Family Fun @2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics was an one-of-a-kind experience! Though I'm not a big fan of sports, I'm so grateful that I could still enjoy the atmosphere and the vibe of the city, the hospitality, and the cheer......for Canada!! ^_^

Here are some memorable moments:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=156086&id=516726454&l=fd0d2349fd

Love expression

I really appreciate the thoughtfulness and creativity of Connie for her beautiful Valentine gift to me this year. ^_^ This gift is so unique as there are fingerprints from all of us, featuring Elly's first Valentine...and also my fingerprints: It's funny that Connie asked for my fingerprints while she was preparing the present. As the years go by, she is getting better and better in expressing love through handmade presents. I really need to catch up a bit! ^_^ Thank you again, my dear.

從鬼王節到天堂門: A One-of-a-kind Halloween Party

This year, we had a one-of-a-kind Halloween this year in Vancouver.

How it all happened......
One October morning, I heard from the Chinese radio broadcasting about the coming of Halloween...in fact, I was surprised to hear the way Chinese people call it here: 鬼王節
Isn't it called 萬聖節 in HK? What's going on?

In fact, I had been wrong for a long time. Oct 31 was really a pagan festival. People used to believe a lord of death who sends evil spirits into animals to trick people; so people wore disguise to escape them and got involved with cruel ceremonies. That's why I hear the Chinese name 鬼王節 here. In contrast, historically, Christians attempted to change the event into a festival of joy. Nov 1 became ‘All Saints’ Day’ to remember the dead whom we love. Oct 31 then became ‘All Hallows’ Eve’. 萬聖節 (All holies / all the saints) In HK, 鬼王節 is packaged as 萬聖節 for commercial purposes.

This year, we had a chance to see something different.
Thanks to Oyan, my buddy at Regent, for inviting my family to an event held by his church on Halloween. We made a visit to heaven!! ^_^ Please take a look at the album, and you'll have a glimpse of our experience (Click me). The night was filled with one-of-a-kind activities that let us see the reality--Jesus is Lord.

Back in HK, we would see Halloween as a really commercialized event. In a spiritual sense, I even think of it as a connection with the evil spirits. Thank God for giving me a new perspective to see Halloween.

Reflection:
Does heaven look like this? The setting of this party may seem a bit Platonic and may not seem theologically/biblically 'right'. Yet I appreciate the thoughts behind this event. Historically, Christians have been countering culture by ‘reframing’ it with Christian’s perspectives. How can one respond to our culture nowadays? I would say this is all about how we can reframe it, like what we do in a pagan funeral / Ching Ming Festival. Instead of offering incense, we can pray for the family or have a moment of silence.

With our children, we can surely remember our loved ones who are actually alive with Jesus. Being thankful for God’s grace to our family/friends, we can take this opportunity to celebrate with our kids.

Other Christian groups (e.g. Lutheran) take this opportunity to tell the reformation story. They’d invite children and families to church to celebrate about their history.

What a great way to witness together as a community!

Magic Number: 33

33.......It meant quite a lot to me......

a) I live on West 33rd Avenue in Vancouver
b) I just celebrated my 33rd birthday
c) My Lord Jesus Christ was cruxified and resurrected when He was 33
(of course I'm not saying that I'm gonna die this year....who knows? ^_^)

I am so grateful and thankful to God for surrounding me with love. The Chows gave me a surprise celebration a few days ago. They bought me a really nice birthday cake and they really surprised me for I didn't know that they would remember my birthday.
Thinking back....one of my unforgettable birthday was the year that I entered university. My parents drove me to the resident and helped me settle. We had dinner and they returned to Toronto. I felt extremely lonely afterwards for I had to face a new life at the university alone. I wept while I was taking shower and I prayed to God for grace.....Now as I celebrate my birthday this year, I'm on a new journey again. But I really thank God for having Connie and Abby to walk with me....It's not the same anymore.....

One more blessing to my birthday this year is that my Mom is here in Vancouver!!! She arrived on 4/9 and would stay with us for 5 days. Then she'll be returning to Toronto. It's so nice to have her celebrate together because I could thank her for all she and dad did over the years. We went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner and Mom was delighted of the yummy food.

