I've got something to say...

Hi, long time no see! (on 19th Oct, 2003)

Thanks to you all - my family, friends & colleagues, everyone that I know!!

Updating my homepage has always been on my to-do-list.  I often ask myself why I still have to update it, when I've got many other (more important) things to do (Really?!) and it may not be read by lots of people (THANKS if you do read it!! You're so nice!). Who'll care about an individual homepage like mine?  But when you hear some words of praise from others who have read your homepage, you know your efforts have not been wasted and you may be motivated (at least at that moment) to continue working on it.  That's why, although I haven't spent a lot of time on my homepage over the past year, I'm still trying to get it updated.

So, what's special about my homepage this time?  (Click here)

More than a year ago I was here saying goodbye to my friends in the UK and I told you how unhappy I felt about my new life in Hong Kong. But people and things are always changing ('Never say never'!), and habits can be powerful - once a person gets used to doing something or some sort of lifestyle, he/she may feel comfortable with what they have and be resistant to changes. I don't know if it's after my one-and-half-a-year UK stay or since I returned to HK that I started trying to think in a positive way whenever anything, bad or good, happens. I'd say over the past year my stay in HK is not something bad. Actually it's been an eventful year for me and there're some positive things I can take from it. Watching 2002 World Cup on TV (I don't think I could do that if I were still in the UK then), seeing my idol in person at a very short distance, watching his wonderful performance in his concerts, having a hiking habit almost every weekend, meeting more friends of different background and characters through my job, getting to know more about my dad and mom who're getting old, attending my elder brother's wedding, going through the most difficult period (SARS) with others in HK and being aware of how united and good HK people can be, taking advantage of the big sales in HK, getting to know more about our country - China - through trips to Shenzhen and Guangzhou and the PhD students in my office, seeing my old friends again... in fact, I'm very grateful for having spent more than a year in HK and sometimes I do wonder if it's fate or the arrangement by God (though I'm not a Christian). Perhaps that was another opportunity for me to learn and to get to know more about the people and things around me?!

I have long been thinking about 'fate': Does someone (God) exist and control our fate?  Is it his will that something happens?  For example, if I had started my PhD last September, I might not have been able to attend my elder brother's wedding; I may not have developed a deep friendship with my colleagues? Is everything already destined? I don't totally believe that but i think some 'routes' or choices are already there for us and when we make a choice and decide to go along a certain path, we'll have some pre-determined(?) consequences and if we choose another, there'll be another consequence/route for us...

I love the following poem which I like and want to share with you. Please also read the extracts taken from Lin Yutang's "The Importance of Living" which I love reading these days and which I highly recommend:

The Road Not Taken – By Robert Frost

Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both.

And be one travelers, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, And I –

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

As the title says, I'd like to express my gratitude to my family (the greatest support as ever), and friends, who may be reading this homepage now, especially Pat, Karina, Vickie, Dorothy, Peggy, Jane, Carolyn, my Poly U supervisor, my Poly U colleagues (please, please forgive me if I've missed your name here!) (that's a long list...) ... in a word, EVERYONE THAT I KNOW.  It's you all who make me grow up!! Also, I'd like to say 'hello' to any new friend that I've just made and those whom I already knew in Manchester.

By the way, the SARS has inspired me to write an article called 'Twins', which is actually about our hands, when we were reminded to wash our hands frequently (Washing hands, washing hands, washing hands - as Mrs. Tung suggested). Please have a read at it and give me some comments through email or guestbook. Thanks! :)

Please keep dropping by my homepage. Without your support and encouragement, it'd be hard to maintain it!! Some of the diaries (for the past year) were written relying on my poor memory; some feelings that I had at that time may have gone, which tells me I better update my homepage bit by bit; it's really exhausting to write diaries for 19 months in a few days!!

A lot of pages have been updated, e.g. information about Michael Owen and David Beckham (sad to see him leave Manutd!!)

See you all in next updates!!

A non-white X'mas (on 24th Dec, 2002)

This is my first X'mas in Hong Kong after my study in the UK. The difference? No snow, no cold weather, no long holiday, no Christmas pudding, no central heating...

Nine months ago I still couldn't foresee where I'd be at Christmas this year; Nine months ago I was packing up my stuff; Nine months ago a (Easter) holiday was coming; Nine months ago I was listening to the radio in English...

