Driver Knowledge test

本来打算这周三去考的，网上模拟测试也练习过了，可听朋友说实际考试和模拟的差30%左右。心里一寒，在网上查了一下也说光看一遍书别想过，要把边角落的细条都读清了才有保障（比如说fact: 30% accidents is due to alcohol)。所以，今晚再温习一把明天考，请大家默念三遍“zhu will pass, zhu will pass, zhu will pass”。看到论坛上一中国老司机介绍经验，说光做题目是不够的，要把书读透，以上两点都做到了再不过，别告诉别人你是中国人-.-!! （我的国籍危在旦夕！）

啊，我很讨厌BC省的循序渐进式驾照考试制度(graduated license programme)，道路复杂度还不及中国的1/3程序倒多三倍！我要哪一年才出头啊？！

护照再过六个月就过期了，现在不办延期，要换新护照，这一等又是1个月，还搭上70加币。我说大使馆，您真有钱！

或る旅人の日記

或る旅人の日記,translated as 'The Diary of Tortov Roddle' is a rather unique animation series which tells the surreal encounters of a traveller in a magical world. The pictures have bluish green tints and distinguished paper texture like an illustration book. There're 7 short stories of 3-5min each (the 7th episode is DVD exclusive). 'Voice overs' are presented in text boxes as diary entries. The general atmosphere is quiet and toned down, despite all the fascinating, bizarre things he witnessed. I find it pretty relaxing to watch.

Read more here, a comprehensive animation site (chinese) maintained by a student.

Some screen shots from the first diary 'City of light'








01. The City of Light


06. The Flower and the Lady


More episodes here

Official site

给本仁戻的集体慰问信

参加豆瓣的“本仁戻是我老大”小组后遇到少数邪教同好，人数不多但讨论热烈，质量远胜数量。群体给老大写信是柴郡猫发起的，筹划的过程我觉得更有意思：

2008-01-12 01:24:54 柴郡猫·2008·继续腐 (上海)
我请教了我专门迷恋并且追捧外国偶像的朋友，她说大家不用写很多信件，一人买一张明信片就可以了，从各地发出，邮戳不同，不仅有纪念意义，邮寄费用也不贵。
　　因为是大家各自邮寄，如果各位同意的话可以在明信片的角落上标上大家共同商议采用的属于我们小组的专属字样，这样可以让老大知道我们是有组织有计划的在做这件事。
　　一定用日语或英文。并一定要核对好语法及单词的准确性（必要时最好请会日语或英语的朋友一起核对。）
　　
　　大家觉得怎么样？还是说希望由我一并统发？两者我都没有问题，最主要的是保证信封地址的正确性，确保信能被老大收到……

***

2008-01-12 01:30:42 悍马-->gv狂人 (北京)

　　这样可以让老大知道我们是有组织有计划的在做这件事。
　　
　　==================
　　
　　这句好喜感。。。

***

2008-01-12 01:48:58 柴郡猫·2008·继续腐 (上海)

　　汗……是不是太党了…………
　　
　　我从没干过这等事不知道究竟是群发好还是分开发好……大家从长计议，群策群力…………

***

2008-01-12 20:00:30 猪肉馅饼儿 (Vancouver)

　　全靠悍马无比强劲的妈了！！
　　还没想好要写什么，再想想。。。
　　
　　关于群发，我们来接龙吧，大家看行不行啊
　　这里大概七八条走狗吧，假设标号1-8。由1发起写好明信片，寄给2，2写好了传给3，然后4、5、6、7。。。在周转了大半个地球后（若还健在），最后由8负责将贴满邮票、盖满邮戳、满是字迹、皱皱巴巴的有组织有计划性的集体明信片寄给老大。
　　
　　要不要试验一下呢？大家排个队。

***

2008-01-15 10:53:20 柴郡猫·2008·继续腐 (上海)

