Interestingly Accurate

I saw this on Trueself's blog - if nothing else, do it to check out the amazing pictures used for the test.

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

HFDS - The Coach

You perceive the world with particular attention to humanity. You focus on what's in front of you (the foreground) and how that is affected by the details of life. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on humanity, you tend to seek out other people and get energized by being around others. You like to deal directly with whatever comes your way without dealing with speculating possibilities or outcomes you can't control. You are highly focused on specific goals or tasks and find meaning in life by pursuing those goals. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

The Perception Personality Types:

Compared to other takers
35/100 You scored -1 on HumanityToNature, higher than 35% of your peers.
65/100 You scored 3 on BackgroundToForeground, higher than 65% of your peers.
13/100 You scored -1 on DetailsToBigPicture, higher than 13% of your peers.
73/100 You scored 6 on ColorToShape, higher than 73% of your peers.

Take The Perception Personality Image Test

Life as a Couple

In a matter of a few weeks, Steve will be here with me at last. Which means we will get to do lots of 'coupley' things. Like meals, movies, walks, visiting with friends, having quiet nights at home and so on.

We'll also get to do some of the more exciting things, like seeing these guys on October 21 in Macau:

I can't say they're totally my cup of tea, but armed with light ear plugs to alleviate temporary deafness afterwards, and the already-established promise of not being part of the mosh-pit, I'm all for it.

While over there, I'd like us to take in the new Macau-based Cirque show (Steve's first Cirque experience, my sixth):

I like the way there's one for him and one for me and we'll both enjoy them together.

As the concert and the Cirque theatre are at The Venetian in Macau, and I have a contact there who kindly gives me discounted rates for their suites, we have a fun-packed two-day mini-break already planned for October. I think there might be some time to enjoy some spa treats, too. I know that will definitely appeal to Steve, he's very partial to a good Lomilomi massage. I'll probably have a facial and pedicure, I don't like exposing the bits in between my head and my feet, to strangers.

I can't wait for my husband (my husband, oh how I love saying that and writing that) to get here. So we can do the little things together, as well as these big things. Not to mention, the intimate things. Something tells me that those will be a priority for us, for a long time to come.

Quiet Decisions and Noisy Indecision

I wonder, which is your comfort zone? Absorbing information, checking back now and then and making a decision. Or constant back and forth in indecision.

My sister is definitely the latter. I am definitely the former. It was decided that, as I had handled everything to do with sorting out all the paperwork and settling the estate, which included forking out not insignificant amounts of cash, firing the original lawyer/executor and finding an alternative solution to getting through probate, my brother and sister would take care of the sale of the house. Between them they have decided that she will take the easier part of cleaning it out and getting it ready for the sale. My brother will handle the sale, itself.

Months back, a neighbour of my parents, a wonderful woman, had offered to start clearing out the house (which Rhona was supposed to have done while she spent an extra week in Scotland after our mother passed away in January). I agreed to this but when my sister found out, she had a hairy. How could I treat Mum's things like this? How can I let a stranger go through her things? Well, I had done that because she had failed in her duty and had constantly told me she was too busy to go over there and do what she'd originally promised. This woman is utterly respectful of our mother and was like a daughter to her in the years after my dad passed away (she's my age). She was never too busy to visit with my mother, never too busy to cook for her, never too busy to help her out. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell my sister that she'd been more of a daughter than her own daughter ever had been. I bit my tongue instead.

So now, finally, Rhona is over there. The last time, she had her boyfriend travel over and they spent a week doing everything BUT sorting out the house. This time she is bringing another friend to 'help' her. And now the emails, text messages and even requests to call her, have started. What do I do with this, what do I do with that? Should I leave sheets and towels in the house? What about the heaters? Do I have to return the gas bottles? What about the kettle and microwave? The DVDs and books? Should I leave the bathmat in the bathroom? For each question I refuse to give her a definitive answer. Instead I try to edge her toward her own decisions. I know that's not what she wants, however.

