時代曲生不逢時。辛亥革命後其實一片新氣象已週圍慢燃起來。 民間的，文教界，藝術界等各有所成各有所長。文學，教育可説直接影嚮海外華人的成長。對中華文化的孺摹，人生及社會價值現代化。藝術方面，特別是曲藝可算甚為堪啊。其中又以時代曲為甚。
三四十年代，我們的音樂界經過數十年的面向世界學習，自身改進，成績己甚為可観。在音樂界及歌舞塲所自有各類歌曲迎合各界口味。至有衛道之士譏為糜糜之音。其實更多的是富青春氣色，活潑朝氣勃勃，勵志，鼓舞，滿懷希望。曲，詞創作都甚有水準，柔合中西精神，樂器篇排皆有創新獨到之處起劃時代的影響。歌唱界也人材輩岀。經他們唱出，除本國外更風行海外各地華僑社會。隨便舉的有周璇，吳鶯音，龔秋霞，梁萍，白光等不能盡錄。到今天俱往矣，更可惜是後繼無人，徨論更上一層樓。
文教方面卻免強能在香港及海外僑界延續至今。教育，文藝，文字工作者，新聞工作者皆可得到承傳甚至發揚
Life long journey; journey of a life time. The world as shaped by the physical planet has been surprisingly accommodating to all individuals, good and bad even evil; Wise, smart to foolish and silly. Everyone gets a place in the world. All you have to do is and free to trundle your way to the finish line, again if only the prescribed political reality allows.
Not only the path one trundled can be worldly different from one another, as if designer of the world don’t find diversity enough, it endows each individual differently too, often widely. Witnessing 7 billion souls bobbing up and down the sea of humanity, you certainly agree there is never shortage of diversity. Looking at how wealth consolidated or opinions on society, we hear more of polarization and antagonism than homogeneity, let alone harmony.
Still there are twist and turns when one trundles through the life long journey. Since the first appearance of Homo sapiens some 200,000 years ago, people began to find ways to sooth themselves. Sages over the ages attempted to, some even prescribed ways to mitigate sufferings of mankind. Looking at this, there might well be already a way to mitigate the climate change if only people look at the issue religiously, this time based on scientific facts.
Each life journey, long or short, has laid out before it unique twists and turns, bumps and rough patches, surprises. It just that people prefer pleasant one. I have yet to meet one who likes unpleasant surprise in all my life. And I have lived quite a respectable number of years and counting. How about yours?!
Generally good response, encouraging, providing advice, pointing out mistakes.
one likes the opening paragraph. Loves the street scene in Burger King. Pointing out great line: “The first impression… ” Nice line: ” international pleasantry protocols …” and ” the soft percussion of the wheel… ”
One finds it beautiful : ” The bedding was well appointed… by sleeping through the night.”
Another finds : interesting contrast : ” intimidating effect … became imposingly soothing.” Good image : the train was rolling ahead, … Soft percussion of the wheel and the track.”
One finds good expression : ” … enough English …delightful misunderstanding.”
ADVICE
Putting me in the story early, such as using ” I “. Use more dialogue. With my experience. ” On my journey covering 10,000 miles,” instead of ” A journey covering …”
Using the website for writing
The train St Petersburg
Now, at my age and turned single, incapable of finding the 2nd spring, but I still dare to romancing. Under my friend’s taunting, I rolled. It was Siberia, of all places.Now, at my age and turned single, incapable of finding the 2nd spring, but I still dare to romancing. Under my friend’s taunting, I rolled. It was Siberia, of all places.
Romancing Siberia
There is an undercurrent within me for a number of years. I heard about “north sea” during my childhood. It was an unforgiving place, as the story told, in what is now the heart of Siberia. For hundreds of years, The land inundated with stories of the Russian people. The Russian empire expanded to engulf the entire Siberia all the way to the waterfront facing the Pacific ocean, north of China.
Different from traveling to western Europe, the travel brochure strongly recommended a series of health measures, needles, medicated potion and a prohibitively expensive travel medical insurance. To the Visa issuing officer, what more a determined visitor you would welcome to your country. It’s a self directed tour with no guides accompany. The train trips, intermittent stop, hotels & some local tours, and some meals are arranged.
The excitement started even before the trip. The plane landed smoothly in Helsinki international airport. We filed down the stair from the plane to the tarmac of a immensely flat and wide barren land. It looked not like the airports that I accustomed to. I could see planes far away with very little activities. It’s a pleasant place, air refreshing, the sky was blue until I heard the howling at me from the ground personnel at a distance and signaling me to follow the line. Of course! this is the tarmac inside an international airport, no unauthorized personnel or loitering allowed. There was still a second leg of the trip to St Petersburg, Russia.
