Some places call it Metro. Some places call it Metro. We call it the MTR in our city, which abbreviates for Mass Transit Railway. These are basically railway systems with stations and stops at every few hundred meters or at every inhabited area, and the whole system will be comprised of a number of railway lines, depending on the size of the city. For railway systems such as the MTR, the frequency of trains is also another important issue. The frequency of the trains arriving at various stations is usually set at around 4 minutes per train. Of course, this timing of train frequency differs between various lines and time periods of the day, but it is still true that the MTR has one of the lowest average waiting time of all public transports. Most people who live or have lived in a metropolitan will have experience travelling with one of such railway system, or even commuting with it. Nevertheless, even with its speed and convenience, there are certain social issues, or complications, that the MTR has brought about. One of such issues is the sharing of seats.
Due to a design that focuses on the conservation of space, the number of seats in each MTR train compartment is relatively limited. The seats of the trains are normally occupied by passenger even when it is not peak hours. So what will happen when all the seats are occupied and someone who looks like he is in need of that spot walks in? Someone that is physically challenged, such as a old man or a pregnant lady, or a child. It is not uncommon for one of such person to walk in. So if you are the one seated, what will you do? Will you stand up and offer your seat to that person? Or will you remain seated, since it doesn't really concern you?
I have seen one of such person in almost every week. An old or pregnant lady or some little kid will walk into the train compartment of which I am seated, look around and find that all the seats are occupied with people. I am more than willing to offer my seat, and I normally do so because it is perfectly fine if I have to stand for twenty or so minutes of the remaining journey. For someone who is twenty odd years old and in good health, I won't find that anything near tedious. However, I have two concerns. One is that I'll normally wait a couple of seconds to see if someone is willing to offer their seat first. Not that I am trying to see if I can keep my seat or anything, but I will feel awkward if me and another person stood up simultaneously just to offer a seat to another person. Don't ask why, that's me.
Another concern I have is that the person I am offering my seat to might take it personally that I am stereotyping him or her as old or physically impaired. It happened once, when an old man got angry when I tried to offer him my seat. He screamed at me, saying that I shouldn't treat him like an old fart because he is only fifty plus. From then on, I normally won't look for an empty seat if the train ride is something less than 10 minutes. If I don't have it, I can't offer it, simple.
Nevertheless, the scene of someone offering their seat to others, apart from myself, is quite a rare find in the area that I lived. It has happened, of course, but not common. Many a time I have seen people of my age and physique remaining seated at their MTR seats when someone old walked past, sluggishly with a walking stick. I am normally standing somewhere in my own corner when that happens. Not that I can offer anything to that particular old person, and I won't give a public lecture to the people who are seated. Who am I to cause a scene for something that many people take as something trivial? I have my morals and they have theirs, and I have no intention of intruding other's inner self. But anyway, I guess I'm thinking too much when I wait for someone to offer his or her seat first before me. That won't happen in my society.
I was talking to a friend of mine, Suni, about this. He smiled and gave his reply.
"That's why I read." Suni gave his reply half-smilingly.
"What? What do you mean by 'you read'?" I asked, not really understanding what Suni meant.
"When I find my own little comfy seat on the MTR, I'll normally take out a book and stare hard at it. Not that I am really interested in what the book is saying, but at least I won't look at the old person standing in front of me and feel guilty. Yea, that's why I said I read."
After hearing that from Suni, I couldn't find the right words to reply him, so he continued.
"But you know what? There are quite a number of old people who will stand in front of you can cough real hard to capture your attention. I really hate those kind of people. I mean, can't you see that I am concentrating on my little novel? And let's not forget that the train compartment is noisy enough without your coughs."
At that point in time, I realized that something is wrong with what Suni is saying. I'm not talking about his moral values, because, like what I've said earlier, I won't give others moral lectures or anything. Just don't be offensive and I'll be okay with it. Still, there is a certain something that seems quite out of place.
"I didn't know that you are into reading. Glad that you're finally into books." I've finally found what's wrong with what Suni has said.
"I read, but not from a book." Suni replied.
"Then from what?"
"Before I answer you, think about this. Why do you think that smart phones are so popular nowadays?"
After saying that and giving his usual grin, Suni took out his phone and started reading the news from it.
2011年8月19日星期五
Seated
2011年8月18日星期四
Apple's i
Apple Inc. The company that made its products and services, such as iPods, iTunes, iPhones and iMacs hits in today's society. Apple is a company that sells and manages computers and high-end consumer electronics. Noticing how Apple name all their products with an "i" in front? What will Apple name their products/services if the follow were to be manufactured?
