Embedded Files
MY LIFE Part 5: THE LATER HONG KONG YEARS (1985 - 2000)
MY LIFE Part 5: THE LATER HONG KONG YEARS (1985 - 2000)
In 1985, after finishing my time at Stanford, we (gradually!) moved back to Hong Kong. At the end of August, I returned with Leonie and Gavin. As Nadine was still too small to travel, she stayed with Vanessa in San Francisco at her brother's place for a couple of months until it was deemed safe for Nadine to take the air trip.
In Hong Kong, we moved into a new flat in the recently-completed Residence 12. Leonie began Primary 2 at Beacon Hill School, while Gavin began attending the Chung Chi Nursery School on campus.
I remained at the university until my retirement in the year 2000. The children did their formal education in the English Schools Foundation (ESF) system, though both Leonie and Gavin did several of their final years of secondary education at boarding schools in Christchurch, New Zealand.
One of the major events of this time was the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 after having been a British colony since 1842
The handover ceremony from Britain to China in 1997: (a) Left-hand picture: Just before the handover - Union Jack still flying (b) Right-hand picture: Just after the handover - flag of the PRC flying.
The Later Hong Kong Years: Life History Files
The Later Hong Kong Years: Life History Files
Here are accounts of the later years in Hong Kong. On clicking the links, the files will open in new tabs.
Leonie and Gavin at a Kung Fu class with Chinese University students
Life, Work and Play during these years
Life, Work and Play during these years
Sleepovers were common either at our place or at friends
Campus residences and layout of our flat
The floor plan of Residence 12, Flat 5B. Note: The original (pdf) files contain 'sticky notes' but you will only be able to see these if you download the file and view in a pdf viewer:
Christmases (1985 - 1988):
The first Christmas in Residence 12 after returning from Stanford (1985):
Christmas 1987 (at home and at Chung Chi):
Christmas 1988 (Chung Chi manger scene):
General pictures of life on campus:
School pictures:
Sleepover, ca. 1987 (more pictures of the same sleepover):
Trip to Ping Chau ca. 1987 or 1988:
Mini Rugby
There were a number of Rugby clubs in Hong Kong specially for children - boys and girls - between the ages of about 8 and 13. Gavin, and later Leonie, joined the Flying Kukris club which was based at the British military barracks at Sek Kong. Practices and matches were held on Sunday mornings in the cooler months. Occasionally tournaments were held with teams from all the clubs competing. At the end of the season, the mini Rugby teams also played curtain-raiser matches at the annual Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament.
Pictures from mini Rugby tournaments: Photos
International Rugby Sevens 1989 or 1990: Photos
Pictures of aspects of life of the family
Pictures of aspects of life of the family
Crayon activity
Rex
Rex
Vanessa
Vanessa
Campus dance group:
Leonie
Leonie
Gavin
Gavin
Nadine
Nadine
Books
Books
The cover of an earlier edition of "Chemistry Insights", an O-Level chemistry textbook for Singapore
Not long after I first came to Hong Kong, I became involved in the writing of school science textbooks. This continued during this period of my life. All of the books had been at the secondary level and for Hong Kong. This then spread to neighbouring countries, primarily Singapore and then later Brunei. I made trips to Singapore and Brunei in connection with these books. One of the files below includes pictures of the first visit to Brunei.
Please refer also to the website on textbooks by clicking on 'Textbooks' in the navigation bar at the top of this page.
Textbooks written
The file below summarises the textbooks I have written in my life, starting with a book written while I was still in New Zealand at Burnside High School. This book, written with other teachers at Burnside was not very good, did not do do well and did not last long but at least it was a start.
Textbooks written: My textbooks
Brunei visit (1997): Photos
Some Pictures of Travels
Some Pictures of Travels
Riding an elephant during a holiday in Shenzhen. Just how did we all get up there?
The pictures here cover the years from 1986 to 1999. Many of the trips were with the family, though a few were made without me when I had to teach during the summer (as in 1986). A few others I did by myself.
Youth Hostels
For the trips we made to Europe, we stayed in Youth Hostels. Each hostel puts its stamp in the little YHA membership books we carried around. The file below shows some of these stamps:
Visits to WWI and WWII battlefields
During the 1993 European holiday, we visited several WWI and WWII battlefields in Belgium and France. The file below describes the places we visited and what we saw. Of particular interest was the Battle of Messines Ridge in Belgium where a relative of mine was killed.
For more on these visits (a) click on the link below, and (b) refer to the links to photos under 1993 Holland, Belgium and France below.
WWI and WWII battlefields visited
Travels year-by-year
986 family visit to San Francisco and Stanford
1987 (I think) China village (Heung Ha) visit
1987 New Zealand
1988 Shenzhen holiday
1988 USA (during my PhD defence visit to Stanford)
1988 USA holiday
Photos (Alaska - Anchorage to Fairbanks)
Photos (Alaska - Fairbanks and North Pole)
Photos (Alaska - circuit back to Anchorage)
Photos (Disneyland and Universal Studios, Los Angeles)
Photos (Escondido Village and San Francisco)
Photos (Seattle and Vancouver)
1989 New Zealand (Christchurch)
1990 UK trip (by days)
1991 Holland, Germany
1993 Holland, Belgium and France
Photo (Unknown - Paris, I think)
1994 New Zealand
Photos (Parents' 55th wedding anniversary)
1994 Northern European trip
Photos (2 and 4 Northern Germany)
1995 (not sure) New Zealand
1997 New Zealand with Nadine
1998 New Zealand (with Leonie)
Photos (South Island trip with Leonie)
1999 Japan
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