tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59299232011-04-22T00:13:05.708-04:00A tough job, but someone's got to do itmatress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.comBlogger2411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1151320803549610132006-06-26T07:16:00.000-04:002006-06-26T07:20:03.583-04:00

I'm back in Toronto now. Unfortunately I left my camera back in Vancouver ,so pictures of my last day of exploits will have to wait till they ship me my camera.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1151125678540930202006-06-24T01:05:00.000-04:002006-06-24T01:07:58.576-04:00

Staying at a residence at UBC tonighttoday's picsCapilano bridge

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1151045149632226012006-06-23T02:42:00.000-04:002006-06-23T02:45:49.633-04:00

I've spoken with some of you about this, but I never thought it actually helps with employment.Taken at Blenz,a coffee chain popular in Vancouver

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1151044944026837302006-06-23T02:38:00.000-04:002006-06-23T02:42:24.046-04:00

Seattle Day 3 pics Seattle's central library, the coolest library I've ever seen

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150948203636967502006-06-21T23:47:00.000-04:002006-06-21T23:52:59.610-04:00

There are better things that tourists can do in Seattle, but we went to see Microsoft campus anyway.Seattle Day 2 PicsNintendo of America's head quarter, is across the road

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150911579009157732006-06-21T13:35:00.000-04:002006-06-21T13:39:39.030-04:00

My videos sorted by recentness

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150911255392123892006-06-21T13:31:00.000-04:002006-06-21T13:34:15.406-04:00

Took this ferry over from VictoriaBC Day 5 Pics

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150811928068730232006-06-20T09:56:00.000-04:002006-06-20T10:04:16.923-04:00

Fairmount Empress HotelTook a really long bus ride over to Victoria from Tofino.The whole town was empty cause of Stanley Cup game 7.BC Day 4 PicsProvincial legislature

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150681410019602772006-06-18T21:41:00.000-04:002006-06-19T00:30:47.766-04:00

Today we did some surfing in the cold Pacific, leaving for Victoria tomorrow, then on to Seattle.Tofino Day 3

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150650307253538792006-06-18T13:03:00.000-04:002006-06-18T13:06:29.593-04:00

Great times, no weed yetTofino Day 1Tofino Day 2

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150417185084185042006-06-15T20:18:00.000-04:002006-06-15T20:19:45.100-04:00

Vancouver Day 1Vancouver Day 2

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150354015724560872006-06-15T02:42:00.000-04:002006-06-15T02:49:29.046-04:00

Now in Vancouver, will head over to Tofino next.Do some surfing, or go to see the Pacific Rim National Park..

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1150081625326581102006-06-11T22:58:00.000-04:002006-06-11T23:07:05.340-04:00

Just finished my European leg of my journey.Recharging in HK now for a few days, then off to Vancouver, BC for some excellent weed.I really liked Switzerland, in general. I almost got arrested for hopping a free ride on a tram in Zurich, I'll tell you about it later.And Paris + Nice was cool, I was disappointed though by the amount of vandalism. I can't name a corner of Paris that wasn't

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149939539253351982006-06-10T07:38:00.000-04:002006-06-12T19:02:43.996-04:00

Zurich Day 1Zurich Day 2After Europe

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149842966648799232006-06-09T04:26:00.000-04:002006-06-11T21:57:05.730-04:00

switzerland day 5paris day 1paris day 2italy day 1italy day 2

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149365641466536792006-06-03T16:10:00.000-04:002006-06-03T16:14:01.483-04:00

Swiss pics day 1Swiss pics day 2Swiss pics day 3Swiss pics day 4

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149144476129909022006-06-01T02:45:00.000-04:002006-06-01T02:47:56.130-04:00

When we went out the other night in Nice, the drinks are dirt cheap there. We couldn't believe our eyes when we received the bill.Christine asked "Is that a problem? Is that too expensive?"We go "No no, it's fine, it's cheap, buy yourself two!"Then I got to the airport, and a bottle of water costs 5 Euro with all the taxes attached to it.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149113204738951942006-05-31T18:01:00.000-04:002006-05-31T18:06:44.756-04:00

Due to the fiasco with getting stuck in Istanbul, I bought a cheap flight from EasyJet so I can spend extra time in Monaco. I had to be at CERN for the 1:45pm tour, and the train doesn't arrive till 12:35pm, that's if I take the 6:00am train.EasyJet was pretty easy, the only difference is that you have to put up with extra line ups, and that wasn't a problem for me considering how much time I

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149112665764482432006-05-31T17:56:00.000-04:002006-05-31T17:57:45.766-04:00

Yep, it's a parking space for electric vehicles!