A mythical land or only on the screen, at least, where only people on special mission would dare. I finally landed in St Petersburg. Amidst the earnest crowd, waiting their loved ones, there was one holding a plate high with my name on it. A very civilian-esque preamble, unlike James Bond rendezvous with his CIA counter part.
Seated comfortably, and securely, in the back seat of the car going to the hotel. Having settled in the car, I found myself unsettling by the what I found out with the car. While the car was reasonably clean inside, there was a big crack on the passenger side of the windshield. The falling down of communism unleashed the explosive energy of the hard working Russian people, perhaps, some more explosively than the others. And I noticed several more cars with look-alike cracked windshield even though the traffic was not crowded. There was no need for the cars to elbow each other. St. Petersburg has its grandeur and dignity. The wide boulevards were uncluttered and lined with massive blocks of building each sculpted in artistic reliefs. Peter the great, does leave his legacy other than his sojourn in Netherland and Poland. This was the real thing, not staged by Hollywood, only real ones by the young artists on the roadside, playing Beatles and even Elvis Presley.. Maybe the Russian people, at least the young ones, finally admitted how much they missed. People, young and old, men and women, looked beautiful and dressed just like us in the west. From the hotel I strolled around the neighborhood and inadvertently into the vast open space in front of the Winter Palace, where it’s significance from inside to the outside laid in its full glory. Ironies always find its place in this kind of iconic spots – symbolizing unchallenged authority challenged. No place is better than here, for an emperor, benign or with iron fist, to showcase its power and command submission of the poor mass. And ironically, this is the kind of spot fit for the mass to voice their discontent. And here in front of the Winter Palace, the mass rose against the imperial ruler leading to the ultimate Russian Revolution. And the rest is history still playing out.
Everyday life will become history years later or even the next day when appears in print. I slowly walked back to the busy district savoring the sight and sound of this tiny speck of this immense country when suddenly the sky cracked open with its very own sight and sound plus pouring. I thought Russia only snow, as we all know about Napoleon and Hitler’s disenchantment with their Moscow excursion. Walking turned into half running, I founded this place, somehow strategically located for this occasion…a Burger King. What can I say? The world just can’t escape from the US. I didn’t come to Russia just to go to a Burger King. But I found myself landed in a bomb shelter and people gratefully ordering hamburger ignoring carpet pouring going on outside. Reluctantly, I placed my order by pointing to the home burger. Somehow I could still squeeze into a tight spot to consume the hamburger in dignity with no one paying any attention to me.
Overnight the city was washed clean with welcoming sunshine. The first call of the day was the Winter Palace up close and inside. It was now a museum with treasures fit for the emperor displayed in its full glory. It doesn’t host the Mona Lisa, instead it was baby Jesus (also from Da Vinci) in the safety embrace of Madonna. You don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate it’s artistic and historical significance. It’s hard to imagine just over a hundred years, the glittering decor adoring the sumptuous choicest for the pallet were simply forbidden for the ordinary. Almost overnight, while champagne were lavishly flowing, cannonballs were flying nearby, history turned its page. Bloodshed in its ugliest form followed the once most fortunate few.
Now, we were among the fortunate few, welcomed into the Church of Blood. Overcrowded, despite standing room only inside we were still able to wriggle through into the sacred place of the Russian people. Glittering, not from chandeliers but candles and oil lamps, showered all over the place. People were wholeheartedly engaged in their secret communion with their almighty without the secretive commissar overlooking their shoulders. This was their moment of truth, guiltily, remorsefully or otherwise, hoping to turn a new page. It’s hard to understand people, trampled under the merciless authority figure, was now able to fine comfort soothing their centuries old miseries. They even honor Emperor Alexander ll along with the almighty together. The church is to commemorate the emperor who was assassinated at this very spot.
St. Petersburg concluded with a overnight train trip to Moscow and many more segments to follow. I joined the group late and paid single supplement as required. I found myself assigned a sleep compartment all to myself and away from other members of the group. However I resent the single supplement, stepping into the room made me felt like a somebody. Of course It was nothing like that legendary Orient Express nor that of James Bond with tantalizing Love from Russia. The room featured 2 comfortable beds one on side sides overflowing with smooth red velvet. So inviting that you didn’t want to sit down but trusting your entire body to it. Lying down, looking up and around, I found myself soaked in the soothing light and engulfed under a pampering color scheme. Is that what people called royal treatment or it’s only the living quarter of the royal servant. But I forgot about the agonizing single supplement. Whatever the treatment it was, I resisted to sleep fearing missing that royal treatment. Sleep I did.
