Susana, Je Young, and Saki left yesterday.
This week has proven itself to be the saddest week of the year! Sus said she hated to be the last person in her house to leave ... and see -- now I'm the very last of the last! If you're the first one to leave, you leave saying goodbye to all the people at one time. But for me, the feeling of aloneless is only mounting and penetrating my heart as I see people moving out and leaving for their home countries. Yea, it's building up quietly, but it's not that bad after all. I can take time to accept it as the way it is. What's more, meeting my friends is definietly one of my best experience here. This gives me reason to go to their places to visit or come back. I can't believe now my list of next-travel-destination is growing. So we'll meet- for sure!
Life goes on. :-)
Oh well, in two days I'll be moving out to Satoko's place. Looking at my messy room, I now doubt if I can finish packing. It reminds me of the night before my departure from Hong Kong- while my mom was trying to help me find my jacket, my dad was faxing the closet that I broke when I opened it... and me- I was carrying the phone, doing the talking with freinds as I ran all over my house to look for the mp3 player(It turned out to be in the bag where I put my laptop). Or if not, I was checking my suitcases to ensure my parents didn't put useless stuff like the kind of thick jacket which I would rather go naked than wearing it... I was yelling, feeling confused, a little pissed off ... Ha- it was killing me.
Ugh. I have to buy travel insurance, confirm the date of flight with Air Canada, ship some of my stuff back, settle the money matters with my mom, meet a few more friends, have some more farewell meals, and get ready for my trip in the summer! I hope I won't run out of time... so much to do...
Shouldn't be blogging ... Alas, there're still some Spanish films I wanna see! I saw "All about my mother" yesterday... it's a really good movie... have some thoughts about it... wanna talk about it... maybe later... get moving, Carlotta... start packing...okay okay, I'll be back soon.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
So two of my friends are gone.
They left here in the morning so as to catch the plane at one.
Went to see them before they headed to the airport. It didn't feel real to have two of my closest friends leaving. Talking with them, I found myself trying to squeeze out whatever came thru my mind to avoid "topic depletion." Frankly, I didn't know what to do or what to say. Content of the conversation concerns me not, but it's the extra time spending with them that I value.
The hardest thing was to hug them goodbye. Hugging is mostly natural for us as we always hug when seeing each other. But it just feels weird to have a goodbye hug today. I quickly gave them hugs, turned on my back, took out my keys, and headed to the residence entrance. I insisted not turning back my head 'cause I didn't even want them to see me. I knew it- I knew I couldn't hold on my calmness. Not long after I gave them hugs, I went back to the residence with Je Young. Eyes welled up.
I used to wonder why such intimate action as hugging does not allow the two people to see each other. I now have a clue.
However affectionate the two people can feel when hugging, they can never see each other's face. It's the only way that friends feel and enjoy the moment of intimacy without sharing the depths of hearts.
It is this tension of closeness and distance where the mystery lies.
Perhaps this act of hugging is meant to be the best way to say farewell with friends.
They left here in the morning so as to catch the plane at one.
Went to see them before they headed to the airport. It didn't feel real to have two of my closest friends leaving. Talking with them, I found myself trying to squeeze out whatever came thru my mind to avoid "topic depletion." Frankly, I didn't know what to do or what to say. Content of the conversation concerns me not, but it's the extra time spending with them that I value.
The hardest thing was to hug them goodbye. Hugging is mostly natural for us as we always hug when seeing each other. But it just feels weird to have a goodbye hug today. I quickly gave them hugs, turned on my back, took out my keys, and headed to the residence entrance. I insisted not turning back my head 'cause I didn't even want them to see me. I knew it- I knew I couldn't hold on my calmness. Not long after I gave them hugs, I went back to the residence with Je Young. Eyes welled up.
I used to wonder why such intimate action as hugging does not allow the two people to see each other. I now have a clue.
However affectionate the two people can feel when hugging, they can never see each other's face. It's the only way that friends feel and enjoy the moment of intimacy without sharing the depths of hearts.
It is this tension of closeness and distance where the mystery lies.
Perhaps this act of hugging is meant to be the best way to say farewell with friends.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Two big meals today- clumsier body and lighter wallet.
But they were very good. We had reali nice chat for the first meal and some of my friends had the Goodbye Burger- Ha ! That's the theme of the day! The second meal was fixed by Kevina and me. Our first time. :-P I'm glad that things went well and they were all satisfied with the food. Hehe... looks like I should cook more often. Anybody wanna taste my food~~ It takes a great deal of courage to taste the food of somebody who cooks for the first time(i mean for a decent dinner).
As I'm writing this, I'm actually about to go (again!). I'm gonna stay over at my friend's place 'cause some of them are leaving tomorrow. :-(
Two more goodbye meals before I go... prepare my stomach and watch out my wallet!
But they were very good. We had reali nice chat for the first meal and some of my friends had the Goodbye Burger- Ha ! That's the theme of the day! The second meal was fixed by Kevina and me. Our first time. :-P I'm glad that things went well and they were all satisfied with the food. Hehe... looks like I should cook more often. Anybody wanna taste my food~~ It takes a great deal of courage to taste the food of somebody who cooks for the first time(i mean for a decent dinner).
As I'm writing this, I'm actually about to go (again!). I'm gonna stay over at my friend's place 'cause some of them are leaving tomorrow. :-(
Two more goodbye meals before I go... prepare my stomach and watch out my wallet!
Friday, April 22, 2005
Feel like a big fish in a pond? You're not alone!
How much will you believe when a wonderful person tells you all the hilarious stories about his/her life? Is it possible that it’s simply a version of truth of that person’s another life in his/her own fantasy?
Not long before I wrote an entry about a young lady who tirelessly portrays herself as glamorous and charming as she could. Here I have to make myself clear; I had NO intention to devalue her. I do believe there IS some truth in what she said. It’s hard to make up stories without any real-life experience, or simply out of imagination.
Like everybody else in Big Fish, I was always one of those people, including the son, who like gathering around her bed and listened intently to her stories. There’s no denying that her stories are full of adventures, fantasies, and memories. But there was a point at which those stories stop working as entertainment and segue to disguise or pretense. As someone who has known the same jokes more than once, it’s best to avoid the joke-teller(storyteller) who earnestly recycles her memories, just as the son does to his dad in the film.
Many times as I grow tired of the lady’s stories and just once would like to hear the truth and how she feels, I was annoyed by her insistence in telling those fake stories. Hypocrisy! I thought at first. Yet it turned out that she is amused to indulge herself in her self-created version of world.
But isn’t it true that we often have our own version of “truth” when we tell our own stories? How many times do we prefer to tell the more exciting versions than the deadly dull but plainly real ones? It simply feels good to have some sparks in those stories- life suddenly becomes elevated! Lies, assertions, swallows to one's pride, denials, addiction to fantasies ... whatever you perceive it! We depend on legends of our lives to give them meaning. Perhaps- sometimes we have been telling those stories not only to others but to ourselves. There is some truth here.
The lady, as I conclude, is only a manifestation of this mentality.
Big Fish(2003)
*****
To: Christina
I’m not sure if you’ve been following my blog. Still - wanted to thank you for your long email (just in case you read it in silence and dismiss quietly… hehe…). It was just a couple of months ago but it feels much longer than that. And you bet- I have never talked that much again! So much has been going on since I left you and I have so much to tell you. I think I’m gonna reply you with a HUGE email very soon. Love you!
