london
Just for the record, so i can remember when i started doing it.
its quite strenous, which is quite surprising, it left me breathless and almost fainting. and i only use number 9 on the scale of my cycling bike in the gym. i have a feeling i will improve as i go along, because stamina is something u can build up so that the first time feels like murder but later as u get stronger, and attain better stamina, you will find it easier.
I noticed my pulse rate shot up in the 3 increments to 144 beats per sec. usually it takes about 4mins or so to build up to 130 beats per sec, which is the range where calories get burned. i forgot to note how hard i cycled. the usual mark is 80... but of course if u are cycling as hard as you can it can be anywhere. i shall have to note what i attained and whether over time i can exceed it. it will be a measure of how much better i am getting.
i would rather i monitor myself this way than all the blood samples that the presenter had to do in that tv program.
after that i was too tired to do anything else except go lie on the mat wanting to do stretch and yoga moves, but in the end just lie there recovering.
so those of you who pooh poohed the idea, u will be surprised how much it takes out of you.
that is why i think it will work.
I saw a blog talking about how some gyms will force members to sign a 12month contract, or even longer and asking if that is good, because so many people just dont carry on attending after a first few months.
if this way of exercising catches on, short sharp high intensity training, than are gyms doomed? What is the point of having a gym membership? or do we still need to attend the gym to use the cycling machines. theoretically we can get a bike and cycle outdoors but it is too dangerous to cycle really fast outside. unless u can get access to a racing stadium.
so maybe we will still need to attend a gym. but i was thinking gyms might make themselves to be more socially friendly places with lounges offering free coffee/tea, to allow members an incentive to stay behind after their workout so that they can socialise.
Providing magazines and newspapers might be a good idea too, though in my experience, having newspapers makes me very unsociallable, as i want to read them and not want to be interrupted; and i am reluctant to engage others in conversation if i see them engrossed in a newspaper.
but i was wondering if gyms are finding it hard to retain their members, maybe making it a place to socialise might attract more people to join. what do you think about that suggestion?
I remember long ago, i used to belong to a YMCA gym, and they have a coffee bar overlooking the swimming pool. this is the holborn branch. some of u might remember it, and i enjoy hanging around after my workout because invariably others will congregate there and we can chat. or arrange to meet friends there. In those days, there were few starbucks or cafe nero so not many places to go.
it was a great cruising place. That time in the 80s, 90s. That YMCA was a very gay place. the YMCA fitness centre is still there but the accommodation which used to be a YMCA hostel is now the st giles hotel.
Added. 10.3.12 found out from someone who wrote into the letters column of the FT that it is called the central ymca, and peak membership for the gym is £54 a month, offpeak £44 a month. £30 joining fee. not sure if it also allows u to use the swimming pool. compare it with my £26.50 a month.
but i was thinking the format could be adapted by gyms to encourage socialising amongst its members.
My fitness first gym has free coffee/tea for years, and it does not seem to encourage socialising so maybe it does not work in the straight world. Now they are getting rid of the free refreshments and newspapers and the free hire of dvd films.
it will be interesting to see what they have to take its place. maybe more free exercise classes, yoga classes, etc?? though if this exercise regime i have taken up is successful there is no need to go to these classes.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
a new way of exercising
london
There will be a tv program on tonight about this new way of exercising to improve insulin sensitivity and aerobic fitness.
Coming right after one of us in the family developing diabetes and renal failure it seems quite timely.
basically do intense cycling for 20secs, rest a minute or two, repeat 3 times , do it 3times a week for 4wks.
I shall do it and see.
sounds easy to do and does not take up much time.
link here to the article
you can see it online here
Added. 10.11pm. i saw the program and it is v interesting.
it confirms walking is good, that i know allready from my own observation. and i know how long to walk, about 90mins.
but keeping active and moving all day is something i did not realise was that important.
the chair is a killer... they said.
the doctor found that he did not get any gains from aerobic fitness because of his genes.Though his insulin sensitivity increased.
I have a feeling that if he breathes hard and more often and take exercises in breathing deep and long, he will improve his aerobic fitness.
I am glad the bus fares went up. Before that the tube fares went up which got me to take the bus instead and when the bus fares went up i began to walk instead, and to cycle.
I think tai chi and yoga are good to keep balance by exercising the muscles round joints. To be able to maintain balance is important. It stops you from falling and what is even better, from banging into things.
Added. 3.3.12 moving about seems to be the secret. people who take more than 10,000 steps, equivalent to walking 5miles a day stop the blood suger spiking after meals.
article in the new york times.
There will be a tv program on tonight about this new way of exercising to improve insulin sensitivity and aerobic fitness.
Coming right after one of us in the family developing diabetes and renal failure it seems quite timely.
basically do intense cycling for 20secs, rest a minute or two, repeat 3 times , do it 3times a week for 4wks.
I shall do it and see.
sounds easy to do and does not take up much time.
link here to the article
you can see it online here
Added. 10.11pm. i saw the program and it is v interesting.
it confirms walking is good, that i know allready from my own observation. and i know how long to walk, about 90mins.
but keeping active and moving all day is something i did not realise was that important.
the chair is a killer... they said.
the doctor found that he did not get any gains from aerobic fitness because of his genes.Though his insulin sensitivity increased.
I have a feeling that if he breathes hard and more often and take exercises in breathing deep and long, he will improve his aerobic fitness.
I am glad the bus fares went up. Before that the tube fares went up which got me to take the bus instead and when the bus fares went up i began to walk instead, and to cycle.
I think tai chi and yoga are good to keep balance by exercising the muscles round joints. To be able to maintain balance is important. It stops you from falling and what is even better, from banging into things.
Added. 3.3.12 moving about seems to be the secret. people who take more than 10,000 steps, equivalent to walking 5miles a day stop the blood suger spiking after meals.
article in the new york times.
Monday, 27 February 2012
austerity, or sparmassnahmen?
london
Something i read today in the FT in the letters page made me think.
it is headed 'why germans seem unmoved by austerity' and ask why there is this difference between the way the
british press talk about the pain imposed on the greeks by the austerity forced on them, whilst the german press do not see it that way.
he said it is because of the different words used to describe the process. the word 'austerity' is derived from the greek word 'austeros' meaning harsh or severe. whilst the germans use Sparmassnahmen, or sparprogramme meaning saving measures or saving programme.
so to the british austerity carries with it a lot of negative emotions. And when coupled with saving makes british people think it is all a sacrifice and deprivation of the good things in life.
Whilst saying it is a savings program makes u look to a future when u are free from debt and free from shackles of having to be forced to carry on working in a place u dont like just because u cannot leave. The money u sat aside is what i call 'fuck off' money.
I think i am of the german way of thinking. i dont think of saving as being deprivation. i do without now not as a sacrifice , or even depriving myself, (because so many things that i think i want is put into my head by advertising; i find i dont really need those things) for a future where i am truly free with money in the bank which i consider my 'fuck off' money... it enables me to say fuck off to anything that i dont like and let me walk away from it or be able to turn down the offer. be it a job, or whatever...
fuck off money is the most liberating of all the ways of living a life.
Something i read today in the FT in the letters page made me think.
it is headed 'why germans seem unmoved by austerity' and ask why there is this difference between the way the
british press talk about the pain imposed on the greeks by the austerity forced on them, whilst the german press do not see it that way.
he said it is because of the different words used to describe the process. the word 'austerity' is derived from the greek word 'austeros' meaning harsh or severe. whilst the germans use Sparmassnahmen, or sparprogramme meaning saving measures or saving programme.
so to the british austerity carries with it a lot of negative emotions. And when coupled with saving makes british people think it is all a sacrifice and deprivation of the good things in life.
Whilst saying it is a savings program makes u look to a future when u are free from debt and free from shackles of having to be forced to carry on working in a place u dont like just because u cannot leave. The money u sat aside is what i call 'fuck off' money.
I think i am of the german way of thinking. i dont think of saving as being deprivation. i do without now not as a sacrifice , or even depriving myself, (because so many things that i think i want is put into my head by advertising; i find i dont really need those things) for a future where i am truly free with money in the bank which i consider my 'fuck off' money... it enables me to say fuck off to anything that i dont like and let me walk away from it or be able to turn down the offer. be it a job, or whatever...
fuck off money is the most liberating of all the ways of living a life.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
london
I was at the gym earlier today , not my usual branch but the weekend one, and saw two notices, saying they are stopping the free coffee and tea and going to provide coffee and tea vending machines. and they are going to stop the newspapers.
So finally the axe has fallen on those two free services.
rather sad for me, but i read recently that the company is having trouble financially. The usual story, a private equity fund bought it in 2006, paid over the odds , loaded the company with debt, so that even when it made a profit of £50million, it could not service the £100million of debt repayments.
