2026-08-23
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (Chinese title: Welcome to Dragon Restaurant)
Director: Wen Muye (Dying to Survive)
Lead actor: Shen Teng
Release: August 2026
龍餐館裡，只有和平與食物。
At the Dragon Restaurant, there is only peace and food.
No Restaurante Dragão, só existe paz e comida.
拿湯勺的能讓人吃飽，拿槍的也能。
A ladle can make people eat. So can a gun.
Uma concha pode alimentar as pessoas. Uma arma também pode.
戰爭哪有什麼僥倖，我活下來，本身就是僥倖。
There is no such thing as luck in war. That I am alive is already pure luck.
Não existe sorte na guerra. O facto de eu estar vivo já é pura sorte.
他們不是你的孩子。——可那也是孩子。
They are not your children. — Yet they are still children.
Eles não são os teus filhos. — Mas continuam a ser crianças.
好好吃飯，是亂世裡最簡單的祝福。
To eat well is the simplest blessing amid chaos.
Comer bem é a bênção mais simples no meio do caos.
刀本身沒有善惡，人才有。
A knife is neither good nor evil. People are.
Uma faca não é boa nem má. As pessoas é que são.
沒有戰爭，哪來這麼多仇恨。
Without war, where would so much hatred come from?
Sem guerra, de onde viria tanto ódio?
Basic plot
Set in early‑2000s, war‑torn Middle East (modelled on Iraq after 2003 invasion).
Xu Fu, an ordinary Chinese chef, travels overseas purely to earn money and clear heavy family debts. He partners with a local manager to open Dragon Restaurant, a small Chinese eatery in a city abroad. Business starts promisingly, then full‑scale war erupts overnight.
Gunfire, explosions and chaos fill streets outside the restaurant walls. Inside, Xu Fu keeps his kitchen running. At first he only wants self‑preservation. Gradually he shelters war‑orphaned children, local civilians and displaced people of many nationalities. The restaurant turns into a fragile safe haven. He does not carry weapons or perform grand heroic deeds. His act of resistance is simply cooking meals and preserving small human dignity amid destruction.
Local residents, American soldiers, refugees and grieving locals cross paths at his dining tables. One key local character Zayd was originally gentle family man; war takes his wife and daughter, pushing him toward extremism. The film shows how war breaks ordinary people, rather than painting simple good‑evil labels.
Distinctive details
1. Strong visual contrast: Outside: ruins, gunshots, fear. Inside the restaurant: steam from woks, hot food, laughter and quiet conversations. Warm domestic life survives next to brutal war.
2. Food as core metaphor: “Eat well” is the recurring quiet motto. A decent hot meal becomes the symbol for safety, care and basic human dignity when everything collapses.
3. No big battle spectacles. Most scenes happen inside or near the restaurant. War is felt through distant blasts, refugee arrivals and changed human behaviour, not long combat sequences.
4. Anti‑hero protagonist: Xu Fu is selfish at the beginning. He fears danger, wants to run away. His goodness grows step‑by‑step under pressure; he is not a pre‑written perfect saviour figure.
Core themes & inspiration
1. Ordinary humanity in war
Heroism is not only soldiers with guns. Keeping people fed, protecting vulnerable children, maintaining small daily decency is also courage. Normal life itself becomes precious resistance against war’s destruction.
2. War creates victims on all sides
The story refuses simplistic black‑and‑white war narration. It shows civilians, local families and even occupying soldiers all get wounded by conflict. Extremism is often born from loss and trauma, not innate evil.
3. Peace lies in trivial daily happiness
The film conveys: true peace is not grand speeches. It means people can sit safely, share food and live ordinary quiet lives. “There is only peace and food” is one of its most‑quoted lines.
4. Neutral civilian perspective
Different from many Western war films centred on soldiers’ missions. This story observes conflict through the eyes of a neutral foreign civilian. It invites audiences to think: who tells war stories, and whose suffering gets seen on screen.
Selected memorable quotes
1. “There is only peace and food.”
