audio amusements

Haha I've been told by boss to be less chirpy during news. Especially for news summaries with bomb blasts reports and drowned survivors death toll.

(I didn't think of being chirpy with those news okay, it just...I don't know, came out that way! Haha)

Annnd my colleague, Richard, always (okay, less now) tends to snigger at my choice of songs for the podcasts. Very "beach-like", he says.


Well any chance to make a NEWS podcast more interesting right? ;)

someone release the 'repeat' button, please

it is nooooot funny to be sitting at my desk now, just having dinner bought by Ruiming (which has been the case lately), and easing the sore feet from rushing back to the hostel to be back by that dreadful cursed curfew.

All this, after having left office only past 10pm.

(Not like we live next door to our offices and, well, I have been starting work only in the afternoon but that's not the point.)

The reason why? This is the reason why.

I mean, yah I learn new things, have new experiences and many reasons why this has tumbled to this point for five days,



but it is seriously not funny at all when you make a friend have a 13-hour day, with four hours' waiting time. For five days.

hope youre feeling better, MM.

Ok quick one, I am part of a four-man (ok fine, three guys and me) team to cover some filming for the multimedia section of scmp.com at the Clinton Global Initiative. Having it's first Asian meeting in HK at the Grand Hyatt.

Hehe quite exciting to see all the mega big cameras (with lenses that can probably cause internal bleeding in the skull if hit) of the photojournalists from various media snapping away in high shutter speed. Plus the many many many cameraman all hooked up with thousands of wires, dominating tripods and giant cameras.

And suddenly they can see this girl, with a hand held digicamera, capturing various shots of the hot shots, crouching in sometimes odd positions while keeping still and trying not to accidentally block the cameras behind - which gave me a backache. My co-worker had the bigger camera with tripod.

Hehe but still quite exciting haha

Well, was pretty quite proud today - cos, I was helping to film the dialogue that Bill Clinton had with Lee Kuan Yew :) Hehe. He did come across a little more breathless and slightly lagging in responses and thoughts in the beginning but got more of the ball and talk later on. Must be cos of the post-treatment of the surgery :/

Ok ok so it's not like I had a one-on-one interview with these two white-haired influential ones, but stiiiill. Humour me, ok!

OH and I thiiiiiiink I saw retired Japanese soccer player Hidetoshi Nakata at CGI today. Well, looked like him, at least. Odd to have him there right? Maybe it's a PR stint but nevertheless, he (if so or not) looked pretty good in a suit (though he looked much better than this probably-old picture) ;)

Full audio piece (45 mins?) of the dialogue can be found at the bottom of the article, here. If you can't get it go to www.scmp.com/audio and find the article called, "Lee Kuan Yew, Bill Clinton swap ideas on global challenges", dated December 03. LKY uses Singapore as a good (if not, convenient!) example of being super self-sufficient on water :)

Ok ok if you're lazy to listen to the whole podcast, but would looove to listen to me, I come in at the beginning and the end of the podcast. Tsk! Ok fine, unless you're not even interested, then don't tell me.

Ok off to bathe, have been staying up late in office cos of audio work :( well, there's pros and the cons! :)

quick update, i'm still alive! just a little cold!

Post-note: In case some of you might be finding some trouble navigating on scmp.com to hear the podcast, do this:

1. Go to: www.scmp.com/audio
2. Click on Audio Channel: SCMP Today
3. Ok let me think which to let you hear. Ok find the latest few articles dated November 29 or December 02.
4. Click to read the article; bottom of it has this flash player to play the audio podcast.
5. Listen to the end! Haha
   

Ok sorry another 'buying time, please' post. Things have gotten a little hectic since I went over to the multimedia side :/

Anyway.

It has officially really started to get colder in HK.

Ahh, autumn has finally decided to arrive with its expected slashing of temperatures and his personal stash of wind.

Peter and I were constantly walking and moving to keep warm (me: 3/4 sleeved tshirt, jacket, jeans and a scarf. Peter: tshirt, shirt, vest, jacket) on our way back to hostel.


Temperature is currently at about 16 degrees, but with the wind, it really feels like it's much lower.


Lowest temperature to be expected to next few days are ranging between 14 to 16 degrees. How exciting is that.

Oh and guess what, I'm helping to film a book-signing interview tomorrow. With who?

Sir Roger Moore. Dad and mom! ;)

By the way, sorry about the lack of posts. It really has gotten more busy since the switch from the usual online news production to the new multimedia section. While the workload and all that is very different from the previous. This has its fun moments (on interviews out of office! some celebrity interviews) and its slow movements.

