Shot by: me -- Snowdon, the highest peak (1586m) in all of England and Wales. The highest of all is in Scotland. 

Shot by: me -- The river before me overlooking a sheep's farm not too far away from our bunkhouse. 

Shot by: me -- More sheeps and lambs. Notice that each one is color marked. I don't know what each color means but they look too skinny to be in the market. 

Shot by: me -- The heart of Snowdonia and one of the towns like this one is called Bryn Dinas, where we lived for 2 nights. I could have gone up to that waterfall there (a third of the pic rightward) if there this place is not a sheep farmland because I couldn't possibly climb over barb wires. 

Shot by: me -- Follow the path and you're on your way home. I am actually amazed by the millions of slate stones properly laid to build walls as high as 6ft from ground zero to a few thousands of feet on the mountains thus creating property borders. Stairways like this reminds me when I was climbing The Great Wall of China in Beijing. 

Shot by: me -- The Waaaaaaterfall!! (and me!) B-e-a-uuutiful! 

Shot by: me -- (Used Sony T1 Digital Still Camera) Taking a pose against a 20ft wall of huge boulders stacked on one another. 

Shot by: me -- There is a quasi-paradise that resembles that of beautiful gardens often described in fables and/or fantasies. Being here definitely took my breath away into that realm. The stream of water from the waterfall behind me flows towards the road and across. The sound the waterfall seranading the very soul of mine; so soothing. So pretty! 

Shot by: me -- Lamb. Baa! Baa! (Good Lord! I'm clothed! How do you like my new woolen dress? Pretty eh?!) Been waiting a long time for a pose like this one. T'was worth the wait. 

Shot by: me -- Slouching with legs on mini table relaxing after a long day walk. 

Weekend trip

I'll be heading off to Snowdonia over the weekend but we'll be leaving later this evening at 6pm. It doesn't cost much really, £30 for the weekend trip includes lodging and meals, and of course the trip's fare.

[I] guess I'll be writing about it more when I come back. later.

Poppy flowers symbolizes Remembrance Day

"Please wear a poppy," the lady said
And held one forth, but I shook my head.
Then I stopped and watched as she offered them there,
And her face was old and lined with care;
But beneath the scars the years had made
There remained a smile that refused to fade.

A boy came whistling down the street,
Bouncing along on care-free feet.
His smile was full of joy and fun,
"Lady," said he, "may I have one?"
When she's pinned in on he turned to say,
"Why do we wear a poppy today?"

The lady smiled in her wistful way
And answered, "This is Remembrance Day,
And the poppy there is the symbol for
The gallant men who died in war.
And because they did, you and I are free -
That's why we wear a poppy, you see.

"I had a boy about your size,
With golden hair and big blue eyes.
He loved to play and jump and shout,
Free as a bird he would race about.
As the years went by he learned and grew
and became a man - as you will, too.

"He was fine and strong, with a boyish smile,
But he'd seemed with us such a little while
When war broke out and he went away.
I still remember his face that day
When he smiled at me and said, Goodbye,
I'll be back soon, Mom, so please don't cry.

"But the war went on and he had to stay,
And all I could do was wait and pray.
His letters told of the awful fight,
(I can see it still in my dreams at night),
With the tanks and guns and cruel barbed wire,
And the mines and bullets, the bombs and fire.

"Till at last, at last, the war was won-
And that's why we wear a poppy son."
The small boy turned as if to go,
Then said, "Thanks, lady, I'm glad to know.
That sure did sound like an awful fight,
But your son - did he come back all right?"

A tear rolled down each faded check;
She shook her head, but didn't speak.
I slunk away in a sort of shame,
And if you were me you'd have done the same;
For our thanks, in giving, if oft delayed,
Thought our freedom was bought - and thousands paid!

And so when we see a poppy worn,
Let us reflect on the burden borne,
By those who gave their very all
When asked to answer their country's call
That we at home in peace might live.
Then wear a poppy! Remember - and give!

by Don Crawford

extracted from http://canada.kos.net/remembrance.html. See also In Flanders Fields.

In commemoration of this special day, The Royal Mint of Canada has released the world's most unique coin bearing the Poppy flower.

About Love & Friendship

Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them.

Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.

Don't cry over anyone who won't cry over you.

What do you do when the only person who can make you stop crying is the person who made you cry?

If love isn't a game, why are there so many players?

Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.

You can only go as far as you push!

Actions speak louder than words.

The hardest thing to do is to watch the one you love, love somebody else.

Don't let the past hold you back, you're missing the good stuff.

Life's short. If you don't look around once in a while you might miss it.

A best friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.

Some people make the world special by just being in it.

Best friends are the siblings God forgot to give us.

When it hurts to look back, and you're scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your best friend will be there.

True friendship never ends.

Friends are forever.

Good friends are like stars.... you don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

Don't frown, you never know who is falling in love with your smile.

Everything is okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.

