I need a break.

One of the most awkward situations that one can encounter in Oxford is bumping into your coursemate in the library at 5 in the morning when both of you are shocked by the fact that the other person is still up and working.

And, your day could be made worse by having an essay to complete for tomorrow while getting really stuck on it. Or, you might suddenly find that your coursemates can actually name most of the papers related to the topic you are revising/doing by addressing the author and the year of publication in an extremely natural way as if those things are common sense.

What else? I guess it has to be a serious deprivation of sleep.

I should take a break. I really should.

無題

突然間很想寫些東西,但又想不到標題,索性又來個無題好了。

破了介,喝了咖啡。太久沒喝,早已忘記了那種味道。

早上5點,我剛從library回來。考試的日子越來越近,雖然沒有感覺很緊張,但是這樣的生活卻有點累。怎麼說呢,我不為甚麼而讀書。朋友說得對:"既然已經找到工作,為甚麼還這麼努力讀書?"

的確,我的累都是自找的。老實說,我知道我怎樣讀,最終也不會first class honour畢業的,我知道自己是甚麼料子。second up,對我來說不應該有任何問題。有時我也問自己,這麼拼為甚麼?如果說要對別人交代,我first year的成績已經交代了,現在我想的話,其實大可好好享受一下這裡的生活,輕輕鬆鬆的考試畢業。偏偏,我卻每天在library拼。

說拼,有點誤導。我還不過是8-10小時工作,其他的時間都是上網看新聞,寫blog,吃和睡。今年想開了,每天都睡個8小時。朋友說我很奢侈。是的,回香港開工以後大概每天只能5-6小時睡眠,現在8小時,確實奢侈。

不知道何時開始,我不再覺得在這裡很辛苦。兩年多下來,終究是習慣了。電話,少了打回家,朋友的日記,也很久沒有看;我不再借助和外界的聯繫來支撐自己,慢慢地被這裡同化了

是的,我變成了一個geek,一個宅男,一個怪咖。這裡的確把拒絕學術化的我學術化了。還有甚麼好說呢?當你告訴人家你一天在library呆個8小時時,你已經不用說甚麼了。曾經這裡我覺得很變態,很辛苦的,都變得自然了。

現在的我,是要對自己交代吧!我知道我不為甚麼而讀書,而是純粹地追尋知識。對我來說,做好自己,把這段時間該學會的都盡量學會,我就對得住我自己,對得住給錢我的人。結果是甚麼,並不重要。這種一次過考3年的,一次決定成績的考試,正是我要的。就好像一場決鬥一樣,不過是我和自己的對決。

過去的,我放開了。從來我都沒有去恨過誰,最恨的,還是自己。認真想想,其實自己從來都沒有恨過甚麼人,這也是一種祝福吧?



每當我集中不了精神,我都會疊玫瑰花。把抽屜裡用剩的那疊紙拿出來。是習慣吧?也許。不過我不再為甚麼人而疊,我只是單純地放空自己,把煩惱都疊起來......

未來的路,大致上都定了。有很多選擇,很多代價,原來兩年多前已經決定了。走上這條路,注定不可能回頭。反正後悔也不是我的作風,我要好好的把前面的路走好。

因為,這是我的路。

新的家

搬家了!
這裡偶而可能還會寫些東西的,但基地搬去 http://blog.yam.com/reiw 了 =)

梁靜茹

突然間想寫一寫梁靜茹。無它,前幾天我才發現她"崇拜"這張album,把整張CD裡的歌聽完。一般人見到這個entry,大概會從心底裡叫出一聲:"好out!"

