evening, so they graciously allowed us to visit them and have dinner at their house. It was a very small gathering as Eddie and Jack weren't able to join us, but it was so much fun to so something spontaneous for once. We watched most of Pong Nan's concert, all of Ivana Wong's concert, a compilation of Faye Wong footage from the 90s, and then some old TVB 武俠 (wuxia) television series opening songs. Unfortunately, a lot of them that I had added to my playlist have been removed due to copyright violations. OH DANG!!! Still, we stayed way past 1:30am!
I feel so incredibly blessed this Christmas and New Year's. Thanks to all my family members, relatives, friends and of course, the precious Lord above.
It all started with the busy but fun Christmas shopping experience with my parents, friends and my aunt Le. Then it was hosting the Christmas Eve dinner where Mummy and I made 8 Cornish hens. She made 4 in the Chinese style, and I made 4 using a French/English recipe (using port wine). After that, we celebrated Christmas at my uncle Frank and aunt Anita's house, like we do every year. It was a rather small gathering this year since my two other cousins were absent.
My bro and his wife weren't able to attend any of these, but luckily, both families had 2 gatherings before they left on holiday to the Caribbean. Otherwise, it would have a been a bummer. I miss them. I hope they're having lots of fun after the hell they went through at the airport/hotel.
New Years has been unexpectedly amazing this year. First, I went to Jack's house with Clare to celebrate the Eve with his friends. These are friends that I haven't seen in a very long time, so I am so glad that I attended. We had so much fun eating really nicely crafted appetizers of asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, ham with a fiery hot mustard, little pastries with minced meat, etc. Jack even placed them on a tiered serving tower, like you would see at a hotel during high tea. It looked very elegant!
For dinner, Jack made us a beef stew, which we had with Yorkshire pudding. My very first time! =D We all had fun commenting on the bitter roasted radicchio and other people's memories of eating brussel sprouts. After dinner, the ladies played Scene It, a film trivia game an guessed our way through almost all of it. Then we watched a movie together with Sandra Bullock in it. It was a very touching story. Too bad one of the ladies had to go and nurse her baby daughter, and so she had to miss most of it. Thanks to Clare, Wendy and Joanne for making the New Year's Eve party feel like a "girl's night in" party.
On New Year's day, Clare came up with an idea t 4:30 in the afternoon to have a get-together. Fortunately, Thai and Cat were available in the evening, so they graciously allowed us to visit them and have dinner at their house. It was a very small gathering as Eddie and Jack weren't able to join us, but it was so much fun to so something spontaneous for once. We watched most of Pong Nan's concert, all of Ivana Wong's concert, a compilation of Faye Wong footage from the 90s, and then some old TVB 武俠 (wuxia) television series opening songs. Unfortunately, a lot of them that I had added to my playlist have been removed due to copyright violations. OH DANG!!! Still, we stayed way past 1:30am!
I feel so incredibly blessed this Christmas and New Year's. Thanks to all my family members, relatives, friends and of course, the precious Lord above.
Friday, January 01, 2010
2009 藍奕邦 得不到唱作歌手獎項?
叱咤商台是否有問題?
商台不愧是商台. 怎麼沒有內含又普通的 K 歌可以為側田奪到銀獎? 他還只能作曲, 連填詞的才華都沒有! 反而藍奕邦為自己作曲和填詞, 寫了「向前走」, 「時候尚早」 和 「靈光」 這些又動聽又有意思的作品, 境然皮叱咤商台 ignore.
香港樂壇怎能叫人家來重視呢?
商台不愧是商台. 怎麼沒有內含又普通的 K 歌可以為側田奪到銀獎? 他還只能作曲, 連填詞的才華都沒有! 反而藍奕邦為自己作曲和填詞, 寫了「向前走」, 「時候尚早」 和 「靈光」 這些又動聽又有意思的作品, 境然皮叱咤商台 ignore.
香港樂壇怎能叫人家來重視呢?
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Free from Persecution. Only Love. (in memory of Hannah Faith Chan)
In today's sermon, Pastor Keith talked about the last Beatitude, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5: 10). He gave a lot of examples of how we as Christians face persecution every day at the workplace, at home, on the street, and so on. He closed by talking about John's words in the Book of Revelation. John talked about how there will be no more sea, no more pain, no more suffering. This reminded me of the lyrics in the song, "Hold Me Now," which I had first heard at Hannah's funeral.
Then it occurred to me that Hannah's life was only ever filled with love. She lived for a very short time, but she lived a life purely filled with love. She never had to experience pain, suffering, or persecution. She'll never have to feel rejection, mockery or shame.
Knowing this, is very comforting.
I thank the Holy Spirit for bringing me this message.
