The Japanese had pioneer urine drinking as natural medicine, now the India push the edge eve further, marking a soft drink from cow urine. I can’t believe it is real, but here is what I read form the news, see it yourself at this link. We all know the Hindus think cows are holy. On top of it, according to the news, they think drinking “cow water” can purify your soul. Cow urine and dung are actually consumed by some Hindus in religious rituals. Although the new soft drink is made of cow urine, it is filtered clean and added herbs medicines. Apparently, the company claims it tastes good and very healthy. For those who will travel to India, I dare you to try a bottle of this new soft drink. Next time when I travel to India, I will definitely bring back a few bottle back home. What a perfect gift!
All posts by hevangel
Slumdog Millionaire 一百萬零一夜
在香港印度電影應該是冷門中的冷門﹐若果不是《一百萬零一夜》橫掃金球獎和英國電影電視獎﹐相信不要說在戲院上映﹐恐怕連翻版DVD也買不到。嚴格來說這套不是Bollywood而是英國電影﹐製作班底是英國公司﹐導演更曾拍攝荷里活大片28 Days Later﹐只不過故事發生在印度和演員全是印度人罷了。
這齣電影拿了最佳劇本大獎﹐無異電影的劇本真的寫得很絕。講述一個在印度貧民窟沒有受過教育的窮小子﹐參加誰是百萬富翁的遊戲節目﹐竟然可以連過十數關答對所有問題﹐還差一道問題便拿到大獎。遊戲主持認為他出千﹐在中場休息時叫警察拉了他去審問。故事分三個時空並行發展﹐警察邊翻看節目錄影邊問話﹐小子回憶身世道出他能答中每一個問題的來龍去脈。正如電影開場時問觀眾選擇題的答案﹐小子能夠贏取百萬大獎是命中注定。節目的問題正好拼湊出他一生坎坷的經歷﹐交織窮小子借上電視的機會尋找失散愛人的動人故事。
這齣電影在我公司同事間很流行﹐因為我們公司外判工作去印度﹐很多人也去過印度工幹﹐看這套電影感受特別深刻。電影中交待主角背景的情節﹐並不是虛構出來的跨張情節﹐而是我們很多人的第一身經歷。主角小孩候住的貧民窟﹐一望無際的鐵皮屋﹐小孩子在泥水嬉戲洗澡﹐正正就是我在印度坐火車看出窗外的景像。主角三人給人口販子拐騙﹐拍小孩被弄成傷殘去行乞討錢那一段﹐我看時心中感到極不舒服﹐因為我在印度遊客區﹐曾看過無數命運相同的小孩﹐真是有抱著嬰兒來討錢的小女孩。
當然後來有些輕鬆的情節﹐因為知道印度生活文化也特別好笑。主角偷搭火車爬上爬落﹐在印度的火車真的是無掩雞籠﹐可以在行駛中爬上車頂吹風。在泰姬陵偷鞋和胡扯騙遊客的情節﹐我也幾乎經歷過﹐只是我最後可以出錢贖回我的鞋子。戲中主角坐三輪的士追車﹐那是印度的主要交通工具﹐我也搭不很多次往返酒店。最後高潮窮小子回答最後一道題目﹐戲中個個人也守在電視機前﹐家中沒有電視的就圍在電器店前觀看﹐我也真的見過如此萬人空巷的盛況﹐不過那次是轉播印度對澳洲的板球賽。節目主持問窮小子問題時﹐看見他不停搖頭﹐我差不多笑到噴飯。印度人搖頭代表答Yes﹐令我想起初到貴境時﹐抓破頭皮也想不通怎麼印度人成日搖頭。電影完場出字幕不要急著離去﹐播字幕時附送正宗Bollywood歌舞﹐同樣騎呢爆笑。
或許很多人看這電影﹐除了欣賞精彩絕倫的劇本故事外﹐還帶有一點獵奇心態﹐看印度這個異國風情的世界﹐就像當年鬼佬看《臥虎藏龍》一樣。不過對印度有點認識的人﹐會看出在劇本寫裏行間中﹐電影帶出的印度社會問題。印度種族宗教問題十分嚴重﹐貧民窟的回教徒在印度是最低賤的人﹐一般印度人就好像戲中的節目主持一樣﹐處處露出看不起出身低微的窮小子﹐而電影中的宗教仇殺在今時今日還不時發生。在外國接線生是差不多被淘汰的工作﹐但在印度能說一口流利英語的接線生﹐過的可是時麾的中產生活。至於和印度的貧富縣殊相比﹐香港簡真是共產主義的天堂。這套電影最吸引觀眾的地方﹐可以說是一個終極的勵志上進故事。憑著永不放棄的信念和決心﹐主角從無可再低的地底泥﹐攀上全國矚目的鎂光燈焦點。最重要是故事感人而不肉麻﹐奇遇巧合又不牽強﹐比另一套奧斯卡大熱門《奇幻逆緣》好看多了﹗
How much are you worth?