沒錯,我一向的潮流觸角都是0的,最近半年在音樂這方面已經好了很多了(因為多看了電視的關係 =P)。忽然想寫關於梁靜茹的原因,是我有幾個發現:

1) 幾乎梁靜茹所有的歌我都有 (which is abnormal for me)

2) 幾乎每一隻歌我都喜歡

很少有歌手的CD我是覺得整張都是好聽的,梁靜茹幾乎是唯一。正是這個原因,梁靜茹何時出新歌我是很留意的(崇拜只能怪去年太亂了)。她這麼多張CD裡的歌沒有那首是我不喜歡的。梁靜茹的歌路不算多變,但聽她的歌終有一種很感動,而且怎樣都聽不厭的感覺。無論快歌慢歌,有時有一點點帶Rock味道的歌,她也能唱出那種感覺。

最近不知道為甚麼,經常在網上看到和梁靜茹相關的東西。有一天無聊,在youtube看了她的幾個MV, 哇!拍得真的還真有感覺。看親親的MV,完全看不出她已經29歲! 梁靜茹總是讓人有種覺得她很簡單,很清純的感覺。

em...其實主題是,我成為她的粉絲了... =P

講起唱歌,看完兩季超級星光大道,我發現范曉萱的我要我們在一起只有她才能唱出那種感覺。我相信有些歌是屬於歌手的,別人無論怎唱,也不能把這首歌搶走。

Full text: Kosovo declaration

Here is the text of Kosovo's declaration of independence, signed in parliament by Speaker Jakup Krasniqi, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu:

Convened in an extraordinary meeting on February 17, 2008, in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo,

Answering the call of the people to build a society that honours human dignity and affirms the pride and purpose of its citizens,

Kosovo's parliament unanimously approved the historic declaration

Committed to confront the painful legacy of the recent past in a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness,

Dedicated to protecting, promoting and honouring the diversity of our people,

Reaffirming our wish to become fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic family of democracies,

Observing that Kosovo is a special case arising from Yugoslavia's non-consensual breakup and is not a precedent for any other situation,

Recalling the years of strife and violence in Kosovo, that disturbed the conscience of all civilized people,

Grateful that in 1999 the world intervened, thereby removing Belgrade's governance over Kosovo and placing Kosovo under United Nations interim administration,

Proud that Kosovo has since developed functional, multiethnic institutions of democracy that express freely the will of our citizens,

Recalling the years of internationally sponsored negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina over the question of our future political status,

Regretting that no mutually acceptable status outcome was possible, in spite of the good-faith engagement of our leaders,

Confirming that the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari provide Kosovo with a comprehensive framework for its future development and are in line with the highest European standards of human rights and good governance,

Determined to see our status resolved in order to give our people clarity about their future, move beyond the conflicts of the past and realize the full democratic potential of our society,

Honouring all the men and women who made great sacrifices to build a better future for Kosovo,

We, the democratically elected leaders of our people, hereby declare Kosovo to be an independent and sovereign state. This declaration reflects the will of our people and it is in full accordance with the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari and his Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement.

We declare Kosovo to be a democratic, secular and multiethnic republic, guided by the principles of non-discrimination and equal protection under the law. We shall protect and promote the rights of all communities in Kosovo and create the conditions necessary for their effective participation in political and decision-making processes.

We accept fully the obligations for Kosovo contained in the Ahtisaari Plan, and welcome the framework it proposes to guide Kosovo in the years ahead. We shall implement in full those obligations including through priority adoption of the legislation included in its Annex XII, particularly those that protect and promote the rights of communities and their members.

We shall adopt as soon as possible a Constitution that enshrines our commitment to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all our citizens, particularly as defined by the European Convention on Human Rights. The Constitution shall incorporate all relevant principles of the Ahtisaari Plan and be adopted through a democratic and deliberative process.

We welcome the international community's continued support of our democratic development through international presences established in Kosovo on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999). We invite and welcome an international civilian presence to supervise our implementation of the Ahtisaari Plan, and a European Union-led rule of law mission. We also invite and welcome the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to retain the leadership role of the international military presence in Kosovo and to implement responsibilities assigned to it under UN Security Council resolution 1244 (1999) and the Ahtisaari Plan, until such time as Kosovo institutions are capable of assuming these responsibilities. We shall cooperate fully with these presences to ensure Kosovo's future peace, prosperity and stability.

