Iran

I'd love to go to Iran

Here's a very good article on Iran from the National Geographic.

Places I really want to see (but have never been to)

I'm seriously thinking about where to go in Christmas... and so I dug out this list again... How come all the places I wanted to go all so far away? Why can't I like going to Taiwan/Thailand like everyone around me? I only have 8 days off...

North America

United States

South America

Peru, Guatemala

Asia

Tibet, India

Europe

Czech, Poland, Romania, Russia, Germany, Greece, Malta, Croatia

Middle East

Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran
Africa
Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Egypt

Places I have been to (Edited May 07)

My top fav destinations!

Rome

Scotland

Ireland
Morocco

Europe 1999

Italy: Rome, Pompeii, Florence, Milan, Venice

Switzerland: Bern, Luzern, Lauterbrunnen

Austria: Vienna, Salzburg

France: Paris

Scotland: Edinburgh, Inverness, Orkney, Fort William, Mallaig

England: London, York, Salisbury

China 2000

Chongqing，Three Gorges of Yangtze River，Wuhan

Europe 2001

Ireland: Dublin, Tara, Newgrange, Knock, Westport, Connemara, Galway, Cliffs of Moher, Dingle, Killarney, Blarney, Cashel, Kilkenny

Strongly Recommended: http://www.shamrockertours.com

England: London, Bath, Cambridge, Oxford, Carlisle, Lake District

China 2002 Summer

The Silk Road: Xinqiang，Qinghai，Gansu，Xian

China 2002 Winter

Beijing
Macau 2003 Easter
Macau

China 2003

Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhouzhuang
Indonesia Short Mission Trip 2005
Singapore, Batam

Spain 2005

Barcelona, Seville, Cordoba, Granada, Madrid, Toledot, Avila, Segovia

China Church Visit 2003-06

Various places in Guangdong Province

China 2006

Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La

(Updated May 28, 2007)
Morocco 2006
Casablanca, Rabat, Fez, Erfoud, Sahara, Ait Benddou, Ouarzazate, Marrakesh
Paris again half a day for transit =P

Lord of the White Castle (Elizabeth Chadwick)

I was really looking forward to reading this book, the reviews are quite good in Amazon, and one reviewer even compared it to those of my favourite writer -- Diana Gabaldon.

The initial part is ok, I like it. I kept on wondering how Chadwick can make this outlaw fit in back to the system. (I didn't know Fulke is a real historical character.)

Then after the intial 400 pages, I can almost guess what is going to happen... I kept on thinking how can you put Clarice and Fulke together??!!! Again that's history, but... I can guess what is going to happen even when Clarice is just a young girl and I just flipped over the pages to see the ending...

Diana's books are incomparable. However, if I want to read another straight historical novel, I'll choose Sharon Kay Penman's over Elizabeth Chadwick's.

New mobile phone finally...

As some of you may remember, I lost my phone early this year... I have been talking about buying a new one for... ahem... more than half a year....

Finally, I got a new one.

A few days ago, while reading newspaper, I noted a mobile phone with my fav color... (and NOT from Motorola, I've seen plenty from Motorola, but I don't like the brand...) I was acting like crazy that day and asked my colleague (holding the newspaper), "what color do you think this is... ?" hehe... my colleague said (puzzled), "burgundy, I think..." (probably thought I'm crazy...)

Then I went on to the Nokia website, but I couldn't find it... thought something was wrong with the printing maybe...

However, I saw it in mobile phone shops!!! A few days ago, my fav color was sold out. Today, it is available!!!

Bad news is while I was walking to the mobile phone shop, I took out my old phone (in fact, the phone I've been using was my gift to my mom), and found it could not be turned on... arrggghhhh... Now it still cannot be turned on... sigh...

False Prophet (Faye Kellerman)

Again, I read this book out of order because I've read most of the series already, just filling the missing gaps.

This one is a much better mystery compared to the Ritual Bath, there're many twists & turns and I didn't know who the culprit was. The problem with this book is that it ended the same way, I still don't know who the culprit is after reading the last page... Though the mystery kept me turning the pages, but the ending is really lousy.

Another problem with this book is that there're not much Jewish stuff in it. The most special thing with this series is the religious aspect. Without it, it'll be like an ordinary mystery. Or maybe romantic suspense, like the "In Death" series, which I think are becoming more & more boring, I kept on skipping pages till I reached the end in the recent few books.

And the only development in the relationship aspect in this book is between Decker & his stepsons. I do like reading about Decker and his stepsons, esp. with Jacob in the later books. This book doesn't have a lot of relationship development either.

For me, a good book is one that I can re-read again and again. That's why, for me, merely a good mystery can never be considered a good book. Well, this one can't even be considered a good mystery because of the poor ending.

Mid Autumn Festival

Mid Autumn Festival 06

Christiane Amanpour

I've watched this TV programme called Iconoclasts on Christiane Amanpour. I recognised her instantly as a reporter, though I wouldn't have kept on watching if Renee Zelleweger was not also in the show. I'm glad I've watched it.

I'm most surprised by the intensity of emotional attachment she had on her work. She blamed herself for failing to bring the genocide in Rwanda into the attention of people around the world. There were some other news like OJ Simpson at that time, so people were distracted. She thought the apathy led to inaction of governments around the world. And because of that, the genocide that resulted in the death of a million people, a tragedy that could have been stopped easily, was allowed to happen.

It's kinda like the work of a doctor. People always say doctors need detachment in order to do their work. However, if a doctor doesn't care about his patients, he won't be able to do a very good job. Journalists are the same, I guess. I'm stunned by her degree of self-blame, and the weight of the emotional burden she is carrying, though.

For me, I would never think that way. Life is in God's hands, not in mine.