A beautiful story of a rocking chair

雞有雞味

如果早餐的煎蛋遲遲未來，那是因為今早母雞還未生蛋。

這是一個笑話，但這的確可以在古巴發生，因為古巴人很愛養三幾隻雞；就是在大城市夏灣拿，在屋內天井，也不難發現雞踪，是真正的Free range。

即使牠們吃的不是美麗農場的穀子和小蟲，而是泥沙塵中的爛菜，古巴的雞和雞蛋，仍是很有雞味和蛋味。

古巴確是很窮，他們甚麼都是吃本地的，選擇有限；無論是城市還是鄉下，蔬菜總是椰菜、蕃茄、青瓜、芋頭；生果總是菠蘿、蕉、蕃石榴和木瓜，但一切都是自有其味。

《讀愛情故事的老人》

二月初到圖書館，館方為了情人節，展示了好幾本「經典」應節讀物，包括這本題為《讀愛情故事的老人》的書。

是一個智利作者Luis Sepulveda的舊作，說阿馬遜森林中，有一個罕有地會讀書的老人。

雖然表面是一個與情人有關的故事，但實際上是說阿馬遜河的生活，當然包括白人與土人和大自然之間的衝突。很簡單的故事，甚至，根本愛看愛情故事這一點，也沒有甚麼劇情延伸。

這本很薄很精簡的小書，成為我認識智利文學的第一步；結果是異常地好看，很多令人會心微笑的內容，也令我對南美洲有多一點認識。

牙醫老朋友看到老人，向他打招呼：「喂！你仲未死咩？」
老人作勢聞一聞腋窩再答道：「呀！仲未。」

要再去找他的其他作品讀讀。

這首Wand'rin' star是1969年電影"Paint Your Wagon"中的歌曲，電影據說非常滑鐵盧，但男演員Lee Marvin在片中拒絕咪咀，自己唱所有作品，最後這套戲的原聲大碟，竟受歡迎得將Beatles同年的Let It Be大碟也壓到第二位去。

但嗓子比Tom Waits更沉的Lee Marvin，也沒有再繼續唱歌，就這樣成為了一碟歌王。Lee Marvin的歌聲真是過耳不忘；而歌詞也非常地美麗，深深刻劃了不羈的境界；音樂方面也有點令我想起Les Miserable 電影中的Can You Hear the People Sing。

Wand'rin' star
Written by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe

I was born under a wand'rin' star
I was born under a wand'rin' star
Wheels are made for rolling, mules are made to pack
I've never seen a sight that didn't look better looking back
I was born under a wand'rin' star

Mud can make you prisoner and the plains can bake you dry
Snow can burn your eyes, but only people make you cry
Home is made for coming from, for dreams of going to
Which with any luck will never come true
I was born under a wand'rin' star
I was born under a wand'rin' star

Do I know where hell is, hell is in hello
Heaven is goodbye forever, its time for me to go
I was born under a wand'rin' star
A wand'rin' wand'rin' star

(Mud can make you prisoner and the plains can bake you dry)
(Snow can burn your eyes, but only people make you cry)
(Home is made for coming from, for dreams of going to)
(Which with any luck will never come true)
(I was born under a wand'rin' star)
(I was born under a wand'rin' star)

When I get to heaven, tie me to a tree
For I'll begin to roam and soon you'll know where I will be
I was born under a wand'rin' star
A wand'rin' wand'rin' star

Knitting for myself

A scarf it is going to be. 

平均分配這個概念

Gervais說，班上最近來了幾個Inuits（住在Quebec北面，不少人以打獵維生，即從前我們統稱為愛斯基摩的人種），他們很有趣。

「我教他們計數，他們都學得很好。但我把題目加入情景時，他們會忽然變得一竅不通。」

他說，教他們20除5等如4，大家都懂。可是將題目改為有20個蘋果，如果平均分給5個人，那每人有幾個的時候，他們竟然答不上來。

Gervais並不是首次接觸Inuit學生，於是他嘗試把題目套到他們的日常生活情景中： 「五個人一同去打Beluga鯨魚，如果鯨魚重20斤，那麼每人可以分到幾斤呢？」

學生還是答不到，因為⋯⋯

「原來他們是沒有平均分的概念啊。他們告訴我，分鯨魚時會以家中多少人作依歸，人口多就分多點，小點人就分小點。」

「那可否問他們，五個單身、未成家的獵人分鯨魚，那他們或者會明白平均分配？」我問。

Gervais笑了：「不可能出現這樣的五個人了，Inuits都是藤㨢瓜瓜㨢藤的，一大個家庭。」

幾天前看到有大學正在就最平均地分Pizza作學術研究；但原來，「平均分配」在這個世界上還未成為一個必然的概念呢。

"She can't even bend her leg right"

Mom has bad knee caps for some years, these days she said they hurt again.

I suggested her to do some stretching to relieve.

But showing her the warrior pose, the cat pose would not do, mom wants me to do it WITH her.

For 30 to 50 mins we twist the muscles, the spine and fold ourselves hard every evening.

Face towards the calendar; turn your left foot pointing the window; now twist yourself towards the TV; we describe the direction in a domestic way as mom mixes up left and right sometimes.

But she is making progress. Except some bending movements, her back stays quite straight for someone who is 67 years old.

Gradually I set up Chan's yoga studio; I unroll a yoga mat, turn on the indian yoga music from youtube and an essential oil diffuser. The studio is tiny so sometimes I put my left foot on Milly's bed, or left hand, she has never rejected.

Mum finds that she sleeps better after stretching and urges me to set up the studio every evening.

"This afternoon I saw a woman in the park pulling her own thigh. She can't even bend her leg right!" Wow wow, now we have a stretching critic!