summer cicadas

i had devoted an entire blog entry previously on how much i can't bear bugs. i think it still stands true, but with a bit of tweak...

tonight i was walking downhills n there is this rare 5 mins on my way down when there was no single car nor person around (this is pretty rare in hong kong at 715pm..), n all that was there, was just the mist i was walking in, some street lights n then the cicadas doing their summer song (n my mints banging inside a tin can. mmm...)

it was quite magical n i just thought only if i dun need to rush to dinner...

n abt my thoughts for bugs, i reckon that as long as i dun c them, i can still get along with, i say most of them :) (except for cockroaches!!)

some unrelated random old pix of the spring/summer sky...

stay warm~ my first "DIY" oven glove :D

the original....

mocked up my design onto the oven glove template provided by envelop.eu~

my so-called little shop is opened! hehehe http://envelop.eu/shop/articles/details/p/stay-warm-2

will hv to order a pair myself first to check out its quality before anything! :)) sooo excited!!!

why is it tuesday stillllllllll.......

救命....好多嘢做....................點解.....................................................

i need/want a break.......................

issue 3

my illustration for the may issue~

my name on the credit page with lam wai mei :OOO

*off topic*

never a fan of drama, but watched this show "29+1" today, and it was actually not bad!

looove this pattern on their leaflet btw!

 

i know

burping is just normal human biological stuff to do n it shd be included as a basic human right, etc etc etc.... but actually, would u mind keeping it relatively quiet / unnoticeable.... becuz this sort of gives me a vy vy vy weird n grossed out feeling when i hear it...in office....from a colleague that i’m not close to....... >.<

same goes with cutting ur nails! do it at home pls!! >.< sorry for being so demanding!!

scary

saw this woman talking on the phone inside the mtr last nite... her hair is allll over her face n u can't actaually see the face! @_@ looks a bit scary in my perspective...!

so tired these days...

work's been like a roller-coaster for the last couple weeks....seems like it's finally back on track but gosh it's incredibly exhausting, mentally & physically! wish i can take a half day off just sleeping in or sth...but that seems to be a privilege of working in a big company which i've already left behind.... guess that's the flip side of "getting control of everything" working in a small company, since it also means that u can't manage to "have anything out of control".... waiting for the long wkend in 4 weeks' time!!!

waiting

for the hardcopy to arrive in 2 weeks' time...

btw, changed the "e-book" setting, so now the preview is of the entire book! the link in the previous post is still valid, put it on "full screen" for clearer images n such~ :)

my first baby :*D

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1330460?ce=blurb_ew&utm_source=widget

BOOK INFO

my mo liu diary @ okayama 第...what??

behold! 

again!! here comes the grand finale of the long-almost-forgotten okayama story!!! yup it's only "almost forgotten" becuz i still rmb to wrap it up, just a little too lazy (n lots of excuses) to do so for a long_long_time.......

so now w/o further adieu...

*grand finale of my mo liu diary @ okayama* (in case u want to revisit the story, click here for previous posts :))
***********

22 – Ready, Set, Go!

12月的岡山跟香港的天氣有點相似，沒什麼雨水，都是陽光普照，不過平均氣溫亦跌至攝氏6度。但由於始終在冰點之上，白雪愷愷的聖誕節與岡山是無緣了。冷空氣郤令我陷入想家但又不捨的矛盾...


Get ready
踏入12月，是我逗留在岡山的最後一個月了。

其實也沒有一整個月，3個多星期後我們的8個月日本之旅便告一段落了。而接下來的3個星期，每天每課也是和孩子們上的最後一課。雖然有一兩班是比較頑皮和激心的，但是眼淺的我想到不知與他們何時再會都有點眼濕濕了。要想留個照片以外的記念（順帶一提，老土的我當年還在用菲林傻瓜機），突然想起讀小學時很流行的記念冊，於是便動手做了兩款不同英語程度的「表格」，給幼兒班和小學的同學仔。至於中學生，我則預備了黏貼大相簿，讓他們自由發揮。最高興是小學和幼稚園生的爸媽也會幫孩子們填表，有些甚至好心機地替我的小熊插圖填色和畫畫背景！至於中學生，他們亦把相當年流行的貼紙相呀，日常生活照呀甚至自己喜歡的明星相也貼在相簿內。

雖然距離last day還有一段時間，我已經開始收拾細軟，陸續把沉纍纍的雜誌呀漫畫呀CD呀相片呀通通pack箱寄回家。順帶一提，大紙箱是可以免費(!!)在超市拿的。不是叫你拿載滿貨那些啦！是放在收銀處後面，超市不要的那些啦。回老家時又因為要在東京轉機，我便決定在東京多留數天吧。吸收了上次毫無計劃的東京論論盡盡之旅的經驗，我和阿魚這次不敢怠慢，立即超有效率地安排了是次東京的酒店（當然是非廉價不可），再安排上京的車票--臨別秋波，就讓我們再表現一次算死草特質至究極吧！我先把公司提供的新幹線車票給退了，再購入價錢只需五份之一的過夜巴士票就攪定了!


