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9/16/2007 父子- 李克勤
1/20/2007 HelloHello...
HELLO!
A sense of guilt for not keeping my blog updated.
With much motivation, I eventually manage to do so.
Twentieth day into Year Two Thousand and Seven...
My mind says I should jot down a wee bit of my thoughts
Been pretty occupied by different things upon return from HK:
A funny feeling in heart which I struggle to handle.
Looking ahead in Year 2007 - I expect challenges, certainties, uncertainties...
What's my vision for 2007? I yet to find out...
(for sure, I need to get FAT!)
 p.s. hope all my readers are keeping well. Hello again!
12/29/2006 不如不見 - 陳奕迅
11/14/2006 Is it that long?Has it been that LONG since I last updated my space?
Still lots to think about, if not more...
But for my fellow readers: I still have a pulse and I am still breathing.
p.s. thanks for all your kind words Evita - So What Happens Now...
Play Music Evita - So What Happens Now - Madonna 10/23/2006 MemorandumWeekend: Busy, Interesting, Happy.
Week ahead: Demanding, Challenging, hopefully Enjoyable too.
Lots in mind.
10/21/2006 San Francisco - Scott McKenzie
According to Scott McKenzie, John Phillips wrote 'San Francisco' in twenty minutes. He wrote it to promote the upcoming non-profit Monterey Pop Festival. John Phillips co-produced and played guitar.
10/17/2006 San Francisco - Day 3 - Napa ValleyI DON'T WANT TO GO BACK YET!
An interesting day.
A group of four, we drove north today to this famous wine region. 'Napa' in Native American derivation could mean 'house', 'grizzly bear', 'motherland' or 'fish'. Perhaps I just need a bit of my imagination.
With over 200 wineires, Napa Valley is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Zinfandel. It became famous in Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, which featured a Napa Valley Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon besting several famous French labels in a blind tasting format!
What did we do?
We started off with a PICNIC with wine, cheese and various munchies. Merrily, we then visited various wineries. Regrettably, I only bought ONE bottle (UK customs limit = 1 L)
Photos to follow.
By the way, do you know the default wallpaper for Windows XP - Bliss, is a landscape in the Napa Valley?
NOW YOU KNOW!
10/14/2006 San Francisco - Day 2 - Stanford UniversityDay 2
Sunny
11 to 18 degrees
Visibility: Moderate
Friend was so kind to drive me to Stanford University (aka Leland Stanford Junior University).
Adjacent to Palo Alto, it is about 40 miles Southeast of San Francisco. The journey was smooth and scenic.
Opened in 1891, it is the second largest university campus in the world - occupying about 32 sq km!
The motto was interesting: 'Die Luft der Freiheit weht' which in German, it means "the Wind of Freedom Blows" (c.f. Latin was replaced by German for a short period of time as the dominant scholars' language until after WWII)
The grandness of the campus together with the distinctive red-tile roofs coupled with sandstone left me a lasting impression.
The trip was highlighted by a memorable lunch. Lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with a few secondary school friends! Some I have not seen for more than a decade!! It was again a good catching up session, albeit brief.
Will put up photos later. 10/13/2006 San Francisco - Day 1 - Arrived!!Sunny
11 to 18 degrees
Visibility - Low
.jpg) San Francisco, the fourth-largest city in California, yet the second most densely populated major city in the United States.
Siginificant events on the timeline includes The California Gold Rush in mid 19th Century, the devastated earthquake in early 20th century, and the famous tie to the Silicon Valley at the beginning of 21st Century.
Famous for lots of things! From fog(!), steep hills, to the blend of traditional Victorian with the modern architectures, and ,the 'Spanish' influence from Mexico, just to name a few.
Temporarily putting up a few photos to satisfy some of my readers! 10/12/2006 LHR -> SFOFrom Heathrow
Decided to go to San Fran over last 24 hours (typical me)
Late for flight again... (another typical me)
Heathrow experience worse than Paris trip!
Must go... gate closing...
WATCH THE SPACE!
From San Francisco Airport
Funny long forms one has to fill in for the US Immigration. Here is a selection:
(Tick yes or no)
I am bringing insects...
I am bringing disease agents, cell cultures and snails...
I am bringing soil...
Do you have a communicable disease ... or mental disability...
Are you seeking entry to ... engage in criminal or immoral activities...
Have you been involved in terrorist activities, genocide or between 1935 and 1945 were involved in anyway, in persecutive associated with Nazi Germany...
No, No, No, No, No, NO!
Has anyone put YES to these questions?
9/24/2006 Paris - photos and Moulin RougePut up some photos from Paris + Orsay.
Was gonna write a bit of my expereince at Moulin Rouge
(got invited on stage!)
 Perhaps I would tell you individually... Paris - Parisians and Parisans' Dogs48 hours observations:
Parisian style - Second to none.
One could be easily picked up as a tourist for what one wears.
One could also be easily given a 'look' if one decides to wear shorts, tennis shoes.
Caffeine is important.
But Nicotine is more important.
Dog is also very important. Most Parisians would have one.
Mind you, watch the pavement very carefully where you walk for dog excrements... 9/19/2006 Paris - Buskers and GraffitiOf course, live performances in public places could be found in most part of the world.
Somehow, buskers in Paris are different.
Rumours about them requiring to attend audition before they are allowed to go the street!
Most impressed!
On Graffiti...
as plenty as one could find in New York
as pretty as one could see in London (if not more so)
but...
they are in french 9/18/2006 Paris - MetroParis Metro is unique.
