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June 02 Susan you make me cryYou are living proof of how great any person can be. How wonderful it is that this world can have someone like you! May 20 Chilean Navy Training Ship EsmeraldaCharming warm evening in Halifax.
While taking a walk by the water, I ran into this beautiful 4-mast sailer. Officer at the dock told me this is one of only four 4-mast tall boats in the world, top speed 17 knots, crew 320. She is on a world tour from South to North America. Salut!
  April 16 Jewels in US teachers reports to parents1. Since my last report, your child has reached rock bottom and has started to dig. 2. I would not allow this student to breed. 3. Your son is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot. 4. Your son sets low personal standards and then consistently fails to achieve them. 5. The student has a 'full six-pack' but lacks the plastic thing to hold it all together. 6. This child has been working with glue too much. 7. When your daughter's IQ reaches 50, she should sell. 8. The gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming. 9. If this student were any more stupid, he'd have to be watered twice a week. 10. It's impossible to believe the sperm that created this child beat out 1,000,000 others. 11. The wheel is turning but the hamster is definitely dead. March 31 DIANA KRALL in Union StationStop this world, let me off There's just too many pigs in the same trough There's too many buzzards sitting on the fence Stop this world, it's not making sense Stop this show, hold the phone Better days this girl has known Better days so long ago Hold the phone, won't you stop the show Well, it seems my little playhouse has fallen down I think my little ship has run aground I feel like I'm in the wrong place My state of mind is a disgrace Won't you stop this game, deal me out I know too well what it's all about I know too well that it had to be Stop this game well it's ruining me Well I got too smart for my own good I just don't do the things I know I should There's bound to be some better way I just got one thing more to say And that is Stop this game, deal me out I know too well what it's all about I know too well that it had to be Stop this game well it's wrecking me Hawaii Impression (1)黄昏に染まる街 そんな季節 切なくて この頬に ひとつこぼれ落ちた涙のあと 君が描いた夢の中で 僕は生きることが出来ず... 恋人よ もうあの頃は 眩しい光の中 恋人よ もう抱きしめることなど 出来ないのに なくしても まだ忘れられぬ 君のぬくもりが 消えなくて さよならを言葉にせず 恋の終り迷わせた やさしさの意味さえも 知らない僕がいた あの日 君より傷つくのが 僕は怖かった とても... 恋人よ もうあの頃は 眩しい光の中 恋人よ もう名も知らぬ 誰かを愛してるの 逢えないと わかっているから 君にとても 今 逢いたくて January 26 Amazing GraceThis has been over 10 years.
In 1998 I moved to Toronto and rented an apartment in East York in a big hurry. It was the result of a door-to-door search along the subway line, right on top of the subway station, but not the nicest kind of apartment. The building was full of new immigrants and people living on welfare.
There was a handicapped man living in the building. He was always poorly dressed, had a badly crippled leg, and constantly running nose. Everybody pretended not to notice, but obviously no one was fond of being close to him, including myself.
One day I was installing an air conditioner on my window. But the fuse kept burning. I looked outside the balcony, and saw another apartment had an air conditioner installed. I decided to go and ask for help.
I regreted as soon as the door was answered. It was that handicapped man.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Eh....yes. I want to install an air conditioner. My fuse is burning up."
"You got to use a 20 AMP fuse." he said.
"Thanks," I could not wait to leave, and was already beginning to turn away.
"Hold on," he said, and turned back into his apartment with his slow-moving legs. After a few seconds he came back, with a fuse in his hand.
"Here you go," he said, "I have an extra one. Take it."
I looked at the fuse he was handing out, and the shaggy T-shirt he was in. I did not know what to do.
Free and unmerited favor is named grace. As I sit in this room today, I still think grace is the only word to describe you, my friend. Wish you well. December 27 That AfternoonIt was a few hours before going back to Toronto. For some reason, the otherwise always sunny weather seemed gloomy. The parents were inside the shark exhibit. I told you I want to see the sharks again. "OK," you said, with a smile that I often miss. I was holding your hand, We walked together, like there were only the two of us in this world. Did you know, that was the happiest moment in my life for a long time. But somehow I also felt, that was going to be our last walk together.
