Mr Black's HK Escapade (Episode 3: Drops, Dolphins, Dance... & China)

If you are seeing this for the first time, Mr Black recommends that you start from episode 1 (scroll down) instead because this is the last installment of pictures and videos of his HK escapade. I hope you guys enjoy the photos (most of them taken by Mr Black himself, thank you) and find them interesting.
Here we go again:
Yah, we stopped at The Abyss last episode. It is one of the major attractions of the park (and also the one that I took first), in which thrill-seekers are actually lifted to a height of 20 stories (magnificient view from up there), then dropped without warning down to around the 5th floor. Experience zero gravity for a while as one free-falls.



Sorry but the video is not upright (kinda reminds me of hmmm some other video). I thought a video needs no explanation. Yah, I was right.
The much anticipated Ocean Park Highlight: Ocean Theatre. As you can see, the theatre is located in a prime position in the park, with the vast Pacific Ocean as its backdrop. Visitors can watch the show and be enchanted by the beauty of the ocean at the same time.
Eeeee....ha. Free Willy.......'s friends.
What is Ocean Park without a big, fat Tiger Shark in the Shark Aquarium? It is pretty big, I'll tell you.
There's a special program at the Ocean Park, in which dancers and singers from the Caribbeans swirled and turned and sang with all their gusto and might to impress the average crowd. I admire their fervor for their job and they were really passionate. Now where can you get those puny bikinis again?
Foam party at Sentosa? Nope, we are still at the Ocean Park, but this is the Lowlands Region of the park. Tired visitors can indulge in a huge foam party situated next to a Pirate Ship (Think Pirates of the Caribbean). I'll just be contented watching.
The supposed Highlight of the Lowland Region of Ocean Park. This happens to be one of the two pandas that are around in that air-conditioned enclosure of theirs. It keeps prancing left and right like it was really troubled. Maybe it was just trying to get itself to sleep.
Alright away from Ocean Park, away from Hong Kong, now onto Shenzhen, in Mainland China. Quite surprised to see a Le Coq Sportif boutique right smacked in the middle of Dong Man Old Street, the only happening place in that city of smoke and spit. I was just being honest.
Another view of Dong Man area at night after our shopping. Looks modernised isn't it? Well, the Dong Man region in Shenzhen reminds one of Singapore's Far East area, with cheap fashion goods and accessories selling at almost all the stores. New shoppin' haven for you people.

Well, that's all for Mr Black's HK escapade for this July. Do tag and look out for other posts upcoming.

Mr Black's HK Escapade (Episode 2: Of Buddha and The Abyss)

This is the 2nd out of 3 episodes that Mr Black had painstakingly arranged for his friends and visitors out there. Do enjoy but remember, please tag if you have something to say. Here goes:
Reached Tung Chung Station early second day morning just to receive a bit of drizzle. The condominiums (at least I think they are) are a stark contrast to the mountains that lie peacefully behind them (see carefully). And the wind there is strong enough to blow an infant off. Brrr. We have a date with Buddha nonetheless.
The Giant Buddha atop the mountain in Lantau Island. At 34m in height and 250 tons in weight, it is the world's tallest seated bronze Buddha. Triple R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
No kidding, but Mr Black climbed 268 steps to reach Buddha. Phew. But it's worth it, as you can see later.
The view from midway of the climb. More to come.
This is definitely in contention for the best picture we took in HK. Bless me and my blog, Buddha.
Finally, the first group shot I posted. No prizes for guessing which is Mr Black. Focus on the ocean behind, the view is simply sweet at the foot of the Buddha.
Ocean Park Hong Kong is one of those places that is built on a mountain slope. See those roller-coaster tracks in the background? No, I am not going to take them.
You gotta take 4 of these 5 minute escalators in excruciating heat in order to reach the Highlands of Ocean Park. Gives a whole new meaning to escalators.
This is Mr Black's pick for the most exhilarating ride in the park: The Mine Train. Watch as the train climbs a slope gently and then zooms down at break-neck speed, then circles and spins. Don't worry, if you are flung off, you will just drop hundreds of yards down to the ocean behind.
This is the Pacific Ocean, as seen from the Pacific Ocean Pier, one of the places that made my bloody long escalator journey worth it.
Errr... we will get to that later. Those are all the rides designed to scare the balls and guts out of anybody.
The double-looped roller coaster which I took eventually, under the consistent nagging of somebody else. But hey, it wasn't that scary after all.
I guess kids and adults (couples) take the Ferris Wheel for different reasons, if you know what I mean.
What are we strapped up for, baby? Oh, the Abyss of course! I felt my blood drain away from my face as I watch others dropped first.

