Humble and Classy to the End

I have been talking on and on about Trevor Linden, and this is just another piece.

For those who were not able to watch his retirement ceremony, you have missed something memorable and touching. The whole hour of the ceremony was quite special, but the highlights of the evening were definitely Trevor Linden’s speech, and the raising of his number 16.

Instead of me talking on and on about how humble and classy Trevor Linden is, I think it would be much better off if you hear his speech yourself. The only thing I can say is: from the time he was drafted as an 18-year-old boy to the time he retires as a 38-year-old veteran, Trevor Linden is a team player that puts the welfare of his team above himself. He has always been humble and classy, and represents all of the values we expect in a role model. Congratulations, Trevor Linden!

Trevor Linden’s Speech: Part 1 - starts from 3:30



Trevor Linden’s Speech: Part 2



Trevor Linden and Jersey #16 Officially being Retired:

Forever Number 16

December 17, 2008 will go down as one of the most bitter-sweet days in Vancouver’s sports history. It marks the day that Trevor Linden’s number 16 jersey will be officially retired, never to be used again by another Vancouver Canuck. It is a tribute to a player that has meant so much not just to the sports fans in Vancouver, but to the general residents of this city as well.

I wrote a tribute to Mr. Linden on April 5 (see http://blackshouldereng.blogspot.com/2008/04/end-of-era.html) when he played his last NHL game. This time around, I actually don’t have much else to say… Instead, I want to show you a few videos that hopefully can capture the illustrious career of Trevor Linden:

This first video is vintage Linden. With the Canucks down 3:1 in the Stanley Cup final against the New York Rangers, Linden and goaltender Kirk McLean forced a game 6. In game 6, it was Linden, McLean, Geoff Courtnall and Cliff Ronning that provided the magic that allowed the Canucks to play a winner-take-all game 7. At the end of the game (starting at 2:02 on the clip), when the outcome of game 6 was certain, Linden was high-sticked. While struggling to get to the bench, Linden was cross-checked by Ranger captain Mark Messier in a despicable, dirty play. What was so powerful from this clip was what legendary broadcaster Jim Robson said, “he (Linden) will play, you KNOW he will play.” And played Linden did, with broken ribs and a broken nose, in game 7. He scored the only two goals for the Canucks that night, and almost single-handedly helped Vancouver capture its first modern era Stanley Cup. The picture of Linden and McLean (shown at 3:10 of the clip) embracing each other at the end of the game is one I will never forget…

Fast forward fourteen years, and Linden was playing in his final NHL game on April 5, 2008. What is so special about this video is the tremendous respect Linden gets from his teammates but also from his rivals. Jerome Iginla and the Calgary Flames gave way to a tribute to Linden at the start of the third period, and lined up to shake Linden’s hands at the end of the game out of respect for the warrior player that has played over 100 hard-fought games against the Flames. It takes a classy guy like Iginla to recognize that class act that Trevor Linden is. And for that, I will always respect Mr. Iginla.

The last video is a tribute a fan has created for Trevor Linden. It captures some of the greatest moments in Trevor Linden’s 20-year career, including the two above-mentioned goals Linden scored in game 7 of the 1994 playoffs. It does not capture all the big moments (no Jeff Norton hit, for example), but it is nonetheless very good.

Because he has never won a Stanley Cup, has never captured a major award for his on-ice performance, and has never won a scoring title, Trevor Linden probably will not find himself a spot in the hockey hall of fame. That said, when looking back at a career that includes so many behind-the-scene charity work, Mr. Linden has touched the lives of so many people. His dedication to hockey and the community will forever be a role model that many would aspire to follow.

Congratulations on a great career, Mr. Linden. You will forever be a Vancouver Canuck, and I will always be a Trevor Linden fan. Forever number 16!

Liberals now getting a taste of their own medicine?

News now emerge that Stephane Dion (left) of the Liberals Party has agreed to step aside immediately once an interim leader is found. His decision seems to have much to do with the fact that the coalition idea is not well supported by Canadians, and Liberal insiders think that the problem has much to do with Dion, who was dismissed by the voters on October 14, and had subsequently announced his resignation, initially effective in May when the Liberals meet for a leadership convention.

Liberal insiders are pushing hard to have Michael Ignatieff (right) replace Dion as the interim leader, and continue their push to topple the Conservatives minority government. All seems well inside the Liberal party, except another favoured candidate for the party’s top job, Bob Rae.

Personally, I’m not interested in the in-fighting within a political party that I am not a member of. However, since the Liberal-led coalition still has a chance of governing Canada, and Ignatieff and Rae could potentially become our prime minister, it is interesting to see what Bob Rae (below left) has to say about the idea of appointing Ignatieff to take the leadership helm from Dion:

“It's better to have the party as a whole involved in finding a solution than it is to having a solution imposed from above.”

“I don't think that coronations are generally very successful in political parties. I think most people believe that it's better to have a contest, it's better to have a choice.”

“No other democratic party would do it this way, and I think we have to think very carefully about finding the right process.”

