冠宏是我看他長大的

冠宏是我看他長大的, 就這麼看著看著我就長大. Brian是我們的另一位好朋友, 他也是今年結的婚, 所以我的以下致詞會是一模一樣.

我們都是在台灣製造, 但都是在溫哥華長大的, 快二十年前, 我們在同一間中學念書. KILLARNEY. 像所有的男生一樣, 我們會一起做一些傻事, 一起打電動, 看漫畫, 看愛情動作片, 一起泡澡和被女生追, 其實只有Brian而已.

但在高中的畢業舞會, 我們的友情才有了昇華, 我們同時在大廳外的走廊唉聲嘆氣, Brian的女伴不願意跳舞, 我的女伴不知道到哪去了, 而冠宏, 你們應該要看他那時的女伴, 一位韓國妹, 那時韓劇還沒開始流行啊, 她長得很像後來的李愛英, 我說的是如果李愛英整形失敗的樣子, 我記得她當時是穿者高貴的禮服, 把她身材展現得像黑色的粽子, 可憐的冠宏為了禮貌還一直不斷的和她跳舞.

那時候見到了冠宏的父母親, 他們真的是很恩愛, 每天都手牽手散步, 我相信以後的冠宏也是這樣的好老公.
有次, 我住在冠宏家, 隔天早上, 陳爸爸堅持要陪我走到公車站, 他握著我的手說, 冠宏在溫哥華沒有其他家人, 你們朋友要好好照顧冠宏, 我相信, 冠宏有天也會是這樣的好父親.

陳爸爸, 現在, 我們不需要照顧冠宏了, 因為他有emily了.

在emily 之前, 冠宏是孩子王, 他是大學社團的團長, 但他不是男人, 他是個有些焦躁, 有些沒自信的大男生. (當然他不會承認)

Emily給他了穩定, 讓他可以放心的去做, 就像陳爸爸與陳媽媽一樣.

在這裡, 身為冠宏的Best Man, 我必須要對emily說, 如果你欺負冠宏的話, 我一定會… 幫你加油, 因為距離的關係, 沒法幫你一起欺負他.

我這裡有一份禮物要送給冠宏, 好男人手冊, 我半年前買了兩本, 之前有送Brian一本, 聽說受益良多, 除了學到空手開啤酒, 怎麼把妹之外, 你還會學到如何做好老公.

Graham, 我的兄弟, 很榮幸認識你, and I love you brother! 給兩位, 你們有我與在座各位的祝福, 祝兩位永浴愛河, 百年好合, 早生貴子!

男人對車子的愛 - 轉摘

我告別了陪伴我10年的老夥計，說真的他真的是一個可靠的夥伴，他從來沒在路上掛點過。
回想十年之前，當時因為我年邁的老父親的每個月總是要有一兩天的時間到離家大約1公里遠的耕莘醫院去抽血檢查血糖的狀況，但礙於80多歲的老父親因為糖尿病導致雙腳截肢的關係，需要有人推著輪椅帶父親去醫院，但一公里的距說遠不遠，說近不近，且因為這一公里的人行道高高低低不好走，加上人行道又窄，所以每當父親複診時要推著老父親的輪椅離沿著大馬路上走到醫院，來往的摩托車就在身邊穿梭而過，最後我都在跟父親在社區口搭排班的計程車到距離一公里之外的耕莘醫院。

由於父親雙腳截肢行動不方便，上下計程車時，我總是需要熊抱父親，抓緊老父親的後方的皮帶，將父親從輪椅上抱下來，並輕輕地放到計程車後座的沙發上，之後收起父親的輪椅到計程車後方的行李箱，然後自己在坐到司機旁邊的副駕駛座上，大約5分鐘之後到了離家不遠的耕莘醫院，我又需要請司機開到醫院裡面，先下車把輪椅打開固定好煞車讓輪椅不會亂跑，再打開計程車後座把父親熊抱下來，把父親放到輪椅上，然後推著父親到醫院的櫃檯報到。

因為家裡跟醫院的距離真的很近，當時的計程車的計價是每公里計價，有時計程車只跳5塊錢，我們就下車了，也就因為這樣我往往都偷偷塞給司機大哥200塊錢，有時省吃儉用的老父親看到我偷偷塞錢給司機大哥，就不高興地在計程車上說給那麼多幹什呢? 遇到好的司機大哥有時會退給我該找的錢，而有一次卻讓我印象深刻........。

