Proud to have a gay son!

Not long ago I read an article that interviewed parents with gay children. I was deeply touched by these brave parents. I am also very happy for these gay children because they really have good parents who protect and support them.

Among all these parents, one mother impressed me greatly with her words. She is a very special person. In our religious belief, some people are considered as special ones because they can hear or see gods and goddesses who have chosen them as their representatives in this world. So they will act as a mediator between people and the divine power so as to help people lead a better life in this world. This mother is such a person. She claims she can hear Guan Yin（觀音）, the bodhisattva of great mercy and compassion, the most well-known and worshiped deity for Chinese. When his only son confessed to her one day that he is only interested in men instead of women, she was so shocked and felt that her life started to crumble. This brave mom prayed to Guan Yin and asked if she had done something really bad that caused such a terrible thing to happen. Then one day, she heard Guan Yin talking to her.

Don't be scared and sad. The world is changing now, and everything is different now. If your boy is interested in men, then why don't you support him and protect him. If he can receive great happiness from being with another man, then why don't you be happy for him as well. Isn't seeing your boy being happy the most important thing for you? If you force him to be with a woman, he will not feel safe and comfortable, and this only causes problems that makes his life difficult and sad. Be a brave mother, support him and be happy for him!

She said she cried when Guan Yin told her this. But it is these words that changed her perspectives and gave her strength.

We don't know if this story is real, but what she tries to deliver is so positive and constructive. If the deity considers homosexuality as "just two human beings who feel and care for each other", why we try to make such a relationship a sin, a taboo? I am not concluding that the Buddhist deity totally promotes homosexuality. I am only saying that homosexuality is also about two human beings deciding to be with each other, just like heterosexuality.

We need to educate people, especially those who thinks homosexuality as a sin, that two men or two women being together are just as normal as a man with a woman. We need to educate the younger generations not to hate or tease gay people. I feel so sad when I hear kids making fun of the word "gay", and I always tell them the meaning of this word is "pleasure and cheerfulness". If we can have more parents to support their gay children, these young gays will not need to go through difficult times when facing their sexuality. If we can education our young generations to look at this topic without prejudice, definitely we can eliminate hatred towards gay people.

Photos of Greece 希臘式生活

These three pictures are part of my beautiful memory from the last visit to Greece. I did not post them here because I used them to attend a photo competition held by BENQ. Unfortunately, I failed, but I do think my photos are pretty, and they are truly a precious part of me.

I always believe that taking breaks is an expression of our attitudes towards our life and the photos taken are evidences of our life experience. Images I took are always random ones. However, it is these random images that truly reflect my feelings, emotions, and mind. Of course, we are human beings that rely so much on words, which I consider a good means for us to preserve our fragile memory. Words are used to describe these image. They help me remember what I thought and felt at that special moment. Moreover, due to our good habit to think, I can always develop more for these random images, which means that my mind start to link what I thought to what I see and what I have experienced that finally constructs a little plot for these random images. I love images with plots. It makes these images interesting. I guess this is why I do not appreciate post-modern arts, which is always about what you see is what you get! I always think, "What you see isn't always what you get!"


懸吊空中的炙熱太陽終於在晚間 8:45 沒入地平線之下。希臘的夕陽真的很美，它的美讓人忘了呼吸，讓人忘了時間的存在。呆坐在沙灘上，眼睛直直地望著沈入海中的橘色光輪，剎那間意識到海風早已轉涼，肚子也開始咕咕叫了。此時好友正從海中走向我，遠遠的就大叫「吃飯時間到了」。就是喜歡希臘人隨性、大剌剌的個性。不管有多煩惱、多苦悶，下午悠閒的游泳、晒太陽是一定要的，而晚上的娛樂活動更是不能少。清涼的夜晚才是一天的開始，是一天的精華；一路吃吃喝喝到凌晨，誰管明天還要上班、開會。「活在當下」真是讓希臘人發揮的淋漓盡致，而這種生活態度還真不錯。不就是過日子嗎，一定會遇見煩惱痛苦。好過是過，歹過也是過，何不放鬆自己好好享受生命的美麗！