Oh and I have also helped to do some audio recording/editing for the newspaper's online audio news summary: SCMP Today. No mixing of the whole podcast yet but might have to do more of the recordings since the whole team is boys, they want to "milk" my stint here to have some voice variety.

Well, here's one clip for the kaypoh ones :) I'm warning you guys that it's NEWS ok, so it's not that fancy-pancy interesting. Though the last part: Mandarin Minute is cute - an 'angmo' learning how to say Mandarin words and sentences. Pay attention to how the 'tutor' says he's right when it just sounds so different from what she said!

in the midst of things

I wasn't suppose to put up a post today - though please don't worry everything's quite fine. Have changed sections in the department to the multi-media section. Have to say that I can't blog in between work as often anymore so blog entries (esp the older ones!) miiight take a little long. Sorry!

Well, more importantly.

THIS made my day (which was a mix of funny feelings) even more! :) My FIRST airmail (parcel, thing, whatever!) from Singapore!

Wwei, this handwriting is very distinctively yours :) You mentioned to me it's suppose to be for Christmas right? So it will only be opened then (with much restrain, control and self-discipline)! Ok unless there's perishables in them, if so, you better tell me! Hehe thanks woman! :)

it's all in just a pen

Haha I told myself if there is nothing exciting to update my blog about, I won't since it would make it difficult for the backlog posts to be in. But this came in the wires on The New York Times and over the HK television that I thought was really really interesting - though it'll be a 'threat' in SGP to do so.

Check this and this as well if you want to see more.

Haha the power of the media. Everyone should take note of how important the media industry really is. We can change perspectives and opinions, drive markets and trends. How powerful is that? As long as it's not abused, of course.


And well, all those interning now, we're part of this important dependable industry! :)

the 9am photoshoot by the tram

Ruiming accompanied me on my daily walk out today. Because He Ruiming was on a SUPER INTERN RUIMING ON SECRET MISSION to go to Wan Chai to get pictures - all for five hours before he has to be back at work by 2pm.

This other super hero he was accompanying is: SUPER INTERN HUI TZE IS IN OFFICE, AGAIN.

Anyway, the weather has been pretty fun to be in haha so far. It's about 20 degrees average but it feels colder with winds. I'm almost wondering how we'd three be like if the temperatures really dip low low low!

Well, Ruiming said a picture of what I am wearing for today should be taken (since he has the gimongous camera too). I'll see if I can take a picture of their attires one day :)

Ivan! Boots! haha

and now for the weather update

Editor's note: We encourage and welcome constructive feedback. This allows us to indeed try to make any amendments or improvements to make things better. As a result, this article has some traces of editing. Please do not let the minor details affect the pleasure of reading. Thank you for your kind understanding.

Hong Kong saw quite a rather drastic change in temperatures on Saturday evening, as the autumn season finally starts to kick in.

With reports that show the city has experienced one of the longest and hottest period of sunshine and heat last few months, the temperatures have dropped rather distinctively.

Cool numbers for the city is said to usually start in mid-October, or earlier. On Saturday night, it was 20 degrees. Just a few days ago, temperatures were ranging from 25 to 29 degrees.

On Hong Kong Island - from the Central area til the Mid-Levels - Singaporean communication students, Peter Keith Rajendran and He Ruiming, have agreed that the weather has dropped to a cool level. They both felt that the need for a sweater, pullover or a jacket was necessary.

Mr He also thought that spaghetti straps and wide-neck blouses should be less prevalent from now onwards.

"So you won't be wearing your [censored] tops and will button your shirt properly, right?" he sternly asked his other fellow female Singaporean who is currently interning at a local newspaper company.

Last reported at 12.20am on the territory's weather website, The Observatory, the average temperature in Hong Kong ranged from 18 to 21 degrees.

It predicts "cloudy and cooler" weather on Sunday and that "temperatures will range between 20 and 24 degrees". A spokesman said: "Morning temperatures will fall below 20 degrees in the following few days."

Looks like Hong Kong will be soon be seeing even more changes in the local fashion scene too: mink jackets, trench coats and possibly, lots of wool and fleece. In fact, the sightings of boots, of various designs and heights, have already been obvious.

