I hate it when i get stuck on something. especially when I am trying to make up for lost time. I am a little behind at work (according to the schedule anyway) basically on terms to be standardize and translated.

i feel as if my mind is just running around in circle but never arriving at the destination.

and it doesn't help as my colleagues are teasing me and urging me to join them to come back to work tomorrow (labour day)...yeah, just can't concentrate. I lost like 30 minutes thanks to Debbie, Sylvia and to a lesser extent, Alison.

anyway, i m going home. what a bummer.

It's just so hard, the job require concentration yet without noises, I get tire and would easily doze off. But when I am alert and awake, I can't concentrate.

This takes training.

I knew that if I had lived in Hong Kong maybe for 5-7 more years, my Chinese would be really good, but my English would, on the other hand, suck really bad.

It's a funny trade off really. My English is alright as of now and my Chinese is good for a person who only studied up to 2nd grade Chinese, but otherwise juvenile. And it's really hard now to substantially improve my Chinese.

So, it's strange how I became an English person despite my root as a very Chinese person. I loved Chinese, and I went around the Pacific for 17 years to become an English person, yet now I am in the land of Chinese, in China, where if I know better Chinese, it would be a lot easier for me to do what i wanted to do.

Chinese, the craziest language

i think Chinese is one of the most complicated language ever, especially in written form with thousands of characters and the million of strokes involved. i still wonder if there's any set logic on Chinese sentence structure. I guess it's not with the sentence structure but how Chinese characters can be placed in so many different ways and combinations that it's hard for learners of Chinese to distinguish whether this character is to be read with the next character, the one ahead, or the next 3 characters. the Chinese language is like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.

I feel like I am recovering from a heart attack after rushing through my work all day long. Today is probably my most productive day for the week, but it just doesn’t feel all that good. My heart was pacing and my mind can’t seem to settle down even after I have stopped working for a few minutes.

How do you do this? How to you keep this up all day? I need to somewhat pace myself, pace myself at a moderate pace so I won’t burn out when I am running to meet the deadline.

「價比三家」，做個精明消費者? yeah right

精明消費者貨比三家 (星島) 04月 16日 星期三 05:30AM

(綜合報道)

(星島日報 報道)消委會 首次比較超市與雜貨店、糧油或凍肉店等價錢，發現不少貨品也是雜貨店等，小店價格都較超市便宜，部分貨品如生抽、雞肉腸及蝦餃，售價相差六成七至一倍，食米亦平近一成。有市民不諱言已轉向藥房、雜貨店購物；有雜貨店主指，近月多了不少「超市客」回歸。消委會則呼籲市民「價比三家」，做個精明消費者。

　　面對加風，消委會總幹事劉燕卿表示，市民最佳方法是「價比三家」，做個精明消費者。去年消委會共接獲十七宗市民對超市的投訴，今年頭三個月，則有五宗，主要涉及超市加價、訂價昂貴，以及調高價格後才提供優惠。

　　消費者曾小姐直言，面對通脹，經格價後發現雜貨店價錢較便宜，近兩至三個月開始轉向藥房、士多等購物，還笑言自己以往「不夠精明」。

　　「街坊生意」平價招徠

　　於北角渣華道街市售賣糧油雜貨的陳先生表示，超市價格近月漲價「幾成」，令光顧超市的客人「回流」，「多了兩至三成超市客，即使貨品賣得較便宜亦有賺，好過早幾年。」另一糧油店負責人陳太 亦指，近月米的來貨價上升近一倍，整體來貨價亦貴約三成，但因「街坊生意」不敢加價。記者：馬國揚 黃穎妍

　　
who in hong kong really have time to go compare prices at 3 shops?

