Back from HK

I'm baaaack! Wow that was a trip. No really, It started out good, had really productive meetings and all that. The wild things started on Friday. We met with a guy we know, he lives in southern China, but works in Shanghai, so he flies up on Monday, and back on Friday for the weekend, anyways, we met, had dinner, then he got a call to meet a friend at a newly opened disco. Well, the disco itself was OK, it was about 9, so it really wasn't hopping yet, but full. We went off into a separate karaoke room (they always do that) started drinking red wine (a very young, almost too young Australian Shiraz) and playing a dice game that they always play. I meet some kids there ranging from 24 and up. A "Lumber Jack" named Ian, a young kid from Utah doing artistic high diving (!?) and his Canadian colleague (and his Canadian girlfriend) and an English music producer, who all (apart from the producer I guess) worked at a nearby amusement park. They were hip and good going and we had some small talk. It was fun, but they were probably wondering what this old (40) fat (slightly overweight) hardware dude was doing there (basically just talking shit). After about 6-7bottles of this wonderful red grape juice, we left the club at about 1 o'clock. I fell into bed, and don't know anything until my mobile is telling me it is time to rise and shine. I pressed the snooze button for an hour and then crawled out of bed. Our ride and next business meting picked us up at the hotel about 10, and my boss (who thankfully had been just as drunk as I) sat in the car with an over inquisitive Chinese girl, asking us everything, from if we play ping-pong, to what we think about the present Chinese Communist system, yow! We got to this dinky little factory, checked it out, had a small lunch, and then convinced here that we need to be getting back to Hong Kong. We thought the being in Shenzhen, on the HK border, we could catch a ferry, and be over there in about an hour, which she confirmed, but the ferries went at 2, at 4 and at 5:30, and as it was almost 2, she said it was about an hours drive from the factory to the ferry terminal. So we asked about a bus. She said, no problem, and we proceeded on the 1-hour drive to the station. As we arrived, she didn't know her way around, so she asked a security guard for help, he said noooo proooblem! We parted, and the guard took us upstairs, where I believe if we had just walked straight, then we would have reached a free shuttle service to the HK airport, but Mr. NP, led us off to the side, and gave us to a lady, who presented us with the papers needed to leave China, and re-enter HK. Then, collected 380 Yuan (about $40), and brought us to the backside of the station. We waited about 20 minutes, until a private car pulled up; we loaded in, and were taken directly to the border, where the  guy gave us bus tickets, and gave us over to someone else. This kid brought us up to the passport control, and they slapped stickers on us, gave us different tickets, and sent us through the pass controls. We had to wait another 30 minutes for the next bus. By that time, we realised we could have taken the 4 o'clock ferry, and would have been arriving in HK, about the time we were getting on the bus. We got on the bus (and I sorta knew this part, as I have taken the bus before, and it is a torture), rode 5 minutes, and then you have to leave the bus, where you go through the HK entering process. 20 minutes of standing in line, we got through and got on the bus again ( you have to get all your luggage off and take it with you every time) then we were of at 5:30, it then took us 45 minutes to get to the airport. I had wanted to go into the city and shop for CDs or shoes, but we were so pissed, and tired that we just went straight into the airport. Waaait it isn't over yetttttt! We walked around, drank a coffee, ate a cheeseburger with fries (yummy) went to the lounge and chilled a couple of hours, got on the plane at 10:30 pm to leave at 11:00 pm, and waited….. Then just as we were pulling away, the announcement came that the plane was having difficulties with the on-board entertainment system, so we re-docked, then about 15 minutes later the captain put through that there is a second plane waiting, and we would disembark and reload, "for safety reasons". We all got off the plane at 12:00 and were told that we needed to re-board at gate 11, we were at gate 69! We got there, and the put us on shuttle busses and drove us out to the tarmac, were we re-boarded, and took off on schedule, 2 hours and 15 minutes after 11 o'clock. The flight went without any special notice, I luckily had two seat to myself, so I could stretch out a bit better and actually slept most of the way home.

 

I am home, healthy, and glad to see my family.

 

YO!

 

p.s. in about 6-8 weeks I fly again ;-)

Off to HK

Well I'm off to Hong Kong on Sunday, really looking forward to it again. Allot of work in front of us, but allot of reward when all goes well. I'll be gone a week, so I may not get to go online so much. China is sometimes strict about blogs. I can't get onto Blogger com, we will see if I can get onto the Yahoo site.

