Happy Memories of the New York Trip (1)

 

The plane that flew me and my partner to New York

 

The welcome message on the TV in our hotel room

 

The amazing view of the New York Harbor from the hotel room

 

 

The riverside park opposite the hotel

 

The hotel where we enjoyed great hospitality and comfort

 

 

The subway station where we boarded our chosen train

 

 

A street map of Wall Street

 

 

A scene on Wall Street

 

Another Wall Street scene

 

 

The Golden Bull - icon of Wall Street

 

 

Surprised to find a church in a financial district  

 

Outside Trinity Church

 

 

 

Inside Trinity Church 

 

 

Information about the 5 Ave from a travel guide book

 

 

a scene at the 5 Ave

 

a church on the 5 Avenue

 

another scene at the 5 Avenue

 

Happy to have bought something desirable

 

Delighted at the sight of cherry blossoms in almost every street

 

 

St. Patrick's Cathedral

 

 

attending the Sunday Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral 

 

 

A Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown

 

 

Enjoying high quality Vietnamese noodles

 

 

a monument near the Riverside Church

 

The Riverside Church 

 

  

Inside the Riverside Church 

 

 

 

 

Room for Improvement

When I was still a teacher, one of my favorite remarks on a student’s score report was ‘There is room for improvement’. It was to encourage better efforts in his work. In fact, I found this applicable to all students, even those who deserved praises for their excellent performance. 

Some may find me too demanding, always expecting more instead of being satisfied with what the students have done, however much or little it is. From my point of view, however, to encourage students to work harder does not imply dissatisfaction with their performance. Rather, it is to convince them of their potential for pushing themselves beyond their limits. Without added efforts, their academic progress will not only be stagnant but will even be reversed gradually. The Chinese saying that a boat sailing against the current will either advance or be driven back still holds good. One must keep charging ahead or he will inevitably be going backward. 

The importance of seeking improvement can also be viewed from a different angle. I am very particular about students leaving time for checking their work before turning it in. The proofreading enables them to find out what is lacking and to correct the errors. This can do them good in terms of enhanced work quality as well as training them for life.  

Personally, I find this a very good life attitude. There is indeed room for improvement in various life situations, be it such a trifling matter as leaving a facebook message or one as significant as finalizing a legal document. My experience of writing for a weekly column is more than enough evidence. My usual practice is to write the draft of an episode one week before submission. During the week, I check it several times. Each time I read it again, I find the need for some modifications and ultimately, the final version is the one I feel most assured of. This is perhaps what ‘room for improvement’ actually means.  

Another piece of evidence concerns my experience of an English-to-Chinese Diploma in Translation Exam, which consisted of three independent papers and lasted for seven hours in total with short breaks in between. The papers were very substantial, keeping my pen racing till the last minute, leaving only five minutes for the proofreading. Frankly, I am not satisfied with my performance and doubt if I can secure even a pass. I did manage to do the factual translation but if there had been more time, I could have structured my writing to make it seem more like natural Chinese.  

It is thus evident that in our work as well as in life itself, we should always spare time and efforts for better performance. Whatever and however well we have been doing, there is always room for improvement.

Civism in Macau as I see it

With more time at my disposal since my retirement, I have been going out more often. I thus see more of Macau than I used to. I also observe Macau’s people more carefully and intentionally. I have got a sketchy impression of how they behave in public, and how strong a sense of civism most of them have. 

A ride on a Macau bus is seldom a pleasant experience nowadays especially when it is crowded with people standing even in the forbidden area near the exit door. But it is also on the bus that I have been treated a few times with respect and kindness. I felt surprised and embarrassed when, at the announcement by my Macau Pass (the electronic bus card) of my status as a senior citizen, I was first offered a ‘red seat’, one of those specially reserved for the needy. Though reluctant to disclose my age, I thanked the kind lady – seemingly a Filipino - and gladly accepted the offer. I have gradually noticed that people usually keep the ‘red seats’ for the intended passengers and offering the seat is on the whole a usual practice.  Another example of good civism I observe on a bus ride is that most of the passengers are willing to alight at the rear door except when the bus is so fully packed as to leave no moving space all the way to the back.

