2007年四月将结束，是时候为这飞逝的时光做个小结。说实在的，这四个月，在韩国度过了30天，是文化探索，是心灵与自然产生共鸣的难得经验，也是明白自己的心的艰辛之旅。开学至今，可以说没真正做过什么，但又仿佛并非一事无成。反正，人总是在自我埋怨和自我满足之间徘徊……
此时是傍晚六点半，窗外是一片柔软的浅蓝。耳里传来的，是听不懂词但旋律与心的波动相一致的韩语歌曲。或许是从太久的麻木中释放出来，再次感到那因时间遥远而有些陌生的“冷”。最后一次有这样的感受，应该是母亲去世后，回到复旦，独自一人凌晨时分到相辉堂，听落叶的沙沙，观无月而黑红的天空，漫无目的地走着、走着的那个时候。快两年了，这一路的风景和见闻，几乎让我忘了2005年5月到12月的无奈、无助、空虚……在接近零度的天气里，能够真诚地感受到心的冷峻，毫无温度，毫无血色，毫无眼泪，毫无答案。脑海里有的只是一大串的“为什么”、“怎么办”。我想，那种真正的悲哀，人生应该不多得。
但是，如果问我，我确实怀念当时的真挚和原始的感动，仿佛是肉体能够和灵魂对话。以前看窗外是否有守护着我的星星的时候，用的是眼睛；那个时候，用的却是心——那个从来没有真正感觉到它的存在的心。走得越远，似乎经验能为我们带来无限宝贵的知识，但又是再次的迷失。或许，人从来就无法一辈子处于清醒状态，因为凡醒的时候，皆是痛楚。反之，只有在梦境的幻觉中，才能感受到雀跃的喜悦。就算是恶梦，也无需我们去面对太久，用现实的浮尘挥一挥便一扫而尽。逃避，也因此带有那么大的吸引力。毕竟，生命并非毫无极限。
也许，此时的我也在无形中找寻一个藏身之地。躲避什么，我真的不知道。有时，人的灵魂里那不理智的部分，总喜欢出来捣乱。当理性毫无力量对付它时，也唯有依靠感性，依靠那只有力量的眼泪来洗涤这不理智。虽然看似很愚蠢，但即使无法做到100%真诚，至少我能感受到灵魂的稳定性。在明白光明背后必有黑暗之后，渐渐地，也开始能在一片漆黑中看得见。这种darkness visible，也许是坦然，也许是解脱，但谁也不知道，它是否会成为日后另一个人生的陷阱。总之，在当下，意识到自己只有最多80年的寿命，偶尔会因体悟“空”而变得没有目的，但反正我相信人生最光辉的阶段还没到来。所以，我仍会以肉体和理性所认识得到的“真”继续走下去。至于感性和灵魂深处那种人生本质的“真”，它一般稍纵即逝，除非达到一定的程度。因此，也只能把握它显现的时刻，尽情浸浴于它的光辉中，明白自己原来还活着。
2007年4月29日星期日
[Kpop] 东方神起 - Unforgettable
DBSK, a kpop group which in my Korean friend's words "is for high school students". However this group is one with what we call "Intelligentsia conscience".. Imagine mentioning nuclear weapons in pop songs.. And moving from social criticism to social construction with the song "O正反合", coming from Hegel's 正题-反题-合题。I guess these guys deserve applause for taking on a proactive role in Korea, a generally political-apathetic society.
But of course, this song here is STILL a love song. The lyrics seem to capture a kind of feeling which is universal to those with a failed relationship.
Lyrics translated as below:
A lie, it was all a lie
Those words that time will make me forget you are a lie
The pain from the separation has suppressed my heart a little
But my feelings for you are ever the same
I never thought it’d be easy but
Even though a lot of time passed
It’s still awkward without you here
I still love you and I still want you
I won’t ever be okay without you
Even if I seem attached
This is me
I didn’t even know
You are all I long for
A lie, it was all a lie
Those words that time will make me forget you are a lie
I just said those words because
I thought I’d look pathetic
Because of my trifling pride
I’ve never once forgotten you
When I think about a bad habit I’ve started
I try to forget but
I still miss you
I still love you and I still want you
I won’t ever be okay without you
Even if I seem attached
This is me
I didn’t even know
You are all I long for
I’ve ever stopped loving you
My feelings for you have never changed
No, my heart keeps growing
Like my love for you
I just try and keep still the moments
When we were happily together
You had a hard time in my embrace
And it’s not until after I’ve let you go can I think and see clearly
But I love you everyday
I’m still waiting for you
Like I’ve always done
See you once again, my love
2007年4月20日星期五
[Kpop] Step by step - Mose
I presume this is an old song too.. Heard it on Xman Dangyunhaji game.. Chorus is roughly translated into this:
一步又一步小心地走向你
一点点地让你的心被我感染
爱情是不会气喘的
能跟你的心配合
When the soul needs revitalisation..
Have you ever felt like everything you're doing at a particular moment doesn't make sense, and you want an escapade away from it all?
Have you ever felt that something within you wants to break out of the body, but it is constrained nonetheless - and you know deep down that finding somebody to talk doesn't reduce the discomfort?
