c’est la vie

正所謂禍不單行, 繼醫生騙子後, 我再一次破財。

這是我每一次光顧 Zara, 我見剛好換季, 便買了些 basic items。誰知過兩天打算穿一件裇衫時發現衫上竟穿了一個明顯的小洞。除非是電器用品, 我對於一些不太貴的東西, 我大多不會 keep 單, 但 credit card receipt 仍在, 我便帶同裇衫跟 credit card receipt 回去。

店員知我沒有 original receipt 有點不知所措, 便叫經理出來。經理給我的答案竟然是: credit card receipt 雖然可以證明我早兩天曾經光顧她的店舖, 卻不能證明我買了那件 item (難道我買了 esprit 然後換了 Zara 的 label??)。既然是 company policy, 我也沒有強求, 但我拿著一件破了的衣服也沒有作用, 我便說送給她好了。

她有點 panic,  說我不能留下衣服。我告訴她, 就算我現在拿走, 也只會丟在你門前的垃圾箱。

可能我大鄉里, 其實我買的時候, 已經很奇怪店員沒有給我新的衣服 (即是好像在 supermarket , 拿起哪件就是買那件), 店員也沒有 remind 我留意衣服有沒有損壞或叫我 keep 起 receipt, just in case 可以退回。

我見是大型連鎖店才打算拿回去退換, 怎知卻令我十分失望。

前陣子因為皮膚的小問題，頻頻看醫生。明明有 medical cover，都要自己俾錢．．．

話說個案一：小妹頸上生了咖哩雞狀物體，看公司 panel GP，他說是敏感，開了藥草草了事。過了幾天沒有好轉，朋友覺得不對勁，介紹了皮膚科醫生給我，原來是生蛇。因為不是看 panel doctor，當然冇得 claim，算吧。

個案二：小妹手指生疣（即是一粒小瘡），正常是自己會消失，但過了一段時間仍然存在，為了美觀，再看 GP。這次他轉介了皮膚科醫生給我。醫生說可以動個小手術，公司保險應該可以 cover。

第二天，護士小姐打來，告訴我保險公司說要我先付款，再經公司向保險公司 claim，我便答應了。

一個月後，覆診時醫生說仍未根治，要再動一次手術。約好了時間，我再打去保險公司問，他們回覆，是仍在 process。OK，手術前一天，我再問，他們這次的回覆是這樣的：

他們說診所 applied 是他們已經 reject 了，原因是我的疣在我入職時已有，所以保險不會 cover，而保險公司亦不會要求客人先付款的。

問題是，診所之前給我的答案是 procedure 的問題，而不是說保險公司 reject 了！！呢次真係嬲嬲地！

唉．．．．．！！

One good thing about working in big companies is that, they have endless funding in conducting different kinds of training. 

We had a sales training recently.  Which is quite similar to Enneagram - a simplified version about personality.  And it is about four dimensioning: introvercy vs extrovercy; sensing vs intuitioin; thinking vs feeling; judging vs perceiving.

Personality test is nothing new to us right?  Interesting part is when you see how other people reacts to the test.  The test tends to reveal your real (innate) personality, so not the way you do at work.  So happened I had the class with a group of my bosses.  When we are at work, we need to be sociable (to build the network), to be rational (thinking type) in making decisions, and to be organized (judging type).  But in fact they could be introvert, sentimental (feeling type) in real lives and very casual (perceiving type). 

The most obvious phenomenon was when we had an exercise on an mock up "life-or-death" situation.  Those from the "thinking" group showed no empathy at all to those who died while the "feeling" group reacted as if their teammates were really dying.

At the end of the class, one of the managers asked the instructor how we can tell what "types" our customers are if they are not given the test.  Aha, I can tell he is very much a thinking type then - having no sensitivity on other perons’ feeling and behaviour. 

In some of the cases, what you can see is not the real thing.  Just like in the movie "十分愛" (which exceeded my expectation, to be honest).  Some people may look very serious at work (they have to be) but in fact a very kind-hearted persons.

