Good! Why are we so concerned about the lives of celebrities??

I'm really not quite updated in celebrity news, I don't even read the entertainment news on newspaper.

Recently, the latest celebrity news headline is about the breakup of Ngai Chun and Vivian Chow. (It's all over the internet even when I don't read gossip columns.) Many people thought the statement she gave was classy, I just found that too fake. Breaking up with her boyfriend after being together for 19 years! And she was so calm? I highly doubt it.

I like what the "ex-father-in-law" said.

倪匡語氣明顯變得不耐煩：「那你要問甚麼？如何看法？你和你男朋友分手，你的家長可以如何看法！可以講甚麼！你想也知道答案了，對吧？（那你個人有否覺得遺憾？）話明個人感受，我為何要告訴你？這只是他們兩個人的事，為何你們傳媒一定要浪費時間關注這些小事，劉曉波坐牢這等國家大事你怎不去採訪？社會付出那麼多資源裁培你們，你們為何不做點有意義的事？他們兩個到底做了甚麼大事，是牽涉到人類命運還是經濟海嘯，你們一定要追訪？」告訴倪匡，雖然分手是倪震與周慧敏兩個人的事，但因為導因是倪震和城大女生在夜店熱吻，破了學校的風氣，亦對香港教育帶來負面衝擊，已不是純粹的情人分手，所以傳媒才會追訪，他更加生氣：「那你去問城大才對，問我做甚麼！完全搞錯對象！（那請問你覺得一個成年男人和大學生在夜店鬼混對嗎？）你不用套我，我食鹽多過你食米，肯和你說這麼多，我已覺得自己好低B！」一向予人嘻嘻哈哈的老頑童倪匡，第一次發如此大的脾氣。

You have to applaud the ingenuity of these reporters, HK education!!!!! And his reply, haha!

Central December 08

This photo is bad, but the advertisement is grand...





Not many people here in early morning, but I spot 3 other "mo liu" people like me taking photos =P, 2 with SLRs =P


State-of-the-Arts Gallery (I like both the name and the building.)










Really difficult to take pics of these skyscrapers... this is the only ok one... not good, but ok.

Mimosa

One thing we see less and less in Hong Kong, apart from the old buildings (as from my previous post), is -- MIMOSA!

I don't know if you feel the same way, when I was a kid, I used to see mimosa everywhere in parks, along the pavement, even in urban areas! My grandmother used to bring me to a park near my kindergarten quite often after school, and I could find mimosa along the way.

Some people told me mimosa can only survive in places with air quality that is not bad. I guess that is why I don't see mimosa all that much now.



I thought this wasn't mimosa when I first saw it, I was fooled too many times by plants that looked like mimosa but wasn't, but it really was, and there were lots of them nearby!!

This picture was taken in Yuen Long last month, just wondering when mimosa will disappear from the New Territories as well...

Edited Kowloon City Photos

If you want some photos like this, check this out. (I found this out from a colleague!)

See the original from my previous post.

Kowloon City Snapshots

I went to this shop quite frequently when I was a kid, but I have never noticed the star on the top of the building, nor the balconies.





I think if this building can be renovated, it can be a local attraction.





I don't see buildings like this with pillars in front much these days.



These snakes shops are hard to find now.

Legco Election Day- Observations

1. Volunteers

I ran into a group of DAB and FTU volunteers immediately after leaving home today very early this morning. Then as I walked towards the polling station, there are more and more DAB/FTU people, I just saw small groups of Civic Party/Democratic Part/LSD volunteers at the exit of the MTR station, and then more FTU/DAB and FTU/DAB people all around.

From this you can see why Beijing Olympics got so many volunteers =P, these pro-China groups have the tendency to draw more volunteers.

What I don't understand is why some relatively young people (I think they look like university students) are working for DAB/FTU!!!! Unlikely to be forced by parents at that age... Maybe easier to get promoted in these parties? coz a lot less young people? hmm...

2. District Councillor

My district councillor was/?is from the FTU (I did not vote for him!), but this time he supported the DAB... why did he betrayed the FTU? More financial support? I really don't like him.

