Telford Beatdown

Two nights ago, we were awaken to an argument outside our apartment building. It was 2 in the morning and a lady was shouting at someone for what seemed like 5-10 minutes. Just when I got up to yell out the window to tell this lady to shut up, I heard garbled shouts and tussling. I got my glasses and looked out and window to see a man standing over a woman who had curled up on the ground, hitting her and kicking her. She pleaded with him and he cursed at her and continued kicking.

I opened the window and yell for him to stop. He stopped momentarily to look, but went back to kicking her. The lady was shouting to call the cops. I yelled at the man again and told him to stop and that I was calling the cops. During the call, he continued beating the lady who cried for help. After my call, I rushed downstairs and told our apartment security guard (who was asleep) that someone was being beaten outside. She called her colleagues.

At this time this man tried picking up the lady to "take her home". I told him to leave her and step away. He ignored me until I told him a few more times to back off. He replied by telling me she was drunk and she needed help to get back home. By this time some more security guards had arrived and kept an eye on the guy. I told one of them to make sure he didn't get away as the police were on their way. The man started denying hitting the woman, claiming she had fallen. All the while the woman laid curled up on the ground sobbing and crying in pain. Her haunting cries still unsettle me.

It took the police another 20 minutes to get to our apartment complex which is ridiculous since there's a police station at Telford (don't know if it's operating at night though) and they had to call me back to get directions for how to get to our apartment. I went back upstairs since I was still in my PJ's and didn't want to get too involved in this incident. But when I went back up, I remember hearing the man explain again that the woman had fallen and he hadn't touched her. I got so angry and shouted out from the window that I had seen him hitting her with my own eyes. He retorted, "If you're so sure, come down and be a witness."

The whole thing is so unsettling. It's so ironic hat none of our security guards who were only 20 meters away heard anything, and that none of our neighbors turned a light on to look out the window to help. Perhaps it's the power of the bystander effect or perhaps they were genuinely sleeping. It's just bizarre that no one else came to help. It made for a very restless sleep that night. but praise God, the following teaching day went well for the both of us in spite of our tiredness.

Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn

Today we went to watch The Adventures of Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn.

As a childhood fan that grew up on these comics, I was slightly hesitant to watch the movie. To be honest, I was afraid that it would disappoint, because in so many ways, the comics are timeless and perfect. There's just something about the pen and paper copies that seem to bring Tintin to life in a way cartoon and film can not. But the movie didn't disappoint. In fact, I was quite happy and pleased with how Spielberg portrayed the characters.

Firstly, the cinematics of this movie were pretty awesome. Rather than using normal actors for the movie, Spielberg transformed the actors into 3D CGI cartoons using motion-captured technology like the ones they used in Avatar. The result are very life-like characters that are believable, but also other-worldly. You know what you are watching is purely imaginative and fictional, as real and believable as it seems, but that's precisely the allure of the original comics as well.

Spielberg does a good job with the characters, staying faithful to how Herge portrayed them originally. Tintin is the innocent boy reporter who seeks the truth, Snowy is the faithful and sometimes mischievous sidekick, and Haddock is still the fiery drunken captain he is in the books. And of course the twins are the bumbling idiots they are as well.

The plot gets changed quite a bit and I think appeals to the audience more. For those who haven't read the comics, it has all the blockbuster thrills, turns, and chase scenes you would want. But for the comic faithful, it has the majority of the plot and inside details that make the movie nostalgic. Spielberg adds some deeper layers to the characters through their interaction (we learn more of Haddock's past and see him grow) but we never learn anymore more about Tintin's past - which is the way it's supposed to be.

Overall, I was quite happy to watch the film. It is a faithful remake of a timeless and classic comic. It doesn't seek to improve on what Herge created- it simply and effectively pays homage to what he has done. What Herge did was create a comic that was escapist in reality and Spielberg simply explores that more, with the technology we have available 80 years later. The movie won't blow your mind, but it does entertain. For what its worth, it'll likely make the old fans happy and come out with a few new ones as well.

Ball Hockey in Hong Kong

Alright, this post has been a long time coming. Since getting approval to start the ball hockey intramural club this year, I've been so excited to coach and prepare the boys (and two girls) for upcoming matches. We had one this week against ICS. So we decided to build a "shooter tutor" to help them practice their shots.

