SPCC73 - What's New

Seven Ladies Teaching the Son

2011-11-07T14:58:00.015+08:00

What an eventful weekend we had for SPCC 1973 classmates in Hong Kong! We danced, we sang, we biked, we dined, and are ready for a photo exhibition and a boat trip and hike....

On Saturday, November 5, 2011, many classmates including Alexander Chu Ren Yee, Ross Lai Kar Nin, Jennie Ng Ching Wah, and Perry Yu Pak Le attended the SPCC Alumni Choir’s “Love for Music” annual concert at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Amphitheatre of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, giving support to classmates Wandy Kwok Man Yee, Esther Lau Ying Wah,and Winnie Luk Wing Yan who were singing a warm and affecting program of Brahms, Richard Genée, and John Rutter.

Some other classmates including Stella Fok Miu Yee and Winnie Mak Yan Yan went for a special weekend dancing class hosted by none other than our very own Wong Harting. Harting has been teaching ballroom dance classes organized for our classmates on Wednesday evenings in Hong Kong for months and welcomes more of us to join in.

On Sunday, November 6, 2011, Ernest Chow Wan Kin, Ross Lai Kar Nin, Frank Wu Ying Keung, Perry Yu Pak Le had lots of fun cruising along the bike paths despite the weekend bike traffic jam from Ma On Shan to Tai Wai.

Perry then joined Stella Fok Miu Yee, Janice Kwan Wing Kam, Wandy Kwok Man Yee, Winnie Luk Wing Yan, Winnie Mak Yan Yan, and Jennie Ng Ching Wah at dinner with Eric Hoh Tsun Kit visiting from Toronto,… and surprise pop-in Edith Yeung Suk Yiu who just flew in from Rome the day before. Eric last visited Hong Kong in 2001 and so he much relished at his “Seven Ladies Teaching the Son” (七娘教子) homecoming act!

On Monday, November 7, 2011, many classmates will be attending the opening of Albert Young Siu Chuen’s photo exhibition 楊少銓動感世界作品展 at Exhibition Area E4, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui. The exhibition continues through November 10, 2011 and is open 10am-10pm. See Albert’s invitation: http://www.hongkongcameraclub.com/ysc.jpg

Denise Yeung Kin Sie wants people to join in an interesting boat cruise to visit the Hong Kong Geological Park on Saturday, November 26, 2011. Organized by the Chinese University Credit Union, the day trip includes a seafood lunch, island hopping, and hiking in beautiful New Territories Northwest. Interested classmates should contact Denise directly early. More info.

Chachacha and more

2011-02-09T18:07:00.016+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year! We have quite a few things to report and announce in this new Year of the Rabbit....

1. Fourteen of our classmates and family members in Hong Kong have just taken a memorable Year of the Rabbit hiking and exploration trip to remote fishing village Tai O on Lantau Island last Saturday, February 5, 2011.

Blessed with warm weather and almost perfectly clear sky, we walked from Tung Chung to Tai O past old villages, met friendly villagers, storekeepers, fellow hikers and cyclists along the way, bumped into too many local tourists in Tai O, but we also had many interesting local snacks, snapped many pictures, bought more shrimp paste than we would ever consume, saw the beautiful sunset, and had a sumptuous meal before we lined up for the bus to get back to town. Here are a few photos for those who weren’t in Hong Kong or who weren’t able to join in. (More trip photos have been posted on Facebook.)

At dinner, we said we’ll make it a tradition for the class to have an annual Chinese New Year hike in Hong Kong, and planned on having another hike up Wutongshan in Shenzhen and a trip to Guangzhou in the coming months.

2. A week before our Lantau trip, we met Grace Chung Chin Man for a dinner reunion. She was visiting us from Sydney.

3. We would also like to report the happy news that Wong Harting has just got married in January 2011. Congratulations, Harting! As a professional ballroom dancing teacher, Harting is offering a new dance class for all SPCC73 classmates in Hong Kong in February and March, 2011. The best part is that it’ll be all free for SPCC73 classmates. Details from Harting as follows:
SPCC73拉丁舞班

課程和目的：教授拉丁舞中的恰恰恰舞（Chachacha）；通過學習練習專業拉丁舞的基本功和身體動作從而達到強身健體和改善體型的功效。課後一起晚飯歡聚。
上課日期：2011年2月9日，2月16日，2月23日，3月2日，3月9日，3月16日，3月23日和3月30日（連續 8周的星期三晚）。
上課時間：晚上 1900-2100上課，每節課兩小時。其中1.5小時授課，半小時練習。
上課地點：香港西灣河港島東體育館 3樓活動室（香港電影資料館旁邊）。
學員人數：20人；SPCC73同學及家屬優先。
費用：全免，非SPCC73同學及家屬全期HK760。上課服裝：舒適便服或運動服即可；但要穿上專業拉丁舞鞋。（拉丁舞鞋可自行購買。我也可以為大家訂購國產拉丁舞鞋，成人每對HK120，小童每對HK100，男女同價。參加訂購者請於報名時說明並提供平時所穿鞋碼（e.g. 36）和腳掌長度（cm），以便代為訂購。）
報名：請回電郵黄夏汀 Wong Harting at hartingwong@hotmail.com 報名。

Some of us who met Harting at his wedding have already signed up. So hurry up if you are interested before the spaces are filled.

4. We have received an update on our Hope School Project in Chongqing, China. According to Mr Chen Shuangyi, Headmaster of Shiling Primary School which will be relocated to a new site in our project, the site formation work at the new school site has been completed.

SPCC73 Hope School project site

The construction will begin after the Chinese New Year holidays in mid-February, 2011. The scheduled completion date of the school building is August 2011 and the school will be commissioned and opened for use in September 2011. Our class will plan on a school opening trip in the fall of 2011, and may also plan an interim trip in late spring or early summer. Stay tuned for more specific announcements.

5. Au Pui Keung Andy has posted a blog most recently on his insights on mission and vision, and made special references to our SPCC Class of 1973 and our Hope School Project in China. Read up on Andy’s blog.

Spring Frolic in Guangzhou

2010-03-31T09:40:00.008+08:00

As promised, our Class of 1973 will be venturing into a class trip outside Hong Kong for the first time ever this spring. Not very ambitious – not Alaska, Vancouver, not even Beijing or Shanghai, just Guangzhou.... The idea first came in last January as classmates met at David Lai Kwok Ngor’s wedding dinner party. With our classmate Konny Lai Hong Lin having based in Guangzhou for many years and extending a welcome to all of us, it’s a chance not to be missed.

Konny, David and Perry Yu Pak Le drew up a 3-Day-2-Night Guangzhou itinerary departing from Hong Kong for the weekend April 9 to 11, 2010 (Fri-Sun) (see http://tinyurl.com/spcc73-gz-1003). Classmates may opt to join on Saturday April 10 if they can’t take the day off on Friday. It’s the weekend after the Easter-Ching Ming holidays in Hong Kong this year, but we reckoned that breaks can never be too many, so please take a look and confirm your joining the trip by Monday April 5 so we can secure the hotel rooms and transportation early. And yes, for those who are interested but can't join this time, we’ll certainly be more adventurous after Guangzhou! Suggestions welcome!

The inaugural general meeting for our newly registered SPCC 1973 Alumni Association 聖保羅男女中學1973屆同學會 was held on Monday, March 22, 2010 in Admiralty, Hong Kong. Attending were Winnie Mak Yan Yan, Wandy Kwok Man Yee, Susana Cheung Ngan Ying, Stella Fok Miu Yee, Perry Yu Pak Le, Ng Wai Yuen, Michael Wong Kwok Yee, Lincoln Huang Ling Hang, Lai Suk Yin, Helena Li Chui Wah, Helen Ma Kam Fong, Frank Wu Ying Keung, Edward Chiu Kwok Kau, Denise Yeung Kin Sie, David Li Ka Fai, Chan Man Wai, Benjamin Chan Yuk Sun from Hong Kong, and Catherine Cheng Man Yee from Sydney, Australia. At the general meeting, we adopted a constitution of our association and elected the executive committee members. See draft general meeting minutes for our resolutions and list of executive members elected. Welcome to all executive committee members to serve our class alumni association in the coming year, especially the representatives of classmates outside Hong Kong: Joana Cheng Wai Kwan in Shanghai, Grace Chung Chin Man in Sydney, Australia, and Andy Leung Chiu Wing in Toronto, Canada!

Winnie Luk Wing Yan, Lo Wai Sum, Janice Kwan Wing Kam, and Esther Lau Ying Wah joined the group for dinner. We also had the honor of Mr Chan Che Shing (陳志誠老師), class teacher of 3A for our class, joining us at dinner, courtesy of Denise’s invitation.

At the first executive committee meeting of the class alumni association held after our dinner, Perry, Denise, Albert Young Siu Chuen, and Lincoln were elected to be Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary respectively for our association. The executive committee will next meet in April on our Project Hope School business and other class activities.

Group picture after dinner - try put faces to names (photo: Catherine Cheng Man Yee)

Classmates with Mr Chan Che Shing (photo: Catherine Cheng Man Yee)

Spring Hope and Frolic

2010-03-15T22:40:00.007+08:00

Get into the spirit of spring with a real hope and some real frolic!

First, our newly embarked Hope School Project in Chongqing.

We will hold an inaugural general meeting for all classmates of our newly formed SPCC 1973 Alumni Association 聖保羅男女中學1973屆同學會 on Monday, March 22, 2010 in Admiralty, Hong Kong. The association has been registered in December 2009 to facilitate and support our Hope School Project.

At this general meeting, we plan to adopt a constitution of our association and elect the executive committee members. All SPCC 1973 classmates are eligible to be a member of the association, attend the meeting, be nominated and elected to be an executive committee member. Please refer to the meeting announcement for details on the agenda, our draft constitution, and nomination for executive committee.

General meeting announcement: http://tinyurl.com/spcc73aa-gm100322

We need your best support so please make an effort to attend, especially those who are in Hong Kong.

Next, the spring frolic.

Come join our spring reunion dinner in Hong Kong with classmate Cheng Man Yee Catherine visiting from Sydney, and a special guest - our teacher Mr Chan Che Shing 陳志誠老師. This dinner will follow right after our general meeting. Thanks to Ng Wai Yuen Wendy and Yeung Kin Sie Denise for making the special arrangements!

Date: 22 March 2010 (Monday)

Time:

7:30 pm - SPCC 1973 Alumni Association General Meeting

8:00 pm - Class Reunion Dinner

Where: Metropol Restaurant (名都酒家)

4/F United Centre, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2865 1988

(Booking under Mr Yu)

RSVP for general meeting and/or dinner: http://tinyurl.com/y8fu4dc (we need the headcount for booking tables). Any questions please email Perry Yu at perry@pobox.com.

Tiger Trail Walk 2010

2010-02-09T18:55:00.005+08:00

First a quick update on our Hope School Project in Chongqing. Our project agreement was finalized and signed last December, and our donation of HK$290,000 has been forwarded to the China Youth Development Foundation, our project liaison partner organization in Beijing. The project has formally been kicked off. We have received enthusiastic contribution and support from 49 classmates to date, and a small reserve of HK$10,000 is available for continuing projects. Receipts to classmates for their donations will be issued shortly.

Next, lets' get into the spirit of the Year of the Tiger! Go roam the mountains in Lantau and explore new vistas.

We won't be too daring though.... We'll just take an easy walk along Lantau's northern shore from Tung Chung to Pak Mong and then go up the Hong Kong Olympic Trail to a highest point of only 200 meters, before we descend to revisit Mui Wo, a favorite picnic spot back in our SPCC school days.

The Hong Kong Olympic Trail is an all-paved trail completed in July 2008 in commemoration of the Beijing Olympics. Passing through some old villages that have been settled for over 200 years, this family hiking trail is 5.6 km long. We'll see an old village entrance arch, village walls, Chi Tong, a watch-house in Pak Mong, the Fung Shui Woods behind the village, and more. As we go up the hill, we will appreciate the natural scenery. We'll be sure to take rest stops at pavilions to take in all the fresh air.

Route: 東涌東薈城名店倉露天廣場 → 東涌海濱路 → 白芒 → 牛牯塱 → 田寮 → 紅花顏 → 亞婆塱 → 黃公田 → 銀礦洞 → 窩田 → 梅窩遊樂場 (http://www.jmhf.org/10km2010/images/routemap.jpg)

Total hiking distance is 10 km - 3 to 4 hours. In Mui Wo, we can have coffee and snacks before heading back to town by ferry. Dinner is optional.

Date: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 (年初三）
Meet: 2:00 pm Outdoor plaza, Citygate 東薈城 shopping mall, Tung Chung (end of MTR Tung Chung line)
Depart: 2:15 pm
Finish: 6:00 pm Mui Wo

Who will be there: SPCC73 classmates, family members, surprise appearances.
What to do: Walk, talk, cleansing of the body and spirit.

Bring warm clothes, camera, water, and comfortable walking shoes. Family members welcome.

Event link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=295655247492
Enquiry: Perry Yu +852 91091750 or perry@pobox.com

RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/spcc73-tiger-trail-walk

If you are overseas and can't come, do join us in spirit. Have a healthy and happy Year of the Tiger!

Desperately Meeting Andy, and Hope School Project Briefing

2009-12-02T12:16:00.001+08:00

"I will be in HK this Dec. Same as last time I will be going to Shanghai, Sydney and Taipei.... I will arrive HK Dec 6 and first thing first,... I have scheduled Dec 7, 2009 for classmates gathering," wrote Andy Leung Chiu Wing back in October and November. Here in Hong Kong, we don't usually fix our schedule till just a few days before, if not just a few hours, but sure we'll make a good effort to come and meet you, Andy.

It's early holiday season. Let's get into some early holiday celebration mood! Here's details of our dinner get-together:

Date: 7 December 2009 (Monday)
Time: 8:00 pm
Where: Metropol Restaurant (名都酒家)
4/F United Centre, Admiralty
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2865 1988
(Booking under Mr Yu)
RSVP: Send email to Perry at perry@pobox.com.

Also, we'll take this opportunity of our get-together to hold a project briefing on our SPCC 1973 35th Reunion Hope School Project. The Ad Hoc Project Committee has reported reaching our initial project fundraising target to enable the kick-off of our project. (See Project Update 2 December 2009.) All classmates are welcome to come on 7 December to celebrate reaching a milestone and share more detailed info in our project. Look forward to seeing many of you soon!

