A Revisionist Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th in the Chinese (Lunar) Calendar is getting somewhat contentious these days.   Traditionally people make and eat dumplings.  The most common type, at least in Hong Kong, contains sticky rice, green beans, a piece of fatty pork and a salted egg yoke.  It has a complex, layered, and color-coded texture. More importantly, it brings back fond childhood memories. 

Many also row in, and more would watch, dragon boat races.  They are noisy, exciting, crowded, and enjoyable.  In fact, foreigners know it as the Dragon Boat Festival, instead of the formal Chinese name.    

Many have forgotten, but some still remember, that the festival is ostensibly celebrated in memory of Wat Yuan (Qu Yuan 屈原), a man who lived more than 2,000 years ago.  He was known as a scholar and government official of a country in the southern part of China along the Yangtze River. He had advised his king against aligning with a big, western country.  When his advice was ignored, he drown himself in the river.  He has written beautiful poetry.  Some were philosophical, raising questions regarding the nature of the universe, and many natural phenomena.  It is not dissimilar from the dialogue between Job and God in the Old Testament in the Bible.  Wat has long been considered a tragic hero.  He did not achieve material success and, in fact, met a tragic end.  But he is also revered for his wisdom, poetry, strength of character, and strong principles.  

This year, however, there appeared a number of revisionist re-telling of the story, and commentary on Wat Yuan.  Some questioned the historical accuracy of the story that we are familiar with.  Some seemed to think that he was wrong to be disrespectful of his king. Another version criticised Wat for giving up when his advice was rejected by his king.  That he should have continued to serve his country even when he disagreed with the government. That giving up was not in the best interest of his country.  Because of this, Wat should not be accorded the respect that he has traditionally been given.  

A common underlying theme among these revisionist comments seems to be: it is better to align yourself with the power of the establishment, that standing in opposition to established power is not so wise nor honourable.  Opinions of this type seem to be coming from people in the establishment (or aspiring to be so).  It has been said that history is written by the victor, who has the power and motivation to (re-) write history in their favour.  This is why true integrity (historical, intellectual and otherwise) is so valuable.  And faith in an almighty God should give us that strength to maintain integrity in the face of worldly power.  Sadly, it is not always the case. 

Service-Learning People

For more than 2 years we could not travel.  In fact, we essentially could not meet people face to face (even in your own institution) because of the pandemic.  In the past year we are catching up, meeting people in a furry, both local and offshore.  One recurring thought among all these experiences is: What a nice bunch of people! 

There are these teachers in the recent Teacher Development Course we held in Cambodia, from Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam and India - it is such a joy to teach this class.  There are these people from the United Board of Christian Higher Education in Asia, celebrating 100 years of work, who are very supportive of service-learning.  There are these collaborators from Ateneo University and University of the Philippines Diliman, who are so kindly helping us set up projects in the Philippines, who have such impressive projects of their own.  There are these enthusiastic collaborators from universities and NGOs from Vietnam.  There are, of course, these old friends from Cambodia. We feel like coming home whenever we go to Cambodia.  There is, of course, John and his colleagues from Rwanda.  Professors from so many universities in USA.  Professors from Mainland China.  The list goes on.  

Among the academic communities involved in service-learning, there is evidently a higher percentage of people who care about the students, who are actively engaged with the society, who genuinely care for each other, who see mutual benefits in working together.  In the usual academic communities, such as the crowds we meet at conferences, there is a pervasive sense of competition - to come up with the newest piece of innovative research.  I will guard my secrets until I have published it.  Under these circumstances, genuine collaboration is difficult. 

In the service-learning community, even among academics, there is a lot more admiration for what people are doing, and the desire to learn from each other.  Collaboration in joint projects, as well as research, is much easier seen as mutually beneficial. There is much more of: if I help you in this project, you will help me in the other project.   There is much less of the desire, implicitly as explicitly, to work only with someone who is at least at an equal, if not higher, rank - which is very common in normal academic exchange.  Come to think of it - if everyone follows this principle consistently, there will be very little genuine exchange - unless someone miscalculates.   This applies to individuals, universities, as well as countries.  

There is a real sense of camaraderie.  This is one of the reasons why it is so enjoyable to   work in service-learning.   We are not even talking about students yet. 

Father

This is one of the ways I remember him - my father: by one of the sharks that he made, out of pieces of a cow’s horn.  

My father was very very good with his hands.  He maintained and repaired machinery in his job.  He was so good at it that he was promoted without being able to speak and write in English - a requirement for the job.  He had no formal education.  Yet he learned to do so many things by watching other people do it.  

One of his special passion was to make things with pieces of cow’s horns, a largely discarded by-product of the abattoir where he worked.  He had probably seen cow’s horns made into ornaments.  He started to polish and mount them in pairs as ornaments.  Inverted to use as vases for flowers.  Sliced lengthwise and shaped into sampans.  Inserted sails in the boats to make sailboats.  Even 3-masts, multiple-sails, ocean-going galleons. 