 

Can't wait.

 

Yo!

Desperately seeking;

 

 

This is a list of people whom I know/knew, but haven't been able to re-contact yet. I have googled, and looked in classmates.com, and different versions of the white pages and people search sites, but the usually want allot of money to give up any real information.

 

Maybe someone out there knows someone in this list, and can help (the "six-known-people theory" - http://oracleofbacon.org/)

 

 

Lely High School:

Louise Haupt

 

3/11 Cav. /Bad Hersfeld, Germany:

Scott Duncan

Daryl Corneal

Brian Knapp

 

The names may not be written exactly like those above. But it is worth a try.

 

Thnx,

YO!

Screaming Kids

Man-o-man, I just had to switch stations on the web radio. I like the station "Radio Wazee", but it seems that lately more and more screaming kids bands are popping up. I like Alternative, Indie, etc. but when it comes to some of the bands like POD or Bullet for My Valentine, My Chemical Romance, where they don't just sing, but scream unintelligible sentences, not even really in correlation to the music, I have to give up and admit that my ears are getting old. I wont even ask what the kids like about them, that's their thing, they can listen to it if they want.

 

I guess I don't have to understand it; I just have to accept it.

 

Anyways, yesterday was OK for a Monday, actually got allot done. Today wasn't bad either. This morning I was going to ride the bike to work, but it looked like rain, so I chickened out, and guess what? No rain! So I guess I will ride it tomorrow.

 

Not really much to say, so I will stop trying to sound smart, and write just for writings sake. Maybe more tomorrow?

 

YO!

TGIT

Shouldn't we all be happy about Tuesday? I mean if you think about it, everyone says TGIF, but then it is only three days away from Monday, the day people dread the most. But Monday afternoon, after work, we should actually be glad that the next day is Tuesday, a whole 6 days until Monday! Sure there is the weekend between Friday and Monday. We office people actually have a weekend, but all those doctors, nurses, cops, grocery store workers, waitresses, waiters, cooks, etc. They often don't have a traditional weekend, so what can they get happy about? And besides, even if you do have a traditional weekend, what do you do? Shopping, relaxing housework, gardening, whatever, and what is always in the back of your mind? Monday!

 

I think I am going to start a TGIT movement, just think, T-shirts, buttons, pictures of silly fat cats, all saying TGIT! I would start tomorrow, but that is Saturday, and the weekend is half gone, then its Sunday…..

 

YO!

greedy

Hmmm, so many thoughts, so much more less to say. You know it is strange the way other people influence each other. I think many people have dreams that they will never realise, because the second thought after the first dream, is “what will others think?” That is with religion, with sexual preferences, with the job, with the girl/boy friend, almost every aspect of life.

My personal give-ups were for example, that I wanted to get into photography, I even had the camera, and started taking pictures. Nothing really great, but for me, every picture of a tree, or a landscape had a story, or a thought behind it. I think two things that made me stop were, once, as I had made some pictures, along the Danube, a guy came up and asked what I was doing? As I answered that I was taking picture, he said, “yeah he used to do that, but it never turns out, I might as well forget it” At the moment I was only slightly irritated, but in retrospect, I get very angry at such people, who because they themselves don’t exceed, have the need to drag others down. The other part was that almost every time that I went out to go on a “safari” (mostly just walking around the neighbourhood) my wife would have some comment, nothing really bad, but it seems these were just small seeds, that later grew into a thick shrub. I don’t blame her. I actually do blame myself. I admire those that are “deaf” to critic, and even if their efforts are in vain, they believe in themselves enough to keep singing, writing stories, and taking pictures, whatever. Even if they will never be “discovered” they seem impervious to the influences of their fellow jealous, and greedy friends. I write greedy, because it is a phenomenon that I see often enough in every day life. I call it…

The Daily Greed.

It starts for example this morning on the way to work, there is some older guy in an older Mercedes in front of me, who takes off from the light really slowly, who doesn’t turn from the left-turn lane, directly into the left lane of a four-lane road, but waits until the other side right-lane traffic is turned to go into the correct lane. He drives at least 5-10 kmh beneath the allowed limit. But as soon as the traffic is supposed to merge for due to construction crew… he gives gas, so that no one can drive up and get in front of him.

