六年前的文字

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午饭后在论坛里逛，无意中看到了6年前写的一段文字，准确的说是6年零16天。虽无墨香，却也还未泛黄。或许因为其只存在于数字化的世界里，未曾物理的存在过。当年写完放在榕树下，不知现在是否已成树下腐殖质的一部分。于是掘个坟，给馨居添件出土文物。

Can Love be Electronic
—— After watching the motion picture A.I. (Artificial Intelligence)

What is real? How do you define real?
If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by you brain…
What is love? How do you define love? Who can tell? Maybe time will tell….
Love is the most complicated emotion that we can think about. Is love also simply electronic signals interpreted by our brain? If in that way, love could be interpreted by a supercomputer sooner or later in the future.
Love is the most consecrate thing we’ve got, love between lovers, love between kids and parents, love between you and all the others livings in the world. Is a computer consecrate enough to do this job?

Somebody once thought to cheat was so complicated that only human being could do. But it’s not necessary the case. The female fire worm lightens her lantern to show love to the male ones. Once a male fire worm comes to her, she kills and eats him. This is cheat, cruel enough to overwhelm the love.

David has been finding his love for so long a time as everybody wants to be loved. Though he is a robot who wants to become a real boy, he was so constant to walk in his way. Maybe right because of this, he just carried on according to his simple but sincere mind. While the real people know how to change their mind according to the environment at present.
David is also a child, who can tell the words from bottom of his heart without cheating, without flattering, without cark. So we said that the time we looked up at clouds and stars had gone. What we could do is just scream or being hysterical.
David is an embodiment of all these questions, questions to be presented to all of us.
David finally slept in the happiness of been loved. This maybe the best way we could find to end the film. But not the best answer to all the questions, which are still waiting for us to answer, which might never be answered.
Love needs too much. It’s not just a four-letters word, not a bunch of roses , not a box of chocolates, not a kiss, not a telephone lasting all through the night, not like what the pop songs told us, maybe not a creation that artificial intelligence could take place.
The director tried to tell us all these through the boy, through the fairy tale. Although it is far from enough.

I have always a prejudice against some of the so-called big productions from Hollywood, which are full of violence, car crashing, f***ing. All these were just like the robots’ being slaughtered in the circus while the numb people shouted and laughed like tyrants.
This film doesn’t belong to these. At least we got some idea to ponder, not just a two hours’ excitement.
Nowadays there are just too many people satisfied with a two hours’ excitement only. Yes, we are busy all days; we need to be excited, to forget all we’ve been thinking about. But it’s just a way to shirk all these. Until one day we finally realize that this can never be evaded, like death, which is just a part of life.

My Way remix:
I know you do exist but do not know where to find you
I know you will arrive one day but do not know when that day will come
Like Jesus to a child you watch me living in exhaustion without giving even a clue
I walk in my way
I am wandering endlessly in this black and tediously long night
Compass runs in chaos
Only the moon will guide me
There are people everywhere
There is no one anywhere 
Wandering
I am jogging, running endlessly
I hope to walk with my friends
I wish to find my love
But I am still blind to find it
I can feel it in my heart and I have smiles on my face wherever I go 
Wandering aimlessly endlessly
I move slowly towards that distant spot of faint light until one day my heart was broken and I depart from this world …you will arrive
I am wandering in a dream
Would you please just kindly not to wake me up….

yakman
                               Oct 6th, 2001

All these above were written under rheum headache and hysteria. Mad, logical, grammar and spelling mistakes may be.
Producted in 2001. Reissued in 2007.

