It has just past midnight in Buenos Aires. Earlier, I had dinner with my travel-mates, the last before we would board the 109,000 tons Star Princess for Antarctica tomorrow. I signed up for this trip nearly a year ago when I had no idea what the trip entailed, how much it would cost, who were…
In a few hours, I would pick up my bags for the Los Angeles International Airport for another long haul home. I would then rest for a day before making off to Seoul, this time for a pilgrimage. I have already discussed the highlight of my North American trip in the last two letters. Suffice…
I returned to Los Angeles last night from Sacramento with my son. We had gone there for the 56th Commencement Ceremony of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, which took place on 15 June 2007 at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis. The ceremony began at noon…
I recall that some years back I wrote one of my first e-letters when a typhoon hit Hong Kong suddenly and almost unannounced. I found myself having an extra day unexpectedly and I spent some of the day writing a letter to my friends. In the months following that incident, some ardent readers would ask…
How are you my friends? It has really been a while since I last wrote you a letter in this series; and I would understand if you think I have stopped the series. Records show that I wrote three in 2006, compared with 12 in 2005, and 11 in 2004. This would be the first…
I would like to continue with a theme of my last letter and discuss some thoughts I have gathered during the recent pilgrimage, with particular reference to the life of the founders of the Society of Jesus. One main reason why we went on the pilgrimage at this particular time is because it coincides with…
I checked my website and could confirm that it was almost six months since I posted my last letter, triggered by the passage of my father. I have since been busy with my studies and my life, and time simply passes by. In the time in between, I have actually written or required to write…
For the last ten years or so, whenever my father was asked about his age, he would ask the questioner, “How long has Taiwan had its own government?” Inevitably, the questioner would ponder for a while, but eventually give a figure, to which he would say, “Yes, that is how old I am.” My father…
Everyone I have met in Toronto so far said that I had brought the Hong Kong sun with me. It was cool and breezy the week before and the latest weather forecast promised a cooler week ahead. But this week has been phenomenal: hot, humid and high UV index. It was 36 degrees in the…
It was unusual, and certainly the first time since I had retired: for three consecutive days, I found myself going to an airport every morning to catch a flight to another city. I would spare you the details. It was a combination of poor planning, inadequate knowledge on how airlines work and circumstances beyond my…
