Hobbies and Interests
Rendition by Kong Shiu Loon
INTRODUCTION
Poem Power
…John Turner, S.J. said in his Golden Treasure of Chinese Poetry, Chinese poetry is “the high artistic peak of the most literary, the most artistic, and the longest-established civilization that exists.”…
The Heritage
The earliest anthology of Chinese literature is the Book of Poetry compiled in the Sixth Century B.C. …
In 1953 the World Peace Council held an elaborate event to commemorate “the four greatest cultural figures in history to be remembered by the world”. Qu Yuan was one of the four. Since then, his poems had been translated into no less than fourteen languages. He became a poet of the world…
The Golden Era
The Tang and Song dynasties are the golden ages in Chinese history, with the greatest inventions, the fearless opening of the mind, and the most imaginative poetic and artistic expressions. …
Timeless Wisdom
Traditional Chinese poets all shared a unique understanding and outlook of life and the universe. In it heaven, earth and man are one, interdependent and mutually respectful…
…Chinese poets often communicate in transcendental ways, probably influenced by Zen Buddhism and the concepts of Laozi and Zhongzi, equating have to have-not, exalting the power of silence and space.
For the 21 Century
For readers like the lucky Wahyanites who know both Chinese and English, seeing the poems juxtaposed in two languages may help to inspire a deeper appreciation of their beauty and powers.
To read the rendition and the full Introduction, please click here.
Have dreams?
We have 張愛玲的亂夢 and Robert Brownings's Bad Dreams.
Yearn to travel?
We have "Accidental Traveller" and "Package Tour - Spain and Portugal".
Rose and John Ho ('65) share the beautiful pictures taken from their recent trip to 雲南. The first part (雲南、昆明、東川、紅土地) can be seen here in our blog. Click here to see the second part (昆明點滴). The last of the 3-part series of pictures presented in slideshow format with background music can be seen here (土林).
FB, a retired family physician, sees issues through rose-coloured glasses at
Prorogation Protests Across Canada (Hey, people, listen, we are barking up the wrong tree.)
To Obama (Mr. President, our condolences.)
Beware Domestic Violence/Recession Rage (The economy is not causing domestic violence, but it definitely influences it)
The End of the World (In memory of all lost in the Haiti Catastrophe)
The Confession of a Shopaholic (I was caught in Walmart the other day....)
In his 15-day adventure from Vancouver to experience the Mid-night Sun, dentist Bonbon Hu (class of 65) does not move on to Chickens, Alaska with the group but stays at Dawson, a city of "High Noon" and "OK Corral" setting on the 7th day.
Enjoy his route by clicking the picture.
Thank Goodness It's Friday.
We have over 120 renditions of Chinese poems, wine/food pairing reports, a series of 15-day motor cycling adventure and other travelogues waiting for you to enjoy over the weekend. One click at http://blog.wykontario.org/ will bring you there.
When you have a quiet moment in this season of festivities, we invite you to join us at Members' Corner.
We also suggest that you spend a few minutes to enjoy Nick Tsui's speech at HKWY Speech Day on 2009.11.12.
Nick is the grandson of Mr Tsui Yan Sau and has been the web master of HKWYPSA site.
4 Wahyanites from 4 cities, Ottawa-Vancouver-Hong Kong-Wahington D.C., recently had their fun in translating
菩萨蛮 (唐)李白 (701~762)平林漠漠烟如织
寒山一带伤心碧
暝色入高楼
有人楼上愁
玉阶空伫立
宿鸟归飞急
何处是归程
长亭连短亭
Click here to enjoy their work. Share yours through Contact Us in the Main Menu.
"One could be surprised of the simplicity of some of Li's poems, quiet and beautiful."~ SL Kong.
There are many more translations of beautiful poems of major poets. Enjoy.
"This year marks the 30th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic ties between America and China, which proved a dramatic turning point in the cold war" ---The Economist, October 24th~30th 2009.
This is a timely article by Kong Shiu-Loon (1953).
Click here to enjoy it.