Happy Birthday to My Daddy

Happy birthday to my dear daddy~~~

the greatest father and husband in the world!

The Last Will & Testament of Silverdene Emblem O'Neill

一隻狗的遺囑
The Last Will & Testament of Silverdene Emblem O'Neill

我是席爾丹尼‧安伯倫．奧尼爾（家人、朋友和熟識我的人通常叫我伯萊明）。因年老的的拖累與疾病纏身的沉重負擔，我感受到自己的生命將走到盡頭，因此在這裡將自己的遺囑埋藏在主人的心中。直到我死後，主人才會發現這份遺囑就藏他在心靈一隅。在他孤寂想起我的時候，便會恍然察覺到這份遺囑。我期望他能將之深記在心頭，當作是對我的紀念。
I,Silverdene Emblem O’Neill (familiarly known to my family,friends & acquaintances as Blemie),because the burden of my years and unfirmities is heavy upon me, and I realize the end of my life is near, do hereby bury my last will and testament in the mind of my Master.he will not know it is there until after I am dead. Then,remembering me in his loneliness,he will suddebly know of this testament, and I ask him to inscribe it as a memeorial to me .

我能留下來實質的東西很少。狗比人類聰明，不會蓋大倉來存放東西，也不會把時日浪費在貯藏資產，更不會煩惱如何保有現有的或者沒有得到的東西，而擾亂自己的睡眠。
I have little in the way of material things to leave.Dogs are wiser than men.They do not set great store upon things.They do not waste their days hoarding property. they do not ruin their sleep worrying about how to keep the objects they have,and to obtain objects they have not.

所以，除了愛和忠誠，我沒有什麼值錢的東西可以留下來。我將這僅有的留下給所有愛過我的人，特別是我的男主人和女主人，我知道他們對我的哀悼會最深。
There is nothing of value I have to bequeath except my love and loyalty.These I leave to all those who have loved me,especially to my Master and Mistress, who I know will mourn me the most.

我祈求我的男主人和女主人能永遠記得我，但是不要為我悲傷太久。在有生之年，我一直在努力撫慰他們的憂愁時刻，為他們的幸福增添歡樂的理由；一想到我的死將給予他們的悲傷，就讓我痛苦萬分。
I ask my Master and my Mistress to remember me always, but not to grieve for me too long. In my life, I have tried to be a comfort to them of sorrow, and a reason for added joy in their happiness. It is painful for me to think that even in death I should cause them pain.

我要讓他們知道，從來沒有一隻狗的生活像我一樣的快樂（這完全歸功於他們對我的愛與關懷）。而今，我已眼盲、耳聾、腳也瘸了，連嗅覺也失去了靈敏，即使有隻兔子就在我的鼻下，我可能也不知道，這讓我的自尊陷入病態而惶恐的屈辱之中。
Let them remember that while no dogs has ever had a happier life(and this owe to their love and care for me),now that I have grown blind and deaf and lame, and even my sense of smell fails me so that a rabbit could be right under my nose and I might not know, my pride has sunk to a sick, bewildered humiliation.

我感覺生命似乎在嘲弄我的苟延殘喘。在還沒有病到對自己和所有愛我的人造成負擔之前，我該說再見了。
I feel life is taunting me with having over-lingered my welcome. it is time I said good-bye, before I become too sick a burden on myself and on those who love me.

我的悲傷不在死亡，而是在於離開深愛的人。狗不像人一樣害怕死亡，我們將死亡視為生命的一部份，而不是摧毀生命的怪異、可怕的東西。誰能預知死後的世界呢？
It will be a sorrow to leave them,but not a sorrow to die. Dogs do not fear death as men do. We accept it as part of life, not as something alien and terrible which destroys life.What may come after death, who knows ?

我寧願相信那是一座天堂樂園。在那裡，每個人都永遠年輕、精神飽滿；每一天都洋溢著歡笑。時時刻刻都能像用餐時候一樣充滿恩典。
I would like to believe that there is a Paradise. Where one is always young and full-bladdered. Where all the day one dillies and dallies. Where each blissful hour is mealtime.

在每個漫漫長夜，有無以計數的壁爐燃燒著永不熄滅的柴火，讓人踡縮著身體，望著火焰眨眼，而恍惚進入夢境，回憶起在麈世裡的美麗時光，以及男主人和女主人的呵愛。
Where in the long evenings there are a million fireplaces with logs forever burnings, and one curls oneself up and blinks into the flames and nods and dreams, remembering the old brave days on earth and the love of one’s Master and Mistress.