P.S. I’ll definitely be mad at you if you wait till expire date of the phone card to call and tell me about your already-2-year-old little Chris! ;-)
*****
This is weird. I thought I would feel sad as everybody was leaving in the next week. It turned out that I’m accepting it as the way it is – at least in the meantime. Or is it just that the feeling has yet to become afloat? It’s hard to imagine how it feels like to have my emotional outburst when the time to go has come. Oh man I’m always pathetic to my own feelings (Think about my apathy at the airport when I left ... ). I used to think it was to retain my composure and rationality when everybody’s gone far too emotional. But now I find it means more than that. I know it’s nothing shameful to be honest to your own feelings. Yet I insist a balance of emotion and rationality is vital when one moves from one life-stage to the next. It's the emotion that keeps the moment real and it's the rationality that enables you to reflect on what it means to you.
As clichéd as it may seem - c’est la vie!
(which i find SO true!)
How much will you believe when a wonderful person tells you all the hilarious stories about his/her life? Is it possible that it’s simply a version of truth of that person’s another life in his/her own fantasy?
Not long before I wrote an entry about a young lady who tirelessly portrays herself as glamorous and charming as she could. Here I have to make myself clear; I had NO intention to devalue her. I do believe there IS some truth in what she said. It’s hard to make up stories without any real-life experience, or simply out of imagination.
Like everybody else in Big Fish, I was always one of those people, including the son, who like gathering around her bed and listened intently to her stories. There’s no denying that her stories are full of adventures, fantasies, and memories. But there was a point at which those stories stop working as entertainment and segue to disguise or pretense. As someone who has known the same jokes more than once, it’s best to avoid the joke-teller(storyteller) who earnestly recycles her memories, just as the son does to his dad in the film.
Many times as I grow tired of the lady’s stories and just once would like to hear the truth and how she feels, I was annoyed by her insistence in telling those fake stories. Hypocrisy! I thought at first. Yet it turned out that she is amused to indulge herself in her self-created version of world.
But isn’t it true that we often have our own version of “truth” when we tell our own stories? How many times do we prefer to tell the more exciting versions than the deadly dull but plainly real ones? It simply feels good to have some sparks in those stories- life suddenly becomes elevated! Lies, assertions, swallows to one's pride, denials, addiction to fantasies ... whatever you perceive it! We depend on legends of our lives to give them meaning. Perhaps- sometimes we have been telling those stories not only to others but to ourselves. There is some truth here.
The lady, as I conclude, is only a manifestation of this mentality.
Big Fish(2003)
*****
To: Christina
I’m not sure if you’ve been following my blog. Still - wanted to thank you for your long email (just in case you read it in silence and dismiss quietly… hehe…). It was just a couple of months ago but it feels much longer than that. And you bet- I have never talked that much again! So much has been going on since I left you and I have so much to tell you. I think I’m gonna reply you with a HUGE email very soon. Love you!
P.S. I’ll definitely be mad at you if you wait till expire date of the phone card to call and tell me about your already-2-year-old little Chris! ;-)
*****
This is weird. I thought I would feel sad as everybody was leaving in the next week. It turned out that I’m accepting it as the way it is – at least in the meantime. Or is it just that the feeling has yet to become afloat? It’s hard to imagine how it feels like to have my emotional outburst when the time to go has come. Oh man I’m always pathetic to my own feelings (Think about my apathy at the airport when I left ... ). I used to think it was to retain my composure and rationality when everybody’s gone far too emotional. But now I find it means more than that. I know it’s nothing shameful to be honest to your own feelings. Yet I insist a balance of emotion and rationality is vital when one moves from one life-stage to the next. It's the emotion that keeps the moment real and it's the rationality that enables you to reflect on what it means to you.
As clichéd as it may seem - c’est la vie!
(which i find SO true!)
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Last but hardly the least of today
Hey, just wanted to let everybody knows that I've just found out a Cantonese podcast program! It is by far the first Cantonese podcast I've come across. Enjoy!
香港人民廣播電台節目：風蕭蕭 podcast
http://feeds.feedburner.com/shiushiu
Hey, just wanted to let everybody knows that I've just found out a Cantonese podcast program! It is by far the first Cantonese podcast I've come across. Enjoy!
香港人民廣播電台節目：風蕭蕭 podcast
http://feeds.feedburner.com/shiushiu
Shall I compare thee to ...
I hope I don’t sound like a bitch who talks behind somebody’s back. But even if I do, I think I’ve been keeping my mouth shut to others for long and have been trying to laugh it off as best as I could.
This lady who I met at the beginning of school year pissed me off. Congratulations to her – she’s the first person who I’ve ever referred as “bitch.” Probably the last one as well. Lack of common sense and life experience of a person doesn’t bother me, for this is what I’m learning. Besides, I believe that we learn from each other as we travel down life’s pathway. What gets on my nerve, though, is this lady’s trying to portray herself in the best light possible—even when somebody retarded can tell her defense for her lies are totally clueless. There isn’t a lack of instances when she proved herself is nothing but a bitch.
What the f***ing hell are you talking about?
Going to Vancouver for skiing in November? Hello hello it’s on the west coast and west coast doesn’t snow as much as here in the east. What’s more- It hasn’t snowed yet!!! =.=”
I’m sorry-you’ve been to 3 provinces here in Canada? Ha- when were Montreal and Quebec City considered to be in 2 separate provinces??? Wow. Looks like the internal conflict of Quebec’s gonna cause the PM even more headache, after the growing segregation of Quebec from English Canada…
Hum… Quebec used to be a colony of France… that’s why Quebecois speak French…
Oh thanks—now I know the ice cappuccino of Starbucks is good and is your favorite.
Oh yea? You’ve seen so many films! So what do you think about it? (Then she starts talking shit!)
…
The list goes on and on.
Yup, she’s clueless. I dare to say nobody on earth I’ve ever met can be compared to this intelligent lady who tirelessly shares what she knows about chocolate, cheese, wine, paintings, movies, coffee and blah blah blah. She’s definitely generous in sharing her hilarious stories
with numerous guys and showing her dedication in high fashion. What is she trying to say—is how much I’m fortunate to get to know this wonderful lady once in a lifetime!
However glamorous she portrays herself to be, it sucks when you come to have conversation with her. The expertise she claims to be in would soon turn to be mere trivial knowledge without substance. Asking what she thinks about the film or any subject that she's just talked about, she’s always talking crap. No independent thinking but always trying to be a person she thinks other people would want her to be. Oh yea, you’re the dancing queen! No other girls than you can catch more eyeballs of guys. :-/ Even when she was declined by her friends few days before they set off for a trip, she still had no clue what happened. Oh, come on—activate your brain, for heaven’s sake!!! Didn’t you know they HATE you? They told me that they would turn you down long before you realized there was sth wrong. It’s just that you’re stupid!
Well, everything’s approaching to an end. I know I should go on keeping my mouth shut. But after reading her blog, I realized she didn’t learn any lessons. NOT AT ALL! She seems to have an endless list of graceful reasons to excuse herself from this and that—anything that she knows she doesn’t know. The paralyzing fear of being inferior within her must have blinded her from admitting her weaknesses. Wrongly thinks that she lives in a wonderful world surrounded by wonderful people, she feels amused and satisfied by the artificiality and temporary glamour she tries to put on. Perhaps she’s so dumb that she doesn’t even feel the emptiness and loneliness. Perhaps … Sigh! I don’t know. She deserves NO sympathy!!!!
