Walm Lane Christmas Dinner

On 23 Dec, our housemate Zheyi cooked everyone a scrumptious Christmas dinner. Special cutlery and crackers were bought to liven up the occasion. This menu was pasted on the fridge and had me salivating days before the dinner: 

Walm Lane Christmas Dinner

Eve of Christmas Eve

23 Dec, Wednesday

* * *

Christmas Veggie Spectacular

Starters

Cream of Spinach Soup

Almond and Apricot Couscous

~~~~~

Main Courses

Mushroom and Olive Tatins

Spiced Rice and Mushroom en croute

Mushroom stroganoff

Eggplant Gratin

~~~~~

Dessert

Banoffee Pie 

Layout of the dinner table:

Cream of Spinach Soup

Not many are fans of spinach, I'm not a great fan myself. But this one tastes really creamy and smooth. It was cooked with carrots and spinach, then mashed into a paste with a hand blender. The greenish sight belies the sweet and tangy taste. And it works well as a starter. 

Almond and Apricot Couscous

I've never been keen on couscous, but the chef changed my mind. With spices and a special spicy tomato sauce to go with, it became one of my favourites for the night. 

~~~~~

Main Courses

Mushroom and Olive Tatins

The portobello mushrooms were first grilled with olive oil, spices and pine nuts, then placed underneath the dough and baked once again. After the dough turns golden brown, the shrooms are flipped over and topped up with rockets. The taste is wonderfully layered--tender and succulent for the shrooms, nuts are crunchy, and the pastry--crispy! Needless to say, it's a knockout. 

Spiced Rice and Mushroom en croute

Another one of my favourites. The rice is actually basmati, and fried with fresh mushrooms and spices. This in itself already makes a tasty main dish, but when it's wrapped in a roasted crispy crust with sesame seeds on it, you end up craving for a whole plate of it. 

Mushroom stroganoff

Mushrooms extravaganza! An assortment of fresh exotic mushrooms, including some bought from a market in Barcelona, lightly stir-fried with cream and butter... need I say more?

Eggplant Gratin

Too bad I didn't take a picture of the inside. This is a baked dish with deep fried eggplants covered with thick tomato puree and fresh basil leaves. Eggplant, aubergine or brinjal--they all refer to the same thing. The British call it the "aubergine" which actually sounds more posh. The top layer is made of ricotta cheese, gruyere cheese, parmesan cheese and milk. It's de-lovely. 

~~~~~
Dessert

Banoffee Pie

"Banoffee" is actually made of joining two words, "banana" and "toffee" together. It's actually a contemporary English dessert, claimed to be invented by Ian Dowding and Nigel Mackenzie of The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex in 1972. I contributed to this dessert by whisking the cream and grating the dark chocolate. Other ingredients include  ripe bananas, and boiled condensed milk spread on a base made of crumbled digestives and butter. Shamelessly sinful but who cares when it made eight people very happy?

After dinner we sat by the Christmas tree and streamed jazzy carols to end the night. 

12月22日凌晨的首班列车

凌晨5点的Willesden Green 地铁站。

与我们一同等车的，只有两个人。地上的冰还未融化，在这样的时分，你应该可以想像天气有多凄寒。

还好，有一座阳光明媚的都市，正在等待我们。

伦敦的大雪

伦敦不是每年都下雪的，如果是大雪，更是异常。今年下的大雪，让英国不少地区的铁路和航线都瘫痪了，个个从雾都赶着回乡过圣诞或出国旅游的人都措手不及。但我还是愿意享受雪天带来的不变。原本阴沉沉的英伦，突然有了一种奇特的生命力，暗淡的建筑，抹上了一层迷人的光泽。最能体验季节变化的方式，就是让你看看一样的景物换上银装后的姿彩。


这是我们家后院的雪景。

还记得秋天的那座教堂吗？现在已是另一番模样了。

 

伦敦地铁——脏、乱、慢？（全文）

伦敦地铁——脏、乱、慢？
（原载《联合早报》2009年12月13日）

由于长期生活在交通系统发达而媒体言论自由有限的环境中，不少新加坡人一出国就会以本国的标准对外国的公共设施评头论足，在先进的英国亦是如此。再加上岛国的一段英国殖民统治史，似乎让新加坡人对英国有了更多的想像和要求；当他们批评英国地铁“差劲”时，就突然有了义正词严的权利。

