Gymnastics Pictures!
Please click here to see the latest pictures of The Terrific Trio at gymnastics. Enjoy… then please come back to tell me your fav pic… I like the ones of Sela climbing.
Saying “good bye”
I am a ridiculous creature. Thursday (yesterday) I had my appointment to be photographed and finger printed for my Permanent Residency Hong Kong Identity card. I received my first HK ID Card in August 1996. But with my new PR status I’m entitled to a new card and a "smart" one at that.
Despite the lines, the 1 – 2 hour process went remarkably fast. The HK government is incredibly efficient and well-organized. First, I handed in my appointment paper and was given a numbered ticket and application form in return. I sat down to complete the form and with a few minutes an officer called my number by flashing it on a giant TV screen with a corresponding desk number.
I walked to the desk number. The person behind the desk took a digital scan of my thumbs, digital picture of my face (which I even got to approve… "Picture, okay?" he asked. "Yes, thanks," I replied) and finally scanned the few pages of documentation.
The next part was the longest – waiting for an Immigration Officer to check all the final details. Upon reaching that line I saw there were 60+ people waiting in front of me. The roughly five officers managed to process one person every one minute and fifteen seconds. In just over an hour I was called to another desk.
I sat down in front of the final Immigration Officer’s desk, handing him my paperwork and current HK ID Card. My existing card had been with me almost ten years, sitting faithfully in my wallet the entire time. Despite going through four passports, travelling all over Asia, a few times to Europe and several times per year to Canada and the US, I’d only had one HK ID Card. While I have lots of photos and physical memoirs of my ten year adventure while based in HK, it was really my HK ID Card that sat as the nucleus symbol of that adventure – a resident of Hong Kong, with premission to work. Therefore, I was not expecting what happened next.
The Officer meticulously checked my documents, HK ID Card and passport three times. Then, he took one of the documents, paper clipped it to my HK ID Card, and slipped the two of them into a drawer.
"See ya…" my card said to me.
"No wait," I thought in a panicked state, "I haven’t said ‘good bye!’ "
"Too late," it replied, "I’m gone now."
"That’s impossible… I should be allowed to keep you… PLEASE, come back!"
"What’s with it with you gweilos?" the card mocked. "You’re always collecting STUFF! I’m just a silly piece of plastic."
"No, no you’re much more than that," I pleaded.
"My friend," it said consolelingly, "You are not your HK ID Card, and if you really think you are, you’ll be much happier and more impressed with my replacement."
Suddenly the Immigration Officer finished and handed me a piece of paper substituting as a HK ID Card until the new one is ready. "Please come back on June 17 to pick-up your new card," he explained. I thanked him.
I realized my old card was gone for good. I lifted myself out of my chair, collected my bag and umbrella and said my final farewell. I sheepishly laughed at the ridiculousness of my attachment to a piece of plastic and as I walked away heard it say, "Good bye, Charles. Thanks for the good times and good luck with the next ten years."
So I ask people, "what are you attached to?"
Time flies
Today marks my ten year anniversary in Hong Kong. I landed May 31, 1996 on a 90 day Visitor Visa. I spent a few days in Hong Kong then headed to Singapore for two weeks of training. Shortly after my return my visa was switched to employment. In honour of this occasion, today is a holiday in Hong Kong. Okay, maybe I am not quite that important… it is a Chinese holiday when the Dragon Boat Festivals are held.
Coincidentally, or maybe not, last Friday the Hong Kong Immigration Department issued me "Permanent Residency" status. The application was processed in record time… three weeks. This gives me the Right of Abode in Hong Kong. As long as I touch down in Hong Kong at least once every three years, from now to The End, I have a guaranteed safe haven on this Barren Rock. (Term used to describe Hong Kong to English Monarchs in 1800’s.) Also coincidentally, or maybe not, tomorrow I go into the Immigration Department again to handle all the formalities associated with receiving my PR Identity Card, which will also be a Smart Card… a piece of digital wizardy allowing me to enter in and out of Hong Kong by flashing the card and down the road will probably contain anything from my name to my DNA map.
Ten years… it has been quite a ride. I travel so much I am now on my fourth passport since arriving. (That will change as the passport no longer gets stamped going in and out of Hong Kong… the Smart Card gets zapped through a machine.) I have visited numerous countries in Asia. It’s getting to a point where I count the countries I haven’t visited, not the ones I have. Three jobs, four flats, one university degree, Tess, four kids, one handover, another one next door in Macau… the list goes on.
