My Dear Rotarians and friends, in particular my Action Presidents, Edmond Chan (Channel Islands) looked at my Hong Kong Special Administrative Region People’s Republic of China Passport and said, “John, this is your special passport to Mongolia.” Edmond Chan of course is District Secretary (Returns). He and Herbert Lau (Tolo Harbour) accompanied me to visit…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, I cannot recall when we last had an approach in November by a severe tropical storm that resulted in the Royal Observatory having to hoist typhoon signals. I was expecting air movements and cooler weather; maybe a little rain; that would make me sleep better….
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, After I despatched my last letter, I received a message under the subject of “Friends” from a friend who often sent me messages, pictures and jokes he picked up from God knows where. The message was about a father-and-son dialogue over anger and 37 nails…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, I returned home from dinner last night and by reflex flipped the remote control through the network channels. Gosh, the Olympic Games were over. There were no more live broadcasts, commentaries, flashbacks, announcements and results. Somehow, I felt lost. Already, the withdrawal symptoms, the post…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, According to Alexander Warrack’s Scots Dialectic Dictionary, this is water from under a bridge over which the living pass and the dead are carried. The water is brought at dawn or in the twilight to the house of a sick person, without the bearer speaking…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, My brother told me a recent experience. He took a bus home and fell asleep half way. His wallet slipped out of his pocket without him knowing. He got off the bus and was on the ground both feet. The bus had begun to pull…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, By the end of August, I would have completed official visits to 18, or more than one-third of the clubs in the District, which is not bad for the first two months of the governorship. I have been able to cover so many because one…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, This has to be a very sad day for the families and friends of the 118 crew found dead in the flooded Russian nuclear submarine Kursk which sank to the bottom of the Barents seas ten days ago after an accident. No doubt, the media,…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, Mitford Mathew’s Dictionary of Americanisms explains that this was a short form for a blind baggage car which was a railroad car with no door at the end placed toward the front of the train or next to the locomotive. Thus, in hobo language, beating…
My Dear Rotarians and Friends, in particular my Action Presidents, In ancient times, if a husband had no proof, but only suspected his wife of infidelity, he might take her before a judge to be examined, and if she denied it, she would be given the water of jealousy to drink. In this water, some…
