Snowing day, Exam day

Hope it will be better.

 

 

First Snow This Year

The first snow this year came at this Monday evening(11/29).
It was freezing recently.
Less than one month ago, there were still green leaf on the trees.
Seasons change so quickly.

Two sweet songs

Yesterday I heard these two sweet songs on the radio.
Share with you.

I hate VISTA!!!

就在昨天中午 我正念書做筆記的時候 電腦就不動了
強制關機後就開不了了 VISTA掛了
第一個念頭是 SxxT!我的那些檔案不知道保不保的住
第二個念頭是 好險 這周二備份了
想了想 損失有限
勉強定下心 下午到圖書館去念書
晚上回來 用Recovery CD
果然 C槽的文件圖片不見了
但是 大部分的程式還在 PCMAN PPS KMPlayer MSOffice 2010都在
真正損失的 有兩份文件 一個是筆記 一個是作業
我的記帳本程式不見了 所以之前的帳目就...
書籤也不見了 再找找看
一整個晚上 把東西灌回來
想說去BIOS那裏把BOOTing Priority 改回來就結束了

NONONO
當我試著重新開機的時候
VISTA是開了
但是使用者設定檔不能儲存
所以之前灌回C槽的東西又不見了
DxxN it!
還好晚上重寫的作業放到dropbox上了

今早起來
上網查使用者設定檔的info
總結就是 開個新帳戶吧
原來的帳戶使用者設定檔算是掛了吧
雖然解決了
可是這是甚麼邏輯???

總而言之
備份很重要
我決定要把文件的路徑搬到D槽去了(I should do this earlier)

現在覺得VISTA不僅耗資源又unstable
害我現在覺得我的電腦非常 fragile
怕它一不小心又Crash了
還是XP好(我相信有人會說 LINUX比較好)

The Script - For The First Time

A song which is really popular on the radio recently.
Not bad.

2010 Moon Festival

I had a nice Moon Festival this year.

The weather was nice, sunny and warm. After having 3 hour class in the morning, I decided to have lunch and study outside.

I studied the "foundation" paper of modern corporate finance, Modigliani and Miller's "The cost of capital, corporate finance, and the theory of investment." I sat on the bench next to the pond in school. This made me have more motivation and mood to keep awake to study.




In the evening, my classmate Mi asked me to celebrate Moon Festival at Greek restaurant Olympia. We ordered SAGAPO(I love you in Greek), including 5 kinds of meat, salad, and potatoes. I also had a Heineken. We enjoyed the meal a lot.





After dinner, we walked home. The moon was bright. It was very comfortable to have a walk in such a lovely evening.

HURTS - Wonderful Life

Another HURTS song I like. The video is also great. I think I like the 80s style.

This weekend...

The weather was incredibly nice in Rotterdam on Saturday. In the afternoon, after spending one-hour in the cafe, my friend and I decided to have a walk at Kralingse Bos, where a big lake located. Walking next to the bank, enjoy the sunshine, water, and green trees. Life couldn’t be better.

I had a funny dream on Sunday morning. I dreamed that I stayed at an unknown hotel in Amsterdam. And I was pissed off when I saw the bill. Besides the accommodation fee, I was charged for an expense(I forgot the exactly name, anyway it was very ridiculous), which was 15 euro. Then I had a big quarrel with the staff. I never knew that I could express my unsatisfaction in English so frequently. Anyway, it was just a dream. When I realized it, I still lied in my bed in Rotterdam. I think I had this dream because I planned to visit Amsterdam this morning.

Today there was construction along the railway near Schiphol. So it took me longer than usual to reach Amsterdam. It’s the final weekend of the exhibition: from Matisse to Malevich at Hermitage Amsterdam. It is free for museum card holders(normal price is 15 euro). I liked the exhibition. More than half paintings have explanation, not only for the painting itself, but also the trend when the painting was made, or the uniqueness of the artists. The most famous work in the exhibition should be Matisee’s “La Chambre Rouge(the red room)”. I like it. The bright and bold colors gave viewers strong impression. I also like Kandinsky’s “Composition VI”. The bright color area with lines composed a vivid music world. I also saw other Kandinsky’s paintings in this exhibition and in another exhibition, which held earlier this year in Den Haag. I won't say I understand his work, but I like his work. There were also Picasso’s works. The whole exhibition show most schools of modern art, such as Cubism, Fauvism(Wild beasts), Expressionism, and finally end with Abstractionism. The last painting of the exhibition is Malevich’s “Black square”. It is just a black square on the canvas. It is too abstract to me.

