越南, 加入了世貿, 也成為了另一個港人喜愛旅遊的國家, 但是, 它到底還是一個共產國家。

買了國泰的直航機票, 但坐的卻是一架小小的越南航空客機。原來自己被外判了。兩小時三十分鐘的航程, 沒有電影, 沒有電視, 也沒有音樂。 如果你連書也沒有帶, 那正好利用這時間去習慣一下什麼也不做的感覺是怎樣的。反正原來我們很少這樣子的。

機埸是新改建的, 非常現代化。海關一開就是十多個櫃位。 但每位關員看上去都好像曾經殺過人似的, 很兇。 招呼我的關員很奇怪, 他四處張望, 把我的護照弄好後不馬上還給我, 像在等什麼似的。而我也不敢問他。 大約過了五分鐘, 什麼也沒發生, 他才還給我讓我走。這使我想起以前到一些落後國家, 要在護照中夾一張銀紙才可過關的故事。

越南紀濟起飛, 但如果做官的還是貪污, 成就最多只能像菲律賓一樣。

蔡瀾先生說墨爾本勇記的越南牛肉河是全世界最好的, 而我有幸地, 吃勇記的次數應該比蔡生還要多。

那時候做留學生, 錢是父母辛苦賺的, 自己沒有多餘錢花。 要出外吃時總會找一些又經濟又飽肚的。那就去勇記好了。 一碗特別牛肉粉大既五澳元。 那是十多年前的價錢, 現在沒有十元也要八塊吧。 隔離枱又叫珍多冰又叫春卷, 雖然很想吃, 但總要省錢呀, 就只叫一碗粉好了。

現在自己賺錢, 發誓有一天回到勇記, 叫滿一枱子食物, 來祭昨日的我。

今晚在胡志明市一間叫做Pho 24的越南粉連鎖店吃了一碗很正宗的Pho, 但墨爾本勇記的, 還是領先一條街。

為什在越南做的不比外國好? 想了很久, 答案是牛肉. 越南吃牛很普遍, 但養牛的技術和牛的品種並不比外國好. 而越南又限制牛肉入口 (所以越南是沒有堅持用自家材枓的麥當勞的), 反以澳紐的牛肉卻是世界有名. 所以以牛肉質素主導的越南牛肉河, 在外國吃到的比本地好, 並不出奇.

Dream Cortex and Sanrio Digital win Hong Kong ICT Award for Best Digital Animation TV Series 

Hong Kong, 21 January 2008 – Digital design studio Dream Cortex (www.dreamcortex.com) today announced that the computer generated (CG) animated series produced in partnership with Sanrio Digital (Hong Kong) (www.sanriodigital.com), The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends, has won the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2007 Digital Entertainment Merit Award for Best Digital Animation TV Series. The award ceremony and gala dinner was held on January 21, 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Hong Kong ICT Awards (www.hkictawards.hk) is a collaborative effort among industry organizations, ICT professional bodies, academia and the Government to select and honor the territory’s finest accomplishments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The Best Digital Entertainment Award recognizes the best works produced in the Hong Kong digital entertainment industry.

The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends is licensed by Sanrio Digital (Hong Kong), who shares the award with Dream Cortex. This is the first Sanrio television production made in Hong Kong, and the first Sanrio series made entirely in CGI (Computer Generated Imaging). The series follows the adventures of well-known Sanrio characters including Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, My Melody, Keroppi, Badtz Maru, Pochacco, and many others. Co-directed by Dream Cortex Creative Leader Philip Lau and Emmy Award nominee Matthew Swanson, The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends is humorous and entertaining, but also rich in ethical and educational values.

“We are extremely honored to receive this Hong Kong ICT Award,” said Philip Lau, Creative Leader of Dream Cortex and Co-Director of the animated series. “We have begun work on the second season and this recognition is definitely a great inspiration.”

“It’s been our pleasure to work with Dream Cortex on this made in Hong Kong production,” said Chris Au, Chief Operating Officer of Sanrio Digital (Hong Kong). “In addition to being fantastic animators, the Dream Cortex team is full of creative and fun ideas. This award is a confirmation of their hardworking approach and imaginative power.”

The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends will premier on select networks in Europe and Asia, including Hong Kong, beginning in the first quarter of 2008.

About Dream Cortex
Dream Cortex has been an established force in design and production since 1998. The company offers creative services that include 3D animation production, console and PC game art creation, web design, and interactive Flash game development. Dream Cortex is based in Hong Kong. For more information please visit www.dreamcortex.com.

About Sanrio Digital (Hong Kong) Ltd.
Sanrio Digital was founded in 2006, as a joint venture between Typhoon Games (HK) Ltd. and Sanrio Wave Hong Kong Co. Ltd. Sanrio Digital handles the expansion of Sanrio intellectual property assets into various digital and online media, capitalizing on over three decades of Sanrio original material. The company holds rights to produce offline products based on its online productions, providing synergy between the Sanrio traditional offline business and its digital venture. For more information please visit www.sanriodigital.com.

曾經問過每一位家裡有請菲律賓家務助理的人, 有沒有試過家政煮的菲律賓菜。 百份之一百是沒有。來到菲律賓, 同事帶我去吃飯, 問我要吃日本菜還是意大利菜, 我大叫要試菲律賓菜。
基本上, 菲律賓人也是以吃米飯為主的。而餸菜方面, 有點像中國的, 又有點不像, 也有點像馬來亞和泰國的, 很難形容。
吃飯的形式跟我們一樣。 有飯有餸有湯。 印象比較深刻的是有些餸菜下了我喜歡的豬油渣。也吃過他們的豬紅, 味道和形壯跟車仔麵的不一樣, 很難接受。另外還有一些酸芒果, 豆湯等, 都不是美食。
菲律賓家務助理不給你煮它們的家鄉菜, 並不是你的損失。

一直很怕菲律賓這個地方, 感覺很不安全. 這次旅程令我有點改觀, 但也只限於我到過的地區吧。
十多年前曾經在馬尼拉機場轉機時作過極短暫的停留, 十多年後, 一切依舊。 機場竟然沒有改建過或遷移, 在各大亞洲城市裡算是異數。聽說新機埸已經落成, 只是不知道為什麼還不去用它。
從機場到酒店, 沒有塞車的話, 十五分鐘準到, 但一天二十四小時只有深夜那數小時是不塞車的。 說到最後, 一小時多是走不掉的。
Holiday Inn 並不是一所高級的酒店, 但它的位置很好。 旁邊有一個大型商場, 酒店有一個通道可以直達。而我工作的地方也是在酒店旁, 也有通道正達。 基本上如果我只是來工作, 我的活動範圍可以在一千米內, 也不用走出空外。
整體來說, 我所遇到的本地人都很友善。 普遍能說英語。 四周看到的文字都是以英文為主。 溝通, 是沒問題的。
菲律賓人的生活態度是輕鬆的, 緩慢的, 也許因為這樣, 經濟發展也很緩慢。 但我們沒有資格去批評他們, 因為沒有標準去界定那一套生活方式是對, 那一套是錯的。 感覺上, 他們比我們活得快樂。