The rest of this piece of news can be found at the following link:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Canada/9009740.html

Let me get this straight – when the coalition formed and tried to topple the current government, are opponents of the coalition using the same logic as Rae? We said the country as a whole should decide, not several people sitting behind a backroom. We said the country’s voters need to have a choice, rather than being jammed down the throat with a new prime minister. We said democratically, choosing a government should be left for an election is the fairest process…

And now, Rae is using the same logic, when the table is turned against him, when he is robbed of a chance to take over Canada? How soon you forget, Mr. Rae?

Mind you, I agree with almost all the points Bob Rae has raised here, but this agreement only goes further to show how anti-democratic is this idea of a Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition is: it is not an idea that Canadians can vote on, it is not a fair contest where all stake-holders can argue for the voters’ support, and it is not a democratic process. The ironic thing is, among the two potential liberal leader, Bob Rae is the one who says the coalition will topple the government no matter what…

What a sad state our country is in, if the bulk of its leaders can be so hypocritical and are so lacking in wisdom.

A Public Letter to Governor General, Her Excellency Michaelle Jean

To: Her Excellency Michaelle Jean
cc: Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Liberal Party leader Mr. Stephane Dion, and NDP leader Mr. Jack Layton

Dec 1, 2008

Your Excellency,

It is with great disgust and much anger that I am writing to Your Excellency to protest against the current political ploy put together by the Liberals and the NDP to topple the current Canadian government.

When Canadians from coast to coast headed to the polls on October 14, 2008, we have spoken as a whole and voted for the Conservative Party with 143 seats in the parliament, the highest number among all the national parties. Following our long-standing tradition of democracy, the leader of the Conservative Party, Mr. Stephen Harper, is thus asked to form a government, with him as Canada’s prime minister. All party leaders, including Mr. Dion, Mr. Layton, Bloc Quebecois leader Mr. Gilles Duceppe, and Green Party leader Ms. Elizabeth May, had spoken to support the democratic choice of Canadians coast-to-coast. Canadians were well-aware that a minority government can be an unstable government, but Mr. Dion has spoken in his speech that he would “work with” Mr. Harper and the Conservatives to help Canada through the uncertain economic times.

It has not even been two months since the election, but now, because of backroom deals that entail details that Canadians have no ability to obtain, Mr. Dion, who was abandoned by his own party just months ago, is asking to form a government with him as the prime minister. The NDP and the Bloc, meanwhile, are neglecting the choice of the Canadians and are supporting this ludicrous idea. To make matters worse, Mr. Dion would then be succeeded by another person when the Liberals have their leadership convention in May of 2009. Canadians in general have no say in his successor. Canadians have not surrendered their right to choose a government to the hands of the Liberal delegates attending its leadership convention – it is a despicable act that violates the fundamentals of our democratic process.

I personally have no problem seeing a majority, a minority, or a coalition government, as long as that government is one that is elected by the Canadian public at the polls. In my opinion, if the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc, want to form a government as a coalition, they need to declare that intention and let Canadians decide if that is how they want the government to form. The current idea of trying to topple the government Canadians collectively chose with one that an undisclosed number of insiders conjure is unacceptable, and is a mockery of the democratic system that many Canadians are very proud of.

The reason why so many people from around the world decide to make Canada their home is because of its democracy, not because of corrupted backroom deals that run rampant in the infra-structure of the government – many Canadians have known that far too well. I ask that you, Your Excellency, to declare a general election to let Canadians decide how they want their government to be should the current government be overthrown as a result of a non-confidence vote. I plead that you do not listen to the unacceptable request made by the Liberals and the NDP to allow them to form a coalition government without the proper consultation of the country, which can only be done accurately through a general election.

Thank you very much for your attention to this urgent matter.

Yours Sincerely,
E. Leung
A very concerned Canadian

Respect the Democratic Process - Let Us CHOOSE!

For those who have been following the news: Canada may have a new government very, very soon. Unlike last time, it is not a result of a called election, but rather a scheme plotted by the Liberals and the NDP to topple the current Conservative government. Their plan is, with the support of the Bloc, to ask Governor General Michaelle Jean to ask current Liberal leader Stephane Dion and NDP leader Jack Layton to form a coalition government once they have overthrown the Stephen Harper-led Conservative minority government through a non-confidence vote. The Bloc Quebecois will promise to not overthrow this government for at least a year, giving the coalition government two chances to release a budget.

Let me get this straight: Canadians have just voted for a Conservatives-led minority government, with Stephen Harper as its leader and thus, our prime minister. Now, because of backroom deals that entails who-knows-what, Stephane Dion, who was abandoned by his own party, could potentially become our prime minister, then followed by someone else who Canadians have not even considered as our prime minister when the Liberals have their leadership convention in May? When did Canadians give their right to choose a government to the hands of the Liberal delegates attending the leadership convention?

