Dean Gifford

I threw away 2 bags of children toys this evening. I keep the kiwi bird and the 2 doggies because they mean something to me.

The doggies were given to my children by Wellington Policy constable Mr. Dean Gifford when my family was in great distress in mid 1999. Dean was a nice young constable serving at Lower Hutt Policy Station at that time. The 2 doggies were not particularly cute. The children ‘s mother asked me to throw them away a few times but I did not. I told myself if one day I went to Wellington, I should thank Dean in person for helping my family. 

  

The kiwi bird was bought for the children at the airport on the day the family moved back from NZ to HK in Feb 2000. I keep it in the family for our identity.

The children were 3 and 2 when they came to HK. In two months’ time, they will be 20 and 19. There is nothing left in the family because the family has long gone. So was senior policy constable Dean Gifford.  Dean died from a brain tumor in Wellington on 23/08/2012. I was very sad to have known Dean passed away at his prime age.

Dean Gifford will always be in my mind though he is no longer around.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/the-wellingtonian/7540280/Inspiring-Wellington-policeman-dies

http://www.tributes.co.nz/ViewMyListing.aspx?id=8181

夜夜念奴嬌

For those that are as “young” as me may remember Gene Wilder 積·懷德 and  Lando Buzzanca 蘭度·布山卡。They were both film comedians. Gene Wilder passed away this year, whereas Lando Buzzanca is still alive and healthy.

I believe Gene’s best movie was “Young Frankenstein 新科學怪人”. I have seen that movie a few times. I almost forgot Lando Buzzanca, however I would never forget his film “my darling slave 夜夜念奴嬌”.

“My darling slave” was released in Hong Kong in 1973 when I was a secondary school (form 4) student. The impression was particularly deep because at school we just learnt 大江东去浪，then there was the movie 夜夜念奴嬌, though it had no relationship to SuDongBo’s famous poem 念奴嬌. Although the actress was topless in the film, it was a very interesting film in those days. Good news is, this film will be available on YouTube in 4K on 6/01/2017.  Any old boy wishes to recall their old memory may just go see by then.

我不是潘金蓮

最近看過一部國産電影叫“我不是潘金蓮”，引發我一些聯想。

故事是說一個在農村有房的婦女和在城內工作的丈夫約定辦假離婚，待丈夫在單位裡面分配到房之後，他們再復合。誰知道丈夫分到的房子後，就和另外一個女人結了婚。

這個婦女覺得受騙，受到寃屈，所以她就去法院告她的前夫。但是因為她們是遁正規手續辦理離婚的，所以法庭判她們的離婚是正式的，有效的。家庭糾紛，法庭也理不清誰是誰非。

她覺得法官偏袒她前夫。她就去村，縣，市，省，一級一級的告上去，可是每一處都是維持原判。她更覺得是受了寃，連村，縣，市，省等各官員都一起告上去，牽起一連串風波，甚至要買兇殺掉那些“偏袒”她前夫的人。

故事其它不說了，我覺得這電影很寫實，寫實在中國人的心。共產培育下中國人的心，特別是女人。他們不會理事情本身的實質，誰是誰非，輕重，更不會從對方那方面想。只要誰不順她們的意就是她們的敵人，仇人，要用最嚴厲的方法對付，要殺掉他們，甚至用只有女人才想到的狠毒手段來報復。假如她們找到途徑的話，報復，殺人，傷天害理，她們會直幹，天經地義的殺人完全不當做一回事，那會考慮人家也有父母妻兒。

再看看那些男人，從那個婦女去找前夫理論的片段，很寫實地顯示中國男人的無恥。從他們的簡單對話可以見到，女人的前夫不單不承認自己負義，而且還當眾爆私隱，扣帽子，羞辱前妻，令前妻極度難堪無地自容。如果對方沒話柄，他們會捏造，胡扯，亂扣帽子，兼且誣陷對方為自己的行為合法化，因為已經不是說對錯的時候，而是在攻擊對方，連消帶打，令對方忙於為誣告自辯，根本無法取回公道，正中了對方下懷。但其實講到無賴，男人女人都一樣，女人可能更厲害。基本上誰絕情，誰更加無恥誰佔上風。電影中顯示得很清楚。在中國共產社會鬥爭生活了幾十年的中國人，深明此道。今日的中國人，已經不是在禮義之邦下成長的人，他們可以極度自私，狠毒，喪盡天良，不惜一切，只圖利己，這是現代人的寫照。更甚的是，他們絕對不會為自己做的壞事抱半點悔意，而是總覺得打擊對方不夠，心有不甘。當年薛福成所謂“唯恐不盡其類焉”，可就是這個意思吧。現今世代，狠心得道，良心零價。