Well, we have come to the end of Episode 2: Of Buddha and The Abyss. Do look out for the last Episode 3: Drops, Dolphins, Dance... & China only right here on www.blackrhapsody.blogspot.com.

Mr Black's HK Escapade (Episode I: Neon lights, blink on me)

Firstly, I would like to apologise for taking a week to post the long awaited pictures and videos of Mr Black's 4-day HK Escapade. I was recovering from illness and after that, had busied myself with stuff you wouldn't understand. Yeah right, you may say, but whatever, this is a post dedicated to picture lovers out there. No small collages. Just picture after picture.
Here we go. Swish.
This was taken at Changi International Airport, the pride of the land. I don't understand why people always have to take a shot of this departure board when they are at the airport. Maybe they don't want to forget their check in row. And yah, if you can spot my Hong Kong bound JSA plane, you have powerful eyes.
The view from my puny beyond redemption hostel room. Mark my words, living in a hostel in HK is bad, especially if it happens to be called Li's Hostel (Goes by the name "Taiwan Hotel" as well). Spend a bit more to stay in a hotel. Who knows, maybe you will gain something extra?

If your eyes are sharp enough, this picture is exactly the same as the previous one except that it was taken at night. The streets of Hong Kong are lit by neon signboards literally, not road lamps or lamp posts.
Squalid, almost sordid living quarters of HK buildings in Tsim Sha Tsui (TST). Land is more than scarce in that place.
The much fabled Ladies Street in Mongkok. Doesn't impress me at all as the goods they sell are rather, hmmm let's just say, old fashioned.
The streets of HK at night, lit up by the signboards that have a life of their own. Did I mention that Watsons is extremely successful over there?
A bronze statue of Bruce Lee along the Avenue of Stars in TST. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
The HK nightline from the Avenue of Stars, a place like our own Esplanade. Beeeeautiful lights. Evidently, the companies think that displaying their brand names on big neon signboards help their business. Anyway, thanks to them as well.
Another shot. A closer-up. Flash did not do much when the buildings are like 1 km away.
The goodness of Italian pizza and Japanese innovation. Folded pizza as a result. Ate it at SOGO basement at TST. Is it nice? Well, what do you think? I think I can smell them from here... ahh.
Q & A time. What is this device used for? (Hint: related to previous picture)
Is it for...
1) Ringing the cashier's attention
2) The cashier to ring the consumer's attention
3) Secret walkie talkie that vibrates, much to the pleasure of the cashier
Last but not least, for this episode, I shall end with a map depicting the MTR subway lines and the various tourist attractions that they lead to. You can enlarge the map yourself if you find it to be useful. Maybe Singapore can have one of this map as well.

Alright, that's all for "Episode I: Neon lights, blink on me". Look out for "Episode 2: Of Buddha and The Abyss". Only on www.blackrhapsody.blogspot.com. Duh.

It's a "Tu" (Two) Day

It's almost two in the morning.

First of all, I have to explain the title. It all arises from the fact that I waited 2 hours last afternoon at a particular hospital for a 2 minute follow-up consultation, followed tightly by a 20 dollar bill which I conveniently swiped with my POSB "Nets It!" card.

Yes, trouble doesn't come alone. They come in pairs, in groups to harass the living hell out of you. For me, the rashes I wrote about in the last entry were not the end of my misery when I hit home on Thursday. I developed cornea abrasion 2 days later and had to go around consulting doctors who in the end referred me to the hospital. Thankfully, I am on the way to recovery now but that was a painful (and expensive, 'cause hospital bills add up to almost $200 now) lesson learnt.

Never re-use your daily contact lens.

