Blog → Capturing Language and Photos

Get them to Speak More English

April 17, 2023

As many of you know, I resigned from my teaching position at WFLC, Wong Fung Ling College, in December of last year, 2022, due to the vaccine mandate. Now it feels like I am beginning again. Upon returning from a home-visit to the US, the vaccine mandate was lifted. The vice-principal of my school reached out to me to let me know that the school was looking for a NET teacher. She asked me if I wanted to interview for my former position. I said sure. The first interview was being held the week after I arrived back from the states.…

You Can Learn a Language Later in Life

April 9, 2023

Everyone’s got a different language journey. We all come from different family backgrounds. My guest today, Hubert, comes from a Hong Kong family, but his parents were adventurous. They decided to establish themselves in Singapore when Hubert was only 2 years old. Hubert had to learn Cantonese at home, but today he considers English his first language, Mandarin his second and Cantonese his third language. We decided to make this interview just an audio one. In the interview, I recall the time that Hubert helped me look for a village house. I thought he was smart because he could speak…

Meeting New Friends

April 2, 2023

Meeting new friends in another language is a cool experience. Somewhere on our language journeys we get to go beyond all of the formalities and the hard work of learning a new language and just experience it. It's not all fun; sometimes we don't understand what's going on around us. But little by little we understand enough to enjoy the experience and enter into the lives of a new set of friends. That's what happened to me. Yesterday, my wife, Tracy, invited me to a BBQ with her friends from the Lutheran Seminary. She took classes there and her classmates…

If I Can Do it Anyone Can – Tom Johnston

March 30, 2023

I have known Tom since I was in grade school. I have always appreciate Tom’s kindness and encouragement. He himself was an underdog. He likes to say, "If I can do it anyone can." (be successful) Here are the questions I prepared for him. Tell me about your early years? Did you have a happy childhood? Why or why not? How did the experiences of your childhood contribute to the person you are today? What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them? What regrets do you have? What advice would you give to people who struggle to fit…

2022 Highlights

March 27, 2023

Recently, I was reviewing my favourite pictures from 2021, and I realized that I hadn't made a favourites blog for last year yet. Well, I know this is a little bit late, but I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of the highlights of 2022 by way of both pictures and a few videos. A number of these are scenery pictures. I really like this first one and it is super close to my village house. Tracy calls this my secret garden. I like going back here for quiet and it offers a chance to enjoy nature.…

ChengChau Island is Chill

March 27, 2023

Looking for a break from city life. Check out ChengChau island. There are plenty of Hong Kong snacks shops to eat at as you meander around the town. There are no buses or taxis; people go everywhere by foot or by bicycle. So life feels a little bit more chill. You can easily rent a boat, go for a swim, eat BBQ or take a walk around the island. It only costs 21 dollars and takes about an hour to get there by ordinary ferry. Of course, if you are in a hurry you can pay a little more go…

Insights on Overcoming Language Struggles – Interview

March 18, 2023

Tim used to be my teacher and counselor. He has a cross cultural marriage. I got the chance to meet with him while I was on home visit in Rochester, NY in February 2023. He was gracious enough to let me interview him about his language journey with his wife. Tim has a number of insights on overcoming language struggles. https://vimeo.com/809078268 Here are some of the questions and points from the interview. What kinds of challenges did you face in your marriage? Key points - Language cultural differences can be offensive. Yield to the others cultural expression. What language(s) did…

Don’t Wait For Perfect Weather

March 15, 2023

Last Saturday wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty close. I decided not to bring my camera with me to Trio beach because there was some chance of rain, and my mind was on other things. Mistake, I should have brought it. One well opportunity waits for no one. As I drove the motorcycle down Sai Sha Road, overlooking the waterfront, I saw some beautiful views. The sun was peering through the fog over the water. It looked amazing. https://vimeo.com/808256022 Making Excuses I arrived at the geological park and took my usual walk to the beach. The ground was wet, and…

Is Hong Kong a Good Place to Call Home?

March 15, 2023

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

March 15, 2023

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…