Author: experiencetoday

Jojo Moyes
English articles

We all Live Here

experiencetoday

I hadn’t really spent much time reading for months, but recently, I swapped my workout routine and hours spent on YouTube for some quality reading time. One of the two fiction books I devoured over the weekend was “We All Live Here” by Jojo Moyes.

Honestly, I can be pretty impatient, so diving into Jojo Moyes’ books is sometimes a bit of a challenge for me. She takes her time to build her characters, often starting off with some heavy themes that can feel pretty sad. There were moments when I struggled to process all the emotional turmoil the characters were going through, and I almost gave up. The “Me Before You” series, however, stands out as an exception to this.

If I can get through about a quarter of her books, I usually start to connect with the story and my interest kicks in. That’s when I really pick up the pace with my reading.

With “We All Live Here,” I found myself getting frustrated—just like the main character, Lila. Life can be so complicated and uncertain, and when I read, I want to find joy, humour, and some wisdom. I prefer not to immerse myself in the deep troubles faced by the characters.

Did some parts of the story feel familiar? For sure! Certain scenes reminded me of shows like Desperate Housewives, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, or even Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. But this story of “We all Live Here”  is more grounded and focuses on everyday life rather than big drama.

In the end, while the story concludes on a positive note, I felt that Jojo Moyes could have invested more chapters in exploring the characters’ development of their affections for one another. The transition from a troubled beginning to a happy ending felt somewhat rushed and lacked the depth needed to truly resonate with readers. This shift didn’t quite capture the emotional journey that could have made the resolution more impactful and heartfelt.

55 steps movie
English articles

55 Steps 

experiencetoday

It’s not difficult to find people sharing horror stories about receiving treatment in a psychiatric ward. People mainly complain that they lack privacy and freedom, and they feel a loss of respect in the ward, which makes their conditions even worse. Someone told me that she wanted to erase the painful experience and would never want to return to the ward. I could see that she functions normally and participates in community activities like everyone else, but she simply is not able to hold a job. When we went out fundraising for a non-profit organization on a Saturday morning, she worked harder than we did and raised a good amount of money from people on the street.

A few days ago, I came across the movie “55 Steps,” but the opening scene was so disturbing to me that I found it painful and hurtful to continue watching. Instead, I did some research online to learn about the true story behind it.

The movie touches on an important topic: “patient-informed consent.” Do we ask for information about the pros and cons of a treatment or medication before deciding whether to proceed? A cancer patient can choose whether or not to undergo chemotherapy. Should psychiatric patients, if admitted voluntarily, have the right to informed consent and the choice of which medications they receive?

Eleanor Riese was diagnosed with schizophrenia in her 20s and was admitted to the hospital as a voluntary patient for her mental health issues. The opening scene depicts her struggle with healthcare workers attempting to restrain her and administer medication via injection, which she refused. Her body trembled under the effects of the powerful psychiatric drugs. The treatment demonstrated that the facility did not respect patients’ preferences, and the approach appeared to be forceful.

This incident occurred merely 30+ years ago. Psychiatric patients are not devoid of feelings; they are highly sensitive and particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of their surroundings. Eleanor could hardly bear the treatment and reached out to a human rights lawyer, Colette Hughes. She decided to challenge the healthcare protocol by filing a lawsuit.

Thanks to Eleanor, she made dedicated efforts to fight for the basic right to informed consent and the ability to refuse psychiatric medication in the absence of an emergency. She managed to push the system to evolve based on her own experiences. Sadly, it was too late to reverse the damage caused by the side effects of the psychiatric medication, and she died at the age of 47 in 1991.

loveyourlife
English articles

Love Your Life

experiencetoday

Have I ever truly asked myself, “Do I love my life?” I think I have not. I often choose bread over love, as it provides me with a comforting sense of security. The feeling of love brings immense joy and happiness, yet it is accompanied by the potential for deep sadness when a relationship crumbles.

