Sunday, October 31, 2021

asof9394kk

 I feel I am deteriorating.  This condition pretty much mirrored my mom's condition.   


當我還小的時候, 我的母親是我的動力來源。  我會游泳,騎車,打球,都是母親一手促成。  我唸過一些書,會一點算數,有一點知識,能做善惡的分辨也是我母親。  但是人到了某一個時期就應該可以自己產生動能,如果是這樣,就會向外尋找其他的動力來源。  很多時候,都是因著自己的喜惡來決定下一步的走向。  這有點像是在母親肚子裡時,胎兒靠著母親的血液;出生了嬰孩時期,靠著母親的乳汁;孩童時期,有父母的供養。  這時身體和靈性都是還和父母牽連著。  但是到了某一時期,人開始靠著之前的供養,逐漸長成獨立的人。  他會考慮自己的身體健康和心靈的快樂。  我知道,我似乎完全沒有。  可是,在某一方面,我希望自己可以這個樣。  但是,卻完全沒有發生。  在以前,我藉著母親給我的教養來做待人接物。  人人都以為我雖然一事無成,但還是個有教養的人。  可是這三年來,我知道我是每況愈下。  而這種情況連帶拖累我的母親。  

幾年前,舅舅提出了一個具有前瞻的想法。  那就是應該要為母親想想他的下一階段。  我知道母親自己其實是想過的。  不像我,我是沒有想,真正是走一步算一步。  母親覺得自己就這樣平平淡淡的過日子。  可是因為新冠的關係,他和聚會所的真正接觸減少了許多。  而平日的生活又是那樣毫無進展可言。  我不覺得這樣對他的情況會有好處。  但是,這些他或許都可以忍受。  我的沒有進展已是一個精神上的重擔。  

當他跟小瑋在一起的時候,我相信他可以感受到一種人生推進的力量。  但是他平常大部分都和我在一起。  我平常連話都不說,也不知道要說甚麼,要怎麼說。  不僅僅是不說話,連做事情都完全沒個準。  家裡要修的事,我接二連三地說我會做。  沒有一件完成。  我目前除了工作上想要完成的小計畫以外,所有時間都是是看 YT。  我自己也很煩,但是卻是什麼也不做。  除了一直跟自己說全是自己的錯以外,甚麼也不做。  玩遊戲,看書,看電影,幾乎都沒有甚麼興趣了。  如果做了也只是希望修磨時間。  我離開馬斯康三年了,工作一直換。  真正連人際關係都沒有。  我一天講不到三句話。  如果講話,講的話味同嚼蠟,因為都是一樣的東西。  媽媽很輝想辦法要我說話,就問我一些他知道我比較熟習的話題,但是,真的,我又能講出啥新意來呢?!  

母親不能睡,我的母親也一直瘦,我想到我的貓,他在死前也是一直瘦。  

Friday, October 29, 2021

States of being

 When I was born, I knew nothing of this world.  my state of being is pretty much blank.  

When I start to perceive though, my state of being changed.  At the very beginning, it was wet and dark.  There might sound sound and vibration, but they are muffled.  But after being exposed to the outside word, the sound and vibration was intensifying, I am not sure how much light I could perceive, but it certainly astounded me.  I was silent, and in silence I hold my breath.  But suddenly, a violent vibration on my buttocks.  I did not know I have a behind, but the vibration sent a quick jolt from that area! I can no longer stay quiet.  I cannot hold out any longer, I need to react.  I cried.  And so came in my first breath of air.  My first state of being was then complete.  

Currently I am sitting and doing nothing.  How I come to be at this state was definitely not by sitting and waiting.  

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

小時候的歌

 紅紅的太陽下山啦,伊呀黑,呀黑。

成群的羊兒回家啦,伊呀黑,呀黑。

小小羊兒要回家,伊呀黑,呀黑。

小小羊兒跟著媽,有黑有黃也有白,你們可曾知道哇(你們可曾吃飽啊)?

天色已暗啦,星星也亮啦,小小羊兒跟著媽,不要怕,不要怕。 

我把燈兒,點著啦,伊呀黑,呀黑,伊呀黑,呀黑,伊呀黑,呀黑。


---------------------------------------------


是很久很久以前,是媽媽告訴我。

在好深好深的夜裡,有位虎姑婆。 

愛哭的孩子不要哭,他會咬你的腳指頭。  

還記得,還記得,是媽媽告訴我,

虎姑婆別咬我,愛哭的孩子睡著了。


Tuesday, October 19, 2021

歌詞摘錄

 正在錄製成長路的聽書。  故事裡提到一首歌,作者翻譯成 皇天冥冥保佑人。  我很好奇地去看看原文,這首歌的英文是 【Rock of Age】。  很好奇聽起來是怎樣的。  就去 YT 找找,還滿好聽的。  有趣的是這題目並沒有明顯的聖經出處。  有一篇網路上的文章舉了幾個聖經章節。  雖然不是逐字逐句地從聖經上來,但是很明顯作者對聖經非常非常熟悉。  資錄歌詞如下:


Rock of Ages

Christian hymn written by Augustus M. Toplady, with music by Thomas Hastings in 1762

Rock of ages cleft for me

Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
be of sin the double cure
Save from wrath and make me pure

From thy riven side which flowed

Not the labors of my hands 
can fulfill Thy law's commands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow, 
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone. 
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I clin;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.  


一篇文章裡提到的聖經章節用來說明題目在聖經裡可能得出處:

Exodus 33: 20-23 But He said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live !" Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."

