2012年1月9日星期一

房屋翻新统计表

房屋翻新统计表是屋主向估价师展示房屋一直享有良好维护、依然很有价值的最好例证。

周边同街区同类房屋价格比较表。

整理房屋。污渍斑斑、脱线的地毯,坑坑剥落的墙壁墙砖,杂草的院落,腐蚀的窗框,甚至有蟑螂之类,漏水的木瓦,松动楼梯护栏

修整庭院。规整草地,精致花圃,优雅设计

地段。所在区新添社区设施:娱乐、健康、教育、交通,等等,及时告知估价师。

500元规则。估价师通常以500元为一个档次。小损害的修护只需几十或上百,但是估价可能就降价500。

2012年1月8日星期日

上帝为什么要 gift for us ?

今天,东正教圣诞节。埃塞俄比亚国庆节。

在教堂庆祝

埃塞俄比亚年轻牧师演讲很有激情。

圣诞节,每个人都收到礼物,来自父母,儿女,来自丈夫,来自妻子,来自亲人,朋友;也都送出礼物给亲人,朋友,等等。gifts。

问:

为什么我们要送gift?为什么?

because,because上帝送给我们礼物,上帝将他唯一儿子,独生子Jeasus 作为礼物给我们。the gifts for us. 

这是我们也要送出gifts for other peaple的根本原因。

上帝送给我们的是他的only son,begotten. 我们送什么给 other peaple 呢?

另一个问更值得沉思:

上帝为什么要 gift for us ?我们什么都不缺,我们拥有什么?丰足的食物,金钱,财富,不仅满足着我们的感官,亲情,爱情,音乐,艺术,物质的和精神的享受,我们拥有着丰足。上帝为什么还要 gift for us ?

我们肯定并不 rich. 我们的灵spirit 空虚着,得不到安宁,我们的状态没有peace.

2012年1月7日星期六

美国宣布新的国防策略:防制中国

美国总统奥巴马星期四亲自宣布新的国防策略。

战略重心将转移到亚太地区,以因应中国崛起;同时美国将强化反制「反介入/区域阻绝」,以确保美国的军事部署自主及航行自由。

此外,美国将强化与波湾国家合作,以因应伊朗及伊斯兰极端份子。

这份报告指出,美国必须有效反制中国及伊朗等国的「反介入/区域阻绝」(Anti-Access/Area Denial)。美国军方所说的「反介入」,通常指的是中国以导弹攻击美国航空母舰,使美国不敢介入台海冲突。至于「区域阻绝」则指的是以不对称战力把美国阻绝在区域之外,这种不对称战力通常包括电子战、水雷、飞弹、潜舰等,正是中国研究发展的重点项目之一。

报告指出,就长期观点言,中国崛起成为区域强权,会影响美国的经济及安全;中国的军事力量不断成长,其战略意图应该透明化,以避免区域冲突。
奥巴马表示,911之后,美国经历了阿富汗及伊拉克两场战争,军事支出极其庞大,现在到了转型的时刻,瘦身乃是必须。……厘清美国的战略利益与优先顺序。
美国放弃了在全球两个战场作战的传统战略要求。

波恩大学全球研究所的政治学者辜学武认为,这是美国作为一个超级大国"慢慢开始走下坡路的一个信号",因为新的战略显示:"美国已力不从心,它的国民经济实力已经不能支撑和维持在全球的强大的投放能力。在这样一个背景下,必有对重点有所选择。"
奥巴马指出,全世界必须知道,美国继续保持军事力量超强,美国的三军仍然保持警觉、弹性、随时准备全力因应紧急状况及各种威胁。

2012年1月4日星期三

Epiphany主显节(361.1.6)天主主动现露自己

Epiphany主显节(希腊文:επιφ&νεια)

旧约圣经民数纪二十至二十二章。关于“异星”的期待。

先知巴兰,是一位外邦的先知,受命诅咒以色列人,但天主却使他预言说:“有星要出于雅各,有杖要兴于以色列,要执掌大权和施行毁灭。”。

天上出现了异星,耶稣诞生的前兆。

这是上帝天主主动地以星光、以圣经的話、以犹太经师,显露自己。

东方三贤士观察到一颗特别的星星,因而推论出:一位特殊的犹太君王将要诞生。

面对主显,东方三贤士的回应是:

东方三贤士到达耶路撒冷时,便询问“才诞生的犹太人的君王在哪里?”

