Boston always has a pretty special place in my heart - I never quite considered the city to be my home but I did spend a fair amount of time there, on and off for almost one year between 2000-2002. It's a place I shared good and bad memories - including that Tuesday morning when I saw on TV two planes smashed into the Twin Towers, and then because of that I was stranded here for more than 2 weeks afterwards. Nonetheless I was always amazed at the beautiful scenery and rich history this city has to offer, not to mention the many delicious food and drinks and the vibrant social life I got to enjoy while living there - time passed and many of those are still vivid in my memory. It's still one of my favorite American cities.
More often than not I stayed at Copley Place when I was there - right around the finishing line of the Marathon and not far away from where the bombs went off yesterday actually, so in a sense it does feel like my own neighborhood was under attack and I feel the shock and sorrow as many in Boston has gone through seeing the scene of chaos with people running for their lives and injured being wheeled into ambulance. This is why today, my heart and prayers particularly go to the city of Boston and its people.
So far, 3 people died - including a 8-year-old kid - and hundreds injured, but it affected far more beyond that and the negative feeling may last for a while. I am sure some may even feel like living through the 911 anxiety all over again. But it's important we let our lives go on, not because of indifference to those who suffered but with resolve and in stern defiance, and say loudly to those evils who did this - we should not let such cowardly act and whoever did this terrible thing have their ways in inflicting fears on us. We are far better than that.
I salute to those first responders and volunteers and helpers on the work they have done on treating the injured, comforting those mourn and were worried, keeping everyone safe and trying to bring everything back to normal as soon as possible. May God bless you and be with you all.
Showing posts with label random thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random thoughts. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Looking back - the rest of 2011
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
南飛, 南非
南非之旅 Day 0: 6月29日
終於等到了出發的一天. well, 球賽的門票是一年多前訂的, 酒店和機票, 還有觀光景點的門票, 也早安排好了, 連吃飯的餐廳, 也於一個月前訂好了座. "你們不是去睇波的嗎, 幹嗎還未出發?", "看那一場球賽呀?", "南非不是很危險嗎? 你們還打算自由行? 你們瘋了嗎?" - 自從賽事在6月中開始後, 類似的問題/comment, 早已聽過不知一千幾百次, 變得有點兒麻目了.
出發前常以為, 這樣預先安排好行程, 讓"未出發, 先興奮"的感覺linger on了一年有多, 加上因為提早預定能省下來的錢, 感覺就好像早已把所花的旅費賺了有餘. 但到臨近真正出發時, 又感覺到有點"反高潮", 心裡由興奮變成了忐忑, 產生了不少古怪的念頭, 不知實際的旅程會不會如想像般精彩, 也生怕會掛一漏萬, 打擾了行程, 再加上臨走前看到了英格蘭黯然出局, 令我們原本希望能在8強/4強賽親眼看到支持的球隊昂然晉級的夢想給幻滅了. 我們就是在這樣患得患失的心情之中, 踏上了南非之旅.
香港到南非, 航程並不如想像之中悠長. 傍晚由香港飛到新加坡(via UA), 再轉機經約翰尼斯堡到開普敦(SQ), 連transit的時間, 總共才20個小時 - 絕不比以往放完暑假由香港回學校的那幾次差.
從香港到開普敦, 並沒有直航客機. 看似最直接的方法, 是搭南非航空和國泰到約翰奈斯堡, 再轉內陸機. 不過乘Emirates經杜拜, 星航經星加坡, 甚至是Jet Airways經孟買, 都是可以考慮的選擇 - 反正約翰奈斯堡機場行李"離奇失蹤"的情況早已臭名昭著, 如果不打算停留jo'burg的話, 還是避之則吉為妙. 我們乘坐的星航客機, 是direct但不是non-stop的航班, 會在Jo'Burg機場落客及更換機組人員, 不過只多停留一個小時, 還算可以接受 (最少這樣行李並不會在約翰奈斯堡機場處理, 減少了任何問題發生的可能性)
Anyway, 一場電視直播的球賽(在樟宜機場的候機大堂裡看的, 日本對巴拉圭), 兩餐不置可否的飛機餐(SQ的還可以, UA的那份真有點令人想嘔), 三套電影之後, 飛機已穿越了赤道, 到達我南半球的第一個目的地 - 南非的開普敦, 抵達時已經是第二天的上午.
常聽說南非生活節奏輕鬆, 本地人工作效率很差, 是真的嗎? 我們從下機, 辦入境手續, 提取行李, 清關, 到購買手機sim card, 到FIFA的櫃位取門票, 到租車公司取車, 前後一共只用了不到45分鐘, 比香港機場還要快! Impressive! As we later found out, 這只是我們對這個地方眾多的錯誤印象的其中之一而已.
放好行李, 跳進了車廂... 不知是不是因為舒服的天氣, 還是能飛快的離開機場, 還是取票時發覺我們第一場球賽被安排坐在最近場邊的下層第一排的關係, 出發前的患得患失, 早已給忘記一空了.
朋友號, 出發吧!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
"Act Now" vs North Pole
This morning as I was staring at the "Act Now" campaign billboard on the MTR platform and trying to imagine what it would be like to set sail on a journey without knowing the destination, suddenly this story came to mind... it happened a long long time ago in the Hundred Acre Wood...
"We are all going on an Expedition," said Christopher Robin.
"Going on an Expotition?" said Pooh eagerly. "I don't think I've ever been on one of those. Where are we going to on this Expotition?"
"Expedition, silly old Bear. It's got an 'x' in it."
