Friday 31 December 2010

gawwwd!

this is gonna sound so lame but, how time flies!!!
here we are, on the very last day of 2010!
oh-la-la-la-la! (yes, 4 la's just to emphasise how shocked i am.)
i actually think that this has been the best year of my life so far.
i've been doing nothing much yet i've done a lot.
i know that i really should not make up a list of new year's resolution, cos let's face it - i'm not gonna stick to it.

if i was to have only one thing done in the following year, it then should be:
live like everything's really gonna end in 2012.
just enjoy while we're still together in this world.
who knows in next life/another world what we would be, who we could be.

my twin sister


works here at guimet.
"this lady looks just like your twin sister!" says my friend.
"thanks a lot! at least i have a very classy look."

Wednesday 29 December 2010

the G-town

before actually going, the 2 only comments i had when people were told that i was going to geneva were:
one, it's sooo pretty there.
two, it's so clean.
just like how i have always heard people saying about any swiss town.
clean and pretty.
perfect at all times, take a random picture, it looks just like a postcard.
so i didn't exactly have high expectations, i thought it'd be a bit dull.
with a lake and mountains, i thought it'd just be like queenstown, but the prettier european version.
i was WRONG.

if no two leaves can be the same.
no two towns would be, either.
despite the fact that i missed my last train into town and the temperature dropped from something like 10 (in bordeaux) to -2.
it didn't look glamourous at night with everything covered in snow.
the streets aren't exactly clean clean either, there were, still rubbish here and there.

things changed the next morning, here are a couple of things that i liked about geneva:
1. public transportation is not confusing. i just hop on a tram, at the exact time as indicated on the timetable. it gets me pretty much everywhere. there aren't some 14 (if not more) metro lines and couple of more RER train lines and TERs that connect further out to the surburbs.

2. cars GIVE WAY to peds even when there's no peds crossings or peds crossing lights. when they see people, they STOP. which is not commonly practised in france in general. this is one of the many things that i don't like about france. how hard is it to just stop for pedestrians and wait till they walk across to the other side of the road? it's not like i'm trying to cross a mega 8-lane boulevard with a broken leg walking on my crutches...

3. unlike the stories that you've been told, swiss people do jaywalk, too. though the old lady, as the main character in the stories, still waits at traffic lights till the little green man comes up. i can't possibly behave badly when standing right opposite to an old lady, can i? so i wait, too.

4. people are not pretentious. they smile at you when you have eye contacts with them. well, not all of them, but this is something different, too.

5. people are kind, they won't make faces, sigh out of impatience ALOUD and roll eyes when a foreigner who doesn't speak their language is trying hard to get a tram ticket but makes them wait in the queue. instead, they would come up and try to help.

6. the tpg is so generous and trusting. why should they not be? everyone buys his tickets at the ticketing machine at bus/tram stops and then hops on without being checked for tickets. you can surely get away with not buying tickets, but why would you? i mean i understand how some people would rather not spend a franc or 2 because you won't get checked upon. but i just thought i'd be honest, and reciprocate the trust.

7. precision. i was deeply impressed at the station to find that all the clocks are in synchronicity - that is, even the second hands are moving in synchronicity. this is some serious over-precision, but i loved it. i still remember how in sheepland, the clocks in our classrooms told different time from the clock in our clock tower, the difference could well be an hour ahead or an hour behind during daylight saving starting/ending days. i don't think this would ever happen in geneva or swizterland in general.

8. cuteness in the bush. while i was walking by the UN in the bush, off grass certainly, i saw a wooden bird house, hanging off the branches. i only saw one of those, but after a closer look, i saw lots of small pockets hanging around in trees! they were actually feeding those birds! how sweet and loving is that!

i might seem to be quite laid back about things, but deep down, i WANT to be an organised person and i want order and precision just like how it is done in switzerland.

