27 February 2008

Pride comes before fall

I was so glad Monday night about the outcome of the meeting with the senior management...

I did make a remarkable presentation because I went very well prepared.

Normally senior management would ask a lot of piercing questions and drill you down to the last cent or last semantic uncertainty, but that night, I was so prepared that not a single one had any question!!

They even praised me for being very clear and precise, and be able to provid all-rounded information.

Anyway, I was so immersed in my success on Monday that I didn't prepare for the weekly status meeting on the following day.

So, I made a mess of myself: I stutter, I forgot what I was going to say, I was unclear in giving instruction and direction.... Nobody understood me...

A very grim lesson learnt.

And fits just nicely with this old saying, "Pride comes before fall"...

And you see, success comes from a trust and reliance on God's grace. Failure? Our own pride!

25 February 2008

I have overcome

Tonight marked a very significant milestone for the project I am handling.

We have taken 3 months to re-evaluate the options available to us and tonight was the night we asked our senior management to make a final decision.

I have been quite sleepless in the last week or so, and plagued by one cold after another. My stomach and skin also joined in the complaint and protest.

But all hard work was worth it. I have presented to the senior management tonight, with a script written in advance so I wouldn't miss anything or speak inappropriately. Perhaps that added to the persuasiveness of the whole presentation, so much so that the senior management members appraised the clarity and crispness of the information and the recommendation.

The committee agreed unanimously on the approach recommended.

And I shall therefore rest in peace!!!!

Although there is still a long way to go, I do praise God for helping me keep my head down and concentrate on the tasks, and not distracted by the emotions.

Praise be to God, for He does look after me...

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me."

Psalm 13:5-6 (New International Version)

21 February 2008

What we sow, we reap

陳冠希道歉聲明全文 (明報) 02月 21日 星期四 05:45PM

Edison Chen returned to Hong Kong and made a public apology today.

This is really true - what you sow is what you reap.

I think one thing he said was really right, let this be a lesson for all of us. As I have said in a previous journal entry, if we don't want this happen to us, don't do anything we would regret later in the first place.

Let us all take heed.

16 February 2008

勞Auntie同亞寳過訪

恭喜恭喜。

今天勞Auntie同亞寳到家裏拜年。

勞Auntie也是患了糖尿病多年,正好跟黃太分享心得。

聽Auntie説有一種新的藥,比黃太平常還沒有開始打胰島素時吃的好很多。

如果可以不用打胰島素就好了。

12 February 2008

靈巧像蛇,純良如鴿子

自從上了MBA之後,學了Game Theory 及 Networking 的需要之後,我覺得我的人有一點變了。

在工作上面,開始學會想要甚麼結果,才鋪排說怎樣的話,而不是因爲我覺得甚麼是對的,就不顧後果都要說出來;也開始學會了要跟人家打交道,別再固步自封。

我其實是一個很悶的人,不懂得説好話、不懂得怎樣與別人開始做朋友,總是只要有一點點的覺得別人不喜歡我就退縮、不再跟人家打交道。

我習慣自己一個去逛街、喜歡靜靜的看書。。。

總之就是怕跟不太認識的人説話。

但現在,我要逼著自己出去,學著跟人交往,學著跟人攀談,其實是有一點累的。

況且,要時常用“要跟別人打關係呀”來鼓勵自己去跟別人溝通,好像也太市儈、太功利了一點罷?!

很累、很不開心。

這是否也是落在“靈巧像蛇,純良如鴿子”這個課題上呢?

