BALANCE.

2010-06-30T01:04:00.001-04:00

Finally, setting up

We arrived in Boston on the evening of June 29, 2010 and I attended my first summer school class (with undergrads!) at Boston University on June 30. We bought our car and a bed on June 30 and moved into our apartment on July 1, when our bed arrived. We had ordered large furniture through the internet back in Hong Kong and these arrived within the first two weeks. Thankfully, Janey visited the first weekend we arrived and we had the luxury of her car to make a couple of runs to Bed, Bath, & Beyond to buy our dishes, iron, vacuum cleaner, lamps, clothes hangers... everything. So, thankfully, within about two weeks, we were efficiently set up! Of course, so we could focus on our summer school studies, ha.

Anyway, I was quite relieved. It was emotionally and psychologically comforting to feel like we had settled down somewhere for longer than a temporary sojourn. After we got married at the end of February, we moved into a 400 sq. service apartment, and then moved into a 550 sq. ft. service apartment, and then went to Toronto, Boston, back to Hong Kong, then Dalian (upon which we vacated our serviced apartment), four days in a hotel in Hong Kong, before leaving for Boston. I felt like I was living out of a suitcase for a good 3 months. So thankfully, finally, it was exciting to build our own home in this exciting new and extremely pleasant environment in Cambridge. The culture of Harvard Yard and Harvard Square is about a 10 minute walk away.

Of course, I'm writing this post as we are preparing to move again -- our lease will be up in 3 months and it is too expensive to stay here in this apartment with *wonderful* service. Alas.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2010-06-11T21:13:00.002-04:00

[I backdate posts for easy reference; I'll say I'm about 9 months behind to me feel a little bit better -- I've been terrible.]

June 2010 - Dalian, Liaoning Province, China

Is this Canada? Or is this China?

David and I spent two weeks in Dalian, a rarely visited city in Northeast China. Considering the enormous tourism industry in China, especially marketed to Hong Kong people (really cheap sightseeing), Dalian is considered completely untouched. No other Hong Kong tourists? It was great. Notice the clear blue sky in the pictures -- I'm pretty sure nothing was shot into the sky to make this effect. The weather and environment was fantastic here, one of the relatively unscathed cities in China.

David and I came here to take some mandarin lessons and to take a look at this city. Unlike the typical historic cities like Beijing or Xian, Dalian is relatively young but unlike other young cities like Shenzhen that purely grew in the past 20 years, Dalian has significant Japanese and Russian influence, which came out in the architecture. Read the Wiki page for a short summary; the history is quite fascinating. In addition, unlike Shenzhen, Dalian has pretty good city planning - evidenced by the wonderful tree-lined roads -- quite magnificent for China, I think.

It is called the "city of squares" -- as in those squares you'd find in Boston or London -- they're actually circles. The city is clustered around a number of major roundabouts, and instead of an ugly concrete structure in the middle, there is often a lot of green grass. Dalian has the most amount of green that I've seen in any Chinese city. There are a lot of *well-kept* parks, including the massive People's Square (this site is a 360 degree view of the park; unfortunately we don't have any good pictures of it.). The bottom pictures is with our lao shi in the also massive and new Xinghai square. The structure behind us is only one half of a "gigantic book" structure (imagine that we were facing the other half of the gigantic book laid out on the ground), to commemorate the city's 100 birthday as well as the return of Hong Kong in 1997. For a Chinese city, I still can't get over how clean it was.

But of course, this is still China, so there were sites of the following around the city -- a old and demolished stadium, but not yet cleaned up. I wonder how long it was lying there. It's scary -- it looks like an earthquake hit the city, but think it was just knocked down because a new stadium was built across the street in the massive Olympic Park. Overall, I'd highly recommend going to Dalian. There are also many side trips to scenic areas to take a look, which we unfortunately were unable to do. And if you ever want a mandarin tutor, we can recommend one that is decent and not that expensive!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2010-03-02T00:37:00.001-05:00

New beginnings - 3 of 3

And finally, to the 'real' beginning. I will be pursuing a Masters of Education this September with the aim to equipping myself towards a new career. No, I don't intend to teach elementary school or secondary school, nor do I really want to teach Accounting to college students (though I'm open to it.) A little on my background first, though.

It's kind of funny that when I reflect on my life through this 'education lens,' I've always considered it important (after all, I've always loved school / going to school), but never thought it was for me (after all, I've always been a shy, poor public speaker.) And not that I'm going into teaching, but I must only attribute the path to God. Somehow, through entire career in Accounting -- public accounting, for that matter, and having worked in only one firm -- God paved a way for me to build up *some* case to get accepted into a great education program at HGSE. There was no way I could have imagined it during the various training events, revising curricula, or participating in university workshops. But they were there as a series of projects, days, and steps. Somehow, it all came together. So, as a first step, I hope to pursue this masters for foundational knowledge about the education industry.

Since I don't intend to teach, that will put me into the administrative areas. You may even ask -- wow, that's even more boring than accounting -- and that may be true from a day to day aspect. The pace will be slower, and in some ways, the people may be less 'competent'. But I see the next few years as minor first steps towards gaining new experience, and we'll see where God leads in the future. In a way, it goes back to the boring day to day again, just that instead of building a career based on amassing a body of accounting knowledge, I hope to somehow help, indirectly or directly, the students going through their paths in higher education.

It is all very uncertain, and so all I can do is offer up this vocation daily, with the discipline to live out each day with the faith that God has his greater plan. We'll see how I can share later on.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2010-03-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

New beginnings - 2 of 3

Actually, this is more of an ending, but the post was meant to fits within the general theme of change; I wanted to share about my reflections on the end of my first career -- of being an accountant. To be sure, I'm one of the later retirees from the accounting/auditing world, and as much as people think I'm a "lifer"-type, to me, this departure was inevitable. Many of my colleagues think it is a waste for me to leave now, since I am *so good* at explaining accounting concepts and working out accounting solutions. :p Well, I have certainly spent enough years of my youth in this mundane field, but I've no regrets and can happily look back and be thankful for it.

Now that I've gone through a couple of rounds of 'farewells' in Hong Kong, I think I can summarize my reflections on my life @ E&Y as thus:

1. Unexpected community culture - For all of us involved, we would likely attest that the E&Y TCE group in Toronto is a "special" one. To be sure, certain aspects of specialness will be different to different people, but very generally, there is an undoubted camaraderie that has grown from this otherwise typical BIg 4 audit group. To me, the specialness commences from Waterloo CCF, as a number of CCF graduates first started in the group, and in a way, pioneered a certain culture.
This culture starts with the work ethic of any responsible Canadian-Chinese, setting a pervasive feeling and observation that the partners could count on the Chinese staff will take care of the job, setting a sort of ideal as a 'good testimony through work'. Of course, uncurtailed, this culture quickly grows into workaholism, a very constant and persistent struggle. Then, beyond the on-the-job testimony, the community participated in gatherings for deeper spiritual reflections, Bible studies, and times of prayer, as we all shared in our lives for many hours in the day. We have our homes and our own church lives, and in a way, I thought this was almost the best next step outside of a university campus. I count it a blessing to consider so many friends from E&Y as part of my spiritual community.

2. Exposure - It was not easy to leave the culture in Toronto, but I came to Hong Kong with a view for exposure to more of the world, and I felt I did much of this. While I failed to go on any further MSI trips to China, I travelled quite a bit to the China (and other Asian) offices and engaged with many of those colleagues. I saw how small of a market Canada was, and realized how chaotic China is! I was exposed to a level of 'technical accounting' that I never thought I would get such opportunity. There are many mixed feelings in the above. From the people perspective, I think it is wonderful how China is quickly developing and the discrimination of Chinese colleagues is rapidly diminishing. With respect to accounting, it is all so geeky, but I am happy to have been exposed to the detailed intricacies ... for me to make the assessment that it is meaningless. Practically, I could practically envision myself in a lucrative accounting policy role at some bank, but now, being part of the 0.01% of the population that can explain the roadmap of accounting for derivatives under FAS 133, I have no more desire to pursue this path. I don't really care to be part of the esoteric group that can understand such jargon. And lastly, as a very technical point, I think the principles-based development of IFRS is a good idea but now way too abstract -- I think the application of IFRS 9 in its future full form will render financial statements meaningless! (Though, there will be significant revisions to the extant Exposure Drafts concerning financial instruments for them to be passed. :p)

3. Preparation for the next career - This is my last point -- looking back, God had his plan in preparing me for my next career in Education (the new beginning 3/3!) While my entire career-to-date has been in the accounting firm, I was able to profile myself from an educational standpoint for my application to Education school. I always felt strongly about the emphasis placed upon training in E&Y, and involved myself in such teaching activities in Toronto and in Hong Kong. In Toronto, I got to audit U of T for three years. And further, in Hong Kong, as a recruiting measure, E&Y sponsored two seminar courses at the University of Hong Kong and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, where I got the opportunity to design those courses. All in all, looking back, I must see the preparation that God has given me towards my application, and I look forward to new studies and seeing what opportunities the new career holds.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2010-02-28T09:54:00.001-05:00

New Beginnings - 1 of 3

After all the designs, symbols, and preparations, February 27, 2010 marked a new day and a new status for me. After months of laid-back preparation, the ceremony and banquet came and went. Both were eventful, and I was very happy to have my Tyndale professor, Barbara Leung Lai, perform half of the exhortation, while David's professor, Carver Yu, did the second half. Too bad we forgot to record it... regardless, the enthusiastic and joyful recount of BLL's version of our story will remain my memory, as will CY's encouragement as we pursue our coupled journey in the search for visio dei, wrapped around many reminders to learn mutual submission. BLL brought a smile to my face while I was standing on the stage as she emphasized the importance to 'stand on mountains' -- as He raises us up to more that we can be. The banquet was an extraordinarily grand affair, quite a contrast from David and my mode of living. Yet, it was a smooth night, even if the food was served very slowly. All in all, the two days came and went, and afterwards, we were married. There is a surreal feeling, since I didn't feel like there was a difference in our relationship. But that is where David and I are on the same page, for our relationship started and was maintained on a daily basis, and we hope to continue this after our wedding.

I want to share an excerpt of David's banquet speech, which embodies our happy, yet humble sentiments:

As I am standing here on the stage at this very moment, I am trying to get a better feeling of the atmosphere tonight, with so many guests coming here to celebrate, to celebrate for us. We feel very, very lucky, and I realize that it is truly a grand celebration that you've so generously given us, yet a grand celebration to a very humble beginning, of this new chapter of our relationship. That is to say, within a few days if not tomorrow, Gladys and I will be fully immersed into the mundane realities of living together. You know what I mean: we need to share a washroom, and we need to clean the kitchen sink together. I will unlikely be wearing this tuxedo while doing the daily chores, and after a hard day's work communications may just tend to become kind of routine, won't it? Regardless of how 'special' the bride and groom are supposed to be this evening, very soon and in many ways, we won't be different from anyone else, practising the repetitions of an ordinary life.

But this we shall promise all of you, and only by making this promise, shall we be worthy of what you've all given us here. We promise that we shall make our togetherness, a lively, and life-long devotion; that we shall participate in the same mundane activities, but discover joy therein; and that we shall lay our lives' foundation upon the Truth; and truthfully, and routinely, commit to each other day after day, year after year. We would even promise you that soon we'll begin taking things a bit for granted, but then we shall again learn to appreciate each other; that we are going to fight (not literally of course!), but then, we shall learn to reconcile. There are much more than what I can cover her, as seasoned couples among our guests know very well. But our commitment to the days ahead, we believe, is the only way that we may express our gratitude to you all. Thank you very much.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2009-12-11T02:55:00.001-05:00

Busy with work and personal...

At work, I've been busy with helping out with an IPO which has been a tiring process. At least, I can enjoy pockets of fresh air between scheduled SEC filing dates, and by now, we've gone through the most difficult parts of the process. Personally, I'm supposed to be busy with wedding planning, which unfortunately has taken a back seat due to busyness at work. Plus, David and I greatly value the meaning behind a wedding, being the future path of marriage, we are not people who gain great satisfaction in the meticulous planning of this event. Nonetheless, gradual progress has been made though I should spend a lot more time on it.

But, in my geeky worldview, I can't help but to notice the parallels between the IPO and wedding planning. After all, the bottom line is that they are both projects to manage.

1. Kick off meeting and all parties meetings

2. Draft the project timeline and budget

3. Clarify requirements with the lawyers

4. Liaise with the printers and submit change pages on the printers proof

Haha -- ok, enough. Anyway, I am happy that my IPO is priced and trading, so now I can focus more attention on the *other* project. :p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

Addendum -- I'm hoping I pulled my last all-nighter for 2009 and possibly, my ________ ________.

2009-12-01T12:11:00.002-05:00

Err.... is this a new pose?

Major billboard for a busy Wanchai gym. I guess they are aiming to attract people who aren't really into sports??

2009-08-12T10:14:00.003-04:00

Happy belated

A little coincidental that finally, on the 60th anniversary of the PRC (Oct 1 -- this post is backdated for easy searching), I have some space and time to write this long-awaited reflection for my own anniversary of half as many years. As I say every year, I don't place much intrinsic value on the day (I think I worked until 9pm that day); rather, it is simply a convenient milestone to gauge the progress in our lifetime. Though that's a misnomer since I ultimately defer to God's progress in my life, for any progression that I appear to exhibit can only be attributed to his guidance and carry. No doubt, my entire journey is a most blessed one: growing up in a loving family having learned healthy values, enjoying a joyful education in various healthy social environments, reflecting on the realities of this world as grounded in a healthy spiritual foundation -- health -- the new virtuous goal of the developed world (i.e., more virtuous than the goal of money) is something human effort can only manage so much but is ultimately outside our control. And usually, people only contemplate physical health, let alone the health of the holistic person, or even further, the health of a community, society, or the world (which, I would unfortunately describe as 'cancerous'). To be sure, I would not see this aspect of my blessings were it not for David, who experiences less than ideal health on a daily basis, though through it all, he maintains a spiritual perseverance that is affecting.

So, while such many blessings are to be appreciated and enjoyed, God demands a response, and many of us respond with good intentions in varying degrees. I confess my response has often been made inferior as I knowingly constrict it within practical and rationalized limits. A recent bout of busyness at work was a poignant reminder of my personal weakness to actively maintain the status quo or to deliver superficial achievements to the neglect of true personal freedom. While it is commendable to be a responsible and competent employee, it is not everything.* Plus, having generally enjoyed a very comfortable three years thus far in Hong Kong (exactly to the day!), I know I have exhibited an unacceptable level of mental laziness that I know needs to change. Last year, I alluded to certain impending changes and this year, this birthday marks a turning point in my understanding of that freedom -- true freedom in faith.

As a first try, I left a comfort zone in Toronto, and unexpectedly jumped into an even bigger comfort zone in Hong Kong. Next, I came to terms with stepping out of the comfort zone that is "the Firm". Having 'grown up' in the Firm, the very thought of leaving it brought me mental stress and anxiety last year. I have accepted (and embraced!) that now, but there is yet another step of leaving the industry. This thought still frightens me to tears, which I know is an attack on faith that draws out many underlying psychological fears. That manifestation is a little scary, and even scarier when I realize how much I claw to hold on to my so-far past life, meanwhile not regarding a hopeful future in possibly a handful more decades. While I work through this, David provides much motivation and support to progress along this long journey. Yes, we plan to study full time together next year. I will apply for programs in Education and will see what roles God provides me.

And so, such change -- of family status, of career, of location -- is spiritually, mentally, and emotionally very scary, but infinitely exciting at the same time. Only God can provide peace that transcends our understanding to enable the strength required to live a free and healthy life amidst the uncertainties, discomforts, and chaos of this world. Further, I think faith to live in God's freedom is part and parcel of our personal identity in Christ, another one of my recurring themes. To be sure of my identity in Christ is to believe his death on the cross not only (abstractly) released my soul from the grip of sin, but also released my soul from the very tangible constrictions that compartment our lives. With this new understanding of freedom, this year marks the undertaking of a new, long, difficult, exciting, gracious, and hopefully fruitful journey...

“They were a free people, free to live in faith before a merciful, saving God. But a free life of faith, lived in the vast and gracious mysteries of God, is a large, demanding life—it is far easier to live small, reduced to the visible and tangible requirements of petty gods and tyrant kings.” -- Eugene H. Peterson, "First and Second Samuel", p. 56, in commentary of 1 Samuel 8:4-18, where the Israelites rejected God's kingship and demanded a human and tangible king, like the other nations.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

* One of the best leadership books that I have read discusses leadership as a similar challenge through the release of your own identity in the course of leadership: "Building the Bridge as You Walk on It" - Robert E. Quinn.

2009-08-10T13:56:00.000-04:00

Tiens! Tiens! Tiens!

C’était depuis longtemps que j’ai utilisé un petit peu de français. La première fois après ma graduation d’école secondaire était peut-être deux ans et demi avant que j’ai rencontré une dame française en la province de Yunnan en Chine. Je me souviens que j’ai oublié le mot pour «cow» - vache – c’est triste hein? En écrire cet «blog», j’ai remarqué que je ne connais pas les «shortcuts» pour les letters avec des accents, un peu frustrant!

En tout cas, pourquoi la motivation? J’ai attendée une presentation de «小王子» - le petit prince (en chinois). C’était une musicale typicallement en style de Hong Kong ; les gens dans la spectacle étaient un peu ennuyeux que j’étais peur que la musicale va ruiner pour moi l’histoire du petit prince. Alors, celle nuit, j’ai trouvé l’histoire du petit prince, et puisque l’originale est en français, j’ai decidé à essayer la lire en langue originale.

Et je comprends! Au moins, je pense que je comprends la majorité de l’histoire. Après tout, c’est une histoire pour les enfants et l’auteur a été l’écrivé en une style simple. Je suis joyeuse alors, j’imagine si je peux écrire un «blog» en français. Alors, je peux, mais ce procès prend assez longtemps!! Mais, j’ai absolument besoin de réapprendre un niveau de français, je pense que c’est possible, avec beaucoup de temps! Peut-être je vais trouvé ma copie de «le petit Robert dictionnaire» chez moi en Toronto, mais maintenant, nous avons l’internet et on peut facilement utiliser beaucoup d’outils pour la traduction, spécialement «Google Translator»!

2009-07-19T10:42:00.004-04:00

The name of the game: "No jetlag!"
The objective of game: "No jetlag!"

I'm back in Hong Kong and have started to catch up on work (IPO activity has palpably picked up), church (preparing for fellowship EM), Tyndale course (two final papers due in the next couple of weeks), and also hanging out a bit with my brother who came over right after I left last June (can you please go to sham shui po and help me pick up a router?)

No jetlag!

Thankfully, I have been able to get generally adequate rest at night, though I was hoping for more rest by the excuse of a typhoon -- an excuse that didn't pan out since it hit on Saturday night and was clear by 6am on Sunday morning. However, I still need to instill discipline to control my ever-erratic sleeping patterns on a continuing basis.

I also had a wonderful trip (pictures on Facebook, of course) with some of the following experiences:

Outdoor wedding (Toronto) - If you receive an invitation to an outdoor wedding, ensure to go early, lest you end up in the overflow seats outside the tent under the strongest rays of the beating sun (at high noon, no less). So much for trying not to tan (I slightly burned.) It was a beautiful wedding though, with wonderful weather!

Preston and Bolton, Lancashire, UK - Two recondite cities I am sure most people would never visit during their lifetime. It was worthwhile to explore these two tiny cities in advance of actually moving here (chances are slim now, if any) because while David and I believe there are aspects of the monastic spirit that are worth emulating, we don't agree on extreme asceticism.

Boston, MA, USA - Did you ever notice that the outdoor 'office shot' of Cage, Fish and Associates actually showed the faint name of the actual Boston building chosen taken as their office? The name is Congregational House and is located on 14 Beacon Street. If all goes well, perhaps I may become more acquainted with this city as I search my soul since there is so much more to life... though I am not referring to what love has to bring.

The Rockies, AB, Canada - The first and only time I came here on a cross-country family road trip when I was about 14. At that time, it was fun to step foot in tourist hotspots but without the appropriate appreciation one ought to have for the mountains (and lakes and glaciers) and their designed and created beauty.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him? -- Psalm 8:3-5

London, UK - This city is unique its cosmopolitanism though built upon a strong British history and culture. Despite having no outstanding indigenous cuisine, we thank God for Wagamama -- count: 4. (And once in Boston!)

Toronto, ON, Canada - Of course, as my hometown, it is a deep joy that I express in catching up with old friends as we encourage each other in the race. Swiss Chalet count: 2, Marche count: 3, Tim Hortons count: too many to count! (Unfortunately I did not stumble on any lemon-filled timbits.)

GRE - I completed it with a decent quant score and a passable verbal score; writing assessment score to come. As usual for standardized American examinations, I found the exam tedious and archaic - could they at least update the software from a monochrome interface found in computers manufactured by AST, a company that disappeared from the market over 10 years ago? (Though somehow a specimen of their computers remains in our basement at home in Toronto.)

While I don't believe in their testing strategy, I must admit the little vocabulary studying I have done has been beneficial in my general reading, especially of older books such as Richard Yates Revolutionary Road (if you're not one to read, go watch the movie -- it's good!) as well as assisting with everyone's favourite pastime, the Times Spelling Bee.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2009-06-02T23:36:00.001-04:00

I'm pseudo- studying for the GRE. I applied NOT because I was reverting into old examination-taking habits, but figured it could be useful for future applications. And mainly, for some reason, the GRE is essentially only offered once a year in Hong Kong in a two-part exam, as compared with year-round computerized sessions around the globe. [I plan to take it in Toronto.] In preparation, I've combed the internet to gather the gamut of word lists. I need some work in this area, especially given the insane and arcane words on the lists, so the best way to remember definitions is to use them in sentences. Please join me in my studies!

