Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2025
For full version of if this page is not displayed properly, please visit my blog Leglessbird.com
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
Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2025
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親愛的家人與朋友們,
Leglessbird 年度回顧 2025
今年的回顧從兩次加拿大之旅開始，這兩趟旅程將伴隨我一生。三月，晉晉和我加入家人在渥太華慶祝母親的90歲生日，這是一個充滿喜悅、歡笑與感激的里程碑，感謝她漫長而有意義的人生。十二月中旬，我獨自返回渥太華參加她的葬禮；告別極其痛苦，但得知她如今已與父親團聚、安詳長眠在一起，讓我得到安慰。
從台灣返回香港
2024年8月，我們展開一項雄心勃勃的實驗：在台灣桃園設立第二個家園。晉晉進入新竹附近的華德福學校，Irene負責日常生活與後勤，我則成為香港與台灣之間的常客。這六個月的冒險讓我們探索新環境、周遊台灣，並發現「家」其實可以很輕便。
二月中旬，我們將一切遷回香港，晉晉興奮地與舊同學和老師重聚。這段經歷留下了許多回憶、更多飛行里程，以及對原居地熟悉混亂的重新珍惜。
晉晉的音樂之旅
在台灣期間，晉晉開啟了新的音樂篇章。口簧琴成為他意外的新熱情，完全改變了他的音樂身份。他現在不僅彈奏口簧琴，還包括長笛、迪吉里杜管（澳洲原住民樂器），以及蒙古馬頭琴，這種兩弦樂器暫時取代了大提琴和二胡。
十月，這份熱情帶他前往日本北海道阿寒湖的第十屆世界口簧琴節，那裡匯聚全球頂尖口簧琴演奏家，交流、表演與即興演奏。晉晉首次與朋友登台演出，擴展了他的自信與音域。他的國際口簧琴收藏已超過15把，他還開始親手製作自己的口簧琴。十二月，Irene和晉晉又參加了台灣另一場口簧琴聚會，證明「家庭聯繫」有時聽起來像一屋子嗡嗡作響的彈簧。
工作、旅行與 Leglessbird 精神
專業上，2025年充滿動態與成長。我帶領三場重大中大學習之旅：本科生赴劍橋、資訊科技管理碩士赴矽谷、EMBA學生赴瑞士聖加侖，另加深圳和吉隆坡的招生推廣活動。這些旅程結合學習、聯網，以及趕學生穿越時區的小冒險。
隨著邊境完全重開，我們家族重振「Leglessbird」聲譽。今年，我們足跡遍及台灣、加拿大、蒙古、瑞士、德國、法國、英國、日本和馬來西亞，有時休閒、有時家事、偶爾為了逃避家裡的裝修噪音。行李箱輪子磨損得比我們的求知慾還快。
專業演講與創新
除了日常教學與企業培訓外，我開發了新的培訓課程，如「雙手領導力」（Ambidextrous Leadership）和「情境規劃」（Scenario Planning），幫助領導者在不確定中茁壯的工具。與其他專業人士一同，在與Ivey商學院合辦的華都獅子會AI研討會上發表演講，剖析AI的機遇與陷阱。
我也在Island Waldorf學校向學生與家長演講，探討AI如何重塑教育與未來就業市場，並說明為何華德福教育是準備下一代的最佳選擇。為EMBA校友會與Corporate Connections分享企業如何在AI與機器人時代做好準備，並在第三屆企業創新指數典禮上傳達相同警示。在AI世界中，真正的創新是保持人性。
家居翻新馬拉松
今年一項重大家庭項目是全面翻新房屋，包括屋頂。自七月起，我們升級了幾乎一切：修復管道、在屋頂加防水與隔熱層、重布全屋電線並更換所有開關、翻新廚房與浴室，並升級洗衣機、洗碗機、濾水器、直飲水機、烤箱，甚至熱水器。住在施工中的房子意味著隨著工程進度在樓層間遷移，不斷打包、拆包，並猜測水壺這次跑到哪去了。
日常生活的混亂巨大，在經濟放緩與樓市低迷時的翻新帳單更讓我血壓上升。積極一面是，Irene展現真正有遠見的領導力，將此項目導向我們的夢想之家；全家在這八個月（預計至2026年2月）的混亂中展現出色規劃、靈活性、適應力和韌性。我們丟棄了驚人數量的廢物，並為仍可用的物品找到新歸宿，儘管我們還是留了太多東西。令人費解的是，一個家庭竟能累積如此多物品，無論有用無用。
迎接新挑戰
九月，我挑戰學生走出舒適圈，選擇做他們不必做的事，接受不確定性作為旅程一部分。我也承諾會照做。今年，我擔任全新航空管理碩士課程主任，負責啟動計劃、獲批與招生，這是挑戰性但令人興奮的使命。
我還嘗試室內攀岩，感激（且略感驚訝）首次登頂9米牆，並每次都成功。科技方面，晉晉重燃我對資安的興趣，我們一起試驗白帽工具、硬體，並從安全教育距離探索網路暗角。這段旅程提醒我，即使年紀輕輕的小孩也能輕易獲取駭客知識與工具，我們在數位世界皆極度脆弱。資安不再是專家專屬，而是日常生存技能，我們都該極度謹慎。
結語
2025年極其動態：從台灣遷回香港，為翻新在樓層間挪動物品，偶爾進出酒店逃避噪音與灰塵。再加多國休閒、家事與策略性翻新避難之旅，感覺像住在機場，背景還有施工噪音。
除了自家之外，世界依然動盪不安。貿易緊張、真實武裝衝突，以及違背常識的政治行為，讓全球事件越來越難以理解。同時，心理健康挑戰更顯而易見且普遍。雖然這些趨勢常讓我對時事感到憤怒，但奇怪的是，這憤怒同時帶來一點安慰，它證明我仍深切關心。我仍是個有血有肉、有原則的人，而且我知道我不孤單。
祝大家2026年健康、和平、充滿希望！
「保持憤怒，保持愚蠢，永不喪失希望！」Stay angry, stay foolish, never lose hope!（Apology to Steve Jobs 向史蒂夫·喬布斯致歉）
Leglessbird 家族 - Jin、Irene 與 Dominic
Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2024
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! As another year draws to a close, it's time for our annual tradition of counting our blessings and sharing our adventures.
