徐悲鴻

p. 14

業精於勤荒於嬉

p. 21

人不可有傲氣, 但不能無傲骨

一個人到了山窮水盡的地步而能夠自拔, 才不算懦弱啊!

p. 33

你的祖國正在蒙受恥辱, 作為一個身異邦求學的中國人, 應該更加努力. 你要有志氣, 因為立志是事業的大門啊!

p. 38

做人要真誠, 要有自信, 不要拾棄真理而屈從別人

p. 45-46

借田橫威武不屈、富貴不淫的高亮氣節, 來貶斥當今社會上那些追名逐利、毫無氣節的腐朽奴才吧?

p. 47

古法之佳者守之，垂絕者繼之，不佳者改之，未足者增之，西方繪畫之可採者融之

p. 54

願為知己者用，不願為昏庸者制

p. 59

一個真正的畫家, 必須能夠為人類申訴

p. 76

直須此世非長夜, 漠漠窮荒有盡頭

p. 79

橫眉冷對千夫指, 俯首甘為孺子牛

Reference:

李榮勝. (1988).《徐悲鴻》. 香港: 新雅文化事業有限公司.

Successful male baboons to manage stress

to compete:
1. tell the difference between good and bad news. get agitated only when the situation calls.
2. if the situation is really threatening, act actively. be in control.
3. after a fight, tell if it's a champion or a waterloo.
4. losing a fight, displace the aggression.

socially:
1. groom females not in heat.
2. groomed by them most frequently.
3. play with the young.

reference:
Sapolsky, R. M. (1994). Why zebras don't get ulcers: A guide to stress, stress related diseases, and coping. New York: W.H. Freeman.

The pain

I was angry and frustrated last evening. Then impulsively, I kicked my right foot against the door. Result? Knee pain.

It was as if in heaven for the last several days. Sunny days, no rain. Much less knee pain. And yet, when I'm almost free from the pain, I made the damage myself. And it was painful in the evening. Still a bit right now. Pain teaches. I'm here to learn the lesson.

Love thyself.

A vision

A vision can be an image in the mind, an image that can be vividly "seen" no matter when I'm openning or closing my eyes.

The date I fly is now settled. I'm destined to fly. July 31. Yet I'm tied by my own worn-out knees. Perhaps the knee pain symbolizes an invisible/ignored burden that is on me for long. And now, it's time to face it and put it down.

My past: the frustration, the pain, the unfulfiled desires... The present: a new life ahead. Every single day, I wake up to face a new life. New opportunities. Endless possibilities to change for the good.

The dream is in the future. The vision is in my eyes. The present requests the work to be done. The pain is here to teach me a lesson.

This waiting game...

Maybe better if I wait for the reference letter from the Faculty. Let me wait for it... just one more week to go.

I want to fly!

I will get it!

OK. I'm planning to take the photo for the visa application. Next week, I'll find the time to go to the Consulate. Got to get all the documents ready.

I've got a countdown timer set up in the office computer. 96 days away I'll begin my graduate studies. :)

It's now close to my goal. Still need to be careful at each step.

Jenny passed away

Jenny passed away around Christmas. This is really sad.

I've only got Ann's letter today. It was originally sent three months ago but was returned to Ann because of an unclear address.

According to Keith (1989), Hong Kong people are very much segregated by age. We don't often know people of other age groups.

Since meeting Ann and Bert and their friends in Scotland, I feel that it's an enormous loss not to know older people. To hear their life experiences. To accompany them with their sometimes leisurely sometimes hectic lives. Most of all, to hear about their sadness of losing a friend, which is as often as one to two times a year.

Jenny, would it be possible that we meet again in the Heaven or next life? Our encounter was so brief. I miss you.