Rogue One

As a new Star Wars fan, this highly anticipated new film did not disappoint me. Perhaps my enthusiasm towards Star Wars isn't great enough to be called a fan, I simply love great movies and stories. To be honest, I have only watched the 7 movies and not other animation stories. Hence, the only small details or so called "Easter eggs" I caught on screen were the appearance of R2-D2 and C-3PO and Princess Leia. 

When I watched episode IV last time, I remembered it was narrated that the Rebel stole the plan of the Death Star at a great cost. I never wonder and infer how they got it, I thought every story must have a beginning and you can't possibly trace all the stories to a starting point. So I thought that was the given background and no questions raised. After finishing the movie, I have the "eureka" moment that I know what happened before the episode IV. And also what the phrase "at a great cost" really means. The entire crew of the Rogue One sacrificed themselves to get the plan, and also those rebels who arrived to support them. I guess it is quite rare to have all the main characters die in the movie. I thought they would have found a way to escape from the planet. However, their deaths somehow make the movie more realistic and touching, and we have to remember that they are not the main characters of the series.

Another thing I noticed in this film is, besides the Chinese actor Donnie Yen, the element of humour. I don't quite remember if there are jokes in the original 6 films, apart from the conversations of C-3PO which are funny.

Overall, I love the story and this film. I anticipate more stories from Star Wars, Some say Star Wars is always political, maybe this is true, and I don't see any problem with that. Movie is an art itself, and an art is the way the artist express himself. "The Rebel is built on hope", it seems like this is the connection to the title of episode IV: A New Hope, but it can be interpreted in other ways. Hope is what we cling on, when we face oppositions and challenges.

发烧怎么办？

是的，我又病了。总觉得自己的身体很强壮，其实不然。我发现自己自从到外地读书后比较常生病，美女一针见血地说是因为饮食不均衡。这可能是其中的原因，身体的免疫系统变得差了。年头染上的B型流感，害得我在医院受苦一个星期。

病好后，妈妈要我多注意身体，到医院学习的时候要戴口罩。可是，要每时每刻都戴口罩是件非常不舒服的事情，鼻孔呼出来的热气都困在口罩里，说话也不清楚，因此我都没戴。

今年里，陆续有了一两次喉咙痛，但都没有发烧。当自己吞口水喉咙稍感刺痛时，就晓得喉咙开始发炎了。这时，立马赶到浴室里，不是洗澡，而是用漱口水漱喉咙。漱口水有杀菌的作用，我想这和小时候老爸总是让我用超浓盐水漱喉咙的原理是一样的。我通常也会自己买润喉糖吃。

中医说，喉咙痛是因为“上火”，当今西医没有这一套解说，但不代表是错的。上课病理课时，教授说感冒和喉咙痛等症状是由于病毒或细菌感染了呼吸道造成的。这与吃煎炸和“热气"的食物没有关系，除非那些食物都沾满了该病菌。因此，从西医的角度，喉咙痛了还是可以吃麦当劳汉堡套餐的。可是，我会选择吃所谓清淡的食物，这会让喉咙舒服些。

说到喉咙痛，最难熬的是夜晚睡觉的时候了。在睡眠状态中口腔停止分泌唾液，所以就没有吞口水。呼吸道因此变得干燥，以我个人的经验睡醒后喉咙往往更疼痛。那真的是不好受。还记得小时候有一次喉咙痛，老爸点了Lampe Berger 佛手柑精油放在房里，奇妙的是隔天起床喉咙痛就消失了。那时是放了半满的精油，现在的价格更贵了，看来这是昂贵的治疗法。

发烧了，按照老爸的方法，是用热毛巾敷身体，然后盖被把身体层层裹起来，让身体大量出汗，排除体内热。在外婆家，阿姨会用冷毛巾敷。小时候，无论是冷敷还是热敷我都无所谓，反正配合药物不久便退烧了。那个星期在医院发高烧时，很显然西医认为冷敷有效，但是护士哪有时间守在我身旁替我敷毛巾。她们想到了另一个办法，就是把空调开至最冷，目的和冷敷是一样的。当时我虽然发烧，但是却觉得冷，还在颤抖，心里不断地咒骂护士不肯让我关冷气。

其实，冷敷后热敷都有它的逻辑。冷敷的逻辑很直接，要让物体降温就让热量转移到冷的物体上，就如热饮里加冰块。可是小学课本里有教过，在冷环境中身体会自动反应避免失去过多的热能，比方说毛孔关闭及毛发会竖起为皮肤外多保留一层空气来达到此目的。所以，这是我咒骂护士调低室温的理由。至于热敷，也是利用相同的原理。在热环境中，身体自然要多散热，所以毛孔会大开，并冒汗，让汗水在蒸发的过程中带走热量。这是身体在日常的操作，在生病时有无改变我就不得而知了。不晓得是否有人针对此案做研究。不过，我觉得这还是要看病人觉得哪样比较舒服，因为治疗的根本就是让病人感到舒畅啊。就我个人而言，热敷是比较舒服的，我可不喜欢冷得颤抖了还要受冷空调。

