Jup 番個吉

What a show. Beijing residents who were forced to move away to make way for the National Grand Theatre and workers who helped build it will be among the first audiences invited to watch trial runs of performances staged at the egg-shaped theatre, Xinhua quoted a spokesman for the theatre, Deng Yijiang as saying yesterday.
~ South China Morning Post, 18 September

Time Flies

Reminded by a... the day being 好漢
http://shallwetalk.blogspot.com/2007/08/blog-post_9246.html

Was talking to aunt about staying in BJ's hotels. Miss it a little tim...
http://amoozing.blogspot.com/2006/07/hospitality.html

... those were the days

Give Way

To my dear BJ fellows, watch out.
Vehicles ordered off road for drill (From Chinadaily.com, 10 Aug)

Beijing yesterday announced a drill to test the effectiveness of the Olympic host city's efforts to improve air quality and ease traffic congestion.
From August 17 to 20, about 1.3 million vehicles - nearly half of the total 3 million in the city - will be ordered off the roads as part of pre-Olympic tests, according to the capital city's environmental and traffic authorities.
On August 17 and 19 (Friday and Sunday), only vehicles with the license plate number ending with the odd numeral will be allowed on the roads.
On August 18 and August 20 (Saturday and Monday), it's plates ending with an even number.
...
Vehicles which will be exempt from the drill will include those of the police, ambulance, fire, postal and breakdown services and the public transit system as well as those belonging to embassies and international organizations (mokee: ahhhhaaaaa).
...
Civic servants are supposed to arrive in office half an hour earlier at 8 am, and shopping malls will open doors one hour later at 10 am.
...

破紀錄

似乎虎兄今週BJ之旅要(如常)辛苦了[http://lostincloud.blogspot.com/] -
"...据说北京在下大雨，所以所有到北京的飞机都不能起飞。试想坐今天9:30(按: pm)从北京回香港的飞机的人，他们可能要到3:00(按: am)才能回到香港(按: 因2130的班機其實是虎兄上京原1650班次的回程機)。有机会打破m的记录！"

不過呢, 其實如果要打破我的紀錄, 就要這個鐘點了(am)...
http://amoozing.blogspot.com/2006/08/finally.html

賊阿哥

虎今勻升級賊阿哥.
當時overheard這個對話(其實只是聽到虎這邊), 真係kidd一聲笑出嚟.
http://lostincloud.blogspot.com/2007/04/quote-of-day.html#links

振作

很想挖出這黑眼圈 可惜雙手太短
一振作也就疲倦　
哪個說我腦筋這樣胡亂 誰在乎我錯到永遠
(from 元神出竅)

係囉.

2 Days to Go

Have been sleeping badly.
Restless. Physically and mentally.
Sweating. Frozening.
Tired.

爐氣

b姐新居一角. 千二呎, 大方得體, 簡單舒適.

秘製雞翼 - 據聞醃料包括: 羌, 蒜, 胡椒, 酒, 鮮醬油, teriyaki sauce.
煎熬中. 耗時45min @ 250C(??)

最後階段開門grill

表面風光. 反轉就係... (sorry 就係反唔轉)

所以話, 新system要'磨合'... change management很重要. 當然還有user error, 忘記搽油.
同場加映非常成功的蓮藕豬骨南北杏紅棗石合湯, 清湯掛麵, 小棠菜, 梅酒, 花茶, 木瓜雪條. 多謝.

I'll be Back

In 12 hours...

Bits & Pieces

BJ sun (& branches) @ 0800, on the way to Innovation Centre

Very good Korean dinner at a price > HK. Good food, good environment, and most importantly no smoky greasy smell @ 將台路

Life as usual @ Hilton BJ besides -

(1) checking in a Junior Suite with the scarily red silk bathrobe;

(2) a hot water tap that you have to turn open in a clockwise manner (cold water remains anti-clockwise as usual); and

(3) breakfast plates with 百家姓 on them

人丁單薄

今次回程班機十分人丁單薄. 中午online check-in時只發現小貓4隻.
後來就現場所見, 前面的機艙只有6丁人, 後面的就看不清. 隱約聽到空姐提到"14份餐"... 可能總共有14 人吧. 於是 -
~ 我原本坐2-4-2陣中的"2", 但眼見超少人, 就移到"4". 準備起飛時, 卻被'勸諭'先回到原先的座位直至起飛完成: 因為乘客太少, 要確保飛機的載重是平衡的.
~ 餐車不用出場. 空中少爺one-by-one問乘客吃喝什麼然後送到.
~ Crew好醒, 乘機叫乘客填cust sat
~ Crew Manager 仲醒, one-by-one 跟我們什麼先生什麼小姐地打招呼

入境時, 三粒花阿sir問 -

"小姐, 請問BJ班機多唔多人?"

"hmm..." (點知點算多點算少? 不過都係覺得...) "唔多"

"有無50人?"

"hahaa 肯定無"

通常我們是全場最後一班抵港客機, 我想他們大可收隊了.

奇怪的是為什麼航空公司沒有'餵'這些資料給入境處? 我會以為應是例行公事吧?

冷

吃完晚飯走出來, 雖然沒有刮風, 但不出三秒便冷得直發抖. 回到酒店一看, 原來只有攝氏-11度. 這冰點溫度, 對於'流香港血飲香港水'的我, 始終不算自在.
上星期在香港, 10度已是城中'熱'話, 一時間大家的'皮皮毛毛'都通通出籠.
從數學角度的'表面證據'看來, -11度跟10度已有21度的差距.
就像... 0度跟21度, 或10度跟31度.
能'感覺化'這距離嗎?
其實是可以多穿一點的, 只是(1)太懶, 嫌煩; (2)大安旨意出門就會上車... 所以都是'自己攞嚟'.

