Tarot readings... XV

First readings for 2014.. how you tend to lose track of time when you are busy.. :)
Note that all pictures of tarot cards are from http://phpbb-tw.net/phpbb/thoth/ and there is no intention of infringing any copyright.
所有的塔罗图片都采自竹猫星球塔罗馆 （http://phpbb-tw.net/phpbb/thoth)，本部落并无意侵犯版权。


對 學　　業 進行占卜，結果為：
Pertaining your luck in : Education

現狀 Current Situation: 死亡 [Death]

你的讀書方式比較死板，大多是背誦類的東西比較拿手，理解類的科目就稍弱，需要加強思考方面的邏輯性。
Your study method is kinda rigid. You are good in memorizing stuff but weak in comprehension. You need to work on your logic and analytic skills.



問題 Problem: 皇帝 [The Emperor]

表示你的功課雖然不錯，但是比較容易遭人眼紅，你又不擅於跟同學哈啦聊天，以致常常被人誤會你很驕傲。
Although you are doing quite well academically, you incur the jealousy of others. As you are not very good in small talks, you are often misunderstood as being proud.




建議 Suggestion: 倒吊人 [The Hanged Man]

你需要適時的放鬆，不見得要出去玩，而是放空頭腦什麼都不要想，有時靈感或是解決難題的方法，就會在這時浮現喔！
You need to relax periodically. You don't have to go outdoors, just emptying your mind and not have any thoughts will do you good. Sometimes those are the moments where you can find solutions to your problems.






對 健康運勢 進行占卜，結果為：
Pertaining your luck in: Health:

現狀 Current Situation: 太陽 [The Sun]

你現在對自己的身體很重視，又能保持健康愉快的心情，生病了也會很快恢復；這張牌表示目前你的健康狀況是在高峰期，要好好的保養才能持續下去喔！
Currently, you take great care of your health and you are able to maintain a jovial mood. You recover fast from illness. This card shows that you are at the peak of your health. You need to keep working hard to maintain it.




問題 Problem : 賢者 [The Magus]

你的保健方式太常換，就算有吃營養食品或是偶爾運動，加分效果恐怕也不大，而且雖然會聽親友介紹試試新的保健方法，但常常半途而廢，怕年紀越大問題越多。
You keep changing your health regime. Even if you are eating healthily and work out once in a while, they are not very effective. Although you heed most of the health advice from friends and relatives, you tend to give up half-way. There might be problems as you grow older.





建議 Suggestion: 星星 [The Star]

你如果單純是想要替自己養生，可能無法研究得很徹底，因為你不是很個人主義的.最好拿身邊朋友的健康煩惱來找資料研究，你因為想幫助他們，會很快的就變成專家了。
If you just wanna take care of yourself, you might not have the perseverance for it as you are not one who thinks just for yourself. It is better to worry yourself with the health of the people around and use that as a motivation. As you truly want to help them, you will become a health expert in no time!




對 人際運勢 進行占卜，結果為：
Pertaining your luck in : Human Relationships

現狀 Current Situation: 教皇 [The Hierophant]

朋友們都很信賴你，覺得你凡事既冷靜又有條理，給人一種很安心的感覺，你也很習慣當大家的顧問，社交圈很穩定。
Friends trusted you and think that you are calm and methodical. You gives people a peace of mind. You are accustomed being the "consultant" among friends. You have a stable group of friends.




問題 Problem: 月亮 [The Moon]

雖然你很重視你的朋友，但常因太過愛面子，無法講出真心話，久了朋友會覺得你不夠誠懇，要學著突破自己的防線。
Although you treasure your friends, you are reluctant to be truthful. After a while, your friends felt that you are insincere. Try to overcome this.




建議 Suggestion: 皇帝 [The Emperor]

你平日有很多話都往肚裡吞，太怕得罪人，甚至連該講的話都不講，弄到自己跟對方都不高興；試著坦承一點，交朋友不用太過小心翼翼。
You tend to keep mum even when you have lots to say as you are worried that you might offend people. Things that should have been said but didn't is causing everyone, yourself included to be unhappy. Be more truthful, you don't have to be too careful.




