Thursday, December 25, 2008

牙牙学语

你有问过你的父母你出生后学会说的第一个字是什么字吗?
照片里的小小瓜是我二姐的小宝贝,也是现在我家里人气最高的淘气瓜(也是最讨人喜欢的),Victor。
他和他的哥哥有一个共同点,就是他们所学会的第一个发音都不是“爸爸”或“妈妈”,也不是很多婴儿先学会的“mum mum”(吃东西之意),而是 - 哥哥怀宇先学会说的是“gai gai”,逛街也!而弟弟今天一开口更令我大吃一惊,他跑到露台去喊隔壁的“kakak”!
我想姐姐此刻应是又伤心又吃醋吧。囧。
除了kakak,Victor 目前仅有的另一个词汇是“wow wow”,那就是楼下的小狗狗。不知道他几时才会叫我“舅舅”呢,我很期待。

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Jesus Really Does Love You

Sharing a beautiful story (fowarded email from Veronica Wong):

Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready."

His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"

"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."

Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"

Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently, the boy asks, "Dad, can I go? Please?"

His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son.."

"Thanks Dad!"And with that, he was off and out into the rain. his eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch! He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, "What can I do for you, son?" With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have any testimony or want to say anything?"

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.

Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, "Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU." Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.

You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell."

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated.

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably. Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son... Except for One.

Our Heavenly Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.

Blessed are your eyes for reading this message.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

First Love

Apart from play-acting as some cartoon characters (Power Puff Girl Z is his favourite, period), my nephew Waiyu also has his natural interest to draw. Due to that, we have to repaint our house early this year to cover his initial art works on the wall. Anyhow, a few months ago, he drew this on a piece of paper and said to me,"my love, for you." As usual, in the following he appealed for something I can't remember, but still, it's a fisrt "LOVE" I can't forget.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The Day The Earth Stood Still

It's been some time I haven't go for a movie with my wife. So, we saw the advertisements of this film whenever I log on to read the news or when we wander in the shopping mall. The pre-screening tactic was good enough to catch our attention and ensure our interest to wait for its show time.

Coincidently, we've been able to make the viewing last night due to its right time (first day of lauching plus school holiday). All I can tell is that we enjoyed the movie very much. We haven't seen many movies in a year but this one is certainly worthy to watch.
It's those types of story that makes us ponder our role as a human being and what have we contribute to the earth in a negative way. Moreover, it links to those who are christians because it is a similitude to the end-time prophesy. Although it is a remake of a 1951 movie but it is indeed an eye-opener for 2008 and our future ahead.

怀言怀宇081213

这几天老婆都在牙痛着......

刚巧......

(在车里)
宇:舅母,如果你牙痛然后牙齿掉了的话,你把掉了的牙齿放在枕头底下睡觉,第二天起来......

群:第二天起来会怎样?

宇:第二天起来你会有很多的金钱。

群:(气死)谁告诉你的?
宇:Cartoons.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Sajak Usman Awang

星期六陪老婆到森州Durian Tipus的一間中學考PTP(英數理老師的英文考試)。閑著沒事做的我喜歡看看別的學校的環境、周圍。一來可以取別人之長補自己之短,二來,真的閑著沒事干。難得停下腳步那當然得做些平時嚮往卻缺乏的慢活步驟,慢慢走、細細看。

這間學校叫做SMK Teriang Hilir。有著很整齊,乾淨的建築群。設備完善,花草樹木也修剪得井井有條。只是不知道怎麽的,馬來學校的食堂總是被煩人的蒼蠅圍繞著。這也是以前在北大讀書時最受不了的一件事。所以我在食堂批改了一兩曡的作文后便躲到車上來寫網記。

這間學校的一個走廊有著非常漂亮的壁畫。主題是國家原則與航空發展。是由前任外交部長再努丁贊助的。不知是否由該校有藝術天份的老師或學生作畫?一路走向食堂的方向兩旁的牆壁都畫上各式各樣的圖案和鼓勵性的詞句。我也抄下了不少的金句,豐富自己的心靈也增添未來的教學内容。

然後我走到了一座建築物的邊墻。墻上劃上了一首詩,sebuah sajak。寫這首詩的是著名的Sasterawan馬來文學家Usman Awang。在我們的教育體制内求學的學子怎樣都會碰過他的詩。他之所以會受到馬來社會的尊崇和成爲經典,不是沒有道理的。看了這首詩,你就會明白爲什麽和所謂的sebaik-baik kata ialah yang ringkas dan mudah tetapi bermakna:

