To-do (Oct 2012)

I wrote most of this post in late September. Hope it is still relevant now in early-mid October. This is gonna be boring because I am living the life of a sad student. I recommend you skip to the music and food parts.

To read
Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

(what a lovely cover!)

I believe in karma. If it is not karma, then why does everyone feel the need to recall my books at the library? The two books I am reading at the moment have just been recalled and now they are due on the same day. I thought I could read them s l o w l y until November, like several pages every night…

One of the two books I have been reading (now finished) is Nine Stories by J. D. Salinger. I am surprised by the fact that how few people (in Hong Kong) know Salinger. Nine Stories is an interesting read. Give it another read it will probably become my new love. My favourite stories are "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut" (though it is not generally a favourite), "The Laughing Man" and "Teddy". The Chief in TLM reminds me so much of Jason Schwartzman! That is the wonderful thing about books – there is space for imagination. But I have a personal problem with Nine Stories... I SUCK AT ENGLISH LIT. I needed the help of sparknotes and gradesaver and whatnot. I recommend the book if you are good/OK at English.

Introduction to Probability Models by Sheldon M. Ross
If I put this book here, will you accept my recommendation and read it?

MARKOVCHAINSPOISSONPROCESSESBROWNIANMOTIONIHATEMYLIFE


To listen
EMO ALERT: When I am unhappy, I sentimentally turn to my iPod Video for comfort. _____ (name censored) has been with me for almost seven years. I listen deeply to the melody and the lyrics and reconnect with the old me that was always happy, or happier. I listen to sad songs I used to love. They make me feel I am not alone in the I’m-a-depressed-wreck zone. They remind me everything will be all right tomorrow morning.

Here is a small selection of such songs:

Radio – The Corrs

With a full glass and an empty heart / I search for something to occupy my mind

Half Life – Imogen Heap
As a massive science geek, it is really hard not to fall for this song, though it has nothing to do with science whatsoever. Becquerel, anyone?

The stickler is you've played not one beat wrong / You never promised me anything / Even sat me down and warned me just how they fall / I knew the odds were I'd never win / Yet here I am

My self-worth measured in text back tempo / It's been two days and eight minutes too slow

You Were Mine – Dixie Chicks

I can give you two good reasons / To show you love's not blind / He's two and she's four and you know / They adore you / So how can I tell them you've changed your mind

All Good Things (Come To An End) – Nelly Furtado

Flames to dust / Lovers to friends / Why do all good things come to an end?


To watch
As I have already done a pretty big movie post a while back, I will keep this section short.

Mark your calendar…! HK Release Days of films I look forward to:

Upside Down – in Cinemas now (not sure if I want to watch it anymore)
Ruby Sparks – 18 October 2012
The Perks of Being A Wallflower – 31 October 2012 (have to watch this because I love the book and the writer is directing it)

Helter Skelter looks interesting but it is probably too intense for my taste... may pop into the cinema for Arbitrage because it reminds me of no-arbitrage theory which reminds ActSci but it looks like the kind that my dad watches on the plane.


To go
Island East Markets

It is a temporary weekly market, held every Sunday in September and October for four weeks. At Taikoo Place, the location is extremely convenient for me. I had the chance to have a look around on its second Sunday after gym.



I saw roselles. I saw massive chunky brownies. I saw freshly baked pies. There were also stalls selling clothes and accessories... and many dogs. I am a sucker for dogs.

Though I didn't see the coming of an Asian Borough Market, Island East Markets is a stellar idea. I just wish it were larger, permanent, and came with more stalls selling food. Two more Sundays left! I would go again this week to have a closer inspection with mother.

Island East Markets
Tong Chong Street
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong
Website


To eat
Maureen
Do not be scared off by the seemingly remote location of this noodle house. It is quite a walk from the Wan Chai MTR Station but it is an interesting walk too. You will walk past the wet market, the infamously impractical Queen's Cube apartments and the Grade I historic building Blue House.