The paintings came from St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum. I have to say the overall level of paintings of this exhibition is quite high. I could image there are more treasures at the museum. Hope I could visit there one day.

From other rooms of the museum, I also learned some things. The museum was a house for elder people from 18th century. After so many years, the original function is not fulfilled the modern world. Then it became a place for culture event. Another thing I learned is that the Oranje family(the royal family of Nederland) had a close relationship with Russian’s Romanov family. Maybe that’s part of the reason that I could see this exhibition in the Netherlands.

In sum, I had a good weekend. But I left too much to study. Need to catch up soon.

P.S.
Nice pictures I like in the exihibition:
Utrillo-view of Montmartre
Matisse-la chambre rouge
Kandinsky-composition VI
Interesting picture:
Malevich-black square, just a black square, but it's also a masterpiece.

Tokio Hotel - World Behind My Wall

This song was recommended by my sister.
I like it a lot.

Hurts - Illuminated

It's the song I really like.

What a day....

I had class at 9am.
I left home at 8:30am.
I should catch tram at 8:40am and arrive classroom before 9am.
But....
Because of the rain, the tram was seriously delayed and overcrowded.
Since I could not make it anyway, I missed 2 overcrowded trams and got on the third one.

The lecture today was about adverse selection and asymmetric information. These concepts are widely applied in daily life.

When I paid my lunch, the 2 euro coin fell into my soup.
Fortunately the clerk said that I could get another cup.

Anyway, it's another ordinary day.

Another good movie: The blind side

Today I saw another good movie: The blind side.

It was based on a true story. I believe the movie has been modified to make it more "dramatic", but I think it is a really touching story.

How many minority children or youth could find someone who is willing to give them a hand? to give them a chance for a different?

Of course they need to work hard themselves as well.

In this story, both helpers and the one who being helped had a good heart. Therefore the story had a good ending.

Sandra Bullock earned an Oscar by this film. I think she did her job well in this film.

A-Team: a really enjoyable movie

I have been longing for watching this movie since I knew the production of this movie and I expected very much after I saw the trailer.

Tonight, I went to the theater and I really enjoyed the movie.

It was very funny. Although I did not remember much about the original TV series, I think the movie kept the original spirit but also paid attention to how to attract new audiences.

In short, a really good team.
I am almost sure that there will be at least one sequel.
I'm looking forward to seeing the A-team again.

20100506 Keukenhof

From March to May, the famous Dutch scenic spot Keukenhof is open to the public. It was very popular. Various colors and kinds of tulips, and some other flowers, such as Narcissus, constitute a beautiful view. Pictures say more than words. Just look at the pictures.

20100317-19 Paris

20100317 Rotterdam to Paris
After around 3 months, I took Thalys to Paris again. But this time I was alone.

The first impression was "hot". Paris was around 16C. I wore too much.
After leaving luggage at hotel, I went to Bibliotheqe nationale de France(密特朗國家圖書館). I wanted to visit it when I saw its picture few year ago. It was a long trip from my hotel to it, crossing Paris downtown. It has 4 tall L-shape buildings, like opened books. But it was not as tall as I imagined. It has lower levels, which are under the plaza. I saw the interior, the bright, quiet, and open space that people could enjoy their reading there. When standing on the plaza, I heard noises made by hundreds of birds flying around trees in the middle yard of the library. It's really an astonishing image that among those building, which are made by concrete and glass, are old trees, which are taller than 10 meters. I could imagine that people who sit inside and look outside, they may feel that they are in a forest. This library really makes me amazed.

Then I had dinner in a restaurant nearby. It sales natural, fresh, and ready foods. I had a cup of carrot soup and a pizza with spanize, bacon and goat cheese. Soup was really good. And the pizza, the first bite was not bad. But the special taste of goat cheese became more and more obvious. I think it was too strong to me, but I was still happy that I tried.

Then I walked to Chinatown. It was much longer than I expected. And I needed to climb up to the hill. When I nearly gave up, I finally arrived. It was late, and I didn't have much time to explore it. I went to a shopping center to buy some food for my breakfast. The shopping center is surrounded by tall resident buildings, and there are many Chinese around the area. The shopping center and the surrounding made me feel that I was in HK. I hope next time I would have time to explore this area. I like to see differences among Chinatowns in different countries.

