Feb has finally come to its end. After my luck hit the lowest low, things finally start to look up. Maybe Chinese philosophy does live up to its reputation. There has to be balance in everything.

 

The trip back to Shanghai was nice, especially this year. As I'm done with my job hunting, the worries and the stress are released with signatures signed on the papers. It is true. The dream job of mine is one step away, yet I can not complain with what I have got. It feels good to actually have options ahead of you, and knowing that you could weigh the choices and make your own decision in between.

 

On the other hand, after half a month of persistence, the Japan Consulate finally issued to me the visa this morning. I could not help smiling when the lady told me about their decision. I have always thought that I would go to Europe for graduation trip. Guess in life you just can not plan everything. It is, however, the spontaneousness that makes it beautiful and intriguing.

 

Things are back on the right track at the right pace. It feels good to be settled in this way...I was talking to Pierre online today celebrating the visa thingy when he asked me how I think things are going with us. I had to admit that there were moments when I got scared and skeptical as to how the passion is ever going to be maintained at such distance, not to mention the fact that I used to disdain to try. The fact that I never had the chance to give it a serious thought makes me a total beginner in such a relationship, things like what might get in the way. Perhaps that might explain why in the very beginning I was always more optimistic about our future together. As time passes by, I realize day by day just how frangible long distance relationship can be. Indeed, every detail counts. And how frustrated one can get when physical existance matters in tough moments. I've got to remember what I've learned about in my psychology class about human interaction!

 

When in doubts, the question marks might not be able to be resolved right away in such situation. To make matters worse, they just somehow hang there and haunt you and grow even bigger. Things that you are afraid to say because you just can not be sure of. Things that you have to think through yourself before making any conclusion that could result in damages beyond measure. Things that you can only keep to yourselves or tell your closest friends. Things that in between your frustation and understanding, remain the way they are...

 

Can it be counted as the spontaneousness of a relationship? If so, where is the beauty of it that adds up to the growing passion? If confronted, to what extent should one stop haggling over every ounc? And above all, how the question marks can ever be resolved without frustration? or simply, it is just something unavoidable?

 

At the beginning of a huge crush, one might have butterflies in the stomach. We take it as a good sign. And then, it might turn into stomachache as the crush turned into a crash. And sometimes, it might just grow sour, when you shall know the mixed feelings are so strong that one can neither cares too much or too little...

 

My friends must have been wondering where I have been. It's been almost a month since I moved out of the university and to some small apartment in the Western District of Hong Kong, which, is another rarely known piece of news. The day I left the campus, I sat on the mini-bus and looked out of the window, recalling the time I spent there and strangely, I felt at ease...I guess at that time I was more amazed at the brand new chapter ahead of me, which left me with little interest and time to hold on to the past...

 

So you might wonder what it feels like now. I am still me, less of school, a job and a boyfriend not so far away yet I have no idea when on earth will its consulate be generous enough to grant me a visa. Being a free agent is not as good as I thought, because every part of me is in fact trapped in a big net of uncertainties. I did have fun wondering about in furniture shops till the moment I got tired of IKEA. Everyday I have enough beauty sleep, walk around the area, meet up with friends, watch movies and talk to Pierre online. Sounds like the perfect life yet I feel that part of me is emptying up.

 

If you think about it, I should have been happier. At least I still have tons of friends here who would go shopping with me, eat with me and go partying with me. I have two potential job offers which are not too bad. My appartment, tiny it is, is getting cozier and cozier...what exactly is wrong then? I feel like I hit the lowest low today, tonight, especially when I was watching the cheesy romance movie on Star Movies....I miss Pierre. And the fact that the Japan consulate is making it so hard for us to meet in Japan is definitely a beat on my heart. When I wrote to him about the new information I found out today, I wrote in such a way that it looks as if I was cheering him up. But deep down I know I am the one who needs to be cheered up. And just when I thought things could not be worse, Stephie called and told me about her test results. First Karen, and now Stephie, why these things are happening to my closest friends?!

 

I feel tired...I have always been proud of being a Chinese, but I am sick of having to deal with visas all the time...

 

And I feel helpless knowing that my inspirations are going away, running down as my tears drop...the moment when I just want to be alone, and cry out all the pains and the hatred for tomorrow, I know I have to get up and move on.