I'm still not her 'friend', it will be a while before I can be that again as there is frost in the air between us. I'm her sister, yes, but it's time she didn't always rely on someone else to make decisions for her. Silly little decisions that she should be able to make as she took on a specific responsibility. The only one we've asked of her. This is just so indicative of how she leads her life. Relying on others to make decisions. And sadly, she does it so she can apportion blame, should the decision prove to be an incorrect one. I say this from 45 years of being her big sister and seeing her constantly rescued from her bad decisions. I played my part in aiding and abetting for too long.

I'm tempted to quietly decide and help her, but I know it's best for her if I just leave her to her own noisy indecision. Besides, they're both motivated by greed so I'm sure they'll get it done, in the end.

The Eye of the Storm

Is directly over me right now. We have our second highest possible typhoon alert up and it is dead calm outside. Not a leaf on the nearby trees is stirring.

Small though Hong Kong is, the storm managed to find us. Apparently, as it hovered over us, it 're-organised itself' as the observatory reported. Bringing the eye a few miles off from where I sit typing.

The winds will start back up soon and it will be my turn to feel them, so far I've been fairly protected. Meanwhile, sitting in this calm in the middle of a typhoon is a strange thing indeed. Nature is phenomenal.

Damn Right - We Don't Want Him Here Either

Update - The Telegraph online:

Gary Glitter arriving at Hong Kong airport and being greeted by immigration officials.

He has flown back to Bangkok airport after being refused entry in Hong Kong

Gary Glitter has been sent back to Bangkok airport and is likely to be ordered onto a plane back to Britain later today after China became the latest country to reject the convicted child abuser.

Thai officials are understood to have prepared deportation papers to eject Glitter following a frustrating standoff yesterday when he refused to board an onbound flight to Britain claiming ill health.

During the negotiations, which left Glitter sitting in the transit lounge in Bangkok for 20 hours yesterday, he was overheard saying: "I've been in jail three years. Now I want to do home shopping in Hong Kong."

On the Thai Airways Flight TG602 to Hong Kong he instructed cabin crew to arrange an escort at the other end and used the onboard phone to get a friend to book accommodation in Wanchai - the city's nightclub area. But upon arrival last night Chinese immigration officials refused him a visa. The former pop star fled to Hong Kong last night but was denied entry and returned to Thailand's main airport. At least 19 countries have now refused to offer him sanctury after he was deported from Vietnam.

Glitter refused Hong Kong entry - BBC News Report

Convicted paedophile and ex-pop star Gary Glitter has been refused entry to Hong Kong after being deported from Bangkok in Thailand.

Chinese authorities informed the UK Foreign Office they had barred Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, 64, after his arrival at 11pm local time (1600 BST).

Earlier he was deported from Vietnam after spending almost three years in jail for sexually abusing two girls.

He flew to Hong Kong from Bangkok after refusing to catch a flight to the UK.

He had boarded a Thai Airways flight to Chinese territory Hong Kong after Thai authorities refused him entry and threatened to deport him to Britain.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "It is a matter for the Chinese authorities to decide what action they take now."

Immigration police at Hong Kong airport said privacy laws meant they could not comment on Glitter's case.

He had earlier been barred from entering Thailand by immigration officials after he said he wanted to remain in the country or go to another Asian nation.

This was despite a plea for medical treatment as Glitter said he was suffering a heart attack.

Glitter sold millions of records as a glam rock star in the 1970s, with hits including I'm the Leader of the Gang.

Thai police had earlier told Reuters news agency they would be "deporting him to his home country, England, unconditionally".

The BBC's Jonathan Head says 19 countries have already said they would refuse Glitter entry.

The fact he has flown to Hong Kong is a blow to the UK authorities who want to get him home and on the sex offenders register, our correspondent says.

I think these [new paedophile controls] are sensible and proportional ways of toughening up what is already a very tough system.

If Glitter does return to the UK, he will be met at the airport by police and required to sign the register.

He will then be subject to monitoring and have to tell the police where he plans to live and if he planned to go abroad. He could also face an order prohibiting him from going near children or using the internet.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on Tuesday it was her view that Glitter should be given a Foreign Travel Order (FTO) banning him from overseas travel.

Ms Smith has also announced plans to tighten controls on the movements of paedophiles.

