Bruce Lee?

 

"Where are you from? " the driver who was delivering our household goods to our flat asked me inside the luton van.

"Hong Kong!"

"Aha! Was Bruce Lee from Hong Kong? We watched his films when we were kids. He still is my number one man!"

"Really? Yes! What about Jackie Chan's?"

"We also like Jackie Chan's films. Recently we also like Ip Man's films. But Bruce Lee's level is the highest. Compared to his, all other guys' are much lower," he elaborated this difference with his hands.

"I agree. Bruce Lee incorporated his philosophy into his kung-fu."

"To be frank, you reminded me of Bruce Lee. You look like him."

"Thank you! I feel honoured! Have you watched Ip Man 3? Ip Man fought Mike Tyson there. The strength you revealed when you carried my cardboard boxes around reminded me of Tyson too!"

"Thank you! I feel honoured!"

We had a nice chat about Hong Kong and China and all my family's goods finally all arrived at our flat, after being stacked in the storage warehouse for nearly one year.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

 《奇異女俠玩救宇宙/媽的多重宇宙/Everything Everywhere All at Once》很好看。成龍當日拒演，令劇本改寫成更精彩動人的故事，是他近年做過最好的事。

Dr. Strange 2

 與家人在戲院看Dr. Strange 2，看有英語字幕的場次，忽然聽到有廣東話對白，大小朋友都高興。

烏克蘭

 囡囡的班上多了一位來自烏克蘭的女同學。新同學英語不好，非常怕醜。校長知道囡囡當日也是新來的，特別委託她照顧新朋友。她很高興。

小紅椒

 

為了不讓小朋友覺得餸菜太辣，我細心切開小紅辣椒，除去種子和纖維，之後用梘液洗手。

以為手指已乾淨，然後用手捽眼和去小便 . . . . . .

結果：非常痛苦 (最痛唔係對眼)。

Leslie

 

尋晚發夢遇見張國榮，佢係油麻地一間碩果僅存嘅CD唱片鋪櫥窗外望來望去，原來佢睇中咗一套關於佢嘅唱片專輯，一套四隻唱片。可惜嗰套CD係翻版，個封套仲好明顯係用自家打印機打印出嚟。見佢走咗入店鋪買咗後出番嚟，我戰戰兢兢咁走埋佢度：「張生，唔好意思，套嘢係翻版。」點知Leslie 望一望我，撥一撥頭髮，好有型咁回應："No problem!" 然後就走咗。

佢真係好瀟灑。

《時代革命》

 周導演 (上排左二, 2016年攝): 我在英國和太太看完您執導的《時代革命》了，謝謝您。希望將來可和您在香港的戲院觀看。

Tai Chi

 

This morning when I finished practising Tai Chi in the park and was about to leave, a football team leader who was standing at the boundary of a nearby football pitch shouted, "Do you teach? Can you teach us Tai Chi?"

(Well, I think he asked me so loudly that everyone in the park heard his voice )

I walked up to him and said I couldn't, because I am not qualified to teach Tai Chi, and I am still making mistakes all the time.

But he insisted, saying that his team members need to learn how to focus. He thought that I could help them concentrate.

How should I reply to him? 

"Customer Care"

 

Starting home care work soon

即將開始下一份工作 ── 上門家居個人護理。已通過入職評核。

之前的快餐店副經理和我說，不希望我離職，因我在場時全隊伍更有活力，他收到集團高層訊息，他們驚訝我的顧客服務 ("you are amazing with the customers")，集團正需要這類員工，他希望我間中回來幫下手，現時放個長假。我心軟，應承了 。

暫時保留住顧客服務與社會照顧兩條路的機會 (英國的用語都是「『顧客照顧』("customer care") 」)，等女兒升中後，時間比較充沛時我再作決定走哪條。

人生轉轉折折, 我只能隨遇而安。

customer care

 

At the middle of the night an older person wearing a facemask entered. He shouted at the other customers who did not wear any face coverings, accusing them as selfish. A quarrel between him and other hostile customers was about to break out. I approached the man and tried to comfort him. The man had just lost his father who died of COVID, and he was depressed. I listened to him and expressed my empathy. The tense situation between him and the other customers was resolved.

