JoCharvel is on the move again

7 years ago today, an overnight bus from Union Station to New York and a transatlantic flight to Riga marked the beginning of Jocharvel's journey across Central and Eastern Europe, Balkans, Middle East, Central Asia, China and eventually to our present home in Hong Kong.

Living in Hong Kong has been a highlight in JoCharvel's quest for the fullest life - work had been experiential and rewarding, trips to southeast Asia had been plentiful and sensational, and the local Hong Kong life, taking the good with the bad, had been one of a kind like nowhere else.

We may even have packed a little too much in our life with Sofia and Aidan joining the JoCharvel family in 2016 and early 2019.

With the new arrivals to the family, we began to outgrow our little apartment here, and it is time to move. After some deliberation, it is obvious that we needed more than a bigger apartment at this stage.

So 7 years later today, we are getting ready to roll again. We will return across the pond again, to where we started and explore our life as a family of 4 in Toronto.

We look forward to our family and friends back home and a more family friendly life style.

Cebu, Philippines

A good friend's tropical island wedding in the Philippines gave us an opportunity to see the country that we would not otherwise visit on our own.

We know that the country offers spectacular scenery as much as its neighboring countries, but we just didn't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about it - perhaps because of the notorious corruption, precarious safety record, or maybe it is extremist making news kidnapping people. People from Hong Kong would not forget the hijacking incident many years ago, which took the lives of many Hong Kong tourists. The tragedy is a sobering reminder of the sloppy police and ignorant government in this country. So for Jocharvel, we always thought there are better places in southeast Asia for our tourist dollars.

Nonetheless, it is hard to say no to a beach wedding. We are indeed happy to be able to enjoy a get-away and to see a new place.

The short-trip was not particularly exciting, partly because of the unsettled weather. We spent a day driving in Bohol in the rain - saw the cute little chocolate hills; We ended up chit chatting a lot with our airbnb hosts David and Fiona; We were disappointed by our cancelled diving trip because of bad weather, but we did manage to soak up some precious sun on the incredibly fine sandy beach. The weather on the wedding day, however, was perfect, so on that front, at least the trip was not a total waste (very happy for Emma and Hansel).

As usual, the first thing we pay attention when we travel is the people. Filipinos are very chill (I wonder if they inherited this character from the spanish). Most of the people we interacted are very friendly and honest, and they are very happy people. In fact, the people are so sweet that we were reminded our time in Myanmar.

Unlike any of its neighbours, the country is predominately Catholic and has been a Spanish colony for a few centuries. The uniqueness in culture plus the irresistible tropical island setting should have been a bullet-proof formula for tourism success, and yet it doesn't seem to be the case, especially compared to regional champions like Thailand and Malaysia. In my opinion, besides the safety concerns, inadequate infrastructure and the lack-luster gastronomy scene are also kind of discouraging.

On the day we arrived, Jo and I spent about an hour strolling Cebu before our ferry to Bohol island. And we were engulfed in chaotic traffic and tumultuous jeepney and tricycles, along with the intoxicating fume. The city is lined with litter, and filthy sewage stagnates on the side of the streets. These reminded us the countries like Bolivia, Ecuador or Albania, but I thought the Philippines would be more developed. When Jo and I took the car to the country side, unpaved roads are common once we strayed from main roads. We are bewildered by the under-development of the country, considering it was one of the first countries to open up in the region.

While I can understand the infrastructure development takes time, especially for a country with numerous islands, the cuisine, or the lack of it, is really baffling. The most common good from what we saw are fried chicken and fried pork. Even the top rated restaurants boasting authentic local Filipino food turned out to be rather bland. We started to realize the reason why there are no foodie shows or celebrity chefs on TLC from this country. I guess if this country wants to up a notch in attracting tourists, investing in a few signature dishes may be a wise first step.

The Movie - “Ten Years“ / 十年

“Ten Years“ （Traditional Chinese Name: 十年 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Years_(film) ), a Hong Kong movie released in 2015 directed by Jevons Au, Kwun-wai Chow, Ng Ka-Leung, Kwok Zune, and Wong Fei-Pang. 

I have always thought Hong Kong people are never really that concerned about politic.  As long as there’s money to earn and a good living to be made, not a lot people care about it.  The past 4 years I lived in Hong Kong, the “Umbrella Revolution” (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-29407067) and Hong Kong Bookseller Lee Bo (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-35693759) happened making me and a lot of Hong Kong people become increasing concerned about the political situation in Hong Kong.

