The Era of Modernized Nursery Rhymes and Exotic Boat Trips

Of Nursery Rhymes

I'm not even going to begin my rant about the underlying meaning of the Nursery Rhymes we grow up with.

Ok so I'll start but won't go too far. I mean what's up with things like

Georgie Porgie pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away.

or

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie,
He put in his thumb and pulled out a plum
And said "What a good boy am I!"

What's lessons are we trying to teach with these?! To be womanizing misogynist cowards? To celebrate after playing in our food? What about Jack and Jill (kids that do chores get hurt)? Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater (stuff your estranged spouse into a gourd - wonder if this is still a marriage counseling technique)?

And what's up with Rock-a-bye baby...and babies falling out of trees in their cradles?!

So Eliza and I have decided to reinvent some of the rhymes and songs to either make them make a little more sense, teach a valuable lesson or at least make them a little more modern.

For example,

Peas porridge hot

Peas porridge cold

Peas porridge in the pot

Nine days old

(Yummy!!!)

A new draft version:

Little Myles Hot 

Little Myles Cold

Little Myles in Hong Kong 8 Weeks Old

(and this one even comes with pictures!)

(FYI - Hong Kong Temperature Went from Mid 70s to Mid 50s [after a "Cold Weather" warning] within a couple of days)

Of Exotic Boat Trips and Chinese White Dolphins (are they really white or are they pink? Yes.)

Myles, Eliza, a few coworkers and I took a brief trip this weekend to the Pearl River delta to view a near threatened species, the Chinese White Dolphin. The estimates of the number of this rare animal in the region is about 100 so any boat trip will come with the disclaimer that you are not guaranteed to see any dolphins (the nice thing is if you don't you get a free "re-try" ticket). Why white? Not sure. But are they really white since some people call them pink? In fact, yet. They are born grey, begin losing their grey coloring as they age (as juveniles) and are white as adults. In some cases, when blood is flowing quickly and close to the surface they actually appear pink (just like we turn red when we exercise in the words of the tour guide).

The first stir of excitement was not about seeing a dolphin but rather spotting a bear in our tour group. Yes, Myles wore his bear suit and was the center of attention for a while. Once the boat left the pier, however, the rocking motion, a full tummy, and the sound of the engine had him in temporary hibernation.

With that, the dolphin watching began. It makes things difficult when you're looking for a white fin to pop out of the water only momentarily, especially since the crest of waves typically are the same color and last about the same length of time and are virtually ubiquitous out on the ocean.

So we waited. Not long into the journey, however, our dolphin tour guide exclaimed, "Dolphin at 12:00!" The incline of the boat suddenly tilted forward with the rush of people to the front eagerly whipping out their cameras. And, lo and behold, there was a small white fin methodically piercing the uneven, blue-grey sheath of water far ahead in the distance. The skipper placed the boat into what I call the "Gentle Stalking" speed. Slowly but surely we approached the dolphin and circled around to try and run parallel with it's course. Then inch our way closer and closer so trigger-happy photographers could view the animal through the confined world of their digital camera display.

And when we thought we were lucky to see one and get close enough to take some pretty lame pictures (these aren't Sea World dolphins you know, just swimming along coming up occasionally for air), it happened! A dolphin convention and feast. Not too far ahead of us in the distance was a fishing boat with the nets let down deep into the water. Then we saw them, one, two, three, four, five...the tour guide estimated there were between 12-15 dolphins that converged together to scoop up the fish smart enough to escape the nets but not smart enough to swim in another direction. And so we followed watching them feed for nearly half an hour like some pre-orchestrated synchronized swimming event.

After the fact, the tour guide said we were extremely lucky since a gathering of that magnitude is very rare (and since there are only about 100 in quite a large area in the ocean and tend to believe the argument). The professional camera guy that is part of the crew was having a field day (although I think he may need to get checked out for tendonitis).

More Dolphin Watching Fun:

Photos

Short Dolphin Jumping Video

Oh and one more thing...Myles's got rhythm

Myles at 4, 5, 6 and 7 Weeks

With a new parent's schedule, there isn't a lot of time for poetic commentary, so I'll cut to the chase: Here are the pictures.

Enjoy!

And as an added Thanksgiving Bonus...

FAQ - Part II  (actually more of an AQ as they may not be as frequent)

A) What's Myles' favorite movie quote?

Since pediatricians suggest no TV before the age of two, then Myles has little to choose from as we strictly follow doctor's orders. Thus, no favorite movie quotes (unless passed on through oral traditions) until day 731 exactly. 

