ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS

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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 (the local English language newspaper with a significant daily readership) featured a small article and picture of me two weeks ago. Unfortunately, one has to subscribe to the paper to read the article online. But, the picture is shown here.
I’ve got less than 80 days before I return to the States. While I’ll be elated to hug my family, my close friends, and Jill, I’ll be truly sad about leaving my friends and support systems in Hong Kong. I hope to obtain enough travel funding through some mysterious, yet-unknown source to come back to Hong Kong to present an accepted paper at the Tenth Biennial International Conference of the International Association of Special Education in June of 2007. But, visiting for a week or two will be much different than living here.

Old Friends and Decisions

I’m also dreading the decisions I’ll have to make about Jill (my guide dog left in the U.S.) when I go home. She’s got arthritis that’s exacerbated in the cold. Her barking and growling tendencies have likely not improved since I’ve been gone for almost a year. She hasn’t been worked that whole time. In fact, she has expanded her skill repertoire to include playing with neighborhood dogs, begging for ice cubes, swimming, hunting, fishing, and riding in the back of a pickup truck, thanks to my dad’s influences. I’m thrilled that Jill has had such a full and interesting life while I’ve been in Hong Kong. Whether she’ll be appropriate for guide dog work, given her medical and behavioral issues is an unpleasant question for me to tackle upon my return home. But, at least I’ll get to see her when I get home and take my time making those decisions. My family, friends, and the Seeing Eye will all support me, for which I am grateful.

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Photos

Christie and Jill
Christie and her guide dog, Jill, pose for the camera