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7th July 2010
Search for Destiny IV: Cheesecake and “Personal Legend”
The night before I left NYC, Jack (my computer guru) came to deliver a cheesecake to me. Cooking (mostly desserts or baking) has become his recent (ongoing) hobby. He had asked for a review of his cheesecake, but I’ll do slightly more than that.
His cheesecake was excellent, despite that it was a bit soggy from having been carried around for quite a few hours (NJ->Manhattan->Brooklyn). Of course, by this point you’re wondering what computer guru has to do with cheesecake. Well, all of us have hobbies. Some of us have hobbies that we really love but that we keep as “hobbies” instead of actually pursuing them as a career because we do not think it’s feasible. While I don't necessarily think Jack's cooking hobby is something he should pursue as a career, I think that he should not dismiss the idea. Anything is possible. And when we look back in life, it's the most wonderful thing to see that you have made the impossible possible.We are always looking for ways to realize our dreams... but there are obstacles that perhaps we don't even see. The other day I got a copy of The Alchemist entirely by accident (as my housemate called it: it's a gift from the Universe) so I'll use Paul Coelho’s intro to his book as a guide for this post.He mentions in the intro that there are four things between us and our Personal Legend, in this order:
1. Being conditioned since childhood into believing that what we want to do is not possible
2. We don’t want to hurt others by pursuing our dreams
3. Fear of defeats we shall most definitely encounter on the way
4. Fear of realizing our dreams (and consequently sabotaging our dreams so that they would never come true)Having personally walked through each of those steps, I had a knowing smile of understanding when I read the book, which is amazing, btw.Having been raised in a Chinese family, I was expected to: 1) get a stable job and stay with it; 2) get married by 25; 3) have children by 30; and 4) stay put and raise a family. Although I do not dismiss the importance of these things in life, I have done none of the above and am quite successful (@ least in my own terms) and happy. But having to convince myself that I did not have to walk that set path was not easy. I had never been a conventional person, but I grew up having these "points" drilled into my brain and it's been a constant struggle against them (b/c by nature I am not inclined to go this path). For those who are still struggling to get out of this stage, believe in your own strength and that even if you fail, there is a way back.Then, I came upon the stage of having to leave my protective shell, which my friends and family have built around me. At the same time that I lose their protection, they probably felt a sense of abandonment - I had left them. Knowing this, it was extremely difficult for me to leave NYC, which had everything I had known and loved. I did not want to hurt them or have them feel that I did not love them (it didn't help that my mother was doing tons of guilt-tripping). But at the same time that this is fear of hurting them, it is equally our fear of losing them and their protection. It's for their benefit and ours. There's nothing wrong with this struggle. And if you decide to give up because the fear of hurting them is so great, at least you know that you're well loved. However, if you want to take the risk, and you are in this stage, remember that those who truly love you will always love you, and even if you fail at your dream, when you return, they will still welcome you home with open arms.Fear of the difficulties is fully understandable, but also one of the easiest to overcome because it does not involve the decision of "choosing who you want to become." If you have the strength of mind to overcome the previous two, just think back to the incredible strength you displayed in having defied your entire upbringing and also stepping out of your comfort zone, and it is not too difficult get through this stage. As the Alchemist says, "the fear of suffering is much worse than the suffering itself."And finally, there is the incredible fact that we actually do have the urge/tendency to destroy our own dreams when we are just one step away from it. Why? Perhaps we're afraid of beyond our dreams. What if we can't achieve it? What if