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When the Water Runs Dry: Learning English and Foreign Languages

Most people advise beginners in language learning to immerse themselves in the language's atmosphere, preferably by living abroad for a while, or at least by watching dramas at home. However, I believe this approach is only half correct. Firstly, it must be admitted that about half of those who lear

At the End of the Road: A Few Things About Collectibles

Wanting to write an article about collectibles and Pokémon card collectibles, I found that using AI can easily produce a decent collectibles article. No matter, AI can be used as a reference for information, just like searching for information online, except that AI is the most effective tool for ga

Child, I Will Always Be By Your Side

My child is ten years old, tall in stature, but with a round belly. He loves playing football, although he doesn't run very fast and his skills still need polishing, his passion and perseverance have never wavered.During yesterday's football class, he was grouped with some blonde Russian children. Their football skills were decent, not top-notch, but during the grouping, they expressed resistance through their eyes and words, unwilling to be in the same group as my child.I stood by the field, watching the scene. My child didn't speak, trying hard to maintain his composure on the surface. But I knew, inside, he was bearing unspeakable grievance and sadness. Fortunately, the coach didn't compromise because of this, and the objections of those children were ineffectiveMy eyes closely followed my child's every move, seeing him being excluded, not passed the ball, not invited to participate in the practice. Suppressing the surging emotions in my heart, I walked to the side of the field and whispered to him in Cantonese:"We're here to improve our football skills. We've paid the same as everyone else to learn. You don't need to pay attention to others' looks and actions. When it's your turn to practice, take the initiative to play, don't be afraid, just be yourself."At that moment, the tension on my child's face suddenly eased. He no longer dwelled on the cold shoulders and exclusion from before, but gradually immersed himself in the training. I saw his figure running on the field, and my heart finally relaxed, but my eyes never left him.My child, mom knows this experience has hurt you, but it has also brought important enlightenment.You need to lose weight, exercise more, to become healthier and stronger. More importantly, learn how to face the unfriendliness and unfairness of this world. No need to resent, no need to hate, just persist in being yourself and move forward steadily.Mom will always be by your side, facing and growing together with you. When you're sad, I'm sadder than you; when you're happy, I'm more pleased than you.Child, remember this lesson, it's not just about football, but a lesson in life.You don't need to become what others approve of, you just need to strive to be a better version of yourself.

Stepping Out of the Native, Into the Self: What Kind of Couple Relationship Can Last the Longest?

有人說，愛情的長久需要感覺；有人說，是金錢；也有人說，是信任。每一種說法，都有它的道理，但哪一種，才是真正讓情侶走得最遠的關鍵？感覺，是愛情最初的火花。一見鍾情的悸動，是源於那一刻的眼神交錯、心跳加速。感覺讓人迷戀、沉醉，讓人甘心陷入戀愛的旋渦。然而，感覺也是最脆弱的。它會隨著時間、距離、現實的打磨而變得模糊，甚至消散。光靠感覺的關係，就像煙花，美麗卻短暫。那麼，錢是否可以穩住一段感情呢？擁有足夠的金錢，能夠為愛情添上不少色彩——高級餐廳的晚餐、海外旅行的浪漫、沒有經濟壓力的生活……這些確實令人嚮往。但當一段關係只建築在金錢之上，若哪天財富不再，愛情又將何去何從？物質雖可帶來一時的舒適，卻難以構築永恆的情感依靠。而信任，才是最堅固的橋樑。它不華麗，卻穩固；不張揚，卻深沉。當彼此能夠坦然相對，毫無保留地交出自己最真實的一面，不論高低起伏，仍然願意守在對方身旁，那份感情，才是真正能夠歷久彌新的。一段能走到最後的情侶關係，或許最初是由感覺點燃，由金錢裝飾，但真正能讓它歷經風雨而不倒的，是信任，是在彼此心中築起的那份深不見底的安全感。願我們都能遇上那個，讓你信任，也值得你信任的人。

Stepping Out of the Original, Into the Self: Reflections on Family of Origin and Marital Family