And woke up to a glorious morning in Moscow with yet another full day schedule. Moscow is different from St. Petersburg. The city is much more crowded with busy people apparently hardworking like us from the decadent capitalist purgatory. First call of the day was to visit the world renown museum deep underground. We followed the tour guide like a school of sardines in the formation according to our innate selfish genes. It was endlessly downstairs crowded with hardworking Moscow people who value time more. I followed the group closely, or as closely as I could, sneak passing, side stepping without overstepping locals taking 3 steps in 2 and upstairs too. All in all we found ourselves out on the streets with the sun overhead not moving a bit. Then I understood and I was not alone missing the treasure. Worse, I actually remembered that outside of corner of my eye, I sensed there were reliefs or some sort, only that everybody was following dutifully and unquestionably. You can’t win every time, frustration, yes, being not loser alone was the only consolation. There was another attraction to look forward to, at least.
Moscow was the Mecca of the world’s proletarians and the communist world evolved into the 21st century. And it all comes down to the shrine right here, the Kremlin and the Red Square in front of it. It’s a massive cluster of red brick buildings intimidatingly walled in red. Once upon a time not too ago, more than half the world was under its command. It was the nerve centre, outside the free world, of a world of its own free from the exploit of materialism and oppression of capitalists. And the parade in front of the Red Square delivered the confidence and security. Under the media’s crafty photographing (western media included), the spectacles delivered awe and wow effects echoed around the world, where battalion of troops in formation goose-stepped through the Red Square. Artilaries, Rockets and ICBM were proudly paraded through the Square. As the champion and sole defender of proletarians’ paradise, Kremlin did bring comfort to their comrades from the far corners of the world. Well into the 21st century now, It brings more than that. In the middle of it, I found the Red Square is more people friendly, perhaps lamentable to some. It’s not as immense as it seemed in the newscast all these years, it’s simply a wide boulevard in front of the Kremlin. It’s now more people oriented that there was a huge department store across the boulevard from the kremlin with stock that rival New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. What’s more was that in the middle of the wide boulevard was a make-shift spectator stand of a public event, or some sort, being dismantled. Pipes, iron bars, beams and wirings strewn all over the place. Shoppers coming out of the store, carrying their loots, gingerly walked around the heaps of materials with or without grumbling. Harmony and tolerancy in full display..
So much for the appetizer before the main course, beginning with a late afternoon train journey to the east. In fact, Siberia, according to various historical accounts, has no defined border. Jengkis Khan,s westward expansion went straight into Kiev, defeating all kinds of coalition forces across Siberia when Moscow was not even appeared on his map. As a late comer joining the group, I was assigned to a different car totally away from my group. Holding the train ticket, I found there were numbers and familiar alphabets but making no sense and worse when strewn together with many what appeared to be the mirror images of letters. I forced myself to be calmed while my brain raced against the clock. Other passengers and well wishers walked passed me, some more hurry than the other, boarding their cars. Some even walked with strollers with children in tow talking to relatives and friends. All seemed like a memorable occasion to be had. I wanted to make it the same to me too. I approached the ladies at the bottom of stairs of the car, showing my ticket. They would say something I didn’t understand accompanied with finger pointing forward or backward depending on who you asked. There were some more helpful than the others and I safely boarded the right car and landed in my assigned sleeping compartment. I still didn’t know, to this day, how I get into the right spot.
