Tuesday, April 8, 2008
my current favourite song: Celine Dion - Je sais pas (I don't know)
Détourner des rivières, porter des poids
Traverser des mers, je saurais faire
Défier des machines, narguer des lois
Les foudres divines, ça m'effraie pas
J'sais prendre un coup, le rendre aussi
River des clous, ça j'ai appris
J'suis pas victime, j'suis pas colombe
Et pour qu'on m'abîme, faut qu'je tombe
Je sais les hivers, je sais le froid
Mais la vie sans toi, je sais pas
Je savais le silence depuis longtemps
J'en sais la violence, son goût de sang
Rouges colères, sombres douleurs
Je sais ces guerres, j'en ai pas peur
Je sais me défendre, j'ai bien appris
On est pas des tendres par ici
Je sais les hivers, je sais le froid
Mais la vie sans toi, je sais pas
Lutte après lutte, pire après pire
Chaque minute, j'ai cru tenir
J'voudrais apprendre jour après jour
Mais qui commande à nos amours?
Je sais les hivers, je sais le froid
Mais la vie sans toi, je sais pas
Je sais pas
Je sais pas
Monday, April 7, 2008
Tokyo and Hokkaido, I am coming to you!!!
soooooo looking forward to Japan trip - Tokyo & Hokkaido on 9th April 2008 ~!
日本、私は来ている !
WHAT IF?
What if I make a choice... will the outcome be different?
What if I make a decision...will the consequence be different?
What if I am not a Chinese...will my destiny be different?
What if I am not a human...will I still have intellectual capability to think?
What if there is no world war I&II... will we confront volatile war now?
What if the history changed...will we live the way we are living now?
"What If" captured my attention the other day at Borders. It's a book about The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been.
A current fad among historians is the application of “counterfactuals”—"what ifs"—to major figures and events of the past. What if Winston Churchill had died after being hit by a taxicab in New York City in 1931, as he nearly did—would Hitler have won the Second World War? What if fog had not covered Long Island (Brooklyn Heights) on August 29, 1776, permitting the escape of George Washington and the remnants of the Continental forces—would we now be debating the entry of the American Commonwealth into the European Union?
Among the highlights:
· William H. McNeill: What if the King of Assyria had conquered Jerusalem in 701 B.C.—would Jewish monotheism (and the possibility of its daughters, Christianity and Islam) have survived?
· Victor Davis Hanson: What if the Persians had used a different strategy and defeated the Greek fleet at Salamis in 480 B.C.—would Western civilization as we know it have ever developed?
· Geoffrey Parker: What if the winds had been different in the English Channel in August 1588—would Americans now be speaking Spanish?
· James M. McPherson: What if General Lee's famous Special Orders No. 191 had not been lost before the battle of Antietam—would Abraham Lincoln now be known as the man who negotiated the end of the Union?
· Stephen Ambrose: What if the weather on June 6, 1944, had been as bad as that of the previous day, causing the postponement or failure of the Normandy invasion—would the United States have been forced to use atomic bombs to defeat Germany (with the consequent devastation in Central Europe and expansionist opportunities for the Soviet Union)?
As these examples indicate, counterfactuals are particularly intriguing in matters of war. Clausewitz's famous “fog of war” encompasses not only battles themselves, but also the surrounding circumstances. The counterfactual exercise, properly understood, is not an idle parlor game (in E.H. Carr's phrase), but rather a tool to enhance the study of history, to make it come alive. Counterfactuals can reveal the essential stake of human actions, as well as their abiding consequences. Human choice matters greatly, but one must also acknowledge accident and chance. Nor should one automatically exclude other causes. Maybe there was a good reason that King Sennacherib's troops fell victim to a plague while besieging Jerusalem in the eighth century B.C.
What if I make a decision...will the consequence be different?
What if I am not a Chinese...will my destiny be different?
What if I am not a human...will I still have intellectual capability to think?
What if there is no world war I&II... will we confront volatile war now?
What if the history changed...will we live the way we are living now?
"What If" captured my attention the other day at Borders. It's a book about The World's Foremost Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been.
A current fad among historians is the application of “counterfactuals”—"what ifs"—to major figures and events of the past. What if Winston Churchill had died after being hit by a taxicab in New York City in 1931, as he nearly did—would Hitler have won the Second World War? What if fog had not covered Long Island (Brooklyn Heights) on August 29, 1776, permitting the escape of George Washington and the remnants of the Continental forces—would we now be debating the entry of the American Commonwealth into the European Union?
