Create a map of your visited countries (Oct 26, '06)

This is fun. You can go to http://douweosinga.com/projects/visitedcountries to create a map of your visited countries. This is the map that I have created and it has calculated for me: visited 30 countries (13%)

Memory of Tunisia Feb 10, '07

我想，听歌的其中一个乐趣就是，某些歌能带你回到某个地点，某段时间，或是某个记忆。 我正听着陈弈迅的专辑《新生活》。每次听到里面的歌，都会让我想起在Tunisia的Hammamet海边一个星期的日子。当初报名时，一个星期行程的团费约500磅，在Hammamet海边延期逗留多一个星期才多100磅，觉得很划算，而且也觉得在海边逗留多一个星期应该会是一件很浪漫的事，便不假思索，即刻决定逗留多一个星期。 岂知后来Tunisia trip 竟是我在欧洲3个月旅行的最后一站。当时已经身心疲惫，归心似箭，经不起Hammamet海边一个星期的煎熬。而且，孤单一人在海边过一个星期原来不是一件很浪漫的事，尤其是在Hammamet这个小镇，我2天就几乎逛完了主要的景点。之后能做的只有：重复去了n次bazzar, 跟hotel的工作人员瞎扯（甚至帮他门在海边卖饮料）, 在房内看书听歌......当时只带了陈弈迅的《新生活》专辑，听了n次， 所以现在只要听到这专辑的歌，都会回忆起当时的点点滴滴。当初觉得无聊，现在却变成难忘的回忆。。。。。。 还记得一直被bazaar那些小贩打扰，他们一看到我便喊"Japanese?" 听多了也烦，好想也大喊“not Japanese!" 其实也难怪，那里很少见到黄皮肤的面孔，有的话，也都是日本人。然后，他们总有一大堆的理由，就是要带你到他们的档口/商店。刚开始还有点担心被拐/被骗，后来发现其实他们都还算是好人。 也记得在一间很有中东风味的咖啡厅喝咖啡，白白的城墙，五颜六色的草席，还有很多中东水烟（当然我也试过了）。咖啡厅在山上，往下看到一片海，很漂亮。唯一美中不足的是，一直被不厌其烦的当地男生搭讪，而且他们的台词就跟当初导游告诫的一样,诸如：他刚好是大学生/导游，可以带我四处去，或他朋友刚好开咖啡厅，可以带我去。。。。。 最难忘的是，在前一个星期行程认识的室友Diane，她已经六十多岁了。她的人生很特别，她的一对孩子都很聪明，她的女儿在Oxford University念书，但却先天失聪，后天严重弱视。我觉得这是因为她祖父与祖母乱伦的关系而造成的基因问题（她祖父与祖母是兄妹）。而她的老公则在某一天突然失踪了，只留下一封信说要永远离开。后来她才听说她的老公跟她的一个女性朋友一起生活。。。。。 我至今还有跟她保持联络，每年圣诞节都会受到她寄来的贺卡，听她提起那一年她又去了什么国家游玩。她一年至少旅行4次，我很欣赏他们这种活到老，“玩”到老的精神。 哦，其实还认识了一对英国护士老夫妻，男的还会说阿拉伯话呢。刚开始几年还有联络，现在已失去联络了。总之，旅行途中就是会认识很多朋友。

最近在搞自閉 Apr 26, '07

我最近搞自閉﹐下班後都躲在房間﹐足不出戶。(真的是足不出戶﹐連房門都很少出去﹐所以我的室友也很少機會看到我^^) 。之前是因為電視剛好在播我覺得不錯的港劇&韓劇﹐再加上我平常就有在看的TALK SHOW﹐真的是一直守在電視機前。幸好﹐現在這港劇&韓劇都播完了﹐我終於可以松一口氣了。 加上最近因為沒有去市區上課了﹐所以也懶得出門。尤其現在想到在台灣的日子剩下不多﹐所以分秒必爭﹐很多事情要處理。例如﹕把那些疊得很高的雜誌/書本/剪報/DVD看完。 我想這情形應該會持續到6月初吧﹐到時我就會忙著應酬﹐跟朋友餞別。而且夏天是我的世界﹐我就會從冬眠的蛇變成花枝招展的蝴蝶啦。

