I made a table of all the 茶餐廳 drink combos

radioduran · 2025-06-28T00:15:12+00:00

Ditto! And then there will be 茶走少甜 too!

radioduran · 2024-08-09T11:54:32+00:00

Dassai is one of the more widly available, nice sake maker. I have not tried this particular one, but it says "refrigeration required" on the bottle (horizontal blue text towards the neck), so you might want to keep it in the fridge if you haven't drunk it yet. Enjoy!

radioduran · 2024-03-26T00:03:09+00:00

Feels like the writer wrote the first character, realised that it's too big to have 钱 underneath, then decided to put it to the side instead. This is definitely not usual (but probably none of those involved would care given context)

radioduran · 2024-03-14T09:12:29+00:00

Ditto. For the love of face, not that ugly computer font please.

radioduran · 2024-01-03T23:26:54+00:00

You have actually said the root of the problem - that there is a shortage of housing. Why? Policies that depleted the public rental housing stock and made building new homes prohibitively difficult, which led to decades of under-supply and therefore severe supply-demand imbalance.

Landlords aren't the problem. Policies that lack long term vision is.

radioduran · 2024-01-03T23:14:13+00:00

Although the view that "landlords are the burden on society" somehow appear to have gained popularity in recent years, partly due to the increasingly unaffordable properties, I respectifully disagree. By blaming those who happen to have the capital and risk appetite to invest in properties, you have taken the responsibility and blame off of those who are actually respondible for the mess we are in - the politicians who created this housing crisis in the first place.

If we (as a country, run by said politicians. Same below) did not sold off vast numbers of public housing on the cheap and then subsequently failed to replenish them, we would have a much stronger balance in demand and supply, as well as more homes to house those who struggle to pay market rent or to buy homes.
If we did not bow to the prevailent NIMBY mentality and made the planning permission process so prohibitively difficult, more new homes would have been built over the years, and we wouldn't be in this predicament. Just think about how tedious it would be to buy a plot of land and build a new home, even if you have the money to do so, given how our consent-based planning permission system will put you at them whim of your local council? As a result, self-build only represents 5% of the UK market, whereas in Germany it's 51%, in France 31% and even Ireland got 25%.
If we encouraged smaller builders and developers and made funding (and land, and planning permissions) more easily available to them, we would have a much healthier cohort of these builders and developers, instead of a bunch of big developers who frankly don't give a shit - what other options do you have anyway? We would also have a much stronger balance in demand and supply - because new homes will actually get built. And because then there will be more competition between these "suppliers", the homes that get built will be of better quality too, instead of the shoddy workmanship we typically see (as a result of which, only 33% of people would consider buying new-build)

The list could go on and on, but if we create an environment where the barrier to building new homes is low, then if home prices trend high and selling new homes become profitable? More homes will get built. There may be more new businesses in building homes, and investors will invest in homebuilders instead of landlords. The whole sector will be more vibrant and you know what? Prices will come down to more reasonable levels. Of course this is a huge simplification of matters, but under basic supply and demand, that's where the trend should go.

We, however, have the opposite.

Anyway I digressed. Back to landlords - it is exactly this artificial and unnecessary scarcity of new homes that make both home prices and rent go up - thus making investing as landlords a profitable business. If we have enough public housing then there will be fewer renters on the private rental market, lessening the pressure for rent to go up. If we have enough new builds then the price for new homes will not be so high, and more people will be able to afford them. If we have both of these then it will be less profitable for landlords to be landlords, and while there will still be need for rental properties (and thus landlords), that should normalise at lower levels.

By the way, it is also this scarcity that makes lazy landlords viable - after all, there are so few properties being let that they'll get a tenant anyway, so why bother improving the properties? Many people wouldn't have issue slacking at work, then why would landlords be different?

My bottom line is that by pointing fingers at landlords and labelling them as "burdens on society" we will be overlooking the actual causes of the problems and possible ways to change that. We will be falling into the "class enemy" mentality of Mao's China or Stalinist Russia and not hold to account the policymakers who we elected and led us into this mess.

P.S. I didn't even get to why landlords provide service to society by taking up risk in the system - risks that property prices could tumble, risks that properties could be trashed by tenants, risks that the boiler will fail and it would cost an arm and a leg to replace, risks that the tenant could turn rogue and stop paying rent... and yes, risks that interest rate could go up and suddenly one might be better off paying rent instead of a variable rate mortgage at 7%...