每秒24格的真理 之 古装大戏

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好像好久没更新这个了。被催还碟，周末赶紧抽空看了凯歌的"荆轲刺秦王"，借机更新下
 
英雄 My rating: 8.5  IMDB rating: 8
摄影，色彩，配乐，表演在这几部里都是最好的，故事情节有点。。可能为了照顾全球观众(这几部里唯一进入IMBD top250)，叙事手法还好。
 
十面埋伏 My rating: 7.5  IMDB rating: 7.6
故事情节还行，色彩绚丽，虽没英雄来的大气，却有江南精致之韵。
 
夜宴 My rating: 7  IMDB rating: 6.4
故事还行，视觉特效处理做的比无极强不少，不过色彩压抑，不合时宜的慢动作过多。
 
满城尽带黄金甲 My rating:6.5  IMDB rating: 7.0
除了情节取自"雷雨"外，其他各方面都逊于艺谋前作。尤其退步严重的是摄影、色彩，感觉生硬，周杰轮这部里的表演技巧比其音乐差远了。

荆轲刺秦王 My rating: 8  IMDB rating: 7.2
故事最接近史实，叙事手法，摄影，色彩，外景也都很不错，这几部里史诗感最强的一部。
 
无极 My rating: 6  IMDB rating: 5.6
前期宣传，欧不，炒作太猛，导致期望值超高，再加上"一个馒头引发的血案"，结果自然可想而知。最失望之处：剧情无聊，对白脑瘫到发指，要是只给看片断，我一定以为是恶搞后的配音。后期处理从色彩到电脑特效都处于上世纪水平。"霸王别姬" "荆轲刺秦王"的导演真是凯哥么？

古今大战秦俑情 My rating: 7 IMDB rating: 7.2
改编自"秦俑"，17年前就起这么标题党的名字，张艺谋还是油菜的。各方面都比较平均，这几部里科幻色彩最强的，所谓轮回。

同是天涯流浪人

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自打三年前离开真切的深爱着的西安，魍魉就开始了流浪生活，而且在可预期的未来，这种流浪生活还将继续。不同的是时间，地点，相同的是仍然流浪的心，当然还有头脑简单支配下还算发达的四肢。

来实验室路上，碰到了许久未谋面的Frederick。相互一笑，摘掉各自塞着的耳机。一直以为他住在校内，奇怪在校外路上会碰见他，而原来他就住在我以前呆过的地方。这才发现他也在星岛呆了快两年了。问打算下站去哪，他笑呵呵的答也不知道。哈，原来同是天涯流浪人。我还以为来自瑞典的兄弟会急着回他的北欧社会主义祖国呢。看来这流浪的病毒并未曾离开她爆发的原点。

从上世纪初席卷欧洲的波希米亚文化开始，经历了近一个世纪，这流浪的病毒终于波及了中国大地。只是她不再像经典影片"红磨坊"(电影界对这个片评价不高，不过我确实很喜欢，bs我吧)中或是普西尼的歌剧"波希米亚人"中那样。在这个物质的年代，纯波希米亚已几乎绝迹，更多的人开始披上波波的马甲。这一波代表着自由与流浪，另一波约等于小资。

为啥这年头大家都喜欢给自己贴个小资的标签？大概不是贵族吧。三代也不一定能出一个贵族，所以当我微笑着最乐观的YY时，我发现我没希望贵族了，连贵族他爷的可能性也不大。。不过这无妨拉别的标签来贴上，于是就有了小资，再后来又有了波波。而这两种矛盾就这样融合的聚居在同一个词中。其实倒也不难理解，都是还未看破尘世的凡夫俗子，向往自由的同时也都得至少考虑下不再流浪时买房的问题。于是我发现除非回西安，否则这个问题也不那么容易解决，算是继续流浪的原因或借口之一。而眼下也只能继续躲在梦中艺术绅士的标签下，痛并快乐着继续流浪。。流浪到她开始的原点。

究竟是空虚可怕, 还是毒品可怕?

