110531二晴閱報：用萬億儲備「解決」六四？

Spotting a TV repoorter taping live on the sidewalk this afternnoon, I suddenly realized that the top news site of the day was something called “On the Street Where You Live” and this YOU is none other than our mayor Donald Tsang (曾蔭權).

The Chief Executive and his wife make their home in the Governaor’s Mansion. But he owns an apartment on this street （pic: 62 Macdonnell Road, from 110601AD) for the memory of his father who passed away in the 1990s. Now it is suspected of having an illegal structure added to the original premises..

As expected, Donald said the structure in question had already been there when he bought it and that it was not challenged, at least not by the authority in charge of building codes.

I believe him. But so many people hate him. He would need some luck to get away. The storm will develop until another bigger storm overwrites the present one.

But it is interesting to know that, “on the street where Donald ‘lives’”, there are at least three well-known political figures at both ends of the political spectrum.

Let’s see if any of them will be caught by the media in this respect, and if the treatment they obtain from the media is in line with the current political division.

I like the song "On the Street Where You Live“. Guess Donald may be now singing "Reporters stare and look. They don't bother me......"

今天最驚人的是：「天安門母親」為首的丁子霖上香港電視說，六四22年來，首次有公安與其成員接觸，問：用多少錢可以解決？

丁女士說他們不會被分化。但成員背景、條件、性格不同，來人并未說款額可以有多大，有人若接受賠償，無須驚訝，也不等於「背叛」。。

上周的憂慮果然成真。蒙族維權愈鬧愈大。當局雖照舊扼殺衝突於萌芽，甚至〈禁員工外出午餐〉以防遊行，但蒙族心結已成，要避免其步藏族、維族後塵已不可能，最多是少點暴力。且看北邊的蒙古和以及一向對蒙古有興趣的日人會否捲入？

蒙民上街後才來法辦漢族凶嫌，何來公信力？碰上明君，法制為政治服務相對好過沒有法治。但明君難求，而且可以變質，老百姓沒有保障。

內蒙書記胡春華1980年代是胡錦濤在西藏的下屬，曾協助處理動亂。這次應對暫時算是得體。但只要中央路線是穩定不惜代價，就不可能解決問題。

AD：內蒙GDP在31個省分裡居第15位，人均GDP第6，高過廣東。主要靠天然資源，號稱「羊（羊絨）、煤（煤炭）、土（稀土）、氣（天然氣）」。但破壞環境、利益分配不均。

胡錦濤昨要求政治局：「最大限度激發社會活力、最大限度增加和諧因素、最大限度減少不和諧因素」。前兩句是空的，第三句才是實質。而「最大限度減少不和諧」主要是靠扼殺衝突於萌芽，換言之，壓下問題而不是解決，直到下一次更強烈的爆發。

台灣的塑化劑污染在港佔據頭條已兩天。AD也說〈比（大陸的）三聚氰胺毒20倍〉。但只發一則報導，而且夾在一上一下許多新聞之間。AD本來較對手尊重新聞的輕重，但本身在台辦報，借台灣來反攻大陸，現在相信是不想華人自由堡壘被指與大陸半斤八兩，動搖我們對台的信心，不惜犧牲新聞的客觀性。

一旦涉及切身利害，幾乎沒有媒體能夠堅持原則。所謂的新聞道德十有九是空話。

洋官指控升級，逼立會用特權傳召。但政府只剩一年，上限是跛腳鴨，下限是不可能再「腳痛」，多一宗醜聞改變不了大局。中央會促建制護航。

傳統左派看來真的想造女特首。元老鼓吹「鐵三角」雖然是幻想，但的確是左派的憧憬。

女學警跳樓不論是因為腰傷、留班、情困還是被指偷iPhone，都應該聽聽昂山素姬的智慧：「為小事而高興，學習去快樂」。(詳見下文）。

除了博文開頭提到的曾蔭權，林瑞麟、唐英年父親、梁智鴻等權貴也遭僭建風衝擊。當局對於僭建歷來隻眼開隻眼閉。如今執政厘做，可能每三四個單位就有一個要拆卸還原。涉及的權貴恐怕也有這個比例。

法官裁決時問：若禁止鄰居燒香，煲中藥又如何？又是一個法界似是而非的命題。燒香有「二手煙」的問題，但煲中藥的氣味無毒，而且一般只煲幾個小時，不像燒香，可以24小時不停。

