阶级 Class

我们的社会是椭圆形的，还是三角形？

Some people say the structure of our society is an Oval(with middle-class), but I am tend to know more about the triangle now... ...

"Party" activists!

昨天大考结束后，发展学的一大班同学便出席了由系主任KEN COLE号召的酒吧聚会, 从出席率就可以知道这位立场鲜明的老师在同学之间的受欢迎程度。

考试前一个星期，日夜“开车”紧凑复习，考试后，竟然有种空虚怅惘的感觉。与几位同学闲聊时，大家都对于即将从批判性极强的课堂理论，回到可能渐渐吞噬我们 的社会感到无可奈何。我想，老师被学校的僵化制度逼走的无奈，应该是有过之而无不极。平日上课、讨论会上、写作时，同学们极尽可能批判资本主义、新自由主义、世界 银行、国际货币基金组织、联合国、全球化等等，离开象牙塔后，我们在这个充斥非正义、非公正的世界，将选择驻守在怎样的岗位呢？若真被马克思这位已故老人家不幸言中，眼前的一切，是一个过程，我们能在这个过程中做些什么？坚守什么？

我在大伙赠送给老师的黄色衬衫写下：“我来这里寻找答案，您却教我怎么提问，谢谢您的教诲！过程比结果还重要。”

最后，对于那些即将开始人生另一段旅程的同学，同窗的日子将成为美好的回忆，祝福大家。

Finally, the spring course came to the end after our final exam. Last night, we all went out for “pub crawl” again with students in the School of Development Studies with Ken Cole. From the attendance, we can know his popularity!

The one-week intensive exam preparation was followed by a sense of emptiness and void after the 3 hours exam. When few of us talked about future, we all have a feeling of impotent towards the society that we are going to face and maybe absorbed gradually by it. I believe that within the rigid teaching appraisal system, our professor, Ken, who enjoys teaching so much, but is forced to leave in the end must be very frustrated, much more than we are.

After we left this ivory tower which allowed us to think and criticize critically about injustice and inequality in capitalism, neo-liberalism, the World Bank, the IMF, the UN, globalization etc, what kinds of role we are going to play in our tiny position in the future? If things are happening today have been predicted by Marx accurately- unfortunately- it is part of the progress, what can we do as part of our life?

I wrote down a short sentence on the yellow shirt which we gave Ken as a token of appreciation:“ I come here to look for the answers, but you told me to look for the questions first…” Never stop questioning.

Lastly, for those “party” activists (my dear classmates/course mates) who are going to begin another part of journey in their life (fieldworks, dissertations, careers, marriage etc. ), I am going to miss the days when we were in Dev and UEA ! Good luck to your future undertakings!

#

穿迷你裙的女司机 The Female Bus Driver

上学途中，在巴士站与一位身穿深蓝色套装的妇女一起等候巴士。当时，她身上的迷你裙、高跟鞋，让人乍看之下，以为是某家航空公司的空服人员！巴士抵达时，她抢先排在我前头，所有乘客下车后，她便打开司机位的小门，与原有的男司机交谈几句后，便坐入司机位。原来是换班的女司机！我看傻了眼，才闭关在房里几天，巴士女司机就换了夏天制服，而且看起来那么专业... ... 抵达学校时，我偷偷瞄了一眼她的迷你裙，她还穿着一对黑丝袜呢！

The female bus driver was so impressive ! I was waiting for the bus when I saw her this morning. She was wearing a suit in deep blue with mini skirt, high heels, and black silk stockings! At the first glance, I did not realize that she is a bus driver, until she sat into the driver sit. She looked like a stewardess... ...so formal and professional in appearance!

华、淡小应获公平、制度化拨款 We want a fair and just policy!