Ramus cutting the salvaged canvas from the school

Boys gluing the joints 

The Canvas was a discarded basketball pole protector

Zip-tying the canvas on the net

Add caption

Going for the competition

The first period was a 0-0 tie. We did well to force most of the play in the offensive zone. In the second, we tired a bit, but the students worked very hard. We let in a goal from a set passing play which was really nice, and lost the game 1-0. We had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds but hit the post. 

Bringing the sticks back to school.

All in all, it was a great first game of the season. We showed great strides by improving (last year we lost 8-2 or something). Looking forward to more games!

I Have a Question.

A short video sent by Mr. Laing. Teachers, any thoughts?

Divine Appointment

"Why God so good? Don't know. He is!"

On Friday night, Michelle's school organized a BBQ social at a golf club to welcome the new teachers and thank the returning teachers and their families for their service to the school. At first I was a bit wary of going since I heard the friends I hang out with (colleague husbands like me) weren't going to be there. But it turned out to be such an enjoyable evening with a divine appointment as well!

At first, we were treated to some coaching from a golf instructor at the driving range. I learned that I was winding up too much and holding my club like a bat. I think I learned the poor technique from Happy Gilmore. Anyhow, nice to just smack balls since I haven't done that for a while.

The food was really great as well. The school treated us well. We also had some nice company and got to get some of the colleagues a bit better.

But the best part of the evening was when I ran into a gentleman by the name of Howard Robinson. I was lining up for the food when I saw him approaching and I recognized him as someone who I knew. Then it dawned on me that Howard was the team leader of a construction Short Term's Missions I took to Kunming 3 years ago. His kids go to the school and he serves on the school board. What a small world! What a divine appointment.

Howard, unknowingly, was actually a catalyst in my journey here to Hong Kong. It was 3 years ago when I came back in 2008 seeking for God's direction in my life after university that I opened myself to the possibility to being in Asia. This was when I was very interested in pursuing Michelle but needed to know that God was calling me into that relationship. I signed up for several Missions trips that half a year. It was a wonderful time of seeing the world and seeking God's will.

One day while I was in HK 3 years ago, my sister brought back a promotional booklet from the Christian bookstore published by the organization Howard serves at. He sends work teams into different places to build, renovate, and fix ministry centers/homes. I was immediately drawn and signed up for a trip to go to Kunming. You can see the pictures here.

Kunming Photo Album

I remember that trip so vividly because it was a time when I really struggled with the idea of a home. I felt like a wanderer because so much of me didn't fit into the cultures I had encountered. During those months in HK, I felt homesick and out of place because though I was born in this place, I couldn't read or write the language people presumed I would know. In China, I even more alien in a place where I looked like the majority but could barely articulate my thoughts. In Vancouver, I felt a longing to go elsewhere because I felt God had placed a burden on my heart for the people in China. So the struggles of "who am I?", and "where do I belong?" surfaced during this trip.

At Kunming I came to the realization that this world isn't my home anyways, much akin to what Hebrews 13:16 and Philippians 3:20 say. We fix our eyes towards our heavenly home. We can't hold too tightly to what we have here on earth because it's not meant to be ours to hold on to. And as I learned from Steve, the worker whose house we built, God can call us elsewhere at any time. It's best not to be too heavily rooted in a certain place.

After the trip and my time in HK I went back to Vancouver and finished my education degree and started teaching. I never thought I would be back in HK much less run into Howard again. But it's so neat to see that God brings things full circle. Three years ago I came to HK searching for God's will and his calling for ministry. I sought for a semblance of home. I didn't even have a girlfriend. Now I'm back in HK for the foreseeable future with the wife I had prayed for those long months I had spent here. Seeing Howard again reminds me that God has been so good to me. Never did I ever think my life would have turned out this way. But God has charted out my life in a way that is beyond what I could have ever imagined or written myself.

The last year, Michelle and I have seen sign after sign of God's affirmation for us to be here in HK: from having our jobs, getting our place, planning our wedding, deepening friendships, and meeting new people. Once in a while we have these divine appointments/coincidences that are a sure sign of his Hand. And in all of this we relearn the richness of God's goodness and His mighty love for us. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." We see this truth more and more each day.