I was taken aback by a reality program featuring two strangers who marry without ever meeting or knowing anything about each other beforehand. They encounter one another for the first time while walking down the aisle. It seems absolutely absurd.

Sophie Kinsella’s book Love Your Life paints a captivating scenario where a man and a woman fall in love without knowing each other’s names or backgrounds, relying solely on their interaction and chemistry. In contrast to this romantic ideal, they soon realize that their lives exist on entirely “separate continents”, and they grapple with the challenge of making their relationship work.

What I find particularly enchanting is how Sophie depicts her characters as wonderfully eccentric individuals who bravely follow their hearts in their quest to build a connection. It’s reminiscent of trying to mix water and oil; how can such opposing elements ever blend harmoniously? Clearly, they are not perfect. They are not living the lives they aspire to have. To some extent, many of us find ourselves in similar predicaments for a multitude of reasons. We are all imperfect beings.

I am profoundly moved by their honesty with one another, and I admire how they take the time to reflect on their actions and strive for change. Such moments of introspection are often rare in many relationships.

Just as oil and water can create a beautiful dish when combined thoughtfully, so too can a perfect dough be crafted for baking exquisite bread.

It’s truly a stroke of genius to narrate this story without coming across as preachy. The tone is light-hearted and humorous, making for an enjoyable read that I savored last week.

On a more somber note, I was saddened to learn that the author, Sophie, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. I sincerely hope I still have the opportunity to relish her future works.

Wishing her good health and strength!

typhoon
Chinese articles

超前預報

experiencetoday

樺加沙風暴迎面而來，政府以極超前的姿態部署，有帶頭的作用，機構和市民都於星期六日開始準備，網上的資訊是有點誇張，國內和澳門的部署方式，香港只能參考5成。畢竟香港是一個福地，基建設備都比較周全，結果是，一如以往，杏花邨、大澳和沿岸等地區影響較嚴重，美孚地點也不是太應風。

我十分感恩，烈風未如最初預計般令人驚慌，只是大風大雨，打亂了計劃中的大型活動，但感恩的是，講者更有心更改原有的會議，配合慶祝活動的新日期，令工作未至於太繁複。

話說起，近年來的氣候改變顯示於香港頻頻出現颱風身上。九月底，還有一個颱風向著南海進發。

小時候，我期待8號颱風的來臨，但今年真的來得太密，實在難以消化，令活動策劃起來多了許多不確定性。

天文台的超前預報可能是幫助企業和團體準備應變的一大工具，但早一日預報下一天一至三時掛十號波，是否太有自信？

poo poo
Chinese articles

糞便治療

experiencetoday

我最初聽到躁鬱症(bi-polar)時，是遇到某人訴說他妻子患有此精神病，他好像心愛她，但又顯得無奈，記得他說過妻子曾以刀指向他，她不願意吃藥，他感到無能為力。

部分精神病人就算吃藥，其狀況也欠佳，不願起床做事，或情緒波動。

偶然看到一位躁鬱症患者敍述自己的康復經歷。她幸運地遇到心愛她的伴侶，不離不棄地照顧她，他閱讀相關文獻，發現發現糞便經移植後，會影響或改善另一個人的健康情況。大抵在無計可施的情況下，他決定不妨一試，把自己的糞便「消毒」後，以由下以上的方式移植到患者身上，經過一段時間後，他的伴侶居然有全新的感覺，康復起來，並一年來都沒有復發，終於可以彌補生活中的缺憾，兩人結婚，她讀書及建立事業。

