YOGAYUGA

My Mum bought this for me from her latest China trip. It’s a dry plant to represent long life and good health in Chinese. This plant does call Buddist in Chinese. She gave it to me last night. She also has one for my sister. My sister is not feeling very well lately so my Mum does concern so much about our health. My Mum does think that she has to be fully responsible for us if we do get sick. She still takes us to see doctors if we are too sick, but of course it doesn’t happen much because we are not really kids anymore. My Mum does feel it’s part of her fault for the latest issues my sister is suffering. I can totally understand that. We are always kids in parents’ eyes. Our parents will be our kids when they get old. It becomes our terms to take care of them.

Yes, I do.

It’s so sweet to see six elderly couples finally said, “I do” to legally seal their marriages after living with their partners for more than half a century…..Poverty and war did not drive them apart, nor did unfaithfulness or incompatibility -  Because this is true love! ^_^

I went out with my parents today. We passed through Wong Tai Sin temple. There were many people taking photos of dragon decoration outside the temple. We decided to go in and see what was happening. We saw many people standing and watching a special ceremony inside the temple. There were six couples having legal marriage registration inside the temple. They were married under the Taoist custom. All the couples are over 70 years old. They did marry in the pre-war period under the custom of traditional Chinese marriage, not signed any lawful paper. They married again today with the same husbands and wives legally under the law. It’s so sweet to see elderly couples dressed in red, and having the ceremony again after living eachother for more than half a century. They walked on the red carpet after the registration finished along the dragon decoration by the side.
Wong Tai Sin temple is a legal place for marriage registration since 1997, but today is the first day opened for elderly couples in group marriage. It’s very special as there are not many Chinese elderly couples willing to do that.

It was a fun night though I didn’t drink. There were drinking competition, singing competition, horn blowing competition of audiences for the whole night. Performers were non stop singing German folk songs, and being very entertaining. I was surprise those performers can sing Cantonese songs very well. Many people were doing table dance and chicken dance. Many women were drunk, and being very crazy to do their own performances on their seats and tables. It was lots of laugh and fun. The food was fine, but didn’t look so good as you can see from the picture. I really don’t like their bread. It looks like sausage. It tastes very salty. The lamb meat was fine, but the portion was large. The slice layer of lamb meat was up to 8cm high on plate. Typical German meal I would say!

Don’t worry!

Don’t worry!

Don’t worry about it! You can do it! Okay!

My belly dance teacher was saying it almost 20 times last night in the class. She was acting tired but I am not surprise when one is teaching almost 16 to 18 students each class, and teaching 5 classes a day. I can imagine how tired it is especially when teaching students are totally fresh. She is a very good teacher and always makes everyone laugh. There were male students in the class twice. They were trying hard to follow and ended up laughing; standing at the back looking at all girls in the front dancing. I persumed they were laughing at what they were doing rather than laughing at the female students. It’s just a class in the gym, so everyone can join it.

I have been looking at this belly dance costume site. I am just on internet window shopping as it really caught my eyes. And I like the following costume. ^_-V

NO! Not me! I doubt I can do such bicycle riding trip anymore. I can ride on a bicycle for a day 15 years ago with no problem, but now I can only ride on a bicycle for an hour maximum inside air condition room of the gym. I know it’s bad. hehe… My Dad finished 3 hours bicycle riding trip this early morning. It took him 3 hours riding round trip from Yuen Long to Tsuen Mun. It’s pretty far. He was riding with a 70 years old neighbour. My Dad said our neighbour didn’t feel tired as he does it everyday in the early morning. Wow! I doubt I could do it at all………..sigh!! ^_-

I eventually tried the “Four Treasures of Chinese Scholar” in South Beauty tonight as I missed it in the last visit. Four Treasures of Chinese Scholar is the tool of traditional Chinese calligraphy. The following pictures show how they get this idea into dessert. Basically, they all are traditional Chinese sweets, but made in the form and shape of the calligraphy tool.

The spicy chopped duck meat with Chinese bun is great too!

I love this photo! Kid is indeed innocent and lovely!

I haven’t been to Victoria Park for quite a long time. I was in the park playing with Anna’s girl for the whole afternoon. There were various activities going on around the park included folk song singing contest, model boat playing, charity activities and the most lovely is…..kids were playing with eachother even though they met the first time in the park….

Agnes. B has a restaurant opened in Causeway Bay, but as expected the food is just ok. Oh well, actually is not so good. I didn’t even take any pictures of the food. The only one I love is the French Onion soup. I just love the cheese on top of soup, it tastes so delicious. Their onion soup is exactly the same as those in Paris.

I received a free magazine from British Council today. It’s called Spring, and its caption highlighted “Taking a fresh look at Britain and Hong Kong”. HK is no longer British colony, but to a certain extent there are always reminders of close connection between HK and Britan still being existed from local British media and organisations. There are few topics do catch my eyes from the magazine.
HK Students Learn Debating Skills Westminster-Style

“I’ ve tried Government. I’ve tried opposition. On the whole I prefer Government”.

Two MPs were speaking to students taking part in the British Consulate General sponsored HK Parliamentary Debating Society’s annual summer workshop in July. They were at the workshop to improve understanding of the role of opposition in Parliament as well as to encourage the young people to fully debate issues of the day.

This really reminds me the debate workshop I did in the EFL lesson of boarding school. I did find it so difficult at that time as I was in the first year of studies in Britian. Needless to say the technique is difficult as well as the verbal grammar. The teacher asked us to watch more news on TV. Therefore, I started to watch those debates on TV regardless what topics they were on. Many were open topics about family and social issues. Since the Labour Party took the main role of British government, I truly like to watch the way Tony Blair gives speech. His language is powerful.
Designs for life

British design has recently seen some of its most effective and radical work in media, branding, publishing, engineering and architecture. The advertisement “Balls” by Fallon London for Sony Europe won a Yellow Pencil in Television & Cinema Advertising/Cinema Advertising. I love this TV commercial. It’s VERY Sony, and cosmopolitan. It is full of decorative European elements but just right fit into category of high technology market.

British design is very strong in branding, publishing and media. Personally, I like it as it always achieve high level of media communication. Furniture and product design I prefer Italian. You can always find beautiful form and shape with various colour throughout Italian design. I think I still prefer decorative stuff.

BN(O)

Hahahaa! I think this is unbelievable advertisement that published on the back of British council magazine. It’s not completely true be honest……..let see what it says below…

BN(O): Yours For Life
Tavel with confidence on your BN(O) Passport.
Reliable. Secure. And renewable for life.

When I read this advertisement, I start to realise that passport could become a business transaction. Oh well, if anyone would like to renew your BN(O) (British National Overseas), you need to pay HKD800.00 for it. HK people do carry at least two passports usually. They are SAR (Special Administrative Region) passport and BN(O) passport. I believe there are more and more people do give up on BN(O) once their passports get expired. I can’t see the point of continuous having it. Mine was expired last year. I can’t be bother to pay HKD800.00 for renewal. SAR passport has the same standard as BN(O). Most of European countries provide visa free access for SAR passport holders included the UK. BN(O) has less visa free access actually. Some people did fail to enter the UK with BN(O) passports even though they are supposed to enter with visa free. Many were desperate for having applied of BN(O) many years ago before 1997, and were afraid of losing the identity of it. However, it doesn’t mean anything overall after many years. It’s just a passport. HK was just a colony. The BN(O) does not offer anything better.