Netting for Fish in China

I've been back for a little over a week. Good old Hong Kong; persistent sticky weather never ceases to exist. We've been trying to reorganize our dad's already over-stuffed apartment. Mom's petrified about our shipment from Canada, which is actually coming today. It's going to be feat like no other trying to squeeze our life in Canada into our dinky home in Hong Kong.

Anyways, nothing overwhelmingly exciting to talk about. Hong Kong can be so dull. I did tag along on a fishing trip with my dad in China. Wasn't quite what I was expecting but a worthwhile experience nonetheless. I actually thought we were going to kick it old school with rods and live bait. Well, wasn't I in for a surprise.

So we didn't actually do any fishing on our fishing trip. Wow, that was the last thing I'd expect to not do. Well, what actually happened was we rented a large fishing boat and simply spectated while two fishermen operated a fish netting run. To sum it down to one sentence, they basically lowered a net and cruised around the ocean scooping up fishes on the way. Just imagine a little kid running around with a butterfly net; it's no different. Anyway, here's our haul.

The second picture is from some other boat's catch. Somehow, we managed to set a record for the smallest catch they've ever seen. Stupid thing is, there wasn't anything I could do or not do to have altered the outcome, which makes setting such a record feel even more unsettling.

Anyways, nothing I write seems to flow today. I'll stop here.

I'll miss you, Vancouver.

That was fast.

Well, that's life. Just when you wish time would stay stagnate, it goes whipping by like thunderous waterfall. Can't always get what you want, and even more, expect the unexpected. That's just the "thrills" of life. I guess that's what makes life interesting and worth living. Being able to predict everything and be in complete control of your own life can become quite monotonous. Having "curveballs" thrown at you and stepping onto puddles as you exit your parked car are just part of life. I think what I'm trying to say is, I'm glad that unexpected things do happen. Even though some of them maybe more than I bargained for, the few unexpected surprises that bring a smile to my face makes it all worthwhile.

Leaving Vancouver this time has left a big hole in me. I remember the last time I left for Hong Kong, I was excited and ready to leave everything behind. I've always been the sentimental type; I hate throwing away things even if I haven't used it in years. I guess it's that side of me that's kicking in this time around. There are things I want to hold onto in Vancouver, and even though I know I won't be in Hong Kong forever, I can't help but miss it. Not so much the place itself, but the people there that make it a home.

This is definitely the first "touchy feely" post that I've wrote. It's just something that I needed to get off my chest. I have a bad habit of bottling up my feelings. I don't like bothering or involving people with my own issues; I feel like everyone has enough problems of their own. I know my way of thinking isn't healthy, but it's what I've grown accustomed to. I guess this blog did come in handy. It's kind of therapeutic to type out your feelings and let it run free.

Anyhow, enough of that. Back in Vancouver, there definitely was no shortage of photography in my life. Went to several scenic hotspots with Lawrence and Uncle Sam; I forgot how much fun it was to shoot with a group of people so close to you. I finally took my first steps into portraiture photography; stepping out of my comfort circle and interacting with human subjects. I realized how much there is to learn, and how small I really am in the world of photography. It's not discouraging though. To realize my inadequacies, I know that I'm constantly improving and learning. It's important to stay humble and accept criticism as hard or as nice as they come.

The last two weeks in Vancouver was so much fun. Plenty of moving trips and packing to be done. Okay, that's not fun, but going out for pictures and hanging out was. I wasn't even expecting to do any pumpkin carving this year; I was planning to end my streak this year. Luckily, Chris brought it up and Sandra gave us a place to make a mess in. I'm such a kid, but I love carving pumpkins. Thanks guys, for making my last week or two so fun-filled. I haven't laughed so much in a long time.

Okay, i'll end it here for now. Thanks to those that made it through this extremely self-centered post.