消委格價 超市超貴

消委格價 超市超貴 突擊調查施壓 價錢可貴小店一倍 (明報) 04月 16日 星期三 05:05AM

【明報專訊】精打細算的主婦常說「超市貨品較貴」，但究竟可以貴幾多？答案是﹕隨時貴一倍！買400元貨品，多走幾間店舖「格價」隨時可省回40元，足夠到茶餐廳吃個午餐有餘。消費者委員會 最近

抽取11款同於連鎖超市及小型獨立零售店出售的貨品比較，發現超市的售價普遍較高，其中一款「公仔蝦餃」在凍肉店售7.3元，但有超市卻售14.9元，價錢相差逾一倍。消委會 不評論超市定價是否合理，但表明會繼續當「格價專員」，希望能向商店「施壓」。

比較26項加價最多貨品

消委會首次從200項超市貨品中，選取了26項去年售價升幅較顯著的貨品，於上月27日，分別在港島5間大型超市、3間凍肉店或雜貨店和3間小型藥房格價，當中11款項目同時在超市及小型店舖有售。結果發現在11項貨品中，10項的最低價格都在凍肉店、雜貨店及藥房找到，只有「刀嘜純正粟米油900毫升×3」例外。

消委會指出，部分貨品售價差異頗大，同一貨品於不同零售點的最低和最高售價差幅由6.4％至104.1％不等，差異最大的貨品為「公仔蝦餃104克」，在凍肉店賣7.3元最便宜，但其中一間超市的售價卻達14.9 元，差額逾一倍，其餘超市最便宜亦售8.9元，仍較凍肉店貴逾兩成。

相同貨品小店售價九成較低

「美國 廚師牌高級雞肉腸340.2克」，小型零售店售8元，但有超市賣14.5元，相差八成（見表）。消委會於前日（14日）再次到上述店舖格價，發現超市售價仍普遍較高。

根據消委會資料，若市民在其中最多貴貨的一間超市買齊11項貨品，要392.6元，但若格價後以最低價購齊11種貨品，只需349元，可省回43.6元。

本報昨日再到北角區的百佳 、惠康 及華潤萬家格價，發現價錢與前日有差別，「公仔蝦餃104克」以惠康售價最高，賣13.9元，但就提供買2送2優惠（平均6.95元一件）。

消委會指今年首3個月共收到5宗超市定價過高的投訴，但不肯評論超市定價是否合理，只表示若市民認為價錢是一個重要因素時，便應先格價。總幹事劉燕卿表明，消委會日後會繼續比較超市及其他小型零售店的價錢，希望藉此向商店施壓，「等它們知道有人（消委會）盯緊」。她說，日後或會以突擊檢查方法格價及定期向公眾交代變化。

惠康發言人表示，該店提供的差額雙倍奉還政策，列明對手須擁有3間或以上零售點，而且在分店的1000米以內；惠康的優惠不能單從價格反映，因為尚有其他印花換購禮物、八達通回贈等優惠。

百佳發言人則說，消委會僅抽查了11款項目，佔該店貨品的極少數。該店是明碼實價，亦提供不同優惠，精明的消費者懂得選擇。

超市糧油價去年升幅達15％ (星島) 04月 16日 星期三 05:30AM

(綜合報道)

(星島日報 報道)本港去年綜合消費指數較○六年增百分之二，但消委會 每年一度的超級市場價格調查顯示，超市物價平均較○六年上升百分之四點六，升幅為近年新高，又以市民生活必須的糧油食品增幅最大，達一成五。食米及油的價格近月更進一步飆升，部分貨品如「刀嘜」的三支裝九百毫升粟米油及「金象」五公斤泰國 香米，售價分別較三周前調升約四成二及一成。

　　記者：黃穎妍

　　消委會調查過去一年本港三大超市，百佳 、惠康 及華潤萬家的二百多項貨品價格，結果發現整體貨品平均售價較○六年上升百分之四點六，當中糧油食品價格增幅最多，增達一成五；其次為罐頭食品，增幅約百分之六，雜糧或調味貨品亦增百分之三點六，價格升幅最少類別為紙品、家居清潔或洗衣用品，增幅約百分之零點六。

