成Shing 成Shing

The Loaner

2009-10-07T15:17:00.001+08:00

I rented a car so I could get around freely. The public transport in Ireland leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, it's under development at the moment but it still has a long way to go.

The car rental company, Budget, gave me a Toyota Auris. Actually, I had a last-minute option for a Volkswagen Golf but I stayed with the Auris anyway. Big mistake.

The first thing that I noticed the moment that I sat into the car was that I could barely see anything. The blind spots were absolutely huge. The pillars were terrible and the bonnet was actually angled so that I could never see it from within the car. It

Inside, it's a complete nightmare as well. The gearstick and handbrake are into a very strange position. It's raised up more and closer to the dashboard. And the handbrake itself resembles something from a rally car except it's shaped awfully strange. Quite un-ergonomic actually. The HUD is a bit of a disaster too. It literally took me a few days with some help from a friend to find out how to see the time. And it involved pressing some random buttons on the dashboard.

So how did it drive? Well, I have to keep in mind that it is a rental car. Well, the tyres are woeful. I had no confidence it them whatsoever. A little bit of moisture and there was no grip in the corners. Not fun at all.

I never had enough faith to take the car beyond 100kph. But even still, I had some close calls.

Flight From Hong Kong To Dublin

2009-10-07T14:53:00.003+08:00

As expected, the flight from Hong Kong to Dublin was very punishing. The 12-hour flight in such cramped conditions was just torture. I have been known to be able to sleep absolutely anywhere. But the aeroplane is my weakness. For some unknown reason, I can never sleep on an aeroplane. And I was too tired to watch any of the films on offer.

We landed into Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport. It was the early hours of the morning so the whole place was empty. I didn't get a chance to explore. I was already tired and I was disoriented and confused after taking a whole series of different elevators and buses to get from Terminal 5 to Terminal 1.

When we reached Dublin, we discovered that our own wheelchair that was sent as baggage missed our flight so we had to wait for it to come in on the following flight.

I have found that flying with my parents is the biggest test of my patience and nerve.

Disabled Flying

2009-10-07T14:26:00.003+08:00

Well, it is always a nightmare to fly. But when you've got a disabled passenger coming along, it's guaranteed stress. Due to a heart condition, my mother relies on a wheelchair to get around. This isn't really so bad until you try to get on or off the aircraft.

To be fair, all the airlines (British Airways/Aer Lingus) and airports (Hong Kong International Airport/London Heathrow Airport/Dublin Airport) that we have used so far have fantastic support for disabled passengers. It's touching how much care and dedication the staff showed. But one thing that they request is that you give them as much notice as possible - which I think is fair.

So what special care does one receive if they are disabled? First of all, the airport can provide a wheelchair and assistance where they will push the disabled passenger all the way to their seat on the aeroplane. En route, they take an express route through security checking and customs. So it really does make things a lot more convenient and it takes a lot of work off my shoulders.

Oh, and if you're disabled, you are boarded onto the flight before all the other passengers - including First Class and Business Class. So that's pretty cool. But on the flip-side, you're the last to disembark the aircraft. But that's not such a terrible thing.

Gran Turismo PSP

2009-10-01T10:18:00.002+08:00

Picked up Gran Turismo for the PSP yesterday. Been looking forward to this.

I've only been playing the challenges so far but it's good. It's just as tricky as before. But it's not perfect. I don't know if it's because of the lack of vibration on the PSP but there's no sense of speed or grip. Maybe I just need to get used to it.

But I'm going to have to take my time. Thanks to the terrible ergonomics of the PSP, my hands are in so much pain while trying to keep the car under control. Gran Turismo 5 won't have that problem. This will have to do until then.

My 2-Year Hong Kong Anniversary

2009-09-30T14:00:00.003+08:00

Today is my 2-year anniversary of returning to Hong Kong.

Time seems to have passed by so quickly. I can't believe it's been 2 years since I've left Ireland already. Again, I don't miss Ireland that much but I certainly miss my friends. So it's appropriate that I'm going to visit them next week. Really looking forward to that.

But it's been a good 2 years so I hope that doesn't change.

Got My Glasses

2009-09-26T22:00:00.003+08:00

Finally collected my glasses. I actually had to return again to get my frameless ones because apparently the lenses weren't up to standard. I didn't get to see them myself so I took their word for it.

I've been getting headaches while getting accustomed to these new glasses but that's normal.

New Glasses

2009-09-19T19:06:00.003+08:00

There was a very funny report in the news a few days ago about some of the "tactics" used by salespeople from optical stores. Basically, they use ~~lowlife~~ clever methods of luring you into the store and where they then try to force the sale on you. Roughly, this is how it works.

Salesperson waits outside store for a passerby who is wearing glasses.
Salesperson snatches glasses from passerby's face or asks passerby if they would like their glasses cleaned.
Either way, the salesperson gets possession of the passerby's glasses and he/she will follow the salesperson into the store.
While inside the store, the salesperson will try to force a sale onto the (still glassless) passerby.

I thought it was funny because I can't imagine how this actually happens but apparently it works because there have been numerous complaints and it's also been caught on video.

Anyway, the news also reminded me that it was a long time since I got my eyes checked and prescribed new glasses. So I decided to get that done today. The glasses that I currently have are about 9 years old so I was definitely due a change. It's hard to describe what glasses look like so I'm not going to bother and I will take photos next week after I collect them. But I can tell you the following:

The first pair is frameless with ordinary lenses. Very similar to my current pair.
The second pair has a thin frame with photochromic lenses.

More later.

Cisco Unified Communication Architecture & Design (UCAD) Training

2009-09-19T18:47:00.002+08:00

This week, I was in Wan Chai on a training course - Cisco Unified Communication Architecture & Design (UCAD). I had originally registered for a course on VoIP but I was told that it is now known as UCAD.

My company was offering an opportunity to take a course at their expense. Of course, it's never as simple as that. I am obliged to sign an undertaking to stay with the company for the period of one year after the course was completed. I think it's fair considering that the course costs HK$20,000. But the problem is that I don't think the course was worth that much.

I had expected the course to be a technical analysis on how to plan and design a VoIP network. To be fair, UCAD kinda achieves this but it revolves heavily around using Cisco products. So it was rather like a sales pitch.
The instructor was often late.
The instructor wasn't deeply technical.
The insturctor liked to do personal things during class (Windows Live Messenger/Calls/Eat).
The instructor liked to burp...a lot.

So it wasn't exactly what I was looking for but it's harsh to say that it was a complete waste because I did learn a few things.

But I certainly will miss going out to Wan Chai every morning for 9:30am. That 1-hour bus journey is really comfortable and a good chance to sleep some more in the morning.

Provisional Date For Ireland Trip

2009-08-14T23:14:00.003+08:00

At the moment, it's provisionally scheduled for September 21st until September 26th. But not confirmed yet so we still have to wait and see.

Street Fighter IV & Ghostbusters

2009-08-14T22:47:00.002+08:00

In Mong Kok today and I bought Street Fighter IV and Ghostbusters: The Video Game because I found them cheap - each under HK$300. You could argue that the games have been out a while and I'm a bit slow on the uptake but I never really had a problem buying games that were a few months old at a bargain.

OK. First impressions of the games. Street Fighter IV is OK. I still consider Street Fighter II Turbo the benchmark. The control system is a little sluggish in comparison. And I'm not thrilled about fighting some guy called Seth at the end. M. Bison was and always should be the final boss. I don't know. Maybe I'm stuck in 1992.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is funny right from the beginning. I'm still trying to get the hang of the controls but so far so good.

Hong Kong Driving Licence

2009-08-14T22:36:00.002+08:00

Finally picked up my Hong Kong Driving Licence today. You can see that my last post for about applying for it and that was over a month ago! Actually, today was the last day to collect it. Had I not picked it up today, the Transport Department would have "destroyed" it. And what was the delay? Well, the Transport Department doesn't open during the weekends so I had to wait for an opportunity during the working week to go.

At the Transport Department, the lady behind the counter was pretty impatient. And for some reason, she refused to speak Cantonese to me. I understand that my driving licence and passport are from Ireland but I was actually replying to her in Cantonese. Yet she continued to speak to me in English.

Oh well, after handing over the necessary documents and HK$900, I got a poorly laminated, crappy piece of card that's meant to entitle me to drive a car in Hong Kong.

Salary Tax And Driving Licence

2009-07-11T10:27:00.004+08:00

Had a pretty governmental day yesterday.

Started off doing my taxes. It's the first time filing my taxes here in Hong Kong. To be honest, I had no idea what I had to do. Back in Ireland, everything was done for me. The tax was automatically deducted from my salary before I received it. Easy.

