The Modern Equivalent of Posting on the Refrigerator

"Hi Beth,

Comments on your oral exam - speech on 10 July 2007:

Beth has demonstrated persistence and great effort in learning Putonghua.
Beth is very interested in learning Chinese culture and pratice the language
when she travelling to China. She is a keen learner and try very best to
attend the class, she also actively participate class activities. Her oral
exam was excellent in organizing thoughts/ideas and put them into menaingful
Chinese expression. She exceeded my expectaion as an English speaker at this
level. Overall, she is very hardworking and committed student. I really
appeciate her effort and learning attitude.

Warm regards"

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, yesterday was my birthday.  I am 29 now and have begun the dreaded countown to 30.  How can I be almost that old?  You know how in 1999 all those know-it-alls loved to state that the millenium doesn't start until 2001, not 2000?  Well, I'm going to claim that I'm not in my thirties until I'm 31.  30 will be my "transitional year."  No longer a young punk, not quite a mature adult.

Beth did a great job helping me feel special on my day.  Sorry, we don't have any pictures to share.  We forgot to bring the camera along on our celebrations.  We both worked yesterday and went out to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.  Despite the fact that we knew there were several Outback's in Hong Kong, we have never been to one here, so that made it a more special treat.  We gorged ourselves with Aussie Cheese fries, a Bloomin' Onion, a 14oz steak (me) and caeser salad (beth) and of course several tropical drinks.  Somehow, we managed to squeeze ourselves out of the booth and roll towards a taxi to get home.  I say, it's not your birthday unless you eat 'till it hurts!

We get home to discover that Beth had come home in the middle of the day to bring in birthday balloons, Godiva truffles, champagne and other decorations.  She outdid me once again!

For my present, my lovely wife bought me a nice watch from amazon.com  It's a solar-powered watch that you can use scuba diving.  Water resistant to 200 meters and has a depth sensor to record how deep under water you are.  I don't have it yet, because we had it shipped to my parent's house.  We'll pick it up when we visit washington in a couple of weeks.

Thanks Beth!

No fireworks here

No, we don't get off work for the 4th of July in Hong Kong. I'd imagine we'll get this as soon as Chinese-americans get a week off for Chinese New Year!

But, most importantly...Happy Birthday, Bethany! :)