贤士的第一个回应是询问︰“才诞生的犹太人的君王在哪里?”信仰往往是从询问开始的。只要对信仰作无限的追问,便会接近天主。圣经中,很多次信仰是从询问引发的︰“你们找什么?”“师傅,你住在哪里?”“你们说我是谁?”“善师,我应做什么才能得永生?”只要不停地追问,天主一定会在适当的时候,以适当的方式回答。东方三贤士就是因追问而获知圣婴所在。

可是,只是追问,而不去寻找,是会錯过天主的恩宠的。比拉多曾问︰“什么是真理?”可是问完却不去找答案,虽然答案就在他的面前。

东方三贤士的第二个回应是寻找︰离乡別井,千里迢迢,来到一个陌生的地方,向犹太藩王问新生犹太君王,需要很大的勇气,途中星光消失是一种挫折,他们排除万难,努力寻找,终于找到圣嬰耶穌。

第三个回应是︰

三贤士见到嬰孩耶穌(天主、真理)后,便向祂俯伏朝拜,並献上珍贵的礼品──黃金、乳香和沒药。既然是真理,便只有俯伏。

三件礼物。

面对天主、真理。

我们能否献出像黃金一样宝贵的时间、精力、才智、青春給天主?

能否献上我们誠心的祈祷,使它像乳香一样,馨香地升到天主台前?

能否献上生活上的困苦与十字架,作为我们給天主的沒药?


天主主动现露自己。願我們在生活中不斷追問,不斷追尋主,把我們今天認為最寶貴的東西獻給主。天主會藉現代的星光,讓我們找到祂。(原文:吳智勳神父)



















没药,又作末药(英文名:Myrrh,拉丁文学名:Commiphora molmol),在东方是一种活血、化瘀、止痛、健胃的中药,来自产地古代阿拉伯东非一带。《北史》中即有记载,说是来自西域漕国。
在西方,没药是一种据说有神奇疗效的药物希伯来人将没药树枝制作成各种芳香剂、防腐剂和止痛剂。旧约时期,常被做成油膏,涂抹在伤口,促进伤口愈合。
胶质没药为橄榄科〔Bureseraceae〕 植物爱伦堡没药树的树脂。黄白色的油状汁液,干了之后会变成红色,也就是我们所熟悉的没药。
在《圣经》中出现的没药,最著名者为东方三圣带来给初生基督的礼物之一,象征生命的短暂,因为当时人们普遍习惯将此物用于尸体的防腐。另一种观点认为没药代表死的馨香,表示珍视耶稣受死的宝贵。

生长在沙漠边缘、非常干燥的地方,它的英文名字Murrh源自阿拉伯文murr, 就是“苦”的意思,早在三千年前,没药就是古文明国家经常使用的药材,多用它来抑菌或作为妇女清洁净身,而本草纲目中也记载它对伤口以及调节妇女生理机能的帮助,所以是中药材中促血液循环与缓和疼痛不可少的药引。

温暖怡人、可以帮助情感抒发,并找回平静。

2011 letter

Dear friends,
2011 has been a year with fulfillment for my family and me. Praise the Lord!

In January Hongmao no longer needed to go to the store to work, as our friend Hu Hui took over the business. He has been home since then. He has been looking for work and had a couple of interviews, but hasn’t got a job yet. We will have to keep praying.

In February, our next-door neighbour Li Lifang moved, as she bought a townhouse near St Laurent. During March break, we started looking at houses. We found a semi-detached house that we loved very much, but it was across the Ottawa River, on Quebec side. We had to give it up. Then we had an agent Roni Rizk from Keller Williams. He showed us only four houses and we decided to buy the three-stored townhouse in Britania Heights. It is only 6 kilometers from my work place, Westboro Montessori School. June 27 was the closing date and we moved to the new home the next day. We really like the convenient location. It’s walking distance to Ottawa River and to our church.

Summer was an exciting time. In July Dora and Mary went to summer school and finished the Grade 12 English. Then they did some volunteer work at the summer camp of Westboro Montessori School. In August we made a trip to Minnesota, US by Grey Hound long distance bus. On the way we stopped to visit Alice and her family in Mississauga and Wu Xiaoyun, Terry and their kids in Canton, Michigan. Finally we came to St Paul, and my American Dad, Glen Hanggi was waiting for us. He was driving his son Doug’s van. My American mom had a heart surgery in spring and was recovering well. Grandpa Hanggi took Dora, Mary, Hongmao and me to see a musical, HMS Pinafore in St Paul. It was fantastic. We also went to their church and met the students they tutor and visited a couple Lee and Betty, very nice people and very beautiful home on the lake. We visited our old friends, Mike and Nancy Johnson. Nancy prepared us a delicious dinner and we sat in their large porch eating, drinking and enjoying the view of the garden. Grandpa and Grandma also took us to Taylor’s Falls to see the unique rock formation, potholes. They took us to the North Branch outlet stores and bought us clothes and shoes before we came back. It was a wonderful trip!