即便是對我這樣的狗來說，那樣的期待也奢侈了一點。但是死後的世界至少會有平靜，那是一定的。讓我衰老疲倦的身心獲得平靜和安息，而且在我至愛的土地上長眠。或許，這是最好的結果。
I am afraid that this is too much for even such a dog as I am to expect. but peace, at least is certain. Peace and a long rest for my weary old heart and head and limbs, and eternal sleep in the earth I have loved so well. Perhaps, after all, this is the best.

最後，我有一個誠摯的請求。我曾經聽過女主人說：「伯萊明死後，我不會再養別的狗了。我是如此地愛牠，我再無法愛別的狗了。」 現在，我要懇求她，因著對我的愛。請再養一隻狗！不再飼養別的狗，對於要保有對我的記憶並不會有太多的助益，我所希望的是，這個家庭會因為曾經擁有我，而從此無法過著沒有狗的生活。
One last request, I earnestly make. I have heard my Mistress say,”When Blemie dies we must never have another dog. I love him so much I could never love another one.” Now I would ask her, for love of me, to have another. It would be a poor tribute to my memory never to have a dog again. What I would like to feel is that, having once had me in the family, she cannot live without a dog !

我從來不是那種氣量狹窄、嫉妒心很強的狗，我一直認為大部份的狗都是善良的。
I have never had a narrow, jealous spirit. I have always held that most dogs are good.

我的接班人可能無法像我年輕時一樣有教養、有禮貌、或是那麼的優秀、漂亮。所以，我的男主人和女主人千萬不可以強求。但我相信牠一定會盡力配合，而即使牠有一些無法避免的缺點，也會因為常被拿來與我相比，而使人們對我的記憶常保如新。
My successor can hardly be as well bred or as well mannered or as distinguished and handsome as I was in my prime. My Master and Mistress must not ask the impossible. But he will do his best, I am sure, and even his inevitable defects will help by comparison to keep my memory green.

我把我的頸圈、皮帶、外套和雨衣留給牠。這些東西穿戴在他身上，或許不能如我一般出色，不像我會引起眾人的讚嘆，但是我可以再一次確定，牠一定會極盡所能讓自己看起來不會像隻粗笨的土狗。
To him I bequeath my collar and leash and my overcoat and raincoat. He can never wear them with the distinction I did, all eyes fixed on me in admiration; but again I am sure he will do his utmost not to appear a mere gauche provincial dog.

在這農場上，牠也許可證明自己在某方面足以和我匹敵。我猜想，至少和這幾年的我相比，牠跑得的速度可以更接近長耳大野兔。為了他，我要在這裡祝福牠在我的老家過得幸福快樂。
Here on the ranch,he may prove himself quite worthy of comparison, in some respect. He will, I presume, come closer to jackrabbits than I have been able to in recent years. And for all his Faults, I hereby wish him the happiness I know will be his in my old home.

親愛的男主人和女主人，這是我告別的最後一番話。
One last word of farewell, dear Master and Mistress.

每次你們到墳前來看我時，請回憶我與你們長久相伴的幸福日子，懷著遺憾但是快樂的心情對自己說：「這裡躺著愛我們和我們所愛的朋友。」
Whenever you visit my grave,say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long, happy life with you : “Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved.”

不管我的睡眠有多沈，我都會聽見你們的呼喊，即使是死神施展所有力量也無法抑止我搖尾表示感激之心。身為一隻狗，我唯一能做到就是永遠愛你們。
No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail. I will always love you as only a dog can.

尤金.奧尼爾 1888-1953

Eugene O'Neill 1888 - 1953

Laos Trip Day 1．Fly

Lost in Laos - Day 1
23 September 2007
Singapore ->Bangkok -> Luang Prabang

Photos: http://www.fotop.net/headless/20070923
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since there are lots of assignments and exams coming up after the break, I was busy writing reports all the time before the trip, I didn't have time to pack for my trip until several hours before I had to go to the airport...

I took budget airline from Singapore to Bangkok, so the departure time was 0630 which means that I had to leave from my place at 3:30am so that I can reach Changi airport by 4:30am!

