Life After Death

This area of doubt lingers on my mind since the death of my closest friend.

Is there life after death and can anyone that is alive verifies that?

I know exactly how the typical answer would sound coming from a Christian, so save that if you are one of them, thank you.

Perhaps I should rephrase the question to:

whether we are still relevant to the dead in their fresh existence/incarnation.

1. Can the dead see and hear what we do and say in the life that they left behind and from where they exist now?
2. If we're doing something that they did not agree with when they were alive, do you think we're somehow letting them down if we do it when they are dead now?

Anyhow, I probably am thinking too much as to why would the opinion of someone dead matters more than someone who is still alive (speaking conventionally).

Perhaps the thinking is all part of the healing process for the "closest-friend-departure" package that I am being thrown at.

Ergonomic Computer Chair Wanted

I have always wanted to replace my computer chair at home as I come to realise I spend a considerable amount of time working in front of my computer and hence that chair deserves to be the most comfortable seat in the house.

This is the chair I decided to go for.

It is a typical kneeling chair, with the seat on the left and support for legs on the right. Can't say it's the most comfy but supposedly my best bet for correcting posture and preventing back problems.

Can anyone point me to where I could possibly find one in Hong Kong?

Dozed Off Watching Golden Compass

First of all, I want to thank my sis for bringing me to a nice movie night-out on Christmas Day. I don't think I have been to cinemas for a couple of months and I have been missing quite a few good movies lately.

Here we go with true confession time. I have always struggled with the likings of fantasy movies such as The Lord of the Rings and even Star Wars (but the Harry Potter series is alright). therefore I wasn't anticipating much from Golden Compass. However, the movie is nonetheless an enjoyable one, albeit confusing diversion.

The most interesting has to be the setting of the story - in the early 1900s in Oxford, England (see pic above), each kid has their own “daemon,” that changes shape and species to reflect the always-changing moods of the child. A little girl named Lyra’s daemon starts out as a cat but at times during the movie reverts to being a ferret, then a mouse, and even a moth. Lyra is given an “alethiometer,” or the golden compass, which apparently only she can read and can then reveal the truth.

I dozed off watching some zeppelin-like contraption flying over London and the next I knew was some kids got kidnapped by a sinister group called the “Gobblers” and sent to a secret laboratory in the frozen north in order to be separated from their daemons. I awoke in time to catch two enormous ice bears in body armor going at it in mortal combat. Things really picked up at that point even though I do feel pieces of the story were a bit scattered.

I really enjoyed the spectacular battle scene at the end in which the bad guys evaporate into flames when they get zapped. Then it sort of left there stranded and invites you to wait for Golden Compass II.

Anyway, dazzling imaginery that constitutes to a good novel, but may be not so for a movie plot.

Silent Night

Time flies and I can't believe Christmas Day is tomorrow, which means tonight is Silent night.

Did you know that the original lyrics for the famous carol "Silent Night" is in German, "Stille Nacht", written by Joseph Mohr and melody composed by Franz X. Gruber?

I have picked this acoustic version of the song and I wish to dedicate this to my dear friend, Alda in Vancouver, and her beloved Ginny & Figaro. I chose this version for 1) the snoopy and woodstock attracted my attention 2) because the music to Silent Night was intended for a guitar to go with the simple score, made in time for the midnight mass then.

Simple is always the best I believe and I wish to take this opportunity to wish you a happy festive season and a fruitful year ahead!

6 Days to Christmas

Apologise to the folks out there expecting an xmas song from me. It has been discontinued for 2 days as I have ran out of nice ones to pick.

With less than a week to go, what's higher in my priority, is to complete my xmas shopping list, as underneath our family xmas tree is still pathetically empty.

Information Technology & Social Responsibility

Not often were you given a chance to go to a conference and get to meet with a full tank of thinkers.

I attended one today with academic scholars who came from MIT, Fudan, Tsinghua, Drake University, just to name a few and I must say, they possess great minds and perspectives, which really made me the least qualified to speak of the subject matter.

I sat there for a whole day, listened with anticipation on a close-door debate on information technology & social responsibility. The thinkers had their moments to present their research papers, issues were thrown at each other and thoughts were wrapped up by a roundtable discussion at the end of the day.

When I say thinkers - I am sure you could easily imagine and relate how they look like. They are practically - old. Put it this way, older than the norm if you like. To me, they are great thinkers no doubt, but they simply think too much.

Many thinkers appeared today don't use the internet often enough, do not understand what Web 2.0 entails and they definitely question about internet safety and have a sense of their privacy being breached. Those descriptives already posed a biased view from the start and I felt rather disappointed that the discussion just didn't get any further than where we started off with "Whose Responsibility?"

