Macau

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Pictures show:
1 Ruins of St. Paul’s, the landmark for old Macau. A must-visit spot.
2 Statue of Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit priest who went to Macau in 1582 and learned the Chinese language to spread Catholic Christianity.
3 Fortress next to the St. Paul’s facade. Macau Museum is also located on that hill.
4 Rua do Cunha, a little street in Taipa famous for selling Macau food souvenirs, such as almond cakes, beef jerky etc.
5 Galaxy Hotel. In general the newer hotels are more grand than those in Las Vegas. Unfortunately they are all operated by casino chains.
6 The Venetian – Macau, similar but bigger than the one in LV.
7 Macau is famous for lots of street vendor foods, including the pork chop buns, marinated in shrimp paste and beer and very tasty when done properly
8 There are also lots of restaurants specializing in particular delicacies. This one is for shark’s fin soup, ranging from HK$25-190 a bowl (C$3.25, less than a cup of coffee, to C$25)

We visited Macau twice, China’s other Special Administrative Region. The first time we booked a self-guided tour with a local travel agency, to do some sight-seeing plus to watch a show (House of Dancing Water) recommended by friends. The show was good in its own rights, with a stage-pool that holds 370 million gallons of water and costs HK$ 2 billion (about C$250 million). However, prior to that we have watched two bigger shows in Guilin and Zhangjiajie which used natural settings, each involving a cast of 800 and 400 respectively, so the “wow” factor was not as much as for other viewers. The second time my brothers acted as tour guide to visit small but good snack shops and restaurants which would otherwise go unnoticed. We sampled things like tripe, pepper pork cakes, Portuguese tarts, crock coffee, Portuguese roast suckling pig etc. and were stuffed the whole day.

Macau is small with an area of only 29.5 sq. km., 2.7% of HK’s 1,104 sq. km, but has a population of 545,000 or 7.7% that of HK. Its density is therefore almost 3 times higher than HK including the New Territories, though lower than HK when only urban areas are counted. Unlike HK which policy had been to demolish old properties for redevelopment, Macau preserved much of her older buildings and history. However, the new casino hotels not only rival those in Las Vegas, some even surpass them on a grandeur scale.

Macau also made it extremely easy to attract gambler tourists. There are free shuttle buses running from the turbojet pier to all major hotels, so convenient that you don’t really need to call taxis if you don’t mind waiting for the scheduled runs which are frequent. Some hotels run over a dozen shuttle lines that they have a bus terminal on site. In addition, the casinos provide free food (e.g. BBQ pork rice) and drinks (tea, coffee, pop etc.) so that their clients don’t interrupt their gambling. The sons of this world do their utmost to lure and retain victims. What can the sons of light do to lead them back to the right path? Ponder what is the right approach. Don’t just copy. God wants us to do the right thing the right way. Use your creativity, but guided by the Bible.

Tai O

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Picture show:

1 Tai O, a fishing village on an island on the west side of Lantau Island
2 You can get good dried sea-food in the village shops, including salted-fish, shrimps, shrimp paste etc.
3 Stilt houses from old fishing lifestyle days
4 The waterways gave Tai O the name “Venice of Hong Kong”
5 Tai O participates in the annual dragon boat race in HK
6 Because of its remote location, some of the old ways of life have been preserved, as well as its rustic charm.
7 Local women digging for oysters or clams during low tide
8 One of the pedestrian bridges connecting Tai O to Lantau

We have not visited Tai O since our high school days picnics during the 60s, so we took the MTR to Tung Chung and then a half-hour bus ride to the fishing village. Our last memories were that of a dirty little village with wet lanes and a pungent smell from salted fish and fermenting shrimp paste drying in the sun, but instead we found a nice rural town with clean narrow streets and villagers enjoying a tranquil, slower pace of life. Fishery is dying out, replaced by tourism with fisherman taking people out to sea in their boats hopefully to watch Chinese white dolphins. It’s worth a day trip if you are tired of shopping.

It’s the same in ministry. Don’t write someone or something off because you have had a bad experience sometime in the past. People and things do change. Not always for the better, but sometimes they do. Withhold your preconceived notion until you have examined whether things have changed. Then decide on the basis of evidence, not just past history. If God changed you, He can change others too.

Hong Kong Trip Phase 2

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Pictures show:
1 Our 76 sq. meters serviced apartment consisted of an open-concept living/dining-room, bedroom, washroom, and kitchen combo. It is not cheap but much more economical, spacious and comfortable compared to a 19 sq. meters hotel room costing C$200-300 a day.
2 Star Ferry across the HK harbor
3 The Star Ferry clock tower
4 Hong Kong harbor twilight
5 Hamming it up in front of the Bruce Lee statue on the Avenue of Stars
6 Shopping in the famous Women’s Street, so named because most stall owners are women.

