Christmas Market Belfast 2009

Christmas market signified Christmas is around the corner. This might be my very last time of visiting christmas market in Belfast. I will be moving to Aberdeen this coming Saturday, for goods. Anyway, Belfast Christmas Market is considered the best to me, as I never been to other christmas market in the UK. Traders from various part of Europe are gathered in the market. There are a variable mix of things to buy in Christmas Market, e.g. gloves, hot water bottle, candy, christmas decorations and food from their country. I planned to visit Christmas Market this afternoon, and therefore I went on an empty stomach (so that I can try those food!)

This is Dutch Pancake, with baileys and icing sugar as topping. There are also other toppings such as honey, toffee, strawberry, whisky and so on. All sweet sweet topping.

In Malaysia, I can only buy chicken burger, beef burger; or the famous one so called "Ramli" burger. In Christmas Market, I get the chance to try these "Meat of the World" burger, however, I only buy my Kangaroo burger everytime when I visited Christmas Market.

In Malaysia, you don't see pork selling publicly, but you can get it here. Instead of chinese roast pork, this is the European style roast pork here. Chinese eat roast pork with rice and other dishes while European eat it with bread (sandwich). I dare not and never try it, because I couldn't bear the strange pig's smell.

This is the music bar. Everyone seems to enjoy the music and drink inside. Drinking a beer during the cold winter time may help to warm you up. Too bad, I am a lousy drinker, I feel dizzy even for the very first glass. Luckily a cup of hot coffee with one shot of baileys help to keep my body warm.

爸爸妈妈

看了刘墉的 <<疼爸爸妈妈>>博文，心里感触了。。 我真的很想家，很想能够回到那温暖的家，跟家人、亲戚朋友聚在一起。离家至今，快两年半了，每当过节过日，打电话回家，听见家里热闹的欢笑声，我又更想家了。

很多人说外国的月亮比较圆，刚到这里念书时，我也这样觉得，这里的月亮的确大了一点，哈！无论月亮怎么大，我还是处在“别人”的国家，“别人”的地方，少了亲人的陪伴。

还记得两年多前， 我将要来英国的时候，刚从英国回家的表哥问我，“英国真的那么好吗，为什么要去那么久？” 我当时只是笑笑地回答，“我也只是过去念书而已，两年很快过的！” 一转眼，两年过了，而我也毕业了，想法也变了，现在的我，又想在这留多两年，想试试看这里的工作环境， 又开始忙找工。每次打电话回家，啊妈就会问我几时回家。我总是回答说“现在经济状况不好，我得先找份工，一找到工作我就会回家看你们了！” 这句话，从我还没毕业前几个也说的，说到现在，不但没找到工，家也还来不及回。年老的外婆问我，“本来说好两年，现在又要等多两年，要多少个两年你才要回家”。 我真的很内疚，我应该在毕业时，就回家探望他们。 年老的外婆在今年六月末的时候，过世了。那天一早接到弟弟的来电，整个人都傻了，哭得很狼狈！爸妈叫我别伤心，外婆知道你有心就好。

过后，在表表弟妹的生日会的照片里，看见了爸妈，他们真的老了很多， 白头发也多了。我真的不好，他们拼命的省钱，拼命的赚钱来养孩子， 我却拼命的帮他们用钱，还想要买好的、用好的、住好的、什么都要最好的。我之后打电话回家，告诉了啊妈说明年新年， 我一定会回家！她却担心我回了家，工却找不到，要我慢慢来。我知道她一直都想我回家，但却不想我耽误了事业与清途。啊爸也叫我想清楚。我会回家！我要回家！爸爸妈妈，我想念你们！

做个有用的人！

歌曲：有用的人
歌手：陈国荣
所属专辑：小孩不笨电影原声带

谁不希望自己是聪明的人

谁不希望什么都能一百分

谁会希望自己又呆又傻又愚蠢

谁会愿意听到你真的好笨

有些事情就是这样的残忍

有些道路没有直通那扇门

有些游戏结果不一定要获胜

有些收获不在终点只在过程



我们不会心灰意冷

我们会给自己掌声

我不是你想象的笨

我也有我自己的门

其实你不是不能

只是你肯不肯

给自己多一个机会

因为我们都是有用的人



曾经有个时候很疯狂新加坡的电影或连续剧，尤其是他们拍的教育片，有一定的水准。还记得读书时期要面对的种种的测试与年终大考，压力也大。压力大，是因为希望变大了。为了应付考试，捱了多少夜挑灯夜战，就连自己也搞不清为何要临时抱佛脚。每个学期一开始，都会先计划要如何好好地利用时间，但往往都计划白费，总之就是不能自律，抱着那种做不完却还有明天的态度一至到考试前才死拼。在肯书的时候，都会去找一些激励自己的歌或书籍，来降低自己的压力。那时候的我，超喜欢看刘墉的书，尤其是‘超越自己’，‘肯定自己’，也爱听那首“不要认为自己没有用”。


这首歌“有用的人”，觉得还蛮有意思的， 也唱出了许多小孩的心声。我总觉得现在的孩子都没有童年，自学会说话和行走，父母们就把他/她们送入托儿所，迫不及待的要他/她们成材。念完高中，有些父母们还帮孩子报读什么医生律师的科目，父母们都希望自己的子女成材，却没想到这是否是孩子真正想要的。怪只怪现今残冷的社会，不会读书的叫笨蛋，只有聪明的孩子都是人见人爱。



有用的人，对！我们都是有用的人；

如果第一次失败了，别气馁，继续努力；

最重要的是享受努力的过程，和完成后的成就感；

世上无难事，只怕有心人！

Happy Haloween!

Halloween  (31 Oct) is also known as english (christian) ghost festival. This ghost festival is very much different from the "chinese" hungry ghost festival. The activities include wearing costumes and attending costume parties, kids going door to door asking for sweets, and so on. Local tourist centre also grab this chance to attract more visitors by organising ghost tours, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, etc. Conversely, the chinese hungry ghost festival is celebrated on the seventh lunar month of chinese calendar annually. The activities include some ritual praying, preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense and joss paper. At this lunar month, people are advised to be extra careful and beware of the unexpected incidents.

This year, I celebrated halloween in Aberdeen. It was a real happening and exciting night. A huge crowd was gathered in the street in the city centre, pubs and bars were full of "real ghosts". The real ghosts here refer to those people who wearing their costume, from different cartoon characters to pastors. An exciting nite!