Three Gorges, China Trip

I started out the trip to Three Gorges to witness the beautiful scenery I am looking at now - mountains after mountains along the long stretch of Yangtze River, each having its own unique form, some depicting images of animals (elephant, snake), others of holy beings (buddha, goddess).

But what attracted me most is the history of the place. Inundation, caused by the river, had long been a major threat to the locals. In response to this, the government started the construction of the Three Gorges Dam in 1994. Together with the benefits brought by the project, including flood prevention, electricity generation, rise in tourism, come other undesirable outcomes. The river's water level rose so high that many villages located along the river bank were buried underwater - forever. The locals were forced to move out from their simple lifestyle, and all will never be the same again.

History is what distinguishes one place from another. I believe that it is the story of Yangtze River that would remain in me every time I think of Three Gorges.

Shibaozhai Pagoda (Upper left) is an old multi-storey wooden architectural structure built without the use of nails. Mountains of the shapes of scissors (Upper center), elephant (Lower left), buddha (Lower center), snake (Lower right) can be found while passing through the area.

Hanging coffins placed on cliffs were found in the Three Gorges region. Many speculations were made as to why the coffins were put as such. Some believe that the high levels represent the people's respect to their ancestors, while others say that this kind of burial ceremony protects their ancestors' body from animal attacks. It is still unknown today as to how such heavy coffins were placed atop.

On the Three Gorges Dam. I find the 5-stages ship lock very interesting. It raises or lowers the ship when travelling upstream from Yichang to Chongqing or downstream from Chongqing to Yichang. The ship enters the first stage, and when the gate behind it closes, the water level rises/lowers. Once the water level is the same as that of the next stage, then the gate in front of it opens for the ship to proceed to the next stage. The gate closes again, and the same process is repeated four times. The whole process may sound simple, but it takes approximately 5 hours to complete the whole process.

回顾2011年

2011年是寻回自己的旅程。

每一个人对自己多少都有一定的了解。但有时，我们会被别人对我们的期望或者被自己对于成功的定义而迷失自己。渐渐地，你会发觉唯有做回自己才会快乐。

当然人生偶尔也需要改变。等你准备好，乐意去做改变的时候。我希望，我期待，自己在新的一年会有所突破。

PS: 等你已不再细数自己在某个地方，某件事情上花了多少时间，就代表你已接纳它。

澳门，香港 2011

步步惊心 VS 宫锁心玉

步步惊心与宫锁心玉无疑是近日中国最火红的两部戏。同样引用了穿越与清朝康熙年间的题材，两者不免被拿来作比较，引起抄袭争议。

针对抄袭之说，我个人认为虽然故事大纲相似，但说不上抄袭。两者都选用了九子夺嫡为故事背景，在历史的基础上各自加上对历史独到的了解，凭着想象力主宰故事往后的发展而创造出两部不同的作品。

宫锁心玉着重于情爱。在这里，我们看到了一对深情的小两口；晴川与八阿哥。故事借由他俩的感情而带给观众真爱的感动。

步步惊心则描述了宫廷里的诸多无奈。生在帝王之家注定不能随心所欲，就连亲情也因恐惧，猜忌而变得遥不可及。八爷最后用了一句简短的话去形容这复杂的心情，“你已是高高在上的皇帝，可我还是我。”在它赐予你无尽权利的同时，坐在皇位的重担也让你失去了自我。

历史告诉我们很多，没告诉我们的也很多，可我们正好可以利用这一点，凭想象去填补这个空缺，塑造一个完整的故事。

若真要选，我个人比较喜欢步步惊心。我喜欢它呈现出的矛盾。矛盾一：知也不是，不知也不是。原来知情并非一件好事。若曦来自未来，知道将要发生何事，却无力去阻止改变，最后忧心成病。知道也让她失去了勇气，虽爱可还是非常理智地选择离开八爷。可不知情也好不到哪里去。明天可能所发生的变化也带来一样的恐慌。正如若曦所说，“我知道所有人的结局，唯独不知道自己的结局。”不知自己会被赐给谁，又不能掌控自己的婚姻大事，一样让若曦不知所措。

再来就是刚才所提到的：做皇家一员的特权与代价。虽然让你衣食丰足，却剥夺了你的自由，让你只能遵从。

在人物塑造方面，步步惊心胜于宫锁心玉。虽然故事的主角是四爷和八爷，但它一点也没忽略到其他的阿哥。众多阿哥的性格，每项行动背后的目的，它都交代地非常清楚。正因如此，我不会特偏袒任何一位阿哥，反而会觉得每一位都有他值得去喜欢，欣赏的方面。

我还是比较喜欢刘诗诗在怪侠一支梅中饰演的角色，但不可否认，步步惊心给了她很大的发挥空间。那种左右为难，夹在中间的辛苦，她演得非常到位。

她

以前见不到，深知她在世界的某个角落。
事端刚发生的那段期间，还是见不到，却清楚已不在，感觉有件东西丢失了。
再往后的日子，一切好像恢复原样，无变化，也许是因大家没在一起生活数年，早已习惯。

人真的可以很无情，对于至亲也可以不在乎。
我有试着表达我的关怀，因血脉相连，但我觉得很悲哀。

我很努力很努力地回想我跟她有关的所有回忆。
我却只能记起，
小时候一起玩儿的游戏，
一段很熟悉的琴声，
一副灿烂的笑容，
其他，都是谜，
也许对于我，她永远只能是个她。

真的不可能会爱他吗？

从一开始的“我不可能会爱你”到后来的“我可能不会爱你，”
只是简单地改变文字排列，意义却大大地不同。

我不可能会爱你
确定，毫无疑虑
我可能不会爱你
犹豫了，动心了，却害怕诚实面对
因为，拥有有可能会是失去的开始，
却没意识到，不曾尝试便会错过，早已失去。

很有深度的剧。
期待。

李千娜的“我不允许我再爱上你”

反复听了李千娜同名专辑的主打歌，“我不允许我再爱上你。” 歌词反映出演唱者的心痛欲绝，尤其是这句，“这一次信任已经终结。”

信任是每个关系的基础。
信任没了，紧紧将两人距离拉近的绳子也就断了。

是受了多少次的伤害，
是给了多少次的机会而给自己换来一次又一次的失望，
才说出，“这一次信任已经终结。”？

李千娜的“我不允许我再爱上你”