B) How did Myles manage to get 000-00-0000 as his social security number?

What are the odds huh? If you assume that with 9 digits there are 10^10 permutations (assuming all possible permutations) then that makes the odds very small. In addition, although his current SSN could be guessed by any identity thief, it is the one SSN permutation perhaps least likely to be used, thus making it truly unique. 

However, all good things must come to an end since while the Department of State is ok with it, the IRS will have none of that (at least if you want the deduction from an additional dependent) so this state of SSN nirvana will be short lived.

C) Is Myles embarrassed when he wears baby blue?

Unfortunately, he is unlikely to be colorblind like his father and will thus be sensitive to the color of apparel he wears. Most of the time his field of vision is blocked by bibs so he is unable to see the baby blue he may be wearing unless he has access to a mirror (which at this point have been banned in our home due primarily to the fear of budding narcissism but also to avoid newborn awkwardness from the baby blue issue.

D) Why hasn't Myles accepted my "friend request" on Facebook?

He is still looking for a "Ghost User" (like a Ghost Writer but for online social networking sites to accept and keep up with all his requests as he is too busy signing autographs. He has narrowed the list down though through several rounds of interviewing so hopefully soon we can all be Myles's Facebook familiars.

E) How many decimal points of pi has Myles memorized?

One (i.e. 3). We haven't got to that lesson yet. We have only got through addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, algebraic formulas, elementary calculus, stock valuations, logic statements, Excel formulas and basic macros, intermediate trigonometry, classic Greek philosophy, Latin, Inuit and currently about 2/3 of the way through memorizing the 10,000 most common GRE words. I know he is almost 6 weeks old already and hasn't learned basic geometry. 

To be honest, I'm afraid he may have a learning disorder when evaluating the speed of knowledge intake thus far.

A Future Pavarotti is Born

Traveling to Hong Kong with Myles - FAQ

1) How old was he when you flew?

We flew to Hong Kong on November 11th (also known in China as Bachelor's day [11/11]). This put Myles at a whopping 3 1/2 weeks or 25 days old.

2) What did you do about his Passport?

We applied at a local post office, albeit not without any resistance. They wouldn't accept a passport picture because the head was too big and told us we had to fill in the social security number and couldn't just use 0's. After arguing with them and winning on the second point (Direct from the horse's mouth) I returned home to re-crop the image in an act of digital head shrinking (although it didn't make much difference when I followed the requirements as the portion they used for the passport is pretty much all head). Finally, we sent off the application on the his 6th day birthday with expedited service and hoped for the best. Luckily we got it only about 8 days later with plenty of time to spare. I hope it is because someone made an intelligent decision after reasoning "Hmmm...this applicant is not even two weeks old and they are expediting service before they even have a social security number. I guess they must have to travel internationally soon so I'll push this one right through." However, I wager that was not the case but likely we just simply got lucky.

The real question should be - how did you take his passport picture?

Considering you need a white background with a clear full-face shot and based on numerous parents' comments online [which I admit may be paranoid] that the eyes must be open, the newborn cannot be crying, no hats, no pacifiers and nothing can be shown in the picture besides their head (i.e. no parent's hands holding them up), this proved to be a monumental task. A white pillowcase, Myles lying on top of it, two cameras, a pacifier (quickly removed for pictures) and about an hour later we finally had something we thought would work. In this case I do suggest "trying this at home" because the post office didn't seem to have a clue about how to take an infant photo for a passport when we tried there.

The final result:

(Technically, paranoid parents online said they aren't supposed to be touching their face...but I guess he made it through still...mostly daddy is just worried about that receding hairline he has.)

3) How long was the flight again?

The flight itself was about 16 hours. But then you have to factor the time to JFK from northern New Jersey, the time to check luggage, go through security, wait to board, board, wait in line at JFK to take off, go through immigration, get your bags, go through customs, travel to the apartment in Hong Kong...I'd say door to door more like 21 hours.

4) How was the baby on the flight?

Better than we expected. We were worried (as were the neighboring passengers I'm sure) that he would be fussy and cry a lot. Fortunately, he is the kind of baby who likes riding in cars so that was a good sign. We have some friends with a baby who pretty much cries non-stop anytime he's in a car.

So between the "white noise" and vibrations of the whirring engines, he pretty much slept the majority of the time on the plane. Of course he would wake up to eat or when he had a messy diaper but once dry and full pretty much right back to sleep...thankfully.