I am not necessarily for or against a coalition government of any sort – if the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc, want to run in an election as a coalition and wins, that’s fine. Let Canada have its first coalition government since the 1920s. But LET US CHOOSE! Heck, if the Marxist-Leninist Party and the Communist Party decide to run as a coalition, and actually win the federal election, so be it. But this coalition is something that has just been cooked up by the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc. I didn't see in my ballot a couple months ago any candidates that says "Liberal-NDP-Bloc Coalition." I chose to vote either the Conservatives, the Liberals, the NDP, or the Green Party. The decision to topple a government right now and replace it without an election is a total disrespect to democracy, and thus is despicable at best (I can use harsher words, but I don't want to resort to profanity here). While one can say the Liberals, the NDP, and the Bloc collectively have more popular support in the country than the Conservatives, is it certain that all these supporters of the parties support the idea of such a coalition? I know for a fact that many Liberals hate the Bloc and feel that they represent a force that tries to destroy confederation... would they vote for the Liberals should they know that they are going to sleep with the enemy?

The reason why so many people from around the world decide to make Canada their home is because of its democracy, not because of corrupted backroom deals that run rampant in the infra-structure of the government – many Canadians have known that far too well.

Please, do something - write to the media, write to your MP, call talk shows. Let them know that this is despicable, and cannot be tolerated. Don't let Canada turn back its clock to become a corrupted nation where politicians run backroom deals and bypass the eyes of the voters.

Shinerama and Carleton University

Absolutely Ridiculous!

The undergraduate student society in Carleton University has recently voted to terminate a school-wide fundraiser called Shinerama, an event where participants shine shoes, cars, etc., for other people to raise funds for the inherited and fatal disease cystic fibrosis. Leaders of the student government said that the cancellation is due to their belief that cystic fibrosis is a disease that “only affects white men” and is not “inclusive” enough as a cause that the student body should be supporting.
Before writing further, I must first state that this is very personal to me. I have two friends who are cystic fibrosis (CF) victims, and know another girl who has CF. I have not met these friends for a long time, but one of them was in palliative care years ago, so I assume she is no longer with us. She was a dear friend when I was in university, and as a showing of support for her and my other friend with CF, I was a Shinerama participant, even an executive one year to help raise funds for this cause.
Factually, these students are just flat out WRONG. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that is caused by a problem with chromosome-7. Since that chromosome is not a sex-chromosome, its occurrence among males and females are roughly the same. In my little world, all three people whom I know that were CF victims were female. And while the defective CF gene is found more commonly in the Caucasian population, it can be found in other ethnic groups as well – the third person I know who has CF is an East Indian, and I have read about this disease in Hong Kong as well.

But CUSA’s problem goes beyond the ignorance. It is this very foolish thinking of political correctness that is causing them this gaffe. Even if CF is a disease that only strikes white men, does it make the cause any less worthy? We often hear pleas from dying people asking people to have their blood tested for a possible bone marrow donation – is that plea too exclusive (after all, it is for ONE person) that no one should support it?

The great poet John Donne said it very well back in the seventeenth century in his poem “For Who the Bell Tolls” - No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee."

An advice for CUSA: if you want to be truly inclusive, first, let’s try not to exclude even one person.

For more info, please check out the following links:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/11/27/210808.aspx

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2008/11/26/210757.aspx

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081126.WBSteele20081126130438/WBStory/WBSteele

Nothing Personal

I had the privilege to go watch the Vancouver Canucks play the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight (thanks for the pair of tickets my dad won in a draw from his company). Because of increasing ticket price, I haven’t gone to watch the Canucks much anymore, so the experience was much cherished.

The game itself was all right – too bad Luongo could not shut out the Leafs. But the most memorable thing came after the game when I was driving home:

At a red light, I saw fans standing on either side of the road. On one side is a group of Leafs fans still waving the Toronto banner, still dancing despite their team’s not-so-great performance. As these fans were chanting, several fans in Canucks uniform standing on the other side were giving them the thumbs-down. The two group of fans were jarring at each other, it was quite a sight.

I was expecting a fight when the lights turned for the pedestrians to go. The two groups met in the middle of the road, and, to my surprise, they were high-fiving each other, a couple even gave each other hugs as they crossed. Here we are, complete strangers, probably never to be seen again… unknowing observers like me may think that these were actually buddies that were just teasing one another half a minute ago…

Being Chinese, I think I can say this about many people of my race: we need to learn to not take things so personally. How many times have we seen, in politics in particular, where after a bitter campaign, people actually became enemies for LIFE? If we can only learn to separate and compartmentize our feelings… an event may be debated so heatedly that angry words are fired, but after the event, the person facing you is still someone who you can have a cup of coffee with… That is CLASS.

Canadian General Election & US Presidential Election

This is not a blog that talks about politics specifically, but I am a person who is interested in politics, so the news about the elections in the U.S. and Canada intrigue me a great deal.

In Canada, many felt furious that the Conservatives spent so much money to hold an election, but could not get over the hump by winning a majority government. I look at the situation a little differently – yes, the government has spent millions calling for an early election, but ultimately, the people chose how they wanted their government to be: they still wanted the Conservatives to rule the country, but not with a majority. That is the voice of the people, and, like it or not, it is something that all the party leaders need to live with.

