Recycling in Germany

Arriving Leipzig last week, I was really open minded and expecting an ‘absolute nothing’. Unlike many people, I never go anywhere with expectation of what to see and do… etc. But there are always a lot to.

Anyway, as we did the orientation on the first day, I was surprised to notice that the supermarket did not have any bags free or for sale at the check out. The cashier did not help in parking shoppings either. At first, while we were in the queue, my mind found it a bit slow to understand this until we were paying.

With an effortless gusto, my friend loaded everything in his bag while I watched mouth agape. It was also then I noticed there were no bags – my brain instantly left its UK philosophy to realise why everyone was loading their shopping in their bags.

Prior to that, Markus had also stopped me from disposing an empty plastic bottle of a drink I bought earlier. It was also at the supermarket that he put it into a machine and I got a 15cent reimbursement, which the cashier took as part payment for our shopping.

Now this makes me wonder; do people making laws in the UK go to Germany too? Someone has got to implement these styles here. Since arriving on Wednesday, I now go to the shops with my own bag. Why not try it?

The BBC And The Royal Slip...

The recent slip-up by the BBC on the Queen has been put up as a mistake. While they think they have succeeded in winning the hearts of their viewers and going unblemished, some things seems quite out of string in the whole affair.

From my perspective, the issue wasn’t all a mistake not to say an honest one. But deep within, it seems a pure statement of the struggle to rubbish the monarchy and prove its ‘supposed powerlessness’. Such resentment is being increasingly introduced in various idiotic way which always point to disregard and contempt for the institution. Quite true, individuals have their right to express opinions, but I do not think such should be actualised by framing others or snooping on them regardless of what.

Far from my loyalty for the Queen, my opinion is about fairness and treating others with respect. And as such, I think its high time people call themselves to order and accept that none of the members of the royal household prayed to be born into that family? I think its time they be protected by such laws as homophobia and racism because being born into a royal family, is same as being born white, black, gay, etc, and a host of other attributes one cannot determine nor have control over.

The media company, RDF itself, should also be ashamed for such unprofessional presentation. A good correction would be for the BBC to discontinue all contracts with them at least for a year as this one amounts to so much irresponsibility. Being a multimedia student, I do not agree on such editing whether in or out of sequence as an amateur 1st level student wouldn’t even make such; the reason seems so doubtful. Since editing involves going through captured video, cutting off and rearranging them where needed to portray the right logic, it thus appear foolish to blame it on “out of sequence”. I think there must be a better excuse than this one.

My 2007 BirthDay Wishlist.

2007 Birthday List

It’s my birthday again this year come 26 July, and below are the things I would love for a present if you feel so interested in giving me one. All the same, I must reiterate that a gift is not necessary but pure, sincere and original good wishes from the heart.

This is just for a guide, you can still give whatever your generous heart insist on; I don’t mind.

• A pair of black shoes (size 45/UK 11)
• Digital Video Camera
• External Hard Drive (250GB or higher)
• A nice portrait of the Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II
• Black Jean trousers (size 32)
• A wireless Router
• Adobe Premier professional software
• Tickets to BBC Proms
• Ticket to last night of The Proms
• Current Version of Encyclopaedia Britannica
• More Bandanas (I can never have enough)
• More Anglican Chants/Hymns CDs (see my wishlist for clarification)
• Oh! And white briefs of course (my size? 32 or small; sorry you may not see me wear them though).

Well, I am still considering a small meal, but I don’t think that will be possible as I come back from Germany one day before… May be we have to wait until my 30th

Another David Cameron's Blunder

When the Tories went to their internal polls to elect a new leader in 2005, although I had been a labour supporter, I favoured Mr. Cameron thinking as a young man, he will be able to beat Tony Blair in the way he sees things; but that has not been the case.

Like a young person, David Cameron has taken to an unsteady style of leadership which always see him taking decision against himself and portraying the Conservative party as a party without focus nor even direction. Like a teenager, his only success so far has constantly been in leading a group of people continuously round a sand mound in the middle of desert instead of looking for a way out. Today saw him doing same again with his damned tax policy.

His latest tax policy, which he was puffing up and making a speech for, sounds so foolish because while it was seeking for favour from the parents, it totally blamed innocent children for being born by single parents or unmarried couple. As against that, what any government should focus on are the young ones, especially the poor ones regardless of who their parents are. Can someone tell this young man that we are in the 21st Century and life isn’t as it was. Not all of us wants to be in married relationship and marriage does not depict a loving relation either.

The Old Prayers; The Bombing Attempts.

I obviously love Britain and its people. So its no surprise that I have versions of the UK National Anthem – although many British don’t accept it as national anthem.

In one of the versions I own, the second stanza, (below) seems to have fulfilled when considered in the light of recent terrorism attempt on London and Glasgow exactly one week ago. The verse goes:

Oh Lord our God Arise
Scatter our enemies
And make them fall
Confound their politics
Frustrate their knavish tricks
On thee our hope we fix
God save us all.

As the security outfits simply stated, there were no intelligence on these attempts that would have been fatal. And if so – and since it is – how did we all escape these dangers?

I think the ‘Lord our God did arose, scattered the enemies and made them fall and fail. Their plans were confounded and their knavish tricks frustrated indeed – you could see that in their foolishness of being caught in the fire they lighted at Glasgow.

I wish this country will re-dedicate itself to the foundation laid for it. Like Tony Blair once said, Britain is special, yes, it is; and I believe it. We only need to keep these prayers alive:

On thee our hopes we fix, God save us all… God save our Queen.