女人—你的一半还是男人

在媒体上看到一些新潮的用语，如“剩女”、“败犬”。搞了半天，原来是换个方式来嘲笑单身女郎（注意，在此特用“单身”而非“嫁不出去”，“单身”一词说明的是现况，不含判断成分，它可以是一种选择的结果；“嫁不出去”是为现况作解释，是因为嫁不出，所以单身，含有主观判断，说明的是想嫁又无法如愿的情况）。

过了约定俗成的婚嫁年龄却仍单身的女人就注定是被男人挑剩的女人—“剩女”。

“剩女”一词的概念赋予男性“挑选”的权利，女人处于被动。与此同时，也把没被挑中的女人的问题归咎于她们自身—她们不够好，所以没被挑中。“剩女”意味着选择婚姻对象的选择权在男人那边。于是，她没有选择权，更不能是因为挑不到合意的所以才单身。仍单身的男性是基于挑不到好的货色，所以高居为“钻石王老五”，而非“剩男”。是他看不上，所以问题还是出在女人那边。

竟是新潮的词语，封建的思想。我猛力地摇醒自己。这是21世纪。

即使加上了“五星”或“女王”的修饰，“剩女”或“败犬”的观念始终是把女人定位在婚姻里。没有婚姻，她一败涂地。即使在21世纪的今天，她拥有了自己的经济能力，女人始终不能像男人一样理所当然地把事业作为自己的归宿。亚洲社会至今仍不许。有时候，不是旁人，连她自己也这么设定自己的。她必须依附于男人的，才能完整。

一个巴掌拍不响。婚姻需要两个人的结盟。可是在这段关系里，亚洲社会决定了女人比男人更需要婚姻来判定自己的价值。

When Lu you Meets Tang Wan

Poem By Lu You










Poem By Tang Wan




Visited the scene of my Chinese literature again.

Amazed. While stones are worn out by the hands of Time, words, as fluid as they are, withstood the testament, to be remembered many centuries after. Such as the works of the ancient philosophers, the lines of literati.......

Emotions are universal and timeless.

Chanced upon Shen's Garden in Shaoxing, just like how Lu You (1125–1210) chanced upon Tang Wan, his former wife in the same Shen's Garden (well, may not be the exact spot. The garden may have shifted locations after all this time) that I visited.

A well-camouflaged speaker, in the form of a "rock", that plays Chinese music in the garden.

Lu You, under the pressure from his mother, divorced his first wife, Tang Wan, whom he grew up together with. He met her again after some years in Shen Garden when she was already wife of someone else, and he himself had remarried. Emotions were thick when Tang Wan brought him a toast. After the brief encounter, he wrote a poem (to be exact, lyrics) on the walls of the garden. Tang Wan wrote a poem in response to his. She passed away a year later. Today, visitors could see the encravings of their works on the walls, reminiscing in the pain of these ill-fated lovers.

Pheonix Hairpin

红酥手，黄縢酒， With your rosy, soft hands, a toast of good wine was brought to me.
满城春色宫墙柳。 The town was adorned with Spring and willows swayed by the walls
东风恶，欢情薄， The East wind bit mercilessly on our thin happiness,
一怀愁绪，几年离索，A heart full of sorrow for these years of living asunder.

错，错，错。 All but a mistake! A mistake! A mistake!

春如旧，人空瘦， While spring seemed untouched by time; lovesickness caused one to grow empty and thin.
泪痕红浥鲛绡透。 Traces of tears drenched the handkerchief.
桃花落，闲池阁， Withering peach blossoms left the garden in solitude.,
山盟虽在，锦书难托，The oath of yesterday remains but no longer can we converse through letters.

莫，莫，莫。 Forget it! Forget it! Forget it!

Poetry was a common tool of expression in ancient China, thus the tradition of writing poems. Emotions, thoughts, ideals are captured within the scope of a poem. The Book of poems was compiled as early as 1046BC - 771BC. It is not without regret that none of these ancient Chinese poets could hold a candle to the international fame that Shakespeare enjoys.