A new good internet friend is now etymology.com to help me understand the origins of words and to assist with neologisms. But confuse that not with entomology.com, lest you be confronted with creepy crawlies that are mottled, hirsute, refulgent *and* pellucid -- and may cause a paroxysm of fright from some visceral fears. Though that site might have sections where apiarists expatiate on their science, perhaps to help others with agrarian interests. For those with a predilection for anything equine, bovine, or ursine, I recommend zoology.com.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam. :)

2009-04-25T13:09:00.002-04:00

Poughkeepsie

No offense meant to the new Treasury Secretary of the United States -- I know how difficult a job he has dealing with the economic crisis as it is while balancing through the politics. But unfortunately, every single time I look at Geithner's face, I think of Peter MacNicol. Of course, to me, I think of Peter MacNicol a la Ally McBeal's John Cage. I realize he's done quite a few shows since then, but that character sticks in my mind. Which means that when I look at Geithner, I think he will get the job done in the end as long as the jury pleases him. And maybe he'll use some quirky antics here and there, but hey, as weird as they are, they'll be effective.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2009-04-06T09:46:00.006-04:00

O-hi-o!

No, not the midwest American state -- Japanese for hello! The title was meant for a draft post that I meant to post last month after watching two good Japanese movies, but since I've passed my one month mark, the title is still apt as a long-awaited greeting! The movie reviews are at the bottom.

Spring break
I've got time to blog because I completed Systematic Theology and also another Bible study that I finished leading today. That leaves me with two weeks of relatively 'free' time before I start my next course in May, plus another series of Sunday school lessons to teach... which basically takes me to pre- long vacation. My schedule is busy, but manageable. Looking back, this term was probably busier than the upcoming month, and yet, things thankfully work out without much stress. Periodic 'monastic sessions' with David have been fundamental to maintaining a stable pace of life (sounds elaborate but it's just a time of silence/spiritual reading/prayer).

Mediation of Christ
It turned out designedly fitting that our Easter four-day weekend was the week before my final assignment was due, and the assignment was to read T.F. Torrance's "The Mediation of Christ" and write a book review on it. The book takes patience to get through, but I recommend the time if you have not the time to read other theology books. His book expands on the role of Christ as mediator between God and man and presents how Christians should view the effects of his atonement on the cross. The book provided me with a more deeply meaningful Easter this year, and for that I am thankful.

Susan Boyle
It is a general habit for me to check Google News now, and so I inevitably came across Susan Boyle. As some articles say, "You must live under a rock if you have not heard..." Well, the funny thing is, I lived under a rock for two years because I did not hear of Paul Potts. :p I must admit I've been somewhat obsessed with watching their clips over the past two days and do find them uplifting. Perhaps, to me, it is a simple encouragement to see her perform just as she would at her church. I pray that she will not lose the genuineness of humanity that she possesses. The mass response to Susan Boyle has been incredible and interesting. For one, it remains to be seen whether people will truly change their cynical ways from this wake-up call. And unfortunately, the inspiration that she provides only directs people towards their individual desires and dreams and not as much towards, say, spending many years caring for an elderly relative.

Movie 1 - Departures
This movie is probably more widely distributed ever since it won the Oscar. This movie deals with death, and as typical, brings people into raw emotions of human vulnerability with one thing that we can't avoid. There are a few moments of amusing wit and many (unnecessary?) tearjerking moments. Definitely, a feel good film, but a good one, leaving you with the feeling of appreciation for life and love, as well as a feeling of peace, if death provides that for you.

Movie 2 - K-20:Legend of the Mask
I'm not sure how widely distributed this movie is, but I HIGHLY recommend it! Essentially, it's a Japanese version of a Batman-like persona (it's actually about a 'super-villain', not a 'superhero'), set in a fictional city (like Gotham) in a post-war period. Plus, the star is Takeshi Kaneshiro (ah!!!) Haha. Ok, I think he is stylish ('ying'), though not outstanding as an actor. The story is funny, keeps on moving, and keeps you guessing. It's also not as dark as the American Batman, so it enjoys a good degree of levity, and of course, many 'Japanese-y' elements that are very delightful, and as usual with Japanese imagination, sets that are 'way cool'. In a word, this movie is entertaining -- go watch it, you'll like it!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam. :)

2009-03-11T14:07:00.002-04:00

Speak, O Lord

I've been preparing for Bible study and listening to lectures to write a paper for my coursework. Spiritually, it has been enriching. Just want to share a song that is quickly rising among the ranks... I think the lyrics are deeply penetrating. :)

Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.

Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility;
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of pow'r that can never fail—
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we'll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory.

2009-02-23T00:22:00.005-05:00

Run.HK

The Standard Chartered marathon is the equivalent of Nike's RunTO in TO... a big corporate-sponsored marathon with the aim to unite the whole city with the joys of running ["The race that unites Hong Kong".] Unfortunately I didn't run RunTO so I can't directly compare. Instead, I ran the Don River Run for Recovery which was a way smaller run in comparison, with a total of 152 runners, but probably much more enjoyable!

The Standard Chartered marathon (I only ran 10K) was ridiculously huge, with 55,000 applications, of which 33,000 are for the 10km race. However, who knows how many people actually turned up on the day of the race and nobody has reported estimated numbers. Still, there were SO MANY FREAKING PEOPLE.

To control the flow of so many runners, there had to be many pedestrian flow control mechanisms. Plus, because it is not like Toronto where you can just lock away your few valuables in your car and run with your car keys. The event headquarters was in Victoria Park in Hong Kong [route map], and included a huge baggage storage area before you are channelled into the starting area. It was very organized overall.

The 10K is all run on highway road, the Hong Kong Eastern corridor, with the starting point ON the highway. From the bag check area to the finish line is a good 15 minute walk from the park to the road entrance to the (elevated) Eastern Corridor [imagine the starting point being on the Gardiner Expressway, where you had to walk up the ramp from the Don Valley so that the starting point is above Lake Shore Blvd], up the car ramp to the starting line, all within a huge crowd. This was at 5:30am to prep for the 6:00am start. They staggered the 10K races (the 'challenge' one started at 5:15am); the 6:00am start was the third race but probably the most populous. I didn't have a choice and had to run this race since E&Y sponsored my entry [And I got an E&Y T-shirt, yeah!!! Actually, it's a pretty nice shirt!] The race runs east to ShauKeiWan (essentially running from Causeway Bay to a little past my house), and then turning around onto the highway of the opposite traffic direction to end up back in Victoria Park.

There were so many people that my official start time as clocked from the timing device tied to my shoe was 3 minutes into the race.

Once the race started, the crowd thinned out and I could generally run pretty freely. But because no race etiquette was laid out prior to the race (i.e., stick to the right or the left to allow for passing), the first 10 minutes were very much like dodging an obstacle course. This made it hard for me to find my own pace because I'm not good at that in the first place, and I don't know how to *not* 'continuously pass' people. [I know this comes from driving -- if someone is in front of you, pass! Even if they are not overly slow!] Though I didn't think my passing was overly fast that I would completely tire myself out in the first half.

Along the race, it was evident that many people signed up for the heck of (a) getting a chance to run/walk on the highway, or (b) taking pictures. After all, we are in Hong Kong.

The first water station was 4 km into the race. Right after the water station is a pile of huge paper cups -- quite amusing sight, isn't it? --> take a picture!! Then, at every km mark thereafter, there were many "V" signs. And of course, doesn't everyone bring their mobile phone (to talk) to run a 10K race?

The race had a some ups and downs, essentially running down the exit ramp, doing a quick U-turn to run up the opposite direction entrance ramp back onto the highway. At 9km into the race, this was a little painful! Plus, because the highway is built for cars, at various curved points (most prolonged bout Tin Hau before Causeway Bay), the road was not level which made for weird balance control.

The reason why the race is so early in the morning is because it is impossible to shut the roads for so long. So by then time I was on the return leg on the Eastern Corridor back near Tin Hau/Causeway Bay about 7-8km into the race, they had already opened up the highway on which we ran the first leg. If you ran off course, you would get run over. It was also quite a memorable "Oh.. HK" moment when a bus drove by and I breathed in its exhaust. Yummy!

The final stretch was down an exit ramp (though technically from a 'car' perspective, it could have been an entrance ramp and I wouldn't have known the difference) to take the local road back into Victoria Park to the finish line. I had used much of my 'boost' energy passing people on the up ramp that I didn't overly sprint to the finish, but it was a good race! After the finish line, the people traffic control started again and it was another 10-15 min walk back to the bag check area. There is no room to collapse if you are dead tired!!

Since I have been exercising relatively regularly for half a year now, I felt quite ok for this run. Definitely much better than the "Run for Recovery" in Toronto when I had a sore knee for the whole race which was likely a result of the ultimate frisbee tournament that I played in the day before. All of those two was on no training in general. :p

My time was 1:00:03. I'm relatively happy with my time since 60 mins was my target. But I *so* could have been under an hour... I blame it on the people because continuous dodging, often lateral dodging, is tiring. :p My time at Run for Recovery was 1:03, which put me in the 75 percentile range for females. My time here, given the # of runners in general and the # of non-serious runners, my "overall position" was 552 and "gender position" was 60. I have no idea what that means, though I'm guessing that's the ranking for the "Run 2 race" meant for people with best achievement times listed as below -- which means it is not meaningful a ranking. :p I would have run in the Challenge if it weren't for E&Y sponsorship.

Anyway, probably no more 10Ks for another few years... not sure if I want to try to fight the HK crowds again, either... and finally, I enjoyed the race because the spiritual parallel from Paul is an apt encouragement:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -- Phil 3:12-14

No matter my physical ability, God's strength sustained me for the race, as he does in this continuous marathon of life.

To the next race then, this is Gladys Yam.

[Aside] When filling out the Race application, you are 'recommended' to participate in a race based on your previous achieved times:

Challenge races - Under 1:10:00
Run 1 - 1:10 - 1:25
Run 2 - 1:25 - 1:40
Run 3 - Over 1: 40

To anyone who has run, you will realize that these times are slow. But now I realize they could be adjusted for a "crowd factor", haha. The times also remind me of a warning from the Red Cross blood donor clinic: people whose weight is under 90lbs are not recommended to donate blood. It tells you something about the (unhealthy?) 'benchmarks' of the population! [In contrast, Canada's warning is at 110 lbs -- though I'm not sure which is more unhealthy.] The discrepancy makes me wonder whether the warning is truly related to safety or simply a statistical cutoff.

2009-02-04T04:21:00.002-05:00

Learning learning learning

First off, Happy Chinese New Year! I enjoyed three days of holiday last week which turned out to be good (extended) family time (my parents are here until March), resting, working out (I am running a 10K next week), doing some homework, spending time with David... now all refreshed for work again. Since I got promoted at work, this year was my first 'big blood bath' for red pockets. Ack!

Learning. So everyone knows I'm a geek and love to learn. I think I get it from my mom, but the funny thing is, I'm nothing compared to David! Haha..

A few years ago, one of my old co-workers introduced me to this website of courses. The Teaching Company has developed a whole selection of personal interest courses which anyone can buy for their own personal learning. Back then, the website wasn't important because that coworker found some forums that had ripped a whole bunch of courses to mp3 which he downloaded, and then we engaged in a major 'burning' operation (CDs at that time) so I've got a whole slew of courses... I *did* listen to a two or three of them -- sped up by 25-40% using the Winamp Pacemaker plug-in.

Well, last week, Teach12 came back to my attention because they took out a page advertisement in the Economist, and I thought I may as well give them some money after all. I bought Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft. I listened to the first lecture last night (sped up, of course!) The lecturer is quite American and a little repetitive, but I will try to get through it, and hopefully it will bear some fruit. My priority is still Tyndale, after all.

But a funny thing is that almost simultaneously, David bought a book for himself, Figures of speech: 60 ways to turn a phrase. Given the short length of the book, I like his purchase better; plus, I did a flip through and it's quite amusing while educational. :p

Anyway, yes, geeky. [That's an asyndeton, by the way.] But this is the real part of the post: I will soon do away with these little ad hoc learning endeavours and finally dive into developing a serious learning plan over the few years. I already gave up the prospect of earning any more accounting-related designations last year. Now, turning outside the world of accounting, there is an overwhelming vastness of knowledge and insight which I look forward to absorbing just a small part...

Not sure if this will amount to a serious career change in the future, but, I m finally excited (more than scared) to see how it will turn out! In the uncertainty, there is MUCH to pray about.

2009-01-17T12:15:00.002-05:00

Update

I'm still alive. I'm behind on the blogging of three vacations actually... Silk Road, Taiwan, and Japan. All right, don't mean to brag. Next vacation won't be for a few months as I go through busy season... perhaps I will pop up in Toronto sometime soon. :) All very preliminary so far. Please also don't wish me congratulations. :p

It has been a whirlwind with family visits from my brother.. + mom... - brother... + dad... then going through the Christmas/New Year season, and then prepping for the Japan trip. On the last day in Japan, I caught the flu. Good thing I was able to sleep through the flight and the flu only came full out after a day or two in Hong Kong. I haven't gotten really sick in probably at least a year and a half to two years, so this one felt quite strong. Thankfully, I am about fully recovered now!

Tonight, I just returned home from Rosalyn and Duncan's wedding. The two of them, plus their families, all exude Christ's love, so it was a very blessed day and night to participate in their celebration. I am confident that God will continue to lead and bless their lives in amazing ways!

I am taking a Tyndale course again, so my discipline needs to step it up [especially since I'm taking systematic theology]. No more playing the Times Spelling Bee [stupid British accents!] :p

Finally, a reflection. Yes, again, it is on the passing by of a year. Last December was a ridiculously stressful for me because I had to deal with a certain 'lil sis'. It was a tumultuous two weeks involving police, hospital, landlords... a displaced and lost soul. I knew the responsibility to take care of her ultimately rested on her own shoulders, so despite a few months of turmoil at the beginning of last year and through my unfortunate continual neglect [yes, sudden 'change of attention'], the 'lil sis' has again come to a point that indicates the desire to settle down. Of course, it is yet another step in a very long journey, but it is a testament that prayers are never in vain. I have always been sure that God has unrelentingly pursued her, as well as sure that her heart is not as hard as she often portrays. It is an encouraging affirmation to continue persevering through prayer, for in some and many things, we must let God do his work, and wait for our time to take an active part. And further, it is a reminder of God's unrelenting pursuit of each one of us... only then can we truly start to engage in an intimate relationship with Him and be able to know Him.

Praise God for all the things he has done.

2008-12-24T22:52:00.007-05:00

Wish you a Merry Christmas!

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
-- Isaiah 9:6

I felt like I kind of missed over the "Christmas feeling" this year... for the most part, the Christmas feeling in Hong Kong means being overwhelmed by huge Christmas lights that are displayed on the sides of buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour, as well as getting the feeling from the huge Christmas displays inside all of Hong Kong's malls. IFC Mall topped their amazing hanging Christmas tree last year with the first indoor ferris wheel:

Anyway, the main reason why I missed the Christmas feeling is because my office moved from Central to beside my house in Quarry Bay. :p Not a huge complaint from me. :p

But all in all, that is probably a good thing (missing the Christmas feeling) because that is pretty much all that it's about here in Hong Kong. However, despite the huge emphasis on shopping, Hong Kong, being a much more open place to Christianity, has thousands of groups of carollers in every MTR station, mall corner, street behind a mall, parks within residential estates, inside office buildings turned malls... HK has 1400 churches... they're everywhere. :p But it adds to the more meaningful side of Christmas, and carolling is quite an integral part of the Christmas culture here.

I missed the ramp-up to Christmas because I was in Taiwan, as it happened, there was a huge (Waterloo) reunion there this year. It was a great time to catch up a bit, enjoy 'normal Taiwanese life' there (morning markets, night markets), and go to Ali Shan (Ali Mountain), where Teresa and I experienced our age and the gasping of thin air 2200m high. :P

We also woke up early to catch the dawn of a new day -- which reminded me of the old grade 10 band song of that name with a decent trumpet part and solos, which I often screwed up. :p Teresa and I concluded that we preferred sunsets to sunrises, not only because of the timing.

So, Christmas was not too eventful for me here, though that is nice to just slow down and hang out with loved ones. [We didn't have Christmas Eve or Christmas service either... which peeved me.] But nevertheless... Merry Christmas! This end of December rounds up an eventful year on all fronts; hopefully 2009 will turn up from this one. :p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-12-13T12:29:00.013-05:00

Journey to the West -- Silk Road October 2008 - Xinjiang province

First, I am thankful that the timing worked out for this trip... I was thinking of not going and then booked my flights the day before departing. What bugged me was that there was no way to arrange flights from Hong Kong to Urumqi (stopping over in Xian) in a day! I had to stay in Xian for one night. Also, this was the first vacation in a long time where I did not take my computer!! :p

Well I have touched Xinjiang province, but I can only say that I have touched it. We began our 'Silk Road' journey from Urumqi, the major transportation hub in this area and then went 'backwards' towards Xian. As a major transportation hub, Urumqi is a major city that is a weird clash between the local Uyghur culture (Muslim mosques and markets) with many (very tacky) storefronts of typical Chinese stores (you know, the solid colour background with another colour large print square font). Xinjiang is an autonomous region in China, but of course is still significantly under PRC state control -- especially with the Olympics this year, there would be no way we could have gone to Kashgar, which is the western-most city of China. But Urumqi does have a title of the "world's most inland city", being 2500km away from the nearest sea.

From Urumqi we went to "Heavenly Lake" (天池), a beautiful lake surrounded by the "Heavenly Mountains". It's kind of like Banff but the mountains are nowhere near as high and therefore not as snowcapped. The lake was very peaceful until loud music started being played all of a sudden from speakers deliberately placed within a "tree stump" designed enclosure, just slightly ruining the mood.

Other than Urumqi, we went to Turpan, which is only about 150km southeast of Urumqi. However, the climate is way different because Urumqi is about 800m above sea level, while Turpan is about 30m above sea level. It lies in a valley and has extreme summers and extreme winters. Urumqi was bordering upon snowfall, and Turpan was SOO extremely hot and sunny that I had a headache all day (I so should have wore sunglasses that day). This hot temperature makes its geography optimal for much fruit, especially grapes -- we visited the "Grape Pagoda" which is a huge vineyard. There we had the BEST GRAPES that I have ever tasted before.. the grape peel/skin was almost nonexistent. The heat of Turpan also promotes the "Flaming Mountain" because the sun's beating rays provides an orange colour to the hills. Lastly we went to the Karez Well which was a spectacular underground canal that brought water from the Heavenly Mountains to Turpan.

Since my last vacation was England, it was amusing to see the Chinese mountains goats in comparison to the English sheep. :p

Video of Tian Chi.. with the peace-destroying music from the tree stump!

Grilled lamb shishkebabs... mm...

Urumqi night market... questionable sanitary conditions... but good food!

The "Big Bazaar" which is a mosque / market.

In our hired car from point to point around Turpan. The sun really bothered me that day. However, thankfully, I have the ability to sleep no matter what position. :p

Entrance to the Flaming Mountains -- also famous because of the "Journey to the West", one of the Hong Kong versions which was filmed here.

Chinese mountain goats!

English sheep!

We departed from Urumqi train station (below) aboard a train to Dunhuang. This was our first train ride of the trip, and departing from a major transportation hub, the scene was a little scary, to say the least. We waited for our train in this huge hall (of a number of halls). The picture doesn't capture the volume of people and the rush towards the trains. There were few tourists; passengers were mainly locals, many with huge bundles strapped to their backs, probably representing their entire owned property and life savings, possibly anxious and nervous to start a new life in a place anew? Meanwhile, we boarded into our sleeper car, the rest of the car was empty except for the cabin beside us.

And on towards Dunhuang. Sleeping on the train was actually quite comfortable, except for the dry air of the heat.

2008-11-12T21:56:00.002-05:00

Would you like some whine with that?

I usually just buy a short drip coffee in the morning, so it's not like I buy specialty drinks all the time. But a little complaint:

The Starbucks red Christmas cups are here but there is no Peppermint Mocha!! Is this just in Hong Kong or elsewhere too? (I have yet to try the Dark Cherry Mocha.. sounds good though.)

2008-10-30T01:39:00.003-04:00

Journey to the West -- Silk Road October 2008

I'm back in Hong Kong from the Amazing Race-esque trip to various stops on the Silk Road, replete with many experiences of nature (mountains, desert, rivers, sand..), culture (Uyghur and Tibetan Islam), food (grilled lamb shishkebabs, beef 'pulled' noodles), much, much history, and other local experiences (fighting on the overnight trains). Here is the map of our journey out from Hong Kong. Pics and stories to come!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-10-07T06:35:00.004-04:00

The new feminism?

Ever since Sarah Palin came into the presidential race, the media has touted a new milestone in the evolving definition of "feminism". While McCain may not have exercised much professionism or wisdom in looking to credentials for his selection, he intuitively knew that Palin as his running mate would provide a kick to his race, this race of "assocation with the leaders' stereotypes".

