Dear HK post-80s

Many of us are either gonna be here for a while or are pretty much settled and will stay here long term. And many of you probably never really cared about HK politics because your parents moved you out of the country to avoid dealing with post-handover HK, or you've been living or studying abroad and not bothered to care (which is ME exactly). And HK politics might seem like a joke (with all the scandals surrounding all the so called "election"), or it might seem too complicated (legislative-what? chief exec who!? democratic party how?)

But the fact of the matter is, we are getting old, we are taking on more and more responsibilities, we will be the core workforce and drivers of this city, and we will have the power to influence this city the most. 

But another thing also seems pretty clear - and that is that our generation is becoming more and more apathetic. Apathetic to everything. And frankly too lazy to try and care.

We need to start caring, and we need to start caring about more than just how much taxes we have to pay each year. We actually need to care about politics and the future of HK, because we have the power to cause change and shape the future - by our votes. 

But why should I care? Because the city is in desperate need of change, and the government needs to be pushed into action.

If the fact that HK's population grew 10% in the last 10 years but number of hospitals build was NIL concerns you, or the fact that our workforce is shrinking and the baby-boomer generation (those who are now 40-60 y/o) will retire soon and will become your financial burden concerns you, or if inflation rate is now at 7-8% concerns you, and that government reserves are at record high and high enough for HK to go through another financial crisis and SARS 6 times (but still not being used in building more schools and hospitals) concerns you, then perhaps it's time to turn those concerns into action.

1. Register as a voter

http://www.voterregistration.gov.hk/eng/home.htm

2. Vote in your district and legco elections.

3. Find out more about how the system works, what the political parties / candidates stand for
Confession: I don't know a lot more about HK politics or HK's political parties or how the system works more than any of you, but little by little we will learn, and little by little we will cause change that we want to see in HK.

F

SLEEP, DAMMIT

Kony, Watoto, and Africa

Africa has been very relevant to my life lately. For the past 5 months anyway.

I have been put in charge of looking after the Africa market, and before you gasp and say how awesome it is, it's not, it's actually one of the company's smallest markets, and I basically spend half of my time writing emails or responding to emails from South Africans everyday.

Nonetheless, Africa is now become very much part of my work-life, which is part of my life.

And then there's the whole Kony 2012 campaign that everyone shared and commented on Facebook.

And then the Watoto Children's Choir from Watoto Child Care Ministries in Uganda came to our church and turned every dry eye into fountains of tears with their song and dance and stories and pleas for prayer and support. Call it a marketing campaign or emotional manipulation, it was moving enough to make me buy a nice pen and a scarf to support their ministry.

But all this has also tickled a desire to actually go and visit Africa one day - particularly Central Africa, particularly Uganda's Watoto village. The prospect of seeing the future generations of Africans being provided with healthcare, shelter and more importantly, EDUCATION, raising up God-fearing & benevolent leaders of the future, is enticing me to take a week off, leave my make-up and work clothes and iPhone behind, and do something really constructive.

We'll see.

Feb

I seemed to have disappeared altogether in Feb.

What's been happening?

Feb is the start of 2 long months without public holidays, without annual leave days, without nothing.

Feb was actually pretty eventful if I just took a glance at how many dots my calendar has.

In Feb I took an un-challenging cookie-making class, I went to a barbershop-by-day-jazz-bar-by-night jazz bar in Soho, I auditioned for church music team, I had a barbecue on the beach in beautiful weather, I got cooked Korean food again, I did a debut gig with Cherry at a cafe, I met up with someone I hadn't seen since I was +/- 4, I had the whole flat to myself for a week and a half and managed to not cause too much havoc (emphasis on too much), and I've given up online TV shows for lent (in fact this is the first time I'm giving anything up for lent).

That's Feb in a nutshell.

Wait...that's pretty much all that happened in Feb.

Java Java

Cherry and I have a gig coming up.

It's in less than 2 weeks, in a cafe, in soho.

I think I'm subconsciously slightly stressed about it. I kept dreaming about the songs last night, after an intense but productive 2.5-hr practice/jam session.

I also recall overhearing something a couple friends were saying a few years ago, about how it's awkward and kinda cringing to see people who perform but they're not actually that good or funny or amusing or well-prepared. And I agree 99.9%.

OK maybe I'm slightly more than slightly stressed.

List of significant events in 2011

Dec 31: Beer, Cake & Countdown in Shanghai

Dec 30: Flew to Shanghai

Dec 15: Express Christmas!

Dec 10: Bombay Bicycle Club @ Clockenflap Music Festival

Nov 25: Thanksgiving dinner

Nov 20: Roast geese in Sham Tseng

Nov 14: Sayaka visits HK

Oct 31: New Job @ CX

Oct 28: High tea @ Four Seasons

Oct 24-27: Bangkok

Sep 19-21: Kuala Lumpur for Ella's wedding

Sep 3: Vine Centre 2 opens

Aug 2-13: Business trip to China

Jul 1-12: Manchester, London, Oslo (Janie's wedding)

Jun 18: Emi visits HK

Jun 12-14: Taipei

Mar 11: Michael Buble concert

Feb 3: Law Bak Go party! (Chinese new year)

Jan 11: Pass my driving test

Jan 1: Sunrise @ Clearwater bay

Cure for the cold

Strepsils, honey, Panadol, vitamin C, chai tea - throughout the day. Just don't play badminton for 2 hours at the end of the day. Nope..