Celebrating 31 July, last day of July

Today is the last day of July and tomorrow shall be August; but what is the occasion for celebration? Well, don't people generally make a great deal about the endings (and also beginnings of things)? Examples are closing ceremony, 大结局，funeral, closing down sale......

If I really have to find a reason why today is special to me, I guess it is the first 31st July in 7 years that I did not have to worry about if I will be able to get off work on time. No more long list of outstanding accounts to be signed, no more stand-bys to see the bosses. The only thing that remains the same is probably the nerve racking traffic outside Telok Ayer Street which still bothers me as much as in the past.

Since this is a special day, I shall celebrate it by having a "carbo-fested" dinner tonight. French fries it shall be, the "poison" of person on diet!

Before I even realised it, 7 months have passed in the year of 2007. In the remaining 5 months of the year, let us all resolve to be dilligent and disciplined and to make each day counts.

Journal of the weekend

(1) Ridiculous dress for Sunday morning

I was at a Kopitiam near Telok Blangah this morning, having roti-prata and kopi-c. Just then, I noticed an aunty of age around 50, walking towards the coffee shop. What's the big deal with seeing an aunty visiting a kopitiam? It was the dress she was wearing that caught my attention: a turquoise colour layered dress (design similar to the one that you see on the left; but mind you, she is not quite like the cute Korean model that you see in the picture here attached).

Accompanying her was an uncle of similar age, cladded in T-shirt and shorts, holding her hand dearly. In case you are slighlty distracted here, no, they look like they are a normal couple than if they have shared some unusual relationship.

This is what I considered the most inappropriate dressing for a Sunday morning. You might think that it is the result of a hangover from the "Saturday night fever", but how do we explain the casual outfit of uncle? I began to wonder when was the last time I have embarrased my spouse in public by dressing up in a ridiculous manner. Or maybe it didn't matter to him at all. Anyway, I have always questioned the "审美眼光" of men; or maybe they are just too gentlemanly to oppose a woman who thought that she looks beautiful.

This led me to recall an interesting conversation that I usually have with my hubby when we go shopping for new clothes. He'll say: "说美的，你又不买。 说不美，你又不高兴。" Is this a reflection of my serious question of his taste? Or it is in all women to be fickle and indecisive? You shall be the judge, haha!


(2) Motorcycle course (Licence Class 2B)

I did it finally! Despite the rain in the morning and the 4 compulsory theory classes that I have to attend as part of the course (come on, who needs to attend classroom training for theory exams), I signed up at Bukit Batok Driving Centre to learn to ride a bike. Deep down in my heart I really feel scared and insecured. But to fulfill a dream, I have to be brave! Hack it... there is no turning back now. Fortunately, mum didn't say much. She just asked if I'm buying a bike and I told her "no" (at least for now haha), which pretty much seem to address all her concerns.

Wish me luck and hopefully 6 months later I'll take you on a ride to the beach on my blue scooter!

* * * 疯狂指数：3 out of 5

(3) A late night conversation

I was talking to a friend late last night who seem a little unhappy and disillusioned with life. Something meaningful came out of that conversation. I said to him this:

"People question our choices everyday. However, the most important thing is that we don't question them ourselves".

We all have a simple wish that is to be happy. Of course, the way to happiness differs from one person to the other. Too many a time, our willfulness is being kept under wrapped so that we can conform with social norms or do what the society perceived as "correct". Whatever your choice is, whether to conform or not to conform, the important thing is, can you live with that decision? At the end of the day, you have only got to be accountable to yourself and you owe it to no one other yourself when you are happy.

You might be doing some things now to minimise regrets in the future. However, for me, I just want to live for today and have no regrets each and everyday. Call me willful if you like, it doesn't matter to me. And I might even fail in the task which I embark on out of this "willfulness"! But at least I have the courage to try.

So if you ask me how to tell a right decision from a wrong one, I think it is the one that leaves you with the least regret. Go for it friends! You have the courage and strength to do anything, you just have to search hard enough for them.

