Peak Trail

January 17, 2011 Leave a comment

After a long 3-week absence, we resumed our weekend hike. Life is certainly quiet and lonely without Felicia and Elkan (and the Ho Family). Today, we hiked the Hong Kong Peak Trail (along Lugard Road). This is a very popular peak trail which offers one of the most exhilarating top views of Hong Kong. It was very cold and windy this afternoon. Despite the unbearable chilly winter wind, we saw a lot of hikers. Both of us managed to complete the 3.9km-loop in less than 1:30hr.


Filed under Life in Hong Kong

Working with Dinosaurs (on the 2nd Day of Christmas)

December 26, 2010 Leave a comment

The famous BBC “Walking with Dinosaurs” show is in town (1 day after Elkan and Felicia left for Singapore). We visited our colleague, Dorothy at the game booth (where she leads a team of dynamic helpers working days and nights through the Christmas holidays). Designed and produced by my creative team and sponsored by Prudential Insurance, the “Dig Site” is an impressive setup with a volcano, tress and rocks. It is certainly the landmark of the show and it attracts lots of people. Too bad (or luckily) Elkan isn’t here with us, if not he will be so hyper at the booth, taking a plunge into the dig-pool. (It is free to participate in the game! Up to 30,000 prizes to be won! Visit the booth at the AsiaWorldExpo – it will be open from now to 2nd Jan 2011. This booth will only open during the “Walking with Dinosaurs” Show Dates.)

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Life in Hong Kong

Boxing Day Water Crisis

December 26, 2010 Leave a comment


Nope, I am not talking about the tsunami which happened last night. I was referring to another pipe burst (4th this year) in my “high-class” estate. You can imagine my mood when Tracy woke me up this morning with this unpleasant news. I was supposed to meet a colleague at 11:30am. Helplessly, I dragged myself out of bed, packed my bag with clean clothes and headed to Harshad’s house for my morning rituals. Poor buddy, he came back home last night at 5am (after his Christmas party) and I disrupted his sleep with my panic call on a Sunday morning. What can I say, one friend’s problem is another friend’s woes. I raided his “transparent” bathroom and he enjoyed my disgusting “Full-Monty” performance. Well, I did gave him a good excuse to “box” me today.

Filed under Life in Hong Kong

Christmas Eve Dinner – Hotpot with Cousin Mike

December 25, 2010 Leave a comment


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Meeting an old friend on Christmas Eve

December 25, 2010 Leave a comment

Life is always full of delightful surprises and coincidences. Thanks to the new Fate (aka Facebook), Mindy (aka Mingyi) and I were able to reconnect with each other after almost 20 years – here in Hong Kong on Christmas Eve! The last time we met each other was back in 1991 – that was when we were 16 or 17. I can never ever imagine a meeting like this.

During our chat, I realised there are many similarities between us – Back in Poly days, Mindy studied in building and I was in architecture. She also worked in Hong Kong for 3 years before moving back to Singapore. We both have a son. And exactly like our situation, Mindy’s husband is currently working in Hong Kong while she and her only son are back in Singapore. Guess what? Mindy and her son are staying 1 street away from Felicia and Elkan!

During our 1-hour lunch, we are able to click with one another instantly. She also shared her experience about their distant-relationship and how they manage to cope as a family. God is certainly watching over me.

It is a pity Fate didn’t arrange this meeting 2 weeks earlier. Mindy was here since late November. Mindy, Yifu, Meijie and I would have meet up! She will be flying back to Singapore on 31st Dec. No matter what, it is good to meet a long-lost friend. Especially on a Christmas Eve overseas.

Filed under Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong, Wahbiang

CelebrAction 2010!

December 23, 2010 Leave a comment

Today is my last working day for this year! 2010 has been a terrific and successful year for everyone in the team. Just 2 weeks ago, many of my travel retail “Action Heroes” (Chow Po, Alice, Selina, Paul, Dorothy, Ricky, Wing) sacrificed their weekends and spent long days slogging hard overseas for our projects in Japan, China and Thailand. We have achieved many breakthroughs with such a new team. These are the “heroes” who brought success home! CongratuAction!

