Happy Valentine’s Day: God Loves You

This morning during church the Sunday school kids gathered at the front of the sanctuary with red heart stickers in their hands. Jasper stood their proudly, beaming like a weird wild man of Borneo with his single jagged, crooked, front tooth. Sebastian stood smiling with some trepidation. Our Sunday School Leader asked the kids to go into the congregation, find someone they know, place the sticker on them while saying, "God Loves You."

Jasper was off like a rocket. No idea to whom he gave his sticker. Most likely he used it to bandage his tooth, which he plays with non-stop. Honestly, he'll have nothing to play with once that tooth drops out.

Sebastian came towards me to give me a heart. I then asked him to find someone else in the congregation to give his other heart. I watched Seb walk down the aisle and as he reached the end I thought, "Oh well, it's okay that he didn't find anyone."

However, just as I expected Sebastian to turn right and exit the sanctuary he made a left, then another left, heading up the far side of the sanctuary. I thought, "He… has… a… mission. What is he up to?"

A few seconds later Sebastian stopped at one of the rows. Walking into the pews he found a very good friend of mine deep in the crowd and sitting by himself. With an amazing shy smile on his face, Sebastian placed the heart on my friend's chest and I could see him say, "God loves you."

Wow… it was an amazing moment.

Meanwhile I failed my own Valentine's Day. I have been delinquent in getting Tess' her annual Valentine's collage. Tess, with such a big heart, is being very forgiving about the whole debacle.

The New i-Phone 5

I am trying to decide if I should get an i-Phone 4, wait for the i-Phone 5, or get neither and buy a Blackberry. Several of my friends have the Blackberry Torch and, well, have a bit of a ho-hum reaction to it. I do a lot of typing on my current work Blackberry: answering emails, writing blog posts, other writing etc. Everyone says to me, "If you type a lot, don't buy an i-Phone." Thus I am conflicted. I am also thinking, "Maybe I should just buy the latest 'Dragon Speak' software and speak everything into existance. Reason to get an i-Phone are the apps, (especially Sleep Cycle), the integrated connectivity – so easy to have all e-mail addresses converging on one device and an coordinated calendar with Tess and let's be honest, it's just such a cool looking device.

If I wait for the i-Phone 5, I might be waiting for six months. Serious rumours have it that the new i-Phone 5 will emerge by the end of Q2 with, among other things (1) the antenna problem fixed (2) even more fantastic ergonomic design (3) 4G network friendly (4) a powerful 8 megapixel camera (5) 64 GB of memory (6) a battery that will last 14 hours and even more amazing (7) a patented radio frequency identification technology. "What's that," you ask? For people in Hong Kong, that means your i-Phone turns into an Octopus card. Rumour has it the the i-Phone 5 will be a wireless payment device similar to how we use Octopus cards in Hong Kong – it will function as a wireless credit or debit card: that's powerful. I am sure someone will connect that to air miles, too!

Here are a few more features I suspect the i-Phone 5 will have (feel free to add your own suggestion in the comments section):

1. Pop-up screen made of bullet proof glass provides extraordinary security and doubles as a small picnic table or qwerty keyboard. (Table idea suggested by our friend Ellie. Meanwhile, typing problem solved!)
2. Mixes martinis: the upgraded acceleronometer provides a martini ~ shaken, not stirred.
3. Bubblegum application provides real gumballs.
4. Kids features: while the bubblegum app is a hit, what kids really like is the ability to make toys that are instantly manufactured on the spot. (Thank you, Sela.)
5. Built-in LCD projector turns any room you visit into a movie theatre.
6. Telepresence feature causes business decline for many airlines.
7. Upgraded silent mode provides a masseuse so strong it's the equivalent of a 9o minute massage at any leading spa. OSIM, and… er… a few other companies, file for bankruptcy. (Thank you, tess!)
8. Stealth mode makes you and your surroundings invisible to police radar, all versions of ex-girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, tax collectors and natural disasters. (Thank you, Paul!)
9. Upgraded clock functions so fast the i-Phone 5 can travel back in time. New applications include "Mortgage Reversal" where the bank pays you to own a home or you can slow loan payments down to once/year. (Also Paul!)
10. Kinda boring but the i-Phone 5 also dispenses cash. (My idea.)

