I've been so busy at work lately cause the big wigs were coming around for 'inspection' and performance appraisal.  My current manager is a lovely man, a little reserved when he joined us late last year as I suspect he's the 'observe and then comment' type of guy.   Communications going great gun now and most importantly, he listens, supports and reward  Thank you JP.

On the homefront, my right knee and foot have been giving me trouble since last year and recreation/sports of any sorts are really restrictive.  I'm so frustrated cause I can't even go window shopping or out about  for more than 3 or 4 hours without feeling the strain.  Aiyooh!!  So, I let my 'eyeballs' do the work..........watching my chinese dvds and refreshing my mandarin at the same time (hahaha).  The mainland China productions are really great and I'm all into those period series.  I've also discovered a couple of new talents (well they've been around about 10yrs and I'm just discovering............forever, catching up).  They are namely Feng Shao Feng (from Shanghai)  and Hawick Lau (from Hong Kong and son of veteran actor Lau Dan) .  Hawick started at TVB but now films mostly in China and he's hugely popular due to his good looks and talent and some magazines often compare him to Hong Kong's Lam Fung.  Personally, Hawick is a lot better looking.  As for Shao Feng (reminds me a little of Leslie Cheung in the acting dept.....very flexible) , he's another screamer and like Hawick, both are so talented and versatile whether in period series or modern genre of comedy and drama.  I absolutely love them both.   For those interested, check out Hawick Lau's The Embroidery Workshop,  Rebirth Door (just to name 2 and available at Yesasia.com) and Feng Shao Feng's  latest Palace Lockheart,   Hope new fans out there will enjoy as much as I did.

Till then...........

How does one get so besotted and fasinated by someone who has left this earthly world eight years ago today?   The year was 2005 and I have just watched that movie called Farewell My Concubine.  Why did I pick this one among so many foreign movies in the dvd shop?  Partly because I enjoy cantonese opera and Leslie in his opera regalia looked ok on the cover-sleeve and besides it also starred Gong Li (whom I enjoy since " Raise the Red Lantern").   I must be honest here and say I was clueless about  Leslie  or even for that matter,  that he was a Hong Kong megastar in singing and acting.  (I have not been keeping up with Asian cinema since 1986).   Next day,  I remembered that I had actually purchased a dvd from HMV in Singapore earlier in 2002 (just for fun) and still haven't watched it and I thought Leslie was on the front cover too.   So there goes Alls Well That Ends Well.  Three minutes into the opening scene and I was hooked,  line & sinker!!    Leslie has drawn me into his world.......................

Dear Leslie GorGor's 8th year in passing is round the corner on April 1.   I know many of my Hong Kong friends (fans and devoted volunteer-cum-fans at RedMission whom I've got to know during my trip there last year will be in full attendance.again this year at his memoriam..  How I wish I could be there particularly so as I was told they' have a special announcement .   I've an idea of what it is going to be.

Come every April (and I can imagine even September 12, his birthday) I can see in my mind's eye,  all those beautiful bouquets & wreaths displayed outside the Mandarin Hotel , blocking off the whole 5-footway), Madam Tussaud's at the Peak (the room and  corridor leading to his wax display was perfumed by the huge wreaths & bouquets of roses, lilies, chrysanthemums, etc)  and some outside his house.  All of these only a portion of display of love and affection for dear Leslie by his devoted fans.  I, too, was grateful that I had a chance to place my flowers at all these venues.   He has many post-fans in Hong Kong, mainland and overseas and I hope they keep growing.

For those unaware, CNN Network USA had a poll in 2010 and GorGor Leslie was voted World #3 (after Michael Jackson & The Beatles) for Most Iconic Artist/Actor/Singer/Songwriter.  World number 3, so that would place him Number 1 in Asia, would it not????  Hong Kong (even mainland China, Taiwan and Japan)  have produced,  alive and dead ,   many talented top actors/actresses/singers (I'm also a Teresa Teng fan) but  Leslie is unmatchable.  Remember, this is almost 8 years AFTER his passing.   So, my dear friends, can you imagine what a colossal loss we have here?   This is the glory that Leslie has brought to the Hong Kong Film and Music Industry.  To do him justice, I personally hope that a bronze stature (like that of Bruce Lee) will also be erected on the Avenue of Stars in Tshimshatsui.   That will be the ultimate tribute to him.

