Back for a few days ...

Hello my social network world.
Hello Blogger.
Hello Plurk.
Hello Facebook.
Hello Twitter.
Hello Picasa.
Hello Youtube.
I miss you guys so much!
And I shall consume you
with all my might
for I have till only
Saturday
before I shall be back
to being a hermit.

Moving blocks, blogs

Stepping on a moving block
Northward to The Bund
Where the Great Fire Wall
keeps the rest of the world
Out
So I'm moving blogs
So long, blogger, for a while
Hello, spaces, for a while
before you get shut down
Jan 2011
And then I'll seek out other
blocks on the blogosphere
to lay the building blocks
of my new blog yet again
But till then,
here it is
http://write-n-left.spaces.live.com
See you, See me.

10.10.10.10

Gonna take 10 secs
at 10.10.10.10
in tribute of those perished
on 9/11 at WTC

Why I still need my NB

Another sign of our over-reliance on digital technology, and the convenience of which, is the ability to modify travel plans at whim. Especially when everything is readily available online.

Just booked myself into a wonderfully sounding hostel "Wanderfalls Guesthouse" at Niagara Falls, plus Amtrak tickets to get me there and back into New York next week. This is, of course, after checking that everything agrees - the weather, schedules, prices, how to get there ...

All of that can be done on the iPad too, really, perhaps even more enjoyable for the hi-res photos that fellow travelers have posted. But the motion of filling in the forms, as of now, is still a mouse-pointing, finger key-in sort of activity, meaning laptops are still necessary. So on this wonderfully sunny and warm Saturday morning at Central Park, I wonder how forms might eventually evolve to indulge my spontaneous travel habits even more?

Maybe I should just be able to call Amtrak with that number on their website, quote my Facebook code, so they can retrieve my profile right away and have my reservation completed in under a minute.

Good to be back

But friggin tired. 20-hour flight + 2-hour layover at Frankfurt + 2-hour city tour on SuperShuttle from the airport ... kinda regretted getting that, but oh well, a city tour on whees wasn't all that bad.

I don't think New York has changed much since 2001. Not at least the bustling Times Square and Rockefeller Center. Only in the place of Virgin Music (if I remember correctly) is now H&M at Times Square. But in all my recent fascination with China, Japan and Asia, today I realised I've lost touch with the "western" or "American" side of me. Listening to the radio hits on the way in from the airport brought back fond memories. I haven't heard those songs for so long!!

Gee, really tired. Just checked into Jazz on the Park on the west bank of upper Central Park. I think I'm just gonna take it easy for today, check out some places to hit tomorrow and the day after and after ... but not before I get a quick nap. And ponder the implications of going to Shanghai in Nov instead of my beautiful 20.10 cuz HR screwed up and couldn't get my work permit processed in time. I don't understand though, why they require that we hand over the documents from China to the embassy here to issue the permit, shouldn't the China side have the final authority to issue or refuse since I'll be working there, not here ... oh well, red tape ...

New York, here I come!

Whoa, I'm finally going back to New Yorka after 9 long years. At the airport now, ain't got much time cuz was fiddling with the free wireless which had changed service provider and I didn't know that I had to use the new extension ... oh well, I dun hv time for that. It's been a very tiring day of mad rush - health screening, change money, pack ... looking forward to snooze a bit on board.

Ciao!

2 weeks ...

Can I believe it's just two weeks?
Two friggin' weeks left
I'm gonna miss all of you
I'm not sure already
I look forward to seeing you
What sort of conflicting
feeling is this?
I've never been unsure
I'll take each step in stride
Every step is a part of a journey
Once embarked on, I enjoy
No looking back
A new race begins
In just friggin' 2 weeks.

Three quarters gone

One quarter left
how much of your new year resolution
left?
Is it right to ask
what to do with all that's
left?

Delighted by mooncakes on CX

Haha, there were mini-mooncakes on both flights, TPE-HKG and HKG-SIN, putting a silly smile on my face. I wonder if it's because of CX's HK connection, and if SQ serves mooncakes today too on their Asian flights at least. I kinda doubt it, but I may be biased because I'm still sore from the times that I've failed to get my choice of meals on board. Haven't they noticed that certain meals are more popular and stock up accordingly? What annoys me even more is being asked if it's OK if I took whatever was left; only after I said that I didn't really have a choice did I, that she asked if I might prefer some instant noodles (to make up for the unavailable noodles of my choice). Couldn't that have been offered as a probable choice along with the set meal in the first place?

Well, enough of ranting. I'm getting grumpier by the day. Must be approaching menopause or something ... lol ... but anyway, coming back to this beautiful Mid-Autumn night. Although we took off into the cloudless sunny skies of Taipei, we landed in cloudy Hong Kong, then took off again into torrential rains (and I doubted for a moment if the control tower might seriously delay the flight beyond the one hour that we had already waited since the scheduled take-off), and landed in overcast Singapore. The moon here at home is blurry, definitely not caressing the foot of my bed with her graceful luminous fingers.

Wake me up when September ends

Well, it ended with last year,
But I'm still in deep slumber.
Time to use the present tense,
Wake me up when September ends.

Sleepover, 中秋节快乐

Two friends came to sleep over last night ... it was great to talk, watch tv, eat and laugh together, AND PLAY FIREWORKS! When I saw them off this morning, my eyes were sorta welling up ... but then, I'm really in the mood for tears these days ... but anyway, I'm really gonna miss them. Hope I'll have many more chances to return to Taipei. And I know the same tearful farewell will replicate itself in Singapore as 20.10 draws near. And then another tearful ... and I don't even wanna think about it. It's gotta stop now. My Mid-Autumn resolution is ... FIN.

