Passion, career and life of a geeky girl in Hong Kong
This is my first post from iPhone using the native WordPress app. On the left is a photo I took with my iPhone last Friday at 6 Elgin Street, SOHO. For those looking for a quality coffee shop without the hustle and bustle of the big name chain stores, you would love Coffee Assembly at corkloft here. Yes, that’s the entrance - such a hidden gem! It took me almost an hour to find it.
It’s very kind of my few friends who recently alerted me of a potential security problem of my blog, it seems that my site is listed as suspicious.
Fixing my site using Google Webmaster Tools
Based on my experience with a few other WordPress sites, I’m pretty sure that it is caused by some security holes in my old copy of WordPress (2.2). Finally I made up my mind to upgrade it today. The upgrade process was pretty painless as advertised, except that I lost all my categories. Luckily a simple google search found the fix in no time.
Now I’ve requested a review from Google, hopefully my site would be declared “clean” again. 
Since I started writing this blog in 2003, I never thought that it would become a subject of plagiarism. After all, I’m not a popular person and my blog has attracted very little traffic.
Unfortunately, this finally happens. Needless to say, I am very upset. Not just because I’m being ripped off, I am also sad because I know this person remotely.
Rip-off of my about page.
Rip-off of my post on August 17, 2007
If you’re reading this, plagiariser: As long as you remove the copied contents from your blog swiftly, I would not disclose your blog link. Don’t make me do it, please.
都唔駛點「倒數」，因為日日都忙到嘔，無時間亦唔記得數！:D
今晚六點機，行李？當然未執。工作？當然未清。看看我的To-Do List:
都未計正在進行中的project管理和其他雜務！高興係同事都好幫得手，希望新同事亦快Ｄ上工，盡早適應和投入，咁我可以多Ｄ放假！Yeah!!!
去到溫哥華再寫blog!!!
過去的一個星期真係忙到癲！日日都要開會，最勁一日四個，個個都要準備同跟進，加埋電話、email、IM、自己公司開會，夜晚都做埋野都係做極都唔完！連續兩日瞓得三個鐘之後，我身體終於發警號：狂出暗瘡、喉嚨痛、失憶、腳痛 … 好彩大部分的工作死線都總算趕得上，呢個weekend應該可以抖一抖，即係野照做，但不用開夜。
經濟氣氛大好(甚至有點過熱)，間間公司都忙，我都唔例外。但係錢又點會賺得完？咁既環境，最難就係say no，資源同時間都有限，要決定做乜唔做乜絕對係大挑戰。好多時我只有好少時間去決定，錯係難免的，但我覺得有得面對呢種挑戰係非常幸福！正如人地話既 happy problem。其實我每日都想：好生意的日子還有多久呢？基本上由2003年開始自僱後我每日都想這個問題，可能正是這種「危機感」可以令我更珍惜現在，更享受工作上的點滴。
離溫哥華假期還有：10 天
自2004年來一直都host所有personal sites在DreamHost, 不過上個月開始個blog真係好慢，我用netvigator，淨係load第一頁都要成30多秒! 每次update少少字refresh又要再等，真係忍無可忍！雖然問過好多人都無遇到類似情形，都係頂唔順要switch。
剛剛搞完一大輪的搬竇工作:
1) SSH 去 DreamHost “tar” 晒成個site folder; mysqldump 個 wordpress database （記住唔好用web-based的phpMyAdmin, 佢會mess up 個database)。
2) 跟住去新host MediaTemple個control panel 度add domain, add mysql database。
3) 再SSH 入去新 server 用scp remote copy 個 tar file 同個database, 由美國server 抄去美國server好快，150MB都唔駛一分鐘就抄完，如果無scp要我用FTP攞番來香港再upload就煩死，起碼要個幾兩個鐘。
4) 最後係新server的 WordPress config.php 改番晒 mysql login 資料, 係 preview URL 睇過晒load到, yeah!
