That blog will chronicle mainly my journey as an entrepreneur of a startup, www.GastroCouture.com.
May 22, 2011
Mar 8, 2009
The City of Barcelona
Excerpts from the diary: 6 March 2009 (edited for language)
The city of Barcelona is amazing. One day it is so gloomy and cold and uninviting, the next day its clear blue sky with lots of sunshine just warms you up. What a morning to fall in love. After class at 1030am, with soft rock and alternative music in my ears and the wall street journal in my hand, I started a walk home. Looking up occasionally from the WSJ while walking, I see the clear blue sky with the inviting winter sun over the now familiar architecture. Pausing at traffic lights, and looking up, I see the inviting blue sky. Smiling at a kid on his dad's embrace whom will never remember this stranger, or the trail of white smoke from the planes up in the clear blue sky, or looking at the faces of the people and scores of tourists with smiles and happiness, one cant help but smile together under this bright blue ceiling. As the sagrada familia came into view, one just had to sit in the park facing the new facade. Still with the slow music in my ears and reading the WSJ with pigeons trampling along in front and coupless in love around, one just sits to pen this thoughts. As I left the park, one turned around and whispered "Thank you", while looking at the Sagrada.
What a morning in Barcelona.
What a morning.
The city of Barcelona is amazing. One day it is so gloomy and cold and uninviting, the next day its clear blue sky with lots of sunshine just warms you up. What a morning to fall in love. After class at 1030am, with soft rock and alternative music in my ears and the wall street journal in my hand, I started a walk home. Looking up occasionally from the WSJ while walking, I see the clear blue sky with the inviting winter sun over the now familiar architecture. Pausing at traffic lights, and looking up, I see the inviting blue sky. Smiling at a kid on his dad's embrace whom will never remember this stranger, or the trail of white smoke from the planes up in the clear blue sky, or looking at the faces of the people and scores of tourists with smiles and happiness, one cant help but smile together under this bright blue ceiling. As the sagrada familia came into view, one just had to sit in the park facing the new facade. Still with the slow music in my ears and reading the WSJ with pigeons trampling along in front and coupless in love around, one just sits to pen this thoughts. As I left the park, one turned around and whispered "Thank you", while looking at the Sagrada.
What a morning in Barcelona.
What a morning.
Aug 5, 2008
Life in HK (9)
Here's the difference between polluted and non-polluted days in HK.
These are obviously the 2 extremes. The polluted pic is a day where it was supposedly the most polluted day in HK ever, since records begun, whereas the other non-polluted pic is just a very nice day in Hong Kong. Of course, the in-betweens of these 2 pics is really the norm, with the scale tilting toward smog filled days.
So in my mere short stint here, i've lived through, on record, the most polluted day in HK ever, and the wettest month ever. How exciting!
Toll rises as city melts
Nickkita Lau and Agence France- Presse
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Hong Kong gasped its way through the worst air pollution ever recorded yesterday as smog and soaring temperatures mixed in a lethal cocktail that left one woman dead and dozens of elderly people in hospital suffering breathing problems.
Kong for the Olympic Games.
These are obviously the 2 extremes. The polluted pic is a day where it was supposedly the most polluted day in HK ever, since records begun, whereas the other non-polluted pic is just a very nice day in Hong Kong. Of course, the in-betweens of these 2 pics is really the norm, with the scale tilting toward smog filled days.
So in my mere short stint here, i've lived through, on record, the most polluted day in HK ever, and the wettest month ever. How exciting!
Toll rises as city melts
Nickkita Lau and Agence France- Presse
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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Just days before the Olympic Games are due to begin, the benchmark air pollution index reached an unprecedented 202 in Tap Mun - one notch higher than the previous record of 201 set in 2005 at Tung Chung.
Temperatures soared to 36 degrees Celsius in many areas and at least 91 elderly people were taken to hospital with respiratory problems. A further 1,334 needed emergency help.
Senior citizens' groups said the elderly had borne the brunt as Kowloon City, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Sai Kung and Shau Kei Wan sizzled in the heat and high pollution.
The government confirmed last night that a 52-year-old Sha Tin woman had died of suspected heatstroke in the afternoon after being taken to Prince of Wales Hospital.
Another man suffered heatstroke and was in a stable condition in Kwong Wah Hospital last night. A postman in Fan Ling was also overcome by the heat.
