Seriously

This is how they make sure you won't lose 1 sock out of a pair during laundry (dry clean here) - to sew them together with that little transparent plastic string.

Good side: they are so serious about this

Bad side: does this mean socks (and other clothing...) coming from all walks of life are 'happy together'...?

西梅乾

媽為我準備了一小盒西梅乾當零食. 細吃之下, 不得了.
乾果的味道多數很"標準化" - 食味, 顏色(起碼同一包/批), 質感等. 想想那些raisins, figs, dates, apricots, apple rings...
但這盒西梅乾很有性格, 應說是各具性格 - 甜度不同(但都是甜美的), 質感不同(有些軟熟有些較有咬口), 外表也不同. 真正有得食有得玩(味)...

婚紗何價

問: 在BJ乾洗婚紗幾多錢
答: 100元

我知道因為我洗過. 有單為証. (待scan)

Aiya...

Heard that Traders will no longer be on the list starting from April...

為了補償自己, 今晚光顧了單人火鍋...

貪方便

再說說Traders旁的China World Trade商場如何方便, 就以我今晚的行程為例吧 -
節目1: 拿衣物去乾洗, 見這店(Fornet)有數間分店, 選址也"高尚", 決定博一博. 酒店實在貴得不合理, 高出3-4倍價錢.
節目2: 沒有如t般豪吃單人火鍋(http://lostincloud.blogspot.com/2006/02/traderstraders-over-configure.html#links), 卻在該火鍋店旁的日本小店吃了味噌拉麵 - 麵質不錯, 湯底可勉強接受, 配料份量相當的不足, 要留意.
節目3: 到 Watsons 添罝了一些日用品, 買了Kleenex Pooh 紙巾, 比香港便宜得多
節目4: 經過不少頂級名店, 對同胞們掃貨的"力度"嘆為觀止
節目5: 意猶未盡, 到 Starbucks 點了熱巧克力, 當然加whipped cream. 經過多翻幫襯, 發覺這裏的配方沒香港的甜, 正合我意. 話說回來, 常覺得用普通話快講"巧克力" 是很"酷"的... qiao-keli qiao-keli qiao-keli ...
節目6: 很不應該, 但還是在彼隣的KFC買了川味中翼... 未發現這跟平常的巴辣有何不同.
節目7: 打道回府途中發現了地鐡出入口. 可能開了胃, 回到酒店又幹掉了一包 Cathay 花生.

出差的心態很奇怪, 對這些小恩小惠的方便很受落. 可能在香港的家沒有這種"落街mud都有"的配套(實情亦是不想住在太商業太繁華的地埗), 出外人生路不熟的時候看見"性相近"(或更"高級")的環境也竑就安心一些.

Traders

Staying at Traders for this trip, am touched because:
- fruit is served free. and guess what, they even get replenished.
- broadband is free. versus many others here charge you 100yuan a day. and very importantly, can get on blogging!! (well, credit to our at&t network client too)
- i was waiting at the lift lobby this morning and there was a cleaning lady vacuuming the carpet. when she saw me, she powered off the vacuum cleaner, greeted me and waited... powered on the machine again only after I had entered the elevator...
- very convenient, connected to a big and visitable mall

Indeed, I'm very easy to please :)

問好與祝願

這個週末多番途經浸會醫院, 總想起boss的母親因身體抱恙留院中.

在此向auntie, uncle和boss問好, 祝福一切安好, 心靈平安.

Home Depot

a 抬舉我是 "latent talents and resources" 的一員 (http://shallwetalk.blogspot.com/2006/03/7-sins.html) , 實在愧不敢當. 其實我極其量只能韜爸爸的光.

基本上, 爸爸是一個工匠... 暨收買佬. 兩者實在關係密切, 唇齒相依. 經過多番"自煮"體驗, 相信a必深深體會到"工欲善其事, 必先利其器" 的道理. 因此對一個"工匠"對"收買"的熱情和需求, 就不難理解了.

那麼, 爸爸"匠"什麼"工"呢? 他尊崇創造與建設, 摒棄任何虛蕪不實在的事物(如金融活動 - 至少他是這樣認為). 所以他的嗜好主要都是砌砌拼拼的...
影音 - 器材方面也就不贅. 但那些什麼擺位, 什麼空間的利用, 什麼共鳴的消減, 什麼線的組合, 什麼光暗的角度... 盡是"愛拼才會贏". 最新動向: 設計並制造一個擺放LCD跟Speakers的結構.
鐘錶 - 把他們(不論錶芯還是錶帶)解體, 再還原, 再解體, 再還原... 樂此不疲. 最新動向: 繼續擴充吹水會並任義務顧問.
模型 - 明顯不過. 全套工具不可少. 不贅. 最新動向: 近來少玩.
業務 - 繼續砌. 最新動向: 廠房新翼落成, 不日出發參觀.

