My McMug Badges

Lately, I am doing some "mo-liu" stuff -- collecting McMug badges from Circle K.

The badges come in two series -- the first is the 26 alphabets plus 4 "hidden badges"; while the second (i.e. current) series of eight are of different characters in YellowBus: McMug, McDull, the Principal, Miss Chan, May, June, Mrs. Mak...and last but not least, the turtle Ah Fai.

It happens that both my sis and one of my colleagues are big fans of Ah Fai. Although my sis keeps telling me to buy HK$20 stuff from Circle K to get a badge is too expensive (cause she said Circle K is more expensive than Mannings), she still joins the treasure hunt for Ah Fai.

So what happened? My sis has three badges from the second series, two of them is Ah Fai!

So we sort of like kids trading cards -- my sis traded one of her Ah Fai for one of my Miss Chan (I had two of them originally). Then, I went back to work and trade my Ah Fai for my colleague's Principal.

Well, it's absolutely very mo-liu. But life is short. Why don't we try something funny once in a while?

Here's my partial collection:

The valuable Ah Fai

My other badges

Of course I don't only have McMug badges. Here are some you may still remember.



On 1 July this year, the Civil Human Rights Front will sell badges to raise fund too. Don't forget to chip in your part. See you at Victoria Park. 不見不散.

Volunteers

Lately, one of my friends are being upset by a group of volunteers and also his superiors at work. It eventually leads to his resignation.

Although it is what I had suggested, I still feel a little bid of sadness after working with him so so many years.

It all sounds very familiar, cause it's exactly what I had faced during the election last year. I had tried to leave the campaign twice but eventually stayed cause I had to and had no choice. It's the only one time that I agree with CH Tung so much -- "to leave is easy; to stay requries courage".

I stayed. But I had to say I am exhausted both physically and mentally. I think that's why I want to switch my carreer path and start a new life.

See You There

日期 :2005年7月1日(星期五)
時間 :下午三時正
地點 :維園集合，遊行至政府總部
請於當日穿著白衣，並歡迎自備橫額或示威牌

Sketch Book and Drawing Pencils

My first drawing lesson will be on 5 July. Tonight, cause I was in Yaumatei for a meeting, I went to shop for drawing materials: sketch book, pencils, colour pencils, erasers, etc. (Oops...I forgot the paper stick eraser...) I got very excited when I saw all the drawing tools. Hope I can go through all the courses this time.

自由花

忘不了的，年月也不會蠶蝕，心中深處始終也記憶那年那夕；
曾經痛惜，年月裏轉化為力，一點真理，一個理想永遠地尋覓。

悠悠長長繼續前航不懂去驚怕，荊荊棘棘通通斬去不必多看它，
浮浮沉沉昨日人群雖不說一話，不想清楚分析太多真心抑意假。

但有一個夢，不會死，記著吧！無論雨怎麼打，自由仍是會開花，
但有一個夢，不會死，記著吧！來自你我的心，記著吧！

忘不了的，留不了不死意識，深深相信始終會變真某年某夕；
如此訊息，仍賴你跟我全力，加一把勁，將這理想繼續在尋覓。

More 民運歌曲 -- http://www.alliance.org.hk/64/song/song.html

International Appeal for Release of Ching Cheong

http://www.petition-chingcheong.org/

Jointly organized by the Reporters Sans Frontier and Hong Kong Journalists Association

We, journalists and press freedom activists, call for the immediate release of our colleague Ching Cheong, unfairly detained in China since 22 April 2005. Our colleague, correspondent for the Singapore daily Straits Times, is an experienced and honest reporter who respects journalistic ethics.

We reject the accusations of spying brought against him by the Chinese government, which are liable to create confusion and cast suspicion on the entire profession.

Ching Cheong was in China to carry out his work as a journalist and for that reason alone.

Thanks for coming

I am always curious whether there's anyone ever visit my blog in addition to myself. But anytime when I thing there's no one coming, I see comments from friends overseas. Whenever I think I am writing to myself, I figure out from conversation with friends that they have always knew my whereabout when I've never mentioned it to them. The only answer to the situation is they have come here.

Thanks for coming.

伴遊 Wanted!

I am likely to go to Beijing again on a work trip at the end of August to the beginning of September. This time I might stay there for longer than a week! How ironic! I can't even speak Mandarin.

This time, there might also be chance that I will stay in Beijing ALONE for a few more days after the colleagues are left. So I am starting to look at tourist books to see what can I do at night. I thought of bringing those stacks of VCDs that I had bought for years but are still on the shelf untouched. But, then, I thought it's a waste not going outside for at least some time.

Would you by any chance will be in Beijing at the same time? Do let me know so I will have companion.