What I think these great minds should be doing, is to continue exercising their brains, but at the same time, engage in all of the followings:-

• go surf the web, upload and download something
• buy reference books from Amazon
• check out the auctions at eBay
• forget about queuing at the bank and transect in the cyberspace

Instead of nagging about the digital divide on how the poor can't access the internet, they should really be spending more time in investigating what's readily available for them from the internet. That would really help balance supply and demand (thus minimizing the digital divide).
I suggest they can own a blog for a start, make themselves heard by contributing articles online to encourage exchange of viewpoints.

Last but not least, the world is transforming and with change as the only constant, they should realise the old rules just doesn't fit the new ruler. In other words, there will always be risks walking on the streets, but does that prevent you from going out? Banks can go bankrupted but does that prevent you from putting money in the bank?

I am very tempted to say to these thinkers - go get a life! In Second Life!

Day 8: Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)

Are we too grownup to feel a thrill
As we light the Christmas tree?
Are we immune to cookies,
Christmas cards and Christmas glee?

Are we too adult to "Ooh" and "Aah"
At the Christmas candle's glow?
Are we blasé about our gifts;
Do we shun the mistletoe?

Are we too mature for carols,
For merry or for jolly?
Do the decorations leave us cold,
The ornaments and holly?

Fat chance! We'll never grow too old
To love the Christmas magic.
A year without a Christmas
Would be boring, even tragic.

So bring it on! The candy canes,
The feasting and good cheer;
O Christmas, lovely Christmas,
You're the highlight of the year!

Day 9: Last Christmas...

If Wham! is to Christmas of 84,
What is it to Last Christmas?

With Christmas just round the corner, I fancy a little rhyme:

I hope this Christmas enriches your life;
May each day be happy and bright,

Overflowing with pleasure and love;
May your Christmas be filled with delight.

Here comes my all time favourite from Wham!
Making this my countdown No.9.

Day 10 Countdown: Jingle Bell Rock

Now this is getting interesting and I am enjoying this daily xmas song dedication exercise - can't go to bed before this task is completed.

Today's inspiration came from a friend who loves the movie Home Alone. I bet you will come across this blockbuster on tv again running up to xmas.

Let's get ready to rock the Day 10 countdown with today's pick "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms - a truly delightful choice full of Christmas spirit.

Day 11: All I Want For Christmas Is You

I have enjoyed Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You all along, but since 2003 when Olivia Olson sang the same song in the movie Love Actually, I have basically fell in love with this version.

Olivia has this gifted voice and her singing was so perfect that the movie director was afraid that the audience would not believe a ten-year-old kid could really sing the way she did.

Here's my Christmas song of the day for you, on the day 11 countdown to Christmas. Please enjoy!

12 Days Till Christmas Day

Took this shot downstairs in the office lobby on my way to work and wanted to blog it right away as my Day 1 pic of my 12 days countdown to Christmas Day.

Not sure about you, but I have been receiving more Christmas cards this year than the last 2 years' aggregate. The thoughts are definitely there, but my mood ain't there yet - kinda numb about the festive season.



Anyhow, being an amateur disc-jockey before, I decided a way to boost up the festive feeling for myself, is to dedicate a Christmas song to everyone, each day from now, which means I need to pick 12 songs from my list of favourites.

OK - here you go, the first has to be "Ding Dong! Merrily on high" - a secular dance tune that is upbeat and spiritual, I recall singing that song merrily in the school choir and the "Arhhh...." in the chorus seems to take forever.

Wait a sec, I found out one can only post videos and photos in blogger.com but not music, now that's a vast disappointment as a starter!

An Escape

Offered a brief bike ride at lunch today...thought no one would recognise me with the helmet on, yet I got spotted! The shocking green colour to be blamed.

Snapshots of Music

A friend declared "Help Needed" in finding music that represents each decade from the 30s to the present, for she is trying to make a slideshow for her boss's 75th birthday next week. How very sweet of her and I just couldn't resist to offer some opinions.

Here were my picks straight from my head...


30s - Bing Crosby (White Christmas)
40s - Patti Page (Tennessee Waltz)
50s - Elvis Presley (Blue Suede Shoes)
60s - The Beatles (Love me Do)
70s - The Carpenters (Top of The World)
80s - Madonna (Like a Virgin)
90s - The Spice Girls (Wannabe)
00s - Eminem, Gorillaz, Craig David, Avril Lavigne, Mika....

How about you? What would be your picks?

Facebook 40 Years Down The Road

Have a good laugh!

The Perfect Pic Buddy

I came across this product in the States earlier and love it ever since.

This innovative tripod secures digital cameras to just about anything and doesn't require an elevated flat surface and the flexible joints allow 360º bend and twist.



Look how it opens up a lot of new poses and angles for shots for you without the crazy acrobatics and precarious positions for your valuable digital camera.




For the serious photographers, the Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM is now available too. Its sturdy prehensile legs is designed to go hand in hand with any SLR and zoom lenses and can support a whopping 6 pounds!