爱死了三节奖金！Muak!!! Jun 14, '07

今天收到端午节奖金的pay slip, 很爽！钱的多少不是重点，而是那种突然多了一笔钱的感觉，让人很过瘾。同时有点失落，以后回马来西亚工作就没有机会拿到三节奖金了。台湾所谓的三节就是指农历新年，端午节及中秋节。马来西亚也有三大节日：马来人新年，华人新年及印度人新年，但没听说有公司是会付这种三节奖金吧。三节奖金将会是其中一个我怀念台湾工作生涯的因素J

台湾的原住民创作 Jul 17, '07

最近才开始听台湾的原住民创作，一切缘始于同事嘉珍送给我的陈健年CD（专辑名“海洋”）。话说在兰屿的旅程中，我们听说陈健年大哥人在兰屿的警局服务，甚至有一股冲动要去追寻陈健年大哥的踪迹。从兰屿回来后，我本已想好好地认识陈健年大哥的创作，刚好嘉珍送了我陈健年大哥的CD作生日礼物。另外，在看了最近造成一股骑脚踏车环岛风气的台湾电影“练曲”之后，又对其中的插曲（胡德夫的“太平洋的风”）念念不忘。电影结束时男主角骑脚踏车环岛的点点滴滴与所有认识的人的片断播出时，配合着胡德夫的“太平洋的风”一曲，实在是很大的感动！ 提起胡德夫，才想起其实两年前去垦丁玩时，途中在某个地方吃晚餐时刚好碰到他在演唱。那时还不晓得他是谁。这两天在家里重听陈健年和胡德夫的专辑，想挑一些歌曲跟大家分享的时候，发现原来我还有纪晓君与王宏恩专辑，结果一选就选了十多首。http://agneslow77.multiply.com/music 希望你们会喜欢这些歌曲，虽然这需要一点对宝岛的乡土情怀。。。。 顺便附上"太平洋的風"与"美麗的稻穗"的歌词供参考。 P/S: 胡德夫的太平洋的風《匆匆》获得第17屆金曲獎的最佳年度歌曲獎与最佳作詞獎；而陳建年《東清村3號》则获得第18屆金曲獎的演奏類最佳專輯製作人。

今天 scanned 了很多照片，很累！ (Aug 17, 07)

因爲很懷念在英國住了一年，旅行了三個月的日子，經常會把那一大曡相簿搬出來看。因爲相片太多，每次要搬出來看有點麻煩，加上有時人不在國内，所以想把部分照片放到網上，方便自己看，也順便跟大家分享。今天我特地抽空，把Tunisia, Turkey, Spain, Eastern Europe (Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, Prague) 的照片scanned了，再upload上去，終于大功告成，但很累！其實還有一些零零散散的照片，我想就算了吧，"bo lat liao"，除非哪天又無聊，再搬出來scan ^^ 累了，我要上金馬侖去休息休息了：）

what a wwoof experience! (1/3/08)

Just read an article about a friend's wwoof experience & I can't stop laughing on her poor experience. Her experience reminds me of a similar experience I had yesterday when I finally decided to pay the wwoof host a visit (instead of waiting for them to pick up the call, or to reply my email). He is a Philipino guy, who obviously is a gay. He opened the door with his body partly naked. He breathe so hard like he was having a flu (look more like he is addicted to drug ^^). The 1st impression was weird. And when I asked him what jobs I have to do, & whether I have the chance to learn photography & try stainless glass making, as mentioned on the Wwoof booklet, he said he doesn't really do these. And what I have to do are very simple jobs, eg; watering the plants, taking care of the garden....And I asked him whether there is any minimum stay, as I only plan to stay for 3 days. He said that's good enough. One week to him is too long, too long that both parties will hate each other. Haha, I couldn't stop laughing hearing this. Well, of course, I definitely won't be his wwoof guest. But this experience (& also my friend's experience) do demotivate me on the whole wwoof thing.

some updates of my recent life (1/3/08)