Most people walk in and out of your life, but only friends leave footprints in your heart.

If u love something... let it go.
If it comes back to you its yours....
If it doesn't then it never was.

A kiss is just a kiss until you find the one you love.
A hug is just a hug until its from the one your are thinking of.
A dream is just a dream until you make it come true.
LOVE is just a word until its proven to you

---
I should think about that when I'm taking a dump. How interesting!

Fugitive of commitment

Although I have been pursued by a girl before, this time is a little wee bit different. It's one that I found it difficult to accept because the situation is different from the first one.

I am not really familiar with Sally WSZ as we have just met not long ago. Could have been about a week now and she said on Friday, when I made her talk her heart(s) out, that she have feelings for me since the day she met me. I was utterly shocked mixed with the feelings of surprise and happiness. Am I not the ugly duckling as the old fable goes? Was it already time that that ugliness is gone? Hah! Thoughts of a pessimistic and a low self-esteemed person. However, that's not the case.

Somebody likes me and have feelings for me that she couldn't help thinking of me, couldn't sleep, couldn't properly eat; whatever she does involves me in some ways. Not knowing her enough is already a terrifying, petrifying, mortifying thought. What more to those?! Sure, my friends tell me it's cool and that I'm lucky to have "found" love. But the issue is that I did not "find" love, she did, and I do not want to feel obliged to comply.

Over the week, she has been very persistence to get my attention. She cooks for my friends (which she never does) and indirectly hinted to leave some for me. Anyway, the list can go on.. and on... to even staying in her room, with lights out watching Sex and the City, and Friends. *gags!* No, i don't watch those stuffs although I like it and find them interesting to watch occassionally. She's leading me to mislead her in ways I cannot comprehend. She's aggressive in her pursuit, this I know.

Apart from all that's happening to me, the reason, ah, the reason I cannot comply is partly because of my current situation. I'm a bloody English Law student that don't have much time to spare. (lol! it's not that bad, actually). This is the only situation I am not really sure how I should handle "with care".

Can you love a person whom you do not know? Some would say yes, others like me would be more inclined to say no... but would still consider the possibilities of a "yes". She's reaching out for me and I'm afraid to bridge out that gap between us. I'm running away. I'm a fugitive of love, commitment, and relationship.

Ultimately, in my mind I have decided to stay as friends.

Halloween Time

It's Halloween and you can be anything weird you want and won't be labelled a freak. Anything you want and you can, sure... EXCEPT yourself.

Today, we turned back our clock 1 hour.
That is a very good thing for ravers and drinkers -- 1 more hour to get more drinks and more drunk as bars are open for another hour longer. Once you get hammered, you have one more hour to sleep in.

It's weird that they have day light savings here. Why can't it be like Saskatchewan? No such hassle. I wonder if the rest of the world knows about this. Now it gets dark at about 5pm, rather than almost 6pm. nonsense.

I'm learning Latin from my law books. gee. how very daunting already just by the number of have-to-read-cases.

Not a shadow missing

Shot by: Cherie Cheng WY -- I am very pleased to look at this photo. I find a harmonious balance in everything from the shadowed background to the pure green of the plant that essentially signify life and from there how the light cast its shadows.

Composition wise, in my opinion, is simply at its best. I very much like how the shadows are casted against the table or was it the floor. The sun lights falls on the floor through a window creating the correct distracting for the eyes that would naturally travel across the picture diagonally. just love everything about this picture.

that's about all I'd say. without much elaboration, I hope you can appreciate it as much as I do.

From Sarah with love

Sarah Wen Shanzi, got her diploma in medicine from China. Currently doing international trade with Leeds Met Uni. Recently, I suspect she has a 'thing' for me and I am, oddly, confused as to what to do about it.

Could it be just my imagination? I have discussed this with my friends and they couldn't agree any more with me. Do they know something that I don't?? I don't know but seriously I don't know what to do. She's a very, very gentle girl and emotional as well. I like her but... it's hard to say.

Ben, BEN!! Help!! You're better looking than I am and have more experiences so I would need your advises and Scott's. Gee, bunch of dinks... too far away.

Actually, there's a song called "From Sarah with Love" by Sarah Connor.

Maybe the best thing is to stay cool and be who I really am... let things happen naturally. If it works, then good; if not... sigh.

An email to myself

You're not going to believe what i just thought up for my Christmas gift. I wish I can spend 2 weeks in the Rocky mountains soaking half my body in the hot springs of +33 centigrade, and the other half minus 22 centigrade. Then head off to see mah'aunty liz... with brother, heard he's going to spend time with you too. I could then bagged some finest Montreal's bagel I dearly miss, and store them in my freezer for 1 year like what I did to the last bag in 2002. We can piggy back our hope-still-small-in-size cousins till they yell out for mommy to stop us. Then teach Chinese Sword-fighting to L'll William how to defend himself from the 4 classic witch sisters found in the tales of the Princesses of the Montralotz. Buy lots of stuffs as I'm richer in terms of pounds sterling per Canadian dollars. hah, i'll pay for the rent for putting up a couple of nights in montreal... coz anybody who hails from the Oukay land is flithy rich, and they speak funny and disproportionated English largely because they don't know their "A" as in "Canadians, eh!?" *grins* whatever... I think living with polar bears and sleeping in igloos like what I've done for the past 4 years is so much more interesting than stepping on snails trying to cross the sidewalks on rainy evenings, and almost getting killed by rackless drivers(i mean women too, okay?) who do not know the meaning of yield to pedestrians.

