Case Family in Hong Kong

The spring semester begins on January 31st. The picture above is a photo of our management class last semester. Last semester I had a courses on research methods in organizational science, consumer psychology and the reform of the legal system in China. I had no background in any of the subjects so I learned bunches. I wanted to share some reflections on last semester. I usually enroll for one extra course and drop the most difficult or any that have professors I will have difficulty learning from, and this was a smart decision last semester as it helped me to avoid one class that would have been a bear. Generally the classes are small and all the professors knew my name; not completely different from the States, but maybe a bit more hospitable here. The quality of education is on par with, if not above, that in the States, without the egos. All the professors here have graduated from universities that I wouldn’t even be able to get into in the State; ie. Stanford, Indiana, Texas etc. Almost all the other students are using their 2nd or 3rd language and the classes are almost all taught in English, lucky for me, but outside of class you’re more likely to hear mandarin or cantonese spoken over english. During the semester we host top management researchers from around the world in to give seminars and workshops on their current work. Last semester we had professors from Ohio State, Tulane, Brigham Young, England (a few), Singapore and Hong Kong.

Overall the work load was very difficult, I usually spent up to 8 hours a day during the week preparing for class (reading, writing, summarizing, theorizing, critiquing). You’re learning how to do good “research” as much as you’re learning a field. The standard vernacular consists of anomalies, paradoxes, conundrums, constructs, models, frameworks, variables, relationships, causality, mediators, moderators, theories, hypotheses, datasets, correlations, significance etc. The main performance measure in the field of management research is publication in top tier journal so the saying is “publish or perish”. Writing skills are very important and I still have long way to go. Analytical skills are also very important in that the large majority of work published is based on empirical findings (not case studies), so it’s important to learn how to work with datasets and to run statistical analyses (using software packages) to prove or reject the validity of hypothesized relationships. This semester I will be taking classes on organizational theory, experimental design, and empirical analysis. As I look back on the first semester I think of the saying, “the more you learn, the more you realize that you don’t know.”

Jason

I just want to thank you for visiting our site.  We have had some wonderfully encouraging contacts and emails the past few weeks and look forward to hearing from more of you.  Ok, where to begin?  During the break we have visiting professors in to discuss their current research, and last week we had a professor in from Ohio State to discuss cultural distance.  This is really beside the point so I’ll cut to the chase, as we were mingling before the start of the seminar, Chinese New Year must have come up at least 3 times in the span of 10 minutes.  This leads me to the realization that it is by far the biggest holiday over here and we really have nothing to compare it to in the States (it lasts for like 15 days).  So Chinese traditional music is playing in all the malls and many public spaces and pictures of rats, cute cuddly cartoon ones, are going up everywhere - (this is the year of the “Rat”), oh and Ratatouille is huge of course (that was marketing genius if they purposely rolled it out right before the year of the “Rat”), and everyone is making plans to head home. 

I have a quick anecdote that we found particularly amusing or disturbing (depending on your point of view).  At church last week our pastor shared a news article that documented the extent that people go to in order to make it home for the holidays.  A photo showed a picture of a guy being shoved into a train window in order to get in, and the gist of the story is that with a couple hundred million people trying to get home for the holidays the trains are so crammed that people buy adult diapers sold by hawkers at the train stations because even if they get on the train they know they aren’t going to be able to move, nevermind the people sitting and sleeping in the bathrooms.  All I can say is too much information and shoo wee, Melanie, with her sense of smell like a hound dog would never make it, and me with my claustrophobia would lose my mind before I ever had an opportunity to experience the aromas.  Anyway, all that to say that things should be interesting, maybe I’ll try to post a slideshow of decorations, parades and festivals if we’re able to hit any.  So right now familywise, we’re coming off a really restful week, thankfully so, being that we’ve all been a bit under the weather.  The trees are dropping leaves and the temperature has been down in the 50s so the weather has been wreaking havoc on our sinuses.  I just received my final grade from my 1st semester and suffice to say the 1st semester was a smashing success!!!  As I’ve enrolled for classes for the spring semester I expect another tough and challenging semester, its already starting to stress me out, I think I may have set the bar too high from my 1st semester.  I hope to share some thoughts about the pursuit of a PhD in an upcoming post.  We also plan to send out and post a prayer letter soon. 

May God bless you,

Jason on behalf of the Cases

So, as many of you realize, I turned one-year-old about a month and a half ago.  The birthday was fun stuff…can’t wait until next year’s cake–I mean, birthday!  Anyway, as you all know, the one-year marker means a doctor’s appointment and that means imminization time!  So, mom had been asking around for a few months, gearing up for the big doctor’s visit, and had heard from some other moms that the local public healthcare was actually quite good and, best of all–free!  So, we checked it out and, for the first time, gave the public clinic thing a shot.  (no pun intended!)