Have you ever felt that you want to stop in your tracks, but are worried that the time could be better spent on more "meaningful" indulgences?
Have you ever felt that it has been a long while since you had a proper session of crying, and want to do so even though there's really nothing concrete bothering you?
Have you ever felt that your heart and your mind are all twined up in a mess that even thinking about life in the long term and your eventual death doesn't help to clear things up?
In my opinion, these are the times when the soul needs revitalisation - a new spur of energy to keep it, and yourself, moving.
For me, I seek solace in soft melodious music which proclaim the most noble feelings of mankind - both the triumph and failure of them - and have my soul enter a state of resonance. A doze of human weakness appearing before the eyes also helps to penetrate the tough castle of the physical. Or when that doesn't work, sunsets or the starry sky usually moves me, though the effect on the emotions is quite different.
Imagination hits the affection, and the affection, the will. Once the wall of the will collapses, the soul soars - up and above to a state of heavenly painful pleasure.
No, this is not masochism. It's renewal. A state of existence when you are reminded that life itself places you in the middle of restraints and constraints you can never hope to overcome, when you are reminded that there exists a dilemma between body and soul, when you become alert to self-deception which you have employed on yourself in the hope of seeking illusive happiness, when you renew your faith and belief that you are still a living being, not a follower of some philosophy/knowledge or a part of human race's mechanism.
Humans need conscious imagination apart from all the plots our brains write automatically in the middle of the night. Since imagination takes different forms, what steers it in the "right path" is the creation of beauty that has lifting the spirits as its ultimate End. Our feelings are the obvious and straightforward indication of us as something blessed with the breath of life. While this may be what age-old philosophers like Socrates or Aristotle see as insignificant compared to higher Reason, in this age of Reason overdose, it's time we revert back to square one of our existence - and start being a living being before attempting to be human in its highest sense.
Perhaps, this gives us a little insight into why our Chinese ancestors advocated the "heart" for 5000 yrs. We have been a people that elevated aesthetics to the realm of belief and maintained this habit which Westerners lost after the fall of the Roman empire in the course of our history. In this sense, we can say our ancestors never lost sight of their primary positions as living creatures of Nature. Its significance becomes prominent today, and somehow reveals the fact that time is but a man-made concept.
Have you ever felt that something within you wants to break out of the body, but it is constrained nonetheless - and you know deep down that finding somebody to talk doesn't reduce the discomfort?
Have you ever felt that you want to stop in your tracks, but are worried that the time could be better spent on more "meaningful" indulgences?
Have you ever felt that it has been a long while since you had a proper session of crying, and want to do so even though there's really nothing concrete bothering you?
Have you ever felt that your heart and your mind are all twined up in a mess that even thinking about life in the long term and your eventual death doesn't help to clear things up?
In my opinion, these are the times when the soul needs revitalisation - a new spur of energy to keep it, and yourself, moving.
For me, I seek solace in soft melodious music which proclaim the most noble feelings of mankind - both the triumph and failure of them - and have my soul enter a state of resonance. A doze of human weakness appearing before the eyes also helps to penetrate the tough castle of the physical. Or when that doesn't work, sunsets or the starry sky usually moves me, though the effect on the emotions is quite different.
Imagination hits the affection, and the affection, the will. Once the wall of the will collapses, the soul soars - up and above to a state of heavenly painful pleasure.
No, this is not masochism. It's renewal. A state of existence when you are reminded that life itself places you in the middle of restraints and constraints you can never hope to overcome, when you are reminded that there exists a dilemma between body and soul, when you become alert to self-deception which you have employed on yourself in the hope of seeking illusive happiness, when you renew your faith and belief that you are still a living being, not a follower of some philosophy/knowledge or a part of human race's mechanism.
Humans need conscious imagination apart from all the plots our brains write automatically in the middle of the night. Since imagination takes different forms, what steers it in the "right path" is the creation of beauty that has lifting the spirits as its ultimate End. Our feelings are the obvious and straightforward indication of us as something blessed with the breath of life. While this may be what age-old philosophers like Socrates or Aristotle see as insignificant compared to higher Reason, in this age of Reason overdose, it's time we revert back to square one of our existence - and start being a living being before attempting to be human in its highest sense.
Perhaps, this gives us a little insight into why our Chinese ancestors advocated the "heart" for 5000 yrs. We have been a people that elevated aesthetics to the realm of belief and maintained this habit which Westerners lost after the fall of the Roman empire in the course of our history. In this sense, we can say our ancestors never lost sight of their primary positions as living creatures of Nature. Its significance becomes prominent today, and somehow reveals the fact that time is but a man-made concept.
2007年4月19日星期四
[kpop]KBS Award - Piano Man Perf (Sun Mool / Nae Gen Onun Gil)
A bit of problem with the video towards the end, but overall the combination's not bad.. 3 korean love song singers I like..