we no longer have a goal after we realize our dream? What if...Too much thinking, not enough doing. One thing I have been advocating is that, once you've thought enough about something and you still can't come to a conclusion, then perhaps you should just do it and then deal with the consequences. This is not to advocate stupid behavior. But I believe that most people who end up reading this (amazingly tedious) blog are mature enough to consider all possibilities (and ask everyone trustworthy around them) before they make a decision. If you have thought of everything, why not believe in your own good judgment and make a decision then stick with it and go with it?Life is linear, yet always circular. We never repeat time, but we often repeat history. The most important thing is to remember that everyone else's history does not have to be yours and you do not have to repeat your history like other people. In the end, you hold the key to your own destiny, whether it's in a cheesecake or in the corner office of a Manhattan high-rise... the choice is yours. -
26th September 2009
武俠三兩事
似乎從我有記憶以來，我就是一個武俠小説迷。這比我的電視劇、電影、漫畫、動畫，之類的興趣更早，追溯到我以四歲「高齡」，孤身一人毅然「離家出走」，為的就是看無記當年的白馬嘯西風結局篇。我已經不知道我的「金齡」究竟多少年，應該差不多到30年了吧？還記得當時還不到幾歲的豆丁，第一次買到新的射雕連環漫畫，成爲真正的金迷的時候，心裏面的興奮，那是不可言喻的。可是對於今天的我來説，金庸，甚至武俠小説，卻是讓我特別心痛的話題。或許就像所有其他的「老人家」一樣，對於那些在遙遠的當年所擁有的一切，永遠都會是最美好的。最近看了一篇來自sina，有關最近一次重拍射雕的報告，總覺得心裏一涼。今日的金庸，已經不是當初讓我狂熱地廢枕忘餐、挑燈夜讀、沉迷其中的「萬善之源」（我人生初期的正義感、人生觀、甚至影響我一生的，我對於中國文學的熱愛，都可以説是來自我對武俠小説的熱愛）。現在的武俠小説，滲入了許多的商業因素，已然面目全非。衆人大愛的黃易，我翻過幾本，完全提不起興趣，且不提文筆，其故事也讓我覺得難以接受。連才子溫瑞安的書，大多我都是興趣缺缺，其中總是少了那種我嚮往中的江湖的景象。當然，人家要寫書賺錢是人家的事，反正我不看就是。這篇讓我震驚的文章其實是在我意料之内的。人年紀大了，總會問自己曾經留下什麽給子孫。金老先生大概是希望能夠彌補一下年輕時候的一些缺陷。像我們所有人一樣，年輕總是有點遺憾。可是遺憾讓人生更完美，讓我們更了解什麽是幸福。何必去在意一些小小的不滿呢？這就像把16歲的自己，硬改成46歲的自己，把那個青春少年給抹殺了。當然，身爲一個作家，我也知道，一個認真的作家重看自己的作品，無論看是第幾次，總會看到一些自己不滿的地方。尤其是金老先生已經老早封筆，剩下的就只有是無數遍重看自己已有的作品。但是，如果要改，就失去了當初的感覺了。身為（首次修改版）的鐵杆支持者，新版我大概是不會看了，免得當年所深愛或者恨之入骨或萬分討厭的人物完全走味。我還著朋友幫我買齊舊版的全套，讓我們老來時可以重溫。在許多許多年后，或許我的孩子們都不會認得今天的金庸，就像我們不會真正了解父母輩的金庸（明報連載時期）。他們或許也不會知道與金庸同期的梁羽生老先生與異想天開的古龍先生。就連溫才子和黃先生，可能在他們的生活中被遺忘。
在那時候，我會很慶幸，我何其有幸，能夠參與這一武俠小説黃金時代。然後跟孩子們炫耀：當年的我啊，看到的世界，是這樣俠骨柔情、快意江湖的呢…… -
20th September 2009
DaoMu 盜墓筆記 II
(Part I)The story goes between horror and adventure, complete with 1000+ vampires/mummies(!?)/dead bodies/curses/monstrous plants/zombies/etc. There are bits that freaked the heck out of me, but you'd be surprised after the 8th time a decaying fellow jumps out at you from the shadows of an ancient grave... you sort of grow numb. I still don’t like the snakes and bugs though, which also run aplenty. What I enjoy the most is the suspense... and the rather lively cast of characters.Main Characters:Xie: The protagonist. He starts off as a good for nothing somewhat spoiled clueless young man, but gradually develops into a more mature character. He doesn’t have a very defined character, but I guess it’s easier to write very two-dimensional characters with strong personalities. The way the story’s going, it seems he’s pushed onto center stage and there’s more and more mystery surround his past and his family. I’m very much interested to see where that leads us.
Kylin Zhang: He is by FAR the most popular character in the story, though that may no longer be the case when the comics hits the US, since Americans seem to generally like to align themselves with the main character. What makes him an interesting character is that his past is completely shrouded in mystery but he seems to have some superhuman powers that command the vampire-zombies as well as keep away bugs (!). He also has the coolest weapon (a black sword) in the book and generally saves the day whenever it’s necessary. The strong silent type. Yea, you wonder why he’s popular.
Uncle 3: Sometimes he seems to be the puppeteer, sometimes the puppet. The only thing for sure is that he knows a lot that he is not telling. He is the one who brings everyone together and also the one who leads them into danger again and again. But in the end, we find out that he’s not who he seems to be either.
Pan: Devout follower of Uncle3 and a tough ex-soldier.
Fatty: Comic relief but is witty and cunning in his own way. Of course, he is also greedy, reckless, and annoying at other times. Every book/show needs one of these.
Lin: In the first arc, she is one of the few main female characters. She is strong, fearless, and… well… not quite like a woman except for that she’s described as have a very enticing figure.