伦敦地铁车厢内，经常可以看到被废弃的报纸。有时还可以看到食物的包装纸或饮料的瓶罐。习惯干净的新加坡人，第一个反应一般是皱起眉头，嗤之以鼻，责怪清洁工人失职，再怨地铁公司没有禁止乘客饮食。但英国人则是以平常心处之，并欣然拾起座位上的报纸阅读。

在伦敦搭乘地铁时，行程经常会被故障所延误。你会突然听到地铁服务中断、并吁请乘客改搭下一班列车的广播，但英国人对此一般都习以为常。他们会井然有序地下车，再耐心候车。尽管英国是先进国家，还建设了世界上最古老的地铁系统，但英国人似乎不会理所当然地认为自己的交通系统是万无一失的。当然，对习惯效率，无法容忍错误的新加坡人来说，这却令人不可思议。

有时，遇到地铁工潮，整个地铁系统就会陷入瘫痪状态，而所有公共交通服务的使用者顿时寸步难行。如果地铁公司提供巴士服务应急，那乘客就会改搭巴士。但如果当天正好也赶上巴士公司的员工罢工，较有经济能力的人就乘搭出租车，而其他人则索性改搭“11号车”——步行。但这样也就安然地度过了一天。对无法理解“罢工”目的和意义的新加坡人来说，这简直匪夷所思，更是岂有此理的。他们第一个反应便是对工人表示不屑，然后指责他们扰乱自己的作息。

基本上，新加坡人在他乡感受到外国公共设施不足时，在指责中达到自我肯定后，最终会以两点作总结：第一、不论到天涯海角，还是新加坡最好。第二，新加坡政府对人民照顾得无微不至，我们应该感恩惜福。

这种心态除了得归功于国民教育的成功和人文教育的失败外，还对巩固自我感觉良好意识大有裨益。但我们不妨换一种角度思考。

没错，论卫生条件，伦敦地铁车厢确实没有新加坡干净。但这是因为乘客享有在车厢内饮食的自由。他们不用担心自己在地铁上吃东西或喝水时必须偷偷摸摸，然后有乘务员突然冒现在面前，向他们开罚单。当然代价便是得接受车厢内会有一点垃圾，但对那些因赶时间而须在车厢内用餐的上班族或学生来说，这点以人为本的自由是非常珍贵的。

没错，车厢内有许多报纸，但这些报纸一天内会在许多不同乘客之间传阅。看完的人，会留给下一个素昧平生的乘客阅读。这样一来，一分报纸的寿命便延长了。与其看成是垃圾的丢弃，还不如视为知识的分享。岛国的地铁乘客似乎没有培养起传阅报纸的习惯，因为一分出现在车厢内的报纸，一般会被视为垃圾。

没错，伦敦的地铁系统有时不是很可靠，而突发的故障确实也给人带来不便。但接受生活给我们带来的一点不便，有时是必要的。新加坡交通系统的快捷和方便溺宠了新加坡人，让我们在国外一遇上交通不便就怨声载道，要不就索性不出门。新加坡社会赋予了国人高度的方便，却使我们在外国变成“残疾人士”。换言之，新加坡政府长期的 “无微不至” ，减弱了新加坡人的免疫力。这不能不说是一大反讽。

没错，伦敦的地铁和巴士工人罢工确实扰乱了我们的生活秩序，延误了工作。但孰不知工潮和学潮，是欧洲社会自由主义体制中维护弱势族群利益、制衡资本主义泛滥的一道重要保障。在新加坡建国初期发展经济、强调效率和生产率的大前提下，工潮和学潮早已被杜绝，成为了历史。但在政府强势的体制中，我们又是否有足够的机制来监督权力的滥用，并保障弱势族群的利益呢？

在互联网资讯发达、另类声音不断涌现，新加坡人出国机会日益频繁的情况下，我们应该一再检视所谓的“干净”、“效率”、“方便”、“快捷”，甚至“廉洁”，不让这些概念成为颠扑不破的迷思（myths） 。要不然，一旦在国外遇到“不便”时，就会容易落入一种简单化的价值判断——脏、乱、慢。

伦敦地铁——脏、乱、慢（预告）

由于长期生活在交通系统发达而媒体观点单一的环境中，不少新加坡人一出国就会以本国的标准对外国公共设施评头论足。在先进的英国亦是如此。再加上岛国的一段英国殖民统治史，似乎让新加坡人对英国有了更多的想像和要求；当他们批评英国地铁“差劲”时，就突然有了义正词严的权利......（欲读全文，请购买这个星期天的《联合早报》）