Don't you just adore innovations?!

Casino War

My first time to play Casino War last night and it has to be the easiest and mindless table game I have ever played in casinos which requires no brain work, hence I thought it would not be a bad way to end my hectic work schedule. The game work’s as follows:

• One card is dealt to each player on the table and one to the dealer


• If your card is a higher value than the Dealer’s, you Win!


• If your card is the same value as the Dealer’s, you get the chance to ‘Go to War’ and try to beat the Dealer with a second card

OK I heard you ask - so where does the house edge lays in this game?

You are right, it is absolutely true that the probability of winning is 50%. Where the edge comes from is when there is a war you either win one unit or lose two.

In my case last night, I held up wars several times and 1 grand vanished in just a few minutes. Eventually, it was a bad decision to end the day feeling miserable like that.

Me & My Piano History

Yesterday, a friend of mine came out of the blue and asked me for a favour - to be the Pianist in her wedding ceremony. I was flattered that she approached me, but the keys are really starting to look a bit foreign to me, so I hesitated in responding.

I learned to play the pianoforte the way most people do: guided by the traditional approach that stemmed from the good old Royal Academy of Music, with Grade 1-8 to be attained in preferrably 8 years (12 for me). The traditional approach requires students be able to read music before they can actually play anything that sounds like music. Lessons were attached with a string of the world's most boring theory, scales and arpeggios (we need to brush up a bit of Italian as well). This traditional approach fails more often than it succeeds, and indeed, many youngsters scared the hell out of it and quit so soon after they began.

The only reason I didn’t become one of those statistics was because my mother forced me to stick with it throughout the 12 years of my childhood. It wasn’t much fun for me and it was certainly less fun for my mother. I’ve avoided touching the piano for years after I turned 18 even when I have nothing better to do.

Before I seriously think about turning down my friend, perhaps I should revisit my long forgotten sight reading skills and if, and only if my fingers aren't rusted yet, I might consider playing at the wedding. In that case, my friend would have my mother to thank for, not me.

Aunt Maida's Annual Letter

Our family can always expect either a letter or an email sent from Aunt Maida towards the year end, summarizing everything that happened in her and her family life during the past year. To be frank, I never pay much attention to every details of what she wrote but this year, I read every single word.

2 days ago, I received the annual letter from Aunt Maida, I then realised she has skipped the tradition of writing it in 2006, as according to her own words - "inconceivable to write last year, therefore here's a combined effort for 2006 + 2007". She really had a tragic time coming to terms as her husband left her quite suddenly with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

The biggest and devastating discovery I had in 2007, has to be the fact that I found out Cancer is in general, incurable - as contrary to my belief that many cancers can be completely cured under modern day treatments. Doctors typically offer treatment only in the hope of prolonging cancer patients' life, not for the sake of curing the cancer itself.

No offense, but the medical world can't master the disease as yet, even for the most experienced cancer specialists. When asked about questions on life expectancy or, the most suited drugs to take, their partyline is almost always uncertain and very average than average. They will most probably respond by saying, every patient is a unique individual and will be affected differently by their illnesses...even two people of the same age, with the same type of cancer, which has spread to the same extent, can have very different effect on the same drugs...the most expensive drugs do not necessarily work better....etc.etc. Therefore, if you are ever faced with the same scenario - be prepared to get a vague answer, or at most a reluctant feedback with no substance.

So here's my one-liner for my year 2007:
We can fly people to the moon, but we can't cure Cancer on earth. How very ironic!

The Years Flow By

This lovely sunset was taken at my friend's place just then. She gets to see this spectacular 180 degree harbour view from where she stays yet she doesn't quite give a damn. Well, I can understand why but that's not the point I wanna make.

The thing is, an old song pops up as I write, which describes this photo and also matches my feelings in perfection. It is so right that I must jot this down to memorize this very moment in time.

望著海一片滿懷倦　無淚也無言
望著天一片　只感到情懷亂
我的心又似小木船
遠景不見　但仍向著前

誰在命裡主牢我　每天掙扎　人海裡面
心中感嘆　似水流年
不可以留住昨天

＊留下只有思念　一串串永遠纏
浩瀚煙波裡我懷念　懷念往年
外貌早改變　處境都變　情懷未變

Union with Pauline

After, gosh...how many years?

20/20+ Chow Lai Mau Music Collection

From the 1980s to the present, Hong Kong lyricist Chow Lai Mau has worked with all the biggest names of Canto-pop and penned countless classic hits which pretty much grew up with me.


In this latest compilation 20/20+ Chow Lai Mau Music Collection, he personally picked 45 of his representative songs from the last twenty years. Chow describes the selections as 20 fans' favourites, 20 songs that gave him different feelings during composition, and 5 songs that he wants to keep to himself.