Saturday 25 December 2010

a picture is worth...



this pic is taken for cat-lovers, yes, you know who you are.
the cat kept wanting to get close to me and rub himself/herself against my boots (you know, my boots are rather handsome if you're interested), i totally freaked out...


love birds, literally. life is not about luxurious trips and extravagant gifts (although those would be nice, too), it's about finding little things that make life beautiful.


as much as i'd like to be rocking on these horses while enjoying the beautiful sceneries.
there's a big sign saying "no older than 3 years!" that put me off... oh well, they do look rather 'antique' like and i don't wanna get a big bill from the geneva city council.


let's go round and round and round and round till we throw up!
(now, i suddenly realised why there's a rubbish bin in the picture! duh!)


finally, winter fun in the snow!
i don't know how i took these pictures cos my hands were frozen like ice lollies and it's a miracle that they didn't fall off. (touch wood)

thanks for reading and enjoy your day(s) off work! XDDD
now go out and contribute to the GDP so that our govt can keep sending planes to heathrow and get our poor kids back!
don't mind us who're stuck on the continent though, we're capable enough of handling the sh*tty situation ourselves.
at least we could just run/walk all the way back cos we're not stuck on some island.

Friday 24 December 2010

~節~日~快~樂~


給大家一個大大的擁抱~

silver linings

Well, you saw it coming.
I was the victim of a pick-pocket experience at the Geneva airport.
On the bright side though, I had no problem telling everything in French at the police station and the officer asked if I lived in Switzerland.
I'll take that as a compliment!

More silver linings:
It was the least valuable thing in my bag.
Well, I guess an empty water bottle is rather rubbish like?
But thank god it wasn't anything else.
Even if it was my mittens I'd be in tears, on a freezing day like this!
I lost my sim card though, that's kinda annoying.

At the bus stop, someone came to me by asking "parlez vous francais?"
That's a first!
I must be more French-speaking-looking than English-speaking-looking then!

Without realising that Antwerp is Flemmish-speaking I hopped on the train.
Then it started to pull in and all the announcements sounded like "rah rah rah rah".
I then automatically switched the English-speaking part of my brain back on.
On the metro though, the lady sat next to me excused herself out by asking me in French not in English! (Weird?)

Then I was greeted in Flemmish a couple of more times.
Thank god that I asked the lady at tourism info desk how to say some basic words in Flemmish.
And while in Brussels no one ever hesitated by initiating a conversation in French.
I mean this is an international city, it's not in France where people don't actually give a toss about the fact that you don't speak a word of their language and they insist on only speaking French with you while doing a lot of hand-gestures.
They usually would be willing and are able to communicate in English (unlike their gaulois neighbours).

So yeah, 4 days on the trip only, 1 lost phone and so much more silver linings.
Plus, am having a stunning white xmas.
Really can't complain.

Tuesday 21 December 2010

bonjour? hallo? hello hi!

My trip started really well with a lovely sunny and warm day in Bordeaux.
Oh how I love the SW part of France!
Then my plane got delayed for an hour for no obvious reasons.
I suspect, though, the arrangement was made to transport those angry English passengers across the channel.
They've been having a hard time, yes, I'll wait for the next plane to make their life easier.

Though sometimes the world does not evolve around you as you wish.
So, after collecting my bag on the French territory at the Geneva airport and failing to remember my pincode to my credit card (!) I obviously missed my last train to town.

La Suisse is such an amazing country.
There's even a French territory section at the Geneva airport.
I bet there must be a German equivalent at airports bordering Germany.
(This was set up before they joined Schengen I think, cos you no longer need a separate Swiss visa to enter the country.)

On top of my loud music, I can hear all sorts of languages being spoken in the street.
French, German, Italian, Spanish, English, Russian...
I am not well-travelled enough but by far, this is the most international city I've ever been in.
You'll never know what language to use to communicate with a stranger.
On my way to the UN, I ran into two ladies who clearly looked local enough but did not speak a word of French! They still gave me the correct direction anyway.
So I guess the first thing anyone should do to avoid such situation is dash to the office de tourisme and ask for a map?

