Reminiscences

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions It's been a whole week since Joseph Lam, or Lam Chok 林作, was arrested in Hong Kong for his alleged involvement in what is known as the JPEX scam .  Since I am no expert in finance and the police are still investigating the case, I would not comment on its legal issues. I have found the netizens' reactions to his arrest highly amusing though: "All that education..." they cried. Some saw what seems to be the downfall of an Oxford graduate as a sign that an Oxford education, of which Lam has always boasted, carries little value if one's character is bad. It is not even a sign of intelligence or accomplishment, or he would not have broken the law and got himself in trouble, so they said. Others said Lam's conduct tainted his alma mater's reputation. In fact, a couple of years ago, a Hong Kong director surnamed Cheung (who later emigrated to the U.K.), mocked Lam Cho...

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions I have done some research about people whom I do not normally pay much attention to. They include Martha Hunt, Lindsay Ellingson, and Naomie Harris. What do they have in common? They all underwent spinal fusion surgeries as teenagers to correct their scoliosis (a lateral curvature of the spine). Who are these celebrities? Hunt was already a budding fashion model from the United States when she found out that she had scoliosis. Ellingson , also from the U.S., was scouted several years post-surgery, and like Hunt, she became a model/"angel" for Victoria's Secret. For  Harris , a British actress, her illness and surgery were only mild interruptions to her studies and career and did not prevent her from getting into Cambridge University, enrolling in an acting school, and becoming an acclaimed actress. Another fashion model is Canadian model Emm Arruda .  In fact, spinal fusion sur...

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions A brave and lovely woman I have a dear cousin, C, who also grew up in Hong Kong. She suffers from scoliosis and underwent surgery to improve it when she was barely twelve at the Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital on Hong Kong Island. I took care of her for a while as her parents were busy working. Back in those days, patients had to wear casts or braces after surgeries to help protect their spines and aid their recoveries. I still recall the six months post-surgery during which she wore a heavy cast and could not even take a proper shower.  She had her surgery during the summer vacation, went back to school when school began in September, and barely skipped classes (except when she had to take a leave of absence to obtain a new cast at the hospital, which happened thrice). In today's society, many people feel no shame despite the many reasons why they should do so. I am referring to ...

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions Ideological possession is dangerous and it happens among the radicals on both left and right ends of the political spectrum. To put it in a layperson's terms, it refers to the blind and uncritical embrace of any ideas or beliefs, which leave no room for disagreement or even discussion. This phenomenon is commonplace in democratic as well as authoritarian societies.  Radical individuals resort to name-calling and other forms of insult whenever they are challenged. In even more extreme scenarios, it escalates into violence. I don't know how much you know about Hong Kong politics and what happened in the past 4 to 5 years. If "colors" still matter, I belong in what is known as the "yellow" camp. I value freedom of expression and freedom of thought.  However, that doesn't mean that I am friends with whoever with similar politics, or that I would condemn all people ...

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions When I arrived in Berlin a couple of years ago, it was already past 8 pm. As it was cold and dark, I ordered food via the most popular food delivery service,  Lieferando.de . The restaurant where I placed my order was  Sushi Yana  on Berliner Str. in Zehlendorf. The tofu fried rice tasted okay. It is not generally economical to order a quick meal, given the delivery fee and tips. However, Sushi Yana charges no delivery fee for any order above 7 euros. Whenever I am too busy to cook, I order from it. Sometimes it is a few pieces of salmon nigiri; at other times, duck/chicken/beef fried rice.  I do not normally order drinks, though. I have rarely visited the place in person despite living nearby--It is certainly a lovely, affordable place: I just have too many options when I can afford to eat out! Why a blog post about this place? Because it is run by lovely people. Not long ...

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions My first book: thrill and everlasting pride As my last post indicates, the “desk review” process is the first hurdle to get past in the publishing process. Most email inquiries lead to rejections, as do most proposals. The key to overcome this hurdle, I am convinced, is to make a more rounded proposal that appeals to a broad readership . A failure to appeal to an acquisition editor may not be an indicator of the quality of the proposal: it likely means that the publisher is not a good fit. The editor’s agreement to send it to reviewers is likely a good sign: it indicates a certain level of commitment to your project. What if the reviews are not entirely positive? If the editor is not interested, he would likely stop there and jot you a polite rejection email. An interested editor would allow you to respond to the reviewers’ comments and suggestions—so it is again a good sign . It indicates...

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions In late 2018, I published my first (serious) academic book with Cambridge University Press .   It has remained one of my proudest accomplishments. In my world, the most valuable things are those that cannot be acquired with money. I need to emphasize that I lacked the vital connections that many said are necessary to get one's foot in the door, and virtually nobody guided me through the entire process.  I would like to think that it was because of the wise decisions I made. Here is a summary of my experience and insights: Inquiries to potential publishers I compiled a list of potential publishers for my book manuscript, which consisted of both university presses (mainly the Oxbridge university presses and other major American university presses) and commercial publishers (including Routledge, Brill, and Hart (an emerging publisher of law books)). I crafted my inquiry email, ...

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions   I have always wanted to write about little stores in Zehlendorf, a little suburb in Berlin where I reside. Some months ago, I thought of sending mom a birthday gift. Since she seldom goes shopping these days, I decided not to buy her a handbag.  There is a yarn store called "Cotton Fields"  in my lovely neighborhood ("Handarbeiten und Geschenartikel" mean handicrafts and gift items), There I bought two balls of yarn of the Italian  brand  Ninfa von Katia of Concept Collection , and knitted her a long, warm scarf, which I mailed to our Hong Kong address. It took two units to knit a long scarf. The  mohair content  makes the single thread yarn and the scarf feel so warm and soft. While it was not cheap to make the scarf, the mailing fee was even higher. It was still worth sending it across the globe because a handknitted scarf made by a loved one is priceless....

About the author Privacy policies, terms, and conditions An old friend of my father -- let's call him Uncle John -- has three sons. Before his retirement, he lived a very frugal life, despite having a management position and making a middle/ upper middle-class income.  He seldom ate out with his family, and did so only on some "big days," such as each of his family member's birthday.  He was poked fun at by many of his peers for his way of living.  Now, as I look back, I recognize that he had very good reasons to act the way he did. I might not have taken such "extreme measures" if I were in his position. Yet I don't think that his choices were unwise, or that he mistreated any of his family members or jeopardized the childhoods or well-beings of his children. I will let you know more about Uncle John tomorrow. If you are short on cash, or have some future plans (be they about education, travel, or relocation) that w...