But now it's a really manual process. You have to report how much you earn. Then claim any additional tax-free credits. So after filling a pile of form full of information, it is then to be sent back to the Inland Revenue Department for their inspection. I guess they'll eventually come back to me with their "tax demand". Thankfully I was able to do most of that online.

In the afternoon, I went to the Hong Kong Transport Department to get my Irish driving licence converted to a Hong Kong licence. I had to go all the way out to Admiralty for the application. What bothered me was their "bring your own photocopies" policy. I understand having to bring all your required documents for identification and proofing purposes. But they demand that you also bring photocopied versions also. If you are missing anything, they just turn you away. How cheap is that?

Fortunately, there are stores on the level below that specialise in photocopying and photographs. It's incredible that the government managed to create a demand for photocopying and photographs simply by being cheap and/or lazy.

And the worst part is, I have to go all the way back to Admiralty in person to see whether or not they approved my application or not! If it is approved, it's HK$900 for the driving licence. If not, it's goodbye and good luck. Oh, and if I don't collect it within a 30-day window, "your application will be cancelled and your application form will be destroyed".

Taipei - Taipei Zoo

2009-06-20T18:00:00.000+08:00

I've been to Taipei a few times now and I'm actually surprised that I left it until recently to visit Taipei Zoo. It was a good day too because it was sunny but it wasn't very hot.

The zoo is absolutely huge. Actually, with 3 hours at our disposal, we only manage to see about three-quarters of the zoo. We pretty much skipped the whole African/Australian/Desert Animal Area which was such a shame.

I was very impressed with it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But one thing that really bothered me was the Shuttle Train service that laps around the whole zoo. The zoo closes at 5pm and the Shuttle Train service stops immediately as well. That means wherever you are in the zoo, you are walking back to the exit after 5pm sharp. In my case, I was at the Penguin House, which is probably the furthest possible point from the exit.

Taipei - Museum Of Contemporary Art

2009-06-19T17:00:00.000+08:00

As recommended by my colleague, I went to the Museum Of Contemporary Art.

Perhaps I'm not artistic enough to appreciate the displays. OK, some of the pieces of art were interesting but I wasn't exactly as impressed as my colleague was. The part where I had the most fun was the calligraphy where you could dip a brush into a huge pool of ink and ~~write~~ trace Chinese words.

This was all that I could manage. Yeah, I know my Chinese looks terrible.

Taipei - Fuerte Santo Domingo

2009-06-18T18:00:00.000+08:00

We went to Danshui for a little bit of sightseeing. We went along the waterfront before so we went to see something different this time. And that's how I ended up at the Fuerte Santo Domingo.
At this stage, I think the heat was getting to me and I felt a bit unwell so I wasn't really able to appreciate the fort.

Taipei - Duplicity

2009-06-18T16:00:00.000+08:00

Went to see Duplicity because I thought the trailer was quite interesting. Well, I was very wrong and it was so boring. Mainly because I didn't really know what the hell was going on for most of the film. Maybe I can't appreciate industrial espionage.

I still think Julia Roberts is a little over-rated and Clive Owen can't seem to make a film that I can enjoy. I'm trying to give him a chance but I seem to dislike everything about him.

Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh.

Kaohsiung - Main Stadium For 2009 World Games

2009-06-17T14:00:00.000+08:00

On the way back to Taipei, we stayed in Kaohsiung for a night. Didn't really do much there but we decided to go to the Main Stadium for the World Games to be held in 2009. Even from the KRT, the view of the stadium was stunning.

I was feeling lazy so we took a bus from the KRT station to the stadium. I didn't have enough loose change so the bus driver ended up making a bit of profit off me. It wouldn't have been so bad if the bus journey wasn't just 500 metres around the corner. I felt pretty stupid after that.

But the place was very quiet. A little too quiet. Well, we didn't do our homework in advance, and it turned out the place wasn't open yet. In fact, there was fencing around the whole perimeter so we couldn't even take a closer look.

I didn't want to lose more money by taking the bus again so we walked back to the KRT station. Except there was hardly any shelter for those 500 metres. I was trying to make the most of the shade from the trees. And it didn't help the fact that I was also dragging a carry-on suitcase along with me.

Anyway, I don't think I'm quite ready for the World Games just yet.

Kenting - Fong Tzuei Sha

2009-06-16T14:00:00.000+08:00

Went to Fong Tzuei Sha. There, you get a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. It's called "Fong Tzuei Sha" (Wind Blows Sand) because the Pacific winds blow the sand of the beach up the cliffs. I know that for a fact because I got a mouthful of sand when I was on the motorcycle.

Kenting - Sunset In Kuanshan

2009-06-15T19:00:00.000+08:00

Went to catch the sunset in Kenting. Apparently, Kuanshan is a famous place to view it.

Kenting - Baisha Bay

2009-06-15T17:00:00.000+08:00

It was time to hit the beach. Baisha Bay is a little out of the way for most people. And that is why it was quite clean and empty. The weather was fantastic. It was blazing sunshine and a light breeze kept it cool. Of course, the problem with that is that you don't feel the heat of the sun. And then you get caught with sunburn - like I did.

Kenting - Eluanbi Park

2009-06-15T16:00:00.000+08:00

There are a few parks in Kenting but we didn't have the time to visit them all. So we chose to go to Eluanbi Park, which features a lighthouse and a bit of a coastal walk.

Kenting - Another B&B

2009-06-15T14:00:00.000+08:00

Second B&B wasn't quite as classy as the one before. In fact, it was outright cheesy, but it had a great seaside resort feel to it. And an amazing view.

Kenting - Birthday In Kenting

2009-06-14T23:00:00.000+08:00

I could say that I didn't do anything special for my 26th Birthday. But one could also argue that spending your Birthday in Kenting isn't something entirely usual. Either way, another year older.

Kenting - Cuisine

2009-06-14T22:30:00.000+08:00

For some reason, Thai food is very popular in Kenting. We had dinner twice in 2 different Thai-themed restaurants. Unfortunately, Thai food isn't really for me. It's a bit too spicy for my liking.

Kenting - Main Street

2009-06-14T22:00:00.000+08:00

In the evening, we went to Kenting Main Street to join the fun and excitement. There were just crowds of people browsing, eating and shopping.

Kenting - Arrival In Kenting B&B

2009-06-14T19:00:00.000+08:00

By the time I got off the bus journey from hell, I was pretty pissed off. Even the beautiful sight of the sunlight shimmering off the sea didn't cheer me up. However, when I reached the B&B, my mood changed completely. I was very impressed. The room was huge and really comfortable.

Kenting - The Journey To Kenting

2009-06-14T18:00:00.000+08:00

We had planned to spend a few days in Kenting - which meant travelling from the north of Taiwan all the way to the South. Not wanting to waste any time, it meant taking the Taiwan High Speed Rail to Zuoying. It was all smooth sailing on the HSR.

After reaching Kaohsiung, we had to changeover to a bus. And this was when things got rough. We were unlucky and we ended up on a bus that took the scenic route (literally) to Kenting. This wouldn't be so bad if the bus wasn't an old piece of shit. The air-conditioning was pretty much non-existent. There was a window that vibrated noisily for the whole way. And it was just a generally uncomfortable experience for 3 hours.

Taipei - The Hangover

2009-06-13T23:00:00.000+08:00

The rain really came down in the afternoon.

Had planned to see The Hangover in the cinema. I had some doubts about the film beforehand because I knew nothing about it but it turned out pretty good. It's similar to Dude, Where's My Car? but this is actually much funnier.

Taipei - Buffet Dinner

2009-06-13T17:00:00.000+08:00

Had a buffet dinner in the Royal Hotel Taipei. It was pretty cheap and it really showed because the selection was quite limited.

Taipei - What I Ate Today

2009-06-12T22:04:00.003+08:00

Oh! I love to eat!

This ice-cream was from a place called Cold Stone Creamery. You choose your ice-cream and they dice and mix it up for you in front of you. But they don't allow you to take a photograph of the whole process. The one on the left was mint and cookies. The one on the right was dough and chocolate. It was a little bit too sweet for my liking but I had been forewarned.

Taiwanese rice noodles for dinner.

I've had a lot of mangoes so far in my lifetime but I have never seen anything like this. The mangoes in Taiwan are absolutely huge!

Taipei - Xi Men Ding & Zhongxiao Fuxing

2009-06-12T21:50:00.003+08:00

Didn't really do much for my first day in Taipei. Went for a bit of shopping and eating around Xi Men Ding and Zhongxiao Fuxing. It was pretty hot though so I was ducking in and out of stores to take advantage of the air-conditioning.

Taipei - My Twin

2009-06-12T11:00:00.000+08:00

Some poor unfortunate man was wearing the same colours as me on the bus today. I hope it's not too hard to guess which one is me.

