豉油的故事

源如中國, 豉油已有二千五百多年的歷史。  在日常的烹調和飲食裡, 豉油基本上是不可缺少的調味料。

在美國的雜碎館 (唐人餐館的俗稱), 炒飯必須用豉油調味教色, 否則老外 (白與黑) 不會吃; 如給老外一碟陽州炒飯, 他們必即時顏面扭曲, 如同給餵食了狗肉似的!

有一位泛泛之交L君, 喜歡呃飲呃食, 性格吝嗇但又愛吹噓。  L君的社交圈子中有一班與我頗稔熟的朋友, 而 L君都會經常於這班朋友搞的聚會中飲飲食食。 有次L君給我說, "人哋出雞, 我都要出啲豉油啦", 表明他在那些聚會中也不是光吃的。  我心諗, L君所指的豉油有可能是從各大小餐館收集回來的免費豉油包吧?

有一年回港, 與一班中學同窗到卡啦 OK 聚會消遣。  當年大家都已在社會裡工作了數年。  不知從那裡開始, 我與一位舊同窗的女友 (現任太太) 和另一位舊同窗T君談到童年生活。  T君為人愛炫耀及說話誇張, 當晚與他踫面時已即遞上名片, 更叮囑我要留意他的經理級銜頭。  T君向我們炫耀他在工作上的成就比起童年的生活有著天淵之別, 並說曾幾何時家境十分拮据, 就連家中食用的豉油也得在街邊買豬腸粉時向小販索求多一點而來...當時我和舊同窗的女友亦只有點頭對望暗笑。

Eulogy 1999

[A Eulogy for my beloved sister, Eleanor, who passed away on 9/8/1999]

Eleanor, the name whom you know best, was my beloved sister. However, to the family she was also known affectionately as BB, Eleanor's childhood name, or Pui-sze, Eleanor's Chinese name.

Though Eleanor was the tinnest one in size in the family, her life's accomplishment was, on the other hand, the most brilliant, most successful and most celebrated. These facts about her life could be well attested by all the people who knew her, studied with her, worked with her, and from all the awards and recognition she received.

Eleanor's life had also given our family name, Kong, the greatest tribute. The word Kong, in Chinese it means river. A good river, along its course allows people to use it for drinking water, or sometimes being worked on, such as building dams to exploit its potential for electrical power. Like a good river, Eleanor's life was to some symbolised as the drinking water, in that I meant she was a helpful person, and was always willing to render herself to anyone in needs. On the other hand, like building a dam, the Golden Apple Foundation which had chosen her as the Golden Apple Scholar, provided her the scholarships and training to prepare her to become the best teacher for the Illinois' school system. Eleanor's goal in life as a good teacher is exactly the motto of ISU. "Gladly We Learn and Teach".

Unfortunately, this river has stopped flowing on September 8th, 1999. However, I can assure all of you that this river has not turned into a pool of stagnant water. The tears we all shed for her today have fallen into this river and have created tens of thousands of ripples. Like a ripple, which starts from a small circle, will expand eventually into many larger circles, one after another. Now, it is the ripples that help Eleanor's radiance to be continued.

The family though is deeply sad to have lost her, is also extremely proud of her and loves her. Lastly, I ask all of you not only to mourn for Eleanor today, but also to remember her forever.

說真的...人生有幾多個十年

[本文原載於 5/12/2009 的 Facebook's Notes 內]

最近係 Facebook 見倒好多朋友都套用哩句說話。 雖然以前都聽過, 但係點解近排咁多人講, 其出自於誰, 我卻不得而知?

人生在世, 絕對不可能永遠獨個人生活。 因為個性固執, 個人主義強烈, 和過份自我, 在思想和行為上都罔顧他人感受, 實在是說不通的。 撇開成見, 解除自我封鎖, 嘗試與身邊的人多點接觸理解, 大家的生活自然會好過些。

世事無人能料, 說真的...人生有幾多個十年?

十九個寒冬

在知道有機會出國升學後, 心情都沒有太大的異樣, 內心其實還帶有一點興奮, 因為心知在香港的教育體系裡不能生存。 適逢屋企本身已排期移民美國芝加哥, 所以便順理成章的提早來到芝加哥繼續學業。

離開香港前的那一個禮拜, 與父母走遍全香港, 除了作購買的最後衝刺外, 還要拜山和與一眾親戚和各世叔伯食飯薦行。

八月八日, 一九八九年, 懷著百感交集心情的我和家人一起驅車到香港啓德國際機場。 當日由於有兩大件行李和手提袋, 所以雙親都要分別開一輛車; 那我便和父親, 最細的妹妹同一輛車離開當時在西貢的住所。 在西貢公路將近至清水灣公路時, 不捨得的感覺在一剎那間豪不保留的湧到我的心頭, 鼻也開始酸起來。 與此同時, 父親也眼泛淚光, 轉瞬間我倆已哭成淚人。

好不容易的一段車程, 終於抵達香港啓德國際機場。 當日到機場送行的親朋好友也一早來到為我薦行, 那個場面又再不其然的使我再度落淚。

像舊式錄影機般的快速搜畫, 來到芝加哥讀中學, 大學, 畢業後投身社會工作, 到了今個八月已經在美國芝加哥渡過了十九個寒冬。 雖然在過往的二十年裡曾多次想過作別芝加哥回港, 但最後都是無疾而終。 再過多三個月, 冬天又再來臨, 而我亦要再這裡渡過我的第二十個寒冬。