.
.

6.4


不忘

By Popular Demand...

しるし (Shirushi) by Mr. Children

This performance is made of win and awesome. An amazing performance by Mr. Children and especially Sakurai. The song itself is already touching. This live performance makes it even more powerful. Add to that the idol girl in the audience couldn't help but shed a tear. I don't know how you can't be touched by this video. Pay attention to the lyrics as well; they are amazing.

The power of music strikes again!

Time to Retire, Mr. Ocean.

No not you, Mr. Soderberg. I'm sure you'll continue to make fine films. Just stop making sequels to your version of Ocean's Eleven.

When it comes to movies, I always try to "see good in bad". I saw Soderberg's Ocean's Twelve not long ago, and unfortunately, I didn't see much good. In this age of sequels, I can't blame Warner Bros. for wanting a sequel to 2001's hit. Its too bad they were walking straight in to a trap... set by themselves! Lets compare the two movies:

• Eleven: takes place in Vegas.
• Twelve: takes place in Europe.

For a "fun", caper movie, how can you top Vegas in terms of location? Different European venues just can't compare with the original Sin City.

• Eleven: introduces a slew of funny, interesting, and/or charismatic characters.
• Twelve: introduces maybe one or two new characters who aren't that interesting.

Again, its hard to win here. The novelty is gone, and it is difficult to focus on the same old characters again. One reason why you lose interest, is that there are too many people to keep track of. Unlike Eleven, they were all bright and shiny new, so the viewer's short attention span was able to stay happy.

• Eleven: focused plot and storyline.
• Twelve: storyline is confusing and boring.

You really have to watch it to understand what I'm saying here. The focus in Eleven was rob Benedict's casinos, with the subplot of Danny Ocean winning his wife back: pretty clear cut. Twelve has the gang trying to get enough money to pay back Benedict, end up doing odd jobs that don't pay up, and as it turns out there's a rival master thief behind it all toying with them just for fun. Even the big payoff twist in the end was very ho-hum. Well, it is possible that by then I no longer cared enough to pay attention.

Unfortunately, Ocean's Twelve was nearly a complete waste of time. I hear that they are indeed making another sequel, Ocean's Thirteen. This one is supposed to be back in Vegas. Maybe they'll get it right this time.

Only In America Part II

Judge sues dry cleaners for $65 Million over a pair of pants

The American legal system strikes again. This time, the victims are owners of a mom and pop dry cleaning store. The idiot offender is, believe it or not, a judge in the District of Columbia. A dry cleaning store misplaced the pants (which were found 3 days later) of Judge Roy L. Pearson Jr. He later denied that the pair of pants was his, and is now suing the poor owners for USD65 Million. He came up with that number through reasoning that makes zero sense:

• Included two years' cost of rental car for travel to different dry cleaners: he somehow thinks dry cleaning is a right and not a privilege.
• Denies the found pants are his despite the matching size and receipt number.
• Suing them for "satisfaction guaranteed" sign: they found his pants, they offered him enough money to buy 10 suits. What more does this moron want?

Why is this case even being take seriously? The VP of Common Sense would have thrown it out immediately. Oh wait... judges are supposed to be VPs of Common Sense. With Judges like Pearson, common sense does not exist!

...Only in America.

Bonus! Sherman Joyce offers to buy this slimeball a new suit. Seeing as to what a cheap bastard Pearson is, the suit should cost no more than $200.

That Bloody Sock

Sports journalist Gary Thorne alleges that Curt Schilling's bloody socks in 2004 during game 6 of the ALCS and game 2 of the World Series were fake, meaning the blood was painted on.

I never took this report seriously, and totally forgot about it after hearing it. Who knew that people took it so seriously? I check the websites and journalists actually spent column space on it. Unbelievable.

I was not surprised to see Curt defend his integrity on his blog. If someone said slanderous things about me and it was important to me, I would hit back too. What surprised me, was the response Curt got from readers/fans. A lot of people thought Curt went overboard, and that he overreacted while criticizing Thorne and other journalists. I'm pretty shocked. Curt has been kind and brutally honest on his blog. I don't see why he should hold back when defending himself against idiot sports journalists, who have given him shit since the day he stepped into Fenway as a Sock.

Athletes, especially those in a place like Boston are under constant scrutiny and pressure to win. Furthermore, the media base their reports on rumors of rumors, and make false accusations. Take Manny Ramirez for example. Last few seasons he was the best hitter and hardest working player on the team. Yet the media still labeled him as lazy and unmotivated, hence the phrase "Manny being Manny". It is no surprise that he wanted to be traded away from Boston when you get that kind of criticism.

When constantly bombarded with that kind of crap, I would be pissed too. Those playoff games meant a lot to the Sox, and I'm sure they were life defining moments for Curt. To be accused of something as stupid as painting blood on a sock during such an important moment is moronic and disrespectful. Besides that, I hardly see the logic here. The media took a momentous moment and had to try and add negativity to it. The event took place three years ago. Why even bother to bring it up, especially when the topic concerned is so meaningless.

I'm with Curt. He has the right to be pissed. People who don't understand his rage just haven't been insulted day in day out like he has.

The Power of Music

Above is the ending sequence for Japanese dorama Beautiful Life.

It is the sombre love story involving a girl in a wheelchair who eventually dies of leukemia by the end of the show. The eleven episodes are entertaining, heartwarming, and educational (thoughts of a disabled person in Japanese society). What I remember most; however, is the theme song for the series: 今夜月の見える丘に by J-pop/rock duo, B'z.

In the beginning, I liked the song. It was a catchy tune, it had a great sound, and a very powerful chorus. Now, the song makes me cry everytime I hear it. When I listen to this song, especially the chorus, I see the final image of the ending sequence where the two main characters are in a fantasy land (perhaps heaven?). The girl can walk again, and she is free of her wheelchair. Hand in hand, the two run across an open field, leaving the wheelchair behind. Only in death, is she finally free of her wheelchair and her disease. I hear that out of this world, super powerful chorus, and all these feelings and emotions rush into my mind.

That is the power of music and imagery.

Welcome Back, Baseball!

