Underwater

My Travel Map - 88 cities in 27 countries

My Favourite Destinations:
1. Marrakech, Morocco
2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3. Boracay, Philippines
4. Vernazza, Italy
5. Mana Island, Fiji
6. Rome, Italy
7. Hakone-machi, Japan
8. New York City, NY, USA
9. Orlando, FL, USA
10. Portofino, Italy

Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Race 2010 @ Victoria Harbour

Despite only taking part in one race due to injuries, it was a real experience paddling in Victoria Harbour!

You're Too Normal, I'm Too Different; You're from Earth, I'm from Outer Space.

It's not you - it's me.
You're too normal - I'm too different.
You are blood type O, a universal donar - I'm AB, a universal receiver.
You fill your weeknights with plans - I keep mine as chilled as possible.
You don't believe in fashion, luxury, material goods - I like to look good and be admired.
You have a pragmatic attitude towards life - I still search for little adventures and sparkles in a simple life.
You are very hardworking - I am lazy but somewhat intelligent and I aim for least-effort-maximum-results.
You are patient - I am quick tempered.
You take time to recover from an upsetting discussion - I get distracted easily and recover in no time.
You eat very fast - I eat very slow.
You don't believe in impressing me with superficial things - I love being impressed.
You are from Earth - I am from outer space.

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

This song always makes me want to get up and dance!

I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

A feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

A feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

A feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

Tonight's the night, let's live it up
I got my money, let's spend it up
Go out and smash it like oh my God
Jump off that sofa, let's get, get off

I know that we'll have a ball
If we get down and go out and just lose it all
I feel stressed out, I wanna let it go
Let's go way out spaced out and losing all control

Fill up my cup, mozoltov
Look at her dancing, just take it off
Let's paint the town, we'll shut it down
Let's burn the roof, and then we'll do it again

Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it
And do it and do it, let's live it up
And do it and do it and do it, do it, do it
Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it

'Cause I gotta feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

A feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

Tonight's the night
(Hey!)
Let's live it up
(Let's live it up)
I got my money
(My pay)
Let's spend it up
(Let's spend it up)

Go out and smash it
(Smash it)
Like oh my God
(Like oh my God)
Jump off that sofa
(Come on!)
Let's get, get off

Fill up my cup
(Drink)
Mozoltov
(Lahyme)
Look at her dancing
(Move it, move it)
Just take it off

Let's paint the town
(Paint the town)
We'll shut it down
(Let's shut it down)
Let's burn the roof
And then we'll do it again

Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it
And do it and do it, let's live it up
And do it and do it and do it, do it, do it
Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, do it, do it, do it

Here we come, here we go, we gotta rock
(Rock rock rock rock rock)
Easy come, easy go, now we on top
(Top top top top top)
Feel the shot, body rock, rock it, don't stop
(Stop stop stop stop stop)
Round and round, up and down, around the clock
(Rock rock rock rock rock)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
(Do it!)
Friday, Saturday, Saturday to Sunday
(Do it!)
Get, get, get, get, get with us, you know what we say, say
Party every day, p-p-p-party every day

And I'm feelin', woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night

I gotta feeling, woohoo, that tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good night
That tonight's gonna be a good, good night
Woohoo

Empire State of Mind (Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys)

I like this song.  If I grew up in New York I think I could relate to it a lot more and would like it even more.

