Semana Verde de Macau

From March 17 to 25 is the 31st Macau Green Week festival (in Portuguese: Festival de Semana Verde de Macau). The opening ceremony took place at Tap Seac square this afternoon with lots of people attended. This is the annual carnival in Macau organized by Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau to promote the environmental protection, nature preservation, and tree planting. The theme for this year is “Green City, Ideal Home”. There were public displays of flower bed and plants, some performances, and booths of various indoor gardening shops.

The performance

The displays of plants, flowers, and paintings

Many of various indoor plants were also distributed to the visitors for free. There was a very long queue of people waiting to get the plants. At first I had no idea why people queued and I just spent my time around photographing. But after a while I happened to know that there was free plant giving. So I joined the line, and fortunately I was among the almost last group who got the plant.

Indoor gardening plants and vegetation

People queuing to get the plant

I got a cute small pot with several unknown tiny plants.. This is another great little moment of my weekend. Tree planting and indoor gardening are among my favorite hobbies as I love nature.. I love trees.. and greeneries.

My plant

The final event of the Green Week Walk and Tree Planting will be held at Seac Pai Van Park on the morning of 25 March.

A two-hour visit to Zhuhai

Today Me, Myself, and I had a second chance to visit Zhuhai of mainland China again after the first visit in May last year. Actually I didn’t have any specific purpose in Zhuhai, but what brought me there was only because I had to have my Macau visa extended at the border. Casually the Macau visa for UNU-IIST staffs and fellows has no expiry date, except for my case that my visa has one-year validity. So now it is time that I have to renew the visa and the only best option is to go out and get in again with the letter from the institute as when I first entered Macau.

A square in Zhuhai in front of the border checkpoint

It was already late in the afternoon (2.30pm) and I had my passport, Chinese visa, and visa letter ready before crossing the Border Gate checkpoint. I exited Macau quite fast and smoothly with my diplomatic ID card and queued to enter China side as everybody else. And here I came.. Zhuhai!

The border check point, China side

Zhuhai

The only two places in Zhuhai around the border gate that I know are the large underground shopping plaza located just at the exit of the checkpoint and another shopping mall about five-minute walk. I decided to go to the latter first.

The shopping mall

I am interested in only two things at this shopping mall: books and.. of course the dessert at Honeymoon Dessert, I’ve never forgotten that since my first visit. Here there is a huge underground bookstore, but most books are in Chinese. There is only one block which I could find the original English books. If you like reading novel/fiction, biography of well-known people, business, self-development, literature, and so on… you might find some of your favorite books here. I got a couple of books finally.

Bookshelf in the bookstore

Inside the bookstore, and books I bought (last)

Then I went up for dessert at the ground floor. I had to wait a bit since there were lots of people there. You I could just see crowd of people everywhere around the place inside the building. Well, I had also browsed around the mall but I found nothing to buy. I finally got the place for the dessert. I really like the dessert here, and it might be good to just cross the border to come here for the dessert another time

Dessert at Honeymoon Dessert

Sellers outside the mall

Underground Zhuhai Shopping Plaza

I left the mall around 5:00pm after spending almost 2 hours there. I walked pass thru the underground shopping plaza and cross the border back to Macau. Eventually, I got what I came here for – the new unlimited entry visa to Macau.

Good night!

Sunday outing..

Nihao everyone!

Today is just another casual chilly day in Macau during this month but a bit colder (12C). However the weather here is quite fluctuated. It was slightly raining yesterday and I just spent my whole day staying in doing nothing but playing music. It is always quite boring to just stay at home during the weekend, so I decided to go out today as the weather is a bit better.

It was already noon when I woke up.. :p. Well, admittedly getting up quite late during the weekend is my bad habit ever.. so my lunch time is also always late. I am also quite lazy cooking lately, so eating out is always my choice, though most of the times it is hard for me to think of where and what to eat.

My first plan this Sunday is to have my hair cut after skipping from yesterday because of the rain. So after having lunch I went straight to the barber shop where I used to go. I had my lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant (Naruto) which is located just one block away from my apartment building. It is quite a while since my last eating there with a friend of mines, Surendra. The Vietnamese food here is good with reasonable price (30 to 50 MOP).