2. “Eating well is the simplest form of blessing.”
3. “Without war, where would so much hatred come from?”
Ending Explanation ‑ Once Upon a Time in the Middle East
Why does Xu Fu survive?
1. Mercy from Zayd because of past kindness
Zayd was ordered to kill Xu Fu. The war had cost him his wife and daughter and filled him with hatred. Yet Xu Fu once treated him with humanity and gave him a hot meal at his lowest moment.
During the pursuit Zayd shot and wounded Xu Fu in the cheek. He had every chance to kill him, but chose to spare his life. Disillusioned by the absurdity of war, Zayd refused to execute a neutral civilian.
2. The gold‑tooth plot thread
Earlier, Xu Fu had saved a militant leader known as “the Principal”. As a token of gratitude the man gave Xu Fu a gold tooth. Xu Fu later sold it. The money became critical for bribing smugglers and arranging the escape bus.
3. Secret behind‑the‑scenes help from Zayd
It was not only money. The escape bus and intelligence about border routes relied on Zayd’s connections. Though he remained formally part of the armed group, he secretly paved the way for the children to flee the war zone.
Important note: Xu Fu’s survival is not mere plot armour. Every small act of kindness he showed in chaos earned him a slim chance to live. Still, he was severely injured and scarred; survival came at a heavy price.
How does his apprentice Saif escape with his life?
1. Ma Junsheng sacrifices himself to buy time
Xu Fu, Ma Junsheng and a group of war orphans including Saif were detained in a militant camp. Ma Junsheng risked everything. He used sprouted potatoes to make the children physically unwell, sabotaging the militants’ plan to exploit them. When discovered, he was shot dead. His death bought a window for escape.
2. Xu Fu sold all his possessions together with the gold tooth to hire smugglers. He boarded Saif and more than twenty orphans onto a desert bus heading for the border.
3. Their route was leaked and militants chased them down. Zayd stood against the pursuers and died in the confrontation. Troops from the neighbouring border state arrived on the scene. All the children including Saif were rescued and taken into safety, away from the armed group.
4. Badly wounded, Xu Fu survived and eventually returned alone to China. Saif grew up locally in the Middle‑East region.
The ambiguous final scene
Decades later, an ageing Xu Fu revisits the ruins of the old Dragon Restaurant. In the kitchen stands the back‑view of a cook holding a ladle, not a gun. It is the grown‑up Saif.
The camera never shows them face‑to‑face. Xu Fu simply weeps as he looks on. The director avoids sentimental reunion. The quiet message is: the orphan who could have been turned into a killer has become a cook and built a life.
Key points to bear in mind
‑ Xu Fu survived, but he did not bring Saif back to China. Saif stayed in the Middle‑East.
‑ Escape depended on multiple fragile factors: Ma Junsheng’s sacrifice, old debts of humanity and Zayd’s remaining conscience. In wartime this was sheer luck.
‑ Many characters perished: Ma Junsheng, Zayd and some of the children. The film rejects fairy‑tale endings where all good people live happily.
《雲遊四海‧皆好友》
《雲遊四海‧皆好友》｜陳志雲（HOY TV 電視紀錄片）
是旅遊訪談紀錄片節目，陳志雲走到世界各地，專門拜訪移居海外的香港人，記錄他們的人生故事。
《雲遊四海‧皆好友》金句｜中｜英｜歐洲葡萄牙語
遊歷四海，看的不係風景，而係人。每一個人的生命，都有值得聆聽的故事。
Travelling the world, what we see is not scenery, but people. Every life holds a story worth listening to.
Ao viajar pelo mundo, o que vemos não são paisagens, mas pessoas. Cada vida guarda uma história que merece ser ouvida.
移民唔等於童話，有光鮮一面，亦都有無人看見的孤獨與掙扎。
Migration is no fairy‑tale. There are bright sides, yet also unseen loneliness and struggles.
A emigração não é um conto de fadas. Há aspetos brilhantes, mas também solidão e lutas invisíveis.