But my favourite are the majestic sharks.  It has a curved body with a gaping mouth.  Huge dorsal fin and a smaller secondary one. Pectoral fins. Big vertical tail.  Bulging eyes.   Some pieces, such as the big tail, have to be heated and then shaped in a certain way.  All have to be sanded, and polished into a highly reflective shine.  I have helped my father polish many pieces.  But I have never made a whole one myself.

He had made many many of these sharks.  But he had given them all away, to relatives, co-workers, friends, …  Except the one that I have. 

When he came down with cancer in 2019, I visited him in Toronto.  And gave him a bird I made from a palm leave.  The bird can balance on its beak, on almost anything, along as its wings and tail are free.  In terms of craftsmanship, it cannot compare with his work. But I made it for him, and I think he was happy with it.  By then he had only a few more days to live.  And it was the last time I saw him.  

He is the most important man in my life. 

- My tribute to all the fathers!

A Hungry Man

Was sitting in a fast food restaurant one morning.  Reading a fascinating book on people who think visually rather than verbally, how they have been mis-understood and under-appreciated, to the detriment of society.  Washing it down with a hot cup of milk tea, accompanied by a hash brown.  A most enjoyable morning.  

Suddenly I realised my peace was disturbed by a man sitting down opposite me.  Since the table can sit 4, I have no reason to stop him.  I continue to read may book.  But couldn’t help to notice that he seemed to be drinking water from a paper cup.   Perhaps he was waiting for his order.  Quite a while later, he still wasn’t eating.  Hmmm.

Out of the blue, he asked, “Have you used your consumption voucher?” Huh?  Suddenly blindsided, I can’t remember exactly what I mumbled, embarrassed.  He fell silent.  I tried to take a peek at hm discreetly.  He seemed short, and not very well dressed.  Perhaps he was hungry?  I have not yet started on my muffin.  Perhaps I can give him my muffin?

As I was still mulling on these thoughts, I realised he had walked away.  Oh, well!  A minute later, I started kicking myself for being so slow.  Thereby I stood up, and looked around for him.  He seemed to have disappeared from the restaurant.  Where was he?  Still kicking myself, I returned to my table and started on my muffin. 

Half way through my muffin, he appeared again, and was going to walk pass me to the exit.  This time, I made him sit down, walked over to the kiosk to order the same breakfast I was having, and gave him the ticket.  He knew what to do with it.  Obviously this was not the first time he ate here.  We ate in silence.  I tried to engage him.  But he didn’t seem eager to talk.  So I did not push him.  Soon I had to go back to the office.   I have not seen him again since. 

This little episode caused me to think.  If only each one of us who can, be a little kind to one of those in need, wouldn’t our community be a kinder community?  I don’t mean to re-distribute wealth in a significant way.  The resistance and anticipated fierce fightback from the notorious 1% of society is beyond me.  They are surely going to pull out all kinds of grandiose theories on why it is not right, that they deserve what they have amassed, that it is going to destroy incentives, that advocates are dangerous subversives, etc.

I just mean to do a little to ensure that people do not go hungry when they are down, and people get some help finding a doctor when they are sick, that kind of thing.  Surely each of us can afford to look out for the not-too-great number of people around us at home, at work, or at church?  It is an effort small enough that most of us can afford.  And if enough of us are willing, the community can be transformed.  In fact, that is the spirit behind service-learning.  Be empathetic.  Be compassionate.  Be socially responsible.   Start with ourselves.  That's what God would want us to do, isn't it?

Teacher Development Course in Cambodia

We just concluded this year’s Teacher Development Course in Cambodia and returned home. For the teaching team and the majority of the participants (from 2 universities), home is Hong Kong. But some are returning to Philippines, Vietnam, and India.  This is one of the most international class so far.  

The class is held in Cambodia because during this time, several PolyU teams are doing their service projects there.  Hence we can arrange for the class to observe the students carrying out their projects.  These include a very professionally-run English workshop for primary school students, a team producing promotional videos for NGOs, a team teaching STEM programming, and a team doing public health checks for a group of elderlies at a community centre.  The class can observe which and how things are done well, and which ones need improvement.  

The class also met with the team teachers, who told the class how they design their subjects and projects, and how they train the students for the service. The class also met with the community partners.  Each of whom had very touching stories.  

And we got to use the very nice conference room of one of our partners the Sunwah Foundation in Cambodia, for one of the sessions.  

Most of the participants are teaching service-learning at universities.  Some are managing projects.  Some are administrators.  We ask them to each propose a subject or project, based on what we have discussed in class.  The days were quite full and tiring in the hot weather.  But all were in good spirits and participated actively.  There seems to be genuine camaraderie. People want to keep in touch and work together in some way.   In fact, some of them are already our partners and others may yet become one.  Evidently people are emotionally invested.  It is tiring but enjoyable teaching such a class.  

This is one way how service-learning differs from other academic disciplines.  When one attends a workshop or conference in a regular academic discipline, people connect on a professional level.  In fact, people are generally competing in being the first to solve a problem, create a new algorithm or theory.   In service-learning, there is a lot more mutual benefit if people do work together.  For example, students from one country A can serve in another country B with the help of a university in that country B, and vice versa, or students from A and B can go together to serve in a third country C.  The possibilities are many.   And the benefits are obvious and mutual.