london
I have been reading some of my posts and the impression i got is that I must feel very strongly about those things i write about. If any one has got that impression too, I hasten to correct them. I dont really feel strongly about anything i write about. They are interesting, but I dont feel too strongly about them, even my opinions, so if anyone disagrees with it I dont mind.
It is easy to go away thinking that the things that I write about, i must feel very strongly about, but it is not so, at least as far as i m concerned. Perhaps to many people they do feel strongly about the things they write about. I have seen people getting angry about things in the news, but to me, life is to enjoy and anything that happens in it does not matter. Even life and death. haha. We are only here to enjoy, and live and die, and if u believe we are one soul, and we reincarnate in many forms living many lives, we can have plenty of chances to live and die again.
Maybe because i believe in that, I can be so easy about things that happen. Life is an illusion. Just as we dream and it can feel very real until we wake up and realise it is only a dream, so this life is like that. Our physical body dies and our soul comes out of it and realise it is only a illusion.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Thursday, 30 October 2008
bad samaritans
london
A independent opinion that does not toe the free market line. He criticises the USA for ditching free market principles when it suits them, whilst insisting developing countries stick to free markets.
'However, the US needs to go a step further. It should openly admit that, if markets need the state, it is better to have the state intervene regularly and prevent a free-market mess from developing because the clean-up comes at much higher costs to the taxpayers. It would help the world even more if the US accepted that all countries, and not just itself, have the right to use a pragmatic mix of the market and state intervention according to their own "necessities", as Mr Bush put it so succinctly'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/20/economic-policy-us-bailout
I have long suspected the big shots like usa, britain, have prevented the developing countries subsidising their local industries and forbid protecting their local industries with tariffs.By insisting on free trade the WEst can gain access to their markets. It has killed off the local industries, as they cannot compete with the giant companies from overseas.
Ha-joon Chang has written a book about it, 'Bad Samaritans'. I shall look out for it.
A independent opinion that does not toe the free market line. He criticises the USA for ditching free market principles when it suits them, whilst insisting developing countries stick to free markets.
'However, the US needs to go a step further. It should openly admit that, if markets need the state, it is better to have the state intervene regularly and prevent a free-market mess from developing because the clean-up comes at much higher costs to the taxpayers. It would help the world even more if the US accepted that all countries, and not just itself, have the right to use a pragmatic mix of the market and state intervention according to their own "necessities", as Mr Bush put it so succinctly'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/20/economic-policy-us-bailout
I have long suspected the big shots like usa, britain, have prevented the developing countries subsidising their local industries and forbid protecting their local industries with tariffs.By insisting on free trade the WEst can gain access to their markets. It has killed off the local industries, as they cannot compete with the giant companies from overseas.
Ha-joon Chang has written a book about it, 'Bad Samaritans'. I shall look out for it.
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
sissy
london
The charts all say temperatures will be below 0C on tues , wednesday.
Well, it is about 2am now and my flat is warm and I dont even have the heater on. I have not switched it on.It's 1.8C outside, according to the online weather chart for london.
So what is all the fuss about?
It is the north-south divide, even with the weather,that is why. It is snowing in the northern parts but not in the south.
'With Arctic winds bringing a sudden cold snap to the country, large swaths of northern Scotland and England were turned white with the first significant snowfall in October since 2003.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3275260/As-most-of-Britain-shivers-Brighton-basks-on-the-beach.html
But temperatures are still in 5C region. Its really very mild compared to Arctic, where it can be -30C normally. They showed a cyclist riding through a snow fall, and that is supposed to show how bad it is. From what i can see, it is a small dusting of snow on the ground. What wimps. Who is the article trying to fool? Only themselves.
I am hoping this temperature will apply when we are in January and february. The cold weather really starts then, and if the flat is as warm as now I can achieve my desire to go through the winter without switching on my heating. That would give me huge satisfaction to deprive the gas company of my custom. If only everyone can do the same, that would mean no one is buying their gas, and no profits for them, no matter how much they raise their prices. People only have to realise that if they dont buy, the gas people will be forced to bring down their prices. There is no profits without sales.
This country has not experienced a fierce snow and cold conditions for so long, people have forgotten what really bad weather is. This applies to myself too. I look back to previous winters and can only shake my head at how much a creature of habit I have become, because i would automatically switch on the heating come october. Now I have not switched it on, I realise it was absolutely not necessary to heat the flat at all. If the price rises have a silver lining it is to make all of us realise that we dont really need the heating on at all. That would be a good outcome to all th high prices and i hope people will not revert to their old habits when prices comes down.
added 31.10.08
found out that it had not snowed in london so early in october since 1934. Its a cold snap allright, but even then, i did not see any snow where i live and i live right in the centre. So it looks like it is the suburbs that got snow and only a sprinkling at that.
The charts all say temperatures will be below 0C on tues , wednesday.
Well, it is about 2am now and my flat is warm and I dont even have the heater on. I have not switched it on.It's 1.8C outside, according to the online weather chart for london.
So what is all the fuss about?
It is the north-south divide, even with the weather,that is why. It is snowing in the northern parts but not in the south.
'With Arctic winds bringing a sudden cold snap to the country, large swaths of northern Scotland and England were turned white with the first significant snowfall in October since 2003.'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3275260/As-most-of-Britain-shivers-Brighton-basks-on-the-beach.html
But temperatures are still in 5C region. Its really very mild compared to Arctic, where it can be -30C normally. They showed a cyclist riding through a snow fall, and that is supposed to show how bad it is. From what i can see, it is a small dusting of snow on the ground. What wimps. Who is the article trying to fool? Only themselves.
I am hoping this temperature will apply when we are in January and february. The cold weather really starts then, and if the flat is as warm as now I can achieve my desire to go through the winter without switching on my heating. That would give me huge satisfaction to deprive the gas company of my custom. If only everyone can do the same, that would mean no one is buying their gas, and no profits for them, no matter how much they raise their prices. People only have to realise that if they dont buy, the gas people will be forced to bring down their prices. There is no profits without sales.
This country has not experienced a fierce snow and cold conditions for so long, people have forgotten what really bad weather is. This applies to myself too. I look back to previous winters and can only shake my head at how much a creature of habit I have become, because i would automatically switch on the heating come october. Now I have not switched it on, I realise it was absolutely not necessary to heat the flat at all. If the price rises have a silver lining it is to make all of us realise that we dont really need the heating on at all. That would be a good outcome to all th high prices and i hope people will not revert to their old habits when prices comes down.
added 31.10.08
found out that it had not snowed in london so early in october since 1934. Its a cold snap allright, but even then, i did not see any snow where i live and i live right in the centre. So it looks like it is the suburbs that got snow and only a sprinkling at that.
Monday, 27 October 2008
an encounter with the police
london
I was thinking nothing exciting happens in my life when lo and behold, just now i had the most interesting experience.
I was stopped by the police and searched.
I was sitting in the gardens near my estate, enjoying the sun. then the sun went behind a cloud and i decided to go into the Tate britain, to get warm. I was walking there when two police officers, a man and a woman called out behind me. i thought they were calling to some other person, but it seems it was me.
They asked me whether i would answer their questions. And he said the reason why they stopped me was because there has been a lot of drug dealing in the gardens and he thinks I saw them in their patrol car and put up my hood and walk away.
I told him I did not even see them and asked them where were they. he refused to believe me and so searched my bag, and the pockets of my jackets and trousers.
I asked 'it is my hoodie , isn't it?'
the lady officer says it is not, but i wonder.
And he asked his fellow woman officer to check up on me for a criminal record. Even then he was not satisfied, he called up immigration and came back to me to say they have no record of me. And even handed me the telephone saying the immigration officer wanted to speak to me. She asked me how i got my permanent residence. I said i handed in my passport after the fourth year, expecting them to give me a work permit and was surprised when it came back with a chop on it saying given indefinite leave to remain in the united kingdom. She asked why i was given it, and i said, i guess it is because in those days after working for 4yrs, they automatically give u a permanent residence. She said it is not so, and asked to be handed back to the officer, and after a short conversation with her he asked whether he could come back to my flat to see this permanent residence chop.
So they came back with me to my flat, and i gave him the passport with the chop. The woman officer came into the flat, and she saw the open wardrobe door and said 'is that a police jacket?
I said yes.
She kept quiet. I should have kept my mouth shut too and not volunteer any information. A good tip when dealing with officials is never volunteer information.
But unfortunately I told them he was my boyfriend. I would have liked to give as few information as possible.
he gave me a copy of his report
in it, he wrote under the heading Search Grounds... Seen in Millbank gardens, previous intelligence of drug dealing in area. subject saw police and tried to walk away. Stopped and searched under sect 23 MDA Neg result.
I thought my life could be more exciting....and it looked like i got my wish.
Be careful what u wish for. You will get it.
Reminds me of malaysia, and the high handed way malaysian police used to ride roughshod over a citizens right to free movement. (Maybe they still do, but the last time I actually met any was a very pleasant experience).
I am afraid this united kingdom is getting to be like that now. This stop and search powers that is given to the police will lead to more of this. Its rather a sad day really.
I remember this is in such great contrast to the first time i had an encounter with the police. It was in 1991, when i first moved into this area. It ws the first day we moved into the flat, and we saw this sign where we wanted to park the car. Half of it had a flap which covered something underneath it, So I climbed on the railing and pulled it down to see what it was, in case it was something that forbids parking there.
It was saying no parking between certain times. #When i climbed down, a car that passed us stopped and the two men inside beckoned me to approach them. So i did, and he said, do u know who we are?
I said no,
he said, we are police officers. what are u doing here?
I made a nervous laugh and said 'we just moved in' . thinking even while i was saying it how lame and unbelievable it sounded.
they asked me the address, and seemed satisfied by the answer, for they went off without anymore ado.
(Added 9.11.08 Ian reminded me it was him who jumped up to see what the notice concealed. Ian was my boyfriend then.I did remember he pulled down the notice because i was driving the car; but in the account I wrote i wanted to simplify it. Ian then said the officer searched him, but I definitely did not remember that.The officers remained in their car. It makes me wonder that since we can have different recollections of the same event it makes me question what is reality really.)
Contrast it with this one, after he had checked me, and called to check if i have a criminal record, and keep asking me if i have been arrested before, and calling immigration, he still wants to come to the flat to check on my permanent residence status.
These are bad times we live in. Our freedom , much vaunted in the olden days as making britain so different from the rest of the world is no more adhered to in the united kingdom.
I felt he was too much. He should have very quickly realised that i was who i said i was and stop trying to find probe further. he said i was angry and that was a reason for him to go further. Who would not be angry? But i realise it was not doing me any good to show my resentment, so i complied and not criticise him or make smart aleck remarks.
I can fully understand now why there is so much resentment of this power to detain. They obviously see my skin colour and stop me with this spurious reason. It will only foster bad relations with other races. The police dont realise it but they are using up all the goodwill they have.
I am glad homosexuals are legal here, otherwise I would have felt a lot more fear at them finding out i m gay and have a police officer as a boyfriend. If it were illegal , i would be jeopardising my boyfriend's career. Even now, i m not sure if it will jeopardise his promotion prospects.
Sigh. Making things illegal does affect even an innocent person to act suspicious.
For eg, if i were carrying drugs, it would affect my behaviour and I guess that is the way police catch people. Stop them for something irrelevant, and then start digging and hope to find illegal things. I am glad i dont take drugs.
All they found were condoms, and a year calendar featuring a naked man. If these were illegal it would be really bad for me. But since i m a out gay man, I laugh it off.
I strongly urge countries to make homosexuals legal, and drugs legal. At a stroke u dont make a large section of people criminals, and they will be willing to give u information of real crime, rather than be afraid of the police.
When they left, I said, 'now u know what i am you wont stop me anymore, and give me a wave when u see me'.
Added 30.10.08
An exhibition at the british library now on, entitled 'Taking liberties'.
'Beyond the legal perimeters of trial and detention, Taking Liberties tackles head on Isaiah Berlin's two concepts of liberty: the "negative liberty" of freedom from interference (celebrated in a copy of JS Mill's On Liberty), as well as the "positive liberty" to achieve human potential'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/30/civil-liberties-exhibition-british-library
I was thinking nothing exciting happens in my life when lo and behold, just now i had the most interesting experience.
I was stopped by the police and searched.
I was sitting in the gardens near my estate, enjoying the sun. then the sun went behind a cloud and i decided to go into the Tate britain, to get warm. I was walking there when two police officers, a man and a woman called out behind me. i thought they were calling to some other person, but it seems it was me.
They asked me whether i would answer their questions. And he said the reason why they stopped me was because there has been a lot of drug dealing in the gardens and he thinks I saw them in their patrol car and put up my hood and walk away.
I told him I did not even see them and asked them where were they. he refused to believe me and so searched my bag, and the pockets of my jackets and trousers.
I asked 'it is my hoodie , isn't it?'
the lady officer says it is not, but i wonder.
And he asked his fellow woman officer to check up on me for a criminal record. Even then he was not satisfied, he called up immigration and came back to me to say they have no record of me. And even handed me the telephone saying the immigration officer wanted to speak to me. She asked me how i got my permanent residence. I said i handed in my passport after the fourth year, expecting them to give me a work permit and was surprised when it came back with a chop on it saying given indefinite leave to remain in the united kingdom. She asked why i was given it, and i said, i guess it is because in those days after working for 4yrs, they automatically give u a permanent residence. She said it is not so, and asked to be handed back to the officer, and after a short conversation with her he asked whether he could come back to my flat to see this permanent residence chop.
So they came back with me to my flat, and i gave him the passport with the chop. The woman officer came into the flat, and she saw the open wardrobe door and said 'is that a police jacket?
I said yes.
She kept quiet. I should have kept my mouth shut too and not volunteer any information. A good tip when dealing with officials is never volunteer information.
But unfortunately I told them he was my boyfriend. I would have liked to give as few information as possible.
he gave me a copy of his report
in it, he wrote under the heading Search Grounds... Seen in Millbank gardens, previous intelligence of drug dealing in area. subject saw police and tried to walk away. Stopped and searched under sect 23 MDA Neg result.
I thought my life could be more exciting....and it looked like i got my wish.
Be careful what u wish for. You will get it.
Reminds me of malaysia, and the high handed way malaysian police used to ride roughshod over a citizens right to free movement. (Maybe they still do, but the last time I actually met any was a very pleasant experience).
I am afraid this united kingdom is getting to be like that now. This stop and search powers that is given to the police will lead to more of this. Its rather a sad day really.
I remember this is in such great contrast to the first time i had an encounter with the police. It was in 1991, when i first moved into this area. It ws the first day we moved into the flat, and we saw this sign where we wanted to park the car. Half of it had a flap which covered something underneath it, So I climbed on the railing and pulled it down to see what it was, in case it was something that forbids parking there.