Added 29.2.12. not sure what their problem is but today i read that they have a £18million interest payment . surely they could pay that out of their profit of £50million... i was puzzled but it seems they have £550million of debt, link here
This was also what happened to travellodge, the budget hotel chain which recently have to sell debt for equity. they are the chain that have a special offer of £10 per night , though in london the cheapest offer was £22 a night, and only for one night so if u want two nights u have to pay the normal rate for the next night. recently i have been seeing adverts from them offering £39 a night.
Added. 18.3.12 found out travelodge actually had a £100million a year debt repayment . here is the link
This fitness first branch is not my normal branch. my normal branch has given notice that the daily mail will be stopped but the FT remains. and no mention of removing the free coffee and tea so maybe my branch will still keep them. i know each branch has its own budget.
Added 27.2.12 too bad, i went to my regular gym today and saw the notice up there as well.
we shall see.
if they remove it entirely i shall move to a more basic gym or maybe not. There is one in vauxhall for about £16 a month.(correction: it is now £19.99 a month) but there is no sauna. i might even give up on the gym and go walking or cycling instead. because really walking is all u need in terms of exercise. and join a yoga, or tai chi class. you can do yoga and tai chi at home .
I go to the gym like it was a club. it is nice to have somewhere to go daily, another place to go instead of the library, gets me out of the flat. but without the newspapers, and coffee/tea is it worth £310 a year?
Changes will come. like my being forced to switch to google chrome . i find i like it so not all changes are bad.
The gym has this shortlist magazine provided free. i like it. there is a funny article by danny wallace in a lesson on how to order in a restaurant . he has a nice style in humour.
Added. 6.3.12 found out that the link is not to that article he wrote about the eating out, but to the latest one he wrote. So i am keeping the magazine, just to keep his articles. i daresay he will bring out a book compilation of all his articles as they are really gems of humour.
to read older articles by him go to the archive in the website.
The magazine is easier to read than its website... u have to hunt for the articles in the website and a lot of past issues crowd the page.
another article in this week's magazine talked of the digital future when we will be even more wired.but i think it will only affect some... ie some more wired than others. for eg, it says 50% have smartphones. well i dont have haha. and dont feel the lack.
There are competitions to enter too. this week there is a free holiday to thailand.
Talking of thailand, simon went yesterday to phuket for 2wks. he has a month's holiday, which he has to take or he will lose them.
Added 1.3.12 i got a reply from the fitness first organisation to my email.
Having investigated the possible refreshment options, we are introducing vending machines across all of theUK
Well, i did not expect them to change and reinstate things. i guess it does not matter. i was chatting to the trainers in the gym and asked them when the change will take place. the receptionist said it will be in april . i said will they keep the hot water ? one of the trainers said they are hoping to persuade management to keep the machine that provides the hot water.
i guess most of the coffee and tea is drunk by the trainers and people like me. i dont know how much of it is drunk by the members though today i did see some women drinking it, but not sure if they are trainers or members. coffee is rather expensive and they must use up quite a lot of it, not to mention providing suger and milk. it will be a significant saving i think.
i am hoping they keep the hot water machine. at least then we can bring our own coffee or tea. i dont use suger or milk so it would be no trouble for me. i hear the trainers saying does it mean they will have to provide their own milk and suger then.
come to think of it, even if they dont retain the hot water, i can still bring along a thermos of tea... so i guess it is not crucial.
so many things in life is not really necessary. dont you find this so?
I was at the gym earlier today , not my usual branch but the weekend one, and saw two notices, saying they are stopping the free coffee and tea and going to provide coffee and tea vending machines. and they are going to stop the newspapers.
So finally the axe has fallen on those two free services.
rather sad for me, but i read recently that the company is having trouble financially. The usual story, a private equity fund bought it in 2006, paid over the odds , loaded the company with debt, so that even when it made a profit of £50million, it could not service the £100million of debt repayments.
Added 29.2.12. not sure what their problem is but today i read that they have a £18million interest payment . surely they could pay that out of their profit of £50million... i was puzzled but it seems they have £550million of debt, link here
This was also what happened to travellodge, the budget hotel chain which recently have to sell debt for equity. they are the chain that have a special offer of £10 per night , though in london the cheapest offer was £22 a night, and only for one night so if u want two nights u have to pay the normal rate for the next night. recently i have been seeing adverts from them offering £39 a night.
Added. 18.3.12 found out travelodge actually had a £100million a year debt repayment . here is the link
This fitness first branch is not my normal branch. my normal branch has given notice that the daily mail will be stopped but the FT remains. and no mention of removing the free coffee and tea so maybe my branch will still keep them. i know each branch has its own budget.
Added 27.2.12 too bad, i went to my regular gym today and saw the notice up there as well.
we shall see.
if they remove it entirely i shall move to a more basic gym or maybe not. There is one in vauxhall for about £16 a month.(correction: it is now £19.99 a month) but there is no sauna. i might even give up on the gym and go walking or cycling instead. because really walking is all u need in terms of exercise. and join a yoga, or tai chi class. you can do yoga and tai chi at home .
I go to the gym like it was a club. it is nice to have somewhere to go daily, another place to go instead of the library, gets me out of the flat. but without the newspapers, and coffee/tea is it worth £310 a year?
Changes will come. like my being forced to switch to google chrome . i find i like it so not all changes are bad.
The gym has this shortlist magazine provided free. i like it. there is a funny article by danny wallace in a lesson on how to order in a restaurant . he has a nice style in humour.
Added. 6.3.12 found out that the link is not to that article he wrote about the eating out, but to the latest one he wrote. So i am keeping the magazine, just to keep his articles. i daresay he will bring out a book compilation of all his articles as they are really gems of humour.
to read older articles by him go to the archive in the website.
The magazine is easier to read than its website... u have to hunt for the articles in the website and a lot of past issues crowd the page.
another article in this week's magazine talked of the digital future when we will be even more wired.but i think it will only affect some... ie some more wired than others. for eg, it says 50% have smartphones. well i dont have haha. and dont feel the lack.
There are competitions to enter too. this week there is a free holiday to thailand.
Talking of thailand, simon went yesterday to phuket for 2wks. he has a month's holiday, which he has to take or he will lose them.
Added 1.3.12 i got a reply from the fitness first organisation to my email.
Having investigated the possible refreshment options, we are introducing vending machines across all of the
Well, i did not expect them to change and reinstate things. i guess it does not matter. i was chatting to the trainers in the gym and asked them when the change will take place. the receptionist said it will be in april . i said will they keep the hot water ? one of the trainers said they are hoping to persuade management to keep the machine that provides the hot water.
i guess most of the coffee and tea is drunk by the trainers and people like me. i dont know how much of it is drunk by the members though today i did see some women drinking it, but not sure if they are trainers or members. coffee is rather expensive and they must use up quite a lot of it, not to mention providing suger and milk. it will be a significant saving i think.
i am hoping they keep the hot water machine. at least then we can bring our own coffee or tea. i dont use suger or milk so it would be no trouble for me. i hear the trainers saying does it mean they will have to provide their own milk and suger then.
come to think of it, even if they dont retain the hot water, i can still bring along a thermos of tea... so i guess it is not crucial.
so many things in life is not really necessary. dont you find this so?
Thursday, 23 February 2012
tickets
london
the big hoohaa over the sale of the olympic tickets goes on. and have highlighted the secondary market for other tickets.
a lot of people will complain even louder than they are doing now about the sale of olympic tickets if it followed the usual way of selling concert tickets . The lottery style way of selling the olympic tickets prevents the ticket touts from selling it on. That is something those critics of the sale method should bear in mind when they accuse of olympics of being unfair.
I am seeing a panaroma tv program about how the concert tickets have been usurped by ticket touts who sell it on for triple the price in secondary ticket websites like viagogo.
i suppose in some ways it is the free market operating in classic fashion... supply and demand.
I dont personally feel it is unfair. we live in a capitalist society which says u can make money by being the middle man and mark up the prices. it happens in all other branches of commerce, so why not concert tickets or exhibition tickets, it seems the recent leonardo exhibition was a victim of this ticket touts markup.
any place where the supply is limited, will have this touting situation.
the thing that people might object to is that the money goes to the ticket touts.(the other thing of course is the inflated prices) and their buying so many tickets makes less available for sale direct to the fans. and also the money dont end up with the bands, or producers of the concert or event.
We could all not go and see the concert etc. that would kill the scam straight away with lots of unsold tickets. but that wont happen of course as people will not boycott the event.
people feel that they should not be the ones to make the sacrifice, but clamour for the touts to be stopped.
