Farewell

Today is the end of 2010. I have been blogging for 3 years since 2007 when I started my career break. After I resumed my career in 2008 I am getting busy. Now I think I should end my blog.
Pieces of advice to share with you:

1. Learn good English. It can help you communicate around the globe.
2. Learn how to invest. Never invest anything you do not understand.
3. Be critical. Do not easily believe what others say, especially your government.
4. Be generous. Give is better than take. It's an honour to give.
5. Treat your family members nice. They are the ones who really matters.

Enjoy your life. Wish you a happy and healthy life!

Eating

I like to eat. Wherever there is a place which has good food, I like to try. I do not mind to spend a little more to taste something excellent.

I used to watch Sunday TV shows that introduce different types of food. I did not choose the program but I usually dine at my parents-in-law home and they liked watching TV. I enjoyed the show by Chua Lam, who not only introduced expensive food but also inexpensive ones, and he knows how to taste good food. However, I do not like those eating spree on Sunday TV shows that only promote expensive and rare food overseas. These endless programs make people think that we are only a bunch of animals who know eat, sleep, and shit only. Travellers should enjoy the cultural aspect of another country also. The TV program "From City to City" is a rare program that incorporates culture as well as food. I recommend you to search and watch it.

Academic Life

I have just finished my last course of my study, and now I need to concentrate on my thesis. I need to conduct a presentation within the next several months, and in the next 4 years I need to read, write, revise, read, write, revise, read, write, revise, until I finish my paper. This is a long journey and I am moving one step at a time.

Although my academic research is not related to my work, the process makes me think deeply. I need to consider different aspects of a problem and try to find the best solution. This thinking process can apply to my work also and it definitely helps.

I have taken many half-days off from my work to attend classes at evenings. Classes started at 18:00 hrs. but I liked to have the afternoon off to prepare for my classes. I felt more relaxing and fully prepared for my classes. For a part-time student, this is what I should do.

Work, Study, and Rest

I have been very busy in the last couple of months. Not only I have to write another paper and prepare my class each week, but also my work is full. I can hardly find time to rest.

I used to like reading but in the past couple of months I seldom had time to read. I know that this will continue in the next several years so I need to read as much as I could during summer when my school work is lessen.

As I have so many tasks to handle and the time is constant, I need to use my time wisely on work and study so that I can have time to rest. I plan what I want to do daily and try to complete it so that I can then focus on others next day. Leisure becomes a luxury. As I travel to work daily by MTR I use the interval to read and I managed to complete the Tales from Shakespeare within a year. It is putting your time to good use.

International Conference

I attended an international conference in early January 2010 and I presented my first paper at the conference. I was a bit nervous but I think it was received by the attendees. Having presented my paper, people on the floor asked me different questions and I needed to answer them. It was a challenging experience but I liked it. In fact, this is a good opportunity to receive others' critical comments and amend your paper, if necessary, accordingly. You may not like others' comments, but they are worth your while as your paper will be improved.

In addition, by attending an international conference, I got to know people in the same area as mine. By discussing your area with these people, you gain more insights. By listening and commenting on others' papers, you learn, think and gain. Beside, by knowing what others are doing, you understand whether you are on the cutting edge or not. If not, better work hard.

Time Management

I was very busy during last month and early this month. My work was packed and I needed to prepare for the assessment of my course. Besides, I am preparing the final version of my conference paper to be presented next month and I need to start writing another paper for another conference.

I need better time management so that I can allocate my time for family/research/work/study/rest. I tried to read some books but just couldn't afford some time to do so. Reading is my habit and I had to put it aside for a moment.

From what I have learned, the time management skill requires you to select the most important task for the day and focus on it. Having done that, go for the second most important task and so on. That's how you can complete the most rather than doing unnecessary but urgent tasks.

Korea

I just visited Korea for the last few days. I attended a wedding banquet there and it was a wonderful experience to see how Koreans celebrated their wedding. I was amazed that the some parts of the wedding ceremony were similar to us such as bowing down to parents, receiving lucky money, and dressing traditional garments.

Seoul is an energetic country and is building up rapidly. Most young Koreans are taller than Hong Kong people and most people there look similar to northern Chinese. There are many tall buildings in the city though many people still live in three-story building. Their places are as hygienic as Japan so you have no problem to enjoy you call of nature. Koreans love coffee. There are countless coffee shops there and their coffee tasted very good. Their food is mostly spicy.

It is a place worth visiting. It only takes you three hour to get there. Try it and you will like it.

Keep going

It has been a year since I started my graduate study. Time flies. When I started it in 2008, I thought that I still have a long way to go. Now I feel the pressure. I need to read more, faster, and wider. And I need to use more time on my study.

