Love in Taipei ~~

This is a season of appreciation, rejoice, and reunion with our love ones and my musical Christmas Tree !! 

On this  special date.. ~~

酒不醉人，人自醉。。。

別問我是說佛法時間，還是品酒時刻～～～

酙上一杯最愛的酒，酒不醉人，人自醉。。。

倘若我覺得我和某人特別契合，那是因為心在完全清淨之下開啟了譲他的心與我的心合而為一的時間與空間。
無二無別。 — at Deloin.

Luncheon with good friends ~~~~ TC, VH, PL. VY, CK

Blue Jasmine ~~ A Life Struggle

凱特．布蘭琪（Cate Blanchett）是當代最會演戲的才女，伍迪．艾倫（Woody Allen）的新片《藍色茉莉（Blue Jasmine）》因為有她獨挑大樑，伍迪式的神經喜劇有了傳人，時髦女性進退失據的徬徨無助，更讓人深繫同情。

破題有神，是一部精彩作品的必備條件，《藍色茉莉（Blue Jasmine）》的破題就既有神又有趣。

凱特．布蘭琪（Cate Blanchett）飾演的Jasmine／茉莉是穿名牌、戴名牌用名牌的時髦女郎，開場就是她在頭等艙內向鄰座女郎誇耀先生有多愛她，當年兩人如何在「Blue Moon」的歌聲中定情...有問有答，顧盼自得間，優雅與奢華成了她刻意經營的身段與姿態。直到飛機落地，觀眾這才明白：鄰座貴婦不是她的仰慕者，而是她朱唇一啟就再也停不住了，只好應酬一下；而Jasmine的落腳地也不是大飯店或豪宅，只是平常公寓...原來她已落魄，昔日王謝堂前燕，飛入尋常百姓家了。

吹噓，是伍迪．艾倫送給Jasmine的第一道遮瑕用「粉底」；蒙塵，則是伍迪．艾倫送給Jasmine的第二道戲劇「定妝」。

住慣豪宅的Jasmine，要怎麼窩進妹妹Ginger（由Sally Hawkins飾演）的狗窩？房間格局小是其一，Ginger還有兩個小孩，還結交了談吐粗魯的勞工男友Chili（由Bobby Cannavale飾演），Chili不但毫不情面地揭露Jasmine破產敗家的往事，甚至還不時要向Jasmine介紹比他更粗鄙，涎臉黏纏，但求一晌貪歡的「炮友」，不悅、不屑和不耐的情緒充份顯現在她的表情和肢體反應上，但是她不敢、不能，也不願就這樣撕破臉，為了生活，她必湏低聲下氣；為了翻身，她必湏忍氣吞聲等契機。驕傲的孔雀如此別無選擇地墮落風塵，誰不好奇？

《藍色茉莉》的兩位主角名字都與花有關，境遇亦然。

姐姐Jasmine屬於大家閨秀般的優雅茉莉，清香自適；妹妹Ginger則是小家碧玉的小薑花（Ginger Lily），香氣不遑多讓，只是多了點樸拙，但根莖塊薑卻也另有發熱祛寒的療效，這也說明了高貴的Jasmine一旦落難，會去投靠Ginger了。用花語敘事，或許並非伍迪．艾倫的創作始意，但是花語卻也是理解《藍色茉莉》的巧門旁徑。

我選擇的是「飄零的落花」這首傷情名曲。

「飄零的落花」初始歌詞唱的是：「想當日梢頭獨佔一枝春，嫩綠嫣紅何等媚人」恰恰呼應了Jasmine與夫君Hal（Alec Baldwin）揮金如土的奢華人生，但是Jasmine為何會「不幸攀折慘遭無情手，未隨流水轉墮風塵」？卻也成為全片熬到最後才真相大白的謎團，究竟是誰懷了薄倖惹她傷心，讓她成「無主任飄零」的落花，而她又能「向誰去嗚嗚咽訴不平」？

凱特．布蘭琪的表演考驗在於Jasmine其實勢利，並不討喜。她會喃喃自語，並非財貨優人，而是陷入不敢面對現實，「適應不良」的焦慮困境：明明已囊空如洗，債台高築，卻還是打腫臉坐頭等艙，高吊名牌包......

