家教

今午我在家工作後有點疲倦，便打算到後山走走。哥哥，弟弟及感冒了的謝菲也在家。我問誰陪我去行山，三位宅男不約而同地說沒興趣。
「那我自己去吧！」我說。
哥哥和弟弟邊吃著我做的cupcake，邊說我一個女孩（？！）不要獨自出去云云。我說我會很快回來。
哥哥嚴厲地說：「總之你不能去！」
我：「為甚麼？」
哥：「因為。。可能會有山火。」
當然，邏輯上他沒有錯，正如有個人造衛星突然失靈，穿過大氣層，砸到我頭上的事也可能發生。
我：「我會小心的。」
哥：「你到山上也可能遇到蛇啊！很危險的，總之不要去。」
謝菲開腔：「但是現在是冬天，蛇應該冬眠去了。」
哥：「但總有可能有一條蛇太肚餓，醒來找食物，到時媽咪便危險啦！」
我：「我真的會小心，不用擔心。」說罷便穿上褸和運動鞋。
當我站起來，哥哥鎖上門並攔著它。
哥：「我不准你出去！」
弟不耐煩，向哥說：「唉呀，你就讓她去吧！」
哥：「不可以，外面有蛇，你知道嗎！」
我穿上一身街坊裝，不施粉末，準備行山，但感覺像一個化了濃妝，一身戰鬥格衣著，跟爸爸對著幹，誓要去disco的十六歲女子。
謝菲幫忙說：「哥！不要玩門了，讓媽媽出去！」
哥無奈讓路，但我關門時，他仍跟爸爸理論蛇有可能出現的機會率。
＊＊＊＊＊＊
小時候，我家爸媽對我管教很嚴，真想不到長大後，我家的管教。。更嚴！

新春花花

每到農曆新年，我就放滿一屋鮮花。今年，除了水仙，桃花，我還選了跳舞蘭。

跳舞蘭花如其名，就像一雙雙的黃色的芭蕾舞鞋，在空中擺出各種妙曼的舞步，盼顧生姿。我最愛用白色的花瓶盛載跳舞蘭，映襯出那份獨特的淘氣和嬌美。

Lovely coffee cream cake

I have made this smily coffee cream cake in this quiet Saturday.  We could foresee the streets and shopping malls would be crowded with tourists and people who were too enthusiastic for a pre CNY shopping, therefore we decided to stay home and ordered pizza delivery.


Nothing is better than baking in such a lazy day.  This is a very simple cake which was made by coffee flavor sponge cake, adorned with freshly whipped cream and chocolate chips.   


There would be two more days to Linus's birthday, but we just couldn't wait to sing happy birthday song to him before we cut this homemade funny cake.


Hope such sweet memory would imprint in the kids' mind!

Narcisse in my home

Look at this beautiful plant.  It is Narcisse (水仙), one of the festive flowers of Chinese New Year.

I like the delicate and divine scent of Narcisse.  It is easy to keep one pot of it at home.  What you should do is just to refresh the water inside the pot daily.

I believe more flowers would blossom during the coming Chinese New Year!

BTW, I think the ribbon with disproportional size around the plant is cute, haha!!

Kung Hei Fat Choi!!!  Have a prosperous Year of Dragon!!

書房

我家有一間書房。

書房的窗子向西。夏天，特別是西斜時份熱得很，冬天卻恰度好處地溫暖，是我的避寒勝地。

窗外有一片樹林，能看見天空。下午時份，陽光映照入房間，灑到地毯上，架上的結他，凌亂的書櫃，以及那堆沒有地方擺放的書山。窗外的花槽種了幾盤植物。從房子看出去，它們跟樹林連成一線。我每天替她澆水。雖然種得不太茂盛或漂亮，卻不失可愛。

有空時，總愛待在這兒。這個下午，我跟弟弟坐在書房的小沙發上，蓋上毛氈。我跟弟弟說故事，他抱著奶瓶，在我的懷裏喝著奶，然後進入甜甜的夢鄉。

我想，這就叫幸福吧！

《看水不是水(Zen Ghosts)》

我從公共圖書館借來《看水不是水》一書。不是任何人的推薦，只是覺得書名很有趣，便借來給孩子讀讀。

這原來是有關禪學著作的故事。在美國一小鎮裏，三兄妹在萬聖節慶祝過後，到了一位叫靜水大師，頭帶白狐頭帽子的熊貓（？！）家聽鬼故。那鬼故源自中國宋朝無門慧開禪師著作中《無門關》的「倩女離魂」。

聽起來有點毛骨聳然罷？才不是，給孩子聽的故書總是很有趣。據書末的作者小記，這鬼故是一個「公案」，意思是「你得用直覺回答的問題」。究竟故事裏的那兩個小倩是否同一個人，為甚麼？這得小讀者自己想想，沒有絕對的對錯答案。

至於這書名，很風馬牛不相及？我只可說這也是禪得很。

有沒有興趣知道小讀者的反應？哥哥聽罷，問為甚麼故書這麼快完。他又說書名《看水不是水》可改為《看熊貓不是狐狸》！

原著：Zen Ghosts
原著作者：Jon J Muth
譯者：黃聿君
出版：格林文化事業股份有限公司

Hello 2012!!

Good day everyone!!

It is January 3, 2012.  Lucas starts his brand new school year, Linus should wait until January 5, now he is enjoying a peaceful nap (a.k.a. my peaceful afternoon) after 5 oz. of milk.  The weather is lovely, sunshine penetrates through the windows of my study room.  I am sitting in front of my sexy Mac Air, typing this entry.  My blog is always a nice place to lingering around, because I know you will stop by sometimes and listen to my babbling.

First, what had I done in 2011?

It was quite a good year.  We were all healthy and happy, we were able to go through some difficulties which weren't big deals at all.  We met many old friends and made some new.  We threw many parties with family.  Four of us performed a play on stage, three times.  We travelled twice.  I had worked quite often and tried something new.  I did read some good books.  What can I complain about ?

Okay, 2012 seems a great year ahead to me.  Now, sounds really cliche, is time for a New Year Resolution:

• Keep writing and reading ( I would have a script writing course in April)
• Enjoy the time with my family
• Keep exercising
• Cook great food for my loved one
• Have courage to any adventure, including new jobs
• Stay happy, don't mingle with little business
• Learn something new, it doesn't mean I should join any courses but to explore something I haven't tried before, such as... gardening?  lip balm making?  Writing a book? 

Let see!

People are talking about the 'prophecy' of apocalypse in 2012.  Frankly, I don't believe this.  Why?  I am just 34 years old but had already heard about the arrival of doomsday more than 3 times in different years.  The frequency is too high, based on the geographical timeline of Earth, isn't it?

Before the arrival of Jan 1, I was hugging my boys
under a duvet, reading them this book
about human right.  Then we counted down together.
This was one of the best new year celebration in my life.

Anyway (or I prefer to use the laziest word of the century - Whatever), Hope you all have a joyful and prosperous 2012!