說回收買... 不能盡錄. 要知道收買的精髓可能是有殺錯冇放過. 所以當中有唱片, 筆, 紙鎮, 開信刀, 嗜好有關(或無關)的各式器材及工具, catalogue, 拍賣書, 雜誌, 酒版... 等. 舉個例, 酒版在爸的收藏中原本不怎麼成大器, 誰不知某日他在例行巡視"業務"之際, 發現某老牌辦館"喊冷", 好奇之下就把所有酒版都全要下來. 回來一點算, 剔除重複的酒版後, 約有60多件加入大家庭.

差點忘了說, 收買就難免懷舊, 念舊一番. 所以, 爸爸也是這樣的一個人.

Bed Time Story

某個深夜, 正苦思如何給大老板寫個電郵之際, 收音機傳來鬼話連篇 -

每天的黃昏, 小孩總會倚在窗邊望街, 然後輕輕說聲 "伯伯拜拜!!" ... 揮揮小手...

母親覺得很奇怪, 因為家住高樓, 理應很難跟街上的人打招呼... 難道...

終於有一天, 母親再按捺不住, 站在小孩身後想看看這位"伯伯"是何方神聖... 當然, 她並沒發現什麼"伯伯"... 於是她鼓起勇氣問小孩他在跟誰說再見...

小孩答道... http://amoozing.blogspot.com/2006/01/bed-time-story-part-2.html

一藍紙, 一籃子

pn 打開她的"同一時間", 由於實在太人才濟濟, 那藍名單剪不斷理還亂, 於是當頭棒喝的拋下一句 "咁不如用'藍頁' ...!!"

真是發人深省.

好味

爸爸在飯堂宴請韓國業務伙伴, 一行17人好菜不少 (若干菜式名稱創意十足, 可惜不好記也不能顧名思義), 可推介(排名不分先後, 只跟上菜先後) -

- 餐前小碟, 包括冰燒三重肉(燒腩仔), 叉燒, 白滷水生腸, 海蜇珊瑚草, 貢菜
- 蟹肉干撈翅, 配金腿上湯
- 鮮百合銀杏野菌炒露筍
- 清蒸蘇眉
- 娘惹醬焗富貴蝦 (實為瀨尿蝦, 12"巨形品種, 啖啖肉)
- 法國鵝肝牛柳
- 禪關萬象 (據聞乃Download Tsang 於飯堂的必點名菜, 相當不俗 - 用日本本菇鮮鷄熬湯, 煨以澳洲番茄 (註: 必去皮去籽)
- 雪菜叉燒炒飯 (非常驚喜地出色)
- 雲吞鷄
- 安南子焞天山雪蓮 (天山雪蓮...!!)
- 千層腰果酥

美中不足是湯水太多(翅湯, "禪"湯, 雲吞鷄湯, "天山雪蓮"糖水)... 雖然好味

想當年

常覺得"當年今日"是相當妙的一種回憶程式.

妙在有心人大可對號入座; 無心者也可來個天馬行空的神馳, 對曾擁有的"當天"投入有限想像但無限的情感投放.

朋友, 當年今日你是如何如何...?

Queer Dumpling

A yummy (I believe) dish from the Queer Eye show - Steamed duck breast and foie gras dumpling:
1. Mince (personally I prefer hand-chopped) duck breast and foie gras as filling
2. Wrap filling with Wonton sheets
3. Tie the dumpling opening with spring onion (looks like 石榴鷄)
4. Steam in "蒸籠" (bamboo / whatever)

Trick: Great deal of flavor is from fat. Thus the filling should have 1/3 fat and 2/3 lean meat. In this case, the 'fat' comes from foie gras, and skin of duck breast.

Driving Sting

Don't know why, wanna drive very much tonite... to turn on music loud... to hum and sing along.

All these years since I got my driving licence, there have been 7 cars that I drive / drove regularly, and tried on another 6, if not counting those rental cars when travelling.

I have no doubt on my liking of cars. Yet, I believe I love the act of driving even more... and the memories in them.