　　汗…………好吧好吧就这样，大家把明信片寄给我，然后我统一发给老大那个地址。这样既有大家的心意又比一张明信片环游全国更能能节省时间。
　　　　
　　既然这样我就自作主张地来做个募集人和发起人，希望你们表介意：）
　　　　
　　1、想发明信片或者信件的同学请务必要写豆油给我（这也是统计人数），我会回邮告诉你们我的地址。
　　　　
　　2、为了表示我们是团体作战，落款处写自己名字前请加上“本仁戻是我老大小组组员”英文字样。如：A Member of "Modoru Motoni is my boss" Group
　　如果是信件，可以在信件里附上自己的照片或者其他纸质小玩意。不宜过多过重。
　　如果是发明信片，为了不破坏明信片的完整性和收藏性（如果一张明信片的收件人是我而内容完全不搭界，想必很囧），如果愿意或者有可能的话请大家在外面套个信封，收件人写我（中文），但是明信片内容请写给老大的祝福（例如“Dear Modoru：I love U！I'll alaways be your slave,forever more……”等），英文或者日文。我会把所有东西收集完毕打包全部发过去并且存照。
　　　　
　　3、因为不希望活动拖得太长，本次收集明信片活动截止时间为2008年2月14日，2月14日我会去邮局发信（真是寓意深刻的时间啊XD）。
　　　　
　　就是这样一个细则，如果到后天晚上结束（1月18日的零点）还没有人提出异议，那我们就按照这个方案开始执行，请想参加的小犬们尽快给我写豆油获取地址并且尽快发信，其他就不再多做调整了。
　　　　
　　这是我们小组的第一次集体活动，可能有很多疏漏也有不完善的地方，不过相信我们的热情可以补足，等活动结束后我们可以进行总结。而且做人么，总是在一次又一次的摸索中进步成长的（就好比小美纪和阿光做了4次才达到和谐的嘛XDDDD)

***

好吧，我承认我做事很拖，在活动发起半个月后才动笔，现因国内暴雪不知能否赶到情人节前寄到活动HQ。

记录一下过程：

封面是PS过的小美纪和野狗看夕阳，小美纪喜欢喝可乐，野狗喜欢黑咖啡。


打在厚纸上切下来，发现刀不灵光了，划出去两次差点割刀手，惊险！


背面同人一张，临摹时深刻体会到老大的线条真是干脆硬朗啊，绝对不是我这个性格能画出来的。全靠google translate，写了一段我看着也很天书的话，希望是说“dear本仁sensei，我喜欢你，I'm your slave，永远爱你。我还在学日语，下封信会写得更好的。”署名“本仁戻是我老大”小组成员，以体现组织性、纪律性。


从08年的猫台历中撕出2月14和4月7日两天，情人节和老大生日，尽在不言中（肉麻）。


折叠起来插在背面了


立起来可以当台历哈，我真是天才！


现在就指望这情书能赶上大部队直奔老大出版社了。

苏州的雪积了十几厘米。同事的小孩儿上周出生了，大家说要起名叫“雪旺”，姓茅，叫茅雪旺成么？我觉得跟他爸“茅峰”有过之无不及。这雪是天灾啊，南方有人欢喜有人愁。今年冬天那么反常，祈祷过了年能有福来。

Muhahaha

Event/Item	Qty	Type	Sec	Row	Seats	Description
Keren Ann and Dean & Britta Richards On Richards Vancouver, BC Thu, Feb 14, 2008 08:00 PM	2 Adult Ticket 19+ GA					PRICE LEVEL 1 GENERAL ADMISSION

Alrite, songs of week! This's zadio 5?6?
Download here YSI

1. Eskobar - On the Ground


I'm addicted to it! The Swedish trio can be classified as electro, pop and soft rock. Vocalist Daniel Bellqvist has that eccentric but cool British rock attitude reminiscent of Brian Molko, although his voice is more airy and falsetto. I tried to search for lyrics meaning of this song but there was no real discussion on the web. Here's my interpretation: A man has an unrequited love and chooses to remain silent coz of his pride. The one he adores has 'no time for him', 'too busy being free'. 'Sky above water, sons and daughters' are all the same colour. There's no special someone. I love the emptiness in his voice when he sings 'sky above water' line.

