Sunday, 20 May 2012
Sunday, 13 May 2012
My appointed Barber in Limassol
When I was a child living in Hong Kong, my mum used to take my brother and I to some back passage alley way for a hair cut. This back passage effectively was a narrow gap between two buildings. At one end there was a wooden bench where customers would sit waiting their turn for a hair cut. At the other end of this narrow gap was a row of hair cutting chairs with mirrors and there was a drainage system right in the middle of the ally way. Despite being quite run down, the barbers in this alley always perform a 10 out of 10 perfect cut.
In my first few years in Cyprus, I have my haircut near a hair saloon near where I live, the hair saloon was sold off to a young female "hair stylist".She wasn't bad but she just can't get it right. There is always something which is not quite right
One lunch time during a work day, my colleague and I went for a drive round the old part of the Limassol town. I saw this barber shop and I knew I have to give it a try. My colleagues at work were laughing at me saying that the barber most probably couldn't speak English and I would end up having a haircut I didn't like.
My colleagues were correct the barber didn't speak English but I did end up getting a perfect haircut.
In my first few years in Cyprus, I have my haircut near a hair saloon near where I live, the hair saloon was sold off to a young female "hair stylist".She wasn't bad but she just can't get it right. There is always something which is not quite right
One lunch time during a work day, my colleague and I went for a drive round the old part of the Limassol town. I saw this barber shop and I knew I have to give it a try. My colleagues at work were laughing at me saying that the barber most probably couldn't speak English and I would end up having a haircut I didn't like.
My colleagues were correct the barber didn't speak English but I did end up getting a perfect haircut.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Internet shopping
can't sleep tonight so I have asked popo (my daughter's teddy bear) to pose for me. Popo is doing some Internet shopping using my computer.
Friday, 6 January 2012
The best Christmas photo of 2011 women shoes
Every year I do a photo shoot of Christmas decoration around Limassol. Anexartisias Street in Centre of Limassol usually provides the best photo opportunity.
I have took hundred or so photos but the best and most interesting shot is this photo of a women shoes shop's window!
The white contrast very well with the rainbow colours of the shoes.
Not really what I have in mind regarding Christmas decoration photos!
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Greeks - Voices from the Edge
Despite I am working in IT and having easy access to online resources at home or at work via IPAD, netbook, laptops etc; I still like reading paper based media. Being an Alumni of LSE (London School of Economics ) I received my copy of alumni magazine "Connect" twice a year. In a cold rainy New Year day in Cyprus, what's better then reading a snap shot of world view from LSE.
One article stand out the most in the 2011 winter issue is written by a researcher, Paul Strong, about the rural Greeks.The article fascinates me because I am living in Republic of Cyprus, a country which is next door to Greece, where majority of the subjects share the same Hellenic culture and language. For some (or many) even consider Greece as their "motherland".
The article basically try to give a brief overview of his approach of how he try to benchmark the social-economic history of the rural Greece during a field research work he carried out. The problem of trying to make Greeks to speak about their painful past. How he used a motor-cycle (moped) to get into town so that he could make others to talk, the gossipy nature of the villagers, the coffee , the peanuts etc. make the article very interesting
The article didn't really go into any lengthy detail in term of findings (my weak vocabulary in Economic History terminologies would not allow me to understand a detail written report anyway) but it did mentioned some main points, one main point stand out the most: who is the biggest enemy of the Greeks? Answer Greeks themselves. I ask the same question to my Greek relatives,friends and colleagues, they all give exactly the same answer.
anyway the article can be found in the following link
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/alumni/LSEConnect/LC_winter_2011.aspx
A youtube introductory, looks cool but doesn't say much can be found:-
http://youtu.be/qPDB10o_YcA
If Dr Strong is reading this blog, good luck with your research may be I see you in this part of the Mediterranean.
One article stand out the most in the 2011 winter issue is written by a researcher, Paul Strong, about the rural Greeks.The article fascinates me because I am living in Republic of Cyprus, a country which is next door to Greece, where majority of the subjects share the same Hellenic culture and language. For some (or many) even consider Greece as their "motherland".
