Brown Orchids

Recently I find an orchid plant with stems and flowers as brown as chocolate or, some people may say, in deep purple colour. The flowers are small, long and narrow, curled at the ends. The tongue-like insect-guides appear to be yellow with patches of purple.

The flowers and stems stand firmly like statues high above its green leaves at the base. They show their charm before me even if they are not as conspicuous and colourful as other orchids.

From the web, there is an orchid called Corallorhiza maculata which looks 80% similar except that the insect guides appear to be white with small patches of purple. Look at the bottom-right photo.

Flags of Countries in South Pacific

It was these national flags that arouse me with great interest in finding out what countries they belong to. They were hoisted by the Pacific Building Solutions, the sponsor of the Miss South Pacific Pageant Contest in 2009, at Fiji Islands.

After mapping the flags with those in the above photos from the web, here are what they represent:Top-left: Niue (紐埃) Top-centre: Tonga (湯加) Top-right: Fiji (斐濟)

Centre-left: American Samoa (美屬薩摩亞群島) Centre: Solomon Islands (所羅門群島) Centre-right: Samoa (薩摩亞)

Bottom-left: Tuvalu (圖瓦盧) Bottom-centre: Kiribati (基利巴地)
Bottom-right: Cook Islands (庫克群島)

Taveuni Island

Taveuni Island is the most beautiful and diverse of Fiji's 300+ islands, known as Fiji's Garden Isle for its lush vegetation. It ranks third in size in Fiji Islands after Vanua Levu and Viti Levu . Taveuni is the first to see the sunrise because it is one of the two land masses in the world that the International Date line (180。W or 180。E) runs through.

The cigar-shaped island with a total land area of 435 square kilometers (169 Square Miles) is a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It is situated 6.5 kilometers to the east of Vanua Levu, across the Somosomo Strait.

The top-left and top-right photos show respectively that Fiji Islands lie ENE of Australia and Taveuni Island NE of Viti Levu.

The centre-left photo shows the first shop to open in the world.

The top-centre photo shows the board indicating that the International Date line has sliced the island into two parts, one west of it and the other east of it.

The bottom few photos show the twilight before and at the moment of sunrise.

Butterfly Corner

This is a wall painting created by Mrs. Tong, our current CCSC Art teacher. She has been my colleague for many years. Not only she contributes much effort in teaching her students to create new ideas in Art, she herself loves drawing very much.

The wall painting is not solely for decoration, but it also tells people that they can find butterflies somewhere near it. Mr. Tong, our Biology teacher as well as a famous magician at school, has planned to attract butterflies to stay and make homes there (by his knowledge, not by magic this time).

Later on, we hope that butterflies will fly about to welcome you all when you step inside CCSC.

Where is this wall painting? Well, it is the just the wall leading to Staircase B. Everybody in CCSC knows that potted plants are placed further out from this wall and back to the far end of the open platform.

CCCS OSA Annual Dinner 2011

This is the announcement made by CCSC OSA. Please read the details. If you are interested, please join and ask your classmates to come too.

張祝珊英文中學舊生會 2010/11 週年晚宴

各位張祝珊學友，一年一度的週年晚宴將於本年三月十八日(星期五)舉行，場地為銅鑼灣皇室堡五樓的迎囍大酒樓，地點適中，希望大家會喜歡這樣的安排。

畢業後的學友們可能很久不見了，工作及生活又特別忙碌，難得一載難逢的週年晚宴，也就讓我們重拾一份熟悉的感覺，跟一眾昔日好友及老師共聚言歡; 即使來個簡單的合照，已增添許多個歡笑面孔！你是否正等待同屆活躍份子的來電召集？或許你也可以是這位重要人物作一次召集人！我們需要你的參與支持，讓晚宴多一份熱鬧氣氛。

有感剛畢業不久的年輕學友可能需要一點溫馨支援，我們設立了優惠價給剛畢業五年內的師弟妹們，希望你們也能參與其中，一同分享喜悅。

以下是週年晚宴詳情及報名程序，期望到時能見到你們每一位！

日期：二零一一年三月十八日(星期五)
時間：下午六時三十分恭候，八時入席
地點：迎囍大酒樓 (銅鑼灣皇室堡五樓)
每位費用：
1) 剛畢業生優惠價 : HK$ 150
(適用於2006至2010年間的中五畢業生優惠價名額六十位、先到先得)
2) 早報名優惠價 : HK$ 270 (於三月四日（星期五）或以前報名)
3) 正價 : HK$ 300