怎么那么准

这个星座算命的电视节目看了好多天，今天的特别准。偏偏就是今天，是的。它说，双鱼座的人，下半年运程很好。为什么好？因为他们好像脱胎换骨，切断感情，切断工作，切断还不知道什么，可是前面两项就超准了。把旧的切断，新的好事才会来。希望是这样吧！这段感情困扰实在延续太久了，太累了，真的很希望切的干净。更希望新的工作，新的角色，新的地点会带来新希望。哈哈，我还没有想完，星座老师又说双鱼座的最近感情上遇到错折，导致心情低落。又bingo。切断后就会ok了。因为还有另一个部分说我会心想事成，美梦成真哦。切断后就可以重新开始。嗯。

Typhoon day in Taiwan

Typhoon Fanapi landed in Taiwan at 08:40 on 19 September 2010. Elsewhere on the island, harsh winds and rain lashed cities and villages. But here in Taipei, it was all calm. At nightfall, though, the wind speed picked up just as the weatherman reported the typhoon was spinning out of Taiwan. Traffic light posts sway in the gale. Motorbikes parked along the road fall on their sides. Strange occurence, but tough luck for a typhoon holiday as the mayor has already announced 上班上课 for tomorrow.

Another first

That's why I like flying. No matter how often you do it, you can always look forward to first-of-a-kind experience. Today, for the first time, I had duck congee on a Cathay Pacific flight. That was delightful :)

08:05 flight on CX

Another early morning flight ... *yawn* ...
but actually 08:05 is a quite decent hour ...
for regional travels,
you leave in the morning, arrive in the afternoon ...
with plenty of time to do anything to your heart's content
if only the 2-hour pre-flight check-in can be reduced,
or eliminated altogether
so now, goodbye Singapore
for now, hello again Taipei.

A warm old familiar voice

It's always awesome to hear from an old friend whom you haven't seen for ages, whose number you always wonder if you should call and if it's still in use. Today, this old old friend called. It's delightful to hear that motherly familiar warm voice again. Way back from university days. Wow.

The easier choice

Is it easier to learn to love someone you do not yet like but who is physically near, or to retract your love for someone you already like who is physically far?

Which would you rather, or can you accept?

For me, love is just love. Physically near or far, I'd give it a shot. But I've learned that not everyone thinks the same. When it comes to love, even love, yes, not lust, physical distance also spells emotional and spiritual distance. Why do I always want to challenge the probability of long distance relationships? Am I too "western"? But it is true that I have friends who have had fruitful relationships with western partners. But eastern ones? We're all learning it the hard way, I guess.

我是一个普通人

不知道为什么突然想起六月份在上海的时候和一位老奶奶和她的小孙子共用一个餐桌，然后和小朋友交谈的对白。

小男孩说，我不是男孩，也不是女孩。我只是一个普通人，喜欢科学和数学的普通人。当时还真的有点惊讶，那么小却那么成熟的思想。年纪轻轻就知道平等的概念，平等的价值，我感到很兴会有缘遇见这位聪明有智慧的小朋友，与他交谈。

人本来就是平等的，最后会有人比别人强就是靠自己的努力付出去争取的。所以我很认同这位小朋友的想法，太有智慧了，因为我的偶像Walt Disney曾经也说过一句话: "We allow no geniuses around our Studio."

Last Sept

... I landed in Chengdu today to spend some of the 3 most wonderful weeks I've ever had. I would give a lot to have those days again.

Chapters unfinished

I was gonna write about how much heartache and joy I've been blessed with, how many surprises, disappointments, beginnings and endings I've been through, how fulfilled or empty I've been this year when my brain became clogged, confused, and then ... empty. I shall leave it till later, possibly end of the year, when this self is more inspired.

天时地利人和

"You're Senior Design Researcher in one of the largest companies in the world." - Someone said that to me, I like it.

The potential of design research in China is simply massive. I can see forever what can be done, and needs to be done, and how big an impact the results will be on the innovation and design process and strategy of any company, especially one like ours.

We're standing on the threshold of contemporary design in China. We're standing on the threshold of strategic branding in China. We're standing on the threshold of an exploding "consumer market" in China.

If we thought China was gulping up all forms of consumerism since its economic reforms in 1979, we have to think again. Those were the baby steps. Now, the true pester power may truly begin. One that is slowly but surely understanding what it means to be a "consumer", demanding the sovereignty of the "consumer" and acquiring a taste for good design that will soon parallel that of consumers in mature economies.

Someone asked me, "Why now? Why China now?" Exactly because of what he (and I) have truly believed - the very fact that the Chinese are only now coming into their own as "consumers".

To be in Shanghai at this turning point is extremely exciting. Professionally, to be a part of the founding team that pioneers China-focused innovation and design for one of the largest companies in the world is a defining stamp on the resume. To surf China's next wave of global dominance - the emergence of a consumer economy and world class design - seriously, talk about first-mover advantage.

And on a more sombre personal note, there are millions in that country whose lives can be made better by design, which of course, could also be adapted for other emerging economies, stretching the value of design across the developing world, a goal that is so close to my heart I hope to achieve in my professional attempt to understand, empathise and solve real problems through good, sustainable design.

All is good - 天时地利人和 - although the original motivator for the move has faded in significance. Perhaps maybe that's what it's for, getting me there, to this exciting city of the future. And nothing more.

世界上最遥远的距离

实际上的距离拉近了
心灵上的距离却远了

真的不知道怎么看待
我努力争取到的机会

对这次的这个机会
抱着什么样的期待

迷糊迷途迷路了吗
但迷路也是走路的
一部分终要走下去

要勇敢的走下去才
会胜利地走出来哦
才可能把距离走近

7 years

Today, seven years ago, grandma passed away at 1.30 pm. I was in the office when my cousin messaged me on MSN. I was stoned. Emotionless. I even went for a meeting at IE. It wasn't till very late that night when I was preparing a bunch of handover materials for all the projects that I was handling so that my colleague could take over while I was on compassionate leave. I cried my heart out. My boss saw me, and he was very kind to offer to drive me all the way back to Melaka. Of course I couldn't make him do that, so I declined, thanking him profusely.

I was especially upset because we had chosen to skip the crowds and jams over National Day weekend to go home and see grandma. We took for granted there would always be a next week. No, there probably won't be. Don't even take for granted there would be a next day, next hour, next minute. What you want to do or say, do it now. But that said, it's easier said than done >.<"'

First couple in office

When I first saw the email, I thought it was a joke, but it's for REAL! :)))) I couldn't be happier. They are 2 really awesome people who deserve each other. Really, really, really. At least there are happy people all around. It's very comforting.