想到就心寒。

第9大马计划下拨给华小和淡小分别只占据发展拨款的3.6%和1.3%。
全国共有3,044,977名小学生，华小和淡小的学生总数分别占据小学生总数的21.2%和3.2%。

我们的先辈在两百年多前就已经来大马开荒，各民族共同经历殖民统治、日军占领，也共同为这片土地的经济及发展做出贡献，同样是纳税人，为什么华小、淡小不能享有公平的待遇？ 而且，还不断地被整日玩弄种族课题的政客指责为“国民团结”的绊脚石？为什么他们那么不能尊重人民的选择、接受并推广多元化？

Chinese, Indians and other races consist of more than 40% of population in the country. There are over 3 millions of students studying in primary schools, the enrolment of students in Chinese primary schools and Tamil primary school are 21.2% and 3.2% respectively of the total enrolments. Unfortunately, under the 9th Malaysia Plan, the education allocation for Chinese primary schools and Tamil primary schools are only at 3.6% and 1.3% respectively.

Our ancestors have been settled now in Malaysia for more than two centuries, long before the independence of the country. We also make contributions to the economic and national development of the country, why can't we enjoy the fair and just treatment? Why are the politicians who like to play racial and religious issues themselves always allege that the existence of different types of schools are obstacles to national unity and the cause of racial polarization in the country? Why can't they respect people's choices and promote diversity?

" National-type primary schools had never been a separate education system in the country, as it has followed a common national syllabus with a common national examination system. It is not Malaysian-centred mother-tongue education which is the cause of racial polarization but divisive national policies which continue to segregate Malaysians into bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras instead of treating them as one Malaysian people. " --Lim Kit Siang

SS Collection: Guardian of Our Souls--A Century of Chinese Education in Malaysia

复活节的疑问 New thinking on Easter

我孤陋寡闻，复活节让我大开眼界。

随两名室友到一所社区教会参加复活节活动。
那不是传统的CATHOLIC，而是PENTECOSTAL（圣灵降临节集会）。牧师并不像电影里黑袍神父那样，反而像个政治演说家那样领导祷告。和谐的圣歌是乐队伴奏的。还有，他们还为一名将走私圣经到某个国家的教徒祈祷。

用餐时，一名昨天刚从阿富汗回来的女信徒告诉我们，她在那里短短一星期就发生当地7名信徒惨遭杀害事件，眼珠还被挖出来！

回到屋里，对希腊室友说：“复活节快乐”时，冷不防他一句：“我们的复活节在下个星期...”，“什么？”， “我们是ORTHODOX（东正教）。”我满脑子问号，他解释说是使用的日历不同，另外，他还说，犹太人是不庆祝复活节的，因为他们不相信基督复活（Resurrection）。

曾经有两个朋友说要送我《圣经》，其中一位借了漫画版《圣经故事》给我，虽然当时看得津津有味，不过，心里留下许多未解的疑惑。常常从新闻上读到宗教冲突，我会想, 全世界好像只有一本《圣经》，一本《可兰经》，但落到不同的人手里就有不同的诠释，大家在争什么？

I went to Earlham Church Centre with my flatmates on Easter. I was curious about how local people celebrate this festival. The church I visited is not the traditional catholic, it is Pentecostal. The pastor led the worship in a way I had never seen, he talked like...a politician. However, the atmosphere was peaceful and happily.Anthems were accompanied by band music. They also prayed for a follower who is going to smuggle Bible... ...

A female follower who just came back from Afghanistan shared her sad story. Seven christians were killed during her stay . Their eyes were even dug out!

When I went back to my flat, I said:"Happy Easter" to my Greek flatmate. By surprise, he replied:"We celebrate next week." "Why?" "We(most of the Greek)are Orthodox. Moreover, the Jewish(Judaism) don't celebrate Easter, because they don't believe in Resurrection of Jesus."