Due to nature of our work, it’s rare to have the whole team together. It was so good to have all of them back and gathered here in Hong Kong before the festive seasons. A big thank to David and the “Party Committee” (Loretta, Vince, Alice and Mayee) who organised such a great year-end party at the JW Marriott Hotel. There were lots of food, drinks, gift-exchanging and lucky draw prizes for everyone! No one left empty-handed today! (except for our most hardworking Empress Dorothy – who is still working late with the “dinosaurs” at the airport tonight – and she won one of the grand prizes!). In the end, it was our Cannes Winner Alice who walked away with the iPAD Grand Prize!!!  Enjoy the photos! It has been such a great year and I am very proud of this team! A toast to our friendships and success!





Filed under Life in Hong Kong

Bay Watch (Day and Night)

December 21, 2010 Leave a comment

This is our first weekend without Felicia and Elkan. My 117th Visitor, Tracy’s dad (Uncle Bay – 2 Bays) was back in town from their Guilin Tour. I was proposing our usual weekend hike but Tracy felt that it may too strenuous for her dad. Her dad and me share the same interests and hobbies – we are both geeks and speak the same jargon. We both like photography, IT gadgets and nature. I sold my most expensive “400mm paparazzi lens” to him (at a good price with a couple of accessories). I then suggested to bring him out to the far end of Lantau Island – to catch some wildlife (birds and dolphins) and nature to test his newly bought lens. Harshad who didn’t join us the last time to Tai O, obliged to be Uncle Bay’s porter-cum-photography assistant for the day.

The weather was excellent. The wet gloomy cold days were over and sun/blue sky was back again! We were very lucky this time, we managed to see a couple of pink dolphins within minutes out at the sea – and at close proximity! In our last dolphin-watching trip back in May, we sailed for more than an hour before the first sighting. Uncle Bay was thrilled and happy, he was shooting throughout the entire trip.

At evening, we rushed back to Hong Kong island. We managed to reach the peak before sunset. Uncle Bay is a moon-fanatic. He told us about this “mysterious dot” he often spotted on the moon. It is not visible with our naked eyes but when we zoomed into his shot, we were able to see that “mysterious dot”. Later that night, I checked Google Moon and showed him about his find. What he spotted was a big moon crater named “Tycho” (about 102km wide) that was created 100 million years ago.



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Belt Up!

December 21, 2010 Leave a comment

(Photo Taken – A warning sign on our bus to Tai O Village – Sure, the bus driver knows where he is heading. Belt up and sit tight!)

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48 Hours Later…

December 21, 2010 Leave a comment

Life is slowly getting back to norm. Living alone – I am much independent, tidier and hardworking. Thanks to FaceTime, Felicia taught me how to operate the washing machine step by step. Harshad even helped me to hang out the laundry at the balcony. I began to enjoy the fun of daily chores and the quietness. It reminded me of my early life in Shanghai.

The only uncomfortable thing is the strange sounds I have been hearing lately. The house is so quiet that I can hear the fan of the refrigerator, the ticking hands of the wall clock, the wind howling outside my balcony, the creaking sound of the wooden floor and even the elevator door outside my apartment. Sure miss the noise of my little prankster. At least, he drown all these ghostly sounds at night.

It was indeed a gloomy dreadful farewell last Wednesday. The temperature dropped to 7 that week. Thankfully and through God’s blessings, my good friends and family from Singapore, Shanghai, Malaysia and Hong Kong kept me going with their love and warmth. More than just coincidence, I also strongly believe my Wahbiang buddies’ presences in Hong Kong were divinely designed to help me through these lonely moments. Meijie (14-16th), Tracy, Harshad, Yifu & Family (14th-19th) and Uncle Bay (19th-20th) were here with me back to back – there wasn’t a lonely moment for me.