Oh, just one another thing, it'd be super unfair if the SAR govt sends a plane to collect kids from london just to get them home for xmas.
I shall take it to the street french style.
C'mon, there're also kids on the continent who have been held up too.
What are you gonna do about them?
If they can't go home for xmas, tant-pis, learn to live with it and grow up.
Being overseas studying is more than just escaping the competition at home(and many more reasons I shall not pronounce).
It's also about learning the fact that life sucks at times and no matter how powerful your parents might be, they can't beat mother nature.

Sunday 19 December 2010

每日一篇正能量


圖片來源:etsy

Saturday 18 December 2010

每日一篇正能量

1. 每個月總有那麼三十幾天不想上班。
2. 我用一麻袋的錢上大學,換了一麻袋書;畢業了,用這些書還錢,卻買不起一個麻袋。
3. 給自己改個英文名,叫壓力山大。

5. 旅行就是從自己厭倦了的地方到別人厭倦了地方去。
6. 消防車再不來,火就要滅了啊。
7. 養魚蠻麻煩的,每個禮拜要換一次水,因為經常忘記,最後只能一個禮拜換一次魚了。
8. 這個世界上最恐怖的不是被恐怖分子劫持,而是等菲律賓的警察去營救。

佳 節 愉 快

感謝,C校,一年班,6歲的nastasia填色。

Friday 17 December 2010

Wednesday 15 December 2010

成功的定義

我做不到三十歲之前可以去銀行不用排隊。
我做不到三十歲之前名聲大噪。
我或許三十歲前不會成家立室,假裝自己是個有承擔的人。
更無可能三十歲買得起一層樓。
甚至三十歲前找到一份看上去很美麗的工作,我也未必能做到。
更遑論要自己麾下有幾個兵。

所以,在各種社會的定義下,我這樣的人,都談不上成功。
但有什麽要緊呢。
當我踏進學校,穿過操場,有幾個小魔怪張開雙臂,呼喊著朝我飛奔過來索吻的時候。
我覺得我已經成功了。

如果每個人的生活是一本書,那強迫自己把「成功」劃一成與別相同,那自傳豈不是變成了字典嗎?

Tuesday 14 December 2010

學校的瑣事


我的畫技得到了一眾小朋友的肯定。
大家一致認同我的聖誕樹畫得惟妙惟肖……
果然是重英雄,識英雄!
小的在此謝過了。

課間大家都圍上來問我熊貓先生康復了沒有。
聽到他身體健康之後大家都很欣慰。
對熊貓先生再次出山輔助我上課,大家十分期待。
上課期間,有個孩子不停地走到我跟前要求和熊貓先生見面。
他還給熊貓先生取了個昵稱曰pandi

下課之後是午餐時間。
我去走廊幫助監督小朋友們排隊,順便幫一些小朋友穿外套。
有幾個穿完外套的,奔過來索吻。
哎喲喲。
太熱情了,把我都融化了。

Monday 13 December 2010

每日一篇正能量

問題:醫院裡發藥的阿姨為什麼要戴口罩?

小朋友A:因為院長怕她們偷吃。 (難道藥好吃?)

立即有個小朋友搶著說道:那些拿手術刀的叔叔戴口罩是不是怕他們聚餐啊? (暈……)

小朋友B:因為要講衛生,怕口水流下來。 (戴口罩原來是不讓口水流下來啊…)

煮婦日記

不知何故,去到超市總是忘記買糖。
最後只好想方設法尋找替代品。

於是番薯糖水,便和蘋果一起煮。
紅燒肉的冰糖便以蜜糖代替。
結果居然還都不賴。

看來我C某還是甚有烹飪天賦。
多得資源稀缺和自己的懶惰性。
竟然讓我體會到煮飯的樂趣。

妙。

Sunday 12 December 2010

每日一篇正能量

問題:什麼動物兩隻腳,早上太陽公公起來的時候,它會叫你起床?

小朋友A:雞,公雞。 (另一個小孩叫道:父雞)

很好奇地問:什麼叫父雞?