Legacy of the "Democratic Centralist Model"

I came across something interesting while doing research. One of my favourite academics, Chris Berry, a scholar in Chinese films drew inspiration from the book, "The Chinese Reassessment of Socialism" by Yan Shun and said this in the introduction chapter in one of his books:

"This book assumes that a variety of different opinions and ideas exist in China, including ideas that differ from those of the government and the Party. However, such difference is only conceivable there as counter-revolutionary practice that must be externalised and expunged, inhibiting any academic work from addressing such a possibility directly and explictly. This can be explained as the legacy of the democratic centralist model, whereby democracy is combined with the dictatorship of the proletariat by designating the Communist Party as the representatives of the proletariat exercising leadership after consulting the representatives of the masses. In other words, the Party apparatus is expected to listen, but once its decisions are announced, everyone is expected to follow". (emphasis mine)

--Chris Berry, "Postsocialist Cinema in Post-Mao China: The Cultural Revolution after the Cultural Revolution"

Rings a bell, doesn't it? :-)

学习李资政精神

这篇文章本来是投给《联合早报》的，但被拒稿。在此与读者分享。

内阁资政李光耀在出席新加坡华文教研中心主持开幕式时，发表了重要讲话。他认为过去让“所有学生透过死记硬背就能同时学好两种语文的教学方法，是走错了方向，他将在有生之年把过去的错误完全纠正过来。”他也根据自己学习语言的经验得出了一个结论：“没有任何一个人能以同样的程度来掌握好两种语文。如果你认为自己可以，那是在自欺欺人。”

李资政的讲话，给予了全国人民重大启发。就让我们实事求是，学习李资政精神。

我是双语制度的产物。但我不准备分享自己如何学习两种语文的经验，也不准备谈我从小学至高中的中英文老师如何启发了我，更不愿意谈我如何从这样一个突然被唾弃的双语制度中受惠，因为那纯粹只是我个人的经验，没有分享的必要和意义。

能驾驭多种语言（包括中英文和方言）的新加坡人，当然也不在我们考虑的范围之内，因为方言是毫无价值的，而能效掌握多语也更是天方夜谭。千万不要说方言同样能传承华族文化，甚至可能比华语更有效，因为那简直是一派胡言。也请别告诉我马来西亚有不少华人同时能有效掌握华语、英语、马来语和华族方言，因为马来西亚是马来西亚，新加坡是新加坡，国情根本不同。

至于那些早期就读华校（包括老南大生）而觉得英文难学的人，请你也别要求别人体谅，因为学不好是你自己的问题。如果你曾经因为个人的华文教育背景而影响了就业机会，还被英校生轻视，请不要怨天尤人，更不要骂政府。千万也不要怪自己的父母不够务实，没把你送到英校去，尽管他们当初对华文教育曾经有过理想和信念，但那都已不再重要了。

那些多年来一直在学校推广华文，努力教导学生的老师们，你们大概念错专业了，因为你们的学生每天面对的是一个不断操练“华文难学”的政府和媒体，而你们在课堂上尝试说服学生掌握华文的好处时，只能逼不得已地诉诸一种很官腔的理由：“哦，因为中国崛起了”，“你们正好能乘搭中国的顺风车”，尽管你们知道语言还有无法以经济数据来衡量的价值——但你们却怕说出来只会让学生笑话，而社会现实迫使你也接受和灌输这样的观念。尽管你们当中有些老师也早已在课堂上使用戏剧、资讯科技、电影和流行歌曲教学，引发了学生对语文的热忱和兴趣，但这些全都微不足道。别忘了，你们这些“母语老师”当中（包括马来语和淡米尔语和印地语老师在内）有不少在学校被视为二等公民，但你们却又被要求肩负“传承母语文化”的重任。至于那些多年在特选学校和初级学院语文特选课程执教、为新加坡培养了双语人才的老师们，你们也没有什么好埋怨的，因为你们的处境已经比其他华文老师好多了，你应该感恩，然后最好什么也别说。