It was saying no parking between certain times. #When i climbed down, a car that passed us stopped and the two men inside beckoned me to approach them. So i did, and he said, do u know who we are?
I said no,
he said, we are police officers. what are u doing here?
I made a nervous laugh and said 'we just moved in' . thinking even while i was saying it how lame and unbelievable it sounded.
they asked me the address, and seemed satisfied by the answer, for they went off without anymore ado.
(Added 9.11.08 Ian reminded me it was him who jumped up to see what the notice concealed. Ian was my boyfriend then.I did remember he pulled down the notice because i was driving the car; but in the account I wrote i wanted to simplify it. Ian then said the officer searched him, but I definitely did not remember that.The officers remained in their car. It makes me wonder that since we can have different recollections of the same event it makes me question what is reality really.)
Contrast it with this one, after he had checked me, and called to check if i have a criminal record, and keep asking me if i have been arrested before, and calling immigration, he still wants to come to the flat to check on my permanent residence status.
These are bad times we live in. Our freedom , much vaunted in the olden days as making britain so different from the rest of the world is no more adhered to in the united kingdom.
I felt he was too much. He should have very quickly realised that i was who i said i was and stop trying to find probe further. he said i was angry and that was a reason for him to go further. Who would not be angry? But i realise it was not doing me any good to show my resentment, so i complied and not criticise him or make smart aleck remarks.
I can fully understand now why there is so much resentment of this power to detain. They obviously see my skin colour and stop me with this spurious reason. It will only foster bad relations with other races. The police dont realise it but they are using up all the goodwill they have.
I am glad homosexuals are legal here, otherwise I would have felt a lot more fear at them finding out i m gay and have a police officer as a boyfriend. If it were illegal , i would be jeopardising my boyfriend's career. Even now, i m not sure if it will jeopardise his promotion prospects.
Sigh. Making things illegal does affect even an innocent person to act suspicious.
For eg, if i were carrying drugs, it would affect my behaviour and I guess that is the way police catch people. Stop them for something irrelevant, and then start digging and hope to find illegal things. I am glad i dont take drugs.
All they found were condoms, and a year calendar featuring a naked man. If these were illegal it would be really bad for me. But since i m a out gay man, I laugh it off.
I strongly urge countries to make homosexuals legal, and drugs legal. At a stroke u dont make a large section of people criminals, and they will be willing to give u information of real crime, rather than be afraid of the police.
When they left, I said, 'now u know what i am you wont stop me anymore, and give me a wave when u see me'.
Added 30.10.08
An exhibition at the british library now on, entitled 'Taking liberties'.
'Beyond the legal perimeters of trial and detention, Taking Liberties tackles head on Isaiah Berlin's two concepts of liberty: the "negative liberty" of freedom from interference (celebrated in a copy of JS Mill's On Liberty), as well as the "positive liberty" to achieve human potential'.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/oct/30/civil-liberties-exhibition-british-library
I wish you bluebirds in the spring
london
Olden day songs have such lovely lyrics. I just heard and enjoyed this song on smoothradio, and the lyrics are so touching.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/natalie+cole/i+wish+you+love_20098194.html
I saw a tv program called imagine, by alan yentob, talking about love, and in it he featured some really lovely songs about lost love. He showed a video of the young gene pitney singing '24hours to tulsa' and it was so poignant.
It seems lost love brings out the best lyrics. It reminds me how olden day songwriters can really write. The songs mean something. unlike today's songwriters who are just useless. This is not just an old person's lament about the good old days, if u just read the lyrics of these olden day songs and compare them with today's you too will have to admit the truth of this.
Olden day songs have such lovely lyrics. I just heard and enjoyed this song on smoothradio, and the lyrics are so touching.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/n/natalie+cole/i+wish+you+love_20098194.html
I saw a tv program called imagine, by alan yentob, talking about love, and in it he featured some really lovely songs about lost love. He showed a video of the young gene pitney singing '24hours to tulsa' and it was so poignant.
It seems lost love brings out the best lyrics. It reminds me how olden day songwriters can really write. The songs mean something. unlike today's songwriters who are just useless. This is not just an old person's lament about the good old days, if u just read the lyrics of these olden day songs and compare them with today's you too will have to admit the truth of this.
http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/g/genepitney8817/24hoursfromtulsa299244.html
To get the full effect u must hear him sing and see '24hrs from tulsa' video, clik below on the link, and type in 'gene pitney' on the search box. no need to subscribe to the station unless u want to. When you consider it is a song about a chance encounter that changed a person's life... it is impossible not to feel something.
Sunday, 26 October 2008
i saw a lovely sunset today
london
I was coming back from shagging my sex buddy after the charity work. It was about 5.15pm, and I was on the bus returning to my flat. It was a very subdued sunset, just a glow in the western sky, just above the tree tops in Clapham common, silhouetting them, and the glow was confined to a small area, with dark clouds and the gathering dusk eagerly waiting close by to engulf the light as soon as the sun sets. I seldom see sunsets in london because I dont go outdoors around this time.Also most times the buildings get in the way. This sunset is early, because the clocks have gone back 1hr. The day is so warm. It was drizzling all the time we were distributing the food, but the good thing about rain(and snow) is that it warms the air. Even at that hour 5pm , and wearing only a gym top, while waiting for the bus I did not feel cold. Maybe that was why I felt so pleased about life. haha. or maybe it is just the after glow from a good shagging.
Most people dread the short days and long nights that is heralded by today's change in the clocks but not me. It helps that i dont work so am not hidden away inside a building and never see the sun until closing time, when the sun will have gone to most working people. Another reason to celebrate my not having to work.
I came back and ate the goat's stew that i was able to get from the leftover food from the charity kitchen. The meat is a bit tough, but full of texture, and very satisfying to chew.
I was coming back from shagging my sex buddy after the charity work. It was about 5.15pm, and I was on the bus returning to my flat. It was a very subdued sunset, just a glow in the western sky, just above the tree tops in Clapham common, silhouetting them, and the glow was confined to a small area, with dark clouds and the gathering dusk eagerly waiting close by to engulf the light as soon as the sun sets. I seldom see sunsets in london because I dont go outdoors around this time.Also most times the buildings get in the way. This sunset is early, because the clocks have gone back 1hr. The day is so warm. It was drizzling all the time we were distributing the food, but the good thing about rain(and snow) is that it warms the air. Even at that hour 5pm , and wearing only a gym top, while waiting for the bus I did not feel cold. Maybe that was why I felt so pleased about life. haha. or maybe it is just the after glow from a good shagging.
Most people dread the short days and long nights that is heralded by today's change in the clocks but not me. It helps that i dont work so am not hidden away inside a building and never see the sun until closing time, when the sun will have gone to most working people. Another reason to celebrate my not having to work.
I came back and ate the goat's stew that i was able to get from the leftover food from the charity kitchen. The meat is a bit tough, but full of texture, and very satisfying to chew.
Saturday, 25 October 2008
other people's lives
london
I was returning from the library this morning, and saw a neighbour cleaning the graffiti off the white paint on the side of his van which he had parked in the residents' bay outside his flat. He said he is getting rather tired of doing it, as it is not the first time that the kids have sprayed graffiti on his van.
He told me one time there was a bunch of them disturbing his daughter, and he came out of the flat with a big stick and walked up to the ringleader, and bobbed his head hard on the other's head. The kid got all wobbly and he told him, if he sees him around again he will break his leg and arm. The other kids backed off and the ringleader wandered around the estate for a bit and then he did not see them again for a year. I have to agree with him that sometimes these kids can only understand one language, that of violence. (I am also aware that this is his version. I know he is very protective of his daughter who is about 13yrs old. So it is possible he had misinterpreted the actions of the youths)
.I am glad i dont have much dealings with kids in the estate and in fact was not aware there was this trouble with them. My impression is that this estate has very few kids living here or hanging around. I thought this neighbourhood was rather well behaved. haha. Maybe I have this impression because I seldom hang around the estate, or I live on the first floor not on the ground floor like that neighbour; or I dont have kids of my own. Sometimes it is great not to be bothered with these petty crimes. I have a sneaky feeling that some fathers are too protective of their daughters and mistaking young people learning courtship ritual for harassment.
(On the other hand, it could be said that because my soul is not interested in these kinds of confrontation, I dont seek them out).
People say being friendly with your neighbours is a good thing to do, but i m glad i dont have much to do with my neighbours. It might be unsociallable but i did not chose to live near them, nor did they chose to live near me so i don't see why we have to be friends just because we are neighbours. Too many times, i have seen people living close to each other getting on each other's nerves and lead to fights.
I am convinced that if u get into conflict with ur neighbour it is because both your soul and your neighbours want it. I have a neighbour who hogs the shared store room between us. I let him and did not make a fuss. For years I did not use the room and lost the key. He sold his flat about a year ago, and now I have new neighbours. And recently they moved and they gave me their key to cut a new spare. So now I have access to that room now. So there u have it, with time, everything comes ur way. With that neighbour, it took 25yrs. haha.
If you get good neighbours that is really wonderful, but it is not often u get that, and so on balance it is better to have nothing to do with the neighbours. What happens is that we take in each others packages if they are not in. Here in UK flats are all handled by third parties. Unlike New york co-operatives, which i m reading about in Candace Bushnell's book 'one fifth avenue' where they have to vote on who can buy a flat in their building and it leads to all kinds of restrictions, and politics. Thank goodness we dont have that here. It means all the flats in UK are leaseholds, and some do say it means the flats lose their value when the lease expires, but the other side of the coin is that someone else do the work of maintaining the flats, and everyone have to pay up and not block any essential work, just because they dont like it. I find I like it that way, because i dont have to bother about the running of the blocks. I hear lots of stories about people in houses having to put their recycled rubbish properly or it won't be collected. And fined if they put out their rubbish early or later than the proper time. Here our rubbish men do it all for us. It can make life very easy for us. Not a lot of people realise that and see only the disadvantage of their lives. They dont realise it could be worse.
Added 7.15pm
Breaking news about a torrential rain flooding the lake district this evening and stranding about 2000 runners in a marathon. They are asking everyone who can spare buses to go to that area to take these runners to cockermouth. I cannot help laughing at this. People and their weird ways. They are saying the organisers of the charity run (Original Mountain marathon) made a mistake in not cancelling it right from the start instead of cancelling at lunch time. But this marathon is supposed to test the survival skills of those taking part. Looks like everyone failed. haha. Rescue will be harder as it's dark outside now because the nights are drawing in though tomorrow the clocks go back and the sun set 1hr later.It might be easier to just ask people to donate the money to the charity and not bother to run. I am sure if I were sponsoring the runners, I won't mind. It would defeat the whole purpose of this fund raising if runners died. But then, I like to make my life simple. Those people taking part want to make their lives difficult but then, who am I to say anything. haha. Their souls want it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/marathon-runners-missing-in-flooded-lake-district-973956.html
I was returning from the library this morning, and saw a neighbour cleaning the graffiti off the white paint on the side of his van which he had parked in the residents' bay outside his flat. He said he is getting rather tired of doing it, as it is not the first time that the kids have sprayed graffiti on his van.
He told me one time there was a bunch of them disturbing his daughter, and he came out of the flat with a big stick and walked up to the ringleader, and bobbed his head hard on the other's head. The kid got all wobbly and he told him, if he sees him around again he will break his leg and arm. The other kids backed off and the ringleader wandered around the estate for a bit and then he did not see them again for a year. I have to agree with him that sometimes these kids can only understand one language, that of violence. (I am also aware that this is his version. I know he is very protective of his daughter who is about 13yrs old. So it is possible he had misinterpreted the actions of the youths)
.I am glad i dont have much dealings with kids in the estate and in fact was not aware there was this trouble with them. My impression is that this estate has very few kids living here or hanging around. I thought this neighbourhood was rather well behaved. haha. Maybe I have this impression because I seldom hang around the estate, or I live on the first floor not on the ground floor like that neighbour; or I dont have kids of my own. Sometimes it is great not to be bothered with these petty crimes. I have a sneaky feeling that some fathers are too protective of their daughters and mistaking young people learning courtship ritual for harassment.
(On the other hand, it could be said that because my soul is not interested in these kinds of confrontation, I dont seek them out).
People say being friendly with your neighbours is a good thing to do, but i m glad i dont have much to do with my neighbours. It might be unsociallable but i did not chose to live near them, nor did they chose to live near me so i don't see why we have to be friends just because we are neighbours. Too many times, i have seen people living close to each other getting on each other's nerves and lead to fights.
I am convinced that if u get into conflict with ur neighbour it is because both your soul and your neighbours want it. I have a neighbour who hogs the shared store room between us. I let him and did not make a fuss. For years I did not use the room and lost the key. He sold his flat about a year ago, and now I have new neighbours. And recently they moved and they gave me their key to cut a new spare. So now I have access to that room now. So there u have it, with time, everything comes ur way. With that neighbour, it took 25yrs. haha.
If you get good neighbours that is really wonderful, but it is not often u get that, and so on balance it is better to have nothing to do with the neighbours. What happens is that we take in each others packages if they are not in. Here in UK flats are all handled by third parties. Unlike New york co-operatives, which i m reading about in Candace Bushnell's book 'one fifth avenue' where they have to vote on who can buy a flat in their building and it leads to all kinds of restrictions, and politics. Thank goodness we dont have that here. It means all the flats in UK are leaseholds, and some do say it means the flats lose their value when the lease expires, but the other side of the coin is that someone else do the work of maintaining the flats, and everyone have to pay up and not block any essential work, just because they dont like it. I find I like it that way, because i dont have to bother about the running of the blocks. I hear lots of stories about people in houses having to put their recycled rubbish properly or it won't be collected. And fined if they put out their rubbish early or later than the proper time. Here our rubbish men do it all for us. It can make life very easy for us. Not a lot of people realise that and see only the disadvantage of their lives. They dont realise it could be worse.
Added 7.15pm
Breaking news about a torrential rain flooding the lake district this evening and stranding about 2000 runners in a marathon. They are asking everyone who can spare buses to go to that area to take these runners to cockermouth. I cannot help laughing at this. People and their weird ways. They are saying the organisers of the charity run (Original Mountain marathon) made a mistake in not cancelling it right from the start instead of cancelling at lunch time. But this marathon is supposed to test the survival skills of those taking part. Looks like everyone failed. haha. Rescue will be harder as it's dark outside now because the nights are drawing in though tomorrow the clocks go back and the sun set 1hr later.It might be easier to just ask people to donate the money to the charity and not bother to run. I am sure if I were sponsoring the runners, I won't mind. It would defeat the whole purpose of this fund raising if runners died. But then, I like to make my life simple. Those people taking part want to make their lives difficult but then, who am I to say anything. haha. Their souls want it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/marathon-runners-missing-in-flooded-lake-district-973956.html
Friday, 24 October 2008
another lovely day
london
Even though crashing stockmarkets and £ is filling the news.