好像很市俗,但又不得不去做,要怎樣去以純良的心去做這樣一件事?很難平衡呀~~~

06 February 2008

Happy Year of the Rat




也談最近很“紅”的照片

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFMCQrMiCxM
我沒有看過那些照片,我的朋友也沒有轉過來逼爆我的郵箱,我更成功的避開了報紙、雜誌的轉載。我只是從收音機聼到這件事的發展。

這應了聖經的一句話:因為掩藏的事、沒有不顯出來的.隱瞞的事、沒有不露出來被人知道的。(路加福音8:17)

中國人也有一句話:若要人不知,除非己莫為。

我自己也有一句話:如果覺得這些東西羞於讓人看到,最初就不要做。

不做這些淫亂的事就不會被拍到,不被拍到就不會被流傳,不被流傳就不會惹起這樣的軒然大波。

道德這件事,不是死的規條,而是保障我們的智慧;就正如聖經的教訓,從來都是為我們好的,要叫我們有真的自由。

02 February 2008

學校的木樓梯

走在二十四年以後
的木樓梯
摸著那陳舊的木頭
淚意
就湧上心頭

是很美好的記憶嗎?
是最純淨的記憶罷?!

是年少的
無憂的
不識愁苦的歲月呀!

用最感恩的心情進入
用最卑微的姿態度過
經歷了死別
經歷了生離
滿載了希望離開
走上了想象以外的
不一樣的
未來

01 February 2008

怎能不感恩?

我只能說我不是一個善於理財的人。。。

最近這幾天一直在擔心夠不夠現金去付稅項的賬,怎麼算怎麼都是差一點,但要去申請稅貸又來不及,很擔心很擔心,甚至在想要不要問媽媽拿一點來周轉。

今天去重新看一次各個戶口的餘額,突然發現有一筆現金昨天進了帳,剛好又讓我過了這一關。這一筆錢,是一筆更正帳項,而且離當時那筆交易已經過了好幾個月,我根本不知道會進來的,完全的不在我正常運作之内。

所以,我只能說,神要我狠狠的汲取這一次的超支教訓,但又很仁慈的幫了我渡過難關。

怎能不感恩呢?

29 January 2008

27 January 2008

要常作準備,以溫柔敬畏的心回答各人

只要心裡尊主基督為聖.有人問你們心中盼望的緣由、就要常作準備、以溫柔敬畏的心回答各人.(彼得前書3:15)


一月二十六那天又要到髮廊報到,卻又竟然有機會說自己的信仰,果然我的基督徒身份已經在那個群體當中非常鮮明。

二十七日是我要領敬拜的主日,但章程及投影片我一直因爲工作太忙沒空校對,二十六日是最後限期。沒辦法,就將那些文件放筆電帶著去髮廊,一面做頭髮,一面校對。

幫我洗頭髮的助理,看見我電腦的文件,就開始跟我談信仰。說他以前也有跟著女朋友上過教會,但因為覺得跟其他宗教沒有分別,後來就沒有再上教會了。

我跟他說不是呀,其他宗教沒有好像耶穌這樣的一個人呀。他說耶穌應該只是一個神話罷。

我就跟他說耶穌這個人是真的存在過的,聖經上的奇跡都是真的,歷代以來很多科學家都嘗試證明那些都是無稽之談,但從來沒有人成功過。

這樣,這個男生就開始覺得基督教不一樣啦。

我真的希望他會因此對基督教有一個新的看法,重新有興趣。

原來呢,人家不信耶穌,也可以是因爲我們的聚會裏面沒有說清楚我們的不同,我們信仰的可靠性、真實性。

弟兄姐妹們,我們仍需努力呀!加油!

24 January 2008

Heath Ledger - Dead!!


Source: http://metropoint.metro.lu/20080124_HongKong.pdf

Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment in New York on Jan 22.

Although "Brokeback Mountain" did not suit my taste, there is no doubt that both Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal made a strong impression all around the world.

Having a bit of a connection to Australia, knowing a young Aussie star died such an untimely death is of course saddening.

There was a video clip in the news yesterday with his family in front of the media. His father, mother and sister certainly showed grief beneath the calm face they tried to keep.

May God console his family.
------
Looking from a different angle, his death was alledgedly due to sleeping problems caused by the film - Batman, the Dark Knight. He played the character Joker, who is violent, merciless, and deranged.