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149112519876675932006-05-31T17:33:00.000-04:002006-05-31T17:55:19.876-04:00

I don't know if it's just my sheltered life, but I have never seen so many flavours of ice cream before.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149111847892732312006-05-31T17:32:00.000-04:002006-05-31T17:44:07.910-04:00

We then took the train over to Monaco, which was 30 minutes train ride away with fantastic scenary.This is the hotel where the F1 track runs under, I remember it from driving games.Monaco is a place of ridiculous wealth, you can see this Lady Moira yatch complete with a helicopter.Every single square inch of this place is well groomed, check out this lawn under a bridge.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149112381792789032006-05-31T17:31:00.000-04:002006-06-01T02:40:35.270-04:00

Out on the tourist strip in Nice, we stopped for breakfast. It was the softest croissant I've ever had.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149110900934314962006-05-31T17:24:00.000-04:002006-05-31T17:28:20.936-04:00

Buddy said that this chickpea pancake thing is some sort of local snack, so we sat down to have some, I didn't like it. Felt sick afterwards, but that may be related to the drinking from the night before.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149110655720160422006-05-31T17:12:00.000-04:002006-05-31T18:00:49.283-04:00

After much frustration, begging, arguing, I finally ended up in Nice through Zurich in search of Eurobabes. Hooked up with a buddy from highschool, and proceeded to check out the environ. We mostly stayed in the touristy areas. A local showed us the section where the "pissed off Arabs and Africans" stay, and warned us not to go.Thanks to a friend of a friend, we were staying in a penthouse unit

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1149097536079624442006-05-31T13:45:00.000-04:002006-05-31T13:45:36.096-04:00

France Day 1 pics

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148968807932146222006-05-30T01:58:00.000-04:002006-05-30T02:00:07.956-04:00

Turkey Day 8 pics

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148791954373697862006-05-28T00:49:00.000-04:002006-05-28T00:52:34.373-04:00

I was pick pocketed, stranding me in Istanbul for a day.As usual, losing a wallet is a huge hassle. I feel so violated.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148791606226034942006-05-28T00:45:00.000-04:002006-05-28T00:46:46.246-04:00

Turkey Day 6 pics unsortedTurkey Day 7 pics unsorted

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148486731739019542006-05-24T12:04:00.000-04:002006-05-24T12:05:31.760-04:00

see them here

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148239509988914882006-05-21T15:23:00.000-04:002006-05-22T13:44:30.156-04:00

Turkey Day 1 photosTurkey Day 2 photosTurkey Day 3 photosTurkey Day 4 photos

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148071142165379982006-05-19T16:36:00.000-04:002006-05-19T16:39:02.166-04:00

It's too late, so I don't have time to tell everything, but check out the picturesIstanbul Day 1 picsIt's so late in fact I'll have to do the Turkish bath thing tomorrow instead....

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148070762303201962006-05-19T16:28:00.000-04:002006-05-19T16:32:42.303-04:00

In the touristy Sultanahmet, every vendor tries to get your attention."Hello, my name is..." then tries to shake your hand."Where are you from?""Please come in!""Carpet, look!"It just drives me away, in fact, it scares me.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148070526384003442006-05-19T16:13:00.000-04:002006-05-20T10:57:22.396-04:00

I wasn't going to go into the mosques today, but I gave into the temptation instead.So I saw the Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, asia side, Haydarpasha Train station and the aquaduct.I even got a hair cut and bought new glasses. The $5 haircut was from the train station, it's amazing how much one can convey while wildly gesticulating. The sunglass vendor on

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1148025855915867262006-05-19T03:16:00.000-04:002006-05-19T04:10:31.516-04:00

I didn't see a hotel name on the voucher form, so I blindly followed the crowd into downtown Istanbul, where the tourist area is called Sultanahmet.To get to where the tourist attractions are, you just had to take the Metro light rail down to the last stop Aksaray, then follow the crowd down to the tram way (500m walk). Take the tram heading to Eminono and get off at Sultanahmet.One can see

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147962389440175362006-05-18T10:25:00.000-04:002006-05-19T03:16:16.023-04:00

I'm off to Istanbul, wish me good luck!