Surely, this gives everyone a new reason to stock up on (new) warm wear.

who would have thought

While I am here, getting work done by helping them edit, sub, put up stories and create news lists - among others, I hear the amazing opportunities about the others:

• Bettina at The Economist got to go to Istanbul (ok, though mother paid for it)
• Sarah at Mediacorp 987 got to to go a concert (by Kanye West i think) for free with Glenn Ong
• Lim Wwei (though doing hellavalot) at Bates can attend the countless parties and events that the advertising company holds as accounts for! Even ZoukOut!
• My two friends here? They have been going COUNTLESS of events and bringing back namecards in a bunch
• Worse of all, that terrrrrrrible sneaky designer of mine for advertising, Shafik Basir, he's getting paid $100/day in Singapore and is coming to HK for a d&d including accomodation and flight. What's the deal? He's in the SAME COMPANY as I am! (Ok la he's damn good at design and helping the marketing department I heard - but still, what disparity!)

Edit: Shafik the Fool just did some clarification and yelled that he was getting a whopping S$750 PER MONTH (everyones gonna kill you Shafik) and being paid that S$100/day in HK. Still terrible! Haha

Man, you people are so lucky! Haha super damn exciting for all of you :) but bet none of you were in a penthouse! Haha ;)

the big boys and their noise

Hmm the world really revolves around the United States huh.

The wires are going crazy and flooded with regular almost minute-by-minute updates on the US presidential elections from all the wire services all over the world. Not forgetting that each wire service has reporters from almost every country. So you can imagine.

The televisions at work are also all tuned in to the elections. Madness.

Well, Obama is currently in the lead (quite obviously and very easily predicted) but not all states have voted yet. McCain is winning some states. Hmm America could very well get its first black president in its history - that's great change.

Imagine other small, 'insignificant' states having their elections as well, nobody would probably want to cover that or even mention it in an article. Sad right?


Well with one guy allocated to do ONLY the elections today, I have more work to do. :) Ok that smile usually doesn't go with work, but at least I guess it'll keep me from dangerously succumbing to the sleepy monster and keep me occupied til 7pm.

Hmm I would not have complained if they gave me this increase workload, earlier. Anyway, morning :)

Edit at 12.07pm: Obama has won.

a curtain raiser (or maybe just buying some time)

Ok this will be a quick one.

I am fine, don't worry (if you are) at the lack of posts. Well, the days havent been very very generous to me so there's quite a few pictures to upload and that doesnt include text for the post! I've got three backdated posts and they are all only filled with pictures. Sorry!

Well, I know this sounds terrible and rather pathetic, but the most exciting thing that has happened at work is that I finally got a chance to upload a few wire stories in the whole section (Asia) yesterday! Pathetic I know, but you see, then you can gauge how almost repetitive my days can be to reach this level of standard.

Supervisor has already arranged for me to go over in about two weeks' time to the multi-media section of the online department (where I am now) so that I can help out with podcasts and videocasts. OH and they are applying for a press pass for me! It's for some Clinton forum thing at the end of this year.

Yes yes I know, many of you (including the boys) already have gone for hundreds of press events and functions. But be nice to my situation, humour me. :)

Oh oh and here's an update to the vege box:

So pretty now right! It's with new inclusion of baby cherry tomatoes! Hehe with incoming funds topping up (THANK YOU!) I can have this healthy self-amusement fibre 'snack'.

Next time I will take pictures of the Ruiming's teatime-my lunchtime eggtarts, when I go buy lunch and he is just, well, bored.

Morning all, OH and thanks Mom, Dad, Jie, Gor and Aunty Alice - for being very very participatory in the Keep-Hui Tze-Alive-in-HK fund :)

Edit: Check for three new posts on the weekend below ok! With very very the many picccctures :)

and so it ends today (2 Nov)

This morning, after dragging out from bed at 10ish and with Ruiming's pokes, I managed to get to church on time :)

With only Ruiming left to settle the checkout at 12, Peter and I packed whatever items we had and left it at the door for him to take back to the hostel. Chugging down a glass of skimmed milk (given by V), Peter and I walked to the nearest Catholic church at Causeway Bay called St Paul's.

Mass was slightly different with the more usual '2D' experience like back at home but not like the '3D' one at our usual church.

After mass, while Peter wanted to take a rest in on Sunday, Ruiming asked if I would like to go accompany him to Lantau Island to take a look at Discovery Bay. He has to write a short article on the open-air market there and had to go take pictures. One of his supervisors, Julian, was suppose to come too but she wasn't feeling well. Peter was also going to meet his dad's friend later in the evening for dinner and drinks.