The Hong Kong Observatory's principal environmental officer, Dave Ho Tak-yin, confirmed yesterday's API was the highest recorded since air quality monitoring was introduced in 1995.
He blamed the influence of high air circulation from Typhoon Fung- wong, which hit Taiwan yesterday.
Dutch Olympic soccer coach Foppe de Haan described the smog as "awful" as his team prepared in Hong
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De Haan said his side had trained in a special gym back home to prepare them for the hot and humid conditions in Hong Kong and China but there was no way of replicating the smog.
As thunderstorms crossed the territory last night, the observatory's senior scientific officer, Tsui Kit-chi, said it would be mainly cloudy with showers today, which will likely blow the pollutants away.
Yesterday territorywide air pollution levels ranged from "high to "severe."
The API at Tap Mun reached a "severe" 202 at 3pm while in Sha Tin, where the Olympic equestrian events will be held, it hit a peak of 173 at 2pm before dropping off.
An Equestrian Company spokesman said the high levels of pollution and temperature had not affected the horses and there had been no complaints from athletes. Vets carried out checkups on horses and there was no cause for alarm, he said.
The horses received training in the morning and were kept in air- conditioned stables in the afternoon.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said Hong Kong's heat is one of the challenges athletes will need to overcome.
"Athens was hot as well. They need to overcome cold as well as heat," Tsang said.
"It is part of the competition."
The Home Affairs Department last night opened 14 temporary shelters for those suffering from the heat.
SourceJul 14, 2008
Life in HK (8)
Well just when i thought Hong Kong had nothing else to offer, on i stumbled onto beauties. On saturday, after having a meal at Soho, we walked toward the upper part of Soho where we had never gone before, and on we found, lo and behold, the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens! Its seriously out of nowhere, a green getaway admist the busy central life. The animal collection is quite bad, but its just the thought of a 'zoo' at central! And we continued walking and walking not knowing where we were going, and discovered treasures at every turn. That's one of the beauties of living in a foreign city, to be able to delight at these.
On sunday, i stumbled onto a gold fish street! The whole street (almost literally) is selling fish stuffs, from coral plants and fishes to gold fishes to crabs to turtles, its a haven for people who are looking to start a aquarium at home. And then i found a plaza thats like far east, and they sell so much more cool guys stuff than anywhere else so far that i've been to in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, there are so many more unfortunate people that you see on the streets. I was at Fa Yuen street yesterday, and i saw this old lady (maybe 70 yrs old), working as the city council cleaner, cleaning up rubbish bins and sweeping the road side floor. I stood there for 5 mins watching her with pain, and i was just thinking what spirit she has! As compared to other able bodied people on the streets who just hope people will drop them some coins (like me), i admire her fighting spirit for someone her age. SO i resolved, that i shall only drop my loose change for people who are not able to work, because otherwise, they should be like this old lady at Fa Yuen.
On sunday, i stumbled onto a gold fish street! The whole street (almost literally) is selling fish stuffs, from coral plants and fishes to gold fishes to crabs to turtles, its a haven for people who are looking to start a aquarium at home. And then i found a plaza thats like far east, and they sell so much more cool guys stuff than anywhere else so far that i've been to in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, there are so many more unfortunate people that you see on the streets. I was at Fa Yuen street yesterday, and i saw this old lady (maybe 70 yrs old), working as the city council cleaner, cleaning up rubbish bins and sweeping the road side floor. I stood there for 5 mins watching her with pain, and i was just thinking what spirit she has! As compared to other able bodied people on the streets who just hope people will drop them some coins (like me), i admire her fighting spirit for someone her age. SO i resolved, that i shall only drop my loose change for people who are not able to work, because otherwise, they should be like this old lady at Fa Yuen.
Jul 13, 2008
Life in HK (7)
WOW! How much luckier can one get?
Wettest month on record for Hong Kong by Steph Ball
Wettest month on record for Hong Kong by Steph Ball
The Hong Kong Observatory has declared June 2008 its wettest month ever on record, with records dating back to 1884.
Up to midday on Monday June 30th, the total rainfall recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory was 1,346.1mm (53 inches) breaking the previous record set in May 1889. The previous rainfall record was 1,241.1mm (49 inches).
The heavy rain is being attributed to active southwesterlies over the south China coastal areas during the first half of the month. On June 7th in particular, a heavy storm gave as much as 145.5mm (5.73 inches) of rain in one hour. This set a new record at the Hong Kong Observatory for the highest rainfall ever recorded in an hourly period. The rain triggered floods and landslides prompting the highest level of weather alert.
