回顾

三年前的四月，为了一圆自己的旅行梦，去申请了英国的打工旅行签证，独自跑到伦敦，在那儿搭了个临时base camp，然后往各处去走走看看。现在回想起来，真的好像一场梦。

体验了四季的生活——冷得全身颤抖热得中暑，学会慢慢说英语，吃了好多芝士和马铃薯。

看了很多教堂，历史建筑物，著名的画，美丽的风景，走过很多有名的路，品尝一些奇怪的饮食。

回到自己的国家，更加珍惜阳光、常年绿色的树、可以选择穿长袖短袖无袖衣长裤短裤长裙短裙的天气，当然还有别处找不到的美食。虽然是非常不满这里的公共设施及某些文化。

那双陪我走过好多地方的登山鞋，只有在今年新年前雨季时登场数次，就一直被搁置在鞋架上（因为他们是防水的）。

期待下一次再带它们去跑跑，希望这次它们另一对朋友可以陪陪它们，这样比较不寂寞，也比较温暖。

Some email etiquette

A not-so-recent incidence triggered me to share some of my thoughts about composing, sending and replying emails (had put this away for some time…)

Technology is both a blessing and a curse. Depends on how we use it and what we use it for.

When composing emails (esp formal ones), please

• at least, include a proper subject title. Imagine if you received an email without any subject or non-sensible subject like “need help” or “please read”, and one might think it’s a spam or something along that line. I would most probably ignore it or put it to my least priority, moreover if it was the first time receiving email from a new collegue or classmate, I would probably delete it (there are viruses spreading around).
• try to avoid vague subject titles like “meeting”, “the faculty letters”, “notes you borrowed”. It is difficult to judge what the email is all about and difficult to sort later on when we need to find a particular email. I’d like to use something like “LPP1123: Assignment 1 – Meeting”. Clearly speaks out this email is about a course/ subject/ something coded/ named LPP1123, and it has something to do with a meeting on Assignment 1 (if one insist that organizing simple stuff like this is totally not his/her style, then good luck with his/her life)
• address the recipient(s) and give an e-signature. Email is not a chatroom, especially if it is for a formal matter.
• try to avoid using all CAPITAL LETTERS. It is VERY RUDE to type a letter all in CAPS. It is as though the email is shouting out loud at the recipient! (just like Ron’s letter from mom in Harry Potter).

When reading emails, please

• read properly the content of the email and not just any sentence(s) one would like to read and interpret it out of context and act on it (Eg. asking questions which could be found in the mail itself), leading to a chain of Q&A or misunderstanding.

• be careful, there might be P/S (s)

When replying, please

• make sure it is reply or reply all or there is a specific instruction whom to reply to. Sending off mass replies doesn’t help to built good network with the recipients

Just my opinion.

看医生

喉咙痛了两天，终于去看医生了。

医生是位非常白皙的人。我只能用“没有颜色”来形容他。

他一看到我，第一句不是问我哪里不舒服。

他是吃了一惊，问：“你贫血吗？怎么那么苍白？”

呃，医生您怎么可以抢我的对白？

“没有啊。”

结果他不相信我，拉我的眼皮检查是否有贫血。

诊断后，他说我喉咙有点发炎。他开了抗生素、消肿药和止痛药给我。

他叮咛我一定一定一定一定要吃饱饭后才能吃药。

他解释：“我看你这么瘦，很担心你吃了这药会胃痛。我看这药你还是分开来吃比较好啦。先吃抗生素，一个小时后再吃止痛药。不过一定一定一定一定要吃饱了才可吃药。”

“是的，医生大人。你放心，我是个很听话的病人。”我是个买手提电话数码相机都会看manual的人耶，医生的指示我当然会遵从。

我得检讨自己的脸色及体型，免得吓到医生。

也要建议他在诊所里加面镜子。

P/S: 有时也会给经济饭档的老板添麻烦：他装小饭给我，我说加、再加、再加。加到我满意的分量时他会一脸惊讶。唉，我真的要检讨自己。

梦

有一只大猫跳到我身上来，紧紧抱着我。



她哭着对我说：请你抱紧我！



我觉得莫名其妙。
过后她又对我说：是时候我不能再给你这么地抱了。



接着她用力地推开我。
不！



我拼命地不让她离开，用力地抱着她。

是我今早作的一个梦。梦醒时，我在抱着枕头哭着。
是朱门要告诉我些什么吗？

Chickenpox

I had never had chickenpox (touch wood) until to date.

I’ve always wanted to get myself vaccinated, but I always delay this matter. Until last week a family member infected by chickenpox (in healing stage) came to our house, I was damned terrified.

Truthfully, it’s not about the potential scars and itchiness and the stay-away-from-beans-and-black-soysauce-thingys, but because the information I know about chickenpox and its implications. To share with you, here it is:-

Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella-zoster, a member of the herpesvirus family. It’s ok if you can’t pronounce the name (or the family name), but the coming info is important, make sure you read it correctly (don’t mind the Chinese characters if they are bothering you, it’s a repeated information).

The same virus also causes herpes zoster in adults. Herpes zoster is shingles, Chinese formal name带状疱疹 ，俗称生蛇 (commonly known as “snake”).

Chickenpox is highly contagious, it is spread through air.

A person infected by the chickenpox virus will develop blisters which will form crusts and normally will recover within say, 14 days. After a person recovers from chickenpox infection, the virus(es) DO NOT go away.

It will REMAIN DORMANT in the nerve cell/ tissue somewhere at the spinal cord (omitted some very difficult-to-pronouce-and-type scientific terms). It means the virus will hibernate in the body.

There is a probability of this virus being reactivated later in adulthood due to some reasons like decrease in immune system, cancerous cells, etc etc etc. But this time, causing not chickenpox. It is the very painful shingles.

Because the activated virus travels down the nerve and cause viral infection of the skin around the region of the nerve, it is extremely painful. I guess that also explains why the “snake” travels around forming rings on arms or legs or trunk, follow the nerve mah….

So, when the poor child innocently asked me if I have had chicken pox, “No,” I told him, “that’s why I need to stay away from you.” I’m probably infected; not sure, need to wait for 2 more weeks to confirm that.

So, please, try not to expose yourself to a person suffering from chickenpox, and get vaccination for yourself and your child(ren).

Scheiße. I shall not delay my vaccination. I will get it during the coming long semester break, if I’m still varicella-zoster-free (fingers & toes crossed).

My Biology teacher told us the brief version, I Googled for more info.