Sounds like a great plan for me this December.......... for dad to consider if he's financially capable to wrap up this gift and send to me... via wire-transfer. I highly doubt the possibility of this gift, so, it'll always be the great plan.

The weather here has been spitting on us everyday, none stop. Little rains, i realized, has driven me crazy. but snow...*smiles* just makes me happy. something wrong with me? Not really. There's no aesthetic values attached to rain as oppose to snows, maybe that's why I like the latter more although they are both gloomy days.

Maple leaves are now found all over the ground assorted with multiple colors. Like Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty would say, should he describe what I think is... B-E-A-UUUuuuu-tiful! Canada-eh? Toronto Mapel Leaf (TML) fans' site.

I was up in Manchester on Sunday's afternoon to meet up Wang's friend, who was her business partner. The 2 Korean friends, apparently are also 2 fanatics for soccer. When we arrived back in Leeds, we realized we've spent £24.60 unnecessarily for the travel just to watch the match on TV in a bar. We chatted and got to know them better as well. because of the disgusting UK weather, we didn't go anywhere else. heard Manchester's Asian street or typically known as China town is one of UK's best. Waay better than Leeds, hence warrants a must-go-and-check-it-out next time.
*in deep thoughts* hmm, sounds like a familiar story. did i tell this story already??

I had not slept and I'm at campus at this moment. Too much thoughts running in and out of my overproductive brain; should be in the dumpster... before i kill myself. *gasp!* that's a tabooed word! mom will kill you! *gasp!* again!!

So, ladies and gentlemen, you have now visualized the psychological paranoia of an insomnia, which I think I'm turning out to be... because of our coffee-drinking Korean friends which, out of respect, I have to comply.

I hope I have entertained myself. Certainly, this is NOT a cause for worry(-ies to mom) to myself...

On to the desktop

Once again, Google makes Microsoft (MS) look out of date.

Hardly a month goes by without Google, the world's most popular internet search engine, launching another cool product that annoys its arch-rival, Microsoft. "Google desktop search" (GDS), a tiny bit of free software that puts a cute little licon on the taskbar of MS Windows OS. It calls up the usual Google page that is used to perform web searches, except that users can now also find almost anything they have lost on their computer's hard drives.

Google thereby addresses one of the biggest problems with today's Windows "desktop"; that stuff is increasingly hard to find. The Macintosh system, which Apple pioneered in the 1980s, and Windows, Miscosoft's rather clumsy imitation of it, were appropriate when most PC users needed to keep track of just a few dozen files. Today they tend to have thousands, including pictures, songs, and e-mail. If you want to find all the files that have something to do with, say, your friend Jane, forget it.

With GDS, however, this becomes easy. What makes it so embarrassing for MS is that the world's biggest software company's answer to this problem was supposed to be contained in a new file-storage and search system in the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn. Alas, in August MS announced that Longhorn would not be available until 2006, and that its new storage method, called WinFS, had been dropped.

It gets worse for MS. For months already, Google has also been letting people test its new web-based email service, Gmail, which I am now subscribed to. This offers new and more intuitive ways of viewing trails of emails. More importantly, it offers a huge amount of free storage (1 GB), so that users can store their digital stuff on Google's server computers rather than on their own (Windows-run) PC's. Google, in other words, is attacking from every side. And there is more in the pipeline. "Google Print" is a software that will help people search inside books (similar to a technology now provided by Amazon.com). "Google SMS" will help people to search the web from their cellphones (Microsoft hates this too). Even a Google web browser is apparently in the works.

To be sure, nobody is yet counting Microsoft out. The firm has a record of coming late to new technologies, but then playing so rough (and wielding its OS monopoly so shamelessly) that it still manages to be the last one standing. In an effort to catch up with Google, Microsoft plans to launch a new search engine for both the web and the desktop, separate from Longhorn, by the end of this year. But what little of it is visible so far looks remarkably like, ahem, Google!
-edited. extracted from The Economist, oct23rd; pg. 73
Hyper links nodes, very intriguing. However, you do need Java JRE 1.3.1 13 installed in your system to view.

Manchester

Came back to Leeds about 2 hours ago.
I spent the entire afternoon in Manchester with Dorothy Wang, who is Chinese nationale. We were there to meet up with some of her friends who, apparently, had a good business relation with Wang's ex-company. The Korean friends came to Manchester for business.