"Oh!" said Pooh. "I know." But he didn't really.
"We're going to discover the North Pole."
"Oh!" said Pooh again. "What is the North Pole?" he asked.
"It's just a thing you discover," said Christopher Robin carelessly, not being quite sure himself.
"Oh! I see," said Pooh. "Are bears any good at discovering it?"
"Of course they are. And Rabbit and Kanga and all of you. It's an Expedition. That's what an Expedition means. A long line of everybody. You'd better tell the others to get ready, while I see if my gun's all right. And we must all bring Provisions."
"Bring what?"
"Things to eat."
"Oh!" said Pooh happily. "I thought you said Provisions. I'll go and tell them." And he stumped off.
So there he went... Thinking "Expedition" is some sort of boat and "North Pole" as some "thing" that you are to discover, Pooh rounded up his buddies Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Eeyore and all Rabbit's friends, and hurried off to this Expedition. And along the way, Pooh's singing this song:
They all went off to discover the Pole,
Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all;
It's a Thing you Discover, as I've been tole
By Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all.
Eeyore, Christopher Robin and Pooh
And Rabbit's relations all went too--
And where the Pole was none of them knew....
Sing Hey! for Owl and Rabbit and all!
So how this story ended? They keep moving "forward" and as they were walking across a stream together, Roo fell into the water, on the verge of being washed away, and was saved by Pooh with a long stick in his hand. Just as the troupe was chatting and celebrating this amazing rescue...
But Christopher Robin wasn't listening. He was looking at Pooh.
"Pooh," he said, "where did you find that pole?"
Pooh looked at the pole in his hands.
"I just found it," he said. "I thought it ought to be useful. I just picked it up."
"Pooh," said Christopher Robin solemnly, "the Expedition is over. You have found the North Pole!"
"Oh!" said Pooh.
Pooh looked anxiously at Christopher Robin.
"Pooh's found the North Pole," said Christopher Robin. "Isn't that lovely?"
Pooh looked modestly down.
"Is that it?" said Eeyore.
"Yes," said Christopher Robin.
"Is that what we were looking for?"
"Yes," said Pooh.
"Oh!" said Eeyore. "Well, anyhow--it didn't rain," he said.
They stuck the pole in the ground, and Christopher Robin tied a message on to it:
NorTH PoLE
DICSovERED By PooH
PooH FouND IT
Then they all went Home again. And I think, but I am not quite sure, that Roo had a hot bath and went straight to bed. But Pooh went back to his own house, and feeling very proud of what he had done, had a little something to revive himself.
(The story's taken from Chapter 8 of the book Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne)
Now I can't wait for the day when Donald Tsang sticks a plague on the ground outside the Government headquarter and proudly announces:
Universal Suffrage
Discovered by Donald
Donald found it
"We are all going on an Expedition," said Christopher Robin.
"Going on an Expotition?" said Pooh eagerly. "I don't think I've ever been on one of those. Where are we going to on this Expotition?"
"Expedition, silly old Bear. It's got an 'x' in it."
"Oh!" said Pooh. "I know." But he didn't really.
"We're going to discover the North Pole."
"Oh!" said Pooh again. "What is the North Pole?" he asked.
"It's just a thing you discover," said Christopher Robin carelessly, not being quite sure himself.
"Oh! I see," said Pooh. "Are bears any good at discovering it?"
"Of course they are. And Rabbit and Kanga and all of you. It's an Expedition. That's what an Expedition means. A long line of everybody. You'd better tell the others to get ready, while I see if my gun's all right. And we must all bring Provisions."
"Bring what?"
"Things to eat."
"Oh!" said Pooh happily. "I thought you said Provisions. I'll go and tell them." And he stumped off.
So there he went... Thinking "Expedition" is some sort of boat and "North Pole" as some "thing" that you are to discover, Pooh rounded up his buddies Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Eeyore and all Rabbit's friends, and hurried off to this Expedition. And along the way, Pooh's singing this song:
They all went off to discover the Pole,
Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all;
It's a Thing you Discover, as I've been tole
By Owl and Piglet and Rabbit and all.
Eeyore, Christopher Robin and Pooh
And Rabbit's relations all went too--
And where the Pole was none of them knew....
Sing Hey! for Owl and Rabbit and all!
So how this story ended? They keep moving "forward" and as they were walking across a stream together, Roo fell into the water, on the verge of being washed away, and was saved by Pooh with a long stick in his hand. Just as the troupe was chatting and celebrating this amazing rescue...
But Christopher Robin wasn't listening. He was looking at Pooh.
"Pooh," he said, "where did you find that pole?"
Pooh looked at the pole in his hands.
"I just found it," he said. "I thought it ought to be useful. I just picked it up."
"Pooh," said Christopher Robin solemnly, "the Expedition is over. You have found the North Pole!"
"Oh!" said Pooh.
Pooh looked anxiously at Christopher Robin.
"Pooh's found the North Pole," said Christopher Robin. "Isn't that lovely?"
Pooh looked modestly down.
"Is that it?" said Eeyore.
"Yes," said Christopher Robin.
"Is that what we were looking for?"
"Yes," said Pooh.
"Oh!" said Eeyore. "Well, anyhow--it didn't rain," he said.
They stuck the pole in the ground, and Christopher Robin tied a message on to it:
DICSovERED By PooH
PooH FouND IT
Then they all went Home again. And I think, but I am not quite sure, that Roo had a hot bath and went straight to bed. But Pooh went back to his own house, and feeling very proud of what he had done, had a little something to revive himself.