Remember last December when we quoted our cryptically named wise friend "POW*" (Jin's current fascination with encryption compels us to use this Caesar Shift cipher - happy decoding!)? His sage advice to "Live happily, live well wherever you're, don't get stuck!" became our family motto for 2024, truly a year of transformation for the leglessbirds.
We kicked off 2024 riding the wave of wanderlust from our magical Scandinavian Christmas adventure across Finland, Norway, and Estonia. My passport certainly got a workout this year - I led four enlightening overseas study trips with students to Singapore, the UK, Spain, and the USA. Between these journeys, I deepened my personal growth at the Life Academy Foundation in Taiwan, where I had several 'aha' moments, particularly about the wisdom of "returning the results to the children" (把結果還給孩子) and "There is still time in this life, why wait for the next life?" (既有餘生，何須來生？), deal with what you need to deal with now.
Speaking of breaking free from life's 'standard operating procedures' (as I often tell my students), another encrypted wise man "Hezmh Xerk" once quipped that when asked "Why do you do it?", one should simply reply "Because I don't have to". Following this spirited advice, we took a leap of faith and established a second home in Taoyuan, Taiwan, in August. Thanks to Irene's remarkable dedication and loving touch, she's transformed our Taoyuan space into a warm and inviting sanctuary that truly feels like home. This wonderful adventure has given us a chance to experience a different pace of life, with the added bonus of Jin becoming quite the linguistic virtuoso in Mandarin!
Our dynamic duo - Jin and Dad - continue their martial arts journey in Hapkido, with Jin sporting a smart green belt while Dad huffs and puffs his way through brown belt training. Jin's interests have evolved from magic tricks to an impressive array of puzzle-solving and crafting. He's become quite the Renaissance boy, crafting everything from musical instruments to rubber stamps. His musical journey has been particularly fascinating - he's developed quite an expertise with jaw harps, mastering various types from Mongolia, Russia, and South East Asian countries, each with its distinct sound and playing technique. Combined with his flute playing, he's becoming quite the world music enthusiast! He's even ventured into the world of indigenous Australian music with the didgeridoo (currently fashioning one from bamboo - our neighbours are thrilled!). My "Letters to Jin Jin" project has now reached 224 entries - though I suspect some might be better classified as "Dad's Random Thoughts While Drinking Coffee". With Volume 1 now complete, I'm already working on Volume 2, chronicling our continuing adventures and life lessons for posterity.
On the professional front, while Hong Kong's economy continues to navigate choppy waters, I've been particularly intrigued by the "Age Earning Profile" analysis and its implications for the future of work. I'm always eager to chat about preparing our young ones for the AI-driven future - just catch me over a cup of tea (Irene and Jin would insist on Chinese tea, naturally).
I would like to end this annual reflection with a message created by me and refined through AI:
"When times are beyond our control, we can always transform ourselves. Get stronger, grow wiser, keep hope alive and embrace unlimited possiblities."
「身處無法掌控之時，始終能夠蛻變自己。變得更強大、更睿智，堅持希望，擁抱無限可能。」
2025 is going to be a very interesting year, to say the least - so buckle up for the ride ahead!
We wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous new year!
Love,
Jin, Irene, Dominic
December 2024
* For those intrigued by Jin's encryption hobby, we've used the simple Caesar Shift cipher. Consider it a little puzzle to start your new year!
"POW"="???" "Hezmh Xerk"="????? ????"
"Live happily, live well wherever you're, don't get stuck!"「無論你身在何處，都要過得好，快樂地生活，不要被困住！」- December 2023
PS
Work: The demand for tertiary education and corporate training has been relatively steady during these challenging times. In addition to my usual teaching at CUHK and conducting training workshops in Hong Kong and Mainland for corporations, government, NGOs and universities, I did something new in order to gain some invaluable experience. I conducted a Quality Assurance Validation for a Master Course provided by a local university. I moderated a number of academic panel discussions and delivered a few Master classes for our EMBA programme.
