November 10, 2006
“This is to certify that XXX has taken and passed the above personal performance test as laid down by the Board of the British Canoe Union. Ha, finally got my two star kayak certificate today after taking the test few months ago during the summer. And I’m given a badge too! 
It’s a fairly easy test, and only took me two weekends to complete the training including the test. The most difficult manoeveur I was required to do was to regain my posture after a capsize without leaving the kayak, with the help of a rescuer (in another kayak). I was okay. But to be honest with you, I don’t think I will want to use this technique should I really capsize.
Anyway, the test is necessary for me so that when I next volunteer (as a helper) to bring local sea scouts out to paddle on the Thames this coming summer, at least I’m aware of the basics of kayaking, and how to kayak the proper way. It should be good fun, and I can’t wait for the summer to come already, especially when the weather is turning cold early this year!
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November 4, 2006
Do people realise that if freedom of speech means total freedom to speak, that they can speak their mind out, speak about anything without restraint whenever and wherever they want to, they should really spend some time to find out why this is bad. Take for example some natural laws, which many people take for granted, like gravitational force. Without the strong enough gravitational force on Earth, people could well be floating around, like on a moon. It’s probably no big deal, to be floating around. But by keeping our feet on the ground, the gravitation force helps smooth our day-to-day activities, like walking, drinking, making our lives less chaotic, so to speak.
In much the same way, but taking to the extremes, if people are allowed to speak without restraint in such a way that even incitement of murder is not an issue, the world can become a rather chaotic place to live in, don’t you think?
Okay, the extreme example is just to illustrate the point, as it is unlikely normal, or majority, people will want to incite murder. In this society, the way the community works is people tend not to insult or attack others without good reasons. Not because they can’t do that. It’s just more pleasant to be with people that sound logical. So long as we have something valid to say, we should not refrain from contributing, despite some people are more sensitive than others. It is through practice we learn to grasp the timing, the skill to speak with maximum impact. However, people should realise that not speaking out is also an option and that it is not against the spirit of freedom of speech. Politicians like Jack Straw should know that very well… (on minority Muslims women wearing veils as a threat to social cohesion).
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October 28, 2006
I had a real satisfaction having my dinner today. It’s been a while since my hubby and I last did something different for dinner. For starter, we had a cheese plate with mild cheddar, double gloucester and wensleydale with cranberry. I cut some red apple slices and grapes to go with the cheese. Of course this could not be complete without a glass of red wine and it was absolutely delicious! It’s very simple and yet elegant.
Then, to stick to our healthy diet, we had a mediterranean style salad, with feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and olives sprinkle with olive oil and black pepper. Again, very simple dish and rejuvenating. For our main course, we had wholewheat spaghetti with carbonara sauce. Yummy.. yummy, I am still lingering over my dinner in my brain after two hours.
I think I should quite enjoy owning my restaurant 10 years down the line and share good and healthy food with others.
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October 27, 2006
I’m still wondering what have I done, accidentally, to my Firefox browser such that no Google ads are displayed. I know that at one point I’ve installed the CustomizeGoogle extension to my Firefox. But it does not seem that it is the one that is blocking the Google ads. It should not be the firewall installed on my machine, as the ads are displayed correctly on my Internet Explorer browser.
Anyway, should you find that Google ads are getting a bit too annoying, here’s a pretty neat way of blocking them out of your sight:
Linux users, edit your /etc/hosts file and add
127.0.0.1 pagead2.googlesyndication.com
Windows XP users, edit c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts
OR you can install Adblock extension to your Firefox browser, and follow the instructions detailed on Jotsheet.
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October 20, 2006
I have a colleague who becomes vegetarian because he believes that a meat based diet is not as efficient as a veggie based diet. That was the first time I heard of such perspective. It is certainly very interesting, but I didn’t look any further into it, perhaps mainly because I am already a vegetarian, although from a different perspective. What I hadn’t realise, until recently, was it is possible to feed the whole world, with the current produce, if everyone goes on a veggie based diet. Here are some good information from
Viva!.
Talk to different people, you get different views about becoming vegetarian. Some coming from nations where cooking and eating good food are joy of their life, taking up veggie based diet is just unattractive, with so much less options. Some believe that their teeth formation do not suggest that they should turn vegetarian. Some think it is more efficient for the animals to digest the “plants” for them, so they can get a “condensed” version of protein easily from meat.
Rupert Everett, who starred in “The Importance of Being Earnest“, recently appeared on a cooking show and explained why he turns vegetarian when asked by the host. According to him, he once brought his dog, which he loves, for a walk in the mountain when he was in Switzerland some time ago. While taking a rest, sitting down in a field, he suddenly found himself surrounded by curious cows. It then became a routine for him taking up such walk to the field, as he found himself in love with the experience. The realisation that he loves the cows, as much as his dog, became the reason for him turning vegetarian. Perhaps it requires one or a series of special experience before people will consider taking up a more veggie based diet…
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