張祝珊英文中學舊生會 - 「誠閣」上
查詢電話：
1. 羅卓基 Mr. Kenny Lo (Tel: 9128 8828 )
2. 高方毅 Mr. Benny Koo (Tel: 9367 1892 )
Email : osa@ccsc.edu.hk

============================================
報名及付款方法：
1. 銀行 ATM 櫃員機過數至舊生會戶口
銀行帳戶： 004-3-124882 (HSBC)
並請將報名資料連同銀行入帳收據電郵回 osa@ccsc.edu.hk
或
郵寄劃線支票連同報名資料到：
MISS J. KONG
CHEUNG CHUK SHAN COLLEGE OLD STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION
C/O CHEUNG CHUK SHAN COLLEGE,
11 CLOUD VIEW ROAD,
NORTH POINT,
HONG KONG

支票抬頭：Cheung Chuk Shan College Old Students’ Association

2. 報名資料包括：
* 個人姓名 * 聯絡電話及電郵帳戶 * 出席人數、姓名及中五時畢業年份

收到款項後，我們會以電郵回覆作確認完成報名登記程序。如有任何疑問，可聯絡舊生會財務秘書 Mr. Michael Yeung (Tel : 6206 7137 )

由於人數眾多且核對帳務過程冗長繁複，敬請合作。
===========================================

Meeting my old students

It was so nice last Saturday that I could meet some of my dear old students who used to sit and listen to me in different classrooms.

These familiar faces, one by one, came back to my memory. I saw their happy faces when they greeted me and I felt so warm in chatting with them.

Most of them have started to work in society. Just a few are still studying. They do not change much in their faces. Some have become mothers and fathers. They brought their children along too. Some have gained weight and some are beginning to lose hair. Some were in their administrative clothes. Perhaps they have just rushed to school from their offices.

I could not recall all the names of my students, but to some extent, I still got some in mind.
Here they were:
[1] Alice Chang, Kestal Wong, Justin Chan, Kenny Chan, Becky Choi… (2001-2002 5C)
[2] Tse Wang Ki.
[3] Ng Tai Kee
[4] Sabrina Wong, Rhoda Liu, Wong Po Yuk.
[5] Dorothy Kwok
[6] Carmen To Ka Man, Carol Hon So Ying
[7] Lam Sin Wai (Jeff) and Lam Ah Chit (Angie) (2004-2005 3B)
[8] Yu Jing Jing (Annie), Celia Wong Sze Nga, Winnie Po Hoi Man, Orange Liu Kam Sau (2003-2004 5C)
[9] Samson Chui, Stephanie Wong, Stephanie Tsui.
[10] Andy Ho Yiu Ming, Chan Chun Chung
[11] Chan Hau Wing, Yeung Yat Sing
[12] Lisa Leung, Benny Koo, …..
[13] Chan Yuen

I shall try my best to find out the names of those students who have chatted with me during the gathering. I do hope the list may expand further.

To see better, double-click the collage photo to enlarge it.

CCSC OSA New Year Gathering

Saturday, February 12, 2011 was the day some of the old students and teachers, current and retired might gather at school.

Raymond Chung, one of our active and faithful old students, organized a tea lunch with Principal Yuen, school supervisor, Chan Kam Toi, future supervisor, Raymond Cheung, some teachers who have retired, some OSA committee members of current year and old students .

The gathering was held in the school hall at 2 p.m. Old students gradually came and a simple ceremony started with Principal’s speech at around three o'clock. Next Raymond Chung introduced the chief committee members, Benny Koo, Choi Sze Yeung and Yeung Yat Sing. Then there was a presentation of souvenirs (a CCSC bag and an air-inflated “Rabbit” basket) to retired teachers. Our School Chinese orchestra played two pieces of music to entertain us.

Next, old students chatted with teachers and they took photos together before the wall-drop specially designed and prepared by our faithful old student, Lau Kam Chuen.