Book reading:
"Three-Body Problem" Volume I, II and III (original Chinese title: 三体) - Written by Cixin Liu, Hugo award recipient. I was so amazed by the wild imagination of the author stretching a lot of the scientific concepts, human nature, behaviour and strategy to a whole new fantasy level. "The Code Book" Written by Simon Singh: For anyone who is fascinated by cryptography, encryption and deciphering from ancient techniques Caesar shift, encryption used by Queen Mary of Scot, lost ancient language Linear B, World War II Enigma machines, isolated tribal language, to modern high tech encryption.
"CEO Excellence" (2022) - Written by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra (McKinsey senior partners)
"The Tyranny of Merit" (2020) - Written by Michael J. Sandel
"Hidden Potential" (2023) - Written by Adam Grant
Make my home town great (again?): Hong Kong's economy is facing a lot of challenges. We eagerly await inspiring and visionary strategies effectively executed by competent leaders.
Quotes
"Returning the results to the children" (把結果還給孩子)
"There is still time in this life, why wait for the next life?" (既有餘生，何須來生？)
"Our success at Amazon is a function of how many experiments we do per year, per month, per week, per day," - Jeff Bezos
Hong Kong Corporate Innovation Index
Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2023
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! As the pages of 2023 have swiftly turned, we find ourselves embarking on a winter adventure to Finland, Norway, and Estonia a bit earlier than usual, starting mid-December. Jin enjoyed his inaugural journey to Europe, where he experienced the enchantment of snow for the very first time. And what better place to immerse in a true winter wonderland than at Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland? This shift in schedule has indeed compressed my time for writing this annual reflection, compounded by an unusual bout of illness that lingered intermittently for two and a half weeks since November 30. Thankfully, I am now on the cusp of full recovery. Travel and Global Exchange The return of exchange students to CUHK has been a particular delight, with my classes enriched by the presence of young minds from many countries. In playful banter, I challenge myself to see if they come from a country where I haven't visited; thus far, only Lithuania and Algeria have stumped me. (Here is the list of where my exchange students come from: Greater China, Mexico, Algeria, Morocco, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, UK, Spain, USA, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, Russia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, India, Italy, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Canada.) 給晉晉的家書 Home Letters to Jin Work Green Initiatives Public Speaking Other public speaking included a talk at Hang Seng Bank on Intrapreneurship; a sharing organised by Esperanza on "Parenting in the digital age". Jin's Magical Journey Irene's Path As the new year dawns, we extend our heartfelt wishes for your happiness, health, and prosperity in 2024. Live happily, and live well wherever you are, do not get stuck! With love, --- Hong Kong Quotes "We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, but they are still lying." - Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn "We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles " - Jimmy Carter 「成功無方程式，失敗一定有道理。」- 李嘉誠
給晉晉的家書 Home letters to Jin Jin Hapkido Belt Exam June and Dec 2023 Highlights of book launch events Speaking at Cambridge University Chinese Society Annual Dinner 2023 |
Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2022
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! Once again, we trust that this message finds you well. Time seems to pass faster and faster by the years, 2022 is coming to an end. It is that time of the year again to count our blessings. Year 2022 started with the 5th wave of Covid19 in Hong Kong. We were finally infected with covid19 in April. Thankfully, we only had mild symptoms, and recovered within 2 days with no signs of long-covid. The much-delayed publication of my book 給晉晉的家書 "Home letters to Jin" is finally at the printer. Keeping my fingers crossed! We love to travel and experience different cultures. It had been 3 years since we last travelled. Finally, we are spending 2 weeks in Nepal from 24 Dec. This is Jin's first visit to this country to see mountains that are so tall, stay with a local family in the mountains and see some wild animals in the national park. The pandemic has no doubt been making everyone's life challenging, I think we are finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. With 2022 passing, I believe things will definitely improve in 2023. We wish you and your family a prosperous, healthy and happy 2023! Love, Jin, Irene and Dominic Dec 2022 --- Highlight of Chan family We love the village house and the neighbourhood that we have been living in since 2018. During the very hot month of July, the river near our house provided a great haven from the heat. From our roof-top garden, we have had pineapples that took 2 years to grow each, papayas that can grow in just a sizable pot, and numerous other vegetables/ herbs throughout the year. This place with its rural location is the perfect hide-away. So when our landlord offered to sell, we decided to buy. However, buying a village house is not as simple as buying a flat in the city, there was so much more due diligence. We have just cleaned and repainted the outer wall. In January, we are going to construct some solar panels (9.6kW) on the rooftop. Under the government scheme, we will sell back the electricity to the power company and enjoy a legal shelter on the rooftop. By our calculations, with the amount of sunshine in our area, we should be able to achieve carbon-negative energy with our solar panels. Jin and Dominic passed the Hapkido belt upgrade examination in Dec. Hapkido has been a great father and son bonding activity and certainly good exercise for Dominic, most people have noticed that Dominic had achieved his optimal BMI. Unfortunately, Twedo, one of the two turtles at home, had a fatal