Then a long trip back to the hotel.




20100318 Musee d'Orsay--> Musée de l'Orangerie des Tuileries --> Centre Georges Pompidou

I decided to visit 3 museums in one day. First destination is Musee d'Orsay. I took the metro to metro station Tuileries, and walked across the garden and the river to the museum. It took me more than half an hour waiting to enter the museum(timing is important, when I left around 2, no need to wait). It was a pity that it was not allowed to take photos in the museum. Because it was under renovation, many masterpieces of impressionism are located along a long, narrow gallery. It was very crowded. Several works had been in Taiwan before. I still prefer Monet's work. On the opposite gallery, there are works of Millet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Courbet,and Manet. Millet's most famous works, are here, such as 拾穗, 晚禱, and 牧羊女. Van Gogh's 午睡,奧維的教堂 are displayer. Some paintings are on loan for exhibition. But it is really amazing to see many famous paintings in a single museum. That's why so many visitors.

After leaving Orsay, I walked to 駐法台北代表處, which is really close to the museum. It became a scenic spot because it was the apartment of 千秋 and 野田妹 in Paris in 交響情人夢電影版. I haven't watched the movie, but I like the drama.

Then I walked to Musée de l'Orangerie. Some impressionism paintings are here. There are some Modigliani's works. The most famous collection here is Monet's water lily series. There are two oval rooms, around the wall are 4 water lily paintings. Sitting in the middle, watching the paintings with natural sun light, I felt that I was in the natural, surrounded by waters, with mild wind. Very comfortable feeling.

Leaving the museum, walking in garden Tuileries, enjoying the nice view and weather, how wonderful Paris is in spring!

Before entering Pompidou, I had an Opera(a cake) for tea time. It was a little too sweet. At 6th floor of Pompidou, visitors could enjoy the city view of Paris. I saw Montmartre and Notre Dame. I hope one day I could sit in the restaurant at 6th floor to enjoy food and view. The collection of Pompidou are contemporary arts. Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Duchamp and Kandinsky. There is also renovation here so collections after 1945 are closed. At 4th floor are modern female artist exhibition. Various kinds of art are displayer. I have to say I do not really understand the modern art.

I had dinner in a restaurant next to Pompidou. It is a self-served restaurant. Pick what you like. I had a steak, fries, and salads. I enjoyed it.I came back to hotel around 8pm. I was exhausted but fulfilled. All museums are worth visiting.




20100319 Eiffel Tower--> Universitie Paris III and VI --> Galleries Lafayette --> Paris Nord --> Rotterdam

Last time I saw Eiffel Tower at night. So this time I wanted to see it in the daytime. The tower with the blue sky and green in the Mars garden together was a fascinating picture. Then I went to Universitie Paris III and VI. It was a pity that I could only see the exterior. Then I walked along the Seine river to see Pont Neuf(the new bridge, in fact it was the oldest bridge across the Seine) and the Art Bridge next to it. Next time I'd like to take the river boat to enjoy the view. Then I passes by the Paris Opera House to Galleries Lafayette. I had lunch there. It was delicious and I could see Eiffel Tower from my seat. It was a pity that I had no much time because it was on promotion. I only bought small cakes at Lafayette Gourmet(buy one get one free).

The way back was not that good. First, the train was late. Passengers were impatient and rushed to board on the train. The unclear instruction made many people boarded on the wrong train. And finally, it left after half an hour delay. Then I went back with 3-day happy memories.

Next time I want to visit 凡爾賽宮, 巴比松和楓丹白露.

Monga艋舺-何謂義氣?

千呼萬喚 終於盼到了這部電影

從蚊子的角度 看80年代的艋舺的黑道文化
因為一隻雞腿的緣故 蚊子加入了"廟口" 他一直不懂為何要這樣打打殺殺
他只是開心有了朋友 有了結拜的兄弟 常常掛在大家嘴邊的義氣 到底是甚麼 好像對他也不是那麼重要
慢慢的 他開始了解真正的黑道世界
最終捲入了黑道地盤的爭奪
一同結拜的兄弟 竟然倒戈相向
到傷重倒地 才了解自己所謂的義氣 其實就是友情

和尚 一個真正具有才能的人 他看清一切 卻放不下對志龍的情感
也因為他心中還有友情
所以沒有作絕 最後死在他最重要的人手中

兩位主角演出還OK 但我覺得還不夠深刻
陳漢典的角色我覺得詮釋的不錯
豆導和馬如龍的大哥 自然是氣勢十足

片中艋舺的街景
還有燈紅酒綠的寶斗里
在那塊地方
多少人上演著他們的故事

年少的友情是最純真美好的
當參雜入了利益及其他情感糾葛
當年結拜時的義氣
也就一去不回

出乎我意料的身世梗
或許在續集中會有用處吧

不是那麼喜歡這個題材
我的評價是3.5
國片還是要支持的啦

Recently watched Chinese movies

Watched several Chinese movies recently. Almost all worth watching.