Get set
話說11月時所有新join舊有的外國人老師都得在名古屋接受一個星期的再培訓。那次我和阿魚也跟我們的下手見了面，好像是來自美國的一對couple。之後我們4個不會overlap（因為我和阿魚未搬走的話他們也沒地方住吧），所以我們抓緊時間，在名古屋一拼商量要留些什麼賣些什麼，傢俬被褥要如何處置諸如此類瑣碎事宜。最後，有良心的我們基本上所有傢俬電器也留給他們了，只欠他們未懂欣賞的電飯煲。好像我們的腳踏車也是以超荀價--才一千円一輛！算是半賣半送給了他們啦！


至於爸爸的電飯煲，為了要幫它找個好人家，我們在international centre 貼了廣告--盛惠四千大円。冇錯，我買回來才四千多円，夠膽死用咗半年後幾乎以原價賣出！但須知雖然我們也勤煮飯，那個電飯煲是保存得很好的！然後才一天，己經有人打來，連價也懶得還便買了！那次算是so far個人生涯裡最投資得道的一次了......可想以知我平常是如何眯著眼投資的...嘿嘿。


安排好這些那些之後，便是一系列大吃大喝的farewell 我和阿魚的飯局了。碰巧近著聖誕新年，餐廳都推出很多「忘年會」套餐，三千多円已是一個可以吃不完還要包括all you can drink的套餐。我們和小董，阿比，還有一些日本人老師們去了Pronto吃個日式意大利菜。那兒的意大利麵還有就是檸檬茶也好好好味道的（可能是我要求不高啦，速食店水準也鍾愛如此），不過之前覺得它有點貴（其實人吔做緊千九円一個lunch set 之嘛，仲想點？！）所以不太常來。蒲坐下，全美女班的日本老師們便先來一大杯啤酒清淸喉；還未決定吃什麼前菜已自顧自的幹掉三四杯了！一頓飯下來的紅酒白酒也照樣面不改容，堪稱海量！不過沒有喝酒的我也吃得太多了...好飽 呀....


之後比較有節制是去吉美老師家吃飯那次。現在想不起吃過的烏冬之外還有些什麼，倒是深刻地記著老師親手摺了兩組筷子套送給我們做記念，然後我和阿魚踏著漏氣輪胎腳踏車，跟著老師去看她家附近的神社。我們另外又去了彌生的家，和麻衣子四個人邊看電視邊講無聊笑話邊哄著電子鍋吃韓國泡菜火鍋。

Go!
12月的時間好像過得比平常快。三個星期一下子便過去了。來到last day，是一個幾乎和平時沒兩樣的上課日。不過我們比平常要早起得多因為經理阿呆早上要來驗屋收樓。


***
收樓之前的週末，我和阿魚戴上手套，手執鮑魚刷，為屋子由上至下大掃除一番。就在我們盡責地大掃除時發生事故了！！還記得「20 - XX之秋」裡頭曾提及過貼在大門後的那副南瓜圖嗎？當我一把拿起南瓜圖時，門上的油漆竟也應聲原塊黏在那幾片膠紙上甩了出來！！大...大件事啦！想再把南瓜圖貼上但又想正常人不會一年365天都掛著 happy halloween 吧？！一拉下來還是會看見啦！天啊！！！


我們立即衝去超市想買油漆，準備自己塗回那幾個「洞」，誰知找遍了就是沒有油漆！怎麼辦？！可幸在我們各自panic時，我的小宇宙爆發了！

我把幾乎整個岡山市的巿中心地圖給畫了出來（on scale 㗎!），然後貼回大門後。想來地圖貼於門後也沒什麼不妥吧。而且地圖本身簡易明白（只著墨於旅遊點、食肆、商場等重點推介），我又另加一些溫馨小註解，讓初來報到的人也可輕鬆遊岡山。又為了感覺一致，我多做了一張關於垃圾分類和時間表貼在垃圾桶旁。然後再把之前拿到的旅遊資料分類放在櫃裡。雖說原意是遮醜，但如果我和阿魚初來時也有這樣完善又清晰的資料就好了！簡直令我羨慕起他們來！
***

