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My First Crocs

When I first saw it at Times Square I love the color and style already. I did my best to ignore it but gave in after two days. My first pair of crocs - Alice suede in ruby.

My small investment in Hong Kong stocks

I sold my shares in July/August of this year as I fear a correction is just around the corner. Wrong timing! Stock prices even built up momentum and many shares even tripled in prices. So I really felt bad looking at the Hang Seng Index moving up to 26,000...27,0000....28,0000 and then to more than 30,000!!!! Thinking this might be a continuing trend I went back into the market. Unfortunately stock prices began falling especially after China's President Hu Jintao made a statement that the express train for China investors to directly invest in Hong Kong shares will have to be postponed for further study. What?!

At last week's IPO of Alibaba.com (1688) I bought 1,000 shares at HK$39.25 per share. Yes, I've gone crazy as my colleauges exclaimed, buying very close to its highest price! At its opening I tried to buy at HK$33 but I took in my colleagues' advices that the price is too high. Price continued inching its way up while I was itching to get my hands on this share so I took all my courage to buy anyway. Ooops! Very....very...wrong. I would have earned about a thousand Hong Kong dollars if I sold these the following day at auction price of close to HK$41. But I did not! So here I am with 1,000 shares of Alibaba.com now worth less than HK$30 each. Whaaaaaaah!

But this did not stop me from buying the IPO listing of 3800 on Tuesday. I bought again at its highest HK$5.40! I tried buying at HK$5.25 but price is moving up every second. I saw the prices on screen going up to HK$5.57 and then sliding to the time I bought at HK$5.40. But my golly the price dived down to less than HK$4.50! I was still hopeful though and in the afternoon trading session it went up to HK$4.90 and then closed at less than HK$4.65! My! My! It may not be possible for it to gain a dollar today. I am still trying to be optimistic as whatever little savings I have are in the stocks now and I do not want to realize any paper loss! I understand though this is a natural result with me being an emotional investor. Today 3800 dived down to HK$4.26 but closed at HK$4.91. I could have made some money if I bought this morning!

Chocolates: love it or hate it

Boss came back from Europe on Tuesday and brought back with him six boxes of chocolates courtesy of his friend there. I set aside two boxes for Big Boss as she really likes chocolates. So there were three boxes for the ten of us to share at the office. Missing one box? Hmmmm....One box was immediately set aside by a colleague for her to take home. I felt uneasy about this as it was supposed to be shared. Anyhow when the other colleagues saw the chocolates, B reacted quite naturally with a "Wha! Yum! Yum!". A exclaimed "Why did they sent these and not the Mozart chocolates?". Now I dislike this kind of reaction. I think we should just be thankful we were even given these presents. Like it or not, it's the thought that counts. Well A ended up not even having a bite because she believes she is now allergic to chocolates. C did not even look at the sweets as she is being careful with her glucose count. So the colleague who set aside one box for herself ended up regretting not getting two boxes instead. What????? Two boxes!!!! I can't help myself but commented to her not to be greedy and one box should be enough. She argued no one is eating anyway and besides she is giving it to her friends and not for herself really. I commented you don't expect everyone to finish all three boxes in one sitting. I mean one or two pieces of chocolate a day should be enough. The chocolates were especially sweet anyway. As for me, I had five pieces in one sitting. I love chocolates, the milky, creamy and sweet version. Probably not good for your health but should be fine when eaten occasionally.

Deadline: 30 November 2007

I fear the deadline for my first Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA1) is just two weeks away. I am just half-way through the first unit of study when by this time I should have read three units. I understand I should be able to answer everything in the assignment when I have understood everything in the three units. Time is running out and I can't seem to find time to do it. Yes, I have time to blog, to read free newspapers and magazines in town, watch tv till late but can't squeeze in even a page of the three units I have to read. I can't put into words this dreading feeling! But I am feeling restless just thinking of the deadline. I am still being optimistic though. I figure I will read all three units this weekend and do the assignment next weekend! Great plan! Yipee! Still have enough time! I am crossing my fingers!

TVB Jade Series Shoot Sighting

Turns out the very short shoot I saw on 06 October 2007 along Jaffe Road in Wanchai is for this 8:00 p.m. series on TVB Jade. I just saw it shown last night.

On 24 December last year, near Star Street also in Wanchai, I saw another shooting. It was for the recently concluded TVB Jade: 9:30 p.m. series "Drive of Life".

Sorry, I forgot my wallet.