Lunch

It was about 3.45pm already when I finished my lunch. Sooo.. late, isn’t it? Anyway, gonna go for a hair cut now.. Fortunately, there was no guest at the time I arrived so I didn’t have to wait for the cut, and I could also finish earlier. The cost of the haircut at this place is normally 25 MOP (the cheapest in Macau I guess), while you need to spend 120 MOP at most of the saloons for normal haircut. However the quality is not bad.. at least.. I mean.. for a non-stylish person like me.

Barber shop (left)

After that I was just immediately thinking of going to Hac Sa beach in Coloane. The easiest way to get there is to take bus #25 from the bus stop just near the barber shop. It was about four months since my last visit to the beach, so it is good to visit there again. I finally arrived the beach at 5pm. The beach here is not very nice since the sand is quite muddy, that’s why it is called “Hac Sa” means Black Sand. But still this is one of best place in Macau to visit especially for local people of all ages to escape the noisy city to get fresh air, relax, and enjoy BBQing and other activities with families and friends. My visit to the beach this time made me feel missing the previous time that I used to come and have fun with colleagues here.

Hac Sa Beach

People visiting the beach

Walking along the beach, having a deep breath of the pure air from the sea, listening to the sound of the wave, and looking at the far horizon where the sky meets the sea with cold wind touching my face and hands.. Those made a really wonderful touching moment indeed.. feeling cold.. and even colder with the loneliness. And I thought.. what if at that moment I could have someone to share this feeling with.. would be kinda romantic atmosphere, wouldn’t it?

A street along the beach

Well, that’s all for today’s story.. and I will share you more about my life in Macau in the next story.

早抖(jóutáu) Good night..

Story Of A Mouse And A Mousetrap

There was a mouse who used merrily live with a chicken, a pig and a cow in a farmyard. One day while the mouse was looking through the wall crack, he saw the farmer and his wife open a package. “What food might this contain?” the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap!!

The mouse realized that he was in big trouble. Hence he retreating to the farmyard and proclaimed this warning: “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. THAT’S NOT MY PROBLEM! I cannot be bothered by it.”

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”

The pig sympathized, but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray.. Be assured you are in my prayers.”

The mouse turned to the cow and said, “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”

The cow said, “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap all alone…

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house – the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it. It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap. Unfortunately the snake went on to bit the lady.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. When she returned home she still had a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient – the chicken!

But his wife’s sickness continued. Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig!

But, alas, the farmer’s wife did not get well. She eventually died.

Large number of people came for her funeral and the farmer had to slaughter the cow to provide enough meat for all of them for the funeral luncheon.

And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

Words Of Wisdom…

The next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn’t concern you, remember – when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Each of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry. Our lives are woven together for a reason. One of the best things to hold onto in this world is a friend.

Source: http://smilepls.com/story-of-a-mouse-and-a-mousetrap/

My first favorite Android phone ever

After spending times reading a lot of reviews and comparisons of quality and price of Android smart phones made by Samsung, I finally decided to go for the Galaxy Nexus. I checked the price from many phone shops in Macau, and eventually I could get the good deal at a small shop near my place – MOP 4780 (almost US$600) including the screen protector. I am normally not so much into such expensive devices (neither Android nor iOS). I used my old phone for years without any concerns about new tech. However, it is because I was inspired by one ads about Face Unlock of Galaxy Nexus on YouTube which leads me to see the attractive design and other cool features of the phone, as well as I have seen a colleague using it, I started to feel interested in this latest Google-Samsung smart phone. The device runs on the latest Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwhich. Another reason I bought this phone is I am quite keen to get good knowledge about current development of mobile apps of which IT guy like me should know and be able to take advantage.

Update (02 Mar 2012): It is already about one month now that I own this Galaxy Nexus. And so far I really like it.