Why God so good? Don't know. Just is!

Season's Starting!

Finally got my ball hockey club together this year! All the work off bringing sticks over (thanks Keith and Timmy) and collecting sticks painstakingly from the YMCA. This year the club got approved which means we have a budget to get more sticks. What started out as 5 kids shooting around has turned into a 17 person co-ed team. So thankful.

Here are some pictures of our 2nd practice.





Passing drills






Stickhandling and using the body to shield the ball.






Pass to slot for one-timers.




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Not Knowing

It has been great to still keep in touch with friends back home. Thanks to iPhone technology, I got to facetime with Debbie during my lunch break last week. As brief as it was, it was a blessed time to encourage and pray for each other. Something in our conversations struck me. She mentioned in passing how it was a big decision for Tintin and I to move to Hong Kong. Her words caught me off guard. It never really occurred to me that moving to Hong Kong would be a big decision, until now. I had a reality check. Tintin and I are in Hong Kong, setting up “home” here for the time being, until God calls us elsewhere. Sometimes this realization might be overwhelming. I wonder, “Why did God call us back to Hong Kong? Have we realized what our purposes are yet or will it be fully realized in the future? When will I go back to Vancouver? What lessons does God want me to learn?”  If I dwell on these questions too long, I might start freaking out. But what I have learned from the past year is that it is to our benefit to not know too much.

If I knew I would be in Hong Kong for an indefinite period of time, away from family and friends, I probably would have chickened out and stayed in Vancouver. My fears and doubts would have consumed me. But instead, God only told me what I needed to know for my good. That way, I would be able to proceed forward with the little faith that I have. And I guess that was what we did. I (We) learned that as we proceed, God will reveal and confirm the next steps. In this way, it makes us depend on God more. I guess that was what happened in the past year with Tintin and I. Somehow, the little steps brought us here. So, if you ask us what are the plans for the future, our answer would probably be, “I don’t know.” And it’s okay to not know too much. It’s probably for our own good. So, if you want to pray for us, pray that we would be faithful in the things God has given us. Pray that our ears and hearts will always be open to hear the confirmation and revelation of God for the next steps.

Weird Dreams

Last night I had this really strange dream where my dad was chasing me around trying to convince me to go visit my grandma for dinner. I kept running away and refusing to go. It was strange because the dream took place at UBC and I was taking the bus to get away from him. Afterwards I felt so guilty about not going. I woke up feeling as if I was abandoning my parents. 

To be honest, I haven't really interacted much with them since getting married. I've seen then a handful of times since coming back from Vancouver. But since the summer it's been a little awkward because every time I see my parents the conversation always steers towards my sister and how she is doing. I think part of me just can't handle it anymore. I don't have the energy to solve my family problems anymore and get into their mess. 

I think the struggle for me since getting married is that I need to find the balance between my time with Michelle and how I relate with my family. My parents have been really good in not demanding a lot from us (which is something I appreciate) but I have trouble with not feeling guilty about the freedom I have. Part of me of course wants to spend time with them. But whenever we do, I always feel guilty for their problems. I dont' want to feel guilty anymore. I just want to be their son and brother.

This morning Michelle and I were talking about Faith, Hope, and Love and how one day there won't be a need for faith and hope anymore because we'll be redeemed in heaven. We will just have love- the love of God that we will bask in and the love of fellowship that we share. Those are things I look forward to. Right now I'm finding it hard to have faith to hope for that. I need to be reminded that our God is good and does keep His promises. He promises to redeem and make all things new (2 Cor 5:17), and promises that one day there will be no sadness or weeping (Rev 21:3-4). Please pray I'll remember that.

This year vs. last year

It my second year teaching at a local highschool in HK and I've noticed a couple differences in terms of how I yeah this year compared to last year. It's kind of interesting how things change

Last year I told the students I didn't know any Chinese and asked them not to speak to me in that language hoping that it would push them to practice their English. Instead, I found myself constantly worrying about being found out that I had lied to them. Whenever parents called or came to talk to me I got so nervous about speaking to them because my secret would be exposed. It ended up hurting my teaching more than it helped.

This year I just told my class st the start that I knew a little bit of Chinese, enough for me to understand that they are fussing each other or swearing in class. Kids have responded nicely and haven't hounded me asking whether I know Chinese. It's freed me up to actually talk to parents and focus on my teaching. It's a liberating feeling.