半杯水的视角

有一件事，一直觉得极为丢脸。

去英国之前，原是中文教师。离职后誓言不再执鞭，却峰回路转，在英国重操旧业。学校首次开办中文课，并把中文列为三个年级的必修科。

这是一所私立学校。学生群基本上都是土生英国人。

对学生来说，中文是来自外太空的科目，又加上是必修课，也像新加坡学生一样质疑学中文的动机和实用性，还责怪中文太难。第一年遇到学生刁难也不为过，毕竟，她们不是华人。

消极的人在半杯水中只看到缺水的部分，积极的人则看到水。同个年级四个班，却呈现迥异的学习成果。这跟杯子无关，而是看的人有问题。

两年下来，有的学生始终不认得半个汉字；在半杯水中看到水的部分的学生则把“很难”的汉字当成最有趣的部分，有的把汉字的部件编成故事，然后组装成一个汉字；有的干脆把汉字当图来记；有的甚至发现中文没有时态，语法结构竟比欧语更容易。因为有趣，所以不难；因为觉得不难，也愿意学。有学生直言自己学不好中文，可是喜欢上中文课。

把中文当外文来教让我执鞭以来，首次体会到教中文的意义和乐趣。是因为这批学生，因为她们是非汉族学生。

三年后，首批会考班应战英国GCSE汉语考试，应付听、阅读和写的测试。写的部分包括30个字的便条和100个字的文章，没有任何词语和字典辅助。在单语环境里、每周课时仅两小时、她们竟都及格了。我以她们为荣。

也因此觉得某些新加坡华人很丢脸。

今年四月，新加坡教育部长建议降低母语在小六会考中的比重，认为母语剥夺了一些学生的升学选择。有人的视角出了问题，却还坚持有问题的是他人。

Glimpses of the past in Shaoxing

Shaoxing was a random pick. Reasonably near Shanghai, just less than 2 hours of fast train ride, and it is a name which is familiar to me—the hometown of the famous (famous within China context) Shaoxing wine (a kind of rice wine). And thus chanced upon many historical figures and literati that I used to study in my youth. Visting China, sometimes, at least to me, is akin to revisiting the pages of the books that I have read in school.

I guess even if I blindfold myself and stick a pin any where on the map of China, I can still find traces of history of that place which I stuck a pin at. History seems to be running at every corner and every turn.

Following are some of the historical figures which are associated with Shaoxing.

King Goujian of Yue (越王勾踐) (496BC - 465BC). Buried in Shaoxing.

“Sleeping on sticks and tasting gall” (卧薪尝胆)—that’s how I remembered him.

He lost his Kingdom of Yue to the King of Wu briefly. For three years, he had to bend his pride and serve the King Fuchai of Wu as a servant, went so far as to taste his shit to win the trust of the King. He was later allowed to return to Yue and from then he swore to revenge for the humiliation that he had suffered. In order to remind himself of his humiliation while serving in Wu, he would sleep on sticks and taste gall everyday, so as to persevere. He spent 10 years with his advisors working to build a strong Yue, while on the other hand, weakening Wu strategically—to break his trust on his abled officials, mesmerized him with beauties etc. Eventually, Goujian defeated the King of Wu. Not only did he kill the King of Wu and all the Wu scholars, he exterminated his scholars and advisors who had helped him to rebuild Yue. Fan Li, one of his advisors saw that coming, commented, “When the birds are killed, the bows will be put away; when the rabbits are hunted, the hunting dogs will be slaughtered for their meat.” He left soon after Goujian’s victory.

Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303BC–361BC) was a Chinese calligrapher, known as the Sage of Calligraphy.

His relation with Shaoxing was the preface that he wrote for a collection of poems at Orchid Pavilion, near Shaoxing city.

It was at this pavilion that he invited 41 friends, sitting alongside a meandering stream where small cups of wine would be floated in the stream. Which ever person the cup of wine stopped at, the person would have to compose a poem on the spot. Poems were collected and compiled. The preface was written by Wang Xizhi—Preface to the Literary Gathering at Orchid Pavilion—which was considered the best work in xingshu style. So much so that the original was buried alongside with the Emperor of Tang (618-907)!

Preface to the Literary Gathering at Orchid Pavilion

永和九年， It is the ninth year of the Yonghe era,

岁在癸丑，the year of the Yin Water Ox,

暮春之初，at the beginning of late spring,

会于会稽山阴之兰亭，gathered at the Orchid Pavilion in Huiji Shanyin,

修禊事也。for the Spring Purification Festival.

群贤毕至，All the able and virtuous people arrived,

少长咸集。the old and young gathered.

此地有崇山峻岭，茂林修竹；There are majestic peaks and steep mountains here, thick lush of woods and tall bamboos,

又有清流激湍，and the presence of clear streams and gushing rapids too,

映带左右，reflecting on our left and right,

引以为流觞曲水，列坐其次。While we sat by the winding stream, drinking from the cups that floated in the stream

虽无丝竹管弦之盛，although there is no music from an orchestra of string and wood-wind instruments

一觞一咏，亦足以畅叙幽情。a sip of wine and a recitation of poems now and there, is sufficient already to start an intimate conversation.

是日也，天朗气清，惠风和畅。Today, the weather is fine and the sky is clear, the breeze is gentle and soothing.

