Paula Getting Married

I had never known that wedding planning was such a massive task.

Visiting the Parents
It can be a very simple affair with a lot of jewellery
You get more angpaos than you do during CNY
Observing the customs (ala red umbrellas, door openers, and sequencing) is important

Wedding Dinner
Table seating at wedding dinners can go wrong and cause other table numbers to go wrong too.
Everyone will look for you at a wedding.
You have to talk a lot.
You will not have time to eat.

That aside, the bride and groom had made about 350 people happy yesterday. From the early attendance at the solemnisation to dressing up and taking a day off on Friday from work to help. It was one massive party! It was so joyous and beautiful!

Seeing the happy reunion family and friends of parents made my heart sing, so did endless trains of smiles that lined the ballroom entrance as people streamed in and out. I especially enjoyed the cocktail, very grown-up, very posh and well setup. Shang is the best!

It would now be US instead of I,
She would not have to stay with mom and dad, but with in-laws,
It is a new chapter with the man she had been with for more than 10 years, I am happy for her.

Nothing will be changed - people just move where they live, but their roots will always be where their heart belongs.

Grand Hyatt in Beijing

I tried to be cheap. I chose to fly Air China over Dragonair. It was a small jet, and an airport bus had to drive 10 mins before we reached the tiny airplane. It was better than i thought, and arrived in Beijing without any hiccups.

I tried to be adventurous. I forgot 1st October is Beijing's indepedence day, and 60th birthday. So from Beijing Intl Airport, instead of the usual taxi routine, i decided to take the Airport Express to 东直门，changed to Line 2 to 建国门。Ideally I should have alighted at 王府井 (which I found out after a long walk), but I listened to the guy at the train station and alighted at 天安门东。So braving the tourist crowds at Tiananmen amidst tight security (the roads were cordoned off, so no access to taxis) i walked one train stop to arrive at 东方广场。It looks like a Singaporean mall, marked by Bread Talk and Crystal Jade.

Finally reached Grand Hyatt. Glad to be indoors again, and glad to hear my mummy's voice, i drifted to sleep. I made a reservation for 大董restaurant. Famed for its fusion style food, and non oily Peking Duck, I had to visit this place. Appetizer: Duck soup in orange skin, Crab & Egg Dish. For the mains I had stewed beef in goose live sauce and peking duck. Dessert: Fruits. It costs around HKD400 for that. Pretty reasonable, great service and ambience.

I was absolutely stuffed, so I took at 15 minute walk and visited the gym and pool at Hyatt. The pool's architecture was beautiful. Open from 6-11pm. Gym is open 24 hours. I shall endeavour to run tomorrow morning!

The two days ahead look to be interesting. I hope to wake up early tomorrow at 6.30am for a run, then head back by 7.30am to pack and have breakfast till 8.30am. there after try to firm up the necessary appointments for the next two days.

Tmr's meetings:
Leave at 9.30am - for 10am meeting
Leave at 11am for 12pm - 12.30noon lunch
Leave at 2pm for 3pm meeting
Leave 4pm for 4.30pm meeting
- End of Day -

Update!

I have not blogged in a long while. Since June. Now it is 8th August.

Many things have happened. One of which is my boss would like me to move into an account management role with no Sales Target. That was not my original idea when I joined this company. I wanted to have Sales exposure, and to learn about FX Options pricing.

Since joining the firm from June 2007, it has been 2 years and 2 months now. I have gotten exposure to Sales in that time. I have gotten exposure on the Sales bit, but the Options pricing that bit is lacking. Assuming I move into an Account Mangement Role with exposure to Emerging Markets like China & Korea, I could take time to learn about Market Trends and study FX Options. I could buy some time doing that, and getting some certification in the meantime.

My previous employment history was at a Private Bank on the Derivatives Desk since April 2006 - June 2007. That was exposure to FX Options and Equity Options. Joining this firm, I got exposure to Sales and FX Options sell and buy side market. I hope to do account management to grow the run-rate of the business, and pick up FX Option strategies and trends. After which hopefully I can move into trading or research.

That aside, picked some dress ideas for my sister's wedding. From Jason Wu, he rocks - he designs for Mrs Obama, great cuts and colours.

I hope to be back in SG for my birthday or sometime in SEPT and to see what work needs to be done on Paula's side, and check on my dresses!

Bruno is wicked

Bruno's Austrian TV show is the "biggest German-speaking show on television in every single German-speaking country. Except Germany" The pictures from his photoshoot are hilarious!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/fashionpicturegalleries/5515316/Bruno-Sacha-Baron-Cohens-latest-creation.html

Here goes some of the best lines that came out of Sacha Baron Cohen's Mouth:
As Brüno, to an American fashion designer: “In Austria, the costume director is a more important job than doctors. Is it the same here?” Designer: “No, fashion isn’t thought of as seriously as the medical profession here.” Brüno: “That’s ridiculous.”
Designer: “I think so.” Brüno: “Fashion saves a lot more lives than doctors.” Designer: “I think so.”