I have wanted to try their chicken for a while. Sharon and I ordered the six-course tasting menu, at $180 pax. The price at first seemed pretty steep to me, as a poor student. But the whole experience was basically a fine dining experience –  the serving order, the plating, the food and the lemon in the water! The service was actually better than that of a fine dining house. Maureen did not do pretentiousness, in both their service and their food. The chicken did not let me down. I loved the soup and the noodles too. Rasupermen could really learn a lesson or two.

I am no food critic. So I will let photos do the talking.









According to magazine reviews I have read, Maureen, the owner, studied Food Sciences at university. She carefully crafted a menu using her vast of deep knowledge of food. For a second or two I thought of buying a sous-vide machine at home, but then a wave of sensibility hit me… that would be too much work. I have got a reason give Maureen another visit… Cannot wait to try their 48-hour beef.

Maureen
G/F 11 Hing Wan Street
Wan Chai
Hong Kong
Openrice

Writing about Films for the End of the Summer

This post was supposed to be in Chinese, but I’m lazy.

In exactly four days’ time, I’ll be carrying my satchel and hitting school. Before the end of a long hot summer vacay, and before work is thrown at me in all the advanced Stats courses I’ll be taking this year, let’s talk about something that make me happy – films! Films that I have seen and have not seen.

I hate big budget movies. I don’t really watch them but I just don’t like them. The only great thing about the end of school vacations is the films playing at the cinema. Fewer soulless big budgets, and more room at almost empty houses for me!

Intouchables



I don’t think I’m pretentious, but I like pretentious things. French cinema being one of them. The French have a way with making visually elegant and emotionally delicate (?) films. I mean Hollywood has done this topic (handicapped people/carers relationship and the like) to death. But Intouchables is especially touching, and frankly, just different.

It did not try to guilt you by showing the viewers the accident happened to Philippe, the rich man, nor did it try to emphasis on the class difference between Philippe and Driss (perhaps they did through imagery, but unlike in Hollywood films where the characters have arguments on class difference over and over). All it did was exhibit their truthfully wonderful friendship.

I was so nervous throughout. I was scared that something would come up and ruin the beautiful portrayal of their relationship. Intouchables is not a peak-valley-peak-valley-peak oscillating wave. It is a prolonged calm journey (like complete destructive interference!). With incredible acting and music, along with occasional but perfectly-timed humour, you taste the richness of the emotions in your mouth. Who cares about an exciting storyline? The emotions you feel are magical enough!

What more can I say, apart from je suis touché? I want to give all the people I love a massive cuddly hug. I cannot recommend Intouchables enough. It’s a film to be savoured alone, with your loved ones on your mind.


Seeking A Friend for the End of the World

The title – what a mouthful! The Chinese title isn’t that much better either (I hate 食字 a lot). But since I love, like L O V E, names that I have a hard time pronouncing, I choose to reference this film in the post title.

Now, back to the film itself.

I believe it’s hard to make a good movie about the apocalypse, as again, this topic has been done to death. But the filmmakers of Seeking A Friend for the End of the World choose to focus on the other side of the story. It’s a film about ordinary people, not some world-saving space-travelling superheroes.
With an end-of-world theme, it’s very easy to fall into cliché traps. **SPOILERS ALERT** The only major cliché it has fallen into is that the two main characters fall in love, real suddenly too... This isn’t your usual action-packed apocalypse blockbusters, Seeking A Friend for the End of the World begs to differ. It doesn’t try to make you cry, it makes you think. What would you do if you have exactly 21 days left to live? Would you do something that you would not do otherwise? Does doomsday give you an excuse to confess your love and your feelings? The film gets darker and darker as it gets closer to the doomsday. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears flooded out at the very last scene.

The Eason Chan 陳奕迅 song 人來人往 kept playing in my head. 閉起雙眼我最掛念誰，眼睛張開身邊竟是誰。如果距離世界末日二十一日，你身邊的誰會是你最掛念的誰嗎？

Ranting time:

1. I can’t stand Keira Knightley. I’ve had enough of that chin and that squeezed face since A Dangerous Method. As usual Steve Carell’s annoying, but great performance from him.
2. It is an excellent film. I would prefer this over an action flick any day. But perhaps I would enjoy it more if the lady five seats away from me would shut up. The most I could endure is artificial laughter sound effect they have in horribly unfunny talk shows. I really didn’t need her over-reacting 哎呀s and her narration/explanation for everything that I understood. I respect the elderly, but senior citizens like her make morning screenings unbearable.