^_^

Bye Taipei, Hi Singapore, and Shanghai

My flight's at 7.40 AM, the driver's coming at 5.10 AM. All packed, now enjoying some early morning peace. A cup of coffee up front, MTV in the back.

I can feel it. This is it. The turning point.

Shanghai. What promises do you hold for me?

坚持。固执。不甘心。

Sometimes, you feel like there is a certain invisible force much larger than yourself pulling you in one direction. The direction of your choice. It's like pieces are beginning to fall into the right places. But just short of the finishing line, or like a pile of beautifully constructed Jenga blocks, before the final few pieces complete the whole, the beautiful formation falls apart. Yet, that strange force still pulls you in the same direction.

And you fall into a vortex of emotional turmoil. You are allowing it. You're still choosing, painfully limping on this road of uncertainty. Do you take a road of persistence, surrender, or refusal to be resigned to the hard facts that fall before your very eyes? Do you (want to) believe in the strange force?

I seek answers. I am getting none. I once said, that is why life is interesting. I guess that is what I will hold to. Like ephemeral sakuras. So precious, enjoy it. Live it, and behold every fold that opens as they float onto my palm. I like pleasant surprises. Throw away the sadness.

Deep passing thoughts

The first thing I saw this morning was an email from a dear friend informing of her father's passing. I could offer her not much but words of comfort through a long SMS, being so far away from Singapore myself. Her words offered me more food for thought, "Do not take your parents for granted." They are actually making me think twice about Shanghai. What exactly am I after?

一年

有许多感触，也写了一篇文章却没有勇气把它放上来，就贴上这篇朋友写的一首很优美的诗来纪念这一年渡过的最高峰和最低点。也该到个段落了。

I thought I saw you in the flicker of a candle

I thought I saw you in the reflection of your tea cup

I'm sure I saw you in the words of my diary

and in the eternal breathless moment that our eyes locked

like a pair of butterflies in tandem

we were locked in the same rainbow

where nightmares die

and dreams fly

I'm letting you go ~ for now

because I have plenty more to live for

and plenty more love to give

I won't forget you and I hope you won't forget me

上海9日.5.28-6.5

上海. 两年多了, 您现在长得怎么样呢? 今天去上海的心情有些复杂, 有点遗憾去年九月份没有过去. 但是, 我还是要玩的很开心的! 都说过去了, 也不要再去想它了, 未来还是掌握在自己手中的!

期待和两位好朋友见面. 一位有六年没有见面了, 哈哈, 实在有点奇怪. 人在新加坡的时候没有想到要见, 反而去了上海我们都说聚一下, 吃吨饭, 聊往事. 要失去了才懂得珍惜吗?

1 more day to World Expo!

Haha, maybe not quite, but it's true, one more day to Shanghai. How 4 months have flown by so quickly! Amazing and terrifying at the same time. Oh crap, this might be my last post for 10 days ... ain't too bad, I went without Blogger, Facebook and Plurk for almost a month last September! Luckily there were those phone calls ... oh well ...

Oh, maybe I can still sneak in one right before I hop on the plane ;)

Life in a series of chapters

I scanned a book on birthdates on Saturday. It said, people born on the 9th of March lead lives comprised of disparate chapters. I think I just closed one. I'm not quite sure how the next one will be written yet, I'm having a sort of a creative block at the moment. I don't know who the characters might be, will they be new or if the old ones I've loved so much may stage a comeback. But I know for sure I need a break, I don't know how long it will take, it will be a while.

And I've started reading Stieg Larsson. There is a sort of morbid romanticism that piqued my interest in this writer. Not so much his books, but his story. You know, this Swedish writer had planned an epic 10-book thriller, only to die halfway through his fourth. I'm on his first: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". So far, so good. I intend to read all three, and if they finally decide to release the fourth, as the original manuscript is or completed by someone else, I'll pick that up too. But I'll never know how the next chapters will be written, or rather, would have been written by Stieg Larsson.

Today, I'm introduced to controversial Iranian director عباس کیارستمی `Abbās Kiyārostamī, who was celebrated at Cannes as the festival closed yesterday, who is a master at visualising Persian poetry so beautifully in his films. In The Wind Will Carry Us, Kiyārostamī reflected on the connection between the past and the present, between continuity and change.

They promise of houries in heaven,

But I would say wine is better,

Take the present to the promises,

A drum sounds melodious from distance

I immediately connect, as I reflect on my own story's crazy chapters, sometimes disjointed, sometimes coherent, but eventually they all come together. This is what I told DA. We talked about our tendency to make up stories for ourselves, and then try our darn best to fulfill them, even to the detriment of our own sanity. What I told him, we do what we think we ought to do at any point in time. The story will work itself out, everything will somehow come together in the end and make sense. It's all part of the journey, right? Only in chapters.

Pacman turns 30, Google celebrates

There's a very nice Pacman GAME as Google's logo, on Google's homepage. Insert coin to play. Here's a still capture.

CD sketched me a panda!

On her iPhone. Amazing. So beautiful, I'm thrilled.

Hah, it's the little things in life that make me really happy :)

走到了最后的十天, 反而已经没有什么感觉了. 我想我期待到累了因为到头来, 可能就只是一场空 ... 不知道呢, 再看看吧, 不抱什么期望的, 那么就不会失望.

The Curious Case of the Pajamas

As a little girl, I loved my pajamas. They were airy and comfortable. They were pretty with lace and sometimes colourful fancy buttons. Above all, they were handmade by my mother.

But I stopped wearing pajamas, I don't remember when. Must be well into my teens. When outfits were an expression of the unique personality of a rebellious teen, who cared what I wore to bed. That must be when I got too lazy to change into the pajamas just for sleeping. Besides, mom had stopped making pajamas for us. I guess they're not so cute to make anymore since we were already big girls, so she stopped. Indeed, all other pajamas we found out there were nowhere near cute, nowhere close to the detailed workmanship that mom had displayed in her pieces, so no way would I spend any precious cent on any of those. So I stopped wearing pajamas.