是谁又到天国去了？

生命从诞生到结束有几十年的时间。但，那又好像是一眨眼的事。

朋友的婆婆刚过世了。远在国外工作的朋友现在正准备搭飞机从瑞士回到新加坡。我觉得这时候的她一定很孤独。独自在机场的候机室里，她心里都想些什么？

其实，朋友三个星期前才刚刚回过国，还是上星期天晚上才飞回瑞士去的。没想到那么快她又要回来了。平时知道朋友准备回国，都是充满期待和兴奋。而这一次，我的心情却完全不同，只有沉重和悲伤。

面对亲人的死亡是我曾经历过最痛苦的事。当年外婆去世的时候，我尝到了最悲的悲哀也流过最伤心的眼泪。因为身边的家人同样都很难过，所以没有人有能力去安慰别人。当时，我觉得自己好像一个人陷入了黑暗的深渊，很孤独，很冷。

我和外婆的感情并不算特别亲。因为语言上不通（我的福建话是超破的，别人听了通常都会笑），所以我们很少聊天，也很少见面。可是我妈却常说，外婆是救了我的恩人。爸妈结婚时，应该算是很年轻。可能因为经济基础不好，所以当发现有了我的时候，妈好像曾考虑不要我（顺便解释一下为什么我说得好像我自己也不很清楚一样。小时后有一次我很直接地问妈妈为什么不要我。结果她沉默了很久，眼眶似乎还有些泛红。吓坏我了！从那次起，这件事我再也没提过）。是外婆的反对，妈才决定把我生下。我想是因为思想保守，外婆才会不准妈妈不要我。可是，也正因为她那保守的坚持，我才有机会在这里跟你们分享我的故事。谁说保守一定就不好呢？

出殡那天，下着小雨，随行的乐队叮叮当当地吹奏着什么曲子，我根本就没听见。垂着头，我一边哭，一边慢步地走着，眼泪和雨滴早已把我的视线弄模糊了。这时，有一个好心的 aunty 撑了一把伞为我遮雨。我心里在想，外婆生前肯定是个大好人，所以过世后会有陌生的 aunty 给她的后人撑伞。

外婆选择了火葬， 是在 Mount Vernon Crematorium 火化的。当外婆的棺木被推进 cremator 的那一刹那，我的整个世界好像也同时崩塌了一样。只有一字可形容， “惨”。虽然事过已经有五年了，我却似乎从没释怀过。 每次想起，难过就会涌上心头来。幸好，眼泪还是忍得住。

在为外婆.守灵的那几天，朋友来看过我，公司也送来了花圈。那种雪中送炭的举动，令我非常感动。所以，现在每当朋友家里办丧事，不管再忙，我也一定会去看一看，给朋友打打气。虽然说，到了那里聊的都是一些不相干的话题，而且总是嘻嘻哈哈的，真不知道有没有安慰到朋友。不过，我只想用实际的陪伴来让朋友知道，他绝不会一个人掉进那孤独的深渊里去。

在誓言破灭的瞬间 (in English)

在誓言破灭的瞬间, 我们是否可以相信世界还存在希望？

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On my way to work today, I was listening to Yes933. The DJs were talking about the divorce rate in Singapore. In one year, there are about 20,000 marriages and 7,000 divorces, meaning 30% of marriages failed.

I began to wonder.....what happened to the "钻石恒久远，一颗永流传" analogy? And how about the sacred wedding vows ".....to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part"? Maybe it is because the diamond ring no longer sparkles, maybe memories have faded away with time, or maybe it is just the fickle human mind at work. As proven in many instances, forever turns out to be too long for the frivolous human heart to endure.

Most quoted "性格不和" as the reason for a divorce, which I thought is such a convenient way to disguise much of the agony and bitterness in an estranged marriage. But is a divorce really the ticket to happiness and freedom? Even a new age hippy like me dare not comment.

The question that I now have in my mind is this: if all actions can be undone as easily as signing a piece of paper, can a broken heart be mend with similar ease? Maybe it can be, otherwise, how do we explain the growing number of remarriages? Perhaps, this is a phenomenon of our era where time is money and that leaves us little time left to spend on mourning and regrets.