As Ali G, to Buzz Aldrin: “When is man going to walk on da sun?” Buzz Aldrin: “It’s much too hot on the sun.” Ali G: “We could go in da winter, when it’s colder.”

As Bruno: “Look at the evil people in the world: Saddam Hussein, Hitler, Stalin. What do they all have in common? Moustaches!”

Ali G: “A lot of boys me know is trying to get their girlfriends into feminism. Do you think that is right?”
Sue Leece, Director of the Centre of Gender Research: “Yes, I do actually. I think it’s a good thing.”
Ali G: “Do you think all girls should try feminism at least once?”
Leece: “Well, girls today often don’t realise how much they've benefited from feminism.”
Ali G: “But do you think it is right when they try feminism when they is drunk at a party or whatever with a few mates?”

As Bruno: “I gave [my adopted baby] a traditional African name: OJ.”

As Bruno: “Do you think if house music was around in the Thirties, World War II would have even happened?”

Ali G: “Do you believe kids should be caned?”
Sir Rhodes Boyson MP: “I do.”
Ali G: “You do! Wicked, man. You believe kids should be caned even in school?”
Sir Rhodes: “Even in school.”
Ali G: “Do you not think, Sir Rhodes, if you get caned in school you can’t concentrate as well. Because a lot of people out there say that, if you’re getting caned.”
Sir Rhodes: “Well, I was caned in my time and I’ve concentrated all my life.”
Ali G: “You were caned? Respect, man. Respect.”

Sam is Coming!

Sam in coming to HK this 17-18th June. Really excited to see her! Sam has a business trip and is hoping to squeeze some time out this Thursday for us to hang out!!!!!!!! Big smile.

I read this article by Michael Chugani that is very true. Property tycoons call the shots in Hong Kong and that HK bureaucrats shudder in their presence, so much so property developers can get away with anything. They count lift lobbies, other common areas and even with thickness of walls as part of the size of flats. And they make us pay for it. It is really fake floor sizes, and counter-logic to me. Recently at the launch of Lake Silver development on Ma On Shan, consumers were complaining that sales brochures showed breath-taking sea views from the flats they were selling. In fact, by the time the flats are ready for occupation, those views will already have been blocked by other planned high-rises.

I am not sure if the above is misrepresentation. It is the future owners' responsibility to ask if the view will be affected? If the sales people lie about that answer, then it is obviously wrong. But if the owners' didn't ask about the future view, then I don't think we should blame the developers. Word of advice: Never trust anything you hear in HK and China! Seeing is believing!

What i learnt this weekend

"A bank is a place that will lend you money if you prove that you don't need it." Bob Hope

D-Day

This entry was inspired by my boss, Brunty. He hired me, so I do hold him in high regard. I was clueless about D-Day 2 weeks back. Now I can proudly say I know the history of Britain, and why I have to know, is because Singapore was an ex-British colony. Reproduced from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/.

D-Day - and the Allies are at war
As the 65th anniversary of D-Day approaches, the rivalries between the US and British commanders that almost scuppered the invasion.

By Antony Beevor Last Updated: 4:45PM BST 29 May 2009

The invasion of France in 1944 has always been seen as one of the greatest triumphs of meticulous planning and allied co-operation. Before D-Day and during the Battle for Normandy, Allied commanders posed, smiling together for photographs to emphasise their unity. Yet this was often a sham. General Dwight Eisenhower had a thankless task, getting rivals to work together. Perhaps the heaviest cross he had to bear was that of General Montgomery, but the first task was to bring the "bomber barons" into line.
The Allied pre-invasion plan was to cut off Normandy and Brittany by smashing rail communications and destroying all the bridges along the river Seine to the east and the Loire to the south. But "Transportation", as the operation became known, proved very hard to launch because of personal and inter-service rivalries.

