我是一個背囊﹣別了巴塞隆那的這夜

那天我從貨架上跑到你的肩膊上，那天你給我一位同伴在我懷內，它有很多照片，也有你背著我的照片，它有音樂，有遊戲，有你的工作行曆。天天天天，更多同伴在我懷內。

你背著我，我抱著他們，踏上一段一段路途。我們喜悅在和風日照，緊擁在飛舞雪天，無懼雷轟暴雨。正是我們彼此相依的一個小天地。

這天這貪婪的無耻的，把我們奪走。無奈看著，焦急徨恐的你在人群中愈漸渺小。

最後我們被帶到這幽黯房內，眼前滿是淩亂雜物，灰塵揚起光線下，有一縷一縷別人的回憶從這堆雜物堆中溜走往窗外，身旁傳來一陣斷斷續續的聲音 “很快你的記憶與感覺也會這樣消逝，誰會留戀這裡的貪婪與疾妒” 。

昨夜，雲影月移，一晃一盪我隨著窗外的光影遠飄，回望背影下這一切，在我的回憶快要消逝的這刻，要說一聲感激曾與你同行，是你人生的努力賦予我的生命。那些歲月，那些回憶，散聚這月夜下，淡淡雲梢，影遠映去。

今天，我只不過是一個背囊，它是一個平版電腦，它是一個錢包.......

Near from afar, on a fine Sunday

On a breezy sunny Sunday, I found this countryside-look KFC.  This place reminds me of somewhere in Southern California.  To be continued...

Basilico Italian restaurant, soi 33, Sukhumvit BKK

On the night after the dinner at Madam T., we felt like something sweet as we were walking towards soi 31. Most of the shops closed quite early probably due to the underlying tension from terrorist activities spreaded from the South. After such a long walk, we needed some carbohydrates to boost up. Balisco was just right there on soi 33, opposite to the ex-Novotel Lotus. Got a nice pizza and a salad as a supper, followed by some ice cream and apple strudel.

Madam T Vietnamese restaurant, soi 23, Sukhumvit BKK

Along the way inside soi 23 (behind Grand Millenium) towards soi 31, there are lots of interesting restaurants yet to be discovered. Thanks to TC, we were brought to this ambient deco. Vietnamese restaurant. The environment is pretty cozy, good for friends taking a dinner gathering. The food in general are quite nice and surprisingly we could find "bun"(檬)(Vietnamese dried tossed noodle with vinegar fish sauce) (photo 9/10) in this shop. TC and I chatted that we hardly find bun in quite many Vietnamese restaurants in Bangkok. Among all the dishes below, we like the deep fried fish mousse on lemon grass (photo 11) the best. Worth a try!

Salute to a cheerful hardworking young man

Saw this heavy bike, but my mood was then so light. What impressed me is his cheerful attitude. Unlike some other people carrying stuff on their bikes, he was so thoughtful in passing thru' the lanes. I took this moment with my camera to capture his natural smile. Salute to him - way to go, young man.

Back to ours - Ban Khun Mae, Siam Square, BKK

Seeing this place is just like seeing a Titanic photo to me. It had so much memory of those old days my family members, old friends and colleagues and I swept across all the dishes here. Yes, and the highest record was 48 dishes for only 4 persons. Back then the place wasn't that touristic and I even went to this place with my local Thai friends.

As time went by, and as more and more hotels have been built in Siam area, this place as in such a noticeable location in Siam as well as its typical Thai decoration, has become more and more commercial.

So on a recent night that it was about to rain, we had an improvised visit to this place. Inside it didn't change much but the clientele is very foreign. The food is not bad and actually it's quite unexpected to see it's maintained at certain level, though not the best. What's even more unexpected is that they didn't increase the prices much, as it could have had.

Partial sea view room, Sheraton Tsimshatsui, Kowloon HK

This hotel is in the prime location of Tsimshatui and at peak season, the room rate can be over US$400-500 (city view), and 600-700 for sea view. Off season, the room rate can still be at around US$300-500. The room is considered spacious (HK standard) of around 25 sq. feet and maintained at a satisfactory level of cleanliness and facility. The cafe is not bad but the Chinese restaurant Celestial Court 天寶閣 is fading, but the steakhouse Morton's is still worth trying. Swimming Pool is on the rooftop (as posted earlier with a gym outsourced to Fitness First for management, with a panoramic view to the harbour and Central skyline.

Rip off dinner at Wing Wah won ton noodle shop 永華雲吞麵家, Wanchai, Hong Kong

This shop used to be my regular visit when I was around in Wanchai years ago. Their won ton and red bean sweet were superb. Back then their prices were at the same level as the other won ton shop.

Unfortunately, after Michelin rated this shop as a recommended visited one, their prices became rocket high. The bill for the below is HK$235. Won ton noodle at HK$34 (market average price at around $20-25 for famous shop, common one at $14-18), pig knuckle's tossed noodle HK$53 (vs. $28-35), Kai Lan with dried shrimp roe HK$35 (vs. HK$20-25, but not in such a small portion), deep fried fish skin HK$22 (vs. HK$7-12), shrimp veggie dumpling HK$34 (vs. HK$18-25), Chinese herbal tea 桑寄生茶 HK$18 (vs. HK$10-12), red bean sweet HK$22 (vs. HK$6-12). First, the noodle isn't tangy as before though it claimed to be a "bamboo rod pressed" noodle. Then the noodle wasn't tossed well. It came as a "bag" of noodle. Won ton and dumplings were already made and the wrap is too mashy. Soup base isn't aromatic at all. Pig's knuckle wasn't shimmered well. Then the herbal tea is so so. The red bean sweet is too thin. Really not the same as before. I gotta put a foot stop to this shop. My loving memory is completely washed away...

*Please check the photo no. 9. Their pomelo skin is charged crazily at HK$110. Jade Garden or similar restaurant charged only HK$72. So their bottled coke/sprite is even at HK$13 (vs. HK$5-7 for won ton shop). Crazy! Even something not made by them, but just sold at this hop can be double high. Reward and rating can make them a business but also destroy them on their ecstasy of ego. Sigh but a good mirror education for us.