accident. There was a lot that we had to reflect on from this incident. (Twedo was a gift from Santa Claus in 2018). Highlight of Jin Second year at Island Waldorf School, Jin is very happy with his school and making lots of friends. We are getting used to the long commute from Tai Po to Sai Wan. From time to time, Jin does miss the natural environment of his old school in Tai Po and Yuen Long. In addition to the local BigBang Academy STEM activities, we started subscribing to a STEM learning kit delivery service from the UK and enjoying all the physics, chemistry and engineering experiments at home. Jin has a very curious mind and asks questions like "Why can't light escape from a blackhole?". So I told him what "escape velocity" means, and how it depends on gravity force which in turn depends on the mass of the body and the distance from the centre, and since the escape velocity of a blackhole is higher than the velocity of light, therefore even light cannot escape from a blackhole. He then asked, ""Light doesn't have mass, so how come there is still gravity force?", I further explained how light can be treated as a photon and so now he also knows about the famous equation connecting mass and energy. A few weeks later, he asked "What would an observer on the platform see, if I run towards the tail end of a moving train at equal speed, or faster or slower?". I often challenge him to answer his own question by asking "what do you think?". Jin helped to replace 7 of the 8 metal door knobs in the house, changing the entire structure including the locking mechanism and all moving parts. Dominic did the very first one as a demonstration, Jin got so good at replacing it that he can change one in under 5 minutes by the time he replaced the 5th one. During the summer, Jin together with 2 friends built a treehouse from scratch in Fan Ling, he also learned how to chop wood, start a fire with wood and cook a meal. He got so excited about cooking that he cooked an entire meal for us at home. Something neither Irene nor Dominic did when we were at Jin's age. Highlight of Irene Irene is very much into tea-drinking and she found a very good teacher. Picking the right tea and serving it properly has profound health effects. She also spends quality time at a beautiful place called Nam Chung. Irene and Jin are caring for some trees, and Dominic joins them to enjoy nature. Highlight of Dominic Despite the pandemic situation, 2022 had actually been the busiest year for work. We were conducting zoom-classes only during the first 8 months of the year. I was so glad that we resumed face to face classes from September and the campus was finally filled with students again. With no overseas field trips, I'm teaching even more courses at CUHK. Things had really picked up again this year, conducted more corporate training and executive coaching than any other year. There were some public events like MBA/EMBA sample classes, Make a DASH (Greater Bay Entrepreneurship programme), activities further opened up in Q4 2022, and more face to face activities became possible, e.g. various graduation dinners, residence weeks, faculty/ department annual dinners and wedding banquets. CUHK launched Hong Kong's first "Corporate Innovation Index" in November. Not reading as many books as I should, but instead did 12 online courses with certificate this year, ranging from Psychology, Philosophy, Forensic Science, Blockchain Applications to ESG (Environment, Social and Governance), SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), Negotiations, to Parenting etc. Some for fun, some are very practical indeed (e.g. parenting). Quotes "Evil Does Seek To Maintain Power By Suppressing The Truth." - Spock, Startrek "Insanity -- a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world." - Ronald D. Laing "The problem is not people being uneducated. The problem is that people are educated just enough to believe what they have been taught, and not educated enough to question anything from what they have been taught." - Prof. Richard Feynman Books The Shame Machine - Cathy O'Neil Digital for Good - Richard Culatta Wild Problems - Russ roberts Principles - Ray Dalio Movies/ Documentary Eat the rich - The gamestop saga Extraordinary Attorney Woo 給晉晉的家書 Home letters to Jin Jin |
Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2021
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! Trust this message finds you well and you have been staying safe and healthy. Like the years before, the year 2021 seems to have passed in the blink of an eye and it is that time of the year to reflect and count our blessings. In 2021, the covid19 infection number continued to be reported on a daily basis which is more frequent than any stock market index and we find this rather numbing. Our hands have consumed more alcohol than our mouths ever have since we are not really drinkers. Masks are such an integrated part of our daily wear, we almost feel naked without wearing one. However, if I had to make a list of how or why I do not recognize Hong Kong anymore, these points probably would not even make it to the top 50, and some of the points on the list would clearly explain why I will not be sharing this list even if such a list exists. It is impossible to keep track of the number of friends who have left Hong Kong to pursue a [Better life]. While it saddens us deeply, we fully comprehend why they would choose to leave the place where they were born and grew up. I appreciate the term Better life, does not shallowly mean a better job, making more money, seeing property value rockets, the earthly things that many would say those who left Hong Kong are foolish to give up. Better life is a state of mind, pursuing meaningful things according to their values, rather than things merely for survival or wealth accumulation. Jin continues his Waldorf education, transitioning from Starhill kindergarten in a farm to IWS primary school in the city. He is thoroughly loving his new school and making many new friends. He was also excited to receive gifts from the tooth fairy for the first time. At home, Jin enjoys conducting STEM experiments, performing and inventing card tricks + magic tricks, solving