So many of you called (Echo, Doreen, Christin, Eric, Hovman) to cheer me up. I received tons of messages from my colleagues (Alice, Dorothy, Vince, Loretta), friends (Pei Ling, Agnes Lee, Josephine Hoon, Natalie, Randy, Hongfei, Felix, Diane, Yiyi, Aimei, Jas, Hong Ai, Amelia, Danielle Fong, Daniella Ong, Raghu), family (Amy, Chester, Asty, Yei) and my Wahbiang Clan (Joanne, Karen, Juliana, Kalinda).

A big THANK YOU to all of you who came up to us with tears, hugs, encouragement and “love letters/sms/emails/calls”. I am really deeply touched by all your attention and love. (Not forgetting Steve Jobs who made FaceTime so user-friendly and simple to use. See our happier FaceTime Moments above.)

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong

Goodbye on a Rainy Day

December 16, 2010 2 Comments

I have lost count how many times we have said goodbye to one another. (Perth, Shanghai, Singapore and now here in Hong Kong). And I thought I am so used to saying goodbye to both of them. I thought to myself that this was only a short 6-month separation and it won’t be as bad as the one in 2006. I was so wrong about my thoughts. Goodbyes are painful – no matter how many times we have been through.

Thankfully, my Singapore buddies (Yifu, Meijie and Lilian) were in town to lend their support. Harshad and Tracy (and dad) also came to send them off. It was a big happy (and noisy) farewell. I thought their company will help to ease (and distract) the sadness. It was pretty okay from our house to the airport. Elkan was very happy today, he was looking forward to go home to meet his granny and cousins. Normally, he was the one crying at the departure gate and Felicia and me had to comfort him. It was the adults who were in tears and he comforting both of us.



Elkan was acting pretty different (very sensible and mature) today. He knew he was leaving Hong Kong for good and he said many nice things to cheer me up. He is always a happy kid. When I asked him if he will missed me, he said I will miss him more. He said he will behave well so he fly back soon to play video games with me. He also left me with a lot of written “I love you, daddy” notes. Minutes before the departure, Elkan and me went to the loo. My mind was so occupied with my work and their departure that I left my pouch in the loo. I left the loo first. Elkan saw the cleaner picked up my pouch. He instinctively guessed it was my pouch and took it from the cleaner. He passed the pouch to me and said “Is that yours? I saw a uncle holding it and I told him it is yours. Daddy, please be careful, can?”

At the departure gate when we bid farewell to them, the smile on Elkan’s face slowly diminished. He dropped his backpack and started whining for me “I want daddy, I want daddy”. It was an unbearable moment. Holding back the tears, I gave him a tight hug and told him I will be back very soon. Do well, my son and take care, I said. I looked at Felicia, her eyes were wet. So were Tracy (and Harshad). It was an emotional moment for all of us. After all, we have been through so many good happy days in Hong Kong. For me, it was goodbye to my son and wife – Elkan is starting school in 2 weeks’ time – they had been on the road with me for 3 years. For Tracy and Harshad, it was goodbye to their favorite buddy. Some one who they doted so much during their stay in Hong Kong.

Meijie came to give me a hug while Felicia and Elkan went through the gate. They say big men don’t cry. I can’t help it. It breaks my heart to see my son and wife so sad. Harshad kept patting on my back, comforting me. Tracy’s dad tried to calm the situation with a good joke. “Hey, those weren’t tears of sadness. It’s tears of joys. You are a free man now!” Yes, today is my Independent Day!

I hate goodbyes. Especially on a rainy day when Christmas is just around the corner.

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(Thank you all who came for the farewell office lunch and wrote us all those encouraging notes on Facebook and sms. We are really touched and blessed to have you guys around. It is moment like this that teaches us to cherish and appreciate each other more. And thanks Harshad, Meijie, Tracy, Yifu, Lilian for popping by our house today. Our Pink Christmas Tree is completed now – with all the farewell Polaroids!)

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong, Wahbiang

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