對 財　　運 進行占卜，結果為：
Pertaining your luck in: Wealth:

現狀 Current Situation: 星星 [The Star]

你不是很缺錢，純粹是對於理財這件事很有興趣，會盡力去研究相關的資訊，並且希望能夠帶給自己在老年時、或是臨時失去收入時的保障。
Financially you are not very tight. You are interested in managing your finances and will spend time researching related information. You hope that you will be able to provide for yourself when you are old or when you lose the stream of income.





問題 Problem: 太陽 [The Sun]

你對於自己賺多少錢，都是不會隱瞞的，加上很重視朋友，所以常會被借錢，或是被起鬨請客，雖然不是大錢，但小錢累積下來也很可觀。
You are very frank about your earning abilities and will never hide these from your friends. As you treasure your friendship dearly, you tend to lend money to your friends or be asked to treat. Even though it may not be much but it is pretty substantial as the years go by.




建議 Suggestion: 戀人 [The Lovers]

培養第二專長，試著把興趣當成備胎、兼職，你沒有努力賺錢的動力，但對於喜歡的事情是很投入的，最好能用這種能力來生財，尤其以當顧問跟分析師為佳。
Cultivate a backup plan/ability. Try to turn your hobbies into possible revenue. You don't have the motivation to earn money but you tend to put in a lot of effort into the things you like. Thus it is best to utilize this ability to earn more money.

Sunday Serenade: i just wanna live

Ahh.. the wonders of the Internet.. found this old song, released 10 years ago, by a band called Good Charlotte.. like the lyrics.. and the irony of the music video.. Enjoy!

I Just Wanna Live
I need an alarm system in my house
So I know when people are
Creeping about
These people are
Freaking me out (these days)

It’s getting hectic everywhere that I go
They won’t leave me alone
There’s things they all wanna know
I'm paranoid of all the people I meet
Why are they talking to me?
And why can’t anyone see

[chorus]
I just wanna live
Don’t really care about the things that they say
Don’t really care about what happens to me
I just wanna live
[end of chorus]
Just wanna live [x6]

I rock a
Lawsuit when I’m going to court
A white suit when I’m gettin’ divorced
A black suit at the funeral home
And my birthday suit when I’m home alone
Talkin’ on the phone
Got an interview
With the rolling stone
They’re saying
“Now you’re rich and
Now you’re famous
Fake ass girls all know your name and
Lifestyles of the rich and famous
Your first hit aren’t you ashamed?”
Of the life [x2]
Of the life we’re livin’

[chorus]
Stop your messin’ around boy
Better think of your future
Better make some good plans boy
Said everyone of my teachers

Lookout
You better play it safe
You never know what hard times will come your way
We say
Where we’re coming from
We’ve already seen
The worst that this life can bring

Now we expect it everywhere that we go
All the things that they say
Yeah we already know

I just wanna live
Don’t really care about the things that they say
Don’t really care about what happens to me
Just wanna live [x3]

I just wanna live
Just wanna live [x3]

I just wanna live
Just wanna live [x3]
Don’t really care about the things that they say
Just wanna live [x3]
Don’t really care about what happens to me

I just wanna live





Have a great week ahead! Happy May 1st (and holiday for those who 'celebrate' May Day)! Stay safe!

Kaohsiung: lodging

Spent 6D5N in Kaohsiung and I stayed in Hwa Hong Hotel. Booked the hotel through Agoda.com although I might gotten a cheaper rate had I booked directly with the hotel. Anyway, I paid SGD$217.70 using my credit card for those 5 nights, which came up to around NT$1,050 per night.

The hotel is less than 5 minutes walk from Kaohsiung Station. And there were many long-distance bus companies around the area. So the area is pretty lively. When I reached the hotel slightly after 12:30pm, I was able to check into my room which was a big plus.

My room, 613, was at the end of the corridor. It was big and surprisingly clean. As you can see from the photo, my room was pretty bright (and hot) had it not for the curtains.

The room has the standard facilities: flat-screen cable tv, air-condition, electric kettle, mini-fridge, hair-dryer, table and chair. Also I like the space/platform beside the window where I can put my luggage. The floor is wooden though not parquet.

The en-suite bathroom is also clean and relatively new. And, it is very bright. I like that it has a window. I hate dark dampish bathrooms. Also, the water pressure of the shower is strong, just the way I like it. :) Only minor complain - no separation between shower and toilet.