另外，她還是鴕鳥達人。明明品味與格調與妹妹的前夫Augie（由Andrew Dice Clay飾演）與現任男友Chili完全不對盤，卻不說破，又躲不了，和稀泥的虛偽成性，不但苦了自己，更註定了她故意忽略丈夫的花心，更不願接受丈夫的真相告白，也無法向新男友竭誠以告，這個性格缺撼，跡近悲劇理論的「tragic flaw」，個性決定命運，一旦壓力臨身，註定激情失控，錯誤與悔恨並肩而來，只能坐視大江東去了。

有了粉底和定妝，伍迪．艾倫送給的Jasmine的第三道胭脂，則是愛情變奏曲。

伍迪．艾倫說不膩愛情議題，他的電影人物其實都是「參不透鏡花水月」的癡人，嘴上唸的和身體做的經常矛盾，以Ginger為例，她與Augie的婚姻，帶給她們短暫的暴發戶喜悅，卻因為誤信Hal的投資建議，血本無歸，愛情也跟著泡湯；Ginger的新歡Chili同樣也是血脈賁張，不太用大腦的粗人，使得她一度迷航，戀上了愛情騙子，就這樣跌跌撞撞，打打鬧鬧，又繞回原點。

 

Jasmine也同樣在買愛情保險，明知Hal會鑽法律漏洞，但是榮華富貴讓她睜一隻眼閉一隻眼，金錢如此，愛情亦然，若非愛情破產，她不會走偏鋒；同樣地，她的新男友是政壇的明日之星，也是因為害怕失去，所以避重就輕，只用美麗唬人，不願缺憾曝光，她的委婉心事，道盡一位「說真話，就怕失去一切」的小女人心情。腮紅胭脂理應讓人更明豔，曾經何時卻成了涕淚泣殘的暈散紅雨了。

兩位姐妹，有幸有不幸，幸未必是幸福，不幸亦未必就絕望。《藍色茉莉》就這樣完成了又一則當代愛情寓言。

From  藍色電影夢

What is the Light within ? Inspired by 17th Karmapa

No matter you like me or not....

I am smiling at you,

giving you warmth and light !

Watching 17th Karmapa's video ~~~

at Ritz, Taipei

A serious and beautiful story ~~~

Director:

 Mark Romanek

Writers:

 Kazuo Ishiguro (novel), Alex Garland (screenplay)

Stars:

 Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield 

This is a serious discussion about how you are going to treat a manmade human being. How do they conceive the notion of responsibility and contribution from childhood education and never had a though to rebel the system? 

Are we human beings similar to them that we are so content in living our lives in Samsara and never though of emancipate and transcend to other higher realm or even to eternal life? 

" Never Let Me Go"  is a not only a lyrical romance, or science fiction,  but also a soft warning for the related institution in considering moral values and ethics awareness ! 

How do you call yourself a human being? Is it because you have a soul? or Is it because you are naturally conceived by human beings? or is it because the authorized institution constitute the law to make you so ? At the end, we feel so sad and wonder that are we the ones who have feelings and souls or are those characters in the movie? This is a sad but beautiful film portrayed in a special light effect that has a reminiscent and fantasy quality. 

2013 Charity Ball, Taipei

" 常羨人間琢玉郎， 天應乞雨點酥娘。
自作清歌傳皓齒。風起， 雪飛炎海變清涼。
萬里歸來年月少。微笑。笑時猶帶嶺梅香。
試問嶺南應不好？卻道，
此心安處是吾鄉！！  "

歲末，站在熟悉的耶誕樹下，
台北窗外看不到冷冷的白雪。。。卻是冷颼颼的戰風四起。。。
不是前陣子的食品事件，就是最近廢水處理事件。
Angel 看來，都只是政治鬥爭，媒體炒作新聞。
善良的台灣老百姓跟者起鬨，
資本主義與共產無資產的鬥爭， 想把台灣企業界架上台。。。
很可怕的心態。。。！

不過，在暖暖的愛心氣氛下，我們仍付出愛心，援助需要幫助的孩童們。。。
又想起這麼一闕詞，
此心安處是吾鄉！
只要我們心安，清淨，善意，
無論外界多麼的紛紛擾擾，
我身在何處都是我的家，我的故鄉，
更何況是台北台灣！

Birthday at De Lion, Taipei with Mouton 1996 ~~

Chateau d'Yquem 1997 

Gu Gan Painting 

1996 Mouton  Rothschild  

Thank you, my dear friends! To receive a special gift is always the most  heart warming feeling on my birthday, beside the fine jewelries, fashionable accessories, beautiful luncheon , dinner,  my favorite wine, and a handmade 3 D birthday card !! I am so grateful ! May all be joyful, healthy, and spiritually free at each moment in life! HUUUGS ! 

