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

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!

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.

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.

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! =)

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

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

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?

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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

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?

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"...

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"?

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!!

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

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.