天堂時尚。Trends in heaven

Aug 7

Posted by BB in Mama Abby Robinson | 1 Comment

如果介意生人講死事的，那請不要閱下去。

If you mind people talking about death, then please don’t read the following.

最近在某網誌上看到一些我本以為是中國最出名的抄襲技術，原來是由一間台灣全球第一天堂時尚紙紮專門名店所製。不再只時普通的大屋，大車，等，而是不少時尚用品，想要的，都好像是有。包括現在的gadget ，iPad, iPhone 4G都有！還做得很似呢！

Recently I saw from someone’s blog an article which I first thought it was about how “good” Chinese are in copying things. But it turns out to be a boutique in Taiwan that sells the most specialized gifts that people give away to the people who passed away. They are burnt or buried together during the funeral. It’s a Chinese culture, as the Chinese want to make sure that you are well provided for when you go to heaven, even with all the unfulfilled dreams that you had. In the past, you would just get houses, cars, even mistress. But now this place sells all the gadgets, e.g. the trendy iPad, iPhone 4G! The artwork isn’t bad at all.

這是他們的使命，是給外國人明白我們中文這一個文化。

Only who has lost loved ones with the same sadness and nostalgia,

with a knife and sincere wishes, we shall to convey their intention.

All we want to lived the life, and to believe passed away loved ones will reach the place bright,

to keep the faith about love, it’s Heaven.

想要單車，跑車都可以！最特別的是全紙紮，很環保！我想不是外國人能夠明白到這個華人文化的！

They even have MTB, or racing cars! They are made by paper, very environmental friendly too! I guess not all the westerners would understand this part of the Chinese culture.

新單車，新開始。New bike, a new start

Aug 5

Posted by BB in Biking for dummies 單車蠢才, Cycling stories, Julian Robinson, Mama Abby Robinson | 3 Comments

買了新寵後，當然要試新車啦，不過，以我的水皮技術，又要好好重新習慣與練習平衡。Racing bikes比較輕，而因為handle bar與身子距離近了，所以每一動作，單車都即時有反應。

After I got this new “toy”, I wanted to get onto it, though with my poor cycling skills, I really have to get used to it again, and practice my balancing skills. Racing bikes are rather light, and with the handle bar being closer to your body, every move you make, you will feel the bike reacting to it right away.

另外，踏單車，坐了上去後，只可腳趾碰到地，不是像一些香港人般，雙腳貼地。這一點有時會令我緊緊一些，就像一個學游泳的人，雙腳碰不到池底一樣。  我在網上論壇登了一篇發問題，請教人家如何可以好好鑽研好自己的技術。之後，我亦得到不少人的見議和鼓勵。某人還提醒我，就算跌倒了，也要站起來，再來過。這個道理，其實人人都知，但時不時，有人提醒下，都是好事！

Also, over here, when sitting on the bike, you are only supposed to be able to tip-toe, and not like what some Chinese do, with both of their feet on the ground. I get a bit nervous at times, but I guess it’s like swimming. When learning how to swim, one would get nervous when having to swim somewhere deeper, where they can’t touch the bottom of the pool. I have also put out a thread on a forum over the internet, asking for some advices on how to improve and strengthen my confidence. I did get quite some replies with good advices. Someone even reminded me that after having fallen off, you should always get right back up and get going again. That’s something we all know but being reminded of helps to keep going.

上次出去，老公就踏這架，拖著後面載著Julian 的Burley單車拖車。他就坐得很舒服，吃東西，打DS遊戲機。除了載他外，還可以放到不少東西，不錯也！

Last time we went out together, and my hubby took this bike with a Burley bike trailer to carry Julian in it. He could just sit back, relax, eat, play with his DS. Besides that, we can also stuff quite a lot of things in it too.

其實自己出外踏單車除了是為了做運動外，對於減壓來說也有幫助。最近為了公司的事心煩了，在外邊踏單車，心境也寧靜些！

In a way, cycling is not only a sport but also means of relaxation. It helps to clear up your mind.

Julian 最近好像又長大了，我指的是他的思維方面。他亦開始要求我讓他請朋友仔回家玩，見到小小年紀的他已經有自己的社交圈子。不過，現在不時也會很多很好笑的對話。好像今天我才跟他說明天我們會去媽咪朋友的婚禮。他說甚麼是婚禮，我說到時會有個很美麗的女子，穿上很美麗的白色婚紗。說到這裡，他就說是不是穿上高跟鞋，戴著皇冠，與一位王子永遠住在一起。我想了一想，覺得這個說法也是對的。他後來還說，然後他們會有小朋友，跟著他想了一想就問我他是怎樣變成嬰兒。我就問他知不知道他怎樣從我肚子走出來，他說我的肚皮會自己打開，像自動門一樣。

Julian seems to have grown a bit lately, and I mean his social skills. He started asking if he could invite friends over to play with him. I just find it so amazing how a little boy already has his own social life. We still have moments though that we would have really amusing conversations with him. Like today I was explaining to him that we would be going to a wedding of mommy’s friend tomorrow. He asked what a wedding is. I told him he would get to see a very pretty lady in white dress. He already interrupted me and asked if she would be wearing high heels and having a crown on her head, and that she would be living with her prince forever. He was in a way right. He said also that they would be having kids, but after thinking for a second, he asked me how a baby is created. I asked him if he knew how he got out of my belly when he was a baby, he said my belly would open up like any automatic doors.

