Category Archives: General

Hong Kong

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I used 20,000 united mileage to exchange for a free return air ticket from United Airlines and travelled to Hong Kong (I only paid about $40 for the processing charge). From Hong Kong, I took the train to Shenzhen and stayed there for 3 days. From Shenzhen, I took a bus to Zhuhai and stayed for another 3 days. I crossed the Chinese border and stayed in Macau for 3 more days before I took the ferry back to Hong Kong.

This is Hong Kong – the busy city

Hong Kong Avenue Of Comic Stars 香港漫畫星光大道

I contacted 3 people while I was in Hong Kong and one of them has a brother working in the Disneyland. He made arrangement for me to enter the Disneyland with his mother for free.

The places I have visted while I was in Hong Kong

我在高山上
你在浅水湾
只要山水有相連
我们就会有來往

The Avenue of Stars

想约你去海边吹吹风
然后告诉你未来的梦
这样心里会快乐和轻松
但你说没必要去吹冷风
我们的未来根本没有梦
和我一起你不快乐也不轻松
天啊! 劉德華, 我失恋了……. 在星光大道

I stayed in Jean’s place when I was in Paris. Coincidentally I met him when I was in Hong Kong. We went out together to visit the Lantau island 大嶼山.

Huat is a Malaysian working in the Outward Bound Training School in Sai Kung 西貢. I visited him and stayed in his palce for 2 nights. During the day, I went for island hopping. The intetesting seafood selling market at the pier is an eye opener for me.

I stayed with the father and son where in Kwai Fong 葵芳. I also stayed in CT’s house.

Nigerian Scams

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I have put up some items for sale in the Facebook Marketplace. Recently I received 2 strange emails wanting to buy those items.

The first email was received in September. This buyer wanted to purchase a T-shirt from me and he is willing to pay $25 plus shipping and handling charges (I am selling the T-shirt for $15.95). He said the T-shirt is a birthday gift for his relative in Africa. He wanted to have my Paypal e-mail ID so that he can proceed with the payment to my Paypal account.

I find that this is rather strange as normally people will bargain with me to reduce the price and I wonder why he is willing to pay more than what I have asked for. I feel that something is not right and went to view his facebook. There is no photo and no basic info about him.

I wrote back and asked for his name and address so that I can check with the Post Office for the postage. I also asked whether he is in Singapore or somewhere else. He did not reply.

The second email came in October. This buyer has a more decent profile in the facebook. He has friends and wrote some information about himself. But I still feel a bit strange for him willing to pay US$650.65 plus postage charge for a watch that I am selling for S$495.95.

He said he is getting the watch for his daughter who is currently studying at the British international college in West Africa. Same as the first person, he asked me to get back to him with the final asking price and the Paypal Invoice.

I wrote back and asked why he is willing to pay so much more than I have asked for. I also asked him why does he need to have my paypal account. He could send me cash, money order, postal order or transfer the money to my bank account. I further asked if he is in Singapore we could meet up for the transaction.

According to the facebook, this second buyer hometown is in Columbus, Ohio, USA but he is currency living in Manchester, UK. He is working with a German company. I was thinking why can’t he buy the watch in UK and send it over to Africa instead of going through me? Aren’t there any watches in Manchester, besides football?

There are some significant similarities between these two buyers. Both are willing to pay more than the price I have advertised. Both said that the items are for someone in Africa and both are asking for my paypal account. I gathered and think that this could be the popular Nigerian scams and do a search in the Internet. True enough I found some people were cheated by sending out the goods but never get paid. Through the Internet, I saw one of the addresses given by the scammers is the same as what the second buyer has given me. I confirm that this is a scam and will not send the watch until I have received the money.

I wrote back to the second buyer and asked for cash or postal order to be sent to my post box. Here is the link on the Nigerian scams http://www.whoisandrewwee.com/ebay-auctions/ebay-nigeria-scam-exposed/

 

Lost in Translation

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Someone at the United Nation once fed a common English saying into a translating computer. The machine was asked to translate the statement into Chinese, then into French, and finally back into English. The adage chosen was “Out of sight, out of mind. ” What came back was “Invisible insane.”