Taipei - Pleasant Flight

2009-06-11T22:30:00.000+08:00

I was worried that it may have been a little bit too tight after booking for the flight to be so soon after work. Officially, I leave the office at 6pm but it's never quite predictable. You never know when you might get caught behind with something to fix.

I was already delayed a little bit by the vendor and I didn't want to take any chances. So I took the MTR to the Airport Express line which brought me straight into Hong Kong International Airport. Thankfully, it was a breeze going through security and customs. And it was a pleasant journey all the way to Taipei. At 8:55pm, it was a late flight and the plane was fairly empty.

Angels & Demons

2009-05-23T22:51:00.003+08:00

I went to see Angels & Demons in the cinema. I had booked the tickets earlier on in the day, or so I thought. For whatever reason, the booking did not go through on the system so I was left empty-handed when I reached the ticketing kiosk. This meant having to wait for the next showing which was over 2 hours away.

The thing about film adaptations of books is that they suck. They never live up to expectations. And it's not the director or producer's fault. It's just impossible to cram a book into 2 hours. That's why I reckon it would have been better if Angels & Demons was made as a mini-series, structured along the same lines as 24 - each episode being an hour long. Of course, the problem with that is that it wouldn't make as much money as it would in the cinema.

In their book form, I actually preferred Angels & Demons to The Da Vinci Code. But Angels & Demons film suffered the same fate as The Da Vinci Code in that everything was rushed along. All the puzzles were quickly solved and briefly explained. It didn't allow the audience to digest the information before flying on to the next puzzle. I found that this was even worse in Angels & Demons. The whole film was just a constant chase from beginning to end with very little explanation. The whole idea of the Illuminati seemed largely ignored. It may as well have been just some homicidal maniac who had a grudge against the Catholic Church.

To be honest, had I not read the books, I would have had no idea what was going on. It's an entertaining film. But very disappointing if you've already read the book.

Cheung Chau Bun Festival

2009-05-03T20:47:00.003+08:00

Every year in Cheung Chau, there is the Bun Festival. I'm not going to write much about it because, to be honest, I don't know much about it at all. I only found out that it existed a few days ago.

But in a nutshell, the buns are meant to represent peace and safety. So one of the first things that we did on arrival to the island of Cheung Chau was eat a whole bun. There was also a parade but that was held earlier in the day so I missed it. But the main event was bun-snatching - where young men climb up a 60-foot tower to try to snatch the highest place bun. The highest bun represents the most fortune brought to the family.

It's really an amazing sight to behold when 12 men are climbing up a huge tower and fighting for position on the way up. It looked pretty vicious too.

Rest In Peace (? - 2009)

2009-05-03T20:33:00.005+08:00

My first rabbit passed away. He was the mate and father of all the other rabbits that I have. I think he was unwell for quite some time but now he can rest in peace.

? - 2009

Great Films

2009-05-03T20:05:00.002+08:00

I've had a bit of a cinema drought until recently but things are starting to get back to normal. And I'm glad to say that of the films that I have seen, they have all been above average.

Knowing
I was really interested in this from the moment that I saw the trailer. The film starts off really good and then it just goes downhill from there all the way to the end. Such a shame because I think it could have been so much better.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
A film that I was kinda looking forward to but I wasn't too pushed. But it turned out it to be a good thing that I had pre-booked in advance but the film was totally amazing. Hugh Jackman is a fine Wolverine. Also, I think Ryan Reynolds is brilliant and he doesn't disappoint while playing Deadpool in the film. It's a shame he doesn't get that much screen-time. All that was missing was James Marsden as Cyclops but I guess he looks a bit too old for the X-Men: Origins timeline.

Monsters vs Aliens
Just as a film on it's own, it's average. Very basic storyline and very little character development. But 3D glasses literally adds a new dimension to the film and makes it totally awesome! If only they could make all films 3D.

It's May. Which means it's Summer. Which means that I'll have to do up my annual list of films that I want to see. More on that later.

Birthday Dinner In TGI Friday's

2009-04-18T21:10:00.003+08:00

Colleague's Birthday so a bunch of us went to TGI Friday's in Tsim Sha Tsui for dinner. We had booked in advance but it seemed like we didn't need to. The place was quite empty, especially for a Friday night. Actually, that is that trend that I've been noticing. Ever since the financial crisis, there has been a significant drop in people eating out.

After dinner, we went for some wine and cigars in the bar that we usually go to. I should really remember the name by now but I don't.

Elderly Man

2009-04-17T15:45:00.003+08:00

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed that there was an elderly man lying on his back on the pavement just outside my office. I went over to see what was going on and as I approached, the man got onto his feet. I tried to talk to him but he seemed to be disorientated. As I got up closer, I also noticed that his head and tongue were bleeding quite heavily.

After bringing him inside the office building and sitting him down, I found out that he was suffering from heart disease and high blood pressure. Every so often, he faints. And on this occasion, he injured his head and tongue as he fell to the ground when he fainted. Also, what scared me the most was the fact that he lived alone, albeit, in a fairly wealthy area.

So an ambulance was called for the old man and thankfully it arrived pretty quickly to take care of him and take him away.

Xilinx Ireland Redundancy

2009-04-17T15:34:00.003+08:00

Woke up to some bad news yesterday...literally. Just as I was trying to open my eyes, I went to check my e-mail on my mobile. An ex-colleague and friend sent me a message on Facebook informing me that the Operations department of Xilinx Ireland was going to be made redundant. This was exactly where I was working before I came back to Hong Kong about a year-and-a-half ago.

This comes as a bit of a shock because I have made a lot of good friends there. And it's quite sad to hear that they will all be forced to find employment elsewhere. It's also very disappointing because it was a great working environment. The work itself was OK but it was the great people that made working there such a joy.

I wish them all the Best of Luck.

International ICT Expo 2009

2009-04-14T22:20:00.002+08:00

I was at the International ICT Expo in the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre this afternoon. Frankly, I thought the products and ideas by the various companies that had stalls were quite uninspiring. Some were even on the verge of stupidity.

But nothing compares to one particular stall that was downright offensive. A couple of colleagues and I paused momentarily at a stall that was manned by an Australian company - I don't remember the name but it had something to do with location-based services. Anyway, the guy opens with a question asking whether or not we were students. At first, I took this as a flattering compliment about how young I appeared. But it very quickly turned into an insult. In response to him, I told him that we were professionals. And that was then he laughed in my face. He then went on to brag about how he trained other colleagues from my company and how unappealing our office in Lai Chi Kok was. At this point, I had enough and walked away. I couldn't believe that company could have somebody so unprofessional representing them at an exhibition.

Afterwards, I went to have dinner in a restaurant in Wan Chai called Ramas Green. The setting was nice but the food wasn't great. The seafood soup and my sirloin steak was flavourless. At least it wasn't too expensive.

Nokia E71

2009-04-13T21:48:00.003+08:00

I couldn't stand my LG KS20 anymore so I decided to switch to a Nokia E71. Ideally, I would have got a Blackberry Bold but I couldn't really afford it. The Blackberry has a great interface and many great features but I couldn't justify getting one. The E71 gets pretty close to the Bold but comes at half the price - which suits me perfectly.

I used to think the QWERTY keyboards on Blackberrys were so ugly. They still are. But I don't think I can live without one anymore.

Tweeting On Twitter

2009-04-13T21:35:00.004+08:00

Well, I haven't really blogged for a while. Two reasons:

I have nothing really interesting to say.
I have been tweeting instead on Twitter.

Twitter is just handier for blogging the more insignificant things that aren't worth the time and effort to write on Blogspot. Also, it's much easier to use Twitter from my mobile when I am on the move. So if you thought I wrote crap on Blogspot, wait until you see what meaningless stuff that I write on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/waishinglee

Older And Cuter Bunnies

2009-04-05T21:46:00.002+08:00

Just a video of the newborn bunnies - a little older and cuter now.

Weekend With Friends From Ireland

2009-04-05T20:37:00.004+08:00

I spent most of the weekend with my Irish friends. Linda and Ah Lo came back to Hong Kong for a few weeks and I hadn't had the chance to meet them until recently.

On Friday night, we went to have dinner and drinks in Tsim Sha Tsui. I can't remember the name of the restaurant but it was Japanese and I had it only once before. But it was a great setup because it was a little more private since we had our own little booth. It took us forever trying to order because we spent so much time just chatting. The food there is a quite good, but it comes at a price.

Afterwards, we went to have drinks and, again, I have no idea what the name of the pub was. But were were sitting out on the balcony. The weather was just right. It wasn't too hot nor too cold nor too humid. It was pretty comfortable. But Ah Lo started to freak out when we felt a couple of drops of rain. And that was when we all left. He must be allergic to rain or something.