Lose a Little Wisdom; Gain a Little Immaturity

I don't enjoy taking Western medication. Okay, that's a very poor statement. Let me rephrase myself. I don't enjoy taking Western medication for the common flu, cough, or cold. I'd opt for any Chinese medicine/herbal tea or whatnot before I grab a bottle of cough syrup or a packet of tylenols. Better yet, I'd rather fight it off myself, but I'm usually too useless to do that. Anyways, I don't have any grudges with Western medicine. I praise it, commend it; whatever you want to call it. It's advancement is obviously one of the major contributing factors towards increase human life span. Simply put, it's good stuff and we'd be miserable without it.

Of course, much of Western medicine in synthesized in labs ie. it's not very natural. Not to mention, side effects and immunity are a continuing issue. For those reasons alone, I'd much rather take Chinese medication and save up my "quota", if you will, for the times when I do really need Western medicine. Using myself as an example, I've been experiencing a stubborn cough and a persevering cold. Of course, ran off to the Chinese medicine practitioners for a couple cups of herbal medicine, but to no avail. So, now I'm on Buckley's and it's working; albeit at it's own steady pace. It actually doesn't taste that bad, mmmhmm.

In short, I just wanted to bring to your attention that maybe taking W.M. every single time you're sick may not be the best thing. Of course, use your own discretion. If you're bleeding from your ears or your butt is glued to the toilet seat, going to a doctor is a gimme. Otherwise, try out Chinese medicine. I usually does the trick for the common flu or cold. More importantly, you're protecting your body from unhealthy chemicals.

Anyways, I'm having a wisdom tooth extraction tomorrow, hence the bottle of penicillin. Luckily, I've only got one and it's an easy one to get at. Woohoo, yogurt for the whole day? Too bad it's FAT-FREE Activia (it was on sale; how could refuse?) Oh well, losers can't be choo choo chooosers.

Been going around taking pictures lately. Did a day trip around North Vancouver a couple days ago; just savoring the last crumb of summer. Oh, I also shot some engagement pictures for my dear Uncle Sam's daughter. I have to thank him for letting me do it; it was oodles of fun!

Anyone want to model for me? Preferably a girl? I'm not sexist, but girls are much more interesting :D--- (that's not droool!)

Alright, bedtime! Get some good rest before getting drugged up tomorrow. I hate anesthetics.

Something to relax your eyes after reading all the nonsense :)

Running with Nakashima Mika

Haha, what a misleading title! It's more like "Running with Nakashima Mika singing to my ears". Anyways, I thought I'd share with you, whether you like it or not, Mika's new single "Candy Girl". Woo, doesn't she look sassy in that picture? What an excellent album though; definitely not what you would expect from an avid Mika listener. If you're into Japanese music, definitely check this album out! There's two sides to this single "a and b", and the b-side sports a bonus track "Smiley". Give it a listen below. I love this song and it's currently my Nike+ "PowerSong".

Anyways, I'm sick again. I don't know if it's me, or Vancouver, but I've been back for less than 2 months and sick twice. Persistent, stubborn coughing and cold. Hacking while coughing is not cool. I hope I'm all cleared up before the 10km Human Race. Hopefully I can hit my target time of 50 mins or under whilst in good health!

Oh, our car's been sold! No point leaving it here to turn into a rust bucket. Cars depreciate like mad anyways. It'll be worthless when we actually come back.

Okay, time to cook lunch. Apologies for the deathly boring post. I'll promise to write something more interesting next time.

Start your Morning off with a BANG!

I don't understand how people can skip breakfast and still function for the first part of their day. I, for one, was breakfast- eating raised. Without it, I'm pretty much miserable and bad tempered all the way until lunch time. Anyways, breakfast needn't be an obstacle between you being on time for your job or school. There's plenty of easy to prepare foods. Even if you're really strap for time, why not grab a muffin or banana before you storm out the door. I'm sure you've heard that breakfast is the most essential meal of the day. Why not do your own body a little favor and give it some fuel to burn. You can't expect your car to run empty, so why are you asking your body to do the same? Anyways, I love scrambled eggs. It's easy to prepare, inexpensive, and full of nutrients! I always see people messing them up, however. They just keep stirring their spatulas or wooden spoons to the point where.......it looks like half chewed fresh steaming vomit. No joke. If you're one of those people, then please accept my condolences and read below.