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“门徒”里的台词，拿来主义一下。
一个朋友曾对我说，音乐是毒品。由此说来我也算是个毒贩子了。非常高兴听到朋友告诉我说被音乐感染了，无论古典还是流行，也非常欣喜越来越多的朋友走进音乐厅。
和大多毒贩不同，我是吸毒贩毒。除了对身边的朋友口授传毒外，我还网络贩毒。最近怀了把旧，把贩毒网络扩展到传统媒体了。
新加坡艺术类的平面媒体就不多，即使扩展到综合类，中文能看得貌似就只有联合早报。英文的Strait Times倒是每周会有小部分来做本地音乐会review，不过我的资历水平显然还差些，而且报章类时效性太强，我只是业余写着玩，没法保证。
真正艺术类的目前我接触到的也就两个，一个叫Art Jam，一个叫Art Beats (以前叫Arts Explosion). 后者基本是Classified events list，没有任何介绍/评论类文章。前者到好，编辑部就在NTU，就它了。应该说Art Jam不算是高水平，但也算仅存的艺术类刊物，希望我的文章没有降低其质量。
于是给主编发了封信，问问需不需要些古典音乐类的稿子，顺便附了以前blog里发的一篇review。
很快有了邀请信，问我打算写点什么，并给了出版时间。我一看时间紧任务急，还是拣blog里现成的Concerts Preview改改投好了，以后有了时间再写新的。
稿子写好后发给编辑，很快接收了(啥时候我写Engineering Research Paper能混成invited paper，就不愁接收了)。
接下来要配图，由于版权问题，需要联系各个乐团/音乐厅相关部门，这部分工作以前完全没接触过。不过还蛮顺利，3天内所有授权高分辨率图片全部搞定。
剩下排版的工作就交给编辑了。后来发现，还是我没经验缺乏沟通。编辑让我图文一起控制在两页以内，结果我怕文字内容过多，删掉好些，最后有的图显得太大。更令我吃惊的是，文字内容前两段编辑完全没改动，倒是后面内容有小改动。说实话我还是喜欢原版的多一点点。
废话太多了，打住贴图。
因版权问题，如需转载以下图文内容请联系我(暂时应该不会有人这么无聊吧，不过还是以防万一)
All Rights reserved. Nothing herein shall be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the author and copyright owners.

You can pick up a copy of Art Jam at following places

For more high resolution pictures and contents of current issure Art Jam, pls click here

Concerts in the late autumn days

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With SSO touring China in late Oct and RNO cancelling the "Pathetique" concert, I thought I would have to starve this month with nothing on my musical menu. But just so soon I realize, there are always oases even in a desert. And I’ve accumulated a list of concerts deserved a log. The following five concerts just happen to be a great mixture of western and eastern, from baroque to 20th century, covering almost all classical music styles over four hundred years..

Sep 26 Marriage of Figaro, Vienna State Opera with Seiji Ozawa, Esplanade Concert Hall

No doubt a high light of the whole music season. Since I knew all the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (VPO) members are from Vienna State Opera (VSO) Orchestra, this concert was marked on my calendar. With a little help from my friend, I was lucky enough to get a student ticket. (normal price $80 – $650). The repertoire was all time classic however lack of surprising for usual concert goers.. But this work allows VSO to show its best and the best of the work.
This super expensive concerts sold out much faster than my expectation. Ladies and gentlemen in gown and tuxedo were seen much more than any other weekend concerts. Where were these guys during other concerts? Did they come for music or for the fame or for social communication?
The music play was quite the trademark "Vienna Sound". However this was much affected by the seating. This was my worst seat in esplanade ever… The sound travelled to touch my skin with no more strength to enter my heart. For such a familiar work and reputable orchestra, it not to hard to imagine or interpolate (some of you guys may just call it YY) the finest sound at the better seats. The Opera singing part was quite satifying as well. The really surprising came from the mezzo-soprano performing Cherubino. Her aria was no doubt the most memorable part of the whole performence. In return she received the longest applause after the show. IMO, the Susanna was considered less starring in the concert. My rating 9 (-1). -1 due to my poor seating…

Sep 29 Siemens Classics – Remembrance of Things Past, SSO, Esplanade Concert Hall

I was stunned from the first note of Haydn symphony No.100. There was no warm up period for both SSO and my ears. SSO was playing at her high form from the very beginning. Elgar’s cello concerto played by cellist Wang Jian was good but audience’s expection just even higher. The encore Bach piece was a decent bonus for such a "sold more than out" concert (gallery was opened). This bonus further extended to second half with Wang Jian joining the orchestra cello section. Except for a few unconstances in the last movement, Dvorak’s eighth symphony was well interpred. Again SSO at her form proved the "World Class" claiming. My overall rating 8!

