Daily Scribble

Back to Bangalore

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Love it or hate it, I am back to Bangalore.  I will spend my April living in this strange world, again.  This time I am much more well prepared.  I bought lots of food supply, medicine, face mask.  I don’t feel as disoriented as the first time when I got off the plane.  Living here is far from comfortable, but at least I am not as miserable as last time.  It is only a month anyways and time flies, soon I will be heading home.

This time when I arrive, I am not the only one staying in the guest house.  My colleague, Mark, has already spent a week entangled in this straight place by himself.  I guess he must be glad to see me.  Just like my first week, Mark was feeding off from the Forum Mall.  Mark must be pretty sick of Indian dinner, so we head out to M.G. Road for a nice dinner in a real restaurant after work.  Here is my dinning rule, I will only dine at restaurants serving real food.  I will not have Indian food anywhere except at a 5 star hotel and I will only have Indian dinner at most once a week.

This weekend is the Indian New Year and we have a four days long weekend.  I will be visiting Taj Mahal with Mark.  Although Taj Mahal is the symbol of love, two guys visiting Taj Mahal together does not imply gayness.  No, we will not be holding hands like the Indian guys.  You can see Indian guys holding hands on the street.  They look gay but they ain’t.  I guess it is culturally acceptable here for friends holding hands walking down the street.  Stay tuned for my report on the New Delhi and Taj Mahal trip.

Daily Scribble

Singapore

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Singapore

Thanks to the connection flight schedule of Singapore Airline, I can spent a day touring this small island before heading off to India. My flight from Vancouver arrive at 11p.m. and the daily flight to Bangalore leave at 8p.m., so I got a free night of hotel staying in Singapore.

Pat has a relative in Singapore, so I bring the wedding invitation to them in person and her auntie is so kind that being my tourist guide for the day. I am not interested in any tourist attraction, my focus is having my last meal of good food before having curry every day. I had the infamous pork bone tea for lunch. The resturant is very popular that it has an attitude to turn down celebrity guests. When the governor of HK visit Singapore last time, he wanted to try the pork bone tea. Unfortunately, the resturant is closed that day of the week. The resturant refuse to open and serve the governor for interfering with their rest day.

After lunch, we took tour the city by taking the bus. I get to see the real Singapore. It is clean and tidy everywhere. The city is well planned with wide roads and lots of green spaces. I had an early dinner before taking the shuttle to airport. We went to have the legendary Hainanese chicken rice at the Chatterbox at Meritus Mandarin Hotel on Orchid Road. The chicken rice is delicious, much better than those I have in Vancouver. On top of that, it is a revolving restaurant at 38th floor with a pararanma view of the city. It satisfy both my eyes and stomach at the same time.

Too bad that I only have time to try two restaurants. I wish I could stay in Singapore a little longer and visit more places. It is kinda irony that I am flying from the cleanest city in the world to the dirtiest city in the world. It is only a few hours but I already miss Singapore, especially seeing the mess in Banaglore.

Daily Scribble

Singapore Airline

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Singapore Airline

I am flying Singapore Airline to India this time instead of Lufthansa.  The flight takes longer, but unless you are really in a hurry, I would recommend taking over Lufthansa any day.  Singapore airline is voted as the best airline in the world and I am really impressed by its service.

The seats of SQ is more comfortable than other airline with more leg rooms and wider seats.  The SQ plane feels so spacious compare to the planes of other airlines.  There are also more space in the toilet and the kitchen area.

The food service is super.  It is the first flight meal actually taste close to a real meal on ground.  Once on board, they hand out a menu listing all food and drinks available, so I know what I can order when the air hostess come by.  The air hostesses serve drinks more often than other airline.  They run the drink cart down the aisle twice back to back every time, so I can refill my drink.

I think the crown jewel of SQ is their entertainment system.  Not only each passenger has a mini TV, there is a huge collection of movies and TV.  This plane probably have more movies than the downloads in my hard drive.  All movies and TV are on demand, so you don’t have to work around the movie schedule.  You can start watching anytime you want and you can pause or fast forward in the movie.  On top of the in flight radio broadcast, the system also keep a library of complete CDs.  There are over 10 Chinese CDs of the latest albums from famous singers in HK or Taiwan.  The entertainment system is so overwhelming that I don’t know what to watch.

The ticket of Singapore Airline is more expensive, but extra comfort definitely worth the premium, especially when the ticket is paying by the company.

Product Reviews

Respro Techno Mask

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Respro Techno Mask

I have to work in Bangalore for another month.  This time, I am well prepared.  Other than my month long supply of instant noodles, I also bought a Respro Techno Mask from Mountain Equipment Co-op.  The mask can filter out hydrocarbons, sulphur dioxide, lead oxide, smoke, and sub-micron particulates.  It also has two valves for easy breathing and better ventilation.  It may seems too heavy duty to wear it in commute.  But given that Bangalore is so polluted, it is better to get the most powerful face mask I can found.  Wearing the mask makes me look like an funny month alien.  I don’t care how odd I look, as long as I am safe from the Bangalore air.  I don’t want to get sick.  Coughing for 2 weeks is not fun.