I'm sorry if I sound like a bitch or lose any composure I'm supposed to have. I apologize if you're disturbed by the coarse language I used. This entry doesn't mean to offend anyone and I don't claim to have any right to judge anyone. I just can't keep my feelings repressed and have no way to express this after such a long time, esp after seeing her blog just now. Now I've decided that this deadly stupid f***ing bitch should be forever forgotten. Not in my life anymore!
I'll laugh it off and treat it as a funny story to tell. Life is too short to get pissed off all the time.
I hope I don’t sound like a bitch who talks behind somebody’s back. But even if I do, I think I’ve been keeping my mouth shut to others for long and have been trying to laugh it off as best as I could.
This lady who I met at the beginning of school year pissed me off. Congratulations to her – she’s the first person who I’ve ever referred as “bitch.” Probably the last one as well. Lack of common sense and life experience of a person doesn’t bother me, for this is what I’m learning. Besides, I believe that we learn from each other as we travel down life’s pathway. What gets on my nerve, though, is this lady’s trying to portray herself in the best light possible—even when somebody retarded can tell her defense for her lies are totally clueless. There isn’t a lack of instances when she proved herself is nothing but a bitch.
What the f***ing hell are you talking about?
Going to Vancouver for skiing in November? Hello hello it’s on the west coast and west coast doesn’t snow as much as here in the east. What’s more- It hasn’t snowed yet!!! =.=”
I’m sorry-you’ve been to 3 provinces here in Canada? Ha- when were Montreal and Quebec City considered to be in 2 separate provinces??? Wow. Looks like the internal conflict of Quebec’s gonna cause the PM even more headache, after the growing segregation of Quebec from English Canada…
Hum… Quebec used to be a colony of France… that’s why Quebecois speak French…
Oh thanks—now I know the ice cappuccino of Starbucks is good and is your favorite.
Oh yea? You’ve seen so many films! So what do you think about it? (Then she starts talking shit!)
…
The list goes on and on.
Yup, she’s clueless. I dare to say nobody on earth I’ve ever met can be compared to this intelligent lady who tirelessly shares what she knows about chocolate, cheese, wine, paintings, movies, coffee and blah blah blah. She’s definitely generous in sharing her hilarious stories
with numerous guys and showing her dedication in high fashion. What is she trying to say—is how much I’m fortunate to get to know this wonderful lady once in a lifetime!
However glamorous she portrays herself to be, it sucks when you come to have conversation with her. The expertise she claims to be in would soon turn to be mere trivial knowledge without substance. Asking what she thinks about the film or any subject that she's just talked about, she’s always talking crap. No independent thinking but always trying to be a person she thinks other people would want her to be. Oh yea, you’re the dancing queen! No other girls than you can catch more eyeballs of guys. :-/ Even when she was declined by her friends few days before they set off for a trip, she still had no clue what happened. Oh, come on—activate your brain, for heaven’s sake!!! Didn’t you know they HATE you? They told me that they would turn you down long before you realized there was sth wrong. It’s just that you’re stupid!
Well, everything’s approaching to an end. I know I should go on keeping my mouth shut. But after reading her blog, I realized she didn’t learn any lessons. NOT AT ALL! She seems to have an endless list of graceful reasons to excuse herself from this and that—anything that she knows she doesn’t know. The paralyzing fear of being inferior within her must have blinded her from admitting her weaknesses. Wrongly thinks that she lives in a wonderful world surrounded by wonderful people, she feels amused and satisfied by the artificiality and temporary glamour she tries to put on. Perhaps she’s so dumb that she doesn’t even feel the emptiness and loneliness. Perhaps … Sigh! I don’t know. She deserves NO sympathy!!!!
I'm sorry if I sound like a bitch or lose any composure I'm supposed to have. I apologize if you're disturbed by the coarse language I used. This entry doesn't mean to offend anyone and I don't claim to have any right to judge anyone. I just can't keep my feelings repressed and have no way to express this after such a long time, esp after seeing her blog just now. Now I've decided that this deadly stupid f***ing bitch should be forever forgotten. Not in my life anymore!
I'll laugh it off and treat it as a funny story to tell. Life is too short to get pissed off all the time.
Few days ago I received a letter from school. Not knowing what it is all about and what I'm supposed to do with it, I went to the bank. It turned out to be a statement together with a check.
"A check?"
"Yes, that's how much the school giving you back. They didn't say why here. Maybe you can call and ask. But that's probably because they overcharged you and now give you back the money." said the lady, pointing at the "amount paid."
Wow~ why bother giving the office a call... I don't care...
I'm more concerned about having my money back.
So I went to ATM and had the money transfered to my account.
It feels good to have a few extra bucks in my bank account, esp when the wallet's getting lighter ... hehe ...
"A check?"
"Yes, that's how much the school giving you back. They didn't say why here. Maybe you can call and ask. But that's probably because they overcharged you and now give you back the money." said the lady, pointing at the "amount paid."
Wow~ why bother giving the office a call... I don't care...
I'm more concerned about having my money back.
So I went to ATM and had the money transfered to my account.
It feels good to have a few extra bucks in my bank account, esp when the wallet's getting lighter ... hehe ...
Ce matin
For many days this week, I just woke up much earlier than usual. This morning I got up at seven sth. Sipping my coffee, I’m reading newspaper and checking emails. We’ve basked in glorious weather and have been able to revel in shorts-sandals-and-patio temperatures for more than 2 weeks. No storms. Plenty of sunshine. Dry as bone. Gentle breezes. Cool nights which allowed comfortable sleeping. Two weeks ago, people were saying, “Spring has sprung.” Now it’s “Summer is here.” It hit 27C yesterday!!!
But alas- it can't last!
It’s currently 18C and it is expected to be no higher than 13C for the coming few days. It’ll be cloudy with showers and thunderstorms. Cool and damp. Well, why I’m saying it here is that many of us are winter-weary already and have become verrrrrrrry eager to push the seasons.
The cardinals have elected the new Pope. Didn’t follow the news very closely as I was out for a goodbye dinner with friends (This time we cooked and omg- ALL the food was just yummy!!!) last night. So I guess you'll find me bent over the newspapers and internet news with my cup of coffee for the rest of this morning.
After all, I'm news-addicted! ;-)
For many days this week, I just woke up much earlier than usual. This morning I got up at seven sth. Sipping my coffee, I’m reading newspaper and checking emails. We’ve basked in glorious weather and have been able to revel in shorts-sandals-and-patio temperatures for more than 2 weeks. No storms. Plenty of sunshine. Dry as bone. Gentle breezes. Cool nights which allowed comfortable sleeping. Two weeks ago, people were saying, “Spring has sprung.” Now it’s “Summer is here.” It hit 27C yesterday!!!
But alas- it can't last!
It’s currently 18C and it is expected to be no higher than 13C for the coming few days. It’ll be cloudy with showers and thunderstorms. Cool and damp. Well, why I’m saying it here is that many of us are winter-weary already and have become verrrrrrrry eager to push the seasons.
The cardinals have elected the new Pope. Didn’t follow the news very closely as I was out for a goodbye dinner with friends (This time we cooked and omg- ALL the food was just yummy!!!) last night. So I guess you'll find me bent over the newspapers and internet news with my cup of coffee for the rest of this morning.
