FW: 誠品@香港

frankly i wouldn't say i LOVE reading and a TRUE reader but i do enjoy the "quiet" enrionment in Taiwan Eslite a lot.... unfortunately, i went to their HK shop in Hysan last nite.... keep asking myself - how can a book store be so NOISY (worse than a MALL) ga >.<

aiiiii...  it was around 20ish,  maybe i should try after midnite maybe "better" (however, shouldn't a BOOK SHOP be quiet ALL THE TIME>!?!?!?)

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我恒我訴：深宵誠品的香港人

近日不少人問：「你誠品咗未？」筆者搖頭，對方即現出一臉難以置信，像在說：「你身為作家，怎能未到誠品朝聖？」想起近日港人逼爆誠品的場面，便想起數年前在台灣遇到的一樁「醜事」。

台北的「誠品敦南店」向來最受港人歡迎，皆因它的2樓書店通宵營業。對於善用時間的港客來說，掃完西門町和士林夜巿，再到此店流連一番，實在最好不過。

當晚零時許，筆者仍在該店內「打書釘」。四周非常寧靜，人們都聚精會神地閱讀。忽然，不知哪裏傳來一陣喧嘩聲，劃破了寂靜。很明顯，是來自一群女性，更觸動到筆者的原因是，這些刺耳的噪音全是標準廣東話：「嘩，呢度有咁多雜誌任揭？」、「如果香港有間咁嘅嘢，仲得了？」某特別高音的女士更說：「咁大地方，仲咁靜添！真係難得！」

原來雜誌架旁站了5名「中年香港女士」。或許她們以為自己身處旺角女人街，一直七嘴八舌，談剛才夜市小食，又說明天要到九份喝甚麼茶，其聲浪之大，竟貫徹了大半間書店，極之擾人。在場不少靜心閱讀的顧客皆搖頭嘆息，正享受讀書樂的筆者也大感汗顏和羞愧，心想：「真丟臉！」只要稍為愛惜閱讀的人也知道「書店內要安靜」，可惜，對這群香港人來說，誠品只是一個「必到景點」而已。

誠品進駐香港，當然可喜可賀。不過，正如一年一度的書展般，香港人是真的愛閱讀？還是只想趕潮流、扮文化人，或是只想逛商場和歎冷氣？誠品賣的不只是書籍文具，還有其幽雅高尚的文化氣息。誠然希望，到香港誠品的人能好好學習和感受，而不是踐踏和破壞。

網址：blog.sina.com.cn/bennylau25

劉偉恒•導演及電台主持

Book Exhibition 2010 :)

This yr's harvest from Friday's visit: 15 books, in 3 hrs XDD can't get any further as backpack is totally packed (and sooo heavy), and that didn't buy ANY Taiwanese books as i'll get them from TAIWAN!

kekekekekke :) wanna buy more English books (generally 30% off!) and other smaller HKese books.. too bad won't make it before it closed on Tuesday... OH WELL....

Thanks my book exhibition leg for all these yrs - Yekini, to bring me in (although, u're half an hr late!) wakkakakak :D

懂得愛，才能享受愛 by 蔣慧瑜

時間有限，感情有限，生命也有限。請學懂珍惜最重要的，放棄不重要的。

Picked this up @ Popular bookstore Monday while waiting for Natasha. Very easy and light reading, although i don't know (and haven't care!)much about 九型人格.

Anyway, recommend to those who's looking for something light and easy. I should have finish reading it at the bookstore instead of buying the same.

Haha

Book Exhibition 2009

I just realize that i didn't even blog what I got for 2008!! Oh such a great excuse for not keeping track what i've read and what i haven't for the past yr.. :P

Actually i think i've been very lazy on reading in the PAST TWO yr... geez, i've to work harder (e.g. less happy farming!) in order to catch up my readings...

