[2016 緬甸 Myanmar] Happy Cooking Day

Today we planned to do something new, something great - joining a "cooking class". It is the first time we do something like this during our holidays, we were both very excited and arrived at eight o'clock sharp at our hotel lobby where Aung our guide was already waiting for us.
We booked the tour on the day of arrival, they informed us there will be another couple from hong kong joining the
event as well.
So we were looking forward to meet them and have a nice day.

Heute haben wir etwas neues geplant, etwas großartiges - teilnehmen an einem Kochkurs. Es ist das erste mal, dass wir so etwas während unserem Urlaub machen.
Wir waren beide sehr aufgregt und standen um punkt acht in der Hotel lobby, wo unser Tourleiter auch schon auf uns wartete.
Wir hatten die Tour am Tag unserer Ankunft gebucht, uns wurde gesagt, dass ein weiteres Pärchen aus Hong Kong an der Tour teilnehmen würde.
Wir freuten uns sie zu treffen und einen schönen Tag zu haben

We did some research on the internet in advance and found that our tour to be the most promising package because it not only offer a bike tour but also the cooking class for a lower price - all-in-one package.
The package is like this:

1. Buy ingredients in the local market
2. Prepare the meal 
3. Have a short bike tripe through the countryside and learn how the local farming works
4. Visit the "yan kin taung" temple and see the sunset

Wir hatten im Vorfeld schon recherchiert und fanden, dass diese tour der beste deal war, da sie nicht nur eine Fahrradtour aber auch einen Kochkurs anbot für einen günstigeren Preis - Komplettpaket.
Das Angebot war wie folgt

1. Zutaten auf einem regionalen Markt einkaufen
2. Essen zubereiten
3. Eine kurze Rundtour mit dem Fahrrad durch die Landschaft um mehr ueber die Landwirtschaft zu erfahren
4. Den "yan kin taung" Tempel besuchen und den Sonnenuntergang sehen.

Aung asked us to climb on his pickup truck. This is a very common way to commute in Myanmar and locals seems to use it more than bus or taxis.
We first headed to the "Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel" where we picked up the other hong kong couple.
To not feel boring, we had some fun with the camera...

Aung bat uns auf die Ladefläche des seines Pickups zu klettern. Das ist das gängige Fortbewegungsmittel, und Einheimische scheinen es mehr zu nutzen als Bus oder Taxi.
Wir fuhren zunächst zum "Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel" wo wir das andere Hong Kong Pärchen aufgabeln sollten.
Damit es uns nicht langweilig wurde, hatten wir ein wenig Spaß mit der Kamera...

Get the ingredients

Kafai and Pat are lively and a very nice company as we could figure out soon.
Our first stop together was a small local indoor market.
If you know the usual wet market in Hong Kong you will find it very similar.
You can buy any kind of food like fruits, vegetables and meat and also dried nuts, fish paste and banana trunks.
However people here usually put everything on the floor to sell.  Of course everything is much cheaper than those in Hong Kong.
Aung had to explain us a lot because there are many spices and vegetables which were unknown to us.

Kafai und Pat sind eine lebendige und sehr nette Gesellschaft, was wir bald herausfinden sollten.
Unser erster Stop zusammen ging zu einem kleinen Regionalmarkt untergebracht in einem Haus.
Wenn du die Frischmärkte in Hong Kong kennst, wirst du diesen Markt sehr ähnlich finden.
Man kann allerlei Nahrungsmittel wie Früchte, Gemüse und Fleisch und auch getrocknete Nüsse, Fisch paste oder Bananenstämme kaufen.
Allerdings legen die Händler ihre Nahrungsmittel hier auf den nackten Boden und natürlich ist alles viel billiger als in Hong Kong. Aung musste uns viel erklären da es so viele Gewürze und Gemüse gab welche unbekannt für uns waren.

Visit the local tea shop

Afterwards we checkout a nearby local teashop to get some refreshment.
Aung ordered tea, local french toast, noodles and other local dishes to let us try.
This is the place where people share the latest news. Even a temporary power cut caused by the disastrous electricity network could not cool down the overall vibrant mood at this location.

Danach gingen wir in einen Teashop um uns zu erfrischen.
Aung bestellte Tee, regionalen french toast, Nudeln und andere regionale Gerichte um uns probieren zu lassen.
Das ist der Ort wo Leute hinkommen um gegenseitig die letzten Neuigkeiten auszutauschen.
Auch ein temporärer Stromausfall aufgrund des schlechten Stromnetzes konnte die überaus freudige Stimmung der Leute nicht unterbrechen.

Prepare the meal

After finishing the shopping it took us about half an hour drive to drive to a countryside lodge offering an open-air fire place
and some bamboo huts. With a light breeze of wind it seems to me like a little paradise in this dusty, sandy place.
All utensils were prepared and we started cooking immediately.

Nachdem wir mit Einkaufen fertig waren, brauchten wir etwa eine halbe stunde Fahrt um aufs Land hinaus zu fahren. Dort gab es
eine Kochstelle und Bambushuetten.
Mit einer leichten briese frischen Windes kam mir das wie ein kleines Paradis in diesem staubigen, sandigen Ort vor.

Alle Kochgerätschaften lagen vorbereitet auf dem Tisch und wir begannen sofort mit dem Kochen.

Aung was not alone, he was accompanied by a nice old lady and his son (don't remember his or her son).
Step by step we cut potatos, onions and smashed spices.
We ought to prepare five courses including two salads, two currys and one dessert.
The cooking itself took us around one and a half hour.

Aung war nicht alleine, er hatte Gesellschaft von einer netten alten Frau un ihrem Sohn (Ich erinner mich nicht ob es ihr oder sein Sohn war).
Stück für stück schnitten wir Kartoffeln, Zwiebeln und mörserten Gewürze.
Wir sollten fünf Gänge bereiten, darin enthalten zwei Salate, zwei Curreys und ein Dessert.
Das kochen alleine brauchte etwa 1,5 Stunden.

Each dish had a special unknown taste because we used many local spices not found in the usual kitchen at home.
Nevertheless each dish was only a small portion, all dishes together were more than enough, we could hardly finish everything.

Jedes Gericht hatte einen speziellen, ungewohnten Geschmack, da wir Gewürze verwendeten die nicht in der heimischen Küche zu finden sind.