Moonlight Lullaby from Afar II

2009-10-06T10:44:00.004+08:00

"Jet-setting" Joana Cheng Wai Kwan wrote in September that she will be in Hong Kong for a couple of days after a trip to the US and Canada and would really like to get together with our classmates. "I will be arriving late from New York on 9th Oct, and leaving to Shanghai 11th evening," announced Joana. So that's easy; we'll get together on 10 October for dinner, and if people have the mood, we can go K-singing Moonlight lullabies afterwards, aptly in this high autumn season. (Joana loves K-singing, we know!)

Date: 10 October 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 8:00 pm
Where: Metropol Restaurant (名都酒家)
4/F United Centre, Admiralty
Tel: +852 2865 1988
(Booking under Mr Yu)
RSVP: Send email to Perry at perry@pobox.com.

Joana, along with many other classmates, is a member of our committee for SPCC 1973 Project Hope School in China. She has been traveling and wasn't able to attend some of our recent committee meetings. At our dinner gathering, we would like to share with all present the latest project progress - our donation collection, our liaison with the China Youth Development Foundation, and what's coming up next. Meanwhile, classmates can read up on the latest project update as of 22 September 2009..

There will be more classmates visiting Hong Kong from overseas as we approach the holiday season. So stay tuned for more reunion get-togethers.

Moonlight Lullaby from Afar

2009-10-03T09:57:00.004+08:00

On Mid-Autumn day, I received the most timely greetings from Edith Yeung Suk Yiu in Rome, with her Moonlight Lullaby on YouTube. She wants to share this with us all. Enjoy!

High Autumn Notes

2009-09-23T12:59:00.009+08:00

Final appeal to contributions for the SPCC 1973 Project Hope School in China. A Chongqing school location has been selected for the project. Read latest update.

The SPCC Alumni Association's annual dinner this year will be held on Monday 26 October 2009 at the Grand Ballroom, Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong, featuring a theme "Back to School For A Day" - classroom challenges and quiz games with fabulous prizes and fine food. Tickets are at HK$650 per person. Check out the event flyer and booking form. Contact Ms Caroll Yeung of the Alumni Association office at 28772885 for further info.

Also, just received notice that David Li Ka Fai's mom, Mrs. Li Cheng Kit Hoi passed away on 18 September 2009. A wake service will be held on 25 September from 5 pm to 9 pm at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point, Hong Kong. The funeral service will be held on 26 September 2009 from 9 to 11 am.

Figurative + Abstract

2009-09-07T14:56:00.005+08:00

Au Ka Lam, who has been doing oil painting fervently in recent years, is taking part in Figurativeness and Abstracts, an exhibition of contemporary oil paintings, watercolors and prints of Hong Kong. This event is presented by LCSD, Hong Kong Artists Society, Hong Kong Oil Painting Research Society among others. This is a traveling exhibition that goes from the Central Library in August to Central Plaza and Olympian City through early October. Check dates and times in exhibition invitation: http://tinyurl.com/aukalam-invitation.

More info at: http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Apo/en/programmes20090701_3.html

Virtual gallery of Au Ka Lam: http://www.pbase.com/au_ka_lam

Project Hope School Update

2009-08-27T14:44:00.003+08:00

The SPCC 1973 Project Hope School in China as our Class of 1973 35th Reunion project is now in active funds contribution stage. Thanks for all the pledges from classmates over the past months on the project. We have reached a tangible fundraising goal..

Read details on how to mail in your contribution and other useful information at: http://tinyurl.com/spcc73-hope-update090826.

Raymond in Hong Kong

2009-01-09T09:11:00.002+08:00

First gathering for SPCC73 in the new year. Raymond Luk Wing Kai who missed our 35th Reunion last December by just weeks is visiting his family in Hong Kong now. He has been in Canada for many years and would love to reconnect with our classmates to catch up. I've booked a table for dinner on Tuesday, 13 January 2009, under Mr P. Yu at 8:00 pm, at:

The Square, Two Exchange Square, Central, Tel 2525 1163
(In Chinese: 翠玉軒, 中區交易廣場第二座)

Please RSVP online or email Perry if you plan to join this dinner gathering.

Thanks,
Perry Yu Pak Le
+852 9109 1750

SPCC73 - Our 35th Reunion

2008-11-23T23:53:00.008+08:00

It's been five years since 2003, a year we would remember fondly for our 30th Reunion staged in Hong Kong, Toronto, Sydney and elsewhere around the globe as the SARS epidemic began to subside. Building solidarity and renewing friendships among our classmates from all over, our 30th Reunion was certainly a grand, brave act.

Five years on, we want to get together and compare notes again as we find ourselves facing up another serious global crisis. It's 2008, so our 35th Reunion is on! Come and join us in Hong Kong this December! We know several classmates from Australia, Europe, N. America will be in Hong Kong then. Come share your new-found insights on the economy, on life, on whatever, as we become "more experienced" and supposedly wiser, or just come for some hearty chats and simple fun, as we become "more experienced" and yet childlike again. Let's turn any misery, disappointment, and uncertainty to solace, hope, and relief.

Date: 6 December 2008 (Saturday)

Time: 4:00 pm till 12 midnight

Place: Club Royal (Dynasty Court Clubhouse), LG5, 23 Old Peak Road, Mid-levels, Hong Kong

(Contact: Jennie Ng Ching Wah 9628 8338)

Cost: Buffet dinner to start around 7:30 pm; $350-$400 per head

Parking: Around 10 guest parking spaces available; 4 hours complimentary parking, $50 per hour after per car.

Facilities: conference, piano, karaoke, bar, photo backdrops (recall our gathering in December 2006)

If this reunion sounds enticing, it sure does. Act now by RSVP online.

Or contact:

Yeung Kin Sie Denise (+852 9332 2102 / limandyeung@netvigator.com)

Luk Wing Yan Winnie (+852 9490 8533 / winniewong@kinwell.com)

Yu Pak Le Perry (+852 9109 1750 / perry@pobox.com)

Spouses and family members are welcome. Please respond on or before Tuesday 2 December 2008 to let us tally the dinner headcount for the clubhouse.

Special program for our 35th Reunion gathering

A group of our classmates have earlier proposed an education project - Project Hope School - for our Class of 1973 in our 35th Reunion year. Since August 2008, we have gathered information and talked to people who are experienced with building Project Hope Schools in China. At our dinner gathering, we will introduce this project to our classmates in more detail.

We have also invited Mr M F Chan, whose university alumni group in Hong Kong has completed 20 Project Hope Schools in the past 15 years, to give an informal Q&A on his project experiences. We would like to get as much face-to-face feedbacks as possible and call for initial pledges of support. The project's success will depend on our collective input of ideas, support, and execution. Do make an effort to come to our reunion and share your perspectives on this special project to allow our class to collectively give back to society. More background information on this proposed project will be distributed to all classmates as the project takes shape and embarks.

Watch for announcements of other programs for the night. Look forward to seeing you at our 35th Reunion soon!

At 50, I Understand the Decree of Heaven 五十而知天命

2008-08-06T15:09:00.003+08:00

From Denise Yeung Kin Sie:

五十而知天命

知天命：雖對事理不復有惑，而志行仍會有困。志愈進，行愈前，所遇困厄或愈大。故能立不惑，更進則須能知天命。天命指人生一切當然之道義與職責。道義職責似不難知，然有守道盡職而仍窮困不可通者。何以當然者而竟不可通，何以不可通而仍屬當然，其義難知。遇此境界，乃需知天命之學。--- 錢穆 :《論語新解》

73年中五畢業的同學們到了今天，應該都到了知天命之年。大家在建功立業、追求理想、尋覓自我的過程當中，必有想及人生的道義與職責。幾個73屆的同學(張銀英、李翠華、龍小清、陳育新、黃令衡、陶劍麗、蔣振南、鄭瑋鈞、林淑芬、楊少銓、郭敏怡、楊健思等)聚會時談及如何回饋社會，以令畢業35周年的紀念日更能彰顯意義。除了辦一個較大型的聚會外，大家提議向73屆的同學募捐，共同努力，在國內捐建一座希望小學(約港元30萬)，命名聖保羅73小學(暫擬)，好讓大家日後持續關心國內教育，或探訪、或義教、或捐助獎學金，一方面可持續靈活用不同方式，回饋社會，一方面讓73屆的同學建立共同關注目標，甚至希望在40周年、45周年時，再建多所學校。這樣，大家的聯繫與互相支持，當可以得到更大果效。

現時我們已聯絡了一些機構，並請教過若干有經驗人士，如何落實及執行計劃。我們提出一些基本原則:

1. 我們有學校命名權。

2. 我們可参與學校選址、施工檔次、興建期間監察等。

3. 我們一次過籌款。以後個別捐獻直接付與該學校，以減省我們的人力和時間開支。

4. 除了硬件外，我們不時組織同學與學校交流，關心學校的發展。

以上是我們的初步構思，希望大家大力支持及提出寶貴意見。

We'll hold gatherings later in the year to discuss the proposition and finalize on the project details. Meanwhile if you have any thoughts or suggestions, send in a comment on this blogger or email Denise.

SPCC 1973 at the Olympics

2008-07-09T08:07:00.007+08:00

35th Reunion continues with a novel summer gathering at the Olympics!

If you are in Hong Kong this August, don't miss our special reunion on the Equestrian 2008 Eventing Cross-Country course at Beas River, Sheung Shui, New Territories:

Date:	Monday, August 11, 2008
Time:	8:00am - 11:30am
Location:	Beas River Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue
City/Town:	Sheung Shui, Hong Kong

Wow, so did anyone get the tickets? ... Yes and no. It's all up to us. It's in hong kong, not Beijing,... but someone found out that there are still tickets available as of today at a few of the Olympic Equestrian Eventing sessions. Of particular interest is the Team/Individual Eventing - Cross Country session on 11 August 2008, at the Beas River venue (Event EQ04).

Beas River is an approximately 5.7-km track measuring 10 metres in width was constructed as a temporary four-star championship Cross-Country course at the Hong Kong Golf Club and the adjacent Beas River Country Club at Sheung Shui, New Territories. From the Beas River venue photos, it looks like the spectators will be walking/standing on the green of the golf course leisurely and watching the cross country races. It's more like an outing or picnic. Instead of confining ourselves to fixed seats at the Dressage venue in Sha Tin, we can meet and chat with each other in a nice and relaxing venue as Beas River - definitely an added value.

Your Cost:

1. Wake up EARLY on a monday morning.
2. Get off your normal monday routine (work or else) - after all, this could be the first-ever Olympic experience for most of us.
3. Travel kind of far away from the city (we can arrange a coach to pick people up in town), but we don't really need to be there on time. We can always show up an hour or so later, and how about late breakfast or dim sum lunch afterwards?
4. Price of ticket: HK$71/person

If this sounds exciting and manageable, act now, and RSVP online.

Or contact Perry Yu Pak Le or Winnie Luk Wing Yan and let us know how many tickets you'd like to get. RESPOND BY 15 JULY 2008. we are going to purchase the tickets online and collect the tickets for you first. Details on meeting point, transportation, lunch etc. to follow. For those who are on Facebook, check out more event info and photos.

SPCC73 alumni may be interested in joining "The Amazing Race - SPCC Edition" - SPCC Alumni Association annual dinner at the Conrad Hotel Hong Kong on Tuesday 7 October 2008. We will send out an event enrollment to our classmates soon, as this can be one of our 35th reunion gatherings.

David Li Ka Fai sent in a message on Albert Young Siu Chuen's being awarded for the Medal of Honour in July 2008 in Hong Kong for his outstanding and dedicated community service in Central and Western District. Congrats, Albert!

Winnie Luk Wing Yan reported that back in March, the pretty ladies of SPCC73 decided to celebrate 8 March 2008, International Women's Day in full swing in an indulging program:

Noon - Yum Cha at the Maxim's Restaurant, City Hall Hong Kong
2:30pm - Leisure walk along the Peak Trail or equal
4:00pm - High tea
6:00pm - Karaoke at CEO in Causeway Bay

Too bad, it's girls only. Sorry guys!...

After over 6 months now, our experiment on Facebook has not been bad! More than 30 classmates have joined our SPCC 1973 Facebook Group, and many started actively sharing photos, news, and have fun. It takes time for all of us to learn and get used to new routines, whether it's doing our emails over 10 years back, publishing or reading blogger posts, sending and receiving SMS or Blackberry messages, and now social networking on Facebook, or simply, Facebooking. There are always concerns for ease of use, security, or privacy, but that's all part of the learning. Many of us love Facebook, simply for what it can accomplish in information sharing, communication, and collaboration, all with a warmer and softer touch. We all love to see each other's profile pics, and of course that won't substitute for true face-to-face meetings and chats. That's why we want our gatherings! So, happy Facebooking and hope to see your real faces soon!

Visit SPCC 1973 Facebook Group. (You can join Facebook first if you do not yet have an account.)

Rat Race Anyone?

2008-02-06T17:21:00.000+08:00

What? No one needs a rat race even though it's the Year of the Rat.

So instead of getting exhausted, let's put everything away and go for something relaxing and breathtaking in the New Year. We'll go for an easy hike cum SPCC73 reunon, from Siu Sai Wan to Tai Long Wan, with an option to continue further to Shek O, this coming Saturday 9 February 2008.

We will start from the playground in Siu Sai Wan next to Island Resort by the promenade (not the Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground), but only after we first fill our stomach at a dim sum lunch. We'll go uphill along a family hiking trail, cross the Cape Collinson Road, bypass the Pottinger Peak (and done with the hard part), then head for a relaxing descent admiring the spectacular views of Tai Long Wan and Shek O to the east. After we arrive at Tai Long Wan we can decide if we want to continue a relatively level walk along the Shek O Country Club to Shek O for an alfresco afternoon tea or to head home directly.

Date: 9 February 2008 (Saturday)
Time: 12 pm for lunch, 2 pm walk starts from Siu Sai Wan playground.
Place: Lunch at Maxim's Chinese Restaurant, Island Resort, Siu Sai Wan. Hiking from Siu Sai Wan to Tai Long Wan to Shek O, Hong Kong.
Lunch RSVP: Contact Perry Yu Pak Le at perry@pobox.com or 9109 1750 or Winnie Luk Wing Yan at winniewong@kinwell.com or 9490 8533 to reserve your seat.