If you do make beautiful scrambled eggs, then please take this with a grain of salt! Otherwise, strap on a pair of eggs because we're going to make some great tasting scrambled eggs. You'll need the following:

• 2 large eggs (preferably organic)
• 2 table spoon of milk
• Some cheese for those chessey people :P
• Dash of salt
• Tablespoon of butter or enough oil to lightly coat the non-stick pan (for obvious reasons)

1) Crack those badboys and beat them with a fork, whisk, or do it Asian-style with chopsticks. Beat for about 1 min.

2) Add in the milk and continue to beat for an addition 1 min.

3) Toss in a dash of salt and enough cheese to please and quickly mix.

4) Heat the pan up and oil or butter up that pan.

5) Pour in your beautiful concoction. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, go around the edges, slowly moving the edges toward the center. As you do this, uncooked eggs will spill to the edge and become cooked. Keep doing this until no more eggs will cook and it becomes all bunched up in the center of the pan. Being quick and confidence, flip the eggs so the top can cook. Let it sit for about 10-20 seconds and turn off the stove.

6) Tadaaaah, that wasn't so hard! Garnish with your favorite herbs and spices or just rock it old school with salt & pepper. You should find your scrambled eggs to be fluffy and airy.

Do not ever crack eggs directly onto the pan directly or I'll crack a bottle over your head. Crappy scrambled eggs are the result of lazy people who won't take 3 minutes to beat their eggs. You spend 10 minutes beating up your little brother, but you won't give a moment of your time to make great tasting eggs. Imbecile.

Anyways, that turned out way longer than expected. All I'm saying is, take care of yourself and eat properly. I know it's a busy world out there, and time is precious. However, if you're not willing to look after yourself and partake in a healthy lifestyle, the only time you'll have is at the hospital or in bed sick. As busy as people are these days, health always comes first. If it sounds condescending coming from me, then a least listen to Mr Darwin:

Survival of the Fittest.

Don't over think it you geek! Just take it and apply it to everyday life.

Thanks for reading!

Making a Good Jam Sandwich

Oh no, it's Jam Sandwich madness! I've been eating these non-stop lately; breakfast, lunch dinner. Partly because I'm lazy, but mostly because they taste so good! It's my new ultimate midnight snack. After a loaf of Wonder Bread and Jar of Smuckers, I've stumbled on the secret for making a fantabulous Jam Sandwich. It was no easy feat by any stretch, but I've done it and am here to share it with you. As you can see, I'm using Smuckers Jam and Wonder Bread, but I'm sure any other brand and combination will yield similar results if you follow my golden rule. Try out different kinds of jam; Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Lemon Marmalade, or even Orange! Just a word of advice: prepare to be sucked in by the yummy goodness of something so simple, and, prepare to grow some chubs. So, what's the secret?

As you can see, the above picture clearly illustrates what must be done. The rule is, you must put way more jam on the sandwich than you really think you need. Just slap that jelly on and forget about your own belly. You need to put so much that the jam literally ECLIPSES the bread. Yeap, that's all there is to it! So be on your way to making those beautiful jam sandwiches! Remember, less is not more in this case.

Going for my 7km run soon. Had to massage heat rub on my calves yesterday because they were so sore. Hope they'll be okay for my run today. It's gonna be coooooold!

Anyways, thanks for reading! Goodnight!

Dragon Fruit to the Rescue!

Behold, all you vegetable haters! I present to you your solution and eventual partner in crime behind closed washroom doors. Yes, what IS that weird looking reddish yellowy monstrosity of a thing? Fear not young'uns! It's a dragon fruit, also known as a pitaya that grows from several species of cacti. For the Asian folks, 火龍果, literally "fire dragon fruit" may be no stranger to you. Even then, many people don't eat it, and it can be found in most non-asian supermarkets. Maybe due to it's atypical appearance, people assume that they'll have no idea how to prepare it when they get home. People, people...don't underestimate your intellectual minds! I'm sure a monkey had a little problem peeling his/her first banana. Then, you shall rightfully have a little problem (and fun) peeling your first dragon fruit! Seriously though, it peels like a banana.

