Yamato

Favourite place to have noodle soups, it's affordable, huge soup, simple and fast.

Me and David have been looking for a small place in Flagey, preferable not so far from Guru bar or Belga, where the expat population is the biggest to open a simple place like this one. We have been thinking of serving only noodles, things that are simple and fast. David actually knows how to make fresh noodle with his hands (for the show and marketing? ;-))

Europeans usually like waiting for their foods, and the expat community is always eager to find out new places to hang out. As much as they love their traditional cuisine, they also love exotic, new concept foods. Ixelles is a good place and is famous for its foreigner community. Just eavesdrop a table next to you in Belga (if you manage to find a seat), everybody speaks English, plenty of them work for the EU commission as stagaires, or going to the weekend market in Flagey, plenty of expats...

There is a market, and we need to find a place, a concept, and good organization, sure it will be success, and the investment is low. I am not thinking of opening any big, trendy restaurant at the time being, not only talking about finance but the risk for is also as big...If we open something small and it is a flop, it is still a lesson...

Anyway, that's the plan. Open a small place, and serve foods fast (in Yamato, they have only three persons working usually, the Japanese guys in the kitchen, the guy who takes orders, and the girl who washes dishes, the point is everybody knows what they have to do, no big shout, walking around...), and then another in area that has a similar customer's profiles...

No need for big trendy restaurants, the one who brings us profit and customers. The bottom line is having customers=profit=excess in cash=money in the pockets ;-). You can't do much thing without money, and that includes helping others.

Do you know Bill Gates and his wife give more money than the WHO for researching cure for aids, being with the children in Africa?

Mission never accomplished ;-)

Miso Katzu Ramen

Gyuza in Yamato

Merde Actually and Hotel Babylon

Just finished a sequel of "A year in the Merde", which was a self-published book that got well-known by word of mouth a few weeks ago. It's nice to see how well he described the culture clash between being a British, living in France.

"Merde Actually" is how the same British guy, lived in France for a year, opened a tea house in Paris, then went back to England to visit friends and found out how he disliked it ;-). I thought that was strange because for me the more we have been away, or travelling to different places, we tend to love and appreciate our country more (yeah? is that really so? sarcasm in brain). No, seriously...

His writing style is wit, sarcastic...But I found the "Merde Actually" is less superficial than the first one, that is probably good news for the writer, it means he has improved.

Currently, I am reading the Hotel Babylon book, everything in the book was experienced by an anonymous guy, who is working in a five star hotel in London, and he is obviously telling them. It's funny, easy read, and gives a good insight of how hotel function.

The service industry, the one that I will enter in is rather exciting, it's tough, it's as stressful as any other jobs...how the barman serves you a vodka when you are not drunk yet, and when you are drunk, one shot of vodka is served only haft, and that the barman can bring home a bottle of vodka every month ;-). We will get to meet plently of different types of people, including famous Hollywoood stars like Richard Gere who asked the hotel to change the carpet in his room, and after that he never comes back ;-). It's about the guest, and how smart we are to serve them. It's about how we can manipulate the room rate every day, every hour to maximum room revenue. All that sounds so promising...

So far it has been a good and enjoyable read.

I am tired...really tired

My brain will explode if I keep on entering information ;-). Every time after the progress tests, I always tell myself that I will study during the week, so at the end I won't have to read a lot. Unfortunately, I also find plenty of reasons for me not to commit to that.

Anyway, it is terrible when you have a serious exam or test in school, your brain is haft awake, haft sleeping, you are basically a walking zombie due to sleepless night of reading to many academic materials, you go to the exam, and sit next to a girl who put on perfume (I guess our brain is more sensible to smell in time like that) that gives you a continuous headache from beginning till the end. That's not only it! She has this way of talkkkkking that makes you feel cold in your spikes...

"Helllllo, how are yyyyyou?"
"Fine, how's about you?"
"Finnnnne, I can't wait to finish my exxxxxxams, you knnnnnnow. I am going to Spainnnnn"

Gosh, can't she speak normal or what? That's the thing about going back to school when you have worked because even though they are not that younger than you, you still feel old ;-), and most of the "young" behaviours kinda irritate you ;-). Now I can see how I will be when I get to grandma age ;-)

Anyway, I will not go back to school again once I finish this hotel studies, remind me too much why I couldn't wait to finish my bachelor before.

Dinner alone

Thao's exam portion ;-)

Big fat boy ;-)

Adam Abler (Adam Apple)

Super movie!!!!!

I guess that is probably why plenty of cool people are going to BIFFF every year because for some movies they don't get the chance to see them in theater. And usually those are good ones.

I haven't seen such a good comedy (or drama??) in a long time. Danish people certainly are positive thinking people. It was a sad story but we couldn't help to laugh because well it is too sad? It is like there is no taboo in their society or something, they can talk and laugh about things that most people won't laugh.

And certainly getting out of prison, surrounding with such positive energy thinking might be quite shocking ;-), but at the end, Adam did sing "How deep is your love?" instead of hanging a picture of Hitler in his room, no? ;-)

A movie that is worth to have on DVD!

