Written by Photos were supplied by Lee Shin and Adrian Hung.
Posts tagged Tai Shing 1971 Graduate
Year of Tiger video conference
Kung Hei Fat Choy (恭喜發財)! This is the greeting when we meet our friends and relatives 
during the Chinese New Year. Today is the seventh day of Chinese New Year. We call it “人日”, which means everyone’s birthday!
We usually meet our friends and relatives and have lunch or dinner together. We call it “團拜”. This year is a special year because it is unsafe to gather together due to COVID-19 disease. Our classmates reside overseas cannot come to Hong Kong to visit us too. We organized a video conference yesterday. 10 of our classmates attended the meeting.
After the meeting, some of the attendees wrote their feeling as below:
Jeff Chan:
As we celebrate the arrival of the Lunar New Year of the Tiger and especially after watching the 45th anniversary video yesterday, I felt as if we were back in our carefree high school days with countless wonderful memories, moments and fun times together😊😊
We grew up together through happiness and challenges.
We never judge and had no special agenda against one another.
We support and care for each other unconditionally.
There is nothing compares to those wonderful times we spent together.
Life is short and while we are on our way together, why not share?
“We Are Friends for Life”
Happy Lunar New Year of the Tiger to you all🍷🍷🍷
Clara Ho:
Many thanks to Jeff & Pat! Your messages are just what I want to express to all !👍
Last night I watched again the 45th graduation anniversary video in our website! I was very excited & heartfelt 💕 to go back the 45th anniversary moment because of our joyfulness !😊😊
Send through apps & e-mails are “Good sharing” and encourage all to come back to our never-lasting friendship !💪💪💪💪
Patience Wong:
I am so glad I was able to participate in the conference yesterday to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. I was so happy to see my classmates from Hong Kong, Toronto, Australia, and USA. I haven’t seen my classmates for 51 years. That is an amazingly long time. What was even more amazing was that once we started communicating, we just talked and talked as if we were still in high school. There were no barriers among us. It was so beautiful to experience that. However, we all wish that there were more participants. I do understand that we all are busy with life’s obligations and challenges. Let’s try to make time for ourselves and reconnect with our classmates from 50 years ago. It is truly wonderful that we are able to see each other after all these years. We just want to reconnect with our classmates from so long ago. The friendships that we made when we were in high school are priceless and will never fade. Of course, we always thank Adrian Hung for his tireless efforts in coordinating the events for us. Without him, none of these are possible.
Again, I was so happy to see my classmates yesterday. Their friendships and warmth truly inspire me. When we have our next gathering, I hope to see more classmates on the screen. Meanwhile, take care of yourself.
Lee Shin:
Without any doubt, we are true friends for life.
Robert Chu:
I echo with what Jeff mentioned. Thanks again for Adrian’s arrangement to gather over the internet as well as his past great effort to bring us back together. We ought to continue the momentum to share your precious life experiences, which , I am sure, are unique. Looking forward to your sharing.
Robert Chu’s celebration trip in Hawaii
Written by It was around early of June this year that we decided to take a trip to Hawaii to celebrate my daughter’s graduation from medical school (Dr. Esther Chu, MD). Hawaii was the only 
place we could go without a lengthy quarantine. Still we needed to have a negative 72 hour COVID test result before departure from the mainland. We got the QR green code and passed the check points in Oahu.
The flight from Oahu to Big Island was short, took only 45 minutes. The first three days we stayed in the resort were shown in the pictures below. We went to see Manta rays in the first night. With the big flood light in the middle of the ocean, everyone held onto the float. The Manta rays swam so close that you could see their belly. Next day, we went snorkeling around Kilo.
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| Again, we rode there with a small boat (sorry, we did not have any pictures) — we had to take the sea sick pills prior to get there. |
Then, the following days, we went to do the zip line with guys who ensured our safety in 
hanging to the cable, zipping among the tree tops and walking on suspension bridges with deliberately missing steps in between to add excitement to the “walk”.
On the last day, we went to drive the all terrain vehicles (ATV) with no windshield. We breathed in dust and by the time we finished the driving, we only had nothing but running noses— allergies.
Before flying back to the mainland, we spent just a few nights in Honolulu to eat and drink (not wine). All and all, Hawaii is a relaxing place to have a break from the lock down.