Nine months later I was right here in Hong Kong, preparing to spend X'mas with my family; nine months later most of the stuff that I brought back from the UK was still in my luggage; nine months later another holiday (X'mas) was coming; Nine months later I was watching TV in Cantonese...

What difference could nine months make? It's not a long time but many things could happen within that period of time. My appearance, my thoughts, and the prospects of my future have changed since I returned to HK. I know I'm getting fatter and fatter; In the first few months since I returned to Hong Kong, from time to time I reflected on my daily life and it seems to me that there's a past 'I' (the one before I went to England) and a present 'I' (the one who came back from the UK). I can sense that some changes have taken place in myself (appearance, personalities and thoughts). When I entered my home in Hong Kong and looked at things inside, I needed to think hard and ask myself, "Is this mine?" "Who gave/bought me this thing?" and so on. I was just like a girl who had lost her memory. In the UK, young people can have a gap year before they enter the university and it's like I've just had my gap year. My memory of my life in HK is blank since I arrived at the UK and before I returned to HK.

There are neither many changes nor new stuff in my homepage indeed. I have been thinking of updating my homepage since July but it's only before X'mas I really started to add something to my homepage. There's a lot of stuff I'd like to say here and hopefully I can bring you some surprises when you visit my homepage next time!

MERRY X'MAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!! SEE YOU IN 2003!!!

A holiday in Hong Kong? I'm going back home... (on 27th March, 2002)

Spring seems to have arrived here, with sunrise getting earlier and sunset later in a day. It's now one year and a half since I came to England. I seem to have got used to the life here and I've been enjoying it. Some people, once they finish their studies, can't wait to leave this country, which in their eyes is quite boring. I also do feel bored sometimes but I'd prefer living here where I've got space and freedom. I talked with a friend of mine in email about what I'd have been like if I had stayed in HK instead over the past two years.  

By the time some of you are reading this homepage, I'll be flying or have already gone back to HK (for another holiday?). These days I've been busy packing up and meeting friends I made here. Strangely I seem to have made some new friends here after I've decided to go back to HK for a short period of time. I never felt as sad as I'm now before. Most people are so nice and helpful to me. It'll be a bit hard for me to adapt to life in HK again (somehow I refuse to face the reality) but I know time will get me used to it. 

I've learnt a lot about this country. For example, I know that, especially during my study of the situation about three Celtic languages and my daily radio listening, the UK consists of four nations and 'British' is just a general term for the people who can be described as Welsh, Scots, Irish or English (four nations, four identities?). I know more about English dialects and accents here, through my daily contact with people and those phone-in radio programmes. 

Of course I'LL BE BACK to Manchester (hopefully)!!! I'LL MISS YOU ALL WHILE I'M IN HK... Please wait for me!!! hehe... 

My family and friends in Hong Kong, see if I've got any changes...

Please forgive me if I've missed to give my thanks to anyone...

Remember, 'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.' (Ralph Waldo Emerson, from 'Home' 1996, Running Press, p.67) Do often visit my homepage!! :P

I won't be crying (No, I won't, Vicky; by the way, THANKS A LOT for your lovely cards) when I'm getting onto the flight... 

Note: special thanks to two Carolyns - Carolyn Chan and Carolyn Cook!! ^0^

Sandy's confessions (on 11th Jan, 2002)

Having reviewed what I've done over the past year, I've got a confession to make:

1. I have been too lazy in my MA study, having slept too much but read too little (don't you notice that I seldom talked about my study?...). I should be grateful that I obtained my master's certificate in the graduation ceremony (diary for Dec, 2001).

2. I have been too greedy, having eaten too much, which contributed to the increasing size of my body and face!

3. I have enjoyed myself through travelling so much around England, Scotland and Europe and I have taken so many photos that I've got very little money left. 

4. I have spent much time surfing the net and updating this homepage of my own... Hey, so why don't you read it in detail to appreciate what I've done? (just kidding! But I don't mind if you want to make some comments in my guestbook!)

Time has passed quickly... (on 24th Nov, 2001)

So, it's been another month since I last updated this homepage. What do you think about it? Boring? Nothing special? Hope to hear some responses from any one of you through email or my guest book. 