Whatever might happen in front of us, I will take this moment with me, deep in my heart. December 08 Brave Monday"I'm sorry, we are in terminal A."
By the sound of that, I am not going to make my connection. Next connection is 4 hours away. I took the shuttle to C, wrote off the flight section, re-booked a car, grabbed a surrito and a water, and took the shuttle back to A. Before I knew, I was driving on the free way again.
Sun shines from the windshield. My GPS is reading out the turns. My mobile device is playing American love song classics. And I am chewing my surrito while holding onto the wheel with one hand. How many times have I done this in my life?
Looking outside the window, I don't recognize where this really is. Northern Kentucky is just like any other places in US to me. If I were driving in Denver, would I feel different? I did not.
Toronto was covered in snow and ice. Roads here are all clean and dry. All of a sudden, winter seems to be gone. I imagine how I would feel if I were driving to the FLorida keys in a convertible bathed in sun. This morning, it was my last bit of sense of responsibility that held me back from approaching the ticketing desk of beach airlines and buying a ticket. I miss you my sandy beach and warm breeze. November 12 My love, My regretsWhy does this world need to be this complicated? Why do people need to be controversial? I mean, if one is a utterly bad person, or a perfectly good person, I know what to do. But what if he is horrible, unbearable, but you know he cares about you? What if you remember the many moments in life where his acts have meant a lot to you, memories and recollections have been an important part of your past, but then it is all tainted with him being recklessly selfish, and openly indifferent where he should not? Should you miss him?
Am I still that little kid with innocent eyes on this world? Do I still have beloved family around me? So many moments in life, so much memory. I need to treasure what I have now. Peace. October 11 Distorted HumorMost expensive stallion in the world. Visited by the Queen herself, in the same spot. :D I love you baby!
September 29 Waving BreezeIf the grass is green
It's because your smile was tender
If the clouds are white
It's because your kiss was warm
If the music is touching
It's because your laughter was glitering
Stars shining down
Silver and blue on my shoulder
Just like your soft fingers
running down my cheek
Your eyes so deep
like a sea of emerald
captivating my soul and mind
My darling
In this warm waving breeze
where does your heart belong tonight? July 03 Adagio In Sol MinoreTrees are waving under the beautiful open sun. My heart is at a standstill.
In time of difficulty, I have great people singing with me. Adagio In Sol Minore is sounding in my ears. I know, I am strong, deep in my belief, and loved by the Lord. I will make out of it, a better me.
I remember the days when I was still a kid. We hear about difficulty. We hear about hardship. We hear about the courage it takes to face all. When life calls on me to be strong, I now know, that courage is not a word to be taken lightly. It means you see obstables that you know you cannot overcome. But for life to continue, you have to. Or you have nowhere to go.
I am happy, that when I wake up, before my mind touches the burden of life, my mind is innocent as a child, that I still love life, cherish everything that is beautiful, and appreciate everything that life has given me. For all this, I am grateful.
My Lord. My Angels of life. Come to me. I need your help. May 18 I love you very muchToday in Sichaun, China, rescuers found a woman under the debris. She was on her knees and hands, her back pushing up as much as she could, but already broken by fallen concrete blocks. She was dead and rescuers were beginning to leave when the team leader felt something is not right. He reached into under the woman, felt around, and started yelling, "Come back!! There is a baby under her!"
There was a baby alright. He is alive, unharmed, and fast alseep with a big smile, like nothing happened. The mother's last efforts worked.
In the baby's cushy wrappings there was a cell phone, with a text message that the woman managed to finish typing before dying,
"Dear baby, if you live, do remember that I love you very much."
May 16 Happy Birthday to YouAfter over 40 hours of digging, rescuers in China finally managed to pull out a 20-year-old girl from under tons of crushed concrete. According to her borther who has waited by the rubbles, today is her birthday.