Oh and it probably helped that we put him in his bear suit on the plane. The "cute factor" also helped calm worried neighbors...a tactic I highly suggest unless one's baby is hopelessly non-cute regardless of the chosen apparel.

5) How is the jet lag?

Interesting question. What do you get when you wake up every four hours with a newborn and then travel half way around the world? You still wake up every four hours with a newborn. I'd say that for me, the jet lag was pretty much dissipated by the schedule of being a new parent. Either that or any new parent that is always tired during the day and wakes up in the middle of the night has long-term jet lag (even without flying).

6) Is he used to Hong Kong?

I think he could be in Greenland (as long as it was indoors and heated) and not know the difference. When's one life is eat, burp, sleep, mess diapers and cry the geographic location has little impact on the schedule.

Photos at Picasa Album - Myles goes to Hong Kong

Halloween with Myles Yi

Halloween Pics!

The First 10 Days

More photos (for those interested)...

And now for our feature presentation

We welcome as our special guest, Myles Yi Tomsik (aka Yo-Yo) born October 17th, 2009.

5:30 AM

6:00 AM

3:00 PM

7:00 PM

Week 8 (Sept 20 - 27, 2009)

This Is It

No, I'm not making reference to the upcoming film about the late Michael Jackson. I'm making reference to a certain feeling that only comes around a few times in one's lifetime. It is the sensation of the traveler who has once again reached a summit in his long and arduous journey. It is the pilgrim who stops on the mountain top to catch his breath. He turns back to behold the vast landscape and rolling peaks he has traversed. After a deep reminiscent breath, he looks forward at the misty horizon and ponders the sea of rolling hills between him and his destination. It is the antithetical harmony of an ending synchronously engendering a new beginning. 

They say that life is marked by a series of significant milestones: birth, completion of education/adulthood, marriage, bearing of children and death. Throughout history and still in the present, these, life's milestones,  are often marked by rites and ceremonies which symbolize humanity's acknowledgement of the universal yet deeply personal significance of these rites of passage. 


This past week allowed me to witness one of these rites of passage in the life of one of my co-workers. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Hong Kong style wedding complete with cocktail hour, pictures, a wedding ceremony and a 12-course meal from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm wherein I explored heretofore untried foods some of which which are highly controversial (e.g. birds nest and sharks fin soup) thus challenging their traditional stronghold as wedding-menu musts in this region. 

The surrounding ceremony marked the underlying essence of the event which once again caused me to ponder on my fast approaching sacra-ment and reflect on the emotional events or milestones that serendipitously cluster around this time of year.


Oct. 8 - My parents were married - while I wasn't there it certainly had the impact on my life 
Oct. 6 - Josh meets Eliza for the first time
Sep. 27 - Josh and Eliza hold their Traditional Chinese Wedding
Oct. 9 - The average of Josh and Eliza's birthdays
Oct. ? - The birth of Yo-Yo (aka Miles Yi Tomsik)

Bem-Vindo a Macau - Hasta La Vista Las Vegas


What do you get when you mix hundreds of years of Portuguese influence on a small group of islands off the Southern coast of China? Now take that and add to it a zone open to gambling. The result of this fusion between East and West: a highly eclectic offspring filled with casinos, old Jesuit churches, traditional Chinese mansions, East-Asian temples, forts, lighthouses, cobblestone streets with quaint European houses and paved streets lined with modern Chinese high-rise apartments and all this among other curiosities like the world's tallest bungee jumping tower. Meet Macau, the city that has apparently surpassed Las Vegas in gaming revenue thus challenging Vegas's status as the gambling capital of the world.





Perhaps it was the constant talk of others that lured me to explore this special administrative region. Conceivably it was a final escapist attempt to explore beyond the borders of Hong Kong before stewardships and responsibilities multiplied. Or maybe it the draw of the coincidental symbolism of the place with where my life no stands, how I got here and what lies ahead.


More Macau Photos

Week 7 (Sept 13 - 19, 2009)

T1, T3, T8, T9, T10

No these are not references to Terminator movies nor an attempt to popularize a new quinary numeral system, these are the Hong Kong's warning signals for tropical cyclones or typhoons (and don't ask me what happened to the numbers in between).