Meanwhile, the Lovely and Talented Tess gave me an i-Phone 4 for Christmas. (Or at least permission to buy one.) Now I just have to figure out if I look back or look forward. What to do… what to do…

Joe in Vegas: when bloggers meet…

I like when the virtual world connects with the real world. This past week those worlds intertwined when I had the chance to meet Joe In Vegas. I had been on a ten day business trip in the US, which included a week in Las Vegas to attend a very well orchestrated Global Sales Conference for my company. The jam-packed conference agenda meant I had little time to enjoy Las Vegas other than meeting Joe.

Joe began following Tess’ blog about a year after the triplets’ birth. Every once in a while he’d hop over to my blog, too. However, Tess and my styles are very different. Tess is a much better writer, with a far better sense of humour, more often reflecting on the hilarity of our crazy world. Tess also writes regularly while I drift through droughts with only occasional showers of words. If my blog were a desert, Tess' blog is a tropical rainforest full of wonder, abundant colour and medicines that make you better.

My blog has a darker spirit reflecting conflict within me. Unknown to Joe, he’s encouraged me to be a brighter blogger – Joe once left a comment that my writing was too dark. I took it to heart and since then have tried to be more upbeat. Then I saw the quote on Joe’s blog: “Don't be offended by my stupid comments on your blog, I just wanted to let you know I was there and appreciate that you've written.” Regardless, thank you Joe for encouraging me to bring diversity and levity to my writing.

Joe and I met in the Venetian Hotel where I was staying, near where the hotel was making a "seasonal change to Chinese New Year. " (Their words – see rabbit above!) We walked to a French restaurant, Bouchon Bistro, in the sprawling Venetian complex. Suddenly it struck me that I was in Vegas: up until this point I’d walked from my hotel room to the conference deep in the hotel’s bowels. Walking to different parts of the complex blew my mind: Vegas really knows how to pour on stunning imagery. Once again, Joe opened my eyes to a different world. (At left: a canal inside The Venetian, complete with beautiful artificial sky.)

Joe is a wonderful gentleman, insightful with wisdom in his tone. We had a lovely discussion about life in general, why we blog, when we started blogging, living in the US and living in Hong Kong.  Joe also met my father-in-law, Blake, which I had completely forgotten. If you read through Joe’s blog, one will find stories of Joe making toys – from scratch – for his grand-daughter, E. She is a lucky granddaughter. And I am a lucky person to have met Joe, too. Thank you, Joe, for taking the time to come to the Venetian, connecting the dots between the virtual and real worlds.

Signs

Wonderful Tess and I have some decisions in front of us and I have some decisions in front of me. Not light decisions, either, and some of them directly plugged into my spiritual world. Some background: on Friday I attended a Christian breakfast where a friend gave a testimony about his time in prison. This individual was released from prison in January 2010 after serving a 3+ year sentence related to financial irregularities and wrong doing in his former business. He shared how regardless of our lot, station or cell in life, many of us are imprisoned by something. For my friend he was imprisoned by society's laws, spending three plus years in Hong Kong prisons. For many of us we are imprisoned by possessions, money, career, relationship issues. We are even imprisoned by dynamics that we may not even know are at work on us: shame, guilt, fear.

In time, content to be shared but one of the decisions in front of me is whether or not to take on a significant leadership role in the next Walk To Emmaus retreat. Normally this would be a no-brainer – YES – the fluidity of other pieces of my life have me questions whether or not I should say, “Yes” or might be better to say, “Not Now.”