What a surprise

Lately, I am seriously thinking about taking an art cert at HKU SPACE. Before that, I will take some short and simple drawing classes at a community centre to see if I can still hold a drawing pencil.

When's the last time I drew? I guess it's about 10 years ago during the summer I graduated from college. That summer I stayed in Edmonton, holding a summer research position and preparing to enter grad school. At the same time, I took a drawing class at U of A Faculty of Extension.

I remember I was the slowest at the class. When others were already in the third task, I was still at the first one. But, well, I drew pretty good comparing to the other students in the class so the teacher just accepted my "slowness" and asked me to concentrate and finished the drawing.

I remember I drew a shell during one class and it was given to Mimi when she returned to HK. Her sis told me she saved the front seat to the picture, while asking the sisters to stuck at the backseats.

That was 10 solid years ago. I think the picture was long gone by now.

I took fine arts in F.4. If I didn't go to Edmonton, I always think I would study design in a design school. Arts couldn't fit in my class schedule when I landed on Edmonton to stay at high school, so it was put aside for six years until I took that drawing class, and it is another 10 years since then.

P.S. Why I name this piece "what a surprise"? I read my friend's blog today and she said she's picking up arts again, after ten long years! What a surprise!!!!!

三十而立

最近，不同圈子的朋友都紛紛步入三十多歲的階段，大家都不約而同的思考，甚至以行動實驗「再出發」這個問題：有的暫停了工作、有些準備籌組自己的公司、又有些計劃或已經轉行、有的在愛情長跑之後結婚......

我也在思考「再出發」這個問題。這個階段，我想暫停工作(事業？)上的衝刺，有多些私人時間培養不同的興趣、多看些有用無用的書。三十歲相信是我們的第一個分水嶺。

甚麼時候我又再裝備好自己？還是我從此便停下來？

Turn Fear Into Love

Today, I attended the 1st International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO). [http://516.wchk.org/] Around 350 people joined hands to arouse awareness towards society's unequal treatment of its sexual minority populations. The rally began at round 2:30pm at Causeway Bay pedestrian zone. I went with Iris, Ivy and Ming-wai and we met even more familiar faces at the rally. Women's groups, christian, human rights, youth, arts...groups were all there to support rights of people of sexual minority.

More Alphabets

A for Amy, M for Mimi, P for Pheon...

They don't look so bad from picture :P

Fill the Square, Support the Tiananmen Mothers

About the Tiananmen Mothers:
http://www.fillthesquare.org/factsheet.asp
http://big5.hrichina.org/big5/article_listings.adp?category_id=61

Human Rights in China:
http://big5.hrichina.org/big5/index.adp

Japanese Elmo

Hihi...this is the Elmo Simon bought me from his trip to Japan!

Japanese Elmo with Japanese Snoopy, both from Simon

Petition in Support of a Sexual Orientation Discrimination Ordination for HK

(Message from the Civil Rights for Sexual Diversities)

In order to gauge public support of an anti-discrimination bill to outlaw sexual orientation discrimination, the Hong Kong government will commission a third party to conduct a survey on public atitudes towards gays and lesbians and protective measures for them. There will be no Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SOD) Bill if the results show less than 50% support from the public. As a member of the LGBT communtiy, we all have witnessed instances of discrimination, if not experienced them ourselves. It is important that we voice out the need to outlaw discrimination against us. It is important that the public knows about our needs and the prevalence of discrimination before the survey takes place. If you are not a member of the LGBT community, I trust you too agree to equality for all and a legislation to protect us from discrimination. Thus, I urge you to sign this petition in support of an SOD Bill which will outlaw discrimination against us. It will also convey a strong message to the public and the government of how serious discrimination is in Hong Kong.

To sign the petition, follow this link (your signature will be handed to the Chief Executive and Secretary for Home Affairs):

http://sign.cr4sd.org

Roddy Shaw
Civil Rights for Sexual Diversities
http://www.cr4sd.org

Civil Rights for Sexual Diversities is an NGO working for the rights of people who may be disadvantaged by the law, policies and social prejudices in Hong Kong because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual expression, family status and HIV status.

My School

If it's not because I accidentally cleared all the links on the right-hand-side of the blog, I won't discover that my mother school Queen Elizabeth "Composite" High School has got a new name -- without the word "Composite". The school hours are also different, from 9am to 3:30pm, with every class consists of 1.5 hours. All the bus routes have been changed too. No more No. 88 from Castle Downs to the front door of the school.

The world does change without notice.

Life Without《大長今》

Finally 《大長今》 was finished last time, and I finally got some time on my own. Lots to do, practising my Mandarin, English and Chinese Calligraphy, working on the plaster thing, knitting, reading...and of course, continue to develop this blog.