當然，要醫生和社會接受糞便療法是不容易，藥廠也不會想投資，病人好起來，他們如何賣藥？

不過，這證明了腸道與腦部健康的關連性。

就正如不少人有腹易激的問題，其實這與腸內菌狀失平衡有關。

原來，壓力積聚，會令腸子有如打結般！

以糞便製成的藥丸可能令人難以接受，但這可能給予一些病人一點希望，我希望大學和政府會支持這方面的研究，畢竟，自然治療可能會讓人體較容易接受和吸收。

Justice
Chinese articles

公義與公平

experiencetoday

談起舊事，有時對一些事情是否太執著，還是真的令人看不過眼？應從何說起？

還記得一位優秀的同事給人針對，我對於她無法發圍而感到可惜，不過她離開後，也能幹一番事業，有個開心家庭。另一位我敬佩她的同事不計較工作，在人手短缺的情況下，努力落手落腳辦事，心感佩服，但在一些事情中，我感到機構對少數族裔的看法有點偏差，可幸的是，她回國工作，並已退休了。

為何有人可以私相授受，就有如美國總裁，公私不分明，就算為人詬病，也當作耳邊風，有民眾支持。近日，又有購水事件，令人質疑採購用品的公正性。我也知道有機構以巨額聘請自己親屬當厚職，甚至退休後請回當顧問，難道這不會令大家起疑心？不過，機構內也有部門同樣請了親信一起做事，這就構成管治的問題了。

其實，許多大公司也會有員工推薦朋友和親屬入職，但在人力資源政策上就要訂下守則，在遴選過程中要有板有眼，不能掉以輕心；聘用條件也要訂下準則，這才能令人心服。

現實上國家與國家的談判也不是對等，美國對其他國家以強加關稅作威嚇，就足以令人嗤之以鼻；南美國家的管治差勁，以至嚇怕民眾，迫使他們作大遷徙，我也有種感到心痛的感覺。

未知道許多年前大家推崇的烏托邦在哪裡呢?

hill fire
Chinese articles

當局者的聲音

experiencetoday

廿多年前發生的事，以今天的準則去判斷，是否公平?究竟我們認識歷史要做什麼?是要學習和希望矯枉過正? 網上不少評論對當天事情的不實猜測，實在令人失望。

當然，歷史事實，莫過於當事人最清楚，當然執筆者的視角也會影響其他人對事情的看法。

若所有牽涉其中的受傷者和救傷者不發聲，就只得靠著一些報道和訪問去了解事件。社交媒體的出現，就好像要把沉默的一群推一把，因為網上的打手可能會推弱者推到牆角，令強者越強，弱者透不過氣。

八仙嶺山火一事再次被討論，有民安隊隊員周先生勇敢發言，我認為他清晰地表達了起火原因是同學玩火所致，當中的內容突顯出事件的嚴重程度，令到見慣風雨的民安隊隊員也經歷了短暫的心理創傷。

譚加發身為一個平民百姓，背著嚴重燒傷而十分驚慌的女同學，其心理陰影可能更大，況且他只是一個行山友，事後並沒有得到任何心理支援。大家為何要攻擊這個弱者？

周先生的整個訪問真誠，也留有餘地，最深刻的是他提及到 : 最難過的事，有些人可能做錯了事，可能社會、可能這個世界、可能神、上帝已經寬恕了你一次，現在再翻炒的時候，是不是再一次給你機會去救贖自己的靈魂，讓這個世界再寬恕一次呢。心靈的救贖可能要由勇於承認開始，再求天與地寬恕。

fire hazards
Chinese articles

對英雄的敬意

experiencetoday

還記得許多年前，我對八仙嶺山火慘劇的最深印象是張潤衡，他是一名學生，皮膚被嚴重燒傷，手指也被燒壞了。我為這名學生的經歷難過，也為一眾師生遇上山火而死去和受傷感到驚訝。

事過境遷，有節目討論當天的調查，發現當天有學生吸煙，可能是山火的源頭，張潤衡也在當天有吸煙。

多年來，張潤衡得到我對他的憐憫，也學有所成，獲得傑青和其他獎項，成家立業，似乎他得到上天的眷顧。

2025年的今日，我對事情加深認識，反而為捨身救人的譚加發感到婉惜，他毫不畏懼上山救人，但卻因自責和當天的創傷而自殺。

原來，外表的好好先生，背後可能有不為人知的故事，有些人能成功克服過去的傷痛和烙印，華麗轉身後再向自己的目標出發；一些人卻對過去有種執著，揮之不去的情感變成了自己的敵人。

