Happy New Year!

My devotional from Our Daily Bread (also linked to your right) this morning is the perfect final post for the year so I am going to share it here -

As we look forward to the New Year with plans and resolutions, the voices of godly men from the past encourage us to think about something we prefer to ignore—our own death.

Thomas à Kempis (1379–1471) wrote, “Happy is he that always hath the hour of his death before his eyes and daily prepareth himself to die.” And Francois Fénelon (1651–1715) wrote, “We cannot too greatly deplore the blindness of men who do not want to think of death, and who turn away from an inevitable thing which we could be happy to think of often. Death only troubles carnal people.”

These men were not referring to a depressing preoccupation with dying, but a dynamic approach to living (emphasis mine). We, like the psalmist David, should pray: “Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am. . . . Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor” (Ps. 39:4-5). David speaks of people who work in vain, heaping up wealth with no idea of who will get it (v.6). He concludes by affirming that his hope is in God, who alone can keep him from a life of spiritual rebellion and disaster (vv.7-8).

As we place our hope in God, the brevity of our life on earth is worth considering—every day.

May we seek to understand this dynamic approach to living as we bid farewell to 2012 and welcome 2013. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2: 2-20
New International Version (NIV)

Christmas Shopping

I am STILL Christmas Shopping. Five days before Christmas.

It had been a very busy fall semester so I had a very late start on Christmas shopping this year. Christmas shopping also meant I went back to the mall. It had been many months since I was at the mall last. After reading David Platt's Radical over Spring Break, one of the challenges I undertook was to not buy clothes (except for necessities) for a year. I liked to buy clothes on sale, so I wanted to stop doing that for a while in order to take the focus off of myself and be more sensitive to the needs around me.

As I walked around the mall looking for Christmas gifts, I saw a lot of great clothes along the way. The Christmas sale also meant very good prices for many clothing items. It would have been so easy for me to buy a dress here and a shirt there, and it was really quite tempting.

But I was not about to undo nine months of work to break the challenge, and I was not about to create an irony in which I would buy what I liked just because there was a great sale while I engaged in the spirit of giving to others as I shopped for loved ones.

In the end, I got some gifts without buying any clothes for myself. For that I am thankful! I still have at least one more Christmas shopping trip and I need to remember this lesson!

Sandy Hook

The unspeakable happened last Friday in quiet Newtown, Connecticut. Violence also erupted in a village school in Henan, China, when a man attacked school children with a knife.

In the midst of unthinkable tragedies, emotions abound, political discussions heat up, and philosophical and theological questions become a norm. As some question why this happened, some wonder what could be done.

While we outsiders want to help and to address the overarching issues, perhaps we can also pray for the families who are suffering a sorrow few of us can ever understand. In the Chinese culture, there is this phrase of "white-headed people sending off black-headed ones." It is a metaphor to express the grief of parents burying their children. Unless we walk in their shoes, we will never understand what it is like for the parents to be planning the funerals of their young children instead of buying them Christmas presents and anticipating the glow in their eyes and the smiles on their faces when they open them.  Perhaps we can also pray for the teachers, staff and students who were at the school that day and lived. Their survivor's guilt and emotional scar will linger for a long time to come.

We don't always get the answers as to why evil things happen, but it is comforting to see the outpouring of compassion and love within Newtown as well as throughout the country after the tragedy. Think of the heroic acts of the principal and teachers who laid down their lives for their students, the kind act of the neighbor who took in and comforted several children who managed to escape the shooting, the wonderful deed of JetBlue Airways to overnight and deliver a 6-year-old boy's letter cross-country from Washington state in time for his 6-year-old cousin's funeral, or the touching tribute of a football player to his fan.

In the midst of unspeakable evil, there is hope, there is light. As we celebrate Christmas, may we also see the light and hope in the world of darkness in the form of a baby who was born in a lowly manger to bring hope and goodwill to mankind.

Locks of Love III

It had been over two years since I last donated my hair. My hair had gotten long enough to donate again so a few weeks ago, I had another 12 inches of hair cut to donate to Locks of Love. It was wonderful to be able to do this again!

Before

 

After

Birthday

I had a wonderful birthday recently.

It was the best birthday in a number of years, not only because Hubby did a wonderful job planning the celebration as usual, but also because my way of thinking about birthdays had changed for the better.

