The Importance of Living - Lin Yutang

'A leisure lifestyle is of course far cheaper than a luxurious one. To enjoy life of leisure, one would only need to have the sensibility of an artist. To while away a whole afternoon in a fully relaxed state, doing absolutely nothing. Now, that's an art'

Recycling

..the blog header..cos i think it goes well with the latest entry, courtesy of Mr 吴悠律(cool pen name!)

老老实施地攀山越岭

人间动荡,老实就像一张稳稳当当的床,让人夜夜安眠无梦。

厚厚道道,实实在在,谢绝摇晃, 浮夸与张扬。

世事无常,如果难得喝一杯茶， 要一杯上好的茶也不是罪过， 但喝茶的时候如果心神不宁， 心浮气躁， 就是对茶不敬， 也辜负一段闲情。老实人不懂得， 不愿意也不会做这种糟蹋的事.

胸膛每一刻充满厚实,呼吸不徐不疾， 身心合一；城市人憧憬的物质和精神状况， 最终不也就是这样的吗?

老实必定吃亏,所以不老实就横行霸道； 城市的这个生存法则， 想来是自我保护衍生的意识盔甲。

但是哦,一个人日食三餐夜眠六尺， 真正的需要还真的不多； 即便吃了亏， 这亏能有多大， 多痛， 多伤?

物欲追逐,是摸不到自己的心灵伤口， 是无视前方黑洞的盲障；世观的灰， 人心的罪， 多数源自于此，也许那才是城市人吃得最大的亏。

如此来说,日常的所谓吃亏， 也许不过是外在物质的苦有所失。 穿着扎脚的鞋子， 路是走不了多远， 山是爬不了多高的； 但是老实就不亏心， 而不亏心， 赤脚也能攀山越岭过大河.

全神贯注地往积极的方向老实彳亍， 沿途能够汇集更多乐观和滋养的情感， 例如真诚， 平等
和慈悲。

粗茶淡饭,量入为出的那份老实， 保住了平安； 平静和安稳踩地的每一步， 仿佛都能与大地能量交流。

老实于生活,老实于自己， 老实于世界， 就是给自己多添一点实， 给世界少一份虚。

老实就踏实,踏实就幸福。

不老实,才吃亏。

(吴悠律 - 18 Dec 2011)

点心

Extracted from 'London Eye - Dire 2012? Life's a festive feast with family and friends', Teresa Lim for The Straits Times, 2 Jan 2012

..'My husband's family has also embraced dim sum culture. Although introduced to its delights only relatively recently, his family has decided that from now on it will be a Christmas tradition..Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins will gather from Oxford and Kent and all parts of London for an annual reunion.

One is filled not only by those delicious dumplings but by the warm glow of being in the company of people one has known for a long time and who validate each other by just being there.

Singaporeans understand this of course, and do it all the time over rojak, or fish-head curry, chicken rice or nasi padang. As long as you can enjoy a meal with people in whom you are interested and for whom you have affection, all is very right with the world..'

Coincidentally, i just had dim sum for dinner on new year's day..not so typical since dim sum is not exactly a dinner-cuisine and not quite associated with new year(ang moh new year at least)..But as so accurately noted by the writer, the company is one key factor that makes an ordinary meal an extraordinary one..

And so..with the dim sum that i had on a small wooden table(with a sharp nail on the underside) barely 50cm away from the kerbside of a busy road..throw in a fading twilight on the horizon(behind those HDBs) for ambience..and not least of all, the people whom i was having the meal with..i would say - all is very right with my world..