I have a pleasant morning in the starbucks drinking my free coffee courtesy of the guardian newspaper. Today is the last day of the free coffee offer. I had the caramel marchiato, and it is very nice. I stayed there reading the times newspaper which they provide free. However, today there was a notice on the plastic wrap informing us that from november it wont be issued free in starbucks anymore. So enjoy it while it lasts.
Today, first time for 16yrs, the british economy contracted over the previous quarter(july to sept). It's only by 0.5% so it might rebound up next quarter. But as O'leary of ryanair said in the interview on the news ' it is not always bad news'. Ryanair is celebrating, esp as the oil price has dropped to $60 a barrel.
I was in the library, and a chap came to ask me if i want to do a survey. So i did and i wrote in the comments about the computer error with the books. I wonder whether they will take notice of it. Maybe not.
(That reminds me, i still havent taken the books i borrowed back to the library for them to record it).
I am listening to a new radio channel called smooth, and heard the announcer mention this competition. So I went online and entered the competition on smoothradio.com. The prize is £250 spending money and for that I have to accompany smooth radio presenter to cover the opening of the huge shopping complex in Shepherds bush in west london on 30 oct. I only recently found out about this radio station, and I like listening to the old fashioned songs. Usually i listen to classic fm, but now and then it is nice to have these old fashioned songs that reminds me of my childhood. The owners of this shopping centre is Australian. It is rather bad timing, but i guess over the long run it will be successful. Well, they better have deep pockets because it may be sometime before the economy booms again.
I know it will be rather funny if they pick me, but I am a savvy shopper, so savvy that i dont go to shopping complexes haha but I think for that reason i will be a good choice.
below is the link about the supermall.
'At the time of opening, Westfield says the centre will be more than 96 per cent leased. Around 90 per cent of the tenants locked into 10 to 15-year contracts before the full extent of the current economic crisis was known. Unless the shops go out of business, Westfield will get their money'.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/megamall-is-this-the-future-of-shopping-969624.html
Even though crashing stockmarkets and £ is filling the news.
I have a pleasant morning in the starbucks drinking my free coffee courtesy of the guardian newspaper. Today is the last day of the free coffee offer. I had the caramel marchiato, and it is very nice. I stayed there reading the times newspaper which they provide free. However, today there was a notice on the plastic wrap informing us that from november it wont be issued free in starbucks anymore. So enjoy it while it lasts.
Today, first time for 16yrs, the british economy contracted over the previous quarter(july to sept). It's only by 0.5% so it might rebound up next quarter. But as O'leary of ryanair said in the interview on the news ' it is not always bad news'. Ryanair is celebrating, esp as the oil price has dropped to $60 a barrel.
I was in the library, and a chap came to ask me if i want to do a survey. So i did and i wrote in the comments about the computer error with the books. I wonder whether they will take notice of it. Maybe not.
(That reminds me, i still havent taken the books i borrowed back to the library for them to record it).
I am listening to a new radio channel called smooth, and heard the announcer mention this competition. So I went online and entered the competition on smoothradio.com. The prize is £250 spending money and for that I have to accompany smooth radio presenter to cover the opening of the huge shopping complex in Shepherds bush in west london on 30 oct. I only recently found out about this radio station, and I like listening to the old fashioned songs. Usually i listen to classic fm, but now and then it is nice to have these old fashioned songs that reminds me of my childhood. The owners of this shopping centre is Australian. It is rather bad timing, but i guess over the long run it will be successful. Well, they better have deep pockets because it may be sometime before the economy booms again.
I know it will be rather funny if they pick me, but I am a savvy shopper, so savvy that i dont go to shopping complexes haha but I think for that reason i will be a good choice.
below is the link about the supermall.
'At the time of opening, Westfield says the centre will be more than 96 per cent leased. Around 90 per cent of the tenants locked into 10 to 15-year contracts before the full extent of the current economic crisis was known. Unless the shops go out of business, Westfield will get their money'.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/megamall-is-this-the-future-of-shopping-969624.html
Thursday, 23 October 2008
more lost books in the library
london
There really is nothing to gripe about so I shall simply write about something that amused me today at the library. I returned a book and asked the librarian to check the books i have as i could not check them for myself on the library computers. He showed me what i have borrowed. 5 books which I took a cursory look at the titles.
It was only later when i was back at my flat that i realised that they were titles that i have returned. I checked what i have got, and it was 3books, and two of which i borrowed recently and they were not listed.
So I went back to the library, to the pimlico branch instead of the ST james branch, and told the librarian. She said she will have to check to make sure the books were returned and so she cannot cancel them. I remembered seeing one of the books , lilith's brood, in the returned shelf this morning. But it was gone when i looked. However, i was browsing the shelves, and found it and so brought it back to her and so she was convinced and cancelled the rest. I am glad i like to keep a check on it and nip any problems in the bud before too much time has gone by and the books are lost in the system.
The system is very bad if it can lose books like that. the govt has not been very lucky with its IT contractors. They have all been cowboys setting up IT systems that just do not work and cheating the govt and taxpayers. A bit like what happened to David, my friend in brighton who to this day was unable to get online even after paying a guy to come and set his broadband up. I was horrified to hear from him that he paid the guy even though he did not do the job.
The librarian says I seem to keep on top of things. I said it is because i dont trust this system and so i double check it. I joked that since there is no record of my borrowing the two books, Shantaram, and betjeman's 'trains and buttered toast' I could keep them. But I shall bring them tomorrow and have them re- listed.
There have been many times when this computer system has cocked up in the past.
I borrowed another book, Candace Bushnell's 'One fifth avenue' her latest book. she is the author of sex and the city. I have enjoyed the tv series but I have not read any of her books till now. At first the computer refused to allow me to borrow it, and it turned out someone else has reserved it, but the librarian says since it was on the shelves, she will let me borrow it. Well, tough luck on the person who had paid to reserve it. haha.
i am glad my problems are so small, and laughable and so easily corrected. Pity those who are caught up in this coming recession and are having financially bad times. i hope they will find the silver lining in it and come out the other side stronger and happier because their experience gives them a better understanding of what constitutes happiness.
There really is nothing to gripe about so I shall simply write about something that amused me today at the library. I returned a book and asked the librarian to check the books i have as i could not check them for myself on the library computers. He showed me what i have borrowed. 5 books which I took a cursory look at the titles.
It was only later when i was back at my flat that i realised that they were titles that i have returned. I checked what i have got, and it was 3books, and two of which i borrowed recently and they were not listed.
So I went back to the library, to the pimlico branch instead of the ST james branch, and told the librarian. She said she will have to check to make sure the books were returned and so she cannot cancel them. I remembered seeing one of the books , lilith's brood, in the returned shelf this morning. But it was gone when i looked. However, i was browsing the shelves, and found it and so brought it back to her and so she was convinced and cancelled the rest. I am glad i like to keep a check on it and nip any problems in the bud before too much time has gone by and the books are lost in the system.
The system is very bad if it can lose books like that. the govt has not been very lucky with its IT contractors. They have all been cowboys setting up IT systems that just do not work and cheating the govt and taxpayers. A bit like what happened to David, my friend in brighton who to this day was unable to get online even after paying a guy to come and set his broadband up. I was horrified to hear from him that he paid the guy even though he did not do the job.
The librarian says I seem to keep on top of things. I said it is because i dont trust this system and so i double check it. I joked that since there is no record of my borrowing the two books, Shantaram, and betjeman's 'trains and buttered toast' I could keep them. But I shall bring them tomorrow and have them re- listed.
There have been many times when this computer system has cocked up in the past.
I borrowed another book, Candace Bushnell's 'One fifth avenue' her latest book. she is the author of sex and the city. I have enjoyed the tv series but I have not read any of her books till now. At first the computer refused to allow me to borrow it, and it turned out someone else has reserved it, but the librarian says since it was on the shelves, she will let me borrow it. Well, tough luck on the person who had paid to reserve it. haha.
i am glad my problems are so small, and laughable and so easily corrected. Pity those who are caught up in this coming recession and are having financially bad times. i hope they will find the silver lining in it and come out the other side stronger and happier because their experience gives them a better understanding of what constitutes happiness.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
sales people on the telephone
london
I feel sorry for sales people having to drum up sales by cold calling on the phone. This one was a chap with an indian accent calling about talk talk, my telephone provider.
he asked if i have any trouble with the service, and i mentioned that sometimes the broadband is very slow. He asked if i have complained about it and gave me a number to call. I jotted down the number an 019 number which he assures me will be free if i call from a talk talk phone, but i doubt if i will ring up as it does not really matter if now and then the broadband is slow, seeing all i do is get email and read the newspapers and write my blog on it.
Then he said he is going to give me 1 month's free trial of 5 of their other services namely call divert, caller display, call waiting, call reminder, and ring back. I have vaguely heard about these services though never had any desire to use them. I asked if it is free, but when I realised it is free only for 1month and then i have to pay £12 a month for it I realised it is not free after all. haha. So i said i dont want it. I know I shall have a lot of trouble cancelling it at the end of the month and my soul just dont want to get into all that hassle.
Frankly, even if they give it to me free forever, i wont bother to use it.I see no use for any of it. I can get the previous caller's number (provided they have not concealed it) by dialling 1471. Since i never call anyone back if they dont ask me to do so by leaving a message, knowing who called is only out of curiosity.
I allready receive a free answering service, which kicks in if i dont answer the phone after about 7rings, or if i m on the line, and that is very useful, almost essential, and i am grateful for it. I was able to get rid of my ansaphone which has to be plugged onto my electricity supply all the time. I now have an ordinary old style telephone that dont use my electricity but uses their power.The other advantage to using this old style telephone is that I can use it to make calls even when my electricity supply fails.
I do sympathise with the sales guy,poor chap having to make so many calls in the hope of getting a sale. I hope he has better luck with the other customers.
Added. After writing the above post, i got a call, and it ws a recorded message about a competition. I put the phone down, and then pick it up again to make sure it was cut off, and found it had not. The recorded message was still rattling on. How strange, it has never happened to me before to have the call remain connected when i put the phone down. Then it said i had won a trip to the bahamas, and i ws directed to a human who asked me for my details. So i said, 'please get off the line, thank u', and i put down my phone. And then to test it, i lifted it again, and this time it was truly gone. What a curious happening. I dialled 1471 to find out who the caller is, the caller withheld the number. I wonder whether they have charged me for the call. Hope not, but if they do, i shall have it traced and complain about it. I dont mind these tricks they get up to as long as they dont get me to pay for the call. haha.
I feel sorry for sales people having to drum up sales by cold calling on the phone. This one was a chap with an indian accent calling about talk talk, my telephone provider.
he asked if i have any trouble with the service, and i mentioned that sometimes the broadband is very slow. He asked if i have complained about it and gave me a number to call. I jotted down the number an 019 number which he assures me will be free if i call from a talk talk phone, but i doubt if i will ring up as it does not really matter if now and then the broadband is slow, seeing all i do is get email and read the newspapers and write my blog on it.
Then he said he is going to give me 1 month's free trial of 5 of their other services namely call divert, caller display, call waiting, call reminder, and ring back. I have vaguely heard about these services though never had any desire to use them. I asked if it is free, but when I realised it is free only for 1month and then i have to pay £12 a month for it I realised it is not free after all. haha. So i said i dont want it. I know I shall have a lot of trouble cancelling it at the end of the month and my soul just dont want to get into all that hassle.
Frankly, even if they give it to me free forever, i wont bother to use it.I see no use for any of it. I can get the previous caller's number (provided they have not concealed it) by dialling 1471. Since i never call anyone back if they dont ask me to do so by leaving a message, knowing who called is only out of curiosity.
I allready receive a free answering service, which kicks in if i dont answer the phone after about 7rings, or if i m on the line, and that is very useful, almost essential, and i am grateful for it. I was able to get rid of my ansaphone which has to be plugged onto my electricity supply all the time. I now have an ordinary old style telephone that dont use my electricity but uses their power.The other advantage to using this old style telephone is that I can use it to make calls even when my electricity supply fails.
I do sympathise with the sales guy,poor chap having to make so many calls in the hope of getting a sale. I hope he has better luck with the other customers.
Added. After writing the above post, i got a call, and it ws a recorded message about a competition. I put the phone down, and then pick it up again to make sure it was cut off, and found it had not. The recorded message was still rattling on. How strange, it has never happened to me before to have the call remain connected when i put the phone down. Then it said i had won a trip to the bahamas, and i ws directed to a human who asked me for my details. So i said, 'please get off the line, thank u', and i put down my phone. And then to test it, i lifted it again, and this time it was truly gone. What a curious happening. I dialled 1471 to find out who the caller is, the caller withheld the number. I wonder whether they have charged me for the call. Hope not, but if they do, i shall have it traced and complain about it. I dont mind these tricks they get up to as long as they dont get me to pay for the call. haha.
5 steps to an alert old age
london
1.Connect.
Developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will enrich your life and bring you support
2.Be active.
Sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will make you feel good and maintain mobility and fitness
3.Be curious.
Noting the beauty of everyday moments as well as the unusual and reflecting on them helps you to appreciate what matters to you
4.Learn.
Fixing a bike, learning an instrument, cooking – the challenge and satisfaction brings fun and confidence
5.Give.
Helping friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community and is very rewarding
Source: Foresight report
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/mental_health/article4988978.ece
Do it everyday. Sounds sensible. It was subtitled 'steps to happiness'. A misleading heading, as I believe one can be doing those things because one is happy, not the other way round.
It was only reading it further that i found out the original study is about ways to improve the mind, how to stay alert and prevent senility onset as one grows older.
What is more telling is hidden inside the article is a casual mention not to get into unmanageable debt. I bet that is the single most important reason why people get ill, or get depressed and unhappy.
1.Connect.
Developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will enrich your life and bring you support
2.Be active.
Sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will make you feel good and maintain mobility and fitness
3.Be curious.
Noting the beauty of everyday moments as well as the unusual and reflecting on them helps you to appreciate what matters to you
4.Learn.
Fixing a bike, learning an instrument, cooking – the challenge and satisfaction brings fun and confidence
5.Give.
Helping friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community and is very rewarding
Source: Foresight report
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/mental_health/article4988978.ece
Do it everyday. Sounds sensible. It was subtitled 'steps to happiness'. A misleading heading, as I believe one can be doing those things because one is happy, not the other way round.