Later for example, when getting lunch at the supermarket, when you get to the check-out (mind you the usually don’t have a “ten items” lane here), you usually get some retired people in front of you, that have their carts filled to the allowed weight limit in front of you, they turn around, and see you standing with your 3 items, and give you such a sour look, that you are scared to ask if you may go in front of them. The don’t offer it, and if they see you getting to the lane before them, they will put a bit more speed, that will probably cost them a day of their life. Main thing is, that they get through the lane before you so that they can??? What? As soon as you are through, and you walk out, you see how they are walking as slow and as relaxed as a sloth, they aren’t in a hurry any more, because they have gotten what they wanted, just what is it? Why do larger cars fear having smaller cars in front of them? Are they afraid that it will be contagious, and their car will start shrinking? Are they afraid that if the limit is for example 60 kmh, and a small car is in front of them, then they wont be able to drive 60 enough? Why don’t people want to let you in on the Autobahn (interstate)? I understand if they cant because, there is no room to switch lanes, or the traffic is flowing too fast, but often enough, I have experienced, when the roads are fairly clear, and someone races me along the acceleration lane, absolutely refusing to let me merge in, so that I have to slow down let him by, and then merge in. And when you merge in behind him, THEN HE SLOWS DOWN1 When you try to pass, of course, then he speeds up. Usually you have the same guy leapfrogging with you for a couple hundred of miles. He cant drive fast unless he is behind you.

Well I guess that’s enough for now. I thank anyone who has had the patience to have read all of this. And if not, oh well, I think I’ll get by

YO!

Sorry, one more thing,

My condolences for the families of the victims.

 

I hope that you may find the strength to carry on, and even a little bit more strength to forgive the gunman. He was probably already living in his own personal Hell before this happened. (Which is still no excuse)

Ranty-ravy

The start of a new week, its already Tuesday, they way things go, well turn around twice and it'll be Christmas again. Wow, I'm 40, and time seems to go by so fast, just think about when I'm 60 or 70! No wonder old people seem so dizzy, it's not the blood pressure, it's probably high time pressure. Today was really nice outside, I know, because I didn't eat lunch, I parked out near a lake, dropped the top and relaxed in the sun, slept a few minutes, relaxed.

 

Well back to work, actually it's almost Miller time, 'cept that we don't have Miller here, rather if we do, its too expensive (Get that Miller as an expensive Import beer, hyuck-hyuck-hyuck) so I'll drink a bad cheap German beer, which is still better than most American beers.

 

I was shocked about the Virginia Tech atrocities. I know a lot of Americans feel that we should uphold the constitutional right to bear arms, and I certainly don't want to touch that.

 

But after watching documentaries like "Bowling for Columbine" and after living in Germany so long, where yes, they do also have such senseless killings as well, but much fewer, I wonder why the NRA is such a huge lobby? Why do the people let themselves be enslaved by a huge money-machine, that has no real interest in the constitution but the pursuit of wealth for the arms manufactures?

 

Why do the people, who in the singular sense, are for the most part intelligent, but as a mass, dumb as cows, allow themselves to be led into a question of black or white? It seems that so often these days, everyone has to have a "coin sided" mentality? They only think that there are two sides to everything, whereas common sense dictates that we should all have "steel bar" mentalities. Two ends, but a long part in the middle, which needs to be balanced and sometimes bent to stay balanced.

 

We must make a drivers license for our cars, which we are only allowed to do after a certain age. We must register these cars, where on the registration there is information as to the model, make, etc. Why can't these be done for guns, without everyone thinking automatically on a full ban? People, who want guns, should within reason be allowed to have guns, providing that they are proven (mostly) responsible. Why not have a "Shooters test" and a registration showing the ballistic fingerprint? Naturally there will be abuses and slip-through, just as there are with cars, but in which negative way would this affect law-abiding constitution respecting citizens? Naturally it may not totally stop such massacres like in Columbine or Blacksburg, but it may save a few lives nonetheless. Some people would say – That's more control that they have on us – it is the same people that complain that the government doesn't do enough against criminals. Other would say – they would just use this to tax us – which is true, but which tax that should save lives, should be collected in vain. It is all those people who only have negative arguments, who rely on that same government to make sure that they have un-restricted, absolute deadly right to carry (even concealed) guns, who then complain that they get shot by their own guns when they think they need it.