Another difference I've noticed is just how calm I am about things that have happened. Last year I stressed so much about what to do when, which rules needed to be obeyed, etc. This year things are more familiar and I don't stress the small stuff. When kids don't follow the rules I just explain what the expectations are and move on. When coworkers butt in and interrupt I just figure it's expected and the culture here. I just roll with it.

Last thing I've noticed is that I've been able to spend so much more time marking and doing actual planning during school as opposed to wedding planning every spare moment I had. It's nice because when it's 5, I cab clock out and go home. Not that its a badge of honour I am proud of, but I am happy that I am able to balance my work and home life to spend time with Michelle and continue building our marriage. It's important in a culture that values work at the expense of family. I'm glad that things are more familiar so that I can be more productive.

Overall I'm relate happy about this year. It's exciting because I feel free to do the actual parts of teaching I enjoy like interacting with kids and hopefully getting to know them as individuals. And what's more is that I was able to start a ball hockey club after school so that has me planning for practices and matches to come in the future!





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Medicare

It sucks being sick. Being sick in HK especially sucks because there is no Medicare. I realize how awesome it was to hbe consultations covered in Canada. I just had to spend about 80 CDN to see the doctor and get flu medicine for 6 days. I don't remember it ever being so pricey in Canada, but then again I don't remember a lot of things.

I should stick to not getting sick then I'd have no problems.




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Wedding Reflections

It’s been a few weeks since we’ve arrived back in Hong Kong to begin our teaching years. And though some things are familiar, (and even eerily comforting) like the constant hum of the air conditioner and anonymous crowds, we miss home. We miss the meaningful conversations and the heartfelt fellowship we can only find in friendships steeped through years of joys and heartache.

We are ever-grateful that we had the opportunity to share our wedding with the best of friends back home in Richmond. This is where we’ve grown up. This is where our faith was formed. This was where we were challenged to follow Christ with our band of believers and pursue Him recklessly. What an honour to celebrate with those who have walked with us over the years!

Over the last year, when Michelle and I planned our wedding, we really didn’t know what to expect. Frankly speaking, neither of us had ever given our wedding any thought. There were no dreamt-up childhood fantasies of a special wedding dress or a little white chapel. In fact, we hatched out most of our plans quite unromantically, bumbling around ideas and breaking etiquette. The fact that our wedding turned out is a testament to our friends- both to their love and competence.

Michelle and I joke about how God used our friends to hijack our wedding day. Throughout the planning we had just hoped for the best and prayed that somehow our wedding would be a testimony of God’s goodness in our lives. God took that prayer and showed us the full spectrum of his goodness. The sun blasted its radiance and held off the rain until the evening. All the details we had labored over for months were perfectly set by our friends and helpers. The music and sermon at the ceremony was awesome. Our polaroid cameras actually worked and our guests had fun! The day went so well.

At the end of the night many guests at the reception dinner commented that they could sense the deep love and fellowship we shared as a church community – that we had something that they had never really seen before. They saw a Christian community whole-heartedly celebrating not just the love between two people, but the love between the church as a body.  They shared that they could see a God who was real, who indeed changes people and works in wonderful ways to bring about His purposes and glory.

The thing that Michelle and I miss most about home is being able to celebrate with friends. Not just celebrate in extraordinary ways for weddings and such, but in the ordinary ways when we simply live life together. For in those moments of genuine fellowship, the body is united and Christ is shown to the world.

What do you mean?

It's surprising that a couple colleagues have come up to me to congratulate me on my wedding and follow up with the question, "Is your wife living with you here in HK?"



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A Random God-filled Day

Today was a random day. But it was also a God-filled day, so it was good.

We started off by visiting the doctor this morning in Wan Chai early in the morning since we were super tired last night and slept early. We had roughly packed a full day to go get a hair cut, have lunch with Karen and then try and get some things for our home. It was really neat because right after the doctor's appointment, we walked right by a water-filtration store which was exactly what we were talking about getting earlier this morning. Hong Kong is so neat. You find what you need at the weirdest times, and other times, you can never find what you are looking for when you want to.