When my grandmother passed way at the end of 2004, I developed this acute sense about death. It was neither a knee-jerk reaction to my grandmother's passing, nor was it an unhealthy preoccupation. I mourned, yes, but as I watched my grandmother depart this world at the hospice, leaving a permanent hole in my heart, I also had an incredible peace within me. While I was extremely thankful to be able to go back to Hong Kong in time to be with Grandma during her final days, I was also hopeful that I would see her again in heaven. Hopeful, because I knew a church nearby had visited with her at the hospice and shared Jesus with her. Although Grandma could not talk and I did not have her verbal confirmation that she had accepted Jesus into her heart as her Lord and Savior, the peaceful and beautiful way she passed let me know that she was safely in God's hands. Forever. As I thought more about death, I was also thinking more about heaven, about eternal life with Jesus. I wondered what it was like to be in heaven. Perhaps that is why MercyMe's I Can Only Imagine has remained one of my favorite songs (see video below).

Later, however, as my grief subsided and as I grew a few years older, I became more preoccupied with my journey on earth. At the same time, I was not enjoying getting older, and I became decreasingly open with my age. I was focused on the many goals for which to strive. Little did I know I was losing sight that my journey on earth was just that. A journey on earth. Without a doubt, I knew I was going to heaven after I died. However, I was not longing for heaven the way many first-century Christians were - and many twenty-first century fellow believers under severe persecution still are.

A number of years ago, Hubby wrote me a poem for my birthday and I loved it. There was a line about getting older and getting closer to heaven. I did not fully understand it at the time, but I think I do now. I was too preoccupied with my earthly journey, equating age with things I should be accomplishing. I am still getting older, but instead of secretly fretting over the times past and wondering if I have accomplished everything I should, I have learned that my focus is not on earth, but on heaven. For as long as I am here, I will do what God wants me to do to make a difference and to bring him glory. Yet, I also look forward to getting closer to my real home. My eternal home. I still wonder what I would do when I meet Jesus in heaven, but I have no doubt that I will love it. From now on, I will celebrate my birthday with joy, because it no longer means I am getting older, it means I am getting close to home.

I had a wonderful birthday indeed.

"Olympic Experience" (Part IV)

I was ready at the baseline to receive the serve. It went to the middle of the service box. I moved towards the ball and decided to return the serve with my backhand rather than running around it for a forehand. The return was just high enough to clear the net but was low enough to get past the racket of the net player. Her teammate (the server) did not get to it. The ball bounced twice.

We won the match!

What an exciting feeling! My partner and I had a big sweaty hug. Meanwhile, our other teammates from the sideline ran towards us on the court and we hugged each other. At the award ceremony, each of us received a medal. We even did the funny photo by biting our medals, like some athletes did at the Olympics.  :)

What a joy! The team effort was most wonderful. Whenever my partner(s) and I had a bad few points or games, we picked each other up. Whoever was not playing came along to cheer on the rest of us. When my partner and I had the tough loss, the rest of the team was nothing but encouraging. When my back hurt, my captain gave me a back massage to help relieve my pain. When we won the championship together, we shared the joy.

Loss and triumph sometimes go hand in hand. Looking back, I was thankful for the tough loss in my second match. It was the most disappointing for the first ten minutes after the match, but learning to deal with the defeat (quickly) made me a better tennis player mentally. The wins that came after also became much sweeter because I had tasted defeat.
 
As I mentioned in my first Olympics post, Chariots of Fire is one of my favorite movies. In the movie, when Eric Liddell's sister wanted him to return to mission work in China instead of going to the Olympics, he said:

I believe God made me for a purpose, and He also made me fast. When I run, I feel His pleasure.

My favorite line from the movie. I am no Olympian, but I think we can seek to glorify God through sports (tennis in my case). I was calm during our second match point in the last match, but the calm did not come from me. It came from God. And the backhand return? Totally God.

Off the court, I also had a wonderful stay with my hostess. Before booking, I was exchanging messages with the lady renting the room. At first, we discussed the room and logistics; but she soon opened up about her family. At her house, we had several great conversations, including one about her salvation. Before I left, she gave me a hug, and even a beautiful doily she made as a souvenir.

What a wonderful weekend.