 

It is also these people who fear the government's restrictions, who forget that they have the right, the responsibility to place honest politicians in the stand. Who forget that the constitution, which is presently being eroded, gives them the right to speak up and say their opinions, so if they would learn more about these rights, and use them, then they shouldn't have to fear such a repressive and dishonest government.

 

Well, 'nuff raved for today, I guess I'll post this and wait for the slaps in the face.

 

YO!

HANGY!

Hoooooieeee, s´friday again. Naturally it's cool if you have a short week like I did. The weather is great, and I can't wait to get off, and hang out on the patio, yep, hang out on the patio, and maybe go out on the patio, and what? Yep hang out.

 

On the other hand, I want some movement (other than the bowel type) so maybe I'll swing myself onto my bike and hit the trails awhile.

 

Yep, hang out. I also need to get some more books, the stores here have a limited number of English books, usually the same ones in every shop, and the same ones for a long time, maybe I'll check out Amazon.

 

Well, I think you can tell that I don't have much to say, I'm just rambling until lunchtime. Which is in one minute. So I'll spare you further ramblings, wish everyone a great weekend, and say

 

"Let the hanging out begin"

 

HANGY!

Pissed off :-()

Man am I in a pissed off mood. My workplace and colleagues are cool, and the work itself is OK, but sometimes those Chinese that I deal with can get on my nerves sumpen awful.

 

I cant and wont go into it, but instead of sitting with my colleagues for lunch, I drove to a nearby lake, put the top down and slept a few minutes, relaxed, heard some music, and enjoyed the peace awhile. Afterwards I got a small bite to eat, and ate at my desk while re-starting work. Damn, within 5 minutes, all that peace and quite was gone again. I can't say that they are stupid, even though they act like it sometimes. It's just a culture thing, the way they think. They think totally different than westerners, and usually I get along really well, I have a lot of patience, but today – WHAM, I could have slammed a couple up against the wall, and not have even felt guilty (except for the mess on the wall)

 

I guess I really have to get back into some after work sports activity.

 

Well got to start rowing again, the boss wants to water ski.

 

YO!

post-it

Well well, what's up? A direction usually pointing towards the sky.

 

Speaking of carrots, well actually since no one was, I thought I'd take the opportunity to do so. It seems that according to a well renowned German marital hygiene article retailer, (who's initials are Beate Uhse) well it seems that more and more people (German people) are buying ….. sex toys…. as Easter presents. Whereas the "Vegetable shaped" models are on the rise. (no pun intended) I guess that is because real vegetables are just becoming too expensive for such things, I mean if you can get your hands on a good, fresh zucchini, then you certainly don't want to stick it anywhere but in your mouth. I mean so far that is still the best way to take in vitamins.  Oh yeah, up. The sky is getting bluer, the sun stays longer in the sky, and the air is getting warmer. I hope you know what that means? No then ask your meteorologist. I would guess that it means that spring is in the air….Springs is in the air, everywhere I look….  Uh, sorry, yeah those hormones are getting active. Now it seems that they are trying to find a correlation between rising births, and the world cup last year, they say that the uplifting games and euphoric moods of the German team caused a boom of activity in the bedrooms. Damn, if Germany had fully won, then the rug-rats would probably be all but squirting out… of.. lets leave that. So it makes me wonder, how can the increased sale of vibrating rubber vegetables and the rising amount of babies coincide? Maybe the womenfolk got used to all that baby making last year, and this year with all those tax hikes, pay cuts, lay offs, etc. the men folk don't feel like making babies, since the German team isn't playing so often, so the womenfolk, say don't worry, stay propped up in front of the tube, I'll go take care of some veggies?

 

Is my mind so warped, or am I on to something?

 

Or maybe both?

 

YO!

today 23/03/07

Well another week, another weekend. It is hard to believe that it is already heading towards the end of march, Christmas was just a few days ago it seems, but then it seems also a long time ago as well, I guess it is all just relative.