Now u can realise how effective the olympics allocation of seats are ... even though it looks messy and some people dont get any tickets at all. it is fairest way , i dont think u can get a perfect system and this way seems as close as u can hope.
i have a sneaky feeling that even the olympics ticket allocation is corrupted. it seems a lot of the most sought after tickets are allready allocated to officials, big shots, etc.
my advise is dont bother to go there, but watch it on tv, or one of the free big screens they will put up in parks all over london. dont go to the olympic park to watch the big screens outside the stadium, they will charge u for it.
In the end, pay up and how much you pay depands on how much u want to see or do it or how much u can afford. in this case, money talks.
I just had a thought. isn't the speculators buying forward trades in commodity or oil doing the same thing? except they are dealing in things that we all buy, pushing up prices which affects us all.
Added 26.2.12 Perhaps all this means is that human beings are very clever at finding ways to make money out of any situation.
this link gives viagogo response to the tv program.
the big hoohaa over the sale of the olympic tickets goes on. and have highlighted the secondary market for other tickets.
a lot of people will complain even louder than they are doing now about the sale of olympic tickets if it followed the usual way of selling concert tickets . The lottery style way of selling the olympic tickets prevents the ticket touts from selling it on. That is something those critics of the sale method should bear in mind when they accuse of olympics of being unfair.
I am seeing a panaroma tv program about how the concert tickets have been usurped by ticket touts who sell it on for triple the price in secondary ticket websites like viagogo.
i suppose in some ways it is the free market operating in classic fashion... supply and demand.
I dont personally feel it is unfair. we live in a capitalist society which says u can make money by being the middle man and mark up the prices. it happens in all other branches of commerce, so why not concert tickets or exhibition tickets, it seems the recent leonardo exhibition was a victim of this ticket touts markup.
any place where the supply is limited, will have this touting situation.
the thing that people might object to is that the money goes to the ticket touts.(the other thing of course is the inflated prices) and their buying so many tickets makes less available for sale direct to the fans. and also the money dont end up with the bands, or producers of the concert or event.
We could all not go and see the concert etc. that would kill the scam straight away with lots of unsold tickets. but that wont happen of course as people will not boycott the event.
people feel that they should not be the ones to make the sacrifice, but clamour for the touts to be stopped.
Now u can realise how effective the olympics allocation of seats are ... even though it looks messy and some people dont get any tickets at all. it is fairest way , i dont think u can get a perfect system and this way seems as close as u can hope.
i have a sneaky feeling that even the olympics ticket allocation is corrupted. it seems a lot of the most sought after tickets are allready allocated to officials, big shots, etc.
my advise is dont bother to go there, but watch it on tv, or one of the free big screens they will put up in parks all over london. dont go to the olympic park to watch the big screens outside the stadium, they will charge u for it.
In the end, pay up and how much you pay depands on how much u want to see or do it or how much u can afford. in this case, money talks.
I just had a thought. isn't the speculators buying forward trades in commodity or oil doing the same thing? except they are dealing in things that we all buy, pushing up prices which affects us all.
Added 26.2.12 Perhaps all this means is that human beings are very clever at finding ways to make money out of any situation.
this link gives viagogo response to the tv program.
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
lots to write about but not really worth posting
london
I guess finally google has forced me to download google chrome.
it all began when i could not write a post on my blog. it took ages to download and the little logo which whirls round and round just kept on going.
so in desperation, i clicked on their 'try the new blogger template' or words to that effect, which i forgot what the exact wordings were.
Well, i have clicked on it before and it just destroyed everything i was familiar with and i got so shit scared, there was a button which said u can go back to what it was before, and i hit it immediately.
but now there was no button to say i can go back.
so what to do?
i cannot go back so i had to accept a fait accompli on their part. They have won. they have forced me to take google chrome.
so i did and here i am using it.
I daresay it is quicker than windows. ah well, that is life isn't it? u get something for free (and i am talking of blogger) and get so used to it and like doing it, then they sweep the carpet from you and faced with losing everything, u capitulate.
but i guess maybe sometimes u have to be forced to do something for your own good... haha. who knows right?
google chrome may well turn out to be better than windows.
my title for this post was the original one where i just wanted to write things without anything to write about. there are lots i can say, about the news mainly, and how futile it can be to comment on it...
i could talk about that utube of the bus driver who deliberately caught up with a cyclist and knocked him over. looking at the video u would think that driver is mad. and he was jailed.
but later u hear that actually earlier the driver came too close to that cyclist and the cyclist went road rage, caught up with the bus, and began to shout and rave and broke one of the bus wiper.
i think that is provocative behaviour and the judge should take that into account. some cyclists can be too self righteous. i think that cyclist should take a lot of the blame too.
but of course, no one says so and he even have the gall to say he forgives the driver. ha.
anyway i could write about that, and have done so haha. but really it is neither here nor there because who cares what i think???
but now that i have been forced to go on google chrome, i can have something to write about now. haha.
my intial reaction was how awful that they can force me to change and download chrome when i have no intention of doing so.
but then i got things in perspective and realise that if i am to use google's blogger, they own it, and want me to use chrome, i suppose i should do it really.
i shall have to get used to figuring out how to operate it, right now i dont know how to increase the size of text , not in this post where the controls are the same, but in the webpages. now when i view my blog , the text is so small unlike last time when i view it in windows, where it is easy to make it bigger.
added. i found out how to do it so that is allright. on the whole it really is very fast. the pages can download almost immediately. what a nice change from windows which can take ages.
Added 22.2.12 slowing down again. not sure if it is my old laptop, or my internet provider or chrome. most probably the former two. I also noticed my download has gone up to 2.8G that day. usually it is less than 1G. or do u think i could get the pages so fast i start clicking on everything in sight, whereas before it was so slow, i am selective of what i download so as not to slow the speed even more.
Added 24.2.12 correction , i actually downloaded 0.8G . my talk talk graph on how much i download each day lags a few days before showing it. so it does not increase the download using chrome. now i have a few days of usage, i like chrome a lot.
to think i had recommended blogger to a chap who wanted to start a blog. i told him i had no trouble with it and now i am getting all this complications. but he is a member of googleplus so would have used chrome anyway. or if he has not, will soon be forced to.
For ages beforehand i had been getting a warning notices that googleplus webpage had been telling me my browser, which was windows, is not supported. i could still see the posts in there in my laptop, though in my library, i could not view them via the computers there.
well here goes, publishing it now.
I had a look at my blog and now i can see the weather chart on my sidebar now. before it was blocked , somehow when i upgrade to IE8, i click on a button which says something like protect your security restrict downloads of unsafe items, (or words to that effect) and i clicked on that to find that it stopped the weather chart, my videos and the clock from being seen. but now i can see all those.
so that is something good about chrome then, haha.
I guess finally google has forced me to download google chrome.
it all began when i could not write a post on my blog. it took ages to download and the little logo which whirls round and round just kept on going.
so in desperation, i clicked on their 'try the new blogger template' or words to that effect, which i forgot what the exact wordings were.
Well, i have clicked on it before and it just destroyed everything i was familiar with and i got so shit scared, there was a button which said u can go back to what it was before, and i hit it immediately.
but now there was no button to say i can go back.
so what to do?
i cannot go back so i had to accept a fait accompli on their part. They have won. they have forced me to take google chrome.
so i did and here i am using it.
I daresay it is quicker than windows. ah well, that is life isn't it? u get something for free (and i am talking of blogger) and get so used to it and like doing it, then they sweep the carpet from you and faced with losing everything, u capitulate.
but i guess maybe sometimes u have to be forced to do something for your own good... haha. who knows right?
google chrome may well turn out to be better than windows.
my title for this post was the original one where i just wanted to write things without anything to write about. there are lots i can say, about the news mainly, and how futile it can be to comment on it...
i could talk about that utube of the bus driver who deliberately caught up with a cyclist and knocked him over. looking at the video u would think that driver is mad. and he was jailed.
but later u hear that actually earlier the driver came too close to that cyclist and the cyclist went road rage, caught up with the bus, and began to shout and rave and broke one of the bus wiper.
i think that is provocative behaviour and the judge should take that into account. some cyclists can be too self righteous. i think that cyclist should take a lot of the blame too.
but of course, no one says so and he even have the gall to say he forgives the driver. ha.
anyway i could write about that, and have done so haha. but really it is neither here nor there because who cares what i think???
but now that i have been forced to go on google chrome, i can have something to write about now. haha.
my intial reaction was how awful that they can force me to change and download chrome when i have no intention of doing so.
but then i got things in perspective and realise that if i am to use google's blogger, they own it, and want me to use chrome, i suppose i should do it really.
i shall have to get used to figuring out how to operate it, right now i dont know how to increase the size of text , not in this post where the controls are the same, but in the webpages. now when i view my blog , the text is so small unlike last time when i view it in windows, where it is easy to make it bigger.
added. i found out how to do it so that is allright. on the whole it really is very fast. the pages can download almost immediately. what a nice change from windows which can take ages.