Eisenhower's deputy, Air Chief Marshal Tedder, was its main proponent. In February, Air Marshal Harris of Bomber Command, and General Spaatz of the US Eighth Air Force, received warning that preparations for Overlord would require their heavy squadrons to be diverted from the strategic offensive against Germany. Harris, who believed obsessively that his bomber force was on the point of bringing Germany to its knees, objected strenuously. He wanted his aircraft to continue smashing German cities to rubble. There should be only "minimum diversions" from the task of "reducing the enemy's material power to resist invasion", he wrote to his direct superior, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, the Chief of the Air Staff.
Above all, Harris fiercely resisted the idea that he should be told what to bomb. Spaatz also showed great reluctance to change targets. He wanted to continue attacking oil refineries and German fighter production. Their objections were over-ruled by Eisenhower at a major meeting on March 25, but they still tried to get their own way.
Tedder, however, still faced considerable opposition from the antagonistic Harris. Bomber Harris was at odds with the Air Ministry, he loathed Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, the commander of Allied air forces for the invasion, and he had become increasingly difficult with Portal. "The RAF was a house divided," observed a senior American staff officer afterwards. "The air side stank beyond belief."
But there were also considerable tensions within the American command structure. General Omar Bradley, a workmanlike infanteer who commanded the First Army, deeply disliked that flamboyant cavalryman General George Patton. He was astonished that Eisenhower had given Patton another chance after he slapped a shell-shocked soldier in a field hospital. Eisenhower, who had little idea of how intensely Bradley hated Patton, rightly selected "Old Blood and Guts" Patton to command the Third Army for the breakout from Normandy.
Patton was grateful to Eisenhower for having given him a second chance, but he never respected Ike "as a soldier''. When he accompanied the Supreme Commander on a tour of divisions in the southwest of England, he described his friendly manner with the troops as that of "an office seeker rather than that of a soldier". "His theory is that by this method one gets on a level with the men. A commander cannot command and be on the same level. At least that is my opinion. I try to arouse fighting emotion – he tries for votes – for what?"
Patton, a God-fearing conservative famous for his profanity, enjoyed addressing his troops in provocative terms. "Now I want you to remember," he once told them, "that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." But Patton's greatest contempt was reserved for Montgomery, whom he regarded as boastful, yet over-cautious. In his diary, he called him "the little monkey'.
While every aspect of Operation Neptune, the cross-channel assault, had been meticulously planned, surprisingly little thought had gone into the subsequent phase of Overlord. Montgomery had declared that Caen would be captured on the first day, before the Germans could bring in reinforcements. Then the British Second Army would advance beyond to seize ground and establish forward airfields ready to prepare for the breakthrough. But this was a vastly over-optimistic scenario when he had not put the right forces in place to achieve such an objective. He allocated no more than a single unmechanised infantry brigade and an armoured regiment to advance 10 miles inland and then seize a whole city.
With unexpectedly high tides reducing the beach to just 10 yards, it became very difficult to land the tanks. So the infantry, after waiting an hour, had to set off on foot. The British refusal to follow the American and German system of armoured infantry mounted in half-tracks proved a major handicap. Caen did not fall until just over a month later.
At the end of D-Day, British commanders in the Sword beachhead had played down their failure to take Caen with the misplaced optimism that "we can always take it tomorrow''. But over the next two days the fighting along the British and Canadian front intensified with the arrival of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitler Jugend, the Panzer Lehr Division and elements of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler.
The German high command wanted to launch a massive panzer counter-attack to sweep the Allies back into the sea. But Rommel lacked infantry reinforcements, because of the time it took them to march by night to the battlefront to avoid Allied air attack. As a result, the panzer divisions had to be broken up into Kampfgruppen, or battle groups, to hold the line. This disrupted plans to concentrate armoured forces for a decisive counter-stroke. All they could do was secure a front, especially against the British, to prevent a breakout towards Paris. British hopes of enlarging their beachhead were therefore dashed. The open country south-east of Caen remained beyond their reach, and any thought of pivoting on Caen, as Montgomery had claimed, had become impossible. Thus, in the first few days, the pattern of a battle of attrition became established.
Montgomery had failed to foresee the Germans' reaction. They were bound to send the bulk of their panzer divisions against the British and Canadians round Caen, rather than against the Americans further west. This was because a British breakthrough south-east towards Falaise and Paris would have cut off all their forces in western Normandy and in Brittany. On June 10, Montgomery had a meeting with Bradley and explained that, while the Americans concentrated on seizing the Cotentin peninsula and the port of Cherbourg, he was going to try to encircle Caen instead of attacking it head on.
But the next day, Montgomery wrote to General Freddie De Guingand, his chief of staff back in England, that his general objective was to "pull the Germans on to Second Army so that the [American] First Army can extend and expand". This rather more modest assessment was hardly in keeping with his earlier pugnacious declarations about the need to take Caen immediately. "Inaction and a defensive mentality are criminal in any officer – however senior," he had told commanders two months before the invasion. "Every officer and man must be enthusiastic for the fight and have the light of battle in his eyes."
Montgomery, partly for reasons of morale and partly out of pride, could not admit that any of his plans had gone wrong. He later created resentment and suspicion among American colleagues by claiming that he still intended to break out towards Falaise, yet insisting at the same time that he had always planned to trap the bulk of the panzer divisions onto his front to give the Americans the great chance of a breakout. This simply made a virtue out of a very sore necessity.
But although Montgomery's change of strategy was a perfectly pragmatic reaction to the situation, the Americans were furious at the way he tried to pretend that it had been his "master plan" all along.
On July 7, Patton, who had just arrived in Normandy, joined Bradley, Montgomery and de Guingand. "After lunch, Montgomery, Bradley and I went to the war tent," Patton wrote in his diary. "Here Montgomery went to great lengths explaining why the British had done nothing." Montgomery now wanted to postpone the moment at which Patton's Third Army was to become operational.
This, the Americans suspected, was an attempt to keep Bradley under the command of his own 21st Army Group for longer. Bradley studiously refused to answer. As soon as Patton's Third Army was activated, he would in practice become independent from Montgomery, since he would then command the US 12th Army Group, with two armies under him.
