Bless the Broken Road

kites

2012-02-11T01:27:00.002Z

why do we feel so happy when we fly kites, or see kites in the sky?

is it a subconscious desire to be flying free in the sky, and see the kite as an agent to fulfill our dreams?

in any case, stanford is so pretty at dusk, and seeing a kite in the middle of this picturesque scene is like unexpectedly finding an chocolate bonbon on your desk when you're feeling low..

i like being a grad student

2012-02-06T03:17:00.003Z

i love being a phd student in science ^_^

flexible working hours, given freedom to think, having to answer only to myself

everything is so interesting and thought-provoking

i'm so happy i want to spin and dance around the room!

lalala

IBM:100 years!

2011-06-19T22:41:00.005+01:00

You need at least one significant achievement, where you change your world, to define your life. What will mine be, I wonder?

my dream dog, shiba inu

2011-06-06T01:28:00.002+01:00

My dream dog, shiba inu. So cute, yet so independent

They are the most primitive dogs in Japan, and still retain their wolf-like instincts. They are very clever creatures, have a predator instinct and will chase after anything that looks like prey. Very hard to tame, but will make good companions =)

Will need to give them good exercise everyday, even if you live in a house with a yard..

Wonder when I'll ever be able to have the time and money to have a dog.. so much responsibility too

HIV patient cured

2011-06-04T22:48:00.002+01:00

http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-aids-patient-cured-20110605,0,4496693.story

Could there really be a cure for HIV? Can we isolate this genetic mutation that gives resistance to HIV?

人有三老，全憑運氣

2011-04-17T02:06:00.001+01:00

60歲的老伴去世後，他決定回到老家台灣度晚年，我覺得納悶，他的3個兒子分別住香港、加拿大及美國，怎麼不選擇這些地方，讓兒子方便照顧？
他回答：（以下是他的故事）

兒子長大，有他們的人生，選擇在那幾個國家居住，我還是得一個人住，那還不如回台灣，有熟識的親戚同學可以聊天。6年前，我找了住加拿大的兒子吃飯，告訴兒子我想回台灣，兒子問：『那麼你在蒙特婁的房子給我好不好？』我回答『再想想』。

從那時起到現在，這兒子一通電話也沒有，所以人要想開，伴侶、孩子都不能強求，人只要清楚∼自己要過什麼樣的日子就好，不要一輩子辛苦，就為了留房子、金錢給孩子，你看我最多的就是錢，但是，家人不相往來。

一段孤獨心涼的遭遇，並沒有打敗他的活力，他回台後在教會當志工，教小朋友念書寫字，他笑著告訴我：「我在教會裡，有一堆孩子叫我爺爺，不是也蠻好的嗎！我有兒子，就像沒兒子一樣，沒給他們機票錢，他們也懶得回來看我。

我還要告訴你：人有三老

一、是老伴.....這完全憑運氣，若老伴不好相處，也是煩惱。

（補述：相知相惜的好友，也是老伴之一）二、是老友...但即便是老友，萬一意見鬧僵，幾十年的友誼也沒有了。

(補述：廣結善緣，彼此介紹新朋友，投緣的新朋友，真情令人感動)

三、是可以自己掌握的老，就是老本....身邊有夠用的錢，把自己的身體顧好，不用靠別人，才活得自在。(補述：年輕要儲蓄)

二老自己找，可自己掌握：

１.老趣....培養興趣，如：打牌、彈奏樂器、唱歌、園藝．各種運動．書法．繪畫．攝影、學習新技藝、宗教信仰之支持.......都可以

結交朋友，讓老年生活多采多姿，不要枯守電視。

Caesarea

2010-05-28T21:39:00.005+01:00

Went to Casarea today!

Claimed to be best archaeological site in Israel, it encompasses Roman ruins dating back to the Byzantine period..

Very fun, jumping and walking on the rocks and ruins

They restored some of the structures, so it was quite nice =)

And it's next to the sea too, so the breeze was really refreshing~

Some of My favourite photos from Jerusalem

2010-05-27T17:30:00.006+01:00

Jerusalem!

2010-05-26T21:19:00.007+01:00

Jerusalem is so historically and culturally colourful

Some merges and clashes of culture

Example 1:

Church of Ascension, where Christ ascended to Heaven...

now has a mosque built over its site

Jerusalem!

2010-05-25T21:13:00.003+01:00

Went to Jerusalem for an afternoon tour today!

SO MUCH FUN

need to bring everyone back here one day

I'll put up photos and then blog again about the trip... went to lots of places -- Western Wall (watched my Jewish friend pray), Church of Scripture where tomb of Christ is located, Jewish Quarter, Mount Olive (saw desert on other side of Jerusalem), old market, etc...

very instructive and interesting day!

oh and the institute brought us to dinner at a middle-eastern restaurant. lots of hummus and pita bread, and wonderful lamb and chicken kebabs, along with felafel =) jiquan will like it =)

insects

2010-05-25T10:13:00.000+01:00

saw a big horned beetle last night

mosquitos here are vicious. one bit on my ankle, another on the sole of my foot. weird places to bite.

also saw a porcupine on the road =) cute

2010-05-25T09:58:00.001+01:00

just got swamped by a bunch of israeli high school girls on a school trip. They thought I was japanese and blasted me with questions, where are you from? what do you do? do you have facebook? do you miss your family?

blahblah

so funny =P

off to jerusalem in an hour, can't wait! =) it's hot today though, more than 30degC. Putting more sunblock so we don't burn

Phys2Life, Israel

2010-05-24T19:57:00.005+01:00

In Israel for a biophysics workshop!