(The story's taken from Chapter 8 of the book Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne)
Now I can't wait for the day when Donald Tsang sticks a plague on the ground outside the Government headquarter and proudly announces:
Discovered by Donald
Donald found it
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Complacency
躬自厚而薄責於人, 則遠怨矣(論語．衛靈公篇)
(Strict on yourself yet forgiving on others will keep resentment away - a word of wisdom from Confucius)
Too often in our lives we became complacent at other people's mishaps or when things that simply don't sound right. Remember the time when you had a terrible dish at a restaurant yet when the waiter came by and asked how everything is, you told him everything's good without hesitation, because you didn't want to upset the chef? How about the time when someone in your team screwed up but you held back your criticism because that person happened to be your best friend/the nicest person on the team or you just want to avoid any embarassment to anyone? Then what happened? Well he screwed up yet again, and again, and again, because no one has told him so.
I am sure there are hundreds of reasons why we chose to be so: because we have been taught it's part of our traditional moral values; because it's the political correct thing to do; because we always want to be the peacemaker; because no one likes the awkwardness that may result when someone speak their minds. But it is a dangerous path really when we start settling for less, in big or small ways, whether to yourself or to others - complacency breeds mediocrity. And once we decided to go down to this trap of mediocrity there's no turning back: soon enough you would think it's okay for a fine-dining restaurant to serve ready meals; soon enough you would think Genki Sushi's better than Sushi Shin because they got more smiley faces in openrice (or Spaghetti House really is the best Italian restaurant in town); soon enough you would think that random Australian Pinot you got at Park N Shop can rival your treasured DRC Grands Echezeaux; soon enough you would think functional constituency can be considered as part of universal and equal suffrage. Well, hope you got the idea.
It's time for us to stop following this downward spiral - by this I am not advocating people to be hypercritical or nitpicking; I am merely saying people should just say what they truly feel without hesitation of being seen as "political incorrect", or be afraid to offend somebody. Trying to play Mr Nice Guy in a bad situation doesn't make it goes away, and by tolerating mediocrity we will eventually turn into one, when we start to think it's acceptable to be mediocre, or "average" became a new word for "good".
So let us all start by telling the waiter the food's bad when you think it is so, or letting people know that Spaghetti House is NOT an Italian restaurant; that terroir does count in making good wines, and there's no place for functional constituency in equal suffrage. Please...
(Strict on yourself yet forgiving on others will keep resentment away - a word of wisdom from Confucius)
Too often in our lives we became complacent at other people's mishaps or when things that simply don't sound right. Remember the time when you had a terrible dish at a restaurant yet when the waiter came by and asked how everything is, you told him everything's good without hesitation, because you didn't want to upset the chef? How about the time when someone in your team screwed up but you held back your criticism because that person happened to be your best friend/the nicest person on the team or you just want to avoid any embarassment to anyone? Then what happened? Well he screwed up yet again, and again, and again, because no one has told him so.
I am sure there are hundreds of reasons why we chose to be so: because we have been taught it's part of our traditional moral values; because it's the political correct thing to do; because we always want to be the peacemaker; because no one likes the awkwardness that may result when someone speak their minds. But it is a dangerous path really when we start settling for less, in big or small ways, whether to yourself or to others - complacency breeds mediocrity. And once we decided to go down to this trap of mediocrity there's no turning back: soon enough you would think it's okay for a fine-dining restaurant to serve ready meals; soon enough you would think Genki Sushi's better than Sushi Shin because they got more smiley faces in openrice (or Spaghetti House really is the best Italian restaurant in town); soon enough you would think that random Australian Pinot you got at Park N Shop can rival your treasured DRC Grands Echezeaux; soon enough you would think functional constituency can be considered as part of universal and equal suffrage. Well, hope you got the idea.
It's time for us to stop following this downward spiral - by this I am not advocating people to be hypercritical or nitpicking; I am merely saying people should just say what they truly feel without hesitation of being seen as "political incorrect", or be afraid to offend somebody. Trying to play Mr Nice Guy in a bad situation doesn't make it goes away, and by tolerating mediocrity we will eventually turn into one, when we start to think it's acceptable to be mediocre, or "average" became a new word for "good".
So let us all start by telling the waiter the food's bad when you think it is so, or letting people know that Spaghetti House is NOT an Italian restaurant; that terroir does count in making good wines, and there's no place for functional constituency in equal suffrage. Please...
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Concourse is Our Playground
There used to be an ad slogan by Nike that says "The World is my Playgound". Well, if MTR has to use a new one, it may as well be "The concourse is our playground", judging from what I saw this morning on my way to work.
I don't commute by public transport much these days - spoiled by the option of driving - but today's one of those rare occasions that I felt too lazy to be behind wheels in the rain, and never did I realize it's actually fun watching people commuting like sheep being herded from one place to another. It is really quite a scene that is worth mentioning on any Hong Kong travel guides - well, talking about the Rough Guides!
Then I started to wonder, with the East Asian Games coming to town this December - "You are the Legend", we were told, whatever that means - I am surprised the organizer didn't consider putting our MTR concourse to be the sporting ground for some of the events and have a separate category of "MTR Commuters" to compete against the world's best (at least the best from the East Asian side of the world).
Take 100m sprint for example, I can see many people have been training hard day in and day out on the concourse on Admiralty station, at the Tsuen Wan Line-Island Line interchange on their way to work and back, and from what I saw, many of whom are definitely up to par with the professionals, finishing the race in less than 10 seconds. I am sure they would have done even better if they didn't don their suit or dressed to the nines with high heels to do the run. How about race-walking? I was told I am a speed walker myself too, but nothing compared to those who can walk from Hong Kong Station to Central Station (a 500m walk, according to information from Google) in less than 2 minutes, including the time wasted to avoid the not-so-fast crowd that often cram on the moving walkway.