Don't forget the Paralympic Games began today!

"Olympic Experience" (Part III)

When I woke up the next morning, my back hurt so much from the extra firm mattress that I could not stand up straight. But emotionally, I was healthy. I had thankfully recovered from the loss; and my doubles partner and I played well to win our match. Our team had gone undefeated in five matches. We now came to the final round to play another undefeated team for the championship.

With the brutal sun hanging over the courts, all five matches in the final round went underway at the same time. I played with another teammate in our match. We won the first set nicely. In the second set, we got broken twice and fell behind, but we came back each time. We worked as a team, cheering each other on and developing strategies to get ourselves in winning position. By the time we broke back for the second time, all the other matches were finished. It was only us on the court, and the rest of both teams were looking on.

My partner and I did not know this at the time, but as our captains told us after our match, our teams had split the first four matches, so the championship came down to this match.

At 4-all, it was my turn to serve. We got ahead but the game went to deuce. In the end, we held and moved ahead. Five-four. If we won the next game, we would win the match. We moved ahead to 40-0 quickly and had three match points. We lost the next point to a strong volley from our opponents. Big cheers from their teammates.

Match point number two. It was my turn to receive serve. I told myself before my opponent's serve that I wanted to hit a solid return and put our team in a good position for a good rally. I was ready for the serve and was very calm.

To be continued

"Olympic Experience" (Part II)

The tournament lasted three days. But since work had been busy, I could only travel on day one and play on the last two days. With two matches per day, I played four doubles matches under the very hot sun.

By the time I played my first match, my team had won both line-ups on Friday, so we were in great position to advance (each line-up included 5 matches; a team had to win at least 3 matches to win the line-up). As soon as I started my match, I noticed my back was stiff. But the match went well, and my captain gave me a back message after the win! After this round robin, we advanced to the championships round for another three rounds of matches to play other round robin winners in our division.

I played my next match with another teammate. My back issue remained (it turned out the extra firm mattress was too much for my back) but the pain-relieving patch my captain put on me before the match helped. My doubles partner and I won the first set quite smoothly, but we lost serve and the second set 4-6.

The third set (and the match) was decided by the doubles tiebreak instead of a full set. We lost a few points early, but the tiebreak was fairly even before we saved a couple of match points. Then our turn came. We had match point! However, I missed a volley.  Soon, it was our opponents' match point again and we lost the match when they called my partner's shot out.

After the match, my partner and I were very disappointed. In the end, it did not affect the result, since our team won the other matches and we were still on the winning side of the line-up. Our teammates circled around us to cheer us up. They also told us that they all saw the last shot in. However, because our opponents called it out, we lost.

But I learned an important lesson. As we walked off the court, I told myself that I could take the loss. That helped me keep my emotions from overtaking me. Instead of dwelling on the loss or those few points that determined the match, I decided to accept the defeat (as a sidebar, Rafa Nadal is the best role model on how to deal with losses), learn from it, not let it bother me or define my tournament, and move on. I had had tough losses and disappointments before, but I now really understood that the best way to deal with defeats was to accept them head-on, not ignore or run from them.

To be continued

"Olympic Experience" (Part I)

The London Olympics might seem a while ago, but don't forget the Paralympic Games begin on August 29!

I was not watching much of the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics because I was on my way back from my own "Olympic experience!" :)

I had a state-wide tennis tournament out of town that weekend.  The tournament was the end-of-the-season event for teams that lost in the playoffs earlier this summer. I was unable to at the playoffs because of my research trip to Boston, so I wanted to make sure I did my part for my team this time.

After the Boston trip, I actually could not play tennis for about three weeks (more on that in future postings). So when my doctor cleared me to play three weeks before the tournament, I decided to put in extra time to get myself in the best tennis shape possible and prepare for the tournament as best as I could. So I played more tennis and added extra practice sessions to work on some specifics. I also cut out all unhealthy food for two weeks. Even iced tea (what I usually drank other than water) got on the chopping board so I could avoid dehydration. Thankfully, by the time I packed and left town for the tournament, I felt more ready than I had expected.

One of the commercials during the Olympics was a group of (nameless and faceless) athletes narrating what they had given up to train for the Olympics (no desserts, no leisure reading, no TV etc.). While my training was no where near their rigor, strangely I understood what they meant.