At the porch of my school residence, there is a taxi stop. There is a sign right there with some numbers of the taxi companies so that we can call for cab when we need, of course you have to pay additional cost for that though. I was prepared to call a cab since it was 3 something in the morning. But when I called, this is what I heard on my phone.....

"Sorry, the system is under maintenance, please call again several hours later."

Several HOURS!? Several hours later, I should be in Bangkok boarding another plane to Laos already! Alone in the dark, with the very huge backpack.. I begun to sweat.. and didn't know what to do..

It is quite impossible to flag a cab in any places nearby the place I live, not to say it was 3 in the morning! I saw a few cab passed by but they were all occupied. And all the taxi drivers stared at me....

Just when I was about to cry... (not really..).. miracle came! An occupied cab drove in the residence carpark. I ran towards the exit of the carpark and waited until it came out again! After a few minutes, the cab did come out! The driver was a bit shocked to see me standing there!! haha

Just like my past few experience, the taxi drivers in Singapore are generally nice and talkative. This nice uncle is one of them. We chatted along the way and he took me to the Budget Terminal of Changi Airport at about 4am.

Singapore Changi Airport opened the Budget Terminal in 2005 to cater the increasing needs of budget airline business. This is my first time using this terminal. In my opinion, the Budget Terminal is a normal terminal without the "unnecessaries". For "unnecessaries" I mean things like air-conditioning (which they have fans instead), and the little connecting bridge from the boarding gate to the planes etc. Other than that, I don't see anything lack in Budget Terminal. There are bookstores, convenient store, souvenior shops and free internet access.

If I have to say any differences between the Budget Terminal and the normal terminals, maybe I'd say it's the service quality of the immigration staff. As far as I remember, the immigration staff I encountered in other terminals during my last few times using Changi Airport were quite nice.. I won't say they provide "excellent" service.. but at least they are not rude. But this morning when I was departing Singapore.. it was quite a nightmare..

In my own common sense, I always need to show two documents to immigration staff whenever I depart - my passport and the boarding pass. Anything other than that, e.g. departure form, usually will be given to me when I check-in at the airline counter. I didn't get anything from the airline staff when I check-in this morning, so I just gave my passport and the boarding pass to the auntie at the immigration counter.

Perheps it was too early in the morning (it was just 6:30am), once she got my passport and boarding pass, she was stoned, seems that she didn't know what she supposed to do...

She didn't say anything to me.. 5 seconds later, I tried to break the ice by giving her the only ID I have on hand - my Student Pass. I wish it would help. A Student Pass is a little card which serves as a student visa in Singapore. I supposed I only need it when I enter the country.

Once she saw my Student Pass, I saw a light bulb on her head!! She knows what to do!! But!! before she did anything, she started to yell at me... scold at me.. do whatever she can to embarrass me. The main point she said was I didn't take out the Student Pass at first, so she didn't know what to do.. and I'm wasting ALL the people's time.. etc....

I looked at her as she was yelling.. I tried very hard to hold my laugh.. I think she kept yelling me for about 2 minutes.. I felt really sorry for the people waiting behind.

What I was thinking at that time was the immigration staff in Hong Kong.. I really miss their service. Immigration staff is the first person a tourist will encounter when they visit a country. Everyone knows how important is first impression. If Singapore really wants to continue boosting her tourism industry, immigration staff would be one place to be improved.
The journey from Singapore to Bangkok was about 2 to 3 hours. Due to time differences, I arrived Bangkok at 7:50am Bangkok time. I needed to fill in an arrival form for the Thai Immigration. There was a field called "Hotel" in the form. Since I was going to take another plane later, I don't know what to put there, I left that blank. Will I get scold again?

Once the staff got my form and passport, he quickly noticed that I didn't fill in that field. Then he said something to me in a language that I don't speak.. and he suddenly realised that I don't understand what he said.. he looked at my passport again. and changed his channel to Cantonese but with a quite funny ascent. "Hong~Kong~AR? Hotel!" and he pointed to that field. I explained my situation to him. He taught me to write down 'transfer' instead of a hotel name.

In just a several hours, I did something wrong in the immigration counter of 2 different countires! However, in a country that is generally perceived as highly educated and developed, I was scold and embarrassed for 2 minutes. On the other hand, in the less developed country, I got smile and friendly faces. What do these indicated?

Ok, everything is done. I even got my big backpack back on my back. It was still 8 something. The flight to Luang Prabang is 12:40.. what should I do?