If you are just joining the walk, be sure to let Perry or Winnie know so we'll be sure not to leave without you at 2 pm.

Google Map (the route will be from north to south along the eastern coastal hills of HK Island)

Dazzling Photos on Exhibit at the Fringe

2007-07-19T11:46:00.000+08:00

Yang Sau Man sent her greetings from California and an announcement of his brother P H Yang's solo photo exhibition opening reception tonight Thursday 19 July 2007 at the Fringe in Central.

More info at: http://www.phyang.org/photo/hksolo.htm

Be there and see who you'll run into.

From: Sau-Man Yang  
To: Perry  Yu ; SPCC73 Mail List 
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 11:06 PM
Subject: Fwd: Opening Reception July 19 (Thur) 7-9 pm - P H Yang's  Solo Photo Exhibition at Fringe Gallery

Hello Perry,

Greetings from San Jose, California!

You are cordially invited to attend the Opening Reception TODAY.
Pls see attached email.

PH Yang is my brother, whom is also known among some of our
SPCC classmates. Pls spread the news!

Cheers,
Sau-Man

Anne and Edith in Hong Kong

2007-07-08T14:33:00.000+08:00

Just-in-time notice for those of us here in Hong Kong this summer:

Edith Yeung Suk Yiu told me Anne Chen On Yee is back in Hong Kong with her family for the first time in so many years and we should have a get-together to meet her, and meet Edith herself too!

I've booked a table for dinner on Monday, 9 July 2007, under Mr P. Yu at 8:00 pm, at:

The Square, Two Exchange Square, Central, Tel 2525 1163
(In Chinese: 翠玉軒, 中區交易廣場第二座)

Anne has settled in Boston since 1989 (by way of Hawaii and Washington) while Edith, a not-too-infrequent visitor to Hong Kong, has settled in Rome for years. I've told Winnie Luk Wing Yan to help spread the words on this gathering at short notice as Anne is leaving on Wednesday.

Please respond at this blog (post a comment), email Perry, or call Perry at 9109 1750 if you plan to join this dinner gathering.

Thanks,
Perry

Your Chance to Walk for Millions

2007-03-29T01:08:00.000+08:00

From Kwan Wing Kam Janice:

Dear all,

You may have read an annoucement in SCMP from The Community Chest that the quota for the enrolments for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor Walk for Millions of 15 April is full.

However, if you are interested in the Walk but not yet enroled for the event, I would like to share with you the quota I have reserved for my children and friends for the Walk at the time slot of 2 to 4pm.

To reserve a place for yourself and your children, please send me the following information to janice@sunwah-hitech.com:

Number of the person to be enrolled
Names of the persons to be enrolled
Person to be contacted
Contact mobile no./fax no./email address

Places are limited and will be allocated on first-come- first-served basis. Only after I inform you of your successful enrolment, you are required to send me a cheque made payable to 'The Community Chest of Hong Kong' for the fund guaranteed to be raised, which is HKD200 per person and advise me to whom receipts to be issued by The Community Chest for tax deduction should be given.

The deadline for submitting the names of participants in the Walk is 30 March before 3pm. If you have any question, please feel free to conact me by email or at my mobile 90311665.

Looking forward to seeing all of you in the Walk.

Best regards,
Janice

Saddening News

2007-03-22T11:56:00.000+08:00

Right after I sent the email [for my previous post] this morning, I received the saddening news from two classmates that our classmate Poon On Kwok Philip has passed away in early March at the Queen Mary Hospital from a liver ailment. Philip has in the most recent past (but already two years ago) met up with our shape-up enthusiasts for lunch after one of their workouts, and was reportedly in good health. Philip has been working in the construction field for almost all his career. Classmates, friends and relatives may attend Philip's funeral service after 6 pm on Saturday 24 March 2007 at the Kowloon Funeral Parlour, 1A Maple Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon (closest MTR station at Mong Kok).

Virtual Gallery Turns Real

2007-03-22T10:05:00.000+08:00

Many classmates have visited Au Ka Lam's Virtual Art Gallery of landscapes and sceneries first announced on the SPCC73 Blogger (Photos, Virtual Gallery, and the Marathon) exactly two years ago on this date.

For the past two years, Au Ka Lam has been, in his own pleasing words, "quite productive." If you had walked the streets, you could have seen him painting many landmarks and streetscenes in Hong Kong on quiet weekend mornings in car parks that provide the best vantage points on his subjects as well as in busy afternoons among curious passers-by when the light and color was perfect. Among the works he did, his paintings on disappearing landmarks such as the Star Ferry Pier that he did right before the pier's demolition last November would certainly help preserve the much treasured "collective memory" for many.

You now have a chance to see Au Ka Lam's works in real this weekend 23 to 25 March 2007 at the City Hall Low Block Exhibition Hall at the Invitation Exhibition of Contemporary Hong Kong Artists (with lead landscape artist Lam Tian Xing). Au Ka Lam will be showing four of his works: Kwai Chung Container Port, Shek Kip Mei Chuen, Tai Ping Ching Chiu Festival in Sheung Shui, and Star Ferry, Central. Some of our classmates have decided to meet for dim sum at the City Hall first and go to the exhibition together on Saturday 24 March 2007. Au Ka Lam will be at the exhibition on Saturday morning to meet visitors, so feel free to join in:

Date and Time: 24 March 2007 (Saturday) 11:00 to 2:00 pm (booking under Winnie Luk Wing Yan)
Place: City Hall Maxim's Palace, 2/F City Hall Low Block
What to do: dim sum lunch, attend Invitational Exhibition of Contemporary Hong Kong Artists on 1/F Exhibition Hall

Those who arrive before the restaurant opens at 11:00 am can certainly look for Au Ka Lam at the exhibition (opens at 10:00 am). Those who cannot make it at all - I'm afraid you will have to stick with Au's Virtual Gallery, and find your virtual lunch somewhere.

Speaking about virtual vs real, I received photos from Winnie Luk Wing Yan taken at the 霓裳倩影 Forget-me-not gathering last December. (Don't miss Denise Yeung Kin Sie's fond, clever chronicle of the gathering!) Some of us have "virtually" joined the occasion from the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, thanks to Winnie's digital craftmanship. Here are the thumbnails:

(View Original Image - large jpg, 7.5 Mb)

(View Original Image - large jpg, 6.3 Mb)

See full photo album of Forget-me-not gathering.

倩影霓裳

2007-03-10T18:04:00.000+08:00

楊健思

五十年是一個多長的時間呢？應該是大眾心目中很長很長的時間吧？所謂五十年不變，就是安穩人心，永遠不會變的說法。可是，原來五十年是可以在彈指間過去的。

2006年，對我們這屆73年中五畢業的同學來說，除了極少部份外，都已踏入五十大壽了。老同學見面，常常戲謔「你怎麼和以前一樣？」「一點都沒有改變！」我想，不變的是我們識於兒時的赤子情懷，以及留著深刻印象的書聲笑聲。

有說兒時朋友是最肝膽相照的，因為大家當時都是白紙一張，天天見面，比跟家人見面的時間可能還長。成長中的喜怒哀樂，鷄毛蒜皮的爭拗，微不足道的榮辱得失，都在在上心。那種貼身入肉的感覺，當然不是到了「欲說還休，只道天涼好箇秋」的溫吞中年可以感受得到的了。因此，老同學每次見面，還在說當年的趣事：誰誰誰寫了一封情信，誰誰誰把情信公開，誰誰誰把情信藏起來；誰最愛跟誰打架，誰最喜歡煽風點火；哪個老師哪年被戲弄了，誰誰誰受罰。其餘像誰跟誰同班、有沒有同過班、用哪個課室、連接老姑娘的辦公室的門被誰撞開了等等、等等。

當然，還會記得一早在堅尼地道下路閘前等候去霸乒乓球桌，女生粗獷地扯高長衫校服玩球，男生「溫柔」地踢紅白膠波，以免踢走了一個又一個，要到「景成」「補貨」。三角球場、雨天操場旁的白蘭樹，如今看來，確是「窈窕」。重看當年的藍皮Hymn book，竟有人說應該不是這樣小的吧，怎樣字都看不見了？大夥兒立即回應「When I was small, and Christmas trees were tall......」，繼續起哄，「誰誰誰還未有老花眼？」

要出一本趣事點滴回憶，恐怕有十萬八萬字。

是的，我們都長大了，到了知天命的年齡。記得74年中六畢業的那年，中文班組織同學會，發起了出版一本「季刋」，雄心壯志地要繼續聯繫，保持友誼。一筆一筆的把文章用針筆寫在蠟紙上油印，內容有趣，言志述懷，還真的出版了好幾期呢。當然，一年多後，大家各奔前程，為學業忙碌，出國的出國，分散各地各校，季刋也就停辦了。可一些同學還是常常見面，至少每年都約出來聚聚。到了2003年，三十周年的重聚，透過互聯網協助，許多久未露面的同學都聯上了，有了余栢立建立的SPCC73博客，大家不論身在何地，都可以知道大家的近況。

去年，幾個女同學聚在一起健身，忽發奇想，來個「艷絕塵寰五十載」或Wonderful Contribution to this good earth for 50 years生日派對，就這樣，有了這次SPCC73 forget-me-not「倩影霓裳」的晚宴。

從照片看，大家可認得誰是當年坐在你身旁的小丫頭？又或者誰是和你打過架的小男孩？不要說沒有變，那是騙人的美容院宣傳技倆，實情是統統印上有着歲月的眉目，可這歲月，卻得之不易。像上等的美酒，不經時日，透不出醇香；像老年的陳皮，價值隨年日而增加；像宜興上佳茶具，沒有一層一層的茶漬，泡不出好茶來。

武俠小說大師梁羽生恰巧在十二月來港，知道了我們這個盛會，高興地為我們親自題了個對聯，聯曰：

過眼塵緣留倩影
賞心樂事醉霓裳

老人家八十三歲了，叮囑我們要珍惜友誼，珍惜年日。五十歲，可做的事太多了。像他八十多歲，還在努力學習呢。他在五十多歲時，就已寫成三十多套武俠小說了

願我們各屆的同學能常常聚會，無論是親身或是透過互聯網；這塵緣，值得大家一再回味與繼續。

倩影霓裳 - 回顧重温共聚自助晚餐 SPCC73 - Dec 9th Gathering

2006-12-05T00:28:00.000+08:00

Winnie Luk Wing Yan reminds our class:

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THIS COMING SATURDAY (Dec 9th)!!
Go to : http://spcc73.blogspot.com/2006/12/spcc73-dec-9th-gathering.html for details!!

Come for some beautiful shots and enjoy a lovely dinner, starting at about 5:00pm, or no later than 7:00pm for group pictures!!

If you can't stay for dinner, come to our photo sessions.

If you cannot come at all, please send in your picture and see if we can add you in electronically!!

RSVP: Winnie Luk Wing Yan email: winniewong@kinwell.com
tel: (852) 2772-8321 or (m) 94908533
fax: (852) 2717-7117

Denise Yeung Kin Sie says it all:

倩影霓裳 - 回顧重温共聚自助晚餐

日期：2006.12.9（星期六）
時間：7:00 pm- 午夜
地點：舊山頂道帝景園會所 Club House, Dynasty Court, 23 Old Peak Road, Mid-levels, Hong Kong (聯絡人：伍菁華 Jennie Ng Ching Wah 9628 8338)
費用：HK$320/人

緣起

2003年三十周年重聚後，同學們多了一些見面，大家「從別後、憶相逢」，很多從新認識，更多兒時舊話。有幾位女同學在霍妙儀、陸永恩的帶領下，在2005年開始了一個健體班（如今稍有成效，暫停 :) )。每星期聚會，開始談及來一個另類重聚。

經過

級裏實在太多資源與猛人，從構思到定下「倩影霓裳」靘、絕、文藝得來又配襯懷舊主題的名堂，到找來深圳師傅為女同學度身做旗袍，到定下帝景園會所，到預約專業化裝師、攝影師，前後不過兩個月。以後大家遇疑難，定要上spcc73 blog號召，余柏立、陸永恩、霍妙儀、伍菁華等，保證不會令你失望。

余柏立已經寫了，在五十而知天命之年，大家得來個美好回憶。經過了而立、而不惑之年，在感恩之餘，我們也好來個再重聚，看看一大班美人，大袍大甲、穿紅戴綠地來個艶絕塵寰五十載大合照有多震撼。

因為屬試驗性質，不敢為男同學打扮，只請男同學多多捧場，盛裝出席晚上的自助餐。相信到時的大合照，更加震撼。

我們其中有自幼稚園相識至今者，友誼長達四十七年；最少也認識自中一，距今已三十八年，真是「唔講都唔記得」。數算數算，極之難得。

結果預測

難忘的一夜，盡興未想回，笑餐飽，剩下無限回憶、歡樂和食物。約定最好年年大搞一次。

報名及聯絡

楊健思 (9332 2102 / limandyeung@netvigator.com) 或
陸永恩 (9490 8533 / winniewong@kinwell.com)

See also:

Preview (thanks to Pamela Ng Pik Yue and Peggy Lee Shun Kam for posing):
http://spcc73.blogspot.com/2006/11/december-9ths-big-event.html

At Fifty, I Understood the Decree of Heaven:
http://spcc73.blogspot.com/2006/10/at-fifty-i-understood-decree-of-heaven.html

December 9th's BIG EVENT

2006-11-14T20:05:00.000+08:00

PREVIEW:

You don't want to miss our BIG EVENT in 2006. Come and celebrate our SPECIAL YEAR together! Professional photographers will be there to capture this memorable evening.

Group photo session: 7:00pm (MUST ATTEND EVENT!)
Pre-event photo taking: 4:45 pm (small group, family...etc)
Dinner: 7:30pm (about $280 per person)
Venue: Clubhouse, Dynasty Court, Old Peak Road, Midlevels
Date: 9 Dec (Sat) 2006
Dress Code: whatever you look best in (most ladies will be dressed up)

More than 30 classmates and families have already committed to come and we would like to have you there too!!!