Free online courses provided by Standford university

+ Computer Science: http://www.cs101-class.org/
+ Software Engineering for Software as a Service: http://www.saas-class.org/
+ Human-Computer Interfaces: http://www.hci-class.org/
+ Natural Language Processing: http://www.nlp-class.org/
+ Game Theory: http://www.game-theory-class.org/
+ Probabilistic Graphical Models: http://www.pgm-class.org/

How to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a conversation where you just did not agree with what you where hearing. Whether the topic is religious in nature, a political debate, or something as trivial as who has the better buns Mel Gibson or Brad Pitt, sometimes you just don’t agree.

What should you do in that circumstance? Well, if you’re interested in continuing the conversation, you might be inclined to just bite your tongue and let your conversation partner ramble on. Or perhaps you’re style is to agree with everything, regardless of how you truly feel, for the sake of being agreeable.

Well, both of those methods will work, but isn’t it much better to have a really interesting conversation where everyone’s opinions can be heard, respected and discussed? As a practitioner of the art of conversation you should be able to disagree with your conversation partners without being disagreeable.

What’s the Difference?

Well, when you disagree with someone you have a difference of opinion. When you are disagreeable; you are unpleasant, offensive, quarrelsome and bad-tempered. The two do not have to go together. You can disagree with someone’s point of view with out being quarrelsome or unpleasant about it. Here are some examples of how to disagree disagreeably.

Disagreeable Ways to Disagree.

“That’s the dumbest think I’ve ever heard.” “Where did you come up with that idea?” “That doesn’t make a bit of sense.” “You’re wrong.”

Say any one of the sentences above, or something similar, and your conversation will either come to a screeching halt or blow up into a full-fledged argument.

Disagreeing the Right Way.

“Your point of view is very interesting, but I think…” “Its been my experience that…” “I believe that…” “You could be right, but I’m pretty sure that…”

How could anyone take offense to your giving an opposing viewpoint when you start with any one of those sentences, especially if it’s given in a friendly, non-combative tone of voice? It is possible to disagree with out being disagreeable.

Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, no matter how wrong you think it is. Keep that in mind, and you will be able to disagree agreeably with anyone you meet, and have interesting, thought provoking conversations.

And who knows? Occasionally, you might even be convinced to change your mind.

Source: http://www.entertainmates.com/conversation/convers_tips_023.asp

First time Salsa dance and bar

It was a great experience to have tried Salsa dance (a Cuba originated dancing) for the first time in my life.. and well, it was also my first time to come to the bar in Macau. Portal Wine Bar is such a nice place for enjoying various types of great wine and drinks with nice Latin American music and dancing. Located in Taipa village, this bar is a rendezvous place of many foreigners from all walks of life in Macau. Salsa dance is only available on Friday night.

My Saturday..

Nihao everyone!

Ah,.. It’s weekend again.. and I felt a bit relax after the whole week of working days. This Saturday I had two schedules, but the most important one was to see the dentist. So somehow, it was not quite relax as previous weekends.

Talking about going to see the dentist, I always skip from time to time until I cannot wait any more.. my serious teeth problem need to be treated.. Erm.. the word “no time” maybe what I always use as an excuse, but another excuse maybe I’ve just got to know a recommended dentist .. anyway, it might be better than to go to random dental clinics without any knowledge about them. This is my first time in Macau to go to see the dentist.

I made an appointment with the dentist since last week. So this Saturday I had to meet him at noon. The dental center is Novocare Dental Center locates on the 10 floor of Macau Square building near Lisboa hotel. It is easily accessible by bus from my place. I took bus no. 18, and it just stopped right in front of the building. The doctor’s name is Dr. Jonhson Yip. He is a friendly and professional dentist and he speaks very good English. Thanks Elsa for recommending this place and the doctor. Some of staffs and fellows from UNU-IIST also used to come here. Though its service is a bit expensive, but I don’t find anywhere else that offers cheaper dental service in Macau.

I supposed to have my damage molar and wisdom tooth extracted, but doctor suggested a fill in first, taking some medication, and observing. I will have another appointment within the next couple of weeks. That was it for the dental schedule on this Saturday.

Another schedule was to see the dance performance at the Cultural Center in the evening with some of my colleagues. We got the ticket since last month. I thought I would not be able to joint if my tooth was extracted. But since it was not, I could go to see the performance.