Then, it became really interesting for me to watch on TV back then and even now, how the Chinese can parade the busiest streets of the city in their pajamas. When my aunt from Beijing visited in the 90s, she had no qualms wearing her pajamas everywhere. Honestly, I was rather flabbergasted.

Only very recently, I understood the significance of the pajamas to a Chinese back in those days, being very poor, when many clothes were hand-me-downs, how could one even think of having special clothes just for sleeping. So the pajamas were a symbol of status (and NYT says, coolness too). Someone who could afford the pajamas was of a certain social stature, especially when communism was at its peak and everyone was supposed to be equal. So it's only natural one would flaunt it at every available chance - out in the neighbourhood, at the market, riding public transport, at the most crowded and visible places of any gritty Chinese neighbourhood. Besides, living in tight communal quarters back in the day, it didn't make much sense changing out of them just to walk a few metres to buy some meat from across the street, did it?

Old habits die hard.

But China has grown so fast and in her race to join the top powers of the world, is also very rapidly shedding ugly old habits. Shanghai wants the pajamas off her streets now that the Expo is in full swing and the city is under tight scrutiny and criticised for every tiny flaw, oh, how many others will delight at seeing the poised Chinese superpower crumble. Like the legs of a pair of soft cotton pajamas.
Of course, people oppose it. Some do so because old habits die hard. Some do so because it's a piece of Shanghainese lifestyle and a chunk of China's past yanked out by force, and nobody likes to be forced to comply to anything that threatens that which is close to the heart. But with progress, they somehow must. Who will want to remember, or for that matter, need to remember, Shanghai by her colourful pajamas parade? Old habits die hard, but die they must. Soon, everyone will forget anyway.

Zocards

Everytime I pass by a café, I always sneak a peek at the Zocard revolving shelf. Over the years, I've collected countless of these cards. To many, they're just advertisements. To me, they are beautiful inspiring works of art. With a date stamp. So that makes them wonderful objects of nostalgia, of immense sentimental value.

They take up valuable real estate in my cramped apartment. Many a times, I mean to throw them out. Like today. But I took one look, and then, took a few pictures, and stuffed them right back where they belong. The logic is simple.

If they're inspiring enough to make me wanna immortalise them on film, how can they be relegated to the trash can?

RE. START.

They say girls with big bags have security issues. What I used to sneer at, I agree now. We want to pile our lives into those bags, we want every unpredictable situation under control as long as we have everything in the bag.

Yet, ironically, we are the least prepared, we do not know how to react to evil twists of fate, or change in heart. So we steel ourselves; we keep our fragile hearts in metal chests that even top grade diamonds cannot cut through. For we are not like them girls who quiver at the diamond's shallow brilliance.

Instead ...

We query the mystery of a volcanic rock thrown up from the depths of her mother's belly 10,000 leagues under the sea, we marvel at the fine grains of sands that hide so many lives but yet so transparent and vulnerable as glass. We dive deep into our own emotional oceans, seeking still waters, craving tranquility, wanting stability.

That's not you, a friend once said to me. You live life on the edge.

A little too much, yes. I sometimes venture foolishly out to embrace the climactic horrors of the emotionsphere. I've been kissed by the breeze on my cheeks and the golden rays of sunlight on my eyes. I've hunched against the assail of hail and been punched out of wind in my stomach. I've burned like a furnace in my chest and chilled to the core of my heart.

I want to retreat to the seabed, where the water runs deep, where the current is still. Where I'd rather not fall into the giddying pleasure of a spinning vortex, so I won't be breathless when I fall out of it.

We have baggages we cannot let go. Yet we must learn to do so.

I need to. I have to. RE. START.

The Panda Series

5.12

Can't believe it's been 2 years since the great Sichuan earthquake. God bless.

Through the fog

I always choose the bus over the train if I'm not pressed for time. I like all the visual stimulants that come with a long bus ride, ears plugged to my favourite playlist, retreating into my own contemplative thoughts and feelings. Like CD said, "making my own MTV" in those hour-long rides.

That was what I did the past Saturday, after the rain. Alas, my window was foggy so I could only get a blurry picture of the scenery outside. Alas, I couldn't quite catch the red Mazda 3s (think their butts are incredibly cute and sexy, aren't they?), which I've got into the habit of counting. So I played with my camera instead. I just got a new all-black pouch and a bright red hand-strap for it. The camera body is all-black too, so the dash of red against all the black is quite beautiful. Well, I digress.

What I meant to say was, I aimed a shot from behind a foggy window, and got pleasantly surprised by this result. Enjoy! :)

Blue skies

Coincidentally, it was also Daniel's birthday. The skies were smiling for him, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And I love Blue Skies by BT, featuring Tori Amos. She didn't actually say the words "Blue Skies" here. Instead, he spliced her vocals from different places to form the words. Genius, though sometimes you wonder why he would go this roundabout way in making music. But the haunting result is well worth it! Attention to details rocks. And BT's nano-tech stutter tricks are worth a patent.

May 美

May = 美.
五月应该是美好的. 期待.
v(^___^*)v

.5

Apr.5: I returned from Hong Kong after 4 wonderful days of eat, play, relax and workout.
Jun.5: I'll be returning from Shanghai after 9 wonderful days of happiness. I hope.

Now, ...

May.5 seems uneventful.

May.5: Where will I return from?
Make it decadence.

May.5: Where will I return to?
Make it innocence.

Enigma. Return to Innocence.
Boy. Do I love this song. Tune.
Ugh. Whatever. Just listen.

May Day! Spring Day!

反而没什么感觉了。

走一天，看一天吧。

春天是美好的吗？

但愿如此。

春天是开花结果

的好季节。

May Day! May Day!

May Day, Spring Day

I laugh a mocking laugh

How can an expression

of much distress

the start of a season

of hope

Then again

For there is no need

for hope

if the great bellies

of distress

one needs not escape

A vicious cycle

Indeed

Without distress there will be

no hope.

Only gloom.

May Day! May Day!

I face thee with all my might,

Distress,

I shout with all my might,

And then,

I hope with all my might.