[Jay-Z] Yeah, Yeah, Imma up at Brooklyn, now Im down in Tribeca, right next to DeNiro, But i’ll be hood forever, I’m the new Sinatra, and since i made it here, i can make it anywhere, yeah they love me everywhere, i used to cop in Harlem, all of my dominicanos right there up on broadway, brought me back to that McDonalds, took it to my stash spot, 5-60 State street, catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whipping Pastry, cruising down 8th street, off white lexus, driving so slow but BK is from Texas, me I’m up at Bed Stuy, home of that boy Biggie, now i live on billboard, and i brought my boys with me, say wat up to Ty Ty, still sipping Mai-tai sitting courtside Knicks and Nets give me high fives, N-gga i be Spiked out, i can trip a referee, tell by my attitude that I most definitely from… [Alicia Keys] In New York, Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There's nothing you can’t do, Now you’re in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York [Jay-Z] I made you hot n-gga, Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game, shit i made the yankee hat more famous than a yankee can, you should know I bleed Blue, but I aint a crip tho, but i got a gang of n-ggas walking with my clique though, welcome to the melting pot, corners where we selling rocks, afrika bambaataa shit, home of the hip hop, yellow cap, gypsy cap, dollar cab, holla back, for foreigners it aint fitted they forgot how to act, 8 million stories out there and they're naked, cities is a pity half of y’all won’t make it, me i gotta plug Special Ed and i got it made, If Jeezy’s payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade, 3 dice cee-lo 3 card Monte, labor day parade, rest in peace Bob Marley, Statue of Liberty, long live the World trade, long live the king yo, I’m from the empire state that's… [Alicia Keys] In New York, Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There's nothing you can’t do, Now you’re in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York Welcome to the bright light.. [Jay-Z] Lights is blinding, girls need blinders so they can step out of bounds quick, the side lines is blind with casualties, who sipping life casually, then gradually become worse, don’t bite the apple Eve, caught up in the in crowd, now your in-style, and in the winter gets cold en vogue with your skin out, the city of sin is a pity on a whim, good girls gone bad, the cities filled with them, Mami took a bus trip and now she got her bust out, everybody ride her, just like a bus route, Hail Mary to the city your a Virgin, and Jesus can’t save you life starts when the church ends, came here for school, graduated to the high life, ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight, MDMA got you feeling like a champion, the city never sleeps better slip you a Ambien [Alicia Keys] In New York, Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There's nothing you can’t do, Now you’re in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York [Alicia Keys] One hand in the air for the big city, Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty, no place in the World that can compare, Put your lighters in the air, everybody say yeaaahh come on, come, yeah, [Alicia Keys] In New York, Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There's nothing you can’t do, Now you’re in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

Mercedes of Toilet Rolls - Charmin Ultra Soft

Charmin Ultra Soft toilet rolls - the Mercedes of Toilet Rolls! Incredibly soft and smooth, yet thick, strong and absorbent! It's my dream toilet roll! I'd been looking for good quality toilet rolls in Hong Kong in the past 9 years and finally found this brand at Americome (American grocery shop in Shing Ping Street, Happy Valley - Tel: 2893-2626). Expensive (approx HKD 140 for 24 rolls) - yes - but well worth it if you can feel the difference!  This is one of the ways I pamper myself.  I like to treat my body really well...

It's not yet "Rolls Royce of Toilet Rolls" because there is an even more premium version of this brand which I cannot afford (HKD 400) and is not available anyways.  

Jack Johnson - Better Together

I started listening to Jack Johnson a few months ago when I received an ipod as a gift which was loaded with Jack Johnson songs. I like how mellow and chilled his songs are, and I often fall asleep listening to his music. Here's one of my favourite "lullabies":

There's no combination of words

I could put on the back of a postcard

No song that I could sing

But I can try for your heart

Our dreams, and they are made out of real things

Like a, shoebox of photographs

With sepiatone loving

Love is the answer,

At least for most of the questions in my heart

Like why are we here? And where do we go?

And how come it's so hard?

It's not always easy and

Sometimes life can be deceiving

I'll tell you one thing it's always better when we're together

[Chorus:]

MMM it's always better when we're together

Yeah, we'll look at them stars when we're together

Well, it's always better when we're together

Yeah, it's always better when we're together

And all of these moments

Just might find their way into my dreams tonight

But I know that they'll be gone

When the morning light sings

And brings new things

For tomorrow night you see

That they'll be gone too

Too many things I have to do

But if all of these dreams might find their way

Into my day to day scene

I'd be under the impression

I was somewhere in between

With only two

Just me and you

Not so many things we got to do

Or places we got to be

We'll Sit beneath the mango tree now

It's always better when we're together

Mmmm, we're somewhere in between together

Well, it's always better when we're together

Yeah, it's always better when we're together

MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm

I believe in memories

They look so, so pretty when I sleep

Hey now, and when I wake up,

You look so pretty sleeping next to me

But there is not enough time,

And there is no, no song I could sing

And there is no, combination of words I could say

But I will still tell you one thing

We're better together.

