2017 大事回顾 2017 Reflections (Chin/Eng)

距离2018年还有五天,不知道今年的你有什么改变呢?

我就选择了一条新的路. 可以说让自己过了写意的一年.

年初的时候, 反思税务所的工作, 我觉得繁多的数据处理是将会被人工智能取代的.

我想尽早的发展自己的其他强项例如管理,顾客服务,沟通,和创作, 学习新事物, 挑战自己.

人生是充满希望的! 虽然人生不如意事十常八九, 但是我们的勇气,情商,和智慧会带领我们冲破难关.

There are five days left towards 2018. I don't know what changes have you made this year?

I chose a new way. It can be said that let me have a free year.

At the beginning of the year, to reflect on the work of the tax office, I think that a lot of data processing will be replaced by artificial intelligence.

I want to develop my other strengths as soon as possible such as management, customer service, communication, creation, learning new things, and challenging myself.

Life is full of hope! Although life is not always satisfactory, our courage, emotional intelligence, and wisdom will lead us through the difficulties.

60 Things to Do during Lifetime

Time to update the 60 Things to do achieved by Lilly

10 years ago, I read an article on Yahoo about "50 things to do", I modified the list and responded to those items, adding my own 10 goals.

Here are the list and the 40 things which I have achieved so far :-) Assuming I live forever, I can take it slow and enjoy every bit of the journey more! Keep going! 

1. Set foot on each of the seven continents. Travel around the world. Antarctica might seem like a tough one, but here’s how. Once you’ve reached all seven you can truly call yourself a world traveler. 

L: Africa and the Antarctica are the ones that remained for me to explore as a budget-minded wanderer)

2. Cross a country on a bicycle. A bicycle tour takes some planning, but it beats being separated from a country though a passenger-side window.

L: Not yet using a bicycle though but I have driven a car throughout the whole New Zealand (around the South and North islands)

3. Ride something bigger than a horse. Trekking through the jungle on the back of a two story tall elephant will surely be something you remember forever. 

L: Riding a huge and speedy ostrich in Malaysia at age of 15. 
Would like to try riding elephant and camel soon.

(在馬來西亞騎鴕鳥算不算？馬就當然有騎)

4. Live like a local for a month. The experience of visiting native peoples will give you way more insight into another way of life than two years hopping from one backpacker ghetto to the next. 

L: I have lived like a local for at least 10 years in U.S.A, HK and Canton area; and a month in Australia and New Zealand

5. Visit a “real” blues bar in Chicago. What better way to leave music’s commercialism behind and find the soul of the blues?

L: Done in 2016 Chicago Trip.

6. Learn another language. This is definitely a weighty and time-consuming proposition, but there are plenty of resources out there to ease the process.

L: Myself is trilingual (Cantonese, English, Mandarin); had learnt Hakka, Korean and Japan; Would like to learn more exotic languages depending on where I travel and live.

7. Go heli-skiing. The access to snow and terrain via heli is different (read: better) that anything else you’ll ever experience.

L: Not yet tried. Only took the helicopters a few time as a passenger due to different occasions. 

8. Travel India by train. With its extensive rail network, this mode of transport is the best way to see one of the world’s most colorful and diverse countries.

L: On my list ^^

9. Climb one of the world’s Seven Summits. Climbing mountains is not for the faint-hearted, but everyone has had a dream of standing atop one. 

L: Went to Rocky Mountain in Alberta, Canada and saw the Crowfeet Glacier on top of the Rocky Mountain

10. Dive with a whale shark. Swimming with these gentle giants is among the most powerful wilderness experiences in the world.

L: On my list ^^

11. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil. You haven’t had a good night out until you’ve been to the biggest party in a nation of big parties.

L: On my list ^^

12. Dance Tango in Argentina.

L: On my list ^^

13. Surf. It’s not about being a ripper but just catching waves.

L: On my list ^^

14. SCUBA in the Great Barrier Reef. The largest coral reef in the world is a must for dive enthusiasts. It is the world’s most unique aquatic environment. 

L: I experienced Snokeling in the Great Barrier Reef coz I am not a good swimmer :D

15. Publish an article about your travels. Part of traveling is sharing your experiences with others. Plus, getting published might be easier than you think. 

L: THIS BLOG COUNTS! And please check out my travel Youtube channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/loverainman1/

16. Volunteer abroad for a month. 

L: More than a month in the U.S.!