When you see a man, let him be what he's gotta be
'Cause one time is all that he needs
I know for all, is you got to believe in love

Sky above water, they're always the same
Sons and daughters, they're always the same

Always the same

And I never found you on the ground
And I never made a sound
'Cause you were much too busy being free
No time to be with me

And I never found you on the ground
And I never made a sound
'Cause you were much too busy being free
No time to be with me

Hold on to posture and strangers
Hold on to posture and pride

'Someone new' is a duet with Heather Nova and this's their major breakthrough single.


2. Howie Day - Ghost (live recording)
He's like a tamer version of Damien Rice. I find a parallel in their ruggedness. His cover of 'Don't dream it's over' seems to have extensive radio play.

3. The Cranberries - Sunday
Yurippe (from GARNET CROW) is a big fan of the Cranberries and she once commented 'Everyone else does it' is an indispensable album for her. I just thought the other day, the arrangement of 'Sunday' is very similar to their '廻り道'. 'Demystify me, demystify me' is my favourite line =D

Lawren S. Harris & the Group of Seven

One of the compelling reasons I hate Vancouver winter is its almost deliberately planned downhill slide towards weekend. I have no business with whatever megawatts sunshine from Monday to Friday and when I finally get to walk around on weekends, it promptly starts snowing and raining. GROWL!

Me and Amy visited Vancouver art gallery located in the centre of downtown. Unfortunately only one floor is open and entrance is by donation only. What a tricky word, donation! Not that I'm interested in contributing to native Canadian art community, I paid average ticket price just to ease my conscience. The exhibition is 'Emily Carr and the Group of Seven', a group of artists from the early 90s who focused on local natural landscapes and First Nation heritage.We were on a guided tour which introduced us to the social background of that time and the significance they made.The government criticized them for portraying barren, uninhabitable landscapes which discouraged western European immigrants from coming. I guess you'll have to be born here to truly appreciate the nostalgic transition. I can't relate to it. But I can imagine how I must have felt if looking at my own city now and 10 years ago.

http://www.groupofsevenart.com/

In conclusion, Emily Carr is a female artist who doesn't look female on the photo, who loves morbid green, creepy clouds and totem poles. Two from the Group of Seven died in the same year. Was it 1969? Probably.

You'd think I was so unimpressed and bored. I did take a liking to one artist - Lawren S. Harris. You can easily identify stylistic changes which marked his early, middle and late works. He moved from realistic portraits to more cubic abstractions. The late works weren't even landscapes but geometrical combinations. I love his thick paint and pencil-like tree trunks(Sighs, can't find this one on the web).

Lawren Harris - Afternoon sun Lake Superior


Lawren Harris - Maligne Lake Jasper Park


Lawren Harris - Toronto street winter morning


Lawren Harris - Winter landscape with pink house


Art calendars on sale at $2 each. How obscenely cheap! I bought Dali's but gave it to my landlord who's also a Dali fan.

Maura Gatti the safe sex man

I came across this graphic print designer Maura Gatti who seems to have an extensive reputation in the industry (but I'm not sure how famous he is). I'm not particularly fond of comic style of a boyish mindset. Among the works shown on his website The Brain Box, I would say the sex adverts are the most fun.







Futureshop visa application went through without a hitch. That means I'll kiss iMac in no time =D Play now and pay later. 2G RAM & 320G storage should last me for a great while.

Lawyers are devils. They charge you 200+/h for professional service, which includes everything from casual emails, phone calls to official writings. Remember 'casual chats' don't exist, or you'll be so casually billed.

iMac,basso,Keren Ann, etc.etc.

看啊，几天没记日记累积了一堆事件。今晚和R打了近两小时的乒乓，腰酸背痛却又不掌握诀窍。我们去的场子哪是菜鸟光顾的！左邻右舍抽出板子就拉，一来一回的热身，就见他们的红双喜？在日光灯的反照下一黑一红的交替闪过油亮光泽。等他们认真开始打了，抽球都带跳的，那是噼噼啪啪砰砰作响。光听声音就能区别出高手和混混，高手的球擦在桌上发出厚实又富有节奏的“哐-咚”，不是我们这儿“夸-卡-啪-滴溜溜溜溜溜溜溜溜”（注解：发球-反弹一下-擦边没接着- 落地滚走）。所以你说真的起到开发智利和锻炼身体的作用了么，我捡球捡到自暴自弃，R的高炮球还分别打到某邻的屁股和腰。希望下周能有所进步。。。希望。

