别被的冬天的太阳骗了 Y嫂变二奶

太阳很大，温度却下降。
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今天去超市买东西，因买的东西不多，所以只拿个提篮没使用推车。结帐时，櫃台人员竟“坐在椅子上”帮我结帐，輪到我的时候，她竟把我的篮子东西“倒”出来，而不是“拿”出来，差点没把我买的鸡蛋打破。这种现象很正常，这儿的櫃台人员既使你把东西小心翼翼的拿出来结帐，他们还是会在刷完条码後，或“丢”或“甩”的放到一旁，讓你再一次小心翼翼地放入你的的子裡。只是坐着结帐还是第一次见到耶！有些櫃员身旁会有椅子供作休息，但结帐时都要站起来的。

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近午，接到Richy的电话说要回来一起吃午餐，本来他是要全程参与期末盘点的，後来只须参加開幕会议，所以提早回家。Winston去上学了，只有我和Richy二人用餐，我们去了李公碮商业街的梦田香草餐廰，餐後还逛了一回儿，待会儿就要接Winston放学了。今天的有点儿「Y嫂占着大奶的位，又享有二奶福利」的啬侈感。

太阳出来了

连日的阴雨，今天终於见到太阳，室内温度虽然没有升高，但心理已有温暖的感觉。
好几天没打掃的房子也趁机大掃除，过怕了阴冷的天气，下一次的大太阳不知何时来，因此一不作二不休，也把床单全换洗了。接下来就是卤一锅“肉蛋”迎接跨年夜吧！
在好天气裏工作的阿嫂比一个阴天裏足不出户的贵妇快乐多了。

Misty Sunday

Richy was out most of the time today. He had a meeting in the afternoon and a dinner with his boss and colleagues at night. No one knows what time he will be back. The foggy night worries me.

Besides being cold, it was mostly raining and foggy during the day. Winston had been playing Mario several times. It was a bit boring for not being able to go out in this weather. We made cookies in the evening to make the indoor air warm and sweet.

冬天的树与花

星期六我们到附近的空地走走，看到成群的枯木，地上铺满树叶肥料，成为Winston的生态教育课。

顺便走到现代大道看看满街的聖诞树，没有華丽的装饰，仍然很壮观。

中国人的爱面子充分反映在大都市的街景上，每天白天都有修剪路树与捡拾垃圾的工人整日守着街道环境。因此，这儿雖然没公德心的人很多，市容仍非常美观乾净。反观台湾，守规矩的雖多，仍敵不过少数不守规矩的人一段时间的环境摧残。而那些经常出国考察的首长官员们不知是否都是蒙眼直达Shopping Center 或风景区的， 所以没發现自己的城市比有些落後国家还髒，更别提那些比我们先进的国家了呢。根据我的观察，中部市区及风景区的清潔人员一日只有清晨出现一次，而跨縣市道路的清潔大概三个月一次，小巷道的清潔工作若不是靠附近住户自费或社区志工，大概都要成为垃圾场了。如果我们的住民水準还不到位，就应该全面检讨！如果人力不足，至少先在街道上多设置一些垃圾桶，每次出门都找不到地方丢垃圾，难怪沿路的安全岛上一堆饮料罐与塑胶袋。

我讨厌中国人的爱面子，它讓很多简单的事变复雜；跟一个爱面子人共處是一件累事，但住在一个爱面子的城市却很舒服。

信仰

昨日（12/24），一位本地人问我有聖诞夜没有参加教会活动，我说没有。她问我台湾人都信什么教，我说，台湾有很多种宗教；她告诉我大陆的年轻人大部分没有宗教信仰。难怪，许多大陆年轻人严重的道德沉淪；但他们也同时省去了许多不必要的包袱。
今日，又看到新闻提及官员提出多放假以提振经济，真是因果不分。
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有些人以为多放假可以促进消费，有些人觉得钱放股市可以赚钱。

前者相信童话，後者笃信神话；童话世界里，人们是不必工作的，股市神话保证你会致富。

回到现实生活，试问：没有工作，何来金钱用以消费；股市能赚钱又为何要工作。

这个社会存在着不同的信仰，有信童话的政府，信神话的个人，才会有骗子的出现，轻易的把世

界金融搞得如此荒唐。

有些信基督的人認为，要去教堂而且是他所去的那一家教堂才能接近耶蘇；有些笃信佛道教的人

認为一定要经由铺张的仪式程序，才算虔诚。

信仰，多么强而有力啊！

愚蠢的信仰与繁文褥节的信仰一樣可以把人搞得人仰马翻。

但 信仰又是何其重要啊！

当你低调地说出你心中对生活与生命的单纯信仰时，旁人的不以为然保证马上讓你改信沉默是金。

当你表明你的宗教信仰时，人们希望你附和他们持之以久且引以为豪的各种宗教仪式。
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放假是用来充电的，不见得能刺激消费，尤其，现在企业放的假多是“共体时艱”的无薪假，如何消费？