Of all the party leaders, I really think Jack Layton of the NDP has screwed up the most in his strategy. When Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe teased certain political leaders that they were dreaming of becoming a prime minister when they had no chance, I believe Layton was the guy he was poking fun at. Mr. Layton, the NDP will never be the ruling party in Canada, and you will never be elected the prime minister! When you chose to attack only the Conservatives, you have ruined your chance (however little) of becoming the official opposition! The votes you could knock off from the Conservatives would never go to you, and you have to know that. Your chance was to attack Stephane Dion and his inability to stand firm on issues that the Liberals disagreed with the Conservatives, but you did not. For a strong debater like you, you have wasted the best opportunity you had to do something never done before…

In the US, I cannot but marvel at how gracious the speeches Senator McCain and Obama made when the results were out. When McCain took the loss completely on his own shoulders, and praised everyone who worked on his campaign, he showed class and dignity like the war veteran that I know he is. When president-elect Obama said to the people who did not vote for him that he is their president as well, and then he would listen especially carefully to those who disagree with him, that is democracy at work. People can hate on the US for all they want, and people can attack either the Republicans or the Democrats for the rest of time, but election after election, I see political leaders who accept victory and defeat graciously… that’s something that many politicians else where have yet to learn, and may never learn, to do.

9.11

The world, as we knew it, changed forever seven years ago on September 11. Time has changed; people and things have changed, but there are still lots that I remember, that I still remember…

I remember: I was eating breakfast when the news broke: an aircraft had flown into the North Tower of New York’s World Trade Center. My first impression was: what a catastrophe! Did the pilot make a mistake? Did the control center screw up? How could a human error as big as this occur? I remember: The second plane soon hit the South Tower. By then, the whole world knew it was not an accident. Still, very, very few knew what was going on.

I remember: Just as I turned on the TV, the South Tower collapsed in front of my eyes. My eyes and mouth were opened wide. I did not know what to say, what to think, nor how to feel.

I remember: On my way to school, the news of the collapse of the North Tower also broke. Also, the Pentagon was attacked. I was not thinking of wars, terrorist attack, anti-American, etc., I was thinking of how many innocent lives have already been lost…

I remember: When I got to school, a colleague told me a fourth plane had crashed. I later learned that the flight was United Airlines Flight 93. The passengers on the plane, upon learning of the terrorists’ attack, struggled and crashed into an open field with the terrorists instead of allowing them to hit the White House. I remember the phrase spoken by one of its passengers, devout Christian Todd Beamer, who said, “Let’s roll!” as he and several heroes sacrificed their lives to take down the terrorists on United 93.

I remember: We received a notice and a standardized statement to read to the students. I remember how heavy my heart was, and how haunting the silence was when reading that statement to those normally loud 13/14-year-olds.

I remember: I was glued to the TV the next few weeks. Watching the hopeless faces at Ground Zero searching for their loved ones, I wept daily with the sons and daughters, husbands and wives that were left behind…

I remember: The local Chinese newspapers reporting that some Chinese people, when watching the news coverage of this horrific attack, stood up and clasped! I remember how infuriated I was at my very own people…

I remember: a bunch of names and places that were previously unheard of in the news: Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Kabul…

I remember: the stories of those who died. Are they resting in peace today? Have the wounds of their loved ones been healed since?

I remember: a lot of people suddenly came out to remind us that life is short, to remind us to cherish those around us while we can… I also remember how quickly we became forgetful again…

I remember: 9-11 has happened seven years ago, but to this day, our world continues to be one filled with hatred…

Beautiful

A while ago, I had the chance to discuss with a few friends about the term "beauty." Somehow, amidst the discussion, we've talked about some movie stars from the past, and the name Audrey Hepburn was mentioned.

Audrey Hepburn was a famous actress in the 50s and 60s. Obviously before my time, the only recall I have of her looks was through the reruns of movies like The Roman Holiday or My Fair Lady. I don’t know if she is considered beautiful or not (some say her eyes were proportionally too large compared to her face; others say she was too skinny or bony, etc.), but I do remember pictures taken of her towards the end of her life, when she was a frequent visitor to Africa and other countries under poverty with UNICEF. I don’t know about you, but I think she looks very beautiful in them. Here's one example:Age may have left an indelible mark on Ms. Hepburn, but there is a beauty that no make-up can create.

I browsed around the Internet for more, and found some other pictures. Some of these ladies are very pretty to begin with while some are not. But, without exception, they all look beautiful:

I know it is almost ludicrous, or certainly foolish, for me to suggest that people stop using make-up. But, come to think of it, are we spending too much time worrying about how pretty we look, and forgetting completely to cultivate our true beauty? We all have 24 hours a day. Take away 8 hours of quality sleeping time, and you are left with 16 hours. If you spend half an hour every few hours to fix your hair, re-do your eye-shadow, put on blushes, etc., how much time, legitimately, do you have remaining to truly make yourself beautiful?
If I may, just a brief description of the other four pictures: the picture on the left shows former HK singer Cass Phang visiting India with ORBIS to see the children whose eyesights were permanently damaged due to unclean water. The picture on the right shows a Chinese policewomen during the Sichuan earthquake in May. When she arrived at the scene and saw that many babies who were still nursing have lost their mothers, she immediately unbutton herself to nurse one of the nameless babies. The third picture is of Mother Theresa, and I'm sure this is just one of the millions of pictures of her looking after a child. The final one involves another Hong Kong artist, Gigi Leung, paying a visit with UNICEF to Mongolia. In the picture, she was playing with a child whose brain was permanently damaged due to extreme mal-nourishment after birth.