There is a water dispenser on the ground floor, in the in-house restaurant. 2 bottles of water are provided every day. As someone who is conscious of her carbon footprint, I requested housekeeping to not change my towels and bed sheet every day. Only asked to change once during my stay.

sturdy door, with a chain - extra security.

just outside my room, looking at all the rooms

So all in all, I am pretty satisfied with this room and this hotel. :)

Kaohsiung 2014: Museum of Fine Arts

One of the 'must' visit places for me in Kaohsiung is the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA). I've allocated at least half a day for it.. and in the end I spent slightly more than 4 hours there.. :)

Had wanted to walk from the train station, but when I get off the station a bus was waiting at the bus station, so I've decided to take the bus instead. And I was glad that I took it as it was a fairly long walk (almost 3km) even though it seemed shorter on Google Map.

The compound around the museum was also very large, with the hot and sunny weather, I didn't spend much time outside as I was eager for the indoor air-condition.

There was a special exhibition on Man Ray that I had to purchase ticket for. It was money well-spent. My timing was excellent as I was just in time for a guided tour. The lady guide was very good and explained a lot of Man Ray's pieces on display. It was both fascinating and intriguing. Though I can't quite differentiate Dadaism and Surrealism, I like the humor in his works and how he saw the world. Those interested to know can visit Man Ray Trust Website.

The tour lasted for almost an hour. I was the only one who followed the lady guide from the beginning till the end. Maybe I was the only one with time to spare for stories about a dead artist.

Anyway, I really enjoyed my time in KMFA. There are many other exhibitions going on at the same time. With very few people in the museum, I felt as if I had the entire place to myself. I can stroll and appreciate the exhibits without kids running around or annoyingly loud people talking/chatting away..

All the other exhibitions are all by Taiwanese artists. And I enjoyed every single one of them, although I might not 'get' some of the things they were trying to convey, but aesthetically most of them were pleasing to the eyes. Having said that, I found a common issue with almost all museum exhibitions that I've been to: the lack of sufficient elaborations/descriptions of the pieces, either in Chinese or in English. It is not that difficult to have simple English descriptions, especially if they are trying to showcase/introduce these artists to the world. Like music, art is a universal language, yet it will help greatly if simple information (in English) is provided to help foreigners appreciate these local exhibits more.

Before I end this entry on KMFA, a few more photos of some interesting features/exhibits both indoors and outdoors.

ps: the dog is not part of the piece.

Like I said, the place is practically empty.. which is how I like my museums to be.. :)

Sunday Serenade: carry on

This week I'm sharing a song by FUN. Again, it is the lyrics that initially drew me to the song, but the lead's vocal is the bonus surprise.. Carry on and enjoy! :)

Carry On
Well I woke up to the sound of silence
And cries were cutting like knives in a fist fight
And I found you with a bottle of wine
Your head in the curtains
And heart like the Fourth of July

You swore and said,
"We are not,
We are not shining stars."
This I know,
I never said we are

Though I've never been through hell like that
I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back

[chorus]
If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone.
Carry on.
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground.
Carry on.
[end of chorus]

Carry on, carry on

So I met up with some friends at the edge of the night
At a bar off 75.
And we talked and talked about how our parents will die,
All our neighbours and wives.

But I like to think I can cheat it all
To make up for the times I've been cheated on.
And it's nice to know when I was left for dead
I was found and now I don't roam these streets,
I am not the ghost you are to me.

[chorus]

Whoa!
My head is on fire but my legs are fine.
After all they are mine.
Lay your clothes down on the floor,
Close the door, hold the phone,
Show me how no one’s ever gonna stop us tonight.

'Cause here we are
We are shining stars
We are invincible
We are who we are
On our darkest day
When we’re miles away
Sun will come
We will find our way home

[chorus]
Oooh.
Oooh.
Oooh.
Oooh.

(No one's ever gonna stop us tonight)
(No one's ever, no one's ever gonna stop, no one's ever gonna stop us tonight)
(No one's ever, no one's ever gonna stop, no one's ever gonna stop, no one's ever gonna stop us tonight)






Have a productive week ahead! Be safe and be healthy!