股市是玩金钱游戏的地方，不保证能赚钱，游戏贵在其中的樂趣与学习，不是Money；

宗教信仰应是讓人能沉淀心情，感觉轻鬆自在的，不是危言耸聽的怪力乱神。

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室内运动

所有重量级的冬衣早在11月中旬以来出盡，现在只有再穿着二件厚袜加上新买的超厚手套了。 寒冻的气候下还要煮饭打掃，真是挑战我皮肉發痛的手。我要坚持下去整个冬季，畢竟在这儿，家的感觉还是很温暖的。

天气阴冷，我们想出了不费钱的健身法--电梯间跳绳，对面还没有人住，还不会吵到邻居。Winston会连跳三下，已有点儿沾沾自喜了；我们二人一起可连跳十下以上了。

寒流 冬至 餛飩

大自然的寒冷，讓我们把阳台变成特大的冷藏室，窗户边成了日光暖炉。冰箱有点小，今天买的菜就直接放工作阳台了。

一大早，窗外的天空好清澈，带有夜空的明亮，连续三日雾气一夜全消，月亮竟然还高掛天上。

清晨的“夜空”下， 没有太阳的金鸡湖还能一览无遗， 真是奇特。

今天应该近零度了吧? 如果过去算“冷”，现在应该算“冻”了。

常聽人说寒风刺骨，我認为比较贴切的说法应是：寒风刺皮，也冻骨。

手指和手背冷得一直觉得有针刺的感觉。

现在没抽烟的人也都能吞云吐雾。

Winston 很期待大雪快来，那时后我可能要冻成雪人了。

冬至
昨日是冬至，也是一年之中白天最短的一天。确实，早上八点还看不到太阳，下午才吃完饭就天黑了。
我们不免俗的吃补过冬至，外面太冷，我们去老庆泰买了羊肉回家加料享用，羊肉还没吃完，盘子上就结了一層软绵绵的羊脂了。饭后煮了桂圆红枣生薑茶，度过了三人在一起的第一个最冷也是最温暖的冬至。

餛 飩

据说，苏州人冬至还有吃馄饨的习俗。相传吴越春秋一宴上，吃腻了山珍海味的吴王没胃口，美女西施就进御厨房包出一种畚箕式点心献给吴王。吴王一口气吃了一大碗，连声问道：“何种点心，如此鲜美?”西施想：这昏君浑浑噩噩，混沌不开，便随口应道：“混沌。”为了纪念西施的智慧，苏州人便把它定为冬至的美食。

来去南京!

冬天真是个容易让人烦憂的日子，昨天临时想出（去）走（走），於是选择去南京，顺便辦理公証。

南京， 七- 八年前去过，只觉得好闷热 荒芜，只看了壮丽的中山陵和古墓，其他就没啥了。

或许是年纪大了，不再只是重玩樂-爱热闹；

这次的南京，感受完全不同 ， 进了南京，一路上我赞歎不已。

时间上的限制，这次，没去中山陵，没去古墓，我只带着Winston 去了夫子庙。

然而，令我印象深刻的，不是夫子庙，而是南京市的街景和人文。

但我没得拍下，因为这些印象都是從（从）Taxi上观察到的。

大陆的交通进步之神速，令人惊讶。從苏州到南京，我们搭了动车、地铁，再花￥1元的Bus，合计二小时三十分钟就達目的地--法院。 花20元的Taxi我们到了夫子庙。Taxi的路程讓我体验到南京的古老，以及人的热情。古老的路树環抱着热闹的街道，市区许多角落都可以看到成群的树林，这些老树参天，绝对不会是现代人植的，我还看到在台湾山区才有的针葉林，十几米高的树就出现在市区，正当我对街景不时發出赞叹时，司机先生说：「南京的树被那国混蛋胡XX砍去一半了。」從他的口气聴得出他的气愤激昂，口中的胡XX，指的是前市长。我还聴他说道：「妈的，共产党就是这样。」我非常欣赏他的敢怒敢言。聊了一会儿，下车前，司机还教我回程要怎么搭车可以迅速到達火车站。