Round 1 - July 24th 21:00 - 23:xx: Only covered Hall 3 (Taiwanese books), and part of Hall 1 (to be exact: Page One):



Round 2 - July 26 18:00 - 21:xx: Sunday afternoon i can't refuse anymore and went back to visit hall 1 (HK bookstores) LOL:



Time to read more :D Happy reading~~~

Reading..

so my dear friend gave me this as new year's gift :D it's "low b" stuffs.. but it can really crack me up when i was heading home from work Friday nite


(and so bin tai that i can't stop myself laughing!) kekekekekek.. thanks yekini, u know me too well and know that I MUST buy it hohohohoho

and today before heading to work (yeah, OT on a Sunday afternoon - me me mou mou didn't get to work until like 5)... Anyway, decide to read one of Wong's book 寶貝，只剩下我和你, which I got when i went to Taiwan last time


First i read 王文華 was his 蛋白質女孩 (ha, also got it from Taiwan.. that was back in... 2003?), 蛋白質女孩 2 was only so-so - so haven't really read any of his other works since then. This time went to Taiwan (Oct 2007) - only got a few books and 2 of them are written by Wong.

This one actually written back in 2003... each topic is only like 2-3 pages - i used to hate this short essays but I enjoyed wong's very much - some times i guess short, and sharp to the point is just enough (ha, maybe i'm just getting old!?) :P one of these is actually posted on the web:

永遠年輕
... 當我們不在乎一件東西是不是免費時，我們就不再年輕。...


I also like this 一朵小花
...人都需要有伴，但是情人什麼都要管，養狗又太麻煩，所以養一朵花在窗台，輕鬆無負擔...
*looking at Elvin*

ahahahhahaa

no la, i love Elvin :P let me finish this one such that i can start on Life 2.0—我的樂活人生

it has been quite some time since i last pick up a book :P reminds me how good it's to read and have the "space" to think.... i've to sleep less in MTR and read more :D [and shall head straight to bed now] hehehe

it's here it's here!!!!!

it's here it's here :D






P.S. well, i KNOW it's not going to be the CORRECT version.... hahaha.. now should i just keep my "collection" with 2 WEIRD edition?
akkakakakakaka

P.P.S.i didn't know US post office no longer offer vessel shipment - REALLY????

FW: Friendship in HP, and Chinese Literature

I like To's writing from time to time... only can't really dedicate in his political view... anyway, although i ain't good at chinese literature, do agree with his view on HP...

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星期天休息(Appledaily)：陶傑
友情，有時只是共擁回憶中的一宵月影

《哈利波特》第七集問世，全球暢銷。一本小說超越了國界，得到全世界讀者的喜愛，一定有不 凡的地方。《哈利波特》講巫術世界，以英國的寄宿學校為背景，小說的情節富有英國的地域文化特色，然而幾個人物之間堅貞的友誼，卻訴諸人類的普世情感。

小孩子看《哈利》，情迷書中的魔法世界，都把自己代入主角哈利波特，而不知道哈利是一個孤兒，不知道沒有父母的童年是多麼悲痛。成年讀者看《哈利》，反而更喜歡哈利的好友榮恩（Ron）。榮恩是書中的綠葉，榮恩比較平庸，哈利得到全世界小讀者的恩寵，榮恩活在哈利的 影子。但榮恩來自大家庭，他填補了哈利波特的孤獨，他是哈利的好兄弟，危難時總站在他這邊，他與巨人象棋對決、對付佛地魔。對於哈利，榮恩不計利益，他們不是成人世界的「合作夥伴」，而是真朋友。成年讀《哈利》，最情傷處，就是驚覺真正的友情，只在童年和校舍的樓廊和青草地之間滋長，離開了學校，那樣純潔的友情歲月卻一去不回頭。

英國小說描寫友情是高手，像福爾摩斯系列的福爾摩斯和華生。一個是偵探，一個是醫生，華生的專業判斷往往為福爾摩斯破案提供科學的靈感。因為十九世紀末，英國的許多謀殺案都流行用毒藥，偵探身邊有一位醫生朋友，往往為作者省了許多解說的筆墨。史提芬史匹堡監製過一部電影《少年福爾摩斯》（港譯《魔笛追魂》），講福爾摩斯與華生在寄宿學校結識的經過，可見英雄情義 ，往往侶出少年 。