Don't Steal My Food

I absolutely hate it when a guy "steals" my food.  I grew up with my family always making sure if I had enough food to eat, offering me more than my share.  Kevin (last boyfriend) also always made sure I ate enough, and often gave me his food even (though I usually couldn't finish and gave him my food to finish).

So recently I met a male friend who had meals with me a few times, and each time not only did he not offer me the last piece of food left in the shared dish, he even ate more than his share without asking.  (By the way, I only just realized this was a very "Chinese" specific issue because in Chinese meals we share dishes.)  Each time eating with him, I felt like it was a race to fight for my share of food, otherwise in no time he would have eaten 80% of the dish already!  I'm not exaggerating.  I am not a huge eater, and I usually can't finish even my share, but it should be my right to decide whether I wanted to offer my share to others!

Am I too cheap?  Or do some people not understand social etiquette??

Girl Friends

I grew up playing with boys and never had a core group of female friends until my mid 20's.  Still, I never just befriend any random female, as I find many females too whiny, strange, fake, stupid to connect with me.

I want to write a short note about my female friends as they are all awesome in their different ways.  In fact, I was inspired to write about them because one friend, "M", totally cracked me up today.....

..... I was looking at an ex's album and I said to "M" online, is it bad to say that someone's kid is not cute?  (I passed the album link to her.) She replied, wow he's cute.  I immediately asked, my ex or the kid?  She replied, your ex is cute, his wife is ugly, his kid is ugly.  I laughed so hard when I read her message!  No, his wife is not ugly and neither is the kid.  It was just the way girl friends show their support and their effort to make one another feel good. (Ex:  If you are reading this, I am sorry, it wasn't personal!!)

One of my girl friends, "G", also used to join in my acknowledgment of certain ass-hole exs' "death".  I'm not a bitter person, but some jerks I dated were better off "dead" in my mind simply because of what assholes they had been.  So "G" and I used to refer to those as "the ones who f*cking died" and they could "rest in peace".

I also love my open-minded girl friends who know my nature, and don't judge me when I use strong language, elaborate descriptions, and sometimes politically incorrect words to illustrate my point.  Like when I said to "M" one day that "I don't want to live in Tseung Kwan O", she understood it was a personal preference issue, not that I felt there was anything wrong with people living in TKO.  And likewise, it's nice being able to be politically incorrect when talking to friends, like discussing with "D" the pain in dealing with "retards" around us, knowing fully well we weren't referring to the truly mentally handicapped in any way.

My girl friends provided me with so much support, caring, inspiration, laughter, entertainment, companionship over the years, I can't express how much I am thankful to them.

I Don't Want to Live in TKO

No offence.  There is nothing wrong with Tseung Kwan O (TKO), or living in TKO.  I have friends and colleagues who live in TKO.

I just don't want to live in TKO, because I grew up on Hong Kong Island.  No, I am not living in TKO now.  (So what am I babbling about?)  I am trying to say that I don't want to compromise my environment and lifestyle for anyone now or in the future.  I love Hong Kong Island, I love Happy valley.... I don't need to live on the Peak, but I refuse to move to Kowloon or New Territories for anyone who has a problem with Hong Kong Island or cannot afford to live on the island with me.

I know I sound like a real brat, a princess.  Well, perhaps I am.  What is so wrong about wanting to maintain MY current lifestyle and standard of living?  I don't want my home full of IKEA furniture.  I don't want to use IKEA everything or Japan Home Center everything.  I don't want to take the bus or MTR wherever I go, even when I am very tired and want to take a taxi.  I don't want to cook with No Frills olive oil.  I don't want to use Vinda 1-ply toilet rolls.

I am not a gold digger, I am not looking for a very rich man, now or in the future.  I just want someone, apart from other character traits I seek, to share a similar style and standard of living as me, so no one needs to compromise or struggle.  I worked very hard to achieve and maintain my current standard of living - comfortable but not excessively extravagant - and I do not wish to compromise this for anyone no matter how nice a person he is.  Yes personality is very important, and I will never sacrifice that either, but lifestyle to me is equally important. 

It's hard and it's sad, when you realize love doesn't conquer all because you live in the real world.

PS:  I don't have a problem with IKEA or Japan Home Center either - I do buy stuff from them when it's better value for money.  I just don't want my whole house to be IKEA and Japan Home Center solely because of price reasons.  Vinda - yes I have a problem with that because it is cheap toilet paper which is thin and rough.
PS2: And this is not a dilemma I have right now.  I have just been thinking about this for the future only.

