My Last Movie in 2008 - Ip Man

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In this bio-pic, Ip Man, one of the earliest Wing Chun martial arts exponents credited to have propagated its popularity, gets portrayed as the best of the best in 1930s Fo Shan, China, where the bustling city has its own "Martial Arts Street" where countless of martial arts schools have set up shop to fuel the craze of kung fu training. With each new school, the master will pay their respects to Ip Man and to challenge him to a duel. Ip Man, an aristocrat who spends most of his quality time developing and perfecting his brand of martial arts, will take them on behind closed doors, so as not to damage his opponents' reputation nor embarrass them in public. His humility is his virtue, and his style is never violent or aggressive, which often gets assumed and mistaken for being effeminate, since Wing Chun after all was founded by a woman.

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The bulk of the story gets set in the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese war, and it's not all fight and no story. With this historical setting, at times it does seem that there is an air of familiarity with the type of stories told, with how the Japanese Imperial Army had made life really miserable for the Chinese, and how the Chinese being fragmented in spirit, fail to unite during dire straits. More often than not, martial arts become a unifying force.

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I'm no Wing Chun practitioner, but Donnie Yen has this marvelous calm and zen-like approach with his Ip Man character in taking out his opponents quite effectively with the minimal of moves. Like Huo Yuan Jia, he doesn't deliver the killing blows to friendly opponents, but rather simulates the various hit points, which actually calls for some astonishing control of strength and precision. This approach will change, of course, as the opponents become anything but friendly. And unlike the usual martial arts stance of crouching low, here we see him standing tall and striking with such precision and efficiency, it's like poetry in motion with some astounding closed quarter combat utilizing plenty of upper limb strength.

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What a way to bring 2008 to a cinematic closure with this wonderfully crafted show. Bravo to Donnie and Master Ip!

Vision - The Things to Come

All of the great achievers of the past have been visionary figures; they were men and women who projected into the future. They thought of what could be, rather than what already was, and then they moved themselves into action, to bring these things into fruition.

Bob Proctor

Good men say, "When I see it, I will believe".
Great men say, "When I believe, I will see it"!

Eagleboy, on 20 Jan 2009

Cheers to the great men!

Change...

Things do not change; we change.

– Henry David Thoreau

我还想她

歌曲：我还想她
歌手：林俊杰
专辑：jj陆

泪水将我淹没到底谁该难过
究竟是谁放掉这段感情
我才终于明白办不到的承诺
就成了枷锁
现实中幸福永远缺货

请告诉她
我不爱她
笑着难过
自我惩罚
想终止这一切挣扎
横了心说真心谎话

别告诉她
我还想她
恨总比爱容易放下
当泪水堵住了胸口
就让沉默代替所有回答

我才终于明白办不到的承诺
就成了枷锁
现实中幸福永远缺货

请告诉她
我不爱她
笑着难过
自我惩罚
想终止这一切挣扎
横了心说真心谎话

别告诉她
我还想她
恨总比爱容易放下
当泪水堵住了胸口
就让沉默代替所有回答

我不爱
我不痛
我不懂
我的心早已掏空
真心话言不由衷

请告诉她
我不爱她
笑着难过
自我惩罚
想终止这一切挣扎
横了心说真心谎话

别告诉她
我还想她
恨总比爱容易放下
当泪水堵住了胸口
就让沉默代替所有回答

别告诉她
我还想她
就让沉默代替所有回答

The Second Decision for Success

I will seek wisdom!

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out. My past can never be changed, but I can changed the future by changing my actions today. I will train my eyes and ears to read and listen to books and recordings that bring about positive changes in my personal relationships and a greater understanding of my fellowman. No longer will I bombard my mind with materials that feed my doubts and fears. I will read and listen only to what increases my belief in myself and my future.

I will seek wisdom. I will choose my friends with care.

I am who my friends are. I speak their language, and I wear their clothes. I share their opinions and their habits. From this moment forward, I will choose to associate with people whose lives and lifestyles I admire. If I associate with chickens, I will learn to scratch at the ground and squabble over crumbs. If I associate with eagles, I will learn to soar to great heights. I am an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.

I will seek wisdom. I will listen to the counsel of wise men.

The words of a wise man are like raindrops on dry ground. They are precious and can be used for immediate results. Only the blade of grass that catches a raindrop will prosper and grow. The person who ignores wise counsel is like the blade of grass untouched by the rain - soon to wither and die. When I counsel with just myself, I can make decisions only according to what I already know. By counseling with a wise man, I add his knowledge ad experience to my own and dramatically increase my success.

I will seek wisdom. I will be a servant to others.

A wise man will cultivate a servant's spirit, for that particular attribute attracts people like no other. As I humbly serve others, their wisdom will be freely shared with me. Often, the person who develops a servant's spirit becomes wealthy beyond measure. Many times, a servant has the ear of the king, and a humble servant often becomes a king, for he is the popular choice of the people. He who serves the most grows the fastest.

I will become a humble servant. I will not look for someone to open my door - I will be excited to open the door for someone. I will not be distressed when no one is available to help me - I will be excited when I am available to hep.

I will be a servant to others. I will listen to the counsel of wise men. I will choose my friends with care.

I will seek wisdom!

(Extracts from the book I read: The Traveler's Gift)

The First Decision for Success

The buck stops here!

From this moment forward, I will accept responsibility for my past. I understand that the beginning of wisdom is to accept the responsibility for my own problems and that by accepting responsibility for my past, I free myself to move into a bigger, brighter future of my own choosing.

Never again will I blame my parents, my spouse, my children, my co-workers, for my present situation. Neither my education nor lack of one, my genetics, or the circumstancial ebb and flow of everyday life will affect my future in a negative way. If I allow myself to blame these uncontrollable forces for my lack of success, I will be forever caught in a web of the past. I will look forward. I will not let my history control my destiny.

The buck stops here. I accept responsibility for my past. I am responsible for my success.

I am where I am today - mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionlly, and financially - because of decisions I have made. My decisions have always been governed by my thinking. Therefore, I am where I am today because of how I think. Today, I will begin the process of changing where I am - mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially - by changing the way I think.

My thoughts will be constructive, not destructive. My mind will live in the solutions of the future. It will not dwell in the problems of the past. I will seek the association of those who are working and striving to bring about positive changes in the world. I will never seek comfort by associating with those who have decided to be comfortable.

When faced with the opportunity to make a decision, I will make one. I understand that God did not put in me the ability to always make right decisions. He did, however, put in me the ability to make a decision and then make it right. The rise and fall of my emotional tide will not deter me from my course. When I make a decision, I will stand behind it. My energy will go into making the decision. I will waste none on second thoughts. My life will not be an apology. It will be a statement.

The buck stops here. I control my thoughts. I control my emotions.

In the future, when I am tempted to ask the question, "Why me?" I will immediately counter with the answer: "Why not me?" Challenges are gifts, opportunities to learn. Problems are the common thread running through the lives of great men and women. In times of adversity, I will not here a problem to deal with; I will have a choice to make. My thoughts will be clear. I will make the right choice. Adversity is preparation for greatness. I will accept this preparation. Why me? Why not me? I will be prepared for something great!

I accept responsibility for my past. I control my thoughts, I control my emotions. I am responsible for my success.

The buck stops here, indeed...

(Extracts from the book I read - The Traveler's Gift)

What All People Want?

All people want and have the right to be treated with dignity and respect - No exceptions.

- Gail Pursell Elliott