Keeping Heaven, and Toy Story Land, in our Hearts!

Ethan just stood...and stared!

One of the best things about living in Hong Kong is that I have a Disneyland about 30 minutes from where we live.  Yes, God, in his infinite wisdom and knowing I would be returning to live in the city, had Hong Kong Disneyland built just for me...

...Ok, so it wasn't built just for me, but you have to admit, it's pretty cool to live 30 minutes from a Disneyland.

Anyhow, we visited the park late one afternoon last week and I got a little insight from my not quite 2 year old son, Ethan George, on what having a "focus on heaven" can do for one's ...mmmm... enthusiasm.

We were in Grizzly Gulch, one of the 3 new "mini-lands" being constructed at the park alongside Toy Story Land and the soon to be completed Mystic Point.  It was September hot in Hong Kong and the cool water geysers in Grizzly Gulch were helping to keep us all chilled.  (Grizzly Gulch is a recreation of 1880's America West)

The start of the path

After riding the new roller coaster and running through the water area we decided it was time to take little Ethan to his favorite place in the park, Toy Story Land.  Toy Story Land lay just beyond the "soon to open" Mystic Point but the park had wisely put up a temporary wall creating a path through the construction area thus avoiding a long walk backtracking around the Jungle Cruise ride.

Tammy went to use the bathroom and said she'd meet us in Toy Story Land which left Ethan George and I to make the walk together.  The walls along the path were quite tall as to mostly shield the building work as well as to not break the "fantasy" of Disneyland by watching construction workers build the latest attraction.

Is this heaven?

But from Ethan's vantage point it just looked like a cool tunnel and like a bullet raced onto the "path".  But as he ran for a bit he realized nothing changed; just the same old boring high walled road.  As he turned a bend only to discover more road his pace got slower and slower, till finally he turned around and started walking back toward Grizzly Gulch.  I grabbed the little buck-a-roo and spun him back in the right direction and then holding his hand we walked together.

But it was late afternoon, the sun was setting in our eyes, and it was hot.  On top of that, because of his height, Ethan couldn't see the tall buildings and Amazonian theme of Mystic Point that was rising just beyond the walls.  Nope, all the little guy could see was lots of never ending walls and hot sun in his eyes.  After a few paces, he turned around and was literally trying to drag me back to Grizzly Gulch.  If he could speak it would go something like this, " Papa, forget the Promised Land, I wanna go back to Egypt."

I again spun him around, much to his displeasure, and headed us off in the right direction.  I knew once he "saw" Toy Story Land his heart would change.  We trudged on...Ethan hated it...but we trudged on.

Then, after turning a bend, Ethan got his first glimpse of his destination.  I watched him try to make it out as the sun was in his eyes. "Was that Rex the dinosaur?  Is that the Toy Story music I hear?  Is it, no it can't be...Buzz & Woody?"  The contorted look of pain suddenly turned to joy.  A big wide smile from ear to ear broke out across his face.  Suddenly he was running...and in the right direction!

The long path still to be walked was ignored.  The heat, the sun, the humidity...the boredom was but a distant thought in light of the glory that was Toy Story Land!  The only thing that mattered was arriving at his goal!


In my last post I reviewed a book Things Unseen about the importance of keeping a heavenly mindedness in heart as we encounter the world around us.  When we fail to keep our eyes on Heaven we will be continually discouraged by the momentary things that surround us.  We may even be tempted to turn around and head back to Grizzly Gulch.

Last week I had a lesson from my 2 year old on the advantages of keeping Toy Story Land in our heart

Does the Chinese Government understand Christianity better than America?

I was in a meeting a couple weeks ago with some Americans and the topic of the U.S. election came up.  O.K., full disclosure, I was watching the Republican National Convention with a group from Republicans Abroad  here in Hong Kong.

(Hey, it included breakfast at The American Club whose club membership I could never afford in a million years so...yes...I shamelessly took the opportunity to have coffee and bagels in such a swank setting  even if it did mean having to endure watching Fox News on the big screen)

Of course being Republicans somehow the conversation meandered on to the topic of God and as I am a pastor and have had a little history with Republican politics my opinion was sought.

"Well," I said, "sometimes I wonder if the Chinese government might understand Christianity more than the American government."

Yes, jaws dropped... and then they wanted to know what I meant.

"Well," I explained, " the Chinese government understands that Christianity is an alternative way to order society.  That it places Jesus as Lord of everything in Heaven and Earth.  For Christians to truly follow Christ is to ultimately have an authority higher than the State.  China rather frowns that; seeing any authority higher than itself as not such a good thing.  Hence, they actively persecute it"

"In America we have a Christianity that tends to put American patriotism and "We the People" as the highest authority.  Yes Jesus is our "Personal Lord & Savior" but it better stay just that...personal.  Any public proclamation of Christianity is expected to be accompanied by tacit approval (and blessing) of general domestic and foreign policy."

I went on to explain in Rome the disciples of Christ were executed, as was Jesus himself, for proclaiming a king other than Caesar. Rome was fairly tolerant of other religions and if the the disciples had basically stuck to an American styled Christianity and just told people if they accepted Jesus Christ they could go to heaven one day, followed up by a "God Bless the Roman Empire", hey, they probably would have lived to a ripe old age.

The early church, however, tended to take the words of Christ seriously.  That the Kingdom of Heaven which had come to Earth through Jesus Christ was fundamentally at odds, not just with Rome, but with the power structures of the age.   As Christians we certainly can honor governmental authorities and engage in the civic process, but when the church simply performs the role of a chaplain called in to bless the latest government policy we lose our prophetic voice which is calling all people everywhere to be citizens of the Kingdom of the Heaven.

When I see American friends who have been walking with Christ for years angrily attacking political rivals  and defaming even fellow Christians who have a different political view I realize the Kingdom of Heaven is but a soft whisper in their ears that, sadly, is all too easily silenced by the kingdom of this corrupt age.

In the end my breakfast companions polietly thanked me for my thoughts on that but, you know, Clint Eastwood was coming on now so lets give the God stuff a rest and watch what Dirty Harry had to say.

