Still exploring more places in Hong Kong, but literally tied down with the school work load that is simply..overwhelming. Traveled to Central and Sheung Wan, which are both considered the city or CBD. People are always rushing for time and even in this perpetually hot weather, the males still wear long sleeves and coats.

Fashion sense here is really updated and the females are pretty too! We spent around 2 hours just shopping around H&M.

Over the weekends, we went to Shenzhen and I caught a glimpse of China there. It's amazing to experience another form of Chinese national culture and to learn so much from it. From daily habits, way of doing business (bargaining and negotiation skills), and infrastructures. A little hiccup happened, but I guess it's just part of life. Sometimes things just would not go your way and the fine line between friendship and companionship becomes blurry. No matter what, just enjoy this short experience and be flexible.

Double-decker tramway at Central

A hearty meal at Cafe de Coral (Da Jie Le)

View from my campus

Shenzhen


Foreigners are call aliens??!!


Marketplace with the continuous stretches of street stores

All food outlets translated to Chinese. Cool! Apparently, one of my friend says that KFC is more popular than McDonald in China.

It's my first week of summer in Hong Kong and I am sunburnt as red as a lobster. Been rushing around like a mad dog, climbing hills and slopes to reach the campus (which is a good way to slim down), and chasing railways and MTR to explore other parts of this island.

Adapting to the environment, lifestyle, habits here slowly because I am very slow to adapt anyway. The weather here is erratic. A moment it will be sunny and humid and the very next moment, it will be raining cats and dogs with typhoon alerts.

The only comfort is the food, countless stretches of shopping paradise, and nature greenery here. Even food from Cha Chan Teng (Chinese Tea dinner) are tasty. And other than some of those rude staffs from convenience stores, the retail service standard here is better. The salesperson in the stores will greet you sweetly with "Slowly choose your items" or "Take your time". When you say thank you to them for serving you, they will say, "You are welcome!"

Mongkok street market

Smelly toufu!!

Mango dessert at the famous Xu Liu Shan

Victoria Harbor at Tsim Tsa Tsui


Cantonese cuisine at Tack Hsin Restaurant

View up Victoria Peak

So much things to do, yet so little time left. Ok, I am being pessimistic here and it's part of my genes to fret even over the smallest issue. I have to tell myself repeatedly to have fun and chill..enjoy the process. People who know me well will know that I prefer things to be orderly and organized. Give me messy things and I will make it neater. I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing since it may hinder my adaptability in certain situations, yet it may also see things being delegated clearer and with directions.

Shopping is so much fun, especially when it serves as a sort of retail therapy. And when you see things that you really like and buy it without regrets. Don't you just hate it when you buy something out of a moment of impulsive or irrational decision and see that item being forsaken at a dark corner of your wardrobe or drawer? That's seriously a heavy and painful blow to my wallet.

What kind of shopper or consumer are you: Click here

My cycling stamina has reduced by at least half! I am unable to cycle up that slope that I used to do so effortlessly. Can I blame it on the gear shifter or even the derailleur that isn't as accurate and refuses to budge unlike my old Shimano shifter? But apart from this, I managed to explore the jetty and watched the beautiful sunset amidst the gentle tides at the coast.

While I felt odd among all the loving couples there, as I watched the day go by, time seemed to slow down and I started thinking and contemplating again.

What's the purpose of having more convenient forms of communication tools? When the ultimate purpose is to pull people closer within their social communities and receive messages almost instantaneously, I beg to differ and choose to indicate that there are still loopholes. Undeniably, these informal tools are convenient; but, yet in some situations it still pulls friends apart and it makes it seems awfully obvious. My suggestion? Go pick up that phone and give your dear friend a call..to show that you care.

First, to the Tea Party, then to international cuisine buffet, later to Marche, next to Raindrops Cafe..what's next? I would like to party and indulge in red wine, shots of tequila, flaming lambo, martini, and zesty and bubbly midori cocktails (the thought of them makes me thirsty). How I wish I can be like those fortunate people who can feed on so much alcohol and carbo in their entire lives, and still remain miraculously slim. But I know I can't because I am ballooning into a fat orange and my face is horrendously bloated. So people, don't laugh, I am determined to go on an exercise regime and shed at least 4.5 pounds before I start traveling.