Let’s start with our arrival at the clinic.  We had an appointment for 3:00pm; we left early, at around 2:30pm, thinking that the clinic was just a short distance (one MTR stop away and a short walk after that).  We got on the train, and off again within minutes, and then started to try and locate the road on a local station map…..couldn’t find it.  Finally, mommy decided to call the clinic, as our appoinment time was inching closer all the time.  So, she finally got someone on the phone…and then–3 people and about 5 minutes later–spoke to someone who could acually converse in English who told her that we were at the wrong MTR station and would need to get back on the train or take a taxi there!  What?!!  I was beginning to get a bit ansy and impatient (but daddy ensured me that this would be a good time to develop my patience, so I though, what the heck, I’ll comply.)  So, my somewhat frazzled and frustrated parents and I  got back on the train, only to get off at our own MTR station (located right by our house!)–where we had originated only  20 minutes before!  We then caught a mini-bus (which meant that I got to get out of my stroller–yeah!) and got off at the Tseung Kwan O Hospital.  We darted in and went upstairs to the outpatient clinic, where the lady who mommy spoke to on the phone had instructed her to go–she thought.  Anyway, they were clueless as to what we were looking for, and so we kept on searching.  Before I knew it, mommy had the cell phone out again–( I was thinking maybe she was going to let me play with it a bit, but no….she was making another call to the clinic.)  She spoke to about 3 people again before someone understood her; this time they instructed her to leave the hospital and assured her that the clinic was located just across the street somewhere…”just ask the people on the street”, the secretary said.  Anyway, finally, we found it. 

It was about 3:30pm when we walked through the door and into the massive waiting area where we talked to one of the ladies at the check in desk (which had about 15 people working in it at various stations).  By this time I was glad we’d arrived and all, but come on, I’d missed my morning nap, and hadn’t had much of a snack…and I’m one, right…so, give me a break already and get me the heck out of this stroller!  Mom went on to get me checked in, and after talking to several of the women working there, got me registered and got a number—-we were number 96, and I cannot begin to guess how many parents and babies were in that massive waiting room (I can barely count, you know).  Anyway, it was a bunch.  There were babies everywhere!  We sat and waited a while when they directed us to the weighing and measuring station room.  It was really warm in there–I think because they strip you down to nearly nothing in there, so they don’t want you to freeze and all.  Anyway, mom and dad took off my duds’ and sat me on this scale that read 9.75 k (that is 21.5 lbs.) and then they laid me down on this table with my head against this thing, and the lady stretched my legs out, as if I were made of taffy or something, supposedly to measure me–but, come on, can’t you people thing of better ways to do such things?!)  Anyway, I suppose I measured 75.5 cm in length (that is 29.7 in).  Then they got me all dressed again.  And I was just getting used to the whole naked thing. 

We then found a cozy spot in the waiting room and sat down.  A nice lady (who actually lives in our building) was there with her baby, and I enjoyed playing with this little Hello Kitty toy on her stroller; she took it of and gave it to me!  Wow…gotta love being a baby!  Anyway, they soon called us back to do a family and medical history–they called this room the ‘interviewing section’.  (Daddy had to make his departure at this time, so that he could go to a seminar class.)  So, it was up to mommy and me to complete the ‘interviewing process’. That’s what it was alright.  They asked mommy all sorts of questions.  Meanwhile, I played and kept running out the door so that mommy could get up every few questions and come catch me.  Finally, she got out some star snacks, and I stayed around a little better for those.  After finishing the ‘interview’, we journeyed downstairs to the dispensary to get some meds. for possible low-grade fever and pain–something to do with the immunizations, I think.  We got the medicine, and headed back up to the waiting room again.  What a process!!!

The physical examination was next.  We entered yet another room where there was a doctor who had several cool toys–including a blonde-headed doll that she remarked ‘looks just like you’—to which I wanted to reply, “This doll really looks nothing like me at all.”  But whatever.  The exam went pretty good and I seem in good health.  Mommy was told to keep an eye on my birth marks and a few other remarks.  Of course, I had to be undressed yet another time for this process, and then redressed.  The undressing I don’t mind, it’s that whole redressing part that I’m not so fond of!  Guess where we went next:  the infamous waiting room again. 

This time, we awaited the needle–that’s right, it was time for my immunization of the day.  They finally called our name–my name, actually–and we went into this room where there were about 6 nurses/nurse aides standing around or doing various jobs.  Mommy sat down with me on her lap, and then I saw this big needle — going toward my leg!  Ahhhh!  That hurts!  I cried a bit because that stuff really stings.  Mommy gave me my pacy and then we made our exit–to the waiting room one last time to get our things together to go.  Finally, we were homeward bound.  We went out the back of the clinic and made our way home–sort of a short-cut–only about 7 minutes walking! 