It must be a train designated for trans-Siberia, the compartment is more proletarian-esque. Thinking of those of the war movies and Dr. Zhivago, the compartment was reasonably fit for human consumption. There were 2 bunk beds, one on each side of the room and one on top of the other with some precious head room for an accommodating person. The window was centrally located at the back with a much welcome small table jutting out from under the windowsill. There were even curtains on the window with ever changing scenery ( in coming days) in panoramic colour just outside. I settled and feeling for the light switches when a man came in the compartment. A stoky man, not too tall with a friendly face smiling and tucking his luggage along. Shortly after he dropped his luggage, smilingly he reached out his hand to greet me . Not to be outdone by a Russian, we exchanged pleasantry following the protocol to the letters. So much were at stack, grace and national pride. He spoke enough English that enhance our communication with delightful misunderstanding. Did he ever play Russian in Hollywood, certainly not a spy or a Soviet general, he worked for the state railway service (not secret service) travelling on business ( and on budget, I bet). I hoped he didn’t inadvertently leak any state secret. More acquainted, he even offered me a can of beer which I appreciated but declined, not for any reason. I just don’t consume alcohol straight. Soon enough, the train started to roll and Siberia would begin to unfold. It would be a long, very long scroll to unroll in unison with the soft percussion of wheels and tracks, cacophony of bells and whistles literally. So much physics involved in bringing the bells here, no props. The bell rings radiating sound waves when the train approaching the crossing and compresses the sound waves giving out high pitch. When the train passes the crossing leaving the bell farther and farther behind making the sound waves longer and longer resulting a much mellow tone. Moscow is a big city with bells and whistles. The soft percussion of the wheels and tracks turned the car into a slumber with its unique lullabye. Not exactly an environment for a sweet dream, I would expect a good night sleep nevertheless. Dosed in and out of my slumber, god knows for how long, when out of nowhere, all of a sudden, in total darkness, a cold liquid splashed squarely on me, head on. I jerked up instinctively, feeling for the the night switch. It was quiet on all front. my roommate was in deep slumber. All I noticed was on his side of the table a can of beer toppled toward my side squarely on me. What the F… , I thought cold war was over for quite sometime now. Is it that decades after decades of defence and offence effort so ingrained that the Russian beer takes on its own. How else can anyone explain to me even a Russian beer can tell someone from the west than a Russian. No further show of cold or hot reception for the rest of the night, they did serve hot tea in the morning. The service ladies, hardworking , no doubt, delivered the tea to the compartment with no incident. The tea was served in a porcelain cup in a metallic holder embossed with noticeable pattern delivered by a lady who remained impartial if not indifferent. The cup of hot tea, with or without smile, was a much welcome refreshment after an all night drought. A plash of liquid overhead, even beer, is not my choice of hydration.
Chugging through Siberia in the daytime definitely proved the world flat. The scenery was so different from Moscow where city blocks, streets, traffics at crossing, raced passed you backward faster and faster. And now complete wilderness extended far beyond your eye can see. There were ponds or simply very large pool of water lined the way with occasional uninviting blocks of building, large or small. Further away and before the horizon were forest of spruce or some sort. They were in a somewhat planned layout without a gigantic clipper dangling in mid-air in hot pursuit of James Bond in his Aston Martin escaping.
Still there are other attractions to make up — Kremlin.
Priceless painting from the Renaisance, including a real one from Da Vinci and other less know but
.
Going through the streets of St. Petersburg ….
ACROSS SIBERIA &
ACROSS HUMANITY
Across 9000 miles of frozen silent beauty or deadly loneliness, depending from where you are, it is simply a piece of hostile real estate for people. What it brought to people or when people were brought over here, the results could be diametrically different. Many people of historical importance would have Siberia as punishment of choice: death or miserable death. People, in their right mind or have a choice, would have avoided it at all cost. Still there are plenty of foot prints from the past and more to come tomorrow.
The Czar sent thousands valuable undesirables, politically or legally alike, to fuel the development. Lenin and Stalin carried out the tradition with no less enthusiasm, if not more, in doing the same. The fuel cost is immense, only undesirables turned into spent fuel. There was almost unlimited supply of undesirables. The more the authority tightened the grip, the stronger the reaction ensued, hence the supply of undesirables.
For thousands of years, the usual animosity among tribal leaders, arose in the steppe region of Siberia where the Chinese emperor and his neighbours to the north treated each other’s visiting envoy to lake Baikal, unequipped of course, as show of displeasure.
Prehistoric forest and insects.
Today, You don’t have to risk your live to hear Mother Siberia’s side of the story. In fact you can still get a superficial view in a haste which means 10 or more days and nights straight and in relative comfort, where shower, in any style is considered beyond comfort zone on the trans-siberian train. All considered, it’s a small price to pay to retrace step by step, literally, the historically documented and hearsays of nature’s hostility and human miseries. What overlooked is nature’s hospitality.
Instead of 50’C below zero or worst, in a stop near OMSK, I fell into an inferno when stepping off the train. And a digital display overhead assured me that it wasn’t an illusion, it was actually an inferno with 37’C. Now I finally understand the old Chinese saying, after all these years: Be critical on the books. It’s better without the book when you are to learn the truth.