我最近經過一番考慮後，除了他現在星期日上游泳班外，我決定替他報讀中文班。雖然到時，每星期六(上課時間是星期六早上十一時至下午三時。午間時間有午餐小息)都要駕車一小時去鹿特丹送他上學，然後在外邊待他放學才回來買一星期的餸。基本上是應付得來，況且若再等再拖，我想他真的學不到中文。小時不學，大了就更難學。他的中文程度只能聽懂我跟他說的話，講就很少講。希望他多些接觸另一些中國小朋友會有些幫助。我不想將來因為自己懶惰而錯過了他學語言的最佳時機。

I recently gave it a thorough thought and decided that even though he has already got swimming lessons on Sunday, I enrolled him to the Chinese school which has classes on Saturday. Though by then, every Saturday (class starts at 11 am and ends at 3 pm, with a lunch break in between.) we would have to drive up and down to bring him to school in Rotterdam, and we would need to wait till he finishes class before we drive home to do our weekly groceries, I think we should still be able to manage. Plus the more we wait and postpone this, the less likely he will learn Chinese properly. He now can only understand Chinese but can hardly speak it. By being more exposed to the Chinese community, I hope he will pick it up a bit better. I just don’t want to regret not having done this, and that we would miss out the best time for him to learn Chinese.

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新單車。My first racing bike Bianchi Dama Bianca 44

Jul 31

Posted by BB in Biking for dummies 單車蠢才, Cycling stories, Mama Abby Robinson | No Comments

自從我參加過那個單車馬拉松和看過今年的Tour de France 後，我對單車的興趣又增加了！老公見我不會去off road 踏我的Mountain Bike (MTB)，就見議我試試踏 Racing bike 。在我未認識我老公前，我只試過學一次單車，但當我跌進草叢後，我就沒有再嘗試過，直至到我認識我老公。這已是十年多前的事，但到我真正去接觸以單車作運動都只是去年的事。

Ever since I took part of a bike ride recently and watching the Tour de France this year, my interest in cycling certainly grew. My hubby suggested me trying racing bike as I don’t plan to go off-road with my mountain bike (MTB). Before I met my hubby, I had only sat on a bike once, attempting to learn but ending up in the bushes, so I never tried again until I met my hubby. That was some 10 years ago, but to really go cycling as a sport only started last year.

去年買了部MTB，我仍很喜歡那部單車。但現在想試試 Racing bike，但原來找一部合符我的身高的 Racing bike是不大容易的事。本來想買二手，但很難找到部那樣細的，而新的也只有三兩個牌子才有我的尺碼。

Last year I got a MTB, and I still love this bike, but now I just want to try out racing bike, but to get one fitting my size turned out to be quite a challenge. Initially we thought of getting something 2nd hand, but it was just close to impossible to find anything that small and decent. And even getting new bikes, there are only a few brands that sell my size.

要知道自己的單車尺碼，就要把自己的腳內側量度，然後將所度厘米乘0.66 就是你所需的Frame size。

To know your frame size, you’ve to measure your inner leg length and take that measurement in centimeters, multiply it by 0.66, then you will get roughly your frame size.

老公將我們的情形放了上網上的單車網 Fiets Forum，不久有不少人給了一些寶貴意見，說我們都是去看看意大利牌子的 Bianchi。今早，我們一家三口就去三間單車店， 就找到它。

My hubby put our search on an internet biking forum (Fiets forum), and it didn’t take long before people gave quite some advices. One mentioned this Italian brand, Bianchi. So this morning, we went to 3 different bike stores, and found what we were looking for.

這單車店的老板比較沉默，但很友善，不會太 Hard sell，有那句就說那句。他給我調整了兩部單車去試那一部最合適。另一部是 Bianchi Via Nirone 7 C2C，尺碼一樣，但因單車結構不一樣，所以那部仍然是太大部。

This bike shop owner is quite a quiet guy, but friendly enough plus was not being pushy at all. He would tell you all the facts. He got two bikes adjusted for me to try on. The first one was a Bianchi Via Nirone 7 C2C, same size, but since the sloping of the frame is different, it was just too big for me.

最後的選擇就是這部 Bianchi Dama Bianca！

Final choice became this Bianchi Dama Bianca!