Patton, along with many Americans, felt that Montgomery was being far too cautious. But after the disastrous Villers-Bocage offensive of mid-June and Operation Epsom at the end of the month, both of which failed to encircle Caen from the west, Montgomery was gravely worried about British and Canadian manpower. The War Office warned him that replacements to make up infantry casualties would run out in a few weeks. But Montgomery, like Churchill, was loath to admit the problem to the Americans at a time when the British were becoming the junior partner in the alliance.
Eisenhower was becoming so exasperated that Montgomery's enemies in the RAF, Tedder and Air Marshal Coningham who commanded the Tactical Air Force for the invasion, hoped that he would be sacked. Coningham especially was enraged by Montgomery's claims that everything was going according to plan when he had failed to take the ground needed to build advance airfields.
An intelligence officer with the 7th Armoured Division had recorded with amazement in his diary, on June 22, shortly before Operation Epsom, what he heard from Major General Erskine on his return from Montgomery's headquarters. "General talked about what Monty had said to him," he wrote. "Complete change so far as we are concerned as Monty doesn't want us to make ground. Satisfied Second Army has drawn all enemy panzer divisions, now wants Caen only on this front and Americans to press on for Brittany ports. So attack goes in but we have very limited objective."
In the second week of July, however, Montgomery, aware of the resentment building up, realised that the British had to mount another major offensive. But to avoid any more infantry losses, he decided that for Operation Goodwood, he would use the three British armoured divisions to strike down the Caen-Falaise road. On July 12, he sold the plan to Eisenhower on the basis that it offered the possibility of a decisive breakthrough. The supreme commander, who had despaired of Montgomery's inaction, replied exuberantly two days later: "I am viewing the prospects with the most tremendous optimism and enthusiasm. I would not be at all surprised to see you gaining a victory that will make some of the 'old classics' look like a skirmish between patrols."
Montgomery also wrote to Field Marshal Brooke in London, saying that "the time has come to have a real "showdown" on the eastern flank'. But the very next day, Montgomery gave Dempsey and O'Connor a revised directive, which was much more modest in its objectives. He wanted to advance only a third of the way to Falaise, and then see how things stood. This may have been a more realistic assessment of what was possible, yet Montgomery never told Eisenhower or even Brooke. It would appear that he felt compelled to mislead his superiors to be sure of obtaining the heavy bombers to smash open the German lines. Politically, this was very unwise and the consequences would be disastrous for his reputation.
Every senior commander on the Allied side was praying for Montgomery to make a breakthrough at last. Even his foes in the RAF, including Harris, made no objection to his request for heavy bomber support. Tedder, who had privately been discussing with Coningham the possibility of Montgomery's dismissal, wrote to assure the commander-in-chief that all the air forces would be "full out to support your far-reaching and decisive plan".
But Goodwood, launched on July 18 after massive bombing and with a huge numerical superiority in tanks, ground to a halt by midday after an initial rapid advance. The Germans had recovered quickly and their deadly 88mm guns wreaked havoc on the tank squadrons unsupported by infantry. Even after the 1st SS Panzer Division counter-attacked the leading brigade, Montgomery, with catastrophic bad timing, claimed success. At 1600 hours he signalled Field Marshal Brooke: "Operations this morning a complete success. The effect of the bombing was decisive and the spectacle terrific. . . situation very promising and it is difficult to see what the enemy can do just at present. Few enemy tanks met so far and no (repeat) no mines." He then went on to claim erroneously that the 11th Armoured Division had reached Tilly-la-Campagne, and that the Guards Armoured had taken Vimont. It was one thing to have misled Brooke, but he also issued a similar communiqué to the BBC and gave a press conference. According to one of Montgomery's brigadiers, he talked to the assembled journalists "like children''. This was to produce a bitter backlash. The British had lost over 200 tanks.
Even the next day, when Field Marshal Brooke flew over to see Montgomery, he "found him in grand form and delighted with his success east of Caen". Perhaps Montgomery was simply putting on a brave front. In any case, the gulf between the claims made before the operation began, and the reality of the situation revealed after his press conference was becoming a major embarrassment.
On the eve of battle, war correspondents had been told of a "Russian style" breakthrough, which might take the Second Army forward by 150 to 200 kilometres. Several of the journalists pointed out that that meant all the way to Paris. When two days later the same colonel had to admit that the offensive had come to a halt, he faced tumultuous heckling. He tried to explain that Tiger and Panther tanks had appeared, and that General Montgomery had received a formal order from above not to risk a failure. This statement was openly disbelieved.
The next day Brigadier Alfred Neville from 21st Army Group was brought in to soothe the journalists. He tried to put a positive gloss on what had been achieved. The Second Army had taken the southern part of Caen and now controlled an important communications network. But then he claimed that the objective had not been to break through the German positions, but simply to penetrate them. The next day, Dempsey's chief of staff made another attempt to explain away the situation using impenetrable military jargon. An American correspondent caused roars of laughter by demanding a translation.
In fact the "death ride of the British armoured divisions" during Operation Goodwood, succeeded in nailing down the panzer divisions at a crucial moment, in line with Montgomery's revised plan. This was because it came just before Operation Cobra, the great American breakthrough in the west. It also helped to convince Rommel's successor, Field Marshal von Kluge, that the main Allied breakthrough would come on the British flank. But Montgomery's credibility with the Americans was irreparably damaged.
Eisenhower, who had done everything in his power to be fair to both partners in the alliance, often to the exasperation of his own officers who thought he was "selling out to the British", began to distrust Montgomery. And after the failure to close the Falaise Gap in August at the climax of the battle for Normandy, Eisenhower summarily rejected Montgomery's arguments that both British and American army groups should advance together into northern Germany under his field command.
Montgomery's attempts to preserve his own and his country's pride, had achieved the opposite effect. And the battle of the generals extended after the war by other means. Montgomery's memoirs inflamed old disputes, with his claim that everything had gone according to his master plan. He clearly felt that he should be compared to Marlborough and Wellington.
The usually tolerant Eisenhower was enraged. "First of all he's a psychopath," Eisenhower exploded in an interview with Cornelius Ryan in 1963. "Don't forget that. He is such an egocentric that man – everything he has done is perfect – he has never made a mistake in his life." It was tragic that Montgomery should have diverted attention away from his undoubted qualities and from the sacrifice of his troops who had held down the vast bulk of the panzer formations and faced the greatest concentration of 88mm anti-tank guns.

