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無綫電視事隔多年再度製作並播映《超級無敵獎門人》,由主持人至各環節,原封不動再次呈現給觀眾。電視觀眾似乎不介意,收視率有好成績(雖然收視率今時今日有仍有多少代表性是有爭議性,但最少能反映同一班觀眾之中的趨勢),證明「翻炒冷飯」很合不少人的口胃。儘管有無綫前主播最近抖出該台綜藝製作人員 不思長進 的心態,但單看《獎門人》收視率也會難怪製作人會作出「橋唔怕舊最緊要受」(點子不怕舊,最重要受落)的結論了。 另一台viuTV最「新」的自家電視劇《I Swim》(播出已接近兩個月),網上對其劇情 批評 不少,其中有評論指劇情不真實,例如名校學生不會因學校輸掉游泳比賽而私人用鐵棒攻擊對賽學校的學生、師生戀佔據劇情之餘也嫌牽強。相信批評者求學時,定有面對過作文的老大難,就是寫記敍文時——例如記水運會——如何在真實的背景中寫出一個引人入勝的故事,有些情節,就算沒經歷過或目睹過,如果有可能發生的,又或非完全不合理的,為何不能寫?如師生戀不可能發生就不會有相關 指引 ,敗方球迷賽後騷亂發洩更是偶有聽聞吧。加入相關情節於劇情中,佈局、比重固然可作斟酌,但一定不是錯誤,不然就會像把一篇記水運會的記敘文,變質成一篇平鋪直敘的校報新聞了。 特首李家超早前就上任後第一份施政報告出席諮詢會,他其中一個 評語 ,就是「完全很破格的話,在這方面暫時未有極度破格的東西,反而我現在想有否新思維。」說實話,以香港目前的環境和氛圍,期望人民會提出「極度破格的東西」,倒是個頗破格的想法,相信為政者,應不難了解為何民間不能提供突破的原因,但破解此困局,卻非全可由其主宰。 港人素以靈活善變自居,但生活中對新事物或天馬行空思想的狹窄接受程度(由電視劇至社會對非主流的一般偏見),乃至社會層面的食老本和欠缺新思維,卻與「善變」的精神背馳,更會為香港拖後腿。不破格,無突破,換來的只有整個香港社會的破落。

A boat trip like no other 難得遊船河

It was Open House Melbourne on 30 July, when many places were open for public visits. My relatives and I took this opportunity to go on a free boat tour of the Port of Melbourne. 7月30日是「墨爾本開放日」,不少地方都開放讓人參觀,我和一眾親戚約了當天下午一同免費遊船河,參觀墨爾本的港口。 We boarded at a pier in the Docklands district which adjoins Melbourne CBD. The area is generally quieter at weekends with a relaxing atmosphere. 登船的地點名叫船塢區Docklands,現在已成為毗鄰市中心的商住區,在週末人流一般偏少,有種悠閒的感覺。 The Port of Melbourne is in fact a conglomerate of different wharves and piers along the last section of the Yarra River before the Yarra meets the sea, with separate parts for concrete, chemicals, conventional containers and oversized cargo. Each type of goods requires its kind of vessel for transport.  墨爾本的港口,其實是將沿雅拉河各個船塢和碼頭集合一起的統稱,每個碼頭各有分工,包括混凝土、化學品、傳統貨櫃(集裝箱)和超大長或超大型貨物,每種貨物都須用各自的船運載。 Concrete  混凝土 Oversized goods  超大型貨物 Chemicals  化學品 One of my relatives called them giraffes 有親戚說是長頸鹿 For containers, there are vessels that carry trucks ...

Appreciating flowers - and life 賞花的隨想

Heading towards the end of autumn, May in Melbourne is not only the time for red and golden autumn leaves but, somewhat expectedly, for blooming flowers too. It may be hard to get one's head around this for those from Europe or Hong Kong, and even for me despite having lived in Melbourne for so many years - somehow I have been rather oblivious to this natural phenomenon! 五月深秋在墨爾本,除了通紅和金黃的樹葉,還有花可以觀賞,對在歐洲和香港生活過的我來說,是頗新奇的景象——雖然我在澳洲生活也有多年,我卻一直忽略了。 The roses have definitely taken me by surprise, as I have always expected them to flower only in spring and summer. They put on another good show in autumn that can rival the earlier seasons! 尤其是玫瑰,我一直以為只會在春夏綻放,但原來踏入深秋仍不欺場,更可和春天盛開的景況媲美,令人喜出望外! Thankfully I managed to capture the best moment for this bush, because a bout of overnight rain and wind reduced many flowers to petals, leaving the bush in a rather desolate state the next day. Good times don't always last, but I also didn't expect it to be so whimsical ...

A golden Saturday away 留一天與太太喘息

April is a good time for the great outdoors. My wife and I were keen to explore somewhere new and thus visited Warrandyte on the fringes of Melbourne, for the State Park and a winery there. 4月是郊遊的好時光,我和太太趁機發掘新去處。9日那天我們到市區邊陲、開始帶點郊外氣息的Warrandyte區的州立公園和一家酒莊一遊。 There are actually four parts to Warrandyte State Park. We went to the part which was a gold mine in the 19th century and was the first site of gold discovery in Victoria, although it did not end up with the same level of fame as the other gold rush towns of Ballarat and Bendigo. The park has preserved some relics from the mining days, including the Geraghty's Tunnel whose entrance is still open for a small section. Warrandyte State Park州立公園其實分四部份,我們郊遊的部份,前身是金礦場,而且是維多利亞州首個發現金礦之地,雖然沒有後來的淘金城鎮巴拉瑞特Ballarat和本迪戈Bendigo那麼有名,但也算在維州淘金史中佔一席位。公園保留了些採礦的遺跡,包括一個仍開放一小段的Geraghty's Tunnel礦洞,鑽進去再出來時不期然令我想起鏡仔Ian新歌《留一天與你喘息》的 MV 在 馬鞍山礦場 的片段,所以後來太太撿石頭留念時,我也打趣學MV中女主角的開場白說「石頭係有生命嘅」(石頭是有生命的)。 Geraghty's Tunnel ...