2007年4月18日星期三
[转载] 一层层的颜色
● 赵琬仪
刚结束的香港国际电影节，放映了日本人气艺术家奈良美智去年制作的纪录片“Travel with Yoshitomo Nara”。只献映一场，戏票卖光。
纪录片要好看，题材固然重要，但是观点是否新颖，所纪录的对象能不能在镜头底下真情流露，才能让观者离开戏院后继续受启发，受感动。
这是第二次在这里谈论奈良美智。每次写作题材闹饥荒，书架上充满急救锦囊。上回写奈良美智便是随便在书架上抓到的灵感。结果，文章刊出后，我才知道，奈良美智在本地有不少粉丝。要知道，那时候他的暴力女孩还没有成为艺术商业化的代言。潮流这玩意儿，从来都是有先兆的。
这回看奈良美智的纪录片，跟着他巡回亚洲多地办展览、会粉丝，以及去年他在家乡青森开放了三个月的“A to Z”部屋展览，心里面有几层黏黏的东西怎么样都抹不过去。
当天在铜锣湾吃便靓正的美味泰国菜时，和朋友谈论几场动人的场面。例如，面对韩国疯狂女粉丝们的热情，奈良美智害羞的模样（都四十几岁的人还像小孩一样害臊）；一名热爱画画却长久兴趣受压抑的7岁韩国小女孩写信给奈良美智，说：“每当我难过的时候，就会叫你的名字‘美智叔叔’。”奈良美智的反应是把脸埋进手臂里；还有他接受外国记者采访，记者惯例要作者谈自己，他开始尝试用简单直接的英语交代，后来干脆请对方看他的书。正当我一边咀嚼美味的炒芥兰，一边继续陶醉在这些真情流露的片段时，并没有看纪录片的朋友一副旁观者清的姿态说：“这些都是可以设计的。”
“那他可以拿最佳男主角了。”我只好这样回应，轻轻地结束话题。
感动是可以被设计出来的。熟悉媒体作业的人都有亲身体验。要坚持在什么都可以被设计出来的世界寻找纯粹的、赤诚的美与感动，也许只有还没有被催促长大的小朋友才保留着天赋。
所以，奈良美智在会完韩国一众粉丝后，在回程的车上说：“只有那7岁的小女孩是用纯真的心去看作品。”
小女孩看到什么？大头娃娃深邃的眼神里绽放着的一层层的颜色。里头有剔透的纯真，也有不见尽头的孤独。
纪录片最震撼的10分钟是捕捉奈良美智画大头娃娃的过程。他每次画画都是一个人。在简陋的工作室，播大大声的摇滚乐，烟不离手地画出娇嫩的脸颊，倔强紧闭的双唇，水灵而幽深的大眼睛。
一幅大头娃娃是怎么成型的？先有轮廓，再画上一双大眼睛。然后是一层层的甜美颜色——橙、黄、紫、霓红、绿，一层层半透明地覆盖在娃娃脸上。最后完成的深色背景是由缤纷的色彩叠出来的。这解释为什么他的作品有灵魂一样深沉的吸引力。
如果黑色下面不是一层层漂亮晶莹的颜色做软垫。鬼喜欢黑色。至于黑白之间有灰，黑白两端必然相连的思维也太单纯了。
近年的潮流，流行完cheap，酝酿多时的“let out your dark side”（释放人性黑暗面）就快吹风。注意即将放映的蜘蛛侠第三集，这部电影将是继《蝙蝠侠前传》之后，另一个重申英雄也有黑暗面，有黑暗面才是人性的颠覆作品。
美智叔叔在记录接近尾声时说，觉得自己成熟了，懂得把别人摆在自己之前。这也表示从前能画的东西，现在画不出来了。他希望自己有时可以自私点。又觉得新的人生阶段也让他能画一些从前画不来的东西。这总比一直重复自己好吧。人生就是在这样反复的矛盾中度过周而复始的黑夜与黎明。
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Traveling+with+Yoshitomo+Nara&search=Search
刚结束的香港国际电影节，放映了日本人气艺术家奈良美智去年制作的纪录片“Travel with Yoshitomo Nara”。只献映一场，戏票卖光。
纪录片要好看，题材固然重要，但是观点是否新颖，所纪录的对象能不能在镜头底下真情流露，才能让观者离开戏院后继续受启发，受感动。
这是第二次在这里谈论奈良美智。每次写作题材闹饥荒，书架上充满急救锦囊。上回写奈良美智便是随便在书架上抓到的灵感。结果，文章刊出后，我才知道，奈良美智在本地有不少粉丝。要知道，那时候他的暴力女孩还没有成为艺术商业化的代言。潮流这玩意儿，从来都是有先兆的。
这回看奈良美智的纪录片，跟着他巡回亚洲多地办展览、会粉丝，以及去年他在家乡青森开放了三个月的“A to Z”部屋展览，心里面有几层黏黏的东西怎么样都抹不过去。
当天在铜锣湾吃便靓正的美味泰国菜时，和朋友谈论几场动人的场面。例如，面对韩国疯狂女粉丝们的热情，奈良美智害羞的模样（都四十几岁的人还像小孩一样害臊）；一名热爱画画却长久兴趣受压抑的7岁韩国小女孩写信给奈良美智，说：“每当我难过的时候，就会叫你的名字‘美智叔叔’。”奈良美智的反应是把脸埋进手臂里；还有他接受外国记者采访，记者惯例要作者谈自己，他开始尝试用简单直接的英语交代，后来干脆请对方看他的书。正当我一边咀嚼美味的炒芥兰，一边继续陶醉在这些真情流露的片段时，并没有看纪录片的朋友一副旁观者清的姿态说：“这些都是可以设计的。”
“那他可以拿最佳男主角了。”我只好这样回应，轻轻地结束话题。
感动是可以被设计出来的。熟悉媒体作业的人都有亲身体验。要坚持在什么都可以被设计出来的世界寻找纯粹的、赤诚的美与感动，也许只有还没有被催促长大的小朋友才保留着天赋。
所以，奈良美智在会完韩国一众粉丝后，在回程的车上说：“只有那7岁的小女孩是用纯真的心去看作品。”
小女孩看到什么？大头娃娃深邃的眼神里绽放着的一层层的颜色。里头有剔透的纯真，也有不见尽头的孤独。
纪录片最震撼的10分钟是捕捉奈良美智画大头娃娃的过程。他每次画画都是一个人。在简陋的工作室，播大大声的摇滚乐，烟不离手地画出娇嫩的脸颊，倔强紧闭的双唇，水灵而幽深的大眼睛。
一幅大头娃娃是怎么成型的？先有轮廓，再画上一双大眼睛。然后是一层层的甜美颜色——橙、黄、紫、霓红、绿，一层层半透明地覆盖在娃娃脸上。最后完成的深色背景是由缤纷的色彩叠出来的。这解释为什么他的作品有灵魂一样深沉的吸引力。
如果黑色下面不是一层层漂亮晶莹的颜色做软垫。鬼喜欢黑色。至于黑白之间有灰，黑白两端必然相连的思维也太单纯了。
近年的潮流，流行完cheap，酝酿多时的“let out your dark side”（释放人性黑暗面）就快吹风。注意即将放映的蜘蛛侠第三集，这部电影将是继《蝙蝠侠前传》之后，另一个重申英雄也有黑暗面，有黑暗面才是人性的颠覆作品。
美智叔叔在记录接近尾声时说，觉得自己成熟了，懂得把别人摆在自己之前。这也表示从前能画的东西，现在画不出来了。他希望自己有时可以自私点。又觉得新的人生阶段也让他能画一些从前画不来的东西。这总比一直重复自己好吧。人生就是在这样反复的矛盾中度过周而复始的黑夜与黎明。
