Can't Wait to see You again

Hi, Dear all, Happy 2011!

If you see this cat following your blog, don't be shock, Yes! it's me - antleeli = protoworkannie. How come?

Yeah! a long story since I left you last year. I was keep on writing post in Cocoa Design Life in another account but also keep on reading/leave comment to your post from this account. The feeling is strange due to different language used, in different blog environment (one is more personal while the other is more designwise).

Sometimes after reading your blogs, I miss a lot - the pleasure of writing personal blog. Although it's only 3 months vanish, it seems long. Somedays I want to share with you of the Winter come, or the new challenge I've met, it's not easy any more. I understanding now, why some bloggers said, they need a break, but will not stop blogging......true, once you've started, it's hard to leave because you will remember, remember all the warmth here.

Finally, I make a decision, let's combine them.Why not? Coffee Break should be part of our design life. So I just ember it into our new blog as a new series, then I can start writing again in"MY COFFEE BREAK".

I still trying to improve my layout, so both my English or Chinese readers can find the blogs they want easily. From now on, I am really leaving this site but meet you in Cocoa Design Life, hope to see you there.

Thanks everyone, especially the lovely template provider Deluxe Templates - EZwpthemes.
Bless you all :)

What left behind?

If you see my drawing on this photo, you may think I am going to talk about architecture, lost of culture & memories...yes! this is the original preference. But when I finally decided to post this photo, I am in a situation of whether to continue blogging or not?

This morning, the last week in October 2010, I am struggling whether this should be the last post and therefore I can complete my whole one year of blogging life perfectly...and then, after this post, what left behind?

I keep on asking myself, "coffeebreak by protoworkannie" will be vanished, lost in this internet world which only takes a few seconds via a years' time, but in reality, this is nothing compare with others. How about to myself, what left behind? 

A memory of sharing? A moment of joy?  A time to take a break? A chance to make friends? A channel to learn from others? A page to draw? ......A valuable experience in my life !

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all followers & readers, reading this post in purpose or just by chance. Especially thanks to:


Wasaweb - he brings this blog alive, I can always enjoy good photos from his posts.
Patrice - her always support and brings sunshine to me, especially when I am depress.
Margg. - a little bird who whistle every morning so I can fly in my dream.


I have to take my break now, if one day...may be one morning, I start to write again, I wish you are still here. May God bless you all :)

Paradise Visa

I have this photo "sitting" in my file for a long long time, I always think it has already been posted, but whenever I checked my record, it was not.

May be I am having too many posts for telling people to take a break, eventually this scenery was etched onto my mind.

It's always enjoyable for us to prepare our vacation, especially after a hard working period. Starting from choosing a destiny, looking for companion, applying the annual leave, planning the itinerary......finally start packing... ; all make us so exciting but sometimes exhausting, too. 

I was busy in last month and still have to be ready on call in October for my site work, so I can't get a vacation any how, but I did travel to "paradise" with my "boundless visa". 

I went to a cafe at late dinner time, finished the tasteless dishes as expected; but when I was having my cup of coffee, looking window outside by my tire eyes and non-reacting body, I felt I was in paradise - a piece of glass separating the world outside, I left my work, my phone call...just behind this glass, right outside..."I am relaxing here, a corner in the last 15 minutes before it closed."

Some days later, I was walking on a street with my "dead shell", it was a place for local people who could only afford their basic living there, rarely enjoy a vacation - what we normally interpreted to be out of town. But I felt peaceful, just so relaxing to walk around, people living in reality, no crazing shopping, no high tea, no net-book, no i-phone...all back to basic - at that moment, I felt I was in paradise again.


See, I travel twice ! Simple and un-predictable. I am now having my "boundless visa" in my pocket at anytime, I hope you will get one too, it's free...enjoy :)

My minute

Just finished my "Google reading" that accumulated for over a months time, so enjoyable. Although some good news and some bad news, everybody are basically fine and keep up with their living. That is the strange but lovely feeling that we have while reading blogs, to care some one who may not know you and existing in different corners of the world, so amazing.