A pair of sports shoes?
iRan
A masters degree course on business administration?
iMBA
A basketball team or tournament?
iSlam
A cubic electronic device?
iSquare
An "English Language Teaching" school?
iELTS
A football club?
iFC
Notes:
Iran = a country in middle east.
Islam = a religion.
Imba = imbalance.
iSquare = a shopping center in Hong Kong
ielts = a British English qualification examination
ifc = international finance center, a building in Hong Kong
I believe you can try.
"I have been waiting for this moment since I was 4. This will definitely be the greatest achievement of my life. I will fly. I definitely will fly. I will set a new record for humanity. Me, John, flying. I will succeed. Do you know why?" John said.
2011年8月17日星期三
We are cannibals
American: Asians are evil.
Asian: Why?
American: Asian eat cats.
Asian: Huh? On what basis did you say that for?
American: I know they eat cats. I have seen that on movies.
Asian: Oh. But you know what? Americans eat cats too.
American: No we don't.
Asian: Yes you do.
American: What are your basis for saying that?
Asian: Do you eat fish? And beef?
American: Yea, we do. But whats that got to do with cat eating? We don't eat cats.
Asian: There you go, you've admitted it yourself. You eat "cattle" and "catfish".
American: Oh someone is trying to be a smart ass now, is he? You know what? Asians eat dogs too.
Asian: Not all Asian does that.
American: Oh yea? Many Asian cities are famous for their dog meat. Asians are evil.
Asian: Americans too.
American: No we don't. We don't eat dog meat.
Asian: What about hotdogs?
American: Are you trying to be funny? [Shows fist]
Asian: We are civilized, so lets not get physical.
American: Whatever. But you know what? Asians are cannibals. They eat humans!
Asian: True. I can't deny that.
American: Ha, so you agree that Asians are evil.
Asian: No. What I am trying to say is that we eat men because of you westerners.
American: What? What are you trying to say?
Asian: Who do you think invented "mentos"?
American: What???
[Asian sneaks away and ran off before American figures out what happened]
L4D Tips for Noobs
There are many Left 4 Dead players out there who keep saying that they don't care if someone is new as long as that person is cooperative. I have seen and heard this many many many times, and to be frank, I am pretty sick of it. Why? The reason is simple: saying that someone is ok even though he's new as long as he's cooperative is the same as saying that it is ok if I shoot you in the head as long as you don't die. Don't know what I mean? Of course, I meant it figuratively, but the thing is, most newbies don't cooperate, or at least they don't cooperate in our way. I know I am trying to write a little set of tips here, but I don't mean anything personal. They just don't know the game well enough to be that cooperative. So here I am, writing a few little tips for anyone who's interested.
Communicate with others
Do some talking. The "y" button isn't there for nothing. I don't mean it by typing long sentences such as "Hey guys, there's a Molotov here. Who wants it?" A simple word like "go?" or "stop" or "wait" can be very effected in most occasions.Or simply use the "z" or "x" button voice commands. Get used to those voice commands such as "yes" "no" "let's go" and etc. They're useful, especially when they're normally translated into the other player's language on their own screen in the captions (more on this later). Of course, if you have hands free, go ahead and use your mic. But don't abuse it, because some people won't like it and you'll most likely get muted. So what happens if you've said or typed something but the message isn't getting across to the other players? Don't bother playing with them. Normal players won't ignore you.
Have Captions on
Switch full captions on in the options menu (It's somewhere in the audio). It's simple, most of the times the audios will fail you, especially special infected/Tank voices. It's easier to detect them with captions. Another thing is that it will "literalize" the z and x voice commands, regardless of the vocal volume. Pretty useful in most times. But then what happens if the caption fails you? Good luck ...
Keep in Pace
Keep up or slow down so that you are with your team at most times. Try not to run too far ahead of your team or lag behind in all occasions. The reason is simple: if you run into some kind of trouble, such as being restrained by special infecteds, or suddenly facing a large amount of hordes, you can have your teammates to help you. Keep in mind that you need another player's help if you want to free yourself from special infected.
Keep your Health in Check
Before anything, make sure you understand how does a first aid kit works. When you use a first aid kit, your health points will change to the number in the follow equation: (80 + (hp before use / 5)). This means that your hp will be (80 + (80/5)) = 96 if you used a kit when you have 80 hp. Likewise, you will have (80 + (0/5)) = 80 hp when you use a kit with no hp (as in all your hp are temporary health points). Remembering that you will only get one first aid kit in each saferoom (unless you steal other's), it is better to heal when your health is lower than 20, or if you are near saferoom, just bare with it.
