A warm and hearty noodle soup, in a street stall, Bang Por beach, Koh Samui, Thailand

Seeing this family run street stall noodle shop reminds me of my childhood that I like to visit a noodle street stall run by a family.  It's so warm seeing a father holding his kid in his arms, while his wife is making noodle soup for the customers, or vice versa.  Naturally I would feel this noodle soup is very warm and hearty, regardless of the taste.  

On a ferry ride from Hung Hom to North Point, HK

我的異想天空下，多了一個她

10多年前，在上下班時常帶著我的消噪音耳機，在嘈吵的地鐵內，聽著自己disc man 的歌，清噪音啟動後，週遭的人聲即時靜下來。

今天在公共交通公具上, 很安靜, 看到很多人帶著名貴耳機, 在聽著音樂，而我好像有一點角色對換.  既然那麼多人在聽歌，應該歌曲銷售是相對地好。可是.......

現實生活中, 唱片店快要消失, 合法音樂平台未見成效, 周遭的朋友家人, 全因為某些智能手機操作平台的所謂方便好用, 主要在於免費程式及音樂電影等容易複製. 每當我聽到這些, 只會默不作聲.  很多時候, 在朋友的電腦或某些裝置, 見到歌曲只是一些數字亂碼代號為其曲名, 我當作看不見.  更有一次, 一位朋友在要求將我的iTunes library 全部拷一份, 我很憤怒拒絕, 我也跟他疏遠。以後我再也不想對人說自己喜愛的歌。

也有一次, 我對另一位朋友說, 我在唱片店及iTunes找不到 Mr. Children 的 “十四歲的媽媽” 的主題曲及 “The Day after Tomorrow” 的電影原聲帶, 因為某些版權問題, 而並未能在某些地區售賣, 我的朋友說會在日本給我找, 但我拒絕, 原因在於我喜歡自己去找, 也有很多人不明白, 為何我不因為工作之便, 去拿取一些免費樣版, 我說我喜愛享受自己去找尋及自己去買的那份情懷, 換來是別人的說裝模作樣, 之後我也收回這些話.  

其實找不到, 得不到某些歌, 我就不要硬著要, 再者, 自己的人生哲理就是簡單地不要強求. 這點的不執著, 原來在當音樂巳沒有尊嚴地很容易垂手可得時, 竟然顯得我是頑固執著.   我也只好再一次收聲, 也不再說因由.  

這天, 我聽到一位母親苦苦訴說, 她寫給小朋友的一首兒歌, 竟然在綱上給別人變成多樣不同版本, 輕挑, 中傷, 淫穢什麼都有.  她女兒哭著對她說不要再寫歌了, 不要再聽兒歌了.  這位母親只好屈結她的無奈, 默不作聲, 能做什麼?  當眼看所有人巳對隨意下載音樂, 及在綱上將音樂任意踐踏, 也認定應該是給別人這樣吧.

看著她, 也看著自己, 原來我與她是活在這無形的生活壓抑底下.  然而, 她比我更壓抑 - 她的女兒..... 

這位母親沒有放棄, 每晚照顧好年邁的父親及幼女睡覺後，不管是深夜，追尋自己理想......   堅持自己的信念.

在我看到一個異想天空下，多了一個她。

最愛的晚餐

其實我最愛在節日時做一些簡單的炒青菜， 蒸魚，洋蔥雞翼。因為生活的平實，才是節日最值得慶祝，

Fasten your seat belt at all times

The past week has been very stormy in the Southern Canton area.  When I was at the airport earlier this week, there came some heavy cloud with glow like the scene of UFO landing from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind".  Later on, 10 minutes after the plane I got on took off, a strong lightning hit the plane hard.  Though I had quite some experience on lightning hitting planes, this time it was very severe.  Certainly the plane was very bumpy this time.  Remember often fasten your seat belt at all times. 

