鸿门宴

爱看历史片的我还真是很少看过一部不喜欢的戏。 像赤壁这类的好片真的可遇不可求。剧情，美术指导，服装造型，演员素质缺一不可。
找到《鸿门宴》本来很兴奋。 觉得角色分配也很新鲜。但是一路看下去的感觉有一个字可以形容。乱。人物多，剧情复杂。好，这无所谓，上网做点功课，查阅历史简介。但如果是真正剧情好的片应该得很明确的表达故事内容吧？
角色分配似乎大错特错。冯绍峰是内地现在当红的一线小生，拉票房绝不是问题。投资这部戏的老板们要赚回本我可以理解。问题是项羽的大气八阿哥他挑不起。吕良伟演的项羽还是很少人能超越。我想胡军演的话都适合多了。更别说冯绍峰和刘亦菲一点默契都没有，躺在同一张床上恐怕也是同床异梦。
再看下去，发觉更大的问题。一二三，谁是木头人？此片请了史上除了李连杰以外最大的木头人-黎明来演刘邦！噢买尬。至少李连杰还能打。黎明？？！可能古人真的没什么表情吧，我不知道。可能这正适合他。每当他有较长的戏份时我就忍不住要上个厕所或拿杯水喝。我说下次开拍三国片的时候可以请他参演。阿斗的角色他应该得心应手。
还好整部戏有黄秋生和其他的绿叶在挑着，还看得过去。

When Practice Gets Tough

Like everything else, sometimes a practice is less satisfactory than desired. I woke up with a sore back yesterday and was trying to decide whether to rest and rehab or go to practice. Being the fitness enthusiast Ms T sent me this:

It was a sign (literally) that I should go to yoga practice. So I slapped on a Salonpas patch and went. Before the class started I tried to get a printout of my package for corporate reimbursement but this guy who was signing up took forever. So that didn't get done and I started class with admin issues on my mind. As if she could read my mind, Marlene started the class with a series of breathing exercises that helped to bring back focus and settle into practice. This was my tenth class and so far no practice has been identical. Even with the same instructor, each practice is always varied to train different parts of the body. 

The practice was especially tough for me last night because my body wasn't in the best condition. I feel like that's perhaps also true with instructors. She gave mainly verbal instructions and few demonstrations, and perhaps because I at the front of the room, I felt more vulnerable and unsure. On an ordinary day I had no trouble getting into poses just by listening but without anyone in front of me for affirmation, I was hesitant. For a second I felt that she could sense my uncertainty but did not change her pattern of instruction. In between that few poses I learned the importance of confidence and getting rid of unnecessary distractions.

This practice was tough. There is one feature in Marlene's practice - when you least expect it, she sometimes picks up pace. As I went through the sun salutations and vinyasas it required so much concentration that the only other thing that I periodically thought of was the towel. Halfway through a twist the girl beside me gave up, rolled up her mat and left.

For me I was glad that I attended the practice, partly because my sore back recovered when I woke up this morning. More importantly, it resembled life a little. Sometimes we feel good and have a great practice. Once in a while we don't feel so great because of physical, mental or emotional issues. But we try to push on and continue. Sometimes when things get too much for us, we take a break, like the girl who left. A practice, very much like life, is a process to be embraced, through all the good and bad, comfort or discomfort.

Sunrise or Sunset?

Oklahoma, Dec 26 2010

Book List

Books I'll like to find time to read:

• Lord of the Flies
• The Catcher in the Rye
• The Old Man and the Sea

Books I love and would recommend:

• Einstein's Dreams
• The Five Love Languages
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven 
• As the Crow Flies
• Wild Swans (no these are not books about birds)

良马寻伯乐

有位马主买了四匹马。其他马房天天都在操练马匹，准备出赛可以赢得大奖。这位马主却命令驯马师天天带四匹马出来跑两圈。这四匹马都是优良品种，一带出来就往前直奔。但马主却要驯马师拉住它们，怕跑太快会出意外受伤。日复一日马主还是继续要驯马师带它们出来兜两圈。其他马主问道，难道不打算让骏马出赛吗？马主回答它们还没准备好。其实马主只不过是怕输，也从来没想过要让马参赛，只不过想挂个名当个马主，让别人羡慕。反正有的是钱，要买就得买最好的，难不成买几匹病马回来？就这样埋没了这些好马的实力，让它们终日受困。

现在只能在有限的空间里不停锻炼，希望总有一天会寻到有眼光，会欣赏我们的人，加以善用。情况不是最好，但也不算最差，只能当作一个过程，希望会过去。

Yoga with Chunky

I enjoy having enough space when I go to yoga sessions and it beats me why people like to lay their mats so close to me when there's plenty of space around. Especially when the guy next to me is a big guy. Having done this on and off for a number of years I have a good idea of the space required for the different poses. I suspect this big chunky gym guy didn't have a clue.

So I surreptitiously tried to adjust my mat to give us some space without looking like I'm trying to move away from him. I didn't want him to think that he smells funny or something. There was definitely going to be some arm slapping when we swan dive if we stay in that proximity.

Danger loomed from the beginning. We began the practice on our backs and extended our right legs in the air using a strap. As the instructor had us lower the leg to the left, I found myself staring at chunky's big foot, which was hanging about three feet from my face. I considered what would be the worst situation - if it landed on my face, throat or chest. Chunky started to grunt a little like he was benchpressing. You can do it! I encouraged silently and prayed that he hang on so I won't get a taste of his foot. We came out of the pose and I was safe for the moment.

A little more into the practice we must have moved into some kind of a lunge or extended side angle pose. I twisted to the right and horror struck once more as I caught a glimpse of Chunky's protruding veins. These were no ordinary veins. They must have been thicker than my fingers. I swear there must be aliens residing in those. If I'd continued gazing at them they'll pop right out and rear their bloodthirsty heads at me. I gather myself and turned my gaze elsewhere. Concentrate...concentrate.

The rest of the practice went by smoothly. This was my third practice of the week and the first time that I've actually practiced three times in a week, which was really effective for building stamina and resistance. For the first time I found myself able to lower from a plank position without collapsing, a great feat for my weak flabby arms.

Most importantly, for the first time in my life I started to embrace and enjoy fitness. Instead of lamenting exercise is a chore and complaining that I had to make time for it, I actually start to prioritze it. Because of the effort I put in, I think twice before I eat, and make more eat-this-not-that choices.

The One Thing I Don't Do in Yoga...

Warm ups. I don't do warm ups. While everyone around me look like they're gearing up for a marathon, I just sit in lotus and chill. I don't do it because I don't feel that warm ups are necessary. A good yoga teacher will take you through a flow that enables your body to warm up gradually. My teacher today did just that.

Before going to the class today I was a little apprehensive. I never had a male yoga instructor and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy his class. But that class was really something. I think it might have changed my life. So far I've gone to sessions under three different instructors and they have different styles and strengths. Mark is a little more advanced than the other two, not just in terms of the poses but his class has a faster rhythm, better flow and style.

I saw some pretty gravity defying stuff today, some from Mark, some from the super fit students. At one point I glanced to my right and was like woah! Girl, tell me you didn't just levitate. Pretty amazing stuff going on there today. The entire practice was just exhilarating, it was something that I've never experienced and I ended my practice with a smile. It's no wonder they are not afraid to give promotions like $30 for 10 lessons. They know people will be back for more! I'm only halfway through my package and I feel like I'm hooked. It's probably the first time in my life that I truly enjoy doing something physical.