 Smoke still comes out from the volcano in Big Island where we stayed |
Strange flower in Hawaii |
A plant grows in a dead tree |
Hawaii is well known of pineapple drink. This is my daughter, Esther. |
The place we stayed in Hilo |
Sunset |
A picture of lava |
Part of the Big Island |
The resort we stayed at Oahu |
Eat out in Oahu |
This is the place where part of Jurassic Park movie was taken |
You see why there is a cage |
A view from the balcony of the hotel |
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A better way to recycle |
Share with you the trip to the virus free Hawaii, or you feel it. |
A Weekend Trip in San Francisco Beach Front
It started with a little drive from a water front house which belonged to my sister-in-law. The drive took around twenty minutes because a lot of streets in San Francisco were closed for the cyclists. After arriving Presidio lodge, we took a walk around the perimeter of the facility, the old infantry training camp for the military during the World War II. Now, it is a hotel and not sure who owns it. The rental varies from three hundred dollars and up. That was where I took all the pictures including the decorations. From there, we drove to the nearby Golden Gatepark which was under the bridge. There were a few people did the wind surfing right under the columns support. After another walk, we then went to a Chinese restaurant for our dinner. The total steps we walked, if recorded, were around ten thousands. So, it was a good exercise plus outing for a short trip in the weekend.
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| 在舊金山的Presidio Lodge 拍。這是公共椅子。 |
舊金山 |
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| 這隻海豹要求更多雞肉 | 金門橋 |
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| 這wind surf 像放kite | 從未見過這種植物會有花 |
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| 這玩具是古董 | 大概Mary可以教他們種 |
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| 在灣區中的一個海島以前是監獄 | Water color picture in the Lodge |
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| Another water color picture | Another picture which shows the Lodge was an original military camp |
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| Yellow jacket in the bush | Decoration in the Lodge |
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| Another real plant in the Lodge |
In memory of our teachers
We receive a message from Grace Tsang on May 25, 2021 saying that Ho sir 何敬謙老師在澳洲柏斯Perth逝世。
| Jeff Chan | The memories of Ho Sir sharing his knowledge and wisdom while we were growing up will remain forever in our hearts. |
| Patience Lyons | I will always remember Mr. Ho. May Mr. Ho Rest In Peace. Condolences to the family. |
| Wong Tak Kwong | May our respectful Ho sir rest in peace, and my condolences to his family. |
| Chau Hoi Kit | 永遠懷念💖尊敬的何老師！記憶中他還是第一代ICAC工作人員！ |
| Joyce Jern | Mr Ho will be greatly missed but his kindness and gentle spirit will be with us forever! |
| Angela Or | 想何Sir 在澳洲生活很好；還記得Dr Cheng 很欣賞他，在早會時說他勤力有幹勁（類似的話😅） |
| Clara Ho | RIP |
| May Kwok | RIP 永遠懷念！ |
| Mary Lau | RIP 永遠懷念！ |
| Robert Chu | 他教什麼呢？我不認出他。 |
| Adrian Hung | 教economic? |
| Chau Hoi Kit | EPA |
| Tak Kwong Wong | 對，是EPA，我們當時叫 Economic and Public Affairs. 不過我記得當時文科 EPA 和地理是蕭sir所教，何老師可能是教理科班，不知對否? 這已是半世紀之前的事我已記不清楚了。老實說我當時對 EPA 也不大感興趣，但相反我兒子是在密芝根大學主修經濟畢業，這大學也是以經濟在世界出名。 |
| Robert Chu | 我可能也算是那班对EPA 沒有興趣。畢竟，何老師留下許多美好回憶。事實上，每位老師也对你我影響很大。感恩！ |
| Jeff Chan | I can’t agree with you more, Robert. |
| Chow Ho Wai | 如果我沒有記錯，何老師應該是教完我們F3(?) 後就離開了大成中學的。 |
| Jeff Chan | I believe you are correct !He taught us the basic understanding of the significance of economic in our society. |
| Adrian Hung | My narrow escape
Before our exam in School, boys had to take the chairs from the classroom to the Hall while girls took the chairs. We were warned not to run along the corridors in school and there would be penalty for those against the rule. At Form 2, after I took the first table to the Hall, I ran along the corridor to go back to the classroom to pick up the second table. Unfortunately Ho sir came out from a classroom suddenly and I hit his hand. He rubbed his hand and ordered me to see him at the hall after moving the second table. I knew I was in trouble and likely to be punished with a minor or major demerit. When I finished my task, I went to see Ho sir at the Hall with my head down and tears on my eyes. I said “Sorry Ho sir, please give me a second chance”. He said, “If I punish you with demerit, you won’t have the mood to prepare for the exam. Go home and study hard!”. I said, “Thank you very much Ho sir”. Ho sir was really kind and considerate! |