A Beautiful Friday

2006-11-04T08:12:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, it's TGIF (thank god it's Friday) in Hong Kong - as we move into 5-day work weeks in government and private organizations. It was a most special Friday indeed - I heard and saw classmates who made their rare appearances in Hong Kong. Peggy Lee Shun Kam was in China doing volunteer work in physiotherapy and rehabilitation before dropping by in Hong Kong and meeting classmates. When Peggy left Hong Kong for Yokohama, where she is based, Pamela Ng Pik Yue arrived from Seattle. I bumped into her at the office, where Pamela was visiting Winnie Luk Wing Yan. It made my day as I hesitantly, but successfully, recalled her name, not having seen her for as many years as we have left SPCC! Pamela is a Chinese medicine pracitioner in Seattle. I then took my car to Au Ka Lam's auto repair shop in Tokwawan and unbelievably, Au Ka Lam said he had a surprise visit earlier in the day from Si Yiu Pong who came back to Hong Kong from New York City. Au Ka Lam said he and Si Yiu Pong just chatted for a couple of hours on the street outside his shop. Si does education research in New York and would certainly have something to comment on the education voucher system to be launched in Hong Kong soon. To close this special day, I received a email from Denise Yeung Kin Sie who came back from a trip to beautiful Jiuzhaigou (九寨溝), Sichuan, and wished to share with us her trip album. (Yes, those beautiful shots are from her album. Go see more of Denise's Jiuzhaigou photos.) It's pleasant to hear and receive all these tidbits from our classmates. What a beautiful day!

At Fifty, I Understood the Decree of Heaven

2006-10-23T14:51:00.000+08:00

This is serious matter... no, just kidding. Here are some festive events leading in to another end of year. But read on and see if you discover new wisdom for yourself, or for ourselves as a class, and share it....

1. Annual Dinner 2006 “Thanksgiving with a Twist”

This year’s Alumni Association annual dinner falls on the Chung Yeung/Halloween public holiday weekend. I am not sure what the thanksgiving twist is, but go and join fellow classmates to find out. As of now, 6 of the 12 seats reserved by David Li Ka Fai for our class have been booked. Hurry up and book your seat now. Annual Dinner poster.

Date and Time: 30 October 2006 (Monday) 7 pm
Place: Grand Ballroom, Conrad Hotel, Pacific Place, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Tickets: HK$550 per person. Contact David Li Ka Fai at david@lidavid.org or 94901388/2827 6128 (for Ms Lai at office hours) or Perry Yu Pak Le at perry@pobox.com or 9109 1750 for your seat.

2. Parent-Child Community Service Program with Harmony House

SPCC Alumni Association is coordinating a day of community service program with Harmony House, an organization providing shelter and services to victims of domestic violence. The program aims at promoting our awareness of domestic violence including spouse battering and child abuse, and reaching out to the victimized families through interaction and dialogue. Alumni and their family members are all welcome. Registration and details.

Date and Time: 11 November 2006 (Saturday) 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Place: L16 Restaurant, Hong Kong Park, 19 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong
Fee: HK$50 per person (adult/child same price)

3. 霓裳倩影 Forget-me-not Photo Session and Dinner

You can't miss this one....

Date and Time: 9 December 2006 (Saturday) 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Place:~~Dynasty Club, South West Tower, Convention Plaza, Wanchai~~ Sorry, wrong initial posting! Should be:
Club House, Dynasty Court, 23 Old Peak Road, Mid-levels, Hong Kong
What to do: A 12-hour marathon of photo-taking, lunch, more photo-taking and dinner (buffet dinner at about $250/person).

At the dinner party with visiting Catherine Cheng Man Yee, the girls decided to hire a professional photographer to take pictures of them in new, specially tailored cheongsam to commemorate a milestone reached collectively. What milestone? In Winnie Mak Yan Yan’s words, that’s becoming a “semi-centurion” (see her 1 June 2006 posting on Useful Websites). Webster On-line says a centurion is a Roman commander of 100 soldiers. So a semi-centurion would command 50 accordingly. Winnie certainly knew what she’s up to as she opened her own law office this October and is now taking command. What about the rest of us?

How about Confucius’ teachings, as I recall from our Chinese teacher Mr Mok Kwan Tung's class, from Analects: At fifty, I understood the Decree of Heaven (五十而知天命) - alternatively, the Way, or the Mandate, of Heaven. And what do you do after you understand the Decree of Heaven? … Yes, take a picture! … So simply put, it's just a forget-me-not occasion.

This will be a rare opportunity for our class to go a bit wild and have lots of fun. And not just the girls - all boys are welcome to join in (black suit will do, I hear). All classmates are welcome to join in for dinner. By the way, someone's got to bring in the blue flowers for the occasion.

For more details, please contact Denise Yeung Kin Sie at limandyeung@netvigator.com or 9332 2102.

4. Dr B M Kotewall Memorial Concert

Date and Time: 14 December 2006 (Thu) 8 pm
Place: St. John's Cathedral, Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong
What to do: Listen to the SPCC Alumni Choir sing Gabriel Faure’s beautiful Requiem and other favorite chorus pieces in this special year-end concert in memorial of Dr B M Kotewall, the principal of SPCC from 1952 to 1984. Concert is free and is conducted by alumni Geoffrey Ko and Carmen Koon. Arrive early to secure your seat. Concert poster.

Enjoy your holiday season and hope to meet up with many of you soon.

One Big Stride

2006-10-21T12:34:00.000+08:00

Winnie Mak Yan Yan made a big stride and opened her own law firm Winnie Mak, Chan & Yeung focusing in insurance related litigation and corporate commercial matters in October 2006. She hosted a jam-packed opening reception on 20 October 2006 and a number of classmates were there to congratulate her and give her support. Here with Winnie and her husband P. C. Lee are Denise Yeung Kin Sie, Perry Yu Pak Le, Wendy Ng Wai Yuen, Angela Tung Suk Ming, Marian Hu Kuang Huei, Winnie Luk Wing Yan, Stella Fok Miu Yee, Jennie Ng Ching Wah. Missing from the photos: Mok Ngai Ming, Frank Wu Ying Keung.

Dinner with Cheng Man Yee

2006-10-10T19:55:00.000+08:00

Many of us met Cheng man Yee for the first time after all these years. We had a wonderful time catching up with each other. Catherine is now residing in Sydney with her hubby and 2 teenage boys.

Summer Blues? Summer Fun?

2006-06-02T16:05:00.000+08:00

Those in Hong Kong would know what I am talking about. It has been gloomy and raining incessantly for weeks that one wonders if the bright sunny summer is actually round the corner. I was picking up my tickets for summer travels as the RED rainstorm warning (flooding will occur) was announced. I said, if the bad weather persists, it may not be a bad idea to get out of Hong Kong for a while. Except perhaps that I may miss out on all the summer learning and fun stuff. Here's a list of interesting seminars and gatherings this summer for every age in us:

SPCCPTA Further Education Seminar
21 June 2006 (Wed) 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Sir Robert Kotewall Hall, SPCC

The SPCC Parent-Teacher Association has invited Deborah Cremins, Counsellor for Further Studies, SPCC, and Sum Yau Man, SPCC Teacher in charge of further studies in Hong Kong, as well as SPCC alumni and other academic consultants as guest speakers in this popular seminar for all SPCC parents and students. The speakers will cover college and university studies both in Hong Kong and abroad - US, UK, Canada, Austrailia. Many SPCC alumni, including Perry Yu Pak Le and David Lai Kwok Ngor of Maplewood Education Services are speaking, so I think they won’t mind other SPCC alumni, especially those with college-bound kids, attending.

SPCC Summer Gathering
29 June 2006 (Thu) 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Sir Robert Kotewall Hall, SPCC

Ms Lydia Tuen Yee Lee, the newly appointed Headmistress of the newly merged SPCC Primary School and Dr. Anissa Chan, SPCC Principal will meet with SPCC alumni. Ms Lee will explain the Primary One Admissions Procedure for September 2006 and share her vision for the new SPCC Primary School. Contact SPCC Alumni Association office at 2877-2885 for registration.

The Extravaganza
7 July 2006 (Fri) 5:30 to 7:30 pm
AsiaWorld-Arena, AsiaWorld-Expo, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong
Tickets @ $1,000, $300 and $100 with proceeds donated to The Landmark Fundraising Campaign benefiting The Council of St. Paul’s Co-educational College Charitable Trust.

This is the finale of the school’s 90^th anniversary celebrations. Based on the history of SPCC from 1915 and going into the future, The Extravaganza features a variety of performances: classical and jazz, choral and orchestral, gymnastics and dance, kung fu and magic. All current students, teachers and staff from the primary and secondary schools will be involved in the Extravaganza’s production.

Up on stage will be well-recognized alumni including Selina Chow, Eric Kwok, Lam Man Chung, Justin Lo (related to Hank Lo Sheung Hang who’s an interior designer based in Seattle, Washington), Ted Lo, Mark Lui, Eugene Pao, Dr. Amy Sze and Harry Wong. Other significant though less glamorous alumni will appear with the SPCC Alumni Choir. An audience of 6,000 is expected to go to thislargest ever single school event in Hong Kong.

The SPCC Alumni Association is arranging an allotment of better seats for tickets purchased via the SPCC Class Coordinators Programme. If you are interested in going, please let SPCC73 Class Coordinator Perry Yu Pak Le at perry@pobox.com know before 9 June 2006 in order to secure these better seats. Perry will send in your full name on a special booking form and any double bookings will be consolidated.

In addition to purchasing individual tickets, you are also invited to consider and subscribe to the sponsorship packages and programme book advertisement. More info on The Extravaganza.

A Journey of Music in Chengdu
16-22 July 2006 (Sun-Sat)
Chengdu, Sichuan, China

Janice (Choi) Kwan Wing Kam is the convenor of a special Opera Hong Kong summer music performance camp in Chengdu, China. Students aged 12 and above, or younger if accompanied by adults, may join the camp featuring music training at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music (四川音樂學院), performance in the Art Centre, watching an original Chinese musical Jinsha 金沙, touring of the backstage and dialog with performers and actors. While in Chengdu, students and parents can do sightseeing and visit the pandas. A unique feature of this camp is that Putonghua will be used in instruction. So this is more than a performing art camp; it’s also a cultural and language trip. Enrolment form. Call Opera Hong Kong at 2234 0303 for more info.

Not exactly for the summer below, but mark your calendar anyway:

Dr B M Kotewall Memorial Concert
14 December 2006 (Thu) evening
St. John's Cathedral, Central, Hong Kong

This special year-end concert features Gabriel Faure’s most beautiful, serene and enlightening Requiem and will be performed by the SPCC Alumni Choir. The concert is held in memorial of Dr B M Kotewall, the principal of SPCC during our times.

Useful Websites

2006-06-01T01:47:00.000+08:00

Dear All,

I would like to share with you my joy in finding the following good websites:
1. www.bbcworld.com/click - it gives practical tips on using computers and recommends useful websites. Click into it weekly. It renews information.
2. www.eHow.com - it's fantastic. Information just comes in short paragraphs and finishes before I lose concentration. I can find useful tips in "how to pack for a trip" or "how to save time" by typing in the key words. I tried "sweet and sour port" and also got the recipe.
3. www.madehow.com - this is fantastic! It tells how things work and broadens my common knowledge (to some of you, you may already have much and I need to catch up).

As a semi-centurion (i.e. near 50), I find learning keeps me youthful, at least at heart. Boys and girls, please do let me know if you come across something interesting that you would like to share.

I am now in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, U.K. visiting my children who are in their half-term breaks. Cheltenham is the centre of the Cotswolds, a county where Shakespeare was born. I am too happy to see lots of greenery here and visit my friends who live in houses of hundred years old.

I will return to Hong Kong next week. Please do let me have your sharing of new information to fuel our lives.

Vincent Lo in Hong Kong

2006-01-20T07:15:00.000+08:00

Sorry this is kind of a late notice, but I just learned a couple of days ago that Vincent Lo Hung Wing is in Hong Kong. We are having afternoon tea with him on Saturday, 21 January 2006. Yes, that's tomorrow! Vincent is practicing as a clinical psychologist at a Toronto hospital. I haven't met him since Christmas 1975 in Toronto so it'll be wonderful to meet him again. Come join us:

Date and Time: 21 January 2006 (Saturday) 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Place: Lounge on the 1st (just above the lobby level), Excelsior Hotel, Causeway Bay
Tel: +852 2837 6784
What to do: Afternoon tea and chat; maybe a tour of the Chinese New Year flower market at Victoria Park afterwards

I'll book a table under the name Mr Yu (my mobile 9109 1750). If you'd like to come, please drop me a email at perry@pobox.com. Thanks!

SPCC 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

2006-01-07T11:05:00.000+08:00

Who's Who at Dim Sum Luncheon on 26 Dec 05

2006-01-05T23:30:00.000+08:00

We only got the Generation Y's picture at our Boxing Day dim sum lunch when John Wu Kang Min and family returned to Hong Kong for Christmas vacation. So match these Gen Y's with whom among our classmates having dim sum in Admiralty - John and wife Anita,Winnie Luk Wing Yan and husband George Wong, Denise Yeung Kin Sie and husband Tony Lim, Angela Tung Suk Ming, Wendy Ng Wai Yuen, Ross Lai Kar Nin, Perry Yu Pak Le, and Robert Li Mow Wing. (Click on picture to see full view.)

SPCC73 in the New Year

2005-12-20T08:08:00.000+08:00

Not quite. Celebrations still in the year end as many classmates return to Hong Kong. If you are in town (Hong Kong) for the holidays, mark the following in your calendars:

1. Boxing Day Dimsum Lunch with John Wu Kang Min and family returning from Vancouver on holidays.

Date and Time: 26 December 2005 (Monday) 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Place: Metropol Restaurant (名都酒家), 4/F United Centre, Admiralty
Tel: +852 2865 1988
What to do: Have a light or heavy dimsum lunch depending on how much turney you've had for Christmas dinner, bring your presents to open if you haven't done so in the morning, chat and be merry. We have been at Metropol recently for dinner gatherings, and let's have lunch for a change.

2. Late Night Rendezvous at Sky - snacks and drinks with Edith Yeung Suk Yiu returning from Rome to sing as one of the soloists at the SPCC 90th Anniversary Messiah Concert on 28 December 2005 (Wed) evening along with at least four members of SPCC73 classmates in the SPCC Alumni Choir.

Date and Time: 28 December 2005 (Wed) 10:30 pm - 1 am
Place: Sky Lounge, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, 20 Nathan Road Kowloon.
Tel: +852 2369 1111
What to do: Relax after the concert as performer or audience, enjoy the harbor view, say " The night is still young!", and be merry. Pop in even if you are not at the concert, that is, if you want to surprise Edith, who is only making a short stay in Hong Kong.

