While I was in China in early August, I met a woman from Thailand named Ai Ling at a Bible study. We connected deeply as Christian women. When our mutual friend came back from collecting research data in the Chinese city of Xiamen (pronounced sha men), she brought me a chopstick from Ai Ling. The chopstick has an elephant bangle with some beads on it and is meant for holding up long hair. Our mutual friend, Esther, asked if she could come to my room in the Graduate House - that’s the dormitory in which I live - to see how [View Full Entry]

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While I’m blogging, I’ll update you on life in general for me in Hong Kong. As is usually the case when I stay abroad for more than six months, I’m finally settling in quite well. I’ve got a lovely circle of friends and acquaintances at the University of Hong Kong and at Emmanuel Church in Pokfulam. I’m kept busy working on coding data for my dissertation, lecturing to students at universities about disability rights and educational issues, teaching English at the Ebenezer School for the Blind, and spending way too much time on Skype with friends. The South China Morning Post [View Full Entry]

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Since the last time I have posted to my blog, so much has happened. I took a two-week trip to China. I’ve moved on to the data analysis stage of my dissertation. I’m making preparations for my trip home in December, and I’m helping teach three courses this fall at the University of Hong Kong. But, the purpose of this blog entry is to share some pictures and memories from a night on the town in Hong Kong that I had this week with my friend Piers. I’ve written about Piers several times in this blog. We will be presenting a [View Full Entry]

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I’d like to post about a few reflections I’ve been dwelling on lately and to catch my loyal blog readers up about my plans over the next month or so. So, enjoy the next bits about adapting to culture and life in Hong Kong. Then, I’ll tell you of my impending trip to Fujien, a province in China. No so strange anymore As I was walking home from my office the other evening, I smelled the aromas typical of Hong Kong and realized that they didn’t evoke feelings of foreignness in my mind. Rather, the fragrances of cooking oil, ginger, and [View Full Entry]

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Note to my readers: The person who usually assisting in my post has been gone, so please for give the long delay in updates about my aventures:) Adventures in Ngong Ping I had an exclusive opportunity to go to Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island in Hong Kong about a month ago. The Secondary 2 class from the http://www.ebenezer.org.hk/]Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired in Hong Kong were invited to visit as their field trip for the year. Since I’ve voluntarily taught English to them for about five months, Piers Kuan - their teacher and my Orientation and Mobility [View Full Entry]

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Monday was my last full day in Singapore, and I spent it at Sentosa Island with Sarah and her parents, Cindy and Robert. Sentosa Island was formerly a British military installation. During World War II Singapore was captured by the Japanese. Apparently, the personnel charged to guard Singapore from attack were focused on threats from the sea. When the Japanese occupied Singapore, they did so by land via Malaysia. Thus, apparently the stronghold at Sentosa did Singapore little good in this instance. THE Stevenson family and I visited Underwater World which had a touch pool. The pool was about three feet [View Full Entry]

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Several reasons coalesced which have brought me to Singapore. My dear Chinese friend Sally will be visiting Singapore for three days. After my trip to Southern China during which I was treated so rudely by some members of the public, I decided that I would shy away from venturing to new places in Asia alone. But, when Sally invited me to come to Singapore with her, I just couldn't resist! Furthermore, as I mentioned in my previous blog, I am intrigued by the work of Dr. Lim who lives in this tiny city state. And so, here I am within one [View Full Entry]

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I’ve been involved with so many exciting people and events since my last blog. I will relate a few of them here. But, for those of you who I will visit when coming home, be assured that I have many more to tell, should you be interested. I hope that some of the joy I’ve experienced resonates with you as you share my stories with me. Someone to Talk to A few weeks ago I had lunch with an American who has lived in Hong Kong for the past 21 years. I related my inner struggles with holding in so much [View Full Entry]

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I am recovering from an allergy attack which was caused by eating a mango. I tell this story with chagrin, as I should have learned my lesson the last time I ate a mango and had an allergic reaction - albeit less severe than the current one. I had hoped that the previous time I had merely ate the wrong type of mango. I now know differently. So, one of my great pleasures in Hong Kong where I eat very little chocolate, my other great pleasure, is to eat mangos. But, I’ll have to forego this hedonistic tendency for now. [View Full Entry]

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I’ve been back in Hong Kong for over a week after my trip to Guangzhou, China. But, I’ve delayed updating my blog. My experiences, both incredible and disturbingly painful, have been so raw and emotion-laden that I’ve hesitated to write about them, lest I write something that I later might regret. But, after talking them over with several friends and family members, I now feel ready to relate them to you. I’ll use the sandwich technique to organize my remarks. Therefore, I’ll share positive, then negative, then positive experiences with you. I do this deliberately with the hope that those who [View Full Entry]

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