gifted Josh

Magnetic bass voice. I will look for "Noel".

Organic Farm in Hok Tau Wai, Fanling. And Lavender Garden next to it. BBQ lunch.

I belong more to the city. I prefer hygienic toilets and I am quite scared by mosquitoes and flies.

Drinks at Festival Walk - Dan Ryan & Queen's are my favourites.

Agnes bought a Georg Jensen pin. Silver set with a garnet in the shape of a flower. Very pretty.

I like peppermint tea & camomile tea with honey. Iced lemon tea, too.

Josh Groban & Connie Talbot

Life is full of mishaps and mistakes. Life is full of fun and happiness. If your net sum is on the positive side, you are lucky.

Sometimes, it just depends on how you weigh & rate. Let go. Let go. Whatever, whoever & whenever you cannot win and things do not go your way.

Josh Groban is a Jewish American singer. Charming. Popular in classical crossover. He sings and writes songs. Connie Talbot has a voice of an angel. A talent from England. Over The Rainbow.

I made a big purchase in the Great. Van & A had dinner with me at home. Talked to Min over IDD. I can hardly find today not a day of gains.

Justina had lunch with me. She brought me a stone from Canada - amethyst.

that is the story of life - ups & downs

Meg is a fan of Nuri Vittachi, too.

I shared a bowl of eel rice with Ju. It was not fresh and smelled fishy. We were foolish to have finished it. We should return it or buy another item. Tummy not feeling well. Perhaps due to anxieties.

Bought a silver finger-ring. It has set a heart made of mother of pearl.

IDD Min & Lorraine.

fighting battles of some kind

Everybody is fighting battles of some kind everyday.

What does not kill us makes us stronger.

I was nervous today when the tel rang thrice at the wrong time. That is the disadvantage of having a toilet in your office.

Dined with Marga at her home with Porpor.

Gave Van a sapphire finger-ring set with white gold and with 2 tiny diamonds on the sides of the main stone. She likes it.

Where is God?

Life is full of problems, pains and sufferings. Mankind is born with ill nature - jealousy, malice, anger, greed .................. Men kill each other, pressurize each other and step on each other.

Illnesses, viruses, tsunami, earthquake ...................

Sometimes, honest people are fools and the wicked win more easily.

We are never allowed one minute's peace. While we have survived one disaster, another is at the door. After we have overcome some terror, another blow is just awaiting.

When can we rest? We are created with all sorts of weaknesses, limitations ............... Temptations and sins are twins haunting. What can man do? Nothing. Hemingway had his wisdom, though hsi wisdom brought him to suicide. We die anyway. But before that, we have to go through numerous tortures.

Do we live just to fit in a script? None of the characters in the script can escape the torment. Some more, some less.

a call and Skype at the same time

The tel rang at about 11 pm last night. At the same time, Min kept typing on the Skype and expected my replies.

Min has grown up a lot. She is clever and tough. I was happy to talk to her over lots of things in life. She also told me quite a lot about her friends and school-mates. A mini community with a model of human nature and activities that she will face for the rest of her life. Wish her good luck! We also need. But she said she would need a bit more.

Marga is exhausted by work.

Gungung, Porpor, Mike and the boys. All have problems of various nature.

Min wonders what U she would enter and what subject she would pick that could bring along satisfaction to me. She is answerable to her Mom's wish. But she is not sure whether her capabilities can match. As long as she cares, as long as she manages, I can impose no terms on her.

Up to this minute, I still find life a puzzle. A Big Puzzle!

who doesn't have a cross to carry?

Life is full of battles. Fight hard everyday.

Wipe our tears and stand up again if we fall sometimes.

In between, sit back and relax and give yourself a treat.

:)

Sun shines after rain. And the beautfiul rainbow only appears after rain. Life is a game not easy to play. At least, not for me.

doing exercises

I miss the hot springs in Kyushu.

Mother & girl. Friends. All soaked in the hot "soup".

