The World of Tai Tai

I am joining a language camp at Eastwood Valley.  It is English in camp under British Council Connecting Classrooms.  A group of 40 students from different schools were selected to join the camp.  I am one of the 15 teachers chosen as coordinators. Some of them are outstanding teachers who have always been chosen to represent Malaysia in international conferences.  They are no doubt impressive, but there is a teacher who really stands out among them.  He is a young Chinese teacher from SMK Lutong, by the name of Eugene. I am impressed by how observant and active he is in every activity.  He makes short notes and many succinct comments in beautiful English. I know many young English teachers in Miri but none of them comes close to his level of proficiency.  His English is like his body, which is tough and muscular from regular workouts. Sitting next to him, I feel so little  and insignificant.  I don't have any of his proactive qualities....

李教授跟着大家笑，笑完了，他说： 　　“我看，经过一个漫长的暑假，大家都没有上课的准备，也没有上课的心情，我今天不讲书，而说个有关心理影响的故事给你们听！”上课听故事！太妙了！高 凌风用手托着下巴，瞅着李教授，竖起了耳朵。“首先声明，这是个真实的故事！”李教授认真的望着台下。“这故事可以证明人类心理作用对人的影响力有多 大！”他沉吟了一下，开始说故事，“有一个逃犯，被判了死刑，执刑的日子也快到了。于是，这逃犯在一个深夜里，冒死越狱，翻墙逃走了。他这一跑，惊动了守 夜警卫，顿时警铃狂鸣，警犬也被放了出来，成群的警察，出来搜捕他。逃犯不住的奔跑，他听到警哨声，犬吠声，人声，呼喝声……他不要命的狂奔，穿过了树 林，荒野，山地，他一直跑，不停的跑，这样连跑了一夜一天，到第二天夜里，他已经筋疲力尽，终于跑到一个农庄，看到了一个草堆，他靠在草堆上，再也支持不 住，睡着了。”教授停了停，满教室静悄悄的，都在等着听下文。高凌风专注的望着教授。“他睡着后，就开始做恶梦，”李教授继续说：“梦到自己正被成群的警 察从四面八方包围了，高叫着要他投降，否则要开枪了。他仍然企图逃亡，就在举步要跑时，各方面的枪弹向他集中扫射，一枪正中心脏，他倒下来，死了。梦到这 儿，他的人也真的从草堆上倒下来，真的死了。事实上，警察并没有发现他，也没有任何枪弹射中他，他的死亡，完全是受心理影响，可见心理影响之大！”故事完 了，李教授笑盈盈的站在那儿，同学们开始窃窃私议。很好的故事！高凌风想着，用铅笔在笔记本上乱划，只是……只是……只是有点儿不对头！忽然间，他恍然大 悟，发现这故事的“矛盾”之处了。从座位上直跳了起来，他嚷着： 　　“李教授，这故事不可能是真的！” 　　“为什么？”李教授微笑的望着他。 　　“您说，他梦到自己被打死，就真的死了。”他站在那儿，手舞足蹈的说：“他在死之前，并没有机会把自己的梦讲给别人听，是不是？那么，除了他自己之外，谁知道他做了那个梦呢？所以，这故事完全不能成立！” 　　李教授笑了起来，他看来又开心又得意。 　　“你对了！”他说，直视着高凌风。“这其实是个智力测验，我说出来和你们开个玩笑，没料到，你的反应这么快，你叫什么名字？”“高凌风！”“高凌 风？”李教授赞许的念着这名字，深深的看了他一眼，似乎在用心记牢他的脸孔。“很好，高凌风，你相当聪明！你念什么系？”...

The sun was shining brightly across the campus. 　　 Gao Ling Fung was trotting in the direction of his lecture room. On both sides of the pavement were clumps of banyan trees with sprawls of dripping boughs.   Their advanced age reminded him of an ancient, wise scholar. He gazed at the trees and leapt up to pluck a newly sprung bud. In a flash he caught sight of the bright sunlight over the branches, which penetrated the thick foliage like golden lances.   He jumped up for a second time and grabbed a ‘fistful’ of the lances, as though securing some sunlight in his hand.     Happiness spread through his limbs and he hummed the tunes of any songs that came randomly to his mind---- the likes of ‘To Sir With Love’, ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’ and ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’. 　　 That was Gao Ling Fung for you, so excessively lively and cheerful, just like his best friend Xu Kewei had described ： 　　 “There is spring under Gao Ling Fung’s feet.   H ...