有一天依照慣例我利用公司排休的日子，推著老父親在社區口搭了一台排班計程車，在安頓好後座的老父親之後，我做上前座說我要到耕莘醫院，司機大哥不說話，馬上催足油門一路鑽在機車陣中，連我年邁的老父親都感覺到他開車真的很危險，跟我說他開得好快，我當時只能尷尬地笑著安撫我的老爸說，馬上就到了，我當時心想，司機大哥應該是心理面不爽排班那麼久，卻載到一個又麻煩又是短程一對父子，到了耕莘醫院之後，我請司機大哥開到醫院玻璃門口，先塞了兩百塊錢給司機大哥，司機大哥愣了一下，並沒有說什麼，我慢慢把父親抱下車，推往醫院大廳，繼續跟父親有說有笑，父親一直跟我說他開車好快好快，好危險..............。

當天下午帶著父親從醫院搭計程車回到社區門口之後，把舟車勞頓的父親安頓好讓他先睡午覺，輕輕幫父親蓋上毯子，坐在客廳心裡面回想著剛剛計程車司機對我們的種種，我心裡面暗自發誓我再也不願意讓我父親看別人的臉色，受這種委屈。當下拿起摩托車鑰匙，騎著摩托車到當初陳水扁選台北市長競選總部的那個福特九和門市，看了一台最便宜的福特Tierra Activa 1.6，車價辦到好約51萬，刷了1萬的訂金，挑了顏色，就這樣訂了這台夥計。

這台夥計陪著我10年，每一次保養我都一定是到福特原廠，從牽回來第一天倒車路入庫就被自己的摩托車A到行李箱的板金，當時真的他X的心痛，靠著他，我到過武嶺看過冬季與夏季的銀河，到過墾丁龍磐公園看過一望無際的大海，到過花蓮七星潭看著F16戰機的起降，到過台東池上車站吃過真正的池上飯盒，到過高雄看過同事幫經銷商做的Server的教育訓練，到過新竹城隍廟吃過貢丸湯還有竹暫餅，到過大溪老街吃過豆乾，不知經過九彎十八拐幾次，不知經過北橫幾次，不知走過中橫幾次，他從來沒在半路拋錨過，他真的是台好車，直到我父親離開我，我還是每過幾個月就一個人開著他去跟父親上香說說話，跟父親說說大陸老家的近況，還有家裡的一切種種，他真的伴隨我度過好多回憶，被警察偷拍過好幾次超速，去好多好多地方釣魚，他的身上的每一個傷痕我都知道是怎麼來的，看每一道車身上的傷痕，我都能回想到當時的情景。

太多太多回憶了，光是被測速照相照的照片大概累計就有10張以上，如今他還是一樣盡著他的本分，但父親已經不在，看著後座我依稀都還感覺得到緊緊抱著父親上車時，身體緊緊靠著父親胸口的那種感覺，這是我的第一台車，我將他過戶給一位我信任的朋友，當我把車開到他家時，我一直叮嚀他，請他好好照顧我的老伙計，只要你好好照顧他，他一定不會讓你失望，如果你有一天要賣掉他，請讓我知道，因為我可能會跟你買回來，離開之前我再次坐在駕駛座上，回頭往後坐看去，我依稀看見白髮蒼蒼的老父親望著我對我笑著的模糊景象，這台車曾經載過我的最愛最愛的老爸，他的每一道痕跡，對我來說都是珍貴的回憶。

再見了我親愛的夥計，我這輩子都不會忘記你，真的很謝謝你，總有一天我一定會回來找你。

網路上有很多垃圾

最近在網路上看到這樣的小故事:

數年前，一對老夫婦，女的穿著一套褪色的條紋棉布衣服，而她的丈夫則是穿著布製的便宜西裝，也沒有事先約好，就直接去拜訪哈佛的校長。
校長的祕書在片刻間就斷定這兩個鄉下老土根本不可能與哈佛有業務來往。
先生輕聲的說︰「我們要見校長。」

祕書很不禮貌的說︰「他整天都很忙。」
女士回答說︰「沒關係，我們可以等。」
過了幾個鐘頭，祕書一直不理他們，希望他們知難而退，自己走開。
可是他們卻一直等在那裡。
祕書終於決定通知校長︰「也許他們跟您講幾句話就會走開。」
校長不耐煩的同意了。

校長很有架子而且心不甘情不願的面對這對夫婦。
女士告訴他︰
「我們有一個兒子曾經在哈佛讀過一年，他很喜歡哈佛、 他在哈佛的生活很快樂。但是去年，他出了意外而死亡。
我丈夫和我想要在校園裡為他立一個紀念物。」
校長並沒有被感動，反而覺得可笑，粗聲地說︰
「夫人我們不能為每一位曾讀過哈佛而死亡的人建立雕像的。 如果我們這樣做，我們的校園看起來會像墓園一樣。」