Osmk was the place where the most unlikely action coalesced during the 1st World War. Imperial Russia was in the blink of total collapse when the imperial force was not only facing the onslaught of German forces but also resisting Lenin’s revolutionary force. United stated, Britain and western powers supported the Russia’s monarch by sending, under cover, a jointed expeditionary force to back up the Czar from the Russia east. The coalition force is a most unthinkable political cocktail: U.S., Britain, Poland, China and other Asian nationals among others. The Czechs controlled most of the Trans-Siberian railway. Most Russian people nowadays don’t know about it or not taught in their schools. Only the end result of the war was praised and Russia, now, then Soviet Union moved on to influence the world, and in a diminishing dosage after 1989.
A Mosaic the size of…
If Siberia was desolate and miserable, Yekaterinburg proves the opposite: a good size city of two million people and beautiful. They have the only remaining statue of Lenin in whole Russia, a token consolation for affecionados. Siberia, by nature, supports man and his world. She welcome people to make her their home, their world, beautiful. If only political reality allowed. Omsk and Siberia at large is thousands of miles away in any direction from open seas. Air moves over thousands of miles over land and leaves behind their moisture long ago on the way before reaching Siberia. And yet there are hundreds of rivers criss-cross this land mass making sure that it gets its fair share of nourishment.
The land nourished. Nature’s generosity cradles all things which care to live, even though some proved to be of nuisance to others. Some travelers reported convoys of trucks slumbering with massive trees which I didn’t see, travelling along the inundated road. With no regrets, I missed the notorious swamp of insects too.
There are cultivated forest showed up from time to time. The trees planted are mostly birch (or aspen, if not birch), not massive as described by other traveler, but lined in an orderly way fading away as the train chugging along. And the famous Russian dolls are made from birch. A great many dolls can be made from these trees than the world can buy. So When no better thing to do, they are just sitting there to grow to massive size and getting pruned the way as witnessed by freedom warrior James Bond, where the helicopter carried a humongous hair clipper dangling in mid-air while Bond racing his government-issued Ashton Martin to stay out of the way.
Other travelers, documentaries reported members of the phylum arthropod in its natural sizes with no respect for dietary constraint. When they come, reportedly, it’s orchestrated like a blanket furled over none but the brave. Again, I missed this frill which I suppose its local travel bureau would have it a more civilized image. And I’m not getting paid for not seeing the insects, nor hearing its coming.
I didn’t see any convoy of trucks slumbering with massive tree trunks. I witnessed sparsely slumbering small rickety trucks and passenger cars which helped me understand Cuba was once very vibrant by the virtue of its fleet of vintage cars still proudly running around to this day. With great gratitude I also missed the stink from the insects. Certainly there is no regret for missing the insect bites or the worst, only the hundreds of dollars in getting all the shots necessary for this trip.
All I have experienced is not to discredit other travelers or documentaries. Siberia, being so huge, if you have a wide enough lens, you can actually see the earth bent to accommodated Siberia literally. And I showed it to a catholic nun while on a trip to HK with the help of the on board online flight map. To my surprise, she agreed graciously. With her close relationship with the almighty up there, she extend her generosity saying she would pray for me. I have nothing to offer in return only my best wishing (at no cost to me) her all the blessings of the almighty.
What we, one individual to experience is actually a minute speck in a mosaic the size of Siberia. Whether Mosaic is the reason that Siberia attracts travelers, people from around the world do come with not just sightseeing but a sense of adventure. At any given moment, people from different corners of the world come to savor the awe of Siberia. They formed a mosaic of their own as each one brings a unique color. Each carries his or her very own self –a life-long journey totally different from the others’. Each one lives his or her life everyday going different places, meeting different people, by design or chance, at different times. Here we, like a droplet in a watershed leading to a creek, a stream before emptying into a river, you just don’t know where and when you run into a petal peeled off from a flower somewhere. Bobbing along together for god knows how long, but definitely not forever, and not knowing when is the last tango. If it’s delightful, treasure every moment of it. If not, again it’s not forever. All assembled exactly as in a random draw for only a very short span of time and in a tight squeeze manner – the very carriage of the trans-Siberia train leading to a mosaic of humanity which appeared as magically as a rainbow and faded away when normalcy resumes.
This mosaic may well be more colorful than the greatness of Siberia as shown:…
The New Zealand mother and son. A well read mother and a son on hot pursuit of the ultimate…
The heavenly endowed wife from Canada with her man, not just any man,….making a live example of me.
The Canadian couple of seasoned world travel who brightened this travelling troupe….