報章刊登〈北韓版幸福指數　中國居首美包尾〉的新聞，顯然是借來罵北韓。只要稍為明理都會覺得，這項調查一如這個國家，剛好與常理相反。北韓比Orwell《1984》所描述的更荒誕。

若有全球領袖無恥程度的調查，北韓肯定遠遠拋離亞軍。而且似乎一代更勝一代，金正日超越父親金日成，第三代的金正恩又似乎更上層樓。

至於〈南韓70軍官宣誓效忠金正日〉，看似不可思議，但關鍵在於怎樣看待民族統一與道德。

無網絡可用？4G版Galaxy Tab預告下月出爐：22.6厘米or 25.6厘米，200萬像素，OS Android，雙核，499-599美元。

我昨天沒去港大聽昂山素姬與師生的視頻通話。今天看新聞，發覺昂山談吐優雅、分寸很准，對敵用諷刺而不用駡街。這正是她的背景：成長在佛家的緬甸，受教於仍帶有貴族遺風的英國。佛教寬容，而英國人善於幽默。

這與艾未未開口閉口「操你媽」剛好相反。必須承認，我比較「反動」，嚮往貴族性，敬重宗教性。但英雄是社會的產物。艾未未所反映的是內地百姓，甚至文藝界的口味。若此，我只能說：Good luck, but fuck.

昂山昨天發言摘錄：

對中國：「中國是偉大的國家，中國人是偉大的民族，擁有奇妙與悠久的歷史。你可以多走前幾步，你可以更勇敢，你可以容納所有不同的聲音，你比你想像中更偉大，所以，請釋出你的偉大給所有的人。」

寄語劉曉波及其他在囚的維權人士：要堅持信念，「否則你便不能擁有完整與和平的人生」。

主持Frank Ching（秦家驄，居港的美國華人，胡紅玉夫婿，1970-80年代《紐約時報》《華爾街日報》記者，中國開放改革初期派駐北京，回歸前精英壓力團體Hong Kong Obesrvers成員）：民主大國美國經濟日走下坡，獨裁政權中國卻如日方中，是否擔心別國都以中國為榜樣。答：「中國的經濟發展肯定是不可思議的。但另一方面，中國也不能否認的確存在社會問題，連緬甸也感受得到。」（緬甸北部邊界有三不管地帶，部份與中國接壤。由於來往頻繁，而中方一邊富裕，邊界地區時有問題。緬甸曾出兵掃蕩，導致不少人死亡，包括一些中國人。）

「我會為微小的事而高興，我學習去快樂。」能夠早睡已是快樂之源。

「很有紀律的生活，捱過被孤立的年頭和堅持信念」。

昂山引用格言認為，「不應以好壞善惡、智愚賢劣來把人分類」，而應分為「為學者」（learners）與「非為學者」（non-learners），兩者之間為「學習能力不同」和「有能力更正錯誤」的人，最成功的人是能夠用行動以表達所關心的事。至於囚禁她的軍方領袖，「They are not very fast learners」（並非學得得很快的人）。我們「要很有耐性」，「有責任幫助他們學得快一些，為國家作出好的貢獻。」

110527晴閱報：More confrontation

六四趨近，風聲鶴唳，抓人之餘，安檢學美國？江西省撫州市政府大樓爆炸，昨看電視只說2人死亡，但今AD說〈5連爆18死　農民不滿強拆　炸政府大樓　檢察院〉。撫州去年 9月 9日曾有一家3口自焚反強拆。據說這次的〈兇手上訪 10年無果〉。這類定時炸彈還有多少？

撫州爆炸同日，《人民日報》評論部文章〈傾聽那些「沉沒的聲音」〉稱，「維權就是維穩，維權才能維穩」。但日前又似乎警告溫家寶。兩種勢力惡鬥？

與此同時，圖示內蒙古牧民維權（見日前本博）擴大，千名學生上街。

110529後補：《東方》：兩名牧民不滿漢人煤礦製造噪音及污染，衝突時被運煤車撞死。五月十一日，兩千蒙族學生上街要求嚴懲兇手，舉着「解放內蒙，內蒙屬於我們」的橫幅。內蒙是最大的煤炭開採地，近年煤價飛漲，漢人湧入濫採，露天煤礦污染。官方資料顯示，六成草原退化，牧民難生存。但當局與礦主串通。

The most stupid question you can think of, especially coming from someone on top: Why can’t I be another Li Kashing?　Why can you, the one who raised the question, be Li Kashing first? The Vice President of the United States will never tell young people to be another Bill Gates or even Mark Zuckerberg.