Last Tuesday, I went for my Mandarin class and took the tram to Central. At the Landmark stop, one guy in a business suit got off the tram without paying. Well, he did tap his Octopus card but the value is negative already so no amount can be deducted. The motorman did not shout after the guy to get him to pay and just turned his head left and right. At least to me it did not look like the guy did not pay intentionally.

On my way home, a nice, simple and young lady is sitting across me dressed in a very lady like office wear. I noticed she has a very nice Tod's leather orange bag. She even checked her blackberry phone as well as a Prada mobile phone. She got off at my stop however she did not take out her Octopus card or her wallet. She had this conversation with the motorman in Cantonese:

Lady: Sorry, I forgot my wallet.
Motorman: What?
Lady: Sorry, I forgot to bring my wallet. (She then got off the tram.)

No word or reaction from the motorman though. I guess he is used to this kind of situation. Now I have a few questions in mind: how did the lady went to work that morning? Someone picked her up that morning? She did not have lunch? There was no need for her to spend even a few dollars until her way home? Or was she just going to work at 8:45 pm? This situation made me think I should have two wallets otherwise I would not know what to do if I left or lost my wallet. Would anyone travel an hour to spare me some money? Aaaaahhh! I hope I will never be in that situation!

100% Pashmina

Although I have received scarves as gifts, I have never used one. So when my boss requested me to buy pashmina scarves, I said ok even though I have no idea where to buy. I have heard and read about pashmina but haven't seen one. Maybe I did but don't know that for a fact. Since I need to buy two pashmina scarves as requested, I reckon I surely will get the real thing at Sogo in Causeway Bay. It would be embarrassing to give someone a fake pashmina scarf when the real thing was requested. Although I have four colors as guide, turns out new arrival scarves come in two-tone so it made buying a lot more difficult. Would the receiver prefer a single colored scarf or a two-toned scarf? Hmmmm.... And the weaving comes in different patterns! It took me 30 minutes before deciding which color to buy. I am glad the saleslady was very patient and cheerful even though she should be rushing as her shift is about to end. She even helped me settle for one plain pink scarf and one two-tone red/fuschia pink scarf both in diamond pattern. Plain red, orange and black were requested but are not available. I hope the recipients will like their scarves. And at a steep price of more than a thousand each, the scarves must be 100% pashmina!

The following day, I went back to buy another one in black.

Can't resist a bargain!

On Sunday I attended the second tutorial. I cant help being late. Okay....I was trying to wake up earlier to attend mass before attending the tutorial but woke up late at 7:45 a.m. so I had to hurry up with a quick shower and a cab ride to the Macau Ferry Terminal. I did not go to Macau! Like I said, I attended a tutorial which was held just a floor above the terminal. Before I headed to the classroom I bought an orange juice and a ham and cheese burger at McDonald's. I only had two bites before I reach the door to the classroom. So I quickly put the burger in the bag while entering the room. The embarrassing thing is everyone stopped and the Professor even acknowledged my presence. Yikes! So much for being late and need to remind myself to be on time next time!

The Professor was correct in his comment last tutorial that students attending tutorial become less and less every tutorial. Last time there were 31 students but yesterday there were only 22 of us. The couple, who had their breakfast in the room last time, was having their usual McDonald's breakfast. Me? Well I had my orange juice in front of me but I only had one sip in the two-hour tutorial because it was really cold in the room. I was wearing a jacket already but it was not enough. Another reminder, need to bring a thicker jacket next time!

After class I attended mass at Mount Carmel Church. I was late of course but thankfully was in time for the first reading. During mass, the conversation behind me made me think I may not be patient enough to be a mother. Behind me was a family and this boy was asking his father: "What is a pharisee?", "What is exalt?", etc. It's amazing the father explained to him everything patiently.

After mass I went to Pacific Place to check out something I can buy at Lane Crawford with the gift card I received months ago. Although I have a gift card I still can't part with it to purchase something. What can I buy with the gift card? Well it's not enough to buy a pair of jeans though more than enough to get a t-shirt which starts from HK$800! Maybe I was not looking very hard at the goods available. I did like a pair of Colehaan/Nike air shoes though which I don't need. It would be nice to get a pair of pumps for office wear but I will need to shell out additional cash. No! No! The gift card will have to wait until Lane Crawford goes on sale!

I went to see four flats in Shaukeiwan. Yes, the property prices are moving up continuously for the past year and so I think I should act fast in looking for a home. Unfortunately I find the units I have seen so far not worth the asking prices. I am confused if I should wait till the market cools down a bit or should make a quick purchase now lest the market keeps going strong. On another consideration, should I buy somewhere in New Territories about an hour ride away from the office for 50% of the asking prices in the Hong Kong Island?