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147941802847508602006-05-18T04:12:00.000-04:002006-05-18T10:25:20.196-04:00

I dressed like the salariman yesterday to meet with Dad for dinner. Tie and everything.I blended in much better into Central's population, Mom saying that I looked more liked a civilized human.I haven't worked for a month shy a day now, I feel like an outsider, not involved in this world. Though I tried to work on job seeking and updating my resume, I have been having trouble doing anything

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147939936776937662006-05-18T03:54:00.000-04:002006-05-18T04:47:28.010-04:00

Some of you wonder why my obsession with toilets and other I/O functions.Truth is I had trouble staying..umm... regular when I was little.. Because of this my mom keeps close tabs on my BM's, where the first question asked on a long distance call would be "Have you had a BM yet?"(ah, the familiar shine. of the clear container..)So BM is really something to be celebrated, in fact, a BM is usually

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147783824327088222006-05-16T08:18:00.000-04:002006-05-16T10:34:49.836-04:00

The Chinese national anthem is played everyday at 18:00 before the news.You can watch it here courtesy of the "Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education", but you'll probably need Real Player installed. You can see the list of all of the videos here.There was quite the contraversy, with some claiming that "video was disgusting, disturbing and left them with the impression they were being

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147831043047711952006-05-16T07:55:00.000-04:002006-05-16T21:58:38.463-04:00

My videos from Korea just came online! Oh boundless joy.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147778272102007002006-05-16T07:03:00.000-04:002006-05-16T07:17:52.116-04:00

On the last day in Seoul, I decided that we would walk to Seoul Station to catch the limo bus instead of taking the airport shuttle in front of the hotel.While we were consulting the area map a well meaning old lady, hunched over like the number 7 offered directions."Japanese?""Chinese?" - "Ah yes yes Chinese, we speak English"I showed her on the map that we want to go to Seoul Station and she

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147776025619632592006-05-16T06:35:00.000-04:002006-05-16T07:03:36.600-04:00

There is a large system moving towards HK, putting my flight to Istanbul in jeopardy.This typhoon already swept through the Philippines, killing 57.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147775547947053732006-05-16T06:31:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:32:27.946-04:00

Walked by this Chinese primary school in Myeong-don. The banner says "Please speak Chinese!"

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147830048751684902006-05-16T06:30:00.000-04:002006-05-16T21:44:46.593-04:00

I have no idea what the snack is called, but they had these machines in all the markets. Next to a store, on a truck, etc.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147775390819458392006-05-16T06:27:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:30:55.916-04:00

Some people complained that I should stop taking pictures of food, and that I'm packing on a few too many pounds.This looks a little obscene, but this ginseng stuffed chicken in soup is some sort of Korean delicacy.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147775219182608372006-05-16T06:23:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:26:59.183-04:00

Also on Narchie's recommendation, I took the cable car up to Namsan (south mountain). It's a peak in the middle of Seoul, affording a nice view of Seoul.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147774976742861752006-05-16T06:19:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:22:56.743-04:00

This throne had probably 20 buttons controlling various heat, pressure, angle parameters. I never worked up the courage to put it to work. The last thing I need is to have the toilet spray the water onto my face.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147774788642002822006-05-16T06:18:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:19:48.643-04:00

Taken at Myeong-don, it was just the lone flag not tied down properly.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147774708989932292006-05-16T06:12:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:18:28.990-04:00

What am I supposed to say, when I see something like this?