主動提23條立法是一箭多雕：向中央交心；代中央提不便提的agenda；逼退不敢面對者；逼下屆無法規避。

可能是全港唯一沒有人同情的人：高調向最高當局逼宮後，陳振聰遭〈突擊拘提　酒店押走直送警署法院〉（頭條）。〈保釋金歷來第三高　籌唔到〉。後著當陸續有來。

問得好：〈「維權要判刑，造假食物就冇事？」陳日君籲毋忘六四〉。

兩制的考驗：〈北京藝術家在港「撐」六四〉。回京後若被追究，港會感到切身。

《東方》專欄〈爭國土縮手縮腳　花國財大手大腳〉，外交部和國防部齊罵。

至少深圳不必背鍋了：〈富士康成都廠員工跳樓〉。

無人可信？清華大學新聞傳播學院副院長錯引「內地作家張一一以六十萬美元賄賂諾貝爾文學獎評委馬悅然」的假新聞。副院長稱，傳聞來自中央級媒體的下屬網站，言下之意，非戰之罪。中央媒體、新聞學權威都不能輕信，還有誰說的可以作準？

食穀種的人士辛苦了，天國不是你們的：16萬〈公務員加薪獲得確認〉，幅度高過通脹，連帶人人向上力谷，最怕執輸。〈25萬外傭料加薪百餘元〉〈工會促港鐵最少加薪7%〉…….。

No problem if the reverse is true:〈中文寫英人口供惹官怒罵〉。Carrying the power and status of users, languages are not equal. Thousands of parents are more than willing to pay several million HKD to put their kids into the best international school. But I doubt if any parent will pay a fraction of that amount to put their kids into Chinese-language schools like the one I attended.

法官自以為是似乎相當普遍：〈官﹕（候選人）辦講座似送紙巾 無賄選意圖〉。講座面對人數有限的同行選民；當街派紙巾無特定對象，如此對比太不用腦！

文摘：AD〈朱鎔基轟房改政策錯誤〉

【本報訊】內地樓價高，前總理朱鎔基出席清華大學講座時說︰「我們制訂了一個錯誤的政策，就是房地產的錢都給地方政府，而且不納入預算。」他即將出版《朱鎔基講話實錄》。

報章指分稅制令稅收都給了中央，地方只有發展房地產。他說：「狗屁！」舉例說，去年全國財政收入 8.3萬億元人民幣，當中地方直接收入，連同中央還給地方，地方合共收入7.3萬億元；餘下才是中央。攻擊分稅制，如《中國農民調查》說，「根本就是無知！」

就「中國引領世界汽車工業發展方向」，他說：「我從來不主張財政補貼發展汽車工業，我主張全力加強農村義務教育。農村的學校，一人一杯牛奶，一隻雞蛋都吃不到，青海省僅800人試點能吃到，但有3萬中小學生。拜託多發展公共交通吧，這樣北京就不會那麼堵車了。」

文摘：AD〈緬懷過去老三陽見證 40年繁榮代價〉

屹立銅鑼灣近40年的上海南貨品老三陽見證羅素街及利園山道的繁榮代價。「三十幾年前開始喺啟超道營業，跟住搬去利園山道，到家白沙道，睇住地鐵起、電車廠拆！」

老三陽董事總經理祁玉鳳指，電車廠未拆前，羅素街是街市。當年老三陽已在利園山道，「旁邊係燒味舖、藥房，周圍仲有茶樓食肆。」

「九十年代初，怡和街一帶好多日式百貨公司，嗰邊好旺」。直到時代廣場落成。之前有些芝士蛋糕等小食受歡迎，但熱潮只有兩、三年。千禧年前後，羅素街開始有電訊商進駐，之後輪到個人護理及化妝品，再後服裝品牌專門店。