 

Yesterday I heard something hilarious in T.V., it was a program about sleep research, and the guy said something to the effect – That when it comes to sleep, or not being able to sleep, that everyone relies on Mom's or Grandma's advice, but we should remember that these are the same people that claimed "that reading in low light conditions will make you blind", his rebuttal was then, "if that were true then we would become deaf if we listened to quiet music", Remember that when Mom tells you to turn on a light, or turn down the music.  Speaking of which, my sister send me mails, with smart questions at the bottom like "Daylight savings time? Why are they saving it, and where do they keep it? Or "All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism." Then there are the questions like, "Why isn't there any "mouse flavoured" cat food?"  Maybe I should start a blog of smart-ass questions? I stated a blog with all kinds of little wisdom written up by the guys who write spam trying to lull you into visiting some sex site, but lately I've been getting less and less, I guess I'll give that one up, and maybe start a new one….hmmmm. Something for the weekend.

 

Basically I am writing just to write, so that I can finally post something again. I haven't really written anything in quite awhile. I usually only write when I return from Hong Kong, for some reason I want to share my experiences, this week my boss is down there, I guess I'll go back down in a couple of months.

 

The view out of my window lets me think that the weekend will turn out OK, it was an unusually warm winter, and now that we've had the "Meteorological start of Spring" it snowed… ugh…. Don't need it. But the sun is coming out now, and they say it should turn out good this weekend. About high time I got my ass back in gear and started working out again, loose some weight and get my girlish bikini figure back, no wait, that's my wife, I need my hunky beau bathing trunks figure.  At the moment I have a chunky boat walloping belly splash figure. I guess that's what happens when you sit at the office too long without any real movement.

 

Speaking of which, I am going to sign off now, maybe on the weekend I'll clean up my blog(s) and delete – re-start something.

 

cool, Echo and the Bunnymen is playing in the net-radio ;-))

 

YO!

Fw: Foo Fighters Newsletter #107 - March 18, 2007

How cool would that be?

 

FOO FIGHTERS IN SCOTLAND!

Foo Fighters are set to headline Ediburgh's Meadowbank Stadium on Tuesday, 21st August 2007. Ticketing details are as follows: Exclusive Foo Fighters presale: Begins Monday, March 19th at 9am (local time) LINK: ticketmaster.co.uk/event/12003E6EDD713ACE PASSWORD: MONKEY Tickets go on sale to the public March 21 at 9:30am (local time) through: www.ticketmaster.co.uk

FOO FIGHTERS HEADLINE MARLAY PARK IN IRELAND!

Foo Fighters headline Dublin's Marlay Park on Wednesday, August 22nd 2007. Tickets are on sale now through: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/18003E69AE113D1D

FOO FIGHTERS ONLINE STORE!

Be sure to check out the Foo Fighters Online Store! http://www.foofighters.com/store/

www.FooFighters.com click here to Unsubscribe from this newsletter

long time not written

Well it has really been a long time since I have written, I think since then I have been in Munich at a trade show, been to Hong Kong and China again, had Christmas and New Year celebration, and, and, and.  Actually as it is I just got back from Hong Kong, really enjoyed it as always. They are gearing up for the traditional Lunar New Year, and they are decorating everything, having sales and whatnot.

 

It really surprises me again and again, how quick they are with everything they do. Last time I was there, I took the “Star Ferries” back and forth from HK-Central over to Tsim Sha Tsui and back, and this time, the old ferry terminal was already torn down, and the land prepared for a new skyscraper. The new ferry terminal is great, but it was only about 4 months ago that I was there.

 

Next time I go, I really want to take the cable car up to the Big Buddha statue. I’ve seen the statue before, but last time, the cable cars weren’t running yet, so we took the bus, and next time, I want to go, just for the ride up, eat lunch (Vegetarian lunch at the monastery) and ride back down. Maybe then I still have time to ride into town and go shopping.

 

Well if I do that, maybe I’ll take some pics, and post them how it is.

 

YO!

Common Sense Obit.

Remarkable Obituary

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense.

Mr. Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable Parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge).

His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate;

teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch;

and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge financial settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on; if not, join the majority and do nothing!

________________________________

Fw: The existence of Hell - a treatise

From my sister,

 

The following is an actual question given on a Washington State University chemistry mid-term. The answer by one of the students was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their
religion you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting, "Oh my God!"