在教育部实行教改多年的长官们，你们无需为自己在研究报告、建议书和专家咨询上所花费的经费、时间和心血产生挫败感，因为应付晴天霹雳的挑战本来就是你们工作的要求之一。尽管你们也曾到学校进行过无数次考察和聚焦讨论会，并广泛搜集校长、老师、家长和学生的意见，反复不断地修改政策，但千万也别觉得气馁，因为夹心饼本身就不容易当，而我们还是得接受一个不可颠簸的事实——在教育部门里，没有一个人比李资政更了解双语政策。

语言学家、大学教授和知识分子，请你们也不用提出不同的观点、论据和研究报告，因为经过多年的考察和临床研究，真理已经证明让人民接受双语教育，只会导致不可磨灭的肉体和精神伤害。

至于那些到现在连中英文都不会说，只会说方言，还得吃力地去尝试用英语和孙子叽叽呀呀的阿公阿嬷……欸？提你们干吗？反正语言教改接下来要怎么改都不关你们的事，因为你们一定听不懂，也搞不懂的。

最后，我们得出的结论是，没有任何一个人应该为新加坡的语言政策操心。如果你认为自己可以更有真知灼见和深谋远虑，那是在自欺欺人。

请大家学习李资政精神，向他看齐。

The biggest takeaway from the system

My Hong Kong friend who had his primary and secondary bilingual education in Singapore says that the biggest takeaway is his Singlish accent.

学习李资政精神 （预告）

内阁资政李光耀在出席新加坡华文教研中心主持开幕式时，发表了重要讲话。他认为过去让“所有学生透过死记硬背就能同时学好两种语文的教学方法，是走错了方向，他将在有生之年把过去的错误完全纠正过来。”他也根据自己学习语言的经验得出了一个结论：“没有任何一个人能以同样的程度来掌握好两种语文。如果你认为自己可以，那是在自欺欺人。”

李资政发表的讲话，给予了全国人民重大启发。就让我们实事求是，学习李资政精神。


我是双语制度的产物。但我不准备分享自己如何学习两种语文的经验，也不准备谈我从小学至高中的中英文老师如何启发了我，更不愿意谈我如何从这样一个突然被......（欲读全文，请购买这个星期天的《联合早报》）

Journey from Russell Square to Vernon Square

The SOAS main campus is located at Russell Square. But there's another campus over at Vernon Square. Sometimes, I need to walk from Russell Sq. to Vernon Sq. for classes. It's a 20 minutes' walk but a rather pleasant one, especially when the weather is balmy. I'd usually walk past Coram Fields and the Brunswick Square Gardens.

Here's the narrow pathway before the park.


And this is Brunswick Square Gardens. I almost ended up late for classes last week because I lingered there for pictures. And you'll know why I couldn't resist myself.








The autumn in London can be quite gloomy sometimes. The sunny, blue skies you see here are really very rare.

On theory

Some humanities and arts students tend to think of theory as some kind of fixed mathematical formula. But this is often not the case. One should observe how theory is used in different social, historical and political contexts, and how scholars use it to the benefit of their research. Rather then being bound by theory like a slave, one should question it, problematise it and transcend it. All the better when your results refute the theory held by many, for that may very well be your personal contribution to academia.

St. Gabriel's Church

This is the church near where I live. The leaves are withering. Soon it will be winter.

后院的秋景

伦敦的秋天是温润的。如果透过以下两张照片，乍看之下，午后阳光的色泽会让你误以为是夏天呢。


这是我们家后院的秋景。


万里无云的天空在伦敦颇为罕见，适逢阳光普照的日子（更准确地说，应该是阳光乍现之时），我就会忍不住掏出相机拍照。听说每年到了11月中旬，天气开始凄冷，我们就必须披上冬装御寒。但今年的秋天却极为漫长，到了现在，白天最高有时还有16度左右。而英国南部雨水泛滥成灾，气象异常。

我们在伦敦能享受暖和的秋天，但无可否认的是，地球生病了。

现烤的 Scones

很多人都抱怨英国没有精致的饮食文化，而具有代表性的“Fish and Chips" 据说也不怎么样。我吃素，没尝过，无以置评。

但英国的糕点还是做得相当不错的。我有时喜欢在超市购买一些素食糕点，宠宠自己。如果能吃上新鲜现烤的，当然是最好不过了。我的厨艺不到家，所以还不敢尝试烘培糕点，贻笑大方。我的室友Z倒是一名高手，他不仅是新加坡正在崛起的年轻电影导演，还身怀烹饪绝技！今天下午，我有幸品尝他亲自制作的”scones“（烤小圆面包）。