Ichiro Mania

Excited with the 2007 season so far. A couple things:

Its funny how so many were so upset about JD Drew. As of now, he's been the most productive Red Sock. A slight upgrade defensively, and a major upgrade with his offense: hitting, base running. A pretty complete player. Eric Hinske and Wily Mo Pena need more playing time. Hinske had a very impressive game during his only start. If only Coco Crisp could hit like he plays defense. When is Matsuzaka going to get some run support? I love how the Sox bullpen may have Papelbon handle the tough innings, and have the rest of the relievers handle everything else. It is a great strategy. Use Paps as a your trump card when absolutely necessary.

Red Sox baseball... I'm definitely feeling the excitement!

Keep me out of this

36% of Hong Kong people consider themselves "Chinese"

Hong Kong people associate themselves with Hong Kong rather than their mainland counterparts. Well of course! Who would want to be associated with all that lying, cheating, corruption, absence of human rights, spitting, smoking, extreme poverty, dirty money, scams, fake shit, fake shit that will kill you, China's rich, China's poor, pollution, communism, crappy health care, crappy health care that costs money, trumped up charges, laziness, lack of responsibility, politicians playing god, and believe me... the list goes on.

Apache Remix

Happy Friday

What have you done for me lately?

The above letter to the editor is old. However, since the recent buzz is all about Donald Tsang getting "reelected", I feel it is relevant. Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, just yesterday affirmed Tsang's position as the Hong Kong's Chief Executive. He praised Tsang's victory by a large majority vote, saying that the people of Hong Kong have a firm belief in his ability. When I heard that on the radio, I couldn't help but swear out loud. It is by far the biggest crock of shit I've heard in a long time. Wen's words couldn't be further from the truth. He knows it, and everyone in Hong Kong knows it. Who was he trying to fool? Oh that's right... China.

Yesterday on the radio, a rowdy caller complained about Tsang's track record. What has Tsang done for Hong Kong people? What has he done for the poor? The answer is obvious: nothing. He has done plenty for his buddies in big business. Tsang's campaign slogan was, "我會做好呢份工" (I will get the job done). The problem here lies in that Tsang never actually read the job description.

Big Business vs. The People

Last week's fire that destroyed the shops and product of countless merchants is not over. The fire has been put out, but small business owners are left without a business. They have no shop to operate from, and no product to sell. Many of the victims sold dried seafood goods that come with a high cost. They have lost tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.

Property owning giant, The Link (領匯), eloquently refuses to pay for any damages to the victims, despite failing to notify them that the emergency sprinklers were turned off 15 days prior to and during the fire. Not surprisingly, they immediately went into PR mode after the fire. Experts went on television and radio to explain how it wasn't their fault.

Some may think that The Link is making perfect sense, and that the merchants are hysterically trying to recoup their losses. What many don't understand, is the situation that these people are now in. They have basically lost everything. Anyone in their situation would be hysterical. Who wouldn't try to get their life back? While The Link's corporate fat cats sit around and skirt responsibility, the reality is that these victims have lost their business and some of them will starve.

A Nation of Prisoners

Doesn't it seem like so many of China's internationally recognized people are in prison?

Chen Guang Cheng is one of those people. A blind, rural activist who exposed China's forced abortions and mistreatment of women.

Despite being handed a 4 year prison sentence for the trumped up charges of, "damaging property and organising a mob to disturb traffic", Chen is highly praised and recognized internationally. He has received many awards for his efforts. In any civilized nation, he would be regarded as a hero. Instead, he is a prisoner.

Chill out, modern day Persians

Iran is mad at the film, 300, because it depicts the Persians as an evil people. It puts Persians in a bad light. I hate to break it to them, but most Westerners are probably too dumb to relate Persia to modern day Iran.

As an ignorant outsider, I wish Middle Eastern folk would ignore the movies and comic strips, and focus on real issues. Call me insensitive, but I think they're overreacting over nothing.

Kyle Francis sums it up pretty well here. 300 is so blatantly exaggerated and unrealistic, I don't know how anyone could somehow compare it to reality. So instead of criticizing the things that are obviously not real, perhaps they should put efforts in movements that actually mean something.

A Bad Decision, or Just Poor PR?

Animal rights activists want four month old polar bear, Knut, dead.

Strange but true. Knut, the polar bear was rejected by its mother. Since then, a Berlin zookeeper has been racing Knut by hand. The activists are all worked up because they think the bear should die as nature intended it to. The mother rejected her cub, and humans shouldn't interfere. They don't want Knut to become another zoo animal.

It is nice to see some consistency from the activists, but it makes you think: 1) Are they making any sense? For the most part... no. 2) Did they give it any thought before releasing this opinion? Probably not. Certainly an boneheaded move on the activists' behalf. The bear will live a life of comfort. With polar bear numbers diminishing as global warming gets more severe, isn't it prudent to save as many bears as we can? Letting another polar live does no one any harm. Another live polar bear allows more people to appreciate it, and perhaps it will spark more effort in saving the bears and repairing the environment.

By wanting the polar bear dead, the activists have put themselves in a very bad position. Now everyone has the impression that activists are hypocrites, too extreme, and borderline ridiculous. They lose credibility for having an opinion that is perceived as ludicrous. Yes, they have a point, but does it make sense? Instead of being so inflexible, the activists should have seen this trap miles away. Winning the hearts of the public is the way to further their cause.

Perhaps they need what Bill Simmons often suggests pro sports teams need: a common sense consultant.

$1.25 Dinner

Couple days ago, after hearing about the $1,000 pizza, I heard about the $10 dinner. That's 10 Hong Kong dollars folks, not USD (HKD10 roughly equals USD1.25).

A guy who lost his job was telling his story on the radio, and he was asking no one in particular how he could cook a dinner with ten Hong Kong dollars. As is the case with many jobless Hong Kong people, work opportunities are running out, and they are too proud to get on welfare.

Back to the ten dollar dinner... no one could give him an immediate answer. Sure, you can probably get something off McDonald's cheapie menu, but that's about it, and its hardly a meal. Later in the day, one of the DJs asked a cleaning lady the "ten dollar question", and she was able to give him an answer quite easily.

Beef Soup

Ingredients:
Beef - $5
Tomatoes - $2
Potatoes - $3

Recipe: Boil all the ingredients in water. Take out the potatoes and deep fry them.

"Tastes really really good", she said.

The moral of this story: while some of us burn away money in extravagance, others are struggling to survive. The middle class is getting smaller and smaller. While some can't imagine preparing a meal with ten dollars, there are many who must find ways to make it happen; and they do.