De... Sequel

Sequel to De... (http://amoozing.blogspot.com/2006/12/de.html)

0220 Arrived HK International Airport
0223 Called my cab - it said out of service temporarily
0224 Called my cab - it said out of service temporarily
0225 - 0230 Continued calling my cab every 20sec. - it said out of service temporarily
0231 Fed up. Gave up.
0245 Got on a cab.
0315 Home. Finally.


It was a busy night (morning?) at the airport. There were about a hundred people (my estimate) at that hour of time waiting for pick up at the carpark. Assume an average of 1.5 passengers per car, there were 60-70 cabs or limos buzzing around. Quite amazing considering the hour. Well... or maybe that was indeed normal given such hour.

叮噹心口個...

阿b姐個百寶大雜匯手袋... 重未計個TP袋.
咁resourceful, 咁free-form. 佩服.

De...

2030 Typed in address: amoozing.blogspot.com
2033 Blog page displayed, clicked 'Sign In'
2035 'Sign In' boxes appeared, typed to sign-in
2038 Signed in, started typing this blog entry
2041(est.) Clicked 'Publish'
2045(est.) Published, clicked 'OK/Done' and clicked 'View Blog'
2047(est.) Refreshed blog
... wait... wait... wait...

Here I am. Finished ONE piece of KFC chicken thigh ('cos no breast, and 'cos I didn't know such a show stopper was waiting for me). now awaiting the delayed CX313 to depart at 2255(est.). An estimated 1hr&55min delay. Hopefully would arrive home before 0300(est.).

Fed up. Totally. For the delay. For this retarded dial-up connection. For this lounge that s_ _ _ _.

不要碰我的飯桶

與b在BJ欣葉吃飯, 服務貼身煩人得過火. 不說別的, 我們的那桶炒飯, 服務員差不多每45秒就會來問一次(其實也不是問, 是邊說邊有所動作)要不要添飯. 於是我們(1)把一對筷子打cross放在飯桶上面; (2)警告他們再來打擾我們談天的話, 我們就要向經理投訴. 事實證明, (2)比(1)有阻嚇性.

Hilton Panda

'The' Hilton Panda (sorry quite dark)

Fire Drill

2006.11.08 @ PCP
BJ office building had a fire drill today. We were having a meeting at bigbigboss's conference room on 25/F. At first we (3 HKers) thought of hiding, but soon caught by the evacuating security personnel to 'advise' us to leave the building.
We were almost the last batch of people leaving the building. Since the fire exit is just next to Starbucks and Pacific Department Store, many people went straight into these places. I also went into Pacific and curious to see how a fire drill here would look like.

It's quite a scene downstairs where people should gather. There was a big crowd gathered outside Pacific, 2 fire engines, 1 ambulance and a stage. The floor was wet. One of the fire engines even had its 雲梯 extended and sprinkling water at the building. There was a stage with somebody talking quickly like hosting a TV show (with some strong beat background music). He asked somebody from the crowd to go on the stage for some fire hazard related quiz. He then asked the firemen to demonstrate the usage of some equipments on stage. The whole 'show' was captured by at least 3 cameras (sort of big ones used by TV stations) as I could see.

After taking a few pics, I decided to wait for the re-opening of the elevators while the big crowd was still enjoying coffee, shopping, the 'show' or all of the above. Given the usual efficiency of the elevators, it would take hours to get back to what I should be doing if I queue too late. Thanks god I was in the first batch when the elevators re-opened.

頭一回

今早吃早餐時, 侍應居然送上日文報紙.
幾時變成日本look? 不解.
是頭一回被誤認日本人(或起碼是懂看日文的人).

塞責與謬思

與b和cf在BJ office旁的酒店中菜吃午飯, 點了湯, 點心, 小食等. 這店的食物不錯, 但服務還是典型的國內標準.

小事之一
點了鮮蝦腐皮卷. 上桌時每件腐皮卷都已被一分為二, 可清楚看見饀料 - 橙橙綠綠的, 明顯是紅蘿蔔及西芹. 咁蝦呢?
"(問部長) 這是什麼?"
"腐皮卷."
"什麼腐皮卷?"
"(看看點心紙) 鮮蝦腐皮卷."
"不見蝦呢..."
"(左左右右研究一番) 我問問廚房..."

5分鐘後, 部長回來匯報 -
"其實是有蝦的, 切得很碎很碎混在一起... 這基本上是素食..."
聽罷不禁失笑.
基本上是素食. 什麼叫"基本上是素食"? 什麼基本不基本? 素就是素, 葷就是葷, 可沒有灰色地帶吧(齋可能不同).
還是第一次聽說素食可以是"基本上"這麼虛幻.
本人覺得這基本上是BS.

小事之二
b推介綠茶蛋撻, 於是我們就把點心紙上'綠茶雙色蛋撻'中的'雙色'刪掉, 以示只要綠茶蛋撻. 落單後也有一女部長來確認我們綠茶only的選擇.
等了很久, 蛋撻來了. 跟據Murphy's Law, 它們當然是"錯了" - 黃澄澄的.
沒有人說綠茶蛋撻不可以是黃色, 但跟據常客b的經驗, 這裡的綠茶蛋撻應該是綠色的.
向上菜的小妹引證一下, 她似層層的說: 這是綠茶蛋撻呀, 綠茶是個味道, 綠茶蛋撻是黃色的.
我們當然不肯就範, 驚動了部長, 把蛋撻退回去. 又等了15分鐘, 終於來了綠茶色的蛋撻.
在這蛋撻風雲中, 他們是aware這order是"單色"的; 可惜經確認後還是選錯了顏色.
本來也沒大不了, 但那公式的, 快過打針"我(地)冇錯"的反應, 可讓人牙癢癢 - 真不長進!