Proposed measures include increasing the length of time an FTO can apply from six months to up to five years, and automatically confiscating the passport of anyone subject to an order.

At present, police are only allowed to rely on evidence from the previous six months about the risk an individual poses, but that time period would also be extended under the plans.

"I think these are sensible and proportional ways of toughening up what is already a very tough system. I think that's what we owe to children in this country and to children abroad," Ms Smith said.

The home secretary's announcement came after children's charity Ecpat UK accused the government of "turning a blind eye" to British sex tourists.

The charity said it was too easy for nationals convicted abroad to stay under the radar of British police upon their return.

For those who haven't heard of this scumbag, here are some highlights:

Gary Glitter is an ageing British pop star (from the 70s)

Arrested and imprisoned in the UK in 1999 after police found over four thousand child porn images on his computer when it was left for repairs at a local shop. Served two months of a four-month sentence and formally classified as a sex offender. Left the UK for Spain then travelled to SE Asia.

Evicted from Cambodia in 2002 after accusations were made that he had sexually abused girls as young as 10 - he said he had been "teaching them English".

Arrested in Vietnam for in 2005 for molesting two girls, age 10 and 11. Imprisoned in 2006 after being convicted of "committing obscene acts with minors". Released on 19 August 2008 and deported from Vietnam, supposedly to travel to UK but he landed in Bangkok and refused to connect to his London-bound flight. Instead, tried to enter Thailand - refused.

Flew to Hong Kong and tried to enter Hong Kong - refused. He's at the airport here now and says he wants to now fly to Singapore (yeah right!!) or Sri Lanka.

Another Big Blow

At 5pm on 21 August, the forecast is for a direct hit around 5pm tomorrow afternoon. Looks like we'll get the eye and no work tomorrow!



Update 21 August : Moving closer, potential for a direct hit.

Typhoon Nuri.

Well, here we go again, the third of the year. This one could be the worst yet, it's already at typhoon (hurricane) intensity and still has a lot of ocean to get over. On its present track it will be closest to us on Friday afternoon and it may actually pose a serious threat as it's still turning more westerly.

This may be the big one we've been waiting for, for several years now. Talk about great timing, though, the last equestrian event is tomorrow. That should be able to go ahead.

Fate...and Pretty Lights

Two years ago, almost to the day, I put up this post about my hometown. The first comment was from Steve, my new blog friend, and I added an extra photo just for him:

Steve said...
It sure is pretty! I love seeing the skyline at night!
Wed Aug 16, 11:37:00 AM HKT

Fiona said...
I do too Steve - I love going up The Peak - the mountain overlooking the city, and watching day turn into night and the lights all coming on.We have something quite unusual here, every night at 8pm, the skyscrapers take part in a light show...I'll see if I can find a pic and post it!
Wed Aug 16, 11:53:00 AM HKT

This was the picture:


Little could either of us have known back then that, on Sunday, 4 May 2008, he'd stand by my side, as my husband, and take his own photograph of the lightshow across the harbour:

Sustainability in Love

Love is expressed in so many ways. Some, big, some small. Some which pass by almost imperceptibly, some that scream out to the world.

I have taken some odd turns in trying to find relationships in my life. Reaching out to the wrong person in the mistaken idea that what I was being given, was love. And even experiencing flashes of true belief, that I was with the person I was meant to be with. I know he has, too. I also know that every step we took, every moment of being sure of someone and then being disappointed by them, has led us to where we are today, together.

And that those flashes were just that, unsustainable bursts of energy that were just a scintillation of our senses and nothing more. A connection that seemed true, that seemed real, that seemed what we needed and wanted. But, compared to what we are living today, they were flashes. Something that, for whatever reason, couldn't be sustained with that person.

Today, my husband and I stand closer than ever before. We love deeper than we ever have. We understand each other more and more every day. We appreciate each other. And we respect each other. And no matter what the flashes have been for each of us in the past with those other people, what we are living today is the real thing. True love that is hard sometimes, but which sustains our very existence and breathes life into us. I think of him, I hear him, I see him, I smell him, I taste him, I touch him and I am home.