女士很快的說︰
「不是，我們不是要豎立一座雕像，我們想要捐一棟大樓給哈佛。」
校長仔細的看了一下條紋的棉布衣服及粗布的便宜西裝，然後吐一口氣說︰
「你們知不知道建一棟大樓要花多少錢嗎？學校的建築物超過七百五十萬元。」

這時，這位女士沈默不講話了。
校長很高興，總算可以把他們打發了。
只見這位女士轉向她丈夫說︰「只要七百五十萬就可以建一座大樓?那我們為什麼不建一座大學 來紀念我們的兒子？」
她的丈夫點頭同意。

而哈佛的校長覺得很混淆和困惑。
就這樣，史丹佛先生夫人離開了哈佛，到了加州，成立了史丹佛大學來紀念他們的兒子。

_____________________________________________

乍看之下是一個警惕人心的小故事, 但我想, 史丹佛不是19世紀就成立了嗎, 幹嘛一棟建築要750萬? 在19世紀, 阿拉斯加才價值720萬耶...

上wiki查了一下, 史丹佛大學真的是爲了紀念一位15歲的史丹佛, 但史丹佛把拔是鐵路大亨, 前加州州長, 也是美國國會議員, 哈佛的校長在怎麼樣也該認識吧.

老史丹佛建校前有詢問過哈佛校長, 如果要在加州蓋一間哈佛規格的大學要多少錢, 哈佛校長說大概1500萬.

所以上面的小故事是虛構的, 網路上的垃圾很多...

錢多事少離家近

錢多事少離家近、睡覺睡到自然醒、位高權重責任輕；
老闆說話不用聽、五年就領退休金、領錢領到手抽筋；
旅遊出國休假勤、股票分紅拼命領、出差作事別人請；
金融風暴不擔心、月月出國去散心、雙Ｂ跑車任我行；
金卡銀卡刷不停、吃喝玩樂錢照領、全家出遊有獎金；
回來聊天談事情、經理來了不用停、只說謝謝你關心；
下班走人你最行、上班在家吃點心、遲到說是出外勤；
說了只有鬼相信、哪有這等好事情、原來作夢還沒醒；
醒來只有酒一瓶、藉酒澆愁撫心情、沒有付出沒報應！

You can bet on it

Gambling is always part of human natural, to bet on uncertainty, or else it wouldn't be a bet. We can bet on sports, events, and we can bet for beer, food, money, or love.

I was listening to radio the other day, there were bets on whether Prince William and his new bride will wear a cowboy hat in Calgary Stampede or not, or if he is going to hold a Quebec flag.

My extend of gambling is probably buying lottery, which is not a good investment, considering the winning percentage is extremely low. But the best part is actually the 10 min after I bought the ticket, I think about what to do with the money if I had won the lottery.

Unfortunately, the effect of that started to wear out when I age, another side effect of getting old.

Goodbye - Air Supply

Goodbye by Air Supply, to ms. cake

I can see the pain living in your eyes
And I know how hard you try
You deserve to have so much more
I can feel your heart and I sympathize
And I'll never criticize
All you've ever meant to my life

I don't want to let you down
I don't want to lead you on
I don't want to hold you back
From where you might belong

You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to say but good-bye

You deserve the chance at the kind of love
I'm not sure I'm worthy of
[- From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/air-supply-lyrics/goodbye-lyrics.html -]
Losing you is painful to me

I don't want to let you down
I don't want to lead you on
I don't want to hold you back
From where you might belong

You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to say but good-bye

You would never ask me why
My heart is so disguised
I just can't live a lie anymore
I would rather hurt myself
Than to ever make you cry
There's nothing left to try
Though it's gonna hurt us both
There's no other way than to say good-bye

長假

早在大學年代, 我就一直想要做眼睛雷射矯正的手術, 但遲遲不敢去做, 花了不少時間去研究, 錢也存好了, 就是沒有膽.

做手術就成了我年年的目標.  直到今年, 直到明天, 終於要做手術了.

記得一開始想要存手術錢的時候, 還在奶茶店打工, 那時沒有新聞媒體大肆渲染的毒奶, 但有那一直反覆放的CD, 就是長假電視劇的配樂, 聽了一年, 自己也跑去買了一張, 那音樂就成了我那時成長的配樂.

說也奇怪, 我到現在一次都沒看過長假, 裡頭的卡司可嚇人, 除了木村拓哉與三口智子, 還有 稻森泉、松隆子、竹野內豐和廣末涼子, 這麼大陣仗, 大慨也是日劇的全盛時期吧...