In Chinese society, "filial piety" has always been regarded as the core of virtue. But as we grow up and start our own families, should this filial piety still override the new family we have built? This is a question I have been pondering, and it is also a psychological hurdle that many people mustI come from a traditional family, where I was taught from a young age to listen to my parents' opinions and not to defy my elders. In such a background, obedience and compliance seemed to be the standard for maintaining harmony. However, when I became a parent and a partner myself, and when "my famiI once saw a friend's marriage in trouble, simply because her husband always followed the opinions of his family of origin, even when those opinions were clearly detrimental to his own family. The husband demanded that his wife show respect to his brother-in-law, who had no economic ability and poorThe family of origin gives us life and values, but it should not limit the space for us to develop a new life. Marriage is a journey built together with a partner, and the relationship between the two should be based on mutual respect, trust, and communication, rather than blind sacrifice and comproIf the values of the family of origin conflict with the reality of marriage, I believe the most important thing is self-awareness and timely establishment of boundaries. This does not mean that we are unfilial, but that we know how to protect the people we love and take responsibility for our own hoOn this path of stepping out of the original and into the self, I have learned to say to my parents, "I know you care about me, but this is my family's decision," and I have also learned to work with my partner to bear the consequences of our choices. We are no longer just our parents' children, butThis is proof of growth and the continuation of love.

At the End of the Road: The Best Comics

作位一個九十後，鍾情於二千年初期的漫畫屬時代的影響，加上我連同年代被稱為神作中的神作的鋼之鍊金術師也沒看過，還談什麼最好的漫畫？因此這最好的漫畫是我主觀的品味而不是客觀的評分。在我看來我的年代最好的漫畫（鋼鍊以外）有全職獵人、天使禁獵區、及封神演義。此外進擊的巨人及港產漫畫家陳某的火鳳燎原則屬滄海遺珠。全職獵人Hunter X Hunter就不樣多說了，不過很多讀者想法和我一樣，覺得獵人在主角小剛尋到爸爸就應該要完了。取替而來的大宇宙觀及大量文字有點像挖了個永遠補不上的大坑給讀者一樣。天使禁獵區跟封神演義都有同一個大綱————就是擺脫命運的安排。於天使禁獵區而言，神的安排就是命運的安排；在封滄海遺珠方面，巨人算是我這代看漫畫的人中屬接近最後的一部大作。不過我認為巨人在脫離了人跟巨人間的戰鬥轉為人對人的戰鬥後就喪失了吸引力。然後港漫的火鳳燎原則教曉了我一個可能其他人一早已知的道理：就是每個人即使是古代的士兵都是非常聰明及非常有自己意見的。因此不只名留青史的人已是天才，就算歷史中藉藉其他在我年代中好看的經典還有通靈王（排位第一）、鬼眼狂刀、黑貓、網球王子（全國大賽前）、死神、火影忍者、及我沒有看過的鋼鍊及海賊王。