人車誌
作曲: Jerald "Inspired by Incognito-Everyday"
填詞: 黃偉文
主唱: 陳奕迅

大銀幕相當廣闊
在投射出　想去的地方
面前是雙探路燈
都市黑了　我在馬路發光
出去一下　還在戒煙　還用買煙嗎
出去一下　原來為見一見它
出去一下　瞞著太太　才獨處一下
出去一下　如寧靜處非我家

我有車　我有壓抑　需要發射　
我與車　結合一體　感覺快些　
我愛車　似個聖堂　開到半夜　
跳上車　對著錶板　禱告那些　難題　
想想　如何　轉彎　攀山　落斜

任由電窗敞開了
任由樂曲　都市中迥響
面龐匠上的那陣風
感覺爽快　決定笑著凍僵

出去一下　留下了手提在公司嗎
出去一下　原來為見一見它
出去一下　人若間中能獨處一下 整理一下　才能自我修正嗎

我有車　我有壓抑　需要發射
我要些　過渡空間　給我煞車
我愛車　似個聖堂　開到半夜
跳上車　對著錶板　禱告那些　難題
想想　如何　轉彎　攀山　落鈄

929

On the way home after tennis this morning, saw this long-time-no-see buddy - my first real on-the-road driving experience after getting my licence years ago. I can still smell it. It's a 4WS (4 wheel steering, yes nice) and you can imagine how smooth it is when conquering the space-deficient winding roads and parking in HK. I think that's why my dad let me drive it, for being a good transition from the tiny 1,300cc 學神車 to much bigger ones I was going to master and enjoy.
Though it is not among the scarcest, the most powerful, luxurious machine that I've ever driven, it is definitely one of a kind and represents a good part of me.

120 Cents Salute

It is said that the seven thousand $1.2 BJ taxis ("Xiali" brand) will be all gone by the end of 2006. Don't know if this is one of the gifts for the 2008 Olympics. When I confirmed this with the BJ cab 'sifu' who used to pick me up, his comment was "They are indeed 影響市容, ain't they?"

K Case

The K-case is not 畸 after-all. While I don't know the long story, the appointment of JB to be the year long CEO is definitely not something I feel good about. Yet, with the precedence of the Siemens' scandal, maybe i-kee may 'leverage' the opportunity...? I must be dreaming...

It looks very much a good candidate for conspiracy theory too, a.k.a soap opera.

Viva Green Peace

I did not know how much I missed genuine salad until I managed to get a tossed garden green for lunch yesterday. It's cool (I mean it - it's cool in terms of temperature) with crispy iceberg lettuce, not too salty olive, two generous pieces of tomato and some chopped carrot and purple cabbage. Then I understand why - I have been on high-starch diet for 5 days and 5 nights here - noodles, fries, muffin, crossiant, cake, crackers, pretz... Though I bought myself apples and Chinese mandarins (柑), they are sweet fruit. The only green vegetable that I could recall was the chopped cabbage and mushroom in steamed vege bun... or a piece of two green floating with noodles. oh goosh...

禁色

無意中看到"禁色"MTV, 是何韻詩版本, feature黃耀明 (註: 黃耀明是原唱者). MTV中兩人身穿深桃紅色, 糾纏在上海澡堂/或芬蘭浴 (我想像中的) 的小瓦磚大浴池中, 相當有型 - 雖然我本身不特別喜歡這歌.

First McD in BJ

Finally got a chance to have McD in BJ, and the fries are superb!! Fresh and hot, crispy crust, soft and smooth inside, right amount of salt, even the length is just right with most of them around 2.5".
BRAVO!! BRAVO!!!

Brokeback Junior

Tonite watched a movie on Star Movies, featuring a young Heath Ledger. He acted a high school bad boy who dates a gal because of money (then of course, typical happy-ending that they really fall in love with each other). Ledger is saw with long curly hair, surprisingly much better looking than Ennis and quite cute... and spoke a more pleasant accent too. There is a scene that he sings "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". It was 1990.

Money Eat

I had a sweet sweet dinner tonite. Got a baked sweet potato outside hotel and a tiny piece of Valrhona Chocolate Truffle cake from Kempinski.

The former costs $2 and the latter $22.

The former weighed >400g and the latter <40g.

Again, feel so blessed that I can have a choice live on a $2 meal or indulge in the luxury.

Eat Money

Have a good reason not to live in BJ - Many imported food stuff that I used to / love to eat is way too expensive here as compared to HK-
Cheese is like $40sth, whipped cream is $50sth, crackers $30sth, chips $20sth, instant noodles $5, nectarine $60sth for two, cherry tomato $20sth a pack, Haagan-Dazs almost $40 a mini cup. The Fuji apples (China breed, of course not Japan) that I got today costed about $9 each, and I chose the cheapest one already.

Spendthrift

Learnt a BJ local street term月光族 from BJ City Weekend -
“月光” means moonlight. But here "月" refers to "month" and "光" means "nothing left". So the terms means: at the end of the month there is nothing left i.e. people who over-spend (and not an unusual phenomenon with young people).