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Traveling+with+Yoshitomo+Nara&search=Search
2007年4月16日星期一
我的学术盲点
虽然真正接触学术不过二三载，扣掉那些杂七杂八的课程论文，写的专业论文不过二三篇，但已经看到了自己的盲点，就是往往把文学当成敲门砖，结论总是思想、民俗心理、文化等方面，却绝少拉回文学来。
大忌啊！
文学本是一种文字的特殊载体，蕴含着太多深刻的内涵，所以难免让我们眼花缭乱，思绪无章。过了它的门槛，进入另一片天地，被沿途的花花草草吸引，结果就停留在花园里忘了出来，或把头顶的蓝就当天空，把脚下的黑就当大地，全盘忘了自己原来处于画家的世界里。
也难怪尼采会在《悲剧的诞生》里提出，人只有在幻觉中才能感觉自己真实的存在。
看来，下次得记得一路留下自己的标记，好原路返回，从门外看园内的山水。还给文学世界一份公道，也还给自己一份尊严。这样，审美才能和实际结合起来，文学本体和广泛的文化概念才能合而为一，既对得起文学，又对得起教育。
大忌啊！
文学本是一种文字的特殊载体，蕴含着太多深刻的内涵，所以难免让我们眼花缭乱，思绪无章。过了它的门槛，进入另一片天地，被沿途的花花草草吸引，结果就停留在花园里忘了出来，或把头顶的蓝就当天空，把脚下的黑就当大地，全盘忘了自己原来处于画家的世界里。
也难怪尼采会在《悲剧的诞生》里提出，人只有在幻觉中才能感觉自己真实的存在。
看来，下次得记得一路留下自己的标记，好原路返回，从门外看园内的山水。还给文学世界一份公道，也还给自己一份尊严。这样，审美才能和实际结合起来，文学本体和广泛的文化概念才能合而为一，既对得起文学，又对得起教育。
[转载] 理所当然
这篇文章给我的感触非常深，是我一直想写却没有写出来的心声。在自己的恋情中，我的确不知不觉地把女朋友当成了理所当然，使她成为我任意调侃的对象，成为我几乎有些“无视”的对象，成为我忘了“换位思考”的对象……直到有一天，在骑车回宿舍的路上，猛然惊觉自己原来是个人渣败类，于是下决心要把她当个“人”看，而不是当成“理所当然”的伴侣。当然，或许当初是因为心里已经把这段感情重新定位，回归友谊，所以才能有如此思考。但不论恋情是否已经宣告失败，自己总是上了人生宝贵的一课。
原来，古人说的“相敬如宾”，蕴含着那么简单而又深刻的道理。
黑格尔《精神现象学》里提到，认识过程有个重要的转折点：对习惯事物增进了理解，由“识”（bekannt）转而为“知”（erkannt），从旧相识进而成真相知。这个道理不深奥，不过是中国人所谓的“体悟”罢了。就好像连三岁的孩子都知道老虎可怕，但“真知须如（被虎伤的）田夫乃是”（原出《河南程氏遗书》，引自钱锺书《七缀集·读〈拉奥孔〉》）。
● 蓝璐璐
最近碰到一位中学同学，闲聊一会儿才发现她已离了婚。我有点惊讶，当年我们两人还未结婚时，我曾经与她有过一次双对约会，她的对象后来成为她的丈夫，因此我对她前夫的印象深刻。那位先生一表人才，又是奖学金得主，家庭背景好，人也很和气友善，以女人的角度来说，肯定是个好归宿。后来听闻她下嫁于他，除了替她高兴以外，坦白说，我更羡慕她。
这么好的姻缘，怎么不是理所当然的白头偕老呢？他有外遇。同学幽幽的说。我更不解：我同学贤淑大方，也为他生下一子，他怎么可能抛下她跟另外一个女子跑了呢？
不是女人，是男的。
我差点没从椅子上跌下来。这年头什么事情都不能够再是理所当然了。
真的，现在除了一些基本的自然原理外，好像太阳从东边升起来、地球绕着太阳公转等（其实这也不绝对，冥王星以行星名义在太阳系统绕了70多年，也必须面对被踢出局的命运），我都不太敢用“理所当然”这句成语。因为按道理和逻辑行动的人、事、物是越来越少，而变是生活中唯一之不变的例子是越来越多：含辛茹苦把孩子带大，他不会理所当然就照顾你；拿了国家奖学金出国深造的优秀学子，不会理所当然就感激的回来为国效劳；你努力不懈在工作上付出，不会理所当然就有相等的回报；屹立了30多年的国家体育场，不会理所当然的就屹立下去……
最不会和不可以理所当然的还是夫妻之间的关系，而且是维持得越久越不可以掉以轻心。我喜欢把结婚比喻成种树，而这棵“感情的树”是从一决定踏上红地毯后，就得开始不停的灌溉和施肥，还要时不时两人一起坐下来“除虫”。偶尔遇上暴风雨，双方都要勇敢用自身来保护这棵树，不让它被摧毁。要做到两人都能齐心合力共患难，就必须不断的沟通，更不能把对方所付出和做的一切当成是理所当然：即使是很简单、很不起眼的事，都应该显示出你的感激和爱意。
我和友仁工作地方虽在新加坡的两端，我们却坚持不买两部车，宁愿双方配合，互相接送，为的就是让分离的时间少一点，彼此多一点牵绊。有一次他赶来载我回家，刚好有位同事搭顺风车。同事看到我上车时跟友仁说了句“谢谢”，很好奇地问我们为什么那么见外。我则解释：我知道他为了准时到来，不知费了多少心思安排他的工作和会议程表，因此非常愉悦和感谢。
虽说我们大多贪图方便，总喜欢事物理所当然，但从另一个角度来看，人与人之间若不理所当然，就会少关注自己，多花一点时间考虑对方的感受。倘若大家都能这般想的话，我敢肯定地说，世界绝对会更美好。
原来，古人说的“相敬如宾”，蕴含着那么简单而又深刻的道理。
黑格尔《精神现象学》里提到，认识过程有个重要的转折点：对习惯事物增进了理解，由“识”（bekannt）转而为“知”（erkannt），从旧相识进而成真相知。这个道理不深奥，不过是中国人所谓的“体悟”罢了。就好像连三岁的孩子都知道老虎可怕，但“真知须如（被虎伤的）田夫乃是”（原出《河南程氏遗书》，引自钱锺书《七缀集·读〈拉奥孔〉》）。
● 蓝璐璐
最近碰到一位中学同学，闲聊一会儿才发现她已离了婚。我有点惊讶，当年我们两人还未结婚时，我曾经与她有过一次双对约会，她的对象后来成为她的丈夫，因此我对她前夫的印象深刻。那位先生一表人才，又是奖学金得主，家庭背景好，人也很和气友善，以女人的角度来说，肯定是个好归宿。后来听闻她下嫁于他，除了替她高兴以外，坦白说，我更羡慕她。
这么好的姻缘，怎么不是理所当然的白头偕老呢？他有外遇。同学幽幽的说。我更不解：我同学贤淑大方，也为他生下一子，他怎么可能抛下她跟另外一个女子跑了呢？
不是女人，是男的。
