just some thoughts (very random ones)

When people are getting older, you are not gonna be very quick to spot who you are gonna like and who you are not. the reason is simple and needs not be explained. but there are things that you are to decide upon and when you do so, you are gonna be so sure that no one can change you. this is what some called stubborn but this is what i reckon to be an important trait that a grownup should demonstrate. this is life, you are not gonna be liked by everyone, there are people who look down on you but you are treasures to an important few.

as a man, it's very important not to underestimate you. as sunzi said, you should know yourself and know others before being sure that you will prevail. if you can get an A, don't be afraid to get it. although you may encounter hardship during the process, your determination is what it takes to reach the end goal. if you deserve something, go for it. trying and failing is always appreciated rather than wanting but escaping.

for the past ten years, i felt i haven't accomplished so much since i have seldom tried. although i didn't fail either, this is not what life should be led. although i'm doing well at jobs, this style of handling decisions and personal goals has given me a serious and obvious punishment. i know i'm not gonna change myself in a day. i'll let god decide when i will be ready.

Some thoughts on minimum wage

some people say too high of a minimum wage will affect businesses and damage the economy. i wanna use a simple example to illustrate this is hardly the case.

let's compare the highest and lowest minimum wage being proposed by unions and business interest groups.

the highest minimum wage proposed so far = hKD 35/hour
assumed working hours = 8 hours/day
monthly salary = HKD5600 (20 working days)

when this is compared with the lowest proposed benchmark (hkd 20/hour),

wage proposed: HKD 20/hour
assumed working hours = 8 hours/day
monthly salary = 3200 (20 working days)


the difference between them is HKD 2400/month/worker

let's look at an SME A with 10 employees, if the employer is paying all of its staff below the minimum wage, god should condemn it. but mostly likely, the number should be much smaller.

I assume 2 of the staff in company A are currently paid below minimum wage, say HKD20/hour. if it's forced to pay hKD35/hour, it is going to have to pay HKD4800/month more.

will this company shut down because of HKD5000? i believe the answer is no.

i have a friend who's business in a new territories shopping mall is catering. he is paying hkd 150,000/month in rent to landlord in order to keep his business running.

when we compare this with the so little ordinary workers are making , we know who is causing businesses to shut down.

人生幾十年

大年初一，虎年伊始，就聽到ㄧ個令人感傷的消息。一位朋友，孩子不過幾歲，竟然發現第四期癌症。初二當天，朋友講述其病況也不禁黯然流淚，我心中當然也不好過，好歹她剛剛才幫我介紹ㄧ個面試機會，不過數月，竟然身懷絕症。因為當天要上班，沒有結伴前往探望，其後聽說出現醫藥費緊缺問題，立刻捐款以表心意。人生不過幾十年，雖說命運掌握在自己手中，但天降橫禍，真能殺你個措手不及。聽說朋友從得知病況起，不過幾個星期，已曾進入昏迷狀態，需要緊急救治。更從其他曾探視者得知，病人目前奇瘦無比，肚子卻隆起。上天給人幸福，容易使人視為當然，但ㄧ天賜予苦難，人又能否積極應對。如果今天是生命中最後ㄧ天，哪些東西才是最重要？還是減少執著，才算享受生活。

舉棋不定

今天漏接了兩通電話，其中ㄧ通已經知道來電者，另外ㄧ通仍然神祕，究竟會否是面試機會？我在鳳凰電視的日子還有多久就會結束？這的天知道。常常想著自己的未來，究竟我應否留在媒體工作？若不，又要到哪裡？當老師？還是繼續進修當個研究員？父母都想我去考進政府，但政府不是說考就考得進，還有幾萬人跟你比拼。如果留在媒體工作，大概已經知道自己的未來會是怎樣，大概每天下班，家人已經快要睡覺，假期不穩定，薪水不高，但每天都能接受新事物，工作有挑戰性。我甚麼時候想法變得這麼實際？究竟我的生命想尋找些甚麼？真正可以掌握自己未來時，反而感到不知所措，舉棋不定。而我與別人相比，長處又在哪裡？想ㄧ想若果到有線電視面試，別人問我如何與眾不同，大概我也講不出來。日文又學不成，台語也沒有聽懂，真是書到用時方恨少。是不是這ㄧ份工作讓我信心大減？以前的我，不是縱橫職場面試無對手的嗎？年齡的增長，的確讓人增添滄桑無力感，雖然累積了經驗，但這些經驗，甚麼時候用得著？

卻步

聽到這首歌想起了她，本想嘗試開展ㄧ段新的關係，但這些感覺使我又往後退了幾步。雖然這個她，已經不是最重要了，我還忘不了的，是對她的這ㄧ種感覺，又執著又天真。可惜，在有過的幾段關係中，都不是建基於這種最忠於自己的感覺，後來更因此為自己惹來不少麻煩。好不容易這些都過去了，可以重新出發，我不斷跟自己講，我不可以像以前ㄧ樣，要更忠於自己。不過，要找到這個人又談何容易？就算有，也要配合天時地利人和，人大了，更多了幾分實際，不會像以前的無怨無悔。等久了，有時我會感到不耐煩，想想不如算了，反正現在我需要的，跟我想要的，也不見得是ㄧ樣。不過，今天聽到這首歌，那種感覺又再次浮現，好像內心有ㄧ隻不死的鳥，在告訴我，牠還很想自由自在，不受限制的翱翔天際，這種感覺，讓我認識到，這麼多年，我根本沒有變過。但是理想與實際之間，又怎麼平衡呢？

命運與你

你覺得生命中，是你自己做主，還是命運為你做主？我發現有很多人，生命的轉捩點，不是自己選擇的，但之後他所做的事，或所計畫的人生，就是因為有此經歷。雖然決定是自己做的，但環境已經影響你的決定，而不是你自己決定環境。所以，生命主宰了你，不是你主宰生命。我有一個朋友，曾經患癌症，立志濟世為懷，結果成為了出色的醫生。黎智英小時候窮，需要街上賣小物品求生，學會生意技巧，結果當上老闆。聽說有跳水員，本來是玩其他運動的，但純粹是因為家近跳水學校，所以學會跳水，成為出色的跳水運動員。如果以人一開始就知道掌握自己的命運，那個人就真的很強。我這樣講，不是要人消極，反而，人不應該自怨自艾，因為，你根本不可以改變命運。但是，每個人都可以在命運的限制中，活初最成功，最精彩的人生。