Then it occurred to me that Hannah's life was only ever filled with love. She lived for a very short time, but she lived a life purely filled with love. She never had to experience pain, suffering, or persecution. She'll never have to feel rejection, mockery or shame.
Knowing this, is very comforting.
I thank the Holy Spirit for bringing me this message.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Little Hannah is With the Heavenly Father Now
Oct. 6, 2009-Nov. 29, 2009.
The funeral service for Hannah Faith Chan 陳凌雪 took place today at 11am at North York's York Cemetary and Visitation Centre.
Helen and I were the only members of the Care Group who were able to attend. Annie, Catherine, and Thai would surely have been there had the various circumstances not prevented them from doing so.
The Chan and Thang families were all in mourning, but at the same time, they each exhibited a quiet composure. Many of Alvin and Sze-sze's relatives, friends and co-workers also were in attendance.
At the beginning of the service led by Pastor Peter Ma, we sang a couple of hymns. Then there was a scripture reading, followed by a sermon in Cantonese, translated by Pastor Howard. It was a very meaningful sermon, one that, on recollection to the Care Group meeting last Friday night, was a sign from God to assure us that all of this is a part of His greater plan. We may not understand the full impact of Hannah's passing right now, but in the fullness of time, God will reveal it all to us who knew Hannah.
Last Friday, we had a Care Group meeting at Helen's place. Alvin led the Bible study, and he had misunderstood the writing on a post-it note that was placed on the inside cover of the a Bible study guide. Annie and Helen informed him of the error, and so Alvin had to abandon the lesson he had originally planned. In its place, he led the study session on Matthew 10. A lot of this chapter talks about how Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, forecasting the hardships that they would endure, and giving them encouragement and reassurance.
Jesus said, "29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care." The analogy is this: two sparrows are so worthless that you can buy two of them with a penny. Yet, our Heavenly Father still cares about them.
This is one of the verses that Pastor Peter quoted in his sermon today. The message is this: God plans for everything to unfold the way they do. Not one single event in our lives happened by accident. If God cares so much for two worthless sparrows, would He not care so much more for us, his children? Of course!
Jesus also said, "30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
God has counted the number of hairs on our heads. He *can* count the number of hairs on our heads. We can try as we might, but we would never be able to count it correctly. We don't have the greatness of wisdom to do so. But God does.
Last Friday, when Alvin was discussing this scripture with us, I only understood the surface meaning. Today, I now understand what God wanted me to learn. This is the first blessing.
After the sermon, Hannah's parents gave the eulogy. It was very moving, and hearing her father's sobbing brought many of us to tears. Next was a lady named Janice who was with Hannah the night before she passed away. That night, Hannah was crying incessantly, and Janice sang to her and finally lulled her to sleep. Janice sang this song to us today, and amidst her weeping, we were able to fathom a little bit of the sorrowful grace that Janice must have felt as she sang:
"No weeping, no hurt or pain,
No suffering, You hold me now, You hold me now.
No darkness, no sick or lame,
No hiding, You hold me now, You hold me now."
How could she have known that singing this song to Hannah for the first and last time that night would foretell the baby's passing?
Janice's experience with Hannah is the second blessing from our Father.
Last Saturday night, the families of Thang and Chan gathered together to celebrate the with the twins, and that was their last time spent with Hannah. The next morning, Hannah passed away. This is the third blessing.
Two weeks ago, Helen and I met up with Alvin and Sze-sze and the babies for a wonderful dinner made by Mrs. Thang for us. This was an unexpected and last minute arrangement, and it was a very enjoyable and quiet evening. Helen and I got to hold Hannah that night. Like her mother said to us today, not many people had the opportunity to meet her and hold her. I did, and I count this as the fourth blessing.
There are fifth and sixth and seventh blessings of which I have no knowledge right now, and there will be many more after that for which I may never know at all. But I know that Hannah's life has and will continue to bring to many people many blessings.
Her father said to Helen and I today, to pray for the impact that Hannah's life and death could have on others in bringing more people to Christ. Even on a day of such sorrow, Alvin was thinking of God in his heart, and he was serving God in his appeals for prayers. The prayer he wanted us to utter was not for comfort or strength or peace for himself and his wife, but for the many people who came to the funeral service who are non-believers, that they may know Christ through Hannah. For many parents, the sudden death of their child may very well become the reason why they start to hate God. For Alvin and Sze-sze, this is the total opposite. Their selflessness and fortitude is inspiring in the utmost.
May the Lord bless Alvin, Sze-sze and Little Michael.
The funeral service for Hannah Faith Chan 陳凌雪 took place today at 11am at North York's York Cemetary and Visitation Centre.
