This reminds me of someone. (Yes, it's you.)

"Yet when the day of the dinner with David rolled around he was unexpectedly cheerful. He spent the day shopping and making risotto in the time-honored male way, removing all the utensils from the drawers and laying them out like surgical instruments, then decanting all the ingredients into small bowls to maximize the washing up."

--- from A Spot of Bother, by Mark Haddon

I started this week with a smile.

From today's Apple Daily.
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小貓困軚盤隙縫獲救
2010年03月15日

【本報訊】昨下午 2時許， 31歲姓張客貨車司機駕車途經鯉魚門道時，發現一隻初生小貓瑟縮坑渠邊，擔心小貓受車聲驚嚇跑出馬路被輾斃，於是報警求救。可是他仍不放心，駕車折返撿走小貓，驅車到附近觀塘法院外的有信街。稍後警員到場不見貓蹤致電給他，當時在車廂內的頑皮貓竟鑽進客貨車軚盤底匿藏而被困，警員趕至無計可施召消防員協助。消防員稍後拆開軚盤救出全身沾滿油污的小貓，交愛協人員取走。獲救污糟貓約兩星期大，雄性，愛護動物協會人員稍後到場取走小貓交獸醫檢驗，初步發現小貓並無受傷。

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What a kind hearted man :)

[I am too angry to title it]

Whenever I read the news, the first thing that I do is to scroll down the headlines, and upon seeing no upsetting news, I'd tell myself "hmm, this is a good day after all".

Today is not one of those days.

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From Apple Daily - 3 March 2010

無意攞命　只想令牠終身痛苦
斷肢殺手再現斬花貓


【本報訊】曾發生斬斷小貓後腳兇案的上水彩園邨，前晚又有花貓遭截肢。動物義工救走一頭拖着血淋淋左前腳的花貓救治，獸醫發現牠的左前腳遭利器齊口切斷報警。對於兇徒再現，關注動物權益組織譴責狂徒殘暴，無意取命只為令貓隻受盡一世痛苦，希望警方嚴辦。
遭截肢花貓約一歲，雄性。獸醫從左前肢部份傷口已結痂來分析，估計小貓 10日前遇毒手，小貓左前腳僅留半截，恐防影響日後活動，獸醫昨晨替牠切除左腳餘下前肢。



左前肢遭狂徒切斷的小花貓 Faith，被送往獸醫診所接受手術（圖）。讀者提供圖片

稱遭警不禮貌對待

07年 11月，彩園邨有狂徒斬斷一個月大的小貓藍藍一對後腳血案，藍藍雖撿回性命卻終生殘障，香港群貓會總幹事陳小姐指，事隔兩年又有虐貓案，雖未能確定是同一人所為，她替前晚大難不死小貓取名「 Faith」（即信念），向「貓殺手」宣示不畏暴行決心。

前晚 6時半，有動物義工到上水彩園邨彩屏樓對開公園餵貓，發現燈光下有一頭拖着血淋淋左前腳花貓蹣跚而行。女義工通知香港群貓會。並將花貓送到旺角一家獸醫診所急救。當時小貓對陌生人十分兇惡，數度想咬護士。獸醫發現其前肢傷口齊整，疑是利器斬傷。義工指狂徒最可惡不是取命，而是斬手腳，令貓隻殘障一生。

昨晚群貓會總幹事陳小姐陪同女義工到旺角警署報案。陳表示當時在警署受到不禮貌對待，她憶述，負責警員質疑貓隻是否剛做完手術逃走出來，又說「邊度發生，去番邊度報警」。她說經歷這次不快經驗已對警方破案不存寄望，但發生虐待動物案，不報警可以怎做？

Be still and know that I am God.

"Too often we think of prayer as a serious chore, something that must be scheduled around other appointments, shoe-horned in among other pressing activities. We miss the point[...] God is inviting us to take a break, to play truant. We can stop doing all those important things we have to do in our capacity as God, and leave it to him to be God."

--- Prayer by Philip Yancey

Things that make me giggle.

Happy Year of the Tiger, my loved ones.
________________

I love children's drawing. They always make my day :). This one is from my friend M-Y's lovely kids, Evelyn and Oliver.

Watching Escape to River Cottage one night, BB made a comment about Lulu looking like a pike. They both have the same silly eyes.

This is based on a WFI recipe. BB has been giving me less-than-subtle hints the past three years that maybe I should try making meringues, as they are "super easy". So, here it is, my Valentine's Day dessert. Instead of the plums and pears that the recipe called for, I substituted them with starfruit(!) (homegrown by my dad) and frozen berries. I also skipped the Greek yoghurt, and used brown, not white, caster sugar. It turned out perfectly yummy*. So, it is official - contrary to popular (i.e. BB's) belief, I DO KNOW HOW TO COOK.

*Though, if you want to give this recipe a try, I would suggest you stick to the traditional berry ingredients, unless you also have a father who has given you three humongous star fruit and you need to find a creative way to use them up before they perish.

My Valentine's Day present - chocolate coated almonds from La Maison du Chocolat (BB bought himself a box along the way). Probably the most expensive chocolate I have, and would like to have, tasted. These two little boxes cost a whopping four-digit figure.

When Pepper first joined our family, she was all-out neurotic. I couldn't blame her - shortly after we adopted her, we whisked her to the vet for double surgery. Now, after 15 months, she is totally at ease. One of my daily pleasures is waking up in the morning to find her sleeping by my thigh.

My long overdue new year resolutions.

1. 50 books.
2. pouvez lire des magazines français.
3. more love.
4. more exercise.
5. make an important decision.

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happy new year, DBJ.