I love solid jackets that could possibly stand up on its own.
But I also love cardigans that could be smushed into a ball and rolled out flat.

I love black, grey and white.
But I also love all the sharpest colours you can name.

I love super clean modern cuts.
But I also love vintage stuff.

Yet, there are always a few rules that are constant:

I hate pastel colours.

You have to give me very good reasons to make me wear lace.

I don’t buy things that doesn’t go with anything in my wardrobe.

Quality trumps quantity…

Miss shopping with Beep!

香港有幸，公共交通之發達己發達至不用擔心其速度及可靠度。（不是說它完全沒有問題，但除了其價格高昂外，真的沒有甚麼可以挑剔。）

可是香港人也無福享受火車站的浪漫﹣火車站經常人頭湧湧，行人如梭，有浪漫先奇。再者，香港的火車密度一班又一班，跟地鐵的班次密度無異，實在是世界唯一。可又，每隔五分鐘的嘟嘟嘟嘟以及月台廣播真的將所有閒情一掃而空，有浪漫都變無浪漫。

火車站的浪漫在於火車那種依依不舍的速度和親密感。火車和飛機的速度不同，你可以追火車看著你要說再見的人徐徐隨火車開動而離去，但你不可以追飛機。再加上如今的機場自９１１以來就有如驚弓之鳥，ＳＥＣＵＲＩＴＹ要ＣＨＥＣＫ呢樣ＣＨＥＣＫ個樣。在禁區前流躂多一陣都會惹來保安哥哥的好奇，實在諗起都掃興。

我想，我心中理想的火車站應該是歐洲的（大）火車站：倫敦ＫＩＮＧ’Ｓ　ＣＲＯＳＳ車站的古色古香，柏林車站的摩登和井井有條，馬爾墨車站的安守本份，哥本哈根和斯多哥爾摩車站之堂皇，一一都教我難以忘懷。我亦曾在隆德車站管接管送，在米蘭車站被追火車。那情那景絕對是我想牢牢記著一世的。

當然，凡事總有例外，因為我真的不能由衷的覺得我漏了往米蘭火車的巴黎里昂車站浪漫，我只記得它很大很大，大得我趕不上去米蘭的火車。我也不覺得捷克的ＰＬＺＥＮ車站很美。我只記得自己獨個兒在三七吾識二十一，又冷的地方在凌晨等了兩個鐘頭接駁火車往ＣＨＥＢ．．．

那麼，墨爾本的火車站呢？

應該是受到了本地城市規劃教育的影響，我對它火車站的感情無從入手。我只想到它的髒，它的誤點和不安全。

People who live in a sparsely populated country or did not live in Asia or more specifically, Hong Kong perhaps would not understand the magnitude behind the disease. You probably think 7 million people wear masks in a city everyday is ridiculous. Or you probably think we were being overdramatic. But I need to remind you, some people did lose their beloved ones to the mysterious disease. And until you have survived months with a mask on when you are working, going to school or sitting for public exams – please kindly refrain from making any funny comments.

We did not wear mask to create social discomfort or for fun. Wearing mask is absolutely annoying. But this is public hygiene. People need to start taking potential epidemic seriously. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and wash your hands properly. Be considerate – if you are sick, stay home, or put on a mask when you go to school or work.

Oh my freaking god – why would they do that?! Granted, what their original owner Wharf said about the business’ limited room for expansion is true – but HK tram is such a symbol of HK that it seems absolutely taboo to sell it to a French company – not to mention a failing French company! (Who cares how many transportation system they are running in the world, all I care is whether they are run well and for all I know, they are not. Just look at Sweden’s train to Kiruna and Melbourne’s train!)

As fantastic as putting a tram line on the harbour front sounds *think Budapest!*, what is Veolia thinking when they proposed expanding the tram system at the harbour front from Central to Wan Chai. Have they ever been to HK?! Have they seen how busy the surface traffic already is? Building a tram line on the northern edge of Central and Wan Chai is not only impossible but also utterly useless. Ok, fine, they could attract tourists. But there is not enough people living/working on the harbour front to sustain a tram line. Not to mention MTR is also planning for a North Island Line right now so the proposed tram line will overlap with the future NIL of MTR. It is also completely cut off from everything else and almost impossible to connect the proposed tram line to the existing tram lines without turning the current road traffic into an absolute mess.

Lastly, if they raise the long-lived 2 HKD fare for tram, I will not only be a secret Connex hater, but also an official Veolia hater!

