A letter to my daughter

Dear Arianna,

As of today, you are thirteen and a half months old.  Ever since your birth, every day becomes so joyful and hopeful.   Your smile melts me.  Even a little response to my saying excites me.   You are literally a gift from God. 

Every parent more or less has some expectations to his/her child, I am no exception.  You do not have to have an extraordinary accomplishment nor a very successful career, but you must be a person with mercy, diligence and appreciation.   Please realize that wherever human exists, there are cruelty, competition, disappointment and lies, but there are also joy, hope and righteousness.  So possessing my mentioned qualities more likely lead you to a bright side of life, which is all I wish as a mother.   In fact, I didn’t understand the importance of this until after numerous learning from failures.  Thus, I hereto share my experiences and hopefully you can be inspired when grow up:

(1)    Knowledge is priceless.

If you do not put 100% effort in the study while you are a full-time student, I am 200% sure you will regret afterwards.  Knowledge might not make you rich, but it gives you wisdom to tackle problems and facilitates better decision making, which are undoubtedly essential to your daily life.  Learning is a life-time matter.  Even if you graduate from college, keep reading various kinds of books or take classes to enhance yourself intrinsically.  A knowledgeable person is always respected by others no matter where you are.  

(2)    Work hard but smartly.

I have seen too many people who work very “smartly” but without diligence.  These people often found short-cut to finish their errands.  In most cases, these qualities of work fulfill the basic requirements but are usually very superficial.  Perhaps one might think that this is unimportant, but daughter, let me tell you the truth, whoever looks at your work surely keeps in mind about every bit of effort that you put.  The life of a hard working person wouldn’t be too bad, but a both smart and diligence person is more likely to have a better life because such characteristics makes one more outstanding and charming among the ordinary group.  This doesn’t solely apply to your career development but also to your family.  Remember, your hard work will be rewarded, although sometimes it comes a bit late.  You just have to be patience.  There is no free lunch to success. 

(3)    Do not just focus on short-term reward.  Think ahead and plan further. 

Short term reward is often tempting and attractive, but sometimes, you might have to sacrifice a bigger future reward for it.  So when you encounter major decision making that could affect your future, always think twice.  Carefully evaluate your objectives and various options.  Then, plan ahead.  Of course, once you have planned your route, truly execute.     

(4)    Be responsible for your own finance.

One of my responsibilities is to nurture you to be an independent person.  As such, I financially support your daily living and studies until you are 22 years old.  At that time, my mission is complete and you are on your own.  Your father and I have been working very hard in our whole life to maintain a reasonably comfortable living.  By the time we pass away, we probably don’t have much leave to you.  So, do your very best to earn and save as much money as you can.  If we can be financially independent, so can you.  

(5)    Think 360⁰

These days we are overloaded with information from both traditional and digital media.  In many times, what you see and hear could be deceiving.  So, don’t just think in one direction as it could mislead you to wrong judgments.  Try to evaluate issues from different perspectives via various sources of information.  Then, think critically before making judgments.  When you manage to do this, you are more likely to become a rational person. 

(6)     When you are capable, help others but do not expect anything in return

Our society needs compassion.  During your journey, you more or less encounter with someone who need help.  Give these people a hand if you can, but do not expect anything in return.  More importantly, offer the help that is within your capability.  Offering help to the others that exceeds your capability is unwise, as no one pities you when things go wrong. 

(7)    Knowing when and how to compromise.

Many people often rant and moan.  In many cases, this is because they aren’t willing to compromise.  Particularly, young people reckon compromising is an act of cowardice.  In fact, knowing when and how to compromise is an art, which requires high level of wisdom, courage and emotional quotient.  My experience is that a “smart” compromise often leads to bigger room of future career development and better relationship between friends, colleagues and family.   Always keep in mind that there is no perfect solution but only optimal solution.  Whichever decision you make to the problem must contain both pros and cons.  If you can accept this reality, your life should be much easier and happier than those who cannot. 

(8)    No one is obliged to be nice to you. 

Do not take people’s kindness for granted.  No one is obliged to treat you well.  In this world, only your parents would love you unconditionally.  So, if one day, people around you upset you, take it easy.  This happens all the time. You need to get used to it.  Just think about why it happens.   If the root cause is from you, then don’t blame others.  Admit it is your fault and improve next time.   Otherwise, just give yourself a smile and move on.  If you want to be treated nice by others, be merciful.  Always appreciate to those people who offer you help, despite a very minimal help.  A grateful heart keeps you peaceful and calm.   

(9)    Keep a “bright” appearance.

We shouldn’t judge someone by their appearances, but keeping ourselves clean, tidy and nice is absolutely necessary.  You do not have to be extraordinarily beautiful, but you should be an elegant and stylish woman, who possesses some artistic temperament.  Moreover, please take good care of your skin.  A woman with delicate skin often gives good first impression to people.  Knowledge beautifies your inner self.  Appropriate body care beautifies your outlook.  Dress properly to various occasions.  Develop a good taste of lifestyle, food and fashion.  When you are beautiful inside-out, you win people’s heart. 