小朋友:母雞叫母雞,公雞就叫父雞。 (恍然大悟……)

小朋友B:媽媽。

小朋友C:太陽。 (汗……太陽它不是動物啊)

繼續問:太陽長腳嗎?

小朋友C:太陽有五隻腳。 (另一個小孩反駁:七隻,彩虹是七種顏色的)

Saturday 11 December 2010

sans titre

1. 午飯的時候校長來到我們的休息室。禮貌性地問候我在法國是否習慣。
我告訴他,我覺得法國是世界上最讃的國家,眾人聽了笑。
但確實如此嘛,要是我不覺得她這麼讃,我又為何要來呢?
否則我應該去米國啊,袋鼠國啊之類的,對否?
隨後他問我,覺得法國人如何?
未等我答,另一個老師說,覺得大家很裝逼吧~(請原諒我的措辭,原話是prétentieux,但裝逼更傳神嘛~)
「也不是啦,我覺得全世界都很裝啊。」
校長對我大讚!奉勸我以後去從政。
是在罵我吧?

2. 聽說特首開了微博?
好潮啊。
其實特首擠得出時間花在這個上面嗎?
好忙哦,他。
又要玩非死不可,又要玩微博,他好像還有寫博的,還要正常上班,還出席馬拉松似的各大會議,還要現身日間的各項活動、晚間的各大飯局~
嘩~不勝枚舉啊~
光是re稿都很費時吧。
變出三頭六臂都未必做得完全部吧。

3. 事隔兩年,各大報章又開始說梁展文的事件了。
坊間呼喚局長下台「問責」。
首先我要承認我的觀點是個人立場,可能有失偏頗。
只不過,反過來再想想,這屆政府還剩1年半的時間。
局長要是真的要下台,又何以這麼迅速找人來頂替呢。
誰人又願意半路揀個燙手山芋呢?
再者,真的要問責應該事發的時候就鞠躬走人了,何必等到現在?
所以其實,「深層次的矛盾」究竟是什麽?
問責制本身,還是高層的高層領導無方?
又其實,我們需要的究竟是怎樣的一個人來當這個高層的高層呢?

每日一篇正能量


這套能貓的衣服太有型了。
而且應該很保暖。
我需要它。

Friday 10 December 2010

節日氣氛


閃燈囉~閃燈囉~
市政廳大樓掛起了燈飾,門前還有偌大幾棵聖誕樹。
節日氣氛漸濃,好溫馨。

入鄉隨俗

抵埠兩月有餘,法蘭西文「進步神速」——大踏步向後前進。
絕對難以相信我是一個考過了DELF B2的人——我可以在考場上對社會問題發表雄辯,在日常生活中,溝通卻舉步維艱。
除此之外,倒是沾染了些法蘭西人民的其他生活作息習慣。

一,放棄了我對咖啡的執著底線。
據說羊國是義大利之外,咖啡館文化最濃郁的國家。
無奈,在法蘭西,大家都只是飲小杯的黑咖啡。
初來時甚不慣。
因此發生過,在首都看見星$像見到親人般的悲劇場面,於此不贅。
現在卻已經融入他們的一員,齋啡加糖,喝得不亦樂乎。

二,飯後一點甜。
鄙人生活習慣異常,飯畢通常飯氣攻心。
吃不下任何其他食物。
一般有甜品也是拒之千里之外。
只因開頭太猛,毫無節制。
現在已經順利地融入我的同事當中,吃完飯,休閒地吃個甜點。
仿佛沒有吃過甜的,此餐不完整似的。
甜點畢,齋啡上。

