Errands 2011.2.10

During lunch hour, I went to 3 banks to renew my savings passbook and do some transactions.

Besides using the on-line banking, I realize that it is important to use strategy to use the counter service.

Within such a short time, less than 20 minutes, I successfully finished all the transactions in three banks.

First, I checked with the counter in the first bank, there were 3 waiting before me, then I got the coupon first.

Crossed the street, went to other bank, waited for one person, and renewed my savings passbook, and checked out gift voucher.

After the transactions, returned to the first bank, it was just the time my turn, approached the counter and finished the transaction.

Then, I walked along San Ma Lou to the last bank, instead of entering to the premium customer area, there was only 1 waiting in the public service line, I got the coupon, and waited for 2 minutes, then, finished my last transaction.

Today, I found out the waiting time was not so long, but the time on walking to the nearby banks was very long, as San Ma Lou was full of passengers, and I could not pass through easily.

I don't like the CNY weeks, when San Ma Lou is always full of visitors.

Inside the Casino

I heard a story from my friend.

During Chinese New year, there were many people from main land China, and they visited the casinos.

Many of them were rich and were exciting to gamble in the casinos.

However, interesting story was some people even didn't know how to play.

My friend once saw a man with 1,000,000 dollars in the VIP casino, and asked around  for instruction -" how to play" !!

For this kind of people, we just wonder why there are so many rich people in China now? And where are the money come from?  Easy money, easy come, easy go??????

Details make difference.

Last week, when I was in the library, I accidentally saw a book that I looked for a long time, it was behind the librarian's shelf, I asked if I could check out that book, and I was told that someone has already reserved this.

As a result, I requested to reserve that book, however the librarian told me to do it on line, by myself. She had nothing to do at that moment, I didn't understand why she could not immediately help me.

At the same time, another librarian noticed that, he immediately helped me to reserve that book, with the workstation in front of him, it only needed few seconds - as the index of the book was in front of us.

With the help of the second librarian, I appreciated a lot of the service, but not the first one, I hope the front line people, especially the civil servants,  should be considerate, and use their heart to serve the public.

求婚大作戰主題曲--明天會放晴嗎(明日晴れるかな)

Proposal Daisakusen - 

Very nice music, I like it very much!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx1Pa7PQ_kE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl7J4I9yUJA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sMTs9-GnCE&feature=related

14 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

• by Country Living, on Wed Feb 2, 2011 

Save money and trips to the market with these tips and tricks fromRebecca DiLiberto’s Penny Saving Household Helper. You’ll be surprised how simpleit is to keep food at its best.

1.Line the bottom of your refrigerator’s crisper drawer withpaper towels. They’ll absorb the excess moisture that causesvegetables to rot.

2. To keep herbs tasting fresh for up to amonth, store whole bunches, washed and sealed in plastic bags, inthe freezer. When you need them, they’ll be easier to chop, andthey’ll defrost the minute they hit a hotpan.
3. A bay leaf slipped into a container offlour, pasta, or rice will help repelbugs.

4. Stop cheese from drying out by spreading butter or margarine on the cut sides to seal in moisture.This is most effective with hard cheeses sealed in wax.
5. When radishes, celery, or carrots have lost their crunch, simply pop them in a bowl of iced water along with a slice of raw potato and watch the limp vegetables freshen upright before your eyes.

6. Avoid separating bananas until you plan to eat them – they spoil less quickly in abunch.

7. Put rice in your saltshaker to stop the salt from hardening. The rice absorbs condensation that can cause clumps.

8. Stock up on butter when it’s on sale –you can store it in the freezer for up to six months. Pack th ebutter in an airtight container, so it doesn’t take on the flavor of whatever else you’re freezing.

9. In order to make cottage cheese or sour cream last longer, place the container upside down in the fridge. Inverting the tub creates a vacuum that inhibits the growthof bacteria that causes food to spoil.
10. Believe it or not, honey is the only non perishable food substance, so don’t get rid of the stuff if it crystallizes or becomes cloudy. Microwave on medium heat, in 30-second increments, to make honey clear again.
11. Prevent extra cooked pasta from hardening by stashing it in a sealed plastic bag andrefrigerating. When you’re ready to serve, throw the pasta in boiling water for a few seconds to heat and restoremoisture.

12. Keeping brown sugar in the freezer will stop it from hardening. But if you already have hardened sugaron your shelf, soften it by sealing in a bag with a slice of bread– or by microwaving on high for 30 seconds.

13. If you only need a few drops of lemon juice, avoid cutting the lemon in half – it will dry out quickly.Instead, puncture the fruit with a metal skewer and squeeze outexactly what you require.
14. If you’re unsure of an egg’s freshness, see how it behaves in a cup of water: Fresh eggs sink; bad onesfloat.