[Nap]

We were given one hour to take a nap in the bamboo huts. However Trianne became bored very quick so she decided to do some yoga stretching.

Wir hatten eine Stunde um ein Mittagsschläfchen in den Bambushütten zu halten.
Allerdings wurde es Trianne ziemlich schnell langweilig, und sie entschied Yoga und Dehungsübungen zu machen.

Biking tour

Afterwards Aung took a bike tour with us, show us the rice fields and a tamarind tree. Tamarind is very sour and a good match
to spice up any curry, Trianne like it so much that she added a lot to her curry.

Danach nahm uns Aung mit auf eine Radtour und zeigte uns Reisfelder und einen Tamarinde Baum. Tamarinde ist sehr sauer und eignet sich gut um jegliches Curry zu verfeinern, Trianne mochte es so gerne, dass sie sehr viel davon in ihr Curry mischte.

Sweeeet Lemonade

The weather was very hot and humid and we happily accepted the offer from the old lady - homemade fresh lemonade with honey and citrons from the garden.

Das Wetter war sehr heiß und schwül und wir nahmen das Angebot der alten Dame, sie könne frische Zitronenlimonade mit Honig und Zitronen aus dem Garten machen, freudig an

Yan kin taung ...

Before Aung drove us back to the hotel, he showed us the nearby "yan kin taung temple" temple.
The specialty of this temple is, that part of it is inside a cave.
Aung left us alone for some time so we could enjoy the sun fading away very slowly which was a breathtaking spectacle.
Kafai and Pat shoot some very nice pictures of us and we returned this favour.

Bevor Aung uns zurück zu unserem Hotel fuhr zeigte er uns den in der Nähe gelegenen "yan kin taung" Tempel.
Das besondere diese Tempel ist das er teilweise in eine art Höhle gebaut wurde.
Aung ließ uns für einige Zeit alleine. So konnten wir die langsam untergehende Sonne genießen, was ein atemberaubendes Spektakel war.
Kafai und Pat schoßen einige sehr schöne Fotos von uns und wir revachierten uns dafür.

A Day comes to an End

The day ended by the cooking class. Kafai and Pat and us had a very nice conversion from the beginning. We decided
to share the taxi the next morning back to the airport.

Auch wenn der Tag durchgeplant war aufgrund des Kochkurses kamen wir mit Kafai und Pat von Anfang an gut aus.
Wir beschlossen das Taxi zum Flughafen am nächsten morgen zu teilen.

At night we stayed close to the hotel and just got some freshly baked Naan from the food stalls around the corner which we knew already the day before.

Am abend blieben wir in der Nähe des Hotels und holten uns firsch gebackene Naan von den Essensständen um die Ecke, welche wir bereits kannten vom
Tag zuvor

[2016 緬甸 Myanmar] 赤腳之國 明根 實皆 烏本橋 Mingun Saigaing U Bein Bridge Day 2

昨天接載我們由曼德勒山回酒店的導遊在上車介紹他們提供的包車服務，說可以載我們到市外不同景點，如烏本橋﹑馬哈根德昂伽江僧院看僧人吃早飯﹑三個必遊古城和特色佛塔，但導遊說因為烏本橋和僧院相近，會安排在早上到訪，那就是說不會看到烏本橋的日落？？？NO!!! 我們此行的重點行程就是要到烏本橋看日落，如果看不到，絕對是遺憾，所以即使他們只要求40美金，我們都無奈拒絕。機場報價50美金，酒店報價45美金，目前為止他們二人組是最平。

Last night, the guide and driver who drove us from Mandalay Hill back to hotel suggested us to rent their car and they could drive us around Mandalay and the outskirt such us U Bein Bridge, Maha Ganayon Kyaung Monastery to see the monks while they are having their meal, three recommended old towns and wonderful pagodas. The guide said she will bring us to both the Bridge and the Monastery in the morning because these are nearby, which mean we are not able to see the sunset at the Bridge. NO WAY!!!! To see the sunset at the Bridge is the most important part of the trip. If I cannot make it, it would be definitely a regret to me. Although they offered us USD40 which is the cheapest we quoted so far, we had to reject her. The vendor in the airport offered USD50 and the hotel offered USD45. 

[2016 緬甸 Myanmar] 赤腳之國 美麗國境 Explore the Mysterious with Bare Foot Day 1

趕著HK Express香港飛曼德勒航線的尾巴，中秋節去了一趟緬甸，人生首次踏足相對落後的東南亞國家，亦是亞洲最窮的國家之一，令我很期待一看這個第一印象如印度，但令我感到相對安全的國家。

We flew to Myanmar in mid-autumn festival. Catching the "last flight" to Mandalay before HK Express suspend the service end of October. It is my first time to explore a developing country in South-East Asia - Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in Asia. I was very looking forward to visit this country which is full of mystery to me. It gives me a feeling of India but I know it is way safer.

由香港飛往曼德勒只需兩小時四十分鐘，不需三小時便到達另一個氣候和環境相差很遠的國度。曼德勒機場不大，只有兩層，但基本設施如餐廳、小食店、兌換店都有，洗手間亦很乾淨。唯一美中不足是入境大堂唯一的櫃員機沒有插上電源，又貼上告示表示維修，令所有遊客只能乖乖地到兩間兌換店排隊換錢。

It takes only 2 hours 40 minutes to fly from Hong Kong to Mandalay. With less than 3 hours, we arrived in another countries with different latitude and atmosphere. Mandalay Airport is not big which only has two levels.However, it is not a problem to find basic facilities like restaurants, snack bar, currency exchange. The toilets are clean (yay! What a good start). The only mysterious we found is the one and only one ATM in the arrival hall has no power. It has only the notice showing it is under maintenance. As a result, all tourists have to line up at the currency exchange before officially starting their trip. 

[2016 日本 Japan] 鹿兒島 Kagoshima 踏單車 完結 Cycling End

整個旅程以單車作結，入住的酒店可以免費租用單車，但限量兩輛，所以早上起來第一件事就是去登記領車！

The trip ended with cycling around the city on the last day. The hotel we stayed provided free bicycle rental service, however, only two bicycles are available. As a result, the first thing in the morning was to sign up for the only two bicycles.

單車不是甚麼特別前衛的款式，只是一輛簡簡單單媽媽代步型的單車，這樣更好，特別配合鹿兒島親切簡單的感覺。

The bicycle is not a fancy style or a cool one, but a simple grandma style. That is better and more suitable to ride in such a friendly city Kagoshima.