So what are my views about love and marriage? I share with you one of my favourite Chinese quotes. Read it and you will understand me.

生命诚可贵，爱情价更高, 若为自由故，两者皆可抛。

Ahoy! India's new lady President

Read in the newspaper today that a new lady President has been elected in India.

Pratibha Patil, a 72 year old lawyer is the new president of the country, first in the 60 years of indepedence of India. It is an irony that while one woman rises and shines today, the general female population in India are still being harshly discriminated and violated.

"Dowry death" is something I learnt about when reading the internet articles. It is prevalent in India and is an act whereby a bride is murdered by her groom's family when she is unable to pay additional dowry. Let me explain how this works. When a daughter is being married in India, her family usually prepares dowry for her which are often in the form of jewellery, clothings, cash or others in kind (not quite different from our Chinese culture I say). However, when the dowry is deemed insufficient by the groom's family, more will be demanded from the bride. When the bride is unable to oblige, it will translate into harrassment of the bride's family, physical abuse of the bride and "bride burning". Yes, literally burning the girl by pouring kerosene on her and lighting her up. Such cruelty are often disguised as kitchen fires or suicides. And what does the groom stand to gain from this? Probably another wife and another dowry.

In 1961, the Dowry Prohibition Act was enacted in India. However, this does not seem to have deter such brutal crimes from occuring. A sociologist suggested that this has to do with how the worth of a woman is being perceived in the society. It is probably true that women in India have a much inferior social standing as compared to men. The fact that they can be "traded" like commodities (be it in dowry marriage or human trafficking) already sends a clear message. Because of this perception, a woman is expected to bend over and submit to the groom and his family after her marriage and couple with the fact that the bride's family will be unwilling to take her married daughter home, it is no wonder that such acts continued to be condoned in the modern India.

The dowry, as we know, is supposed to be endowed with blessings from family and friends. In olden days, it was prepared for a daughter so that she can be self sufficient and not seen as adding burden to her matrimonial family, like a safeguard to her so that she will not be mistreated in her new home. I cannot believe how these good intentions can transform into tragedies like dowry deaths. According to statics, 25,000 women are victims of drowy death each year and that is about 0.003% of the Indian population. Don't think that's a big number right? Probably that is why it is less of a pressing issue as compared to beggars, dieseases, HIV and other poverty related issues that are rampant in that country. But when you think about innocent young girls being burnt and brutally murdered each day, don't they deserve our sympathy too?

I am grateful that I live in this part of the world where men and women are almost regarded as equals. I can live and breathe freely, go to school or work with the boys, hang out late at pubs without having to worry too much about being harrassed or condemned. I don't think this come at no cost at all, as "blood" must have been shed by my predecessors, who dare challenge the social norms. I wish I have courage like that to pursue bigger things in life instead of simply being contended with balancing my accounts.

It takes a wise person with a lot of courage to want to step forward and lead. Let us pray that more of those wise ones will have the courage to do so and save us from the many absurdity in this world. In the meantime, we should all celebrate the courage of this brave lady and hope that she will do great things for the better of India and for our sisters.

怀抱感恩的心

想一想，我还真是个富有的人。虽然银行存折里没有天文数字的存款，但我的人生却一点也不贫穷。跟你分享一下我所拥有的宝藏吧!

（一）忍耐力超强的好朋友。多年来忍心看着我一路跌跌撞撞，听我那发不完的牢骚，还有接受我无聊又天马行空的想法（吓坏你们了吧！一下说要去流浪，一下说要刺青。你们竟然还愿意让孩子和我混在一起）。有你们陪在我身边，我觉得很踏实。

（二）支持我疯狂的家人。从不干涉我的自由，就算我犯错，就算我任性，也愿意为我收拾残局。我想一个人的时候，不打扰，想有人陪伴时又不离开我身边。在那段行尸走肉的日子，想尽办法喂饱我的肚子，安排我上下班的行程，还安抚我的情绪。 那是给我莫大的支持。

