0703020540 - Lesson one for the fourth time.

What did I do today to prepare to live in another country and speak a different language?

I have learned to arrange the few words that I can speak in Cantonese into strange sentences.
My passport is ready. Official documents are ready for the big adventure.

Vaccinations against Hep A and Hep B for the whole family. Didn't hurt. There is something real about the fear of needles. My daughter was conspicuously stressed and could not be pursaded to be otherwise. As a young woman, she can understand that vaccinations are important to her long-term health and it is a requirement of entry in Hong Kong.
As a society we ask that doctors not only cure us of all diseases, but that they do this in such a manner that is convenient, painless and where possible not at all unpleasant.
I can see that it is not natural to deliberately stick a metal instrument into your skin, however the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience.

My daughter has a real, but irrational fear of needles the same way that I have a real but irrational fear of clowns. I also have a real and rational fear of spiders because spiders can kill me. This is where bravery in everyday life kicks in - bravery, we are told, is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to overcome it - however when it comes to clowns, I avoid them, particulaly the unpredictable clowns that work in the city mall. They don't follow any of the social skills of a decent society. They do all manner of unspeakable things to embarrass passers-by and then make the whole crowd laugh at them. I think that there should be a simple law that if a person is dressed as clown they can no longer expect to be protected by the laws of the land.


Looking for work as a telecommunications technician in Hong Kong:
It is an official policy of the telecommunications company for which I work to NOT write a reference when leaving. Managers may give a personal reference, however it is not to be on company letterhead. There are some distinct differences in my workload compared to the other network planners. They have been asked to produce a strategic plan for an exchange at the rate of one per month. I have been asked to produce 25 per month. The manager said that I should give it a go and we can review the progress -"If its too hard we'll look at it then" says he, "if its too hard I'll just leave" was my witless quip in reply. There will be no redundancy payout for me. The recent stock market fall has put me about $1000 down when I sell my company shares. I am not motivated by so much by a love of money, but a love of providing for my family.