Great places for adventure travel
Life was tough and a squeeze 50 years ago, but livable
Robust Latin maxims
Ching Ming reflections: Who created the devils and angels that confront me at death?
Reflection on being out of work & reading Autumn Living in Bashan
Waiting for Happiness Singaporeans believe happiness consists of the five Cs
How not to get retrenched When times are bad, you can still keep your job if . . .
Lorenzo the Magnificent and Michelangelo
Re-reading Dream of the
Red Chamber
[You can listen to the
exquisite Flower Burial Song
on this sentimental page...]
Fun with Tang poetry
Translating Li Bai
Much-loved Chinese poem
Rainy Night in the Mountains The poet recalls a rainy night with his beloved
Sunset river by Bai Chi Yi
Happiness is a pretty girl Unexpected encounters that bring happinesses
and an eternal teapot
Exquisite beauties from China
One day at a time for one plucky girl
Because I could not stop for death Meditation on Emily Dickinson's poems
The unhurried life brings its own rewards Even if you've won the Rat Race, you're still a rat
Life is more than a video-recording Keep memories in vignettes, not videos
The unexamined life is not worth living
Imagine what you can do with $100 million
Getting Granny ready for home Celebrating life at a Chinese funeral
Once is not enough Pleasure of re-reading
Tagore, Genji, Ah Q Books of the last millennium that have changed Asia
The root of misery is the lack of ready cash
Is God a Taoist? In Singapore, he's none other than Tua Pekkong, the national deity
Middle Age Not any richer but better
Teaching vampires to fly The bardo terror
What women really want (click red sofa)
The Singapore River, once the economic lifeline of the country, is now a touristy sideline, with ornate railings, whimsical sculptures and tacky bumboats. -- Picture by Francis Chin
Life on the sideline
Welcome to Bystander: Here are articles, essays, poems, book reviews, diary jottings and photographs I have produced for local newspapers and magazines since October 1978 when I finished my three-month (with salary) course on reporting and subbing and called myself a journalist. Instead of leaving them as yellowed cuttings, I've updated my published material for the Web so they can be accessible to friends past, current and future. I've also added contributions by others, when the spirit moved them to share.
In the three decades of journalism, I have written about practically everything under the moon (I write best at night), except fashion, golf, crime and movie stars. On this site I have put up those writings I enjoyed reading back to myself. (If you don't enjoy reading what you've written, trash 'em). My stuff is mainly on loafing and leisure pursuits, pretty girls and dreams, life and the next life, and, most important, Buddha's exhortations to make the most of this precious human span before death hits us unexpectedly and inconveniently.
Except for those Latin quotes and maxims, and tidbits from Confucius, I hope there is nothing pretentious, preachy or goody-goody. The last thing I want to do is pontificate pious statements.
If you've got anything to share, write on the Guest Book at the bottom of this page or drop me an e-mail at hsiaoshuang@yahoo.com.
-- Francis Chin, January 2005
In Malayan jungle Go and feed the leeches
Run for your life If you've reached middle age carrying a bulge, start running for your life
Stop, Look, Listen Run for your life but don't get overrun
Live smart and safe In a dangerous, follow the tips and counsels of Solomon's Proverbs
The Man of Life Upright Interger Vitae, by Thomas Campion
CHINA DREAMS Long thoughts on the Nanjing-Shanghai express
More thoughts, from Shanghai to Hangzhou,
Living in the context of eternity Washing the dishes and other reflections.
A wife's undying love
In the beginning God created greens and salad and the Devil created McDonald
China's Guest People Hakkas and the Great Taiping Revolution
The best writing is no writing
Masturbation prevents cancer
Naked ladies Oggle at 'em in the
name of art
Buddhist meditation The only workable practice to deal with old age, suffering, death
All that we are is what we have thought...
The man who lost his heart (Mencius)
Picturebook of people & places www.picturebook.homestead.com
Favourite book excerpts www.reader.homestead.com