Why all this fuss though over just a fruit. Why spend time typing some useless bologna crap about this oddity of thing. Simple, because it's insanely, amazingly good for you...and inexpensive! Let's list some of the goodies these bad boys are will to give you!

• Very high in Vitamin C
• Excellent laxative properties for a good time on the seat
• Full of antioxidants to protect from harmful radicals = cancer :( FML
• Good for your skin
• Reduces high cholesterol levels
• Increase metabolism and appetite

Good things come in fancy packages. This is one of them! You'll find them in most asian supermarkets, but even then, they won't have them in large quantities.

"But Chrisssssss, I'm really, like, reaalllly picky about what I eat...and likeeee, ummmm, does it like taste goooood? Like seriously?

I love the taste personally. It's sweet, but in a very delicate sort of way. Great for thirst quenching and makes your throat feel refreshed and comfortable. There's lots of seeds too, so make sure you check in the mirror afterwards to make sure you don't look like an idiot.

So go eat them! My mom and I share one everyday and it's done wonders ;)

Yes, I took the time to take a picture of the actual moon on the day of Mid-Autumn Festival. This ain't no impostor. Real deal!

Wishing everyone a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Hope you're all celebrating with your loved ones with smiles all around. Don't forget to have your fair share of mooncakes! As for me, I'll be here alone eating noodles.

Thanks for reading!

Best Song of The Year!

I have to share with you guys my favorite song of the year. I know there's still a couple months left in the year, but I'm just too excited to care. This is the best song of the year, hands down. It's so good that I spent the time in Final Cut to put this up onto Youtube since no one had done so yet. Daishi Dance's new upcoming album isn't being released until the 10th of October, so it's difficult to get a preview of the album as of now. Anyways, please give this song a listen. The lyrics are entirely english. I love listening to it while running; it's so soothing.

Went for an afternoon run today; boy were my legs sore. It was a good run nevertheless but I still do prefer running during the night. Even during daytime in this time of the year, it get pretty warm well into my runs.

More packing today! Look at that mess in our living room. Where getting read to ship them back to Hong Kong. Oh, the madness. It's like playing tetris real life!

Back after an absurd amount of time.

I should've knew I couldn't keep an updated blog for more than a few weeks. Anyhow, i'll try this again with a little more diligence. That fact of the matter is, I try to fit too much in my posts to the point where it becomes a burden for me to write. Blogging should be an effortless task, no? Well enough of that; I love that building to the right. It's Shangri-La in Downtown Vancouver. What a gorgeous piece of art. I heard it's part hotel and part residential; I can only imagine how much it would cost to stay for the night, let alone own an apartment.

Rainy Vancouver is one of the most depressing sights. Luckily, the sun is shinning today complimented by blue skies and light fluffy clouds; beautiful! Mornings and nights are getting cold though. I've definitely noticed winter fast approaching as the cold gets to me on my late night runs. Oh yeah, I must ramble on about my running; onto the next paragraph!

So i've started running again. I decided I needed some cardio back into my life. Most of all though, I needed motivation, especially at the very beginning. Running can be pretty dull at first, but once you capture that "runner's high" it becomes a very different animal. I've been running for less than a month with Nike+. Even after being sick with Strep throat, I was still motivated enough to resume training within days of getting better. At the moment, I'm following a 10KM training regime; but what I'm hoping to gain from all this running is better endurance. It's a joy being able to track all my running statistics. For me, it's a really neat feeling and makes me look forward to my next run.

I've been running really late into the night. I'm up running when the city's sleeping, and what a great feeling it is. No cars to watch out for, no traffic lights to obey, no people to dodge; just you, the road, and the sound of your footsteps. The nights are cold and refreshing. The feeling of seclusion in a restless city by day is a phenomenal feeling.

I have to praise Nike for making such a remarkable pair of shoes. The Lunarglide is probably one of the most comfortable pair of shoes my feet has ever tasted. They literally feels like a customized pair of gloves that just fills your feet like a mould. It just seems to propel me forward after every footstrike. Just make sure you don't over tighten them like any other shoe. I love them and look forward to every single kilometer with them.