The organizer can even consider having new events in MTR - well, I figure since ballroom dancing has become a competitive event at the Games, what can't be? How about dancing to iPod music on a moving train for a change? It's a combination of art and balancing skills, you know, and we can even get sponsorship from Apple. Or newspaper picking - like those old ladies outside the station? Hey that requires endurance, physical strength, patience and a little bit of charm and luck - everything that is needed for any competitive sports. Or even "People Dodging" - having 2 teams facing each other at a narrow Mongkok Station entrance and team members have to reach the other side without being bumped by any one of the opposing team. Trust me, I tried, but I can never accomplish that.
See, commuting can be fun if you start day-dreaming!
I don't commute by public transport much these days - spoiled by the option of driving - but today's one of those rare occasions that I felt too lazy to be behind wheels in the rain, and never did I realize it's actually fun watching people commuting like sheep being herded from one place to another. It is really quite a scene that is worth mentioning on any Hong Kong travel guides - well, talking about the Rough Guides!
Then I started to wonder, with the East Asian Games coming to town this December - "You are the Legend", we were told, whatever that means - I am surprised the organizer didn't consider putting our MTR concourse to be the sporting ground for some of the events and have a separate category of "MTR Commuters" to compete against the world's best (at least the best from the East Asian side of the world).
Take 100m sprint for example, I can see many people have been training hard day in and day out on the concourse on Admiralty station, at the Tsuen Wan Line-Island Line interchange on their way to work and back, and from what I saw, many of whom are definitely up to par with the professionals, finishing the race in less than 10 seconds. I am sure they would have done even better if they didn't don their suit or dressed to the nines with high heels to do the run. How about race-walking? I was told I am a speed walker myself too, but nothing compared to those who can walk from Hong Kong Station to Central Station (a 500m walk, according to information from Google) in less than 2 minutes, including the time wasted to avoid the not-so-fast crowd that often cram on the moving walkway.
The organizer can even consider having new events in MTR - well, I figure since ballroom dancing has become a competitive event at the Games, what can't be? How about dancing to iPod music on a moving train for a change? It's a combination of art and balancing skills, you know, and we can even get sponsorship from Apple. Or newspaper picking - like those old ladies outside the station? Hey that requires endurance, physical strength, patience and a little bit of charm and luck - everything that is needed for any competitive sports. Or even "People Dodging" - having 2 teams facing each other at a narrow Mongkok Station entrance and team members have to reach the other side without being bumped by any one of the opposing team. Trust me, I tried, but I can never accomplish that.
See, commuting can be fun if you start day-dreaming!
Monday, July 20, 2009
10 things I like about my iPhone (and 5 things that I don't)
Things I like:
1. All-in-one Unit - I don't need to carry my phone, music player, and PDA separately anymore. Just one iPhone will do!
2. User Interface - After comparing it to my old Windows mobile machine, I wonder why I didn't make the switch sooner.
3. Functionalities - now I can make phone calls, check emails, listen to music, play games, watch TV... that makes daily commute so much more fun.
4. Stability - 7 days into using it - never an instance did I run into a system freeze. That compared to at least 3 times a day for my old pda (LG KS20 running WM6.1).
5. Looking Cool - since everyone's using it, I don't feel awkward holding that piece of brick on the street.
6. Great Camera - now I can take snapshots at anytime!
7. Interesting Apps - and most of them are free/cheap. My favorite so far: OpenRice. With that I can locate restaurants nearby (thank to the GPS capability), get their information (address and phone) and call them direct! No more 1083!
8. GPS - Not a lot of practical use at the moment, but looking forward to a software that can give me turn-by-turn directions (TomTom's coming out with a version soon, I heard)
9. Speed. I don't know how that compared to the old iPhone, but it's amazingly fast when compared to my old pda.
10. Apple. They never disappoint. Maybe it's time to ditch my PC and switch to a Mac too? I wonder.
And things that I don't like:
1. Cost. HK$5400 for a phone. Ouch! I'd better not lose or break it.
2. Cost for accessories. I like this new toy so much that I keep looking for accessories to make it look/work/sound better, and cost for those things adds up pretty fast.
3. Battery. I keep worrying that I may run out of battery in the middle of the day and can't take any phone calls.
4. Bulkiness. May need to get a smaller wallet so it and the iPhone can all fit in my pocket.
5. Bandwidth. Many applications do require internet connection to function properly. Now I need to switch to an unlimited data plan with my mobile carrier, but I am sure it's all worth it.
Friday, January 30, 2009
10 things that happened during chinese new year
10. Found our wallet bleeding from giving out laisee money as more and more friends are having kids…
9. Eat, eat and eat; one day I found myself having already had three meals before noon.
8. Watching “Marley and Me”, and while I kept looking at my watch thinking why this crappy movie seems like never end, our friends were down to tears.
7. Eating all kinds of “go’s” in all kinds of places – from church to 17A to in-laws’ place to friend’s home…. Now I felt sick even hearing the words “lor bat go”.
6. Enjoying an afternoon of karaoke and gossips over dinner with friends – see how loving we are!
5. Watching yet another meaningless movie and saw how history (at least the version we knew) was tweaked and twisted to suit the director’s own liking.
4. A couple golf games on our extended days off – we hit the green while most people were already back to work – and knowing that felt real good.
