20121218 Baltolome, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, South America
Click "HERE" for the full photo album
Leglessbird sharing Dec 2012
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Dear Family and Friends,
Time really flies, another 12 months have passed too quickly. So much is going on that we couldn't keep up with writing biannual update, we are going to stick with just one Leglessbird sharing a year. So in the last 12 months: We finally did something that we thought was not very leglessbird-like, we bought a flat after careful considerations. We discussed with a number of wise learned friends, We think it is the right decision given our future plans, being property market neutral, having a place that we can truely call "nest", though the price now is not low but the market is of less speculative nature. We believe it won't affect our financial flexibility and sense of freedom that we always treasure very much. Rennovation work is now underway which is quite fun(!??). (Irene: the funniest part is to work with a designer friend and sometimes he rejects our ideas. It's truely a blessing to have him to look after the renovation. The worst part is to have visited 60+ units in 6+ different areas by myself before finding a home where we'd like to live in and it is in fact where we are currently in).
We attended a number of weddings as well as funerals, such is life. I spoke at a young couple's wedding (as an elderly brother figure and ex-boss) on marriage, to summaries my speech in one sentence, "Bring the best out of each other!". We went to a funeral to pay respect to someone whom we have not actually met, it was important to us to be there with our dear friend at his father's funeral. The organic farm in Lantau is still our favourite getaway place, we have brought many friends to enjoy nature and the produce from the farm. We continue to practice qi-gong but not persistent enough :-p Last year, we attended the "Harmony Life" training, this year, a mentor recommended to us "Life Academy", I have completed their level 1 course - "Power of Change" and have found it very inspiring, I will be a volunteer and hope we can bring more positive energy/thoughts to others. On the work side, we have both been very busy. (Irene: the increasing workload finally made us to recruit our first personal asisstant for sustainable personal and business growth, it's a new learning for us to look after someone as a team member. I gain more strength when my working buddies and partners went from 5 to 17 in 2012. I truely appreciate our group effort in perfecting our quality of work and services). I have been serving a number of consulting clients, conducting corporate trainings, speaking at conferences, adjudicating in a number of competitions and taking university students to Texas and Shanghai competing in business challenges.
With our work committment we are unable to travel as much. In the last 12 months, we went to Malaysia, UK, Norway, USA, Canada, Korea, Taiwan and Shanghai (China) (Irene: I was there spiritally for half of these trips). The Norway trip in April visiting the northern remote part was one of the best journeys yet. This Dec/Jan, we will be going to Amsterdam, Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Machu Picchu (Peru), Amazon (Peru) and we'll share with you our photos in Jan 2013. Our travel book is scheduled to publish in Q1 2013! Please drop us a few lines when you have time, we would like to hear how you are getting on. We wish you and your family happiness, good health and a prosperous year ahead! Love,
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Organic Farm
Beach Wedding
Catching King Crab Taipei |
 S Korea |
 USA |
 Canada |
 Norway |
 London |
 Cambridge |
 Penang |
 Kuala Lumpur |
 Macau |
Cambridge related (Dec 2011 - Nov 2012) For list of albums, click here
To be processed CJBS EMBA HK visit, Cambridge lecture day in Hong Kong, Global alumni conference.
