3/8 (three out of eight)

一朝驚醒已在目前　怎麼走了這麼遠
屈指一算突然發現　很多好戲已上演
離原本想的有些遠　好比揀選歌舞的路線
但拍了一齣打鬥片

由這裡　行過去
行過去　下一區
誠實地　無懼地
隨遇地　行過去
彈指間　第幾關
原來都走到這裡
別說出發以後習慣失去
鮮花開過掌心裡

把握青春最後十年
珍惜中午的光線
很多支票未曾兌現
只因長大了看穿
成名得獎一概不算
不可更改的最佳路線
何謂幸福秒秒在變

由這裡　行過去
行過去　下一區
誠實地　無懼地
隨遇地　行過去
彈指間　第幾關
原來都走到這裡
但我高興繼續漫遊於這裡
寫好這刻這一句

掌握青春經歷老死中間不免有唏噓
今天這一家用至少不只可以談空虛

行過去　行過去
行過去　下一區
華麗地　懷舊地
前衛地　行過去
路彎彎　共深山
由無知走到這裡
但我高興繼續漫遊多幾歲

由這裡　行過去
行過去　下一區
成熟地　緩慢地
回味地　行過去
彈指間　又一關
誰要劃時代創舉
只想懂得慶賀目前
不早不晚的一歲
平常心境中探取
沿路的風裡

***** *****

Pretty tired lately, and can't quite feel that positive. I think I need a break, but then I think it would be difficult to pick up the works again. Difficult decision.

十二金釵眾生花

I haven't listened a CD through a CD player for a while. First, it's because my CD player is half broken. It can't detect some of my CDs. The most frustrated case is it can only detect Disc 1 of Chet Lam's dual-CD album The Private Life of Chet Lam, which I think both have to be listened together continuously......

Then, it's also because I subscribed MOOV. While I turned on my computer, which means most of my time except while I am sleeping, I use MOOV to listen to tonnes of new CDs, which I seldom register at all. Otherwise, I rely on my iPod Nano while I am travelling, but this usually means I can't quite listen to the music clearly under a rather noisy environment, and not to mention I always have a book handy.

But then I got Keith Chan's 12 Faces of Women yesterday. For some unknown reasons, I put it in my CD player, instead of my computer, and it plays. All the real musical instruments make it difficult not to be played in a real CD player. It sure is nicer from there than from a computer.

The CD+DVD was first performed at this year's Hong Kong Arts Festival, and I watched that too. I have to say I am not those "visual kind of people", and was not quite interested in the 12 short films accompanying the 12 pieces of music. However, the music sure is attractive, and it's worth all the trouble of putting the CD into a proper CD player.

Sometimes, when you are trying to communicate or be communicated, it's important to concentrate and listen carefully.

Sometimes, going the more traditional way is the mean to move forward.

暗戀桃花園

I watched the HKREP's Secret Love - Peach Blossom Land tonight.





















Twelve years ago, some of my friends also produced the same drama in Edmonton. I was part of the production as well, but I was the Deputy Stage Manager for another smaller scale production -- Night and Day -- which was on stage the same night:




























After so many years, I have to say that some of them I couldn't even remember their faces now. But some have also marked a place in my heart, even though we had lost contacts since then.

P.S. I still remember the first cue I made at the performance was a wrong cue! And I kept asking the producer about the script (since I didn't find it logical at all) during rehearsals, and finally he couldn't stand it any more, and asked me to concentrate on my cues and props and costumes, etc. He said a DSM was not there to understand the play :P

All you really need to know, you learned it in kindergarten......Part 2

(This issue is also known as "All You Really Need to Know, You Learned It in Harry Potter")

1. Love
2. Friendship; no one should be alone
   
3. Trust
4. Confidence in oneself and others
5. Courage, and courage to stand up for yourself, stand up for things you believe or value, and stand up against things you believe it's wrong
   
6. There's no unrecognized talent. It's either because opportunity hasn't come yet or you unfortunately have missed it. Or, you are not as talent as you think.
   

Long time to post

It has been a long time since the last time I blogged. I have been very busy lately and still am.

With the Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi done on the previous Sunday, my Mandarin study will be on hold for a while. It had absorbed quite a lot of my time in the last couple of years, and I think it's time to do something else. However, I still plan to spend a little bit of time daily to practice.

Well, may be after HP7.

Right after the Mandarin exam on 22 July, I was busy every moment while I am not at work nor sleeping on HP7. Anyone finished it yet? I still have less than 200 pages to go. It's so sad the Mad-eye died at the beginning of the book, while Dobby died almost immediately after his appearance.

After HP7, there would be a lot of things waiting for me to do as well. For example, cleaning up my room and bookshelves, following up some personal and financial issues, lots and lots of reading, knitting and cross stitching, visiting museums, etc. Oh yes, I will need to make some updating to this blog as well. Many of my friends' links are not yet added. Also, anyone have Facebook? I need quite sometimes to make it looks "professional".

P.S. I use "ismtse@ualberta.net" in Facebook. Make sure you add me :P

Green Paper on Constitutional Development

So, the Green Paper on Constitutional Development was finally released yesterday.

From the "direct election in 1988" campaign to now, longer than 20 years has been passed. I think we have "gradually and orderly progressed" long enough to deserve universal and equal suffrage.

From what I have learned from the media, there are still some important elements missing in the Green Paper (e.g. what's a "democratic procedure" to nominate a Chief Executive election candidate?), making the rather complicated and wide spectrum of proposals very trivial. However, I do think it's time to act up and express yourself.

Public consultation will end on 10 October 2007. It should be now or never.