After all, I'm news-addicted! ;-)
Monday, April 18, 2005
Best day trip ever!
I'm glad that I eventually made it to go to Niagara Falls again. I was there last year, but it wasn't a really pleasant experience - awful weather, limited time to shop around and everybody was freezing to death.
That was my worst trip ever!
This morning, Jeff picked us up at school and after an hour of bus, we arrived at Niagara Falls.Today- a mix of sun and cloud. Temp 22 degrees. Gentle wind. Nice weather! :-)
Passing through a mall, we went down a slope and headed to the ticket booth of the observation deck Skylon Tower. Being at the top of Skylon, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the Falls and its neighboring areas. It was my first time to see it in that way as I didn't have have time to go up the tower last time. Nothing can put my eyes off the view. I looked at the Falls in awe, wondering how many times must I see it before I get fed up with it - Maybe never!
Then we went further down and passed by Niagara Park. Standing at the bow, I could feel the mist lightly spray my face, which I thought bringing me a bit closer to the Falls. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is wide, and by far the most voluminous waterfall in North America. I could sense the vast power as I heard the cascading water rumbling. There's magic in it! The Maid of the Mist cruises didn't run today, so we couldn't have a ride on it. Or else I could have a real vis-à-vis experience with one of the natural wonders of the world like I did last time!
So we strolled along the sidewalk, took pictures, sometimes stopped for a while to just look long at the Falls. We went window-shopped before heading back to the bus stop. My feet hurt a bit after so much walking today. In the evening we had dinner at my favorite Korean restaurant at Finch. We chatted, joked around, laughed, and ate! Nice meal. Nice friends. Nice chat. A perfect day trip!
I appreciate much for Jeff's help. He IS like our mom today, picking us up, preparing food and drinks, and entertaining us all the time. It was so much fun. As we were free from the bondage of time, we had greater flexibility today. We took time to see, to feel, and to sense everything. My conclusion after so many trips is that it is totally AWFUL to join any types of package tour. I hate the idea of being deprived of my freedom to choose what to do in a trip. Words will not do justice to the experience I had in all those awesome trips I went by myself.
This is my best day trip ever!
A panoramic view from Skylon
I'm glad that I eventually made it to go to Niagara Falls again. I was there last year, but it wasn't a really pleasant experience - awful weather, limited time to shop around and everybody was freezing to death.
That was my worst trip ever!
This morning, Jeff picked us up at school and after an hour of bus, we arrived at Niagara Falls.Today- a mix of sun and cloud. Temp 22 degrees. Gentle wind. Nice weather! :-)
Passing through a mall, we went down a slope and headed to the ticket booth of the observation deck Skylon Tower. Being at the top of Skylon, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the Falls and its neighboring areas. It was my first time to see it in that way as I didn't have have time to go up the tower last time. Nothing can put my eyes off the view. I looked at the Falls in awe, wondering how many times must I see it before I get fed up with it - Maybe never!
Then we went further down and passed by Niagara Park. Standing at the bow, I could feel the mist lightly spray my face, which I thought bringing me a bit closer to the Falls. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is wide, and by far the most voluminous waterfall in North America. I could sense the vast power as I heard the cascading water rumbling. There's magic in it! The Maid of the Mist cruises didn't run today, so we couldn't have a ride on it. Or else I could have a real vis-à-vis experience with one of the natural wonders of the world like I did last time!
So we strolled along the sidewalk, took pictures, sometimes stopped for a while to just look long at the Falls. We went window-shopped before heading back to the bus stop. My feet hurt a bit after so much walking today. In the evening we had dinner at my favorite Korean restaurant at Finch. We chatted, joked around, laughed, and ate! Nice meal. Nice friends. Nice chat. A perfect day trip!
I appreciate much for Jeff's help. He IS like our mom today, picking us up, preparing food and drinks, and entertaining us all the time. It was so much fun. As we were free from the bondage of time, we had greater flexibility today. We took time to see, to feel, and to sense everything. My conclusion after so many trips is that it is totally AWFUL to join any types of package tour. I hate the idea of being deprived of my freedom to choose what to do in a trip. Words will not do justice to the experience I had in all those awesome trips I went by myself.
This is my best day trip ever!
A panoramic view from Skylon
my membership card at a casino
Ha! The bus fee I paid turned out to be including a 20-buck coupon in a casino, which is redeemable. But the thing is I need a membership card in order to get back the cash. So ... by accident I got a life-time membership in a local casino !
Maybe I can come back some day, making 20 bucks to be 80! HAHA ~ :-P
Post-entry: I haven't uploaded all the pictures yet as the site I use to post pictures was working super slow tonight. It takes FOREVER to upload images. I gave it up. Last time when I sent the link to my friend, Vienna, numerous ads popped up and it messed up her computer. Perhaps I'll look for another online photo album. Any good suggestion?
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Re: Anita
Well, I'm as disappointed as you are about the sudden cancellation of the mission trip. But like what I've said, that should never bring us down! Our time is not God's time and more importantly, time will tell whether the voice from within is genuine or not. I do believe that the call or desire(in my case 'cause it's not even a call at all!) will only grow stronger as He Himself reveals what He intends us to be. Anyhow, prayers should never cease in whatever circumstance. Let's pray!
P.S. Hey we have a god who is full of sense of humor. This is a joke. I dont understand, but I laugh anyway~
Well, I'm as disappointed as you are about the sudden cancellation of the mission trip. But like what I've said, that should never bring us down! Our time is not God's time and more importantly, time will tell whether the voice from within is genuine or not. I do believe that the call or desire(in my case 'cause it's not even a call at all!) will only grow stronger as He Himself reveals what He intends us to be. Anyhow, prayers should never cease in whatever circumstance. Let's pray!
P.S. Hey we have a god who is full of sense of humor. This is a joke. I dont understand, but I laugh anyway~
The youngest blogger ever
Happened to drop by The Official Blog of Fetus Spears- you bet! That’s the one still in belly of Britney Spears. Not even born yet. Besides regular posts, you can also listen to the podcasts, which are really silly. I laughed so hard.
http://www.liquidgeneration.com/blog/fetusblog/blogger.html
Happened to drop by The Official Blog of Fetus Spears- you bet! That’s the one still in belly of Britney Spears. Not even born yet. Besides regular posts, you can also listen to the podcasts, which are really silly. I laughed so hard.
http://www.liquidgeneration.com/blog/fetusblog/blogger.html
Google gone wild!
Google is inviting users to check out the beta version of their "Google Suggest" and to type in the word "PLEASE"
I tried out "what if", "George Bush is", "Britney Spears is", and "how to"... pretty hip...
Google suggest:
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
Google is inviting users to check out the beta version of their "Google Suggest" and to type in the word "PLEASE"
I tried out "what if", "George Bush is", "Britney Spears is", and "how to"... pretty hip...
Google suggest:
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
Friday, April 15, 2005
Give me five!
