2017 in Review

In a few days we will welcome 2018. I took some time to reflect back on this soon-to-pass year. Vancouver was in the midst of the coldest and snowiest winter in many decades when the year started. I seemed to be shoveling snow every day. The weather was headlined frequently. Then DJT became the President of USA. Everyone was talking about this controversial figure. I got caught in the anti-Trump frenzy, and took part in the peaceful protest when Trump Tower Hotel had a grand opening in downtown. I wrote on my sign "NO room for TRUMP in Vancouver".

Vancouver, Canada

I made friends with two elderly gentlemen who were actively trading in the stock markets around that time. My weekday routine was to wake up at 6 am and monitor the NYSE and TSE for 7 hours. Though I did not become a day trader, I did make some money from this newly adopted routine in the first quarter, and my days were not monotonous at all. I was happy to hone my stock analysis skills which I acquired some 25 years ago when I was undertaking an MBA program at University of Toronto. I derived more joy from being proven right about my prediction of how the markets would react than from the monetary gain. When I was wrong, I learned how to remain calm and re-evaluate. When things were tallied up at the end of March, I came out a winner in every way. Who knows stock markets can enhance my personal growth?

Because my current passport expires January 12, 2018, I had to travel during the warmer months this time around. My six-month journey started in Astana, Kazakhstan on April 5th, and would end in Venice, Italy on October 2nd. Although I did not have a fixed schedule for my journey, Ramadan somehow determined the timeline how much time I would spend in Central Asia, Lower Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia) and Turkey. Because Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey are Muslim countries, I thought I would travel in the Lower Caucasus region during Ramadan.

Turkistan, Kazakhstan

Zvartnots, Armenia

Edirne, Turkey

I had less than three months to visit ten countries in the Balkans following Turkey. I had to zig-zag across the Balkans during July and August because all the coastal cities were bursting with tourists and beach goers. Accommodation was very difficult to find before school year commenced. It was in Medjugorye, BiH that I was once again drawn closer to my Maker. I might not have seen Our Lady; however, it was a reaffirming spiritual experience. All in all, my Marco Polo journey is the most successful among all my six-month journeys so far.

Overview of Medjugorye, BiH from Cross Mountain

When I returned to Vancouver in early October, it took me a long time to find a place to stay until I would hit the road again next fall. The housing crisis in Vancouver was just getting worse each time I return to Canada from my six-month journey. The social fabric has changed substantially in recent years as Canada relaxes its immigration policies and rules. The last time that I went to the provincial capital, Victoria was in 2004. So I thought I would visit Victoria for a few days when house-hunting in Vancouver was not going well. The housing situation in Victoria is not much better but my visit was rather pleasant. I even got into the Royal Museum with a senior's discount. LOL

Victoria, BC, Canada

I strive to lead a simple life and to make a difference in people's lives regardless of where I reside. Without the burden of a family or dependents, I feel completely free to explore options that are available to me. I am content, happy and healthy. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."

De-cluttering a Lifetime of False Beliefs

A while back I started a project of decluttering my dwelling. The purging process took place gradually over a period of approximately five years. Sometimes it was very painful because I had attachment issues to many items. The problems stemmed mainly from the fact that I either paid a lot of money for these items or they have high sentimental values. I still have about 125 cubic feet of stuff locked away in a storage facility. My plan is to clear out my locker before my next journey in about ten months. I foresee it to be the most challenging task for me so far. I have to let go of the past and prepare myself psychologically to achieve this goal.

I own clothing that can last me several lifetimes and with a wide size spectrum. My weight yo-yo'ed over the years. Occasionally I was able to "recycle" my plus-sized clothes in the past three decades. Moreover, I never got back to my smallest dress size. I oddly remember a conversation that I had with one of my favourite professors. He told me that we would only get bigger as we age. Had I paid heed to his comment, I would have given away all the smaller clothes at any one time. For the most part, I owned too much clothing because I could not wear all my clothes in one laundry period.

My former neighbour is also a world traveler. He never took any pictures in his travels. Amazingly he remembers the places that he visited very well without any photos, keepsakes or souvenirs. With the advent of digital photography and online storage, now I just have the keepsake albums, old scrapbooks and old photo albums to deal with. These days whenever I have an urge to buy souvenirs, an image of my packed locker would just pop up in my mind. I purchase souvenirs only to give them away as gifts. There is no greater souvenir than being in a certain place at a particular point in time.

In most cultures, more is better. If I ask young people how many cellphones they have possessed in the past five years, most would answer five to seven. The same goes for computers, cars, shoes, furniture, household items and small appliances. Recently I stayed with a widower friend of mine while waiting for my new rental place to be ready for move-in, I observed that he has two smartphones, two laptops, two monitors, one pad and numerous computer accessories in his home. His kitchen cupboards are full of expired dried and canned food. Only if I could persuade him to donate the extra electronic equipment to developing countries and the expired food to a local Food Bank, someone in the developing world could be educated and persons living below poverty line in Vancouver could be fed.