All of the ladies above look gorgeous to me, but they do not necessarily wear make-up. Are YOU beautiful today?

Represent!

In the last entry I talked about my disappointment towards some selfish people and their despicable act. I came across a story later, and I really wanted to share it with you:

A woman was driving her car home one day. The traffic was terrible that early evening. To make matters worse, some drivers were driving in ways that were really annoying: changing lanes without signalling, cutting lanes dangerously, you name it. The woman got increasingly fed up with this scene, so started honking at any cars and drivers who she believed was getting on her nerves.

A while later, when the woman finally managed to get away from an area of excessive volume, she noticed a police car was behind her and had its lights on. The woman saw the police car pulling ahead, and signalling her to stop. The woman was confused: yes, she sometimes would speed, and had crossed an occasional red light, but how could she have done either of those from such terrible traffic? Unsure if she had made any traffic violation, she pulled over bewilderedly.

The policeman approached her and asked for her insurance paper and driver’s licence, and later returned the documentations to her and said she could go. The woman was really, really confused right about now. So she asked the police officer if something was wrong: "No, ma'am. It's just that, when I saw the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) bumper sticker, and saw how you were honking at everybody, I was not sure if your vehicle was stolen..." The woman by now was blood-red, completely embarrassed and ashamed...

Knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, we go into this world representing a lot of things: for me, I am a Chinese-Canadian, I am a Christian, I am a teacher, I am a brother, I am a whole lot of things. I am the last person who likes stereotypes, but stereotypes sometimes do have their place. When we fail to represent, should we feel a little embarrassed and ashamed also?

Disappointed

Who am I to crack on the party and celebration, but I must say: June 13 was a day that really disappointed me. For those of you who remembered or witnessed, we had three fire bells pulled that day, and adding to the insult were the ruthlessness and chaos that could be seen in the hallway, especially in the grad hall. See for yourself in case you were not there, or had turned a blind eye to it:

These images are not taken after the custodians have gathered all the junk into a pile; they were taken AS IS!

I get that it is the last official day of school for certain people. I get that some people are in the mood to celebrate. Go celebrate, have a little fun. I was actually quite happy while I heard the collective cheer and congratulations that took place the moment the final bell was rung. I was also impressed at these guys who brought their vanilla soda and said cheers to one another as if making a toast for this final moment. I can even somewhat understand (not to say I agree with it) the pulling of the fire alarm once, but what is with all the littering? Do you have to “celebrate” at the expense of others? What happened to all the values that you so proudly represent the entire year?

One custodian said this a lot better than I can: “We have worked so hard for them all year – what have we done to them to deserve this to be done to us?” I was speechless when hearing that.

I have grown to respect some of you a great deal through some of the wonderful and charitable things you have done throughout the years. I have lost the respect for several individuals over one moment of irresponsibility. True character is seen in moments where you can “let go” and just “let it rip,” but choose to restrain yourself from doing something at another person’s expense. For several people, your despicable act on the last day of your high school life had greatly disappointed me.

Rest in Peace, Luc Bourdon

For those of you who are hockey fans out there, you probably have heard about the passing of Vancouver Canucks Luc Bourdon. For those who haven't, Bourdon was a promising 21-year-old player for the Vancouver Canucks, who returned to his hometown in New Brunswick during the off season to be with his family and to do local community work, teaching children how to play hockey, and encouraging them to pursue their dreams. Last week, he was riding his newly bought motorcycle, but tragedy struck as his bike slammed head-first into a truck. Bourdon died instantly on the scene.

What really struck a chord inside of me in Bourdon's tragedy was the way those close to him were advising him NOT to purchase the motorcycle. His mother was begging her son not to buy the bike, and his teammate, the senior spokesperson and leader of the team, Trevor Linden, was also advising his younger teammate not to buy the motorcycle. But many of Bourdon's friends have the bike, and so Bourdon bought it right after he earned his license. It was not even three weeks between the time Bourdon got his license, and the time that he was killed tragically.

I want to say this with the utmost respect and condolence to Luc Bourdon. From all the accounts I can read, he was a fine young man who worked really hard to become an NHL player, and like many hockey players, was a classy guy who always found time to give back to his community. But this makes it that much more tragic, that a young man's life is cut short, just like that.

Proverbs 1:8 from the Bible reminds us that "Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching." Bourdon's mom pleaded with him not to purchase the motorcycle; his teammate, Trevor Linden, who was like a father figure on the team, also advised him against it. I don't want to make light of a tragedy like this, and this is in no way a time to add salt to a wound... but I do hope that, our hearts will not shut us out from listening to the advices of those around us. No, they may not always be right, but if we do not even attempt to listen, to use their experience in life to help us analyze before making a decision, then do we become the "fools" that proverbs so frequently describe?

Rest in peace, Luc.

