New Game

I have created a new game to play with my son: I would kiss him before I shave every morning and kiss him without break! He would then create some weird sound - I take it as an indication that he is happy and my kiss is enjoyable to him! The feeling is so good, at least for me. It's like, you finally know why you are on this earth, and that is, to raise this kid and to make him happy and a useful person. I think this is what they call fatherhood!

Daddy, I am wearing a tie today!

Am I smart?

Another one?

My wife and I still haven't reached a consensus as to whether we should have another baby. I tend to say no, until I saw this blog - the family is so warm!!! Now I have to rethink whether I should change my mind!

Mmmm, I like a girl if I am really going for it. But then, what happens if it is a boy?

struggling...

Still struggling to settle in. I guess it is not that easy. Plus the job nature has changed as well.

I guess it will get better after my first salary payment. It somehow has a healing effect!

Emil Gilels

I still find his Beethoven's piano sonata the best after all these years. It is a shame that he didn't finish the whole set before he died. I can only think of Wilhelm Kempff 1950's mono recording a comparable alternative. Gilels is really unique.

Being Weird

I love being weird, meaning I would do something "normal" people won't do. Life is so short. Why do we have to conform to the "rules" and "norms" all the time?

Is Bible obscene?

They are so clever to think of the passages in the Bible and complain it to the bureau. Sometimes I think these people are more familiar with the Bible than some of the Christians, because they read it thoroughly while some Christians never read the Bible. This is interesting.

I wonder how this saga is going to develop.

Chinese University Student Post

Lam Hang Chi's column in the HK Economic Journal today has a very balanced view about this saga. I think the students have just surpassed the bottom line and used freedom of speech as an excuse. Freedom of speech should not be used limitlessly - if it offended people, it is being misused. Lam said that it is meaningful only when freedom is used properly.

This is like a stream that cleared up the mess created by all the critics and the so-called humanistic scholars!

Quote

Just found this quote from the Apple Daily today:

"Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: You find the present tense and the past perfect."

交響: 音樂札記

Saw this new book by Lee Ou-fan at "Lok Man" bookshop the other day and bought it immediately. Prof Lee is a music lover and a Mahler fans. I love reading his articles about listening to music, because he is no professional music critics and therefore he writes from a layman's perspective. 交響: 音樂札記 included sections on Mozart, Shostakovich, Mahler and some of his experience in attending concerts and listening to different recordings.

I was introduced to him during a recent concert of London Symohony. He is very friendly and obviously is crazy about Mahler. Hope I will have the chance to know him a bit more in the future.

Beethoven Symphonies

The latest version of the Philharmonic Magazine (<<愛樂>>雜誌) talks about Beethoven's symphonies. There are over twenty articles about how to appreciate Beethoven's symphonies, different versions' comparison, historical recordings, background, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And you will be surprised how much the writers in the Mainland China know about classical music. Most important of all, the price of this magazine is so low that you can't resist buying it and putting it down.

Listening to music after my son was born

I could hardly find time to sit down and listen to some music after my son was born. Sometimes I would steal 30 minutes after he goes to bed. But recently I found that I can listen to music with him - and move his arm as if he were the conductor. I could probably improve his musical sense by doing this. We tried Beethoven 5th symphony the other day, and he loved it.

Good way to enjoy some music, huh?

Now I am nearly 4 months old!

Haven't I grown up a lot, Daddy?

New Job

It really takes some time to get used to a new environment, I think. My new office is so different from the old one - people come only after 9am (8:30am at the old one), people are so casual (at least smart casual at the old one), free drinks, including perrier, canned soft drinks, you name it (only coffee and tea at the old one), two monitors in front of me, etc.

And the job itself? I don't know yet because I have been there for only two days, and I just went through the background of the assets I was assigned to manage. Needless to say I am little worried about whether I could live up to the expectation. But I also remember I had this worry when I first joined my last department. So I guess this is a pattern that I have to go through...

There is no use looking back - I will give my best at my new job!

Farewell Note

Dear friends and colleagues,

With a feeling of considerable sadness, I have to inform you that this Wednesday is my last day with [company]. I have never dreamt of leaving - no, not even in my wildest dreams! This is my first job, and I have loved it since I joined [company] twelve and a half years ago. I still do. I have always enjoyed and been proud of being part of the [company] team. I have met a lot of brilliant leaders, inspiring mentors, caring teammates, kindhearted colleagues, leader-breeding bosses, funny characters, smart old birds, and worldly fellow RMs. I have benefited so much from my encounter with them. If you ask me what I am going to miss most after my departure, it has to be the people I met.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about [company]. If nothing happens, I would probably work for [company] until I retire. But I guess things do not always happen according to our wish. In fact, the paths I trod and the events leading to my resignation lately seemed to suggest that it is time for me to move on. I was given an opportunity to try something new - in case you ask - no, I am NOT joining a competitor. I don't know whether it will work out, but as always, I shall try my best. It is this kind of uncertainties that make life worth living.

After my resignation, many of you phoned or emailed to ask me what happened or expressed how sorry you were about my decision and wished me good luck (the lady at the reception even walked up to me and said good-bye personally). I am grateful for all your concerns and blessings, because I found something I thought was lost long ago - the milk of human kindness (人情味)! Perhaps we have all spent too much time in trying to meet our targets. We have been carried away by the worries about the business and our performance. As time goes by and as we progress in our career, other people may have become just a number for us and we might have lost that essential part of our lives, without which it is well-nigh impossible to make [company] the best place to work ......

In a world full of strangers, where it is difficult to have authentic relationships, I am glad that I have built meaningful relationships with many of you. I must thank those who helped me along the way: encouraged me when I was frustrated, enlightened me when I was confused, stood by me when I was alone, guided me when I was lost, and gave me a lecture when I needed it! I shall treasure and remember the precious moments during my tenure at [company], be it difficult times, laughter, or enlightening conversations. The friendship I have gained and the sweet memories will become my assets that nobody can take away. As the saying goes, we only part to meet again. I hope our paths will cross in the future. I may not be able to personally say good-bye to every one of you, but please take this note as a token of it.

Please keep in touch. My contact details are as follow:

Email: andy_ng_888@hotmail.com

God Bless. I shall miss you all!

Best Regards,

Andy

P.S. My new office is nearby. So for those "lunch partners", we can still meet up on a regular basis!