江 城 子

《江 城 子》 苏 轼 （字东坡）
乙卯正月二十夜记梦

十年生死两茫茫，不思量，自难忘。
千里孤坟，无处话凄凉。
纵使相逢应不识，尘满面，鬓如霜。
夜来幽梦忽还乡。小轩窗，正梳妆。
相顾无言，惟有泪千行。
料得年年肠断处：明月夜，短松冈。

真巧，苏东坡当年写这首诗时，是乙卯年正月。算了算，当年应该是1075年。九百年后的一天，1975年，我诞生了，也是乙卯年，也生在正月。（注：华人农历，每60年为一轮。如今年是辛卯年，60年后也是辛卯年）

除了这个引起我注意的巧合外，就是它的内容，字字痛彻心扉。这是一首苏东坡所写的悼亡词。作者结合自己十年来政治生涯中的不幸遭遇和无限感慨，形象地反映出对亡妻永难忘怀的真挚情感和深沉的忆念。
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你走了，我时时刻刻都在想你。
有话说，但也还是无语问苍天。
如果有一天我们相见了，你应该认不得我了吧！
因为那时的我也该老了，白发苍苍的老头了吧！
是夜，梦回当年，如梦初醒，见你正在梳发，化妆。
几回，伤心欲绝，无言以对，唯我还在心酸，流泪。
每年的那一天，在你的世界里，月亮会是明亮的。
每天的每一秒，在我的世界里，思念会是永恒的。

Carefree Childhood:)

I've always liked music and envy those with good vocals and can sing really well. I know where I stand in this category. I cannot sing for nuts. And in those days when I was growing up, learning music was a luxury which my family couldn't afford. My mum did let me learn to draw when I was young. I guess she might have thought that, that's the next best thing she could do for me; to at least try to develop the "artistic" side of me (think the simple reason was that learning to draw in the community centre was cheap back then). But then again, it was money down the drain as I still cannot draw for nuts.

So I can't sing, I can't draw..sad right? And I was poor...so so sad right? And so how to satisfy my love for music? No money to buy cassette tapes, so how? Go rent lor. Rent cassette tapes? Where?! Unheard of now right?

Haha, cos in my era, each library had an audio/visual section, where you could rent cassette tapes to listen to, in one of those cubicles as well as shows to watch in the form of video tapes. I used to like to listen to classical music (why? anything wrong with that?) and watch movies, action packed movies such as "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", "Rocky","Godfather" etc. But interestingly, my all-time favourite then was "The Sound of Music"! Haha shocked right? I have lost count of how many times I have watched this show.

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens. Brown paper packages, tied up with strings, these are a few of my favourite things"

"I am sixteen going on seventeen...."

"Doe a deer a female deer, ray a drop of golden sun, me a name I call myself, far a long long way to run. Sew a needle pulling thread. La a note to follow so. Tea, a drink with jam and bread, that will bring us back to do (oh oh oh). Do re mi fa so la tee.."

And so I used to go to Queenstown Library a lot, during my primary school days. I was quite independent back then and would go to the library by myself. Now that I recall, my dad and mum had never accompanied me to the library! (Dad was busy for obvious reasons and mum had to stay at home to sew to earn extra bucks)

I spent most of my free time in that old double storey building. Boring childhood, you might say. But to me, some of my happiest childhood days were spent there. I could borrow my favourite books, books on war/history, the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys series. Books by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl etc. I could listen to my favourite music and I could watch my favourite movies.

On top of that, especially on weekends, Mum would give me extra pocket money to buy snacks or treats for myself from shops around the library. (I guess she was glad that I was going to the library instead of wilding my time away playing at the void deck with kids from the neighbourhood). I still remember that one of my favourite snacks was this chicken burger from a confectionary near the library.

Life was simple but very fulfilling back then, when policeman was just starting to wear long pants, when we were still sucking "ice tube"/ "冰包” , when we were playing block catching and when we were using student bus stamps which allowed unlimited bus rides around Singapore.

Looking back, though the distance from my home in West Coast to Queenstown was quite far apart, I always enjoyed the bus rides to and back from the library; especially on my way back home, happily chomping away on my favourite chicken burger.. life was really really simple and carefree back then:)

梦醒了

又听到了一首很好听的歌。。《梦醒了》。

听到这段，我笑了，想起你的微笑：
我想起你描述梦想天堂的样子,
手指着远方画出一栋一栋房子,
你傻笑的表情又那么诚实,
所有的信任是从那一刻开始。

听到这段，我。。神伤。。：
你给我一个到那边天空的地址,
只因为太高摔得我血流不止,
带着伤口回到当初背叛的城市,
唯一收容我的却是自己的影子

听到这段，我多么希望我有选择：
想跟着你一辈子,
至少这样的世界没有现实,
想赖着你一辈子,
做你感情里最后一个天使.
如果梦醒时还在一起,
请容许我们相依为命,
绚烂也许一时,
平淡走完一世

听到这段，我想对你说，“如果你这样问我的话，我的答案是。。。（你知道的）”：
就怕梦醒时已分两地,
谁也挽不回这场分离,
爱恨可以不分,
责任可以不问,
天亮了我还是不是你的女人.