回家後，我說要把它留在廳內一晚，讓我好好欣賞它。我亦拿了它出去走一兩轉，但始終我怕連人帶車跌倒，怕自己控制不好，所以我花了一陣子去適應它。人家見到可能會大笑，但沒法子啦！我就是這樣的，學會了不要理人家怎看。MTB 跟 Racing bike 不同，因Racing bikes 單車中央點拉近了，所以每一舉動，部單車立時有反應。

After we got home, I said I wanted to keep the bike in the living room for a night, for me to enjoy looking at it. I also took it out for a ride, though I was afraid I would fall because of not balancing well, so it took me a while to get a good feel of the bike. People might have been wondering what the hell I was doing, but I couldn’t care less. I learnt to ignore that. MTB is quite different from racing bike, since the handle bar is closer to me, you can really feel the bike reacting to each move you make.

幸好，老公沒有取笑我，還提點我怎樣去平衡得好些，怎樣去剎掣得好些。這一切對於一般荷蘭青年人來說是小兒科，但對於來自香港，和來自一個在廿五六歲前未曾接觸過單車的我是一門不容易學的學問。

Fortunately, my hubby didn’t tease me, but helped me by giving me some tips on how to balance better, how to brake properly. All this seems to be a piece of cake for any ordinary Dutch youngster, but to someone coming from Hong Kong, and someone who had never sat on a bike until the age of 25, this is quite a lot to learn and practice on.

在此，我要多謝老公給我的支持、鼓勵、耐心教導！沒有你，我是不會進入單車世界！

I would like to thank my hubby here for his support, courage, and being so patient in teaching me. Without you, I would have never entered the world of cycling!

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Server maintenance

Jul 29

Posted by Daddy Lau in Family Robinson | No Comments

Today another webhost migration took place. The previous server in our bedroom was on day and night to host the website and even though it’s a quiet iMac from 2006 it bothered me a bit to have it on at nighttime.

I therefore migrated the website to our new NAS and so far all seems fine, however I’d like to hear from you about the performance impact.

New server: same, faster or slower?

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六月與七月近況 。June and July’s news

Jul 21

Posted by BB in Family Robinson, Mama Abby Robinson | 3 Comments

自從由愛丁堡回家後，我們就忙個不停。我們做了不少Home Improvement。在外國，不少人都是DIY (Do it yourself)，不是真的因為我們那樣鍾情於自己裝修，而是外國人工費高。甚麼也以時薪計。找黑工做，質數就有差別，而且你又怕人家知你住所一切。我們遇到不懂做的，就上網查資料，有時也會碰釘，做錯了就要由頭做起。

Since we got back from Edinburgh, we had been quite busy. We have been doing quite a lot of home improvement. In the western world, plenty of people are doing DIY, and that is not really because we enjoy doing it ourselves so much, but it’s also because it is too expensive to get someone to do it for you. The hourly rate is very high, and if you go for the black market, you end up giving in quality, plus you are never sure if those people are to be trusted or not. They may end up breaking into your house in the future. We sometimes are confronted with things which we don’t know how to do, so then we will get the information online. And sometimes we end up screwing up and having to do it all over again.

這是Julian房，今次做的是換地板。上一手業主在樓上鋪的木地板花得很，而有見我們最近買給Julian的衣櫃當時還未有貨，所以想襯小些傢俬搬動，就快快換了地板。我們先把他房內一切搬到我們房內，感覺即時像回了香港一樣，濟得很滿很滿！跟著，我花了一日半把舊的地板用一錐一釘折掉。看上去容易，但因為上一手業主用了漿糊黏在水泥地上。折好後，又多了六七大袋垃圾。老公在浴室維修天花，然後就接力負責鋪地板。我們用的是QuickStep，原來說明書也有以中文寫的！

This is Julian’s room as this time we were re-doing his floor along with the hallway. The previous owner of this house messed up the floor and made a lot of scratches over it. Seeing the clothing closet we ordered for Julian had not arrived yet, so we decided to take advantage of that moment where we had less to move around, so we quickly did his floor. We first moved everything in his room into our room. It really made me felt like being back in Hong Kong again, all cramped up. I spent a day and a half on removing the old wooden floor, which was glued onto the cement by the previous owner. Then I ended up with some 6-7 bags of trash. Once my hubby was done with his repairing the bathroom ceiling, he then started with putting the new floor on. We chose QuickStep, and even the instructions were provided also in Chinese!

這已是第二第三天的成績了！

This was from Day 2 or Day 3.