Went to Tel Aviv to walk around on Saturday. It was sabbath so most of the shops were closed. Sabbath (Shabatt in Hebrew) is a Jewish weekend, it lasts from Friday sundown till Saturday sundown. It's a time where the really devout reflect, and spend time with family at home. Most other people spend time at the beach or just chill at home

Tel Aviv is the commercial capital of Israel, and was developed when Jaffa (Yaffo), the old port, became highly populated for living conditions to be bearable. A group of men decided to build their own town where everyone forks out money and effort to build their own houses and roads etc. They had a "condition" that there should be electricity and sanitation system in all homes, something that was lacking in Jaffa. The first boulevard, along which the first houses were built, is Rothschild Boulevard, after the guy Rothschild who donated more money to the town than all the Jews combined. Today, Rothschild is the street in Tel Aviv where all their major commercial activity takes place.

We went to Rothschild to join a free walking tour to learn about the Bauhaus architecture in Tel Aviv. Bauhaus style was brought from Germany, and was the architecture of choice when Tel Aviv was booming with construction (the immigration fluxes were extremely high at certain times in the century, due to the world wars and politics in Poland, Russia etc.), due to its ease to build (Jews aren't born builders by trade, and couldn't do more fancy stuff other than square walls and porches). We learnt that Shalom (Peace) tower was the first skyscraper in Israel, and that for every new building a company constructs, they must restore 2 old historical buildings. Also the bank building was designed by I M Pei, who designed the glass pyramids in the Louvre Museum, Paris. Very interesting. But it got too slow and boring after a while and we walked to the beach instead.

The coast of Tel Aviv is very long and the beaches are beautiful. Water's very clear and sand's very fine. Very nice. We practically walked an hour along the beach to Jaffa, passing by this park next to the sea on the way. Very nice park, they had these interesting swings (see upcoming photos), and this guy had 3 horses next to the playground. First time I pet a baby horse =) It smelt my hand and let me stroke its fur, until it suddenly turned around and wanted to bite me O_O

Anyway Jaffa was a nice historic town, very artsy, just my kind of thing =) Went into some nice hand-made jewelry shops and this art store where the artist was drawing (see picasa photo)~

Dinner was sandwich with habanos, tahini, spicy tomato sauce and something I can't remember anymore. Anyway it was really nice=)

About the conference, the past two days have been rather disappointing with respect to scientific content. It's supposed to be a biophysics conference so I expected much more physics. But there's just been lots of biology, biochemistry and just description of experiments and results. Sometimes the motivations don't make sense or there's just no motivation behind the experiments. Or when there's actually some physics, the speaker just skims through the content and move on to more qualitative descriptions, or simply speak too fast for the math to sink in =/ This one thing that made me happy today though is that I heard a talk from Sam Safran, one of the biggest people in cell biomechanics and cell physics.

There's this other thing that irked me today though. We had this discussion session to talk about the relevance of physicists in biology. And you hear the older generation going on and on about how biologists don't accept physicists and their models/theories, and how it's difficult to know biology, chemistry and physics all at the same time. I completely disagree, since I am one good example of how these areas all come together in a single person, and because of my training I am able to view all areas with perspective. I think what is lacking now in the field is lack of communication and effort -- physicists really need to learn their biology and accept that biology is not just facts but a deeper understanding and intuition of how everything comes together. You don't just know the intricities of the specific biological system that you are studying; biology is an entire cause and effect network. If you cannot get the feel and perspective of how it all comes together and do not respect it, forget about joining the biologists. And stop complaining that biologists are dumb at math (although they really need to stop being afraid of it). Anyway, just something that really surprised me. I think it's all going to change though, with my advisor's generation of young professors who bother to really learn their biology and think with perspective about how to describe the system and all the many factors within.

But I'm glad that I came here because I made a lot of friends over the past few days. Also I made the realization (yet again) to think deeply about my research and why I want to do anything. We've been having lots of fun here, just hanging out and talking to each other~ Making contacts is really important and I'm glad my advisor has the foresight to send his students to overseas workshops not just to learn but also to meet new people.

Bee on my window

2010-04-20T21:18:00.002+01:00

turn of events

2010-04-02T22:48:00.002+01:00

I was eating Kettle chips and reading the packaging. Saw : "Non-GMO Ingredients"

Interesting how genetically modified foods and fertilisers used to be the big miracle thing for the food industry, now everyone wants 'organic' food that is not genetically modified and not tainted by fertilisers

Blur Alpaca

2010-03-31T01:57:00.003+01:00

Spot the Chinchilla!

2010-03-31T01:54:00.001+01:00

From Peru =)

A hawk perched outside my room today!!