試過 Morton’s 以後大概沒再吃過像樣的牛扒。

今晚跟朋友在 one fifth grill 晚飯，因為飯前去了 happy hour，已經沒停過口吃小食，以為自己不會太有胃口。

但還是點了一個 5-course dinner。

頭盤是鵝肝，夠份量，表面煎得夠鬆化，內裡入口即溶。

餐湯是三色湯，waiter 很鄭重地提示要先喝 mushroom soup，再喝牛尾湯，最後喝蕃茄湯，一定要依次序喝。意思當然是由淡到濃，每「杯」份量跟 schnapps 差不多，喝罷剛好．．．飽了。

Main course 是紐西蘭牛扒。明明已經飽了，還是覺得美味，order medium rare，就真是 medium rare（這點很多餐廳也做不到），而且肉質很好。牛扒是 grilled 的，肉質出奇地鬆軟，水準頗高。

我本身愛吃牛肉，但只對質素好的牛肉有好感，我看一間西餐廳是否出色，通常都會試牛扒。牛扒像樣，餐廳不會差得到哪裡去。

基本上由頭盤到咖啡都沒有失手的地方。

朋友比我先到，到達時她稍稍地告訴我經理給了她一張 coupon，buy 2 get 1 free，明明是已經送了入口的羊，還給我們 discount，算是大方。埋單每人不到五百，很合理。

http://www.openrice.com/big5/sr2.htm?shopid=14754

至親的人因病而記不起自己，固然是痛。發現至親的人原來一直不是自己認識的一個，最後也不能當面弄個明白，更是痛。

想說的是徐步高的家人。

這些日子以來，除了他的妻子及母親，其他證人及至傳媒的報導，對於這一個人都是負面的，當然我相信，人有多面，我們面對家人，面對朋友，面對工作，有時都有不同的面孔。只是，明白還明白，要面對整個香港的人，又是另一個問題。

看罷整個死因裁判，我覺得除的家人的回應相當得體。尤其是他的母親，表現得很堅強，她說他人已經不在，她在場聽審是對他的唯一支持，因為他已經不能作辯。在母親眼中，兒子永遠是個好人。她看到的，從來只是好的一面。對於裁決，她選擇接受，對於以後的路，她選擇堅強地生活下去。

一個六十多歲的平凡女人，面對全港的傳媒，壓力其實很大。可以大方面對，頗令人尊敬。

試想像，當你事業如日方中，忽然發現患上了年輕的老人痴呆症，你的記憶力開始快速衰退，衰退得在鬧市中也可以迷路，衰退得連自己下屬的名字也記不起，工作能力沒有了，漸漸地照顧自己的能力也沒有了。明明是一家之主，卻只能呆在家中，等待妻子下班回家，自尊心沒有了。

試想像，當你一生相夫教子，女兒長大了，要出嫁了，發現丈夫患上了老人痴呆症，要出外工作，因為沒有工作經驗，被認為跟一個高中生沒有分別，下班後要照顧丈夫，要擔心他忘記了吃飯，還擔心他有一天連自己的會忘記了。

妻子偉大，選擇了不離不棄，再辛苦也堅持照顧丈夫。但畢竟也是人，再偉大也有受不了的時候，丈夫埋怨她早出晚歸，她受不了，哭訴他過去也是如此，沒有關心過女兒的成長，以往家中所有事情她都獨力承受，哭訴他以往是何等自私。

女兒奉子成婚，原本覺得丟臉。在那一刻他卻感到還可以留下一點的記憶是如此珍貴。回憶是生命中很珍貴的一部份，沒有了回憶，便什麼都沒有了。

沒有誇張的情節，卻細緻動人。有一刻，我以為導演是個女性。老套說句，還是要珍惜現在的所有。

如果你已婚，一日出 trip回來發現睡房內有陌生香水味，還發現床上有支唇膏，你會怎樣做？

A. 立即扯火，找老公出來問過究竟。

B. 扮冇事發生，一於死扮無知，叫自己咩都唔好諗，如常生活。

C. 表面冇事，暗地裡扮私家偵探查出真相。

昨晚早早回家，看了一套肥皂劇，劇情就是壞女人見客前弄髒了衣服，上司建議她上他家，借他太太的衣服穿，壞女人臨離開時竟在他的房間內噴滿了自己的香水，還刻意在床上留下唇膏。

太太回來時，男人已經把下午的事情忘記了，太太發現了，偷偷地把唇膏收起。

第二天，太太借意上男人公司，說想跟老公 lunch，但是老公有 appointment，她就跟他的同事去吃飯。其間拿出某香水的 discount coupons，問有沒有人有興趣，當中女同事都說自己不用那牌子的香水。她又從地下拾起一支唇膏，問是不是她們掉了的，女同事說那牌子的香水和唇膏，是公司某女同事的 "signature"。太太就明白了。