6. For reasons of culture, geography and history, we believe our future lies with the European family. We therefore declare our intention to take all steps necessary to facilitate full membership in the European Union as soon as feasible and implement the reforms required for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

7. We express our deep gratitude to the United Nations for the work it has done to help us recover and rebuild from war and build institutions of democracy. We are committed to working constructively with the United Nations as it continues its work in the period ahead.

8. With independence comes the duty of responsible membership in the international community. We accept fully this duty and shall abide by the principles of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, other acts of the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the international legal obligations and principles of international comity that mark the relations among states. Kosovo shall have its international borders as set forth in Annex VIII of the Ahtisaari Plan, and shall fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all our neighbours. Kosovo shall also refrain from the threat or use of force in any manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.

9. We hereby undertake the international obligations of Kosovo, including those concluded on our behalf by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and treaty and other obligations of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to which we are bound as a former constituent part, including the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic and consular relations. We shall cooperate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. We intend to seek membership in international organizations, in which Kosovo shall seek to contribute to the pursuit of international peace and stability.

10. Kosovo declares its commitment to peace and stability in our region of southeast Europe. Our independence brings to an end the process of Yugoslavia's violent dissolution. While this process has been a painful one, we shall work tirelessly to contribute to a reconciliation that would allow southeast Europe to move beyond the conflicts of our past and forge new links of regional cooperation. We shall therefore work together with our neighbours to advance a common European future.

11. We express, in particular, our desire to establish good relations with all our neighbours, including the Republic of Serbia with whom we have deep historical, commercial and social ties that we seek to develop further in the near future. We shall continue our efforts to contribute to relations of friendship and cooperation with the Republic of Serbia, while promoting reconciliation among our people.

12. We hereby affirm, clearly, specifically, and irrevocably, that Kosovo shall be legally bound to comply with the provisions contained in this Declaration, including, especially, the obligations for it under the Ahtisaari Plan. In all of these matters, we shall act consistent with principles of international law and resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations, including resolution 1244 (1999). We declare publicly that all states are entitled to rely upon this declaration, and appeal to them to extend to us their support and friendship.

Kosovo seeks recognition from the international community

根據國際法,行駛national self determination的國家需要得到足夠的recognition.目前歐洲主要大國如英,法,德等三國都表明支持獨立,意大利也應該會跟隨。17個EU國家表明會recognise,但Spain,Slovakia,Rominia,Cyprus和Russia都表明反對。這次事件會再政治和外交層面牽起怎樣的風波呢? 無論在international law或international relations兩方面,這件事都引起各界的關注。廣一點來看,可以看成是英美等大國和俄羅斯的外交對抗。這件事會否在巴爾幹半島這個歐洲的火藥庫引起新一輪的不穩定,很值得留意。令外事件也可能成為一些其他謀求獨立的地方的一個先例,對Scotland, Taiwan 和 Tibet等問題有深遠的影響。

Recognition for new Kosovo grows

Kosovo Serbs rally on their side of the main bridge in Mitrovica Enlarge Image

Recognition of Kosovo's independence has gained momentum with the US, France, the UK, Germany and Italy all pledging their support.

EU states meeting in Brussels agreed that Kosovo should not set a precedent for other states, with Spain and others concerned about separatism.

Serbia has recalled its ambassador to the US in protest at recognition.

Its president is preparing to ask the UN Security Council to condemn the declaration of independence as illegal.

Boris Tadic has gone to New York to ask the Security Council to annul the independence declaration and Belgrade is counting on Russia to veto Kosovo joining the UN as a new nation.

See a map of Kosovo's ethnic breakdown

In Belgrade, about 10,000 students marched in protest, and Serb enclaves inside Kosovo also saw anti-independence rallies.

Serbian security forces were driven out of Kosovo in 1999 after a Nato bombing campaign aimed at halting the violent repression of ethnic Albanian separatists.

The province has been under UN administration and Nato protection since then.