大家（包括厨师本人）本来还拿出了蜂蜜、牛油和果酱，兴致勃勃地准备涂在scones上，增添点味道。但尝了一口以后，就觉得没有这个必要。因为这么做简直是对厨师大大的不敬。



酥脆金黄的外层，轻轻一咬，立即散发出沁人心脾的奶油香。我调侃Z，与其当电影导演，还不如开餐馆好了，因为食欲就如无底洞一样，是永无止境的。

他莞尔不语。

你看看第二张图片，会不会觉得最前面的那块scone好像在裂开嘴对你微笑呢？

没逗留哪来文化？

"这个城市，连群众示威的大广场都没有。群众示威，和咖啡馆酒吧里彻夜闲聊一样，是培养社区共识的行为，对加深文化认同多么关键。示威游行，绝对是极其重要的一种“逗留文化”但是香港是个没有闲人，‘请勿逗留’的城市。

——龙应台〈没逗留哪来文化？〉，收录《亲爱的安德烈》

香港其实还好，恐怕新加坡才无处逗留吧？

Channel4 newscaster's chauvinism

A sex worker who became famous by blogging about her experiences under the name of "Belle de Jour", revealed that she was actually a middle-class woman who funded her PhD by becoming a prostitute. Her real identity was Dr Brooke Magnanti, a specialist in a hospital research group in Bristol. She led a double life by securing book deals and a TV spin-off under the identity of "Belle de Jour".

However, she felt "lucky to be able to reveal her identity by choice (she says on her blog she decided to do it because she could no longer face living a double life, but a fear of being outed by an ex-boyfriend apparently also influenced the decision".

Channel 4 newscaster, Jon Snow, interviewed Zoe Margolis, the author of the sex diary blog Girl With a One-track Mind, and sex worker cum International Union of Sex Workers (IUSW) spokesperson, Catherine Stephen, to talk about women who had similar experiences of living a double-life.

(Click on the following screen shot for the video)

(In the background, you can see the picture of Dr Brooke Magnanti)

Now, it was really interesting how the host Jon Snow exposed his own preconceptions (misconceptions?) and stereotypes. First, he showed his lack of background knowledge by asking Zoe Margolis if it surprised her that there are PhD students in the profession in "such high proportions". Margolis replied that it isn't and it's an "under-reported story". Then he went on to ask if Margolis' blog actually attracted male readers to go for paid sex. Margolis rebuked him by saying that actually most of her readers were females and found an "outlet" which they could relate to. She also added that many men are also in the business, except that it goes unnoticed. To me, why this goes another unnoticed as compared to female prostitution says something about the hypocrisy of society--that women are under greater moral scrutiny than men.

And Snow went on to ask Catherine Stephen another presumptuous question. I think Stephens answered brilliantly:

Snow: "But we are having a discussion in the very clinical confines of a studio, you are nice middle-class women and the rest of it, it isn't so for all, is it? Let's face it, this is a exploitative, dirty, vicious business for many."

Stephens' reply: "Can we first stress the fact that you are making two assumptions about me. One is that you're making the assumption that I am middle-class, which I would contest. The second assumption you are making about me that I am nice, which I would not." Then she went on to discuss the work of IUSW which campaigns for the rights and safety of female sex workers whom have been exploited. Why Channel4 chose only to introduce her as a "sex worker" and excluded her IUSW's worker title (see picture below) is another interesting thing altogether.



Snow's questions are fraught with stereotypical assumptions he has of gender, class, sexuality and profession. First, he already has the belief that men make up the readers of Margolis' blog, which is not true. Then he reveals his discrimination of sex workers by saying that Margolis and Stephens are "nice, middle-class women", implying that their "middle-class" backgrounds have given them some form of values and protection from the "sordidness" and "viciousness" of the world's oldest career, leaving them unscathed and clean. This sure says something about his moral expectations of women.

Very condescending indeed. Jon Snow should be thankful that Catherine Stephens and Zoe Margolis were gracious enough not to scoff him outrightly for his gratuitousness and chauvinism.

For my NYJC students

I know some of you did well for your promotional exams and some of you did not. One of you sought my opinion on whether to retain or not in JC1. I thought my response to this NYJCian might also help you and your peers. More importantly, I hope it also serves as some kind of encouragement.

