Back and still reflective
My vacation in Canada was a fun ride and a long ride.
I spent a month in Canada. I visited Montreal for 2 weeks (where I grew up), and then Ottawa / Buckingham (where I was born and where my father (the french canadian one)'s family resides) and then Toronto (where I have family from my mother (the chinese one)'s side) for a week.
My regrets go out to many of you I didn't have a chance to see - circumstances and timing doesn't make it all possible...particular regrets with Summer G, Lizz D, Mary H, Krystjana, Lia G, Trevor A, Antonia X and others.
My trip was plenty full of great surprises and fun. I don't want to bore anyone with the details - I read them from others about their trips - freakin' boring people. At least we don't get them all the time - you know, updates about a person's trip and they write about the great view of the sun on the beach and blah blah blah blah blah. Who cares. I'm sure there is a commonly shared notion that they are gloating about their trip - though I'm sure they're not.
Instead I offer a photo-collage about my trip.
The photos are in no particular order. I tried to include photos featuring a variety of people. I include former roommates, former girlfriends, former workmates, best friends, childhood friends, kindred spirits, fellow travellers, fellow students-of-life, fellow drinkers, a brother, a cousin and a lawyer.
TIP:
When making a collage of your drinking exploits, be sure to include a lawyer. It adds an interesting and much-needed touch to modern photo collages (I know you're reading this, Paul).
Source: Martha Stewart On-line, 2005
I only involved overall planning with my trip - a rough date on the locations, in the aims of spreading out weekends with friends and days in between to be with family, while ensuring my presence to a wedding, a party, a doctor's appointment, a movie showing and a fireworks night.
One month?
Yeah. It's long for a vacation, I know. but I needed to.
My reason is two-fold:
a) I love my family, friends and Canada
I had to hit Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, the multi-ethnic Canadian I am with family and roots spread throughout. A few days here and there simply isn't enough, especially with the number of people I had to see.
b) I hate Hong Kong's freaking hot weather
It makes you loco - crazy crazy. Your hair starts to melt. You can't breathe, but you can't cry because your skin just can't breathe. Being gone for most of the month of July gives me salvation from a month of the crazy crazy loco heat.
Doug, your vacation summary is getting boring
Crap.
Ummm...time for relevance:
A few contrasts I've noticed about the west (Canada/North America) and east (HK/Asia).
-The west's music videos show women wearing the most scantily-clad women shaking every joint in gyrations.
-The east's music videos show women in sweaters and hip-hugging snow-wear. Yeah baby! Put it on!
-The people in the west talk too much and do little. Let's sit, drink beer, and complain about things we can't change.
-The people in the east play too much and discuss too little. Let's play video games or dice games and avoid discussions on politics.
-Canada has so much ethnic diversity - being sunk in it it can be forgotten easily and unappreciated - and fall into the background. Be proud and know your roots.
-Hong Kong has no ethnic diversity - people from multicultural roots may forget ethnicity is a key determinator of a person's character and motivations - multiculturalism is not an absolute, and until you are a minority power at home and abroad, you cannot understand the limiting effects.
-The west is really ignorant about the east.
-The east is very curious about the west.
Reflection: Deal with change.
I think the most important lesson one can learn in life is being able to deal with change. With this comes the capacity to adapt to a changing environment. I figure that this is the greatest cause of failure for anyone - not being able to prepare for change and weathering its effect. Among my motivations for going to Hong Kong is to deal with a different environment and completely different set of challenges I haven't before faced. And face them. And overcome them. And be a better person in the end.
And so, I boarded my plane from Hong Kong, got to Canada, travelled to three different cities - saw plenty of friends and family, and returned to Hong Kong without any particular stress. Not without any help or support mind you, but the things worth doing are the things most difficult to do. And done without stress demonstrates lessons learned and a greater threshold for stress.
That's all for now.
I will post when I have photos online.
I spent a month in Canada. I visited Montreal for 2 weeks (where I grew up), and then Ottawa / Buckingham (where I was born and where my father (the french canadian one)'s family resides) and then Toronto (where I have family from my mother (the chinese one)'s side) for a week.
My regrets go out to many of you I didn't have a chance to see - circumstances and timing doesn't make it all possible...particular regrets with Summer G, Lizz D, Mary H, Krystjana, Lia G, Trevor A, Antonia X and others.
My trip was plenty full of great surprises and fun. I don't want to bore anyone with the details - I read them from others about their trips - freakin' boring people. At least we don't get them all the time - you know, updates about a person's trip and they write about the great view of the sun on the beach and blah blah blah blah blah. Who cares. I'm sure there is a commonly shared notion that they are gloating about their trip - though I'm sure they're not.
Instead I offer a photo-collage about my trip.
The photos are in no particular order. I tried to include photos featuring a variety of people. I include former roommates, former girlfriends, former workmates, best friends, childhood friends, kindred spirits, fellow travellers, fellow students-of-life, fellow drinkers, a brother, a cousin and a lawyer.
TIP:
When making a collage of your drinking exploits, be sure to include a lawyer. It adds an interesting and much-needed touch to modern photo collages (I know you're reading this, Paul).
Source: Martha Stewart On-line, 2005
I only involved overall planning with my trip - a rough date on the locations, in the aims of spreading out weekends with friends and days in between to be with family, while ensuring my presence to a wedding, a party, a doctor's appointment, a movie showing and a fireworks night.
One month?
Yeah. It's long for a vacation, I know. but I needed to.
My reason is two-fold:
a) I love my family, friends and Canada
I had to hit Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, the multi-ethnic Canadian I am with family and roots spread throughout. A few days here and there simply isn't enough, especially with the number of people I had to see.
b) I hate Hong Kong's freaking hot weather
It makes you loco - crazy crazy. Your hair starts to melt. You can't breathe, but you can't cry because your skin just can't breathe. Being gone for most of the month of July gives me salvation from a month of the crazy crazy loco heat.
Doug, your vacation summary is getting boring
Crap.
Ummm...time for relevance:
A few contrasts I've noticed about the west (Canada/North America) and east (HK/Asia).
-The west's music videos show women wearing the most scantily-clad women shaking every joint in gyrations.
-The east's music videos show women in sweaters and hip-hugging snow-wear. Yeah baby! Put it on!
-The people in the west talk too much and do little. Let's sit, drink beer, and complain about things we can't change.
-The people in the east play too much and discuss too little. Let's play video games or dice games and avoid discussions on politics.
-Canada has so much ethnic diversity - being sunk in it it can be forgotten easily and unappreciated - and fall into the background. Be proud and know your roots.
-Hong Kong has no ethnic diversity - people from multicultural roots may forget ethnicity is a key determinator of a person's character and motivations - multiculturalism is not an absolute, and until you are a minority power at home and abroad, you cannot understand the limiting effects.
-The west is really ignorant about the east.
-The east is very curious about the west.
Reflection: Deal with change.
I think the most important lesson one can learn in life is being able to deal with change. With this comes the capacity to adapt to a changing environment. I figure that this is the greatest cause of failure for anyone - not being able to prepare for change and weathering its effect. Among my motivations for going to Hong Kong is to deal with a different environment and completely different set of challenges I haven't before faced. And face them. And overcome them. And be a better person in the end.
And so, I boarded my plane from Hong Kong, got to Canada, travelled to three different cities - saw plenty of friends and family, and returned to Hong Kong without any particular stress. Not without any help or support mind you, but the things worth doing are the things most difficult to do. And done without stress demonstrates lessons learned and a greater threshold for stress.
That's all for now.
I will post when I have photos online.
posted by Canadian "Civil" Servant at 18:44
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home