我差点没从椅子上跌下来。这年头什么事情都不能够再是理所当然了。
真的，现在除了一些基本的自然原理外，好像太阳从东边升起来、地球绕着太阳公转等（其实这也不绝对，冥王星以行星名义在太阳系统绕了70多年，也必须面对被踢出局的命运），我都不太敢用“理所当然”这句成语。因为按道理和逻辑行动的人、事、物是越来越少，而变是生活中唯一之不变的例子是越来越多：含辛茹苦把孩子带大，他不会理所当然就照顾你；拿了国家奖学金出国深造的优秀学子，不会理所当然就感激的回来为国效劳；你努力不懈在工作上付出，不会理所当然就有相等的回报；屹立了30多年的国家体育场，不会理所当然的就屹立下去……
最不会和不可以理所当然的还是夫妻之间的关系，而且是维持得越久越不可以掉以轻心。我喜欢把结婚比喻成种树，而这棵“感情的树”是从一决定踏上红地毯后，就得开始不停的灌溉和施肥，还要时不时两人一起坐下来“除虫”。偶尔遇上暴风雨，双方都要勇敢用自身来保护这棵树，不让它被摧毁。要做到两人都能齐心合力共患难，就必须不断的沟通，更不能把对方所付出和做的一切当成是理所当然：即使是很简单、很不起眼的事，都应该显示出你的感激和爱意。
我和友仁工作地方虽在新加坡的两端，我们却坚持不买两部车，宁愿双方配合，互相接送，为的就是让分离的时间少一点，彼此多一点牵绊。有一次他赶来载我回家，刚好有位同事搭顺风车。同事看到我上车时跟友仁说了句“谢谢”，很好奇地问我们为什么那么见外。我则解释：我知道他为了准时到来，不知费了多少心思安排他的工作和会议程表，因此非常愉悦和感谢。
虽说我们大多贪图方便，总喜欢事物理所当然，但从另一个角度来看，人与人之间若不理所当然，就会少关注自己，多花一点时间考虑对方的感受。倘若大家都能这般想的话，我敢肯定地说，世界绝对会更美好。
2007年4月15日星期日
The tasks I face ahead
An email exchange with a friend in Singapore made me realize that I have 2 tasks on hand:
1) With regards to Western values, I need to give evidence of how a particular Western thought (that seems deviant from the perspective of Chinese ethics) can be answered by Chinese values, so as to reconcile differences between East and West and avoid Western dominance in the age of globalisation;
2) Faced with those who have been overly-infused with the thinking that Confucianism offers the answers to all the social problems we face, I need to show them that this school of thought has its limitations when placed in the modern context. It is thus imperative to see Chinese culture as not just Confucianism, but also a combination of many other schools, including Taoism (which is in fact the metaphysical basis of Chinese philo), Buddhism and folk belief which has today been relegated to the status of superstition. The combination provides the answers to the first abovementioned aspect, not just Confucianism itself.
That’s why I’m using 中国古代启蒙读物 as my entry point, because they encompass a more “humane” perspective that may transcend the limitations of Confucianism alone. Let’s see what China’s history has to offer in terms of an “all-rounded” education.
Only by doing so, we can then get answers to these questions:
中国人是否能够驾驭于思想之上？
历史上对思想的驾驭，以什么样的方式呈现？
最终，我们是否能像法国人类学家一样，从人和思想的互动关系这样一个高度上，简而明了地从人类学的角度对中国进行“人之历史”的阐释？
When we can resolve these, we can then say that Chinese thinking is on par with Western thinking. At the moment, Western philosophy which has its focus on the persona (人的“位格”）since the Renaissance and which during the Enlightenment developed political systems upon that basis dominates our lives. Chinese philosophy on the other hand has been relegated to a purely ethical arena, simply because western Reason has rendered us incapable of comprehending something like 《道德经》，when it in fact forms the basis of Martin Heidegger's philosophy which so many of us have tried and seemingly grasp, albeit not totally. (Btw Heidegger read the German translation of 《道德经》...)