My rating(1~5):
葉問: 4
整部戲節奏流暢 甄子丹的詠春拳自然是最大賣點 因為詠春比較柔 所以感覺不會非常暴力 加上偶爾的一點幽默 讓這部戲感覺非常舒服

殺破狼: 3.5
這是舊片了 因為看完葉問 很想再看武打片 就決定看這部黑暗 打得很暴力的片
甄子丹 洪金寶 吳京 真的看得很過癮 任達華的文戲增添了這部片的可看性
不過黑暗的調性讓我不會特別想再看

建國大業: 4
慶祝PRC建國60周年大戲 賣點就是巨星雲集
雖然有美化毛主席的感覺 但這是一個了解抗戰之後到大陸風雲變色之間幾年的歷史的好機會
唐國強和劉勁是毛主席和周恩來專業戶 精彩表演自不在話下
相比之下 張國立的蔣介石似乎比較沒有抓到神韻
我覺得陳坤的蔣經國還不錯 但是好像還不夠冷?
這部看明星就值得了

聽說: 4
有一段時間PTT上常見到有人說: 聽說"聽說"很好看
親情 夢想 加上淡淡的愛情
的確是一部令人溫暖的小品

不能沒有你: 5
這部一定要推
一個沒受過甚麼教育 在社會底層掙扎 一心一意只有養活自己和女兒的父親
想要爭取女兒的戶籍 卻被公務員當皮球踢來踢去
徬徨無助 到最後走向極端
最後一幕 父女重逢 那個畫面真的讓人鼻酸
很佩服戴導和陳文彬
令人難過的是 這可是真實事件
的確公務員都應該看看

瘋狂的賽車: 4.5
最近看的最好笑的片子 如同蓋瑞奇的偷拐搶騙一樣有多條主線同時進行 彼此相關 我喜歡這種片子
金馬影帝黃渤在片中的一臉衰相 正暗示他在片中多舛的命運
九孔不計形象代價的演出 讓他晉身億萬票房巨星 在片中被整得最慘的其實是他
戎祥和高捷的台灣黑幫兄弟 是另一條主線 加上兩個笨賊 一群警察
彼此命運交錯 構築出這個瘋狂的片子
絕對推薦

風聲: 4
故事很簡單 一群有間諜嫌疑的人被關在一起 邊接受審問 邊互相猜忌誰是內鬼
這種類型的片子必須靠演員的演技撐起來 才有戲劇張力
演員表現都很不錯
在這部片中我認為李冰冰演得比周迅好 金馬影后實至名歸
最令人驚艷的是蘇有朋 我以前並不認為他會演戲 這次戲分不是太多 但展現出截然不同的風貌
張涵予依然是硬漢
因為我看之前已經知道誰是內鬼
如果不知道 看的過程應該會更有趣

十月圍城: 3
之前PTT上一片好評 讓我非常期待
前面帶出各個人物的性格 還有促使他們加入保護國父行列的原因(雖然有的理由實在有點牽強)
後面應該是緊張刺激的動作戲 殺手和護衛的一波波過招 但看完的感覺 卻覺得有點虛
整個節奏好像怪怪的 而且這種刺殺實在是太誇張了
還有一點比較不能忍受的
說實在的 既然背景在香港 用廣東話比較正常
要說國語也行 但曾志偉和梁家輝的是香港腔國語讓我不太能入戲
令人驚艷的 是謝霆鋒
王學圻的表演有一定水準 但我認為還是梅蘭芳裡的十三燕最好
黎明 讓我想嘆氣
對我而言 這部so so


題外話: 本想看刺陵 但如狂潮般的負評讓我卻步 怕看了會對不起自己

Winter Vacation III- Barcelona(20100103-06)

Jan-03-10
We flew from Paris Orly to Barcelona airport. The first impression of Barcelona was good because of the new airport terminal. We took shuttle bus, which took less than half an hour, to downtown Barcelona. The hotel room was nice, much better than that in Paris, and also cheaper.
It was Sunday evening, no many shops were open. Walking on the wide and quiet streets, with temperature around 10, was very comfortable. We had dinner in a Chinese restaurant nearby. It only cost us 13.5 euro to have five dishes(春捲, 雙冬炒牛肉, 杏仁雞 were good).
We both agreed that we liked Barcelona.