窮富翁大作戰

Good TV program made by RTHK, highly recommended.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WEljk_9PtQ

周啟邦子賣奶茶任速遞員

(星島)2011年2月8日 星期二 05:30

(綜合報道)
(星島日報報道)已故名流周啟邦之子周國豐大律師是「八十後」，參加今輯《窮富翁大作戰》目的是體驗青年人的社會向上流動機會，亦希望能平反「二世祖」之名。五日時間，他住在另一名八十後的家，先後在台式飲品店及速遞公司工作，他坦言非常辛苦，真切體會到青年人其實不怕捱，只怕沒前景、沒將來，亦是青年人「向上爬」要面對的最主要障礙。
體會沒前景困局
周國豐的窮人體驗期，與同齡青年人「阿坤」一同生活，晚上睡沙發。攝製隊給了周二百元作為五天的津貼，首日吃飯、交通已花去五十多元。眼見不夠用，唯有與阿坤一起煮麵填肚；然後在珍珠奶茶店工作九小時，因為肚餓而頭暈。他自言「日日做到無停手」，時薪卻只有二十四元，生活捉襟見肘。
後來他又嘗試任職速遞員，體會更深：「好辛苦，背著十公斤文件行勻全區，原來不是經常坐車的......食飯時間亦很短。」攝製隊亦為他「度身訂造」了一份學歷，中五畢業、會考中英數及格，讓他嘗試搵工尋求突破，「見一份鞋鋪售貨員的工，他說要有兩年經驗....每處都說要有經驗，我連試的機會都無，何來經驗？」

　　周國豐指，參與節目體會到現今八十後所承受的壓力與難處，「八十後本身不應是貶義詞，社會對他們標籤成懶惰、不上進亦很不公平。」他說，八十後其實不怕辛苦，工時長亦願意做，惟多年內「無人工加又無得升職，看不到前景和將來......做珍珠奶茶一年、兩年，之後又如何？數日來的感覺，就是得個做字。」 記者 馬志剛

總裁妻住綜援家「洗大餅」

(星島)2011年2月8日 星期二 05:30

(綜合報道)
(星島日報報道)十歲小學生姜詠琳，父親是美資銀行亞洲區總裁，與母親Cisy一起參加今輯節目。她要在較多基層學生的鮮魚行學校讀書，母親則要做兼職「洗大餅」，二人與領取綜援的新移民家庭共度五日時光。
從來十指不沾陽春水的Cisy，形容自己是「買米不知價」，節目中卻兼職洗碗，時薪二十七元，致昨日手指仍然合不起來，「可能是關節炎。」她說，拍攝過後與女兒的最大改變，是吃的態度，「以往關注好不好吃，事後就關注飽不飽肚。」她指，窮人沒錢就沒有安全感，吃完這一餐，不知道下餐是何時，飽肚對他們來說更重要。
做小販感覺像做賊
攝製期間，寄住的家庭熱水爐壞掉，她又要到鴨寮街配零件，十元、八元的逐件買來自己換，「窮人生活不只顧好溫飽，還要顧及其他生活上的意外，很困難。」人們常指窮人輸在人生起跑點上，Cisy坦言，「如果大家賽跑一百公尺，我的女兒早站在二百、三百公尺，站著都贏了......當然不會公平。」
親子集團行政總裁劉雪文亦放下身段，跑到天水圍做無牌小販賣衣服，「明明我在賺錢養家，卻總有像做賊似的感覺，怕走鬼。」
她形容，天水圍的基建設施都不錯，但地區偏遠、規劃未完善，種種細微因素加起來，就令天水圍成了「圍城」，「區內就業機會少，跨區就業交通時間長、車費貴，同樣難生活......很難走出困局，他們承受的心理壓力比身體承受的苦更大。」

　　記者 馬志剛

巷口子經濟學 - 鍾文榮

Start reading this book, and I have a feeling that I will love this book very much.

擺脫學院派窠臼，經普書籍全新定位！
入圍第三屆全球華人年度最佳商業應用部落格，重裝上陣！
從愛情、購物、生活看經濟，連婆婆媽媽都是經濟學家！

愛情是不是一場交易？洗衣精補充包為何比桶裝貴？
巷子口臥底經濟學家的全新經濟觀！剖析你日常生活中不為人知的經濟行為！

作者有感於國內經濟學「經普書籍」仍嫌過度學院化，故將平時在部落格、各大媒體、雜誌所發表過的文章，重新改寫整理，為市場上經濟學類書注入活化劑。讓學院派的經濟學重新在巷子口出發，讓市井小也可嘗試從經濟角度處理日常生活的問題。