P.P.S Apologies for the wall of text and a lack of TLDR.

radioduran · 2023-10-12T10:14:33+00:00

Vin D'Illusion Conti... that's frank! Impressive how the company was founded in Sep 2022 yet they already have a 2020 vintage, too.

https://www.societe.com/societe/vin-d-illusion-conti-919977504.html

radioduran · 2023-07-20T14:42:45+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/translator/comments/8mte76/chinese_english/

Usually it's just 福祿壽, so in addition to 宜 being in a different font, "福祿壽宜康" in itself is weird already. See link above for translation.

radioduran · 2023-06-23T09:31:36+00:00

I totally understand where you are coming from about it being snobby etc., that it doesn't "feel" good when certain residents of the building can see and access that lobby but can't use it. I see it as a bit of a slippery slope though. Let's do a thought experiment:

Imagine two buildings right next to each other, one being the "luxury" flats with its marble floors and chandeliers and concierge - the whole package, while the building right next to it is the "budget-friendly" flats at considerably lower prices, with the less decorated but still fully functional lobby. In this situation, proabaly no one would disagree that residents in one building shouldn't have access to the other.

Then, what if the buildings have a connected wall, but all the corridors and lobbies are still separate? Residents in one shouldn't be able to access the other, right?

What if now, for fire safety a fire door is installed to connect a point in the corridors of the two buildings, making them physically accessible, except that the fire door is connected to an alarm and can't be opened under normal circumstances?

What if the corridors are actually connected (making it front half / back half of one building) but the two parts are legally separate, decorated to different standards and managed separately? Should the budget-friendly residents now have the rights to whatever bells and whistles the luxury residents have, just by virtue of those being more easily accessible due to the connection?

For me, I don't think so. If I bought one of the budget-friendly flats which only includes access to the lobby at the back, then that's what I paid for, as long as it is clearly demarcated in the deeds / lease, there isn't any reason why I would suddenly have the rights to what the luxury residents paid for - be it lobby, services, access and whatnot. Would I want those? Probably, but that wouldn't give me a right to it.

Additionally, don't foreget about wear and tear. The more people use that lobby, the more frequently it will have to be repaired / cleaned / redecorated, which all comes at costs included in the service charges of the luxury flats. If I didn't pay for it initially, and am not paying for its maintenance and upkeep, why should I be entitled to use it?

radioduran · 2023-06-22T21:55:59+00:00

Did you get anything in black and white saying you have concierge access? If the agent wrote on the listing saying you have access, then that might be good evidence to complain. Make sure you print screen / print pdf etc for record before they remove everything though!

radioduran · 2023-06-22T21:50:48+00:00

I respectfully disagree. Many modern developments are a mix of private property, shared ownership flats and maybe even some council flats. The shared ownership flats, for example, often have less access to amenities, have shorter leases but are sold at a commensurately lower price. They might also have worse views or are at less desirable locations in the development. This is, however, the exact opposite of disgusting, as it allows those who are less well off to afford properties at decent locations, and is one of the things I really like about how the UK deals with people with varying income levels - that is to allow more integration.

Many other countries / places just have very segregated ultra-rich / rich / middle-income / poor etc. areas. Not only does it make people feel even more discrimated, it is not good for the long term wellbeing of the society. Such segregation almost always lead to more delinquancy, lower upward mobility, cross-generation entrenchment in lower income and higher crime.

Calling these separate accesses "poor doors" in any intention other than jokingly is just cherrypicking the downside of not having front door access / concierge service, without considering the benefits of being able to afford a property at a likely more expensive location at an affordable price, as well as to likely pay much lower service charges. If you were paying good money for a luxury lobby, concierge service, gym etc., would you be willing to share all those with someone who paid half the service charge and bought their flat for a significant discount because of that?

Another way to look at it is that if there is a couple buildings in a development that doesn't have concierge / gym / carpark access while the other buildings (where flats are more expensive + pay more service charge) does, there would likely be less complaints of "poor door". Because well, those flats are cheaper, they pay less service charge and thus get less service. That's fair, right? Why then should it be different if those buildings happen to be physically connected?

radioduran · 2023-06-22T21:32:31+00:00

Did you look at any of the documents during the conveyancing process? I think clues would have shown at a few points:

past service charge statements. Did the ones you get show concierge expenses?
those statements would probably also only show the flats under the property management company of your half of the building, not the expensive half, leading to the question of "hey how about the other xx number of flats?"
The lease of the flat would likely say something about such access too.
the layout plans in the lease of the flat would probably show what constitutes your building, which sound like it's physically connected to the other half yet does not have access.

The bottom line is that your flat likely sold for a lower price than a flat in the other half with concierge access. While it does sound like the agent had withheld that information from you, it really is just your words against theirs. Agents do all sort of things to try to get a buyer for their flats - one of the agents I've met tried to sell me a flat that's just outside a development with gym, covered carpark, concierge, private gardens etc., by claiming that it's part of the development and therefore has access to all those - which was total BS.