So off I went to the biggest tournament of which I had been a part.

To be continued

London Olympics! (Part IV)

Ready for some final thoughts?

Track and Field

I have mentioned him before, but Oscar Pistorius ran the anchor leg of the men's 4x400M relay. By the time he got the baton, South Africa was in last place. However, he ran a great leg to finish the race. What a wonderful race. How nice to see he was also the flag bearer for his country at the Closing Ceremony. He will remain in London for the Paralympics so cheer for him!

I am not a fan of inking one's body, but check out Oscar's tattoo on his shoulder/back! It's 1 Corinthians 9: 26-27:

I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Triathlon

I only read about this, but what sportsmanship by Leonardo Chacon! He got clipped during the cycling race and fell behind. But instead of getting angry about the unfortunate situation and blaming the defending silver medalist, the athlete who crashed and unintentionally made contact with Chacon's bike, Costa Rican Chacon sent a heartfelt Facebook message to Simon Whitfield of Canada. In return, Whitfield just posted this message on Facebook:

Dear People of Costa Rica & Canada,
Because of Leonardo's kindness and because him & Simon have become fast-friends, Team Whitfield is working on flying in Leonardo to Canada so we can meet him in person. Stay tuned for details!

Diving

Platform diving is one of my favorite Olympic sports. At the men's 10M platform diving event, China was favored to win gold (as usual), but David Boudia had a fantastic last dive to pull ahead of Tom Daley (home favorite) and China's Qiu Bo to win gold! At the end of the competition, while the incredibly poised Boudia was looking at the score board and soaking in the news, his team was so excited for him that they were hugging him and congratulating him. What team spirit! And read this and this about David's faith.

Marathon

Ryan Hall had to drop out of the race with a hamstring injury. While deeply disappointed, he posted the following tweet:

A huge bummer of a day today. Hamstring wouldn't let me go. But a huge congrats to @runmeb! You continue to inspire me. #GodIsStillGood

What a way to hold on to faith during this difficult time!

Closing Ceremony

I didn't get to watch it much, but the stage design was nice. The center was the Union Jack and athletes gathered "under the flag." A nice symbol to show how the Olympic Games in London brought athletes together from around the world. And what fun to watch the Olympians relax and celebrate their hard work and achievements!

I hope you enjoyed the Games as much as I did! 

London Olympics! (Part III)

More favorite moments from the Summer Games:

Swimming

This is not really a favorite moment, but I have another Hong Kong connection. :) Besides the relay medals, Nathan Adrian had a fantastic gold-medal swim as he out touched the world champion by one-hundredth of a second! But there was also something else I couldn't quite point my finger to, until I learned that his mom was from Hong Kong! How cool was that. :)

As a sidebar, he, Missy Franklin and Gabby Douglas should be presented with some kind of smiley awards. They all have wonderfully contagious smiles!

Track and Field

Liu Xiang became the first Chinese man to win a track and field gold by winning the 110M hurdles in Athens in 2004. When he couldn't compete at the Beijing Games in 2008 because of injury, the host country was devastated. Four years later, he came to London in good form until he tripped on his first hurdle and was injured. Instead of staying down and letting officials wheel him out of the stadium right away, however, he hopped his way to the finish line, completing his race despite the pain and overwhelming disappointment. What sportsmanship.

Felix Sanchez was devastated and understandably distracted at the Beijing Games when he learned before his heat that his grandmother had passed away. At the 400M hurdles in London, he ran with a picture of her beloved grandmother and him tucked underneath his bib number, and in shoes with Abuela written on them. When he won the race, he pulled out the photo and kissed it. At the medal ceremony, with the gold medal around his neck and his national anthem playing, he was so overwhelmed that he could not stop crying. A touching moment.

Allyson Felix lost two close 200M races at the last two Olympic Games. Instead of giving up and calling it a career with two silver medals, she kept running. In London, she was the fastest runner and fulfilled her dream by winning the gold medal.

Leo Manzano captured the first medal for the USA in the 1500M event since 1968 by staging an exhilarating run past a handful of opponents in the final stretch of the race, winning the silver medal. As he was running the race of his life, his hometown was cheering him on from a distance. At the end of the race, his folks were as elated as he was.