動漫

Eureka Seven 交響詩篇

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Eureka Seven 看「交響詩篇」的最大原因﹐是被譽為機設之神的河森正治。自從「超時空要塞」的變型戰機出道以來﹐他設計了無數的經典機體﹐從高達0080到艾斯卡科尼到創聖之大天使﹐每個設計也是創新兼獨一無異。這次在「交響詩篇」中的設計﹐超越以往所有機械人動畫的意念﹐是一臺在天空中踏著滑浪板滑浪的機械人。初聽到在天空滑浪這個慨念時﹐覺得有點兒無稽多些一舉﹐不過看罷第一集就已經認同這個別出心裁的設計。在這動畫的世界設定中﹐機械人是依靠特殊粒子波浪去漂浮飛行﹐在視覺效果上拖著長長發光的尾巴﹐就像是在天空中滑浪一樣。正如真正的滑浪會在海面留下痕跡﹐機械人劃破長空留下光痕特別悅目﹐令空中纏鬥場面好跳舞一樣好看。

不論打鬥場面多麼好看﹐也不能吸引觀眾連續追看五十二集﹐總要有個好故事作支撐。宏觀上「交響詩篇」的劇本寫得不錯﹐人類移民太空定居一個有生命個體的星球。這個星球的意識正在沉睡中﹐可是意識會在局部地區蘇醒﹐派出抗體來襲擊人類。政府軍打算以武力消滅星球的意識﹐讓人類獨佔星球的空間﹐主角一行人則主張與星球和平共存﹐關鍵就從星球意識誕生的女主角。星球為了收集人類的情報﹐生長出人類模樣的使者抗體﹐以及守護收隻者的生化機械人。女主角初出世時是白紙一張﹐因為她擁有使用機械人的能力﹐被政府軍作為兵器看待。在一次屠殺事件中﹐月光號的乘員叛變﹐帶同女主角離開運隊﹐保護她過正常的生活。這樣過了三年﹐月光號一邊逃亡與政府軍交戰﹐一邊宣傳與星球共存的理念﹐讓更多人站在他們的陣線。男主角是迷上月光號的少年﹐第一話初遇女主角便對她一見鐘情。少年亦很巧合地是天材駕駛員﹐與女主角一起坐上白色機械人﹐加入月光號開始冒險之旅。

微觀上 「交響詩篇」的劇本卻充滿沙石﹐劇情故然有讓觀眾追看的點子﹐打鬥和搞笑也有很好的平衡。可是故事欠缺起承轉合﹐每章之間的劇情交接很突然﹐恍忽編劇寫完了上一章的情節﹐還未想到下一章應如何發展。初段月光號似是漫無目的四處躲藏﹐間中接些傭兵工作來幫補收入﹐船員大部份時間則是胡鬧嬉戲。中段政府軍開始滅星行動﹐月光號搖身一變﹐成為只有一艘船的反抗軍﹐東奔西跑去阻止政府軍的行動。後段星球之謎解開了﹐劇情也開始失控﹐很多角色不知從那兒冒出來﹐全力協助男女主角的救世任務﹐雖然沒有人知道確實如何拯救世界。最後雖然是邪不能勝正大團員總局﹐卻留下一大堆未解的疑團。男主角父親在七年前發生了什麼事﹖男主角父親留下來的機械人部件有什麼特別用途﹖男主角使用了幾次的地圖必殺技是什麼﹖星球製造生化機械人給人類有什麼目的﹖主角機的宿敵黑色機械人從那兒來﹖星球意識想要什麼﹐沉睡蘇醒有什麼分別﹖故事中星球無端端變了地球﹐這個突然其來的轉折完全無必要﹐兼且有點畫蛇添足之感。消滅星球抗體保護人類已是很充份的理由﹐壞人根本不需要重奪地球作為攻擊星球的藉口。最後一話女主角化身蝴蝶﹐主角機第三次進化﹐已經完全超出正常劇情的推理﹐到底這套動畫的結局想說什麼啊﹖最離譜的謎題是動畫名稱中﹐Eureka是女主角色名字﹐那七是又代表什麼呢﹖

大慨這動畫最明顯的其中一個主旨是﹐男女主角克服萬難走在一起。女主角因為學懂愛情﹐讓星球意識懂得如何與人類和平共存。女主角是典型的非人類角色﹐從愛與被愛中慢慢學習成為人類。初時我不太喜歡女主角﹐她看起來只是個賣萌的角色﹐專出公仔騙宅男金錢。後來女主角慘被毀容﹐頭髮脫落變為醜陋的小老人﹐不能再單靠靚樣賣萌﹐我才可接受她的性格。在她失去可愛少女的萌樣後﹐難得男主角知道她不是人類兼有一把年紀﹐還是對她不離不棄從一而終。不過男主角的感情倒也過份單純﹐只能存在於這類少年系熱血動畫中。

整體來說「交響詩篇」不過不失﹐娛樂性豐富可觀性強。不過看完後留下一大堆問號﹐讓人有點兒不吐不快。