Meanwhile, someone in NYC is chowing down on a $1,000 pizza.

$1,000 Pizza

New York City: home of the $40 burger and the $100 omelet, is now home to the outrageous $1,000 pizza.

You heard that right! The 1K Pizza, created by the owner of Nino Bellisima, is probably more a publicity stunt than anything else. A pretty good ploy: everyone in America has heard of his ridiculous pizza, and of course they've also heard of his restaurant's name as well. Spend a couple grand making sample pizzas for the press and customers has gotten Nino Selimaj some pretty cheap nationwide advertising. Not bad for a day's work.

Onto the pizza: it has creme fraiche, chives, four different kinds of caviar, 4 ounces of thinly sliced lobster tail, salmon roe and Japanese wasabi horseradish. No cooking is required, but an order must be made 24 hours ahead of time.

Is it worth it?

Not even close! Without trying it, I can already tell you that $85 for a small slice is way over the top. Forty dollar burger? I can understand that. Best quality beef plus truffles, and I can imagine it costing $40. Hundred dollar omelet? Crazy, and out of my league, but feasible! I can envision an omelet costing that much if you put enough extravagant items in it.

I don't blame Selimaj. All he's doing is promoting his restaurants. I blame those people who will actually spend a thousand bucks on this pizza. No point in elaborating, but my advice is spend one tenth of that money on a regular pizza and donate the rest to charity... please.

1) Press 2) Off

【大公報訊】記者劉家莉報道：○七年高級程度會考和中學會考即將開鑼，為杜絕考生利用手機作弊，考試及評核局勸喻考生勿帶手機進入試場，並加重懲罰沒有關上手機的考生，在無作弊的嫌疑下，最輕亦會被取消該科成績。提早離場的考生亦不得帶走試卷。

○六年中學會考共有二百九十宗沒有關上手機而被扣分及降級的個案。考評局學校考試及評核部總經理許婉清昨日表示，今年將加重懲罰沒有關上手機的考生，最高懲罰由以往的成績降級，改為取消全部科目考試成績。

許婉清說：「現有手提電話有很多功效，甚至有些可以儲存很多文字，變成了可作弊的工具，為了加強考試的公平和公正，所以今年加重罰則。」試場亦嚴禁使用包括電子手帳傳呼機、MP3機及可顯示文字功能的手表等電子通訊器材。

若考生提早離開試場，必須得到監考員批准，亦不得帶走試卷，否則可能被取消該科成績。考評局解釋是避免有考生早退將試卷提供予另一名遲到的考生「出貓」。考卷使用電腦條碼的系統，將會推廣至多項選擇題，考生在回答時，需要將電腦條碼貼在答題紙上。

考 評局今年首設「公開考試資訊中心」，中心已於本周一運作，公開試期間，考試局特別派出七至八名員工接聽電話，解答考生疑難。對於有自修生「請槍」代考數學 科，許婉清表示，現時擁有成人身份證的自修生准考證不需要貼上相片的做法，其實與國際考評機構相同。但她坦言監考員核對考生身份時亦「有機會看漏眼」，考 評局不排除日後要求成年的自修生准考證同樣貼上考生相片。

Due to incidents of kids cheating on exams through the use of mobile phones, the government has take extreme measures to ensure that mobile phones are turned off during exams. If a test taker's mobile phone rings or vibrates during the exam, that will be automatically disqualified for all tests. It is a big punishment in comparison to last year's drop of one grade.

Some students complain that the punishment is too harsh. True, the DQ is a bit shocking at first, especially since a phone going off doesn't necessarily equal cheating. Think of it this way though: if you're too stupid to turn off your phone during one of the most important tests of your life, then you probably should have stayed home in the first place. I'm pretty sure that there are reminders to shut off mobile devices everywhere. Forgetting is not an excuse. Not knowing how is no excuse. If you don't know where the on-off button of your phone is, you're not qualified to use it.

Okay, some phones are difficult to use. The alarm goes off even when the power is off. It can be complicated! Simple solution: remove the battery.

Damn... they should make this a test question.

Just A Friendly Reminder

More on the shoes...

Its pretty amazing. The shoes look pretty nice as is, but when you see 100 people wearing them, and then compare them side by side with non-Chinese made shoes, its pretty obvious.

Alex said...

That is very interesting, because I work with this one older mainland woman at my company. In every conversation I had with her she always tries very hard to prove that she is not the poor one.
Example one when I talked about playing blues with my co-worker Pete. She would jump in "oh my son plays the piano" (Sounding like that is a higher class instrument) and while we are trying to push the idea of the entire company is working together as a team, she constantly have the need to point out who is at what level within the org chart (Who’s the boss).

Re: alex

All Mainlanders have a chip on their shoulder. The smart ones were looked down upon wherever they went, despite being pretty darn smart. The rich ones were looked down upon even though they were filthy rich. Think about it: a couple years back when rich Mainlanders started sprouting up and coming out (HKers affectionately call these people 暴發戶, which roughly translates to "New Money"). No one gave them any respect. They wore the best clothes and flung around the most money, yet they were frowned upon. At the same time, they were unmistakably from the Mainland thanks to their haircut, their accent, the squatting, the chain-smoking, and other little nuances. However, that's besides the point.

Years ago, their perception was: "if I get rich, I'll be respected", or "if I get smart, I'll be respected". That's why you see Mainland Chinese guys spending Gs like a rapper: in excess. They want to announce to the world that they've made it. If they're smart, or they've got something to show-off, they're going to make damn sure that everyone knows. That explains why your colleague is so eager to let her "wealth" be known. It is especially important that you: a Chinese person well settled into American society who speaks perfect english and has tons of white friends, understand that she's "better than you".

I see this kind of shit everyday. I deal with these Mainlanders who work for American companies. Some of them have higher wages than me. Because of their high pay and American employer, they really do think that they are light years ahead of you in terms of status. Not only do they think they're "the boss", but at the same time they have to put on a show for their employers to prove that they're worth that high salary. I'm talking high. These guys can make up to ten times the amount of an average worker employed by a local company, doing the same job. I don't see their value, other than some broken english, and some superior arse-kissing ability. Yet, they're still treated like just another Mainlander when they step foot into Hong Kong; hence, the chip on the shoulder.