The Swiss family, an extraordinary mother ushering her 2 teenage children into a …
An Australian father and son on a generational-defying mission showing…
Then spice it up with local flavor (no extras, real ones)…
Stay tuned
著名生態學家沈德生(Eric Aanderson)羅列了一班彩色紛繽人物，也不過是過去那二百年罷了。當中一些，我們可以看出是差不多直接把嘆世界大衆化。少了他們，便不可能成事。最快也要等到下班車臻齊另一班與他們同樣造化的才可成事。
粗略的把他們串起來，他們是：
法國人，拿破倫時代，Nicephore & Claude Niepce 兄弟。
法國人，Francois Isaac de Rivaz。
美國人，Silliman, a Yale’s professor。
美國人，Rockefeller。
德國人，Karl Benz（平治） 。
美國人，George Selden。
美國人，Henry Ford（福特）
這裡把他們串起來，每人所帶的色彩果然造就一個花花世界，更重的是把這個花花世界帶到你面前。如興之所至，把你帶去也是輕而易舉之事。他們活在不同時代，不同國家文化，什麼生平抱負更互相大異其趣，不受外國勢力指使。
千千萬萬年來，要走動，翻山涉水，最可靠就是自己雙手雙腳。在拿破倫的法國時代，正是革命尚未成功，天下仍然大亂。Niepce 兄弟卻發明了一部內燃機，化燃燒為力量。裝上船來開動，乘風破浪。不知怎的，那船命名暗通中華文化中通俗情懷，名叫Le Pyreolophore「風火輪」，不錯，拿吒那架風火輪（英語系世界叫作fire-wind producing machine祇能釋出其科學一面，未能掌握意境。）這是一件影響後世翻雲覆雨的一件事物。 在里昂附近河上招搖。賣相自然古怪，老番如何接受得來，引得岸上人走避的走避，有勇敢的爭相報以亂石磚塊，唯恐愧對街坊。好不熱鬧。所用燃料有頭有面，其中一種叫作Lycopodium moss（即青苔一種） 。有如廿四味，加上碳灰，樹膠便成。最後得到國家認可，皇帝面授專利權（patent）。這對兄弟往後還對攝影技術作出貢獻。
也是法國人，差不多同時，Francois Isaac de Rivaz。他沒有發明隹釀，卻能讓氫，氧混合，加以“引爆”來推動木頭車。直接衍生了今天號稱高科技的fuel cell。還好，也獲授專利權。
講石油，不能不講美國人。耶魯大學一名教授Silliman。他與私酒經營無關。數百年來美國淹沒在私酒之下，市井上叫作Moon shine，大概以此對月暢飲，份外明，大有唐詩境界。製造私酒沒有什麼奧秘，是家庭工業，早就全球一體化。上兩代的圍頭人（即新界的鄉間人）也不假外求，自蒸自飲。米糠撈埋酒餅，發酵好後，經蒸餾便成。酒精遇熱，首先蒸發。將所得的再蒸一次，便叫孖蒸或雙蒸， 三次三蒸，作飲用的通常止於四蒸。每蒸多一次，酒精濃度便高一些。到四蒸時，濃度高至用火柴可以點着。飲到肚裏，擗瀝之情，可以想見。真可化鵪春為蛟龍。在美國，特別是東部山區，如Appalachian Mountain私酒市塲活力更為澎湃。相信今天也未完全消失。他們蒸的卻是威士己，Bourbon，高值產品。既是民間智慧，這名教授也用蒸餾法分析研究石油。蒸餾出來的火水可點燈，之後更發展成火水燈和大光燈。最重要的是蒸餾過程中分解出一種強揮發性液體，不像火水那般馴服可用來點燈，還臭味迫人。無以為名下，便叫作氣油（gasoline） 。 也就是今天全世界每個角落不可或缺的電油。其他燃油及副產品也就是在蒸餾過程中分解出來。今天的煉油廠祇是超特大的蒸餾爐而矣。
自1859石油破土衝天，石油的蠻荒時代開始。所謂新產業，新市場，即是無法無天，無法可依。有人肯買，有人肯賣便成，沒有商德道德可言。最適合拼命三郎之流打拼。大概跟今天國內差不多。但當時有一特殊情形——供過於求，大大超過。大家都知道，今天採探石油是很艱險的工程，因為容易開採的石油早已抽盡，所以才發展到今天險中取油：深海，北極海底。什麼險阻，祇要有市有價，石油工業便樂於迎難而上，政府也帶頭鼓勵，從傍恊助。喝頭啖湯，人所欲也。在先到先得精神下，大小個體戶也就如雨後春筍，鑽油台遍地開花。商場上你爭我奪，各出奇謀，各人的商德，道德標準也大異，說是蠻荒時代就差不多了。在這樣一塲爭奪戰中，死的死，傷的傷，也有被吞并的。能站住腳的是少數中的少數。洛克菲勒（Rockefeller ）卻能脫穎而出。他的成功不在探採豐富，而是洞燭先機並針對石油業的全盤運作關鍵： 開採，儲存，運載，提煉，銷售等等。把各環節整合，收編。更把對手吞併或催毀。在1870至1890短短廿年間他的標準石油公司囊括了九成市場。成為人類史上最富有的人。他致勝的經營手法：合併，上下環節收編掌控之下，也就是今天的學院名詞merge & acquisition，vertical integration。他對世界的影響不是他的錢，而是開創人類前所未有的能源工業：鑽探，開採，運輸，提煉，銷售等等。今天每一瓣都是工商專才較量之所。任何一瓣失靈，都足以影響社會民生，經濟，國家安全，國際秩序。
平治汽車（Ｂenz），港人至愛。汽油的出現，加上內燃機。二者配合起來，人類流動的步伐也就真的如箭在絃，祇欠那人出力拉弓。汽油所夾帶的高能量正好用着。終於1886平治拿到了四衝程引擎的專利權。「四衝程」也就是汽車燃燒汽油時發力推動的過程。他駕駛自己的第一部車上街也不過是一部三輪車。乃閉門造車的實例，怪模怪樣的三腳雞在街上亂跑，街坊大驚，爭相走避。走得快，好世界。各樣問題之中，最駭人的還有擺馱很靠不住。1888年，經短短二年間的改良，他以老婆仔女證明這是一部Benz。在沒有今天的德國高速公路下，在Bavaria（也即是寶馬的故鄉） 省的鄉間跑了一百公里。人們還不知新時代已到。