So after only looking at four flats, I decided to go home. But when the bus had a stop at the Central Library and most people are getting off, I realized I had to check out the Caritas Bazaar at Victoria Park just across the street. And so it is that I had my very late lunch at Delifrance behind the library and proceeded with a full stomach to the bazaar. I figured it's almost closing time of the bazaar and I won't be buying much with a full stomach. Last year, I bought lots of stuff toys at HK$5 each which ended up in the trash bin when I was moving. So this time, I was prepared not to buy any stuff toy. I was looking for a drink to buy but the snack tent was packing already. So I just had a look around where everyone was in their packing mode already, both sellers and buyers. But I still ended up with these:

At HK$5, a Nine West bag!

These toys bought at HK$1 each.

All in all I spent only HK$9 (HK$2 entrance fee). Not bad especially when everyone is having fun with their early Christmas shopping!

And they even have a program before the closing.

In the news last night, Cardinal Zen graced the bazaar too!

After the bazaar, I headed to Ikea. I really wanted to get a few things like study table, sofa and shoe rack but there's just no room for these where I'm staying. So I just ended up with this.


At least I have the catalogue to help me with future purchases.

Quarry Bay Tree Walk

Last Sunday I woke up in time to attend mass at Mount Carmel Church in Wanchai. After mass, I took the tram to Shaukeiwan hoping to look at some flats. But I ended up walking back from Shaukeiwan to Quarry. I had lunch at MOS Burger across the street from JUSCO. I then walk towards Greig Road and saw a trail behind the Mount Parker Lodge. And so it is that without a map or a bottle of water I took a hike. It has been a while since I had a long walk. Although there were moments when I felt alone, I would hear the distant shouting of kids.

Here are some photos taken along the Quarry Bay Tree Walk:

Plant boxes which were actually stoves built before the war but were never used.

I am happy to see this once in a while.

And I wonder the need for this sign.

Someone lives here?

A corner to pay our respect before the hike.

I wonder which came first the altar or the signages. I hope they will move the sinages or perhaps change them to new ones at a further spot from the altar.

I ended up at the Quarry Bay Market but it turns out I should have started from this point for an easier walk.

Oxy 5

Due to lack of sleep, blame it on the telly shows, acnes are out with a vengeance so I bought Oxy 5 at Manning's. It has dried up a few spots and seems to be working fine.

Over the weekend

Last Saturday I was up early to check Big Boss' computer and tv. It seems both were not working after her three weeks holiday. I did not know what was wrong as all seem to be ok. So I just unplugged whatever I can unplug - electrical plugs, cable adaptors, etc. and powered both on. I guess both were just in "sleeping mode" after a long rest and just need "waking up". Both are working fine now.

I joined Big Boss and Boss for dinner that night at Six Furlong of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. I ordered Singaporean Bak Kut Teh for starter. It was good but it would have been much better if I had rice for the way too tasty soup. For main course I had the roasted beef sirloin with vegetables. The sauce for the beef is good but the beef could have been much tender. And for dessert I had a scoop of Movenpick's mandarin and strawberry ice cream. It was too sour for my taste but I did finish it. Ambience was good. I like the quiet atmosphere despite the place filled to its capacity.

Sunday I was up early at 6a.m. to get to St. Joseph's Church in time for the 7a.m. mass. I left home 5 minutes before 7 so I had to take a HK$15 cab ride. I was still late so I missed the first reading. The priest's sermon was about gratitude. More like multiplying gratitude. One good deed leads to countless other good deeds. I do hope I am able to take part. Unfortunately I was not able to. More on this later. Mass finished early at 7:45 so I walked to the HSBC Building tram stop. Outside the church I counted four persons selling bags and pants. And then numerous sellers from the Court of Appeals towards Duddell Street. They were again selling bags and pants for HK$20 each. The "Nike" and "Adidas" body bag even comes with a wallet. There was one selling slippers at HK$15. Noticed also t-shirts being sold. I had wanted to take a photo of the scene but was afraid to do it so obviously. So here are two taken from the stairs going to the bus stop across the HSBC Building.

Photo of the HSBC Building from Queen's Road Central.

Instead of taking the tram, I took the #2 bus to the Macau Ferry for my first tutorial class with the Open University of Hong Kong. The two-hour tutorial for B862 - Corporate Finance promptly started at 9am. There were 31 students including me. One arrived though at 10:45. I guess she thought she is with the next class. There were only less than 10 females. Most of the students are older than me, several with graying hairs. The tutor was saying "OK" in every sentence that I was tempted to count how many times he said "OK". I was tempted only as he was not boring. But he did say the first unit is the hardest so I have a lot of reading to do as I have read only the first chapter!