I have decided to give myself an assignment, that is to translate the first chapter of my favourite Chinese novel 'Nu Peng Yu'. 校园里的阳光灿烂的照射着。 　　高凌风在校园中快步的“走”着。小径上，那些合抱的老榕树，都低垂着枝桠，拖长了那些像胡须般的气根，像一个个庄重的老学究。他望着那些树木，忍不住 就跳起身来，去摘取枝头的一片新绿。这一跳之下，就可以看到那穿过密叶的阳光，像一缕缕闪亮的金线。于是，忍不住，他再跳了一下，对那些金线抓了一把，似 乎已掬牢了一把“阳光”。“紧握”着这把阳光，他心中的喜悦就从四肢百骸里往外扩散。于是，他哼起歌来。什么“吾爱吾师”，什么“雨点打在我头上”，什么 “恶水上的大桥”，哼得个过瘾。 　　就是这样，像他的好友徐克伟说的： 　　“高凌风的脚底有弹簧，他不能走，只能蹦蹦跳跳。高凌风的喉咙里还有上了弦的发条，随时随地，发条一开，他就会引吭高歌起来！”有什么不好？他耸耸 肩，继续哼着、跳着。校园里有两个女生经过，她们在注意他，悄悄的谈论他，他装不知道，满不在乎的。头抬得更高，背挺得更直，一路跳跃着去摘取树叶……穿 过了小径，前面是空敞的草坪，没有老榕树了，他仰望着那无垠的蓝天，和那些白得诱人的云朵，他就真想一直飞跃上去，把那些白云全挽在手里，抱在怀里。李白 是什么人？李白是唐朝人！唐朝人怎有现代人的思想和气魄！“俱怀逸兴壮思飞，欲上青天揽日月！”真岂有此理！那个李白把他高凌风的“豪情”全偷走了！ 　　奔过草坪，教室正耸立在那儿，两大排建筑物，雄赳赳，气昂昂的！每年每年，多少学子进来，多少人才出去。他呢，进来了两年，离出去还有两年，大学三年 级！徐克伟说的；该找女朋友的年龄了。女朋友？徐克伟满心只有女朋友，可惜的就是“没缘分”！他高凌风呢？总是对女孩子“有点儿意思”，却从来不被“捕 捉”。他不相信什么“痴情”“狂热”的那一套，女孩子就是女孩子，是生活里的点缀品。千万别和她们认真，如果你被“捉住”，你就惨了！徐克伟不懂这个道 理，所以，徐克伟就该痛苦！ 　　冲进了教室，糟了，又是最后一个到！教室中已坐满了人，心理学，真不知道选修心理学的人怎么这样多，他东张西望的找着空位子，徐克伟...

 思念總在分手後 想要瀟灑地揮一揮衣袖　卻拂不去長夜怔忡的影子 　遂於風中劃滿了你的名字　思念總在分手後開始 Repeat ＊ ＃想要將你的身影纏綿入詩　詩句卻成酸苦的酒汁 　還由不得你想淺嚐即止　因為思念總在分手後開始 Absence Has Made the Heart Grow Fonder With a casual wave of the sleeve, I try but can't wave away your shadow The wind is full of the scribbles of your names, your absence has made my heart grow fonder Repeat* Trying to compose a poem on your shadow, but the verses become a tart, bitter wine I cannot help myself from sipping the liquid, and realize that your absence has made my heart grow fonder.

Wild Lily Also Blooms In Spring Time 彷彿如同一場夢　我們如此短暫的相逢 你像一陣春風輕輕柔柔吹入我心中 而今何處是你往日的笑容　記憶中那樣熟悉的笑容 你可知道我愛你想你怨你念你深情永不變 難道你不曾回頭想想昨日的誓言 就算你留戀開放在水中嬌豔的水仙 別忘了山谷裡寂寞的角落裡　野百合也有春天 啦......啦......啦..... Like a dream, our rendezvous was so short You are like a gust of spring breeze that blows gently into my heart Where is your smile of the distant past? The one I have been missing Despite the fact that I blame you many times in my heart, my love  for you has never changed Have you ever looked back and thought of the vow we made before? No matter how besotted you are with the beautiful narcissus in the water Never forget that in the lonely corner of the valley, the wild lily also blooms in spring time. la.....la.....la.....

Papa was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in June, and he has been on strict medication since.  It gives me a heartache to see his body jerk and shake.  How I wish I could suffer on his behalf.

The Bangkita Tamu in Limbang By Lo Sin Yee                                              “Encik, all my ferntops are freshly-picked. One bunch, one ringgit .” “Taukeh, my catfish are fat and succulent. They are very delicious . ” “My snake fruits are sweet and crunchy. One kilo, only four ringgit.”                  At 9 a.m, the sun was already high above the horizon.   Ng, Robin and I were weaving our way through thick crowds of bargain hunters.     On both sides of us, vegetables, fruit, fish and whatnot were heaped like mini mountains on newspapers and tarpaulin sheets.   Everywhere we went, friendly vendor...