E.g. (1) Won a social enterprise showcase competition to help non profit -Student Voice Project to promote literacy 

(2) "I'm going to College" volunteer at Rose bowl to encourage college education

(3) UCLA one bus one cause volunteer - care for cancer patients

(4) Task captain for assisting elementary education, read to school kids in Los Angeles Unified School District

17. Follow in the footsteps of your favorite travel book. What better guide than a book that inspired you to travel in the first place?

L: I don't really follow any travel guide book because I like first hand experience and share my own stories. By the way, travel books are not as trendy as videos and blogs.

18. Take a bush plane ride into Africa’s interior. These lightly visited regions are filled with unique cultures and diverse wildlife.

 

L: On my list ^^

19. Cross a glacier on foot. Traversing these fast-disappearing natural wonders is an adventure that future generations might not be able to experience. 

L: Visited Glacier on the Rocky

20. Visit the source of one of the world’s great rivers. Great rivers, like the Nile, have humble beginnings.

L: On my list ^^

21. Climb an active volcano. 

L: Yellowstone Volcano in WY, USA; and The volcano in New Zealand

Photo by LM zone

22. Buy a boat and learn to sail. Before the Brothers Wright, everyone traveled by wind power. It’s still the most sustainable way to travel there is.

L: Sailed in Santa Barbara, Marina Del Ray, and Channel Islands (Santa Cluz). Didn't buy a sail boat though.

23. Follow your food from field to table. Most people in the world still eat what they have picked with their own hands. Why not get back to these basics?

L: I did tried handpicking crops and cook in a village of Canton area. Saw chicken and pig got slaughtered to be food. One of my dreams is to have my own garden one day so that I can have organic food supply. I recently like watching youtube channels about Food from field to table.

24. Bathe in the Ganges. What better way to experience the spiritual heart of India?

L: On my list ^^

25. Hold Koala Bear and pad Kangaroo in Australia.

L: Done in 2017 Australia Trip

26. Photograph an endangered species. Aside from an image you can keep for a lifetime, it will remind you, and others, how fragile life can be.

L: Photographed Whale, Dolphin, Elephant, Seals

27. Participate in Burning Man . As they say: “Trying to explain Burning Man to someone who has never been is like trying to explain color to a blind person.”

L: On my list ^^

28. Spend 24 hours alone in the jungle.

L: On my list ^^

29. Learn how to make a national dish. What is the one and only thing that everyone has in common? Eating.

L: Learnt how to make dumplings (Chinese National Dish); Olivia (Persian National Dish); Bibimbob (Korean); Sushi (Japanese); Singaporean Fried Noodles; Steak (British), etc

30. Teach English in a foreign country. Sure, it’s a way to fund your travels, but also the experience of a lifetime. 

L: Taught English at a high school in Mexico

31. Attend a music festival in another country. 

L: Music Festivals in the U.S.(such as blue grass music on Santa Monica Beach 2012, orchestra concert in Hollywood Bowl 2014, and Tylor Swift Concert in Rosw Bowl 2018); San Sebastián Street Festival - Puerto Rico (2020)

32. Cross a country using only public transportation. See a country the way most of its people do: from the window of a bus, train, or ferry. 

L: HK, China, U.S.A, Europe 2017

33. Spend the night in a storied/historic hotel. You might not even have to leave town to experience a night of classic atmosphere.

L: On my list ^^

34. Attend the Olympics. Whatever you say about the commercialism of the Olympic Games, they are one of the biggest events on the planet.

L: On my list ^^

35. Meet your favorite (living) travel writer. They’ve inspired you; now thank them for it.

L: On my list ^^

36.Travel to Germany to experience Love Parade or one of the world’s other big festivals.

L: Participated in Oktoberfest Beer Festival in Munich, Germany. The meeting of over 6 million beer aficionados and drinking song singers is one of the biggest parties in Europe.

37. Partake in a Japanese Tea Ceremony and wear Japanese traditional clothes "Kimono". This timeless tradition is at the heart of Japanese culture.

L: Done in 2017 Japan Kyoto Trip.