When I first landed in Hong Kong I really had no idea how long I would stay. I unconsciously thought I would be in Hong Kong for three to four years and then return to Canada. For now we have no plans to leave, although Jasper’s asthma is a little worrying. But we do have plans to re-assess our priorities as we embark on the next decade… slowdown, more time for family, more time for God, more time to stop and find these things called roses. Apparently they smell nice? I am sure, though, in no time it won’t look as if we’ve slowed! What do you have planned for the next decade?
On a side note, this last week had an added note of sobriety due to the passing of numerous distant people. At our Union Church Small Group last night we counted five deaths within the group’s extended circles. The first happened last Thursday night when a distant drinking buddy, Richard, (about 37 and by all outward signs looked in excellent physical condition) dropped dead during a work-out at The Footbal Club after suffering a massive heart attack. Tess knew his wife and two kids (2 & 5) from one of the triplets’ playgroups. We learned of further deaths throughout the week. Then yesterday while exchanging e-mails with a colleague (Dawn) in Singapore, she told me of a missionary friend who had just been killed. Her friend had been walking through one of South East Asia’s many jungles when she was hit and killed by a small boy learning to ride a 350 cc motorcycle. Didn’t mean to put a damper on my auspicious holiday… er, the Dragon Boat Festival, but I’ll sign-off now to go find those roses.
Thank you for your message
The last several weeks have been quite busy with the Walk To Emmaus. The Men’s WTE in Hong Kong was from May 11 – 14 and I was on the "conference team." I.e. assisting the Leaders with guiding and debriefing the various talks. The WTE was held at Maryknoll in Stanley, Hong Kong. The Women’s WTE was held the weekend after the men’s from May 18 – 21. Tess was a participant. Tess shared a little about that on her blog. I was mostly looking after The Kids, while dropping by every so often to provide behind-the-scenes support to the women’s WTE.
My WTE was very good for me, and essentially was all about my obedience to God. There were many fathers on the WTE and during the weekend the discussions naturally turned to parenting. An inquiry commenced where we asked questions such as, "Who do our children see when they look at us? Do they see a cynical, busy person rushing around answering e-mails on the Blackberry? OR, do they see a calm, patient teacher… leader… or even Jesus?"
Similarly, who do we see when we look at our children? Do we see a naughty, cranky kid… OR do we see God’s grace… innocence, love… or even Jesus?
The Monday morning after the men’s WTE Sebastian came into our room as usual to wake me up…
Seb crawled into bed and after snuggling under the covers reached over to pick up my small travel Bible from my bedside table. As he flipped through the pages I asked him, "Would you like me to read a story from the Bible?"
"No thank you," he replied, "I will read it."
He flipped through the pages and at one point his finger traced down a page. As he did, he recited the letters and numbers that he recognised…
"B… S… 2… 1…" he read confidently. Then he muttered about reading more and thumbed a few pages while saying matter-of-factly:
"My Daddy’s Bible doesn’t have pictures. We have to read the words to see Jesus."
Turning more pages he finally settled on a page on the left, pointed to the middle of a verse and said in a very soft but clear-as-a-bell tone:
"Dear People, Jesus and God love you."
Sebastian then moved his finger over to the right hand page, found a verse and said in an equally soft voice:
"Dear Jesus, thank you for your message."
An incredibly sweet, timeless moment and better than anything I could have read that morning from The Bible. The moment also confirmed for me that Sebastian actually listens in Sunday school.
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:11 (NIV)
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Jasper has NOTHING!
Jasper had a rough Saturday afternoon but bounced back on Sunday. With JJ’s illness and Carys’ fever (so far that’s all it is), they stayed home on Sunday morning with Tess while I took Sela and Sebastian to church. After church I decided to treat Sela and Seb to lunch at the Aberdeen Boat Club, a little sailing club we recently joined. We had a great time playing in the playground and eating lunch afterwards. By Sunday early evening Sebastian was definitely fighting a bug and he had to lay low for most of Monday.
Back to Jasper… this afternoon I got a call from Dr. Thondup – have to tell you, pretty rare to get a personal call from a doctor these days and for that I appreciate Thondup – to report on JJ’s lab tests from last week. So here is the diagnosis: nothing. No Scarlet Fever, no measles of any sort, no Kawasaki Fever… nothing.
