A ride on Highways

9 months after I get my driving license, I finally jumped on a private car and had a ride on Highways at a rainy night. It was a Golden access driving course (just squeezed out a few hours before deadline). I drove from Yuen Long driving school, got on the "circular" Highway to Tolo Harbour, passed through Shing Mun Tunnel, Tuen Mun Highway and back to driving school by Yuen Long Highway. Total 73 km.

When I marked the schedule a month ago (sunny for a whole month) I thought it would be great to drive at night (no sunshine, since I apply a plaster on face I have to hide away from sunshine, otherwise my face will be red and swollen like Spiderman) and it would be perfect if it rains (learn the skills), I thought it would not happen but it did.

The second day, I drove from driving school to the airport (overcast & wet weather) which I can drive up to 110 kmph on North Lantau Highway! Though I had driven 70 mph the same speed here in the UK (on A40 which learner can go, not a higher speed M40), I felt great! Total 99 km.
There was a funny thing that the first time I drove through a paid tunnel, I got to pay toll, but I did not drive closer to the little tollbooth, my palm could not reach the officer's fingers, even though I was nearly stood up (cannot… cos my foot was on the break, it's a auto, not a manual car) I cried out "my arm is too short~" then the lady officer stretched out her whole right arm to catch my toll which was nearly dropped onto the ground. She might think I am a little idiot. The tutor teased me for that...the next time I paid tolls, I was smarter.

Do you think driving a manual van cool? It is! I can drive a manual van, but the seat does not fit my short legs; so I choose an auto private car this time, it's more comfortable that no more hand break and gears, my hands only need to control the steering; no clutch up clutch down, my left foot can rest all the way.

The Years Flow By

Last time I have introduced The story of Ah-Fa, this time I want to talk about another favourite song The Years Flow By.

I admire Anita, Mui Yim-fong (10 October1963 - 30 December 2003) very much since I was kindergarten pupil, properly because she had sung the theme songs of Dr. Slump and Arale-chan (スランプ アラレちゃん) and The queen of the thousand years (せんねんじょおう).

When I was about five years old, I held a pencil and sang "The years flow by..." I sang and sang, and that little terrapin petted inside the small aquarium stood up, listened and nodded with rhythm. I was so young that I listened to the songs and sang out Bad Girl, Evil Woman fluently, but never understood the lyrics. Hence, I listened to The Years Flow By and thought it was about "watery durian", even daddy had explained the meaning I was too young to understand.

I have listened to numerous ads versions, new revisions throughout the years and find no one else can sing better than her, but made me sick. In my opinion, only Anita Mui can sing out the meaning and feeling of the song, that no other 20-year old girl could give, because she entered show business since as a singer when she was five, she performed Chinese operas and pop songs in numerous restaurants and nightclubs, all her experiences made her matured rapidly.

When I have grown up, I found the score and played it self. However, I cannot get that feeling. Well I understand the lyrics now.

Sorry I am not good at giving comment, so there please look at the lyrics, listen to the song and try to understand, and feel it (sorry again I will not translate the lyrics). (After posted the original version at my old newsgroup in 2003, Anita died…)

The Years Flow by
Lyrics by Cheng Kwok-Kong Music by Kitaro

望著海一片滿懷倦　無淚也無言
望著天一片　只感到情懷亂
我的心又似小木船
遠景不見　但仍向著前

誰在命裡主牢我　每天掙扎　人海裡面
心中感嘆　似水流年　不可以留住昨天
留下只有思念　一串串永遠纏

浩瀚煙波裡我懷念　懷念往
外貌早改變　處境都變　情懷未變

Chinese version originally posted at my old newsgroup a day in 2003, revised & translated in Feb 2007

"The story of Ah-Fa"

The radio program is playing well-known children's songs, e.g. Doraemon, Dr. Slump, and The Queen of the thousand years. When I croon to accompany the songs, it comes my favourite The story of Ah-Fa that I feel like to weep.

I was about ten or eleven the first time I listened The story of Ah-Fa and it was a certainly fortuitous. I watched TV stealthily one day and the children's programme was playing the MV of this song. In the MV, a kitty accompanied a little girl, they read and played together. They were very happy until one day the kitty disappeared, the little girl cried, and grew up. I could not help but shed tears. It is too miserable, but the world is cruel.

Every time I heard this song, I recalled the days of playing with the cat of my grandmother's next door, the snatches I gave the cat some fried egg with leeks when I was a child, also recalled the little goldfishes, terrapins, birdies I had kept, unfortunately they passed away one after another...

Though there are numerous children's songs which are pleased to listened to and to sing all through the years, only The story of Ah-Fa is so appealing. I was always touched to weep by this song especially the solo by the little girl at the first part, her voice is so pure, so innocent, and conceals sorrowful. I can say it is a soul-stirring song which touches my feelings and can move everybody else.

The story of Ah-Fa

Music by 鄧雨賢 Arranged by 徐日勤 Lyris by林夕 Sing by 袁鳯瑛

(I try to translate, the meaning)

名字叫阿花搖著尾巴 It's name was Ah-Fa and was waving its tail

牠只喝牛奶哪日跟我在喝茶 It only drank milk but on that day she had tea with me

陪我讀書偷懶從來無責罵 It accompanied me and never raped me when I shirked

夜晚阿花專愛樑上爬 Ah-Fa loved to climb to the beam at night

然後我變得強又高 Then I become strong and tall

花貓卻沒有變胖只有換了毛 Kitty had not fatter but moulted

元旦母親祝我年年進步 mommy gave me blessing on New Year's day

但永沒對阿花講句長壽不老 But never blessed Ah-Fa a longevity

從末忘記那天淋著雨水 Never forget the day I got wet in the rain

當天我獨個上學只有六七歲 The day I went to school alone I was about six or seven

而我終於知道為何流眼淚 And I finally realized why I teared

在那日阿花消失世間裡 On that day Ah-Fa disappeared from the earth

(I would not translate any song again... horrible...)