Oct 4 Northern Exposure – Sibelius Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3, TPO, Esplanade Concert Hall

Thanks to concert master Ms. Jessie Ye, I was able to sit in the best seat of esplanade concert hall. The repertoire was an attraction as well. First half was Sibelius sym no.3 and second half was bonus Finnish chorals plus Sibelius sym no. 1. Obviously it’s not because my friend leading the second half I don’t like it. But I did prefer the sym no. 3. Probably due to the smaller scale, The Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO) couped with it better. However this doesn’t explained everything, since last year the Shostakovich sym no. 7 "Leningrad" was done surprisingly well! Maybe just form… My rating 7.

Oct 5 午间音乐会, 新加坡华乐团(SCO), 南洋大礼堂

SCO重返NTU，虽然还是南洋烂礼堂，不过稍靠前排的座位还是可以听得。1小时的音乐会总共5个曲目。从周围朋友的反馈看，受到大家一致肯定的是"红楼梦"组曲, 不只一人说有潸然泪下的倾向。另外二胡协奏曲"长城随想"我觉得也不错。剩下的几个曲目编曲作曲都太通俗化，换句话说就是不耐听，当背景音乐还行。别看敲得鼓声阵阵，坐下来认真听还是容易犯困。严肃音乐总面临这样的问题，太严肃了听众群小，太通俗了又没深度，这个平衡实在难掌握。而真正的艺术家不应迎合大众而是引领大众。评分7(-0.5) -0.5因南洋大礼堂的混响太滥了，要是做后排起码再-1。。

Oct 5 Forma Antiqua, YST Conservatory Orchestra Hall

Just like its name, baroque music is the pearl on the crown of classical music. The heavenly peaceful fugue, the well balanced elegance has always been the favorite color on music palette. It’s like a God’s gift travelled over four hundred years to reach us. Unfortunately there aren’t many local baroque music concerts. This one brought by Spain embassy attracted much more audience than the organizer’s expectation. Besides my three friends, there were a few familiar faces from the orchestras. Organizers had to put more chairs at the back of the players to accomodate the overwhelming audience. The naming of "Orchestra hall" is very confusing. It’s actually a rehearse room for orchestra not a real concert hall.
The Forma Antiqua brought only the harpsichord, theorbor and baroque guitar players on this far east tour. It’s a pity they didn’t bring the strings players. So we didn’t hear the charming baroque violin and viola de gamba. Just more disappointing was the fact that they didn’t use harpsichord. Instead they use a tiny small clavichord as substitute. I guess this due to the transportation problem. Eventually it’s not too hard to find a harpsichord in Singapore. Same thing happened during last year Musica Antiqua Koln(MAK) concert. However MAK used a rather big clavichord, which is good enough to ignore the difference for unpicky ears.
Without strings, the ensemble couldn’t offer more varities from repertoire. The lime light of the concert went to the theorbor. After the applause, an encore piece from Grandos was given. Just a little bit ironically, as a concert memorizing Scarlatti, there wasn’t his trademark work on harpsichord. Maybe due to the toy like clavichord… My rating 6 (+1) +1 for baroque: )

rp小爆发^_^

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攒点rp不容易啊T_T
1. 发了2篇journal
一篇Arts，其实就是在一本地小杂志上随便发了点以前在blog写过n次的东西，回头贴出来恶心一下大家 (这个能写到论文里不？呵呵)。一篇Engineering，考虑到大家心理承受能力，就不贴出来了。要问我更看重那一篇，现阶段还是后者，唉，无奈。希望以后能更看重前者的机会多些。。