They are soccer fanatics. The minute we met at the train station, they invite us to join them to search for a nearby bar to watch the Manchester Utd. v. Arsenal match. ManU won... 2-0.

When we arrived back in Leeds, I realized we were in Manchester just to watch the match. We had quite a good laugh at it. Train ticket cost £12.30 for return. Will go the Manchester again some time in future. We did not get to see much of it anyway. Heard the 唐人街 (Chinese Street) is the one of the best in the U.K. Call it CSUK? ... for Chinese Street in the United Kingdom? akin to FCUK, French-Connecion in the UK. whatever.

Something really hilarious happened to Wang at the Victoria Train Station, Manchester; felt like what happened to Sara when she was in London.

gotta study now. sia!

Business Economics

At the library today, I stumbled upon a book entitled "Business Economics". It struck upon me a mix feelings of confusion and gladness. I have to admit that the years I have spent at the University of Saskatchewan (UoS) doing a B.A in Business Economics, I never really knew the actual meaning or the essence of Business Economics.

Business Economics as the course is taught at UoS is a combination of Economics classes/courses with the College of Arts and Science, and Commerce classes with the College of Commerce. Essentially, students would study pure economics from micro/macroEconomics, mathematical economics and statistical analysis for economics, etc., to Organization Behaviors, Production Management, Managerial Accounting, Marketing, etc. However, such dedicated subject as "Business Economics" has never been in the syllabus.

The book itself was already enticing me to pick it up and so i did; checked it out of the library. The questions of "What IS Business Economics? How come I have never come across this book or knew the existence of Business Economics?" kept pounding in my mind just before I flipped its cover.

Flipped to the "Introduction" page and read through thoroughly only to find interesting facts. Vague memories of general economics theories and familiar names mentioned began to make more sense as I continued reading until I hit a subtitle: What is Business Economics and its scope. This is what Maria Moschandreas, the author, has to say about what I did not know:

"This book attempts to synthesize tradional and modern contributions to the theory of the firm in a way that is comprehensible to undergraduate students. The outcome of this synthesis is a part of economic knowledge which can address questions of immediate interest to business enterprises.
Business economics can therefore be defined as that part of economic theory which focuses on business enterprises and inquires into the factors contributing to the diversity of organizational structures and to the relationships of firms with labor, capital, and product markets.

Business economics is, therefore, concerned with problems related with business organization, management and strategy. Its enquiry includes issues such as the following:

An exploration of the reasons why firms emerge;

What contributes to their vertical, horizontal and spacial expansion;

The role and function of entrepreneurship; the significance of organizational structure;

The relationship of the firm with its employess, the providers of capital and its consumers, and;

The interaction between firms and the industrial environment."

Hello? Did you manage to read up to the last line? Wake up!! I understood what it says there although we do not have Moschandreas' textbook. We have covered most of the items by taking various classes in both Colleges mentioned above. Frankly speaking, I dare to believe that not even my classmates knew about that.

To make my life and YOUR life easier, we shall try to rephrase the couple of paragraphs above into easy-to-understand English:
"Business Economics is concerned with the nature, scope and functioning of business enterprises. The apporach it adopts comprises a synthesis of tradional and modern economic concepts and analysis tools to build a coherent analytical framework capable of dealing with questions of direct relevance to business. It also uses real worl examples and is enriched with material drawn from a variety of international sources, covering cases ranging from the small firm to the international corporation." As quoted from the sypnosis, at the back of the book.

There! how's that?

It is, however, an irony to me, that somebody knew so much better about the bachelor's degree I got over 4 years of university. At the same time, I feel like I know more about [theoritical] economics and commercial issues. I suppose I can do a 'one plus one = two' thingy.

Flipping through the pages recalls fond memories of me at the Main Library of UoS struggling through assignments, dissertations, and projects. The textbook is furnished with illustrations, graphs, tabulated data, flow charts...etc., but my law textbook is as boring as dead people can get. haha! I had to draw little cartoons on the margins to illustrate each cases.

That's all my bored mind has to say. later.

k9 1314

k9 1314 means "Canine 一生一世" and in plain English 'Dogs for life.'

No, I was NOT bitten nor gnawed at by that cute biggie beast that startled me. I'm fine.

出来了！没什么重要！ 受得了！ I can take it! No problem! It was just a temporary shock. Not even Whisky has barked at me like what the Alsatian did.

I love dogs. they're such lovely creatures ever made! What about cats? mmm... i'm a bit sketchy on that one but i'd love to have a cat only if i have a dog. they will show me what it's meant by harmony at home.
So, k9 1314!!

Cheers!!

k9phobes

Never have I thought i'd be attacked by a dog that's bigger than my dog, Whisky who's medium build in size.

Yesterday, in a restaurant the server came out of his kitchen to hand over my food when his huge brown with black patches Alsatian suddenly came out of the kitchen and started barking and went up on me. I almost tripped and fell. Had I fell, I'd have been gnawed at. The beast had his jaws almost up to my chin; its paws were on my right thigh and my stomach. A very frigthening experience!!

