to year '07

Xristmas story
On the morning exactly a week ago before Christmas, Zizi, a friend of mine, was so devastated to find out ,only when she got to her office table, that she'd been robbed on her way,of her purse, her cell phone, and credit cards. She just couldn't figure out how it happened because she rode a bike while wearing it on her shoulder. Friends either msn or called her up, trying ed to comfort her, like a small loss of money brings good fortune next year etc. One sms worked best and most rewarding,to her as she explained to us, a man would like to date her
seven days later. This worked shortly for a day, till in the evening she suddenly came to realize, seven days later being Christmas and the mysterious admirers actually Santa.

We were so amused by her story of dating Santa and her new cell phone at a Janapese restaurant. And we were thinking of booking some restaurant for next day's dinner,as it's the Eve. We called some places but were surprised that either they were booked out or they had special set dinner with exhobitant prices. In the end, we settled at Banana Leave, a Thai place but was informed that they no longer took booking but kept some table available for early comers.

We welcomed the Eve with very rain and cold weather. Xu, soon-to-be-bride was dispatched to fight for a table, because the office is the closest to the restaurant. Xu got there around 5 pm and succeeded in getting a second last table on the second floor. I was the second to arrive and we chatted mostly about her wedding.

Xu is going to arrange the wedding ceremony and banquet on Jan 11, 2008, which is the exact date of my parents and my flight to Xiamen thus Bangkok. What a coincidence! I expressed my greeting and garantted that Jan 11 must be a very aupicious date and the marriage is sure to be blessed. She explained about the proceedings and arrangements, which turned out to be very tiring, but of course she hardly concealed her excitement and happiness either.(Congratulaiton!.) It was almost one hour later when every body was there. The food was Okay but the live performance,given by some philippino singers was really cheer-up. We decided to finish and leave soon to give our table to the people behine long waiting line. He and her wife went to the church ,and I hit the bed early, feeling cold and a little bit hangover partly from the dinner before.

A mosqito hummed around my pillow. I hope she is singing Christmas lullaby,my favourite to me, and meanwhile I admire it to be so hardy and able to survive the cold.

Christmas. Had the afternoon tea with Ping. She told some stories about our friend, B. and her formal girl friend. The breakup was really messy and involved financials. The girl was desperate and commit suicide by cutting the blood vessel. Fortunately she was saved. While I was listening to the story, I couldn't believe, for I knew B is now back to his ex-ex-ex girl friend. The poor girl was dumped on msn years ago and I wish her wise enough.

Anyway, I wish merry christmas to the world, my family and friends and my myself Peace.
With this.

This is a Christmas Lullaby
To steal softly into dreaming
A simple Christmas lullaby
I sing to you each passing year
The world is wrapped in joy and wonder in silent mystery
And in this spell that we are under
Blessing surround our hearts completely
This is a Christmas Lullaby
For someone lovely as snow falling
I sing your Christmas Lullaby
To cradle you with all our love
Let peace on earth be yours tonight
Under the star that shines so bright
The world is wrapped in joy and wonder
In Silent mystery
And in this spell that we are under
Blessing surround our hearts completely
Now close your eyes and as you sigh
Make up a Christmas wish to dream on
And like the moon that shines on high
Send out your wish to that star in the sky
Blessed by this Christmas lullaby........

old pictures of Lijiang

fountain

newly projected with color lights. Colors including seemingly overtuned blue, purple, red, orange s, accompanied with loud ever, and high pitched folk songs, make the fountain a little strange and scary.

winter scene of the lake

winter scene of the lake

we are snow birds

we are snow birds
The light rain and wind added the cold of a winter day here. People are putting on their warm jackets, so are the dogs. Who the earth keep talking about the global warming, for I havn't experienced it at all, at least today. Walking into the streets out of my cozy place feels like sudden freezing at the frozen foods section at a supermarkt. Thinking to myself, I did nothing wrong but how come I deserved punishment of this type?

I don't think I am the person who enjoys cold and damp weather of winter here. So in recent years, I try to escape it by travelling to warm areas in southern asia, besides sightseeing the different cultures too. This year, I am planning, instead of my original destination of Nepal and Indian,acoompany my parents to Thailand.

They haven't been abroad ever and grow more and more excited each day by it . When they first planned it , they thought, one week should be long enough, but the longer they wait, the more choices of places come to their minds.

' Son, maybe, macau is good, too.'