Added 22.2.12 slowing down again. not sure if it is my old laptop, or my internet provider or chrome. most probably the former two. I also noticed my download has gone up to 2.8G that day. usually it is less than 1G. or do u think i could get the pages so fast i start clicking on everything in sight, whereas before it was so slow, i am selective of what i download so as not to slow the speed even more.
Added 24.2.12 correction , i actually downloaded 0.8G . my talk talk graph on how much i download each day lags a few days before showing it. so it does not increase the download using chrome. now i have a few days of usage, i like chrome a lot.
to think i had recommended blogger to a chap who wanted to start a blog. i told him i had no trouble with it and now i am getting all this complications. but he is a member of googleplus so would have used chrome anyway. or if he has not, will soon be forced to.
For ages beforehand i had been getting a warning notices that googleplus webpage had been telling me my browser, which was windows, is not supported. i could still see the posts in there in my laptop, though in my library, i could not view them via the computers there.
well here goes, publishing it now.
I had a look at my blog and now i can see the weather chart on my sidebar now. before it was blocked , somehow when i upgrade to IE8, i click on a button which says something like protect your security restrict downloads of unsafe items, (or words to that effect) and i clicked on that to find that it stopped the weather chart, my videos and the clock from being seen. but now i can see all those.
so that is something good about chrome then, haha.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
what kind of life do u live?
london
sometimes when i read blogs i wonder what exactly do they do everyday and what their lives are really like.
i know we bloggers dont really tell all about our life in our blogs , we edit.
I just wrote a post where it was so gloomy, i did not want to post it. dont want to depress my readers.
it was about poor health. not mine, but my eldest brother's. he has renal failure. And simon is not too healthy either.he got a continuous pain in his jaw and the doctors cannot find out what is the reason. it saddens me when people around me get ill.
what do we do everyday that is so mundane we dont really talk about it but it is a regular routine in our lives?
even I dont bother to talk about the routine as it is quite boring to read and to write about.
but routine is important. if there are too many choices we dont like it. And we deliberately reduce the choices by making a routine out of it.
Do we ever wake up and feel we dont like where we live? or do we wake up and everyday bless that we are living where we are.
i think on the whole most of us bloggers like where we are. those who dont end up running a travel blog. that or if they like where they live they write about food. it is a common theme , food, as it offends no one, and enables us all to enjoy the pictures.
no one mentions the downside to living where they are , or about personal things like their health, or financial problems, or relationship problems, partly because it makes very boring reading for others or they want to keep their privacy. all those problems are way too personal to air in a blog for everyone to read.
my life is so routine, i know it is only of interest to myself so that it surprises me anyone bothers .
i am in a sad mood, because of people around me having health problems.
Added. 19.2.12 I am not sad anymore. haha. i just changed the way i think. i ask myself will those people feel happy because i am sad? of course not, so i stopped feeling sad.
sometimes when i read blogs i wonder what exactly do they do everyday and what their lives are really like.
i know we bloggers dont really tell all about our life in our blogs , we edit.
I just wrote a post where it was so gloomy, i did not want to post it. dont want to depress my readers.
it was about poor health. not mine, but my eldest brother's. he has renal failure. And simon is not too healthy either.he got a continuous pain in his jaw and the doctors cannot find out what is the reason. it saddens me when people around me get ill.
what do we do everyday that is so mundane we dont really talk about it but it is a regular routine in our lives?
even I dont bother to talk about the routine as it is quite boring to read and to write about.
but routine is important. if there are too many choices we dont like it. And we deliberately reduce the choices by making a routine out of it.
Do we ever wake up and feel we dont like where we live? or do we wake up and everyday bless that we are living where we are.
i think on the whole most of us bloggers like where we are. those who dont end up running a travel blog. that or if they like where they live they write about food. it is a common theme , food, as it offends no one, and enables us all to enjoy the pictures.
no one mentions the downside to living where they are , or about personal things like their health, or financial problems, or relationship problems, partly because it makes very boring reading for others or they want to keep their privacy. all those problems are way too personal to air in a blog for everyone to read.
my life is so routine, i know it is only of interest to myself so that it surprises me anyone bothers .
i am in a sad mood, because of people around me having health problems.
Added. 19.2.12 I am not sad anymore. haha. i just changed the way i think. i ask myself will those people feel happy because i am sad? of course not, so i stopped feeling sad.
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
when u got a cold, u can really appreciate being healthy
london
There is a bug about and more than one strain. i got it twice. last month and now. if it was the same strain i would have been immune to it but looks like there may be more than one strain around.
Ah well, it is just a case of letting it run its course. both are more coughing than sneezing, though this one has more sneezing to it.
no fever ... so far.
anyway i decided to cook myself a chicken as i fancy some meat in a curry to warm me up and to give me protein to fight this cold.
so hope other people are coping with their cold. its too hot in the library, and too cold outside when a wind is blowing. i think it is because i got this flu, it is affecting me that way, because normally i m not too bothered with the temperature changes.
added. 15.2.12 i felt cold even though i was wrapped up, even though today i see from the website that it was about 8C during the day. when you are not well, u can really feel the cold. but now i am better allready.
i found out that it is difficult to sleep lying down , i need to prop myself up or i feel i was suffocating due to one nostril being blocked.
the other month, there was no blocked nostrils nor sneezing, nor running nose. just a cough.
Everything is on hold now. I mean my social activities. there is a gay meetup tomorrow at the costa cafe in soho. it would be nice to attend as they have recently renovated the downstairs section where we meet and it will be the first time we meet there after their renovation. but i dont think the others will appreciate my spreading my germs to them.
likewise the charity food run on sunday. they are short of 2navigators, but better not volunteer or i shall be spreading the germs.
but i shall be keeping my appointment with the dentist for my crown preparation this thursday. i guess my dentist will have to take her chances of getting my cold. I am sure when i was one, i too must have been infected during that time when i was working as a dentist , working in such close proximity to my patients , but i dont recall i got more flu and cold than usual.
maybe i forgot .
i m glad i dont work, so now if i got a cold, i can just take it easy.
I really love not working... that is why it puzzles me why some want to work right into beyond retirement. but maybe that official who suggest old people work so they are not lonely gives me a clue to what others think. all i can say is i have lived long enough to know that there are as many reasons as there are people as to why they do certain things.
I have been reading this book by alain de botton, about religion for the atheist. he suggested that atheist take on some of the rituals and ceremony of religion as it gives people instructions on how to behave in a community and gives structure to it.
i think religious communities are held together because they all believe in a God who is all powerful. without that, atheists will break up and go their separate ways as they quarrel over what ritual to follow and who to follow.
but let me tell you what i think is a close approximation of his community and ritual as it applies to atheists.
our gay club nights, with a theme , those can be akin to religious communities. it is gay people coming together to enact ritual in celebration of the body. instead of a meal of food, we have a meal of each other's bodies. that answers our desire to touch and embrace each other, and to enact a common activity that uplifts those who participated.
as usual in all these quasi religious undertones, the reasons of affirming our interconnection with and desire to join in with others, is never stated nor acknowledged though it fulfills a strong desire amongs us gay men.
ah well, it does not matter really if u are aware of the undertones , and the real underlying powers that run below the surface...or not. it is all very enjoyable and uplifting.
i think it makes being gay so wonderful.
here in uk we can do it openly, unlike other parts of the world where it is criminal and may lead to death. that is why i love living in uk.
There is a bug about and more than one strain. i got it twice. last month and now. if it was the same strain i would have been immune to it but looks like there may be more than one strain around.
Ah well, it is just a case of letting it run its course. both are more coughing than sneezing, though this one has more sneezing to it.
no fever ... so far.
anyway i decided to cook myself a chicken as i fancy some meat in a curry to warm me up and to give me protein to fight this cold.
so hope other people are coping with their cold. its too hot in the library, and too cold outside when a wind is blowing. i think it is because i got this flu, it is affecting me that way, because normally i m not too bothered with the temperature changes.
added. 15.2.12 i felt cold even though i was wrapped up, even though today i see from the website that it was about 8C during the day. when you are not well, u can really feel the cold. but now i am better allready.
i found out that it is difficult to sleep lying down , i need to prop myself up or i feel i was suffocating due to one nostril being blocked.
the other month, there was no blocked nostrils nor sneezing, nor running nose. just a cough.