Armed with this new mindset, I will proceed with the final stages of the purging process to clear out my locker for the past four years.

Freedom 55

"Freedom 55" is a term that London Life Insurance used for their marketing campaign many years ago. Back in the 1990's, I used to work in an insurance-related industry, and I took evening courses to become an insurance broker. It did not work out, and I never became a licensed insurance broker. Moreover, I did learn some important concepts during that episode of my life. One of them is that we should save as much as we can when we are working. Do not squander on material things such as designer clothes, expensive cars or eating out regularly. Spend money wisely on experiences that would open your mind and eyes. More often than not, we get sucked into unnecessary competitions that would drain our resources and energy.

Freedom is defined as the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. I grew up in a very conservative Chinese Catholic family. My parents and teachers taught me discipline, traditional values and morals. But at the same time, I was imprisoned in an archaic, restrictive frame of thinking. The invisible shackles had greatly altered the course of my life. I had always worked hard and not indulged in physical pleasures. Being independent and free translates to not relying on luck or someone else to make things right for me. I do not have to ask permission from my parents to do anything anymore because they have disowned me. I do not have to worry about any dependants because I do not have any offspring or even a pet. I am not tied down by fixed assets either because I do not own any. As the Protestant Christians would say, I am also "departure ready".

Today I turn 55. I reflect back on the treacherous journey that took me to where I am now. From being made to feel like a failure by my family, peers and bosses to shrugging off the hiccups along the way and moving on, it has been a continuous series of disappointments, struggles and failed attempts. Many would have turned into bitter beings who would not have the courage to try new experiences. I am grateful that I did not. I still believe in miracles and try out new things. The sense of optimism revives my spirit and provides me the power to carry on until my expiry date. I have learned to give every challenge my best shot and then leave it in God's hands. If it is not meant to happen, it will not happen. If it is in God's plans, it will happen regardless of my input and I cannot avoid it.

And that is my definition of Freedom 55.

A Successful Life

How do you define a successful life? The Merriam Webster dictionary has this definition; "...having gotten or achieved wealth, respect, or fame" or "having the correct or desired result...". I beg to differ. 

A few days ago, I watched a documentary about Warren Buffet. I did not know who he is until mid-1994 during a job interview. At age 86, Mr. Buffet still goes to work everyday and does what he is passionate about, much like the way he has been working for the past six and a half decades. He is one of the Top 5 wealthiest people in the world for many years. Last year he donated $2.86 billion USD to charity. As far as I could tell, he is as at ease with himself, and being content with every aspect of his life. Mr. Buffet is the textbook example of leading a successful life by "having achieved wealth, respect, or fame."

Another successful person that comes to mind is that of Saint Teresa of Kolkata. I visited the Mother House in 2003, and it is just a modest dwelling place for Catholic nuns of her order. Missionaries of Charity was founded by Mother Teresa in 1950. This saintly woman had no more than 3 saris and a pair of sandals in her possession when she was alive. Moreover, she made a difference in millions of lives with her dedication of serving the poorest of the poor. She led a successful life by "having the correct or desired result".

Yesterday I watched a video clip about the 25 most influential people in history based on a study conducted by MIT. Even though many great scientists and engineers made it to the Top 25 list, the No. 1 most influential person in history is Aristotle. To be quite honest, I was a bit surprised at first. How could a Greek philosopher from 4th Century B.C. beat all his fabulous contemporaries? We don't even have a tangible object that would remind us of him. I then realize that he definitely altered the way that future generations thought and reasoned. Alexander the Great, who was the greatest conqueror, was his pupil. His philosophies and teachings were spread over several continents some 2400 years ago.

Warren Buffet, Mother Teresa and Aristotle have one thing in common. They all followed their hearts and dedicated their entire lives doing what they loved to do. Whatever good (wealth, respect, fame, influence, etc.) came out of their successful lives seemed almost secondary to the joy that radiated from them.

The Silent Struggle

It is always difficult to tell others that we have health issues, even more so when it comes to mental health issues. As with physical health challenges, there are various types and degrees of severity of psychological disorders. Before reaching adulthood, most of us would have gone through numerous episodes of mental health challenges. Common forms of mental illness include eating disorders, addiction disorders, panic attacks, anxiety disorders, depression, mood disorders, ADHD and the list goes on. The more severe forms would be neurosis, psychosis and schizophrenia, etc.

According to medicinenet.com, "... although the exact cause of most mental illnesses is not known, it is becoming clear through research that many of these conditions are caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors -- not personal weakness or a character defect -- and recovery from a mental illness is not simply a matter of will and self-discipline." We can recover from mental illness with proper treatment, and can control the symptoms. However, the general attitude towards mental illness is that it is incurable. We tend to ignore and/or avoid people with mental health challenges as if they have a contagious disease.