This great compilation is no doubt a trip down Hong Kong's memory lane with familiar songs from stars of past and present, but sadly, it is missing one of my all-time favourites from Jacky Cheung - 再爱上你 (1991) , it's really hard to find such charmingly pleasant lyrics these days.

没月半弯
亦没醉倒了夕阳
却教这心
重遇你后跳得比风更响
望着晚风
但未禁偷偷窥看
你那风采
仍令我像那天朝思晚想

不理不理曾离别过你
只要只要重头热恋你

再爱上你梦再飞
往事令我依旧在回味
回头仍痴想可
再爱上你梦再起
你让我这心又渐离地
迷失方向谁可一生
长夜伴晨曦依然是你

旧日衬衣
又为你的肩被上
你说你记得
然后已堕进我心胸里躺
望着晚星
才知星光多奔放因再有你在旁
盼望地老天可再荒

回头仍可一世一生
教我爱得心更深
回头仍可相爱相亲
教你爱得依旧动人
无憾后半生
愿一生我俩
愿一世一生相向

Why Christmas Has To Be Merry?

My iGoogle's x'mas countdown timer is showing 27 days to Christmas Day.

"Why is Christmas merry?" I suddenly ponder the status quo with interest.

Personally, is it because all the family is together for a meal and it represents a time of giving, love, or togetherness? Seasonally, is it because we get holidays and we have an opportunity to give and receive gifts or is it because of the good mood that people in general exhibit? Economically, is it because of the boost that results in retailers finally making it into the black? Religiously, is it to do with a baby in a manger?

Anyhow, Christmas this year will definitely mean something different, not that I want it, but it is surely putting things in perspective for me.

The Heathrow Minute & The Spiral Effect

When was the last time you sat on a plane, with seat belt fastened, anxiously waiting for it to take-off safely but can't help noticing the plane upheaval in spirals, feeling insecured?

Only recently, I managed to find out the technical reason for that and that has something to do with the airport I once worked in - London's Heathrow Airport.

Did you know Heathrow Airport currently has the highest international passenger traffic in the world despite they only have 2 runways (one for take-offs and one for landing)? Between 2002 and 2006, the average delay at Heathrow had increased from 16.3 to 18.8 minutes according to BAA with all the four terminals operating in full stretch.

During the peak times at Heathrow, Jets take off as close as 1 minute apart as oppose to other international airports' average 2 minutes! The way they manage that is to make sure flights go in diverging routes and hence, the need to go in spiral movements after they take off. The astonishing 475,000 Takeoffs and Landings a year in Heathrow is probably encouraging other international airports to follow suit.

The time between each takeoff is famously known as the “Heathrow minute,” and to cope with the traffic, it is the job of the folks at the airport tower, i.e. the Air Traffic Controllers, to make sure the jets only take the bare minimum. I have a good friend in London applying for such a tough job, I still think she's insane but I want to wish her all the best and if she succeeds in that career, I will be so proud of her.

Blog It On The Move

This pic - my entree, was taken a minute ago during dinner.
I am trying to send this photo from my cellphone to my blog here.

All I had to do was to send a message to my email account at blogspot.com, attach this photo, add a subject matter and type what I had to type and this should not take more than 2 minutes.

How I adore mobile technology and for now, I am going to enjoy the rest of my dinner.

Feeling Goog-fy

I found myself sticking to using Google's affiliated products more and more (feeling Googfy, as they now call it), so I decided to change my homepage altogether to iGoogle, one that I wanna recommend to you.

iGoogle is an adorable start page tool where I can aggregate all Google resources I use on my online desktop, e.g. gMail, gTalk, Google Search Bar, Google Reader, Google Docs, Google Desktop, Picasa, Blogger, just to name a few.


I am sure you do personalise your desktop apps as it's the first interface that opens on your computer and you wanna keep them nice and neat. I recently felt it is even more essential to apply a technology that drives what I look at everyday online when I open my browser. I virtually don't access my offline apps that sit on my computer that often, as all activities I endure are now seemingly online.

Open source development it is, allows iGoogle to support the use of specially developed "gadgets" to display content on my homepage. The gadgets interact with me and utilize the Google Gadgets API. The Google Gadgets API is public and encourage developers to develop a gadget for any need. So at the end, I can have wicked countdown timers, sticky notes, YouTube channels, and 3 different themes for 3 different tabs appearing on my homepage.

If that's not enough, well I tell you, you can have unlimited number of tabs, now how's that?

First thing first, if you wanna feel googfy like me, you've gotta sign-in for a Google account.

My 9 Reasons To Switch From IE to Firefox

Microsoft's Internet Explorer may indeed still command as your web browser for now, but the "Browser Battle" is definitely on.

Microsoft should be watching Mozilla carefully because Firefox is better than Explorer by leaps and bounds and I will tell you why.

Here's what Firefox has which IE doesn't and basically constitutes to the reasons I ditched IE some time ago.

