Thursday 16 June 2011

Super 8

Super 8 一口气点了我的几个死穴:
1. Steven Speilberg - 任何电影海报,只要加上这位天才电影人的名字,必定可以轻易把我骗进戏院。如果有一天外星人跑来我家求我给意见,说要把Hollywood铲平,只想留下两个电影人,让一切从新开始,我一定会说,留下Steven Spielberg和Walt Disney吧(我本来想说只留下一个人的,但想来想去,我毕竟还是不舍得Disney那一支的娱乐文化。)
2. 科幻 - 我是科幻题材的死忠支持者。写得好的科幻小说、拍得好的科幻电影,有时候好比哲学入门,那是让你禁不住思考着那些未知……
3. J. J. Abrams - 老实说,我从来不是他的影迷,在Star Trek之前我甚至连他的名字都不曾听过。然而,自从他把那个渐显疲态的老题材搞得有声有色、神采飞扬、精彩万分后,我一直想知道他还有多少板斧,还能够给我们多少惊喜……
4. Dakota Fanning(别误会, 我绝对知道女主角是Elle Fanning)- 自从Taken开始,我就爱上她了。她是天生的演员,有一种令人无法抽开视线的魅力,叫人随着她的角色的喜怒哀乐而微笑、叹息、流泪……为此,我很想知道,演绎细胞是不是遗传的,Elle Fanning是不是也如她姐姐在镜头前不容忽视的charisma。

以上四点再加上现在Citibank和TGV合作的buy 1 free 1 promotion,我实在找不到不去戏院看这部电影的理由。

这部电影究竟有多好看呢?
如果你和我一样缅怀七十年代末、八十年代初的浪漫(以及Steven Spielberg式的天真单纯),如果你也认为科幻电影的故事远比CGI来得重要,如果你已经对super heroes电影有了审美疲劳,你一定会爱上这部电影。
如果你怀念那段远去的岁月,怀念那个仍然有梦想有热血有坚持有执著的自己,怀念那一段纯真的初恋,怀念志同道合而称兄道弟又绝无利益关系考量的友情,你一定会爱上这部电影。
如果你会单单因为“爱”这个主题而感动,你一定会爱上这部电影。

去电影院看吧,去坐在那黑漆漆的空间仰望大荧幕,去缅怀过去也好(给七字辈或更老的),去窥视七十年代末也好(给八字辈或更年轻的),去体会导演简单却有力的叙事能力也好,去看年轻演员们的出众演技和魅力也好(应该真的有演绎基因这一回事吧,Elle Fanning绝对不比姐姐逊色!老天,你看她那会说话的眼睛!!而Joel Courtney,哎哟,这小孩怎么能这么轻易地以爱与痛牵引着我的情绪? ),甚至是单纯的为了娱乐也好,去电影院看吧,有一些电影是属于大荧幕的。

(剧终后别急着离场,Charles这‘大导演’的"The Case"方要上映!而且,过后你别忘了随着My Sharona轻快节奏边唱边摇 )

Thursday 9 June 2011

Full of Shit!!

对不起,用了这么粗俗的标题。不过,待你读完了这篇博文,你就知道我绝无喧众取宠,这绝对是再适合不过的标题了。
这件事虽然已经是几个月前的事了,但经当事人生动的讲述,我仍觉得活到百岁天下仍有新鲜事,实在应该在这儿为大家讲述这事发过程,好让大家有所警惕……