2010-03-31T01:32:00.003+01:00

my dream car =)

2010-03-14T02:32:00.004Z

2010-03-14T01:48:00.000Z

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/for-women-redefining-marriage-material/

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/whos-the-best-mommy-of-them-all/

I wanna go here!

2010-02-09T00:38:00.001Z

http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/album.php?gid=1693

Natural wonders of America -- Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, Utah, HAWAII

winter quarter..

2010-01-28T19:56:00.001Z

just wanted to share how happy i am with this quarter...

i'm taking this class that teaches about tissue engineering and devices... every lecture opens my eyes to the new techniques and exciting research that people are using nowadays in the field.... just the other day we were learning about how mathematical modeling can be used to predict whether a disease can cause an epidemic etc.... it keeps me on the edge of the chair, something i've not experienced for a while...

I'm also auditing this tissue engineering and biomaterials class.... i never knew how liberating it can feel to be sitting in a class simply out of interest.... everything is so interesting... and even though i know most of the material, it's nice to have a refresher, and to hear it from invited professors from different colleges who are passionate about their work... it's such a great feeling..

in my lab class this term i'm learning about a new technique called microarrays where you can find out how the genetic expression of your cells changed, when you place them under stressed environments... this is the first time i'm learning about it, though i've been hearing about it since forever.... it's so mentally stimulating to be learning something new, from scratch.

and also hiphop class.... dancing twice a week really makes me feel good... and the exercise and moving my body just for my own enjoyment is so fun =) and it makes my day after every class....

my two rotation projects are developing quite nicely.... my advisor is really helpful and he and our collaborator are so excited about the work it's really contagious... =)

and before this week i was quite apprehensive about my 2nd rotation project cos the project seemed quite pointless and the people didn't seem too friendly... i realise that some pple, like me, need time to warm up to... and they're such a fun bunch... and i'm starting to enjoy the work, and contributing ideas to my postdoc's research is really really rewarding to me....

last but not least!

this seminar called women's perspectives in engineering!

i LOVE IT . it's so fantastic to sit among women. and women alone. discussing and hearing about all the questions you thought only you had.... and to hear the speakers' stories, to realise these high-achievers are human too, with the same problems you have.... it really helps to put your mind at ease... and helps me tell myself, you don't have to find the perfect solution to everything, just be happy with what you can have...

Don't forget your sisters

2009-10-25T05:25:00.001Z

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea & visiting with her mother.

As they talked about life, marriage, the responsibilities of life & the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully & turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.

'Don't forget your sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now & then; do things with them.

'Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women...your girlfriends, your daughters & all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women, women always do.

' What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband & the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her sisters & made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by-one after another-she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about. As time & nature work their changes & their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life.

After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come & go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break......
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.

BUT...............
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley & you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf & waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules & walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family: all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women & neither would I. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on to all the women who help make your life meaningful. I just did.

first stanford update!

2009-09-23T18:19:00.002+01:00

school just started this week, and i'm taking quite a few classes~ mostly biophysics and some seminars and some core classes required by the department.. also taking this math class in linear dynamics but i might want to drop it cos i don't want to do the weekly homework (and my advisor agrees)... and i got a research rotation this term with this fabulous, enthusiastic prof who seems quite impressed with me (yippee) hahaha... he brought me yesterday to speak with this prof and postdoc from another dept about a project that they want to collaborate in (and hope to publish a paper), so it's quite exciting.. they were quite surprised to find a 1st-yr student working on it but i guess they seemed quite happy after the meeting, so i'm happy =P

went on a camping trip with the other pple in bio-related departments the last weekend! it was quite nice, we went on a 11-mile hike in a temperate forest, so the weather was fantastic beyond words... no bugs, not much sun, very cooling, didn't even have to sweat =P quite disappointed that we didn't get to see many animals though, the only wildlife i saw were banana slugs and this irritating bluejay that kept crowing above our tent right after sunrise... but it was fun, made some friends... and i mastered the art of roasting marshmallows and making s'mores~ muahahaha

oh and the tent near ours was raided by a raccoon the first night -- it apparently went into their tent (their doorflap wasn't zipped up) and stole a cookie from their bag.. they found the plastic wrapper and crumbs outside their tent in the morning O_O.... our encounter with the wildlife was when everyone was ready to sleep and turned off our flashlights... and then our friends who were sleeping outside (i was sleeping in a tent with this other girl) felt something search through their bags and someone heard a grunt... and i heard something run past.. we're guessing it was a raccoon or wild boar of sorts... but nothing happened, so that was just a fright i guess... nevertheless, it was an exciting trip not being able to shower for 2 days and using a toilet that didn't have a light =X haha

hmm that's abt it i guess.. the exciting stuff tt's happening here in stanford, ca =P besides the fact that i found diaso here (1.50 per item!!) and a nice brown-rice sushi restaurant (interesting and very fresh fish) .... yup!

Time

2009-05-07T04:05:00.002+01:00

Was at RJC yesterday to help out at a course my supervisor's teaching for 3 weeks. As I sat at the back of the classroom and watched the students listen to my sup's lecture (or playing on the comp), I had a flashback of JC life. How innocent they looked.... the lack of worries in their lives besides grades, CCAs, university... the hope in their eyes. Intelligent youths looking towards bright futures, enjoying lives with friends all around. Then the irreversibility of time struck me. Like "WHAMP!" There's no way of going back to that age and stage of our lives.... no way to reverse the weathered gaze in our eyes... life ceased to be simple as our teenage years.