除了地板外，我們還買了新梳化。那間公司可以四十八小時內送貨。這在荷蘭很少見的，因為通常都要等起碼三四個月才送貨，就如Julian的衣櫃。不過，起初我們擔心未能搬走舊的那套梳化就吩咐人家遲些送貨。怎知在我把舊梳化放上網免費讓出後，一個小時內我得到不少回應，最後，對方就送了一箱啤酒來換取我們舊的梳化。遲些我們會把那個大暖板換個細小些，多些空間。

Besides the floor, we also got a new couch. This company could deliver within 48 hours which is very rare in Holland. Normally you’ve to wait for some 3-4 months before they can deliver, just like Julian’s closet. But as we were not sure if we could get rid of our old couch so quickly, we decided to hold it off at that time for a bit longer. Just that we didn’t expect we could actually get plenty of responses after having put out an ad on internet for people to come and get it for free. Within an hour, there was someone who was trading a crate of beer for our couch. Yeah, why not?! Next thing we may change would be the radiator that is now quite bulky in the living room.

另外，之前老公把廳內的牆紙換了，我們最近就買了個大鐘，夠清楚！

After my hubby has re-done our living room wallpaper some time ago, we decided it was time to get also a new clock. It is quite big, so easy to read the time then.

另外，又買了這個放在花園的傘，擋太陽。我們還有另外的一把太陽傘，但訂了新帆布，等了四五星期仍未到貨，希望在夏天完之前可以收到啦！不過這把新太陽傘就可以讓Julian在花園他的私家池玩。

We also got a new sunscreen/ umbrella to block the sun. We do have another bigger one, but we have ordered a new cloth, which has now been taking over 4-5 weeks, and it’s still not yet delivered. Hopefully, it will be delivered before the summer ends. Julian can now just play under that umbrella in his private pool.

他要求要把舊牙擦，用來清潔他的玩具。跟著，他好像是擺了個像在打功夫的動作，笑死我！

He asked for an old toothbrush to clean his toys, and then he went doing this funny pose, like doing some martial arts. Quite funny.

最近荷蘭，其實是全個歐洲，都很炎熱。有時還廿幾三十度，又無冷氣，真想死！我的辦公室都無，只得風扇，但室內氣溫可高達廿七八度，有風扇也只是在吹暖氣。所以，最舒服就是坐自己車，有冷氣。你看Julian幾嘆！

Recently it’s been very warm in Holland, actually in the whole Europe. Sometimes it even goes over 30 degrees. There aren’t any air-conditioning here except our cars, not even our office! We have only some ventilators but with the room temperature of 27-28 degrees, the ventilator is only blowing warm air. The nicest is sitting in our own cars that have air-conditioning. See how much Julian enjoyed it too!

連貓貓也熱到儍了！

Even Mac, the cat, was knocked out by the heat.

六月七月過得很快，我的生日在要服侍我奶奶中渡過（請不要對此用英文留言，多謝合作！），而我們的七週年結婚記念就可二人世界，因為剛好Julian去了嫲嫲家去。於是中午我們就去了吃越南餐。我很少外出把美食拍下來，老公常說我們中國人老是想著吃，連食物也要拍下。那又是的，要他停下讓我拍照又好像破壞情調。當日，我們沒做過甚麼特別，只是一人買了條Livestrong wristband。自從我參加過那個單車馬拉松後，因是由Lance Armstrong 發起的，是為癌症機金籌款，我就特別留意關於Lance Armstrong和他發起的Livestrong Foundation。而現在正值是Tour de France，我就更加對此多了興趣。很敬佩Lance Armstrong的戰鬥力，耐力，愛心等等！

June and July have been passing by quick. My birthday and our 7th wedding anniversary. We got to have time to spend together alone on our anniversary because Julian was by coincidence at my mother in law’s. We went to have lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant. I don’t often take pictures of food when we are out together since my hubby points out that it’s odd that all Chinese love food so much that they go taking pictures of food. Well in a way, it’s kind of strange when indeed you’ve to stop to take pictures with the food standing there. On our anniversary, we didn’t really celebrate much, but got a Livestrong wristband for ourselves. Since I took part of the cycling tour event, originated by Lance Armstrong, that raises funding for cancer research, I now have been paying more attention to Lance Armstrong, and his Livestrong Foundation. Plus with the Tour de France going on, these all are drawing a lot of my attention. I really admire his courage, his inspiration, his strong will to fight against cancer, and his caring others.

上星期我得知兩位美國同事患上癌症，一個是肺癌，一個是腦癌。患有腦癌的已是末期，做了手術，但仍有癌細胞，現在在嘗試新藥，希望有效。其實，我舅父去年也是腦癌而病逝，所以我真的希望可以多些新醫療方式，可以令小些人受苦。

Last week I learned that two colleagues from America have been diagnosed with cancer, one with lung cancer and the other with brain cancer. The one with brain cancer is already at the last stage. He already had a surgery but there are still cancer cells left, so he is trying out clinical trial drug which hopefully will help. In fact, my uncle also died last year from brain cancer, so I really hope that there would be more new medical means to treat cancer, to stop the suffering.

LIVESTRONG!!!

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