哲子戲 Philosophist’s Camp » travel http://www.horace.org/blog Serious about the frivolous, frivolous about the serious Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:29:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Can I use your leg space? http://www.horace.org/blog/2009/10/06/can-i-use-your-leg-space/ http://www.horace.org/blog/2009/10/06/can-i-use-your-leg-space/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:00:19 +0000 hevangel http://www.horace.org/blog/?p=3643 [...]]]> As usual, the morning flight from Toronto to Vancouver is packed. Since most travelers flying this route are frequent fliers, many of them only take a huge hand carry suitcase instead of a check-in luggage to avoid the wait at the baggage claim. The flight is full and everyone is carrying hand carries, there is not enough overhead luggage space for everyone. I am lucky that I board the plane not too late, I am able to find a empty space two rows behind my seat. The guy sits next to me is not so fortunate, he could not find any overhead luggage space for his huge bag.

According to the airline regulation, luggage does not fit the overhead space should store underneath the seat in front of you. Putting your luggage there means you cannot stretch your leg. The leg space in economy class is not quite uncomfortable, having to bend your knees for a 5 hours flight is like a torture. I was sitting on a window seats, the poor guy who cannot find overhead luggage space was sitting in the middle. Maybe he thinks I don’t have legs, he asked me whether he can put his luggage in my leg space. Duh! Why would I want to suffer for 5 hours and let him use my leg space. I said NO to him, then he tried to squeeze his luggage into his leg space for a while and then he asked again! I already rejected him once, what makes him think I would suddenly change my mind? He was testing my patient, but I still politely told him to fxxk off. At the end he managed to curl up his legs and fit his luggage into his leg space. I bet he should learn the lesson and check in his luggage next time.

What really puzzle me is why he even bother to ask in the first place. Is he dumb or what? How can he be so inconsiderate and simply ask other people to sacrifice for him. Does he really expect me to say yes and have to curl up my legs for 5 hours? My first reaction was wanted to shot back at him saying “why would I want to give you my leg space?”, but I have good EQ today so I manage to turn him down politely with a straight face.

]]> http://www.horace.org/blog/2009/10/06/can-i-use-your-leg-space/feed/ 4 藍天綠地 – 陳南祿 http://www.horace.org/blog/2006/12/20/%e8%97%8d%e5%a4%a9%e7%b6%a0%e5%9c%b0-%e9%99%b3%e5%8d%97%e7%a5%bf/ http://www.horace.org/blog/2006/12/20/%e8%97%8d%e5%a4%a9%e7%b6%a0%e5%9c%b0-%e9%99%b3%e5%8d%97%e7%a5%bf/#comments Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:17:48 +0000 hevangel http://www.horace.org/blog/?p=682 [...]]]> Blue Sky Green Land 這本書是經由我朋友的blog推介而得知﹐其中最吸引我的地方就是作者的身份。陳南祿不是一個普通的專欄作家﹐他是香港國泰航空公司的行政總裁﹐加上我朋友說他的文采也不錯﹐大佬闆加作家是一個很特別的組合﹐值得一看。這本書是輯錄他在報章上專欄發表的遊記﹐主要是關於旅遊感想的雜文﹐以及分別集中介紹意大利﹐日本﹐印度和簡略提及芬蘭﹐愛爾蘭的文章。我一向很少看這類旅遊書藉﹐這本書在記憶中應該是我第一本看的遊記。遊記和旅遊指南不同﹐後者是圖文並茂的資料庫﹐用來幫助你計劃行程的。前者則是作者以個人的觀點出發﹐舒發他對某地方的見聞看法和感覺。這書以幾篇旅途趣聞逸事作為第一部份﹐先給讀者一份輕鬆幽默的心情﹐大增印象分和閱讀興趣。在全書中我認為第二部份寫得最好﹐是從生活層面去比較各個國家的不同﹐用實例去分析每國的民族特性。分析方向包括有搭計程車﹐火車服務﹐食麥當勞﹐和最特別的看咸魚﹐即已故領導人的遺體是也。寫出這類文章並不易容﹐作者不單要週遊列國﹐並要有高明的觀察分析能力。一般文科出生倚重感性的遊記作者﹐就沒有世界級行政人員這樣的視界眼光了。

第三部份是記錄在每國家的經歷遭遇﹐最先的一章是講意大利。可是這一章有點兒失望﹐大慨只是作者和妻子在意大利旅行時的見聞﹐而不是深入的生活體驗。讀起來有點兒枯燥無味﹐好像沒有照片的旅遊指南。如果要看這樣貨色的文章﹐不如看無線的旅遊特輯更加實際。

撇開芬蘭和愛爾蘭那兩章因為太短﹐只是過場性質的不作評論。他寫日本和印度那兩章寫得十分好﹐可能其一是他年輕是在日本住過﹐而在公務上又時常住來這兩地。加上有不少朋友是當地人﹐他能夠以其獨到眼光﹐在異地日常生活中﹐道出鮮為香港人知的一面。例如寫日本魚市場那篇文章﹐可以關連美國魚市場的開市時間。寫印度電影那篇﹐說明一些起來覺很可笑的場面﹐但背後藏有實用的因素。

看畢這本書﹐除了間接知道世界不同的民風外﹐還給我遊記寫作上的啟法。這本書十分難得﹐因為在同一本書內﹐同時展視出好壞遊記的分別。寫以文字為媒介的遊記不是寫膳稿作廣告﹐也不是要和彩照大書電視競爭。不可以照話直說地把資料寫給讀者﹐而是要通過作者的雙眼和生活經歷﹐為讀者打開通住異國的另一扉窗﹐讓他們從作者的角度去接觸新事物。

陳南綠還出版了另外兩本遊記﹐有機會從香港訂書的話﹐我會買來看。買他這套遊記不單有閱讀樂趣﹐還可以做善事。他不是靠寫稿開飯﹐買書的收益全部捐給慈善機構。他只是業餘作家﹐文筆水準每篇也高低不同﹐不過內容而言﹐則是篇篇皆精言之有物。不會像那些騙稿費的全職作家般﹐不夠時間就寫些行貨出來交稿﹐還夠膽拿來出書再騙多讀者一次。

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