Some random thoughts...

1st October - the national day of China, we all gathered by the Chinese Embassy to demand electoral reforms, supporting our fellows in HK. The mass movement has swamped the news across the world which is remarkable. How the unrest will be settled I'm not sure. Obama can indeed leverage this opportunity for his own rating. 

At the same time, I've come to realise we as hong-kongers have always been an orphan and never given a say to decide our fate, at least our generation. We've been wrapped in a cotton wool under the British rule. Some say the Brits have led us down - have they? I don't think so (well, what more can you expect from Nick Clegg?!). We've just never learnt to be self-sufficient and independent. We don't even get classes at school to be patriotic, that's how we frame singing the Chinese anthem as being brainwashing. Nevertheless, over the last few years, there has been a twist and turn. People took to the streets and struck. Without doubts there will be more frequent movements in the coming days until a deal is signed... 

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so what do you do with a cold and fever? read read read read read and read! few articles on the financial times and economist caught my eyes. banknote printing and urbanisation. hm!

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Im such a happy and chilled bunni - even with a cold! :D Took my team out to bowling (and a secret celebration that my boss will be away for the next 5 days! huurrrrayyyy!)! It's been an exhausting week... how I managed that brain-wrecking 9am meeting was a mystery! but am glad I met some interesting people through work! 

What's next?

28th September shall never be forgotten amongst HongKongers now. It's been a remarkable chapter in history since 1967 demonstration (and of course this is before my time :P). For the very first time I, together with my friends and families, cried for the hometown. We all united with great spirits to fight till the end.

Don't get me wrong - I don't agree with everything the students are doing. Political reforms and free election in 2017 are still debatable. Staging such protests (without much strategy behind) is also questionable. It's however inexcusable and unnecessary to employ violent suppression to this degree. Why firing pepper spray and tear gas to unarmed protesters? These people aren't riots and there was no traits of burning shops nor cars nor guns... They are only hoping to voice out in the pursuit of freedom of speech and a truly competent leader for Hong Kong - a place we claim our loving home.

I'm intrigued to see how this will develop in the following days, in particular with 1st Oct fast approaching. 

*Do you hear the people sing?*

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On a separate note, maybe I should get back into the habit of writing. It's something I had once enjoyed and now my vocabulary bank account is in deficit.

With leaves yellowing, we can smell winter creeping in. With a white-girl mindset I need to work on my wardrobe and look again, as well as using this transition phase to cleanse my soul and meditate. The last 24 months have gone in a whirlwind with valuable lessons learnt (ahem, not learned!)! 

I've seen myself change and amazed myself on so many occasions. okay now I do speak like a narcissist. It's like a metamorphosis and reborn journey for me without going to Goa to torture my already very flexible limbs (and one of the conclusions is that i should establish my own business and charge these A-class celebs a premium to mend their mental minds). I've regained my funny charm and social life from a miserable abuse, learnt to forgive others but even more so myself, and embarked on more adventures - which's always the objective of my life. and for these, i should thank all my dearests for supporting me and being part of the journey! 

now i shall really get stuck into some boring readings - enough procrastination this morning. ciao for now!

Shout Out for Democracy - Ignorance is NOT a BLISS!

Twenty-five years ago, on a mildly warm summer evening in June, my parents gazed in front of the TV and tears streamed down their faces. The little naive 5-year-old wasn't bothered. She was kicking up a fuss for not being able to watch her fave soap. The screen was black, there were tankers and gun fires. She heard the news anchors, in their saddened voices, muttering something about a massacre in Beijing. That little oblivious girl was me.

Years went by, stories were told and heard. Some academics involved in 6-4 Tiananmen Sq protest are still on exile. During my schooling in Hong Kong, I was taught and raised with the value of democracy. I've always been proud of my little homeland - despite being a tiny dot on the atlas, it shines like a pearl in the Far East. I chose to live in London not because HK is like Syria. To me, it has always been a small town accommodating different voices and cultures, and prides itself on such dynamic vibe.

Yet, I'm outraged to see what is happening today. The pictures look so familiar but strange at the same time. I can't recognise nor associate with any of these. It's still a city which never sleeps, except it's being very restless tonight.

Why the need to suppress with violence? Did we not learn a lesson 25 years ago? I'm even embarrassed not being in town to support and be part of this. Shall we re-define democracy and human rights?

Please don't let history repeat and we don't need a bloodshed HK. Please also be a kind journalist and blogger - I've seen a lot of propaganda which is ominous. I beg you all support this protest with mercy and peace, and I urge the police rethink what sort of orders they're taking/ following.