(10)Do not be too obsessed with success.  Confront failure bravely.

We certainly enjoy the moment of success, but it is often unsustainable.  Success often comes after plenty of failures and hurdles.  Therefore, try to learn from failures.  Make necessary rectifications seriously.  Failure isn’t a fierce monster that cannot be defeated.  Failure actually makes you a stronger and better person if you can bravely confront it.  If you possess this attitude, success should come to you sooner or later.  If unluckily the outcome isn’t what you expect, don’t feel sad because at least you have learnt something throughout the journey.  As I said, you already become stronger and better than before. 

Lastly, life isn't perfect, but after all it is still beautiful in my eyes.  I hope you feel the same, too.

Love,

Your mom     

A little thought about cooking

I dare not claiming myself as an experience cook.  Afterall, I usually only cook "real" meals during weekends when my husband is at home.  However, one thing good about me in cooking is that I am willing to take experiements and try out new ways or alternative methods to make traditional dishes.  This evening, I made a snow fungas salad for dinner.  A common way to make this dish is to add white vinegar, sesame oil, chicken broth, etc.  Well, this evening I ran out all these ingredients and was too lazy to go out to buy. What was available in the fridge were sesame and Japanese sesame salad dressing, and so I tried them out.  Guess what?  It was surprisingly compatible with the snow fungas!  In fact, this is an easier way to prepare this salad than using Chinese sauce which needs various ingredients to mix up. 

 

Cooking isn't very difficult but it requires trial and error practice in order to do well.  We also need some creativity and most often common sense as well.  Blindly follow instructions of recipes doesn't work most of the time.  From my perspective, a good cook not only can make delicious dishes but can also reflect a one's unique style from taste to presentation.  I remember many years ago, I watched a TV show called "Yan Can Cook," in which the slogan is "if Yan can cook, so can you!"  I totally agree!

 

 

 

 

 

Wan Chai - Where New and Old Coexist

Street views of Wan Chai

I love going to Wan Chai because it is one of the very few metropolitan areas in Hong Kong that still gives a neighborhood and indigenous feeling to me.  It is in between two busy commercial districts, Admiralty and Causeway bay, but the atmosphere and the appearance of Wan Chai is totally different from the two.    Wan Chai comprises of many old buildings while there are also new ones in between.   What is so unique about Wan Chai is that it is at the heart of Hong Kong Island but  is not occupied by modern commercial buildings nor there are any luxury shopping malls. You can still see many small shops selling all kinds of different things that are mainly for local people. 

During the weekends, I love going to Wan Chai to have breakfast at a local coffee shop called Luxury Coffee House (translation).  Actually, it isn't luxury at all and is just a very old and vintage look coffee house.  I like this place because it completely reflects what old Hong Kong looks like.  All the staffs there are over fifties.  Sitting inside it is like going back to the old times.   Besides, its menu is very simple.  It only sells certain kinds of noodles and sandwiches, but the price is super affordable and the taste is reasonably good!  Particularly, its Hong Kong style milk tea is a must try.  If you want to experience local Hong Kong people's life style, this is the place that you should go.

Wan Chai Market

Another place that I really like in Wan Chai  pertains to the wet market.  Because Wan Chai isn't a major tourist area and most shops serve the neighborhood, prices of most merchandises are more reasonable than the other metropolitan areas.  That's why I like buying daily things there.  Apart from major Chinese daily produce and vegetables, we are also able to buy products from different countries.  For instance, if you want to have Thai cuisine for dinner, you are able to find all necessary
ingredients in this market.  One year I hosted a dinner party for my family and needed to buy a whole Salmon fish.  I searched many supermarkets and wet markets and just couldn't find a whole Salmon or they were simply too expensive.  Lastly, I managed to order one in a small shop located in this market.  Since then, I buy almost most of the food there.  Some people might argue that the food there isn't as cheap as other districts such as Shum Shui Po or Tai Po, where income level are much lower than Wan Chai.  Well, one thing I am fairly sure is that the food varieties and quality are overall good.

Apart from daily merchandises and food, one place that my husband has to visit every week in Wan Chai is the Computer Center.  It is a "shopping mall" comprises of many small shops that sell  computers, cell phones and other electronic gadgets.  Not only local people, plenty of tourists and expats also make purchases there.  For myself, I bought all my iPad case, cell phone case and all kinds of cool gadgets from those shops. 

Gloucester Road, a modern side of Wan Chai

These days in Hong Kong, many small shops are forced to close down due to relentless increase of rent.  In many metropolitan areas, small shops are gradually replaced by chain stores, property agency branches, banks or humongous shopping malls.  While many areas are rapidly developing, old buildings are torn down and replaced with new tall ones.  When this is happening, it also signifies the lose of our history.  When history is disappearing, so do our memories and values.  There is nothing to share between generations.  This is very pathetic.  As Wan Chai pertains to one of the highest land value place on Hong Kong Island, having the balance of new and old is very challenging.  After all, Wan Chai is one of the very few places where the new and old architectures still coexist.   Therefore, we local people, developer and the government should treasure these precious local cultures and should do our very best to preserve it. 