The Brutalist: The Clash Between Aesthetics and Capitalism

《The Brutalist》是一部由布Brady Corbet執導，艾哲倫·保迪（Adrien Brody）、菲莉絲·鍾斯（Felicity Jones）及佳皮雅斯（Guy Pearce）主演的電影。這部片長達3小時35分鐘的電影在威尼斯影展贏得最佳導演獎，並讓艾哲倫·保迪憑藉精湛演技摘下奧斯卡最佳男主角獎。影片以引人入勝的敘事和深邃的主題探討，吸引觀眾沉浸於其獨特的世界。本文將聚焦於電影中粗獷派建築美學與資本主義之間的衝突，分析其文化意義、視覺語言及角色塑造，並探討電影對當代社會的啟示。《The Brutalist》講述了匈牙利裔猶太建築師 László Toth（艾哲倫·保迪飾）在二戰大屠殺後移居美國，試圖在異鄉重建生活的故事。Toth 曾是布達佩斯知名的建築師，卻在美國淪為搬煤工人，直到富商 Harrison Lee Van Buren（佳皮雅斯飾）委託他設計一座私人會堂——Van Buren Institute，他才重燃希望。然而，Toth 的理想主義設計與 Van Buren 的商業需求產生激烈衝突，迫使他在藝術追求與現實壓力間掙扎。同時，他還要面對妻子 Erzsébet（菲莉絲·鍾斯飾）的重病及文化隔閡帶來的挑戰。這一故事不僅是個人奮鬥的縮影，更映射了更廣泛的社會議粗獷派建築（Brutalism）以裸露的混凝土結構、功能至上的設計及對材料真實性的強調聞名，誕生於戰後重建時期，旨在以經濟、實用的方式重塑城市。然而，這種美學理念與資本主義追求市場吸引力和利潤的目標存在根本矛盾。《The Brutalist》通過 Toth 與 Van Buren 的對立，生動呈現了這一衝突。Toth 堅持粗獷派的設計原則，強調建築的社會功能和材料的本真性，而 Van Buren 則要求加入金箔和華麗裝飾，以提升建築的商業價值。這種矛盾反映了藝術家與贊助人之間的經典衝突：前者追求理想，後者追求利益。電影中，Van Buren Institute 的十字形負空間和裸露混凝土結構成為 Toth 藝術視野的象徵，但也突顯了與商業需求的緊張關係。根據《紐約時報》報導，電影的製作設計師 Judy Becker 精心打造了這些場景，使其成為主題表達的核心載體。歷史上，粗獷派建築也常因冷峻外觀和高昂維護成本而受到批評。例如，波士頓市政廳等標誌性建築被稱為「混凝土怪物」，因公眾反感和經濟壓力而面臨改造或拆除的命運。這反映了資本主義對短期利潤的追求，往往犧牲了建築的長期價值和文化意義。《The Brutalist》將這一歷史背景融入劇情，讓觀眾重新思考美學與商業的博弈。文化與社會意義《The Brutalist》不僅是一部關於建築的電影，更通過建築象徵更廣泛的社會議題。Toth 作為一名猶太移民，面臨文化隔閡和歧視，電影中 Van Buren 嘲笑他的口音並以銀幣羞辱他的場景，凸顯了上流社會對新移民的剝削與輕視。這與現實中移民的艱難經歷相呼應，提醒觀眾資本主義如何利用弱勢群體的才華，卻剝奪他們的尊嚴。此外，電影還探討了藝術家在商業壓力下的困境。Toth 為實現理想，不得不忍受 Van Buren 的欺凌和精神折磨，這種犧牲讓人反思：藝術的價值是否應屈從於市場需求？影片未給出明確答案，而是通過 Toth 的掙扎，引發觀眾對這一問題的深思。這一主題不僅限於建築領域，更觸及現代社會中個人理想與系統壓力的普遍衝突。視覺語言與美學表達《The Brutalist》的視覺語言是其成功的關鍵之一。導演運用低飽和度的色調和廣角鏡頭，捕捉了粗獷派建築的冷峻美學與壓迫感。例如，Van Buren Institute 的場景中，混凝土表面的裂縫與光影交錯，彷彿訴說著 Toth 的內心掙扎。電影還通過對大理石礦場的詭異描繪，營造出恐怖片般的氛圍，預示著 Toth 即將面臨的危機。這種視覺風格不僅強化了主題表達，也讓觀眾對粗獷派建築有了更直觀的認識。儘管一些建築評論家認為電影對粗獷派的呈現過於戲劇化，未完全反映其歷史精髓，但無可否認，電影成功將建築作為情感和象徵的載體，深化了故事的內涵。這種視覺語言與主題的融合，使《The Brutalist》在藝術性上脫穎而出。角色塑造與演員表現艾哲倫·保迪的表演是《The Brutalist》的一大亮點。他將 Toth 從內斂壓抑到偏執暴躁的轉變演繹得淋漓盡致，展現了理想主義者在現實壓力下的心理崩潰。他的堅持與妥協，讓觀眾感受到角色的無奈與掙扎，這也是他贏得奧斯卡影帝的關鍵。佳皮雅斯飾演的 Van Buren 則是資本主義的化身，他的喜怒無常和對 Toth 的欺凌，凸顯了權力與財富的腐敗。兩位演員的對手戲充滿張力，為電影增添了戲劇性。菲莉絲·鍾斯飾演的 Erzsébet 為 Toth 提供了情感支撐，她的病情和最終命運進一步加深了故事的悲劇色彩。三位主演的精湛演出，共同支撐起電影的情感核心。比較與對照若與假想的《粗獷派建築師》比較，《The Brutalist》的獨特之處在於其對個人經歷和社會批判的關注。假想的《粗獷派建築師》或聚焦於建築師與公共項目的鬥爭，而《The Brutalist》則通過私人委託，揭示資本主義如何滲透到個人創作中。此外，電影在建築界引發爭議，一些評論家認為其對粗獷派的呈現過於誇張，但這也正是其魅力所在：它將建築作為象徵，探討更廣泛的文化與社會議題。《The Brutalist》是一部視覺震撼、情感豐富的電影，成功呈現了粗獷派建築美學與資本主義的衝突。通過 Toth 的故事，影片不僅探討了藝術與商業的矛盾，還觸及了移民經歷、階級差異和社會不公等深層次議題。儘管其在建築界的爭議不容忽視，但電影為觀眾提供了一個反思建築與社會價值的機會。在當今全球化和消費主義盛行的時代，《The Brutalist》提醒我們，建築不僅是功能性容器，更是承載人類理想與情感的載體，值得我們重新審視與珍惜。

The Resounding Echo of 'City of Darkness: The Siege': The 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards and the Revival of Action Cinema

