Lets Speak Chinese (LSC) – Hurdles to cross

The mail saying that our LSC proposal for 23^rd and 24^th quarters was successful, created little bit worry as the proposed producer of this program fell sick with cancer diagnosis.  Thought of replying CIBS that we may not be able to proceed in this endeavour.  But Ms. Mok was keen in proceeding with this production and found another person Ms. Celia Chu to help in the production.

When we were invited for CIBS interview, I requested Ms. Celia Chu to go with me to attend the interview.  For the first time in three years of 9 seasons production, the interview got cancelled due to typhoon.  I think it happened for a reason.

To our dismay, just based on our application proposal, our 23^rd quarter application was rejected but 24^th quarter application got accepted.  One advantage was that we had ample time for production.  But disadvantage is that the random topics chosen were somewhat difficult compared to the ones submitted in 23^rd quarter.

We wanted to do the 23^rd quarter topics.  I did not want to leave any stones unturned. Sent a message to CIBS requesting that we would like to do the topics submitted in 23^rd quarter (like my school, parent, friend etc) instead of proposed topics of 24^th quarter.

Again to our dismay, they told that we need to produce the show only with 24^th quarter topics as the judges found that those are more interesting than 23^rd ones.

Meanwhile, my December visit to India with my husband fetched fruitful result of my son’s wedding proposal.  Many things worked out fast and I had to travel to India again in February.  Ms. Mok told that she will request the script writer to work after Chinese New Year.  CIBS stipulated us to submit first two episodes on March 11.  Since I planned to return on February 13^th, I felt that we still have ample time to prepare and record the drama with the receipt of the script immediately after Chinese New Year.

However, another hurdle had to be crossed.  My stay in India got extended up to 26^th February.  Ms. Mok was not able to proceed without me.  I worked on this project while in India by requesting the CCG members to make 2 minutes speeches on all the submitted topics to CIBS.  To our surprise, there were many takers and we got participants for all the topics. It was so encouraging.

As soon as I reached Hong Kong, I spoke to Ms. Mok and fixed an appointment to meet on March 1^st.  I know it was really too late to prepare the Ep1 and Ep2 recording. But we need to proceed.  During the meeting with Ms. Mok and Celia, I informed that we can bring in 4 participants (two of them good in reading and writing Chinese and one good in speaking and one learning Chinese for an year) from different countries to do the drama.  She told that she will get the script done in a week. 

It took 5 days to meet the script writer after that.  March 6^th… the time was running.  I know that it would be difficult to submit our first two episodes.  Hurdle need to be crossed.

When the script was ready and given to the participants, one who was good in speaking Chinese dropped out.  I got it filled by my classmate Priya who puts lot of effort in learning Cantonese in all these years but does not know how to read and write Chinese.  Now two participants know only to speak Chinese. Another participant helped amazingly.  She converted the whole Chinese document into English transcript (following jyutping). 

Meanwhile, we booked the studio for recording on March 11 to record the first episode so that at least one episode can be submitted on the stipulated deadline. We did that successfully. Hurdle was successfully crossed partially. I bought some time from CIBS informing that second episode will be submitted on 20^th March. This is the first time that we could not meet our first 2 episodes deadline.

While this hurdle was partially crossed, another major hurdle cropped up on 17^th March.  The friend who helped us in getting English transcript was not able to join us for some reason.  My hunt for participant at this juncture seemed to be impossible.  But this hurdle has to be surpassed.

God only know how many more hurdles we had to surpass in this production.

RTHK-CIBS - Lets Speak Chinese – Pre-production efforts

When I submit proposals for program to CIBS, I always dreamt about making all the non-Chinese Hong Kongers to speak Chinese.  

When I put forth this idea to Ms. Mok in 2018, to my surprise, she readily accepted. I went to meet her once personally .  We decided on the topics to be applied. We proposed very easy topics like my school, parent, friend etc., so that participants can enjoy doing it.  

Ms. Mok suggested to have radio drama on those topics as well. She was excited and told that she would bring in Mr. Houwood (who is retired and has 30 years of media experience) to write the script for the drama.

I visited HOPE Center in Wanchai and spoke to the in-charge person about the proposed program and get their consent for participation as well. 

When the application was opened by CIBS, I met Ms. Mok once again.  We planned to have experience sharing by parents, children, teachers in learning Cantonese as well. 

With all these step by step basic work done, I filled the application for 23^rd quarter with the proposed structure and thought of duplicating the same for 24^th quarter thinking to increase the chance of getting the contract.  We made it a point to mention that NAAC (Neighbourhood Advice Action Council) a non-voluntary organisation in Yat Tung running Chinese classes at TOUCH Center would support CCG in this production. 