[2016 日本 Japan] 鹿兒島縣 美食10強排行榜 Kagoshima Prefecture Top 10 Restaurants

這10強都是我在鹿兒島到訪過的餐廳，全部都是十分推介的！很有參考價值！
The top 10 are the restaurants I have visited in Kagoshima Prefecture. They are all good and highly recommended :) For your reference.


1) [鹿兒島Kagoshima] かごっまふるさと屋台村 

地址 Address: 鹿児島市中央町6-4/ Chuo-cho 6−4, Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture

網址 Website: http://www.kagoshima-gourmet.jp/

No 11 日置藏 ひおきぐら

No 18 愛家那 あいかな - 奄美鶏飯  Chicken Rice

[2016 日本 Japan] 屋久島 地道食材 港式廚藝 Yakushima Local Ingredient x Hong Kong Cooking Style

Yakushima is truly a peaceful outlying island. People have a simple and regular lifestyle. The first day we arrived at the island was already late afternoon which we missed the lunch time there.  In Hong Kong, we can always find some places to eat no matter when, but it is not the case in Yakushima. Most of the restaurants would have a break between 2 and 6 to prepare for dinner time.  

屋久島的確是一個人潔地靈的地方，居民生活簡單，作息定時，十分有規律。我們到達時已經是下午時分，過了午飯時間。在香港，任何時候都可以到餐廳吃飯，但在屋久島的餐廳卻會有小休的時段，兩時至六時多數的餐廳會暫停營業，為的是準備晚市的材料。

[2016 日本 Japan] 屋久島 白谷雲水峽 Yakushima Shiratani

除了完成荒川登山口到繩文杉的路綫，亦到過白谷雲水峽這條輕量級路綫。
Aside from the path to Jomon cedar, we had completed the other one - Shiratani. 

到達當天職員告知，如果遇上大雨，某些水位高漲，水流太急會有危險，便會封閉部份路段，不適合通過，所以最終我們未能到訪幽靈公主的場景，只在被許可的路段輕鬆遊走。
When we arrived, the staff told us that part of the routes closed and not allow to go through. It is because the water level rose and the paths were flooded due to the rain. As a result, we did not explore the scenes from the Princess Mononoke. 

[2016 日本 Japan] 屋久島 繩文衫 下山 Yakushima Jomon cedar Return

身體習慣了不停上樓梯的動作，有了記憶，感覺雙腳已經自動前進，不再屬於我。即使到達第一個休息點-心型樹洞，踏著平地仍然蠢蠢欲動。

My muscle  started to remember the movement of walking up the stair, I felt my feet  moved on  their own and not belong to me anymore.  Although  we had arrived the first checkpoint - Wilson Stump, my feet are still eager to step forward.

  

大家走進樹洞抬頭仰望，嘗試用多角度看到心型，大家仍然毫無頭緒，直至一位專業導遊的出現。他一進來，走到右邊的位置然後跪下，讓他的團友把相機給他，給他們拍照，原來那裡就是正確位置。大家都鎖定位置，待導遊一走開便佔領重地，不斷按下快門，紀錄最美麗一刻！

[2016 日本 Japan] 屋久島 繩文衫 Yakushima Jomon cedar Hike

成就鹿兒島之行是因為想到屋久島行山，看看那個宮崎駿筆下的幽靈公主深林，看著其他人拍的照片，森林只有翠綠、深綠和超級綠，真的很吸引。另外亦被心型樹洞吸引著，晚上在這裡看星星，真的很浪漫。

The main reason we travelled to  Kagoshima is to  hike in Yakushima. We would like to explore the magic forest which Japanese animator Miyazaki describe in "Princess Mononoke" (1997). We have found so many pictures  of the  green forest. It is formed by various level of green. The sun shine on the top of the tree  reflecting  lime green. The grass on the sides  of the path are  spring green.  When there is no sunshine going through the forest, it becomes jade green. Aside from that, the  Wilson Stump also attracted us . It would be very romantic to lay down at night to see the star. 

     

耐人尋味的解僱事件 Mysterious Termination 完 END

早在B先生離職前，我們為他準備了心意咭，並已交給Cherry首先簽字，但他隔了一個星期都沒有寫上任何字，又沒有讓其他同事簽名，明顯有古怪。

We have prepared a card to Mr B and decided to give it to him before he left. It was with Cherry to sign first before we sign on it. However, he (Cherry is just a nickname, and he is a guy) didn't start writing anything on it even after a week or pass it to others. It is obviously weird. 

越接近離職的日子，應該會感到愁離別緒，或總會抽時間收拾私人物品，但公司的氣氛卻完全未有反映出來，B先生仍然努力跟客戶開會，更告訴我們月尾那個總監將會到訪香港，目的是幫助B先生加快進度把洽談中的合約拿到手。

The closer to the last date at work, the more affectionate it should be or start packing up the personal items. However, the sadness is not spread through the air in the office and Mr B went for meeting as usual. He told us that the head is coming to Hong Kong end of the month. He wants to help Mr B to speed up the entire progress and sign on the official contract as soon as possible. 

耐人尋味的解僱事件 Mysterious Termination I

公司一位專責公司客戶的同事B先生於七月時被公司解僱，理由是表現不理想，事情來得很突然，我們都感到十萬個驚訝，B先生更感到很氣憤。作出這個決定的是總公司的部門總監，香港的新經理｢車里子｣沒有參與，這是他上場後第一宗被解僱事件。

The company fired one of our colleagues Mr. B in July, who is responsible for the corporate business. The reason is the unsatisfied performance. It happened without any sign and we all felt shock about that. Mr B even felt angry. The head of corporate business department from headquarter is the decision maker. It had nothing to do with the new manager Cherry in Hong Kong. It was the first termination after he was on-board.

[2016 日本 Japan] 鹿兒島縣榻榻米 Kagoshima Prefecture Tatami

小時候經常看叮噹(現在已改名為多啦A夢)，最吸引我的是叮噹總是睡在衣櫃內，大雄就在榻榻米上舖上棉被，那就變成｢睡床｣。

Doraemon is the cartoon I used to watch a lot in my childhood. It was so interesting that Doraemon sleep inside the closet and Nobi (the boy who Doraemon stayed with all the time) put the blanket on the Tatami mattress to be his bed.