Pledges of support

Monday saw Washington formally recognise Kosovo as a "sovereign and independent state".

STANCE ON RECOGNITION For: Germany, Italy, France, UK, Austria, US, Turkey, Albania, Afghanistan Against: Russia, Spain, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus

In Brussels, pledges of recognition came after Monday's meeting of foreign ministers of EU states.

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said a desire to establish a unified position after "the disunity of the 1990s" had dominated the meeting in Brussels.

As for the UK's formal recognition, he added:

"The plan is to do it this evening and diplomatic relations will then be established... and in the course of the next days and weeks all the items of full diplomatic representation will be put into place."

KOSOVO PROFILE Population about two million Majority ethnic Albanian; 10% Serb Under UN control since Nato drove out Serb forces in 1999 2,000-strong EU staff to take over from UN after independence Nato to stay to provide security Full text: Kosovo declaration In pictures: Celebrations

After a lot of soul-searching, the EU forged a semblance of unity, BBC European Affairs correspondent Oana Lungescu writes.

It adopted a compromise proposal from Spain, one of several countries which argue that Kosovo's independence is a breach of international law and will boost separatists everywhere.

To ease those concerns, the EU's statement says that Kosovo does not set a precedent and leaves it up to each member state to decide on their future relations.

Most EU countries led by the biggest among them will take this as a green light for recognition, our correspondent notes.

Some of the EU states which did not recognise independence have experienced separatist unrest of their own, such as Spain with its Basque region and Cyprus with its Greek-Turkish division.

The EU earlier agreed to send about 2,000 police, justice and civil administration officials to oversee Kosovo and help develop the province's institutions.

'False state'

Russia's parliament passed a motion on Monday condemning the declaration of independence.

HAVE YOUR SAY

This is an ugly victory for demographic warfare

SEQ, London

Send us your comments

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia can block Kosovo's entry into the organisation as a sovereign state, and it said on Sunday that Kosovo's declaration should be null and void.

Serbia's interior ministry filed criminal charges on Monday against Kosovo Albanian leaders instrumental in proclaiming independence.

It accused Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and two others of proclaiming a "false state" on Serbian territory.

Chanting and playing music, students marched in Belgrade under a huge banner reading "Kosovo is a part of Serbia and Serbia is a part of the world".

The scenes were in stark contrast to riots that took place in the capital a few hours earlier when a few hundred people, mainly football hooligans, went on the rampage clashing with police and stoning embassies, the BBC's Nick Hawton reports.

Some acts of violence were reported in Kosovo itself after Sunday's declaration.

A hand grenade was thrown at a UN court building in the divided town of Mitrovica, and a UN car was reported to have been destroyed in the nearby village of Zubin Potok.

Kosovo goes independent!

一如外間所料,Kosovo今天宣佈了獨立。這真是一件大事! 對international law, international relations都有很大的影響。究竟這會否在歐洲和世界各地引起獨立潮呢? 密切留意事件發展

Kosovo MPs proclaim independence

Albanian and American flags have been on prominent display Declaration

Kosovo's parliament has unanimously endorsed a declaration of independence from Serbia, in an historic session.

The declaration, read by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, said Kosovo would be a democratic country that respected the rights of all ethnic communities.

But Serbia's PM denounced the US for helping create a "false state" and protesters in Belgrade later pelted the US embassy with stones.

The US and a number of EU countries are expected to recognise Kosovo on Monday.

Before that, the UN Security Council is expected to convene on Sunday evening in an emergency meeting demanded by Serbia's ally, Russia.

See a map of Kosovo's ethnic breakdown

Tens of thousands of people had thronged the streets of Kosovo's capital, Pristina, since the morning.

We have waited for this day for a very long time... from today, we are proud, independent and free" Hashim Thaci Kosovo Prime Minister Voters' voices

When news came of the declaration in parliament, the centre of the city erupted with fireworks, firecrackers and celebratory gunfire.

Hundreds of ethnic Albanians staged noisy celebrations in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, and in Brussels, outside the headquarters of Nato and the European Union.