Helen and I were the only members of the Care Group who were able to attend. Annie, Catherine, and Thai would surely have been there had the various circumstances not prevented them from doing so.
The Chan and Thang families were all in mourning, but at the same time, they each exhibited a quiet composure. Many of Alvin and Sze-sze's relatives, friends and co-workers also were in attendance.
At the beginning of the service led by Pastor Peter Ma, we sang a couple of hymns. Then there was a scripture reading, followed by a sermon in Cantonese, translated by Pastor Howard. It was a very meaningful sermon, one that, on recollection to the Care Group meeting last Friday night, was a sign from God to assure us that all of this is a part of His greater plan. We may not understand the full impact of Hannah's passing right now, but in the fullness of time, God will reveal it all to us who knew Hannah.
Last Friday, we had a Care Group meeting at Helen's place. Alvin led the Bible study, and he had misunderstood the writing on a post-it note that was placed on the inside cover of the a Bible study guide. Annie and Helen informed him of the error, and so Alvin had to abandon the lesson he had originally planned. In its place, he led the study session on Matthew 10. A lot of this chapter talks about how Jesus sent out the 12 disciples, forecasting the hardships that they would endure, and giving them encouragement and reassurance.
Jesus said, "29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care." The analogy is this: two sparrows are so worthless that you can buy two of them with a penny. Yet, our Heavenly Father still cares about them.
This is one of the verses that Pastor Peter quoted in his sermon today. The message is this: God plans for everything to unfold the way they do. Not one single event in our lives happened by accident. If God cares so much for two worthless sparrows, would He not care so much more for us, his children? Of course!
Jesus also said, "30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
God has counted the number of hairs on our heads. He *can* count the number of hairs on our heads. We can try as we might, but we would never be able to count it correctly. We don't have the greatness of wisdom to do so. But God does.
Last Friday, when Alvin was discussing this scripture with us, I only understood the surface meaning. Today, I now understand what God wanted me to learn. This is the first blessing.
After the sermon, Hannah's parents gave the eulogy. It was very moving, and hearing her father's sobbing brought many of us to tears. Next was a lady named Janice who was with Hannah the night before she passed away. That night, Hannah was crying incessantly, and Janice sang to her and finally lulled her to sleep. Janice sang this song to us today, and amidst her weeping, we were able to fathom a little bit of the sorrowful grace that Janice must have felt as she sang:
"No weeping, no hurt or pain,
No suffering, You hold me now, You hold me now.
No darkness, no sick or lame,
No hiding, You hold me now, You hold me now."
How could she have known that singing this song to Hannah for the first and last time that night would foretell the baby's passing?
Janice's experience with Hannah is the second blessing from our Father.
Last Saturday night, the families of Thang and Chan gathered together to celebrate the with the twins, and that was their last time spent with Hannah. The next morning, Hannah passed away. This is the third blessing.
Two weeks ago, Helen and I met up with Alvin and Sze-sze and the babies for a wonderful dinner made by Mrs. Thang for us. This was an unexpected and last minute arrangement, and it was a very enjoyable and quiet evening. Helen and I got to hold Hannah that night. Like her mother said to us today, not many people had the opportunity to meet her and hold her. I did, and I count this as the fourth blessing.
There are fifth and sixth and seventh blessings of which I have no knowledge right now, and there will be many more after that for which I may never know at all. But I know that Hannah's life has and will continue to bring to many people many blessings.
Her father said to Helen and I today, to pray for the impact that Hannah's life and death could have on others in bringing more people to Christ. Even on a day of such sorrow, Alvin was thinking of God in his heart, and he was serving God in his appeals for prayers. The prayer he wanted us to utter was not for comfort or strength or peace for himself and his wife, but for the many people who came to the funeral service who are non-believers, that they may know Christ through Hannah. For many parents, the sudden death of their child may very well become the reason why they start to hate God. For Alvin and Sze-sze, this is the total opposite. Their selflessness and fortitude is inspiring in the utmost.
May the Lord bless Alvin, Sze-sze and Little Michael.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Today: The Great, the Good and the Struggle
The Great:
Pastor Smith's sermon taught us the meaning of "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." It was so moving and so insightful. I was with the Spirit. Thank the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Good:
Today was my first time at adult Bible Study. We just started Ephesians, and there was so much for me to learn that it feels like a blur now. One thing that struck me was the idea of living in Christ and what that means. I will have to continue to study this concept.