Rainfall during the second half of June is being attributed to Typhoon Fengshen. Fengshen which first lashed the Philippines hit southern China a week ago as a weakened tropical storm. The storm was slow moving and lashed the region with heavy rainfall for several days. Guangzhou and Macau (also in the Pearl River Delta) both set new monthly rainfall records.
Although a few showers are forecast for Hong Kong today, high pressure is expected to bring fine weather over the next few days.
Jun 24, 2008
Life in HK (6)
So this week my roomie's family is here, so he's migrated to a 5-star hotel, while im still (in the words of my school's placement officer) here in the slum area at Prince Edward. It was like my 1st day in Hong Kong many weeks ago, expect that this time i went to sleep alone in the room, such that when i woke up i felt that adrenaline to get up and going to work - like after my 1st night here. Of course, from the 2nd night onward, it was back to normal, where i woke up dreary and sleepy.
Been plagued by gastric, such that a visit to the doc didnt really help, and the Bismag pills my mum gave me is quickly thinning down. I just want it lost soon.
I still really cant decide if i want Hong Kong to be polluted or not. You see, when Hong Kong is polluted, the pollutants is so dense that no sunlight gets through, and though polluted with particles, the sun does not beat down on us hapless beings. However, on days without pollution with clear blue skies (so far, in my 4.5 weeks, only 3 days - last fri, sat, sun) , the sun beats down on the land, resulting in me sweating by the time i get to the MTR station, and i really hate heat (There's a deeper story, and i'll go at it another time).
So you must be thinking, of course we can do without the pollution! OK, i admit i was worried. I'm a person who well knowingly or unknowingly, swallow my mucus when its stuck deep in my nostrils. So this random thought came to my head, with so much "pi sai" in HK, and if the particles seep through, wont it land in my mucus? And then if i swallow my mucus, wont the pollutants enter my system, and then, wont the pollutants like cause me to have cancer or something? So i went to do some research, and guess what i found!
As the nasal conchae cause air to swirl in the nasal cavity, the mucus moistens the air and traps any bacteria or particles of air pollution. The cilia wave back and forth in rhythmic movement, and pieces of mucus with their trapped particles are swept along to the throat. The mucus is then either spat out or (more often) swallowed. Any bacteria present in the swallowed mucus is destroyed by the hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice of the stomach.
Source
That said, it doesnt mean that you go sniffing in all the pollutants, and hope that the hydrochloric acid in your stomach works at 100% efficiency. Therefore, i conclude that, i really still dont know if i like it polluted and less hot or vice versa.
Typhoon Fengshen is approaching close to Hong Kong, and the Typhoon No. 3 signal is hoisted. Well when the signal 8 is hoisted, it means that we dont have to work! Well the beauty of living overseas is you get to experience things like that, with pounding rain and a bloody typhoon! That said, after im done with this post, i'm going down to experience the wind produced by Fengshen, because it supposedly will hit Hong Kong hardest around midnight.
Been plagued by gastric, such that a visit to the doc didnt really help, and the Bismag pills my mum gave me is quickly thinning down. I just want it lost soon.
I still really cant decide if i want Hong Kong to be polluted or not. You see, when Hong Kong is polluted, the pollutants is so dense that no sunlight gets through, and though polluted with particles, the sun does not beat down on us hapless beings. However, on days without pollution with clear blue skies (so far, in my 4.5 weeks, only 3 days - last fri, sat, sun) , the sun beats down on the land, resulting in me sweating by the time i get to the MTR station, and i really hate heat (There's a deeper story, and i'll go at it another time).
So you must be thinking, of course we can do without the pollution! OK, i admit i was worried. I'm a person who well knowingly or unknowingly, swallow my mucus when its stuck deep in my nostrils. So this random thought came to my head, with so much "pi sai" in HK, and if the particles seep through, wont it land in my mucus? And then if i swallow my mucus, wont the pollutants enter my system, and then, wont the pollutants like cause me to have cancer or something? So i went to do some research, and guess what i found!
As the nasal conchae cause air to swirl in the nasal cavity, the mucus moistens the air and traps any bacteria or particles of air pollution. The cilia wave back and forth in rhythmic movement, and pieces of mucus with their trapped particles are swept along to the throat. The mucus is then either spat out or (more often) swallowed. Any bacteria present in the swallowed mucus is destroyed by the hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice of the stomach.