Later I also explained to some customers that the man was just trying to protect everybody.

Who said fast-food restaurants do not require good customer care?

 

不經不覺, 來了倫敦已半年。在某連鎖快餐店剛工作了一個月。

 

由於想等女兒升讀中學後才重新投入全職工作行列, 半年前婉拒了某大學公共衛生講師職位的面試後, 只集中找週末的兼職工作。選擇本已不多，誰知求職表格填了幾十份，連超市助理也沒有一份有面試機會。最慘的是那些胸有成竹、和以前自己經驗有關的, 每次填幾千字, 連入圍的機會也沒有, 對方不用解釋原因。在香港時我確未曾遇過這樣的挫折。聽本地人說許多大機構已不是用真人閱讀求職表格, 又有人說填表時不要透露自己的最高學歷，我無計可施, 即管試試，果然第二天已接到電話，成功通過面試。

 

我只在週末傍晚時上班, 凌晨才下班, 每週三晚，試過在氣溫只有攝氏一兩度時的早上三點步行回家，上身只有底衫、連帽衛衣和風褸。平日不用上班的日子, 每天早上送女兒返學, 然後到公園小河畔練習太極拳，當作我的靈修，有時木橋地板上全是寒霜。之後步行到各超市夾價買餸, 再行回到家已是兩小時後, 運動量頗足夠。這裡下午四時便日落, 煮完食完飯洗完碗後天色已全黑, 才閱讀國際、英國和香港的新聞 (有些新聞只敢看標題以免影響睡眠, 但《立場新聞》解散的消息也令我傷心了一天) 。沒有太多夜生活, 一天的時間很快過。以前在港子女小時曾做全職爸爸, 所以很快適應, 唯不想重複以前的半貧窮和經濟依賴太太的全職工作, 所以想有點收入。

 

有朋友知道我在連鎖快餐店工作，提議把工作當作田野研究。坦白說, 首晚工作時腦海的確曾閃過電影《摩登時代》裡在裝配線上做得神智失常的差利卓別靈形象 。其實關於連鎖快餐店的社會學研究已有許多，例如生產線上的科學管理如何造成人的矮化，概念和理論林林總總，我不會歸納得更好。

 

離開了香港, 意味著我也離開積聚多年對香港社會有用的知識、經驗和人際關係，失去安慰、啟發他人的話語位置。身處自由的國家, 內心卻感到痛苦, 既不想回憶太多令我憤怒抑鬱的經歷, 又焦慮自己在新環境下的存在價值。想着想着, 忽然醒起當年自己的論文是關於職業培訓，撰寫時曾親身接受過家務助理、保安員和起居照顧員的訓練。已故的文思慧博士曾問：為何揀這個題目，我想了一陣說：其實也想了解人如何在艱難逆境中求存, 找到意義。最近幾晚, 我開始有點自我發現。

 

這裡的最低工資保障, 讓我工作了一整晚後, 所得幾夠家人一星期的平價超市食物開支。當然若這樣想, 受薪工作只單純是達至另一目的的手段。其實這份工作對我的挑戰很大。在香港每天教書講的只是標準的學術英文, 有許多時間學習如何改善網上教學。在這裡我要即時面對一浪接一浪操幾十種不同口音的倫敦顧客 (許多沒有耐性等候)、運作一台沒有試用或容錯機會的微軟電腦收銀軟件。職前訓練有限，便要馬上配對不知是什麼名稱自己又從不會食的快餐食物。首晚工作已感暈眩，有一刻很想放棄, 覺得重新做起很難, 也很悲哀。 但轉念一想, 若能成功克服，說不定將來改行專責顧客服務？也算是我感興趣的行業。