Jika hari ini seorang Perdana Menteri
Jika hari ini raja menaiki takhta
Jika hari ini seorang presiden sebuah negara
Jika hari ini seorang ulama yang mulia
Jika hari ini seorang peguam menangi bicara
Jika hari ini seorang penulis terkemuka
Jika hari ini siapa saja menjadi dewasa
Sejarahnya dimulakan oleh seorang guru biasa
Dengan lembut dan sabarnya
mengajar tulis dan baca...
-Usman Awang

現在我們手所种的,未來我們手所出的,我們不知道。唯有憑著那萬般的愛心和諸般的耐心,來到用心教好每一個我們遇到的小孩。我讀了這首詩很受感動,也確定自己的選擇是對的。

沒想到第一次來到這個地方就可以帶著一份美好的禮物,一首好詩,回家。

謝謝你,Usman Awang。

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Boston Wins Again!;下雨天

六月十八日。经过漫长的二十二年,Boston Celtics再次重夺NBA总冠军;同一天,沙登又下了一场大雨。

这支绿色球队之所以能够从新得回属于他们的Celtics' Pride,是因为团体的每一个份子都付出了他的努力。掌握球队管理大权的Danny Ainge在被怀疑了几年后终于勇敢地做出了正确的交易。身为球队大哥的Kevin Garnett和Ray Allen为了能够一圆冠军梦,竟愿意放下身段被交易到Boston与Paul Pierce并肩作战。而忠心的Paul Pierce在这里经历了十年的高低起伏后,以决赛MVP证明了他不止是一个好球员,他也是可以成为一支伟大球队的精神领袖,就好像历史上绿色王朝的前辈们一样。

看着Celtics一场场的比赛你会觉得感动,因为从球季一开始他们便展示出一支球队最让人悸动的地方-那就是Teamwork。就算在季后赛头两圈最艰难的时刻,他们并没有互相谩骂或推卸责任,反而是互相的扶持轮流站出来稳住阵脚,一步一脚印的迈向那崇高的Larry O'Brien Trophy。每一场比赛你都可以看到总教练Doc Rivers秉着团队的缘故让大大小小的球员,role players上场去拚战,不像某些总教练因为对球员没信心所以总是固步自封。而每一个球员也尽了他们的本份,超水准的技巧呈献,这都将被一一收入历史里。总不让人小看你年轻的小将们,Rajan Rondo, Kendrick Perkins和Leon Powe。低薪加盟鞠躬尽瘁的老将如Sam Cassell, Eddie House, P.J. Brown以及在防守端积极付出的role player, James Posey。如他们所说,they are part of the history now。

同一天,星期三,练球天,下雨天。学校的球场是露天的,旁边的新楼活动中心在下大雨时也会变得非常滑溜,所以通常都被逼取消练球。由于车子也是时候需要拿去检查保养,所以想到可以利用这时间去做这事。我便告诉她们说今天的练习取消了。
结果她们的第一个反应是,老师,雨都停了,我们继续练球吧。我往外看了看,也被她们的热情打动,所以便说,好吧,练习照旧。她们那时开心得不得了。可是当我们刚把用具从体育室拿出来的当儿,雨又下了。没办法。也从没想过她们曾几何时这么热爱篮球了,她们竟然提议在活动中心自主训练。而且讲到立刻做到,我才刚把体育室的门关上,回头她们就已排列有序的做着带球练习了。我驾着车子往蒲种的方向驶去。车外车内的空气都是冷冷的,可是我却觉得很暖和。第二天她们告诉我,她们整整自主练习了两个小时。
就像平时的练习一样。
无论有没有“沙一's Pride”,这一班女生-秀玲,琳意,阿娟,阿萍,杏梅,彩虹,Tai Yen Wen,敏灵,SooYee,晓慧,嘉宝etc,你们的努力,就是沙一的光荣。

Saturday, June 14, 2008

偷书贼 The Book Thief

這兩星期的假期南上北下的到了不少地方,做了不少的事情,見了不少的人,說了不少的話,學了不少的東西,直接或間接、有形或無形。無論如何,一整個假期最具體的收穫卻是看了一本書。

一本叫做“偸書賊”的書。

通常小説家都會從自己的角度,他人的角度或說其他非人的動靜物的思想方式來書寫故事。甚至乎從靈魂的角度來構思故事主體,如寫得不錯的The Lovely Bones。可是,在這本書,作家Markus Zusak非常新鮮的以死神的角色做說故事者。

以死神的角度來述説那一段說不完的,悲涼的猶太人被大屠殺的往事。

一個半虛構半寫實帶著黑色幽默卻讓我們認真思考人性的故事。最重要的是,書和讀書乍看是垂手可得的東西,但在某個地點某個時間點,書卻是想摸也摸不着。如果我是她,我也會成爲偷書賊嗎?

若你也喜歡看書,愛書,請你也讀一讀這本書。Reading changes a life. I believe.