Coast to Coast Trip: We're Off!!

In 12 hours Gabriel and I will begin a journey 16 years in the making. We our packing our suitcases and backpacks and assuring ourselves that what ever we forget we'll be able to purchase in England. Hiking boots? Check.  Walking sticks? Check.  Blister creme?  Double check check!!  Soon we'll be off to Hong Kong International Airport.  From there a quick trip to Shanghai and then a LONG flight to London, England.

My boot of choice!

Gabriel is depressed as we are flying China Eastern Airlines (very affordable tickets) and he read a couple reviews saying the food is bad and the in flight entertainment is non-existent. So now part of our "packing" involves loading our iPad and iTouch with as many movies and TV shows as possible.  I'll give a final review of China Eastern in a couple days...mmm  we'll see.

Our 14 Day Schedule

So what are we doing you ask?

About 1996 I was reading the travel section of the local Hong Kong paper.  The story  was on a famous hike in the north of England called the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk.  Its a 200 mile hoof across the country starting from the village of St. Bees on the Irish Sea and ending in Robin Hood's Bay on the coast of the North Sea.

As I read the article I was fascinated by the thought, and the challenge, of walking across the whole of the country.  I turned to Tammy and almost said prophetically, "When we have a son I'm going to take him on this walk when he turns 13."  Well, two years later we had that son, and 14 years later we are fulfilling that dream I have kept ever since then.  We postponed actually doing it last year when he was 13 as we were all pleasantly surprised by the birth of the late addition to the Hackman family: Ethan George

So now, after 16 years, we are ready to begin our grand adventure...I hope you'll enjoy coming along with us!

Lady Gaga & The Church

Lady Gaga came to Hong Kong and I wasn't invited to go protest.  Man...I am really outside the "in crowd" circle!

Seriously though, one of the benefits of not hanging out with the fringe elements of Christianity (though some would argue they are mainstream) is that I don't see as much of the "crazy" as I used to.

So at the "small group" Bible study meeting at our home last week I was surprised to hear that a number of church groups had organized protests of Madam Gaga's 4 night concert stint in Hong Kong.  These protests were dwarfed by other protests on the Asian tour in the Philippines, Indonesia, and South Korea but hey, this is Hong Kong, and you know...we're busy!

I got to hand it to us Christians though, nothing demonstrates God's unconditional love coming into the world through Jesus Christ more than a good protest.  Because, surely, when John the Baptist was unjustly imprisoned by Herod, Jesus led a protest and a prayer vigil to see him released.  And when Paul the Apostle was living in hedonistic Greek cities like Corinth and Ephesus, he regularly led protests to show the early churches disgust at the sexual immorality of temple priests and prostitutes in their community.

Yep, nothing prepares a seeking heart to receive God's love more than anger and perceived self righteousness...

...NOT!

Anyhow, as the "home group" conversation continued we talked about what made Lady Gaga so popular.  In addition to a knack for singing some catchy tunes, she's essentially doing what the church is supposed to be doing.  The outcasts, the neglected, the disenfranchised, and others who feel alienation find in Lady Gaga a heart of compassion, acceptance, and love...things Jesus specialized in and commanded us to continue after his resurrection. In an increasingly disconnected world, people are looking for shelter from the storm...and many of them find that shelter in the lyrics and affirmation of Ms. Gaga. 

The tax collector, the drunk, the tavern keepers, the prostitutes, all genuinely liked being around Jesus.  It was at his feet that they found grace and mercy.  For most evangelical Christians however, there is a real discomfort in even being around "worldly" people unless its at an evangelistic meeting where the Christian has the home field advantage.  Jesus on the other hand seemed to enjoy going into the homes of "sinners".  He had to have because the religious leaders of the day were always accusing him of it.  And what seems to have really irritated those leaders was that Jesus enjoyed doing it.

So if you're a Christian who doesn't really love and enjoy people who are "sinners" you have your first glimpse into why hundreds of thousands of people prefer Lady Gaga to you.

Here endeth the lesson!

Steve's Letter to the Editor

Some of you saw my photo on Facebook of the "Letter to the Editor" that I wrote and was published in the South China Post newspaper this week.  Some asked for a full reprint as they couldn't read the top of the picture and, not being in Hong Kong, did not have quick access to the paper.

Just for a bit of context;

The letter is a response to an op-ed piece from a few days previous when a columnist was really calling into question some aspects of legality in Hong Kong.  What was especially troubling to me was that this columnist sits on the Basic Law Committee of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.  For the layman, that means he helped arrange the mini-constitution (The Basic Law) which protects the rights of Hong Kong since the assumption of sovereignty by China from Great Britain 15 years ago.

Meaning this guy is supposed to be protecting the Rule of Law in Hong Kong...not call it into question!

The piece was really chafing against me all that Friday evening and the little voice inside said "Just forget about it..."

Saturday morning came and I couldn't forget about it...

... so I banged out the following response to the op-ed:

To the South China Morning Post:

I found the premise behind Lau Nai-keung's recent opinion piece (Hong Kong needs a time out from self serving legislators) to be very troubling.  Without coming out and saying it he uses the recent incident of the Legco filibuster to call in to question the very idea of "rule of law" in Hong Kong.  He contrasts a "Western mindset" whose legal procedure trumps common sense as being responsible for the filibuster as opposed to the Chinese way where, "legality has no overriding authority." 

First, creating a confrontational dichotomy between Western and Chinese ways is not entirely helpful in an International city like Hong Kong.  Second, to suggest that  Hong Kongers may find a society where "legality has no overriding authority" appealing is largely insulting.  Mr. Lau would replace legal authority with "rules (that) should be adaptable to changing conditions....if that purpose is good, then it is OK; but if bad, then no way."  The Hong Kong people would then be subject to the whims of what was thought to be "good" that day.  And whose version of what is "good" do we use?  Mr. Lau's idea of what is good would certainly be different than that of "Longhair" Leung Kwok-hung, and our new Chief Executive elect Leung Chun-ying's version of "common sense" may be different from other community and business leaders. 