Saturday, October 16, 2021

A discussion

 A couple weeks ago, I heard an interesting discussion about teaching.  My cousin and his girlfriend are traditional Chinese martial art teachers, so was the friend they had the discussion.  

I remember what lead to the discussion was about what they think they should be called  by their students.  The friend told her students to call her 師父.  When she first got the school, everyone called her 師姐, it's natural, because they were all students to the previous master.  But one day out of blue, she got a call from the old master, who told her, she should let other students start to call her 師父.

My cousin and his GF, started to asking each other what should their students call them?  They said they never thought about it.  Their students always refer to  them by their names.  And from there on, the discussion sometimes went to what this title meant.  And then it turned into another interesting direction.  It is about how should they teach their students.  The friend said she thought many students behave badly.  They need to be reminded.  My cousin and his GF said they are reluctant to do so.  But the friend said if it's adult class, she cannot do too much.  But if it's kids class, she said they are more like a clean slate, she should teach them.  My cousin and Michelle, said they rather have the kids realizes something by themselves.  

As I was listening, I find it interesting.  I was thinking it's a difference between USAn (the friend) and Chinese(my cousin and his GF, although they are USAns as well).  But then I thought of opposite examples from both sides as well.  If the thought was around American and Chinese, I think it's kind missing the point.  Like the previous Tiger Mom discussion.  I bet there are some scary USAn moms too.  And I feel my cousin's upbringing kind of reflect his current attitude.  So, again, it's still a individual family styles, don't matter where you are from.  

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Tree company ruined front yard

    My neighbor hired a company(East Coast Tree Remove company) to cut trees in his back yard.  They came yesterday with a huge cram and biggest wood chipper I've ever seen.  They occupied the whole street.  It was loud and dusty  When I came home, I saw them setup right in front of my house, they even blocked my drive way.  I had to park in four houses down.  Anyway, they made a huge mess.  My front yard was totally ruined by them.  Because when the cram brought those huge tree trunks to the streets they swung wildly in my yard.  It's not just once, or twice, they consistently hit my dahlia again and again, my sedum on one side was ruined as well.  And my lamp post was hit, the light fixture was completely knocked off, the post loosened.  And the trunks hit my wall so many times and left tree tunk's marks.  They came at 7 am in the morning and worked around 8.  I was at Mao's at 6, Mom called me saying that she cannot get online.  Then around 8, she called again saying that all the neighbors were outside, and she had not electricity so she stepped out to see what's going on.  Nick, my neighbor saw her and yelled don't come out!  There's live wire  in front of our house.  I heard from a neighbor saying when he came home last night, there're police cars, fire trucks, and national grid trucks everywhere.   Mom said she cannot get online either.  When I got home last night, the electricity was back, but no internet.  There's one cable lying on my drive way, which I guessed is the internet cable.  Mom said the neighbor who hired the company came by to say he will take care of the mess.  I called the internet company, they said they already had an appointment scheduled for tomorrow at 12-2pm.  

    I got up to take lots of pictures on the damage next morning.  And after talking to my sister on the phone, I went and tried to address my concern about the damages.  John was not in, her wife Denise told me John will give me a call, which he did.  And by noon time, the cable guy came and put up a new wire.  But frankly that cable guy sucks, because he did not even take the downed cable off my property!  The tree company had a guy came over trying to fix the light fixture, helped me to take the damaged internet cable off my property.  But the light fixture he bought was damaged, so he left to get a new one.  Then the other guy from the company showed up, I feel like I saw the guy before, he was in the tree cutting crew yesterday, but I am not sure.  Mom was adamant on seeing him fix the lamp and to make sure the lamp is not wobbly.  The road in front of us was ruined.  She made sure he fixed it.  But she is not satisfied with the repair job at all.  But most of all, our dahlia was so ruined.  She was mad, and wanted to ask for money.  The guy kept saying these are perennials, they will grow back.  And  I was so naïve and said I was going to save the bulbs anyway.  So the guy basically left without doing anything for the flowers.  Later, when I was accessing the damage, I truly regretted for what I said.  We should ask for dollar repayment.  There's no way that company should come and ruined a patch my yard and left not scathed!  And in the morning, my house was filled with spider webs.  I bet it's from the trees that got cut down.  They must have left us with lots of insets and bugs in my yard.    

    
    After the guy left, my mom and I went out for a walk.  We were checking the condition of the road surface and saw a lot of gouges on the road.  We talked to Nick for a while, his wife Sandy said she even called police when she saw the cram in the morning.  Nick also mentioned that the company got be able to handle these damages with their own insurance.  My mom thought it's absolutely crucial to show and talk to John.  So we immediately went and talk to him.  We showed him the gouges and ruined dahlias.  He said he will call the Andover Town about the road.  And he will tell his landscape company to take a look at our yard.  And he will talk to the company again.  But he is very focused on the trees in his backyard.  Because apparently the cop came last night to stop the operation.  John still got a big trunk half cut in his back yard.  And he is even more concerned about two dead trees behind his house though they are not in his property, one belonged to Emily, the other one is Ryan, another neighbor on the Howell drive.   

And I have to say, the attitude of the company was horrendous.  I called the company to lodge a complain, when I mentioned I was almost hit, in fact I was hit by the tree trunk twice while I was in my yard.  The first time I was a bit close to the road, about 6 feet.  The second time I was 5 feet in front of my front door, after they've already broke my lamp post.  The lady on the phone was laughing, saying I should not be there when the tree crew were working.  I feel the company was assholes from top to bottom.  I cannot stand 5 feet away from my front door?  How close was their chance to hit my house?