various types of rubik’s cubes, making a lot of handicraft and arts works. Irene and I take joy in doing all these activities with Jin and are learning so much ourselves, I have discovered an artistic side of myself that I didn’t know existed. The perks of living in a small village continue to enable us to go cycling, swimming in the river/club house, hiking up the mountain, planting on the rooftop. Low density neighbourhoods have continued to shield us from the worst effects of the pandemic. Our desire to live a secluded (隱居) life continues to guide us towards simpler village life. I finally summoned enough courage to uninstall social media apps from my smartphone at the beginning of the year, but stopped short at deleting the accounts. Not surprisingly, some friends have been seeking my advice on how I did it. I feel like a former social media addict sharing his experience on how to beat an addiction. This year, I did something for the very first time. I passed my Hapkido belt exam. I always wanted to learn some martial arts, I used to be a regular gym-goer to do simple exercise and now Hapkido has become my twice a week activity. It has been a very long time since I last took any kind of exam, apart from the general medical examination which I also thankfully passed. My smartphone, smartwatch and my smart bathroom scale are monitoring many of my health signs and seem to conclude that I have a body of a 32-year old, and a resting heart rate of 55 bpm. Workwise, since the covid19 situation is well under control within Hong Kong, my classes at CUHK have resumed face to face mode and I have taken up more classes than before, it is such a pity that all overseas field trips are still cancelled. My client work has returned to normal and thanks to technology, my overseas engagement has in fact increased. For Irene, 2021 has passed so quickly that her highlights are all about taking care of all aspects of the well-being of the family during the current pandemic, Jin transitioned to primary school, and matters related to our home. Out of her already very busy schedule, she managed to squeeze in a few Waldorf parents and teachers courses throughout the year. Her quote of the year is 我們不一定知道我們人生的使命，做我們現在必須要做的事便是我們生命的使命。 (We do not necessarily know what our life mission is, doing things that we must do in the present moment IS the life mission). She is content that she is able to practice Tai-chi-yoga almost on a daily basis. It has been almost 2 years since we last travelled, but less air-traffic globally means more blue-sky, and at the same time, we observe more pollution in other forms, such as masks, disposable packaging and utensils. We hope the pandemic situation will be resolved in 2022 and we continue to protect our environment and reduce pollution. We wish you and your family a very joyful and prosperous 2022! Love, Jin, Irene and Dominic
Books read/ listened this year
Favourite timely quotes of the year
Movie/Documentary watched this year that I would recommend
Work - CUHK highlights
Work - others highlights
Public speaking highlights
Live a secluded life (photo taken outside our home) Dominic discovered one of his artistic talents |
7 March 2021 Dominic's 10 Reasons To Smile Today
Dominic annual 10 Reasons To Smile Today - Always think positive!
Version - 7th March 2021
10) Amazing people like you in my life
9) Just uninstalled Facebook & Instagram
8) Enjoy interaction with my students
7) Appreciate what mother nature provides on our rooftop farm
6) Only mildly disrupted by the pandemic
5) Embrace Starhill Waldorf family, sharing a common vision on child development
4) Quality father & son bonding, still writing letters to Jin 給晉晉的家書
3) Jin can express emotions using words, no more friction with us
2) In good shape, have hair, no glasses. Irene & Jin healthy & happy. Mom is content in her new home. Sisters enjoying grandmotherhood
1) 3 of us together as a family on this wonderful journey called LIFE
Long Version - 7th March 2021
(10) Blessed with having many wonderful people in my life
(9) Finally had the determination to uninstall Facebook and Instagram from my phone a few weeks ago (in any case, I have not been using them for a long long time)
(8) Continue to enjoy interacting with my students of all levels for education as well as personal development
(7) Enjoying the produce from our rooftop garden taken care by Irene, Jin and Roma, appreciating what mother nature provides for us
(6) Our family had fairly mild disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic, largely thanks to the secluded lifestyle of living in a very low density rural neighbourhood
(5) Blessed to be part of a very caring and supporting education community called Starhill Waldorf, a big family that shares a common vision on healthy child development
(4) Enjoying a lot of quality time with Jin through multiple father and son bonding activities such as taking Hapkido classes together, cycling, swimming, playing chess etc, still writing letters to Jin (給晉晉的家書) And in particular, I enjoy the martial arts classes as a beginner at such a mature stage of life.
(3) Irene and I are feeling moved and much relieved as Jin achieved a significant milestone in life, he becomes a bit more mature and is able to process his emotions more properly through words and appropriate actions, which means less or virtually no friction with parents when handling his anger or frustration
(2) My mom is very happy with her new elderly home. My sisters are enjoying lifes as a grandmother. And I still have good health and hair, and wear no glasses. Irene is improving her fitness. Jin is very healthy and has been keeping the doctor away since he was 3 years old
(1) Having Irene and Jin together during this wonderful journey called LIFE
Version - 7th March 2020
(10) Having YOU as a friend or relative to share this list
(09) Feeling appreciated and encouraged when some friends and students say I made a difference in their lives
(08) Rerooting ourselves to be close to nature and live a simple secluded life in Tai Po (大埔). Continuing the journey to attain harmony with nature, family, friends and people in general, to have more sympathy and empathy towards others.
