Is Hong Kong a Good Place to Call Home?

Is Hong Kong a Good Place to Call Home?

Home is where the heart is. There are still a lot of things to like about Hong Kong and for now it is my home. I have friends here but I would not say I have a lot of close friends here. I think going deep with people requires the ability to communicate well in their language. There are a lot of foreigners who have lived here for more than 10 years without learning to speak much Cantonese. From my perspective language is essential to feeling at home. Of course, Cantonese is difficult and most foreigners have foreign friends that…
Stay Focused When Your Best Isn’t Enough

Stay Focused When Your Best Isn’t Enough

The reality is language learners need a lot of vocabulary and good listening comprehension skills to engage in conversations with native speakers. I think it is a little bit easier to speak than it is to listen. Of course, I guess that depends on who you are listening to. Lots of students have told me that they like listening to my English because it is relatively slow and because my words are clearly pronounced. Unfortunately, not all native speakers are like this. What to do When You Don't Understand? Some people speak fast and use words that we aren't familiar…
Help the Locals Don’t Understand Me – Taking Baby Steps

Help the Locals Don’t Understand Me – Taking Baby Steps

Do you find that the locals speak too fast for you to keep up with? Try finding another source to study from. You have to take baby steps towards your goal. For years people in Hong Kong tried to discourage me from learning Cantonese. They didn't want to speak with me in Cantonese. I found this to be very different than China. On the mainland, they were more willing to put up with my Mandarin mistakes. If it weren’t for the fact that I married a Hong Kong girl, I would have given up. At the time, even my wife,…
Culture Shock and Life as NET Teacher in Hong Kong

Culture Shock and Life as NET Teacher in Hong Kong

A lot of people travel all over the world teaching ESL. With a 4 year degree and a TEFL, Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate, a native speaker can teach English in more than 100 countries. It is a great opportunity to see and experience another culture. More than 70 percent of the people who leave their home country to teach ESL decide to get out of teaching ESL abroad after 1 to 2 years. It seems that for most people teaching abroad represents a relatively short-term adventure and not a career. Teaching English can be quite lucrative, but…
Accept the Things You Can’t Change

Accept the Things You Can’t Change

Hong Kong inherited a lot from the British, for example, their love for the rule of law and their love for the English language both stem from the British. Hong Kong’s location made it a perfect hub for international trade. Westerners wanted goods from China, but they couldn't speak Chinese. Hong Kong people provided a go between. Business flourished here and many people came here to make money. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and political conditions the mood has changed. Many people are immigrating to other countries and taking up jobs there. Hong Kong’s population increased by an average of 53,000…
The Trouble with Language Exchange Partners

The Trouble with Language Exchange Partners

Is language exchange right for you? It works best when the two people engaging in it have already reached a communicative level in their target languages. They can save money, learn, and help the other person out at the same time. What's not to love right? Well, I guess it depends on where you are in your language journey. If one or both of you have not reached a communicative level it probably won't work. There is a lot of learning that should proceed a language exchange. Grade School The early stages of learning a language require a lot of…
Is Studying A Language Worth It?

Is Studying A Language Worth It?

Ask yourself, am I really willing put in the work it will take to learn a foreign language? Is the cost of learning: financially, emotionally, time commitment etc… worth it? You might determine that it is not worth it for you. There are lots of people that start out learning a language but then later they give up on it. In Hong Kong Chinese students sometimes give up on studying English because they don’t see a need for it. Sure, intellectually they know that learning English is good for them when it comes to finding a future job. English is…
Highlight Videos from February 2023 Home visit

Highlight Videos from February 2023 Home visit

It's been four and half years since I was last home, so this visit was long over due. I spent about 2 weeks visiting with family and friends in Rochester NY. Then took a road trip with my parents to visit my sister and her family in Virginia. Her boys have really grown a lot since I last saw them. Then mom, dad and I took the Auto Train to Florida. In this blog, I will show you the highlight videos from different parts of my visit. Time with My Relatives https://vimeo.com/807485573 I am so thankful things worked out for…
Unexpected Surprises at Ngong Ping 360

Unexpected Surprises at Ngong Ping 360

Yesterday was fun. Tracy and I decided to go for a cable car ride from Tung Chung to LanTau Island. I booked our tickets online and we saved close to 100 HK dollars by getting them online. It was a bit expensive, but I think it was worth it. We did it on a Friday, so there weren't many people there. Tracy and I enjoy riding cable cars and this one is a pretty long ride. The sun was out but it wasn't too strong. It was a beautiful day. As we entered the line to get on the cable…
60th Birthdays – Milestone

60th Birthdays – Milestone

What will your friends say about you at your 60th birthday? About 2 weeks ago, I attended a friends 60th birthday party. Below is the video of my friends 60th. Years ago, I read a book by John Maxwell on leadership. The book talked about developing good habits to become the person you wanted to become. John suggested that it would take time, 5 years or more, before you would begin to see some fruit from your habits. Five years may not be long enough to see a tremendous change, but if you start young by your 60th birthday your…