However, after submission, as per stipulated conditions, same application was not acceptable for two quarters. I was asked to change the topics for 24^th quarter.  

Dreaming of getting 23rd quarter, I put forth random topics such as my native place, my math ability, favorite food, snack, place etc. 

Upon submission, I informed about this application to my Cantonese teacher and my Cantonese classmates.  TOUCH Center teacher Ms. Celia, was really encouraging telling that she will help to train the students. 

Both applications got accepted and went for public voting.  I requested Ms. Mok and my Chinese classmates to vote for this program. Finally we got through the voting stage too.

Cantonese Meet up

Wow… It was a memorable day with 90 minutes of Cantonese listening and no talking at all.   Don’t it sound funny. 

Not by watching TV. Not by listening to Radio. Not by listening to a conversation in a restaurant with strangers. 

It was in the official meet up with my Hong Kong Computer Society – FACE Club friends Meet up to celebrate the 4^th Anniversary of its inception. There were 8 Face Club Exco members, 2 admin staff of HKCS. I was lone non-Chinese member.

When President Cally started off with Cantonese and seeing me changed to English mode, I had the courage to tell her to continue in Cantonese itself. From then on, the entire meeting went on in Cantonese.

Though I am living in Hong Kong for more than 20 years I am yet to master the language. In these 4 years, they always conduct the meeting in English.

My maiden attempt participating in the Cantonese Radio Drama two days before helped me a lot.  The courses attended in the past year paid off very well. It is my Cantonese day as I was able to get many details.

The only Cantonese word I used today was “jat wun faan mei”, one cup of rice. My friends translated few items when I asked about the context which I could not understand.

When I thanked my group for giving me listening practice, they encouraged me telling that I must start talking in the next meeting.  Hope I can live up to their expectation.

23 March 2019

Mushroom Trap

Mr. Vijay Sheth asked me to join a meeting with one of the New People Party representative Mr. Gary two days back.  I was not knowing that it was a Christmas party organised by the Retired Civil Servants Association.

This blog is written about the 13 course veggie dinner that we got during that time.  If you dont eat mushroom, the restaurant or caterer will surely be lost. If you are fond of mushroom, you will surely get fed up of eating it thereafter. You get trapped in eating so many mushroom based items in such parties. Ooo god... I have never seen so many varieties of mushrooms in the recent past.

I remembered attending my Chinese friend wedding more than 15 years back.  It was similar, but got different varieties of greens that time. I had to waste most of them as some of the greens were not known to me and they were very thick stems with little leaves. After living for 2 decades, I have improved little bit to eat few varieties and identify the difference.

Three served items looked Indian, carrot pakoda, brinjal bajji and kheer.  All others were based on mushroom, even the main course noodles. It was little too much for me. I did not touch few courses as I felt very heavy eating so many varieties. 

I returned back with the guilty feeling of wasting food. I think better to eat greens than these mushrooms. I have made up my mind to inform that I dont eat mushroom to escape from this kind of mushroom trap if at all I am invited for any Chinese dinner.

Where there is a will, there is a way…

This saying came true to me today.  Yes, I could run continuously for 15 minutes, around 1.5km near the place I live in.

In these 22 years stay in Hong Kong, I am always slow in walking and incapable of walking continuously.  While going for trekking, I need rest at regular intervals to continue my journey. We moved to Tung Chung 11 years before.  It has a very calm surrounding with many parks and jogging paths.  When I go for walking or trekking with my husband or friends, I need to rest frequently before continuing to walk.

This year I had a major change in my walking skill. I jumped from the incapability of walking even 1km without break to walking 5km at one stretch because of the City U Walk of City University of Hong Kong in February and Step Challenge of FACE Club of Hong Kong Computer Society in November. Thanks to both the contests. 

I have enrolled for 10km running in Standard Charted Marathon 2019. I found that I need to complete it in stipulated time.  My walking speed is very slow. I am sure that I will not be able to complete the Marathon at my walking pace. So while contesting for the Step Challenge, I decided to pick up running skill. When I hear my friend Raji sharing about her daily running experience and participating in Marathons, I always look upon her.  Within one year, my husband picked up running and now he is able to participate in Marathon.  I used to admire his spirit. When I see many people doing long distance run, I always admire their spirit as well.  Therefore, I wanted to try. When I do running practice, I found that my capability to run was less than 50m at one time. 