我决定买iMac台式机了，加上保修、更新之类靠近2000，若选择一年内分期付款，每月需交170左右。分期付款果然好，但不知我能不能申请到他们的visa卡。申请不到就要一次付清啦！买这个是打算认真学习graphic design的，但若再不调整作息如此不自律，这Mac真要糟蹋了。说实话我想把自己剁了，不想做个眼高手低的白痴啊。

宝贝！Come to me！


话说Apple推出了最新的MacBook Air，薄的能塞进普通信封，可是配置较次，价钱那是Ouch!Ouch!Ouch! 他们还开发了iSmell，一个鼻子形状的探测器可辨别味道并定点，虽然没有实际用途（除非apple nose有着狗鼻子的灵敏度和精确度），但也算是未来科技的雏形啊，相当可观！我看好着呢。以后的屏幕请做成HOLOGRAM漂浮在空中，随着人的眼球移动、放大、缩小。我们应该会活到这一天。

2月14日（大家知道是什么日子么？是光棍无需关心日）Keren Ann来温哥华演出，15块钱的门票真划算。唉，可是，你说，为啥定在14，啊？为难我光棍不是，想拉人一起去看都难，而且也未必喜欢Keren。不过我这次铁了心要去，上次错过了好生后悔，o~ nothing's gonna change my mind, nothing's gonna change my mind~

最近又迷上了欧式风味浓重的漫画家basso，很French，很小资。上传了她的插画，喜欢的人这里下载：YSI 。

Basso: http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~orsi79

Baby pepper

As if to prove the reason I don't cook is not an inadequacy of skill(how vain, zhu. How vain!), I stayed in the kitchen for an hour tonight and came up with a rather strange dish - beef fried with assorted peppers, pear and topped with vinegar, sugar and spice. It really is tiring to kill an hour chopping up raw material and finish the dish in minutes. I'm resolute to stick with porridge and simple soup from now on!

There was an interesting episode with the red pepper.


It's not an artifact nor a trick of eye. You see the crisp knife edge on both. It's (A) a baby pepper (B)a parasite (C) Frankenstein, aka GM (D) dichromatic delicacy. I reasoned how it might come out of two successive fertilizations.

R's pet named Bobo.She's a couch potato masked as dog.

'Don't bother none' look 1


'Don't bother none' look 2


How I wish I could have a cat... in real life, in 3D, and moving, not flat in print. But look at her! Isn't she regal?!


Something to spice up your day


This is piss plasticized en route...

Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd

Trailer


Synopsis (from IMDB): After hard years in exile for a crime he didn't commit, Benjamin Barker now Sweeney Todd, returns to London to find his wife dead and his daughter in the hands of the evil Judge Turpin. In his anger, Sweeney goes on a murderous rampage on all London, with the help of Mrs. Lovett, he opens a barber shop in which he lures his victims in with a charming smile before casually ending their life with a flick of his razor across their neck. But not one man killed, nor ten thousands men can satisfy Sweeney's lust for revenge on those who've caused his years of pain. Written by O.G.

I watched Sweeney Todd in cinema with R and my 'movie reputation' was swept down the drain (as usual?). Not the movie disappoints, the amount of blood and gore and throat slashing was far away from a weekend chill-out.I humbly bowed my head feeling R's claws clenching my arm as the ongoing slaughter splashed gallons of blood onto giant screen. In the end I got so used to it I leveled eyes and did not flinch.

I understand Tim Burton's choice of Johnny Depp,a mix match of Edward the Scissorhands on a cold fish corpse parade. I truly adore how a corner of his lips breaks slightly into an unsymmetrical twitch as a wry smile surfaces upon his multifaceted face. But honestly, he's mediocre when it comes to singing.

Settings and costume are exquisite. How enchanting every brick and every window of the old London! Everything's tuned for a dramatic, stage effect (since it's adapted from a musical). However I'm a bit disappointed with the musical itself. I was expecting something close to 'Phantom', or 'Les miserable'. I can't pinpoint any highlights.