Hand grenades

The first sign of trouble in Kosovo came in the ethnic Serbian area of the flashpoint town of Mitrovica, where two hand grenades were thrown at international community buildings.

Extra police were deployed in Belgrade to tackle trouble

One exploded at a UN court building while the other failed to go off outside offices expected to house the new EU mission.

In Belgrade, demonstrators threw stones and broke windows at the US embassy as riot police tried to fend off a crowd of around 1,000 people.

"Kosovo is the heart of Serbia," the protesters shouted.

Several Serbian ministers had travelled to Kosovo to show their support for the ethnic Serbian minority.

Kosovo's 10 Serbian MPs boycotted the assembly session in protest at the declaration.

Serbia's Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica blamed the US which he said was "ready to violate the international order for its own military interests".

"Today, this policy of force thinks that it has triumphed by establishing a false state," Mr Kostunica said.

Search for equality

The declaration was approved with a show of hands. No-one opposed it.

KOSOVO PROFILE Population about two million Majority ethnic Albanian; 10% Serb Under UN control since Nato drove out Serb forces in 1999 2,000-strong EU staff to take over from UN after independence Nato to stay to provide security In pictures: Celebrations East-West split over Kosovo In quotes: World reaction

"We have waited for this day for a very long time," Mr Thaci told parliament before reading the text, paying tribute to those who had died on the road to independence.

From today, he said, Kosovo was "proud, independent and free".

"The independence of Kosovo marks the end of the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia," the prime minister said.

He said Kosovo would be built in accordance with the UN plan drawn up by former Finnish President, Martti Ahtisaari.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Unfortunately today Kosovo and Serbia are to become two dispensable chess-pieces of EU/NATO and Russia

Mat, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Send us your comments

The international military and civilian presence - also envisaged by the Ahtisaari plan - was welcome, the PM said.

There should be no fear of discrimination in new Kosovo, he said, vowing to eradicate any such practices.

The declaration was signed by all the MPs present.

Ode to Joy

Kosovo's top leaders are due to go to a sports hall later where the Kosovo Philharmonic Orchestra is expected to play Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

They are also due to sign their names on giant iron letters spelling out the word "newborn" which was to be displayed in Pristina.

Legal furore over recognition Analysis: Anxious Balkans Full text: Kosovo declaration

Some ethnic Albanians, who make up the majority of Kosovo's population, earlier laid flowers on the graves of family members killed by Serbian security forces during years of conflict and division.

The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Mitrovica says local and UN police, as well as the Nato troops, are maintaining a high profile to reassure all the citizens of Kosovo that they have nothing to fear.

The declaration approved by Kosovo's parliament contains limitations on Kosovan independence as outlined in Mr Ahtisaari's plan.

Kosovo, or part of it, cannot join any other country. It will be supervised by an international presence. Its armed forces will be limited and it will make strong provisions for Serb minority protection.

Recognition by a number of EU states, including the UK and other major countries, will come on Monday after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, says the BBC's Paul Reynolds.

The US is also expected to announce its recognition on Monday.

Three EU states - Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia - have told other EU governments that they will not recognise Kosovo, says our correspondent.

Russia's foreign ministry has indicated that Western recognition of an independent Kosovo could have implications for the Georgian breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The UN has administered Kosovo since a Nato bombing campaign in 1999 drove out Serb forces.