What would be the right exercises for me?

How should I tune my life pattern after Van has set up a home of her own.

Aging.

Who are my companions at my old age?

Elton John

The Rocket Man Tour - Asiaworld - Arena.

Charisma. A big treat. Internationl stage performance.

We had one minute silence of condolence for the quake victims in Sichuan.

3 minutes of silence

Mourning -

Flags flying at half masts ...................

Silence for 3 minutes .....................

sichuan earthquake

May God have mercy:

Let the dead rest in peace;

Let the survived have courage to live on;

Let the broken hearts be mended;

Let the collapsed houses be rebuilt.

Saturday again?

Time flies. Can't imagine it is Saturday again. What have transpired since I went to Su's place.

Irene treated me to Man Ho on Thursday as the young couple flew to Taipei for wedding photos. She is trendy and sweet. She bought me a Furla wallet during her trip by cruise. Really enjoying life. Purplish blue. She also bought a bottle of Chanel perfume for Van and a soup book from Wong Suk-yee for her. Van is lucky. Me, too.

We had lunch at Ye Shanghai - Meg & Ju. I like the fried cod with deep-fried crushed bean paste most.

When Wenxi reads my blog, he finds that all the recordings of life is lunch, dinner and shopping or movies. He told Lorraine that Auntie is having a very luxurious and leisurely time with many rich friends. Hahaha! Sounds great. I like it.

Min asked me to make doantion to the Sichuan victims. So I did.

I will bring Mom to lunch later. Papa is receiving treatment in Haven of Hope. Talked to him last night over the phone. He may be discharged in a few days' time. He is a brave man.

Van msg me last night. She is fine.

Perhaps keep working is the best choice for me. To be single and remain happy, maintain a group of friends without dragging into gossips, attain good work without getting exhaustion ......................... My ambition for the future years! And to have fine skin, reasonable weight, sweet dreams, winnings at mj games frequently and more travelling with nice companions ..............................

cioppino in dan ryan

Had dinner with Van last evening.

A busy day, as usual.

Looking forward to seeing Elton John's show on 20/5. He is a great friend of the late Princess Diana. He has been married to another man.

Denise is nice, in her unique way.

Min sounds cheerful. Glad to read her messages.

"I want to hear your voice." What could that mean? A fine sunny day with breezes, strolling along Austin Road, outside Kowloon Cricket Club, memories of having 2 or 3 lunches there, with sentiments not yet defined ......................

blogs

I had pingpong yesterday. I slept until 10:30 am. How long have I slept until 10:30 am. What a luxury!

Then, I strolled around in Causeway Bay. We had lunch together. Then, we bought 20 more cards from Kee Wah to be distributed to some whom we have not invited to the Wedding Dinner.

I had my hair trimmed in a salon new to me.

I joined Marga at TST for the shoes made to order. Mine is too tight. They will make another pair for me. Mom's is a bit exact. But she accepted it. Min's are too small also. I will bring them back to the shop to see what could be done. Not satisfactory. But Marga finds hers OK.

Dinner at Porpor's home. Presented Peter & Linda the invitation cards. Linda is a sweet girl. Stella is in Beijing with Mayee and her family. Peter asked me to accept not every child's potential and limitation are the same and give Min her due credit.

Min tel to send greetings. Talked to her over Skype later. She seems to be working hard. Told her about "The other Boleyn girl". She wants to see it as well. Perhaps she will look for the DVD.

Reported on newspapers that some children or young people wrote on their blogs and expressed their wish to die. In the end, a few of them really committed suicide a short time after that. What could the Police or SWD do? What could parents or teachers do?

su has retired

Su is enjoying her pre-retirement leave. Garbie is her mate. She walks and talks with Garbie and spends so much time & attention to her.

We played a new version of mj game with wild cards. Lost again.

I gave the CJ shoulder bag to Porpor.

Mother's Day commences now.

They will treat me with wagyu beef for lunch after the pingpong session.

the other boleyn girl

A busy day.