I have been hesitating on this decision. I didn't sense I had clear indication or confirmation that now was the correct time to fulfill this role.  The other day while driving, I received a phone call from the person who extended the invitation on behalf of the Walk To Emmaus Community. Just after answering the call – yes I was wearing a headset – a white truck pulled in front of me. My friend and I spoke for about fifteen minutes, debating back and forth how one would know if they were following God’s will for one’s life and if I was to accept this invitation. I explained to Dave that I wasn't getting a clear sign to pursue this role at this time and I was worried about the time commitments.  Deep inside I felt as though I was being silly and the answer was an obvious yes… just be obedient and follow God. The discussion went on for about twenty minutes while I drove from one side to the other side of Hong Kong – the entire time following the white truck.

Unexpectedly the truck’s signage connected with my self-centered mind. “Oh my gosh, Dave,” I said. “The entire time we’ve talked I’ve been following a Trappist Dairy truck.”

“You're kidding… Trappist Dairy,” Dave replied, “you don’t see those very often!”

“Wow, what a sign. I think this answers the question that I should be the Lay Director,” I said.

“It would be hard to dispute that,” Dave confirmed.

I love Trappist Dairy milk and buy it whenever available in the supermarkets. I also love the Trappist Haven Monastery on Lamma Island. Although I have yet to visit personally, I have always heard great things about the place.

From Wikipedia: The Trappist Haven Monastery (Traditional Chinese:熙篤會神樂院 or 聖母神樂院) is a monastery at Tai Shui Hang (Chinese: 大水坑), on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It is home to a number of Roman Catholic monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, or Trappists. It adopted its new, official name Our Lady of Joy Abbey on January 15, 2000.

The monastery is famous for producing the Trappist milk (known as Cross Milk 十字牌牛奶 or Priest Milk 神父牌牛奶 by Hong Kongers).

Are we ready for more?

One of the things I often do before going on business trips is mail Tess a magazine. I have been doing this for years. The goal is for a representation of me to arrive in the mail a few days following my departure. The gesture is a small way of saying, “I love you and I am still here” despite not actually physically being around. Since starting this practice, I have taken license to deface the magazines I send. We call them “getting Vinced.” Vince is the younger brother of a small cartoon character I invented in high school called “Buppy.” I saved all my Buppy drawings and someday might make a hilarious blog.

Back to the mags – I take a permanent magic marker, drawing funny faces on The Gorgeous People no doubt airbrushed into the magazine. I unairbrush them in a fun way. After a while Tess objected to the vandalism. Turns out she was getting confused. On the cover beneath the markings she was sure it was Hilary Swank marrying Brad Pitt, only to learn later it was Angelina Jolie. Sorry, Tess. The vandalism ceased, unless I thought of something really, really clever that I knew would provoke an uncontrolled, spontaneous outburst of laughter from Tantalising Tess. A few months ago such an opportunity arose with the accompanying cover. Some couple in the US who’d had dozens of kids was ready for more. I took an old picture of Tess and I from when Sebastian was first born, glued it to the front cover. Tess was only mildly amused. Perhaps the cover got under the skin a bit. To be honest, even as I was tapping into my Andy Warhol creativity with the magazine I too felt a small bite… Tess and I still have a six pack on ice. Someday, in the not too distant future, we have to deal with both the practical and spiritual implications of that frozen in time life. Any suggestions?

Nevertheless, there is a funny ending to this story. A few weeks later the magazine fell into the hands of one of our helpers: Gary. Gary thought the cover story was real and nearly had a heart attack when he discovered we were having more children. The lovely and talented Tess has a very clear position on this topic: closed for business. Who could blame Tess? On the other hand, Tess is a Super Mom and could easily double the trouble and none of this explains her re-occuring dream… ask her about it!