Ok? Get that 2-cents worth advice into your head if you are intending to be as "cheapo" (Singapore slang for cheap-skate) as me.

It's 2.07 am now. Time for bed, people. Remember, don't sleep with your contact lens (unless of course they are designed to). I will post up the pictures and videos of my HK shop-walk-shit-shop-walk-shop-walk-shit (realize there's no "eat") journey in the next post.

For the moment, dream.

(The Curse of) The Pearl of Asia

Well, it may not be so comfortable, but Jetstar Asia planes kept their promise and flew me safely back and forth from The Pearl of Asia ("Dong Fang Zhi Zhu" in Mandarin) - Hong Kong.

It was an exciting but physically draining trip for me and my significant other but it was a good trip nonetheless. In these 4 days, we rushed from place to place like true blue Hong Kongers, only stopping for the occasional brunch and dinner breaks. There was a lot to see in both Hong Kong and Mainland China Shenzhen, but since we were there for the first time, we had some difficulties finding good locations to shop and eat. In the end, we managed to bump into several factory oulets of certain established brands (Espirit, Adidas, Nike) in HK and also a pretty famous street in Shenzhen (Dong Men Street) selling all sorts of funky wear and cool accessories (think Far East Plaza).

Attractions wise, we did indeed went sightseeing in HK. Pictures will be posted up on upcoming posts on the various attractions that we went to, including the enormous sitting Buddha atop a mountain, Ocean Park, Avenue of Stars and of course, the HK nightline. Hong Kong is a place perched up on highlands, so it is amazing to see how the engineers over there managed to construct buildings and even attractions on mountain ranges and slopes.

Did Mr Black mentioned that transport is a bit steep over there? Anyway it is, but the subway lines (KCR and MTR) are pretty idiot-proof enough for anyone who has lived in Singapore long enough to know how to travel from Choa Chu Kang to Seng Kang. If you don't know, then maybe there's a problem. No, I am not saying you are an idiot.

Mr Black stayed in a hostel for the previous few days while in HK. It sucked. Really. This trip to Hong Kong will be perfect if I am not suffering from rashes (heat rash or bites probably) right now, illuminated by the white snake powder (think powder bath, guys) that I had applied generously over half of my body minutes ago. The room was puny (as in really puny, you can't take 5 steps without bumping into furniture), had a equally puny private toilet (as in you can pretty much just rotate about your fixed position like an atom in a solid while bathing) and the pillows, well let's just say, they smelled different. They smelled China. Thus I suspect it might be bed bugs who had adored me with their hugs and kisses. God knows.

Overall, it was still a pretty good trip. We managed to rake in bags of clothes and dried food back to Singapore after all the hustle and bustle in HK. Mr Black had achieved what he set out to achieve, and is now ready for more.

The cloud of "School" brews imminently in the near distance. I hear a thunderstorm but who cares?

I have an umbrella.

Perception

Well... I am back... with a new skin that's not black at last. Kind of renaissance in feeling cause of all the drawings and such. Disclaimer: This skin works best using Internet Explorer because some links may not be accessible through other browsers (I tried Mozilla Firefox and the links to "Other Colours" disappear, hmmm).

For a start, let's drop our defences, if only so infrequently and temporarily, and change our perception. Let's not view things at face value any more. Sometimes, things are not as bad as you think they are.

Watch this korean video for a demonstration. It was actually banned back there!

N Black Sey @
7:26 PM

Monday, July 10, 2006

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

"All graduands, you may now proceed to the robing room to get your robes," This message repeated at least 5 times everyday, accompanying the No-I-am-not-irritated-by-it Commencement Official Song as it boomed loud and soft in the closed confines of the University Cultural Centre.

Yes, Mr Black is helping out at the UCC this and last week during Commencement 2006. This once-in-an-academic-year event marks the end of an undergraduate's path in the university. Be it a degree, an honors in whatever class, a masters, or a doctor in philosophy (PHD) conferred to any student, this event means, rather crudely, that he or she is about to leave school and start working (most likely) in the society. You can tell, by the look in their eyes, if they are ready to do precisely that. Of course, some lucky dudes and gals will no doubt have their jobs secured even before they mounted the stage to collect their long-awaited qualifications, but for most others, it's time for another round of competition.