People have also got used to waiting in a queue for the lift. The lifts leading to the different floors of the government hospital are frequently used. There are people paying visits to the inmates and those going for medical treatment. A long queue is often seen especially during the rush hour. Imagine what chaos would result if people refused to queue up in order. A queue is also often found at the entrance to the lift bringing people up and down the footbridge across the main street near Delta Bank. This way, people won’t feel anxious about not being able to use the lift as their turn will come somehow. 

Of course, there has been complaint about queue jumping and passengers carrying big-sized luggage onto the bus. These are, however, rare cases. Complaint about people not lining up at the bus stops is justifiable. But as I see it, it is not easy to arrange waiting passengers in lines as the bus stops are used by different bus routes at the same time. Besides, Macau’s streets are crowded and narrow. To stop the bus at the right spot to let passengers  in and out  poses great difficulty. So the cause of the problems lies not so much in people’s lack of civism as in the city’s lack of good planning. 

On the whole, Macau’s citizens have a rather good sense of civism. There is, doubtlessly, room for improvement, which depends greatly on better education and  more efficient government guidance.

我看「先知書」

時間過得真快，不知不覺中，「聖經八十週」已完成了34週的課程。在過去幾個月來，我們閱讀「先知書」，對大部份舊約中的先知可算是有了初步的認識。昨晚導師講解完畢後，邀請學員們分享一下自己對衆先知的一些感想，我也被邀說了幾句話，我認為聖經提醒我們「先知職」對基督徒的重要性，我們有責任宣講和傳福音，把救恩的喜訊，帶給一些仍未曾接觸過聖經的人。後來有人對這個說法作出回應，指出要履行「先知職」並不一定需要「宣講」，或者更好地說，先知們所做的不單只是「宣講」而已，我們可從多方面對先知們的思想和行為作出反思。

先知們的一生都過得很苦，他們回應了天主的召叫，成為天主的發言人，告誡以色列民不要離棄天主，勸勉他們悔改，遵守上主的訓示。當以民被充軍流放異鄉時，先知又要安慰他們，幫助他們重見希望。可是，大部份以民都對先知的勸勉，充耳不聞，甚至排斥他們，先知們經常身䧟險境，苦不堪言，但他們又無法拒絕天主的召叫，只能盡力而為，為履行對天主的承諾獻出他們的整個人生。我們也曾被邀請參與一些福傳工作，期中也經歷過困難和挑戰，也曽想過放棄。然而，先知們的事蹟讓我們明日到，在回應天主召叫的同時，我們亦也應作出承諾，會嘗試克服困難和挑戰，而在實踐承諾的過程中，我們的信德也得以逐漸增長。換言之，先知們已成為我們效法的榜樣，在生活中給我們提醒和激勵。

就如先知不斷提醒以民要履行公義，我們作為基督徒也應對身邊的人和事多加留意，倘發現一些不公義的行為或狀況，我們有責任提出勸喻或警誡，但事實上，要付諸實行卻原來並不容易。在現今社會，順應潮流似乎是生存之道，大家都說對方喜歡聽的話，相反，忠言逆耳，為免被人排擠，還是少說為妙，久而久之，小至一些個人的壞習慣，大至社會的不公義，不但無法被紏正過來，反而會不斷惡化。但在舊約中，天主對厄則克爾先知說：「若你沒有警告他，他必因自己的罪惡而喪亡，他所行的正義，也不被記念；但我必向你追討血債（3：20 - 21）。」我們由此知道，如果我們不譴責一些不當的行為，受天主懲罰的不是行不義者，而是我們呢！