究竟好人如何學習心安理得?

graduation
Chinese articles

畢業奇景

experiencetoday

許多年沒有進入大學校園，很幸運有機會再次踏入校園參觀。

城市大學位於香港的市中心點，鄰近市中心的港鐡站，出港鐡站後，到達大型商場，便有專用通道連接大學入口。

不過大學的建築物十分密集，我個人認為少了一份大學的仙氣；跟中文大學、香港大學和科技大學等自成一角，旁邊有著翠綠樹木環抱，感覺是截然不同的，也多了一份都市味。

從前返大學時，有時要在山頂去山腳上堂，又或由本部到山頂上，也許是匆忙一點，但環境實在優美，趕起路來，身心十分舒暢，更有機會看到海景。就算上碩士班，大學位於市區，建築物之間的距離縮短，但也是以戶外空間為主。

入到城市大學，發現不少地方都設有枱和座椅，讓同學可以坐下休息、看書和聊天，亦因應畢業禮而置放了許多道具、背景和校名擺設，顯然比從前的大學年代，經費充裕。

其中7成的打卡位都是位於戶內的。

同學們攜同朋友或家人落力地打卡。

我訂製了公仔作相片用；對於有同學為自己訂製二拉架，把相片和名字放在二拉架的海報上，真的很愕然，同學真的很有表現慾! 也有同學手持橫額影相!

我只可說一聲:青春無限創意。

看到新一班同學畢業，卻又不急著找工作，他們不感到幸福嗎?

swimming
Uncategorized

游水自癒

experiencetoday

星期日又如常去游水，泳池的人不多，有三分一的泳客都是熟悉的臉孔。數年前，病倒了，在身體慢慢恢復體力時，便重新練習泳水，由15米開始，到20米、25米，以至成功一口氣游50米池，感到水池有給我療癒的感覺，曾經不間斷地每星期差不多日日試游，感覺良好，隨著泳得更起，自信心也增加少許。

十年前，去遊船河從不下水，直至數年前，大膽嘗試一下。當然穿上救生衣，並依附著救生圈游水。當水怪的您不要笑我，船上也有多位朋軰誓不跳船，只是用腳感受海水也免!

兩年前，又一次出海，船上有數位不懂游水，但又只靠著浮條游水的朋友，我心想不如我也試試，試了一分鐘後，心裡要為自己鼓掌，但不久隨著海浪大起來的時候，還是要多一點安全措施。

上月，到朋友會所游水，水温30度，真是暑熱散不去，冬天到泳池游水，下水是要一點膽量的，但十經過分鐘的熱身過去後，會感到微暖的血液在身體內流動，極舒暢的。

今個月快要下海了，我希望再試一下抱著浮條，在大海包圍的自由感覺。

graduation
Chinese articles

六月的悶氣

experiencetoday

與日本朋友的通信是斷斷續續的，或許她事忙，近日，我想把拖延近2個月的旅行計劃再次跟她傾談，原來她家裡發現大事，這又證明許多時，社交平台上的消息只顯示單方面的訊息，更是報喜不報憂。

有時，人與人之間的友誼不知為何會無疾而終，有時會為此感到可惜。不過，人與人的相處是講求感覺和緣分，未必是理性的，也沒有公式可尋。

上半年，身邊已有3位朋友、同學和朋友家人離世。我只是壯年，但卻忽然在短短數年間，越來越多我認識深刻的人離開，只有歎幾聲、無奈人生無常!