It was only reading it further that i found out the original study is about ways to improve the mind, how to stay alert and prevent senility onset as one grows older.
What is more telling is hidden inside the article is a casual mention not to get into unmanageable debt. I bet that is the single most important reason why people get ill, or get depressed and unhappy.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
today maybe the chicken comes home to roost
london
I have been reading the book 'Trillion dollar meltdown' by charles Morris, and it makes frightening reading.If I were invested in the stock market I shall get all my money out now and stay out.
The amount of money involved is staggering, and so far no one knows who has been saddled with the huge debts. Today lehman brothers' affairs are being unwound. If no one takes up its offerings, the insurance companies will have to pay up and that will really expose the goats from the sheep. haha.
Who will be left carrying the can? these bad debts have been insured and no one knows who has got the bulk of it. I cannot see how it can be unwound safely without some sectors of the financial world being hit hard having to pay the insurance on those debts. What everyone will hope is that the debts are spread so evenly throughout the financial system world wide that the debt do not hit any particular bank.Or it hits a govt backed insurance company (like AIG?) who will be able to absorb the cost and let the taxpayer pay.
If not, or if the debt is so big, even spread evenly it will be too much to carry, or if it hits hedge funds who have to forcibly unwind their positions causing a huge sell off in the stock market, at the end of today,or tomorrow, i think we might see another crash of the market.
“This will arguably be the biggest cash-exchange day and somebody will fail,” one analyst warned last week.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3224615/Markets-hold-breath-as-360bn-Lehman-swaps-unwind.html
Added 22.10.09 new link to the same story. Maybe the stockmarket is going down and staying down and that might prompt them to re run the article.
12noon. This original link has been removed. interesting... have the editor been told to get rid of it for fear of precipitating a panic reaction? or did they see that their fears were unfounded when the stockmarket rose. The writer of the article may not wish to be seen to be wrong, and that the debt is absorbed like what happened to me recently. i spilled a full mug of tea onto my sofa, and found it has disappeared into the cushion leaving only a brown stain. maybe that is what is happening to the credit default swaps of lehman brothers. I personally think it can be papered over for now, but inevitably trillions of dollars cannot be hidden away and bankruptcies will come in droves.
I have been reading the book 'Trillion dollar meltdown' by charles Morris, and it makes frightening reading.If I were invested in the stock market I shall get all my money out now and stay out.
The amount of money involved is staggering, and so far no one knows who has been saddled with the huge debts. Today lehman brothers' affairs are being unwound. If no one takes up its offerings, the insurance companies will have to pay up and that will really expose the goats from the sheep. haha.
Who will be left carrying the can? these bad debts have been insured and no one knows who has got the bulk of it. I cannot see how it can be unwound safely without some sectors of the financial world being hit hard having to pay the insurance on those debts. What everyone will hope is that the debts are spread so evenly throughout the financial system world wide that the debt do not hit any particular bank.Or it hits a govt backed insurance company (like AIG?) who will be able to absorb the cost and let the taxpayer pay.
If not, or if the debt is so big, even spread evenly it will be too much to carry, or if it hits hedge funds who have to forcibly unwind their positions causing a huge sell off in the stock market, at the end of today,or tomorrow, i think we might see another crash of the market.
“This will arguably be the biggest cash-exchange day and somebody will fail,” one analyst warned last week.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3224615/Markets-hold-breath-as-360bn-Lehman-swaps-unwind.html
Added 22.10.09 new link to the same story. Maybe the stockmarket is going down and staying down and that might prompt them to re run the article.
12noon. This original link has been removed. interesting... have the editor been told to get rid of it for fear of precipitating a panic reaction? or did they see that their fears were unfounded when the stockmarket rose. The writer of the article may not wish to be seen to be wrong, and that the debt is absorbed like what happened to me recently. i spilled a full mug of tea onto my sofa, and found it has disappeared into the cushion leaving only a brown stain. maybe that is what is happening to the credit default swaps of lehman brothers. I personally think it can be papered over for now, but inevitably trillions of dollars cannot be hidden away and bankruptcies will come in droves.
Monday, 20 October 2008
strolling to the westend
london
I got an email from a reader in thelibrary.com who asked me if i know of any science fiction shops in london. he was coming to visit london in november. I used to remember there was a good second hand shop with a strong sciencefiction section in charing cross but it was a long time ago since i went there to buy some sci-fi books for my brother in malaysia. So i walked there today to check it out. It has gone, replaced by a fast food joint. So that is that.
On the way through trafalgar square, i got into a large crowd of indians, they were all gathered to shoot a film, the actor was an Indian, (from India, as opposed to a native american indian) and the director was asking the crowd to pretend to walk about and give way to the actor when he approaches, and not to look at him and everyone not to take flash photos.
when he shouted 'action, no flash photos please', the actor walked through the crowd to a platform set up in the middle of trafalgar square. I walked on, as it was quite boring to watch. I did not recognise the indian actor, not that i would know who he is since i do not keep up with bollywood film stars. He was wearing dark glasses, on a cloudy dull grey day. He looked quite handsome, (what i could see of him) and tall and not fat. Unlike so many of the old days bolly wood male leads. The modern ones are much better looking. In the olden days of bollywood, the females are gorgeous whilst the men are dogs. Times have changed now.
Coming back i passed the Abermarle cafe, and at the back entrance, a notice was pinned to a plant pot hanging off a fence saying 'smokers, this is not a ash tray full of mud' . it made me laugh.
I got an email from a reader in thelibrary.com who asked me if i know of any science fiction shops in london. he was coming to visit london in november. I used to remember there was a good second hand shop with a strong sciencefiction section in charing cross but it was a long time ago since i went there to buy some sci-fi books for my brother in malaysia. So i walked there today to check it out. It has gone, replaced by a fast food joint. So that is that.
On the way through trafalgar square, i got into a large crowd of indians, they were all gathered to shoot a film, the actor was an Indian, (from India, as opposed to a native american indian) and the director was asking the crowd to pretend to walk about and give way to the actor when he approaches, and not to look at him and everyone not to take flash photos.
when he shouted 'action, no flash photos please', the actor walked through the crowd to a platform set up in the middle of trafalgar square. I walked on, as it was quite boring to watch. I did not recognise the indian actor, not that i would know who he is since i do not keep up with bollywood film stars. He was wearing dark glasses, on a cloudy dull grey day. He looked quite handsome, (what i could see of him) and tall and not fat. Unlike so many of the old days bolly wood male leads. The modern ones are much better looking. In the olden days of bollywood, the females are gorgeous whilst the men are dogs. Times have changed now.
Coming back i passed the Abermarle cafe, and at the back entrance, a notice was pinned to a plant pot hanging off a fence saying 'smokers, this is not a ash tray full of mud' . it made me laugh.
a life in opposition
london
Singapore's leading opposition MP has died. 'Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, the first opposition party candidate to be elected a member of parliament in Singapore, died of heart failure on September 30, aged 82'. His orbituary in the opinonasia.org as reported in asiantimes.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JJ11Ae02.html
I remember him being sued by the singapore govt and thinking what a shameful way for the govt to behave, hounding the opposition if they dont like what they hear.Isn't there such a thing as parliamentary priviledge in singapore's parliament? we have it here in Britain.
The court of appeal in Singapore has dismissed an appeal by the veteran opposition leader J B Jeyaratnam, against a ruling that he defamed the Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/134598.stm
History is not with jeyaretnam in that during his time the country was very prosperous. Many in singapore would not have liked the kind of social upheaval that would bring in Jeyaretnam, for it would mean the country being invaded.
Singapore's leading opposition MP has died. 'Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, the first opposition party candidate to be elected a member of parliament in Singapore, died of heart failure on September 30, aged 82'. His orbituary in the opinonasia.org as reported in asiantimes.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JJ11Ae02.html
I remember him being sued by the singapore govt and thinking what a shameful way for the govt to behave, hounding the opposition if they dont like what they hear.Isn't there such a thing as parliamentary priviledge in singapore's parliament? we have it here in Britain.
The court of appeal in Singapore has dismissed an appeal by the veteran opposition leader J B Jeyaratnam, against a ruling that he defamed the Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/134598.stm
History is not with jeyaretnam in that during his time the country was very prosperous. Many in singapore would not have liked the kind of social upheaval that would bring in Jeyaretnam, for it would mean the country being invaded.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
running through the tate britain
london
I went to the TAte Britain just now. It was a rather cloudy day, with a slight drizzle, that be the reason why it was not crowded. Also it was only about 10.30am on a sunday, so it was rather early. I saw a guy come out of passage to the toilets wearing running shorts and a t-shirt. He must be part of the runners exhibition sponsored by sotheby's. It features men and women running through the centre of the tate. When he ran passed me i thought that was the endof it. so I was very surprised when another one passed me only a few minutes later. And then when another swerved past me again I realised it was a continuous run. There were about 3 or 4 runners, all men this morning. The thought did cross my mind that it would be far more interesting if they were all naked. there would be something to look at hahah.It would be a nicer sight. How easy would it be tofind a group of guys or women to take turns running naked through the gallery?I think it would be rather easier than u would think, as there are more and more people willingto get naked nowadays.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/artblog/2008/jun/30/therunnerscreed
I went to the TAte Britain just now. It was a rather cloudy day, with a slight drizzle, that be the reason why it was not crowded. Also it was only about 10.30am on a sunday, so it was rather early. I saw a guy come out of passage to the toilets wearing running shorts and a t-shirt. He must be part of the runners exhibition sponsored by sotheby's. It features men and women running through the centre of the tate. When he ran passed me i thought that was the endof it. so I was very surprised when another one passed me only a few minutes later. And then when another swerved past me again I realised it was a continuous run. There were about 3 or 4 runners, all men this morning. The thought did cross my mind that it would be far more interesting if they were all naked. there would be something to look at hahah.It would be a nicer sight. How easy would it be tofind a group of guys or women to take turns running naked through the gallery?I think it would be rather easier than u would think, as there are more and more people willingto get naked nowadays.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/artblog/2008/jun/30/therunnerscreed
Saturday, 18 October 2008
another food myth?
london
I have often been told or read that u cannot refreeze raw meat that has been frozen and thawed out. there was no reason given, other than the fear of bacteria growing in the thawed meat. But if the meat is thawed and kept chilled, why cannot it be refrozen?
I have also heard that you cannot freeze food that has been cooked. that i think is wrong advise, because all processed ready cooked meals that are frozen have been cooked before. It is important to cool it first under in a air tight container first, so that the freezer will freeze the food quickly. It is the speed of freezing that keeps the texture and quality of the meat intact.
here is soemthing i found in the internet about whether frozen food that is thawed out can be refrozen. The answer is yes.
'Is it safe to refreeze food that has thawed completely?Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. And if previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly'.(Source: Freezing and Food Safety)
The reason why I asked now is because simon brought some meats from his mother's house in essex, from their deep freeze and after cooking it, he had to throw it away. He said it just tasted funny. The fridge door has been accidentally left open, and a wall of ice has formed round the gap in the doorway that is why it has gone off. there was plenty of time for the food to be spoilt.
For ice to form and reseal the gap must mean that the door has been left like that for a long time.
the funny thing is that just that day, I noticed my freezer/fridge was switched off. I wasnt sure how long it has been off. Maybe a day or two at most. Anyway, the fridge door ws tightly closed so i hoped the freezer was still cold and kept the foods solid. I poked the pork and it felt solid enough though the sausages were thawed. So i took the sausages out, and I switched it on, and refroze the rest of the contents. I put the sausages in the fridge and we cooked the sausages the next day and it was fine.
Anyway, I told simon that we should eat the rest of the frozen foods as soon as we can, so he took the pork out, and thawed it, and we cooked the roast pork today and it tasted fine. In fact, Simon cooked it and the crackling came out perfect. I have a theory that keeping meat frozen affects the skin and makes it difficult to get good crackling, but this roast pork has proven my theory wrong.
the website also asked some interesting questions like this
Is it safe to eat leftover food that was left out on the counter to cool at dinnertime, then forgotten until morning? Will additional cooking kill the bacteria that may have grown?No. Bacteria exist everywhere in nature. They are in the soil, air, water, and the foods we eat. When they have nutrients (food), moisture, and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can cause illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. Some types will produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking. Pathogenic bacteria do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one cannot tell that a food has been mishandled or is dangerous to eat. For example, food that has been left too long on the counter may be dangerous to eat, but could smell and look fine. If a food has been left in the "Danger Zone" – between 40 and 140 °F – for more than 2 hours, discard it, even though it may look and smell good. Never taste a food to see if it is spoiled.(Sources: Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency; Fighting BAC!® by Chilling Out; Refrigeration and Food Safety.)
In malaysia, in the olden days,during the japanese occupation when my parents dont have money to keep a fridge, my mother keep cooked food left over from lunch in a cool cupboard, and eat it for dinner(reheating it) about 5-6 hrs later and it has not done us any harm. so i think the above instructions may not be correct. It can be argued that food that is cooked will have all the bacteria destroyed and provided the food is covered and kept in a sealed container, not exposed to air, it should be safe even if it is not kept inthe fridge but in a cool well ventilated cupboard. Their advise about discarding the food if it is kept in over 40C depands on how long it is kept there.
personally I think the best way to tell if raw food has gone bad is to smell it. With cooked food that is not always a reliable test but i think cooked food do not go bad that easily and it should be safe to eat.
The main danger is toxins produced by some germs notably botulism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism
even so, the toxin can be destroyed by high temperatures.
Many of us do not trust our own observations, and throw food away. This is especially so whenever u ask for advise from official bodies, because their advise is always when in doubt throw the food away. That makes people throw away perfectly good food. or become too afraid of eating any foods that is kept overnight. I think that might explain why the West throw so much food away. they do not know whether it is save to eat or not and are frightened of the unknown. I have seen food that have been kept overnight in the cool cupboard eaten without any ill effects. In fact, in malaysia, raw foods like cut meats are sold in markets all the time, without any refrigeration and are fine to eat with no one dying of food poisoning. I have seen it countless times, so am not afraid of buying such meats, having seen my mother buy them daily for our meals. It shows that if u r exposed to such practises when u r young, and know it is safe, u r more willing to do the same when u grow up. The problem with the west is that they have been so mollycoddled that they get scared too much.
added 19.10.08
I have come to the conclusion that the appliance that uses a large amount of energy in the household is the fridge. I look at my fridge now with the thermostat at 1 (the lowest) because i dont use it much nowadays. Ever since i stopped keeping milk in it preferring to drink my coffee and tea black. I use the freezer now whenever i wish to keep things cold. Heating the flat is the second highest energy use, but that is seasonal, whereas keeping a fridge at a temp cold enough to preserve foods goes on all the year round, even in winter which is really silly when u consider the temp outside is colder. I think the oven is another big energy user in the house.