Jan-04-10
Our first stop was Casa Batllo--a Gaudi's masterpiece. From the entrance to the roof and backyard, everywhere you could find Gaudi's creativity. No one would deny he was a genius after seeing his works.

We had lunch in a restaurant nearby. We had toasts with tomato sauce as starter, which is typical Spanish. My lamb and chicken grill and Henry's pig feet were both delicious. And I love my dessert--the homemade truffles. Spanish people quite enjoy their life. They had their lunch elegantly, no rush at all. Starter, main dish and then drink and dessert would be a complete menu.

We went Sagarada Familia--another Gaudi's masterpiece. The large cathedral was still under construction. 100 years ago, no one, including Gaudi himself could expect it would take so long to complete. Its complex exterior decorations could reflect Gaudi's religious passion. For the interior, Gaudi was intended to make people feel in the forest. Pillars are like trees keep stretching up. The exhibition inside showed us how Gaudi was good at catch ideas from the Nature and also good at geometry. We took lift up to the tower. There we could enjoy the city view of Barcelona, and also took at a look of ongoing construction. And then we need to walk down--using spiral stairs, narrow and dark. I could tell that Gaudi definitely loved spiral stairs. This ambitious work would be completed around 2040. I feel that Gaudi treated his works as huge sculptures, putting all he thought on them.

We went to see another Gaudi's work--Casa Mila. And decided to have dinner at the same Chinese restaurant. It was open because we were too early. Dinner time here is around 8pm. Life pace here was much slower compared to other European countries I have been. Life expense was also lower. Weather here was much nicer than the Netherlands. Barcelona is really a good place to live.




Jan-05-10
After we booked the tour at 2pm at Palau De La Música Catalana, we went to the port. It was my first time to see Mediterranean Sea. It was a pity that it was raining, or the view will be prettier with the sunshine. There was a monument of Columbus. We walked along La Rambla, the famous entertainment area. Casa Guell was also here. Also a Miro's work, a mosaic on the pavement. There was art everywhere in Barcelona.

The one-hour tour at Palau De La Música Catalana was a great experience. At first we saw a 13-minute video, including a short history introduction and many artists' talks about how they felt when they stood on the stage. The concert hall was amazing. The stained glass ceiling could make natural light penetrate. The decorations were all meaningful, connecting Catalan music with music all over the world. On the stage there were 18 muses, upper half sculptured and lower half mosaic, with instruments from all over the world. The sound of pipes could tell the wonderful sound effect. One day, I want to enjoy a concert here, in such a amazing concert hall. The architect was Montaner(finally not Gaudi). But there were common elements between two architects' works--sunlight,ventilation, and natural elements.

We had tapas(snacks) at a cafe right opposite to the Palau. Then we went to Museu Picasso.(How many artists were Spanish?) The museum contained most of his early works. Picasso's talent was recognized at his teens. You could easily tell the transformation of his works at different periods. The series I liked the most is the recreation and reinterpretion of Velasquez's masterpiece "Las Meninas".

After leaving the museum we coincidentally saw a parade. Then we had dinner at another Chinese restaurant. Then we went to La Rambla again.There were so many people there. Night life at La Rambla just began.


Jan-06-10
We took Funicular railway first then switched to cable car up to the castle at Montjuic. The view was great, and the sunlight made it even greater. Blue sea and blue sky at port. The opposite was hills and mountains. Between was Barcelona downtown. Sagarada Familia was right in the middle.

It's time to say goodbye to Barcelona. We both like Barcelona very much. After 2 hour delay because Schiphol was closed due to snow, we finally flew back and got home. I missed the beautiful sunshine there.