(07) Enjoying a high degree of freedom in spirit, time, location and financial. Loving my 'work-life integration' and 'Education' as my 'ikigai' (Love to do + Good at doing + The world needs + Get rewarded for doing)
(06) Understanding being wise and kind is a choice and is far more important than simply being smart or clever, our actions have consequences to others as well as ourselves. Knowing that wisdom can only grow with experience, sometimes by accumulating our learning from mistakes and from observing how wise people make important decisions. Also our wisdom can grow ONLY if we have a humble heart.
(05) While reading a re-interpretation of the 'David Vs Goliath' story, I have a strong realization that reinforces our beliefs of finding our own way of life, creating and leveraging our own strengths and advantages instead of just following what other people and the system expect us to do and behave.
(04) Living a meaningful life with principles. Still finding new enlightenments through life-long learning and new purposes through writing letters to Jin (給晉晉的家書)
(03) Appreciating that mother and sisters are still relatively speaking in good health.
(02) Maintaining good health, still having lots of hair and not wearing glasses ('yet'), though I was excited when I found a new and more convenient way to dye my hair. The results from a recent and very thorough medical check-up indicate all is well. Picking up regular exercise again and lost 2.5 kg to hit my ideal weight. A certain health monitoring device consistently put my body age in the 30s (hit 31 occasionally).
(01) Being married to Irene, grateful and blessed that Jin is healthy and happy, enjoying lots of family time.
Version - 7th March 2018
(10) Having YOU as a friend or relative reading this sharing
(09) Picking up on travel again including global study trips learning from great professors around the world
(08) Looking forward to living a simple life in Tai Po (大埔) soon, close to nature and desirable school for Jin (孟母三遷之一)
(07) Living a meaningful life with principles, finding new enlightenments and purposes through writing letters to Jin (給晉晉的家書)
(06) Continuing the journey to attain harmony with nature, family, friends and people in general, to have more sympathy and empathy towards others, understanding being wise and kind is a choice and is far more important than simply being clever
(05) Enjoying a higher degree of freedom in spirit, time, location and financial
(04) Striking a better balance in 'work-life integration'. Confirming 'Education' as my 'ikigai' (Love to do + Good at doing + The world needs + Get rewarded for doing)
(03) Appreciating that mother and sisters are still relatively speaking in good health. Extremely glad that Jin got to see his grandma, cousin Janet + Brian and Jin's first cousin once removed Everett (表外甥) from Canada very recently.
(02) Maintaining good health, still have hair and wear no glasses ('yet' still)
(01) Being married to Irene, grateful and blessed that Jin is healthy and happy
Version - 7th March 2017
10) YOU are reading this
09) Have a firm moral compass and know that I am not alone
08) Have sympathy and empathy towards others at times of sadness, happiness, anger, excitement, and look beyond people's faults
07) Understand that being wise is far more important than being clever
06) Believe in fate and karma
05) Enjoy a certain degree of freedom in terms of spiritual, time, location and financial
04) Passionate about everything that I am currently doing, be it work or leisure
03) Mother and sisters are, relatively speaking, in good health
02) Thankfully in good health, still have hair and wear no glasses (yet)
01) Married to Irene, grateful that Jin is healthy and happy
Version - 7th March 2015
10) Still have hair
09) Still have good eyesight without wearing glasses (no contact lens, no lasik)
08) Still living in Hong Kong (now in our own flats)
07) Can now 'claim' to be a writer: published two books in Chinese (one on Cambridge and one on World Travel) and working on a third book.
06) Have you as a friend or relative to send this list to (or shown to on Facebook)
05) Still enjoying things outside and at work. Working on things COMPLETELY different from 10 years ago.
04) Still cry when seeing/ hearing a touching movie or story. Become more mature and more in harmony with life, people and nature.