心水清的同事覺得奇怪，回公司就問起上司來。那晚，女人當沒事發生一樣，男人回家後忐忑不安，正在盤算應不應把「真相」說出來。那時女人就無知地告訴老公自己發現自己多了支唇膏，不知是不是在什麼地方拿錯了別人的。

第二天，女人再上男人公司，見到壞女人，客氣地跟她說，她以為錯拿了別人的唇膏，已經丟了，所以特地買了支新的給她。壞女人又問她覺得她的香水味如何，女人笑說，她跟老公都傷風了，根本聞不到香水味。

聰明的女人，表面是無知，即漫不經心地讓所有人知道她發現了什麼。

We were taught that determination leads to success.  I sometimes can’t really see the difference between determination and stubbornness.  Perhaps, when you succeeded, you were determined.

In the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness", Will Smith was determined.  Because he was successful at the end.  What if he couldn’t get the job?  He was silly then.  (and there would be no such a story)  He could find another sales job and continued his stably difficult life instead of giving up everything and pursuited his rich man dream.

A friend of mine was crazy about a girl.  He thought he could win her heart back.  He is determined.  What if what he was chasing after was only the "memories" left, but not the "real she" in the present moment?  He is stubborn then.  He knows that even if he and the girl were together again, the feeling won’t be the same because she has changed.

Andy Lau’s super fan was determined.  She spent all her money, re-mortgaged her house, sold his father’s kidney - and all she wanted was to see her idol.  Afterall, it was all not realistic and people think as she is just insane. 

Maybe when you are after something which is "achievable" - you are determined.  I sometimes imagine, what if a close friend of mine chooses to give up everything and pursuits an artistic dream, would I be supportive?  These are the very old stories we heard from film directors, famous singers, and performers, etc.  They started with pennyless - and they got the supports from their families and blah blah blah.  When we heard those stories, we knew that they were finally successful.  What about the vast majority who at the end became the nameless singers in night clubs?

Afterall, I guess it is personal choice.  If a person is happy with chasing his / her dream, and without regret no matter what the result is, that’s fine.

先旨聲明，以下內容並不代表本人立場，只是覺得有趣，想分享一下。

最近的熱門新聞是內地遊客來港買錶被騙。電台主持笑謂遊客到消費者委員會投訴時，滿面笑容，看似想上報多於想討錢。

有些人不介意自己被騙，「被騙得起」似乎是種福份，似乎是要告訴你他花得起十多萬買假錶，而且只是「面果浸」，毫不傷身。

剛巧今天另一則新聞是模特兒騙案，這類十多年前已出現的騙案，真是「橋唔怕舊，最緊要受」。主持人也笑說那些被騙的人，可能自覺花一兩萬後感覺像大明星般被看待也是值得。

事實上像我這類又沒財又沒色的人最不怕被騙。我想起「姨媽的後現代生活」，姨媽被騙了所有金錢後，回到東北生活，感覺上隨即老了幾十年。朋友告訴我，其實姨媽可能不覺得可憐，她賠上了金錢，卻買回了戀愛的感覺，什麼都沒有了的時候，回到老家再過平淡的家庭生活，可能比起寂寞地在上海生活終老還好。

到我老了，可能會包個小白臉，他騙我財，我騙他色，呵呵呵～！

I am a coffee person and need coffee everyday.  During the Easter holiday, I visited Ngon Ping and Lamma Island - guess what, all I have bought was tea. (Yes, a shopaholic bought ONLY tea!!) 

There is a Wing Wah in Ngon Ping.  I found that the tea packaging was so attractive and hence I bought a few.

In Lamma, there is an organic farm called "Herbaland" near Hung Shing Yeh Beach and all the tea leaves were from that farm.

These are what I bought:

Ginseng Tea - For my mother

Wild Hawthorn Fruit Drink (with New Zealand honey) - I think it is good when I have eaten too much.

St. John’s Wort - To heal depression and skin irritation.  My friend recommended it because it is good for my skin problems (recently I have developed shingles on my neck).

Chamomile - Against sore stomach, skin irritation and can be used as gentle sleep aid (so I guess it means relaxing purpose).

Bergamot - Good for appetite, and against anxiety, and cold sores.

Lemon Grass - Except for making Tom Yum Soup, I think it can fight against fatigues and strengthen the immune system.

I am now in a Jurlique store…