感情良民證

有位女性朋友這個月結婚, 所有事情都自己參與, 但反而在伴娘這關一個頭兩個大.  懷孕的不行, 要結婚的不行, 已結婚的不行, 離過婚的不行, 不想結婚的不行, 私生活太亂的不行, 太肥的不行, 不熟的不行, 太公主的不行, 搞了半天, 好像是她要找老婆一樣.

我與其中一位幸運入選的伴娘開會, 也聊到她的感情生活, 她也有自己的麻煩, 談的來的不見得適合, 適合的又不來電, 適合又談的來的又有一堆情感包袱.

我開始覺得, 是不是感情世界也要有所謂的良民證, 這跟好人卡不同, 感情良民證是給想要穩定感情生活的男女們使用.  無不良紀錄, 像是破壞其他人家庭, 劈腿, 打人, 罵街, 恐嚇... 或是有案底, 但已服過刑, 並有改過自新.

看來, 有良民證的人並不多...

The dream

One sure sign of getting old is when you feel sleepy on a saturday afternoon, especially right after lunch, and it continues before and after dinner.  Back in the days, Saturday nights were charged with energy.  No, I didn't go out and party much, but standing in line in front of some crappy club trying to get in, for hours, did happen a few times.

So I went to bed early.

Then I dreamt of the semester before I was about to graduate from SFU.  It was the time when I couldn't wait to get out of school, but was also very scared of the unknown lying ahead, the world outside, seems to be a lot bigger and scarier back then.

After I woke up, sat in the same room I slept in when I was still in SFU.  I thought about the school, I thought about how much I have changed since, but the world doesn't seem to be as big nor scary anymore.

Maybe that is another sure sign of getting old.

王老師你老師!

有時不得不覺得, 台灣近幾年的亂象完全要歸功於媒體, 那豐富的水果日報,數字日報, 還有好幾台的二十四小時新聞, 弄得好像每一天的台灣都很熱鬧, 當然, 台灣人本來就很愛湊熱鬧.

台灣人也很迷信, 政客當然也知道, 一到選舉, 一個個無論是藍是綠, 乖乖去廟裡拜拜上香, 選上了, 還可以題個字, 作個匾額留名千古...

最近有個王老師, 說什麼台灣在五月十一日會有十四級地震, 先是有一堆人網上傳來傳去, 後是有民眾尾隨王老師, 再來媒體去訪問, 談話性節目請專家, 最後連內政部長都要發言.

你說是誰比較白癡? 王老師? 信他的人群? 媒體? 政府官員? 還是不信但也要跟在旁邊起鬨的人?

Confession of a gamer

You may not know Sean Plott, and you will probably never know this dude.  He is a professional gamer living in LA, he won some international gaming contest back in 2005-2007, and started his own edutainment video on youtube under the name Day[9] Daily.

It is a little hobby of mine, to watch his youtube video from time to time, even though his videos are about Starcraft 2, a game that I don't own nor play.  His videos are entertaining nevertheless.

I just thought of him as a nerd who plays too much video games living in some basement in LA while trying to get his Master degree.

Then I saw a video of him talking about his experience of the game he is playing.

Born and rasied in a small town in Kansas, he and his older brother started playing Starcraft in their early teens.  When their single mom told them not to play video game before 3pm, they would obey and went to the mall and looked at the box of the game, discussed strategies under an escalator.

They would play together, as they only had one computer, one of them would be a backseat gamer.  Then when things got more serious, they would drive hours to join a regional tournament.  It was pretty amazing that their mother was very supportive of what they do, she would even buy tickets for them to fly to another part of the country to compete, and asked the school for a week off to compete.

During the time of his pro gaming, he got to meet people from Russia, Canada, Korea, Germany... and became really good friends with them.  Through out these tournaments, his brother and mother would be right beside him, either over the phone or in person, supporting him.

Over the years, he learnt to be less serious about the win and loss, but more on what he can learn from them.

You can just see the passion in his eyes, if he is talking about another hobby, you might feel more proud for him and even moved by him.  But, he plays video games as hobby.

But he made friends all over the world and have actually met them in person, he learnt valuable lessons in life and he loved his family... That is a better hobby than someone who collects expensive watches but has no friends.

It reminds me of the time when I played computer games with my brother, one of us would be playing, the other would be watching.  We played hours of Romance of Three Kingdoms, Starcraft, and other games.  For us, it was the pass time during the time when we were worring about school and being in a different country.  Of course, we were never as passionate about the games we played, but my brother and I still developed something we shared together as siblings.  And that was irreplaceable...