3. Watching my favorite football team won only their sixth game this season against an even more pathetic opponent on TV.
2. Meant to prepare a simple meal for friends at 17A; ended up having 8 dishes for the evening.
1. Felt depressed realizing that there’s no more public holidays in all of February and March, but also excited as our UK vacation is inching closer.
9. Eat, eat and eat; one day I found myself having already had three meals before noon.
8. Watching “Marley and Me”, and while I kept looking at my watch thinking why this crappy movie seems like never end, our friends were down to tears.
7. Eating all kinds of “go’s” in all kinds of places – from church to 17A to in-laws’ place to friend’s home…. Now I felt sick even hearing the words “lor bat go”.
6. Enjoying an afternoon of karaoke and gossips over dinner with friends – see how loving we are!
5. Watching yet another meaningless movie and saw how history (at least the version we knew) was tweaked and twisted to suit the director’s own liking.
4. A couple golf games on our extended days off – we hit the green while most people were already back to work – and knowing that felt real good.
3. Watching my favorite football team won only their sixth game this season against an even more pathetic opponent on TV.
2. Meant to prepare a simple meal for friends at 17A; ended up having 8 dishes for the evening.
1. Felt depressed realizing that there’s no more public holidays in all of February and March, but also excited as our UK vacation is inching closer.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
predictions
Saw this on InfoWorld. It's funny how people would say the most stupid thing, well, partly because we have the luxury of seeing things in retrospect to judge.
The 7 Worst Tech Predictions of All Time
1. "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson, President of IBM, 1943
2. "Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night." - Darryl Zanuck, executive at 20th Century Fox, 1946
3. "Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality within ten years." - Alex Lewyt, president of Lewyt vacuum company, 1955
4. "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977
5. "Almost all of the many predictions now being made about 1996 hinge on the Internet's continuing exponential growth. But I predict the Internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse." - Robert Metcalfe, founder of 3Com, 1995
6. "Apple is already dead." - Nathan Myhrvold, former Microsoft CTO, 1997
7. "Two years from now, spam will be solved." - Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, 2004
The 7 Worst Tech Predictions of All Time
1. "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson, President of IBM, 1943
2. "Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night." - Darryl Zanuck, executive at 20th Century Fox, 1946
3. "Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality within ten years." - Alex Lewyt, president of Lewyt vacuum company, 1955
4. "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977
5. "Almost all of the many predictions now being made about 1996 hinge on the Internet's continuing exponential growth. But I predict the Internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse." - Robert Metcalfe, founder of 3Com, 1995
6. "Apple is already dead." - Nathan Myhrvold, former Microsoft CTO, 1997
7. "Two years from now, spam will be solved." - Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, 2004
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
No stars, but worth a detour
To be honest, I already grew tired of comments after comments of how unfair Michelin Guide is, or how unprofessional their inspectors are in terms of judging chinese cuisine etc etc from local food critics and columnists. To me, it's either you accept the Guide as one school of thoughts in judging the restaurants and their cuisines, or just leave the Guide alone or pretend it doesn't exist or something. Please don't try to stand on the high ground and shove your so-called professional opinions in front of me saying what should or should not be in the Guide, okay?
In commenting on the star rating system Michelin employed, I like how Patricia Wells, herself a world-famous restaurant critic (her column appears regularly on international herald tribune), once put it. She basically put restaurants into 2 categories: petit fours restaurants and non-petit four restaurants. And to quote her, “Petit four restaurants are usually the starred ones, elegant establishments showered with flowers, with crisp linens and waiters in evening jackets; they have plenty of show, but are not always strong on regional culinary character. The non-petit four establishments tend to be small, modest, generally inexpensive restaurants, those little spots most travelers seek out when looking for regional flavor, local color, simpler food. Most often, these are not the places that win the hearts and palates of Michelin's dozen inspectors.” Well said, and there you have it.
Well, my foodie friend has rated his favorite restaurants on his facebook note earlier, and here i am sharing my two cents on some my favorite yet unstarred local gems in town:
(not in this order)
1. 澳洲牛奶公司 Australia Dairy Company
sitting here for 10 minutes, and you experience the typical hong kong culture, with long lines of customers waiting outside, hectic but efficient service, and not so friendly wait staff - especially if you think more than 10 seconds about what to order after you sit down. yet it's said that the scrambled eggs here are the best in the world, and a declaration: i am a proud member of "澳洲牛奶公司appreciation society", a facebook group with more than 8000 members to date.
2. 東寶小廚 Tung Po Kitchen
not necessarily the cleanest place on earth for a meal - it's located inside a wet market building - but this is the best place to experience dai pai dong-style food in town. well i am saying this partly because of its proximity to our home. my favorite includes fried prawns with salty egg yolk (黄金蝦) and fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf (荷葉飯).
3. 彭慶記 Pang's Kitchen
serving traditional cantonese fare often with a creative twist (for example, sweet and sour pork ribs with strawberries 士多啤梨生炒骨) this is the perfect place to go (and the one we frequented) when we want a simple family-style dinner for a comfortable evening out with friends.
4. 西貢全記海鮮 Chuen Kee Restaurant
picking the seafood live from the fish tank, and have the restaurant cooked in any way you specify - that's how a typical seafood restaurant in hongkong works. and chuen kee is perhaps the most reasonably-priced and consistant one in sai kung, a traditional fishing village famous for well what else, seafood.