到達屋久島民宿，走上二樓，打開趟門，我眼前出現大雄的睡房，兩面窗﹑竹墊榻榻米﹑天花燈連著開關吊繩﹑叮噹的衣櫃睡房和房中唯一的矮桌。一切都十分日式，放下背包躺在榻榻米上，頭部貼近竹墊時，還聞到悠悠的竹香。經過三個小時船程，然後背著背包由碼頭走20分鐘到民宿，遇上大雨手腳濕透，那感覺很不舒服，所以當我躺下休息後，萬分不願意起來。外出後，心裡整天想著回民宿，因為榻榻米真的很舒服。

The room of the homestay in Yakushima is on the second floor. We opened the traditional Japanese slide door and I found the bedroom of Nobi in front of me. The room has two sides windows, bamboo Tatami floor, the ceiling light hanging with a long rope as power control,

[2016 日本 Japan] 鹿兒島縣溫泉 Kagoshima Prefecture Onsen

鹿兒島屬於九洲，九洲的溫泉在日本很有名，不難找到天然溫泉，因為全都是天然，並不是熱水浴。

Kagoshima Prefecture is one of the regions in Kyushu, Japan. Kyushu is well-known for Onsen (hotspring in Japanese). It is common to see onsen which are 100% natural, not like hot tub. 

單在鹿兒島便有多間溫泉，地圖清楚用紅色熱飲圖案，即是有三條打直波浪指示溫泉位置，如露天風呂、半山溫泉日式旅館﹑傳統溫泉浴堂等，

[2016 日本 Japan] 鹿兒島縣 Kagoshima Prefecture ATM

原來不單止是鹿兒島，而是整個日本的ATM都不一定受理日本以外國家簽發的提款咭。(第一次到日本，大鄉里出城) 機場有兩部ATM，一間是鹿兒島銀行，一間是郵局ATM。我們拿著不同銀行簽發的提款卡，都只能在郵局ATM成功提款，每人提了¥35,000，所以一共¥70,000 (約HKD5300)。

If you have a  debit card issued by any country but Japan, PLEASE keep reading. The ATM in Japan may not  accept  your card when you withdrew money. I didn't imagine this would cause us so much trouble in the days in Yakushima. We tried the only two ATM machines in Kagoshima Airport. One is operated by the  Kagoshima Bank which doesn't like our debit cards ; while another one is the post office ATM and luckily we can successfully  withdrew  ¥35,000 each. If we really have no cash, we could perhaps trade with people to get exchange of the ticket or food we need.  

由鹿兒島銀行營運的ATM 
ATM operated by Kagoshima Bank

郵局ATM
Post Office ATM

農曆七月電梯遇見帥哥 Handsome in the Elevator in July Lunar Calendar

兩個帥哥與我同在電梯內，他們是住在我樓下的兄弟。回到家中，我居然見到我的菲律賓同志同事在我家。我告訴他我碰到兩位帥哥，他們住在樓下。

I was in the elevator with two handsome guys.  They are brothers and live one floor down. When I arrived home,  I was surprised to see that my gay Filipino colleague was at my place. I told him I met two handsome and they live just downstairs.  

我們想了一個到訪帥哥家的藉口，好讓我們可以近距離看再看他們一次。我的同事十分興奮，用他的高八度聲線尖叫起來。不知什麼原因，我們最後跟帥哥們坐在餐廳內聊天，氣氛很好。但每當我想問他們一些關鍵問題時，總有一道閃光出現暫亂歌柄。

Then we come up with an idea to go to their place with an excuse so could have a closer look of the brothers. My colleague was soooo excited and used his signature high pitch voice to cheer!! Ended up we all sit at the restaurant with the handsome having nice conversation.  At a point,  I want to ask some critical questions,  a flash would appeared and interrupted me.  

[2016 越南 胡志明 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam] 水上木偶戲 Water Puppet Show

多謝三嬸的悉心安排，來了越南幾天，天天吃得飽，去旅行不外乎是吃喝玩樂，玩得開心，食得放心，那就十分完美。這幾天都做到以上所說，只是間中有人鬧情緒，大人因小朋友頑皮而經常動肝火，兄弟之間出現誤會，愛面子不道歉而不快，小朋友爭玩具鬧交，針鋒相對最後由大人出手化解，但歸根究底都是一家人，轉頭便會放下芥蒂，圍在一起吃飯。

Thank you for the sweet arrangement of my Auntie Three. The days in Vietnam were all Eat, Play, Sleep. I had a lot of fun and eating a lot of good food. The only imperfect would be the bad moments between each other. Adults were angry of their naughty kids, they had misunderstanding among each other but the wrong one refused to apology, the kids fought among themselves and hated each other. All in all, we belong to the same family and would not angry for long. That is true because we sit together to have the next meal later on.

三嬸安排了越南最後一餐吃海鮮宴，還由她媽媽親自下廚，由買料到煮一手包辦，餵飽我們一行廿人的胃！

Our last meal in Vietnam is Seafood Buffet, organised by Auntie Three and prepared by her mom. Her mom took our order and be the chef to cook. A total of 20 tummies are satisfied.

[2016 越南 胡志明 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam] 羊乳羊奶羊奶珠事件 Goat Milk/Goat Cheese/ Goat Nipples?!

參加Sinh Tourist的一天團，Sinh Tourist 是具規模的當地旅行社，不單在胡志明市，在河內都有分行，包辦本地一天團、越南短線團、老撾柬埔寨的長線團﹑特定主題如登山﹑單車、生態團，還有越南菜烹飪班。旅行團主要以英文越文為主，但我看到單張也有提供粵語或日文，如果人多包團便可以要求其他語言。報名及出發當日都有很多客人，絕對不是掛羊頭賣狗肉的黑店，大家可以放心。

We joined the one day tour organised by Sinh Tourist which is a large scale tourist agency in Vietnam. They have another branch in Hanoi other than the one in Ho Chi Minh City. They offer one day tour, few days trip in Vietnam, tour to Laos and Cambodia, tour featuring hiking, cycling, eco and nature, or even Vietnamese cooking class. The guide speaks English and Vietnamese. However, Cantonese or Japanese can be provided upon requested, such as the group is tailor made to the group of foreigners. I saw lots of tourists on the day we enrolled and set off. So the reputation is good and if you are lazy to plan, that would be an option.