A second thought from this morning. Was reading Nat Geog on the train, and there was this photo of the rooftop of a London home. Just like the one we stayed in back then along Gloucester Road. And then I realised how much I missed London. Miss the cosy-ness of the low-rise apartments, the Victorian architecture, the red-bricked walls, the little alleys that led into doorways of pretty houses. There's just something about Europe that'll tug at the corners of my heart, and leave me with a contented sigh and feel at ease as I walk down the streets, walk through the parks. Somehow we just need some connection to some history or culture to make us feel human, away from the hectic, almost mechanistic modern world.

Rainbow!

2009-02-27T07:33:00.002Z

A nice rainbow appeared after a heavy rain on Wednesday =) This photo was from Therie =) I like how the rainbow looked like it emerged from the top of the colorful HDB flat, looks almost magical =)
If you look closely, you can also see the double rainbow above the main one. "Secondary rainbows are caused by a double reflection of sunlight inside the raindrops, and appear at an angle of 50°–53°. As a result of the second reflection, the colours of a secondary rainbow are inverted compared to the primary bow, with blue on the outside and red on the inside." (wiki)
Very beautiful.... amazing how simple things can light up one's day =)

李克勤-左右手

2009-01-14T02:19:00.000Z

don't take things for granted before you lose that you treasure

李克勤 - 婚前的女人

2009-01-13T10:05:00.001Z

the tune is quite interesting.. makes it sound as if a married woman's life is like a battle in the olden days...lyrics are quite true for many too

Take my heart back

2008-12-31T03:21:00.000Z

It'll be alright
You said
Tommorrow
Don't you cry
Don't you she'd a tear
When you wake up
I will still be here
When you wake up
We'll battle all your fears
And now I'll...

Take my heart back
Leave your pictures on the floor
Steal back my memories
I can't take it anymore
I've cried my eyes out
Oh,and now I face the years
The way you loved me
Vanished all the tears

Just a little more time was all we needed
Just a little time for me to see
Oh,the light that life can give you
Oh,how we get such a free
So now I'll...

Take my heart back
Leave your pictures on the floor
Steal back my memories
I can't take it anymore
I've cried my eyes out
Oh,and now I face the years
The way you loved me
Vanished all the tears

Evolutionary algorithm

2008-12-09T14:35:00.002Z

Cool! someone used a genetic algorithm with polygons to create a replica of the Mona Lisa =)

Apple's marketing scheme

2008-12-02T03:05:00.002Z

Apple's marketing tactic is to promote their products as a lifestyle icon, almost like a designer brand. This isn't just apparent in the design of their products (who hasn't fallen to the sleek beauty of Macbooks, iPods and iPhones?). They have used this strategy even in the location and design of their stores -- Epicentres and service centres located in shopping centres, with products attractively displayed on black and white shelves, contribute all the more to the designer brand look, compared to competitors such as HP and Lenovo having service centres in off-central offices.

Baby don't you break my heart slow

2008-12-01T09:03:00.001Z

I like the way you wanted me
Every night for so long baby
I like the way you needed me
Every time things got rocky

I was believing in you
Am I mistaken do you say,
Do you say what you mean
I want our love to last forever

(chorus)

But Id rather you be mean than love and lie
Id rather hear the truth and have to say goodbye
Id rather take a blow at least then I would know
But baby don't you break my heart slow

I like the way you'd hold me
Every night for so long baby
And I like the way you'd say my name
In the middle of the night
While you were sleeping

I was believing in you
Was I mistaken
Do you mean, mean what you say
When you say our love could last forever

(chorus)

Well Id rather you be mean than love and lie
Id rather hear the truth and have to say goodbye
Id rather take a blow at least then I would know
But baby don't you break my heart slow

(bridge)
You would run around and lead me on forever
While I wait at home thinking that were together
I wanted our love to last forever

(chorus)

Well I'd rather you be mean than love and lie
Id rather hear the truth and have to say goodbye
Id rather take a blow at least then I would know
But baby don't you break my heart slow

weird.

2008-11-25T02:32:00.003Z

I find it quite sad how some people aren't motivated to do something about their lives, like changing things around them. Yesterday I was talking to someone and mentioned something about trying to save the world, and he was so shocked at my idea! Apparently he doesn't care about improving the lives of others or making the world a better place; research is just something he can do hence he's doing it. So disappointing.... the world doesn't deserve to have selfish people who bask in their comfort and luxury while others suffer and can be helped from their miserable predicament.

Gmail theme!

2008-11-21T07:57:00.003Z

Gmail released its inbox themes! it's quite cute, I've used the summer beach and teaparty ones. For the beach, I think the waves change with the time of the day. The tea party one is Kawaii ~~ the fox and bird move around, at one instant the fox may be drinking tea, at another it'll be sweeping the floor of the pagoda.... (omg it just went to tend to its bonsai!)
KAWAII-DES!

Could I have this dance

2008-11-20T08:34:00.001Z

I'll always remember the song they were playing,
The first time we danced and I knew.
As we swayed to the music and held to each other,
I fell in love with you.

