大肥年

This is probably the only day in a year when it is legitimate to stay up all night. According to Chinese tradition, 守岁 or the act of staying up on lunar new year's eve,will accumulate good fortune which adds to longevity for elders in the family .

However, I am finding it extremely hard to stay awake after a heavy dinner and under the influence of alcohol.



Though this year is one in which we should exercise prudent, no expenses have been spared in the preparation of this reunion dinner. The food on the table is double the amount and variety from last year, as if recession is someone else's problem. And of course the leftovers are "abundant", which, in any case is auspicious in Chinese customs. However, it also means that we will be strugglng with leftover food for the next 3 days.


All dressed up for the occassion!

The year of the Ox reminds me to work hard and be down to earth. 脚踏实地, with that, we would be able to tide over any crisis.

Our new big brother

So, the US President's inauguration is now passé. 2 days later, the world is pretty much the same.

The soaring viewership of the inauguration ceremony suggests that the world are all eyes on our new big brother, one who claims that he and his country are ready to lead once more.

Good.

Let us remind ourselves that making empty promises is not the vice of a white man only. The blacks, the reds and the yellows are equally capable of the same misdeeds. As PM Putin has said, the biggest disappointment is derived from big expectation. Call me "the cynics" by all means; prove me wrong and earn your respect.

At the end of the day, it is not an earth moving speech that will change the world, but the actions behind those words that will determine how history will remember this man. And even though the colour of his skin marks significance today, it is the content of what lies within that will (or will not) earn him greatness.

As far as I am concerned, all these excitment and celebrations are prematured. But if there should be one reason to celebrate, it is that we can finally say bye-bye to Mr Bush!

He'll never feel lonely, never be forgotten, with all the songs written about him.

No More Sorrow

Are you lost
In your lies
Do you tell yourself I don't realize

Your crusade's a disguise
Replace freedom with fear
You trade money for lives

I'm aware of what you've done

No more sorrow
I've paid for your mistakes
Your time is borrowed
Your time has come to be replaced

I see pain
I see need
I see liars and thieves
Abuse power with greed

I had hope
I believed
But I'm beginning to think that I've been deceived

You will pay for what you've done

Thieves and hypocrites
Thieves and hypocrites
Thieves and hypocrites

Your time has come to be replaced
Your time has come to be erased

The apple of my eye

Starring: Cowboy alias 旺福 (aka 呀呀)

完美

It's only your imagination

残缺

晴

画蛇添足
Where's the snake?

雨

Gone Kite Flying

Is there a time for disconnection? A time to plant some weeds.

Is there a time to be mindless? A time to turn to kite flying.

I'm taking some time off from here. Will be right back.

Who knows when?

Miss Sarajevo

Is there a right time for the right thing?
Is there one time for only one thing?

Or differences will always co-exist?
That they can all happen simultaneously.

Miss Sarajevo, the soundtrack from a short film of the same title. A film about a real life beauty pageant that was held in the midst of civil war in Bosnia in 1993. Such a great contrast that the most beautiful thrives amidst the ugliest, through tunnels and behind cellar. It depicts the fact that life goes on, despite all the turmoil and unrest, despite the indifference and helplessness from the rest of the world.

Perhaps, there is never a right time for anything; or everything is equally right at anytime. And if there should be a time for everything, would that mean peace?

War destroys beautiful things, not just beauty queens, but everything else that is beautiful. It destroys meaning, destroys hopes and dreams, destroy you and me.

"Don't let them kill us"... I share the same appeal as the beauty queens. Don't let war destroy all that are beautiful.



Miss Sarajevo
From the incredible union of U2 & Pavarotti

Is there a time for keeping your distance
A time to turn your eyes away
Is there a time for keeping your head down
For getting on with your day

Is there a time for kohl and lipstick
A time for curling hair
Is there a time for high street shopping
To find the right dress to wear

Here she comes
Heads turn around
Here she comes
To take her crown

Is there a time to run for cover
A time for kiss and tell
Is there a time for different colours
Different names you find it hard to spell

Is there a time for first communion
A time for East Seventeen
Is there a time to turn to Mecca
Is there time to be a beauty queen

Here she comes
Beauty plays the clown
Here she comes
Surreal in her crown

Dici che il fiume
Trova la via al mare
E come il fiume
Giungerai a me
Oltre i confini
E le terre assetate
Dici che come il fiume
Come il fiume...
L'amore giungerà
L'amore...
E non so più pregare
E nell'amore non so più sperare
E quell'amore non so più aspettare

[Translation of the above]
You say that the river
finds the way to the sea
and like the river
you will come to me
beyond the borders
and the dry lands
You say that like a river
like a river...
the love will come
the love...
And i don't know how to pray anymore
and in love i don't know how to hope anymore
and for that love i don't know how to wait anymore

[End of Translation]

Is there a time for tying ribbons
A time for Christmas trees
Is there a time for laying tables
And the night is set to freeze

Rose Rose I Love You

快乐的让命运摆布

这几天，在跟朋友交换新年祝语时，总会谈起对2009的期许与展望。免不了都会感受到，大家对未来经济的不明朗有些许担忧。

如果说，世界经济已进入了寒冬，那，现在只能算是冬天的开始。

有位同事认为，人们似乎都过于悲观了。我们在心里将事情想象得太坏，比现实的情况糟了许多。因此，整个大环境被人们的不安情绪牵连，雪上加霜，变得更加令人沮丧。

我很羡慕这位同事的乐观。他认为，往后的日子不可能比想象中的更坏，因为大家都做好了最坏的打算。我想，如果将要发生的事都在我们的想象范围内，那并没有什么可怕。反而是那些我们无法预计和有所防备的事，杀伤力才最大。明明以为已经到了谷底，没想前面还有更深的一个坑等着我们陷下去。说真的，我从没想过财雄势大的金融公司会在一夜之间倒闭；也没想到一个国家可以搞得破了产；还有全球最大的汽车制造厂会面临几乎无法挽救的危机。所以呢？接下来一年内即将发生的事，没有人可以真正掌握。

对于未来，我们无须太过担忧。很多事，根本也不必强求，因为当你以为已经掌控了“一切”的时候，外来的因素却可以将“一切”轻易摧毁。

不知不觉，在圣诞节狂欢之后，倒数2008也结束了。而新的一年都已经过了两天。20几年前的今天也是一个星期五。为什么会记得这么清楚，因为在那一年的今天以后，我交到了这一生中最要好得朋友（之一）。这是感性的说法。其实，那一年的今天，我刚到一所新的中学报到。一个人，谁也不认识，心里非常害怕。还有，穿上了全新款式的校服，总觉得那件白色上衣实在太“透明”了。哈！那一年的今天，我就是战战兢兢的度过了。

时间飞快的流逝，这样就过了20几年。这些年来虽然不算是风平浪静，然而，即使一路上艰辛也都快乐的走到了今天。坦然的面对未来，快乐的让命运摆布，我想就这样活着。而在未来的日子里，如果能有你继续在我身边做伴，那，就算以后天天都下雨，我心里也会有晴朗的天气。

有人说，快乐只有在分享时才真实，我是最近才有所体会。

我的思绪有些混乱，你听懂我想说的话了吗？不懂也没关系，只要你知道，我正在想念你！期待着美好的2009，就算是寒冬，我抱着你，你抱着我，一样可以互相取暖。

别忘了2018的约定！