 

So they say, this is live...

点名游戏

Four hours of sleep before I dragged myself from the bed, washed my face and jumped on the mini-bus down to central campus, this was what the beginning of my last day in school was like...

 

On the main road in between science building and the university library, tents were set up and chairs were located, a graduation ceremony is to be held soon for those who left in June. All of a sudden, I felt that I did not want to let go despite of all my bitching about how fed up I have been with the school work...it is so weird to realize that it is finally over, officially. And I guess the weirdest thing of all is the time of my graduation which makes it feel even more unreal...

 

As I sat next to the big blue swimming pool and talking to stephanie, I recalled the time when the school bus took us from the airport to the school. And how it turned slowly as it arrived at the United College and parked in front of the Bethleham Hall. I still remember the faces of my favorite dorm staff. and of course the friends I've made there...Four years and a half ago, my life changed in three days as I went through the interview and accepted the offer...I would never have the chance to know how I would be like now had I stayed in Shanghai, but not for one second did I regret my choice because I enjoy being who I am now...

 

The sky is blue, the sun is shinning and the water in the pool glitters...people pass by and life goes on as usual...ahead of me is a whole new chapter with a great pool of choices and possibilities...and yes I am a bit lost, stunned, scared and excited...

 

"Each age is a dream that is dying/or one that is coming to birth..."

 

 

 

Stock market is just like the woman, so unpredictable that just when you thought your chance is over and give up, she'd come over and give you a kiss on the lips, as if saying, darling if you had been more patient, you could have gotten me....

 

I do not know how a man would re-act in this situation. As to me, I go: "bastard!!!" Now this is why half of the population chooses not to invest money in the stock market, sometimes even the stock analysts themselves. It's like riding a roller coaster. Warning: those who have weak heart conditions are prohibited from the ride.

 

Maybe after all my heart is not as strong as I thought. Maybe I should just put the money where I can see it: eg, bags, shoes, clothes. :P Right there, hang in my closet, except that the closet I have now is so small that every time I dig into it I feel like I'm going through some kind of war.

 

Anywayz, I could not let the frustration destroy my peaceful mood, especially not after my yoga class coz then that'll be a double loss. Hence, do not cry over the spilt milk, I said to myself. If we can not change what has been decided, then we should make the most out of it. Life is too short for such tears...

 

The rest of the night, I talked to Karen for a long time. I told her about Pierre's decision. We both saw it coming all along. I asked what she would do if she were in my situation. I listed all the difficulties I might encounter in the future, language barrier, visa, financial difficulty, career etc. Her answer was simple: none of these would matter if you are determined to. I am smiling as I am typing these words. Since when do we start to complicate things before we realize that there is something in this world called faith that, would guide us through all the troubles if, and only if, we believe...

 

Perhaps that's why my heart is in fact much relieved and settled once the decision is made. On second thought, it is actually the best decision that can be made for both of us. While it is too early to conclude that our fates are doomed to be converged together for the rest of our life, it is better to cultivate the faith in each other and let time tell where such faith shall lead us...

 

In old times, like those of Romeo & Juliet, one would be willingly to sacrifice everything so as to pursue love. Tristan said to Isolde before he died, "I do not know if life is greater than death. But love was more than either..." In real life, where the society is flooded with monetary terms, most of the people seem to forget how great love can be, or should be. Instead, they grunt at the idea of it and claim the death of the age of innocence. There are so many rules and considerations that people are, most of the time, busy modelling their life. Some of them are lucky enough to realize earlier that there might be something more in this world, like when you sees yourself in your loved one's eyes or when a baby grabs your hand for the first time and smiles at you. Those are the beautiful moments of life that moisten the heart so that it can grow into happiness. Humble they might be, they are the eternal treasures one would be able to take with him/her when everything reduces to ashes. They are what shall keep our souls accompanied...

 

When I felt that I would again be haunted by those lines from "Shanghai Baby", a time when I would be too powerless to fight against his decision, a time that I thought he would take away with him my broken memories and leave behind a soul alone, I paused on the slippery slope and gave it a second thought this time. The first time it happened, it was in Santa Barbara. I figured his decision was rational and we gave up before there was any more memory. The second time, it was in Hong Kong. We tried but it did not work out because neither of us had faith in each other. If the french saying is correct, there would never be a third time when one could commit the same mistake. I say, it does not matter how big or small the number is. So long as one is brave enough to embrace the beautiful humble moments of life, to be ready to sacrifice the shadows of life, and above all, to be determined to cultivate faith in love, one shall be able to overcome all the difficulties...