• Faster Response - A typical webpage loads faster on Firefox than Internet Explorer
• Higher security - biggest factor that inspired me to switch was the constant bugs and fixes IE has
• Tap browsing - too many opened windows = super annoying and slows down everything
• Session Restore - If Firefox has to restart or closes when it comes back you’ll pick up exactly where you left off
• Keeps html formatted - able to keep the html format when copying from a web to txt
• Download Manager - one can pause download and continue it a later time
• Live Titles - As the information on the page gets updated, so does the Live titles
  
• Live Bookmarks - review the latest updates from favourite sites with a glance and a click
• Open source - not proprietary, more secured

There’s a lot to do on the Web and trust me, Firefox 2.0 is definitely making a difference to the user experience on browsing.

England's Valediction to Euro 2008

Good old England only require a draw to ensure qualification for the Euro 2008 next summer, yet they decided to crash out and have a nap.

The Football Association is to meet today, when it is expected to sack England manager Steve McClaren for his failure to lead.


Right now let's hear from Beckham's defend after the defected match and how their hopes shattered by the Croatians.

An Enclave Losing Vitality

I was waiting for a friend yesterday night in Central business district while I took this photo.

Struggling to adhere a name for it. Any takers?

I can choose to call this a representation of one of the brightest cities in the world at night (one which attracted Batman's recent visit); or along the lines of "Hong Kong as a vibrant financial centre". Either one sounds pretty boring and perhaps not applicable any more.

Talking about Hong Kong's financial proposition recently, what swept through every investors' mind is the gloomy financial climate. Can't help but worry about the downward realignment in the Heng Sang Index in the past weeks, accumulating more than 10% drop from 29,xxx level less than a month ago, to the present 26,xxx. What is worse, the critics expecting more bumpy adjustments upcoming.

After all, comparing to the "Ding Hai" effects, the magnitude of fall really ain't that prominent. With relativity and definitions being swifted, and change remains the only constant, I decided to name this photo "An Enclave Losing Vitality". What do you think?

Nothing Like A Nice Cup of Coffee

This is for those seekers after a healthy lifestyle who have foresworn coffee in favour of various tisanes which they believe are better for them.

Other research has shown that there are four times the amount of anti-oxidants in coffee than there are in green tea; for which so much is claimed.

All that stuff about Caffeine is a drug and it's harmful to your body and it has rodent carcinogens....what the heck!

When I am marooned on my boredom, not only will I want a nice cup of coffee but I will know why I want it. An added bonus, will be to enjoy this with someone enjoyable.

Enders' Game

I seldom pick up story books, the novels section never attract much of my attention when wandering in bookstores.

The other day, someone highly recommended this novel "Enders' Game" by Orson Scott Card, claiming it is the best science fiction ever with a captivating plot, suspense overwhelming, once you start reading and won't be able to put it down, etc etc.

Sounds really intriged for a starter, but still not enough to get me to purchase. Not until another colleague told me this is compulsory literature for U.S. Military training material, did it really get me to order a copy through Amazon.

Looking forward to killing time with it, and I shall be able to share my personal comment in here very soon.

The Problem of Pain

If the God Jesus Christ we believe in, is loving and all powerful, why does he let us suffer so damn much?

We all know that while Jesus was a man, Crucifixion is among the nastiest torture and execution methods that humanity has ever come up with and he suffered and died in the most painful and humiliating way possible. I really don't get why God will not take the pain from us, but he had taken the pain upon himself in its entirety.


I have received a weak signal lately that tries to bring an analogy to my myth. It reads something along the line...a good mother lets her children move out when they are old enough. She does this not because they will be safer. She does this because she knows that if she does not let them grow up they will be a shadow of what they should be. They must know freedom and difficulty in order to truly become mature.

Perhaps without the pain and struggle of life, there is no cause for us to improve ourselves?! Seems logical, but I still have my doubts.

Reflecting Virtue with John Mayer's Continuum

His new album is gorgeous, the Memphis-soul displays yet another command of his musical talent. As always - he fuses R&B with old school blues with his gifted sharp melodies and naturally constructed songs.

Nonetheless, I found damaged relationships litter all over the place in Continuum, all depict lovers who betrayed each other, or in tragedy. Tracks such as, "I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)," "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room," "The Heart of Life," "Dreaming With a Broken Heart" and "I'm Gonna Find Another You", are to be avoided if you are in doubt or in trouble.

On the other hand, Mayer also took his own emotional temperature on self-conscious and obsessive about his place in the world, you can find traces on "Stop This Train": "...So scared of getting older...." he sings, ".....I'm only good at being young..." Can't agree more, can't you?

None of Continuum's 12 tracks accelerates above mid-tempo, therefore, perfectly suited for a modest and reflective moment in time for me to pause and think on life's virtues. Definitely a recommended addition to my recent playlist.