三,關於那外脆內鬆軟的法包。
大約亦是生活習慣,一個人住的時候很少買麵包吃。
一整袋的吐司包,要吃到何年何月才能見底?
何況那鬆軟到可以當蹦床的吐司保鮮期不過三日。
常常是未吃完一半已經要扔掉。
且我不是可以忍受買來新鮮麵包直接可以扔進急凍室的人。
好好的麵包如此給糟蹋了。
雖說多士爐出來,抹上亂七八糟若干種醬之後口味也都差不多……
自從那次在小朋友的餐廳自取餐包兩枚之後,便愛不釋手。
日日新鮮,清早由指定麵包房專車送到。
外皮烤得香脆鬆化,內裡綿軟有嚼頭。
於是,你便經常可以見到我在下學的路上,在附近的麵包房出現。
更有甚者,吃相也。
一定是以包擦拭碟子上的各種醬汁,仿似在洗碟子般。
吃完碟子乾淨地可以照出臉。

四,重複重複再重複。
法蘭西人民對著裝的追求是一個很神秘的概念。
在法蘭西,重複重複,再重複地穿同一套衣服,是被接受的。
是再正常不過的。
這對於我這個輕裝上陣來到此地的人來說,無疑是個天大的喜訊。
只要不是連續兩天重複,已經十分合理。
根據我的觀察,即使天天穿同樣的衣服亦非不正常……
真正懶人的福音呀~


pic credit: pixfan.com, willy ronis

到了法蘭西,就應當跟法蘭西人做一樣的事情嘛。
要是還是維持原來的生活習慣,那和沒有來就沒什麼區別了啊。

Thursday 9 December 2010

Wednesday 8 December 2010

是風水輪流轉嗎?


pic credit: NYTimes

還是對手太厲害,而我們仍然被蒙在鼓裡呢?
別搞什麽直資啊,排隊等位入學的了。
也別去國外了,直接北上拉倒。
反正各大重點學校都備有國際部,還有IB課程提供。
打開人脈之餘,也算是另一種磨練。
人家英國名校回來的企業家第三代,不是正要去復旦嗎?

每日一篇正能量



題目:人扮熊貓替熊貓 BB體檢
來自: lu的分享

這套衣服手工頗精美。
不知是否價錢公道呢?
有人想要喔~

Tuesday 7 December 2010

今日自省

生活大概本來就應該是不開心的時候居多的。
因為這樣才能凸顯歡樂時光的正面效應呀。
要是分分秒秒都快樂永相隨,那稍稍不開心一點不就是大大地降低了總體歡快水平嗎?
所以說,一切都是相對的吧。

說到底,人生畢竟是受苦的時候比較多。
想開點也就好了。
任何的磨煉都有利心智發展吧。
雖說並非人人得以從頑石變成一塊美玉。
一則是資質不夠,二則是時辰未到。

或者最終,我們需要弄清的是快樂的定義。
它究竟是用來展示給別人看,從而取得自我肯定的。
還是用來自己體會的。

於是我想到智者說過的一句話:獲得內心安寧的,都是價值觀穩定的人。

不環保的小衛士



當你回家滿心歡喜地打開信箱卻總是發現一堆帳單和政府公函。
於是在這雞肋的「佳節」期間,凡是帶點喜慶色彩的,都特別討喜。
又法蘭西人民還真是頗環保。
知道閣下也不過是想看到一張歡天喜地充滿過節氣氛的彩色圖片。
於是劃一造成明信片樣,只此一片,正面圖像,背面書寫,一點也不似傳統卡片留出許多無謂的空白。
是否寫滿它好呢?頗讓人費神的。
忽覺他們亦精於「螺螄殼裡做道場」之術。
大讚!

又:在書店發現有文房四寶,實在震撼了一下。

Monday 6 December 2010

Sunday 5 December 2010

sans titre

人生真是充滿了矛盾啊。
平素常埋怨說中國家庭很少大聲說出自己的愛的。
今日卻被家母連番幾句,「我愛你」,「我想你」呀之類的嚇到。
口不對心,說的就是我。
果然無恥風範不減。

平日很少拍照的我。
忽然見到相中自己的笑容十分扭曲。
不知道是因為胖。
還是因為歲月留痕啊。
終於還是輪到我了。
心照心照。

中午在一間粉紅色的餐廳吃了個早中飯。
原來老闆娘是我某個2年班的學生家長!
世界真是小。

近來記憶力似是又有衰退跡象。
我是否已經到了需要開始進補銀杏的地步了呢?