霹靂人妻

很多男人都不喜歡看泡沫劇或連續劇, 我也不例外, 除了有段時間看看日劇, 看看有爆破的劇, 那種會有哭哭啼啼, 沒完沒了, 灑滿地狗血, 或手擠爆橘子的連續劇一概不看.

最近台灣很流行的一部終於要結束了, 我想國內外人夫與男朋友們終於可以鬆一口氣了, 除了要處理女人們一些對劇情裡男人的看法的疑問, 還要接受你們男人都很賤的訓話, 更糟的還要接受女人們加倍的神經質, 跟女性吃飯要報告, 電話不接要懷疑, 我想大概只有戴貞操帶女人們才能接受.

當然, 我有對蛋糕姐姐強烈懷疑這種連續劇的內容, 她是覺得劇情很真實阿, 隋棠很漂亮啊... 我很懷疑他的真實度, 正常情況正宮應該是像蔡閨演的, 然後小三像年輕的隋棠才對吧, 不過連續劇還不是為了女性, 他們如果要有共鳴, 還是用正一點的才"真"...

夜市人生算什麼

我有時候午餐時間會看看報紙, 並不是為了看新聞, 大多是爲了看哪間皇帝蟹比較便宜, 現在投資者都看得到什麼資訊...

記得以前我常開玩笑, 說世界日報的亞洲新聞很有意思, 台灣新聞很多是很血腥, 不是抗議就是打架, 要不就是砍人, 香港新聞通常很芝麻小事, 有人在公廁被偷窺, 手指被貓咬斷... 而中國新聞則是很奇譚, 什麼千年古墓, 長毛綠龜...

今天也買了報紙, 看到以下新聞, 真的覺得台灣的鄉土片真的很寫實. 故事是一位馬姓商人, 六年前劈腿離婚, 再婚後還一直找女朋友, 連自己的繼女和她的朋友也不放過, 繼女懷恨在心, 又因為馬姓商人與前妻生的小孩畢業, 送給小孩價值400萬的房子, 90萬的跑車, 比起繼女30萬轎車, 她覺得繼父偏心, 起了殺機, 就連同丈夫, 與繼父的朋友(同時也是情夫), 設計在馬姓商人的車上裝炸藥, 把馬姓商人炸成了重傷.  你以為這繼女應該會被槍斃, 但沒有, 只有被判十二年. 你以為故事已經結束, 但沒有, 其實從頭到尾, 這繼母, 也就是馬姓商人再婚的對象, 都知情, 也就是默許自己的女兒謀殺自己的丈夫...

其實, 寫劇本好像不是那麼難, 看報紙就好...

The brotherly love

Change is good, according to many people.  I, for one, is afraid of change, actually, I am more afraid of being alone.

When I moved out of my mom's place, I moved in with my friends.  Then, I moved back home.  Although I was always minding my own business, I have always been the opposite of alone.

Then I woke up this morning, the house was empty and quiet.  I went to my brother's room and checked.  Turned on the light and checked.  It has finally occurred to me that my brother has really grown up and moved on.

My brother who looked up to me when he was little, who is reserved but full of ideas.  He is a man now, starting his own life and family.

That boy who stole my candies and gave to his friends,
that boy who created cool stuff with legos,
that boy who sneaked downstairs and played video games with me,
that boy who bought a ps2 when he got his paycheque,
that boy who became a man, right in front of my eyes...

It was a strange feeling, sort of a feeling I had after going to my own elementary school graduation ceremony.  I was excited, feeling a little lost and lonely.

Maybe, it is a time for me to grown up as well.

街角的排骨便當

我們台北的家, 並不是在一個很富裕的區, 連最近的便利商店都要走一段才會到, 家前的巷子兩旁停滿車, 成了單向道, 通常就算坐小黃, 我也只要求坐到最近的小學, 在走個五分鐘到家.

附近當然也沒有什麼餐廳, 從小記憶最深的, 就是街角的排骨便當店, 其實我一直到幾年前才知道它是一間有名字的便當店.

離我家三分鐘遠, 每次下課回家時, 會看到老闆娘或老闆, 坐在街邊, 用槌子打平肉, 當然, 長大才知道是爲了讓更大片, 更軟.

我小時候很常吃他們的排骨便當與牛肉便當, 其實並不特別, 一片排骨, 一個荷包蛋, 一點配菜...

幾年沒吃到, 今年特地去買了一個便當回家吃, 老闆與老闆娘樣子沒變, 到是頭髮斑白了許多, 不知道這幾年過得如何, 我另外加了個燙青菜, 帶回家吃, 還是一樣的味道, 小時候的味道...