Mr. Sing’s e-mail to me made me feel happy from top to bottom.
It ran like this: "Today when I taught my class Maths, I used similar triangle to solve a problem.
Some students at once told me that they learned similar triangles from you. I asked if they missed you. Some of them said, 'Yes'. So I think of inviting you to go for the picnic with us. "
I thought it was good to see my old colleagues and my students whom I was, at one time, their Mathematics teacher and class-teacher as well. Without hesitation, I wrote back to confirm that I would go.
I was to meet Sing at Central MTR Station at about 7:15 a.m. We met and went to a Café De Coral to take our breakfast. I planned to be the boss, but Sing said that his brother had given him a coupon. We met some of our students eating in the same restaurant.
After breakfast, we rushed to the Star Ferry Pier, not far away. With my camera, I took photos of this old pier which would be pulled down in a few days’ time. These photos, I believed, could bring back some of my memories in olden days when I embarked its ferries there.
Soon we headed towards Pier 4 where our students were waiting. I was happy to see some of my students greet me at the pier. We passed the gates with our octopus cards and was able to catch a ferry to Yung Shui Wan (榕樹灣). Mr. Siu was another teacher who would go with this class too. I said hello to my other colleagues on the ferry. In about 40 minutes, we arrived at YSW pier, in the north-west of the island. I was familiar with this island because I went there recently with my daughter, son-in-law and wife and several times with the whole school on Picnic Days.
Our destination was at Lo So Shing Beach (蘆鬚城海灘). After passing Hung Shing Yah Beach (洪聖爺灣海灘), we started to walk uphill and the speed slowed down every minute. One of the girls said that she could not walk any more, so her friends and teachers encouraged her to move on, but could not carry her. On the way up the hills we took some photos. Soon we took a short rest at a lookout where we could see the power plant of the Hong Kong
Electric Company at the far side and Hung Shing Yah Beach on our right.
We started to walk up a little before we descended and turned right into another footpath. It was strange to me that the path narrowed at a certain point which suggested to me that we might be in the wrong path. I took the lead to take a better look. Further on, I was able to see some footsteps leading down to the beach we were longing for. We were actually on the right track!
Our students started to find the best site for barbecue. There were empty tables, benches and barbecue pits at the far end of the beach. Some of the students hired big umbrellas to shield themselves from the hot sun. Thanks to Sing who served us with good food such as sandwiches, eggs, chicken wings, fish balls and some sushi. What a great masterpiece of food prepared by Mrs. Sing! Siu brought along his mini-Scrabble. He expected to find Sing and me to be his opponents at the Game. Later, some students joined in the Game as they found it interesting and challenging!
I remembered that at one time, I used my mobile phone to call to my wife. Later when the telephone bill came, I learned that that call was considered as an oversea call from China. What an absurd thing to know this! The island was just a few miles from Hong Kong Island. Be advised to my readers here that you better not make any telephone calls with your mobile phones on this island unless it is for emergency.
We were to take the ferry back to Hong Kong at 4 o’clock. After some photo-taking and cleaning-up work, we started to move. Sing took the lead and the students at the head of the column walked very fast. Siu was in the centre and I was at the end. I had to drive those slow ones like sheep in a warning tone, “Hurry up, otherwise we shall miss the ferry!”. Siu was so kind to turn back several times to drive the students on. I just didn’t know why our teachers (I was acting as one on that day) were so worried and that the slow students did not bother the idea of seeing the ferry go away with their friends waving on deck!
It was God’s (I am not a Christian nor a Catholic, but I use it here) arrangement that the whole class could board the ferry at the last minute. One of the ship-crews marvelled at the sight of the colourful design of a tie laminated on the T-shirts which Sing and
his students were wearing. Do you know what that crewman said? He said he wanted to have one T-shirt like those too!
I was to meet Sing at Central MTR Station at about 7:15 a.m. We met and went to a Café De Coral to take our breakfast. I planned to be the boss, but Sing said that his brother had given him a coupon. We met some of our students eating in the same restaurant.