5) 立即去GoDaddy轉個DNS, whooa! 兩三個鐘就轉左! 大功告成！
後記：
入到WordPress admin竟然post唔到新article, 攪錯! URL 竟然post ID = 0?! Google後即刻找到答案, 原來新web host的mysql version舊D, import 左舊database 所有table的第一個unique ID field要人手set番auto_increment! 都好白癡下, 點解 WordPress 唔加段code去handle呢 …
唔怪得咁多人用hosted blogs (Xanga, Yahoo, Wordpress.com), 真係煩少好多！
My blog is very quiet these days, it’s not because I don’t have anything to write, it’s just very difficult to decide what and how to write it, uploading new photos is much easier.
Over the last year, I have been looking for a place to move out on my own, I have even considered buying a flat. Don’t worry, I didn’t buy a flat in the end, I just rent a small apartment. For those who live in the States or Europe, young folks of my age rarely live with their parents. Many of them went independent once left college. In Hong Kong, it’s a very different situation because of the traditional Chinese culture and high living costs. To say the least, it takes quite a lot of determination *and* money to do it. Despite all the obstacles, I did it finally, on May 8th 2007.
My new home is a one-bedroom tiny flat in an old but well-maintained building somewhere between North Point and Fortress Hill. It’s the same 10 mins of walking from either MTR station so most of the time I take the bus instead. It’s newly-renovated before I moved in so it’s pretty neat. I’m still new to this district and having an adventure almost every day.
Meanwhile, I upgraded my blog to WordPress 2.2 and would like to be more actively blogging from now on. Other than the software upgrade, there would be another major change — this would be my last English entry. My apology to those readers who don’t read Chinese!
Through the connections of Angus and Greg, I had the privilege to meet up with a group of talented folks tonight. They include David from EditGrid, Edwyn from BlogKu, Frank from She.com, Mingles from Entrepreneur.hk, and Simon, Kevin and Bernard from Bullpoo.
Before we had dinner, they visited BeansBox Studio in Stanley Street, and we had a great time chatting, drinking and eating the whole night.
As you see my blog is still running WordPress 1.5.11, I don’t know if it is because of the old version or WordPress itself, the entries have been getting dozens of spam comments and trackbacks every day since last month. It’s getting so bad that I have to turn off commenting! Now there are two choices before me: either upgrade it to the latest WordPress 2.0.2 or switch to another blogging tool (possibly Textpattern).
I guess I need more time to think about it, there’re just too many things I want to do (typical Sagittarius!) and I know once I have decided to do something I wouldn’t be able to stop until it’s done. God knows how long the switch and tweaking will take me …
Meanwhile, just came across this amazingly funny video about Microsoft designs the iPod packaging. I am sure Bill is very happy that the iPod I gave him for his birthday is not in the re-deisgned packaging. Happy Birthday to Bill!
Update: Thanks to Ian for sharing his tips in solving the spam attack. I’ve now installed the plugin Bad Behavior 2 and things are back to normal now, at least so far. Flow your comments in!
I think I am currently suffering from a blogging burnout. One of the major reasons I guess is my new “schedule”. For more than 5 years, I’ve been living in a “rockstar” style, i.e. going to bed during 3-5 am and getting up late. After my office move I have successfully changed my schedule back to “normal” like most others. I now get up at 8 am and go to bed before 2 am. Then I found myself much less productive at night and thus having little time to update this blog, even when there are so many things to write about.
Well, I could have done that during the day when I am in the office, but I just don’t feel like writing or doing personal stuffs in the office. I just never feel I have done enough work every single day, and my “mode” is switched to “work” and blogging is not part of my “work”, unfortunately.
Anyhow, the new Winter League Season has just started. We played our first match tonight and beat Chinese Recreation Club (CRC). I played terribly and lost all three points, but our team won 5-4 overall. The team always comes first, so I am happy.