Organic Farm
 28 Oct |
 01 Oct |
 15 July |
 22 Apr |
 12 Feb |
 CNY |
Public engagements
從象棋殘局看人生，教育，政治和宗教
我最近在網上看見到一個象棋殘局，黑方子子俱在，而紅方只剩下一帥一兵，黑方似乎佔盡優勢，看來必勝無疑，設局者卻巧妙地安排了黑子互相障礙了其他黑子的行動範圍，反觀紅方的兵竟可以在兩步間將死黑方，恰巧又是紅方先行，紅兵往前面一進，下一步子子俱全的黑方必死。可是黑方又怎麼能夠坐以待斃，於是黑方採取不計犧牲不斷將軍的戰略，不能讓紅方有一息喘氣空間把兵再往前進一步，起碼不能在黑子把自己從互相深鎖的棋子釋放前。最後黑方的一輪進攻下，不斷犧牲棋子下，棋子得以釋放將領得以拯救，攻擊能力卻只剩下三隻沉底卒和一隻馬，不能再對紅方構成威脅，而紅方僅餘的一隻沉底兵也再無攻擊力，結果是一盤和局。
然而這個棋局不簡單，看網上的討論，可以看到意見非常分歧，有人認為紅方必勝的也有認為黑方一定贏的，雙方都拿出大量理據，當中也有宣稱另一方走漏了眼，看得不夠透徹，所以得到錯誤的答案，各執一詞，也有真正心水清的人能得到?和局?的結論。下象棋本是一件很尋常的事情，小孩子也懂得下棋，成年人可能有數十年的棋齡，看到了殘局多多少少會認為自己可以看得明白和下定論，而且可能會對自己的理念深信不疑，與持不同意見的人雄辯滔滔，鬥個你死我活，有多少個人可以冷靜分析並且持真正開放的態度去接受新事物或討論新的可能性？
我在大學面對及指導大學生時會遇到數類的學生，有舉一反三的學生，悟性高而且已經超越了所學的東西進入另一境界的；有聽了講解以後就明白了或還是不明所以的；然而最費勁教導的學生是自以為明白了並深信了錯誤的答案，再以這不正確的答案作辯論，並要求解釋為何他是錯的，對於那離題萬丈的論據感到啼笑皆非，一再解釋後，題目越扯越遠，沒完沒了，總得找一個休止點，這正好有點像那些深信紅方或黑方必勝的人。面對學生時我總會心存我不一定是對的態度。
這個棋局有趣的地方是在於表面看來強弱懸殊，非常極端的情況，黑方一子不損，紅方僅剩最少的子數，一面倒的勢力。仔細一看，偏偏黑方的力量自我剋扣，不能發揮，大大削弱了其攻擊力，反觀紅方的一點微力卻劍指黑方的要害，待機而發，一舉制敵，在這爭持間，惡鬥一輪後，還是兩敗俱傷，得個和局收場！
人生往往也是一樣，絕對的優勢未必就勝利，窮途絕境也不一定就必敗，全憑巧妙的運用，可以以小挑大，但是勝與負還是不能過早下結論。有時候我們如像操控著黑子彷彿很順利，又有時候我們感到處身紅子十分無奈，事事不順。在這兩者之間，若然不貫徹到底去堅持或分析的過程中被小小的突破，驚喜而讓我們分心及鬆懈了，還是會前功盡廢，甚至一敗塗地。
在政治上深信自己理念是唯一正確的人多不勝數，但是看到勢頭不對轉投敵方陣形的也屢見不鮮，這個殘局是一個遊戲，沒有預設誰是黑方誰是紅方，若是硬著要我們挑選一方，大眾必然選擇我們認為會獲勝的一方。可能風向一轉，大家便往另一方投奔去。這些情況的例子太多，我也不須一一列舉。在真正的政治裡我們卻不一定挑那必勝的一方，很多時候會選擇那符合我們心中正義公義的一方，哪怕正義的一方是被欺壓的弱勢社群，好比棋局中的紅方，我們也不離不棄，好好集中利用那僅有的資源力量做最大影響力的事情。也有好像黑子般那怕不斷犧牲也誓死保衛自己不能讓對方再進半步。可恨那政治往往不像這棋局可以以和局終結！那最聰慧的高人可能早已洞悉和棋的結局，不挑任何一方；也有看不透的人做騎牆派，不得罪任何人；也有以和為貴的，不希望看到任何衝突。
這棋局又令我聯想到宗教，世上的宗教大多數是不可兼存的，我的宗教是真理那你的宗教便不可能是真理，這種絕對的價值觀如像棋局的勝與負，我是對的那你便是錯的，棋局的討論當中，有深信紅方勝黑方負，有深信紅方敗黑方贏的，有互相責罵的，有堅持原來想法的，也有改變初衷的，一個棋局有三個結果，在意見分歧的情況下沒有一個人人都對的可能，可是和局在任何一方來說總是我沒有贏，你也不曾勝的情況，在宗教層面有這樣的結果嗎？勝方真的是紅方？是黑方？可以和平共存嗎？有必要鬥個你死我活嗎？
太多的問題，不如我們再下一局怎麼樣？我記得看過一套好萊塢電影叫做?War Game?（戰爭遊戲），劇終的結論是這樣的，?The only winning move is not to play? (唯一的勝著是不玩)，我們的下一局棋就算了吧！
陳志邦 (Dominic)
2012年12月