有人說人生不公平，其實我們又對其他人的背後故事和真實生活知道多少。

想找一個不太累的晚上哭一遍，舒發內心的不安和悲傷。

伴隨這些傷感的消息是喜悅，買了畢業公仔，認識這個叫「阿呆」的畢業生; 友人將有家居的小天地，以及香港足球隊首次在啟德登場，在眾志成城的氣氛而告捷，擊敗印度。

期望下半年會有更多開心事。

control
Chinese articles

如何操控日子?

experiencetoday

近日傳來大學同學的死訊，感到有點難以相信，消息已慣常地由手機訊息傳來，這種突如其來的感覺，少了一點慢慢消化的過程，欠缺面對面傾訴的渠道。

這次的主角是一位高材生，温文爾雅，鵝蛋臉、直短髮，是一個書生，許多年來都做著同一份工作，讀書時，我以為她會做政府工，但她卻幹著節目製作的工作。 

離開大學後，與她沒有聯絡，但她的樣子仍然刻在我的腦海中，朋友不時提起她。

半年內，一個朋友、一個舊同學離去，感到現實太多人和是事是我們控制不了的。

過去的執著，到現在了解自己更多，當中經歷了許多心路歷程。剛去玩的葡萄牙旅程，又重新認識朋友的狀況，原來短短數年，大家的身體狀況已經不一樣。

記得中學時候，我由家跨區上學，由山腰，再經過工厰區、上數十級樓梯上山，20分鐘順利完成。現在我反個來20分鐘慢步由山腰步到地鐡站，多留意周邊綠色樹木和清新空氣，是不一樣的心態。

2025的今天，我會對從前的自己說，不要擔憂明天的日子，因為沒有人會知道社會會如何發展，自己會如何改變，做好要幹的事便可。

uncertainty
English articles

Uncertainty

experiencetoday

In my journey to Portugal and Spain, I did not miss out on an exciting adventure. I felt I was blessed somehow. 

A few days after returning home, Istanbul experienced a 6.0 magnitude earthquake which did not cause a lot of damage but could give one a shock. I took a connecting flight in Istanbul to Lisbon and back to Hong Kong.

I then found out that the airport in Istanbul was designed to be earthquake-proof against 8.0 magnitude. Maybe that’s the reason shops at the airport charge massive amounts for a piece of bread or burgers.  

Last evening, everyone shared with me the news about the massive power outage in Portugal and Spain. That’s scary! I once thought about leaving Hong Kong before the Easter holiday and coming back in early May. 

We had a power cut at the Porto’s apartment we were staying; however, it was an easy fix. If I had still stayed there with my friends at the end of April, where would I be? Porto? Galicia? That could leave us in a panic and a catastrophic kind of adventure. 

People’s minds feel unrest in this century full of uncertainty.  I feared nothing when I travelled at a young age. I saw peace. I smelt simplicity. I adored friendship. Now I sense hidden risks at the corner of the streets or a sense of insecure feeling when a few young people stare at us on an unfamiliar land. 

That might be the reason I want to travel with someone at my age now.  More people seek a spiritual home where they can trust and feel safe.

dying
Chinese articles

離別

experiencetoday

當我二十歲多時，一位跟我們一起打高爾夫球的年輕人突然離世，雖然他不算是我的朋友，但感到十分錯愕和可惜。他的女友在遠方，想起他的媽媽白頭人送黑頭人，心酸的感覺從心還湧出來。

星期初的一個駭人消息令我措手不及。是的，朋友是病了，我也知道她身體的癌細胞擴散了。然而，一個多月前，我們跟她相聚，她還滿腹大計，想找新屋搬。上月底，她告訴我們壞消息，我心知她最終會離我們而去，但另一友人的爸爸也與肝癌細胞獨鬥，還堅持了數年才離開家人。她怎麼會這麼快不辭而別!

