Carry On, Carry on!

News of bomb blasts has always been very disturbing. It is a reflection of the impact from social chaos, unrest and insecurity.

And what happened in Manhattan last Saturday actually sent chills down my spine. When my daughter and I were there on our visit to New York last year, we were aware of the government’s grave concern about stringent measures against terrorism. There were warning signs inviting instant reports on unattended bags especially on subway trains and at the stations. And our visit to the Liberty Island one afternoon was cancelled because of a sudden announcement about a bomb threat. There seemed to be more police on duty in Wall Street on Sunday. Everything smacked of a tense atmosphere. I wondered aloud how I would feel if I were a resident there: Apparently, the world has become less safe to live in and people have become less trustworthy. Violence and bloodshed seems to be the order of the day. Should we live in fear? Is life worth living?

To my surprise, however, the locals did not seem the least disturbed. They had obviously learned to live with all this. How did they manage this peaceful composure?

This video clip on BBC news may be an answer to the question.

(http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37403672?ocid=wsnews.chat-apps.in-app-msg.whatsapp.trial.link1_.auin)

When interviewed about their first thoughts after the explosion, the first respondent expressed his fear about a terrorist attack. Sarcastically, a guy’s first worry was about his dog. A small girl, who was all smiles, sounded very excited about having had a rare experience to share about in school. Most of the rest, however, said they would have to continue to live. Confident of support from one another, they would not live in fear. A few even took a picture of the cops, who did not seem to have just dealt with a life and death problem. So there was no panic, no sign of fear, no curse, no complaint.

Such is wisdom of life. It would be too pessimistic to give up plans and put aside the routine activities as if something might happen to ruin everything. It would be unwise of married couples to ope not to have children because of their worry about their future. In fact, such pessimistic behavior might cause the doomsday to approach faster than any terrorist attacks might. In other words, there ought not to be much ado about nothing (庸人自擾).

Of course, things need to be done about safeguarding the well being of the citizens. This is the responsibility of the government. Besides higher efficiency and more advanced equipment of the police force, attention should also be directed to educating people on the significance of mutual understanding and respect. If people learn to respect life itself, they will not resort to violence and bloodshed as a solution to life’s problems. And world peace will be a dream come true.

Behind the 25-minute documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s56n9T4FzM ;

By the time this article appears, the documentary will have been broadcast. If you find the film worthy of your time, you will perhaps also find some interest in this detailed account of my participation in the filming process.

The invitation
When I was in the Holy Land on a pilgrimage in early May, I received a WhatsApp message. It was an invitation from the DESJ to attend an interview at which I was to share about my teaching experience. Amidst the joy of the pilgrimage tour, I put aside the invitation without giving it a second thought. Upon my return to Macau, however, I decided to call back DESJ for politeness’ sake. I explained to the lady in charge of the project that I was not in a position to be interviewed as I had retired and if there was no filming of the actual things happening as in a classroom environment, the interview would either be too boring or lacking in sincerity with most of the scenes simply made up for the purpose. Out of my expectation, though, I was talked into meeting her personally a few days later. And what followed was a couple of months’ cooperation with her and the producer on what turned out to be a remarkable project for me to treasure for life.

The Interview
The interview was divided into sessions and took place in various locations. Talking in front of the camera was, undoubtedly, a brand new experience to me. But surprisingly, I felt no stress at all. Instead, I tended to talk in ready response to the interviewer’s questions without too much prompting on his part. Talking, probably, is as natural as breathing to a teacher. In fact, I may have been so frank as to share a bit too much. Well, no worries, I tell myself; no harm showing my true self! Then what exactly did I talk about? Knowing that the film would be televised, I was keen on delivering a positive message. I shared about my dedication to helping my students appreciate the beauty of the English language and also to instilling among them the core values. Besides, I shared about my retirement life. My two freelance jobs, involving the work of editing and translating respectively, are somehow the continuation of what I had been doing as a language teacher. On the other hand, my participation in church work, which takes up much of my time, can be conducive to spreading the core values concept.

