This Year is Truly New

I initially thought that he was simply a gimmick. A new Democratic token set in place to continue the notion that to be progressive you have to be liberal. He spoke, and I realized that he could tame fire and electricity all in the same breath. So, I thought, finally we have someone spectacular to replace Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, but I imagine that hot air or myself could replace them. He decided to run for president; I thought, well, that is extremely ambitious, I hope he has a bullet proof vest. Then there were the polls, the debates, and finally Iowa. Suddenly I thought, oh my damn!, this Negro might be able to win. I am not saying that Obama has my vote, but he surely has my utmost respect and a piece of my heart as well. It is no secret amongst my friends that my hat tilts to the right, I usually define myself as a moderate conservative, but who knows what will happen this year.

This is truly a new year. Discovering January 1st again doesn't make a year new, that is just recycling. A year is new when so much has changed, and it is very clear that the "new year" will have very little in common with the previous year. I know, we try to make it new by making resolutions that we never keep, or by following through with changing one thing in our lives, and usually it is something easy like new curtains or more environmental friendly light bulbs. A painted room is not a new room, it is just a room that's been refreshed. This year is ultimately new for me, because from now until December, I will be engaged in something new. From watching a Woman and African-American fight for the top spot in their political party, and it is almost frightening to think that they are the only contenders on the left side, (a tear for Edwards). I am facing my last semester here in HK with as much optimism as I can muster. I have applied to more graduate programs, and when I return home I will either be involved in a program I love, or be working and waiting to reapply, which is a thought that scares me more than Hillary Clinton as president (I couldn't resist, I just might move to Liberia if that happens). So, the year is new in the most revolutionary sense, and I am relishing in it.

It seems that I have alot of catching up to do. I will try my best to get you back on track with what's going on with me in HK, but it probably won't be in this blog. This blog is going to be very skimpy, sorry. Here is a picture from my HK Church's (The Vine Center) Christmas Play.

This is a picture of most of the ETAs and some of our Research Fulbright friends on a cruise sponsored by a great gentlemen named Danny Lui, along side our good friend Glenn Shive, who is responsible for making our program possible.

So my good friend Will came to visit for about two weeks. We had a good time, some moments were very funny, and others a little sad as we experience sudden battles with homesickness. It didn't feel like Christmas at all. New Years was brighter. We spent our time in Central waiting on fireworks that weren't really that good at all. It is sad when Birmingham, Alabama has better fireworks than you. We were pre-warned by some locals that New Years in HK is not that big of a deal, but that Chinese New Year will be something exciting and wonderful.




Here are my pals, Will, Shanita, Sarah, and me.


This Picture is taken during our long bus ride back to the airport. Will's time in HK had ended. I put him through some interesting living situations. The first week he stayed in an clean but small room that was about the size of an walk-in closet with a bathroom/shower combination. For the last part of his visit he stayed in a somewhat nasty dorm like hostel that was at least one hour and a half from my campus. The Hostel was on top of a small mountain, so it had a great view, but you had to take a 20 minute bus ride down the incline in order to get anywhere, and the bus didn't have a public transportation type schedule. In fact, if he didn't leave on the 11am bus, then he would be stuck until 3pm.

The next semester has started and things are looking better. Like I said in my last blog, I am being very optimistic and prayerful about as much as I can. These last two pictures are just random. This one is of the kids I try to teach. They were well behave during this class for the most part, perhaps my making half of them sit against the wall, and everyone sit in silence for ten minutes during the previous class had something to do with it. Probably not, they still ran around and ignored me and my colleague a little. And the last picture is of a HUGE pool table in a bowling alley in Hung Hom, HK.



Well, there isn't really much to say this time. Life is going as normal. I am certain that my next blog will be more eventful and interesting. Just keep your eyes open, until I blog again.