July 2, 2007

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  Dealbreaker

  
  

  The notion of a “dealbreaker” in a dating situation seems to be an alien concept here in the UK. As far as I know, it’s an American creation. Anything you do whilst dating can constitute as a dealbreaker – an act or a behaviour that will, in the mind of that person you’re dating, be used as the excuse to end it. It could be anything – the way you talk, walk, eat, laugh, shop, dress, leaving the toilet seat up/down, taste in music/films, anything. I can’t speak for all Brits, only for myself, and I would take the time to get to know that person, flaws and all, before making any conscious decision to continue dating her.   

  
  

  What would be your dealbreaker, if any?

  
  

  
  

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  Lucky Sod

  
  

  One week after I was away on my Asian trip, my colleague Marios discovered that Battlestar Galactica’s (BSG) Grace Park (Boomer/Sharon) was going to be in London for a convention. BSG is pretty popular among alot of my colleagues in my department and Grace Park is the one person from the TV show I would absolutely love to meet! Jealously ran through my veins when I’d returned from holiday to encounter Marios’ smug face. The guy had already met the other lovely ladies from BSG: Tricia Helfer (Number Six) and Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) and now Grace. I could throttle the guy!
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Marios dribbling all over Grace
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  “Say what? You want me to sign where? I don’t think so.”
   

  
  

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  Asian Trip: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lijiang, China
  

  
  

  Thursday 3rd May 2007 

  
  

  Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 5,600 metres (18,400 feet) high with 13 peaks and home to over 6000 plant species, 400 kinds of trees and one third of China’s known species of medicinal herbs and plants. A cable car ride can transport you to 4,506 metres high to play in the snow and view in awe at the glaciers. Unfortunately for me, due to the high volume of local tourists during Labour Day week, tickets for that cable car ride for the entire day were sold out. At 9 o’clock in the morning! The next best thing was a cable car up to Spruce Plateau at an altitude of 3,100 metres.

  
  

  After meeting Han, Jiang, Obei and Shirley in the Old Town, we set off to look for a driver to transport us to the Mountain. Han managed to negotiate a fee of only RMB100 for a round trip to the Mountain for the five of us! For a foreign tourist like Shirley and myself, I would have been expecting to pay in the region of RMB500 per person.
   

  
  

  

  
  

  Toll fee for entrance to the Mountain

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from a distance

  
  

  
  

  
  

  As close as my camera lens could reach

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Our driver paying the toll fee

  
  

  
  

  
  

  We’d disembarked at the Transport Terminal to pay for tickets and to board an official bus

  
  

  
  

  
  

  I’d never seen men’s toilets like these

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Hundreds of herbs on sale at the Terminal

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Are those cowboys browsing something that resemble dried turd?

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Waiting to board the cable car: Han, Jiang, Obei and Shirley

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The view waiting in line

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Corn-on-the-cob is a pretty popular snack – just don’t smile afterwards

  
  

  
  

  
  

  During the process of queuing, the waiting tourists were either entertained or tortured depending on your taste in music. Personally, it was worse than listening to nails scratching on a blackboard.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The word being obscured read “Horrorific”. Still doesn’t make any sense though.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The godawful music coupled with his goddamn singing were extremely horrorific!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Upon arrival at Spruce Plateau, Han immediately reached for some oxygen. Not really required.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  While Obei tucked into a boiled potato dipped in spices. I’d tried one and it was quite tasty.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Following the trail…

  
  

  
  

  
  

  …leading to the meadow. The surroundings, with its roaming horses, goats and yaks, were enchanting and serene.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  But I’d would rather be up there

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Say “Communism”

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Is he auditioning for the next season of Heroes?

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Naxi attire. That’s Naxi, not Nazi.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Cable car ferrying up while we headed down

  
  

  
  

  
  

  A short bus ride later, we were at White Water River where the melted snow from the Mountain flow down to. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  RMB500 for a ride on a water buffalo as Han demonstrates

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The buffalo is lead up to the water terraces and then back again. What a waste of RMB500.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  The view from the other side where the river flows to

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Heading back to Lijiang

  
  

  
  

  
  

  We had a drink at a British pub but we couldn’t decide on a destination for the following day. I’d toyed with the idea of going to Shangri-La but decided such a place of beauty deserves more than a couple of hours to truly appreciate it. Besides, I was bleary from four consecutive days of trekking and a respite was most welcome and paramount for my jaded body.   
  

  
  

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  Murphy’s Law For Travel

  
  

  1. No flight ever leaves on time unless you are running late and need the delay to make the flight.
  2. If you are running late for a flight, it will depart from the farthest gate within the terminal.
  3. If you arrive very early for a flight, it inevitably will be delayed.
  4. Flights never leave from Gate #1 at any terminal in the world.
  5. If you must work on your flight, you will experience turbulence as soon as you touch pen to paper.
  6. If you are assigned a middle seat, you can determine who has the seats on the aisle and the window while you are still in the boarding area. Just look for the two largest passengers.
  7. Only passengers seated in window seats ever have to get up to go to the lavatory.
  8. The crying baby on board your flight is always seated next to you.
  9. The best-looking woman on your flight is never seated next to you.
  10. The less carry-on luggage space available on an aircraft, the more carry-on luggage passengers will bring aboard.

  
  

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  Speed Limit?

  
  

  

  
  

   

  • 11:21 pm
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