Indeed, the Economist's Lexington columnist pronounced her coming onto the scene as "the triumph of feminism." I think Lexington is likely male. He made inevitable comparisons to Hilary Clinton, who, together with Sarah Palin, have achieved to crack the glass ceiling 18 million times. But the responses from many women were quite furious. The Economist article does provide the opposing opinion. Glorian Steinem, "American feminism icon", said that Palin shares but a chromosome with Hilary Clinton. Yet, Camille Paglia, who developed the power of feminist sexuality, "hails her as the biggest step forward for feminism since Madonna."

To be sure, Sarah Palin has hit some nerve amongst a previously unrepresented group of people being 'successful' working mothers. Sarah Palin is like the epitome of their ideal, balancing a successful and important role as Governor of an entire state, now candidate for Vice-President of the nation (mayor of a town is not good enough), while taking care of her five children (two wouldn't be enough), maintaining values true to her evangelical beliefs (pro-life for her teenage daughter), such as living out an perfect marriage ("We met in high school, and two decades and five children later he's still my guy.") Plus, she's good looking. :p Many wonders whether she would solicit such a response if she didn't look the way she does, or have less children, or could show her pro-life support other than internally through her teenage daughter (of course, there is no comment why she is pregnant in the first place), or brought her kids to piano lessons and math class instead of hockey practice. Plus, her candidacy as vice-president is more consistent and comfortable with creation order rather than a woman candidate as president. :p And, as if Hilary Clinton were neither a wife nor a mother.

I find all of these viewpoints quite amusing. I personally find the topic of feminism only mildly interesting, and to be sure, there are many relative definitions of the term. While women still face various societal barriers (inequal pay is the most oft-quoted example), I think the goal of "equity = equal opportunity" has more or less been achieved, and the 'equal pay' does not disprove the 'opportunity' that is hailed as goal. In other words, I'm not really sure what feminists are really rooting for. I don't associate with the Gloria Steinem way, (or the Hilary Clinton backers way). On the surface of it, I do admire Sarah Palin in some ways. Likely, it is some emotional association with her motherliness 'balanced' with some sort of professionalism.

Other than Hilary Clinton, the last time that I recall a huge media frenzy over feminism was (already!) ten years ago when none other than Ally McBeal appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in the article, "Is feminism dead?" [Crazy... 10 years ago -- June 28, 1998]

The article isn't very good... especially since Ally McBeal was a fictional character who couldn't truly be thought to have developed America's feminist thinking. Plus, the author evidently does not fit into the group who relates to Ally McBeal and therefore became a fan of the show (of course, I am quite clear of what that is!)

It reminds me of one of Ally's famous quotes: “If women really wanted to change society, they could do it. I plan to change it. I just want to get married first.” In that case, without going into any extreme psychoanalysis of a fictional character, I think Ally McBeal would support Sarah Palin. :p Similar to myself, there is a regard in someone who can balance family with career (though I'm not saying Sarah Palin truly can -- her husband stays at home, right?)

And on the other extreme... I received a complimentary copy of Fortune magazine in my mailbox the other day. The cover article was The new Valley Girls" -- about the successful women in silicon valley. The tech world has a new inner circle. They're young, they're global, they have power marriages and little kids. And unlike their predecessors, they're relying on a unique social network to get ahead.

The article again isn't very interesting -- it talks about their social networking skills, and how they all know each other (Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook has 1114 friends on Facebook!) It presents a way in which they have found to balance their careers with family (outsource everything in their "power marriages"), where both spouses are high in the ladder and still climbing. What I found funny, actually, is that the Vanity Fair-esque cover photo shows these executives all with deliberately sprawled hands... only to emphasize that they are all happily and successfully married (with huge rocks, of course), and not the power feminists of the old generation? Perhaps. I wonder if they associate with Sarah Palin or Hilary Clinton? I don't associate with the women in this article... in fact, I can't imagine such a lifestyle anymore. But it's also because I'm too comfortable. :p

Anyway, while American culture can continue to debate as to whether Sarah Palin or Hilary Clinton better embodies the success of feminism over the past decade, let's just hope that the U.S. Presidential election (and all the other elections, for that matter) can look past the celebration of cultural milestones and look to merit for their selection.

And then on an unrelated note, Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin is hilarious!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-10-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

Three

(Wow) October 1/2 marked the two year anniversary of my 'sojourn' in Hong Kong (left on the 1st, arrived on the 2nd.) And now, the sojourn will be extended, though I can't necessarily use the words "indefinitely" or "permanent" in any continuous sense... but I look forward to seeing what Year 3 brings.

I like the time period of 3 years. It takes a year to start building relationships and familiarize oneself with surroundings, it takes another year to build up trust and work on those relationships, and then by year 3, it's time to take more initiative. In particular, at work, this year coincides with a promotion so as to have greater influence. Not that things necessarily work in any particular pattern, but my last "Year 3" in E&Y Toronto was an extraordinarily fruitful one. The circumstances here are a lot more challenging (and a lot less friendly), but that just means I need to spend more time in prayer to see how God will provide opportunity for Him. Plus, living beside the office is a huge benefit. :p

With the financial downturn, my workload, being a pipeline of IPOs, has lightened considerably (noting, that the workload wasn't too heavy to begin with :p) The emptiness just means that I need to better motivate myself to spend time on important
things like reading up on IFRS... something that takes quite a bit of motivation! :P

Meanwhile, I've been happy to be disciplined enough to work out twice a week and then work on my queue of personal tasks in the evening (writing devotions, Sunday school preparation, reading, talking to David -- no particular order :p) It has been very enjoyable to find a certain balance in my daily routine and I am very thankful for that. Still seeking to improve discipline with sleeping, but at least it hasn't gone past 2am in a while. :p

The start of year 3 is pretty good so far... Very thankful. :)

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-09-05T23:50:00.001-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - Closing

This post is mainly for completeness, though it feels nice to FINALLY close off this series of (12!) blogs. All in all, it was a great trip -- to admire His wonderful creation, to enjoy the joyous fellowship of friends and family, to appreciate mankind's history, culture, and gastronomy, to work through our spiritual deficiencies and to re-find His Grace -- and for all that, I am thankful.

Two more funny points to share:

1. Disconnected -- I was extremely disconnected throughout the trip, since I had no patience for the wireless connection at Rhinefield House, and our B&Bs also did not have internet connection. Granted, I did check email at various times on my phone, but only occasionally due to the slow speed (ok, I'm spoiled in Hong Kong.) In the end, it was likely a good thing for me.

In contrast, my mom checked email and internet at least five times as frequently as me, and it seemed like she almost checked every night at Rhinefield House (I checked only twice, out of necessity for communication with our Bath tour guide and the horseriding place.) Here, we are enjoying our wonderful dinner after the windy hike at Hadrian's Wall, while my mom was very much enjoying the free internet access. I didn't even do that...she is so into it! It's great!

2. Text messaging -- Incidentally, it also involves my mom, and I was greatly surprised at her text messaging savviness. My dad followed in another car behind me, and while we had walkie-talkies to communicate, it was easy to lose each other through city traffic or roundabouts. There were two times when we lost each other in a major way and both times, we were able to rejoin at various landmarks due to my mom's text messaging skills. Way to go!

That pretty much sums it up for this trip; it was a great one!
Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-09-02T23:50:00.002-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Spiritual Renewal Tour II

Well, after coming back to the right spiritual centre, we continued on the rest of our journey until I departed from my parents in Manchester (they continued to 'play' in England, while Alison and I took the train to London). Unfortunately, it wasn't without difference of opinion, since my family had an idea of how they wanted to spend the rest of their vacation and I provided different practical suggestions, but in the end, they worked it out.

In London, Alison and I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which... was not the greatest musical. Did I emphasize already that it was really cheesy? Nonetheless, despite the cheesy music and costumes, to me, there was an effect like a sung sermon on the Joseph story. Since I had never heard the music before, the lyrics of "Close Every Door" touched me.. in fact, I found myself very much in tears at the reprise of this song at the closing. [Probably the only one in the theatre, I think! :p]

"If my life were important I
Would ask will I live or die
But I know the answers lie
Far from this world"

Why? The Joseph story is about his obedience to God in all circumstances -- after having been sold as a slave to Egypt, after being falsely accused for a crime -- but despite his circumstances, through his obedience, God used him in a great way to serve his family (especially his brothers who betrayed his life) and his people (the Israelites). And, it reminds me of myself (actually, everyone), because I believe God has similar requirements of obedience for each of us. I have been thinking about that lately for myself, since I believe God brought me to Hong Kong... but what next? Surely, Ernst & Young is not the world and my entire life. ;) As part of the search for direction, I think the Joseph story reminded me of simple obedience. Daily.

I guess I have quite settled into my many years at Ernst & Young. I know it is a lot more comfortable than I think is healthy. I think I was crying because the thought of leaving this huge comfort zone is scary... even paralyzing. It is so uncertain that leads to the feeling of being lost...

What I felt was a reminder of the need for daily prayer and continued searching. Through it, I believe God will show me his way for me to find it. So who knows where my life will lead, but I trust it will be used, if I allow it. And in this daily obedience, we may find joy and peace. :)

A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? -- Ecclesiastes 2:24-25

2008-08-30T23:30:00.006-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Pride & Prejudice and Spiritual Renewal Tour I

After such a disastrous day, that night, I was quite upset, disappointed, frustrated, angry... but after coming down from all of that, I was humbled. I felt like I had to be broken down... through my pride (of *my* vacation and schedule and ways), through my prejudices (of my family or other things that can be "blamed")... and be brought back to my bareness and depravity, coming back into the hand of God, which does not happen unless I relinquish my life. I am thankful that Alison was there for prayer, so that we could come back to such spiritual matters that are of utmost importance. Nothing else compares.

The next morning, we departed from York and rerouted our journey. Though it was a day late, we came to Fountains Abbey. This is/was Britain's largest abbey. Through the ruins, the visitor may imagine how great this abbey may have been in its heyday in the 13th to 14th centuries. Ironically, it is despite its "greatness"; its spirituality is what undergirded the institution.

After coming to this point, spiritually, I was truly looking forward to enjoying the open air, sitting around the ruins, and reading and meditating through the Bible. It is only when I recognize my place before God that everything starts to make sense again. And in his Word, I find joy in praising Him and peace in contemplating his design. The monks during that time would have read through the book of Psalms in under a week. And so, I thoroughly enjoyed the day of spiritual renewal in the Word. [Plus, ruins are like a "playground for adults", it was fun to explore the area!]

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
-- Psalms 8:1,3,4

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it
-- Isaiah 55:10-11

You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:12

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

-- Psalm 121:1-4

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
-- Psalm 84:1,2,10

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
-- Psalm 95:1-6

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever present help in time of trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear,
though the mountains be moved into the herat of the sea,
though the waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
-- Psalm 46:1-3

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
-- Psalm 136:1-3

2008-08-27T23:07:00.001-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Everything-Go-Wrong Tour

All right, it would never be possible for such a lovely vacation to have gone off perfectly without a hitch, would it now? So here we have the "Everything Go Wrong Tour (Day)". Thankfully, it was just one day that went perfectly wrong.

We stayed the night in Keyworth (my parents were with my mom's friend in Bingham), and because of transportation issues, I had to go and pick up my parents to bring them back to their car in Keyworth. i wasn't happy because that arrangement would cause us to be at least an hour late from our original plan.

I just add this picture here because I was wearing pink and black... the same colours that Alison wore that morning. To her credulity, I actually felt 'bothered' enough to change T-shirts so that we wouldn't wear the same colours. [Looking back, she was wearing a shade of purple anyway.] She teased that my sister didn't do her job to wean me from feeling uncomfortable about such a silly thing. I attribute this discomfort from a deeper seated psychological need to assert my uniqueness. So in the end, I changed to yellow. :p

When I left Keyworth, I noticed that my car temperature shot up to maximum after five minutes; in fact, the car was pretty hot for the previous day as well. So, when we get to Bingham, I popped the hood for my dad to check (since he knows these things). Well, the problem was simple... we have been overheating for the past two days. We proceeded to pour water into the tank, at the beginning it just guzzled it up because it was basically just converting to steam... evidently there was nothing in there, and it ate up a LOT of water.

We went on our way back to Keyworth (to pick up my aunts too) and they were not ready! In fact, their clothes were still being hung out to dry! They took some time to get ready and by then, I was rather upset at being about two hours late.

Along the way to York, the Indicator light came on. Since Alison expressed her (rightful) disappointment at me not being open about the temperature going up for the past two days, I told her this time about the Indicator light, and she checked the car manual as to what it meant. It said something like, "If the indicator warning light comes on, do not drive the car." Well OK then! I walkie-talkied my dad and my parents said something about electrical problems. We stop the car, my dad checks under the hood, and clearly at that time, the fan wasn't working, since the car was starting to heat up again. GREAT! I call Enterprise Rent-a-car, and they tell me to call AA (like the CAA). Clearly, I was not very happy at this point!! However, the rest of my family took it well and enjoyed the stop at McDonald's. :p

Thankfully, the AA guy came within 20 minutes, ran some tests, and confirmed that the car couldn't be driven. He rigged it to his van so we would be towed to the nearest Enterprise at Mansfield, where we would have a new car. Sigh. By now, all hopes to getting to Fountains Abbey (which would close at 5pm) AFTER going through York were shot. The black car below is our new car (MUCH better, actually), and we were finally on our way to York, 4 hours late!

At York - We arrived at 3:30pm, basically kind of in time to see the cathedral and nothing else, since many things close at 6pm. But I figure, since there was nowhere else to go until Durham, we may as well stay a little longer, enjoy the city and have dinner here. We parked in a car park and split up to spend the day, aiming to go back to the car park at 8pm. I was not happy, since Fountains Abbey was probably the main thing I wanted to see on this entire trip. So, instead of walking around, Alison and I went for a late lunch with a high tea set, and I cooled down a bit. Afterwards, we enjoyed the quaint town and part of evensong at York Minster, which was soothing prayer time that I very much needed.

We all kind of forgot where the carpark was located, since it was a little way off from York Minster and the old town centre. When we got there, the gate was completely shut and LOCKED! I was in total dismay... because I knew there would be absolutely no way of getting the car out (it was a National Car Park... run by a government agency). Sigh, so easily can we blame this as "typical UK", where car parks don't operate past 7:30pm.

Thankfully, my family took things really well and we set off to look for a place to stay in York. And also thankfully, Janey and Nabeel in London helped me with some online bookings, and we found a place to rest for the night.

What a disastrous day!

2008-08-24T23:50:00.002-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Chinese Food Tour

Well, after all, I am Chinese, and this is my tour, so inevitably, there would be some element of Chinese-ness in it. My auntT has a good friend who lives in Swindon, and my mom has a good friend who lives in Bingham, near Nottingham. Naturally, our trip was to encompass visiting them (sorry Alison) so that they could show their hospitality.

To start off though, before Alison, auntHK and I arrived, the rest of the party had spent a day and a half in England, and for one day, they took the train into London Chinatown!! Here is my mom, auntM and auntT. I imagine this was before they bought roasted duck(s?) on the train back to Rhinefield House to prepare dinner that night as well as lunch the next day. For, when Alison, auntHK and I arrived around noon, we were awaited with instant noodles and roasted duck! A "homey" lunch before the trek out to Stonehenge, I suppose. :)

Swindon is not really known for anything in particular, other than having an outlet mall, it seemed. Of course, as a "Chinese tour", we would definitely hit it. Both Alison and I purchased some stuff from here, as well as auntHK, who is not known for buying things!! This is the UK-style outlet mall. :p Second picture is the friends of auntT, the husband who is a pastor of a Chinese church in Swindon. For dinner that night, they treated us to a BIG dinner of UK-style Chinese food (the owner of the restaurant who goes to his church, I think).

Later on the trip, we visited my mom's friend in Keyworth. Well, my mom's friends actually lives in the town of Bingham, but owns a Chinese take-out restaurant(!) in Keyworth. Both towns surround the larger city of Nottingham. My relatives stayed above the restaurant in Keyworth, and Alison and I found a very nice bed & breakfast down the street. Keyworth is a tiny, modern village (population under 10,000??), so we didn't expect to find any B&Bs there. However, Keyworth is also "Home of the BGS" -- the British Geological Survey -- and amusingly, the BGS website had a good listing of B&Bs catering to international geologists who need to go to the BGS. The funny thing was that every B&B on the list would state the walking time to the BGS -- obviously, the main 'attraction' of this tiny village.

As this is where my mom's friend has lived for many years. I had to do my 'daughterly duties' and talk to the auntie, and I dragged Alison there to eat the Chinese take-out food. Alison wasn't really looking forward to that (after all, we were in England, not known for its Chinese food??) but once we sat down, we both started to eat really fast because the sweet & sour stuff hit the spot! In particular, they had a super-crispy version of sweet & sour pork that was really good (imagine sweet & sour pork but cut into half centimetre shreds, and each individually dipped and fried). In the end, Alison actually ate a lot of her rice too -- apparently, a rare feat! Hahaha... it was a very funny meal.

And finally, in London, since Janey is always deprived of Chinese food in London, the four of us (Janey, Ina, Alison and me) went out for Chinese food twice to satisfy her cravings. Not that it was great, but to be fair, English food is not that great either. :p No pictures of HK Diner or the other place, but here we are in front of St. Martin's by Trafalgar Square before we went to dinner. Fun times. :)

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-08-21T20:25:00.000-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Cute Cities and High Tea Tour

The quaintness of the cities below, married with the habit of enjoying afternoon high tea made for a vacation that was quintessentially English... scones with clotted cream (both not too buttery, of course) and jam... yum... while we didn't exactly have the full set at *every* location listed below, I did have 4 scones over the vacation. I had it once coming back to Hong Kong (not the same), and so I'm good for six months, I think!

Bath - The Pump Room is well-known for its high tea accompanied by live music. The room is a "neo-classical salon" that is beautiful in its simple and elegant decor. Here are my parents at the table! The Pump Room is adjacent to the Roman Baths, and as an educational service to the people who visited the Roman Baths, they serve the mineral-packed spa water for you to taste. As I said, it's mineral-packed (or, rather, it seemed like it was just packed with sulphur)... it tasted.. disgusting. However, my mom, being able to move paste these superficialities to the nutritional value, downed three glasses!!

Cotswolds - area denotes the rolling hills area in mid-southern England. As I mentioned before, it is best on horseback, and so we went! About horseback riding, it is tiring and uses some muscles that never seemed to exist! Therefore, there is a need to "stretch out" after the exercise. :p

While I am not a "typical girl" to appreciate the full satisfaction of horseback riding through the English countryside, the ride was peaceful, beautiful and enjoyable nonetheless -- it was peaceful as long as I could control my horse from eating all the high grass, shrubs, or trees that it came across. The funniest thing was that Janey's horse ate EVERYTHING in its path. :p In the other picture below, the plains were full of sheep happily eating away! What a simple, yet full life!

Bourton-on-the-Water is one of the towns in the Cotswolds area. Though much of the buildings retain their original forms, the Lonely Planet says, "this town has sold its soul to the tourism industry"... and indeed, it was packed with tourists who came admire the quaint little stream with quaint little bridges, lined with quaint little rose bushes and stately shrubs. Haha, we enjoyed great weather, so it was a great day walking around outside.

The Lakes District is not as historic as Cotswolds, but is quaint in a more modern 'small town' way. The numerous swans also made for amusing episodes since they are no longer afraid of anything in their path! Walking around the lakesides made for very peaceful walks around these gentle waters.

York has a local chain of tea cafes called Betty's, and Alison and I enjoyed a late lunch and tea here. Yum... the pastries and food were all prepared SO very beautifully! This was a long day (to be explained later), so sitting down for a quiet tea time was much needed and very appreciated.

London - by All Souls Church at Langham Place is Langham Hotel, where we enjoyed high tea tea at The Landau. The environment, service, and food were all exquisite... nor did they regard us as a bunch of silly Chinese girls! Of course, the most important thing about spending time eating is the company, and we were lucky to catch Ina and another of Alison's friend in London that weekend!

What a simple joy it is to eat and drink amongst good company!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-08-12T11:28:00.005-04:00

THANK you all for the many, many messages wishing me happy birthday. :)
It was a happy day!

If we were to play a game of jeopardy, the answer is "NO". :p

But my birthday would not be complete if I did not take the time to be quiet and reflect on my life journey. As usual, I don't place intrinsic value on the day (nor do I need to do anything special), but it is a milestone to gauge our progress in this lifetime.

Looking back to last year, I was caught in a pretty melancholy mood. Not that I used to feel them often, actually, but I think such a mood can easily veer off into a narcissism (you get the word I'm looking for)... so there needs to be a counter-balance. We look to ourselves, we look to this world, and we look up.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
--- Psalm 8:3-4

God is good. I was reminded of the need to slow down, to be quiet, to think and to reflect. I even think that getting sick is God's way of forcing me to do that if I have been going too hard for some time. Though the slow pace felt uncomfortable, it was part of God molding me to simplicity. I think the complexities of the world are just more and more unnecessary, and too often we create them ourselves or foolishly throw ourselves at it. And in my un-comfortability, God is mindful of me, cares for me. There were some chaotic crises last December, and God provided strength and a community to support me. And through some other emotional struggles, I was met with His peace.