“So, it’s just a flu thing?” I asked puzzled.
“Yes, just a flu with a rash and a fever… sometimes it happens.” Thondup replied.
Thondup asked how the other kids were doing. I told him that both Carys and Seb seemed to be getting a fever but nothing more at this point. He asked what we were doing for them and I explained, “Same as Jasper, keep the fever down, lots of fluids, watch for worsening.” Then Thondup said a very sweet thing… “Good, trust daddy’s instinct!” I thanked him for calling and assured him we’d call if the situation worsened. (Left: Seb sweats up a small storm Sunday evening as the Ibuprofen breaks his fever.)
Meanwhile, Jasper officially inherited Seb’s Nemo PJs and I am telling you, Jasper could not be more delighted. A little too tight for Seb, the jammies were handed off to Jasper tonight. Jasper, more and more returning to his normal self, was ecstatic. (As can be seen here, taken Monday evening.)
On another note, I introduced a concept on the weekend that was quite unpopular in the household. A while ago we started giving the Terrific Trio half a One-A-Day vitamin that we called a “sweetie.” Other items that fall into the “sweetie” category include chocolate and other candies. Sela is hilarious when she yells out “SWEEETIIIEEE!” with her hands and arms outstretched like an Olympic gymnist at the end of her routine. The vitamins are quite tasty and there is no resistance to eating them. So, why call them sweeties?
Similarly, when we give the Terrific Trio any drugs or medicine, we’ve been calling it “juice.” Again, the “label” is more likely to have them consume the drug, however, kids’ drugs these days rarely have an offending taste. So why call Bubble Gum cough syrup “juice” other than it’s hilarious to see the response?
K, so pragmatic Chuck has a problem with calling the drugs and vitamins “sweeties” and “juice.” First, I don’t need to explain that any of the drugs we use would be serious in an overdose situation. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or any number of the daytime and nighttime cough syrups on hand, if not administered properly, could seriously harm a toddler. Second, the vitamins are just as dangerous. The label on the chewable multivitamin bottle reads: WARNING: There is enough iron in this package to seriously harm a child. Keep out of reach of children. What if one of the kids got their curious paws on cough syrup or vitamins (which we obviously keep well out of reach) and consumed far too much? How we would we know?
SCENE 1:
Kid says excitedly: Daddee I had joose!
Daddy: Wow, aren’t you lucky! (Mental note: I hope you eat your dinner!)
SCENE 2:
Kid says excitedly: Daddee I had medson!
Daddee: Really? Please show me what medicine you had.
Got the picture? So the point is, if we don’t teach the proper words for vitamin or medicine, then in the event of an accident the child will never be able to tell us. Unfortunately this concept has gone over like a lead balloon in our home because giving the Terrific Trio their joose and vitmins is not nearly as climactic. Better safe than sorry, though. Don’t you agree? (Left, Sunday… the kids playing on the fire engine that Sebastian built.)
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Saturday AM update
Here is a smorgasbord of different things happening around the household this morning. Yesterday Sebastian attended a birthday party. In the treatment (can you tell one of our kids is sick?) I meant treat bag handed out at the end of the party Seb received a Buzz Lightyear with a parachute. This means he now has two small Buzz Lightyear’s. Sebastian seems to understand that the yellow thing is a parachute, but he insists on calling it a "power chute." I stopped correcting him after realising I didn’t want to suppress his creativity. Seb’s also struggling with "and beyond" using another word instead.
Sooo… things overheard this morning from Sebastian:
"Too infinity ambiance!"
One Buzz walks up to the other Buzz and asks, "We’re friends, right?"
"Oh yes," replies the second Buzz. Said conversation took place on yours truly’s shoulder as he was half asleep.
Judging by how much Jasper ate at breakfast this morning (full piece of French Toast and half a bowl of yoghurt) I think he may finally be on the road to recovery. This, however, after he was a complete and total miserable, irritable goat all day yesterday. To give you a sense of the battle he just fought I have attached the accompanying picture. (JJ and his teddy bear had a spat!)
Finally, I wrote earlier this week how the Terrific Trio have started saying grace. It sounds something like this… "Surap shurmn shappa fush nnng mmm hunh surap shurmnnn. Amen." In case you don’t believe us, I’ve attached this clip of Sela saying grace. Click here to download and enjoy. (Right click link with mouse, then select "Open In New Window.")
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