畢加索和安裝工 – 網上讀到的”軼事”或”謊言”?

November 25, 2011

看到以下兩篇”畢加索和安裝工”文章之後,覺得非常感人,文中提到,

“2010年 12月,一個石破天驚的新聞:年逾古稀的安裝工蓋內克將畢加索贈送給他的 271幅畫,全部捐給法國文物部門,價值一億多歐元。”

我便去找相關的英文新聞來讀。最新的一段是 2011年六月 UK Daily Mail 的“Couple who had 271 unseen Picasso paintings worth millions stashed in garage are charged with handling stolen goods”,但內裏不但沒有捐給法國文物部門這個報導,反而報導他兩老夫婦被告偷竊。我絕對希望李怡先生網上讀的畢加索晚年軼事是真事。但照我所查證,這”軼事”(捐給法國文物部門)可以是一個網上美麗的”謊言”。

畢加索和安裝工 – (李怡) – 2011年11月21日

網上讀到一段畢加索的晚年軼事,讓我感慨不已,也似乎從這故事才看懂了畢加索的畫。
畢加索說過:「我的每一幅畫,都裝有我的血,這就是我畫的含義。」
畢加索在世時,他的畫就賣得很貴。他身邊總有許多人渴望從他那裏得到一兩張畫,那怕是他隨手塗鴉,也夠自己一輩子吃喝不愁了。
晚年的畢加索非常孤獨,儘管他身邊不乏親戚朋友,但他很清楚,那些人都是衝着他的畫來的。為了那些畫,親人們爭吵不斷,甚至大打出手。畢加索很苦惱,他身邊一個能說說話聊聊天的人也沒有。儘管他很有錢,但是買不到親情和友情。
為保護畫作,年逾 90的畢加索請來一個安裝工,給自己門窗安裝防盜網。就這樣,安裝工蓋內克出現在畢加索的生活中。蓋內克憨厚,坦率,沒有文化,看不懂畢加索的畫,在他眼裏那些畫一文不值。畢加索常常將眼瞪得大大看蓋內克,蓋內克給了他豁然開朗的美好。蓋內克雖不懂畫,但他喜歡跟畢加索聊天,覺得老人很慈祥,就像自己的祖父。
陽光從窗外照進來,畢加索看着眼前的蓋內克,就像一尊雕塑,有一種令他暈眩的美。他情不自禁拿起畫筆,給蓋內克畫了一幅肖像。他把畫遞給蓋內克說:朋友,把它收藏好,或許將來你會用得着。蓋內克接過畫,沒看懂,他說:這畫我不想要,要不,你把廚房那把大扳手給我吧,我覺得那扳手對我更有用。畢加索不可思議地說「朋友,這幅畫不知能換回多少你要的扳手。」蓋內克將信將疑地收起畫,可心裏還想着那扳手。
蓋內克的到來,一掃畢加索淤積心中的苦悶,他找到傾訴對象。在蓋內克面前,他丟掉了自己的面紗,像孩子一樣跟蓋內克天南地北地交談,高興時還手舞足蹈。(明天續)

誰最懂得畢加索?- (李怡) – 2011年11月22日

(續昨)為了跟蓋內克聊天,畢加索一再將工期推遲,與蓋內克說說笑笑是他最大快樂。其間,畢加索又送了許多畫給蓋內克,包括他自己珍愛的作品。他說:「雖然你不懂畫,但你是我真正的朋友,是最應該得到這些畫的人,拿去吧,希望有一天它們能改變你的生活。」
防盜網工程蓋內克竟幹了近兩年。和蓋內克一起,畢加索變得精神奕奕。他又創作出許多作品,是他創作另一高峰期。工程終於完了,蓋內克告別畢加索又到處打工去了。 1973年 4月 8日, 93歲的畢加索逝世。他的畫價創出天價。蓋內克日子過得艱難,他得知畢加索去世,非常悲痛。他回家翻出舊皮箱,把畢加索那些畫拿出來清點,發現共有 271張。蓋內克驚呆了,他知道只要拿出任何一張畫,就可以徹底改變他的生活。看着這些畫,畢加索的音容笑貌浮現,「你才是我真正的朋友!」這句話一遍遍響起。他的眼睛濕潤了。他將畫又仔細地放回皮箱。他沒有對任何人說起這些畫,包括自己家人,他像往常一樣外出幹活。
2010年 12月,一個石破天驚的新聞:年逾古稀的安裝工蓋內克將畢加索贈送給他的 271幅畫,全部捐給法國文物部門,價值一億多歐元。有人感到困惑不解,老人擁有這麼多畢加索的畫,為什麼自己不改善一下生活,要全部捐出來?
蓋內克在回答記者時說:畢加索對我說,你才是我真正的朋友。是朋友我就不能佔有,只能保管。捐出來就是為了讓它們得到更好的保管。在天堂的畢加索一定為他能有這樣的朋友感到無比驕傲。自以為懂得畢加索的畫的許多人,其實只是懂得畢加索的畫價。說自己不懂的蓋內克,其實最懂得那些如畢加索所說「都裝有我的血」的畫。


加拿大新膠一百蚊紙 明天正式面世

November 13, 2011

加拿大新的膠一百蚊紙明天(十一月十四日)正式面世! 請看看我之前的英文分析 here and here.