今日終於放晴,於是心情大靚。
本想在自由市場買一捧花回來的。
哪知現金用光了,於是灰溜溜回家。
怎知在超市買完酸奶,卻捧了一株仙人掌回家。
樂。

底線何在?

通常情況下,我是不大亂來的。
因為我的人生目標是要做一名隱形的人。
所以能忍讓的,我通常就眼開眼閉了。
好火卻假裝溫婉的我,底線總歸是有的。

若干次在上課前2分鐘才被通知今日英文課取消之後,我已經頗有怨言。
中午吃飯的空檔,趁機旁敲側擊了其他老師。
「其實你們下午的課間休息究竟為時多久?若是像上次一樣休息一個小時的,響鈴之後x老師又告訴我剩下15分鐘,不夠時間上課的,請現在就告知我,不用再浪費我的時間了。」
那個老師聽到我這麼講,有點過意不去。
解釋那次是偶爾為之,並非每次都是休息一個小時。
這麼不想上課,乾脆罷工好了,反正罷工也一樣拿薪水。

到了昨日,我的火頭終於被點燃了。
平素我步行到學校10:30,正值學生課間休息。
一群尖叫著互相追打的孩子們會在操場上撒野。
昨日的操場平靜出奇。
幸而我看見L老師在二樓的窗口,不然一定是以為全校放假。

走進學校方發現大事不妙。
課室門口的衣物架上沒有衣服,沒有書包,空空如也。
走上樓,4年級和5年級的課室門口也是什麽都沒有!
敲門,無人應。
推門一看,空的。

晴天霹靂啊!

我早早來到學校上課,你們竟然給我來個空城計!
平時玩得我還不夠嗎?
這樣玩也太大了吧?

二話不說,我立刻搬出手提電腦。
直接向地方督學處寫了一封電郵:
「親愛的寶兒,
我不得不以英文書寫此信,因我無法將我的憤怒以流利的法文表達出來。
B校的所作所為實在令我扯火。
臨時取消課程數次,已經不算什麽。
今日我來到學校,發現高年級的學生沒有一個在學校!
請轉告學校,下次如果有相同情況發生,請提前一天告知,讓我有個心理準備。
鑒於我受薪於法蘭西政府,請給予我相等的基本尊重。」

我並非是要拿出我母狗的作風。
只不過你們拿我當無物實非君子所為。
要我當母狗又不是什麽難事。
只是以禮相待真的有這麼難嗎?
那恕我無禮了。

要知道,我並非昨天出生。
也不是什麽剛出社會工作的愣頭青。
要耍無賴嗎?
來吧,我等你。
儘管放馬過來。

Friday 3 December 2010

熊貓先生生病了

爲了引出今天上課的內容,我隨口編了個故事,說熊貓先生生病了,於是他給我打了個電話,說他今天不能來上學。
可把孩子們急壞了。
「他怎麼會生病的呀?」
「他跟你一樣,頭痛嗎?」
(我上課前告訴他們說我頭痛,所以你們必須安靜點。
聽我這麼講完,有個小女孩說,「哎呀,我可憐的xxx。」)

「他住在哪裡呀?」
「他生在巴黎嗎?」
「他其實不過是個襪子而已啊!」有個留著bob頭的超酷小女孩不屑。
「他有什麽病症嗎?」
「其實,他真的是個熊貓嗎?」超酷的小女孩有點動搖了。
「那當然了,他3歲了!」坐在他旁邊的小男孩堅定地說。
「你給他吃藥了嗎?」
「對對對,他病了,你一定要記得帶他去看醫生呀!」另一個小男孩以命令的口吻告訴我。

下課之後,有個金髮的小男孩一蹦一跳來到我跟前,「請轉告熊貓先生,我祝他早康!」
「噢,我一定會的,謝謝你。」

Thursday 2 December 2010

是日心曲



正巧這幾天在回看宮崎 駿