The new Bangkok International Airport looks almost the same as the one in Hong Kong, especially the Departure floor. There were only a few very small shops, I don't really think I can go in with my backpack and my camera bag and walk for 2+ hours. So I went to the airline counter and asked if I can check-in "a bit" earlier than I supposed to..

To my surprise, they let me do that!! Although they felt very strangle for a passenger to check in 4 hours earlier than the departure time, they were still very friendly!! Ok now I get rid of my backpack and got my boarding pass, I could do whatever I want, especially I can get into the Departure Hall and walk around those shops!

First I got some Baht from the money exchange, then start planning how to spend my few hours at the airport.

If you know me well, you know the first shop I'd go. Yes, the bookstores. Although the one I found in the BKK airport was quite small, I still spent more than half an hour there until the staff started staring at me..

Then I went to Burger King, wanted to have some food and plan for my trip later in the afternoon. A meal in BK here costs 235 Bhat, even more expensive than Singapore. And it was upsized almost automatically. During my stay in the store, everyone (EVERYONE incl ME!) was having an upsized meal!

Long Live the King

Finally waited until 12:40! All other passengers and I board on a bus at the boarding gate. Our plane parked at a outer bay so we needed a bus to take us there. When the bus was about to stop, we saw two planes. One was a small jet, another one was a even smaller jet, a propeller-driven one... just when we were still guessing which one was our plane, the bus driver took us to the back of the propeller-driven one.. and we all laughed. Well, it seems that it's not only my first time taking this kind of aircraft!

My first time on a propeller-driven aircraft

Although the aircraft looks small on the outside, the seats are actually more comfortable than the usual 747 plane, of course I'm talking about the economy class! Once the flight took off, I tried very hard to catch some sleep. However, despite the time to spend on the in-flight meal, the nice lovely American lady sitting behind me kept giving her speech on "Women rights in the States" to the lady next to her, whom she just met on the plane. She didn't stop talking for the whole journey.. and I thought I only slept for about 10-15 minutes!

Ok..anyway, finally, I arrived in Luang Prabang at 2:40pm

Immigation time! Most of the visitors to Laos are required a visa to enter the country. Visa-on-arrival (30 days) can be applied at only 3 international airports (Luang Prabang, Vientaine and Pakse). The fee for visa is different according to the passport you are holding. Hong Kong is one of the most cheapest passport to get a visa to visit Laos, we only need to pay US$30. However, if you arrive there during weekend like me (this is Saturday!).. you have to pay an extra US$1 for the overtime of the immigration staff. The thing is, since most of us didn't have one dollar note, and they only accept US cash, the staff actually has to spend more time to find out how to give us the $9 changes!!

Once you got the visa done, it's very easy to get pass the immigration counter. I gave my passport to the staff there, they input some information to the computer. The staff were very nice and friendly. They even chat and share jokes with me.

This 'international' airport has only one bagguage belt. Since I spent very long time waiting for the visa to be done, when I get out from the immigration (which is just the room next door), the belt was stopped already. All the bagguages were placed nicely on the floor. Later I notice that other people from outside can actually come it and get the bagguages, but nothing was stolen.

Luang Prabang International Airport（shooting from the apron）

It only takes less than one minute to walk from the bagguage belt to the outside of the airport. Just when I stepped out, 2 men approached me at once and asked me if I wanted a cab to the town. I looked around, most of the tourists were gone except for one standing nearby. I asked him if he wanna share the cab with me. He agreed but he wanna check with the tourist information counter inside the airport for the normal cab fare so that we won't get cheated. We found out that the fare is all the same, we have to buy a 'taxi ticket' from the counter and get a cab. So we bought the ticket and hop onto a cab and started our way to the town of Luang Prabang.

The 'taxi' we took was not the taxi we usually see in major cities. It was actually a mini van. And it can mainly be found at the airport. In the city, people either walk or travel by tuk-tuk. It took us about 15-20 minutes to go to the town. We introduced each other during the short trip. He is Dan, a 31 American from NY. He's already an experienced traveller! He has been lots of places in China!! A lot more than me, a Chinese!!