（三）可爱的狗狗。每天回家第一个给我拥抱的小子。虽然拉屎撒尿都要我象佣人般的伺后，可是又能怎么办？爱屋及“污”啊！

这种好运究竟是我辛劳多年所换来的成果，还是老天爷对我特别的眷顾？不管怎么样，真是要谢天谢地，神赐给我这样一个丰富多彩的人生。不止让我有过人的勇气，敢去做些别人认为疯狂的事，还给了我足够的“弹药”（金钱方面）可以随心所欲的想去哪里，就去哪里，想做什么，就做什么。真的应该知足了。

我经常为你们祈祷，希望你们都能健健康康。不知道你收到我的祝福了没有。但愿我们可以美好的一路走下去。

怀抱感恩的心，我要去睡了。

Great weekend, Great Purchases

(1) The Beatles Yellow Submarine T-shirt

Coolest! If it hadn't been for 五月天, The Beatles would definitely have been my favourite band!

Yellow Submarine is one of the best loved songs of The Beatles. There are lots of controversies surrounding this song, as some said it was was written by The Beatles (Paul McCartney) under the influence of drugs (you know the negative association of the Hippies with drugs) and the "Yellow Submarine" apparently is a place where the "druggies" live in.

The more positive ones believe that it is merely an expression of the society which we are borned into, where our "friends are all aboard" and "many more live next door". The Yellow Submarine shelter us from the bigger world which we are ignorant of.

Yet there are others who believe that it is simply a fun and catchy children song.

Whichever intepretation suits you, it is undeniable that the Yellow Submarine is one of the "signature" piece of this great band. Ask anyone around the world about the Yellow Submarine, and they will tell you, "It's The Beatles"!

(2) Lost Horizon by James Hilton

Finally finished reading the book. This is the second time that I have read it. First time was when I was just 15 years old and as I have mentioned in my previous blog entry, it is how I began my love for travelling.

Such a great book warrants a full page book review dedicated specially to it. And I will do so hopefully in the next couple of days. Well, the only thing I can say now is I have a feeling of a dream being shattered! I must have fell asleep or been lazy when I first read the book more than 10 years ago such that I missed out on the ending. That could have changed my life and my whole perspective of the Shangri-La! I'm mourning... for the lost of a long time dream.

（3） 五月天-离开地球表面CD&DVD

Finally got the CD. Suppose to be released on Friday 20 Jul but it was late! The new songs are great! Though ZN always complain that they are very loud.

As I am writing now, Mayday is having their concert in Taipei. The 3rd in the row since Friday evening. Too bad I can't go there but as consolations, I can watch the DVD!

五月天 rules!

Dearest friends, this one is for you

20.07.2007

Over the last couple of days, I have received several comments from friends about my new blog. Thank god, someone is reading it! Not too long ago, as I was writing my first few postings, I was still wondering, who will I be writing it for? Who will be interested in me? It is probably true that some of my thoughts are way too idealistic and extreme for many and I won't blame you if you find them boring. That is why I am deeply touched when I know that you have been reading and your kind words are the best form of encouragement to me.

A few persons that I will like to take some time to thank individually:

(1) Mike, probably the first reader of my blog (maybe cos I bug him too much to read). First one to post a comment to make this blog look less deserted and I will be eternally grateful for that. And also for the long years of friendship.

(2) Celia (aka 日刀口). Has been faithfully reading my blog entries since the MSN My Space days. Though she always leave her comments using different pseudo nicknames, I know they are hers! A great fan of Cowboy and I thank her on behalf of my little pooch.

(3) Dorothy. Since discovering my My Space in MSN, has been digging out my old archive entries since 2005 to read. I was shocked when I saw the statics on My Space on how many times it has been visited. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me too! And mostly, as my 老师 for correcting my 错别字.

Bloggers have various ways to attract visitors to their blogs. Some post their sleazy photos (sorry you won't see that here cos 我没有本钱), others write about gossips or their very own love stories. I have nothing much to offer except my most truthful thoughts and emotions. I am not linguistically talented (and my grammer sucks, I know) nor am I bestowed with imaginations like that of Dan Brown. But, I will continue to write and tell you stories of my life, if you will allow me to.