A pure, sincere and stable spirit is not distracted in a multitude of affairs, for it works all to the honor of God, and inwardly blessed to be at rest from self-seeking intentions.
--- Imitations of Christ -- by Thomas a Kempis, Chp 3

Now, I know you're waiting for it, is the most obvious change this year, of David coming into my life. Or, the other perspective is me finally entering into his life. ;) Needless to say, it has been a blessing to learn how to lead a Christ-centred relationship replete with open, natural, and honest communication. And further, it has been an encouragement to challenge each other in complementary ways towards a fullness of life, whether it is appreciating the discipline and stability of quiet meditation, or learning to experience pure joy in all aspects of daily living.

It has also been a good challenge to consider my life service to Him... especially as things have gotten quite comfortable in Hong Kong and at E&Y... to continue on with my thoughts from last year, change is often needed. It is just a matter of time!

If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
--- Jeremiah 12:5

May we continue to press on...until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-08-11T23:35:00.002-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The University and Cultural Educational Tour

Like any good Chinese tour, the universities are a must-see. Plus, my family was additional going to visit University of Sheffield to see my cousin graduate. In addition to the universities, I've lumped all "cultural educational" spots into this post too...

Oxford - No introduction really needed, just being on the Oxford University campus exudes the feeling of being "scholarly". Haha! When we visited, we passed by an exhibit below, which as Alison noted, the content seemed to have been designed for me... :p it turned out to be a very small exhibit, nothing spectacular. Next is the Oxford-version of the "bridge of sighs", built to replicate one in Italy. And finally, I am reading "Prince Caspian" in the courtyard of the Bodleian Library. :p

We parked on St. Giles, just in front of a nice-looking pub with a nice fish & chips sign in front of it. This pub was called the Eagle & Child. We went in, and it turned out to be *the* Eagle & Child where the Inklings, including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, regularly convened to discuss story ideas. Very neat! The fish & chips were ok.

Cambridge - The Cambridge campus exudes a different carefree and literary feeling, no less because of the original architecture that was untouched through the war, as well as the river that cries out for tourists to go punting. Below is the Cambridge-version of the "Bridge of Sighs" in St. John's College. Alison and I were on our own punting boat when we bypassed my family... and my crazy auntHK stood up in her boat to take a picture of us (while I took a picture of her.) I add that she has had surgery on her knees, which adds to her craziness of standing in the boat! While tourists can pay for a punting tour, they can also choose to "do it yourself", and it was very amusing to see the self-punters who evidently did not know what they were doing [and why were many boats being punted by a woman while the rest of the men were relaxing??]. Plus, while it is kind of romantic for a boyfriend to punt for his girlfriend in their own boat, I think that is kind of boring, don't you think??

Stratford-upon-Avon is known for William Shakespeare, and we (Janey, Alison and I) were able to come here to catch the Royal Shakespeare Company's interpretation of "Taming of the Shrew". While I did do some minor research on the plot before coming on this trip, prior to that, my only knowledge of the story was vaguely from the movie "10 Things I Hate About You". :p It was interesting... I wonder how the Stratford Festival in Ontario would have chosen to demonstrate the "play within a play". In the UK, it was done as a touring Shakespeare players in a truck. :P Sorry, difficult to describe here!

London - And it is difficult not to catch a show or two in London. Janey, Ina, Alison and I caught Into the Hoods, a modern musical that is a spoof of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods". This new London fairy tale tells of the old fairy tale characters in new roles in the hip hop culture:
- Spinderella -- longing to be the best DJ,
- Prince -- longing to be a talentless D-less celebrity,
- Lil Red -- longing to be a lyrical songstress with her own Grammy,
- Wolf of "Big Teef" records -- looking to roll in the money
- Rap-on-zel -- wishes to be as independent and free as a badass MC
- Jaxx -- aspires to be a producer of beats that are truly heavy

You get it. It was a great show and great fun! The break dance moves and choreographed dances (hooded figures of the "hood" forest) were very cool.

NOT as musically inclined was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which both Alison and I still had not seen despite their long production in Toronto back in 1992. Some of my friends were in the children's chorus at that time and I felt like I needed to catch up on my childhood and finally see what this show as all about. And miraculously, over the past 16 years, I had NOT been subjected to any of the songs from the musical at all, so I had no idea what I was in for. Well, not much, really... the show was really cheesy, but at least now it's out of my system. :p

Below is the view from St. Paul's Cathedral across the Millennium Bridge to the Tate Modern, where Alison and I quickly toured. Many of the art was just interesting. :p While I enjoy modern art, there were only a couple that caught our attention. The Tate building is a sight to see, though, in its grandeur in the city.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-08-08T23:01:00.005-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Jane Austen Tour

I had the pleasure to be travelling with an obsessed Jane Austen fan, *ahem* Alison, which turned out to be educational for me since I have never read any of her books nor watched any version of Pride & Prejudice, which turned out to be a unifying theme throughout the trip. [I have only watched Sense & Sensibility directed by Ang Lee.]

It was funny how the day worked out, since Alison and I were scheduled to go horseback riding that day, but was unfortunately rained out that morning. Instead, we decided to head to Winchester Cathedral (see previous blog). In addition to it being a beautiful cathedral, this was also the burial place of Jane Austen. [Who would have known.]

A "stone's throw" away from Winchester is Chawton, the small town where Jane Austen lived, and her old house has been turned into a small museum. In it, we saw the table where she wrote her books and letters, keepsakes from her brothers... all in all, a quaint little house with a lovely garden. In today's day, it looked comfortable enough, even if small. Jane Austen lived there after her father passed away and her family had to auction off their remaining assets to generate funds. Incidentally, Bath was also on our route!

While the rest of the group visited the Roman Baths, Alison visited the..

Stamford happened to be one of those little historic cities en route to our destination in the Nottingham area. Stamford is on this list because it was also used as the backdrop of Meryton in the Keira Knightley version of Pride & Prejudice, but walking through the town was a quaint experience nonetheless! Though we didn't visit it, Burghley House is a major estate nearby, previously an estate of one of Elizabeth I's advisors, which was also in Keira Knightley version of the movie. Below, you can see the historic architecture of Stamford, very much fitting a backdrop of 'officers' of Meryton.

The finale attraction was Chatsworth House, which was Mr. Darcy's beautiful residence, Pemberley, in the Keira Knightley version of Pride & Prejudice. Do these pictures look familiar? The visit was indeed breathtaking, backdropped by the rolling hills of Derbyshire (for real -- I "heard" that Jane Austen was inspired after visiting Derbyshire and Chatsworth House to include it in her story.) The drive here through the rolling hills of Derbyshire was so nice. The fountain in the first picture is called the "Emperor's Cascade", a beautifully long, cascading fountain, where the steps were varied for a different sound along the walk (and the water was cold!)

Ah, Mr. Darcy... though, I can't say I am completely smitten by his character in P&P... :p He is a nice guy, with sufficient funds and good relationships to allow for generosity and to pull strings behind the scenes to do stuff for the girl he likes/loves, but... is he really "man" enough? hahaha But I suppose he and Elizabeth complement each other in the end.

Epilogue -- after the bombardment of Pride & Prejudice, (which included the BBC version soundtrack), I did purchase a copy of this book (at Jane Austen House, no less) and finished it as soon as possible when I returned to Hong Kong. I very much enjoyed it -- a very charming and witty satire of social norms, great writing and dialogue -- and also watched the 'inferior' Keira Knightley version of the movie. I figure I would watch this version first, since it would be so much more inferior if I were to watch it after the BBC version of the story. Indeed, the movie pales in comparison to the original book, where a movie character's intended 'non-'expression can, in no adequate way, convey the emotional tensions that underlie the situations. While I have not yet seen Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy, Matthew Macfadyen's anti-social quietness in his early scenes at the ball only come across as blank and empty stares. It makes me think that Leon Lai possesses the similar emptiness in a Hong Kong version of Mr. Darcy. :p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-08-05T23:57:00.000-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Cathedral Tour

It's difficult to think about visiting England without seeing its magnificent cathedrals. While there are various similar features, each has a certain uniqueness and grandeur that makes a visitor feel in awe once inside. And since many cathedrals are older than the Renaissance period, there isn't as much as sense of lavishness as in Italy.

Winchester - Even though the exterior is not very spectacular ("an old log"), the interior is very awesome, since this cathedral boasts the longest nave of a Gothic cathedral in Europe. The building dates from the early 11th century and is the burial place of Jane Austen; she had lived in a nearby town of Chawton.

Salisbury - This cathedral is nearby to Stonehenge and boasts the tallest spire in the UK. The interior courtyard was really pretty.

Canterbury - Yes, the Canterbury of the title "Archbishop of Canterbury", who is the head of the Church of England. We visited the cathedral actually one week week before the Lambeth Conference, a once-in-10-years conference for all worldwide Anglican bishops... a good thing for us because otherwise, we would not have been able to go near the cathedral, even if it would have been an awesome sight to glimpse all the bishops! The cathedral is open to visit and we caught Evensong, which is a liturgy, an afternoon/evening service that is delivered musically. It consists of various prayers, including the Lord's Prayer that is sung, plus a Scripture reading from each of the Old and New Testaments. For us with less discerning ears, we enjoyed the voices very much [please mind my shaky recording while walking!]

York Minster - The Archbishop of York is second highest to Canterbury, and has likely always had a rivalry with this other large church in the south. York Minster is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe... and it was amazing to walk in. We also caught Evensong this time around [also, if you go to the cathedral to worship, you don't have to pay for admission... :p], and this time around, my ear was a little more discerning. :p But it was a good time of quietness, prayer, and meditation amidst a busy vacation.

London - St. Paul's Cathedral - The previous building (4th cathedral) was burned down in the Great Fire of London in 1666, so this cathedral was designed in the 17th century. The interior artwork of mosaics is spectacular (unfortunately, no photographs), and the view from the inner ring of the dome is amazing [it is large enough to be a small track!] Then, there is a trek up many steps to the top of the dome that provides a great view of the surrounding area. Here, I'm not sure what I'm eating... it could be a multi-grain bun, which is supposed to contrast with Alison's sugar-coated apple turnover. :P

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-08-03T14:19:00.014-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Historic Tour

So there was the "Creation tour". Then, there is the Historic tour, including the pictures below, though of course, these are limited to certain major tourist hotspots since really, every spot may qualify as a historic site in one way or another:

Stonehenge - Of course, this historic site is a must see, dating to between 3000-2000 BC. While we may never know what this circle was meant to be used for, or will never know how much greater the monument used to be, what's left is still an awesome sight. Too bad it was a windy/rainy/cold day that day! This was taken earlier on before the rain came..and my hand was still warm enough to hold the audioguide!

Hadrian's Wall - Built by Emperor Hadrian starting AD 122, Hadrian's Wall spans the width of England to mark his territory and defend against ancient Scottish tribes. The length 84 mile length of the wall is still open for people WALK it. Of course, though this was an attractive option, I decided to forgo that option for a shorter walking trail of 4 miles, of which we likely actually did 0.75 miles. :p Oh well, like a good Chinese bus tour, we saw the wall (and some cows in the field -- yes, Alison would have went nearer if I wasn't as 'chicken' :p), and then went out for a great dinner! Other than the wall, the weather and countryside would have made for a great hike, even if it means that you would hike past the cows. :p

This picture is in the ruins of what likely used to be a fort on a hill.

Bath - Known for its Roman Baths... the remaining architecture, though is an amalgamation of various time periods, was largely developed during the Georgian times (late 1700s to early 1800s) with influential architects John Wood, senior and junior. We were fortunate to have a private resident tour guide for Bath and was introduced to the intricacies of Georgian architecture (have you ever noticed the back of a Georgian building?) and the major outputs from this city: Bath Stone and the Bath chair (which brought you to the spa) :p I won't show typical pictures of the Roman Baths or the Royal Crescent, and you can see the Sally Lunn's bun that covers my face elsewhere, but here is a old post box which has not been changed to the new version. Plus, the pig to the left of it is Bath's version of New York's bulls or Toronto's moose... they were all over the city in many designs and colours. As to why pigs were used... our tour guide couldn't tell us, though he dryly remarked it could reflect an underlying psychological condition of the city.

York - Though I mainly knew about the York Minster, the looming Cathedral, York was also a strategic city in the early Roman empire. This statue of Constantine sits outside of the York Minster. The city is very pretty, lined with stone pathways with different styles of building, and a riverside always makes a city peaceful. The picture of the round tower below is Clifford's Tower, wherein a tragic episode culminated in 1190 when Jews were generally violently persecuted, and a number of Jews took their own lives there.

London - Tower of London - Of course, one of the main attractions of the Tower of London are the crown jewels, which are in a display in a large padded safe in the Tower. But we joined onto a tour by a Yeoman Warder who gave an entertaining count of the stories of torture and execution at various points in the Tower of London, most notably of the wives of Henry VIII.

The National Portrait Gallery also is a great place to go -- best of all, it's free -- to learn about the history of the country in all aspects: cultural, scientific, political, episcopal... collections started in 1856 and now has over 100,000 portraits.

Manchester - Haha, just for the sake of completeness to bring in modern history with a reference to the Industrial Revolution, of which this city played a Central part. We didn't spend much time here, though the honest opinion is that the city still feels very industrial (it wasn't a great feeling). The rain and poor weather may have provided a negative backdrop for our visit. (Plus our parking in the long-term parking at the back of Manchester Picadilly train station, which for a long-term parking lot, where one would expect many people to leave their cars, was a very dodgy place.)

British Airways flight back to Hong Kong - and in the making of modern history with the Beijing 2008 Olympics, it happened that I took a flight with members of the Great Britain Olympic team, namely the womens field hockey, gymnastics, and judo teams. They all boarded the plane later than me, which means that the flight would have waited had I got there a little later ;) [thankfully, I had no problems with my flight plans.] Sorry guys, no pictures, though their uniforms were pretty cute... white tracksuit, lined with blue stripes down the sides with a simple and small studded GB flag on the front, white tanks tops underneath. :p British Airways is the official airline sponsor for the GB Olympic team, though this being a flight to Hong Kong (not sure if they were just laying over in HK or staying in HK first), the pilot's congratulations and wishes of good luck for Team GB were only met with a very unenthusiastic applause from the rest of the cabins... I kind of felt bad for the team. And yes, they flew economy like the rest of us!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-08-01T13:37:00.004-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008

Addendum to recurring themes -- Sweet or savoury?

Oh, and how can I forget, a roadtrip is not complete without snacks... a LOT of snacks. Alison had requested some straight-from-Hong Kong dried mango and dried squid, so I bought 1.5 lb of dried mango and a wide variety of assorted dried squid before I left. And when we get to UK, we find ourselves wanting to try out every variety of gourmet "crisps" (turnip crisps, sweet potato crisps, cheddar and chives, or even normal Walkers baked crisps -- those are really good). Plus add on to Alison finding my 'Achilles heel' for mint chocolate, (I'm overall *ok*, I think,) proceeding to push me to try out every variety of mint chocolates that we could find, we found ourselves with a full bag of sweets and a full bag of savoury snacks. Actually, it was pretty disgusting, and by the end of a week, we were done with eating snacks, though I continued nibble away at the dried mangoes until they were gone! Yum... Though the picture below of the snacks still looks unappetizing now...

2008-07-31T08:52:00.007-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - recurring themes

"Check the manual"

Since Alison alluded to it in her comment, for the purpose of planning and ensuring that we had all information on hand at all times (since it would be difficult to find connectivity and printing services, etc.), I had printed out a "manual" that included items such as:
- our planning timetable document, replete with post codes of all destinations which we would set into our Satnav GPS system
- all hotel, train, and ticket confirmations and contact information
- Google maps of all destinations throughout the trip..

Anyway, it was useful information information in the case that we needed any telephone number, etc... it was in there. I referred to it quite a bit (or, my response was always just "check the manual") -- so fine, you can say that it's kind of anal. :p

Stupid GPS!

My parents brought a Tomtom device for which they purchased and downloaded Europe maps. It was very helpful at the beginning (though the very first leg of driving into Rhinefield House from Heathrow was a miracle we found the place without it), but we ended up having a VERY, very frustrating relationship with this little device.

Every so often, we would hear some direction such as "stay right... turn left". WHAT?? Impossible now!... ok, it rerouted us. Or, "after 300 metres, turn left"... (after 2 seconds) "turn left". WHAT?? Missed it again... ok, rerouting.

**new!** Alison reminded me of another recurring example:

GPS: Ahead, cross the roundabout and take the fifth exit.
[approach the roundabout, there is a gas station on the corner with a driveway]
GY: This [driveway] isn't an exit right?? Right??
AH: The GPS just says 5th exit.
[I skip it, we count five exits...]
GY: What?? We missed it! The GPS doesn't know how to count, THAT'S NOT AN EXIT!
GY (on walkie talkie to my dad following me from behind): We need to go around again and take the 5th exit!
AH: Haha, the GPS says that's an exit!
GY: The GPS is wrong! THAT'S NOT AN EXIT!
GY/AH: Stupid GPS!!

[This example was especially funny because AH and I complained quite a bit to Janey, who just laughed at us.. but she was here to witness this incident!]

After a very short time, I instinctively distrusted every direction it gave me, and Alison, my poor navigator who really was just relaying the directions to me, would simply repeat it to my "comfort":

GPS: Ahead, cross the roundabout and take the 3rd exit.
GY: [to Alison] 3rd exit? Seriously?
AH: 3rd exit
GY: Seriously? Are you sure??
AH: Seriously!! Take the 3rd exit!

Hahaha... I guess I am a "need to know" type of person, and I think Alison and I worked out an effective communication style by the end of the trip. :p

And finally, the GPS always gave us the shortest routes to places, for which we found ourselves on numerous 'unnamed roads' (especially when we were staying in the forest)... these roads went on for 15 miles sometimes... in the end, we finally worked out an effective system which found us finding a 'parallel solution' that conformed the GPS directions to our roadmap as well as the Google map directions in the Manual.

Independence Day

We were fortunate to have a few good days of sunshine, though it is inevitable that we would be rained upon in England. We just found that the clouds were very ominous at many points in time, to which we felt like we were under a huge round disc of 'cloud' -- similar to the alien spaceship in Independence Day. The picture in Dover kind of shows it, but this one of my parents in Brighton is *really* prominent! The focus is not totally on the cloud... it is also on the rest of the sky that is completely clear!

On driving...

While not really a recurring theme, driving on the left side of the road was very interesting, since I had not done so before! I think I only veered into the "right" lane... twice... haha (of course, there were no cars there at the time!) The first couple of days were most challenging, of course, but also because we stayed in the forest where the roads were essentially like single lane roads but meant for two cars, and the other cars would be driving really fast! So often time I would go on the dirt to avoid them. I think it took me about 3 days to get used to it, and by the end, I was quite enjoying the curvy mountain roads in my manual car.

The roundabouts took a while to get used to, but after reading a driving manual in a bookstore that told me how I was supposed to signal, it cleared the protocol up a bit. :p I think the weirdest to get used to was shifting gears while signalling -- which is both done by the left hand, as opposed to Canada/US where you would signal using your left hand and change gears with your right. It allows for smoother communication and control that way, practically using two hands, as well as using both sides of the brain, which allows for smoother multi-tasking! Bet you never thought of this?? :p

2008-07-29T07:18:00.017-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008 - The Creation Tour

OK, creation was just an allusion to the breathtaking sights that we saw throughout the country. When you compare to a big country like Canada, England is actually really small -- the drive from London to Edinburgh in Scotland is probably only 8 hours (for the non-Canadians, say, Toronto to Quebec City... going west, you can't even get out of Ontario in that time!) You can traverse the 'width' of England's north end in under 2 hours. But within this small area, there is a varied landscape, so here are some of the spots that we hit:

Dover white cliffs - the white colour is because of the chalk - southeast corner of England

The Lakes district - of course, you can hardly compare to the thousands of lakes in Ontario, or the size of the (5) great lakes, but in England, this small area houses all of the major lakes (and mountains) -- northeast corner of England

The Cotswolds - rolling hills and plains - best on horseback! -- west-central England

The New Forest - Well, it's a big forest, and this is where we stayed for the first week -- in the forest. :p Rhinefield House is the name of the 'hotel' (the word hotel doesn't do it justice) -- it was a beautiful estate -- southern England

2008-07-27T13:15:00.004-04:00

English Roadtrip - July 2008

Precursor - Though going home to Toronto to see family and friends is a considerable joy and pleasure every time, this was my first 'long' vacation since coming to Hong Kong, and especially special since I actually planned this one! The original reason for going to England was to attend my cousin's convocation from Sheffield. However, since the university could not fix the date well enough in advance, it turned out that my flight plans -- which I booked in January -- would completely disallow my attendance, and this became fully a personal vacation. I was to travel with my parents, auntT (from Toronto), auntHK (from HK), and auntM (from Montreal -- mom's old friend, not really my aunt). Very thankfully, for the sake of my sanity, Alison availed herself to come along for the ride -- my car ride -- on this English roadtrip on the other side of the road. ;)

While I do enjoy travelling, I realize that I am generally too lazy to plan for anything. Therefore I would be perfectly content if I never saw some of earth's most awesome sights during my lifetime; this is because I am certain of my salvation (some personal theology for you. :p) And looking back, I realize that every single vacation has been planned by those more anal and particular than me -- which has worked out perfectly fine for me! Nonetheless, this time, at the four-weeks-left-to-go mark, my lack of planning threw me into a obsessive panic, and I planned most major details in one week, replete with estimated mileage and petrol budget analysis. I was very pleased! Google docs is also great!

So, allow me to share my journey -- we will start with... creation!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-07-05T14:18:00.000-04:00

For those who can read and/or listen to mandarin (though with a heavy "curl tongue" accent).. this is pretty funny!