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner, every night?
When we're together it feels so right,
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

I'll always remember that magic moment,
When I held you close to me.
As we moved together, I knew, forever,
You're all I'll ever need.

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner, every night?
When we're together it feels so right,
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
Would you be my partner, every night?
When we're together it feels so right,
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?

looks familiar....

2008-10-17T11:38:00.000+01:00

2008-09-30T15:53:00.000+01:00

LOL

2008-09-28T13:41:00.000+01:00

Better together

2008-09-17T15:49:00.001+01:00

There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing
But I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographs
With sepiatone loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing it's always better when we're together

[Chorus:]
MMM it's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they'll be gone
When the morning light sings
And brings new things
For tomorrow night you see
That they'll be gone too
Too many things I have to do
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I'd be under the impression
I was somewhere in between
With only two
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be
We'll Sit beneath the mango tree now

It's always better when we're together
Mmmm, we're somewhere in between together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

MMmmmm MMMmmmm Mmmmmm
I believe in memories
They look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up,
You look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time,
And there is no, no song I could sing
And there is no, combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're better together.

What Are You Doing the Rest Of Your Life?

2008-09-17T15:49:00.000+01:00

I want to see your face in every kind of light
In fields of dawn and forests of the night
And when you stand before the candles on a cake
Oh, let me be the one to hear the silent wish you make

What are you doing the rest of your life?
North and South and East and West of your life
I have only one request of your life
That you spend it all with me

All the seasons and the times of your days
All the nickels and the dimes of your days
Let the reasons and the rhymes of your days
All begin and end with me

I want to see your face in every kind of light
In the fields of dawn and the forests of the night
And when you stand before the candles on a cake
Oh, let me be the one to hear the silent wish you make

Those tomorrows waiting deep in your eyes
In the world of love that you keep in your eyes
I'll awaken what's asleep in your eyes
It may take a kiss or two

Through all of my life
Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall of my life
All I ever will recall of my life
Is all of my life with you

Send in the clowns -- A Little Night Music

2008-09-07T05:05:00.001+01:00

Japan photos!

2008-08-31T13:59:00.001+01:00

Japan summer trip!

Cruelty to animals?

2008-08-20T02:55:00.003+01:00

Last evening I saw a woman walking her dog. Common sight around, no? What was horrifying though was how she tied back her dog's ears (the droopy kind) to look like a 'ponytail' on top of its head. Can you imagine how torturous and painful it is to the dog? Try clipping your ears with a clothespeg, for a start! O_O

Does the poodle like to have its fur cut to look like clumps of furballs?
Does the chiwawa like to be dressed in leopard spots or santa suits?
Will they think they look stupid, when they look into the mirror (if they can recognise it's their reflection)?

Dr Randy Pausch's speech at CMU's commencement~

2008-05-20T21:07:00.000+01:00

2008-05-19T10:03:00.001+01:00

Byebye -- Mariah Carey

2008-05-17T09:34:00.000+01:00

Mariah Carey Lyrics
Bye Bye Lyrics

7989

2008-05-09T11:25:00.000+01:00

Natulcien returns with.... the vegetable orchestra

2008-05-07T11:00:00.001+01:00

cool stuff..... =)

2008-03-31T04:02:00.003+01:00

A Dog's View of Kensington Gardens

2008-03-01T17:13:00.014Z

Hello! Today I'm going to show you my world of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park! First, let me introduce myself:

Let's take a walk together! It's nearing Spring in London and the flowers are blooming~

Let's take a close-up view of the flowers! =)

Shall we cross over to Hyde Park?
Look! Someone's sailing a toy boat on the Serpentine~

More flowers!
Crouch.....
And jump!!

whee~~!

actually, this is what i see:

Thanks for visiting! =D

PANCAKE DAY!

2008-02-05T10:02:00.000Z

today's pancake day, first day of lent~ by tradition people have pancakes on this day and toss them 3 times for good luck!!
i did it for fun and had my yummiest pancake ever! =D
complete with maple syrup~

2008-01-06T22:09:00.000Z

2008-01-06T20:47:00.000Z

Girls lie too! =P

2007-12-16T11:40:00.000Z

funny lyrics =P
enjoy this guys~ =D

Girls Lie Too Lyrics

Christmas with Harrods

2007-12-13T20:39:00.000Z

It's snowing in front of Harrod's!
what a nice Christmas-y feel~ shoppers rushing home with their treasures in the midst of a white Christmas =)

paul coehlo

2007-12-05T13:46:00.002Z

it's quite interesting how every week, my Warrior of the Light newsletter talks about something that I've experienced or felt for during that week.
perhaps it's just a coincidence, or i'm merely identifying with something that looks familiar and close to heart....
nevertheless, paul coehlo never fails to encourage me that there's something worth living for and that gives me strength to go on again...