Poetry Solace: Of insomnia

Over the next 3 entries of Poetry Solace, I will be sharing the works of Elizabeth Bishop.. Let's start with 'Insomnia'..

Insomnia
The moon in the bureau mirror
looks out a million miles
(and perhaps with pride, at herself,
but she never, never smiles)
far and away beyond sleep, or
perhaps she's a daytime sleeper.

By the Universe deserted,
she'd tell it to go to hell,
and she'd find a body of water,
or a mirror, on which to dwell.
So wrap up care in a cobweb
and drop it down the well

into that world inverted
where left is always right,
where the shadows are really the body,
where we stay awake all night,
where the heavens are shallow as the sea
is now deep, and you love me. 

Have a great weekend! Have fun but be safe!

Kaohsiung 2014: Pier-2 Art Center

Didn't have any fixed itinerary planned for the trip to Kaohsiung. I just list out some of places that I wanna go and just kinda go with the flow. Since I reached Kaohsiung around noon, I've decided to go 駁二碼頭. It is easy traveling around the city as there is a subway to get you to almost everywhere.

駁二碼頭 was interesting as the whole place was used to be a pier with lots of 'abandoned' warehouses. Many of them are housing indoor exhibitions that are ticketed, which I am not willing to pay. Why pay when there are free stuff outside? Plus the fact that those exhibitions didn't pique my interest. Maybe because I've been disappointed by many of the 'special' exhibitions held in the museums here.

There are some very nicely drawn murals, a couple of outdoor sculptures and a few interesting shops. One is selling all things paper, although very unique, didn't manage to make me wanna part with my money.. :P Maybe I wasn't in a mood to shop..

Anyway, here are some of the pictures I've taken of the place..

There are many of these 'workers' statues around the area, each pair being decorated in different themes/colors. Some are just plain 'Urgh' while some are quite tastefully done. Again, another example of 'beauty in the eye of the beholder' for appreciating arts.

The entire place is very pedestrian and bicycle friendly, with dedicated tracks for each. The place is very well-kept, clean and green.

Here are some beautifully painted murals.. The colors are vivid and bold.. and looked as if they were just painted recently..

ps: those are REAL people. 

Not a bad place to spend a leisure afternoon.. :)

something to ponder

My bachelor degree from NUS is BSc. (Computer Science and Information Systems), while my masters from Waseda is MSc. (CIO/Management Information Systems).

So if I remove the first words from both..
Computer Science and Information Systems
CIO/Management Information Systems

Then, if I remove words that are common in both..
Science and Information Systems
Management Information Systems

If the word 'and' is also removed..

Words that are left:
Science 
Management

Re-arrange both, and I'll get
Management Science which is what my PhD is all about... 

So was it long predicted the field I'll doing for my PhD in or is this just an example of patternicity? 
You be the judge. :) 

Sunday Serenade: best day of my life

Been busy this past week.. and gonna be so for the next few months.. Sunday is the time to slow things down a bit and catch a (short) breath before the week starts again.. So for today, I'm sharing a lively song by American Authors.. Like the title of the song and its catchy tune/lyrics.. Enjoy! :)

Best Day of My Life
I had a dream so big and loud
I jumped so high I touched the clouds
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh [x2]
I stretched my hands out to the sky
We danced with monsters through the night
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh [x2]

I'm never gonna look back
Woah, never gonna give it up
No, please don't wake me now

[chorus]
Oo-o-o-o-oo
This is gonna be the best day of my li-ife
My li-i-i-i-i-ife
Oo-o-o-o-oo
This is gonna be the best day of my li-ife
My li-i-i-i-i-ife
[end of chorus]

I howled at the moon with friends
And then the sun came crashing in
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh [x2]
But all the possibilities
No limits just epiphanies
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh [x2]

I'm never gonna look back
Woah, never gonna give it up
No, just don't wake me now

[chorus]

I hear it calling outside my window
I feel it in my soul (soul)
The stars were burning so bright
The sun was out 'til midnight
I say we lose control (control)

This is gonna be the best day of my li-ife
My li-i-i-i-i-ife
Oo-o-o-o-o
This is gonna be the best day of my li-ife
My li-i-i-i-i-ife
This is gonna be, this is gonna be, this is gonna be
The best day of my life
Everything is looking up, everybody up now
This is gonna be the best day of my li-ife
My li-i-i-i-i-ife






Have a great week ahead! Be productive and stay healthy!