After class I went to IFC mall to see if there is any Apple shop as I am looking to buy a laptop. No luck there so I went to Elements, the new mall atop the Kowloon Station. Only saw one Apple laptop at Fortress shop there. It was a bit crowded that day but I did not like the layout of the Elements being Fire, Wood, Earth, Water and Metal. I prefer Pacific Place for its simple layout. Of course this is expected as Pacific Place is smaller than Elements. There is an H&M store but it was a smaller version of the first H&M store at Queen's Road Central.

I headed home after spending an hour there as I was carrying a very heavy book of about 2 kilos! My shoulder hurt last night. I am still feeling some pain now.

Anyway, I immediately got back on the MTR to go to Yau Tong as I am still checking out places to get a flat. Yau Tong is not for me as the buildings near the MTR station are Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) units. So I took a bus headed to Lam Tin. Sorry I did not like the bus terminal nor the MTR station. So I did not even had a look around the area and took the MTR to Tin Hau station. I visited two temples. And here is where I was not able to do a good deed. Upon leaving Tin Hau temple,


an old lady called me out. But i just ignored here. I immediately felt regret as soon as I stepped out of the temple gate but I did not turn back. So I was not feeling good afterwards. I then headed to the other temple.

This one has beautiful and well-lighted interiors. I did not take a photo inside as I do not want to look very touristy among the several locals praying there. So I again only have one photo.

I had a walk around the area behind the Central Library and noticed a few interesting food shops that I would like to try next time. Most of the buildings are walk up buildings meaning no lifts/elevators. And there were many car repairs/accessories shops. But it was quiet and has a homey feel. I even saw two mothers having a leisurely walk with their toddlers in baby strollers.

Since this is Causeway Bay already, I went to SOGO to check out some kitchen utensils for my mom. Got her three items which I would bring home in January! I hope they can be of some use to her. I was hoping to buy this orange juicer. Prices ranging from HK$148 to more than a thousand. I was eyeing one already but the saleslady was a bit on the not so nice attitude. So instead of getting one now, I'll just buy it when I encounter a more pleasant sale staff.

I left SOGO at around 7p.m. and took the tram home in time for the 7:30 news. My feet and legs were aching after several hours of walk. But I had a good night sleep so it was worth the mild pain.

Although my mission for the weekend was to go flat hunting, I was not able to see a single unit so perhaps the next weekend would be the good time for this.

Coincidence?

I am apartment hunting at the moment and found there are nice and affordable ones in Tuen Mun, New Territories. I decided to move to Tuen Mun because prices are within my budget. So on the 6th of October I went to Tuen Mun to time the travelling and bus waiting time. I waited only for about 5 minutes for bus # 960. So I am off with a good start and comfortably seated on the upper deck for my one hour travel. Unfortunately the one hour travel time turned to 2 hours! One hour spent on a standstill because of this

on Tuen Mun Road near Chi Lok Fa Yuen. In the news that night, the report says the 23 year old driver was killed in the crash.

So I still went on to check the time it takes to walk from Tuen Mun Town Centre to Hoi Tak Gardens where the unit I am interested in is located. Whoa! I need to walk for about 20 minutes to get there! This means to get home I would need at least 1 hour and 20 minutes not even counting the bus waiting time. But I am determined to give it a try.

Unfortunately on my way back to Admiralty on bus # 962B, I encountered another traffic jam near Castle Peak Road because of this

Did not hear about this in the news so hopefully there was no casualty.

After encountering two traffic accidents which turned the usual one hour travel time into about two hours, I began thinking if this is just a coincidence or a warning sign that I should not move there. Unit prices are 50% cheaper than those on Hong Kong Island and offers bigger spaces. But after giving it some thought the past few days, I decided to give up on moving to Tuen Mun and would really like to concentrate of getting an apartment on Hong Kong Island.

Ah-Sir, M Goi Sai!

I would like to thank all the police officers and sergeant from Wanchai Police Station who guarded my belongings from theft. Although my knees were shaking once I heard about the fire incident, I did felt much better with the officers' concern and kind words. Never thought police officers could be that nice and patient. Thank you!

Ki Ling Lane

I was on a tram going to Shek Tong Tsui on Sunday and noticed a street sign with the name Killing Lane. I thought it was strange so I got off the tram on the next stop to have a closer look. I'm glad I was wrong.

Another L added and it would be spelled killing. But when you read out the name, it definitely is killing lane! The good thing is the Chinese name has nothing to do with the word kill or its meaning. And it was good to see Ki Ling Lane is a peaceful and safe lane as it has a children's playground.