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147774209581614112006-05-16T05:54:00.000-04:002006-05-16T21:35:21.006-04:00

Those of you who love chocolate koala bears will know that the Lotte Group made them.The conglomerate runs an indoor theme park/shopping complex in Seoul, so mom decided that we must go.So we took the Seoul Metro system to the theme park.Mom also went on the roller coaster ride with me, she was screaming the entire time.Those who watch k-soap will know this carousel.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147773286561779542006-05-16T05:29:00.000-04:002006-05-16T05:54:46.576-04:00

Didn't have much time on this trip, so we didn't see all the palaces I wanted to see.I only get to see this one (Gyeongbokgung) across the street from the city hall. Most of the buildings on the site were burnt down by the Japanese in 1911, so these are rebuilt.Apparently, they had rocket launchers.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147771767066829992006-05-16T04:41:00.000-04:002006-05-16T05:29:27.083-04:00

Thanks to Narchie's recommendation, I took the tour to see the DMZ. This demilitarized zone probably inspired internet firewall configurations.Photography is mostly prohibited when taking this tour. So I don't have much to show for itThe guide said, the first time you take a picture, they'll make sure that it's erased, the second time you take it, they'll confiscate the film, the third time you

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147768567046595042006-05-16T04:27:00.000-04:002006-05-16T04:36:07.046-04:00

This is where I stayed, also a busy market, but caters mostly to the younger hipper crowd.And crowds there are, all the time, all day. You can see young couples on dates (people with flowers), steady couples (dressed in matching clothes), and the dramatic types (ones making out in the middle of the street). You can also see girls walking down the street holding hands like they were couples, use

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147768009286664902006-05-16T04:19:00.000-04:002006-05-16T04:27:34.200-04:00

It feels kind of weird to be blowing tens of thousands S. Korean Wons, but 1 Canadian dollar is like 800 Wons.Water at the airport=900 WonsOne way subway= 1,000 WonsOne Bowl of Congee = 12,000 Wons

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147767563474745962006-05-16T04:02:00.000-04:002006-05-16T04:19:23.486-04:00

Namdaemun, or the great southern gate is a major land mark for Seoul.It is next to a busy street market. Selling clothes, twinkets, snacks, etcThey had boiled worms from a few street vendors, but I really couldn't handle the smell. So I didn't even stick around to take a picture. So here's what it looks like courtesy of some other brave soul.We saw a hoard of women shuffling around this vendor,

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147766539112555522006-05-16T03:59:00.000-04:002006-05-16T04:02:19.113-04:00

Starving right after we got off the flight, we went to a congee restaurant right next to the hotel.I was hoping for some sort of English labeling for there menus, no such luck. They have some Japanese characters, that's it.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147766102792094082006-05-16T03:52:00.000-04:002006-05-16T03:59:18.623-04:00

I see that on the road there are 3 or 4 brands of cars: Hyundai, Kia, Daewoo, SSangYong, etcVery rare to find any import brands

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147765476339409212006-05-16T03:25:00.000-04:002006-05-16T03:44:36.353-04:00

The HK airport is a single large space, so you can in theory lob a grenade from the departure hall into the gate areas.Everything is separated by glass, connected by escalators and mini-trains. Walking through the airport feels like a going through black mesa at the begining of half-life.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147713077782534912006-05-15T12:52:00.000-04:002006-05-16T06:12:28.366-04:00

Here are a few things I learned from S. Korea:1. They have lots of young people2. Young people like dating3. A single rose must be given to the girl for at the start of the date4. Koreans are not shy about PDAs, embracing in the middle of the street, k-soap style.5. Couples dress in the same clothes, some times matching, most of the time identical.6. Either there are lots of lesbians in S. Korea,

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147667710981286542006-05-15T00:32:00.000-04:002006-05-15T05:56:59.520-04:00

I have been spending the last couple of days in Seoul, pictures are here:Day 1Day 2Day 3Nice place, will tell you more later

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147447187188498882006-05-12T11:10:00.000-04:002006-05-12T11:19:47.190-04:00

There are these computer / gadget only malls in HK. Prices are good, the selection is better.Any of you want any gadgets from HK please let me know now, my mom is leaving for TO next week. I won't be back in TO until end of June.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147446350794404052006-05-12T10:30:00.000-04:002006-05-12T11:05:50.810-04:00