仰观宇宙之大，looking up, drowned in the vastness of the universe,

俯察品类之盛。looking down, entangled by the myriad of things

所以游目骋怀， why not instead, let our gazes wander freely and our sentiments to roam at will,

足以极视听之娱，信可乐也。it is too another way to enjoy our senses of sight and hearing, what a joy.

夫人之相与，people acquaint with one another

俯仰一世，或取诸怀抱，in this short life of ours, some will open their hearts,

悟（通“晤”）言一室之内；and exchange confidences in the privacy of a room

或因寄所托，放浪形骸之外。while some will indulge in materialistic things and turn a blind eye to conventions.

虽趣舍万殊，静躁不同，Although everyone differs in their choice of hobbies and interpretation of life and in personalities too—some are calm whilst some are impatient,

当其欣于所遇，暂得于己，when we revel in the joy of our encounters in life, but only momentarily,

快然自足，曾(zeng)不知老之将至；we relish, unaware to that fact that old age is dawning

及其所之既倦， till one grows tired of his pursuits,

情随事迁，his feelings will change accordingly too,

感慨系之矣。and lament will follow suit.

向之所欣，俯仰之间，The joy of yesterday, in a twinkling of an eye,

已为陈迹，犹不能不以之兴怀。became a thing of the past, one cannot help but to express our feelings

况修短随化，终期于尽。not to mention, the length of a man’s life is ever changing according to circumstance, and it will always come to an end.

古人云：“死生亦大矣。”岂不痛哉！The ancient said, “Life and death are equally important.” Isn’t that excruciating!

每览昔人兴感之由，若合一契，Every time I look at the cause of their sentimental feelings of the ancients, that seems to resonate with my own lament,

未尝不临文嗟悼， could not but to mourn over their writings each time,

不能喻之于怀。yet, I could not find the cause of my sadness.

固知一死生为虚诞，齐彭殇为妄作。Used to disregard that life and death as one, and find it absurd to regard living to an old ripe age to be equivalent to dying in one’s youth.

后之视今，亦犹今之视昔。The way the future generations look back at my time, would be similar too, to the way I look at the past.

悲夫！故列叙时人， It’s sad! As such, I list out the names of the people who gather today,

录其所述，to record their poems,

虽世殊事异， even though times differ and circumstances will change,

所以兴怀，其致一也。the way one expresses one’s feelings will be the same nonetheless.

后之览者，亦将有感于斯文。When future generations read this collection of poems, perhaps they will feel for these words.

Lu You, (1125–1210),

A patriotic poet of Song Dynasty. Forced to divorce his wife under the pressure of his mother. Left a poem (Pheonix Hairpin) on the walls of the Garden of Shen in Shaoxing after an encounter with his former wife by chance at the garden, of his thoughts of his first marriage.

Qiū Jǐn (秋瑾) (November 8, 1875 - July 15, 1907)

A feminist and a revolutionary, grew up in Shaoxing. Beheaded after a failed uprising against the Qing monarchy. Had bound feet herself, married to her husband under an arranged marriage, liked to dress herself in the Western male clothings but worked fervently against the abolishment of bound feet, advocating education for women to gain financial independence, left her husband and children for Japan to pursue her studies, which was unimaginable for a woman to do so of her time.

Zhou Enlai (5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976)

First premier of the Republic of China. One who used politics to serve the greater masses than to wield power for himself. Unlike Chairman Mao Zedong who as a semigod and therefore unaccountable for all his actions, Zhou Enlai was viewed by many Chinese to be the most humane leaders in the 20^th century of China. Very popular with the people, many rose in spontaneous expressions of mourning across China at his death, which the Gang of Four, a vehicle which Mao used to eradicate his political opponents, considered to be dangerous, as they feared people might use this opportunity to express hatred towards them. Zhou was a workaholic. Hospitalized in 1974 for bladder cancer, but continued to conduct work from the hospital. His body was cremated and the ashes scattered by air over hills and valleys, according to his wishes.

The Story of Bamboos

First, it's a forest of bamboos.



Then it is translated into fences......







And then hand railings.......








A pavillion grew out of bamboos and wood. Look at how the ceiling is intricately woven with whole bamboo stems and bamboo parts.
Then a toilet built entirely from bamboos.....

And finally, a viewing platform where the flooring and railings were constructed out of bamboo. That is carbon free!

One second in Shanghai

Never have I felt this strong until I met Shanghai. That the same second in one place can actually tick faster than any other second in anywhere else of the world. That one second holds a different value in Shanghai.

I wonder if this is a solely Chinese phrase: Time is money.

And Shanghai epitomizes that. Take a look at its subway.