上述的現象在中國很普遍，很多人無論是男是女，一個不高興，他們覺得是人家虧待了他們，心裡面就想對方死。那管人家曾經如何幫助他們，他們拿取了人家多少恩惠。

寄语大方人，認清不同社會下成長的怪胎。你要他們吃點小虧，他們會要你用命來抵償。

抱負

（ 本文发布于2016年10月25日  我的个人facebook ）

最近在香港最轟動的無過是新一屆立法會議員宣誓風波。十月十九日有朋友問我看法。我無政治立場，不過，如是見聞，略書一二。我的回答是（對於兩位侯任議員的評論）：第一，本身非清操冰雪之士。第二，犯下大禍自知理虧，還厚顏無耻胡扯，是無擔當的人，人格和品格上上了歪路。第三，要露鋒芒，標奇立異，走歪路（就像不脫難以上位），未入局已身先死，自毀政治前途，辜負眾望。 

我所說非清操冰雪的意思是: 你邀請他們去日本你估佢地去不去？當然是去！我絕對唔相信佢兩位從未去過日本。

從所見他們是有智商有情商但就係要搞對抗，要失足。你估真係可以當亞爺無到。亞爺方面最重要是要他們維持現狀，與人憤慨，全城唾罵，但群眾千祈唔無打他們，不然便給他們頭上有了光環。台灣亞扁就是最好的例证。

十月二十五日，在電視新聞看到CY梁評論以司法覆核阻止他們當議員宣誓。As I said before they did not have 擔當。 If they did and considered the big picture， they would have apologised and lessened the damage to themselves and their party。 The following is extracted from one of my blogs in 2011：在民選的政治人物立場，他們對這些事態也非常克制，因為處理不好，非但得不到活動的目的，更甚者失去民眾的支持和日後的選票。個人榮辱事小，不利自已的政黨和失卻支持，便無從組織政府及施展政治抱負。所以不得不克制，越高層次的就更深諳此道。 

兩位年輕民選侯任議員要出位是令其失去議席的基本原因。以他們的學歷，資歷，政治理念，社會經驗等等，社會上較他們優勝的不缺乏，或許真是時勢才令他們在選舉中勝出。他們當然不會承認是僥倖，所以他們完全不懂愛惜羽毛和珍惜較一般人來之不易的機會。他們缺乏政治經驗，不懂什麼是政治但卻與人口實。我敢信他們沒法宣誓成為議員

曹白 Chinese Herrings

曹白(Cao Bai or Chinese Herrings) is a type of white silver scale herring; marine, found inshore, semi-enclosed sea areas and fresh water; able to tolerate lowered salinities.

曹白鹹魚 (Cao Bai Salt Fish) - was originally produced in Hong Kong. As the local catches have become rare, now mostly imported from Bangladesh.

There are two popular species for Chinese salt fish production.

1. Ilisha elongata (or Ilisha),

available in East Asia coast from Soviet's Peter Great Bay to Bay of Bengal and Java Sea.

2. Dussumieria acuta,

available in Indo-Pacific from Persian Gulf, India and Malaysia to Indonesia and the Philippines.

The one pictured here is a fresh water Cao Bai from Yuen Long River of Hong Kong, priced at HK$600 per catty ~ 604 grams, those that are from Bangladesh usually priced at HK$480 per catty.

Gourmets prefer the Hong Kong local catches though it is dearer. The common way is to fry in low temperature until golden brown, and then add sugar and brown vinegar to suit individual taste. Gourmets always love Cao Bai. Once tasted, you would have no regrets in life.