尋情歷險記--每個人都會經歷的冒險

-----題外話-----
今天的天氣令人無語 一下子下雪 一下子下雨 一下子出太陽 如此交替循環 實在是很不想出門
這是到這裡來天氣最詭異的一天
-----正 文-----
第一次踏進荷蘭的電影院 但看的是台灣電影"尋情歷險記"
這是鹿特丹電影節的參展電影 導演也來了
一部連導演自己都感動的電影是怎樣的呢?

看到片中夫妻們談論他們尋情的過程和體悟
加上陳顧問"作媒"的過程
有些會讓一般人猶豫踏入婚姻的因素 在陳顧問看來根本就無關緊要

婚姻到底是愛情的墳墓還是新的開始?
準備好才結婚? 甚麼是準備好? 你還沒準備好人家就願意嫁你 陪你一起打拼 還有甚麼好猶豫的?
兩個人在一起 最基本的功能 就是有人可以陪你聊天
不陪你逛街不代表他不愛你 一直責備他 最後他就真的會說他不再愛妳了

讓人會思索自己定義中的愛情 婚姻到底是甚麼
每個人都會有自己的歷險 也都會有自己的體悟

在婚姻中 因為愛對方 所以好好溝通 適度的配合對方
兩人一起在婚姻中成長
才是真正的歷險

看到那些夫妻的歷險過程
不知道 我的歷險會是怎樣的?

Winter Vacation II-- Paris (20091231-20100103)

Dec-31-2009
On the last day of 2009, we took Thalys from Rotterdam to Paris. In the train we met 8 young Polish. They started celebrated New Year's eve as soon as they got on the train. They drank, talk, and laugh, making many other passengers annoyed. They got excited due to the alcohol. Then began to talk to other passengers, including us. They were cute, but I still thought they were too noisy.

We arrived Paris Nord with half hour delay. Being in a new country, how to purchase transportation tickets is always a problem. We decided to buy 2-day tickets and a French helped us.(Next day we found out that we were cheated by that man. He purchased one-way tickets for us, and he earned at least 30 euro from us) Every city's metro system has its own features. Paris' metro could hold more people than London's and Rotterdam's. Wheels are also different. Finally, we arrived our hotel. It was too cold so we decided to stay in the hotel and watched TV to celebrate the coming of 2010. We saw celebrations in Sydney, Taipei(fireworks at 101), and HK. When midnight approached, the Eiffel Tower had light show, colorful and glorious. It's the first time I welcomed the new year in a foreign and romantic city. I was happy I was not alone.




Jan-01-2010
Our first stop is Notre Dame, the most important and the most famous cathedral in Paris. Its construction could be traced back to 1160. Inside I could feel the ancient and holy atmosphere. Outside was decorated with many "Gargoyles". It was cold and snowing. Therefore we decided to have lunch in a restaurant next to the cathedral. We tasted the real "French Fries", very delicious. The half chicken and the omelette were also good. But the onion soup was a little disappointing. We quite enjoyed the meal.

Then we went to Centre Georges Pompidou, just to see the building. I liked it. We also passed by Forum des Halles. The whole area was beautiful.

Our next stop was Place de la Concorde. The ancient monument from Egypt, the 18th- century buildings and a modern ferris wheel together formed an interesting view. We walked on the famous "Avenue des Champs-Elysees". I thought the pink flags destroyed the beautiful of the avenue.

We rushed to Montmartre to meet Henry's friend. He lead us climbing up the hill and enjoying the beautiful city view. I could see Notre Dame. There are not many tall buildings. Paris residents think skyscrapers would destroy the beautiful skyline.

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, its white exterior and domes is quite different from other cathedrals in Europe. It was built after France lost the Franco-Prussian War. Its construction symbolized the religious and national renewal. Then we walked at streets of Montmartre. Many artists were selling their works there. Many famous artists, such as Van Gogh and Picasso, left their footprints here. We walked through the Cafe where "Amelie" worked, and reached Moulin Rouge. We said goodbye to his friend and had dinner at Quick, the local fast food restaurant. Well, we prefer real French cuisine.

We went to Trocadero station. There you could enjoy the full view of Eiffel Tower. It had light show every hour. Bright blue moon made the scene more beautiful and special. It was really romantic to enjoy the most famous night view in the world. The experience could be better if it was not so cold.



Jan-02-10
Musee de Louvre-- a place must visit in Paris. We entered it from the Pyramid. After purchasing tickets, I made a plan to "conquer" most of "must-sees" in our limited time. The Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, and Mona Lisa(always crowded) are three most important collections. There are also famous many paintings. If we consider the value of collections, I believe Louvre is much higher than British Museum. Of course we did not see all collections in one day. I will be back one day.