Everything is on hold now. I mean my social activities. there is a gay meetup tomorrow at the costa cafe in soho. it would be nice to attend as they have recently renovated the downstairs section where we meet and it will be the first time we meet there after their renovation. but i dont think the others will appreciate my spreading my germs to them.
likewise the charity food run on sunday. they are short of 2navigators, but better not volunteer or i shall be spreading the germs.
but i shall be keeping my appointment with the dentist for my crown preparation this thursday. i guess my dentist will have to take her chances of getting my cold. I am sure when i was one, i too must have been infected during that time when i was working as a dentist , working in such close proximity to my patients , but i dont recall i got more flu and cold than usual.
maybe i forgot .
i m glad i dont work, so now if i got a cold, i can just take it easy.
I really love not working... that is why it puzzles me why some want to work right into beyond retirement. but maybe that official who suggest old people work so they are not lonely gives me a clue to what others think. all i can say is i have lived long enough to know that there are as many reasons as there are people as to why they do certain things.
I have been reading this book by alain de botton, about religion for the atheist. he suggested that atheist take on some of the rituals and ceremony of religion as it gives people instructions on how to behave in a community and gives structure to it.
i think religious communities are held together because they all believe in a God who is all powerful. without that, atheists will break up and go their separate ways as they quarrel over what ritual to follow and who to follow.
but let me tell you what i think is a close approximation of his community and ritual as it applies to atheists.
our gay club nights, with a theme , those can be akin to religious communities. it is gay people coming together to enact ritual in celebration of the body. instead of a meal of food, we have a meal of each other's bodies. that answers our desire to touch and embrace each other, and to enact a common activity that uplifts those who participated.
as usual in all these quasi religious undertones, the reasons of affirming our interconnection with and desire to join in with others, is never stated nor acknowledged though it fulfills a strong desire amongs us gay men.
ah well, it does not matter really if u are aware of the undertones , and the real underlying powers that run below the surface...or not. it is all very enjoyable and uplifting.
i think it makes being gay so wonderful.
here in uk we can do it openly, unlike other parts of the world where it is criminal and may lead to death. that is why i love living in uk.
Monday, 13 February 2012
£204 nhs crown all in.
london
Not for the first time am i glad for the nhs.
i had the checkup for the broken tooth.
total cost on the nhs is £204, include cleaning, xrays and crown. from what i see, it covers any number of crowns , bridges etc.
so better value if u got plenty of crowns to do. it is one of the things about the welfare state, there is no upper limit to how many crowns or bridges u can get. it all depands on the dentist whether he wants to ask the board to approve the work.
anyway mine will be a post porcelain bonded crown. and no need to ask approval as it is only one crown. no idea how much to do it privately but i can be sure it will be more than the nhs cost. perhaps double the cost or even triple the cost. its been a long time since i was a dentist so i have lost touch of the going rate for private crowns.
That is the thing when you lost touch. i still live in the past where private crowns costs about £200 and nhs cost £60. so if the rate of private goes up in the same ratio as nhs prices, it would cost £600 now. when i next meet up with my dentist friend i shall ask him.
my dentist greeted me by saying it was about 6months since i last saw her, for a filling. i am surprised because i thought it was longer than that. but my sense of time is really very skewed. since stopping work, i have lost track of the passage of time.
for eg, i got these side tables which i found and have gotten plenty of use of them since. i thought i got them for longer, but i accidentally found the post while trying to find the post about my filling, and it is only 1yr ago since i found them. link to post
this blog has been useful like that, reminding me when things happen. but i could not find the post on my filling, so cannot tell how long ago i had it. maybe i did not talk about it. funny that, why some things i talk about and other things i ignore , and later wished i did post about it.
Ah well, nevermind.
i dare say that is what life is about. things we are so caught up in and think very important, over the passage time, soon erodes in importance and we dont care about it anymore. whilst little things which we hardly noticed we look back later and wished we have paid more attention.
Added. 20.2.12 i saw tucked inside my nhs card a note from last time i had the filling. it was dated 8.9.2010. one and half years ago.
Added 24.2.12. it seems prices will go up from april by £5 to £209. as usual the daily mail is screaming it is a kick in the teeth, but really the increase is small and cost so much less than if done privately.
Added 1. 3. 12 had my crown fitted today. Looks good, very natural colour. but then i chosed it and so it should be good.haha.
not a good picture, but taken from my webcam because it is real difficult to take my own picture using the camera. anyway it is the left canine.
Not for the first time am i glad for the nhs.
i had the checkup for the broken tooth.
total cost on the nhs is £204, include cleaning, xrays and crown. from what i see, it covers any number of crowns , bridges etc.
so better value if u got plenty of crowns to do. it is one of the things about the welfare state, there is no upper limit to how many crowns or bridges u can get. it all depands on the dentist whether he wants to ask the board to approve the work.
anyway mine will be a post porcelain bonded crown. and no need to ask approval as it is only one crown. no idea how much to do it privately but i can be sure it will be more than the nhs cost. perhaps double the cost or even triple the cost. its been a long time since i was a dentist so i have lost touch of the going rate for private crowns.
That is the thing when you lost touch. i still live in the past where private crowns costs about £200 and nhs cost £60. so if the rate of private goes up in the same ratio as nhs prices, it would cost £600 now. when i next meet up with my dentist friend i shall ask him.
my dentist greeted me by saying it was about 6months since i last saw her, for a filling. i am surprised because i thought it was longer than that. but my sense of time is really very skewed. since stopping work, i have lost track of the passage of time.
for eg, i got these side tables which i found and have gotten plenty of use of them since. i thought i got them for longer, but i accidentally found the post while trying to find the post about my filling, and it is only 1yr ago since i found them. link to post
this blog has been useful like that, reminding me when things happen. but i could not find the post on my filling, so cannot tell how long ago i had it. maybe i did not talk about it. funny that, why some things i talk about and other things i ignore , and later wished i did post about it.
Ah well, nevermind.
i dare say that is what life is about. things we are so caught up in and think very important, over the passage time, soon erodes in importance and we dont care about it anymore. whilst little things which we hardly noticed we look back later and wished we have paid more attention.
Added. 20.2.12 i saw tucked inside my nhs card a note from last time i had the filling. it was dated 8.9.2010. one and half years ago.
Added 24.2.12. it seems prices will go up from april by £5 to £209. as usual the daily mail is screaming it is a kick in the teeth, but really the increase is small and cost so much less than if done privately.
Added 1. 3. 12 had my crown fitted today. Looks good, very natural colour. but then i chosed it and so it should be good.haha.
Saturday, 11 February 2012
london
i was walking about and suddenly, looking at the blue bright sunny sky, it dawned on me that that may be the secret of being happy.
if u are able to see the infinity of the blue sky on a bright sunny day, it reminds you that you are free.
remember what those neural linguistic people say ... about looking up and smiling and u will lift your mood to a happy one?
well, try that when u are indoors and looking at your ceiling, it wont happen. but do it outside looking up to the infinity of a blue sky or even a bright sky with clouds and you will smile without any forcing. And that makes me wonder whether it is not the act of looking up, but the blue sky, or any sky will make u happy. if you are confined and inside a small space and cannot look to infinity i think u will be sad.
and this makes me wonder whether so many people who think they should retire to the country and they will be happy might not have mistaken their wanting to see a blue sky and confuse it with relocating to the countryside to seek their happiness.
wrong diagnosis, see!
if they realise that they dont have to go to the countryside as long as they can see the sky in the city by going to the parks, or any open space, they will be content to continue to live in the city or town, where all the amenities are to hand, and where in a time like now when there is so much snow on the ground, it gets cleared quickly if u live in a city but in a village or countryside, the snow remains and turn to ice and makes u afraid to walk about for fear of falling and breaking a leg.
And everything is nearby, the library, the supermarket, the shops, the gym, everything all within walking distance and so u never have to get a car, or get on a bus and dont have to care if the local bus service is slow or non existent.
when i was young, i used to think i shall retire somewhere warm, maybe near the seaside, and a naturist place.
Now, i am glad i did not go there but remained living in central london. i come to realise there is no place so perfect to grow old in than london itself.
The cold is never very cold in london as in the country. Even now, when the south uk has been most struck by cold weather, (scotland is warmer than here now) but even though it is -16C elsewhere in middle england, here it is only -3C here and not cold at all.
Recently there has been a lot of concern for elderly people getting cold, and also getting lonely. this official said being lonely is as bad for the health as smoking, if not worse. I am not sure i agree.
many of us like being alone, and only want company when we can control how often and how long that company becomes. and also want to select the kind of people we befriend. but of course, it is not easy to find the right company. even the best of friends can get fed up of each other if stuck too long.
Perhaps what esther rantzen said , in a tv program about loneliness, that it is easy to find other people to do things with, but also u want to find other people to do nothing with and that is not easy. i think that is quite profound observation.