How much are you worth? That is the question you should ask yourself when you are interviewing for a new job. Today I attended the APEG Salary Seminar in UBC. The main presentation in the seminar is on how to negotiate your salary. The seminar’s target audience is engineering students graduating this year, but the insight in the seminar applies anytime anywhere, especially when you are looking for a new job. I wish I had attend a seminar like this when I was in school.
The rule of thumb in salary negotiation is don’t sell yourself short. Your starting salary will affect your future pay raise and your value in the company. Contrary to common misunderstanding, salary negotiation won’t affect the hiring decision. By the time you negotiate your salary with HR, you are already hired. It is important to research the market salary of your job before the interview. Here are some useful links:
APEGBC Compensation Survey
hitechsalary.com
payscale.com
In negotiation, whoever names the number first loses. If the HR ask how much you are expecting, DON’T give a figure. You should answer with questions, asking what is the salary range for the same position in the company or how is the compensation compare to industry average or the APEG salary survey. Don’t get cornered into naming a number, that’s the job of the HR to give you a number. When you receive your contract, carefully review all the details. You can blackout and initial things that you can’t agree with. You don’t have to sign the boiler plate employment contract. You should understand the performance review process and get your first review within 6 months. You can only get a raise or promotion if your performance is evaluated.
Don’t forget to act professionally in the salary negotiation. Don’t play off the offers from two companies to fish for higher pay, the HR have their own circle and you will be black-listed. Don’t directly discuss other offers in the negotiation. You should join the company because you like the job and feel fairly compensated, you don’t work for whoever give the highest pay. Talk about other offers directly will usually cause backfire.
The last bit of tips in presentation really apply to me. You should re-evaluate your salary every year. The largest increase in your salary occur when you move to a new job. Always keep your resume up to date and ready to go. If your qualification or experience level change, it is a good idea give the new resume to your employer so the company can re-evaluate your value.
20 things I can think of within 5 minutes using my first name’s initial.
Rules:
It’s harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag twenty people.
Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real…nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can’t use your name for the boy/girl name question.
1. What is your name : Horace
2. A four Letter Word : Hose
3. A boy’s Name : Howard
4. A girl’s Name : Helen
5. An occupation : Helicopter Pilot
6. A color : Honeydew (believe it or not, there are only two color start with H)
7. Something you’ll wear : Hat
8. Something you’ll do : House cleaning
9. A food : Honey
10. Something found in the bathroom : Hanger
11. A place : Hamburg
12. A reason for being late : Hijacked
13. Something you’d shout : Holy Cow!
14. A movie title : Halloween
15. Something you drink : Heineken
16. A musical group : Hotcha
17. An animal : Hippo
18. A street name : Hawthorne Terrace.
19. A type of car : Hummer
20. The title of a song : How much I Love You
Greener grass
My colleague sit next to me just resign. He quits his job to start his own business. My first response is congratulate him getting out of this hell. The executives find new ways to lower the employees’ morale every week, it’s just a matter of time before someone said that’s enough. The current economy downturn and the lack of opportunities in Vancouver hi-tech industry in may silence some complaints, we are all realist after all. The colleague who quit is the one whom the VP asked his where about last weekend when I am working overtime. I would be really funny if I know he is quitting last weekend, so that I can tell the VP why he is not working overtime on weekend. I really want to see the look of the VP upon he hear the response.
I wonder is it just the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I envy my colleague who have the guts to make such a bold decision. As we know feeling is unreliable, decisions should be made with rational proofs. Six Signs It’s Time to Move On is a good article with useful guidelines to examine my career growth in the company. Here is the six guidelines:
1. You’re treading water, not swimming forward.
2. You’re not learning anymore.
3. You find yourself watching your back.
4. The future is fuzzy.
5. Your boss isn’t boss material.
6. The intern fits in better than you.