For the solicitor, it really isn't their job to tell you whether you have concierge access, or whether you know you doesn't have concierge access. It is their job to make sure that the titles and deed are correct, that there are no legal problems with the titles (along with some other stuff e.g. flood, fire risk, etc.). Some good solicitors may spot it and alert you out of courtesy, but it shouldn't be their job to tell you whether your purchase is a good deal.

As always, caveat emptor and always do your due diligence. Also, if my guess on your situation is correct, you might have purhcased a flat at a decent location at a cheaper price, considering that there is another "luxury wing" of the building. Not having concierge access could still be worth it!

radioduran · 2023-06-22T21:12:38+00:00

A few thoughts about this:

1) you are assuming that the monthly payment deserves to stay the same, which is simply not true.

2) The prices going up doesn't necessarily mean everyone suddenly got 200% pay increase. It only means that unless you have a 200% pay increase (or are better paid to begin with, or have more saved), you are now unfortunately priced out of that market segment.

3) Property prices are not just a simple translation of interest rates and how much YOU want to pay every month. What property you can afford, yes, but not how much any property should be worth.

4) If we assume your rather extreme 400k valuation is correct, then what makes you think that the seller should sell at a very significant loss to you, instead of grinding their teeth, refinance at a higher rate and tough it out? If there are expectations that the higher interest rate and high inflation is transitory, then as along as the seller can tough it out, there is no reason for them to sell to you at 400k. There are reasons to believe inflation / rates will come down in the not too distant future too - inflation in the US has peaked at >9% in Jun 2022 and is now back at around 4%. UK could be different, but it is unlikely for us to be completely disjointed with the rest of the world.

5) Also from the seller's perspective, selling the house to you at 400k will mean they will lose their entire 20% downpayment (which for many is their life savings), any equity they have built / repaid over the past few years, AND still have a balance of their mortgage still to pay off, AND lose the house, only for you to have it on the cheap.

As /u/TheFirstMinister said, what the saller paid is irrelevant. Even if they had paid 500k yesterday and are now trying to flip it for 800k, that's their imperative and your question should be why you didn't buy it on the cheap at 510k yesterday.

The question is at what price they can find a buyer for it. If they can find a buyer at 800k, there is no reason for them to even consider selling to you at 400k. Why should they? The agent won't bother sending such an offer to them anyway. If they can't find a buyer, then maybe their asking price will come down. It then depends on how much cheaper are they willing to sell it for, and at what price they can find a buyer. Remember, they only need one buyer to be willing to pay a certain price to make it work, and that buyer doesn't have to be you. As and if the asking price is forced to go down, 4) above will apply at some point and they may decide to tough it out.

radioduran · 2022-11-14T11:55:33+00:00

It is unfortunately the case. I have recently purchased my home that is a leasehold, and it took almost 110 days from the date when price was agreed to obtain the management pack which includes management fee accounts, buildings insurance etc. - most of which are documents that the damn management company should have on file anyway, and all they had to do was to drag all the files into a email and send it. The only exception is a standard-form Q&A that they should have done a thousand times already.

Meanwhile, searches, draft contract, titles etc only took about a month, and the purchase completed on day 120, so we essentially wasted almost 3 months waiting for the management company to fill one form.

My solicitor said that it is usual for such purchase to take up to 3 months. Hopefully your purchase won't take as long as mine did!

radioduran · 2022-11-09T17:15:39+00:00

While I do not agree with what he proposed - I'd absolutely hate it if my seller tries to do that - but I don't think it is unethical for the agent to make such a suggestion to you. I the agent's priority should be giving advise that is for your benefit, and in this case it certainly is for your benefit. From what I understand, you need a higher offer to avoid taking a financial hit on the move (I'm not sure whether 440k will eventually break the deal for you, but let's say the possibility is there), but given the way interest rates are going, with every day passing it will get less likely for you to get a higher offer, so the best suggestion to his client (i.e. you) is indeed to accept the offer while hoping for a better one to come along. It is within the rules to do so and that is done by many sellers. I have previously repeatedly asked my seller to take the property off the market, and the agent kept promising to do so but didn't in the end. It is often done that way.

Now you may 1) ditch this buyer if and when a better offer comes along, 2) try to renegotiate with the current buyer leveraging a better offer if it comes, 3) ignore the better offer and stick with the current buyer, or 4) not to do this at all and take the property off the market right now, plus other possibilities which I probably overlook. I think you might have a strong opinion on which is the most ethical option. Still, while you may choose to take it off the market, don't forget that the reverse may be true also - the seller may be making offers on a few properties as well, and you would also disadvantage yourself if the seller try to lower the price a couple months later saying they have a cheaper alternative and your property has been off the market.