Except that this time, it's not all about academic qualifications.

Mr Black has always stood by a stand. His stand: The papers are merely stepping stones for you to greater heights. To put it crudely again (I got this bad habit huh?), a degree or masters or p.h.d. is like a ticket that entitles you to an interview with your prospective boss. What happens in the interview has nothing to do with the papers; just like what happens in "Pirates of the Carribeans" has nothing to do with the ticket to the movie once you get pass the booth.

It's you. You. Yourself. Alone.

It's you that ultimately has to bear the brunt of the glare and the questions, and perform under such circumstances. Convince, not confuse. You can't based everything on your qualifications; right there they are just like ticket stubs.

To all graduates that have made it thus far, good luck and may you find the right movie to star in. The ticket to stardom, freedom and wealth doesn't come cheap nor easy, but now you have it in your hands. Well done.

N Black Sey @
2:24 PM

Monday, July 03, 2006

Comfort Blues

In case you haven't heard, here's the dish.

"Comfort DelGro Makes Taxi Fare Adjustment"

3 July 2006 - The flag down fare of ComfortDelGro's fleet of taxis - Comfort, CityCab and Yellow-Top - will be raised by 10 cents to $2.50 with effect from 6am, 10 July 2006. This is the first such increase in 12 years.

The move comes amid a difficult operating environment including rising fuel prices. In the last two years, the price of fuel has more than doubled and is now hovering near its all-time high. The market price of diesel is now $1.07 per litre, up 30% from a year ago. To help our drivers, ComfortDelGro has extended significant fuel subsidies of $0.29 per litre to those of our taxi drivers who choose to pump with us. As a result, they pay just 78 cents a litre. Still, the higher cost of diesel has reduced the incomes of our drivers.

The decision to revise the current fare structure was made after ComfortDelGro had consulted its Taxi Associations. In line with the increase in flag down fares for normal taxis, Comfort DelGro will also be increasing the flag down rate of our Mercedes fleet by 20 cents to $2.80 to differentiate its premium service.

There will also be a distance-related fare adjustment to better reflect the relationship between fuel costs and distance travelled. Under the new fare structure, trips that are less thna 10kms will be charged at 10 cents for every 210m travelled compared to 225m currently. For trips above 10kms, the charge will be 10 cents per 175m compared to 200m now.

To ameliorate the current disequilibrium between demand and supply during peak periods, ComfortDelGro will raise the peak hour surcharge from $1 to $2. This is expected to reduce the waiting time during periods of high customer demand.

Below is a summary of the charges which will take effect on 10 July 2006.

Current	New Fares
Flag Down Normal taxi: $2.40 for 1st km Mercedes taxi: $2.60 for 1st km	Flag Down Normal taxi: $2.50 for 1st km Mercedes taxi: $2.80 for 1st km
Distance Fare 1km to 10km 10cts for every 225m Above 10km 10cts for every 200m	Distance Fare 1km to 10km 10cts for every 210m Above 10km 10cts for every 175m
Peak Period Surcharge $1.00 Monday - Saturday 7.30am - 9.30am 5.00pm - 8.00pm	Peak Period Surcharge $2.00 Monday - Friday 7.00am - 9.30am Monday - Saturday 5.00pm - 8.00pm
Booking Prime Time	Monday - Friday 7.30am - 9.30am 5.00pm - 11.00pm

Now you know. Real nice, Mr Black thinks.

N Black Sey @
6:42 PM

How do I go about explaining something I can't even explain in the first place.

Colours swirled in my head; black, blue, red, yellow.

Incidentally, "Crazy" by Aerosmith played in the background.

"Don't touch me, it's digusting," she said, unaware of the pain she caused.

But I am not, the boy thought, and thought that no explaining will do justice to him. He was fixed.

I am not what you think I am, he thought; she left.

I tried to fight it with white light, but eventually Black enveloped me.

N Black Sey @
11:33 AM

Mr Black is a current undergraduate who resides in Singapore. This blog is a non-whimsical reflection of his life and the society in which he lives in at large.

- Confidental -

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