Liberal Arts


I don’t want to like Elizabeth Olsen, for no particular reasons really. But I agree she shines in Martha Marcy May Marlene (what an annoying character though). Liberal Arts looks really good and I’m a sucker for movies about college. It just looks really good.


Ruby Sparks

I haven’t even seen the trailer for this… but it had me at its Chinese title – 書中字有夢女神. I like books and I have a 女神… in order to NOT let the poison guy in me gets the better of me, we’ll stop here.


Upside Down

When I saw the title and Kirsten Dunst, I was uncertain, by “uncertain” I mean “uninterested”. Then I was “forced” into watching the trailer (pre-movie advertising)… though it reminds me too much of The Adjustment Bureau (which is truly a bad thing), it looks pleasing. At least it involves Physics (a bit Spiderman-y?)… and forbidden love.


Ted

Pretty much self-explanatory. Who isn’t looking forward to Ted?


Thanks for reading.


Summary:

1. Watch Intouchables NOW.
2. If you can stand Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, and **SPOILERS ALERT** they as a couple, watch Seeking A Friend for the End of the World.
3. I’m looking forward to Liberal Arts, Ruby Sparks, Upside Down and Ted.

To-do (Sep 2012)

Some parts of this post were written earlier… I hope things still make sense:

One year ago, or two blog posts ago, a friend said she liked the direction along which my blog was going – lifestyle blog (?). I told her one of my childhood dreams was to become the editor of a successful lifestyle magazine. To realise the dream I could never realise, I'm implementing some new types of posts, reflecting the style of lifestyle magazines.

I couldn't decide on how to name this post - Items to Put on Your To-do List! or On Your To-do List, Now!... both very creative names, aren’t they? Eventually I’ve chosen to stick to a less bizarre name… TMI. In To-do I'll introduce activities or things that I suggest my readers to try out. There isn't any review, just some lines to support my suggestions.

To read
Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson.

Bitten by the reading bug in London in July, I started reading regularly again. Since then I have started three books, the only one that I have finished* is Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson.

A review will be written soon and posted on a book review club blog, owned by the world’s two most amazing people – Theodora and I, of course!

Shameless plug:
Fishing in the Tadpole Kingdom Fishing in the Tadpole Kingdom Fishing in the Tadpole Kingdom Fishing in the Tadpole Kingdom

* I have my reasons. One of the two unfinished, now abandoned, books involves torturing and brutally killing dogs. The other is a non-fiction!


To listen
Moonrise Kingdom OST

This is what I’m listening to at the moment. I’m no soundtrack expert, but apparently Wes Anderson’s films always have great soundtracks. This is true for Moonrise Kingdom (which is an AMAZING film by the way). Very great soundtrack, indeed… it’s trying to teach you something about music too! Admittedly I am spoilt and have some nice computer speaker system (for its age), but listening to beautiful tracks whilst enjoying a beautiful film in a cinema is an experience that could never be beaten.

I saw Moonrise Kingdom at the Hong Kong Summer International Film Festival. Full house. We all sat through the end credits and enjoyed The Heroic Weather-Conditions of the Universe, Part 7 by Alexandre Desplat. We all clapped. Clapping rarely happens here… what about a standing ovation next time?




To watch
Moonrise Kingdom



Love the cast! Love the story! Love the soundtrack! Love how beautiful it is! Go see it. Very entertaining too.


To Rome with Love



Laughed my heart out during the whole film. I think I enjoyed this more than Midnight in Paris, which was very good. A lot of people are going to disagree with me on that.

To Rome with Love made me hate Penelope Cruz a little less, and love Jesse Eisenberg a little more. Still no opinion on Greta Gerwig. Though I loved Woody Allen’s character, maybe he should stick to directing/writing…


Young Adult



Don’t have the luxury to go to the cinema? Watch Young Adult. It’s funny and really sad at the same time. Is it wrong to say that I could relate to Mavis at my age? *Spoiler Alert* – Uncomfortable ending.