2008-06-28T12:30:00.003-04:00

10 Book Challenge

Ever since Yuling started this challenge, I was too lazy to participate, but I think I am finally ready! The 10 book challenge started to promote the book habit of reading, especially over the summer when Waterloo students were on work term instead of studying.

Here is my list for the summer (or until I finish, which I allow may be past the summer :p) in no particular order:

Creative Ministry, Henri Nouwen
Run With the Horses, Eugene Peterson
Old Testament Theology - Jeremiah, Walter Brueggemann
Closing of the American Mind, Alan Bloom
Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia), C.S. Lewis
God's Tsunami, Peter Tsukahira
Speaking My Mind, Tony Campolo
Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna Weaver
拾香記, 陳慧 (it's on my list!!)

Keep me accountable! :)

2008-06-15T11:59:00.008-04:00

One month from the epicentre

[photo from South China Morning Post]

On May 12, a massive earthquake ran through the province of Sichuan, China. On that day, I was sitting in a manager office of the Ernst & Young Tower in Toronto (actually) doing some work before my dinner plans that evening. While various coworkers remarked at the current events of the day, the statistics were processed in my head as information (and at that time the death toll was likely 'only' around the 20,000 range.) I didn't process the events of the earthquake until I returned to Hong Kong to see and feel the impact that this earthquake had on the people of Sichuan, China (including Hong Kong), and of Chinese people worldwide. And not even now, with a death toll of over 69,000, can I seemingly really comprehend the tragedy of this disaster, and only one disaster among many.

The photograph above was accompanied by the story of parents raging against politicians regarding the collapse of a school of 1600 students. Reading and seeing that brought tears to my eyes. Of course, the loss of life is tragic, on any level. Add to that, the loss of a child (and remember these were the only child parents were allowed to bear), but the loss of students -- such students who were to become the foundation of future society -- magnifies greatly the loss to future society. The figures are mind-boggling. And while it is possible to extrapolate the pain of a loss of a parent or a child, that is still an idea.

There was an slight connection having been to the small city of Mianyang which was not affected by the earthquake but was on high alert for fear of the quake lakes. [By the way after I visited the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Mianyang in 2005, the entire campus moved to Chengdu in the following year. As far as I know, none of my students were affected by the earthquake.]

It was a blessing to listen to a first-hand account of a small team who went to the sites with an American Christian relief organization two days after the earthquake. Their pictures and stories brought the level even closer, feeling the dearth of fresh water or any food, sensing the loss of a home and livelihood, not having any covered personal space to sleep, or to even breathe fresh air, or even to find a suitable grave space for a loved one... It was a sad, sad Father's Day for some. I pray for the children who lost their father or mother, and I pray for the parents who lost their children.

But hope only emerges out of such tragedy. As devastating as this earthquake was, I know I am still limited in what I can comprehend (though it takes some time for the massive level to come down to me.) It takes reminding that God's power cannot be measured on any scale; for that power would be *truly* incomprehensible. Even a measure of 8 has already been protected by his mighty hand; the earthquake could easily have been detrimentally stronger or if it were situated nearer to more populous areas. Despite the sinfulness and degradation of humankind, his Spirit is still present and is our protector and help in times of trouble. How can we imagine the picture when he will return back to heaven?

And amidst the desperate situation, there have been many counts of kindness and love expressed on a face-to-face level that reminds me of the rawness of humanity. There are no classes or levels amongst us; we are all broken and in need. We all need food and water to survive. And when someone has little but still is willing to share, the gesture of love expresses more than words could express. I pray that God bless those who share love during this time, and that God's love showers upon China.

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
-- Psalm 46:1-3

2008-05-02T07:03:00.005-04:00

Olympic flame takes Hong Kong

It was a relatively uneventful day at work until this afternoon rolled around. Many pedestrian walkways throughout the city were closed to control the crowds in anticipation for the Olympic torch relay. While I didn't really care to see try to see it, at about 3pm this afternoon, the torch was on its way from Kowloon onto the Star Ferry, to the Central Piers, to be taken to Wan Chai. Conveniently, IFC is adjacent to the Central Piers... so, my coworkers started to stalk out the positions until we saw the flame!! We're on the 17/f.

Something I want to bring out -- for those who visited Hong Kong last year, you may have walked on the pedestrian walkway linking the Pier to the city. This pedestrian walkway was built alongside the harbour. Now, it is already about half "reclaimed". For the tenants of IFC in the near future, they will soon be looking out at other buildings instead of say, gigantic cK ads. :p

People lining the streets in red with Chinese flags. At least, this relay was a peaceful one.

And passed onto the next one! The flame is pretty big, it was probably the most clear thing that we saw from 17/f.

This is still here on the old Ritz Carlton. (Picture is not much better.) There is also a female version on the backside of the hotel, I guess you may be able to see it from the Peak. :p

2008-04-21T08:44:00.003-04:00

Oops... too much

Oh all right. So I was persuaded to publicly confess my rather shameful performance with respect to missing a recent flight from Shanghai back to Hong Kong. The discussion stemmed from me trying to paint a picture that missed flights occurred far and few in between. However, upon evaluation, this was probably the fourth in my lifetime, with a certain flight to Singapore almost making a fifth. (Probably my most stressful flight experience ever, especially since it was for vacation.) Now, for business trips to China, I know that the flights are frequent enough to/from Shanghai and Beijing, and I have enough flexibility over my schedule to allow for a stress-free wait for reticketing or on standby, provided that I make important personal commitments -- last Friday, I had adequate cushion before having to teach at University of Hong Kong so that as fine.

So that's my confession for last Friday. Then, this morning came about when I got to the airport on time for my flight... if it were really scheduled at 900. Instead, it was flight KA 900 departing at 800. OOPS. I guess I should have paid more attention to all of my electronic ticket, my itinerary, the online check-in page, and my discussion among coworkers to meet in Beijing at 11:30 -- I remembered this discussion, but thought 12:30 instead of 11:30. But regardless, it was a usual calm experience, heading off to the nearest Pacific Coffee for my breakfast after once again registering for stand-by, with just a slight complication the one time I neglected to print my e-ticket. With the torrential rains this weekend, a number of flights were cancelled and so, for this morning, all flights were full and I couldn't get on the next flight (this was a first for me). So finally, instead of trying for standby on the next flight, I just reticketed for a later flight this afternoon; I even considered going back to the office to take the last flight into Beijing. But all in all, I departed at about 4pm and got some solid work done this morning at the lounge.

Anyway, I think this episode shows (a) my auto-pilot mode when it comes to flying now.. just don't change my itinerary from my norm, (b) morning flights don't work for me; I think the last time I flew in the morning before this month was a while ago.. I should just stick to that, (c) my nonchalant nature regarding missing flights is getting to an unhealthy level of concern, and (d) too much flying make Gladys go crazy. :P Hope there won't be any more flying before coming home soon!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-03-30T01:57:00.003-04:00

Ruined

Does anyone else think this advertisement ruins the HK Central skyline?? (Unfortunately, it's very cloudy today and my camera isn't very good.) This is taken from one of the senior manager offices in front of me. At least I don't look up to see the ad!

2008-03-14T05:13:00.002-04:00

No more

As much as I like (love?) exams, I think I am finally done -- for professional designations, anyway. I am happy to report that I passed the Hong Kong CPA exams (law and tax) -- which means I can wear a suit and join the 'tute. No dancing though. :p The real message is -- God is gracious because I hardly studied for it.

Anyway, I will not waste any more time on these exams, and I am slowly accepting that I will finally let go of the CFA. It means nothing in the end and adds no value to me! I look forward to focusing on completing more Tyndale courses, which mean a LOT more to me.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-02-22T07:08:00.005-05:00

A new beginning

No, I don't do new year's resolutions for either January 1 new year's or Chinese new years. But, I do think it's important to periodically reflect back and see where we've come. So this year, it was humbling to look back on the whirlwind of November and December and see where God brought me -- by his strength and his grace.

January 1 was another trip to Guangzhou where it was awesome to see the passion of brother and sisters in Christ there. If you ascribe to the theory that the church only thrives on the 'periphery' of society, such that it started in Europe to North America yet, argubly, now only really exists in Africa and Asia, this idea was confirmed by the passion of the students that we met. They truly see their role to spread the gospel in the country. And it is encouraging to see the fruit of previous generations of 'ingrafted' Christians there to build the local church there. Of course, many difficulties continue to exist and much work needs to be done, but it is awesome to see many empassioned individuals actively and willingly take up the role as workers in the fields. Praise the Lord!

And then, despite through various business trips, January was yet another whirlwind month for me in a different way, and similarly, I can only look back and praise God for his grace and timing. Now, as I go forward into this totally unexpected new period, I am excited and scared at the same time to learn what it really means to serve, submit, sacrifice, and together, seek God's will for our lives. Praise Him!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-02-11T21:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year!

Best wishes to you all, especially peace and joy in the love of the Lord!

It's cold this year, but then last year was extraordinarily warm. We get two days off for CNY which was nice (kind of an understatement) for me to catch up on homework and spend some time with people. I also actually did the 'bai leen' thing with my relatives, a good time since I haven't seen them in a while.

And then, there's of course, dealing with red pockets at work. The good thing is that our group is very small so it's still a personal gesture. I know that other groups had more formalized systems such that managers should shell out to give to everyone.

Last year, being my first year here, I was dreading it because it just seemed so weird. But after getting used to the culture (it's explicitly about money but not necessarily always), I can come to terms with it now. I think it also has to do with comfortability in being me too. [And maybe I used to view giving red pockets as something that is 'high above' where I am. :p] And I actually gave less red pockets than last year, since we have less staff. So, a good year!

But I was also in the office to see the 'red pockets craze'... as part of the tradition the 'big partners' (Chairman, COO, etc.) give red pockets. The COO, a new partner from the US, took the opportunity to experience the culture -- and meet all the staff in the firm -- by meeting everyone who came to his door. So whereas most other partners just give the red pocket and go, the COO ended up have a long queue...

This is on the 18th floor, the queue went down the stairwell down to the 16th floor where we sit. So all we heard was this louder and louder commotion, and it felt like an amusement park but you don't know what people are lining up for -- but has to be good if people are lining up for it! [It's quite HK, actually.] Quite a sight to see, as silly as it was. [No, I didn't join. :p]

And then the last thing that makes me smile about red pockets is... re-gifting... of money. It's not a big deal because cash is cash, but does everyone *really* have so many fresh and crisp bills to give away? They're all regifted!! It would be interesting to see how many hands a bill goes in CNY season, haha.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-02-06T04:25:00.001-05:00

Relentless pursuit

Wow, it's already February. Relentless pursuit: a strong reminder of our God who continually pursues us no matter how far we turn or run away.

For most of you who know me from Waterloo, you may know about a certain "'lil godsis" who has also turned up in Hong Kong. After a tumultuous undergrad life, which was lived out under no supervision from any "godsisters", she made her way to Hong Kong for a lifestyle which she sought since even before university.

And what a disappointment that lifestyle came to be. December was super-busy for me because I had to help her through a few crisis points... yet, despite how low it seemed to be, God provided, and now, after at least 5 years, she may have finally have found the start of picking her life up and seeking those things which are lasting.

Through her experience, I can attest that God has always continued to watch over her no matter how much she did turn away.
Through her experience, I have also learned a glimpse of God's unconditional love for us -- though discipline is a tough part of that -- and also learn to love others in the same way.

Things were going ok for about a month or so, but now, there is another fresh crisis point, and we can only pray for the next steps. But I am confident God will continue to teach us about his providence and guidance. Amen!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2008-01-13T11:47:00.000-05:00

I had a bunch of backlogged thoughts from my whirlwind of events in December. Slowly, ever so slowly, may I get them down in writing; here is one.

Manifestation of God's love.

Over time, likely having to do with a better understanding of myself and hopefully an increasingly sensitive/softer heart, I get touched really, really easily. [Quite annoying, actually :p] Weddings are no exception, and neither was Sarah and George's wedding an exception.

This wedding was a special one for many people. As usual, what usually gets me teary-eyed is the part when the married couple attributes and thanks their/each other's parents for their upbringing. To me, the love between the married couple pales in comparison to the lifelong and unconditional love of parents. The gesture of recognition by the married couple further gets me going perhaps it represents the 'coming of age' that this stage represents in Chinese traditional family values. The love has not gone unnoticed.

But beyond that, in this case, was an extension of Sarah's parents with her father as senior pastor of Kong Fok. I was especially touched when Rev. Ng apologized for the life of travels that his daughters have had to endure since their living location was defined by God's calling for him. As a pastor, his fatherly love was clearly and simply an extension of his own love for God in his vocation.

And even beyond this, with George being the son of another 'auntie' at church, this wedding was not simply the joining together of two families of Christ, but within the entire church congregation. Undoubtedly, this wedding was unique in the amount of 'input' in the process; but this input is simply out of God's love of this community in Christ that is Kong Fok Church. On relative terms, I've only known Sarah and George for only a short time; yet, this band of 'brothers and sisters' was not simply a fun time, but a reflection of a community that runs deeper, spiritually.

But the real conclusion is this: that the many different types of love demonstrated was beautiful *only* because it manifests God's love for each one of us. Yes, the parental love does get me teary-eyed, but the source runs much deeper than that; as beautiful is such parental love, it is only a fraction of the love which God has for us. May we also attribute such love properly -- to God, for He *is* love.

This is not to say that the love between the married couple themselves is nothing, but to me, the wedding is just not the celebration for it. Rather, I look forward to later anniversaries (diamond?) to truly bring honour to that love. ;) I conclude with the processional for their wedding that day; the choice of song was perfect.

FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH

by John Rutter

For the beauty of the earth; For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth over and around us lies: Lord of all, to thee we raise this our joyful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light: Lord of all, to thee we raise this our joyful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, friends of earth, and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild: Lord of all to thee we raise this our joyful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine to our race so freely given, Graces human and divine, Flow'rs of earth and buds of heav'n: Lord of all to thee we raise this our joyful hymn of praise.

2007-12-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

Congratulations George and Sarah!!

Some fun pictures from the two days over two weekends ceremony. Reflections to come later -- It was a beautiful wedding -- with great memories of John Rutter's "For the Beauty of the Earth" accompanying the processional. It's incredible how I can now praise with the lyrics of that song and melody instead of simply being a choir song sung from elementary school. Praise him for the beauty of his love!

The family with the flower girl, ringbearer, and Bible bearers!

2007-12-23T13:32:00.000-05:00

可惜我中文太差，因爲很多時中文字能夠更貼切地表達我的心聲.

這個禮拜可能是我一年最忙的一個禮拜... 或者只是我應該最累的禮拜...

認識我的朋友都知道若我去到'哎救命'的地步都已經比一般人忙得多. 不過，雖然這個禮拜可能沒有多睡覺的時閒又有很多任務要完成,很感謝神真的有賜足夠力量和精神給我,也很感謝今天也有空去睡覺多一點！

Anyway, I enjoy Chinese -- it's a better wallow language. Haha. Maybe I've been tired and therefore emotional because of everything that seems to be on my plate, I also know that I'm emotional and therefore I'm just thirsting for God more (well, I suppose it's circular.)

Some of the things on my mind (across some blogs):

Christmas. This must-sing Chinese worship song really touches me [though it's not really a praise song... it's structured as a series of rhetorical questions], nonetheless, the words ring very true to my heart, especially in this incredible (commercial) bustling city of Hong Kong.

誰是主角 Who's the star (main character)?

在這燈飾璀燦都市中，耀眼燈飾彷似千串夢，In this city full of lights,
凝視每串夢裡的景緻，晚空裡飄送，but the sight of lights fade into the air
誰是這節日裡的主角？你懂不懂？ Who is the main character, do you understand?

萬闕歌聲喧染都市中，沒有一首可以稱與頌 Lots of music covers the city, but none is of worship
旋律佈滿玩笑的音韻，晚空裡飄送，The frequencies play many happy notes, disappear into the air
誰是這節日裡的主角？誰又會懂？Who is the main character, who will understand?

他身穿紅衣，還是身穿粗衣麻布？ He wears a red suit or just some coarse wraps?
他靜靜降生人世，還是以雪車到步？ He quietly descended to the world or came in a sleigh?
他輕聲溜走，還是應許一生懷抱？ He silently departed, or promised a life of love?
他賜予百千玩意，還是賜與眾恩典到老？ He gives thousands of toys, or promises eternal grace?

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is born,
and the government will be on his shoulders,
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
-- Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas to you!

2007-12-10T11:21:00.000-05:00

One more course down...

I'm actually not a good multi-tasker at all (any more?). Or, perhaps since coming to Hong Kong, I think I much more easily get distracted that my focus has gone down. So, though I knew my last assignment wouldn't be too difficult to do (since I've prepped for a while up until the actual *writing* of it), it has been looming over my head over the past few weeks that it has affected my productivity in all other areas. Just a few months ago, I was getting quite restless, and then of course, everything came at once and made me really overwhelmed (my assignment did the most to that.)

However, now that that is over, I can move onto the next thing... the HKICPA exams. Um, that's in two weeks and I don't even have study materials yet... got to figure that out.

So, I suppose everything that has come down on me caused me some emotional stress, which means that I realize I need God so much more, so, spiritually, it has been trying at times but God is always good. Thankful for fellowship and prayer, always.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-11-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

I thought this was pretty cool... [linked from my Tyndale course.]

2007-11-26T03:50:00.000-05:00

On the 40th day of Christmas...

OK, i guess the decorations only *started* to go up on November 15, but it seemed substantial enough that it felt like the countdown to Christmas was a full 40 days. Since there is no Thanksgiving holiday break here, it seems like 2 weeks was adequate break after Hallowe'en before the next batch of major decorations.

Though I do like Christmas music (especially hymns in a contemporary style), going to some malls is pretty annoying when they have the annoying children's voices of songs like "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth" or "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus" (if you know which recording I'm talking about).

[IFC Mall, Central]

[Telford Gardens, Kowloon Bay]

On an aside, despite the overdone consumerism that is found here, I don't know if it's better than total censure of all Christian foundations of this holiday season... I shared about the politically correct nature imposed onto teachers back home, and a comment was made that it seems even worse than China in that respect of censure... scarily, and sadly, quite true.

2007-10-25T12:38:00.000-04:00

Finally, it was time to change the links in my template...

The weather has cooled down a bit, that it's actually really nice out! Which is why Chung Yeung Festival last Friday was a big day for campers, and our fellowship took the chance to go on a retreat too! Nothing very heavy, just an opportunity to get away and have some sharing... it was very nice. The nice thing about retreats here is that you can get away to rural places just a ferry ride away. And when you're there, you can still find seafood 'midnight snack', which is built into the schedule. hahaha

Everything has picked up all of a sudden. I guess it's about time, in many ways, I was feeling quite restless before in wanting to get involved (with everything... I remembered at the beginning of last year I was bored with work that I even thought about investment banking -- which of course is very myopic and stupid to think like that).

Work, church, Tyndale course, visitors to HK (including my parents) and then... Hong Kong CPA aptitude test?? That will be late December. :P

But most importantly, on top of that, it has been very fruitful in terms of personal Bible study, whether at fellowship, personal (almost finished Acts after a year!!), Sunday School... it has been an interesting self-reflection of where I have 'moved' (hopefully, progressed?) in my hermeneutical spiral toward the Scriptures.

As we cultivate our theological garden...

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-10-01T13:16:00.001-04:00

Update

I'm still around in Hong Kong! Actually, other than the immediate trip to Beijing, I haven't had to travel at all for the past 3 weeks (until tomorrow :P) It's been a whirlwind. Of course, Toronto was a whirlwind in itself, though as usual, any visit is very fruitful. It's wonderful to be able to pick up from the last point, catch up, share, and edify one another. I've been blessed in many ways through different perspectives and sharings... with a good reminder of the goal towards authenticity as the foundation for real community.

After I came back, I taught training in Beijing (9/20-21), taught training in Hong Kong (9/24-28; with a holiday on the Wednesday where we went hiking with fellowship), went on a church leaders retreat (9/30-10/1), went to Macau with my aunt and cousin (10/2), attended training (10/3-5), and attended a different training (10/8-9). All the while, had to run some unexpected errands for my mom and try to work on my Tyndale course (Church history: Reformation to modern church). No, I have not had any 'quiet day at the office' at all!!

All of the above has been tiring. However, there have been pockets of downtime in the above, mainly this past weekend, and it's been refreshing to just keep quiet, catch up on my readings, and have some prayer time... much, much needed.

The church leaders retreat was fruitful to get to know some other members of the church outside of the 'youth district' (i.e., the 'adults', haha). It was also very challenging and encouraging as the main topic was... authenticity. Another affirmation and reminder.

Within all of the above, I have not forgotten that I have already hit my one year mark (arrived October 2, 2006), though I just haven't had the time to sit down and reflect specifically on that. Time has definitely flown by. All in all, the first year has been as expected, I guess (though I don't generally have specific expectations) -- of patience, quietness. Now, it has felt good to get more involved at church (another fellowship, helping out with Sunday School) as well as spend additional time with other brother and sisters in Christ. Fellowship is a huge blessing, and work is developing very well. And yes, I think I can say my Cantonese has improved over this year. :)

Who knows what the next year will bring, but definitely, there is much to look forward to. All beyond our imaginations -- may all glory be to Him!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-09-18T20:37:00.001-04:00

United Airlines 'pulls through' again! /
Living out of a suitcase /
I want to go home to HK...