还有另一点，我觉得我如果睡眠不足或品质不佳就有觉得虚弱。这也有所根据，因为睡眠不佳会影响免疫力，而中医也会说常熬夜会”上火“。这真是令我烦恼，我未来的工作需要我在医院里值夜班，得好好调养看是否可以克服这个问题。

**以上论点纯属个人意见，没有参考医学文献。

枪击案后感

近日，槟城发生了一宗造成七人无辜身亡的枪击案。一名受雇保镖开枪射死开着车的老板之后，因要继续追杀老板的友人而射中在周围的电单车骑士和汽车司机，酿成悲剧。事件的前因后果在这里不谈，交由警方调查，想说的是对这起事件的感受。

基本上，心中的悲叹也像上次医院火灾一样，在听闻事件后一段时间才涌上心头。这或许显示我在感情方面比较慢热。也可能我的大脑需要一点时间来处理所接收到的讯息。

案发当晚从社交媒体获知消息时，没有什么感受，更别说感触了。当下觉得此案件应该只涉及老板和保镖，可能他们之间有什么瓜葛才会发生枪杀案，还有着事不关己的心态。隔天看了新闻报导得知总共有七人因此丧命，看见家属在电视机前泣不成声，才渐渐地替他们感到难过。

他们就像那天加护病房里的病人，完全没有发现死神正向他们招手。患者生病入院，会相信医院是个安全的地方，有医护人员的悉心照料，距离鬼门关十万八千里。不料，出乎意料的火灾夺走了他们的性命。

在公路上往回家的方向，或许心里会保持警惕以避免车祸的发生，可这里不是美国，谁会意料让自己惨死的竟是子弹？在场并逃过鬼门关的人士都深感幸运。的确，如果嫌犯或早或迟些发难，躺在太平间的可能就是自己。前几天发生的空难也一样，想必飞机上的球员们脑海里都在想如何赢得比赛，谁知自己无法胜过死神？

世事难料，这句话说得不错。这些事件一再地告诉我们，活着，不是理所当然。命运并不是完全掌控在自己手中。我们可以遵守交通规则，做个好司机，但是我们无法提防别人的鲁莽。当心里彻底地明白这一点，就会感恩自己的心还在跳动，珍惜每一天。从而能得到的启示是，好好把握当下并活在当下，明天再美好的计划如果没有了性命那有什么意义。想做的事就去完成它，不再抱有“下次吧”的心理，因为“下次”可能永远不会有。这样，如果真的发生什么事，至少不会遗憾。

可我们也不必杞人忧天，不需终日提心吊胆，凡事不做。就算不能避免别人的鲁莽，也不可草菅人命。愿大家重新思考生命，生活更美好。

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I was a Harry Potter fan. I started to read the first book of the series in primary four, about 3 years after I watched the movie on the big screen. I must admit I was very much attracted to the story plot, and the books were probably the only English novels I touched during that time. I guessed I have read the first and second books twice. The entire Harry Potter fever peaked at the last book, and slowly faded until part two of the last movie. I would say I grow out of it. Until the emergence of this new franchise.

Many details of the entire story I do not remember, including Newt Scamander as the author of the textbook "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Though I remember vaguely there is such a textbook which Harry studied. I do not remember he appears in the Chocolate Frog Cards as well. But that's the surprise, doesn't it? That many of the small tiny details are actually hidden somewhere throughout the series. 

I would say it is a nice movie, at least to me. In a way it satisfies my curiosity of the wizarding world which Rowling created. It fills the knowledge gap as what happened before the age of Voldemort and Harry Potter. And the setting of 1920s adds another sense of mystery to me as the world back then was absolutely different from the world I live in now.

I guess it's every primary school kid's dream to receive an enrolment letter from Hogwarts. But as a kid I used to gauge how big is Hogwarts. My primary school had a total of 2000 students from primary one to six. It seems like there is just a handful of students in Hogwarts, far less than the crowd depicted on the stadium during a Quidditch match. It is also the only school in Britain. The population of the wizards and witches was quite a problem to me at that age as it didn't seem to make sense in my wild imagination. In the series we know there are other schools across the globe, it made me wondered was there a Chinese school in China and how about South East Asia. In this movie we finally have a glimpse of the wizarding community in America. They refer muggles as non-mag. And perhaps you might not need a passport but you need to apply for permit of a wand. Besides, there are others magical creatures apart from the ones introduced in the series.

