上海黑膠唱片大獵殺

==================================
I am the kind of person who has persistent interests in music. Until last July, I decided to change my career and gave it a shot at Wuxi, China. It is a nice and clean city to work.

Simply put, Wuxi is a desert for pure music. Even I found an audio store selling new and few used LPs but my ambition to collect tons of LP are not met. Until I bought a LP (Painting on the Caravan, Japan) from a young seller on the web and knew about the music import channels to China.

Some of the pirated CD and DVD vendors were used to gather around DZMJ plaza 大自鳴鐘. After it was torn down, they flew to the builder square I frequented ever since. Some of these vendors moved tons of used LP from south where they bought them by weight from Customs auction agents.

These used LP are imported from the US mostly since they are labeled "Goodwill", a chained store system in the US. US$ I.99, 2.99 and some of them, 3.99. I need to pay 30 RMB for these traditional, rocks, and pop LP. Not cheap at all. Anyway, I will stop by the LP square if I have nothing to do on Sunday and carried home 20 to 30 LP each time.

Just show you some of the most exciting LP in the 70's and 80's.














Shanghai builder square LP hunting

東京黑膠之旅

============================

Took a business trip to Tokyo on June 11 to June 13 and visited two of used LP stores in DiscUnion Shibuya. I brought back 27 LP this trip. It is worth since the price is good and quality is so nice. They look like brand-new rather than second hand.

Check out some of them here.

The new Golf GT 1.4 TSI, a Little Red.

=================================
VW is killing all her other children ( except GTI and R32) at the birth of Golf GT!

An automobile magazine concludes that TDI 2.0 is no match against GT even the two siblings look much alike at fist sight ( in terms of fuel economy, torque, and horse power, and price ...)

I am most impressed by its fuel mileage, and the amazing boost and push at rev from 1750 to 4500. Not to mention its siblings such as 1.6, 2.0 FSI or 1.9 TDI.

The GTI antenna is super and I can receive radio programs even go downhill from LinKo. I love this GT very much, guess it will stay with me at least until 2010. Though my wife is complaining her chassis and suspension. May be a little sportier than MK4. I am sure it will change when she has the chance to drive it herself.

The nice feeling of in-control and artful response when making big turns...

No one can resist the excitement.

VW Golf Mk4 has gone for good!

===========================

My beloved Golf MK4 True Color--Last day I parked it on the parking lot of BayTou VW store, taking the final shot.

View from the back! Is he a handsome boy? Look at the sexist C-column.

浮瑤, 夜宴CD

==============================

浮瑤, whose debut album, 夜宴, has really caught my eyes and ears.

In my humble opinion, she could be one of the best Hi-Fi music singers in the upcoming years. I have all kinds of other HiFi CD bragging about how good the singers are. I can sure you no one can be better than this 23-year-old graduate school freshman. She has good skills and, on top of that, can bridge her emotion and listeners' innermost tremble.

Check out track 11 一路上有你. Her hoarse but magnetic voice triggers your gratitude to bless someone you loved and lost before. So profound and direct. No 5 track 火柴天堂 is an ultimate test for all singers. And, again, she overcomes this song with her skills in high pitch and the control of feelings. It is full of power. Hard to believe she has such a mature performance at her age. Must be a lot of hard work and training before 夜宴 hit the market.

Bad news is you won't be able to find her CD in Taiwan where China singers are greatly undervalued and ignored. Good news is she is preparing her second album now, setting up her own Blog and welcoming any comments from the viewers. http://myselfzippo.blog.tom.com

By the time she releases her second album, I would like to fly to China again to buy her CD. Everyone into vocals should buy 夜宴 which is worth your money!

潘玉良--舞春風
=================================

=================================

We bought this one because the theme is pleasant and the plot and gesture of two dancers are the most profound. The background has different touch, making this scene a standout.

NT 30,000 for a copied one? May be we need the first one to start up our art collection. A genuine one from this painter costs as high as HK 9,000,000!

It is said that there are less than 50 oil paintings available in the market now.

An interesting episode: When we looked around in the gallery, finally, we stopped in front of this painting. As the lady taught us how to appreciate it, the painting suddenly dropped and hit into ground. I think it is a cue to push us to make a decision. We bought it.

The next day, I flipped thru the boring cable TV, ending up with a program introducing the history of this female painter. How did this happen? " This is the second cue." I talk to myself.

The following day when me and my wife went to attend the " Urban Simple Life festival" held in Whashan Art Park, guess who we run into?? Yes, the lady who sold us the painting!

Do you know the odds to meet someone this way. Pretty slim, right? So, we and this painting have some kind of mysterious connection. Hard to explain and need no reasons. We go with the flow! From now on, the world of 潘玉良 has become part of our life. Enjoy it.

=================================

最有名的黑衣自畫像

================================

Do you know how she painted this famous self-portrait?

Did she use a photo to do it or simply she could remember the look of herself?

Check out the collar which is from the right hand side to the left hand side. This is opposite to a normal cheongsam.

All her self-portraits were done by her reflection in a mirror.









臨窗自畫像, 有著攝影逆光之修正

花樣容顏

VW Tiguan due in 2008, another crossover vehicle from VW.
=================================================================

My new car, Golf GT Tsi 1.4

===============================
After driving for 20 min, I have the conclusion.

Its power steering is surprisingly lighter than MK4, though it is easier to handle. It is equipped with two drive modes: Normal and Sport. Don't ever try the Sport mode, cause you will become addicted. It is like a sensitive and energized grey hound ready to catch its prey. And the hound will do its best to satisfy its master under any circumstance. The master and hound are all excited before and during the hunting.

This high-tech TSI engine will be installed on small engines of VW in the future.

VW firstly applies this new engine and DSG together on its most selling platform, Golf family. It is said that Tsi is aimed at a downsizing act and will replace the 2.0 litre Fsi model. It positions between a racy GTI and a normal Golf. The only problem for Golf GT 1.4 Tsi is that VW dealers will have hard time to comfort a Golf 1.6 and 2.0 Fsi owners who bought a Golf with less hp but higher tag price.

Without any doubt, VW will once again lead the fashion and technology trend in automobile industry and remains the first choice for economic hot-hatch buyers.

麗江, 虎跳峽, 香格里拉剪影.

============================

The magnificent Li-Jiang trip

虎跳峽

屬都湖的彩虹, 美絕.

昆明石林

簡單生活節翦影

==================================

This is 張 懸, played ordinary guitar, and did a lot of lyrics herself. She was smoking on the back stage, and a lots of fans took photos with her. She talked a lot on the stage, not like other performers, just singing their songs. I kind of like her style--not too artificial or commercialized. I think she can do more albums in the future.

It is quite an EASY experience, not sloppy! Small characteristic shops sell funny things. Every hour you can hear a band playing their own music at the corner. They are nobody, but they fight the way to make a fortune and fame. Just like the photo: the only limit is the sky.

The Urban Simple Life Festival held in Huashan art park on Dec 2 and Dec 3.