Yeah, one month has passed and every day I tried to find something to do to make myself busy. I did feel busy but I can't tell how I've spent my time.  When I was still studying my Master's course, I didn't have much time to reflect on my life; it wasn't until now I realised how much I've been enjoying my life (cos I've got much time to think), though on the other hand I'm getting worried about many things. Maybe lots of people have the same situation where they're too busy to stop to think about what they've been doing and what they actually want from their jobs or studies. 

The war on terrorism is still not over. Either the development in Afghanistan or the phenomenon of world economic recession (e.g. which company lay off its employees, how much loss companies - especially the airlines - had after the 911 atrocities, the cancellation of Christmas parties, etc.) hit the headlines of the newspapers, which are filled with advertisements about some cheap tickets offered by airlines like British Airways. An air crash happened in New York on 12th Nov, 01, which is another blow to Americans who have already been hit by the terrorist attack in September. The first question came to my mind when I heard of the news in that afternoon was 'why are Americans so unfortunate this year?' Yeah, unfortunate.  I think not just in the US; around the whole world is filled with a gloom atmosphere and fear. Fear of any more terrorist attack; fear of taking a flight; fear of losing a job; fear of 

Mixed feelings (on 26th Oct, 2001)

Not just a few words. I've got a lot to say in this updated version of my homepage, though thousands of words may still be not enough to express all my feelings. By the time you'll be reading this column and my homepage, I should have finished my dissertation (yeah, finally I made it! My 'baby' was born!), indicative of the end of my one-year master's course, and have finished my trip to Europe, thinking about what to do in my future. I'm still in (Greater) Manchester.

This homepage has just had its first anniversary. It was initially created to make a track of my one-year master's study. Looking back on the past year, though world economy recession and terrorism may cause a doubt of whether our studies were in a wrong timing, I did learn a lot in and outside the classes, which is why I'd say coming to England to study my master's course is the wisest decision I have ever made.  It's not just about learning some theories and academic terms. More importantly I've seen much about people from different countries and also I got a chance to live independently (again, if my experience in the student hall in Hong Kong is taken into account) and enjoy my life.  Many of my friends have gone back to their home countries for work or studies. It's not easy to adapt to the changes and a new challenge is facing me. It's also a time to think about my future. What'll be my next goal/dream?

Things are changing every day. The 911 atrocity in the US has certainly changed our life to some extent. We are now filled with fear by the everyday headline news - threat from Laden, anthrax... Tomorrow, where will we be and what will we be doing? Is the World War III coming? And the end of the world? I read an article some days ago on a local newspaper ('The nonsense of our modern-day mystics' by William Hartston, p.19, Daily Express on 15 Oct 2001), . The writer talked about coincidence. Since the attack, some theories on the event were made, saying with seemingly strong proof how coincident things were. Like the number 11 theory. I agree with the writer that we can find out a lot of coincidences in an event but at the same time there're also a lot of non coincidences. People just like to make things complicated with those coincidence theories. Another thing I'd like to say is, sometimes there're things out of our control and we can't avoid fate (but it doesn't mean we don't do anything). 

Hope you'll enjoy this updated version (if you read it). 

One more thing, Switzerland is sooooooooooooooooo beautiful that I hope to buy a house and live there one day! (Is it the place where my dream house will be?)

My Summer Holiday (on 1st Aug, 2001)

So, I've been in England for more than ten months and in no more than two months I need to submit my dissertation, which signals the end of my one-year masters' course. My feelings are mixed and contradictory. On the one hand, I couldn't wait to finish my dissertation, which prevents me enjoying a great summer holiday and has been keeping me worried (about the progress of my dissertation), guilty (of not having working hard), puzzled, bored (with my life, which is only about dissertation) and under pressure. On the other hand, I know I'll miss the campus life of the past year once I finish my study, and I have to face the reality again, to look for a job. Looking back at one year ago when I was struggling with the choices of universities, I'm amazed at how fast time has passed by.

Talking about my dissertation, the only word I can say about it is 'fine', or 'not bad'. Perhaps a bit more difficult than I first thought. It's really not easy to overcome difficulties and laziness in the whole process with so little support from anyone else besides my friends. Sometimes I do feel helpless. Now I'm on the half way and hopefully I can accomplish it after coming back with a refreshed mind from the trip to Scotland!