說回last day吧，在阿呆來之前電燈公司派人早了一步截了電。而且我們也把「飯桌」還原為房門了，屋子變得稍微寬敞了點卻又暗了點。所以之後的驗樓幾乎是在一片漆黑中進行。接著我們便去上最後一天的課了。

孩子們如常地在課室裡跑來跑去，如常地練習新的生字，如常地做新的習作。好像這些只會不斷重覆下去，但現在竟然要說再見了。就在最後一課最後一個學生由紀都要跟媽媽回去時，她突然折返，送了一束很可愛的太陽花給我！


拿著花的我無比感動。8個月前我還在為沙士會不會吹去日本而猶豫應否起行，現在卻又要為離開而傷心。不過我想，雖然算不上很稱職的一個老師，但能和孩子們互相認識，愉快地相處8個月，都算是有緣有份吧。


帶著同學仔送的小花呀圖畫呀玩具手鍊呀，我趕到車站前和阿魚會合。麻衣子和彌生更走來看我們！因為時間緊迫，我們只能在松屋匆匆忙忙吃個飯便算了。晚上9時正，巴士坐滿上京的人，要出發了。巴士站旁的麻衣子她們還有其他來送別 的人揮著手，隔著巴士拿著小花的我很糗，終於也沒能忍著淚水，淚眼糢糊地跟岡山揮著手說再見了！

***********the end**********

so that's the entire okayama story!

*phew* it actually took a little longer than i initially thought to wrap up the whole story (mainly due to my lazyness..). but still feel good to finnnnally get this done!

2003 wasn't actually that long ago, but now that i look at the calendar again, yes it is already 7 years ago! writting out the experience is almost like experiencing the trip itself all over again - it was fun and it still is fun! if anyone is still in uni, considering doing exchanges / internships overseas, go for it! even if it means a year or 2 delay in your graduation - you won't regret it! in fact, u may if u decide against it when u had the choice!

next thing is to have my next trip to japan sorted out...hehehe ^^

bunnies

got trapped in the milk chocolate pond :)

btw

the 4th wrapping paper design is my takoyaki design from way back...hehe..i had a little animation done on powerpoint for making the takoyaki's. will post it here once i figure out how to convert ppt's to flash/animations! :))  (or if u know a way, pls lemme know! cheers!)

imaginary wrapping paper 3

my 3rd attempt...

4th attempt...

for those who r interested in participating frinton press' wrapping paper project, it's due end of this month! hurry! it's great fun!! :))

DIY tote bags - 2nd attempt!

a custom "order" i got from a frd who fancies nothing but bunnies! (her favourite is miffy, but that's copyrighted... so i need to try something else!)

with a new black fabric pen from muji - it is already much easier to draw on the cloth. but the red pen...um.. still need to figure that out. hope she won't mind n will actually use it :(

outlining with black on bag...

the final product:

initial "mock up" using paint...

now that i look at it again, seems like making it all B&W may be better....oh well it's a little too late to undo it

leftovers

or remainders?

~spring song~

a typical spring shd hv birds singing (or sometimes napping) n flowers blossoming!

but my current one is high at 29 degrees sweating hot today and high at 19 degrees freezing myself in the office tomorrow... ~_~ *dislike*

thus, this post trying to make it all joyful :)

bird illustrations

really lovely work found inside Ted Baker's SS caterlog

in luv with

tea related things! had always luved drinking tea - chinese tea, japanese tea, english tea, you name it. perhaps it's a family thing i got from my mom, n now i start getting obsessed with cups too!

cups from whittard (my new favourite store!)

all of them too cute, too heavy, couldn't carry them home...so i just bought this instead:

and then my other favorite cup that i brought home:

n tea leaves that goes with everything:

separate from all these, this is a tea house i bought way back from japan, at some random store for 100yen, which about 3 blocks from that shop i saw it's selling at 700yen :O and finally in london last week, they're selling it at 5pounds :O

and this is not entirely tea-related, but want to share this extremely cute pot that i bought from hungary years ago...it has 6 matching cups too! tooo cute!

issue 2~

is out, finally :))

my little drawing -->

my writing, not creating the content itself, but the actual handwriting -->

n the cover page of this issue (not by moi)-->

procrastinating at work

my typical post-holiday syndrome....esp when almost nobody is at work! i wish i'm in bed for another 5 hrs....z_z