As a part-time student, normally you do not want to participate in any school activities. Those are for young adults. All you want is to attend classes, finish your assignments, and meet all requirements - you have no time for others. Although we are busy in our work and school, we should at least spend some time on some non-physical or non-social activities at school such as academic conferences and talks. Some of them are definitely worth to attend and I attended some. You get more knowledge while you meet others who are also keen to explore more.

See if we can meet in the coming conferences and talks.

Life Style

As I grow older, I am used to my own life style. It may not be the best, but at least I like it. Even thought I can change it, I tend to change it better.

I like reading good books, newspapers, and magazines. I enjoy good food with my friends and family. I enjoy the lonely path of my research. I like classical music, visiting museums, travelling, and more.

Some people may like to follow the current styles but these "styles" are made by others so you are just following others. Ask yourself what you like the most, then go for it; listen to others while think independently by adopting those advices fitted you, then you will have your own style.

If you do not want to live under the influence of others forever, try to have your own life style.

Tiananmen Massacre

I went to the Victoria Park tonight. This is the place I must go on 4 June.

We shall never forget what happened. No matter how many excuses people have, the reality is that on 4 June 1989, there was the Tiananmen Massacre in Beijing. It was not an "incident" or "event", it was a massacre. Not many people are using the term "massacre" now for fear or others, but killing massive people is massacre, nothing else. Any government who used guns and tanks to kill people commits a crime.

If anyone doubts what had happened on 4 June was not a massacre but merely an incident, a conflict or a small event, why no government officials dare to discuss it or concur the views of the central government? Thanks for our CE, we have recorded numbers of people showed up in the Victoria Park.

What happened in 4 June 1989 was a massacre, is a massacre, and will be a massacre.

Smart Investor

Since the beginning of financial crisis, most of us are losing our hard-earned wealth. No matter you are holding stocks, funds, or even MPF, they are souring and the situation will likely to continue until the end of 2009. Even if you only hold cash, your pension funds are not performing well so you are losing monies indirectly.

For those who still want to invest amid the financial crisis, I suggest that:

1. buy only stocks/funds you know well, do not believe any recommendations/tips from others such as TV, newspapers, friends, or someone standing next to you in bank, etc.;

2. make sure that you do your homework before purchasing, such as reading annual report, funds performance report. Believe in facts and figures only, not recommendations; and

3. try to evaluate whether ETF (Exchanged Traded Funds) is good for you. They are similar to funds but have the benefits of stocks, and their handing fees are much cheaper.

Back to Work

Back to full time work for more than a month. New environment, new colleagues, new culture. I need some time to get used to all but I am confident that I can handle them.

I am getting busy at work and will be very busy starting Sep. as I am going to start a six-year graduate studies. I like to conduct research and I know that I need to prepare well in the next few weeks so that I can go for this academic apex. I need your support and encouragement.

If you want to excel at work, not only you need to work hard, but also to learn continuously. I am amazed that many of my colleagues are studying part time, and some of them are going for a second graduate degree. It's demanding in terms of physical and mental as a part time student but if everybody is working hard, you have to follow the trend. Although it seems tough but when you look back, you will realize that all your effort is worthwhile.

Long Break

Back to work since April 2008. As a volunteer and then an instructor. Now full time work. Having taken a long break, my feelings are:

1. you had time to chat with people who normally you did not have time for, such as lunch with friends, no matter where they worked, and visited relatives, who you normally met only during CNY;

2. you could study anything you like, no matter they were held in daytime or evening, and never missed any class due to work commitment;

3. you could read a lot of books and magazines, this is the part I liked. No matter long classic or short novel, you could enjoy them day after day;

4. you exercised more;

5. most importantly, you had time to think about yourself and decide the next career you want.

So, try taking a longer break, say 3 months or more, and you definitely feel the difference.
Remember, this is a special stopover in your life for you to get re-changed and keep going.

四川大地震

由中國在五月十二日發生地震開始，一直在緊貼着新聞。看到國家地震區有極大傷亡，實在很痛心。政府今次的危機處理做得相當不差，第一時間便派人搶救傷者，再派人深入通訊隔絕地區救人，另外亦趕發物資予災民。當然，鼓勵海內外捐输及容許外國派人協助亦反應很快。而且對本地及外國媒體採訪亦不設限，使到消息可全球知道。

事實上，無論在香港以至外國媒體，對政府今次表現都是好評不絕。而且對比在不久前發生風災的緬甸，其政府對人民死活的冷漠態度更顯出中國政府的反應快捷了。

不過，對於很多在地震中傷亡的中小學生而言，政府所做的便遠不合格。在災區有不少學校是由於工程質素太差而使學校在地震時不能支持以至快速倒下而使學生來不及逃生。事實是只要設計好及用足材料學校是絕對可以抵抗此次地震。政府絕對要將和這些工程有關的官員及工程人員嚴處，另在再建造校舍時施工質素上嚴格監管，才能在下一次災難發生時保護好下一代。

Volunteering

I used to be a volunteer when I was in Canada. After I joined the agency in Hong Kong, I never got a chance to be a volunteer. Now I am a volunteer again.