LOL

I went for a LOL workshop yesterday by Anand Chulani at a Yoga Room in Sheung Wan. It reinforced certain concepts that is useful to anyone. In order to make someone laugh, you must be concerned or focussed enough on the person to want to make the person laugh. It is true, sometimes we dump all our pain out to the other person listening, and that is not constructive. What would be better is to focus on the solution, not the problem. What do I need to do to solve that problem? Also when you focus on a other person, we will try be in the present, and make them look the best they can, for us to listen and relate to the ideas. Sort of a "I am here to serve you" concept, not making fun of the person and not thinking about yourself first.

It is interesting how in order to relate to others, we need not be perfect. It connects people, and one can take ownership for being inperfect. I like to wear my PJs the whole day and keep cleaning my home, bake at midnight, keep alone sometimes, watch news, like the smell of washing powder, hangout with children, shopping only during sales ... that makes me unique! If i tell this to a client/friend, and at first he could be take aback, but deep down, i have already made a connection if he identified with that trait! We keep incanting, I am so stressed, I am so tired etc, and of course where focus goes, energy flows. By continually reinforcing that idea, it will only make that come true. So we should be really saying "I am sexy, i am sexy"! It is possible to downplay one's language, where replacing the world "problem" with "challenge", say in a business meeting. If in a situation that one needs to vent, Anand suggests to go to a room/toilet and engage in jibberish to express one's frustration. After venting, then one is better placed to face the person/conflict with a clearer mind. Oh another one is to use "Yes... and" to build on an idea, he says this means that one is humble enough to hear and accept the gift that you are giving to me.

It is also helpful to change the posture/physicality of one. Ie by doing exercise in the morning, or the 9,8,7....3,2,1 exercise to losen the major limbs in the morning breaks the pattern, and engages the right side of the mind. If i meet a client who is a No...person, not interested, folds his arms, i could ask him to pass me a glass of water or do something to change his posture so that he breathes differently, so that is shift his posture and breaking his pattern. In short, doing something opposite to what is expected to shift/switch his emotion and make him more receptive. (A side point as to how comedy arises, tension & afterwards release to generate laughs, and mostly laughs are drawn when the actor does something opposite to what is expected.. this is also along the train of breaking the pattern).

The laughter that connects us comes from the heart. He made us think about the 3 people in my life that I am commited to making laugh today and everyday. If i really cared about someone, I would find a way to put a smile on their face. How would my life be if i made myself laugh everyday no matter how many challenges I face? How would my life be if i made the people I love most laugh every day? How would my life be if I made 3 people laugh everyday. How would that feeling multiply and magnify? :-)

Classy classy!

Before I had not thought of Louis Vuitton as anything more than a flashy brand. Today. I attended, as part of the Le French May, "Louis Vuitton A Passion for Creation" exhibition at the HK Museum of Art.

A symbol of French elegance and savoir vivre, L.V has maintained closed links with the art world for more than 150 years. As pioneers of the art of travel, L.V and his successors has always been working with the best architects, engineers, decorators. With Marc Jacobs as artistic director in 1997, L.V forged a strong relationship with artists, such as Stephen Sprouse (S/S 2001 Rose Collection, 2009 Grafitti all in bright neon colours), Takashi Murakami contemporary Japanese artist (2003 Eye Monogram on Black Canvas, Camouflage on Monogram) & Richard Prince, American painter and photographer (Spring 08 After Dark Collection). There was also a section on L.V architecture around the world, which i had never paid attention to before. Indeed, much goes behind this label other than the fact that it is toted & revered by ladies around the world.