Angie's Rating : 100 pt for d' Yquem 1997 

98 pt for Mouton 1996

!!!!

Surprisingly Good ～ Facon Restaurant in Taipei

Facon ~~

法式法熊餐廳。。。 

All Rating : 7. 7

Food : 8.0    Ambiance: 7.0

Decor: 7.0    Creativity: 8.5

Service: 7.5   。。

Price : Dinner Set Menu NT$2300 -- 3800 

           Lunch Set Menu NT$1100 -- 2000

地址 :
台北市大安路一段83巷7號

Life is too short to wait ~

Life is a challenge - meet it. 

Life is a dream - realize it.

Life is love - enjoy it.

at 石門。。。

多情卻被無情擾。。。。

感謝劉少雄教授 ～～～

重新讀東坡詞～～～

1 江城子： 借年年明月寫出了無限哀悼的深情！

十年生死兩茫茫，
不思量，自難忘。
千里孤墳，無觸話淒涼。
縱使相逢應不識，塵滿面，鬢如霜。

夜來幽夢乎還鄉，
小軒窗，正梳妝。
相顧無言，唯有類千行。
料得年年斷腸觸，明月夜，短松崗！


葉嘉瑩，較論東坡與李白， 區分了仙而人，和人而仙，個性之差異。

東坡雖然亦有波仙之稱， 但如果與這一位敵仙太白比起來，則東坡之稱乃人而仙者，所以他的人的煩惱，反而正可憑藉幾分飄忽的仙氣得到解脫。
而李白是個自由的孤獨的靈魂，瀟灑的天才，原就不該受此庸俗之塵世的種種是非成敗，甚至禮法道德的束縛  ，顧稱為仙！然而誕生為人，自又無法不生活於周圍的社會人群，  因此他時常飲酒，生活於種種人間範疇之中  !



2 水調歌頭：由明月觸發的離恨轉化為超矌的精神 ！

明月幾時有，把酒問青天，
不知天上宮闕，今夕是何年？
我欲乘風歸去，惟恐瓊樓玉宇，
高處不勝寒。
起舞弄清影，何似在人間。
轉朱閣，低倚戶，照無眠！
不應有恨，何事長向別時圓。
人有悲歡離合，月有陰晴圓缺，
此事古難全。。。
但願人長久，千里共嬋娟！

3 蝶戀花： 多情的困擾。。。。

花棧殘紅青杏小，燕子飛時，綠水人家繞。
枝上柳綿吹又少，天崖何處無芳草
牆裡鞦韆牆外道，牆外行人，牆裡佳人笑。    
笑見不聞聲漸悄 ，
多情卻被無情擾！

Leonard Bernstein Letters

正想看的書～

If you want to understand classical music (and maybe even musical theater) in the 20th century in America, you have to understand Leonard Bernstein, who was classical music's public face for 30 years. He was its champion and indeed without him, it's unlikely that high European culture would have had nearly the influence it did in America during my childhood. All those piano and violin lessons kids took back then (which seem to have been replaced by soccer practices since Bernstein's death) would not have been. There are no Leonard Bernsteins today. The public has lost its love and interest in complex music. For me, this is a sad state of affairs, and reading this book of letters brings to the fore the beauty of what people are missing.

Leonard Bernstein was a titan, an irrepressible charismatic figure who lived his life fully in every way. A globetrotter, a composer, a Zionist, a leftist, a musical theater creator, a performer, and, of course, a conductor, it's truly dizzying to read his letters and be confronted with the scope of his achievements, energy and intelligence straight on. He was superhuman in what he accomplished. I am in awe.

There is warmth and insight in these letters. Famous and obscure people of the late 20th century come and go through these pages. There are friendships that last decades and some that flame out. There is, not infrequently, a showbiz-I-love-you-man tone in these letters, as well. My one quibble about this collection of letters is that the less than savory and very messy parts of Leonard Bernstein's personal life have been mostly edited out. Leonard Bernstein was a genius, but he wasn't at all a saint. In many ways, he was a flawed and tragic figure and much of that is gently alluded to rather than shown on the page. That all said, this collection is a must read for anyone interested in classical music.