2007/08/26

自我審查 vs 網絡偵探

昨天早上寫完上文,按了發佈,後來發覺文字欠通順,但又趕著出門,結果便收回,待修改後再發佈,不料過了一天,收到kitty姐的讀者來函:

幾時開始作自我審查?
終於知道公共空間並不是一個暢所欲言的地方了嗎?

原來,偵探警察比自我審查更有效率。

對有包袱的人來說,公共空間的確不是一個暢所欲言的地方。午間家庭聚會,弟婦取笑爸,說他常說大話,我幫個倒忙說,爸不愛大話,只是,常常不說真相的全部吧了。幼承庭訓,為存忠厚,也是經常沒法暢所欲言說出真相的全部。

傍晚歸途上,與姐談起Facebook,我說她們這班女子,真的要交友的話,便要豁出去,先登記了Facebook,然後開個blog,link到Facebook上去,行不改名,坐不改性,就是大大聲告訴人家,本小姐想找好男人。

Facebook完全是social network的實務工具。

有目的而為的blog,自然有讀者,未有讀者,也有網絡偵探。

2007/08/25

像樣的男人

去年辭去工作之初,姊妹們給了我一個差事,就是給她們找些好男人,確曾賣過半點力,當然是吃力不討好。單是照片,便過不了姐的第一關,秋冬春夏過盡,還是一圍十個八個女生,歎香港像樣的單身男人,不是有問題,便是同性戀。

昨日,和一個朋友到姐家拿點東西,他走了後,姐說,這種男子才像樣,我說,這個男人好像不愛女的。

當真!果然!

2007/08/21

Ambition is the last refuge of the failure

周日晚深霄看CSI,到劇終,Grissom在法庭上剛拆解完當年同袍的假證供,跟著又用了Oscar Wilde Phrases And Philosophies For The Use Of The Young 當中一句,拆解上司助他升遷的提議:

UnderSheriff McKeen: So, Grissom, I'm not sure of you're ambitions but uh, if you're interested in taking on more responsibility maybe a promotion, I'd be glad to--
Grissom: You know, Oscar Wilde said, "Ambition is the last refuge of failure." I'm fine thanks
.

failure 與 the failure,欠一個“the”字,解法便完全兩個。

雖曾經歷過failure,卻從未覺得是the failure,未嘗遁入Ambition之門也。

2007/08/20

資優小表弟

早幾個月前,忽然接到小表弟的電話,問我有否申請持續進修基金,原來他當了課程營業員,還專誠把課程資料送來我家,果真像是脫胎換骨,他介紹課程頭頭是道,可惜,我的CEF限額已用完了。

後來,在網上討論區發現學校和課程都曾引起過一番討論,於是給他電郵和連結,著他要留意,他沒有回覆,過了一段日子,他又因其他事找我,我告訴他,成功的其中一個重要因素,便是要回覆人家的電郵,他聽了也沒置可否。

前天,聽了電台討論資優兒童的phone-in節目,多位資優生的家長,都說自己的孩子讀書時,十分不專心,常常都老師投訴,有些更把他們標籤成劣等學生,幾乎埋沒了孩子的天聰。心血來潮,寫了封電郵給小表弟:
Dear Clive,
How are you?
近日有好多討論資優孩子的新聞,自然想起你,gifted child,有時也不一定是好事,現在你不再是孩子了,希望你對正直的品格和善良的本性有更大的追求。有興趣可看看下面一篇 “
天才悲喜劇
表姐

周末渡假回來,廿多封電郵中,看到有一封是小表弟的回覆,馬上先看:
我很好 有心
在這半年中的折磨
我很清楚自已並不是一個資優兒童
我只是比他們的思維好一點
我會看
祝工作愉快

雖然稱謂署名欠奉,但卻已是令人驚歎的進步,一個十八歲的孩子,寫出這幾句話來,倒像受了點不應該是他這個年紀應有的辛酸。

我把電郵轉傳給他爸爸:
forward is the e-mail between Clive & me.
His reply impressed me.
I can say that he is no more a kid. We have missed the best chance to understand a promising kid, hope we can do more to help a promising young man to be a promising young man.
cheers,