Well, that is my story.  Enjoy, and next time I will try to keep it short!

–Ezri

So…it’s been near a week’s time since you’ve been updated.  In this time, we’ve been trying to get a bit more rest, now that we have sort of a hiatus from all of our wonderful house guests!  It was so fabulous having family here to visit; it was also exhausting!  We are experiencing somewhat of a ‘funk’ (as Jason likes to refer to it) without family around, but it’s good that we can now try to invest more in relationships locally in Hong Kong–with both other expats and nationals alike. 

Let’s see what we’ve done since you were last informed….—Ezri’s one-year doctor’s appointment at the local public clinic (detailed in the latest ‘Ezri Excerpt’), a couple of really nice walks here in our area, trying a new recipe (Taco Soup)–fabulous, I might mention–tasting some spectacular Thai curry and spring rolls (Ezri included–loves curry), getting back to our weekly playgroup, …suppose that is about it.  Mostly mundane, but nice, all the same.  It’s tough trying to get Ezri back on to some sort of schedule after having lots of flux and flex, so, needless to say, her naps have been frustrating at best–but we’ll get there.  Other than that (and she and I both having some sort of sinus/cold thing) everything seems well with us.

I guess it would be good to mention here something that God is teaching me lately.  It seems that he keeps pointing me to faith and trust.  I mean, obviously, he desires for us to trust him, and our faith in him and his sacrifice on our behalf –(even while we were still sinners–Christ died for the ungodly) — is the basis of our salvation through and in him.  Without such faith (in the one true God) we have no hope.  With such faith and trust in Christ as our perfect sacrifice, we have all hope–hope in eternity….hope in a life lived with God…we have peace with God through Christ!  Amen, right?!!!  I mean, how amazing is that?  It is really unfathomable.  So, God is trying to grow my faith in him.  He has answered some of the most seemingly insignificant prayers–allowing Ezri to finally fall asleep for a nap after crying for some time; allowing my lost purse–along with local i.d. card and 3 passports–to be found in the airport parking lot and turned in to ‘lost and found’; giving me grace to respond in kindness when others may not treat me with kindness————He has and is growing my faith through specifically answering these and more prayers.  I see him at work.  The author of Romans (in the Bible) recounts the story of Abraham’s faith and how, because of his faith, God credited to him righteousness.  It was not something Abraham did to fulfill God’s demand of righteousness (i.e. perfection), but because of his faith that he was credited as righteous in the eyes of God.  This is important to us, because it is a model for all those who came after Abraham (including us today) that we do not gain credibility or standing before God by what we do, but by our faith in him and in the sacrifice of his son, Jesus to be sufficient for us—to have peace with and communion with the holy God of the universe!  WOW!  We have the opportunity to be in relationship with the creator of the universe!  Amazing.

Okay, enough long-windedness… Know that we love each of you family and friends out there.  Heck, we love all you innocent souls who’ve mistakenly stumbled upon our blog as well!  May God bless and keep each of you!

Mel, for the Cases

We had a Javi update waiting for us upon our return from Beijing.  Javi is now up to 9lbs and 8oz, and the doctor says he is healty, eating well and sleeping well at nights.  He’s actually on track to double his birth weight at 6 months which we take as a very positive sign.  Also, our adoption specialist told us, “I just got an email from the attorney…January 11th, DNA was done, and everything turned out just fine.  The social worker has already returned the social report…so you have completed family court.  Now all we wait for is the DNA results, the pre approval from the Embassy of the DNA results and the clearance from PGN to open and present your papers…”  Although she still won’t give us any projections we take this as a very postive sign.  We are pretty much awaiting approval from final court, which sounds like it may be within the month!

Our second full day in Beijing on the 11th I wanted everyone to experience the markets.  First we headed to Panjiayuan, but ended up at the antique market, but I was smart enough to realize that was not what I had seen on the internet so we asked around and were told that the “dirt” market was about a 10 minute walk away from the antique market.  We stopped and had lunch ad Mickey D’s and then headed over to the market.  Being that it was not the weekend the market was only about a quarter full with vendors, but it still presented a nice warmup for Hongqiao Market.  After we finished at Panjiayuan (which was unbelievably cold by the way) we headed to the world-famous Hongqiao market where mom, Donna and Melanie lost their minds bartering for deals.  I was able to snap some shots of them with their spoils, and they left the market like I imagine fishermen do after a good catch.  All was right with the world until Donna dropped her vase and broke it into pieces.  She remained pretty bummed out for the remainder of the trip until we got home and Melanie lost her purse with our passports in it.  Praise God that someone at the airport turned the purse in and it only cost us an extra bus ride back out to the airport to pick it up.  We did have a few bumps along the way in Beijing, a taxi driver gave us a 5 cent bill rather than a 5 dollar bill one time in change, and we got in an argument to get a sufficient taxi for the ride out of Beijing back to the airport (they wanted us to take two), but all in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better trip.  Ezri did wonderfully, and the trip gave us a deeper appreciation of the beauty, ease, efficiency, weather and class of Hong Kong. 