　　啤酒麵包不升反減

　　若以個別貨品計算，增幅最大的為食油，加價達一成六，其次為加價逾一成五的牙膏；食米價格亦增近一成三，急凍食品價格增幅則有百分之八。相反，價格錄得最大跌幅的是啤酒，減幅為百分之三點二，嬰兒尿片、女士缳生用品、洗衣用品及麵包價格亦有下跌，餅乾及中式粉麵平均價格則維持不變。

　　過去一年消委會調查顯示超市的糧油食品價格增幅最大，消委會近日再調查十一款增幅逾一成貨品，結果發現食米及食油價格於三周內大幅上升一至四成，當中「刀嘜純正粟米油九百毫升三支裝」，於超市的最高售價由上月底的六十五元九角，增至前日的九十三元九角；另「金象牌頂上泰國香米五公斤」最高售價，亦由上月底的四十三元九角，增至四十八元五角。

　　超市指未反映優惠

　　消委會宣傳及社區關係小組副主席許樹源昨表示，關注食米及油等產品於最近三周內價格急升，增幅約一成的「澳洲 袋鼠絲苗米八公斤」更加缺貨。消委會不排除食油及食米等價格數周內急升與市民搶購有關，提醒市民本港食物供應正常、不用搶購。對牙膏價格增幅大，消委會則指是因牙膏於○六年減價與藥房等競爭，去年價格回升所致。百佳超市發言人回應指，去年全球原材料價格升逾六成，貨品加幅已低於成本升幅；惠康則指調查只涉百分之二貨品，未能廣泛反映價格趨勢及超市的優惠、其他獎賞計畫等。

luckily, my employer adjusted our salary with the inflation rate of about 4%~

for some reason, firefox has been adding two identical post to every post i added.

it's so hard to concentrate at work...my mind is just drifting. i don't know what's happening but i m just like making up really emotional stories up in my head.


yesterday i was thinking of Amazing Grace...today i made up this story on the MTR and it just kept on going for pretty much the whole morning about superhero family drama. i was actually piecing together a superhero movie in my had

in the first scene i made up, the dad, an established superhero or hero was just walking with his young son around 7-9 on the city street. everything was normal, it was a nice little dad and son stroll around the town. and then the dad saw this disaster (involving a fire in a tall office building or a villain hurting people) and of course, he had to go and help out. but yeah, he had his son with him. but you know, he was a superhero so he was no selfish and told his young boy to stay put. "i will be back real soon. " and kissed his son on the forehead. then the dad went off and changed into the superhero and tried to get the job done ASAP to return to his son. the son watched from afar.

the dad finished the job and did his best to avoid the reporters and polices and returned to the street where he left his son, but he couldn't find him. he searched and searched with no luck. his wife yelled, hit him...

the story starts again with a young man who was around 16-19. In senior of high school or first year of college. his name is sean. he lives at a small two stories house with his mom and younger sister. he misses his dad and his older brother who he grew up with and find guidance in his old grandfather who live quite far from the city in the countryside. he takes a train to his grandpa's place every once in a while to help with projects. his grandpa is a stubborn, independent old man who refused to be housed in a nursery home near the family and argues that he can take care of himself and his property. but he's a gentle man and is a good role model for Sean. Grandpa helps sean deal with his superpowers and tell sean about his late dad and brother.

like spiderman and his uncle, except that grandpa knew about sean's superpower and history of his dad and bro. grandpa told sean that one day he has to take his place as a hero. the world was dying of heros. less and less people were able to standup to evil.

one of the main villain at the time was Steam (stupid name i know, but i can't think of a better one right now.). Steam is actually sean's missing older brother, Joshua, who was kidnapped and raised by a super villain, "crock" (yes another stupid name, but again i can't think of a better one right now). Joshua was somewhat brainwashed and hate his father's guts. he's a confused, angry, lonely, insecure, short tempered young man just a few years older than Sean. Josh's only guidance and depends on Crock for almost everything: emotional support, guidance, shelter. He was raised to hate his real dad.