In the years leading up to the Handover, when even the most ardent Hong Kong Chinese nationalists were asked if there was any positive contribution British colonialism made to Hong Kong, most would grudgingly admit, "the rule of law".  To chip away at this precious commodity Hong Kong has, and which many countries desire, is to do so at our peril.

Steve Hackman
Park Island, Ma Wan

My letter was published 4 days later...

Walking Home From Mongolia with Rob Lilwall

 Last Sat. afternoon Tammy, the boys and myself had the opportunity to walk with Rob Lilwall and his companion, Leon McCarron, on the final stage of their 5,000 kilometer walk from Mongolia, through the Gobi Desert and China, all the way to Rob's home in Hong Kong.  The reason for the walk, besides the adventure, was to raise money for the children's charity Viva.  The guys started back in November and after 6 months on foot made it to the border between China & Hong Kong on Friday evening.

Rob's journey made the front page

I first became acquainted with Rob last year when we arranged for him to come speak to the  students at the school where I work about his first big adventure where he cycled from Siberia to London.  The stories he shared with the school were inspiring to student and staff alike and so when he announced that he would be participating in a new adventure walking from Mongolia to Hong Kong for charity, we were excited to see how we could be involved. For that reason we have been doing  morning assembly updates, showing video, photos, and blog entries so the students could follow along on the journey.

Rob & Leon at the finish!

On Saturday Tammy and I joined about 60 other volunteers to walk with Rob & Leon on the final leg of the trip. The route would start in Discovery Bay, go over the mountain near the Trappist Monestery, and down into Mui Wo where the journey would end at the beach in Silvermine Bay.

I would not want to carry that pack!

In hindsight, we probably would NOT have brought 16 month old Ethan George.  Although the hike was only about 7 kilometers, hauling the baby with stroller and carry-all, on a hot humid Hong Kong day was pretty tough.

But, we wanted to do it as a family!

Anyhow, the big moment as we waited at the Discovery Bay pier to begin was wondering where Rob would be joining us.  He ended up arriving on a small "junk" (boat) and as the junk approached Rob suddenly jumped in the water and swam to the group to applause and cheers of "well done".  We could all only imagine what it would be like to have been walking for 6 months straight and now, to be joining friends and family for the final 7 kilometers.

With Rob and his wife Christine

We all journeyed together for about 2 hours until Rob & Leon, leading out front, reached the Silvermine beach.  They dove into the water together completing an astounding 5000 kilometer odyssey.

It was a family affair!

Afterwards we joined with everyone for a celebratory dinner and welcomed our friends home after a long, and fruitful, adventure.  For Tammy, myself, and the friends with us, we considered it a real privilege to participate in a small part of their grand journey .  Our family raised HK$ 1200 in donations for the walk but we felt like the blessed ones being able to join in on Rob & Leon's special day.

 

Jamie Moyers: 50 is the new 30

Followers of Beyond the Pale know that I LOVE baseball.  Even though I've been focusing on Christian teaching themes the last few posts, I don't think I'm straying to far by including a baseball related topic.
Especially since baseball is the National sport of the Kingdom of Heaven and like the old Pentecostal preachers used to say, "If you don't like it down here, you won't like it up there."  ;)

Anyhow a big shout out to Jamie Moyers who yesterday pitched a 3-2 winning game for my Colorado Rockies over the San Diego Padres.

"So", you ask, " whats the big deal?  Baseball pitchers will have 10 - 20 wins in a season.  Pitchers win games every day."

The big deal is that Jamie Moyers is a major league pitcher who is a half a year away from turning 50!

That's right, Jamie Moyers is 49 years 152 days old which breaks the previous oldest winning pitchers age from a Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who in 1932 was 49 years and 70 days old.



 For someone who follows baseball I think it is simply amazing that a man who is 50 years old for all intents and purposes was able to throw balls with enough punch to pitch 7 innings against guys half his age.

The last batter he faced was born 3 years after Moyer entered the Major Leagues.

Recently here in Hong Kong there has been a lot of talk about the government repealing its mandatory retirement age for public sector workers at the age of 60.

Retiring at 60?  Jamie Moyers outstanding performance shows that 60 is the new 40 and 50 is the new 30.

Super Bowl 2012: Hong Kong Style

 Spent a Tim Tebow-less Super Bowl in Hong Kong watching one of the most exciting, nail biting, last minute cliff hanging games in a long while.  Too often in Super Bowls past the game looked pretty well wrapped up by half-time but not so with the New York Giants late 4th quarter win over the New England Patriots.

I spent the game with friends at the Hong Kong Brew House in Lan Kwai Fong and because of the time difference the bar featured American Breakfast for HK$ 138 (US $ 16) which in included the traditional eggs, choice of meat, hash browns, toast, and the option of coffee, tea,...or beer.  (I went with the coffee at 7:30 AM)

The pub itself seemed totally unprepared for the event although they had told me the day before that it would be a full house.  The service was painfully slow and (true story), when the waitress asked us how we wanted our eggs, 3 of us replied "scrambled" and the girl in our party asked for "sunny side up".  The waitress returned with 4 plates of scrambled eggs.  When our friend corrected the waitress that she had ordered "sunny side" eggs the waitress looked confused (embarrassed?) and replied, "Sorry, we're all out of those."


Out of Sunny side eggs! (That became our comic relief the whole game. "Hey, do you think the sunny-side eggs have arrived yet?")

The fact that I received white toast instead of the whole wheat as I ordered seemed like a small issue compared to the chaos of service all around.  One guy at our table waited for an hour to get his coffee.  Then I got a second cup of coffee but I think they switched to "instant".  (Had they run out of real coffee?)  I took two sips and then let the rest sit.  When the bill came they tried to charge me HK$ 34 (US$ 5) for the worst cup of coffee (in a cheap paper cup) I'd had in a long time.


I don't usually complain but I made it politely clear I wouldn't be paying for that one...and I didn't.

Couple other points:

* was it just me or was Madonna's half time set all show and little substance?  There was alot of effects and cool stuff but I thought the Material Girl herself looked a little weak.  (Was she lip syncing?)