 

Hence, having realized that, I dried my tears and chose to smile instead. For I want you to remember, when you will be thinking of me, the happy times we have had together. You are the reason for me to smile, and the reason for me to have more faith in love. And if such faith does grow into something more, I would know where to follow...

"Subject: Explanation of Hell
 
The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it, too.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave.  Therefore, no souls are leaving.

 

As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of  the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the  temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.  The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct.leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the  existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept  shouting "Oh my God."

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY  "A"."

 

I figured this story is a keeper.

 

 

I usually do not talk much about politics on my blog. Today let me make an exception.

 

So Saddam was guilty of charge and finally, sentenced to death. It has been, how long? seriously, nine months of on and off with lawyers, judges and witness being assasinated or threatened. And finally, finally just two days before the election, he is found guilty of charge.

 

I always thought Bush is such a dumb-ass that he can not possibly be good at timing. Maybe I was wrong. The guy is as sneaky and tricky as a wolf undercovered as a sheep.

 

Now he shows to the world his determination in punishing the war criminals, despite the fact that US has always avoided to admit his wrongdoings such as ignoring the massacre in Rwanda or attacking Iraq under unilateral decision. Justice delayed is justice denied. And justice ignored is, to my belief, a crime in itself.

 

So who is the real murderer here???!!!

Imagine the most beautiful, calm, spreaded blue you could ever see in the world...the big blue...somewhere paints in Greece and Italy...somewhere the mermaids sing as the sun rises sets....and somewhere buries the dreams of many divers...

 

When answering Jacque's question about women and love, Enzo said something like, "Love is a pain in the ass, but it is also what keeps us together..."

 

There are plenty of things for me to worry about now in my life, such as getting a job, moving out, and moving on. Still history repeats itself in a coincidental way, so coincidental that you almost believe that it is doomed to happen in this way. I could have been sitting in the Starbucks on Times Square and reading now, thinking what it would be like when the moment has to come and the one you care so much has to leave. I can not seem to get rid of those lines from "Shanghai Baby" out of my mind. Since when does the relationship has to bear the sign of expiration date? And the scariest thing is, there is no safe period as to how long the taste can be preserved the way it should be. The great uncertainty posed by the time and the distance is so big. Just like deep down the water, at the bottom of the ocean, it is not blue any more. Instead, it is dark, so dark that you feel powerless to fight against fate.

 

If Mayol were still alive, he might be telling the same story as he did in the movie to the girl on the phone:

 

The story awoke the girl. She made the decision to follow him for the good and for the bad...

 

You asked me if anything would change after you made your decision. I shook my head though my heart was aching. If what we have is for real, it will not and it can not be changed because feelings are not to be faked. One can not simply twist the grativity of falling, but somehow, one can be prepared for the landing if she knows more about the darkness of the uncertainty. Le noir, it could be mysterious and grand, or miserable and bitter. However, whatever it is, one must be brave enough to dive down and see with her own eyes. If curiousity is what keeps us alive, braveness is what leads us to survive in the journey of love...

 

Hence, I made my decision to dive down and pray. I pray that whatever happens is not an illusion. I pray that whatever will happen bears the signs of the big blue. And above all, I pray that the mermaid hears my prey, justifies my love and takes me away...forever...

 

 

 

 

 

If any of you are going to stay up late for work or studies, try a combination of ceylon afternoon and jasmine green tea! After sitting in front of the desk/computer struggling for more than 12 hours (let's just hope half of them were actually made good use of), I finally am on the scheduled review plan for my coming three mid-terms.

 

I told Pierre at midnight that the good thing is I did not feel sleepy at all thanks to the scientifically proved tea caffein and the bad thing is I just wanna throw my statistics books on the wall and shoot myself. Today my beloved flatmates also finally got to see another side of Cherry, who can be so stressed out that I believe I screamed F*** several times.