Family members welcome in both gatherings! RSVP perry@pobox.com for booking our tables (will be under Mr Yu). Call Perry Yu +852 9109 1750 if you get lost.

3. SPCC 90th Anniversary events

A reminder to those who've signed up for the following events to show up:

SPCC 90th Anniversary Messiah Concert 28 December 2005 (Wed) 7:45 pm
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsimshatsui
Highlights from Handel's Messiah will be sung by the SPCC Concert Choir and alumni choirs from Hong Kong, Toronto and Vancouver.

SPCC 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner 2 January 2006 (Mon)
Grand Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai
Thanks to David Li Ka Fai who did the prebooking, we are having two full tables for our Class of 1973.

See you soon!

SPCC73 Yearend Events

2005-10-18T21:42:00.000+08:00

Come and meet fellow SPCC73 classmates at the school's 90th anniversary celebration events in Hong Kong at yearend and in the new year. If you are not going to be away for the holidays, don't miss the chance to give support to your classmates singing at a Messiah concert and to enjoy a new year reunion.

SPCC 90th Anniversary Messiah Concert
28 December 2005 (Wed) 7:45 pm
Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsimshatsui

Highlights from Handel's Messiah will be sung by the SPCC Concert Choir and alumni choirs from Hong Kong, Toronto and Vancouver. Edith Yeung Suk Yiu will be one of the soloists and at least four SPCC73 classmates will be on stage singing with the alumni choir. Booking of tickets just started and tickets will go fast! We learned that ticket booking priority will go to alumni and so we want to book them early. If you'd like to attend this concert and give your classmates support, send a email to Perry Yu at perry@pobox.com before 24 October 2005. Indicate if you'd like to buy tickets at $100, $200 or $300 and the quantity. Perry will consolidate the purchase and distribute the tickets to you later.

SPCC 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner
2 January 2006 (Mon)
Grand Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai

This is supposedly the grand celebration dinner for the school's 90th anniversary. Let's go and have our own class reunion and celebrate the new year. Why celebrate? Winnie Mak Yan Yan reckoned that 2006 is going to be a special year for us; if our class were sweet and wise at 17 in 1973, we will be at our half century and be twice as wise in 2006.... Time for a grand milestone party, so to speak. David Li Ka Fai has kindly reserved two tables or 24 seats for our class. The Alumni Association booking deadline is 31 October 2005. If you'd like to attend, send a email to Perry Yu at perry@pobox.com before 31 October 2005 and indicate the no. of tickets (at $600/head) you are booking. We'll distribute the tickets and collect from you later.

And for those who can't wait till December, come to the following Alumni Association events and see who you may bump into:

SPCCAA Happy Hour at Club Lusitano, 29 October 2005 (Friday), 6-8 pm
SPCCAA Walkathon at the Peak, 6 November 2005 (Sunday), 9 am

More details at SPCC Alumni Association - upcoming events. Thanks!

Halo around Borobudur

2005-10-13T01:50:00.000+08:00

Borobudur Indonesia, some 42km NW of Yogya. A world heritage site, also considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Despite its magnificent structure, I haven't come across any guide books nor written material that mentioned this phenomena... a halo around its top stupa.

Well, there wasn't anything spooky about this. Borobudur's front is facing east, therefore, during sunset, the sun could create a perfect halo behind the top stupa, just like this one I photographed around 5pm right before sunset. But did the great builders of Borobudur deliberately design so?

The most interesting thing about this picture is the pilgrimage. I can assure you that no one, including myself, knew about the halo when we walked up the stairs. We were all amazed at the structure, that's all.

2005-10-08T23:56:00.000+08:00

I arrived Bali just two days after the bombing at Kuta. The four of us didn't stay at Kuta, but rather Nusa Dua, because we wanted to get away from the crowd. But, there was no crowd. The streets were pretty much dead.

Photo shot October 4, 2005 evening.

High Altitude & Hi-Calorie Dinner

2005-10-06T18:52:00.000+08:00

A repeat program, almost, of our summer reunion in Hong Kong when Frederick Luk Hing Kwong visited us in July. We have Tony Chu Tung Nang visiting us again from New York. It's high autumn (or is it yet?) and Chung Yeung season so a visit to the Peak is not inappropriate. Tony has not been at the Peak for at least a decade and would like to investigate how breathtaking and pretty, ... or perhaps how untempting and polluted the view is from this high vantage point in town. Keep him company and chat as we walk (guarantee no climb) around the Peak.

Date: 9 October 2005 (Sunday)

Part 1
Time: 4:30 pm assemble at Plaza outside Peak Tram Terminal at the Peak.
What to do: Walk around the Peak (takes about 1 hour), and then have coffee/afternoon tea before going to Admiralty for dinner.

Part 2
Time: 7:00 pm at Metropol Restaurant (名都酒家), 4/F United Centre, Admiralty. Tel: +852 2865 1988.
What to do: Dinner till the end of time

Come and join in any part of the program - Family members welcome! - RSVP so we know who to wait for at the Peak and book the table (will be under Mr Yu) for dinner. Call Perry Yu +852 9109 1750 if you get lost. See you soon!

Hi altitude, Lo expectation! This is what you can see now from the Peak....

Islamic Saturday

2005-09-08T15:54:00.000+08:00

.
Our PR Guru of the Class Ross Lai Kar Nin has trekked from the marathon turf to reach yet another new territory. Glad to hear from you, Ross, on all your new endeavors! Ross was taking a study course on Islam and its culture, had exams, and graduated with a certificate. Through his newly established Islamic network and his PR flair, Ross has organized a special Islamic Saturday event and "just thought if any of our classmates would be interested in coming to a talk on Islam cum visit to the mosque on the coming Saturday, 10 Sept 05 in Wanchai." Event announcement and enrolment info.

Ross also told me that St Paul's is organising elementary classes in Arabic and Spanish for F.1 to F.3 students. This is quite a feat for SPCC among local schools to take a lead in language studies! Ross's younger daughter is enrolling in the Arabic class (and may later be able to read the Islamic holy book The Quran in its original flavour). So watch out for our next generation of Islamic experts to give us a better understanding of our global community!

And how about Hindi, or Sanskrit?

High Altitude, High Tea, and High Dinner

2005-07-12T18:00:00.000+08:00

A program for our summer reunion in Hong Kong has been cooking up since more than a month ago, but kept under high security. Not exactly, but we want to be sure there won't be any last minute changes in the itinerary of our principal guest - a visitor from Australia once again. Frederick Luk Hing Kwong is back in Hong Kong this summer (or in his winter), following the visits of William Chen Wai Lim (Fei Lim) last year and Raymond Mak Wai Man earlier this year. We have come up with a three-part special on what is expected to be a sizzling hot Saturday afternoon, guaranteed to burn off your excessive calories and refreshing your spirits if not your physical shapes. An alternative to your typical Saturday routine, that is. Come and join us!

Date: 16 July 2005 (Saturday)

Part 1:
Time & Place: 2:00 pm at the Peak Tram Terminal, Garden Road to take the Peak Tram up to the Peak, or 2:30 pm at the Plaza outside Peak Tram Terminal up on the Peak if you choose to drive or hike up.
What to do: Walk around the Peak (takes about 1 hour), and then descend to Admiralty by various means (bus No. 15, peak tram, car-pool, jump, fly, ...)

Part 2:
Time: 4:30 pm
Place: Lok Cha Tea House (樂茶軒), KS Lo Gallery, 10 Cotton Tree Drive, next to the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware (茶具文物館). This tea house is inside Hong Kong Park near its Pacific Place side entrance. Tel: +852 2801 7177.
What to do: Enjoy afternoon Chinese tea and dimsum at this rarely known, tranquil tea house. Chat till dinner, or take a break to visit the Museum of Tea Ware, the Hong Kong Garden, or the Pacific Place shopping mall.

Part 3:
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Metropol Restaurant (名都酒家), 4/F United Centre, Admiralty. Tel: +852 2865 1988.
What to do: Dinner till the end of time

Come and join in any time for any part of the program, but RSVP so we know who to wait for on the Peak and book the right-size table (will be under Mr Yu) for dinner. Call Perry Yu +852 9109 1750 if you get lost. See you soon!

大長今之旅

2005-05-25T03:26:00.000+08:00

一個月匆匆的過去,除了天天對著朝鮮語,吃著韓國料理之外,我住進了瀋陽西塔.一個朝鮮族群的社區.等待著五月四號從瀋陽出發,飛平壤,到板門店三八線,開城,正方山,東明王陵,再乘火車從平壤經新義州回到了中國的丹東.親歷了漂亮的大同江,普通江,和鴨綠江.

正當著六方會談緊張氣氛,禽流感影響著這個封閉的國家的時候,我就偏想去看個究竟...

二零零五年四月十二日,我從香港經廣州飛遼寧省的瀋陽,這是我第一次踏上東北的土地.一個月...我就給自己一個月的時間,看看自己有多大能耐,能夠適應東北的工業污染,突然而來的砂塵暴和早晚溫差達10多度的天氣.不,更重要的是,我不懂朝鮮語,不懂就學,上那兒學去呢?...

"21世紀的太陽,偉大的金日成將軍萬歲",我興奮的用自己學回來的"訓民正音"試著拼,試著猜.朝鮮語有百分之七十來自漢語...

默默的一群 - On Volunteering and Community Services

2005-05-05T16:41:00.000+08:00

-
默默的一群

我總想提起筆來多寫作，卻每每被煩瑣（是煩、碎，不是繁重）的工作縛得緊緊的。但今天，我一定要把所有工作拋開，寫下這人間的無私的奉獻，因為這默默的一群，也是在繁重的工作中，抽出寶貴的時間，為漢華的同學作出奉獻。

公務員事務局的義工隊，一行七人，每逢星期六下午二時至四時，到西環青蓮台為漢華中學的中三同學補習英文。同學中多為新移民，他們既要適應新環境新生活，又要適應各學科的學習。尤其是英文科，他們比別人起步晚，卻要同步抵達。雖然我校已經有新移民補習班，礙於資源，始終僧多粥少。公務員事務局義工隊得悉我們的需要後，立刻招募義工，準備一連十個星期六到校為同學補習英文，而且採用一對二或三的小組輔導形式，務求使同學們得到最大幫助。

同學們得到幫助，意義重大。第一，他們可真正感受香港人的關愛、無私和奉獻。功課上的增益未必可以立竿見影，但他們的心靈肯定受感動。這是教育工作者時刻希望達到的目標。所謂以「生命影響生命」, 比任何有形的物質提供更有意義。我們可以教授學生的，除了知識外，還有對一切生命的尊重和體認。老師的責任，是「傳道、授業、解惑」。現在大家都在談通識教育，就是想讓孩子開拓思路，從自我至社區，國家至地球，從人文到科學，從身邊小事至世界大事都關心。但是，假如他們沒有明白生命的意義，他們哪會奮發向上，好學不倦？身教，從來都是最有效的傳授方法。這些義工們，沒有大道理，沒有大口號，卻親自教會我們的孩子︰人類的生命意義在於互助。記得早前中大醫學院院長鍾尚志醫生，放棄二十多萬的月薪，到巴布亞新畿內亞行醫，拿的薪金只有以前的十分一。他的生命意義，就非金錢可以衡量。
課程設計，只能是我們的一個媒介；老師的各種教學法，只能是我們的一種手段。假如我們真正的教學目標是「人的教育」，那麼，這些義工們，就是不須考基準的達標老師。

第二，通過被助，同學們懂得自助及他助。同學們一定會問，這些陌生人，為甚麼會路遠迢迢，放棄休息，無償地來幫助我呢？他們當中或許起初有些懷疑，但一兩次之後，接觸多了，同學們就明白，假如自己不是值得幫助的人，人家一定會放棄的，從而他們明白，自己是一個可造就的人。別人沒有放棄自己，又怎能自暴自棄呢？

這種微妙的心理變化，不易察覺，助人與受助的，或許都沒有意識到，這種互動的化學變化，却在相關的交流中悄悄地中產生了。
作為一個教了廿多年書的老師，我深深明白那種變化，這也是許許多多同工堅守崗位，無懼各種改革的衝擊的一個重要原因。當同學們長大了，他們就自然懂得回饋社會，貢獻自己的力量，服務人群。

當今的社會文化是索求多於奉獻。所謂「問責」，是問他人之責，輕一己之任。總問社會、政府可以給我些甚麼，而非我可以為社會做些甚麼。大家總愛大聲疾呼，要求別人如何如何。「反求諸己」是迂腐過時得大家提都不敢提的格言，遺憾地，大家還誤以為這是社會主流。其實，在社會的各個角落，都有不同的人用不同的方法貢獻他們的力量。正因為他們不求名利，不要回報，更怕宣傳，這股力量，就默默地被忽視而變成為「潛力」了。

就以我校為例，除了公務員事務局的同事為同學服務外，還有不少老師私下抽時間為同學義務指導功課，就連一位已離職的袁老師，也曾為同學免費補習。有些校外的朋友，也當仁不讓，在校外為應屆會考生補習會考英語，有些是我不認識的，是朋友的朋友；有些是我卅年沒見面的老同學，有些是同學們的兒女及兒女的同學或朋友。這種一呼百應的無私精神，的確令人感動。我深信，這種現象，絕非偶然，許許多多的善行善事，人間情份，在香港的社會生活中不勝枚擧。

我們是否也可以集一股力量，重塑香港精神，讓香港成為一個「香」港，而非日夕被人駡「臭」的地方？

漢華中學教師
楊健思

Denise Yeung Kin Sie is the Chinese Panel teacher at Hon Wah Middle School where she has organized English tutoring classes in 2004 for many of her students. She and others will be organizing another program this summer for students from other high schools and overseas to help in the tutoring. The program is getting support and help from the civil servant volunteers and many of our SPCC73 classmates as well.