To think that I used to be dragged around town in such a uniform....Hardly fits the aura of cool I have now. I would never, ever be caught dead with a chicken little doll around my neck.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147443797780858832006-05-12T10:16:00.000-04:002006-05-12T10:23:17.796-04:00

Well, at least my mom's favourite called Wong Chun Chun.Had some really good curry crab and mango fried rice. REAL FRESH MANGOS!Anyway, I highly recommend the curried crab on Hwy7 + Chalmers called "Saigon Star". The best curried crab in Toronto.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147428458846420922006-05-12T06:05:00.000-04:002006-05-12T06:07:38.860-04:00

Speaking of suicides, the people of hing Kong has invented a novel way to commit suicide - charcoal burning. It's a form of carbon monoxide poisoning, and the HK people do it probably because most of them do not have a car.What they usually do is rent a cottage in the outlying islands to do the deed. Because death in a home seriously affects its resale value. (Real estate agents are obligated

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147426202408414622006-05-12T04:36:00.000-04:002006-05-12T11:22:43.746-04:00

As part of a massive programme to torture the young and turn people off of learning, the Form 5 Standardized test is one of most important tests an HK student can ever take. It's the difference between scrapng the street of chewing gums and a souless office job. The grade from this test will determine their standing in society, only the top scorers can obtain the few seats for matriculation and

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147422954879085002006-05-12T04:29:00.000-04:002006-05-12T04:35:54.880-04:00

I tried this rice burger from Macdonald's, and it tasted ok.The buns are made from rice entirely, and they but terriyaki beef in the middle.They also give out 300 g of premium japanese sticky rice if you complete a tongue twister within 5 seconds. I tried my best and was given the rice anyway for the effort.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147421916751667002006-05-12T03:29:00.000-04:002006-05-12T04:18:36.766-04:00

(yuenfen), or the fate that bring people together, is something that two people have, it's not something one can have all by himself. I talk about this in terms of Taoist believe, though this concept is quite prevalent in Asian cultures.Yuenfen describes the relationship between any people or groups. It is sort of a combination of compatibility, spacial and temporal intersection.So mom was

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147418136055575812006-05-12T02:14:00.000-04:002006-05-12T11:26:48.503-04:00

I went over to the Wong Tai Sin taoist temple for some divination. Named after the taoist master known for his divinations.I'm a confirmed Catholic, so I don't believe the stuff. But then again, so many people wouldn't come if it doesn't work.So I made my mom do the divination for me. She shook this canister of wooden sticks until one come out, each stick has a number and it has a corresonding

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147396375490792612006-05-11T21:00:00.000-04:002006-05-11T21:12:55.503-04:00

MTV Asia is quite cool, it airs music in Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Korean and Japanese.I was just channel surfing, and they put on one of RAIN's Chinese songs. It was practically a jingle for a handset manufacturer called Pantech. If you haven't heard of Rain, you probably will eventually, he's some kind of Korean David Usher.I guess if he's already a pop culture sellout, why not go the extra

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147359708282791102006-05-11T11:00:00.000-04:002006-05-11T11:01:48.283-04:00

You can get them from Day 14 pic gallery.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147359617467065982006-05-11T10:55:00.000-04:002006-05-11T11:00:17.466-04:00

When I was younger, one of my birthdays was celebrated on a floating restaurant.It used to be sort of family oriented. Now this one is a gwai-lo cheating pirate ship where they charge you CAD$100 for a dinner for 2. At least it's all nice and clean, fully decorated, unlike the wet, dirty one I remembered.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147359324707849042006-05-11T10:46:00.000-04:002006-05-11T10:55:24.710-04:00

I went to the Lin Po monastery to check out the big buddha built on top of a remote mountain.It's really built in the middle of nowhere, but some entrepreneurs decided to build a cable car service there. It will not be open till the end of June, so I had to take a bus. I met some gwai-lo called Mathew from Toronto in the bus lineup. The bus trip was really treacherous, steep hills, narrow single