笑吧! 走更远的路

人往往有不开心的事,
为了不影响身边的家人和朋友,
把难过与哀愁往自己心里面塞.
但不论胸怀有多宽多大,
终有一天还是会容不下,
爆发.
可以是泪,
可以是气,
当然也可以
不去烦恼,
不去难过,
不去管.
大声得笑,
继续走,
更远的路.

无希望的等待 ... 吗?

无论如何, 我想还是应该尽力去争取的! 往后的日子, 走一步, 看一步咯. 还未到最终点, 没有人知道会发生什么事. 知道自己尽了力就好, 没有什么好后悔的. 再说, 这次的选择, 如果成功的话, 也只有益无害.

我的胸怀充满希望, 等待.
Sudden opportunities, bold moves.

我又走慢了

Yasmin

Chanced upon the film, Muallaf on Xunlei.com. Super excited! Never expected to find a Yasmin film on a Chinese website (if doesn't have Sepet or Gubra, though), and one that I have not watched before. So I decided to check the film synopsis online before watching the film, and came across Yasmin's blogs:

The Storyteller: she really, really was. She took little segments of our lives and blew them up on the big screen. She surfaced our laughter, our tears, our courage, our fears. And all the other emotions in between that we fail to see or refuse to acknowledge. She cast a light on what it means being human, being one of many humans, transcending race, language and religion, and the strange web that weaves us all together, for and against our wishes, and how this is what makes being human so ... well, alive.

The Filmmaker: her last post was on 22 July 2009. She died on 25 July 2009.

The blogs brought fresh tears to my eyes.

片尾片, 败犬女王

总是觉得台湾电视剧的片尾片(就是在播放片尾曲同时播放的短片)很精美, 很好看. 目前在U频道播出的<败犬女王>也不例外.

其实这部电视剧还是挺好看的. 虽然头几集感觉有点漫长, 剧情也有点无聊, 但是却越来越好看哦. 是蛮贴心的, 可能因为片中女主角的性格与处境和我的很相似吧!

Earth Day 2010

Turn off the lights
and check your sockets,
save some energy
and what little is left
in Mother Earth's pockets.

雨过天晴

礼拜四下午下了一场很恐怖的大雨。雨后的夕阳就是这样了 ... ^___^*

Excitement!

Oh my GOD! This is the biggest rush of adrenaline I've had in a while.

KC, with whom I haven't been in touch since 2007 while chatting with him as the strike at Karachi happened outside The Sheraton where I stayed, MSNed me cuz of the countdown to Expo in my nick.

Ok, that's nice right, after all, a long time ago, I kinda had a little crush on him. He's cute ok ... Haha, but it's the next thing he told me that made my jaw drop.

KC: im in shanghai
KC: are u counting down to the expo here?
Me: yep, counting down
KC: Im working for Disney Shanghai at the moment
Me: (jaw dropped) OOOH happening!!!
KC: working here as a Creative Consultant
Me: Any vacancy??

Oh man, and he never wanted to work for Disney. He never wanted to work for anyone but himself and such a talented guy, he's got a number of great works under his belt. In fact, Disney approached him after he produced LaMB. I'm so proud of him!

Singlish

Wan Lynn sent me a questionnaire to fill in this morning, but forgot to attach in the email.

So I called out to her, "你没有 attach 那个 questionnaire!"

Daniel started laughing. He always laughs at how we mince our Chinese and English words in what we famously acknowledge as Singlish.

On the other hand, I wondered why I couldn't have said, "You didn't 附上 that 问卷!"

Luke had an explanation: We use English for work and Chinese for friendly conversations. So naturally, when we use both languages in a single sentence, we'll use English words for the technical terms and Chinese for the conversational terms.

Sounds very logical for this particular incidence. But is it always like this?

I still wonder.

Hong Kong Food Haven

Well, we didn't go to as many good food places as we'd like to, but every meal we had was awesome anyway! So, let me share some of the most remarkable ones with their addresses in case you're keen on trying the next time you pop by HK:

Breakfast:
Mido Cafe
Address: 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei
Phone: 2384-6402
We went there for the cafe's 1950s charm and delicious buttered 'bo lo bao' (called 'bo lo yao' - oily 'bo lo bao') and milk tea.

Tsui Wah Restaurant
Address: 15-19 Wellington street, Central
Web: http://www.tsuiwahrestaurant.com
We went there for typical Hong Kong breakfast, but ended up ordering only milk tea and 'gai zai bao' (crispy yet soft toasted bun spread with butter and condensed milk). We watched in awe how the slender HK people down their bowls of instant noodles (with a variety of garnishing from luncheon meat to beef), 'gai za bao' and milk tea.

Dim sum
Foo Lum Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant
Address: G/F, Auto Plaza, 65 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Telephone: 2723-8132
Web: http://www.foolumgroup.com
This was the only dim sum restaurant we went to this trip; simply didn't have the time, plus there were so many other things to try too! We found this restaurant in a Singapore foodie magazine, and since it's close to where we stayed (Chungking Mansions), we decided to pop by the morning following our arrival in HK. Delicious dim sum, and definitely a lot more affordable than eating in Singapore!

Indian
Branto Pure Indian Vegetarian Club
Address: 1/F, 9 Lock Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui
Telephone: 2366-8171
This Indian restaurant is hidden on the first floor (which is level 2) of a building. One needs to use the intercom and punch in the codes as per the instruction sheet by the door. The food is good, but be warned of the huge meal portions. Yup, there's only one size, so you cannot choose a S-sized meal.

Chinese
Lung Wah Hotel (Restaurant)
Address: 22 Ha Wo Che, Sha Tin
Telephone: 2691-1594
Web: http://www.lungwahhotel.hk
This restaurant is the original inventor of roasted pigeon. Aside from the trademark pigeon dishes, Lung Wah also serves up other great Cantonese dishes and to top it all, a wonderful cozy and amiable ambience. It's a little hidden up a slope, its architecture resembles more of a temple than a restaurant, and with a name that says "hotel", one could easily walk past it anticipating a high-rise hotel instead. So, check the local map before heading out the Sha Tin MTR, walk about 10 mins and be on high alert for the 2 sign boards (side by side) which say "Sheung Wo Che" and "Ha Wo Che" respectively. They're at the foot of an overhead bridge, and when you look beyond the signboards, you'll see the restaurant in all of its red glory.