38. Join a caravan in the Sahara. See how people can thrive in one of the world’s harshest environments.

L: On my list ^^

39. Explore the landmarks of international cities!

L: Climb to the biggest Buddha in Hong Kong; Visited Berlin, Germany; St.Mark's Square, Venice, Italy; The Bean, Chicago, USA; Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, Japan; Tsutenkaku and food market in Osaka, Japan; Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia

40. Stand at the North or South Pole.

L: On my list ^^

41. Be in the stands when two rival South American club teams play each other in soccer. Soccer (sorry, football) is a passion for most of the world’s population.

L: On my list ^^

42. Visit the birthplace or grave site of a cultural icon. Could be Che Guevara or Picasso or Levi Strauss or the guy who invented widgets; anyone you think is important. 

L: Visited Bruce Lee's grave site in Seattle and visited Picasso's birthplace

 

43. Find your version of “The Beach.” One of the best travel books ever inspired a generation of backpackers. Why not find your own version of untouched paradise? 

L: Pattaya Beach in Thailand 2003; Hot water Beach in North island of New Zealand 2017; Surfer's paradise in Gold Coast, Australia; Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia; Hot water Beach in NZ where natural Geothermal hotsprings are next to the beach for FREE

44. Enjoy a freshly rolled cigar in Cuba. Taste a hand rolled specialty close to its source.

L: Tasted a cigar but I am not a smoker (went to Puerto Rico next to Cuba and met a Cuban friend)

45. Visit every capital city in Europe. The crowded continent is full of beautiful architecture and diverse cultures. 

L: Working on this goal, visited 15 cities for 10 European countries so far

46. Watch an orchestral performance in Vienna.

L: On my list ^^

47. Skydive. It is the ultimate thrill, unless you add a wingsuit, and actually fly.

Photo by L (San Diego, USA 2014)

48. Bike the Pacific Coast Highway.

L: Done in 2012. See this Driving tour along PCH to Malibu.

49. Shake hands with someone who has truly changed a country. 

L: Shaked hands twice with former U.S. president, Bill Clinton (2011)

50. Participate in the world’s biggest water fight during Thailand’s New Year’s festivities (Songkran). 

L: Visited there at age of 12, personal favorite activities in Thailand - Parasailing, watching shows in Bangkok, swimming at beautiful Pattaya, and having Thai massage
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Lilly's Additional Things to Do in your lifetime:

51. Ate and touched scary animals 

L: Ate fried Scorpion skewer in Beijing and Snake in China; Held a hairy spider in USA; ate crocodile meat in Cairns, Australia, and fried grasshopper in Thailand ( Disclaimer: I am Not advocating to eat wild animals because they might be danger to health, just sharing my personal experience)

52. Joined a cooking video contest and win a prize.

53. Performed on stage alone in front of more than 1,000 audience. 

L: e.g. UCLA graduation ceremony performance; Hanbok fusion dress fashion show

54. Gained experience in a corporation with 10,000+ employees to promote energy efficiency (SoCalGas).

55. Graduated from a prestigious university.

56. Tried different seasonal sports/outdoor activities: snowboarding, skiing, ziplining, kayaking, golfing, enjoying outdoor hot springs, etc 

e.g. Skiing at Mount Baldy, CA; Snowboarding at Steven Pass, Washington; Kayaking near Santa Barbara, CA; Enjoying natural hot springs near Mammoth

Ziplining at Catalina Island

57. Gun Shooting

58. Watched U.S.A sports games in live. 

e.g. Watching UCLA football game (American Football); Watching NBA Basketball game; Watching Dodgers Baseball game - I enjoyed the dodgers hotdog :P

59. Experienced different landscapes and seasons.

e.g. Fall at Dead Valley Sand Dunes, CA; Summer in Palm Springs, CA; Making snowman in winter; Looking at beautiful falling leaves and changing colors in Yale University; Buried by beautiful daffodils and tulips in Skagit Valley, Washington (World's 2nd biggest tulip town besides Holland)

60. Visited the Great Wall in China.

Friday Feelings

Ten TV shows that I feel fun to watch: (Would you like them, too?)