I don't have to be a rock star or a bestseller author, with you in my life, I already feel special!

And to all my other "silent audience", I know you are out there, thank you!

This song is specially dedicated to you, from my old favourite band, Depeche Mode. Enjoy!

捕捉云朵 (Catching the Cloud)

好朋友，耐心一点。虽然是华文的文章，却很浅白易懂。看一看吧！

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你一定也和我一样，有过丢掉汽球的经验。看着汽球往天上飞去，是不是会幻想它到底去了什么地方？这个问题应该也考倒过不少为人父母的。

小时候坐飞机，看到机窗外的朵朵白云，真的好想伸手去捉一把云。可是因为窗子无法打开，只好无奈的干瞪眼。心里总是还暗自期待，可以在云丛中看到别的小朋友所遗失的汽球或者是孙悟空骑着筋斗云经过。

现在坐飞机，很少看云了。完全长大了的我已经了解到，以飞机行驶的速度和空气中的气压，想打开机窗根本是一件不可能的事。而普通汽球才不会飞得那么高，恐怕早就在离开小朋友手中的一分钟内就已经破了。至于孙悟空，哈，此刻想起都还觉得很爆笑，我的想象力也太丰富了吧！唉，感叹，难道我连最后一点的童真都没有了吗？

其实，要捕捉云朵还不是件容易的事嘛！谁都知道，云就是水蒸发后凝聚在空气里的集合体。而雨，就是从天空上的云掉落下来的水滴。等到下雨天，拿个水桶把雨滴都盛起来，不就算是把“云”捉住了吗？

很阿Q吧？只想博你一笑！

Paradise Bird

Paradise Bird... a beautiful name which I deem just fitting for a beautiful flower like this. But where is paradise?

To me, Paradise is Shangri-La, an imaginery destination written in the book "Lost Horizon" by James Hilton. Many have said that the legendary "Shangri-La" is in Lijiang, Yunnan province of China. Since reading the book for the first time when I was 15, I fell in love with travelling. Have been thinking about going to Lijiang but always back out the last minute. Why? Because I am afraid that "paradise" may not be like what I have imagined, and my life-long dream will be shattered! Such is the dilemma in life!

Friday the 13th

The black Friday. My 2 Swedish bosses have gone on leave today..... trying to avoid seeing black cats maybe haha... Since the bosses are not around, our office is in chaos! (Honestly, even when they are around, it is just as chaotic..... 女人嘛！ What can you expect from an office full of women?)

Now, Friday the 13th may not be an unlucky day afterall, at least for me. Went back to have lunch with ex-colleagues (and paid exorbitant parking charges of $5.77, which cost more than my lunch in fact). Just like the good old days, chit chatting and sharing gossips are always fun! It's never about the food, it's the company that counts.... of course receiving compliments that I have lost weight certainly made my day! (evil laugh)

Bought some pastry back to office to 孝敬 my colleauges. I have always been impressed with their heathly appetite as they can continue to kuey-kuey, bao, dao sa bian, sugar rolls and all straight after lunch. Anyway, I am glad that the pastry I bought are well-received. Fresh from the oven, who can resist?

Life can be filled with such simple joys as sharing food with those who mean something to you!

This product is "Not tested on animals"

If you pick up a product today that has "Not tested on animals" listed on its label, how would you feel? Like many of you, I've always felt good and even thought that they are probably better products to buy. Yet, it was never the criteria in which I select my purchases.

But do we really understand the meaning behind these 4 words? Before we answer that question, take a look at the pictures below.

They are laboratory animals used for testing skin and eye irritancy. The rabbit's fur is shaven and substances are applied onto its bare skin to test for allergic reactions; substances are dripped into the rabbits' eyes and they are held on restraint so that the rabbits cannot rub their eyes and researchers can then study the symptoms of redness, swellness and other irritating reactions. It is not difficult to guess what happen to these rabbits in the end...... they are usually killed.