Dessert
Hui Lau Shan/Xu Liu Shan (许留山) Mango Desserts
Address: A franchise with stores in most places including Tsim Sha Tsui, Mongkok, Causeway Bay, etc
Delicious mango dessert. Need I say more?

Street food
Fishballs 鱼蛋 and "Yong Tau Foo"
Address: Most places
Dip the fishballs in hot and spicy curry broth, pop em in your mouth and let em sizzle! Pick your choice of "yong tau foo" (not that there's as wide a variety as compared to what we have here in Singapore/Malaysia), the store attendant will boil em, put em in paper bags with wooden skewers with which you will eat the sizzling hot "yong tau foo"!

Got my Expo tix

Dropped by CTC today, the authorised travel agent for the Shanghai World Expo, for a 3-day pass at SGD90.

So I'm all set. 48 days.

Shanghai World Expo Pavilions

The theme this year is "Better City, Better Life". The Expo will feature ideas and concepts of future sustainable urban living from countries around the world of different economic, social, cultural and political backgrounds. Yet, from history we've learned that Expo pavilions will be dismantled after the grand event. Where do all the materials go?

I guess the success of this year's Shanghai World Expo is measured not by the exposure and publicity it receives, or the number of visitors it eventually attracts which will no doubt be a massive number, but by how efficiently the dismantled pavilions can be reused to minimise the waste and stress that they will cause the already overflowing landfill to the detriment of the environment and people, which will be a complete irony of the Expo's theme.

Other than that, although the construction seems terribly behind schedule, the pavilions are shaping up real nice. I'm proud of Malaysia's and Singapore's pavilions; some kickass structures they are! I just hope they'll all be fully completed when I arrive in 52 days.

Back in warm humid Singapore

Ahhh ... there I go again whining about having come home. It's great to see the family again and sleep in my own bed but I'd rather a few more days in HK :)

Oh well, I guess it's back to work and reality tomorrow. Good night, and ciao!

Neil Clarke, if you're reading this, I'll reply to you in a jiffy, keep posted to MSN, that's where pictures will go this weekend! :) For now, keep your words flowing, save me a copy of your original manuscript please, for Christmas, you Triumvirate of many talents :)

Last nite in HK, next stop Shanghai

How fast! This is the final night of our stay in HK. And I'm already looking forward to my next trip to Shanghai ... hehe ...

This morning, we went to Mido Cafe in Yau Ma Tei recommended by someone on an online food blog as well as lonely planet for oily po lo bao and milk tea. It's quite an atmospheric place, supposedly has stayed the same since the 1950s in spite of all the dynamic changes happening around it. I also fiddled around with my S90 - quite some kickass camera, this one :)

After Mido, we headed out to Lamma Island. Before boarding, both CD and I bought something from Zara at the IFC Mall - me, a nice top, CD, a nice pair of jeans. Both are about SGD60, which is quite a good bargain.

Lamma Island is nice tranquil place to chill out. We trekked to the beach at Mo Tat Wan, where we sat down with cappucinos and a slice of cheesecake. After some brief moments picking seashells on the beach, we boarded the ferry and ended up in Aberdeen, after which we took the mini bus to Causeway Bay.

Here, other than the mandatory Hang Heung egg rolls and lo po beng (wife biscuits), CD and I both got great bargains at some of the fashion shops in the vicinity of Sogo. We also had some street food like yu dan (skewers of curry sauce soaked fishballs) and yong tau foo Hong Kong style. Then the ham chee peng and another ova-shaped fritter caught our eyes so we had that too. While we were eating, a bowl of beef porridge on the poster tempted us, so we got that too. Hahahaha ... how greedy! We were truly full to the max.

We decided to head back to the hostel to dump the stuff before heading out to Mongkok's Ladies Market again for some souvenirs for the folks back home. So we spent a couple of hours there, and couldn't resist the temptation of mango dessert Xu Liu Shan, so we had that. Oh did I mention that I succumb to the lure of a nice gray shawl with pink criss-crossed patterns (despite telling CD that I'd bought so many of them from China!)?

Man, HK is indeed a giant money sucking machine, and a monstrous food mall. I love it, and miss it already. Last day tomorrow, we're having roasted pigeon at Sha Tin, supposedly the original inventor of roasted pigeon which has become a local must-eat HK delicacy :)

In HK: 10KM walk + S90 in the bag

Whoa! CD and I walked 10km today to see the Geopark's volcanic unique hexagonal rocks and other beautiful sights. It's indeed a very different side of HK, and I'm extremely satisfied!

What's more, today I finally got my S90 from Best Denki, HKD100 cheaper than the 2 other stores that I asked yesterday. Blimey and super happy! Haha ...

But damn tired. My face feels flushed, eyes sleepy, legs a bit sore (which I'm pretty sure will be even more so tomorrow). On top of that, it's colder today than it was yesterday, plus it's out in the countryside on high altidude, so what gives.

But I'm happy. So gotta ciao, sleep and be ready for tomorrow's adventure to the Wetlands :)

Last day of March

Err ... where did the first quarter go?
But who cares. Exciting things are on the way :)
Hong Kong.
Kelly Clarkson.
Shanghai.
YES ^___^*

"Funeral" is Viewers' Choice 2009

Yasmin Ahmad's "Funeral" has won the Gold Award at Mediacorp's Viewers' Choice 2009.

It is a pity she's no longer with us to be honoured for her wonderful works, which will forever remain with us, of course, just as this award is a tribute to the indelible messages she has carefully woven into her masterpieces and the fabrics of our society.

We still miss you.

又是星期一

每一个星期一 ，
把我带到最终点。
60天。

5th time HKG

My colleague asked how many times will this trip to Hong Kong be for me? I said the fourth. Then, a long-lost friend with whom I had travelled to HKG with many years ago added me on Facebook and I realised I'd completely forgotten that trip! Gee ... now I'm wrecking my brain trying to remember the highlights of that trip. Hmmm ... but anyway, looking forward to my FIFTH trip to HKG!

