森記茶餐廳

呢排攪緊新屋的事情, 所以追緊d借貸利率, 原來今時今日, 30年的息口仲好個5年ARM。 那麼, 5年ARM這個流行一時的借貸方式, 現在如同虛設。 其實, 5年ARM 和 interest-only 之流的創新借貸花招, 正是今次經濟災難的起因之一。 當初, 新式借貸確是幫了一些人士置業。 但人是貪婪的, 借貸客易了, 自然想買更大的屋。 供求定律不會改變, 多人買屋樓價自然上升, 最後大部分人是迫住要用這些新式借貸, 買一些自己未必負擔得到的東西。 從另一角度來向, 是人們先享用一些將來才配擁有的, 而又基於一個信念, 明天會更好。

其實今天的社會文化, work hard play hard, 正是主張用最短時間, 享用最多的物質。 但我們要用的, 是否已大大超出我們所需, 什只用緊我們下一代的?  有時我唸, 一百年前, 大部份人生活在一個小小的範圍, 多數步行, 多年才旅行一次, 清茶淡飯, 一生人要用的資源, 可定為 X。 今天, 我地每天駕車, 久不久坐飛機旅行, 大魚大肉,  一生人要用的資源, 我唸己是 10X。 一百年後, 大家可能想要隔年就去月球度假,   一生的資源會是 100X 吧。 人類如此超前享用資源, 我唸是信任科技的力量, 相信明天會更好, 更多資源會被開發。 不過小弟做咗 tech job 咁來, 科技有幾本事心中有算, 至少今次經濟危機, 就沒有什麼科技可立即解救得到。

Today, it is the final of US Open tennis tournament.  Federer won easily in 3 three sets.   He won his fifth consecutive US Open title, also is his 13th grand slam, one shy of Pete Sampras all time record.  All of these accomplishments were not really that surprising in the usual Federer standard.  But this year, Federer is not in top form actually.  So it make me think a little after he won this tournament.

First look at it in a story perspective, the plot is just like Rocky 3.  From 2004 to 2007, Federer is invincible, no one can beat except Nadal on Clay.  He is so good that everyone starts to call him the greatest ever.  People invite him to all kind of shows, paid him big bucks for many exhibition games.  He enjoys the spot lights, then he is not as focus on the game.  This year, he lost badly in Semi of Aussie Open and lost ugly in the final of French Open.  Then again loss in his favorite grass court in Wimbledon.  It didn’t ends yet, he even lost his No.1 spot to Nadal last month.  Then everyone says he is old and he is done.  

Sometimes I think he lost the fire to play.  He had been No.1 for 4+ years and people are comparing him to history.  There is almost nothing for him to prove in this generation.  When he wins or loses, he doesn’t have much emotion.  But now he lost the No.1 spot, he seems to care.   So in the last Grand Slam event this year, he came up on fire and won the US Open.

Now look at in tennis perspective.  Federer’s killing weapon is his forehand.  Usually he relies on his supreme overall skill to control the pace; sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometime long, sometimes shot.  Once he sees the opportunity, his killer forehand comes. His opponent may able to save his first forehand, but Federer will then just smash another forehand left and another right until no one can catch the ball.  His forehand relies on return speed, angle, and accurate placement;  all these factors require focus.  But recently he is just not very focus, his forehand is not as sharp and has too many unforced errors.  In US Open, he comes up on fire and intensity.  His killer forehands shows up again.  And when he plays like that, I would say no one in the history can beat him in tennis court.

Check out Vedio highlights in US Open Web Site.  And look at the clip "Federer vs. Djokovic".  At 2:50,  Federer make this simliar short again.  Never see another player can do that.

轉眼間個女已經四歲。 這幾年, 時間過得特別快, 因多了小孩要照顧, 每天忙忙碌碌, 春去秋來瞬間就過去。 有趣地, 時間也好像過得特別慢, 因隨著小孩成長, 深刻的回憶特別多, 而且時間次序清晰。 所以, 過去幾年佔存腦袋的時空, 比單身就業時多很多。 話說回來, 這一年對女兒是特別的,  因為她多了一個弟弟。 女兒天性什有愛心, 喜歡嬰孩, 常想幫手照顧細佬, 只是我們唔係好俾, 怕她越幫越忙。 不過有一次, 細仔凌晨三點大哭, 肚餓要吃, 我們弄完奶回房, 卻發覺個女竟靜靜雞幫細佬換咗尿片, 都包得唔錯 … 真係估佢唔到。

Read Alvin’s blog, and it reminds two Moon-Cake questions that hang over my head for some times.  1) In the supermarket, I see those 雙黃蓮蓉月餅 range from $10 to $30+.  What make it such a big difference?  The one I just bought is $14 brand as Macau make.  It tastes pretty good.  Can’t imagine how good those $30+ moon-cake can be!?   2) Used to, after mid-autumn festival, there will be some moon-cake for sale (and I usually wait for this bargain).  But in recent years, all those moon-cake will never drop a single penny.  And they will be all disappeared the day after mid-autumn.  Where do they go?

