香港札記 (6/5/2008)

坐在香港灣仔區六國酒店二樓的西餐廳裡，亮晃晃的陽光在寬大的落地窗外閃耀著，看來天氣終於轉晴了。屋內很安靜，窗外是人來人往的繁忙市街，我慢慢吃著早餐，很悠閒的心情。一如既往，我的早餐是一大盤蔬菜水果，外加一盤炒蛋和焗豆，營養很足夠了，不需要貪求更多。

看見一隻老鷹在天空盤旋，靜靜地、悠哉悠哉地穿梭在櫛次鱗比的高樓間，這是每次來香港時，我最喜歡的畫面。這些大樓的平均樓高大約三十層，很緊密地分佈在香港島這個很小的空間裡，高樓底下是清晨忙碌奔走著的上班族，以及一波波密密列隊前行的汽車，而這隻老鷹，居然可以獨自高飛得這麼自在，這麼悠哉，實在令人羨慕。

「和光而同塵」以及「遺世而獨立」，一直是自己心中偷偷藏匿著的願望，或者說是慾望也行，在相濡以沫之中，隱藏著寂然安靜的自閉。儘管自己的工作涉及大量的人際互動與溝通，但是，那種躲在自己心靈角落悶不吭聲的習性，可能才是真正的自己。高飛著的老鷹，默默俯視著地上這些奔波著的人群，不知道牠心中在想些什麼？

落地窗之外，就是熱鬧繁華的告士打道，香港許多重要的寫字樓都在這裡，例如入境事務大樓、華潤大夏、招商局大樓、灣仔政府大樓等等，甚至人民解放軍駐香港部隊的總部也在這條路上，從早到晚，整條大道車水馬龍，是個十分現代化的繁華世界。但是，實在難以想像，僅在數十年以前，臨窗這一線風景，居然是碧波萬頃的海水。

六國酒店始建於三十年代，時稱六國飯店，白牆紅窗，樓高七層，臨海獨立，是當時香港最高的建築之一。三十年代抗戰爆發，繼之以四十年代的內戰，是許多內地文人的避難之所，也是紀念日裡文藝活動的中心。五、六十年代，正逢美國軍援港台，香港的輕工業也隨之起飛，來自美國和其他國家的艦艇船隻靠岸香港，六國飯店成了這些船員水手上岸尋歡取樂之處，大量妓女在六國飯店週邊創造了一個異色的世界。

這也是六國飯店聞名於世的起點。1957年英國作家李察梅遜（Richard Mason）以六國飯店為場景，撰寫了一部在當時十分暢銷的小說《蘇絲黃世界》（The World of Suzie Wong），更在三年後改編成同名電影公映，轟動全球，從此蘇絲黃這名字和香港結下不解之緣。這部小說描繪一位英國業餘畫家羅伯特婁麥斯（Robert Lomax），行旅香港尋找繪畫靈感，在天星碼頭的渡輪上，無意間邂逅了一位美麗迷人的香港女子蘇絲黃（Suzie Wong），一見鍾情，從此陷入愛網，開始了這麼一段白人男子和東方女子的愛情故事。

隨著故事的發展，蘇絲黃迷離神秘的身世漸漸揭曉，小說中細膩地描述了她，如何由一位嬌羞矜持的大家閨秀，逐漸逐漸沉淪為零落風塵的灣仔妓女，最後又回到現實生活中，她事實上最終是一位滿是悲情的單身母親。這樣的故事實在令人悵然悵然，不僅悵然這故事，更悵然西方人對東方的偏見：這是西方人眼中的東方，處處充滿情色誘惑，不公平的社會系統，和雜亂無序的市街……。中國還是這樣的景況嗎？

曾幾何時，六國飯店已經改建成三十層的現代高樓，而且改名六國酒店。周圍歷史性的異色繁華依舊，只是上場的女主角大多已經改成菲律賓、印尼、泰國等等各色人種。酒店門口的海洋向後退去幾百公尺，填海造陸，成了今天的告士打道、港灣道、中環廣場、香港會展中心，連香港回歸紀念碑都立在這裡。而天星碼頭還是在六國酒店的門口，只是往後遷移了數十丈而已。這是真正的滄海桑田啊！蘇絲黃的一生即使悽愴也如轉眼雲煙，而香港在歷史裡的起伏變化，也正繁華盛開在眼前這一線。隔著窗戶，曾經是碧海藍天，而現在，已經已經，全然不一樣了。