Moreover, we didn't have enough "rebels" in Chinese history, or when we did, forgot their presence or obscured them on purpose. Such is the case in Singapore - because our political system needed that purely classic Confucianism to ensure "systematic order". Yet, it is time we uncover such rebels from the dust of time and once again pay attention to what they advocated. Why? Simply because they also form part of our culture, and in today's context they may just be able to pin-point the limitations of mainstream philosophy and offer us an insight into how we can bring East and West - again, back to point (1) above.
It is never enough to simply say that the world will become "cosmopolitan" one day, or purely shout slogans like "Beware Western-centricism!". It is first of all imperative to discover what our ancestors left behind as close to its whole as possible. And, if there is a need for a school of thought to dominate, politically (and since from Aristotle "ethics" has always been the stepping stone to "politics", ethically) we need Confucianism, but in life, in academics and simply as a person (and as not an affliation of a certain Idea, borrowing Plato's concept), pls, friends of mine, read Lao Tze. Take it philosophically, and u'll find that u can make more sense of all the "rules" u've acquired from Confucianism and also gain a deeper insight into Chinese Buddhism.
1) With regards to Western values, I need to give evidence of how a particular Western thought (that seems deviant from the perspective of Chinese ethics) can be answered by Chinese values, so as to reconcile differences between East and West and avoid Western dominance in the age of globalisation;
2) Faced with those who have been overly-infused with the thinking that Confucianism offers the answers to all the social problems we face, I need to show them that this school of thought has its limitations when placed in the modern context. It is thus imperative to see Chinese culture as not just Confucianism, but also a combination of many other schools, including Taoism (which is in fact the metaphysical basis of Chinese philo), Buddhism and folk belief which has today been relegated to the status of superstition. The combination provides the answers to the first abovementioned aspect, not just Confucianism itself.
That’s why I’m using 中国古代启蒙读物 as my entry point, because they encompass a more “humane” perspective that may transcend the limitations of Confucianism alone. Let’s see what China’s history has to offer in terms of an “all-rounded” education.