Apart from first aid kits, another healing item will be the pain pills. They give you up to 50 temporary health points, and these heal points will degenerate as time pass. They can help you to get past troubled times because it takes less than a second to consume a bottle of pills, and you can regain your speed right after that, but, again, remember to keep your health in check.
Two other health related items will be adrenaline and defibrillator. The adrenaline gives you only 25 temporary health points, but you will run faster, shoot faster, heal faster and use items faster when under adrenaline's effect (which lasts for something like 10 seconds). I personally prefer pain pills, but adrenaline is useful if you're on a spot which requires you to run at full speed. As for defibrillator, I won't recommend it because it takes up a first aid space and you can simply open closet doors to save your peers. But then and again, if you have nothing on your first aid slot, and you see a defibrillator lying around, just take it.
Know Your Position
Every map is unique, and every map has their best defensive spots. It takes time to understand which spot is better for defending panic events in which map. I won't be going into detail about each and every map, but, considering that you don't know the map well, there are a few things you can keep in mind while defending zombies in a panic event.
One very basic concept in almost all zombie games is that, one fort is always better than two. It's always easier to fight with zombies coming from one side than zombies coming for two sides (front and back or left and right), or, worse still, zombies coming from all directions. The reason is simple, you can focus on your firing.
When you want to face zombies only from the front, one good way is to pin yourself up against a wall, or better still a wall corner. But that only solves half the problem, because there will be quite a large angle for zombies to come in (180 if you're up against the wall or 90 if u are up against a corner). Another good way to narrow down the inflow of zombies will be to make use of the doors. Most doors are the width of only one to two zombies and the zombies will have to squeeze in to get to you. It will be easier to kill the zombies, be it with a blade or a gun.
One other thing about zombie defending in panic event is to climb high. Scale high a bit, like on a table or a bookshelf. The reason is simple: it's easier to aim for their heads. Of course, it takes some extra time for them to reach you as well, as they might be climbing the table or shelf or whatever.
Of course, it is important to be familiar with the maps. You won't want to get lost that often, right?
Know your sidearm.
The main weapon is important, and I won't touch on that. Some people like AK, some like military sniper, and some are better with auto shotguns. It's up for you to decide what you want to use. But the thing I want to talk about is side arm. There are two types of side arms: pistols and melee. For pistols, and for most new players, I will recommend the magnum, or desert eagle depending on what you want to call it. The reason being is that the desert eagle can kill a normal infected with one shot in most cases (except for police) and it has 8 bullets. Though with a slower firing speed, it has more kill per reload and kill per hit ratio when compared to glock or dual glock. For glock, you'll only be better off if you can get head shots for more than half of your shots, and it's very clear that most people can't. So just use a magnum and its a trustworthy side arm. As for melee weapons, I'll recommend those with blades, such as machete, Katana and (less preferably) fire axe. Machetes and katanas have the fastest swinging speed of all melee weapons. They can kill normal infecteds with one hit, of which this applies to the fire axe as well. Although they don't have push back capabilities, unlike other melee weapons, they are the only melee weapons which can kill zombies with just one hit at a wide angle. So what I'm trying to say is, if you can get a magnum, go for it. If not, grab one of those melee weapons with a blade.
Reload!
Like all shooters, it is important to keep your ammunition count in check, especially side arm. Most people often forgets to reload their side arm when they are done using them for clearing off zombies in panic events.
Special infected got your teammate? Shoot!
I have seen countless of people chasing another person who has been grabbed by a charger or jockey or smoker with a melee weapon (and that person being grabbed is usually me ...). Do you have any idea how much it hurts when some special infected grabs a survivor? The health points are ticking away like the clock and you're still chasing after the survivor, pushing away infecteds along the way. Come on, you have a gun, so shoot it!!!
These little tips should be enough for new players. I got all work up thinking about idiots chasing a jocky-mounted survivor with a baseball bat. Anyway, that's it, for now.
2011年4月8日星期五
Why...?
Why do people still blog when there's facebook?
Hmm... good question. Maybe I'm just sick of typing hundreds or thousands of words here...
2011年3月19日星期六
Ouch!
My throat has been hurting quite bad for these few days, and I though "hell, is the nuclear spreading THAT fast?"
