i usually pay little attention to email forwards, but the above pictures were pretty cool, so i thought i would share; happy holidays!
in fact, some time ago there was an exhibition in one of hk's shopping malls (cityplaza i think..) of these ice sculptures. i remember being amazed, but also being too cold to thoroughly appreciate them! (you are given a thin windbreaker as you enter, but needless to say, it didn't help much.)the place was darkened, to give effect to the neon lights placed inside the sculptures.
from the pictures, i like the snow sculptures better though.. hmm, harbin is another place to add to my list, although the temperature is far from ideal...
there was a brief discussion in my law & governance class the other night regarding what is the best forum to decide upon issues of morality and social values. the discussion stemmed from the point that if these are not issues of human rights, should a group of judges--who some would say are not representative of society--be deliberating on them?
these are obviously difficult questions, with no easy answers. my take however, is that there is a firm link between law and morality; law does in fact stem from principles and values of social concern. this being the case, it is a little unfair to say that the judiciary is not in a position to make such judgments. not only unfair, it seems a tad bit contradictory; why do you have judges whom you do NOT trust to make such difficult decisions? secondly, one of the advantages of plugging in to common law jurisdictions around the world and international law principles, is surely that all courts are required to keep changing societal values in mind.
i am not suggesting that the courts are the answer to all of society's problems or that all judges are in a position to decide upon matters of morality. i am merely illustrating the other side; hk's social values ARE part of its legal framework, together with its international obligations. the time when ONLY social values (and, mind you, this still refers to the values held by the majority) were important however, has long gone.
friendship can be complicated. when you add time and distance to it, it becomes more so.
i am tired of being taken for granted. i am tired of friends not being there when i reach out. i am tired of pretending it is okay; of telling myself that their ideas of friendship are different, but they still care. i want tangible expression of this caring. i want it NOW, not at some distant point in time.
then there are those who i let go of a long time ago. and yet, their continued presence in my life makes it hard to truly let go. the history between us is always there, sneaking its way into random comments, bringing back forgotten memories.
i have no solution to this angst. to be friends, or not to be? both options are fraught with their own complications. i have chosen both at different times, and neither have been satisfying.
anyhow, i feel calmer now, after transferring some of my angst into words and writing them down. (is it a blessing or misfortune that those i am speaking of will most likely never read these words?)
i had another go at grading assignments the other day, which included blog entries. the students had to write a blog for the duration of their internships, under the information management program. i was a tiny bit envious that these students, who spend much of their time on all manner of technical things that i cannot even name, were given the opportunity to use a different medium to express their thoughts.my ONLY medium of expression is the written word. i wish i could draw, cook or build something as a way of expression. i feel like part of my brain is slowly wilting, without this other means of communication/creation. this could be related to the fact that for the past month, even writing (non work related) has not been all that appealing. suddenly, the journey of words from my head to the screen is too tedious, requires too much effort.it may be time to start looking for art classes.. suggestions would be very welcome!
for the past chung yeung holiday, i went to dongguan, china with a few friends from work. although i was looking forward to the company, i had few other expectations (well, maybe cheap shopping!) of the three-day trip. those are probably the best trips though; little planning, no set schedules and lots of improvisation.
we went to random places that turned out to be very scenic and/or historical. (i love that china is steeped in history. you cannot help but stumble over something with rich historical/cultural associations.) we walked a LOT (a's feet are probably still sore), took several long bus rides and occasionally meandered away from our destination (this is not to be confused with getting lost). i was initially worried about the food, but apart from the congee the first day, our meals were good (in taste and price), particularly at the thai and korean restaurants.
the best part was definitely the company. i like small groups of people; five is a good number. moreover, these were persons i am very comfortable with. we laughed a lot, particularly at the crazy signs everywhere, and at p's attempts to buy a black suit. us three girls shared a bed, and that inevitably led to much giggling and squirming.
all in all, a wonderful weekend away. thanks a, p, p and i. when's our next trip?!
i read two different news articles yesterday that intrigued me. (both from the guardian, of course.) one was about a mixed jewish/arab school in jerusalem. each class has students (boys and girls) who are muslim, christian and jewish. there are two teachers for each class, one arab and one jewish. and the school has two principals as well, both women, one jewish and one arab. all three religions are taught and discussed. similarly, history is taught from both perspectives.
"We teach everything and we discuss the issues and we accept it is possible not to agree with each other," said Amin Khalaf, a co-founder of the Hand in Hand mixed education project. "But we have to know both sides."
The children admit it is often difficult. "Some of it is quite hard - questions about the independent state and the naqba," said Tamar Borman, a 13-year-old Jewish pupil. "Sometimes we argue and sometimes we cry. But it's nothing too big. And if we don't face the problems we won't be able to solve them."
the school seems to have created a new community, where students, parents and teachers of all three faiths genuinely co-exist. amidst the constant conflict, violence and suffering that plagues both israel and palestine, this is so tiny a step as to be almost irrelevant. but any journey starts with a single step. and that these kids can learn and grow together, is surely a good prospect for the future of both arabs and jews.
the second article was about 'extreme education' for poorer city kids in the UK and US. i admit i was taken aback by the idea of "10-hour days, parental contracts and zero tolerance behaviour policies", but if it gets the kids into college (and there is no abuse involved), why not? moreover, i have always been a fan of smaller schools and classes. the attention given to students in smaller schools, as well as the classroom interaction, is very different. perhaps hk schools could incorporate some of these ideas!
for the past month or so i've been working as a research assistant for a professor in the education department. i've learnt about inquiry based learning, the HK education bureau's goals and schemes, the use of IT in education, and much more. the work is interesting, and i find myself wishing i was doing an MA in education rather than international and public affairs!
hk's education system has much room for improvement, and i am excited to be involved in projects addressing this. the last time i worked as a research assistant opened up a whole new career path.. dare i hope this experience will bring the same?