it wasn't before long that the two brothers along with other villains and heros started to duel it out every now and then.

eventually, sean felt that something was wrong after encountering Josh several times. he saw part of himself in him. he even called up to him. and he found out that Steam is Josh, his long missing older brother. that changed everything. Sean was still involved in battles, but things became increasingly complex for him. he couldn't get himself to hurt Josh and wanted to more and more to approach him. but Steam and Crock and others were just turning the city and the whole place upside down. they had to be stopped and heros were losing the fights. sean's friends were getting hurt, and his fellow heros are falling one by one.

Sean seek for isolated confrontation with Josh and finally got his wish at a industrial plan. at first they gutted it out but eventually, sean was softening up. sean called on Josh and revealed his own identity. Steam told him to shut up and that Volt (their father, another bad superhero name) was not his father. volt forsake him and Crock was good enough to raise him up and make him the powerful person he is. Steam carried a lot of bitterness and anger. Steam went on fighting Sean, but sean wasn't attacking Josh and was only avoiding, blocking the blows of Josh. "hit me!" josh swore at Sean. Sean was telling him memories and their past with him. it was getting to Josh who was getting emotional and didn't know what to do with himself, but he was continuing to attack sean. finally, Crock found out about the confrontation and came with a few others thinking it was a great opportunity to To destroy one of the increasingly powerful superheroes in town. Josh was still having issues. He didn’t want to kill Sean. Despite his hatred and bitterness, and jealousy, he could not bring himself to hurt Sean anymore. He was jealous of Sean yet he also had feeling for him. He remembered Sean. He remembered playing with Sean, of their mother. Sean was pretty drained and worn out by that time and could be defeated even by some of the weaker villains. The other villains were just waiting to get into the fun, especially those who had been defeated many times by Sean. Some of them jumped into the action. They were halted back by Steam and Crock supported Steam as Crock saw Steam as his prodigy. But they were wondering why Steam was hesitating. One of the leading villains, Numbrat (bad name I know) approached Sean offering to finish the job and landed a crushing blow to Sean, Steam/Josh, out of instinct struck Numbrat with a blow that almost killed Numbrat. The villains were somewhat stunned. Villains close to Numbrat wanted to get even. Crock was dumbfounded. He knew that Steam can be out of control at times, but he was getting suspicious, and he questioned Steam. Josh, knowing that he was almost a dead man already, started to laugh at himself. Fight broke out between the villains and Josh, Sean tried to help but was barely able to hold his own, but there was a joy there between the two brothers. Some heroes came and joined in. Josh eventually faced off with Crock and as Crock to land Josh the dead blow, Sean came out of no way and pushed Josh out of the way with himself heavily injured. Josh after dealing with Crock got on the run carrying Sean. Without Sean and Josh, the heroes were hardly able to hold their own against the villains. Josh laid Sean next to the river under the bridge. “Welcome back,” said Sean. Sean told his last breath with a smile on his face. Josh didn’t have much time to grieve as a group of battered heroes traced Sean’s signal and found Josh with the dead Sean. They do not trust Josh, questioned him and wanted explanation. Josh didn’t help as he himself just had an emotional breakdown and didn’t care or like the heroes anyway. Josh told them to back off from his brother and a few of the heroes saw the resemblance. They took Josh and Sean back to their mother at the small two stories house.

The story ends with the funeral of Sean with the family, friends and heroes in disguise. Josh looks somewhat out of place being very uneasy overflowing with guilt and anger at himself. His mother embraces him while his younger sister was confused and did not know how to deal with his new brother.