Slowly and steadily, I increased the running stretch to 100m, 200m and 300m on the days I went for walk.  In last 3 days, I was capable of completing 2km with intermittent walking while running.  The spirit of running ebbed high today and was successful to run the whole stretch of 1.5km without any break.  I am very excited as it is building my confidence to run.

When I think back to few decades of my life, I am happy to know that I have been constantly walking at least 1km almost every day. However, my walking experience is always less than 2km at one go. Went to college for around 7 years walking every day for around 500km one way.  Went to work in Bharat Electronics for 3 years where I need to walk a corridor of length around 1.2km one-way from the bus stop to our department. During my pregnancy for my first child, I walked every day to office 1km one way. Later when I was having training in Kyoto, I walked around 1km every day for around 6 months from Kyoto railway station to the company named Nissen. Coming to Hong Kong, during my pregnancy for my second child, again I went for walking every day. Once my children were little grown up, we started to go for trekking where we easily walk for 5km.  In Tung Chung, whenever possible, we go for a walk of 2km around our area. However, all these walking will be at a very slow pace with stops at regular intervals.

Wow… I had walked so much in my life.  Now I got the confidence to run.  I need to see how much of running I will be able to do in future. When there is a will, surely there will be a way.

We have a friend in our block whose mother was sick and admitted to hospital for few months.  He was very upset when he was sharing that experience.  However, now she had recovered and goes for walk every day. During that time, I always think that she had the will to recover and now she is happy to go for that walk. In her case also, will gave the way to survive and be happy.

Life is a magic

(This was written as soon as I received the shocking news of a departed soul I know on 14th Dec 2018.)

Today I heard the death news of a friend whom I just met last Saturday 8^th December 2018.  I just met him on the walkway.  Within few minutes, he told his wish to do Ph.D and to contact me in few days time.  He had so many plans for his future life but was out of this world this Friday.  Instead of telling Life is uncertain, I think it is apt to say Life is a magic.  We see all stunning things before our eyes, but there is someone working at the back to show those illusions. 

Both happiness and sad are part of life.  It is true.  We smile, laugh and enjoy our life when there is success. We cry, weep and gloomy when there is a failure.  God creates these magic illusions to all of us to have such feelings in our life. 

What is certain in this world?  The power of the magician (God) is stable and influences everyone in this world.  There are many who have disbelief in God.  There are many who avoid doing prayers.  However, there is a supreme power who controls each act of this universe.  The toy of Universe made by the Supreme God is really the greatest invention of this universe, greatest illusion created by a magician. 

Life is magic full of illusions…

Believe it or not

Supreme Power… doing the magic

We are the kits used by him

Body, till we have one..

Plans.. Lot of them in our life..

Gone.. The soul is out into the space

Plans.. Disappear in the air…

Memories.. Remain in the minds of near and dears

Illusions continue in this world.

Tribute to a Tamil Linguiphile of Hong Kong - Mr. Mohamed Yoonus

I came to know about Yoonus uncle from the time I first saw him judging a debate during a Tamil Cultural Association event in the year 1996.  Personal communication started much later.  As I gave birth to my daughter, I missed few of the event in next three years.  When Ilakkya vattam started, I was happy to attend it once and I could not continue to attend the Ilakkya vattam programs due to my family commitments. In next few years, I would have attended just two to three of them only. I did not have opportunity to listen to him talking about his life in Burma.

During the time I attend some of the gatherings, I used to get a chance to talk to him.  Moreover, he attends all Tamil Cultural Association programs.  So I used to meet him and talk to him.  With this type of acquaintance, once I happened to meet him at his place one on one.  On that day, he spoke about many things.

When this book project, I received the mail from the compiler asking to help in this project for typing.  During that period, I had severe pain in my hand that led to quit my job later.  Therefore, I was not in a position to help in typing.  I requested them to give some proof reading task that I looked forward to do.  However, I missed that as well.

The book was published in a grand manner on February 20, 2010.  Everyone appreciated. 

After some months, I had a training session in TST near to Yoonus uncle’s house.  So I thought of asking him about his Hong Kong experience as a continuation of Burma experience.  Ramanathan’s group has to be congratulated for taking up the task of compiling all the speeches he had made about Burma. Since it was a herculean task of typing all the content, I thought of recording all the speeches and released as youtube videos in the year 2011.

During that time, he was telling about translating his book Burma Memoirs in English. When I met him for two Ilakkya vattam meetings at his place, he mentioned it as well.  Mr. Ramanathan was also having an idea of translating it to reach more audience for this book.