I hope to post two updates detailing the 4 days of our trip.  As we first arrived it was cold!!! It was below 32F the entire time we were there.  Our taxi driver was at the airport waiting for us, thankfully, and took us to the hostel.  The first thing a visitor should learn about Beijing is that the taxis are very reasonable.  The ride to our hostel was about 30-45 minutes and only cost about $20 USD.  Trips to most places in the city are less than $5 USD.  We got settled into the hostel (Jade International Youth Hostel) about 2-3pm and then decided to walk over to Tiannamen and Forbidden City.  We got there just as it was closing (4pm).  We snapped some pics, mom & Donna got their first taste of the Beijing hawkers and we caught a taxi back to the hostel.  We had an Internet cafe at the hostel so we decided to conduct research ourselves as to a bus that rides out to the “Great Wall”.  We found out that bus 919 leaving every 5 minutes from Deshengman Bus Station rides out to Badaling, the most popular tourist destination.  Another big thing to know about Beijing is that noone speaks english so you need to have your front desk fill out the addresses of your destination for you, in potonghua so you can then present the card to the taxi drivers.  The trip was about an hour and a half out to Badaling and cost about 12 yuan a person ($1.50 USD).  Melanie did an excellent job of nursing Ezri to sleep on most our longer trips.  Badaling is in the hills, practically in the middle of nowhere, as we headed up to the entrance, what did we find but nothing other than good ole Starbucks, our little slice of Americana right that in the Chinese hills.  Mom, Donna & Melanie were able to hike to the highest point of the “Great Wall” in Badaling, check the pics.  Ezri and I decided to ride the Chinese bobsled back down to town (as did mom, Donna & Mel later).  Ezri got to see some Black bears, and absolutely did not want to leave them.  We hopped on the bus back to Beijing, everyone wore out. 

So yesterday we went hiking. We started at Pak Tam Au and hiked over to Ham Tim (beach) which is a little over 5 km and then we backtracked about 3 km and caught a boat to the pier where we picked up bus 94 back to Sai Kung. Last time we hiked the trail, we came across a cow about to have birth. This time we did not come across a cow, but we did run into a baboon (no joke, see pic). After envisioning myself staving off a baboon with a stick in one hand and Ezri in the other, needless to say I wasn’t sticking around to pet him. Besides the baboon, the trip went very smoothly, praise God. It was much less crowded than the weekends and we had a much better handle on time. Today we’re recovering from the hike and trying to finalize all the trip details to Beijing - visas, hotel, transportation. We haven’t decided if we are taking the laptop to Beijing or not, but even if we do, we probably won’t post much until we get back this weekend, we will take plenty of pics for you though! Until next time…

Jason

I wanted to give you a quick blurb about our activities yesterday.  Melanie and I were able to go out on a real date two nights ago and we didn’t get in until 1 am (the latest we’ve been out since the baby).  That being said we really didn’t feel up for a hike so we decided to go into Sai Kung to have lunch and try to arrange a boat ride to some outlying islands.  First we visited HKUST so I could print a map of a potential boat trip and mom & Donna could check out the school and its view of the bay.  We made it up to Sai Kung and walked around a bit, we took some street shots of the town and decided to eat at CRU, which was fabulous.  As we were finishing up eating, I asked the waitress if she knew where we might be able to get a boat and she said she’d check into it.  The bartender just happened to have a friend who rented boats and she asked if we’d like her to contact her friend.  To make a long story short, the bartender was able to arrange a boat to meet us at the pier about 45 minutes after we were finished eating.  Ezri played in the playground for a few minutes and we headed over to the pier where they sell loads of fresh seafood (see pics).  We took a 2 hour boat ride and stopped at two temples on outlying islands, it was great weather with amazing views.  Enjoy!!

 Jason 

So Melanie’s best friend in Guatemala actually had an opportunity to make it out to Solola, the location of Javi’s orphanage.  Gratefully, she checked things out for us and gave the entire operation a resounding two thumbs up for the work they are doing in Guatemala.  Becca was also able to snap some pics for us.  We hear Javi is very laid back and cute as a button (see for yourself).  To our pleasant surprise he’s turning into a little chunk.  We’re also due an official monthly update and I’ll update the pics in the slideshow with those pics as soon as I receive them.  Today we decided on a restful day and hung out in Hang Hau, we took an early walk, scheduled our flight and hotel for Beijing and Donna and Melanie went for a massage.  Tomorrow we plan to head up to Sai Kung National Park for another hike.  I hope we have the same blessing as last trip.  Until tomorrow!

Jason