I was reminded of that time when simon was close to death. There was no one that i could turn to that will cover the hole left by him.in the end, there is no escape from grief , and loneliness. but i felt it is up to that person who is left behind to accept the loss, to console themselves that the person who had died had followed his soul's desire and respect his soul's desire to leave that body and by implication to leave their loved one. and then go on to live their life instead of moping about it.
And that means finding other people to find companionship with , make new friends, maybe do things anew and explore new ways of living.
I think isolating themselves in the country may contribute to them being lonely. it makes it difficult for friends and family if they have any to visit them. or for them to visit their friends. and i know if i were a gay man, i wont want the neighbours to know too much of my affairs and so making friends with them may not be such a good idea.
in a city, with transport so easy, u dont need to make friends with your neighbours. your own friends can visit, and also what may be more important , you can visit them or arrange to meet in convenient spots. Many will want to sleep in your spare room if they are from overseas so u will get lots of visitors.
but live in the country and u will find friends are reluctant to visit you as it is such a lot of effort.
of course, u might say what kind of friends are they to be deterred by it, but hey, they are not perfect and if u make it convenient for them to visit, they will.
in the city i can makeuse of today's Times offer by caffe nero of a free cafe single or double marchiato.(i cannot imagine how strong that double must be. Marchiato is pure coffee with a bit of milk with froth on top.) i got the coupon and it would be nice to have friends who also have got these coupons for us to meet at a caffe nero. I was thinking of the soho caffe nero. that is very central to meet. it is valid till march 3.
but i dont seem to have any friends like that.
maybe i should join a free marchiato offer group in meetup.com haha. it will be for guys who like free coupons and able to get them and offer it to others. plenty of these coupons have a buy one get one free offer. That would be nice to have if u have a friend u can bring .
I just realise that in my fitness first gym, i can bring a friend free on friday, and weekends. but i dont have anyone. now someone who befriends me can benefit from this...
long ago i was a member of tate , and i can bring a friend free to all the exhibitions, but i never brought a friend to use it.
anyway, just a thought that someone should create a group for people like me to make use of these 2 for 1 free offers. You may well ask why dont i do it? i know, if i feel so strongly about it, i should, but i am lazy.haha.
i was walking about and suddenly, looking at the blue bright sunny sky, it dawned on me that that may be the secret of being happy.
if u are able to see the infinity of the blue sky on a bright sunny day, it reminds you that you are free.
remember what those neural linguistic people say ... about looking up and smiling and u will lift your mood to a happy one?
well, try that when u are indoors and looking at your ceiling, it wont happen. but do it outside looking up to the infinity of a blue sky or even a bright sky with clouds and you will smile without any forcing. And that makes me wonder whether it is not the act of looking up, but the blue sky, or any sky will make u happy. if you are confined and inside a small space and cannot look to infinity i think u will be sad.
and this makes me wonder whether so many people who think they should retire to the country and they will be happy might not have mistaken their wanting to see a blue sky and confuse it with relocating to the countryside to seek their happiness.
wrong diagnosis, see!
if they realise that they dont have to go to the countryside as long as they can see the sky in the city by going to the parks, or any open space, they will be content to continue to live in the city or town, where all the amenities are to hand, and where in a time like now when there is so much snow on the ground, it gets cleared quickly if u live in a city but in a village or countryside, the snow remains and turn to ice and makes u afraid to walk about for fear of falling and breaking a leg.
And everything is nearby, the library, the supermarket, the shops, the gym, everything all within walking distance and so u never have to get a car, or get on a bus and dont have to care if the local bus service is slow or non existent.
when i was young, i used to think i shall retire somewhere warm, maybe near the seaside, and a naturist place.
Now, i am glad i did not go there but remained living in central london. i come to realise there is no place so perfect to grow old in than london itself.
The cold is never very cold in london as in the country. Even now, when the south uk has been most struck by cold weather, (scotland is warmer than here now) but even though it is -16C elsewhere in middle england, here it is only -3C here and not cold at all.
Recently there has been a lot of concern for elderly people getting cold, and also getting lonely. this official said being lonely is as bad for the health as smoking, if not worse. I am not sure i agree.
many of us like being alone, and only want company when we can control how often and how long that company becomes. and also want to select the kind of people we befriend. but of course, it is not easy to find the right company. even the best of friends can get fed up of each other if stuck too long.
Perhaps what esther rantzen said , in a tv program about loneliness, that it is easy to find other people to do things with, but also u want to find other people to do nothing with and that is not easy. i think that is quite profound observation.
I was reminded of that time when simon was close to death. There was no one that i could turn to that will cover the hole left by him.in the end, there is no escape from grief , and loneliness. but i felt it is up to that person who is left behind to accept the loss, to console themselves that the person who had died had followed his soul's desire and respect his soul's desire to leave that body and by implication to leave their loved one. and then go on to live their life instead of moping about it.
And that means finding other people to find companionship with , make new friends, maybe do things anew and explore new ways of living.
I think isolating themselves in the country may contribute to them being lonely. it makes it difficult for friends and family if they have any to visit them. or for them to visit their friends. and i know if i were a gay man, i wont want the neighbours to know too much of my affairs and so making friends with them may not be such a good idea.
in a city, with transport so easy, u dont need to make friends with your neighbours. your own friends can visit, and also what may be more important , you can visit them or arrange to meet in convenient spots. Many will want to sleep in your spare room if they are from overseas so u will get lots of visitors.
but live in the country and u will find friends are reluctant to visit you as it is such a lot of effort.
of course, u might say what kind of friends are they to be deterred by it, but hey, they are not perfect and if u make it convenient for them to visit, they will.
in the city i can makeuse of today's Times offer by caffe nero of a free cafe single or double marchiato.(i cannot imagine how strong that double must be. Marchiato is pure coffee with a bit of milk with froth on top.) i got the coupon and it would be nice to have friends who also have got these coupons for us to meet at a caffe nero. I was thinking of the soho caffe nero. that is very central to meet. it is valid till march 3.
but i dont seem to have any friends like that.
maybe i should join a free marchiato offer group in meetup.com haha. it will be for guys who like free coupons and able to get them and offer it to others. plenty of these coupons have a buy one get one free offer. That would be nice to have if u have a friend u can bring .
I just realise that in my fitness first gym, i can bring a friend free on friday, and weekends. but i dont have anyone. now someone who befriends me can benefit from this...
long ago i was a member of tate , and i can bring a friend free to all the exhibitions, but i never brought a friend to use it.
anyway, just a thought that someone should create a group for people like me to make use of these 2 for 1 free offers. You may well ask why dont i do it? i know, if i feel so strongly about it, i should, but i am lazy.haha.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
london
Added.11.2.12 woke up today to a bright sunny day. did not feel cold, yet when i heard the news it says yesterday was the coldest so far. -18C somewhere up north, in chesham, buckinghamshire. i dont have a thermometer, so have to rely on weather websites for my area, and not sure if they are accurate. right now it says -3.1C in kensington. impossible, it feels warmer than that. but nowadays what with me wrap up warm, i hardly notice the temperature.
we in uk have a lot of fun talking of the weather. it makes for something to chat about.
Added friday 10.2.12. 9pm. the weather website says it is -1.3C in kensington, -7C in high wycombe. Can't say i feel it as colder than normally. either i am getting lots of heat from my downstairs neighbour or i am getting more adapt at coping with the cold. maybe a bit of both.
Actually, i dont have anything special to write about but i just fancy writing, so i shall just meander with my thoughts.
i took a breath outdoors when i left the flat this morning and it was so cold that my eyes watered. and i have to cover my nose with my gloved hand just to warm up the air before i breathe it. it was about 9am and later i saw on the weather website that it was minus0.4C. i noticed the temperature is lowest at around 8am which is counterintuitive, because i expect it to be coldest around 4am but it just goes to show logic does not come into this.
I was at the gym this morning, and went back to the flat for my lunch. Simon came back at about the same time i did with his laptop. he had it repaired because it wont start. as usual with computers, u just wipe it clean and install a new operating system.(he could have done it himself but when he bought the laptop it did not come with a windows disc.) A new windows7 was installed, and his music and movies reinstated. it cost him about £80. it saved him having to buy a new laptop.
i felt a bit restless in the afternoon, so decided to walk to the other branch of the gym to have a coffee. it has a nice lounge area. it is rather pleasant to be a member of a chain that has free coffee to drink and free newspapers to read. haha. like a club.
got chatting to one of the personal trainers there. he sees me often at the library and used to greet me.At first when he first greeted me at the library i have to ask him where i have seen him before. that is how i noticed him.
i found out he is from south africa, lives with his girlfriend in a rented flat. does not intend to buy; not that he can afford it. haha. I read in the FT newspaper in the gym that there has been a rise in renters and i guess he is one of the many who are adding to the numbers.
lots of people from overseas come to live and work in london.
the nudityclub yahoo group mentioned a promotion by travelodge offering rooms from £10 a night. the offer starts today for bookings.