* Lenny Kravitz was amazing and should have done the whole show

* The live feed from America we were watching in the bar eliminated all the cool Super Bowl commercials so we were subjected to forgetful ads showing us the joys of staying at a particular hotel in Bali.  I'll have to see some of the good commercial;s I missed on the web.

Anyhow, Eli Manning pulled it out over Tom Brady and I lost HK$ 100 because of it!  :)  Nevertheless a good time was had by all!

Religious Intolerance? A Face Book Exchange

Had an interesting exchange on Facebook the last couple of days.  The residential complex where I live has its own Facebook site where about 250 subscribers can talk about the neighborhood, offer things for sale, or suggest activities others might want to participate in. 

Since I help lead a Bible study at my place every Wednesday I thought I would send out an invitation.  I was surprised by the direction it went: (I removed last names for privacy reasons, except mine).  Note: I don't know these guys and have never met them...but they are my "neighbors".

Steve Hackman: If anyone is interested a few of us get together on Park Island on Wednesday evenings for a Christian home group and Bible study. Tomorrow night we will be meeting in Block 1, 21/D. We usually get going around 7:30. All are welcome...


Nic: I read a review of the Bible on Amazon. Do you also study that side of the story Steve? I can't really tell if it's true or not as I haven't read it yet. (The review really denigrates the Bible)


http://www.amazon.com/review/R1VAP69OQ8D07S?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B004G5Z1HM


Steve Hackman: Well, come around Nic and we'll see...


Matthew: Let's watch Riligulous on the first night


Steve Hackman Actually Matthew I think we may have a spelling contest.


Matthew: Checked on Amazon eh?


Nic : Haven't seen that documentary yet, but i just watched the trailer and it looks so funny.


Matthew: Recommended my friend


Steve Hackman: I'm surprised you haven't seen it Nic. You seem to have so much enthusiasm (not to mention time) for this subject. Even I've seen "Religulous" ...and Bill Maher live ( good show).


Nic : Yes I have to get on it indeed. I have been busy recently reading 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins which is a fairly good read. I recommend it to everyone.


Steve Hackman: I prefer Christopher Hitchens to Dawkins. I find Dawkins to be a little shrill


Matthew: You also seem to have quite a bit of extra time to watch movies and read books which don't exactly agree with the Bible.


Steve Hackman: I apologize if the" extra time" I give to diverse reading topics bothers you Matthew. Its not my intention to offend...


Matthew: Doesn't bother me at all. You are a free man and thus free to do whatever you please.


Matthew: And furthermore I was only referring to what you said to Nic in your earlier post.


Steve Hackman: Matthew- lets be honest for a minute. I posted an innocent invitation to people on Park Island who may be interested in an evening Bible study. Nic thought he'd have a little fun and try to take the micky out of it. I'm good natured and we've had some fun back and forth but really, if this sort of activity is not your interest, wouldn't really have been more dignified to ignore it?


Matthew: This is an open forum. Some people might agree with you, but others might not. If I invite people to join a Jehovas witness evening group on an open forum, I wouldn't expect everybody to just ignore my post. And by now it's all been well meant sarcasm rather than direct attacks. As innocent as your post actually is, Religion is still a touchy subject for some and you need to be prepared to defend your view as long as it's not getting below the belt line.


Matthew: Or simply take it with humour like you have previously


Steve Hackman: Matthew I agree that if I had made some kind of religious claim on an open forum then I have to be prepared to defend it and expect some people to agree and others to not. I'm not sure if inviting anyone interested around to my place for a Bible study qualifies in that category though. If you are looking for good discussion and a little friendly banter I'd be happy to buy you and / or Nic a beer at Cafe Roma and continue the discussion


Matthew: I was going to suggest the same (to take this discussion elsewhere) but actually this "conversation" went down the wrong route completely. I was only joking around and left my actual opinions on the subject aside. I think you got a bit offended after I mentioned what you seem to have time for. You're right, you didn't make any religious claims but nor did I say anything against your religion. If you re-read you will see that the tone changed after you suggested I should ignore your post. You might have or have not realised that I rarely post here, but your post tickled some comments out of me. Regardless of your post being "innocent", as it is an open forum, people are free to comment. That's a risk anyone has to take poting in places like this.


Steve Hackman: I love these kind of conversations and thats why I'd like to continue it just somewhere else I'm not "offended" per se but I did want this to be an just an invitation to other people on Park Island who really are interested in possibly coming to a Bible study and, well, that is kinda lost now.

Matthew: That's a classic phenomenon of forums on the internet. The chance that someone messes it up for another is quite high haha. "Thread hijacking" is the term which probably isn't in the dictionary yet. We hijacked your thread in a way, but the general sense persists I believe. Invite someone for a beer, you'll probably get a couple of general responses. Invite someone for a bible study, you'll get some jokers coming out from behind the corner. See the positive side, this thread has been on top since yesterday afternoon so it's all "publicity". But seriously, I don't think you, Nic or me were out to offend. Maybe re-post this and see what happens then haha


Friend 1: Discussion over a beer at Roma's sounds interesting guys. I would suspect it will be a looooong discussion :)


Matthew: That depends (Friend 1)


Steve Hackman: But fun...I'm game! I have to head to China for work tomorrow but could do something next week. And Matthew, you're right, there is no such thing as "bad publicity" ;)!

In the end it went pretty well but I'm used to these types of things happening "in America".  In Hong Kong we tend to pretty much leave each other alone so I was a bit taken aback by such a sharp dig at a pretty innocent post.
 
Religious Intolerance?  You be the judge

Lan Kwai Fong Movieland Shuts Its Doors

My old video store here in Hong Kong just closed and I'm feeling a little nostalgic.  Throughout the late 1990's the Movieland video store in Lan Kwai Fong was like my second home.  Walking into that store I was like Norm walking into Cheers...everyone knew my name!  

For those outside the territory, Lan Kwai Fong is perhaps the most infamous  nightclub/ restaurant/ bar district in Hong Kong!

So of course that's where we planted a church.  

After an evening meeting, or just a night out for dinner and drinks, I'd stop off at Movieland to get my film for the night.  