I am still teaching at Westboro Montessori School. I had 23 children last year. I had two assistants Krista and Alicia. Krista was teaching French to small groups. She had a strong personality and didn’t get along with the principal. She quit in April. Then Lily came from the other school site to my class as an assistant, teaching French. After the summer camp, Alicia was fired. So since September I have had a new assistant Andrea, but she floats between classes. I have 19 children in my class.

In January, our two daughters Dora and Mary took Grade 8 piano exam. Dora got 84 and Mary got 82. Both of them received certificates with First Class Honours from the Royal Conservatory of Music. In August they took the music theory exam. Dora got 99 and Mary got 97. They received certificates for Advanced Rudiments First Class Honours with Distinction. They have been taking music theory lessons with Mr Greg Hartley. They have been learning Harmony since September. Their piano teacher Mrs Fatovic had a small stroke in January and is not able to give them lessons. Besides, for three months since September every Tuesday after school, 4 to 7 pm Dora and Mary went to Ottawa Art School to learning drawing and painting.

Dora and Mary are in Grade 12 at Glebe Collegiate Institute. Mary is still in the school choir, but Dora has no time to practice, as she has co-op in the afternoon. She works in the accounting department in Cartier Place, a suite hotel downtown. Both of them applied for universities in mid December. Dora received admission offers from Carleton University and University of Ottawa, but waiting for offers from University of Toronto and University of Waterloo. Mary received admission offer from University of Ottawa, but waiting for offers from Queen’s University, University of Waterloo and Ryerson University. We bought them each a laptop, getting things ready for university.

Wednesday night our whole family go to the choir practice at our church and we sing at Sunday service. Hongmao and I still teach Mandarin in Capital Chinese School on Saturday. We do grocery shopping for our family after school. In May both of us passed another road test and got our G license. Now we only need to renew it every five years.

Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
Maqing & Hongmao, Dora & Mary

女儿报考

Pat 他们回去了,屋子里就我们自己了,感觉被抽空一样,打不起精神。

女儿报考大学,本地两个大学,渥太华大学和卡尔顿大学都已经回信录取了,但是她们更想去的是金斯顿的女王大学和多伦多大学,滑铁卢大学。离开我们,真是不放心,不舍得。

屋子里就留下我们自己了。

2012年1月3日星期二

家的温暖

客人走了。晚饭时。问女儿:我们请客,为什么一定要将Dick,Solveig,Gerda和明天来的Pat这几家请来?

2006年到加拿大,一直是住公寓房,没有属于自己的房,感觉不像一个home。在女儿上大学之前,一定要买自己的房,让女儿觉得这是一个home。

去年,2011年6月底,完成买房,搬进了自己的房子。

一直就想请我们教堂里几个特别好的朋友,尽管他们现在都离开这个教堂了。

半年都快过去了,这两天,把房间好好整理了,乱七八糟的东西给搜起来,吸尘,把灯弄得更亮些,搞到今天早上还在不停地忙。

女儿做Sushi做得很好,两次去T&T和Costco,还有Walmart,等等,终于找到吃Sushi的调料芥末WASABI;女儿还卷了好吃的三文鱼salmon;马青做了腰果炒虾仁。

今天外面冷得不得了,零下17度,加上风,感觉温度是零下29度,渥太华,如果没有什么风,即使零下20多,也不觉得冷,今天,风冷得要命。

朋友都来了。

Rick还让女儿到底楼弹了钢琴。下面比二楼冷很多,只弹了一曲,就逃上来,女儿穿着短袖。

为什么一定要请他们?

我跟女儿讲:

我们来渥太华,2006年,我们的亲人,朋友,全都在遥远的中国了,来到渥太华,属真正的举目无亲,是我们教堂里的这几个朋友,真的是他们几个,让我们在举目无亲的渥太华,能够有一种“家”的感觉。还有美国的Glen和Jan,专程从明尼苏达开车两天多,在我们还没有到加拿大之前,他们先到,帮我们安“家”,租了一辆大车,买床买柜子,安好了家,Gelan和Jean才放心开车回明尼苏达。这种温暖,他们走的时候,告别时,当时真的就觉得他是我的爸爸,对爸爸的一种依恋。

我们享有的家的温暖,是他们带给我们的,我们一直感激不尽。