post xmas

The xmas passed with nothing special. Due to my sickness in the previous night, the meeting on 27 with Grace was cancelled.

All I did during xmas: reading website and listening to music. I was planning to go out, hang around with my camera, but it was just too crowded. Probably it is a good idea to stay away from those couples, that not only filled the street but also could affect my emotion.

Still, I went to Causeway Bay yesterday. Visited Sogo and some stores for clothing. The movie <<Ku Fu Hustle>> filled the last slot of the day. It was fun, and the two blacks behind keep laughing throughout, and asked: What's the meaning of this movie? Well, who cares? Just have fun!

Today finally got a present for myself: the ECHO Indigo for my laptop. Now I can truely enjoy music in office.

A few friends have their birthdays recently. They're Siu King and Ha Kai. Happy birthday my friend.

Merry Xmas

Merry Xmas to all!

I'd like to thank my friends that shared with me throughout the year.

人總是要向前望.


<<夜還未深>> 鄭伊健

曲：Toshiaki Matsumoto 詞：潘源良

朋友問我誰會伴我這聖誕
我話其實我喜歡一個
以風為伴　最平淡也是最容易過

寒冷夜裏城裏面聖詩傳來
襯著無盡晚空煙花播
不眠夜　我還是要獨個來渡過

有一刻真的想　不管一切去找你
卻又明白　再不應出錯
妳這一刻定是歡欣興奮開心不過
共聚又是如何

夜還未深　愛還未可
難過亦要經過
已是離別　我很清楚
未眠如我　不止一個
誰沒有癡過夢過

曾努力過　曾快樂過　擁有過
也就其實已經很不錯　都明白
卻還是渴望妳陪伴我

More on study thoughts

I have mentioned that I'm equally interested in business and science/engineering. My analysis articles were highly appreciated by my econ teacher; my professors were impressed by my view on some leading companies in the industry. Other than the carreer outlook, I also dislike the working attitude of most people in the industry.

In addition to these, I am sort of regret in not making the best of myself in my engineering degree for some psychological problems. Such feeling is amplified when my applications to openings in the business field were turned down. I felt as if a loser - if I managed to get 1st Hon, that might not happen.

I used to be the winner with strong confidence in every assignment. When I have dedicated to it, I will make it the best. This echo the idea "Interest drives the best of you". Being left behind by the girl that I would marry with after graduation, being turned down, the feeling of being inferior. I hate this feeling, that I need to bring back the best of mine. I want to be a winner again in a bold attempt.

My standard of living isn't cheap, and I need the $$ to maintain it, plus I have to take care of my parents. Thus a career with good prospectus is critical. I will keep reinforcing my mind throughout the year preparing for the GMAT. Afterall, no one knows if you can get an offer. Why not just give it a try?

Study thoughts

These days while thinking of GMAT and US study, I tried to make it clear why?

It's not that I don't like computers. I have learned many interesting topics as an engineer. "Pursue knowledge for its own sack" - this is the comment that occured consistently on any phychological test that I participated. My ex knew this side of me very well.

Signals and system - how to encode sound and reproduce it? From PCM to DSD, I understand them all.

Computer graphics - image reconstruction from projections, 3D modeling and OpenGL, I can explain them with pictures and the 'camera'.

Algorithms - this is the IQ realm. However the smartest isn't to quest for the lowest computational complexity, but to make smart and efficient heuristics in solving problems.

Electronics and hardware - these are hands-on that I keep having fun with, from modding my own system to evaluate commercial design when making purchase decision.

Despite all these, I feel the career path in the industry is not that good, at least in HK. I am equally interested in the business and management world, from financial, marketing to management. Why not broaden my career choice by doing a business degree?

For CPU freaks - the first to the dream system

Tom's Hardware Guide - The Mother of All CPU Charts Part 1 Part 2

This is a comprehensive CPU chart from 1995 onwards, with brief coverage from 8086 to 80486 as well.

My first computer is a ACER ACROS, with Pentium 133Mhz CPU and 8MB FP RAM (expended to 24MB later for USD$450!), S3 Trio 64 w/2MB, Quantum Fireball 1280AT (still works!), 4x CD-ROM and Soundcard. The package was completed with OEM Windows 95, MS Office Standard and lots of MS software. The printer was a Epson Stylus PRO that cost USD$800. My first system totally costed USD$3800! That was a hugh investment, thanks my parents.

My short-sightness got worse and to improve the visual quality, I moved on a 17" SONY 200sf Monitor for an extra USD$850 plus the Matrox Millenium II with 8MB WRAM for USD$300.

The system got minor update from time to time. Next major step was moved to the Celeron 366Mhz with ASUS P2B-F and 128MB SDRAM. The broad is still running as my FYP server after 5 years. This is also the computer that I used during my first semester in HKUST.