夫子庙就像苏州的十路与观前街，老街混新建，是逛街找买小玩意的好地方。我们又买了水果串来吃、拍照、进去玩意店逛逛，买了一隻会唱歌跳舞的驢子，老板送我们一支棉花糖。去参观艺术家现场用木塊雕刻人像，"神乎其技"原来就是这种感觉，不过我不敢親试，「活人雕像」有点怪怪的。 想想，自己生气或發呆时应该也蛮像活雕像的吧！我们家还真是不缺雕像呢！

回程，又坐上了Taxi，一上车不久，突然杀车，差点撞上一个闯越马路的人。司机骂了他几句给我聴，但他骂的不像一般人去诅咒那个闯祸的人，而是说：「年纪轻轻的不爱惜自己的生命，我若把他撞瘸了，他以后怎么讨老婆啊！不尊重别人就是不尊重自己，你说是不是。」Wow！南京的司机真不是蓋的，好有水平啊！

相较於南京，苏州是優雅柔美的，南京是古老悲壮的。
苏州人是冷漠的，南京人是热情激昂的。

可能是古代苏州大多住着有钱的退休高官或文人雅士，而南京一向是政治军事重地，历史成就现在的结果。

近日苏州有一则新闻：有一受伤女子深夜负伤求救，经过的脚踏车，机动车，计程车没人願救或敢救她。是她后来自己硬上了一台计程车，司机才将她送医，而那司机就意外成为救人英雄了。

~苏州人之冷漠可见~

..

有些人

好题
But 好冷啊！待写！

山楂 桂圆 金银花

今天去超市买了： 桂圆 山楂 金银花草 ， 都是养生茶饮用料 ；
这儿的桂圆难买， 多是带壳的， 价格贵 ，吃起来也不甜 ；
山楂是江苏特产之一；
金银花这一方我在台湾就试过了，可预防感冒。

天气冷，手指头冻得發痛，我忍不住先拨开些桂圆，泡了薑汁桂圆茶， 因为不够甜，我加了蜂蜜，蛮好喝的。下次回台要记得买桂圆来，台湾桂圆大又甜，且便宜，好怀念啊！
打字稍有进步，不过怎么找不到“顿号”在哪儿？


【成分與營養】山楂含有果糖、蛋白質、脂肪、維生素Ｂ2、維生素Ｃ、胡蘿蔔素丶鈣、磷、鐵、山楂酸、酒石酸、檸檬酸、鞣質、黃酮類、三萜類內酯。其中維生素Ｃ、胡蘿蔔素、鈣的含量很高，對老人、小兒、孕婦具有良好的營養價值。
山楂酸有促進消化的作用，對志賀痢疾桿菌有較強的抗菌作用，對綠膿桿菌也有明顯的抑制作用。三萜類、黃酮類有緩慢而持久的擴張血管和降壓的作用，能加強和調節心肌運動。據報導，山楂還含有牡荊素成分，對癌腫有抑制作用。
以上取自：《中國食療大全》作者：夏翔、施杞

《神農本草經》金銀花有「久服輕身」的記載；《名醫別錄》記述了金銀花具有治療「暑熱身腫」之功效；李時珍在《本草綱目》中說：金銀花能治療「一切風濕氣及諸腫毒、疥癬、楊梅諸惡瘡。」李時珍對金銀花的花、莖、葉、及根菌的功能皆同、久服可輕身長壽作了明確定論。
美國科學家宣佈：金銀花可以防治一直無法治療的世界頑症「愛滋病」。

黑心木耳

本想建康一下， 没想到买到黑心木耳， 泡水后有浓浓的双氧水味 ，本来只是怀疑而以 ，隔夜味道竟更浓烈， 我不想放弃烹煮黑木耳， 于是换个品牌 。还好 ，这次的闻起来还算自然， 不过Richy 仍不敢吃。
我的想法是：如果所有大陆干货都不吃， 那就甭在此建康地混了。 况且 ，我还觉得大陆某牌子的红枣构杞子比台湾的品质好多了， 只要购买前仔细评估 ，食用前闻味观色，不必大惊小怪的。
..........................................................