So... 7 out of 10 is my final verdict.

苹果

删节不删节的风波


昨晚看的，镜头不错，但相比于揭露北京外来工的艰辛，深入大社会为背景，这部片子更多的描写内心情感。所以在我看来不够辛辣，角度局限。不过这只是基于起初对苹果的印象，就当普通写实片看看也不错。吃喝嫖赌、贪赃敲诈的现象无处不在，难道因为标题顶着北京的字样就禁播了？越禁越好奇，电影节都公演了。

苹果是伊甸园不该摘下的苹果，这些人，我要注重说明是男人，都一个个被性被钱驱使鬼迷心窍的干蠢事，案发后又以更为愚蠢的方式去弥补。这更让我受不了，哪是出于生活窘迫要卖自家小孩儿啊，你看那俩猪头，根本就是糜烂的破人！可怜他们的老婆夹在他们中间像沙袋似的被甩来甩去。两个本有纠葛的女人撺紧对方的手嘤嘤哭泣，最后都选择了离开。

愤慨啊，不是因为这诸多社会现状，而是男人不外遇狗就不吃屎 - 这句台词具有绝对的概括性。
（并不想一棒子打死一窝，这里特指电影里的那俩男的。）

你说怎么看这片子呢，我完全无法平静的去分析。-.-!!

***

很喜欢えすとえむ est em的简约式画风，线条饱满有力，喜欢红白黑这种欧式gothic搭配。我把她的画都存下来了，归罗在一起看时禁不住想，若有人看到我收藏这些（这些多指牛头人身或人头牛身、流着鲜血的绅士，身着大摆褶子裙的男舞者）会觉得我很危险？

作者的小窝


简介：
名：えすとえむ
生日：4.2
血型：A
喜欢：火箭、飞机、船、自然的蓝色、足球、奥林匹克、白熊、马戏团、银幕、雷、斗牛、绅士靴
寻人：名叫Elvis的fashion model

贴几张图，版权えすとえむ est em所有



Twins

2 Bowls probably

It never crossed my conscience how many grains of rice reside in my dinner's bowl. Since Jady introduced me to this charity site which claims(I hope it's true) it donates 20 grains of rice for each word you get correct, my inner self battled among patience, compassion for poverty, and disappointment at my stingy vocab, until the final factor overcame all good virtues and nailed the score at 2420 grains... which I proximate to 2 bowls of rice.

A link here for the compassionate, or anyone who plainly wishes to test their vocabulary power.




A strange word I came across is grenadine - 'pomegranate syrup'.

Nina Parley's Sita Sings the Blues

http://www.sitasingstheblues.com

Trailer


Battle of Lanka


很可爱，风格上有点印度版蔡志忠。。。 用4年时间做出的flash，入围了Berlin International Film Festival。

官网上贴来的图片和简介

Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as "The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told."

Pixar: One Man Band

This's the most hilarious among all the Pixar shorts I've seen so far... And the characters are so cute!

From Wikipedia

One Man Band is Pixar short film. The film made its world premiere at the 29th Annecy Animation Festival in Annecy, France, and won the Platinum Grand Prize at the Future Film Festival in Bologna, Italy. It was shown with the theatrical release of Cars.

The short was written and directed by Andrew Jimenez and Mark Andrews and produced by Osnat Shurer, head of Pixar's Shorts group. The score for the short was written by Michael Giacchino, who also composed the score for Pixar's animated feature film Ratatouille.

Like many Pixar shorts, the film is completely free of dialogue, instead using music (played by the characters) and pantomime to tell the story.

On January 31, 2006 it was nominated for the Academy Award for Animated Short Film, but lost to The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation by John Canemaker and Peggy Stern.

New Year Resolution

My 2008 resolution is for this resolution to work =) There I trap myself in a head-tail vortex.

EXERCISE SELF CONTROL!!

Too exhausted to blog about Pixar. What an inspiring studio. To achieve success, you bear the unbearable.

Driver written test this week. That's the original plan.Keep it up!

For anyone interested in finding a language partner near you, I recommend this site: Shared Talk. Be careful of strangers, a kind reminder from your mum XD I'm in the process of finding a Japanese and German speaker.

