London Aquarium

Helen and I went to London Central. First, we had a look in the IMAX cinema to see if we could get the ticket for Polar Express 3D, as recommended by Flor. Unfortunately, it was not on screen on Tuesday. We weren't interested by other films on screen. Heading to London Eye instead, we found there were lots of people queueing for the tickets. Being not sure about riding it during the day or in the evening, we visited the Aquarium instead.

The interior decorations and facilities in the Aquarium isn't new. Some tanks are even in reconstruction. The aquarium has only 2 levels. There is a big pool with 2 storeys showing animals living in Pacific Ocean including sharks, e.g. the scary-looking one in the picture on the left is called "Sand Tiger Shark". Also, there is a touch pool in zone 7 for people to touch the Rays. But you have to touch them with wet hands and you need to watch out your fingers (Reading the notice, I guess they might bite our fingers). This touch pool is the most exciting thing in the Aquarium. There is a robot fish in zone 6. Hooray, artificial intelligence!

Having seen the film "Finding Nemo", everyone get to know Nemo the orange fish. However, its scientific name is Clownfish, an invertebrates who "can happily live within the stinging tentacles of the poisonous anemone that can kill larger fish" (copied from the London Aquarium Visitor Guide). Wow... what a indomitable and dogged kind of fish! Now that you might know why the film-makers made Clownfish as Nemo in addition to his lovely orange colour and black 'n' white stripes. I was also excited by jellyfishes floating in front of a blue background. It'd be nicer if they could have more jellyfishes.

In sum, I would be quite relunctant to recommend the London Aquarium to you, but you could go there when you're extremely bored only because it has the touch pool. There were no touch pool in Valencia Aquarium in Spain, the largest Aquarium in Europe and Ocean Park, Hong Kong. The touch pool is not a very new idea for Helen because you can touch many animals in Mainland China. She said she was once kiss by Sea Lion. There are Bears who could put their arms around your back and shoulders. I also saw a photo of one of my aunts, taken in Mainland China, carrying and feeding baby white tigers with a bottle of milk. Anyway, Helen and I went to London not because we wanted to go anywhere specific, but we'd like to let steam off by getting out of Reading. At least the purpose is achieved once we got on the train, we've set a very easy target, indeed.

We've spent 3 hours-ish in the Aquarium. Then, getting back to Oxford Circus, we did some window-shoppings. As time goes by, we tried to look for a restaurant when the shops are closing down. Finally, and perhaps strangely for you, we decided to dine in Reading. A italian restaurant, STRADA, that I've never been to. We shared a rice and a pasta main courses and a Tiramisu dessert. I prefer the seafood rice to the basil pasta. Tiramisu was very nice, but fattening, I know. After dinner, we walked back home together so it wasn't that bad to have our dinner started at 10:00pm.

I've enjoyed a simple day in London and Reading.

Perhaps Love

????
最近覺得最棒的一部片。
（內容有待 upload）

Rivermead Leisure Centre

第一次去 Rivermead Leisure Complex（位於 Caversham），裡面有很多運動設施，如：羽毛球場，跳彈床（trampoline），舞蹈室，游泳池，桑拿室（sauna），蒸氣室（steamer），按摩水池（Jacuzzi spa）等。

是次受 Danny 和 Kim Hock 的邀請，我找了 Helen 和 Bo 作伴。特別鳴謝 Alan 駕車送我們到目的地。我們一行五人主要是用游泳池，桑拿室和蒸氣室，但按摩水池壞掉了，沒機會試。收費亦因此由七英鎊減至三英鎊七十五便士，包括三樣設施的應用，也十分平宜。Helen 和 Bo 不太懂游泳，我原本想教她們基本的踢水。可是，我覺得她們沒有心機學；Bo 又特別怕水。我自己又沒耐性，結果沒有教得很好。更懂得原來自己知道的事，跟把知道的事去教授別人，是很不一樣的。突然尊敬起所有老師來。感激學校的老師，更對我人生的老師感恩，包括我父母。

這個泳池內有很多約一平方米大的浮板，每隔半小時泳池便會有人造海浪。這個時候會有好些人把身體放在浮板上，經歷一下 Tom Hanks 在 電影《Cast Away》的「流浪」。我比較悲觀地想，萬一有一天我真墮進大海裡，一定被大海淹沒，也沒有力氣決定自己要前進的方向，只會隨波逐流，聽天由命。

其實做人也不是一樣嗎？

Dinner with Helen and Bo

A very rare date with Helen and Bo. We had dinner together the first time this term, I guess. Helen stayed overnight and we watched the horror film "Abnormal Beauty" directed by Oxide Pang（彭順導演《死亡寫真》）.