United airlines pulls through again!! I thought I was going to cut my losses at about an hour and a half delay in Chicago for time taken to fix the air conditioning system on the plane. I now find myself at Hotel Nikko in Tokyo Narita where I'm spending the night. Other navigational problems did not allow up to go all the way to Hong Kong. Oh well, no major harm done.. At least I'm thankful to have *some* foresight to have given this airline one full day of cushion (well, also for any jetlag); i've got to fly to Beijing tomorrow night to teach training there on Thursday. Was hoping to chill at home tomorrow but oh well.. i just need to ensure i can get on a late enough flight out so that go home and repack for the 2-3 day trip. still hoping to make it to a particular section of the great wall!

---

Update is that I will NOT have time to go home before going to Beijing... so, oh well, I'm thankful that I did pack enough work clothes for me to facilitate in, so, we'll see how that goes.

Oh... United.....

---

This is a photograph taken from my hotel room in Tokyo Narita.. I found it interesting. Guess it's not really surprising anyway!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-09-10T00:06:00.000-04:00

The five love languages of airlines

After reading a substantial book, I thought I'd try to get through a couple of easier reads in my queue, including the Five Love Languages, a quick and easy read. Overall, the concepts are simple and I found the different examples for activities pretty practical for all readers... very quaint. :P

Well, not that I have flown on many different airlines, but in my reflective analytical ways, this is a hypothesis on the nature of service on airlines within the framework of the five love languages. :P

It's evident that north American airlines know nothing about service.. but why? [All 'cost structure' discussions aside.] One reason why I think Asian airlines demonstrate service is because they demonstrate their love to the passenger through multiple love languages.

Singapore Airlines is regarded as one of the best airlines; they provide courteous service (kind of like words of affirmation, perhaps quality time), give you things as you need (acts of service), and ice cream even on short flights (gifts)!

I fly Cathay quite a bit, and they are similar. When you're sleeping and you need to put the seat backs, there is a right touch on the shoulder. Plus, I haven't experienced too many delays with them which is the very basic act of service for an airline!

When I flew Cathay back to Toronto in May, I was most impressed by the head purser in helping passengers fill out their Canadian customs forms since many people on the flight didn't speak English. She treated every case personally, seeming to show that she understands that everyone has a different background with different paths of life. I'm sure her role was huge in helping perhaps some new immigrants on their first journey over to a foreign country.

In flying the other direction on British Airways, another airline that is regarded as higher class with better service; I think they have a different love language. Their planes are all newer and pretty well fitted. Their business class is known to be 'cool' and comfortable (the pods). They pride themselves on the gourmet quality of their meals. On the transatlantic leg, since many people sleep, I was slightly surprised at their way of providing snacks... they just out all their different snacks and people can help themselves. Here, BA provides you with the things to feel like you are well served. The flight attendants don't necessarily put in the quality time (or, any time at all with the self-help snacks), but for some, this may appeal for the 'gifts' or a different way of acts of service.

In contrast, Westjet (Canadian discount airline) does relatively well without many amenities (though the new planes do have personal TVs) because they add a personal touch. The flight attendants have told jokes and are personable in their time with the passengers.

And how about something like United Airlines? Well, there is no love. It's just duty. :P

------

I always have a bad feeling whenever I get on a United Airlines plane, even though it's been a while. When I boarded this time, I instinctively flashed back to the last flight on them... I think it was a few years ago going back to Toronto from Chicago, which was a transit from Lincoln, Nebraska.

It was a memorable flight because I really needed to go to the bathroom as we were landing/taxi-ing. Of course, the seatbelt sign is on and you're not supposed to get up. The taxi-ing took too long and I said to my coworker beside me, "I'm going to make a run for it."

I dashed to the washroom and as the flight attendants semi-yelled "ma'am..."

My automatic response was a blurt, "Sorry but I feel really sick" and then closed the washroom door.

The flight attendants were right outside the toilet in the aft and I could hear them chatting amongst themselves, "Is she okay?" "are you ok?" "should we call someone? An ambulance?"

I prolonged the closed door after a few minutes and said I was ok, and went back to my seat after we had finished taxi-ing. I figured that it was better to just stay contained within the toilet stall than walking back on the still moving (taxi-ing) plane. Hahaha... anyway, I'm thankful that in the end, they didn't call an ambulance. :P

2007-09-01T10:16:00.000-04:00

I added the English translation to the song.. though of course it doesn't capture the poetry of the Chinese.. and remember Chinese writing tends be very illustrative. If something is off/wrong (or if you can think of better translations -- mine is relatively direct), please let me know!

2007-08-31T13:58:00.000-04:00

點解… 成日都係唔啱嘅男仔最有誠意？

2007-08-18T13:56:00.000-04:00

For those who read Chinese -- this new song from Streams of Praise expresses a lot of what I feel in thankfulness for the friends within this spiritual community.

最珍貴的角落
詞:萬美蘭曲:游智婷

謝謝妳燦爛笑容 Thank you for your lovely smile
照亮我的天空 that shines into my life
謝謝妳分享心情 Thank you for sharing your heartfelt thoughts
把我放在妳心中 putting me in your heart

夜裡有時為寒冷 Sometimes it gets cold at night
你我生根同暖土 But with you its warm
友情是最亮的星 Friendship is the brightest star
我的生命從此美麗 From now, life is beautiful

當妳被花朵包圍盡情歡欣 When you're immersed in joy surrounded by flowers
我帶春風使妳舞其中 I bring the spring wind in a dance
當妳正走在坎坷路 When you walk on the rocky road
我會伴妳在左右 I will walk with you all the way

一起向藍天歡呼 We go toward the blue skies
像白雲招手 While waving at the white clouds
我們要一起笑一起哭 We will laugh together, cry together
千萬人中有個人懂我 In a million people, one understands me
妳有最珍貴的角落 You are in my most treasured place

On a general aside, it has been interesting relearning how to worship in Chinese... at the beginning it was a struggle to learn the words (I still don't know 100% of the songs we sing, haha) that it was frustrating and distracting from my worship. However, after some familiarity, the lyrics have started to really speak to my heart.

It's definitely a different style of music in general, I think it has to do with the language [kind of also why I don't like to sing English songs at karaoke, haha], the Chinese language perhaps more precise and expressive? I don't know. The style is more ballad-like in expressing oneself, similar to Nichole Nordeman's music, but often different from general praise music. Neither way is better, just different.

I thank God for ALL of my friends. :)

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-08-12T14:07:00.001-04:00

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
-- Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I realize that sometimes, the only audience to these blogs is myself; I don't expect anyone to be interested in re-reading some of my old blogs as I do... but if you're interested, here are links to two relatively more reflective b-day sharings: 2006 and 2004.

It's that time of year again, and as always, I don't like placing any intrinsic value on birthdays themselves; rather they are simply milestones to track this journey of life. Perhaps it's my results-oriented or measurement-oriented (accountant) nature... At least I am not as extreme as to suggest purely numerical measures... And I do embrace a balanced scorecard approach to overall evaluation. :P One such measure that recurs is that of God's blessings, which, ironically, for this purpose, cannot be measured in any case.

Last year was characterized as a year of abundant fruitfulness beyond my imagination. This year was (and still is) of a completely different pace: of observation and of waiting... things that I have not done in a while, it seems. So perhaps the passage of Ecclesiastes at the beginning of this blog best represents the situation for this year. It is a reminder that change is inevitable and even changes in pace are necessary. It is also very comforting to read this passage because all of our toil and activity happen under heaven and therefore are taken care of by our sovereign Lord. I pray that seeds continue to be sown as I enter into the second year here.

So, what did I do this first birthday in Hong Kong?

It was Sunday, which means I spent it just like any other Sunday! For that, I am very thankful to have the opportunity to praise God on that day. I am also thankful that Teresa also visited me this weekend (everything worked out... more on that later); she is one of the few people whom I have not seen at all since I left Toronto last September. We went to worship, then went to watch the Simpsons movie after lunch. :P Then she came to my fellowship at 3pm. During fellowship, there was a really good time of sharing of spiritual background and growth, when I broke down and cried. Not sure what exactly was going on in me, but I think I was deeply touched with God's grace in providing such a real community in such a short time. The search for being "real" continues as a focus in relationships, including my relationship with my God.

Taste and see that the Lord is good... -- Psalm 34:8
God is good.
I think that fellowship meeting for me was an emotional outpour in awe of his goodness. No matter where we are, no matter if we've known each other for 1 month or 5 years, we have spiritual fellowship, bounded by the Holy Spirit, in his community, all provided for us. Emmanuel! Praise Him! =) May this community continue to grow in the years to come.

----

Travelling with a typhoon

The timing worked out for Teresa to arrive this weekend... we arranged our flights to arrive at about the same time on Friday (Manila for me, Penang/KL for Teresa). However, Typhoon Pabuk had also made a U-turn back towards Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Observatory raised the T3 warning to a T8 warning on Friday at 2:30... about the same time we landed. A T8 warning is equivalent to a snowstorm warning where all the offices shut down. Soccer matches were postponed, concerts were postponed. I guess it was a big deal. :P People put all the precautionary measures (e.g., putting large "X's" of tape on large glass panes to minimize damage from shattering). Little did I know, the last T8 warning was 3 years ago! (i.e., they don't come often) However, praise God, both our flights got in within half an hour of each other.

Imagine everyone taking the TTC all at once... well, imagine more people in Hong Kong taking the MTR subway all at once. It was apparently crazy. However, Teresa and I avoided all of that because we stopped by her cousin's place in Tung Chung. By the time we took the MTR from Tung Chung into Central, the crowds had already subsided (even one hour before, they weren't letting people into the MTR stations because there were too many people inside) and we got home very smoothly. In fact, we did not see any significant rain and still walked out to the mall for dinner that evening.

Actually, I've avoided most of the major rainstorms this year as a result of my work travel. :P Slightly 'sheltered' that way. :P

Until next time (year?), this is Gladys Yam.

2007-07-17T13:23:00.000-04:00

Treetops around the world

It happened that I got an opportunity to go treetop walking in Collingwood when I was back in Canada. (Thanks Cindy!!)

And then, it also happened that I got to go treetop walking in Malaysia when we (friends from fellowship) went to Kota Kinabalu!

The game is: Pick out the differences!

Whoa... first bridge.

Second bridge: George, Sarah, me

Third bridge (of three), the most unstable of them all. Me, Rosalyn, and the father of this little girl who practically ran across because it was too easy for her! *That* made it even more scary, haha. The funny thing is, the first one felt ok.. and then the second was worse... and the third was worst! I was actually kind of scared for this one because it wasn't completely even/level! The net at the side is somewhat of psychological comfort, I guess, but I had pictured where I would grab onto if the whole thing were to collapse a la Indiana Jones or something. :P

I suppose, overall, based on physics of the many ropes holding up the planks, it's quite safe (though, I should have also asked how many people fall off in KK... ZERO have fallen off in Collingwood, however, there is a HARNESS and helmet to prevent any injury). And I guess I've kind of gotten my phobia of heights after all these years to a manageable level! I was pretty worried about this one in KK.

Height in Collingwood: 60-80 feet
Height in KK: 100-120 feet

2007-07-16T12:08:00.000-04:00

Promotional video for Kong Fok Church (港福堂) Youth ministries!

Simple, easy... gets the message across. ;) Even if you don't understand, hope you figure out what it's saying... it's not too complicated. =p Anyone looking for a church in Hong Kong? come with me!

2007-07-04T14:28:00.000-04:00

Safely Back in Hong Kong

I had flown through London as a stopover because I stopped over for a few days on the way to Toronto. Yes, I flew through Terminal 4, so I *was* evacuated along with the rest of the crowd. Though the idea of it was rather unsettling, ["Could all passengers please evacuate the departure lounge and follow the security personnel."] I was just reading at the Starbucks area at this time, I didn't seem to be terribly worried... i had a few hours until my flight anyway. Here's a quick video of everyone in the parking lot!

Since I had time, I looked in the near distance and saw the Airport Hilton and made my way over there to get something to eat and use the bathrooms! So, really, it was paying money for some overpriced food and a short time of quietness. Then, I checked my flight and saw that it was actually flying out of Terminal 1... (hahaha...) which meant that I *could* have avoided the scene and the overpriced food. OOOPS. :P So, afterwards, I walked from the Hilton to Hatton Cross to take a bus to Terminal 1. (Terminals 1, 2, and 3 were not affected.) And then spent some time there until my flight, which was only slightly delayed.

Thank God for smooth travels! [NO luggage problems for me... even though I was semi-expecting it when waiting in Hong Kong.] It is nice to be back in order to take it easy.. I slept ALL afternoon and evening when I got back. I guess I was pretty exhausted.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-06-10T09:47:00.000-04:00

Wow, can't believe it's about mid-June. I wrote the CFA this year, yet again, this time in Hong Kong. I was getting so used to the annual routine at the Toronto CNE, when I could roll in 15 minutes before the exam without any problem. This year, it was held at the Asia-World Expo on Lantau Island and not the Wanchai Convention and Exhibition Centre. It just means that it's far... beyond the Airport on the Airport Express.

However, given the smooth transit system, I have no complaints, and given the volume of writers in Hong Kong (continue this thought afterwards), CFA Institute even negotiated a cheaper transit ticket to the exam centre. On top of that, since Asia-World Expo does not allow outside food, they organized lunch boxes for everyone (with a price, of course, but not unreasonable).

First... my pencils... it's kind of funny because for all of my previous CFA exams, I was using the exactly same package of $1.00 yellow primary school-type pencils that I bought at a dollar store with a friend.. since when would I actually use those yellow pencils otherwise?? Just once a year! It seemed silly to bring them to Hong Kong, so I borrowed some from work... it's just funny to me because these are as symbolic as you can get for Chinese stationery. Ah yes, I wrote in Hong Kong this year. :p

Then, I was wondering how many people write this exam. Actually, I was pretty surprised, as I was researching which CFA Society to join (i.e., Toronto or Hong Kong), that Toronto has the second-highest members out of all CFA societies internationally. Not bad. Of course, I expected the volume of writers to be high in Hong Kong... after all: (a) the general population is much higher than Toronto, (b) HK people are ever pursuing further education, even if CFA is totally unrelated to the job, and (c) Hong Kong is a major financial centre which means that many more people *should* actually write this exam.

So, I estimate that about 2,500 wrote Level III, which means that there were likely >10,000 writers on the Airport Express that morning! (since many people would actually write Level I even without the objective of pursuing the designation any further.) Back to the lunch boxes. HK-logistical efficiency at its best. They had a hall set up just for lunch as they served the previously-purchased lunch boxes. It was a sight to behold.. and I discreetly tried to take pictures without looking too silly. This is not a very good one of the lunch hall... the "line" at the back is actually the line-up to get lunchboxes. They served everyone in under 40 minutes. Soooo efficient! Food wasn't really good, but at least I didn't have to think about what to bring for lunch.

Anyway, that was that. Results come out mid-August, and I'll see. Not really sure what to think... including whether I would re-write if I failed... who knows, it's just all in His hands, and if I pass, then, all glory to God!! I don't deserve it! :p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-05-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

Congratulations!! =)

Music video put together by Bonnie's ex-student (is this right??) It's a fantastic job... though, i'd say the story-line is a little 'bei' to the point of 'au'. =p

May God bless you both on your life journey together! =)

2007-05-23T01:02:00.000-04:00

Surprise!
... *blessed*

My first visit (I'm a visitor and not a resident! No gifts over $60! :p) back to Toronto was a very blessed one. Yes, it was purposeful by my own accord, but I also can only stand in awe of God's goodness. His community of faith is such a reality of his love for us... it's amazing that he really does prepares such a community for each of us. We are just so undeserving of such grace!

Can't really say anything in particular! Not too many pictures to evidence the visit[though, I realize how I could easily take many pictures of the "clean" air (good thing about visiting in May and not August) and share with my friends from Hong Kong...] and I don't need to do any super-fun things and I am fine eating the same things every day, it is just a joy to sit with a friend and chat. :)

I'm back in HK now... got much to catch up on, especially studying... < 2 weeks left before I'm free from this silliness.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-05-03T03:40:00.000-04:00

Philippines: Corregidor

I was in Manila over the "Holy Week", ended up returning to HK on Good Friday. However, as our radius of adventure does not extendbeyond the hotel and the office, we stay only in the business district called Makati City, where no one actually lives... so it is actually a ghost town during Holy Week. That was kind of unfortunate... I had hoped to attend some church services while I was here, but probably not the best idea for me to venture off by myself...

No matter, thankfully, I was able to attend my friend on a Wednesday night service held in a converted movie theatre in the Greenbelt mall. The Greenbelt is great, we pretty much go there for lunch every day (it's huge... many restaurants, and movie tickets are relatively inexpensive compared to HK or North America!). I truly believe that everyone who was born in the Philippines can sing and dance well. The worship service was no less. It was a great time of much-needed worship.

We get 3 days off for Easter (longer than Chinese New Year this year.. crazy), so on the Thursday, I went with 2 coworkers to Corregidor on a day trip.

Corregidor is about an hour and a half boat ride away from Manila. Since Philippines was gained by the United States from Spain after the Spanish-American War (along with Puerto Rico and Guam), the Philippines became a strategic stronghold during WWII. General MacArthur (picture of statue below =p) was stationed here in the Far East. During WWII, Corrigedor fell to the Japanese, meaning Philippines fell to Japanese rule for approximately 3 years, but was regained by American troops.

The visit was great. The tourguide was obviously very experienced (19 years) and very funny at it. There isn't a whole lot to see, per se, mainly all of the ruined barracks which have not been touched since the bombings during the war. The U.S. had 8000 troops stationed in Corregidor... amazing because it's such a small island (land area of 9 square km). Other than ruins, there were other big guns stationed at key points on the island. One of the key strategic benefits about Corregidor is that it is very rocky. The Americans built within the rocky hill a massive tunnel called the "Malinta tunnel", built to be bombproof. Quite incredible.

Lastly, there is the Pacific War Memorial erected by the US government. Of course, it made me think of the Pearl Harbor memorial when I visited Hawaii last year. The design of this memorial is similar to the one at Pearl Harbor, incorporating elements of sunlight; it is designed such that sunlight shines directly overtop the indoor marker only on May 19(?) the day of liberation(?). Something like that. =p

All in all, this visit was richly informative but also humbling to learn about the many different aspects of this war that affected so many people all the way in the Far East, which I knew nothing about.

As typical, the tour agency had people taking pictures and selling them. The scary thing about this picture was that I didn't pose for him... I was actually posing for my friend... which means that I didn't realize he took a picture of me! Oh well, printed and framed for 100 pesos (about 2 USD). So why not.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-04-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

Looks like Toyota (or Ford, in my opinion), but.... Bizarro World!

2007-04-14T02:18:00.001-04:00

Haha, an article that I thought was funny, about the counterfeits in China. =p From the Economist.

2007-04-02T12:23:00.000-04:00

Seoul, Korea

Finally, got the pictures from my coworker... we went to Seoul a few weeks ago for work and stayed over for a couple of days, and we were able to meet up with those teachers in Korea!

Overall, the cost of living is very high! I guess it caught me by surprise because the locations where we go for work (China, Manila) is usually much cheaper than Hong Kong. But overall, I'd say Korea seems to be even more expensive than Japan (for normal items, such as shopping for clothes.) However, domestic cosmetic products are very inexpensive!

Here are some pictures:

This is a "national treasure" -- an old gate from the historic capital which was right behind our (really nice) hotel. [Probably the best hotel I've stayed at... of course, the price is up there too.] I was seriously on the phone with Melody for a bit. =p

This is the sign outside one of the malls in the "Dongdaemon" shopping district. Can you say, crazy shopping culture?? It is definitely a city that does not sleep.. and even more so than Hong Kong because they actually stay open through the night!

Erika (small group last year!) and I at one of the biggest palace parks in Seoul. The weather was TERRIBLE... cold and raining... and we were not equipped (sigh, we were caught with no umbrella). In the end, we couldn't wait to find some hot soup or bibimbap.

Kammie, another teacher, Erika, my coworker Armin (who is from Philippines and therefore is not accustomed to the cold weather... nor was really equipped for it... but she survived!) and at hot pot in Myeongdong district (another shopping district).

These two are at the Yoido Full Gospel Church, the biggest church congregation in the world with about 850,000 members. We were fortunate to attend service where the Senior Pastor, Dr. Yonggi Cho, spoke. I had actually heard him speak at Missionfest in Toronto... and I believe we heard exactly the same message this Sunday (!!)...

It is a charismatic church, and as in his visit to Toronto, he prayed a prayer of healing where he prayed at the pulpit. Throughout the prayer, he announced when he knew people were healed from various ailments. Listening to a "Korean-style prayer" (where everyone prays out loud, all at once) with so many people was interesting too. The amusing thing to me was when they did that, there was actually a small bell (or perhaps a musical triangle) to signify the end of the prayer. I find that amusing because when we did it for fellowship, I felt it was awkward to pray and not know when to end, but then once one person stops, the rate of ending the prayer follows an exponential curve. Haha..

In the second picture, all of the people dressed in blue and white are lining up to take offering.

What impressed Erika and me the most was their orchestra and choir. Amazing! And Erika and I are both have pretty "picky" ears =p... I was blown away. Enthusiastic and passionate conductors always make me smile... I had to take a video! The quality of music was unbelievable.

