情人節

去年情人節，跟老友打邊爐。今天的情人節，本來也約了老友吃飯，她幫我預先慶祝生日。但今早我妹妹說她約了人，要我湊兩個姨甥。我只好打算帶他倆跟老友吃飯。但老友說不懂照顧小孩，不跟我吃飯了。

我早上去佛法中心參加 巴利文唱頌和禪修，之後去誠品等在南華踢完球的姨甥仔吃午飯。晚飯我煮，昨天買了無印的咖哩和湯，就煮給姨甥吃。他倆似乎都很滿足。

今年的情人節，平靜，愉快。如我們能踢一場好球，那就錦上添花了。

新的一周

上星期看了利物浦對 Sunderland，看著我們領先，然後最後十分鐘被追和。我們前八十分鐘踢得不差，最後十分鐘沒那麼好，就被對手追和了。賽和 Sunderland 後，我們又在 FA Cup 出局。

這星期我們在情人節對 Aston Villa，護級球隊，但對我們來說，很難說賽果。Lawrenson 的預測之前都錯了，不知這次會否準確。

Aston Villa v Liverpool (14:05 GMT)

Aston Villa beat Norwich last time out, but I think that said more about Norwich than Villa's survival prospects.

Liverpool went out of the FA Cup on Tuesday but I was heartened by their performance and the way they played through midfield.

The only problem was that, until Daniel Sturridge came on after an hour, the Reds did not have a striker who looked like he was going to score because Christian Benteke was struggling.

In a team who play to his strengths, like Villa did, he will be a success but it is not working for him at the moment.

Sturridge looked sharp when he came off the bench and I would be inclined to start with him on Sunday. If he is fit, what is the point of holding him back?

Lawro's prediction: 0-2

佛學。學佛

因為看了426 期《溫暖人間》的法光法師（Ven Prof. K L Dhammajoti）的訪問，好像受到呼召一樣，生起了讀香港佛法中心的佛學碩士之念頭，還真的報讀了。朋友眼中，我可能有點瘋狂和兒戲。

今天收到時間表，三月就開課了。打算上學期讀 ME01 Buddhist Doctrines of Pali Nikayas: Analysis and Interpretation. 這課由 Prof. Y Karunadasa 教授。 他之前在港大佛學中心教，現在由於年紀太大，沒在港大教了。可能是因跟法光法師的交情，仍來教吧。佛法中心的師姐說 Prof. K 是很慈悲的老師，而且年紀大了，人生無常，想把握機會修他的課了。但我也聽說他的口音很難聽得明白，也許上課錄音重聽吧，希望能勤能補拙。應該還選讀 Prof. Olive Abeynayake 的 Me21 Buddhist Aesthetic Concepts: Analysis and Evaluation. 星期一晚上課。本來我最想讀的是 Buddhist Art and Architecture. 但中心不開辦這課程，於是就讀相近的這門課吧。如果有時間，也想旁聽Prof. Abeynayake 的 ME33 Buddhist Economic Philosophy.

本來也報讀了短期的巴利文課程，也是星期一晚上。我看看能否把巴利文課程改為梵文，法光法師教的課程都太難了，也許讀讀短期的梵文課程，下學期試試讀他的 ME68 Readings in Buddhist Sanskrit Texts。他是香港目前最好的梵文老師了。而且，我是因為景仰法光法師才報讀這佛學碩士課程的，最後一課也不選說不過去。

沒甚麼佛學的基礎，膽粗粗的報讀佛學碩士課程，而且還是要求高的佛學碩士課程，的確有點瘋狂。但真的很敬仰佛陀，敬仰佛法憎三寶。就三月開始精簡生活，盡己所能力去學佛，應該可以的吧。

念經看球賽

看 David Usher 的文，才知道自從 Capital One Cup 大勝修咸頓以來，利物浦比賽了16 場賽事，其中有一半是沒有入球的。這一季球隊出現了有史以來入球最少的紀錄，也有可能出現自 Bill Shankly 以來的最低排名。這 16 場比賽，我只看了我們贏 5:4 對 Norwick 那場，真的驚險萬分。由於看這球賽時，我同時做念經功課，一共念了 20 次的《心經》，倒有平伏心情的作用，較能平常心去看。照例的每到緊張關頭，就念「南無觀世音菩薩」，相信很多英國的球迷，看球賽時也一定祈求上帝的保佑。祈求觀世音菩薩的加持保佑沒甚麼出奇。

David Usher 指當前四是奢望時，也許應專注於盃賽。喜歡看 David Usher 的分析，他很冷靜，不像其他喜怒形於色的球評家。高普的到來，帶給球迷不少的希望。希望現在的低迷，只是過渡期而已。

明天聯賽對 Sunderland，Lawrenson 對利物浦的預測一貫的加了感情分。希望他這次的預測成真。

Liverpool v Sunderland

Liverpool created a few opportunities against Leicester and they could not do much about Vardy's goal, but their defence continues to offer up too many chances.

