閒人自語

What Curse Wealth Brings?

Hahnman — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:05:44 +0000

News story:

Siblings’ Two Worlds Collide in War Over Chinese Art Trove

—————-

My comment:

There are always fights over money in the news, but those that happen among siblings are the most discouraging to hear about. Especially as they happen within people who are deemed to highly applaud family value in their traditional culture.

In C. C. Wong’s story, the wealth he stored up through his massive collection of Chinese artwork did not assure him of a happy life and a loving family. He had been continuously in agony of suspicions and worries of in-family thefts before he died. The children, though of the same blood, started wars against each other over the legacy as soon as after the funeral.

Ironically, those works of art Mr. Wong collected were mostly representations or epitomizations of traditional Chinese philosophies, which emphasized unearthly spirit, loath of mundane pleasure and the pursuit for harmony in life. That makes one think if art is defined as only the virtuosity of the skills and techniques in the craft, or the mere antiquity of time, how much wisdom can we inherit from those Masters, which they endeavoured to save for us long long time ago?

It seems to me that the wealth the collection brought to Mr. Wong was tagged with a curse that was too much over its worth.

Where Time Is and Was

Hahnman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:39:10 +0000

As you come to Taipa House Museum, you may find yourself lost somewhere in Time, as you would comprehend in the movie “Somewhere in Time”. Fair ladies in 18-century apparel promenading by the seaside, and gentlemen in black suits drinking and socializing in front of the house.

What were they talking about? You may wonder. Did they worry about the water supply? The inflation, perhaps? Who were on their lips? Certainly not Bruce Lee, or Obama for sure. What songs were broadcast in the radio? Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender”? Was an extramarrital affair going on among the figures there? Who was the suspect of the alleged theft of a lost bracelet last night? All sorts of things that had happened then and would happen today. Not the exact content though.

It is all these sporadic pieces of life that make up Human history as a whole. Those who lived in the houses then were once in a sense writers of the local culture inked with their individual lives. And we are doing exactly the same thing with ours this moment, this day. That is what “cultural heritage” denotes, I guess. Come to think of it. We are reading it and writing it at the same time. Sorry, there is no editing!

A view overseeing the casinos at Taipa House Museum

(click in to see slideshow)

The Longed for Words

Hahnman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 21:18:27 +0000

Long ago, we would be excited at even the slightest alteration of light and shadow. We would be fascinated with even the vaguest image of a face. Any pair of eyes were beautiful. We would always be so enchanted by them that we would grab a stranger onto our face so we could examine them closely . The voice around us, though meaningless yet in our mind, could comfort us with a sense of security. Gradually, we came to understand words like: “I love you, baby.” “Be a good boy(or girl)!” “You are my angel!” etc. The whole world seemed to be a colorful picture with constant changing content. We would sleep smiling.

Somehow, someday, all these lost their original charm. There were no more soothing smiles and encouraging hugs. We loathed the play of light and shadow. We started to hate even the quietest noise. Nothing could arouse our curiosity anymore. Not even the most illusive magic show. Raindrops were never again inspirations of thought and a breeze would no longer cheer us up. Then, suddenly, we found our heart longing for those words again—“I love you, baby.”

Leal Senado through My Lens

Hahnman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:35:22 +0000

The name change hasn’t altered much of the feelings towards the building in my mind. Leal Senado is still what I am calling it even after its return to China for almost 10 years by now, though it has been given a more pragmatic title. This Senate’s House stands to prove the intricate relationship between the Chinese citizens and the colonial administration along the long line of history of the enclave. Besides this, it keeps marks of the mixed emotions between the Macanese and their homeland government before the Handover.

This pure Portuguese-style building is odorous of Southern European sentiments. You find yourself a vanishing point of changing perspectives as you walk through the arches, up and down the staircases, around the pillars, on the patios. Though I have been into this building for many times before, I’ve never paid much attention to its structure until today. It seems that my camera tells me to look more closely this time. With the Christmas decorations on, the interior looks brightly colorful on top of its Mediterranean plainness adorned with marble murals and Portuguese ceramic tiles on the lower part of the walls.

The backyard of the building earns its own credits with a typical composition of a small Western garden. Surrounded by windows and small balconies of the front building, the garden counter-balances the closeness with bushes, trees and daisies (or whatever flowers they might be) along with stone statues, fountains and wooden benches. The tranquility of the atmosphere is so dense in a way that you could almost visualize the canonized poet walking his famous sonnet, or the scholar aloud with his logic arguments.

