A Story about Anna in the Ocean

Having grown along the Pacific Northwest, it is hard to believe that I have never swam in the Pacific Ocean. But I did it! Against my will, as we were bananaboatnig the other day in Bali (so...the other side of the Pacific Ocean...), our driver asked Jenny in broken English if we wanted to "flip up". Jenny thought he meant if we wanted to catch bumpier waves so she quickly agreed. Unexpectantly as we were laughing and being silly...the next thing I knew was that I found myself in the ocean...in shock! Of course we had on life jackets but mine was too big (and old) and I quickly started to panic. After some harlarious laughter (I was so mad), we managed to all pile back on our banana boat and went about our way. Still, it was not my best experience of being in the ocean but I was cursing to myself all the way back...Anna you really need to learn how to swim. Thus this morning was my second try at swimming at the more shallow lane pool. A few gulp fulls of water down my stomach and gasping breaths, I am slowly getting more comfortable with the water and can now do two breaths in front crawl. I am going to throw my kid in the water so they don't have to experience this pain. Nonetheless, just like learning to bike a few years ago...thus continues my adventures in stretching my limits and reaching for the unknown...To redeem the day, salt water does taste kind of good, and parasailing, jetskiing and fly fishing were much more fun than my banana boat experience.

Temples and Worship

There are gorgeous temples in Bali, as there was in China and every other place I have hit. Whether it is against the backdrop of the crashing waves and the sunset (like the Tanah Lot temple last night) or on top of hills (like in China), wherever there is beauty in creation mankind seems to have built monuments of worship to their gods. It is an incredible sight. I watched a National Geographic special on the First Emperor and the Terracota Warriors this morning; it was amazing because I was there! But even more amazing thinking about the power and fear of one man (of death), that led him to create such art works and history, and also cause such brutality. Never have I been more grateful and in awe of my Jesus, who I know is more than mercury or bronze or silver. The dominant religion in Bali is Hinduism and everywhere, in front of every little street shop there are food offerings to the Hindu gods, I am still in shock of it and realizing that there is so much more to religion than my North American eyes.

Thoughts about school

Travelling to SE Asia has been like walking through my textbooks in the last five years. I have had great conversations with locals (bus drivers, taxi drivers, friends, etc) about the development of each country I've hit. The basic questions about the government, economy, social networks and democracy have been some of my favourite part of the trip and I am surprised and happy at the frank and open answers I have received, even when I ask them about their former dictators. Cities like KL are much more developed than I imagined, but poverty also seeps everywhere, even to the four star resorts and city centres. These cracks and glimpes of the life of the common folk are the images I've tried to capture, and what I hope will influence my thoughts as I head into social planning at UT in the fall. My mind is blown away in thinking about how to pursue basic development like education, infrastructure, and healthcare, nto to mention softer things. Sewage treatment is complicated. Water is precious. There are way too many people living in this part of the world for everyone to live like North Americans. I took a bubble bath today in our tropical terrace room and used more water in an hour than who knows what. I don't have a thesis topic yet but thoughts are constantly blowing away my mind.

Where my mom grew up in Mong Kok | TST Avenue of the Stars...Aaron Kwok! My all-time favourite HK popstar!

I went to the Vine (http://www.thevine.org.hk/) for Sunday service and it was the best two hours of my time in Hong Kong. There is something special about meeting in the house of the Lord and I was just so happy and so ready to do anything; it's like coming home while away from home. It wasn't just the creative, vibrant vibe I got at the Vine
(their small groups and ministries are amazing! I would sooo join in their community projects) but the speaker was talking about Micah 6:8 which is my life verse. I've been starting to feel quite homesick and alone (though not alone) and it was just a gift from heaven.

I hung out with Auntie Chick again today and we went to Mong Kok to see the still existing apartment where my mom's parents lived, and where my mom actually grew up. I felt that it was just a trip down memory lane for me as it was for Auntie Chick; she grew up with my mom and told me about their times on the streets and how the neighbourhood has changed. At times like these, I realize that maybe this trip is more than I imagined. These trips to explore my grandparent's and parent's lives in Hong Kong, spending time in Singapore with my fourth uncle (leaving for Singapore tomorrow!) and moving to Toronto (where my other two uncles live) for grad school...make me wonder if God has a greater plan for me. Family has always been a difficult part of my life and it seems like I am going around the globe (literally) to unite these loose ends and bring peace. I recently talked to Helinda too on Facebook!

As always, God has blessed my days with more than I could ask for or imagine...

And thus ends my two week China journey...waiting to catch our 13 hour train back to Hong Kong tonight from Guilin. I slipped and fell on the street when we got out of the taxi (torrental downpour today!) so my butt is wet and I have new bruises. LOL.