In Faith Go Forward

"In Faith Go Forward", is our school's motto. I had absolutely no idea what it meant when I was in school, but now I do. This is exactly what I want to remind a friend of mine, who probably won't be reading this for the time being, but just in case she does.

Every now and then along our journey, we encounter failures, bankruptcy, rejections, and people mock and ridicule you. However, everyone of those experiences along our journey is meant to teach us something, and help us propel forward.

Each time we feel depressed, it's a sign to remind ourselves of why we're doing what we're doing, to further reinforce the drive in us that keeps us going.

Each time we encounter an obstacle, it's a test to see how bad we want it and how smart we are in figuring out what to learn from it.

Each time we are ridiculed from friends and family for following our dream, it's a test to see how firm our foundation is and presenting an opportunity to reinforce our belief.

I realised if one focuses too much on getting to the end goal, one will misinterpret all the things that happen along one's journey. We'll become frustrated because the end goal we so desperately want to achieve is not coming as quickly as we would like it to.

I know I kinda of sounded like your grandma talking, but I've learnt so much lately that I really want to share with all my dear friends and in particular, my dearest sister.

I want to yell at them, and keep reminding myself to step back, breathe and realize that everything is part of our journey. It may not be to our likings, but we've got to appreciate and be thankful for it. The mistakes, the setbacks, the lessons learned, are all meant to fortify us and it is meant to be since inception. Meaningless trying to avoid them, cuz we can't.

Time For A Splendid Barbecue

Autumn is now in full swing and I think it's time to fire up the grill and show my family and friends I am capable of accomplishing great feats before their very eyes.

In Hong Kong, there exists many different options to host a weekend BBQ party. One can choose from enjoying it in hotels, ranging from the classy type of $500 per head in The Peninsula or a modest $168 in Novotel Hotel, Tung Chung.

To me, barbecuing is more than spending a couple of hours on a weekend afternoon, cooking a few ribs over a 600-degree flame, or even...setting your mashmallow on fire. It is about an opportunity to sit in front of the pit and mingle with those you care to share your TLC with (be it totally burnt, partially smoked, or best of all, finger lickin' good).

I personally much prefer going to those public pits in Shek O or Aberdeen Country Park and on this pic you see here, is a raw demonstration of a do-it-yourself wire-up learnt from scout training. Impressive stuff, huh? Wait till I tell you what went on there before you start getting jealous.

Garlic & Herb King Prawns, Balsamic Salmon, Spicy Swordfish, Scallops on White Wine and Rosemary Lamb Shoulders, are merely a handful of delightful examples.

Right Dudes, are you with me? Let's start planning for a BBQ party shall we?

Tonight's SSGC Reunion Dinner

Great night out with the girls.
The Event was planned 2 months ahead, started off with 20, but ended up with 10. That doesn't matter as we sure had a good laugh and agreed to do it all over again in 2 months' time, hope to have a few more to join the fun and giggles.

Evan Almighty Taught Me What To Pray For

Wanted to watch Evan Almighty in cinema when it was on but didn't quite manage. Get to catch it on a plane journey recently and not only it was quite a funny and unobjectionable mainstream movie suited for long haul flights, it taught me the technique of praying.

In one particularly poignant exchange between Almight God (Morgan Freeman) and Evan, God asks him if he thinks when you pray and ask God for patience, if God gives you patience, or puts you in a situation where you learn patience.

If someone asks for courage, does God give them courage or give them an opportunity where they can become courageous?

Does God give you family togetherness, or does he put you in a position where you pull together as a family?

I thought these observations were right on the money, and probably flashes something to even the Christian viewing public has perhaps, not even thought of.

From time to time, I have my doubts on whether god is indeed listening to my prayers. May be I should think harder on the lines above to improve my odds of getting what I wanted.

In Search of Perfection

Tonight's programme is so tasty...I was taken on a journey in search for the tastiest piece of steak ever.

This has to be one of my top rated cooking programmes on TV.

Regarded as one of the greatest living chefs on the planet, Heston Blumenthal examines some of UK’s everyday foods in an extraordinary way - I'd say combining Biology, Chemistry and some form of Physics into cooking! From shepherd’s pie to fish and chips, Heston analyses every component and ingredient as he seeks to create the ultimate taste sensation.

Steak and Salad

With flavour often being compromised for a more tender texture, Heston attempts to find a balance between the two. He experiments with longer cooking times at lower temperatures (24 hours @50 degrees celsius), to ensure the meat retains its juices. A blowtorch comes in handy too!

The finishing touch is the sauce. Having tried all the usual favourites, from tomato sauce to Worcester sauce and packet mixes, he then remembers a recipe for mushroom ketchup from an old cookbook which he adapts with a modern twist to make the ultimate accompaniment.

For those in Canada, you can access this cooking programme in Food Network Channel, and for those in Hong Kong, it's on ATV's World Channel every Tuesday 8:30pm.