Guess what? My first sociology research paper got an A+ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Sorry for the overuse of exclamation points ;-P ) I’m exceedingly excited!!! Words just can’t describe how much I feel accomplished! It’s an A+. An A PLUS!!! It’s not an A or A- - it’s an A PLUS! I repeat – it’s an A plus!!! PLUS PLUS PLUS. Can’t believe how much the plus sign has such a great impact on me. And Ian’s comment (Ian's my TA) only gives me greater sense of gratification ever! He talked to the prof about my paper and right after I got the paper, both Ian and the prof encouraged me to enter an essay competition. Yup you bet- here at York!? Wow. He asked me to hand over the paper and he would have a look and comment on it. I was stunted before I actually had the oh-they-think-my-paper-is-good-and-want-me-to-enter-an-essay-competition feeling! After all, this grade is far more than I expected, let alone entering an essay competition!
From brainstorming the topic, doing research, constructing the arguments, to writing the first draft, then the second and re-editing it over and over, I found myself fascinated by the richness and diverging aspect of the topic*. Culture itself is interesting. I like cultures. I like diversities. It is the thriving side of each culture that sustains its own legacy. I LOVE culture.
Post-entry: Despite their great comments on the paper, they will definitely be let down by my final… ‘cause I wrote something really crappy today (Come on there’s a question about the tedious “The Corporation” and Nike’s promotionalism!) ! But I won't be in their class again. Who cares! :-P
* The topic that I was working on is the growing homogeneity and heterogeneity of hip-hop culture around the globe.
Guess what? My first sociology research paper got an A+ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Sorry for the overuse of exclamation points ;-P ) I’m exceedingly excited!!! Words just can’t describe how much I feel accomplished! It’s an A+. An A PLUS!!! It’s not an A or A- - it’s an A PLUS! I repeat – it’s an A plus!!! PLUS PLUS PLUS. Can’t believe how much the plus sign has such a great impact on me. And Ian’s comment (Ian's my TA) only gives me greater sense of gratification ever! He talked to the prof about my paper and right after I got the paper, both Ian and the prof encouraged me to enter an essay competition. Yup you bet- here at York!? Wow. He asked me to hand over the paper and he would have a look and comment on it. I was stunted before I actually had the oh-they-think-my-paper-is-good-and-want-me-to-enter-an-essay-competition feeling! After all, this grade is far more than I expected, let alone entering an essay competition!
From brainstorming the topic, doing research, constructing the arguments, to writing the first draft, then the second and re-editing it over and over, I found myself fascinated by the richness and diverging aspect of the topic*. Culture itself is interesting. I like cultures. I like diversities. It is the thriving side of each culture that sustains its own legacy. I LOVE culture.
Post-entry: Despite their great comments on the paper, they will definitely be let down by my final… ‘cause I wrote something really crappy today (Come on there’s a question about the tedious “The Corporation” and Nike’s promotionalism!) ! But I won't be in their class again. Who cares! :-P
* The topic that I was working on is the growing homogeneity and heterogeneity of hip-hop culture around the globe.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Will you come if it moves you?
It’s less than a month away before I farewell Toronto for the summer. I’m supposed to fix the route and feel excited about my upcoming trip. Prague, Innsbruck, Berlin, Warsaw Lauterbrunnen etc… these are the names that should be on my mind! But for no reason I find the urge of going to Cambodia so compelling that I can’t shake it off.
Last night I tossed and turned. No sleep at all.
It’s less than a month away before I farewell Toronto for the summer. I’m supposed to fix the route and feel excited about my upcoming trip. Prague, Innsbruck, Berlin, Warsaw Lauterbrunnen etc… these are the names that should be on my mind! But for no reason I find the urge of going to Cambodia so compelling that I can’t shake it off.
Last night I tossed and turned. No sleep at all.
When snow goes
Can’t help taking pictures these days. It feels so good to wake up every morning and know that it is another gorgeous day and somebody loves you more than you think you deserve. Looking out from my room, I feel like I’m seeing this spot growing greener and greener. Day by day. Little by little. :-) Those pictures may look just the same for others. Not surprising at all - I feel much the same way when I looked at all those pictures I took at Stong Pond which is right across my building. After all, it’s hard to capture all the moments.
Would you believe I feel content just to sit in front of the pond and look at the surroundings without doing anything myself? :-)
Hehe ... I can feel the heartbeat of spring now...
Can’t help taking pictures these days. It feels so good to wake up every morning and know that it is another gorgeous day and somebody loves you more than you think you deserve. Looking out from my room, I feel like I’m seeing this spot growing greener and greener. Day by day. Little by little. :-) Those pictures may look just the same for others. Not surprising at all - I feel much the same way when I looked at all those pictures I took at Stong Pond which is right across my building. After all, it’s hard to capture all the moments.
Would you believe I feel content just to sit in front of the pond and look at the surroundings without doing anything myself? :-)
Hehe ... I can feel the heartbeat of spring now...
Monday, April 11, 2005
春天不是讀書天 (Spring time is not study time)
I can’t wait to finish this, get out there and enjoy the sun! It’s just gorgeous! As brown as everything is in the winter, it’s the morning when you see sea gulls flying over roofs, geese staggering along ponds, squirrels running up and down trees, grass sprouting quietly and people going jogging with their sleeveless shirts and shorts!! From my room I can see the glittering water of Stong Pond reflecting the color of the cloudless sky ~ Wow. Gorgeous morning.
Hello helloe Carlotta don’t you have to study?
Ah … maybe I can bring my books out and study beside the pond …
But then you would take a nap …
*rolls eyes*
I can’t wait to finish this, get out there and enjoy the sun! It’s just gorgeous! As brown as everything is in the winter, it’s the morning when you see sea gulls flying over roofs, geese staggering along ponds, squirrels running up and down trees, grass sprouting quietly and people going jogging with their sleeveless shirts and shorts!! From my room I can see the glittering water of Stong Pond reflecting the color of the cloudless sky ~ Wow. Gorgeous morning.
Hello helloe Carlotta don’t you have to study?
Ah … maybe I can bring my books out and study beside the pond …
But then you would take a nap …
*rolls eyes*
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Okay now the date is approaching.
Everybody is leaving.
Sachie and Mayumi are leaving for Japan on April 26.
Susana and Saki are leaving for Montreal and Quebec from 16th till 25th,on which day Sachie will have her final. They've got the plane ticket for 28th.
Je Young has her final on 12th and she’ll travel to Quebec from 15th till 17th, come back for a couple of days and set off for her trip to the States from 20th till… god knows… the day she leaves, which is 28th- again !
28th 28th 28th I HATE this day! Everybody’s leaving on this day- when I’ll still be having my goddamnit exam !!!
My plan has yet fixed.
My life is in CHAOS.
I’m not freaked out. Just pissed off.
Everybody is leaving.
Sachie and Mayumi are leaving for Japan on April 26.
Susana and Saki are leaving for Montreal and Quebec from 16th till 25th,on which day Sachie will have her final. They've got the plane ticket for 28th.
Je Young has her final on 12th and she’ll travel to Quebec from 15th till 17th, come back for a couple of days and set off for her trip to the States from 20th till… god knows… the day she leaves, which is 28th- again !
28th 28th 28th I HATE this day! Everybody’s leaving on this day- when I’ll still be having my goddamnit exam !!!
My plan has yet fixed.
My life is in CHAOS.
I’m not freaked out. Just pissed off.
What color are you?
Now the pants down.
Discussion on the back side of a door in the female washroom began. It started off when a (possibly) white young lady saying,
"I love Black men."
But her "affection" is soon rebuked by another (possibly) black woman who says,
“But black men don’t like you- you white trash!”
Then another little high school girl came in.