有些遺憾，永遠無法彌補。但逝者不會希望我們，一生困在自責之中。
Some regrets can never be mended. Yet those who have passed would not wish us to be trapped in self‑blame for a lifetime.
Alguns arrependimentos nunca podem ser reparados. Mas os que partiram não desejariam que ficássemos presos à autoculpa toda a vida.
友誼，唔需要時常相見。縱使相隔萬水千山，心中記掛，已經是緣份。
Friendship does not demand frequent meetings. Though separated by countless mountains and rivers, to keep one another in heart is already fate.
A amizade não exige encontros frequentes. Mesmo separados por montanhas e rios, guardar‑se no coração já é um destino.
好多人以為離開舊地方，就可以避開煩惱。煩惱未必會消失，只係換另一個形式出現。
Many think leaving the old place will escape troubles. Troubles may not vanish; they merely take another form.
Muitos pensam que ao deixar o local antigo escaparão dos problemas. Os problemas podem não desaparecer, apenas surgir noutra forma.
何謂理想的生活？沒有標準答案，只係你願意為之承受什麼代價。
What is an ideal life? There is no standard answer. It lies in what price you are willing to pay for it.
O que é uma vida ideal? Não há resposta padrão. Depende do preço que estás disposto a pagar por ela.
人年紀越大，越明白：相逢是緣，別離亦是人生常態。
As one grows older, one understands: meeting is fate, and parting is also part of life.
À medida que envelhecemos, compreendemos: o encontro é destino, e a despedida também faz parte da vida.
無論走得多遠，心底總有一處，留給自己成長的故土。
No matter how far we travel, there is always a place deep in our hearts reserved for the homeland where we grew up.
Por mais longe que viajemos, há sempre um lugar no fundo do coração reservado à terra natal onde crescemos.
📺節目內容
陳志雲走訪英國、歐洲、其他海外地區，尋找早年離開香港，在外落地生根的舊相識、普通移民、昔日藝人與朋友。
• 不是風光旅遊介紹景點，重點訪談人的生命故事：離鄉的抉擇、異地掙扎、鄉愁、遺憾、適應與和解。
• 當中有不少私人回憶：包括陳志雲講述自己與亡母的往事、人生遺憾、對友情與歲月的感悟。
• 受訪者不都是名人；有平凡普通人，講述移民之後的歡笑與磨難。
• 主題：縱使相隔萬里，舊情仍可延續；遊歷四方，相逢即是緣份，處處可遇好友。
💡核心啟示
1. 友誼不受距離限制
歲月、地域分開人，但不代表情誼要斷掉。很多舊朋友散落在世界不同角落，再相逢，人生閱歷變厚，反而有另一種交心。
2. 移民與離鄉的雙面人生
出走異地，有理想也有失落；在外的人，表面看新生活，內心藏著鄉愁與無法彌補的遺憾。
3. 人生充滿各種遺憾，學會與遺憾共處
節目裡陳志雲也剖白個人遺憾，提示我們：過去的事無法改寫，但可以學會原諒自己，繼續好好生活。
4. 旅行的意義不在風景，在遇見人
一般旅行看名勝；這個節目的旅行，重點是傾聽別人的生命經歷，透過他人故事反照自己的人生。
✅值不值得看
✅適合：喜歡人文故事、移民題材、重視舊友情誼、喜歡溫和反思向紀錄片；喜歡陳志雲溫和敘事風格。
❌不適合：想睇純觀光、美食、熱鬧娛樂類節目。
小備註
暫時沒有正式出版同名書籍；節目內容以影片為主，網上有剪輯片段，沒有完整文字書本可以閱讀。
《雲遊四海‧皆好友》｜陳志雲 HOY TV紀錄片
拍攝地：英國、法國、歐洲多國；拜訪移居海外的香港人，不是觀光，是訪談生命故事。