 @ Hulu:
1) Younger -> About a 40 year old woman pretending to be 26 year old and find her happiness
2) Rick & Morty -> A sci-fi cartoon about a grandpa and grandson going on crazy adventures

@ Netflix:
3) Sense 8 -> Eight people in different parts of the world connect their minds and share knowledges
4) Anne with an e - > A talkative orphan Anne does her best to be strong, likeable, and useful
5) Girl boss -> Sophie's story at her early 20s creating her fashion start up Nasty Gal
6) Crazy ex-girlfriend -> Rebecca implements crazy ideas to get back with her love Josh
7) Chef's Table -> Stories behind the chefs of The top 50 restaurants in the world for fine dining
8) Sherlock-> Modernized Sherlock and John and their detective stories in England
9) NaNa -> Japanese Manga Animation about two young girls' friendship and pursuit of their dreams
10) Death Note -> Japanese Manga Animation about a strategic story of a young man and justice



@YouTube:
11) 消失的國界 -> A Taiwanese documentary about innovative ideas around the world
12) RTHK -> A Hong Kong 🇭🇰 documentary for current affairs


Entertainment is so important to keep life going. Any stress relief activities that make people happy including myself? I'm in

                                             My Yoga @ Skydeck on top of downtown Chicago

SPCC

St. Paul's Coeducational College (SPCC) - an awesome school that I spent my age of 11-18 there.
This centenary school has taught me many things - how to swim, sing, dance, learn, volunteer, be confident, and be a leader. My fellow schoolmate Jason created the following song to celebrate the graduation class of 2014 and filmed every remarkable corners of the school, bringing me back to memories :) Hope you enjoy it as well!

https://youtu.be/ItFS25fZ3hY

Long-lasting Heat

Perhaps when we were young, we didn’t mind short-lived dating, because we didn’t settled for a long term relationship. However, when you have seen one firework cools down after another dies out, you will realize that there are many fireworks every year, but only the one which can maintain the heat continuously can truly warm peoples’ hearts. This fire, which can be kept hearty for the rest of life, is called True Love.

Most Pitiful Breakup

It's never a pity to break up for money, not to mention only for the 100,000 lottery winnings. I dare to say that, if you don't break up, you will definitely lose more than the current loss soon. The real pity is to break up for love, but you still have to break up when you are still in love. You have a hard time to say, and you can’t argue. You can only kill your front teeth and swallow the blood. This breakup is really a pity.

8 Reasons to Date Travelers

There is a type of a woman who loves to walk around, she has taste, she has extensive knowledge, she knows books and manners. To men, they are like a mystery. The more they cannot guess, the more they want to guess. Guys, date girls who love to travel more. They are like an unfinished adventure novel. They have a different kind of terrifying charm that makes people want to know her more. The following 8 reasons explain why they are so "datable"!

1. Envious intellectual beauty

Intellectuality is the patent of mature women. They have more opportunities to go out, and store more experiences and life stories. This is the wealth of life. Such a woman will reveal a kind of wisdom that has been tempered by the years, and make people around her sneer.

2. Act as your social queen

What was said was not a chattering flower that started talking, but a woman who understood social etiquette. People who go abroad often know a little bit about social skills. They know what is the friendship of hosting, when they release their goodwill, and communicate with strangers in a non-hypocritical manner. This attitude towards others will make you feel comfortable with them.
3. Negotiation skills are handy!

They can retain the corners of themselves and know how to accept the smoothness of others, because mature travelers know that just a smile is enough to calm the distrust between people.

4. Know how to appreciate and reward yourself

Women who travel frequently often have extensive knowledge, from astronomy to geography. Intellectual women love life and walking around is a way to spoil themselves.

5. Dress up and tasteful life attitude

Taste may not be directly related to substance. Really tasteful women, beautiful is of course, because they can dress up. However, the clothes you wear and use are not necessarily the most expensive in the city, as long as you choose the style that suits you, you can also express a different style. Really tasteful womens’ knowledge will never be less. Women arm their minds with wisdom, not an expensive, vulgar thing. When dating a woman like this, men are enough to be proud.

6. Being independent, 0% princess cancer

Girls who are accustomed to going out are most confident, and they can distinguish clothing, food, shelter, and travel. This kind of girl loves freedom and is not afraid of loneliness. It is most suitable for men who do not like babysitting girlfriends and are afraid of womens’ obsession.

7. Be your travel guide

Independent travelers have rich experience in travel, ranging from navigation with maps, to cheap air tickets, and they are more familiar with catchpenny hotels than you in minutes. How can you not date such a funny girl and volunteer to be her flower ambassador!

8. Check out the future

In this generation, to test true love, you don’t need to share troubles via wars, and there is no need to cry out the trials of ghosts and gods. In fact, when you travel together, you will know more clearly whether the other person is the one you want to live with.