Mid Autumn Festival

Remember, Honey

Its a very beautiful evening that we used to share

The ocean is still

But you are not

Tell me

Whether you are happy some where

In Heaven

Hong Kong, Hong Kong...

I lived in Hong Kong since the very first day of July of 1978. I migrated from Xiamen to Hong Kong with my mum and my younger brother while my papa had been already be there for more than three years.

I studied in Hong Kong and grew up in Hong Kong. Be honest, it is the most favour city that I wish to live. Unfortunately, it would be hand over to China on 1st July of 1997. Due to this special reason, like many Hong Kong people, I choose to migrate again!

I have no intention to go Singapore, in fact, my planning was go to the States, further studies and then living there. It's a big pity that my parents could not speak English and forced me to go Singapore instead. They brought me a lot of troubles by crying to the relatives until I agreed with them.

Yet, I left Hong Kong by end June of 1995, and obtained my citizenship in March of 1998 as a Singaporean.

However, I spent quite some time in Hong Kong in my very first six to seven years after immigration. My Hong Kong apartment was still there and I went home time to time, almost every month. I love the living style, and the very good food there. For me, I found Hong Kong as 'my second homeland'.

......

I had not been there since 12Jan of last year because of my accident and badly hurted, until early this month. Though it was only 7days long, I enjoyed every moment I was in Hong Kong again. My favourite food, market, shopping, walking around etc. The only pity was that I found Hong Kong full of Chinese, from mainland China. So, I hard to listen to Cantonese, but Mandarin. Many shops and department stores I visited a lot in the past disappeared, and a lot of small shops selling very poor designed, poor quality, but very cheap clothes newly openned.

Yet, things changed as time goes by. So, Hong Kong changed, in the past 15years and changed even fast in the past 1year and seven months since my previous visit. It is, and forever, no longer my Hong Kong, the place I love so much and familiar to once upon the time in my life.

Secret of my destiny

When I was 25, lucky teller told me that I deemed to be a boss!

Yes, I set up my business since I was 23. Although I look for an opportunity to work for the others, but would never be long.

When I graduated from post-secondary, I had my first job working for an exhibition company as "Project & Research Office". I have no manager but directly reported to the General Manager and took care for my fellow staff. It had been ended in about 3months plus. After then, I joined a trading company in pharmaceutical field. My performance was good; however, my boss decided to immigrate to UK and sold his company to Austrian. Therefore, I decided to found a company for my own. I was 23, with 1year and six months working experience and my pocket was empty. No supporting from my families. My father said that everybody would be Li Jia Cheng (the most rich person in Hong Kong) if I got success.

I started as an indent agent, buying and selling the contract. Before 28, I firstly invested in China to found a Joint-Venture with Chinese. The factory became 100% subsidiary of My Hong Kong Company then, but closed when I was 35. I founded my second factory one year before the old factory closed, and spent 10years time in planning, fund raising, and structuring, constructing and initiating production. Unfortunately, my partners, those Investors, broke the contract and lead company cash flow broken. After over a year hard working and struggling, I almost obtained the fund from Japanese Venture Capital. It was sad that the global financial crisis happened just before we signed the Investment Agreement. My dream broke. My husband could not stand against the truth of business failure and ended his so young and beautiful life. I became a widow.

Two months and two days after my husband's death, another unexpected challenge happened to me. My staff was so stupid to drive without license and result in my badly hurt owning to their being 'so kind to take care for me'.

My backbone broke, and my body was badly hurt. They were scare to go jail; so, they run away when I was unconsciousness. The temperature was less than zero degree C along the Yangzi River side, and I almost dead as I could not move and stayed in my car alone. I woke up one hour after, tried all the way to move my body, but my head was under the seat next to the driver while my foot were on the seat. It was totally impossible for me to get out the car with my broken backbone. I called for help 5hours after waking up when somebody passing the car and be sent to hospital and had my first surgery 10hours after the accident. Four days after, a second surgery on my backbone followed. One year and a month, the third surgery carried out to take out the screws fixed my bone.

My second factory forced to close down again as I was no longer be able to manage it and the bank insisted to have their loan back. I had no option, but home to Singapore.

Now, the accident passed 1year and 4months plus. I started to look for a job in pharmaceutical field. I have very good and sounded experience, unfortunately, being a MBA and with 23years working experience as a CEO of the Company, all my applications are without any feedback. I wonder if there is any HR brave enough to employ me.

Life is moving ahead and I am always thinking what lucky teller used to tell me. Maybe, I am born to be a boss. If it is true, then, I ought to work for myself.

All about Xiamen, my grandpapa con't

Grandpapa had no teacher at the very first beginning when he started to be interested in printing. It was at his childhood. One day, he found a printing guide book from the drawers of his father's coffin, he was exciting and drew on the ground. Day by day, his drawing improved a lot and he started to draw on the paper...

Lotus was my grandpapa's favourite. The picture above was a product my grandpapa drew for my younger brother twenty to thirty years ago. It kept by my mum.

All about Xiamen, my grandpapa con't

My grandpapa's father passed away when he was 10months old, back to Oct of 1919. His mother was young, only 21years old. Like most of the widows in that time in mainland China, she did not get marry again for her whole life. She adopted two girls, one a year elder than my grandpapa and the other a year younger. From then on, she worked very hard at home to grow up all her kids.

My grandpapa did not disappoint his mum. He had big success in his life and 'shined the door' of the family.

All about Xiamen, my grandpapa

My grandpapa, sir Zhang Ren Xi, was a very famours artist in Xiamen. He used to have his personal Chinese printing shows in Taiwan, Singapore and San Francisco of the States.

People might hard to believe that his education background was so week, had only two years formal education in the school and all the rest was by self-study. Yet, he had good talent, plus hard working for his whole life.

All about Xiamen, my sweet homeland

Have you even been in China?

Yes, that is a big country, full of potential. It is beautiful. But, where I want to introduce to you is not Olympic Beijing, nor Expo Shanghai. I would like to introduce somewhere new to you, especially for those who have never been in China. It is my sweet homeland, Xiamen.

Xiamen is a beautiful city located in South-East of mainland China, just opposite to Taiwan. In history, it used to be named as Amoy. Still, there are many roads in Hong Kong, Singapore and etc name as Amoy Street, Amoy Road.

Yet, it was originally an island. However, back to last century, when the bridges linked up both Xiamen island and the mainland, it became a peninsula. Xiamen island was small, with a total area of 135 sq.Km. Opposite to it, there is an even small island, with an area of just 1.91sq.Km, named Gu Lang Yu. From the photo above, you can see Xiamen on your right hand side, while Gu Lang Yu in your left hand side.

For more stories, please wait to be continued.

A New Start

Life is short, and tough!

This photo is fresh new, taking on the restaurent where I used to be familiar some day in the past. However, it has been shutted down. It would open again soon, however, with different owner, different style, different visitors too.

I loss everything, almost including my life, in year 2009. Now, I am stepping out from the awful past and looking for a new start and bright future. So, let me record it, record every step I make further.

Cheers! Take care for your every step and be happy!