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A".

been awhile

Wow, it has been so long again since I’'ve blogged

I was in Hong Kong again last week, spent Tuesday afternoon in town, first I had a small meeting with someone from a sourcing office, then I didn’t know what to do, if I should go to Lantau and see the Big Buddha again, (great vegetarian lunch), but then, since I had already gotten off the MTR in Admiralty, I decided to walk to the lower Peak Tram station and take the tram up, that was so cool! Naturally at the upper peak, they have a modern building with a great viewing platform, but inside are all kinds of fast food joints, cafes, and souvenir shops.

It was really neat, now that I can spend some hours at a time in HK, and have started learning to get around by myself, it is so much more interesting there. I bought an “Octopus” card last time I was there, really just a reloadable RFID or chip card, it is really practical. For those who don’t know anything about it, you load it up with a few HK-Dollars, and when entering or leaving certain public transport system, you just lay your wallet (or whatever you have it in) on a plate, and it shows how much is still loaded, and what the fare being taken off is. You can reload it at 7-11 (where you can pay for your groceries with it as well) or at the MTR stations. And as for example at the peak tram stations, there was usually a long line of tourists to pay for their tickets, and holders of the octopus card, just walk up to the next turnstile, lay down the card, and are immediately admitted.

It is strange, but I always get “homesick” for HK a few days after returning to Germany. I still don’t know how it would really be to live there, but the other day, I saw that they only have a maximum of 16% taxes on your pay, with reductions for dependents, there is also some sort of health care plan that takes another 5%, but I am not sure how that all works. But for example I pay around 28% on my wages, and that is LOW, other people, for example even my wife pas up to 45%. I still want to find out about employers tax obligations for their workers, but in Germany, the rule of thumb, is for every 1 EURO the worker is being paid, the company pays almost 1 EURO in taxes, so for a worker that earns say 2000 EURO, the company is paying almost 4000 EURO, and that is why so many companies are so pressed when it comes to hiring a new worker.

YO!

Weekend in Munich

Well well well, the seasons, they are a´changen. And I don’t like it at all. It was actually nice the past few days though, I took Friday off from work, went to Munich to a concert from Jet. Well the full story is, my wife and I went to see Jet in concert on Thursday evening, and we booked a room, so that we could stay and go shopping on Friday, and then drive home on Saturday.

 

First surprise, Jet cancelled because of “Vocal cord afflictions” yeah right, sounded like “didn’t-feel-like-showing afflictions” No, that is unfair, someone may really have been sick, so I can’t complain. Anyways, we then went to a steak house in the city centre, to have a big 300-gram rib-eye nice´n´bloody – yeah just the way I like em. Maybe politically and maybe health wise incorrect, but hey in Europe nobody is on that train yet, so I don’t have to worry. Naturally I do have thoughts about my health, so when I get back from China again, I have said, I will start swinging my diet back to the healthier side. In China, it is easy anyways, a lot of veggies, and fish and such. For all, someone who cooks it. That is the hardest thing about eating healthy at home, is, what to cook, what to buy? In Germany, it seems they only have limited resources of veggies. Zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage, and such. And sooner or sooner you are through all of them and you get sick of looking at them. As well as the recipes, I know I don’t, and my wife who also works a lot doesn’t have any desire to be trying out a different recipe every day after work, it should be easy and quick. Well I should quite griping and just do it right? Right.

 

Well right now I have about 114kg (last time I stepped onto the scale) and so I want to loose about 14 of that and get back to about 98 to 100 kg. Of course a big part of that is getting active again, the problem is once I start, after a couple of days it really starts to be fun, and then something comes up (usually another trip to China, or vacation, or, or, or,) then I stop, and if I don’t immediately start again, then it is 1 then 2, then 3,4,5 weeks, and then it is like starting over again. It used to be, that I had a small beer belly, and it didn’t bother me, but now I have just turned 40, and I am getting a bigger beer belly, and now it does bother me. I am not happy looking at myself in the mirror any more. So time to make the cut, and start getting back in shape. Who knows, maybe I should start using this or another blog to start charting and documenting my way back to the slim and healthy Alan.