Enjoy the updates of my homepage!

Start of summer holiday (on 23rd June, 2001)

Hi guys, how're you doing? How many months have passed since I last updated this homepage of mine? The past few months seem ages to me, working day and night on my four essays. The only word that can be used to describe my life then is 'boring'. In fact the books I've read are not boring. Most of them have answered the puzzles I had related to languages. It's just that doing the same thing all day long under pressure is too hard to live by. Getting a master degree perhaps is not too difficult (as long as you do really do some study) but the process is really hard. A friend of mine asked me what I learnt and got this year from my study. There were not many classes and most of the time we postgraduate students worked on our own (we wrote essays instead of taking exams in this semester). The main things that I have got from this one-year study are a great change in the view of languages and ways to get along with different kinds of people. I've found how different the culture of the others from different countries is. Certainly I have learnt much more English and got used to speaking English (though my best friends here are Cantonese speaking).

Now nine months have passed and the last and the most important thing we have to do is dissertation. It's also time to think about my future. What will I do after graduation? It remains to be seen and so please keep an eye on my homepage, if you've got nothing to do in your spare time.

Special thanks are due to:

1) Chelsea and her boyfriend for editing the photos for me;

2) Patricia for her continuous help and advice during my study in Manchester, UK;

3) Ivan Ku for his lovely graphics, which I used in my diary.

Updating my homepage: (on 17th Oct, 2000)

I've always got a lot of ideas about my homepage but they're meaningless if not being realised. As a computer idiot who knows little about computer software but still tries to show her works using a user-friendly internet tool, I always want to try my best to give you a most inspiring, interesting homepage to look at so that you won't feel you've wasted your time doing something unimportant. Actually it's not a perfect homepage (and I don't think I can make one) - no interactive games, no beautiful pictures (cos I'm still wondering how I can upload pictures), no news about celebrities like Britney Spears, West Life, Boyzone, Leon Lai, Faye Wong, etc.

I just hope that in the near future more SURPRISES can be brought to you..... Take Care!

Your responses... (on 17th Oct, 2000)

I've heard some words of admiration from my friends who saw my homepage (Thank you!). But strangely enough, my entries in my guestbook have not increased as a result. So, what do you actually think about it? I guess most of you may be so busy with your work and studies that you can't write your valuable opinions about my homepage in the guestbook. Actually I'm not a demanding person and just a few words are enough for me...

My homepage: (on 14th Sept, 2000)

Finally I got my homepage. It's really hard to describe how I felt when I put my homepage onto the internet where everyone can see it.

Some people may wonder why I'd make it. "Aren't you afraid that your personal data will be disclosed?" "Why are you interested in making a homepage of yours?" "What's your purpose? Is it because it's a kind of fashion that you want to do the same as the others?" Yes, maybe. I was inspired by my former colleague who also has her homepage and I took the action once I got the time. I won't deny that it's for fun, but I also want to share with my friends the articles I write, the things I have discovered, my feelings, my experience, bla bla bla... And I've been wondering what my friends or those who have seen it will respond. Is it boring? Interesting? What do they think about it? So, PLEASE SIGN UP MY GUESTBOOK. I need your opinion, whether it's a praise, a criticism or appreciation.

The feelings before I go to England: (on 14th Sept, 2000)

There're only two days to go before I set off for my further studies in England when I write this article. Many of my friends have asked me what I am feeling now. To be honest, I'm getting nervous, worried, upset, but excited and I am looking forward to it. "Why are you nervous? What are you worried about? What are you afraid of?" People expect that I should be happy and excited since it's a rare chance to study abroad. Yes, I do feel excited and happy as it's been my dream to study abroad and now my dream comes true. But, just imagine that you were going to leave your home, your family, your friends and your country, what would you feel if you were me? Though it's just for one year, it's long enough for you to get homesick, especially when you've got no friends or relatives in that country.

Anyway, I believe it'll be an invaluable experience, whether it be good or bad. Life is life because you experience it.

Do you have any opinion on anything written above?

(So, what'll be my life in England? Just remember to drop by my homepage frequently and you'll know it.)

This page was last updated on Saturday, 18 October 2003.

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