We stopped at the guesthouse that Dan found out from his guidebook. We went inside and asked for the price, then we went upstairs and checked the rooms. The staff was very nice, never push us to stay there. He first showed us a room with 2 single beds, Dan knew that I was only staying there for one night, so he suggested us to share the room to save costs. That was a good idea, but this was also my first night of my first individual trip.. I still feel strange of sharing a room with a person that I just knew.. so I prefered to have my own room instead. So we went downstairs wanted to pay for the rooms.. but the staff didn't come down with us.. I think he thought we're not going to take the room!! haha.. After a while, he went down and saw us waiting there.. he was abit surprised. When we told him we wanna take 2 separate rooms, he was even more surprised!

The whole Luang Prabang town was listed as World Heritage in 2005, it is one of the most important tourism destinations in Laos. Therefore the price of the rooms here is a bit higher than other places. The room I got this night costed US$13/night. Dan got a room without window, so it was one dollar cheaper.

After we settled down, Dan and I decided to have a walk around the town. We first walked along the Mekong River, it was very quite, we only saw a few locals walking pass. One the way, we made a visit to the Wat Xieng Thong (Entrance fee: 20000kip = US$2).

We walked till the end of the road and turn right to the Nam Khan River. There were lots of Wats on the way but we didn't visit all of them. We just walked very slowly and had a nice chat all the way. We passed by some travel agencies on the way, I bought the bus ticket to Phonsavan for tomorrow and Dan also asked some information about the boats.

We walked until dusk and we were at the bottom of the Phu Si hill. Dan realized that there was a Wat up in the hill and suggested to go up and have a look, so we decided to climb up the hill... of course there were stairs.. we climbed and climbed until we almost couldn't make it.. we reached the top of the stairs!! AND! we found the ticketing counter!!! There was another stair!! And the Laos are humorous enough to write down how many steps we had just climbed (130) and how many more we need to climb up to the top (190). Dan and I couldn't stop laughing when we saw those signs.. we rested for a while, paid for the tickets and climbed the remaining 190 steps!

Still 190 steps!!

Finally we were at the top of the hill! It was soooo beautiful up there! You can see the whole Luang Prabang from here! What's even more beautiful is.. we came just in time! Just in time to see the beautiful sunset!

Top of the world

There were some big steps on the hill just perfectly serve as seating space for tourists to view the sunset. Though the place is quite small up there, there were still 20-30 people sitting or standing there waiting to witness the sunset. At that time, I felt the power of the nature.. there were no signs, no guards on the hill, but no one speak a word. It was so quite.. everyone just keep silent to enjoy every second.

Sunset

I didn't expect to see this at all, so by the time I saw the sunset, I was so excited! This is not my first time watching sunset, but this was surely the most beautiful one! After the sun was gone, we didn't go immediately, we sat there and played with a kitten who has been sleeping there during the sunset!! Then a girl wearing some sort of uniform approached Dan and asked him to fill up a survey. She heard from Dan that I am not Laos (!!), so she also came and asked me. The survey was something about my consumption behaviour in Luang Prabang.

After that, we got back to the main street and ready to go for dinner. Dan is a vegetarian, originally he wanted to go to a restaurant suggested by the guidebook. But after we walked for a while, we walked pass and got attracted by a vegetarian buffet store on the street! The food looked delicious and the price was even more attractive! only 5000kip (US$0.5) per plate. So we changed our mind and had our dinner here! The food was really nice, we both cleared our own plate!!

Vegetarian buffet

It was only 8pm+ after the dinner! We head slowly back to the guesthouse, walked pass a night market selling all kinds of cooked food. After we reached the guesthouse, we sat down at the outdoor area of the restaurant, and we both tried the very famous Beer Lao! One thing we didn't know is that the bottle of Beer Lao is 650ml! So huge! Lucky the taste is very nice, i can easily finish it!

Beer Lao

We drink and chat until 9 somthing, I have to wake up at 6:30am tomorrow, so I headed back to my room after the beer. Dan gave me his name card and we said goodbye for now.

Somehow I think that I was very lucky that I actually met Dan at the airport. Otherwise, I definitely would not climb up Phu Si hill and I would have missed the sunset! And I would also just booked my bus ticket through guesthouse and never go and check with travel agencies. I really have to thank Dan!!

Dan and me

There was a little story happened later that night. Maybe I was too excited, I wasn't able to sleep so I kept reading on the bed until 11pm. Suddenly... there was a black-out... no more air-con, no more lights.. I looked out from the windows.. seems to me that the buildings nearby were all cut out of electricity. Electricity was back after about 15 mins.. but the room had already became very muggy. Besides that, I'm now very not used to air-con room since I've been staying in my non-air-con hostel for about 11 months. Adding up all these, my head started to feel very very painful... the serious headache stopped me from sleeping until I took 2 panadols.