03年開放自由行初期，羅素街仍無太多鐘錶珠寶店。「06、 07年開始，鐘錶店越開越多。」因為貨品較內地便宜，加上人民幣升值，鐘錶店搶租。

由於鐘錶店出價高，老三陽位於利園山道的舖位被看中。祁玉鳳透露，舊舖到期續約時，加租幅度太高，決定搬到白沙道；原位被Swatch搶佔。

「家鐘錶業生意好，連利園山道都多咗好多間。」不過，祁玉鳳相信，經過近30年的觀察，未來十年隨時再有翻天覆地的變化。

110524二《都市》：鐵三角與戰三國

原載《都市日報》2011年5月24日二《都市博客》專欄

獲溫總接見的左派元老憧憬，三位疑似特首候選人組成「鐵三角」，帶領我們擺脫回歸多年的困境。但現實中真正上演的其實是「跌三國」。弱勢的T與強勢的L相當於魏與蜀。只不過，居中的F親魏而非親蜀，而L也不是劉備，而是一夫當關的強人。但少了諸葛和關、張、趙匡扶，形格勢禁，相信擺脫不了三國的結局。

與頭三次相比，這次選特首算是有點競爭。上周，L帶頭宣告「當仁不讓」、聲言為市民解決置業難題。同一時間，被指為T打遮擋的F暗示並非真想參選。兩人表態後，餘下的T很難繼續藏身正職後，靠施政得分。有點像拳賽，弱者埋身搶攻找破綻，不讓強者穩佔上風到完場。

戰歌“Onward CE fighters, marching as to war”響起後，太上裁判將不得不加快吹雞。把老蔣當年重返大陸的空言由「年」改成「月」，所謂「一月準備，兩月反攻，三月掃蕩，五月成功」，真命天子應「大約在冬季」誕生。

不怕說，我一向政治冷感。不要說小圈子玩意，即使全民選舉也總覺得止蝕多過選賢能。要麼像香港，沒有候選人才德兼備，買唔落手；要麼像美國，兩派各走極端，選民只能兩害之中取其輕。而且即使趕走「壞蛋」、換上好人，政策也還是跳不出體制的五指山。

在反右、大饑荒、文革劫後的內地，人民的確要能自由選擇，才能避免再出一個毛澤東。但換了先進地區，政府對選民不構成人身威脅，生活水準上下限又受制於市場，投票往往變成交差。加上傳播發達、凡事娛樂化，大選有時候八卦多過實質。現在法國人大概會問：老婆懷孕為總統博連任加多少分？誰來替補涉嫌圖姦落馬的可能對手？

在先進地區，美國歷史包袱少、國民使命感強、向上流動性高，加上有三億人，選到能人、糾正前任錯誤的機會較大。右派也很難否認，奧巴馬就是幾十年一遇的人才。但若只有七百萬人、風氣過於現實，加上中央對港政治上寧左勿右、經濟上則寧右勿左，也就難以樂觀。

我們的死結在於趕絕泛民。在開放的政制裏，在野黨反對有一定的限度，生怕輪到自己上台時，被人還治其人之身。但香港的泛民不可能參政，可以去到盡。罵得愈勁愈顯得監督有力，抬價愈高愈顯得以民為本。反正不會輪到我，管它解決有多難。政府無疑窩囊，但批評和開期票永遠易過兌現。加上親京黨平庸、商界眼裏只有錢，香港也就拖拉無成。

上述的疑似候選人T和L除了耳熟能詳的特點，與回歸後兩位不太成功的特首具有離奇的延續性。T與第一位特首都是富二代；L則與現任特首都是警二代。第一位富二代胸懷大志、精忠報國，惜市民不領情；現在的第二位看似無為，但得罪人少，可能反而容易過關。第一位警二代出身寒微、超級現實，只求「做好呢份工」；現在的第二位想大有為，但太多敵人、太少人相信，只怕空懷壯志。

110525三晴：寫了一天才完工的博文

一周未曾上載，今晨連寫幾小時，不料輸入法crash，幾千字報銷，連後備檔案都找不到。以下只好憑記憶重寫。教訓是：今後一開打，垃圾也要按save。

上周中本欲再寫，不料忘了欠一篇雜誌稿，趕了一天。接著又連忙幾天，直拖到今日。

這位雜誌編輯是好「保姆」，上周就糾正了我下筆時純憑記憶的兩個差錯。

答網友Stephen：灣仔海軍商場亦即分域Fenwick碼頭，地圖見fenwickpier.com/main。但最好避開美艦來度假的高峰，以免不得其門而入。

謝haode2010留言。我明白內地一些人因為無助絕望，產生了「不共戴天」的心情，但懷疑是否真能解決問題。權力暴虐、百姓狂怒的惡性對抗，只說明社會接近危險邊緣，下一階段可能是暴亂失控。除非相信革命，最後不知如何收科。

As for writing in English, I would try from time to time. But my language is as handicapped as ‘My Speech’ (see a previous blog.). Writing in English requires more than twice the amount of time as writing in Chinese. Don’t expect too much.

