Carrot

I had 2 baby carrots today. Although I had to dip into ranch dressing, but it's still raw carrot after all. I have accomplished another mission impossible. Yes, I now learn to eat carrot. I am proud of that. It is all the matter of mind control. Carrot does not have to taste bad to me. It tastes bad because I have been telling myself so. It is as simple as that.

You are the master of your own mind.

Fish

My fish died today. He (or she) left peacefully around midnight. I had fishes died on me before, but it had never felt as much grief as this one. The fact that it has been with me for longer than I can remember had transformed our relationship into little bond. It had lived through many bad water (including soapy water once when I forgot to clean out the sponge). It had lived through many starvation (when I ran out of both my money and my fish food). It had lived to welcome our new family member, Pakin. It had lived to be one of my most memorable friend.

The other fish also showed lots of emotion. Most of the time, it stayed calmly around its dying friend. And after its friend passed, it swam around eruptively all over the tank. I take that as same as a person screaming and sobbing the heart out when the loved one passed. I must assume that all living beings are similar on that term.

I took him out to be buried under the tree in front of the house around 12:30 a.m. Som and Cherry were present for his little funeral. Life goes on... and off.

R.I.P.

Jay Chou Songs

Links to concerts, and live performance (including those from home).

This guy, Matt, plays An Jing and show only his hand. Nice to learn without having the score. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeeV_fh9LHk&feature=related

This is An Jing from "Blue Power Concert." Different version of An Jing with some melodies from "My Sassy Girl" sountrack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECjKtc9J6_c&feature=related

From concert in HK, with another pianist... really cool piano duet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3lIAZlzfEc

Lost in Translation

E-mail error ends up on road sign

The English is clear enough to lorry drivers - but the Welsh reads "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated."

When officials asked for the Welsh translation of a road sign, they thought the reply was what they needed.

Unfortunately, the e-mail response to Swansea council said in Welsh: "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated".

So that was what went up under the English version which barred lorries from a road near a supermarket.

"When they're proofing signs, they should really use someone who speaks Welsh," said journalist Dylan Iorwerth.

Swansea council became lost in translation when it was looking to halt heavy goods vehicles using a road near an Asda store in the Morriston area

All official road signs in Wales are bilingual, so the local authority e-mailed its in-house translation service for the Welsh version of: "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only".

The reply duly came back and officials set the wheels in motion to create the large sign in both languages.

'No idea'

The notice went up and all seemed well - until Welsh speakers began pointing out the embarrassing error.

Welsh-language magazine Golwg was promptly sent photographs of the offending sign by a number of its readers.

Managing editor Mr Iorwerth said: "We've been running a series of these pictures over the past months.

"They're circulating among Welsh speakers because, unfortunately, it's all too common that things are not just badly translated, but are put together by people who have no idea about the language.

"It's good to see people trying to translate, but they should really ask for expert help.

"Everything these days seems to be written first in English and then translated.

"Ideally, they should be written separately in both languages."

A council spokeswoman said : "Our attention was drawn to the mistranslation of a sign at the junction of Clase Road and Pant-y-Blawd Road.

"We took it down as soon as we were made aware of it and a correct sign will be re-instated as soon as possible."

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7702913.stm