A lot of members of the club come from out of london. and it seems the promotion offers £22 a night in the southwark travelodge for the sunday 8th april (easter sunday), which is their foam party night. it was true, because i looked at it and sure enough there was the room available to book.I did not click on it to actually book it so cannot say whether you will be told that price is gone. The only downside to staying at a hotel is that the checkout time is 10am, very early to leave when u have been up all night if u stayed till the end at 4am. but this downside is inherent in hotel rooms because they always want to kick you out by 10am for them to clean the room.
I am sure at this price the rooms will go very quickly. esp when u consider it is at easter, where demand must be high.Not sure if that price is for one or for two. even better value if it is for 2.
i am still not sure whether to attend the foam party on that night. maybe if the price of entry remains the same at £8 i might go.
though it being easter and weekend, the chances are the price will be raised.Sometimes they let u have that price if u buy online at their website, but u have to pay a 50p booking fee. but i think u can buy it at the venue itself without a fee.
also, i have been to foam parties before and i dont like the feel of the foam on the body. it is very soapy and it makes me itch and unless you have a chance to shower, u will be uncomfortable. i should imagine u have to bring a towel to dry off, and wear sandals,and keep your trainers to change into so u dont go back in wet shoes.
They do provide a good cloakroom service, giving u a large laundry bag with zip to keep your things.
Added.11.2.12 woke up today to a bright sunny day. did not feel cold, yet when i heard the news it says yesterday was the coldest so far. -18C somewhere up north, in chesham, buckinghamshire. i dont have a thermometer, so have to rely on weather websites for my area, and not sure if they are accurate. right now it says -3.1C in kensington. impossible, it feels warmer than that. but nowadays what with me wrap up warm, i hardly notice the temperature.
we in uk have a lot of fun talking of the weather. it makes for something to chat about.
Added friday 10.2.12. 9pm. the weather website says it is -1.3C in kensington, -7C in high wycombe. Can't say i feel it as colder than normally. either i am getting lots of heat from my downstairs neighbour or i am getting more adapt at coping with the cold. maybe a bit of both.
Actually, i dont have anything special to write about but i just fancy writing, so i shall just meander with my thoughts.
i took a breath outdoors when i left the flat this morning and it was so cold that my eyes watered. and i have to cover my nose with my gloved hand just to warm up the air before i breathe it. it was about 9am and later i saw on the weather website that it was minus0.4C. i noticed the temperature is lowest at around 8am which is counterintuitive, because i expect it to be coldest around 4am but it just goes to show logic does not come into this.
I was at the gym this morning, and went back to the flat for my lunch. Simon came back at about the same time i did with his laptop. he had it repaired because it wont start. as usual with computers, u just wipe it clean and install a new operating system.(he could have done it himself but when he bought the laptop it did not come with a windows disc.) A new windows7 was installed, and his music and movies reinstated. it cost him about £80. it saved him having to buy a new laptop.
i felt a bit restless in the afternoon, so decided to walk to the other branch of the gym to have a coffee. it has a nice lounge area. it is rather pleasant to be a member of a chain that has free coffee to drink and free newspapers to read. haha. like a club.
got chatting to one of the personal trainers there. he sees me often at the library and used to greet me.At first when he first greeted me at the library i have to ask him where i have seen him before. that is how i noticed him.
i found out he is from south africa, lives with his girlfriend in a rented flat. does not intend to buy; not that he can afford it. haha. I read in the FT newspaper in the gym that there has been a rise in renters and i guess he is one of the many who are adding to the numbers.
lots of people from overseas come to live and work in london.
the nudityclub yahoo group mentioned a promotion by travelodge offering rooms from £10 a night. the offer starts today for bookings.
A lot of members of the club come from out of london. and it seems the promotion offers £22 a night in the southwark travelodge for the sunday 8th april (easter sunday), which is their foam party night. it was true, because i looked at it and sure enough there was the room available to book.I did not click on it to actually book it so cannot say whether you will be told that price is gone. The only downside to staying at a hotel is that the checkout time is 10am, very early to leave when u have been up all night if u stayed till the end at 4am. but this downside is inherent in hotel rooms because they always want to kick you out by 10am for them to clean the room.
I am sure at this price the rooms will go very quickly. esp when u consider it is at easter, where demand must be high.Not sure if that price is for one or for two. even better value if it is for 2.
i am still not sure whether to attend the foam party on that night. maybe if the price of entry remains the same at £8 i might go.
though it being easter and weekend, the chances are the price will be raised.Sometimes they let u have that price if u buy online at their website, but u have to pay a 50p booking fee. but i think u can buy it at the venue itself without a fee.
also, i have been to foam parties before and i dont like the feel of the foam on the body. it is very soapy and it makes me itch and unless you have a chance to shower, u will be uncomfortable. i should imagine u have to bring a towel to dry off, and wear sandals,and keep your trainers to change into so u dont go back in wet shoes.
They do provide a good cloakroom service, giving u a large laundry bag with zip to keep your things.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
i broke a tooth
london
Eating chicken wings was my downfall.
Ah well, i should have been more careful, as being a dentist , I am well aware a rootfilled tooth is very brittle. As it is I am fortunate i suppose not to have broken this upper left canine for so long since it got rootfilled. I forgot how long ago, maybe it was the mid 90s.
The tooth died when i had it straightened with orthodontics when i was an adult. and it developed an abscess about 20 yrs later and i got it treated privately in a clinic near victoria. the dentist was from australia and not a friend. i have dentist friends, but it was too much of an imposition on them i felt to ask them to do it. also
i wanted a clinic near where i live and just walked into this clinic without knowing whether the dentist was any good or not. I ask to be treated privately. i observed the way he went about it, and know he is ok. it costed about £150.
roottreatment for a canine is very straightforward and very good chances of success.
i did not realise i broke the tooth while i was eating the chicken wings till i felt a odd gap with my tongue and realised that i had not only broken the tooth but swallowed the broken off bit of tooth as well.
anyway i walked to my dentist round the corner to get an appointment. it will be next monday.
I did not ask for an emergency appointment to get a temporary crown fitted as it is too much of a bother really. i dont have any socials with other people so no need to hide the gap. haha. I did not want the dentist fiddling around with the root to make support for the temporary crown, esp in an appointment where he had to fit me in between other patients. As a dentist myself, i know how it can be rather a rush job if you catch the dentist when he really hadn't enough time to spare. Even if u pay privately there is no guarantee it will be well done because of the time constraints.
Also i dont really want to sit through all that whilst the temporary is made and then have to suffer all the difficulties of taking the temporary crown out to do the actual work.
I guess it shows how far off stream i have gone with my life that it does not matter that i have this gap because there is no one to see it. and it also shows a whole new way of looking at life, putting life in perspective and downgrading outward appearances for what they are, and not being obsessed with it so that such a thing like this does not give me hysterics.
many a time as a dentist i have seen patients in a panic wanting to be fitted in immediately carrying their broken crown and wanting immediate treatment . in my time, i did all that on the nhs, without charging them privately.
nowadays dentists will charge privately and so they should.
must remember not to eat bones no matter how crunchy from now on. u might say isn't it rather like shutting the stable doors after the horse has bolted because it is broken allready... but I am thinking of the future when a post crown is made, it is even more dangerous to break it, as any fracture will break the root, and that means an extraction for sure.
with allthe problems and costs it entails to cover the gap. like whether to have a denture, or bridge or implants so better not go there.
I realise now that last time as a dentist i never stress to patients never to eat hard things with that tooth again and to be careful about eating hard things in general. i guess it may not really be of much use telling them because we humans do tend to forget and also accidents can happen and lets face it, sooner or later that rootfilled tooth must break. someone might even say u should suggest to the patient to get a crown done before it breaks, as then u can control it, rather than have it break and the fracture could be anywhere and may be right into the root. (Though it is very unlikely that the fracture will be deeper than the gum surface).
ah well, if the soul wants it...
i myself is of the school of thought which says if it ain't broke dont fix it. also, if u have a post crown made there is no guarantee it wont break, or more likely to have loosened and lost its grip; and if it does break , the stump left in the root may be impossible to remove, and of course the root might fracture. truly in this situation, it is the soul's desire.
I was just thinking health is the most important thing ever and this thing happening serves to remind me of it.
it illustrates cause and effect.
i wonder if there are any other health issues that will arise from cause and effect that we are not aware of. for eg, someone may not realise that taking so much suger or salt is dangerous, until too late. The trouble is each person has a different tolerance to how much is too much.
