Just some random pics...

Saw this sign while waiting for the subway to arrive. I probably have too much time on my hands, but I thought that it was pretty neat how the shadow below the sign looks like an extension of the dress on the model:


Couldn't sleep so I took some snaps using my compact Casio. Here's my take on Francis Bacon:

And on Edvard Munch:

Disturbing, no? So here's a cutesy pic to balance out the gruesome-ness from above. It's a bit of an annual tradition for one of my aunts to give out Lai See packets to my "pets":

Yep, definitely have too much time on my hands.

Happy CNY

Finally, a day off from work. Slept until noon and it felt damn good.

As usual, went to the big Chinese New Year bazaar in Victoria Park. And as usual, the place was jammed packed:



Inflatable toys have been become an annual staple so there was no shortage of supply this year:

You gotta hand it to the entrepreneurs in HK; they don't let any opportunity to make money slip by. You miss the old Central Pier Clock Tower? Well for 40 bucks you can take one home with you!

These fish bowl balloons were pretty cool:



You know, I don't think it's such a good idea to play with roasted pork toys during the Year of the Pig. Don't want to spit in the face of Karma:



Speaking of which, sticking a pole up a poor pig's butt probably isn't the best way to make friendly with it:



Saw this creepy cigarette toy a few times. Who in their right mind would want something so disturbing in their homes?

Only in HK: 交剪腳

These traffic posts were also a popular item. But where the heck would you put these big eye sores in your home?

Ah, the ever popular ink colored pussy willows:

And the freakish "5 Generations" plant. I'm sorry, but it really looks like an alien pod.

My favorite "butterfly" orchids (although I think they look like falcons more than butterflies)

Anyhoo, didn't go home empty handed:

And for the sake of tradition, I bought another Chinese banner (the last on on the right) to add to my yearly collection. I'm not going to bother with a translation since you either know these or you don't.

Have a Happy Year of the Pig!

1 down...

Well, Hell Week #1 is finally over. It started with a 6:30 - 21:30 shift on Monday and then gradually "improved" to a 7:00 - 19:30 daily shift from Tueday onwards. Then I got a lucky break on Saturday and only had to work from 7:00 - 14:00. Of course, that's also when we got the call that this Seven to Seven shift would last at least another 2 weeks. Fun.

I guess I shouldn't complain though. At least I get to report to my normal office as opposed to going somewhere far like Yuen Long or Sha Tin (then again, those offices only open until 17:00). Plus, my officer in charge is nice, as opposed to some of the horror stories I've heard from other colleagues at the branch offices.

Sigh...with this sort of schedule, I guess I can kiss my chances of improving in this year's HK Marathon goodbye. I basically have no time to train so the outlook for March 4 isn't looking too good.

Anyways, I managed to fit in 3 hours of running today, and as usual lots of random thoughts came to me. Like the current presidential race in the US. It'll be interesting to see who will win the Democratic seat since the 2 top contenders are (relatively) minorities. No matter how much the US prides itself on being open minded and Equality For All, the fact is that a significant portion of the country is still very ultra conservative (to put it nicely). Some probably still can't fathom the possibility of having a colored man in the oval office, let alone a woman. So in light of these conservative views, we can look back the historical succession of power to see how things may turn out.

Traditionally, the path has usually been White Male, Black Male, White Female, which seemingly gives Senator Obama the edge. But on the other hand, there's this name. I know it sounds shallow, but I don't think that the US is ready for a President Obama. Correction, President Barack Obama. I think that many would find that his surname and given name don't sound American enough. President Clinton on the other hand, has a nice ring to it. It's comfortable, it's familiar, hell, it was used in office for 8 years already.

Personally, I think both are great choices, but I really want Hilary to win mainly for the gimmick factor. Like the fact that she'd be the first President who was also a First Lady, and that both and her husband would be addressed as President (since Bill Clinton retains the title even after office).

And what exactly would we call the President's husband; the First Gentleman?

Mountain Ocean Sun...

Yama Umi Taiyo is Japanese for Mountain Ocean Sun, the concept being "as high and noble as a mountain; a heart as deep and wide as the oceans; affection as warm as the sun."

What the hell am I talking about? Moutain Ocean Sun...or MOS for short, as in MOS BURGER!!!!

Yeah baby, I finally went to the Citysuper food court in APM and tried it out. It's been years since my last MOS burger (I think it was Tokyo, 1999) and I've been dying to get another taste. Mmm, as good as I remember. I ordered the MOS burger original and the the Scallop Tempura Rice Burger:

Hmm, doesn't really look so good in the photos (sorry, all I had was my dinky phone camera) . Let's see what MOS' homepage has to offer:

Ah, much better. BTW, the pic on the left is actually the Seafood Rice Burger, but you get the idea.

If you've never tried a MOS you need to get one in your mouth, stat! Especially the Rice Burgers. Those pale imitations at McDonald's can't hold a candle to these.