Welcome to WYKAAO
Welcome to WYKAAO
My Week in Guizhou - with the Guizhou Rose Society of Edmonton by Vincent Lee (65)
Background:
In the fall of 2009, I was looking for some kind of volunteer work that would allow me an opportunity to travel and to work in some dental or other capacity in a place where such services are needed - as long as it is not in a war zone (Doctors without Borders sometimes do that; I don't feel like working in an environment with bullets flying over my head!). I almost ended up going to Nicaragua around Christmas time 2009, but that didn't work out. And, because I couldn't go, I was able to attend a friend's Christmas dinner party, at which I ran into an old friend Dr. Chao Tai, a neurologist in Edmonton, who was originally from Singapore. His son, now also a neurologist, and my son, Sigmund, were high school classmates, and they learned music and piano from the same piano teacher. Much to my delight, I learned that for the preceding four years, Dr. Tai had been leading a group from Edmonton to do volunteer work in Guizhou Province (貴州省) in southwest China. I expressed my interest in joining his group, and ended up going with him for his fifth year into this remote part of interior China. Timing was perfect for me. After my Zhangjiajie tour, instead of returning to Hong Kong from Chengsha, I flew from Chengsha to Guiyang (貴陽), the capital city of Guizhou.
Guizhou Province, together with its neighbouring province Yunnan, is part of a plateau in southwest China (雲貴高原), with a range of elevations between 1000 to 2000 meters. It is hilly and wet, but the sandstone soil is of poor quality. I was told that only about 15 to 20 percent of its land can be used for agricultural use. Its capital Quiyang (貴陽) city is quite vibrant, though nothing like any of the coastal major centres. The province has a fairly well developed highway network amongst its major cities; but beyond that, the roads into the country side and villages are still narrow, and not well maintained. There are four major components to our group's visit: (1) The free clinic to villages; (2) Water projects to remote villages; (3) School visits, and (4) Visit to churches.
"Yesterday (18 Decembr 2010), I had the honour of being invited to attend the 40th Anniversary Reunion Dinner of the WYK 1970 gradudates held at our WYK School Hall. More than 40 graduates with some of their family members attended the function. According to the program of the Reunion, the day's event started at 4 p.m. with tea and coffee followed by a school tour. Evening drinks were served at the School Hall balcony before dinner.
(Click the image for more pictures.)
One of our directors, Andrew Tang, paid a visit to Mr. Laurence Tam in Hong Kong. Click here to see the pictures. Mr. Tam has been busy lately for overseeing "The Cradle of New Chinese Ink Painting Movement" Exhibition currently taking place in Hong Kong.
"The Cradle of New Chinese Ink Painting Movement" Exhibition jointly presented by Wah Yan College, Kowloon (WYK) and the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKIEd) was successfully opened at the Art Gallery of the Institute at Tai Po on Monday 29 November 2010 at 3 p.m.. A Seminar on Chinese Art Education was held at the Hong Kong Institute of Education on the same day............
Click here to see the complete report from Mr. Laurence Tam. Click here to see the pictures taken at the Opening Ceremony and Seminar.
Our correspondent in China, Kelvin Ng who is also a former president of WYKAAO, shares his album of pictures taken in the recent Expo in Shanghai. Click here to view the photos.
Shanghai, known as the Paradise for Explorers (冒險家的樂園), has gone through many changes.
“… in the years of 1947-50, … refugees from China rushed into Hong Kong … as we, students of Wah Yan College Kowloon, encountered them joining our classes in large numbers. The Shanghai boys spoke better English, were Catholics, and appeared generally confident.
… in May 1973, ... The streets were filled with thousands of running bicycles.
… the city planners had done an excellent job, by building a network of overpass highways to extend Shanghai outwards, like the pictorial structure of its old name, Shen 申, with a main cross surrounded by a square. It eased much of the original inner-city traffic congestions, and connected Shanghai to all the thriving neighbouring cities in the Yangtze River delta region.
… Teachers and professors were branded “rats dashing across streets” 過街老鼠 during the Cultural Revolution, to be beaten by everyone, especially pupils and cadres. Their salaries existed on paper only. Twenty years ago a full professor received $270 per month. Beginning about ten years ago, there had been no fixed salary for professors, even in the same university
… And, once again, Shanghai is a new paradise for new generations of explorers, who care not to exploit, but to share in the creation of a fair and commonly aspired future.
… Yet, the fact speaks loudly. A new approach is working effectively. It may mean that China is meeting the world on its own terms. It will be up to foreigners to learn how ‘offices’ operate in China.
… Today, the statue of Chen Yi 陳毅 stands where, one hundred years ago, a plaque stood to degrade the Chinese people. It said, ‘No Chinese and dogs allowed here’. ”
Click here to read the whole article.
2010 AGM/Dinner was held on Saturday Nov 27 in a Chinese restaurant in Scarborough. Over 80 members and guests attended the fun filled evening with games, latest news and presentations, amid many delicious dishes. A number of first timers showed up for the function which is most encouraging for the association. The night was wrapped up with the showing of a new version of ‘Moments in Time - the History of WYK’ narrated in English. Click here to view the pictures.
On 25th November we took the opportunity of classmate Simon Mak's business trip to Toronto to get together at the Golden Court Restaurant for a dinner.
Victor J. Chen (69) shares some of his previous pictures taken in 1966-67 of a WYK choir and air club visits to Kai Tak and USS Constellation led by the late Fr Cunningham. Knowledge of WYK recently having won the Busan Choral Festival (韓國釜山合唱音樂節) caused him to get these pictures out. We certainly hope other alumni can do the same and share their pictures at WYK with all of us. Thanks Victor and here is the link.
謹訂於 二零一零年十一月二十九日(星期一)下午三時正 假座香港教育學院文化與創意藝術學系展覽廳舉行"新水墨畫運動的搖籃"畫展暨研討會開幕典禮 (按此參閱詳情).
From Mr. Laurence Tam in Hong Kong, "I consider this exhibition to be the most important one, because it signifies that the Cradle teaching method has finally been endorsed by the education institution for the training of teachers. This time, the exhibition is all in Chinese, because it is meant for the primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong.
Page 152 of 167