Paranoia?

Paranoia is critical in my profession, because we manage large-scale, multi-country projects where many things can go wrong if not carefully considered, prevented, and checked.  When mistakes happen, there are consequences, some repairable and less serious, others irrepairable and severe.  In the latter case, it could cost a lot of money, future business, and our reputation.  Paranoia?

I manage a team of 7, from juniors to senior manager.  I am the youngest in my family so my big-sisterly attitude to managing my team did not come naturally.  I have changed from being very hands-on, demanding, strict, and critical in my early years of being a manager, to my recent style of nagging, hands-off, supportive, and more approachable.  I don't like to nag, but if I don't nag, they forget.  Kids these days are forgetful and have very short attention span.  They can't visualize the severity of mistakes because they never had to be held responsible.

A few months ago, when traveling for work, supervising execution of a project, I already noticed some indications of quality issues with my team's work.  I ended up picking up all the mistakes and sending them email after email to remind them the importance of checking their own work, and their subordinate's work.  Paranoia?

In project meetings, I also reminded them again and again the potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.  When designing the project flow, I also put in a number of procedures to ensure we would have enough checks in place to prevent mistakes.  Paranoia?

Today my worst nightmare came true.  The team told me they had left out two questions in one survey, and the fieldwork had completed already.  Two questions which could not be recalled (could not call back respondents to ask those questions again due to bias).  What?!  Apparently, they ignored all my previous warnings, bent rules and policies for greater flexibility - so the mistake was not spotted until very late.

I feel very disappointed and upset, but I had to keep my cool - for professional reasons and also kids these days don't take strong language / tone very well.  Of course, it is useless to scream at them now since the damage is done, all I can do is make them realize the severity of the mistake, make them think of remedial actions, and review what they have done wrong.  Sadly, only one of them - who wasn't responsible for the mistake - was able to suggest one possible remedial action to explore.

I was so upset I went to Pret and bought foods I had never picked from there before:  Tomato soup, Parmesan sandwich, Kettle chips.  I found my ex-boss from internal messaging tool, and vented to him.  I vented to him because he would understand, and also he knew how lucky he had been for having me support him all these years without ever causing him such headaches.

I think I am feeling so emotional about this because my team has failed, and being their leader, I feel like I have failed.  I worked so hard all these years avoiding such critical mistakes, and as a leader - even though I no longer had to run projects myself - I tried my best to pass on my knowledge and experience to the team, giving them directions and pointers to protect them from falling hard.  Yet, by being their security net, they took advantage of it, and never developed the paranoia critical to our profession.  There was never fear of failing, fear of making mistakes.

Please, can anyone share with me THE way to motivate the younger generation?  I don't want to give up on them, but I can't find a way to inspire them and encourage them to grow up, step up.

Secret Wish List

I am blessed with a lot of gifts from God, and I dare not ask for more.  Yet, if there is anything I secretly wish for, here's the list in no particular order:

Talent in sports (especially racquet and ball games)

Smooth, strong and shiny hair

Good at making funny faces when photographed

Cracking funny jokes

Psychic power to communicate with animals

No more water retention/ bloated tummy and legs

Miraculous unknown source of income, deposited into my bank each month

Natural snowboarder

Natural swimmer even in strong currents

Great at remembering (ordinary) faces and names

Survive an adventure in the Amazon without any close encounter with insects or animals, yet with a nice place to sleep in

Smaller calf muscles without botox

Immune to all side effects of UV rays

No more daily neck pain and tendon soreness

Ride a bike

Forever youthfulness - appearance, health, mind

Forever optimism, high spirits, courage

Natural and peaceful death 

Natural shield against all insects and ugly animals

Become an awesome photographer

Paint awesome (non silly/ stick figure) pictures on canvas

After typing out the list, I noticed my secret desires/wishes could be categorized as follows:

Physical sports/ activities related

Physical appearance

Physical and mental well-being

Silly but serious wishes

Useless envy of others

PS:  I cannot decide if I should be embarrassed about not having any wish to save the world...

A few of my favourite pictures from Casablanca, Morocco