QUICK UPDATES 

• Tin Shun Kam Raymond [ F4 1989 ] sent us some pictures of his trip to Savanah of Georgia and Orlando Disneyland from 1/18 to 1/30. Family Album Page 70 
   
• Tang Po Wan Ariel [ F5 1991 ]: Hi Mr. Ching, How are you doing? I just want to see how you're doing. I was not affected in this Cisco layoff. Also, Rainbow Lau and Doug are getting married this June. I will be going to HK to attend their wedding. I will be in the "sister's group" for the first time. -- Ariel
   
• Chan Yau Kit Tony [ F5 1990 ]: Long time no mail, just want to see how everything is going. I saw the CCSC page, so Mr. Pun is married also. I heard Kei Shun Yau Jason has a daughter. I'm doing great, life is good. Except that our startup is looking for financing and we may not get it. Ok, keep in touch. Is your son working now? Take care -- Tony
   
• Hui To Paul [ F5 1989 ] is now Program Manager in a satellite communication company in Los Angeles. He went to New York for his electrical engineering degree in 1991. He asked to be put in the mailing list. Welcome to the family, Paul.
   
• Chi Shun Hang Hannah [ F5 1991 ]:  ... I went back to HK during Christmas time to attend my grandma's funeral... and I only saw Angie (Woo Ngan Yan) when I got back.... She told me Mr. Pun got married! What a news! I should visit your website sometimes... -- Hannah
   
• Mr Joseph Yuen, the Vice Principal, launched his personal web site called IT Wonderland in April. Alumni and current students are welcome to take a look and use it. URL is http://itwonderland.50megs.com/
   
• Hui Hiu Fai Florence, in Hong Kong, is getting married on Sunday May 13, 2001. Congratulations !!!
   
• Great to hear from Welly Chou [ F5 1994 ]. He is currently living in the USA. He was looking for email address of Ms M Ng and Mr Tong, the Biology teacher.
   
• Very nice that Sia Ka Cheung [ F7 1998 ] from Hong Kong, left a message in the Guest Book.
   
• The mail below is from Li Hang Woon Raymond [ F7 1992 ]. He graduated M.B.,B.S. from HKU and is a doctor at Prince of Wales Hospital at Chinese University.
   
  

  Dear Mr. Ching,
   
  I happened to visit your homepage again today and found that there was a link to our "CCSC Medic" homepage which I made. I would like to inform you that our home page has expired.....
   
  I was also surprised to find, from your webpage, that some working doctors I know are actually CCSC graduates , e.g. Dr Chan Wai Man of F7 1985. I met him some time ago when I was working in his Unit at QE, but did not know that he was from CCSC. So actually there are many CCSC guys in the medical field!
   
  I met Tony Chan a couple of months ago when he was back to HK. And I am pleased to see his photo too.
   
  Really a nice site!
   
  With love,
   
  Raymond LI

  
   

 
FROM KENYA WITH LOVE 

Here are some interesting updates from Cheng Sau Ting Aileer [ F5 1994 ], who volunteers as a Chemistry teacher in Kenya. She tells about her life in Kenya and her recent holiday trip to Tanzania:
 
 