“Dancing in the Wonderland” was the name of the performance and this was performed by the team from the Netherlands. The performance started at 7.30pm and lasted about 95mn. You can see the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XobzBjMm-JQ . The performance was very nice. This was my first time to see the performance at Cultural Center in Macau.

In the theater

The performance

After the performance, we (Elsa, Zamira, Pratickshya, and I) went for dinner at a Mexican restaurant – Tacos restaurant locates just the opposite side of the Italian restaurant we went previously and only about 5mn walk from the Cultural Center. The restaurant is not very large, but the atmosphere is quite romantic with extensive tasty Mexican menus. I would recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a romantic dinner with someone special .

Tacos restaurant

We ordered chicken Nachos, soft tunaTacos, crispy tuna Tacos, and lamb Fajita. The food flavor was absolutely wonderful.. and it was even more fantastic with the sips of Sangria (white wine mix with fruit). While we were having our dinner, I had broken a glass and some wine was spilled on Pratikshya.. I felt sorry and nervous about that, but since everything was fine my mood returned to normal.. and we all continued to enjoy our dinner. In contrast, we considered it as a cheerful moment.. . Finally we ordered Flan, a traditional Mexican dessert. The taste was great.

Nachos

Fajita

Tacos (crispy)

Sangria

After dinner we went for some drink at Casablanca Café. This place is calm and good for having chit chat over drinks. Many varieties of soft drinks, beers, and wines are available here. Each of us tried Macaritas? (white wine with lemon) before we went back home.

A full Saturday had ended with many new great life’s experience in Macau..

Good night

How To Simplify Your Life

These days, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by an overly complicated life. If you’re looking for ways to gain control over your life or your current situation, consider simplifying.

Simplifying your life can mean cutting unnecessary to-do list items, eliminating clutter from your home, fine-tuning your priorities, or otherwise gaining perspective on what truly matters to you.
Strategies to Simplify Your Life

1. Identify what’s most important to you and then get rid of everything else. Know what really matters the most to you. Things that don’t matter are simply wasting your time and energy, so purge them as soon as you can.

2. Make a list of the top 4-5 priorities in your life. Keep this list with you all the time so you always remember what counts the most. Put a copy on your bathroom mirror, another above your bed, and keep one in your wallet for good measure.

3. Evaluate your current commitments. Look at absolutely everything going on in your life right now. Which of these commitments actually deliver value or joy? Which are in line with the 4-5 priorities you listed in the previous step? Eliminate everything else.

4. Assess how you spend your time. How are you spending your time? Make a list of everything you do in a day and compare that to your list of priorities. What can you eliminate?

5. Simplify your work tasks. Rather than trying to knock off every single task on your to-do list, focus on only the most essential tasks and then find ways to eliminate all the others. To do this, you can try delegation, outsourcing, moving them to other days or simply dropping them.

6. Simplify your home tasks. Repeat the above process with your home tasks, removing the things that you’re not reasonably going to accomplish in a day. Simplify your list of home tasks by automating, delegating, outsourcing and removing anything that doesn’t fall in line with what’s most important.

7. Learn to say no. When you learn to say no, you’ll begin to take on only as much as you can handle. Then you can give your attention to the tasks that matter the most.

8. Limit your consumption of media. The abundance of media available today can overwhelm nearly every second of our lives. Try to simplify your own life by limiting media and information consumption whenever possible.

9. Be selective with your methods of communication. Designate certain times for communication by only e-mailing at certain points in the day, only using the phone during certain hours, only chatting via IM in your off-hours and so on. Limit the ways that you communicate throughout the day to prevent communication from overwhelming you or your day.

10. Purge unnecessary stuff. Devote one weekend every month to getting rid of absolutely anything that you don’t want or need in your life. Removing everything that doesn’t really matter can be therapeutic and cathartic. Purging your home and your life once monthly is a really beneficial process to your overall health and well being.

This is only a small sampling of the things that you can do in order to simplify your life. Consider this to be a foundation, though, that will guide you to find new and interesting ways to create a simple life. With just a little conscious effort, you can achieve simplicity in all aspects of your life.

Source: http://personaldevelopmentmaster.com/how-to-simplify-your-life.html