| Irene Ko | I also have a story to share: At form 1 or 2, he once drove me home (not feeling well), accompanied by Miss Chan. I am not sure if the car belonged to him or the school. |
| Simon Fan | So much more caring than just calling a taxi for you. |
| Irene Ko | 哈哈!佢喺教務主任。Indeed. |
| Jeff Chan | I recall I was appointed 班長by 班主任 Yeung Sir in Form 3B. After all these years I don’t know why…… |
| Simon Fan | Yeung Sir repeated me in Form 1, and I know why. 😝 |
| Grace Tsang | 他想見你多啲？ |
| Simon Fan | 😯😆 |
| Jeff Chan | Right on !!! |
| Cheung Wan Loi Roni | 大部份留班的都是男仔（包括我），我想男仔較貪玩，懶讀書。☺ |
| Simon Fan | 🤣😂 很敬佩你顧家👍👍 |
| Robert Chu | I remember him and he has an iron face (the one in the right). His brain is like a computer with unlimited memories , cashe, too. Ha! Ha! What has happened to him? |
| Chau Hoi Kit | Mr Ching told me that one of his students in his native place in China saved him from being caught by the Japanese troop. |
| Jeff Chan | Yes. like to know as well. He was the complete opposite of Mr. Yim Tse Choi who was the other Chinese history teacher who went by the book only. He reprimanded me on many occasions for having long hairs by standing beside the teachers office entrance door for 30 minutes or so… those memories linger…. |
| Tak Kwong Wong | From my recollection both Ching sir and Yim sir had passed away many years ago. Please correct me if my understanding is wrong. |
| Jeff Chan | All things must pass, memories forever remain. |
| Joyce Jern | Mr Ching was very good at stimulating students’ learning interest. Mr Yim was capable to drift many students into a dreamy afternoon. Anyhow, under Mr Yim’s guidance, 10 of us got distinction (A) in Chinese Language & Literature at the HK Cert of Education 會考 1971. |
| Jeff Chan | I must admit I was more interested in after school activities than studying for exams….
I recall Mr. Yau Kin Ming had distinct interest in classical music. |
| Robert Chu | What did the above teach as well as his name? |
| Jeff Chan | I couldn’t remember exactly the subject he taught…. perhaps other classmates might remember….?? |
| Adrian Hung | Mr Yeung taught Chinese and Chinese History? |
| Chau Hoi Kit | And also taught F.2 boys handcrafts, such as baskets! |
| Cheung Wan Loi Roni | F.1- F.3 Chinese. Mr. Yim taught F.4 – F.5 Chinese. |
| Robert Chu | We were really blessed with all the good teachers. |
| Jeff Chan | They turned our innocent mind into thinking like a lawyer. |
| Chow Ho Wai | Not exactly, Mr. Yim taught us F3 Chinese when I was in F3B class. |
Search for MO Hui
Based on the information given by the classmates, Cannie Tong and Adrian Hung searched for MO Hui in all the bamboo and furniture shops in Queen’s Road East, Wanchai on 23rd May 2012. However, no one recognized him. We obtained further information from William So and Irene Ko that he resided in Hang Hau, Junk Bay about forty years ago. His home was close to a circular road junction and next to a church. Based on the information, his home was likely at Hang Hau Road. Irene also gave us a forty-something-year-old photo taken near his home. Adrian used Google Earth to check on every house in Hang Hau Road. He found one of the houses looked similar to Irene’s photo. See Below:
Back: 沈正成, 張運來, 蘇榮坤, 區彭深, 黎鉝榮
Front: 葉金榮, 許文安, 范榮洲, 黄念本, 陳建輝, 楊來發
We formed a team to search for MO on 18th July 2012. Team members included William, 
Irene, Clara, Cannie and Adrian. Although Hang Hau changed tremendously in these forty years, we found the place easily using advanced technology. We knocked on the doors of some of the houses, however, none of them knew MO. We were lucky to meet the Chairlady of the Incorporated Owners of the Village. She told us that there was a resident with a similar name. We exchanged our phone numbers hoping that she could give us good news.
We dropped notes and letters to some of the houses hoping MO would catch us up. We drove to visit Hang Hau Village and had our late lunch at East Point City. We talked about our old days.
William told us that a classmate of ours, S Chiang, married a pretty wife soon after his graduation. He worked very hard as a taxi driver in the day time and as a house caretaker at night. He bought a flat at Mei Foo Sun Chuen and enjoyed his romantic life with his beautiful wife. However, good days did not last long and life didn’t work out as smoothly as he planned. Chiang got kidney failure and died soon after.