Leal Senado rennovated

我的攝影觀

Hahnman — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:14:30 +0000

今天, 由於電子科技的發達, 幾乎任何人都可以買得起一台數碼相機, 享受一下攝影的樂趣. 不少人更可以負擔得起一些較為專業的器材, 過一下攝影師的癮. 在大街小巷, 甚至酒樓食肆, 你都會見到一個個全副武裝的男女, 頸項上掛著一台數碼相機, 有些更摃著一大包的攝影器材, 四處搜獵. 不管是名勝古蹟, 魚蟲花卉, 抑或街頭畸角, 枱上食物, 路邊猫狗, 全不放過. 一時間, 網上的照片有如百花齊放, 煞是熱鬧.

其實這些人的攝影技術是良莠不齊, 龍蛇混集, 但管他的, 老子拍的就是藝術, 一時間, 網路上充積著很多角度歪七扭八, 焦點像霧又像花的照片. 看的人也如痴如醉, 拍手稱慶. 有些身家的就買台高級單反 (DSLR), 配幾支定焦靚鏡, 利用器材的優勢 (例如短景深, 超廣角, 透視補償功能等等), 拍一些高難度的鏡頭, 一句話: “就是欺你拍不到!” 這又驅使更多人以為只要有高質素的器材自然就能拍得高質素的照片. 於是, 越來越多人抛棄手上的原來功能還未用盡但已經被認定過時的相機, 去購買時下最新的產品. 今天, 你如果向人說你對攝影有興趣而手上還沒有一台像樣的單反的話, 就有如你拿著一個小孩子玩的鋼琴玩具而跟人家說你是一個鋼琴家一樣.

這種風氣樂了的是攝影器材商. 他們把技術改進作為市場營銷的手段, 把一早己經設計好了的技術故意分期地加插在新款的機型上, 掏盡那些醉生夢死的發燒友的腰包.

攝影器材就是好照片的保證嗎? 如果是的話, 那麼, 自1839年以來, 那些拿粗糙的攝影機拍下經典作品的攝影家都應該被視為超級藝術家了, 因為那個時候的相機功能連今天一台最便宜的傻瓜機也不如.

我認為, 一台好的相機能給你的只是技術上的可能性, 影像能否反映出被攝事物的美感還是操控在拍攝者的意識裡面. 而美感不一定是因為被拍攝事物的外觀, 更重要的是由於通過你的技術而將它給人的感覺 “真實” (按照你的意念) 地傳遞給觀賞者. 要不, 找一個美女拍不就保證每張照片都美了嗎?

嚴格來說, 我雖然還是一個攝影初哥, 技術很不成熟, 但我會在我的學習程中時刻提醒自己這個道理. 在我還沒有發覺有技術上的需要而換機之前, 我的大傻瓜仍然會跟我形影不離, 合力挑戰那些腦袋不牢的單反兵團!

你為甚麼會快樂?

Hahnman — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:13:35 +0000

很想跟讀者分享這一本書，但我知道我的教育根基其實並沒有這個能力，因為這本書所涉及的學術理論背景實在有點嚇人──心理學、認知神經學、哲學和行為經濟學。但這本書絕對不是一本深澀難明，沉悶乏味的科學論文，反而是一本興味盎然，生動有趣，充滿生活幽默筆觸的啟蒙式作品。

不自量力地向大家推介這本書的其中一個原因是，它揭露了我們大部份人到死亡那一刻還可能被蒙在鼓裡的一些有關大腦的秘密。這些秘密一直在我們的生活中影響著我們的行為，甚至影響著我們的幸福。

讀完這本書，你會明白為甚麼你老是念念不忘那段失落的初戀，不管你現在的配偶有多明顯地比那個人優勝；為甚麼你總是覺得小時候吃的那種用粗糧做的年糕比現在用更精製麪粉造的味道會更好；為甚麼你會不計較基金公司收取你每年 0.6% 而不是 0.5% 的管理費，卻會為了節省 $10 而跑到四條街之外的另一家家電用品店去買一台價值才 $300 的充電器。

作者發現，我們的大腦其實是一個大騙子，它一直為我們編造現實，一直地為我們改寫過去，臆造未來。而我們卻也心甘情願地讓這個騙子與我們同眠共枕，對它深信不疑。就是它被揭發了，我們居然會仍然堅持生活在它編造的謊言之中，不願意面對現實。