過去一年, 因為工作的責任和範圍有所改變, 要承受的壓力明顯增加了。 工作要負責 tool support 和新 features 的策劃和進度。 Support 上問題不大, 一來組員都好有經驗, 二來 cutsomers 都幾 reasonable。 壓力多來自 "新 features 的策劃和進度", 因這方面沒一定最好答案。 同埋新 features 是要 support 的,  很多時是也會影響其它 tools。 所以是 complexity, impacts, resource, schedules 的綜合決定。 而我呢方面經驗尚淺, 很多時在 impacts 和 schedules 的想法和經理層不同, 壓力便由此而來 (他們卻很少理 complexity 和 resource 的問題, 呢方面唔該自己搞掂)。  在長期受壓之下, 身體有一些影響, 白頭髮多了, 食慾少了 (特別是午餐, 冇心機亦冇時間食, 通常是湯加面包)。 都有好的影響, 就是在缺少運動下, 體重也沒有多大增加 (do I sound sick) …

今日完成了公民慶典, 終於做咗花旗人, 心情沒多大特別, 只是看奧運時有點感慨, 現在我應該支持中國隊或美國隊呢?   慶典時, 有個環節什有趣, 官員順 A 至 Z 讀國家名稱, 然後來自那國的人要起立。 叫中國時, 看到有數十人起身, 我是其中一位。 而叫印度人時, 嘩, 至少兩三百人, 難怪矽谷被他們雄霸了。

下午回到公司, 媽媽打電話來, 話報喜, 我問什麼意思!? 她說收到澳門政府給我的生果金, 成五千大元。 真係咁橋做了花旗人才收到這筆錢, 有點受之有愧啊, 不過就梗係有愧都照受啦!

早陣子學了一首國語兒歌: 「小白兔, 白又白，两只耳朵竖起来，爱吃萝卜, 爱吃菜，蹦蹦跳跳真可爱。」 之後我發覺, 有幾首經典歌有類似模式, 如下 (記住要用國語來唱啊):

1 2 3   3 2 1  1 2 3 4 5 6 7          2 3 4    4 3 2   4 5 6 7 8 9 "10"
小白兔 白又白 两只耳朵竖起来   爱吃萝卜爱吃菜  蹦蹦跳跳真可爱

月光光 照地塘 虾仔你乖乖训落床   听朝阿妈要赶插秧罗  阿爷看牛要上山冈
小白兔 白又白 两只~耳朵竖起来   爱吃萝卜~爱吃菜~   蹦蹦跳跳真可~爱

左手鑼 右手鼓 手拿著鑼鼓來唱歌    別的歌兒我也不會唱 單會唱個鳳陽歌
小白兔 白又白 两只~耳朵竖~起来  爱吃萝~卜爱吃~菜     蹦蹦跳跳真可爱

女兒意 英雄痴 吐盡恩義情深幾許     塞外約 枕畔詩 心中也留多少醉
小白兔 白又白 两只耳朵竖~起~来   爱吃萝卜爱吃菜 蹦蹦跳跳真可爱

平安夜 聖善夜 萬暗中 光華射   照著聖母也照著聖嬰　多少慈祥也多少天真  靜享天賜安眠　  靜享天賜安眠
小白兔 白又白 两只耳朵竖起来  爱吃萝~卜爱~吃菜     蹦蹦跳跳~真~可爱   爱吃萝卜爱吃菜    蹦蹦跳跳真可爱