Anyone that wants to get in shape with running but hates running to begin with should try out the Nike+ system. The "hate" part of running is usually a short to last phase. If you rarely ever run, your body's bound to ache and hate you for making it suffer. Don't give up though; stick with it and your body will adjust to it within a couple weeks. Before you know it, I'm sure you'll be running distances you never thought you could.

Anyways, I'll end it here. Thanks for reading and happy running!

Dining At Kowloon Hotel

Look at me with girly cocktail in one hand while smiling awkwardly! Welcome to my restaurant review where I "half assedly" review Loong Yat Heen, a Chinese culinary cuisine situated in Kowloon Hotel, Tsim Sha Tsui. Of course, we'd normally never eat at such extravagant restaurants where single bites of food equaled to whole meals in price. Actually, my sister was asked to review the restaurant by her company so she invited me to come along. Mmm, can't really beat free expensive food, so of course I couldn't refuse my sisters kind offer. So, how does expensive and exquisite fine dining rank in the mind and taste buds of an average joe like myself? Read on to find out!

The atmosphere wasn't anything spectacular. We did get seats overlooking Nathan Road though. The service was great; what you would typically expect from fancier restaurants. My sister has a selection of speciality dishes she was asked to taste. By the way, no one there knew my sisters was there for a review...at least not until we "pay" for the bill. Anyways, onto the dishes.

Duck Tongue Tossed With XO Sauce

For starters, we had Duck Tongue tossed with XO Sauce. Even though the meal was complimentary, we still felt bit ripped from the lack of duck tongues present. We were expecting a dish of duck tongues but instead received a dish the was dominated by celery, which by the way wasn't even mentioned on the menu. I'd rather sit down at a dim sum restaurant and order a plate of duck tongue than eat this. For $80 dollars, this dish was small, deceiving, and expensive.

Shark Fin tossed with Crab Meat and Pincer

Up next was the Shark Fin tossed with Crab Meat and Pincer with Rich Broth. This is their signature dish, but that wasn't our reason for high expectations. It was simply the price; for $700, this had better be good. This isn't your conventional Shark Fin Soup. As you can see, the broth is separate from the shark fin. The shark fin by itself was extremely bland, and if I may quote my sister, "tastes like cardboard". A couple scoops of broth over the shark fin made it much better. Probably the best part of this course was the crab meat, which tasted both fresh and flavorful. So overall, was as it great? Sure, it was free. However, if you're shelling out the dough from your own pockets, I'd look elsewhere to satisfy your shark fin cravings.

Fois Gois and Veal Fillet In Black Pepper Onion Sauce Seafood XO Medley

Proceeding to our main course, Fois Gois and Veal Fillet In Black Pepper Onion Sauce (left) and Seafood XO Medley (right). Okay, these dishes taste fine, but they just don't scream "I'm worth $250 dollars". There was hardly any Fois Gois in the dish; we expected more than just 7 cubes. The sauce was thick similar to the consistency of phlegm and the veal was lacking that natural meat flavor. The Seafood Xo Medley was a really small dish. Okay, size doesn't matter; what we need is quality! The prawn and scallops were fine, but the geoduck was so tough that my jaw actually had little muscles protruding outwards the next day. In my opinion, both dishes were tad over mediocre at most.

Garoupa on Steamed Egg Whites with Bird's Nest

Our final dish, Garoupa on Steamed Egg Whites with Bird's Nest. This is another of their specialty dishes. If I ever eat here again, please remind me to order anything but the speciality dishes. The steamed egg whites lacked a smooth and soft consistency. Through the dish, chunks or clumps of egg whites would appear which is unacceptable. They managed to miss the most important aspect of steamed egg whites in a signature dish. The Garoupa was fine but the Bird's Nest on top was pure gimmick. It added no meaningful flavor nor aesthetic appeal to the dish. All it did was jack the price of the dish up. Poor and expensive dish, period.