03) Mum is alive and well (Dad has gone to a better place sometime during the last 10 years)
02) Still healthy and feel young
01) Raising my son Jin with my dear wife Irene
Version - 7th March 2005
10) Have hair (suggested by Irene)
09) Still not wearing glasses
08) Living in Hong Kong with great food
07) Still travelling for leisure and work and fascinated with new things
06) Have you as a friend or relative to send this list to
05) Enjoying things outside and at work
04) Still cry when seeing a touching movie (suggested by Irene)
03) Parents are alive and well
02) Healthy and feel young
01) Married to Irene
Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2020
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! Hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy. Just when we thought Year 2019 was a very turbulent year for Hong Kong, little did we know a year ago that covid19 pandemic was going to be added to the already long list of crises and made Year 2020 an even more depressing year. Under such circumstances, we are grateful to say that we have managed to stay safe and well. Adapting many new measures such as wearing masks, keeping social distance, reducing group activities, purchasing online and eating more at home. Thankfully, living in a very low density neighbourhood means social distancing has fairly minimal disruption to our quiet daily life. Most of my teaching/training has switched to online platforms since February, my numerous overseas study trips were understandably cancelled. This is the first time I have not travelled for the entire year since my very first experience of stepping on an aeroplane in 1984 heading to a boarding school in Jersey. As for my client work, things have almost returned to normal since August, thanks to all the online tools, there is in fact more work from overseas clients. As a tech-savvy independent professional with 15 years of experience, working from my well equipped home has always been the norm. The real challenge this year, however, is to conduct online meetings and classes with a young child at home. I actually spent more time in my office this year than all my office hours combined from the last 15 years. One very serious family matter occurred coincidentally during the most depressing time of 2020, it was largely resolved and seems to be making good progress in the right direction but inevitably leaving behind some impressions on family members. The Chinese saying [家家有本難念的經] certainly rings true. (Every family has their own problems that cannot be understood by others). According to the conventional Chinese wisdom, this year I am supposedly to have reached the age of [knowing one's destiny] (知天命). I doubt that I know my destiny, but whether knowing or otherwise, I am certainly enjoying this journey with Irene and Jin, and I'm hoping to help my students to find their destiny. My medical exam and health monitoring devices are telling me that I am of the age of [establishing] (立), let's go with the scientific evidence... I'm still writing 給晉晉的家書 (home letters to Jin) totalling 204 letters so far, hopefully, I will publish all the letters into a book in 2021. Overall, Year 2020 reinforces our belief that life is full of surprises and packed with unexpected changes that can be good and bad. Embracing change proactively is the only way forward, no matter how hard it is. A quote that I like very much serves as a very good reminder, [When life gives you a choice, always take the most difficult path]. The meaning of the word [difficult] becomes nothing. It is especially during challenging times like this that we have to continue to think positive, count our blessings and maintain hope for a better future, at the same time we must learn from our past mistakes, treasure the memories of all our losses and move on. With that spirit, we are going to share some of our happiest moments in 2020 below! We wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2021! Please drop us a few words to share how you are getting on! Love, Rooftop plantation (and elsewhere) Jin's education Hapkido (合氣道) Swimming Board games Cycling Travelling Cambridge University I had a few public engagements this year, speaking at or hosting business panels. Quotes of the year
Books read/listened this year
Movies/ TV Drama/ Documentation recommendation
Some photo highlights: Enjoying the river in our neighbourhood The age of 知天命"Knowing one's destiny" |
Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2019
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! 2019 is coming to an end and time seems to pass even faster than 2018. In 2019, to say Hong Kong went through some very turbulent time would be a serious understatement, it is unprecedented for our generation. We have been staying safe, and I wish my home city where Jin, Irene and myself were born will eventually emerge better and stronger. I wish those with a strong sense of duty (使命感) also at the same time possess true wisdom (智慧) , because only wisdom can lead us to light, hatred will lead to a very dark path of no return. We moved in March 2018 to Tai Po, the rural part of Hong Kong, after months of adjustments both physically and mentally, we have settled down and we are loving it. The desire of living a secluded (隱居) life is stronger than ever. As I really wish I can 不問世事，與世無爭 (be carefree of world affairs and desire nothing from the world). It is a blessing for Jin to be able to grow up in an environment where he can catch frogs, fish, shrimps and bugs; climb trees; feed farm animals; plant and pick rice, fruits, flowers and vegetables. I enjoy cycling and swimming with Jin right in our neighbourhood, I have not cycled much since I left Cambridge more than 20 years ago, Jin was so happy when he got his own bicycle and helmet. Jin is certainly having a very different childhood from Irene's and mine. In Oct, Jin kept a caterpillar at home for 2.5 weeks and it turned into a beautiful butterfly and flew away, our turtle probably enjoyed the companionship of the caterpillar too. Jin said his highlight of the year was to spend his 5th birthday in Tai Chung, Taiwan where we stayed in an isolated part of a mountain, went to a sheep farm, enjoyed a horse riding show and visited a paper church. Major changes for me in 2019 (1) I started to drive on a regular basis in Lam Tsuen area (I didn't need to drive before in HK nor in UK); (2) I have stopped using Facebook since 6 Dec 2018 and it has been so great. Sure, I had enjoyed in the past posting events photos, family photos and also my 給晉晉的家書 "Home letters to Jin" as well as reading many updates from friends and family. But these benefits do not out-weight the wrongs that this platform is conducting behind our backs. I feel in some way, I have freed myself from social media to regain my precise time and sanity from being manipulated by some algorithms attempting to persuade me to buy things or to vote one way or another, or to lock myself into a cocoon of confirmation bias, though at the same time I wish I could continue to be someone who contributes positive energy into that very same platform. Again this reinforces the idea of living a secluded life not only offline but online also. For my friends who have been enjoying my "Home letters to Jin", I am still writing and as of the time of this newsletter, I have written 194 letters. This year, I continued to travel and brought my various groups of CUHK students to Cambridge, 2 x Berlin and Silicon Valley, I enjoyed the companion as well as the lessons during these trips, and often incorporate new ideas into my own teaching and corporate training.We also enjoy leisure trips to Taiwan. Irene is glad to be travelling again! I want to share a Mandarin song that Jin recently loves to sing (often with other kids): With the current HK situation and looking at Jin singing this song with an innocent voice, Irene and I cannot hold back our tears. We must continue to move forward in 2020. We wish you a healthy, happy and prosperous 2020! Please drop us a few lines to share how you are getting on! Love, December 2019 Work Cambridge Favourite quotes this year Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire Travel Books Movies Some photo highlights: 遇見巨人 ("I am strong, when I am on your shoulder. You raise me up: to more than I can be " - Lyric from the song "You raise me up!")
