大断桥 - 楚云玉, 张爱萍
水漫金山 - 楚茹意, 楚茹芯, 楚云玉, 楚茹明
April 26, 2012
April 24, 2012
use the rod .....
棒下出孝儿
I came across this Chinese saying while watching a period drama. It means that if you use the cane, you will produce filial sons. Do you agree with this? I guess most of you do not.
Nevertheless I think there are parents in China who not only believe in this but they carry it out too.
Perhaps some of you believe there is some truth in this proverb: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
My view is that it is more important to be strict and firm with your children and not let them climb over your head. If you are a teacher, that applies to your pupils too.
Pupils, including the trouble makers, respect teachers who are strict and not teachers who try to be popular.
I came across this Chinese saying while watching a period drama. It means that if you use the cane, you will produce filial sons. Do you agree with this? I guess most of you do not.
Nevertheless I think there are parents in China who not only believe in this but they carry it out too.
Perhaps some of you believe there is some truth in this proverb: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
My view is that it is more important to be strict and firm with your children and not let them climb over your head. If you are a teacher, that applies to your pupils too.
Pupils, including the trouble makers, respect teachers who are strict and not teachers who try to be popular.
April 19, 2012
opera at Ang Mo Kio
This group of temples are at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. The street in front is Street 44.
The opera shows on the three days were to celebrate the birthday of the Goddess Matsu (天后诞). The opera stage and audience section were at the foreground of the temples The area was quite small. That night, the smoke from the temples drifted over to our eyes a few times.
These were the lead sheng and dan, 文劍斐, 裘倩儂 .
From the photos, I think many of you will know what the opera is. It is a Yam-But classic.
I do not know anything about the dan. The sheng is quite well-known and she performed well. But, on the whole, I find the presentation of the opera quite disappointing. If you ask me good to see or not (好看吗), I could only say fair..
The opera shows on the three days were to celebrate the birthday of the Goddess Matsu (天后诞). The opera stage and audience section were at the foreground of the temples The area was quite small. That night, the smoke from the temples drifted over to our eyes a few times.
These were the lead sheng and dan, 文劍斐, 裘倩儂 .
From the photos, I think many of you will know what the opera is. It is a Yam-But classic.
I do not know anything about the dan. The sheng is quite well-known and she performed well. But, on the whole, I find the presentation of the opera quite disappointing. If you ask me good to see or not (好看吗), I could only say fair..
April 16, 2012
save Rediffusion?
No one is going come up with $30000 every month to save Rediffusion. Those who want to save Rediffusion should subscribe to it and persuade their friends to do so. But would people subscribe to Rediffusion just for sentimental or nostagic reasons? Even if they do, how long can it last?
I am one of those who grew up with Rediffusion. Here is one memorable scene I have .....
It was evening. My father, just returned from work, was sitting in the hall. There was no television set. He was listening to Lee Dai Sor narrating the story of The Condor Heroes on Rediffusion. My mother, clad in sam foo and wearing wooden clogs, was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She was more interested in Cantonese opera than wu xia stories. My sister was reading a movie magazine. My younger siblings were amusing themselves with their own games. Some hens which we reared were strolling in the backyard. I was also listening to Lee Dai Sor.
Now? I would feel nostalgic but I would not enjoy Rediffusion as much as I did in my earlier years. The circumstances and backdrop are not the same anymore.
I also liked the slots where they broadcast Cantonese opera and Cantonese opera songs. There were other programmes that I used to listen to, like the story-telling by Tang Kei Chan, a man who could speak in different voices including male and female as well as old people and young children. Once there was a slot called Midnight strange tales that I liked. It is something like incredible tales, about ghosts and the supernatural.
Lee Dai Sor is no more around. Nowadays you can listen to Cantonese opera and songs from other sources. Cantonese shows are also readily available in other media. I guess it is the same for other dialects.
I am one of those who grew up with Rediffusion. Here is one memorable scene I have .....
It was evening. My father, just returned from work, was sitting in the hall. There was no television set. He was listening to Lee Dai Sor narrating the story of The Condor Heroes on Rediffusion. My mother, clad in sam foo and wearing wooden clogs, was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She was more interested in Cantonese opera than wu xia stories. My sister was reading a movie magazine. My younger siblings were amusing themselves with their own games. Some hens which we reared were strolling in the backyard. I was also listening to Lee Dai Sor.
Now? I would feel nostalgic but I would not enjoy Rediffusion as much as I did in my earlier years. The circumstances and backdrop are not the same anymore.
I also liked the slots where they broadcast Cantonese opera and Cantonese opera songs. There were other programmes that I used to listen to, like the story-telling by Tang Kei Chan, a man who could speak in different voices including male and female as well as old people and young children. Once there was a slot called Midnight strange tales that I liked. It is something like incredible tales, about ghosts and the supernatural.