那麼，其實我骨子裡也真的很本地：

1. 全世界最喜歡的食物是清湯牛腩河。這個你一離開香港便不可能找得到。我在墨爾本住了四年也找不到一個像樣的牛腩河，清湯牛腩河更是問都不用問。所以我好慶幸香港的住處位於香港島，因為全世界最好吃的清湯牛腩河都可以在香港島找得到。
2. 我的嘴diu-ness，有一半也是拜香港所賜。另一半就是歐洲加墨爾本。
3. 我喜歡坐交通公具多過駕車。香港交通工具之發達，其實真的是全世界無人能及。
4. 我認為全世界最浪漫的地方是坐電車上層的最前排，天星小輪的下層也是。（但最好是夜晚。）大家可以多點約我過海或遊電車河。（如果我在香港。）
5. 這個世界其實真的沒有甚麼地方能妣美香港的夜景。新加玻斯多哥爾摩不可以，悉尼墨爾本不可以，連倫敦巴黎都不可以。
6. 我可以不在日本但日日吃壽司。
7. 昂平３６０原來好靚，大家可以去一下。
8. 我愛海洋公園多於廸廸尼。
9. 精通廣東話以及說話很快，應該也算很本地。
10. 本文的爛中文，也正正反映不少香港青年的中文程度。

我唯二最不本地的，應該是我不喜歡吃飯，和我真的很怕很迫很多人。

後話：本文特用中文，望增加本文的說服力。

The following is a selection from The Most Romantic Movie Proposals of All Times via mad dog. And me being me, of course I have some comments about them…!

Walk the Line: When June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) told Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) that the only time he was allowed to speak to her was when they were onstage, she probably didn’t have a public proposal in mind. “I have asked you 40 different ways, and it’s time you came up with a fresh answer…You’re my best friend. Marry me,” Johnny says to June, mid-duet. He tells her—and the audience—that he won’t finish the song until she says yes. Cue the kiss.

- Seriously, I don’t think a girl – well, at least me – could say no to a guy that had the persistence to asked the 40th time and the gut to propose on stage. But to some extent, I would rather a more private proposal… I mean, what if I am not ready?! And if I have the slightest feeling for you, I wouldn’t have the heart to hurt or embarrass you by saying no in front of everyone. So in a way, by proposing in the public, I think you are actually cornering me to say yes.

Sweet Home Alabama: What woman’s heart didn’t melt when Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) took Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) to Tiffany’s—after-hours, no less!—and got down on one knee right in the store? As if that weren’t romantic enough, the scene really entered fantasyland when he gestured to every diamond around and said, “Pick one.” Average guys didn’t stand a chance after that one.

- Okay, in the fantasy world, I don’t think I could reject Patrick Dempsey’s proposal. But hey, if you have the gut to propose, please follow through by picking the ring that you think would suit me the best. Seriously, I think that part is super not romantic but materialistic. It’s like ‘Ha, I have got rosebuds, who can say no to that?’ Well, think again, I don’t want a guy who don’t care enough to pick the ring. Because I do think picking the ring is an important part of the proposal. It doesn’t matter how many caret it is or whether the clarity is good or not but the work you have put into it. The fact that you have money does not mean everything.

Love Actually: The English flick was filled with more romantic gestures than even Cupid could stomach, but the most aww-worthy of all occurred when Jamie (Colin Firth) proposes to his summer housekeeper in the restaurant where she worked.

“Beautiful Aurelia,” he said in broken Portuguese. “I’ve come here with a view to asking you to marriage me…Of course I don’t expecting you to be as foolish as me, and of course I prediction you say no, but it’s Christmas, and I just wanted to…check.”

“Thank you,” responds Auriela (Lúcia Moniz). “That will be nice. Yes is being my answer.”

“You learned English?” asks Jamie.

“Just in cases,” she says.

- My heart totally melted at that scene. I mean, Jamie learnt Portuguese for that girl. Flew across the English Channel for that girl (well, not that it’s tough). Proposed in front of strangers in a foreign language in a foreign country without knowing whether he had a chance at all! Imagine the amount of effort he had put into it! I would totally say yes.

In her shoes: Foodies, rejoice! Popping the question at a fancy restaurant isn’t all that original. But slipping the ring on a piece of shrimp and rotating the plate so she can see it? That definitely gets points for creativity, and it’s just how Simon (Mark Feuerstein) proposed to Rose (Toni Collette) in this novel-based chick flick.

- Actually, enough with the food!!! What’s the matter with people always wanting to hide the ring in the food. It doesn’t matter which piece of food you are hiding it in, it’s still a piece of food. Very unoriginal.

Anyway, I think I came out of the movie theatre more satisfied than I thought I would be. It started off somehow comedian but then the romantic elements of the started stemming after an hour of the film had started. We should not forget that this film also address the issue of stolen generation. (It’s not new, but Luhrmann did a great job making the process of learning about stolen generation more tolerable i.e. way better than what Rabbit-proof Fence did.) Also, considering that this film is longer than 2.45 hours, Luhrmann deserves a medal for that there weren’t any dull moments. And hell, watching Hugh Jackman showering in the outback and riding a horse in an impeccable manner cannot be that shabby.