My flat is still old fashioned enough to have a store cupboard that has a direct access to the outside so that anything stored inside it is cold during winter.
I have often been told or read that u cannot refreeze raw meat that has been frozen and thawed out. there was no reason given, other than the fear of bacteria growing in the thawed meat. But if the meat is thawed and kept chilled, why cannot it be refrozen?
I have also heard that you cannot freeze food that has been cooked. that i think is wrong advise, because all processed ready cooked meals that are frozen have been cooked before. It is important to cool it first under in a air tight container first, so that the freezer will freeze the food quickly. It is the speed of freezing that keeps the texture and quality of the meat intact.
here is soemthing i found in the internet about whether frozen food that is thawed out can be refrozen. The answer is yes.
'Is it safe to refreeze food that has thawed completely?Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. And if previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly'.(Source: Freezing and Food Safety)
The reason why I asked now is because simon brought some meats from his mother's house in essex, from their deep freeze and after cooking it, he had to throw it away. He said it just tasted funny. The fridge door has been accidentally left open, and a wall of ice has formed round the gap in the doorway that is why it has gone off. there was plenty of time for the food to be spoilt.
For ice to form and reseal the gap must mean that the door has been left like that for a long time.
the funny thing is that just that day, I noticed my freezer/fridge was switched off. I wasnt sure how long it has been off. Maybe a day or two at most. Anyway, the fridge door ws tightly closed so i hoped the freezer was still cold and kept the foods solid. I poked the pork and it felt solid enough though the sausages were thawed. So i took the sausages out, and I switched it on, and refroze the rest of the contents. I put the sausages in the fridge and we cooked the sausages the next day and it was fine.
Anyway, I told simon that we should eat the rest of the frozen foods as soon as we can, so he took the pork out, and thawed it, and we cooked the roast pork today and it tasted fine. In fact, Simon cooked it and the crackling came out perfect. I have a theory that keeping meat frozen affects the skin and makes it difficult to get good crackling, but this roast pork has proven my theory wrong.
the website also asked some interesting questions like this
Is it safe to eat leftover food that was left out on the counter to cool at dinnertime, then forgotten until morning? Will additional cooking kill the bacteria that may have grown?No. Bacteria exist everywhere in nature. They are in the soil, air, water, and the foods we eat. When they have nutrients (food), moisture, and favorable temperatures, they grow rapidly, increasing in numbers to the point where some types of bacteria can cause illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 °F, some doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes. Some types will produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking. Pathogenic bacteria do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food. In other words, one cannot tell that a food has been mishandled or is dangerous to eat. For example, food that has been left too long on the counter may be dangerous to eat, but could smell and look fine. If a food has been left in the "Danger Zone" – between 40 and 140 °F – for more than 2 hours, discard it, even though it may look and smell good. Never taste a food to see if it is spoiled.(Sources: Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency; Fighting BAC!® by Chilling Out; Refrigeration and Food Safety.)
In malaysia, in the olden days,during the japanese occupation when my parents dont have money to keep a fridge, my mother keep cooked food left over from lunch in a cool cupboard, and eat it for dinner(reheating it) about 5-6 hrs later and it has not done us any harm. so i think the above instructions may not be correct. It can be argued that food that is cooked will have all the bacteria destroyed and provided the food is covered and kept in a sealed container, not exposed to air, it should be safe even if it is not kept inthe fridge but in a cool well ventilated cupboard. Their advise about discarding the food if it is kept in over 40C depands on how long it is kept there.
personally I think the best way to tell if raw food has gone bad is to smell it. With cooked food that is not always a reliable test but i think cooked food do not go bad that easily and it should be safe to eat.
The main danger is toxins produced by some germs notably botulism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botulism
even so, the toxin can be destroyed by high temperatures.
Many of us do not trust our own observations, and throw food away. This is especially so whenever u ask for advise from official bodies, because their advise is always when in doubt throw the food away. That makes people throw away perfectly good food. or become too afraid of eating any foods that is kept overnight. I think that might explain why the West throw so much food away. they do not know whether it is save to eat or not and are frightened of the unknown. I have seen food that have been kept overnight in the cool cupboard eaten without any ill effects. In fact, in malaysia, raw foods like cut meats are sold in markets all the time, without any refrigeration and are fine to eat with no one dying of food poisoning. I have seen it countless times, so am not afraid of buying such meats, having seen my mother buy them daily for our meals. It shows that if u r exposed to such practises when u r young, and know it is safe, u r more willing to do the same when u grow up. The problem with the west is that they have been so mollycoddled that they get scared too much.
added 19.10.08
I have come to the conclusion that the appliance that uses a large amount of energy in the household is the fridge. I look at my fridge now with the thermostat at 1 (the lowest) because i dont use it much nowadays. Ever since i stopped keeping milk in it preferring to drink my coffee and tea black. I use the freezer now whenever i wish to keep things cold. Heating the flat is the second highest energy use, but that is seasonal, whereas keeping a fridge at a temp cold enough to preserve foods goes on all the year round, even in winter which is really silly when u consider the temp outside is colder. I think the oven is another big energy user in the house.
My flat is still old fashioned enough to have a store cupboard that has a direct access to the outside so that anything stored inside it is cold during winter.
a hedge fund manager's farewell
london
The guy, Andrew Lahde, made his money and is now retiring after only 2yrs.He started off with $10million and closed with $80million. In going, he made some interesting suggestions to soros to create a think tank to find a new economic model, and to use hemp as an all purpose product to selfsufficiency.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3219870/The-astonishing-sign-off-of-a-wealthy-fund-manager-in-full.html
The guy, Andrew Lahde, made his money and is now retiring after only 2yrs.He started off with $10million and closed with $80million. In going, he made some interesting suggestions to soros to create a think tank to find a new economic model, and to use hemp as an all purpose product to selfsufficiency.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3219870/The-astonishing-sign-off-of-a-wealthy-fund-manager-in-full.html
Friday, 17 October 2008
a gruesome sight but a relief for the other wild life in the area
london
This is a gruesome sight.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4313978.stm
Two predators that are king pins in their respective environments got rid of each other to the vast relief of all the other wild life in the area. Between those two, they must have eaten a lot of other animals in their lifetimes and must have been right terrors.
the burmese python was the newcomer to the florida glades encroaching on the territory of the alligator. Normally the alligator has no enemies, and once a hoary old alligator gets to such a size as this one, it will live a long time, gobbling up everything in sight and no one to say nay to it. Until man comes along and kills it, but that is forbidden now because they are a protected species. Then comes a burmese python, who was brought into the country as a pet and escapes or is dumped by the frightened owner when it got too big to handle, and so nature's balance now come into play. I think the alligator was not entirely unconscious when it was swallowed , or in its death throes its body did reflex contractions, that whips the tail to and fro and just burst the python open.
This is a gruesome sight.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4313978.stm
Two predators that are king pins in their respective environments got rid of each other to the vast relief of all the other wild life in the area. Between those two, they must have eaten a lot of other animals in their lifetimes and must have been right terrors.
the burmese python was the newcomer to the florida glades encroaching on the territory of the alligator. Normally the alligator has no enemies, and once a hoary old alligator gets to such a size as this one, it will live a long time, gobbling up everything in sight and no one to say nay to it. Until man comes along and kills it, but that is forbidden now because they are a protected species. Then comes a burmese python, who was brought into the country as a pet and escapes or is dumped by the frightened owner when it got too big to handle, and so nature's balance now come into play. I think the alligator was not entirely unconscious when it was swallowed , or in its death throes its body did reflex contractions, that whips the tail to and fro and just burst the python open.
white tiger, by aravind adiga
london
2days ago, I read that it had won the Man-Booker prize of £50,000. I saw it in the library, and borrowed it to read and finished it today. It is a very good read and shows India as no one has shown it before in novels.
Do you know why the poor servants can be trusted by their masters with jewelery and money? because no one dares to steal them for fear of the consequences. It would be obvious if they stole it, and not only them but their families will all suffer. Now and then, we hear of whole families being killed in india. Many of those deaths are the families of servants who have killed their masters or robbed them. That is what is said in the novel. It might be a fanciful explanation of these mass murders of whole families, but it sounds very plausible to me. The novel depicts the servile attitude of the servants and the very casual cruel treatment of the masters to their servants. The masters say they do not want to treat their servants too well, for that will make them seem weak, and be taken advantage of by their servants. That sounds about right in the servants-masters dynamics. This is fiction, but the depiction of the way the poor and rich interact is quite plausible.
A rather depressing book in a way, that people can treat each other so badly, and if that is what indian society is under the surface, it is not a nice society.
I am not surprised if the indian people find a lot to object in this story about themselves. It is showing their society in a bad light. And the indians might well feel insulted that it is chosen to win such a prestigious prize as the Man Booker. The story may be too truthful for most indians to stomach.
I enjoyed reading it because it was very well written and well deserves its prize.However, I am not sure I want to read more of it if he were to write another book on the same theme. There is a limit to how much I want to read about how poverty and richness can bring out the pettiness and cruel side of human beings.
added 19.10.08 It looks like my prediction that his book will not find favour amongst the middle classes and rich in india is all too true.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/3222136/Indians-fear-Aravind-Adigas-The-White-Tiger-says-too-much-about-them.html
2days ago, I read that it had won the Man-Booker prize of £50,000. I saw it in the library, and borrowed it to read and finished it today. It is a very good read and shows India as no one has shown it before in novels.
Do you know why the poor servants can be trusted by their masters with jewelery and money? because no one dares to steal them for fear of the consequences. It would be obvious if they stole it, and not only them but their families will all suffer. Now and then, we hear of whole families being killed in india. Many of those deaths are the families of servants who have killed their masters or robbed them. That is what is said in the novel. It might be a fanciful explanation of these mass murders of whole families, but it sounds very plausible to me. The novel depicts the servile attitude of the servants and the very casual cruel treatment of the masters to their servants. The masters say they do not want to treat their servants too well, for that will make them seem weak, and be taken advantage of by their servants. That sounds about right in the servants-masters dynamics. This is fiction, but the depiction of the way the poor and rich interact is quite plausible.
A rather depressing book in a way, that people can treat each other so badly, and if that is what indian society is under the surface, it is not a nice society.
I am not surprised if the indian people find a lot to object in this story about themselves. It is showing their society in a bad light. And the indians might well feel insulted that it is chosen to win such a prestigious prize as the Man Booker. The story may be too truthful for most indians to stomach.
I enjoyed reading it because it was very well written and well deserves its prize.However, I am not sure I want to read more of it if he were to write another book on the same theme. There is a limit to how much I want to read about how poverty and richness can bring out the pettiness and cruel side of human beings.
added 19.10.08 It looks like my prediction that his book will not find favour amongst the middle classes and rich in india is all too true.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/3222136/Indians-fear-Aravind-Adigas-The-White-Tiger-says-too-much-about-them.html
Thursday, 16 October 2008
John's travel plans to malaysia in march09
london
the flight will cost him £713 return by SIA to singapore. he flies back from penang to singapore and then catch the international flight to london. Well, a straightforward flight return to singapore from london in march costs £650 return, (according to the SIA website)so i guess it is only a little bit more to include the connecting flight from penang. After his horrible experience with gulf air last time he went there,he decided to fly direct rather than risk a stopover. (they turfed him off his flight when he arrived in transit in dubai, and put him up in a hotel and after a long correspondence he got £50 compensation from them)
I think even £650 return is expensive so just as well i have no plans to visit that region. I checked the Ringgit exchange rate with the £ and it is 5.56RM=£1. Such a poor exchange rate!!! compared to 6.7RM =£1 when i was there 2yrs ago with john. All the more reason not to bother going. Perhaps fares and exchange rates will go down come january. But it is difficult to predict since everything got topsy turvy for us £ travellers since the credit crunch.
John told me of a new airline 'firefly' owned by MAS, and started in april 07.
http://www.southafrica.to/transport/Airlines/International-airlines/Firefly-airlines/Firefly-Airlines.php5
The planes are propeller driven and looked like a throwback to olden age.
This is the first time i have heard of it, but it seems it flies from penang. One wonders how it will be able to thrive in this climate of high oil prices and the coming recession. It is predicted europe will see many airlines go bankrupt. I think s.e.asia will also get it too. Allready the uk is in recession, with lots of people being laid off, and business drying up. I am sure malaysia will not escape this recession. Singapore is technically in recession allready.
I am so surprised that the air fares are so high. I thought there will be less people flying and so fares must come down. I am puzzled why it is not happening. Maybe it is not wise to book too early but to wait for last minute bargains, because they know anyone who books now will be the ones who are wanting desperately to go. Also, oil prices are only now coming down, and so the airlines will soon be able to pass that saving to the customers later in the year.
For that kind of money, i think i shall use it for 2 or even 3 short holidays to capdeagde, or ile du levant. I have got bored with any holiday unless they are naturist holidays. It is funny how we each of us have our own ways of deciding what is good value for money. To john, a malaysian holiday is good value. For me, who comes from there, and one would have thought i would agree with him, it is not so desireable. i opt for short breaks of 10-14days in a naturist place. My taste in holidays have changed a lot. I dont like going away from london as much as i used to. When i first came to uk I was an avid traveller. Now not anymore.
My main interests are naturism, and interacting with other gay guys, so I look for holidays that will give me those activities.
the flight will cost him £713 return by SIA to singapore. he flies back from penang to singapore and then catch the international flight to london. Well, a straightforward flight return to singapore from london in march costs £650 return, (according to the SIA website)so i guess it is only a little bit more to include the connecting flight from penang. After his horrible experience with gulf air last time he went there,he decided to fly direct rather than risk a stopover. (they turfed him off his flight when he arrived in transit in dubai, and put him up in a hotel and after a long correspondence he got £50 compensation from them)
I think even £650 return is expensive so just as well i have no plans to visit that region. I checked the Ringgit exchange rate with the £ and it is 5.56RM=£1. Such a poor exchange rate!!! compared to 6.7RM =£1 when i was there 2yrs ago with john. All the more reason not to bother going. Perhaps fares and exchange rates will go down come january. But it is difficult to predict since everything got topsy turvy for us £ travellers since the credit crunch.
John told me of a new airline 'firefly' owned by MAS, and started in april 07.
http://www.southafrica.to/transport/Airlines/International-airlines/Firefly-airlines/Firefly-Airlines.php5
The planes are propeller driven and looked like a throwback to olden age.
This is the first time i have heard of it, but it seems it flies from penang. One wonders how it will be able to thrive in this climate of high oil prices and the coming recession. It is predicted europe will see many airlines go bankrupt. I think s.e.asia will also get it too. Allready the uk is in recession, with lots of people being laid off, and business drying up. I am sure malaysia will not escape this recession. Singapore is technically in recession allready.
