Merry X'mas

Merry Christmas

Happy New Year

Central at dusk

taken yesterday around 18:00. the camera sucks, the view's much better than this.

promotional skill

the Edison thing has been almost a year, remember all the craziness of digging all these ** photos during lunar new year's eve. As I was wandering in Golden Computer Center yesterday, so much better than the last time I was there, which was a total disaster, the PC sales men were playing Edison's apology video again and again and again as a selling point to attract tourists and consumers. And it's not just one retailer who's playing the video, most of the shops as long as they sell display or computer, it's like they've reached some kind of consensus, they all played it, shame on those who didn't. So it's like wherever you go, you see Edison's poor little face like some kind of criminal. Turn left, he's apologizing, turn right, wow, he's still apologizing. Such a relief they were not showcasing the photos on every display. I just wonder how much real extra revenue they do earn by doing so, probably not so much, since everybody is enacting such a strategy.

all about LUXURY

on SALE's time, you've gotta queue in line to get to see these luxuries, and it's not even weekend or Christmas day. damn, so many rich guys in this world, why am I not one!

X'mas time

it's so f*king cool around Christmas time, things' getting cheap and malls decorated in such wonderful festival atmosphere, this Christmas ROCKS!

Hong Kong Science Museum

had a trip to Hong Kong Science Museum(香港科學館) this morning. The museum is closely located to Hung Kam station and neighbor to Hong Kong History Museum. It's a pretty good place for kids to learn especially with this little cost, 25 dollars for adults, 12.5 dollars for students. Some words from Wikipeida:

.....A total of 18 galleries cover a wide range of science and technology topics including light, sound, motion, electricity and magnetism, mathematics, life science, geography, meteorology, computer, transportation, communication, food science, energy/energy conservation and home technology. About 80% of the exhibits are participatory so that visitors may learn through direct involvement......

it's SALE time

the halo of Christmas has fallen upon us! it's X'mas ON SALE season! all the sweat and efforts in getting entrance to Hong Kong has finally paid off! it's so uplifting to have in your eyes all these little red "SALE" posted everywhere! all the savings and frugal acts before Christmas has finally come to fulfill its destiny! Thanks to Christmas!

How to get to Shenzhen with Student Octopus

With student octopus, you always have 50% discount on the metro ride except for one route from Sheung Shui(上水) to the border station of Hong Kong--Lo Wu(羅湖) or Lok Ma Chau(落馬洲), this 5 minutes' ride alone costs 18.6 dollars and full fare is mandatory even if you're holding a student octopus. It's kinda like a starting cost of crossing border, which is totally not reasonable.

Weird thing is if you travel from any metro station straight to the border stations mentioned, without getting off in the midway, full fare is charged as if you were punished for going to the border because the routes that should've been half-charged are in full fare.

So here's what I would do to take advantage of student octopus to get the discount back.

DON'T go straight to the border station
ALWAYS get off at Sheung Shui station with octopus

and get back in the station one minute after octopus is charged and go on the ride to the border. By doing this, you get all the discount from any station to Sheung Shui station. For example, if I go straight from Choi Hung Station to Lo Wu station, I'll need to spend over 33 dollars on the whole ride. But if I get off at Sheung Shui, I'll be charged only some 5 dollars, and then get back on to the train to Lo Wu, which costs 18.6 dollars, that is TEN dollars saved in my pocket.

The same trick works when going back to Hong Kong from Shenzhen, get off at Sheung Shui, save another 10 dollars. And this getting-off thing is not time consuming and burden carrying, you just take some walk out off the station, wait for a minute and walk back in.

Taiwan "VISA"

Though entrance permit is much appropriate than the word VISA with all the politics going on between straits, VISA sounds much cooler. Anyway, I might get a VISA to Taiwan the coming February if nothing jinx. It's really difficult for Mainland Chinese to visit Taiwan these days. Even if I had the chance this time, I still need my passport, my entrance permit to Hong Kong, Hong Kong identity card, student card, records of entrance to Hong Kong, invitation letter from Taiwan, full schedule in Taiwan, program arrangements... all these stuff handed in in three copies to the institution that issues VISAs to Taiwan, which is no more than a piece of paper not allowed to be attached to passport because that's not something tolerable by PRC. You also don't have something similar to the “Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau(港澳通行證)”, because that's not something tolerable by TW.

Nothing is more complicated than POLITICS!

Vincy's birthday cake

ummm, yummy

study break

having a study break this week, it's not break actually, not even close to break, it's like the toughest time of the whole semester, cuz after the break, all final exams swarm in! and after that, there comes a real long long winter break, which is like one and a half months. just hope to survive this fake break so as to enjoy the real one!

computer festival

Had an arduous trip to the Computer Festival this morning, it's so so so crowded, god, it's like all people in Hong Kong plus Mainland China have come to the festival! You cannot virtually even walk in the passageway, because no matter which direction you intend to go, you can't, people keep rushing in from all directions. I just don't know how they get business done there with this many people! Each stall is encompassed by crowds, and police officers are full alert by the entrance and exit. When I was in there, I kept shouting F*K, S*T, and D*M! Never should've even thought of going there! On my way back to Hong Kong this evening, the festival host stated in the metro TV news, "too many people coming to the festival, those who haven't come, please don't". Damn, he couldnt've said it earlier! So lesson learned, try to keep as far away from any festivals and holiday events!

related news from Yahoo:
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/081206/4/9lqv.html

big X'mas tree

There's this big Christmas tree in Festival Walk(又一城). It's about four stories high, sprinkled with little bells and these green and red stuff, which looks like from Christmas trees but actually it's not. The tree is hollow inside, you get to see what's inside only after payment of 50 dollars ticket. With this ticket, you also get to take photos with Santa (someone dressed in Santa) on the other side of this big tree. After the whole Christmas tree trip, you'll be holding in your hand a gift and the photo.

There are also other Christmas decorations in the mall, on another floor, there's this big sleigh and Santa's flying reindeer. It reminds me of the North Pole.

Christmas is coming to town!

color pen

The students' union would distribute welfare products now and then, last time it's notepad, this time colored pens. It's a really nice gesture because at least I know part of the membership fee, which is 100 dollars, goes back to my pocket in the form of these UST specific widgets. The students' union is indeed an independently strong power aside from the university council. They speak for students, protect students' right, and most of the time, fight against unwelcome school policies. Whenever some big shot comes to visit, the president of students' union would always show up as the representative of students, sitting right by the president of the university as if they were in a level play.

go poopie

Where can I buy one of those cute little poopie guys