2. 以严格著称的老板说：你平时闲了可以抽点时间写踢死死(thesis)了。
不过可以写和可以交还有巨大的时间差异。何况我还真不怎么闲，等安稳下来开始挤。

3. 房租涨了不过房东还算厚道，赞。
魍魉一段时间内不用挪窝，看来回天王星的计划要推后了。
到过我家的朋友一定知道，实在不敢想象我搬家将会是怎样。。我爱我家

4. 可以免费去Sun Festival Russian National Orchestra (RNO)的音乐会。
这个可恶的Sun Festival歧视学生，$60居然没有学生票，本来犹豫要不要请朋友去听柴六。后来等我决定订票时发现这场居然被cancel了。不过这场是不大适合不变态的听众，太"悲怆"了，杀伤力比传说中的"黑色星期天"可强悍多了，万一听出抑郁倾向，自杀动机啥的就严重了。难道这就是取消的原因? 不过这场一取消，我已经提前订了票的朋友，除了拿到refund外还另送了两张其他场次的RNO音乐会。嘿嘿，小样，不给学生优惠，这下我完全不用优惠了。

根据rp守恒定律，魍魉攒这点rp显然不够以上开销。于是就有了痛病快乐着的痛处。。考虑到还是和大家多分享些快乐，捡两个

1. 第一篇投出去的journal被拒。Editor拖了n久后，我催来了据信。说文章不够接近消费者，俺们杂志要贴近业界贴近消费者。其实也在我意料中，准备改吧改吧再投别的。。给后来的同学们提醒，PhD课题如果不是一个很大的课题组做，最好别做涉及到多行业，而且多方面理论尚不成熟的系统。幸亏我及时意识到，赶紧focus了一下。

2. 老板funding还没下来，不知我还能等到不。准备开始找工作，要么该喝西北风了(家乡风味？)。
各位有工作信息的给我通个风啊，事成之后少不了请你东南(亚)风(味)
首选 active noise control
次选 audio signal processing, psychoacoustic signal processing
再次 signal processing就行
再再次 扩展到IT业
再再再次 本人长期代写O level各科作业，中英文口语陪练，电脑维修，家政管理，7座以下车型司机，音响器材选购，运动装备导购，长跑、拳击教练，各类杂志中英文供稿。其实去今德莱打工也是条路？我掰泡馍很专业。
再。。。再次  大减价，论斤卖了，开始增肥

离开雷锋的日子

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记录下前晚发生的事。这两天太忙，现趁午饭后消化时间写两笔。实在是比较有意思的经历，值得记录下。人生就是这些经历串起来的，虽然我这串上现在还没多少珍珠钻石，不过并不妨碍我继续生活。
言归正传，一朋友最近精神状态不佳，抱怨感情问题。。俺短短续续开导了两晚上貌似好些。前晚上在MSN上继续开导，感觉MSN上实在不方便，决定还是去看看好了，毕竟算是在本地为数不多的异性朋友@_@

当我赶到MRT站正准备刷卡进入的一瞬间，上帝阻止了我。。汗，头一次碰到MRT系统出问题，所有刷卡门全部失灵，于是大家都站在MRT站刷卡门两边等。。外面的进不去，里面的出不来，不是围城，是围站。贴图为证。。

20071001
没听上帝的，看来是我的错，等MRT恢复正常，我一路赶到时，发现已经太晚，而且我还下错了站。。。人家都赶最后一班车回家了。汗，看来确实不怎么需要开导。。我也只好数着星星赶两个最后一班车回家。

我发现我打小就有乐于助人的毛病，什么学雷锋标兵啊，学雷锋先进个人啊能拿得都拿了，就差学雷锋三八红旗手了。即使是遇到开导感情问题这种十分不在行的，我也不介意帮一把。。其实这些问题，谁都明白。。根本不需要我讲道理，很多时候就是需要个听众，讲出来发泄下就好了。
中学时一好友陷入感情问题，在我这个外行的感召下，虽然一时还没能走出来，还是半感动半玩笑的认魍魉为干叔了。结果现在人家都当爹了。