Brand communication

FT Weekend had a headline on L'Oreal takes over the Body Shop. I remember three years ago, when I chose Anita Roddick, the founder of the Body Shop as my entrepreneur subject to present in school.

She is against animal testing on comestic products, and has done plenty of ethical campaigns. However, she has failed to protect her initial idea that is to demonstrate that there are ways to make beauty products without having to test on poor animals. The Body Shop like many franchising brand has lost in core business, they have become like any other companies which profit is driven. The Board of Directors do not care whether today they have saved how many animals in the lab but how much sales they make for them to earn more. That is probably why Anita and her husband stepped down from the board and becomes non-executive of directors after last attempt to sell the Body Shop failed in 2002.

That is to say how difficult it is to keep your passion along in doing business. Like Jamie Oliver, he has gone far from TV chef, his restaurant "15", to being the face of J Sainbury, his face on cooking ware, on cooking oils, on foods...etc. He is blurring the lines between advertising and entertainment, is this a good thing?

On a less serious note, I went to see "The New World", and if you haven't seen it, please save your money, stay away from it. So boring, what has gone wrong with Colin Farrel?

New Chinese words of the day:

Lao gong: modern word for husband?? Baby?
Lao puo: Wife
Wo ai ni: I love you (this is not new, just new in the funny context that I learnt it)
Wo ye zi: me, too
Jin tian wang shang ni zuo shen me? What are you doing tonite?
ni sha ma? Are you stupid?
Jia na li? where is...?
er sin: disgusting
hao duo: enough, a lot...
Fei chang nan: very difficult
Fei chang jian dan: very easy
ni shi fo yao chu qu?: you wanna die?
qing ren: lover
fen zi: crazy

"Lao gong, jin tian ni hao ma?"
"Jin tian, wo ai ni" ;-)
"er sin"

Girl talk

"I went to two baby showers last weekend, it likes babies are poping out all over the places, I can even step on them. And god, all the noises they make. Horrible."

"Oh yeah, tell me about it"

"I remembered the first time I changed diapers when I was baby sitting, i do not like their shit, then their nose were running, saliva...They don't have manners. I would prefer to take care of old people"

"Are you crazy?Old people are even worse, imagin if you have to change clothes for an old guy, his balls hang like tea-bags" ;-)


"Oh, no please"

"The worse thing with people who have babies is that once they have babies, they start making their faces like babies. Terrible. I don't like babies"

"Nooo, they are babies, you like them"

"Uhhhhh, no"

"What's about when you have your own babies?"

"Then, it's ok because it's my dirt"

"Well, guys, can we pls change the subject? After all, we are still talking about babies" ;-)

.......

...."let's talk about guys" ;-)

"Anything new?"

phone ring

"Thao, not again...who is that?"

"Sorry ;-), it's not my fault that too many guys like me ;-))"

"OOHHHH, pleassssse elaborate"

Read out sms "how are you? I walked the whole day today, so tired. I forgot to say that you looked super cute on Fox's birthday"

"eheheheh"

phone keeps on ringing

"Ah beh, who is it this time?"

LOL..."Jeeze, can't believe it, another one"

read out sms "Hi, how was your weekend?"

"You should definitely go for either of them"

I must be crazy to listen to them ;-)

Chica

She is so beautiful. When she walks, it's really like a girl, shaking her arse :-), and she has so beautiful eyes, especially with the long curly eyelashes

Social problem

It seems like people have a tendency of killing themselves in metro station while it could be easier if they just kill themselves with pills or jump from their windows instead. Well at least, that would prevent other people to blame them for f*cking problems with the metro at peek hours! As if only with metro they are sure they will die.

Several times this year it has happened. Killing ourselves is already considered as a sin because we are responsible to parents who brought us into this world, especially mom who had to carry us for nine months long, and painful delivery...Anyway, if we do not love our body, who will? I can understand that there are times which we think life could be so difficult, wishing that we were not born, that nobody is going through what we are going through. I guess there are a lot of people out there really need help, someone to listen to them, try to share the pain, and let them know that we as well have problems, so that they don't feel like they are the only one who fight.

Unfortunately people are too busy, busy to say hello, busy to send friends a mail to ask how they are, busy to call others for news, busy to attend a BD party of friends, busy to take time and listen, busy with their own small problems, busy to love, busy to enjoy life...etc. Selfishness has become a standard in daily life. Anyway, I guess today my problem is not only about being stuck for 1 h in the metro station because someone killed herself, but also, that there are plenty of people try to kill themselves everyday for silly reasons, and noone seems to care, it's sad. Imagin that it can be one of our friends who need help and we don't know.