Looking forward to the showdown of two dynasties early Sunday morning. Personally, I hope Barcelona will win. They play better aesthetically. But football is not a game the best will win. Counting factors including ‘home’ crowd (Wimbledon Stadium in London), vigor and luck, Manchester has a upper hand.

Good luck, Barcelona, you need it.

有人轉來兩條歌唱視頻，看你是否喜歡：

一是內地買菜阿嬸參賽，演出西方歌劇經典的中國賣菜版，比英國大娘Susan Boyle和台灣的小胖更驚人，音調比女高音還要高。http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN-uZGkDaoA&feature=share

另一個帶有政治性。填詞人對時事看得很透徹。但唱得快過美國的rap，不看歌詞，連一句也聽不懂：
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBp80xlZD0Q&feature=related

僭建是高樓價的產物，說不定有幾個百分點之多，依足法例恐怕要十年八年才理得清。家人裡就有兩戶，都是過去一年拆除還原的。

孫明揚主管房屋地政仍當官方指令冇到，我猜在權貴裡很普遍。他們深明有關部門限於資源，除非真正威脅到安全，否則得過且過，而公眾通常也懶得深究。只不過現在變成傳媒和議員的成績，才不得不執正。

孫肯定不是最衰的司局級官員，但肯定是最厭惡性的。一派「隔夜油炸鬼」（滬語謂之「老油條」），無論問什麽，都是同樣的廢話、同樣的表情、同樣唔嗲唔吊的語氣。雖然孫屬於早期的政務官，比他年輕幾年的局長一般好得多（另一個厭惡性的是林公），但他令我無法接受AO萬能的神話。

我不反對孫提早收工，但想藉此打擊曾蔭權則恐怕是奢望。他反正是跛腳鴨，才不怕你把問責官裡最老的孫拉下馬。

下週六就是「六四」23周年。《明報》轉引《南方週末》說，六四期間與劉曉波同稱「四君子」的侯德健，月中會到薄熙來主持下全國最紅的重慶唱「紅歌」。到時免費入場賀中共90大壽。侯獲引述說：他「紅歌聽得不多，但觀眾喜歡什麽就演什麽。」此舉是否六四以來，侯較早前首次獲准在北京開演唱會的回報？

北京前晚街頭的千人突發抗議說明，醜陋的中國人也有美麗的一面。有巴士行進時「間接」碰到法拉利，被交警要求負全責。換了普通車，群眾反應相信不會這樣大，但法拉利使人想起暴富和炫耀。今天大陸沒有人相信，暴富不涉及勾結官府、巧取豪奪。圍觀者相信並不認識涉事各方，而純粹是出於直覺的正義，加上對公安的不滿。

真正令人擔憂的是，內蒙也連日有千人上街。原因是有蒙古族牧民率眾抗議當地的煤礦有損生計，遭漢人運煤車輾死。相對於藏人和維吾爾人，蒙人很少要求獨立。但博訊引述死者好友說：「蒙古人太老實，如果是維吾爾人，那早就完了。」對於內蒙會否爆發08年拉薩藏人和09年烏魯木齊維吾爾人的騷亂（圖：內蒙這次的抗議，驟看還以為是08年的拉薩），不能掉以輕心。

110526四補：今閱報，見有內蒙古事件的背景資料，摘錄如下：

《東方》〈亞歐大陸唯一淨土〉

西烏旗位於內蒙古錫林勒盟東部，人口逾半為蒙古族牧民，九成為草原，畜牧業興盛，其大草原被聯合國教科文組織納為國際生物圈，稱是亞歐大陸唯一的淨土。但探明低硫褐煤藏後，五年前被發改委列為重要能源基地，自此大草原被收購或承包挖媒，牧民無地放牧，與礦場衝突。

110519Th: Ich bin ein Berliner

Spotted an interesting title on the June cover of the trendy Monocle on the newstand yesterday. If I remember correctly (I did not write it down, thought I could get in on the web. But I was wrong), it’s something like “Ich bin ein Berliner …..immigrants from the former East.”, about the only complete German sentence I can understand from taking a four-week intensive course about 40 years ago. (The other sentence I know “Ich lieber dich.” simply has no application for most non-German speaking people in their life time.)