Unfortunately we also associate mental illness with low intellectual and cognitive capability. Our society has excluded, discriminated and marginalized people with mental health issues. A few days ago, I was sitting on a bus next to an elderly man who was on his way to visit his wife in a long term care facility. That has been morning routine for the past four years. He told me that ever since she was diagnosed with dementia, her friends had been dropping off like flies. Sadly, some of these friends are people that his wife has known for over six decades. 

"We need to change the culture of this topic and make it okay to speak about mental health and suicide." Do not turn a deaf ear to the problem. Ask what we can do to alleviate the suffering. We can make a big difference by smiling at and listening to the people with mental difficulties. 

From Canada With Love

Dear Neighbours:

Your have a new boss in White House now. I listened attentively to his seventeen minute speech after he took the Oath of office, and I took notes. I am glad that President Trump openly made promises to improve the quality of life for the regular folk and to let the government be controlled by the people again. "You will never be ignored again," he said. He promised great schools, great jobs and safe neighbourhoods. He would endeavor to make U.S.A. strong, wealthy, proud, safe again, and most of all, GREAT again.

He outlined how he was going to rebuild your country. President Trump encouraged Americans to think big and dream big. He said that you should open your heart and be patriotic. He stated that racial prejudice would not exist if American people are patriotic. However, I cannot see the connection between patriotism and the eradication of racial prejudice. I wish he had explained this statement in greater detail. Maybe the other culturally diverse societies can learn from him the methodology to resolve the complex issue of inter-racial conflicts.

A new vision was brought forth - AMERICA FIRST. Your great leader commanded you to buy only American goods and employ only American labour. Funds will be spent on new infrastructure all across your country. The borders are going to be better defended. More money will be spent to improve American military. President Trump is well known for his ability to raise funds. I pray that he is going to shine in increasing the 365 trillion USD debt your country already has. "The hour of action arrives!"

Further to the claim that "Protection leads to Prosperity", the new boss also called for "the carnage of crime and drugs to stop right here and right now". Many years ago when Rudy Giuliani was the Mayor of New York City, he managed to clean Manhattan up by painting over the graffiti, and keeping the streets clean. Maybe Mr. Giuliani is assigned this task. Moreover, I am not sure how he is going to complete the assignment on a much larger scale.

Lastly and most importantly, President Trump expressed that USA would only make alliances with selective countries from now on. He emphasized that "America will win again." He alone would determine the course of U.S.A. and the world. To be egocentrically nationalistic is one thing but to claim that he would determine the course of the world is absolutely outrageous, especially when he also said that he would "...unite the civilized world to fight against ISIS".

My beloved brothers and sisters, I was very disturbed by President Trump's inaugural address. I have been praying for you all to persevere and hold your government accountable for the forthcoming "actions". God Bless America.

Sincerely,
Your Canadian Neighbour

Chip On Hand?

A few years ago, my friend volunteered in the annual headcount of homeless people in the City of Vancouver. Afterwards, she commented how much resources were needed to conduct the survey each year because homeless people are transient by nature. I jokingly replied that maybe the provincial government should consider implanting a chip on each of the chronic social benefit recipients who do not have fixed addresses. My friend gave me a dirty look, and said that my suggestion would be opposed by the human rights advocates. Back in those days, only wildlife rescue teams would tag recovered animals before releasing them back to the wilderness.

Yesterday I came across a documentary exploring issues around RFID chip implants in humans. Apparently a number of bio-hackers already had RFID chips implanted on themselves and other related people. The RFID chip is approximately the size as a grain of rice. Usually the chips are implanted on the back of hands. Some wealthy individuals also had the chip implants for the sake of convenience or as a life-saving measure in case of medical emergency.

I could not see how this could become a fad in the near future. Most people value their privacy and security too much to even ponder trying this kind of technology out. Imagine upon entering a store, they are greeted by a synthesizer voice that tells them which of their favourite brands are on sale at the moment. They no longer would have to go through checkouts to pay for their purchases. Should they be checked into an Emergency Department of a hospital, the medical team would have their medical history in a few seconds by accessing their file identified by a 16-digit number transmitted by their implanted RFID chips.

The video then made a religious argument that believers would not let such chips be implanted in their body, quoting Revelation 13:16-17, King James Version Bible. 'In Christianity, some believe the implantation of chips may be the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Mark of the Beast, said to be a requirement for buying and selling, and a key element of the Book of Revelation. "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name".'

Coupled with GPS, RFID chips could be a money-saving measure to replace low-security prisons. Another concern is where the database should be stored. Like everything else in life, RFID chip implants have pros and cons. Perhaps it is too early to have an answer to the question, "Chip on hand?"