All you really need to know, you learned it in kindergarten......Part 1

On health,

1. Sleep early
2. Don't forget your balance diet
3. Exercise, exercise, and exercise
4. Sit back and relax
5. Stay happy :)
   

P.S. Sometimes ago, I thought of making a list of "all you really need to know, you learned it in kindergarten", something simple, but something we always forget. Let's start with health. This is something my Chinese doctor asked me to do. She's more concerned about my "sleeping problem" than my "hair problem" :P

隨機應變，隨遇而安

To be continued...

堅持‧爭普選‧香港精神

網上掛絲帶行動「堅持‧爭普選‧香港精神」

http://www.hiradio.net/?p=297

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髮線越向後，人要越向前看

This is my friend's greeting line at g-talk, and it seems written for me :P

So my hair problem continues. I had a hair cut and a hair treatment, changed shampoo, etc., and I am going to visit Chinese doctor tomorrow!

Everyone asked if I am too stressed. I think I might not be before, but I am extremely stressed now. The more I read from the Internet, the more I am worried. I think everything I do now is more to clam myself down.

When I am used to my "little" problem of my knee, I have a new problem!

Home Impovement

I took this picture while having my evening walk tonight. I find this kind of bamboo structure quite amazing, good for the whole building and also good for some small home improvement. If you look at it closely, it is only supported by some triangles (I know they should have a more proper name, but I have to say I give everything back to my Structural professors. I feel sorry for them :( I stood underneath for about a minute, examining it for a while, and decided to take a picture.

Although I am not in the field, I still have the appetite for any kind of construction, from event set-up to real construction sites. (Oops! I forgot I was supposed to be a transportation engineer!)

Today, I had had my Putonghua class exam. After another Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi on 22 July, my study on Putonghua comes to the end, for the time being. I will take a break (don't know how long) and try something else. Lots of books and halfway through knitted sweaters are waiting for me!

My hair

For all my life, I am being complained for having too much hair. There's plenty of it, and it's never quite "manageable". But today, I notice that my hair is getting quite thin, too thin even to an alarming stage.

......

My goodness!

I can't tell you how shocked and worried I am today. I know there's should be something else that I should worry about (e.g. mandarin exam again coming Sunday), but my hair sure is issue no. 1 today.

I know it sounds very stupid, but can't help.

......

My friend reminded me that I had changed shampoo, which doesn't seem very good, lately, and suggested me to change a milder one. So I will. Hope it will get better soon. Maybe it's some unavoidable things for being old :(

P.S. Rose, anything good from Adamant Eve?

...簷前滴雨...殘留幻影...

So Jerry talked about the Paradox in his blog.

I used to be a super fans at the time. My dream college was CUHK studying journalism and philosophy (needless to say I was a bigger fans of Erica Li). I had all of their cassettes (also Yvonne Lau's) and I even had a Paradox wall calendar! (I think that was 1990. My secondary school friend sent it to Canada for me.) I had a tape recording some of their long radio interviews and the moment they won the gold award of new singers at the Commercial Radio's music award ceremony! (Unbelievable!) These were all precious treasures until I somehow lost these things when I returned from Edmonton. (So sad.) I now only have two CDs of theirs :(

Will I see you tomorrow night?

The Society for Truth and Light

I was totally not aware that the Pearl Report had done a "report" on my beloved The Society for Truth and Light last year. It's on Youtube right now. Hope that it can stay there longer so more people can watch the missed episode.

Pearl Report on the Society of Truth and Light:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0gCOLWyjKo

Official website of The Society for Truth and Light (be careful, the content can be very scary):
http://www.truth-light.org.hk/index.jsp

Putonghua Shuiping Ceshi

I passed! Although I only got the lowest grade, it's still a miracle. I had to say my mandarin was a mess that day.

Bye-bye Super Sandwiches

Today is the last day of the Super Sandwiches downstairs from office. We are going to miss it :( Well, not exactly because of the food they served, but because of the lack of places for lunch! Very soon, I am afraid there would be no place for lunch in the surrounding area!

Elmo Wanted!

I've been collecting Circle K Sesame Street figures lately. From the picture, you can see that I am not very successful in finding Elmo. Most of the time I see either Oscar or Big Bird.

Anyone has spare to trade?

A chocolate dip donut, please

Date: I think is 1995

Time: Can't remember, I think is between lunch and dinner

Venue: A room in CAB, U of A

People: Ida, GGG

GGG: I am going to the cafe(teria). Do you want to have anything?

Ida: ...... get me a chocolate donut then.

GGG: What kind of chocolate donut?

Ida (a bit frustrated): What different kind of chocolate donuts I can have then?

GGG: A lot -- chocolate donut, chocolate dip donut, chocolate sprinkle donut, chocolate-chocolate donut...

Ida (cutting in): OK, OK. A chocolate dip donut then.

P.S. This box of delicious donuts makes me think of something in the last century.

In search of a comfortable cushion

Lately, I am having some difficulty sitting up still as my back gets tired very easily. So, I have been looking around for a suitable cushion that can fit the gap between my back and the chair's.

I tried using the one my colleague gave me, but it seems too hard. I tried bringing the one at home to the office, but it seems to "thick".

So, you should now kind what're the main criteria for the right one -- soft and thin.

I spent quite a while at the IKEA several nights ago, touching and pushing every single cushion. Finally, I found this one in the kids' section (again!) -- it's thin and soft, and I think there's an elephant on it. Unfortunately, the original cover was made up of fabric that attracted dust very easily, which is bad for my nose. So I got this red one, cheapest in the section :P

We seem to get along very good these few days, which is very very good :)