The Struggle:
Twice today, people asked me why I wasn't serving the Mandarin congregation. What bothered me about those two encounters was that these two individuals spoke with a lot of presumptions about me, telling me in essence, that I *should* be serving the Mandarin congregation, and by not doing so I am betraying or doing a dis-service to the congregation. I'm not sure if the fact that others are prejudging me the only thing that bothers me. For sure, this has been ongoing for several weeks now, and I don't know how to talk about this to others without showing frustration and maybe even a bit anger at this point. This is something I will have to pray for.
To my Christian friends: please pray for me as well.
Pastor Smith's sermon taught us the meaning of "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." It was so moving and so insightful. I was with the Spirit. Thank the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Good:
Today was my first time at adult Bible Study. We just started Ephesians, and there was so much for me to learn that it feels like a blur now. One thing that struck me was the idea of living in Christ and what that means. I will have to continue to study this concept.
The Struggle:
Twice today, people asked me why I wasn't serving the Mandarin congregation. What bothered me about those two encounters was that these two individuals spoke with a lot of presumptions about me, telling me in essence, that I *should* be serving the Mandarin congregation, and by not doing so I am betraying or doing a dis-service to the congregation. I'm not sure if the fact that others are prejudging me the only thing that bothers me. For sure, this has been ongoing for several weeks now, and I don't know how to talk about this to others without showing frustration and maybe even a bit anger at this point. This is something I will have to pray for.
To my Christian friends: please pray for me as well.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Legion, Man Possessed by Many Demons (click)
During Care Group this week, S. and A. talked about a book they were reading. The book is about how Christians should select foods for their regular diet. Among the foods that Christians should not eat, pork is one of them. The reason is because pigs are considered unclean. Here are two mentions of how pigs are unclean:
I personally have never liked pork that much. The only time I absolutely find it irresistable is when I eat Cantonese style roast pork. I can't resist the crispy skin. Ribs are nice, but they're not always that tasty. Pork chops are just negligible. So, I think I'm going to pursuade my family to eat less pork - less, because I doubt my parents could completely give it up.
I have not been able to go completely vegetarian, but perhaps abstaining from pork is the first step. I have to accept that this is a long process for me. Such a big change in my life cannot happen over night.
7 And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.Leviticus 11: 7-8
11A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." 13He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.Mark 5: 11-13
I personally have never liked pork that much. The only time I absolutely find it irresistable is when I eat Cantonese style roast pork. I can't resist the crispy skin. Ribs are nice, but they're not always that tasty. Pork chops are just negligible. So, I think I'm going to pursuade my family to eat less pork - less, because I doubt my parents could completely give it up.
I have not been able to go completely vegetarian, but perhaps abstaining from pork is the first step. I have to accept that this is a long process for me. Such a big change in my life cannot happen over night.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Punctuation for Modern Chinese Writing
下雨天留客天天留我不留
How should these words be punctuated to give it different meanings?
下雨天, 留客天. 天留, 我不留.
or
下雨天, 留客天. 天留我不? 留.
or
下雨, 天留客. 天天留我不? 留.
How should these words be punctuated to give it different meanings?
下雨天, 留客天. 天留, 我不留.
or
下雨天, 留客天. 天留我不? 留.
or
下雨, 天留客. 天天留我不? 留.
EE @ Helen's
Last night, the Care Group went to Helen's house for dinner and EE. Helen invited her friend, Veronica, to join us as the guest of honour. Also in attendance were Alvin, Sze2 and myself. Abesnt were Annie, Thai and Catherine.
Our gracious hostess served meat lasagna with all its oohy-goohy goodness. Yum in my tum! Sze2 and Alvin brought the ingredients for baking fresh garlic bread and making a baby spinach salad. I brought some strawberries for dessert, not knowing that Helen had already prepared a lot of berries as well. She also made these frozen yogourt cookie sandwiches. They were very delicious.
During dinner, we shared our testimonies with Veronica. Then she shared her experiences with us. It was a very enjoyable time as we were able to learn from one another and share our thoughts.
We ended the evening with prayers for one another. It was a very relaxing evening.
Our gracious hostess served meat lasagna with all its oohy-goohy goodness. Yum in my tum! Sze2 and Alvin brought the ingredients for baking fresh garlic bread and making a baby spinach salad. I brought some strawberries for dessert, not knowing that Helen had already prepared a lot of berries as well. She also made these frozen yogourt cookie sandwiches. They were very delicious.
During dinner, we shared our testimonies with Veronica. Then she shared her experiences with us. It was a very enjoyable time as we were able to learn from one another and share our thoughts.
We ended the evening with prayers for one another. It was a very relaxing evening.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Alice Munro wins Man Booker prize
YAY! Hearing this news just makes me want to take out one of her collections and read something from it. That's exactly what I'll do! ...wait...where's my Alice Munro book??? Did bro take it? I'll have to ask him.
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