The headache thus ended my beautiful day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Expenditure for today
Cab to Changi Airport：SGD16 = US$11
Burger King：THB235 = US$7.5
Visa for Laos：US$31
Cab to Luang Prabang town：US$4
Guesthouse：US$13
Tickets for Wat：20000kip x 2 = US4
Dinner：12000kip = US$1.2
Bus ticket to Phonsavan incl. tuk tuk：160000kip = US16
TOTAL：US$88

gulugulu

What is a personal blog for?

I've been thinking these days why I've been writing this blog. What is a blog for? Am I writing for myself? Am I writing for my friends? Am I writing for everyone in the world?

People used to write diaries, and it was a very personal thing. Blog somehow does the same function as diary, people record their daily life on their blogs. However, blog is public, and people tend to invite their friends to visit their blogs.

I used to have no problem at all sharing my thoughts on the internet. I used to write everything I wanna write here and I'm prepared to let anyone know what I think and what I did. But thing has changed recently.

I have something in particular I really want to write. I really want to keep track of my feelings these days. But I cannot write it here. I cannot write anywhere on the internet. I don't even think I should buy a diary and write it down. But I really want to keep all these memories.

Is this my blog? What can't I write anything I want to? I can't tell anyone about this. Maybe I can just keep it in my mind.

Hand puppet

A lecturer showed us this video clip during the lecture break today. I think it's very nice!

How can we break them?

How can we break all the barriers?
How can I tell who is you and who is not?
How can we get rid of all those troubles?
How many more do we need to get through?
Are you sure we can make it?
Are you sure you wanna make it?
How long do we need to wait?
Will it be forever?

Can anybody answer these questions?

Laos trip report (Chinese)

started writing down what I've down in my Laos trip finally, but in Chinese first for my family and the magazine.
I've started a new blog for it..
http://headlessinlaos.blogspot.com/
hopefully I can finish it by this week then I may start considering writing the English version here. =P

Brown Eye Blue Eye

This is a nice program which talks about discrimination. I highly recommend to all of you.
I know people will never understand the impact of discrimination until once they being discriminated against. I do hope by watching this program, all of us can think about ourselves, think about how we generalize people by their appearances, races... etc.

This program is about an Iowa schoolteacher who, the day after Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in 1968, gave her third-grade students a first-hand experience in the meaning of discrimination. This is the story of what she taught the children, and the impact that lesson had on their lives.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/etc/view.html

Chapter 1 The Daring Lesson
Jane Elliott divides her 3rd graders into blue and brown-eyed groups. She tells the blue-eyes they are "the better people in this room," gives them privileges and comments on their superiority all day. The brown eyes must wear collars.

Chapter 2 Day Two
Today, roles are reversed. Elliott says she lied and that "the truth is that brown-eyed people are better than blue-eyed people." On this day the brown eyes score higher on a test compared to the previous day when they were "inferior."

Chapter 3 14 Years Later...
At a special reunion in 1984, Elliott's former students watch the original 1970 film of themselves as 3rd graders and talk about the effect her lesson has had on their lives.

Chapter 4 Teaching It to Adults
Jane Elliott is hired to give her "brown eyes-blue eyes" lesson to employees of Iowa's Corrections Department. She quickly succeeds in confusing, angering and upsetting them.

Chapter 5 How the Adults Reacted
Elliott continues to demean and antagonize the "inferior" blue-eyed employees and some strike back. Later, during their debriefing, all the employees analyze what happened to them.

A phone call

1:30a.m.
A man started walking alone in the bush.
Indeed he should be sleeping after trekking for the whole day.
But he kept walking...
An hour later, he was finally there..
A place where there is reception for his cellphone..
He called her.
He talked with her for less than 10 mins.
After that,
He had to walk for an hour to get back to his camp.

It would be nice

It would be so nice..
if love is just love..
there's no need to worry about future..
there's no need to worry about others..
there's no need to worry about differences..

It would be so nice..
if we could stay in this ideal world..

But I wonder how long can we stay?
or.. how long are we WILLING to stay?

You and me

I suddenly notice that we are so far apart from each other.
There is no way to get back to the old good days.
I knew this will happen, and it indeed happened.
Interestingly, I'm not as sad as I thought I would have.
I guess I lost my heart.