All in all, it would've been a good meal for $500. That, not being the case, makes this a terrible $2700 meal. They failed to effectively utilize both expensive and basic ingredients. Although there were some ingenuity to their dishes, some of the names were somewhat deceiving. The service was excellent but what we came for was the food, and that was only subpar. Therefore, I can only give this restaurant a 6/10 at best. Would I recommend it to tourists and locals? Probably not. Take your money elsewhere unless you're staying at the Kowloon Hotel and is to lazy to walk your ass elsewhere.

Okay, I'm sick of listening to myself. I'll be sure to blog again soon. Thanks for reading, and take care!

P.S. For the record, I'm not picky with my food. I eat anything and anything with the utmost gratitude.

Weather Going Bananas & The 411 on Bananas

Beautiful weather, isn't it? The weather was actually decent comparing to what we've been gifted with these past two weeks; nothing but rain! On a sunny day, there should be a place called Hong Kong with buildings just where the horizon is. What we see here is thick fog right in the middle of the day. Hong Kong weather is as unpredictable as a girl's mood during her period. The only consolation is the cooling down of the temperature. It's been brought down from blood boiling hot to just a simmer. So blessed are we! Anyways, you see that little strip of land on the land to the right hand side? That's where I usually go for my jogs. There's always a nice sea breeze and no one can see my pasty white skin when I take off my shirt. It's actually not that bad; my face and arms are quite tanned and if I may quote my sister word for word: "Chris, you look like one of the 18 bronzemen!" Alright! The picture to the left is the view from the window of my room. It's far from stunning but I've always dreamt of living somewhere by the sea. That's why I love this place!!!

Damn bananas, why can't we be diplomatic about this situation despite our differences? Can't you see that you and I are not so different? I too am yellow on the outside, but white on the inside.

Bananas are driving me nuts; I will therefore make banana nut bread! (LOL, LMAO, ROFL, teehee!) Anyways, what's with bananas ripening faster than I can count to three? It's like their afraid of being eaten and would rather have me dispose of them than be inside my tummy. Well you know what, my expectations for bananas are very low so either way, I'm going to eat you. You know what else I have really low expectations? That's right...girrrrrr...achoooo. Call me... ^_^Y! ( Je suis Kawaii Desuneeeeee!)

Anyways, to make my blogpost less stupid and more educational, I decided to talk about keeping your bananas from ripening too fast, or too slow. If you know this already, just be quiet and let me try to sound smart for once in my life. Alright! So bananas give off a chemical known as ethylene. What ethylene does is it induces the ripening of fruits. Heat also encourages the release of ethylene, hence bananas tend to ripen faster in warmer environments e.g. Hong Kong. Now, to encourage ripening, simply place the bananas in room temperature enclosed within a paper bag. This prevents the escape of ethylene and enhances the rate of ripening. On the contrary, bananas should be separated individually and placed into a refrigerator away from other fruits. This will greatly reduce the rate of ethylene dispersal and contact from itself and other fruits. So eat more bananas, because they basically own all other fruits. They're cheap, good for your heart and nerves, and they make you feel good!

So I'll end it here. Let me know if you found this mildly amusing. If you didn't find this fun to read, maybe you're just naturally stubborn and hard to please. Sucks to be your gf/bf. Just kidding! Have a beautiful day, you lovely ladies and gents!

Omg, it's so LOOONG and BIIIIG!

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID, cause that's what she would say if she saw my sexy body, as in camera body.

Eating out!

