Part Time Scholar

Today is the last day of 2022.  To me, this is an unprecedented year of bad fortunes.  Record financial losses, career regression, business blunders, feeling "meh" in life, just to name a few.  I thought 2021 was my worst year, but somehow managed to find a new rock bottom.  It is not all bad as I also managed a couple wins, most notably receiving my first paycheck for blogging.  It is definitely a shot in the arm to continue what I love but often lack the time doing.  Can't wait to wave 2022 goodbye and not look back.  What is in store for 2023?  My resolution has never been simpler.  REDEMPTION.   Happy New Year! - PTS       

My business trip to Singapore last month led to a mini-hiatus from blogging.  I am now going through a 7-day quarantine in Hong Kong.  A similar experience last year turned out to be a blast.  Although quarantines are not something most people look forward to, they are appealing to me in a number of ways.  Last year, I experienced what life was like living in a hotel room 24/7  where you eat, sleep, exercise (HITT/yoga) and go to the toilet in a small, confined space.  I gained more appreciation for people who choose to live in tiny bachelor units.  Then there was the lack of face-to-face contact with anyone for days.  Having less communication with my family and social circle can be a blessing in disguise.  The new found quietness put my mind at ease.  It helped me venture beyond the daily routine and reflect on life.  The extra me-time allowed me to get in touch with my inner self.  At times, I felt like a zen monk.  Wit...

Happy New Year! With the arrival of 2022, it is time to put my resolutions to work:  Improve my golf game with a sub-30 handicap (yes, I am that bad) Remaster my butterfly stroke in the pool  Become an advanced chess player by scoring 1500+ on  Chess.com   Write more blog posts by finding a focus topic(s).   No world peace this time, but each goal carries with it a deeper meaning for me -- hence the excitement.  Let's get started! - PTS

Time flies as my first course back in university has come to an end!  The final exam was completed yesterday and I am happy to share with you my first A in 19 years.  Still got it after all! The course taken is a Masters Psych course in Nurturing the Gifted and Talented .  This is the only course of its kind in Hong Kong and I thoroughly enjoyed all my learnings from it.   My essay is hereby attached for those who are interested.  It is not yet graded I must say so read at your own peril. - PTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Education for Exceptionally and Profoundly Gifted Primary and Secondary Students in Hong Kong Gifted students are often seen by society as the lucky few who have won the genetic lottery.  Finding generally gifted students is not difficult as they are often the top ranking students within a school.  The exceptionally and profoundly gifted however, are on a completely different level ...

For many years, I have heard that babies are a handful! Well, I will get to find out very soon as my newborn was born today. Looking forward to more an even busier, but rewarding life with the new addition to my family. -PTS

In the midst of packing and cancelling bills, I finally managed to squeeze in time to blog.  A project at Kickstarter  that I have been supporting has kicked off at last. The project is called "A History of the Future in 100 Objects." The author will try to create podcasts and author a book on 100 objects representative of the 21st century. As we have only lived 10% of the century, most of these objects will only be predictions.  In fact, people who contribute enough can put their own predictions to work with the author.  I love this collaborative approach and look forward to seeing the end product! -PTS

Just over two years ago, I wrote a post about relocating to Sydney.  Little did I know then that I will be writing a similar post today with Hong Kong as my next destination.  Life is certainly an adventure and I really enjoy not knowing the surprises that are in store! Anyway, I will spend my last three weeks here wrapping up the 9-5 and enjoying the little things Sydney has to offer.  Hope this will not affect my blogging too much. -PTS

Happy New Year!  I fell prey once again to the 9 - 5 in December. Combined with the year end holiday season,  this blog saw very little action last month. However, my resolution this year is to post one article each week to make this blog an interesting read for all of you out there! I know they say that resolutions are made to be broken, but I have a great feeling about this one. See you all next week! -PTS

I am sure most of us have used Wikipedia , but have you ever made a contribution to it?  I have edited articles in the past, but am looking to break new ground this time by submitting a new topic. This one is short and sweet, and hopefully will be accepted by the Wiki committee. Stay tuned... -PTS

Stephen Hawking is spending a few weeks in Waterloo, Canada.  He even gave a presentation of his research to invited guests near the University of Waterloo, where I attended school.  I am sure he wowed the audience with his lecture.  I would certainly be impressed by someone of his stature! -PTS

When visiting International Antarctic Centre in New Zealand, I came across the Hagglund.  It was the designated land vehicle for exploration of the ice-covered continent. I was impressed by the joy ride that they offered at the centre and did a little more research upon returning. What is a Hagglund? Hagglunds are all terrain vehicles (ATV) that are used for special navigation purposes. They are often utilized in unusual or hazardous terrains. Their uses are widespread, ranging from military load carriers, emergency medical services, firefighting, territorial exploration, wilderness search and rescue. It can also operate in extreme weather conditions like those in Antarctica.   Structure Hagglunds consist of two track-driven cars with fibreglass reinforced bodies, coupled to each other by an articulated steering joint. It can traverse across a wide range of terrains including paved roads, muddy swamps, snow- or ice-covered fields, mountainous slopes, and bodies of water ...

New Zealand was a joy to visit as it offers many scenic natural wonders!  In fact, much of its beauty seem to have something to do with glaciers.  For one, the scenic Milford Sound and its surrounding cousins in South Island were carved by glaciers long ago. As you travel northwards from the sounds, you will be met by two actual glaciers in Fox and Franz Josef .  We joined a walking tour on Franz Josef, the bigger of the two brothers.  The tour was an intriguing experience and I decided to do some research upon returning. What Are Glaciers?  Glaciers are perennial masses of ice that moves over land. They form when precipitation accumulates faster than it disappears on the surface of a terrain (a.k.a. ablation). As layers of ice and snow build upon each other, the granular ice at the bottom fuses to form firn.  Glacial Types Alpine glaciers - form on mountain slopes.  Those that form on valleys are called  valley glaciers . Franz Josef is an...

Life is taking a hectic spin these days as the 9 to 5 is creeping past the 5!  Needless to say, part time blogging has taken a suffering.  It's not all bad, however.  I have a vacation coming up in New Zealand in two weeks.  Besides breathtaking sceneries, New Zealand's South Island is internationally renowned for its adrenalin inducing activities, such as jet boating, bungy jumping, sky diving, and the list goes on.  I have my eyes set on a few choices to get the juices flowing. To top it off, I will also squeeze in a glacier hike and may be a LOTR tour. The good news is we will be living out of a camper van so we have great flexibility on the itinerary; the bad news is we only have 8 days to do everything my wife and I wanted.  Time to plan it all out! -PTS

The 9 to 5 has lately taken centre stage in my life. I find it hard to muster the energy to pick up a book at night, not to mention getting the creative juices flowing in writing a post.  This week my job has taken me to Adelaide. Despite eating well, the 9 to 5 has become the 8 to 10.  I am back in town now, but my PADI open water dive course is about to start. Is it really necessary to have ten hours of e-learning before the first class? Life right now is busy but exciting! It will be just perfect if I can find more time to blog. -PTS

I have family in town this week. This means I will be taking a break from my 9-5 and (albeit, part time) blogging next week. A road trip to Gold Coast and Brisbane is in the cards. Of course, we are stopping along the way for some zorbing, sandboarding, and scuba diving. Can't wait to bring some adventures back into my life! -PTS

I have agreed to a job in Australia starting May. No, it's not the coveted dream caretaker gig in the Great Barrier Reefs. Instead, I will be going to Sydney, which is not a bad choice. Regardless, this means I will be extremely busy over the next few months. Time to start packing.... -PTS