1) Self-awareness for Long-term Improvement
Seek advice from tutors to know what went wrong. Hard work does not always necessarily translate into good results. You have to find out for yourself if you had the right focus, in terms of study skills, answering techniques, time management and exam skills. This awareness is essential for you to improve over the long run. A lot of JC students fail to realise that the skills required for JC are very different from that of secondary school. They end up feeling dejected and demoralised once they are unable to attain the same good results in JC with the same old skills they have been using in secondary school. But it doesn't work that way. It is important to ask yourself if you have been doing the right thing, using effective skills and techniques. Sometimes it not always about studying hard, it is about studying smart.

2) Promotion to JC2--pros and cons
Consider the pros and cons of retaining and promotion. Ask other seniors or peers who have gone through the same struggle to understand which is better. There are people who do better after being retained and there are also people who still continue to badly after retaining. Nevertheless, there are also people who do well after promotion. And it's important that you spend time talking to your tutors, because most of them will know your strengths and weaknesses. Hence, they might be in a better position to offer you sound advice.

3) Determination and Self-motivation
Many people are easily daunted by failures but it's not the end of everything. Failures are inevitable in life. And they happen for a good reason. Always allow yourself to learn from a mistake. Milk it for what it's worth. If you don't do well this time, it doesn't mean you fail in everything else. It could mean that your success requires more effort and takes a longer time to happen.

4) Integrity
Once you have made a decision on whether to retain or not (including your initial decision to pursue education in JC), it is important to you stick with it and see it through sustained effort and conviction. There are countless people who would give anything to be in your shoes. Education is not a given. Cherish the opportunity to learn, for once you start your adult working life, you will realise how much you miss being a student!

Ang Moh Roti Prata

Dinner on 11 Nov 2009:


From left to right (clockwise):
1. Chili Baked Beans
2. Curry cheese mushrooms
3. Toasted tortilla
4. Cheese 'n mushrooms (with lots of different spices)

I call it the ang moh roti prata!

我们何时才能开始诘问？

载《联合早报》2009年11月8日

　　英国广播公司（BBC）自1979年开播的政治论坛电视节目《诘问时间》（Question Time），几十年来享有相当高的收视率。制作单位邀请来自不同政党的议员以及无党派专业人士上节目，针对时下最热门的课题进行讨论，摄影棚的观众还能直接向受访嘉宾提问，要求嘉宾对政策做出解释或为个人错误负责。这种具有高度互动性与民主参与程度的节目形式，使《诘问时间》成为不少英国人每逢周四锁定的电视节目。这也难怪每年有大约三万名公众人士热烈响应制作单位的号召，希望能被抽选为现场观众。

　　BBC在10月22日邀请极右派的英国国家党领袖格里芬（Nick Griffin）上《诘问时间》。当天除了有工党、保守党和自由民主党的各代表外，还邀请了一名女黑人剧作家。制作单位也遴选了来自不同种族和社群的观众，“尽量做到具广泛代表性”。

　　然而，BBC对格里芬的邀请，却遭到主流媒体和公众的强烈非议。首先，该政党倡导的是白人优越主义，而格里芬本人也多次对犹太人、有色人种和同性恋发表仇恨言论，并认为犹太人大屠杀是虚构的。他深信英国本来是个纯白人的国家，而所有亚洲、中东和非洲的移民都应遣送出境。这样的言论完全抵触了英国近年对多元种族和多元文化的重视，更威胁了少数族群的权益。更严重的是，BBC让他在电视节目上曝光，还可能犯上将仇恨言论合法化之嫌。在面对公众示威抗议的压力下，BBC险些动摇，但最后仍坚持立场而如期录制和播放节目。

(左起：Chris Huhne the Liberal Democrats’ home affairs spokesman, Baroness Warsi the Tory spokesman on community cohesion, Jack Straw the Justice Secretary, David Dimbledy, the BBC Question Time host, Nick Griffin, British National Party Leader and Bonnie Greer, a black American playwright)

　　如果从另个角度来看，BBC的坚持是值得肯定的。首先，BBC之所以是个独特品牌，在于其公营性和政治中立的特点。它有个重要的使命，即以公正客观的角度对政治事件和不同观点进行报道，而正是这种服务公众的精神，让BBC无需屈从任何政党的利益。英国国家党今年在欧盟选举中获得两席，并在国家选举中取得百分之6.2的票数，这就足以让BBC有义务提供该党发表言论的机会和空间。