Here's Michael Buble's 'Everything' to start off the new year on a jolly note~ Familiar as it sounds (to me), the song is his original composition. And he's Canadian. And he lives in Vancouver. Feel thy proximal happiness!

关于拥有

朋友失恋了，哭得心疼，听得我眉毛倒挂。自从和男友产生裂痕后，她就病怏怏的陷入低气压漩涡。可我相信他们还是相爱的，但不能在一起。Love is not enough.这句话不陌生，很理性，很残忍。

在一起。拥有。专属。

无法实现以上条件时，还是可以继续爱的。

哪怕这种纵容是自欺，谁又能给执著下定义，什么才是清醒，或者不需要那么清醒。人本来就那么善变，给自己留点尺度长肥了能放，掉肉了能缩，何苦说一不二捆死对自己不善。

不要说永恒了，但那儿总有一个铺位留给你。Reserved parking for the disabled.

我恍然大悟

为什么要叫土豆网呢？

因为有“挖土豆”(dig)和“埋土豆”(flag)之说。

和yy讨论了1小时多youtube user interface的问题，口干舌燥，精疲力尽。yy啊，你那project记得要鸣谢我的唾沫。

Display

I'm usually more attracted to boutique displays than the actual garments they're trying to sell.

My year end shopping yields an abundant selection of white, grey, dark grey and blacks. 'Classic colors' they call it. 'No color' I call it.What a standard office lady wardrobe...

Sex

这里认识的两个朋友都有过性经验，不避讳的跟我聊。我边整理文件边听，不知该做什么表情，大概是无表情。话题是女人很辛苦，做过的都会有妇科疾病和大小炎症-.-!

生于传统家庭的我不免有些尴尬。

仔细想想没啥好评论的，只能说性很亲密，不是谁都做的来的。

菜市场赶集

开车的时候教练们说，我们拐去菜市场买菜，让你见识一下青菜萝卜什么个价钱。注：这是多么经典的苏州男人啊！参见车前子写的《苏州男人》，会做菜，骂不还嘴打不还手，还说，老婆你对我不够凶！

他们无时不在论食。甲向乙咨询，昨天他买的猪腰子在酒里泡了好几个时辰还是骚，咋办？乙说你红烧吧红烧。甲反问，真的能红烧，可都出血水了啊？可以的可以的，乙很肯定。甲放了心，换了个姿势坐下，面露沉思状。我想，能怎么烧怎么烧，红烧不成就油炸、煎、滚、烤，还能生吃呢。

来到了菜市场，人头攒动、道路泥泞。菜叶子被车轧得烂平混在泥水里再被乱脚踩过，农民把满载丰收的卡车开来摆起一个一个时鲜摊儿。蔬果堆成丘，价位贼低。我像个老爷们似的帮甲提包，混入来往的城市人中寻找那俩家庭妇男的身影。他们走在前面指指点点、品头论足，也不知还了个什么价怎么还的，就见他们扛了一打子莴苣满载而归，说给某某几斤，给某某某几斤，在左邻右舍间分了划算。还真会过日子！来到白菜摊儿，跟那小姑娘说价，小姑娘说买多了就给便宜。多？多少叫多？小姑娘手一指，30个白菜整整齐齐一捆，扎得像个上青下白的双色肥垫子。他们骇然，又不是开饭店的，而且那饭店也不专炒白菜，只得遗憾的离开。

看到红橙黄绿的辣椒懒洋洋的晒在太阳下我觉得至上的幸福。

贴几张图，手机拍的，没好意思挖出sony cybershot在闹忙的菜场摆弄。





莴苣


看这一卡车的青椒！！


可口的黄瓜。。。


我有多久没吃茨菰和荸荠了，要不是有中文输入我连茨菰都写不对-.-！茨菰红烧肉加百叶结啊，口水直下三千尺。


我忘了这菜叫什么了，这下google也帮不上忙了。


这个无关了，是我上刑的铺位，专练扳桩头。我在想“扳桩头”是不是苏州方言，其他地方怎么说？就是扳方向盘，练小拐弯和停车。