There is another thing I find very efficient with travelling in Hong Kong besides the MTR – that of entry and exit via the smart ID card, bypassing the long line-ups for those who use their passports. With all the information stored in the embedded chip, they only need your thumb-print to verify that you are the person described in the card. Of course with every advantage there is also a disadvantage – they have your thumb-prints on file, which typically in developed countries have not been requested until there is a criminal investigation.

The smart ID is efficient not only for HK, but also for Macau. When we arrived in Macau for the first time, we were dismayed to see the long lines waiting to be processed by Macau Immigration. However, a security guard saw us holding the HK ID cards and asked us, “Why don’t you register and skip the long lines?” We went to the registration desk and there were only a couple of people ahead of us. The officer simply swiped our HK ID card to download the information, asked us to sign an application form, took our photos, and we are done within 2 minutes. We did not have to fill in any forms ourselves, as all our vital information are retrieved from the smart card. When we asked why are there so many people standing in line, we were told that they are from mainland China which does not have an integrated system with Macau like HK.

Reminds me of speculations about the end-times when chips with everything about you could be embedded under your skin. No chip, no business transactions of any kind, no means to survive. The technology has been around for a number of years. It just had not been implemented as people are still protecting their rights. But with the erosion of citizens’ rights even in the US over the last decade, such days would not be too far away. Big Brother is watching you, not just in science fiction, but everywhere, everyday. Are you prepared spiritually for the last days?

Predestination

Q. Isn’t predestination fatalism? We Buddhists believe everything is fixed by fate. You Christians believe everything is predestined by God. So it’s the same. You just call it by a different name.

A. No. Many people import more into the subject of predestination than is in the Bible. In theology it is much better to limit yourself to what is revealed in Scripture than inject your own ideas into it. The Greek verb proorizo translated predestined or foreordained occurs only 6 times in the Bible, and means to predetermine or decide beforehand:

* Acts 4:28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.
* Rom 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
* Rom 8:30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
* 1 Cor 2:7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory;
* Eph 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
* Eph 1:11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will

Note the following observations:
* It is used only with reference to God’s purpose or plan. Only God can determine what He wills and is sovereign. Fate is inanimate and can’t decide anything. Those who trust in fate are idolators.
* Predestination is for those “in Christ”, not outside of Christ. Reprobation or predestined to condemnation (double predestination) is not taught in Scripture. It is only man’s inference.
* Those predestined are adopted as sons to become conformed to the image of Christ. It is according to the kind intentions of His will i.e. grace. Those “in Christ” will end up to be Christ-like. Predestination is not God fixing everything for everyone.
* Those whom God foreknew He predestined, called, justified and glorified in an unbroken chain. In this sense it is inevitable and “irresistible”.

If you believe in fate, which you can’t do anything about it; or if you believe in merit, which can earn you God’s favor, you are sadly mistaken. The only way to be saved is “in” and “through” Christ, which is freely offered to men as free agents. Don’t kid yourself that all religions are the same, just under different names. Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with God. All others are indeed religions or man’s effort to reach God and doomed to fail. Seek God and live.

Grand-kids

Recent videos of our grand kids:

KSP mimics mom and dad:

SEL feeding herself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg_8wAnYmCs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

It wasn’t too long ago we watched them struggling to crawl and taking their first solid food. Kids grow up too fast. Treasure your time together. Time and tide wait for no man. Once gone, it’s gone forever. Savour it.

Likes and Dislikes

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Pictures show:
* MTR in Hong Kong
* Crowds everywhere!
* Line outside LV
* Non-HK moms raising public outcry

There are several things that impress or depress me up to this point:

* The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) system in Hong Kong. The nine lines connect people to almost anywhere in Hong Kong. I recall when I was in high school in the 60’s, travelling to Kowloon and the New Territories was a big deal. Going to and from Happy Valley to Lantau Island used to take a greater part of a whole day, with bus, then ferry (no turbojet then), and the return trip. Now it takes only a few hours, saving more than half the time. The Toronto city councillors are still debating a comparatively short subway versus light rail transit (LRT) after 10 years! No wonder Toronto is not a world-class city.