Sometimes when I read posts that talk about the season change in their country, or having heavy rainy days throughout the week...,etc. I can almost feel the same here...may be it's because of the nature, all in common no matter what culture you are, what language you've speak; we are living under the same space.

Last month I was too busy and couldn't spare a minute to write or read blogs, but truly speaking, I had some spare time, but no spare mind. To sit down and write something is not difficult, but to write my heart...I need peaceful and quiet environment, like what I am having right now.

It will be the first birthday of this blog in the coming November, my original decision is to finish my last post in November, I am not sure, still thinking of it, may be it's cruel of just giving my blog one year's life, and may be it's too cruel either, to stop communicate - seems it's not a perfect choice...I have to figure out, promise!

Coffee diary 04

Year 2007,Beijing, a second visit to this city, after my business matter, I decided to stay for a few days to look around.

Almost 7:00a.m. in the morning, I don't want to spend a huge sum for the buffet breakfast, what I need is just a nice cup of coffee and some bread or toast to wake me up.So this is all I've got...yes, it's true, the only thing they have in the lobby's cafe.

Well, to me, better than nothing at least I see my "pal- Mr.coffee". To serve with cookie as breakfast is a little bit weird, I think; but I do need some energy before I can get start to find other food to eat, which may take me for another hour to discover.

It's difficult to finish this meal except the glass of water, but I try my best and stay peaceful until I pay - RMB 110. This story tells us, don't be lazy and always prepare, otherwise you will "pay" one day. (no matter how - still a memorable experience :)
 

 

Hello Autumn

Hi! I am back, almost a month away from here, miss so much. The fact is simply busy for living, that's the reality. But nice to be back in Autumn-my favourite season.

We've just pass our Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong, as we are adult now, it's seems this kind of festival is not so amazing, especially we need to work whatever festival we are in.
But on that night, 22 Sept, 2010, when I was on my way home, a couple on the street shout - hey, there is the moon...

I looked up, it was in the sky covered by a sheer of cloud, a bit pale in her face, but I just kept on looking at her three times...she was still so pretty, so familiar to me. There was no more celebration, no family gathering caused I was working late, but I still had her as my companion, never need to make appointment, just look up and she will be there- Good night my dear !

A corner for me

Mow, I am a kitten living in the toy house of protowork annie, it is a small place, no luxurious decoration, but cosy. Actually what I need is only a small corner right next to her bed, you may find I always like to take a nap here, I feel relax because I trust this is a safety place. 

Trust-is something seems simple but not easy to be developed. Although it should be the natural character of human beings, what they call a mutual trust; they can easily be ruined by anything which we, as a pet don't quite understand.


We trust our master, a simple and pure relationship, no extra demand, just "love" and "comfort" that we can shared between each other, is it too simple in our world but not in humans' ? I am not sure but I wish everybody on earth can enjoy this as easy as we have.

No Answer

Today is supposed to be a happy day to me because there is something worth to be celebrated. But I am sad...very sad.

24 H.K. tourists were hi-jack by a local police in Manila yesterday, it ended after 9 hours, 7 died and 8 injured, the people and the "body" are still in Philippine. Whole process was broadcast on T.V. last night, the reason behind is only because that police wish to resume his duty after being fired, he lost his life...couldn't make his dream come true...and destroyed the innocent's rigth to survive.

Everyone is talking about this, news and FB...,etc. I just can't relief, those tourists are our citizen, they were planning to return H.K. last night after visiting the last tourist spot, and we've lost them within a day, why? 


Life is so fragile, we can't ask for one more second if it comes to an end. It can be or be not predictable, when we are fell asleep, in the hospital, in our "journey"...I am not expecting any answer from anyone, I know there is no excuse for the killer or even the helpless police force, but I also know they are all victims, living in a country of unfair without justice.

Something out there !

When we are walking in fog, fear, uncertain, danger...lots of thoughts rushing in, leading us to an imagination of something bad is waiting for us. Well, if you say, No! I am not, in a contrary, I will feel exciting, curious, expecting something special that is waiting for me; may be another heaven like garden in front, a man whom I loved, or a sunshine just right behind...Great, this is what I was & what I am now.