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147358700868946322006-05-11T10:37:00.000-04:002006-05-11T10:45:00.886-04:00

Food tourism is popular in Macau, one of the cafe's here claim to have invented a pork cutlet bun.Lots of people from all over come just to try it from the source. The taxi driver said that he can't believe people take a $40 taxi trip to have a $20 pork bun. In fact, most of the people at the cafe were from HK or China.They make a batch everyday at 3:00pm, so people line up and wait around 2:30pm

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147309161418499722006-05-10T20:36:00.000-04:002006-05-10T20:59:21.436-04:00

Took a very cool, very fast hydrofoil over to Macau, a former Portugese colony.It sits at the mouth of the Pearl River, and the water is yellowish. One can see where the sea water and fresh water meets.It was hot, way hotter than HK, I'm not sure if it was just my perception.That's me, the black dot in the middle is me posing in the famous Ruins of St. Paul Cathedral.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147210347095217402006-05-09T17:30:00.000-04:002006-05-09T17:32:27.096-04:00

The videos I took during my visit to ocean park is now live online.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147209965064084792006-05-09T17:17:00.000-04:002006-05-09T17:26:05.086-04:00

In HK, some times playing mahjong is referred to as dry swiming, due to the motion of scrambling the blocks.When I met up with my uncle's family, they taught me how to play.And I actually won my first round of mahjong! Not a spectacular win, but it was good luck.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147126063945665082006-05-08T18:06:00.000-04:002006-05-08T18:07:43.966-04:00

All nice, polite and squeaky clean, but we wouldn't want to be them.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147124372588917532006-05-08T17:09:00.000-04:002006-05-08T18:32:46.990-04:00

Since there are 3 million people living in public housing, the HK government benefits from the economy of scale. Building city blocks housing tens of thousands of families at a time.So they build the apartment buildings with commercial spaces and schools right next to them, lots of public transportations. Of course no one is expected to have cars either.I wouldn't call HK's public housing a

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147107661761797642006-05-08T12:55:00.000-04:002006-05-08T17:07:34.086-04:00

There are roughly 6.9 million people in HK, about 50% of them live in public housing.Public housing is provided under low cost rental or low cost ownership scheme.Without public housing, most people in HK cannot afford the CAD$1million price tag for flats.Check out the pictures courtesy of the housing authority.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147098610141417692006-05-08T10:25:00.000-04:002006-05-08T10:30:10.143-04:00

I watched Mission:impossible with mom today at the IFC cinema with luxury leather seats.After holding it in for 2 hours, I dashed out of the theatre looking for a washroom.One of the worst ideas in building design, I believe, is to have the Men's washroom 50 meters from the Women's.I almost lost containment, but I made it at the last second like Tom Cruise.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147098293487175742006-05-08T10:22:00.000-04:002006-05-08T10:24:53.486-04:00

On the side of the street, served on wax paper, straight from the steaming apparatus.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147098139755064962006-05-08T10:17:00.000-04:002006-05-08T10:22:19.756-04:00

I walked by this pharmacy, and wondered what "open milk tea" means.Apparently it's not bad translation, it's actually a herbal tea that helps new mothers lactate. Mom made a few speculations on what happens when a guy drinks this tea, which I shall not repeat.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147097819540293112006-05-08T10:10:00.000-04:002006-05-08T10:16:59.543-04:00

I actually had it. Jelly made from turtles. My skin broke out overnight, and I developed rashes.So my mom said that I should have this to clear it up.It was bitter and disgusting, I must have compensated for it with a cup of syrup.BUT, it actually worked! For those who are interested in this miracle skin care product, you can find it at Market Village, or most Chinese desert stores.cooked in one

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147097401823663722006-05-08T10:06:00.000-04:002006-05-08T10:10:01.823-04:00

The other day I walked by a playground that I used to hang out.They took away all the fun equipments taller than a storey high! what fun spoilers.I used to hang up side down on that 3-storey high slide/fortress thingy. And for the few times I ran away from home, I stayed there overnight.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147097169185054662006-05-08T10:04:00.000-04:002006-05-08T10:06:09.210-04:00

A nice view at the slow grind of commerce! I must have seen 4 container ships sail by.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147096778151560872006-05-08T09:58:00.000-04:002006-05-09T05:04:53.230-04:00

scenic cablecar ride between parts of the park

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147085548483050002006-05-08T06:51:00.000-04:002006-05-08T06:52:28.483-04:00

What more can one ask for?

