Just a short update for today! I’ve challenged once again myself to park at one of the hardest car parks in Hong Kong, specifically at Tai Wai. Well it’s arguable if it’s ‘hard’..but it definitely requires 3-point-turn when going up a level…unless you drive a k-car. Parking space is surprisingly small as well, especially the width. I took the picture when I was wandering around the car park, and for the first second, I was thinking how it was POSSIBLE to park like that. It also adds to the effect that there’s another car next to it. Truly amazing parking skills. I’ve actually checked and it doesn’t seem like they’ve scratched any of the parts as well. 

Parking could be real fun if you park in such spaces!

Photography. What is photography?

It’s really important to know that photography isn’t about the equipment you have, but it’s the mindset and moments you have. By mindset, I mean everything that the photography has in his mind, from his photography techniques, creativity and imagination. And by moments I mean the right time and the right place. This is especially important for photographs of news footage or war time, or one-time event, and of course in events that subjects are not controllable by the photographer. That’s quite a lot - but those are qualities that make a good photograph. 

Of course expensive lenses and camera bodies might be beneficial and aid photographers. But what I totally HATE to see is the times where people spend a lot of money for things they are not interested in, but instead to show-off. I’ve seen a tons of people holding Canon EOS 5D Mark II/III (quite a high-end camera) or even Nikon D4 (truly high-end camera) with expensive lens (typically 24-70mm f/2.8) using AUTOMATIC MODE. In photography there shouldn’t be a time where this mode is required. This is different from car of its Automatic Gear…well it’s sort of similar actually if you consider how computer replaces the control of human. For example, if you are taking a sports event such as a football game, one should use Av / A mode to set aperture as the ‘independent variable’ :P (some geeky term from science, I know), and leave shutter time for the camera to decide - but NEVER AUTOMATIC, where the camera decides the both and might pop-up the flippy yuppy flashlight and bang!

Well anyway I just want to see people are actually interested in photography. Photography is not the place for you to show off your camera equipment. Show-off your skill!

So today my friend asked whether I wanted to go to hike. YEAH MAN. I do. 

Hiking, similar to doing gym, is a moment for me to review upon myself. But what’s different is the beautiful nature surrounded by bird singing and sea breeze. It’s a good relief from the hectic life typical Hongkongers have, or in the case of being a student it’s a good relief from ”midterms…projects…finals…participation…blah blah blah”. 

It’s been a long time since I last hiked seriously. I recall the last hiking I had was dated back to Year 13, for a required event called ‘CAS Project’ for IB Diploma. From the experience gained from HKAYP Silver Expedition, a bunch of friends and I planned routes, carrying necessities and camera equipment and went to hike at the lovely beautiful Hoi Ha at Sai Kung. It’s simply an unforgettable memory till date, and in future. 

Some exciting plans have been set for the upcoming hiking so please do check it out later!

Gym really is a good place to be. I’ve been there more than any year in the past, and it also allows me to think, think and think during exercise. A huge part during the thinking process is reviewing - reviewing what you’ve done, either right or wrong. It’s really important to think back and review, and hopefully learn from mistakes.

Why am I saying all these all of a sudden? It’s interesting to see that I wasn’t that engaged in academics during Year one and I have definitely missed a lot of opportunities. It’s saddening to see the ‘achievements’ during Year one I have done. But having that said, when I reached Year two, partial credits must be given to the time at gym for relieving and resolving my internal feelings. In another word gym is a great place to use all the power you have to relieve your emotions. 

I headed over to Cheung Kong Center at Central today to take the Bloomberg Assessment Test, all the way with running nose. I would say it was really a multi-guess for me, especially topics like investment management or investment banking, because I didn’t really spend time to revise read those. However the maths and comprehension parts were okay for me - I hope future employers could look into that! 

Well anyway, the Bloomberg office was…hm…okay…it’s not as good as people comment (they even claimed themselves to be the best office design). Well, their design doesn’t really suit me I guess then. Their style is open office, sort of similar to those of Microsoft and other technology-sector corporations. Very very colorful indeed, with extensive use of Orange and Yellow. I prefer dull colors, with black, white, grey and red - very best represented by UBS AG. Their office is simply ‘omg’ for me. Excellent location (52/F two ifc) and excellent, low-profile decor. I really want to visit their office again!