“Ten Years” did say some of what a lot of Hong Kong people feel about the political situation in Hong Kong and our despairs.  From a lot of angles, this movie, at least to me, is not amazing enough to title the Best Movie.  With such highly sensitive political content, I was expecting that the movie would not be able to air in China.  It is not surprising that China's state-run Global Times newspaper commented that the film as "totally absurd" and a "virus of the mind."

But what I did not expect is that it would be pulled from cinema in Hong Kong and it is only available in private cinemas.  I have never thought the censorship in China may one day happen in Hong Kong.

Chairman of the Hong Kong Movie Academy, Derek Yee Tung Sing, said at the Award he cannot find Presenter of the Best Movie so he has to do it himself because of what recently happened and Andrew Choi, Producer of “Ten Years”, in his thank-you speech thanks for the Academy to have the guts to give us this award.  What hammered it home is my husband’s comment “I wonder whether the movies produced or directed by Derek Sing will be banned in the future..”.

These adds up that the government has been pressuring the Academy and the Film industry – the freedom of speech.  I have been prepared that it would happen eventually I guess but have never thought it happen so soon.  Fuck the promise “50 years unchanged” stated in the Basic Law. What Hong Kong people fear the most is happening.  Something is inevitable.  I guess we know it but is it the right thing to accept it? 

It is interesting to live in such time in Hong Kong.  What the government do, how the Hong Kong people react and the situation in Hong Kong made me reflect and learn.  From my travel, I have envy people in countries that nurture their political point of view, having the intelligent and mind to speaks and have a view point of politic.  They seem so passionate about their view point and about their country while I feel nothing being born in a colonial city though raised in Canada later part of my life. 

Now I learn that not having a view point about politic perhaps because I was lucky that politic was not an issue as I was living a peaceful and abundant life where I was provided everything I needed in a safe society and being treated fairly with human right I deserved.

From Instagram nigelyau hashtags #十年 #publicspace #Cityisourplayground

A new path for JoCharvel in 2016

JoCharvel is venturing into uncharted territories in 2016! In around July, we will have a new addition to the family, and we will become parents!!!!

From now on, a new adventurer will be part of our journey, accompanying us on our quest of “living life to the fullest”! It sounds cheesy, but for real, this is the moment I feel that life is full of magic, and nothing is more magical than creating life. From confirming the news to sharing it; from reading about parenting to planning for the future, everything makes a memorable experience. And when that big day comes, chaos, sweat, sleepless nights, and I am sure tremendous joy, fear and anxiety, would overwhelm us. But hey, that’s life, and that’s what JoCharvel live to experience.

We are ready for the responsibilities. At the same time, we are also ready to take this little adventurer on our back to see this awesome world!  

Classic Tourist Conundrum - Sapa, Vietnam

(Him: Charlie)

Sapa is an amazing place! The endless rice terraces canvassing the mountain slopes have transformed the otherwise ordinary valley into a breathtaking man-made wonder.

We took part in a two-day tour to the Muong Hoa Valley near Sapa and tribal villages in the surrounding area, I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek into the life of a Hmong family.

Hosting us at the Waterfall Homestay was Su, a member of the Hmong ethnic tribe in Giang Ta Chai village. The village is idyllic - children play in the muddy rice fields or catch fish in the river, livestock and baffalos wander aimlessly on village streets, elderly chit-chat under bamboo trees while sewing traditional dresses. The serenity is exactly the reward we needed to rest our worked up souls.

Su and her family live in a rustic house next to rice terrace, overlooking the river. The house itself is very simple with virtually no furniture - it takes "simple" to its most basic form. The only appliances, the fridge and hot water tank, are most likely added to service the tourists. Su's family has traditionally relied on the rice fields for their own food and rarely sell for money (I suspect there isn't much of a surplus anyway as crops only grow one round per year in this region due to high altitude). The tribal people have always managed to be self-sufficient, as they live off the mountains for firewood, water and food. They even sew their own traditional dresses every year. Once in a while, they would make a trip to town to buy essential items such as salt or tools. For generations, time seems to have stopped in the village.

Compared to the outside world, the villages in Sapa is severely under-developed. From an economics perspective, the tribal people and their society generate tremendously slow growth as they have very little surplus. So maybe it does make sense to bring in tourism to increase their revenue and to spur better economic growth so their life can be improved.

Or, does it? After years of tourism influence, the "development" has begun to take its toll on the local culture. A couple of Canadian travelers we met on the train told us that their group in Sapa consisted of 10 people and the homestay during their visit housed 20 people. The tourists were able to "enjoy" WiFi at the homestay and a bar in the village. What an authentic experience! Jo and I were lucky that our visit was a very pleasant and authentic one, but even Su also has her plan to expand her house to host up to 20 people.