1915 + 90 = 2005

2005-03-25T13:51:00.000+08:00

2005 is the 90th Anniversary of SPCC, I was recently reminded by some SPCC event publicity. Right, we always remember the year 1915 on our school badges. Add 90, and ... you got it. When I come to think of it, I'd say I look forward more to celebrating SPCC's centennial, still 10 years away. But I'm sure people would say, while you are still young, and restless, join in the celebrations now! The school is gearing up the publicity for the 90th Anniversary celebrations, and here are a few pointers to upcoming Alumni Association and school events:

Alumni Association Gathering with Talk by the SPCC Principal Dr Chan Wong Lai Kuen
Dr. Chan will share with alumni her vision on the development of SPCC.
13 April 2005 (Wed)
6:30 - 8:00 pm (refreshment from 6:30 pm, talk at 7 pm)
at The Hall, SPCC (Kennedy Road) Primary School, 26 Kennedy Road.
Fee: HK$120 per person. Contact spccaa@spccaa.org for reservation.

SPCC Alumni Choir - An Evening of English Music
19 May 2005 (Thursday)
7 pm at St John's Cathedral, Central

SPCC Summer Concert 2005
18 July 2005 (Monday)
~~2:30 pm (TBC)~~ 7:30 pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsimshatsui
Call SPCC Alumni Association office 2877 2885 for ticket info. - Update 25 May 2005!

SPCC 90th Anniversary Celebration Concert
28 December 2005 (Wed) (TBC)
7:30 pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsimshatsui
Highlights from Handel's Messiah to be sung by the SPCC Concert Choir and alumni choirs from Hong Kong, Toronto and Vancouver.

SPCC 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner
2 January 2006 (Mon) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai

As your Alumni Class Coordinator, I receive info from SPCCAA on different school and alumni events from time to time. If you are a member of the Alumni Association, you should be getting the info too. However, I have no idea of how many of us are SPCCAA members already ($500 for life membership now, used to be $100 when I joined many years ago), so I'll compile the events here for all, especially if they might be of general interest to all of us.

Not all the above event info are available at the SPCCAA website. Info has been coming in by mail, by email, by phone, so I hope this compilation is useful for our reference.

Photos, Virtual Gallery, and the Marathon

2005-03-22T11:26:00.000+08:00

Here are the links to photos for the past 6 months:

Fei Mak
We made it! - warning of hard-sell ad
Fei Wong
The Western Terraces
Smarter and Wiser
Missing you in Toronto

For those who want to catch up further, here are the SPCC73 albums to go through:

2004 Album
2005 Album

Many of us might have visited Impressionism: Treasures from the National Collection of France, an exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art running from 5 February to 10 April 2005 and a highlight program of "The Year of France in China". I went there with my daughter Ariel back in mid February and instead of using the audio guide services, I had the company of Au Ka Lam who commented on the painters and their works and explained some of the subtle aspects of the techniques the painters had employed. Although Au Ka Lam saw most of these works many years ago at Musée d'Orsay in Paris, this exhibition bore a special meaning to him. He has in recent years been painting again after a lapse of some 20 years and according to himself, he has all along been painting in the impressionist style. I left the show after an hour or so, but Au Ka Lam said he's staying. I didn't know how long he ended up staying, but he certainly had a good reason to do so. He had the luxury of examining and studying all the masters' works close at hand, without the usual rush of tourist crowds on a non-holiday Tuesday morning. (One distressful fact though - when my daughter's art teacher at her St Stephen's Girl's Form 1 class polled her class of 40 in mid March on how many have been to the Impressionism exhibition, only she and one other classmate answered that they did. The teacher was disappointed, but probably not surprised. And talking about developing the West Kowloon Cultural District as a "landmark that enhances Hong Kong's position as a world city of culture" .... )

If you want to see Au Ka Lam's own works of landscapes and sceneries since 1979 such as the three here in thumbnails, go visit Au Ka Lam's Internet Gallery which was set up some months ago. According to the artist, the virtual gallery is by no means close to the real thing, but it will certainly be welcome by us all.

Speaking of the arts, I just noticed that the 2005 Hong Kong Arts Festival has just ended, and read an ad in the SCMP on 21 March that Dr Tai Yau Ting was a Bronze Award sponsor of student tickets to the festival. I checked out the ad because Maplewood Education Services, a college and boarding school application counseling service run by myself and David Lai Kwok Ngor, was a fellow Bronze Award sponsor of half-price student tickets to the festival.

To cap our March blog is our report on the Standard Chartered Marathon 2005! Yes, marathon runs for SPCC73 folks! So who were there this year?... Yes, I was, and so were Ross Lai Kar Nin and supposedly David Chang Tai Wai and Hung Siu Po too. I was inspired to run in my first ever road race by Ross, who has been running for some years. I did a 10km only while Ross and David were running their half-marathons. What an experience for me to run in the huge crowd at 6 am in the morning! Without going through a training program before the race, I was only jogging and not running, and was passed by all the younger participants from the very beginning. Jogging at my very constant pace, I was impressed and moved by the vigor and energy of the young runners but also lamented upon the fact that I had not started running at a younger age. Yet amazingly, I was able to keep pace with most runners towards the end, and actually was accelerating as I ran through the finish (see my photo below). It was such an exhilarating experience, I'd say. I'm going to round up more classmates to do the same next year.

Just two photos I could find from the official photographer 's archive of runners. (Sorry, David and Hung Siu Po, I couldn't find your pictures and don't know if you actually were there.) You can tell that Ross, my mentor, was really having a great time, and he knew what eye-catching gear to put on for a gloomy day.

26 March 2005 - Solidarity from Tiffany Tsui Ho Ching in Bloomington, Indiana, USA:

Congratulations on your 10 k run! I also recently pick up jogging after 20 years and am training to run a 5k next month. For a while I thought I would never be able to jog the way I did when I was in my 20s. I am delighted that I can still enjoy jogging the way I did before. It has been a very uplifting experience because it tells me life is not a downward spiral when one ages! Keep on running!

Yes, sure, we will. Let's have a jog together when you next visit Hong Kong.

We need all of you to make this a better place!

2005-03-17T06:06:00.000+08:00

Should there be anyone of our dear classmates who would like to post any interesting articles to this blog, please leave comment here. We'll have your status upgraded to member.

This blog requires that you belong to SPCC73 in order to post, but anyone can provide comments.

Keep it alive! Thanks.

Fei Mak in Hong Kong

2005-03-10T22:17:00.000+08:00

Look, this must be a new mode for our class, and an adorable one too! One after another, our classmates with such a lovable name prefix as "Fei" are returning. First we had Fei Lim visiting from Sydney in June last year, then Fei Wong from Taipei just last month, and now, Fei Mak coming in from Melbourne this weekend.

Yes, this is none other than Raymond Mak Wai Man, who hasn't made an appearance in over 30 years! I certainly have forgotten what his nickname used to be but here he is with a new one, just to make sure we have the right expectation, or just to make sure we have a fond memory of him, or whatever. Raymond is a medical advisor to the government and practices family medicine, is "nolstalgic about Hong Kong" and has many more stories to tell. Come and have dim sum with him and find out for yourself this Sunday:

Date: 13 March 2005 (Sunday)
Time: 11:00-3:00 (yes, we can stay for hours, as we did with Fei Wong last time.)
Place: Tao Yuan Restaurant (桃源酒家)
Tel: +852 2827 8080
Address: 3/F Great Eagle Centre, 23 Harbour Road, Wan Chai

Come any time, and RSVP as soon as you receive this notice so we can book the right-size table(s) (will be under Mr Yu).

See you soon!

...

The Revelation - from Perry Yu 14 March 2005:

So where's Fei Mak?... Raymond's new nickname, coined by himself, attracted no less than 10 classmates to come and see how "Fei" Raymond has turned out. To Wai Ping, Ng Wai Yuen, Winnie Luk Wing Yan, Phyllis Lau Suk Wan, David Lai Kwok Ngor, Vivien Fong Wai Man, Perry Yu Pak Le, Stella Fok Miu Yee, Robert Li Mow Wing, Michael Wong Kwok Yee showed up. All except Perry and Michael met Raymond for the first time in 31 years! There were quite a few messages received from those who could not make it but were curious to see Fei Mak's latest pictures, so here they are. (See comments to this blog.)

While the rest of Hong Kong were flipping the news and weeklies over Sunday yum cha for the old school records and pictures of Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, Hong Kong SAR's new Acting Chief Executive, we looked at a treasured F1B class photo of To Wai Ping with Ray, Winnie, Phyllis, Michael and others. Over other tables at lunch, people discussed Donald's working team for the next 120 days before the new CE election, as we tried hard to identify Ray's track team who had run for champion on Sports Day back in Form 6 - they were Michael, To Wai Ping and Christopher Law Kwong Deen, representing the Science Club in 4x400 relay - no mean feat!... There was more to our conversation, of course. Ray told us he's also a computer freak besides being a family medicine pratitioner. He enjoys computers, digital photography and darkroom, and has assembled and debugged many many PC systems from boards and peripheral parts for himself, friends and relatives. Would you set up a PC-support hotline in Melbourne for us, Ray?

To our pleasant surprise, we had a chance encounter with Miss Yip Mo Ching, the girls' PE teacher, who was having lunch with some SPCC66 members, among whom was Vivien Hoh, elder sister of Eric Hoh Chun Kit. Eric, who took up astrophotography as hobby, is currently in Canada.

After our 4-hour lunch, we then walked over to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to drop by Vivien Fong Wai Man's exhibition booth. She was showcasing her Quality Education Fund project on counselling services for divorced families run by the Caritas Family Service. She had worked with the children, parents and the children's teachers from a number of primary schools and written guidance manuals and booklets for them. She was happy to have a chance to reach out to more families in need of services and meet other professionals especially those from the education sector.

See more photos at SPCC73 Album 2005 (View large images).

We made it!

2005-02-16T00:12:00.000+08:00

11 of us took part in the 4 pre-CNY shape-up sessions. We all loved it. You have to be there to taste the fruit of our stretching and sweating. Our regulars are: Vivien FONG Wai Man, Stella FOK Mui Yee, Wandy KWOK Man Yee, Marianne LEE Ling Ling, Pamela LO Man Yee, Winnie LUK Wing Yan, Winnie Mak Yan Yan, Kinny TO Kim Lai & Denise YEUNG Kin See. Ross LAI Ka Ning and Esther LAU Ying Wah had participated in some of the sessions, loved it and would like to recommend it to all of you!

Our workout sessions will resume this Saturday, Feb 19th, same time, same place. We can accommodate 2-3 more persons. Come and have fun with us (first come first serve)!

When: 5:00-6:00pm Saturday
Where: 8/F, 88 Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay
Fee: $320 per month or $80 per session

For those who are free on Tuesday mornings, there is another session for you. Please contact Stella FOK Mui Yee for details of the Tuesday morning sessions.
--

10 March from Perry:

Received the following BEFORE shot from Winnie Luk. Let's see how we all shape up at the end!

Ross, what are you doing there with all the ladies? Thought you are already
in great shape running the Standard Chartered Marathon on 27 February!

See more photos at SPCC73 Album 2005 (View large images).

Fei Wong in Hong Kong

2005-02-04T21:06:00.000+08:00

David Wong Shan Hill who is teaching chemical engineering at National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, is back in Hong Kong for a short visit before the Chinese New Year. Many of us haven't seen him for a while. Come and have dim sum with him and wife and daughter this Sunday:

Date: 6 February 2005 (Sunday)
Time: 11:00-3:00 (yes, we can stay for hours)
Place: Tao Yuan Restaurant (桃源酒家)
Tel: +852 2827 8080
Address: 3/F Great Eagle Centre, 23 Harbour Road, Wan Chai

Come any time, bring your family. RSVP as soon as you receive this notice so we can book the right-sized table(s) (will be under Mr Yu). Thanks!

By the way, it's Fei Wong, not Wong Fei, who was your pal back in the SPCC days. Right, this is not a spam!

...

10 March 2005 from Perry:

Here are the ones coming to the super-long dim sum lunch (4.5 hours - a personal record!):

David Wong Shan Hill and family, To Wai Ping, Robert Li Mow Wing , David Lai Kwok Ngor, Wandy Kwok Man Yee, Stella Fok Miu Yee and mom, Joanna Cheng Wai Kwan back from Shanghai for the Chinese New Year, Benny Chen Wen Ben , Winnie Mak Yan Yan, Perry Yu Pak Le (some of us having met each other for the first time in over 30 years!)

Perry reciprocated David's visit when he attended a conference in Taipei and both went up the Taipei 101 - the tallest building in the world at this point in time - to see the world's largest wind damper installed atop the skyscraper along with the city vista in a rare fine afternoon on 5 March.

See more photos at SPCC73 Album 2005 (View large images).

Tsunami Survivors renewing friendship

2005-01-08T03:50:00.000+08:00

A handful of us gathered together Jan 7 2005 at Jade Garden Causeway Bay for a hearty lunch 13 days after the Sumatra Tsunami. To Wai Ping sharing his teaching experience with us, Robert enjoying his food as usual. We all survived wave after wave of yummy dim sum.

Happy 2005 - SHAPE UP!!!

2004-12-29T18:49:00.000+08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I gather you all have an enjoyable holiday. With all the goodies that we have consumed in the last couple of weeks, it's time for us to shape up! Why don't we start with:

4 sessions of "shaping your body", specially designed for spcc73ers, spouses and friends:

Date: 15, 22, 29 Jan & 5 Feb (4 Saturdays)
Time: 5:00pm-6:00pm
Place: 8/F, 88 Hing Fat Street
Attire: sportswear
Fee: $ 80 per session

Special thanks to Fok Mui Yee. She has arranged with her coach (certified coach from one of China's famous Phyical Education Institute, speaks Cantonese) to give us private, customised lessons:

each lesson will be 1 hr, with exercises concentrating on the important parts - namely the abdomen and waist, including 20 minutes of movements with music (how relaxing!).

Winnie Mak Yan Yan, Winnie Luk Wing Yan, Stella Fok Mui Yee and Pamela Lo Man Yee have signed up already. Many others, includiing a number of guys have shown great interest.

these 4 lessons are trail lessons, we will continue this great activity on a regular basis after Chinese New Year.

Spaces are limited, please sign up via this blog ASAP! Post your questions on the blog and they will be answered within 24 hours.

See you on Jan 15th!!!

Walk the Seven Terraces in Western

2004-12-21T16:44:00.000+08:00

Dear SPCC73 Classmates,

Here's one special way for our getting together and celebrating the holidays - for those of you who are and happen to be in Hong Kong this Christmas:

Date: 25 December 2004 (Saturday)
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Where to meet: Pokfield Road Bus Terminal (No. 3, 23, 103), Pokfulam Road
What to do: Walk along the Seven Terraces in the Western District (西環七臺)
Difficulty: Less than one star (this is not a hike!)
Who can join: All classmates. Families are most welcome.

