Where are you at this moment ?!

  

1995

If you like Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, these are the must see movies. Before Sunrise was the first one I had watched on T.V. at Pearl 930.... well, years and years ago. Two young strangers met on a train in Europe, they spent a whole after night at Vienna together, sharing hopes, joys, dreams, and love....then returned on train at dawn and aparted to their own destination.

Before Sunset was the second one I had watched on T.V. again late night at year end, right after Before Sunrise, Yes! movie double up :D So the feeling and emotion were even much stronger as the story carried on : Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) met after nine years in Paris......so, can you imagine...... 

2004

They were both more mature, having their own business and experience. Once again, they unfolded as much as they could before they had to apart again at dusk.  Life altered after the first met, but love remains.

There was an open ending in this story, whether Jesse could/would capture his plane back to US?  or stayed with Celine?

Another nine years pasted, I had to find out the real face of true romance between Jesse and Celine. This time, I went to the theatre, flied to Greece, learned a lesson before midnight.

2013

Life is amazing, because it is a learning path that everyone has to participate into, no short cut, no forever romance, no unawakened dreams. It mold you to become what you are from teen to mid age. 

Beautiful faces, stunning environment, meaningful dialogue, romancing moment...all you can find in this series of movie. Even though some people may say the last one is far too reality and they are too old which diminish the past romantic atmosphere of the whole film;
this is what we need to walk and grow together with Jesse and Celine, not only in their but our life, too.

I have to leave you now and enjoy my "triple up" !
Au Revoir!

                                               

Ikea Coffee Bean : Surprise !

Everybody knows that I am an IKEA and a Coffee lover, will it be lovely if they are merging?

Each year I will take a visit to see if there are any new products arrive, but unfortunately not many in the coming of 2018 in Hong Kong. Well, truly a little disappointed, so I am going to grab my favor almond pie before leaving, and accidentally discover this!

I am not a super fans of organic product especially in food, my past experience reminds me the "mild" taste of "everything" which are "boring". So I did hesitate a while when I saw this. In addition, because they are not freshly roasted, a certain compromise to aroma is expected.  

This espresso coffee bean is 100% Arabica, UTZ certified.
Produced in Sweden (I doubt whether it is the origin ).
Acidity 3, Body 5, Roasting 5....that's it, not much detail in terms of aroma or after taste...,etc. 
Cost: $46/250g. 
If compare with others, it is obviously very economical. 

To my surprise, the bean size are quite big, even though it looks like an Italian Roast, I will say a City Roast is more appropriate with a slight cinnamon favor is noted. 

Although this kind of ready packed coffee bean can not be compared with the freshly roasted and high quality single origin coffee; it is good enough for a morning coffee with sugar & milk, the overall taste is quite balance. So, give a try and you may love it :P

 
 

意外收獲

上回介紹了由王其鈞博士著作的中國民居，今次再介紹他另外兩本資料更詳盡的圖解詞典; 集合了中、西古今的建築特式及部件解讀. 圖文並茂，更是按着時序編排，所以從頭開始一直看下去，徬彿由古代穿梭到現代一般，非常有趣味性.

如果你有看過上次我介紹的那本中國民居，你便不會驚訝這兩本書內的資料何奇豐富. 如果你留意書內的插畫，亦會發現是來自不同人的手筆，正是作者的學生和他一起努力的成果，當中不少插圖繪畫得極之細緻。

翻看後記，原來部份原稿非常大，只是放到書內縮成約50mm 方的小插圖。全書差不多1000 幅插畫及內文，實在提供了很多寶貴和方便的資料，是兩本很值得珍藏的書籍.

兩本詞典尤以西方建築那本較為我所喜愛，因為當中提到不少古埃及，古羅馬，希臘，哥德式及文藝復興時期的教堂建築，解釋了不少當時常見的建築結構及圖像由來，看完後會對一些聞名已久的建築物：如巴黎聖母院，佛羅倫斯主教堂，古羅馬鬥獸場等等， 有較清楚及深入的理解; 更會懂得欣賞古時工匠的心思和高超手藝.

因此我極力推介，無論你是行內或外人， 這兩本也是值得一看再看的好書，希望你會喜歡！

圖解中國民居

話說自從無印良品開始賣書之後，其實也沒有太大期望，因為心想還是賣一些日式家品悠閒書或雜誌罷，但是竟然給我發現 這本有趣的書籍!

雖然我不是建築師，但對中國民居也實在有點興趣. 奈何很多建築書不是太商業味（超靚實景相），便是內容沈悶非常，而且昂貴.

那天，還是隨意看看，卻被這本書封面的插圖所吸引. 仔細看看內文，清楚簡潔地把主要中國民居的特色、佈局、結構等一一紀錄. （抱歉因版權問題不方便打開內頁）而且紙質及插畫十分樸實，很有味道.

內容除了我們熟悉的四合院，  江南水鄉民居，圍屋，土樓之外；更有竹樓，碉房，吊腳樓等較有特色的民居.