I was afraid of fog, especially right in the center of it, because I had an experience of total lost in mind when I was standing alone on the hill side and surrounded by a thick layer of fog which appeared suddenly, I couldn't see my friend and all the nearby environment within 1 foot. The feeling was horrible, seems I was in another planet and something bad was going to be happened - say "vanishing of myself". 


But if we can take a break , take a deep breathe and wait, the fog will gradually "run" away, everything becomes clear, or even a surprise for us - last time, a beautiful garden appeared right in front of me and sunshine. So, it may not be a dead end, it only depending of what we drive our expectation towards the good or the bad side.

Today, I may still feel helpless when I am in the fog again, but I am sure what I've expecting to see afterward is something good, so I can move on.
 

 

What's next?

It's not a problem for us to relax inside a train because we know what is the next station and what is our destination. But in our life, we always have the same question : What's next?

It is normal, say, for a student to start working in a company after graduate; an adult to get marry after dating and find his loved; to start a new job after quit the existing one; to be promoted after dedicating to a company for a certain years...but sometimes the next page of our life can be unexpected and out of our plan.

Relationship between friends/ lovers can be broken when both gets to know each other more,  instead of becoming steady and closer. No more job is waiting for us due to our age issue after quit the existing one; our dream that make us to work so hard day by day, hour after hour, cannot be achieved & suspended due to the sudden health attack, but the goal is nearly there, so close...all should not happen in our next step, there must be something wrong ?! And what's next, what shall we do?

Take a break -  I will say, then ready to face for another day. Life is the meaning of "happening", full of surprise no matter you enjoy it or not, if everything are well planned and happen as it is scheduled, what we've experience will only be a story of another person, not the life of our own - the unique creature in this planet.







 

Internet without boundary ?!

I am starting a Chinese blog in this few weeks talking about Design Life, you may know it is always been a difficult decision for me to blog in Chinese or English, I prefer using latter as it is more international, meaning more people can have a chance to read what I wrote. But during the research, I've finally discovered that, Internet world are not always connected in some countries, like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan & Japan.

Besides of the political reason, it will be the language and cultural difference. Most of the bloggers in H.K. & Taiwan blogging in Yahoo (Chinese) instead of Blogger, we have only 1-2 active forums here, even worst than Taiwan. China condition is self explanatory, whereas Japan has their own specific language...that's why, as those experience bloggers said " we need to do a lot of work behind for the exposure of our blogs", or even MORE in Asian world.

I had an experience while scrolling blogs randomly, the first visit was my last because the author was so frustrated to continue blogging due to no or less followers/ readers. I feel sad and hope they can continue after recovery. 

Internet world makes our life so difference and it is affecting our emotion, too. We feel the joy and sad of others, no matter they are true or not; when you find others is working hard for their living or life, you gain energy,too; but if someone quit, you feel the "pain".

There are so much time and effort we need to dedicate into our blog world, is it worth at the end? I can hear from you...definitely, yes! At least I am sure it will be a learning experience in our life to share and to hear.

O.K. finally, if you do have interest to view our Cocoa Design Life, be my guest. But I didn't put a translator there because it is not working in Cantonese (hopefully I can find a better one in future), just let me know if you what to understand any of it, I will translate it manually and re-post here for you. No matter how, your click will be my treasure, thank you all.

City on the rock

Chongqing is one of the most special city in Sichuan Province of China that I've ever visited.

In Summer, it is so hot up to 40 degree C, as what people said it is one of the "Three Furnaces" in China; but in Winter & early Spring, it is cold and humid, so damp that everywhere are covered up by a sheer of fog, so it is also know as the "Fog Capital".
 

I had a chance to visit it in both seasons, although it was only a one day business trip, I loved this city, what I've saw were so unforgettable.