2001 Spring - AMD Athlon 1000Mhz o/c to 1200Mhz on ASUS AMD760 Chipset, 2x256MB Crucial DDR266 ordered online

2001 Fall - IBM ThinkPad T23, increased from 128MB to 2x256MB Crucial PC100 CL2 ordered online

2002 Fall - Intel P4 1.6GHz o/c to 2.4GHz on ASUS P4B533-E with 2x256MB Crucial DDR266

Thanks my parents for their continous financial support - this is a large sum just on the computer part.

My usage pattern will be a notebook for personal + a workstation for imaging, music, storage and GHOST server. I need a 400GB+ RAID 5 array for my photos (@8MB RAW on my Canon 20D, but @210MB(!) on my flim scanner Minolta ScanElite 5400), music library (over 300CDs on lossless compression), software, document and GHOST image. I will also use this workstation to manipulate my images and mixing. To server such purpose, I have targeted an Apple 21" display and LynxTWO 2in/6out soundcard. Currently Athlon64 is the best choice with memory >2GB.

Ambitious? YES. Such a system should comfortably sit at the price tag of USD$8000. Now I consider it as my dream machine cuz I simply can't afford it at this moment. Rather I would like to save the money and plan for my study, to pursue the goodness for myself and my future other half.

Interview afterthought

An interview expected for 20 mins - but an hour and half has been passed when I was on the last slide. Interviewers consisted of 4 members of the testing team plus the director. The education level of the panel was very high with 2 Ph.Ds and 3 Master candidates. The whole process took over 2 hours and we chatted afterwards.

On my way to home, I was told I was selected. Now waiting for the arrangement of the efficient HR.

Being a member of ASTRI isn't what exactly I want. Yet the academic atmosphere of ASTRI and the package offered is amoung the best. What I need is time and atmosphere to study for GMAT and GRE, to plan for my business studies in the US.

Take a look of ASTRI, The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited. I am a member of Wireless Access Team as System Engineer.

KK update

KK is definitly one of my dearest friend. As noted in her xanga postings, there has to be something wrong with her. Today I have got the chance to chat with her over ICQ while working on the 531 report at 2:00am.

No surprise, there is something wrong. However what really made me surprised was the fact that she has broken up with her boyfriend. As far as I know this is the 2nd time. It seems not a big deal, but she is my model in handling relationships. Once again this reminded me that we are all so hopelessly limited when dealing a relationship, irrelavant to how hard you have been trying.

I don't know how can I help other then trying to be her listener. I would write more in my X'mas card if all these happened two weeks earlier.

Get over it!

Interview

Got an invitation for interview form ASTRI. It's not the one I favored, yet I need the time and $$. The interview process consists of a 20 minutes presentation on myself, my experience in WLAN networks, test plan preparations and user requirement captures. It's got to be another kind of presentation...

Talked with Grace for a while. She definitely should be my role model in time management, and I can forsee a good career path lying ahead of her. I feel energized everytime after talking with her.

X'mas Thought

No doubt, it's X'mas time.

I spend the X'mas last year in Tokyo with my clients. Two old men, having dinner inside a hotel restaurant in Shinjuku. I still remember the steak, and the beer. Japan has no X'mas holiday, yet the cold weather and X'mas decorations around the town gave me one of the greatest X'mas ever.

This year is another lonely X'mas. It's getting colder and colder. The road in TST and Causeway Bay are filled with sweet lovers. You can just feel how happy they're in this great time. "The quest for love is our inherent desire to seek attachment." True, and that's why I haven't started any relationship without the feeling of attachment. Still, I'm yearning for someone with me during holiday times: fear of being alone.

Probably, I am just not mature for love.

Or I just really need a Happy New Year, one could let me enjoy the feeling of love again after 3 years.

531 report

finally got the 560 report from my partner... i have nothing to say about it.

now working on 531, with my music collection being with me.

another reunion

this time is joey from nz.

it's also about 6 - 7 years ago. she just wonder how can i recall so many things about her. she asked for how i look after these years, and i gave her a little fun by guilding her to do a google search for my photos. "you look so young!" that's her comment. in her mind i am a mature person that just doesn't fit the little boy in the photo. well, does it matter?

i remember you all, my friend. i just wonder who will remember me? would you? let me know if you do, please.

東平洲

就是東平洲讓我們談到天亮. 還有你最後的問題, 我會記住的 - 因為我也不希望那情況出現.

很開心.