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147085462831737942006-05-08T06:48:00.000-04:002006-05-08T06:51:02.833-04:00

Giant aquarium with big fishes.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147085273339476702006-05-08T06:45:00.000-04:002006-05-09T05:09:49.763-04:00

They had a psychodelic display of jellyfishes, lots of them. some of them are so thin and transparent you have to strain to see them.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147085111622794632006-05-08T06:34:00.000-04:002006-05-09T05:11:08.846-04:00

This is Jia Jia, she was sleeping the whole time I was there. Apparently giant pandas spend approximately 40% of their time resting.And this is An An, he was pacing back and forth, pushing against a water tank once in a while.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1147043190006256472006-05-07T19:02:00.000-04:002006-05-07T19:06:30.016-04:00

I went out to Ocean Park, an aquarium/theme park on the south side of HK Island.It's a nice park where there is a giant panda exhibit, a jellyfish aquarium and dolphin/sea lion show.Check out the day 10 pictures.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146958267255995792006-05-06T19:11:00.000-04:002006-05-06T19:31:07.370-04:00

In ancient China, the highest position a non-royal can attain is the prime ministership.They get land, they get money, and they work closely with the emperors.Though they sodem live long, every time there is a policy screw up, off with their heads and that of their family.I have no idea why people keep working as prime ministers in ancient China.Here are some of the reasons why a prime minister

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146956754017391722006-05-06T18:57:00.000-04:002006-05-06T19:05:54.020-04:00

With promise of free, fast internet access, I came to visit the central library out in Causeway Bay.The steps at the library have some wise quotes from Chinese literature, nice.This place is also very busy, I can't even find a seat around here, even though each seat has an ethernet port and a power socket.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146956097312518242006-05-06T18:49:00.000-04:002006-05-06T18:54:57.313-04:00

The goverment made a hiking trail system around the peak, it is part exercise path, part tourist attraction.Due to the steep slopes and the high rainfall, nearly every slope is re-enforced. You can see thousands of these plates everywhere. You GIS types can imagine the challenge.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146955712157116602006-05-06T18:22:00.000-04:002006-05-06T18:48:32.173-04:00

To find out of this smokey stuff is Fog or Smog, I went up to the top of the hill to find out.*sniff sniff* Yep, it's smogWave, it's my old home (white/peach building on an angle)

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146954068634903382006-05-06T18:16:00.001-04:002006-05-09T05:12:06.206-04:00

Went to a greasy spoon down in SOHO for an egg and spam sandwich.They say the have the smoothest milk tea in HK, they call it the "nylons tea" as in the panty hoses.You can sit on nicely in the back, or you can squat next to the road side kitchen.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146952728348570022006-05-06T17:48:00.000-04:002006-05-09T05:12:47.096-04:00

Went shopping for some Kobe beef for dinner.CitySuper is a nice supermarket in HK. But it's so crowded and space so limited that people have to use special, smaller shopping carts.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146951963123077022006-05-06T17:43:00.000-04:002006-05-09T05:13:34.633-04:00

You see it anywhere there is construction, and construction is everywhere in HK.It's amazing what they do with bamboo sticks and nylon wraps.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146951565721298042006-05-06T17:34:00.000-04:002006-05-09T05:14:14.090-04:00

For CAD$0.30, you get a tour of the busiest parts of Hong Kong.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146951266177581562006-05-06T17:30:00.000-04:002006-05-06T17:34:26.176-04:00

I used to come down to this street to buy fishes and fish supplies for my tiny aquarium at home.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929923.post-1146950980639826962006-05-06T17:27:00.000-04:002006-05-09T05:15:13.243-04:00

The Disney symbol is right next to the airport symbol, cool.

matress testerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08714752426051133274noreply@blogger.com0