So it was a really pleasant way to start off the day, being able to get a water filter (yes, this sounds kinda lame coming from me because it's such an adult thing to care about- but I guess that's marriage now), but we've been having such a great time setting up our home and doing furniture shopping and looking for ways to maximize storage. We passed by this designer furniture store in Causeway Bay called GOD to look for ideas. They have some really beautiful stuff in there, but it's quite pricey. They have a block of wood (serving as a side coffee table) for just 2000 bucks. A great investment if you ask me.

We met up with Karen for lunch and had a great time catching up. We're looking forward to having her over tomorrow night. During lunch I got a call back from a guy selling a PS3 on the internet. Some of you know that I've been secretly wanting one since Dom and the guys keep playing COD and NHL. It'd be nice to have some guy bonding time over the internet. So originally he was asking for 3000 HKD for a 40GB PS3 with 6 games and a steering wheel. But I told him that I didn't want the steering wheel or most of his games and asked whether he could cut me a deal. So he said he'd give it to me for 1000 bucks.

Michelle and I went to meet him later on this afternoon. When we were meeting him at the mall we were guessing how he'd look, thinking he'd be a 20-30 year old nerd with short hair and thick plastic glasses. Turns out this guy was a 50 year old man who drove a red sports car with two cats at home. Totally random. But he was a nice guy and now I have a PS3.

The nice man's Fiat sports car

PS3!

On the way home, Michelle met one of her student's mother. The family is moving to China to do non-profit work for the Kingdom so it was such a God-moment for them to catch up. It was a neat way to cap off a random day of seeing God provide for us things we need and things we want and remind and encourage us of why we're here in Hong Kong. God has led us here to this place and has been faithful to us every step of the way. We are excited about what this new year will bring.

Being Home

Being home is awesome.

It's been 4 days since coming back to Vancouver and every moment of it has been comfortable as if we had never left. The fresh air, the great food, and most of the all the awesome friends we have are still the same. Even though it's been a whirlwind of activities and people to see, I've enjoyed every bit of it and hope to make the best of my time here.

I think the strange thing is that it feels like everything stayed the same and we flew paste this time lapse and never really left Vancouver even though we've been gone for a year. Our friends are all the same and I guess it goes to show that we've been blessed with some really deep friendships. Our experiences are different now and everyone's grown in so many ways, but the essence of who they are remains the same. It's familiar and comfortable. We are blessed here to be getting married soon in front of all our friends (and with their help) and we couldn't be more excited to share the day with a bunch of great people.

Of all the things I am glad to have here at home, I'm glad to have friends.

Riots

Watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals today was painful for the actual parts I got to catch before I had to invigilate an exam at school. To see the Canucks get whooped 4-0 in the most important game in the foreseeable past was agonizing to say the least, but I think the aftermath of the game leaves me more disappointed and troubled. 


Don't get me wrong. I love hockey and I love the Canucks. But the response by fans and rioters in downtown after the game was shameful. It was embarrassing and humiliating. With the whole world watching, the youth in our generation chose destruction over law and order and violence over peace. All this over a hockey game. True, some may argue this game was a chance to rewrite history. This was our chance at redemption- to be great. Ironically enough, history has now been rewritten- and it condemns us for not having learned from our mistakes in '94


Where were these young rioters in '94? I suspect most were not even born yet. And if they were, they were likely toddlers and too young to remember the pain of a Cup that slipped from the grasps of a city. They hear stories of the lore written in sagas. They weren't around when Maclean robbed Reichel, or Bure downed the Flames, or when Messier sent the city into heartbreak. They weren't around to see the tears that filled the streets and the city spiral into chaos. None of that matters though because it still doesn't negate their behavior tonight.


What troubles me upon seeing this footage of drunken brawls, brazen revelers taunting police, and degenerate youth smashing public property is that we raised these youth. We are their chemistry teachers, their uncles and aunts, their hockey coaches and neighbours. We saw them fall of their bikes, dissect their first frog and go to their proms. And this is how they have turned out. Drunk, stupid, debauched. They are willing to turn their fist against the very community that raised them. And no, this isn't one of those passionate pleas for parents to get a rein on their children because well, to be honest, I think it's too late for that. 