玩

it was 5am when i have finished the report. then i started to write xmas card, had some milk and sleep.

got up at 10am, checked for the movie schedule on yahoo, then rushed to post office for the card and application. waited 20 mins for the 263 to shatin. phoebe called when i was on tuen mun road, she rushed to UA shatin and found that it's not 12:40 but 12:20... definitely we were going to miss.

the lunch at orchard garden proved to be a good one - and huge! a coffee in starbucks has made up her mind in watching the 9:00 one. i travelled to east TST with kcr after sending her to class, and walked a loooong way to pageone. got 3 books on GRE and a book on marriage for her. hanging around in IT and bought a pair of camper after discussed with my sister. that was not 30% off but only 10% with my credit card... why the put up the 30% label on the shelves???

langham place was filled with people. the UA there has no 誠俊哥... moved to grand centery place, bought the ticket and waited for her. both the orange tea and fried strawberry "ice cream" were good, yet we doubted a better name instead of "ice cream". 誠俊哥 was fun - and stupid.

backed home and checked the mailbox. had a shower and talked with her before she "died".

it feels much better after a nice day. now i have to move on with another project and GRE...

keep it busy

finished appliction for astri, cathay pacific and icac...
now working on 560.... plus 531 is coming...
i can not sleep, keep it busy, really really busy...

the sky is really clear tonight that i can identify orion with my naked eyes. i just hope someone will be with me, saving me from the solitude.

suddenly i want a hug, one that hold me really tight...

it should feel better after meeting phoebe tomorrow... i really need someone to talk to...

gogogo!

workworkwork

lots of things to do, it's good to keep busy

- project report
- x'mas card
- application
- astri
- icac
- cathay pacific

life is short - spend the time wisely

錯?

今日差d做錯一件事. 唔係咩傷天害理會死人既事, 但我唔希望會後侮.
我為自己的堅持感到驕傲, 更加清楚以後要怎麼做.
人生就是要摸索; 而對我來說一切都來得太容易太輕鬆, 有時候都不知道要怎樣做.
我要充實我的生活, 讓我和我生命之旅的同伴不枉過以後的日子.

May GOD be with us.

controversial

click for source

I love this pic alot. Color, composition, tone, simplicity. Awarded Photo of the Week by one of most renowned photographic site in the web, this pic is a hot talk.

It's a matter of taste.

dream...

these days keep dreaming... different ppl appeared
definitely i need some adjustments, and stay on track

got to know, it's all by myself.

Tarot

Delivered the photos to grace in TST, then we went to Causeway Bay to join her sister and her frds. They're all fun ppl. Mani the tarot expert isn't very good, yet nevermind it's just for fun!

I love the atmosphere there. A good place to read books or chat.


sweet house

relax

夏韶聲《諳2》

這幾年少聽流行曲, 多聽一些70's 80's 的流行曲. 今晚夜半就是這張CD. 原來很多喜愛的歌都是林振強和黃霑的手筆. 「空凳」, 「結他低泣時」, 「車站」, 「追憶」, 「明星」... 只是從前未有發覺.

結他低泣時
曲：M. Nasir 詞：林振強

一支低泣低嘆結他 和一堆一堆瑣碎舊話
伴空屋中的我坐下 懷念你
多麼的想知你好嗎 和他一起開心快活吧
願他可跟我那樣 活著全為你

Ooh 我再笑我似個笑話 一生都追蹤空氣
Ooh 我也說過休息放棄吧 但實在捨不得你
只好衷心講一句 我盼你一世快樂
沒憾沒淚痕伴你

如他傷你心 如他說別離
如果未嫌棄 我即奔近你
無知的結他 難解你別離
仍不願離去 半哭等待你

Ooh 我再笑我似個笑話 一生都追蹤空氣
Ooh 我也說過休息放棄吧 但實在捨不得你
只好衷心講一句 我盼你一世快樂
沒憾沒淚痕伴你

如他不關心 如他說別離
如果未嫌棄 我即奔近你
無知的結他 難解你別離
仍不願離去 半哭等待你

easy / busy

- go to fotomax to order prints for grace
- get renewed credit card in hsbc
- lunch in beji beji
- get stamps in post office
- travel to ssp to buy hdd
- back to fotomax collecting photos
- install hdd @ home
- prepare ghost of my notebook
- go ust for class
- read fortune on the google story
- checkout GRE in class (yeah, it's boring today)
- chat with prof. lee on the fortune article
- have dinner at home
- review the print for imperfection (fotomax is really dump...)
- arrage meeting with grace
- tryout different photo processings
- get some milk
- bath
- browsing
- blog posting
- sleep

still has lots to do tomorrow... applications!

angelo

it was 5 years ago.

while i was struggling in a relationship, someone helped me out. she listened to me patiently, and gave me advice on how to sort it out. it was my message on a newgroup that caught her. she joked herself as my angel. she has finished her job as and i should be fine. i remember in our last call. she said that she won't be online anymore cuz of her new boyfriend, and she won't call me anymore.

"someday if you meet someone facing the same situation, try to be their angel."

and last year when KK was in HK, "i'm your angel!"

angelo, and here is the origin.