Among the highlights:
· William H. McNeill: What if the King of Assyria had conquered Jerusalem in 701 B.C.—would Jewish monotheism (and the possibility of its daughters, Christianity and Islam) have survived?
· Victor Davis Hanson: What if the Persians had used a different strategy and defeated the Greek fleet at Salamis in 480 B.C.—would Western civilization as we know it have ever developed?
· Geoffrey Parker: What if the winds had been different in the English Channel in August 1588—would Americans now be speaking Spanish?
· James M. McPherson: What if General Lee's famous Special Orders No. 191 had not been lost before the battle of Antietam—would Abraham Lincoln now be known as the man who negotiated the end of the Union?
· Stephen Ambrose: What if the weather on June 6, 1944, had been as bad as that of the previous day, causing the postponement or failure of the Normandy invasion—would the United States have been forced to use atomic bombs to defeat Germany (with the consequent devastation in Central Europe and expansionist opportunities for the Soviet Union)?
As these examples indicate, counterfactuals are particularly intriguing in matters of war. Clausewitz's famous “fog of war” encompasses not only battles themselves, but also the surrounding circumstances. The counterfactual exercise, properly understood, is not an idle parlor game (in E.H. Carr's phrase), but rather a tool to enhance the study of history, to make it come alive. Counterfactuals can reveal the essential stake of human actions, as well as their abiding consequences. Human choice matters greatly, but one must also acknowledge accident and chance. Nor should one automatically exclude other causes. Maybe there was a good reason that King Sennacherib's troops fell victim to a plague while besieging Jerusalem in the eighth century B.C.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Mercedes-Benz Museum at Stuttgart, Germany
Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart opened its door in March 2006. Within a construction time of only two and a half years, from September 2003 to April 2006, an architectural highlight has been created which constitutes a remarkable design feature for the Stuttgart region.
It is the only museum in the world able to present the 120-year history of the automotive industry from day one. The display concept is likewise unique: 160 vehicles and more than 1500 other exhibits are presented to visitors on two connected tour routes occupying an area of 16,500 square metres on nine levels.
Built at a cost of 150 million euro ($A253million), all of the 1,800 window panes in the spaceship-style, circular building is in a different design.
-The world's largest car museum is the latest addition to several dozen vintage car museums in Germany's heartland region between Cologne, Frankfurt and Stuttgart.
-The museum in Untertuerkheim aims to preserve automotive tradition and give a glimpse of the future.
-The modernistic architecture contains the "genetic makeup" of the brand and the building's interior is modelled on a double DNA helix.
-Seven Legend rooms tell the story of the Mercedes brand.
-A second tour covers five Collection rooms where everything from passenger cars to heavy-duty commercial vehicles are presented.
-The exhibition is complemented by "The Fascination of Technology" section, where visitors can look over the shoulders of Mercedes employees working on the future of the car.
-Travelling further north to Cologne, racing-car fans should go on an excursion to the famous Nuerburgring Grand Prix track where a museum gives an overview of motor racing history.
-Formula 1 cars, racing bikes, sports cars and trucks can be inspected on an 11,000sq-m area.
-In nearby Kerpen-Horrem, close to the birthplace of German Formula 1 star Michael Schumacher, is the Villa Trips Museum dedicated to Wolfgang Count Berghe von Trips.
-It's is on the estate where von Trips was raised and shows three of the cars in which the count raced before he died in a crash during the Monza Grand Prix in 1961.
-The museum also has an extensive library on motor racing history.
Mercedes-Benz F400 Carving was used to test new dynamic handling control systems in conjunction with active camber control. With this new technology, the outer wheels of the F400 tilt at an angle of up to 20 degrees when cornering - hence the name of the vehicle.
V6, 3199cc, 218-horsepower @ 5,700 RPM
(Can I own the above beauty one day...?)