3. Leung Mei Fun

The same thing happened like last week, Leung sent someone to distribute pamphlets right outside my church (which is in the Kln West District), and according to some of my friends, she got 3 different versions of pamphlets for DAB/church/?general? not sure.

Let's see her supporters. Really got to say "king", she could find so many "star" pastors/leaders in the HK Protestant Circle to support her.





One of the supporters gave the sermon today in my church, I guess after what happened to So Wing Chi, NO ONE dare to say a thing about the election =P haha!! So nothing at all about the election.

Some details about her background and how So supported her and why can be read here. Ignore the Bible/theology stuff, I think parts of it are wrong.

Another interesting post on separation of church and government.

4. Functional constituency

If you're a voter of the functional constituency, a letter representing the group you belonged to will be there on the sheet of paper they have in the polling station.

As they were searching for my name on the list, I noted there are like just 2-3 people with letters in front of their names on each page (like more than 40 names/page I think, not sure because I didn't count). Really small circle election. And the people with ID numbers around me are all young people already, if you go to the elderly group, I bet there might not be a single functional constituency voter in the whole pile of papers.

Legco Election- Change of Mind? (2)

I can't decide who to vote for even this morning, see previous post for detail about why.

I got up early in order to vote before going to church, and I went to the 2 final candidates' website to read their platform of election. It's a lot more detailed on their website than on those pamphlets I got!

Andrew To

Alan Leong

Then I checked the part on environmental protection, since this is the part I can't find in any pamphlets/debates. And all the other poverty reduction/economy/education/democracy stuff are pretty much the same.

One candidate got this:
環境

1. 空氣污染(施政報告2.5.15)
1. 引入再生能源，要求發電廠加設除硫設備
2. 政府應與珠江三角洲地區政府合作，解決廢氣南下的問題，以減輕本地空氣污染
3. 早日立法規管停車熄匙
2. 噪音問題
1. 改善航機噪音及道路噪音問題
3. 固體廢料問題(施政報告2.5.15)
1. 制訂固體廢物處理政策
2. 加強監管鄉效地區土地利用，防止荒廢農田被用作堆填區
3. 推動政府引入新技術，透過循環再造的方法處理有機廢物
4. 生態環境(施政報告2.5.16)
1. 城市規劃應重視自然保育
2. 全面綠化山坡山脊及斜坡
3. 爭取種植樹木應以本地品種優先

Another this:
採取世衛組織的空氣標準，改善本港空氣質素；立法管制屏風樓，評估新建樓宇對附近環境的影響；增加綠化和休憩空間。

I know it doesn't mean anything what they promised... but if they didn't even mention it in the platform of election, then it's unlikely to get done... hmm...

Legco Election- Change of Mind?

I have made up my mind who to vote for very early on... It's just that when I read all these controversies, whether you should vote for who you want most, or whether you should try to vote for some candidates who may get the seat (if you are sure that the person you wanted to vote for is gonna get the seat)...

There are 6 lists in my district, but only 4 seats. I won't vote for the DAB or the Federation of Trade Unions for sure =P I don't like the Democratic Party all that much, they have two lists. And then there's a list with the LSD (I can't believe it actually got the short form called LSD! I just found their English name from the web!) And one with the Civic Party.

I want the DAB list out for sure. Though I won't vote for Chan Yuen Han, I admire her for leaving the DAB, and stood apart from them on certain issues. =P

Actually the votes of two last democrat lists (according to the polls) combined together should be similar to that of the DAB! Should I change in the last minute and who should I vote for if I decide to change?

The last two lists are both selling their young and energetic image. Let's take a look.

There is this "boring egg" candidate.



And this is NOT my hands being shaky! This is actually the pamphlet I received in mail!



I really can't see why I should vote for a "boring egg" candidate, I can't even imagine why he would call himself a "boring egg"!!!

Then the second possibility from the LSD. His pamphlet is the best among all I have received! And the image is real good.









He looks professional, young and energetic, really like the kind who will fight for the people. And there's tear-jerking story from his wife, wow!



The only problem with the list is the LSD... I really don't like the way they try to get things done.

Or is the crazy way to do things the way real revolutionaries do? or maybe like what Jesus did when he turned all the tables in the Temple =P?