The kites didn't fly ...

I didn't join them, but the team said none of the kites went up in spite of the superb weather and high winds. Perhaps a little too windy, our structure made of three or four 'lidis' couldn't take the beating and caved in to the draft.

We shall try again. With bamboo perhaps, or rattan? Not sure, we'll keep experimenting because we're designers! v(^___^*)v

王+元=玩

今年我们 team 决定参加台湾设计周。所以那天就一起 brainstorm 一些概念和 ideas。其中一个就是《玩》。

看着这个《玩》字，我突然有个有趣的启示 。《玩》是由《王》和《元》拼成的。诉说要有钱才玩得起，不是吗？

这次的启示令我对中文更有焕然一新的敬佩了。中文的每一个字其实负有现实生活的很多点滴。好像最常用的《好》字，可能就是对天下的女人的一种致意吧。还有《男》字是由《田》和《力》拼成的，反映了农家男性成员的责任。当然还有很多很多类似的例子，继续努力学习中文吧！

We made kites today!

The team's headed out to a kite-flying session at Marina Barrage come Sunday. Moi, of course, have declined because Sunday is my hibernation day ;) But I chipped in with building one of the three kites (we divided among ourselves three teams!) after lunch today. Quite a beauty! Now, I feel an inkling of desire to head out there this Sunday too ... hmmmmmm ...

Dynamic Asia, Stagnant Me?

Asia is so exciting. China is so exciting. Should I still be sitting here in Singapore? That does not sound right. At all.

April, May

Now that my birthday is over, I can't wait for March to end soon. Cuz April and May are just fabulous ^___^* So much to look forward to!

April 2 to 5, Hong Kong trip ... haven't been back there since fall of 07, how has my favourite makan place been?

April 27, Kelly Clarkson in concert for the first time in Singapore! Yay! Rock on!

May 28 to June 5, Shanghai. The trip that I look forward to the most ^___^* Much optimism and hope, in the mood for luuuurve ... and of course, the breathtaking World Expo.

Ugh, just hurry up please ;)

Hujan. 雨. Rain.

Dah lama tak hujan. 今天一早下了, 下了一个上午. I don't remember the last time I didn't complain about having to go to work in the rain.

Memang selesa, dah berapa lama tak begini. 降温, 一整天都是凉凉的, 空气也好很多. The best part is, the grass once again has a chance at life.

过生日, 吃花生, 步步高升

Aiyoh, really dunno what to eat tonite since I'm still full from the lovely lunch party my dearest designers gave me this afternoon ... hehe ... so I'm munching some peanuts now, while going through the birthday wishes friends have left on Facebook.

Thank you, everyone, friends and family, for being there for me all these years, and I look forward to many more. Being able to celebrate birthdays year after year with the same wonderful people and new wonderful people is truly a blessing, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

Love y'all! o(^___^*)o

34

I'll be thirty-four tomorrow. What do I feel about it? Haha, it's not like I'm turning 35. Ask me again next year ;P

Weary

I am. Not sure anymore how to progress, but I guess this is timely advice, though I think I'd lay off for a while and recollect myself on my next steps. Letting nature take its course is my best option.

"You may realize how weary you are today, especially if you have been putting a lot of energy into maintaining a high level of optimism recently. Now, however, it's as if someone has let the air out of the helium balloon and it's requiring more work on your part to keep it afloat. Although you may be tempted to let it fall to the ground, another round of effort is a good idea, for it will keep you in the game long enough to ride a second wind that is on its way."

TimeOut Singapore Bdae Bash @ Stereolab

Thanks to Honza, we got into the party for TimeOut Singapore's 3rd birthday bash at Stereolab Pan Pacific Hotel last night. It was a fun party, and if we had been forewarned to bring our business cards, we might have won vouchers for Tiger Airways holidays. But oh well, at least we had free flow vodka for 2 hours, more than I could handle! I'm really, really lousy at holding my liquor.

Update: More photos from the official photographer.

Samantha Brown loves Chengdu too!

I love her travel shows. And her popularity with me has just upped several notches after reading her interview with Channel News Asia, during which she described her fascination with Chengdu, her teahouses and ear-cleaning.

So fascinated she was with Chengdu, China, and its teahouses where patrons can get their ears cleaned while sipping tea that she decided to give it a go.

"They have those long… skewers that you may put a satay on and they clean your ear and you have never stood so still in your life," she said, describing the experience.

"It's something I would do in the privacy of my own bathroom and they just do it out while they are drinking tea and there's hundreds of people around... but those are those great moments that you get to experience, something you would never do where you come from."

Ouch! How I miss Chengdu. And her teahouses. And the pandas (video here of Sam's visit to the Giant Panda Research and Breeding Base in Chengdu ... ultra cuteness!!!)

成都成为亚洲首个世界“美食之都”

太棒了！Chengdu has entered UNESCO's Network of Creative Cities in the category of Gastronomy, meaning it's Asia's first World Food City by UNESCO standards! Yippie! It's only the second Chinese city to be entered into the UNESCO Creative Cities list behind Shanghai. Way to go, Chengdu! That's why you're my favourite city! ^___^*

这标志着成都成为亚洲第一个世界“美食之都”，它也是继上海之后，第二个加入“全球创意城市网络”的中国城市。这不仅有利于成都美食文化和创意文化进一步走向世界，还有利于提高成都自身的城市创新能力和国际影响力。

中广网北京2月28日消息（记者王誉颖）记者从今天召开的新闻发布会上了解到，联合国教科文组织正式批准成都加入“全球创意城市网络”，并授予成都“美食之都”称号。这标志着成都成为亚洲第一个世界“美食之都”，它也是继上海之后，第二个加入“全球创意城市网络”的中国城市。这不仅有利于成都美食文化和创意文化进一步走向世界，还有利于提高成都自身的城市创新能力和国际影响力。

独自等待

刚刚看完电影 "独自等待"。很少看大陆制作，只有电影节才会去瞧瞧。是朋友推荐看的。他先让我听电影里面的一首插曲，花儿乐队的 "Miss You"，挺不错的，所以我觉得电影应该也值得看吧。朋友还是个李冰冰迷呢。然后我查了一下，发现今天居然是她生日，就告诉了我朋友，惊讶他一下！哈哈，什么粉丝嘛，偶像生日都不知道。

话说回来，还可以哦，这部电影。把暗恋，等待，盼望的感受描述得很好。每个剧情好像我自己也曾经历过的。

人本来活着就很辛苦，所以要活的快乐。我们都会找到合适自己的另一半，也不比太刻意的去强求。但是，直到那天的到来，我们还是得忍耐的独自等待。

NATAS Fair

Woo hoo! Happy that I've finally got my travel arrangements for both Shanghai and Hong Kong settled now. Without NATAS, hehe.