I read a comic version of bible story lend by a friend long time ago. Perhaps, I am too ignorant of religion, everytime when I read the news about the religious conflicts, one question always in my mind: there is only one Bible, one Quran in this world, but different people interpret and preach their faith in different way, why are they acting so harsh to each other ?＃

有朋自远方来 Friend from Manchester

师妹工作两年后环游世界，路经陋屋，驻留二日，不亦乐乎。她带我尝了Norwich马来西亚餐馆的自助餐及JBWhetherspoon的Fish n Chips。
*****
耶稣受难日，诺理奇的天空一片晴朗，那拥有英国第二高尖塔、超过900年历史的教堂的蓝天白云的衬托得特别庄严美丽。
*****
夏天，还是寒风冽冽，但老街旁的花儿都开好了。
师妹，一路上要小心。

The happiest thing after I finished my essays perhaps is the arrival of my ex-university junior two days ago. She is travelling around the world after she quitted her job in Manchester. We went to the Malaysian Delight Restaurant to enjoy the delicious buffet lunch. The next day, we ordered Fish n Chips for our lunch in the JBWhetherspoon restaurant.
×××××
It was a sunny Good Friday, some of the trees are in blossom, the old Norwich Cathedral looks magnificent under the blue sky. It had been a place of Christian worship for over 900 years.

French Market in Norwich

花开伦敦 Summer in London

天啊...大师兄沈平镜头下的伦敦花季真是美到叫人心动！！So beautiful.... Blossom in London, pictures are taken by my favourite ex-uni-senior ShumPing.

我的咖喱角 My Currypuffs

交还本学期所有作文， 心血来潮，向朋友借了炸油锅和秤，跟着妈妈给的食谱做起咖喱角！妈妈要掉眼镜了，平时我在家里连她的面粉放在哪里都不知道，这回竟自己动手做这样高难度的食物！

我用了3个小时，原本估计所用的面粉能做24个，结果，只做了15个面皮厚厚的咖喱角！失败了。还好，虽然不是马来MAKCIK他们做的皮薄馅料多的那种，试吃的朋友都说口感还不错。

妈妈说她的朋友的朋友的儿子先学了怎样做咖喱角，过来英国读书时，就是靠卖这种食物过活。还听说有同学学理男生头，来到英国帮男生剪头发都能存到钱。有一门手艺在身还是比较好，走遍天下都不怕饿死，高中毕业时，我也想过去学裁缝，最后，历史还是改写了, 呵呵。


I tried to make my favourite malay food -- currypuff. Really hard to imagine that I made currypuffs myself. I don't even know how to use my mum's kitchen scale and flour at home!

I was intend to make 24 currypuffs with the ingredients. After 3 hours, only 15 was made. The experiment was unsuccessful. Luckily those who tasted it said they are tasty!

My mum once told me that her friend's son earned pocket money by selling currypuffs when he was studying in the UK. It is really an advantage for a person to have special ability to make a living. I was also thinking of to be a tailor when I graduated from high school.

主流媒体叫他们“叛军” Rebellions in Mainstream Media-- Zapatista

系里有一个与墨西哥ZAPATISTA原住民相处了十年的研究生。他常受邀分享有关ZAPATISTA革命运动的故事。有一次与他聊天时，他ZAPATISTA不要资本主义，也不要社会主义，也不是共产主义，我问：那他们要什么？他说：“如果椅子代表权力，政治人物就是常常拿起椅子要打人的家伙，公民社会团体则要求坐在椅子上对话，而ZAPATISTA要做的是把椅子分解、拆开。”

萨帕塔运动是墨西哥境内一个为争取以原住民土地权及自治的原住民群体发起的。他们拒绝对环境资源不断进行剥削的资本主义、新自由主义、全球化。他们也因拒绝墨西哥政府处置原住民的政策而受到打压及迫害，他们出外活动时都蒙面以示“团结”，“不分你我”，也为他们的革命添上神秘色彩。

这种浪漫兼具抗争性的生活哲学深深吸引了我。他们把环境与人都看成 “主体”， 人与人、人与石头、人与树木都是“主体”，主体之间要沟通（说，听，了解，尊重）。他们的语言里没有“财产”及“客体“，他们相信，政府及资本家对天然资源进行掠夺的同时，环境与人们的身体同时都受伤、流血。

当打压及迫害是合法的，反迫害者变成了“叛军”。这样的群体活在这样的世界，注定是要拿起枪械来反抗的。不过，使用暴力不是他们的天性，唯一一次的武装起义是在1994年，综合原因包括原住民遭边缘化、贫穷、失业、新自由主义经济政策条款等长期累积的问题。此后数十年间，他们继续通过和平手段来宣扬他们的信仰。

A Mexican research student told me a lot about Zapatista Movement.He is always invited to give talks about this movement in the school. One thing he said impressed me : assuming that chairs are power, the politicians will use it to beat people, the civil society will try to sit on the chairs to discuss, but Zapatistas will cut the chairs into pieces.