营养：黑木耳营养丰富,含蛋白质、脂肪、钙、碳水化合物、磷、铁、胡箩卜素、微生素、微生素B1,此外含有大量纤维、钾、镁和钠等。黑木耳的蛋白质含量和肉类相当，维生素B２含量是一般米、面和大白菜以及肉类的4－10倍，钙含量是一般肉类的30－70倍。　　黑木耳口感酥软滑脆，具有清肺、润肺、益气补血等功效，是矿山、纺织业工人良好的保健食品。现代医学证明黑木耳中的多糖体具有增强人体免疫力，防癌抗癌等功效。美国科学家发现黑木耳能减低血液凝块、肝和冠状动脉硬化，并且能明显地防止血栓的形成。From :http://bbsmoon.com/

Winter Gold Chicken Lake

冬天的金鸡湖人少 冷清多了 不过大大的太阳 好舒服啊 ！

唉！ My Chinese typing was just too slow. I envy those whose Chinese typing was so fast that they can type as fast as their thoughts go. English typing is so much easier. I guess if I have more to write, I will use English as usual.

Stop Nagging!

It is just a process of economy's life cycle, not a big deal. Our life was not luxurious before and will not be at this moment or in the future. I think we don't need to do any big change for life. Nothing big can be saved nor will be spent. But if someone always nags about financial matters and cost down. I want to disappear for a clean moment.
Live through it! It won't be over sooner, but will be for sure. Stop nagging! When time comes, I know what to do. At this moment, I want to enjoy whatever I am doing. When time comes, I will still try to enjoy whatever I will be doing. But in the time between, I just want to live a simple life with a simple brain.

The outer environment is scary enough. Everyday you hear bad news about business closing down. More bad news are expectable. Unless it really affects me so much, now I don't want to talk about. Home should be a shelter from those bad news. I know what to do if time comes. Please don't nag about it. Yes, I am a big Ostrich. I enjoy being one happy silly Ostrich.

工怕抓漏 醫怕治咳

Been Coughing for two weeks since last cold. EverytimeI felt better, a new cold flow irritated my nose and throat again. Weather is the best remedy for coughing. Yesterday the weather was warmer and I felt better but still coughed at night. As for Winston, he coughed once a while as usual. Today the temperature is lower. I hope my nose and throat won't get worse.

華碩蘇州子公司裁員一半 (4.5萬人)
年底到了 蘇州治安令人擔心

Simple True Life in Action

Everyone, more or less, is suffering from the recession. We, too, got so much debt and interest to pay off.

No one is better off than anyone.

Live the best out of the worst.

Economy in depression, Simple true life in action.

Oh, God help the world out of destruction!

Hope we all learn the lesson.

.

Early Christmas Party

Winston's school changed the party time earlier to Sunday, December 7, because the party room were all booked until Chritmas. His class performed singing the song "Silent Night". Winston was the only student who had a solo to sing the song in the middle of their performance. He was not afraid of acting on the stage.

If you asked him what was the best part he liked about this party, he would said "The party was so much fun because I got my Christmas present from Santa." Which reminded me that when I asked him the best part he liked about Tian-Ping Hill, neither rocks nor maples, his answer was " The bubble blower". Kids have their own special ways in storing memories.

Red Maple Park

Winston and I went to the Maple park nearby. There are hundreds of maples trees in the park. Each tree has a ID card hanging on the tree. The trees are well taken care. But even so, in winter they still have to stand the cold snow without any leaves.
Winston and I were all wrapped with heavy winter clothes. We even wear a mask both indoors and outdoors. But when we eat or when we take pictures, we take off our masks and a thin stream of mucus will sneak out .
At night, we made su-si for supper. Winston took off his mask and we spotted his running nose.

Cold, freezing, and running nose again

I don't want to go over the sickness cycle again. My running nose comes back because of the cold air. This time I will take medicine at the earlier stage. The temperature is between -2 and 6 degree today. Richy said if I can stand this weekend's weather then I can live through the winter here. My nose and I are trying hard. Red eyes, red nose, cold fingers, and cold feet are struggling against this frosty air.

North wind is howling outside, I am afraid that the leaves will be all blown off this weekend. I plan to take Winston out to take some pictures of the trees in the park.