I thought I have seen all that is touching in this massive disaster and the rescue that immediately followed, when suddenly, rescue troopers, covered in dirt and sweat and still carrying the girl on the stretcher, started singing altogether loudly in their dry, coarse voices:
"Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you......"
I salute you, my people of heroes. February 12 Casino Royale春節剛過, 坐在溫暖的家裡, 望著外面的大雪. 地上和天上都是軟白, 亮亮的很美.
忍不住又要看多一次Casino Royale. 看著男主角奔跑拼命, 既有初出茅廬的血氣方剛, 又有天真清純對愛情真心的信仰.
許多人說這是動作片. 如果是指這以後的007故事, 那是沒有異議. 不過Casino Royale不是.
美麗的海濱,陽光明媚,溫柔的海水輕輕飄動,送來最沁人的軟風. Bond最後追到仇家, 站在氣候不凡的宮殿一般的別墅前, 拎著最準確最有力的武器,背後是世界最強大集團的支持和為所欲為的保證, 手持衝鋒槍一槍復仇. 這是最後一幕, 也是我最不能忘懷的一幕. 年輕的心, 對此生所有的美好期望都已破滅, 剩下的只有特工的專業生涯, 和永遠的孤獨, 這不是悲劇又是什麼呢?
窗外的雪還在輕柔地下. 音樂中, Bond肌肉發達的右手抓住自動手槍, 充滿愛憐的左手抱著自己最心愛, 也將是此生唯一愛過的女孩, 不知自己會不會永遠失去至愛. 那種不顧自我, 又悲愴莫名的心境, 為什麼這樣熟悉? January 26 一個以前聴過的故事東漢，章帝元年，駐扎柳中城的漢西域都護府戊己校尉關寵的緊急求援文書送到了剛剛繼任皇位的漢章帝手裡。
情況是緊急的：在這年的三月，匈奴單於派左鹿蠡王（蠡音離）帶領二萬軍隊與漢帝國爭奪西域，匈奴軍隊勢如破竹，攻破了歸附漢帝國的車師后國，招降了西域北部焉耆等小國，漢帝國剛上任的西域都護陳睦戰死，駐扎柳中城的關寵部、駐扎金蒲城的耿恭部被合圍，而這兩支部隊都不過才幾百人而已！一旦這兩支部隊被消滅，匈奴軍隊長驅直入山南，整個西域將落入匈奴之手。 然而，收到這封求救信的時候，已經是十月份的事情了！半年多了，誰也不知道西域現在是什麼情況，千余軍隊對兩萬，這些帝國的軍隊還存在嗎？冒然派軍隊增援，沒有城堡的依托，很容易被風馳電掣的匈奴騎兵消滅，更何況已經是冬天了，惡劣的氣候、遙遠的路途、后勤的艱難。
大臣們搖搖頭，看來，西域的失去已經不可避免了，隻有等以后再尋找機會，而那些戰士們，已經注定要為國犧牲了！
然而，以司徒鮑昱為代表的大臣還是堅決主張救援，他的話深深打動了年輕皇帝的心：漢帝國從來不冷卻英雄的熱血，即使這次救援注定失敗，也要向世人宣告漢帝國從來不會放棄為他戰斗的勇士！
漢軍在風雪中西出玉門關，去找尋那已不足百分之一的希望！
我們再來看看西域的情況：耿恭所部在金蒲城被圍困后，耿恭乘大雨，率部隊向敵人發起突擊，大雨中敵人看不出我方兵力究竟有多少，因此退走，但仍形成遠距離包圍之勢，耿恭所部成績逃出重圍。到了五月，耿恭因為水源問題引兵轉移到疏勒城。疏勒城有澗水流過，可以保証夏季的飲水；同時，疏勒城正當山南山北之間的要道，可以防止匈奴攻略山南各西域小國。
匈奴人很快發現了耿恭部的意圖，再次將耿恭部合圍在疏勒城，山南各國派來援軍不戰自潰。
殘酷的圍城戰開始了！