Convention of those wounded in love

2007-12-05T13:44:00.000Z

General provisions:

A – Whereas the saying “all is fair in love and war” is absolutely correct;

B – Whereas for war we have the Geneva Convention, approved on 22 August 1864, which provides for those wounded in the battle field, but until now no convention has been signed concerning those wounded in love, who are far greater in number;

It is hereby decreed that:

Article 1 – All lovers, of any sex, are alerted that love, besides being a blessing, is also something extremely dangerous, unpredictable and capable of causing serious damage. Consequently, anyone planning to love should be aware that they are exposing their body and soul to various types of wounds, and that they shall not be able to blame their partner at any moment, since the risk is the same for both.

Article 2 – Once struck by a stray arrow fired from Cupid’s bow, they should immediately ask the archer to shoot the same arrow in the opposite direction, so as not to be afflicted by the wound known as “unrequited love”. Should Cupid refuse to perform such a gesture, the Convention now being promulgated demands that the wounded partner remove the arrow from his/her heart and throw it in the garbage. In order to guarantee this, those concerned should avoid telephone calls, messages over the Internet, sending flowers that are always returned, or each and every means of seduction, since these may yield results in the short run but always end up wrong after a while. The Convention decrees that the wounded person should immediately seek the company of other people and try to control the obsessive thought: “this person is worth fighting for”.

Article 3 – If the wound is caused by third parties, in other words if the loved one has become interested in someone not in the script previously drafted, vengeance is expressly forbidden. In this case, it is allowed to use tears until the eyes dry up, to punch walls or pillows, to insult the ex-partner in conversations with friends, to allege his/her complete lack of taste, but without offending their honor. The Convention determines that the rule contained in Article 2 be applied: seek the company of other persons, preferably in places different from those frequented by the other party.

Article 4 – In the case of light wounds, herein classified as small treacheries, fulminating passions that are short-lived, passing sexual disinterest, the medicine called Pardon should be applied generously and quickly. Once this medicine has been applied, one should never reconsider one's decision, not even once, and the theme must be completely forgotten and never used as an argument in a fight or in a moment of hatred.

Article 5 – In all definitive wounds, also known as “breaking up”, the only medicine capable of having an effect is called Time. It is no use seeking consolation from fortune-tellers (who always say that the lost lover will return), romantic books (which always have a happy ending), soap-operas on the television or other such things. One should suffer intensely, completely avoiding drugs, tranquilizers and praying to saints. Alcohol is only tolerated if kept to a maximum of two glasses of wine a day.

Final determination: Those wounded in love, unlike those wounded in armed conflict, are neither victims nor torturers. They chose something that is part of life, and so they have to accept both the agony and the ecstasy of their choice.

And those who have never been wounded in love will never be able to say: “I have lived”. Because they haven’t.

geeky photo-editing

2007-12-02T13:52:00.001Z

dogs and their owners

2007-12-01T00:47:00.000Z

or shall i say people and their dog owners....

i wonder who owns whom...

there's a thin line between having a pet as company during the lonely hours of the day, and letting your dog become the master of your life...
how some people's lives simply revolve around their pets.... they bring their pets to the pet salon for their (pet's) weekly massage/trimming, look for cute clothes for their pets to wear, join pet clubs to discuss what's best for pampering their pets, take time out every day to walk their dog.... has the life of a dog become better than the life of a human?
it's not all that bad i guess... it sounds exactly as one might do for a (human) lover...

one interesting phenomenon that you notice when you walk through the park every day is how dog owners shout after their dogs... "come, johnny!""come along, sassy!" how queer.... considering how most people are too shy to shout or even speak up in public places, they are perfectly unabashed about shouting, in an almost primitive way, at their dogs, before complete strangers. and why can't they just go up to their dogs and tell them to follow them home..??

how nice to be a dog... you get to run around the park chasing squirrels, you don't have to work day and night, and you get massages and nice cute clothes to wear (though it looks stupid sometimes)....

facing up to reality, maybe i'll just pamper myself to a self-applied facial for now...

revolution

2007-12-01T00:42:00.001Z

did something somewhat revolutionary today... i showered without wearing my slippers in the bathtub! (i have a habit of showering with my slippers on, because i feel the bathtub floor might be dirty)
that somehow brought a sense of liberation, the mere contact of my bare feet with the bathtub floor... like i feel freed...
slippers are like the boundary that you put between yourself and the real world, the boundary that 'protects' you from what you're afraid to contact... but if you're brave enough to remove that pair of slippers, what will you discover then??

*natulcien enters a state of pensiveness*

Project Riverkids

2007-11-22T20:47:00.001Z

My sister's now in Cambodia for 18 days for a volunteering project, called Project Riverkids!
In the neverending fight against child trafficking. I'm so proud of her... =)
Track their progress here!

Orphaned baby owls find a new cuddly soft-toy mummy

2007-11-16T00:51:00.000Z

some things to drool over..

2007-10-25T11:53:00.000+01:00

Forget the cute guy from the next class or the latest 90% sale from Mango, HERE's somthing to SWOON over!!

DIY laptop sleeve-- your own unique design, convertible to a tote bag, and a red satin lining.