So instead of following Peter back to the hostel, I met Ruiming after dropping off the tram so that we can make our way to the ferry. We also bought some bread from Little Mermaid Bakery at the International Financial Centre since we realise we havent had lunch. Love the Raisin Butter bun and Cheese and Walnut bread :)

A one-way ticket to Lantau island was HK$27, which we thought was quite on the expensive side. Unlike the ferry ride to Tsim Sha Tsui, which is admittingly nearer, for HK$2.20.

Lantau island seems like a pretty upmarket area with loads of expats and foreigners living there. It seemed like majority of them were expats, more than locals!

Ruiming thought that the place was more of a Holland V but bigger, with more apartments and a beach. Which is quite true. Well as you know, when Ruiming is armed with his camera, the whole trip is mostly taking pictures.

And with no other known 'subjects', by default i have to be subjected to be the one - and you know how terrible I usually look in pictures? Like somehow my smile is just odd or my eyes (yes, they exist) is just oddly placed. Don't mind them please.

The first sight after we dropped off from the ferry

They've got many pots of pretty flowers that brightens up the place!

This is the open-air market that Julian was talking about that that Ruiming is just suppose to give details on it. Plus pictures.

This is one picture that we managed to go up the buildings at the side of the Discovery Bay Plaza to capture the overview of the place.

The coloured umbrellas is where the market is, the rest are shelters for the public.

They sold quite a few things I have to admit. It's really more like a market for expats and mostly run by them as well. They range from handmade jewellery, customised baby clothings, pottery, plants, paintings, carpets and services like event photography and hiking training. Prices can be a little steep like HK$455 for a nice black casual dress with prints I saw.

Well, they still had Krispy Kreme just for that weekend. So both of us couldnt resist and took the original glazed ones each. Oh he had a coke too, something he always seem to have with meals.

Hehe they had this shop that sold reeeeally cute girl's dresses with random names like 'Katie', 'Madison' and 'Anne'. Jie! Some with polka dot ribbon grosgrain trimmings, dashes or shapes - cute for Rebecca! Sure can wear with the many many many many colourful ribbon clips the one-year-old girl has :)

They were selling 'designer' bean bags too.

OH and Ivan Yeow YUAN QUAN called Ruiming's handphone! Haha he kinda missed us and he was at work so he called to talk for abit. Oh and also got Ruiming to wack me for the purchase and wearing of boots. Poor boy right? Back at work on a Sunday.

Well after having some laughs with the big one back in Singapore, to make use of the trip there, we just walked about and finding things to take pictures of.

When it was almost turning dark (which can be early nowadays in HK), we took a ferry back to Central, which had some motor fair on the road.

We went over to Wan Chai to have dinner, since Peter was already out. We tried to go find the other place we had lunch at, but instead we found somewhere else better. :)

After 6pm, this stirloin beef steak with black pepper sauce, fries and vegetables on a hot plate, cost us HK$30. That's not too bad dont you think? :)

Well that concludes the very very exciting weekend we three had. Before Monday decided to come and stamp its foot on our toes :/

we were on top of the world (1 Nov)

Hehe we slept in on Saturday. How can you decide not to sleep in in such comfortable bed linen and warm comforter? We all did til closer to 12 noon :)

Then Peter, who was horribly lucky, was going to go to this event in the afternoon with their boss. They had two tickets to do go to a luncheon (at Lawry's sponsored by client, Air NZ I think) with All Blacks. Yes, the rugby team was in HK for that weekend AND they were going for the match All Blacks had with the Wallabies! Terrible right! So after that boy dressed up to leave, Ruiming and I decided to go back to the hostel to bring more items needed to stay the night. Oh and to bring our toothbrushes as well haha

We dropped off from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai to go search out for JJ Hotel - which was where Wwei, Vera, Steph, Bettina, Jia Wei and -ahem- Gwee stayed when they were having vacation over in HK. And they insisted to go find the place. We did - after a long search along Wan Chai Road but could not find the 'famed' egg tarts and wanton mee they were talking about. So we settled at some Chinese place with some reasonable prices.

This was mine, some fried noodles with beef slices for about HK$30ish - not too bad really, cos I'd eat it again :) The noodles were like guo tiao kind, but chewier.

Ruiming doesnt usually look at costs of meals I think haha but so he had steak, which was pretty reasonable for about HK$40ish maybe? So not too bad.