節目沒有公開完整逐集官方文字大綱，綜合報導、片段整理每集主題，以及節目精選金句。
📺每集主題概要
第1集｜再遇舊相識（英國）
走訪定居英國的昔日香港藝人、舊朋友。有些人離開娛樂圈，過平凡海外生活。探討：當年為何選擇離開香港，在外的得與失。
重點：光環褪去之後，人怎樣重建屬於自己的平凡人生。
第2集｜異地的掙扎與適應（英國鄉鎮）
訪問普通香港移民，不是名人。有人開小餐館、做零售，面對語言、文化、生活習慣衝擊。
重點：移民不是童話，有孤獨、委屈，亦有堅持下來的力量。
第3集｜遺憾與思念（英國，陳志雲個人剖白）
本集最觸動人心。陳志雲觸景生情，回憶亡母，講述一生最大遺憾：當年錯過最後一通電話，長久活在自責之中。
重點：面對無可挽回的遺憾，如何學會原諒自己。
第4集｜法國，追尋另一種生活
拜訪移居法國的香港人，有人追求藝術、慢生活，放棄香港的名利節奏。
重點：何謂「理想生活」，每個人定義完全不一樣；出走不等於得到幸福，只係選擇另一種考驗。
第5集｜友情，不受時空阻隔（歐洲多地）
多年不見的老朋友，相隔萬里再重逢。歲月改變每個人境遇，但情誼仍然存在。
重點：友誼不一定要日日見面，心中掛念，已經足夠。
第6集｜遊歷完畢，回望香港（完結篇）
走訪完各地，陳志雲回望香港。看過好多人出走，重新思考家鄉、歸屬感。
重點：無論身在何方，內心的根，永遠屬於自己成長的地方。
✍節目精選金句（節目旁白 / 陳志雲訪談原文）
遊歷四海，看的不係風景，而係人。每一個人的生命，都有值得聆聽的故事。
移民唔等於童話，有光鮮一面，亦都有無人看見的孤獨與掙扎。
有些遺憾，永遠無法彌補。但逝者不會希望我們，一生困在自責之中。
友誼，唔需要時常相見。縱使相隔萬水千山，心中記掛，已經是緣份。
好多人以為離開舊地方，就可以避開煩惱。煩惱未必會消失，只係換另一個形式出現。
何謂理想的生活？沒有標準答案，只係你願意為之承受什麼代價。
人年紀越大，越明白：相逢是緣，別離亦是人生常態。
無論走得多遠，心底總有一處，留給自己成長的故土。
The Road Not Taken - PT
Dois caminhos bifurcavam‑se num bosque amarelo,
E lamentei não poder percorrer os dois.
Sendo um único viajante, fiquei ali por muito tempo,
Olhando por um deles o mais longe que podia,
Até onde ele se curvava entre a vegetação rasteira;
Depois tomei o outro, igualmente belo,
Que talvez tivesse mais a seu favor,
Pois estava coberto de erva e pouco pisado;
Ainda que, no fundo, o passo dos viajantes
Os tivesse desgastado quase da mesma forma,
E ambos, naquela manhã, jaziam por igual
Sob folhas que nenhum pé havia escurecido.
Oh, guardei o primeiro para outro dia!
Mas sabendo que um caminho leva a outro caminho,
Duvidei se alguma vez voltaria.
Hei‑de contar isto com um suspiro
Em algum lugar, daqui a muitos e muitos anos:
Dois caminhos bifurcavam‑se num bosque, e eu —
Tomei o menos percorrido,
E isso fez toda a diferença.
The Road Not Taken
《The Road Not Taken》核心金句
金句 1
英文：Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
中文：黃色的林中分出兩條路，而我——我選了那條較少人走的，就此造就我全部人生的差異。
Português europeu：Dois caminhos bifurcavam‑se num bosque amarelo, e eu — tomei o menos percorrido, e isso fez toda a diferença.
金句 2
英文：Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back.
中文：可我知道路會通向又一條路，懷疑自己是否還能回頭。
Português europeu：Mas sabendo que um caminho leva a outro caminho, duvidei se alguma vez voltaria.
金句 3
英文：I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence.