Source
That said, it doesnt mean that you go sniffing in all the pollutants, and hope that the hydrochloric acid in your stomach works at 100% efficiency. Therefore, i conclude that, i really still dont know if i like it polluted and less hot or vice versa.
Typhoon Fengshen is approaching close to Hong Kong, and the Typhoon No. 3 signal is hoisted. Well when the signal 8 is hoisted, it means that we dont have to work! Well the beauty of living overseas is you get to experience things like that, with pounding rain and a bloody typhoon! That said, after im done with this post, i'm going down to experience the wind produced by Fengshen, because it supposedly will hit Hong Kong hardest around midnight.
Jun 18, 2008
Life in HK (5)
OK! lester & kei's adventures is up and running!
Click here
Well i'm adapting to life in Hong Kong already. From my two experiences living overseas, i'd say it takes about 3 weeks for me to settle down and get the momentum going. So its my 4th week now, and things are great! HK has been either having polluted days or rainy heavy downpour days for the past 3 weeks since i was here. One hardly sees the sun, or even the blue sky. All you see is cloudy or polluted grey skies. However, when it's raining and night, and the light from the massive buildings reflect off the grey skies, it gives the city that glowing aura which i feel is so sexy! More so when the rain slides down the curvature of the buildings, and the lights give off that glow off the buildings and the seemingly reachable sky, it looks so sexy! Of course, when i tell that to everyone, everyone thinks i'm crazy. But seriously, see for yourselves when it happens, in the sexy Hong Kong city.
Been to Shenzhen over the weekend for some shopping and massage. The 2-hr body massage cost just SGD 35, and all 3 of us were in the same room enjoying the wonderful experience. The package even came with jacuzzis, saunas, fruit bar, ice cream bar and also wonderful personal sofa chairs with an attached tv. The most interesting experience however, was at 12am, when Spain played Sweden - More than 10 naked men in the huge jacuzzi watching the football match together.
Was sick earlier in the week, so i went to the Doctor. I was thinking as i sat there, what a good experience! I hardly spoke Cantonese, and i managed to get through the whole process (other than the Doc, who spoke Chinese), till it was time to pick up my medicine. I hardly had any idea what the pharmacist was talking about.
Click here
Well i'm adapting to life in Hong Kong already. From my two experiences living overseas, i'd say it takes about 3 weeks for me to settle down and get the momentum going. So its my 4th week now, and things are great! HK has been either having polluted days or rainy heavy downpour days for the past 3 weeks since i was here. One hardly sees the sun, or even the blue sky. All you see is cloudy or polluted grey skies. However, when it's raining and night, and the light from the massive buildings reflect off the grey skies, it gives the city that glowing aura which i feel is so sexy! More so when the rain slides down the curvature of the buildings, and the lights give off that glow off the buildings and the seemingly reachable sky, it looks so sexy! Of course, when i tell that to everyone, everyone thinks i'm crazy. But seriously, see for yourselves when it happens, in the sexy Hong Kong city.
Been to Shenzhen over the weekend for some shopping and massage. The 2-hr body massage cost just SGD 35, and all 3 of us were in the same room enjoying the wonderful experience. The package even came with jacuzzis, saunas, fruit bar, ice cream bar and also wonderful personal sofa chairs with an attached tv. The most interesting experience however, was at 12am, when Spain played Sweden - More than 10 naked men in the huge jacuzzi watching the football match together.
Was sick earlier in the week, so i went to the Doctor. I was thinking as i sat there, what a good experience! I hardly spoke Cantonese, and i managed to get through the whole process (other than the Doc, who spoke Chinese), till it was time to pick up my medicine. I hardly had any idea what the pharmacist was talking about.
Jun 4, 2008
Life in HK (4)
Well in my haste to set up another blog for Lester & Kei's Adventures, i deleted my previous settings on my current blog. How dumb can that be. Now i've probably lost all the links of my friends' blog. Well after i set up the other webbie i'll focus back on mine!
Anyway just got back from Soho where we had a wonderful dinner, breakfast style of eggs ham bacon and pancakes - thanks to a friend's recommendation. Walked past Lan Kwai Fong, and it was full of expats. Also, the predominant language at LKF is english, where even Hongkies look-alike speak english. Weird. Maybe its to be 'in'?