The Filming
The filming process was a novelty to me and it was fun for its own sake. Once it did take place in a classroom. That was a Sunday school class and I was telling the kids a Bible story. It was to show that the main part of my retirement life was devoted to church services. Similar filming occasions included my presentations at different sharing sessions about my Christian faith. Again I did not feel the least stressed. I talked naturally and enthusiastically despite the camera aimed directly at me at times.
A teacher is an actor, so it is said. In this respect, I am afraid I am inadequate. There were times when I felt uneasy. It was when I was filmed walking towards or away from an appointed place. I was over conscientious of my gait. And when guided to gaze at something as if in deep thought, I must have looked either very stiff or sulky. Fortunately, those were very rare moments. Most of the time I was filmed while doing what I was supposed to be engaged in without the awareness of the camera.

The school visits
The filming brought me the joy of several school visits. I first went to Chan Shui Kei Perpetual Help College. It was planned that I sit in a class of English by Mr. Quinton Tang, once a student of mine. He had often commented on my influence on his decision to become an English teacher. The class sit-in was thus meant to deliver the message of the baton being handed over. Sitting among his students, a class participant myself, I felt his earnest attitude toward teaching. Inwardly I whispered a prayer that he would one day also influence more of his students with his passion for English.
I next went back to Sacred Heart Canossian College, my Alma Mater as well as my place of work for a quarter of a century. The entire school campus had undergone tremendous changes. Only two old trees remained where I remember catching dragonflies among knee-high grass in early September. Traces of my presence were found in the School History Room, though. At the sight of the statue of our foundress, I grabbed the opportunity to pose for a picture in front of it. I still felt attached to it as it had seen me walking up and downstairs between classrooms in those school girl days.
The visit to Pui Ching Middle School gave me a totally different feeling. As I had retired only for three years, everything and everyone there was still so familiar to me. It seemed as if I had returned only from a brief vacation. I chanced to cross paths with a few teachers and helpers and we exchanged greetings just the way we had done before my retirement. The sense of belonging was still there and I believe it would linger despite the passage of time.

Interviews of teachers and students
Interviews were arranged with a few of my past students from both schools. They were to share about their impression of me. Following the producer’s instruction, I had invited students of different years of graduation. What they shared about would then form a picture of the different phases of my long teaching career. Their sharing brought back happy memories of the time we had spent together. They also expressed their appreciation for my serious work attitude, my passion for English teaching and my caring concern for students, in fact, a lot of kind compliment, which, at one point or another, almost brought me to tears.
Also included was an interview of a few of my ex-colleagues in Pui Ching. They were my close work partners who had been through good times and bad with me. We had braved immense challenges and solved hectic problems by working in close cooperation with one another. Listening to their sharing about me, I was moved, just as I had always been, by their long-standing support, on which I had counted so much for my attempts at coordinating the team.

The search for pictures and blog articles
The documentary was to be enhanced with pictures taken at various stages of my life. And digging for the right photos was so much fun, especially when I stumbled upon a few humble black-and-whites, which were still in good shape though quite small in size. They were reminiscent of the hilarious moments of my youthful days. And among the photos there were letters and postcards from students and I could not help stopping the search to read one or two of the heartwarming messages.
The producer also requested a number of my blog articles, from which he would pick a few lines and highlight them to enhance the image to be formed of me in the documentary. This was again a happy trip down memory lane. I was grateful for having kept a few hundred blog posts. Everything needed to substantiate a description of me was available from the articles of the related categories.

A few words of thanks
Now that the documentary is made, there are people and institutions to whom I owe my heartfelt thanks for their help and contribution. I thank the DSEJ for their kind invitation. Also on the thank-you list is Saint Francis Xavier’ Church, our Parish Church, where I serve as a Sunday school teacher. The principals of the three schools have been very kind and generous in allowing the filming to take place on the campuses. The interviewed teachers and students are to be thanked for their time and for their kind support. My special thanks goes to Mr. Albert Chu (朱祐人先生), the producer, and Miss Ann Ho (何凱盈小姐), the supervisor. Throughout the process of film making, there had been a lot of communication among us, exchanging ideas, clarifying thoughts and solving problems together. In fact, without their concerted effort, the film would not have achieved its success.
Of course, I have the kind Lord to thank for having enabled me to view my past with gratitude and satisfaction and to look forward to the future with renewed strength and confidence.