Went out for dinner today at Po Lam! We decided to go traditional and ordered dishes at a Chinese Restaurant. My sister was craving that homey cuisine feel. It's not often that we sit down in a restaurant and order dishes of food with rice; much like a family would do at home. Usually, we're either eating sushi, noodle, or dumplings. Not that I'm supporting the Asian stereotypes, but that's honestly what we've been eating for the past several weeks. Anyways, the food was delicious and I ordered a Lychee Jolly Shandy which was suppose to contain a whopping 0.5% alcohol. I'm a sucker for anything lychee related so I put aside the risk of getting drunk and finished the entire can! I hope you're feeling the sarcasm here, but being the cheap drunk I am, it's actually not a far stretch. I don't drink at all, and if I do, it's definitely not hard liquor. I prefer sissy drinks like coolers, and the Jolly Shandy I had today was definitely my cup of tea. I don't drink because clubs and bars aren't my scene, which pretty eliminates the opportunity to drink. Besides, alcohol is expensive and it does nothing but turn your liver into putty. Not to forget it also makes you act like a fool in the most inappropriate of ways. Be a respectful drunk, or don't drink at all. Way coool!

I grace you with my drunkard smile.

Anyways, I didn't accomplish much today. Oddly enough, I was actually looking for wedding songs fitting for the processional ceremony. No, I'm not getting married, but a friend of my Dad's is. His wedding is on Friday, and he still has yet chosen a song to be played during the processional ceremony. Luckily enough, I found him some great songs that are sure to do the job. Some of my favorites that I picked out are:

• KC & JoJo: All My Life
  
• Celine Dion & Josh Groban: The Prayer
  
• Bon Jovi: Thank You for Loving Me
  
• Enya: Only Time
  

Greats songs, huh? How many of these have you listened to, and would you ever consider having any one of the listed as a song for your own wedding?

Yummy in my tummy! (lame)

I leave you with the dishes we ate tonight. Don't drool on your keyboard! Thanks for surviving through this blogpost, and leave me a comment will y'all? They make me blush :8}. Have a pleasant day, boys and girls!

Angels & Demons / Rambling about Pollution

So I watched it! I swore I wouldn't watch anything biblical or religious in the theaters but I'm really glad I made an exception of this one. There were so many things to like about this movie. The plot was a conceptual masterpiece seasoned with just the right amount of action and gore. The film had me on the edge of the seat the whole time, and I ignored mother nature's call altogether. It was truly mind over bladder. I didn't read the book, but heard that it was important to put aside the "book to movie" comparison and just enjoy it for what it's worth. Enjoy I did, and I couldn't help calling my sister a "illuminati" after the movie just for kicks. I'm not going to review this movie, partly because plenty of people are paid to do that and partly because I probably won't do it much justice. All I have to say is if you love yourself, you would go watch it. Yes, it's that good, and some more.

It's my first blogpost. I guess I shouldn't be expecting much of an audience. That's good; expectations are only a setup for failure. I'm kidding; we should always be optimistic about what happens around us. It's sad to see the Earth in such a battered state. Hmm, let's say we personify "Earth". I wonder what type of injury he/she would classify under? Could it be bone fractures in all four limbs but with possibility of a full or decent recovery, or a puncture to the heart resulting in the slow draining of "life juice" and eventual death? I hope it's the former; at least there's really something we can do about it. But you know how the saying goes "I rather die trying...yadayada...."? I guess that's how all our mentality should be. Is Earth really doomed for imminent death? I don't thing anyone will ever know; but the least we could do is try to prevent it from ever occurring.

An Indian boy searches for coins in the polluted waters of the Yamuna River in New Delhi.The national capital is a major culprit in the pollution of the Yamuna, accounting for about 79 per cent of the total waste water that is poured into the river by the major towns along its banks. Despite the Indian government spending millions on trying to clean up the river, most of it going to waste-treatment stations, pollution levels continue to rise. Courtesy of Gigpic. (click image for more upsetting photographs)

"Enjoying" a swim. Courtesy of Gigipica, (click image for more upsetting photographs)

I shouldn't be one to talk though. I still use plastic bags once in awhile and I'm guilty of turning on the air conditioning. On the brighter side, I've started taking quick cold water showers and recycling at home. It's difficult to change a lifestyle that we've become moulded to, but hey, even putty loses its shape after while. Just something to think about...

What's up with the treacherous weather in Hong Kong? It's been raining for a full week. I'm in need of some Vitamin D. Besides, my camera doesn't like water so would you please stop crying and gives us a day or two of sunshine? Anyways, weather wizards predict another week of steady rainfall. Oh joy!