201908 Taiwan
Jin the painter
Eat your veg, Jin!
Happy Birthday Jin!
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Leglessbird Newsletter Dec 2018
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Dear Family and Friends,
Happy New Year! Another year passes so quickly. It has been a very eventful year for us, for a start, we made a very bold MOVE (literally) - We moved from a building in Pokfulam, South of Hong Kong to a village house in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po. We now fully indulge in nature, being very close to a Waldorf school for Jin and CUHK where I work part-time since 2016. Moving to the country side is not without challenges, we managed to overcome them all and I'll start driving soon. Our life style has changed dramatically as a result: More meals at home, fewer visits to the "city", Jin enjoys picking fruits from trees, playing with shrimp and fish at a river in the neighbourhood, eating cheese cake at a cafe where he can climb trees, turning our roof top into his playground. We found a few farmers nearby to buy fresh vegetables. I asked Irene what was her personal reflection of the year, she said she was surprised that she was in Hong Kong everyday this year. I continue to enjoy writing "letters to Jin Jin" (給晉晉的家書). As of today, I have written 165 letters to Jin (since new year day 2015). I hope to find time to publish it as my 3rd book. Thank you to everyone who expressed how much you like these letters and those who provided valuable feedback, your words are very encouraging to me, especially those who came talking to me at various events. Another big change of the year is that I have been contemplating to quit some of the social media platforms, namely, Facebook and Instagram, even though I am a very heavy user of social media and it has been a very useful medium to connect to friends and family, and express my thoughts. However, I detest the way it makes money by using our private data in such an abusive manner and constantly violating our privacy. I cannot be a willing accomplice in the crime against myself. I have decided to significantly reduce my time spent on these social media, I challenged myself to stop using Facebook and Instagram, and have not checked in since 6 Dec 2018. The day I stopped using it, I started to draw a list of friends who I want to see in person and can enjoy a coffee together. I would like to share this article to everyone who are thinking about abandoning some of the social networks - "The year social networks were no longer social " https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/23/the-year-social-networks-were-no-longer-social/ We wish you and your family a healthy, happy and prosperous 2019. Love, Jin is now 4 years old, fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Growing up so fast and healthily. Teacher says he provides a lot of "entertainment" to the class (whatever that means!). Fire engine is still Jin's favourite, so is using Lego and other wooden building blocks to make his own structures/toys which shows a lot of creativity, especially the stories that he makes up while creating the structures. Reading books and/or telling stories every night before going to bed. He often turns himself into a cat which makes communicating with him a lot of fun. His ability to reason and making logical argument/ conclusion has surprised as well as amused us on numerous occasions. His career aspirations has changed from (1) A firefighter (2) An engineer (3) A Chef and (4) A pilot to (a) A scientist (b) An engineer (c) An archaeologist and (d) A Professor. Family Jin was very happy to see his aunt Agnes (Canada) + uncle Richard, aunt Bibiana (Australia) and his cousin Janet (Canada) + Brain + Jin's little 2nd cousin (表外甥) baby Everett in Hong Kong and stayed with us. Jin's another cousin Jonathan becomes father in Dec, that makes Jin a 表叔 and me a 舅公 again. Jin also enjoys talking to Grandma (Canada) through video conference. Travel Education Consulting and angel investment Cambridge: Books I read/ am still reading: "Brief answers to the big questions", "AI Super-powers", "讀易經，通管理", "Mindfulness", "Parenting for a peaceful world", "Mistakes were me, but not by me", "Give and Take", "Misbehaving", "Thinking fast and slow", "The art of strategy", "How to raise an adult", "Black Swan", "The billionaire who wasn't". Movies/ Shows that I enjoyed: "Black mirror"(Season 4), Bodyguard" (2018 netflix) Favourite quotes heard in 2018 that I find inspiring: "It is not how well you can fight, it is what you fight for!" "別活得太舒服" (this one is a self-realization) December 2018 HKUST 20180501
Jin's 4th Birthday 201808
Ginger Bread House 201812
Fireman Jin 201804
Starhill 201810
Starhill Walk 201810
CUHK 201812
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