Being a good actor, he must have been so submerged into the character that it would be extremely difficult to detached from it and carry on with his normal life. Taking the sleeping pills might be the only option. And when the emotions build up, so does the dosage.

That leads me to think, do we really want so many films portraiting the dark side of the human nature?

It projects the sense of hopelessness and derangement, not just to the actor/actress playing the part, but also the cinema-goers and perhaps the general public.

Another example is the Brokeback Mountain.

It was generally hailed as a celebration of Love itself, but what I see in the story is hurt and betrayal.

The character Heath played hurt his wife, disappointed his daughter, and most of all hurt his gay partner. But people still think this is a great love. How can it be? Love should not hurt like this.

Do we still call these art? Is it really worthwhile for us to pursue?

22 January 2008

Just carry on

Vincent Van Gogh "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."

As I mentioned in the previous post, I had been very busy with my project. And the pressure is ever mounting up. I am constantly feeling dizzy (any jerky movement of the head causes dizziness)...

And I saw this quote on my FaceBook profile...

Yes, no matter how difficult each meeting, each day, each week, each month is, all the effort taken to move the project one little step further counts.

I have to keep my head down and inch forward.


Somehow, things would sort themselves out.

And above all, God is watching over me.

16 January 2008

Thanking God

It just came across my mind that I should thank God for being busy at work.

I realised from my update to my facebook status field that I had been very busy at work for the last couple of months. In particular, I have not had a chance to allow my mind to go astray during working hours at all for the last few weeks. Every morning after I have arrived at work and had my coffee, I sit glued at my desk for the rest of the morning. And every afternoon when I have returned from lunch, I am again occupied with my work to the full.

I do thank God, even though I have been so busy, that I have sufficient work to do to occupy my business hours. And equally importantly, just the right amount of work so that I could leave the office reasonably early (7pm or 7:30pm). Although it is still inhibiting me from attending cell group gatherings (starts at 8pm but it takes 45mins to 1 hour to get from work to church), it is not eating into my sleep and rest time too much.

I do pray that God would grant me a job that allows me to call it a day at 6pm-ish everyday. But if that's how God wants me to be at work (faithful and give my best to the job), then so shall it be.

I trust that God is giving me the best even though it does not seem that way in my own eyes.

09 January 2008

一定要買旅遊保險啊

去年十月去歐洲o既時候,照例買o左一分旅遊保險。

其實沒有特別o既覺得會有甚麼回報啦,只是求一個安心啦。

但,果真是“意外o既o野,邊有人會預得到呀?”,呢一次我o地就真係o係Amsterdam回香港呢個最後一站,遇上o左飛機因機件故障不能出發呢件事,突然就在當地滯留o左一日。

於是,旅遊保險o既作用就得以發揮啦!

我o既保險賠償機制呢,原來係每十個小時o既滯留賠一千蚊啊啊啊啊啊~~~~~~~

平白多o左一筆額外o既錢,可以幫補一下。

感謝神!在我又開始手緊o既時候(交稅時候又到了),突然又令我有現金可以周轉。

(我都話啦,神要畀o既時候,總係o係你想都想唔到o既時候,用你想都想唔到o既方法,又剛好滿足你o既需要啦。)

講開又講呀,呢一次o既滯留,係o係回程上。

我o地反正都已經無其他o既行程,要玩o既都玩o左,要做o既都做o左,所以除o左我o既同伴們不能如期銷假以外,無做成更大o既傷害。

而且我o地又有航空公司安排o既住宿,有吃有喝o甘,完全沒有突然滯留o既惶恐與彷徨。

而家又有賠償。我覺得神對我們實在是太好了!

當然有人會話,“喂,唔滯留咪仲好?”我又唔係o甘睇o窩,如果明明有機件故障都仲要飛,跌o左落尼咪仲弊?!

所以,神為我o地安排o左o係o個個情況中最好o既,保守o左我o地o既安全,又將我o地o既不便減到最低。o甘仲唔係最好?!

