Meet our hearts through interactions

Current lessons learnt from the Church (both during masses and meetings of the Legion of Mary) have guided me to perhaps really think more about the importance of interacting with people. Interestingly, my favourite airline has also been promoting "Meet the Team", where you get to see people serving the company and their experiences within. Common thing that they share is that they never know where they would be but they surely have landed in a satisfying job and are willing to walk that extra mile to provide that little extra service straight from the heart.

The fusion of these two perceptions echoed as to how one should treat people. Have I forgotten the importance of love and respect? Or have I just felt that dealing with people in a moderate manner will make things flow? Our surroundings are filled with people, but the question lies in the interaction required. Perhaps I have demanded too much for a quiet, where interactions are needed but maintained in a constant mode. Or have we been too ego and were we thinking too much on others intentional motives, rather than really interacting purely from our heart, without any fear nor selfishness?

During this Lent period, I hope that this can be polished up and perhaps the long wait that I am looking for may be joint and the new challenges will be fruitful so that I can enjoy life and share this enjoyment with others!

To travel and fly

Arriving at Hong Kong and getting back to work from a holiday has always been painful. Scrolling through the hundreds of pictures taken on the trip - all the smiley faces taken from Biei --> Wakkanai --> Monbetsu --> Sapporo is always a happy thing when you log onto the Photo Album and gives you the warm feeling of being in a family. It also encourages one to plan for the next trips to wherever it is in the world. Be it Europe, US or Japan, I am more than willing to search through the Internet. Yet... let's not make this wrong - I love my job and I am still based in Hong Kong. To travel is my hobby, and to earn the miles is the side-happiness gained (hmm.. making this clear first is important for "On the Air" may stereotype people thinking too much!! :D)

Looking into OneWorld for opportunities to fly... let's see...

Travel in Hokkaido

Travelling in Japan has always been a leisure for me. Thanks to my parents, we took the Chinese New Year break to Hokkaido, Japan. Although we joined a packaged tour to Hokkaido, the preparation involved in this trip dated back all the way to November, 2009 - Winter clothings, cameras, pre-briefing and research on what shall be seen, etc. Reason for this? An enjoyable 5-day trip during the CNY.

Being a member of the worldwide office working group, the meaning and the happiness retrieved from this trip is memorable. Not only is it a time for me to leisure myself in the hot springs and drive my eyes away from the paper work that I always face in Hong Kong, as restated from previous trips' blog, it is a means of revitalizing life. Short it is and always wanting it to be longer, I learnt that we have to once again have feelings to things:

Yes, our corporate life is to be aggressive and no mercy should be given to any wrong-doings, but not our lives.
Yes, we should comment on people directly when they have done something wrong, but should we make their lives like hell in this process?

Treasure time with whom you are close to...
Treasure the people whom we can spend time for...
Treasure what our environment has given us...

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

A little story from Cathay Pacific...

On the way I was yelling at why I have to fly in EY-cabin when I can go to J-Cabins... given the amount of money that could be spent and the comfort. I remember how "mad" and "unhappy" I was when I was about to go on the trip. Luckily, the cabin crew was very nice and I was given 15 minutes to sit in First Class for a little while. Perhaps this is a little advice from God that I should be grateful of what I am having already. Therefore, enjoy the food on the plane, enjoy the seats there and enjoy the flight!

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

From Hokkaido Trip CNY (Feb 12-16 2010)

Farewell ER!

Hong Kong showed the last ER episode at 21:30 on the 18th January 2010. After 15 years of showing, this medical TV series finally comes to a full stop. 15 years of history means this TV series has brought me up from a kid to a man. I recall the old days I was in Hong Kong, just returning from Canada and going through my childhood life. Then, a couple of years later, I moved to Vancouver and this TV series was always next to me. Slowly as I grow up, I stopped catching the TV series weekly due to school work and the fact that the time this TV series was shown is always a time for Chinese TV series, rather than English. Yet, ER has always been a friend to me – literally teaching me what “BP” and “SPO2” means. Of course, till date I still couldn’t grab the words the doctors are saying but I will say if I look back at the 15 seasons, I will surely agree that my medical knowledge mostly come from this TV episode.

Characters that always hits my brain includes “Mark Greene”, “John Carter” (performed by Noah Wyle), “Dr. Benton” and many other. However, these characters have taught me many things that of being a human being. Many thanks to their great shows indeed.

