teaching the meaning of compassion...

taught this last sunday.
hope the meaning of compassion has been well engrained into the minds of my beloved students.

planning for this lesson was itself a challenge; compassion is hard to teach let alone teaching it to 5-6 year olds. i wanted to teach it in a way they can best relate to! how can i help them understand this intangible virtue?
after brainstorming numerous ideas, choices got narrowed down to 2 activities:

1. show video of a 3-year old boy who expressed compassion by making sandwiches for the homeless and by delivering them with his dad; and
2. ask them to help wrap gifts to be distributed out to less fortunate kids.

not sure how much my 8 students will retain from the above but may they continue to learn the importance of being compassionate.

[picture of wrapped gifts and video shown attached]

ready for 2010!

with Christmas behind us tis time to look fwd to 2010...
i and a good friend chatted about what seemed to be a light question over dinner: "what would i be willing to sacrifice everything in exchange for?"
don't think i hesitated much on this one - "family and friends" is my final answer.

family to me includes not only the immediate members of my family but extends obviously to brothers and sister whom share the same Christian faith. maybe a re-word of this would be that i value people relationship over material goods! this year's life experience (work in particular) has truly shed light on the importance of building relationship with other people. aside from nature of tasks, etc...job is meaningful only when the people you work with are also meaningful.

limelight now back...on my goals for 2010:
1. finish 2010 winter games project at work (done until end of feb yeah!) and re-instate a role that is more work-hours stable (i really miss 9am-5pm) and am not fond of constant business travel.
2. develop meaningful relationship that will last (God's timing and willing of course)
3. train for full marathon to happen in may (train for full and run at least half if training is not timely for the full)
4. continue to serve the little ones at church and learn how to cultivate ways to shape their growth in Christ
5. eat better (and stop losing weight at least until feb 2010 so i can handle daily work).

abba father,
i lay before you my thoughts for 2010; may you guide and protect me. grant me the wisdom and faith that only you can give. i know that your love and grace are sufficient for me =) amen!

avatar - 4.5 star!

just watched avatar - didn't have much expectation going in but came out with a smile. James Cameron did great in setting the denouement of the story though the plot became much predictable half way through. aside from the stunning graphics the themes and underlying messages of this movie are well-thought and delivered. communicated loud and clear, viewers will no need to be reminded of the need to be more appreciative of the environment within which we - humans - dwell and co-habit along other equally wonderfully created beings.

one more day!

i'm not exaggerating: work = war.
sergeant chan enters battle field early and is amongst one of the last ones to leave.
woohoo - can't wait to end day tomorrow and then to take break between Christmas and 2010!!!

what a blessed weekend i had!

this year’s b-day was an awesome one – it wasn’t because of the gifts. thoughtful gestures from friends and family and time spent together were what made the weekend memorable. "White Christmas musicals"…coffee…first hockey game, etc…were priceless.


abba father,
thank-you for blessing me with friends and family who love me! may you help me to learn how to love them more every day!
amen

first b-day present of the year

hehe...just savoured a great dinner and received my first b-day present of the year
thank-you Rachel!

i love coca-cola polar bears!

i'm not much of a commercial junkie - but must say that coca-cola does well with their polar bear campaign - the polar bears evoke warm and festive memories. hope i'll see more of these polar bears graphics this year =)

is the broadcast/media relations world - my world?

(photo of me at Olympic oval in Calgary shooting speed skating competition - hard for you to realize how cold Calgary was - hence 5 layers of clothes at all time)

nature of my work has changed so much in the last several months...
i'm involved in a wide spectrum of projects related to vancouver 2010 games time but in short all my work revolves around broadcasting (working with producers/crews) and media relations (dealing with people from all facets).

it's been several months since role change and while i'm continuing to learn as much as i can in this ever changing environment, i sometimes wonder if this is something i would want to do for long-term. i like the challenges require in the production of our shoots, i enjoy working with the many people i do; i am told by my co-workers and boss that i fit in naturally; i'm driven by the end results i see (what an excitement it was when i recognized all the footage i earnestly edited in the post-production house being broadcasted at torch celebration sites across the country) - the question which remains is if i can sustain the energy and long-hours required to perform at my current capacity. maybe i am just ahead of myself and overanalyzing. maybe it is better just to take one day at a time...

i am thankful!!!

haven't posted for a week now - was travelling for work.
so much has happened since...don't want to go through details but do need to express my gratitude for:

1. lo-dau's health [he is discharged and resting at home - was very worried throughout the trip]
2. lost and found of my luggage during trip
3. appreciation of where I live...Vancouver feels WARM after coming back from snowstorm Calgary & Banff
4. energy to sustain the long hrs at work (though i still hop from meetings to meetings and have been starting to lose track of time => the unusual me); and
5. connection with few dear friends!

worried about "lo dou"

what a day - was in office early and knew already that it would be a long day at work - needed to wrap up several tasks before leaving for Quebec city and Calgary tomorrow (ahem - in few hrs from now). got a call from my sister mid-day and learnt that dad had been rushed to the hospital in an ambulance but that things were under control. my heart first sunk at the news and different images came to mind. things are fine as they are now but my mind is with him thinking how lonely it must be to be at the hospital and not knowing when he will be discharged.

abba father,
i thank you for protecting dad this far and asked that your healing hands be upon him. he does not know you yet but i do pray that he will one day. i am worried but trust that know that you are in full control. be with him as during his lonely time and fearful moments as for me, i ask for wisdom, physical health and protection.

much relieved now and back to my packing for the trip!

在冬天奧林匹克運動期間...早上3點起床

完成另外14小時的作天！是長的一天但非常迅速地隨著所有會議過去。終於有跟我將在冬天奧林匹克運動期間與電視監製一起合作見臉的機會。與他們攜手合作感到興奮但要早上3點起床...是的...晨早3點因為它是早上東岸6點現場廣播... 看我在冬運後需多少時調整正常的睡眠。

原來做一個大姐姐一D都沒容易!

Do excuse my Chin-glish - I really want to write this down but do not have the required time tonight to make use of the translation software =)

Had the privilege to bring 2 kids (2 boys which often puts my patience, discipline-execution, and inertia to test) to Science World. It was truly interesting to observe the change in behaviour when they know you're bringing them on an outing as opposed to been confined within the usual classroom setting. As for me, I tasted what it means to really look after the needs of 5 year olds - making sure they finish their meals, helping them dress warmly, setting up the car seat, carrying their backpack etc...albeit all this I must say that I would do this again and again. It took much energy to cater to these playful pre-schoolers but I cannot deny of the great time I had in bonding with them, of outplaying them, and of tipping them how to chuck their balls far and wide. May this afternoon's fun be engrained in their memory and be a conduit to easier nurturing when we head back to the classroom next week!

中文部落格的挑戰!

人生真正有很多挑戰 - 不必多寫 - 我這個部落格的著作已經是一個好的例子。 因為你現在讀的每個中文字是我拼命地從翻譯軟體搜尋出的文字 (我這個對法文比中文更多的中國人從未真有學習編寫中文)。但我是相信這不會阻止我以中文寫網路日誌。是一個挑戰但是可以被戰勝!我的中文部落格將會是更長的! 但如果你找任何不適當的語法- 告訴我。

煩

今天工作遇麻煩 - 如何開始說起?
煩在不是人錯誤反是政策!

1-2-3 within 20 minutes

drove by 3 car accidents (one of which seemed to be a total loss incident) on way to my student's this afternoon. what a day! as my car managed to sift through the quarantine intersections i couldn't help this unease that i had for the drivers and to their families. do hope that they will be able to look beyond what had happened to instead focus on both the physical and mental healing that full recovery will bring.

abba father,
thank-you for granting us lives! i reckon how fragile life can be. thank-you for keeping me, my families and friends safe on the road. may you bless also the various parties involved in today's car accidents - may your healing hand be upon them.

live in Whistler next feb?

knew i would be working extra-extra long hrs in feb...(plan at this point was still to remain in vancouver but did hear news today that i may be based in whistler for the entire month of feb?? (while this is to be finalized - personal preference would be to remain in a service apartment here in vancouver - much closer home!

the urge to write things down

got off late and didn't make it to fellowship tonight
missed 2 fellowships and 2 services in the last short while...


it's funny how i've caught back the desire to write out my feelings down despite all this busyness. inner need to take time to slow things down and to re-establish different rhythm?