Team Caldwell Kids Play Christmas

The kids love to role play. We often find them playing “family” in which Sebastian will announce he is going on a business trip, or pets, when one of them will be our friend’s dog. (The dog recently died but that hasn’t been included in the game.) Today I was sitting at the dining room table listening to the kids playing on the balcony while working on my computer. (Tess was taking a much deserved break, tucked away reading a book somewhere.) Out of the corner of my eye I could see chairs being re-arranged by the kids on the balcony, leading me to believe some creativity was in the making. After listening to them for a while, I couldn’t help but investigate what the kids engineered on the balcony… their own version of Santa distributing gifts at Christmas. Hilarious and caught on film below. The end of the clip features the triplets singing in Chinese. Enjoy!

I also used new software to make this movie. What difference do you see compared to other videos I post on Vimeo or on You Tube?

Team Caldwell Kids Play Christmas from Charles Caldwell on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday, Bronwyn!

Today my niece, Bronwyn who lives in Toronto, turns sixteen. A major milestone as now Canadian laws permit Bronwyn to drive. When I turned sixteen, this was a huge deal for me and most of my friends. We all had our plans of how and when we’d learn to drive. I got my license about nine months after I turned sixteen. Having just been back to Canada last week – for a day in Toronto and a day in Vancouver – I explained to the kids that Bronwyn was turning sixteen. Sebastian was quite curious, connecting the dots that sixteen was only seven years away for him. Tantalising Tess is very good about calling family back in Canada – including gently reminding me – on these types of occasions but with busy lives, ski season and what not there was no answer at Bronwyn’s home. We decided instead to send Bronwyn a birthday video, combining personal greetings with Hong Kong Disney Land’s “Let It Snow” parade, taped from a recent trip to Disney. We posted the video on Bronwyn’s Facebook Wall but it’s also appended below for easy reference. Viewers will notice that Hong Kong Disney parades look very familiar, but also very different.

Happy Birthday, Bronwyn! from Charles Caldwell on Vimeo.

A Social Network Christmas

Here is a touching and fascinating video. The clip is an artistic take on how the story of the nativity might have read had a social network existed at the time of Jesus's birth. Interesting to note that people "unfriended" Joseph when he revealed that indeed, Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit.

Follow this historical period as it unfolds as a digital narrative. This vignette is great for highlighting the truths and circumstances of our Savior's birth in a fresh, unique way. Four minutes long but well worth the time.

U Wish

Conspicuous consumption runs rampant in Hong Kong but rarely to this degree. While on my way to work this morning I found myself stopped behind a gorgeous Ferrari with the license plate "U Wish." Classic, and slightly comical at the same time. Had it been the four door "family-sized" Porsche, I might have found it less comical. Fortunately used cars are cheap in Hong Kong and maybe someday the Porsche Panamera will come down in price enough to make it affordable for me. The Lovely & Talented Tess thinks my Porsche days are over. Tess is the street smart one, so she's probably right. Still, which one of us will say "U Wish?"

Thank you for the very kind comments of the kids picture below. Yes, I know that Tess & I were absent from the photo but stay tuned for our Christmas picture to be posted soon.

Christmas photo – what do you think?

Today the girls performed in Union Church's Kids Christmas Show (fantastic production) and in the afternoon we went sailing on some friends' Jeanneau sailboat. (We actually never made it out sailing because the engine conked out, but we still had a fabulous afternoon on the boat, walking, talking, eating!)

Between church and not-sailing, we dropped into Cityplaza to buy some groceries and snacks. Every few weeks Cityplaza puts on a display or show. For Christmas we found a huge display of Christmas settings for people to take seasonal pictures. "Of course, how brilliant!" I thought. 99% of Hong Kong homes wouldn't be large enough for a truly traditional setting, conducive to festive pictures. In lieu, a whole variety of festive living rooms can be found at Cityplaza until January 2nd. We stopped to take pictures of Sebastian and the Terrific Trio. One of the best shots turned up on my Blackberry. What do you think? (A few other samples to follow shortly.)