我多么希望我能从这恶梦醒来，再看看你甜睡的样子。

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《梦醒了》 － 王菲版本

我想起你描述梦想天堂的样子,
手指着远方画出一栋一栋房子,
你傻笑的表情又那么诚实,
所有的信任是从那一刻开始,
你给我一个到那边天空的地址,
只因为太高摔得我血流不止,
带着伤口回到当初背叛的城市,
唯一收容我的却是自己的影子,
想跟着你一辈子,
至少这样的世界没有现实,
想赖着你一辈子,
做你感情里最后一个天使.
如果梦醒时还在一起,
请容许我们相依为命,
绚烂也许一时,
平淡走完一世,
是我选择你这样的男子,
就怕梦醒时已分两地,
谁也挽不回这场分离,
爱恨可以不分,
责任可以不问,
天亮了我还是不是你的女人.

Ocean Deep

Nothing beats a long quiet drive in my most beloved car; one that I am proud of, one that I worked really hard for.

And once in a while, the radio will play a beautiful song or 2 to surprise you. iPhone Soundhound application is on hand to recognise the song and voila.. here you are... Ocean Deep:)

Oh just realised that the lyrics is quite sad...
"Love can't you see I'm alone
Can't you give this fool a chance
A little love is all I ask - a little kindness
In the night
Please don't leave me behind
No - don't tell me love is blind
A little love is all I ask and that is all"

=============================
Ocean Deep by Cliff Richard

Love can't you see I'm alone
Can't you give this fool a chance
A little love is all I ask - a little kindness
In the night
Please don't leave me behind
No - don't tell me love is blind
A little love is all I ask and that is all

oh Love i've been searching so long
I've been searching high'n'low
A little love is all I ask - a little sadness
When you're gone
Maybe you need a friend
Only please don't let's pretend
A little love is all I ask and that is all

I wanna spread my wings - but I just can't fly
As a string of pearls and pretty girls go sailing by

Ocean Deep - I'm so afraid to show my feelings
I have sailed a million ceilings - in my -
Solitary Room
Ocean Deep - will I ever find a lover
Maybe she has found another
And as I cry myself to sleep
I know this love of mine I'll keep - Ocean Deep

Love can't you hear when I call
Can't you hear a word I say
A little love is all I ask
a little feeling When we touch
Why am I still alone?
I've got a heart without a home
A little love is all I ask - and that is all

I wanna spread my wings - but I just can't fly
As a string of pearls and pretty girls go sailing by

Ocean Deep - I'm so afraid to show my feelings
I have sailed a million ceilings - in my -
Solitary Room
Ocean Deep - will I ever find a lover
Maybe she has found another
And as I cry myself to sleep
I know this love of mine I'll keep - Ocean Deep

I'm so lonely lonely lonely...
maybe..

A Man's Requirements

Remember this beautiful poem "A Man's Requirements" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning? My very impression of this poem is that it must have been written by a man, but later realized that it was written by a woman... what an irony. Pardon me for not making the effort to read, understand and find out more about this poem.

Until one day.. I showed it to one of my friends who with the slightest ease, enlightened me and pointed out to me the "twist" and sarcasm presented in the very last stanza.

Always respect those who enjoy, appreciate and understand good poems.. may I present this poem to all who appreciates it:)

Saw this analysis posted by someone in the Internet: The ironic wit evident in the final stanza cannot just be dismissed, without any discussion whatsoever. It is the point of the poem. The love described is certainly beautiful but only made more effective by the sarcastic, playfully scornful comment in the final four lines.

A Man's Requirements
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I
Love me Sweet, with all thou art,
Feeling, thinking, seeing;
Love me in the lightest part,
Love me in full being.

II
Love me with thine open youth
In its frank surrender;
With the vowing of thy mouth,
With its silence tender.

III
Love me with thine azure eyes,
Made for earnest grantings;
Taking colour from the skies,
Can Heaven's truth be wanting?

IV
Love me with their lids, that fall
Snow-like at first meeting;
Love me with thine heart, that all
Neighbours then see beating.

V
Love me with thine hand stretched out
Freely -- open-minded:
Love me with thy loitering foot, --
Hearing one behind it.

VI
Love me with thy voice, that turns
Sudden faint above me;
Love me with thy blush that burns
When I murmur 'Love me!'

VII
Love me with thy thinking soul,
Break it to love-sighing;
Love me with thy thoughts that roll
On through living -- dying.

VIII
Love me in thy gorgeous airs,
When the world has crowned thee;
Love me, kneeling at thy prayers,
With the angels round thee.

IX
Love me pure, as muses do,
Up the woodlands shady:
Love me gaily, fast and true,
As a winsome lady.

X
Through all hopes that keep us brave,
Farther off or nigher,
Love me for the house and grave,
And for something higher.

XI
Thus, if thou wilt prove me, Dear,
Woman's love no fable,
I will love thee -- half a year --
As a man is able.

退一步天高地阔

今天同事让我看了以下这段：
≪须交有道之人，莫结无义之友。饮清静之茶，莫贪花色之酒。开方便之门，闲是非之口。静坐常思己过，闲谈莫论人非，能受苦乃为志士，肯吃亏不是痴人，敬君子方显有德，怕小人不算无能，退一步天高地阔，让三分心平气和，欲进步需思退步，若着手先虑放手，如得意不宜重往，凡做事应有余步。≫

我感触良多。简单的处事之道，应当时时提醒自己，常常自律己言与行。

知其不可为而为之

不知不可为而为之，愚人也；
知其不可为而不为，贤人也；
知其不可为而为之，圣人也。

一个人不知道一件事该不该做，而糊里糊涂地做了，是愚人。
一个人知道一件事是不该做的，而就不去做那件事，是贤人。
一个人明知道一件事是不该做的，但必须做而去做，是圣人。

我乃愚人，贤人也。
圣人？不敢当哟！

浪子心声

不知几时才能真正悟到“命里有时终需有，命里无时莫强求”的道理。