雨傘袋

上禮拜有一天上班時下雨，公司大堂的服務員就向進來的人派雨傘袋。我內心交戰：

• 用了雨傘袋，地便不會濕滑。
• 雨傘袋製造廢物。要re-use太不方便，所以我相信一般人不會bother。如果每個人都去到哪，拿到哪，那數量便會很驚人。
• 如果不用雨傘袋，工作人員會不會被誤會為失職？

最後，我把雨傘捆好（minimize damage），對派雨傘袋的先生說不，太浪費了。

下次應該用縮骨遮，自備膠袋作雨傘袋（縮骨遮的size比較好找），那就win-win嘞。

活雞何罪

By 葉頌昇（海星）：

從報章報道中所知，除97年外，香港從未再發生過禽流感傳人的個案，只是間中有禽鳥被驗出有H5N1，人有流感，貓有流感，鳥或雞有流感，只是常識而已，究竟有多少只患病，誰都不知道，... 更多更危及人生命的事，卻沒有一專家跑出來要禁這禁那！... 每年吸煙患肺癌的夠多了吧？政府何時肯下定決心禁售香煙，又有哪個專家敢提出香港要做零香煙都市？... 要所有雞只不患病根本就是不可能的任務...

Query to Starbucks: Disposable Eating Utensils

When I visited Starbucks last week, I found that disposable eating utensils like paper plates, plastic knifes and forks were used even for eat-in. Below is my mail to them to query about it. I will report back if/ when they reply.

Hi, I am a regular customer of your your store on [location]. When I visited it last week, I found that disposable eating utensils like paper plates, plastic knifes and forks were used even for eat-in. If I remember correctly, Starbucks used to provide non-disposable ones.

1. Why the change for the less environmental friendly option?
2. Is it a temporary measure?
3. Is it implemented in all stores in Hong Kong or just the [location]?

Kindly advise.

Thank you for your attention.

為什麼會塌樹?

每次打風就會出現塌樹事件，這次風神就帶來36宗。我想知道有沒有人問過為什麼。樹根的抓力很強，它們既然可以防止山泥傾瀉，就不可能這麼容易給吹倒。我懷疑塌樹是因為樹圈太小。馬路邊的（自是）如此，公園（包括九龍公園）裏的也是。那方吋大的地方，根本不夠泥土給根部抓住，加上路面都鋪了水泥，泥土不能吸收水分、營養，樹又怎可強壯的生長呢？又怎可不倒呢？

一物兩用

在日本時發現了這個好東西。一抽水（分“大”和“小”），水就會從水龍頭流出來，可以先洗手，再沖廁，一物兩用。

又來了嗎？

香港又殺雞了。這種「有病無病殺左先算」的strategy當然可怕，但更可怕的是逐漸麻木的感覺，那種「又來了嗎？」然後像沒事那樣的感覺。

Is there any point in going green?

I really like what Captain Crunch says:

I'm well aware that in the grand scheme of things, all of this is unlikely to make a jot of difference on its own. But it's all about how I feel about myself - what kind of person would I be if I simply gave up and immersed myself in the kind of complacent profligacy that surrounds us all? Sorry if it sounds a bit pat, but I would much rather be part of the solution than part of the problem.

In addition, if I can demonstrate to my friends and neighbours that it's possible to live a sustainable life without being forced to wear any kind of hairshirt, then they're more likely to follow my example. They might save a few quid as well, and that's going to become ever more important.

千言萬語

可能是我想像力太豐富了，看著這照片，我老覺得狗狗的眼中有點什麼似的。See Jill's Blog.

Observing the Self

Excerpt from The Yoga of Healing by Swami Sivananda Radha

What is it that heals? Is healing a power of the mind? Or of the heart? Or is healing by Divine grace?

There is no simple and direct answer. Illness is an interplay of forces. When healing is needed, it is because there is some sort of disorder in the physical body. The cause of the disorder can be of a variety of natures that we have to clearly investigate. The disorder may be a karmic condition. Or perhaps there are psychological difficulties that cause reflections or disorders in the body, which in time and under certain pressure can become real organic troubles. Sometimes we may make ourselves sick through wrong action or wrong food. Sometimes we simply neglect our bodies.

Remember that pain or illness is not a punishment. That is an over-simplification of our understanding of karma. Healing is a learning process. Sometimes it is an opportunity. You may have to begin with the Light of Understanding of the purpose of your life, of your present condition. Can you let that Light spread into other areas? Can you recognize the Light of compassion, or love? Ask yourself, What do I need to learn from my physical condition? What is the energy that created me in the first place? Where does life come from? Who am I? Healing is not a hit and miss affair as it seems to many people.

Healing is a situation where we meet ourselves. We meet ourselves.

Interesting

根據史東小姐的經驗，interesting一字不能亂用，可是我覺得這個關於烏龜的報導實在interesting。

男的100，女的80，就算是烏龜也稱不上年輕。世上就只剩下4隻楊子龜，3男1女，而當事龜大概有50-60年沒有見過同類，要成事絕非易事，可是沒辦法，總不能眼白白看著它們絕種。詳情請看It's love or bust for Yangtze turtles.

在找到答案前

突然間好像滿街都是在籌款的慈善團體（在籌款但不慈善的商業、政治團體已經不算在內）。四川的災民很慘，所以要捐；緬甸的災民很慘，所以要捐；四川的貓貓狗狗很慘，所以要捐；非洲的黑猩猩很慘，所以要捐；香港的傷殘人士很慘，所以要捐...由於我不是Bill Gates，捐的錢十分有限，我不禁要問：除了捐錢，到底我還可以做什麼？

在找到答案前，跟大家分享這個...

To action alone hast thou a right and never at all to its fruits; let not the fruits of action be thy motive. - Bhagavad Gita