That daily hour

It’s 5:45 p.m., time to go for our daily meeting. As usual, I put everything aside and get ready for the hospital visit. Then I realize there won’t be a meeting anymore. In fact, there won’t be a meeting for a long time to come until our Heavenly Father arranges one sometime, somewhere.

It was also her TV hour. The machine had the volume turned up loud. The medical staff nearby, though obviously disturbed, made no complaint, knowing that it was her only entertainment throughout the entire day. While massaging her limbs and enjoying the program with her at the same time, I had to throw occasional glances at her in case she needed help as she could not utter a sound, let alone calling for help. When she was seized with sudden coughs, which happened even in her sleep, I had to help her remove the saliva/phlegm by doing suctioning, a skill I had acquired through long experience, which gave me the satisfaction of medical work, though far from being professional. However, it was the responsibility of the nurses to deal with the phlegm deeper down the throat. It demanded immediate attention and that was the time I dreaded most as there was not always someone at the nurses’ quarters. Most of them had been summoned to various tasks in the wards. But when someone was available, I almost always had my request attended to. I felt so sorry, for example, to have to seek help from a nurse who had just finished a task somewhere and had sat down for a bite of her bread. The nurses there had actually got so much used to my frequent requests for suctioning that I would only have to show myself at the counter and the work was done.

There were few words between us. She ‘talked” by winking her eyes. I recited the alphabet letter by letter. On hearing the letter she wanted, she winked. By combining the chosen letters, I made up the word. And word by word I worked out the sentence. That was how we communicated. Most of the time, she wanted to make known to me her physical conditions, of which she had a strong sense of awareness. When in a good mood, however, she would ask less stressful questions such as those about her grandchildren. Her daughters were there, too, on regular visits. Together we worked on her different limbs. She felt apparently satisfied listening to us talking about everything, occasionally raising a question or contributing an idea. In fact, her intelligence was not the least affected by her handicapped state. We sometimes sought her advice when we had difficulty making a decision.

The fifteen-minute walk back home after the visit found me walking at a leisurely pace, partly due to my fatigue but mainly because of my deep thinking. It was the time when I prayed to God, making self evaluation of my performance and begging for better strength and perseverance. I felt consoled at the thought of her pain relieved with my help. I thanked Jesus for having been with me there, boosting my mood and telling me what to do when things went wrong and also holding me back when I was on the verge of losing my patience. Yes, I sometimes regretted my lack of patience - . I could have been more tolerant of her requests though I found them too demanding at times. I kept telling myself I would do better next time … as if there were always the next time.

No, there will not be the next hospital visit. From now on the hour will always find me lost in the treasured memories of our being together.

Students should be taught to avoid plagiarism

The speech of Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, US Republican Presidential Candidate, has been criticized for partly plagiarizing that of Michelle Obama. This has caused a sensation not only in the US but the world over. There is believed to be, however, appreciation for the opportunity to teach students about plagiarism, as discussed in a BBC News article entitled ‘Teachers are thanking Melania Trump’ dated July 19.

I am definitely among these grateful teachers. I agree that this incident can serve as teaching material for a lesson on defining and avoiding plagiarism. It is very important to give students a clear concept about plagiarism as many are ignorant of the seriousness of the offence. They have become over reliant on information downloaded from the internet and have got so used to copying, cutting and pasting that they use others’ ideas and writings as their own, often with no sense of guilt at all. So, teachers ought to educate the students on the need to respect others’ work as their intellectual property, and make it very clear that plagiarism is a form of misconduct, no less serious than theft. It is unfair, even immoral, to use quoted writings without citing the original source. In writing lessons, there should be emphasis on the importance of originality, and plagiarized work should be disqualified and penalized.

Melania Trump’s speech has become a subject of ridicule rendering it necessary for the speechwriter to apologize. But somehow it has done the students a good turn by giving them a timely warning against plagiarism.

My impression of AC

On our first encounter I already found a friend in AC. Though prepared for very formal questions, I gradually found myself chatting cheerfully with him and his partner, quite forgetting that it was meant to be an interview for them to have some initial understanding of me. Later I came to know that the other interviewees felt the same way, too; they were often caught off guard and would start talking much more than they had meant to, all because of his jolly and carefree personality. This, as he later admitted, is an attribute to his success as an interviewer.