In the evening Clara received a call from the elder sister of MO. We were too sorry to hear that MO passed away in February, 2011 due to gas poisoning while taking a bath at his home at Huanggang, China. Clara wanted to pay tribute to MO at his graveyard with a few classmates. However we could not have access to the graveyard without valid document. Unfortunately we couldn’t contact his wife up to this moment.
Clara wrote:
亞蘇：
你還記得這個稱呼嗎?
許xx姐姐告訴我， 她感覺你是他口中的亞蘇， 和其他的同學。
他的家人有太太， 2個女兒； 8歲和 1歲半
現在她們返鄉—雲南探親，將在八月尾返回深圳近機場居住。
許xx靈位安放在： 深圳市布吉 ……..
如要探訪一定要由其家人同往， 因為她持有效証件(該館發証)
所以我提議在九月初才再與他姐姐聯絡！
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40th Graduation Anniversary Celebration
Written by Celebration promotion video
…with School songs, panoramic School view, etc.
Confucian Tai Shing Secondary School is undoubtedly one of the smallest, if not the smallest, schools in Hong Kong. But remember? Every morning we began with lessons in the morning assembly from various teachers who were ready to share Confucian thoughts and advice based on their own life experiences. Those teachers then were younger than we are today. If wisdom accumulates along with time, we should be wiser than our teachers back then.
Visiting our school is a time reminiscing about the good old days－－and you will feel young again.
Look at the school hall where you started each and every of your school days and the playground where you had to line up for the morning assembly and the tuck shop where you filled up your stomach for the day. Look at the bell in a corner of the school playground and you can ring it without permission. Next to the bell are the 
washrooms where we girls spent our time talking during PE (Physical Education) lessons, the only lesson when we could talk to our hearts’ content. Memories like these might have been buried at the bottom of your heart. Digging them out and sharing them with your old fellow students would be heart-warming and you might find out even more treasured in your old fellows’ hearts. Indeed the collective memories might open up our hearts again and we can share more at the dining table in the reunion dinner on December 17 (Saturday), 2011.
Busy as most of us still are, a short trip to the vivacious city of Macau should be the second part of our reminiscing journey. There you can visit a variety of buildings, ranging from the European-style buildings like the façade of the ruined St Paul’s Cathedral to the modern ones like CN Tower overlooking the peninsula of Macau and part of mainland China and the glamorous casino resorts. The cultural heritage of such a ‘small’ city should enlighten us on its long-standing history for several centuries, much longer than that of Hong Kong.
Year 2011 marks the 40th anniversary of our Confucian Tai Shing Secondary School graduation in 1971. All classmates, alumni and teachers are cordially invited to attend these celebration activities. We hope you can participate in all or part of the scheduled activities.
Celebration activities details
School visit
Date: 17 Dec 2011 afternoon
We will re-visit our old school in Wong Tai Sin at and gather at 2:30 p.m. at the entrance of the school. After the visit, we may go directly to our buffet dinner venue.
Cost: Free of charge
Buffet dinner
Date: 17 Dec 2011 evening
Venue: Function Room, 6/F, Chinese Recreation Club, 123 Tung Lo Wan Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (Entrance at car park)
Time: Registration will start at 5:30 p.m. and program will start at 5:45 p.m.
Entertainment: Mah-jong, watching our home-produced DVD, singing, chatting with old classmates, lucky draw……
Cost: On equal sharing basis with a ceiling cost of $300. If the cost exceeds $300 per person, our organizing committee members will bear the excess cost.
We will invite all our teachers to come.
Macau tour
Date: 18-19 Dec 2011
It is a good chance to mix together, relax and enjoy ourselves.
Time: Gather at 9 a.m., Western Bridge, 3/F, Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, Shun Tak Centre, Hong Kong.
Cost: On equal sharing basis
Memorable DVD
Besides, we are producing a DVD to commemorate this year’s celebration activities. It contains the following:-
- School photos and videos, its old and current views
- School songs, 孔聖頌, 大同篇
- Photos of activities when we were at school; gatherings since graduation, etc.
- Profiles of our classmates which include careers, qualifications, achievements, etc.
- Video of interviews of some of our teachers and classmates
- Plus many more…..
Every classmate and teacher will receive a complimentary copy of the commemorative DVD whether or not he/she takes part in any of our celebration activities.
You will receive it at our buffet dinner on 17th December 2011. If you are unable to attend it, we will mail it to you later.