Wi-Fi detecting shirt: how cool is this!! you're just like a walking indicator of the wi-fi signal in school (unfortunately in imperial it'll not light up most of the time -_-"" )

=D

newest babies

2007-10-24T21:02:00.000+01:00

Take a look at the latest techno babies on the market.... (and no daddy the OLED LCD TV is way too expensive... =P )
if a handheld can run like a pc and have a longer battery life than my laptop.... why am i still using a laptop.. wonder...

random-ness

2007-10-18T12:03:00.002+01:00

Seventeen mag Body Peace treaty: a must read for all girls who are dissatisfied with her body! =P

and middle schools giving out contraception to 11-year-olds.... seems a bit too young to me.... so are they trying to protect their kids, or are they just encouraging more sexual activity?? it's like saying, oh you can have sex, but since you're so young and i'm afraid you'll get pregnant and ruin your life, here's a pill. ?!?!

=/=/

Researchers have isolated the stem cells from the fat tissue of adult animals and differentiated them into nerve cells~ cool stuff....

MTR song~

2007-10-18T12:03:00.001+01:00

hehe cute~

I'm now a certified diver!!!

2007-09-18T17:35:00.000+01:00

Went for a diving trip last weekend!
I'm now a certified PADI Open Water Diver! =D=D
I can now dive down to 18m; went on 5 dives over 2 days and saw lots of marine life (sea cucumbers, starfish, moray eel, shark, pufferfish, and clownfish with anemone! )
=) It's a dream come true~

I've got pictures of creatures that were in the sea! =)
I'll put up more when I get more pictures~

*big grin!*

pictures from Hong Kong!

2007-09-04T17:57:00.001+01:00

hong kong summer 2007

thoughts

2007-08-23T16:51:00.000+01:00

so i've been back for more than a week...
nothing seems to have changed, not since a year ago... though i feel much older, and more tired than before..
i've taken to the fact that life goes on, and just to take each day as it comes... there's not much you can do to the future
and lo and behold, as time loves to fly, he's leaving again

2007-08-07T00:48:00.001+01:00

my Easter pictures in CMU and New York!

cmu2007

london weekends == sunny days

2007-08-05T17:06:00.000+01:00

i can't believe it!!! throughout the week we've had freezing 18 deg and rainy days... and come the weekend, voila! out comes the sun!! and... long 30 deg days!!!! *melts*

visited the Victoria and Albert Museum today! =) they had an exhibition of New York Fashion, and displayed the leading and more adventurous designers' garments.. quite interesting i guess..

and the Kensington Palace yesterday =) they had an exhibition of the late princess Diana... quite impressive =) there were videos and photos of her everywhere, her work, her gowns and all.

Even if

2007-08-03T12:14:00.000+01:00

For what it's worth I think there's
nobody like you
You've got grace got a heart beating and despite
your fun
As I grew up I was terrified of darkness
Now you're around I've no reason
to be frightened

'Cause even if the sun came tumbling down
You light the ground I walk on
Even if the moon fell out the sky
You light the ground I walk on

Now that you're mine I can't
picture life without you
You're my friend,
you're my lover wanna bite you

'Cause even if the sun came tumbling down
You light the ground I walk on
Even if the moon fell out the sky
You light the ground I walk on

The world goes on spinning and I can't retrace
My heady footsteps to this place
I'm in heaven right now
and I don't want to come down

'Cause even if the sun came tumbling down
You light the ground I walk on
Even if the moon fell out the sky
You light the ground I walk on

Now we're alone gonna show
how much I need you
Kiss you so won't ever wanna leave me

'Cause even if the sun came tumbling down
You light the ground I walk on
Even if the moon fell out the sky
You light the ground I walk on

'Cause even if the sun came tumbling down
You light the ground I walk on
Even if the moon fell out the sky
You light the ground I walk on

darling darling~

2007-08-02T00:25:00.001+01:00

也许我已经融化入你背后的世界。。 =/

little things that make a bad day turn around

2007-08-01T21:15:00.000+01:00

1. sweet words from a lover
2. a kind greeting of a supermarket assistant to 'take care' with utmost sincerity
3. a good long warm jet shower (even if it's in the office)
4. treating myself to bramley apple pie and juice

(after a bad day at work with failing equipment and results, coupled with extreme tiredness)

feeling much better! =)

2007-07-30T19:42:00.001+01:00

All I Have To Do Is Dream Lyrics

pictures!!

2007-07-30T00:19:00.000+01:00

matador pie from Borough Market!!
nice pie with beef chunks and lentils =)

matador pie from Borough Market!

Emirates Cup~

emiratescup

Where is the spring and the summer?
That once was yours and mine....

cold summer.... brrrr...

Borough Market

2007-07-22T17:14:00.001+01:00

Borough Market

my new photos from my trip to Borough Market!

Saturday trips

2007-07-18T20:47:00.001+01:00

Going to watch an Arsenal game next Saturday! My first time in a british stadium watching a British game! =)

and pictures to my trip to Southend-on-Sea last Saturday~

Southend Trip

going to Borough Market this Saturday too~ life in London's exciting! now that I'm in an exciting lab! =)

baby mammoths

2007-07-12T16:57:00.000+01:00

Well preserved baby mammoth found in Russian permafrost! cool... err no, cold, stuff.... =P
hopefully people won't start thinking of extracting its tissue to clone mammoths.... =S some people have weird ideas.... need to be convinced that evolution has its way of letting those which can live in the current Earth, do live... =/

news!