On a spiritual level, I'm left with more questions than answers. Upon coming here to Hong Kong, I've been challenged to learn what it means to love the city and seek its good. Jeremiah 29:7 says, "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." As exiles and sojourners in the various places God has ordained us to be, how do we serve our city? How do we seek its peace and prosperity in a time like this?


What grips me is that in the city we have hordes of young passionate youth who have a displaced hope that needs to be redirected to the gospel and the purposes they can find only in God. As a church, if we truly desire to serve God and bring about His Kingdom, we need to speak out to this demographic and challenge them to more in this life. And if we have a segment of these youth passing through the doors of our churches, we need to step up and walk with them and ensure that we don't lose them to the waste of society. We need to be praying for them, caring for them, and mentoring them. God created them for more than the destruction we saw tonight.


Who knows? Maybe in 17 years we'll get another shot at the Cup. A generation will have passed, and perhaps by then we will have learned our lesson. Perhaps we will have raised our youth so that they stand in the face of defeat and agony and respond with grace and class. Perhaps our city will not be laid ruin by our own depravity spawned by the result of a simple hockey game. Perhaps things will be different because our city will know Christ.

Money

Just watched this video and was challenged again to inspect my own perspectives about money. After being in Hong Kong for about 9 months, I realize just how much my life is driven by my possession or the need to find security in the things I own. And now that Michelle and I are starting our lives together and making a home, I wonder how easy (or difficult) it would be for me to give all these things up if God asks me to.

In Matthew our Lord says, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul." And here I find myself calculating next year's salary, how much this or that costs for my wedding, trying to find the thriftiest way to cut a corner when my attention should be on Christ and the reward and joy of following Him.

In the video, Shane asks such a startling question about whether I'd be willing to give up my ipod if God asked. If I were asked by God to give up my iphone just because and to simply give it away, would I? And how much harder would it be, if he asks to have my life and spend me in the way he wants.

It's such an irony that as the recipients of the blessings that God has given us, we've chosen to horde and act as if they belong to us instead of passing them along as we should. They never belonged to us, they were lent to be freely bestowed on others because God's blessings are too good to keep to ourselves.

Amen,  Shane Claiborne

Wedding Planning

I find it necessary to just blog about all the wedding planning that's been going on over the last year. Not to gloat or draw attention to it, but simply to know and remember how hectic this time has been when I look back at this time in our lives in the future. This blog has been dedicated to the everyday happens of our time here in HK and the journey God's brought us on, and I have to say that getting married (at least the planning of it) has been an everyday process.

We've come a long way in a year's time. This time last year, we were still in Vancouver. I was winding down my time at Cornerstone Christian Academy and Michelle was TOCing and teaching piano. I was finishing up my duties as a deacon and starting to organize my life into boxes to be loaded into my van and a suitcase for the airplane. Little did we know that the next year would be a whirlwind of changes- of new schools, pedagogy, culture, and home. We have learned to befriend change as much as he likes to be an enemy to our comfort and routines. It has probably been the most consistent part of our lives here in HK. There is a perpetual drive to adapt and to be stretched. We trust this is all from God for our growth.

Some days I forget that this is all worth it. Some days the intricacies of tradition and the fight to discern the expectations of others take its toll. But I'm happy to say that through this whole experience Michelle and I have grown closer and better though we can't wait for this all to be over. We just want to be married and be together and not have to decide who sits where and eats what.

I guess I should treasure this time because one day all these questions and planning will be about the kids.

the Market

Today I went to the market to buy some veggies for the first time. It was a really neat experience. First of all I don't know any veggies because I don't eat them and to add to that, I wouldn't know what they're called in Chinese. I just know "Gai Lan". But it was cool because I came back with some weird mangos, a purple beet-like fruit, and some giant pineapple that produces these orange wedges. Oh, and of course, some, "Gai Lan"

I didn't get durian this time. I'll save it for after we get married.

Next time: wet market!