Legco Election

Legco election will be held next Sunday. This year's election is special in a way that it is so near the Beijing Olympics. I am the kind of person who is used to watching most of the debates, reading the pamphlets, gathering some information before I cast my vote. This year, it is difficult.

Most of the people I know are going to vote for the Civic Party. I am no exception. (I still haven't made my decision on my functional constituency vote yet.)

Most of the candidates concentrated on universal suffrage and poverty in the debates. Poverty is a very important issue, I agree. Universal suffrage is also important.

What about the environment? Some of them do have a few suggestions like stop building "barrier buildings" (not sure of the term in English).

Even if I wanna vote green, I don't know how to choose.

Typhoon at work...

When I set off for work yesterday morning, part of the sky is still blue...



And so few people in the West Rail train...



No day off for me... I can't even hear the winds blowing at work, haha...





Today, the sky is clear blue again after the typhoon, you can see the Lion Rock so clearly

Yuen Long City Centre

Today, I ventured into Yuen Long City Centre after work... (Sorry for the poor quality, it was my phone camera with only 2 Mega Pixels...)





It looks like some other old districts in Hong Kong at first glance.

However, I don't think you can find these easily in Kowloon/Hong Kong Island now? I remember I used to see these quite often when I was a kid.



And I don't think I have ever see shops for this purpose ever... maybe I have never paid much attention... =P



Ghost seeking??? hmm... interesting, I can understand why one needs an "expert" for this job. But why do you need to pay her for worshipping those "gods"? I don't understand...

Kowloon Tong MTR Exit

I don't think it was there when I first went to China Graduate School of Theology a few years ago. I remember searching for the exit for Devon Road then.

Today I suddenly saw that CGST is on the sign, when I was walking back to the MTR station from CGST. And the funny thing is that there is a Buddhist foundation on top of it. I think it's supposed to be in alphabetical order, still two religious institutes here in an area well known for motels. =P I'm so mo liu. =P

How to get to Pok Oi Hospital

Not many people have been to Pok Oi Hospital before, I have been there once when I was in Primary Two... =P Because I need to go to Pok Oi Hospital, I went online to see how I can get there, anyway I found a map without any scales, so I didn't know how far it is from the Yuen Long Train Station. I had difficulty finding someone who can tell me how to get there, but in the end I found a colleague who could tell me two weeks ago.

It actually feels pretty good to go there, as it's like a countryside outing!! =) You'll see what I mean from the photos below. =)

First get off the train at Yuen Long Station



And exit at H



When you leave Exit H, you'll see Pok Oi Hospital on the left hand side, beyond the construction site, last time I went there I walked around the construction site to get there.



Today I noted there is actually a footpath across of the construction site, so I think I managed to save myself 5 mins.



Then walk along the bicycle path



Then you arrived at the hospital (I like the English translation of the village, haha! such a direct translation!!)

Outlook

From the Merriam Webster Dictionary...

Outlook
1 a: a place offering a view b: a view from a particular place
2: point of view
3: the act of looking out
4: the prospect for the future

For all the Hongkongers, please use the word "appearance" if you want to describe somebody's appearance.

The worst thing today was that the guy actually knew the correct meaning of the word, but all these people who thought they knew the meaning of this word "corrected" him...

How to preserve a building??

In Hong Kong, this would have be scoffed as being impossible... It's just plain sad to look at the new Star Ferry pier in Central... =P When will HK ever go this far to save our own heritage?




Read more about how this church was moved in order to preserve it here!

The Link??

Lok Fu Shopping Centre appears in every single promotional material for the Link. It's like the best of ALL the public housing estate shopping centres.

And even before the Link bought all these, all these politicians have been warning everyone-- one day all these poor people will suffer coz the shops will be forced to close when business is just about money...

Well... look what I see in the Lok Fu Shopping Centre today... all the shoe shops are closing... Is it really because of the Link??!! (sorry for the poor quality, I tried to "snap and run" as I don't want to look like a fool, taking pics of these shops... =P)









I bought a pair of sandals (tho I seldom wear them, but it's so cheap... with the closing sale... HAHA!!)

If the Link is really closing all these relatively "cheap" shops down, then the livelihood of some of the people can be really affected... hmm...