Chinese version originally posted at my old newsgroup a day in 2003, revised & translated in Feb 2007

Panda & Dolphins

I received a parcel when I got home after work. I had no idea of what it was until I saw the stamp of Thailand. It is from my "brother no.2", who works in Thailand since last September.

"Maybe it is his marriage photo~haha~" It is not a surprise, as he has a nice Thai girlfriend there.

Inside the parcel I found a lovely birthday card attached with a pretty dolphins bracelet. I love them. The Panda looks like me (dark circle) and I love dolphins. Baby me was a dolphin!

Inside the birthday card brother no.2 apologized because the post card he sent to me in May has been returned with a very bad shape. And he emphasized he has never forgotten my birthday~
Haha, it is all because I emailed to complain him in early June, "Wu~ Brother no.2 has forgotten my birthday! Poor me~"

So this time I emailed him again, "I forgive you la, because you are my brother no.2! Kiss x 100,000,000"

Hahaha~ he said I am his genial little sister, he is also my genial brother no.2!

The mysterious lost of photo album

I recently wanted to review my traveling photos, so I searched out all photo albums and rearrange the order at the same time.

"It's my first flight, the sky is soooo beautiful!" "Italy's tiramisu is super delicious." "Hokkaido 8.5 Milk is very smooth and does not cause allergy~" "I lost my way with Hong Hong in Edinburgh and nearly missed the train..." all these old memories had gone a long way, but the photos flashed them back.

My appearance have changed during these ten years: Owl shape glass to titanium glasses to contact lenses; chubby face now slimed and have acnes; short hair to curly hair to bobbed hair; clothes size from 14 to S (does not change la, never grown taller...)

Unexpectedly, the South Korean travel album which had been lost for almost 5 years came back so suddenly. Instead, I lost the photo books of my first year to study in England! Bermuda!
Oh God! I lost all my memories of first year in England! I searched every corner of my bookshelf and desk and emptied the cupboard, but got nothing. It just like what had happened five years ago.

What a mystery!

Wu~ I may have to wait another five years till the photo book wants to come out.

Sunbath

Today is Sunday, a shiny and hot Sunday.

I would love to walk under the sun and be tan in the past but now I have to hide behind curtain and under umbrella. Not only because the sun nowadays is too bright and harmful to our skin, it is the doctor told me not to have any sun beam onto my face. The sun will leave dark scars of acnes on my face. I already have some...

My skin tone is not white but yellow which looks greasy (indeed I am). I dislike this color and it is impossible to be white, so I prefer walk under sunshine. I believed tan is beautiful and healthy.

When I was young, I used to go swimming at the pool in early morning. Sun and wind had tanned me from face to toe but leave me shiny (not dry like safe guard). I like that healthy tanned skin.

However, since I have eczema and sensitive skin I stayed away from beach and swimming pool. Once I tried to swim at the beautiful Bonkok Beach, Malaysia, just less than a minute I rushed back to hotel room to shower. My skin became red and swelled; my lips became so dry and bled. The salty sea water hurt me. Chlorine at swimming pool hurt me too.

It is so sad I cannot enjoy sunbathing and swimming.

When it is always cloudy and gloomy by pollution these days, shiny sunny days is especially rare and precious. Some day when all acnes are gone, I would have sunbath again, even I do not swim.

Dai-guai's funny story (2) Dai-guai is not stupid

o Dai-guai of today, enjoying 'sunbath'

30th December 1993, a day before moving house.

In that evening, we were cleaning our old home and preparing to move to new home the next day. There were rubbish and saw dust all around on the floor, not yet been swept. May May who always walks freely at home was crawling out from toilet to balcony, and was crawling over the doorsill towards dinning room. I stopped her immediately.

I kneeled down and spoke to her, "Don't come here, you cannot eat the saw dust on the floor, it would hurt you. We are moving to our new home tomorrow. You have to remember, if you heard Daddy Momi say 'We are leaving, bye-bye', you must come out immediately, otherwise they will forget to take you away, no one will feed you and you will die. Understand?"

May May was looking at me.

I asked, "Do you understand? Nod your head if you understand."

May May nodded and looked at me.

I said, "Understand? Then go back to the toilet, don't come out."

May May turned and crawled toward the toilet, she looked at me over her shoulder when she crawled over the toilet doorsill.

I reminded her again, "Remember to crawl out once hear 'We are going, bye-bye'!"

May May went back to the toilet. I was not sure if she was really understood.

I went to the new home alone next night. Daddy Momi and elder brother delivered the last few cartons of stuff to home at about midnight. Once the door was opened I could not wait and asked, "Where is Dai-guai?" Momi opened the carton on top right away, there came our unfailingly cutie Dai-guai extending her neck. I was so happy.

"When we were leaving we said 'Goodbye old home, we are leaving, bye-bye. Anything left?' we heard 'bang bang' from the toilet, then we saw Dai-guai rushing out madly, I said, 'Aiya, I nearly forgot Dai-Guai!' She knows we are leaving, she is so smart." Momi told me.

Haha~ Dai-guai really understood my words, she was waiting for them to say goodbye and come out.

Who say terrapin has no spirit?