OK, 無無聊聊又一個扑。

姪仔快將升讀大學, 久不久會問吓我關於讀書的意見, 上禮拜佢同我話決定讀物理, 問吓我點睇。 我就首先介紹咗剛考入 UCLA 物理系的 Janet 姊妹俾姪仔識, 在此先多謝她給與的保貴意見。 自己中學時都十分喜歡物理, 雖然讀書唔係好叻, 但是物理科算是強項。 讀大學是興趣依然, 甚至課餘找書研究「大爆炸理論」和「相對論」, 雖然結果仍是一知半解。 咁自己最後選咗讀工程, 係想搵份工容易些。 不過呢, 我就幾支持姪仔的選擇。  原因係 outsource 已成主流, 在美國, 工程學位不見得特別吃香。 倒不如讀些尖端些、困難些的科目, 那在 global competition 上可能還更有優勢。

Wimbledon final 2008.  Again is No.1 Roger Fedeer vs. No.2 Rafal Nadal, facing off the third time in a row in the Final (same as French Open).  If Federer won this year, he would become the first man in Open Era to win six consecutive Wimbledon.  If Nadal won, he would become 1st man since 1980 to win both French and  Wimbledon in the same year.  Both played well during the tournament.  Nadal has lost only one set so far, and Federer has not lost any.   Both players also played top form in this match.  The outcome, Nadal won in a 5 set, 4-hour 48-minute marathon thriller: 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7.  Many has already claimed this as the greatest Wimbledon final ever.

The complete game time is actual over 7 hours, because stopped twice due to rains.  I watched from 6:30am PST till 1:30pm.  The longest sport match I have ever watched, my wife almost throw the TV out.  But man, I think this is one of the top three tennis matches I have ever watched.  Nadal played unbelievably, his focus and determination are the key of winning.  Federer’s overall skill is still better I think.  But he was not very focus, especially the first two sets.  From the third set he started to play aggressively, those patented laser-light forehand strokes flied left and right.  But Nadal just keep running and return difficult shot with his muscular arm.  At the end Nadal won and he truely deserved it.

With Nadal is still improving and Djokovic is on the rise, I guess the Federer domination is finally over after four years.  Hopefully Federer can find a way back to top form.  Then we will have many more high quality tennis matches to come.

過去一星期, 灣區有兩套華語電視劇, 分別提到兩個酷刑, 車裂與凌遲, 令我諗起一些有關酷刑的故事,  雖然有些殘忍, 都寫幾個來吹吓水啦。 不過在講故之前, 想提一套中國電影史的名片: 滿清十大酷刑。 咁呢套其實係三級片, 唔知大家有冇睇過?   我就N年前睇過, 典型王晶的戲, 劇情, 奇情, 色情炒埋一碟, 故仔講什麼己記不清楚, 好像是楊乃武與小白菜的故事, 但係對電影的開場白卻印象深刻, 大意如下: 「中國自古以禮儀之邦自居, 但有記載的酷刑卻是各國歷史之最」。 言歸正傳, 講故:

車裂 — 電視劇大秦帝國結局就係說商鞅被車裂。 商鞅實行了中國歷史上唯一成功的政治改革, 但就得罪了太多既得利益者, 而且常用酷刑, 累積怨氣太深, 終被屈殺害。 其實文獻上從沒清楚記載車裂是怎樣執行, 通上被認為是民間流傳的五馬分屍。

凌遲 –  為封建時代的酷刑之最, 受刑者的肉被一片片割下, 切割了指定數目才了結生命, 真的求生不得, 求死不能。明未大將袁崇煥便是被屈受凌遲處死。 袁崇煥是廣東人, 滿清皇太極的頭號勁敵, 若非被害, 清兵在他有生之年應難以入關, 金庸小說碧血劍的袁承志是為袁將軍之子。

炮烙 — 是上古時代的著名酷刑, 一說為夏桀首用, 受害者行在燒紅的圓筒上, 下面是火爐, 跌下去便死得。 一天, 夏桀和首相「關龍逢」看人受刑, 夏桀看得十分開心, 但見首相一臉憂愁, 便問: 「睇得開心嗎?」 首相面對呢條變態問題, 只好硬著頭皮說是。夏桀又問: 「咁就奇啦? 人地咁慘, 你重咁高興, 你有冇側隱之心架?」 士可殺, 不可辱, 夏桀玩對咁盡, 關龍逢於是放膽說: 「天下人都說炮烙慘絕人寰, 我身為首相, 只好附和皇帝喜好的東西, 但我知道炮烙會令國家滅亡啊!」 夏桀說: 「OK, 你咒我呀!?  不過我唸你會死先噃, 人來。」  就係咁,  關龍逢成為炮烙最有名的受刑者。