I walked out thinking, "woah!! that was something! what a huge cute dog! my favorite!" I was terrified as I was startled by it, but otherwise, I'd have pat on its head... and probably give him some of the rotten chips I just received from the cook.

The big Issue

The security guard whom I spoke to last night told me stuffs about life in the city. There are people begging on the streets, the homeless, and addicts, and the likes. He advised not to tip any beggars as 9 out of 10 are addicts, and in doing so we're financing their drug habits and that's no good. There are another group of people who are homeless but 'working' to sell a magazine called "The Big Issue" (TBI) for £1. Generally, 7-8 out of 10 people on the streets would ignore these TBI people. But for very £1 given in exchange for the magazine, 20p goes to them and the remaining goes to the charity for homeless people.

Today, in fact, tonight, as I walked home from Arcadia bar after meeting the Walking Club (signed up for Snowdonia trip on the first weekend of November for £30) a young boy limping towards me and asked if I could spare him some spare changes. He's not doing TBI and I thought I'd be risking as he might be an addict or a gypsy. He asked for food.

By the way, he looks like he's in young teens and has bruises on the right side of his forehead. His nose looked swallon. All he was wearing is a cotton sweater with hood over a t-shirt.

I walked away saying that I was looking for somebody and that i'll be right back. I needed some time to think about it. It's really a pity to see this boy. Having decided to buy him a meal (there is a KFC nearby) for around £3.69, I went up to him and told him that I'd buy him food instead. He just sat there and in a pitiful voice told me that he rather have £3 so he can go to the [homeless] hostel [by bus]. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he begins to worry there's no place to sleep for the night and it was cold. I can see him shiver. Then he said,

"What's the point? If you treat me a meal, I'll be back here on this spot 5 mins later. I've got to get to the hostel"

I gave him £1. There was another person there who gave the boy his loose change. It's still insufficient for the poor boy. He thanked us, and turned his back to us and limped away.

The next time I'm in downtown, I think I'll purchase TBI for £1 for charity purposes. It's really heart-breaking to see them being ignored by vast majority of people.

Thank God this place doesn't get as cold as Saskatoon (57 degrees celsius below zero!! on January 30, 2004)

Mesmerising peck

I was at the Kirkstall bar.
I was kissed by my classmate, an English girl. Our hands were held together, supposedly to be a handshake, and were saying see-you-later dialogues.

It was 23:10 then. Right after, I turned around and walked away from her already feeling the best traumatic mix feelings of happiness and embarrassment, well, more like blushing. That's the first kiss right there! She's sweet! scho schweeet!

For the next half hour there was nohting on my mind except mesmerising that kiss. The sound she made the she planted her lips on my left cheek. The feel of her lipstick on my cheek after. The way she looked at me when I can see her face again. drove me crazy for a bit... I just had to talk to somebody.

Unfortunately, I picked the security gruad, a very nice chap, as my victim for a conversation about life in Leeds... just to soften the afterscock effects resulted from the kiss. Now that I'm writing about it, I couldn't help thinking about it.

I'm going to bed. I'm going to have a very, very goooooooood sound sleep!

...later guys!

Another quite self-explanatory pic. 

Another quite self-explanatory pic. 

I could down in a cow...

On Saturday, we went shopping for a bit from morning till late afternoon. We were at the market and went to this butcher where my friends bought some seasoned chinese chicken and I was tempted to get something from there as well.

"16oz of T-bone steak, please"

The butcher unhung the meat and lay it on the table. He estimated how much he should cut for 16oz then saw right in.

"that's £7.50, please! It's a little over 16oz though."
"Really? It's not 16oz? what does it weigh?"
"18oz"
"But I asked for 16oz"
"It's hard to estimate from cutting up a fresh meat like that...", that's the best I could remember what he was trying to explain to me.
"OK. But that's too much for me..."
"Tell, you what. give me six quits and I'll give you this."

Hmm... he's giving me a discount of £1.50. Not bad. hehe
"Aight! I'll take it", after thinking about it for a minute.

The last time I had such a huge steak was with the Malaysian people back in Saskatoon at The Keg. It was super! Michelle had a 10oz New York and I had the keg size 16oz New York. The rest of them, Ee Lynn, Erlina, Ivy, Wayman, and Vincent had something else.

After the meal, my tummy bulges out and it was so obvious that I just had to be teased by Eelynn.

So, coming back to Leeds, there I was just staring at the huge piece of steak in my kitchen wondering how I should prepare it. It's steak night for me on Saturday damm right; and the thought of it is already making me hungry. Here's what I did.

Brushed some extra virgin olive oil on both sides of the steak and sprinkled some black peppers and chinese peppers on it with 8 cloves (to be removed later). Let it sit for an hour or two.