However, what I do enjoy more than the movie itself are the movie reviews. Foreign film critics are generally quite gentle while Aussie film critics couldn’t be more critical to their national film. The Age, Canberra Times and Western Australian all gave neutral to negative film reviews. But I guess that’s only true to the Aussie culture… and they really cracked me up!

Here’s what Schembri of Canberra Times said:

As for the visuals, the film is pretty — you cannot point a camera at the outback and not get something impressive — but there are only so many wide shots of the Aussie outback that the human mind can stand.

And finally, this speaks my heart:

If only Baz had made the damn thing shorter by at least half an hour.

And I couldn’t agree more about that.

When you read a novel, a fiction, or a whatever, to me, at least, the most enchanting part is always the progress of falling in love, or pursuing love but never the happy-ending. Nothing interests me after the girl gets the boy, the boy gets the girl, the girl gets the girl, or the boy gets the boy unless an extramarital affair involves or someone cheats. Believe me or not, I am neither melodramatic nor pessimistic. I do love happy-ending once in a while when I feel like the world is a horrible place. But they are never the most memorable footage. An unresolved love story makes you keep thinking about it. A resolved love story, however, leaves no room for your imagination and you just stop thinking about it all together. Because the only thing to tell in a fulfilling love story is the outcome whereas in an unresolved love story, every single detail tells the story.

Recently, I have discovered my most favourite scene in Grey’s Anatomy: after Mark first appeared in the show, being punched by Derek, pleading for Addison to go back to NY with him and then sitting at Joe’s talking to Meredith whilst waiting for Addison to show.

Meredith: What are you still doing here?

Mark: I am hoping Addison shows up.

Meredith: You are still in love with her?

Mark: You are still in love with him.

Meredith: She won’t show, you know. He’s not the kind of guy who leaves if he can help it.

Mark: What if you were wrong? What if just this once, life comes down on the side of the dirty mistresses?

For the record, it’s not that I like it when Meredith and Derek’s relationship kept circling the drain, but I’ve never seen Meredith more in love with Derek in that scene, even without Derek being physical presence. To Meredith, watching Mark waiting for Addison to show was déjà vu to her and she knew the outcome. At that moment, you realised how deeply Meredith was hurt and accepted the fate that she was just the adulterous whore. It seemed that she had completely given up but as Mark said, she was still in love with him. And that was the unfulfilled love.

Now I have come to understand,
The way it is,
It’s not a secret anymore,
’cause we’ve been through that before,
From tonight I know that you’re the only one,
I’ve been confused and in the dark,
Now I understand,

I wonder why it is,
I don’t argue like this,
With anyone but you,
I wonder why it is,
I wont let my guard down,
For anyone but you
We do it all the time,
Blowing out my mind,

Just like a star across my sky,
Just like an angel off the page,
You have appeared to my life,
Feel like I’ll never be the same,
Just like a song in my heart,
Just like oil on my hands

- Like A Star, Corinne Bailey Rae

The one very important reason that I like writing better is that I think it’s much more solid – a piece of writing is something you can keep and it’s black and white, forever. It’s also probably the field I am in that makes me realise how important writing is. (But being orally convincing is just as important in planning.) It’s probably the black and white part makes it very solemn which is what I think I can’t achieve when I talk.

Another thing is that I am trying to talk less because I have observed an effect of talking less – when you talk less, people pay more attention at you when you say something, at least to my impression. For example, when a gossip is talking, you don’t always pay her/him full attention, because she/he is always talking anyway. But when someone rarely talks has something to say, you tend to take it more seriously because you think she/he wouldn’t say anything unless she/he NEEDS to say something important.

I am not saying that I despise people who talks a lot (I may find it a little bit annoying though… so yeah, feel free to think that I am an annoying person.) or people who talk too much has no substance or that that I despise talking as a communication. In fact, I couldn’t agree more about talking being the next most important tool. In terms of speed, it’s probably the best communication tool in the modern world. I mean, what’s faster than talking to your opponent up front face-to-face. It’s also the most instant reaction that you can get out of someone. People cannot be more her/himself when she/he is talking. You always think people think twice or thrice before they talk – but they don’t. At least they think less when they talk when compare to writing. And there’s also no turning back when you are communicating verbally. With writing, you can proof-read it and fine tune the language to make sure what you want to say comes out right. But when words roll out from your tongue, there is no turning back.

The last very impressive speech I have heard was given by Christine Loh at the Central Waterfront proposal forum last Saturday. She was just talking by herself with no fancy visual presentation and yet her speech wasn’t any less memorable than other presentations that were presented on the forum – actually the message that she delivered was the only one that I can still clearly remember. See, talking can have quite a permanent effect too!

I think I just can’t handle the fact that I couldn’t master it hence liking it less than writing… and now you have just spent minutes reading my completely pointless rant. See, I told you, I am not very good at writing either.