When I moved back to Hong Kong in 2009 I was surprised to see my old stomping ground was still open.  I went up to see the old place and re-introduce myself.  Turns out Elmer, the old manager I knew so well, had only recently returned home to the Philippines.  Obviously the video store landscape has changed radically in the 10 years since I used to frequent the store and he probably felt it was time to wrap it up.

I mean who rents DVDs anymore??  

The current manger was very kind and filled me in on what was happening admitting that business was slowing and they had consolidated the store from 2 floors to 1.  

It was really kinda sad in a way.  This store used to be jam packed every night with area folk getting their evening fix of movies and TV shows.  It was a hub where you were always sure to run into a familiar face.  When I had left back in 1999 the store was just beginning the transition from VHS to DVD.  Now DVD was starting to feel like cassette tapes and the store, once the center of the action, now seemed like a party 30 minutes after all the cool people had left.

Well, tonight I was out for dinner in Lan Kwai Fong with friends and noticed the store was closed, empty, and dark but the sign was still hanging outside.  The end had finally come.  I snapped a few pictures to remember it from happier times!   

TV You Should Watch: The Event

The Chinese New Year holiday is in full swing here in Hong Kong and its a time that usually lends itself to getting outside and onto the gorgeous hiking trails which permeate the territory.  However the weather has been cold, rainy, and down right terrible...so what to do?

Perfect weather though for sitting inside, stocking up with plenty of  "comfort" food favorites, finding a new TV show with an arching story line,... and watching the hours fly by.

Our "on demand" station here in Hong Kong is offering a show I was aware of called The Event.  It looked like one of those alien invasion type shows but I was skeptical as it seemed the show was cancelled after a single season.  (Which more often suggests it was really good!)

But did I really want to invest the emotional time into a story and characters that were not sticking around?

Well, lets just watch one we said,  and see...

22 episodes later we were spent!  I can say its unfortunate that smart, intelligent written shows get cancelled while so many others (reality shows anyone?) are in their 4th, 5th, or 10th seasons?

Tammy kept us fed throughout the marathon making her version of "Chipoltle burritos".  At one point I felt so guilty about eating and sitting that I went down to our apartment lobby and ran back up the stairs to our flat on the 21st floor.  (Then after the next episode I did it again.)

So what is the show about?  I am not going to write a big deal on that other than to say if The X-Files, V, and , 24 were to have a baby together...it would be The Event.  



What I can say was it was comforting to see a new spin on the "space alien" and their intentions on Earth.  Traditionally the extraterrestrial coming to our little planet are evil, who see humans as no more than an infestation to be eliminated i.e. Independence Day, or as the benevolent messiah like character that is persecuted by our human insecurities i.e. ET .


The Event instead presents its aliens...as us.  The show is partially an analogy of Western Imperialism. What if aliens valued us...but not as much as themselves?  And when their interests are jeopardized, how they will make decisions at times which are contrary to their values and mores?  It makes for interesting storytelling to see "good" people making "wrong" decisions.

I was happy that the season ended with a measure of "closure" although they opened up a great new story line for a season 2 that, unfortunately, will never be.

But it gets the "Steve's TV Shows You Should Be Watching" award so if you get a chance, give it a look.

Mainland China Students Irk Some At American Universities

A recent blog article I read grabbed my attention today.  It highlighted the complaints many local American students have with foreign Chinese undergraduates* studying at U.S. universities.  Complaints such as:

•  "They don't come here to learn. They just come here for the grades."
•  "They are killing class discussion. They never contribute."
•  "You will never see any of them at any school function. Never ever ever. Unless it can  help them with a grade."
•  "They never make any effort to talk with anyone other than those who are also from China."
•  "They cheat all the time. It is pretty unbelievable how often"
•   "This is a great way to ruin relations between China and us."
  
  * The article noted these were complaints concerning students from Mainland China and not ethnic Chinese from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, or Singapore.

I was intrigued and immediately asked some of my Hong Kong Chinese peers about their thoughts on this.  One responded to me that the reason is that maybe ten years ago very few students from China went to the States for study and those that did were the best and brightest.  He mentioned there was often great sacrifice incurred for it to happen and the students made the most of their opportunities.

"Now", he explained, "there is so much 'new money' in China that all these corrupt businessmen and officials are sending their spoiled brat kids to the States not because they are the best educated, but because they can afford the big dollars." 

Essentially he was saying was that the best and the brightest are being replaced with a "less than stellar" representation of China.

That's a lot to digest but consider the following statistics:

Number of Chinese undergraduate students at American universities

 2006 - 2007 academic year - 9,955 students
 2011 - 2012 academic year- 56,976 students

Such an explosion of population lends credence to the notion that less strict criterea is being used.  In fact, an MSNBC article noted 90 % of  Mainland students submitted false recommendation letters on their college applications and 70% of them had a professional write their entrance exam. 

Worrying to say the least!
I can say my own experience with Mainland Chinese students in America has been limited but very positive.

In 2006 my family and I attended the "Mid-Autumn" Festival celebration at the University of Colorado hosted by the Chinese students association.  Tammy and I were missing Hong Kong and thought we would take advantage of a little piece of it on display 10 minutes from our Boulder home.  When the students found out our connection with China and the fact that Gabriel was born in Hong Kong they really went to great lengths to make us feel welcome and at home.  They were a wonderful group of young people who were a very positive representation of China.

Of course that was 2006...I wonder if it has changed any?

Iowa Caucus results: My thoughts

I popped over to The Whiskey Priest (you gotta love that name) yesterday afternoon to meet up with the "Republicans Abroad"  and watch the results of the Iowa caucus live.  (Late evening in America is lunch time here in Hong Kong)

Before the caucus began I made the prediction:

1) Romney
2) Paul
3) Santorum
4) Gingrich
5) Perry

And I was pretty close with only Santorum and Paul's places switched by 3% points.  (I also called that Perry would drop out, which by retreating to Texas he pretty much did)

There were about 30-40 guys at this lunch and we took an informal poll of who was supporting who.  Almost everyone raised their hands for Romney.  There were a couple guys for Gingrich and but none of the other candidates had any supporters among the Hong Kong Republicans.