“I’m a 13 year old black young woman and am here on a class trip. I’m totally insulted by this and I’m thoroughly against this black/ white racist discussion. Now I know older is not necessarily smarter.”
Which is followed by another black voice,
" F*** those white who slaved us in the past. That can’t be forgiven. Never!”
Another rather mild opinion suggests,
“There’re a whole lot white people who are nice. You shouldn’t over-generalize this matter.”
And blah blah blah …
These are what I read as far as I remember.
Canada has long been proud of herself for embracing multiculturalism, compared to its neighbor's “melting pot” policy. Yup we can maintain cultural distinctiveness, promote mutual understanding between different ethnic groups and give ethnic group control over their own culture as far as legislation empowers people. The thing is, it has to come with attitudinal change and value transformation. Law can never interfere in personal choice. Racism is an attitude. A personal choice. Sadly, though, it is hidden in people’s subconsciousness, which is undercurrent. You don’t say it, but you think it! This is no less dangerous than any physical acts motivated by racism.
I was surprised the issue of racism extends to the door of female washroom and how matters can get so polarized between the “black” and “white.” Does race ever exist at all? Or is it just a social marker distinguished by our skin colors, eye colors, languages we speak, and traditions we adhere to, that we use to impose on one another? Why there has to be a clear-cut of black, white, Asian, or something else?
It pisses me off when I see people writing crap about their racist ideas here in Canada, where people claim to take pride in and have a love for their multiculturalism policy.
Now the pants down.
Discussion on the back side of a door in the female washroom began. It started off when a (possibly) white young lady saying,
"I love Black men."
But her "affection" is soon rebuked by another (possibly) black woman who says,
“But black men don’t like you- you white trash!”
Then another little high school girl came in.
“I’m a 13 year old black young woman and am here on a class trip. I’m totally insulted by this and I’m thoroughly against this black/ white racist discussion. Now I know older is not necessarily smarter.”
Which is followed by another black voice,
" F*** those white who slaved us in the past. That can’t be forgiven. Never!”
Another rather mild opinion suggests,
“There’re a whole lot white people who are nice. You shouldn’t over-generalize this matter.”
And blah blah blah …
These are what I read as far as I remember.
Canada has long been proud of herself for embracing multiculturalism, compared to its neighbor's “melting pot” policy. Yup we can maintain cultural distinctiveness, promote mutual understanding between different ethnic groups and give ethnic group control over their own culture as far as legislation empowers people. The thing is, it has to come with attitudinal change and value transformation. Law can never interfere in personal choice. Racism is an attitude. A personal choice. Sadly, though, it is hidden in people’s subconsciousness, which is undercurrent. You don’t say it, but you think it! This is no less dangerous than any physical acts motivated by racism.
I was surprised the issue of racism extends to the door of female washroom and how matters can get so polarized between the “black” and “white.” Does race ever exist at all? Or is it just a social marker distinguished by our skin colors, eye colors, languages we speak, and traditions we adhere to, that we use to impose on one another? Why there has to be a clear-cut of black, white, Asian, or something else?
It pisses me off when I see people writing crap about their racist ideas here in Canada, where people claim to take pride in and have a love for their multiculturalism policy.
Friday, April 08, 2005
The beginning of a life!
A handful of daisies? Nope.
Butterflies in a spring day? Nope.
A basket of kitties? Hum... pretty close.
A NEW BORN BABY GIRL !!! What cuter than a new born baby girl ???
......
Don't you agree that she's just gorgeous~~~
Eyes not yet opened ... waiting to see this big, big world~
The new born baby girl of my pastor
A handful of daisies? Nope.
Butterflies in a spring day? Nope.
A basket of kitties? Hum... pretty close.
A NEW BORN BABY GIRL !!! What cuter than a new born baby girl ???
......
Don't you agree that she's just gorgeous~~~
Eyes not yet opened ... waiting to see this big, big world~
The new born baby girl of my pastor
First meal...yummy yummy!!!
I woke up with a fresh memory of a dream last night. It was the day when both Wan and Kennie were expected to give birth to their baby girls !!! Somehow I could hear their heartbeats in their mommys' bellies despite the fact that I was on the phone. Weird. I must be insane !
Even though I'm now on the other side of the globe, I feel just as much delighted as everybody else! What better thing than to greet a new life born to us? Tiny feet, little ears -
babies are the perfect gift of God's love!!!
Don't you hear the angels in heaven are singing now?
Yup I do. :-)
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Halfway this week
Well, time flies! Half of a week has already passed and I've accomplished nothing! I already know what's in store for me these two weeks. Lots of readings, cleaning, booking etc. What's not in store for me? Blogging. But I guess I've get addicted to news. Simply can't take my eyes off the computer screen, newspapers and TV. It's like I'm expecting news every single second. :-P
*****
Two days away from the funeral. Always wonder how it's like to be standing with thousands of people in St. Peter's Square and mourning for the death of the Pope. Still feel a little upset for not being able to make it to Italy this summer... Oh btw, have a paranomic view of the St. Peter's Square here. Click on the picture once it loads, then move your cursor left and right and up and down. Awesome view. Ah don't forget to turn up your sound when doing so.
http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen5/f14a-pope.html
*****
I ordered a travel guidebook from the university bookstore. The staff told me it would take ten days for the book to arrive, but it's been like 2 weeks. lol. It pisses me off as I need it to fix my route and decide how many days I'm staying in each city. Damnit... had better go to the bookstore tomorrow...
*****
Sarah(my floormate)'s moving out. I met Liz(her mom) and her at the elevator this afternoon, when they were doing the clear-up and bringing stuff out of her room. It's been quite a while since I saw Liz. Sarah is the friend who invited me for the Thanksgiving dinner with her family and family friends last year. Missing all the people in her house - Shosh, Jordon, Jeff & Becca. And of course all the yummy pumpin pies & apple pies!!! How much I'm gonna miss this loving family!
People are moving out, one by one. All of my friends would have gone by the time i finish my finals, which means - I'll be left in the residence alone this time! :-(
*****
For no reason this country Cambodia keeps flashing across my mind these few days. Somehow I feel a small voice inside is urging me that I should go to this place at least once in my life. I wonder if I'm able to go there by the end of this year
...
on a mission trip.
Well, time flies! Half of a week has already passed and I've accomplished nothing! I already know what's in store for me these two weeks. Lots of readings, cleaning, booking etc. What's not in store for me? Blogging. But I guess I've get addicted to news. Simply can't take my eyes off the computer screen, newspapers and TV. It's like I'm expecting news every single second. :-P
*****
Two days away from the funeral. Always wonder how it's like to be standing with thousands of people in St. Peter's Square and mourning for the death of the Pope. Still feel a little upset for not being able to make it to Italy this summer... Oh btw, have a paranomic view of the St. Peter's Square here. Click on the picture once it loads, then move your cursor left and right and up and down. Awesome view. Ah don't forget to turn up your sound when doing so.
http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen5/f14a-pope.html
*****
I ordered a travel guidebook from the university bookstore. The staff told me it would take ten days for the book to arrive, but it's been like 2 weeks. lol. It pisses me off as I need it to fix my route and decide how many days I'm staying in each city. Damnit... had better go to the bookstore tomorrow...
