美国总统选举 – 历史性的一天

奥巴马 - 美国新总统

Photo from theage.com.au

从来没追美国政治，至到今年。

今晚，美国人投下神圣的一票。

选出美国有史以来第一位黑人总统。

加拿大是美国邻居，气氛当然也很浓厚。

我和Ed坐在电视前，观看这历史的一页。

X     X    X    X

一个人，可以做到什么？

一个人，可以带来这么多希望吗？

一个人，可以影响那些多人相信同一个信念吗？

奥巴马都做到了。

终于，马丁路德的梦想实现了。

内在被证实重要过肤色。

X    X    X    X

虽然，很多人说，期望太高，失望也会更大。

可是，今晚，不需谈这些。

今晚，我们要相信希望。

相信只要有心，只要团结，什么困难都难不倒我们。

美国人愿意相信，全球很多人都愿意相信。

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卖茶去啰！Selling Tea ? Yup !

最近，我好像很忙。没什么时间写部落。

忙什么呢？我这个‘空闲小姐’没事找事情做　－　想学人做生意。反正，我现在有空，不可以工作，又不好意思不断向老公伸手要钱，于是，想做做小本生意。

加上，Ed 的工作是国际性的，而我的药剂师职业则是区域性的。即是，每到另一个国家都要考牌。没牌就休想做药剂师，中医这行也开始往这种专业医药人士的方向走。以后，如果 Ed 要到其他国家工作的话，我又会变成量地官啰。这是我们之间最伤脑筋的问题。所以，要是我转行做一些国际性行业，不用考牌的，那就方便多了。

于是，我挖空脑袋想啊想的，做什么好呢？marketing? IT?　或者，卖什么好呢？最后，想起我一直想向洋人推广中医基本草药养生调养的概念。如，天气热时，喝凉茶。身体虚弱时，喝补药等。不过，在西方国家，如果没医学证明, 不可以乱‘吹嘘’，什么都有法律控制。很多中医经验暂时只被当成传统, 对他们来说是没医学证明的。加上他们对中医不了解，很难说明白。除非我有自己的中医馆时，不然现在还不是时候。

有趣的是，当我做市场调查时，发现喝茶最近很流行。洋人突然对茶，尤其是绿茶很有兴趣，主要是因为很多研究成果说绿茶有antioxidants, 对身体有益。于是，人人要喝茶，其他的种类的茶叶也变得热门起来。

多伦多一间以烹饪有名的学院　George Brown College 开办了 Tea Sommelier 的课程。Sommelier　多用在专业斟酒服务员上，即是对酒很有研究和受过训练的人。现在，茶这行业也开始需要受过训练的人。我觉得够特别，就去上课了。每堂课都要品赏不同的茶，很好玩的。

课上着上着，突然想到，倒不如就卖茶吧！没钱开茶馆，就开网上茶馆吧。也够国际性。只为兴趣，也为了提倡健康饮品。加上，身为华人，对茶还有点认识，应该不难。除了卖茶，也可以卖些花草茶，跟我的中医有关系，不错嘛。

I am quite busy recently. Well, a lady of leisure can be busy too 🙂

What am I busy with? To fill my days, I always try to come up with various ideas to keep myself busy. Lately, I am into learning how to start my own business. Still waiting for the visa application which is taking forever, and I can’t work but don’t want to keep asking money from my hubby, I figure that if I could own a small business, I will have more financial independence.

In addition to that, Ed’s job needs to travel when necessary, but mine is very restricted by the licencing of pharmacy profession of each country. It means I need to sit for exams whenever I go to a new country, like now in Canada. So, if Ed has job offer elsewhere, I will practically become jobless again, only if I pass all the required exams AGAIN in the new country. Being a Traditional Chinese herbalist will have the same problem too. This is a main issue for us. Either he changes his career or me. So, then I think, why not I try something completely different, something does not need licencing.

I think and think hard, what else can I do? Marketing? IT? or sell something? I then remember that I once had a vision, hoping to educate westerners about well-being maintenance by using some very mild Chinese herbs in everyday living. Most Chinese know how, it is built into our culture. For example, when the weather becomes very warm, we know we have to drink ‘cooling tea’ to help to balance heat. When we feel weak and tired, we know what herbs to cook to help nourish our bodies. However, due to the strict regulations in most developed countries, advertising these sort of ‘functions’ may fall into health claims which are not allowed, unless they are been proven clinically. Unfortunately, most Chinese herbal usage at home are not proven yet, and only remains as culture. Moreover, most westerners are still very new to Chinese medicine, some widely acceptable drink or soups Chinese use may take them some time to understand. So, I think, this idea does not work at this stage until I have my own Chinese medicine clinic.

Interestingly, when I was doing my market research, I noticed there is an increased trend of drinking tea, especially green tea in Canada. Mainly due to the many health benefits been proven in studies, especially the high content of antioxidants. More exposure to green tea, also promote more interests in other specialty tea.

