Sunday 27 March 2016

J: Lobsters for Lunch -- I dropped the lobster traps

He is risen! Happy Easter!

And one of the "lost ones" has now been found.

I was glad that, while de-cluttering my desk recently, I uncovered a piece of scrap paper on which was written the following little poem by my grandson. What a pleasant surprise! (Some photos have been added here for presentation purposes.)

  One-way street for hungry lobsters!    Colourful Floats             Danger sign at Peggy's Cove

Lobsters for Lunch
-- by J , written on June 26, 2014 near Peggy's           Cove, Nova Scotia en route the 7-day Quebec City-                Boston New England cruise on Holland America's ms Veendam.

I dropped the lobster traps on the sea bed,
For them to crawl in, the lobsters red.
On the spike I put on fish as bait,
I took the boat back to wait and wait.
Then I checked the traps for lobsters before lunch;
O It's so delicious, munch! munch! munch!

Of course, I did help with some leading rhyming suggestions.
And has anyone ever seen a "red", live lobster? Haha.
But the important thing is to keep the then 11-year-old interested and his poetic thoughts flowing. At my urging and with a dangling carrot (of cash awards), the two grand kids each wrote four short poems on-site about the interesting things they experienced on the cruise; this is the only one salvaged for J. He wrote the short poem after a "show and tell talk" on the lobster trap by our local guide Bruce who drove the party of six tourists around in his van. 

J simply has forgotten all his poems now. Likewise for his younger sister. O, No big deal perhaps for the kids and parents, but not so for this "poet-grandpa"... ha! 
Actually, as "straight-A or almost straight-A students", they did not find writing the poems too difficult. It is like doing a 6-line word puzzle, with suitable rhymes provided on demand.
 Yummy! (Photo from Holland America Line guide book)


 O Why me, eh?       Lobster boats      When will I see you again?

Saturday 19 March 2016

孫星衍 最難風雨故人來 How joyous when an old friend comes

莫放春秋佳日過,

    最難風雨故人來

     -- 孫星衍 楹聯

A Famous Chinese Couplet
-- Sun Xing-yan (Qing Dynasty)  
-- Translated by Frank C Yue

Don't let the fine Spring and Autumn days slip by again;

How joyous when an old friend comes in the 

wind and rain!  


The following commentary culled from the net:

詩人說道,不要讓大好時光匆匆流逝,應當珍惜美好時光;而有朋友在風雨交加時節前來探望,最是人生快事。

代學者 孫星衍,為乾隆朝榜眼,著名小學、金石學家,也是藏書家、目錄學家。年少時,與楊芳燦、洪亮吉、黃景仁等一樣以文學見長,袁枚稱為他為「天下奇 才」。一生博覽群書,勤於著述,阮元即曾聘他為詁精經舍教習,並主講鍾山書院。其人才學博洽,「莫放春秋佳日過,最難風雨故人來」這一聯句,即是他一生所 寫過的篆字楹聯中最知名者。

亦有說此聯句,乃出自明代的馮子振鸚鵡曲山亭逸興一詩:「嵯峨峰頂移家住,是個不唧溜樵父。爛柯時樹老無花,葉葉枝枝風雨。故人曾喚我歸來,卻道不如休去。指門前萬疊雲山,是不費青蚨買處。」孫星衍之聯句雖未必出自於此,然意境略有相通之處,仍可一併參考。

星衍這一聯句,以極淺明之文字,道盡人生最至關緊要的兩件大事,一是享受春秋佳日之美好,二是友朋造訪之美至樂至喜至。就前句「莫放春秋佳日過」而言,語 本陶潛移居詩「春秋多佳日,登高賦新詩」之意而來,明顯具有人生貴閒適,而登高賦詩正是春秋佳日最具妙趣之事。可見,孫星衍對於人生之體會何等自在自 適。

而後句「最難風雨故人來」之「風雨」本指大自然刮風下雨,亦比喻惡劣的處境。詩經鄭風風雨》篇所云之境,恰與此同:「風雨凄凄,雞鳴喈喈,既見君子。云胡不夷。風雨瀟瀟,雞鳴膠膠。既見君子,云胡不瘳。風雨如晦,雞鳴不已。既見君子,云胡不喜。」

在風雨交加之淒冷中,人容易感到孤獨或身處危難,這時一旦有故友風雨無阻,不邀而至,最令人心喜,此乃人生最難能可貴之事。是以,「最難風雨故人來」成為傳誦不歇的名句。

Friday 18 March 2016

Never find yourself in Any dangerous scene

A Winning Self-Defence  Strategy
-- by Frank C Yue

Shun all hazardous scenes: It is imperative.
Always be prepared, alert and non-combative.
Walk away from insults, any threatening stranger;
Don't be bewildered when suddenly facing danger.
Against hostility, assertiveness apportion;
Be calm, confident, tactful before any action.

Of your own strengths and the enemy's, be sure.
But move like lightning when action is assured.
Expect the unexpected: Leave first strike to the attacker; 
When shoved time and again just his wrist or little finger.
Always apply minimal force to match the mug;
Never blindly pursue a desperate thug.

When you're choked from the front with outstretched arms
Break free with strong up-and-down ripping palms,
Palm-strike his chin, spear-hand his throat -- the key
Is to strike through the target! -- and kick his knee.
The best defence is no offence and common sense.
Win without fighting, or run away, if you can:

Never find yourself in
Any dangerous scene.