这些都不算啥，要说最具英雄主义色彩的一次还要数上次过年回西安。
同学聚会，一哥们喝高了，咂酒瓶，见人打人。见男的说: "你TM都有了，你TM都结婚了。" 对女的说:" 你咋不跟我，我也有钱啊"。 这小伙确实喝高了，俺班小酷哥，平时挺好一人。和学校的分手了，工作两年又没碰到合适的，心情不大好。结果是除了个别男生外，其他人都躲远远的了。
眼看局势就要失控，这时魍魉突然凄惨的意识到，清醒的人里也好像有我还处于流浪状态。转念想想我这不练过拳击散打抗打击么，再说你不只打结婚的么，我还比较安全吧。于是在雷锋精神的感召下，在党和人民的期望中，我黄继光附体般毅然绝然的走向了枪口。边劝边靠近，心想你总没理由打我吧，所以根本没防着他。事实证明我太天真了，当我走近时，一击精准的右勾拳打在我嘴角上，然后骂道: "你TM咋还不结婚。" 于是在喝了几口自己的鲜血后，我无力还手，无言以对。我被彻底的击败了。

雷锋。你以为他离开了，其实他一直在。等以后有需要各位帮忙时，还请不惜插刀挨拳啊。

自唐朝西安之魍魉

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这是我在很多网上论坛用的中文签名。唐朝和西安是矛盾的，不过作为A型水瓶，魍魉从来就是一个理想与保守的矛盾体。

发这贴，是要回应一下catking同学的户口调查问题。因为据该楚国片警调查，魍魉乃楚国人士。还好这次国籍没变(在新加坡曾被误认为本地人，韩国人，日本人，汗)。没错，我祖籍安徽合肥肥东(怪不得我减肥难T_T) 不过这么追根寻源，咱们地球村村民会不会都回到宇宙中一块一不小心降落地球的流星里？二十一世级好多年了，这十七大都快召开了，祖籍早已不能用作划分哪里人的标准。我爷爷是安徽人和我是西安人是完全符合我党建立和谐社会原则的。

我生于西安长于西安，俺爹妈也生于西安长于西安。是西安的水土造就、养育了我二十多年，是这座城市我真切的深爱着。这就足够了。而合肥只是去黄山时路过几小时*_*

西安这座城市有太多可爱的地方，而且这种韵味与时俱增。早年年少不识她，后悔不能多相处。自打意识到快要离开西安时，我就无比珍惜每次与她亲密接触的时光。在俺家走廊上有一副巨型西安地图，大概3米*2米。虽然不很新，但老城区每条街道都标的无比详细。于是每天我都会在这张图上找出未曾去过的大街小巷，串成跑步的路线。毫不夸张的说，西安城墙内没有我没跑过的地方，二环三环内也都留下俺奔跑的足迹。

超喜欢这种穿行于大街小巷的感觉。yy一下，这可就是当年秦皇汉武唐宗走过跑过的西安，是多少人梦回的汉唐。这地球孕育了五千年来也就出了一个西安。她或许不再年轻，但贵族的气质无法改变，即使是没落的贵族。更何况这几年发展很快而且充满着希望。

西安人= XianRen = 仙人^_^     魍魉，前世天王星仙人，后移民火星至唐朝后西安，现客居星岛。等俺痛并快乐地流浪完就回家，下站或许欧罗巴。

中秋刚过，出来混得都会思乡，都能找出一万条思念自己家乡的理由。俺的肯定包含以下关键词：亲友，家，城墙，大小雁塔，交大，太多了。。也不能少了八宝稀饭，胡辣汤，豆腐脑 : P….