Cooking Class - It is not Just About Food

Ever since high school, I never attend any cooking classes.  All my cooking skills were either from my Mom or from cook books.  I never believe cooking classes are helpful because cooking, from my perspective, is all about hands-on experience.  Only via practicing and trial and error can we improve cooking skills.    However, the cooking class that I went yesterday changed my thought. 

 It was my high school friend, Melissa, who invited me to a class about pizza making.  This was her first time as a cooking instructor.  So, as a friend, I was happy to support.  Melissa told me that this wasn't actually a class but instead, it was an experience sharing session because making pizza was so much fun and she really wanted to share this with others.  Well, I like this intent.   

 During the class, Melissa demonstrated how to make a hole in the middle of the flour and then gradually added warm water, which was mixed with yeast.  A little boy teased that looked like a volcano.  Melissa agreed and further explained that pizza originated from Central and South Italy where many volcanoes locate.  After that, she on and off shared her knowledge about Italian's pizza making methods and how they were different from us.  This was a nice sharing apart from merely teaching how to cook.  Sometimes, cooking isn’t just about how to cook the food well.  Understanding the background and culture behind it give us more sensation to the dish.  I think a hearty cook should possess this quality. Throughout the class, I can feel my friend’s passion of cooking.

Since this was my friend's first time to teach cooking, inevitably, there were some imperfections.  For instance, she forgot bringing the matt which was used to knead the dough.  One of the three mangos that was for the salad was rotten.   All these minor mistakes didn't matter because the class was overall enjoyable.  Students were very participative because they could help to prepare the food and the kids lined up for kneading the pizza dough.  It is indeed like a group of friends helped preparing a party. 

So, keep up the good work, my friend!  Look forward to your next class! 

 

My view on Hong Kong and Mainland Employees

As a SME business owner who does business in China for over ten years, I witness the great progress of Mainland employees and how they gradually replace many Hong Kong staffs in the China. Their rapid growth in capability in recent years and comparatively low cost is compelling to many employers. The fact is, according to governmental statistics, the number of Hong Kong residents having to work in China as required by their jobs is gradually decreasing. There are also many people, especially the youngsters, are unwilling to work in China as affected by the negative news from the media. Over the years, many of my MNC customers shift their human resource focus from Hong Kong to the Mainland. Instead of hiring Hong Kong residents, many management and operational positions are gradually replaced with Mainland employees. All these are warning signals and it’s time for us to think out of the box on how we can keep ourselves competitive in the global market.

According to a government report, the Special Topics Report No. 57, about 5% of total employed persons in Hong Kong had worked in the Mainland over the 12 month period. The number of Hong Kong residents who work in mainland doubled between 1995 and 2004 and then gradually decreased 30% in 2010. Majority of these people are from manufacturing, import/export trade and wholesale sectors. In addition, the median age of these persons is 47, which coincide with the findings that most of them engage in management and professional work.

From my perspective, majority of Hong Kong employees can respond fairly quickly to challenges and problems. Nonetheless, their solutions to problems are sometimes creative, too. I also like about Hong Kong people’s flexibilities in dealing with company systems and handling daily operations. In general, most Hong Kong employees, especially professionals, have fairly good work ethics. I believe this is why many Hong Kong managers and professionals are still welcomed by MNCs who have offices in the Mainland. However, these days, I notice that many people are keen on short term rewards and benefits that an employer can offer rather than thinking how they can contribute to create their value within a company.

In China, compare to a decade ago, the number of graduates is six times more to nearly six million. As we can imagine, the job market in the Mainland is frightfully fierce. My observation is that Mainland employees are mostly aggressive in terms of taking every chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. As many of them are very well educated, plus their aggressiveness, employers, including myself, are often impressed. This is something that many Hong Kong staffs lack. In addition, Mainland employees are usually more “obedient” than Hong Kong employees. What I mean here is that most Mainland employees can follow corporate policies and rules quite well but sometimes lack flexibilities when changes occur in the operational environment. For those employees who work for MNCs and larger corporations in China, their English skills are just as good, or sometimes even better, than Hong Kong employees.


Many Hong Kong employees, particularly the younger generation, might have false perception about the working environment in China. I always encourage the people around me to try to view China from a different perspective rather than just blindly believe the news from the media. If there is a job opportunity in China, try it even if the compensation is unattractive because experience, which takes years to accumulate, is a precious asset throughout our career development. Moreover, Hong Kong people should also broaden their scope by being more adventurous. That is, to look for opportunities not just in China but also in the Asia-Pacific or even around the globe. Globalization triggers many MNCs welcome employees around the world. So, do not just stay in the comfort zone. Regardless whether you are a business owner, or an employee, opportunities are everywhere and it is just a matter of whether we are willing to step out of our comfort zone.