我的堂外甥今年十岁,是小胖一名,体重决对远远超出了普通成年女性。在学校因不是“普通的乖小孩”而小有名气。某日,堂姐接到学校的紧急电话,说小胖忽然病倒了,须要家长速到学校。堂姐丢下手头上所有的工作,和另一名热心的同事十万火急赶到现场。到了学校,还有专人特地指挥交通,让堂姐可以在违规的情况下反方向在单行道行驶,好让她可以更快速的直驶到学校大门口,特允她把车子停在最靠近课室楼梯口的地方。堂姐突然受到如此Super VIP待遇,更是觉得事有蹊跷。
堂姐下车后,第一眼便看见爱儿正脸青青一脸痛苦地坐在木椅上呻吟。心痛。把视线焦点移开,才发觉两位女老师出尽牛力扛着一个坐在木椅上的小胖艰辛地走下楼梯。师生皆汗流浃背:老师流的是劳碌汗,小胖冒的是冷汗。当班主任简练地向堂姐讲述小胖病情时,堂姐发觉只要轻轻抚摸他的肚子就足以让他泪流汗流的,好不可怜。老师们都说从未见过小孩肚子疼到这种地步(经验老到的老师还很肯定这绝不是盲肠炎),看来必非普通伤风感冒肚疼这么简单,都游说堂姐把他给送去医院好好检验。
小胖站不直走不动,只好把他扛上车,然后直奔槟州中央医院。急诊室医生也无法直接判断病情,所以小胖得经历X光等一连串的详细检查。堂姐在急诊室外的心烦气躁可想而知。仿如几个世纪之后,检验结果终于出炉,医生宣布:“没事。只是大肠挤满了粪便,宿便让身体无法负荷,才会导致他痛苦万分”。真的,这真的诠释了“啼笑皆非”!

这个故事教训我们:
1. 小孩便秘绝对是一件可大可小的事,不可忽视。
2. 小孩便秘时,即使每天躲进厕所,别相信他真的是在大便。
3. 无论在什么情况下,full of shit总是教人痛苦的。

Thursday 2 June 2011

吓死!

我总是相信,等我年老体衰、心脏衰竭时,总有一天,我会被蟑螂吓死的。谁知道,这一次真的是被吓死了,不过,死的是小强。

话说我早上背着书包高高兴兴蹦蹦跳跳地下楼上班,突然间瞧见楼梯墙上的小强,事发突然,那个理性的我来不及反应,我已经本能地以高八度频率大叫一声,然后以时速三十公里奔下楼去。我在楼下慌张向上偷看,发觉死鬼小强逃到楼上去了,心很乱,但无能为力,只好若无其事的上班去。

放工回家后,爸说:“我看见你早上打的蟑螂躺在垃圾桶旁,以为你没丢,想要捡起来丢进垃圾桶里,谁知道它还没有死,我才把它打死了。”(这些年来,无论发生什么事,老爸对于我的胆量总是非常有信心的)
我心虚,只好轻描淡写地承认“我没打蟑螂。我只是看到它在墙上,喊了一声就上班去了。”

爸和恩异口同声说:“那一定是被你吓死了!”我想想,还挺有道理的,它既然有把我吓死的potential,我当然也有把它吓死的能耐。只是,这么一来,我和蟑螂之间的多年恩怨再度升级了……

Thursday 26 May 2011

How to Turn Impossible Into Success

Until now, I still can't believe this! Alvin Lee actually leave a comment in my blog!! I got so excited this morning in my office when I saw his comment through gmail (we can't access to blogs through company internet). I'm dying to come home and tell the whole world that the person that inspire me actually leave a comment in my blog!! :-)

OK, so you heard me talking about the speech. Now you can go to the following link to view the highlights of his speech "The 2011 MDRT Experience: How to Turn Impossible Into Success"
http://youtu.be/c0lgMWejQHE

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Building Your Sandcastles

I attended the MDRT Experience in Singapore a few months back, and I was inspired by all the great speakers, where they have been doing their very best to strive for success in all areas of their lives. I have been planning to blog about some of the great speakers and their inspiring speeches. Finally, here I am :) 

I'd like to start with my favorite, the last speaker of the first long day who lighten up the hall. His spirit is so high that he made all of us laughed, sighed, gasped and held back a tear: Alvin Lee - The Sand Castle Builder from Castle Can Fly. Too bad that I can't share his original speech here......