Come for the walk downhill (yes, not uphill), appreciate the tranquility and peace on these hide-away streets in the middle of the town, catch a glimpse of the few old houses and banyan trees before they disappear, visit the majestic Lu Ban Temple, maybe even meet some of the residents, and then have a traditional Cantonese afternoon tea on Belcher's Street. You will be refreshed to go to party again in the evening, I guarantee.

The walk will definitely be on since Denise Yeung Kin Sie who makes a daily trip to the terraces for work will be leading us for the walk. (Read A Teacher's Devotion and Caring and Denise's introduction to the Terraces.)

If you plan to come to the walk, do let me know by email at perry@pobox.com or call me at 9109 1750 so that we'll wait for you before we start the walk.

Perry Yu

16 March 2005 - Pictures of the walk from Perry Yu:

Smiling classmates and family members enjoying a leisurely tour of the last vestiges of serene urban life in Western, Hong Kong on Christmas Day afternoon 2004.

Au Ka Lam and wife Elaine Liu take a break from the walk in front of a lofty Lu Ban Temple on Ching Lin Terrace.

Our hostess Denise Yeung Kin Sie and family relaxing after the walk.

See more pictures from the walk at SPCC73 Album 2004 (View large images).

2004-12-20T00:36:00.000+08:00

Well, See who's comin' to town! NO, not exactly.. Santa is still busy...

2004-12-20T00:33:00.000+08:00

This is Center Stage... no, not Benny.. Some guy from Toronto...

2004-12-20T00:32:00.000+08:00

Yummy! says Robert

2004-12-20T00:30:00.000+08:00

David Chang and Perry Yu chat over preparing for the
Standard Chartered Marathon coming up in February 2005.
Ross Lai Kar Nin who's not at lunch today is also running.

And here's the official group picture Alfred sent us after he returned to Toronto.

See more photos at SPCC73 Album 2004 (View large images).

Angkor What?!

2004-12-17T05:20:00.000+08:00

Just came back from an incredible trip to Siem Reap-Angkor. Myself with three other net friends from China decided to follow the french discoverer taking the overland pass from Bangkok to Siem Reap, crossing the Aran-Poipet border from Thailand into Cambodia.

It was definitely one of my memorable trips ever~! Will let you guys know how I did it in details later.

As a prelude to my tale, please share my Astonishment as I looked at the famous "Sunrise at Angkor", 6am in the morning, Dec 11, 2004.

Angkor What?!

Turning Smarter, Not Just Wiser...

2004-12-01T10:18:00.000+08:00

Dear SPCC73 Classmates,

Dinner Gathering on 3 December

Tony Chu Tung Nang is back in Hong Kong to become SMART (yes, collecting his new smart ID card), among other things.

Share his latest news from New York at a dinner he would like as many of us to join:

Date: 3 December 2004 (Friday)
Time: 7:00 pm
Venue: Tao Yuan Restaurant (桃源酒家)
Tel: +852 2827 8080
Address: 3/F Great Eagle Centre, 23 Harbour Road (in Wan Chai this time, for a change)

As usual, you can come early, join in mid-meal, or just come for dessert. Please do RSVP as soon as you receive this notice so we can estimate the no. of people for dinner and book the table (will be under Mr Yu). Thanks!

Pictures from the dinner

Carol Service on 15 December

Winnie Luk Wing Yan sends in an announcement on the upcoming Carol Service presented by the Alumni Choir at the St. John's Cathedral. It will be at 7:30 pm on 15 December 2004 with free admission and tea reception afterwards. Some of our classmates are singing in this service which features excerpts from Handel's Messiah. The audience will also be invited to sing familiar carols and hymns together with the choir. Get more details from the concert poster.

A Teacher's Devotion and Caring

I received this report from Denise Yeung Kin-Sie:

I started part-time teaching in Hon Wah [Middle School] since 1990... on Ching Lin Terrace near Pokfulam. I taught English and Chinese Literature (my major in CU is Chinese Literature and my minor is Translation).... I worked for 12 years part-time until their Chinese Panel retired. I took up his job as panel now. You can see that not many qualified teachers like to work in such a small school with no banding. It is a private school before 1991. There are 17 classes. Many of the students are new migrants and most of them are from poor families. There are so many "good" schools in West and Central district, not to mention St. Paul's. You can imagine what kind of students are allocated to the school every year. But to my surprise, most of them are eager to learn. The teachers are working twice as hard as those in "good" schools, like St. Paul's, compared with those at our old times, I should say.... Attached please find a passage from me when I edited the students' writing series last year. It may give you a rough impression what the school looks like:

編者的話 - 楊健思老師

從甘鉅廷校長，到何永海主任、容曼薇老師，從複印自行釘装到交付印刷公司，青蓮紫荊集已橫跨两個世紀，生十二年了。每次在忙亂中追稿校稿，老師們在紛繁的教務中擠出時間照顧此文集，想必曾興放棄之念。偏偏這個時節，窗外臺上滿天花海，從薄扶林之杜鵑，到山市街之鳳凰木，到寶龍臺之黃蘭白蘭，到青蓮臺之宮粉紫荊油桐，紅的白的紫的綠的象牙的，花開有序，飄香不吝，也就暫放下勞形案牘，略作賞玩，恐辜負了花時。
我總覺得，西環七臺，是香港少有的勝蹟。其中以青蓮臺最富氣蘊。一因其位於各臺中央，鳥鳴蟬噪，車聲隔絕；左通右達，上連薄扶林，下抵卑路乍，曲徑幽堦，伴以魯班古廟裊裊青煙。二為臺上立漢華中學，書聲人聲，響鬧有時，日出而作，日入而息，與天地相合。我常常鼓勵同學，「看山不是山，看水不是水」，要看到山水之間的美。對漢華中學，對青蓮臺，對《青蓮紫荊集》，也作如是觀。在此謹呼籲各漢華校友在遷校前回青蓮臺一遊，想必自有體會。

明年的《青蓮紫荊集》，將闢校友篇，新念舊憶，抒懷述志，共冶一爐，當更足觀。本期《青蓮紫荊集》全部上載漢華中學《青蓮紫荊集》網頁，歡迎隨時瀏覽並指正。

The students' writings are a rarefied collection of prose and essays by Hon Wah students in Chinese , their mother tongue language, and many of which reflect their hardships and new lives in Hong Kong since their arrival. Notwithstanding their Chinese language proficiency, the most challenging task for them as new migrant students in Hong Kong is probably to pass their English subject in the HKCEE exam. Denise is the Chinese Panel teacher but has organized English tutoring classes last summer for many of her students. She looks forward to organizing more programs in the future and would need ideas and support from all sources. Just let us know, Denise; we'll rally support and help, as we did before.

Perry Yu

--

14 March 2005 - some belated pictures of the dinner on 3 December 2004 from Tony Chu Tung Nang:

See more photos at SPCC73 Album 2004 (View large images).

Dinner You've Missed

2004-10-14T19:35:00.000+08:00

----- Original Message -----

From: Tony Chu
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 9:22 AM

Last Saturday 8 + 1 of us gathered for dinner [in Toronto] to do some catch up....

Here's 8, so who's the extra 1? The eight are Eric Hoh Tsun Kit, Ruby Chui Mi Shi, Andy Leung Chiu Wing, Cheung Hoi Fan, Alice Wong Ka Ming, Tony Chu Tung Nang returning, or is it visiting?, from New York, Brenda Lam Miu To and Alfred Poon Siu Fai.

Ruby catches up with the Toronto reunion, having missed the big one last October. Aha, here's the extra 1 - Tony's wife Josephine.

Here are some [more] pictures from the occasion (View large images).

Some of you asked my wife about some websites, here they are:

To learn Mandarin
Kam Yung's novels
If you are serious about getting your new HK smart ID card

Attached [but omitted in this blog post] are the correspondence information of our classmates in North America. Please verify your own, and if there is anything you want to add (e.g. cell phone number) or change, please let me know. If you know of some other classmates' contact information (e.g. Chan Man Yee, Yu Man Ki), please let me know too so I can update them.

Desperately Seeking Fabienne

2004-10-13T06:43:00.000+08:00

Elwyn Wong Pak Kiu sent in a surprise email at the end of August 2004. A self-admitting “prodigal son” of SPCC Class of 73, Elwyn was actually desperately seeking Fabienne Wen Pao Kuen.... Elwyn reported that Fabienne had last tracked him down in his New York office around Thanksgiving in 2002. But “it's one of those things -- inertia -- and I wished I had kept in touch…. Anyway [Fabienne] is in LA for sure. It's not that difficult to locate her if I try harder.” Elwyn had gone to school in England after 1973 and then gone to college there and in America and had never returned, staying in New York all these years. Who else does Elwyn know? He said he remembers from his class Form 5D (Arts, under Miss Lau Man On) other classmates as Frankie Lui Kin Fun, Lyn Chan Bic Lyn and Winnie Luk Wing Yan.

Frankie, incidentally, was caught in the news also at the end of August when he attended the award presentation of the Waste Recycling Campaign held at Lung Cheung Mall, Wong Tai Sin. Frankie is one of the VIP’s as Assistant Director of the Home Affairs Department, HKSAR. The campaign was organized by the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) and the goal was to promote public environmental awareness and encourage the public to contribute actively towards a better environment. Estates and districts which collected the largest quantity of recyclables per household and capita were awarded with citations. (Remember which bin color is for Waste Paper, Aluminum Cans, and Plastic Bottles?)

Before I forget, any trace of Fabienne from anyone?

Learning English - No Mean Feat!

2004-10-12T01:01:00.000+08:00

Denise Yeung Kin Sie organized a summer tutoring program in July and August 2004 for volunteer teachers to engage in English classes with students from Hon Wah Middle School. Many of these students have only arrived in Hong Kong in recent years and will sit for the HKCEE exam in May 2005. They badly need help in improving their English listening and conversational skills so that they have a chance to pass the oral English part of the English subject exam. A number of our classmates volunteered to teach directly, or recruited friends and relatives to help, or contributed office space for holding the classes.

Here's the experience of one volunteer and the niece of one classmate:

Through the past month or so of teaching English, I have had my share of frustrations and blessings. Having never taught before, I went into this volunteer experience completely unaware of what to expect. The grammar that I had been taught in middle school was put to the test, not because of a ten page essay on the core of child labor or discussing the effects of calcium on the nervous system, but to start on the quest to hone to perfection the skills of two students....

During each lesson I would use my choppy Cantonese to try to convey rules found in the English language, such as the use of "that" instead of "this" or how to create complex sentences. If my students were able to glean the smallest amount of understanding from my attempts to unravel the mystery that is English, I will be content. This experience has reinforced to me the fact that English is a difficult language and has brought a new appreciation for the dedication that my students have put into trying to master it….

That is certainly another world for us SPCC classmates, told from the experience of someone who's not a member of our class. Some of us can recall our own difficult days of learning the English language, but the efforts we put in would have been miniscule compared to the efforts required of these Hon Wah students. As volunteers, we've learned we should not take things for granted, we should appreciate what we've achieved and understand our own limitations. It’s certainly a worthwhile program for one to organize and to contribute resources to. Denise, three cheers for your efforts and we wish there will be another program next summer, if not sooner.

Summer News 2004 – Part 2

2004-10-11T20:27:00.000+08:00

Over the summer months, Robert Ng Man Chiu, Wendy Ng Wai Yuen and others have sent in new email addresses which have been updated in our SPCC Contacts database.

Josephine Choi Shuk Wai returned in April 2004 to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, as Trade Director at the Economic Development Ministry of Alberta after her posting as Director of the Alberta Hong Kong office to promote trade and investment opportunities between Alberta and Hong Kong and Southern China.

Eric Hoh Tsun Kit is much into astrophotography (see his works) these days and changed his email so that he can have a clean mailbox devoid of junk. I suppose he just couldn’t stand not seeing a clean mailbox just as not seeing a clear sky at night in his new pursuit. (Astrophotography primer, for the rest of us.)

Jennifer Lung Shiu Ching is back from a long vacation in the summer and is now with the Home Affairs Bureau working on youth programs and civic education. One of the youth programs the Home Affairs Bureau provides support to is the coveted HKAYP (Hong Kong Award for Young People) program, or what was known as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award in our days. Jennifer's office is in Southorn Centre, Wan Chai. (Speaking of email addresses, I must say Jennifer has the most omnipotent email address of all – Go check it out!)

Tiffany Tsui Ho Ching a neuroscience researcher with Eli Lilly and Company has ended her daily commute of two and a half hours away from her home in Bloomington, IN, USA, for the past year and started working in the Biology Department at Indiana University Bloomington in August 2004.

Chan Man Wai moved from the Estates Office at the Hong Kong Institute of Education to a new post at the Estates Office of the Hong Kong Baptist University in October 2004.

Other classmate news I’ve received:

Ernest Chow Wan Kin is Financial Controller at CLP Power Asia. GK, or Chan Wang , is with Jardine Shipping Services. Lawrence Yipp Wing Chiu is posted to the London office of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council as Regional Director, Western Europe, in late summer 2004.

Hung Siu Po is a school science textbook editor at Longman Hong Kong Education, a division of Pearson Education Asia. David Lai Kwok Ngor and Perry Yu Pak Le has started up Maplewood Education Services, an independent education counseling service which specializes in higher education in the USA.

Nina Lee Yee Nin is now a features writer with Hong Kong Economic Times and writes on the arts and literature scenes in Hong Kong and China. Ross Lai Kar Nin finished a hefty 160,000-word Chinese-to-English book translation project in the summer and started his new post with New World TMT Ltd as Corporate Communications Manager on 13 September 2004, the day when Edith Yeung Suk Yiu met us for dinner in Hong Kong.

Au Ka Lam enjoys working with his hands as ever. He operates Car Monitor Auto Service in To Kwa Wan to take care of our cars, and has rediscovered his passion for landscape painting which he does in his leisure. We would like to showcase some of his works on the web one day. To Wai Ping took his retirement after teaching secondary school science, math and English for some 15+ years. Remember he took a long sojourn in Vienna, Austria back in the 80's? Wai Ping has a passion for music, we know, but only he knows what's exactly in store for him next.