5. 香港大學校友會 Hong Kong University Alumni Association
run by a former chef at luk yu restaurant, this place serves no-nonsense old-style cantonese cuisine in the heart of town. must-try dishes included almond and pork soup (杏汁豬肺湯), fried pigeon and ham (雲腿鴿片) and baked salted chicken (鹽焗雞). be sure to find a HKU alumni to bring you in as this place's supposed to be for members only.
In commenting on the star rating system Michelin employed, I like how Patricia Wells, herself a world-famous restaurant critic (her column appears regularly on international herald tribune), once put it. She basically put restaurants into 2 categories: petit fours restaurants and non-petit four restaurants. And to quote her, “Petit four restaurants are usually the starred ones, elegant establishments showered with flowers, with crisp linens and waiters in evening jackets; they have plenty of show, but are not always strong on regional culinary character. The non-petit four establishments tend to be small, modest, generally inexpensive restaurants, those little spots most travelers seek out when looking for regional flavor, local color, simpler food. Most often, these are not the places that win the hearts and palates of Michelin's dozen inspectors.” Well said, and there you have it.
Well, my foodie friend has rated his favorite restaurants on his facebook note earlier, and here i am sharing my two cents on some my favorite yet unstarred local gems in town:
(not in this order)
1. 澳洲牛奶公司 Australia Dairy Company
sitting here for 10 minutes, and you experience the typical hong kong culture, with long lines of customers waiting outside, hectic but efficient service, and not so friendly wait staff - especially if you think more than 10 seconds about what to order after you sit down. yet it's said that the scrambled eggs here are the best in the world, and a declaration: i am a proud member of "澳洲牛奶公司appreciation society", a facebook group with more than 8000 members to date.
2. 東寶小廚 Tung Po Kitchen
not necessarily the cleanest place on earth for a meal - it's located inside a wet market building - but this is the best place to experience dai pai dong-style food in town. well i am saying this partly because of its proximity to our home. my favorite includes fried prawns with salty egg yolk (黄金蝦) and fried rice wrapped in lotus leaf (荷葉飯).
3. 彭慶記 Pang's Kitchen
serving traditional cantonese fare often with a creative twist (for example, sweet and sour pork ribs with strawberries 士多啤梨生炒骨) this is the perfect place to go (and the one we frequented) when we want a simple family-style dinner for a comfortable evening out with friends.
4. 西貢全記海鮮 Chuen Kee Restaurant
picking the seafood live from the fish tank, and have the restaurant cooked in any way you specify - that's how a typical seafood restaurant in hongkong works. and chuen kee is perhaps the most reasonably-priced and consistant one in sai kung, a traditional fishing village famous for well what else, seafood.
5. 香港大學校友會 Hong Kong University Alumni Association
run by a former chef at luk yu restaurant, this place serves no-nonsense old-style cantonese cuisine in the heart of town. must-try dishes included almond and pork soup (杏汁豬肺湯), fried pigeon and ham (雲腿鴿片) and baked salted chicken (鹽焗雞). be sure to find a HKU alumni to bring you in as this place's supposed to be for members only.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
something old, something new
figure since the new year is almost here, i should give the blog a new look, so here you are - check it out!
this is what it used to be:
this is how it looks from today on:
this is what it used to be:
this is how it looks from today on:
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
the winner is...
早前來了prediction, 現在當然要開估.
把sure bet 押在robuchon a galera 果然冇錯, 三星實在眾望所歸. 不過gaddi’s竟然名落孫山, 真有點跌了眼鏡, 或者上個月公佈的miele guide asia top 20 gaddi’s也榜上無名已經是個bad omen吧.
龍景軒只因未親自一嘗故此恕不能盲目附和 (so is bo innovation), 所以不要問我是否fair. 反而開心利苑拿了兩粒一星 (話晒都係兒時周日飲茶嘅飯堂, 有感情吖嘛!), 等我遲D去食番碟脆蔴花贈吓興先.
另外, 我猜中的, 仲有 caprice (2-stars), 富臨, 鏞記和 petrus (1-star), 都不是冷門的選擇, 猜中也不是什麼眼光獨到 . l’atelier de joel robuchon 同pierre 就估錯左位置. amber 其實不是太差只是not my cup of tea 啫, 要不然也不會當年一開張就趕住去試, 不過個人始終認為pierre會略勝一籌.
joel robuchon今次多拿了5粒星 (with total now at 22?)(後記: 24至真, 包括3間在不同國家的三星restaurant - vegas, tokyo and macau), gordon ramsay該是時候考慮在香港開分店了吧, 反正ritz carlton也應快開張了, 應該趕得切下年本michelin guide. 芸芸私房菜中選了桃花源, 前幾天我還在想今年"三蛇肥"的季節不知能不能約夠人去食一頓蛇羹, 看來by now到過年都該訂不到位置了. 唉!
唐閣, 明閣, 香宮, 夏宮, 胡同, 還有美心旗下的兩間中菜…唉, 看來報紙專欄呀, 雜誌食評呀, 有排講!
一天post了兩個blog, 因為實在不吐不快, 不過先旨聲明, "靚太"嗰篇其實兩日前已經寫好, 唔好話我成日番工偷懶!
by the way, full list 在這裡, courtesy of bloomberg:
Restaurants awarded three stars are:
Lung King Heen
Robuchon a Galera
Restaurants awarded two stars are:
Amber
Bo Innovation
Caprice
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon
Shang Palace
Summer Palace
T’ang Court
Restaurants awarded one star are:
Fook Lam Moon
Forum
Hutong
Lei Garden (IFC)
Lei Garden (Tsim Sha Tsui)
Ming Court
Petrus
Pierre
Regal Palace
Shanghai Garden
The Golden Leaf
The Square
Tim’s Kitchen
Yung Kee
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
thanksgiving
總覺得西方的節日,有時比我們傳統的有意義和實在得多了. 就例如感恩節. 不是嗎? 這不單只是家庭團聚的日子, 或只是一隻火雞, 一頓晚飯, 一場球賽, 一次巡遊, 一役"血拼", 而是藉着一個長周末,在和家人歡度的同時, 也能令我們停下來, 想一想, 懷着感恩的心, 去數算今年值得欣慰, 值得喜悦的事情.
