The family overseas tour – Hong Kong

    After I quited my job in Leeart, I planed to have an overseas travel with my family.  Eva agreed with my idea and arranged a vacation from her company and boyfriend to go with us. The whole family took the same airplane and visited overseas together last time is already ten years ago in Guandong, China. In the early Oct, when we have a family dinner in a Cantonese style restaurant, we found out our parents never been to Hong Kong. How can the parents whose daughter is a flight attendant and their son planned to be a tour guide and tour manager never been to the places two hours away from home? Here we come, Hong Kong.

The family tour

       http://www.flickr.com/photos/orpheuslin/sets/72157622519759703/

       It’s not a blooming year for many companies this year. Therefore, my previous company cuts the budget of the international commercial shows or visited customer overseas. I didn’t go to Hong Kong more than one year. It did change a lot after the direct flight between Taiwan and China. Before the direct flight, the taiwanese needs to fly through Hong Kong to any other city in China by the political reason. It’s stupid but it definitely brings many business oppotunities in Hong Kong. The first impression I entered Hong Kong this trip is “where are the people”? I remembered I need to line up since the first moment I was out of the airplanet one year ago. But, not this time, furthermore, the express from the airport to Hong Kong is only half empty. It’s really surprised me especially the moment during our trip is also a business show exhibited.

          The whole travel schedule is arranged by Eva. She went to Hong Kong very often. During this trip, she looks more like a tour manager than I did. It’s my privilege. After this trip, I need to serve people every trip in the future. Let me have a break before it happens. But, the opening scenic spot is chosen by me. Definitely, the Huang-Da-Shin temple. This temple is also my favorite temple in Hong Kong. I prayed there seven years ago for the marriage. I really had one after the pray. (Even, it doesn’t last for a long time.) However, I still thanks for Huang-Da-Shin for the surprising three years he gave me. I learn a lot more than what I could learn the last three decades.

      http://meeme.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/hong-kong-trip-pilgrimage

     The hotel we lived has a nice view. The reason I said it has a nice view doesn’t mean you can see the great Victoria habor or the great buildings. The nice view means it brings us many entertainments. Since the house price is crazy expensive in Hong Kong, the spaces people can have is so small. You can see people hangs their clothes outside the window. It reminds me of the honeycomb. There are 6 million people live in this small island, therefore, having a house costs a lot of their living spending. The economic isn’t as good as before but the house price goes to the peak of their history record. (The average house price has already beaten the house price in London. Based on the newspaper said, it potentially can be the most expensive house price in the world before end of this year.)  Even there are many pressures in life, you still can see the vitality of the people in Hong Kong.

     http://www.flickr.com/photos/orpheuslin/sets/72157622644270454/

      For my parents, the best impression during this trip is definitely the Cantonese Porridge we went to eat every afternoon. The chinese followed the economic theorem the best. Of course, they will show us a regular menu. No,no, no….. That’s for the tourist, not experienced gluttons like us. Since Eva comes to Hong Kong very often, we knew they have a secret menu is for local people. The price will be at least 30% cheaper if you ordered by this magic menu. That’s why my parents love it. The definition of good food for them is not only good but also cheap. I’m sure they might forget what they see in Hong Kong three to four decades later but they’ll never forget the feeling of the Porridge melted in their mouths.

            http://www.flickr.com/photos/orpheuslin/sets/72157622519788533/

      The Victoria Habor is still the top view of the habor in my mind even I saw many others. Not only the tall building around but also its history.  The taiwanese grew up with the Hong Kong movies. In the chinese area, Hong kong is like a pardise for the adventurer. There are many successful stories happens here. However, there are more sad stories happened behinds the habor without sleeping. Their movies are good at making stories like this. I also need to acclaim the tour development department  in Hong Kong. They’re really good at promoting their city. The Duc Ling boat is an tour boat copied from their ancient style army ship. It brings tourist explored this beautiful habor and gives a chance for the people to image the feeling sailed three hundred years ago.  

The Duc Ling Boat

       http://www.flickr.com/photos/orpheuslin/sets/72157622644236284/

      In my parents’ rating, they think the “Ngong Ping 360″ is the best schedule during this trip. It’s the cable car to the Lantau mountain. The Big budda status in Lantau mountain is the biggest copper made status in the world. It attracts many tourist and prayer comes here for a good luck. It’s also a must see tour point every time I visited Hong Kong but I never been there by cable car. (I have acrophobia) Hanging myself 25 minutes in the air…… but I still tried because it’s a family activity. I started to look around after 5 minutes hysteria. It’s not as scary as I thought. It’s a fully covered cabin which is really safe and I took few good records there. The views in the air sets your spirit free. You will feel there is nothing you should worry, compete, concern since a humanbeing is just like a sand in the air. They also built a new town nearby the Lantau mountain. It built with chinese style but ironically half of the stores located there are foreign coffee shop or restaurant. Well, maybe that’s called international.

    

        

                                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/orpheuslin/sets/72157622644262036/

     I’m happy they like this trip. They really deserve a good trip. People said a good start means a half of the way to the success. After I quited my job, this trip is surely a landmark of a good start for my next career. I remembered when we entered the custom gate in Taiwan, the immigration officer asked my father why does he go to Hong kong. My father relied and said “My son and daughter treated me a trip.”. The immigration officer said ” Wow, you’re a lucky father.”. My father said ” Yes, I am. “. My father said this story three times on the way home. I think it deserved any penny we spend.

          http://www.flickr.com/photos/orpheuslin/sets/72157622644253168/

If there were one day

      I think you hear my pray. The last two years, I think you hear me asked you “Why?” more than 1,000 times. Maybe, my sincerity touches you or maybe you just felt over the top and want to stop me bothering you by this question. The best way to answer the “why” question is to put people in the same position. 