He is the type of father that every kids dream of. When his kids (including his own children and niece) wanted to learn drawing, he let them start with A4 paper, then Mahjong paper, and they ended up drawing murals in his house! (kids never learn how to draw within the paper, he said). When his kids wanted to learn to fly a kite, he made them a kite so big that he can tie his younger son on it and try to fly him! (I think you can get the idea on all the fun that his kids enjoyed as a kid)


Building sandcastles started out as one of those fun weekend activities for his children and niece. Since he believe in "if you want to dream, dream BIG", they went to library to do some research and they decided to make a sand castle like the one in the right! 

He then discovered that there was actually no sandcastle-making kit in the market (that was in mid of1990s). He went to Singapore Toys R Us and the manager told him that "if you can't find it here, you can't find it elsewhere". He tried to call his friends and relatives in Australia, US and Europe, he also fax to a few key toy makers then but all came back with negative answers. He then turned his kitchen into a workshop(salute his wife!), started to saw pipes, making blocks etc that can be used to mould the sand for the different parts of sandcastle. From initial basic drawings of lines and shapes, he went on to modelling and prototyping of his newly created toy designs with plastic items. With those prototypes and amazing experiments, his kids enjoyed the homemade sandcastle building set. 
A good friend of him pointed him towards commercialising the self-made tools into a business venture. So he tried to sell this idea to a few toys company, including Singapore Toys R Us. The GM then told him that toy business profit margin is paper-thin and he assure Alvin that his new design is not going to make it. He almost wanted to give up but "How do you tell your children that it cannot be done? That you want to give up?" So he resigned from the corporate world (he's a GM in a MNC then), flew to US with his business plan and passion, and successfully launched and marketed his Beachworks Brand in major toy stores in the United States since 1997. He came back to Singapore with a patent that pay so well that he can stop working for at least 3 years. He went to Singapore Toys R Us again, the GM said "See, I've told you, you'll make it!" :)

I can imagine all the rejections and difficulties that he has to face, and the courage to resign from a well-paid position to become an entrepreneur. Only great people with vision and perseverance can make it happened. Most of us have dreams, and yet, we let them stay as dreams. Actions may not ensure your success, but only actions can make the dreams come true.....Let's act NOW!


If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them. ~ Henry David Thoreau




An example of his sand castle building training: http://youtu.be/jmuYPjksoec

Engineer, Innovator, Entrepreneur, Author, Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer, and A Family Man. Those are what Alvin Lee all about.

Sunday 24 April 2011

人生真美好

从槟岛驾往半岛,倒后镜是槟岛山脉的轮廓,眼前是亲切的大山脚Cheruk Tokun,两旁是一片蔚蓝碧绿斑驳着波光粼粼,路上飞驰的车子在和煦阳光下反射着银光,大桥上充满着生命力。
车内温度适中舒服,收音机播放着轻快活跃的音乐。我忍不住要赞叹,人生真美好!

Monday 11 April 2011

日惹之游荡:朝思暮想的婆罗浮屠

我有个无可救药的虚荣心:收集世界文化遗产。所以,此行的最大目标,当然非Borobudur和Prambanan莫属。不过,和Prambanan比较起来,Borobudur更令人挂肚牵肠。或许是因为我们对佛教比较熟悉亲切,或许是为了Hotel Manohara的清幽环境,或许,就单单为了婆罗浮屠独有的,神秘得来又平实的魅力。

我们有幸在黄昏里穿梭于佛像之中,游客渐渐离去,剩下我们百般不舍。有那么一刻的静谧,让我们对隔天的日出之旅充满期待……就在那一个傍晚,我发觉,要离开那种宁静,总是难的……

凌晨4时30分,我们一行八人换上了‘制服’,和另外三名外国游客在旅馆大厅集合,工作人员分派每人一支手电筒和入场门票,就把我们带到婆罗浮屠并交代看日出的方向后就离去。我们一行八人或许太喧闹了,其他三人最后都没有和我们在一起等待日出。

那一天,近Gunung Merapi和Gunung Merbabu的云层都特别厚。大家虽然还怀着一线希望,但始终知道看见日出的机会渺茫,于是我们开始在幽幽微蓝中于婆罗浮屠内漫游。