I'm tellin' ya, you've got to watch him if you adore your food and cooking.

Nothing to be taken as granted

Human does have a curious capacity to take things for granted. The most exquisite diamond loses its glitter with familiarity. The most compatible intimate becomes boring. Miracles like the daily sunrise fail to astonish the majority of us, simply because they’re commonplace and repetition and time dull our sense of wonder.





What else do I take for granted? The light turning on when I hit the switch, the chair supporting my weight when I sit on it, a dial tone when I pick up the phone, the clean water that runs when tap is turned, the bowel habit that I have daily and that my body will move when I will it to. Ah, the last one. My body moving.

Body moving is partially about health. Health is something that too many of us take for granted. And if we don't take it for granted, we only pay it lip service.

We assume that our joints will work and our body will move when we command it to. We make assumptions all the time and we take it for granted. Really. When was the last time you thought about moving your leg, or standing up when you were seated. When was the last time you traced your movements, slowly, to see what actually was happening? Probably not recently, if ever.

Sorry if this one turns out to be as confused a mess as it felt while I wrote it. But, this is really essential stuff and needs constant reminders - nothing can be taken as granted.

Bad Language is good for you...

I read this with amusement yesterday in the papers and I thought I should share with all of you.

In short, the article basically is saying, regular swearing at work can help boost team spirit among staff, allowing them to express better about their feelings as well as develop social relationships, according to a British researcher.

The research studied the use of profanity in the workplace and assessed its implications for managers. The key appeared to be knowing when such language was appropriate and when to turn a blind eye.

The results - Banning swear words and reprimanding staff might represent strong leadership, but could remove key links between staff and impact on morale and motivation.

"I SWEAR.....BY THE MOON...AND THE STARS...AND THE SKY...."

Vacation Transition Syndrome

Today is Day 1 of work after a 2.5-week long vacation. I don't recall knowing anyone in the office who has had more days off than me in one go, not to include those sick/maternity leave. Am suffering from maladjustment and serious depression upon coming home from a really fabulous vacation.

As I tried to get my sorry self in gear and return to the responsibilities and routine of ordinary daily life, I discovered I am not alone. In bare fact, VTS is a well-known illness and it's being mentioned everywhere in the web. Here's some cut-n-paste advice from professional psychiatrists on how to get through this easier.

• First thing First Unpack your suitcase, do laundry, take your photos to be developed, and put your souvenirs on a shelf, restock your pantry and refrigerator, go through your mail, return any phone calls that came in while you were gone.


• On Day 1 of work Easing back into work gently by starting with tasks such as photocopying and tidying my desktop.


• On Day 2 of work Give yourself something to look forward to, i.e. start planning for the next vacation


• Take more Vacation throughout your career Have you ever stopped to think about why vacations are such a shock to the system? It's because we are UNACCUSTOMED to them.

If my boss is reading this by any chance, please forgive me, your staff here is in need of a transition period and she is just adhering to some guidelines to get her up and running for you again.

All she's gonna do today is simple tasks requiring minimal level of exercising her brain, she might leave a bit earlier to clean up her environment at home and she will tell you very soon when she'll go on vacation again.

The Invisible Hand of...Adam Smith?

Current mythology holds that share prices rise and fall on the basis of market forces alone. And most people probably assume that Adam Smith is still right, i.e. the stock market is free of government interference.

Such sentiments appear to be hugely mistaken and as the Hong Kong government rhetoric continues to toe the free market line, violating the traditional belief in unfettered markets.

I mean, we were being taught that way in Classical Economics school of thought, didn't we? I must have missed a line, lost track, skipped class, something like that.

This is what I called a marketing gimmick

How to make cigarette advertising innovative and less ordinary? You must take a look at how well the Japanese is doing that and let's put aside the moral and the health issues about smoking for the moment.

I am not a smoker, but when my friend presented this little innovation she bought from Japan recently, I was absolutely startled by such tobacco marketing, bewildered by the fact that their brains can construct something so dazingly different yet remarkably stunning.

Stuff like this goes well in Japan, particularly when tobacco is sold in creative packaging, however wasteful it may be. What raises the ire of nanny-stater marketeers like me, is simply the level of creativity you can get in Japan.

Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy - My Favorite Opera for Everyone CD

I remembered dawdling into Hong Kong Records one summer day in 1995, aimlessly looking for something to buy with a HKD100 cash coupon.I thought I could easily settle that with one of Faye Wong's compilations, one which I have accidentally broken in halves, but they ran out of stock.

That brought me to the section of classical music, and ultimately, "Pavarotti's Opera Made Easy - My Favorite Opera for Everyone" CD was the item I checked out with. The apparent reason I chose that CD was firstly, it was just over $100, secondly simply because the critics was claiming the tenor to be "The best ever, no one quite like him".