Only by doing so, we can then get answers to these questions:
中国人是否能够驾驭于思想之上？
历史上对思想的驾驭，以什么样的方式呈现？
最终，我们是否能像法国人类学家一样，从人和思想的互动关系这样一个高度上，简而明了地从人类学的角度对中国进行“人之历史”的阐释？
When we can resolve these, we can then say that Chinese thinking is on par with Western thinking. At the moment, Western philosophy which has its focus on the persona (人的“位格”）since the Renaissance and which during the Enlightenment developed political systems upon that basis dominates our lives. Chinese philosophy on the other hand has been relegated to a purely ethical arena, simply because western Reason has rendered us incapable of comprehending something like 《道德经》，when it in fact forms the basis of Martin Heidegger's philosophy which so many of us have tried and seemingly grasp, albeit not totally. (Btw Heidegger read the German translation of 《道德经》...)
Moreover, we didn't have enough "rebels" in Chinese history, or when we did, forgot their presence or obscured them on purpose. Such is the case in Singapore - because our political system needed that purely classic Confucianism to ensure "systematic order". Yet, it is time we uncover such rebels from the dust of time and once again pay attention to what they advocated. Why? Simply because they also form part of our culture, and in today's context they may just be able to pin-point the limitations of mainstream philosophy and offer us an insight into how we can bring East and West - again, back to point (1) above.
It is never enough to simply say that the world will become "cosmopolitan" one day, or purely shout slogans like "Beware Western-centricism!". It is first of all imperative to discover what our ancestors left behind as close to its whole as possible. And, if there is a need for a school of thought to dominate, politically (and since from Aristotle "ethics" has always been the stepping stone to "politics", ethically) we need Confucianism, but in life, in academics and simply as a person (and as not an affliation of a certain Idea, borrowing Plato's concept), pls, friends of mine, read Lao Tze. Take it philosophically, and u'll find that u can make more sense of all the "rules" u've acquired from Confucianism and also gain a deeper insight into Chinese Buddhism.
[Kpop] Keep holding you
Korean version of the theme song of Jap movie 《日本沉默》. I feel Shin hye sung's voice sounds better than the "squeaky" male song of the Jap version.. The female singer's the same for both Korean and Jap versions. And for the movie, forget abt it unless u have nothing to do. The humanistic elements cannot "surface" to aesthetic level, 'cos the eathquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions just overwhelm the entire sci-fic show..
春季心语
（1）
阳光的温暖，融合在余冬的清凉中
东君送来的飞吻，滋润着诗人的心
相辉堂前的法国梧桐，终于发芽了
从前沐浴在自然中的情思，不复存
也许……也许……也许……也许，
世间太多的不可知让我无所适从。
破碎的童心，在仍被利用中遭践踏
失去爱情的觉醒，萌生了自我意识
从枷锁中释放的灵魂，再次苏醒了
沉迷于孩子和教育的博爱，欢迎你
来吧……去吧……走吧……飞吧，
在人性的颓垣断瓦中间构筑天堂。
（2）
Too deeply hurt by presumptions,
The intense affection of a masochist
Dwelling too far, too long in a
Self-imposed prison of infatuation,
The heart loses itself in the maze of love.
Shifting between extremes,
For fear of being hurt.
Perhaps,
It was never a sincere engagement
And so commitment there never will be.
Keeping an open mind,
So be it.
Heart tightly open, eyes wide shut,
On my effortless journey
Back to the changed old Me.
The limits of love, the constraints of an educator
when my kids aren’t my children.
Yet, I am a shelter
For the hurt, the isolated, the loved,
And those pained by the ties that bind.
阳光的温暖，融合在余冬的清凉中
东君送来的飞吻，滋润着诗人的心
相辉堂前的法国梧桐，终于发芽了
从前沐浴在自然中的情思，不复存
也许……也许……也许……也许，
世间太多的不可知让我无所适从。
破碎的童心，在仍被利用中遭践踏
失去爱情的觉醒，萌生了自我意识
从枷锁中释放的灵魂，再次苏醒了
沉迷于孩子和教育的博爱，欢迎你
来吧……去吧……走吧……飞吧，
在人性的颓垣断瓦中间构筑天堂。
（2）
Too deeply hurt by presumptions,
The intense affection of a masochist
Dwelling too far, too long in a
Self-imposed prison of infatuation,
The heart loses itself in the maze of love.
Shifting between extremes,
For fear of being hurt.
Perhaps,
It was never a sincere engagement
And so commitment there never will be.
Keeping an open mind,
So be it.
Heart tightly open, eyes wide shut,
On my effortless journey
Back to the changed old Me.
The limits of love, the constraints of an educator
when my kids aren’t my children.
Yet, I am a shelter
For the hurt, the isolated, the loved,
And those pained by the ties that bind.
2007年4月13日星期五
2007年4月8日星期日
Simplicity
In life, it is the simplest lessons that we tend to take for granted - presumably because we think we’ve outgrown the phase for such simple teachings. Yet, like beauty, simplicity is difficult. The more we move on, the more we are overwhelmed by a whole array of thoughts and philosophies, only to find that at the base of the labyrinth are lessons so simple we have learnt but forgotten, or if we missed them out in an earlier stage of life, lessons that could have just been understood with a story. This is what draws me to children literature – to uncover my own simplicity, and to befriend the angels that come and go. Like my bear Alfred, I’m going to make the world a place of aura, and seek solace in that new home made for myself, and my kids.
