The King's Speech (2010, Movie)

THE KING'S SPEECH is an exceptional story about a Royal historical figure who had to persevere like us Commoners must do in certain aspects of our own lives to overcome obstacles that vie to hold us back from success. Colin Firth in my opinion gives the best performance of his life as King George VI. Firth makes us love and admire the reluctant King who assumed the throne after his brother abdicated for the love of a woman. I got the feeling that Bertie could only let his guard down and be himself during his sessions with Logue.

[印度]Three Idiots [三傻大闹宝莱坞 三个白痴 三人帮] (Movie, 2009)

This is a FANTASTIC movie: hilarious, tragic, insightful, witty, beautiful, quirky, disturbing and fun. The movie starts out good and keeps getting better.

《虛雲和尚年譜》(岑學呂編)

在中國近現代佛教史上，虛雲老和尚是一位極富傳奇色彩的絕世高僧。 他出生於鴉片戰爭爆發的年代，而圓寂前則經歷了新中國的“大煉鋼鐵”和社會主義教育運動，見識過威聲赫赫的“大字報”，足足活了120個年頭。


虛雲和尚的一生，漫長而豐沛。 他在咸豐年間拋家別妻、落髮於福州鼓山。 光緒年間跪拜朝禮五台，歷時三年，一步一叩，風雨恆持。 又遠赴印度、南洋，跋涉萬里，重效玄奘，遍禮聖蹟。 此後在數十年的宗教實踐活動中，以至大至剛勇氣和艱苦卓絕行解，一身兼祧五宗法脈，重振禪門，先後中興了雞足山祝聖寺、昆明雲棲寺、鼓山湧泉寺、韶關南華寺、雲門大覺寺、雲居真如寺等六大古剎，成為名震中外、人所共仰的禪宗泰斗、一代高僧。 上世紀50年代初，德高望重的虛雲老和尚赴京參與了全國性佛教機構的籌組工作，被公推為首席發起人，並當選為中國佛教協會的名譽會長。 對於這樣一位現代佛教界的領袖人物，以往人們了解的並不很多，一般大眾，更乏識聞。 這一則因為整個時代的大環境使然，釋門淡泊，收拾不住，佛教已退居到次邊緣的位置，很難進入到社會公眾的視野當中，更遑論在精神領域又有無神唯物的強力洗滌！ 二則虛雲和尚嘔心瀝血所撰《楞嚴經玄要》、《法華經略疏》、《遺教經註釋》、《圓覺經玄義》、《心經解》等著作，已在“雲門事件”中毀失掉了，致使後人的認識理解和研究闡發均缺所本。 三則世傳《虛雲和尚法彙》及《年譜》，成編於海外，流通範圍極小，在內陸不易看到。 這種種緣故，就使得虛雲和尚其人其事漸漸變得堙沒無聞了。


通過讀這本書，我們不但對虛雲和尚鼓山出家、天台參訪、五台還願、南行朝聖、高旻證道、重興雞足、復振南華、續法雲門、再建雲居的色彩斑瀾之人生和艱苦卓絕之歷程，有了一個全面的了解；而且對老和尚孤心所寄的獨特之禪思佛理，有了初步的認識。 這在知識界普遍於佛教思想資源相當漠視、於僧伽佛學更形隔絕的情況之下，無疑能起到相當的補益作用。

Shamarpa Ritual_042011

Our beloved Shamarpa visited us for a two-day empowerment and teaching ritual at M.B.A. The first day was 'Green Tara Empowerment' and second day 'Brief teaching of The Path to Awakening (Seven Points of Mind Training) and book signing'.



I was lucky enough to be assigned the job of preparing Rinpoche's snacks and/or drinks. I made him Butter-scotch-chips scones the first day and he loved it. The second day was Popover which was not quite a blast. Serving Rinpoche was a very detailed and tiring job, and I enjoyed it very much. Being a highly praised Rinpoche, he always showed his humane side toward us. It was an unforgettable experience for me.  

Carlos: (Miniseries 2010)

The life of the terrorist and self-styled revolutionary Carlos is shrouded in mystery. Featuring over a dozen different languages, spanning three decades in multiple international locations, this film focused on the scandalous rise and eventual fall of Carols the Jackal. 


Edgar Ramirez gives a knockout performance as the infamous Carlos through the 30-year-span of this film. One of the most elusive terrorists in history and behind attacks that held the world in his grip for decades, this film pulls no punches and delivers on every level.

The Good Shepherd(The Confessor) (2006, Movie)

Not boring, exactly, but undeniably tedious.


Directed by Robert De Niro, The Good Shepherd is an origin story about the C.I.A., and for the filmmakers that story boils down to fathers who fail their sons.

燕子教堂,漢森花園古堡,名牌直銷店一日遊 (南加州北一女校友會)

早晨從LA出發,約一小時車程，前往燕子教堂 (Mission San Juan Capistrano)，它被譽為Jewel of Missions教堂中的寶石。燕子教堂的稱謂，來自於創建的1776年隔年開始，每年春天定期的會有大量的燕子遠從6000哩外的阿根廷飛來築巢，場面甚為壯觀。 原本的石造教堂是加州最大,最宏偉的教堂，於1812年的大地震中摧毀，僅留下斷垣殘壁，如今的主教堂為紅磚式建築，園中花木扶疏，隨處可見地中海型植物襯托著西班牙式建築，漫步其中, 讓人流連不己。


中午時分，大家在市區享受一頓豐富的泰國午餐。飽餐後，前往漢森花園古堡 (Hanson Casa Romantica) 參觀。漢森因開發土地致富，並擔任過西雅圖市長。漢森花園古堡建於一九二七年， 是一座地中海式古堡，進入古堡，彷彿來到一個博物館，仰目所見，盡是南歐式的美麗建築，無論是雕樑飛柱、庭台樓閣或圓頂噴泉，無處不見巨匠巧思。由於座落在海岸的山崗上，形勢天然，可俯覽遼闊的海灘和360 度遠眺太平洋。


最後到名牌直銷店 Carlsbad Outlets  購物。有超過 100 家名店，分為二大購物商場，讓大夥享足購物樂趣。然後抱著愉快的心情踏上歸途，於晚上七時左右返抵洛城。