好友驕傲地告訴我「它沒有名字，只有當地人才知道，完全沒有干擾的寧靜海灘」。真的，往前望去是永無止盡的藍，少了觀光客的喧雜吵鬧，這般寧靜的海天交映著實令人心曠神怡。沒人知道那兩根平行豎立的柱子有何作用，但不見蹤影的船伕早將固定船隻的欖繩套上柱子。對不會預設立場、也不會多擔心的希臘人來說，該做的就要做，就算有問題，反正總會找到解決方法。挺欣賞他們這種事事「處之泰然」的做事方式，然而欣賞歸欣賞，仍是難以拋棄早跟隨我數十載的個性。這樣一個悠閒寂靜的海灣中，游泳、看魚、晒太陽是僅有的活動。以慵懶的步調浸營於海水中、享受陽光的滋潤，這真是最完美的渡假方式。


大多數希臘人都擁有位於郊區或小島上的夏日小屋，到了週末假日他們便迫不及待地逃離髒亂吵雜、酷熱難耐的雅典。眼前這三種不同層次的藍，加上這寬廣的風景，搭配著夏日小屋特有的休閒氛圍，認誰都不願放棄欣賞這般美景的機會。好友說，「用心感受眼前風景，它的美使人快樂、給人力量」。當徐徐海風輕撫著我的臉頰，當舌尖充滿著香醇的希臘咖啡，當無限開闊的美景填滿我那有限的視野，原本依賴在肩頭上的壓力與重擔在那轉念間消逝，放鬆的愉悅讓我莫名的嘴角上揚，心中是滿滿的自信光明。雖說希臘式的生活態度是慵懶，這慵懶並非懶散，而是對現實生活的調劑與平衡。少了游泳、看海、聊天、晒太陽，生活將變得無趣，人也喪失對生命的期待。李涉說「偷得浮生半日閒」，李白謂「人生得意須盡歡」。與其汲汲營營於俗世間，何不停下腳步好好享受與那風景的完美邂逅。

Pakistan Emergency

The mail I received from Avaaz.org has such a terrible news about the current situation of Pakistan.

We just received this email from Asma Jahangir, head of the Pakistani Human Rights Commission and the UN's Special Rapporteur for freedom of religion worldwide. Now under house arrest in Lahore, she's one of many Pakistanis urgently asking the world community to raise our voice:

There is a strong crackdown on the press and lawyers... The Chief Justice is under house arrest (unofficially). The President of the Supreme Court Bar (Aitzaz Ahsan) and 2 former presidents, Mr. Muneer Malik and Tariq Mahmood have been imprisoned for one month under the Preventive Detention laws...

There are other scores political leaders who have also been arrested. Yesterday I was house arrested for 90 days... the President (who has lost his marbles) said that he had to clamp down on the press and the judiciary to curb terrorism. Those he has arrested are progressive, secular minded people, while the terrorists are offered negotiations and ceasefires.

Lawyers and civil society will challenge the government and the scene is likely to get uglier. We want friends of Pakistan to urge the US administration to stop all support of the instable dictator, as his lust for power is bringing the country close to a worse form of civil strife...

--Asma Jahangir
Lahore, Pakistan

In oder to maintain his power, Musharraf suspends Pakistan's constitution and shuts downs the media and basic freedoms. The martial law he declares allows him to be the real ruler of the country. According to the mail, he seems to be connected with the Taliban, which makes his actions even worse. If the western power still supports Paskistan by offering military aids, under the control of such a tricky man, the aid would probably go to the Taliban. If so, how can we really stop terrorism when the aid to stop terrorism is becoming the aid for terrorism?

Stop dictatorship!

Act now on climate change!

Sign up for the petition!


Petition To World Leaders:

Climate change is the greatest threat facing our world today - and we are almost out of time to stop it.

You must tackle this problem now, decisively and together. Start working toward a new global agreement this year. Set binding global targets for emissions to avert catastrophic climate change. Take bold action immediately - and we will join our efforts with yours.