本來也是一名普通的一名典形人物。他之所以特別，就在於中文給他譯作福特。本來單單有福便可叱吒風雲，他卻福特雙全。美國立國以來，這類福特雙全的人比比皆是，很是普通。Henry Ford（福特）被稱作汽車大王。其實也是一名山寨王，機器佬闖出世界。香港大把。香港五十年代開始，六十七十年代而大成。他把建造汽車繁複的工作以分工合作式串連起來。就是今天人人掛在嘴邊的所謂流水作業，生產線。汽車大量生產從此面世。他不祇自己高薪，還把高薪推己及人，分期付款。伙記個個買得起。如此生產，如此銷售，還表現出一點社會責任，誰人想到。把公司叫作福特，所造的車也就叫福特。把汽車帶進人類文化，開創新紀元。我們香港的山寨王當中也有不少福特之士並及時在我國進入新紀元之際帶頭獻出一分力。
When you have one last bottle of water in an endless desert, or when you are about getting drown, what water means.
Many people stick to the practice of ‘an apple a day keeps the doctors away’. Some may even have two. After 3 or 4, there would be hardly anyone care for more and its value reduces to nothing. Many rich people spring into euphoria when they make their first million. Many more, after making 100 millions remain equally enthusiastic about making more millions.
When people, the world over, awaken by the French revolution and oblige the birth right of Equality to life, the quality of life rises. The industrial revolution certainly helps with the supply side while the american psyche of ‘pursuit of happiness’ completes the demand side of the equation. and voila! the world of consumption is born.
We all have a few pairs of shoes, may be ten. How about a hundred pairs? will we stop buying more. Back in the 60’s, my parent bought a pair of rubber shoes (all purpose, the only kind available on the market) because the existing pair was already fully depleted, or worn out. So, I had a new pair, but didn’t want to start the new pair just yet. I repaired the old pair using my childhood ingenuity. I did a couple of cardboard cutouts for the sole. Voila! I can extend my possession of the new pair a little longer until I start using it. My new pair of all-purpose rubber shoes delivered extremely high marginal utility.
Time moves on and fast. Nowaday, people don’t wait for needs in order to buy. people found new reasons. Human’s senses have expanded. there are serious considerations too. one such consideration is call ‘instant gratification’. They don’t need any consideration when they use this consideration.
I am worried. Since Adam Smith’s invention of the thought of ‘wealth’ and the subsequent evolution of economic thoughts and theories, less and less people employ rational consideration, more and more people enjoy the ‘consideration’ of no consideration in their life. And marginal utility depart from people’s life.
Marginal utility may not see the end of its life. Getting to zero is running its course of life in a natural way, which is a no no way in this state of world. Marginal utility may well destined to be a rare species. I just hope that people won’t render it into an endangered species like we did to so many other species.