 

Maybe this is how it is like when my Karma hits me. They always say people tend to discover their potentials when pushed into an extreme situation. Considering the fact that I have three mid-terms, 1 interview and 1 paper due all in 3-4 days, I am definitely being granted such chance of pushing the limits. Ah well, glad to test my capacity again.

 

But of course I would not want to bore you guys with all the nerdy talking. Went out last weekend to the street carnival of LKF. Inspired by Natalie Portman in Closer, Me and Stephe bought two wigs and decided to be sisters once again. It was indeed a blast! People just loved it that they could not keep their eyes off us!!! Had so much fun and just enough alcohol to wake up the next morning and hit the beach in Shek O. It was a shame that I did not have my camera with me. At certain point, I seriously forgot that I was actually in this tiny teeny island of Hong Kong. Life was way laid-back and friendly in the villages there...Of course, with the right person, it was indeed a nice escape from the city life.

 

Once held, the hands can be let go,

Once caged, the heart should be freed;

Feelings are not meant to be faked,

Minds are not designed to be confused;

 

Past travels across the time,

At the speed of the light;

A mighty pain it is to heart,

Becomes endurable if soothed by thee;

 

Little drops of the present,

Converges to the future of our lives;

Humble they might be,

Are to be cherished with heart and soul....

 

Universe has been sending out signs of change ever since last week. But I never realized that it could be so big until I turned on my computer and received an email from G. It's been a while since we last talked. My attempt to resolved the ice between us in May worked, but I thought that we kinda lost the connection...

 

As I read through his lines, I could not help but feel relieved with my eyes watered. At least finally I knew that I was, at that hard period of time, not totally trivial to him.

 

All of a sudden, my past is coming back at the speed of light. I read my old posts on xanga. I almost forgot how much I have devoted my worries to him. Re-living the past did bring back the smile on my face. All along he has been someone so special to me.

 

"Friday, October 21, 2005

just finished watching the way we were....I've heard so much about it, even got a postcard when I was in NY city....and yup...I cried... I simply love the lyrics of this song on the first hand. "Memories, like the corners of my mind..." It was strange that I thought about G again...not Hampus, not Wouter, not any of the guys I spent some sweet time with...he is the only one, that means something more to me.. Our story never is just a fling, I guess. I liked him, at the first sight. And then we missed each other, even though we still ended up together, even though it was just for a few days, for one night, for one kiss...I did not know, and I did not want to think of him fondly as an asshole. I just like him, without judgement, at one point without being me. I could not be Carrie, and he is not Mr.Big...Nor was I Katie...I wonder how he is doing in NZ, whether he has a girlfriend, or whether he is still popular with all the girls instead of settling down with the lucky one of them...I had wondered whether it was because his tough breakup that made him have no faith in commitement. But then..it does not matter any more...I had wondered if I could commite..so I do not think I am in the position to judge what his decision is. And indeed, I respected, we both respected our decision. The last night with him in SB was the sweetest memories of my exchange student life, helping him with his presentation and just sleeping together for each other's company. The morning I woke up, I looked at him and I thought, for one moment, that we were really together... Memories, may be beautiful but yet, we simply choose to forget... And I...would keep those laughters in my heart...and til the day we meet again, I would know...if I should say, "your girl is lovely Hubble..." (the end) Now that we both have different life in different cities and have both grown maturer. Guess I would not be so stupid as to be with someone just to piss him off. It's never fun to joke with one's own feelings. I've learned my lessons to be honest and sincere. And above all, I've learned to be true to my heart and listen to what it has to say to me...and it's glad to know that finally he's back... There can not be a better closure to my Zahir than this. Thank you for being honest...I think it's already enough. As I re-live the past now, my smiles won't be bitter any more...

I'm reading this book about pickup artists called "The Game". Apparently it was a hit according to my guy friends. When I skimmed through the book, I indeed laughed at some pretty classic tricks that the author claims to work on girls. Nail Strauss's ability to summarize the whole game and tons of different rules somehow reminds me of how in Jinyong's books, some Kongfu talent is able to absorb all unique powerful tricks from various schools and top thel world of martial art!