How to spot a Mainlander Part I

This series is not meant to make fun or discriminate against Mainland Chinese folk. I'm simply pointing out patterns and behavior that they themselves may not have noticed. Hopefully, they won't take this too seriously.

Let us start with the basics. I once read somewhere that when women meet men, the first thing they look at are his watch, and his shoes. Of course this may not be true in all cases. What the author was trying to point out, was that one can tell a man's wealth through his timepiece, and his footwear. At one point in time this may have been true. Rich guys don't always dress nice, but they'll always wear that rare, classic watch and their $2000 loafers. Not so rich guys may be able to afford nice clothes, but they are not able to afford the expensive shoes, or the $100k watch.

Can you differentiate wealth from a guy's shirt? Sure, but it is a lot more difficult. Can you honestly tell the difference between a $50 shirt and a $500 one? In two minutes? Also, a $500 shirt isn't so outrageous as a $300,000 watch. Something like that just stands out. Anyways...

Nowadays its different: rich guys wear Swatch watches and Nike sneakers (okay fine, Prada sneakers). It is much harder to decipher wealth by those key items anymore. Believe it or not, Lee Ka Shing wears a Seiko. Old Money take their Ferrari's and show up at the Dai Pai Dong in their flip flops. The trend is for the wannabe rich to dress up, and the rich to dress down. Compensation, I guess.

Lucky for us, you can still easily tell a Mainland Chinese male by their watch and their shoes.

For the watch, they always wear this variation that has a very thin face (no, not Patek Philippe mind you). Usually, it is accompanied by a leather wristband, or a thin metal band. Once you've seen one, you'll definitely recognize it: thin face, super simple design, almost always a gold colored face.

The shoes usually have a pointy toe. They are always a really shiny black, and they always have an emblem of some sort. I've been through a whole Chinese department store, and failed to find a pair of men's leather shoes without an emblem. Take a look at these two variations.

I noticed these things a long time ago, but it really hit me during the Chinese New Year holiday. During that week, Hong Kong was suddenly filled with people wearing these shoes and those watches. Pretty amazing.

The Mind Wanders...

Yes, I know I've been away. Two posts in nearly one month is pretty pathetic. I basically put myself into complete vacation mode during the Chinese New Year holiday. I checked work email, but only responded to important ones. Last week was the first week of work after the holiday, and I basically just drifted through it. Kinda scary if you ask me. Though China wasn't running at full steam yet, I should have been preparing the goals for this year and figuring out how to achieve them. Instead, I slithered my way through the week while battling a minor stomach flu.
If you need some motivation this week, perhaps this video will help (or not)...

The Most Important Win

Oscars 2007 came and went. To be honest, it was quite a bore. Ellen Degeneres has always been a fine comedian, no qualms about that. However, everything in between just wasn't all that entertaining. Most of the acceptance speeches were ho-hum. Not saying that giving an acceptance speech in front of the whole world is easy, but I spent the whole time nervous that the winners would do something embarrassing. One of the worst things is being unable to finish your speech, and having the Oscar music chase you off stage. Even worse than that is demanding that you be able to finish while that Oscar music is playing. Its like begging for your life as the guillotine drops... embarrassing. If it were me, I would have prepared an original, interesting, or meaningful speech. At least do what Michael Moore did: make a friggin statement. Having said that, I guess my favorite acceptance speech was by Forest Whitaker. See it here.

Just kidding... its actually here.

Personally, I was especially looking forward to the best documentary category. I was truly hoping that An Inconvenient Truth would win. The last time I wished so hard for a movie to win was when Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away was nominated for best animated film. AIT won. Not only was the win well deserved, it was extremely important. More people need to see this film. Hopefully, with the Oscar win, AIT will gain even more popularity, and its message will spread. The environment that we have nearly destroyed needs saving. Lets at least play a small role in repairing our mistakes.

Oh, and congrats to Marty, too.

Best and Worst movie of the (my) week

Tasty beverage of the week: The Departed

Saw this on the plane, but thanks to Cathay (can't believe I said that), all the profanity and all the violence were intact. I enjoyed The Departed a great deal. I think one of the reasons why I liked it was due in large to Infernal Affairs. Million dollar question: was it better than IA? Lets see...

I must say that I enjoyed both films just as much seeing them for the first time. I remember walking out of the theater excited after seeing Infernal Affairs. It felt so complete, so well done. It stood out by a mile when compared to Hong Kong films at the time. The acting, the style, and the story were all brilliant. Because it was such an achievement in comparison to it's peers, some of the holes in the story and action could be forgotten.

First of all, I felt that The Departed filled in some of those holes that Hong Kong film making left in IA. Here are a few examples:

• Combining the "girlfriend" and "psychiatrist" roles. An excellent move. In IA, these two roles were nothing more than plot movers.
  
• Taking out all the cheese: the silly music they played when the undercover chief fell off the building in IA, silly techno/computer/unreasonable scenes, etc.
• The big big "security camera in elevator during showdown scene" question mark.
  
• Closure all in one film, so there will be no The Departed 2 or 3. A big mistake on the part of IA.
  

The Departed also had all the nitty-gritty-ness that IA didn't have. Departed is a violent film. Lots of punching and kicking and beating. Perhaps its the setting of blue-collar/Boston/mafia that requires the need for violent realism. I loved how all the cops swore at one another, shooting the finger at will, and making crude jokes. It truly felt like the Irish-catholic, chauvinistic culture of Beantown.

My two favorite characters were those played by Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg. Funny, mean, and egotistical. Perhaps they were acting themselves, but it just fit the situation perfectly. Their roles also balanced out a lot of the tension the movie had in place. I can only describe them as chauvinistic, funny, assholes. Brilliant. Some said that Jack Nicholson's character was too over the top. I don't agree. If he wasn't sort of over the edge, nobody would be scared of him, and he probably wouldn't have lasted in that scenario. Smart and edgy fits his character well.

In comparison, Infernal Affairs though good, looks cheap compared to The Departed. They tried to look cool in the prequel and sequel, but over did it in my opinion. In the sequel: long black coats in July?! Give me a break.

After watching both films, I really feel that The Departed is much more refined and entertaining than Infernal Affairs. IA is good in its own way, but it needs a little more finesse to be at Departed's level.