作者以其幽默風趣、貼近生活的語調，在自己的部落格上分飾兩角，化身為「怡克納米斯（Economics）」，以第三者的角度來對話。輕鬆活潑的氛圍，獨樹一幟的寫作方式，為他的部落格帶來超高人氣與瀏覽量，更入圍2007年第三屆全球華人部落格大獎之「年度最佳商業應用部落格」。

本書特色：
●「經普書籍」的新定位

「巷子口經濟學」企圖擺脫學院派的窠臼，賦予經濟生活化的機能與新視野。作者有感於國內經濟學「經普書籍」仍嫌過度學院化，故將過去發表在報紙評論版專欄文章重新改寫，試圖賦予經濟學平易近人的新風貌，將學院派的經濟學重新在巷子口出發，讓市井小也可嘗試從經濟角度處理日常生活的問題。

●經濟時事部落格

入圍2007年第三屆全球華人部落格大獎之「年度最佳商業應用部落格」。

作者以其幽默風趣、貼近生活的語調來闡述經濟學原理。並於自己的部落格上分飾兩角，化身為「怡克納米斯（Economics）」，以第三者的角度來看經濟，並與自己對話。輕鬆活潑的氛圍，獨樹一幟的寫作方式，為他的部落格帶來超高人氣與瀏覽量，更因此入圍了2007年第三屆全球華人部落格大獎之「年度最佳商業應用部落格」。

「家庭啟蒙天使」Child Mentorship Scheme

http://www.soco.org.hk/children/main.htm

SUPPORTING THE LOW INCOME FAMILIES PROJECT (家友加油支援計劃)

http://www.soco.org.hk/ffs.htm

in Hong Kong. Among them, near 600,000 live off CSSA, the others are low income families. It is estimated that there are near 300,000 of them are low income or CSSA families with children. For these poor families, they suffer from not only financial difficulty, but also social isolation and poor family relationship as they lack of social network and resources. Consequently, domestic violence happened and the children suffer the most. The development of these children is sadly compromised.
According to the Statistics, the number of domestic violence is increased from 1,009 in 1998 to over 4,000 in 2006. Family economic problem is one of the significant reasons. It is found that most of the parents have low education background. Most of the abusers are Father and are the breadwinner of the family. They feel powerless and frustrated when they are unemployed or cannot support the whole family expenditure. The mothers, many of them are new immigrants from the Mainland China. Many new immigrant women have great difficulties in adjusting to the new society. Many of them are from the villages in the Mainland China and have received little education. Being uprooted from their network of friends and relatives, they are socially marginalized, as many do not speak the local Cantonese dialect and having little knowledge of the community resources and services in Hong Kong. Worse still, they commonly share negative self-image, being stigmatized as unintelligent and burdens of society. Therefore, many new immigrant women do not know how to seek help when they are prone to violence. Over 80% of them are new immigrant women in refuges. They need special services. 

There are about 360,000 children living in poverty in Hong Kong. Children living in such poor family background, they lack of resources and proper guidance. According to the surveys from NGOs and SoCO, it was found that these underprivileged children are low in self-esteem and their psychological and physical as well as social development is undermined.

For these low income families, they need holistic help. A holistic intervention approach should be adopted to help these low income families. Father, Mother and children all should be helped and trained to participate in community services, school communication, parenting skills and integration with community. Supporting network in employment, study, social integration should be built up for them.

1. Social integration and family guidance through One-To-One care - Family Friendship Scheme
Aims of the scheme:

What a woman!

Last night, I took a bus in the Nam Van bus station.

After getting in the bus,I got a seat.

The bus was not very crowded. A nicely dressed woman,  holding a cutie dog in her arms closely also got in swiftly, then following her was a man. the man paid the fare and without saying anything.

At that time, all the people in the bus watched the lady and the dog, while the driver told her that the dog was not allowed to take the bus, then the woman shouted.

She spoke fluent Mandarin, complained that the driver didn't tell her by the time she got in the bus, and  they have already paid two persons' bus fare.

She said that she would not get out, unless the driver gave her back the money.

She did stay on the seat, and all the passengers were quite surprised, as the driver was very polite, and her action was so quick and so rude.

It was not the driver, but the rules of the bus company as well as the government public transportation policy - no animals in the bus.

The couple dressed well, but according to my observation, they are uneducated, I am quite shameful being on the bus with her,  why we can not respect the others, as well as respect ourselves?

For more than 2 minutes, the couple tried to stay in the bus.

The woman still insisted to ride the bus, or the driver to pay them back the fare, which all of us knew that it is impossible, she just tried to bring trouble to the driver, I really felt sorry for the driver.

At last, the woman knew they could do nothing as the driver still waited for them to leave, the bus was still in the bus-stop, .....later on two of them left the bus.

I have a lot of sympathy of the workers who suffer form the unreasonable customers.