相逢在北京 - 北海公園

好似好舒服o甘。。。

"。。。柔然重拾閑情和逸致。。。"

相逢在北京 - 天安門

毛主席早晨！

武警哥哥早晨！

相逢在北京 - 鳥巢

文字版？該我一點時間罷。。。但我promise終會寫的。。。 :)

相逢在北京 - 國家大劇院

奧運的遺憾

劉翔跟姚明都是本屆北京奧運的焦點中國運動員。

姚明周身傷，但還是每場拼命的打、跑、跳。

劉翔多個月來療傷，最後都敵不過腳傷及十三億人民重重的期望，倒了下來。

才二十五嵗，已經可能緣盡奧運，這是運動場上的無情，還是文明世界的新趨勢？

青春的無價從奧運的運動員上最明顯地表現出來。。。年少時候的不羈、夜夜笙歌、無窮的精力、超短的復原時間。。。現在才三十出頭不久，白頭髮滿頭都是，做gym已經開始沒有以前的容易看得到效果；跑一個鐘頭步要抖足兩天。。。唉。。。

本來一直都渴望星期四在國家運動場上親眼可以看到劉翔的英姿；雖然現在希望幻滅，但都肯定當晚的項目如期會產生新一屆的400米男飛人、200米女飛人、及填補劉翔空了出來的男子110米欄新盟主。

The ultimate anti-climax. Take care, Liu Xiang!

Can I take this afternoon off....

王峰

Men's Synchro 3m Springboard Final

(2:30pm, WaterCube)

中国队加油！！！

2008 08 08 8 08 08

I was laughed at when I had to plan my vacation a year ahead. But for an event this big, I think it's not so outrageous.

7 years in official planning and at last, all eyes are on Beijing tonight. Be prepared to be dazzled by the extravagant Opening Ceremony.

In fact all eyes will be on Beijing for the next 16 days.

Although travel companion has changed, it couldn't have been better. Bringing my Dad to the Olympics in Beijing and meeting my best friends there is truly, once in a lifetime.

Good Luck Beijing!

(less than 5 hours and counting down....)

終於放假。。。

等左o甘耐，終於有一日颱風假。。。而且是整天（fingers crossed），可以無所事事嚧。

最近呢，都比較忙。新工開始上軌道，上手的同事差不多要走了，但好似還未把所有東西接上手，有一點不知所措。不過縂要硬著頭皮上架啦。其實公營機構（都算啦），雖然工作的緊逼性不像consultant那時的日子，但有些麻煩野是私人公司沒有的。。。硬邦邦的制度、等退休的同僚、等放工的文書、繁複的工作指引。。。

上幾個星期上大陸走左幾趟，不外於北京/上海。奧運將開始，要作最好準備。近排知道北京的酒店開始release之前保留的房間，而且價格大幅下降。但沒辦法，房間是上年訂的，預繳了，現在便宜與否，not my concern。有時我發覺，peace of mind比省錢還重要。訂到想要的地區及飯店已經心滿意足。現在只有希望到時的實況不會太混亂，並已經作了最差的打算。還好，就是在北京服侍老公的好友將跟我們一大塊兒玩兩天，極度期待。長城及故宮是想去的景點，但都應該不會去咯。。。要看看這個禮拜的實地報道（天氣、人群、安檢等）再考慮罷。。。

可能私人時間少了，前兩天有點兒覺得煩懆。但是其實很多都是時間分配的問題。個人空間與朋友見面是非常重要，所以一定要好好安排。

看看我近排所拍的一些相吧。。。

天壇祈年殿：到此一遊

蘇州水鄉一遊

浦東到此一遊

上環到此一遊

Friday Fill-Ins # 3

1. If I could travel back in time, I'd go to the days when the "Suzie Wong's" roamed streets of Central.

2. Give me more youth or give me more money.

3. I am listening to some of the same songs I listened to 10 years ago.

4. Somewhere, someone is thinking about what to cook tonight.

5. I'll always be referred to as "Oh, that tall one".

6. My idea of a good time includes walking through Sheung Wan on a bright and sunny day.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to exploring "Elements", tomorrow my plans include spending a day walking around town and Sunday, I want to just enjoy a day-off!

Friday Fill-Ins #2

1. I believe whatever doesn't kill you makes you tougher.

2. If you're good at something, stick with it and become a master at it.

3. Why so monotonous.

4. Something is out there, it's the scorching Sun.

5. If my life were a sitcom, it would be titled Everybody Loves Max.

6. Sitting on my back porch [if you don't have one, use your imagination] I see iconic skyscrapers amid clear blue skies.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to being on time, tomorrow my plans include possibly taking a road trip and Sunday, I want to have a nice dinner with someone special!