Rotten turd of the week: Wo Hu 臥虎

Hmm... I don't know where to start. Crappiest Hong Kong movie I've seen this year. There's a whole slew of "famous" characters in this flick. Some are even great actors. Miu Kiu Wai was a high up police chief of some sort, in charge of undercover cops. He played this role horribly. His level of acting is only suitable for a B-level television series. Eric Tsang Chi Wai plays a smart gangster with no bite. Most of his chacter spends time being a romantic rather than a gangster. Pretty boring subplot to the film. Jordan Chan Siu Chun doesn't seem to take acting seriously anymore. Francis Ng Chun Yu is a good actor, but his role was poorly written. ... and so on...

The entire plot and storyline is a mishmash of poorly written character roles that don't meld at all. There were some twists in the end, but the film is such a mess, that you don't even realise they're twists anymore. It is my habit to watch movies till the end (and not quit halfway through), but I was seriously considering calling it quits on this low-budget piece o' crap.

Honorable mention: Udon うどん

Not near the level of Tampopo, but still a good Japanese movie about food. This time the main subject is... heh... udon. The movie is sometimes serious, mostly funny, and very appetizing. Japanese udon is such a simple food, yet it can take on many different forms and styles. This film takes place in a small town in Japan, which is considered the "Udon Mecca". The story begins with a failed comedian starts to work for a local magazine, that popularizes the town through udon. Eventually, people come to make "udon pilgrimages", but the results are mixed and there are other stories involved.

Udon is a good movie, and certainly worth watching if you're interested in food or Japanese culture in general.

Thank you, Whistler

My first time on the slopes was a blast. Learning how to snowboard was difficult at first, but eventually I got up to speed (literally) on the 2nd/3rd day.

Got beat up pretty bad by both gravity and mother nature. Though I have a suspicion that it was my own lack of skill/technique.

Anyways, an excellent 3 days in Whistler. I feel fully recharged and ready to go. Though due to some minor injuries, I'm not ready to go back to the gym just yet!

Desert Heat

Tiger Woods is in Dubai this week, and he's wearing shades on the golf course! That is something that I have never seen before. Certainly, they look fine, and they're probably made by Nike. If he doesn't like them, that means good news for the consumer.

Tiger Woods is very picky with the stuff he uses on the golf course. Off the course... not so much (er... lack of fashion sense [ahem]). My problem with sunglasses, is that they don't fit too good under the cap. Wearing both a cap and sunglasses at the same time have always been difficult for me. Hopefully, Tiger will run into the same problem, and Nike will solve it.

Oh... wishful thinking.

Colts 38, Patriots 34

Close Game, Tough Loss
What a game. It was all about offense. The Pats and Colts basically exchanged quarters, with the Pats dominating the 2nd, while the Colts came right back in the 3rd. It was almost a competition to see who would blink first. A worn down Tom Brady made a mistake in the final drive to end the game.

For me, it was a pretty devastating loss. We were leading by 18 at the half. The Colts' comeback was unbelievably quick. Everyone not named Brady made mistakes. We could have put this game away with our offense, but costly mistakes didn't allow that to happen. Reche Caldwell dropped the ball 80 times after making the winning catch last game. Our defense was pretty mediocre as well. The Colts' passing game blew right by us in the second half.

I am disappointed because we lost to the Colts, and also the chance to be in the Superbowl. I had plans for this Superbowl, and was dearly hoping the Pats would be a part of it. It felt like they would be part of the plan just last week up until the third quarter. Management needs to get their act together and get Brady some support. It's pretty much been a one man show this season.

Speaking of hot female athletes...

Serena Williams is not one of them.

Gym Character Transform!

I'm sure you all remember the infamous idiot gym characters, OSG and her "trainer" friend. If not, just click on the link to find out.

Apparently, this trainer friend is a gym regular himself. Though OSG is nowhere to be seen, "trainer friend" is not flying solo. Along for the ride is his own female trainer. Together, they are another dynamic duo that raises havoc at the gym I go to.

Since "trainer friend" no longer shows up with OSG, it looks like a new nickname is in order. Due to a trait of his that I may have failed to mention in the past, this nickname can only belong to him and no one else. "Trainer friend" has made the transformation; he has successfully emerged from his cocoon, budding into the infamous, ever-dreaded... EXCESS TOWEL BOY!

Now how could he possibly have earned this nickname? Perhaps you've already cut to the chase, and you're asking yourself how many towels did he have to take to earn this nickname? Here's the thing: Excess Towel Boy (ETB for short) has been seen carrying a stack of ten towels on his way to the gym. These towels are provided by the gym, mind you, so naturally he feels free to take as many as he can hold.

Once he starts working out, its like a tornado came through. Towels are everywhere! I have to flick away his towels in order to pick up equipment or barbells. I always know when ETB comes alone because I can see that the towel tornado has hit town. When he's with his trainer, the poor girl has to pick up his sweaty piles of cotton when he's finished.

Perhaps one day I'll grab all the dirty towels in the bin, and dump them where he normally works out. That will either send him a clear message, or to my dismay, he might just add to the pile.

Let the girl play... I suppose

This year's Sony Open at Kapalua came and went. Another sponsor's exemption was doled out to Michelle Wie so she could play against the men and not make the cut. And once again, tour players complained about how another precious exemption was given to a female who never qualified to play in a PGA Tour tournament.

I'm sure I can't imagine what a struggle it is to play tournament golf day in and day out. More difficult it is to have that be your sole method of income. So it is pretty much expected that guys who depend on these tournaments for their food and shelter will bitch and moan about a teenage girl taking a slot that could have belonged to one of their compatriots.

My advise to the "Michelle Wie Sony Open Exemption Slot" candidates, is to get one of two things: 1) a game, or 2)an image consultant. For some, a gym pass, plastic surgery, or membership to the Men's Hair Club may work as well (Men's Hair Club is arguable, since you may wear a hat all the time anyways).

Bottom line is, people want to watch Wie play. She has a game (for a 17 year old girl), a great swing, and she certainly looks a lot better than a majority of the PGA Tour players. So sorry D.J. Trahan, Craig Barlow, Wes Short Jr., and others. You didn't do much better than Michelle, and I'd much rather watch her miss the cut than watch you guys. I understand its your paycheck and all, but frankly, I don't care. For the viewers, professional golf is about entertainment. When Paul Goydos won, what did I get? That's right, lots of Michelle Wie eye candy, that's what.