Thank you for the chinese sweet soup（冰糖紅棗杞子百合雪耳糖水）, Helen.
Thank you for the Korean beef dishes (Bru-gu-gee?), Bo.

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I've cooked medium-rare beef steak with white sauce (let someone know just in case he would say I don't know how to cook!) .
The sauce were made of slightly salted butter, double cream, chopped onion and cornflour.

Be frank finally

Starbucks, Riverside, The Oracle @ 4:00pm

A Friend's Visit

Yesterday afternoon, Florence paid me a visit. She stayed overnight. We dined in a Japanese fusion restaurant called Wagamama (literally means "Paradise"). The dishes were unpalatable! It was alright since I am not that fussy about food when I'm with my friend(s). We had a "warm up" conversation in Wagamama. Flor and I haven't met for almost 6 months. Neither have I been in any cinema during this 6 months.

We came up with the idea of watching "Brokeback Mountain", but it was not on screen. Finally, we chose "Final Destination 3", a horror movie. Only two kinds of movie would make me pay a visit to the cinema - excellent Art House and horror movies. Watching Art House movies in cinema is to respect the good idea and work of the cast and crew. Watching horror movies in cinema is to enjoy the sound effects and the darkness, which is not available at home. The idea and special effects (make up/sound) of "Final Destination 3" is not bad provided I haven't watched the first and second ones.

看戲後，去了附近一間 casino。這兒晚上十二時後可以免費吃東西，我已和 Kim Hock 等人來過兩三次，但都是為了吃的。今次因時間尚早，所以和 Flor 每人玩了五英鎊輪盤（即廣東俗稱的「買大細」）。我都是買五十便士一注的，因自己投資的少，不想買太大。最後成功以十六英鎊五十便士「離席」。拿著彩票到派彩的櫃台，派彩哥哥還開玩笑說我真的是來「玩」（不像其他人一般「博殺」）。當然，這是我第一次在英國賭錢啦。Kim Hock 替我們點了 medium rare 牛排和 Hash Brown。吃過夜宵不久，我們便乘計程車回宿舍。

在房間內又和 Flor 看另一套驚慄片──舒淇，林嘉欣主演，鄭保瑞導演，星酷出品的《怪物》（Home Sweet Home）。其英文片名已出賣了它的主題。相信不用我再多作解釋。特別欣賞是小童星和林雪的演技。意外地，原來方中信和鄒凱光也分別客串了一個角色。故事橋段雖牽強，主題卻明顯。戲中的林嘉欣無論是化妝或角色性格也不及在宣傳中所投射的印象恐怖。四時許看完電影，我們在床上談天至六時許才入睡。本來今早十一時我和 Nasreen要見一個 final year project 的 statistics consultant，但 Nasreen 有偏頭痛。會面要順延，我和 Flor 繼續睡到下午二時許。

起床梳洗後，帶著要還的書本，帶她遊覽了 whiteknight campus main library 附近一帶。讓她也順道拿了 prospectus 和 master degree 的 application form。我們先再回家拿東西再出去 town centre。我發現我對 Reading 的認識還是不足。路經一架車，Flor 喜歡裡面一對毛毛骰子，我們在 town 找到黑色和螢光粉紅的，就是沒有她心屬的白色。帶她逛逛 MUJI，令我想起 MUJI 推舉的簡約主義，後又在網上查找才得知其英文是 Minimalism。而且此詞的運用不止在設計上，也可以用在音樂和文學等範疇。詳情則不在此盡錄，總括是文化方面的一個主張。我又不明白為何以簡約主義為題的品牌，其貨品價錢卻如斯的不「簡約」。Ridiculous。

Originally uploaded by 汝軒.