It's not that difficult to make a steak really as I recall the day when we had our last steak with Charmei and Benson (and I, when I had so much less hair). I need to make the sauce for it and I used white wine as much as a can of Coca-Cola. In in added 2 teaspoon of chicken stock and sugar. Set aside.

Next, minced up a shallot (2 if you would, mine was a huge one) and stir-fry until brown with butter. Gawd, smells heavenly already! Okay, poured in the wine mixture and let it simmer for another 3-5 minutes until it looks thick. Alcohol evaporates but leaves its aroma behind so don't worry because you're not going to be making soup.

When it looks just right, set it out and set it aside to allow it to cool down, but not in the fridge.

Back to the piece of meat. Make sure your frying pan is smoking hot. Slide the steak down and press its surfaces just to make sure all sides are evenly cooked. I like medium-rare for all my steaks so I have to watch out NOT to over cook it. For those of you who likes it well-done, it's really a cinch.

Dished it out with 3 brocolli's, 3 cauliflowers, 5 english sprouts, 1 baked potato, and 1 sweet corn. That's a REAL meal!

I'll put up the picture of it when it's ready.

After the meal, hehe, i looked at my tummy... and remembered being teased by Eelynn. It's too much. I have shared the 18oz of meat with Bjorn, from Norway who is our roommate.

I treated myself to a movie in which I have just borrowed from a friend. It's called "The Emperor and The Assassin (荆柯刺秦王)". Anyone who wants to know the history of China or what the Terra-Cotta warriors are all about in Xian (西安), this is the movie to watch! It's 3 hours long but every minute of it is worthwhile!

"荆柯" (Jingke) is the Assassin's name
"刺" (ci) means 'to kill' as in assassinate.
"秦王" (qin wang) means the Qin's King or the Emperor during Qin Dynasty when China was unified for the first time.

Sunday, Oct 17.
Nothing much happened today. Just stay home and did some reading.


Later...

Quite self-explanatory 

Quite self-explanatory 

Reflection...

今生绝不会回顾
努力学法律 成功
先是首目标 应该
放下原来的她要不
烦恼心疼不少

我想过得开心点儿
郑静芳，我不会在沪而最你的心了。
我们的蜜日子已经有这儿的结果。
算了。

Everytime I bring myself to belief in us
Even though I realize how foolish of me
to still think I exist in your cold heart
but your have been warm throughout the year

我是爱你。我是真的有爱过你。It's my belief till today
But silly enough of me not to realize 我爱的人不爱我
My mother always say to me 放气吧！外面还有大把少女孩儿等着你选！
It's true. 可是，当时我方不了她。我知道了！知道该怎么做了。
It's not too late.
It's just too foolish.

傻子！ That means, silly!

Grow up and stop kidding naivëly. 她已经不在乎了!
却定了！！从今起绝不会回头看可是我没有后悔爱过你！！

danny a.k.a. 丹尼

Like snakes

...they shed their skins every once in a while. I have consulted the physicians and they have not been very helpful. Both my palms are sheding dead skins. Before I thought it was Tinea Manum but to be honest, I have no idea what it is. The "hard" and "soft" water in the UK could be the root of my problems but otherwise the dry weather?

I'm still curious as to why it lasted till today. Vaseline would help and I have been using the product since last week. No sign of improvement. What's going on? I don't know. Should I waste time consulting doctors? I'm confused...

Maybe I should just leave it as it's not giving me any complications. They's just not a pretty sight... err, gives anybody an eerie feeling when looked upon?

New Technology is here (News)

With oil prices crossing the $50 dollar a barrel threshold and oil pundits predicting
a price of $100 per barrel by 2010, it is no wonder that Bharat Petroleum, India's second largest Petroleum Company (sales of $10-Billion annually) is embracing the hydrogen economy by testing Palcan's rare earth metal hydride hydrogen storage canisters on two and three wheel vehicles.

Huge companies like Ford, Daimler-Chrysler and Honda have delivered fuel cell powered vehicles to the US marketplace, a demonstration that fuel cell power is not just a thing of the future — it is here now, today!

A commitment made recently by the Canadian Government to advance fuel cell commercialization using the proceeds from the privatization of its state-owned Oil Company.

Palcan has a partnership with the well respected, 170-year old trading house Nagase of Japan (sales of $4-Billion annually), to sell Palcan's products to the Japanese market.

Research Institutions such as the University of Victoria, which is utilizing Palcan's 1.5 Kw fuel cell powered scooter, are assisting Palcan's commercialization efforts for low output and closed circuit vehicles through rigorous simulation testing regimes that validate durability.

Palcan Power Systems Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems under 5 kilowatts and rare earth metal hydride hydrogen storage products.
The Company's proprietary and patent pending technologies form the core of the PalPac™ Power Products Suite.

Palcan's 500 Watt integrated fuel cell power module is aimed directly at low output applications where batteries and smaller internal combustion engines (ICE) are the power source. These include stationary, marine, military and portable power applications. The Company's manufacturing, research and development facilities are located in Burnaby, British Columbia and Jiaxing, China.

