Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts

Friday, January 30, 2009

Happy Year of the Ox

Still 2 more days to go... Start work next monday.

tried to be healthy this week: went to yoga for 3 times, study japanese, meeting with friends..

wish it's going to be smooth year for everyone.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Obama Inagural Speech

(CNN) -- Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and the nation's first African-American president Tuesday. This is a transcript of his prepared speech.

In his speech Tuesday, President Obama said America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Vivienne Westwood & GCGooBie

http://www.viviennewestwood.com.hk/common/index.htm

Still haven't visit this exhibition yet.. and found out the talk by gcgoobie is full already....

Happy 2009!

It's 2009! Wish everyone a healthy and happy 2009!

~~LOVE~~LOVE~~LOVE~~LOVE~~LOVE~~LOVE~~LOVE~~LOVE~~

Friday, December 26, 2008

Closer Look....

Let's take a close up to the ones I really like..I espcially loves the bunch of roses..

Handmade Soap


Previously i've made more MP soap.. and these are with a little touch of color.. these are not as moisturising as the other MP soap, but I've added Vit E, Olive Oil and a few drops of lavender essential oil.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Petit Morpho


finally paid a visit to Petit Morpho - a little shop which sells handmade items - during a sunday.. (lucky me, they've opened on last Sat & Sun in Nov). I wasn't into these rubber stamps for a long time... recently, when read about this shop, I like them very much.
They are actually opening during Dec 15-24, everyday from 12pm-7pm..

Monday, December 8, 2008

2009 coming!


I was wondering where to get the 2009 Gaspard et Lisa diary, was hoping to ask my friend who will be traveling to sapporo to help me buy at Chitose Airport.... Suddenly saw it at Apita today during lunch time... haha... I'm really happy about this, can start writing on it....

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A Saturday




sunny saturday.. when I heading out for yoga class, I walked slowly down hill...I really like the flowers & greenery.. wish the weather like this everyday


Monday, November 17, 2008

Carrie Chau at Times Sq


Merry X'Mas.!!!!
a little park created by Carrie Chau in front of Times Sq.. go take photos la... Those decorations indoor are still work in progress.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

This Week

My major tasks this week:
  1. finalising the Terms & Conditions of a renewal contract with partner
  2. pmp with boss
  3. consolidating who is eating beef / fish for the upcoming event on friday (?? do you believe I'm doing this? haha..) and fixing the seating plan
  4. figuring out what our bosses will wear and don't want to overdress (nor underdress)
  5. work out the conversion process of xxx.. and align with risk team

leave on time for japanese class.. unfortunately, need to miss friday class due to the "black tie" event.. ai... entertaining business partners... ai.. what an interesting friday evening

44th President of United States


Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Flyfaster

apply one
http://www.americanexpress.com/hk/en/campaigns/flyfaster/default.shtml

what a day

Yesterday, colleauges were busy arranging the cancellation of the event tonight. "she" really attract "water", there were typhoon during launch party and again, typhoon on the celebration party day. money wasted.. event cancelled... hope for next year.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Funny



the other day when chatting with our dear CFO, he reminded me of Wallace & Gromit. When I was trying to explain to my colleague what this is... I found this. I think tvb has took copied "hung yee"'s style from Wendolene

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Golf Championship


It's our annual centurion golf championship yesterday. Spent a day at clear water bay golf club.. helping at the registration desk, meeting over 70 cardmembers today..It's also so much relaxing as it's a short gun start.. everyone coming around the same time.. it's good to have a day seeing the greens.. no more laptop.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

SPCS




a day off today

- was going to meet my dad

- suddenly realised I have to walk pass SPCS.. why dont I go in and have a look?

- this is the primary section

- I was here for P6 only; P5 and before was the old school building

- remembered all the running around, jumping, playing basketball, listening to Culture Club, Duran Duran ... so happy

Monday, August 18, 2008

Mr Snow White and Mr Cinderalla

I really like the poster.. very stylish and "ying". Will watch with kaekae la. Need to go get tickets tmr morning.

2008 Beijing Olympic Opening Ceremony

Read about the below, worthwhile sharing. It's definitely now live performance, but didn't realised it sang by someone else. Since it's featured in the Programme, I think it's fair to both little girl already. This is, again, the Press (esp US) pinpointing to China.. whatever China do, they will create an angle to complaint.

發覺網上也有些青年怒駡北京奧運開幕時"咪嘴"及"電腦腳印烟花"的「造假」, 覺得感情被騙云云, 中國愛面子不知所謂...(又發覺部份青年又是那些不支持北京辦奧運的人..........人, 果然是奇妙.......)作為過氣電視製作人, 實在不得不出聲。其實看現場直播時已知那不是小妹妹現場唱的。嘴型不夾; 聲線的感情投入跟現場表演那妹妹的輕鬆甜美笑容表情又不配合; 經電視聽到的歌聲很空洞, 應該是經過處理的不是現場收音...... 當然我不知道是由另一位小妹妹唱的(anyway, 這點對我來說毫不重要, 沒有深究)。就是"幕後代唱", 我也不覺是問題。因為這個奧運開幕是一場show, 跟其他show一樣, 總不會很傻很天真以為眼見耳聽的一切是現實吧? 真的不能分辦不出來嗎?若有人覺得這樣也算被騙了, 而這刻才發覺...... sorry, 你已被騙了很多次而又懵然不知。

無論"幕前演出"及"幕後代唱", 兩位小妹妹的名字也是印了在場刊上。

2008 Amex Bowling Day


There was an Amex bowling day at Olympian City 2 weekend ago. Our Team is Lane11, the 8th (out of 13th). Luckily we got Gregg in the team, or else, we will be worse. Haha.. A bit disappointed to my own result. I should get better la, the problem is haven't played for a long time. Can't even hold a 9lb bowling ball steadily. My dad was very good gar, he formed a team with his friends from university and played in competition in HKSCA years ago (but that was years ago.. heehee)..