There ought to be an fund-raising auction for OSA of five photos, two taken by me at Vancouver and Seattle, another two taken by Miss M. Ng during her tour at Estonia (愛沙尼亞) and one taken by Mrs. Tsang (Cheung Wai Ming) at Scandinavia. The fact that the old students were eager to find teachers to chat with, they did not listen to what the MC was going to say. In this way, the auction had not been mentioned and carried out. OSA might have to carry out the auction later, say, during the OSA annual dinner to be held on March 18, Friday at 迎喜酒樓 in Causeway Bay.

Our team of retired teachers who attended the gathering comprised of:
Miss M Ng, Miss Su, Mrs. Helen Lo, Miss D. Chan, Miss Winnie Wong, Miss Fok, Mr. Fung, Mr. Michael Law, Mrs. Ko, Mrs. Hui and me.

Back to Original

Last time, three cakes were cut into three parts each. Today, they are assembled back to their original look.

See what they looked like before they were split up into jig-saw puzzles.

Cake Puzzles

Three cakes with different flavours have been cut into three parts each and the flavours are shared more or less equally among my wife, Tony and me.

Can you imagine how the cakes look like originally?

The answers can be seen some time later.

This is Clarke Quay

Whenever you see this line of low colourful low houses, you have arrived at Clarke Quay (克拉碼頭) along Singapore River.

If my children saw these photos (some time when they were still kids), they would ask me this question, “Have you been there before?” I would say to them, “No, but I will be there some time in the future.” This was one of the familiar questions they asked me. The most usual question they asked was, “Have you tried this?”

It was January, 2007 when my wife and I with my brother and sister-in-law stepped on one of the shores here. At this section of the river, the small lovely houses were painted in strikingly bright colours. I supposed they had been preserved and turned into a collection of old styled houses where the local people long lived there in the past. They had been turned into various bars and restaurants where tourists could eat, drink and chat here. At the time of our arrival, it was in the morning, few shops had opened. I was sure that the shops, bars and eateries would be crowded with people towards evening. The boats that sailed on the river were mainly for sightseeing. They were long and narrow, propelled by engines. Now, they have been replaced by colourful broad-sized fast ferries which can each carry at least 50 passengers at a time.

Patriotism

I found this car registration plate on a Honda MPV on February 4, 2011. What interests me is that the plate does not convey any personal message to the public. The owner of the car does not want to publicize his/her name, birthday or wedding anniversary, but his/her love to be a “Yankee”, that is an “American”. I guess this owner must be deep in patriotism and proud to be a citizen of America.

What would you like to put onto the registration plate of your car if you are allowed to or afford to do so?

You may enlarge the above photo by double-click it.

Watching the Night View of Singapore

From a HKTVB programme, I was able to watch the night view of Singapore at Marina Bay from the Singapore Flyer (which looks very much like the London Eye). Each cylindrical compartment of the Flyer can house around 16 people.

The view from the flyer shows a number of hotels, the Esplanade (the Arts Centre), the Fullerton Hotel (formerly the General Post Office), the Merlion Park (round platform seaward from Fullerton Hotel), Science Museum (the flower-like structure, still under construction) and the Convention & Exhibition Centre (roof with yellow and blue lights).

Happy Chinese New Year

Elly says to everybody here, “I am a Rabbit. I shall bring you all Good Luck and Good Health! Happy Chinese New Year!”

百福圖

前兩天喜獲親戚送上一卷百福圖，上面大大的「福」字是人人都可以辨認出來的，而下面的小小的九十九個「福」字，十個之中有八個我是不認識的。我覺得它們其中有很多「福」字類似符號或圖畫，但是它們像合唱團團員聚在唱同一首「百福」歌!

在這裡謹祝大家年年「福星高照」！

年花(二)

這是我最喜愛年花之一:
清逸的單托水仙花

年花(一)

芍藥花的優點在花瓣多，型態大，成球狀。紫紅色花的頂部像沾上雪，尤似貴婦披上白色的皮草，產生了顏色的變化，這正是此花種其中一個特色。

舊曆新年快來臨

今個星期四是舊曆年初一，附近商場的新年佈置簡單，但富有中國色彩。一個可愛的小孩穿著民族服裝，雙手提著笙吹出歌曲突顯新年氣氛，身旁的兔子正代表兔年的來臨。

商場所送出的利是封套一共有四款，是由畫家阿虫所畫和設計:
(1) 如意吉祥
(2) 花開富貴
(3) 笑口常開
(4) 豐衣足食

我就將這四句好意頭的祝賀詞送給大家，並祝願各位身體健康，事事如意！