Overall, the Full Gospel Church experience was a positive one. However, when we arrived, we were ushered off into the foreigner section which was slightly intimidating (and the sanctuary was packed so originally we had to sit in the "foreigner overflow" watching a screen). In the end, we wanted to see the pulpit so ended up sitting on some steps, until others left and we got seats. They were also quite pushy in getting us to attend the post-service debrief. Needless to say, with a congregation of this size, they run like a machine... (the headsets in the foreigner section are multi-language simultaneous translations). May they continue to win souls for Christ.

Last stop, the Korean War Memorial which not only includes exhibits on the Korean War but also Korea's entire history of war, e.g., since the Korean dynasties were first formed. It was an information-packed tour. I found it very interesting to learn about this nation which fought with and against the Chinese and Japanese throughout history... sort of like understanding the other side (not that my knowledge of Chinese history is extensive). It also gives some background understanding to the isolation of North Korea now.

Overall, a great trip! I also got my dose of "cold weather" -- though a couple days were enough for me. =p The cold rain and wind was not pleasant at all... though I suppose I can't really complain about the weather this year!!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-03-24T11:11:00.000-04:00

I can't simply laugh at the comic strip because in a way, I complain about my work situation with the same attitude... (and I've complained about not being able to self-actualize for a while now =p).

I had a chance to meet up with an old high school friend here. We probably haven't really had chatted since high school! Though I wouldn't say we're very close, it was nice to catch up, especially as we both share in our Christian faith. I also had to answer the popular "So why did you come to Hong Kong?" question. My response is my (standard) "7-step" presentation, though it's been a long while since I've thought about those points and original purposes and objectives.

I'm hitting my 6-month mark. It sounds like a small number, but also seems like a high number... it really has been half a year since I've relocated. My results-minded nature has come out and in a subtle way, I've felt a sort of panic in figuring out how to deliver results. Haha... It's quite silly. On one hand, I knew that I would have to spend a good chunk of time in an observational mode (and this is not to say that this observation period is over), and on the other, I have been impatient while trying to teach myself the discipline of patience.

But now that I've observed for a little bit, it's about time to start getting into things. I think God has the timing worked out too... Work was frustratingly stop-and-go for the past couple of months (which led to me being very lazy). Now that a major project has come to an end, I look forward to different new starts.

I remember when I felt really, really sluggish last year. Somehow, I was able to motivate myself through "Project Get Organized!" So, my new project in self-motivation is "Project Step-it-up!" I look forward to finally leading Bible study at church, and taking on more responsibility at work (hopefully not to over-extend... I even outright asked for an audit client yesterday (!!)). And lastly, I have successfully started studying for the (stupid) CFA. This will be difficult. It is tough going through this material for which I have no passion... we shall see how this goes...

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-03-24T07:37:00.001-04:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

The descriptions aren't too bad... And maybe that's a Harman Kardon in the Mini, haha

2007-03-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

More thoughts that come from the Alchemist...

I think another reason for the success of this book is the hope that this delightful story gives for each person: Yes, every person has a Personal Legend... will you pursue it?

Perhaps it has been yet another recurring theme for me since I wrote my paper on "the role of the church in the postmodern culture."

I go back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (yes, I'm a big subscriber).

This generation, a term I broadly use, has been blessed abundantly. We did not live during the 20's when there was a depression and we didn't know whether there would be enough money for the next day's food... nor do we live in our parents time in Asia during the 50's when Hong Kong saw tragedies during the Japanese occupation or in China during the Cultural Revolution. I have never doubted about the existence of my physical needs. Or even the next level, of safety. The next two levels are less granted, though our society encourages both and attempt to provide when those are lacking. Finally, we reach self-actualization.

I know my observations reflect a specific slice of the circles i have encountered... we who have been blessed with education (even post-secondary, and even multiple degrees), with a likeminded community and affluence of being in the top 10% of the population (approximately... from an old Canadian survey with income cutoff of approximately $64,000... basically, it's relevant to me because that's around the level all newly qualified CA's generally make...)

But an observation is that this "generation" has a much decreased drive than our previous generations... when those generations worked full drive towards more immediate needs (e.g., levels 1 to 4). I'm not referring to one's vocation specifically, but just... drive. What drives you?

It is interesting that all of the provisions and blessings we have received... including receiving many different choices and opportunities for self-actualization... yet, now lacking motivation to take that step.

I do say this for myself. Though I have a lucrative vocation (and a vocation I believe I am called into), I hesitate to think how I would "self-actualize" in it. Through different studies, I know I have other passions (e.g., theology... though accounting still remains one...) do I see myself making a complete jump to pursue such a "Personal Legend" of becoming a seminary professor? I don't know. I understand how choices can be paralyzing sometimes...

In this way, I think a reason why the Alchemist has been popular because it reinspires each person's own purpose... there *are* things to strive towards! Will you follow the signs of the "omens"?

My paper also touched upon the success of Purpose-Driven Life in this same way... PDL provides each person with a personal identity and purpose... something that may have been lost along the way when we have been clouded by many images from media and entertainment. Michael Chang also shared a similar message (yes, tennis player Michael Chang! He shared in English. =p) at another church in Hong Kong (while we watched via live feed, haha). His message was basically, "Do you dare to dream?"

Michael Chang shared about his dream of being a world-class tennis star when he was 6, in the basement of his home. He also shared about his struggles and prayers as he struggled through the 1989 French Open as his legs cramped up during the early rounds, but through this supernatural strength and God-given ability to move, he was given the victory. It was inspiring to hear his story and how he ascribed it all to the Lord.

I see these recurring messages being applied to many different levels... one, as in my paper, in how the church can answer the needs of the popular society, akin to how Purpose-Driven Life has given new meaning to life for some non-believers.

Another level is a challenge to all of us Christians... we who are in a comfortable and affluent slice of society... how will we describe your self-actualization to your children or grandchildren, and what motivated us behind it?

It has not been a rare "lament" (among multiple circles =p) as to the lack of examples of godly men in the churches that I know... Guys! Will you follow take up the lead as a continuation of Adam's Personal Legend? Haha, but yes, the challenge is for both genders and is consistent with the *ten* talents which we have received and on which the Lord expects a return.

What is your Personal Legend? Do you dare to follow it?
What drives you; what is your purpose?
Do you dare to dream?

2007-02-24T07:44:00.000-05:00

Praise God!!

I am in Beijing for a leisure trip and will be returning to Hong Kong tomorrow.

It was a great trip of many breathtaking sights... and I am thankful for a miracle: I left my cell phone on a taxi in Beijing last night... and got it back today!! Miracle! Praise God!!

The funny thing for me is... this is not the first time I've lost my cellphone... the last time, I left it at the Toronto Pearson airport and got it back later that night too. =p

All in all, I can only ascribe to God's goodness. Praise God!!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-02-21T02:14:00.000-05:00

恭喜發財！

Well, I think one of the biggest dilemmas this year is having to give out red pockets.. no no, nothing happened to my marital status =p but it seemed to be a general *spoken* rule that all managers and up have to give red pockets to people "under". [Thinking back to my co-op days, I guess I got red pockets from my managers too.]

It's just a funny dilemma... how much to give... whether to give more to people we directly work with... whether we should give red pockets to the tea lady or not (she's probably the biggest gainer out of all people, haha...) [the dilemma is that she is attitude-y and doesn't give water to everyone... just the partners, haha, well, she doesn't acknowledge the presence of anyone who is a senior or under, I guess]... and then arguing the "netting out" amongst us managers [managers are one class.. no differentiation of seniority among the manager group, as in, I don't need to give to new managers.] Anyway, it's funny.

At least, I only need to give a few as our group is small without many seniors and no staff!

It's funny how things revolve around the money.. but to me, I think the part that bugs me the most is how it is engrained as an "expectation" in the culture (hence the "spoken" rule... not just an unspoken rule). In Toronto, I am more than happy to take people out for lunch and dinner because I'm just happy to do it.

And it doesn't necessarily change how I am here, except that people just joke about everyone else paying that it becomes to an awkward extent, and then I already don't want to take anyone out any more. [Maybe it comes down to people are more visibly and proudly 'gu hon'.]

At the same time, I know that is part of my problem about being spiteful whenever I *sense* that people have an expectation on myself. [As in, if I feel that you expect something of me, then, I'll purposefully not do it.] Haha... this came about at a young age when my mom used to wake me up by turning my lights on, and in my head I always thought, "All right, i'll get up once you turn the lights off!" Of course, neither way really worked, hahaha.

And as for the red pockets, I am happy to give them to people who are humble about it (and especially if they've helped me on my engagements). The other part that kind of bugs me is the "public display" of praises and well-wishes... which, I am sure comes from the heart (though, usually, it's to "get" the red pockets)... but, I guess the problem is just me. That's not my style as I prefer words that are generally more informal and *real*, not need to be seen and heard by the public eye and hears. And the same goes for this for the "giver" of the red pockets... I think I'll pull my seniors aside to do it...

Sigh, a difficult part of the culture to deal with for me!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-02-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! We welcome in the year of the Pig... guess the only difference this year is that I get a couple of days off for CNY. =p [Also, Happy belated Valentine's Day!]

It was great to have multiple E&Y/ex-E&Y meals (haha... some things don't change...), it has also been a joy to enjoy fellowship time with old and new friends... to share our continued story God's blessings and our continued challenges as we seek and discern his will.

It was also fun to have people over at the little Taikoo inn =p (no problem with 4 ppl here! Though, one bathroom does make it difficult sometimes!) And whoever would like to visit, I will try to welcome you with Chinese soup!! haha

Here are Ray & Sandra, great examples of humble servants of Christ.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-02-13T13:12:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading The Alchemist (haha, one of the rare books of fiction on my bookshelf... I'll get to Da Vinci Code sometime... though, not sure if I left it in Toronto or not.)

Other than being a delightful read, what impressed me the most was the smoothness of the writing. I thought he did an interesting (and very good) job of intermingling the spirituality of Islam, Christianity, folk religion and Eastern mysticism (e.g., pantheism).

It's inevitable for me to see integration in all that I encounter (part of how I learn, I think). I love thinking about the "application of principles" from one area to another (say, accounting to theology, or secular management into a Christian environment). So, the principles in this book, despite the mixture of spiritualities, are aligned to principles which I deeply value.

In the spirit of the lifelong search of finding the Soul of the World, I relate to idea of a lifelong quest for wisdom by noticing the caravans while reading my books. I've started to learn to listen to my heart... especially in understanding the tensions of the heart as an interesting "check and balance" as presented here. I like to think I live in the present and eat when it's time to eat, not dwelling too much in the past or worrying too much about the future. And I am reminded of the tidbit of wisdom at the beginning of the book, to see the marvels of the world but not to forget the drops of oil in the spoon...

2007-02-03T12:41:00.000-05:00

The Community of Believers

Finding Kong Fok Church (KFC) continues to be a blessing and a huge affirmation for my move here. [I was probably 90% close to deciding on another church but thought I would try out KFC to say that I "tried" another church.]

As I reflect on this simple idea of finding a suitable church, I find it amazing that this fellowship and community here, unbeknownst to them, is exactly the answer to the prayers of a group of brothers and sisters in Christ halfway around the world -- a connection is drawn.

In this way, you, who were part of my "old" community back in Toronto, continue to form a foundation for my community now.

And in this way, you, who are part of my "new" local community in Hong Kong, have now been extended not just by one person, but by many supporting brothers and sisters across the globe. I am sure there will be opportunities to gradually meet these supporters over time!

To me, it’s a simple realization. Though I rationally know in my mind that we form part of the "Big C" Church of the community of believers, perhaps it is this tangible connection of connected communities that has opened my eyes. It never ceases to amaze me of the reality of the bond that we have in the Holy Spirit; to experience the (immediate) connections drawn on a spiritual level, the joy and encouragement that are shared.

This joy is furthered when traveling or working at a different office and I have the opportunity to share in fellowship with those I have just met. It doesn't matter what job we have or our level of education, or where we grew up or where we now live; our souls are saved through Jesus Christ and we know there is something to look to in eternal life in heaven. And we simply celebrate through fellowship and the breaking of bread; it's a joy that is beyond words…

I integrate back to my reflections in my final paper which described the role of the church in the current culture. I believe that such authenticity in person-to-person relationships is a key aspect, and hope that I can remember this in my relationships, and even in this blog.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-02-02T06:10:00.000-05:00

After all these years, perhaps it's time for a change! [Maybe not, if my problems with Blogger are resolved in the near future...]

But please, consider also checking out the new Balance.

2007-02-02T00:30:00.001-05:00

General feeling of homesickness

Perhaps it is the end of a 3-4 month typical "honeymoon period" since I arrived here on October 2, coinciding with my mom leaving, the start of my work busy season, plus perhaps some other physiological reasons as well!

I've always been quite independent, so coming into this (i.e., after moving to Hong Kong) I kind of wondered how the feeling of homesickness would manifest itself for me. From breaking down this compound word, I wasn't sure if I would really miss home that way... though deep down I probably do, in terms of the stability and knowledge that there would always be people home, even if I always returned home late and didn't see my parents until the weekend anyway... No doubt, I miss my many good friends whom I used to seek (and of course, still do) for spiritual support. With technology, it has definitely been much easier to keep in touch, and perhaps even more than before in the morning and the evenings!

The purpose of this is not to lament... I acknowledge these are very real emotions for me (believe it!! even though I generally hide them!!) and to further the understanding of my human condition. I believe it is critical for us to come to terms with emotions and recognize they are an integral part of being created in the image of God... to realize that Jesus similarly felt deep emotions when he wept for Lazarus... or, to recognize the depth of God's emotions as a metaphor when we turn away from Him.

I remember one of my original objectives in moving away from Toronto was to experience living by God's grace and test my faith by going out of my comfort zone; although Hong Kong is already as close to my comfort zone as "outside" gets! But it is through going through this short valley (and hardly a dark valley at that) that we remember Christ's promises, his providence, and his grace, all sufficient for us.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2007-01-30T00:52:00.001-05:00

I apologize for the lack of substance in my blogs of late... my thoughts over the past few weeks have been an integration of a number of things including:

reading the latest book in my queue (Soultalk by Larry Crabb), listening to the Urbana 2006 plenary messages, hearing a message by Michael Chang (e.g., ex-professional tennis player) at church, plus through my continual online Bible study in the book of Acts with a few good sisters in Christ and continual thoughts from my last final paper (which was also centred on Acts 2)...

In terms of events, I was able to spend a few more days with Bigjon before he left, spent a week in Manila for work, then my mom left for Toronto, and then I just came back yesterday from a personal trip to Singapore.

My problem is that I can't help but integrate everything that I know into some underlying principles... which on one hand is part of my cultivation of my "theological garden", yet, on the other, is perhaps a futile task because things simply can't be generalized or boiled down to such principles!

Regardless, here are some "recurring themes" of late...

2007-01-04T03:02:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

This year, new year was ushered in for me in the "Soho" area of Hong Kong, which stands for "south of Hollywood" in the mid-levels in Central. Jon and I went for a late dinner there. Quite good, Mediterranean tapas... yum...

Since New Year's eve was on a Sunday, i went to service as usual and we still had fellowship. It was a really good study on Hosea 3. Church actually had new year's eve events so after fellowship, we killed time by playing the Wii at someone's place. So fun!! So funny!! I'd consider buying it, but my living room doesn't allow for the range of movement.... puts my TV in too much risk [especially as I walk up to it to play bowling, haha]!

Then early on New Year's day, a bunch from fellowship, including Jon, went to Guangzhou on a trip. It was a hectic day of travelling, but eye-opening and a great experience overall. Hoping that we will go again, and there has been positive response among the group too!

One picture (thanks to Jon took it) of the group, waiting at the pier to get picked up (we waited for an hour... only the start of the travelling troubles, haha)

We have, from left to right, Emily, Matthew, Sarah, Pluto (or, "uncle Pluto"... I thought it funny he called himself that to Jon, since the age gap is probably really small, if any!), me, James, Rosalyn, Duncan. It was great working with them, a fun group, especially in one of those "surprise! you're putting on a Meeting today!" situation

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-12-25T14:11:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

My first Christmas in Hong Kong was rather uneventful, which is all right, because I have been looking forward to some quieter time. Haha... that's not too different from Toronto... I think I slept until the early afternoon last year for Christmas. Haha... at least I got up for lunch today. =p

I actually had NO plans whatsoever this year. The funny thing is that my mom kind of ditched me to go to China with her long-time friends. Well, she invited me, but I didn't want to go with the aunties and uncles... =p

After Christmas eve service yesterday, I went shopping... bought a TV and it'll get delivered later this week. =p I also bought daily household items such as clothes hangers, dish sponges, file folders, etc. and then spent the rest of the day at home. I (kind of) figured out how to work my washing machine and did laundry. All-in-all, it was nice time of quietness in the comfort of my own home. Ended up buying dinner and eating in.

And then in the evening on Christmas eve, I was pleasantly surprised by Ka Po (Sichuan team member last year) who asked me out for lunch on Christmas. It was great to catch up with her, and then I was telling her more about Kong Fok Church (KFC) because I've been to a number of events since I first attended... which is funny because she's the one who introduced me to KFC to begin with, but did not attend any fellowship or small group because she was allocated to the adult (married) womens' group... apparently it was a bad experinece. =p I guess she didn't realize that the cutoff age for "youth" activities was rather high, hahaha... anyway, I'll get her to join the Daniel fellowship/small group I've been attending.

The afternoon of Christmas was spent with a HK Baptist church small group... I know two people there from separate paths. It was a nice time of playing boardgames, however, and unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, however you look at it, I know that I would have a very very hard time fitting into that group... which kind of gives me the comfort in "choosing" KFC as the one where I seek to serve and grow. I look forward to getting my feet wet and getting involved; trying to be patient in that aspect though.

Then, was very pleasantly surprised to meet up with Gabe and Jon tonight, listening to music at Lumiere restaurant... a great place!

All in all, a nice Christmas day. *Shrug* not very eventful, but it is nice to just hang out. =)

At KFC, I very much enjoyed the Christmas Eve service and the Saturday night evangelistic meeting really touched me too. I was very thankful that my mom went with me to that, and though she is not saying she believes, I entrust it to God. I have also been drawn (not *that* way... he has a kid =p) to the pastor there: Pluto. He is absolutely phenomenal and is a wonderful speaker, so funny, very off-the-cuff, and relates well to all the youths within the very wide age range. Despite his very entertaining speech, he is so perceptive and to the point when it matters in people's salvations or in growth of the individuals. I look forward to working with him and seeing my role at the church. Many, many blessings to count...

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-12-10T03:21:00.000-05:00

Shanghai and Beijing

I am still amazed at how timing has worked over the past few weeks. This Shanghai and Beijing trip happened really last minute for me to accomodate client/audit team needs, at the same time trying to schedule training and other "meeting" times.

The travel plans made me miss the Hong Kong training session for IFRS, which took me a *long* time to get over and let go of. =p At the same time, everyone else has been busy and travelling too, that Chinchin ended up also missing the training and going to Shanghai with me. At the same time, the trip allowed me to have dinner with my UW classmate Karen, and Rick, who moved to Shanghai last year... and more so, they just returned to Shanghai from their vacation on the last evening that I was there (as I was able to switch my flight to fly out on the following morning.) Further, aside from travelling in Beijing with Aida, the Friday morning that I arrived in Beijing was also the last day of "shooting" for Sherrie's movie, and was able to go to their "wrap party" (and other expat bars...) on Friday night. Hahaha...

So, I just sit back and say "wow". Amazing! It's been great to be given the opportunity to travel, meet up with old friends... while arranging my current demands... aside from working through the weekend... but who isn't doing that, it seems, sigh. =p

Chinchin and I managed to get a few hours to walk around in Shanghai -- this is the famous "Bund" area.. the river between historic Shanghai and the new Pudong area. That's where we also picked up a 500g bag of roasted chestnuts.. mmm.... !!

Aida and I went to Tiananmen Square on Sunday before going into the office... Haha, our hotel held wedding receptions on both Saturday and Sunday. Seemed like the "normal" time for the bride and groom to get to the hotel was 10am! Also, instead of showing a blown-up picture of them, one couple had a larger-than-full size posterboard!

And... I must take a picture of the 11 RMB dumplings that we ate for lunch downstairs in the foodcourt! Such good value!!! It's been interesting... especially after chatting with Rick and Karen about their experience with the local peoples. Things are either very very cheap (from our usual standards) or very very expensive, which is kind of sad for the local peoples who would not be able to afford these luxuries that seem to be created for the expats and foreigners [say, a small sushi platter at the Grand Hyatt for RMB 450].

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-12-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Does no one else think this is really funny?? Just like Sesame Street.. "one of these things just doesn't belong.." haha

I was in Shanghai for training and was sharing a room with my coworker. [On one hand, E&Y Learning group is really cheap. On the other hand, it was great to spend time with Chinchin so I am thankful after all.] I was washing my face or whatever in the washroom when I saw this and burst out laughing. Chinchin asked if I was okay... what a silly question! Haha... she got used to my (spontaneous bursts of) laughing a little more over the week, (like, throughout the training in bad mandarin) hahaha...

With all this travelling, I am also very thankful that I have not had to travel alone (yet!) It has been great to have good company in Bangkok, Manila (coincidentally another team had a file review at the same time as me.. otherwise, it would have been me on my own), Shanghai, and next, Beijing with Aida. Especially as Chinchin and Aida both speak Mandarin.. haha.. Anyway, this is a good "triage" of Shanghai and Beijing... ;)

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-12-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

Manila

I was in Manila last week for a file review. We need to review audit working paper files of the engagements which we support, so when we travel, we usually go to work at the local E&Y office.

