Foxymoron

I heart Internet

With my reconnection to the online world, I've been able to do some serious surfing on my day off. I don't know what the kids listen to these days but now with the WWW, I can investigate. Today's wonderful discovery comes not in the form of a band or album, but a website: Pandora by the folks who brought us Music Genome Project.

The site (via Creative Generalist) is simple. Type in the name of a song or an artist and based on the music — and just the music itself — Pandora will play songs it thinks you will enjoy. I've experimented with the site and it's been hit and miss. When I asked for something similar to the Stars, I got Garbage and other pop-rock that didn't sound quite as dreamy as I like the Stars to be. But when I input Bloc Party, I discovered We Are Scientists and Convoj, bands I enjoy and follow what Pandora says "electric rock instrumentation, subtle use of harmony, mild rhymic syncopation, mixed acoustic and electric instrumentation and a vocal-centric aesthetic." Clearly, this isn't perfect but by giving suggested songs a thumbs up or down, you can help Pandora adapt and adjust the settings to your preference.

If you are just looking for a good laugh, I suggest this video of screaming Japanese girls wearing steak hats. Har har har. This ones makes me chuckle everytime. Two questions arise upon my second viewing of this clip: 1 - Is screaming contagious? 2 - Is it wrong to want a Japanese schoolgirl as a pet?

The digest version of the situation

The digest version of the situation is this: I'm in Hong Kong still. My internship at The Standard is over but I've taken a fulltime job as a reporter at the Metro desk, daily news stuff, basically the same thing I did as an intern.

I've also moved out of the apartment in Kowloon Bay, crossed the harbour and moved into a smaller apartment in Quarry Bay. Despite the fact that I can't brush my teeth without banging my left elbow and the fan in the bathroom turns on whenever it wants to, I like this apartment a lot. It's cozy and I can actually get a salad somewhere besides McDonalds.

The refrigerator arrived this afternoon. It's cute, made in China and came with a sticker in the top right corner of two cartoon boys in speedo swimsuits (see above). Hmm? Read what you will into that. I still lack a sofa which will arrive Sunday morning already put together by the kind folks at Ikea. Now all I need is a couple extra chairs, cutlery and a coffee table.

So yes, I'm in Hong Kong for at least another year. We'll see where this path takes me. Unfortunately, I'll miss Sammy's wedding next month because all this means I'll be spending the upcoming holidays here in Hong Kong, sans family and close friends, not to mention snow. But that's OK, I'll have WTO protestors and bird flu articles to keep me occupied. I do miss Toronto a lot and plan on coming back for a holiday and Trudie and Keith's wedding in August.

That's the plan but when you're 25, unmarried and without kids, plans change.

So that is the digest version of the situation.

Media Darling

Here are pictures from the Chris Patten book signing earlier this month. As I mentioned earlier, my father was interviewed by two news crews for being the first guy in the no ticket line and the guy who was on his way to the airport with luggage in hand. I challenge you to show me a cuter dad.

Promises Promises

I just dropped Mom off at the airport. The visit was too short, but very productive as I am now a proud resident of Quarry Bay and no longer a reluctant resident of Kowloon Bay. I shall get into specifics about everything going on in Hong Kong and my in my mind later. Tomorrow, the Internet people will reconnect me with the online world at home and everything will be good again. I've been so busy at work lately I haven't had much time to think, let alone think of what to write. But in due time, there will be regular blogging, new photographs and all that other stuff.

Stay warm, Canadians!

Rock-n-it

Dad is gone but not before making a notable television appearance while he waited in line to meet Hong Kong's last governor, Chris Patten. He appeared on Jade news here and even all the way back home in Canada. Now dad's happily a television star because he's so gosh darn cute.

This weekend has been gruelling and I think I'm coming down with something fluish. Still, I'm heading back to Rockit this afternoon. I wrote a long feature about Hong Kong's only music festival that appeared in yesterday's Weekend magazine. It's one of the things I'm prouder of, mainly because it was my idea and I'm fairly content with its result. I saw some really decent bands yesterday including home grown Qiu Hong, whose lead singer was engaging and political -- not a common thing in the general Hong Kong music scene. Unfortunately, Saturday's headline Brian Jonestown Massacre couldn't make it to the show and was replaced by the entertaining Princess Superstar.

Will report more later.

Homeless

Spending the days working and eating and going through the painful process of finding an apartment. When I was apartment hunting with Jennie and Yvonne, it was fun. There was no pressure and we had a good idea of what we wanted. Here, in Hong Kong, where the rent is ridiculous (about double what it is in Toronto) and the apartments half the size, it's not enjoyable at all. The point is, I have very little time to find a suitable home and I'm afraid that I'll just have to settle for a shoebox close to the Chinese border, like a shack in Mai Po in harmony with the avian flued wild birds.

Regardless, you will have a place to sleep when you come visit.