      Back to  the moment two years ago, “I can’t change the world to meet your expectation and I can’t change what you think. Playing piano is the only language to balance the two inharmonic worlds. In the moment, we are in the place sweet like heaven. Can’t you read me? Do you know I hope we can play a perfect  Duet.  Why don’t you hold your Urhu when I played my piano? Does all the sweet will turn to sour when the music died?” In front of the apartment door you said : ” Don’t change the lock. I will be back in any moment.”

 

        Back to the moment two days ago,” I’m not a mean person and you’re the boss I repect the most in my 10 year working experiences.  However, this job won’t bring me anywhere. I’m not the person for this position and I knew I can be someone better somewhere else. We’re both nice persons but it just doesn’t fit. I will always miss this company and your kindness but this step destined to walk out.  For my owned good and for your owned good, too, you deserved a better employee and I deserved a better career. It’s sad you even don’t want to make any eye contact when I said I will leave this company. In front of the factory you said: “Come back to visit us anytime you would like.”

       Yes, come back ….. If there were one day. 

        It reminds me a taiwanese song called “If there were one day”

Chinese lyrics (Excerpt only one paragraph)      

     如果有一天　我們再見面
　時間會不會倒退一點
　也許我們都忽略　互相傷害之外的感覺

　如果哪一天　我們都發現
　好聚好散不過是種遮掩
　如果我們沒發現　就給彼此多一點時間

     The translation

     If there were one day, we can meet each other again.

     Can we back to the moment before we started our angry words?

     Maybe, we can find out some other feeling besides hurting each other.

 

      If there were one day, we all will find out

      A sweet good-bye is just to relief our sense of guilty.

      If we can’t understand it, maybe it’s worthy to spend some more time for next time we meet each other.

       *************************************

      When I was young, I only thought there is only good people and bad people can’t live or work together. Now I know, finally, some good people with good intentions also can’t  live or work together. Is it a prank from the destiny or the mercy from God? I start not to know.

       Here is the MTV of the song “If there were one day”

      http://www.wretch.cc/video/love04876&func=single&vid=4933994&o=time_d&p=1

      If there were one day

The basic trainning class of the volunteer job in World Vision

     I’ve been a translation volunteer in world vision for few months. When I lost the chance to build up a family, I needs something to make up the hallow of the family dream.  The world vision is the foundation I sponsor two kids in Bosnia. The two kids bring me lots of hope and joy after I knew I probably need to wait for a long while for my owned kids.  I sometimes would read their letters again and again to pretend I also have kids in somewhere in the world who wrote me letter. By a conference they elected, I knew they also need translation volunteers to become the bridge between the sponsors and the chidren. It sounds intersting and creative  to me. Maybe the god knew I’m not ready to be a real father but potentially a good one. He wants me learn from those kids before I becomes a real one.

 

      The world vision elected a trainning class for the volunteers this weekend. It’s a trainning class for the new comer of being a volunteer. The course contents self understanding, what’s the voluntary service, volunteer ethic, volunteer law & trend and experience sharing. It’s an 12 hours trainning. The most interesting class is the experience sharing by a lifetime volunteer in world vision Miss Yang.

 

       Talking about the world vision, everyone knew “The 30 hour famine”. The people from everywhere in Taiwan comes voluntarily to a stadium to experience 30 hours without eating anything. People tries to feel how the famine have been through by this activity. It also inspired many people sponsor or donate money or goods to the third world country. Honestly, I didn’t attend “the 30 hours famine”. But, it just one of the most famous activities people known. I will say the activity is the most efficient way to make people know the foundation and to approach those potential volunteers or sponsors. But, the amazing stories and touching scenes are all happened after you becomes one of the vounteers or sponsors.

 

        I don’t know how many people cry during the two hours she makes this speech.  Maybe her speech skill is good but I think people cried because it really touched our hearts. I just say one of them and try to make it short.

         Few years ago, there is a typhoon came to attack Taiwan and brought many damages. There is a family whose house has been flooded. Besides one person (just called John), all the other members have been killed by the flood. John is the volunteer of the world vision for years. Since John knew there’s nothing he can do for his family, after he buried his family, he immediately attends the voluntarily team of the foundation to help other families which still have chance to survive.  After the typhoon, people voluntarily to rise a donation for him. When he took the check, he said : I’m sure there are some other people need those money urgently more than I do. Please give those money to someone who needs them. So, he gave back those money and asked the foundation did the proper arragement which to give those money to some other families. That’s the taiwanese I knew. I’m glad to knew there is still real taiwanese live in this land.  

 

         I knew there are always good or bad people live in the same world. No matter which country or which race you are, the situation are all the same. However, since everybody knew this simple rule, why does the media make the world worse? There are more than 10 news channels in Taiwan. The pro-unification news channel can make a talk show to talk  about why our former corrupted president need to stay in the jail in the rest of his life every day. The pro-independance news channel can make a talk show to talk about why our current president need to fall out of the position every day.  Since the former president won’t die immediately and the current president won’t fall out right away, too, I don’t whom do they try to torture or punished. The audiences?  Yes, we’re really in a “Media Jail”. There are so many beautiful and touching stories Taiwanese made. That’s the stories worth the media broadcast.  For many taiwanese, the political persons are not the taiwanese. They are as the same as any other political person in the world belongs to another planet called “The politician planet”. Why don’t the media tell us more “real taiwanese story” than the story happens in another planet? People said if you don’t watch news channel, taiwan is a beautiful island. But, why the taiwanese tried so hard to have a media freedom but the media never tried to show us how the real taiwanese lives. Too complicated, I think it’s a lot simple if I only tried to be a real taiwanese in world vision.

done