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Eloquent Paulo Coelho
Recently I am so addicted to read the books by Paulo Coelho. I find it so interesting and lively about the stories he wrote. And most importantly I find the answer of life which I’ve been seeking of and in fact his books feed my soul and the meaning of living on. The author is considered by some as the most influential author of the present century, seen by some as an alchemist of words and the ideas, philosophy and subject matter covered in his books touch the aspirations of readers searching for their own path and new ways of understanding the world. I encourage some people around me to read his books. It inspires me to think and question about myself and what to do with my life which I believe everyone would. I strongly recommend the book of the Pilgrimage which describes his experience during the pilgrimage and his discovery that the extraordinary occurs in the lives of ordinary people. Other good books are the alchemist which is a highly symbolic book, a metaphor of life, which reflected his eleven years spent studying alchemy. From my research, even Madonna said in an interview in the German magazine Sontag-Aktuell: “The Alchemist is beautiful book about magic, dreams and the treasures we seek elsewhere and then find on our doorstep.”
Another great book worth to read is the Zahir, a novel of obsession.
When I had nothing more to lose, I was given everything. When I ceased to be who I am, I found myself. When I experienced humiliation and yet kept on walking, I understood that I was free to choose my destiny.
Believe in signs, what we need to learn is always there before us, we just have to look around us with respect and attention in order to discover where God is leading us and which step we should take next.
Einstein: " God does not play dice with the universe; everything is interconnected and has a meaning.That meaning may remain hidden nearly all the time, but we always know we are close to our true mission on earth what we are doing is touched with the energy of enthusiasm."
In 1994, Paulo wrote By the River Piedra I sat down and wept which explored his feminine side. Personally I really like this book. It said true love is an act of total surrender and the importance of that surrender. The story illustrates that we rarely realize miracles occur all around us, paying little attention to signs from God and angels plead because we’ve been taught that we must follow certain rules and formulas if we want to find God. And all of us have had this experience at some point we wept and said that we’re suffering from the love that’s not worth it and we suffer because we feel we’re giving more than we receive, etc. However, you will find that for in every love lies the seed of our growth.
Here’s the starting of the story which touch my heart to read on:
By the river Piedra I sat down and wept. There is a legend that everything that falls into the waters of this river – leaves, insects, the feathers of birds – is transformed into the rocks that make the riverbed. If only I could tear out my heart and hurl it into the current, then my pain and longing would be over, and I could finally forget.
By the river Piedra I sat down and wept. The winter air chills the tears on my cheeks, and my tears fall into the cold waters that course past me. Somewhere, this river joins another, then another, until far from my heart and sight all of them merge with the sea.
May my tears run just as far, that my love might never know that one day I cried for him. May my tears run just as far, that I might forget the River Piedra, the monastery, the church in the Pyrenees, the mists, and the paths we walked together.
I shall forget the roads, the mountains, and the fields of my dreams that will never come true.
I remember my “magic moment” that instant when a “yes” or “no” can change one life forever. It seems so long ago now. It is hard to believe it was only last week that I had found my love once again, and then lost him.
I’m writing this story on the bank of the River Piedra. My hands are freezing, my legs are numb and every minute I want to stop.
“Seek to live. Remembrance is for the old,” he said.
Perhaps love makes us old before our time or young, if youth has passed. But how can I not recall those moments? That is why I write to try to turn sadness into longing, solitude into remembrance. So that when I finish telling myself the story, I can toss it into the Piedra. That’s what the woman who has given me shelter told me to do. Only then in the words of one of the saints will the water extinguish what the flames have written.
All love stories are the same.
Some momentous quote from the book:
You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
Everyday, God gives us the sun and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy. Every day, we try to pretend that we haven't perceived that moment, that it doesn't exist - that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow. But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us. But that moment exists - a moment when all the power of the stars become a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.
Joy, is sometimes a blessing but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment helps us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments - but all of this is transitory; it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken.
Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when that person looks back - and at some point everyone looks back - she will hear her heart saying "What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days? What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you? You buried yourself in a cave because you were fearful of losing those talents. So this is your heritage: the certainty that you wasted your life"
Pitiful are the people who must realize this. Because when they are finally able to believe in miracles, their life magic moments will have already passed them by.
Another great book worth to read is the Zahir, a novel of obsession.
When I had nothing more to lose, I was given everything. When I ceased to be who I am, I found myself. When I experienced humiliation and yet kept on walking, I understood that I was free to choose my destiny.
Believe in signs, what we need to learn is always there before us, we just have to look around us with respect and attention in order to discover where God is leading us and which step we should take next.