On Saturday night ,we were going to meet Linda and Ah Lo in Lan Kwai Fong. Stu and I were there at about 12am but everybody else was about an hour late! Luckily, the Liverpool vs. Fulham match was on so we were just watching that. But it was pretty boring nonetheless.

At 2pm, people wanted to go but I went to McDonald's for something to eat with Ah Lo's friend, Joe. We were there until about 3am. He had the genius idea to walk from Central to Wan Chai to get our overnight minibuses home. I was just as stupid for agreeing. By the time, we got there, it was past 4:30am and the last minibus had already left. So I had no other choice but to hang out in McDonald's until the MTR opened again at 6am.

In McDonald's (again), another group of people were also having breakfast after a night out. One guy was particularly drunk and was being a total asshole. He was playing around with an innocent old man and another group of kids (I don't know why the kids were there so early in the morning). But he was really pissing me off and I reckon if he really did harass the old man or the kids, I would have intervened. Even his friends were embarrassed being with him.

When 6am finally arrived this morning, I got the MTR and bus home. I thought I'd crash into bed straight away when I got home but I couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard I tried. I went for about 30 hours without any sleep. I took a short nap this afternoon but I still don't feel tired. So strange.

Being A Good Hong Kong Citizen

2009-03-30T23:34:00.002+08:00

On the bus on the way home from work tonight, I noticed a wallet sliding along the floor as the bus turned around a corner. The guy that was sitting next to me must have accidentally dropped it as he got up to get off the bus.

I took a quick look through the wallet and saw a Hong Kong ID card, some money, an ATM card and some other crap. It belonged to a Mr. Kwok. I'd be lying if I told you that the thought of keeping the wallet didn't flash into my mind for a moment. But I'm better than that, so I decided to bring it directly to the police station - at the expense of missing my dinner! I would have contacted the owner myself but there were no contact details in the wallet. As I discovered, it's quite a long walk from Tai Po Central, where I got off the bus, to the Tai Po Police Station.

As I reported the lost wallet to the police officer, he went through it thoroughly. There was HK$450 in cash and also 2 HK$100 supermarket coupons - Wellcome and ParknShop. The other crap isn't really worth mentioning. The police officer took a long time recording exactly what was in the wallet before getting me to sign a document. Apparently, if the belongings are not claimed within 3 months, I get to keep everything. But that's unlikely since they have his Hong Kong ID card. I don't really care all that much. If I wanted the money, I would have just taken it.

It was interesting to hear some of the other things that were going on in the police station while I was there. First there were a pair of irresponsible child-minders. Then I overheard something about a man beating his wife. Also, a guy came in to report that he had lost something. But the most interesting one was when another man came in to report a wallet that he had found. At that moment, I was wondering how many lost wallets the police receive every day. I guess not. Because it was then when the police officer taking my report said: "I have a renewed admiration for Hong Kong people".

On hearing that, I knew that my good deed was worth it.

Sunny Day...Sweepin' The Clouds Away

2009-03-29T22:43:00.002+08:00

Well, not quite sunny. In fact, it was rather cloudy. But that's how the theme song from Sesame Street goes.

Summer is on the way, and I was reminded by a few warm days last week. It's cooled down somewhat since but the heat is inevitable. I wanted to be prepared for working during the hot Summer so I went shopping for new shirts. All I have are long-sleeved shirts which get totally soaked in sweat in the hot days so I went shopping for short-sleeved shirts.

While browsing around Bossini, I noticed that they were doing a Sesame Street-themed promotion. A whole line of clothes had Sesame Street characters on them. I thought they were actually pretty cute so I bought 2 Sesame Street T-shirts among some other things - Cookie Monster and Oscar The Grouch. I didn't get Elmo because he's annoying and I hate him because he's too much of a goodie-goodie.

I also got a free Sesame Street muti-purpose basket for spending over HK$500 too.

No Hong Kong Sevens

2009-03-29T22:36:00.002+08:00

It was Hong Kong Sevens weekend. Normally I don't really get all that excited since the tickets are pretty expensive. But this year, a colleague of mine had tickets to sell fairly damn cheap so I wanted to go. A pair of tickets would normally set you back over HK$2,000. But my colleague was selling a pair for HK$600. What a bargain!

But I never went in the end. Why? Two reasons:

Too little notice. I had just a little over 12 hours notice to find a partner.
Too little interest. Hong Kong people have little to no interest in rugby.

So I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to go. I don't think when the next opportunity like this will come again.

Symptoms Of Being Over 25

2009-03-23T20:55:00.003+08:00

I got this as an e-mail from a friend. It's funny...because it's true.

1. You leave clubs before the end to 'beat the rush'. (worse still you don't go to the clubs)
Yeah, I think I do this sometimes. But it really depends on how much fun I am having.

2. You get more excited about having a roast on a Sunday than going clubbing the night before.
Hmmno.

3. You stop dreaming of becoming a professional footballer and start dreaming of having a son who might instead.
Not there yet! But I suck so much at football that I even suck at it in my dreams.

4. Before throwing the local paper away, you look through the property section. MyHome.ie and Daft.ie are your favourite websites.
I'm interested in owning my own property but I'm not financially able just yet.

5. All of a sudden, middle aged people are not 46, they are only 46.
Why 46? I don't get it.

6. Before going out anywhere, you ask whether there is anywhere to park.
Uh...I usually check online. So yeah.

7. Rather than throw a knackered pair of runners out, you keep them because they'll be alright for around the house jobs.
Guilty as charged.

8. You buy T-shirts without anything written on them.
Yup.

9. When visiting home for the weekend, you head to the local pub/nightclub and are genuinely shocked to see people you can remember being born or have babysat make up half of the pubs/clubs patrons.
Yeah, it's weird.

10. You worry about your parents' health.
Yes I do.

11. Your parents start to have a life of their own and go on more holidays/social events than you do.
No way.

12 . You have more disposable income, but everything you want or need to buy costs between 200 and 500 quid.
Yes! Cha-Ching!

13. You actually start to pay off the balance on your credit card as it falls due.
Yes. Think of the interest!

14. You don't get funny looks when you buy a Disney video as the sales assistant assumes they are for your children. You are buying these things for your friend's child.
Well, maybe so. But the Disney video is probably for me.

15. Pop music all starts to sound the same and you haven't a baldy who or what the latest pop sensations or boy bands are.
Eh...not quite. But I think I'm getting there.

16. Oxegen is waaay too young. Electric Picnic is the way forward, far less packed and a lot more comfort. Comfort is now important.
Not really a fan of festivals.

15.On a long night out, you opt for Milanos over a quick take away because they do a really nice half-bottle of house red.
Nope.

16. You always have enough milk and toilet paper in, and your house is always relatively clean and tidy.
Yes for the milk and toilet paper. And the house is as clean as it will ever be for a guy.

17 . To compensate for the fact that you have little desire to go clubbing, you instead frequent trendy bars and restaurants in the mistaken belief that you have not turned into your parents.
I think so.

18 . While flicking through the TV channels, you happen upon RTE's Would You Believe. You get drawn in. You remember being there when events are shown on Reeling Back the Years.
I wouldn't say I get "drawn in". That stuff is so boring.

19 . The benefits of a pension scheme become clear. You pay for your own VHI.
Not yet.

20. You go out of your way to pick up a colour chart from Woodies.
Hell no.

21 . You wish you had a shed.
I do have a shed.

22 . You have a shed.
Doh!

23. You start considering doing stuff because its good for you, like eating healthily and walking places for the sake of walking not just to get from A to B.
Hmm...not really. I'm still a lazy, unhealthy bastard.

24 . You actually find yourself saying 'They don't make 'em like that anymore' and 'I remember when there were only 2 TV channels' and 'Not in my day....'
Not yet.

25 . Pat Kenny has some really interesting guests on the Late Late and you consider texting in a comment. (FYI If you actually do, then you should be ticking the 40-50 age category).
I hate the Late Late Show.

26 . Instead of tutting at old people who take ages to get off the bus, you tut at rowdy school children.
I tut at both.

27. You find yourself having discussions with your friends that when we were young, before all this Celtic Tiger lark we actually appreciated when we were given things from our parents and indeed we worked for what we got....while the young ones these days haven't a clue. (You really believe this).
Nah.

28. Going to 21st's is a distant memory and if you do have to go to one its an irritation, in fact, your social calendar is taken up with 30th's, Weddings and Christenings.
I'm past the 21st Birthdays. But not quite up to 30th's, Weddings or Christenings.

29 You chose pubs where you can get a "nice seat for the night" over packed loud places.
It's important!

30. Girls start to see the benefit of bringing a spare pair of flats in their handbag for the end of the night for sore feet. Barefoot walking on the path is now insane!
Doesn't apply to me.