先知不易為，「先知職」亦非只是在聖堂宣讀聖言那麼簡單，但我們亦不需要對這職務敬而遠之。其實，要覆行「先知軄」，首先要做好自己，如果我們其身不正，如何說服別人向善行義呢？先知在勸勉以民悔改，全心轉向上主之前，他們先要謙虛自下，接受差遣，就以歐瑟亞先知為例，他甚至在配偶的選擇方面都聽從天主的安排。我們可能會質疑天主對先知這種似乎不太合理的要求，但先知對天主的馴服和忠誠，卻是我們應該學習的態度呢！

最初閱讀「先知書」時，偶爾會覺得沉悶乏味，當中提及的人物及事件又比較複雜難明，但逐漸會發現，先知和以色列民之間的關係很人性化，以民的惡行在現今社會也非常普遍，先知的勸勉對我們自已也起了警剔作用。另一方面，先知們的神視，特別是和默西亞的來臨及「主的日子」有關的預像，更是引人入勝，亦非常有啟發性。

此次囫圇吞棗般匆匆完成這數十章聖經閱讀內容，所得到的只是很概括的思想，將來如有機會，必會嘗試仔細研究其中帶出的訊息，加深自已對先知們的認識。

Year 2014 - the Year of Enrichment

As mentioned in one of my previous blog articles, my retirement plan is focused mainly on seeking enrichment, both physically and spiritually, to make up for my inadequacy over the past years owing to an overwhelming work schedule.

There is no telling yet how much I have achieved in health gain. Regarding spiritual growth, however, I can claim to have made quite some progress. For one thing, my participation in a Bible course named ‘Bible in 80 Weeks’, which aims at a perusal of the whole Bible in eighty weeks’ time, gave me very great satisfaction.

This being the 27th week, we are reading the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Frankly, it has never been fun reading the Old Testament. There have even been moments when I feel bored stiff. But the thought of giving up reading altogether never occurs to me. This is due to mutual support among the participants and the inspiring talks by quality speakers. 

I am also motivated to do research aside from the weekly assignment. As one of the group coordinators, I feel obliged to be better prepared so that I can more efficiently guide the sharing along.This way, I find myself benefiting greatly from the extra reading and I feel grateful for the opportunity. A very harmonious friendship has also developed among the group members. We share our thoughts not only during the meeting but also in the chat group thanks to whatsapp technology. It will be more than a year before we finish our reading, but the long process has become an enjoyment rather than a burden. Even occasional absences will not be a hindrance to our determination to pursue the journey till the very end.

I also derive great joy from a recent engagement: I will have a column in a newspaper, in which the translated pieces of a religious book are published weekly. I actually leapt at the offer as I found it an answer to my three-fold request: to seek improvement in English-to-Chinese translation, to share my writing with others and to do the work of God.

Before the actual work of translation, I have to develop an understanding of the content and the message it delivers. As the translation will be done on an abridged basis, I need to decide on the focuses and underline the key paragraphs and sentences. This is good reading and writing practice, too. The use of the right Chinese terms, especially those associated with Christianity, can also be a challenge and thus gives useful skills training.

I do enjoy the job tremendously, so much so that I have already finished the third piece even though the column will not appear until January.

Of course, it’s not always work that keeps me occupied. I can still enjoy my dancing classes on alternate days and have a good nap in the afternoon to make up for the wakeful hours at night.

The past year has been an enriched one and I have to thank God for all these blessings. 

An Advent Message

The Advent Retreat held in Mong Ha Church last Saturday evening was an event to remember. Like most of the others who attended it, I felt deeply moved and inspired. And now, looking back, I feel a strong sense of gratitude and even pride.

The retreat was assumedly the concern of the Retreat Group. But ultimately, it turned out to be a cross-group activity, involving the Choir, the 1045 Reading Group and the Parish Activity Group as well. The success of the retreat, if any, is the fruit of their joint effort.

The theme of the Advent Retreat had been conceived months before the event. Sister Victoria, the mastermind, thought of using a few verses from the book of the Prophet Isaiah, which she believed to be closely associated with the Advent message, with reference to the darkness of the sinful age, the call to repentance, the hope for the coming Messiah and the reminder of the evangelical mission. She invited the other members of the Retreat Group to search for the right verses. However, as usual, it was her choices that we gladly agreed on. After all, who else understands the Bible better than she does?