What a coincidence. My wife and I travelled with two Berliners to Beijing last month. An artist couple, the husband Alexander is a sculptor-painter-set decorator and his American wife Sommer a chereographer and stage director.

Alexander grew up in former East Berlin, made his career decision at about five or six, a leader in his school days. Made his name very early in his career. When the East Germany regime collapsed with the Wall, he was about twenty. But strangely, he takes this watershed change in his life quite calmly, does not have much complain about his 'former' life under communist rule, and not much praise about his current life under capitalist freedom and prosperity.

And just as coincidental, during the week we spent together in Beijing, Alexander’s fellow sculptor in the Chinese capital Ai Weiwei(艾未未) was incommunicado after being taken away by the authority. Presumably feeling suffocating and unsafe in his homeland, Ai had just bought a gallery in Alexander’s city and planned to emigrate. If not for the incident, these two artists, both “grew up under the red flag” （在紅旗下長大）as the Chinese say, may meet in Beijing and soon again in Berlin to share their work and experiences. But now, I doubt if they would meet any time soon.

As a matter of fact, it was the first Asian trip for Alexander and Sommer, planned long before Ai’s incident. Alexander was more interested in seeing what China was like, especially art works in public spaces than plunging himself into the Chinese art sea.

We don’t know each other before this trip, happen to be on the boat at the courtesy of an artist friend from Hong Kong who has a SOHO in Beijing. No, not that famous glass tower in the so-called CBD area, but an apartment decorated in the style of a New York loft in which our host works with Beijing artists for their joint projects.

The works that Alexander showed me in his Mac are in general pretty abstract, even carrying a sense of darkness (http://www.alexanderpolzin.de/). But the one scuplture which makes Tel Aviv University its permanent home is so transparent even for an illiterate like me, and indeed would resonate with many Chinese. It is the upper part of a person with his or her mouth blocked by a raised arm extending from one side of the body to the other. And that person is not anyone, but the father of Western philosophy Socrates. (figure) A well-known art work about this ancient Greek tragic figure is a painting showing him taking poison in accorddance with the sentence he received for ‘corrupting’ the youth by asking them to ‘question’ conventional thoughts. As later generations may think stupid, Socrates refused to go into exile and chose to become a martyr for seeking the truth. This attitude towards authoritarian sentences against freedom of expression and thought was repeated about 500 years later by Jesus of Nazareth, now Palestine.

Alexander’s works are basically expressions of his thought. If there is a political overtune, it’s minimal. In sharp contrast, the works of Ai are pure protests. I am not sure if they have values as art other than that. Judging from his behaviorial art in which he wears nothing except covering his genital area with a symbolic penis while at the same time, using homonyms in Chinese to kind of ‘deface’ the commnunist party （2 figures）, Ai is tryiing to use expressions as vulgar as possible to provoke a regime which in his eyss may be the most vulgar on earth, get them to lose temper and throw themselves on him, thus exposing how insecure the regime is.

In Chinese, one may say Ai’s strategy towards the regime is以毒攻毒 (treating poison with an even stronger one). And the sympathy that he receives in China is a sign of the sickenss of a society in which suppression and reation continue to escalate in a multually reinforcing circle. It may be that Ai does not mind if he pushes to the point of make and break. Since in that case, there will be revolution like the one which knocked down the Berlin wall in late 1989, in Chinese another 蘇東波. And being an artist, he may not too concerned with a possible societal chaos or economic standstill.

So, Alexander’s attitude towards the former East German regime is very different. But judging from his Socrates sculpture, he is against suppression of expression.

Indeed, Alexander does not seem to be a typical Westerner to me, far from the confident and expressive Americans whom I see more often. But it does not means he is cold and self-centered. Although tall by East Asia standard and with the good look of a movie star, he is shy, taciturn, humble, with a gentle and sometimes mischievous smile which you see in a traditional Eastern child.