 

However, powers are bound to be balanced the same way the contemporary world is. There is the game for guy players, so is there one for the girl players. But before anything, for those who are unfamiliar with the book, I have one thing to clear up, a master in pick-up is not about how many one-night-stands you can get. Boy, remember the saying that all cats look the same in the dark? It's the same thing in bars/clubs. All cats look the same when you are drunk. A master in pick-up is how attached you can get a girl to you and how fast you can do it. In that sense, a master in pick-up can "get" a lot of girls in just one night without actually sleeping with any of them, or not even making out.

 

However tricky the game is for guys and girls, I believe that to become a top PUA(pickup artist), one has to have one quality. He/she has to have no feelings. Not to be a total bitch about it, the art of pickup is, to some extent, the downgrading of the opposite sex. (of course unless he/she is gay) Neil has also admitted in the book that after some time, women are no longer persons to PUAs. Instead, they became objects to test how well the skills a PUA has. In this sense, I am still not good enough to become a real PUA. They say girls are too sensitive for the game. I have to admit that though sensitivity helps in this game sometimes, but it is indeed a fatal weakness that prevents a girl from becoming a top PUA.

 

Hence, it's good to know that I still have a heart.

 

It is hard to define who I am trying to be in this game, at least not to the extent of my knowledge. To be fair, for a girl of 22 who has just set foot in this tempting world, settlement is not the choice. I told JJ, a gorgeous looking gay friend of mine, that I like sleeping on my stomach when he was doing the body language analyzing thing. He said it shows a sense of insecurity. "What are you afraid of? What are your fears?" he asked. "Commitment." I did not even have to think. In today's world where people obviously do not have breakfast at Tiffany's, commitment problem is no longer a priority for guys as is so in old movies. 22 is all about exploration and experimenting. Of course there are boundaries not to be crossed easily, like do not sleep with a guy you just picked up in some bar. Or, do not say I love you casually as if changing your underwear. Don't get offended or anything because these are just MY boundaries. One thing I love about myself is, when it comes to romance life, I do not judge my friends according to my moral standards. Honey, this is 21st century and you've got to be more open-minded.

 

Anywayz, enough about the game. A bit of update about my life. I got into PWC's first rounds of interview. Have been pretty lazy on the school work. Been out with Stephanie and Marco for quite a lot. In fact, going hiking in Lantau Island this Sunday. Making good use of my gym card and doing yoga. Sounds quite well-organized but deep down, I know I can do much better. I am not pushing my limits here in terms of everything. This afternoon I was lying on the balcony of Ihouse sun bathing, I could not help but reviewing my life ever since Chris left HK and school started. I wonder where does that ambitious Cherry go ever since....I could not even remember the last time I saw her, who used to have a plan and who used to, you know, do things step by step. Spontaneousness is an essential element in one's life but it should not take over the whole picture. If I am going to keep on turning a blind eye on what should be done in my life, it will not be long before life starts to turn a blind eye on me. The idea starts to scare me. I can not live in denial any more. I have to take charge and be responsible.

 

People complain about having no chance. They are wrong. Chances are always there but they are unable to grasp. Hence, they are never able to catch up. Do I want to be one of them? Apparenly no. I mean anyone who is not numb enough would know the answer by heart. But the question is whether one is brave enough to accept the challenge and fight to become who they might be. Do I want to be one of them? Apparently yes.

 

So to clear up my mind for a bit and correct my lifestyle for a lot, I decide to write. Be it a pick-up game or a game of lifestyle, one has to be smart enough to play it well. Before becoming a professional, there are rules for you to follow. However once you are on top, rules are to be broken so that you can test your own capacity.

 

Maybe by that time, I will be able to publish my book---"Anti-Game".

dude, it's already September!!!!

 

As I sent my first CV and covering letter to some small asset management fund company, I started my job hunting, officially. Every now and then, bumping into schoolmates that are younger than me asking me, hey haven't you graduated already? Just when I was about to fake an angry face, they would always be so sweet saying something like, man...now my chance is even lower.

 

Seriously my dearest friends, nothing to worry about. I might seem tough to you guys but I assure you I have tons of shortcomings especially in my academic achievements that will definitely add up to the difficulties of finding a decent job.

