Children and children - yet so different

At an outreach centre run by a church in Hong Kong, the organisers are frustrated.   A class teaching English to a small number of secondary school students seems to be running reasonably well. But most of the rest of the dozens of students do not seem motivated to learn, even though the outreach program is educational and the students participate voluntarily.  Perhaps they are there only because they are “volunteered” by their parents?  Most of the time, while the organisers try to conduct anything that is remotely educational, the students concentrate only on their mobile phones.  The only time the students come alive seems to be when they are playing games, or given food.  Even then, they are very picky about the food that they get for free.  Even though they are allowed to choose their food, they do not hesitate to throw away barely-eaten food that they chose themselves - if it is not to their liking.  It is understood that they do not come from well-to-do families.  But they behave as if money is no issue.  They expect to be fed with food, drinks, snacks continuously.  They do not seem to drink water. Only sugary drinks.  They are not doing well in their studies.  But they do not seem worried.  They do not help to set up the place for the gathering.  They do not help to serve the food.  They do not clean up afterwards.  I shudder to think how they will turn out in a few years' time.  

My thoughts jump, involuntarily, to some of the children we are sponsoring, in countries such as Rwanda.  Those children want to go to school. They know that education is important for them, for their future.  Basic education is for free - no fees required to go to school.  But often they cannot attend school because of a variety of reasons.  Some cannot afford the books, uniform, or other supplies.  Some cannot pay for lunch at school.  Some are too hungry, weak, or sick to attend.  Some are ashamed or bullied because of their poverty or appearance.   

So when they receive the sponsorship, which provide them with school uniform, shoes, books and supplies, medical insurance, school lunch, and chickens or goats or some other means to generate some income, so that they can attend school, they are overjoyed.  Not just the kids, but also their parents. Very often these are single parents raising a bunch of kids by themselves.  They cry tears of gratitude whenever we visit them.  They are so grateful we feel embarrassed.  But greatly touched.  When we visit them in their home, they show us the chicken they are raising, the piglets being delivered by their mother pig, their homework, their report cards that they are so proud of.  We look forward to seeing them grow up.  

Why does the world treat them so differently? And why do they react so differently, to their situation? These two groups of kids are both poor, relatively, in their own country.  In fact, these kids in Hong Kong are much better off, in absolute terms, compared to their counterparts in Rwanda - Hong Kong is just so much wealthier than Rwanda at the moment.  Why are these Hong Kong kids so unmotivated, while their counterparts in Rwanda are so eager to be educated?  Why are the Rwandan kids so grateful for the help they are receiving, while the Hong Kong kids seem to take it for granted when people reach out to them and try to help?  

AECR is now free

Our book, Academic Excellence with Civic Responsibility: The Story of Service-Learning at PolyU,  was published in paper form in November 2024.  

The electronic version is now available for free, or a nominal cost. Here are the places  where you can get it:

PolyU Press (Free pdf): https://www.polyu.edu.hk/polyupress/books/11_the-first-decade-of-service-learning-at-polyu_n/  

Google Play (Free): https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=QoFLEQAAQBAJ

Amazon (US$0.99): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZ29JMKS

Kobo (US$0.99, TWD$34): https://www.kobo.com/.../academic-excellence-with-civic...

 

Scenes of Malaysia

When we were landing in Kuala Lumpur, our plane was flying low enough for me to make out some distinctive features.  

Something I had seen before, in Chile as well as South Africa.  Light coloured pits, surrounded by multiple, irregularly shaped rings around them.  Some of them even have water in the bottom.  Some kind of mine, perhaps.  Of course, these are tin mines, possibly abandoned already.  

There are also many many neatly lined up little blobs.  As the plane depends, I can see they are kind of green. Trees.  Palm trees.  These are the famous palm plantations!

What about those square?  Fish and shrimp farms.  

Out destination was Taylor’s University, where we ran a Teacher Development Course on Service-Learning for their teachers.  Their campus surrounds a lake, hence it is called the Lakeside campus.  The lake is not big, but very deep.  Of course, it used to be a mine!

Each and every one of these features tell us something about the history of Malaysia. This is the fourth time I have visited Malaysia.  Except the one time I went to Penang with my family, every time I came, it is for service-learning.  Every time I came, I learn something new about Malaysia.  Fascinating.  

 

Good Food (2)

One day, while we were in Kyoto, we went looking for a breakfast place recommended to us, Lorima Kyoto.  Like many eating establishments in Japan, this is not a very big place.  We had brunch.  

My set has grilled fish, sashimi, many types of vegetables, sweet potato, soup, rice, and many things I cannot name.  I also tasted rice with grilled corn which is one of their signature.  The food comes in small portions, like a lot of Japanese cuisine.  But there were enough small portions to make a full meal.  The food was really colourful, attractive, and tasty.  An excellent way to start a day.  That was also the day we visited Higashi-Hongan-ji, the Buddhist temple that sent a monk-spy to Tibet towards the end of the Qing Dynasty - the second Japanese to visit Tibet.  Everywhere in Japan, there is history to discover. 