There seems to be a consensus that people living overseas have a wider perspective and are less parochial on many issues.  Romney's fiscal and personal discipline appeal to a number of us.  He's viewed as solid as opposed to "flaky."  And more importantly, he is seen as someone who can appeal across a broader audience of voters in a general election.  Essentially, he is the best chance of beating Obama.

So, why am I not supporting the other remaining candidates:

Santorum: I think this Santorum is a genuinely nice guy who projects an authenticity that is appealing.  Having said that, I don't think "he is ready for prime time."  He is to undisciplined in his campaigning and he comes with baggage of a major senate loss in 2006 as well the feeling he is the last choice of a number of failed "conservative" options in this election.

Gingrich: He's an ideas man and sometimes he gets things right, but really doesn't know how to behave in critical situations.  He will always "go off the rails" at some point as that is who he is and what is in his nature to do.  Most people realized this as well and after a momentary surge in the polls, he finds his support base vanishing.

Paul: Ron Paul has some interesting domestic spending ideas but its his foreign policy that will keep him from EVER being President of the United States.  We have spent the last 70 years building relationships that allow the projection of American power across the globe.  He'd like to call that quits, bring home our carrier fleets, our troops in Japan and South Korea, and just hunker down around the homeland.  Yes, with the tension in the South China Sea rising NOW would be a perfect time to mothball the navy...Not!

One of the Gingrich supporters at the Whiskey Priest (can you tell I just love mentioning that name again) yesterday did indicate his support for Gingrich stemmed from his inability to back Romney because of his Mormon faith.  I must admit I had read about such people...but I had never actually met one before.

See, Hong Kong is a place where one meets all kinds of different folk.

Cocktail Reception On Board the U.S.S. Carl Vinson

Tammy and I had the most wonderful evening this week as we attended a cocktail reception on board the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson which is in Hong Kong for a few days.  If you are follower of Beyond the Pale than you may remember that this is the second visit by the Carl Vinson to the territory this year.  In that blog post I chronicled my friend Francis' invitation to the opening night reception and my subsequent (minor) jealousy surrounding that invitation.

I mean,  I want to hang out on an American aircraft carrier walking past rows of F-18 Hornets with a drink in one hand and my beautiful wife on the other... but how.

These receptions are public relations events and in this case it means hosting U.S. Consulate workers, American businessmen, Hong Kong local vendors, visiting military guests of the People's Republic of China etc.  I don't really qualify under any of those categories per se.  

The food was fantastic!

But...as God would have it, He saw fit to fulfill certain desires of the heart so to speak.  And just how did God fulfill this little heart desire of mine you ask?  Well, I got to know a friend here in Hong Kong who has a little say over who gets invited and lo and behold, I received an invitation a couple weeks ago.


So on Tuesday evening Tammy and I headed down to Fenwick pier on Hong Kong Island where the "water taxis" waited to cart us out to the carrier.  The U.S.S. Carl Vinson is really big and as we approached, the serial number "70" was lit up as a beacon cutting through the nighttime sky.

Guests rode the elevator up to the deck

The reception itself is held in the giant hanger bay and the U.S. Navy knows how to do food.  People think the huge American defense budget is all bullets and missiles but they forget the shrimp tables and roast beef carving stations.  But what I really had my heart set on was the chocolate chip cookies.  Yes, you heard me right...

...the chocolate chip cookies.  My friend Francis who attended the last reception said, "Seriously though, nobody has better chocolate chip cookies than the U.S. Navy."  And you know, he was right!  (I had 3)
Besides that high end shrimp and roast beef, it was also nice to have some good old American spicy jalapeno poppers.  Darn they were good and when Tammy wasn't looking I snuck another one!

Reception entrance

One of the highlights of the evening was everyone heading out onto one of the aircraft elevators for a trip up to the flight deck.  Yes, I got to fulfill my dream of having a glass of wine in one hand and my beautiful wife on my arm as we walked past rows of fighter planes.  My childhood always comes back in these moments as most American boys my age wanted to be a fighter pilot at some point as a kid.

Its also fun for us Americans living overseas to have a little "home" turf arrive for a few days.  Chatting with some of the officers is very lively and sometimes, although I usually love the diversity of Hong Kong,  its just fun to talk in "Americanese" about America with other Americans

The evening ended and we headed back out to the ferries that would shuttle us back to the dock but not before we picked up a U.S.S. Carl Vinson T-shirt for Gabriel and a ship photo for my office.

Your mission should you choose to accept it...

I have to end with a special thank you to our friend Christine and her daughter Claire who kindly watched Ethan George for the evening.  This was our first night "out" with a babysitter and knowing he was in such good care allowed us a relaxing evening.

Special thanks to the officers and crew of the U.S.S. Carl Vinson!  Thanks for the work you do and for such a wonderful evening!

China News Still Not "Newsworthy" in America

Obama greets troops in Australia

Living in Hong Kong I am sometimes amazed by what International news is important in this region versus what is deemed front page news in America.  Being a bit of a "news junkie" I follow both region's news cycles fairly in depth...and they just don't match.

Case in point:

Last week I was chatting with a couple old friends from high school via Skype.  All though we are all Republicans my politics have vented back toward the center a bit in recent years causing some enjoyable and "lively" discussions.  In fact one of my friends is not so much "Republican" as he is "Ayn Rand"...hence the lively discussions.

Anyhow, I asked them what they thought of Obama's move to station 2500 marines in a new upgraded base in Darwin, a city on the north coast of Australia.  Truth be told, I've known this group of friends for 30 years and we have a fun (my wife calls it mean :) way of "baiting" each other to provoke a response.  I was being a little cheeky I admit.  Obama energizing America's military might in the region I knew would appeal to their Republican blood.  It would be a "good thing".  But I also knew that their politics didn't allow for Obama doing a "good thing".   This could be fun...