The pace of the story is pretty quick (a nice contrast with the writing speed of the author), the mood fun and light (mostly, at least until recent chapters), and the dialogue fitting. I hate it when characters start sprouting things that are so out of character that you KNOW it’s only done for fan gratification. NUncle3 (not to be mixed up with Uncle3) is good at laying down the mysteries, but so far I’m still in a cloud. I’m not in a rush to find out all the answers, but I think for most fans the wait is intolerable. The main thread is still being dragged out although part of the side threads have been resolved.
Starting with the first story (grave), the Palace of the Seven Stars, the story seems to be taking the readers deeper and deeper in an expansive mystery that in the final arc takes us to an ancient (extinct?) civilization that apparently has a huge meteor in its core. The author promises that he won’t drag out aliens in the end, but no one is quite sure how he is going to tie everything together.The segments are (NOT official translations):
Palace of the Seven Stars
Castle in the Roaring Seas
Hill of the Divine Tree
Palace in the Clouds
Swamp Kingdom
Each represent a different gravesite that they hit, and the author promises that they’ll all link together in the end. If you speak Chinese, this is a good book to read at your leisure. It’s a very fast read and generally interesting. Of course, if you’re one who HATES being left hanging you may want to reconsider. Personally the end of the first arc didn’t do much for me, but at least some of the questions were answered. I think people who are interested into the culture and history of tombraiding would definitely find this an enjoyable read. For English readers, this will soon be a comic, so no worries, you get the illustrations along with the storyline. Mr. W Sullivan did mention that the plot will be somewhat changed… probably to fit the taste of the American audience? I’m half fearing and have curious. I guess we will know probably sometime next year.
I hate to link to Baidu, but since that's the trend in China, I will present you with their DaoMu website (obviously Chinese only). -
19th September 2009
DaoMu 盜墓筆記 I
I think I just want to be the first one to review this book in English. :)
This book, written by NUncle3, is enjoying quite a wave of popularity in the Chinese novel world. I didn't read it until the end of the first Arc (supposedly there are only 2) but the main thread is STILL not done. It's been a few years in the making, but I suspect it'll take another while for it to be done. The Comic version is coming out later in the year (in October, I believe) in China and already they have had very successful talks with American companies. The English version won’t be released until the second volume, but it’s on the way. The style of the comic as drawn by Mr. W. Sullivan (I feel) is very much in the same vein as traditional GI Joe type brawn-flexing, weapons-flashing, head-flinging action. Ok, the art is actually much more sophisticated than that, at least from the samples that I've seen from Mr. W. The cg art is pretty breathtaking, even to an untrained eye like my own.I hate to link to Baidu, but since that's the trend in China, I will present you with their DaoMu website (obviously Chinese only).First let us go to the background of the story.The story is of a gang of grave robbers/diggers who runs around and explores (pillages) ancient grave sites, usually the characters whose gravesites that they hit are half based in Chinese history. That part intrigues me immensely. I guess this particular “art” even, of grave robbing, is very much Chinese. Like the ancient Egyptians, there are often horror and fascinating stories of curses and traps built into the eternal resting places for those of high status. Although, as far as I know, these Chinese are the only ones who have such elaborate burial services not just for the royals, but also for high officials and well to do merchants. Thus, an entire industry was born of people who are trained in deciphering and dismantling all the booby traps set up by the ancients to protect their tombs. In Chinese culture, tombs are especially important because of the art called “Fung Shui.” Many (most) Chinese people believe (even to this day) that where your ancestors (or you) are buried will have an immense impact on the fortunes of your descendants. This need to prepare for the future highlights even further the need for a well chosen good Fung Shui grave site. Unfortunately whatever riches and fortune they wanted to leave their line of progeny usually ends up in someone else’s arms.(to be continued...)盜墓筆記很正經地說吧，其實...我很單純地想成爲第一個為筆記寫英文書評的人。（死）其實也沒差啦，我覺得這部小説滿有趣的。說它多有深度，老實說也沒什麽特別的。但是就是好玩。有時候看書就是爲了輕鬆一下，干嘛要那麽沉重呢？盜墓是一個好朋友介紹我看的。我用了3-4天時間把第一卷全部看完，還真是不容易。近年來我看文越來越挑，基本上除了有限的幾個保持水準的作家，我都是懶得看了。所以這次能夠那麽快看完這本還真是神奇。
我挺喜歡裏面的角色，包括主角天真（不對，該是吳邪）、三叔、胖子、當然還有大家（包括本人）都最喜歡的張起靈。這也不用多說了。我覺得如果你對盜墓這門學問有興趣，或者單純地想看一個好玩刺激的冒險懸疑故事，我大力推薦。當然，如果你不喜歡掉坑，那你還是再等個幾年，讓小三叔他寫完再看吧。
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Sze K. Aka Chan's Posterous
歸去，也無風雨也無晴。
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