I am so surprised that the air fares are so high. I thought there will be less people flying and so fares must come down. I am puzzled why it is not happening. Maybe it is not wise to book too early but to wait for last minute bargains, because they know anyone who books now will be the ones who are wanting desperately to go. Also, oil prices are only now coming down, and so the airlines will soon be able to pass that saving to the customers later in the year.
For that kind of money, i think i shall use it for 2 or even 3 short holidays to capdeagde, or ile du levant. I have got bored with any holiday unless they are naturist holidays. It is funny how we each of us have our own ways of deciding what is good value for money. To john, a malaysian holiday is good value. For me, who comes from there, and one would have thought i would agree with him, it is not so desireable. i opt for short breaks of 10-14days in a naturist place. My taste in holidays have changed a lot. I dont like going away from london as much as i used to. When i first came to uk I was an avid traveller. Now not anymore.
My main interests are naturism, and interacting with other gay guys, so I look for holidays that will give me those activities.
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
london blogs
london
I was browsing google, and type in london blogs, and saw this in www.londonist.com
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/22102/above-the-stag-fringe-theatre-to-focus-on
It is saying that a new gay theatre company is setting up in the Stag pub in victoria. I am surprised that the little room above the pub can take 50seats.There must be more space there than I thought. they are going to feature american plays. Rather nice to have a gay fringe theatre right at my doorstep as it were.
I was browsing google, and type in london blogs, and saw this in www.londonist.com
http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/22102/above-the-stag-fringe-theatre-to-focus-on
It is saying that a new gay theatre company is setting up in the Stag pub in victoria. I am surprised that the little room above the pub can take 50seats.There must be more space there than I thought. they are going to feature american plays. Rather nice to have a gay fringe theatre right at my doorstep as it were.
london
'Nevertheless, money is being eroded in value by inflation. £100 today can buy only about 95% of what it could last year and only about half as much as it could 20 years ago. This is one reason why we need to be paid interest to save money.. '
this is a quote from an article in the bbc newsonline entitled where has the money gone. it tries to reassure people not to be afraid that their money has disappeared from their bank accounts. The explanation is not as good as this
http://www.eco-tube.com/v/KNOW/Money_Is_Debt.aspx
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7670313.stm
However the above statement got me to thinking that it is not wise to hoard money. That loses its value. What is good to invest in that would keep its value? Gold? or govt national savings with guaranteed interests that keeps up with inflation? or something like prime property or works of art which does in the long run gets more scarce and rise in value more than inflation. No wonder the rich are buying prime properties in desireable neighbourhoods and works of art. The latter depands on what others think. If your prime property is in a country in revolution, or flooded it wont remain a prime property. or maybe we should just look at the quality of life and go for good health. And live a fulfilling life doing what we want to do and hope to die before we get struck down by our failing bodies. People always want to live long, I think that is not a good aim. Why? because the pains and disease that accompany a slowly declining health in old age is terrible. Better to live adventurously and well, and than drop dead.
'Nevertheless, money is being eroded in value by inflation. £100 today can buy only about 95% of what it could last year and only about half as much as it could 20 years ago. This is one reason why we need to be paid interest to save money.. '
this is a quote from an article in the bbc newsonline entitled where has the money gone. it tries to reassure people not to be afraid that their money has disappeared from their bank accounts. The explanation is not as good as this
http://www.eco-tube.com/v/KNOW/Money_Is_Debt.aspx
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7670313.stm
However the above statement got me to thinking that it is not wise to hoard money. That loses its value. What is good to invest in that would keep its value? Gold? or govt national savings with guaranteed interests that keeps up with inflation? or something like prime property or works of art which does in the long run gets more scarce and rise in value more than inflation. No wonder the rich are buying prime properties in desireable neighbourhoods and works of art. The latter depands on what others think. If your prime property is in a country in revolution, or flooded it wont remain a prime property. or maybe we should just look at the quality of life and go for good health. And live a fulfilling life doing what we want to do and hope to die before we get struck down by our failing bodies. People always want to live long, I think that is not a good aim. Why? because the pains and disease that accompany a slowly declining health in old age is terrible. Better to live adventurously and well, and than drop dead.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
freebies in victoria station
london
I had another free lunch courtesy of Upper Crust and Independent newspaper in victoria station today. I had the BLT(bacon,lettuce and tomato) baguette and coffee. I was sitting next to a guy who was slumped forwrd in his seat unconscious or asleep and leaning on his shopping trolley. He looked like he is a down and out. A lady came and sat on the row at right angles to us. She ate her lunch. Then she went to this guy and tried to wake him , asking if he was ok. He did not respond. Maybe she thought he was dead, but he made a little movement so she went back to her pack and took out a water bottle, and put it inside his shopping trolley along with her shop bought sandwich pack. I did not see what was in it, but presumed she ate only one of the sandwich and gave him the other.
I went for a wander around the station concourse and met with a lady who was outside a large enclosed booth featuring Be, advertising their internet broadband service. I used to subscribe to them for my broadband, paying £14 a month for a 4G on top of my BT phone bill of 10.50 a month. Bethere.co.uk broadband speed is very fast, in fact they now say the speed is over 8meg. and it is now £18 a month unlimited usage or £22 amonth pro usage. I had no complains about them, but did not want to pay so much and so i moved to talk talk. The speed was so high it downloaded a lot of advertisements which made me go over my 4G quota everymonth and forcing me to pay £5 everytime for the next 5G even if i dont use it up. This time i noticed they have realised it was chasing away their customers because they say it is unlimited usage now.
The lady asked me if i would like to go inside and get a massage and a free usb drive. Well, my eyes lit up at hearing of this free usb drive so i agreed and went into the booth and saw 4 massage chairs, and was offered a drink, (I asked for a tango orange) while i watch a choice of tv programs.Well, that was rather nice. The massage chair has knobs on the back of the seat which prodded the back of the sitter. Not very comfortable at all and nothing at all like a massage. There is nothing to replace human hands when it comes to massaging. At the end of it she gave me a 1G thumb drive which is great.
Then, wandering up the escalators to the upper section, i met this guy giving a leaflet for a lebara mobile sim card (costing £5 of credit) which allows cheap calls overseas. 4p to Singapore and thailand, 5p to malaysia. I dont make phone calls so did not buy it, but for those who do it is cheaper than landlines, and also no need to call a service number first. I get free calls on my talk talk phone to europe , america, australia, canada and i dont use it. it does not cover s.e.asia, so this mobile sim card would be useful if ever i felt the need to call those places often. I prefer to email.
then there was this guy giving out leaflets with special offers for selected branches of the subway chain of eateries.Naturally the victoria branch was one of them. If I were a visitor to uk I would like these leaflets with free drinks or a free 6" subway if u buy a 12" one. How come when we were in spain we never get these leaflets?
I did not realise there are so many freebies in railway stations. They are a good place to hang out if u have nothing much to do. haha. There ws a notice saying the loo is now 30p entry fee. So maybe not good places to use the toilet.
Added. I discovered I was wrong to think that no one else knows about this free lunch offer or the guardian free starbucks coffee every friday for october. I forgot that starbucks does a lot of specialised coffees with fancy names, and it would be a chance to try these, like the caramel marchiato that the website mentioned. This moneysavingexpert.com site tells about it along with a lot of other offers of the 2 for 1 variety. I guess it pays to subscribe to the website when they will send u emails of any new offers. John says he subscribes to them. I dont, because I dont really like 2 for 1 offers. I dont have generous friends who like eating out at those places. I dont blame my friends for not liking pizza or fast foods. haha. I would not care for them myself.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-restaurant-deals
I had another free lunch courtesy of Upper Crust and Independent newspaper in victoria station today. I had the BLT(bacon,lettuce and tomato) baguette and coffee. I was sitting next to a guy who was slumped forwrd in his seat unconscious or asleep and leaning on his shopping trolley. He looked like he is a down and out. A lady came and sat on the row at right angles to us. She ate her lunch. Then she went to this guy and tried to wake him , asking if he was ok. He did not respond. Maybe she thought he was dead, but he made a little movement so she went back to her pack and took out a water bottle, and put it inside his shopping trolley along with her shop bought sandwich pack. I did not see what was in it, but presumed she ate only one of the sandwich and gave him the other.
I went for a wander around the station concourse and met with a lady who was outside a large enclosed booth featuring Be, advertising their internet broadband service. I used to subscribe to them for my broadband, paying £14 a month for a 4G on top of my BT phone bill of 10.50 a month. Bethere.co.uk broadband speed is very fast, in fact they now say the speed is over 8meg. and it is now £18 a month unlimited usage or £22 amonth pro usage. I had no complains about them, but did not want to pay so much and so i moved to talk talk. The speed was so high it downloaded a lot of advertisements which made me go over my 4G quota everymonth and forcing me to pay £5 everytime for the next 5G even if i dont use it up. This time i noticed they have realised it was chasing away their customers because they say it is unlimited usage now.
The lady asked me if i would like to go inside and get a massage and a free usb drive. Well, my eyes lit up at hearing of this free usb drive so i agreed and went into the booth and saw 4 massage chairs, and was offered a drink, (I asked for a tango orange) while i watch a choice of tv programs.Well, that was rather nice. The massage chair has knobs on the back of the seat which prodded the back of the sitter. Not very comfortable at all and nothing at all like a massage. There is nothing to replace human hands when it comes to massaging. At the end of it she gave me a 1G thumb drive which is great.
Then, wandering up the escalators to the upper section, i met this guy giving a leaflet for a lebara mobile sim card (costing £5 of credit) which allows cheap calls overseas. 4p to Singapore and thailand, 5p to malaysia. I dont make phone calls so did not buy it, but for those who do it is cheaper than landlines, and also no need to call a service number first. I get free calls on my talk talk phone to europe , america, australia, canada and i dont use it. it does not cover s.e.asia, so this mobile sim card would be useful if ever i felt the need to call those places often. I prefer to email.
then there was this guy giving out leaflets with special offers for selected branches of the subway chain of eateries.Naturally the victoria branch was one of them. If I were a visitor to uk I would like these leaflets with free drinks or a free 6" subway if u buy a 12" one. How come when we were in spain we never get these leaflets?
I did not realise there are so many freebies in railway stations. They are a good place to hang out if u have nothing much to do. haha. There ws a notice saying the loo is now 30p entry fee. So maybe not good places to use the toilet.
Added. I discovered I was wrong to think that no one else knows about this free lunch offer or the guardian free starbucks coffee every friday for october. I forgot that starbucks does a lot of specialised coffees with fancy names, and it would be a chance to try these, like the caramel marchiato that the website mentioned. This moneysavingexpert.com site tells about it along with a lot of other offers of the 2 for 1 variety. I guess it pays to subscribe to the website when they will send u emails of any new offers. John says he subscribes to them. I dont, because I dont really like 2 for 1 offers. I dont have generous friends who like eating out at those places. I dont blame my friends for not liking pizza or fast foods. haha. I would not care for them myself.
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-restaurant-deals
i went to the tate britain
london
Yesterday, sunday, i went to the tate britain. It was near me, and I just felt like going there and have a look and also hope that they have resumed their free newspapers in the cafe. haha. Anyway, i found they have got free Observer newspaper. Whilst i was there i went looking at the art. I went to a room, which was so dark it took sometime for my eyes to adjust. it was showing a very dull film about industrial machinery. Why it was there i have no idea, but the thought did cross my mind that the darkness makes it very good for illicit sex on the bench. There was no one there except me so i was not able to find another guy to test it out. I wonder whether that was the idea of this room? An unspoken idea that would is lost on the casual observer but perfect for those who are sexually adventurous to make it a darkroom.
Then this morning i read this article about Mark leckey's room and wondered whether that was the room where i was in. I did not see any advertisements, and i stayed in that room for some time hoping for a fellow sexual adventurer to come sit near me. No one came except two middle aged men, who stood near the entrance for a short time, and then one of them gave the other a peck on the cheek and they both went out.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/claire-beale/claire-beale-on-advertising-the-real-art-of-an-ad-is-to-make-more-money-959154.html
written some time ago but posted using bloggers future timed posting facility.
Yesterday, sunday, i went to the tate britain. It was near me, and I just felt like going there and have a look and also hope that they have resumed their free newspapers in the cafe. haha. Anyway, i found they have got free Observer newspaper. Whilst i was there i went looking at the art. I went to a room, which was so dark it took sometime for my eyes to adjust. it was showing a very dull film about industrial machinery. Why it was there i have no idea, but the thought did cross my mind that the darkness makes it very good for illicit sex on the bench. There was no one there except me so i was not able to find another guy to test it out. I wonder whether that was the idea of this room? An unspoken idea that would is lost on the casual observer but perfect for those who are sexually adventurous to make it a darkroom.
Then this morning i read this article about Mark leckey's room and wondered whether that was the room where i was in. I did not see any advertisements, and i stayed in that room for some time hoping for a fellow sexual adventurer to come sit near me. No one came except two middle aged men, who stood near the entrance for a short time, and then one of them gave the other a peck on the cheek and they both went out.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/comment/claire-beale/claire-beale-on-advertising-the-real-art-of-an-ad-is-to-make-more-money-959154.html
written some time ago but posted using bloggers future timed posting facility.
Monday, 13 October 2008
visa electron card
london
I was watching Watchdog, on the bbc, and it mentioned a visa electron card that can be used to pay for Ryanair tickets which do not incur their card charges. That is a useful card to have because ryanair charges £4 for each person for each flight if u pay with a credit card. They charge about £2 if u use a debit card so a card which does not incur any charges on ryanair would be just perfect.
Watchdog confronted Ryanair's CEO, O'leary, and told him he should not do this on moral high grounds. O'leary replied he does not have to be on a moral high ground, he wants to be on the lowest cost ground. I can only laugh at his response. he has every right to say it. And any chance he gets to get more money he is welcome to it, after all i dont want Ryanair to go bankrupt.haha. let's not begrudge him that. Anyway as a result of Watchdog, he has taken down the sign saying free fares from his advertisements. Now i notice he gives the final price in his adverts or mentions the tax and airline charges. It is still very cheap and from our recent experiences of the airline, what i like about it is it keeps punctual time. Even arrives early. That to me is a huge plus.
I have not heard of this visa electron card before. Anyone knows what it is? It seems only 20% of people have it. I googled it and got this link http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=205432
It seems to be given to students to open a basic account. One fellow said Nat West bank gives a card that can be topped up and be used online like a visa electron card.