2025年年初，我們見到她時，她的心態好像很正面，化療是有副作用，但入睡沒問題，亦沒有嘔吐的問題，故此我也沒有太多的擔心，現在回想起來，不知道是否她處之泰然，還是呈強而已，又或是沒有吐出真言，讓大家安心。

她離世的消息是在早上9時多由手機傳來，我猜想這是什麼一回事，我毫無準備，但最後沒有勇氣問她的姐姐詳細的病況。畢竟，她剛由美國回港，身心都累了，要辦的事多著呢。

儘使我渴求了解更多，當明白到她姐姐的處境時，我也按捺這份求知的心，遲一點再聯絡她吧！

星期二，多謝朋友聽我的傾訴，眼淚是我紓發內心傷心的渠道，就正如寫日記一樣。在晚闌人靜的晚上，談起這事，眼淚告訴我真實的感情，傷感打從內心滲透出來。

事到如今，希望她藉著解脫以遠離痛苦，在一片平靜的土地上享受平安。

謝謝聽我訴說內心的感受，原來陪伴是一種安慰和力量。

rosalie
Chinese articles

女兒長鬍子

experiencetoday

在1870年代的法國，Rosalie是一位與眾不同的年輕女性，但她隱藏著一個秘密。

出嫁時，她戰戰兢兢，不時補妝。原來她出生時全身覆蓋著毛髮，是一位真正的鬍鬚女兒，她不想成為馬戲團的怪胎表演者，父親也認為女兒嫁人成功便完成任務了。

未知她曾經嫁人失敗而敗走而回，這次父親把女兒帶到一個小村莊的工人家中，成全這場婚事。父親到村後，恐怕露出馬腳，便來去沖沖地走了。

Rosalie，一直以來都隱藏著自己的特異之處，為了融入社會而剃掉臉上的毛髮，所以，欠債的酒吧老闆Abe是l在不知情的情況下娶了她，期望能獲得她的嫁妝，及娶得賢妻成家立室。

然而，入門第一個晚上，Abel便發現這個新娘嚇人的秘密。他想是倒運吧!然而，她有家返不得，Abel也感到無奈，酒吧亦了無生意。

Rosalie權宜之計，不如待自己留著鬍鬚，吸引村民的好奇心吧，心想生意必定大增。奈何，那有丈夫想靠賴妻子賺錢，讓妻子被人評頭品足呢?自己也可能變成笑柄。

無奈的是，Rosalie是一個果斷的女子，她奮力地希望被人看見真正的自己，而不再需要隱藏自己與別不同的一面。

一個月後，Rosalie以另一個姿勢出現，真的為酒吧招徠不少生意，但她拒絶之前的承諾，不再剃掉鬍鬚了。奇怪的是，她似乎得到村民的受落，丈夫慢慢接納了她，兩人進一步探索內心世界，但好景不常，最後換來悲哀的收場。Rosalie的角色是參考20世紀的Clémentine Delait，Clémentine的收場沒有這樣慘烈，也活到過70多歲。不過我認為Rosalie一角的性格突出，獨立之餘，也果斷過人，散發出中國古代小說中的一股傲氣。

KAJ
English articles

What a song is like about sauna?

experiencetoday

When the song “Revolution” was released on the internet, I was 100% percent sure that Mans Zelmerlow would grab the trophy at the Melodifestivalen. The song follows the classic Sweden pop song formula, which should be a Eurovision fans’ favourite. Look at its stage production. It is meticulously designed and will leave fans an impactful memory of the performance. 

I am not particularly pleased to see Mans Zelmerlow at Eurovision again, though he’s an icon. The song is not a total breakthrough. It creates fireworks but not excitement.

After finding out the news that NAPA won the Festival da Canção 2025, the news of KAJ winning also popped up on the internet.  

I hadn’t followed Melodifestivalen, therefore had no clue about KAJ. 

To my big surprise, Bara bada bastu (Let’s just go to sauna) is nothing like a Swedish pop song, but a truly fun song about sauna. The staging is excellent. Why did KAJ write a song about sauna which originated in Finland?

The band is actually based in Finland, though the group performs mostly in Swedish. How amazing it is that Sweden finally sends a song in their own language rather than English!

After all, Eurovision is the best occasion for fans to appreciate European languages other than English.