The Company trades on Canada's TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "PC".

The peculiarity of Malaysians

I often ask myself,

"Is it me? It is just me?? Or is it them?"

What does that suppose to mean? Who is them? What am I talking about?

I have been around and lived outside the borders of my home country, Malaysia, and personally I do find Malaysians at home quite nice generally. But the degrees of truth in that seems to decline as I begin to meet more Malaysians who are in the same boat as me -- living abroad.

There was an international night event just last night and I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it with people from all over the world. It was truely a blessing to have got to know somebody (a lass) from Uzbekistan, which is a very rare opportunity. Just a quick and short description of her, she looks very Chinese sporting a well-defined black pairs of brows, not too high nor shallow nose bridge (like those of Northern Chinese and Japanese), and she's got eyes to die for... a pair of hazel brown eyes the shape of those of Iranians or Turkish, or Arabic women -- large and arched like a strong bow yet sexy. Sexiness of the eyes is a very pathetic way of describing such wonderful endowment and I regret to admit that I'm just poor at words.

Got carried away for a moment there, eh? Japanese, Chinese nationales were at large, Indians, Britishs, French, Bahrains, Spanishs, Greeks, Cyprus, Thais, Hollanders, and Americans were the peole I've met there. I was told there was a Malaysian guy in the crowd and I got interested so I sought out for the person. Later, I found out this Malaysian guy. Spoke to him introduced myself and immediately I can sense he wasn't really interested in getting to know me, who is from the same country as he is. Blaming me for over thoughts and being unreasonable, but I do know what's going on based on the number of people I've seen. I think there IS a problem between the Malaysians [Chinese] everywhere. It's hard to see what exactly it is.

Take a step back and look at other nationalities i.e. the Chinese, who have been very popular to stick among themselves as all of them have that instinct to look out for each other and get things done together. I can see their bondings for each other even when we're talking about meeting one as stranger. Another nationality, the Spanish people, they are very closely knitted not only in their language and culture, but also in friendship even if s/he is a stranger initially.

Well, the thing is everybody was once a stranger. The difference is that they all have the initiative to get to know and/or seek out their kind and really get to know each other. But among the Malaysians, I regret to discover these lackings or inadequacies. Is it the language that we speak? During Saskatoon days, I noticed an ongoing trend that only the Cantonese speaking Malaysians stick to themselves, the English speaking Malaysians in another group, and the Mandarin speaking Malaysians are usually found to be with the Cantonese tongues or vice-versa. Therefore, there is essentially 2-3 groups of Malaysians hanging out independently. Am I observing the very similar social illness over here in Leeds?

He wasn't very polite. I'm not saying that I was genuinely polite and stainless as silver wares but I have noticed the predisposition from the norm. We were in the middle of a conversation (getting to know him) and he said he'll be right back and he dashed out the exit door and never came back. Maybe his ride was here? Maybe he found me boring? Maybe he just don't want to talk to another Malaysian? Maybe... everything!!? I don't know.

If I were to get £1 for assuming that there is some kind of subtle problems in getting to know another fellow Malaysian is not false or that the oversea Malaysians are not very much interested in bonding with another country-mate (comrade?), I would be disproportionately rich by now. I have to base on my observed samples over the past years including the period I have been living here in Leeds to have arrived at such conclusion. Peculiar I find!

Where is the bond?
Where is the love?

I see another Malaysian I would love to get to know. I did not meet up with an alien from another planet, and even so, I would love to get to know that alien. But Malaysian with another Malaysian? It's like scratching your fingernails on the blackboard... that ear-twitching defiling sound that annoys you to your very soul. When you see a Chinese-Chinese, they're like the opposite poles of magnets attracting to each other. Smooth.

Or could this whole peculiar phenomena boils down to me? Am I that ugly? Am I that boring? Am I too offensive? As far as I think, getting to know another person one would never exchange sarcasms nor offensive statements in a dialogue... provided you are a socially accepted normal person. I am one, I think! So, what's wrong? Do I just happen to meet with the wrong kind of [chinese] Malaysians all the time?

Personally, I find it rather pathetic to see the way Malaysians treating another Malaysian. Over the years, I have come to believe that I will never seek out another Malaysian as a companion because of my past observations. I couldn't be bothered by them.

"Join the Malaysian Association!! It's good"

I'm like why should I? I don't want to join the association just to realize that there IS a division of tongues and each of these division don't really mingle with each other. There exist such segregation! This is so true in Saskatoon. It's an ugly sight and I don't want to know that it exists here in Leeds as well by joining the association. It's really sad

Am I discriminating my fellow countrymates then? Even if I am, the discriminating has already exists and wouldn't make any difference to me if I'm discriminating them discreetly, & not as blatantly as them. Who's to blame? Again, where's the bond like that of the Chinese nationales, Spanish, etc. ? Where is the unity?