Roger treated us with a lunch in Chiuchow Garden. So delicious. He is rich. E was very emotional. She was much pressurized by work. Perhaps crying would do her good. Some ventilation.

After work, I went to see the movie at AMC with Meg & Sal.

This is entertainment.

All men are alike. All men with power are alike. No difference between Chinese men and Englishmen.

Sailor is working in the sea. Offshore so often.

I will go to Rose Street to play mj tomorrow. Long time no see Su & Miranda.

i am old, they are young

I belong to the older generation. They (many many) are young.

I have to tune myself to understand them more and accept.

A number of my team-mates are leaving in 2-3 years' time. So I either get rejuvenated or remain calm handling the young guys with thoughts and behaviour quite differnt from mine.

I was shocked and upset when I read the news about the young man killed in the car accident in China. Brilliant, with ideals and a kind heart turning into charitable acts, died so young and unexpected.

I was amused by reading about the HKU girl who demonstrated during the Torch relay and showed her t-back while pulled away by the Police.

The world is lovely, after all. Min said all the people around me are nice guys - at least all those whom she has encountered. She said I should have no cause to complain. She is simple & innocent. It is a blessing. Will she like the pearl necklace?

Ber is forever mature and sensible. She was my little mother when we studied in the secondary school. She still is. She told me to note so many things for the event. I cannot afford to lose this friend.

hot spring in Beppu

It is the most luxurious gift ever received for Mother's Day.

We took Dragon Air and flew to Fukuoka. First day & night in Hotel Centraza Hakata. Half a block away from the subway. We had wagyu beef for dinner. Wa means Japanese and gyu means cattle. There are Japanese black, Japanese brown, Japanese polled and Japanese shorthorn. Kobe beef with unsaturated fat. Best to go with sake.
Green tea for us is equally good.

I bought 2 packs of Ringl.

For the 2nd & 3rd day, we stayed in Seikai, a resort hotel in Beppfu (University) station. Private hot spring in the balcony. Japanese style room. I went down to the indoor and outdoor hot springs down in the lobby for 2 times. It is the first time I enjoyed a traditional Japanese hot spring. Carefree, so close to the ocean. Nature is wonderful. I felt very light after the bath. Light-hearted too. The resort hotel demonstrated what should be hospitality. More than hotel management. Van paid $6,000 for the hospitality for 48 hours.

We spent some time strolling and doing nothing in a park, in a cafe or in a shopping arcade listening to the band playing music there. 4th & 5th night back in Centraza. So homely. They had bridal collection and Shiseido counter and evening gowns counter.

Ramen, sushi, sashimi and freshly baked buns/muffins. Kirin tea with milk in bottles - special taste tea leaves - so relaxing. Fresh fruits - strawberries, pei pa, peaches, bananas & grapes. Ice cream. We passed by a famous crab restaurant but it was closed down for renovation. What a shame!

On the 5th day, we took JR to Huis Ten Bosch. An imitation of Queen Beatrice's Palace in Halland. Too big. We only got a few hours between 2 JR trains. If I would go again, I would like to stay in a hotel there. It means "House in Forest". Netherlandic.

I had no internet, no mobile and no mj game. I cannot read any books nor newspapers there. Msot of time, I was smiling to people I encountered and used hand signs plus some English words and wrote some Chinese characters. So many fish roes sold in boxes. Dumplings.

Must go again. Who would be going with me next time?

Oh, I nearly forget about the hells in Beppu. We had shampoo in some hotel salon near the subway station there, too.

Resumed work on Tuesday. Piling up ........ Lucky that I had some recharge. I had brought back some dumplings and tiny gift items. Only for a few.

I had lunch with A & T at Yunmei Restaurant. The Japanese Boss is friendly and made us some source with salmon roes for our salad.

Talked to Min over Skype. IDD Pam, too. British people are really reserved. She always keeps a very courteous manner, diction and description of everything. IDD Lorraine as well.