漪園驚夢

連日來辛勞，終於可以稍稍休息兩天。住香港六國酒店，向宰予學習，白日裡抱頭大睡，補眠也。偶得一夢，自睡夢中驚醒，枕濕淚痕，又是那個多少年來纏綿不去的舊夢續集。夢中獨自漫步清漪園，正舉步吟哦間，與兩位女性舊友迎面相遇，一僧一俗，一眼認出其中在家那位，另一位眉眼彎彎似月，但是卻是個出家僧尼，依稀相識，一時間竟想不起來是誰。向兩人點頭致意後即錯身而過。俄而，忽然醒覺，原來那僧尼正是魂牽夢繫的、兩百四十年前那位，連忙回頭找尋，但見遊客如織，兩人轉眼已無蹤跡。

夜裡工作完畢，自遠東金融中心步行返回酒店，撐著傘，默默傾聽香港初夏的綿綿雷雨，一路悵然。回到酒店，填詞雙調，上下各一闕，聊表今晚心緒。第一次工整地按照平仄韻腳填詞，果然束縛良多，但是音韻確實比胡亂填寫要雅緻多了。這個詞牌的規矩比較森嚴，是張肎的《暗香疏影》，雙調共一百又五字，前段九句五仄韻，後段九句四仄韻。張肎此一自度曲，以姜夔《暗香》調前段，《疏影》調後段，合而為一。自注夾鐘宮。按，《暗香》、《疏影》二曲，入仙呂宮，此詞入夾鐘宮，雖同屬宮聲，而聲之高下清濁，畢竟不同。

暗香疏影 - 漪園驚夢

漪園夢裏
看落霞嫣染
碧湖如玉
芳華斑斑
歎日日春光漸去
暗暗傷懷莫問
尋舊路
青梅紅李
正爛漫
怎料重逢
留淚眼相憶

曾許此心同老
忽忽俱往矣
布袍青衣
咫尺僧俗
癡笑多情
去去風煙千里
一別生死無由聚
錯錯錯
相逢無計
恨別離
花榭樓臺
夢裏莫聽春雨

Feel very sad about China

From The Sunday Times

June 1, 2008

Chinese officials ignored quake warnings

Chinese officials ignored warnings from five eminent seismologists that a strong earthquake would strike the mountainous province of Sichuan this year, including one forecast that almost exactly predicted the date of the tremor that killed more than 68,000 people.

The government appeared to be trying to suppress evidence of the warnings last week and none of the seismologists could be traced for an interview.

News of the warnings, disclosed on a Chinese scientist’s blog, has created a storm of criticism on the internet and deepened the rage of bereaved parents in ruined towns such as Mianzhu, where schools had collapsed on their pupils.

Sichuan journalists even dared to question the head of the State Earthquake Bureau. They demanded to know if it was true that the forecasts were dismissed because officials did not want anything to disturb preparations for the Olympic torch relay to pass through this month.

The journalists got no answer and there has since been little mention of the warnings in the official media; but there is no doubt that the documents cited are authentic.

The first forecast came in a highly technical article published by four seismologists in September 2006 in China’s Journal of Catastrophology.

The four, Long Xiaoxia, Yan Junping, Sun Hu and Wang Zuzheng, calculated that stress factors along the Sichuan-Tibet tectonic fault indicated that a quake measuring above 6.7 on the Richter scale would strike this year. They suggested the government should set up emergency headquarters and organise local disaster teams to train city dwellers and farmers in how to protect themselves.

There is no evidence anything was done. But the seismologists were not available to explain why. “You’re a journalist?” said an official at their university, contacted by telephone. “They are not supposed to accept any interviews, so just give up the idea.”

The fifth expert to issue a warning is said to be in seclusion, afflicted by heartache over the loss of so many children. Geng Qingguo, a renowned seismologist, had come out of retirement to present his dire predictions to a meeting of specialists on April 26 and 27.

Geng outlined his calculations that an earthquake of more than 7 on the Richter scale would occur along the boundaries of Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. He even predicted that the most likely date would be within 10 days of May 8.

The scientist dispatched a copy of his findings to the State Earthquake Bureau in Beijing on April 30. Once again, nothing seems to have been done.

The quake struck with a Richter scale force of 7.9 on May 12.

None of this would be known but for the fact that one of Geng’s colleagues, Li Shihui of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, disclosed the whole story in his blog after the earthquake.