今年, 不如意的事當然也有不少, 不過確實有更多的事更值得去記起, 去懷緬, 去珍惜, 去慶祝. 今天正是這忘記所有不快, 為並所有的事情, 所有的經歷謝恩的時候. after all the turbulences and things we are experiencing this year, the fact that we are still here in good shape - this alone is already one thing worth giving thanks and celebrating for.
“要常常喜樂；不住的禱告；凡是謝恩” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)… 無論有沒有信仰, 對任何人, 任何事情, 也該如此.
今年, 不如意的事當然也有不少, 不過確實有更多的事更值得去記起, 去懷緬, 去珍惜, 去慶祝. 今天正是這忘記所有不快, 為並所有的事情, 所有的經歷謝恩的時候. after all the turbulences and things we are experiencing this year, the fact that we are still here in good shape - this alone is already one thing worth giving thanks and celebrating for.
“要常常喜樂；不住的禱告；凡是謝恩” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)… 無論有沒有信仰, 對任何人, 任何事情, 也該如此.
Friday, November 7, 2008
prediction
with the michelin guide 2009 for hong kong and macau coming out in less than a month, let me on the record have my own share of prediction to what i think will be (and not be) on the list (with my random thoughts):
3 stars:
gaddi’s – no brainer. that would definitely make david goodridge one of the youngest chefs at a michelin 3-star restaurant.
robuchon a galera (macau) – quoting this blog, “if… robuchon a galera aren’t top ranked (in michelin guide), i’ll eat my hat.”. well, i will eat with him.
2 stars:
caprice – people think they are of 3-star caliber, but i am still not convinced they will be rated above le cinq, their “sister restaurant” at paris’ hotel george v.
m at the fringe – a toss between a one or a two – but i am a bit biased here.
pierre – last time we tried it’s awesome, so i won’t be surprised if they do better than getting 2 stars. i put it here because i think hong kong will only get two 3-star restaurants at most.
yan toh heen – putting myself in those judges’ shoes, i think they would pick this as the best chinese restaurant in town, whether i necessarily agree or not.
1 star:
yung kee – just the fame of the restaurant itself deserve that one star. and they ought to put some more chinese restaurants in the list to please us, right?
lei garden - right move in opening one in ifc for raising its profile's sake
grissini
forum restaurant
aspasia
nicholini’s
petrus
don alfonso 1890 (macau)
l’atelier de joël robuchon
one harbor road
mandarin grill
celestial court
cuisine cuisine
kenjo
biggest bust:
nobu – even its hugely popular new york branch lost its star a couple years ago, i don’t see why they can have it over here.
amber – hmm… richard ekkebus never impresses me much.
felix - world's best restaurant? well coolest, maybe... but best? NO!
those h restaurants in central - harlan who?
fook lam moon – the omission of this restaurant will certainly have the local critics crying foul, but i just don’t think they are good enough.
but "most of the restaurants i picked are in hotels!", you may ask. but don't think that will count for or against the ratings that much. most of the restaurants in the vegas guide are hotel restaurants anyway.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
this time of year
it's this time of year again... thinking would they? wouldn't they? wondering if this is finally our time? but then, i realise, it's exactly like this same time last year and all hopes were shattered before christmas.
so this year, i think i am just going to sit back and see how things unfold. if they ended up at the place where they were expected, great. but if not, hope they will put up a good fight and after all, they are still the team i support.
come on you spurs! let's play ball!
so this year, i think i am just going to sit back and see how things unfold. if they ended up at the place where they were expected, great. but if not, hope they will put up a good fight and after all, they are still the team i support.
come on you spurs! let's play ball!
Friday, June 6, 2008
is that too much to ask...
for bosses to be at least border-line respectful and understanding, considerate, willing to put themselves into others' shoes, count more of things you have done than things you could have done, delegate tasks but not the responsibilities, minding more of their own businesses first than ours (esp they don't know jacksh*t about what we do), remember that we too work 8-hour day only, that time off meant time off and not time-you-don't-spend-in-office-but-still-have-to-work days and stop using big words that they don't even know what they meant literally?
speechless. period.
speechless. period.
Friday, May 2, 2008
made for you? or made you wait (and wait and wait)?
ever been to a local mcdonald's lately? thinking their business must be booming because of the longer lines? how long did it take to get your extra value meal? (for me, on one occasion it's over 10 minutes)
apparently all these are the results of a new scheme that mcdonald's been rolling out in its local restaurants around hong kong - the idea's simple: everything's no longer fast - but "made to order". in the past your burgers' cooked and assembled in advance and being tossed into the "station" under the heat lamp; when you ordered, the cashier took what you ordered and handed them right to the tray in front of you. probably took 30 seconds for each items that you ordered to be delivered, unless you have a special request or what you want just happens to be out (which is rare).