After breakfast, we rushed to the Star Ferry Pier, not far away. With my camera, I took photos of this old pier which would be pulled down in a few days’ time. These photos, I believed, could bring back some of my memories in olden days when I embarked its ferries there.
Soon we headed towards Pier 4 where our students were waiting. I was happy to see some of my students greet me at the pier. We passed the gates with our octopus cards and was able to catch a ferry to Yung Shui Wan (榕樹灣). Mr. Siu was another teacher who would go with this class too. I said hello to my other colleagues on the ferry. In about 40 minutes, we arrived at YSW pier, in the north-west of the island. I was familiar with this island because I went there recently with my daughter, son-in-law and wife and several times with the whole school on Picnic Days.
Our destination was at Lo So Shing Beach (蘆鬚城海灘). After passing Hung Shing Yah Beach (洪聖爺灣海灘), we started to walk uphill and the speed slowed down every minute. One of the girls said that she could not walk any more, so her friends and teachers encouraged her to move on, but could not carry her. On the way up the hills we took some photos. Soon we took a short rest at a lookout where we could see the power plant of the Hong Kong
Electric Company at the far side and Hung Shing Yah Beach on our right.We started to walk up a little before we descended and turned right into another footpath. It was strange to me that the path narrowed at a certain point which suggested to me that we might be in the wrong path. I took the lead to take a better look. Further on, I was able to see some footsteps leading down to the beach we were longing for. We were actually on the right track!
Our students started to find the best site for barbecue. There were empty tables, benches and barbecue pits at the far end of the beach. Some of the students hired big umbrellas to shield themselves from the hot sun. Thanks to Sing who served us with good food such as sandwiches, eggs, chicken wings, fish balls and some sushi. What a great masterpiece of food prepared by Mrs. Sing! Siu brought along his mini-Scrabble. He expected to find Sing and me to be his opponents at the Game. Later, some students joined in the Game as they found it interesting and challenging!
I remembered that at one time, I used my mobile phone to call to my wife. Later when the telephone bill came, I learned that that call was considered as an oversea call from China. What an absurd thing to know this! The island was just a few miles from Hong Kong Island. Be advised to my readers here that you better not make any telephone calls with your mobile phones on this island unless it is for emergency.
We were to take the ferry back to Hong Kong at 4 o’clock. After some photo-taking and cleaning-up work, we started to move. Sing took the lead and the students at the head of the column walked very fast. Siu was in the centre and I was at the end. I had to drive those slow ones like sheep in a warning tone, “Hurry up, otherwise we shall miss the ferry!”. Siu was so kind to turn back several times to drive the students on. I just didn’t know why our teachers (I was acting as one on that day) were so worried and that the slow students did not bother the idea of seeing the ferry go away with their friends waving on deck!
It was God’s (I am not a Christian nor a Catholic, but I use it here) arrangement that the whole class could board the ferry at the last minute. One of the ship-crews marvelled at the sight of the colourful design of a tie laminated on the T-shirts which Sing and
his students were wearing. Do you know what that crewman said? He said he wanted to have one T-shirt like those too!Stepping out of the pier, the whole class of 5D took group photos on a staircase, showing off the front and the back look of their T-shirts! Let me tell you the designer of these T-chirts. He was Lam Shin Wai, Jeff. He was one of the handsome and kind-hearted students of my class 3B. I was amazed to find that students were allowed to design their T-shirts for the picnic. I liked the Change of P.E. T-shirts to their creative T-shirts. Tell you all a secret. Their class-teacher's T-shirt was similar at your first glance, but looking closely, you will find the shirt was merely made for Mr. Sing because his name was printed on it. Thanks the good designer, Jeff for this masterpiece. I think Sing would treasure such a T-shirt and would not wash it!
These students were very lovely. Even if some of them were not taught by me, we talked freely. Perhaps they knew that I was once a teacher of the school. Soon they will take the Certificate of Education Examination. Hope that they will have very outstanding
results!
results! 
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