Jason Morley

Worth Noting

Jason — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:04:03 +0000

It’s nothing special, but this seemed worth noting:

Just don’t look at the ‘Unique’ count!

Starbucks’ Beijing

Jason — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:41:29 +0000

Finding one’s way around a foreign place can be a rather daunting task and Beijing is no exception. In a country where, try as you might, it seems inexorably hard to pronounce the names of places let-alone read them, multi-lingual maps become a necessity.

Thankfully, the bastion of Western culture that is Starbucks stepped up, providing one of the most vital documents I possessed during my time in China:

P.S. In order to avoid the ensuing confusion, I am in Chicago this week. Merely revisiting old haunts…

Enjoying Chicago

Jason — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:47:03 +0000

Last Monday, after much waiting, I finally jumped aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight and made my way over to the windy city of Chicago. It’s been a pretty turbulent week so far but, fortunately, one which has afforded me the opportunity to enjoy some of the fantastic sights the city has to offer and I’m certainly looking forward to the chance to celebrate a victory by a certain Illinois senator.

I’ll try to put together a complete photo album as-and-when I have time.

Filling In The Gaps

Jason — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:56:49 +0000

The past half a year has been an extremely busy time for me and, now that I am back in Britain for a short while, I have been trying to sort out a little. One thing I have been trying to address is the horrible mess in which my photos have found themselves.

While there are a couple of albums still remaining to be sorted, perhaps these few will help shed some light on what I have been up to during the last 8 months:

Chinese Spring Festival

The Chinese Spring Festival, or New Year, falls towards the beginning of the Western year. Fortunately, for us, that was a week after the beginning of our assignment, giving us ample opportunity to take a look around:

.Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
Flickr (Slow Computers)

The Great Wall

Visiting the Great Wall obviously forms part of the mandatory explorations in and around Beijing. If, however, you are foolish enough to go on a guided tour, you will be taken to Jade Factories, Cloisonne Factories and Chinese Medical Centres before finally reaching your intended destination:

.Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
Flickr (Slow Computers)

Hong Kong

Not long after, visa woes mandated the first of many weekend trips to Hong Kong and other destinations:

.Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
Flickr (Slow Computers)

Beijing Botanical Gardens

The Beijing Botanical Gardens are a fairly common destination for both foreigners and local tourists alike. If you manage to get through the crowds and traffic queues, they’re beautiful, especially in the blossoms of Spring:

.Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
Flickr (Slow Computers)

Caves, Beijing

While I don’t remember the name of these caves, they provided for an amusing day out with members of our Chinese language school (BCLS) and some of their charges:

.Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
Flickr (Slow Computers)

Hong Kong

Yet again. For yet more visa renewals. Yet still, an absolutely fantastic place, providing a wonderful combination of a true metropolis with small Chinese fishing islands:

.Mac Gallery (Fast Computers)
Flickr (Slow Computers)

All in all. A wonderful experience.

Second Life

Jason — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:15:27 +0000

The world of computing, IT, and gadgetry encompasses a multitude of sins. So much so, that it is all but impossible to keep up to date with every aspect. Since returning to England and getting my laptop repaired, I’ve taken another look into Second Life — a whole portion of the connected-world of which I profess no understanding.

While it is very easy to pass-off virtual realms such as Second Life as mere games, they are becoming an ever increasing source of revenue for hosts and members alike. The model of selling virtual goods may seem somewhat alien, but it is one which works, as evidenced by the huge investments made by Sony and others in this space. In fact, it is not so dissimilar to the world of software and digital media, where we have the freedom to do something once and then sell it many many times.

A friend of mine now owns land in Second Life and makes her living selling fashion items. If you happen to be a Second Life member, check out her store:

She also keeps a rather nice mansion which serves as a further sales venue.

Not So Genius

Jason — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:19:19 +0000

These days, it’s seems a rarity that I comment on software and, as most people are aware, even less common that I criticise Apple. This time, I couldn’t resist.

In the last couple of weeks, both Microsoft and Apple have simultaneously released upgrades to their music players supporting music profiling, allowing users to generate playlists of similar music on-the-fly.

While this technology has been in play in services such as Last.fm for some time now, it seems Apple still have some way to go — recommending your users try listening to a different song seems to be missing the point somewhat:

Abroad

Jason — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:43:14 +0000

In but a couple of weeks, I’m planning to move to Chicago for a few months. For part of my US visa application, it has been necessary to retrace my travels over the past 10 years to pull together a complete travel history. Since this proved a far more challenging task than anticipated, it seemed sensible to record it for future reference:

Year	Countries Visited
2008	Japan, China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea
2007	Japan, China, Russia, Mongolia, Australia
2006	Japan
2005	France, Japan
2004	China
2003	France
2002	France, Austria, Italy
2001	France, Denmark, Sweden
2000	Egypt, Holland
1999	France
1998	Germany, France, Isle of Man

As we’re only two thirds of the way through 2008, I’m looking forward to adding a couple more to the list before the year’s out.

The World Cup

Jason — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:20:37 +0000

Just in case there was any doubt as to whether I was a follower of football:

(10:09:59 AM) Jason Morley: morning
(10:10:14 AM) George Norton: hi
(10:10:19 AM) George Norton: good result last night
(10:10:23 AM) Jason Morley: Yeah?
(10:10:28 AM) George Norton: 4-1
(10:10:36 AM) Jason Morley: awesome
(10:10:38 AM) Jason Morley: to whom?
(10:10:49 AM) George Norton: croatia (ranked 5th best team in the world)
(10:10:59 AM) Jason Morley: ah - awesome
(10:11:06 AM) Jason Morley: and what is this football competition again?
(10:11:12 AM) George Norton: World cup
(10:11:16 AM) Jason Morley: ah

Japanese Curiosities

Jason — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:58:26 +0000

During my recent visit to Japan, Junko and I came across a number of oddities of the nature which may only ever be found in Asia. Not quite the sort of photos one would be encouraged to put into an album, but certainly worthy of mention:

F*ing Ladies’ Fashion

The Last Supper

Cannibalism

Murderous Pooh

Be Not Defeated By The Rain

Jason — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:03:49 +0000

While it may seem a little inappropriate to quote directly, I could not resist the opportunity to republish this fantastic poem. Written by Kenji Miyazawa, it is extremely well known within Japan and puts me in mind of the oft-quoted ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling.

It seems that poets the world around are encouraging us to better ourselves:

Be not defeated by the rain, Nor let the wind prove your better.
Succumb not to the snows of winter. Nor be bested by the heat of summer.

Be strong in body. Unfettered by desire. Not enticed to anger. Cultivate a quiet joy.
Count yourself last in everything. Put others before you.
Watch well and listen closely. Hold the learned lessons dear.

A thatch-roof house, in a meadow, nestled in a pine grove’s shade.

A handful of rice, some miso, and a few vegetables to suffice for the day.

If, to the East, a child lies sick: Go forth and nurse him to health.
If, to the West, an old lady stands exhausted: Go forth, and relieve her of burden.
If, to the South, a man lies dying: Go forth with words of courage to dispel his fear.
If, to the North, an argument or fight ensues:
Go forth and beg them stop such a waste of effort and of spirit.

In times of drought, shed tears of sympathy.
In summers cold, walk in concern and empathy.

Stand aloof of the unknowing masses:
Better dismissed as useless than flattered as a “Great Man”.

This is my goal, the person I strive to become.