31 . You find yourself saying 'is it cold in here or is it just me’
Turn down the air-conditioning!

32 . You understand the above and forward it to your fellow aging friends.
Worse. I blog it.

Visit From Relatives

2009-03-23T00:09:00.003+08:00

I've always had a relative-free life. When I was in Ireland, I had no relatives there. And now that I am in Hong Kong, I still have no relatives here. Turns out my relatives are either in China or in the United States.

Some of my relatives from China came to visit me today. I haven't seen them in about 7 years but they haven't really changed all that much. Since crossing the Hong Kong border has become somewhat easier, I'll probably get to see them a bit more frequently now.

Step It Up!

2009-03-23T00:03:00.002+08:00

I have a little application on my phone that counts that number of footsteps that I take every day. It's interesting but I think the target is set pretty high. The target number of footsteps every day is set to 10,000 but I only clock in at about 7,000 each day when I'm in work and it drops considerably whenever I'm not in work.

I always thought that I walked a lot in order to get to the office but it appears that it's not enough! Where the hell am I meant to find the missing 3,000 per day?

Almost Witnessing An Accident

2009-03-20T00:15:00.003+08:00

I was on the bus on the way to work this morning when I noticed that the bus had stopped for an usually long period of time. I look a look out the window and further up the road and I noticed that there was a traffic accident. An SUV was lying on it's side in front of a bus that was going in the opposite direction.

The photo is blurry because I took it with a Sony Ericsson W980i just as my bus was passing it.

But when I first noticed the SUV on it's side, it must have been only moments after the accident happened. I could still people still helping the driver to get out and some guy was spraying a fire-extinguisher under the bonnet into the engine. I don't think there was a fire but I guess he was just taking precautionary measures.

From what I overheard from the other passengers that witnessed the accident, the driver of the SUV was trying to overtake the bus. But there was oncoming traffic so the driver rushed to get back into his own lane. As he did so, he clipped the front of the bus and his SUV flipped it on it's side. I don't know if that's the real story but that's what I heard.

From what I could see, nobody was seriously injured. The driver of the SUV was limping but he was still able to walk around, visibly shaken by the accident. Still, I think he's extremely lucky to walk away from an accident like that. His reckless driving could have cost him his own, and other people's, lives.

I've always been taught to drive defensively but I've noticed that drivers in Hong Kong generally drive quite aggressively.

What A Banker!

2009-03-13T22:53:00.003+08:00

Today was my first no-pay leave, in accordance with the new company policy to cut costs. Sure, I get paid less every month but at least I still have a job. But even though I was on leave, I was still working from home. Of course, I was also doing other things like surfing the internet and playing the PS3 at the same time.

But it was also an opportunity for me to get to the bank. It's pretty difficult to go to the bank when working a full 5 days. Your only chance is lunch time (if you happen to work near a branch) or on Saturday morning (if you could be bothered to get up early).

I opened an account in Bank Of China (Hong Kong) a few months ago. They gave me an ATM card but I forgot the PIN so I have never actually used the account yet. Apparently, they gave it to me when I opened the account but I can't remember what the PIN was. I tried to apply for a new PIN over the phone but they insisted that I had to visit a branch in person.

I must say, the service wasn't great when I was at the branch in Tai Po. After filling out the forms and cutting up my old card, the whole process ended by the clerk telling me that: "thecardwillarrivewithin4workingdaysthankyoubye".

I was a little bit stunned at how hasty the clerk was trying to get rid of me. Not even an "Anything else I can do you for, sir?", that I am more used to hearing in Hong Kong. Anyway, as I got up and turned to leave, I could hear her saying to somebody: "OK, I'm going on my break now".

Newborn Bunny Feeding

2009-03-13T22:51:00.001+08:00

This is one of the newborn bunnies trying to feed from Mother Bunny.

Bald Newborn Bunnies

2009-03-13T22:46:00.003+08:00

Yeah, it looks a bit gross but it's still a beautiful thing to see something that newborn moving. It's a good sign. Movement means life. But it's a shame that the bunny's heads are covered but I didn't want to disturb them. All you can see is ass.

White Rabbit Drinking Water

2009-03-13T22:38:00.003+08:00

This is just a video of my white rabbit drinking water. It's nothing exciting but it's interesting to see how big it's grown in such a short space of time. What's also interesting is that he's the only male sibling in the family. All the other siblings are female. But I haven't checked the newborn bunnies yet. Apparently, he's already fighting with his father to mate with his mother!

Remote Control Formula 1 Car

2009-03-11T23:01:00.005+08:00

Starts off pretty ordinary. But then it becomes one of the most awesome things I have ever seen.

More Newborn Bunnies!

2009-03-11T22:36:00.003+08:00

Great surprise when I arrived home tonight. My rabbit gave birth to another batch of bunnies. But it isn't all celebrations. Originally, there were 6 bunnies but 2 died. So tragic.

When I was peeking at the newborn bunnies, the mother bunny was trying to pick up a piece of rag to cover her bunnies. Maybe she was protecting them from the cold. Or maybe she was hiding them from me. Or maybe a little bit of both. So touching!

Jackets & Fast Elevators

2009-03-11T22:17:00.002+08:00

I went to PCCW Tower in Quarry Bay this morning for a meeting. Since it's our headquarters, I made sure that I was dressed a little more formal than usual. Usually, I just wear a shirt, slacks and leather shoes to the office but I added a suit jacket for good measure. But no tie.

But it's fascinating how much of a difference a suit jacket makes. All day, people were commenting about how formal or dressed up I was. I can't really blame them though because I think similarly whenever I see someone else doing the same thing. I guess the suit jacket is just enough to make you less ordinary.

On a fun note, it's amazing how fast the elevators are in PCCW Tower. The elevators in my office go at about 1 floor per second. I can't even tell how fast the ones in PCCW Tower go since the floor number changes too fast for the display to show. All I can experience is massive acceleration, a whooshing sound of wind, my ears popping, and the massive deceleration. So much fun!

Same Network Different Number

2009-03-08T22:10:00.002+08:00

I finally did it. I finally switched my personal mobile phone account into my ownership. Time for a bit of a flashback...

Back when I arrived in Hong Kong in September 2007, I was in need of a mobile phone but I didn't have any proof of address. I was rash and I didn't settle for a pre-paid SIM card so I asked my sister open a Smartone-Vodafone account for me in her name. Things have been inconvenient since. Everytime I wanted to change anything with the account, I had to ask my sister to do it for me. So it was a right pain in the ass.

This evening, my sister and I went to the Smartone-Vodafone store to change the name on the account. But I knew it wasn't going to be easy. First of all, they threw a HK$100 administration fee at me. I reject that and gave them 2 options.

Change the ownership of the account for free.
Close the account.

They didn't back down on the administration fee and my ego wouldn't let me back down so the account was closed...and a new account was opened. This way, I didn't have to pay the fee but it meant that I had to change to a new number. It's a bit of a shame because I rather liked my old number.

On the bright side, because I signed up for a new account, I got a cheaper monthly fee as part of a promotion.

Wet Night In Mong Kok In Sony Style

2009-03-07T10:09:00.004+08:00

Hong Kong's been having a wet spell recently, which is a bit odd because it usually stays rather dry during the Winter. For the past few days, I've been carrying an umbrella around with me. But I haven't found my ideal umbrella yet so I'm just using a plain black one I found at home. It's actually fine for me...except it's friggin' huge. It's like one of those umbrellas that people use when playing golf.

Well, the reason that I went into Mong Kok on Thursday night was to go to Sony Style store. My friend had a problem with his PS3 last week and had to get it looked at by Sony. I was very impressed with the store. "Sony Style" is aptly named because the interior design is very slick indeed.

After we got back onto the streets, it was pouring rain. So the umbrellas had to go up, including my "mobile canopy". It was too bad at first. Since there were so many people, my umbrella was able to shelter me and about 4 other strangers around me. Anyway, I was doing fine until I wandered under some bamboo scaffolding where I got stuck briefly. I thought it was rather comical but I reckon the people around me weren't very impressed.

What I Wanted To Be When I Was Older...

2009-03-02T00:42:00.004+08:00

After some inspiration from my friend's post, I thought I'd make my own list of things that I aspired to be when I was a child.

Age 5 - Police
I think this appears in everybody's list. This is the stage where I hadn't developed an imagination to become anything else. And of course, I was ignorant of the actual dangers of being in the police force.

Age 8 - Artist
When I was very young, I loved to draw. There wasn't much else to do as a child. But as I grew older, I learned that it made more sense to keep art as a hobby. Also, after this was the transition from appreciation of art into my fascination with technology. I learned that most artists didn't make a lot of money. And that artists only became famous after they died.