It was not unlike the strategy used by Captain Kirk from Star Trek.  When ever he had to get by the "super computer / killer robot"  he would feed it a question that would put it into a an endless logic loop.  Kirk would then sit back as it rattled the question around a bit and then finally popped a circuit allowing him to get free and save the girl.  So I thought I'll feed them a "good thing done by Obama", watch them try to process it through their "Obama can do no good" programming, then sit back and wait for a circuit to blow.

Understand it's not that I've become a fan of Obama (I'm not) so much as I absolutely love arguing with my friends.

My strategy didn't work though...but not for the reason's I would have guessed.  "Steve," said one of them, "we've heard nothing about this."  I was frankly...shocked!

Understand, the papers in Hong Kong and in the Pacific region have been almost daily running stories and editorials either celebrating or deriding America's increased engagement in the area.  It is possibly the most important ongoing news story this side of the Pacific.  Not only the deployment of marines to north Australia but Obama's raising of the issue of Maritime claims in the South China Sea at the recent APEC summit in Hawaii against China's objections. 

Most analysts have said it has been a diplomatic win for Obama and a setback for China yet for some reason the news cycles in America were not jumping on it.  I suppose Kim Kardashian divorcing her husband after a few hours of marriage might have something to do with it but come on?  My friends are well read and well informed individuals.  I thought they would be bringing this topic up to me?

It has just demonstrated to me though that although this region has built the China - United States dynamic into the major geopolitical balance of power issue de jour, China and the Asia Pacific region still does not register on the average American's radar.  Because the news channels cater to the American appetite, stories of China and the region, while increasing in importance, still tend to focus on the human interest stories of development and are buried on Page 3.

That's likely to change though in the coming decade as China continues to develop its military and tests America's commitment to the region,  well, unless Kim Kardashian gets married again that is...

A Starbucks Christmas "Placebo Effect" Moment

Sunday morning before church I met up with some friends at the Starbucks outside Olympic MTR station.  Let me say every November I live for the couple months when Starbucks makes its Christmas Blend coffee available.  No fru-fru drinks for me!  No iced, mocha, soy, decaff, frapaccinos thingies...just black coffee; or this time a year Christmas Blend black coffee in a mug!

 So I was shocked, shocked when the young barista informed me that today they would not be brewing Christmas blend but two other coff...

...it was about this time I zoned out from what she was saying and was trying process this startling revelation. No Christmas blend?  "Please understand," I explained to the young attendant who had no idea she was now in over her head, "but this time of year I make special trips to Starbucks to get my Starbucks Christmas blend coffee"

"I'm sorry sir, but we are not offering the Christmas coffee today." she said again.  I thought for a moment not wanting to be a jerk but REALLY wanting my Starbucks Christmas blend.  I decided to go for the placebo effect!

"Ok," I suggested.  "Here is what we're going to do."  The barista looked at me puzzled.  I continued, "I'm going to ask for a black Grande Christmas Blend coffee in a mug.  Then you're going to fill it with one of the coffees you are brewing today.  When you give it to me, you are going to let me know it's Christmas blend coffee...so (I paused for the effect)  I'd like to order a black Grande Christmas blend coffee...OK?"

The barista looked confused for just a moment but then smiled and replied, "Yes, Christmas blend grande...I'll get that now."  I turned to talk with my friends for a moment before she indicated my coffee was ready.

"Your Christmas blend coffee sir" she smiled at me as she passed the mug. (Was that a wink she gave me?)

"Thank you" I smiled back taking the steaming hot mug from her.

Ah, Starbucks Christmas blend coffee...nothing better this holiday season!

A Hong Kong Thanksgiving!

My first Hong Kong Thanksgiving was in 1990 and it was on a rooftop of a village home in Fanling.  21 years later the location was Ma Wan...but I was still on a village rooftop.  The weather in November is perfect so sitting atop a roof with a full spread of food and a glass of wine makes one certainly thankful for one's blessings.  And of course because a Hong Kong Thanksgiving tends to have non-American guests invited, the banquet eating table this year consisted of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and ...sushi!


And the sushi was just like grandma used to make!! :)

Earlier in the day I visited St. Johns Cathedral where they had an afternoon Thanksgiving service.  A number of churches sponsored the event and so different ministers took turns sharing from the scripture on gratitude and having a thankful heart.  The Counsel General for the American Consulate (essentially the American Ambassador  to Hong Kong) then stood before the congregation and read President Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation.  It was... nice but I realized that earlier in the day I read President George Washington's original proclamation of Thanksgiving and Prayer (which made me wonder at what point we dropped the prayer part) which established the holiday back in 1789.


As I mentioned, Obama's proclamation was good...very appropriate and yet compared to Washington's it  came across, at least to me, as muted and neutered.  I won't reproduce the whole thing but a portion of Washington's speech will make my point:

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks ...And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions..."

American Consul General reading the President's Proclmation

I often here people say, "Washington wasn't a Christian...he was a Deist."  Well, if that's the case, we need more Deists because if an American President said that today he's be labeled a dangerous Right-Wing radical hell bent on making the United States a theocracy.  Funny since that kind of talk used to get your face on Mt. Rushmore and the One Dollar bill.

Anyhow, its late and I'm ranting.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

A Trip to Disney's Toy Story Land

Woody welcomes you to Toy Story Land

When Hong Kong Disneyland first opened in September of 2005 it's arrival was greeted with mixed reviews.  In addition to some embarrassing public relations gaffs, the park seemed to be universally proclaimed by the people of Hong Kong as being "too small."  When I first went to the park at Christmas time 2008 I was asked by friends if I've ever been to Disneyland in America.
"Of course" I replied.
"Well," they responded, "don't get your hopes up."

Maybe its because I had lowered expectations but Gabriel I spent that first day at Hong Kong Disneyland having a lot of fun.  Yes, compared to other Disneyland Parks is it too small.  And yes, the complaint that the rides are geared toward younger children (Space Mountain being the only "thrill" ride) was valid.  Perhaps Disney listened to its critics, or more likely responded to the unexpected competition that the newly renovated Ocean Park provided, but in 2009 Disneyland announced the planned expansion of the park with the addition of three "mini-lands"; Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch, and Mystic Point.