Turn to Page...

Mom told me that my little sis Bean has broken (or, is breaking) up with little boyfriend. Mom has chatted her till 3am-ish on Sat nite. Probably I'm not that chat-able... but very glad that she talked to mom.

Cheer up sis, though I think it's perfectly fine to have a finite period of upset. get it over and turn to the next page!

蒙面虎後記1之盛宴

蒙面虎跟飛虎隊並無任何關係, 雖然大家都是蒙面之虎. 不知道t在怱忙之中有沒有帶PSP...

飲飽食醉其中的一個項目是要 happy boss chen 和 sifu 的 birthdays. 部份圖解見於 a's blog (http://shallwetalk.blogspot.com/2006/03/blog-post_114208947261608213.html)

其他不在圖中的美食有: 滷水鵝 / 滷水鵝掌翼 / 紅燒翅 / 黃金脆豆腐 / 胡椒豬肚湯 / 潮香鷄 / 濃湯野菌皇帝菜 / 啤酒 / 汽水 / 白粥... 再度over-config但痛快.

可惜沒有功夫茶, a 想得瘋的虎皮尖椒, 及多人想嚐嚐的青檸汁炒椰菜苗.

但見a可吃可喝(選擇性的), 想應康復得差不多, 而且很"有效"的更清減了.

火候未夠

臨週末上了一課.

情節大約是這樣的(相當典型):
~ 小項目一直得不到O小隊方面的明確支持, 安排的討論會一推再推
~ AP 隊目J遂向O小隊所屬的i大隊長G及I老頂T提問
~ i大隊長G回覆說已任命C小隊的L負責
~ 我指出L只主導C小隊(其實小隊也還未成形), 現階段主要挑戰在於欠缺O小隊方面的投入
~ L通風報信給我說i大隊長G不太高興(指數無從肯定), 覺得我是向AP投訴

唉... 真的無謂解釋. 當然覺得相當無辜, 只能怪自己道行未夠, 有些事情可處理得"好"一些. 都是溝通的問題...

一個團隊的導向已經夠複雜, 多方團隊志趣各異優先序有別, 你一言我一語的(又或應語的不語, 不應語的卻語...), 更使人頭暈轉向, 落荒而逃...

祝我好運啊.

蒙面虎

衆人飯聚甚歡. 飲飽食醉之餘, 仍念念不忘於醫院養病的t, 禁不往用a的3G電話跟他"視象"問候一番.

畫面裏的t帶上口罩, 面目有點模糊, 加上灰暗的燈光(時為晚上10時多), 感覺實在有點詭異. 衆人round the table 輪流跟他揮手打氣, 並以笑聲鼓勵... 希望他不要太掛念我們吧...

最重要的是 - Take care, all of you buddies!!!

期望管理

早些時說過, 某大電訊的3G試用計劃曾在2月22日答應會在2月28日或之前通知有關安排, 但過了死線仍音訊杳然. 今晚終於再次收到sms和email -
"您的申請正在處理中。由於申請非常踴躍，我們將於06年3月31日或之前以短訊及電郵通知您批核的結果。"

話說有關計劃接受登記的死線是2月10日. 那麼在2月22日發出sms和email 時, 該電訊理應很清楚知道有關計劃的申請情況是如何非常十分極之超級喜出望外大失預算的踴躍, 根本不可能口輕輕答允 "2月28日或之前通知有關安排", 最後卻"甩底", 還要overdue了9天後才通知死線已往後推. 完全是非常失敗的期望管理.

p.s. Email末當然不忘加一句: "此乃系統發出之電郵，請勿回覆。" 真周到. 死未.

創意二三字

八兩金 - 葉兢生 / 洪朝豐 -洪烏豬 / 倪　匡 - 倪亦明 / 鄭少秋 - 鄭創世 / 胡　楓 - 胡繼修 / 陳慧琳 - 陳慧汶 / 梁詠琪 - 梁碧芝 / 彭　羚 - 彭映盈 / 舒　淇 - 林立慧 / 梅艷芳 - 何加男 / 王　菲 - 夏 琳 / 葉　童 - 李思思 / 溫碧霞 - 溫啤霞 / 蕭芳芳 - 蕭　亮 / 王　喜 - 鄺毅兒 / 馮德倫 - 馮進財 / 陳冠希 - 陳興華 / 郭晉安 - 郭亞安 /

Get Well Soon

a, t and sifu are not feeling well these days...

Get Well Soon, folks!!

What is Possibly a... Vision?