These indigenous people believe that humans, songs, stones, and trees etc are all subjects. Intersubjective communication requires all subjects to "speak, listen, understand and respect each other."It is really attractive and romantic to some extent.Sometimes, I think we really need to learn how to live in harmony with Mother Nature from indigeous people who never talk about "pollution","finite resource"...etc.

When the oppressors use violence to oppress, the voiceless oppressed have no other choice but to resist and protect themselves with weapons.

However, Zapatista movement is pacific and non-violent. Although there was an armed uprising in 1994 to oppose social, political and historical injustice, they adopted unarmed and peaceful approach to promote their ideology.They are anti-capitalism, anti-neoliberalism, anti-globalization, etc. The Zapatista ideology of autonomy is unique.They see autonomy of the indigenous population as a solution to poverty ; they promote a kind of state within a state where peoples can keep their ways of government and communal way of life.

"The natural wealth that leaves these lands doesn't travel over just these three roads (leading to Chiapas). Chiapas is bled through thousands of veins: through oil ducts and gas ducts, over electric wires, by railroad cars, through bank accounts, by trucks and vans, by ships and planes...And what tribute does this land continue to pay to various empires? Oil, electric energy, cattle, money, bananas, honey, corn, cocoa, tobacco, sugar, soy...and Chiapan blood flows out through a thousand and one fangs sunk into the neck of southeastern Mexico." --Quoted from The Zapatista Movement

TWINS 最经典: 丢架

今晚写到第一千三百个字，评估一种为环境定价的民意调查法，无聊之极，环境怎能有价？ 上网重听香港TWINS唱的《丢架》， 林夕的词，真是极品，第一句“咖啡杯都企（站）不稳”，就叫人联想到女主角手在擅抖，心在淌血的伤感画面。

TWINS其它歌都我没啥留意，唯有这首，百听不厌。偶而还是会想起，很多年以前，自己也曾如此当街丢架... ...


*****
丢架

Sa: 咖啡杯都企不稳 我忍 自称不想我伤心你要小心 临别亦要那么狠 语带兴奋 什么他真比我衬 觉得不应该再等
Gil: 傻女　为何要苦笑 明明我可以大叫 架己丢 或者就快不能了 Twins: 我的信心崩溃了
Sa: 终于我哭了不必坐通宵 或者当初你只贪我喜欢笑 你我早已失去这需要
Gil: 当街痛哭了不好意思打扰 或者应该亲口请你快走了 好走了让我知道我们完了
Gil: 小心摸亲你的手　你知 大家相识那么久　我哪知丑 宁愿拨去你的手　怕你一踫 十打纸巾不会够　泪一点出不会收
Sa: 谁管　明晨眼肿了会怪我的气量窄 福气少　大癫大肺玩完了 Twins: 甚至化妆都不要
Gil: 好彩我哭了　不必坐通宵 或者当初你只贪我喜欢笑 你我早已失去这需要
Sa: 当街痛哭了　不好意思打扰 或者应该亲口请你快走了 好走了 让我知道我们完了
Let it flow Let it flow I can't control So let it flow Let it flow Let it flow I lost my soul So I'll let it go
Twins: 好彩我哭了不必坐通宵 或者 Sa: 当初你只贪我喜欢笑 你我早已失去这需要
Twins: 当街痛哭了　不好意思打扰 或者 Gil: 应该亲口请你快走了 好走了
Twins: 让我知道我们完了