Which brings us to my subject header :: 1516 (read is as fifteen sixteen in canto).........meaning  "undecided" if I still want to make that trip to Hong Kong this April.......  if not, perhaps Sept 12.

Love you Leslie, miss you much.................(boohoo.............)

Once upon a time, we always expect a Caucasian 'Captain' whenever we fly . Times have definitely changed over the years and when you fly Qantas, British Airways,  Cathay, KLM or Thai, chances are the chief in the cockpit may not necessary be an 'angmo' (meaning caucasian in Hokkien).  For no-frills travel,  thank goodness for budget airlines like JetStar , TigerAir, Virgin, etc, taking to the sky has become more affordable.

So, where am I going with this, you wonder??   To qualify to sit in the cockpit,  damn right your command of the English language has to be excellent - both spoken & written. .  Agree?  But why do we have mumbling captains?   On my recent trip to Singapore, I was on Jetstar.  Everything was lovely until the captain made the usual announcement......"Ladies & gentlemen, welcome on board Jetstar......etc"   So,  are we suppose to sacrifice no-frills for mumbling Captains??  I often wonder if they are trained to speak properly, i.e.  accurate pronounciation of the English language.  Personally speaking, I think they should have concise pronounciation no matter what race they may be.    Do their instructors not have trial runs sitting in the normal economy seats, having a good listen to their announcements??      These  mumbling announcements happen on many of the trips which I've made.  Am I the only one who notice them??  How about you??  Can't be bothered to listen ??  Try to make a note next time.

I've just returned from Singapore on a 7-day visit.   What a greeting I had upon arrival, they were into their 3rd day of monsoonal rain (non-stop).   I have not witnessed a tropical downpour like that for years and I was actually missing it.  A normal 1/2 hour journey from the airport to my grandma's home turned into 1 whole hour on the PIE (one of the freeway) and I'm sure much to the delight of the taxi driver,  cost me SGD46.!!! @$?>!*&!!+-@!! (normal fare below SGD30)    Despite this, I dont really mind cause the temperature was brought down and much cooler for the next 3 days.  

I had  a reunion dinner with 4 ex-colleagues that first night and it was so lovely to catch up and reminise.  Next day was lunch with 2 mates of mine (classmates from secondary school) whom I never fail to contact whenever I'm there .  One of them baked me scrumptious almond cookies.   Many friends were busy preparing for the festive days, so I kept contacts to a minimum.  Since first day of Chinese New Year was 2 days away, there were endless variety of chinese goodies (cookies, tarts, etc) for sale.  I had my fair share of pineapple tarts, almond cookies, love-letters and sweet BBQ meats.  Trust me, they can add kilos to the waistline without so much as making a squeak!!

 If you enjoy window shopping like me, I lost out this time because  many shops are closed for the first 2 days.  This year they fell on Thursday & Friday and running into Saturday & Sunday, they became one miraculous long weekend for the locals.  Big names departmental stores like Takashimaya (one of my fave) and CentrePoint shopping centres (where my favourite chinese dvd shop is located - I bought  5 sets of HKG tvb serials equating to 10 boxed sets plus 2 mainland China series starring one of my new fave Hawick Lau)  were great cause they traded from mid=day of second day (reckon management realised they have to rake in the $$$ from tourists).  HMV , to my disappointment, has been downsized and where one could previously find many Shaw Brothers movie dvds before, they've dropped to just a trickle.   Many shops in Chinatown were closed too.   This is one of my favourite places to roam whenever I'm there cause I enjoy dropping into the nic-nac shops. 

Food wise ::::  I did not go overboard, partly because many of my favourite local haunts were closed for the 4 days.  However, I never fail to return to the basement food court at Takashimaya for my favourite Japanese and snack on  durian pancakes plus durian puffs.  So yummy and  great!!  And who can go pass the BBq pork pieces at Bee Chan Heng, the fish floss, etc, etc,, sugarcane juice & fresh coconuts and endless choice of nonya kuehs at Bengawan Solo!!!   Yes, I brought home 1.5kg of 'kueh lapis', (i.e. equivalence of l large square shaped and a half cake)  a special multi-layered cake (of Indonesian recipe) which is extremely popular with the locals and myself.   Heavens!!!  They'll keep in the fridge for the next one month.  Enjoying it slowly, slowly, mmm.........

Watch this space**