The Reds have won once against Premier League opposition at Anfield in five matches since the end of November and they keep conceding goals.

Jurgen Klopp needs a left-back who can defend - Alberto Moreno looks good going forward but he is one of the worst defenders I have seen.

So it is difficult for the rest of the back four to be a solid unit, and also puts the goalkeeper under pressure. I bet Klopp is tearing his hair out.

Sunderland gave it a real go against Manchester City at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, but their away form is far less encouraging - only Aston Villa have picked up fewer points on the road.

Lawro's prediction: 2-1

學生球迷

上星期利物浦贏1:0，不是打得很好，但贏波球迷就收貨了。反而週中的 Capital One Cup 我們作客大勝修咸頓1:6。兩場波都因太晚而沒看。球隊大勝修咸頓之後那天，跟我認識的利物浦球迷學生都很高興跟我講賽果。

這天我恰巧去訓導處，看見一位同樣是利迷的學生，我隨口問他發生了甚麼事，他說「賴野了。」原來他班在練大合唱時，有位同學不認真，他就推他埋牆，結果那同學頭上起了個瘤，那同學的爸爸要報警。校長副校長等正在處理。我不知該說甚麼，就叫他誠心認錯，誰知他竟對我說：「我覺得自己沒錯。利物浦大勝修咸頓，我現在還很高興。」我真是哭笑不得。這位同學因爸爸是利迷而支持球隊，但以前可能喜歡皇馬更多，但現在就不喜歡財大氣粗的皇馬，更喜歡利物浦了。他之前來問我取足球雜誌的利物浦球員的海報，我就跟他聊起來，問了他成為球迷的原因。

因為足球，跟一群本來不會上圖書館的學生聯繫了，有時想在我指導的學生雜誌做個關於學校裡的球迷特輯，有熱血老師和學生球迷。應該挺好看了。起碼我就很感興趣。

今晚我們作客紐卡素，因太晚亦不會看了。但希望亦如Mark Lawrenson所言。

Newcastle v Liverpool (16:00 GMT)

Steve McClaren has tried pretty much everything to get a reaction from his Newcastle players - from talking them up and giving them praise to criticising them.

I don't know if his squad is strong enough for wholesale changes but maybe that is his best way of getting a result? I just don't know if they will have the tools for the job to be honest.

Liverpool's away form is the best in the Premier League and the other good news for Jurgen Klopp is that his problem up front is now that he has to pick from a lot of players who are coming back rather than the number of players he has out.

The Reds have got real momentum at the moment. I am inclined to put Tottenham down in that category but Liverpool's is better and their confidence is sky-high at the moment.

Lawro's prediction: 0-2

足球的樂趣

今天因為太忙了，根本就沒上網看足球新聞。晚上跟姨甥吃飯時，他反問我利物浦買了後備門將為何不用。我聽了一頭霧水，後來才醒起我們昨晚打歐霸杯。他告訴我賽果，幸好我們反勝 2:1。結果趁帶他去灣仔公園踢足球時，在場邊看了 Steven Kelly 的 Player Ratings .

同時還看了 BBC Mark Lawrenson 的 Premier League Predictions, 要抄下他的評論，因為比賽完後就沒有了。星期天我們對 Swansea. 希望如 Lawro 所言。

Swansea manager Garry Monk's future is still in doubt, which I don't really understand. Yes, they might be having a difficult season but they are not going to get relegated.

Liverpool have got momentum at the moment, which is a massive thing in football. There is suddenly competition for places all over the team - even up front - and they are starting to look stronger in all areas.

Lawro’s prediction: 2:0

姨甥正式踢足球時，就專心看他的比賽，如教練所言，有進步，但基本功仍需磨鍊。他們對大人的友誼賽，應該是很好的磨練。

培僑的故事

最近因老友要拍70周年校慶音樂會上的短片而忙碌，她想要訪二十多個培僑人，有學生，校友，校長，老師，家長等。於是就跟她一起想人選，祝福語，訪問問題，感謝信等，要不是她，我一早就放棄了。今天是訪問的大日子，昨晚睡得不太好，可能緊張。今天由早上七點開始忙碌到三點多，終於順利完成今天的訪問。鬆了一口氣，雖然明天還有幾個訪問。

本來對訪問沒甚麼寄望，但老校友，家長和學生的訪問，卻使我較立體的看培僑。我想因為這些培僑人，我對學校的感情深厚了。有點像當年寫論文，很想放棄的時候，因為早年校友的訪問，使我用新的眼光看學校。現在也有點這樣的意味。很想重新講一個培僑的故事。

今天也取到 Postgraduate Certificate in Arichival Studies 的證書了，之前還苦惱著是否合格。好要好好的做校史室的重建工作了。