Show distribution of Albanians outside Kosovo

Click to return

處女座

【Virgo】處女座8月23日 – 9月22日

【工作與財運】：2008處女座的朋友在工作財運跟整體運勢上相當旺盛，沉寂了一段時間的處女座，在2008年 可是嶄露頭角的一年了。在工作上，處女座今年提升自己能量的機會運勢旺盛，當然，大展身手之後的獲利報酬、功名成就更是不會虧待今年的處女座。走入木星大 舞台運的處女座，無論如何必須好好把握這難得一見的一年，累積已久的能量更是可以淋漓盡致的發揮，不過要注意別被壓力給唬倒，有些完美的處女座因為前幾年 的壓擠，造成自我的信心不足，這在今年會是很大的缺口，相信自己，這些年的扎根能量並不會在這麼關鍵的一年辜負您。而在財運上，恭喜今年處女座的財運也是 好到不行。今年處女座只要有合理的理財規劃，通常機運都是站在您這邊的，不管是正財的升遷加薪分紅獎金，連偏財的投資理財都有穩健的收益，甚至有可能小小 賺了一票，不過要注意的是一切都要在合理的範圍，過於貿然躁進並不會有太多的好結果，堅持自己的合理範圍，相信自己，今年處女座年底結算時就會發現今年可 是豐收的一年喔。

【感情與婚姻】：2008年愛神邱比特的弓箭或者月老的紅線都隨時充斥在2008處 女座的周圍磁場，是的，強大的放電能量讓今年的處女座有相當棒的感情運勢。單身的處女座因為木星走進戀愛宮內，所以相當有機會獲得戀情的眷顧，不管是主動 的出擊或者被別人愛戀的追求都有，只要平時有自信的展現自己帥氣或甜美的一面，今年單身的處女座可以獲得比往年更多的目光，甚至，多到會氾濫，傑瑞站長小 提醒：今年單身的處女座要低調的選擇，不要一時的被沖昏頭，今年機會很多，可以慢慢挑的。而至於有伴侶的處女座，只要珍惜對方，好好維護好這段得來不易的 感情，相信今年會是很甜美的一年，都出去走走玩玩，生活的精采絕對可以替雙方都帶來美好的回憶，步入禮堂也相當有機會，偶爾替對方準備的小驚奇，更是對戀 情加溫的大大加分喔。

【學業與學習】：2008年的處女座相當適合往外學習，投資自己。學習本運延續去年07的平穩，今年加上08年的大運年，更是學習能力大增，只要不要給自己太多的壓力，相信自己，通常都能遊刃有餘。此外，不管是學校的學業或者工作之餘的自我學習，要記得不要給旁人來影響自己的規劃，今年的處女座要集中精神，專心致力於自己的規劃，就能獲得最大的報酬喔。

【健康與心靈】：2008處 女座在健康上，只要小心壓力的來源不要放在心理太久，進而造成皮膚跟心臟的負荷之外，基本上都沒啥多大的問題。多喝水，早點睡覺是今年處女座保持健康的不 二法門，尤其是樂觀的心靈更是重要。相信自己，就是今年處女座心靈上的唯一基礎，樂觀加上自信，能夠讓今年處女座擁抱最多的陽光，如果被壓力或者自我的沒 信心擊到而喪失很多的好機會，日後一定會相當後悔的喔。

【處女座2008開運色澤】：請依照自己今年最重視的主要目標，作為選擇主要開運色澤的順序。或請依照每天不同的主題，挑選當天最適合的色澤出門為佳。
黑：好啦，真的怕濫桃花太多的可以選擇黑色，可以幫助處女座被不好的頻率接近。
金黃：耀眼的金黃色，主掌魄力跟自我的掌控，也代表著自信跟勇氣的提升。
紫：今年擁有太多機會的處女座，相當需要紫色來協助精神的集中，以及思緒的釐清。


攝影 / 文字 李傑瑞

好久沒寫些甚麼了

好長一段時間沒有寫些甚麼,主要是生活太忙了。這段時間察覺自己改變了很多,我覺得自己終於走出了很多的過去,走出了低谷。雖然還有很多問題和煩惱,但我覺得自己積極了 =) Finals將到,這個term大部份的時間都在library渡過,但卻沒有了以往的那種厭惡感。工作找到了,前面的路大概都可以想像。對生活的要求不高,但慢慢找到了自己的夢想,我想要好好的把前面的路走好,不要再想以往一樣浪費時間。

這幾天在想要開一個blog去認真寫一些東西,和不同的人交換意見。