Age 10 - Pilot
This was after being inspired by a few flights at around this age. I also remember going to see the cockpit on one flight. But after I developed short-sightedness (and hence failing the 20/20 vision requirement), I lost motivation to become a pilot.

Age 12 - Formula 1 Driver
From the sublime to the ridiculous. I wasn't able to pilot a vehicle in the air. But that didn't mean I wasn't able to pilot a vehicle on land. Well, this was always just a dream and it still is. This was when I really got into Formula 1 motor-racing.

Age 14 - IT
Information Technology was flying during this time and I was completely hooked by it. I have never really let go since.

Age 16 - Engineer
This was an interesting change. I was actually spending a few days in a semiconductor company doing some "work-shadowing". Basically, I watched what other people did. And literally overnight, I decided that I wanted to become an engineer. This was also the critical time where I had to decide what I wanted to study in college so engineering has stuck ever since. Of course, after the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 (age 17), demand for IT and engineers declined sharply so I wasn't all that optimistic while in college.

I guess for the past 10 years, I have never really looked back. I don't have any regrets but sometimes I wonder what life would be like if I took a different route in career choice.

Dinner & Presents Owed

2009-03-02T00:17:00.003+08:00

I went to have dinner with my sister, niece and nephew on Saturday evening in Shakey's Pizza in Tai Po. I was never really impressed with Shakey's Pizza. And it didn't help that it was my second evening with Italian food in a row. I like Italian food but there's only so much I can take!

Afterwards, we were walking around the shopping centre and I didn't know how it happened but the topic of Christmas presents came up. Which then led to the fact that I didn't give my niece and nephew their Christmas presents last year. Well, after they were reminded, they went on a hunt to find the present that I owed them.

Luckily, they didn't find anything appropriate. So I live to become bankrupt another day. And you know kids - they never forget this stuff. So there's no way I'm going to possibly get away with it.

Chill Out...Loser

2009-03-02T00:14:00.004+08:00

I've always felt guilty when playing drinking games. The fact that I don't drink kinda defeats the whole purpose. There is no real punishment whenever I lose.

So I had the idea that I would have to eat an ice-cube whenever I lost a game. I regretted it pretty soon. I was freezing my ass off while everybody else was complaining that it was too warm and requesting for the air-conditioner to be turned up!

Birthday Dinner At Fat Angelo's

2009-03-01T23:52:00.003+08:00

Last Friday, it was my colleague's Birthday and I was responsible for the cake. I had order a blueberry cheesecake and I had to pick it up after work en route to dinner.

The schedule was already very tight because the table was booked for 6:30pm and we had promised to return the table at 8:30pm. It sounds like sufficient time but bear in mind that I am officially finished work at 6:30pm. Add to that a pretty serious problem that was discovered in work fairly late in the evening. I was already scrambling to get it sorted but it was already 7pm before I could leave the office. In a way, I was lucky that I wasn't the only one that was delayed. There were 4 of us in total.

After collecting the cake, we thought it'd be a good idea to take a taxi from Mei Foo to Tsim Sha Tsui. That was until we reached Jordan where we were stuck in traffic. So then we decided to jump out of the taxi and down into the MTR, which is not a pleasant experience when carrying a delicate cake in rush hour.

So we eventually made it to Fat Angelo's where the food was mediocre but the meal was enjoyable nonetheless. Those of us that were late arrived at almost 8pm which didn't leave us a lot of time to eat. And I was worried about how to handle the "surprise Birthday cake", which would undoubtedly be ruined if I had to carry the cake to the next venue.

So I pushed my luck and asked the waitress to bring out the cake even though it was around 8:45pm at this stage. Although it wasn't ideal, I think we still managed to surprise the Birthday Boy with the cake. It took the restaurant staff about 15 minutes to cut the damn cake. By the time we paid the bill, it was about 10pm.

I don't think we'll be welcomed back into Fat Angelo's again!

Been Busy Lately

2009-02-26T00:17:00.003+08:00

Yeah, I realise that I haven't blogged in quite some time now. But frankly I've just been busy in work and I have absolutely nothing remotely interesting worth saying.

Watch this space...

Snake

2009-02-26T00:12:00.002+08:00

Apparently, my Dad caught a snake this morning in the garden. I'm not really surprised but I guess I need to be a bit more careful when going in and out. I just hope that there's not going to be a snake infestation.

Starry Night

2009-02-26T00:00:00.002+08:00

After spending most of my life living in the city, I have never really seen a starry night. Even if there were no clouds blocking the view, the surrounding artificial lights would normally outshine the starlight. But tonight, the sky was crystal clear and I was able to see hundreds of stars sparkling brightly.

It was almost magical. It's a shame that I didn't have a camera that was powerful enough to capture it.

My netvigator And now

2009-02-13T23:19:00.004+08:00

Recently, I changed the ownership of my PCCW netvigator broadband service and now IPTV service to take advantage of my employee discount. Because a completely new account was created in my name, PCCW had to assume that I had nothing installed. While, in fact, I had everything already installed because of my family's previous account.

Well, my colleague was nice enough to bring the equipment and do absolutely nothing else. I was working so I wasn't around to watch him work. But he just left everything as it was. In theory, he should have swapped all the old equipment with the new equipment.

I had to reapply for all the previous channels that we had so I told my Dad to select them from a leaflet that I had on my desk. And that's when he went out of control. He went and chose all the Chinese film channels, a sports package and Animal Planet package - coming to a grand total of HK$444 per month! And I'm paying the bloody bills.

Thankfully, buying channels needs my approval so no damage has been done yet.

Going Down...Eh...Up...Eh...Down

2009-02-13T23:00:00.002+08:00

Had a bit of a scary moment in an elevator in the office yesterday. The elevators there are fairly old and some of them are a bit unreliable. I was just finished a meeting and I was returning to my desk. A few colleagues and I got in the elevator on 7/F and we were all heading for 5/F. That's when strange things started to happen.

So the doors closed and I felt the elevator descend. Except it stopped on 6/F for no reason and the doors remained closed. Then it descended again and stopped at 5/F but the doors did not open to let us out. Instead, it started ascending to pause on 6/F again. And then back up to 7/F but the doors still did not open. By now, we were absolutely shitting bricks. But things went back to normal and we were transported to 5/F. When the doors open, we ran out!

Recently, there have a been a lot of cases (especially in Tai Po), where elevators simply failed and plummeted to the ground. In our case, we were in a kinda rollercoaster. But it's interesting to think that if the elevator did happen to plummet, luck would have been a large factor in our survival. A drop from 5/F might leave you with serious injuries but 7/F is almost certain death.

Major Detour

2009-02-11T22:33:00.002+08:00

On the journey home from work this evening, the bus was forced to go on a detour when it was just about 5 minutes away from my stop. After checking the news, I discovered that there was a traffic accident near my home in the morning where a truck crashed and the passenger was killed.

Anyway, just as the bus approached Tai Po, it had to take a huge detour via Sheung Shui in order to complete it's route. This almost doubled my journey time. But the bus driver really had no choice and I was actually very impressed he was able to find another route so quickly on the fly.

Parcel City

2009-02-11T22:31:00.002+08:00

I don't know what's going on today but I received 3 parcels today in the post all at once. One managed to make it into my home, but the other 2 are waiting to be collected at the post office.

What the hell is going on?

Board Games Cafe

2009-02-11T22:14:00.004+08:00

Last night, I was in Prince Edward (it's a name of a district!) when I saw something rather interesting. Hidden away at the top of an apartment block was a board games cafe. It's quite simply a cafe where you can play board games. You pay for a table by the hour and there is a huge selection of games to choose from.

There were literally hundreds of different board games available. The place resembled a child's playroom. And there's the added bonus of getting food there whenever you want.

Taiwanese Pineapple Cake (鳳梨酥)

2009-02-11T21:46:00.004+08:00

My colleagues always expect some (edible) souvenirs whenever I am in Taiwan. And as usual, I brought back 鳳梨酥, a famous Taiwanese pineapple cake. It's very popular and I enjoy it very much myself. Most people have eaten the 鳳梨酥 from Taipei. But this time, it was bought from Taichung.

鳳梨酥 is normally quite sweet but the ones from Taichung have a slight but distinct sour taste - and are famous for being so. And this actually brought a mixed reaction by my colleagues. Some were put off by the sourness, while some were please to taste something different. In any case, everybody seemed to be very impressed with the packaging - which I must say is quite pretty.

PCCW Controversy

2009-02-10T01:02:00.003+08:00

On my way to work this morning, I saw a crowd of news reporters outside my office. PCCW has been making headlines with the whole privatisation and laying off controversy. I had to make an effort to avoid the reporters and cameras but it's interesting to see the place where I work appear in the headlines.