Due to occupational bad habit, I murmured here something about a tricky little thing called "vision" for an organization. f has been so nice that she did indeed read my stuff and asked about it. I would say "vision" is more a mental image of a possible and desirable future state of the organization. It may be as vague as a dream and portrait what a 'perfect world' is in relation to the organization.

I fancy some of these examples (they may not have said these are their "vision", yet personally I think they carry that flavor well) -
~Martin Luther King Jr "I have a dream... (children) will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character"
~Walt Disney "The happiness business"
~IBM "Solutions for a small planet"
~GE "We bring good things to life"
~Nokia (1994) "Voice goes mobile"
~Nokia "Connecting people"
~Nokia (2004) "Life goes mobile"
~Microsoft (early days) "A computer on every desk and in every home"
~Microsoft (1998) "Connected PC and the connected TV"
~Microsoft (2002) "To enable people and businesses throughout the world to realize their full potential"
~Siemens "Where technology touches life"
~BMW "Ultimate Driving Machine" "Sheer Driving Pleasure"
~Canadian Cancer Society "A world where no Canadian fears cancer"

桃花依舊

b部門時銀行項目的 buddies 遠道從星洲來港小歇, 飯聚於西環坤記(桂香街). 食物不錯, 多為煲類, 略列如下:
蒜茸蒸開邊中蝦. 白飯魚煎蛋. 蒜茸蒸勝瓜. 魚香茄子煲. 枝竹羊腩煲. 粉絲什菜煲. 窩蛋牛肉煲仔飯. 白鱔排骨煲仔飯. 北菇鷄煲仔飯. 北菇田鷄煲仔飯. 另白飯及樽裝汽水.

赫然發現, 同桌8位項目仝人, 已再無b部門的人馬.

Denial

內地同事d的態度相當bossy, 原來t也有同感, 並曾對d曉以大義. s以變革管理及輔導專家的角度幫忙分析, 問d當時的反應如何. t說d很接受他的意見, 立即承認自己的問題並說會改進.

s指d的反應未必是好事, 反而可能只是敷衍了事. s說因為d若真的是把意見聽在心上, 最初的反應通常是denial.

聽了專家的話後, 我就對t說:
"你想想, 我真的有把你的話聽在心上..."
"...有沒有發覺, 無論你說什麼, 我都總是先deny..."

講開電訊...

登記了某大電訊的3G試用計劃, 曾收到sms和email表示會在2/28之前獲通知有關安排, 但至今仍是音訊全無, 實在有失商譽 - 假如還有商譽的話

一週小事回顧

上京週, 特別累:
~ 小項目相當惱人, 雖沒有被否決掉, 出師卻又像還沒有名. 沒有討價還價能力的去空談支持真的很傷神. 加上要回應S隊目高喊的10M目標, 總得為做計劃而做計劃, 為做數而做數, 談不上稱心 - 尤其連定義也還未有共識的時候.
~ AP伙伴到 Tokyo 小住5個月會hubby, 羨剎旁人.
~ 本週啤酒兩度(!): 跟s於Poulaner的House Brew, 跟s和t火鍋的燕京.
~ 有了上次與t午餐的經驗, 今回與s 於Poulaner 相當節制, 只點了一份洋蔥湯, 一份Frankfurter和一份田園沙律分享, 加上每人0.3l 啤酒及麵包籃, 也得捧着肚子了.
~ 火鍋店的服務員還是太殷勤, "分薄"了我們烚下烚下的樂趣.
~ 第一次見BJ鋪上了薄薄的雪, 蠻美的.
~ 在酒店電梯大堂遇見一甚"省鏡"的外籍女子, 不禁與t齊聲讚嘆, 有點像小fans的輕奮, 相當惹笑.
~ 到某國內電訊買電話卡(sim及號碼), 選好號碼付過款, 有關人員在登記啟動時才發現號碼還未能使用(原因不明), 要多待兩天. 事實上在十多個供選擇的號碼中, 只有一個可即時啟動. 有關人員尚算有服務意識, 主動提議退款給我. 我也樂得不用糾纏, 以免夜長夢多.
~ 在公司附近發現t形容為有heart的食店, 以後早餐有着落. 裝修舒適, 食物新鮮不油膩, 更備有國際時裝雜誌及香港某報章. 我們進餐時剛巧在修大門, 室外冷風吹進室內, 服務員立即推來暖氣機放在我們旁邊, 更送上熱檸檬茶(多得t提出訴求). 臨走前我們也識時髦的加點了咖啡外賣來嚐嚐 - 味道有待改善 (雖然他們display着某意大利名牌咖啡的罐).
~ 回程在飛機上看了Prime一片, 發覺Meryl Streep發福不少. 片中有云 "Relationship is Work (love is not enough)" 同意同意.