Einstein: " God does not play dice with the universe; everything is interconnected and has a meaning.That meaning may remain hidden nearly all the time, but we always know we are close to our true mission on earth what we are doing is touched with the energy of enthusiasm."
In 1994, Paulo wrote By the River Piedra I sat down and wept which explored his feminine side. Personally I really like this book. It said true love is an act of total surrender and the importance of that surrender. The story illustrates that we rarely realize miracles occur all around us, paying little attention to signs from God and angels plead because we’ve been taught that we must follow certain rules and formulas if we want to find God. And all of us have had this experience at some point we wept and said that we’re suffering from the love that’s not worth it and we suffer because we feel we’re giving more than we receive, etc. However, you will find that for in every love lies the seed of our growth.
Here’s the starting of the story which touch my heart to read on:
By the river Piedra I sat down and wept. There is a legend that everything that falls into the waters of this river – leaves, insects, the feathers of birds – is transformed into the rocks that make the riverbed. If only I could tear out my heart and hurl it into the current, then my pain and longing would be over, and I could finally forget.
By the river Piedra I sat down and wept. The winter air chills the tears on my cheeks, and my tears fall into the cold waters that course past me. Somewhere, this river joins another, then another, until far from my heart and sight all of them merge with the sea.
May my tears run just as far, that my love might never know that one day I cried for him. May my tears run just as far, that I might forget the River Piedra, the monastery, the church in the Pyrenees, the mists, and the paths we walked together.
I shall forget the roads, the mountains, and the fields of my dreams that will never come true.
I remember my “magic moment” that instant when a “yes” or “no” can change one life forever. It seems so long ago now. It is hard to believe it was only last week that I had found my love once again, and then lost him.
I’m writing this story on the bank of the River Piedra. My hands are freezing, my legs are numb and every minute I want to stop.
“Seek to live. Remembrance is for the old,” he said.
Perhaps love makes us old before our time or young, if youth has passed. But how can I not recall those moments? That is why I write to try to turn sadness into longing, solitude into remembrance. So that when I finish telling myself the story, I can toss it into the Piedra. That’s what the woman who has given me shelter told me to do. Only then in the words of one of the saints will the water extinguish what the flames have written.
All love stories are the same.
Some momentous quote from the book:
You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.
Everyday, God gives us the sun and also one moment in which we have the ability to change everything that makes us unhappy. Every day, we try to pretend that we haven't perceived that moment, that it doesn't exist - that today is the same as yesterday and will be the same as tomorrow. But if people really pay attention to their everyday lives, they will discover that magic moment. It may arrive in the instant when we are doing something mundane, like putting our front-door key in the lock; it may lie hidden in the quiet that follows the lunch hour or in the thousand and one things that all seem the same to us. But that moment exists - a moment when all the power of the stars become a part of us and enables us to perform miracles.
Joy, is sometimes a blessing but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment helps us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments - but all of this is transitory; it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken.
Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when that person looks back - and at some point everyone looks back - she will hear her heart saying "What have you done with the miracles that God planted in your days? What have you done with the talents God bestowed on you? You buried yourself in a cave because you were fearful of losing those talents. So this is your heritage: the certainty that you wasted your life"
Pitiful are the people who must realize this. Because when they are finally able to believe in miracles, their life magic moments will have already passed them by.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Discover Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
Rio de Janeiro ("River of January", pronounced [ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu] in Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English), is the second major city of Brazil, behind São Paulo. (At one time it was the largest city.) The city is capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The city was the capital of Brazil for almost two centuries--from 1763 to 1822 while it was a Portuguese colony and from 1822 to 1960 as an independent nation. It was the de facto capital of the Portuguese Empire from 1808 to 1821. Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa - "The Marvelous City".
It is famous for its spectacular natural setting, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana and Ipanema, paved with decorated black and cream swirl pattern mosaics. Some of the most famous local landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, which has recently been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio also boasts the two world's largest forests inside an urban area. The first is the forest in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, or White Stone State Park. The second, almost connected to the first, is the famous Floresta da Tijuca, or 'Tijuca Forest'.
The Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport connects Rio de Janeiro with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights.
The above statement is taken from Wikipedia.
Another place I really wanna discover....