先坐兩小時巴士離開胡志明市前往效區，再轉小船到訪蜜蜂/米紙/椰子島品嚐蜂蜜、參觀米紙、椰子製品生產過程。

To head to the country side, we first took two hours coach to leave Ho Chi Minh City. After that, another boat ride to the island to see the production of honey, Vietnamese rice sheet, coconut products.

[2016 越南 胡志明 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam] 越南婚禮 Vietnamese Wedding

今天重要環節就是接新娘和晚上的飲宴，稍為整理好儀容便出發，我叔叔沒有邀請朋友來做兄弟團，但不用怕，因為家族陣容龐大，單靠我其他叔叔們，我哥和一班堂弟妹已經夠睇頭，這便是名副其實的｢兄！弟！團｣！

Wedding Day!! We picked up the bride in the morning and had the banquet at night. Woke up early and dressed up ourselves. My uncle, the groom, did not invite his friends to come nor having the groomsmen. That would not be an issue when his whole family were present to support him. I have a lots of uncles, together with my brother and all my cousins, he has the warmest “Groomsmen & Groomswomen” ever. 

Chinese Sharing: In marriage, the bride and the groom will find their best/ good friends to be the bridesmaids/ groomsmen. In Chinese, we literally called the bridesmaids/ groomsmen as Group of Sisters/ Brothers even we are not biological related. In my uncle case, he did has his best groomsmen which formed by a group of his biological brothers. 

[2016 越南 胡志明 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam] 一家大細去旅行 Family Trip Generation 4

一埗出胡志明機場，一股熱氣包圍全身，這個沒有四季的國家，有的只有熱和更熱，我想四月份只算是｢熱｣的程度。到達時已接近半夜，先回酒店休息，明天再和大家滙合。

The first thing I felt after stepping out from the Ho Chi Minh City Airport was HEAT!! My entire body was covered with the hot air. Vietnam, a country without four seasons, gives you hot and even hotter. I believe the weather in April is “hot” level. It was already after mid-night when we arrived. So we went straight to hotel for rest and met everyone the next day. 

機場室外接機大堂  Outdoor Pick Up Zone

這次來越南是因為叔叔結婚，對方是越南華僑，所以我們舉家來出席婚禮，順便來旅行，連年老的爺爺也來了，所以大家都很高興。

We travelled to Vietnam for my uncle’s wedding. The bride is Vietnamese Chinese so our family flew over for the wedding and also travel. My 90-year’s old grandpa also with us and we all were so excited. 

[2016 北京 Beijing] 遊胡同 細說歷史 Hutong Adventure Enjoy the History

早上到了徐記燒餅舖吃早餐，他們除了燒餅還有豆腐丸子湯，看到排隊的人都是點一份燒餅一份丸子湯，然後胡同放著長枱，客人便找個位置吃飯，吃得津津有味。我們都點了兩個燒餅和一份丸子湯，坐在胡同裡當個本地人。

We had our breakfast in the XuJiaXiao local pastry shop in the morning. They offer not only the baked chinese pastry pocket, but also the soup with tofu and meatball. People who lined up have their own set of pastry and soup and started enjoy their meal at the table in the Hutong. We also ordered two pastries and the soup, to be a local in the Hutong.

[2016 北京 Beijing] 圓明園 x 頤和園 x 798 為人民服務 New/ Old Summer Palace & Serve to bring you happiness

故宮、長城、天壇、胡同這些代表著北京歷史的建築都分別去過，現在就只剩下圓明園和頤和園。不能錯過的都已經去了，這兩個地方我抱著輕鬆的心情遊玩，拋開過去幾天的緊張和壓力。

Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven and HuTong are part of the historical architectures in Beijing and we have been there already. The only two left are Old Summer Palace and Summer Palace. These are not the must-do in our itinerary. Let’s just visit them with a leisure and chill attitude. We were not that tense as before or afraid to have not enough time to check out the place.  

先來到圓明園，一個經歷兩次聯軍洗禮，中國軍隊節節敗退的地方，被英法及八國聯軍大 搶掠珍品，事後更被聯軍破壞得七零八落。不談歷史，這裡的景致十分恬靜，小橋流水，翠綠碧湖，廣闊草地，五光十色。

We first arrived at Old Summer Palace which was destroyed twice by the western. The Chinese military escaped back to the Palace. The British, French and the Allied Forces plundered the treasures and ruined and exploded the Palace afterward. Regardless the history, the scenery is very silent and peaceful with lakes, bridges, meadow, spacious spaces. 

[2016 北京 Beijing] 萬里長城長又長...Gorgeous Great Wall!!!!!!

真的能坐免費車嗎？

Free Ride? Really?

的士司機解釋因為他買長城門票能獲得折扣，賺取佣金，所以我們以正價買門票，每張門票他可以獲得RMB 5。這麼一來我們沒有多付錢又能早一點到達，他也可以賺取一點錢，的確是雙贏。猶豫了一會，其他司機在旁遊說，說「其實我們都是大好人！」，所以我們便上車離開了。車程五分鐘都不用，把門票的錢交給司機，我曾經有想過他會否拿著錢逃走？

The taxi driver explained to us how does the free ride work. He said that he has discount to purchase the admission ticket so as to earn the commission. When we purchase the admission tickets at regular price, he can earn RMB 5 each as commission. In this case, we did not pay extra and able to arrive earlier, on the other side, he earned some money which are a Win-Win situation. While I was hesitating, the other drivers persuaded us by saying “We are actually a very nice people!”. I decided to get on his car. It took us less than 5 minutes to reach the gate. When I gave the driver the money to purchase the tickets, I was scared that he will take the money and escape.

[2016 北京 Beijing] 金山嶺長城 JingShanLing Great Wall

北京重點之行就是登長城，令我更期待的是我們要登上的不是八達嶺、不是居庸關、更不是慕田峪長城，而是金山嶺長城。金山嶺有「野長城」之稱，與其他關嶺的分別在於這一部份未有過份修葺，仍然保留最初的原貌，部份段落路面不平，所以比較危險；地點離北京比較遠，需要兩小時以上車程，每天8時一班專車直達長城，其他時間便要到金山嶺服務區再乘坐長城接駁車。以上兩大原因，令到金山嶺的遊客少之又少，這也是造就我們選擇這個地方的原因，因為我們不想看「人頭長城」。

The must-do for the Beijing Trip is to rock the Great Wall, I was so excited because we chose the JinShanLing Section rather than BaDaLing, JuYongGuan or MuTianYu. JinShanLing Great Wall is also renowned as “The Wild Great Wall”which retained the original structure and without excessive maintenance and repair of the path. In other word, it is relatively danger, but more down to earth. It located quite far from Beijing, taking at least two hours by bus. There is only one express bus at 8am daily going directly to the gate of Great Wall. Passengers have to switch the shuttle bus at JinShanLing Service Point. Due to the above two main reasons, the numbers of tourists head to JinShanLing are countable. This is the reason we decided to go to JinShanLing to avoid seeing the Great Wall with only heads. 