适逢象征 Arupadhatu的顶端被关闭维修,我们最高也只恰恰能在象征Rupadhatu的中层当中游走。当大小佛塔尖顶在即将翻鱼肚白的幽蓝晨曦中划出剪影,我近乎疯狂。千年地砖微微泛着蓝光,在佛塔群中铺出一条迈向为来未知的康庄大路。

当天空渐渐转亮,大地终于苏醒,阳光把佛像的庄严点燃,那些似有若无的慈悲微笑就在那山坡上化开来,周围的翠绿村庄亦在薄雾中闪耀着勃勃生气。

我们直到肚子饿了,才依依不舍地暂离,回酒店吃早餐去。

早餐后,休息了一会儿,又特地绕道从正门走入Borobudur,感受一下别的游客都得尝试的讨价还价的乐趣,并乘机修炼拒绝诱惑的铁石心肠。

蓝天白云烈日下,Borobudur自有另一番味道。我们像刚刚发现了考古奇迹的探险家,充满好奇地、汗流浃背地,细细读着墙上浮雕。在赞叹古人的毅力和手艺的当儿,我们各尽所能,想要把这美好的一切都藏在我们的softcopies内。至于脑海里留下的那些震撼感动,已经是谁也夺不去的、永不磨灭的记忆了……


请你也看:
在日惹(Yogyakarta)游荡
日惹之游荡:一千零一夜
日惹之游荡:化不开的艺术气息
日惹之游荡:Gudeg惊魂
日惹之游荡:Prambanan的寺庙群
日惹之游荡:Sambisari的意外惊喜
日惹之游荡:Hotel Manohara
日惹之游荡:朝思暮想的婆罗浮屠

Thursday 24 March 2011

日惹之游荡:Hotel Manohara


我们到Hotel Manohara时,外头正细雨绵绵。经过保安关卡,Mey问:“我们住的酒店很高级的呀?”我也正纳闷着。然而,那时谁也没空搞个清楚,因为外头绿油油的草地正广阔而翠绿着,让人忍不住多望几眼。当Encik Heru把车子停放在酒店大厅入口,大家都乐呆了,大堂非常漂亮,大厅外还有个面目祥和的观音站在荷花围绕的水塘中央。大厅服务员服务态度一流,笑脸盈盈地捧上香矛汁和热毛巾。当大家休息完毕,还有人把我们的行李送到房间去。对于RM165/人(包括房间、早餐、两日的婆罗浮屠入门票、凌晨4:30的婆罗浮屠观日出的门票)就可以享受到这么好的待遇,大家其实非常满意。酒店房间虽然没什么特别,但大家实在享受那整体良好感觉,结果大伙儿都休息了好一阵子才终于迈向Borobudur。

晚上在酒店无所事事,Mey向大厅要了几个按摩师到我们房间给我们作脚底按摩。只不过Rp70,000的脚底按摩,把我们的全身都给按了。我最好彩,碰上邻近五星级酒店的专业按摩师到这儿来做part time,他说David Beckham也曾是他的顾客呢!不管真假,反正我爽就是了。哈哈!

我这一生人,还没住过这么一个酒店,可以离景点这么近的。只不过几步路,就已经在Borobudur脚下了。它像守护在古迹旁,默默地为前来朝拜的人准备一个歇脚处。它不豪华,却贴心。蓝天白云绿草旁的早餐、日出前的手电筒,床头的hardcover Borobudur书籍……它不能给你最奢华的享受,却能给你送上最无微不至的关怀。




因为Hotel Manohara,我们的Borobudur之旅显得特别悠闲平静;因为Borobudur,我们在Hotel Manohara轻易寻获心灵上的宁静。

这酒店,我是极力推荐的!