07 January 2008

Jacques-Louis David

Just finished watching the programme "The World In Time - Simon Schama’s Power Of Art: David" aired by ATV tonight.

I admired one of the paintings of David very much: "The Consecration of the Emperor Napoleon".

So, my friend alerted me about this programme via SMS today.

What I love about this painting is its beauty, the realism, but NOT the glossing of Napoleon.

The techniques demonstrated in this painting were beyond words.

Everything is so real, you feel like you could walk into the painting any minute.

And in fact, this was the same comment by Napolean himself at the time.

The techniques are impeccable, yet the message of the painting not commendable.

I always have one principle in relation to art and/or pop art: separate the art from the artist.

I never fall for the artist of a great piece of art just because of the work itself.

This time, it is just so important.

Because the same David painted the "Death of Marat", trying to picture the person, who sent thousands and thousands of fellow Frenchmen to death, as a saint.

To imagine such an act from such a gifted painter - it's simply tragic.

It demonstrated how a person could be corrupted by his desire for power and influence. He was the propaganda machine for the French Revolution which treated bloodsheding as merely the not-so-pretty means to a grand end.

The gift could have been used in glorifying the good and the virtuous, but he chose to gloss over the wrongs, such as this.

This is beautiful, yet deadly.

More about this person at this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques-Louis_David

莫文蔚的“其實我一直都想對你說”

我其實很喜歡莫文蔚的國語歌,他的聲音很纏綿、很有質感、很有感情。

最近的這一首歌,在不知道它的背景的時候,已經很被吸引。聽說是他自己的愛情獨白的時候,就很想知道每一個字在說甚麼。然後,找到這一份歌詞。

很無奈罷,當兩個人對感情的認知有著這樣如雲與泥的分別的時候。
-------------
作詞:李焯雄 作曲:莫文蔚

有一些話從來沒說 以為不說也懂得
我們都害怕太浮誇 這世界又過於虛假

原諒我嗎 你的花 若我沒太多驚訝
總以為激情已昇華 並不是熱情已蒸發

還不想當事業吧 經營規劃它
真的愛不必刻意吧

其是我一直都想親口對你
說你愛我也不容易吧 但是你並不問代價
抱歉我原來還沒親口感謝你 給我力量不懼怕

好聽的話都聽膩吧 錯覺你不需要它
時間匆匆就像流沙 卻想著來日方長嗎

原諒我嗎 當情話 沒電影般的火花
總以為激情已昇華 並不是熱情已蒸發

不想把情緒放大 那太復雜
因為愛不是表演吧

其是我一直都想親口對你說
你愛我也不容易吧 但是你並不問代價
抱歉我原來還沒親口感謝你 給我力量不懼怕

我笑意裡那些淚水和我的歉意
到底可不可以稍稍去彌補 種種不如你期望的酸楚
如果我驚覺我愛你並不夠

其實我一直都想親口對你說
你的愛就是獎勵吧 生命裡額外的長假
抱歉我原來還沒親口感謝你 你就是我要的回答

01 January 2008

新年新願望

噢,每一年都有寫一些新年願望,但都沒有成就過。

所以,今年我只是很簡單的,懷著興奮的心情,看看前面有甚麼在等我。

當然,我希望加人工希望畀靚仔追希望轉到份好工希望身體健康希望香港有民主希望中國有民主希望日本人信主希望媽媽信主希望朋友們都信主希望全球暖化逆轉希望香港的後生一輩能夠自我增值可以繼續保持香港的競爭力希望大家都讀正音希望可以打好高爾夫希望回復一百一十磅重。

希望。。。噢,很多的希望啊。原來我還是有很多的願望的!哈哈哈!

希望以色列巴基斯坦南北韓伊拉克伊朗等等等等都能夠恢復和平。

希望耶穌基督快一點回來。

Countdown fireworks at IFC2

31 December 2007