I did not see any kid though but saw elderly people reading newspapers, playing chess or just stting and staring out to a stranger -- me. That was the reason I do not have a photo of the playground itself.

Busy bee

I have been very busy the past two weeks. I had to look for a room as my lease is up next week! After visiting more than 10 places, I still find my current place much better except for the noisy pipes. So I had to call my landlord and inform him I would be renewing the lease after telling him a month ago that I am leaving at the end of my lease. Fortunately he agreed and will even get a plumber to fix the pipes finally!

I also enrolled for a course with the Open University of Hong Kong. Although I paid for the fees I was informed it does not guarantee acceptance to the Masters programme I intend to pursue. So hopefully they will accept my application.

I also went window shopping as I need a dress for my sister's wedding. Still haven't found one but hoping to get something appropriate within the next two weeks!

You are welcome B!

I spoke too soon. B just came by to thank me for lunch. It was a big thaaaaaank yoooou! B said A asked her to say thanks to me. Now I wonder why A would not say thanks personally when we can see each other from our desks?

Oh well, I surely feels a lot better now.

Should I expect a thank you?

I just had lunch at Bistro Delifrance in United Centre, Admiralty with two of my colleagues. We always pay for our own lunch or share the cost among the three of us. Sometimes either one of them treats us especially when they made some money from their personal share trading. I seldom buy them lunch as I rarely get alloted with IPO shares I applied for. Two weeks ago I applied for shares of this company that listed last Friday. On its first trading day, the shares were trading below its IPO price. Yesterday it was trading a bit higher but I waited until this morning to sell my 2,000 shares. My colleagues immediately calculated that I could net about HK$500. So lunch was on me.

This is not my first time to buy them lunch but I never got any thank you from them. I probably should not expect a thank you as I offered voluntarily. But it would have felt good to at least be acknowledged. I always, always, say thank you to them when they pay for lunch. So let's say A bought lunch, me and B would say thank you to A. And if it was B who paid for lunch, both A and I would say thank you to her. But it was never thanks to me. Could it be because I am the youngest and they are almost twice my age? I mean, no need to say thank you to someone younger than you?

Thank you Big Boss! Thank you Tara!

After a half day work on Saturday, my colleagues and I were treated to a heavy "yum cha" (literally drink tea) courtesy of our big boss. Yummy dimsum dishes and my favorite (this may sound gross) chicken feet! And of course the best part, it was free!

I then headed off to practice my mahjong skills on the computer. I am still learning to play this very popular local game. And hoping I may be able to beat my colleagues when they let me play with them. They say I am still too slow coming up with my combinations of mahjong tiles.

Sunday started with an early breakfast at Fairwood, a local fast food chain. And then had a walk around Wanchai and taking photos of buildings. My boss is thinking of buying a flat so I had a list of buildings recommended by the property agent. The buildings were old and I'm not sure of the status of the units inside. But I am no property expert. I do not even own a flat of my own. Oh well, business people have better judgement.

In the afternoon, I went to a bag shop for some very cheap but nice hand bags. The store do not have any name so it is just THE bag shop for me. I have been to this shop four consecutive Sunday since it was mentioned to me by a friend. I am really glad she told me about it. She does not live near the shop but on her way home the bus passes the shop. I would not even think of stopping by from the looks of it. So a BIG thank you to you Tara for letting me in on such a gem of a find.

Food Expo

I joined two of my colleagues to check out the Food Expo at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre yesterday.

Admission ticket is HK$20.

But after 6 p.m., admission ticket cost only HK$10. Of course, we waited until 6 p.m.


As expected, a sea of people.

From a Japanese stall selling sausages, cute elephants and daisies!

We had to push our way through the maze of stalls, but it was worth the HK$10 entrance fee as we enjoyed a buffet of free food taste. Yummy!

Sleepy!

I am tired and so sleepy. I feel like my head is just floating. I should have slept earlier last night and not finish reading this novel I started a week ago. I thought that I won't be getting much sleep anyway since the next door neighbors will be noisy as they have been the past several nights. Alas! The kids were well behaved last night and closed the doors much gentler than they used to. So I have to catch some sleep tonight. I am hoping for at least eight hours of peace.

Hello World!

I turned thirty two this year. As my friends told me, no longer in the calendar and a good candidate of spinsterhood. But I do not care! I am happy and try to be content with what is happening albeit dull and boring as compared to most people I guess. Well, let's see if it is indeed as plain as I thought it is. Hello World!