 

So here we go. Monday in Shaw College, I attended my first recruitment talk held by KPMG. I always heard people talking about Big 4 ever since I was....admitted in the university. The first time I realized the importance of KPMG was when me and Kiki and several other german friends of mine walking around in the financial area of LA, Ilja, despite the fact that he remains an asshole in my life, pointed out to a tall glassy building with the big four capital letters on top and said, I gotta take a picture of this. I want to work there when I graduate!

 

Almost all the european friends of mine who are in the business industry adore KPMG. No wonder it is selected the most favorable company/employer. For me, I never really thought about careers in an accounting firm because....dude, dealing with numbers all the time would simply kill me and my youth, especially after I received a B+ only for my introducatory accounting class. But I have to be more open-minded, or, in other words, I have to face the reality and be open to all the options I could have ahead of me. After all, it's not like I have tons of connections or I'm that outstanding. So I went there. Audit, no, tax, maybe, financial advisory, YES! I have never really related this consulting like job with accouting firms but apparently they have something for me!

 

I almost finished the online application today. Still have to think about the 2 out of 4 essays though. I have to say it's hard to believe that finally my student life as an undergraduate is about to come to an end. But to think positively, as always, there will be a brand new chapter opening in front of me. So keep on drawing honey!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Man this internship hunting has come to a point that I do not feel any more frustrated and you know what it's called?! over-frustration!!!!

 

Minna starts her summer course already in HKU hence I'm again a jobless/carefree bird who is...oh well...caged in this tiny tiiny dorm located out of nowhere....of course that is only for the day time. Stephanie already joked about me going out late and coming back early for...god knows how many nights in a row...

 

And this HAS TO end!!!! So after careful consideration and discuss with my beloved sponsors to assure that I will not face the risk of financial crisis, I will...let's see...go to the gym (oya, god you have to know it is an investment), take french courses? (actually i'd like a language exchange partner whose mandarin sucks as much as my french) and just get a part-time somewhere close...

 

okay, enough for the career bullshitting. Let's see what I've been doing these days. I am 80% sure that Rich the bouncer at Mes Amies in Wan Chai knew that I was the girl asked for his number. Oh ya, it's part of the I dare you dare game we had after having too much lady's night drinks. We also went a really really nice fancy bar called Aqua on top of some building in TST. I wish I had my camera with me because it has a gorgeous view over the harbor of the central. The most unbelievable thing happened last Sat though when I was at Insomnia with my friends. All of a sudden, i saw a well-dressed Chinese guy with a very cute British accent right in front of me. Yes Nadja, if you are reading this, it was JASON!!! and then....a tall guy with familiar mustache followed and it was FABIAN!!!! I could not believe my eyes as well! He seemed much better if you haven't talked to him for a while. too bad that was his last night in HK so we just chilled and talked for a bit.

 

And of course that was the night when England and Brazil were both out...bastards.

 

I also explored a lot of the island malls these days and to my surprise I found BENEFIT!!!!! My fav fav american cosmetics brand that I had to stock up whenever I go abroad if I find some! And of course I went crazy when Minna was droolling over all the Hello Kitty stuff....seriously, I do NOT like this cat!

 

okay, that's for today. I know now a lot of my friends are going back to shangha and too bad this time I could not be there with you ppl and catch up...just wanna let you know that I miss you all and hope you are having loads of fun home!!!

got up at 3am, jumped on the taxi and headed to the airport...my mini-vocation to Vietnam reached its full stop.

 

It was indeed an intriguing city. It reminded me of an old communist China, with party banners flaunting in the breezes. The traffic is a mess. People drive motorbikes with outrageous braveness. Once in a taxi, motorbikes are everywhere, RIGHT behind the car, RIGHT in front of the car, RIGHT next to the car...Thanks to the experience of road crossing developed in Shanghai, I was able to survive. Minna was a bit freaked out but soon she realized that there was no way but walking/looking straight ahead and hoping that it's them who would avoid you. Traces of french colonization can still be seen in a some areas, like nice bistros and restaurants. Downtown areas are definitely almost the same as some of the developing cities I've visited, flourishing with well-known hotels and big department stores. This is Ho Chi Minh City.

 

We took a walk tour around town and visited War Remnants Museum and the Reunification Palace. Both were very interesting places. Bloody Americans have done some really disgusting deeds during the vietnam war and maybe that was one of the reasons why it could not be justified in any sense. Passing by the Post Office whose grandness actually reminded me of the union station in DC and the Notre Dame Cathedral whose style is absolutely unique in such an Asian city.

