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Diary From the Attic

100 Million French Franc Lotto

100 million French Franc.  Can you imagine?  That’s is the Lotto of this week.  So me, Mohamed, Michel, Nicolas and Willie gathered together, each of us contributed 100 FF.  And the tickets are with Nicolas right now.  Just wondering if we do win 100 million, will we ever see Nicolas again.  Could have been a very nice story line.

Today, very busy doing knowledge transfer.  Like I said, don’t wish too hard or you may get it.  And I spent a very stressful day.

Tomorrow is Valentine Day. I really miss my girlfriend.

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Diary From the Attic

French Loves to Flirt?

Got an Email from Grace this morning saying that they are planning to visit Euro-Disney.  Wow!  I mean how I have been looking forward to have someone to come with me and it is such a “family” thing.  Been alone for too long.

Listen to this, the people working in Societe Generale has one mentality – that is to flirt (f**k) around.  And according to Mohamed (who believe in only two kinds of woman, one is “goat” or “animal” and the other one is “feeling” and “sentiment”), people just stay together for a while and break up.  What a culture!

Grace is thinking of getting me into BNP.  Well, do I really want it?  I don’t know.  Really don’t know.  Bridgit Fonda was on Tonight Show.  What a girl!  I have never seem someone so naturally feminine in my life (except my girlfriend when I first knew her).

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From the Attic

A Few Random Thoughts (1)

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Welcome to World Wide Wilf Interactive System (WWWIS)
copyright 1997

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Topics (12/02/97)

  1. Culture Shock
  2. Logic Talk
  3. A Very Tiny Discovery
  4. A Very Tiny Entertainment Preview
  5. 7 Deadly Sins
  6. Feedback

[ready] read message 1

When men get together, there is only one single topic that goes across all language and culture barriers. You know what I mean. No need to spell it out.

According to my clients (you know where they come from), there are only two types of women existing in this breathing world. The “goat” and the “sentimental”. Well, to translate to English, I think they meant “slut” and “angel”. I was a bit confused, so I asked them to educate me. The “goat” inevitably behaves in an “animal” way. And I do think this is very pictorial and easily understood. (Got to admit that they are very direct with this!) They are the ones just meet and do it, in a primitive way.

The “sentimental” type is harder for me to swallow. They are the ones who have “feeling” with the partners they are with, even though they may be having two or more at the same time. So to translate, I think one is called “One Night Stand” and the other is called “Affairs”. No wonder they told me that it is very “usual” that men are having more than one woman at the same time here. And it is very “common” for colleagues to this thing each other.

[ready] read message 2

One fine evening, I was (unfortunately) working late with one client. He is darker than me so I call him Muddy in here.

Muddy : Your enemy’s enemy is your enemy.
Me : What!? I think you are wrong!
Muddy :
Me : I think your enemy’s enemy is your friend. (0,0)=1
Muddy : Nope. It’s enemy.
Me : Okay, your friend’s friend is your friend, right? (1,1)=1
Muddy :
Me : Your friend’s enemy is your enemy. (1,0)=0
Muddy :
Me : Your enemy’s friend is your enemy. (0,1)=0
Muddy :

Note : In PERFECT model, we have Logic Negate Exclusive OR (N-XOR).

It took me a while to take in all the negation and when I relate this into real life, and real experience, I seemed to have thought otherwise.

Me : Okay, let’s be frank. Your enemy’s friend could be your friend. (0,1)=1
Muddy : Maybe.
Me : And your friend’s enemy could be your friend. (1,0)=1
Muddy : Maybe.
Me : And your friend’s friend could be your enemy! (1,1)=0
Muddy : Maybe.
Me : So your enemy’s enemy could be your friend! (0,0)=1
Muddy : See, you’ve learnt! Ho! Ho!

Note : In REALITY model, we have Logic Negate AND (NAND).

Are we just bored or what!!

Exercise : Try this. If I say that (perfect model) your lover’s lover is you and your ex-lover’s ex-lover is also you, try out all other cases. And in reality model, we may have, your lover’s lover could be him. Try that out as well. Answer attached.