《哈利波特》的中國讀者，不知會不會為書中的友情感動呢？中國文學許多珍品，是友情薰焙出來的，像李白和杜甫之憐才相惜，兩人各自的朋友圈子，許多詩贈好友的口占之作，都成為流芳後世的紀錄，一部唐詩三百首，簡直是中國知識分子的友情之書。宣州謝朓樓餞別校書叔雲、贈衞八處士、贈孟浩然、江南逢李年，那是一個華采風流的年代，中國人懷情重義，信守盟約，朋友擁有的優點，不是眼紅嫉妒，而是互相欣賞。做李白和杜甫的朋友，即使沒有他們的才華，也何其幸運，一個名字，隨詩篇的題名和註釋得以攀留千古。

看《哈利波特》，榮恩這個小朋友特別令人疼愛。他知道哈利的名氣比他大，同是一家巫術學校的同學，榮恩也不無一點點兒童常有的醋意。朋友的定義，是在看見另一個靈魂之中映照的自己，為了公義，榮恩和哈利，還有一個妙麗，組成了決戰邪的神聖同盟，對朋友不離不棄。一個人榮華富貴的時候，圍附過來的酒肉相識多；失意倒楣的時候，剩下的知己還有幾人？蘇軾的赤壁賦，記述了蘇東坡與一個無名的朋友泛舟赤壁時的一段對話：「壬戌之秋，七月既望，蘇子與客泛舟遊於赤壁之下。清風徐來，水波不興。舉酒屬客，誦明月之詩，歌窈窕之章。」這時候，蘇軾在朝廷得了文字獄，貶謫黃州，在政治上，已經是待罪之身，以他的詩人性格，並無東山再起升官發財的可能。在人生低潮的時候，官場上趨炎附勢的酒肉酬庸，不落井下石，也一早就跑光了，只剩下一位好朋友陪蘇軾月夜泛舟，飲酒對談，與他杯澆塊壘，歌解鬱結，而且為蘇軾指點人生的迷津。「蘇子愀然，正襟危坐，而問客曰：『何為其然也？』客曰：『月明星稀，烏鵲南飛』，此非曹孟德之詩乎？」正是這位好朋友，先就赤壁夜遊的水月之思，發表了生命有涯、天地無的一番哲理，這才引發蘇軾的悟，把人生的失意，豁然想通，得到「自其變者而觀之，則天地曾不能以一瞬；自其不變者而觀之，則物與我皆無盡也。」最後二人相笑大喜：「相與枕藉乎舟中，不知東方之既白。」讀赤壁賦，為蘇軾的文采絕倒之外，最令人感觸的，是東坡何幸，擁有這樣一位好朋友。這位高人，沒有留下名字，他的音容議論，也隨同赤壁那明淨的月夜和我們的大文豪一起不朽。

沒有友情，也就沒有中國文學；沒有俠義，也沒有了中國文化的古典精神。不但李杜相從，蘇子與泛舟的友客留下了佳話，在江湖綠林，由荊軻刺秦的易水風蕭，到大刀王五的去留肝膽，兩千年來的中華兒女，經歷了多少戰亂，相濡以沫，兩忘江湖，友情的香火從來沒有斷絕過，直到「反右」的告發，「文化大革命」的摧殘，人情斷絕，倫綱傾圮，最好的朋友，往往成為檢舉自 向「黨」表忠的「反革命言行」的最凶險的敵人。今日大陸，連中國當局都承認「國民素質」空前危機：寡情薄恩，失信無情，一切以金錢利益為盟，連擇偶也講「條件」，現代的中國，如果還有所謂「文學」，詩歌和小說，還有幾篇是友誼的紀錄？