四時許，在 Yellow River 的晚餐可算是是次我們約會的高潮。首先要和 Flor 道歉，我也不知道 YR的四川牛會這樣辣。我們又拍照又聊天，認識的 YR 員工閒時又來搭訕一下。我們興奮地談天，把 main courses 也給全放冷了。Flor 提及其家事和情史，我基於好奇心，聽得津津有味，卻也獲益良多。畢竟前車可鑑，作一作我的借鏡也好。因她的正面的鼓勵，下了重要的決定。本想讓 Flor 早點回家，但我們竟吃了五小時晚餐。是夜，我在三年內第一次吃晚飯吃得這麼久，這麼高興，也是三年內第二次坐 Night bus N3 回家。

謝謝，Flor。

I love Egg Tagliatelle!

Pasta! (1)
Originally uploaded by Craig Richardson.

pasta made from durum wheat and egg.

macchiato y cafe latte

我想學打這樣子的泡泡。
從前在黃河工作時，已知道如何打 cappuccino 的純白泡泡。
cafe latte 也大概學會了做。
真的想學做更多飲料，很好玩。
又簡單，又有趣﹗

macchiato
Originally uploaded by Gayla.

delicious coffee
Originally uploaded by Gayla.

誰更小家子氣？

為甚麼一邊說著我不會和你吵，另一方面又一直在說那些單單打打的話？那不是存心想跟人吵嗎？嘴巴說的和心裡想的有矛盾。我也不怪你。可是男子漢常常這樣小家子氣也太不像話了。我覺得我看錯人了。真的很失望。

一開始，我只看到我想看的東西。那很誘人。或者那些就是我自己沒有的東西，所以我才想在你身上看到，來消極地填補自己的缺憾。其他部分的你，我沒有看見。現在好像一卷畫布，慢慢卷到最後，會不會出現一把匕首？

原來我是秦始皇，你是荊軻。
我是這種人嗎？
「寧我負天下人，不要天下人負我﹗」

愛

女人也是人 >>> 主持：林奕華、夏妙然

如何去愛？

戀人的心：一個心理學家眼中的愛
作者：狄奧多．芮克
譯者：孟祥森

他與她的情感世界：一個心理學家的兩性觀察
作者：狄奧多．芮克
譯者：孟祥森

St. Valentine's Day

I happened to read her diary blog as I like to read other people's blog sometimes by
using links on blog that I've already known. I kept her blog because she writes in English most of the time and her English is quite good.


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Survey by Ruth Tam on 15 Feb 06

My colleague told us that he didn't send his wife flowers yesterday. In past years, his wife always said he didn't need to send her flowers but he always did. This year, his wife said 3 times. So, he thought she was serious and didn't send her flowers yesterday.I said his wife said 3 times because she was afraid he forgot. Another young female colleague agreed with my thinking. Then, he checked with a male colleague and he said sending flowers to his wife was something understood. My colleague said he should do this survey earlier.I said: "If your wife asked you not to send her flowers, you can do it provided you send her diamond." Then he said: "I would rather send flowers then."Then I told him, my opinion shouldn't count because my husband never send me flowers, not even when we first met. He knows me. I want something I can use everyday so that I always remember I am loved.
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I think I'm like her... I want to know that I'm loved every moment, indeed. I've been lucky enough to receive care from other people, but I would still like to receive flowers and diamonds at times. Well... because women has to receive these two things at least once in a life time, right?

This year, I've received 3 invitations and 1 message on Feb 14. However, I received no flower and diamond. I rejected 2 invitations because I know what I'm doing and what I should not be doing. I'm glad to receive the message. I know he is very busy at the moment, but I would like to hear something from him. "Am I expecting you of what you are not?" A question Ella asked me to ask myself. I think my life is such a mess. I need some time to accomodate myself properly. Sometimes, I don't know what I want. It's nothing to do with V day, but it makes the problem more obvious perhaps.

I don't know what I'm saying. I told you to read my update, but I didn't mean to tell you all these by blogger. It just happened. Don't blame yourself. I'm just nagging.

「嘆爆」

年初五　　　發燒（睡了一整夜）
年初六　　　發燒（睡了一整天）
年初七人日　發燒和輕微肚瀉（睡了一整天）
年初八　　　發燒和輕微肚瀉（睡了一整天）
年初九　　　去了學校診所看醫生，不給我看。只看了護士，又是叫我吃止痛藥。感冒叫我吃止
　　　　　　痛藥？Fucking hell...

連續五天「睡食痾」
「嘆爆」　>.<"

Thoughts

Have I been thinking too much lately?