Volunteering is good as you can contribute to help the society to become better. Because you are a volunteer, nobody expect you to be a professional and you can decide the time, organization, and the type of work you want. You have less pressure than paid job also.

There are two types of volunteering, event specific and routine work. The first one requires you to participate in an event that takes one to several days continuously, and you are free. The second one requires long term commitment and you need to spend a couple of hours or more per week to serve. To choose either one depends on your availability. It's the heart to serve that counts. Try it and you will like to be a volunteer.

TV News

I like watching news. Before I got married, I could watch Cable TV news continuously. Now I am more selective. Everyday I watch it once, or maximum twice. And recently I prefer watching news in the English channels. Why? Because the Chinese media, no matter TVB, ATV or Now, are unprofessional. Besides they report less on international affairs, this is what I can accept, they like to report trivial facts with unbearable remarks.

Two examples, the first is whenever the weather gets cold, the Chinese media always has a reporter report that "The weather gets cold, and people on street are wearing more clothes." Is that news or a teaching lesson for small children in kindergarten? Change of weather is worth reporting but not the rest. The second is whenever there are some minor things happen, such as an increase of electricity price or a redirection of driving route for special occasion, many Chinese reporters always like to put words into others' mouth by asking leading questions such as "Do you think that the increase of electricity price/change of driving route is not good/convenient?" They have an answer in heart and they just want it from others. Why not just report the facts and forget the rest? You never find the above examples in the BBC and the English channels.

過年

農曆新年眨眼便過，當中總不免到長輩家中拜年。雖是例行私事，但一年能有機會和親友相聚一次也是好的。

在年少時要跟隨父母在農曆新年拜年總不免覺得煩厭，但想到有紅封包可拿便只有隨時候命。那時總覺親戚很多又麻煩，但在年紀漸長後知道親戚是你生下來便是你血緣的一部份，不能像朋友一樣可以選擇不交往便只有欣然面對。

到了現在，人變得成熟了，更明白親戚是你家族中的一部份。 無論你喜歡與否他們都是你的親戚，所以自已亦變得較為關心他們。每年農曆新年間更喜歡與他們見面，大家交換近况，暢談一番。

不少人喜愛在農曆年間出外避歲，我卻寧可去拜年，和親戚朋友閒話家常。就算是不想見的人，最多亦只是一年見一次，每次半小時左右，絕對可以接受。

Questions

I have just finished reading the book "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking. An interesting book but it's difficult for those who do not know science. Some of his questions raised in the book are very very difficult to answer but enlighten. I have chosen a few of them:

1. after the beginning of the universe since the big bang, the universe is expanding, but if the universe stops expanding and starts contracting, are we heading to the big collapse?
2. why do we exist in the universe, at this moment, and for what purpose?
3. why does the universe exist, and for what purpose?

These questions put you in deep though. What do you think?

Newspapers

As I have more time now, I like to spend it reading newspapers. I read Ming Pao (free in the Internet or pay a fee for unlimited access), HK Economic Journal (no Internet version), Financial Times (not free in the Internet), and International Herald Tribune (free in the Internet) almost daily. The first gives me daily news in HK and China; the second gives me updated financial news, and analysis on international events and business; the third gives me in-depth analysis on international events and comments on various topics; the fourth gives me more international news and in-depth coverage on various topics.

If you want to read quality newspaper daily, I sincerely recommend you to choose either Ming Pao or HK Economic Journal and Financial Times. The more you read them, the more you know many stories behind the scenes and you are building up your insights which help you to identify between facts and prejudices. These newspapers build up your language skills, financial knowledge and logical thinking. Good food for your brain.

2008 is at the doorstep. Try putting newspapers in the new year's plan. Have a nice holdiay!

A better investment

All of us want to invest into the markets so we can earn a large profit and no longer need to comply with orders from our boss. Let us suppose that you have made it, then what? Travelling? Fishing? Golfing? Reading? Or charity work? No matter what you want to do, you can't do it without a sound mind and a healthy body.

Many of us invest into financial markets but not our brain and body. As time goes by, we have sufficient financial resources but we are left with a sick body and an absent mind. Is it pity?

If you know that your investment needs time to grow up, same theory applies to your brain and body. My advise of a better investment is to read daily, to eat omega-3 daily, and to exercise daily. No much time is needed: a 15 minute reading, a 10-20 minute exercise, and a couple of omega-3 capsules. Half an hour per day and you will feel the difference.

If you want to enjoy life, start investing into the better investment.