Just a Thought about Teaching kid

Since my wife became pregnant, I’ve thoughts crossed my mind every now and then about what I will be facing in future, especially about how to teach my kid. I think it is quite a new experience for me to look at same thing from the point of view of an adult and from that of a kid. The thought that crossed my mind today is about the issue of ‘time’.

For a kid, when I looked back when I was one, I looked at things in hours, days, weeks, or perhaps months, definitely not years. Cos, as a kid, I didn’t have many years to look ‘back’. On the contrary, there were supposed to be years ahead with unknowns. For example, when I was in second grade, all I know that I will ascend to third grade after September. After next September, I will ascend to fifth grade and so on. Not much thought or plan were put in what I was going do next years. So, as a kid, what I really cared was ‘now’. That’s why when my dad scolded me for not being ‘patient’ in something, I really didn’t understand what he was talking about. Cos, I wanted that to happen right the way. For me, why should I wait? I couldn’t stand the feeling of waiting for whatever that takes time. Patience is just a vocabulary to me.

Now, of course, after so many years, I began to understand and accept that things take time and the effect of which depends on its duration. So, I’ve been thinking….how should I teach my kid about the concept of time? How old should I teach him about that? The second question is probably in kindergarten I guess, but how I can teach is gonna be tricky? Should I begin by telling him about stories of history? Should I begin with Chinese history? World civilization history? Human history? Or the Earth’s history? If I teach him history, then it may touch the subject of geography because he may ask where the places that I will mention are and he will ask a lot of ‘why’ things happen. Then, I will have to teach him the concept of Karma – the cause and effect theorem which is kind of philosophy! Teach a kid about philosophy! That’s kinda nut!.... So, come to think of it, maybe I should simply begin to teach him how to read the clock and then buy him a watch….

iPhone and ipod

Apple’s iPhone is coming out at 6pm EST on Jun 29, 2007. I’ve been reading news on this gadget even during the rumor stage before it was announced by Steve Jobs this Jan in MacWorld. Personally, I enjoy my 5G 30GB ipod very much. It was my birthday gift from Cora last year. Though it doesn’t have a FM radio, though I could buy an add-on for that, I didn’t. I still love to take it with me almost whenever I can. I even joke with Cora that ipod is my concubine.

However, I don’t see myself buying an iPhone even it become available in Hong Kong. Firstly, the cost of the phone is not really the issue, it is the services cost that local carrier is gonna charge, which is expected to be very high. I may be able to afford that, but I will probably choose not to. Secondly, the storage capacity is simply too small – 8GB! Cos, if I bought an iPhone, I would like to use that to replace my Ipod, but even my current ipod has a size of 30GB, I would still consider that as too small for me. With all the songs (>10,000), podcast and video clips that I would like to carry with me; I would need at least 50 to 60GB. Some of my coworker is fine with few GB, that’s why they have an ipod nano, but that’s not work me. Cos, I don’t like to unload stuff for me to upload new stuff in my Ipod. So, iPhone will not gonna be in my ‘Most Wanted’ list anytime soon until these 2 issues are solved. Rather, if the 6G ipod will have a bigger capacity and a wider screen, I may opt for that instead. However, I don’t think it is gonna come out till end of this year at least.

Working at a different site

This week, I’m not working in Taikoo Plaza office anymore. Instead, I was assigned to help out other project team to do some reconciliation work at the HSBC Center in Taikwoktsu. It is next to Olympic Plaza. To those who don’t know the geography of Hong Kong. Taikoo Plaza is on the eastern side of Hong Kong Island. Olympic Plaza is across the Victoria Harbor on the Southwestern side of Kowloon Pennisula. For me, the traffic is better, as I only need to take one trip of cross-harbor tunnel bus for around 20 minutes. Also, the food selection here is better and the price is also cheaper. I’ve lunch with my colleague in these 2 days, we all agree that we save more money here than working in our original office at Taikoo Plaza. Also, as we have lunch here inside the HSBC canteen today, the foods are actually much less oily than those from outside. So, my female coworkers all think that they can eat more without worrying about fat. That’s something that I don’t notice until they told me so.

Well, the task that I’m doing is actually quite tedious and boring. I’ve not done this kind of job for while. Anyway, I hope I can get this done quickly and get out of here though the location of the office is quite good.

New LCD Monitor

Back Dated For Jun 21:

Today, I went with my coworker, Hong, to get a new 19” LCD monitor for only HK$. He also got one himself, as he is kinda more an expert on this computer related items. So, it is great to have him come along on this kind of buying trip.

My existing 15” Viewsonic monitor actually works fine, just it was bought 3 years ago for almost HK$3000. But it is looking quite small this days, jumping from 15” to 19” makes me feel it is worthy than jumping to 17”. So, I’m happy about it, especially that we can have a better view of movies in our studying room. Though, it won’t be as nice as viewing in our living room on the 32” LCD TV, it is still better than not feeling like watching it. I doubt that we will have much time doing that, still it should be better for us to simply use our excel, word or simply surfing the net.

Also, I bought a pair of new speakers for my PC as well, as my current speakers are more than 5 years old, it works ok, but something got to go especially the new ones are only HK$. With my installation of additional RAM (from 512M to 1G), and a new 250GB hard disk last weekend, I think my upgrade of my DELL should last me for 2 more years at least.

Oh, by the way, the new monitor is gift from Cora, thanks my dear!

Father's day 2007

We have a father's day lunch on the day before father's day this year. My wife Cora, my sisters - Allison and Elaine joined dad and I at the hotel's cafe for a buffet lunch. My grandmom was sick, so she stayed home to rest. The lunch was better than I thought. Elaine and I had only cold appretizers and desserts, cos the Crab and shellfish are quite good. The dessert was decent, but the hotdishes were merely so-so. But Cora has no choice cos she is pregnant and got to avoid those risky dishes. Then, I went with my dad to pick up a bunk bed for my future Indo maid, it was a long pm....then I went with Cora to her mom's place for dinner. It was a long trip as well (1 hr each way). By the time I'm back home, I picked up call from Allison that Grandmom fell and got hurt when Allison just went home and dad was about to have dinner in a diner downstair. So, they picked her up and went to emergency ward at hospital for a check up. Fortunately, she seems to be ok, just hot a slight fever and bruises. So, they went home by taxi and I met them downstairs. Then, we boiled hot milk and treat her with some bread. She should feel better then. I hope....what a long and tiring pre-Father's day this year....