匈奴人把澗水的上游壅塞住，要渴死漢軍。這一帶的氣候干旱，地勢又高，耿恭一面布置漢軍守城，一面命令挖井。可是一直挖了十五丈（約等於現在的四十米）不見水！這是十分嚴重的大事，若無飲水，便隻有死或降兩條道路。渴極了的將士，用布榨出馬糞的汁來喝！在這樣的情況下，如果老天不保佑，那麼就算你是如何的英雄也無濟於事。耿恭便整衣拜天，而奇跡般的，先前掘的井裡涌出了甘泉。漢軍上下呼喚雀躍，感謝天助，高呼萬歲。（究其原因，大致是河流被堵而改道之后，地下水仍然存在，需要一段時間，才能受地底壓力作用而漸漸流入井中，古人不知道科學原理，便以為得了神助。）耿恭故意以軍士在城上潑水，以示水源充足。匈奴人見了，大驚，也以為漢軍是有老天爺護著的，於是退兵。但還是不死心，繼續一邊放牧，一邊遠距離包圍，想要把漢軍困死。
當時附近的國家都已經投降匈奴，形勢十分險惡。幸好車師后王的夫人是漢人，見漢軍久久被圍，心底著急，想盡辦法派人給他們偷偷地送糧食，又多次將匈奴兵的動向告訴耿恭。漢軍因此得以多支撐了一些日子（現在知道漢帝國為什麼要和親了吧！）。
就這樣再過了幾個月，城中漢軍因為不斷有人戰死、病死、餓死，結果隻剩下了數十人，也沒有人想要投降匈奴。
被困日久，艱難到了什麼樣的地步？將士們餓得要死，隻得把身上的皮制鎧甲放進鍋裡，煮軟一些，然后切成一塊塊地分下去，吞嚼充飢。再后來，連皮甲都吃完了，迫不得已，將弩也拆了，把上面繃著的皮條和用作弓弦的獸筋同樣煮了吃。護具和武器無疑是戰士的第二生命，為了稍填肚子，都顧不得了。
這時匈奴單於親臨城下，知道城裡的漢軍已經疲痺得不得了，卻還不投降。匈奴人雖凶殘，但是心腸直，敬重英雄，於是他心生敬意，便招降耿恭，並答應封他為王。
這時一幕令人震駭的事便發生了----耿恭答應投降，並將匈奴使者騙進城裡，親手擊殺，然后就在城上，對著匈奴的大軍，將尸體的肉割來烤著吃！耿恭用這樣的行動，把投降這一條后路給完全斷絕掉了。與其說是餓極了騙個“食物”進來，不如說是橫下一條心，誓死無二。
這就是岳飛“壯志飢餐胡虜肉，笑談渴飲匈奴血”的來歷！
第二年的正月，漢帝國的救援軍終於到達了柳中城，關寵部隊已經全軍覆沒了，在這麼嚴寒的天氣下，救援軍認為更加艱難的耿恭部更不可能存在了，於是統兵的秦彭、王蒙、皇甫援等將領都決定返回，畢竟他們不能冒險把全軍置於危險之地。但是，范羌泣血要求一定要去去疏勒城看看，雖然大家都覺得這是不可能的事，但還是分給他兩千部隊。
范羌領兵冒雪前進，沿山北而行，歷盡艱辛終於到達城下。城中漢軍已經所剩無幾，還活著的都沒有什麼戰斗能力了，半夜察覺有軍隊開來，還以為是匈奴軍趁雪來打，大驚絕望。
范羌遠遠喊道：“我是范羌啊！不是敵人，是漢朝派兵來迎接耿校尉，救你們回國！
再沒有比這樣的一聲呼喊更激動人心的事了！
這時候，城內隻有二十六人了！
在回去的路途上，受到了匈奴騎兵的追擊，且戰且走，到了三月份，軍隊退至玉門，耿恭部已經隻有十三個不成人樣的幸存者了。
這些人獲得了戰友們的無上敬意，玉門關的將軍們親自為幸存者們沐浴更衣，他們是當之無愧的！
這就是漢家軍魂！ January 19 Parked at the Vegas Airport2nd time transferring through good old Vegas in a month. Still remember the quietness of that sleepless night, the 1st time I saw the city, through the giant window glass from a room in Treasure Island. How things have changed, and have not. I looked for that parking lot while landing, but then realized it has disappeared into the city, never to be found again. Set up at the recharge zone, and actually got some interesting stuff done! January 18 Leaving TownThe mountains still looked on quietly, their snow-covered body shining in bright Nevada sun. Outside from that, the town looks gloomy.