In the meantime, I just wonder if fans now prefer more honest and genuine performances like KAJ or NAPA while the highly commercial songs are pursued, but to a lesser extent.  

festival da cancao
English articles

Festival da Canção 2025

experiencetoday

There is almost no way to avoid getting to know the result before watching the recap of the football match or a singing contest with the prevalence of social media and news online.

My hopes are high for the contestants at this year’s Festival da Canção , and I had thought that either Josh, Diana Vilarinho or Fernando Daniel would be the champion. But to my big surprise, Napa won. The curiosity drives me to dig deeper to learn about the truth – how special is this song?  What is Napa? 

While Josh’s Tristeza looped playing in my head for two weeks. The song “Medo”  appeared to fight with Tristeza in my head from time to time.

I have to admit that Tristeza’s performance was weak from the perspective of lyrics and staging. The staging was shocking that Josh was hanging in the air performance with one hand grabbing a long pole. It’s not a pole dance where you can move again. Being confined to a pole, Josh’s posture is rather limited and so do the camera angles. I truly hoped he could win, and the staging would be elevated, but the song started to hurt me a bit, like the “title” – sadness. It is a bit too emotional and too dark for Eurovision and everyday listening.  I didn’t add it to my playlist for this reason. 

Fernando’s song talks about fears (medo) and his staging is the most well-planned one, and he did as much as he could to win the vote, like touring around before the singing contest. The song is, indeed, mediocre. I consider his performance was not genuine enough. However, I’d prefer this to Cotovia by Diana Vilarinho as the Eurovision audience will embrace Medo more than Cotovia. 

Anyway, the singing contest mimics the voting situation as in Eurovision. Judging from regions means Algarve judges giving 12 points to a band from Algarve, and Madeira judges fully supporting Napa who comes from this island. 

Well, the song Deslocado by Napa is on my playlist as it’s simple and easy to listen to. I realised the lyrics are about the hard feelings of leaving Madeira for another place. Many Portugueseans leave the country for work, and I guess many audiences resonate with this familiar feeling. 

I must say I’m not disappointed with the result but very surprised that Deslocado won the hearts of many others. 

When I watched the replay of the festival, I could see the taste of the Portuguese judges was very distinct. They favoured traditional songs that the audience in the modern days won’t be favouring.  

Somehow, Portuguese audiences were conservative. Henka got the highest vote but some of the traditional contestants still gained a number of supporters. Napa gained 8 points. Who would have thought the band gathered far more support than Fernando Daniel and Josh.

I must say, it’s so hard to predict the result of the Festival da Canção that it makes the contest interesting to watch. 

Away with the penguins
Chinese articles

Away with the penguins

experiencetoday

企鵝是我心愛的動物，每次我到動物園和水族館，都必然要尋找他們的踪跡。他們一身白與黑矮小的打扮實在太可愛，而小企鵝毛茸茸的樣子，可愛得我想尖叫，恨不得立即梳理他們的毛毛，和緊抱他們入懷。

多年前，法國有一部企鵝紀錄片March of the Penguins上映，我乖乖地靜靜在電影院觀看，對企鵝郡的能耐和團結性，簡直肅然起敬。他們的生命力可能比人類強?

踏入春天的悶日，我到圖書館找本閒書看，就被書名Away with the penguins吸引，儘使第一、二個章節的故事起始比較平實和沉悶，80多歲的老太婆、加一個不太聰明的家務助理，實在無法勾起我的閱讀引子。尋回孫兒後，發現他是一個癈青，又真的有什麼令人歡喜之處。

幸好，經過兩星期完成三分一本書後，她終於踏上了去南極的旅程。

故事當然是虛構，然而老太婆對企鵝的迷戀，真的令人會心微笑，加上研究基地的三個科學家又好像比一般科學家更加人性化，之後故事的發展又遇上不幸中的高潮。人與企鵝的非凡交流，就如人將要死去，在充滿光的隧道中選擇去路。