雖然，城中某著名女富豪的遺產案還沒審結，拿一面之詞作定論肯定是過於草率，但我相信你在兩方證人作證供的過程中，已經感受到你的大腦作為一個判官的可靠性和公正性有多高。如果那位姓陳的風流風水師的供詞屬實，為甚麼死者生前願意花數以億計的金錢為求能夠預知和控制未來，你在這本書裡面就能夠找到非常科學化的解釋。

雖然我非常鼓勵很多朋友（尤其是那些執著於過去的朋友）去讀這本書，但我不能不提出警告：讀完這本書，你可能會失去部份浪漫的情懷；你可能會改變對某些偶像的態度；更嚴重的，你可能會失去辨別時間與空間的能力；而最可怕的是，你可能再也不相信自己認知的”現實”。產生這些惡果的機會和程度視乎你讀這本書時候的心理狀態，而且會因人而異。請好自為之，恕我不會對這些後果負責。

這本書的名字叫《撞上快樂》( Stumbling on Happiness )。

下面我摘錄書中一段文字供你小嘗：

生活中最殘忍的真理之一就是：美妙的事情第一次發生的時候最美妙，但當它一再出現之後，其美妙程度也漸漸消減。只要比較一下你的孩子第一次叫”媽媽”和上一次說這句話時你的不同感受，你就明白我的意思了。如果不斷重覆某個經歷──聆聽某一首特定的奏鳴曲，同某個特定的人做愛，從某個特定房間的特定窗口看日落，我們會很快適應這種情況，每一次這種經歷帶給我們的愉悅都要減少一分。心理學家把這稱為習以為常，經濟學家把這稱為邊際效益遞減，而我們把這稱為婚姻。

有關本書的資料請點擊以下鏈結:

網上網下網中人

Hahnman — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:20:33 +0000

無須訂座, 不須預約.

一頁頁赤裸的網頁,

一幕幕網下漏失的篇章.

有人世間最美的情, 最純的愛.

兒子給母親買了幾隻雞中翼,

送的人嘴裡淌著口水, 吃的人眼眶忍著淚水.

有一個個振奮人心的夢想;

Susan Boyle 永遠是冠軍,

有一天我也要做個名厨, 明星, MDRT.

有一段段令人哽咽的憂怨;

無奈的離別, 生或死.

難返的恩愛, 男或女.

有鎮壓不住的仁義與無畏;

相隔廿載, 你卻不肯忘記一個日子;

不離不棄, 你要護住回頭的正生孩兒.

有對至聖至尊者的熱情崇敬;

從周易到上帝;

從周杰倫到昂山素姬.

當然也有過街叫賣的;

美容, 保健, 時裝, 飾物,

還有成人照片.

也有無聊的;

今天睡過頭, 明天也一樣;

早上煮粉絲, 晚上煮玉米.

最珍貴的, 要算是每篇給你回應的網友.

他們不會對你忠誠, 但會對你坦誠;

他們不會給你冷眼, 只會不看你一眼.

這裡沒有天長地久,

卻也沒有留不住的瞬間.

你今年寫的, 我可以明年回應.

你要鬥嘴也不容易,

因為要敲破鍵盤,

搜索枯腸.

這裡沒有體面不體面.

網上堂而皇之,

網下大部份都穿著睡衣.

Fading out

Hahnman — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:44:57 +0000

The old part of Macau is fading out everyday, with the rise of a new era of the casino business. It is worth preserving the images of it for safe-keeping of memories.

Midday fantasy

Hahnman — Sun, 10 May 2009 04:00:14 +0000

Midday fantasy, originally uploaded by Hahnman.

一切如馬賽克般
沒入了交錯的時空
陽光混在乾黃的油墨裡
避開柯羅諾斯的追踪

世界屏息於我倆的細語
原色不再在我們四週聚合
沒有從前也沒有結局
沒有曾經也沒有將會

這不是一個情節
也不是一個片段
這是無盡的一刻
這是無限的邊線

此刻思潮凝固
詩人沒法完成妙句
我和你卻不用任何華麗詞藻
描述至誠的愛意

Susan Boyle – 一隻醜老鴨變白天鵝的故事

Hahnman — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 04:09:33 +0000

一個既樣貌平凡又年長的英國村婦搖身一變成為一個媒體上萬千觀眾聚焦的紅星. 仿似是現代版的醜小鴨變白天鵝的故事主角, 只不個這隻鴨是胖了一點, 也老了一點. 她的故事並沒有完結, 在5月23日這個現代童話還會繼續……

more about "Susan Boyle – 一隻醜老鴨變天鵝的故事", posted with vodpod