Sichuan Earthquake

As you most likely know, an earthquake measured at 8.0 (previously rated as 7.8) on the Richter scale has hit the province of Sichuan in China last week. More than 20000 were confirmed dead, and close to 100,000 are still missing, and are feared to have died also. Like many other natural disasters, the most devastating thing is not the many lives it claimed, but the physically disabled, the orphaned, and the emotionally-scarred people, who may never fully recover from such a tragedy.

Maybe you have met people in shopping malls asking for a donation already. Maybe you have given some of your money to help in the relief cause. If you haven't, please kindly consider the following charitable organizations:

1) Canadian Red Cross
https://www.paypaq.com/redcross/new/index.php

2) World Vision Canada
http://www.worldvision.ca/give-a-gift/Pages/MajorEarthquakeRocksChina.aspx

3) Oxfam Canada
https://www.strategicprofitsinc.com/hosted/oxfam/

We may not have a lot to give, but if we each save a high-tea one day, a dessert one night, there'll be 15 to 20 dollars we can give to those who are on the verge of dying, or those who do not even have clean water to drink, while dealing with the loss of his/her entire family.

Please give generously.

Who Should We Be Angry with?

I am a big sports fan. Two pieces of sports news in recent days caused quite a reaction inside of me, and the reaction is not sports in nature:

News #1: On Monday, Vancouver Canucks general manager Dave Nonis was fired by the team for missing the playoffs two of the last three years.

News #2: Also on Monday, Denver Nugget forward Carmelo Anthony was arrested for driving under influence (DUI) at around 4 a.m. in the morning.

The reactions fans had for these two pieces of news are very different, but the difference is... interesting, to say the least.

First is the angry reaction that some Vancouver fans are showing towards Nonis. Some were using some pretty strong words; some were celebrating the firing as if justice was served. While you are at it, fire the coach, fire the scouts, fire everyone in the front office too… it is as if people are playing fantasy hockey, where the entire team can be dumped with no harm done.

Meanwhile, in Denver, some fans were making excuses for Anthony, saying that he just had the worst game of his career and had to "let out some steam" in a night club. Sure, he should not be driving when he was drunk, but it was 4 in the morning... he could do no harm at that time of the day… Let's cut him some slack...

Welcome to a world that has its priorities all messed up. Nonis may not have done his job well and may deserve to pay for the team's poor performance by losing his job, but he has done no crime and has wronged nobody. He just did not compete well against the other managers in assembling a more competitive team. And people have to fire curses at him. Anthony, on the other hand, has probably committed a crime, could have killed someone or himself, but was given a mercy pass because he is a sporting hero.

I don’t know if the fans who are celebrating Nonis’ firing have ever been fired, or ever known someone who has been laid off, before. The guy has lost his job! His family may have to re-locate now. His life is suddenly turned upside down. As an observer, we can say his firing is justified, but why the celebration? On the other hand, why should Anthony be cut some slack? Would those people feel the same if his car actually hit someone, and that someone is someone you love? Should we cut him some slack then?

We live in a world that judges people based on sets of numbers: his salary, his points scored, the number of championship rings he wears... I sure hope that there is a higher standard that looks beyond these things…

The End of an Era

On April 5, Trevor Linden of the Vancouver Canucks probably played his last ever game in the National Hockey League. At the end of the game, he was greeted with one of the warmest reception ever in the Vancouver sports scene. Kudos also to Jerome Iginla and the Calgary Flames for coming out from the dressing room to shake hands with Linden like the way hockey players do at the end of a hard-fought playoffs series. This piece here is dedicated to Mr. Trevor Linden, my favourite Vancouver Canuck.

Trevor Linden will always be an especially special player in my heart because we practically came to Vancouver at the same time. He was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in June of 1988. I immigrated to Vancouver in July of 1988. I practically grew up in Vancouver watching Trevor Linden with a Vancouver Canucks jersey on his back. I could remember, as if it was yesterday, when I listened to the radio broadcast of the Canucks games. My English listening skills were terrible then – I could not understand half the time what legendary broadcaster Jim Robson was saying in the play-by-play. But Robson’s voice was filled with passion, and I could feel the excitement through his voice. Trevor Linden’s name was one he frequently mentioned. I did not understand what a "rookie" was back in the day, but this first-year player managed to score 30 goals in his first season, not a bad feat for the not-so-powerful Vancouver Canucks.

I became a Canuck fan since. And though Linden was not initially my favourite player, he was such a consistent performer that I grew to respect more and more. When the spring of 1994 arrived, Trevor Linden, along with my then favourite player, goalie Kirk McLean, took the Canucks to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, it was the highlight of my sports viewing life. I remember this picture so well, but I also remember the riot that kept me glued to the radio following the loss in game 7…

The Canucks’ fortunes started to sink not long after the 94 season. When Mark Messier and Mike Keenan took away the captaincy from Trevor Linden’s sweater (Linden publically offered it to Messier, but I was certain that Keenan and Messier pressured Linden into doing so), and subsequently sent him off to the New York Islanders, I was crushed. I actually vowed not to follow the Vancouver Canucks, and I did not for a few years.