The Choir was invited to choose a few songs with lyrics that could match the Bible verses. Thanks to their expertise and good experience, the songs chosen were later found to be more than fitting, helping to bring out the message effectively and inspiringly. They then had to start the singing practice, which was understandably an added responsibility to their already tight schedule. There were also sequential requests, which further complicated the mission. But there was not a word of complaint. Instead, they made useful attempts to iron out one problem after another.

Then there was the need for slides showing pictures of the current world situation related to the scenes depicted in the Bible verses. Pictures of social chaos and the shrinking polar ice caps, for example, were focuses on the dark side of life. Scenes of ecstatic occasions and happy laughter of children, on the other hand, would signify hope brought by the coming of the Messiah. That would be the job of the IT helpers, a few members of the Reading Group. It was no easy task at all, considering the need to set appropriate time intervals between slides to allow moments of silent prayer and meditation. And, the effectiveness of the actual presentation on the night of the event was inestimable.

When everything was done and everyone was looking forward to the red letter day with hope and confidence, there came the news that Father Peter would not be able to attend it because of an urgent affair. That was a hard nut to crack since he was assigned a very important part in the event. What were we going to do? Could there be a replacement?

Fortunately, the Lord answered our prayer. The retreat took place as planned. Father Peter did make his appearance, read out a Bible passage, gave a sermon on it and even led the closing prayer. When his voice was heard leading the singing of the song ‘Here I am, Lord’, everyone present was captivated. And when the Choir joined in the singing in a chorus, it was a touching scene. Had Fr. Peter come to the retreat finally? Unfortunately not! But a miracle did occur in the form of recorded video scripts powerpoint projected. It was all due to the hard work of the IT helpers. Of course, Father Peter's kindness in preparing his recorded presentation is much appreciated.

The retreat has been a success and we are grateful for this. But shouldn’t we also be grateful that we have got very good fellow parishioners who can work in cooperation for the shared purpose of serving God? This is community spirit, which our kind Lord has taught us about. It is one of the inspirations I have got in this time of Advent and I hope it will continue to inspire us to join hands in our pursuit of faith enrichment and in our work of evangelization.

An inorganic practice

In her recent article Miss Teresa Vong brought up a very interesting topic: allowing the hair to turn grey is also one way to go organic in life. She says that the majority of senior females are not mindful of their health deterioration, but are not so receptive to an aging appearance. I couldn’t agree more, as I am one of these females.

I can claim to be an environmentalist. As mentioned in my previous blog, to avoid wastage, I refrain from unnecessary purchases. When eating out, I never order more than I can consume, and if some food does remain, I take it home. Of course, I am very careful about saving electricity and washing water. In fact, I have been having what everyone suggests about a green life.

However, there is one practice which, I am afraid, is not very organic. I cannot do without regular hair-tinting. When still a teacher, I used to explain that a youthful look would make me more approachable to students. This is true to a certain extent. Students tend to associate a teacher’s age with her willingness to accept new concepts. They may find a younger looking teacher more agreeable as the generation gap between them, if any, is still acceptable. So I tried to convince myself that I was mothering my students though I was actually the age of their grandmother.

I have retired for a year but I still feel disturbed at the sight of a few grey hairs. Graying hair, which used to appear every two months despite the tinting, now demands attention more and more frequently, increasing my dependence on the hairdresser. I keep my hair dyed black for a reason no less justifiable than the previous one: I have a lot of young friends, whose company keeps me young at heart and oblivious of the approaching old age.

Of course, there are other signs of ageing that I cannot fight against. I am well aware of the lines on my face and the loose skin on my neck. The weakness of the knees is the most alarming of all. It thus seems silly to struggle to stem the tide of ageing. But I am still used to my black hair, though artificially so. I know one day I will have to surrender completely to my true self. But before that, let me be just a bit less organic.