There was only 20 minutes distance from airport to downtown (by taxi), very convenience; the first picture I've saw after leaving the airport was a highway on Jialing River, the highway was running in a South to North direction, where the river was from East to West. I had an amazing experience during the dry season, when the water level was so low that I barely saw the river bed and then while looking outside from the window, I discovered that the river was in a valley shape, so deep and I ...together with the taxi was so tiny...Wow! this was the "craftsmanship of nature".

Not a second, we were in the entrance of the Fog Capital, the buildings of downtown were almost right in front of us, but suddenly they all vanished...and appeared again...and vanished. I knew, we were in Sichuan now, where lots of mysterious stories created here, then a music tune of "X-file" appeared in my head.

My taxi driver brought me to reality...I reached Hilton Hotel, it was located in a commercial area along the mountain slope.  Yes! there were mountains everywhere, what I've saw the residential building around us, they were constructed on the hill slope, so interesting and special; if compared with those modern high rise, these were more harmonize to this city.

To keep this post short, I have to stop by telling you the "morning walk in the mist" in the morning after breakfast, must do and don't rush. They are definitely the best "distilled water" for our mind after a busy day. Hope you can feel all these one day, trust me, an unforgettable experience that can't be expressed in my text.

Coffee diary 03

Hello cappuccino, what makes you so beautiful today? ah, the sun of Phuket, so warm,  I can feel it, too.

It's really enjoyable to be with you in this small downtown cafe,  look around to see people passing by, there is no rush here, not only tourist but local people as well; they are nice and leisure, I am sure this is the attractive elements of this country, right?

I know we are waiting for the club sandwich, but let the smiley face lady take her time to prepare it, we have a lot of time to spend here, why not enjoy this moment for a bit longer? I really want to forget all my worry and troubles in Hong Kong. You may say I am escape from the reality, but sometimes we do need to walk away when we stuck up to a certain point. Trust me, it works, at least we can free up our mind for a while, then the"light bulb" will glow again.

Similarly, early before, I don't know why the same cup of coffee like you will taste so differently in different places at different moment, of course the brewing technique and serving environment counts, but now I know the most important is the attitude of mind that I take while tasting you. I am sure you will will be so lovely today.

My Saturday morning

It is a sunny morning, wind breeze that wakes me up, soft and comfort...sometimes it is a bit lonely in this small house, but I love the tranquil, especially on Saturday morning. 

The day without schedule that I can sit next to the window, watching cloud for as long as I wish; or brew a cup of coffee, read my lovely magazine. I love to watch the "light and shadow" show, they change in minutes to tell the time fly.

No computer, no mobile call, the silent moment that cost not a penny, what we need to do is let it happen and "enjoy".

「蕾」コブクロ- A song to share

 

This is a song from a Japanese T.V. drama : Tokyo Tower, that I really want to share with you. A song to express the close relationship between a man and his passed away mother, that he loved most.

A teenager who wants to escape from the village, from his mother to find his freedom in Tokyo,  with the uncountable support from his mother, he did it. But he can also feel the depress, failure, loneliness, pressure that all found in this modern city. He knows deeply in his heart how great his mother's love to him was......no matter when, where and what he did.

Who ring the bell?

Life can be so peaceful when we are settle down and familiar with the routine. Job, house, car, savings, family & pets are all there, well planned; what we need to do is keep working hard to sustain all these conditions in a safe mode.

But how about if one day, everything is no more in the control of our hand? Unstable market, health problem, lost of job, broken relationship...it's just the start of a nightmare. No matter how hard we try to reverse the situation and wish all can be back to normal, we are still stuck into the dead end without a glimpse of light.

We need to take a break now, then you may notice someone who is ringing the bell right outside of your door, the door of your heart? Do you know them? "Mr. Change & his son Mr. Chance!"

We  do know them in a lot of occasions, but it needs too much courageous for us to open the door; because we know once we let the father in, we have to face unexpected changes, we don't know whether we can still have strength to walk through, especially at this exhausting moment. Could his son brought us a chance of survive or just another chance to be destroyed even further? 


Go now! just open it and let things to happen, it's the only chance for you to change the worst; don't wait or otherwise it will be too late.