Trevor Linden eventually came back. Though he was not the same player he once was offensively, he was endeared even more by many hockey fans, including me. It was as if you have to lose something (in this case, someone) to truly appreciate him.

The end of the era was looming closer and closer, but Linden had always defied the force of nature when the playoffs arrived. During the quest to the Stanley Cup, Linden would always rise to the occasion, setting up big goals and scoring game winners. The aura around him went beyond the letter he wore on his jersey – the fact that Trevor Linden is playing in a playoff game meant the Vancouver Canucks would always have a chance to eek out a win.

But head coach Alain Vigneault did not seem to appreciate Linden for who he is. Benching the Vancouver icon 23 times this season, in spite of Linden’s prowess to win the game when it counts the most (does he ever miss a shot in the shootout?). The writing is on the wall – the coach does not want Linden, and, true to his form, Linden will not walk away while throwing everyone under the bus. He will leave without pointing his fingers at people, and would focus on how blessed he has felt for the love he has received from the Vancouver fans.

And class goes beyond his act in the rink. Outside the rink, Trevor Linden is as good, if not a better, person. As a child, I could remember Linden speaking on behalf of the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, a palliative care facility that provides a place for children with terminal diseases to spend their last days in. I actually knew a friend who spent some time in the hospice. She was visited by the Canucks players on several occasions. I am sure Linden was one of the many fine men who had paid her a visit. For this and much other community work, Trevor Linden has won the King Clancy Trophy for humanitarian efforts.

Trevor Linden may have played his last game as a Vancouver Canuck, and though this piece here does not describe well enough how I respect the man, I would say that I will continue to wear proudly my #16 Vancouver Canuck jersey for many, many years to come.

Thanks for everything you have done for the city of Vancouver, Mr. Linden! You will always be, in my heart, Mr. Canuck.

Is It Worth It?

I am normally not someone who likes to comment on another person’s looks - to me, it is neither here nor there. But this picture is worth talking about:

For those of you who have never seen this person, her name is Tammy Thomas, a former track cyclist in the U.S.A. Thomas is currently facing perjury trial for lying to the court about hers and others’ use of steroids during the infamous BALCO investigation.

According to court documents, when investigators visited Thomas’ home, they were greeted by Thomas, whose face was covered with shaving cream, and was in the process of shaving off her beard. Investigators found that she had many of the other signs of using anabolic steroids, among them the growth of chest hair, the lowering of her voice, uncontrolled temper problems, and male-specific baldness.

Thomas, who is now 38, is studying law. If convicted, she most likely would not be allowed to practice.

We all have goals in lives, and we all try, at varying degrees, to achieve our goals. But when the means cannot justify the possible end, is it still worth it? Even if Thomas is never caught, even if Thomas’ looks do not change, even if she may not risk losing her chance to become a lawyer, is it worth it? And for what did she take the drugs (allegedly) for?

When you really want to achieve something, what are the means do you go about getting it. Is it worth it? More importantly, is it the right thing to do?

Thank YOU!

Quite a few of you know that it was my birthday this past Monday. For someone my age, birthday is not something that I throw a big celebration at anymore… after all, when you know you have almost certainly lived through one-third of your life already, you learn to start to hide your birthday rather than announce it to everybody.

But nevertheless, there are many people I must thank for this year.

First off: to the dear students who have created a beautiful birthday card for me, and presented it to me before we went on our break – your words of kindness brought tears to my eyes. No joke. To read the words of appreciation you people wrote on that card made all the work worthwhile. I was told, and have always experienced, that teaching is a low-paying job that requires you to work long hours with little appreciation from the world (after all, we are the slackers that get almost 3 months’ worth of vacation per year, right?). But to know that you people who are struggling with me KNOW that I am working hard to make your time worthwhile… that is all I need to hold on when times are tough.

And then, there are my brothers and sisters. We went to a church retreat this past weekend, and we were all exhausted from the preparation work leading to the trip, and the actual camp drained us further. Still, on the night we came out, you still insisted to treat me to a nice dinner. Many of were came to the dinner exhausted or even sick, but you came anyway. Some people feel hesitant to call people that go to the same church brothers and sisters, but to me, you people really ARE brothers and sisters to me.

I don’t know what I have done, or who I am, to deserve such love. I just want to say that you people are so wonderful to me, and I am so grateful to have your love.

Thank YOU!

How do you present your message?

I was shopping the other day and something really left me thinking:

When I was at store A, the salesperson asked me what my budget was for purchasing that appliance (it's a major household appliance, so we are talking about quite a lot of money here). I told him of my budget, and it was lower than the item that I was looking at. He pondered for a while, and then went to suggest me to look at products of a different brand, highlighting the fact that the other brand is a little economical, and, in his opinion, offers very similar features and is a good bargain for the budget that I have...

I later went to store B to look at the same item. The salesperson asked me too about the budget. But upon hearing that my budget was lower than the item that I was looking for, he immediately said to me that "perhaps you should not look at something with these features." After some negotiations, his manager gave me a price that he said was the final offer. I thought about it, but felt that it was still too expensive. To my surprise, he said to me, "The door is that way."