The article basically try to give a brief overview of his approach of how he try to benchmark the social-economic history of the rural Greece during a field research work he carried out. The problem of trying to make Greeks to speak about their painful past. How he used a motor-cycle (moped) to get into town so that he could make others to talk, the gossipy nature of the villagers, the coffee , the peanuts etc. make the article very interesting
The article didn't really go into any lengthy detail in term of findings (my weak vocabulary in Economic History terminologies would not allow me to understand a detail written report anyway) but it did mentioned some main points, one main point stand out the most: who is the biggest enemy of the Greeks? Answer Greeks themselves. I ask the same question to my Greek relatives,friends and colleagues, they all give exactly the same answer.
anyway the article can be found in the following link
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/alumni/LSEConnect/LC_winter_2011.aspx
A youtube introductory, looks cool but doesn't say much can be found:-
http://youtu.be/qPDB10o_YcA
If Dr Strong is reading this blog, good luck with your research may be I see you in this part of the Mediterranean.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
The Limassol Carnival
This year Limassol Carnival, I was well geared up to take some photos with my Nikon camera and my recently purchased 18-200mm Sigma lens. Definitely the lens make a large different.
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Education Education Education - Part 2 School
"書中自有黃金屋,書中自有顏如玉" - "within Books you will find gold plated house, within books you will find precious jade", my grand-mum always told me these 2 phases when I was young. As long as I study hard, a world of opportunities are waiting for me to explore.
Education is definitely one of the way to get one out of poverty but in reality the cost of education are huge. The so call "free education" is actually not that free at all. Books, uniform, transports all cost money and not to mention school trip, school assignment, after classroom activities. (I will mentioned school trip and school assignment later.)The irony is you need money for education and if you don't have money in the first place you will not get the opportunity to be educated to get out of poverty.
Couple of months ago, I was having the above conversation with one of my cousin when I was in Hong Kong. She worked in the government, in one of those department that address everyday people concern on a daily basis. She gave me an example on that some of the school assignment involve going to museums for research. Not all museums in Hong Kong are free. Getting to the museum by public transport is not free either. An MTR trip (Hong Kong underground) vary from a few dollars to thirty something dollars (for some trip like Lok Ma Chau to Cental). In Hong Kong the minim wages is around 20 Hong Kong dollar per hour (aprox 2EURO). The cost is significant for low income household. How about the digital camera you need to take photos of the assignment which cost around HKD1000 for a low end entry? Is that mean a low income family need to stave for a week to get the assignment done? For some courses you even need to create a portfolio,how can you create a portfolio without money.
Recently I am working out how much I need to fund my daughter through to university. she is 2 yrs old now. I need to have a hard look at my finance.
Education is definitely one of the way to get one out of poverty but in reality the cost of education are huge. The so call "free education" is actually not that free at all. Books, uniform, transports all cost money and not to mention school trip, school assignment, after classroom activities. (I will mentioned school trip and school assignment later.)The irony is you need money for education and if you don't have money in the first place you will not get the opportunity to be educated to get out of poverty.
Couple of months ago, I was having the above conversation with one of my cousin when I was in Hong Kong. She worked in the government, in one of those department that address everyday people concern on a daily basis. She gave me an example on that some of the school assignment involve going to museums for research. Not all museums in Hong Kong are free. Getting to the museum by public transport is not free either. An MTR trip (Hong Kong underground) vary from a few dollars to thirty something dollars (for some trip like Lok Ma Chau to Cental). In Hong Kong the minim wages is around 20 Hong Kong dollar per hour (aprox 2EURO). The cost is significant for low income household. How about the digital camera you need to take photos of the assignment which cost around HKD1000 for a low end entry? Is that mean a low income family need to stave for a week to get the assignment done? For some courses you even need to create a portfolio,how can you create a portfolio without money.
Recently I am working out how much I need to fund my daughter through to university. she is 2 yrs old now. I need to have a hard look at my finance.
Education Education Education - Part 3 University
The Third encounter I have is related to University. Every year near the end of the year, I always get a phone call from my old universities asking for money. What they do is that they get a bunch of volenteer students and they start cold calling alumni and hopefully a phone call will yield some kind of return with a donation. The amount of money going to High Education is huge in the UK but still lacking behind other countries like US.
Universities have to find some way to raise the necessary fund. For the established Universities in UK like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial etc... they charge a large amount for Overseas student fees but they still have to carryout some fund rising events like cold calling.
Only some months ago, the director of LSE Sir Howard Davies resigned. LSE came under pressure to explain itself the links between LSE funding and Libya Dictator Gadarfi .A recent enquiry also highlighted that a judgmenet of error was made by the sir Howard. The lack of govenance was also to blame. The truth is that it is difficult for the cash straped University simply ignored a large some of donation eventhough the source of the donation may be called into question.
Universities have to find some way to raise the necessary fund. For the established Universities in UK like Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, Imperial etc... they charge a large amount for Overseas student fees but they still have to carryout some fund rising events like cold calling.