Steve, when you read this, as you head eastwards from North California, just know how incredibly proud I am of you right now, and how I appreciate the investment you have made in 'us' over the past month. I love you with all my heart and soul, my cherished husband.

My Life

Seems awfully dull at the moment. I've just done six days in a row of between 14 and 16 hours each (most were at the high end and most without more than a 15 minute break) and then on Sunday I slept like a log, or is it a dog....with me most probably like a hog as I'm somewhat prone to being a trifle audible when I sleep. I can just see Steve reading this laughing, because he knows what I can sound like!

The only thing of any note during my entire week is that I lost a toenail, completely. I'd dropped something on it a few weeks back and it had been sporting an odd brown hue around the base but it never went black so I thought I was out of the toenail-less zone but no, after I spent a nice 20 minutes painting them all a lovely almost-nude-but-slightly-pink-very-subtly-sparkly shade, I noticed my middle toenail on the left foot looked odd and when I touched it, off it flopped. It still hurts a little when I'm wearing shoes but I'm hopeful I have complete regrowth.

Apart from that there really is nothing going on.....how boring am I!! But I just wanted to let you know I'm still alive and still trucking on.

Ummm no I haven't been to the specialist yet as the day I was supposed to see him, we had a typhoon alert here and everything closed for the day (of course I came to work anyway thanks to a negotiated deal with one of the few taxis around that morning). I haven't re-booked the appointment but the humming has stopped! After about five days. Yes, yes, I know I should still get checked out and I will, I promise, soon, really I will, absolutely, yes.

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Yesterday morning, I woke up and immediately cursed. My air conditioner was making a strange noise and I just thought that there couldn't possibly be a worse time of year for it to give up on me. We've had record heat here in the past week or so and, combined with our 80-95% humidity, the lack of my bedroom air conditioning unit would make for a very unpleasant time indeed.

I went to use the bathroom and at that point realised the humming wasn't coming from my air conditioner at all, but from the inside of my ears!!! Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm just a constant, fairly loud hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I'm not an alarmist when it comes to little aches and pains and hummmmmmmmmms, but a few other things have been going on lately which, when put together with this new and incessant hummmmmmmmmmmmmm, leads me to worry a little bit:

1. I seem to have developed a tendency to tilt to the left when I get up in the morning, to the point I've toppled over a couple of times, luckily onto my bed!

2. I have had, over the past couple of months, about four incidences of peculiar vision - not dizziness or blurred vision, but what feels like the vision from my right eye passing to my left, and vice versa. No just a mild sensation but so strong that I have to stop what I'm doing and close my eyes for a minute or two.

3. I've had a persistent headache which comes and goes, it's usually with me for a day at a time then it disappears for a week or so.

4. Over the past couple of weeks, I seem to have developed motion sickness, something I've never in my life suffered from. Now, however, the five-minute taxi ride home leaves me considerably nauseous.

5. When going upstairs recently, I've misjudged the placement of my foot on one or two steps.

I went to the doctor today, that's how concerned I became when I started adding things up. And of course googling led me down a path to possible brain tumour and aneurism. So I have a referral to the Otorhinolaryngologist (now I know why we call them ENT specialists!) on Wednesday, where he will look further into these symptoms. I have to say the GP wasn't particularly concerned, in fact he said that I probably just need more sleep and to get my eyes tested. I told him they were tested only three months ago so I'm sure it's not that and as for sleep, I get plenty of catchup sleep over the weekend. Thinking back, the 'more sleep' prescription of his seems to be pretty standard whether for an eye infection, a viral infection, a UTI or this damn humming in my ears!

What needs to be said is that I don't have music plugged directly in to my ears, in fact the last device I had which required earplugs, was a Sony Walkman - an original Sony Walkman, the big yellow plastic 'Sport' version, for cassette tapes. That should give you a clear idea of how long ago that was. I don't use a mobile phone much at all, not even every day. My tv sound level is mid-range, as is my hi-fi. Yes, Hong Kong is a noisy place, but I don't go to noisy bars or clubs. I avoid any and all jackhammering on the roads and haven't had a pile-driver close enough to do anything but make my building shudder a little.

So, I'm just wondering if anyone else has had these symptoms collectively, or even any of them individually?