Yesterday November 18 was the opening of the first of the three: Toy Story Land. The new land is designed to make you feel like a "toy" surrounded by other toys.  A giant Woody welcomes you as you enter and all the familiar characters from the Pixar film are out and about.  The new park addition attempts to address the critique of the lack of thrill rides by providing, among others, a retro Hot Wheels roller coaster type ride.  I rode the attraction.  Honestly, when I first saw it I thought it didn't look to scary; but it turned to be much more "thrilling" than I had first thought.  The screaming and crying on my part giving my true feelings away :)

The land also includes a green army "parachute" ride but the 90 minute wait made me save it for another visit. Unfortunantly there is no addition of a restaurant save "Jessie's Snack Bar".  But I can say that pizza is FINALLY available in Disneyland.  Some of the snacks in the park, geared toward the Asian palate, have not always been exciting for us Westerners.  Yes, the advent of global diversity have provided us with fish balls, squid, and dried cuttlefish, but admittedly, it just won't ever replace pizza, hotdogs, and funnel cake in my amusement park experience.

Mystic Point coming soon!

I also got to peak through a barrier wall at the construction going on in Mystic Point.  An upcoming land featuring a Amazon Rain Forest haunted house.   I am really looking forward to that addition opening soon!

Christmas Lights come on!

Yesterday also marked the beginning of the Christmas season at Hong Kong Disneyland.  Main Street USA is decked out in all of its Dickensian glory.  They even lightly release imitation snow in the evening.  That mixed with the soundtrack of holiday music makes for a great Christmas memory.  If anyone knows how to do Christmas...its Disney!

Touring the U.S.S. George Washington

Last week I received an e-mail from a friend at the U.S. Consulate.  He said be that the U.S.S. George Washington would be in Hong Kong for a few days and would I like to go out with a guest and have a tour?  Mmmm...let me think this over for 5 tenths of a second?

Nimitz class aircraft carrier, rows of F-18 Hornets, AWAC planes, helicopters, all sitting pretty under the American flag... do I want to take a trip out there?

Yep!

So Gabriel and I set out for Fenwick pier down in Wanchai where the launches out to the carrier originate.  Years ago the U.S. Navy set up a "Fleet Arcade" at the pier to accommodate the thousands of sailors who spend their shore leave in the territory.  There are retails shops, ATM, American style food, Internet etc.  Even when ships are not in town its fun to head down there to buy some "American" stuff.

My son and I were led out to the pier and onto a 90 seater launch for the 30 minute ride out to the George Washington.  I sat down next to a blurry eyed young man who still had more than a faint trace of booze on his breath.  We chatted on the ride and it turned out he was one of the young pilots who had spent the evening in one of the local Hong Kong watering holes.  "I told myself I wasn't going to be out all night, to get back and sleep on the ship, "he said, "...that didn't quite happen."

As a pastor I thought I should come up with some spiritual consoling but all I was able to muster was, jokingly, if he was going to "hurl" on the bumpy ride to let me know so I can get out of the way.  He smiled and said, "Will do.".

On the flight deck

If I'm honest the little boy comes out in me in these situations because when I was a teen-ager all I wanted was to be a fighter pilot...and here was Mr. "Top Gun" himself.  (Granted it was Mr. "Top Gun" after a night in Wanchai).  We chatted on the way out and he said how he's learned not to assume they will actually be able to land in Hong Kong until his foot touches Hong Kong Island.  That's because often China will use Hong Kong shore leave for the Americans as a diplomatic tool.  "If we've sold a missile to Taiwan, or one of our ships goes through the Taiwan Strait, I know we aren't going to Hong Kong." he said.  In 2009 the George Washington was due to spend Thanksgiving in the territory.  Family members from America flew out to spend the holiday with their sons when, just hours before the ship was to enter Hong Kong, China denied entry and the whole fleet sailed off back out to sea.

Sitting in the Captain's Chair

Of course Hong Kong bears the real brunt of China's decision as local businesses lose about US one million dollars that these visits pump into the local economy.  The pilot went on to say some of the "old guys" on the ship liked to reminisce about when the British had Hong Kong and there was no diplomatic tension as "we were entering the port of an ally."

Another thing the pilot said really struck me.  I asked him what they generally did out on the sea and he replied a lot of flying and drills but, "when we heard about the flooding in Thailand we began moving the fleet in that direction in case they asked us for humanitarian assistance."  I thought, "Wow".  You have to give old Uncle Sam credit.  We moved our whole fleet on the off chance we may be called upon to save lives.  It made me proud as an American to think we're still the "good" guys...mostly.

View from the bridge

After about 30 minutes we reached the George Washington and docked with the pier set up at the rear of the ship.  We were ushered out and down a long hallway decked out to receive visitors into the hanger bay where a number of aircraft had been set out specifically for display.  The ship is huge and the hanger bay can accommodate 70 aircraft.  A large American flag and Chinese flag was set up side by side undoubtedly for public relations purposes.

We were escorted to one of the hanger elevators that carry the planes from the hanger bay up to the flight deck.  The elevator can carry 2 planes at a time and was surprisingly fast...as I suppose it would have to be if you are in a battle.

My apartment as seen from the flight deck

The flight deck is huge and were told that they can launch 2 fighters every 45 seconds.  And as big as that deck looked, I imagine to a pilot trying to land on it...it looked pretty small.  In fact one of the pilots told us that when a pilot is landing and misses the cables on the deck that helps him stop and has to swing around for another pass, thats called "bolting".  When the pilot gets back there is a bolt hanging over his cabin door and it stays there until the next pilot "bolts" and then he gets it.

Gabriel and I climbed the many levels finally reaching the bridge where we were given a tour and explanation of how things operate up there.  We even got to sit in the "Captain's Chair"...which for a guy, its pretty cool.

Gabriel with F- 18 fighter pilot!

After about an hour Gabriel and I left the U.S.S. George Washington and headed back to Fenwick Pier with great memories of our time together on the ship.  And because the American restaurant was in full swing with sailors watching American football on big screen TV's, We treated ourselves to the best American cheeseburgers we'd had in a LONG time!