Hosting more people will certainly boost income, but it is also the fastest way to change cultures. As the local community becomes heavily reliant on tourism income, things will never be the same! As a traveler puts it, “Sapa is changing fast, and the next generation will probably not be able to see the authenticity. So here comes the classic tourist conundrum – we often like to travel off the beaten track, but we are also at the forefront of making culture changes, particularly to places that are vulnerable to outside influence. The more we visit these places, the faster they will lose their characteristics and individualities. Alas… what to do? 

 Children selling souvenirs to tourists

Tribal women selling hand-made traditional cloth pieces

What's the difference between third orld and first world?

Street life of Hanoi reminds me a lot of the Hong Kong from my childhood - the street vendors with delicious speciality sometimes appreciated only by the locals, neighborhs gathering randomly on the streets sitting on small plastic chairs chit-chatting with a fan in their hands, and neighbors run into each other on the street, stopped, and catching up with each others.  There was always time to talk to others and offer a helping hand to others.  Food stall owners knows you by name and know exactly what to serve you as soon as you sit down.  Doors was always open for my playmates of next doors at my grandma's.  I can go in and out of my neighbor's house and have meals with their family needing no prearrangements.  It is expected to take care each others it seems without anyone saying out loud.  The sense of community was very strong.

At Sapa, the lady at our homestay asked me, 'you don't know your neighbor 10 feet away from you? Not even one?'  She was astonished and unbelievable that we people from so call first world country doesn't know our neighbor, let alone having a relationship with them like the Sapa people do.  It is natural for people in Sapa to help each other.  During rice planting or harvesting seasons, the community first help the elderly at their land before they do their own.  All neighbor help each other to finish their land.  There seems to have you mind your own business. 

Life in Singapore so far - 2 weeks

(Him: Charlie)

First time in Singapore… I have been planning to visit Singapore on a weekend-getaway type trip, but the plan of a 3-day trip turned into a 3-month long project assignment. How wonderful!

While the primary reason I am here is to help out the project, I will definitely take the opportunity to explore the city, and given the length of the stay, I will delve into the Singaporean society and the experience life in this city state.

Expectation: Singapore has been known for its spotless garden cityscape, tough government with strict rules and harsh punishment. Reading up the internet before coming only made me more scared, and I actually took out a pack of gum from my pack to avoid any potential trouble.

On arrival, the city does appear to be neat and orderly, but it’s not excessive. Unlike HK, where greeneries are left on the mountain slopes, the Singaporean city planners made sure trees and shrubs are ubiquitous in the city – along city streets, surrounding properties, and even on building walls.

The first two weeks at work has been quite busy. I am surprised that I got my hands full only a few days into it. The joint-venture office where I work comprises of people from three engineering companies, which are supposedly competitors. The diversity of people in the office is just amazing, with engineers from North America, Europe, Australia, and of course local Singaporeans and Malaysians. We are all drawn here to work on the same project, so it’s a beautiful experience to meet so many new friends!

My serviced apartment is in a pretty fancy neighbourhood (River Valley, this is also where Lee Kuan Yew lives!!), but the traffic connection is not as convenient as it should be. To get to work, I would need to take a bus. But the problem is that not only the bus route is convoluted, the bus stops are excessively frequent! So the short distance to and from work (4km by the shortest route) would take over half an hour! Not impressed, so much so that I bought a bike last Wednesday, and started to bike to work!

Having a bike allows me to venture out from my area for further exploration, but I have to say this country is not cyclist-friendly at all! There are practically no bike lanes in my area, so riding alongside traffic is my only choice!

One thing that constantly caught my attention is the eye-catching architecture of private condos. You don’t really see this kind of gleaming, lavish looking, cool residential building in Canada or HK, but they are everywhere here. Apparently, this is one of the selling points that private developers use to attract potential buyers. Since 80% of Singaporeans live in Housing Development Board (HDB) buildings, private developers must work really hard to create the aspirations for people to want to own private condos.

Interface 

Tree House

Orchard Residence

Park Royal on Pickering (It’s actually a hotel)

AECOM SG Office

The other thing that is hilarious in Singapore is its unique language, Singlish. People here all speak with the same accent, be it Chinese, Malay and even Indians! It is just weird to hear an Indian speaking Singlish with the sentences ending in Chinese tones such as “la and ma”. I used to think Singlish is just English with a peculiar tone, but it turns out that it’s WAY more complicated than that. It is actually classified as an English Creole, which has been strongly influenced by various dialects of Chinese, Malay and even Tamil. I was astonished last week at a meeting when I was only able to catch 70% of what the plant operator was saying!!!