There are temples and and pagodas everywhere here, on every hill and facing every water source, but no churches in sight. There is much devotion to the gods, but the statues of gold, bronze and steel offer only emptiness in my eyes. In development, China is still a developing country and the rapid pace of modernization can be seen in every major city and every countryside. At first, the sight of old shanty houses, with leaky roofs made of bamboo and whatever else disturbed me. The crowds of street vendors selling everything from scorpions on a stick to Chinese qiaopuos made me pity the hard lives of the 1.3 billion people. But you know, China's not just about that, people struggling to survive. They are quite a vibrant, persevent people - I loved seeing the old people doing tai chi and dance with ribbons and sing their old folk songs at the park. Life might not be at the standards that I expect, with my foreign eyes (I still don't like squatter toilets but I can appreicate them), but they live and live vibrantly. I went to eat at this dingy rice noodle places last night, for a bowl of local noodles, Guilin speciality for 4.5 yuan (less than 50 cents CDN). It was great! I have never eaten at such a dingy place though but you know, despite my tummy rumblings (a little today), people get by and it's just a different kind of normal I suppose.

The scenery along the Li River is gorgeous and I feel like I walked in a Chinese painting with the mountains, birds and rivers. God is everywhere if we choose to see him. I liked talking to our tour guide about Chinese history and politics. Hmmm this is the side of research I have yet to be exposed too, I remember Yves saying there are two ways to do research - one, from books and statistics and two, from travelling and observing and getting ideas. I guess this is the research class I haven't taken yet. I find that people are quite open and friendly. We've had such helpful taxi drivers and random people we have met on the street. I guess at the back of my mind I still had the idea of the Maoist China but things have changed much since the 1970s. I think people are just trying to get a living, like everywhere else in the world.

It is strange to be a foreigner in my "native" land. Whenever we met other tourists (Caucaisan), I feel that I can relate to them more than to the local Chinese. It's weird too being discriminated against by your own ethnic "race". Yesterday when we were on the river cruise, we sat with three British travellers (quite nice). During the entire ride, the local Chinese servers never paid attention to us, and when they came around to sell merchandise, whether it was snake vodka or Olympic t-shirts, they never once asked us. Jenny got a seal made with her Chinese name carved yesterday in the markets in Yangshao; I would have liked to have one made, but our three heads put together, we couldn't put together my Chinese name. I can't even write it or even knows what each character means! So sad, so sad. It's time I invest some time in Chinese. I did have this written down, but I left the piece of paper sadly in Hong Kong.

Something I thought I would never use in China...French! But it seems at every turn, we have met French tourists! As we are trying to spend the rest of our four hour wait, we went to a random bookstore carrying very few English books, so Jenny and I ended up reading a copy of "Le Petit Prince" that had English, Chinese and French. Welcome globalization.

Honestly, I don't know if I don't like travelling or if I am just tired and need a few days rest at "home" (thank goodness for our HK and Singapore rest days). The first thing I have to buy when I get back to HK is a LOT of snacks, because I get soooo hungry.

Arrival at Beijing

The temperature is so much cooler here than in Hong Kong - no humidity! But I feel like as we were walking down Wangfujing that I'm being bitten everywhere. I am so tired from the early morning flight and just finding the hostel and the tour place. Now finally those things are done and I can start to relax and enjoy, afterall this is the leg of the trip that I planned! The hostel is nice, the bathroom and the room is clean enough for $17 a night downtown Beijing. The location is amazing so I am glad this worked out. This is the first time staying at a hostel and I already appreciate good western cleaniless! I don't think I am cut out for the bush at all and I am starting to be so thankful that we are travelling in mostly 4 and 5 star hotels this trip, save the HK and Singapore parts where we are staying at rich relatives' places. That leaves only Beijing and Bangkok for hostelling...thank goodness. I am not sure I am a traveller, or maybe just not this grungy kind. I brought no skirts, no frills and no heels and I totally sport the Jane Goodall MEC look. Comfort above all else here. I think this will be really good for me, to be away from technology (haha save the fact that I am already using the Internet first night at the hostel!) and away from beauty stuff. I was so self conscious in HK, much less here so probably because I feel more like a tourist.

I think I am still adjusting to being in Asia, with the heat and just the environment. I don't know if I am truly really enjoying it yet, coming thus far to Beijing has been a relief to me because I was responsible for this part. I remind myself that it has only been a week, so it's not bad. Still though, I am kind of looking forward to the day of being back home. My clean, green, and most of all, familiar home. Bah...only to leave again of course after three weeks. Needless to say, I miss home.

Each day so far has been like a hundred days like Sean said it would be. I have had a billion thoughts about everything.

Beijing is really international, from the people at the airport to the people around me right now at the hostel. I love that. I think taxi drivers here are the craziest, even more so than HK because so many people bike here, and taxies just cut in front of bikers. I originally thought it would be cool to bike here but now I think we would just die, I still feel scared when I cross the street. The city is much cleaner than I anticipated and the streets are super wide, kind of like Washington D.C. I think with all the pandemics and health problems, all of China, especially the big cities, improved in their sanitation.

Thank goodness!