正听一首老乡的歌，拿来作结：我思念的城市-许巍

我思念的城市已是黄昏
为何我总对你一往情深
曾经给我快乐也给我创伤
曾经给我希望也给我绝望

我在遥远的城市陌生的人群
感觉着你遥远的忧伤
我的幻想

我在遥远的城市陌生的人群
感觉着你遥远的忧伤
我的幻想

风路过的时候没能吹走
这个城市太厚的灰尘
多少次的雨水从来没有
冲掉你那沉重的忧伤
你的忧伤像我的绝望
那样漫长

风路过的时候没能吹走
这个城市太厚的灰尘
多少次的雨水从来没有
冲掉你那沉重的忧伤
你的忧伤像我的绝望
那样漫长

秦始皇中秋后婚礼

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老帕去了，三大男高音的时代也随之成为历史。这两天我也跟风把三高的唱片翻出来回顾一下。其实我只是偶尔听听歌剧，由于意大利语德语完全不懂，所以除了个别著名片断外我也就不附庸风雅了。不过英语版歌剧我倒也不排斥。
这次大都会歌剧院的谭盾新作"秦始皇"HD版上周末在GV播放，我早早把票订了。算是告别老帕后听听老多，毕竟这两位都属于一听耳朵就能被感动的级别。另外看"秦始皇"也是支持一下几位老乡。制作人张艺谋，还有秦始皇都是俄乡党。作曲谭盾也算中国老乡。

剧本是根据"秦颂"改编的，确实完全架空历史。高渐离从为铁哥们荆轲作"风萧萧兮易水寒,壮士一去兮不复还"的侠士变成了和赢政吃一母奶长大的好友。。更夸张的他和栎阳公主相爱了。只有更夸张没有最夸张，高渐离和栎阳公主(此处省去100字)后，栎阳公主瘫痪好了。OMG，爱情主题也不用这么表达吧。
要说最不适应还是老外演中国故事。如果说多明戈化妆下还多少蛮像中国帝王，栎阳公主和皇后都变美国人了我实在不适应。。到了后来修长城的几幕，奴工也大都是老外出演，白人黑人都有。原来吾大秦帝国这么剽悍过，难怪最近又有中国威胁论。。 想想也挺可惜，中国大概一段时间内也不大可能做出类似的歌剧作品。上次回家去想去补课听次秦腔都没能如愿，不知现在易俗社重开了否。
看完全剧我只记得老多了。。不知是多明戈演技，唱功太好还是谭盾作曲功底不够，当然我对歌剧的鉴赏能力也相当有限。

昨天是中秋，给老爸老妈打了2个多小时电话。。估计破纪录了，东拉拉西扯扯也就是让老爸老妈注意生活，工作别太累了。担心我妈是因为最近总加班，每天很晚才休息。我一向痛恨加班，学生就不说了。以后正式工作，平均下来一周三天我感觉就是极限了，女的就更不应该加班了。担心我爸是怕他脾气太直，和学生关系处不好，这年头学生里指不定出个铁锤张，板砖王的。好在现在老爸不直接管学生了。

今晚是维也纳国家歌剧院亚洲巡演费加罗婚礼。以前看过歌剧版现场，这次concert version完全是冲着Vienna State Opera Orchestra和小泽征尔去的，因为基本就是Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra的一个子集。否则无任何歌剧舞台表演，干唱3小时意大利语，虽说有英文唱词翻译可看，也是相当考验人。。不过我惊讶的发现这丝毫没有影响到票务销售。从$80到$650的票全部早早售罄，多亏了朋友帮忙我才捞了张学生票。期待这个月圆之夜，咳咳，魍魉杂食但不吃地球人，不健康，还有可能会得牛海绵状脑病。

扯远了，再死磕一会paper了。煮壶咖啡，喝好就去婚礼。

作者注：俺不是标题党党员，俺的共产主义信仰那可是相当的坚定，不过记个日志就随便起了。好像有点蒙太奇

Supporting the Sacred Cause

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What I’m logging here happened fortnight ago. The last episode of the trilogy weekend posts as promised. Another little gem on my lace to support love around (haha, I’m really happy and feeling honored for the cause. Just can’t help being flattering).