There are, however, a few nice people out there and they are usually the mature ones. They are hard to find among the hoardes of unloving, unbonding, and disunified [Chinese] Malaysians.

I have a confession to make. When I heard that there will be ethnic Malays going to Leeds with us, I was actually very glad and appreciated that opportunity. Then I began to question my preferences towards the Chinese Malaysian, which I have begin to dislike over the years. Really. If you can understand my haphazard thoughts, you are truely blessed with a mind of intelligence. If you don't, maybe you're as confused as my unorganized mind thinking of all these to write up. So, we're even.

Apart from all those above, NOT being in Malaysia (as in the whole or partly) is what I LOVE most! To be in a really multicultured and ethnic society (Chinese Malaysians not included)is truely an amazing experience.

That's not that. I have lots more to write but I think enough is enough. Cheers!

Screen capture: Leeds Metropolitan University's Student Portal v. University of Saskatchewan's Student Portal (PAWS for Personal Access Web Services). Compare and contrast to find out that the system each institution is using is identical. 

Screen capture: University of Saskatchewan's Student Portal (PAWS for Personal Access Web Services) v. Leeds Metropolitan University's Student Portal. Compare and contrast to find out that the system each institution is using is identical. 

Shot by: me -- Alexandria looking vibrantly confident. We were in the bridge connecting the Biology building and the Agriculture building. All of her shots are in color and shot using Fuji Sensia 100F, slide film in case you didn't know. 

Shot by: me -- "She was enchanted to the point of tears" is supposedly to be the title of this photo. It's the best one I can think of. Lovely, isn't it? I mean her... she's well-endowed, imho. 

Shot by: me -- Illford FP4 ISO 100. Used available lightings with no flash. Classroom settings at the University of Saskatchewan, opposite Arts 109. Comments are welcomed. 

月亮代表我的心 -- The moon symbolizes my heart

This is a classic chinese song, which my mom as well as me loved to listen to. The lyrics of this beautiful melody are as follows,

你问我爱你有多深，
我爱你有几分？
我的情也真，
我的爱也真，
月亮代表我的心。

你问我爱你有多深，
我爱你有几分？
我的情不移，
我的爱不变，
月亮代表我的心。

轻轻的一个吻，
已经打动我的心，
深深的一段情，
教我思念到如今。
你问我爱你有多深，
我爱你有几分？
你去想一想，
你去看一看，
月亮代表我的心。


Unfortunately for those of you who cannot read and understand Chinese (I'm not claiming that I do perfectly but subconsciously I know I'm better than most of you), I apologize. I'll help you by translating most of it in due time. So, look back in here from time to time and check out for updates.

To add on, this song has moved me once back in 2001 where I celebrated my first white Christmas in Christopher Lake, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. With us was the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship camp that invited most international students to join with them a camp that ran from 23rd to the 28th of December. A couple of Chinese nationals sang this beautiful song acapella and it almost sounded like a Christmas carol -- that of Silent Night -- to be frank. There was so much love to be felt when we all heard of this song on the eve of Christmas; not only the love of Christ and the immediate joyful ambience in conjuction with the birth of Christ but also the love that emanates from sweet voices of these two young ladies who sang the song like it was meant to be. The song enwraped us with full of warmth and comfort while the rest of us listened attentively while the fire woods in the chimney made some crackling sounds to add to the beat (I guess).

That night I don't quite remember if we had fullmoon but I do know we went outside in the minus 15's for a bondfire and BBQ marshmallows. The song will always and faithfully stay in my heart just as the moon faithfully shows itself fully every 29.53 days.

Generally, the song sings to express the depths of ones love can be seen or understood by the depth (as in distance) of the moon to earth as well as its bewitching aura it emits so mysterious yet so hypnotic. *fumbled at words! just wait for the direct translation.*

If anyone of you out there is willing to help out with the direct translation, please do not hessitate to do so by clicking on the "comment" link right at the below this posting.

Click here to watch and listen to the song. I've filtered through many and found this to be the best before I got too lazy again. hehe. Enjoy.

Thank you and later!

Shot by: Me -- xoxoxox, with love. Love this shot! Kudos! 

Shot by: Me -- Classroom. One of my favorite theme and shot. More emphasis was focused on available lightings and manipulation of shadows. Another kudos to Claudia! 

Shot by: Me -- B&W films. I know I would not have her permission to post this up because this is like a funny picture. She's not like this all the time, but she's a real nice cute lass who is always cheerful and uhh... well, like that. Ahem! My fault. But the next black and white picture would be a nice one... one that she wouldn't approve as well. hehe! 

Shot by: me -- The success my photo-shootings largely depends on my subjects, in which case is Claudia. This is one of the best shots I managed to get out of her and by far is the most successful one; hopefully I don't sound as though I'm bragging here. Kudos to her!
The records of these shots (more to come) can be found here. 

Shot by: me -- Grrrrrrrr!!