* There are just too many people in Hong Kong! At the end of last year, the population in HK was 7.1 million, more than Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA’s) 6.1 million. However, HK has an area of 1,092 sq. km., 15% of GTA’s 7,124 sq. km. So HK’s population density is 7.7 times that of GTA. Everywhere we walk, there are masses of people. Plus, many are pushing carts and trolleys, hauling luggage, which makes it very difficult to navigate from place to place. It’s something we haven’t got used to yet!

* Whenever we walk past the luxury stores like Cartier, Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada etc., there are always lines forming outside the stores waiting to get in. Invariably the lines consisted of mainland Chinese as they speak Mandarin and have with them a medium to large-sized luggage to carry their volume purchases. They have the purchasing power, and sales staff generally serve them first as they are big spenders. Some suggested because the RMB is at a premium compared to the $HK, they buy as if everything is at a 20% discount, but I think there is more to it than that. A HK$3,000 is still RMB $2,400 and beyond the means of the middle class. Notwithstanding their wealth, I find some of them deficient in manners. Some will push past pedestrians without saying “excuse me”. At scenic spots some will shout at others to “get out of the way” so they can take photos. No please, no thank you, nothing; just rudeness. It seems basic etiquette is lost on the nouveau riche.

* But the most depressing seems to be the lost of morality. One example is the previously mentioned rush of mainland pregnant moms to Hong Kong to take advantage of the better medical services and facilities. Doctors mentioned that some moms come to HK late in their pregnancy without any prenatal examinations. If after delivery the baby is found to have any defects e.g. Down’s Syndrome, cleft lip etc., some will abandon their babies and leave in the middle of the night without a trace. The names and addresses they used to register to enter the hospital are all fake, and the burden to raise the child is left on the shoulders of HK’s welfare system. China has thousands of years of history as a country of culture, etiquette and righteousness. This seems to have evaporated in the last few decades. I believe only if the people turn to Christ will the country be saved. Otherwise we will be left with economic power but a morally bankrupt nation.

A Bird’s Parable

We watched a bird catching fish show at the Li River. A fisherman had 4 or 5 cormorants on a bamboo raft. He sent the black bird with a long hooked beak, long neck and webbed feet to the shallow river. It dived into the water in search of fish, and soon emerged with an eight inches long fish in its mouth, which it swallowed and held in its throat. The bird could not wholly swallow the fish, as the fisherman had positioned a metal ring around its neck restricting the esophagus. It caught another fish and again stored it in its neck, which the fisherman retrieved to be sold in the market or his own consumption. We were told that the fisherman removes the ring after every seventh fish so that the bird can eat its catch; otherwise it will refuse to catch further.

While this is interesting in itself, there is a lesson for the Christian life. The cormorant is a seabird, free to fly and swim as it pleases. Yet if it is caught when young, it can be domesticated and trained as a “tool” for the fisherman. The ring around its neck is like a snare that keeps the bird under bondage to its master, whom it now depends on its livelihood. Some Christians are like the domesticated cormorant. When they are young they are caught in a bad habit or addiction, and lose their freedom to the Enemy. Once in a while the slave-driver allows the captive to have its “fix” or satisfaction, only to deepen the addiction and keep the victim under his thumb.

How can the bird be set free? In the natural realm, we can say “don’t get caught”, but this is possible only physically, not spiritually. While the cormorant can watch out for traps to avoid being caught, it is impossible for a person to avoid sin all his life. The only way for a caught bird and a sinner under bondage to be freed is for a new owner to redeem the captive and set it/him free. This is what Christ had done for us. Only He is worthy to be our Lord and Savior. Think about that and thank Him.

Everyone Has a Story

The scenery in Yang Shuo and Zhang Jai Jie is so beautiful that even I can take some nice photos with my older generation camera. Some tour mates with SLRs took pictures that are really beautiful. But here is a sample of what you can see.

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Everybody has his/her story to tell, if only you get to know them. He looked like many other older men – somewhat short and stout, bald, not someone you would notice in a crowd. But as there were only a few tour mates in our first trip, you get to know them pretty quickly, and his background is very interesting. His family ran pawn shops in Hong Kong, of which only a few survived into the 21st century. His cousin still owns one of the remaining ones in Mong Kok. When he migrated to Toronto in the 80’s, his friend invited him to become a shareholder in one of the well-known Chinese restaurants in old Chinatown. If you are an early Toronto immigrant yourself, you’ve probably dined in his restaurant, as there were few big ones in those days.