[ready] read message 3

Probably you are sick with all the comparison so I will keep it short.

When someone is too demanding, I may said, “He drained me out”. That is to say he has drained all my energy out of my mind or body. But the French will said, “He pumped me up”. Drain and pump is so fundamentally different and the only thing that is possibly fundamentally similar is that in both cases, I am being referred as a water tank.

[ready] read message 4

The long awaiting U2 album is due to be out sometime in March. Always heard the new single “Discotheque” on air, truly techno in a U2 style. They still claim that it is a rock album but we have to wait and see in March.

David Bowie, just turned 50, is getting more weird. With the new album called, “Earthling”, and personally I don’t think you’ve heard anything like that. Any of you heard of “Little Wonder”, just wonder how the hell they remix the whole damn song.

Cyndi Lauper just came out a new album. She wrote the whole album with her band-mate Jane (I think) and it’s kind of modern. Mind you, her high pitch voice is still there.

Don’t watch “The Crow – The City of Angel” unless you are a big fan of the comic.

[ready] read message 5

Ever since I arrived in this dreamland, I have commit all the 7 deadly sins. I eat like a pig and every night has this nightmare of being haunted by the cows, lambs and ducks which I had consumed during daytime. Hence, gluttony. I sleep like a pig during weekends and wake up at 8 am in the morning. Hence, sloth. With all the bugs in the system, I raged. As I am the only one who is qualified to say, “Hey man. I know a bug when I see one. This is NOT a bug”, I fantasized myself as superman, hence pride. Too much cyber sex and detail skipped, is that lust? My quality of life seems to have improved quite dramatically but I am still not happy at all. Right now I demand an international phone on my desk (and probably won’t get it), that is greed.

Lastly, I ENVY you guys back home eating all the home cook food and all those beautiful curry chicken and Dim Sum. Hey, next time when you cannot finish your food, think about ME. Someone somewhere is dying to taste what you are about to throw away. GET THAT??

[ready] read message 7

Your feedback is invaluable. Please type below.

[feedback] I THINK YOUR STORIES SUCK AND YOUR MIND IS SCREWED.

Feedback sent to WWW’s mailbox. Thank you.

[ready] disconnect

Thank you for using WWWIS. Hope to see you soon.

World Wide Wilf Interactive System (WWWIS)
copyright 1997

Answer for message 2.

[Perfect Model]

Your lover’s lover is you. (1,1)=1
Your ex-lover’s ex-lover is you. (0,0)=1
Your lover’s ex-lover is him. (1,0)=0
Your ex-lover’s lover is him. (0,1)=0

[Reality Model]

Your ex-lover’s ex-lover could be you. (0,0)=1
Your lover’s ex-lover could be you. (1,0)=1
Your ex-lover’s lover could be you. (0,1)=1
Your lover’s lover could be him!! (1,1)=0

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Diary From the Attic

I’m an Idiot

Yesterday I felt like a superhuman, today I felt like an idiot.  Well, I think I still have a lot to learn in real working life.

Aurore and Noubi was not with me the whole day as they had a demo to do with the Spanish.  Sophie was sick so I was pretty freed of distraction.  Had a nice phone call with my girlfriend and the Florist drove me insane. I still couldn’t get hold of them.

Stayed late quite a fair bit with Mohamed and Wilfrid (French) and finally found that they run a wrong version of VTF, as I had suspected.

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Diary From the Attic

More SIRs

Today, I had the best mood.  I have replied 10 SIR.  My ever best record and the whole day I was so wild.  Felt like a superhuman.  And I got to listen to the new Cyndi Lauper Album.  I think I really like it.  And I finally found the novel, “Emma”, in one of the record store.  Great day, isn’t it?

Michel was back after his one week sudden departure.  And everything is just the same as they were.

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Diary From the Attic

This is My Life

I definitely I have been deeply affected by “The Crow” way of life.  Got up at 2 in the afternoon and ordered a bouquet of roses for JP in the coming Valentine Day.  Had a nice shower and read my classic novel with nice kind of music.  Faint sunlight came quietly into my room.  Sitting comfortably by the bed and I was thinking to myself.  This is definitely my kind of lifestyle.  I begin to find myself.