“His opinion was not accepted by the State Earthquake Bureau,” Li wrote, “and when he heard of the Sichuan earthquake he tried to cry, yet no tears would come, so heavy was his heart.”

Neither Li nor Geng is now available for comment, as the public anger intensifies. Access to the blog has been blocked by web censors.

“Yes, Dr Li used to be a researcher in our laboratory,” confirmed a woman official at the academy. “After the earthquake he published some articles that caused a big argument. But he has retired and we do not have his phone number. That is all I can tell you.”

Li’s rapid retirement appears to have come after the publication of an article detailing his blog and both sets of warnings by a veteran journalist, Ching Cheong, the chief China correspondent for The Straits Times of Singapore. “We do not know why the authorities chose not to act,” said Ching. “Some attributed it to the Olympics frenzy.”

Ching’s story was translated into Chinese and circulated on the internet, setting off a fire-storm of abuse from citizens.

It hurt most of all in places such as Mianzhu, where the Communist party secretary, Jiang Guohua, fell on his knees before anguished parents to implore them to abandon a protest march last week. Their children were among an estimated 9,000 to die when poorly built schools collapsed on them.

Mianzhu is populated by thousands of people living in tents among the ruins of its buildings. “A hundred people died in there,” said a local woman, Zhang Bing, 23, pointing to a bulldozer that gnawed at the rubble of a supermarket on the main square, where several bodies still lay entombed.

On one level the city of 500,000 exemplified the virtuous storyline that now appears mandatory for the state media. Nobody sat listless or idle in Mianzhu. Its citizens manifested the entrepreneurial resilience of the Chinese people. Shopkeepers busily erected stalls to peddle wares hauled from their wrecked premises. Families organised themselves to keep tents clean and neat.

An orderly queue formed to collect free hot rice, supplemented by meat and vegetables cooked by individuals. There had been not one instance of looting, people said.

Corporate China has piled in to the rescue alongside the state. China Mobile set up relay dishes and sold cheap mobile phones. Banks dispensed cash. China Post was even sorting the mail at an improvised outdoor centre.

On the outskirts of town, at least 20,000 souls congregated in a tent camp supervised by the People’s Liberation Army. It included an outdoor hospital where doctors and nurses continue to toil over broken bones and sickly old folk.

However, on another level Mianzhu could become a barometer of public opinion, as the initial shock or relief give way to more complex feelings.

Jiang, the local party secretary, explained the risks in a frank interview with China’s Nanfang Weekend newspaper. “At first I relied on my rank as party secretary to request those parents not to go to the streets with their protests,” he said. “But they turned a deaf ear to me and even the police couldn’t stop them.

“So I got on my knees, not because I was ashamed but because I was thinking of the hundreds of thousands of people in this city who are homeless, short of clothes and food, so that any protest like this could cause mass unrest. That’s been my biggest worry since the earthquake.”

Undaunted, the parents are discussing a march to Chengdu, the provincial capital. They have been banned from travelling on buses by the party secretary. One of them, Li Yan, said: “He’s always lied to us and tried to cover up the real situation.”

慾望

電腦忽然故障了，完全無法使用與互聯網有關的程序，因此當然就不能上網了，可是我的工作需要天天上網，許多公文也是以電子郵件的形式處理，因此不能上網，是件十分嚴重的事。使用微軟自帶的DrWaterson進行檢查，好像是哪個系統文件崩潰了，無法形成符號表供一些重要進程使用。昨夜就發現了這問題，起先以為是中了病毒，花了幾個小時進行徹底檢查，但是看來不是，只好由系統下手，但是後來太睏了，上床睡覺先。早上醒來繼續弄，還是無法解決問題，只好下樓吃早餐。看來接下來幾天，只好使用酒店提供的公用電腦工作了。

les suites的早餐對我而言，是一種很難抗拒的誘惑。不僅僅只是食材的品質優異，所有的水果菜餚都裝飾得那麼精緻，令人不禁一盤又一盤的塞進腹中，直吃到肚子再也裝不下了，才願意罷口。點了一份omelette（西式煎蛋），雙蛋加蘑菇、洋蔥、西紅柿、和乳酪等，煎成一個蛋捲樣的蛋餅。端上來的時候，居然作成了星級餐廳單點菜餚的形式，大大的盤子裡，中間是那個處理得很美麗的煎蛋，周圍還圍繞著一些裝飾用的蘆筍、蘑菇、和星星點點色澤鮮麗的香料。