Sep 15 Saturday, Yishun, Ghim Moh, Raffles Hotel

Woke up 5:45am in the morning, I washed and dressed up in shirt and pants. Cause it’s a big day. Big day for one of my best friends, Mr. (and Dr. to be) Joseph Tan. He was to be a married man formally after being legitimate for some time. Been friends to the couple for years, I contributed in writing, translating and refining the groom speech in Chinese. And was invited in the band of brothers (伴郎团) for the first time in my life. Meanwhile I served as the IT coordinator (cool title isn’t it?) for the wedding ceremony.

7:15am: I arrived at the groom parents’ with other brothers. Together with the groom we set out to the bride parents’. We reached there 8am. The younger generation from the bride’s family followed the tradition, opened the limosine door for the groom. We were prepared to the door of bride’s home.
At the door, as expected we were locked outside. After "bribing" the band of sisters, we were treated with some "nice" desserts. You may already know the name of it as "酸sour甜sweet苦bitter辣hot", but not the recipe for that. Ye..it’s made of lichee filled with lime, bitter gourd and full of wasabi!! I tried to hold my breath when having it, however I still bursted into tears. I never cry for the bitter thing in my life. Nonetheless I wouldn’t mind to spare some for love. At least in tear drops there is sodium which is essential for nourishing life and love.
Next we were asked to dance to a music played through the ladies’ handphone ringtone. OMG, it’s better this part not recorded in the video. Without context, this part may be a demo clip of Parkinson’s disease documentry.
The next trial was the intelligent test, we were given some math problems to solve (The bride and the band of sisters are all primary school teachers). However, these stupid PhDs were just not as smart as the primary school students. It took us longer than expected time to solve the problems. But the good thing was we got a side product unexpected —— the big ice cube with key frozen inside had melted (we were supposed to warm the ice cube with our bare hands).
Finally we got the key. And the long waited moment for groom to remove the bride’s veil. With the couple, we set out for the groom parents’.

The couple performed the tea ceremony to the groom’s parents and relatives. Back to the bride’s parents, groom and bride together performed the tea ceremony again to the bride’s side. Had a lunch there, the band of brothers had the job done.

When the clock hands pointed to 130pm, I was traveling towards cityhall: 3pm appointment with friends in running lab. 5pm wedding ceremony rehearse in Raffles hotel. Desperately lack of sleep, I decided to go art cafe in esplanade library for a rest first.

5pm: Rushed from running lab to Raffles hotel, I met Joseph outside the ballroom. The rehearse was postponed due to the ballroom schedule. After resting in the hotel room for a while, we went to the ballroom around 6pm. There with the emcees and hotel staff, I reheased the IT coordinator’s job. Sounds quite simple, just play specific videos at specific times. But soon I realized the player was rather a "vintage" one, so the crucial synchronization task wasn’t really that easy. After the rehearse, I found myself all in sweat…Made a emergency call to my roomate to help me bring another shirt from my wardrobe.

7pm: In new shirt I went out the ballroom and joined friends for cocktail reception. Meanwhile, it’s also the time I should write something for my friend and contribute the hongbao. So what did I write? Hybrid in Chinese and English. "天生才子配佳人，只羡鸳鸯不羡仙. Love is what life is all about. The one thing above all. I bless for your two in love from now on and forever." Please bear with my awkward translation for the Chinese part if you can’t read it: "Natural born gentleman coupled with fair lady, envying the love birds rather than the faery."

7:30pm: The banquet was to start, we were all seated in the ballroom. The couple entered the hall after I played the first photo montage. It’s really an enjoyable and touching one. After the second photo montage, the couple entered the hall again and gave two speeches. Joseph made the Chinese speech. He done it quite well considering he seldom or never done a Chinese speech. Sharin delivered the English speech and bursted into tears with it. Lastly, we had the video highlights of the day. Luckily the Parkinson’s part wasn’t in. The champagne ceremony was fun. We came on stage to cheer for the two.
The eight courses menu was splendid. The wine too, smooth and fragrant.

11pm: Hugged with Joseph at the door, I left with other friends. Finally, I could rest my cheerful and sleepy mind, which was just touched once again by the sacred cause.