[2016 北京 Beijing] 起來!!我們入宮了!! Come On!! Lets Rock the Forbidden City!!

起來！不要做懶惰的人們！

Come on! Don't be a lazy one!

清晨4點左右睡眼惺忪起床，因為我們要去天空門看升旗，表面上多熱血愛國，事實是都已經來了，去吧！其次是升旗時間因應日照時間每天平均提前一分鐘，如果行程後半部才去，將要更早起床，單想到已經覺得很累。

We woke up at 4am because we wanted to attend the flag rising ceremony in Tiananmen Square. It seemed to be a country lover behaviour, but we were just thinking "We are here already. Why not?" Another reason is that the time for the flag raise will be 1 minute earlier day after day. In another word, if we decided to attend in the following days, we have to wake up a few minutes earlier. It was already sleepy to think of it. So Better Today!!!

[2016 北京 Beijing] 欣賞老北京的舊 Cherish the Old Beijing

復活節去北京幾天，請2日放5天。即使北京是中國的首都，但從來沒想過會到訪，因為在我眼中都是中國，都是養著那班人，那班令香港起了變化的內地人。但之前買歐洲機票送了單程北京票，不去好像很浪費，又遇著假期…...好吧！即管買張回程便出發啦！

We spent the Easter in Beijing because  it is a good deal to take 2 days off with 5 days holiday.  Even Beijing is the capital of China, I never thought of visiting. To me , BJ is just another city in China with same kind of Chinese who messed around in Hong Kong. I do not have a good impression. As we received a complimentary single ticket from the last Europe trip. It would be such a waste to not making another trip. Plus it was holiday... so why not just get another single return ticket to make it happen.

  

[2016 走過浮誇杜拜 Extravagance Dubai] Day 6 -END-

行程最後一天，仍然玩得精彩，唔到最後一秒都唔出發去機場！

The last day of the Dubai trip was also a great day. We headed to the airport in the last minute.

先去舊城區逛香料市場及黃金市場，這是到杜拜必到，因為是相對比較有歷史性的景點，比在市區堆砌的華麗購物中心和高級酒店更有參考價值，可是這裡是遊客重點，在市場的各條小巷都是賣紀念品﹑手製地氈、民族服飾﹑特式糖果，以遊客為對象。每當你走過店前，商販輕則就你膚色估計你所屬國家，然後用你懂的語言向你問好，就我來說，他們先用國語，看我沒反應，就轉用日文，然後再說英文; 我的同事看似是菲律賓人，但其實是新加坡馬拉人，可惜那商販以菲律賓語向她問好，氣死她，結果令她頭也不回便走了。

First and important stop was the Spice Souk and Gold Souk in Old Dubai Area. These are the significant tourist attractions and you can see the history of the city. Compare to the newly developed modern architecture and spacious shopping malls and the luxury hotels in the town, the Souk has a totally different atmosphere. Since that is the tourist attractions, the shops inside the Souk sell mainly souvenir like handmade carpet, traditional costume, authentic candies. When we passed the shops, the staff will greet you in your language by how you look like. They first said Hello to me in mandarin but I tried not to respond. So they tried Japanese and English on me which was not surprising. My colleague looks like Filipino, instead she is Singaporean Malay. Apparently, she was greeted with Filipino which made her so angry. I felt like she wanted to grab my hands and ran away.

[2016 走過浮誇杜拜 Extravagance Dubai] Day 5

今天不用早起，可以自然醒，終於有度假旅行的感覺，之前幾天或多或小都有點壓力。

No reason to wake up early after conference. I can lay on bed as long as I want and I finally felt the holiday mood. It is true that I was stressed in the last few days.

到了杜拜Miracle Garden, 這裡號稱全球最大的大自然花園，室外放滿以花草造型的圖案，色彩繽紛，真的很美。在這沙漠地區要維持所有花草樹木在烈日下也常綠所需的水應該以噸計吧！

Our first destination is Dubai Miracle Garden which is the largest nature flower garden in the world. It is filled with flowers and plants in the outdoor area. They formed in different patterns and shapes which are not only colourful but full of joy. It is hard to imagine how many water is needed to maintain the good condition of the flowers in a desert with bright sunshine of the day. 

[2016 走過浮誇杜拜 Extravagance Dubai] Day 4

最後半天的時間，說是培訓，不如說是聯誼吧！大家圍在一起說說自己的國家，分享著特別帶來的當地糖果，份外輕鬆。

Finally, half day left for the business trip and supposed to be the corporate training. Indeed, we were having a gathering with food full on the table. Everyone talked about their own country and shared the delicious confectionery. It was relaxing.

[2016 走過浮誇杜拜 Extravagance Dubai] Day 3

昨天的培訓為的是今天的比賽，公司希望我們分組，一起製作一個迷你版產品。組員以營業部、設計部和編輯部組成，所有人會被編到與不同市場的同事同組，即是說不會和日常合作的人拍檔，例如香港營業員 x 倫敦編輯 x 開普敦設計師或巴林營業員 x 新加坡編輯 x 杜拜設計師。新穎的組合，但工作仍然是平日做的事，我一心想應該不難應付。我算是幸運中的不幸，幸運因為其中一個營業員就是香港的同事，不幸是另有杜拜和馬來西亞的同事。問題在於有的是新同事，未理解應該做什麼，對一切的程序比較陌生，感到壓力；另一位杜拜同事雖然不是新人，但她不是負責公司這個產品，所以不是太熟產品細節，自薦做指揮工作；至於馬來西亞同事也是比較新，但她表現冷靜，處變不驚，沒有大呼小叫。過程中那個指揮官令我十分反感，她沒有貢獻之餘，就只懂把「怎麼樣? 我們完成了未?」、「進度如何?」、「為什麼你坐著甚麼都不幹?」等等問題掛在口邊，只顧結果！又不停催促同事快一點，說沒有時間，如果你沒用幫不了手，她的話裡聽不出一點尊重。另一位杜拜同事她很想出一分力，但沒有人有空給講解，她感到無助，硬著頭皮做起來，遇到疑問便大叫，說她感到很大壓力，差點要哭出來。我心情被一切亂局影響，令我也堅張起來，聽見其他團伍已經完成，令我更加急起來，最後我們雖然在限時內完成產品，但我並不滿意。