作者是一個很有心的中國學者王其鈞博士，請務必看書中的前言和後記，可以對作者的心思有更多認識，以致在細看內文時會更珍惜所獲得有知識。 

喜歡看書，是因為可以隨時穿梭時空及地理的限制，藉作者的解讀而學會一些新的知識或趣味. 初時我以為這本書售價應該不少於二佰塊錢，事實上卻出乎我意料之外的便宜，雖然我興高採烈地即時把它據為己有，卻也同時感到一陣悲哀.

我在想：是我們對閱讀這一回事已變得沒趣從而影響了書籍的售價? 還是重來低估了一些有水準但沒用名氣來包裝的作品呢?!

一個廁所板

上星期，廁所板突然宣告死亡，咁啱唔得閒，唯有勉強捱到今日。係好熱嘅中午，唔係同客睇， 買自己嘢就梗係鎖定目標，想快快趣搞掂啦！可能你會覺得好易啫，買番同一個型號就得啦 ; 咁又唔係喎，因為從來我都覺得D廁所板跟個馬桶一套，除咗有冇油壓之外就冇咩選擇，而且淨係得白色， 悶到發慌! （以前好多色揀） 

所以今次又發揮＂可可實驗室＂精神，去揾揾世上有冇未被發現嘅＂珍品＂啦?！ 

如果俾你揀: 

A）＄800 白色Roca油壓板

B）＄480 新進白色德國油壓板

C) ＄250 湖水綠歐洲普通板 

D) ＄180 白色唔知咩牌子油壓板

你會點揀呢？ 

好明顯我揀咗 C 啦, 不過仲有下文, 係塊板用不銹鋼鉸，木蕊（重也), 而且係十年倉貨，返嚟要再自行清潔膠紙及汚漬…...好啦，講到呢度我應唔應該放棄呢？

放棄咗就冇呢篇文啦，冇錯，買咗.....而且超值，因為：

1）Jacob Delafon 

2）意大利生產 

3）靚色靚料 

4）金屬配件一D都冇生銹 

5）原價700 大洋

6）絕版 

心滿意足:D

以上就係我嘅非常選擇啦:P

做個 " 愛國" 的設計師

2014年10月26日, 發放了一篇 做個有承擔的設計師, 把好不容易累積了的中國流覧本網誌數量付於流水.可惜, 但無悔.

今天, 終於把流量稍為穩定, 更剛剛發佈了"可可雜貨舖", 在期待着吸引多些讀者之際, 我還是決定要寫這篇網誌; 即使, 我的期待或許將要再次落空.

 剛剛在電視上看了一個關於劉曉波先生的特輯.那一刻,我竟然能感受到身為"中國人"對國家没有看待人權, 人民沒有真正自由的那種傷痛, 真的很痛!!!

一個帶着崇高理想, 以和平心態去期待國家變得更好的學者; 卻為此而賠上自己, 甚至最愛的一生,  値得嗎? (我敢説在他心中一定認為値得!)

自問對什麼政治, 國家...不算熟識; 但人權, 自由, 理想和愛, 是正如你我一様, 天生便懂得, 也應該可以隨時享用. 可是, 在2017年的世代, 中國在高舉什麼一帶一路, 讓全國接軌的同時; 另一邊廂卻仍然像"野蠻人"一樣. 思想守舊, 腐敗, 專横...視人命如草芥!


劉曉波先生和劉霞的付出, 其實, 這オ是真正的愛國, 只是國家不愛國民罷了. 

以言入罪, 軟禁, 網絡封殺, 囚禁異見人士......這一切並不會隨着他的離世而終止; 但可以肯定的是, 人可以被囚, 心卻不可以! 只要有這個信念, 他(們)的付出必不會白廢!

Cocoa Grocery Launch!

Although it is not our original intention when the first date we blog here, 

it is our desire in certain extent. 

It was started almost ten years ago, when we had discovered Spoonflower; as most of you may know that, you can create your own fabric pattern by using of any media and technique; which is fun and creative. But unfortunately, they are quite "limit" in manufacturing; even though they team up with Sprouts Pattern and Roostery later on, wall paper and fabric oriented products are still their only main stream. So, it's a bit of frustrating when some potential pattern that can fit into our daily life product but can't be made.

Well, I have to confess that I spend too little time to further explore this issue until this year, the world is changing so fast especially in e-commerce, numerous of build-on-demand platforms had already been mature and doing well in the market. So, here we are in Redbubble

Usually, throw pillow is a standard product, 

Coffee Fantasy

 
but we want something else such as this one :D

iphone case

The best offer in this platform is the possibility of pattern re-sizing and orientation to different product under the designer's control. This is what I wish for so long.


You may ask then why we are still built our Cocoa Fabric shop in Spoonflower, because it do provide a number of good quality fabric choices that others don't. 

Like this "minky" fabric, so......fluffy and cute !

Therefore, before a real creative online "Grocery" is found on earth, these are still the best channel for us in the mean time.

So, take a visit to our shop if you have a minute, 
we will upload more design in the coming future. 
Enjoy !