《哈利波特》的榮恩，與赤壁賦的無名客一樣，境界高低容或有別，情操之高尚，中外古今都是一樣的。中國的兒童讀者，讀《哈利波特》的華文譯本之際，只目眩於書中的魔幻奇情吧？對於榮恩這個小角色、好朋友，多半都會忽略的。到他們長大了，或許會明白多一點。讀《哈利波特》，掩卷難忘，最是這個在去霍格華茲的火車車廂偶遇的紅髮小雀斑，他打開一個盒子，面跳出一隻青蛙。在人生中結識這樣的朋友，一生無憾，孤兒哈利波特失去了倫理，贏得的卻有更多，當古老的火車，在九又四分三的迷離月台出發，穿過青的山嶺，越過渺藍的崖岸，奔向黑夜魅祟的霍格華茲的古堡學校，一輪明月，迷懸在大西洋的夜空，那片詭幻的光華，盈虛如彼，逝者如斯，正是醉催蘇東坡和他的朋友在赤壁入夢的一夕光景。

Mission Complete: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

so i'm like a wk behind many of you - yep, I only finished HP7 just now.. was going to finish it last nite, but was feeling sick so saved that last 20 pages for today after dinner...

Hmm.. agree w/ Uarzen that the book is very fast paced (i think i shouldn't even read his comment although he claimed it's "spoil free"!) hahahahaa... anyway, the book indeed is good, so many fighting battles - and just moving so fast!!!! it's very dark on the other side, too many deaths to deal w/ - not to mention one of my favorite character died like right at the beginning!! (who's that?! well, dig out my ICQ user name!) hahahahahhahahaa

Anyhow, i do feel like the ending is "huh? just like that?! what?! it's over? have i missed something!?" and the last last ending i think is a bit "drawing legs for snake"....

Anyway, it has been.. 6 yrs for me since i started reading HP - still remember i only started it in 2001 after wondering why Dirk (Hagrid to me!) reading a "children's book" - and ever since i just got so hooked and bought Book 3 from UK Bloomsbury directly (since back then HK release later than UK - and that, of course, is the most expensive HP book i bought! charged in GBP!!!!)... hahahahahaha

Also started the 1st HP newsgroup ever in HK (ha, am still groupmaster - although i'm under my invisible cloak ever since.. the last few yrs!?) hahahaha.... watched HP1 at Admiralty while someone is visiting HK that winter (and with the newsgroup cosplay ppl too!).... watched HP 2 @ AMC, and the 3rd one in Amsterdam!! Oh, and of course, the HP door hanging thingy I got from Boise still on my door.....

it's a bit sad to see it "ends"... i guess it's like departing w/ a friend - even though it's not the first time i depart w/ friends whom i know for long - and every time i wonder if that would be the last time we ever cross in our life - well, in real life most of the time wasn't (although still sadden me), yet for HP case, i don't think i'll re-read it in a short time - some times letting go and letting memories to fad is a good way anyway....

anyway, for those who hasn't read / finish the story - happy reading :)

Books updates...

In case you may be interested in some of them...

• 志雲飯局 (Be my guest) by 陳志雲
  
• I've watched some of them - just wanna have a taste what it'll be different if i'm reading them....
  
• 我的低能之道 by Little Horse
• how can i skip her book - afterall her icons is like part of my life - MSN loh
• 愛不愛之書 by 凱西．陳
• Cathy's new book this year, just have to buy it
• 神秘谷 3 - 白巫的夢囈 & 神秘谷 2 - 斷崖的騎士 by 李敏
• well, 2nd one was bought earlier - but then it was at baby's place - thanks for princess A to bring it to me! :)
• 腦前額葉又一天：神經外科女醫師的黑色喜劇　(Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: a brain surgeon exposes life on the inside - original by Katrina Firlik)
• For some reason i just fond on books based in Dr's (er.. nope, i'm not a fan of ER) :P
• For one more day by Mitch Albom
• i like mitch's style with Tuesdays w/ morrie and the fiver ppl you meet in heaven... it's "short".. but also give a chance to "think"... want to complete the series
• Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarden
• just want to try this...
• Monet by Janice Anderson
• Nicely print and a great collection of Monet's - can learn more about the background of his drawings....

And these are - something practical??

• 愛不到你，也要助你幸福2 - 用祝福代替憤怒的愛情智慧
• 對不起，騙到你 - 識破詐騙伎倆的防騙潛智慧
• 左右逢源厚黑智典
  
• 提防小人