尤其面對那些水果，簡直可以放棄千年修煉了。吃了一盤又一盤的新西蘭黃金奇異果、紅大甜香的草莓、用來釀波特酒那種甜死人的紫色小小葡萄、久違了的台灣特有水果蓮霧、和應節水果荔枝，後來肚子實在撐不下去了，放棄了其他在心目中顯然處於次要地位的水梨、蘋果、香蕉、鳳梨、楊桃等等等水果。甚至還破例喝了咖啡。其實已經很少喝咖啡了，害怕成癮後骨質疏鬆的問題，但是聞那咖啡香，知道是品級很高的牙買加Arabica豆，還是喝了一杯。

les suites的餐廳很小，完全是豪華商務樓層專屬餐廳的格局，或者這麼說，整個les suites，基本上就是一個只提供豪華商務樓層的酒店，所以客人人數相對很少，所有的服務講究的不再是品質，而是品味。平時感覺自己的修煉還是挺好，對物慾看得十分淡薄，但是處在這樣的環境之間，可以很清晰地體會到自己的修煉，實在還是很差很差。沒看過《色戒》這部電影，但是據說電影裡有句很出名的台詞：「色易守，情難防」，相同概念用在這裡也許差可比擬：「物慾的誘惑易守，品味的呼喚難以抗拒」。

還好只是偶而富貴一下而已，否則以我心性的脆弱，肯定很快就誤入歧途，沉溺在慾望的波濤中無法自拔。

台北札記 (5/31/2008)

終於又呼吸到台灣的空氣了。長年在外漂泊，現在一年待在台灣的時間已經不足兩三個星期，對台灣的發展與變化，愈來愈陌生。單位派了一輛很寬敞的奔馳轎車來機場接我，呵呵，偶而享受一下有錢人的豪華舒適，還是很不錯的感覺。由機場到台北市區大約需要四十分鐘的車程，和開車司機好好地聊了一會兒天，有點高興，看來台灣人又重拾對生活、對未來的信心了。開車司機算是社會裡的中下階層了，應該相當能夠反映一般普羅大眾的心聲，所以每一次回台灣，必然要和一些開車司機好好聊聊。這回返台和上回返台剛好隔了一件大事，陳水扁政府下台，馬英九政府上台，看來連開車司機對馬英九都寄望很深喔。

這回在台北，又入住了自己最喜歡的酒店，法國系統的「台北商旅（les suites taipei）」。經常周遊各國，總是住五星級酒店，但是住來住去，最喜歡的，還是這一間。05年曾經去了一趟匈牙利的布達佩斯，當時入住的是那裡最豪華的、有一百多年歷史的酒店，從外觀上看確實古色古香，十分吸引人，但是在服務的細微處，實在比不上這裡。例如，在下雨天，客人正要踏出酒店大門時，門口的服務人員會馬上遞上雨傘，根本不用開口要求。上回住這裡，結好帳正要搭車離去，服務人員幫我關上車門時，不忘遞上一瓶礦泉水，說是怕路上渴，請帶上一兩瓶。看看那水，還是法國名牌PERRIER呢！剛剛由機場過來，才在櫃台辦理好入住手續，正打算提行李上樓，回頭一看，行李已經不見了。呵呵，已經送進我的房間啦。管理的關鍵真的是在細節處，而不在外表的金碧輝煌。

les suits的客房空間並不算特別大，尤其我常常住那種豪華商務套間，甚至還住過帶著廚房和辦公室的總統套房，相比之下，這間酒店的房間大小，大概也只到商務套間的規模，但是仔細看看房裡的陳設，除了必備的電視、電話之外，還提供一些其他比較少見的辦公設備，例如傳真機、手機、整抽屜的文具（從尺、鉛筆、原子筆、彩色筆、訂書機、橡皮擦、削鉛筆機、美工刀、各種規格不等的紙張、甚至還有印著英日中三國文字的地址地圖指引卡片，專門給出租車師傅看的）等等，甚至連給iPod用的音箱都準備了。水果籃裡水果的質量也相當好，有荔枝、蘋果、鴨梨、香蕉、和新西蘭的奇異果（獼猴桃），使用的盥洗用品是法國名牌，浴室裡的浴缸很深，適合泡澡，連廁所的馬桶都是電動的，具有恆溫沖洗屁股的功能。唉，有時候享受一下奢華，還真是很舒服的事。雖然我從來不習慣讓那種不冷不熱的水沖洗屁股的感覺。