That orange thingy is now my new favourite fruit! It smells like a Jackfruit, tastes like a jackfruit/apple but has the texture of a pear and a seed of a durian. So awesome. The vendor called it a "Big Tree Pineapple" 

Robert Morrison's Grave

Yesterday we, (Michelle, Vivian, and Elaine) had a chance to visit Macau and walk around. Since Pastor Anthony had mentioned that we should go visit Robert Morrison’s grave the last time we were there with him, we went to take a look this time. It was the highlight of the trip for me – much better than sampling free meat jerky on the side streets :)

Some background on Robert Morrison can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Morrison_(missionary)

Robert Morrison was the first protestant missionary to serve in China. He endured years of loneliness, rejection, and hate by the locals he came to serve. He learned a language many thought was impossible to learn from scratch and did thankless work translating the Bible into Chinese. And for his 25 years in Asia led only 10 Chinese to Christ. Such seemingly fruitless work for the Kingdom with little to show.

We stumbled upon the Protestant Cemetery tucked away in the corner of a park oasis amidst the dirty grimy streets of Macau. We would have overlooked it if it weren’t for the tourist signs pointing us to this direction. Beyond the humble gates was a small protestant church. Behind the church was the cemetery.

Something about being in a cemetery just gives proper perspective to the sheer brevity of life. All are laid to rest here. There are no exceptions. Many died at sea, and other dies by disease, but they are all confronted by the end of their life here and the beginning of another one. It was odd and almost outrageous how some epitaphs showed a glimmer of hope of something beyond this side of world. Many souls buried here had faith of an eternity spent with their Maker where the pains of this world would cease and no longer infirm and wane their joy. Such hope was inspiring.

We found Morrison’s grave and epitaph shaded by a large tree in the back corner of the cemetery. Such a meagre monument for a giant hero. I’ll let the photos tell you the story:

And the one for his wife:

 

His colleague Samuel Dyer:

 

What faith!

Lord, let me cheerfully spend my life for your Kingdom and fame. And if there should be no reward, it would be fine because you are my reward. Amen. 

Standing and Sleeping

Vancouver Island- Inception - Canon 5D Mark II

Wow, I just came across this video on Youtube. Totally reminded me of home in Vancouver and all the adventures and memories I had living there. Truly the best place on earth to live and breathe in life.

Missing Canada lots!

Tins

New Student Interviews

This month, I've had the pleasure of working two Saturdays at my school. Yes, it is strange to say that a teacher would be obliged to be on duty on a Saturday, but it's quite common here in Hong Kong. I only share this with a better attitude now that I'm on Chinese New Year holiday. It's safe to say I wasn't so positive during those weekends.

This weekend, we had our new student interviews. Because I work at a private school here in Hong Kong under the Direct Subsidy Scheme, our school has to ensure that we have a new crop of students coming in every September. So marketing and promotion becomes a big deal. We try and get our name out there as much as possible. That's why we had our Open House Day a couple weekends ago.

I'm finally starting to realize just how important this school business is- and it is actually a business. During the open day, I overheard some parents talking to some teachers about why they wanted to apply to UCCKE, and one parent said quite forcefully, "I live around this neighbourhood and I always see your students commute to and from school. Never once have I seen them smoke or cut the queue line at a bus stop. So I know you teach your students well and I want my kid to learn this stuff."


I guess that's why the school cares so much about tidy uniforms and appearance. Because each student carries the school's reputation into the community and other people base their assumptions of the school's educational quality on how nicely their hair is kept and how neatly their socks are pulled up.

This Saturday, I had to interview prospective Form 1 students for September. This year, around 600 applied for the 150 spots we have. That's important to note because this year there are around 5000 less Form 1 students in Hong Kong. Schools and teachers have been freaking out because there is a projected decline in student population and less and less students are available to enter into schools. It's projected that by 2016, 21,500 less students in the school system here in HK. (source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-09/13/content_11296851.htm)

So less students mean smaller classrooms, which is good until the school fires an obsolete teacher. And less teachers mean that quality goes down and the public doesn't enroll. Then more teachers get fired and then schools shut down and people are out of work. That's part of the reason teachers work so hard and promote the school. Their jobs are on the line.

The interviews went well- some students were quite well spoken, both in English and Chinese. I had no real highlights of the day, except for one student saying, "I want to come to your school because I pass by on the minibus and I see that your school is big and nice." When asked why she didn't choose the school next to ours since it's also on her minibus route, she answered, "Because I can see this one better."

My colleague Ricky had a more interesting one. When asked whether he had joined any speech festivals before, the student replied, "I will.... eat candy."

We have a long way to go if we end up teaching these kids.