A similar computer was given the task of translating into Russian and then back to English the bromide “The spirit is willing, but the fresh is weak.” The result was “The wine is good but the meat is spoiled.”

Thailand signage4

What’s wrong with the translation? “Out of sight” does mean invisible and “out of mind” does mean insane. “Spirit” does mean wine and “flesh” does mean meat? Well, some sort of correct.

English has been recognized as the international lingua franca and people have begun adopting English for the benefits of visitors. Here are some examples of other languages that have been translated into English and lost the original intended meanings.

 

  • In a Tokyo hotel : Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please. If you are not person to do such thing is please not to read notis.
  • In another Japanese hotel room : Please to bathe inside the tub.
  • In a hotel in Athens : Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11a.m. daily.
  • In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across a Russian Orthodox monastery : You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists and writers are buried daily except Thursday.
  • On the menu of a Swiss restaurant : Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.
  • In a Bangkok dry cleaner’s : Drop your trousers here for best results.
  • In a Rhodes tailor shop : Order your summer suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.
  • In a Rome laundry : Ladies, leave your clothes here are spend the afternoon having a good time.
  • In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency : Take one of our horse-driven city tours – we guarantee no miscarriages.
  • Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand : Would you like to ride on your own ass?
  • In the window of a Swedish furrier : Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin.
  • In a Swiss mountain inn : Special today – no ice cream.
  • In a Norwegian cocktails lounge : Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.
  • At a Budapest zoo : Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.
  • In a office of a Roman doctor : Specialist in women and other diseases.
  • In a Acapulco hotel : The manager has personally passed all the water served here.

Source : Anguished English (Anniversary Edition!) – An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language by Richard Lederer. Published by Wyrick & Company, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

 

Anti-Virus Software

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While I was surfing the Net for some entertainment a box suddenly pop-up saying that my computer was affected by virus and asked me to click an attached link to install the Power Anti-virus 2009 software. I ignored the message and continued with the surfing. After a while, the screen went blank and I was unable to start the computer again. I lock-on to another computer and continued with the surfing. The stupid box pop-up again with the same message. I was irritated and wanted to continue with my surfing so I clicked on the link to install the anti-virus software.

I talked to a few people and none of them have heard about Power Antivirus 2009. I search the internet and found this link http://www.enigmasoftware.com/support/powerantivirus2009-removal/

I wrote to the Customer Support Center and told them that I will not pay for the S$111.90 that was charged to my credit card. John replied saying that the Power antivirus 2009 is able to protect my computer against the most nefarious cyber-threats attempting to gain access to the computer and my personal information. I wrote back saying that I am concerned that the website saying that Power antivirus 2009 is not a genuine antivirus software. John did not come back to me.

A few days later, Albert replied saying that under the Refund Policy of License Agreement I can ask for a refund only when I face technical issues with the software which cannot be resolved with the help of customer support service. He requested that I provide him details of the problems I have experienced with the software.

I told Albert that I was looking for genuine anti-virus software and if this Power antivirus 2009 is not what I want I should not pay for it. I told Albert the technical issue is that Power antivirus 2009 is not “fit for use”. According to the Internet, the software is unable to protect my computer from virus attack. Moreover I was forced to purchase the software with the false pop-up security alert leading me to download the software. I further told Albert that a business transaction should be a buyer and seller willingly to transact with each other. I asked him whether you would be able to comment on what are written in the Internet. Albert went silent.

Later, James replied that in order to resolve the issue and find the most appropriate solution, he needs more information about the problem. He asked me to describe the problem I was experiencing in more details. I told James that he was the 3rd person I was dealing with for the same issue. I referred James to http://www.411-spyware.com/remove-power-antivirus-2009 where it is stated that Power antivirus 2009 is a fake anti-spyware. There are also many website teaching us how to remove Power antivirus 2009. I asked James for his comments on the write-ups. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Power+antivirus+2009+&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&oq=

Finally, Fay wrote to me saying they will issue a credit note to the bank to off-set the payment. Fay gave me the steps to uninstall the software from my computer completely. I told Fay that I have already deleted the software from my computer and thank you for his understanding.

Here a lesson has been learned – install genuine anti-virus software.