The first news story in the video here was shot mostly outside my office. My senior manager also makes a brief appearance in the video.

Taipei - Delayed Flight To Go Home

2009-02-08T18:40:00.004+08:00

I'm currently in Taoyuan International Airport waiting for my flight back to Hong Kong but it has already been delayed twice. The incoming flight was delayed so it's had a knock-on effect on my flight.

I didn't think China Airlines was a low-budget airline but it's keeping it's turnaround pretty tight.

Taipei - Ceramics Old Street

2009-02-08T01:06:00.002+08:00

The Ceramics Old Street is like a small village that specialises in...well...ceramics. Wasn't really very interested in the ceramics but I did spend a little bit of time looking for a mug to use in the office. Didn't find one though.

Taipei - Bride Wars

2009-02-08T00:37:00.003+08:00

I went to see Bride Wars in the cinema. Huge chick flick but it was OK since there were the beautiful Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway to look at. Story is unsurprising and some of the moments are cheesy. But it's not so bad.

But one of the most interesting things that I witnessed had nothing to do with the film. Recently, Taiwanese law has prohibited cinemas from rejecting customers with food bought from outside of the cinema. Which, in my opinion is a great decision. It means that cinemas cannot force you to buy their overpriced snacks. But I saw somebody in a cinema carrying a tray of Burger King in the cinema. Perfectly within his rights. But perhaps a little over-the-top.

Taipei - Driving In Taiwan?

2009-02-07T23:35:00.002+08:00

While I was on the High Speed Rail, the fantastic weather and the long empty roads tempted me to seriously consider driving back from Kaohsiung to Taipei. The journey would have taken a few hours but it would have given me the freedom to stop whenever I wanted. This meant having to rent a car for a day or two. This wasn't a problem since I had my driving licence with me but there were a few things that I had reservations about.

First of all, this would have been the first time driving in Taiwan. I have been here a few times and I still don't understand the rules of the road. As far as I am concerned, there are no rules. The traffic on the right-hand side of the road - which is the opposite to what I am used to. And of course, I don't really know my way around.

While this has it's dangers, I still thought it was doable. But there was one little thing left. And this was the deal-breaker. All the cars that were for rent were automatic transmission - and I have never driving in automatic before. While people can say that it's easy, it was another risk that I didn't want to contend with. And I felt terribly uncomfortable driving a car with so many of the unknown factors that I mentioned previously.

Such a shame though. It would have been a whole lot of fun.

Taipei - Crazy Taxi

2009-02-07T23:33:00.003+08:00

I've spoken about this before here but I can't help but rant on some more again.

Taiwanese taxi drivers. They're insane. I don't know how they get away with some of the stuff they do but it's scary sometimes.

I got a taxi to the High Speed Rail station in Taoyuan and it was one of the most bizarre experiences. First of all, I noticed that the driver had modified pedal system. He was controlling the accelerator and brakes using a hand-lever. From my observation, the car accelerated when he pulled the lever and it braked when he pushed it. It was an automatic transmission so he didn't have to worry about the clutch.

Anyway, his first mistake was trying to change lanes on the motorway. I don't know if he checked his mirrors but he almost ploughed into the side of a black Ford Focus. The Focus had to swerve sharply in order to avoid a collision.

After that, the taxi driver was weaving through the traffic and then suddenly decided to pull across two lanes and into the hard shoulder. He proceeded to drive along the hard shoulder for about three miles for no apparent reason!

Finally, as we approached the HSR station, I could see in the rear-view mirror that the driver was falling asleep. It was a good time to get out of the taxi then.

In Kaohsiung, I waved for a taxi and the over-enthusiastic driver almost killed a nearby motorcyclist. Without looking, the driver pulled a sharp U-turn and didn't see a guy on a motorcycle. To be fair, the guy on the motorcycle was driving on the wrong side of the road but it was still a very reckless manoeuvre by the taxi driver.

And this is the best part. The driver actually didn't know where the destination was so he just stopped in the middle of nowhere! Yeah, thanks.

Kaohsiung - Difference In Temperature

2009-02-07T23:30:00.003+08:00

It has been very cold in Taipei recently. And it's been raining a little bit too. Because of this, I was pretty well wrapped up as I left Taipei for Kaohsiung. So I was very surprised to find that it was actually hot in Kaohsiung - a difference of approximately 10 degrees. While it was about 15 Degrees Celsius in Taipei, it was around 25 Degrees Celsius in Kaohsiung.

It's amazing how there can be such a huge shift in temperature in a distance of just 200 miles.

Kaohsiung - Aboard The HSR

2009-02-07T23:27:00.004+08:00

I was going to visit Kaohsiung. And was going to do it in style on the Taiwan High Speed Rail. The HSR links Taipei and Kaohsiung and the complete journey is 335.5 km (208 miles) and takes approximately 90 minutes.

This train pisses along at a top speed of 300kph (186mph). I don't think I have ever travelled so fast on land in my life. Next target is to break the 200mph barrier.

Oh, and check out this weird strobing effect on the track.

Taipei - Taoyuan Lantern Festival

2009-02-07T22:35:00.003+08:00

I went to the Taoyuan Lantern Festival last Wednesday. It showcased hundreds of beautiful lanterns as well as hosted a few different concerts. Also, there was a mini fireworks display.

One of the best things are the food and game stalls that are available so you can browse and choose what you want to eat and play.

Taipei - Pacific Wellness Spa & Club

2009-02-03T10:34:00.003+08:00

I'm on holiday. So hitting a spa to relax seemed like a good idea. It was my first time ever to go to a spa so I didn't know what to expect. But it was actually pretty cool. So imagine a whole load of bathrooms. And inside each bathroom, there is an enclosed shower, a hot spring jacuzzi and a toilet.

The shower kinda doubles up as a sauna as well. The water that goes down the drain is heated and evaporated to create the steam. So after a few minutes, you're cooking in the shower.

The water for the jacuzzi apparently comes from a hot spring. But just like the shower, it gets pretty damn hot. So trying to soak into it initially is tricky. But once you're in, it's totally worth it.

Taipei - Andy Warhol Exhibition In The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

2009-02-03T09:42:00.003+08:00

The Andy Warhol Exhibition was in Taipei so I went to see it. Andy Warhol was the father of Pop Art and I actually studied it briefly when I was in school. But still, I wasn't really able to fully appreciate it. I was never really any good at appreciating abstract things.

Lucky for me, the exhibition was hosted in the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall - which is a landmark that completely overwhelms the Andy Warhol Exhibition. It's difficult to describe the experience, and the video below doesn't even justify it.

Taipei - It's A Good Thing That I Am A Man

2009-02-03T09:30:00.002+08:00

Because I look pretty damn ugly as a woman.

Taipei - Yes Man

2009-02-03T09:03:00.002+08:00

When I first saw the trailer for Yes Man, I wasn't very impressed. It looked just like Liar Liar, also starring Jim Carrey. Basically it's about a guy that spends his whole life saying "no". And in an extraordinary turn of events, he becomes a more acceptive person with comical results.

So the simple formula used in Liar Liar is used again in Yes Man. So don't expect an inspiring plot. But expect lots and lots of hilarity ensuing. There was one moment when I was laughing so hard that I wasn't able to breathe.

Taipei - Disappointing Taipei 101 Interior

2009-02-02T23:34:00.003+08:00

The last time I went to see Taipei 101, I was very impressed with the structure. From the outside, it's quite stunning. However, that was all that I saw. On this occasion, I managed to venture into Taipei 101. And to be honest, I wish I hadn't.

In contrast to the exterior, the interior is dreadfully disappointing. It cannot be described as anything other than ordinary. No spectacular architecture. No amazing lighting. Nothing. From the inside, it looks just like any other average shopping centre. While the 1-2 IFC in Hong Kong looks extremely bland on the outside, the interior design is breathtaking. Taipei 101 is the complete opposite.

The only interesting (but rather useless) feature was a circle of city names in the middle of the lobby. And no, the location of the city name does not have any bearing on the direction it is from Taipei 101.

Taipei - Walking On Water

2009-02-02T22:50:00.002+08:00

At a glance, it looked supernatural. The guy in the photo was fishing and the tide was coming in rather quickly. He's a good distance out but there's actually some raised terrain just along where he's walking. So it gives the impression that he is walking on water.

Still, he's pretty damn crazy.

Taipei - Danshui

2009-02-02T22:33:00.003+08:00

It was a gorgeous day yesterday so a trip to Danshui was perfect. Danshui is a seaside town in Taipei which is quite popular because of it's sea and sunset views. There wasn't really all that much to do except walk along the harbour and try the interesting food on display.