I was introduced to the iconic architect that is Frank Gehry. Based in Los Angelos, he has designed a powerful building to embody the ambitions of Foundation Louis Vuitton pour la creation. Located on the outskirts of Paris, the use of glass as the primary exterior material plays on the transparency of light, to ensure that the building complements its natural environment. This building is dedicated gallery space to accomodate art exhibits and performance events. Sounds breath-taking in the ambition, and the message L.V seeks to put across, for a luxury label, which looks to be remembered going into the next century.

Opposite Metropark Hotel

I met Pam for swimming and dinner on Saturday at Wanchai. So i went to look up the trusty HK version of Michelin Guide. I made a booking for it Yi Xin Restaurant at Hennessy Road, which was famous for their lemon chicken. After walking in the wrong direction i had to call up to ask exactly where they were located. After asking me if i knew the Wanchai Police Station, and some church, i asked him for the third time, if there are other prominent locations, as I did not know where the places he mentioned were. Finally, he said it, opposite the Metropark Hotel. So after laughing it off with Pam, i said okay, i know exactly where it is.

Did the waiter think i would be put off by the fact it was opposite the tainted hotel? It is afterall one of the most notorious hotels across the world right now, and everyone in HK would know where it is. Should he have told me that from the start and saved a tiring 3 minute chicken and goose speak. Would anyone say, "Oh sorry, i would like to cancel my reservation if you are opposite the Metropark Hotel?"

So i was inches away from the hotel, in what i would daresay, the cleanest district in HK at the moment. It was covered in white cloth, and it was closed for cleaning. Apparently sales for the area around the hotel dipped 30%, but because it was Mother's Day weekend, that restaurant was notably packed with big tables of families. I enjoyed the meal, and it included a pig on the menu, pig lungs soup.

Swimming Pool

I have realised after 22 months that there is a swimming pool right beside my apartment. it is underground in ymca. it is a 18m pool, but looks like a 10m pool. i will attempt to swim sometime this week. i have bought a membership at ymca, a red swimming cap, as required, and transparent goggles. not very glam, i will consider every visit there an onsen trip.

i have got a friend visiting coming weekend. it is indeed possible to plan a weekend getaway. checking my trusty "A Year of Adventures" points me to Xinjiang in China, the Karakoram Highway & Silk Road, Hike Tiger Leaping Gorge where you begin in Lijiang Dali, Nepal, Gobi March, Trailwalker in Hongkong!

next week is busy with boss in town for the better half of the week. it is almost reaching mid june, almost 2 years i am in hongkong. how time flies.

Tsing Yi Hike on Labour Day

I met Joyce and friends at Tsing Yi, MTR station on Friday morning. We then, took a bus there. This trail was easy and short. It took us a relaxing 2+ hours walk. Roads were well paved and little jungle bashing. When we finished, we walked to the mall back at Tsing Yi and had Yum char.

Bought a PC at Wanchai. And saw the orderly march from Causeway Bay to Central, where the government office sits. I found out after about the Wanchai Metropark Hotel incident of the infected Mexican guy. Unfortunately for the occupants of the hotel, all 300 had to be quarantined for a week.

I missed the Bun Festival because of the first case of Swine flu in HK. Obviously i should be avoiding crowds. Here is what i missed. Newspaper reports say,

Business was better than ever for Cheung Chau’s bun sellers yesterday as 60,000 people crammed the streets to see the annual bun festival parade. Businesses put the bumper attendance down to the island’s big day coinciding with a public holiday. Early today Ho Sin-fai, the youngest of 12 finalists, beat the odds to win the bun scrambling competition, which is the highlight of the festival. Ho, 20, won with a score of 1,038, having snatched the most and the highest-scoring buns from a 14-metre tower set up outside the island’s Pak Tai temple.

Of buns and of late

I haven't blogged for the longest time. Partly because I did not have anything particularly exciting to write about. But it was important time that I off took to cook, read, do up place a little with pictures (of family and Nepal) and necessities! (such as a recent addition to my cookery utensils, induction wok, air purifier, tap purifier, desktop PC) Hurray! :-)

Things that has been moving well. One is being very comfortable in HK, social life and setting up activities for myself. These are all being set in place, and will take full swing by end May.

Activities for a headstart:
* Rock climbing level 1 - 30 May 09
* CFA Level 1 - December 2009
* Dance at CCDA - July 2009

Work is going well too. I am happy with the progress I have made, though i cannot say I am content. (Somewhat quoting from Obama's 100 days in office speech)

A couple of things: glad that Paul is happily in school. Paula not very happy with her gowns designs, aikes, I will just sort out my own first, pending for a good design to hit me! Any suggestions welcome! I live so close to Shenzhen, should be peanuts to get one tailored!

Tomorrow is the Cheung Chau Bun Scrambling Festival.
Cheung Chau's Bun Festival, which draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year, is staged to mark the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, in the Chinese calendar (this is usually in early May). It coincides with the local celebration of Buddha's Birthday.