The training yesterday is for the competition today. It is the company’s idea. They want us from different departments divided into small teams to work on a mini-product together. The teams combined with staff from sales, design and content departments. We were randomly allocated to ensure you will not work with your local based colleagues; in another words, you will have to work with someone you never met before, for example, the sales from Hong Kong x the editor in London x the designer from Cape Town or the sales from Bahrain x the editor in Singapore x the designer in Dubai. What would it be to work with a new team while doing your daily routine? At first I was thinking it would not be hard to deal with because I will do my job as usual and I was lucky that one of the sales in my team is also my teammate in Hong Kong. However, the other two sales were from Malaysia and Dubai who are new to the company. They do not know how to start and do not familiar with the procedure. Another lady, based in Dubai, was from another production line, that’s why she is not familiar with the details of the product we were working on, however, she is well experience in management and nominated herself as the leading role. The Malaysian sales was quite calm and rest assure. In the whole process, the self-nominated leader annoyed me. She did not have any contribution and the only thing she did was keep asking as questions like “How is it go? Are we done yet?”, “How’s the progress?”or “Why are you sitting here with nothing to do?”These kind of questions and her attitude are really a pain in my ass. She is so result-oriented. She also urged us to act quickly and beat the time. If she thinks that you have no value in the task, she did not respect you and gave you a bitch face. Another new Dubai sales was willing to help, but no one was free to guide her what to do. When she faced some error and helpless, she yelled and almost cry. This competition really stressed her out. I was also tense with stressful circumstances, I felt extra stress when I learnt that the other teams have completed their products. Although we completed our product before the deadline, I am not satisfied. 

[2016 走過浮誇杜拜 Extravagance Dubai] Day 2

我幻想中的杜拜總公司辦公室是位於高級商業地段，設於大廈的高層，佔地兩三層，有大堂保安看守，出入需拍咭或登記。事實是辦公室的確位於杜拜媒體城的商業區，但地點三不到，沒有地鐵站、巴士十分罕見、電車站要走很遠路，在杜拜乾旱烈日下走路不是該做的事，所以沒有自駕便需要以的士代步。另外辦公室不是位於頂層，只是佔中層的三個單位，全座大廈樓高13層，大堂沒有保安，自出自入。沒有想像中高級，但大廈環境不錯，十分有阿拉伯感，而且景色很開揚。

I have a dream that the head office in Dubai is located in the upper-end commercial district, occupied the top level of building with two to three floors. The security guards are 24 hours on duty and users are required to have their own identity card for entry or visitor registration is needed. That was just a dream. The truth is the office is located in the Media City in Dubai which is like an industrial estate and the public transport is not well developed. The metro station is very far and I rarely see the bus stopped at the bus stop downstair. However, there is a tram stop which you can reach with 15 minutes walk under the sun. To walk under the sun in Dubai which is a dry and shinny country is not recommened. As a result, people tent to drive in Dubai or take taxi. Speaking of the real office, it is not located on the top level nor with several floors. Instead it occupied only three small units of the floor which the building is 13-floor high. No security guard and everybody is allowed to enter the building. It was not high-end at all. However, the environment of the building is nice which is rich in Arabric style and the view is pleasant.

[2016 走過浮誇杜拜 Extravagance Dubai] Day 1

公司總部在杜拜，每年第一季會舉行周年會議，海外各國的員工都會前往杜拜，一年一會。我是第一次參加公司的周年會議，也是首次與同部門的同事正式見面。由第一天加入這間公司，我們都是透過Skype通訊和視像，一切也是隔著電腦螢幕，所以我很期待這一趟旅程。

The headquarter of my company is located in Dubai. There is an annual conference held in Dubai every first quarter of other year and all the overseas employees will fly there to attend. It was my first time attending the annual conference and also officially meeting my teammates in person. Since the day I joined the company, I met them via Skype or in video calls only. Everything was behind the computer screen. I was so looking forward to meet everyone. 

會議為期3.5日，然後我會多留2.5日遊覽杜拜。杜拜總是給人奢華的感覺，我還在飛機上已經感受到，俯瞰著杜拜的夜景，金光閃閃，說這個城市是以金薄舖蓋一點都不誇張。杜拜的機場出奇地樸素，我看不到令我驚嘆的華麗誇張的裝飾，反倒阿布札比的機場更顯金碧輝煌。一埗出機場已經被一股熱氣包圍，所以接下來數天我都是輕裝上路，涼鞋相伴。

The conference lasts for 3.5 days and I stayed behind for 2.5 days, to take in advantage, to explore Dubai. As we know, Dubai always gives us the feeling of luxury, richness, extravagance and splendor which I already felt it while I was still on the plane. Overlooking the night view, the street lights from Sheikh Zayed Road, which is the most important main road connected the entire Dubai, lighted up the city. The city was like covering in gold. Together with the other city lights, it was a golden sea underneath. The airport in Dubai, unexpectedly, is very simple and not surprisingly glamourous. I did not find a lot of high-end decoration which I saw in the airport of Abu Dhabi. Another well-known fact of Dubai is the high temperature which I felt it once stepped out from the airport. I was so glad I had bought 2 pairs of sandals with me to comfort my feet under this weather. 

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 15 -完 END-

這天行程主要是參觀市政廳 x 走訪地鐵藍色綫的藝術車站 x Hermans吃素自助餐
Itinerary: City Hall x Arts Metro Station in Blue Line x Veggie Buffet in Hermans

斯德哥爾摩市政廳聲名大噪的原因是這裡是每年12月舉辦諾貝爾和平獎晚宴的場地。建築師‎Ragnar Östberg建造市政廳時，起初命名為Blue Hall，因為會把整座油上藍色但他發現紅磚牆的初型很美，最後決定保留紅色。但此時公眾和刊物已經以Blue House定名，所以沒有再更改市政廳名稱。

The reason why the city hall in Stockholm is famous because the Noble Prize annual dinner held here in December. When the architecture Ragnar Östberg built this city hall, he named it as Blue Hall. He aimed to paint the whole building in blue once established. However, the red bricks look so nice already, he felt. That’s why he changed his mind to keep it in red. The city hall remained to be named Blue Hall as the publication and the public were using that officially. To avoid confusion, they did not rename the city hall.