Jason Reitman’s officially my favourite director. Now I wish he were more good-looking.

Got this song stuck in my head ever since. The Concept by Teenage Fanclub.



To go
Flow Bookstore

I’ve actually written the introduction of a post on this little gem, but that post isn’t going anywhere… so let me introduce Flow here.

Selfishly I’ve debated whether I should talk about Flow on my blog… you know, some things are better not said. I’m not sure if I want my favourite bookstore to become everyone’s favourite! But at the same time I want people to know how great this shop is! As I realise my blog isn’t as popular as I imagine it is… here we go:

Whilst googling “garage sale in Hong Kong” during one of my many sleepless nights, I found Flow Bookstore. I dragged my friends there the next day. It wasn’t hard to locate at all.

Flow is a second-hand bookstore, the kind that you don’t think exists in Hong Kong, where chain bookstores dominate. They sell books, all kinds of books, and DVDs. Flow offers a treasure-hunting shopping experience. You’ll be rewarded if you look carefully. I found The Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel (new, unread), Essays in Love by Alain de Botton (perfect condition, at almost half the chain bookstore price), along with many other books that I once thought of reading! You know that familiar line “I WANTED TO READ THIS BOOK BEFORE!!!!”? You don’t have to worry about the condition of the books, or the price, at all. I immediately cancelled my Amazon order when I got home (I’d ordered Essays in Love but it wouldn’t arrive until a month later). I purposely left books un-bought so I would go again!



The owner’s an awesome man, so well-read and passionate. We had a little chat on Alain de Botton. He also mentioned that he was working on a database of items!

Flow reminds me of Any Amount of Books on Charing Cross Road in London. But it’s better because they sell book club books here.

Flow Bookstore
7/F No. 29 Hollywood Road
Central
Hong Kong
Website


To eat
Home-cooked meals
The reading bug won’t get off me. And in August, I was bitten by the cooking bug. I went on thousands of cooking websites. I watched millions of Youtube cooking videos. I got myself the Jamie Olivier cookbook Jamie's Ministry of Food: Anyone Can Learn to Cook in 24 Hours. But still I haven’t made a proper dish this summer! Well, apart from blueberry muffins, but they turned out really bad.

Jamie's Ministry of Food is a great cookbook – aesthetically pleasing and useful. Too bad summer’s coming to an end… so cooking project in Christmas? I’ll update you on this one.

-------------------------

Incidentally, regular posts will either be in English OR Chinese. Bilingual when I have the time, and trilingual blogs will come when I have the time to learn a new language.

Creative Outlet for the Uncreative

The unpopularity of this blog does not fail me. What do you expect from a blog that you update only annually, or worse, almost biennially? I always liked the idea of blogging, sharing thoughts with friends and strangers. I started this blog as a creative outlet. Now I only make comebacks every other year... when I need it the most. Since choosing to do Double Maths, Chemistry and Physics for my A-levels, I knew I would need to look elsewhere (other than school) to brush up my language skills. The situation only became worse after I started uni last year. But here I am, making yet another comeback. This time I will stick around, though I'm doubtful I actually will... well at least I'm making a promise. And this time, blog posts will be bilingual, because taking more than n seconds (lim n -> infinity) to think about the strokes of Chinese characters isn't impressive.

我知道我的部落很不受歡迎... 但我沒有甚麼不滿或不甘。難道超級多讀者的部落是由一年一次，甚至兩年一次的更新鍊成的嗎？我很喜歡部落這個與朋友和陌生人分享的概念。當我建立這個部落的時候，我希望它會變成一個分享平台，誰會想到，幾年後的今天，部落會是苟延殘喘...？ 從我成為一個徹頭徹尾的理科生那天，我已在找一個可以令我語文運用進步的方法/地方。入讀大學了，情況更不樂觀的時間都仍然未找到。但我回歸啦！望這次的我不會忽然失蹤。從今天起文章將會是雙語，因為我再不能忍受自己每寫一個中文字都要想十多秒...