1 thing i do know is that i'm getting more forgetful... tasks a/b/c/d/e/f/g now have become a/c/d/e/f...

all are heavy-burdened!

super exhausted. pulled another long day at work (?10-11hrs?) of conf. calls and meetings. but whom am i to complain - our entire team is undergoing the same. "A" just flew back from Dawson City and was pretty much on his way back to the office, "B" was ill yet was on e-mail. this tyranny of busyness reigns everywhere... and dwells within my family setting. i go home and witness how "C" fervently digest all his piles of books in preparation for next month's CFA exam, how "D" is polishing her papers (to be submitted ahem i presume by end of night, and how "E" is busy doing all that is necessary so that food is literally on the table. this myriad of preoccupation is certainly draining albeit a manifestation of productivity at his highest (?). while i hope that a healthier equilibrium will soon be reached i am thankful for this inner dwelling capacity that keep us going for the time being!

don't give up...

was at post-production house this afternoon to complete voice-over of footages we’ve shot lately. my task was simple: read text so that the recorded pieces can be made into french narrated clips. i should have been better prepared for this and not just do a cold read in the studio as i kept stumbling upon one paragraph. i did fine on the others but just couldn’t nail this one. there i was re-narrating about the accomplishment of Sarubbi Caitlin – that despite being born with a rare syndrome (only 7 cases in the world) and after 57 surgeries, this Paralympian master her way down the slope. to be honest i’ve almost reach a high point of frustration – not at the long script but at myself (really...come on get it done so that i can move on to my other tasks). but then as I’ve began my “x” attempts, the “essence” of what i was reading daunted on me… Sarubbi never gave up even when circumstances were against her . this thought of persistence helped me regroup and finally helped me make the cut! yes – don’t rush and don’t give up - anxiety can work against what you're looking to accomplish. that written, now back to more work but with a grateful heart!

visit of the long lost?

just came back from Whistler. a short work-related trip.

don't know if it was change of temperature or weather but i've been re-experiencing something long gone - shortness of breath. true, haven't had chance to exercise lately but how can this positively correlate to the resurgence of asthma?

baba,

you know my history, you know what i have gone through as a kid. i ask for your protection; i ask that you distance me from the unwanted and that you grant me a healthy body to sustain what's forthcoming!

same place different purpose

my last footprints in Whistler were imprinted back in april 2008.
circumstances dictate a revisit of this all eyes upon ski resort!
there's excitement in my heart but also an unease, mixed feelings i fail to describe!!

heavenly baba,
you're an awesome God - you are in full control even when i don't see the full picture.
may i ask that you grant me courage to make you proud =)


earthly daughter

it's been 4 years...

made my encounter with ali baba, witches, dracula, and many other spooky ones within the office all day. costumes around this time of fall convey other than the idea of halloween - to me they are markers of my first work day at an office located in Ottawa to which i have been part of. "yes", says my inner voice. i have indeed served within this organization for the last <>!

energizer

meetings, travel, and post production related projects have fully taken up much of my time, energy and focus in the last several months.

what a great night it was yesterday to take proper time to savour bison ribeye steak followed by a performance at VSO with a friend I truly cherish! totally foresee the need of many more of these to sustain me from now till the end of the Olympic Winter Games to happen in just 100+ more days.

不要驚動愛情

很想輕撫你 所以避開你
寧願用距離 去令你好奇
迴避過眼神 先偷偷喘氣
吩咐手臂 放在原地
傳聞浪漫太快 愛戀都走得快
才會 遲遲未步向你 說一世愛護你

情太過洶湧像深海 而我卻會忍耐
但求來日你醒過來
這份情像翅膀打開
還沒有相擁別意外 神教會我等待
待情流像細水 才去承諾你
拿一生兌換愛

很心急擁抱 所以在禱告
求甜蜜以前 帶著你慢步
遊歷過旅途 等一天終老
生老病死 一起細數
原來慢慢靠近 更珍惜這一吻
而我 停留是為了你 要給予你護蔭

能為愛戀學習按捺 情信寄進心內
但求能學會倚靠神
愛被馴服過更精采
連地老天荒亦不更改 時間永遠等待
等你情願那天 才去承諾你
無止境那份愛
我用沈默叫醒愛情 你用期待做你反應
繼續行近直至開始愛

my persistent Blackberry

ever since oct 1, this "small device" i received from work, has altered my life.
for one reason or another - my little gadget has persisted in waking me up at 6am every weekday morning! i've shared this story within my fellowship and BB is now known as the "Holy BB" - one that steadily wakes me up so I can do my devotion from 6-6:45am and be out of the house by 7:20 for work!

2009 jan-oct

haven't taken time to share within the last nine months...
so much has happened:

first finished half-marathon = never thought milestone accomplished
role change at work = demands greater responsibilities
time spent with my student = challenges me
new insights from students I teach = brings great time of joy
travels to Canadian cities I have never been = has been both eye-opening and energy consuming!
tasks that awaits me to do = has been piling up...

less than 3 months before 2010 kicks in yet much awaits me to finish.

dear father in heaven,
i lay all that has been planned for me to do at your feet
may you grant me daily wisdom to tackle one task at a time
i ask for courage and peace knowing that you will provide =)