….2
Resident of Galapagos Research Centre
Finally, it turns out to be a convenient island, albeit half way of the world from where I came from. Many people, mostly fisherman from Europe stumbled on these archipelagos long before me and even Charles Darwin. And it wasn’t convenient. He was simply on a round the world survey on Her Majesty’s Service (just like James Bond. no secret though) in 1835. He was on board the Beagle and stopped over the islands for just a few weeks. Not knowing that it harbors the secret “Origin Of Species”, so the tiny islands and its native residents have just been there waiting to be discovered and honored.
Ask yourself, how many times you have stumbled on new things — places, people and phenomenon. and we allow them just slip pass us without feeling awed, bewildered, or even noticed. To make sense of merely something stumbled on, even a gem, takes an endeavor of a Homo Sapiens scale. No wonder, out of the human history and prehistory there is only one Charles Darwin. Or the Galapagos Island is just an island of convenience.
It’s not enough just to give it a full military honor. In fact this would be contrary to the hidden spirit of co-flourishing on the only speck of grain in the universe available to life. Our species is the only life form which is capable to cause harm to this one last refuge. The intrigue relationship of forces which sustains fortunate species is yet to be studied. However we are grateful to Darwin to draw our attention. And we came to recognize that we can’t afford to lose this remaining window to understand life form and ourselves in particular. So instead of human honor, people honor it with special measures.
Situating in the middle of Pacific Ocean, is itself a natural defensive mold. The human species progress so much in science and technology that traveling there become accessible to more and more people. Indeed, it is now an attraction to tourist and friendly to people of all physical tolerance. There are still some unique measures to prevent contamination. After landing and clearing the custom, tourist have to walk through a sanitary strip designed to exterminate suspected contaminants hopefully. On the yacht, tourist are still allowed to defecate on board, not overboard. That is it would be contained on board until the end of the trip. Toilet tissues are not to be dumped and separately stored for disposal.
胡蘭成的「今生今世」確是好書。論者之多，曾一時成風。
好書受到器重絕不為奇。他生逢民國初年，學貫中西，博通古今，不足為奇。奇就奇在作者的身份，行徑。他是份量不輕的漢奸，此奇一。連續結婚八次(其實是貪新忘舊，見一個愛一個)，此奇二。有地位的漢奸：秦檜謀私，謀權；吳三桂為色為情都給比下去。戰後政府警惡懲奸，大小漢奸不少落網，或有無故的。最為人知的如李香蘭，幸得還原正身：原來是日本人，得不死，遭遣返日本而矣。而胡蘭成確有他的本事，竟給他蒙渾過去。後來港還差點給他渾進錢穆教授的新亞書院（中大前身 ）。
書中聚事行文常常慢得如分如秒。但他就是這樣細述民初景象，社會倫常，人物氣色。而他自己就切切實實活在其中，所咸所言大概也不假的。婚姻態度受人非議，卻文辭華麗，精煉。文人多大話。但也可能咸情豐富，熱情奔放常新。連站在時代尖端的天才靚女張愛玲也為之傾心。他的當上漢奸，可知日本侵華，廣植漢奸，用心之精煉，深得其人。
兒女私情，縱是千言萬語，心照不宣也可傳千里。 Private love, one on one mindfully readable, however long lasting.
Public love, …
世界共同之情，當然也是千言萬語。很多人不吐不快。但更多人雖然不快，也不敢吐。或等人先吐。吐痰是犯法的。但吐談還是可以罷。他日吐談也犯法，那是後話了。這裡與朋友街坊吐談，而且是少量的（就在 MY BOOK 頁內），應該更無問題。若能引至大家，你一言我一句，增進街坊情誼之餘，說不定還可解決天大的問題未定。
We, people on the street and the scientific community up in the ivory tower, have been talking about the root cause of climate change. Carbon dioxide from carbon based fuel has been found guilty of the crime–heating up the planet. The blame is misdirected. Carbon is the mother of all fossil fuels which provide energy. A colorful world for mankind is made possible only because of carbon.
It powers the progress of human civilization since the beginning of time through industrial revolution and on-going. In less than 200,000 years of its existence, Homo Sapiens changes the world and hence the planet earth. If we condense it into a year, the industrial revolution only started on the very last day of the year and late in the afternoon before the year end.
With the planet earth being so resourceful, it laid the stage of a world for man to enjoy. Energy only turns resources into our enjoyment. Enjoy, we certainly do in a big way. It is the earthly resources that make the world colorful. But Can we make it last?!. Is there still a new year, or tomorrow at least.