Give thanks

GIVE THANKS
WITH A GRATEFUL HEART
GIVE THANKS
TO THE HOLY ONE
GIVE THANKS
BECAUSE HE'S GIVEN
JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON

AND NOW LET THE WEAK SAY
I AM STRONG
LET THE POOR SAY
I AM RICH
BECAUSE OF WHAT
THE LORD HAS DONE
FOR US

At Bristol

From left: Syzmon, Li, Angele, Daniel, Lukaz, Asia, Marcin, Matthew, Ammon.

Happy Thanksgiving

Another year, another thanksgiving ... Time flies, but the last Thanksgiving is just like something happened yesterday. It is very fresh in my memory ... Here is a picture from last year's.

泰戈尔的诗《世界上最远的距离》

世界上最远的距离
不是 生与死的距离
而是 我站在你面前
你不知道我爱你

世界上最远的距离
不是 我站在你面前
你不知道我爱你
而是 爱到痴迷
却不能说我爱你

世界上最远的距离
不是 我不能说我爱你
而是 想你痛彻心脾
却只能深埋心底

世界上最远的距离
不是 我不能说我想你
而是 彼此相爱
却不能够在一起

世界上最远的距离
不是 彼此相爱
却不能够在一起
而是明知道真爱无敌
却装作毫不在意

世界上最远的距离
不是 树与树的距离
而是 同根生长的树枝
却无法在风中相依

世界上最远的距离
不是 树枝无法相依
而是 相互了望的星星
却没有交汇的轨迹

世界上最远的距离
不是 星星之间的轨迹
而是 纵然轨迹交汇
却在转瞬间无处寻觅

世界上最远的距离
不是 瞬间便无处寻觅
而是 尚未相遇
便注定无法相聚

世界上最远的距离
是鱼与飞鸟的距离
一个在天,一个却深潜海底

7G Cafe and city farm

7G Cafe


City Farm

Busy week

It is a busy week: attending workshop and training sessions, running tutorials and meeting friends etc. I had an old friend in town this week for the workshop. So it's a great chance to catch up with her. We met up and had dinner together. We had a great time. Of course, lots of gossips.

Guy Fawkes, 5 November

Historical Background

In 1603, following the death of Queen Elizabeth I, King James VI of Scotland inherited the throne of England and Wales as well. In both Scotland and England the Reformation of the church had taken place and both Elizabeth and James were Protestants. Indeed, the English Parliament would not have allowed a Catholic to become king.

However, there were still a substantial number of people in the country who adhered to the Church of Rome. Some of these had hopes of restoring Catholicism as the main religion in the country and Guy Fawkes, a Catholic zealot, plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament, with the king and all the Members of Parliament. They believed that in the chaos that followed the Roman Catholics would be able to seize power. Their plans were thwarted initially be a delay in opening Parliament - from February to 5 November.

The Plan Goes Wrong

Guy Fawkes obtained a house which adjoined the Parliament building and from there was able to carry 20 barrels of gunpowder to the basement below the seat of government. However, one of the conspirators warned a friend to stay away from Parliament as it was to "receive a terrible blow". This alerted the authorities who discovered Guy Fawkes as he was preparing the explosion. Guy Fawkes was executed on 31 January 1606. Ever since the Gunpowder Plot, there has been a ceremonial search of the basement below the Westminster Parliament building prior to the opening of every session.

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

Recent research has suggested that if Guy Fawkes had been successful, the amount of gunpowder involved was so large it would not only have destroyed the Houses of Parliament but also many nearby buildings. A relieved government passed a law compelling people to celebrate 5 November and it took until 1859 before the law was repealed.

Although there is no longer any government edict in force, a tradition has grown up of lighting bonfires, with an effigy of Guy Fawkes on top, every 5 November. In more recent years, it became customary for children to take the effigy round the streets and plead for money with cries of "A penny for the guy". Fireworks have also become popular, both in displays beside the organised bonfires and also by parents and children creating a firework display in their own back gardens. In recent years, fireworks have been in the shops for many weeks in advance of 5 November and so the sound of bangers and rockets has become part of Hallowe'en too. But the indiscriminate use of noisy fireworks (not to mention the distress caused to family pets) has led to the introduction of laws controlling the sale of many types of fireworks.

From http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_guyfawkes.htm

Try to remember (by Leon Lai)

Find another version of Try to Remember.

Try to remember

Try to remember the kind of september,
When life was slow and oh so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of september,
When grass was green and grain was yellow.

Try to remember the kind of september,
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow ( follow ) follow ( follow ) follow . . .

Try to remember when life was so tender,
That no one wept except the willow,
Try to remember when life was so tender,
That dreams were kept beside your pillow.

Try to remember when life was so tender,
That love was an ember about to billow,
Try to remember, and if you remember,
Then follow ( follow ) follow . . .

( follow . . .deep in december it's nice to remember,
Although you know the snow will follow.
Deep in december it's nice to remember,
Without a hurt the heart is hollow. )

Deep in december it's nice to remember,
The fire of september that made us mellow.
Deep in december our heart's should remember,
And follow ( follow ) follow ( follow ) follow . . .

HAWTCafe

HAWTCafe is the place where Vanessa and I had lunch today. It is located in the Hawthorns, one of the postgraduate residential halls. Vanessa ordered butternut squash with mushroom and rice. I ordered smoked salmon and trout. The dishes turned out to be good, beyond all of our expectations. The dining area is spacious and clean. Overall it is a good place for lunch. Three stars.