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Diary From the Attic

A Sunday at the Bookstore

They knocked at my door twice.  Never found out who there were.  Probably someone wanted to make my room.  Reminded me of those good University days when someone tried to wake me up in a lazy weekend afternoon.

A very horrifying dream.  A very pretty girl kissing me while another guy playing with my dick.  Totally terrifying.  Must be “inspired” by one of the chat I had with a bisexual kid.  Yuck!

I planed to go to an English Bookstore (WH Smiths) this afternoon, and I did.  And also I discovered that they do open during Sundays.  I had my late lunch (5 pm) at one of the café.  Actually a very nice atmosphere.  I sat at the center of the café and since today was quite a warm day, they “opened” up the entrance.  Just like those coffee shops in Singapore.  The music was right and it was nice to see people walking past, from a distance.  I had a movie on my mind and maybe one day I should turn that into a fiction.

As expected, I couldn’t stop myself from spending money in a bookstore.  Bought a very nice Valentine’s Card, Q Magazine and a novel.  I thought I would buy some new fiction but in the end, I didn’t Yes, I bought a classic novel – “The Portrait of a Lady”.  Never know that the film was made from a classic.  So I bought it and hopefully, I will read it as well.

And I watched one of the worst film I have ever seen – “The Crow – The City of Angel”.  The only thing good was that I loved the main actress.  That’s it.

Had a unusual diner.  I asked for Irish Dream (cocktail) and the waitress persuaded me to drink something else.  Wanted a Club Sandwich (as I wasn’t really hungry) and the same waitress persuaded me to take some seafood.  She nearly wanted to persuade me to have another 6 oysters but I said no.  There was a Dutch couple sat next to me and the man turned out to be a politician.  When I paid the bill by VISA, the waiter asked me for tips!  What an usual night.

And now I become a TV addict.  10 pm is Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.  11 pm is another one.  And I finally utilized my TV room which reading Q magazine during advertisement.

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Diary From the Attic

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year!  When I walked into the office, some of my clients actually knew that today was the Chinese New Year.  According to them, it was being broadcast on the radio.  I wore red shirt and red tie, just to look very “traditional”.

Today was not so good for Aurore as she had locked herself out.  Lucky her landlord does have the spare key.  As for me, I was such a good day before I received a new SIR from Noubi.  What a bastard!  Usually when a SIR is closed, he would write, “Attn : Wilfrid. This is to inform you that <SIR#> has been successfully tested, and can be closed.”  Being so bored with seeing this all the time, me and Mohamed composed this, “Attn : Noubi. This is to inform you that <SIR#> has been successfully installed, and can be tested.”  And he actually issued a SIR on this Microsoft Mail Message.  The SIR said something like, first the information “Noubi” was duplicated (as it is in the header as well) and said that it should read, “tested successfully” instead.  I was so pissed off that I went straight to Aurore and told her that that guy was crazy and needed some help.  In the end it was supposed to be a joke between Noubi and Mohamed and of course, Mohamed did not appreciate the joke either, and neither did Aurore.  God, that fellow needs some HELP.

And met my Aunt and Uncle for dinner tonight.

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A Letter

Spent all time writing a letter to JP.

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Diary From the Attic

Business Lunch

Nothing can stop me.  My VISION knowledge seems to have increased quite a fair bit and I am afraid on nothing.  Today, I showed Mohamed how to debug one of the SIR and surely he was impressed.

Lunch time, I joined the MUE team (20 people) and had a FF 120 lunch.  Probably one of the best lunch I had so far in Paris.  Opposite me sat Nicolas, who is willing to converse in English.  Beside me were two French ladies, who was also willing to converse in English.  In fact, the one next to me has been to UK (LSE) for 1 year and she loved everything except France.  Weird, isn’t it?  I thought French are always very proud of their culture.

Basically, the MUE team consists of all the technical people on the 7th floor and the “INTL” on the 8th floor.  In fact the funny thing is, INTL dressed a lot smarter and most of them are lady.