 

Anyways, back to Munich. After Steak, on Friday we went into town, and went shopping. The. Whole. Day. Long. Around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, we went back to the room and rested a bit, and then went back to town to a restaurant where I reserved a table. I had been to a similar restaurant in Cologne before. It is Persian cooking, in Cologne we sat on pillows on the floor, around a small table, ate, drank, and afterwards watched a belly dancer and smoked a shisha (water pipe) filled with aromatic tobacco (yeah, just tobacco) but it was great. Anyways, in Munich I wanted to do the same with my wife, but alas, we sat at a table, there was no dancing, and at the end, she didn’t want to smoke a pipe, so we just ate a very good Persian meal, went over to an Irish pub, that was so full, that we resigned and went back to the room, got a couple of brews from the hotel bar up to the room and watched the box awhile.

 

It was still a great weekend, and I still really enjoy getting off with my wife for a romantic weekend without the kids. I guess what makes me proud of the whole thing, is that it was our 19^th anniversary, and we still get on great. Looking forward to our 20^th, just not sure where to go yet.

 

YO!

Wee bit long

so now, I see it has been a wee bit long since I last posted. all those hard core bloggers out there will ask themselves...

 

"why have a blog if you are not blogging regularly?…”

 

well, says I…

 

 ”none of your blogging business, go stick your nose-cone in someone else’s orbit”

 

No, I really don’t want to be so aggressive, but what the hell, everyone is so aggressive these days, we all feel like India-Pakistan, or USA-Iran/Iraq/Afghanistan/Environment/Clean air/______(fill in blank). As I am living in the Good ol’ Republic of Germany, I see things different than a lot of Americans living in the good ol’ US of A. Please don’t think that I am un-patriotic, because I am still proud to be an American, and I would probably never even think of becoming a German, but when I see the way Bush is ruining America’s reputation, and friendships the world over, it really makes me want to puke, but that would not help me keep any friends, at the most it would help me lose weight.

 

Like the “Pro-Ana” girls I read about in the paper this morning. Girls and women who are being sucked into a Pro anorexia mindset to become thin, now I see that there are a lot of obese people in the “civilised” western nations, and that is definitely a problem, but to go into the other extreme is even more dangerous, as people tend to die quicker for lack of food, than over abundance. If these women think that being so thin is so beautiful, and that not eating is a sure way to reach their ideals, then they should do a “life swap” with someone in Ethiopia or somewhere else where the people are so thin through no fault of their own.

 

At the moment, life in Germany isn’t so rosy, I took my family to Hong Kong for a couple of days on a mixed business / vacation mix. It was the first time that I really got to move around in HK, other than “Nathan Road” where all the Indian guys want to sell a copy-watch every 2.36 meters. If I had so much money to buy so many copy-watches, then I could probably afford a real Rolex or Brightling. AND if I bought so many, then I wouldn’t be able to walk after about three blocks. On the other hand, maybe I could re-sale them and earn enough money to buy a real Rolex or Brightling. Anyways, back to the story, I enjoyed myself so much, that I really started thinking about moving to HK myself. It would take awhile to get everything ready, and to tell the truth, I really don’t know if it would actually be so great to lie there. But Germany is becoming less and less of a Lifelong-option, and the fact that almost everyone in Florida can buy and use guns at a such scary rate makes me think twice (or more) about living there again. Where else? Somewhere warm, with some industry so I could get a job… who knows?

 

Well I’m gonna go now.

 

YO!

In light of the ever arising questions, jokes, reasoning, and philosophical musings of why the chicken crossed the road, I thought I’d add my mustard to the discussion in the form of a small piece of prose. Yes I tried to think like a chicken, I tried to set myself into her (yes her, otherwise it would have been a rooster) mindset, why would I cross a road. Without  making pretence to any cultural or economic situation or background of the chicken, I tried to set myself into “Chickenness”

 

I hope that I have succeeded in some small way.

 

 

The chicken, the road, the other side

Feathers itching, beak yellow.

The road.

 

The taste of the last worm still salty on my tongue

The road calls.

 

My feathers itch

I scratch, and still the road…

It calls.

 

“other side, other side” it whispers, it calls

I must follow.

 

Run, I run, zigging and zagging

My feathers itching, my head buzzing, the road, it whispers under my running, my scratching feet. “other side” it calls.

 

I arrive, exhaustion pours over me.

My feathers.

The road

It calls.