I do not know how you would feel after seeing this, but I am definitely appalled and heart broken. This is how far a human being will go for the sake of a new shampoo, a skin care product or even a detergent. The truth is animal testings in these cases are not even mandatory by law and there are many alternative ways to test for product safety. Even more shocking is that most of the familiar brands like Unilever (Dove), Colgate-Pamolive, Oral-B, Johnsons & Johnsons, Pantene, Olay, P&G and others you name it are said to be testing their products on animals! I'm totally furious!

Human being is probably the only species in this world that can pretend that sufferings do not exist simply by turning a blind eye to them. There is a chinese saying "眼不见为净" which seems so fitting in this case. I am not asking you to dump all your toiletries and household cleaners into bin right away nor am I asking you to start boycotting these manufacturers. All I am hoping is to raise your awareness on what is happening behind the scenes and you can decide how you want to spend each dollar.

So what does "Not tested on animals" really means? It means not keeping animals in barren cages for prolonged periods which drive them to insanity; it means not depriving them of veterinary care when they are hurt; it means not putting them through cruel sufferings just to protect the liabilities of the manufacturers.....

Sufferings don't end just because we don't see them! Be an informed and responsible consumer.

Want to know more about who the "good" and "bad" guys are? Please follow the link:

http://www.caringconsumer.com/resources_companies.asp

Johnny and Louise

Pop! The champagne vivaciously flowed out of the bottle. It symbolises the new beginning of Louise & Johnny's lives together as a couple.

If you have drank champagne before, you would have tasted the sweet and dryness of it and felt the energy contained in this gold transparent liquid. It is very much like life itself, filled with sweet and bitter moments and although precious like gold, you cannot wait to share those moments with the ones you love most.

In this fast-paced environment that we live in, where we hardly have time to stop, have you ever felt extremely lucky that certain brief encounters you have turned out into a lifetime of love and friendship? I think fate is the main catalyst here. Someone also told me once that people always seem to see the worst in others. As such, it takes a very special someone to be able to discover the real you and appreciate who you really are. Fortunately for Louise and Johnny, they have found each other and this unique combination is irreplaceable in this world!

It has been a long day for the couple and also us, the wedding convoy but I am deeply touched. The groom has been a great sport and the bride was beautiful and cheerful all day long. Friends and relatives gathered, well wishes came from everywhere (including funny video clips from Japan)..... in years to come, I hope we will always remember this day as a happy and emotional one.

PS. If love can blossom from a tennis game, it can certainly blossom out of a photography session.... So Mike, you are next

给政杰的祝福

小政杰， 你醒了吗？ 听aunty讲两句话好吗？

小小的你， 看在大大的我的眼里是那么脆弱。 但你却满足地躺在爸爸的怀里，一脸无惧的表情。 是不是认定了你所来到的这个世界有多么美好？

可是小政杰，aunty告诉你， 人生是非常艰辛的啊！ 很快的， 你就会发现， 这世界一点也不完美。 往后的日子里， 你会受到挫折， 感到失望，觉得忧伤。。。 想到这里， 我会忍不住替你心痛。 如果我是童话故事里的fairy godmother， 我一定会挥一下我的魔法棒， 将所有不好的变走，只让一切的好事降临在你身上。 可惜， 我不是。 虽然没有魔法， 我还是要把我最真诚的祝福给你：希望你的人生永远是快乐多于悲伤。

小政杰你知道吗？ 人， 一生下来，就有可以“举起地球”的本事， 但那需要你自己去发觉和发挥。 有了上天赐给人的力量， 有你父母亲无私的爱， 还有aunty和其他人给你的小小祝福， 你一定会变得勇敢和坚强， 将来的路也一定能走得堂堂正正， 幸福安逸！

祝福你政杰！ 好好的睡吧！ 快些长大！

Welcome to my world!