My father wrote the translation for Bhagavad Gita.  I request him to check it and publish it when he was alive.  However, he did not pay attention to that at all.  Nevertheless, when he passed away, I took his writings and made it a point to read one of the chapter on the day of the death ceremony we had on the third day.  When it was well received by our relatives, I took all the handwritten manuscript and requested my sister-in-law to rewrite all the contents, as the digital publisher was not able to understand his handwriting.  Then we gave it for typing. I always missed my father when I completed the typing and later on making a CD on the same. 

So when Yoonus uncle used to mention his wish, I thought of taking up the translation work many a times. However, because of tardiness, I was not able to do it. However, on April 19, 2013, when I was in Bengaluru supporting my son during his undergraduate exam, I made up my mind to translate how work and immediately started the task. 

Why did I take up this task? Is it not a foolish idea to take up the task for which lot of effort has been done by another group?  Am I thinking of taking some part in the success of this project?  All these questions always haunt me while doing this work. There may be many more questions from the team that had worked so hard in this project.  I did not want to take any advantage in doing this work at any cost.  I just did it to fulfil the wish of uncle and set off in the journey. 

I liked the chapter on Netaji the most and so took it up as my first step.  After completing it, I sent to Yoonus uncle on 20^th 2013. He was happy that I could do that task. I completed translating all the chapters. I sent some of the chapters to the compiler Mr. Ramanathan and requested whether my translation work was apt on 1^st June 2013.

While I was waiting for the reply, I reviewed it repeatedly and fixed my grammatical errors to certain extent.  Once I completed, I thought of sending the translated version to uncle.  So I sent it to Yoonus uncle by mail and he was really happy to reply.  I met him in person and requested him to send it to the compiler to get their consent.  Then I got the reply that they are planning to translate it using a professional translator so that the true feeling of uncle’s experience will be reflected well.

In 2014, I got the idea of publishing an E-magazine named Tamil Malar to cover all activities by Tamil people in Hong Kong and encourage the writing skill of local Tamils. I requested uncle to give an article to start with.  He was very happy to give it and I published it happily. After receiving the monthly issue, he used to call and comment on the published items.

During such conversations, he tells about people contacting him after reading his book in Tamil.  He wished to have it in English to reach more readers all around the world. Then I thought that I would present the translated version as 90^th birthday gift to uncle.

Since there was no reply for my earlier mail, I thought that my work is not to the expected standard. I know that I am not that good in translation.  This was my maiden attempt in doing it.  Thought of getting some help from someone.  So I thought of giving it for review to one of our friend. During that time, Mr. Sampath Kumar use to be in contact through mail.  Then I requested him to check my translation if he has time to do so in the month of March 2014.  Thanks to him for he corrected the mistakes in my writing and sent the reviewed copy by May 2014.  All the chapters were revised and I informed uncle about it. 

I am lucky enough to see the happy face of uncle when he saw the complete translated work in hardcopy.  He told all his plans of publication.  However, I told that permission has to be sort from the compiler before going forward.  He then asked Mr. Ramanathan to find the progress of translation.  

Again, I sent the mail to the compiler with the new translation on May 23^rd. This time I got the reply immediately from the compiler on June 3^rd 2014.

“Thank you for your interest in translating Bhai's Memoirs. But I have already got it translated through a professional translator. Bhai has also reviewed and made few corrections. I am trying to publish through a reputed English language publisher. Copyright formalities are also being processed simultaneously. My contact person has asked me to add a chapter on the political developments subsequent to Bhai's exit; and I am currently working on this with Bhai,

Thank you again for your interest, and sorry that I could not use your text.”

I was really happy that the work was done and we can see the book in the near future. I put my translated content into the shelf.

Uncle passed away on November 23^rd, 2016.  I had a chance to present my acquaintance as eulogy in a ceremony organised by our friends. It is two years of his passing away. However, I did not hear about the English version of the book until year 2018.

Meanwhile, I completed my Ph.D and had improved in my English writing.  I had written many articles and translated stories.  I went through all of them and compile them. During that time, this work also came to my notice.  I went through some of the chapters and understood that it needed some revision to make it complete. So during the month of November 2018, I thought of revisiting my translation work.  This time, I was able to use better words to explain the situations narrated. I revised it to best of my knowledge.  Hope now the translation is much better than the one done four years back.

I don’t know much about copyright problems. I thought of dedicating the work of mine to uncle on the day of his 95^th birth Anniversary 25^th December 2018 though it will stay in my Laptop.

Looking forward to see the translated work in immediate future.