MY LIFE Part 4: THE MIDDLE HONG KONG YEARS (1977 - 1985)
In 1977, we moved to the School of Education at the Chinese of Hong Kong. My primary responsibility was in the training of Chemistry teachers for local secondary schools, though being a rather small school at that time, I was required to teach other courses as well. We lived in one of the residences on campus.
I decided that it would be advantageous to obtain a PhD, which resulted in moving to Stanford University in 1983. There we stayed in the university campus village for the two years we were there. During this time, I did all the required coursework for the degree and presented my dissertation proposal.
At the end of August 1985, we returned to Hong Kong where, as well as my normal work at the School of Education, I did the research for my dissertation.
During this stage of my life, our three children were born. Leonie (in 1979) and Gavin (in 1981), who were born in Hong Kong, and Nadine (in 1985) who was born in San Francisco.
Chinese University of Hong Kong; part of the Central Campus
The Middle Hong Kong Years: Life History Files
Here are accounts of the middle years in Hong Kong. On clicking the first link,the file will open in a new tab. Alternatively, you may like the file to open in the frame at the bottom of the page. If so, click on the second link.
The new CUHK railway station but still the old trains. (Mrs Cho on the left.)
Life and Work on the University Campus
Birthday parties were always held
Campus life and something of Hong Kong in general:
The Residence 6 years (1977 - 1981):
The Residence 11 years (1982 - 1983):
The School of Education (prior to 1983):
The Stanford years:
Pictures of aspects of life of the family
Christmas time at 37C Escondido Village, Stanford
Rex
Around the reservoirs races in Hong Kong (two of them anyway!):
Marathons (three 1981 - 1983):
Diplomas:
Stanford MS (Statistics) diploma Stanford PhD diploma
Click here to view the diplomas in the viewer at the bottom of the page
Photo viewer (MS diploma) Photo viewer (PhD diploma)
Sierra Vista Hospital records (1985):
Hospital records [Click on each record to open it.] File viewer
Vanessa
Lantau monastery retreat (ca. 1979):
On campus:
Leonie
Birth certificate:
Document (Sorry - it is not horizontal!) File viewer
Photos of birth and early years (1979+):
Escondido Elementary School (Stanford, 1985):
The same photos of Leonie's birth and early years embedded as a slideshow:
Baby and early years (Vimeo) Password = Leonie
YouTube
Gavin
Birth certificate:
Document - again sorry, it is not horizontal! File viewer
Register of birth in New Zealand:
Photos of birth and early years (1981 - 1983):
The same photos of Gavin's birth and early years embedded as a slideshow:
Birth & early years (Vimeo) Password = Gavin
YouTube
Nadine
Birth certificate:
Birth certificate (Ah - the correct way up!) File viewer view
As a baby at Stanford, 1985:
Photos from above of Nadine: Birth and as a baby at Stanford embedded as a slideshow:
Birth & early years (Vimeo) Password required (please ask me)
YouTube
New Zealand grandparents' visit to Hong Kong (1982 - 1983)
Hong Kong:
Visit to Macau and Zhuhai:
The same photos of the Hong Kong part of their visit embedded as a slideshow:
Grandparents visit to Hong Kong (Vimeo). Password (if needed) = grand
YouTube
Some Pictures of Travels
In the snow at Bealey near Arthur's Pass during a trip to Christchurch
The pictures here cover the years from 1978 to 1983. In 1978, Vanessa and I travelled to Japan and South Korea. Thereafter, trips were made with one or more of the children.
In 1980, when Leonie was one year old, we went to Australia (Sydney), New Zealand (Christchurch), the United States, primarily to show her to our families. then briefly to Canada (Vancouver) on the way back to Hong Kong.
At the end of 1981, Vanessa and I along with young Leonie, Keith and Anh, travelled with a Chinese University group to South-western China. Leonie was a delightful member of the group and no trouble whatsoever. Gavin was too young to come and stayed with Mrs Cho (in the residence adjacent to Residence 6).
In 1982, I attended a conference in Honolulu. A few pictures of places I visited are shown here.
In 1983, shortly before going to Stanford, I travelled with a delegation from the School of Education to China, sponsored (and mostly paid for) by the Ministry of Education in China.
In the summer of 1983, we took a long route to Stanford, travelling to New Zealand (Christchurch) and Los Angeles (including Disneyland).
1978 to Japan and South Korea
1980 to Australia, New Zealand and North America
1981 Chung Chi College visit to South-western China
1982 Honolulu Conference (sightseeing pics!)
1983 Faculty trip to China
1983 to New Zealand and Los Angeles on the way to Stanford
Hamilton (New Zealand) File viewer
Christchurch and Akaroa (near Christchurch) File viewer (minus the single Akaroa pic)
File and photo viewer
For photos, click a photo to enlarge it (and also to see the complete caption).