TV News

I like watching news. Before I got married, I could watch Cable TV news continuously. Now I am more selective. Everyday I watch it once, or maximum twice. And recently I prefer watching news in the English channels. Why? Because the Chinese media, no matter TVB, ATV or Now, are unprofessional. Besides they report less on international affairs, this is what I can accept, they like to report trivial facts with unbearable remarks.

Two examples, the first is whenever the weather gets cold, the Chinese media always has a reporter report that "The weather gets cold, and people on street are wearing more clothes." Is that news or a teaching lesson for small children in kindergarten? Change of weather is worth reporting but not the rest. The second is whenever there are some minor things happen, such as an increase of electricity price or a redirection of driving route for special occasion, many Chinese reporters always like to put words into others' mouth by asking leading questions such as "Do you think that the increase of electricity price/change of driving route is not good/convenient?" They have an answer in heart and they just want it from others. Why not just report the facts and forget the rest? You never find the above examples in the BBC and the English channels.

過年

農曆新年眨眼便過，當中總不免到長輩家中拜年。雖是例行私事，但一年能有機會和親友相聚一次也是好的。

在年少時要跟隨父母在農曆新年拜年總不免覺得煩厭，但想到有紅封包可拿便只有隨時候命。那時總覺親戚很多又麻煩，但在年紀漸長後知道親戚是你生下來便是你血緣的一部份，不能像朋友一樣可以選擇不交往便只有欣然面對。

到了現在，人變得成熟了，更明白親戚是你家族中的一部份。 無論你喜歡與否他們都是你的親戚，所以自已亦變得較為關心他們。每年農曆新年間更喜歡與他們見面，大家交換近况，暢談一番。

不少人喜愛在農曆年間出外避歲，我卻寧可去拜年，和親戚朋友閒話家常。就算是不想見的人，最多亦只是一年見一次，每次半小時左右，絕對可以接受。

Questions

I have just finished reading the book "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking. An interesting book but it's difficult for those who do not know science. Some of his questions raised in the book are very very difficult to answer but enlighten. I have chosen a few of them:

1. after the beginning of the universe since the big bang, the universe is expanding, but if the universe stops expanding and starts contracting, are we heading to the big collapse?
2. why do we exist in the universe, at this moment, and for what purpose?
3. why does the universe exist, and for what purpose?

These questions put you in deep though. What do you think?

新年大計

新年開始，很多人習慣寫下新一年的大計。雖然無此習慣，但自從在去年開始放假時學了國際音標後，覺得自己的英文實在有很大的改善空間，所以今年要努力提高自己的英文水準。

當我們北望神州，很多人都期望今年中國在經濟上繼續向上，而香港亦可受惠。但是，中國經濟之高速增長是要付出很大的代價。在增長背後，國家的生態環境正在不斷受到嚴重破壞。無論是土地、空氣、水源、食物，都已受到污染。香港的空氣質素比十年前差了不少已是不爭的事實，而我們的食水是水務處做了不少加工才可使之符合標準。若果大家有飲過全無污染的地下水的話便知味道和普通食水有不少分別。

由於中國治理環境的資源遠追不上污染的增長，而大家抱着在最短時間賺最多錢的心態，所以對環境污染視而不見，結果是人民生活愈富裕但生活環境卻愈差。看看IHT對中國環境的專題報告"Choking on growth"便明白：http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/25/asia/26china.php

Newspapers

As I have more time now, I like to spend it reading newspapers. I read Ming Pao (free in the Internet or pay a fee for unlimited access), HK Economic Journal (no Internet version), Financial Times (not free in the Internet), and International Herald Tribune (free in the Internet) almost daily. The first gives me daily news in HK and China; the second gives me updated financial news, and analysis on international events and business; the third gives me in-depth analysis on international events and comments on various topics; the fourth gives me more international news and in-depth coverage on various topics.

If you want to read quality newspaper daily, I sincerely recommend you to choose either Ming Pao or HK Economic Journal and Financial Times. The more you read them, the more you know many stories behind the scenes and you are building up your insights which help you to identify between facts and prejudices. These newspapers build up your language skills, financial knowledge and logical thinking. Good food for your brain.

2008 is at the doorstep. Try putting newspapers in the new year's plan. Have a nice holdiay!

煙霞

早上在鰂魚涌公園跑步時看見九龍那面煙霧瀰漫，建築物像有一層薄紗蓋着，感覺不太舒服。事實上，香港的空氣已是愈來愈差。政府知道必須改善以保持香港形象及保護市民健康，但奈何政府一不肯採用更嚴格的污染物指數標準(因怕很多時會超過標準)，二要規管電力公司及汽車排污等都是決而不行，行而不力(看怎樣對待兩電及停車熄匙的議論便知)，三是不太敢要求珠三角控制污染(怕人家不高興兼反說是港商在珠三角開工廠弄成這個結果)。

當然，除了辦事能力低外，亦要在語言上誤導大眾，大家才可以感覺良好。因此，便產生「煙霞」這名詞。大家在聽天氣報告時聽到煙霞這名詞可能覺得是山谷中的輕煙霞氣，感覺浪漫。其實煙霞是煙霧或霾，即污染物的意思。香港天文台在中文網頁上用煙霞這詞但英文網頁是用 hazy 這字，它是 haze 的形容詞，表示風夾着塵土。政府可以在語言上誤導與歧視中國人，但卻不敢對外國人如此。奴才心態，又一例子。

A better investment

All of us want to invest into the markets so we can earn a large profit and no longer need to comply with orders from our boss. Let us suppose that you have made it, then what? Travelling? Fishing? Golfing? Reading? Or charity work? No matter what you want to do, you can't do it without a sound mind and a healthy body.

Many of us invest into financial markets but not our brain and body. As time goes by, we have sufficient financial resources but we are left with a sick body and an absent mind. Is it pity?

If you know that your investment needs time to grow up, same theory applies to your brain and body. My advise of a better investment is to read daily, to eat omega-3 daily, and to exercise daily. No much time is needed: a 15 minute reading, a 10-20 minute exercise, and a couple of omega-3 capsules. Half an hour per day and you will feel the difference.

If you want to enjoy life, start investing into the better investment.