Even George Brown College (which is famous for their culinary art courses) has started a Tea Sommelier Certificate course. Sommelier is more commonly used in hospitality staffs who are trained in wine knowledge and tasting, now obviously there is a need for such trained people in tea industry too. I found it fascinating, hence take the course and I love it ! 🙂

While attending the course, the idea of having my own tea business starts to come about. Well, I won’t have money to open my own tea shop, but I can start online, right? I don’t think I can earn any money, as Ed’s predicted, at least is for interest and for fun. I can easily throw in some special chinese herbal tea products, which is in line with my vision of promoting them eventually. Being a Chinese, I am exposed to tea since a very young age, so I hope it is not too hard for me. And, tea is seen as a healthy beverage also goes well with my profession. So, perfect !!

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Monday – My Travel Day : 西藏拉萨之旅 Trip to the ‘ Roof of the World’

(Dear English readers, please scroll down for the ‘click’ for English translation)

上个星期，心血来潮换了部落的模版设计，Ed也建议我把首页的照片换去宏伟的布达拉宫。这让我想起三年前的西藏之旅。

当时，我和Ed在中国背包旅行。西藏原不在我们的计划内。机缘巧合下，我在中甸（一个靠近西藏边境的小镇）看到一张旅行社的海报。这旅行社专门帮忙自助旅客办入西藏手续。

西藏是我憧憬的地方，可是一直知道中国政府不鼓励旅客入西藏自助旅行，要去一定要参加旅行团。好奇心驱使下，我跟旅行社负责人谈了谈，发问了许多问题。原来，他帮我们办的入境签证是“假装”为拉萨市(西藏首都）旅行团， 这个“团”的“责任”只是从中甸机场至拉萨市。抵拉萨市后我们就可自己旅行了。代办的入境签证只限于拉萨市，如要离拉萨市到郊外，要另外签证。

我和Ed的假期只乘几天，没时间到郊外。所以，这种签证刚好适合我们。 虽不如我梦想中的“一个月把西藏游遍”的计划，可机会难得，看一看驰名的拉萨也好。价钱比我们预测的便宜，唯一 的问题是我们飞离拉萨的机票要到了拉萨才拿到。 虽担心被骗， 看他蛮可靠的，就决定信一信他。

“团”内除了我俩和其他看来像是自助旅行的人 ，还有几个泰国佛教僧侶。代办人不但为我们定机票，还接送我们到中甸机场和弄妥一切机场手续，难得不必操心。

中甸的机场只有一座小小但现代化的建筑物。因中甸的地理属高原地区，海拨高度约为3400公尺。 机场的座落于盆地。所以，飞机跑道旁即是一座座的山，非常壮观（如上图）。

在机上，我们认识到几位在西藏教英文的加拿大人。有一两个竟在西藏住了六，七年。我还以为西藏机场也有中甸机场的特色，可却令我失望兼惊讶于它的现代化。 还有机舱和机场衔接的通道，不用乘客走到柏油跑道上去登落机。

抵达西藏机场时，有旅行小巴来机场接我们这“团”人。一路有少见的高山平原风景，旅行巴士内有导游一路为我们讲解。当巴士过中国政府的海关时，有这个导游接洽。一切有如团体旅行。从西藏机场至拉萨市约需一个多小时车程。一路上，有中国军队驻守。偶见小镇，这些小镇就像我们在中国境内见到的。镇上店铺的门牌都用大大的中文字，藏文字只是小小的，不起眼的。除了那高原风景，有时我真不敢肯定我是不是到了西藏。

在巴士上，我已微微有一点点头疼和晕昏 。我知道这是高山症症状，不是晕车。那时不明为何中甸和拉萨（海拔约3650公尺）海拔只差约25公尺，我在中甸没高山症。怎知，一抵西藏竟马上感到。今天在网上才读到，是因为中甸的森林资源比较丰富，生态环境好，提供了相当丰富的氧气，所以与拉萨相比，游人的高原反应并不强烈。

抵达拉萨时，巴士把旅客送到各自指定的旅馆。我们的“团体旅行”即算结束。我和Ed即开始我们的拉萨自助游记…..(下回待续）

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Oscar Series (4) – It is possible !

(Dear English readers, please scroll down for English translation )

自写了梦想一座奥斯卡这一篇，我亲爱的妹妹在网上鼓励我再拍一部短片。

Ed也常常口口声声地说会支持我，竭尽所能地想说服我。

这个嘛…我也很想。 灵感是有的，才一个，不过要去尼泊尔拍!

那天，我将我之前拍的短片再看一遍， 心情澎湃，又掀起了拍短片的热情及冲动。

前几天，与我的朋友（他是我那部短片的监制）聊电话。他也提到想再拍一部。

（虽然，我们未必会再合作，因为他现在住在香港。 加上，我想他也怕了我。嘿嘿，我有很多缺点 🙂 ）

现在，我想起了Forest Whitaker 在领奥斯卡最佳男主角奖时说的一段话：

“….When I was a kid, the only way that I saw movies was from the backseat of my family’s car. At the drive-in. And, it wasn’t my reality to think I would be acting in movies, so receiving this honor tonight tells me that it’s possible. It is possible for a kid from east Texas, raised in South Central L.A. in Carson, who believes in his dreams, commits himself to them with his heart, to touch them, and to have them happen.