... ok, so I've got a little ulcer at my throat, fine. What's next?
2011年3月8日星期二
真的太久沒有進來這寫東西了
說起來 好像有好幾個月都沒有進來這裡寫什麽
真的好像把這裡給遺忘了
還記得以前每次有什麽心事 每次有什麽不愉快的
都會進來這裡來發洩 來出氣 來呻氣
沒有好好地把你個記住
抱歉 是我錯
而除了這抱歉 我真的什麽都講不出了
因爲 我懂我已經沒有什麽可以用來補救這一切
錯...
這次我也錯了嗎?
我懂我不應該抓得那麽緊
雖然是真的真在乎
也很怕 怕失去
可就是越怕 才會越容易失去
就是抓得越緊 才會越容易溜走
其實這我也明白吖
越是放得開 越會握得住
可是 懂歸懂 就是做不到
就是不能夠接受自己這一套
因爲我真的很怕 怕失去
怕到一種不能把這感覺埋沒的程度
就是放不開
是我錯了嗎?
如果不是我的錯 那又會是誰的錯呢...
我懂 我很好勝
每次都不認輸
每次都太認真
是好是壞 我不懂
可這次就是因爲這樣而泡湯了吧
我懂我不應該抓得那麽緊
我懂我不應該那麽問
我懂我應該懂得去讓 懂得去放開 懂得認輸
懂...
我 真的懂了...
相遇 肯定是偶然
無論發生什麽事
我都會尊重那個決定
也許那條路不是我應該走的
也許我該學會冷靜
雖然越冷靜 會越感到害怕
但 我也時候學會放開了
未來怎麽樣
就讓未來來決定吧
現在就冷靜一下
給自己一點點空間來呼吸吧
2010年11月22日星期一
Rambling on and on again
2010年11月5日星期五
I'm freestyling
So the prof said that poetry is all about hard work when I said that it's about inspiration. Right, but then, I can't really agree with that. I mean, imagine some dude sit in front of the desk the whole day and tries to write a few lines. After hours of endless struggle, will he be able to cough something out? That just won't happen, will it? Look, if you were to write something, without topic and without aim, what can come out of your pen? Come on, get real. Creativity isn't something that can be achieved by sitting there and think. You need a direction; a path of some sort.
Alright, so to prove that creative writing isn't all about hard work, what I am going to do is to actually write something, just like that. I'm not a poetic person, never was and never will (do I hear someone protesting?) but for the sake of it, heres a few stanzas. I'll say that this isn't tetrameter because I'm not really following any 'foot' or anything, so yep, stanzas of free verses that doesn't look much like free verses =).
Free-styling
I am free-styling, here and here,
just come along and sit right there.
Don't be too stringent or too stiff,
and you won't ever have to sniff.
Now, let me begin with a phrase,
this world is nothing but a race.
Come tag along and join the craze,
or get lost in your little maze.
Pulling the strings and one by one,
they snapped and are thus left undone.
Your puppeteer, your faith and sun,
left you in a world that is none.
Of course it is not all that bad,
and most of the times we are glad,
of the times and tides we all had,
until the time we all turn mad.
Seriously, for what I wrote here,
is never something one should fear.
I have no idea of this mess,
nor what I'm writing, I confess.
Maybe I should stop here instead,
and end it before I misled.
Look at the time now, how it sped,
and the things that are left unsaid.
2010年10月23日星期六
So little time...
Gah, there's so much I want to write about but it the time of the year where you can use some extra hours... Oh well, this will be hell short, so ya, I'll make it up when time is mine again.
2010年10月3日星期日
It's not that dry, is it?
That reminds me. The other time when I was in the states, I came across this brand of ginger ale called Canada Dry (I know it's common in the states, but you can only find them in c!tysuper). Anyway, it goes real well with a simple cup of ice. I've got sort of addicted to them and I've gotten myself at least a cup every night before I turn in. It's nice, try it.
2010年9月20日星期一
I'm not a phish!
The first e-mail I see when I reached home ....
Dear doremon888@hotmail.com,
This e-mail has been sent to you by Hsbc UK to inform you that we were unable to verify your account details. This might be due to either of the following reasons:
1. A recent change in your personal information. (eg: address, phone)
2. Submitting incorrect information during register process.
Due to this, to ensure that your banking service is not interrupted, we request you to confirm and update your information today by following the link below
https://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/INGRM9usr=doremon888@hotmail.com&vrz=1
If you have already confirmed your information then please disregard this message.