Taking pics while travelling

People travel because of various reasons, some may go for relax and leisure, others may go for experiencing different cultures. People like me, a photography lover, may also travel to take good pictures.

It doesn't create any problem if photographers go travelling and take pictures of landscapes, buildings, natures.. etc. But more and more photographers like to capture the 'real culture' of the places they travel.. so they like to shoot people's daily life.

To be honest, I do have a desire to take those kind of pictures as well, especially when I saw others' great pictures! However, I do think we need to give certain respect to the people there as well.

This time I went to Laos, one of the famous shooting scene is the morning alms in dawn at Luang Prabang, where you can see monks lining up and ladies giving alms to them. I did plan to go and take pictures at first. But after I read someone's blog, I changed my mind. That person went to see and tried to take pictures of monks lining up.. and one of the monks actually walked out of the camera...

Other things I read from guide books and internet is that in Laos, ladies are not supposed to touch monks, and even when we speak to them, we have to lower our heads.. and tourists never do that, especially when they wanna take photos!

The whole morning alms session is not made for tourists.. it's Laos traditions and it's their daily life. I see no point for us to disturb them. So I decided not to go at all. It's part of their life, not a performance to us.

After I uploaded my pictures on my album, I posted a few of them on an online forum. Of course I didn't get good comments, I guess because I don't have good skills and I don't have good close-ups..

At the same day of my postings, another member posted his serious of pictures taken in Laos. His pictures were great. Lots of good comments. But as I can imagine, lots of them are taken very closed to the locals.

Just imagine... suddenly people from other parts of the world feel interested in the ways of your daily life.. and they started to come to you.. and everyday you've got giant cameras, long lens focusing you.. how would you feel??

Yes, we go to their places, we spend money and they benefit from that. But it doesn't mean that we own that place! Can we give more respect to them?

I really wish they can have their own life back.

定律

瘦田無人耕，耕開有人爭？

Hong Kong Boardband TV Ad

Nice funny ad with simple direct message pointing out the weakness of its major competitor still using the old phone line.

Trip to Laos - Photos

http://www.fotop.net/headless/Laos

Came back from Laos for almost one week, finally decided to give up photoshoping my photos and just let it be..

I've uploaded them to my online album on the above link. Enjoy the pictures first. Will be writing about my trip later next week.

But I'll be writing the Chinese version first after my last mid-term exam next Tuesday as I wanna show my parents first and I also need the Chinese version for my mentor's magazine. So the English version of my trip report maybe a bit delayed.

Finally I can get some nice sleep tonight after all those crazy exams and assignments right after the break plus all different kinds of illnesses....

Saturday I'll be going to the Animal Lovers League for voluntary work finally!!

Nice birthday

My birthday this year wasn't very bad...
Seems to me that this is my second birthday that I had to be on my own?
can't remember already... birthday is not so important to me now ever since I broke up with my last bf.
Before that, I had at least 8 years that I had my birthday dinner with my first and second boyfriend.

Last year I had a great birthday though, it happened to be a public holiday in Australia and my sisters celebrated with me. We went horse riding and went to the zoo.. that was the first time my two sisters celebrate my bday with me, without our parents.

This year..
I had full day class with one exam..
tiring but okay to me..
I'm not quite sure about how I did in the exam.. I'm really bad at economics.. so.. well..
but somehow some of my friends did say happy bday to me when I met them at school, all thanks to the Facebook.. =)

I didn't get the call I wished on the birthday. But the person called today. I'm very happy for that although we could only talk for about two minutes!

I've also got a birthday surprise! From my nice nice brother Charles!
He's sending me a birthday present... I guess this is the only birthday present I've got this year! hahaa
As far as I remember, this is the 2nd birthday present he gave me.. I forced him to give me the last one few years ago.. =P
I love you big brother!!
Hope you are sending me some food... hahaha

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Yeah! It's my birthday today!
But I'm not going to celebrate with anyone this year.
I am having an exam at 8am, and will have class until 8pm!
What a wonderful day! haha
And I've got some problems with my right leg, so I don't really feel like going anywhere.

But I'm expecting a call from a very special someone. =)
This is the only thing I want to have in my birthday this year, and I know I will get it! =)

By the way,
I will try to write something about my Laos trip later after all the exams and assignments.. been very busy these few days, I don't even have time to look at the pictures I took. =P