Grilled eel with rice is popular in Hong Kong. In Kyoto, near Kiyomizu-dera, we chanced upon a place that specialised in grilled eel.  In Hong Kong, the grilled eel is often overpowered by a heavy dose of thick, dark, sweet soy source.  Here that source is applied lightly, to enhance the flavour rather than disguise it. The eel is slightly crunchy on the outside but tender inside. really good. 

In fact, one can order grilled eel without source applied to it.  One can taste the original taste of the eel, and then apply a variety of source as you like.  As we walked out, we can watch the chef grilling the eel delicately.  Food in Japan is both a meal and a performance.  

At a omakase place, we got to eat a number of things we have never had before. Among them angler fish and its liver.  Particularly the liver.  It reminded me of goose liver, or foie gras.  But this is raw, and more delicate, in my opinion.  

There was Kawaga beef, olive-fed Wagyu beef.  Among the best beef I have ever had.  Because 2 of the guests did not show up, we got to have seconds.  I now wonder whether those were from Hong Kong. Because I heard something similar have happened with some tourists from Hong Kong - not showing up without cancelling properly.  

The meal finished with tow kinds of rice.  One with Japanese white radish, and another with succulent oysters, lots of them. We were given the leftover rice to take home.  Imagine, rice with oyster for breakfast!  We felt spoiled. I think we have to come back. 

 

Entertaining Food!

One of the greatest pleasures in Japan, if not the greatest, is the food, of course. 

On our first evening in Osaka, for our very first meal on this trip, we went for grilled beef. Really good wagu beef.  The tongue was surprisingly tender.  

The meat was even better, more flavourful, rich and juicy. That was a great start, on a cold, wet, windy evening.  

The following morning, we strolled through a walking street, eating interesting snacks along the way.  We had a plate of very tempting puffer fish sashimi.  Of course, puffer fish can be dangerous, and people have died eating puffer fish.  We are also told that, when prepared properly, it is quite safe.  Indeed I have had it a number of times before, and survived.  At one point, I had swallowed puffer fish skin rolled inside out, with the scaled outside of the skin thus wrapped inside. And survived. We survived this time as well. 

A few minutes later, we encountered a live puffer fish inside a water tank. It turned to look at me.  As if it knew that I just ate his cousin.   

A day later we took the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hiroshima.  We went there to pay our respects at the Atomic Bomb Memorial.  We also ate some of the famous oysters. I have to confess they do not taste much different from oysters from elsewhere.  But it was something that we kind of have to do in Hiroshima.  

We watched a show of the making of the shintenchi. It was basically fried noodles with vegetables, eggs, some seafood, pork, spices and sources.  But the process of stir frying all the ingredients on a flat hot plate is educational, and fun. 

Most impressive was that a multi-storey building was filled with dozens of eating places all serving shintenchi. 

Eating in Japan is certainly educational, entertaining, and satisfying adventure. 

Higashi Hongan-ji 東本願寺 and Tibet

On a cold winter morning, in blistering wind, we were walking north from Kyoto Train Station looking for a place for brunch, when we spotted a big temple from across the street. 

It turned out to be Higashi Hongan-ji.  I did not recognise the English name. But the Chinese/Kanji name 東本願寺 sounded familiar.  Why was that?  Where have I read/heard it before?  

It turned out to be a book I read recently as part of my study on Tibet.  [藏蒙旅行記] by 寺本婉雅 (Engo Teramoto).  

He was the second Japanese person who went to Tibet in 1899, towards the end of the Qing Dynasty. He was a Buddhist monk from Higashi Hongan-ji (東本願寺)!  He went to Tibet to learn about Tibetan Buddhism. He wanted to connect Tibetan Buddhism with Japanese Buddhism, specifically with the Hongan-ji Branch of Buddhism.  

At the same time, he was spying China, particularly Tibet for the Japanese military. In particular, in those days, Tibet was seeking support from Russia and the British, in its defence against domination from the Chinese.  He wanted to orient Tibet towards Japanese instead, through Buddhism.  All in the vision of the expansion of Japanese power, militarily, politically as well as culturally.  

With this as background, we went inside.  The main hall was dedicated to the Founder. 

The architecture is exquisite in architecture and workmanship. In subdued dark colours.  Awe inspiring. 

Inside the cavernous main hall, it was, of courses, very quiet. The environment very conducive to self-reflection.  This temple is not among the most popular tourist attraction.  Few people are here.  And those few are all very respectful.  

While a slightly smaller Hall, to the left (south) of the main hall, is dedicated to Amida Buddha. Also known as Amitabha (阿彌陀佛), very popular in China. 

I wish I could look through their archives, to see if I can find more about Engo Teramoto, and his excursions to China/Tibet.  And any other connections between Japan and China.  I do not know the Japanese language.  But I believe I can understand part of the literature, because of the extensive use of Kanji (Chinese characters).  

The link between Japan and China is not a surprise.  But this specific link between Japan and Tibet, the book, and Engo Teramoto is all very fascinating.  A very pleasant surprise on this trip to Kyoto.