*****

隔壁班同学 with MscED folks

我修读纯发展学，却选修了三门与环境有关的科目。因此，与环境发展学的同学混了两个学期。今天是本学期“环境发展政策与课题”的最后一堂课，我参加了他们为班上两名同学主办的庆生会。

在众多与发展学有关的选修学科中，从选修人数就可以知道各项问题在人们心目中的比重，政治与经济是最热门的。我是否可以以此假设，女生比男生更关心环境？因为环境发展学只有两位男同学。环境问题与人类的生存息息相关，但它往往却是人们最后选择关心的问题。

过去几个月，让我印象深刻及启动我的思考机器的几个问题简单来说包括了：
（1）环境本身是多变的、动态的。人类与环境是相互依赖的，如果人类自以为是主体，环境为客体，人对环境、资源的索求将是无止境的（结果出现了现代人对于污染、资源匮乏的担忧）。
（2）关注不同群体的人们对环境问题及环境风险的不同理解。有时候，所谓的“科学家”、“专家”常自以为是，而忽略了“当地人”对于利用与保存环境资源的传统知识。
（3）处理环境管理时须留意及回应不同层次的管理问题。
（4）... ...

This picture was taken at a birthday party after our last PIED lecture with my coursemates in MSc in Environment and Development. Although I am a MADS student, I have attended 3 optional courses which are related to environment issues, therefore I spent most of my lectures with them in the last two semesters.

The most interesting thing is: there are only two boys in the class, can I assume that girls are more concern about environmental issues?^_^ However, it is truth that among many issues in development, environment is always the last thing that people want to think about and do something.

In the past few months, there are several issues which always make me to reflect :
(1)Environment is DYNAMIC. People and environment are interrelated. When people think of themselves as subject, environment as object, there will be overconsumption and overuse of natural resources.
(2)Concerns about risk perception of different groups. Divergence between expert knowledge and local knowledge in dealing with environment problems.
(3)Be aware of different SCALE of managements when we are dealing with environmental issues.
(4)etc... ...

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Volunteer in Oxfam

在日本同学AKI的号召下，四个星期前的星期日，我在诺理奇市中心的其中一家慈善中心OXFAM当起义工。店里摆卖许多二手用品及FAIR TRADE 食品，收入所得将捐助发展中国家的各项援助活动。我的工作很简单，但刚开始使用收银机时频频出错。还有，那些洋人看到两个黑头发的亚洲人在店里当义工时，也投以奇怪（但友善）的眼光。人们可以将完好的、不需要的物品如：衣服、玩具、书本、录影带捐给这类慈善中心去出售，消费者也能以非常低廉的价格购买到必需品。我的冬装及一些用品都是在慈善中心里购买的,我想，等我毕业时，还可以捐回给他们继续摆卖吧？我在去年九月出国前，曾听说JOHORJAYA有一家SALVATION ARMY， 做的应该就是这类生意。对环境管理而言，这可能是鼓励“再使用”的好办法，但环境对于消费品的承载能力究竟有多强？

I started my volunteer work at Oxfam on 12th March 2006(11am to 3pm). Oxfam is one of the charity shops in Norwich. There are a number of charity shops such as Fara, Salvation Army etc. here. It was my Japanese coursemate Aki who called for the help at first. Usually, the charity shops do not open on Sunday. Some volunteers from UEA helped in the Oxfam every Sunday, they quited the job when the essay deadlines were approaching, so I offered to help out for four Sunday. In last few weeks, I learnt how to use the till and rearrange the goods on the shelves. Clothes, bric-a-brac, video tapes, books (all these come from donations, many of them look like newly bought) and Fair Trade products can be found in the shop with very low prices. The income will go to developing countries. Charity shops like Oxfam can hardly be seen in both Malaysia and Japan. Only just before I left Malaysia, I heard about the opening of Salvation Army near the place I lived. In terms of "re-use" in the aspect of environment management, I think it is a good way to manage the things that people do not need them anymore while others who need them can buy with lower prices(I bought many things in charity shops too), it also brings "double dividend" by helping developing countries at the same time , but how big is the capacity for the used things in the environment?