Leglessbird leisure guide

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Dear Family and Friends,

Leglessbird Annual Reflection 2025
Happy New Year! This year's reflection begins with two journeys to Canada that will stay with me for the rest of my life. In March, Jin and I joined our family in Ottawa to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday, a milestone filled with joy, laughter, and gratitude for her long and meaningful life. In mid-December, I returned alone to Ottawa for her funeral; saying goodbye was painfully difficult, yet there is comfort in knowing that she is now reunited with my father, resting peacefully together.

From Taiwan back to Hong Kong
In August 2024, we embarked on an ambitious experiment: setting up a second home in Taoyuan, Taiwan. Jin enrolled in a Waldorf school in Hsinchu, Irene took charge of daily life and logistics, and I became a regular commuter between Hong Kong and Taiwan. This six-month adventure gave us space to explore a new environment, travel around Taiwan, and discover how portable "home" can really be.

By mid-February, we had relocated everything back to Hong Kong, and Jin happily reunited with his classmates and teacher. The experience left us with many memories, more air miles, and a renewed appreciation for the familiar chaos of our original home base.

Jin's musical journey
While in Taiwan, Jin embarked on a new musical chapter. The jaw harp became his surprising new passion, and it completely transformed his musical identity. He now plays not only the jaw harp but also the flute, the didgeridoo (an Australian First Nations instrument), and the Mongolian horsehead fiddle, a two-string instrument that has gently nudged aside the cello and erhu for the time being.

In October, this passion took him to the 10th World Jaw Harp Festival in Akanko Ainu Kolan, Hokkaido, Japan, where some of the finest jaw harp players from around the globe gather to meet, perform, and jam. Jin performed on stage with a friend for the first time, expanding both his confidence and his soundscape. His international collection has grown to more than 15 jaw harps, and he is now crafting his own. In December, Irene and Jin also joined another jaw harp gathering in Taiwan, proving that "family bonding" can sometimes sound like a room full of twanging springs.

Work, travel, and the Leglessbird spirit
Professionally, 2025 was a year of movement and growth. I led three major CUHK study trips: undergraduates to Cambridge, MSc ITM students to Silicon Valley, and EMBA students to St Gallen in Switzerland, on top of outreach activities in Shenzhen and Kuala Lumpur. These journeys combined learning, networking, and the usual mini-adventures of herding students across time zones.

As borders reopened more fully, our family revived our "Leglessbird" reputation. This year, we found ourselves in Taiwan, Canada, Mongolia, Switzerland, Germany, France, the UK, Japan and Malaysia, sometimes for leisure, sometimes for family matters, and occasionally to escape renovation noises at home. The suitcase wheels are wearing out faster than our curiosity.

Professional speaking and innovation
Beyond the usual teaching and corporate training, I created new programmes like Ambidextrous Leadership and Scenario Planning, tools to help leaders thrive in uncertainty. With fellow professionals, I spoke at an AI Symposium for the Metropolitan Lions Club, co-organized with Ivey School, unpacking AI's promise and pitfalls. I also addressed Island Waldorf School students and parents on how AI is reshaping education and future job markets, and why Waldorf's holistic approach remains the gold standard for preparing tomorrow's generations. For the EMBA Alumni Association and Corporate Connections, I shared strategies for companies navigating the AI and robotics era, delivering a similar wake-up call at our Third Corporate Innovation Index commencement ceremony. In an AI world, the real innovation is staying human.

Home renovation marathon
A major family project this year was a complete renovation of our home, including the rooftop. Since July, we have been upgrading almost everything: repairing pipes, adding waterproofing and heat insulation to the roof, rewiring the entire house and changing all the switches, refitting the kitchen and bathrooms, and upgrading appliances such as the washing machine, dishwasher, water filter, drinking water machine, oven, and even the water heater. Living through this while staying in the house meant moving from floor to floor as works progressed, with continuous cycles of packing, unpacking, and wondering where the kettle had gone this time.
The disruption to our daily routines was significant, and the renovation bills during an economic slowdown and property downturn did not help my blood pressure. On the positive side, Irene has shown truly visionary leadership in steering this project toward our dream home, and as a family we have demonstrated impressive planning, flexibility, adaptability, and resilience during this eight-month saga (last until February 2026). We managed to throw away an astonishing amount of junk and found new homes for many items still in good condition but no longer needed, though somehow, we still have too much stuff. It is mind-boggling how many possessions a family can accumulate, useful or otherwise.

Taking on new challenges
In September, I challenged my students to step out of their comfort zones and take on something they did not have to do, but chose to do, accepting uncertainty as part of the journey. I promise them to I do the same. This year, I took on a new role as Director of a new MSc in Aviation Management, responsibile for launching the programme, securing approval, and recruiting students, a challenging but exciting mission.
I also attempted indoor rock climbing and was grateful (and slightly surprised) to reach the top of a 9-metre wall on my first attempt, and every attempt after that. On the tech side, Jin reignited my interest in cybersecurity, and together we have been experimenting with white-hat tools, hardware, and exploring the dark corners of the internet from a safe distance. This journey has reminded me even young kids can access hacking knowledge and tools, and how vulnerable we all are in the digital world. Cybersecurity is no longer a specialist concern; it is a daily survival skill, and we should all be very cautious.

To conclude
2025 has been a highly dynamic year: moving back from Taiwan to Hong Kong, shifting our belongings between floors to accommodate renovation works, and occasionally moving in and out of hotels to escape the noise and dust. Add to that multiple international trips for leisure, family matters, and strategic renovation avoidance, and it has felt like living in an airport with construction noise in the background.
Beyond our own home, the world continues to feel unsettled. Trade tensions, real armed conflicts, and political behaviours that seem to defy basic common sense have made it increasingly difficult to make sense of global events. At the same time, mental health challenges seem ever more visible and widespread. While these trends often leave me furious about current affairs, there is a strange comfort in knowing that this anger means I still care deeply. I am still an emotional being with flesh and blood, and with principles, and I know I am not alone in feeling this way.
Wishing everyone a healthy, peaceful, and hopeful 2026.
"Stay angry, stay foolish, never lose hope!" (Apology to Steve Jobs)

Love,

Jin, Irene, Dominic
December 2025