加拿大新膠一百蚊紙 廣東話分析


這是對抗強權的人民幣

November 12, 2011

“這是對抗強權的人民幣” New meaning for Renminbi (People’s money), “People’s money battles with oppressors.”

Two more days to lend money to Ai Weiwei, so far $7,571,713 yuan from 26,723 micro creditors have been raised to protest Chinese government’s attempt to censor artists and internet users.

From Ai Weiwei’s Google+ Account.

艾未未 – 9:13 AM (edited) – Public
截止11日中午12时,共收到26723笔借款,总金额7571713元。其中:

支付宝 19322笔 2477717元
建行卡 4559笔 2704123元
paypal 792 笔 290522元
现金 335笔 1385257元
邮局汇款1715笔 714094元

距借款截止日还有2天。”


三個小神仙 再現 RTHK – 2台30年Radio Magic

November 7, 2011

Yesterday (Nov 7, 2011) I had a great time listening to 三個小神仙 (鄭丹瑞、何嘉麗及林姍姍) on 2台30年Radio Magic on RTHK Radio 2

Update: Today (Nov 8, 2011) Albert Au (區瑞強) was on and he was fun and insightful to listen to!


Andy Rooney, ’60 Minutes’ Commentator/Chief Complainer, Passes Away at 92

November 5, 2011

I am saddened of the news that Andy Rooney passes away at 92 after saying goodbye to us on his last 60 Minutes appearance on Oct 2nd only only a month ago. I think Andy lived a great live speaking his mind as he saw things. I think if someone was doing things that he/she love, then the person isn’t working at all. By that standard, it was wonderful to see Andy work till only weeks ago.

Goodbye Andy. You are missed.

LA Times, “Andy Rooney dies at 92; ’60 Minutes’ longtime curmudgeon – His end-of-show essays turned him into a reluctant celebrity. TV Guide called him ‘America’s favorite grump.’ He retired in October 2011 after 33 years on the show.

ABC News, Andy Rooney Passes Away

WSJ Blog, “Andy Rooney, ’60 Minutes’ Commentator, Dies at 92

CBS 60 Minutes Overtime, “Remembering Andy Rooney” (note: at the moment, none of the video links on the page are working for me)


溫哥華飛機失事救人英雄

November 1, 2011

These heroes deserved our public thanks.

* Vancouver Sun, “Video: Plane-crash heroes tell their stories

* CBC News, “Premier to honour Richmond crash heroes (with crash aftermath video)

* Vancouver Sun, “Jeremy Kerr writes letter to Vancouver Sun reporter Jeff  Lee about his role in the rescue of passengers on Northern Thunderbird Air Flight 204 and its aftermath

* National Post, “Vancouver plane crash: Heroes who fought their way into the flaming wreckage tell their story

“Jeremy Kerr, John Redmond, Haim Peri and Shawn Nagurny share a common bond even if they don’t know one another.

They were among the small group of men who, against all odds, pushed their way into the flaming fuselage of Northern Thunderbird Air Flight 204 to drag injured passengers to safety after the small aircraft crashed Thursday in Richmond, near Vancouver.

None of the men sought public attention in the days after the incident, but they have now come forward, largely out of the cathartic need to talk about what they experienced. The trauma of being thrown into the situation of becoming unexpected heroes has weighed heavily.

As the men carried or dragged the victims out, as many as two dozen other Good Samaritans offered help, carrying the injured to a grassy area not far from the wreckage. Redmond says all who responded — from those who offered first aid to those who sprayed car fire extinguishers on the flaming wreckage in the vain hope of beating back the flames — deserve credit.

But it was Kerr, Redmond, Peri, Nagurny and several as-yet unidentified men who entered the aircraft, suspending common sense to risk their lives for the people on board.

Here are their stories.

Jeremy Kerr

[...] At first, he said, he didn’t know why he helped out. It was an autonomic reaction for him to race over, he said. In hindsight, he now knows he did so out of extreme compassion.

“Waiting for help to arrive wasn’t an option,” he said. “If they were my loved ones on board, I would hope that someone would do the same for me.” [...]

Some of the events around what happened are blurry to Kerr. He says he doesn’t remember the faces and names of the other heroes who worked with him. “It’s like looking down the barrel of a straw,” he said. “All I can remember is the victims.” [...]

John Redmond

[...] He drove straight through an intersection, stopped the car “a little bit too close to the airplane,” grabbed his steering-wheel club in case he needed something to smash through windows to free people, and ran as fast as he could toward the airplane. Read the rest of this entry »


Shanghai Super Girl

November 1, 2011

Shanghai Super Girl: multi-part – Vice video (part 1, part 2, …)

“Super Girl, China’s version of Pop Idol, has been dropped from the country’s TV schedules following government pressure because officials deemed it subversive.

In the latest of our films from Vice, we visit their archives to watch Shanghai Super Girl, their account from 2008 of the most-viewed TV show in the history of the world.”


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