It is famous for its spectacular natural setting, its Carnival celebrations, samba and other music, hotel-lined tourist beaches, such as Copacabana and Ipanema, paved with decorated black and cream swirl pattern mosaics. Some of the most famous local landmarks in addition to the beaches include the giant statue of Jesus, known as Christ the Redeemer ('Cristo Redentor') atop Corcovado mountain, which has recently been named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World; Sugarloaf mountain (Pão de Açúcar) with its cable car; the Sambódromo, a giant permanent parade stand used during Carnival; and Maracanã stadium, one of the world's largest football stadiums. Rio also boasts the two world's largest forests inside an urban area. The first is the forest in Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, or White Stone State Park. The second, almost connected to the first, is the famous Floresta da Tijuca, or 'Tijuca Forest'.
The Galeão - Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport connects Rio de Janeiro with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights.
The above statement is taken from Wikipedia.
Another place I really wanna discover....
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Fiat Flies on London Eye
Publicity stunts don't come on much of a larger scale than this! To celebrate the launch of the new Fiat 500 in London, one of the vehicles was placed into a pod on the London Eye in January 2008.
The launch of this 'time capsule' was at 8pm, as one would expect for such an event, was a star-studded affair and included a light show that lit up the river Thames, and performances by Mika and The Feeling.(my favourite artist)
The car itself is a remodel of the original version which was first presented 50 years ago, and is Fiat's go at re-releasing a retro classic, as VW (Beetle) and BMW (Mini) have arguably both done quite successfully in recent years.
The 500 was recently named the 2008 Car of the Year and has been praised in numerous auto publications.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
my can't-live-without Bacardi Apple
My Bacardi Apple bought back from last Hong Kong trip had finished like a month ago. I was so addicted to it like almost every night I had to drink at least 1-3 glass! I just love the pleasantness of apple flavor with light alcohol which made me relieved. Anyway I am happy that a friend of mine coming back from China for a short holiday who is helping his dad doing business in China. Nevertheless, before he came back from China asking me if I need anything. I was eagerly asking him to buy me a bottle of Bacardi Apple which I can't live without.... ;P
Yesterday I met up with this enduring good comrade of mine and we went for nice dinner as he was the boss (who treated me a nice Japanese meal with Sake) ;P arigatou gozaimasu! and he doubted to give me the Bacardi Apple as he worried I will become a Bacardi Apple alcoholic! I promised I won't...so give it to me!!! hahaha ;) anyway it wasn't a gift. I have to buy him the 'H' (which he claim 'H' for 'hentai' cigarette as an exchange when I go to Japan next month. Speechless, I nod for sure.
Bacardi Apple, which bottled by Bacardi in Hamburg Germany. Alcohol - 32%.
Bacardi
Yesterday I met up with this enduring good comrade of mine and we went for nice dinner as he was the boss (who treated me a nice Japanese meal with Sake) ;P arigatou gozaimasu! and he doubted to give me the Bacardi Apple as he worried I will become a Bacardi Apple alcoholic! I promised I won't...so give it to me!!! hahaha ;) anyway it wasn't a gift. I have to buy him the 'H' (which he claim 'H' for 'hentai' cigarette as an exchange when I go to Japan next month. Speechless, I nod for sure.
Bacardi Apple, which bottled by Bacardi in Hamburg Germany. Alcohol - 32%.
Bacardi
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
H2PIA - World's first hydrogen powered community (Denmark)
"As the debate about the efficiency and affordability of alternative energy sources continues, developers are planning to build the world's first hydrogen powered community in Denmark.
Click here for more information!
The suburb dubbed H2pia is geared towards balancing energy needs with the cost to the environment and our climate. Residents of this hydrogen community will collect their own energy via solar and wind sources, which will charge hydrogen fuel cells that power both the home and automobiles. The various structures within the neighborhood have been designed so that their curves and orientation can maximize returns on energy collection. With construction scheduled to begin in 2007, the completion of this project could provide essential feedback towards making hydrogen a viable option in the energy game."
This is pretty cool! I wanna live in this community!
Click here for more information!
The suburb dubbed H2pia is geared towards balancing energy needs with the cost to the environment and our climate. Residents of this hydrogen community will collect their own energy via solar and wind sources, which will charge hydrogen fuel cells that power both the home and automobiles. The various structures within the neighborhood have been designed so that their curves and orientation can maximize returns on energy collection. With construction scheduled to begin in 2007, the completion of this project could provide essential feedback towards making hydrogen a viable option in the energy game."
This is pretty cool! I wanna live in this community!
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