Congratulatory Apple, Being back, Back to work, and University

Congratulatory Apple
Found out some great news - my best HK friend Apple may become a Police officer...exciting news. I will keep my fingers crossed for her.

She will join the ranks of the 5 other Hong Kong police officers I've known - for those of you who didn't know, my parents met in the Hong Kong police.

I will keep my fingers crossed for her, but won't harp on it until she has the uniform on.

Being back
I spent the last year finding out who I am. I finished that 364 days early and gathered reasons for why I am what I am.

Now in my second year in Hong Kong (minus one month I was gone) I am now much more assertive about my identity, sometimes in a hostile manner, but otherwise very dismissive and sweeping in tone. Identity cannot be dealt with lightly in the face of assumptions, biases, prejudice and ignorance - otherwise it's just not worth dealing at all. Unless you don't care.

I have the face of a foreigner, but all the advantages of a Canadian-born Chinese (CBC). Rather, I don't have the face of a Chinese, but without the disadvantages of a landed foreigner.

It has been rather difficult to explain myself to the Hong Kong people. Not that I care to, there's no shouting from rooftops nor do I care there's any importance about my identity. But people ask and don't quite listen intently - so I need to be assertive. I get the questions from the locals, the foreigners and the overseas-raised. They ask my why I know Chinese, how come I can write, how come I know about the popular culture scene, how am I able to stay in Hong Kong. The answers are typically because I am a Canadian-born Chinese - but the unspoke subtext is that I don't know these things more because I am a foreigner. Both apply.

So in sweeping language with assertion, I bounce back and forth balancing the line between explaining that I know these things because I am chinese, yet don't know it more because I am a foreigner.

Back to work
After a month absence, went back to work at the headquarters for the foster children to teach English. A few have left - been adopted - and it bothers me after having developed an attachment for the children - but it's all in the best. Less difficult is that some will be moving up to higher-age dorms - while others will be relocated to foster care in another area in Hong Kong. These kids are the cutest things - deserving of all the things all children benefit - but won't get. So many things bother me about their situation, and though I agree they have all the reasons to have my sympathy and attention, while working I need to be stern, consistent, and maintain discipline while I teach. Outside of class I try to give as much attention and care as I can though.

The cutest thing is hearing the kids tell me they missed me. I was earnestly hoping they wouldn't, and respond well to the substitute teacher. I worked hard to provide the substitute with materials, direction, advice and a schedule that would make things easiest, but fortunately my assistant was able to respond well to the students. I am told some of the children cried for me, but although this is very flattering, these children need to develop strength and adapt to change. But all in time. I hope.

University?
I am considering taking a Cantonese course at the Chinese University in Hong KOng. From what I have read from on-line message boards about Cantonese, their course is the best, as they even teach translators. But it's very expensive...$4000 CDN for a semester 3 month of 5 courses/week at 3 hours/class (now, if a train is going west at 15km/h and another is going...). My past 3 months in Hong Kong hasn't improved my Cantonese at all, and I want to communicate better with my friends and family - Right now I can communicate sufficiently, but it is mostly relying on others to fill the (many) gaps, and I feel the richness of the communications is lacking, as I have more to express and more to discern from what I want to express. A very expensive interest, but...

But I need to speak Cantonese- and speak it well for it to be useful. I cannot understand why anyone would want to speak French. It is useless. Not to say anything less of the language - I continue to push myself to learn it and practice it. But it takes a lot before it is useful. Why? Because for your level of French to be useful, you have to be speaking to someone whose English is worse than your French. This is a really simple concept - because if their English was better than your French, then you'd be speaking English. And this is true with just about everybody who can speak French - all Francophones (generally) can speak English - and speak it well. If you are going to speak French with a francophone, it's because your French is very good. And to learn very good French is just about prohibitively impossible. You will always be able to fall back on your shill and revert to English.

The same applies to Cantonese. My Cantonese, to be practically useful, has to be very very good. And I endeavour for that. And I am in the right place for it, and the right effort and motivation. I'd love to learn from the people around me, but we keep reverting back to English, because I don't have enough of a foundation to build on - just enough of a foundation to provide shelter. I also wouldn't want to subject others with having to deal with me. It's a difficult language for a westerner to learn - and requires a teacher with a sensitive ear for tone, and a knowledge of the steps that builds on learning and - a whole bunch of other stuff I know about education.

Enough rambling.

Here's your gratuitous photo.


Is Doug ready for University again...or is University ready for Doug again?
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