His daughter studied psychology in University of Toronto, but returned to HK as she liked the lifestyle, and worked in hotel management. Then she switched to a pharmaceutical company and was transferred to Shanghai as an expatriate. His son-in-law is a film director, mostly in the martial arts genre, but expanded to making commercials. If you like kung-fu movies you may have watched one of his works. Our tour mate retired several years ago, but with his wife take turns looking after their kindergarten grandson as his son-in-law would often go out-of-town to shoot films on-location. He invited us to keep in touch and go for tea when we return to Toronto.

Our second tour consisted of three sub-groups of 6, 5, and 3 each, plus 5 pairs. The 24 people were divided into 3 tables of 8. The subgroups have their built-in companions and did not mix well with the others, but the pairs got to know each other quite well. There was a couple from Mississauga who have a burden for children ministry and wanted to become missionaries; a retired Malaysian Chinese couple from Belgium who worked as a chef in a small hotel; and a mother accompanied by her teenage son.

Our team leader 領隊 was very young at age 22. She studied hospitality and tourism at a technical college for 2 years, got her license, and had worked as a tour director for 2 years, leading teams to China, SE Asia, Korea and Europe. She said she entered the industry because she loved to travel, but plans to exit before 30 because the life is hard and takes a heavy toll on the body. She is required to lead 2 to 3 five or 6 days tours a month. The rest of the time she is stationed at a branch office to take walk-in bookings. She gets 3 days off a month; smaller firms are more stingy and give their staff only 3 days off every other month.

The pay is meagre at about HK$1900 (less than C$250) a month, so they have to rely on tips from clients to make a decent living. For that pay, they have to deal with all kinds of people – some hot-tempered, some mean, some snobbish, some lewd, and everything in between. Things are toughest during the high season, when tour buses, hotel rooms are fully booked and you have to take what there is, without possibility of switching even when things are sub-standard. Some tour directors have been brought to tears by either irate customers or the pressure of the circumstances.

This reminds me of similar situations in some churches. Some members form cliques and do not really get to know other brothers and sisters, even though they have been in the same church for years. With the exception of paid staff, everyone is a volunteer. Yet this status might not be appreciated by all, as some treat their fellow coworkers rather poorly. We come from all kinds of background, with different upbringing, and it is hard to please everybody. On another front, some members feel because they pay the staff’s salary, they are the bosses and treat the church is an organization. But it isn’t. The church is a family, and we are to relate to each other as family members. Everyone is unique, formed in God’s image and molded by Him. Everyone has an interesting story, if only we open up ourselves and get close. I hope we can learn that.

A Tale of Two Tours Part 2

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Pictures show:
1 Turbo-train from Guang Zhou 廣州 to Chang Sha 長沙 travelling at over 300 km/hour.
2 Ancient Phoenix City 鳳凰古城
3 Moat surrounding Phoenix City
4 Phoenix city wall
5 All kinds of wild game offered in restaurants
6 Walking on glass skyway on top of Tian Men Shan or Heaven’s Gate Mountain 天門山; it’s a sheer drop of several hundred meters. Your legs will wobble if you have vertigo, but it was foggy and we couldn’t see!
7 Cave natural arch at top of Tian Men Shan. Several army jets flew through the cave as a stunt publicity.
8 Climbing up the “sky ladder” with 999 steps – we did not attempt it!
9 Cloud mist on top of the mountain.
10 Gold Whip Stream 金鞭溪 at base of Prince Mountain 太子山
11 Another view of Gold Whip Stream
12 World’s tallest external elevator to top of Prince Mountain
13 Rock that inspired the hanging rocks in movie “Avatar”
14 World’s highest natural bridge spanning two mountains
15 Welcoming ceremony at Tusi Castle 土司城

Some places in China we wanted to visit because of their culture and history e.g. Beijing, Xi’an 西安. Other places attracted us because of the beautiful scenery e.g. Zhang Jia Jie 張家界 for the mountains, or Jiu Zhai Gou 九寨溝 for the lakes and streams. For our second tour, we chose a 6-days tour of Zhangjaijie with her “Avatar” fame. We purposely selected a more expensive “tour only” group 全玩團，paying a little extra to avoid wasting time in visiting factory outlets. The group consisted of 24 people from Hong Kong and Canada, with ages ranging from 14 to 85.

No sooner had we left the Dong Ting Lake 洞庭湖 area in Hunan 湖南 did the weather started to turn rainy. A few Christians began praying for good weather so that we can see the scenery and our tour not spoiled, but the rain got harder and harder. We had to buy single-use rain coats and boots which prices immediately jumped several fold. The “boots” were like wrapping our shoes in a plastic bag, but they were so flimsy that they tore within half an hour. So, even with umbrellas and our temporary rain gear, our pants, shoes and socks were soon drenched. When we got to the peak via cable car, the rain was so heavy that we could hardly see 20 ft. ahead, let alone the mountains across the rift. The tour guide told us he hadn’t seen such heavy rain in years. Naturally we were disappointed and discouraged, accepting reality that this may be a wasted trip.

