Houston trip

The yearly face to face marketing summit is to be held in Houston next week.

Because of the way things are, I told my managers politely that I did not want to go, especially since I am not presenting.

They insisted. So I am going, very reluctantly until I found out that,
1. I can't rent a car, only managers get a car. Rest of us slaves, car pool.
2. I can't fly out on a Saturday, cost is higher, only managers get that priviledge. So I am flying Friday evening.
3. Everyone else is in a more expensive hotel where the managers are placed - but because I didn't insist, I am not there.

Now you understand why I hate this department. It's full of bullshxx.

I need a new job.

Tragedy on the highway

After the entire mountain slid off onto the highway, they dug 4 days non-stop 24/7 with up to 30 exacavators, an endless line of trucks to cart away the earth, and finally last night, they reached metal.

It was car debris.

According to experts, it all happened and ended within 5 seconds. The impact was so great cars were mangled so bad, in 1 car, the 2 bodies were mangled together.

As of this morning, the operation went from rescue to road clearance.

To the folks working their guts out - thank you.
To the families grieving their dead - may God bless you and the souls.
To the rest of us - let us give God thanks and be joyful always, because you never know when everything will end, abruptly.

Landslides in Taiwan

The rainy season hasn't even started yet and there's already a horrible landslide. In Chinese, the term used is 走山, or the mountain shifted. Based on the pictures, it looks like the entire mountainside fell over and dumped tons of soil all over the No. 3 Freeway between Taipei and Keelung.

This happened Sunday night, and reports have it that, 3 cars appears to be buried underneath.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2010/04/27/2003471589

And a TV reporter said that between Mar/Apr last year and this year compared, the no. of earthquakes big enough to be felt went up from 58 to 116 (or something like that, I can't quite remember). But close to double.

Truly, man is changing the earth. In ways that is not good.

Pain pain...

Against the grain of lazy Saturdays, I took a 20min jog before dinner. Then on Sunday I went for a good session of lap climbing - skipped 3 weekends in a row due to being out in the mountains...


Monday I woke up to a familiar ache - arms and legs. So I lay in bed whimpering to myself until 10am until finally God got so disgusted at my malaise, he threw me out of bed with an earthquake, 6.6 magnitude centered in Lanyu island - dived there once :)

It's 6.30pm on a Monday evening, I am contemplating a McDonald's dinner ahead of tonight's conf call. Hmm...

5th Anniversary

As the church celebrates the 5th anniversary of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, I pause to think... has it been 5 years? Wow... I remember watching the entire new pope election process on TV totally captivated.

Issues remain, paedophiles priests in our midst and such. I pray that we all guard against evilness, darkness. The church of God will prevail, there is no doubt, we need to watch each and every heart. It begins with the first step for everyone.

I know what my first steps are, I just wish I can do it! Endure Felicia!

The things over and beyond...

Just because I tend to ignore the mysteries in life/unexplained/strange stuff, like how do the huge status get to where they are on Easter Island, or how were the Pyramids built etc... Does it mean they don't exist?

Because of my firm belief in my soverign Lord and God who reigns over everything on and above earth, I'm usually annoyed to talk about other gods/alien beings.. whatever. I find the lack of respect to my God very hard to stomach.

BUT...

If you think about it, it does not mean it does not exist...

Hmmm...

I think I sleep too little and play too much BubbleTown late into the nights.

Good nite.

Weekends in the mountains...

I spent the last 2 weekends in the mountains...

First it was Alishan for fireflies
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8062670@N07/sets/72157623722672971/

Then Hualien, where we tackled 2 trails very breathtaking views
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8062670@N07/sets/72157623758252739/

The first trip was relatively easy - almost no walking except for a 1-hr hike that turned out to be a 3-hr strenous walk within a thick bamboo forest so green and lush that I felt like a panda taking a walk. And it prepared us for the next trip which was 11k of steep ups and downs day 1 and 28k on day 2 that cost us a long time to complete.

Excellent views and absolutely fantastic companionship. Kudos to the organizers.

Now I need to recover - both in terms of work/emails and also in terms of my aged legs.

Plus my uncle is in town and I've been neglecting him.

So who says lizards are good climbers?

At the rock gym on Wednesday, there was a helpless gecko/house lizard running helter-skelter all over the floor in search of cover.

Obviously it has fallen from the rock wall - methinks the roof... (because Honda was there and yelling at something).

In short, it was a lousy climber. I would grade it a 5a free-solo. It's saving grace is that it's got very pretty tiger like stripes on its body. Kinda creepy, was too scared to go closer for a better shot.

Made belayers a little apprehensive all night, we'll belay, then nervously look around our feet.

Happy Maundy Thursday

And into the final triduum.

Tonight over mass, Father washed the feet of 12 people (men symbolising the 12 disciples). Technically he only washed 1 foot each to save time :)

Father Cary is an awesome preacher, he is very technical plus a dry wit, so his sermons are really good. Part of what makes him good is that he is very particular about details - things have to be done right.

Knowing this and knowing him, I didn't dare step forward to snap this picture. I think it is ok, I should think it is ok, but you never know... I took it from my seat :)