On-line Tech Support

I had been unable to activate a Symantech product but their chat-line tech support was able to resolve the issue in only 25 minutes (incl 10 minutes of waiting time, I was 6th in line). I am fairly happy.

Drifters

Here are my comments posted on Space's May 2 2010 blog article "Expired 過了限期！" ...

"... I lived in a small mining town for almost three yrs and saw a lot of travelling musicians trying to make a living in smoky bars where nobody paid attention. Just like in the movie [Crazy Hearts], many of them had drug and alcohol issues. There are women who would fall for drifters, but not likely the sensible type played by Maggie G. ..."

BTW, there are many places where one may encounter drifters. For examples: seasonal forest camps, railway track gangs (see my blog article at 【鐵路人狼】), Midway carnivals, shelters for homeless men, bars in seedy parts of town, hospital ER on weekends, etc.

The above are said without judgment and should not be considered as a put-down against drifters (esp many of the old-timers I met on the train tracks one summer when I was working for Canadian National Railway CNR).

Ref:
* Space's May 2 2010 blog article
"Expired 過了限期！" " ..... 後記: 電影 Crazy Heart 港譯："聲聲相識" 有 Jeff Bridges 演 Bad Blake 過氣牛仔鄉謠歌手 和 Maggie Gyllenhaal 演 Jean Craddock 單親媽媽。....."
* "Drifters" Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drifter_(person)
* 「兩週一聚: 朋友」之【鐵路人狼】(第一集) / Bi-weekly Series: Friend(s)【The Railway Gang 】Part 1 http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2008/11/bi-weekly-series-friendsthe-railway.html

別人騎馬我騎驢﹐仔細思量我不如﹐只是回頭看﹐還有挑腳漢。

Here are my comments posted on Best Actor's April 14th blog article "C'est la vie":

Having worked as labourer in HK and Canada, I identify myself more with 挑腳漢 --> Hard work builds characters. No pain, no gain !!!I also agree with you [Best Actor] the virtue of not being too materialistic.

Reference:
"C'est la Vie !" http://memoriesblossom.blogspot.com/2010/04/cest-la-vie.html

Some of my blog articles re working for the Canadian National Railway CNR in Canada and Pepsi/Vita Soy in HK:
* http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2008/11/bi-weekly-series-friendsthe-railway.html
* http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2007/02/72-occupations-thirst-quencher-part-1.html

To Be or Not To Be ... Parent

Here are my comments on Best Actor's April 4th blog article "兒童節":

Committing to become a parent is like skiing down a double black-diamond. One can:

* contemplate and look at it for a long time (with nothing happening);
* change your mind and turn back (with possibility of revisiting); or
* take the plunge!!!

Of course, the ride down could be smooth, bumpy, full of screaming ... in short, very unpredictable. One can only hope the parent-to-be will still be in one piece at the bottom !!

Reference:
"兒童節" http://memoriesblossom.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post_04.html

梅艷芳 Anita Mui - 孤身走我路 Departing alone

I just heard this song for the first time via Xiao Zhu's blog and felt quite moved by it ...

Migrating the You-In Blog

I spent almost 12 hours setting up a new blog for You-In here within Blogger !!! The migration of materials from the old site to here is going to take time !!!

Dealing with Jerks and Backstabbers

Here are my comments left on San Wen Ji's blog article "緣"

++++++++++++++++++++

微豆 Haricot said...

>> ... 第一個反應就是好難

I have the same initial reaction.

How can I be nice to jerks and backstabbers who harbour nothing but ill wills? The best I can do is to stay away from them - never mind abt "與他人結來生緣" !!!

聖嚴法師 is suggesting there is a third option to our instinctive stress response of Fright-Fight-or-flight.

Hmmmmm ... I still say: Stay clear of those who bring nothing but trouble !!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"緣" posted by San Wen Ji at 10:17 PM on Mar 24, 2010

" ..... 如果某個人讓你覺得很討厭，可能是你過去世沒有和他結善緣，或根本結的就是惡緣；也可能是你在這一生中，沒有意願要與這類型的人結緣。但是，你討厭的人未必會真的對你造成不好的影響，那只是你主觀意識在作祟，導致你排斥、不願接觸對方；如果對方也有同樣的回應，就會造成互相敵對的局面，漸漸地，自己就變得沒有人緣了。

當我們遇到不喜歡的人時，不妨這麼想，就是因為自己前世沒有和對方結善緣，所以這一生他老是來煩你、整你、讓你難過，但這些困擾可以讓你有更多磨練的機會、成長的空間，你反而應該感謝他。即使你善待對方，對方還是對你不好，你仍舊要繼續與他結善緣，因為既然過去未曾與他結好緣，此生更應該與他結善緣。如果能有這種觀念，即使見到自己不喜歡的人，也會覺得對方是來成就自己的菩薩。

所以，如果別人對你不好，你仍然要善待他；如果別人傷害你，你仍然要一本初衷地照顧他；如果別人欺負你，你應該要原諒他，這就是“廣結善緣”。如此堅持下去，別人便會逐漸被你的態度所轉變。

也許此生你一直付出，都得不到對方正面的回應，但還是要繼續和他結善緣，這種緣叫“來生緣”。畢竟連草木、動物都有感情，更何況是人呢？只要心存善念不斷地付出，對方一定會轉變，即使今生不轉變，來生也會轉變。所以，只要抱持著與他人結“來生緣”的信念，便不會覺得和自己不喜歡的人相處是件苦差事了。（文：聖嚴法師）"

看這篇的時候，第一個反應就是好難。可，很相信這就是方法。

“沒有意願要與這類型的人結緣”，這很真。

Reference:
San wen Ji: "緣"