Next, I am particularly fond of Eddie Redmayne in this movie as Newt Scamander. He gives that innocent looking face and the care-free spirit of a young adult pursuing his passion. I notice that he always bends his neck at an angle, is this the side effect from portraying Stephen Hawking? In the movie, Newt is very passionate about all the magical creatures, he will be a great vet in our world. That motivates me to be passionate about what I am doing now. Or perhaps the courage to pursue what I really wanted to do. 

As I am reminded of the characters in the book series, there are indeed a lot of possibilities where each character's story can be expanded. There are many notable ones and also many less known ones such as Newt Scamander. Really looking forward to more stories even though there are some in Pottermore already. There will be another 4 more movies in this franchise, can't wait to see how the story unfolds!

在考试后谈读书

终于熬过了考试那三天，整体上来说还算满意，只不过在温习作业的过程中发现有许多地方需要再花时间去了解和记忆。当时候就理所当然地告诉自己在假期时好好恶补吧。我想我发现了一个真理，虽说读书不是为了考试，但为了考试有其读书的模式。很惭愧的，自小读书最大的动力是考试。也许当时看不见所读的书有什么实际作用，而那时读书最实际的作用是考试获得佳绩。因此，考试成为了大多数学生鞭策学习的工具。只要在压力承受得了的范围内，考试是让学生愿意下功夫的好工具。

这却和那句“读书不是为了考试”产生了矛盾。儿时的自己觉得那句话很有深度，但不是真正晓得其中的大义。这句话就像其他小时候耳闻的格言一样，变成了自己仿效的目标和完美人格的标准。我就不停地告诉自己读书不是为了考试，却也没去思索话中的意义。我就像为了考试而读书般去记得这一句话，但它只停留在大脑表皮，没有渗入心里。久了，自己也就被自己骗了，以为自己读书真的不是为了考试。

再大一些，开始对那句话的意思有一丝明白。既然读书不是为了考试，就不要死记硬背，要活学活用。可是，中小学的许多科目，都算是基础，在我当时的生活派不上场。就这样，读书还是为了考试过关。就算是自己喜爱的科目如华文和物理，如果没有考试，也不会细心反复地去琢磨，也不会好好地做研究，只会在兴趣的驱使下翻阅资料而已。

到了最近，也就是明白自己读书的目的地后，才完整地达到读书不是为了考试的境界。身为一个医学生，我读书的目的是为了能够治疗病人，最起码也不要损害病人的健康。我要学的毕生无穷尽，却与我日后的职业息息相关。我必须能够应用我在这几年学的知识，才能够履行我的职责。忽然之间，知识的运用有了更崇高的范围，不仅仅是在考场上而已。这让考试不再是读书的焦点。原来，当一个学生彻底明白读书的目的后，他读书就自然地不是为了考试。

就这样，我继续地发现考试和求学是两回事，虽然两者之间有一种关系。当你明白这是两回事后，就会知道各个有各个的方法。我知道我读书是为了当个出色、不害死人的医生，因此读起书来就会以这个为出发点。自己还不够了解的课题会勤奋地探索和记忆，不会马虎。如果我天资过人的话，就可以以同样的策略轻松地战胜考场。只可惜我并没有那么天才，也没有过目不忘的能力。假设我秉着同样的信念，想在考试前把所有应该懂得东西都记住，那么我在考场上必定碰钉子。熟读兵书不代表就可以打赢每一场仗。同样的，熟记所有的知识不代表会作答每一道试题。应对考试，目的是要顺利过关以便能够结业。虽然考试的目的就是希望测试你是否有适当的知识水平，但单凭大量的知识累积不能够确保考试顺利，其中之一的原因是出题方式的不同。试题往往都是考重点，因此勤做习题来准备考试才是上策，并不是花大量时间来研究。当你透过习题来熟悉出题者的思维后，考试便更加得心应手了。

总结来说，在医学院要考好成绩不一定要满脑学问，只要多看历年考题（考题会被循环使用）。这就是所谓的为了考试，有其读书的方法。

考试加油吧！

再熬多一个星期就可以回家了，回家过圣诞、元旦、生日和农历新年。

当考试越来越接近时，心里就会开始慌张，总觉得有太多的课题要复习，大脑容量不够。此时偏偏大脑也开始疲惫，好像马上进入考场考完算了。

和每一次面临大考一样，心底深处对考试后悠哉的盼望就如一股春泉，源源不绝地从心口溢出，为快要干枯的精神提供动力。就再读多一些吧，不要松懈，做最后的冲刺吧。我相信大多数的学生都是这样挺过去的。

给和我一起奋斗着的好友们，大家一定要一起毕业。

给快要毕业的鸭子和嘉文，这就是学生生涯的最后一关了。

再次拿出我曾经过人的自信吧！这道坎，我必定会跃过去的！