Gymnastics

I didn't see it until this week but it is worth mentioning. After Team USA won the team gold last week, captain Aly Raisman took off her gold medal and put it on her coach, Mihai Brestyan, because she felt it was as much as his gold medal as it was hers. Her coach (a big guy) gave her a big hug and began to cry. What a thoughtful and sweet gesture by the teenager.

Beach Volleyball

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings completed their dream run and won their third straight Olympic gold medal. Their gold medal match was also their last match together since Misty was retiring. At the medal ceremony, Kerri was holding Misty's hand while singing to the national anthem. When Kerri was overcome by bittersweet emotions, the crowd picked her up by singing the anthem for her. What an incredible run for the duo and what a nice ending and send-off by the crowd.

London Olympics! (Part II)

I didn't watch the Olympics much this past weekend because I was out and about most of the time. But wonderful moments kept happening so here are some more favorites:

Tennis

As a tennis player, I would do the sports injustice if I don't mention some great highlights from my sport. :)

1. Andy Murray winning gold

What a wonderful moment. Having suffered a number of close defeats in major events for years and coming from a heartbreaking loss merely four weeks ago at Wimbledon on the same court to the same opponent, world number four Andy beat Roger Federer, Wimbledon Champion and world number one (I need to add that I do like Roger a lot!). Winning his first major title in front of his home crowd made it even more special.

2. Rafa Nadal posting picture of medalists on Facebook

This happened outside of London but was nonetheless noteworthy. Rafa, world number three, was out of the Olympics because of knee injury but he posted a picture of the medalists with a warm congratulatory message. Classy.

Track and Field 

How about Oscar Pistorius's 400M races and this wonderful photo?

And how about Kirani James, world champion from Grenada and eventual gold medalist (his country's first!) in the event? In a fantastic gesture of respect, James displayed wonderful sportsmanship after the semi final when he asked to exchange bib numbers with Pistorius and raised it to the crowd.

Cycling

Hong Kong has a bronze medal (third Olympic medal overall and first in cycling)! Great success for Sarah Lee, but the story about her coach is also fascinating. A promising cyclist before losing a leg in an accident in the 1980s, Shen Jinkang turned to coaching. Eighteen years of hard work have now paid off.

London Olympics!

I am enjoying the Olympics! A week into the Summer Games, here are some highlights and favorite moments:

Opening Ceremony

Chariots of Fire is one of my favorite movies, so it was wonderful to hear the theme song at the ceremony (and it looks like that's the music they use at the medal ceremonies!). I wouldn't say Mr. Bean's bit was among my favorite moments, but he didn't take anything away. :)

The most poignant moment was probably the passing of the torch to the young athletes at the end. They were not world famous yet, but it was a very nice touch that the torch was passed to them, both literally and figuratively.

Swimming

Michael Phelps placed fourth in his first event, a horrific result by his golden standard. His team then lost the 4x100 freestyle relay and came in second, before he was out touched in his next individual event. But he turned things around nicely and won gold in his next three events, setting more records along the way. A sign of a true champion who does not dwell on setbacks but meets challenges head-on with determination, courage and expectation.

Gymnastics 

Wonderful performance (and smile!) by Gabby Douglas in the all-around competition!

And wonderful sportsmanship by teammate Jordyn Wieber, world champion and heavy gold medal favorite who had heartbreakingly missed the cut to the all-around competition but came back the next day to help win the team gold medal. The following day, she was in the audience to cheer on her teammates at the all-around final and sent this classy tweet after the competition.

Judo

I don't usually follow this sport, but just heard about this triumphant story of Kayla Harrison both in her career and in life.


How about you? Which event or Olympian stands out for you so far?

Photos - Boston

Here are some photos of Boston, most of them from walking the Freedom Trail. Enjoy!

Bunker Hill Monument and the William Prescott statue at the end of the Freedom Trail

Charles River

USS Constitution

Inscription of Roger Wolcott at King's Chapel. I don't aspire to be a governor, but I like the last three lines very much.

A pleasant surprise: Amelia Earhart's home in the 1920s. It was only about 15 minutes from where I was staying!

Chinatown

This concludes my posts on my trip. I hope you have enjoyed reading them!


Photos property of Recording Snow. If you would like to link to my photos, please leave a comment and reference this blog. Thanks!