I was pondering only this morning the reason why i drink so much tea. it is to make me drink water, by drinking diluted tea from tea leaves, the water is made more palatable and so i drink more water.
They say tea drinking is good for your health, but i wonder if the health benefit is not so much the tea, which is drunk very weak, but that it makes the person drink a lot of water and that is crucial for good health, i am now beginning to realise this may be the case.
we need water to sustain every cell, and we tend to neglect drinking enough water. we need lots of water inside us.
i wonder whether the body develop secondary diabetes and subsequent thirst just to make sure the body gets enough water. if the person never drinks water in the past, this way it forces them to drink....
Perhaps it is all fanciful, who knows. do people get asthma because they dont know how to breathe and dont breathe enough? by developing asthma they force that person to breathe. is this reasoning flawed or what??
I dont know but there are many thinks in this life that we dont know.
what i do know is that exercise causes u to breathe deep, and that is good, and it allows the muscles to work , this massage the veins and encourage increase blood flow into the tissues.
You may have heard of the phrase, death by wheelchair... it acknowledges that someone put on a wheel chair is doomed to a gradual decline of their muscles.
it is crucial that people continue to walk and move about on their own volition. #
hope i am not being morbid.haha.
the culprit.
Eating chicken wings was my downfall.
Ah well, i should have been more careful, as being a dentist , I am well aware a rootfilled tooth is very brittle. As it is I am fortunate i suppose not to have broken this upper left canine for so long since it got rootfilled. I forgot how long ago, maybe it was the mid 90s.
The tooth died when i had it straightened with orthodontics when i was an adult. and it developed an abscess about 20 yrs later and i got it treated privately in a clinic near victoria. the dentist was from australia and not a friend. i have dentist friends, but it was too much of an imposition on them i felt to ask them to do it. also
i wanted a clinic near where i live and just walked into this clinic without knowing whether the dentist was any good or not. I ask to be treated privately. i observed the way he went about it, and know he is ok. it costed about £150.
roottreatment for a canine is very straightforward and very good chances of success.
i did not realise i broke the tooth while i was eating the chicken wings till i felt a odd gap with my tongue and realised that i had not only broken the tooth but swallowed the broken off bit of tooth as well.
anyway i walked to my dentist round the corner to get an appointment. it will be next monday.
I did not ask for an emergency appointment to get a temporary crown fitted as it is too much of a bother really. i dont have any socials with other people so no need to hide the gap. haha. I did not want the dentist fiddling around with the root to make support for the temporary crown, esp in an appointment where he had to fit me in between other patients. As a dentist myself, i know how it can be rather a rush job if you catch the dentist when he really hadn't enough time to spare. Even if u pay privately there is no guarantee it will be well done because of the time constraints.
Also i dont really want to sit through all that whilst the temporary is made and then have to suffer all the difficulties of taking the temporary crown out to do the actual work.
I guess it shows how far off stream i have gone with my life that it does not matter that i have this gap because there is no one to see it. and it also shows a whole new way of looking at life, putting life in perspective and downgrading outward appearances for what they are, and not being obsessed with it so that such a thing like this does not give me hysterics.
many a time as a dentist i have seen patients in a panic wanting to be fitted in immediately carrying their broken crown and wanting immediate treatment . in my time, i did all that on the nhs, without charging them privately.
nowadays dentists will charge privately and so they should.
must remember not to eat bones no matter how crunchy from now on. u might say isn't it rather like shutting the stable doors after the horse has bolted because it is broken allready... but I am thinking of the future when a post crown is made, it is even more dangerous to break it, as any fracture will break the root, and that means an extraction for sure.
with allthe problems and costs it entails to cover the gap. like whether to have a denture, or bridge or implants so better not go there.
I realise now that last time as a dentist i never stress to patients never to eat hard things with that tooth again and to be careful about eating hard things in general. i guess it may not really be of much use telling them because we humans do tend to forget and also accidents can happen and lets face it, sooner or later that rootfilled tooth must break. someone might even say u should suggest to the patient to get a crown done before it breaks, as then u can control it, rather than have it break and the fracture could be anywhere and may be right into the root. (Though it is very unlikely that the fracture will be deeper than the gum surface).
ah well, if the soul wants it...
i myself is of the school of thought which says if it ain't broke dont fix it. also, if u have a post crown made there is no guarantee it wont break, or more likely to have loosened and lost its grip; and if it does break , the stump left in the root may be impossible to remove, and of course the root might fracture. truly in this situation, it is the soul's desire.
I was just thinking health is the most important thing ever and this thing happening serves to remind me of it.
it illustrates cause and effect.
i wonder if there are any other health issues that will arise from cause and effect that we are not aware of. for eg, someone may not realise that taking so much suger or salt is dangerous, until too late. The trouble is each person has a different tolerance to how much is too much.
I was pondering only this morning the reason why i drink so much tea. it is to make me drink water, by drinking diluted tea from tea leaves, the water is made more palatable and so i drink more water.
They say tea drinking is good for your health, but i wonder if the health benefit is not so much the tea, which is drunk very weak, but that it makes the person drink a lot of water and that is crucial for good health, i am now beginning to realise this may be the case.
we need water to sustain every cell, and we tend to neglect drinking enough water. we need lots of water inside us.
i wonder whether the body develop secondary diabetes and subsequent thirst just to make sure the body gets enough water. if the person never drinks water in the past, this way it forces them to drink....
Perhaps it is all fanciful, who knows. do people get asthma because they dont know how to breathe and dont breathe enough? by developing asthma they force that person to breathe. is this reasoning flawed or what??
I dont know but there are many thinks in this life that we dont know.
what i do know is that exercise causes u to breathe deep, and that is good, and it allows the muscles to work , this massage the veins and encourage increase blood flow into the tissues.
You may have heard of the phrase, death by wheelchair... it acknowledges that someone put on a wheel chair is doomed to a gradual decline of their muscles.
it is crucial that people continue to walk and move about on their own volition. #
hope i am not being morbid.haha.
the culprit. Saturday, 4 February 2012
its snowing in london
london
How exciting, it is snowing at last in london. After all those warnings of snow and it never happens!
I did not realise it was snowing because when i am in my flat, i really do not notice anything happening outside. it did not feel any colder than usual, (as usual ,i dont have the heating on) and my curtains are drawn so i dont see what is outside.
but i happen to mention to simon when he was on the way to work at about 9pm, and he said it was snowing outside. And i took a peek and sure enough there was a icing suger picture outside , with light snow fall.
how lovely.
it will be the first snowfall of 2012.
I have noticed something curious about my laptop. it always have new updates to install. Almost everytime i log on i find it wants me to install new updates. I wonder what is going on!!
Recently, i see a link to download IE9 which i have ignored. so i wonder if they are now giving me updates to IE9 by the backdoor as it were with these updates.
Added. i got a comment which mentioned how excited that person was at the snow, and i can understand it. i looked out and saw the snow falling heavier, so decided to go out and play.
the crunch of the snow is really very strange feeling. and to make snowballs with fresh fallen snow is really nice.
I am glad we had the snow but also i am glad that it did not stay long. by the next day, all the snow is gone , at least where i live.
i like this kind of weather ... a little bit of this and a little bit of that but never so much that u get fed up of it.
How exciting, it is snowing at last in london. After all those warnings of snow and it never happens!
I did not realise it was snowing because when i am in my flat, i really do not notice anything happening outside. it did not feel any colder than usual, (as usual ,i dont have the heating on) and my curtains are drawn so i dont see what is outside.
but i happen to mention to simon when he was on the way to work at about 9pm, and he said it was snowing outside. And i took a peek and sure enough there was a icing suger picture outside , with light snow fall.
how lovely.
it will be the first snowfall of 2012.
I have noticed something curious about my laptop. it always have new updates to install. Almost everytime i log on i find it wants me to install new updates. I wonder what is going on!!
Recently, i see a link to download IE9 which i have ignored. so i wonder if they are now giving me updates to IE9 by the backdoor as it were with these updates.
Added. i got a comment which mentioned how excited that person was at the snow, and i can understand it. i looked out and saw the snow falling heavier, so decided to go out and play.
the crunch of the snow is really very strange feeling. and to make snowballs with fresh fallen snow is really nice.
added 5.2.12 i thought i shall be waking up to a white scene, but not so. haha. we are not having a heavy snow scene this year unlike what i read in the online paper today about europe. seems Rome got heavy snow first time for 26 yrs. Well, it is nice to know even these southern areas in europe can be colder than london. haha.
added. 6.2.12 a singaporean's first time experience of autumn and winter in london.
I am glad we had the snow but also i am glad that it did not stay long. by the next day, all the snow is gone , at least where i live.
i like this kind of weather ... a little bit of this and a little bit of that but never so much that u get fed up of it.
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