 

The food in Vietnam is GREAT and CHEAP!!! A lot of rice paper wrapping, a lot of herbs and a lot of different kinds of sources....yummy yummy....Most of the people are pretty nice. Despite language problem, communication still worked out sometimes by all kinds of sign language I can invent. :P

 

So after one day adventure in Ho Chi Minh, we headed north to Mui Ne Beach, whose sand dunes were listed in some sort of travel magazines one of the seven places you can not miss! We stayed in a resort which is right next to the beach....absolutely calm and beautiful and heavenly heaven with the blue sky, the ocean and the breezes. Since it was not the peak season so the beach was not occupied at all. Yet the cons are that night life can be boring since there weren't many people of our age. So most of the nights we just grabed some beer in local bars and watched the world cup. We did meet a very cute french surfer who was working in some sort of resort there during the summer one night. We, 3 people of course, walked along the beach, studied the stars and talked about things which I could not recall much. It was nice...

 

The second day we were there we joined a local tour and visited the sand dunes. To me, it is really a mini-sahara. We were speechless in front of the beauty of the nature. Sand dunes to me bear the unique combination of feminity and masculinity. The curves of the dunes are soft, yet they were shaped this way thanks to the fiece wind, which if hit you, were like needle rain. Perhaps it is indeed an implication of how in every woman, there is the side of toughness so determined that she could overcome all the difficulties if she is inspired to...

 

So pretty much that was a short briefing of my mini-vocation. I spent a lot of time walking around, observing with amazement or just meditating before dozing off...It was a nice escape from the city life though Minna still believed that I'm la fille de la cite...I could not disagree, yet I know I need to see the real blue sky as a whole once in a while, feeling the waves touching my toes and the breezes kissing on my cheeks...This is what I call the refilling of the human spirits.

 

 

This might come a bit shocking but yes people, I'm heading down to Vietnam next week!!!!!

 

I was gonna go to Singapore but then adventure in a post-french colonization definitely sounds more tempting!!!! Hence, after a few email exchange with Minna, we decided to go to Vietnam instead.

 

We are flying to Ho Chi Minh City on 23rd and then head north to Phan Tiet/Muine Beach 2 days later. It's a pity that I have to miss Halong Bay this time because it is always what Vietnam would remind me of, sailing boats setting in the background of cliffs, mysterious yet grandly gorgeous. We might try to stay in a resort once arrive in phan tiet, said to the less tourism cities in Vietnam.

 

Wohooooooo, backpack time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Enough is said/discussed/commented on yesterday's match. We lost. It certainly wasn't the best result to my/our debating year, yet we had reached the most inspiring moment.

 

I would like to thank my best friend/captain Ada, logic king Ricky, Gap Queen Angel, Best Debator!Vivian, Best partner Walden, philosopher Karl and Janet for fighting together and putting on such a great show! I would also like to thank everyone for the advices and supportz. It has indeed been a fruitful year of experience!!! Apart from all the debating skills, expanded knowledge, growing confidence and improved presentation skills, the most important thing is that the friendship I have had with most of the teammates and alumnis..

 

We are such a team!

 

HK has been gloomy ever since I got back...and I have no clue how long it is going to last lik this. I have a week of "freedom" before my beloved fiance Minna comes down from Sweden. I have got to say that nothing is impossible once you are determined to achieve so. A year after I left UCSB, I've already met up with Graham, Minna and Mel. Gustav is even coming to exchange in CUHK in September. (hehe, of course I did a bit of talking) Talking of Re-union, I'm doing good.

 

If life is all about planning and moving towards the goals, short-term wise I'll have to try to

 

(1) find myself an internship ASAP

(2) start gyming

(3) pick up French (god it's getting horrible)

(4) go to the beach to get a BEATIFUL tan

(5) planning/travelling in HK and Singapore with Minna, unless I have a fat check so that I can go to Korea instead

 

Time flies by at a blink of eye. Hence, I've got to hurry up!

 

Oh yup, finally this site is open to everyone.(although I wasn't aware of that) Greetings from Hong Kong to my friends all over the world. Wherever you are, I wish you a fabulous summer and loads of fun before your life slips away!!!!