Anyway, I spent the whole weekend eating. Yesterday, one of uncle's friends who owned a quite well-known Belgian style restaurant in Uccle, "Les Petit Pere" invited us to join them to try out dishes of their new recruited chef cook. Apparently, recently, the horeca industry is not doing very well in Belgian, and therefore many chefs have proposed themselves to go for a trial before being actually hired. So, it was fish in starter, steak with bearnaise, and then moilleux au chocolate, very simple dishes and sauces to see if they do them well...The restaurant has a very good wine collection, and has been recommended in many newspapers and event the Bullentin, as the result looking for a new chef requires a lot of effort, experiences and knowledges

A new trendy thing is if you wanna organise a dinner with friends now, there are some independent catering team whom you can call in advance, then they will come to your place, a chef, a waiter...to serve the whole dinner for you. It is like you go out but you eat in...Many young couples with a high earning or dual earnings are really in for this. Something to consider?

The one who has the forever wedding celebration ;-)

Thinking...."marrying a Belgian guy....hmmm" ;-) ) okey, where can I find 'em? ;-)

Old men

Present time ;-)

....and it's not yet the end ;-P

Happy Birthday, Foxy!!!!! ;-)

Surprise Fox ;-)

As stylish, as smart the way he always does, this birthday was with many new year's resolutions to be accomplished ;-))

Electrabel with electricite verte

Old tiles are in fashion again

Not only old stuffs is in fashion, but also there are plenty of new construction materials, home utilities...The theme is on energy saving, wellness, and less physical work (lawn cutting robot)...

So, I guess the next generation will have short arms and legs, only the head gets bigger ;-)

Home project 2006:

Sauna at home
Solar enery capture installing for heating

Batibouw 2006

Belgium's Atomium

France has Eiffel Tower, Belgium has the Atomium. It is one of the most astonishing buliding in the world, and major landmark on Brussels's skyline. It has recently reopened its door after one year of renovations.

The Atomium was designed by Andre Waterkeyn, an engineer for the Internatinal Exhibition of Brussels that took place in 1958. Its struture is haftway between sculpture and architecture.

There are nine spheres, each is 18 meters large, and is joined by tubes. It is made with steel clad and alummium, about 102 meters high and is held on two big bipods.

Small country but many great minds ;-)

Black bean ice-cream

My most favourite childhood's ice-cream ;-). At the time, there were many tastes, green been, durian...etc, and we could rarely afford it. Besides, mom said they were not good for the teeth ;-)

A bit like Italian ice-cream with a coconut milk flavour....MMMM

The important of birth certificate ;-)

I called a friend this morning to wish her a happy birthday, but it is not today ;-). It is funny because I remember Fox's birthday, hers is just a little bit earlier than his, and I was sure that it's on the 7th of March ;-)

It was nice to speak to her anyway, and I am asked to be witness for her wedding with her sweetheart ;-). Normally, they plan to have it on the 1st of April (date they two get together, and it will be easier to remember only a date-so cute ;-)), but there is a slightly problem because he does not have a birth certificate. He was orphan, and was adopted by his Belgian mother. I don't understand how all his life until now, he has managed to get away from having a birth certificate. So, now he has to wait to have news from Korea ;-)

It will be a small ceremony in the town hall, only witnesses and parents, they don't want to make a big wedding, and certainly not the type of people who like that either. Of course, there will be a dinner for friends coming later. I like wedding like that actually, simple, where there are not a lots of people looking at you ;-). After all, it is about two persons living together hopefully for the rest of their life.

Cris is back from her honeymoon trip in Thailand, "I have a great time in Thailand, thank to you" (thank to me????), "and I know I love "Jeremie" a lot" (funny this sentence, don't know why ;-))

Noodle soup

Another starter-beijing duck ;-)

Starters

The food shopping

My most favourite Chinese vegetable and simple fried rice

Memoirs of a Geisha

I have been long waited for this movie because I loved the book. The review was a mixture between good and bad, most of the comments were just on the casting, and not about the movie itself, but in my personal opinions, it was fine.

It truly reflected the book, not much has been changed. Even though the part about the young Chiyo was quite long, it was still entertaining. There was still something missing in the main actress, who was Sayuri, she didn't fully convey her feelings for the chairman, and somehow, didn't reflect Sayuri very well. But Gong Li was very good in her Hatsumomo's role, beautiful as the same time mean, and her eyes are sharp like a knife. I love the Chairman ;-), he is so calm, generous, caring, a good man, and well, Ken Watanabe is sexy! (I guess this is how a woman describes someone she loves, maybe in reality the chairman wasn't that cool if it was someone else who told the story ;-P)

The main casting was mostly Japanese, except the three main beautiful women in the movie ;-). Fox said because Japanese are not beautiful, they wear too much make up ;-). I wonder if it is matter whether she is Chinese or Japanese? as an actress/actor, we can play different roles as long as we are capable to act well.

I guess this controversy of the casting is due to the fact that many Chinese/Japanese still not forget about the war. Every time I talk to any of my Chinese friend, they always say that they do not like Japanese, "They are strange and cold"...That is to say how terrible the wound of war left in people.

We went to HK Delight to eat before the movie, and after the movie we decided to have a drink, so we ended up in Belga cafe. This cafe is getting more and more crowded, they probably have to extend the place. So only after a beer, we planned to go to Roxy, but then found a cosy, trendy wine bar, so we had very good Californian and Sicilian wines.

Has wine bar become a trendy thing? or is it because we are just getting old?