So let Michelle Wie play all she wants, I'll watch her play prime time golf any day.

Finally

January First Two Thousand and Seven marks the day Hong Kong banned smoking in most indoor public places. All I can say is that its about damn time! The ban is certainly a sign of sophistication. The ill effects of smoking have long been known, and Hong Kong is finally doing something to protect non-smoking consumers and employees who want to stay healthy.

"無啖好食"
"食食吓飯要走出街，好唔方便". A woman complains that she can't have a "peaceful dinner(安樂茶飯)", since she now has to go outside to smoke. All I can say is that non-smokers have never been able to have a "peaceful dinner", and now they can finally have it. Think about it this way: cigarettes are what's interrupting your peaceful dinner, not non-smokers. If you choose to smoke, I guess you've also chosen to have inconvenient, crappy meals. This woman also claims that she will go out less in the future due to the ban. If you let cigarettes control your lifestyle and daily habits, I don't know how else to put it: you are a loser.

Its hard to believe all the ignorant moaning involved in this new ban. Karaoke managers claim that sales will go down by 20%. Where is this prediction coming from? Will people suddenly stop singing karaoke? Will the sales of karaoke machines for home use suddenly skyrocket? Have people all along gone to karaokes specifically to smoke? I predict the answers to be big fat NOs. Will health conscious people start visiting bars and karaokes more frequently? That is certainly possible. I know I might. I've been avoiding poorly ventilated bars and restaurants for quite some time now because of cigarette smoke. No more watery eyes, no more sore throat, and no more smelly hair/clothes.

"你又俾人買煙，又度度唔食得煙"
The last I heard, we still have something called a free-will. Another woman complains that cigarettes are for sale everywhere, yet people aren't allowed to smoke. Just because cigarettes are for sale, it doesn't mean you have to buy them... idiot. Though I would love to see cigarettes outlawed, its not the government's responsibility to stop you from killing yourself or wasting your money. When you do try doing these things, just don't drag the rest of us with you.

Happy 2007. Thanks for not smoking.

Merry Christmas!

Yes, happy holidays dear friends and loyal readers. This Christmas came and went so quickly. The busy work schedule makes the holiday time go by so fast. I spent a full day and a half shopping (something I almost never do) for gifts. Maybe that's where all the time went. I spent all of the 23rd in Causeway Bay and Central. I'm glad to say that I did all my shopping and gift wrapping within the allotted time limit. Unfortunately, I didn't quite get to enjoy much of the weekend.

Speaking of gift wrapping, I am known within my family to be somewhat of a cheapie. I wrap all my gifts with old newspaper instead of proper wrapping paper. Wrapping paper is nice, but I always get this heart wrenching feeling every time I tear it all up when opening gifts. Though beautiful and creative, store bought wrapping paper is such a waste of our precious resources. A couple of years ago, I decided to use newspaper instead. The results have yielded some pleasant surprises! The key is to find front-page type pages with big pictures. Check out two of the gifts from this year. Keep in mind that the wrapping is old newspaper!

A front page clipping from some quirky article.

An article on some new local film.

So if you haven't done so already, consider using old newspaper to wrap your gifts next year! ;)

Language Homocide

What a joke! I guess for Hong Kong's low ass standards, Tseng's mandarin is "good".

Shut Up and Sign Already!

Scott Boras is full of shit!
See why here.
Baseball isn't just about money...

Only In America Part I

Just to be fair, I'm starting a running segment called "Only In America". It is sort of a parallel to the popular ongoing "我們的祖國... 唉" entries. Through the OIA entries, we will see how America is just as ridiculous as the dumb shit that goes on in China. Arguably the two strongest nations in the world right now, are equally as screwed up.

Rabbi threatens a lawsuit if a Seattle airport doesn't add a menorah to their Christmas trees. The airport responds by taking down all the trees completely. People whine, Rabbi gets death threats, and the trees are eventually put back up... Only in America.

I can't believe that someone would threaten to sue over a Christmas decoration; or maybe I should believe it. Crap like this happens in all the time. Americans go to court over the most absurd disputes. Common sense doesn't always apply either. Like this case where a guy tried to sue Michael Jordan because he looked like him (for $832 million by the way). Then there's the infamous McDonald's Hot Coffee case, where the woman successfully sued McDonald's because her hot coffee was too hot.

Anyways, back to the case at hand. This guy's got it right when he uses the phrases, "hyper-sensitive" and "hyper-cautious". However, I disagree of him accusing the airport for being "hyper-cautious". The airport was just fed up with the silliness of it all. They probably didn't want to deal with litigation over something so petty and nonsensical.

At the same time, what was this Rabbi thinking? By threatening a lawsuit, all he's doing is giving himself and his religion a bad name in a country already filled with so much prejudice.

Chill out, its Christm... err... the holiday season!

My Favorite Jack

Jack as in the fictional Tom Clancy character, Jack Ryan. Though I have enjoyed my fair share of Clancy novels, I am referring to the three Jacks in the four Clancy films.

Patriot Games/
Clear and Present Danger
Clearly the most accomplished actor of the three, and likely to be the favorite Jack amongst the general public, Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan. I'll admit that I liked both of these movies. Action, politics, mystery, suspense, etc. Clear and Present Danger even had a cool Black Ops team sent to Colombia to disrupt activities of drug cartels, with Willem Dafoe as the commander, John Clark. Admiral Greer played in both films by James Earl Jones.

Certainly an above average effort by Ford. However, I didn't like him as Jack. He was a older, seemingly wiser, yet so naive. Like all of Ford's other acting roles, he was the goofy, handsome guy, who always did the right thing. Not much fun to watch, really.

The Sum of All Fears
Good Will Hunting and perhaps Chasing Amy were the only two watchable films this guy was in. Yep, Ben Affleck played a somewhat Twilight Zone-ish, parallel universe type Jack Ryan. The film sort of depicts Ryan as a rookie analyst for the CIA. He meets Greer for the first time, this time played by Morgan Freeman. John Clark appears again, this time played by the awesome Liev Schreiber.

He basically plays this loud, reckless, unthoughtful Jack. Fears is not a good film, and it is completely unwatchable because of Affleck. Bad acting, ho-hum action and storyline. I find everything Affleck pretty unwatchable these days, and I'm not on any sort of bandwagon. I just don't like his acting.