Sumptuous meals with pleasant views 佳餚配美景

Last month we thanked the state government's generous dining enticement (25% rebate for spending of A$40 or more) by dining out at a couple of places in Melbourne CBD. We have cut down on dining-in and switched to take-away since the start of the Covid pandemic unless the venue offers outdoor seating. The venues that we visited did not only have outdoor areas but boast of some of the best views in the city section of the Yarra river. 上個月,託維州政府的福,逢星期一至四在市區用膳滿澳幣40元可申請退回25%消費,所以趁機出外試菜了。疫情以來,外出用膳減少了很多,除非有室外座席,不然一般只敢買外賣。我們試菜的兩個地方,不只是戶外,更臨市區雅拉河畔,地點和景色堪稱一流。 Our first outing was on 16 March for the new Yarra Botanica floating restaurant, on its first day of business. It is a barge berthed at a fixed pier at Southbank, with an upper deck and a lower deck that lies very close to the water surface. My wife and I found a spot away from other customers on the lower deck to enjoy our meal. 第一次是3月16日,新河上餐廳Yarra Botanica開張之日。餐廳其實是艘舫,固定地停泊在河的南岸Southbank,舫分兩層,下層貼近水面,我和太太就在面對河中心和市區的一側找個遠離其他顧客的地方坐下用餐。...

姜月

如果去年是鏡年,新一年正月說是「姜月」也許不會太過份吧——雖然同月Edan的曝光率亦很高(賀歲片宣傳+接二連三廣告),Frankie亦因《IT狗》中Never此角色開始走紅。 月初姜濤推出新派台歌《鏡中鏡》,其MV和拍攝背景(動機和心路歷程)頓成城中熱話,我自問無高見就不再延續這個討論也不再覆述之前的評論,只想說,《鏡中鏡》的討論已提升至一個文學層次,姜濤本人在IG也出過限時動態「宣傳」及感謝著名文學人 董啟章 對該首歌及MV的評析。流行曲受社會關注並不出奇,流行曲也是藝術的一種,但單一首歌能受藝術的另一界別注視,並作為文學分析的題材就難得一見,可算是一種藝術成就!(當然能奪下流行曲排行榜第一位就錦上添花了。) 另外能成為新聞的,就是受醫療事故影響的小孩天瑜,其父上載片段謂天瑜聽到《蒙着嘴說愛你》後有 出乎意料的反應 ,感到激動。究竟天瑜對《蒙》歌的反應是巧合,還是《蒙》歌真有如此治療功效,大概可以做一做研究的,不過如果播一首歌能這樣造福聽眾,歌手也應該像天瑜父般欣慰,也再證明姜濤及其作品在社會的影響力。 姜濤在接受 鄭裕玲訪問 時說過,作為藝人的價值,不在於在這行業留下什麼,而是離開行業後(給大家)留下了些什麼,但就此看來,他出道三年多,已在行業外、為大眾開始留下點點legacy,以其年資來說,殊不簡單。 * * * 我一直甚少完完全全聽明星的訪問,姜濤一個月內接受同一電台三次訪問,我都足本收聽,鄭裕玲那個訪問,有兩點勾起我對學術研究的聯想。 一就是姜濤說的「真正對音樂有追求的artists都會想脫離流量」,學界中人又可嘗沒此想法和感慨,如果不用為追逐撥款或知名度而趕着不停發表論文,增加「流量」,甚至犧牲研究質素乃至弄虛作假,大家專注做好研究不好麼?然而,學界升遷、撥款和評審,都越來越重視研究量(卻不一定是質)、論文引用量、期刊影響因子(impact factor)、研究員本身的研究指數(例如H-index)等一堆冰冷又和「流量」掛鈎的數字,想對這些數字置之不理,不但不可能,而且不現實,所以研究課題也得遷就,追求這些數字中的高指標。 另一個就是「不在於在這行業留下什麼,而是離開行業後留下了些什麼」,做學術研究的,能廣為人知並傳誦的少之又少(尤其是現代研究講求團隊,每個研究員的貢獻不免因此攤薄,很難再指明說某某發明了些什麼),要麼能留下以自己命名的理論、學說、公式或...

Beach stops 海邊不停蹄

There is a region of countryside south of Melbourne called the Mornington Peninsula which hills, seaside and farms make for pleasant day trips especially in summer. 墨爾本以南有一帶叫莫寧頓半島(Mornington Peninsula),還保留了一片郊野和農莊,而且有山有水,夏天作一日遊還是不錯的。 There are plenty of places for enjoying sceneries with the sea and even a dip in the water. Cape Schanck at the southernmost tip of the peninsula offers one of the best views in the region. There is a functioning lighthouse atop one of the cliffs, connecting to a rocky beach at the foot of the cliffs via a trail and boardwalk. A cool breeze provided a welcome relief from the afternoon heat on the day of visit. The dominant colour of the beach is the charcoal black stretching from the cliff faces to the rocks by the sea. The beach at Cape Schanck faces Bushrangers Bay, which is connected to Cape Schanck by a walking track on top of the cliffs lining the sea there.  想看海甚至下水消暑的,地點多的是,半島最南端Cape Schanck海角的風景要算數一數二。海角的崖上豎立一所仍在運作的燈塔,有小徑連接木梯和板道通往崖下的石灘,一邊走一邊有海風...