The departure of ER is surely a sad thing for many of those who likes the show, myself included. Memories of this great show will certainly be preserved – such as “Previously on ER”. Hopefully my next visit to MSN’s shop in New York will be still filled with information on ER and I hope one day, ER will come back, showing me the new medical information to all of us.

Till now, farewell ER and all the best!

Resolution 2010

Guess I should start a bit of Resolution 2010 with a bit of review from 2009. 2009 has been a challenging year, with many fruitful memories.

In terms of career, I found my graduate job in a place called KEDA, as a System Analyst, where afterwards, I had enough of the boss and started searching for an alternative. In April 13 2009, after a holiday to Japan, I started a new job in a company called E-Mice Solutions (HK) Limited. This company allowed me to expose my technical research and analytical skills to the business level, as well as making a report for the HKSAR Innovation Technology Commission with my team leader, Chris. I learnt a lot about work politics, which is something very devastating, but also essential to bear in mind that such things exist. Nevertheless, I was being put into a situation where I was almost being framed up. This led my team leader to begin working for another senior manager, who is the shareholder of the company. Having said that, I learnt important things from the previous director as well, who can be called a bitch but then her skills in handling people demonstrated the necessity of what a manager should not do in the future.

In terms of church, I have finally taken promise in the Legion of Mary and worked my assignments in the choir as head organist. Having said that I am a head organist, I never like to be one. The fact the disputes carried forward from 2008 forced the choir to be reorganized. A committee team in the Choir was formed and Joe as the chairman. Things come into good practice with procedures established in the committee as well as the choir. Of course, Patricia continues to be the conductor and we have been a good team, helping choir members strengthening their faiths. As for Legion, a few more members joined and this brought more happiness in the team as well as longer meeting times. Fr. Gabriel left for Sydney initially but then he was brought to Mainland to learn Putonghua. Fr. Edward Chau replaced him as SD afterward and his allucutios were always appealing and a good means of refreshing our faith.

Family life has been sustained but work really reduced the time for me to be with my parents. This resulted in multiple trips to Japan during the year (and also twice to Beijing). We had a good time together but slowly as their son you will find that your parents are somewhat getting old and as the only child, you really have to think for them more.

All these lead to my Resolution for 2010:
(1) Read the bible on a regular basis (once a month, to start off)
(2) Continue to lower my temper
(3) Learn to "swallow the grieves" when I am being scolded at work
(4) More time to share with parents and friends
(5) Continue travelling (Next stop: Karuizawa!!!)

Julie and Julia

Had a chance to go for the movies this weekend and my parents have opted to watch the movie on gourmets and cooking. Not knowing what the story is about, I just jumped into the IFC Palace and watched the movie. Now for those of you who may have issues with understanding French, fear not! (despite much French has been spoken and no translation was transalted!) The story covers on the gourmets of French cuisine and how French cuisine can be cooked easily, as taught by Julia Child. Julie Powell hoped that she will attempt Julia's way of cooking the 500-ish dishes in 365 days. You know what? Cooking French cuisine isn't that simple at all! But she made it!

This movie, despite being a Hollywood and involving the multiple Hollywood features inside the film, delivers to me the following messages:
- work hard and you can survive
- life is not just about working in the cubical - there is more out there
- Food is a matter of bread and wine and a means of enchantment, so Bon appetite!

Everyday we should thank God for the challenges and graces he gave us. Everyday we fight with the challenges hoping to just get it done. Everyday we feel something - no matter happy or sad. Yet more importantly, we should treasure who we are with everyday and forgive them for their sins. A cup of wine or a plate of entree will rejoyce to you when you are enjoying life! So again, bon appetite et joyeaux votre vie!

Retreat 2009 31/10~1/11

People in Hong Kong celebrate the 31st October as Halloween, which is also known as the day of the phantom / the change of weather / etc. I have opted this time to learn a bit more about praying. Staying in the Retreat House in Stanley not only allowed me to understand that grieves that I face now is a challenge, and we should face it happily. I recall this was being told in the Sound of Music already but never do I know the importance of facing the challenge in an optimistic mood. Not only should we demonstrate our confidence to complete the task, but also should be smile all the way through. This doubles the power of confidence and is important for me to balance between work and my faith.

This reflection is very useful for my work life and I hope I can smile through all the challenges coming forward...