By no means is his working attitude carefree, though. Quite on the contrary, he has a very strong sense of responsibility. Despite the weighty equipment he is carrying, he would not mind walking long distances to where his mission takes him. Rain or shine, he is always found waiting at the appointed place however early the interviewee arrives. And he will stay till the end of the event doing video shooting to make sure that every worthy moment is captured though ultimately very few of the shots may appear in the final product.

And needless to say, he is highly professional. You can put your entire trust in him. There is no worry about where to stand, how to walk and what to say. Every location and every angle at which the shooting is done is well calculated. And there are small reminders before and during the filming, which smacks of good planning and careful observation. As mentioned earlier, he can elicit useful information by first putting the interviewee at ease. But that is not all. His questions, seemingly off hand, have obviously been well thought over as the recording will later be presented in such a way that the interviewee would seem to be talking about himself without being prompted.

Either knowingly or unknowingly, he often places himself in the situation of a student in an attempt to seek better access to my inner world. He seems to have endless questions about grammar and writing, thus initiating my sharing about my teaching experience. His obvious interest in my past has also caused me to take a trip down memory lane, savouring enriched memories of my teaching career.

He is a good Christian, too. This is probably one important reason for his friendly attitude and his dedication to his commitments.

Working jointly with him on the project has been a very pleasant experience for me. The filming has now drawn to an end and I look forward to sharing the fruit of his great efforts in September.

Child birth should not serve as a means to an end

There has been a lot of talking about a lady’s recent remark on TV about winning the race at the starting line, highlighting the possibility of enhancing a child’s competitiveness by prearranging his date of conception. According to her, a child whose birthday is calculated to be in the month of January has the edge over all others as admission to kindergarten is usually open only to children born in that month.

Her words, seemingly full of wisdom, are, to me, as damaging to the child’s development as anything that could happen to him. Imagine what a heavy responsibility would be placed on the child’s shoulders even prior to his birth! How unfair it would be for the child to be forced to meet his parents’ expectations before even taking his first breath! Actually, society is to blame for limited kindergarten admissions. Why should a baby pay its cost by being deprived of the freedom of choice of its birthday?

The child is also likely to have everything planned for him throughout his growth. Good parenting involves planning well for the child. But good planning means careful consideration in every way to ensure that the child grows up happily and healthily. It is the child’s well being that parents should direct their attention to. If, on the other hand, the parents care only about attaining their own goal, everything the child does would have to serve a purpose. He might not be allowed to explore and pursue his own interest, lest he should disappoint his parents. How miserable his youth would be! How his character formation would be hindered!

Above all, I find this suggestion an insult to life. It is an act of violation of Natural Law in every sense of the word. Childbirth is the manifestation of the love of the parents and should, therefore, be something as natural as life itself. Some people may argue that birth control also involves the adjustment of the conception date. I admit that this is unnatural to a certain extent, but at least the harm, if any, would not be for the child to bear.

A child’s well being should top his parents’ priority list. Anything that hinders his healthy and joyful growth is to be condemned, far less using him as a means to an end by calculating his conception date.