End of Stars Chasing 機會稍縱即逝

This was the moon I captured with my camera tonight. Winston and I saw the two stars again but for some reason I did not get them in my camera. I took too many pictures this morning for the autumn leaves and my camera was out of power. So, after I realized it and recharged my camera for 30 minutes, the stars were both gone again. I only got one banana moon to record. I felt fooled by the stars. But even I took a picture of today's sky, the moon and stars could not stay in the same picture. Because this time the two stars were very far below the moon. So, Looking at my picture, you should imagine the two little stars staying on the south-east corner outside of my picture. We should feel lucky to see Venus and Jupiter together with the first quarter moon for three consecutive days. The most precious moment was when we found a smiling sky performed by the moon and stars on the first day.

~End of stars chasing!~

A glance of 2008's Autumn

It is Winter already. The tree leaves changed color a lot this week. They were still green two weeks ago. The cold flow is on the way. There won't be any leaves left on some of the trees next week. So, I walked down to our complex park to grab the last glance of Fall 2008. The gingo tree leaves turned yellow and maple leaves orange red. Of course the evergreen trees remained green.

One good thing about living in Su-Zhou is that the gardening is so great everywhere that it was well built into every road, street, and neighborhood.

Sad Face Made by Mischievious Stars

Last evening when Winston and I were driving home, we saw the sky with 2 stars and one banana moon again. It was only 5:30pm. But the stars were under the moon and made an upside down sad face this time. That was mischievious. At that moment I thought that I would definitely take a picture of it later when the sky turned darker and more beautiful. So, with the good mood, I prepared some su-si for supper. Winston and I enjoyed our first home-made su-si and rested a bit. Then we took our camera and put on our thick heavy coats. With our happy mood, we were ready to go outdoors to watch the sad sky. We walked and searched, with the thought that maybe the sad face was hidden behind the tall buildings. So, we walked through all the possible buildings that might block our view and went to a place where nothing could block the sky view. But there was nothing except for thick fog and lights. How sad!
The sad face did not last long as the smiling face did last night. Maybe it is a good sign that good time lasts longer than the bad time. So, everyone: Hang up there! Bad time will not last long. Good time is coming. I am going to see how the sky turns out tonight. And I will bring my camera with me this evening.

To friends and families: If you got a picture of the sad sky, kindly e-mail one to me.

A Smiling Sky Performed by Venus, Jupiter, and a Banana Moon 雙星拱月

Last night Winston found the moon showed up as a upward banana and asked me to watch it. We saw one star and the banana moon. I told him Santa may sit on the moon or star to watch us. So he practiced his violin very hard to try to please Santa to make his Christmas wish come true. Later after we practiced violin, the other star showed up, but it was a bit smaller. Winston said, the stars and the moon together made a smiling face. He told me he saw Santa sitting on the smaller "pink" star. How imaginary! I would not be so cruel to break his heart by telling him that was only an imagination. Moreover, the legend of Santa Clause has been very useful in disciplining Winston. I told him Santa is watching him all the time to see if he is good or naughty. If he behaves well his wish for Christmas gift will come true.
This morning I felt regretful that I forgot to take pictures of the smiling sky. The stars were Venus and Jupiter. I should make a wish when I saw them together. I hope it would not be too late. I wish the economic will go up and everyone has a good year.
I was very happy to find someone photo took it and posted it in the net. That was exactly what we saw in the sky last night. I wonder wether my families and friends in Taiwan saw the same beautiful sky I saw.

Origin of picture: http://www.xiaoheyouyu.com/ worded by June

Tian-Ping Hill 二次造訪

Richy wanted to visited Tian-Ping so much because he wanted to see the colored maple leaves. I would not mind visiting it second time because I liked to worship the big rocks. Winston definitely wanted to go there because he wanted to buy the bubble blower from the vendor there. He missed it last time because I did not let him buy it. So everyone got a good motive to visit the mountain, and there we went.

Yellow, orange, brown, and red colored tree leaves on the lakeside glittered and waved under the sun and cold wind. If not for the big crowd aside, I would have confused myself as dreaming. Because of Sunday, it was so crowded and hard to find a clean spot for photo taking. Looking up to the top of the mountain, I saw the crowd of visitors climbing the mountain like the flock of ants crawling around the top of a big rock sugar. Although the crowd was big and the mountain was a bit littered, I still loved the mountain. But next time, I will visit here on the weekdays.

Thanksgiving Dinner

I could not find turkeys in Su-Zhou's supermarket, so I bought chicken instead. I used some croutons, beans, and celery for stuffing. The gravy of baked chicken did not taste as good as the turkey one. I used the gravy to make some mashed potato and Winston loved it. The meat tasted different from turkey meat but still tender and good . We just wanted to have a bit feel of Thanksgiving.