Photos - Harvard

To conclude my postings on my trip, here are some pictures of Harvard. I will post some pictures of Boston next. Enjoy!

Memorial Church, in front of Widener Library

Widener Library

Harvard Hall. It contains the oldest building on campus.

Harvard Yard

Psalm 8: 4 at Emerson Hall (named after Ralph Waldo Emerson). One of my favorite photos.

A church near campus. I found the contrast of the red doors on white exterior quite stunning.

Photos property of Recording Snow. If you would like to link to my photos, please leave a comment and reference this blog. Thanks!

People (Part III)

Continuing my Boston adventures:

Hong Kongers (!)

On my first day, after I settled in at the house, I went to get some groceries for the week. While also enjoying a nice evening walk on my way to the store, I spotted a small Chinese (take-out) restaurant! It should be no surprise, but I told myself that I could get dinner there at the end of the week if I worked hard during the week. After a productive week, I went to the restaurant on Friday (the same day I met the senior adult at Dunkin' Donut and the Christian at Harvard from my previous post) and got one of my favorite dishes.  As a great bonus, the two guys I chatted with there spoke Cantonese (my native language)! They asked me if I was a student there, as if saying they would take care of my nutritional needs (or occasional Chinese food cravings) if I were. It was the type of conversation that one could only have if you were originally from the same place but were living far away from home in a different culture for one reason or another. I told them I was only there short-term so it was my first and last visit in quite some time. My take-out box was packed solidly, and my food was made to order with no MSG. It was easily some of the best Chinese food I had had in the country.

A grandmother

On my last day, I arrived at the airport early and had a chance to eat lunch (more like brunch) before my flight. While eating, I noticed a lady ordering food with presumably her husband and young granddaughter. Just as I thought it was nice for the grandparents to be spending quality time with their grandchild, the lady turned around and I saw her face. It was not a happy grandmother face. It was not because she was sad, but because her face has been so surgically changed that she could not smile. The plastic and stern look on her face was simply too obvious. I kept imagining how beautiful she had to be before the procedure(s).

I also met some wonderful people at Harvard who helped me with my research. It was great to spend time on this beautiful campus and to visit Boston a bit.

People (Part II)

Continuing from the previous post, my adventures and observations of people in Boston: 

A musician

From the house, I would take the bus and subway (the T) to campus. On one subway ride, as the platform was packed with people waiting for the next train, I heard music (not unusual) before spotting a gentleman sitting in a wheelchair. Without a leg, but with a guitar in his hands, he sang the words "you can't always get what you want." As he repeated the lyrics and I looked at his face and his wheelchair, I wondered if he was singing and crying his heart out to strangers, hoping someone would stop and listen. 

A senior adult

On my last day of research, I stopped by Dunkin' Donuts to get an iced tea and to sit down for a bit to go over my notes before going back to the library. I noticed at the next table sat a group of senior adults. Little did I expect that after the group dismissed, one of them would come to my table to introduce himself. He asked if I was following the Boston Celtics during the NBA Playoffs. When I told him I was following the French Open much more closely, he told me he used to coach tennis! As the conversation continued, he told me about his meeting group that gathered every day at Dunkin' Donuts after mass at the church down the street. He also told me he went to Boston College and shared with me about his career as an accountant. He even told me his name, and offered to drive me to visit his alma mater because it was loosely connected to my research. Since I needed to go back to the library and I did not want to make a senior adult in his 80s drive me around, I had to decline the offer and we parted ways. I was amazed, though, at how people could connect and how they could be so generous towards strangers they had just met.

A Harvard student

After leaving the library on my last day on campus, I was walking along Harvard Yard when someone approached me from behind. It was a Korean student inviting me to her Bible study group on campus. It was quite funny that she asked me if I was Korean (I didn't think I looked Korean :). I told her I would love to join her but couldn't, because I was only visiting and was leaving the following day. We talked for a bit and exchanged names. She asked me to pray for her Bible study group. Of course, I said yes! Even though we lived in different places and were culturally different, we had the most important thing in common - our faith. I was very glad she sought me out, on a rainy day, no less. Such boldness and such a heart for God was wonderful to see. She had no idea, but she already ministered to me with this act of kindness and through our brief conversation.

The last segment to be continued.