My first entry on the Blog.... naturally I should start off with an introduction of myself. Though many of you might have known me for a good number of years, you may not be aware of the deepest and most intimate thoughts that I have since I do not normally share them freely. Hopefully, this Blog will serve as the avenue for you to know more about me. You will be familiar with the 5 characters (五形) in Chinese Feng Shui: Gold (金), Wood(木), Water(水), Fire(火), Earth(土). Inspired by this, I would like to tell you more about my very own version of the 5 characters..... The 5 passions of my life. (1) Travel My most passionate hobby which has done severe damages to my pocket. I have travelled to places including Switzerland, Venice Italy, Amsterdam, Paris, Turkey, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand.... so on. My most memorable trip has definitely got to be the Trans-Siberia journey in 2005. The Trans-Siberia trip was largely a "train based" journey where me and my other 2 companions travelled from St-Petersburg(Russia) to Moscow to Siberia to Mongolia and finally arrived in Beijing, entirely on train. It was my dream vacation as I've always wanted to stand in the middle of Red Square in Moscow to admire the beautiful St Basil's Cathedral. It was an experience I will never forget and I will definitely share with you more about this trip through my Blog. (2) Animals Most friends would immediately remember my pet dog, Cowboy when I talk about animals. It is true that I have a very soft spot for dogs but in fact, I care for most other animals too (with the exception of reptiles maybe, and tempted to also include cats). I believe that all animals can think and feel. Though they may not be as smart as human beings, or I should rather say, though they are not able to express themselves in a manner, which humans can understand, it does not make them a lesser being than you and I. We ought to respect them, love them and appreciate why they are made the way they are… I am convinced that there are ways in which man and animals can live together to serve the best interest of one another (please don’t say farming). So, pledge your love for the animals today! (3) MSN One of the most important communication tool to me, only second to mobile phone. It is how I keep in touch with my friends especially when they are overseas, whether in Europe or China. And now, it is also the way I keep myself updated on the PWC gossips and to know how my ex-colleagues are doing. Most of my MSN contacts must be amused by my nickname or taglines, which changes almost too quickly. So far, the most well received has been the "Top 10 Survival rules" which are mainly cynical office "behavioral rules" that I came up with. They are just for laughs, and for those who have seen it, please don't take them seriously. (4) Mayday 五月天 My favourite rock band. Since this is a Chinese band, I shall pay tribute to it by writing the following in Mandarin. 摇滚乐团，但不像老外重金属的rock，是走向温和的摇滚。 成员共有5个： 阿信（主唱），怪兽（Guitar兼团长）， 石头（Guitar），玛莎（Bass）和冠佑（鼓）。其实不用我多介绍，因为喜欢他们的人一定会知道，而不喜欢或没听过他们的人，一定也不会想知道。 我最喜欢阿信和石头了！ 阿信： 从俏皮的学生模样，变成今天成熟的男人，魅力是锐不可挡。 好帅！ 不过，更让我欣赏的是他写词曲实在太厉害了。 看他写的歌词常常会让我有所启发和感动。 有机会，你也因该看一看。 石头： 弹吉他的样子超酷！ 好像自我陶醉在一个只有自己的世界里，完全忘了有万千观众的存在。身材嘛， 不怎么样，但对一个摇滚乐手来说，算是可以的了！ 我最喜欢的五月天歌曲是“拥抱”（很早期的作品）。感觉有点是inspired by "Loving You"这首英文歌， 非常浪漫。 在演唱会上听到了，真是不得了！ (5) Coke It is a tough choice between Coke and Coffee as my favourite drink (noticed? both contain caffeine). The fizziness of the drink seems to energize me everytime. Because I have to watch my weight, I normally take only diet Coke and not the regular one (I refer to it as "fat Coke") which many die hard Coke fans swear by. How much do I love Coke? It can be the first thing I drink in the morning, last thing I have before I sleep, drink nothing but Coke and on certain days, when there is no Coke, I drink nothing at all! That bad huh? Coke is addicitive, just like all other "not so healthy" food and beverages. So next time if you want to buy me a drink, please buy me a Coke. If you have faithfully read every word and come to this point, I will really like to thank you for your interest in me. This entry is extremely long and it took me days to draft it. I'm afraid it will bore many of you as it is nothing but about me. I promise that this will be the few entries you will ever see in my blog that I demonstrate my 自恋 personality. I should be putting up some more interesting posts in the future. So until then, welcome to my world!