Only some months ago, the director of LSE Sir Howard Davies resigned. LSE came under pressure to explain itself the links between LSE funding and Libya Dictator Gadarfi .A recent enquiry also highlighted that a judgmenet of error was made by the sir Howard. The lack of govenance was also to blame. The truth is that it is difficult for the cash straped University simply ignored a large some of donation eventhough the source of the donation may be called into question.
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Education Education Education - Part 1 Kindergarten
Kindergarten -The first encounter took place while I was on holiday back in my homeland in Hong Kong. One day my father,wife,daughter and I were taking a afternoon stroll along the park. While in the park we saw these elderly couple walking along with a toddler (I later found out the toddler was their grandson). Like many other parents, I grabbed every single opportunity for my own toddler daughter to interact with other children. I approached the elderly couple and their grandchild with my 2-year-old daughter. "My name is Sophia I am 2 year old", I spoke on behalf of my daughter. The boy was shy and didn't reply. "Oh why don't you reply to this man", said the grandfather to the little boy, "staying quiet like this and not replying to question will not get you to kindergarten". I must admit I was puzzled with what the grandfather said to his grandson. The grandparents probability realised I don't live in Hong Kong and explained to me the situation. Their 2 year grandson went to an interview for kindergarten education and he was rejected. The main reason was that during the interview he was too shy to reply answers.
From what I heard so far, in Hong Kong getting into kindergarten involves three thing: Money,waiting list, and interview. Has the education system expected too much from our toddler? Shyness is a sin for a 2 year old?
From what I heard so far, in Hong Kong getting into kindergarten involves three thing: Money,waiting list, and interview. Has the education system expected too much from our toddler? Shyness is a sin for a 2 year old?
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Education Education Education
What happen to the education system of today? The education system has changed so much since I was at kindergarten, schools and universities. I come up with the previous sentence base on three total separate encounters in recent days. I will break it into 3 parts within my blog. More to follow...
Friday, 1 August 2008
How to live your life-from an IT guy prespective
I work in IT and don't worry you are not getting advice from me about how to live your life. Today I have been introduced by one of my work colleague to watch "The last lecture" on youtube by a computer science professor called Randy Pausch. Sadly he died of pancreatic cancer couple of days ago on July 25th, 2008.
Before his death he delivered a very powerful lecture called "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". The content of the lecture use his own life experience and his own childhood dreams to explain how one can inspire others (as well as oneself) to achieve their dreams.
He has covered many items within his presentation, He also uses some very good quotes to emphasis his points. "We cannot change the cards we were dealt, just how we play the hand" to describe how he tries to cope with his final months of his life and not in self-denial about his cancer. Some techi humor quotes "I have experienced death bed convergence.. I have just brought an Macintosh" . There is even advice to young ladies getting into a romance relationship “Just Ignore everything they [men] say, only pay attention to what they do”.
Anyway I better stop here , just click on the youtube image below...
Before his death he delivered a very powerful lecture called "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". The content of the lecture use his own life experience and his own childhood dreams to explain how one can inspire others (as well as oneself) to achieve their dreams.
He has covered many items within his presentation, He also uses some very good quotes to emphasis his points. "We cannot change the cards we were dealt, just how we play the hand" to describe how he tries to cope with his final months of his life and not in self-denial about his cancer. Some techi humor quotes "I have experienced death bed convergence.. I have just brought an Macintosh" . There is even advice to young ladies getting into a romance relationship “Just Ignore everything they [men] say, only pay attention to what they do”.
Anyway I better stop here , just click on the youtube image below...
Friday, 11 July 2008
On 1st July 2008 looking back on 1st July 1997
July is one of those months which reminded me about certain event. For me it is the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese sovereign. Nowadays I live in Cyprus, not only I don't get my 1st July holiday, I rarely hear any news about Hong Kong. The only way I keep in touch with what's going on is via the Internet and the weekly conversation on the telephone with my parents.
In my own way to commemorate the Handover , I watched the BBC Documentary series "The Last Governor" on youtube. The documentary series consists of 5 parts, each series with very catchy names. "A Democratic Time-Bomb", "Restraint in Difficult Circumstances" ,"Lewis Carroll Country", "Loosening the Screws" and ,"Another Balls-Aching Week".
For me watching the series is like going back in time and seeing the entire event unfold again. Yes it is documented from Chris Pattern perspective and yes Pattern has been portrayed as the hero of the day and the Chinese PRC is portrayed as the bad guys. In reality politics are never that simple.