A cheating taxi driver, Bangkok

There are times I have heard about those cheating taxi drivers in many cities.  My first encounter is in Amsterdam.  It cost me HK$500 from the airport to an airport hotel for a transit night stay and the journey time is just 3 minutes within less than one kilometre.  So as I arrived at the hotel, I asked the front desk to verify if that's the fare from the airport to the hotel.  Turned out it's a 2.5 times higher.  So at this recent visit in Bangkok, I had a 2nd time encounter with a cheating driver.  Noticed the meter count ran unusually fast (3 times faster).  When it got at the first toll way in entering the city area, it showed 35.4 kilometres (double the actual distance). Then when it got near to the hotel in Sathorn, it showed 66.4 kilometres but it was then slower back to normal.  Supposed it shouldn't be over 35 kilometres if you are getting to areas like Siam/Sathorn/Sukhumvit.  The interesting part is that the taxi driver kept asking for the paper that the airport taxi counter put his driver's licence details on record.  I then claimed that I dropped it at the airport.  He repeatedly asked for that.  So when I got to the hotel, I told the front desk to check on his meter.  So the funny thing is that the driver made an excuse that his meter was fixed the night before and didn't know it wasn't fixed.  One lie over another.  Anyway, in order not say that I took advantage of the situation, I simply offered to the fare that I usually pay for the ride to Sathorn area, which is THB320 (including the THB50 Airport transportation charge).  Later on, I told the front desk to report it to the police as we shouldn't let him cheat more future victims.

和成豐 Hua Seng Hong, Central World, Bangkok

Missed the headquarter of this shop for some acquainted friends.  Some left for good.  Some weren't in contact somehow.  Not in any need for a FB search, nor care for opening an account being searched for.  Rather put some memory in a frame, like a photo of the time and the light particle being frozen without any subsequently intruded.  Life is in moments.  To keep every moment intact, then to keep moving forward to create moments.  That's how I tried this new branch of Hua Seng Hong in Central World.  Still love their fried rice with preserved olive (photo 2) and their house signature dish stir fried rice noodle (photo 3) and their stir fried fish maw (photo 4).

A tram ride at 10:30pm.

清茶淡飯 steamed rice and a cup of tea

I often got asked by my friends why I can take plain rice and plain bread without any soy sauce or butter/jam...etc.  I'd often tell plain rice and plain bread do taste and that's the nice rice and bread original flavour.  This scene reminds me of how my grand ma warned me of not leaving one rice left in the bowl.  So whenever possible, I would do so - not a single rice left.

Gecko in a glass, life in the childhood

This gecko reminds me of my childhood that I used to run around with my school mates on the hillside, finding interesting bugs or any wild life.  That was the fun time costing not a dime, but I learned a lot from this natural encountering.  

The moment, the beach, the last.

View from the Pavilions, Kuala Lumpur

Little brother, little sister

Everyone's childhood can be simple and innocent.  No complexity.  No planning.  No targeting.  No guessing.  No plotting.  No other third parties involvement.  

Tan Shui, (淡水), Taiwan

The first time I was here, this place wasn't yet that developed.  Subway still couldn't reach here.  Not many shops, not many tourists, and no traffic jam.  This time I chose to come here in the morning time. There I found the tranquil of this place again.

Silent lane, Yi Zhang Street, Taipei

Food court, basement, Raffles Place, Singapore

Almost 20 years ago I came here and this water fountain was one of the highlights of this mall.  That was the first time I was in Singapore.  I had a nice wasabi ice cream from here.  Since then, I couldn't find it anywhere else.  Probably it's too authentic to most people. 

In the night, Singapore

Flying fish

Singapore, May, 2013

A late afternoon I passed by the bank of Boat Quay.  The scene made me think of my primary school friends.  Thought about looking for them thru' the social networking forums, but I'd rather let go of it.  Doesn't mean I forget them, but after so many years, they have been in another walk of life, and as I have been too.  Just leave the memory as it is.  Let it be in those years of frame.

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong