Liquid Hand Soap Does Mix with Hair

As expected, I forgot to buy shampoo last night. I was thinking very hard about what type of alternatives I could have. Laundry detergent? Dish wash liquid?

Liquid hand soap is far better choice and it does work.

Bar Soap and Hair Does Not Really Mix

I was almost wanting to scream when I found out both shampoo bottles were empty this morning. I had no other choice but to wash my hair with the SOAP. It was a really strange feeling, it is really hard to apply the soap evenly on my hair. It took me several minutes to bubble up my whole head, since I am using the body soap for my hair, I might as well do the body bit.

Things went OK and I didn't smell too bad. When I tried to rinse off the soap on my hair, all the bubbles were gone, I swear it was all smooth and good-smell few minutes ago!! Nightmarishly, my hair was hard and dried as rocks and tangled as bird nest.

Need to remember to buy a bottle of shampoo today.

Anglee Joey

I was a bit stressed because of the move and I basically abuse those I spoke over the phone. Those poor people are from telephone company, TV license company, shipping company, concil tax office, utility company. The typical conversation goes like this

me: "Why is the application form/my deposit/cancellation order not here yet?"

poor customer service representitive (abbr. PCSR): "They are processed in order... "

me: "But I have notified you few weeks ago!" in high volume

PCSR: "We are trying our best.."

me: "Look, you are getting paid to explain this to me while I am using my time to get to the bottom of the issue, it is ridiculous!. I seem to get different answers every time I speak to different people, that is the way you conduct your business? " in higher voice, I deep breath and continued "If I don't get what I want, I am not paying for the last bill".

PCSR: "It is up to you, you will still not get what you want..."

me: "GREAT SERVICE!!" I finally screamed and wish I have learned how to swear.

Of course, it didn't get me anywhere, either. I am still waiting for the form/deposit/cancellation order. But I finally realise that I could be nasty and bitchy.

Too Much Drinking

Crazy Women Show Room - we started our marathon drinking session around 6. We drank through the very last trains, I have to keep all my guests. We then pulled out the leftover roast and started to munch on it around midnight. No one wanted to sleep yet, fine, let's open another bottle of Madira. Finally too tired to do anything when the short hand turned 4.
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Foul-Mouthed Pikachu

Having dinner with Oleg, Marta, Eugene and hyperactive Norwagien guy. I was not feeling too good after the Indian foods, proabably it's because of too much wine...
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Eugene was talking about how swearning words in your native tongue has more emotional impact than the foreign launguages. For me, I think they are equally bad. Interestingly my brother and I never ever swear in Cantonese, Mandarin or English. It could be because our parents swear quite often (especially my father), we make very good effort not to use any bad words.

Perhaps one day we will explode and vomit out all the indecent words.

Monsters on Buses

There was only one bus goes from my neighbourhood to my high school when I was in Taipei. The bus was inevitably crowded since it went through several high school in the west side of Taipei. That was quite an experience because I had never gone out of my neighbourhood without adults' company as a 14 year old.

Many classmates complaind about some indecent acts happening to them on a crowded buses, and how they dare not to take any action against those monster. I was picturing what I should do if it really happens to me, and so ready to either hit the monster with my bag or give him a good kick to the shine.

But it never happened throughout my 3-year commute. All my planings had gone in vain.

Sailor Moon

I got this parcel on valentie's day last year. It was sent to SunGard London office from some person inTokyo, whose name was completely unknown to me. I was so curious that I ripped open the package, revealing this school uniform set in the office. My colleagues were all laughing their heads off.

Later that week, I received another parcel from another unknown name, which contains the matching socks and glue stick used to keep the socks in place.

There are many speculations who might be the sender, one of everyone' s favorite is the business analyst in a Japanese bank, who I worked with in New York. He was famous for winning an award of erotic novel competition. My manager at that time was really concerned when sending me to the bank.

Obviously, that is not real school uniform but it could be used in many ways, I was told.

Blow up the Dog

My friend encouraged me to write down all the dog stories I told over several pints. Perhaps one day those stories could be made a book. Here is one of them.

We used to have couple of plant pots right near the entrance to the living room, the area is several steps higher than the garage floor. The dogs are not allowed to get crossed the line into the living room (they are not even permitted to linger near the entrance, my mom would definitely give them a hard-to-forget lesson if they do).

I think we sheltered a stray dog one time and he was very brave in challenging the authority. He loved to dig open the soil in those plant pots and chewed on the roots. Nothing seemed to stop him from doing it again and again. We could only clean up after him.

One slow Sunday afternoon, my father decided to take the action. He showed me how to sand through a little light bulb and fill in some black powders from the firework left over my brother and I collected and stored since Chinese new year. That's the basic of the ignition module. A small firework's ignition thread was inserted into the light bulb via the hole. We then wired a circuit with a AA battery. The circuit switch was weld into two seperate pieces of metal plates. We carefully installed the whole device in one of the pots and lightly spreaded some soil on top of the upper metal plate seperated from the bottom with a plastic spring.

We then went back to the living room and watched TV. Just within half an hour, the dog could not resist the temptation of an unguarded pot and dashed out of the garage screaming after a small explosion.

Translator Needed

Susie stayed with me and, I think, the woman is a terrible bed-mate. Although I am not very good myself (I turn, kick, speak and sneeze when sleeping) but Susie always lets out large amount of gas near the dawn (strange body clock). I tried not to think about the smell but it made such a big sound, the whole bed trembled I thought the earthquack is taking place in my dream.

Finally she went in the shower, I got to have the whole bed myself and tried to catch up some sleep. As I was falling into the deep and sweet darkness, she came back. I said "did you just finish your shower" in Chinese. It took me few seconds to realise I was talking Mandarin to a English speaking person. But it felt so natural the way I expressed my thought.

I was told that I sleep talk in many different languages. It would be very interesting to study how multi-linguals process information in their brains.

Betel Nut Beauties

Javed, myself and Irene... Too much foods, we spent 3 hours eating our Sunday brunch.
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There is an interesting betel nut selling culture in Taiwan. First of all, I need to brief you in about the background of betel nuts. Betel nut tree are very common in southern China and pacific islands, they look like coconut tree but thiner. Betel nut products (fresh betel nut mixed with spices and mineral lime) are used to greet guests along with cigerattes in the old time. They are chewed like toboco, also give betel nut chewers similar dizziness.

In Taiwan, betel nuts are truck or taxi drivers' favorite. It lifts up their spirit and keeps them awake. The interesting bit comes in the glassy stalls selling the betel nut, soft drink and cigerattes. There is always a young girl dresses in sexy outfit and high heel boots. In areas where competition is severe, girls dress even less.

Those girls are not poor and they are not forced to attract customers by dress sexily, they come from all different backgrounds and most of them think they will not stay in this industry for long. Some would return to school yet some become the owner of a betel nut stall.

They work very hard to draw more buyers, such as being very innovative about the outfit. You can see nurse/school uniform or pikachu immitation. The sexy outfit does not only serve the purpose of showing off their fleshes, it is also the ice breaker such that the passing by drivers can have some conversation with those young girls.

Littering

I never understood why people need to use toothpick few years back, now I know....

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There are some very strange things I observe in London, for example, Londoners don't really understand what is recycling. In Toronto, California, even Taipei (not that much of New York, though) people were obsessed with recycling. We carefully seperate the tin cans, plastic containers and glass bottles, patiently waiting for the day of the week to come and bring out the right box for recycling. In London, even pubs do not recycle. You can just imagine the amount of glass bottles thrown into landfills every day. I seem to be the only one in our apartment complex bringing out recycling materials to the collection bins 2 blocks down the road. Oh, I do meet others recycling, we chat about the difficulty to get the used batteries properly disposed, but those were mostly no-Brits.

The other strange thing is some Londoners do not really know littering is bad. Many thanks to concil cleaning service, you always see cleaning staff pushing carts on streets and blocking your way innocently. However, wouldn't it be nice to educate people that littering is wrong and install more trash bins? It was quite shocking when I told Grace and my mom about Londoners' littering habbit while we were looking for a trash bin to dump our Starbucks coffee cups and holder in Taipei. Littering becomes an unacceptable act, along with the concept of recycling in Taipei. You almost feel the pressure from the walking by or your neighbours. However, it is not yet the cleanest city because, I guess, there is no cleaning force as powerful as that in London.

Tabloid Composary Disorder

Unisex bath room sign, ha ha ha
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When I get hold of a magazine, newspaper, the first section I would throw out is the sports section. The next is the definitely the tabloid section.

I have skipped all news about celebrities since very small. I stubbornly think reading it would destroy my brain cells and make me stupid for sure. I even feel great when shaking my head while being asked "do you know who does what and when?".

I understand this is all to create the illusion to myself that I am so intellegent that I don't need to know them. But I still fail to see the importance or get entertained by it.

Drive on the Right but Train Runs on the Left

Just read an article about the train system in Taiwan and China. They run on the left, which is opposite to the side of automobiles. That is the legacy from Japanese railway system built before world war II. Very interesting...

Language Genius

I like, I like, I like cider....
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I think every one has some friends who can manipulate language so skillfully. They read faster, understand a passpage slightly differently from you, they produce more interesting essays or develop deeper meanings out of something ordinary.

That is definitely a plus for life if possessing such a skill.

Information Filtering

I was told a very interesting experiment. Babies were shown two different pictures of monkeys, in which the differences are not detectable by naked eyes. The 6-month old could tell the difference but not the 1 year old. We learn to ignore the unimportant information and concentrate on the survival-related ones. In this case, human faces are far more important to babies than monkey faces.

We only comprehand, understand, remember whatever we feel important. No wonder communication is difficult before we can synchronise our emotion with our audience.

Brokeback Mountain

Another very well-made movie, althought I can hardly understand the protagonist's talking (he has this thick mid-west accent and he mumbles all the time). The tension and love between Jake and Heath are beautifully beautifully depicted. Their emotion for each other is so intense that I have not seen in heteralsexual ones.

Heteralsexual relationship can be contemplated as a chemical reaction involved an active and an inert elements, which attract each other gradually. The negative and postive charged electrons marry and neutralised. It ends up in a harmonious and peaceful state. The gay relationship is like the explosive reaction when two active elements are forcibly locked up in one space. They fight, they compete and ignites the explosion with no boundries.

I was thinking the same analogy for lesbian love. How the chemistry happens for two inert elements?

Old Friend From Toronto

Andy was going to the same high school with my aunt, Feng. They become such a good friends with each other in despite of the huge age difference.

Andy went to the Ontario Arts and Design college and always told us shocking yet interesting stuff. One of his friends came out from the men's room, face white as paper, because he saw 4 legs in one toilet stall.

In his performing art class, the final project presentation was hilarious. Some guy performed bleeding (although he had to leave early before the class finished), some guy performed being slapped by the electric fan, some guy walked to the instructor, rolled up his trousers, grab the handful of hair and pulled.

In math department, we only have geeks who forgot to shower for weeks in summer.

Meat Craving

We had a New Year's eve party in my brother's place. This steak was cooked so well and we had to take a picture of it.

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Interestingly I stop my meat craving recently. Well, it might be also because my cooking skill is deteriorating. Every procedure seems pointless to me. Why bother chopping garlic or fresh herbs? Why bother marinate the meat in brine (to maximise the the flavor by infusion)? Why bother thinking how to incorporate different flavors like articulating an abstract data type? But I hate artificial processed foods even more, I only work on whatever I have in the fridge (because if I don't eat them, they will turn bad). I throw a piece of frozen meat in the microwave and cook it up with high heat, eat it with soy sauce, 4 ciggaretts and 5 TV programes.

All of sudden, meat smells very bad to me. The texture was not very pleasant to my teeth and some fibre always manage to stuck in between the molars. I have no other choice but trying to be more creative with pickled, fresh veggies. But I feel hungry in shorter time interval...

Castrophobic?

My mother's innovative child care methods. During summer time, she left XiaoHo with a bucket of water in the balcony and XiaoHo would happily play with all kinds of containers (he was not bought any toys since he was born but second-hand toys or our everyday life objects, such as empty shampoo bottles and so on). Then my mom would be freed to prepare dinner for half an hour.

In winter time, XiaoHo gets to enjoy the hot water bath in the same bucket. Because he is so small, we only need to fill up the bucket half full. He would come out all warm and red-faced after 10 minutes.

He is born a happy kid, never fussy, trying hard to enjoy every aspect of life as much as he can.

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I think it is quite common for people to get aggressive, unkind and nasty when they are behind the wheel. Since a car provides a closed environment and the driver is taking full control of its direction, it consequently gives the driver a false sense of authority and power. I guess it is not unusual to see your friend become a monster when he/she is driving.

What I want to say is that you are not going to teach any one a lesson (or change the world) by driving agressively, changing lanes freqently (although your reason is to minimise the time driving on the same road with a bunch of idiots) or tailgating those who you think unfit to be on the road. You are putting the passengers and people who share the road with you in more danger when you drive like a lose canon.

Traffic in Taipei

I found a book written by a Japanese girl who lives in Taipei. She had many amazing discoveries by seeing life through a pair of Foreigner's eyes. She's found lots of things I have never noticed before. For example, she heard people farting when exercising in the park in the morning (she described it as the human trumpet). The sound is so interesting to a girl who came from a place no one dare to make such sound in public. She observed that people don't really need to pay any respect to the person who is singing in Karaoki, which is unforgivable in Japan. Etc., etc..

Some Taiwanese find it very insulting but I think it is terrific. She is very observant and sharp in asking questions. Taiwanese are extremely care-free and liberal, quick to react without thinking much about the consequence. I have to blame my quick temper on this. Japanese culture is very anal and being discreet has come to some sort of art. The contrast is huge and interesting.

She's mentioned that Taiwanese are not afraid of danger or losing our lifes, yeah, she was talking about the traffic in Taipei. There is such a strange and subtle balance on the streets. It look chaotic, messy as if all drivers on the road are just out of mad house. Nevertheless, accidents don't occur as frequent as you would imagine.

The car in front of you might change lane without signaling, the one driving on the inside lane wants to get off the motor way all of sudden, granny riding a motorcycle was going in the speed of a snail but didn't notice she's block your way? And many many many... I would never think those crazy dirvers assholes because they are bred by the culture I deeply recognise. Of course I would hope things can get more organised in the near future.

Disposable or Reusable?

Really high quality disposable underwear

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When getting home from my long vacation, I routinely took a shower and found no clean underwear because my laundry is also on vacation. I had to use my emergency measure, disposable undies! They are not the best quality but do work.

Long time ago, my mother thought it would be hygenic for me to pack several of those when I went camping. Everything worked out fine until the last day a group of 10 year olds were let loose in the beach. All of us were soaking wet by the time the teacher managed to get us back to the bus.

It was not too good because those diposables were made of paper at that time.

My Cousin's Wedding

Everyone was critising my hair style, even including my uncle who is insensitive to fashion (he was bold and had his head shaved). I was dragged to a beauty saloon in my mother's earliest convenience in order not to disgrace our family name any futher. _______________________________________________________

I ran from the airport to my uncle's place in TsinSaShui and straight to the banquet hall in MongKok. The banquet hall is in the 42th floor of a hotel building. Well, I changed in my uncle's place, managed to put on some make up and shuffle in several fresh-made raddish cakes at the same time.

The wedding banquet in Hong Kong is not very different from Taiwan, except they do like playing Mah Jang before serving the food.

The invitation would clearly states that the host would greet you at 6 and the feast starts at 9. The time between 6 and 9 is really for people to socialise. I was starving and my auntie (Jennifer and Sandy's mom, the Taiwanese bride married my Hong Kong uncle) gave me a bag of super sweet tangerines (she's got nerves to bring a bag of fruits to the wedding and, of course, I should have the nerves to eat them).

It is so nice to see my Hong Kong cousins, I have not met with them for almost 8 years. They have grown... My younger cousin dressed in a beautiful gown, I couldn't take my eyes of my my younger cousin's chest. I poked them with disbelief "are they real"? My brother was really embarrassed and swore he doesn't know me.

During the meals, the young people inevitably took charge of entertainment. They played games on the Groom and Bride. The more embarrased and silly they look, the better.

Stage 1, Nothing Really Shocking...

Stage 2, Oh My God!

Posture Overkilled

I went to the Chinese style osteopath clinic in Taipei with Irene and Peggy. My backpain was almost gone after the hot water bottle treatment but I am very curious about traditional Chinese way of sorting out muscle ache or sprang ankles. Although growing up in Taiwan, I rarely visit any Chinese doctors. Well, my brother and I have been healthy kids was also one of the reasons.

The clinic is very different from dentist practice or surgery that we know of. There is no smell of antiseptic or bleach. There are only 3 KungFu masters and 5 massage beds (2 masters were absent that night). The waiting and treating areas is only seperated by a low bookshelf filled with comic books. It is quite shocking to see how the treatment is carried out. The masters twist and stretch and pull and fold the patient's body. At the same time, the patients howl in controlled volume, I guess it really hurts.

The masters are all around their 20s. However, unlike those stereotype 20 something, they are very patient, amiable, modest and big-hearted. Perhaps the long history of KungFu training and meditation disguises their true age, but they are indeed very nice people.

After a long wait, it is finally my turn. I told the master how my back and knees hurt sometimes, he looked at me and asked "how old are you?". Well, the real reason of my back pain revealed itself when the master made me lay flat on my stomach and felt my spine. My pelvis is obviously protruded (which may explain why my bottom is sticking out). Since I don't have hunch back, which normally happens in case like this in order to balance, the muscle in my lower back contracts most of the time to obsorb the pressure.

I was folded, pulled in many directions for around 15 minutes. This is the technique widely used to loose the joins. The master then corrected my sitting and standing postures. Well, I have always forcibly straightened my back because I think it is the right thing to do, it turned out I could have straight back easily if relaxing and letting my upper body lean backward a bit.