Only when he cracks up on good jokes, almost jumping on his chair gag, gag, gap……, or when his eyes shine on sweets, especially chocolates, he shows his Westernness, more like an American kid. And only in the way that he is particular about everything well planned ahead of time and pursuing a spotless hygiene condition, you see a German in him.

As for Sommer, although she was the one that did the most talking while Alexander sat and listened repectfully (and smiled), we unfortunately did not hear much about her work. Other than that, the only question I have about her is if she chooses to be a stand-up comedian, an English-German bilingual one, she may be able to create a phenomenon.

When we parted, I suggested that they visit Japan next time, guess the neat, clean, order, tranquility of Japanese aesthetics will fit perfectly with Alexander. Indeed, they immediately name Miho (美秀) Museum, the one designed by the Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei (貝聿銘) near Osaka as their first choice.

Best from Hong Kong to Berlin.

110517二《都市》：由傳媒談到國民教育

原載《都市日報》2011年5月17日《都市博客》專欄

絕迹內地、拒絕往來也不是辦法。任何社會，善總是主流。內地由暴富過渡到文明，可能要一兩代人。港人和台灣人在這方面可幫點忙。

由於以新聞為業，初寫專欄多講傳媒。但其實，所謂的教育大都是常理。只不過在現實中，常理往往敵不過利益。報刊越出社會底線，就如前深圳市長許宗衡貪腐，明知道有問題。但促銷出名、壓倒對手、晉升跳槽更要緊，於是博它一博。何況，傳媒比許宗衡幸運。事涉新聞自由，自由世界不太敢追究。

再說美國憲法有言在先，追求幸福的權利不可剝奪。娛樂是追求幸福最常見的方式，而八卦是最廉價的娛樂。因此，炒作陳冠希的淫照雖犯眾憎，但受眾公開罵私下看，禁制的代價極高。因此，即使傳媒用出位來上位，社會也只能苦笑，直到民意反彈。

但今天要講的不是傳媒的社會道德，而是政治判斷。上周五無大事，遭深圳保安打死的香港新郎，由於妻子懷孕多月，相對是翌日報章最大的新聞。但四大報的處理大不同。

最有影響的一份上頭版頭條，合乎常規。但也許近月排「內」(地)情緒高漲，用特大字號高呼「新娘搶屍討公道」。這種抓住把柄以謀取最大市場和政治效益的手法，再次說明該報的影響，為何長期無人能及。以發行量取勝的一份也用作頭版頭條，並且以標題交代死者和嫌兇的身份，處理得最合宜。

但另外兩份顯然壓低事件的重要性。以銷量標榜的第三份把新聞排在兩岸版。只看要聞港聞版，根本不知道有港人出事。而且標題不提嫌兇身份，只說死者唱K，彷彿只是娛樂場所偶發的不幸。標榜法律公義的第四份也不上頭版，只作為港聞版網頁的第10條。標題雖然交代涉案雙方的身份，但將頭版頭條留給與港幾乎不相干的facebook市場醜聞，比港人在外遇害更重要，由外行人當總編輯，相信也不會這樣離譜。

傳媒不會告訴你，這樣做是否有別的考慮。但就此事來說，可以相信，短期內有損港人北上消費的意欲，但很快就會恢復正常。真正敏感的是十萬計跨境生活的居民。港人排內聲中，若再激起把火，摩擦加劇，兩地都有難。但事件再敏感也不能壓低客觀的分量，掩耳盜鈴。港人在外被殺應照樣上頭版頭條，但不是煽情，而是提醒市民北上時注意自保。內地文明遠遠滯後於經濟，每天都有有錢有勢的人橫行無忌的新聞。大連上周就有交通警執法時，被公安高官的親屬活活打死。在內地遇事不能像在港那樣，以為有理就得。

看着辦不等於說啞忍。但入境而不知彼，有可能招來麻煩，即使得直也可能得不償失。13億人信仰崩潰後，價值紊亂，行為難測。甚麽都有人信、都有人敢做。沒有人能擔保不會碰上。

但絕迹內地、拒絕往來也不是辦法。任何社會，善總是主流。內地由暴富過渡到文明，可能要一兩代人。港人和台灣人在這方面可幫點忙。最近有老師帶學生訪京同時接觸上訪者（香港所謂投訴）和官員，就很值得參考（見前天《明報》）。真正的國民教育不是看官方答案、官定教材，而是實地體驗、切身處地、獨立探索。

110517Tu occasional drizzle: A Concert More Than I can Expect

i carry your heart with me

by Edward Estlin Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate,my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Invited to a all-female concert last Friday. Courtesy of a friend and her family.