Manohara Hotel 
Address: Jl Badrawati, Borobudur, Magelang 56553, Indonesia
+62 293 788680 

Monday 21 March 2011

日惹之游荡:Sambisari的意外惊喜


Candi Sambisari并不如Prambanan出名,所以原没在我们的行程里头(反正整个爪哇岛大大小小的candi枚不胜数)。但经Encik Heru极力推荐,我们也就抱着不放看看的心情去走走。

到了那儿,感觉还不错。这寺庙原被火山灰埋在五米的地底下,在农民锄地时无意中锄到寺顶而被发现。由于长年埋在地底下,直到近代才被发掘,所以保存得非常良好。 寺就在人造的浅浅谷底。寺外,有当地人在跑步运动,仿佛千百年来就是这么一个模样,寺庙融入人们的生活中;人们融入寺庙的环境里。

虽然只是个非常小型的寺庙,但浮雕依然认真细腻,不失典雅。再加上我们是唯一的游客,寺庙就显得清幽古雅。



请你也看:
在日惹(Yogyakarta)游荡
日惹之游荡:一千零一夜
日惹之游荡:化不开的艺术气息
日惹之游荡:Gudeg惊魂
日惹之游荡:Prambanan的寺庙群
日惹之游荡:Sambisari的意外惊喜
日惹之游荡:Hotel Manohara
日惹之游荡:朝思暮想的婆罗浮屠

Thursday 17 March 2011

日惹之游荡:Prambanan的寺庙群




话说我们以Rp300,000包了Encik Heru的Toyota Innova,从早上十一点到下午六点,行程原本 包括到古城吃gudeg,到Prambanan、Sambidari(和另一个忘了名字的)三个寺庙。然而,我们单单在Prambanan就呆了好几个小 时,到出口处又被形形色色的手工艺品吸引着,“摸”到四点半才终于愿意离开。Encik Heru很尽责地赶忙把我们载到另一个Candi去。可是我们不领情,觉得这和Prambanan没什么分别,又不如Prambanan漂亮,不愿意给那 区区Rp2,000的入门票(我觉得Encik Heru必定是失望的)。他又赶忙把我们载到Candi Sambidari,我们这才觉得心满意足地下车观光。(这是后话了,先在先说Prambanan寺庙群)

其实,到日惹,我原就是为了婆罗浮屠(Borobudur)和普兰班南(Prambanan)这两个世界文化遗产而来。Prambanan寺庙群自然而然成了我们在日惹的首日精选。(被Gudeg吓坏后到这儿有压惊的效果。哈哈!)

世界文化遗产我参观得多了,但Prambanan的管理仍然让我大开眼界、让我惊喜。 景区内非常干净,树荫蓊绿处处,七彩缤纷的火车在里头穿梭,还有一群花鹿点缀公园,生气勃勃的,丝毫没有古迹遗址的沉重。我其实相当喜欢这样子的呈现方式,与其告诉你Prambanan的坎坷过去,倒不如以最真实的当下欢迎世人……

在为外国人专设的入口处享用免费咖啡和饮用水后我们就开始征服Prambanan。 有别于我想象中的沧桑,散落石碓竟然一排排的、利落的在眼前展开。乱石瓦砾在青绿草地上随意地站着躺着,互相述说着千百年来的故事……那些依然屹立的塔很尽责地,以你所无法漠视的优雅,尝试重现昨日辉煌。墙上浮雕倾诉的,已经不是现代人能共鸣的神话了,却是大家愿意争相一睹风姿的艺术。



photographed by Bong
我们想拍一些比较“艺术”的照片,但一行八个人嘻嘻哈哈的,哪可能可以培养出那种情绪?

大家卖力地跳,我和Bong卖力地拍






















我们离开普兰班南主殿时,有点儿匆忙。乌云已经被压得低低的。我们毫无准备的,深怕变成落汤鸡,只能舍弃慢慢参观的念头,在风吹竹响萧萧中离去……

离开主殿范围,竟然意外地碰见那在园内穿梭的七彩火车,载着我们一伙人到Candi Sewu去。

这,才体验到什么叫荒凉。这儿远离了主殿,游客稀少,阴暗的傍晚使遍地瓦砾看起来更为落寞孤单。我们只是一群来不及走近的游客,错过了属于千年前的沧桑。
车笛响了,火车司机赶着要下班了;车笛响了,把我们带回现代了……
















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