Because when I first started acting, it was because of my desire to connect to everyone. To that thing inside each of us. That light that I believe exists in all of us. Because acting for me is about believing in that connection and it’s a connection so strong, it’s a connection so deep, that we feel it….”

那是当晚最感人的致词。

对了！It is possible ！

其实，他所说的，都是我一直相信的。

昨天，乘公共交通时，灵感突然来了。

老实说，那些所谓的灵感， 是我以前已有的概念。

只是，搁下来了，就一直给自己藉口。

人的惰性很恐怖！

现在，终于有勇气再把它们拿出来。

路还长呢！ 搞电影，很讲天时地利人合。

以前，有幸遇到几位比我还认真的朋友一起搞。

没大家的互相推动及支持，一个人是很难搞起来的。

（在此，特别再谢谢他们！）

从概念到短片成功制成，共花了近两年的时间。

毕竟，我们还是要天天上班。

那种生活倒很有意义。

现在，我身在新的国家虽不知从何开始。

至少，有了概念，就可一步一步来。

先祝自己，别三分钟热度，好好坚持到底 ！

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10 reasons for blogging

I thought I finally have times to sit down to write downs some thoughts, experiences or new life in Canada. However, I think I spend more time in learning the blogging website like Blogger or WordPress, rather than writing. Since I am not too literate in computer and websites, it has become quite frustrating. My mind is always full of how to solve some technical problems etc, sometimes stay up late or waking up early for it. Hopefully it is not yet to the stage of damaging my health, but it starts to get a bit damaging to my relationship with my boyfriend because I only care about the blog now 🙂

To make myself feel better, I come up with 10 reasons for blogging :

1. a good way to learn something new (at least for me who does not know much about internet, except emailing). “To learn something new is always difficult at the beginning. Don’t give up !” – I tell myself.
2. in the future, when I have my own bussiness, this will help.
3. the blog also serves as a form of sharing and communications with my family and friends
4. keeping a journal
5. practise my writing skills in both Chinese and English (my apology to everyone because I know I may have already made many grammar mistakes. Thanking for tolerating them. I hope I will get better eventually)
6. force myself to have some times to manage some of my thoughts because my mind always running too wild. Putting into words will help.
7. pay more attentions to details and do some simple researches if I want to write something more serious
8. it serves as a motivation for me to learn photography if I wish to share photos in the blog (though I never think I have the talent for photography)
9. a dream comes true for me because I used to dream of owning my own magazine or writing a book (it is only one of my many dreams 🙂
10. finally, if my blog is lucky enough to be found from the hundreds millions of blogs, I hope what I write (though some times only small little things in daily life) will give some inspirations and hope, and touch someone’s (even only one) heart. I think a more positive voice is important for the world right now.

I fully understand the 10th reason is one of my another BIG dreams. My boyfriend does not believe anyone will read my stuff, except my mum. He is a bit mean in this but it has some truths, I guess. Also, my boyfriend thinks that what I write is too serious, sometimes, chessy or pretentious for other bloggers and blog readers. I guess so too. He also does not believes my blog will last more than three months ! Well, I am not disappointed by it.

Whatever it is, I enjoy what I am doing now, and I have 10 reasons for it !

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Blog Cultural Shock

部落流行了至少五年，我现在才学人游览部落，才想也学人写一写部落．

最主要是，我终于有空闲的时间了！

以前的日子，实在太忙．我工作，我读硕士，我搞短片，我维持长距离恋情，我负责佛教活动，我与许多朋友保持连络．虽然，有时会因太忙发一发疯．可是，我珍爱这一段日子．非常充实，感觉有意义

现在，因为他，跑来了多伦多。除了他，对多伦多不怎么了解．暂时是以游客身分短住几个月， 看一看我是否喜欢。所以，暂做量地官，无所事事。忙了好长的一段日子，总算等到了这个长假。

可是，习惯了忙忙忙的我，开始静不下来。总想找些东西做。于是，部落成了我的目标。当我开始surf时, 真的很惊讶！ 部落原来已经发展到这么专业。

我开始兴奋起来。脑袋里总是想着我的部落- 什么主题才好，要如何设计，用英文写还是中文，要放哪张照片，要写什么，要传达什么等等。我开始早晨起来写东西。觉得是童年要出版书或杂志的梦想就要实现。

男友却总是泼冷水，说：“部落已经不新鲜了，现在人们去myspace或youtube.” , “没人会读你的部落的。写给自己看好了”。

为了这个部落，我们吵了几回。因为，我会说个不停，他却一点兴趣都没有。他的blog cultural shock已是几年前的事了。

我常爱梦想，也坚持梦想。或许，真的没人看，写给自己留念也不错。有人读或喜欢的话，我就梦想成真。

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