We went to Place de la Bastille after leaving Louvre. Bastille, where the French evolution began, was famous of its history.

We had a bad experience at La Fayette. The fried rice of its Chinese restaurant was not good. After having several good meals in Paris, the feeling was really bad. I also did not find many attractive gourmet in its supermarket. And it closed early so I did not have time shopping. The only attractive thing in it was the tall Christmas tree.

Arc de Triomphe, the famous landmark, was beautiful during the night. So was Avenue Champs-Elysees. We bought Macrons in a store nearby. In my opinion, they were more delicious than those I tried in Taiwan.


Jan-03-10
We had buffet breakfast in the hotel. We thought it didn't worth 5 euro. They we directly headed to Orly airport. We needed to take RER first and then transferred to OrlyVal, an automatic metro service between the airport and RER station. We had a very good lunch there. I ordered duck leg, really good. Henry tried row beef. He thought it's good. Although I like steak, but raw beef, not my dish. Not only the dishes were good, the view as well. We sat next to window so we could enjoy the view. I used last few minutes buying a Longchamp bag. It is indeed cheaper in France.
Then we said goodbye to Paris, flying to our next destination--Barcelona.

Paris has too much to see, to visit, to experience. I believe I will go there again.

Winter Vacation I -- London (20091217-22)

Dec-17-2009

After finishing the law exam in the morning, I jumped on a train to Brussels and then took Eurostar to London.

The first night in London was also my first time seeing snowing. Snow fell on my jacket, on my face. It was not romantic at all.

Dec-18-2009

The first spot I visited was the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, where you could one foot on the west hemisphere and the other on the east. Equipments for astronomy and ocean navigation were displayed. There was also a 28-inch telescope.

After having a vegetable noodle in a Chinese restaurant, I went to Westminster. Westminster Abbey, built one-thousand year ago, is still an important place for royal religious activities. I didn't go inside becuase of the expansive fee. Opposite to the Abbey is House of Parliament. It is located at a river bank of the Themes. I saw the famous landspots "Big Ben" and London Eye.

I went to Tate Britain to see an special exhibition called "Turner and the masters". I was very disappointed because the paintings showed there did not worth my 12.5 pounds. And I found that I don't really like Turner's works. I regrated.

My next stop was Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. It was freezing standing on the bridge. The towers are higher than I expected. I didn't stay on the bridge too long because my fingers were nearly frozen. I tried to find a place to see lift of the bridge but I did not make it. I decided to stay to wait for another chance, which is one hour later. I had my dinner in a Subway next to Tower of London. There were many sad and cruel stories happened in Tower of London, which made me feel the atmosphere was a little bit scary at night. But many people skated right next to the wall of it. I walked along the river bank where I could clearly see Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. There was a small wharf. Many prisoners were sent to Tower of London through here. I finally saw the lift of the bridge. It was very fast. Lift up and down took less than 5 minutes.

I took the underground back to Angel. A book store was on clearance sale. I spent 4.45 for the newest Star Trek novel(original price is 9.99).

Dec-19-2009

I planned to see changing of guards at Buckingham Palace at 11:30am. Since I got up earlier, I decided to go to Notting Hill to see the famous bookstore. It was Saturday so there was an open market at Portobello Road. I didn't stay there long but I still failed to reach Buckingham Palace on-time because the transfer of the underground was not as smooth as I expected. When I reached there, the changing process already started. And there were many tourists that I could not find a good place to see clearly. Anyway, I could see very little part when I stood on tiptoe.

I think it is better to watch this on TV.

I went to St. Jame's Park station, which located at Broadway. Next to the station is Scotland Yard, the headquarter of the metropolitan police. This name could be often found in Holmes series. Many places in London are familiar to me because the books. After I lunch I went to the British Museum.

I was quite surprised that the entrance fee is free, and I heard more Chinese than English in the museum because there were so many Chinese visitors. The mummies are still the most popular. In my opinion, although the collections are huge and various, not many have high value. For example, in its Chinese collection, I did not see porcelains or jades which could regard precious.

Covent garden, where the Royal Opera House locates, is another place I learned from Holmes series. It is a good place for entertainment. Many shops, theaters, and restaurants are here. I had dinner with my cousin and her friends in a French restaurant. The food was not bad. I was very happy to enjoy the meal.

