Enjoyment

So far it has been quite a busy month of February. Aside from teaching, completing my first assignment, and going through the pre-readings, I am also attending workshops and completing my certification for bronze medallion with training three nights a week. Why am I doing this to myself? Perhaps, for the enjoyment of everything. Especially, when the temperature drops to single digit, and I'm on the deck shivering or when I am getting up at 4 just to get a few more things done before the day begins, I am just enjoying it.

Life happens once, make the best use of it, live in it to the fullest, enjoy everything for it may not happen again.

Water in Paradise

Fiji is under major flood for the last few days. This video on YouTube shows the extensive damage caused by this flood. I hope they will recover soon. Thinking about you.

An Educator Indeed

The news reported that the first graduating class of Orpha Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa walked across the stage two days ago. Amongst all 75 underpriviledged students who enrolled in the school 5 years ago, 72 wrote the exams and completed their programmes. They are heading into universities in their own country and the US.

Despite investing a fortunate and surrounded with scandals initially with the project, Orpha Winfrey's dream has indeed made these 72 girls' dreams all come true.Quoting from an interview with the Associated Press (AP), Orpha Winfrey said: "Every single girl is going to leave here with something greater to offer the world than her body."

Orpha Winfrey is not a teacher, but she is an educator indeed.

Stimulating?

The lectures for the second unit (or my first unit) is over, and how do I rank it? I think the content is rich and the professor was great. However, the level of discussion and demographics of those in the class could have been better. In fact, at times I felt my master level courses were better than this doctoral level course.

I do not think many of those who were attending the lecture realized that not everyone is working in the local system here in Hong Kong. The amount of acronyms (or so-called acronyms) that was used had been more than necessary and for someone like myself, I had absolutely no clue what they were talking about. I guess they were not aware that this course should be more internationalized rather than localized. I definitely did not sign up for a course that focused on the Hong Kong system, because it really had nothing to do with me. As for the acronyms, I also wondered whether it was necessary to have an acronyms for everything, and I mean everything. I do not think it takes more energy to say "Liberal Studies" than LS or "Quality Framework" than "QF", just to raise a few.

I suppose in order to enrich the course and the programme, it was necessary for the university to accept students with different backgrounds. However, I really wondered how and what sort of basis has the university used in selecting the applicants. There were students in the class, who clearly struggles with spoken and written English. I could hardly understand what they were saying and what they were trying to write as well. They made me feel rather illiterate.

Enough said, time to go back to work on my assignment.

Unit 2 - Education Policy

What is policy and why do we need policy? Perhaps these two questions will be answered after Sunday when I complete my second unit for my EdD programme. However, I have been doing lots of reading and collecting data in preparation for my assignment, I am starting to wonder whether I am approaching this unit correctly. There are several different possible policies which I could discuss and analysis, but I have chosen to analysis the math promotion policy at school. From the data that I have collected, there seems to be no obvious trends which I could make any claims.

What should I do?

A Cold Vacation

I spent the last seven days travelling between two major cities in South Korea. The vacation began with two days at Busan on Boxing Day and the next five days at Seoul until the New Year’s Day. It has been a good six years since the last time I returned to Toronto for Christmas that I experienced rather cold weather. It took me a few days to be climatized once again.

It was the first time that I visited Busan – which is the southern-most seaport and the second largest city in South Korea and it was the second time that I visited Seoul. Having planned this trip from scratch, I think I knew exactly where to go and what to do, however, with my little understand of the Korean language, navigating through the cities was proven to be much trickier. Nonetheless for this time, the Koreans whom I approached and asked for help were more helpful and friendly than those of whom I came across several years ago.

December 26, 2011
- arrived at Busan in the wee-hours and checked in at the hotel
- visited the Jagalchi Market and hiked up to the YongDuSan Park

December 27, 2011
- walked along the HaEunDae Beach and visited the NuRiMau APEC House
- waited for the sun to set to take a photo at the GanGan Bridge

December 28, 2011
- took a morning express train from Busan to Seoul
- explored MyeongDong for the rest of the afternoon

December 29, 2011
- transferred to the DMZ and visited the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel
- explored the Itaewon District and NamDaeMum District

December 30, 2011
- hiked up the NamSan Park
- visited the GyeongBokGung Palace
- returned to my favourite district in Seoul – Insa Dong
- attended the Nanta show

December 31, 2011
- travelled to Suwon and explored the HwaSeong Fortress, a UNESCO Hertiage Site
- returned to Seoul for the countdown

January 1, 2012
- attended mass at the MyeongDong Cathedral
- went to DongDaeMum and was rather disappointed before returning to the NamSan Hanok Village
- it must be the coldest day for my entire vacation
- returned to Hong Kong

Summarizing 2011

I think it is becoming my annual habit to summarize what I have done and what I have not done towards the end of December every year. As I am typing up this last blog post for 2011, I literally have nothing in mind, perhaps, it means 2011 has rather been a very simple and steady year. On a second thought, it could have been worse if I have to go through ups and downs in twelve months.

Travelling is still something which I have not grown tired with. In 2011 I think I went on 8 different trips for both work-related and for my own vacation. Three trips which I think have marked travelling in 2011 to be unique must be my volunteer-built trip to Bangladesh in April, my short visit to California, and returning to Fiji in November. The other five places (Malaysia x2, Thailand, Japan, South Korea) have been equally rewarding, but the other three have truly been remarking in their own ways. I look forward to more rewarding and unique experiences in 2012.

In addition to travelling, I think going back to school to learn more is another thing which I do really enjoy. I have begun my doctorate programme this fall and with a strong desire to complete the programme in four years time. Will it work? I will have more to say on my blog in 2014 or 2015.

Twelve months ago, I said my resolution for 2011 was to spend more time with friends and families - and after these many days, I think it has been a failure. Do I spend too much time travelling? Do I spend too much time studying? Do I spend too much working on school-related items? Do I sacrifice my work over my friends? Should I make another new year's resolution for 2012 to spend more time with my friends? What will I say in twelve months time? With just a few days left in 2011, let me recollect myself before I anticipate for the coming of 2012.