2007年4月6日星期五
2007年4月5日星期四
个人主义
精神的平静，带来脑海中慈祥笑容的倩影，却也同时为内心带来一丝被世人抛弃时才会感受的凉意。或许，快乐和悲伤都不是人生。真正的悟禅，是当我们意识到，原来自己是以个人活在这空空如也的幻觉世界中。有些人为了自己的利益才会阿庾奉承，有些人因为已经无所适从而不再守护我们，有些人因为你有价值才堆一脸的笑。只有死的时候，别人才会流一次泪。应该是真心的——真心感叹有价值的人就那么走了，真心回忆死者从前给自己带来的一切，真心出于对同类的怜悯和他们自己无可避免的死……说到底，人总是以自己为出发点和终点的。因此，当我们的心坠入低谷时，千万不要埋怨别人不体贴，埋怨别人不伸出援手。因为，别人会想的是，你凭什么？守不守护是别人的选择，关不关心也是别人的权利。这世界上没有纯粹的义务——义务不是选择，但它首先是选择的结果。不想履行义务，你也有选择逃避或放弃的权利。最重要的是，人千万不要亏待自己。到今天，多少人误会周作人的“个人主义的人间本位”，多少人误解写《君主论》的马基亚维利。
为自己而活不是自私，而是人的本性使然。
写下这句话，那些不理解我的人，还有那些拿着《四书》冠冕堂皇地捍卫着“儒家传统”的人，必定想向我开炮。但是，请返回你本真的自己，感受自己“复归于婴儿”之后的存在状态。
观音、佛祖的慈悲，为的是拯救世人。但我想，如果有选择，他们也会情愿无需天天翘起那似笑非笑的嘴角，安安静静地修他们的道。
一切总归是个如此难以把握。重要的是，必须看到，在连续不断的spectrum当中，只有一个“点”是最适度的。当然，也因为它是唯一的，因此难以形容。凡是批评“个人主义”的，都比不上坚守者，因为后者看到了那个“点”，体悟到了做人的真实；前者却在汲汲那充满血腥和污垢的汪洋中寻找出路，结果提出的答案，只有越纠越偏。
至于有人会说，我既然是名老师，如何教我的孩子个人主义？我的答案是，正如所有必须体悟的人生道理一样，个人主义只可意会，不能言传。就如泡泡一样，搓破它，它就仿佛不存在了；其实，泡泡里装的，不就是你天天吸入的空气吗？只是，我们已经对呼吸习以为常，于是忘了我们要找寻的答案，原来就在身边，就在自己身上。
于是，儒家教育的方式必须反思。理由很简单，中国思想从来不把人当人看，而只把他当成群体的一员；西方近代思想以来，从个人出发，建构社会契约，最终落实回个人。年轻人的思想拉锯，就在于他多大程度上是属于自己的，多大程度上是属于社会或群体的。我们的伦理建构，如果不顾及这一点，终究必定导致价值的分裂，而中国思想必然处于劣势。这不是“酷”与否的问题，而是人类学的问题。一百年前是“梦醒了无路可以走”，今天我们面对的是梦游的灵魂，一百年后如何，谁也不知道。
为自己而活不是自私，而是人的本性使然。
写下这句话，那些不理解我的人，还有那些拿着《四书》冠冕堂皇地捍卫着“儒家传统”的人，必定想向我开炮。但是，请返回你本真的自己，感受自己“复归于婴儿”之后的存在状态。
观音、佛祖的慈悲，为的是拯救世人。但我想，如果有选择，他们也会情愿无需天天翘起那似笑非笑的嘴角，安安静静地修他们的道。
一切总归是个如此难以把握。重要的是，必须看到，在连续不断的spectrum当中，只有一个“点”是最适度的。当然，也因为它是唯一的，因此难以形容。凡是批评“个人主义”的，都比不上坚守者，因为后者看到了那个“点”，体悟到了做人的真实；前者却在汲汲那充满血腥和污垢的汪洋中寻找出路，结果提出的答案，只有越纠越偏。
至于有人会说，我既然是名老师，如何教我的孩子个人主义？我的答案是，正如所有必须体悟的人生道理一样，个人主义只可意会，不能言传。就如泡泡一样，搓破它，它就仿佛不存在了；其实，泡泡里装的，不就是你天天吸入的空气吗？只是，我们已经对呼吸习以为常，于是忘了我们要找寻的答案，原来就在身边，就在自己身上。
于是，儒家教育的方式必须反思。理由很简单，中国思想从来不把人当人看，而只把他当成群体的一员；西方近代思想以来，从个人出发，建构社会契约，最终落实回个人。年轻人的思想拉锯，就在于他多大程度上是属于自己的，多大程度上是属于社会或群体的。我们的伦理建构，如果不顾及这一点，终究必定导致价值的分裂，而中国思想必然处于劣势。这不是“酷”与否的问题，而是人类学的问题。一百年前是“梦醒了无路可以走”，今天我们面对的是梦游的灵魂，一百年后如何，谁也不知道。
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