Wet Market @Yau Ma Tei 
Call the wet-markets of Hong Kong slaughter houses if you want to. All livestocks, except larger four-legged ones, are displayed alive and killed within minutes of a customer's order. But really, it is not more cruel than any other more civilised wet markets in the world. Communication between the customer and livestock is just more transparent. "You have to die for my dinner" and "I don't want to die. I hate you!". Perhaps that is what makes HongKongers more honest and bold.Avenue of Stars 
About 100 pairs of palms prints of superstars in the HK entertainment industry line the pathway in Kowloon, facing Hong Kong Island. Apparently, palms prints of deceased stars who I know of, like Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung, were surfaced with the Avenue of Stars logo. Are they resurfaced upon their death or not pressed at all? Here I am with the palms print of my favourite HK celebrity, Sam Hui.
Star Ferry 
This is one of the icons of Hong Kong. Plying across the heart of Victoria Harbour, the ferry service in its early days charged five cents per person. The fare is still comparatively inexpensive when considering other methods of cross-harbour transportation. Fares is $5.30 for adults and almost half that price for children.
Sheung Wan 
The world's longest linking escalators is located at here. Without this, going home would be a strenous exercise. The escalators take you downhill in the morning till 10am and uphill from then on.
One of my best moments as a relief teacher is at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School (AISS) this week. I have been assigned to tutor Principles of Accounts (POA) while the teacher reported for his re-service. This is an assignment I have been waiting for since being registered. I have always wanted to teach POA because I enjoyed my accountancy studies very much and wanted to radiate my interest to my juniors-in-accountancy. Teaching POA would also provide a good preview of what would be expected when I eventually became an accounting lecturer or lecturer of any field which I am competent in future. Moreover, teaching in AISS, one of the best schools in the North Zone, can be such a privilege.
On my first meeting with the teacher, Mr. Vale Alexandra, I thought he was like any other teachers, until he handed me a guidebook which would be used in class. I have read the book when researching on what ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels students learn about two years ago. Mr. Vale is apparently a highly qualified teacher with a Bachelor of Accountancy from NTU and a Master Degree in Business Administration from University of Griffin. He is the only POA teacher whose students are from the normal stream.
Generally, the students responded well to my teaching. Although I spent only one week with them, I am thanked for my effort by the students themselves during my last meal in school. I accept their gratitude with appreciation. At the same time, I have to congratulate their parents and teachers for successfully fostering such sense of appreciation which I hope would be continued into the future.
Let me sing my praise for AISS. I have so far taught in three secondary schools and am exposed to the different management styles and cultures of these schools. Without even entering the classrooms, that alone is an eye-opener. The reason I say this is because I like the way AISS functions. There seems to be a framework to facilitate clear and transparent communication, especially to the students. Everyone, thus, knows their part and that is good.
Another area I want to compliment is the canteen. The newly-renovated school has a canteen that looks like a food court. All the stalls are graded “A” by the Ministry of Environment. The notion that clean food does not taste so good cannot be applied here. I have tried about ten different dishes from different stalls and only one, a plate of mee gorang, failed the edibility test. The failure is controversial considering that I have it after a bowl of Yong Tau Fu.
The most important element of a school is her students. From my stint, I found AISS students enjoy their time in school. They are not merely muggers but lovers of life and its offerings. I have never imagined such a lively school which could mix play with work and fun with discipline. I like this view I see from outside the staff room: Groups of students playing volleyball. Two teams laughing and congratulating each other for each winning smash grounded. Students gathering around the Koi garden for a touch of nature. Near me are some students looking for their teachers for one reason or another. Then, there is sound of piano on the background. On my first day, I thought this piano music was played from CD. It is actually from a piano, on the first storey, played by the students. Upon further investigation, the school really has no lack of budding pianists. Soon after curricular time, The Bazaar, a provision shop managed by the students, would be opened much to the anticipation and delight of fellow students. It is also at this time that I would see more students at play. While their counterparts from other school are hanging around the shopping and fast-food centres, I am proud of them involving in such healthy activities.
Students always teach me something and the lesson I learnt from them is to take life less seriously. After my completion of the exams, I seem to be put on a race. Race to get the job first. Race to be promoted first. Race to success. Races, if won, would mean achievement of physical wants and needs, but do not contribute to the well-being of the soul. Am I to be disillusioned? They taught me to see it as a journey. Not journey to success, but a journey OF success. On my way to achieve personal success, it would be nice to slow down a while to take a breather and appreciate the good views…. to say thank you to my supporters and better, to make somebody laugh… to laugh. Thanks to AISS, I know I should be/am on a journey of success.
My fate with AISS does not end here. Tune it to find out what undone business I still have with AISS.