中文：多年以後，在某處，我會一聲嘆息述說這段往事。
Português europeu：Hei‑de contar isto com um suspiro em algum lugar, daqui a muitos e muitos anos.
2026-08-22
你是澳門人？
難得今個周五黃昏早收工
又不想回家
逛街街購物去
行至沙梨頭經過一間蔬菜肉店
見有人氣
也去趁熱鬧
看見多位家庭主婦
不停的像QC 般檢查比較
我站在旁邊觀察
那些專業主婦
如何左揀右揀挑選一些她們認為性價比高的食物
望著她們時
一位主婦
突然問了我一句
你是澳門人？
我只有笑著說
我少買餸😊
休漁期後的第一個周末
帶著興奮的心情
周六早上想去街市趁熱鬧
步行去水上街市
看看休漁期後的魚獲
由於時間不早
買魚的人不多
賣魚的有些也準備收檔
行了一圈
魚的種類不算多
和相熟的魚販聊
她說周一二時的魚類多些
但因為即將打風
船回航準備再沒出海
所以今天魚不多
不過
今年的魚也真的不比往年多
她也在說
現在超市的競爭很大
街市的生意影響很大
原本已在超市買了一些三文魚
也以行動支持魚販
即時買了兩條魚
－條回家即時𦍑水煑
美味
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Goodreads: 4.18/5 | Fiction, literary‑drama | 416 pages
Brief Summary
Sam Masur and Sadie Green meet as children in a hospital playroom, bonded by video games. Reunited years later in college, they become brilliant game‑design partners and build a multimillion‑dollar creative company. Their deep, complicated bond spans thirty years: they are soul‑mates of creativity, yet never romantic lovers.
Together with their friend Marx, they create hit games, chase artistic vision, and confront success, jealousy, ego, trauma and devastating loss. Drawing its title from Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the novel contrasts video‑game infinite restarts against real‑life irreversible grief, mistakes and time that cannot be re‑played. Video games are the setting, yet the core is friendship, collaboration, ambition, and human connection.
✅ Why it is worth reading
1. Extraordinary portrait of platonic intimacy. It explores the deepest kind of bond that is neither romance nor family: people who understand you creatively and psychologically, yet constantly wound one another. Very thought‑provoking for mid‑life reflection on long‑term relationships.
2. Beautiful writing, meditative pace. Even if you know nothing about video games, the gaming language works as metaphor for life, grief and creation.
3. Honest look at creative collaboration: the joy of making art together, plus invisible labour, credit fights, ego and betrayal. Art is both love and conflict.
4. Powerful theme: Games offer infinite rebirth. Real life has no reset button. Grief is something you must live through, not skip or fix.
5. Spans decades. You watch characters grow, make terrible choices, suffer, forgive or fail to forgive. No simple happy ending, feels true to real human lives.
❌ Drawbacks & expectations to adjust
1. Slow‑burn narrative. Not fast‑paced thriller. Some parts are reflective, descriptive; it requires patience.
2. Do not expect classic romance pay‑off. The central relationship deliberately rejects romantic resolution. Some readers feel unsatisfied by the open‑styled ending.
3. Heavy emotional content: depicts trauma, abuse, sudden violent tragedy. Several scenes are sombre and heartbreaking. Not light escapist reading.
4. Some secondary characters receive limited development. Focus stays firmly locked on Sam and Sadie.
Who should / should not read
✅ Highly recommended if you enjoy character‑driven literary fiction, stories about friendship and creativity, books that make you ponder time, loss and forgiveness.
❌ Skip if you want quick plot, neat happy closure, or purely light‑hearted entertainment.
Core insight
Great creation often grows from complicated human bonds. In games you may restart; in real existence you can only keep going with your scars, mistakes and tomorrows.
Trilingual selected quote
English: “In a game, you can always try again. Life offers no reload.”
中文：「在遊戲裡，你永遠可以重新嘗試；人生卻沒有重新載入的機會。」
Português europeu: “Num jogo, podes sempre tentar de novo. A vida não oferece nenhuma recarga.”
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