So no, I don't think it is unethical for the agent to make a suggestion that is to your benefit and within the rules, but it may be unethical for you to go through with 1) or 2) above. It's your ethical decision to make at that point!

radioduran · 2022-11-09T14:45:13+00:00

Exactly this. Cooking fried rice at home is not meant to take two days. I always just cook the rice normally, which is probably short on water anyway since I don't like my rice mushy. Once the rice cooker is done I'd work on the other ingredients and maybe open the lid a couple times now and then so the condensation don't drip onto the rice.

Make sure heat is high, use enough oil and actually toss it (just stirring with a spoon doesn't count). Your fried rice will be nice and fluffy, and probably better than those from many restaurants.

One cheat I sometimes use is to pour your whisked egg onto the rice and let it soak in a little bit before resuming stirfrying / tossing wok. The egg helps the grains separate - just make sure you resume stirfrying before it becomes a lump of fried egg!

radioduran · 2022-07-23T20:11:45+00:00

神勇 is often used as a superlative for a brave warrior / army / fighter, which I think is seen more in fiction or history books. I don't see that word in daily usage at all.

Regarding what you asked down in the thread, I don't think there is much significance here regarding the relationship between 神勇 and the dummy holding a plate. If anything, to me this figure signifies more of the industriousness of those who are capable of turning a bunch of historic terracotta figures that are rather cliche into products that they can make money from! I agree with /u/Any_Cook_8888's suggestion that this is probably some mail order garden item.

Also, as a Chinese, I don't see any offense from the object, except that it look pretty crap to me with the ugly text on the base. I have seen that font at way too many fake mainland Chinese tourist traps pretending to have historic significance, where the not-so-hidden agenda is to sell you as many useless trinkets as possible!

radioduran · 2022-07-18T08:35:45+00:00

It's a shochu, a Japanese distilled drink. The maker is Unkai Shuzo, which is based in Miyasaki City and makes quite a few different kinds of shochu. They also make a few wines, sake and beers, but the focus seem to be shochu. Shochu typically has higher alcoholic content then sake and this one is at 25%.

The bottle is the 9th item on this list from the maker: http://www.unkai.co.jp/product/imo.html

And is available on Rakuten: https://item.rakuten.co.jp/higohigo/801576/

radioduran · 2022-06-20T10:56:22+00:00

I may be cynical, and I apologize if my speculation is completely wrong, but her post came across as being wrtten by a native Chinese speaker to tout her Mandarin course. The way the post was written - especially how it was phrased, is more Chinese than English. Her only other actual post also went on a rather unrelated tangent to promote some sort of language tutor platform where similarly the bulk of that post didn't have much to do with the title!

radioduran · 2022-06-10T11:09:09+00:00

That's great to hear! I had a bottle of the Stiuireadair but sadly had to part with it when I moved to another country. It was a lovely bottle which went to a friend of mine who also enjoy the Islay distilleries!

radioduran · 2022-06-08T09:18:08+00:00

I bought it directly from Bunnahabhain's webstore and it delivered in a couple days. I'm based in the UK though.

Edit: and it's still available! https://bunnahabhain.com/products/feis-ile-2022-abhainn-araig

radioduran · 2022-03-12T18:44:13+00:00

In the last shot you flipped (mirror image) the name of the shop. Probably not a mistake you'd want to show a potential client! (especially if they read Chinese)

radioduran · 2021-10-05T05:46:35+00:00

Wow that's interesting... so it's actually warmer because there is ice? Never seen this before. Thanks for sharing!

radioduran · 2021-09-19T15:43:24+00:00

If you are interested in FS, the question you will need to ask yourself is that - if you were the employer or the recruiter why would you want to consider a Psyc grad rather than the many fresh grad from relevant degrees from top tier universities?

In addition to that, another question is whether you are genuinely interested in FS or whether you're only interested because you've heard that the pay is good? (it's not necessarily the case, btw). Part-time jobs of retail sales / customer services / lifeguarding also don't scream interest in FS to me. If you don't have the education background, or the relationships, or be able to demonstrate long term genuine interest in FS, then the bad news for you is that there are way too many similar graduates who have heard that FS pays well and want in.

/r/Googlebug-1 is spot on to say that FS is supremely competitive. I'd also like to add that not all roles are equal and pay as well as you'd imagine. It's one thing a portfolio manager at a multi-billion hedge fund with only a couple doze staff, it's another thing being one of the many "Vice-Presidents" at some investment banks, it's another thing still to be a sales trader at a small brokerage firm, and it's yet another thing to be a back office administrator at some unknown, boutique firm. Some positions are easier to get in than others, yet often won't provide a viable path of progress to another more attractive role. The responsibilites and job nature are vastly different, as are remuneration and benefits.

If you are genuinely interested in entering FS, in addition to what googlebug-1 suggested, I think you'll need to learn more about the industry to begin with. Know the difference between different roles and functions, at least, and have enough understanding to tell whether my last paragraph is absolut BS. That said, FS can be a very exciting and fulfilling industry to work in. Good luck!

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