Summer News 2004 - Part 1

2004-10-11T19:47:00.000+08:00

Earlier in spring 2004, Winnie Luk Wing Yan visited his son Christopher, a freshman at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, USA, met Ng Pik Yue over there, and then went across the border and had dinner with John Wu Kang Min and family in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Dr. Barbara Chan, mother of Lyn Chan Bic Lyn, passed away in Hong Kong on 17 June 2004. Lyn was back in Hong Kong with her family. Marian Hu Kwang Huei, Winnie Luk Wing Yan and Perry Yu Pak Le attended the memorial service on 27 June where they met many other SPCC schoolmates.

Many of you have seen the pictures taken at our gathering when Deen Lo was in Hong Kong on 6 July 2004. We also shared much news about ourselves and other classmates. Here's the summary:

Angelina Lai Fung Yee is with the Caritas Family Service in Hong Kong. Deen Lo (or Christopher Law Kwong Tin)works in finance at Oxford Health Plans, an HMO in New York, and has just started training on the use of Hyperion planning and budgeting software, which Perry Yu Pak Le happened to be selling in the Hong Kong market a few years ago.

Carlo Choi Man Kui, who is based in Singapore, was in Hong Kong at the right place at the right time and made a surprise show-up. He now works for a European software company selling applications for the banking industry. Alex Chu Ren Yee is the Executive Director at the Treasury of ABN AMRO Bank N.V., Hong Kong. He recounted his US college experience (at the University of Rochester where he had run into Tiffany Tsui Ho Ching) and his current book reading is John Ortberg's best selling If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat.

Louisa Man Man Yee had recently quit her long-time IT development and training job and opened a novelty gift shop in Toronto. She was traveling to Shanghai on holiday and was doing a bit of merchandise sourcing in Hong Kong. She caught the dinner gathering news on her email and so made her surprise show-up. Peter Tung is doing an IT consulting project with Perry in Hong Kong, but also commutes between Shenzhen and Hong Kong on certain new, novel ventures. Winnie Luk Wing Yan has been in the field of education for years, and has met fellow SPCC parents as Alex and others frequently at school functions.

Winnie Mak Yan Yan just finished her court day, was exhausted, but was in good spirits to retell all the funny stories from her SPCC days. Esther Lau Ying Wah also let us in on her secret Form 1B experience (ask her to tell you again) which somehow had a long-term influence on her choice in studying psychology in university. She's now a practicing family therapist in Hong Kong. Stella Fok Miu Yee is also practicing family therapy but on freelance.

History and Travels

2004-10-10T19:35:00.000+08:00

This time the classmate news did not come from our classmates.... One day last July I was chatting with my niece on her school studies. She told me Chinese history is one of her favorite subjects because her teacher is really good and inspirational. My niece is attending the Belilios Public School. She said her teacher has an uncommon last name Kan 靳. After she told me his full name, I said he could be nobody else but our classmate Andrew Kan Tat Keung. What a small world! And I further learned from my niece that Andrew is also a seasoned traveler and designs his own itineraries for his trips. Andrew actually had won a contest in the design of travel itineraries and here he offers his insight upon winning the contest:

明报主办欧游行程设计比赛湖泊冰川主题夺魁

2004 年3月23日【明报专讯】为鼓励舒适与见识并重的旅游方式，《明报》旅游版特别举办欧游行程设计比赛，鼓励读者尽情发挥创意，设计别出心裁的探索欧洲路线。经过评审团一轮细心拣选及网上公众投票后，颁奖礼已于昨日举行。三甲得奖者分别为靳达强、梁玉婵及陈绮华，三人皆有丰富旅游经验，他们认为，行程设计并不困难，并十分享受设计过程。

冠军得奖者靳达强以湖泊、峡湾及冰川为主题，设计出15天北欧3国游：「比赛甚有特色，既可让我一试用文字将行程写出，又可把欧游经验供诸同好。」他指出，比赛难度在于如何将15天的行程简洁列出又不失细节。就观察所见，三位得奖者不约而同拥有相近的特质：有主见，偏爱有深度的旅游，不爱跟团，并对愿意花心思安排行程。

I'm sure one of these days - perhaps for our next grand reunion - our class can count on Andrew's expertise to really design a real nice "solo tour" (自由行) to certain off-the-beaten-track places. Any suggestions for destinations, anyone?

Dinner with Edith Yeung on 13 Sep (Monday)

2004-09-11T23:27:00.000+08:00

Summer is over and life is getting back to normal. It's time to have an evening out with our good old buddies. How about dinner with Yeung Suk Yiu? She swings by HK this weekend after her trip to Bangkok. She will be in HK for just a few days.

Date: 13 Sep (Mon)
Time: 7-ish
Venue: Peking Restaurant
Alexander House (basement), Central

RSVP :this BLOG

BE THERE!!

PS: Peter, do you remember which class Ah Yeung attended?

13 October 2004 - Report from Perry Yu:

Here's a photo submitted by Andrew Lui Lop Kay of the early arrivers to dinner:

More photos at SPCC73 Album 2004 (Large images)

Showing up to meet Edith were Andrew Lui Lop Kay, Winnie Luk Wing Yan, Perry Yu Pak Le, Marianne Lee Ling Ling (李寧寧), Ross Lai Kar Nin, Robert Li Mow Wing, Stella Fok Miu Yee, Mok Ngai Ming, Winnie Mak Yan Yan, Marian Hu Kwang Huei, Janice Kwan Wing Kam. (Marianne was our SPCC73 classmate who left after she finished her Form 1D year.)

Lyra June 10, 2004

2004-07-22T23:11:00.000+08:00

From: Eric Hoh
To: Peter Tung
Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2004 10:16 AM
Subject: Your Blogger Intro

"If you could peer far enough into the night sky, you'd see a star in any direction you looked."

How true! (See attached. My new hobby, astrophotography.)

Lyra June 10, 2004

M57 close-up Jun 3, 2004

2004-07-22T23:08:00.000+08:00

Deen Lo 甸佬 in Hong Kong III

2004-07-07T09:00:00.000+08:00

See more photos at SPCC73 Album 2004 (View large images)

Deen Lo 甸佬 in Hong Kong II

2004-07-06T17:39:00.000+08:00

Right before we have dinner tonight, I received this great-surprise photo from To Wai Ping:

Perry, 我找到一幅舊相, 是 68-69 F.1B 的班相, 不知是否有用. - 杜蔚平

SPCC F1B Class Picture (1968-1969) (click picture to view full size)

杜姐, 當然有用. 這是甸佬和你的同班照, 正合時宜.....你知道甸佬今晚會和同學們一起吃晚飯吧. 有空請到呀! 我會把照片放上Blogger讓大家共同回味. - 余柏立

P.S. July 7: See comments for details on this wonderful gathering. Among the 16 people showing up, we would expect a majority from Deen Lo's original F.1B class. In reality, there were more showing up from C class. Click on the F.3C class photo below and play a who's who game.

SPCC F3C Class Picture (1970-1971) (from the SPCC73 Old Photo Collection)

Deen Lo in Hong Kong

2004-07-03T21:23:00.000+08:00

We have another classmate visiting us in Hong Kong after Fei Lim's recent visit in June. This time it's Deen Lo from the US. You guys have to stretch your memory a bit again as I am giving you the nickname only. Deen Lo is back with his family and he would like to meet up classmates for dinner on 6 July (Tuesday). I've booked a table under Perry Yu at 7:30pm in Central at:

The Square, Two Exchange Square, Central, Tel 2525 1163
(In Chinese: 翠玉軒, 中區交易廣場第二座)

Please respond at this blog (post a comment) or email Perry if you plan to join this dinner gathering.

Thanks,
Perry

A memorial service for Dr. Barbara Chan

2004-06-25T13:49:00.000+08:00

Dear all,

Chan Bic Lyn's mom, Dr. Barbara Chan passed away on June 17th, A memorial service will be held on 26th June at 3pm at the
Chapel of China Graduate School of Theology, 5 Devon Rd, Kowloon Tong, HK.

I will be attending the service. Those who want to ride with me from Central or Causesay Bay please let me know (4 regular size or 5 extra slim persons).

regards,
Winnie
(Luk Wing Yan)

Who's Who at an Evening with Fei Lim 肥濂

2004-06-12T12:57:00.000+08:00

Rejuvenate with Fei Lim 11 June 2004 in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

See more photos at SPCC in 2004 Album. (View large images).

Reminder on June 11 - An Evening with Fei Lim

2004-06-08T20:44:00.000+08:00

Some of you have responded on coming to the gathering by email already (see comment below). But as we know here in Hong Kong, schedules cannot really be confirmed until it's only 48 hours before, if lucky. So here's a reminder and the original announcement made in the June 3, 2004 Class Circular:

(How to respond: Click on comment at the end of this posting. Click further on Post a Comment when the page redisplays. If you do not have a blogger account, click on Or Post Anonymously. You can then type in your message, preview and publish it. Please remember, however, to type in your name in your message so we know who is actually responding. If you are stuck or don't feel like using the blogger at all, you may of course fall back on email or the phone. Thanks!)

Hong Kong 3 June 2004

Dear SPCC73 Classmates,

1. Rejuvenate with Fei Lim

Your next spa aromatherapy, or antioxidant supplement, or natural seaweed cream for bringing back our youth again?…

Not exactly.

But here’s an easy 7-step programme to try out:

1. Mark your calendar for 11 June 2004 (Friday) evening.
2.Be at the Eatwell Shop in Causeway Bay (map) from 6:00 pm onwards.
3. Meet and chat with fellow SPCC73 classmates.
4. Meet Fei Lim and listen to the Tales of Fei Lim.
5. Have a homely and hearty dinner.
6. Relax, rejuvenate, rejoice.
7. Feel young at heart again.

You’ll recall who Fei Lim is if you remember who among our Class of 1973 used to play the violin on stage in the School Hall with a real flair in our SPCC days. Well, he’s not making his living as a violinist these days. There is a long and interesting story which he may or may not tell you but you can certainly find out if you try to.

Officially known as William Chen Wai Lim (and now you remember, right?), Fei Lim would like to meet up our classmates in Hong Kong when he drops by in Hong Kong next week. He has probably not met most of us for over 30 years now, and he has also missed our 30th anniversary reunion in Australia at the end of last year. So let’s help him make things up while we let ourselves relax, rejuvenate, rejoice… and rediscover as well.

When: 11 June 2004 (Friday) 6:00 pm till late; homely buffet meal around 7:30 pm (optional to join).

Where: Eatwell Shop, Ground Floor, 102 Hing Fat Street, Causeway Bay (see map).

Transportation: 5 minutes from Tin Hau MTR; parking at Citicorp Centre.

Cost: Free relax, rejuvenate, rejoice, rediscover programme; tea and meals on shared basis (estimated $150/head).

Sign up now (spouses and kids welcome) by return email to Perry Yu at perry@pobox.com. Any questions, please call Perry at 9109 1750 or Winnie Luk at 9490 8533.

2. SPCC Alumni Association Twilight Drinks

From the SPCC Alumni Association:

We would like to remind you of our upcoming event, Twilight Drinks, to be held on Monday 28th June 2004 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Sir Robert Kotewall Hall. There will be a presentation on Primary One admissions by our prinicipals. Another highlight is a display of part of Ms B.M. Kotewall's collection of chinese paintings and calligraphy.

Do not miss out on this excellent opportunity to meet the prinicipals and to catch up with fellow alumni. Please complete and return the attached booking form to us as soon as possible or you can visit the "Upcoming Activities" of our website (http://www.spccaa.org) for details and to download the booking form.

3. SPCC Summer Concert

More from the SPCC Alumni Association:

Please find the attached information and order form for the St. Paul's Co-educational College's Summer Concert to be held on 10th July (Saturday) at 2:45 p.m.

If you are interested, please complete the form and send it with your cheque to St. Paul's Co-educational College Alumni Association at 33 MacDonnell Road, Hong Kong on or before 9 June, 2004.

Your cheque should be drawn in favour of "St. Paul's Co-educational College". Tickets will be sold on a first come first serve basis. In order to secure better seat(s), we suggest that you register well before 9 June, 2004.

For inquiry, please do not hesitate to call our Miss Connie Chan at 2877-2885.

It's going to be another sizzling summer in Hong Kong as I write. Let's wish everyone a healthy and happy season wherever you are, and hope to meet up with many of us soon again.

Thanks,

Perry Yu

SPCC 1973 Weblog Debuts

2004-06-08T17:52:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Weblog for SPCC 1973!

Here's the latest info sharing toy on the Internet which is actually fun and useful. And best of all, it's free!

The closest thing to it for those who have followed the Internet development in the past is the newsgroup, or the bulletin board service or bbs, and for those who are more atuned to the corporate world, Lotus Notes collaboration and threaded discussion, or other groupware software and so on. Sounds overwhelming, but wait.... I am setting this up to replace the web publishing of our news and tidbits - currently chronicled at SPCC 1973 What's New - to make it more interactive, and to relieve the task going into web publishing and archiving.

What the Heck

1. Instead of what we did in the past - one of us reporting the goings-on and sending the latest news about ourselves and then I publish the story on the webpage, we can now all post our stories directly on to this weblog, so others can read, comment, or post more of their own stories.

2. It also solves a practical need when it comes to new events and gatherings. We can post the announcement of a new event at this weblog and send email to all to check the post. All those who will attend, or not, can easily respond to the announcement by comment on the post. We can all then follow up on who's coming, who's not, who has an opinion, who cannot come but envies, and so on.

It's meant to be our collective archive, as time goes by. You may think it's junk after a while, but as many of us can attest, sometimes it's fun to look at our junk stuff piled up after all these years. (And junkyard is getting ever cheaper on the web.)

3. More on the practical side, you can imagine the power of this new toy in soliciting new ideas, taking polls, among our group of SPCC73. The nicest touch is that the weblog is constructed on a pre-built template (easily switchable) and will be archived monthly without any effort from any of us.

OK, so much for now. I'd like to try it out for a while among ourselves and get some feedbacks first. We've moved from snailmails, lined phones and fax to emails, mobiles and the web and we've got to move on. I think it will be a proud and rewarding experience indeed if we all learn and exploit this new mode of info sharing and distribution much to our advantage and enjoyment.

-----

Another new phenomenon ... is one that started outside of the business space, more in the corporate or technical enthusiast space, a thing called blogging.... - Bill Gates catches up on blogging

Google and Blogger
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