Kaohsiung 2014: Transport

This trip to Kaohsiung was my first solo trip around Taiwan. And rest assured, there will be more in the future. :)

There are many ways to get to Kaohsiung from Taipei and being one who has the time (not the money), I decided on rail, both Taiwan High Speed Rail (高鐵) and Taiwan Rail (台鐵). Although not as expensive as Japan's bullet train, a ticket to Kaohsiung with THSR is going to cost me more than NT$1,600 which I'm unwilling to pay. Luckily, as a student I am entitled to student priced tickets during specific hours. Thus after a 50% student discount, I paid NT$815.


As it was a work day, no worries about it being too crowded. The ticket queue was kinda long (more than 15 people in front of me) although it moved pretty fast. A middle-aged couple and their daughter sorta held up the queue as they do not speak Chinese and the ticket sellers aren't really fluent in Japanese. Another thing is that passengers are not allowed onto the platforms unless your train has arrived. Everyone had to wait around the entrance where seats are limited. I guess they don't expect people to be too early waiting to board the train.





We were only allowed onto the platform just 15 minutes before departure time. Cleaners were still cleaning and arranging some cabins. No problem locating my cabin and seats. :)

The seats are similar to those on airplanes, fairly comfortable and slightly retractable. No one was sitting beside me. I had all 3 seats to myself. But this being Taiwan, just like in Japan, people do not 'misbehave' or behave badly as in China, so no legs onto the seats nor sleeping across seats..






The trip was very smooth and on time. Only took slightly over 2 hours with several stops in between. There is also a food chart being pushed by a lady going around the cabins offering hot/cold drinks and some snacks, just like on Shinkansen.

All in all, it was an uneventful train ride. :)

back

Been back for more than a month now.. Had a great time back in Malaysia.. spent some quality time with my parents and my little sister. :)

Been busy catching up with stuff.. running around settling the usual red-tapes.. also spent a couple of days in Kaohsiung traveling although the main reason for my being there is to attend Joe's wedding.. Am in the process of sorting the photos and shall write a few entries about that trip..

Will be fairly busy in the months to come as I am in the midst of completing a conference paper due June. Will be heading to Rotterdam, The Netherlands end of Jun for an academic conference. Unlike Japan, I need to apply for financial support for that trip, so lots of bureaucratic hoops to jump through before securing the money. Even so, only my flight tickets and registration fees will be covered. I will be looking at the possibility of repeating my coach-surfing adventure once again, or use AirBnB since I plan to stay longer in fewer cities. So lots to do before then.. 

Sunday Serenade: let it go

Not one who will go to the big screen to watch an animation but I do watch them when shown on cable.. This is a song that is all the craze since it was released last year, and some might say that it is getting irritating.. but still, I want to share this song today.. because one can never get enough of a great song - meaningful lyrics, catchy tune and amazing vocal..

Enjoy!

Let it go
performed by Idina Menzel





Have a great week ahead! Stay safe and be productive!

Poetry Solace: i substitute for the dead lecturer

Here's another poem by Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka). I don't like all his poems, just a couple, and this is one of the few that I like. Enjoy!

I Substitute for the Dead Lecturer

What is most precious, because

it is lost. What is lost,

because it is most precious.

They have turned, and say that I am dying. That
I have thrown
my life
away. They
have left me alone, where
there is no one, nothing
save who I am. Not a note
nor a word.

          Cold air batters
the poor (and their minds
turn open
like sores). What kindness
What wealth
can I offer? Except
what is, for me,
ugliest. What is
for me, shadows, shrieking
phantoms. Except
they have need
of life. Flesh
at least,
     should be theirs.

The Lord has saved me
to do this. Te Lord
has made me strong. I
am as I must have
myself. Against all
thought, all music, all
my soft loves.

          For all these wan roads
I am pushed to follow, are
my own conceit. A simple muttering
elegance, slipped in my head
pressed on my soul, is my heart's
worth. And I am frightened
that the flame of my sickness
will burn off my face. And leave
the bones, my stewed black skull,
an empty cage of failure.




Have a great weekend. Be safe!