Very unassuming in appearance for a high-powered cultural event. An out of the way venue with a minimalist setting. (albeit on the street where I lived when I came to Hong Kong in 1957.) Little stage setup. Minimal sound effects. And no costume. Cramped in folding chairs, the audience was maybe smaller than the number of performers.

I am a music illiterate but have heard about the legend of these 'wonder girls' for a long time, always wanted to see how good they are.

Luck finally strikes. They rounded up all the annual music prizes among their peers but the meager venue they have been using for the last two years is coming to an end. Although long the ‘Manchester United’ in their league, receiving prizes is routine, a clean sweep in a year I guese is unique. I don’t remember if MU has done that. To celebrate this year’s achievement and say goodbye to the music factory which has nurtured them, a summer concert was given, presenting the works they call pride.

It is my closest encounter with performers ever (except once in a small theater accommodating about 20 people). May be because of some misunderstanding, I was sitting in the first row, separated from the orchestra only by a narrow passage for people to pass. The conductor was about five feet from me and the first violin about three. I could almost hear them breathe. When the members of the orchestra changed seating, I sometimes leaned to one side in my chair so that celloists could transport their instruments pass me with some ease.

But under such conditions, the concert was one of the best I have ever had. It made me see the power of music, how it touches and changes people even if one does not know what it means, not understand a word they sing. I have been to performances of monumental works like Beethoven’s No. 9, Handel’s Messiah by big name orchestras and choruses from the West but have never felt this way. May be this is the difference between professionals who do a job and amateurs who perform with a heart.

No less important, seeing my hosts perform, I no longer doubt about Hong Kong having young talents as well as happy youths with the right mind. I can understand that these 300 some young women are Hong Kong’s cream of the crop. But they remind me that we should not let news make us to believe that our youths deteriorate from one generation to another and now only those fighting the establishment in front of news cameras are worth mentioning while those feel happy are simply too naïve too help the society for any good. One can be talented and happy and concerned at the same time. I am sure these women will make a difference in the next 20-30 years.

May be the audience was not able to follow the lyrics as closely and may be we don't have the communal feeling these girls have for each other, the music moved members of the choir more than we. They were so immersed in their music, enjoying it so much that quite a number of them wept as they sang. I have never seen such emotional yet touching performance anywhere. The closest thing may be friends singing in Karaokes after a few drinks.

I have always felt that in their work Hong Kong people are only good to the extent they deliver what they are paid for. But otherwise, we are too shrewed to be dedicated to any particular job. We are professionals, working with expertise, but in order to be most prosperous, carefully separating job with the love for excellence. We avoid throwing in our dedication, afraid that we may be one day bogged down by a single job or skill. Very few of us are proud of what we do and strive for perfection, not just for the money and status. We work with our body, at most with the logical part of our brain, but save our hearts and minds for private consumption.

The DGS performers last Friday is the first large group in Hong Kong I saw which pulls in all their hearts and minds on stage. If we can learn from them, dedicate ourselves to a worthy cause and enjoy it, complain less and concern more, Hong Kong can change.

You may wonder why I said nothing about what the girls performed. As I said, I know nothing about music, in no position to comment on the program except to say, I don’t remember going to a more enjoyable concert. It is much more than I can expect.

But after seeing so many happy and talented young women, I do have one doubt. As a journalist, I wonder if Hong Kong would be able to offer them what they want and deserve. If not, we would lose them.

One video on YouTube shows the girls waving a Hong Kong SAR flag and chanting the Chinese national anthem heartily after returning to Hong Kong winning some trophy somewhere. Where will these girls be five years from now?

Right on and good luck, DGS girls. 世界是你們的。

No matter where you go, "Carry our heart with you" and "Stand Together" just as you sang.

Finally, I thank my hosts who brought me and my wife to the concert, especially our young host Florence who also performed.

In addition to music illiteracy, I have many doubts writing in English which is simply not my expertise. But to salute them, just will have to go the hard way.

And please to correct whatever mistakes there may be in this piece. Leave me a message. And I will amend it.

And, if you know of pictures taken that evening showing the performance, i would like to post a few.