After that, that boy insisted we get DVDs cooos every room has a flat screen and DVD player anyway. He rationalised it that he has to 'review' the ambience too, or so he says. We went to this shop that sells CDs, DVDs and whatnot. Though it can be a little odd to be seeing not-so-decent ones for sale - does take a while to get used to haha

Making a quick trip back to the hostel to get our stuff, and walking around Causeway Bay for my sandals (which failed again by the way) we made our way back to the apartment by 7pm cos Peter had invited their boss and some other colleagues to just come and see the place.

The boys also decided to order Pizza Hut for dinner. Haha the feel of having our own 'house' had to be as authentic as possible right? Silly I know, but it's all part of the novelty :)

Only two of them came by to the apartment, bringing with them tidbits and a spoof movie - which I can honestly not understand why Hollywood would spend so much budget on a silly show like it. So other than pizza, there was chips, grapes and juice as well. They left about 11pm and then, we all rushed upstairs to play at the roof top! :)

Here are two pictures of how the roof top looks in the day!

And now for the pictures of the night fun! :)

Left is a dining area and in the foreground of the picture is actually a covered BBQ pit and a sink!

Then this fella wanted to do some superman pose - which can be mistaken as one to be committing suicide. Well, there is somesort of veranda thing just below but I refused to do what he did. Only helping him to take pictures.

This is a picture taken from the top, I couldnt see what I was taking though - it was just a stretch out with the camer and snap.

This is a reflection on the building just across the service apartments. Can you see, the lights on the service apartment form a 'V'!

OH and the ambience was especially nice on the top of cos the breeze and also we had music - it's controllable by the sound system's remote control on the outdoor waterproof speakers! It was quite a feeling, especially since we were playing Celtic music - Jie! One of your favourites! Haha though there was one point, a neighbour from a nearby flat rapped his window to inform us that the soothing music was a little loud at past 12!

Haha so armed with our cameras, while Peter drank the complimentary wine, Ruiming and I took a great deal of pictures there. Haha it was silly yet funny.

Peter indicating to where the wine level is - he is the proud sole claimer of the bottle. Yah, he finished it too.

The spotlight on the top was switched on and we were taking turns (since Peter refused to join, must be that glass of wine) putting ourselves in the limelight haha

Ruiming says I have extremely shaky hands - wellll his camera is a DSLR and it's heeeavier than the one Gor gave me. But you see, he tried to do it with my camera - the kind that probably has an anti-shake thing - he's terrible!

Peter, after finishing a whole bottle of red wine, was rather contented coming up just to laze and be smug about his liver abilities with alcohol :) But before that he wasnt all that happy when he sneaked to watch a soccer match in his room TV (while having some presence in the living room with the bosses) - cos Arsenal didnt do too well.

But see, cameras and shots can be fine cos after that he was asking to take pictures of him with his wine and even took a narcissistic approach!

Terrible. Told him to close his legs. How is this 'close'.
Oh on the left, it's spilled wine on waterproof cushions.

Taken by Peter. Among others which just show his HAIR. or SIDE.

But most of the time, we were either having pillowfights up there (with thoughts of what would happen if the pillow fell off the roof and onto the mainroad below), laughing at each other, laughing at our friends back in SGP :) and basically actually having that time to relax.

Peter wanted us to look like we were alcoholics - thus the beer can and wine bottle.

Here as Peter tries to take a picture of Ruiming and I, Ruiming had to be so sneaky to wack my face with the pillow!

And i am trying to get baccccck at him:

Oh in this picture, Peter stole a shot. I was being 'suffocated' by Ruiming!
Ok no comments on the legs, AH.

Oh other than the fact that the two boys were glowing with praise for how awesome the place was and how they wouldnt mind living there forever - ok maybe just Ruiming. I think the apartment's great on design and the 'wow' factor, especially for well-off executive couples maybe with a taste for class and who entertain socially.

Well, we finally decided to get back into the apartment cos it started to drizzle and actually helped to bring in the cushions (which would probably puzzle the cleaners - definitely knowing we three have not stayed in a service apartment). That was 3am. And we still had to bathe - with rotational roles using one bathroom.

I know this sounds super bad but cos of his insistence to review the DVD player and ambience (ok, plus my excitement to watch the movie), Ruiming and I played a show at 4am. It was Silence of the Lambs. I've always wanted to get all disks of the trilogy and watch them :) And it was quite a comforting feeling to pull the warm covers over half my face and watch some threatening-to-be-scary parts. :)

Ok, we slept at 6am - just when we can see the day peeking out HEHE :)