Vietnamese boat people

(--- posted by Linh Phung 馮玉玲 on Aug 29, '09 )

舞者 - Dancers

女舞者是一名從少訓練有素的舞蹈員，在一次車禍中失去了整個右臂。
男舞者在遇上女之前從來沒有跳過舞，也是在一次意外中失去了左腿。

這對原本互不相識的男女在意外之後都陷入了幾年的抑鬱狀態。後來女的當上了兒童舞蹈團的教練，意識到自己基本上無法忘記跳舞，從此重新苦練，重拾隨著右臂而失去了的平衡和自信。經過一段時間，她甚至開始跳出簡單的輪流旋轉。然後，她聽說到這個意外後陷入抑鬱和憤怒谷底的男子，就決心要找到他並說服他與自己排舞。

他從來沒有跳過舞，沒有跳舞的基本概念，也不懂得如何運用自己的身體來表達舞者的思緒，加上僅有一條腿.....。但她開始耐心地教他跳舞，經過無數次的失望，放棄，退出，復合，苦練，他們優美的舞姿和天衣無縫的節奏終於贏得了中國現代舞蹈比賽的一個最高獎項。

這對舞者殘而不廢，願我輩以此共勉。

敬輓蔣世權老師

根據女班長馮玉玲同學 2009/08/19 報悉:
=================
我們旅居越南西堤的小學老師蔣世權老師，即蔣翠琴同學的父親，由於不慎跌跤斷骨，在醫院動手術後不治辭世。


謹願蔣老先生安息天國，永生極樂。也請翠琴同學節哀順變，早日振作。

World Class Tennis Promotion in Toronto

http://www.thestar.com/sports/tennis/article/682417
Torontonians know how to have fun in tennis, the WTA tournament is on now this week (2009/8/15 to 8/23)

( Please click the 'Play' button shown on the top image for video.)

Egypt -- Cairo

(---posted by Vi 黃有為 on Aug 14, '09 )

We came here the next morning. Can't wait to take the world most recogniszable icon. Haziness was the heat.

After 3 nights and 3 and a half days in Dubai, we were on a plane to Cairo. The flight was 3pm in the afternoon but the driver insisted in picking us up from the hotel at 11:30am. It was about 20 minutes drive to the airport but "You have to be there 3 hours in advance!" so a day was wasted! We missed out on the indoor skiing field in Emirate Mall! (The malls open at 10am and close at midnight -- talking about long trading hours.) I think the driver/tour leader was pretty happy to get rid of us!! We had problem with the meals arrangement from day one. When the tour was booked, we've paid for 3 meals per day for the whole trip. On the way to the hotel from airport, we found out that his order was different from the one we were given by our travel agent. Almost every day we had to argue about whether meals for that day were covered! All was good at the end.
Back to Egypt, we arrived at Cairo late afternoon. They really took Swine Flu seriously, everyone was held up at arrival to fill in a "follow up" card (why couldn't they hand out the card during the flight so that people could fill them out and just handed back as they walked pass -- I have not idea!) Then a woman worn white lab coat and full face mask stood behind a IR camera waved through the long line of passengers one by one to measure their body temperature. Luckily we were all cleared (Aaron and mum in-laws were still coughing!) One thing stood out was: there were military personnel with machine guns everywhere.
Coming out of the airport, there was a sense of deja vu -- Egypt was like Vietnam! The local swarmed you offering transportation, accommodation...then the streets were narrow, houses was 2 -3 stories high and built wall to wall, street stalls and traffic. The first thing the tour guide said to us was: "In Egypt the traffic law is no laws." Lan joked to her mum said she would feel right at home. Our first dinner at Cairo was Chinese meal! If you have joined a tour to China, you should know: What soup do they serve you? Tomato and egg soup. Well, as it turned the set menu was same where you were in China or Egypt for that matter in Paris or Roma!! The hotel we stayed was all right but you have to pay to use the spa! (Gym was complimentary.)
The main attractions of Cairo are Giza Pyramids, Egyptian museum, Citadel and River Nile cruise. No photograph was allowed in the Museum and we didn't visit the Citadel.

Wondering how our World will be when we turn 80?

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-063
NASA & space rocks astronomers are keeping a close eye on a much-talked about asteroid, Apophis, which is 210-330 meter (690-1080 feet) in diameter and has a one-in-43,000 chance of hitting Earth in 2036, 2037 or 2069, and that is a great chance in Astronomical term.

(NASA Web site for near-Earth objects : http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch )
(News source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/090812/science/science_us_sci_killer_asteroids )

活生生的繪畫 - Ксения Симонова - Реквием из песка - 安魂曲和沙

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1JZ9O15280&feature=related
烏克蘭的才女用手指和沙描述出第二次世界大戰的往事，一幅感人的活動圖畫。