The Cheung Chau Bun Festival began as a fun and exciting ritual for fishing communities to pray for safety from pirates. Today this religious origin has largely been forgotten, and the festival has mainly become a showcase of traditional Chinese culture.Cheung Chau's Bun Festival, which draws tens of thousands of local and overseas tourists every year, is staged to mark the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, in the Chinese calendar (this is usually in early May). It coincides with the local celebration of Buddha's Birthday.

The Cheung Chau Bun Festival began as a fun and exciting ritual for fishing communities to pray for safety from pirates. Today this religious origin has largely been forgotten, and the festival has mainly become a showcase of traditional Chinese culture.

Hold On

This MTV i chanced upon after watching American Idol is interesting. It talks about bull riders having the biggest balls.... haha. Well like life right? Take it by its horns.

Hold On - Korn

With aversion, this insertion
came so swiftly
Cut the cord, from this day forward
We'll be drifting

No direction, no affection
Watch the soul dive
You're dissected, resurrected
Still don't know why
This illness is like a monster that is
eating us alive

Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong

New arrival, our survival
still not certain
What's a virtue, where do you go to
when you're hurting?

It's a weakness, it's a sickness
in the gene pool
Show no mercy, people here say
"Kill the damned fool"
This illness is like a monster that is
eating us alive

Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong

My
Soul
Blood
Run

Don't ever let me go, no
Don't ever let me go, no
Never never let you go, n
oI'll never let you go, no

Hold on, be strong
So right, so wrong
With all of our senses
All of our defenses
Hold on, be strong

The Oscars - My Predictions

I watched an impressive three movies over this weekend. They are Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button & Revolutionary Road. I guess I wanted to see for myself the movies before the Oscars. Others I have to watch before Wednesday: Milk, Doubt & The Class. I don't think The Wrestler, and Frost/Nixon and Rachel Getting Married & The Reader will be out in HK by this Thursday.

My Picks for those that I know:
Art Direction: Benjamin Button
Cinematography: Slumdog
Directing: Slumdog
Makeup: The Dark Knight
Music: Slumdog
Best Picture: Benjamin Button,
Best Music: Jai Ho from Slumdog

One Week Later

Shanghai was great. Met with China "laojiaos" like Jack and Dan from SMU, Sam and his wife Grace, and Alex - Pris's colleague. Went to eat Ma La Hotpot, Di Shui Dong, Xiao Long Bao at Cheng Huang Miao, Ningbo Tang yuan. I even had the experience of eating at a SOE's canteen, and oh Intercon's breakfast was delightful!

It was reasonably priced tailored blouse at RMB100, and one tailored black jacket at RMB260, another at RMB200. I had it tailored at the commercialized ('read - so many lao wais!') texile market near Nanpu Bridge train station. This guy at some leather shop made me drink beer with him! And i went for much-needed massage at Ming Massage - it was surely a far walk from what I was instructed to be a near walk! The decor was amazing, very zen, and the massage baju was good elastic material, not your cheap cotton kind! It cost something like RMB108 for 60mins, plus it was quiet, could unwind from that intense two days of meetings! Visited Awfully Chocolate (their chinese name is 'au fu li' full stop, oops) and the fudge was too melty for my taste. Shop very true to the clean white barewalled interior.

All credit to the spicy food, i have got a huge ulcer on my cheek (near my wisdom teeth surgery), that lasted for a week. I could hardly speak, and had no appetite. Thank god its getting better. I went to the doctor - on the pretext of getting a MC, but obviously the doctors in HK are too pragmatic to even offer. I suffered, while my colleague was gloating behind my back. By chance (and part by plan) she didn't get to see my visitor for one week, Smoochie. This little Snauzer has amazing bowels, none of my dogs ever mastered the skill of holding their pee overnight, and she did it. See, I allow only selected bitches to my apartment - those who know how to behave.

Shanghai Advice

"I think you can stay at Le Meridien, its really nice, rooms cost 1100 from a discount agency.

Places that you can visit, places to eat – I got more eateries than I have places to visit…

1) Jap Restaurant: 长宁路890号玫瑰坊广场EF32 – good yakitori and sake!
2) Small lobster Restaurant: 虹桥路217号- if you’ve never experienced small lobster eating, try it once! Get the 年糕 ver.
3) Fakkin’ good Sichuan food: Jinjiang Dickson Mall area, look for 滴水洞 http://www.shanghainavi.com/food/restaurant.php?id=11
4) 小肥羊 – I always eat that when I go to Shanghai, WITHOUT FAIL!
5) Go to Xintiandi also ba, that’s all I know of Shanghai! "

~NH

" Hi, attached is the namecard with the addresses for Sichuan food (pretty spicy but its good. must book in advance hor). The following restaurants are also good, check out the reviews (must book too or go early)














- Spicy joint : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2061259
- Mushroom Hotpot : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2244928
- 789 Hotpot : http://www.dianping.com/shop/2198275

If you wanna try good xiao long bao, I would recommend a stall in this old town called 七宝 Qi Bao. There is a train station with this name on line 9 (i think). Once you emerge, there will be a shopping centre... but if you go across the road and walk in a bit further.. there is an 'old town'. Surprisingly, its filled with more locals than tourists and there's a food street there which is usually very crowded. The xiao long bao stall is near the bridge beside a pavilion. They are famous for their crab-roe xlb. The ah-balling stalls there are also worth trying. Have fun!"