In both stores I came in with the same problem - I had a budget and could not afford what I was looking for. But the way I was treated at Store B was so poor that I vowed to never buy from that store again.

The message the two salespersons spoke was actually the same - if you cannot afford this item, you should look at something else. But the way the message was given caused a totally different reaction in the message's recipient (in this case, me).

In life, we often have the message to share, something that we feel very strongly about, that we want others to agree with and accept as well. Be that a message about your world view, your faith, your take on why the Canucks still have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, you name it... But how do you present that message often determines how the message is received.

Alonzo Mourning, an NBA player, once went on a radio show to promote awareness to kidney diseases, something that he was afflicted with in the past, and is obviously very important to him. When the radio host began the interview by first asking about his NBA career, he snapped back and said he was not on the show to talk about his basketball career, but just wanted to talk about his foundation and his cause. Listeners of the show have been trashing him since; no one even remembers the cause he is promoting (and it actually is a very worthwhile cause).

How do you present YOUR message?

Senior Home

It has been a while since I have visited the senior home, but every time I go, I feel very blessed coming out of the building.

To be honest, the program we run is extremely amateurish, and even that is a generous comment. We are not good conversing with the senior citizens; we have lousy singing voices, and the games we play are often put together at the last minute. But every time we are there, we see how the old ladies and gentlemen would be greeting us with such joy. We can see that some of them really remember who we are, even if we only pay a visit every two months. This warms my heart.

Things have been very crazy at school lately. Work has been so hectic, I sometimes just do not consider myself having the time to go and make such a visit. But to come to think of it, if I cannot even spare two hours every two months to put a smile on the faces of some old and frail senior citizens, who may be very lonely and really in need of our company, then there is something terribly wrong with how I slot my time.

While I am never sure what I can bring to the senior citizens during such visits, I know, without the shadow of a doubt, that every time I visit them, they teach me so much about myself.

Looking forward to my next visit in May…

So Long...

While many people of Hong Kong descent are talking these days about the passing of Lydia Shum (Fei-Fei), I have a different eulogy to write…

This eulogy is written for one who did not even have a name, but he has been a family member for several years. It is written for a father, though he had never had the chance to see his sons and daughters grow up. It is written for a gracious king, though he never ruled any land. This eulogy is written for my angel fish, who died early this morning after a long battle with fin rot.

I have always loved angel fishes. They were elegant and gracious when I had them as a child. I had many of them while I was growing up in Hong Kong, and I continued to have them ever since I moved to Vancouver. But of all the angel fishes I had, this is a pretty special one. He was the only one that actually fathered several broods of babies. Together with mother angel fish, they patrolled the fish tank, and would chase away any wandering fish who got too close to the leaves to which their eggs were located (a case of external fertilization, people!). I also watched them move the eggs with their mouths from one leaf to another, in search of a leaf that is located at the best location in the tank.

He had survived many diseases in the tank. A scarred fin was the medal of honour he proudly wore for living through an epidemic that killed over half the lives of the tank… When one of his fellow angel died two weeks ago, I did not really have much concern for him – yes, he was sick, but he fed as excitedly as he had always been. I have long learned that as long as a fish still feeds normally, its overall health is all right.

But last week, his eating became laboured. The tail and fit rot worsened, and he began hiding at a corner, always a terrible sign. Last night, it was a struggle to watch him grasping for air, fighting for his last breath…

Thank you for the memories. Your surviving wife will undoubtedly feel lonely without you. Rest in peace.

You Have a Choice!

We had an interesting discussion today at "The Lunch Room" regarding student reaction when they feel they have been slighted.

One person shares his experience of being looked at in a disrespectful fashion. He said that his reaction is to say something sarcastic to shake the person off his back. And if the negative treatment continues, he will go and beat that person up.

Paul, the coordinator of the group, then asked a very thought-provoking question: what if the guy you beat up bring back five guys with sticks? "I play soccer, so I guess I can run pretty fast..." was the answer. In other words, this person would choose to flee the scene.

We went out of time, but I actually wanted to share about something that had happened to me:

A good friend of mine once started treating me very differently. He became cold, and when I tried to talk to him, I could tell he was dying to leave the conversation. Sometimes, he would even, knowingly or unknowingly, say something to me that was not nice, to say the least...

So naturally, I felt slighted. But interestingly, I chose to have a talk with this friend of mine. As it turned out, his cruel and cold reaction was because of an earlier incident where he felt betrayed by something I have said and done. It hurt him badly and damaged his faith in me as a friend, hence the distancing between him and me. When I realized that it was me who had wronged him in the first place, I apologized and explained to him what happened... and since then, we have been the best of friends.

You see, I had a choice. When I felt I was being slighted, I could have chosen to fight back. I could be even more mean to my friend to "punish" him for how he was treating me. But that would only reinforce the idea of me betraying his friendship. A good friendship that we had spent years building would be in ruins because of a simple misunderstanding, and who knows what else could have happened as our relationship becomes increasingly strained.

Bottom line is: you have a choice. You can choose to escalate a problem, or you can choose to face the problem, with the good will to resolve it.

What is your choice?