 

Reading blogs

Recently, I  have changed my habit of reading blogs from daily to once a week. It seems it is more suitable to me, instead of a bit rush every morning to complete something follow by starting my daily project, I spare 1-2  hours on one morning within the week, get ready with my cup of coffee and start reading from my Google reader, wherever there are posts attracting me, I will click into the blog and read in details. 

Originally I thought ready blog should be fresh everyday to follow the author's post, but it is even more enjoyable for me to read all posts at once, like to see a movie from the beginning till the end. 


Another change is to find new blogs from the blogs I followed, instead of from "The coffee shop", I discover that there will be greater chance for me to find suitable blogs to read in this way, may be it's because the bloggers I like are unconsciously selected good blogs for us. Thankssss...




 

Twilight Zone

Many years ago, there was a T.V. show called "Twilight Zone", talking about all supernatural things that happened in this area. I was attracted by every stories and not willing to miss any; but unfortunately, it showed only one season and finished, not like now a day, we can have 3 or 4 seasons, like House - my another favourite.

Everyday we will go through this twilight period, but may be we are usually in our school or company, especially for those who always need to O.T. like myself. When I started to have my own company, my working time is more flexible, so I can have more chance to enjoy this special moment of a day...which I loved most.

When the sun is gone in the afternoon sky, the "twilight blue" replace as a curtain behind; dull yellowish street lamp begins to glow, neon sign brings out all fabulous colour that reflect onto the street, it suddenly transform from a concrete surface to a semi-transparent one, seems it is not actually there. The air humidity is different now, the air flow is still but not forever, within a minute, you know somethings happening out there...it's not the end of a day, but just a start of another period.

Yes! I always stop in the center of the road whenever the "twilight blue" arrives, and wait for everything to happen...every time! It just totally capture my thought, I am addicted to it.

To me, this moment represents a miracle time to people who wish to take a break from a hard day, who want to remedy of anything done wrong in the afternoon, or who regret of what he said to his pal in the early morning...there is a chance in this special moment. When the sky turns into a deep dark blue, we can choose either stay still in our miserable or act to prepare for another new day.

 

Shanghai Lawson

In my memory, it's not easy to find a proper 24Hr convenience store in China, most of those so call convenience store are actually local store selling cigarette & wine, very dark without air conditioning, with one local people sitting in the dark & smoking behind counter. You have to pay extra attention to what you want to buy is what you've got. 

I had this experience in Dalian before, I was tired after leaving the site, the sky had already dark; I was hungry and very cold on the street, I need to buy my distilled water before I got back to the hotel to have my dinner; so I rushed into a convenience store instead of a supermarket (not close to my area)......of course I failed, when I looked closer to the brand name in my room, it's something else, but the package was almost the same. This was due to my 3 mistakes = too rush, too lazy to find a supermarket and too concern to use a torch.


So, when I discovered "Lawson" in Shanghai, you can imagine how excited I was. Yes, I am sure it is a franchise operation from the original one in Japan, because when I walked in, the arrangement was quite the same; neat and tidy, with oden near entrance, magazine zone and quite a lot of mini size convenient product.

Did I buy anything? Yes, one 3in1 Nestle coffee pack. Anything else? No, because this store has adequate lighting, so I know what I want to buy is not what I've got, except the one and only one brand Nestle coffee.

Coffee diary 02

It's raining outside, quite heavy; I just finished my breakfast, and now, waiting for the rain to stop, with you - a cup of Japanese coffee brewed in Shanghai.

My friend told me that this is not a Japanese Cafe but a Taiwanese instead, I can't figure out, at least not at that moment; but never mind,I enjoy the timeless with you.

Sometimes I do have a strange feeling here, it looks like Hong Kong, I can find proper coffee shop, 24Hrs. convenience store or even Japanese curry shop; lots and lots of luxurious retail store and commercial center around, but at the end I still can clearly define that I am in China, may be the air is difference, the voice, the mood, or the colour of the city...I'm not sure.

This is the first day that I left behind after my job completed, a whole day to discover the city, starting from here, Shanghai in 2005 before the Expo, with a dash of human touch.