After all the hessle and the 20 hours journey from Nairobi, now I am in Dar re Salaam (Tanzania) with Yusurf. It is so good to see someone you know again. Moreover the computer is slow in University, but it is free, feel so good to sit in front of the computer whole day again. With a bit of luck I may even icq. Now I can browse news on the net and they have air conditionder here, I do enjoy this luxury life.   Let me go backward a bit as I have not been e-mailing properly for a long time. For some funny reason my address book don't really work in Kenya, so the messages you received so far, was I first send it to a reliable person, she then forward it out to everyone in my e-mail address book. That's why I said it is not very possible to e-mail individually. See loading time take a few minutes minimum for each page.   Then in my loval small town, since I know those people, they allow me to type my long big message in word free of charge first, then go browsing and send it out. When I get a chance to go to bigger town, computer service is faster and cheaper, I can read the mail more properly and reply quickly to individual. But then I won't type long messages b/c it cost browsing money.   Also I got the feeling the first few messages I've sent when I just arrive this country have still not reach everybody yet. Hopefully those histories will come out soon. In case you haven't seen it, I repeat it here.   Thanks for all the gifts and greeting b4 and after I come to Kenya. A bit sad to know some letters may already lost. Previous volunteers suggested us to keep copies of letters when we post them, just in case. Chemistry book arrived b4 I arrived to my placement. Many thanks to our head of department. For future reference, those of you who are nice enough to post me any parcel, pls note the following:   It better be less than 5 kg so that I can collect it in post office, otherwise we need another channel to get it to me. Print on he surface: printed matters only, no resale value, project related materials, teaching materials etc. See what is appropriate and use your imgination. These can reduce prices, tax and probability postman steals them. Register or at least post it in some means that we can keep record, so in case they get lost, we can trace or at least complain about it.   Alright back to life in Kenya. Since I made it to Tanzania, obviously I survive my first time staying in Nairobi on my own. Nairobi is so much like London while Dar is more like LA. Halal food do taste better than food in Kisii. Still disaappointed that not many variation in cooking methods in Africa.   Went to fish market and a beach yesterday. I am still naturally much more alive when I smell the sea compared to the mountain.   The weekend b4 I went to Kakamega forest we went fishing in a local pond. We got some small fish. That was good as I insisted to cook them the Chinese way. Well African way (deep fry) is OK, but I just dying for Chinese food. Then being Mzungu is always different.   Eg. On public transport, they keep telling you nobody is in a rush in Africa, then they all jump into the queue (if there is any), roughly push each other in the matatu (minibus). The conductor always tries to overcharge you, they even overcharge local people, in fact they try to overcharge everybody in every business in every opportunity. Then it's just up to you to bargain and insist on how much you pay. So every time they ask me for more money, I just give them a big smile, sorry that's all I have. Then being a foreigner, it is also good that usually some people or the conductor will try to get me a seat.   There is still many places we can visit in Kenya, I'll talk more next time (hopefully tomorrow, as now I can come to University). BTW it feels so good to see a lab in Uni again.   Love   Aileer

 

2nd letter
 

 

Hamjambo mabibi na mabwana (Hello my sisters and brother)   Title means Dar es Salaam today. I think I shall send some more news while I have free internet access.   As requested, I talk a bit more about my food in Kenya. The frogs were nice. I still can't kill anything, so some boys kill them for me and then I do the rest. My head says for the time being, I am only allowed to eat frogs and mushroom, no snakes.   About fish. We didn't get any eel that Sunday, only a lot of small fish from the pond. Well there is a first time for everything. Cutting fish is not rocket science for me, but I've never done it in my life. when I did baywatch, there were always a lot of experts who kill and cut and clean the fish for me, I just watched. This time I just tried to do the same and they are not nice sharp cut, but all the fish are edible without bitter taste in stomache. Surprisingly enough I am the only person who can do it within my compound, so they think I am professional in fish cutting. BTW one of the girls come pass and think our fish must be bitter b/c they are small. No wonder they need so many science teacher, if it is the general knowledge of a typical secondary school graduate.   Now more about Dar here. I am living well here, CNN on TV for a change, and good food. Thought about running away from my placement and stay here. Then I think I'd better go back when holiday finish. Why? Yusurf's wife was a little pretty girl when they got married, now she is a typical big African mama. If I stay here, I will have bulky group very soon.   Walking around University of Dar here, suddenly I realise I still look like a student. Furthermore, when I see all these PhD students suffering from writing up; the UG messing around in the lab. I feel quite like to be back and study again. It is more fun to be a student than a teacher   So now I see 2 countries in East Africa. They are so similar in culture which in fact should be one country, but yet so different in atmosphere. Tanz is united by Kiswahili, Kenyan speak a mixture of English and their local language and Kiswahili.   Fish from Indian Ocean still taste better than those from Lake Victoria.   Don't you love Technology, I also find a web site in Africa allow me to send free sms. So pls give me your mobile no. and I add you on my list, perhaps you can see me sms one day.   Before I fly to Kenya, I thought I will miss my friends most. Materialwise, I may miss the TV and Music; or hot shower and flush sittable toilet most; or perhaps swimming pool. Indeed I do miss all of the above, but now I realise I miss the washing machine most. It ws so good to come home , turn on the tap and wash your hands, shower is a bit luxury, but washing your hands is basic necessity to me. Then when I am doing the laundry now, I know it is the washing machine I need most. As a chemist for 4 years, my hand touched all nasty chemical. However nothing trash my skin as badly as the washing powder here, my hands got eroded each time.   That's it for this time. Take care.   Love   Aileer

[ End of Update 32 ]

 

---

Copyright © 2001 Felix Ching