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 14

瑞典. 早晨. 下雪

Snowy Sweden Morning

我喜歡下雪，但不想見到由雪白染成泥黃最後黑卒卒的雪，不喜歡雪結成冰，變成濕滑的道路，走每一步都要小心翼翼，感覺很累。

I love snowing, but not happy to see the white snow turned into muddy yellow and ultimately in black or the snow became frozen ice on the road which is so slippery to walk or drive. To be extra careful of the step make me feel so exhausted. 

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 13

瑞典斯德哥爾摩的地鐵原來由港鐵營運，連來往斯德哥爾摩和哥德堡的城際列車服務MTR Express也是港鐵，連商標也是相同。但相似僅在於商標，沒有廣普廣播，車箱跟歐洲IC火車相近，還提供wifi，此綫只營運了幾年，一切還很新很舒適。

The metro in Stockholm is operated by the MTR Hong Kong, also the MTR Express running between Stockholm and Gothenburg belong to MTR Hong Kong as well. They also use the same MTR logo on the train. However, you will not find anything related to Hong Kong other than that. The announcement is not in Chinese and the cabins is according to European standard. Wifi is provided in the train and this express line just started operated for the last couple of years. The ride was really pleasant and comfortable.

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 12

酒店提供早餐，真的是名副其實的歐陸式早餐，麵包﹑芝士﹑果醬﹑炒蛋﹑香腸﹑乳酪﹑粟米片﹑生果、瑞典特產醃魚﹑果汁﹑咖啡和茶任君選擇。

The hotel provided a wonderful breakfast with various food choice. They have bread, cheese, jam, fried egg, sausages, yogurt, cereals, fruit, Swedish Pickled Herring, juices, coffee and tea. 

美食當前，心情特別愉快。十分期待明天的來臨，因為又可以食早餐！

Nice food make you smile. I was so looking forward for tomorrow because it will start with breakfast time.

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 11

清晨起來，太陽開始冒出，出現晨曦，我們興高彩烈跑上甲板，一推開門，嘩，很大風！風實在太大，吋步艱難，好不容易才到達最頂層，拿出手機想拍幾張selfie，無情的強風一括，令我措手不及，差點站不穩。手暴露在冷風下幾分鐘已經變得僵硬，總是按不到手機快門。Moritz比我更早宣佈投降，未到終點已經鳴金收兵，要回船艙暫避。

We woke up when it was dawn. The sun started to rise and the sky became brighter. We were so excited to run straight to the deck. We pushed the door to open, but it was hard because of the strong wind. Very strong wind!!! To walk up to the deck was not easy neither, I felt like the wind was going to blow me away. It was very scary. When we reached the top, we would like to take a few pictures and a couple of selfies of course. However, the wind was beating my face and froze up my hands in a few minutes. It was hard to stand still, stable and straight and not to mention having some nice shots of me. Moritz pulled back to the cabin earlier than I expected because of really extreme weather.  

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 10

昨晚Florian在我睡前仍未回來，想必我們未能親身道別便離開，但他被我們吵醒了。完全看不出他只睡了幾小時，天生麗質的帥哥，不經修飾仍然見得人。寒喧一番總要告別，我相信我一定會再跟他見面！
I didn't meet Florian last night before I went to bed. While I was wondering if we have to leave without a goodbye, we woke him up. He didn't look like just have a couple of hours sleep, and indeed he still looks very nice. He borns to be a handsome guy and doesn't need any make up. After a while of chit chatting, it was time to say goodbye. I am pretty sure I will see him again. 

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 9

今天主要是Moritz跟朋友見面，幸好是星期六，大家都有空應約。天氣更是陽光普照，非常好心情。

This day was a day for Moritz to meet the old friends. Luckily, it was a weekend which all of them were free to meet. The weather was nice and shiny as well. 

早上先跟Moritz前鄰居Petar見面，他們關係不止於鄰居，是好友！當時大家在柏林住對面。然後又差不多時間搬到慕尼黑，有共同興趣，喜歡單車，一拍即合。

We first met his former neighbour Petar. They met when both of them live in Berlin as next door neighbour, they became friends afterwa

[歐洲 德國瑞典 Europe Germany & Sweden] Day 8

Annette之前說過屋內經常有老鼠出沒，所以她設下陷阱捕捉牠們。剛好昨晚她捉到一隻，興高彩烈問我要不要看。我當下反應是：為什麼要看那污糟的生物？腦海中出現一隻尖咀利牙身長尾長的典型老鼠。我懷著惡心的心情去『探望』老鼠，Annette在櫃邊拿出捕鼠籠，籠的體積只有5立方米，說是老鼠，不如說是倉鼠更貼切，沒有想像中嘔心，白中帶啡，其實頗可愛。被捕的老鼠會安排放生大自然，期間會有蘋果為糧食，好食好住，其實被捕對牠們更好，省得去找食物。可能在鼠界Annette已廣為鼠知，能給與5星級的家，所以屋內總有老鼠到訪。

Due to the running-mouse crisis in the house, Annette has set up some traps to catch them. She was so excited to me and told me she caught one last night, and asked if I want to have a look. My first reaction was "Why should I take a look of the dirty creature?" In my mind, I had an evil mouse with very rough grey hair, sharp teeth and claw plus a very long hairless tail. They are not like Mickey Mouse at all. Why should I take a look? I went to "visit" the mouse with a fearful heart. Annette took out the small cage along the side of the cupboard. It is not a big one, neither the cage nor the mouse. If you don't tell me, I would say it is a hamster. It looks different than my imagination like I said 5 seconds ago becaue it is brown in white and, to be honest, quite cute. Annette will release the caught-mouse to the nature when she has time. Before that day, those mice will be kept in the cage and given apple dices daily. It is better to be caught than walking around the house as Annette will treat them well and won't scare them at all. I believe Annette is a well-known person in the mice society and those mice actually feeling happy to be caught.