The Hunt for Red October
Brilliant! Just brilliant film with a top caliber actor in Sean Connery as Captain Ramius. Alec Baldwin plays my favorite Jack. This was the first Tom Clancy film I saw, and I can rewatch it any day of the week. The submarine tactics and operation is very well done. This is the kind of movie that you pick up something new everytime you watch it. I probably first saw October when I was 10 years old, and I'm not even sure why I liked it back then. Thinking back, I barely understood it. It was a pretty complicated movie in terms of politics and defection, and Cold War stuff in general.

The reason why I liked Jack this time, was that he fit the role pretty perfect. Again, a bit naive, but Baldwin at the time appeared young and earnest enough to pull it off without looking stupid. There wasn't all that yelling and screaming like in Fears. Instead it was a lot of reasoning and scenes of tense decision making. Jack (Baldwin) really looked like he wanted his target to understand and be convinced; Affleck in Fears just looked like he was shouting all the time. Ford looked clueless throughout most of his Clancy films, more like a happy go lucky guy fighting terrorists and drug cartels.

At the time when October first came out, I thought Alec Baldwin would be huge... then I heard about his brothers. Alec is pretty huge these days. He plays his roles to near perfection. He can do comedy as well as drama. Also check out The Cooler, Outside Providence, and his performance in Along Came Polly. Alec Baldwin is classic.

CIA guy says: "Stay away from acting, Ben".

Rudeness Breeds Rudeness

Why are people in China rude?

I've heard a lot of comments from friends and colleagues about how poor the service attitude is in China. It seems that waiters in China are just not service oriented. Personally, I have found some truth in this. Waiters in China are pushy. They force you to order tea (which costs extra), and more expensive dishes (like seafood and steak). If you don't follow their recommendations, they make their disappointment known via body language/attitude. Orders are never perfect. If you order five dishes, there's a good chance that one of them won't show up. When you complain about the absent dish, you will once again be met with disdain.

However, its not always like that. One very peculiar thing I noticed is that when foreigners are present, some waiters will suddenly "light up". Good manners all around. The waiters are suddenly attentive, laughing at their loose grasp of the English language, replacing chopsticks with forks and knives, ready and waiting with soda and beer. Why this sudden change in attitude?

Most foreigners are polite. Still don't understand?

Most of the Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese who dine in these same restaurants are very rude to the staff. They never give any thanks to their servers. A nice "thank you" is never met with a "you're welcome". They also never say "please" or "excuse me". Servers have gotten tired of customers not giving any gratitude. They get nothing in return for being polite, whether that be a simple thanks, or a monetary tip (tipping is not customary in China).

Foreigners on the other hand not only tip (out of habit), but they're also very polite (again out of habit). Servers treat foreigners better because foreigners treat them better.

It is that simple. If Hong Kong people are more polite to their Mainland counterparts, they will find that China may not be as impolite as they think.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part V

China 101
Bigger fist = More Power
(Click picture to read article)
See here for the online version

Hunan County government big shot attaches army license plates to his car in order to bypass routine security checkpoints. Local checkpoint traffic cop gets suspicious, and stops big shot's car for inspection. Big shot gets pissed, and calls his army-related thugs to beat up the traffic cop.

Would this hapen in your country? This would be like Senator John Kerry riding in an Army Humvee in attempt to avoid paying his toll on the Mass Pike. If a state trooper stopped him, what is the likelyhood that he'd call the National Guard to come beat up this Statie?

1. Very likely
2. Likely
3. Not likely
4. Very unlikely
5. None of the above

Well... I think I'll pick number five, none of the above. The answer is yes, if hell freezes over.

This blogger has a different take on the situation. Our big shot, Liu Hua (劉樺) is simply a crappy politician. Read the article here.

Luckily, this incident was caught on video. I am quite sure that unfair incidents like this happen all the time. None of them ever see the light, as the victims are likely threatened and tend to keep quiet. I certainly hope that this will signal the end to Liu Hua's political career. Let this be a warning to future Chinese officials. Using your political power in the form of brute force will not be tolerated. How is this different from a street gang? Liu Hua is a thug, and he should be allowed nowhere near a position of power (as with many other Chinese politicians).

More articles on this ridiculous incident: here, here, and here.

A Bit of Control

Last time I was in China, I noticed something different. I could view my blog! That's right folks. Blogger blogs were suddenly visible in the Mainland. I don't know if it was a hole in the system, a glitch in the Matrix. It makes me slightly giddy.

Recently in the news, Google was criticized by the world for allowing China to impose censorship with Google dot CN. I have a couple of thoughts on that. Why is Google catching all the flak, when all the other search engines are also abiding by this communist rule? Do they really have a choice?

I think the main question is: would the world be better off with Google not being available in China? The answer is no. For China to break loose from the communist wrath, they must have access to Google. It is a small first step in breaking away from censorship. Why? Because in a decade's time, when Google becomes indispensible to China's education system and economy (like it has become in the U.S.), they will have control over China and not the other way around. Google will slowly but surely remove the censorship facade from China. Chinese people will be free at last.

Lets just hope communists aren't reading this... ha ha. Even if they are, what can they do? Who can refuse the vast resource called Google? Then again, will Google become the next China? Afterall, they will be in control of what we search for and what we cannot.

The Real Reason for a GST

Yes yes, one of the most debated topics this year is the possible introduction of a Goods and Sales Tax (GST). Pretty much everyone in Hong Kong, including all political parties are opposed to having a GST. Tourism and the poor are the two groups that will be hit the hardest by this tax. Please feel free to Google it and read all about the details.

What came to the public's attention was a leak last week about the Government's plan to purchase a fleet of the Volkswagen Phaeton. These cars will replace the current fleet of BMW 7-series luxury sedans, purchased back in 1997. Their excuse was that the BMWs were close to 10 years old, have around 200,000km on the odometer, and it is "about time" to replace them.

Meanwhile, a lot of questions are being asked (see article on the left): why so soon (referring to 10 years)? The old BMWs still run great. How did they manage to rack up 200,000km? A lot of non-work related use would be a good guess (so high mileage is not a good excuse). Why the Phaeton? Why not a cheaper, more environmental car?