 

漸漸地, 經理信任讓我一個人負責所有飲品和甜品，經常需要獨自面對螢幕上忽然湧出的數以十計的訂單，手腳慢一點也會令前排同事壓力大增，開始看到自己崗位的重要。我把上面通通視作挑戰機會，用太極步法游走於各台機器之間 (見笑)，坐跨多一點放鬆多一點便能減少膝蓋受傷的機會。最後，是人被機器「異化」還是成功地把大石一次一次推上山頂，我也不肯定, 起碼每次趕單過後仍能鬆口氣, 還能關心同樣英語欠佳的少數族裔同事 ─ 他們總愛走過來問 : “Are you ok?””Yes, I am fine!”這樣的簡單但暖心對話每晚十多遍。(另外, “How old are you? 26? 31?” 也是小伙子們經常問的問題, 我每次笑而不答。:-)

 

來英前很擔心不適應這裡的氣候。我天生是寒底體質, 但肝鬱氣滯、陰虛火旺多年, 早已變成陰陽兩虛, 早前的貼文說連西醫也懷疑我有糖尿病 (長期的陰虛火旺或可導致消渴), 嚇得許多朋友來訊問候, 實在抱歉。但現在自覺身體的確比以前強壯了，睡前已不用浸腳浴按摩穴位, 身體比以前較不怕冷、着更少衫，上文說凌晨步行回家時其實絲毫不覺冷 (但要有帽蓋頭保暖、有風褸抗雨)， 儘管外面氣溫遠低於香港。或許適當飲食、衣物、睡眠和運動，及調整心態這些老生常談, 還是鬥長命的不二法門。

 

期望將來回港赴約時, 我已成為一個更強的人。

The mask of ageing

 

I was sent to see the branch manager. I wore a face mask.

Deputy Manager: We have to ascertain your age. Are you over 18?

I: ...I am middle-aged.

Deputy Manager: You know, we cannot employ you if you are under 16. This would be against the law....

I: ...I am middle-aged (actually I wanted to say, 'Well, "late-middle-aged" may be considered more correct.'). I have two children.

He looked puzzled, but quickly we talked about the weekly work schedule. I can only work part-time.

If I were still teaching the course Ageing and Gerontology, perhaps I would use this example to discuss the mask of ageing (Featherstone & Hepworth, 1991) in daily life .

(2/2)

customer service

 

At the end of the recruitment process, the manager asked me, "Do you want to wear one of these badges? Every employee in our restaurants can wear one according to his or her ethnicity." She showed me a small pocket badge of China's national flag.

"I am sorry. I can't wear this. This flag is precisely the reason why I am here."

"Yes. I know. I am sorry. It’s ok if you don’t like this.” The lady was sympathetic.

"By the way, don't worry - I am sure one day you can go back to your profession. You just need to find an appropriate network."

"Thank you. Actually I am also interested in customer service. But thanks a lot for your encouragement. Looking forward to talking to you again soon."

(1/2)

NHS

 

Recently I have had all the symptoms of diabetes, making me a bit worried. After taking the test administered by the e-consultation of my local NHS GP (general practice), I was advised by the system to make an urgent appointment with my doctor. In our first session she also thought that my conditions were worrying. Eventually I had been referred to two blood tests in a hospital following other physical examinations, one for diabetes and another for cancer. All the above happened within a month. This morning I saw my doctor for the third time, and she reassured me that all test results were negative. I also told her that my problems had become less serious after I did foot bath and a simple massage around my lower abs (I also pressed the Yongquan points of my feet 湧泉穴- first points on the kidney channel), before I went to bed every night. She was amazed and we need not to have any further appointments unless my symptoms have become serious again.

Two lessons I have learnt:

- The NHS system in the UK is not that bad, at least in my case.

- I have to take care of myself. This has become more important than the past because of the climate and my age.