I remembered in 1995 Legislative Council not only I went to vote on the, I even went to help pulling votes for one particular candidate. Even though the candidate I support lost his seat, it was a very beautiful day for Hong Kong.
Even up to today, critics are still divided on how Chris Pattern handled Hong Kong in the final days of British Colonel power. I think people should also think that what Chris Pattern did was what he thought was for the good of Hong Kong people at that time, against very aggressive opposition from China, as well as within some part of Hong Kong community, he stuck with what he believed in rather than taking a easy way out. He genuinely tried to help Hong Kong through those uncertain days. You can doubt his ideology but shouldn’t doubt his good intention.
In my own way to commemorate the Handover , I watched the BBC Documentary series "The Last Governor" on youtube. The documentary series consists of 5 parts, each series with very catchy names. "A Democratic Time-Bomb", "Restraint in Difficult Circumstances" ,"Lewis Carroll Country", "Loosening the Screws" and ,"Another Balls-Aching Week".
For me watching the series is like going back in time and seeing the entire event unfold again. Yes it is documented from Chris Pattern perspective and yes Pattern has been portrayed as the hero of the day and the Chinese PRC is portrayed as the bad guys. In reality politics are never that simple.
I remembered in 1995 Legislative Council not only I went to vote on the, I even went to help pulling votes for one particular candidate. Even though the candidate I support lost his seat, it was a very beautiful day for Hong Kong.
Even up to today, critics are still divided on how Chris Pattern handled Hong Kong in the final days of British Colonel power. I think people should also think that what Chris Pattern did was what he thought was for the good of Hong Kong people at that time, against very aggressive opposition from China, as well as within some part of Hong Kong community, he stuck with what he believed in rather than taking a easy way out. He genuinely tried to help Hong Kong through those uncertain days. You can doubt his ideology but shouldn’t doubt his good intention.
Monday, 23 June 2008
... As long as it is black
You can choose any colour you like as long as its black...
This is what happen recently when I want to ask someone to "tailor make" a home office unit for me. We went to this shop and we show the shop assistance a drawing and dimension of the furniture we intended to get, he then explained to us that the furniture can only come at a particular sizes. We than ask for some cupboard and shelves...Again the same answer.. "this can only fit to such and such size and that can only fit to such and such size" At the end we looked at what they have come up with...guess what it doesn't fit the room dimension at all...
what is the point of tailor making furniture then...
This is what happen recently when I want to ask someone to "tailor make" a home office unit for me. We went to this shop and we show the shop assistance a drawing and dimension of the furniture we intended to get, he then explained to us that the furniture can only come at a particular sizes. We than ask for some cupboard and shelves...Again the same answer.. "this can only fit to such and such size and that can only fit to such and such size" At the end we looked at what they have come up with...guess what it doesn't fit the room dimension at all...
what is the point of tailor making furniture then...
Saturday, 14 June 2008
DIY Long weekend
In this part of the world long weekend means Saturday, Sunday and Monday off, no work. I remembered when I was in England, the definition of long weekend also mean Saturday, Sunday and Monday off in addition the sky will become pitch dark with clouds and it will rain for 3 days starting from Saturday morning. I wish this is the case in Cyprus now with 3 full days of rain fall to fill up the dry reservoir.
I just remember another thing about what people do in the UK for the long weekend, yes the good old DIY. For me I am planning to do some "investigative DIY" too for this long weekend. Last week I brought a digital receiver along with a satellite dish so that I can watch satellite TV. The grand total for both the dish and the received come at around 222 Euro. (for Cyprus it is a very good offer). The receiver is a dreambox. For those reader of this blog who don't know about dreambox receiver. it is a machine which interpret the signal received by the satellite dish to a TV output. What so special about dreambox is that it uses a free open source computer technology called Linux to run the receiver. Effectively it is using a mini computer to do the signal interpretation.
Why I am saying I am doing "Investigative DIY"? well it is because I am not actually installing the dish. I am trying to do as much investigation as possible so that when the installation person come, he/she can actually able to complete the job. The most difficult task is to get cable from the roof top to the TV room on the ground floor.
Some of my friends and colleagues ask me why I am so much silly spending time on it, shouldn't the person installing the dish should carryout the investigated task? Well the simple reason is because I want the installation guy to do it the way I want it to be done. I don’t want to be push around by others.