*I should blog this in Chinese but please excuse my deteriorating writing skills*

如何回到當時　猶如情侶熱戀的那時
記憶可以　幻作一對蝴蝶飛舞在時光深處
荼薇紅過都變枯枝
血肉之軀會沒法保持
唯獨春天可以給記住

舊照

我不算是個極愛拍照的人. 就是記性好. 很多片段, 小事一宗, 也上心頭. 發現舊照其實不多, 但卻勾起不少畫面. 聽著王菲, 看到6 年前的我, 那個笑容, 我還可以嗎? 同一個問題, 3 年前我也問過自己. 或者, 我是太依賴.

合上眼, 闖進思潮, 我還認得那是天真任性的自己嗎? 但我慶幸有過這些. 大概, 我們也不會回到那時.

The Food Paradise - HK!

I haven't forgotten my little throne here - it's just taken me so long to blog maybe i should do this more often this year :)

Twenty-twelve has been such a tough year, except the last month which was a blast! It's been awhile since i was being pampered and spoiled it was like heaven - parents and maid all looked after me and everyday my timetable was just sleep, watch tv, go out & shop, eat and sleep again... special thanks to my dearest mommy and new maid Anna (it's just amazing someone would do my laundry and bed everyday and make me nice meals with table set etc!). jesus now i sound super like a HK kid... i wonder if i'd put on weigh since I've been indulging myself with lots of mouth-watering fooooooood and trying out different restaurantssss :P here're some highlights!

Seafood at Lau Fau Shan (流浮山)

one of the many many seafood dishes - traditional local stir fried razor clams!

This little fishing village has transformed to become the landmark of seafood restaurants in HK where you buy the very fresh, ie swimming!, seafood and the restaurant would cook to your liking.

Omakase sashimi lunch at Tin Hau

there's no way you could get something similar in london considering the freshness, variety and technique of sashimi/ sushi in london! The steamed egg was almost perfect, just that the prawns at the bottom was a bit overcooked. The miso soup was OK-ish with clams. The toro and scallops were heaven - i wish i had sea urchin too.... It's not cheap but def worth it!

                                 
                                     

dinner with mom after shopping at Festival Walks. Very nice soft shell crab tampura!

Dinner with UK boarding girlies at St. Francis Street.

Amazing starter - scallop sashimi with snow crab brown meat!

the highlight of the dinner was the diaphragm of beef! it was very juicy and crunchy!!

Dinner at home - hot pot for winter solstice!

i was a good girl i went to the market with mommy! okay i only stayed in the car to support spiritually... the pic only showed half the table of food unfortunately! we had oysters, eels (both my fave!), fish, prawns, deep fried fish skin (must have for hotpot!), lily and shitaki mushrooms, crabs, clams, pork neck fillet, hand cut beef and many many more... i dont know how my stomach managed to hold all these that evening... and we encored another 2 times during my stay at home :P

Lunch at Pacific Place's Peking Restaurant. 

this is a fairly high-end chinese eatery as it sits at Pacific Place, however! the food was a little bit of a disappointment esp the tea!!!!! 

dinner with mom and aunt and Ana at Hangzhou Restaurant in Wanchai 

special dish - river shrimps infused with 'Dragon well' tea

it was very very light and very very delicious! the shrimp was crunchy and fresh!

this is one of my all-time fave starter! It's hand-chopped wild green with tofu dressed in sesame oil! This wild green has to be hand chopped cos you can then feel the roughness and texture of each bite! it doesnt taste the same if it's done by machine...

okay, jap again... the toro and malin and sea urchin just melt in your mouth!

indeed i had tried a lot of different food toooo... from fusion Thai to German suckling pig, from Vietnamese to home made heartfelt dinnerssss. 

it was just so good to be back and nice to catch up with all my dear buddies! i wish you all a happy 2013 with a lot more enjoyable and unforgettable memories! xxxx

piazolla on sunday eve...

the room is dimmed on this sunday evening and i can feel mr. winter has quietly arrived. wrapped in my throw and night gown, i'm accompanied by piazolla's strings. it matches my mood perfectly. i have my eyes closed for a minute. maybe i have to get used to all these, and stop feeling sorry for myself. maybe it's time to stand up for myself too... yet i'm all too weak. too weak to even compose my already disorientated vision. maybe the question is how to regain composure.. im scared. im scared of myself.