Dec-20-2009

The weather was good. I visited a place where I told myself I would visit one day since my senior high--Baker Street 221B. Although there was no 221B when Conan Doyle wrote the series, now there is, and it is Sherlock Holmes Museum. I met two Russians there, they asked me if Holmes series was popular in Taiwan. I told them I wouldn't say it was popular, but some people became Holmes' fans when they were young, like me. They told me it was very popular in Russia. I met Dr. Watson there. I asked him where Holmes was. He answered me that Holmes would show up tomorrow. They took turns. Although Holmes is just a fiction character, I still felt excited visiting his place, imaging he was really here one hundred year ago and those cases really happened before. Outside the Baker street underground station is a Holmes statue and inside you could see posters of the new Holmes film. I believed there would be more tourists here after the film was released.

After leaving Baker street, I went to the Harrods, the famous department store. Most goods there were very expensive, according to my standard. I only bought bread.

I went to St. Pancras station and surprisingly found that the Eurostar service was cancelled for two days. It meant that I could not go home. The staff said he could not guarantee when the train would be back to service. I was trapped in London. I saw many tourists rushed to the hotel reservation office after they realized they had to stay here longer. I was glad I had a place to stay for free. Since I had time, I went to King's Cross, just next to St. Pancras, to see the 9 3/4 platform.

Dec-21-2009

I enjoyed a spare day in London. I took bus to Hyde park. I prefer took bus than underground. Red double-deck buses made me feel more "London". Then I walked through Constitution Hill to Buckingham Palace to see the beginning of changing of guards, which I missed two days ago. Crossed the Green Park, I went to Piccadilly Circus, another famous spot in London. Not far from there is the Chinatown. I had a delicious lunch(銀芽鴨絲炒烏冬) there. There are many Chinese in London so the scale of Chinatown is big. Compared to Rotterdam, we only have one road.

I went to financial district of London. There are two special buildings worth to see--Swiss Re Headquarter London and Lloyd's Building. Many people wore black trench coat walking quickly. I believed the scene was quite the same that you would see at Wall Street.

Tate Modern, renovated from an old factory, was a museum worth to visit. The entrance fee was also free. I loved this. Although I did not not really appreciate the modern art, the space made people comfortable. Among various works, I like Miroslaw Balka's "How it is" the most. It is a huge black box container located at ground floor. When walking into the box, you hardly could see anything. Keep walking, wondering what would be in front of you. You could give up, turning around and going out, or walking along the wall. I just walked slowly and carefully, and suddenly, I hit the wall in front of me. I smiled and felt relived. Many people did the same thing as well. It was a good opportunity to know yourself how to deal unknown things. A really interesting experience.

When I walked outside the museum, I could not believe what I saw--heavy snow. The guard asked me smilingly: Stuck? I decided to leave because there was no sign that snow would stop soon. I followed several people and difficultly reached the station. But, I could not get on 4 coming underground. Too crowded at peak hours. And the 5th was stuck in the previous station due to emergency situation. I decided to took the other bound underground and then changed to another line. I went back to Chinatown to have a buffet dinner--4.95, all you can eat. Well, you could imagine the level of those dishes. But I prefer this than fast food.

I got free newspaper at a station and the front page story is Eurostar. The situation was a mess. The heavy snow disrupted transportation in many European countries.

Dec-22-09

I stayed at my cousin's place and kept watching the most updated information. The airport closed yesterday and this morning due to the snow while the Eurostar was back to service today.

What should I do?

The weather was getting better and the airport opened again. I went on my way to the airport. It was not very smooth. It took me 13 pounds for a half-hour train. And many trains were cancelled so many travelers heading to the airport had to board on another train, which made the train overcrowded. The captain even said that I believed the train would be much lighter after the airport stop. Finally I flew back to Amsterdam. The snow also affected the transportation in the Netherlands. I waited for almost an hour and I took FYRA, the only available train, home. Fyra only took 25 minutes from Schiphol to Rotterdam. Finally I got home after such a long journey.

The lesson learned is avoid travelling if it is possible to snow. You may be trapped and could not go home.

The great grocery shopping experience

Recently the discount campaign began again.

Albert Heigh has 50 products "buy one get one free" every week.

Yesterday I purchased 3 pairs of active items and bread.

I totally spent 5.69 euro and saved more than 4 euro.

I was very satisfied with my shopping result.

I am proud of myself.