Well back to the Test - I initially thought the 3hrs exam is way too long, with 150 multiple choice questions. I thought I could leave after 2 hours or so, but unfortunately even though I guessed more than half of the questions it took me 3 hours to finish the Test. Some questions were really easy, like basic ones that you’d learn in Year 1 business core courses, but some are difficult. I didn’t do well in introductory accounting so the financial reporting part was somewhat challenging as well! And it goes to very sophisticated matter of where to ‘record’ expense/income… :(

Well anyway it was a good experience to visit Bloomberg HK office!

I wanted to sleep before 12 but I couldn’t. I’m lying on my bed, typing this on my phone, thinking about my future. Perhaps it’s the topic I’m thinking that doesn’t let sleep. Sigh.

So relationship is undoubtfully one thing that everyone will come across in life. Some prefer to engage in this business as early as when he is in kindergarden, or some may start thinking when he reaches adolescence. Some pretend to be not while some explicitly state it out.

I was reading a book about ‘100 things that uni students should do’ just now, and as you could have guessed relationship is one of them. I’ve seen many of my friends who have made themselves becoming more and more ‘unreachable’ over weekends. Hm…

There is one issue discussed in the book that caught my attention, and it does seem like a gambling game to me. So the situation is, should you tell the person you like that you like the person. Seems odd to ask but at the same time the answer to this question would appear in philosophy books. I’m really confused. And I really like the photo posted here - it’s truly beautiful and it’s full of love.

So it’s finally this time of the year that I have to pack up for leaving my uni dorm. As usual it’s a painful and tiring ‘exercise’ because I just have too many things at the dorm. It took me more than 6 hours packing up, from clothes, books to wine glasses…just so many, and many more that are fragile and I have to be careful about those during transportation. I’m looking forward to the summer, and as a head start, those books are my summer reading - basically practical books that hopefully add-value for me :P 

I hope every student will have a fruitful summer like me! All the best to all of you!

Yes I’ve done it. I’ve done the last exam of the term. And that means I’m done with the second year of study at university, meaning I have only one year of study left. While that means I only have to survive one more year, but that means I also have to cherish the remaining one year, ‘a valuable experience’ that many would say, especially those who are currently working. 

As a reward for myself, I’ve allowed myself to spend a sleepless night for watching a football game over the Saturday night (till Sunday Morning, literally) for the UEFA Final. I was really excited about the game, with friends, watching and screaming together like the ads of Heineken a few years back, with the only exception that we were not screaming about Heineken-branded beer. I have to say that though the first half of the game was nil-nil, it was more exciting than the second half. In fact I was half-dead by then, after the endless mahjong I played with them from midnight to 02.45am when the final starts. The climax for me, however, was to see a moment when a goalkeeper was against another goalkeeper for a penalty-kick shootout. It’s something I’d have imagined for a silly football game for game console…and there he goes, the Bayern Munchen goalkeeper Neuer scored! 

After all the game ended at around 05.30am, and after a series of celebration, I headed back home at around 06.30am. And as you can see from the photo, it’s the moment where there aren’t many people on the platform. I particularly like how my phone captured the moving, dynamic train. I really find modern technology very amusing, even as a person with sound technological knowledge :D

Today was full of ups and downs. I couldn’t sleep at all. Literally. All I could do was to lie on bed, from 23.30 all the way. My roommate has decided to wake up early these days to fully utilize the time, which I think is a good habit that all people should do, and so I was ‘led’ to wake up at around 05.45. With the extremely mentality I’d got, it was really kind for my roommate to offer me a cup of UCC coffee, as shown in the photo. It was one of the best coffee I had, not because of the taste, but because of the moment.

I am a believer in moments. Doing the right thing at the right time. Though this sounds like a management theory or something, but doing right thing at wrong time doesn’t always give you the result you want, and possibly depresses you for the effort you’ve spent. On the other hand if you did something wrong at the right time, it could be disastrous without causing much depression for yourself. So yeah, the best practice is to do the right thing at the right time.