~John

Chinese New Year Trip

I am very sure i will remember 2009 as the year where many people i know get hitched and hook up.

I ve been to Singapore and back, from 21st Jan - 3rd Feb. Met up with lots of friends and spoke to people i haven't met up with the previous trip back. Was happy to spend quality time with my dear family as well. I was quite happily in bliss. Happy for Antz, who got himself a great looking girlfriend, and Alf who will be doing theatre full time!

Coming back to HK, i was previously charged and motivated to make 2009 as best as I can as a salesperson. I have started changing some of my clothes to make myself feel and look better! Somehow, I feel a bit restless, but perhaps I have some backlog to clear before I can start on a clean slate. So, all moving along. All good.

Things I would like to do this year:
- Dress like a woman
- Get a Masters!
- Join a team sport or club
- Continue rock climbing with Bern
- Travelling on the weekends into China

Coming Home

I will be reaching Sg by midnight this Tuesday, which is merely two days away.

Feel a bit excited, as I will see seeing everyone again, but I am in a little flurry to buy some last minute stuff for family. Aiya, the likes of Pineapple Tart, Lap Cheong, Skin products, Medicated Oil. On Tuesday itself, I will buy a dozen egg tarts before heading to the airport. Enough!

Chocolates

This is a mental reminder to check out Jean-Paul Hévin Chocolatier at Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui Harbour City Unit 212. Apparently, he insists on using the Coco produced from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia & Madagascar. What amazed me is how their signature shop in Paris looks like. I am so drooling ... (taken from a blog called BM)

I have tried Maison Du Chocolat at Pacific Place. Their Champagne Truffle is very pleasant. Also a Parisian joint, the center is a smooth, creamy ganache delicately infused with Fine Champagne cognac covered with a layer of dark chocolate and dusted cocoa powder. (lifted from Maison du Chocolat's website)

A mental note to buy some back home. Of course they have Godiva here, but maybe Parisan Pattissiers offer a good alternative to Belgium ones.

Names

I was reading the Post Magazine and came across a reflection by a Singaporean in HK about unusual names in HK. It was Hextan, I myself have come across names like England, Queenie, Cesario ... I no longer find any name very shocking.

Anyway this reflection article said he did an online search on the name Hextan, and the closest he came to was a small village in Hertfordshire, England, called Hexton. Apparently using places names as personal names has a long history, especially among the Chinese.

"Surnames such as Huang, Chen, Zheng, Wu and many others were originally the names of feudal states of the Zhou Dynasty (1064BC-256BC). These states were rented out to relatives of the ruling famiy, allied clans, descendants of former dynasties and able servants who had helped found the dynasty. Over time, the rulers and citizens of some of these terrotories took the names of the fiefdoms as their family names. Not all Chinese surnames were orginally place surnames, however, the most common Chinese surname Wang, (literally Prince), refers instead to the rank of the clan's progenitors."

A bit of insight on my surname. According to Wikipedia, the three most common surnames in Mainland China are Li, Wang and Zhang, which make up 7.9%, 7.4% and 7.1% respectively. Together they number close to 300 million and are easily the most common surnames in the world. How Zhang became Teo is because of Hokkien or Min Nan translation. Min Nan, or "Southern Fujian" language) refers to a family of Chinese dialects which are spoken in southern Fujian and neighboring areas. Many of the diaspora emigrated to SE Asian nations, and i think my grandma is from Shantou, which is an Eastern Guangdong prefecture.

An aside to this post is that after Chinese New Year, when the weather gets warmer, I will start backpacking into nearby areas in China.

I want simplicity and faith in myself

Tracy Chapman - Sing For You

One, two, .. one, two, three, four Sweet and high at the break of dawn
Simple tune that you can hum along too
I remember there was a time
When I used to sing for you

Do do do, do do do Do do do,
do do do Do do do, do do do
I used to sing for you
Do do do, do do do Do do do,
do do do do Do do do, do do do

Knew all the words to the popular songs
With the radio on full volume I remember there was a time
When I used to sing for you
Do do do, do do do Do do do,
do do do do Do do do, do do do

I used to sing for you
Do do do, do do do Do do do,
do do do do Do do do,
do do do

Forget the chorus,
you're the bridge
The words and music to everyday I’ve lived
There’s nothing, I wouldn’t give
For one more time,

when I can sing for you
Do do do, do do do Do do do,
do do do do Do do do,
do do do

Oh Yeah Do do do,
do do do Do do do,
do do do do Do do do,
do do do

Soft and low when the evening comes Holding you,
sleeping in my arms
I remember there was a time
When I used to sing for you

Do do do, do do do Do do do,
do do do Do do do, do do do
I used to sing for you
Do do do, do do do Do do do,
do do do do Do do do, do do do
I used to sing for you