In the year of 2007:

In the year of 2008:

In the year of 2010 and it is still not stopping:

In a span of 6 months, I was allowed a third option—taking the subway all the way to Pudong International Airport. All that for a cost of 7 yuan (CNY1—S$0.20). Trips which are under 6km cost 3yuan one way. And this is the most expensive city in the whole of China.

爱死周庄

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当我晃到周庄时，才发现为时已晚。我迟到了。严重地。只看到死去后的周庄。

念书时期早已听闻周庄美名，水乡之家，便是一种悠然生活的遐想。只是我不慌不忙，晃了七、八年才蹭到周庄门前。自己心里也有数，就像闻名于中国国内的黄山区一样，一旦广为人们爱慕就相等于死亡。

周庄已筑起了一个大牌坊，仿佛就是隔开过去与未来的距离－－那就是收费站。只觉得莫名其妙，就像你想进入勿洛区需要收费一样可笑。原来生活的原貌以及气质是可以贩卖以及投资的。因此，勤劳的人们在周庄小镇上围起了一堵墙，墙内的气质即使没有死亡也会枯萎。不过，死与枯萎对提议围墙的人而言都不重要。我只能庆幸自己不是三毛，没有在周庄生活过、留过情，今日也就不会痛心疾首于她的死亡。

周庄的小桥与流水依旧在；岸上的楼房焕然一新；茶馆林立；泛着小舟的人儿仍在。这些，跟当年的三毛视角中的周庄应该是相去不远。周庄是精致的，像明信片，定格在那一刹的美丽之中。一步一行都必须靠特多特多的耐性才能在这个水乡之中寻找支离破碎的气质；靠特多特多的想象力将这些七零八落的片段拼凑成一个完整的周庄。累。

寻寻觅觅之中又得小心翼翼，任何一个脚步都可能闯入游客们的镜头低下而遭人白眼。也不能随意停驻于任何一景去感怀流水的生命，深怕被人喊道占着茅坑不拉屎而必须闪躲他人的镜头。在这里，无时无刻都是喧闹以及人群。想听周庄的清净，得留到将近傍晚时分。一日游的旅客以及导游就会被西落的太阳催回上海，把那些喊叫似的对话以及导游手中的扩音机都带回旅游巴士上。再也没有几个人会在光线不足的午后站在热门景点排队站景拍照留念。河水恢复了平静，终于是一波接着一波悠悠然地起伏。舟已疲倦所以靠岸了。载着一天下来的金钱交易以及船客们有恃无恐的笑声，累了。排列在河岸边的那群妇女可以卸下渔唱女的身份退下了。一天的等待以及扮演点唱机的工作也够累人的。精品店或是餐馆可能开始去想更多与周庄有关的饮食来贩卖。

这时候的周庄究竟是恢复了宁静还是死寂，我这个过客没有资格来定度。可笑的是，那些真正了解周庄并与周庄相互孕育的居民都已在旅游业的计划下渐渐迁离了周庄，留下了周庄干涸的躯壳给相机的眼睛。像我们的牛车水一样。这是因为爱而促使的一个结果。

周庄还是精致的。坐在三毛茶馆里刻意经营一种午后茶香的写意也是另一番体会。

死亡与生命是一体的。生命必须死亡；而死亡则延伸了生命。过去的生活气息已经变成了一种刻意的经营，另一个角度则是新的周庄诞生了。虽然死亡总是离不开眼泪，但你也可以说周庄的躯壳因此得以完善地保留着。她的精神、气质、生活原貌倒能够平空想像。新貌下的周庄让更多的人得到了快乐，所以她接下来的路也更漫长。这样，也可以是她更新后活着的新意义。

---------2003年

Ups and Downs

Ups and downs is part and parcel of the Himalayas, and literally. And my frame of mind fluctuated along with its ups and downs too.

At the beginning, my mood moved proportionately to the heights. Though challenging, every step taken meant a step closer to the top. But when the weight of my backpack and the altitude pressed on my body minutes after minutes, hours after hours, I was more than happy to see a downhill path.

Until it reached a point when I realize that going downhill meant undoing all the initial effort of climbing, especially when the track dropped to a river or a stream where after crossing, you have to climb ALL the way up to the initial point of height.

That was when I realize ups and downs are both equally painful. Because they are relative to one another and especially relative to my own desires. And so, all these mood swings were just a projection of my selfish needs and frame of mind. I rejoiced when I thought reaped; I lamented when I thought I lost.

But all these ups and downs, are only purely a course of the nature and in the eyes of the nature, they are neither ups or downs, they are just them.

Just like all the creatures on earth are associated with a value that is defined in terms of their usefulness to human beings. Are they pests/threats or not?

There is a term: 平常心(ping chang xin): an unbiased heart. To accept as it is without passing any judgements. And only then can I release myself from the imprisonment of my very own frame of mind along the ups and downs.