I was watching Watchdog, on the bbc, and it mentioned a visa electron card that can be used to pay for Ryanair tickets which do not incur their card charges. That is a useful card to have because ryanair charges £4 for each person for each flight if u pay with a credit card. They charge about £2 if u use a debit card so a card which does not incur any charges on ryanair would be just perfect.
Watchdog confronted Ryanair's CEO, O'leary, and told him he should not do this on moral high grounds. O'leary replied he does not have to be on a moral high ground, he wants to be on the lowest cost ground. I can only laugh at his response. he has every right to say it. And any chance he gets to get more money he is welcome to it, after all i dont want Ryanair to go bankrupt.haha. let's not begrudge him that. Anyway as a result of Watchdog, he has taken down the sign saying free fares from his advertisements. Now i notice he gives the final price in his adverts or mentions the tax and airline charges. It is still very cheap and from our recent experiences of the airline, what i like about it is it keeps punctual time. Even arrives early. That to me is a huge plus.
I have not heard of this visa electron card before. Anyone knows what it is? It seems only 20% of people have it. I googled it and got this link http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=205432
It seems to be given to students to open a basic account. One fellow said Nat West bank gives a card that can be topped up and be used online like a visa electron card.
marmite or not
london
I made out a list of things to buy at the supermarket yesterday. On it was marmite, because i wanted something to drink at night which does not contain caffeine and i thought a beef broth might be nice. However, when i left the supermarket i did not buy marmite or bovril. the supermarket has no marmite, but has bovril, but i decided against buying both. I realise they are salty. I thought of buying a horlicks or milo instead, but realise when i read the contents it has lots of suger. So in the end, i decided i shall not bother. I think if i want a night cap, i shall drink decaffeinated coffee instead, or even chinese tea. Well, that saved me a lot of money because i notice that is another thing they all have in common, apart from too much suger or salt. For something that is essentially suger, or salt, they cost a lot.
I made out a list of things to buy at the supermarket yesterday. On it was marmite, because i wanted something to drink at night which does not contain caffeine and i thought a beef broth might be nice. However, when i left the supermarket i did not buy marmite or bovril. the supermarket has no marmite, but has bovril, but i decided against buying both. I realise they are salty. I thought of buying a horlicks or milo instead, but realise when i read the contents it has lots of suger. So in the end, i decided i shall not bother. I think if i want a night cap, i shall drink decaffeinated coffee instead, or even chinese tea. Well, that saved me a lot of money because i notice that is another thing they all have in common, apart from too much suger or salt. For something that is essentially suger, or salt, they cost a lot.
free lunch from independent newspaper
london
It was not advertised but today when i was at the library reading the newspapers I saw the Independent was giving away vouchers for a free baquette and coffee/softdrink from Upper Crust in any railway station or airport. The voucher is in the sports section. They said it will run for the whole week so those living in uk now is ur chance to get a free lunch. i have cut out the voucher and redeemed it at the upper crust stall in Victoria station, and it is bona fide. I got a lovely roast beef baquette and capuccino from it. The bread is lovely and crusty. The beef is too minced up for my liking and not in slices. But I guess I should not be too critical seeing it is free.
The funny thing I was sitting in the seats at victoria concourse, eating it , reading a copy of the free newspaper the metro; and when I chanced to look up, i saw a middle aged couple who were waiting there with their suitcases had bought a baquette and coffee each and eating it too. I think my eating a upper crust baquette has influenced them. So it looks like the promotion is working for the upper crust chain of eateries. I think this offer is to encourage sales of the independent newspapers. It is about now that the newspapers circulation numbers is calculated for advertising revenue purposes. They cannot advertise it and are hoping for word of mouth. i am glad to be able to give them the word of mouth for a free lunch. haha.(Well not exactly free if u have to buy your independent paper. I got my voucher free from the library copy but even if u have to buy one, it is still good value. The paper costs £1, my baquette costs £3.99, the most expensive item, plus price of coffee, at least £1,80 so u do save quite a lot if u r a office worker and dont want to make your own pack lunch.) I dont have to eat out of course, but it is nice to get something for free and saves me having to make lunch for a change. It just goes to show how expensive(£5.80! I can buy 2 whole chicken for that money! that will last me for 8-10meals) it is if u buy ur lunch instead of make it urself.
Incidentally the metro has a competition run by virgin with prices of holidays mauritius, orlando and dubai (u have to chose one) for money saving tips. it ends midnite today. u dont have to get the metro, u can go online to enter http://www.metro.co.uk/gimme
Everyday they have a new competition. I have not won anything from them but it does not cost anything to enter for those of us who are on broadband and get free broadband like i do. haha.They have another competition today for a dell laptop and a makeover from a finance company.
It was not advertised but today when i was at the library reading the newspapers I saw the Independent was giving away vouchers for a free baquette and coffee/softdrink from Upper Crust in any railway station or airport. The voucher is in the sports section. They said it will run for the whole week so those living in uk now is ur chance to get a free lunch. i have cut out the voucher and redeemed it at the upper crust stall in Victoria station, and it is bona fide. I got a lovely roast beef baquette and capuccino from it. The bread is lovely and crusty. The beef is too minced up for my liking and not in slices. But I guess I should not be too critical seeing it is free.
The funny thing I was sitting in the seats at victoria concourse, eating it , reading a copy of the free newspaper the metro; and when I chanced to look up, i saw a middle aged couple who were waiting there with their suitcases had bought a baquette and coffee each and eating it too. I think my eating a upper crust baquette has influenced them. So it looks like the promotion is working for the upper crust chain of eateries. I think this offer is to encourage sales of the independent newspapers. It is about now that the newspapers circulation numbers is calculated for advertising revenue purposes. They cannot advertise it and are hoping for word of mouth. i am glad to be able to give them the word of mouth for a free lunch. haha.(Well not exactly free if u have to buy your independent paper. I got my voucher free from the library copy but even if u have to buy one, it is still good value. The paper costs £1, my baquette costs £3.99, the most expensive item, plus price of coffee, at least £1,80 so u do save quite a lot if u r a office worker and dont want to make your own pack lunch.) I dont have to eat out of course, but it is nice to get something for free and saves me having to make lunch for a change. It just goes to show how expensive(£5.80! I can buy 2 whole chicken for that money! that will last me for 8-10meals) it is if u buy ur lunch instead of make it urself.
Incidentally the metro has a competition run by virgin with prices of holidays mauritius, orlando and dubai (u have to chose one) for money saving tips. it ends midnite today. u dont have to get the metro, u can go online to enter http://www.metro.co.uk/gimme
Everyday they have a new competition. I have not won anything from them but it does not cost anything to enter for those of us who are on broadband and get free broadband like i do. haha.They have another competition today for a dell laptop and a makeover from a finance company.
different pattern of living
london
When i am in my flat in london I find i wake up very early. yet when John and I were staying with Keith in his flat in Torrevieja, Spain, we tend to sleep early and wake up late, from 11pm to 9am. I love it because it is so nice to be able to sleep so long. We have wondered why we were sleeping late, and John said because there was nothing to do and we did not want to make a noise by chatting. (keith in a chance remark on the yacht when he joined us on our Ibiza holiday said that he would not want to be disturbed by us clattering about and making a noise so early in the morning when we stay at his flat).
John and I have been getting up early when we were on board the yacht. So, mindful of not disturbing keith, I have decided to continue sleeping. There was no broadband at his flat so i could not get online and keep busy reading the news online or writing on my blog. John still wakes earlier than me, but not at his usual time when he is in his flat. When we are at our flats, we are both early risers, getting active around 6am.I dont have to worry about waking anyone when i m in my flat, because the sound proofing between the lounge and my bedroom is good, so even if simon is asleep in the bedroom, any radio noises wont wake him. This morning,I can make as much noise as i like because he is at his mum's house. The flat is not sound proof for noise outside. If our neighbours are talking in the courtyard outside, we can hear it. It is one of the strange quirkiness of this flat.
It looks like what prompts us to wake up is when we have things to like to do and not whether we are sleepy or not. I can understand people in a depressive state not wanting to wake up because to them there is nothing they want to wake up for. I wonder whether when we were in spain, i was in something akin to a slightly depressive state. I dont think i was depressive, but the situation was like being in one. There was nothing to do, or read, or because of the need to keep quiet in the morning, even a chance to chat with john. Being a guest in someone else's flat is restrictive. I dont feel that when i m at john's flat, because he lets me do what i like. Though I can see even there my presence is disruptive in that john still have to make the meals etc.
I think on the whole, it is best not to stay too long, about 3days if the friends' place is near, and about 10days if it is in another country. I think very few friends will be able to take another presence for more than 2wks.
I used to think that if ever i m homeless, i can visit friends and stay with them, but i think that is not going to work. No one will like it to have a permanent guest. Nothing like having ur own place where u can do whatever u like at whatever hour.
It is funny how different places and circumstances can change our habits.
When i am in my flat in london I find i wake up very early. yet when John and I were staying with Keith in his flat in Torrevieja, Spain, we tend to sleep early and wake up late, from 11pm to 9am. I love it because it is so nice to be able to sleep so long. We have wondered why we were sleeping late, and John said because there was nothing to do and we did not want to make a noise by chatting. (keith in a chance remark on the yacht when he joined us on our Ibiza holiday said that he would not want to be disturbed by us clattering about and making a noise so early in the morning when we stay at his flat).
John and I have been getting up early when we were on board the yacht. So, mindful of not disturbing keith, I have decided to continue sleeping. There was no broadband at his flat so i could not get online and keep busy reading the news online or writing on my blog. John still wakes earlier than me, but not at his usual time when he is in his flat. When we are at our flats, we are both early risers, getting active around 6am.I dont have to worry about waking anyone when i m in my flat, because the sound proofing between the lounge and my bedroom is good, so even if simon is asleep in the bedroom, any radio noises wont wake him. This morning,I can make as much noise as i like because he is at his mum's house. The flat is not sound proof for noise outside. If our neighbours are talking in the courtyard outside, we can hear it. It is one of the strange quirkiness of this flat.
It looks like what prompts us to wake up is when we have things to like to do and not whether we are sleepy or not. I can understand people in a depressive state not wanting to wake up because to them there is nothing they want to wake up for. I wonder whether when we were in spain, i was in something akin to a slightly depressive state. I dont think i was depressive, but the situation was like being in one. There was nothing to do, or read, or because of the need to keep quiet in the morning, even a chance to chat with john. Being a guest in someone else's flat is restrictive. I dont feel that when i m at john's flat, because he lets me do what i like. Though I can see even there my presence is disruptive in that john still have to make the meals etc.
I think on the whole, it is best not to stay too long, about 3days if the friends' place is near, and about 10days if it is in another country. I think very few friends will be able to take another presence for more than 2wks.
I used to think that if ever i m homeless, i can visit friends and stay with them, but i think that is not going to work. No one will like it to have a permanent guest. Nothing like having ur own place where u can do whatever u like at whatever hour.
It is funny how different places and circumstances can change our habits.
Sunday, 12 October 2008
rooms are smaller in modern flats/houses
london
I have noticed this long ago and this article warns us about it, and gives us a historical perspective reminding us that in the past houses were large and filled with a lot of people making all those who live under that one roof feel like a family irregardless of blood relationship.
We have all known that feeling of crampness when viewing a new built flat or house. I think that is why old style properties are so desireable, inspite of it being more expensive to upkeep, because they are so spacious. Certainly it is true for me. I bought my flat because it was so spacious and full of natural light.
In 1969 the Parker Morris standard was mandatory for council housing and was in force till 1980.
Its rules specified that a four person terrace house should have 74.5 square metres of space; kitchens for one or two people should contain 1.7 cubic metres of enclosed storage space; in one, two and three-bedroom dwellings the WC could be in the bathroom, but in four person houses it should have a separate compartment.
These are very sensible dimensions. Pity they were removed in 1980. I was recently in keith's 2bedroom flat in spain which has only one bathroom cum wc in one room, and it was really difficult sometimes when i wanted to piss and Keith was in there taking a bath or shaving. If it were john in there, i have no qualms about going in to piss, but I am not that familiar with keith to do that. We are all naturists, so it does not matter if someone comes into the bathroom whilst one of us is taking a shower or brushing our teeth.(Interestingly enough we still want our privacy when we shit. Unlike the romans who shit communally, if the rows of shit holes laid side by side in pompeii are any guide. Though i would be careful about extrapolating about roman society using evidence from pompeii which I think is a huge glorified brothel city catering to sex). It would be impossible for an ordinary household of 3or 4people sharing a flat/house with only one bathroom with wc.
I am glad my flat has separate wc. It was built in 1898, and according to my neighbour in the flat below, it was originally two flats with no bathrooms. Difficult to see what the original layout was like. People use an outside communal wc in those long ago days and have bath nights once a week with a tin bath in the kitchen.
It is a bit inconvenient to have a separate wc as u have to get out and go into the bathroom or kitchen(if the bathroom is being used) to wash ur hands, but it is worth this inconvenience.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7663488.stm
I have noticed this long ago and this article warns us about it, and gives us a historical perspective reminding us that in the past houses were large and filled with a lot of people making all those who live under that one roof feel like a family irregardless of blood relationship.
We have all known that feeling of crampness when viewing a new built flat or house. I think that is why old style properties are so desireable, inspite of it being more expensive to upkeep, because they are so spacious. Certainly it is true for me. I bought my flat because it was so spacious and full of natural light.
In 1969 the Parker Morris standard was mandatory for council housing and was in force till 1980.
Its rules specified that a four person terrace house should have 74.5 square metres of space; kitchens for one or two people should contain 1.7 cubic metres of enclosed storage space; in one, two and three-bedroom dwellings the WC could be in the bathroom, but in four person houses it should have a separate compartment.
These are very sensible dimensions. Pity they were removed in 1980. I was recently in keith's 2bedroom flat in spain which has only one bathroom cum wc in one room, and it was really difficult sometimes when i wanted to piss and Keith was in there taking a bath or shaving. If it were john in there, i have no qualms about going in to piss, but I am not that familiar with keith to do that. We are all naturists, so it does not matter if someone comes into the bathroom whilst one of us is taking a shower or brushing our teeth.(Interestingly enough we still want our privacy when we shit. Unlike the romans who shit communally, if the rows of shit holes laid side by side in pompeii are any guide. Though i would be careful about extrapolating about roman society using evidence from pompeii which I think is a huge glorified brothel city catering to sex). It would be impossible for an ordinary household of 3or 4people sharing a flat/house with only one bathroom with wc.
I am glad my flat has separate wc. It was built in 1898, and according to my neighbour in the flat below, it was originally two flats with no bathrooms. Difficult to see what the original layout was like. People use an outside communal wc in those long ago days and have bath nights once a week with a tin bath in the kitchen.