but under the new system, the station where dozens of prepared burgers (and nuggets) used to sit is gone. instead each order (from different cashier counters) is recorded into a new, centralised computer system and will be prepared in the order it was received. after the food's prepared, it will be put on a tray and delivered to you right away, so it's literally right off the oven as you receive it. sounds all good right? at least that's what people thought at first. well, according to the case study prepared by dartmouth's tuck school of business, the scheme can 1) allow customized order; 2) improve service response time; 3) improve food quality.
obvious the study was done BEFORE mcdonald's actually implemented it. okay, here's what happened a few years ago. "made for you", as the scheme was named, was first introduced in 1998 to mcdonald's u.s. franchises. the result? quick and brutal - "mcdonald's screwed up" quoted a franchisee of four stores in a chicago tribute article in 2001. "you just can't make the product fast enough at rush hour (using the new system)", said another owner/operator. you can read the news article here.
under this new system - at least that's how they do it in hong kong - customers have to wait in 2 lines - one before they ordered (the right line), and one AFTER (the left line). what used to be a simple 2-minute process from the moment you ordered to getting the food has become a 5-minute hiatus - that's already the best case scenario we have experienced on an average sunday at an outlet in tst. and i don't see any improvement in food quality either. when does eating at mcdonald's become so complicated? sigh.
an article in the motley fool magazine described this as "an expensive disaster" - the scheme requires a retrofitting of the kitchen in each restaurant, costing them us$25000 each, or $400 million all together. the result was also obvious financially - stock's down 42% in 2001 alone, and ceo jack greenberg, who championed the "made for you" initiative, was forced to retire 3 years earlier than planned, in 2002, partly because of the failures of the scheme.
now, a few years later, they finally figured a way to get rid of this failed system - that is to introduce it to its overseas markets. "if it ain't work here, it must work somewhere!" - that's their motto, i suppose. somehow those people high up in the mcdonald's management hierachy think the system's not working in slower-paced u.s. can work in faster-face metropolitan like hong kong, where people treat time more preciously and customer turnover's at least twice as high? what were they thinking? gee! must be those grease in those big-macs clotting up their brain and hindering their ability to think properly. perhaps they have the impression that hongkong people may think since there's a long line, there must be something worth waiting for!
forget carrefour... mcdonald's the one that we should boycott!
apparently all these are the results of a new scheme that mcdonald's been rolling out in its local restaurants around hong kong - the idea's simple: everything's no longer fast - but "made to order". in the past your burgers' cooked and assembled in advance and being tossed into the "station" under the heat lamp; when you ordered, the cashier took what you ordered and handed them right to the tray in front of you. probably took 30 seconds for each items that you ordered to be delivered, unless you have a special request or what you want just happens to be out (which is rare).
but under the new system, the station where dozens of prepared burgers (and nuggets) used to sit is gone. instead each order (from different cashier counters) is recorded into a new, centralised computer system and will be prepared in the order it was received. after the food's prepared, it will be put on a tray and delivered to you right away, so it's literally right off the oven as you receive it. sounds all good right? at least that's what people thought at first. well, according to the case study prepared by dartmouth's tuck school of business, the scheme can 1) allow customized order; 2) improve service response time; 3) improve food quality.
obvious the study was done BEFORE mcdonald's actually implemented it. okay, here's what happened a few years ago. "made for you", as the scheme was named, was first introduced in 1998 to mcdonald's u.s. franchises. the result? quick and brutal - "mcdonald's screwed up" quoted a franchisee of four stores in a chicago tribute article in 2001. "you just can't make the product fast enough at rush hour (using the new system)", said another owner/operator. you can read the news article here.
under this new system - at least that's how they do it in hong kong - customers have to wait in 2 lines - one before they ordered (the right line), and one AFTER (the left line). what used to be a simple 2-minute process from the moment you ordered to getting the food has become a 5-minute hiatus - that's already the best case scenario we have experienced on an average sunday at an outlet in tst. and i don't see any improvement in food quality either. when does eating at mcdonald's become so complicated? sigh.
an article in the motley fool magazine described this as "an expensive disaster" - the scheme requires a retrofitting of the kitchen in each restaurant, costing them us$25000 each, or $400 million all together. the result was also obvious financially - stock's down 42% in 2001 alone, and ceo jack greenberg, who championed the "made for you" initiative, was forced to retire 3 years earlier than planned, in 2002, partly because of the failures of the scheme.
now, a few years later, they finally figured a way to get rid of this failed system - that is to introduce it to its overseas markets. "if it ain't work here, it must work somewhere!" - that's their motto, i suppose. somehow those people high up in the mcdonald's management hierachy think the system's not working in slower-paced u.s. can work in faster-face metropolitan like hong kong, where people treat time more preciously and customer turnover's at least twice as high? what were they thinking? gee! must be those grease in those big-macs clotting up their brain and hindering their ability to think properly. perhaps they have the impression that hongkong people may think since there's a long line, there must be something worth waiting for!
forget carrefour... mcdonald's the one that we should boycott!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
ecclesiastes
so who said the bible's all about things you are forbidden to do? or that christians don't know how to enjoy life?
"so i commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun to eat and drink and be glad. then joy will accompny him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." - ecclesiastes 8:15
amen.
"so i commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun to eat and drink and be glad. then joy will accompny him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun." - ecclesiastes 8:15
amen.
Friday, February 15, 2008
just wondering...
if being 天真 and 傻 a reasonable blanket excuse for every irresponsible act (if not borderline illegal) committed by a 27-year-old person?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
wii fit!
just a picture of my newest toy:
will let you know if it's any good later - as we are still figuring out how to play. all instructions are in japanese so we can only guess.
will let you know if it's any good later - as we are still figuring out how to play. all instructions are in japanese so we can only guess.
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