Was watching late night news on CNA when I saw this lovely created TV ad/commercial. Yo-Yo Ma playing the prelude from Bach's Suite No.1 which is one of my earliest and most favorite song of his. If you look at ads shown on CNA especially during prime-time slots, you will notice that they are targeted at different groups of people as compare to other TV channels.

Here's what Yo-Yo Ma says in this ad, "What makes a masterpiece? To me it is about finding the perfect equilibrium between complexity and simplicity. In order to transform the ordinary to the extraordinary, you can be inspired, you can learn from the best, but don’t try to be like someone else. Ultimately, you have to find your own voice." Inspirational and a timely masterpiece. I just want more of our local TV ads to be more refreshing rather than just relying on some repetitive jingles or being too factual.

SC Global - Own the Original



It's good and interesting to know the perspectives and histories of luxury fashion designers towards their apparels. Not that I do literally own them anyway, but I think it will make me value their products more and appreciate their visions. One of my most respectable female designer is Coco Chanel who broke the tight female corset fashion and replaced it with clothings that emphasized on comfort and casual stylishness.

Louis Vuitton started by selling mostly trunks and luggage. This TV commercial brings audiences closer to its core values and how it fits elegantly in in our journeys or traveling lives.

Louis Vuitton Core Values: Where Will Life Take You?



I am not a particularly coffee drinker, but drinking coffee can be so much fun when you feel your day charged just by watching this.

Starbucks Coffee Double Shot – Bring on the day

I am a sucker for Korea and Japan drama..good ones though. My friend used to comment on what's so great about Korea drama when half of the time they are crying, hugging or screaming. He says that he could just go to the fridge, grab a chilled can of beer, have a visit to the loo, and when he returns the characters in the drama would still be crying.

My self-confessed list of symptoms

Do you have any of these above symptoms?

I just completed watching the Korean drama - 49 Days. It tells the story of Ji Hyun, a young lady who is about to be engaged with her fiance but meets with a serious car incident and falls into a deep coma. While being bed-ridden, her soul meets that of a male death reaper. The death reaper says that in order to be saved and get out of the coma, Ji Hyun needs to collect genuine tears from 3 good people (other than family members) for a period of 49 days. Otherwise, she will die.

For the next 49 days, Ji-Hyun takes the body of the suicidal Lee Kyung and imposes as Lee Kyung from morning to midnight in her quest to find 3 such persons. She thought that finding 3 teardrops would be easy since she was a good-hearted and sociable person when being alive. However, things become awry when she discovers ugly truths of her closest friend, fiance, and people around her. Not all is despair as she realizes how much her parents dotes on her and that the man she dislikes most turns out to be the most caring.

My eyes were wet when I watched the last episode. Not that Ji Hyun didn't manage to collect 3 tears, but because she still died sadly.

A great cast

49 Days - Tears Necklace. Will I have 3 teardrops?

That makes me wonder on myself, perhaps a sort of reflection. What if I suddenly slip into a semi-death state and my soul has to do the same as Ju Hyun in order to be alive? How many people or friends will cry genuinely (not fake, guilt, or self-pity) for my demise? What if I realize that I have lived a life that is less than being purposeful and even if I ever passed away, how many people will still know my death anniversary or visit my grave after 1 year, 2 years, etc? I know these all sound despairing and emotionally-charged, but at least I know that before I died, I will not crave the selfish wish of people remembering me for a long time, but I will want to see at least one sustainable good deed made by myself before my last breath.

I love this quote from the movie - Eat Pray Love.

" We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we’re afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins. Then I looked around at this place, at the chaos it has endured – the way it has been adapted, burned, pillaged and found a way to build itself back up again. And I was reassured, maybe my life hasn’t been so chaotic, it’s just the world that is, and the real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation" - Elizabeth Gilbert

Take a look at this. Which blue circle in the middle is bigger?



Both are equally of the same size!

Why?

It's the truth of relativity. Human minds are wired to look at things around us in relations to others. From decision making such as purchasing products, social class, income, emotions, etc.