(Through Rose-Coloured Glasses)

Nikki Yanofsky is a 16-year-old Canadian musical prodigy. Since her debut at the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival, where she won the hearts of the 100,000+ audience, Nikki has never looked back.

Most recently, Nikki was a featured artist at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games held in Vancouver. Performing at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics as well as the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, Nikki was introduced to a world-wide audience. Nikki was also chosen to sing “I Believe,” the anthem of Canada’s Broadcast Consortium. Written by Stephan Moccio and Alan Frew, this song quickly became a #1 hit on iTunes Canada and the Billboard Canada Top 100 chart.

Nikki has used her budding fame to help the underprivileged – becoming an ambassador for the Montreal Children’s Hospital, The Children’s Wish Foundation and MusiCounts. Nikki has also recently joined her fellow Canadian artists in recording K’Naan’s “Wavin’ Flag” for Young Artists for Haiti. Being sold on iTunes as a single and video, the proceeds will directly impact the lives of children, families and communities in Haiti through the relief and rebuilding efforts of Free the Children, War Child Canada and World Vision Canada.  (http://www.nikkionline.ca/)

Nikki Yanofsky – I Believe (by Stephan Moccio / Alan Frew)

There comes a moment when my heart must stand alone
On this lonely path I’ve chosen
like a house that’s not a home
sometimes when I feel I’ve had enough
and I feel like giving up
you willed me to be all I can be
now nothing can stop me

I believe in the power that comes
From a world brought together as one
I believe together we’ll fly
I believe in the power of you and I

This is the moment we have dreamed of all our lives
We’ll be the change we wish from others
We’ll stand tall for what is right
And in my heart there’ll be no doubt
The arms of the world will come reaching out
And embrace me to be all I can be
Now nothing can stop me

I believe in the power that comes
From a world brought together as one
I believe together we’ll fly
I believe in the power of you and I
I believe in the power… of you and I

I believe, I believe, I believe in-
I believe, I believe in you-
I believe, I believe, I believe in-
I believe, I believe, I believe in… you-

(Instrumental)
I believe together we’ll fly
I believe in the power of you and I

I believe the time is right now
Stand tall and make the world proud
I believe together we’ll fly
I believe in the power..
I believe in the power that comes
From a world brought together as one
(Of you and I)
I believe together we’ll fly
I believe in the power of you and I
(power)
I believe the time is right now
(Oh you and I)
Stand tall and make the world proud
I believe together we’ll fly (Together we’ll fly)
I believe in the power of you and I
(I believe in the power…of you and I)

我相信

那一刻
當我的心靈
獨自站在
我所决擇   孤單的途徑
正如, 那屋卻非我家
有時, 感到受够了
想要放棄
你鼓勵我
促我極盡所能
現在, 我, 巳勢不可擋

我相信, 那股力量
四方八面, 聚而為一
我相信, 一起. 我們定能飛翔
我相信, 那, 你和我的力量

這
夢寐以求的一刻
我們渴望的轉捩點
面對挑戰, 我們穩然昂立
在我心裡, 全無疑問
世界會伸出雙手
擁抱我, 我的一切
現在, 我, 巳勢不可擋

我相信, 那股力量
四方八面, 聚而為一
我相信, 一起. 我們定能飛翔
我相信, 那, 你和我的力量
我相信, 那, 你和我的力量

我相信, 我相信, 我相信, 你
我相信, 我相信, 我相信, 你

我相信, 一起. 我們定能飛翔
我相信, 那, 你和我的力量

我相信, 只爭朝夕, 於今朝
穩然昂立, 令世界, 感到嬌傲
我相信, 一起. 我們定能飛翔
我相信, 那股力量
我相信, 四方八面, 聚而為一
(你和我)
我相信, 一起. 我們定能飛翔
我相信, 那, 你和我的力量
(力量)
我相信, 只爭朝夕, 於今朝
(你和我)
穩然昂立, 令世界, 感到嬌傲
我相信, 一起. 我們定能飛翔
(一起. 我們定能飛翔)
我相信, 那, 你和我的力量
(我相信, 那, 你和我的力量)

(Through Rose-Coloured Glasses)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHIZ2Jl2vuQ
(Video of an angry shopper stymied by G20 shutdown in Toronto)

I am mad. I am hopping mad.

Why are you closed? Why, why, why!? I want to shop!

Every weekend, I come to Eaton Centre to browse, to shop, to max out my credit cards, just to help out the economy, to fulfill my duty as an ordinary citizen, as a contributor to our financial community. And to spend, spend, spend.

Why did you shut it down, in the name of security?  Why did you shutdown the downtown core, to intimidate us shoppers, by the presence of such a horrendous police force?

Why couldn’t you keep all the guests up in Muskoka, in the safe haven of our cottage country? Look at the G8 gatherings, not a hint of violence; no protest, no riots. Then why bring the G20 back to Toronto? Were they not classy enough for the resort environment? Once when you set up shop with the enclosing wire fences, and a large police force, they acted as magnet and wild fire that attracted all the media-crazed bugs and thugs. All variety of protests zoomed into the downtown core, convenient and within walking distance. Ka-boom, all madness got loose. Was that what you forsee or hope for, with such outcome, to justify the need for more than a billion bucks to be blown away on one weekend.? If not, then why the government already denied to compensate businesses any damage done, way before they actually happened?  That’s amazing.

You can close and board-up parliament whenever you want, but, please do not, I repeat, do not close up our headquarters of consumerism, deprive us of our great shopping experience and entertainment,  ever again.

Why are you closed? Why, why, why!? I want to shop!

I am mad. I am hopping mad.

(Through Rose-Coloured Glasses)

(Photo credit: Alaa al-Marjani / Associated Press A poster at a Najaf rally reads “Stop violence against women.”)

榮譽和謀殺, 是两個格格不入的概念。謀殺, 無論是自衛, 神經病殺人, 安樂死, 都是不甚光彩, 都是懦夫的行為, 都是犯罪的活動, 又怎會感到榮譽呢?

最近在安省, 魁北克, 就發生了幾宗同樣性質的謀殺傷人案件。在Brampton, 有位父親與兄長, 因女孩不願尊守巴基斯坦民族傳統, 堅持穿著西方衣服, 不載民族頭巾, 還離家出走數次, 致令父親在親朋眼中, 因管教不嚴, 大失臉子, 頓起殺人之念。

表面上看来, 這是個各民族文化與習俗不同的問題, 是個 ”如何教養子女”的問題。自古以来, 無論是那一個民族的父母, 都會遇上的。反叛的青少年, 是任何社會的通病, 肯定是個大難題, 但也不應動手殺人, 並引以為榮。這兇殘行為, 又點只習俗, 殺人咁簡單。

想深一層, 歸根到底, 問題的關鍵, 就是婦女在社會上的地位。有些民族, 是男人獨専的社會, 一切都由男人掌權, 操控, 女子並沒有什麼社會地位。一個女子的一生, 都要尊守:  “在家從父, 出嫁從夫, 老来從子” 的禮教, 這相等於中國人的封建思想, 在西方社會, 這類思想, 早巳被淘汰, 成為歷史的糠粕。如果一意孤行, 在這裡, 要維持這類封建遺毒到極端, 出動暴力, 繼而殺人, 就會被世人所唾棄, 成為社會的渣子, 民族的敗類, 何榮譽之有?