No time...

Ever since I've become an astronaut, I couldn't find time to write anything.

But anyway, a pic to keep this space a bit more updated.

The rare blue sky in hot Beijing

A Storyteller

I know this Storyteller.

He has lots of stories to tell.

The most fascinating ones,

Sad ones,

Outrageous ones,

And Heart-breaking ones.

I wonder if any of it is true,

Or if these are stories from the deepest corners of his mind.

I had willed myself into a numbness about life and created the delusion of an existence that in hind-sight, was a mere excuse against the manifestation of what life could throw at you, if you allowed it to (and the fear there-of).

Today is different.

What a beautiful passage.

Unexpected... but, that's how it usually happens

Haven't done something so out of the blue and with such excitement in a while...

北京之夏

Will there be birds at the "Bird Nest"

People at 798?

Will people visit Jian Wai Soho?

Or take a stroll along the old Hutongs?

Signs of our times

拆拆拆

(Note: The taller building in the background to the left is the Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai. Further away on the right is Hang Lung's Plaza 66 on Nanjing Lu West. This prime site being cleared is on Shimen Yi Lu)

建建建

(Note: URA H15 Project - Lee Tung Street/McGregor Street has completed site clearance and is ready for Tender)

高高高

(Note: The Centre in the background, towering above URA H18 Project at Peel Street/Graham Street, is actually a “省招牌” URA project completed in the late 1990s.)

(Note: a 3rd and the tallest skyscraper, code named "Shanghai Centre" will start construction next year, with target completion in 2012. From this viewing angle, the new building, which is supposed to look like a "twisting dragon" designed by architecture firm Gensler, will be to the right of the building being constructed (Sun Hung Kai's Shanghai ifc) and in front of Shanghai World Finance Centre. "Shanghai Centre" will probably be about 100m taller than the SWFC)

Friday Fill-Ins #1

1. Birthdays are chances to see big groups of friends and trying new restaurants.

2. Fall is my favorite season because weather is agreeable for most outdoor activities.

3. I feel my best when I get 8 hours of sleep.

4. French Fries is my favorite food!

5. First impressions are VERY important; could be deadly.

6. The best piece of advice I ever received was that it takes alot of energy to be bitter.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to getting a good night's sleep, tomorrow my plans include getting my birth certificate reprinted and spending time with my family and Sunday, I want to have a good time with my friends! (back filled on Sat night)

Age of Innocence

P4, circa 1986

P6, circa 1988

The amazing thing about Facebook is we get back in touch with people from ages ago... and this I mean Primary school classmates. For me it doesn't date back anymore than that because I just don't remember any names from my kindergarten days... except this girl whom also went to the same school with me in our primary and secondary school days.

Our primary school campus will be redeveloped this summer, so I went back to take some pics for memory's sake.

The last time I went back was 6 years ago, when I taught at the secondary school next door as a Sub Teacher for a couple of months. But honestly, I really hadn't set foot in the primary school campus for ... 20 years.

Everything has shrunk. I remember running around the playground like it was a 400m track, and we could play "ping pong football/Watermelon football" in the covered playground, where we could easily fit 400 kids there for morning assembly... I honestly don't know how we could do that now... it's so small?!

The same basketball court, same hard surface where we played during Recess

I didn't make plans to meet up with old classmates, but did meet 3 while I was there. It's just strange to see them... we all look the same (except now I'm triple-sized), but I haven't ANY clue what has become of them. Even old buddies, 20 years is almost a life time of memories and changes. Our FB profiles show that we've all become individuals, with our own friends, families, career, etc. Our 6 years together, does it amount to anything? Does it mean much to any of us? Except sharing the playground, corridors, classrooms, it doesn't seem to add up to much, does it?

Gosh, hadn't seen Erica in at least 18 years

Acquaintances come in and out of your life. Sometimes I don't even remember the names of people I met last week. But these people, about 60 of them, names stick in the back of my mind for the last 20-odd years. Funny but I actually dream about them sometimes, playing in our playground... Moments in class, a certain teachers, "relationships", buddies, competitions... That's our childhood. Sacred, precious, and so innocent. Only happy memories, and nothing else. Our Age of Innocence.

Bye bye, part of my childhood

風和日麗的日子

Pho-ed out

他們都是我們的孩子

(Screen cap courtesy of www.sandyandme.com )

因爲出現在下午的關係所以很多人未能觀看的一段直播：