Although it has a shorter history compared with the London Underground, it has more stations (368 vs 274), more lines, and certainly more efficient!
With very few exceptions, most Metro stations are filled with blandness - white tiles all over the wall, paucity of advertisement etc. There is also minimal anouncement made through the public broadcasting system unlike the London tube. 'Mind the Door' in french is a loud-monotonus horn-like noise lasting for 3 seconds before doors closed. Indeed, a rarity in Paris that is internationally understood.
Metro tickets are mini - less than the size of two fingers breadth, about a third of an Underground ticket. One only needs to validate it on entry and be prepared for a random ticket check by inspector at some point of the journey! (spot fine 35 Euro)
Frequency and efficiency of Metro is comparable to that of HK (i.e. much much better than Underground!). Also, there IS mobile reception inside Metro stations!!
9/15/2006 Paris - LHR and CDGOnce again, a spontaneious trip.
A city I used to visit on a yearly basis but not for the last three or four years.
Having little success in obtaining a Eurostar ticket to Gare du Nord, I opted for a BA flight to Charles de Gaulle. I purchased a ticket advertised for TEN pounds online only to find myself paying an extra fifty for airport taxes, fuel surcharges etc.
The story started at Heathrow security check... As most of my readers would know there has been an increased security measures recently at all the UK airports. Heathrow was affected most.
Firstly, I got my lip-balm confiscated from my hand luggage as they suspect it could potentially be a bomb.
Secondly, while I was going through the scanner half stripped with no shoes and my belt half un-done, the security staff requested me to have my laptop removed from its case. The laptop was indeed removed from its case, but it also found itself being slipped from my hand and dropped on the floor like a bouncy ball. (It was then I knew laptop bounces...) The whole queue suddenly went very very quiet while it happened and a few fellow passnegers went up to me to say 'I am very sorry for it to happen...'!
I have only been to Charles De Gaulle twice. Eurostar was a much preferred way as it brought you directly from city centre to city centre.
My memory of CDG was remote. The only thing I could remember was CDG was BIG... and indeed, CDG was still BIG...
At CDG, I decided a map was not necessary for this trip as I have been to Paris too many times. (which I later regretted)
I also decided not to bring an English-French phrase book as I previously survived with only knowing two phrases, viz 'Bonjour' and 'Parlez-vous anglais?'
Did I survive? more tomorrow! 9/14/2006 In retrospectThree weeks since I last updated my blog.
A couple of weddings, a couple of BBC Proms, a couple of plays... and lots of paedaitrics.
8/26/2006 Kandinsky at Tate ModernLove galleries in London.
You would never get enough of it.
Friend wanted to see Wassily Kandinsky at Tate Modern.
Met up in early evening for the Late Viewing session.
A stroll across the Millenium Bridge over the Thames from St Paul's.
Fabulous weather, yet I could feel Autumn is slowly seeping in.
I wouldn't embarrass myself by telling you too much about Abstract Art.
But my brief conclusions are as follows:
We hurried through towards the end because of closing time.
An extremely enjoyable evening.
Good company.
But I still favour Impressionalism!
8/20/2006 記得 - 劉浩龍
8/14/2006 Back in LondonNot very good at updating my blog lately.
Back in London for exactly a week...
I have been 'indulging' myself in work, and work, and work.
Yet, you might be glad to know: I am still in one piece.
Thanks to typhoon Prapiroon, my 12-days trip to Hong Kong was extended to thirteen days.
It was a nice trip -- nice in the sense that I got to see my family and to meet lots of people.
Some of them I have not seen for a year, some not for more than a decade!
We have all 'grown' in one way or another; but we all preserved some childhood or adolescent characters. That's nice.
My memory is selective; somehow, I just remember the happy times...
I wish I could have stayed a wee bit longer.
I might have done a few things that I hesitated. Perhaps.
I am allowed to hesitate, ain't I?
Father has been reading quite a bit I noted on this occasion.
History and phiolosophy. Subjects that I wish I knew a bit more.
Quite interesting chats. I am learning every time.
Grandmas are well too. It was nice to see them.
One of them moved nursing home; to a better one.
Sometimes, I doubt if she recognised me.
Guess that's part of life...
One day I would be the same.
Think I need to open a profile for every friend I met!
Everything is ever changing...
Some are getting married, some are changing jobs, some bought properties, some going through 'significant life events'...
And of course, some are exactly the same as the last time i saw them!
It seems everyone at home is working very hard.
What for? For a better future. I do wish them well.
And me?
Happy.
Happy where I am.
Happy what I am.
Happy who I am.
8/3/2006 SHOPPINGTyphoon Signal Number Three
Wind ++
Rain ++++
Just returned from shopping.
Raining cats and dogs... Can't believe so many people still on the street!
Very impressed by my shopping efficiency over 2 hours:
L: I got the comic! No 12 (the last of the series) is out already!
B: Got films. Even got the one with Pooh!
W: Got SIM ready to use upon your arrival
A: Got it. Buying process was a bit iffy. (left with no money... all your fault!)
FFC: Got nothing for you yet...
 Late for drinks... more later!
ANYMORE? ANYONE? 8/2/2006 I WANT MY OLD BLOG!This Windows-Live-thing made my blog looks so ugly!
 Sorry haven't been kept in touch. Returning London this Saturday.
 Been meeting lots and lots of people.
Have I met everyone I ought to?
 72 hours to go. 7/28/2006 Hong KongIntoxicated.
Been hanging out in Lan Kwai Fong for last couple of nights...
Zzz...
Putting a few photos up 7/26/2006 Unfaithful - Rihanna
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