*****
Sarah(my floormate)'s moving out. I met Liz(her mom) and her at the elevator this afternoon, when they were doing the clear-up and bringing stuff out of her room. It's been quite a while since I saw Liz. Sarah is the friend who invited me for the Thanksgiving dinner with her family and family friends last year. Missing all the people in her house - Shosh, Jordon, Jeff & Becca. And of course all the yummy pumpin pies & apple pies!!! How much I'm gonna miss this loving family!
People are moving out, one by one. All of my friends would have gone by the time i finish my finals, which means - I'll be left in the residence alone this time! :-(
*****
For no reason this country Cambodia keeps flashing across my mind these few days. Somehow I feel a small voice inside is urging me that I should go to this place at least once in my life. I wonder if I'm able to go there by the end of this year
...
on a mission trip.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Even after death ...
News about the death of the Pope still catches my eyes. Now what baffles the cardinals is choosing the next pope. There has been no pope like John Paul II, and certainly the one to come must encounter a lot more challenges than any other popes of their times.
First we had a pope of many milestones. During his papacy, John Paul II was the first pope who drew the biggest crowds in history when he paid a visit to Manila, visited a mosque, addressed a Muslim audience at a invitation of a Muslim leader, visited a synagogue and ski(though it is not necessarily a challenge to the next pope~~)! Many of the things that the Pope did were rather ground-breaking. The new pope, therefore, has to be able to lead the 1.1 billion Catholics around the world and able to help orientating the church in the ever-secular-growing era.
Catholicism has moved south to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while the population of Catholics in Europe and North America is on the decline. Given this changing demographics, there is a pressing need that the new pope should have the capacity and consciousness to show concern for the world church in the regions where Catholicism is growing. This probably explains why there's speculation that the next pope would be a non-Italian.
Then comes the unresolved scandal of sex abuse in the US Roman Catholic clergy. I've come across several reports about the grief and anger expressed by some Americans. There's criticism that the Pope died without dealing the scandal adequately. The victims are left with no apology and there’s even question whether he ever fully came to grips with the seriousness and magnitude of the crisis within his church in the States. Unless the Vatican goes on with its resistance in addressing the scandal, it is likely that the new Pope is expected to address the American scandal very early in his tenure.
More importantly, in my opinion, one of the criteria in choosing his successor, ironically, has NOTHING to do with his spirituality! Well, this is no celebrity contest. No doubt. Yet no popes have walked out to the world as much as John Paul has. No popes have ever been exposed to the spotlights as much as John Paul has. He is such a leader who had charisma and public persona. It would be hard to imagine having a pope who is shy or sensitive to the camera and the public. Nope! He HAS to be media savvy! Or else how can he carry on what the one who preceded him was doing? Or should he necessarily hold the same or similar belief as his predecessor???
*****
Royal Wedding
The wedding of the Britain's Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles, which has been hit by several glitches, may clash with the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Reports say the Royal family may postpone the wedding if the funeral falls on Friday. Haha~~ I bet both Prince Charles and Camilla Parker would be the last persons who object the idea of going ahead as the attention would be dispersed by the funeral of the Pope. In that sense, they would not HAVE to be in the spotlight … Maybe they could have a private wedding ... haha~
***
Inside Vatican
Enjoy watching clips about Vatican City. Check this out at National Geographic:
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/vatican/
News about the death of the Pope still catches my eyes. Now what baffles the cardinals is choosing the next pope. There has been no pope like John Paul II, and certainly the one to come must encounter a lot more challenges than any other popes of their times.
First we had a pope of many milestones. During his papacy, John Paul II was the first pope who drew the biggest crowds in history when he paid a visit to Manila, visited a mosque, addressed a Muslim audience at a invitation of a Muslim leader, visited a synagogue and ski(though it is not necessarily a challenge to the next pope~~)! Many of the things that the Pope did were rather ground-breaking. The new pope, therefore, has to be able to lead the 1.1 billion Catholics around the world and able to help orientating the church in the ever-secular-growing era.
Catholicism has moved south to countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while the population of Catholics in Europe and North America is on the decline. Given this changing demographics, there is a pressing need that the new pope should have the capacity and consciousness to show concern for the world church in the regions where Catholicism is growing. This probably explains why there's speculation that the next pope would be a non-Italian.
Then comes the unresolved scandal of sex abuse in the US Roman Catholic clergy. I've come across several reports about the grief and anger expressed by some Americans. There's criticism that the Pope died without dealing the scandal adequately. The victims are left with no apology and there’s even question whether he ever fully came to grips with the seriousness and magnitude of the crisis within his church in the States. Unless the Vatican goes on with its resistance in addressing the scandal, it is likely that the new Pope is expected to address the American scandal very early in his tenure.
More importantly, in my opinion, one of the criteria in choosing his successor, ironically, has NOTHING to do with his spirituality! Well, this is no celebrity contest. No doubt. Yet no popes have walked out to the world as much as John Paul has. No popes have ever been exposed to the spotlights as much as John Paul has. He is such a leader who had charisma and public persona. It would be hard to imagine having a pope who is shy or sensitive to the camera and the public. Nope! He HAS to be media savvy! Or else how can he carry on what the one who preceded him was doing? Or should he necessarily hold the same or similar belief as his predecessor???
*****
Royal Wedding
The wedding of the Britain's Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles, which has been hit by several glitches, may clash with the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Reports say the Royal family may postpone the wedding if the funeral falls on Friday. Haha~~ I bet both Prince Charles and Camilla Parker would be the last persons who object the idea of going ahead as the attention would be dispersed by the funeral of the Pope. In that sense, they would not HAVE to be in the spotlight … Maybe they could have a private wedding ... haha~
***
Inside Vatican
Enjoy watching clips about Vatican City. Check this out at National Geographic:
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/vatican/
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Quizzzzzzzzzzz
Okay now time to finish the quiz from Cindy.
1) How many books a year do you read ?
1) Combien de livres lisez vous chaque année ?
That's hard to tell. I do read a lot due to what I'm majoring in. However, I don't read that much beside the assigned readings as I don't have much time left. Usually 2 books per week ... and I can finish 10 books outside class. So that adds up to 114(check if the caculation is accurate! I'm a total mathematical idiot~).
2) What's the last book you bought ?
2) Le dernier livre acheté ?
The Road to Daybreak by a Catholic priest Henri J. M. Nouwen
3) What's the last book you've read ?
3)Le dernier livre que vous avez lu ?
There're 2, as I finished them almost at the same time :
The Road to Daybreak (Henri Nouwen)
你欠生命一分神蹟 "You owe life a miracle"(楊牧谷 Arnold Yeung)
4) What're the 5 books worth to you or that you liked very much ?
4) Ques sont vos 5 livres favoris ou ceux qui vous ont particulièrement touché(e) ?
The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Les Misérables (Victor Hugo)
你欠生命一分神蹟 "You owe life a miracle"(楊牧谷 Arnold Yeung)
廚房哲學 “The Philosophy of Kitchen”(楊牧谷 Arnold Yeung)
撒哈拉的故事 “The Story of Sahara” (三毛 Echo Chan)
I know I'm breaking the rule … but simply can't opt it out... this book is very good as well--
The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) Oh btw, he's a writer from Brazil. His books are really inspiring. Simple words but with meanings that go beyond what words can descibe.
Okay now I'm done. So what I'm gonna do is to pass it on to another three people and they would basically do the same thing (except breaking the rule like I did :-P) I'm passing it on to Mandy, Susan & Sikman.