It is a bit inconvenient to have a separate wc as u have to get out and go into the bathroom or kitchen(if the bathroom is being used) to wash ur hands, but it is worth this inconvenience.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7663488.stm
Saturday, 11 October 2008
There are many ways of seeing
london
Take this stockmarket crash for eg. It will be a big crash akin to the 1987 crash. You can see it as a disaster or a huge opportunity to acquire cheap property and shares when it has settled down. So far, in my lifetime, i have lived through 3 crashes. One in 1975, which i dont even realise it was happening at the time. Then the 1987 crash, which enabled me to buy my flat cheap. That was a blessing for me. haha. Throughout those 2 crashes, I have not found it affected my lifestyle, and I am sure this one wont affect my lifestyle either. Now we are seeing another crash in 2008. This one is long overdue, if u follow the conventional wisdom that crashes come every 12yrs. (Though if you combine the tech crash of 2000 and the 2001 crash following the 9/11 twin towers which were so shallow most people did not realise it has happened; and consider them, the pattern would be unbroken and this crash can be said to be too early).
I think it is a big mistake by governments to throw tax payers money at it. Margaret Thatcher said 'u cannot buck the market' and it is as true now as then. Govts think they have learnt how to avoid crashes by studying past crashes , especially the one in 1929. By reducing interest rates everytime a crash seems imminent, as Alan Greenspan has done they have made things worst. I think there is no way of stopping crashes, nor is it desirable to stop them. They are a escape valve and like earthquakes, the more often they occur, the better as the effects are not so bad. This one has been 20yrs in the making, and i think its effects will be very bad and longer lasting. Govts should let the market settle down to its own level and then deal with the aftermath by throwing tax payers money into public works. And others with some money will also be doing that, taking advantage of cheap labour, and cheap raw materials. That will keep people employed. The hoover dam, the empire state building as well as a host of other large projects were all built during the depression that followed the crash of 1929. I am sure govts can think of huge public funded projects that will benefit everyone when it is built, and provide jobs whilst it is being built. Or buy flats cheap from the distressed builders and use them as public housing. As it is,I allready hear just today the news the G7 countries are going to buy bank shares using taxpayers money to part nationalise them. They will be throwing good money after bad, because those banks who go to the govt for money will by that fact, be bad banks. They should be allowed to go bankrupt. That should wipe out the bad debt at a stroke and the quicker it becomes clear that those that survive will be good banks and restore the investors confidence. It has been pointed out that the banks are failing before a recession. Usually the recession comes first. All because they have caused a boom by leverage. When it goes wrong, the very mechanism that generated so much wealth by leverage, will turn round and work the other way, generating large debts.
The ones who will suffer will be those with money in the stock market. Poor people will not be affected. Anyone who has debt will suffer. I cannot say i m sympathetic to those people. We prudent people have seen their excesses, and have felt like fools to remain careful with money, whilst seeing everyone borrowing, and getting rich as a result. well, now we can see we are wise not to follow the crowd and live beyond our means.
So what if rich people lose money. They have got rich without any effort from a rising market, so it is easy money... easy come easy go. And they wont be penniless having become mere millionaires, instead of billionaires. No sympathies for them!!
This applies all the way down the line. The owner of a house that has gone up 4times in value will still have a house that is 2xvalue. Still a profit. For those who jumped into the market late, well then, they lost but then they have only paid 2yrs premiums of their mortgage and so only lost that amount, and can let it go and let the banks repossess it.
This article says it is a good thing for a recession to come now and then. I agree with her.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4916300.ece
Here is another example of the different ways we can see things.
This morning there was a post in the Overheard in new york website. About a conversation with a cook and a customer.
The customer asked for an egg omelette.
The cook thought he was being stupid, as what other omelettes are there if not egg? he said sarcastically 'Thank god you mentioned eggs. I was about to give you an omelet solely made from butter!
But if u look at it at the customer's point of view, he might be trying to say a plain omelette, without ham, or tomato or other extras. The cook did not realise there are many other ways of seeing things and not just his way and other people might have a reason for saying what they said, and not being stupid.
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/016500.html
I have noticed the £ has dropped a lot. I am glad I have no plans to travel abroad. I like my home comforts. However, a low £ means it will be cheaper for tourists who come to UK. Whether they can afford it is another matter, as even the rich must feel poor now that their stock market investments have lost so much value.
Added 14.10.09
Roosevelt's New Deal created 122,000 public buildings, 77,000 bridges, 664,000 miles of road and 285 airports, as well as jobs for 8.5 million people. Like the German autobahns - built at roughly the same time
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/10/14/do1401.xml
I am beginning to realise that the system relies on debt to function. We have to live with this system, and so the govt have to prop it up even to nationalising some failing banks as Gordon Brown did and it looks like it has revived the stockmarket. I dont think we can get out of this debt based system. We are in it too deep. So booms and bust will be the only way to release the pressure as it builds up.
Take this stockmarket crash for eg. It will be a big crash akin to the 1987 crash. You can see it as a disaster or a huge opportunity to acquire cheap property and shares when it has settled down. So far, in my lifetime, i have lived through 3 crashes. One in 1975, which i dont even realise it was happening at the time. Then the 1987 crash, which enabled me to buy my flat cheap. That was a blessing for me. haha. Throughout those 2 crashes, I have not found it affected my lifestyle, and I am sure this one wont affect my lifestyle either. Now we are seeing another crash in 2008. This one is long overdue, if u follow the conventional wisdom that crashes come every 12yrs. (Though if you combine the tech crash of 2000 and the 2001 crash following the 9/11 twin towers which were so shallow most people did not realise it has happened; and consider them, the pattern would be unbroken and this crash can be said to be too early).
I think it is a big mistake by governments to throw tax payers money at it. Margaret Thatcher said 'u cannot buck the market' and it is as true now as then. Govts think they have learnt how to avoid crashes by studying past crashes , especially the one in 1929. By reducing interest rates everytime a crash seems imminent, as Alan Greenspan has done they have made things worst. I think there is no way of stopping crashes, nor is it desirable to stop them. They are a escape valve and like earthquakes, the more often they occur, the better as the effects are not so bad. This one has been 20yrs in the making, and i think its effects will be very bad and longer lasting. Govts should let the market settle down to its own level and then deal with the aftermath by throwing tax payers money into public works. And others with some money will also be doing that, taking advantage of cheap labour, and cheap raw materials. That will keep people employed. The hoover dam, the empire state building as well as a host of other large projects were all built during the depression that followed the crash of 1929. I am sure govts can think of huge public funded projects that will benefit everyone when it is built, and provide jobs whilst it is being built. Or buy flats cheap from the distressed builders and use them as public housing. As it is,I allready hear just today the news the G7 countries are going to buy bank shares using taxpayers money to part nationalise them. They will be throwing good money after bad, because those banks who go to the govt for money will by that fact, be bad banks. They should be allowed to go bankrupt. That should wipe out the bad debt at a stroke and the quicker it becomes clear that those that survive will be good banks and restore the investors confidence. It has been pointed out that the banks are failing before a recession. Usually the recession comes first. All because they have caused a boom by leverage. When it goes wrong, the very mechanism that generated so much wealth by leverage, will turn round and work the other way, generating large debts.
The ones who will suffer will be those with money in the stock market. Poor people will not be affected. Anyone who has debt will suffer. I cannot say i m sympathetic to those people. We prudent people have seen their excesses, and have felt like fools to remain careful with money, whilst seeing everyone borrowing, and getting rich as a result. well, now we can see we are wise not to follow the crowd and live beyond our means.
So what if rich people lose money. They have got rich without any effort from a rising market, so it is easy money... easy come easy go. And they wont be penniless having become mere millionaires, instead of billionaires. No sympathies for them!!
This applies all the way down the line. The owner of a house that has gone up 4times in value will still have a house that is 2xvalue. Still a profit. For those who jumped into the market late, well then, they lost but then they have only paid 2yrs premiums of their mortgage and so only lost that amount, and can let it go and let the banks repossess it.
This article says it is a good thing for a recession to come now and then. I agree with her.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article4916300.ece
Here is another example of the different ways we can see things.
This morning there was a post in the Overheard in new york website. About a conversation with a cook and a customer.
The customer asked for an egg omelette.
The cook thought he was being stupid, as what other omelettes are there if not egg? he said sarcastically 'Thank god you mentioned eggs. I was about to give you an omelet solely made from butter!
But if u look at it at the customer's point of view, he might be trying to say a plain omelette, without ham, or tomato or other extras. The cook did not realise there are many other ways of seeing things and not just his way and other people might have a reason for saying what they said, and not being stupid.
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/archives/016500.html
I have noticed the £ has dropped a lot. I am glad I have no plans to travel abroad. I like my home comforts. However, a low £ means it will be cheaper for tourists who come to UK. Whether they can afford it is another matter, as even the rich must feel poor now that their stock market investments have lost so much value.
Added 14.10.09
Roosevelt's New Deal created 122,000 public buildings, 77,000 bridges, 664,000 miles of road and 285 airports, as well as jobs for 8.5 million people. Like the German autobahns - built at roughly the same time
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/10/14/do1401.xml
I am beginning to realise that the system relies on debt to function. We have to live with this system, and so the govt have to prop it up even to nationalising some failing banks as Gordon Brown did and it looks like it has revived the stockmarket. I dont think we can get out of this debt based system. We are in it too deep. So booms and bust will be the only way to release the pressure as it builds up.
Friday, 10 October 2008
free coffee courtesy of the guardian newspaper
london
I was watching 'it pays to watch' on channel 5 tv wednesday. It is presented by martin lewis, who runs the http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/?=200608/
and he mentioned that the guardian is giving away a voucher for free coffee on friday, which is today. So i got the voucher and went to starbucks to get a cafe latte and enjoyed their free copy of the Times in the easy chair. It was rather pleasant. That is what i like about living in london. And able to get access to newspapers in the library and get offers like this. This voucher is not available online. Also, there is more news in the newspapers than in the online pages. Those living in uk who are thinking of migrating to other countries should be aware that they wont be able to access the english papers as cheaply and as comprehensively(there wont be the local offers) when they are abroad. I was in spain, and john bought the telegraph and the sunday times. The papers dont look like the ones in UK as they were printed in madrid. There was also no colour magazine on glossy paper with the sunday times. And both newspapers costs 3x the cost in london.
What is not well known is that those abroad wont be able to see BBCtv and ITV programs. I have often complained about how awful tv programs are in uk, but believe me when u have lived abroad and seen what other countries' tv put out, the British tv is like paradise. People who migrate will say they have no wish to read about the home country when they have moved away to get away from it. But believe me, u will find u miss the english newspapers and bbc tv. I did and i have only been away for 2wks in spain. haha. Reading the news online is not the same. All the online newspapers do not publish the comprehensive news on their online websites. Funnily enough, when i am in malaysia, i do not crave british news. Maybe because malaysia is my home country and there are lots of things to do and lots of interactions with the locals. Perhaps those who migrate to a english speaking country would not feel the culture clash so much but Spain to me is an alien country with customs and language that I am not familiar with and difficult to get used to and because of that it is difficult to interact with the locals.
I was watching 'it pays to watch' on channel 5 tv wednesday. It is presented by martin lewis, who runs the http://blog.moneysavingexpert.com/?=200608/
and he mentioned that the guardian is giving away a voucher for free coffee on friday, which is today. So i got the voucher and went to starbucks to get a cafe latte and enjoyed their free copy of the Times in the easy chair. It was rather pleasant. That is what i like about living in london. And able to get access to newspapers in the library and get offers like this. This voucher is not available online. Also, there is more news in the newspapers than in the online pages. Those living in uk who are thinking of migrating to other countries should be aware that they wont be able to access the english papers as cheaply and as comprehensively(there wont be the local offers) when they are abroad. I was in spain, and john bought the telegraph and the sunday times. The papers dont look like the ones in UK as they were printed in madrid. There was also no colour magazine on glossy paper with the sunday times. And both newspapers costs 3x the cost in london.
What is not well known is that those abroad wont be able to see BBCtv and ITV programs. I have often complained about how awful tv programs are in uk, but believe me when u have lived abroad and seen what other countries' tv put out, the British tv is like paradise. People who migrate will say they have no wish to read about the home country when they have moved away to get away from it. But believe me, u will find u miss the english newspapers and bbc tv. I did and i have only been away for 2wks in spain. haha. Reading the news online is not the same. All the online newspapers do not publish the comprehensive news on their online websites. Funnily enough, when i am in malaysia, i do not crave british news. Maybe because malaysia is my home country and there are lots of things to do and lots of interactions with the locals. Perhaps those who migrate to a english speaking country would not feel the culture clash so much but Spain to me is an alien country with customs and language that I am not familiar with and difficult to get used to and because of that it is difficult to interact with the locals.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
is it possible to live this winter without switching on the heating?
london
I have wondered whether it can be done, and this guy, damian whitworth, in the Times, is writing about his attempt to do so. He writes that his home is cold now, and it is only early october. My flat is still not cold even now. So i think it will be easier for me to carry out this than him. I shall see how long i can go before we have to switch on the heat. Maybe we can have a competition to see who is the last person to switch on their heater this winter. haha.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/relationships/article4907178.ece?Submitted=true
added 23.11.08 I read in his column a few days ago that he had to terminate the experiment and switch on his heating. He got a broken pipe and the house got flooded so that he had to put the heating on full blast to dry it out. Hmm, looks like if u live in a house, u can suffer from burst pipes if u dont keep the house warm. Living in a flat u dont get that problem I think. I am still not switching on my heating, though simon comes back from Thailand tomorrow, and it wont be possible to keep the heating off.
Added 25.11.08
Today, I switched on the gas hot air heating at 5.15pm. it's only 4C outside, but when the sun goes down the flat always gets very chilly.
I have wondered whether it can be done, and this guy, damian whitworth, in the Times, is writing about his attempt to do so. He writes that his home is cold now, and it is only early october. My flat is still not cold even now. So i think it will be easier for me to carry out this than him. I shall see how long i can go before we have to switch on the heat. Maybe we can have a competition to see who is the last person to switch on their heater this winter. haha.
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/relationships/article4907178.ece?Submitted=true
added 23.11.08 I read in his column a few days ago that he had to terminate the experiment and switch on his heating. He got a broken pipe and the house got flooded so that he had to put the heating on full blast to dry it out. Hmm, looks like if u live in a house, u can suffer from burst pipes if u dont keep the house warm. Living in a flat u dont get that problem I think. I am still not switching on my heating, though simon comes back from Thailand tomorrow, and it wont be possible to keep the heating off.
Added 25.11.08
Today, I switched on the gas hot air heating at 5.15pm. it's only 4C outside, but when the sun goes down the flat always gets very chilly.
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