We need your help
We need your great support to make this a successful celebration. Please provide us with the following as soon as possible before our deadline:
- Send us the soft copies of photos and videos of our previous activities concerning our classmates both at school and since graduation. If you mail us the hard copies, we will return them to you only upon your specific request.
- If you are our 1971 graduate, please fill in the classmate’s profile as much as possible and email it back to us. Download the Classmate Profile here. The information so collected will only be used for producing the DVD, and will not be shared with or sold to any unrelated persons. The DVD’s will only be distributed among our teachers and classmates.
Please send items 1 and 2 above to our official email box:
taishing1971@gmail.com
Our organizing committee is working hard to make this celebration a memorable and exciting event. Check your email box constantly and we will update you regularly on our progress and occasionally notify you of some exciting news!
We are looking forward to celebrating this event with you!
Contact
Email: TaiShing1971@gmail.com
Blog: http://TaiShing1971.com
Our graduates in the last 40 yrs thru the time tunnel
Do you remember every morning in the assembly we gave three bows to Confucius before singing the Ode to Confucius or our School Song?
Do you remember Ching Sir on and off told us that we Confucian Tai Shing Secondary School was the only Confucian Anglo-Chinese school attaching significance to both the English and Chinese languages and that we studied Chinese Classics which distinguished us from the other Anglo-Chinese schools?
Utilizing Confucian teachings
Well, our learning on Confucianism did not begin with The Analects of Confucius but the thinking of Mencius. The first lesson began with the question of self-gain, or profit, in the following conversation with King Hui of Liang, a kingdom during the Warring States Period in Ancient China:
‘You have come from afar to my kingdom. Have you brought suggestions to profit my kingdom?’ the King asked.
‘Why must Your Majesty ask about profit when your concern should be benevolence and righteousness?’ replied Mencius.*
We are not sure if all our concerns are centered around benevolence and righteousness but we, the organizing committee headed by Adrian Hung Yiu Kwong, are a core of people who definitely do not ask for self-gain to mark the occasion of the 40th anniversary of our graduation from CTSS,－we just want to get connected with you and refresh our treasured memory of good old days, which we hope will nourish our life. We hope that we don’t have to be woken by some unpleasant news like what is narrated in the book, Tuesdays with Morrie, in which the writer, Mitch Albom was fully occupied by his career pursuits after graduation from College and it did not dawn on him that he should see his lecturer-mentor from the College, Morrie, who had appreciated him so much until the last days of his life.
*David Chi-kin Lo, The Danger of Profit, 31 December, 2010.
Graduation Ceremony in 1971
Back to forty years ago, we had our graduation ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on 26th October 1971 in the School Hall. The Hall was full of people comprising guests, parents, teachers and students. We were happy and excited. After some official ceremony, the graduates received their graduation certificates one by one from our guest of honour, Mrs. Haye.
There were refreshments provided at the end of the ceremony. We enjoyed it very much. Do our classmates still remember such a great event in their life?
Further study after graduation
After graduation, most classmates continued their studies in matriculation course in Hong 
Kong. Some continued their studies overseas. After they completed their matriculation course in Hong Kong, only a few of them could enter the universities in Hong Kong as the number of seats available was limited. It was the norm that most of the students continued their studies overseas. U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand were the popular countries they liked to pursue their studies.
For those who studied abroad, after their graduation in the overseas countries, they would rather stay in those countries which offered them better income and living standards.
For those who remained in Hong Kong had also established successful careers. Classmates had pursued their careers in different fields. There are doctor, solicitor, engineer, software engineer, school principal, teacher, accountant, lecturer, investment consultant, banker, merchant, psychologist, civil servant, etc. Their qualifications include doctorate degrees, master degrees, bachelor degrees, etc.
Transition time in Hong Kong
In the 80’s, a lot of people migrated overseas because Hong Kong would hand over to China in 1997. People were uncertain about their future if they remained in Hong Kong. Hence, some of our classmates migrated overseas. In the 90’s, even though they obtained their overseas passports , but decided to return to Hong Kong as Hong Kong was their ultimate dreamland. In fact, Hong Kong’s standard of living improved a lot in the 80’s and 90’s.
Relocation of School
In 1994, Confucian Tai Shing Secondary School was relocated to Tai Po and renamed as Confucian Ho Kwok Pui Chun College whereas Confucian Tai Shing Primary School still remains on the old site.
Search for our missing classmates
At present we have contacted about half of the classmates and are still searching for those missing. Certainly, we hope to reunite with all of them in one day.
Click here for the name list of 1971 graduates.
Written by Angela Or and Adrian Hung