The 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards were held on April 27, 2025, with 'City of Darkness: The Siege' winning 9 awards, including Best Film; the film, adapted from a comic, tells the story of Kowloon Walled City in the 1980s, with its action scenes and visual effects highly praised.'City of Darkness: The Siege' performed exceptionally at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards, winning 9 awards including Best Film and Best Director, showcasing its dual success in both art and commerce. Adapted from the comic 'City of Darkness', the film is set in the Kowloon Walled City of the 1980s, tThe biggest winner of this year's Film Awards was 'City of Darkness: The Siege', which received 14 nominations and ultimately won 9 awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Action Design, Best Art Direction, Best Costume & Makeup Design, Best Sound Design, The film's cinematography and visual effects are key factors to its success, using real sets to restore the complex structure of Kowloon Walled City. The camera moves through narrow alleys and undulating rooftops, creating a strong sense of depth and oppression, while also showcasing the dynamic aes'City of Darkness: The Siege' received high praise from critics. Roger Ebert called it a 'nostalgic Hong Kong action spectacle', particularly praising its 'crazy energy' and 'visual shock'. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a high score, believing it successfully combined action with character developmeThe success of 'City of Darkness: The Siege' marks the revival of Hong Kong action cinema. This genre was once synonymous with Hong Kong cinema but has declined in recent years due to market changes. The film's success proves that action films still have huge market potential, especially when combinIn addition, other award-winning works at this year's Film Awards, such as 'Breaking Hell' and 'Dad', also showcase the diversity of Hong Kong cinema. 'Breaking Hell', with funeral culture as its theme, broke through traditional subjects, becoming the highest-grossing work in Hong Kong film history,The 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards, represented by the glorious achievements of 'City of Darkness: The Siege', showcased the vitality and innovative ability of Hong Kong cinema. This film not only reached a peak in technology and art but also touched on the deep-seated issues of Hong Kong society throug

Film Chat (6): Examining Issue Films in Hong Kong Through The Way We Talk

In The Way We Talk, the lead actress, Chung Suet-ying, won Best Actress at the 61st Golden Horse Awards but unfortunately lost the same award at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards. It’s a pity; one might prefer to have no award at all than to receive one that others feel is undeserved. While we lament C

Can Deep Talk, But Don't Sink (6)

「明天有空嗎？」『明天』『明天是假期』『但我記得好像有約』『有甚麼事嗎 ^^ 』「想約你去看電影」「或是去吃下午茶」『咦咦』『你是主動約我嗎？』『你約我啊啊啊』『(⁠づ⁠￣⁠ ⁠³⁠￣⁠)⁠づ』「只是約你吃下午茶，不用這麼興奮吧 =口=」『但是你第一次主動約我啊』『當然要隆重其事 XD』「有必要這樣認真嗎……=口=」「先說回正題，即是明天你有空嗎？」『明天我約了人啊』『但後天可以 ^^』『全日都ok』「後天是星期天」「你沒有約男朋友嗎？」然後，本來之前她不會超過五秒就會回覆，這一次過了很久很久，Hailey都沒有回應。甚至是，當天晚上都沒有回應。雖然是我有心去這樣試探，雖然我也有預想過各種可能的情況，例如她說她沒有男朋友，或是她已經有男朋友了，甚至是已經結婚了、再已經離婚了……這些可能性我都有模擬設想過，但結果現在換來她這樣的已讀不回，說真的，我感到有點不是味兒。但另一方面我也開擔心，她是不是發生了甚麼事，因為她真的很少這樣突然在對話途中失蹤。我在訊息轉發了兩條趣聞給她，系統顯示訊息成功傳送，但她仍是沒有回覆。直到第二天晚上，我一個人在街上無聊地閒逛，手機才終於收到Hailey的回覆。『對不起 🙏🏻』『昨晚沒有回覆 🙏🏻』『因為突然發生了一些事』『所以就 🥲』『真的對不起』其實只要看到她有回覆，知道她現在沒有事，我真的鬆了一口氣。我站在路旁，對著手機螢幕，思考應該如何回覆，最後我只是這樣回她：「沒事就好」然後過了一會，經過大約半分鐘的「輸入中」，她問：『你是不是生氣了』我立即回道：「沒有啊，知道你真的沒事，那就已經足夠，我又怎會生氣」『嗯』『不好意思讓你擔心了』『昨晚』說到這裡，她又突然停了下來，系統沒有題示「輸入中」，但她依然在線。心裡忽然有一種直覺，她是有重要的話想說。然後我繼續站在路旁，看著對話框，默默等了五分鐘。『明天抱歉不能應你的約了』『因為男朋友昨晚遇到交通意外』『雖然傷勢不重』『但要在醫院留醫幾日』『我要去陪他』（未完）

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