　　民主体制中有个重要的环节，那就是让民众拥有知悉的权利——包括了解不同（政治）意见的自由，以便能在知情的情况下作出判断和决定（informed decisions）。但这还必须建立在言论自由的前提上，即容许不同声音的存在，哪怕那把声音是具争议性的。最后，民主还包括对人的信任，即相信人们是可以文明而和平地进行各种政治讨论的。更何况，既然节目以“诘问”为形式，那让格里芬接受观众的诘问又何尝不可？拥有深厚人文传统、反思和批判精神的英国社会，又岂能被一个极右派分子所轻易说服呢？

　　事实上，当晚其他节目嘉宾和主持人并没让格里芬好过。主持人要求他澄清之前发表的仇恨言论，而在场不同肤色的观众，包括白人在内，也不断对他炮轰，挑战其白人优越主义和法西斯主义。格里芬在回应诘问时，有时因词穷而显得难堪，脸上还不时挤出狼狈的笑容。主持人的睿智机灵，节目嘉宾的快人快语，观众的精彩互动，让我们目睹了一场既有趣味性又发人深省的民主讨论，更使人感受到英国社会的政治包容、成熟和生命力。

　　岛国是否能制作和播放类似英国的《诘问时间》呢？人文教育的贫乏，使岛民无法培养反思和批判的精神。特殊的政治条件，使大众媒体和国家的关系过于密切。大众媒体多年来对电视观众思考能力的低估，对提高国人人文素养的漠视，以营利为本的作业方式，只会造成更多人选择以网络作为资讯管道和娱乐方式。在“种族与宗教和谐”的主流话语操练下，岛国建立了杯弓蛇影的“政治正确”观；凡被视为“敏感”的社会课题，往往被埋入地底，无法得到更深入的关注和探讨。对“政治正确”的坚持，成为我们封禁话匣子的借口。然而，这将构成社会和谐的假象，掩饰许多急需正视和解决的问题。
　　要等到什么时候，我们才能制作和观看自己的《诘问时间》呢？

Spicy Penne

Dinner on 7 Nov 2009, Saturday:

Ingredients:

Pasta: penne
Sauce: tomato paste, curry paste
Vegetables: green peas, carrots, corn, celery, portabello mushrooms
Spices: black pepper, rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley

一菜一汤

今天为大家介绍的是“一菜一汤”，顺便给它们取了稍为雅致的名字：

（一）绿野鲜棕

材料：西兰花、双孢蘑菇（portabello mushroom）、姜末、朝天椒（少许）

（二）紫衣白玉汤

材料：紫菜、海带丝、豆腐、豆芽、蘑菇

什么时候，我们才能开始诘问？（预告）

我给《联合早报》写了一篇有关英国的文章，这个星期天刊登：

《什么时候，我们才能开始诘问？》

英国广播公司（BBC）从1979年就开播的政治论坛节目《诘问时间》（Question Time），几十年来享有相当高的收视率。制作单位邀请来自不同政党的议员以及无党派专业人士上节目，针对时下最热门的课题进行讨论，而摄影棚的观众还能直接对受访嘉宾提问，要求嘉宾对政策做出解释或为个人错误负责。这种具有高度互动性与民主参与程度的节目形式，使《诘问时间》成为不少英国人每逢周四锁定的电视节目。这也难怪......(欲读下文，请购买《联合早报》。)

The Greenery of London

You might have heard of the song by George Gershwin, "A Foggy Day"

A foggy day,
In London town,
It had me low,
And it had me down

It's one of my jazz favourites. And I especially love the renditions by Ella and Billie. But it's also one of the songs that have created a stereotype of London.

Gray, misty and depressing.

And it will only get worse in winter. Some say that a handful Londoners will be so depressed by the weather that they contemplate suicide.

Not quite true actually. I was consoled find that they had large pockets of lush greenery even in the bustling downtown area. When it's balmy,people love to leisurely munch their sandwiches on the grass. I had the lovely opportunity of doing so a few days ago at Coram's Fields, a park near SOAS.


With this greenery and warmth, you'd actually think it's still summer.


By the time you read this, most of the leaves would have yellowed and withered. Autumn is engulfing the city. Here at SOAS, trees are rapidly shedding their leaves in anticipation of winter.


I was worried that I might not to see the autumn sights in Cambridge. So I went there last Saturday! More on that soon.