耶穌的要求過份了嗎？ - 「真福八端」講座後記

聖地朝聖之旅其中一個探訪的地方是真福八端山，那裏怡人的風景仍不時浮現在腦海中，唯一遺憾的是探訪團未有在當地就這八端道理作一些分享，幸好我有機㑹參加了由澳門天主教聖經協會於6月11日在路環竹灣會議中心舉行相關主題的靈修聚會。活動原本以海邊的龍爪角遠足開始，但因天雨路滑的緣故，臨時取消了，取而代之是在室內進行小組分享。 分享的內容和當日靈修主題「真福八端」有關，其中一個問題是：「耶穌基督的要求是否有點兒過份？」大家都很踴躍發言，很多都表示要了解「真福八端」的含意並不容易，要遵從指示去做一個耶穌心目中的完美的人更加困難。當然，大家並沒有期待交談會有甚麼結論，只是為隨後李斌生主教主持的專題講座作一些準備而已。 不謀而合，李主教一開始講話便指出「真福八端」似乎有些矛盾的地方，我們甚至會質疑是否合理（有冇搞錯？）他解釋要真正瞭解「真福八端」帶來的喜樂，我們必定要以天國或超性的角度來看事物，要明白通往天國和永生的門是一道窄門，「真福八端」正是為我們提供指引和方向，讓我們藉著信德、修身和克己，進入窄門。 隨後，他引導我們就八端真福逐一分析思考，嘗試了解耶穌基督要求我們採取甚麼生活態度，看看是否真的是超出我們的能力範圍以外。 第一端：神貧的人是有福的，因為天國是他們的。 「神貧」，顧名思義，是指精神上的貧窮 ，一個精神上貧窮的人會明白一切都來自天主，而自己是一無所有。相反，一個精神上很富有的人通常會很驕傲，完全依賴自己，不信靠天主。 第二端：哀慟的人是有福的，因為他們要受安慰。 人在遭受損失或在失落時會感到哀傷，在這時候，被祝福的是那些能夠把失落昇華成為神聖的哀傷，面向天主，就像伯多祿在三次不認主後，為背棄天主而感到後悔和內疚，這就是神聖的憂傷，是被祝福的。相反，猶達斯在出賣耶穌後，只想到自已悲慘的下場，更以不當的行為（自毀）取代其失落，他所呈現的是俗世的憂傷，當然未能獲得賞報。 第三端：溫良的人是有福的，因為他們要承受土地。 溫良是聖神果實其中的一種，也是耶穌門徒的特質。真正溫良的人有來自內心的謙遜，外在的行為也是溫良的。但這並不是懦弱，而是在面對着全能的天主時，有能力去做值得做的事，因而享有一份這種能力帶出來的平安。 第四端：饑渴慕義的人是有福的，因為他們要得飽飫。 在這裡，「義」是指正確的事，而「成義」就是成聖，去做跟隨天主的愛所定出來的對的事物。這端道理提醒我們遵守天主藉着先知所頒布而由耶穌所啟示和使之滿全的十誡，更要以耶穌為我們渴求的對象，不希求天主以外的東西，這樣，我們的渴求便會得到滿足。 第五端： 憐憫的人是有福的，因為他們要受憐憫。 憐憫就是慈悲，憐憫的對象是弱者，而我們要將心態轉為行動，要切實地去幫助有需要的人。李主教也提醒我們憐憫的行動不應只是選擇性的，而是要持之以恆，使之成為一種生活方式，而憐憫的對象應該是所有人，特別是我們的近人。 第六端：心裡潔淨的人是有福的，因為他們要看見天主。 基督要求我們的純潔是絕對性的，整個人的，要經過有步驟的、艱辛的淨化過程，藉着天主的恩寵，勤辧告解、勤領聖事、提升自律的能力，這樣，我們便會看見天主的真、善、美了。 第七端：缔造和平的人是有福的，因為他們要稱為天主的子女。 和平來自每個人的心，來自天主的愛，我們要實踐愛德，把天主的愛帶給別人，這樣，自己在得享有平安之餘，亦會為人與人之間帶來和平。 第八端：為義而受迫害的人是有福的，因為天國是他們的。 在這裡，「義」是指以天主的愛來評估對的事，因而受迫害、受痛苦。但痛苦不應是行義的目的，行義的人所期望的是天主的光榮能夠藉着他的痛苦彰顯出來，因着信德，他所見到的是藉著承受痛苦所得到的喜樂 - 天國的喜樂，因此，殉道是最高層次的信德。 那麽，何謂有福？總的來說，能夠遵照「真福八端」的指引而生活的人是會獲得賞報的，而賞報就是天國，「土地」是指天上的樂園，而只有在天國的人才可「看見天主」，得到滿足（飽飫）、 受天主「安慰」和「憐憫」，一切都和天國有關。 因此，如果我們能做到以天國的角度去看事物，凡事想念着天上的事，而不記掛着俗世的事，那麼「真福八端」可視作為生活態度的指引，而非難於登天的事，耶穌基督的要求亦並非過份，而且頗為合理了。