The sequel is another specie that talks about Josh trying to fit into the family and going back to school, high school as a 23-25 years old. Josh has to deal with his demons and since he was housed in Sean’s room and basically wear and uses a lot of Sean’s clothes and things, he is being reminded of Sean day in and day out. He has identity crisis and tries to reconnect with the inner Josh. He wanted to make up for everything, to be a good son and brother to his sister but his temperament, bitterness, jealousy, and hatred of himself along with his loneliness in this new world are making a huge challenge for him. Desperate, the heroes try to recruit the reluctant Josh. Finally Josh agrees out of responsibility for Sean’s death, attempts to right himself of wrong and in hope to become what his dad and brother were, heroes. With exception to a few heroes close to Sean and later Josh, half of the heroes are suspicious of Josh and only agrees with the recruitment out of survival.

After several confrontations with villains, another big adjustment for Josh, Josh faced Crock. They become arch-rivals with Crock furious with Josh’s betrayal, while Josh seek revenge for Sean and his lost childhood. They were mostly ended up in draw with both hurting back from fierce battles.

Meanwhile, Josh struggles to deal with people in school and with his family, if there’s a better alternative in getting an education and living a regular life. He spends some time with his grandpa who after falling on a winter day has to move into a nursing home against his will.

The Australian Film Television and Radio School

The Australian Film Television and Radio School

www.aftrs.edu.au/

A colleague who was happy to leave Hong Kong for her home in Australia told me that the one thing she would miss about Hong Kong is its efficient banking. I have to agree with her that Hong Kong does have excellent banking services, but I prefer the less crowded banks of California. Counter in California might be a bit slower but there’s much less people and customer service is excellent in most case. Bankers in America have that human touch. They would do the routine “How are you today, sir?” and start some small talk while you are waiting for him to look up something or print something out. They kind of become your friend for than 10 minutes. And as they look up your information, they would often see of ways they could provide you with more and better service for free like upgrading your credit card, better interest rate on another type of account you qualify for and etc… And they are never pushy. Better yet, they provide all the information in a clear manner. When you ask about CD, interest rate and etc, they don’t just tell you, they would give you a chart or table and highlight it for you. They make sure that you are not confused.

以2008年的十一屆全國人大會議為例，會議貫徹了中國共產黨第十七大全國代表大會（簡稱「十七大」）所作出的戰略部署︰根據十七大的安排，新進的政治局常委習近平、李克強、賀國強、周永康，以及委員王剛、王岐山、劉延東、李源潮、汪洋、張高麗、徐才厚和薄熙來，都需要分別接掌相關的領導崗位。例如，習近平在人大會議當選為新一任國家副主席。

For example, the 2008 NPC put into practice the strategy of the 17th National Party Congress of the Communist Party of China. According to arrangements of the 17th NPC, the newly-elected Politburo Standing Committee members (Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang) and Politburo Committee members (Wang Gang, Wang Qishan, Liu Yandong, Lu Yuanchao, Wang Yang, Zhang Gaoli, Xu Caihou and Bo Xilai) have to take up the relevant leadership posts. For example, Xi Jinping was elected as the new Vice-president of the nation in the NPC.

inflation at the bakery

The cost of the sandwich and drink breakfast combo went up 10% from $10 to $11 at the local bakery near my office. It seems a lot, but compare to the other prices that went up in the bakery like the hotdog ($5 to $6, up 20%), and the prices of eggs, pork, beef, grain, rice at the supermarket (basically all food) went up to 30% in less than a year.

I am not sure if it’s food shortage, depreciating US dollar, raising fuel cost, raising demand of goods by developing giants like China and India or global warming, but whatever the factors, we are going to be living in world with much higher cost of living. Food will become even more expensive. The poor will suffer most. The very rich’s standard of living will hardly be affected, and the middle class will again be forced to carry the bulk of society in this increasingly harsh world.

So, go make more money to stay on top of the game.

RMB

I now have more RMB than HK dollar or US dollar. It's quite amazing really. I exchanged most of my Hong Kong dollars into RMB. Now only 30% of my wealth is in a quickly depreciating HK dollars.