Thx Cindy anyway! That helps me to know what type of books you like and I like (as I'm forced to think about it)!
Okay now time to finish the quiz from Cindy.
1) How many books a year do you read ?
1) Combien de livres lisez vous chaque année ?
That's hard to tell. I do read a lot due to what I'm majoring in. However, I don't read that much beside the assigned readings as I don't have much time left. Usually 2 books per week ... and I can finish 10 books outside class. So that adds up to 114(check if the caculation is accurate! I'm a total mathematical idiot~).
2) What's the last book you bought ?
2) Le dernier livre acheté ?
The Road to Daybreak by a Catholic priest Henri J. M. Nouwen
3) What's the last book you've read ?
3)Le dernier livre que vous avez lu ?
There're 2, as I finished them almost at the same time :
The Road to Daybreak (Henri Nouwen)
你欠生命一分神蹟 "You owe life a miracle"(楊牧谷 Arnold Yeung)
4) What're the 5 books worth to you or that you liked very much ?
4) Ques sont vos 5 livres favoris ou ceux qui vous ont particulièrement touché(e) ?
The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Les Misérables (Victor Hugo)
你欠生命一分神蹟 "You owe life a miracle"(楊牧谷 Arnold Yeung)
廚房哲學 “The Philosophy of Kitchen”(楊牧谷 Arnold Yeung)
撒哈拉的故事 “The Story of Sahara” (三毛 Echo Chan)
I know I'm breaking the rule … but simply can't opt it out... this book is very good as well--
The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) Oh btw, he's a writer from Brazil. His books are really inspiring. Simple words but with meanings that go beyond what words can descibe.
Okay now I'm done. So what I'm gonna do is to pass it on to another three people and they would basically do the same thing (except breaking the rule like I did :-P) I'm passing it on to Mandy, Susan & Sikman.
Thx Cindy anyway! That helps me to know what type of books you like and I like (as I'm forced to think about it)!
Saturday, April 02, 2005
A very unproductive day. Verrrry tired ... i guess that's probably 'cause i came back late last night and had several sleepless nights before. *yawns*
So the Pope eventually died at around 2 this afternoon. To a lot of Catholics, his death is definitely heartbreaking. I'm not Catholic. But I personally think John Paul II was a good man. In the world flooded with trivial celebrities today, he proved himself to be a man with genuine charisma and grace by drawing the attention of the world to the significance of peace and love. In that sense, he contributed a lot in evangelizing. He deserved the respect. I was very impressed when I learned of his attitude in face of adversities. Despite his failing health, he insisted in fulfilling his duties and visions, asking "Has Christ ever come down from the cross?"
Nope. He hasn't. Perhaps that gives us reason to carry on and live our lives as they are.
So the Pope eventually died at around 2 this afternoon. To a lot of Catholics, his death is definitely heartbreaking. I'm not Catholic. But I personally think John Paul II was a good man. In the world flooded with trivial celebrities today, he proved himself to be a man with genuine charisma and grace by drawing the attention of the world to the significance of peace and love. In that sense, he contributed a lot in evangelizing. He deserved the respect. I was very impressed when I learned of his attitude in face of adversities. Despite his failing health, he insisted in fulfilling his duties and visions, asking "Has Christ ever come down from the cross?"
Nope. He hasn't. Perhaps that gives us reason to carry on and live our lives as they are.
Woke up hearing snow mixed with rain hitting the windows this morning. Headache. Heavy eyes. Sth stung my eyes i guess. Oh feel like b***s***. Dull Saturday morning. I guess I'll have to start studying or at least figure out my study plan for this month. Loads of readings.
This morning as I read the news, I got to know that Pope John Paul clung to life! All the news from last night was all about his imminent death and anguish shared among the public. His heart and kidneys were slowly failing at that time. As I'm writing this, it is reported that he was showing signs of consciousness! Well, I'm not Catholic. But too much news about death these days. I felt sorry for Terri's death already. Next, we're watching the Pope's death. Enough depressing news for me...
This morning as I read the news, I got to know that Pope John Paul clung to life! All the news from last night was all about his imminent death and anguish shared among the public. His heart and kidneys were slowly failing at that time. As I'm writing this, it is reported that he was showing signs of consciousness! Well, I'm not Catholic. But too much news about death these days. I felt sorry for Terri's death already. Next, we're watching the Pope's death. Enough depressing news for me...
Friday, April 01, 2005
Second last day of school
My French test went pretty well. I'm not doing exceptionly good but generally speaking I think I'm better than I was last time.
It was weird to goodbye to my classmates today, 'cause we know probably we're not seeing each other anymore. Oral test's done. We're done. And no more school after that. That's why we kind of like stick around even half and hour after the exam. Sandra and I even hung out quite a while before hugging and farewell each other! I could see the eyes of Susie and Can kind like welled up when we hugged each other. Didn't mean to be sad. But I guess that's 'cause we all know we were not seeing each other , for Susie's switching to another college in Niagara-Falls, which is where she's from, Sandra's switching her major, Can's not taking any French class next year and me - not even studying here next year...
Yup it feels weird.
The day is approaching...
***
Chanced to meet Mayumi this afternoon. So went for some coffee in a cafe and had a little nice chat. :-) Thx Mayumi, "You don't have to be the number one 'cause you are the only one!" That's inspiring!
***
Am now in a dancing and singing mood~ Just back from Mamma Mia! The best show in town!!! That was GOOD!!! Featuring Abba's timeless songs, the story is about a pending wedding on a tiny Greek island. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget! The dialogue and songs are seamlessly linked and I like the touching scene in which Donna (the mom) helps Sophie (the daughter) to "hop" (hehe...) into her wedding dress. Does your mother know? is wittly choreographed and the funky overtune fills the entire auditorium. There wasn't a single moment when buzz of excitement could not be heard and by the end of the show, the audience are already on their feet - including me of course~~~
Mamma Mia
My French test went pretty well. I'm not doing exceptionly good but generally speaking I think I'm better than I was last time.
It was weird to goodbye to my classmates today, 'cause we know probably we're not seeing each other anymore. Oral test's done. We're done. And no more school after that. That's why we kind of like stick around even half and hour after the exam. Sandra and I even hung out quite a while before hugging and farewell each other! I could see the eyes of Susie and Can kind like welled up when we hugged each other. Didn't mean to be sad. But I guess that's 'cause we all know we were not seeing each other , for Susie's switching to another college in Niagara-Falls, which is where she's from, Sandra's switching her major, Can's not taking any French class next year and me - not even studying here next year...
Yup it feels weird.
The day is approaching...
***
Chanced to meet Mayumi this afternoon. So went for some coffee in a cafe and had a little nice chat. :-) Thx Mayumi, "You don't have to be the number one 'cause you are the only one!" That's inspiring!
***
Am now in a dancing and singing mood~ Just back from Mamma Mia! The best show in town!!! That was GOOD!!! Featuring Abba's timeless songs, the story is about a pending wedding on a tiny Greek island. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget! The dialogue and songs are seamlessly linked and I like the touching scene in which Donna (the mom) helps Sophie (the daughter) to "hop" (hehe...) into her wedding dress. Does your mother know? is wittly choreographed and the funky overtune fills the entire auditorium. There wasn't a single moment when buzz of excitement could not be heard and by the end of the show, the audience are already on their feet - including me of course~~~
Mamma Mia
