Got My Ride

Dec 9, 2024

One of my biggest accomplishments this past week was getting many issues related to my borrowed car resolved. Got the garage remote from my landlord on Monday morning. Got the car’s safety inspection done on Thursday. And it was only after completing the safety inspection and talking to the friend who lent me the car that I realized he didn’t just want to lend me his car, he actually wanted me to keep it! According to my friend, the car is very old (17 years) and of zero value even to the dealership. Even so, having access to a functioning car in this vast city will be of great help for me at this point, especially when the temperature continues to fall and snow starting to accumulate! I’m truly grateful to this childhood friend.

Over the weekend, I scrambled to buy auto insurance online, this was done so that I can complete the official vehicle transfer process in coming days.

It’s kinda funny that I actually “bought” a car before I have permanent housing and parking. This was unplanned, but worked out perfectly. My friend was happy that I can keep his old but cherished car alive, and I was happy that I didn’t need to pay expensive car rental until I’m settled with permanent housing, win-win!

With the access of a car, I started going to Sunday Service again this morning. Went back to my home church in TO and was happy to see many familiar and welcoming faces. And the happiest of all was to be able to meet and chat with an old fellowship brother who had a serious stroke early this year. I had been praying earnestly for him nearly everyday in HK since the incident, and I was quite relieved seeing him being able to walk (with a cane) and talk (legibly) today. Thank God!

Sketch… Sunday Service

Dec 9, 2024

Two Weeks

Dec 2, 2024

Just a bit over two weeks had passed since I returned to TO. With the help of many friends here, I had quickly settled in. I had quickly set up a mini studio in the condo after one week and had started working on some 3DP projects remotely in the second week. All this was done without a car and mostly relying on friends to lend me their resources and time. I’m very grateful.

Two weeks had quickly gone by and I’m now left with 2 months left on my condo rental. A childhood friend just lent me his old car tonight, that will certainly help me with many everyday tasks as the temperature here is starting to get cold. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a permanent residence in two months time. May God continue to guide my steps ahead. 🙏🏻

It’s DONE!!

Nov 19, 2024

Last week in HK was super hectic. Had a friend visiting the studio on Monday to pick up some old boxes for reuse. That was followed by a small farewell gathering of eco-conscious friends. My brother’s friend who is visiting town stopped by my studio for a visit on Tuesday afternoon, had a quick coffee with him and my brother afterwards. A childhood friend who just got off the plane from YVR in the morning came visit me at the studio on Wednesday afternoon, chatted and caught up with him over coffee nearby for an hour or so. Stayed at the studio till around 9 pm to finish cleaning up and fixing a security monitor system for my colleague. My brother and father drove me home afterwards because I needed to get the newly bought luggages from them.

Thursday was unexpectedly crazy. The typhoon signal no. 8 was dropped at around 10am. I decided to go back to the studio to finish off some minor tasks and farewelling my colleague. A friend made it to see and farewell me at the studio, she was considerate and thoughtful and brought me a Canada-roaming SIM card with unused data, that saved me time in searching and buying one myself. Had afternoon tea with her at a restaurant in my studio building. We both tried to pay the check, but the restaurant staff treated us the meal and wished me farewell. Just when I thought I can finally go home and start packing, the security monitor system stopped working. I tried many ways to fix it but could only resolve the issue at the end by powering off and on the security camera. After the issue was fixed, I went for my last dinner with my family while picking up something on the way to bring back to Canada for a good friend.

After dinner, I went home and packed my luggages till around 4:30am. My brother-in-law next door drove me to the airport at around 6:30am, I slept the entire way to the airport.

Amidst the crazy schedule in the last few weeks, I’m grateful to be able to meetup with so many friends one last time before leaving the city. Felt complete and ready to finally start my journey back to the country that had nurtured me for 15 or so years. May God continue to guide my steps into the unknown future that is awaiting me on the other side of the world.

5 Days Left!

Nov 10, 2024

A week had gone by swiftly and exhaustively and I’m now left with less than 5 days in the city.!

Except for Saturday, I had been meeting and farewelling family and friends every single day, sometimes even more than one meetups in one day! And many things at work and at home are still unfinished.

Less than 5 days left now, still have friends I need to see and say farewell to and things to be finished at the studio and at home. May God help me in my remaining days in the city. 🙏🏻

Sketch… Sunday Service

Nov 10, 2024

12 Days Left 😖

Nov 3, 2024

Starting to feel the pressure for my upcoming return to Canada. There are still so many things to finish up for work and for my family. And also there are still many people I need to properly say farewell to before I can leave in peace. Just 12 days left now!

This past week I managed to meet up with my high school badminton friends whom I haven’t seen for more than a year at least. It was on Wednesday, I decided to take a day off from work to see the I. M. Pei exhibition in the afternoon before meeting the friends for dinner. The exhibition was well worth my time to visit, this will probably be the last exhibition I can afford the time to see before I leave the city.

Had a follow up gathering with my Canadian high school friends on Saturday night. During our last meetup in which I got awfully sick from alcohol afterwards, we chatted about the famous mainland wine 茅台 and they insisted I had to give it a try in another meetup before I leave. Now I tried, didn’t like it, the 53% alcohol was simply overbearing. The meet up was nonetheless enjoyable without me becoming a drunkard.

The remaining 12 days in the city will be extremely busy, hope I can finish up all the outstanding projects at work, clear out my home as much as possible, and properly meet and say farewell to all my friends before I leave. May God guide my steps. 🙏🏻

Sketch… Sunday Service

Nov 3, 2024

Count Down Begins

Oct 27, 2024

Thanks to a property agent friend, I finally settled on a short term rental in Canada. Immediately booked my one-way flight back to TO in mid-November. Now the countdown begins with roughly 20 days left to finish up all studio projects and properly farewell all my friends before I leave the city.

Met my woodworking friend on Tuesday and passed him my CNC machine. Had my weekly family dinner on Thursday. Had two farewell meetups on Saturday with my primary school friends and fellowship friends respectively. And this afternoon I met up with an artist friend whom I met serendipitously many years ago, she invited and curated my first and only public solo exhibition back in 2019.

Still have many things to finish up at the studio and at home and still have many friends to properly say farewell to before I leave. As I opened up the red packets I had saved up over the years in order to kickstart my annual postcard faichun project early, I took the opportunity to count my blessings for the loving family and friends God has given me over the years. I’m truly grateful.

Counting down my 20 days left in the city while counting my blessings from my family and friends. The coming few weeks will likely be busy and stressful, but hopefully that won’t affect my gratefulness for my family and friends and to cherish the little time I have left with them before I leave. May God continue to guide my anxious steps ahead, one day at a time. 🙏🏻

Sketch… Sunday Service

Oct 27, 2024
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