Later on the evening, I got another surprise--Anson and Charis(my landlords) came down with a birthday cake!!! What a surprise!!! I really thank them for their love to me and my family. They're not only my landlords, but good neighbours and a loving brother and sister in Christ. Though we met recently, I pray that our friendship grows strong.

I also want to thank lots of other buddies in HK and Aussie, who also sent me SMS/FB greetings on my birthday.
I got 46 presents on my birthday!!!!! They're my shipment goods that I've packed to Vancouver and they were delivered to my home today. Connie and I were so pleased now that we can get our stuff from Hong Kong and settle down in our new home. We spent the whole day unpacking and putting them in place. We're almost done. Abby was so happy to see her stuff too. These things we used in Hong Kong really made our new place a home-sweet-home feeling as they're our cherished memories.

When our house is settled, I hope to focus in my study as lessons will start on next Tuesday.
I would really like to share about the orientation that was held last week but I guess I'd share with you more in later posts.

Last night I dreamed of my colleagues, students and school life. I know I really miss them. I would love to see their faces and chat with them. Just wish them all the best as school has started this week.

Touching moment

Thanks to Skype, I can chat with my colleagues "in person". It was a remarkable experience.

Thanks to Jason for setting up the computer and classroom so that I could talk to all our 40 staff members. I was so glad to see their happy faces after Summer Holiday. Really looking forward to our next Skype conversation.

不一樣的母親節

母親節快樂！

在此要多謝我媽媽！因為媽媽時常記念著在香港的我一家和弟弟。第一年做嬤嬤啦！^_^
我亦要多謝阿比媽媽的媽媽，時常抽空探望阿比和阿比媽媽，恭喜你今年慶祝做婆婆啦！

當然，今天亦是Agent S'Connie第一年做媽媽，今天對她可算是不得了！因為阿比bb從教會回家後便哭過沒了！阿比媽媽的午睡也不能好好休息......唉！

幸好在晚上夫婦組的弟兄姊妹都來了我家一起吃飯，他們的到來為阿比媽媽分擔了不少壓力。而我亦因他們的到來預備了豐富的晚餐，有蒜茸蒸龍蝦及白汁海鮮意粉，yummy！大家食得開心，又傾得開心，難得今晚大家都有空，what a celebration！^_^

一連兩天的慶祝

這兩天不是為了Abby慶祝，而是為了慶祝自己回港滿了9年，踏入第10年了！ ^_^
當年回港，是因為覺得自己真想教小朋友，希望藉學校的生活與學生分享我的成長經歷、向他們介紹主耶穌。然後好多謝天父，讓我回港2、3個星期內便有interview，而且還可以回母校教，認識一班好同事、好學生。我很感恩。我渴望我愛教學的熱情、使命會繼續燃點，不負天父所托。

9年，我都是從無到有。我帶著HK$8000回港，可以安定下來，有工作，衣食住行也沒有缺乏，我很感恩。感情路上可以認識Connie，大家相愛並可以成家立室，現在還有Abby，一切是天父的禮物呢！

慶祝的方式，都是與家人、同事及學生分享。昨晚我請了婆婆、Me姨一家到酒樓吃飯。當年我自己一個回港，多謝Me姨一家的接待，我有得住，有得食，讓我快樂地適應回港的生活。之後幾個月後便與公公、婆婆一起租屋住，又得到婆婆愛護有加，每晚總有好食的飯菜等我回家享用，終令我美滿的身材（29吋腰）從此不再一樣。昨晚我就很開心地與他們食飯，多謝她們。

至於同事和學生，我在今日空堂時才有時候到附近的超市準備，我買了很多盒由美國運來的草莓請他們吃。同事和學生們都很喜歡吃這些又大又香甜的草莓。現在想起這些草莓，我肚子都咕咕在響起來！^_^除了吃外，我都會向每年我教主科的班級講吓我回港的故事，大家都幾有興趣聽我話當年；不少同事都話：「咁快又一年啦！」 是的，真是又一年了。

如果每年都這樣向同事和年年不同的學生講述回港故事，一起數算天父的恩典，我都會很快樂。^_^