This comes as quite a shock to Hong Kong people after they heard our Financial Secretary, Henry Tang, brazenly ask the question, "Where is the money to come from?", referring to the need for a GST.

Well, I can't tell you where the money will come from, but I guess I know where its going.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part IV

Just returned from a four day trip to China. Naturally, you don't read about the embedded shit about the country until you return to "civilization", where free speech prevails most of the time.

In the fourth installment of this ongoing series, we get a glimpse of how Chinese people have soiled the English language, just as they soiled their own language by creating simplified characters (but that's another story).

In preparation for the 2008 Olympic games, it appears that China is overhauling its signs that display english translations. Tourists will no longer think that Chinese people have sex with fruit, among other misconceptions, due to atrocious translation errors.

In the end, it all stems from laziness. Whoever did the translation was too lazy to see whether they did it right. This sign in particular has been on the internet for quite some time. Its just that people were too lazy to make the correction until now.

Policy Address

Hong Kong's most gutless man strikes again!

After that anti-smoking cop-out he pulled last year, the master of Chinese cheek-kissing is back this year with another gutless cop-out; this time he's backing out of setting up minimum wage legislation. Of course we all remember his false promise to improve the environment. What has this guy done?! What is his purpose? To go around shaking peoples' hands and asking them whether they've eaten lunch yet?

I bring up that point because that's exactly what he did. Tsang went around local neighborhoods asking residents who were on their way to work, whether they were on their way to work. He asked people who just finished lunch, whether they had lunch yet. Do something already! I can't stand how he pretends to be a politician. Don't we have any good politicians in Hong Kong? Perhaps China only approves of the silly ones, because they are easy to control. From now on, his nickname is no longer "Bow Tie", its "The Puppet".

Puppet Tsang (PT for short), is continually protective of the business circles (工商界) in Hong Kong. Every time the people want something whether it be anti-smoking legislation, environmental improvement, or minimum wage legislation, those bastards of business always get in the way. With the help of PT, they always end up getting their way, too. I don't know what PT is so afraid of. Even our Mainland brethren have a minimum wage policy. Perhaps he's afraid of angering big business, which is possibly his meal ticket after his term in office ends. Is this idea so preposterous? A good number of politicians in Hong Kong have moved on to big business after they retire from politics.

This time around, he says non-legislative policies will be suggested, and the possibility of legislation will be reviewed in two years... TWO YEARS?! Unbelievable. Instead, he throws out some chump change used for "determining whether the improvement plan is successful". What kind of bullshit is that?

Meanwhile...

Turns out the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (食環處) pays its workers less than government issued welfare. So the question is, would you rather work your ass off sweeping the streets and cleaning the toilets, or would you rather kick back at home and pick up an even bigger check? Hong Kong would be a nice city if it weren't for corruption, unethical practices, and a shoddy government.

阿扁發脾四

So yesterday was Taiwan's 10-10 celebration. As planned, the Anti-CSB (Chen Shui Bian) folk went forward with their "天下圍攻", and surrounded the Presidential Palace among other places. Any type of planned celebration was disrupted.

Despite the chaos, resilient Chen strapped on his bullet-proof vest and braved the stage. Cries of protest drowned out the canned cheering and applause. Protesters managed to sneak on the stage, holding up an Anti-Chen banner behind the President as he spoke.

Well, in the end Ah Bian got frustrated and announced that next year's 10-10 celebrations would be cancelled. I found that hilarious. He's basically trying to cancel the nation's (wait, Taiwan's not a nation) birthday party. Is that even possible? Its like he had a senior moment, and did something that made absolutely no sense. I don't think anyone has the right or power to cancel the country's birthday celebration... Unless you're a dictator.

That's a slight peek into Ah Bian's mind. He subconsciously thinks he's some sort of dictator. Then again, if he were an actual dictator, these protests would be violent, and he'd have troops shooting these people. Sze Ming De would be assassinated, and China would intervene, and it'd be a big friggin mess. Someone needs to make a movie about that.

Therapy is...

Another summer, another season of baseball ends. What went wrong this year? August was horrible. I still miss that awesome 2004 team that worked out so well. I don't doubt Theo Epstein and his scouting team. Heck, one of the guys (Galen Carr) went to my high school (Class of '94) and lived on my floor as a teacher one year. They know a lot more about the players, and certainly know a lot more about baseball than I do. However, I must question at least a couple of their moves they made this year.

• David Wells - Why bring this guy in? Schilling, Beckett, Clement, Wakefield, Arroyo. Where would Wells fit in? Sure, the decision looks horrible now since he missed nearly the whole season, but I questioned this move the day it was made. He is a big time pitcher who I felt didn't fit in our lineup.
• Bronson Arroyo - Another move that looks horrible in hindsight, but that's not the point. This guy was a Red Sock. He loved being on the team, and trusted the team by not asking for a no-trade clause. We repay him by trading his ass before the season started. Wily Mo Pena is a decent young bat, but its hard to replace a solid SP.
• Josh Beckett/Hanley Ramirez/Coco Crisp/Andy Marte/Cla Meredith/Josh Bard/Jon Lester/Craig Hansen/Manny Delcarmann/Kason Gabbard/Jonathan Papelbon - This is more of a curiosity rather than a criticism. Getting Beckett seemed necessary at the time. Though Hanley "The Other Ramirez" Ramirez nearly led the league with 26 errors, he had a phenomenal rookie season. Crisp was horrible as our new lead-off hitter. Andy Marte was not spectacular as a rookie. Pitching showed some ups and downs. Lester was decent, Papelbon was insanely awesome. What I'm wondering, is whether we're sticking to our prospects as Theo said, or giving them away for veterans. Which is it? Also, what made us give away Ramirez when we needed a speedy shortstop? What made us trade Marte for Crisp? Cla Meredith? Josh Bard? I'm not asking for trades or big moves. Just want some reassurance for the guys already in our lineup. Especially those who did poorly last season.

One thing we did was accomplish the goal of bolstering defense, at the expense of offense.

Therapy is...

Coming home after a long day (or night), and falling asleep to Game 4 of the 2004 World Series (choose games 4-7 ALCS if you're in a Yankee hating mood).

Katamari = Need Insurance

Ad sort of based on a videogame that I haven't played, but really should have long time ago. It is an interesting ad on its own, but ten times funnier if you've played or seen the game Katamari Damacy.


The actual PSP game.