'Son, let's go Hong Kong too, because it's close to Macau.'

'Son, after we come back, do me have time for Xiamen or Guangzhou?'

Travelling with them must be a little difficult, especially when we are on our own.I totally am aware of it.But it will valuable chance for us to be together for two weeks, love it or hate it.. .Please wish us good luck! Or, wish ME good luck.

one joke

Man hanging up phone: Wow, that guy had a neat accent. He said he was from the United Kingdom.
Woman: United Kingdom? That's in Florida, right?
Man: No, I think that's the Magic Kingdom...
Woman: Oh, you're right! United Kingdom is in Kentucky.

reborn

Viruses , if not friendly, are at least mysterious . How can they track your pc down, out of trillions of trillions of machines in the world, sneek into yours,hide then break out to destroy and make you mad.

Especially in case of my laptop, because it doesn't have any anti-virus software to make the system run too slow. On the other hand, since I think I don't 'visit' any dangerous pages, am not curious about any mails with 'seducive' pictures, I've been calm with it for long long time.

Anyway, I was hit this time. It turned out that my only wayout was to reformat the hard drives and reset the system. After several tries, the windows is running all right now. Since then, I 've been trying to find its history back, including my softwares, my players, my favouites, and blog websites.

In short, I am feeling like it's everything reborn.

love my crabs, love me

When autuman wind begins to blow, Chinese people can't wait any longer to rush into restaurants, to gorge a very seasonal delicacy, or only one during the period of time a year, fresh0-water crabs. There are different varieties but all agree the best are those from Yangcheng lake, in Soochow.

No wonder every year in the autumn, many of us would spare some weekends to travel there just for the freshest and most ahthetic crabs at the lakeside. Also there we heard about the love story of Yang, owner of a large crab farm

Yang is in his thirties when we met him, and without any doubt ,the most handsome crab-man we 've ever met. If he was born ten years later, he definately made into the last run of 'Best boy' a talent show. And if he promises every votee would win one crab leg, he must win over the champion. And if it is ten years earlier, he might be a leading role in the tv drama' dreams of red mansions'. Anyway, some of the friends talked about him and his romance was really dreamlike, but not at the manion but at the pond of crabs.

Among those coisseurs to the lake, there are many girls and young ladies. Handsome men are as popular as their crabs. Love crabs love me. So one girl fell in love with Yang soon and they married soon. So she ate his crabs, slept his beds; licking crab eggs while enjoying goodlooking man, life sounds in paradise.

However, vegetable and rice could be for everyday, but not crabs. When the winter comes,the lake falls in dead silence, while the bride began doubting this love and marriage. Do I really love this man or his crabs only? As soon as there were doubts, the situation din't go the fine direction. Yang was generous, and after a quick divorce, presented her ex lots of gifts, maybe with full basket of crabs too.

And in the autumn next year, there was another girl coming to the lake and into his life. She eats no crabs from other place, and of course marries no other man than from here. Yang already forgot his sad autumn last year, and harvested crabs and harvested his second marriage meanwhile. But soon it was winter time again, the bride began fed up with crab the more and more, which was a clear sign to Yang. The time to say good bye again.

We were curious about his and asked him,did you find your wife this year? Yang was cool and wispered, all crabs I raised these years turned into wives, and wives into crabs too.

spooky

It was around 6 in the afternoon but the sky was very dark already. It is now winter of course. When I came back to my apartment, all of sudden, I saw the light from one of the three rooms from the stairs. Scary. It can't be. For this room is the smallest in my apartment but used only for storage almost. Nobody has entered there for a long time. So who could it be to have turned on the light? And I am very sure, because the only key to it is somewhere in the mess of my bedroom. Who can open it?

I went up to the floor and opened my door. It was dark, very dark and scary quiet. I silently put my ears on the door but heard nothing inside. But the lights were on. I searched and found the key, opened the door. No one was there, but the lights were on. And while I tried to calm myself down, I pulled the swith thread.

But no matter how hard I tried, the thread was stuck there; and I tried five more times, the light finally went out.

So spooky. All of sudden, I thought about a scene I saw at the court yard days ago. There were piles of boxes, furniture, home appliances,flower garlands, all in paper of colors.( Those are going to be burned for the dead.) I have already lost a neighbour just one month before. Now again.

Could it be possible they were still haunting around, still missing the life here or wanting a little warm and bright place out of the cold wind and dark world...even though their visit was not expected.