I liked Dallas better. Open fields, big and bright houses, and warm people. But again, that was summer.
Couldn’t wait to get on my plane home, back to the decadent Toronto life style. I even feel the sunshine of Cuba waving at me. Hmm, is that the smell of coconut trees on the sandy beach?
Toronto, I am BACK!! HA! December 31 Snow in DenverMy plane landed quitely on the runaway. It is 9PM mountain time.
Kiroro is singing My Future in my ears. I looked out of the window. Snow is piling up on the ground. Wind is blowing sideways. It's all dark. There is no way of telling if it is the Denver I used to know.
I had to walked half a mile to my gate for my tranfer to Nevada. The terminal is full of people, but strangely quiet. Most people seem to be sleep walking. Or maybe it was me, dragging two sacks half way across the terminal. Should I run into someone I know? I gazed into people's faces. Their look familiar, but those of total strangers.
Where do I belong? Am I recollecting my past, or am I looking at my unknown future?
I arrived at my gate. I saw a guy at the podium, walked up, and asked for seat in the front.
"Sure, man." he tore up my old boarding pass. "Here you go, 5A. Whew, it sure is cold tonight."
"I know." I smiled. Found a seat near the gate, sat down, and pickup the pen for the lady sitting next to me.
"Oh, thanks."
"Uhuh." I said.
There came the couple with 2 kids that were on the same plane with me. They waved. I waved back. They are still grateful I yelled out at the ground crew to pull us all out in front of the customs, or we would still be in Toronto.
Then I looked outside the window again. It is still pitch dark. Snow hits the window, then bounces up, dancing in thick darkness, like a lonely spirit swivelling in the wilderness. She gave a sly grin, turned around, and disappeared into the night. November 12 未来へほら 足元を見て御覧 これが貴方の歩む道 ほら 前を見て御覧 あれが貴方の未来 母がくれた沢山の優しいさ 愛を抱いてあ夢と繰り返した あの時は未だ幼くて意味等知らない そんな私の手を握り一緒に歩んで来た 夢は何時も空高くあるから 届かなくて怖いねだけど追い続けるの 自分のストーリだからこそ諦めたくない 不安に成ると手を握り一緒に歩んで来た その優しいさを時には嫌がり 離れた母へ素直になれず 未来へ向かって ゆっくりと歩いて行く August 10 My Neihgbour and Her KidsI don't know her name. I only know she lives near where I live.
I first met her when I was taking my usual walk after dinner. She was sitting by the lake with her kids, proudly looking at them.
She had chubby cheeks, and tiny eyes. Tiny eyes that were so full of affection for her babies, that no matter from which angle you looked at her, she was always smiling a heart-felt smile that warmed me, although I did not speak her language or understand any bit of her culture.
It did not seem she had a lot to offer her kids. Her fragile body did not seem to be reassuring protection for her little angels. But the little ones looked so comfortable, so safe and secure, that when I bluntly walked all the way up to them, all they did was, with giggles, cuddling each other and, of course, their mom.
She turned slightly and looked at me. The evening breeze went by silently, brushing gently her hair and that of her kids. For that moment, she looked every bit a Queen.
I am not sure why, but the air smelled sweet.
I love you, little angels. May happiness and peace be always with you. And I hope to always see your graceful smiles aroung my home.
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