I do feel like I am absorbing more Cantonese and Mandarin, thank goodness Jenny is here and knows how to speak mandarin and read Chinese. So far, we all get along and the dynamics are working out. Jenny and I spent yesterday afternoon together and I feel like we bonded. I hope to have similar experiences with Tiff and Yo, so I think it will be okay. I talked to Jenny about it too, my original (and still) hesitations about coming on this trip.

Already I have a greater appreciation of home and an admiration for meandering travellers.

A few thoughts before leaving for Beijing…

A picture by the fountain

On Friday, I went to Tsuen Wan with Auntie Chick in order to visit the place where I grew up in Hong Kong “Lok Yurn Fa Yuen”. I remember this picture I had taken in front of the water fountain at the centre of the apartment complex when I was about four; it must have been taken after school on a birthday party day because I was wearing my school uniform, with a birthday hat on my head and goodie bag in hand. The moment I stepped into the fountain area, 18 years later, I remembered that picture and vaguely remember walking home, holding my sister’s hand down that same path.


Ummm so I think this was the actual fountain...but I forgot to take a picture of myself with it LOL

I don’t have very many memories from my time in Hong Kong. There is me jumping on my parent’s bed with my brother at home, the only air conditioned room. There’s me crying because my siblings cheated me out of some toy. There’s me asking my sister’s piano teacher if I could play piano, (I actually sat on the bench) and her smiling and telling me that my four year old fingers were still a little too small. I remember the sight of my mother’s back (because she was always leaving) and the hand of my Pilipino nanny Sarah (who I didn’t like because I wanted mommy) as we walked through the streets with vendors selling all sorts of trinkets to and from school. I remember the night before leaving for Canada, going out to dinner with my mom’s parents at a restaurant, and walking back through streets selling all sorts of delicacies like live snakes.

This was the apartment where I lived, no memories of the exterior.

Coming back to where I came from (literally), is a bit of a surreal experience. It’s been a week now in Hong Kong and I am getting used to the weather and the hustle and bustle (getting used to it, not necessary preferring it) and I wonder how life would have turned out if 1997 didn’t happen (see how important politics is!). I can imagine more the lives of my parents before they had me (as children we never think of our parents as people and not our parents). What a feat moving to Canada really is, how different and distant are the lands from each other. Leaving Vancouver to go to grad school in Toronto is hard enough for me already; I will complain about getting to go home only once every four months while I now realize, my parents have never gone back to their “home” in Hong Kong in 18 years. My sister went back for the first time in the fall of 2006 and I am second. There are political reasons (haha) of course, with my dad’s paranoia about grandpa’s past as a KMT official (the governor of Suzhou! Crazy eh?) and I think they are planning the trip soon. But still. I think of those European pioneers that journeyed for months on a ship from Europe to North America in search for a better life and perhaps, gold. My parents were pioneers too.

About a man

Journalistic photographers often face the dilemmas of the ethnics of photographing distressing scenes such as people in pain, poverty or death. On the one hand, photographing is a medium that helps to convey the message to the world, but on the other hand, one feels like they are exploiting their subject. As an aspiring photographer, I run into this dilemma every time I take a photograph of a street person, a vendor or a building. As a thinker, I run into similar issues. Here I am, I think think think about the social condition of Hong Kong (and every other place I will visit in the next two months) and there is a helplessness and uselessness of just thinking and not actually doing anything but sightseeing, shopping and eating. I am going to study to be a social planner and do all sorts of things, one part of my brain says, but my heart still pounds and bleeds. And so I write and hope that these few words will remind an older “social planner” me and those around me, what life is really all about. Please Anna, never forget and don't ever stop bleeding. There are sights that should never exist.

So I saw the same man again today laying face down on Fa Yuen Street in Mong Kok, which is one of those little pedestrian streets with three rows of vendors with a traffic of thousands of people daily. He’s got a wheelchair and he lies face down on the pavement on top of a blanket, wearing only shorts. The only noises he makes comes from his hand, where he bangs his tin cup every few seconds. His black shorts cover the only parts of his legs, both legs have been amputed from the knee down. I don’t know much about amputations but the scar looks horrendous (can these scars look nice, I don’t know), kind of like a bow except with skin.

There are a million reasons of how this man arrived at his present state. He could have been one of those people who gambled his life away or as innocent as a person who just fell into hard times. Maybe he’s a war veteran or someone who is being used as a bait to get money for sympathy (think Cambodia). I don’t know, only God knows but damn I can’t get the image out of my head. In a city like Hong Kong (as in every city but in varying degrees and dimensions), a mix of merit and hereditary separates the rich and the poor. I accept that, but I believe that we can make this gap more narrow and tip the scales a little bit more to be a compassionate society. This is why I think Plato and the other Greek philosophers are so important – meritocracy is such an quintessential value in our society. But if we only give others what they deserve, as Shakespeare writes in Hamlet, than “who will escape a whipping?”

“There’s gotta be more to life than chasing down every temporary high to satisfy me” – Stacy Orricio.



And to end off on a completely different random note...HK Disneyland! Just because this is my coolest jumping picture to date. Another walk down memory lane, I remember going to LA Disneyland when I was 8 with my auntie and cousin