Takeaways From Egypt

Takeaways From Egypt

January 24, 2025
Great Way to Get to Know People Here are my takeaways from Egypt. First it's best to go with others. If you can avoid it, don't go alone. Life is super busy in Hong Kong. It's hard to get to know people. I would not have gotten the chance to have gotten to know Mario, Zen, Mandy and Tammy if it had not been for this trip. As you can see from the above video clip, trips like this provide a unique context for getting to know people in. The next takeaway is on why you might consider not bringing…
Why Not People?

Why Not People?

January 21, 2025
Years ago when I first came to Hong Kong I connected with cameras. I could tell you all about the cameras, but that’s not important. Years later now, I reflect on that decision. I know I am not alone. Many NET choose to connect with things rather than people. For some it is movies, for others it is pets, for others it is motorcycles. The list goes on and on. Why? I think for many of us it is a sub-conscious thing that just happens. I remember I was sitting at the “end of the year buffet” with my school’s…
2024 Favourite Pics

2024 Favourite Pics

December 20, 2024
Alright, it's the end of one year and the beginning of another. It's time to reflect on favourite memories from 2024. Tracy and I did a lot this year. Honestly, it's been hard for me to limit myself. There are so many pictures that I'm proud of and want to share. You will find links to blogs that go into more detail but to start off with just enjoy the pictures. I have been doing this for several years now. Feel free to check out favourite pics from 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020. A New Camera In March of this…
Watoto’s Better Days Tour

Watoto’s Better Days Tour

October 26, 2024
Watoto is back in Hong Kong. If you want to see clips from last years concerts click - Watoto Children's Choir Shares From Their Hearts. This year’s theme is "Better Days." I think lots of us are believing for better days. Tracy and I attended their first concert at St. Andrew's Primary School. You know if the people of Uganda, Africa were rich you might get away with thinking - "Of course, these kids are happy." They have all the modern conveniences a person could ask for, but that’s not true. These kids have lost their birth mothers and fathers.…
Go Home to the Country

Go Home to the Country

October 8, 2024
The average person in Hong Kong lives in less than 250 square feet of space in a crowded area. That's not much space. They prioritize convenience and that means they generally live close to an MTR station. Choosing to live further away from an MTR station means longer commute times to work, and as you know work is a huge part of life in Hong Kong. Check out - Overtime - Because You Want it. However living further away from public transport can also mean more space and a nicer environment. Unfortunately, it's rare to find a place that has…
Take Steps Towards Your Goal

Take Steps Towards Your Goal

September 30, 2024
Ever watched Rudy? It’s a film about a young man’s dream to play football at Notre Dame. Rudy’s family, his dad and his brothers love football. They watch it all the time. Rudy knows all about the ND coaches, and culture. He has immersed himself in it, so it is not unusual for him to dream of playing football for the Fighting Irish. What is extra ordinary is that he actually does. Rudy had to overcome a lot of challenges to play football at Notre Dame. From the time he was a boy his brothers and dad told him that…
Awakening the World

Awakening the World

September 16, 2024
I started teaching in China back in the Summer of 1999. I remember being told Chinese people don’t believe in God and a number of students told me that they were atheists. I just said okay. I had grown up hearing that every person has a God shaped hole in their heart that only the Lord can fill, but what could I say? It didn’t feel like there was anything I could say. Tracy and I got to go on a 6 day trip to JiuZhaiGou, China this past summer. It was amazing. Probably the icing on the cake for…
An Insiders Look at a Thai Refugee Camp

An Insiders Look at a Thai Refugee Camp

September 6, 2024
My wife and I had been hoping to go visit the Myanmar refugees in Thailand for quite some time now, but due to the political instability we didn’t know if we would be able to or not. We visited Maesot. It is one of 9 refugee camps in Thailand and it is about a 6 hour drive from Chiang Mai. Along the six hour drive there were several check points, where we were asked to stop and let officials to examine our passports. I don’t think we could have done it by ourselves. I am so glad we went. Hearing…
Buying Shrimp Without Thai

Buying Shrimp Without Thai

September 5, 2024
The alternative to connecting with others around language is body language, noises, acting, use of a smartphone and whatever else one might have at their disposal. Of course, people don’t bother going through all of this hassle unless they have a good reason. For us, my wife, friend Ting Ho and I that good reason was dried shrimp. We wanted 5KG of it. If you want to see the video of the trip chick here. We didn’t know exactly where we were going, but my Ting Ho was pretty familiar with the market and the process. He also had an…
Fake it Till You Make it?

Fake it Till You Make it?

September 2, 2024
Fake it till you make it? A few years back, I interviewed a friend Hubert. Hubert’s English is native. That makes sense. He grew up in Singapore and they speak English and Mandarin there, but that’s not all. Hubert speaks Cantonese. Yes, his family spoke it to him when he was growing up, but he didn’t use it a lot. Hubert’s Cantonese ability really took off when he moved to Hong Kong to go to university. I know that’s crazy; learning Cantonese at university because he had to. Of course, all of his subjects were in Cantonese. One of the…