Went to make my payment for the Shanghai ticket last Saturday *yawn* couldn't sleep in but what to do ... the deadline was Mon, 22 Feb. I was also worried that the price might have changed since my booking because now, the same ticket would cost $760! I got it at $605. Phew ^___^*

And today, after a long wait (cuz neither Tiger nor Jetstar offered what I thought was fair price for budget airlines, and their fares kept increasing past $400!), yesterday, I found United Airlines for only $440! Cool! That'd add more points to my account, extending my mileage expiry beyond November this year. And if I made another trip to San Francisco at least next year before my US visa expires too, haha! I'll have another free trip to Japan, in time for fall ... ^___^* SUPER ENTICING!

I was quite set for that already but thought I'd wait for Cindy. We'd planned on going to NATAS to check out free and easy package pricings, but she was caught up in a meeting till 7 pm, and she must be quite tired by then. In the meantime, I scoured Zuji for F&E packages and found them quite reasonable at $600 plus per person (flight on UA + hotel). We can book right away online without battling the crowd at NATAS. No guarantee that it'll be cheaper there, though I must say we'll have to forgo the freebies in exchange for comfort.

But I couldn't shake off the nagging feeling of how much I could save if we just stayed in a hostel! So I browsed for hostels, shortlisted those I've stayed before at Mongkok again, bypassing those in Chungking Mansion cuz it does sound pretty sleazy. But I chanced upon one there that's owned by a German, has great reviews, and from the pictures, seems very new and clean. So, I showed Cindy my choices, and luckily we're on the same wavelength! ?Haha ... she said, it's quite a difference between hotel and hostel, I'd rather save the money for the good food we're going to have. Haha! My sentiments exactly! How cool is that?

So that's it. SETTLED. Now just waiting for April, and then May. I'm beginning to feel excited for HK now cuz for a couple of months, nothing was happening and I was beginning to fear if we're going to go at all. So, finally going! S90, here I come!!! Yee haa!!!!!

I went to check on NATAS anyway. Of course I didn't pay to go in. It's $4 entrance fee this year, for crying out loud! Thought the economy's bad! Well, I had wanted to get some brochures for reference, you know, maybe the family's gonna take a trip somewhere if there're some worthwhile deals. Previously, they'd give out flyers to the queue (and there's still a very long queue at 8PM) but no one gave out anything today. Perhaps it's too late already and they'd run out of today's flyers, or they can't be bothered to give anything today cuz they're expecting bigger crowds tomorrow and Sunday. So anyway, I made a wasted trip.

Not entirely wasted though, cuz I made an observation which I think is quite interesting. We can tell what sort of package people signed up for, and what type of credit cards they're using, just by looking at the size and quality of the free suitcases that people walk away with. The big and good ones, must be some pricey America or Europe packages. The small, cabin baggage style, popular Southeast Asia or China destinations.

Haha, suitcases as status symbols at the NATAS Fair. I couldn't help smiling.

It's not the fall, it's how quick you pick up

I tripped up and fell flat, luckily not on my nose, on the way to work this morning.

Then, I picked my bag up, and walked my usual brisk steps like nothing had just happened maybe a split second ago.

Haha. The nerve! Well, it's really not the fall, it's just how quick you pick up and return to normal (or better) that matters. Really, that happens a lot in life.

Internet 2020

Reading an article on The New York Times citing a research by Pew Internet. One expert's observation is extremely agreeable:

"When I was a boy, homework consisted of writing a paragraph. Now, youth writing paragraphs in a blink of an eye. They are mastering language only to reinvent it. They are using it in new forms. Tags. Labels. Acronyms. And the game becomes a written game of who can use written word most effectively. Reading, writing, and communicating will become much more fluid as youth are more engaged in the practice of these skills, and have a greater motivation to practice their skills." - Robert Cannon, senior counsel for internet law at Federal Communications Commission

As a student, I, too, used to wonder why we were penalised for using short forms. Why do teachers insist on spelling out long, frequently used, insignificant words like "walau bagaimanapun", "dengan", "demikian" (all my subjects in school, except English of course, were in Malay) when much time and energy can be saved and channeled towards better and deeper thinking that yields more insightful and creative arguments for the essay?

Especially for quick-witted, smart students whose thoughts move faster than their fingers, a great idea may have come and gone in the minutes spent spelling out those excruciatingly long pointless words. Can't deny that I've had some of those frustrating moments myself :P

So finally, in the age of the Internet, some people agree that the purpose of the word is to communicate, and if an abbreviation communicates well enough, so be it. Leave the spelling to English majors (still, I'd really like to study English literature and read the classics, but that's quite a different use of the English alphabet).

倒数100天

今天开工大吉

我也开始倒数

去上海世博会

一百天，五二八

我将抵达上海

期待，等待。

That's it. Back to work.

And so is everyone else, it seems.

Today's the final day of a 4-day long Chinese New Year weekend which is over in the blink of an eye. Poof! Considering that we were moving along ever so slowly towards the Tuas checkpoint for under an hour, I suppose that isn't too bad.

So, happy first day of work in the new year tomorrow! Have a blast!

CNY at Daniel's and HH's

Woo hoo! Had a great time with great people, great food and great games at Daniel's and HH's. Great atmosphere!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!