People (Part I)

It might be a stereotype, but as a firstborn child, I am definitely introverted. However, I am also indefinitely fascinated by people (it is a paradox?). For me, one of the best occasions to meet and to observe people is during travel. When I am away from home, I become more aware of my surroundings, and my trip to Boston was no exception.

I had many interesting encounters with different people. Below is a highlight of some of the people I met or observed during the trip:

A graduate student

After an initial shock of the long security line at 7.15am at the airport on my way to Boston, I got in line behind a young gentleman. He was quite chatty (and awake) and struck a conversation which extended to a pleasant 45-minute conversation, as we tried to get through the line. Since he had been to Boston and Harvard (where I was headed), he talked about his experiences there which was quite helpful. He was also a fellow graduate student so we talked about what he studied (aerospace engineering) and what I studied. It was a pleasant conversation and he even let me get in front of him because my flight would be taking off sooner than his (As it turned out, quite a few fellow passengers on my flight were delayed by the long lines and they boarded after I did, so I felt a bit better.) It was a completely random encounter but it fascinated me that you can meet someone and, knowing you will probably never meet again, still have a meaningful conversation.

A pastor

For the following day, I had planned to go to Sunday service at one of the oldest churches in Boston. But the logistics of my accommodation cut my travel time short and I eventually went to a church in town. It was only a brisk 20-minute walk from where I was staying; and the service was good and the sermon convicting. Because it was a small church, the Pastor actually spotted me, a first-time visitor. He came by after the service to shake my hand, talked with me and introduced me to the couple to whom I was sitting next during the service. The couple was joyfully expecting their third child (the baby should be here anytime now, if s/he is not here already!) I will remember the Pastor as a man of God who spoke the Truth boldly in a town where what he preached were not the most popular ideas.

A housemate

I stayed in a house which the landlady rented to travelers...or so I thought. It turned out the landlady did not live in that house and the house was much larger than what the pictures showed online. Besides the two rooms advertised to travelers, a few other rooms were rented to long-term residents. As it turned out, one of the residents (very friendly!) there was originally from the town that was only a few hours away from where Hubby and I lived and we had similar professions. What a small world!


To be continued

Boston

I was on a research trip in Boston last month. It was my first time there and below were some of my observations: 

• People there were more guarded, but still friendly when you made eye contact with and say hello to them.
• The public transportation system there was decent and functional.
• The entire week I was there, I saw only one speed limit sign: a 5mph sign at the bus terminal in a subway station.
• I did not see one single speed limit sign in the town where I stayed. How did the drivers know how fast to go?
• There were lots of Dunkin’ Donuts there. Lots. (As it turned out, the chain was established just outside of Boston, which explained it).
• People there didn't bring their bags when grocery shopping (or when stopping by neighborhood stores like CVS); rather, they used plastic grocery bags.
• Harvard just celebrated their 375th anniversary.
• The Boston accent was not as commonplace as I expected. I only heard one person with the  accent (the security guard at one of the Harvard Libraries).
• I loved to walk.
• It was quite thrilling to be wearing long-sleeve shirts and a scarf in early June.

More to come. Stay tuned!

July 1/4

This year, July 1 fell on a Sunday and July 4 a Wednesday. This meant the Fourth of July celebration at our church took place on July 1.

At the church service, the music was naturally a tribute to the birthday of our country. We sang patriotic songs, including the anthem. In the evening, we had fireworks at the lake on our other campus.

The fireworks were beautiful. But besides taking pictures, I was also missing my hometown. We have fireworks more than once a year over there, and I grew up watching the spectacular shows (the firework shows are bigger and longer, and there is always perfectly coordinated music in the background), especially during Chinese New Year.

This year, July 1 marked the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover. I remember what happened fifteen years ago quite vividly - my late-night walk on the street on the eve of the handover, the many people on the streets, the handover ceremony, the change of flags. This year, there had also been more uncertainties in Hong Kong, which in a way, made me want to be there.

As I was watching the beautiful fireworks and clicking away with my camera, I was reminiscing about Hong Kong while celebrating the Fourth of July at the same time, if it were possible.

Happy Fourth of July!

Fireworks at our church on Sunday, July 1, 2012

Happy Father's Day!

Hope you are enjoying a great Father's Day!