The Street Ratchada but I saw Robinson, BKK

It was 18 years ago, I came here with a good friend for checking out her favourite department store Robinson.  Back then it was Robinson right here where I took this photo.  Out of the blue, I bought a pair of curtains and thought that might fit my HK apt., and it did.  I thought I'd have replaced a new one but somehow it's still in my apt.  Whenever I came to this place, I thought of my HK home.  I also think of my good friend.  She might be interested to check out Foodland and Pharmax here.  

小島活過每一天，城中人間伏塵囂。

今天聽到這一個動人真事。 哥哥數年前跑到一個老遠的小島過著樂天知命的生活，早上出海打魚，下午回島做飯給客人，賺夠一天的工資就是圓滿了一天的生活，晴天又過一天，雨天又過一天，吃多吃少也總是活著的一天，不問天有多高，不聞地有多厚， 水平線上無邊無涯，恰如他壯濶胸襟，蔚藍翠綠伴衣懷。

這天哥哥得知妹妹一家三口，為剩餘的三數個口罩面對那煩囂都市下的恐慌。不發一言，趕忙跳上船，到另一大島後，騎著單車，去最近的城鎮撲買口罩。假如可以像戲劇般情節發展下去，應該最後可以做到。 世事無常，哥哥遍尋不果，一個口罩都找不到。哥哥沒料到原來這麼簡單的城市物品變得遙不可及。

落破的一天，回到島上已繁星滿空，東來之風帶點涼意問道：可讓我吹散你今天的憂愁？ 這時電話傳來一段信息，哥哥的友人找到一些口罩，明天就可以送到妹妹家中。這夜這小島又回復過往的平靜。 然而活在世界另一端，我們的夜晚又可再回復平靜?  有幸能聽到我認識多年的這位朋友，還有他的妹妹，來了這段舒發人深省的這一天故事。 

雲浮惋嘆，雲下城淌淚.

雲外看雲下。活過一世紀，無根曾令你發奮圖強，發光發熱。日子遠去，溫飽忘掉知足，也忘掉過去的努力。 

如今，熱你不能熬，冷你不能耐，世界變得好像要繞著你運行。 萬事不順，百般抱怨，錯永遠在別人身上，活在單色世界裡，沈醉在自吹自擂的昨日光輝，幻聽世人對你的頌讚，統統變成給你自己傲慢的麻醉藥。自滿的虛榮給大國棋手把玩，甘願活在那無色毒藥中，灌飲世世代代。

無根的你遇上同根的他，相見不好，同住更難。更不想面對尋根的她。迷惘紛擾在擁擠街道上橫衝直撞。恐懼擔憂把你發狂怒叫，更忘情地麻醉，更荒誕地荼毒下去。戀上你的面具，遮蓋你的自卑，害怕失去你的偽裝。難以放下。

雲浮惋嘆，萬物同根生，無識於無根，無別於同根，無問於尋根。血濺進你心裡化淚，何苦讓你的心淌淚。

笑著說，獅城意外。

這裡曾發生一椿意外。 一家三口來到這城市旅行，騎上腳踏車看看這灣區的景緻。母親因躲避一群途人，摔倒在地上，始想不到這一摔，令她整個膝蓋上的肉給撕破，血流湧下。 父親嚇得不知所措，兒子也焦急如焚，聯絡上緊急熱線， 雖然在這完全陌生環境下，兒子却清楚地形容身處所在地。最後救護車在對面行車線趕至，兒子奮力跳起揮手，渴望救護車能直接從對面線跳躍而過。

這意外將他們三口子緊緊連繫，也讓父母親知道兒子長大了。 這時我也對著自己的母親笑著說 “還記得你對我臨終時的叮囑嗎 --- 好好照顧你的妹妹?  相信你應該放心，現在她的兒子會比我勝任百倍。我也想不到這天我可對你笑著匯報這椿意外，更意外的是我倒懷念當時我哭著回應你的這個遺願。"  

Goodbye Ilona and her Budapest.

On the flight to Budapest from Geneva, a Hungarian lady was interested to ask where I am from.  So I had a brief chat with her.  She was curious to know what made me to visit Budapest.  I hesitated for a second but then replied her it's simply because of the rich historical background and the beautiful scenery...etc.  Back in my mind, it was also my silent agenda to visit this city because of the movie Gloomy Sunday (a story about a restaurant waitress being forced to get involved with a German lieutenant, and the waitress's lover - a pianist working in the restaurant wrote a piece of music of his complex feeling about the war time and his love being gone in hatred.).  The music was related to a series of suicide committed by the restaurant visitors.  Later on, the song was adapted into English and the song was called "Gloomy Sunday".  A city of being torn apart and no more tomorrow after the Sunday.  Love, hatred and despair - for people who hope the Angels have no thought of ever returning them.....  