連日來,聽了看了一大堆資優兒童的專業討論,想來,小時也有一點資優特點:上課愛睡覺、愛想東西不愛聽老師講解、有些科目特別差、有孤獨的感覺......以前常常以為小時英文默書特別差,長大了也是常常串錯字,準是有讀寫障礙症,現在看來,說不定當年曾經是一個被忽略了的資優兒童。

2007/08/14

Good Luck Beijing & Good Luck All





節目完了,林先生要送貴賓,比我們先離開會場,知道我們工作完了,還是捨不得走,便趕回來鼓勵鼓勵,和大家來個大合照小合照,這便是領袖的風範。

2007/08/12

人家多謝,自家失禮

深霄出發,清晨報導,大雨滂沱,全身濕透,站了半天,滿腳泥濘,賽事完畢,一切順暢。

大家在用餐帳蓬休息期間,有位外籍人士站得高高,全場都自覺靜默,聽他致辭多謝義工們的熱心落力。

竟然,剛開始發言,台下有人叫嚷“who are you”,這算是甚麼禮儀?不是崇洋,但這句話確是出自黑眼睛、黑頭髮、黃皮膚、廣東口音的香港同胞,我身為一份子,覺得很失禮,算我不懂香港新一代smart ass的幽默。


A thank to the Equestrian2008 volunteers

Another thank to the Equestrian2008 volunteers

2007/08/07

逍遙自在做oldpatpat

本以為年紀一向不是問題,一連串義工活動與廿歲出頭的平起平坐,實在覺得老了。

星期日,完了dry run,十多人一起吃完飯回家,還收到有心工友的“little thought”
...Take today as an example, there are 5-6 volunteers signed up and not showed up. We tried not to call those late comers, but eventually we called because we found difficult to "run-away" without finding out the answer. After calls, all of them replied they will not show up and they never have intention to tell us if we do not call. I cannot imagine what will happen if this happened on the event day and think that it will happen. Would it be a problem to our workforce?

其他工友都用不同的方法叫她放心好了:
Don't worry and put extra workload on yourself. By the end of the day, we are no different from other volunteers. We are volunteers! We do what we can......if volunteers don't check WMS or Yahoo group, please don't bother to call them - they can't even pay little effort on checking emails and messages, even if you call and they give you a wishy-washy reply, they will not turn up anyway. For those who signed up but didn't show up for duties, just blacklist them and not to put them into service.

Your " Little thought " is shared and felt by all.....things will work out one way or another.

Yes, we COULD be nanny of xx2 but we SHOULD NOT do it! Otherwise when xx3 comes, we'll be very frustrated to take care of so many unreliable persons! Let's only keep those could be trust! (Not all people in the planet are trustworthy otherwise everyone is succcesful rich man!)

according to my past experience of participating in big event, everytime, the stage was still a mess right before the curtain open.
don't worry, Que Sera, Sera, what ever will be will be......We work hard and we enjoy our meal without regret.

我後來和另一工友談起,說:
but some of the 後生仔 really made me oldpatpat disappointed(I dare not to use "us"), if I was assigned to play the role as a tough trainer, I won't let them misbehave themselves without learning a lesson! hahaha.

不知不覺又自我提升了,沒想到,會這麼不經意地,把“made me oldpatpat disappointed”說得這麼順暢。

昨日幾位工友晚飯,又再提起這一群後生仔,“他們”和“我們”的分別在於年紀嗎?

還有一個可能,就是他們從來就沒有遇過令他們難堪的上司,工友說得對,若從來順利,到了三十來歲才首趟嘗試乞人憎老板的味道,也許是個悲劇。

說起這個,我總算把小友們的悲劇提前上演了,完了我的歷史任務,現在可以逍遙自在做oldpatpat了。