However, as we rode our cable car down to the mid-way station, the sun peeked through the storm clouds and the rain stopped. Then, as we looked across the gorge, a light misty cloud 雲霧 circled each peak at about “shoulder” height, leaving only the peak visible above the clouds. It was the most spectacular sight we have seen, just as in classical Chinese paintings 山水畫。Suddenly it dawned on us Isa 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We asked only for fine weather, not realizing that without rain followed by sun, the mist-clouds would not form and we would never see the most beautiful scenery we can only dream of. Often in life it is the same. We asked only for an easy path and smooth sailing, failing to recognize that without the hurdles and challenges, we would not be able to enjoy greater adventures and accomplish greater things for God.

To top it off, the Lord gave us a sunny day the following day. So we were able to see the mountains both in good weather and bad, with its “real” face 盧山真面目 and with mist-clouds make-up. We were reminded of Eph 3:20, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” So next time we endure a little rain or hardship, remember Rom 8:19 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Truly our Lord is gracious.

A Tale of Two Tours Part 1

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Pictures show:
1 Twin Towers 金銀塔 – the one on the left is lit at night in gold, the right one in silver.
2 Yi River 義江
3 White Pants Tribe 白衭族 women; so named as all the men are dressed in white knee-length pants. The tribe is matriarchal and men have no say in decisions.
4 Miao Tribe 苗族, note their writings
5 Resting pavilion in Yi River Garden
6 The White Pants Tribe worship roosters, yet kill them in their worship
7 One supposed custom of the Miao Tribe is that single girls who like outsiders will sing to propose to them, who are supposed to respond in song. However, if the outsiders are unable to reply, they will be detained to work hard labor in the village for 3 years!

Our first trip was a 5-day “shopping tour” to Guilin, which boasts it has the best scenery in China. We were surprised to find only 9 people in the group, as normally tour operators require a minimum of 12 to 15 people to breakeven before they will even form a group. There were 4 relatives from Toronto, a family of 3 from Vancouver, and us. With so few people, the pressure to purchase merchandise is much higher compared to bigger groups with more consumers to share the load.

Two among the four had already arrived early and spent a couple of days in Guilin on their own, before the rest of us arrived, so had been to a few events paying local admissions and not willing to attend other activities at inflated “foreign” prices. Essentially this is a disguised way for the tour operator to recoup his costs. One fell ill and took leave early, without informing the tour guide in advance and paying necessary penalties as stipulated by the tour contract. On the other hand, the tour guide suspected them of misconduct in the use of hotel facilities. This led to sharp exchanges between the tour guide and them, resulting in sour relationships. The other family paid penalties to take leave for one day to see the Longsheng Rice Terrace 尤脊梯田。

The tour company had its own faults. To attract customers, it advertised the tour cost as only C$49-99, with some events as “own fee”, without specifying that several events were mandatory, not just listening to sales presentations at factory outlets. So some clients objected when told by the guide they have to attend those activities which they thought were optional.

All of the above contributed to dampen the spirit of other team members, but did not bother us. We expected to pay a fair price, either directly or indirectly, so enjoyed the tour as it unfolds. The silver lining was that for part of the tour, we had the tour guide all to ourselves, as if we were in a private tour! The tour guide was surprised and asked us how come we were so accommodating and did not insist on our rights when others were so demanding. We told her we knew the background of why the other guests behaved as they did – there were extenuating circumstances. However, we also knew she had to follow company policy and was only carrying out her responsibilities. We were not looking for a free lunch, and the tour agency fulfilled her duties as specified. So we were quite satisfied with the trip and had no complaints.

What about you? What did you expect from the Christian life? Were you looking for entertainment and enjoyment without costs? Salvation is by grace through faith, but did you follow the terms of discipleship? Were you looking for cheap grace? Jesus Christ must be your Lord before He becomes your Savior. I hope you have an abundant life, on His terms. If you are a church leader, to attract people do you only inform newcomers that everything is free, that there are no requirements? Did you spell out the costs of discipleship as Jesus always did? I hope you are a faithful witness to the true gospel, not a watered-down version to draw “rice Christians”. Salvation is truly 100% the work of God, but we enter only through the narrow way and narrow gate. I pray we are all true representatives and not false advertisers.