Up the sky

  

Macau Grand P

  

 

Another picture with Bata Reyes 

Me with Bata Reyes

 

as well as some of our friends from San Miguel-HK as well as my boss and my colleague Vice Consul Arugay 

I'm in a cast!

Until I figure out what I want to do with that other blog that I opened, I might as well write stuff here once in a while, and believe me, this is indeed something that should be written.

A couple of weeks ago, while rushing to the parking lot of our office, in order to make it in time for a god-forsaken radio program I was supposed to host, I accidentaly slipped on the slick white marble staircase of the bldg., which obviously led to what my doctor calls a micro-fracture and which therefore has led me to wear a "light" plaster cast on my left leg for the last two weeks.

Aside from the fact that it impairs my mobility (I can't really imagine going to see a movie or going out to the park to do my usual shtick bec. I can't really move around) I am utterly dependent on my family to help me about. Fortunately, I've managed to slowly do things on my own, with the expectation that this cast will be taken out of me by the end of next week (which means, just in time for the ColdPlay concert here in HK).

Now, if I were living in HK island, traveling to and from the office would just be me hailing a cab and away we go to the office. Alas, I live in faraway Lantau island, which means one would have to take a bus to the ferry pier, the ferry, then either a bus or a taxi.

Being in cast has not been fun, but it has its good size. A little acrobatic leaning here and there has gotten me to get certain things done pretty quickly naman. I still walk painfully slow, and I do manage to get to work on my own, although not on a fairly normal working hour mind you. Well, at least it will be gone by the end of next week.

valentines

Its kinda cliche to publish a new entry on such a day of hearts, but as can be seen from my window side, its anything but cheerful. The Harbour looks downright depressing and there seems to be some rain falling on and off around here. You would think it would be kinda sunny, but alas, that is not the case.

Anyway, its been quite a while since I last wrote. A lot of work, and personnel changes had taken place, plus new people coming in, has made me pretty preoccupied. Suffice it to say, all is well, and that everything seems to be going well with everyone.

Happy Valentines to everyone!

Now for something completely different

I was checking my Posting index, and I realized that I hadn't made a peep since early October. Work, plus a lot of stressful activities have of course managed to pre-empt any chance of me from making observations on the going on's.

The newspapers are of course just about picking up on stories about how the HK WTO talks will be bound to fail (there is one story on the SCMP just about every other day), and of course the Bird Flu pandemonium (which is of course raising concerns among the usually unflappable Hong Kongers. Of course we had La Presidente here in HK a week ago, and the SCMP ran a rather unflattering Editorial Cartoon of hers sliding to Disneyland and looking at her kababayan's and saying "Just like you, I have Sunday's Off too".

But what has been pre-occupying me, aside from my wife's almost constant vigil on any Bird Flu related news, is my expiration of my lease.

Your lease you say? But how mundane! Well, it could have been easier if things had gone according to plan. The Landlord could have had the courtesy to inform his tenant that he was raising his rent, two months earlier. Instead, he was incommunicado for two months, only responding to my agent, just over the week, forcing us to scramble to find newer digs.

Mind you, HK right now is not very cheap. The newspapers keep saying its 1997 again, and I tend to agree that market prices are scrambling up, especially in the area I live in. Thus, with a heavy heart, my wife and I went to Discovery Bay to look at what some of colleagues are raving as quiet living.

Quiet is the word. Having lived in a working class district, we've gotten used to jackhammers and traffic over us. Instead, we were confronted with serene landscapes and some breath taking views of HK Disneyland. It reminds me of a private subdivision, which in essence it is. Plus, the flats are cheap, and we've got tons of space for our precious little daughter to roll around.

Now that we are sold on it, the hard part comes. Moving, cleaning etc. All in the middle of an impending Christmas holiday, its bound to drive anyone crazy. Hopefully, it will all work out somehow.

from the heart

Part of my job involves having to visit prison's here in HK, to check up on the status of some of the people we are working with. First of all, unlike Filipino prison's, Correctional Facilities here in Hong Kong are efficiently run and the prisoners are even paid rather regular salaries for work they do on a regular day. Prison's here are often then not located in very quiet locations, the one I last visited was located near a reservoir, and you can actually see a slow cascade of water coming from the walls of the reservoir, as if like some screen saver.

Anyway, on one particular visit, I talked to one of our troubled kababayan's who had been arrested for something like six months already on a charge of trafficking unlawful substances. She had requested for an interview on the matter, and as a matter of course, I obliged. I won't go into the details of what she said, as these matters are best left for the records of the proper authorities. What struck me was the reason behind the fact she actually did the offense. Her story, like countless other stories I've heard, had to do with being hard up, a joyless family life, a child who is dearly loved, a wrong choice that has led to this situation. Yet it struck me, that despite these misfortunes, she looks at the situation and states that there must have been a reason behind this all, as God would not just generally allow you to fall into such a trap, without cause.

Maybe in such dire situations, one has to see the hand of God somewhere and to charge such a matter to experience as need be. Yes, we may have done something wrong, and it the narrow legal viewpoint, it was wrong, but you can't help but think that maybe someone out there has forgiven you already.

Regret and forgiveness can lead to redemption of the heart I guess, and I would like to think that such small acts such as this woman's change of heart and strong will to face whatever she has to undergo, is a lesson for us to live with the decisions that we make.