I just remember another thing about what people do in the UK for the long weekend, yes the good old DIY. For me I am planning to do some "investigative DIY" too for this long weekend. Last week I brought a digital receiver along with a satellite dish so that I can watch satellite TV. The grand total for both the dish and the received come at around 222 Euro. (for Cyprus it is a very good offer). The receiver is a dreambox. For those reader of this blog who don't know about dreambox receiver. it is a machine which interpret the signal received by the satellite dish to a TV output. What so special about dreambox is that it uses a free open source computer technology called Linux to run the receiver. Effectively it is using a mini computer to do the signal interpretation.
Why I am saying I am doing "Investigative DIY"? well it is because I am not actually installing the dish. I am trying to do as much investigation as possible so that when the installation person come, he/she can actually able to complete the job. The most difficult task is to get cable from the roof top to the TV room on the ground floor.
Some of my friends and colleagues ask me why I am so much silly spending time on it, shouldn't the person installing the dish should carryout the investigated task? Well the simple reason is because I want the installation guy to do it the way I want it to be done. I don’t want to be push around by others.
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Unexpected Trip, unexpected kind of fun
Does it ever happen to you that some friend of yours find out some special offer to go on a trip abroad in the last minute and you have decided to take up the opportunity in the very last minute?
It wasn't my first time to Rhodes, but it was still great fun. I remembered when the vessel left Lemesos port I was imagining that all my colleagues at work are still slaving away at work, while I am having a lovely cold beer!
We arrived at Rhodes at around lunch time on Saturday, the weather was hot and we spent the entire day site seeing in the Old town Rhodes. It was definitely good to be away for the weekend.
Sunday arrived very quickly and we have to headed back to Cyprus. On the hold it was a very nice trip.
Yes it happens to me about 3 weeks ago when a friend ask me to go on a short cruise trip to the Greek Island of Rhodes. We left Cyprus at around lunch time on Friday. We took the cruise ship Salamis Glory and it set sail to Rhodes.
It wasn't my first time to Rhodes, but it was still great fun. I remembered when the vessel left Lemesos port I was imagining that all my colleagues at work are still slaving away at work, while I am having a lovely cold beer!
We arrived at Rhodes at around lunch time on Saturday, the weather was hot and we spent the entire day site seeing in the Old town Rhodes. It was definitely good to be away for the weekend.
Sunday arrived very quickly and we have to headed back to Cyprus. On the hold it was a very nice trip.
Monday, 5 May 2008
TV talk show in Cyprus
Let me tell you something about my secret Friday life: Sometime I come home early, sit next to my wife and watch day time talk show.
The fact that I watch TV talk show you may categorised me as a sad person... the fact that the talk show is in Greek and I don't actually understand Greek at all, may even make me a very sad person. When I find out what the topic of talk show , I realise I am actually not as sad as those people who actually understand Greek and watch the show.
On that Friday the grand topic of the debate was "Is it okay to sleep with your boss to get a promotion/ move up the corporate ladder ? "
I didn't ask my wife into details of what lines of argument have been discussed in the talk show, I can't really see any real valid line of argument anyway. The only thing I realise is that one of the female talk show guest was defending her line of argument and justifying it is okay.
I personally is a little bit short of ideas in relation to justifying the for side. May be if someone is working in the sex/adult entertainment industry, his/her boss may need to give a promotion assessment.
Anyway last Friday I start watching my James Bond DVD collection for the nth time instead.
The fact that I watch TV talk show you may categorised me as a sad person... the fact that the talk show is in Greek and I don't actually understand Greek at all, may even make me a very sad person. When I find out what the topic of talk show , I realise I am actually not as sad as those people who actually understand Greek and watch the show.
On that Friday the grand topic of the debate was "Is it okay to sleep with your boss to get a promotion/ move up the corporate ladder ? "
I didn't ask my wife into details of what lines of argument have been discussed in the talk show, I can't really see any real valid line of argument anyway. The only thing I realise is that one of the female talk show guest was defending her line of argument and justifying it is okay.
I personally is a little bit short of ideas in relation to justifying the for side. May be if someone is working in the sex/adult entertainment industry, his/her boss may need to give a promotion assessment.
Anyway last Friday I start watching my James Bond DVD collection for the nth time instead.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
My First Blog Entry
Welcome to my blog .
To be honest I don't how to start and I don't even know what my blog should be based on. I suppose I just want to based on something I want to talk about. It can be as general as just saying something I have done today or may be writing something I am interested at computing, painting , site seeing, etc..
anyway do come back to my blog and see more
Ivan
To be honest I don't how to start and I don't even know what my blog should be based on. I suppose I just want to based on something I want to talk about. It can be as general as just saying something I have done today or may be writing something I am interested at computing, painting , site seeing, etc..
anyway do come back to my blog and see more
Ivan
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