Regards,
Hsbc Uk member services
You know something... There are so many flaws in this e-mail that I cannot stop counting. To begin with, which idiot of a bank will start addressing someone with their e-mail address? It's so darn obvious that they don't know who the heck I am. Oh and another thing is that, I have never set foot onto the soils of UK, so the chance of me appearing there and opening an account is ... as high as you striking a lottery (pretty much =D). Well, obviously someone has used my e-mail as both the communicational e-mail AND the name (what was this person thinking?) ... Oh well, its still kinda fun to receive these kinda stuff... I mean its still better than asking me if I need "enlargements" or not, right?
Seriously, for a con site, this is pretty well made. But notice the web url. Bomber Sunglasses? Woah, I guess your account will really explode if you log in.
2010年9月6日星期一
Can't I slack for a bit longer?
Still, school sounds like such a surrealistic concept. Somehow, ever since I've entered this little university of mine, the whole concept of discipline, micro-society and stuff seems to have fallen apart. What school meant was that teacher's words are absolute, and following their orders are like following your beloved sergeant at boot camp - do or die. But then, I've realized soon enough that such concept are kind of absurd. Teaching is merely a job, and teachers aren't saint who makes mistakes. Rather, teachers make so darn many mistakes that you won't be bothered to count. And students are merely clients of the facility, who paid for the whole "service". And then there's this concept of homework, tests and stuff. I've learned it in the past that whatever is printed in your final script counts, and whatever isn't doesn't. But this little concept has taken a new meaning when I'm in this school of mine. Even your little certificate is nothing but a piece of worthless paper. You don't have to wear it everyday, and nobody really cares what grade you got, because your currently identity is much more of a proof of your current ability. Of course, people too will recognize your capabilities that you are able to display, so what does a certificate proof that your ability doesn't? Well, I certainly won't continue on that =P.
Anyway, I sure do want to slack a bit more. Somehow all the lessons in school are identical. Go there, sit for a while, listen to some crap, talk some crap and call it a day. If you're talking about stress, there's really none provided that you don't look at your result slip at the end of the semester. Of course, I don't =D. Still, I wondered how much I've learned since I came here? It seems like my skills have declined pretty much (maths and all) when compared to high school days, but I think I'm still pretty much fulfilling my own resolution on coming here - to brush up my engrash skills. Yep, noting more, nothing less.
So the semester commences, so much for that. Oh and to the one who's leaving this lonely little isle of Hong Kong, bon voyage. Have fun in Mars~ (I hope that you can read it, though I doubt you've ever came here =P)
2010年9月2日星期四
There's one little thing I like about Mcdonalds
Anyway, I had to visit Mac for quite a few nights because the internet was down at home and I need to get a presentation done. What I saw there was that there are quite a number of men at their 50s (at least that's what I presume), sitting there, not buying anything and trying to catch some sleep. At that instance, I got really interested in them. Of course, I mean their backgrounds and identity and not in the way that you're currently imagining. The first question that sprang in my mind is that, why are they here? Do they have a family somewhere, or are they simply there because they have no where to go? What do they do for a living or during the day time? Works belonging to the group from the bottommost of the social hierarchy? Where are they from? Locals or mainland people? And I can pretty much assume that they have at least a small level of intelligence (meaning that they are not beggars) because, hey, at least they know how to get into the Mac and camp there without causing a nuisance.
And then another set of question sprang into my mind. If they are staying there for the night (Mac is open 24/7 now -_-), what will Mcdonalds do about them, or are they gonna do something about them in the first place? Somehow it seems kind of weird, because anyone can enter a Mac and stay there for as long as he or she likes (since it never closes). And on top of that, there's free air conditioning. But then I start to wonder, does the higher ups in the company know about this? I'm certain that some of them are aware of the situation happening there. But since there are not doing about these parasites of some sort, are they trying accommodate them of some sort? I mean, who in the right mind will go for a burger at 3 in the morning? Even if I have to go for a all nighter and I'm hungry, I'll rather grab a snack in the nearest convenient stall. But then and again, Mcdonalds is doing these kind of charity while paying peanuts to their employees? Many things don't click here...
Oh well, that's the one and only thing I like about Mac. I don't like their food, their environment (their tables are always sticky), their price... Whatever, I just don't like them. Still, come to think of it, the homeless dude I met earlier on on the street, he's must be unaware of the existence of Mcdonalds as a homeless shelter.

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