The office at Manila is *old*... well, the city is quite old. The Philippines has an interesting history, having been under various countries' rule and with difficult governments in modern history. It is amazing to think about its past... we stayed at the Peninsula hotel. Imagine how Manila would have been when the hotel was built... and then consider the city now... although great to see its improvement (renovations, etc.) The streets weren't as bad as I expected, although security guards *are* armed with guns and rifles at various locations.

The hospitality of the people are so friendly and the service industry is great. And.. I have never been so happy at a buffet before! I must introduce
Circles buffet at the Shangri-La hotel. (We usually stay there.. but was booked solid so we then went to Peninsula.) I think it's the presentation of the food that makes the place a fun place to eat! Plus, the food is fresh.

The salad bar consists of a "garden" of heads of lettuce on a bed of ice. Whenever you order, the server takes scissors and snips off leaves off of different types of lettuce and greens and places them for you, and does the same with tomatoes and others. So fresh!

Can you imagine, me, liking a buffet?? Haha... That's Manila.. the food is good... and didn't make me sick.. =p

I'll try to take a picture of the buffet the next time... I've got a couple of clients there.. haha

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-11-27T11:18:00.000-05:00

Next step... Manila, Philippines. Here for an engagement, back to Hong Kong on Friday.

The work travelling starts... as does my "stepping up the keenness". =p Feel like I should finally start picking up my slack during my long transition from vacation mode to work mode.

2006-11-26T11:49:00.000-05:00

Bangkok training

Last week I was in Bangkok for training. It involved all new managers in the Far East, so participating countries included China (various offices: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong), Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, and of course, Thailand.

I actually had gone to the same training last year in Florida, and unfortunately, was kind of critical on the management of this training in the Far East. It's interesting to see the big culture difference between the way it was run and in the participants in general. For example, as part of the training, we all did the Myers-Brigg assessment to understand our preferences. In Asia, the number of introverts far outnumbered the extroverts! The difference between what we would see in North America was interesting... it was interesting to see how the exercises were run because it took a long time before anyone dared to take the step of leadership. Interesting observations. =p

So, my own personal objective for attending the course was to better know the coworkers in my group; five of us went in the Capital Markets Centre (CMC) from Hong Kong, and there was one other CMC manager from Shanghai. It was a lot of fun... the six of us girls hung out all week, and stuck together during classes... kind of causing trouble because many things taught were not relevant to us (as we're not in audit.)

I have had enough thai food for a while now. =p We probably had Tom Yum Kung soup at least 4 times, green curry at least 3 times, fishcakes at least 3 times... also, the food made me sick. On one of the days, my body awakened me at maybe 5 or 6 because I felt nauseous... and ended up throwing up a number of times in the morning. Anyway, it wasn't food poisoning because the reaction was probably 11-12 hours after we had dinner the evening before... so *hopefully*, it was just the general acidity level of the food (I think) that I was not used to it. Anyway, thankfully, I recovered very quickly and by the evening next day, I was eating normally again. But, I haven't been feeling great in Hong Kong this week so will actually go to a doctor... Anyway, I'm generally okay. Just taking some antacids when I don't feel great.

We had some spare time so went around on a couple of the evenings and on the Friday and Saturday. No, we did not go see the transvestites. =p But the society is so open to them that many are in normal employment positions like at the 7/11. We did a lot of shopping, and my friend went crazy at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, which is like the Ladies' Market in Hong Kong, but maybe 100 times bigger. (A HUGE flea market.) And hotter! According to a Hong Kong travel book, spending 20 minutes in each section is like going to the sauna for 20 minutes. Yuck. =p

One evening, we went to the Siam Tower, which I think is a government building + hotel. At the top is a great view of the city with very nice bars. One of the bars was unique in that there are no chairs and tables, just sofabeds. So, this is the 6 crazy girls on the sofa bed!

We have, from left to right, Alva (top), Ina ("eena", bottom), Chinchin, Shirley, Aida, and me.

Alva and Ina are from HK and went to school at the University of Toronto, Chinchin is from Jakarta and went to school in the US (Indiana), Shirley is from Singapore and now in Shanghai, Aida is Taiwanese and went to school in Wisconsin.

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-11-20T08:22:00.000-05:00

"Fan"tastic!

OK, I hardly ever ate McDonald's in Toronto, especially for dinner for staying late at the office (can you imagine?? =p I always had terrible reactions to people who wanted McDonalds.) But.. I really wanted to try the "Fan"tastic burger, which, cleverly, is a burger with the buns made out of rice... and Rice in cantonese is kind of pronounced "fan". So, here is the "Fan"tastic burger and the combo meal that I had. (Yes, that is the official name from McDonald's!)

Yes, corn is an alternative to fries!

Now that I got that out of my system... no more McDonald's... until the new product comes out!

Oh, I forgot... in Bangkok, I had to try the taro pie (highly recommended by my coworker!). It's not available in Hong Kong. It's not bad...! =p

OK, no more McDonald's!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-11-12T06:52:00.000-05:00

Hello, just an update... I'm in Bangkok for E&Y training!

Looking forward to this week to meet other people in the firm, spend some time with my coworkers, observe how things work here in the Far East (training is for all new managers in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing...)

Be back in a week!

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-11-08T03:45:00.000-05:00

Hallowe'en in Hong Kong

It is already November, Hallowe'en is passed for a week now... which means that it's time for Christmas decorations to go up!! That's the case everywhere, I'm sure, but they sure are fast here. Major sets have been put up at various spots around the International Finance Centre (IFC) [where my office is located.] Decorations on banisters... larger displays throughout the IFC Mall... fast movers!

I remember Christmas being HUGE two years ago... and I'm sure it will always be huge. What I did not realize, is that Hallowe'en was also HUGE. The amount (and size) of Hallowe'en decorations in Hong Kong were quite incredible. I attach some pictures below:

The big, furry spiders were EVERYWHERE! EVERYWHERE!! Every single Pacific Coffee coffee shop (pic #1)! Sogo (large Japanese department store)! Lan Kwai Fong, HUGE strung up above the street! Even the small lobby to the botanical garden in Hong Kong Park!! (The 2nd and 3rd pics were taken there --- the security guard did give me a weird look as I stepped into the lobby because you're not supposed to take pictures... but it's not like I was taking pictures of plants. And *then*, as I walked up the main staircase and looked up and saw picture #3, where they created the entire web to put the spiders up top, I burst out laughing, and took another picture... hahaha)

Anyway, I do think these spiders are quite ugly... was quite disturbing at Pacific Coffee where one was located right above the milk and sugar. Yuck. =p sadly, it does appear that Hallowe'en is another big event to promote sales no matter where... not really sure how the big spiders fit into that though... but i guess that's just me. =p

2006-11-06T11:03:00.000-05:00

Yunnan trip! - Some more commentary =p

Spirituality

It was intersting to go on this trip and do the reading for my course, which was a book that discusses the question, "what is a true missionary encounter with western culture?"

The book analyzes western society as follows - the scientific method has completely taken over the public realm, as evidenced through education. [Consider the hoopla experienced in Philadelphia when "intelligent design" was discussed.] This public sphere consists of the pure facts... what we can observe. Christianity, ever since the separation from the state in the 1800's, has been relegated to the private sphere, the sphere which discusses values and purpose. The problem with Christianity in particular, is that its advocated truths completely conflict with those facts of the private sphere.

However, other eastern religions, do not seemto be so radically conflicting. In fact, they can coexist within the constraints of the observable public sphere... Eastern mythology does not speak of purpose... reincarnation only happens as part of its due course.

This concept was evidenced very clearly to me in China. The strong spirituality of the inner countryside was very scary for me. Although I have seen many temples in different places, perhaps it is because the northwest region of Yunnan is very near Tibet (similar in terrain and obviously, the Jong peoples), which is similar to the strong spirituality of Thai buddhism (I realize I am extremely ignorant of the specifics of buddhism...) I was greatly affected by the spirituality of the land. Quite scary to me. It also really saddened me to see many people, including many on my tour, to pay respects when entering a temple.

I had a discussion with a friend once... when we were going around Hong Kong and visited [Wong Tai Sin] temple in Kowloon... she bowed when entering a room with an idol, and I asked if she believed in it. She said no, but explained it akin to entering someone's home... you say "hi" (or in Chinese culture, you "call" the respective name of the relative). Such a polytheistic acknowledgement was very interesting to me. In North America, it is more atheistic.

History of China

I have always been fascinated by the rich history of China, indeed, the history is so long. Unfortunately, I am not that familiar with the recent history (say, after 1911 when the Communist party started to form). And more unfortunately, a number of the places we visited were during this time period, relating to the grassroots of modern China.

During the debriefing session, it was eye-opening to me to hear about the strong support for the current government. I realize I have a negative attitude towards it, likely from reading of Jan Wong, in terms my disapproval of their religious non-freedoms, and of many, many extant negative sterotypes. It is undeniable, however, to remark on the economic success of the country (consider the ICBC IPO last week, haha, too bad E&Y is the "reporting accountants"), and to remark on the evidenced social developments. Even something like promoting education within a small region of Zhaojue to provide the very poor Yi youth with practical skills to make a living... the gradual opening up of the western regions... the government is clearly taking strides. And even as I mentioned about recycling, the Chinese government has moved much faster than Hong Kong in this respect. Hearing about the government's recent efforts in cracking down on corruption is also encouraging. Obviously, all governments have their strengths and faults, for, governments are only made up of very-broken people not dissimilar from any of us. But, I'll leave my thought as "eye-opening", as I realize it will take some time to not take anything with a grain of salt, but a truly negative stereotype is also unfair, and that I now realize.

So, I will just leave this off with some preliminary thoughts... something to observe in the near future... how will the Chinese people react to economic successes? I go back to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, as, historically, it was arguable as to whether physical and security needs were met. Now that they are, how will they progress towards self-actualization? Something, arguably, that western culture has been grappling with. The observable shift from the industrial age to a society that weeks for work-life balance, of health and well-being... of purpose?

2006-11-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

Yunnan trip! - some commentary =p

Although the trip was boring at times (in effect, I went on a trip with a lot of "aunties" and "uncles"...) it was a good time of reflection. There was nothing to do in the evening so I actually went to bed early sometimes! (I roomed with my aunt.) I also was able to complete my reading for my course. As this trip was organized by that NPO, they had a debriefing session on the last day. It was interesting to hear different perspectives and reflections of other people. Many of my reflections which were echoed, even if not necessarily from the same world-viewpoint.

Kunming ??

This is quite a nice city. It's a relatively smaller city, similar to Chengdu where I went last year. Although traffic in China will inevitably be crazy for the near-term, it was still good to see that it wasn't *CRAZY*, in a way reflecting the general level of education of the public... in terms of following rules and whatnot. I was also very very impressed that every single garbage can had a dual bin, one for garbage and one for recyclables. Maybe the policies of Yunnan province were generally like that... the cities in general were very ecologically conscious.

Minority peoples in China

Minority peoples is probably one of the distinguishing characteristics of Yunnan province. Out of China's 52(?) minority peoples, 26 (I think) are in Yunnan province alone. So, along our tour, we learned a lot about the dominant ones: Bai, Miao, Jong... Probably in conjunction with the surging tourism in Yunnan (more on that below), it was great to see the pride of each minority people as each tourguide aimed to share about his or her own peoples. It is encouraging to see government policy encouraging the promotion of the uniqueness of each minority. I also know that the government aims to promote development of minority peoples through the few programs I know from MSI.

An interesting thing, also, is that of our three tourguides, two of them were mixed between different minority groups (NaXi and Miao, Jong and Miao), which is an indicator of openness rather than prideful esotericism or of rivalries.

Tourism

The prime example is LiJiang. Since the discovery of the town, tourism has taken over. [DaLi was more industrial to begin with, so had its own in sources of economy.] The tourguide mentioned that tourism funds about 80% of the economy, an increase from 20%. Just incredible. The Jong minority tourguide for Shangri-La used to be a teacher... and then changed to the tourguide profession as it was more lucrative.

A thriving economy is always a good sign in terms of funding towards social development. At the same time, when it comes to such rapid economic growth, it is inevitable that there will be increasing income gaps between the "have's" and "have not's"...

2006-11-03T08:37:00.000-05:00

Yunnan trip! - Part 3

Drove to Shangri-La - cold and far place, populated mainly by the Jong [i.e., Tibetan] peoples... up to 3800m of height... toured yet another historic town. Got an amusing chance to practise my broken, broken French which i have not yet spoken since high school. Was kicking myself because I couldn't remember the word for "cow" until near the end of the conversation... [ahh...vache! so sad...] Was pretty funny translating between Mandarin [the French lady actually looked up various pinyin], Cantonese [didn't know what she was referring to.. had to ask parents], and French, of course, in my head everything is in English...

Drove to the National Park - This is the first national park that china preserved. It was really nice... high in the mountains (>4000m) that it was quite scary for those who were not as physically fit (otherwise may get altitude sickness). I was pretty scared for my dad as he has high blood pressure... thankfully, everyone made it through, especially as everyone knew each other to support. Good thing we also got small oxygen tanks just in case (35 RMB for about 10 minutes, supposedly). I have shared this before, but the toilets here were GREAT. They are so clean and did not smell... and seem to be pretty hygienic (think Chicago airport toilets which have a plastic covering over the seat and is replaced for each person). This was a different system but similar concept. Seriously, was so impressed!! Definitely many times better than the ones at Yosemite, which I remember my travelling buddy saying "ho chau ah... ho chau ah..." (it smells.. it smells). hahahhaa.

Fly back to Kunming to visit another cultural/historical exhibit and other places (silk factory, pu er tea place). I did buy something afterall (my parents went crazy...) ... but something useful! A silk blanket... since I'll need a blanket after all!

Flew back to Hong Kong... was very happy to be... "home"?

2006-11-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

Yunnan trip! - Part 2

Drove from DaLi to LiJiang and area - Another historic area, discovered after 1996 when a 7.0-earthquake shook the area, and then was protected by Unesco as a world heritage site.

The historic town itself very pretty, apparently well-positioned and designed when it was originally designed by the then-"urban" planners. A lot of [bai] peoples are there. Now, LiJiang is transformed into a bustling tourism environment. Tourists get a kick out of the "bar street" where it is a line of bars and every night, the local minority peoples sing "dueling songs". The minority groups are all known for their local vocal music... so singing is a very big thing. Saw a local show to introduce colours and costumes of the minority peoples, not too bad.

Went to visit a park in order to catch a glimpse of the "jade dragon snowy mountain". This mountain is mysterious because it is snow-capped, yet, because it is so high, the clouds always cover it... the tourguide indicated that out of the year, you can only see the snow a third of the time. Unfortunately, it was raining and cold when we went... didn't see the snow. [Of course, seeing snow-capped mountains is a BIG deal for people from Hong Kong...]

Went to a popular beautiful park by the city. A lot of locals go there for a morning exercise or walk.

We met this old 87 year old woman doing exercises. They are in good shape!!

2006-11-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

Yunnan trip! - Part 1

It's been a couple of weeks since I've visited China, so, finally, here are some of my experiences. I went with my parents and my aunt. We joined this tour with my mom's old childhood friend, who went on this trip with a large not-for-profit organization that she was involved with. [My mom was also very involved with it back in the day.] The organization actually had an objective to promote cultural exchanges, so we visited a lot of cultural and historic memorials. Also, everyone on the tour pretty much knew everyone else (except for my family), which probably made for a generally better tour than otherwise.

Rundown of the tour:

Fly to Kunming from Hong Kong, toured a historic event memorial, had dinner, and stayed for the night. It was much cooler than expected! Thankfully, no one got sick (it was ~14 degrees and felt much cooler because it was rainy... but we were wearing our Hong Kong clothes).

Drove to DaLi (~ 4-6 hours??) - An economically thriving city in Yunnan. Three attractions: (1) a traditional (rather wealthy) "Bai" people's house, very decorative, beautiful stones. The natural stone design paintings were very nice. (2) The three towers temple. Because of the economic wealth, the temple area was completely renovated. Amazing greenery surrounding it. (3) A historic market [recurring theme =p]

I thought these gigantic incenses were pretty funny. =p

My mom wanted a picture with all the monks, haha

2006-10-06T12:44:00.000-04:00

Where to start? Some milestone dates...
Recital - September 10
Departure - October 1
Now - October 7

The recital was great, beyond my expectation [true, I generally have no expectations for many things]. Despite my terrible piano playing, it was just fun to share about me, to just be myself! It was great to have so much support and helpers... it was great to have everyone work together [thanks for dealing with my last minute stressing, my general last-minute everything, and non-detail-orientedness! ;)] in order to make everything run as smooth as it did. Hopefully, people enjoyed themselves too! Overall, I hope it was clear that this move to Hong Kong was a long time in coming, and to me, God had paved the way to make things happen with a great job opportunity, a good time in my life and in my career, all motivated by various things including the objective to improve my Chinese, catch a glimpse of the booming Asian economy, and to participate in other professional services trips into China. I'm also affirmed by other things such as starting work with Ray, who will also be based out of Hong Kong for now and having another co-worker from Toronto join the same group as me. It has been amazing how things have panned out over the past couple of years, including having waited until now.

Further, I am simply reminded of the nature of the community of believers... thankful that through different social circles, there still exists a spiritual and eternal bond between us. I am so thankful for being blessed by so many people who have played a part in my life, in building up who I am.

Then, after the recital, it was a mission to clear out my room and get rid of any nonessentials! The beneficiary [if you can call it that ;)] of my old CA magazines was Agincourt Collegiate Institute! It was funny to visit and see a couple of old teachers who were still there (although, retiring by end of this year). I saw my old calculus and algebra teacher, Mrs. Chow, who was known to be the hardest [and of course, because I had her for both subjects, I was called "double Chow girl" as an affectionate pitying name. haha...] It was just funny to hear her teach her current class with the same tone and same lines as before ["I want you to reduce the radicals to the *general* form! *General* form!"] Too bad my old accounting teacher wasn't in!

I was able to adequately clean out my room (and pack) in good time... my old clothes will go to the Salvation Army, and all that's left in my room are mainly books, my old notes, and various stuffed animals! I also successfully re-archived my old greeting cards, which was a painful exercise of anal attentiveness. The exercise was also nostalgic as I read over various cards from different points of time in my life... one distinct phrase was for my baptism in 2000, "...if we've had an effect on your life, it's because you let us." That is how I feel in response to the many encouragements that I have received for my going away...

Then, leading up to October 1, it was a rush to finish off as much work as I could while meeting up with people, including good times of prayer. I took various days and timeslots off, but ended up going into the office on Friday, September 29, which probably wasn't the wisest thing to do. =p Oh well, I did as much as I could...! [And fortunately (or unfortunately), I care soo much about work. =p]

Now, it has been a nice time of doing nothing at all in Hong Kong! Nothing really tourist-y, good family time with my parents... funny to meet up with my mom's old friends (they left 30 years ago and have only been back 2 or 3 times) and be a good daughter, haha. No shopping yet either!

Today is the mid-autumn festival celebration and had a family dinner with my aunt and her sons.. and their kids. Came back up to the apartment after dinner for some taro (a traditional thing??), mooncake and fruit. She has a nice view to a park on her balcony... take a look at all the kids playing with electronic lights instead of lanterns [this was taken at 11pm so it was cleared out already]! Because of the danger of kids playing with fire, wax burning is now prohibited everywhere. [Now, it is 12:45am, and I *still* hear kids running around outside... ah... Chinese families, haha!]

Waking up early for another day with the Yam (or, Yan) extended family...

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.

2006-09-14T00:51:00.000-04:00

One whole month with no reflections! =p

It's been a good summer. *Kind of* makes up a *little bit* for the busy year that I've had, basically from last September to June, with a slight break in January. =p

So, the much-anticipated recital has come and gone. It's amazing how God is faithful; it turned out way beyond my expectations... only by God's grace, especially considering how much effort I put in. =p Perhaps, though, seeds may have been planted? All entrusted to Him...

Finally, today, I had a little bit of resolve to start cleaning my room and packing things into boxes. I guess I have more books than I thought [I am majorly "spatially challenged" --> cannot estimate if a certain volume can fit into a box. =p] But, it's starting to kind of shape up, and I think I have finally come to terms that I will never look at my CA magazines ever again to give them away. Why am I such a pack-rat??

I also found two years worth of "golden bricks" way back from high school fellowship. Golden bricks were simply encouragement notes that we wrote to each other at our winter snow camp. The first year was my first year attending church (not sure if I actually accepted Jesus Christ by then) and I didn't really know the rest of them. It's funny how I've grown since those days of "You don't talk much do you." "You are so quiet!" A very respectful one was to Gladys, "my silent but honourable friend". Hahaha..

The second year was more meaningful after I started building some relationships... it's cool to read back on those encouragements. By then, I had accepted Christ and was serving in various capacities. It's also amazing how the Holy Spirit works in the provision of spiritual gifts. Yes, spiritual gifts are developed and matured over time, but reading back on these notes from ?? years ago also kind of affirmed what I believe are my spiritual gifts now. And, it demonstrates to me that the spiritual gifts were definitely provided to me... especially for someone who didn't speak at all a year before that! =p God is good. All right, maybe I'll keep these notes for another 10 years or so. =p

Until next time, this is Gladys Yam.