After all these years, the one that caught my attention out of the Three Tenors is the less famous Plácido Domingo. His live performance of the song "Perhaps Love" has become my all time favourite lullaby.I want to thank Luciano's huge existence, without him, I would not come to learn to appreciate operas.

It is a sorrow to hear yet another helpless story of a Cancer case. With Pancreatic cancer, it is usually fatal with only a 4% 5-year survival rate. Up to 80% of those diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within the 1st year.

I do believe Luciano will live forever through his magnificant voice, but as his voice finally falls silent, it literally will be the end of the "Three Tenor era". However, this CD I have, might be worth thrice as much!

Below is the lovely lyrics of the song Perhaps Love, one that has really caught me and my tears.

Perhaps love is like a resting place

A shelter from the storm

It exists to give you comfort

It is there to keep you warm

And in those times of trouble

When you are most alone

The memory of love will bring you home

Perhaps love is like a window

Perhaps an open door

It invites you to come closer

It wants to show you more

And even if you lose yourself

And don`t know what to do

The memory of love will see you through

Oh, love to some is like a cloud

To some as strong as steel

For some a way of living

For some a way to feel

And some say love is holding on

And some say letting go

And some say love is everything

And some say they don`t know

Perhaps love is like the ocean

Full of conflict, full of pain

Like a fire when it's cold outside

Or thunder when it rains

If I should live forever

And all my dreams come true

My memories of love will be of you

Words and music by John Denver

Hong Kong Losing Charm

I'd pay for anything to watch the world's best player today and the world's best player 10 years ago give 50% effort for a 3 set match...

Can anyone tell me where I can still buy tickets to The Venetian Arena in Macau? I don't wanna be watching live on CCTV5.

Why everything new and interesting are now happening elsewhere? Pete and Roger are going to Seoul and KL before arriving Macao. You can see Hong Kong is fast losing attraction and competitiveness...

second thought...let me take that back.

We should be terribly looking forward to the Olympic equestrian events in 2008, the dressage and show jumping - those really are gonna impress Hongkongers, right? Sorry, no betting for those, said the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and be warned, you better be prepared to get muddy in the soft soil, ruining your Louis Vuitton Sneakers you have on.

Big Bird - A380

The world's largest passenger jet flew over Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour this morning at 8am and this crap photo was all i've managed to capture with my sony ericsson 810i, taken from my office at 66th Floor.

It was nonetheless a breathtaking experience, and I regret not bringing a proper camera.

Old Friends on Facebook

Great Article from TIME Magazine, anticipating how the online networking activities are evolving. And that we've all made the "way-to-go" choice joining the facebook hype now.

Here's the Hyperlink to the Article

The Fundamental Front-Wheel-Drive

A friend of mine drives a Mini Classic Cooper (the exact model and colour that Mr. Bean has) and I told mother how much I wanted one too. I was fascinated to learn that my mom actually owned 2 Morris Mini before. 1 850cc Cooper and 1 Cooper S.

I am even more eager to get one now!

She told me from 1964 to 1967, the Mini was almost unbeatable, cultural icon and fashion statement of the 60s and the Britons proudly presented the industry with a British car manufacturing representation at long last. She told me how she drove to work each day with it, loved it like a baby and how the steering wheel could get absolutely scorching hot in the summer days. Even more interested to hear how my dad crushed the whole car resulted in total loss, and he could ended up hanging in a tree, uninjured.




As to the new BMW MINI, to me is technically unrelated to the old series. It has a cute fitting though 55cm longer, 30cm wider. The new design retains the classic transverse 4 cylinder, front-wheel-drive configuration and many stylistic elements, but it ain't the old Mini, not the Austin Mini, nor the Morris Mini.

Mother added we cannot live life without the fundamentals, and that is uphold integrity, to be honest with ourselves and to others. Just like the New Mini would not become a success should it not has a triumphal predecessor.


The fundamentals are the fundamentals, we cannot attempt to change it. The new BMW Mini might have lots of wicked computerised gadgets, but the good old mechanics are still the fundamentals that drives it.

What Religion Are You?

I haven't yet identified myself with any particular belief system, whether it is philosophy or religion. So far in life, I strive to install and understand lots of different beliefs. What I ended up, is the fact that I’m neither a sincere Christian nor a spiritual Buddhist, but I am not an agnostic too either!

At this point, to me - a spiritual belief is - simply a perspective with which I can choose to view reality. To turn any particular belief into my identity, could it mean, fixing my perspective and thereby - cripple my freedom of thought?

What would you say if your computer decided that it was a word processor and only a word processor and can't handle spreadsheets? The machine would be fulfilling only a fraction of its potential. Can you really be only one or the other? Why not both?

Just as our computers wouldn’t represent themselves as the software it runs, I just can't identify myself as the beliefs I hold in my consciousness. Well not yet, but who knows.