2007-07-02T19:07:00.000+01:00

Rubber duckies used in study of ocean currents! How cute is that! =)

Laughing bullets and stink bombs are being developed by the Pentagon... imagine hitting a mob with bullets and pellets and they end up laughing.. O_o
how queer.....

Thank you!

2007-06-30T16:06:00.000+01:00

thank you to kaihan for calling me all the way from aussie(and i still think overseas calls are super duper expensive)and cheering me up!! =) thank you bro for sharing your probs with me like nobody here does =) i'm glad you made that little girl's day!

and shiqi's helping me get a handbag from shanghai! =) hope you enjoy your trip!! =)

jack reeves, tap dancer

2007-06-28T23:59:00.001+01:00

he makes me cry.... it's so touching...

Britain's got talent

2007-06-28T23:39:00.000+01:00

fantastic contestants from the show.... enjoy!

you'll love this little girl....

and a touching one of an 80-yr old tap-dancer....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8vgliCYxEY

Giant penguins once roamed Peru!

2007-06-26T13:59:00.000+01:00

Warm-blooded, human-size penguins roaming the earth... you'll be interested in that! =)

Drinking too much water can kill~

2007-06-25T22:02:00.000+01:00

Too little or too much of something is bad for you.... even water!!
just drink enough, don't drink too much!
excessive intake dilutes your blood and affects your nervous system...

2007-06-11T12:23:00.001+01:00

Moments of Inertia =P

2007-06-10T13:00:00.000+01:00

am studying mechanics now...
hehe

sweet =)

2007-06-10T11:13:00.000+01:00

I GOT A PACKAGE TODAY!!!!

2007-06-08T15:11:00.000+01:00

*JUMPS AROUND!!!!!* SO EXCITING!!!!=)=)=)

*natulcien is elated*

I wanna look like that too!!

2007-06-06T19:01:00.001+01:00

How gorgeous!!
girls actually dress like that!! WOW

Baby blues! =)

2007-06-03T10:06:00.001+01:00

figure skating

2007-06-01T21:52:00.000+01:00

this is so beautiful... reminds me of chinese dance on ice =)

big pigs

2007-06-01T18:29:00.000+01:00

wow.... hogs have now gotten so big.... geez... this one can swallow me alive!! =S

the funny test..... which isn't quite so funny...

2007-05-31T15:18:00.000+01:00

to jq: i swear i didn't tweak the results... =P

Your Score: the Prankster

(28% dark, 34% spontaneous, 15% vulgar)

your humor style:
CLEAN | COMPLEX | LIGHT

Your humor has an intellectual, even conceptual slant to it. You're not pretentious, but you're not into what some would call 'low humor' either. You'll laugh at a good dirty joke, but you definitely prefer something clever to something moist.

You probably like well-thought-out pranks and/or spoofs and it's highly likely you've tried one of these things yourself. In a lot of ways, yours is the most entertaining type of humor because it's smart without being mean-spirited.

PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Conan O'Brian - Ashton Kutcher

The 3-Variable Funny Test!

- it rules -

If you're interested, try my best friend's best test:
The Genghis Khan Genetic Fitness Masterpiece

Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

sun

2007-05-30T16:41:00.000+01:00

please let the sun shine again...
the rain makes me sad... =/

hmm =/

2007-05-29T18:10:00.001+01:00

hmm.... =/ does it say anything when your bf's smarter than you... =/

Your Score: More Emotional

You have:
55% SCIENTIFIC INTUITION and
70% EMOTIONAL INTUITION

The graph on the right represents your place in Intuition 2-Space. As you can see, you scored above average on emotional intuition and about average on scientific intuition.Keep in mind that very few people score high on both! In effect, you can compare your two intuition scores with each other to learn what kind of intuition you're best at. Your emotional intuition is stronger than your scientific intuition.

Your Emotional Intuition score is a measure of how well you understand people, especially their unspoken needs and sympathies. A high score score usually indicates social grace and persuasiveness. A low score usually means you're good at Quake.

Your Scientific Intuition score tells you how in tune you are with the world around you; how well you understand your physical and intellectual environment. People with high scores here are apt to succeed in business and, of course, the sciences.

Try my other test!
The 3 Variable Funny Test
It rules.

Link: The 2-Variable Intuition Test written by jason_bateman on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Elegance

2007-05-25T16:49:00.000+01:00

i like her dress, how it's so simple yet makes her look beautiful. Simply elegance.
No need for fancy dangly lacy shiny stuff. Just 3 simple colours, simple lines.
=) and her hair sleekly pulled back.
Lovely.

WHEEE~

2007-05-22T19:16:00.000+01:00

OMG IT'S 21.3 DEG!!!! at 7pm!! that's a record!!! not only the fact that it's past 20 deg, but also cos it's 21 deg at 7pm when it's supposed to be getting colddddd.... WHEEE~ *dances around* =)

HAPPY

2007-05-22T10:55:00.000+01:00

The sun is OUT!!!!
HAPPY HAPPY
*natulcien jumps around* =)=)

White houses

2007-05-19T14:17:00.000+01:00

one of my favourite artists... vanessa carlton! =)
it's an old video but i still love it =) love how she danced...