A dream

 

Last night I had a dream: the part-time teacher who took my place to teach one of my courses was suddenly sick, and I substituted her to teach one more day. Students were very puzzled. A few were listening attentively, but many became impatient about who the stranger (I) was. At last one shouted, "Where is our teacher?" I replied to them your teacher is sick today, and I was the designer of this course and had taught it for a decade. Everybody in the class instantaneously applauded and I broke into tears. Then I woke up.

I think I am still coping with my loss.

Hong Kong is not China

 

Taking Lui Lui to school.

"So, are you from China?" A mom asked.

"I am from Hong Kong."

"Is Hong Kong China?"

"No, Hong Kong is not China."

Mind the Gap

 

站在倫敦地鐵站北線Embankment 站北行方向的月台上, 當地鐵進來停下的時候，會聽到一把洪亮的男聲, 字正腔圓地以傳統英式英語喊出 "Mind the Gap!" (「小心空隙」) 三個字多次。據說這把廣播聲音, 目前只有在這個月台上才聽到。

原來有個動人的故事。十四年前, 倫敦地鐵站系統要更新, 包括把廣播換上新的錄音，結尾加上一個"Please" 字。新的系統、新的廣播，一切好像很順暢， 誰知不久後有位白髮婦人焦急地聯絡該站職員：「怎麼該把聲音不見了?」

職員請她不要擔心, 只是系統更新而已。

「那把嗓音，是我丈夫的。」

原來那個錄音已有五十年歷史，是舞台劇演員Oswald Laurence的聲音，曾幾何時在整個北線的北行方向月台上都可聽到。他於十九年前過身，也就是地鐵系統更新的五年前。五年來, 他的妻子Margaret McCollum 就常常坐在Embankment站月台的椅子上，靠聽這把聲音慰藉，渡過艱難的日子。

職員知道這個故事後, 決定幫助這位可憐的婦人，有人翻箱倒篋找回當日的錄音帶，有人把它數碼化, 又有人改變系統的編碼, 其他人向上級申請豁免，為的就是保留這把聲音，為了讓她可以如常地緬懷與丈夫相處的點滴。

後來她更收到一隻CD光碟, 錄上她丈夫的這把廣播聲音，令她不用每次去月台，在家都能喚起那些回憶，守護這份感情。

多年之後，與兒子來到這個車站轉車的我，再次聽到這把聲音，想起的就是這個溫馨故事。有些記憶, 永遠不會忘記。

馬太福音, 3:17

 

實在不敢相信, 當日我手上的巨嬰, 出年應該會高過我。

有一句出自《聖經》的說話, 多年來我一直想講, 但擔心會冒犯我的基督徒朋友。請容許我放肆一次, 下不為例：

 

「這是我的兒子，我所喜悅的。」(馬太福音, 3:17 )

智慧齒

補番兩隻因食公仔麵咬崩咗嘅牙，順便剝埋隻智慧齒。

 

阿女：「聽講話剝咗智慧齒會智障咕喎！好似話講嘢會好搞笑。」

 

我：

四五行動

李sir 你識長毛時間太短了。我識佢嗰年，就係幫佢抬過棺材，當年佢地真係用實木棺材。應該係後來才改用木皮造的。

 

佢嗰次行動太少人，好似三缺一，仲比前線警察揶揄，話：「又話四五行動？四個人都無。」

我係前排聽到，唔抵得有人咁寸，就執起棺材一角，同佢地一齊衝咗陣。事後長毛同我握手。從此識得佢。時間應該係1997年前後，太耐唔記得喇。

 

其實一執起就後悔，因為係用真實木，重到爆！好想放手！頂硬上！所以我好記得！！

 

//梁國雄在四五行動時期便枱棺材，成為他的標誌之一。李sir證實都市傳說，其實棺材是木皮、空心兼透底。「我們最初都唔知道個棺材係點，唔知棺材裏面有咩，個底係吉，以前唔知。佢哋都好樂意給我們check。」// (《眾新聞》2021年6 月7 日, 13:52)