In Palmerston North now. Doing nothing much (besides online, checking & reading some info etc) in daytime, then waiting for friends to pick me up for activities at night & weekend (crab & shell catching, fishing, tramping etc). Have fun until late night, then wake up very late in the next morning. I guess the same routine will be repeated for these 2-3 weeks before I leave New Zealand, or before I found another temporary job. Life is not boring, but I just feel unsecure staying home, relaxing & doing nothing much. That's not my style. I usually play hard, & work hard as well :) Want to experience some fruit picking or packing jobs before I leave NZ, but have not found one. Palmerston North is not a popular place for a picker/ packer as compared to Napier, Hasting, Nelson or Blenheim. Another reason for me to work is, to earn as much as I can as to cover the $ I spent in my previous trip, also the $ that I'm going to spend in my coming short trip to Rotorua & Taupo. Want to experience Wwoof as well (pls refer to another blog of mine regarding what is Wwoof), but it is either no reply from the host or they are fully booked :( Have taken lots of photos during my recent 10-day-south island trip. Too many until I have no mood to sort out the photos. Thinking of writing something on my blog instead. Have not input much thing on my Multiply recently. Have just extended my air ticket for another week, which is the last day of my visa expiry date (really fully utilise my visa duration ^^). What am I going to do before I leave NZ? Will pay Rotorua & Taupo a visit. Will try a tramping, most probably in Tongariro National Park (though I don't really like tracking). See whether I have a chance to try camping as well. Will most likely give up the idea of visiting Bay of Island, as it is too far, & according to friends, it is not really worth paying a visit. Giving up the idea of visiting Bay of Island also means that I will not have the chance to swim with dolphins :( 6 months to be a working holiday maker in NZ is still too short time for me. There are still many places that I would like to go, & many things that I would like to experience. I once met a Taiwanese working holiday maker. While he was showing some of his photos & asked me whether I have seen those things/ have visited those places, I kept shaking my head. Though it is not fair to compare in this way, as Taiwanese have longer time to experience more things (working holiday visa for Taiwanese lasts for a year), but I still think think it is a shame for me. I'm going to play real hard in these 3 weeks time :)

the fact that I can not have eye lasik treatment (25/7/10)

生产后的月事报到后，我第一时间兴奋地前往eye lasik centre 检视眼睛是否适合做镭射。这些年来虽然一直有这个念头，但也只是为了方便游泳与学潜水，并没下定决心，也还未克服做手术的恐惧。但最近为了避免夜里照顾女儿时一直要找眼镜，也为了避免女儿一直抓我的眼镜，我突然疯狂地想摆脱戴眼镜的日子。 结果，去了两间城中有名的中心，都被告知不适合做镭射，因为近视太深而眼角膜又太薄（450~490 microns，至少需要550 microns）。连custom lasik 也不行，唯一可以做的是lens implant， 而这项技术的费用高达RM 6000一只眼，这是普通镭射技术的双倍！ 不死心的我，又去找了家人介绍，驻在医院的眼科医生检测并询问意见。这位医生竟然说我可以做镭射。问他眼角膜不会太薄吗？他说没问题。再问，那如果手术结果没有达到理想的成果，之后还需要做retreatment的话，还有足够的眼角膜可以使用吗？医生答说他操的刀多数不需要做retreatment。我不是很信任这个医生, 他甚至没有提醒我眼角膜太薄也会造成眼疾的事实。如果不是询问过其它中心的意见，我因为相信他的专业而决定做lasik, 以后眼睛有问题，岂不是因小失大？ 快死心（又抱着一线希望）的我，再探访了Mid Valley 另两间eye lasik centre，证实了我不适合做镭射，只好作罢。 至于lens implant，基于价钱的考量，又想到要把异物放入眼里，感觉怪怪地， 暂不考虑。还是留待上了年纪后老花或患上白内障时才做lens implant吧。不然，现在放了lens 进去，以后又要取出再放新的lens，眼睛承受的起吗? 长篇大论地分享了我的故事后，在这里要提醒那些有意做镭射的人，多询问几个医生/镭射中心的意见。怎么说，私人医生的病人一定不及镭射中心来得多，而镭射仪器又不便宜。为了回本，私人医生的意见不见得中立。 做不到镭射，心里还是挺失望的！为了安慰自己，买了一副Gucci的新镜框 J