Just got off the line with Hui and Ping. Hello u 2!
Anyway just got back from Soho where we had a wonderful dinner, breakfast style of eggs ham bacon and pancakes - thanks to a friend's recommendation. Walked past Lan Kwai Fong, and it was full of expats. Also, the predominant language at LKF is english, where even Hongkies look-alike speak english. Weird. Maybe its to be 'in'?
Just got off the line with Hui and Ping. Hello u 2!
May 28, 2008
Life in HK (3)
So its the 3rd day of work and 4th day here, and i feel utterly useful already! We actually get to do real IB stuff, so work's picking up. Hope the pace continues so i can really get something out of this internship! Well so my office is in exchange square, which is directly above the HK stock exchange! Its so ironic that i actually visited the HK stock exchange even before i visited Sg's one, and whats more, am spending more time here. That said, the view from my office is spectular.
You can literally see the whole Hong Kong bay (if thats what its called) from my office on good days. When i say GOOD days, it means days when we can see the sun and its not so polluted. Unfortunately, its quite rare. I think in my 4 days here, i only saw the sun peering through the pollution/clouds for like 5 mins in the morning. SO anyway its actually quite therapeutic to just stand at the window and look out.
Well im moving out of my infested apartment into a smaller nicer cosier apartment higher up in the building. So we spent the past hr or so cleaning up this place. And the room upstairs has wireless!
You can literally see the whole Hong Kong bay (if thats what its called) from my office on good days. When i say GOOD days, it means days when we can see the sun and its not so polluted. Unfortunately, its quite rare. I think in my 4 days here, i only saw the sun peering through the pollution/clouds for like 5 mins in the morning. SO anyway its actually quite therapeutic to just stand at the window and look out.
Well im moving out of my infested apartment into a smaller nicer cosier apartment higher up in the building. So we spent the past hr or so cleaning up this place. And the room upstairs has wireless!
May 26, 2008
Life in HK (2)
OK! so here it is, about 28 in hours in HK, finished 1st day of work, and killed 4 roaches in my apartment.
May 25, 2008
Life in HK (1)
SO here it begins, Work & Travel Hong Kong - Lester returns to WAT HK - working in the financial sector.
Well this time round, not much feelings as i left Singapore, without the usual fanfare. Last year, i met as many people as i could before heading to Orlando, somewhat like i'll be gone for 10 years. This time round, it was a pretty quiet affair, disappearing quietly - somewhat like how it'll be for the next year as i'll go on exchange.
My apartment is near Prince Edward station. Here's the dilemna, stay in a nicer furnished apartment at a higher cost, or stay in lousier conditions at half the cost. As im typing this, we're still making the decision of what we should do while waiting for the landlady to come back. We entered the lousier apartment earlier and killed 2 baby roaches already, so if we are going to stay there, we need a major overhaul of the room.
One thing's for sure, life in HK would NOT be as ideal as life in Orlando. Nonetheless, lets just make the best of it.
Well this time round, not much feelings as i left Singapore, without the usual fanfare. Last year, i met as many people as i could before heading to Orlando, somewhat like i'll be gone for 10 years. This time round, it was a pretty quiet affair, disappearing quietly - somewhat like how it'll be for the next year as i'll go on exchange.
My apartment is near Prince Edward station. Here's the dilemna, stay in a nicer furnished apartment at a higher cost, or stay in lousier conditions at half the cost. As im typing this, we're still making the decision of what we should do while waiting for the landlady to come back. We entered the lousier apartment earlier and killed 2 baby roaches already, so if we are going to stay there, we need a major overhaul of the room.
One thing's for sure, life in HK would NOT be as ideal as life in Orlando. Nonetheless, lets just make the best of it.
May 23, 2008
Woman and a Fork
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.
She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.
'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.
'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.'
The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.
That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked.
I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocol ate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'
So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork the best is yet to come.'
The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket andsaw the fork in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled.
During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel , indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share ...being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.
May 5, 2008
Nostalgia
ok time for some nostalgia! exactly 1 year ago, i was on my way to the fun filled summer! 1 year ago minus 2 hr 45 mins i boarded the plan. So 1 year ago, i must be somewhere over the pacific ocean just off thailand.
no same old boring S'pore. complete freedom. license to do anything under the sun.
thats one year ago.
no same old boring S'pore. complete freedom. license to do anything under the sun.
thats one year ago.
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