This day the city was in a sunny bright weather.  I saw such a clear blue sky in a light haze.  I found the city vibrant, creative and bright.  I could see the subtle caring smile of Ilona (the Waitress in the movie).    

明日望大嶼

八百萬個願，八百萬個想。一千萬個來，解一個問。來年明日，黃土遍地，昨天孩兒，明天父母。浮雲無問，大地無决，風來漂雨，碧海依然。

感激她，給我禰補這份遺憾的投影

人生總免有一些遺憾。 常希望帶爸媽祖母一塊來看看這裡，無邊無際海天一色，島嶼如花環漂放在這大遍蔚藍海洋上。

這天我慶幸能帶著友人一家大小，一行八人來到這裡。恰巧她們也是來自水上家庭。到埗後，看見他們對這裡的驚訝與讚嘆，對著水裡品種繁多的魚，娓娓道來魚的名字，甚至意外地再看到一些在香港已不再有的魚， 這時惦記她們的母親教道她們如何分辨魚的種類，也令我知道有種魚叫"學浸" (形似"竹簽"魚）。

她們想念母親，我亦想起爸爸看到這些魚，一定很雀躍，媽會著令他萬事小心，那祖母會否怕著坐這水上飛機，我會緊握她的手，尤如當天她緊握著我手在船跳船的不畏懼。

感謝我的好友，給我禰補這份遺憾的投影。 

Sai Ying Pun MTR station, HK

Sai Ying Pun has been in my fond memory that I spent 3 yeas with my happy and down-to-earth classmates in a high school which was considered as outcast.  There I caught up my study from the former so-called famous school.  Out of the blue, I dropped by Sai Ying Pun again but this time it's by MTR.  So long ago, I was a student having just a few dollars in pocket to walk a long way to just take one bus line in order to save money.  There my long walk caught my teacher's notice and helped me to post some of my compositions in newspaper to earn some script fee.   There I met my English teacher who helped me so much to improve my written and spoken English.   Salute to Sir Mak and Madam Wong!

還記得這街知巷聞的一句

Back to where I live happy

There are times I have been asked if and why I stopped writing this blog.   Got disoriented?  Thinking about quite many themes to continue but ended up - BE YOURSELF.  I recall in my high school (a band 5 school that I deliberately chose it because it didn't have a name).  Perhaps it's my rebellious character that I don't go for the main stream and perhaps I'd like to challenge that not a famous school can get you what you want in life.  Perhaps I would say I have a discrimination against those famous schools.  However, there I had 3 happy years of study and helping the classmates around.  There I improved my English with my well-respected Filipino English teacher.  There I had a very thoughtful Chinese teacher to post my Chinese composition in the newspaper for getting me some script fees.  Because of that, I was the only one who keeps on giving my Chinese teacher the weekly article like a diary.  That took for 2 years and I enjoyed handing him every Monday and I still remember his assertive smile for keeping on with that habit.  That's the happiness I created in my school life.  So when I saw this slogan "Live Happy", I saw my Chinese teacher, English teacher and some classmates.  I don't intend to look for them in facebook.  That doesn't mean I forgot them.  Life is in courses and each course we have different people around.  My school life is in my memory and all the faces of my classmates are still so deep in my mind.   I still keep the school graduation record book of all of them.  That's my real book for the school, not what Facebook originally intended to suggest.  Do you expect 100 alert tunes for that kind of group chat or simply silently enjoy your memory with them?  I enjoy my way to live happy.

光影夜色踏路上

夜涼不冷，光影夜色踏路上，城中轉。抬望憂藍晚空，身動神不動，漂緒河上。 

A meal of miles away with memories of yesterday, Kidbrooke, SE London

Friends from the East and West gathered in this tranquil town of London - Kidbrooke.  Nothing better than a hearty warm dinner with friends who haven't seen each other for decades.  Such a long time but when conversation came upon those old days, that names and places became of something happening yesterday.  What's more warming is the day of a friend's birthday for this gathering. 

凍咖啡，熱咖啡，學進心屝裡

每天早上習慣喝一杯熱咖啡， 今早却來了一杯昨夜剩下一半的凍咖啡。 原來妳知道我一直絮絮不休對著週遭朋友說著凍咖啡與熱咖啡相反的食療效益，甚至對著一些洋人也這樣說。

這凍咖啡只不過是你所述說的其一， 先菜後肉，低溫烹調等等，都早巳在我心頭上。 

感謝那年妳的凍咖啡，祝妳一路好走，洽似妳的名字，如金一樣的好，閃耀87個年頭！

Proud to have been with you, in Maldives

The name Maldives came to me in the late 80's from my old best friend.  Going to Maldives was a dream to me as I wasn't even able to buy a ticket to the nearest place like Taiwan, or I should say not even being able to Macau.  Time really flies.  Every time I touched down Maldives, I often thought about my old best friend.  This time I brought his another 2 old best friends to come here.  We did it.  Proud to have you be our friend and delighted that we came here finally.