最後，各個故事的主人翁似乎也得到愛和温暖。

雖然這本書沒有給我太大驚喜，但也有其感動之處。

不過，這本書的續集，我應該會放棄閱讀了。

Chinese articles

新BJ單身日記

experiencetoday

兩年沒有入戲院看戲，全因戲院上映的電影沒有很大的吸引力，加上在家看戲已成習慣。一直等到「BJ單身日記；我為仔狂」上映，心情十分興奮。

BJ一角的創作已二十年，但角色的造型和性格卻十分令人難忘，主角BJ樣子只可說是可愛，身材略胖，大部分時間樂天知命，做事有時認真得來、又給人笨手笨腳的感覺，但她絕對逗人喜愛，容易投入去做事和跟陌生人混熟。

她凡事無懼怕，只會努力去衝和敢於嘗試。自尊心有時怕比下去，但她又懂得自我安慰，有打不死的精神。這種性格和造型實在能夠拉近與觀眾的距離，爭取大家的共鳴。

戲院在星期天下午的入座率只有十分之一，入場的大多是中年以上。我坐下來不僅五分鐘，就發覺新一套「BJ單身日記」的最大焦點是BJ的樣子。是的，BJ老了，她臉上充滿著整容的痕迹，Daniel Cleaver也老了許多，胖了和臉上多了皺紋，我卻不介意，不知這是因為他是男演員，還是他自然老的關係。

當然，男主角Roxster喜歡一個可以當他媽媽的BJ，是難以置信的事，但他只是BJ重新振作的一個男朋友，以BJ的戲種而言，沒關係吧！反正只是喜劇一套，賣相吸引便可。

而老師Wallaker愛上BJ，是因為她的愛心和真性情？

她坦率的性格確是遠比一些在老師面前裝作嚴肅的父母，感覺容易相處得多，但彼此發展為情侣就難以說得過去。伴侶與男朋友是有差別的。

我喜歡的是BJ回想起Darcy照顧孩子的片段，如今，她用同一番話語給孩子鼓勵，與他們相處；一家人又用文字繫著汽球為逝去的爸爸傳達說語。

Wallaker老師對Billy說，他不會忘記爸爸，並以爸爸喜歡的歌曲，唱給媽媽聽，小朋友的舉動是教人驚訝的。

上一集BJ單身日記，大家以為是一個終結，我希望「我為仔狂」是最後一套，因為Darcy 是單身日記的重點之一，當BJ失去其吸引力後，而Darcy消失，Daniel Cleaver又變成一個配角時，其實也毋須為賣書賣片作藉口來繼續拖延。

English articles

Think outside of marriage

experiencetoday

Sex scandals are often the twin sisters of powerful people, including CEOs, lawmakers, and presidents. The movie Babygirl shows this through Nicole Kitman, a CEO who finds herself irresistibly drawn to Samuel, an intern who sees her true self. The film looks at their complicated relationship, showing the vulnerabilities and temptations that accompany positions of power. 

To be honest, I fail to see Nicole Kitman as a CEO in the movie. It’s hard to believe that she would personally involve herself in the company’s internship programme. How can a CEO be so naive as to form an emotional connection with an intern? This situation reminds me of Bill Clinton, who famously engaged in an extramarital relationship with an intern, which dominated the headlines. While the intern may not have been conventionally attractive, she was perhaps more accessible to his needs.

I’ve observed married men attempting to flirt with women in the workplace, and another man seeking out “fun” cautiously. The label of “married” can create a mental barrier, yet it doesn’t always prevent individuals from betrayal.

The movie Nova and Alice also explores the theme of affairs developing during a tour. Chemistry ignites between two people, even if one is in a stable relationship. Such relationships can sometimes feel mundane, lacking excitement and spontaneity. It’s difficult to determine if stepping outside a stable relationship is inherently wrong.

Ultimately, a true partner is someone who supports you when you’re unwell, and that support is the most important aspect of any relationship.