Lee Dai Sor is no more around. Nowadays you can listen to Cantonese opera and songs from other sources. Cantonese shows are also readily available in other media. I guess it is the same for other dialects.
April 12, 2012
Ministers' pay again ?
Last Sunday I was at the market. Some men were selling newsletters. I had a glance at the top headline. It is about ministerial pay. So I see they were from a political party. But why are they still harping on the issue.
We all know that there is no formula that will satisfy everyone. Even if we have a few formulae or options and let people vote, the one selected may not get the support of 50% of Singaporeans, just like in the presidential election. .
I guess whatever formula the committee comes up with and the government accepts it, opposition parties will oppose as they cannot be seen by their supporters to be agreeing with the government. But why couldn't they wait and see how it goes as there will be a review after 5 years.
Later a man seemed to be arguing about this with one of the sellers whom I think was a candidate in the last General Elections.
No one asked me to buy. Otherwise I would like to ask them why not wait and see how things work out first.
On second thought, maybe they think a by-election is coming and their party intends to contest, so they try to use old issues to work up sentiments.
.
We all know that there is no formula that will satisfy everyone. Even if we have a few formulae or options and let people vote, the one selected may not get the support of 50% of Singaporeans, just like in the presidential election. .
I guess whatever formula the committee comes up with and the government accepts it, opposition parties will oppose as they cannot be seen by their supporters to be agreeing with the government. But why couldn't they wait and see how it goes as there will be a review after 5 years.
Later a man seemed to be arguing about this with one of the sellers whom I think was a candidate in the last General Elections.
No one asked me to buy. Otherwise I would like to ask them why not wait and see how things work out first.
On second thought, maybe they think a by-election is coming and their party intends to contest, so they try to use old issues to work up sentiments.
.
April 09, 2012
the tiger's mouth
There is a Chinese saying 馬路如虎口. It means the road is like the tiger's mouth. So when we cross the road we should pay attention to the task that we are doing, that is crossing the road. We should not fiddle with some gadget or engage in another task that divides our attention. Even when we have the right of way, we should also be careful. There are drivers who are careless or inattentive.
I have been careless before. Luckily I did not cause injuries to anyone, only to my own vehicle.
In Singapore, I think the roads are not very wide. You can cross them within 30 seconds if you walk briskly.
In some cities in China, Macau for example, many drivers don't stop for pedestrians to cross at pedestrian crossings which are not at traffic-light junctions. You have to wait for the road to be clear or you have to hurry or dash across when the traffic is not too heavy or you can try crossing, hoping the drivers would stop for you.
April 04, 2012
special coffee recipe
This happened about a week ago. I lifted the lid of the kettle (the tall cylindrical plastic type) and filled the kettle with water. I did not rinse the kettle as I had used the kettle in the morning. I boiled the water. Then I made a cup of coffee.
I drank the coffee which tasted as usual.
Later when the water was cooler, I poured it into a jug. It was then that I discovered a cooked medium-sized cockroach in the kettle.
So I poured the water away. But I couldn't do anything with the coffee in my stomach.
I do not dislike cockroaches, so I did not feel too bad. If it were a lizard I would feel more revolting. Maybe I would also throw away the kettle.
Luckily, I didn't get stomach-ache.
It is a lesson about not to be too complacent even with simple things. Otherwise, I may get poisoned, cut myself or get some other unpleasant surprises.
.
I drank the coffee which tasted as usual.
Later when the water was cooler, I poured it into a jug. It was then that I discovered a cooked medium-sized cockroach in the kettle.
So I poured the water away. But I couldn't do anything with the coffee in my stomach.
I do not dislike cockroaches, so I did not feel too bad. If it were a lizard I would feel more revolting. Maybe I would also throw away the kettle.
Luckily, I didn't get stomach-ache.
It is a lesson about not to be too complacent even with simple things. Otherwise, I may get poisoned, cut myself or get some other unpleasant surprises.
.
April 01, 2012
lost recipe
This is fried big prawns or ha look in Cantonese.
My father used to to cook a few dishes very well. One of them is this ha look. The shells of the prawns became golden-brown, crispy and aromatic while the flesh remained sweet and succulent. Unfortunately I did not watch him do this. Before he passed away, he didn't pass on the recipe or skills to us. If not I could sell them to make some money, not a fortune, maybe $200. If 100 of my blog readers or Facebook-friends buy it, I could get $20,000 already!
Haha, just day-dreaming!
My father used to to cook a few dishes very well. One of them is this ha look. The shells of the prawns became golden-brown, crispy and aromatic while the flesh remained sweet and succulent. Unfortunately I did not watch him do this. Before he passed away, he didn't pass on the recipe or skills to us. If not I could sell them to make some money, not a fortune, maybe $200. If 100 of my blog readers or Facebook-friends buy it, I could get $20,000 already!
Haha, just day-dreaming!
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