Everybody else had the same idea to go to Danshui so it was quite crowded and had a great atmosphere. I didn't stay around for the sunset.

Taipei - New Trip New Mask

2009-02-02T02:14:00.003+08:00

For my latest trip to Taipei, I got a new mask for when I'm on the motorcycle. This one's a cute Batman dog thing. It's a shame that the cuteness doesn't work though. This mask makes me look like a psycho killer.

Taipei - What To Recycle?

2009-02-02T01:52:00.003+08:00

The Taiwanese are avid recyclers. You will find recycling facilities in most restaurants. And in the case of fast-food restaurants, you are obliged to separate the recycling from the non-recyclable yourself.

The only problem is that I don't know how to separate the waste. This stuff is probably taught in primary school but I am still unaware of the recycling policies. For example, I don't know if they will recycle plastics or metals. Also, what if the paper is soiled with food? Do I recycle it then? It's so complicated!

Taipei - Safe With China Airlines?

2009-02-01T10:09:00.003+08:00

I had a bad experience with Dragonair the previous time, so I decided to go for a different airline this time - China Airlines. Which was fine until a friend mentioned about it's poor safety record. He was kind enough not to elaborate on the details but after some quick Googling, I found the information. And it really is quite scary!

From Wikipedia:

1970 August 12, Flight 206, a NAMC YS-11, struck a ridge while landing at Taipei, killing 14 people. This was the airline's first fatal accident.
1971 November 20, Flight 825, a Caravelle aircraft, blew up after a bomb on it exploded, causing the deaths of 25 people over the Penghu Islands.
1982 August 16, A China Airlines Boeing 747 encountered severe turbulence, resulting in the deaths of 2 of the 292 passengers aboard.
1986 February 16, Flight 2265, a Boeing 737, crashed in Makung, Penghu, killing 13.
1989 October 26, a China Airlines Boeing 737-209 crashed shortly after takeoff from Hualien, Taiwan. All 54 passengers and crew aboard were killed.
1991 December 29, Flight 358, a Boeing 747 freighter, hit a hillside at Wanli, Taiwan after separation of its No.3 & 4 engines, killing five people.
1993 November 4, Flight 605, a brand new Boeing 747-400, overran the Kai Tak Airport runway 13 while landing during a typhoon. It had touched down more than 2/3 down the runway and was unable to stop before the end of the runway, finishing up in Hong Kong harbour. All 396 people on board were safely evacuated, and the aircraft was repaired and remained in service as of today.
1994 April 26, Flight 140, an Airbus A300, crashed while landing at Nagoya, Japan, killing 264 people.
1998 February 16, Flight 676, an Airbus A300, crashed after a failed missed-approach at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan, killing all 196 aboard along with 9 on the ground, including Taiwan Central Bank chief Hsu Yuan-Dong.
1999 August 22, Flight 642, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, flipped over while landing at Hong Kong airport during a typhoon. Three people were killed.
2002 May 25, Flight 611, a Boeing 747-209, broke up in mid-air on the way to Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taiwan. All 206 passengers and 19 crew members died. The aircraft was the last 747-200 on China Airlines' fleet.
2007 August 20, China Airlines Flight 120, a Boeing 737-800 inbound from Taipei caught fire shortly after landing at Naha Airport in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. After stopping on the tarmac, the engine started smoking and burning, and later exploded causing the plane to catch fire. A statement from the airline confirmed that all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated, and a ground engineer knocked off his feet by the blast was unhurt. The cause of the explosion has been attributed to a fuel leak caused by a bolt from the right wing slat puncturing the fuel tank.

Unsurprisingly, I was quite nervous about the flight. But so far so good. I made it to Taipei in one piece. On a plus note, as the plane took off, it did a U-turn and flew directly over Victoria Harbour. I had a magnificent overhead view of Hong Kong Island and I was able to pick out the Bank Of China building in Central.

Korean BBQ & Hot-Pot

2009-01-31T22:28:00.003+08:00

I was originally scheduled to have a Chinese New Year dinner with my GT colleagues last night but had to pull out at the last minute. I discovered that a friend from Ireland, Kelly, was in Hong Kong and if I didn't meet her last night, I wouldn't have another chance until who knows? We hadn't really seen each other for about 2 years so we had a lot of catching up to do.

Causeway Bay was packed and we never booked in advance so we were wandering around for somewhere to eat. Eventually, we decided on Korean food but couldn't choose between BBQ or hot-pot...so we did both. We managed to get through all of the BBQ but left the hot-pot largely untouched so it was a bit of a waste.

We ended the night over a cup of coffee in Starbucks. Until next time...

Lam Tsuen & Chinese New Year

2009-01-28T22:27:00.003+08:00

Advantages Of Living In Lam Tsuen

Peace and quiet when it is not the Chinese New Year.

Disadvantages Of Living In Lam Tsuen
Busy as hell when it is the Chinese New Year

Unfortunately, when the Chinese New Year arrives, Lam Tsuen changes from a rural and unknown little village into one of Hong Kong's biggest attractions. The past few days have been crazy. So crazy that I have been trapped in my own home. It's virtually impossible to get out of Lam Tsuen. All because everybody wants to make a wish at the famous Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree.

The queues were scary - both human and traffic. Huge crowds swarmed around the bus-stops in order to find an opportunity to get on-board. And traffic was backed up as far as I could see and it wasn't moving anywhere. No wonder they had the police there for crowd control.

Happy Chinese New Year 2009!

2009-01-26T00:00:00.000+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

Wishing everybody wealth, health and peace in the Year of the Ox.

Fevar In Lan Kwai Fong

2009-01-25T14:12:00.002+08:00

I went to Club Fevar in Lan Kwai Fong for a friend's birthday party last night. But to be honest, it was probably one of the worst clubbing experiences that I have ever had. Mainly because I didn't really know anybody there. And also because there wasn't really that many people in the club in the first place!

But I am a firm believer making it a good night yourself. So after taking two large swigs of champagne, I was a little tipsy and I was on the dancefloor. At one stage, I somehow ended up on the podium dancing - which is something that I normally wouldn't do. We ditched Club Fevar later on and went to CLIQ which, in contrast, was packed so much that it wasn't even possible to dance. So we stayed for a little while and then left to get something to eat.

Then I was in a kebab place that I always visit when I am in Lan Kwai Fong. It's expensive as hell but it really hits the spot. Anyway, I was just chewing on my kebab when all of a sudden, a riot breaks out outside. I took a quick peek and saw about 20 people in a street brawl. Very soon afterwards, a whole load of police arrived and sorted things out.

New Wardrobe

2009-01-25T13:55:00.002+08:00

My new wardrobe finally arrived. Evidently, they really messed up something at the furniture store. I called them last week and it sounded as though they completely missed the order or something. All that they told me was that my wardrobe would arrive before the Chinese New Year - which it did.

I am very happy with my choice. It actually turned out perfectly. I was also impressed with the guys who put the thing together. I think it took them about 15 minutes in total to go from loose board to a complete wardrobe.

Mong Kok Flower Market

2009-01-25T13:37:00.002+08:00

Every Chinese New Year, there are "flower markets" dotted around Hong Kong. The most famous and popular one is the one in Causeway Bay. But in saying that, I have never been there. The second most popular one is the one in Mong Kok, which is the one that I went to last year and this year. It was pretty crowded, as expected.

To be honest, I was there for the atmosphere. Sure, there are a lot of things to eat and buy but they're actually just crap. The most interesting thing that I saw was a large inflatable iPhone - which would be cool for about an hour. And then you'd be thinking of where the hell to put this useless junk. It might come in handy if you're going to the beach though because I think it doubles up as a floating mattress.

While we were browsing around, the floodlights suddenly switched off and the place was covered in darkness with a chorus of "Ooooooooh" all around. To be honest, there was more of an atmosphere in the dark.

As for food, I bought a bag of dried apricots to chew on while I was walking around. But I got sick of them pretty soon and I think they were pretty dirty too. The most delicious thing that I had was a deep fried ice-cream.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10e

2009-01-18T00:13:00.003+08:00

My Lenovo R51e has a new little brother - the Lenovo S10e.

While the R51e is a traditional notebook, the S10e is an ultra-portable netbook. I was motivated buy a netbook because I was tired of hauling the R51e around. I need to move around sometimes for projects and it's pretty friggin' heavy! With the S10e, I barely even notice that I have it in my bag.

One crap thing though is that the resolution is stuck at 1024x576. Windows over 576 high can't be fully displayed on the desktop. And if you can't resize the window, there isn't very much you can do about it. Oh, and the CPU power is rather weak but this is expected and I'm not demanding too much from it.

Still, it's pretty cool and hopefully it will serve me well as it's older brother has.