To summarize from the Hong Kong Observatory's website:

T1: Stand-By; tropical cyclone within 800km

T3: Strong wind likely as result of tropical cyclone (40+ km/hr, gusts to 110 km/hr); don't go near the water and hold on to your hat

T8: Wind speeds of 60+ km/hr with gusts over 180; city all but shuts down - workers go home, buses stop running, don't go outside

T9: Wind speeds increasing

T10: Hurricane winds 120+ with gusts 220+; duck and cover

Last Monday I awoke to T1 notices scattered throughout building lobbies. By afternoon it was raised to T3 and in a sudden surprise the "pre T8" message went out at 4:00pm declaring T8 at 6:00pm.

This creates somewhat of a problem. At T8, EVERYONE goes home. To make it even more exciting, most transportation shuts down within two hours of the T8 signal. Put these two together and what do you get? About 7 million people trying to go home at the same time (ok so that is an overestimate only those out working, shopping, studying, or doing something else away from home has to go home but that still leaves the number I'd wager over 4 million). If you want some visual aids to help imagine try these (pic 1, pic 2).

One's options aren't very good. Do I leave now and beat the rush? Or should I wait it out until the madness goes away? Oh wait, I can't otherwise I can't get home (well technically taxis are still out to make a buck but finding an empty one may be a task plus I don't know if they begin charing the T8 special fare).

With so many options most everyone began vacating the office to enjoy the long and relaxing commute home. I even may have made the evening news. At the bus stop I frequent (and so do thousands of others) a camera crew from a local TV station was filming the excitement of people pushing, and struggling to get home, creating veritable human sardine containers out of the double-decker buses. Even though I may have had my 1.23 seconds of Hong Kong TV fame, I didn't scan the Cantonese channels when I got back home to see whether my face appeared. Maybe I was disinterested or maybe was afraid to witness the combination of my expression (being squeezed on all sides by eager commuters...I don't think I even had to walk - I could have probably been carried onto the bus by the throngs surrounding me without any effort) and hairdo (remember at T3 and Pre-T8 winds and humidity were pretty high at that point).

After all that fun, what did I learn.

1) If you want a day off of work, hope for a T8 (but first thing in the morning not after you've already got there)

2) Adrenaline surges are extremely effective at impeding sleep. Our T8 lasted about 16 hours - the first half of the night I was conveniently woken up every minutes when the wind rattled the windows, so hard in fact I could feel the vibrations moving the bed. And just when you were almost back to sleep a nice little gust would come along where you swear the windows were about to shatter. Which leads me to the next point...

3) Invest in some quality ear plugs (or perhaps good sedatives). It was until probably 3 AM or so that I stumbled out of bed to search for the travel kit from the journey over. Luckily, the airline provided ear plugs since even the 24 hours stores probably weren't an option as that point.

4) Have connections with the HK observatory. In such situations they control when the T8 signal is lifted which in turn means everyone back to work 2 hours later (repeating the exciting commute). BUT if you can bribe someone to keep it at T8 until 12:01pm then you get the rest of the day off (and can make up some sleep). Unfortunately, however, I do not have connections yet with the HK observatory but may start hanging out meteorologist networking events just in case. The T8 was lowered to T3 at about 10:30 AM.

And after all that fun, words of encouragement from others: "It's good preparation. You might as well get used to not getting much sleep now anyway."

"Climb every mountain, search high and low" (not once but twice) 
"And in the naked light I saw...ten thousand 'Buddhas' maybe more"

So as Saturday strolled around I decide to brave the heat and humidity yet one more time in order to hike a small mountain to a monastery. In order to do so, however, I had to make my first preparatory stop at the Hong Kong Space Museum where I took in the feature "Extreme Planets." (I'll let you figure out what that has to do with a Buddhist Monastery.)

While the museum and movie weren't entirely all that invigorating I was surprised to learn the movie was created by Clark Planetarium (formerly Hansen Planetarium) I believe and a place I loved in Salt Lake City growing up as a kid. Kind of strange to see the words "Clark Planetarium, Salt Lake County" in large letters with music on a overhead planetarium screen half way across the world. I suppose that's one of the "miracles" of globalization.

Away from the air conditioned dome and towards the mountain. This time, for real, I'm headed for the monastery. After my arrival, I saw the Buddhist statues high on the hillside blended amidst the sprawling green foliage. Before me was a large white gate with gardens and pagodas which I assumed was not part of monastery but part of the path to the monastery above as there were multiple staircases leading up every which way. As I climbed up and up (going through one liter of water on the way) I beheld beautiful waterfalls and smelt the burning of incense. I passed many alcoves with Buddhist figurines on my way up. Upon reaching a series of buildings I soon realized that this definitely wasn't a monastery, it was a cemetery. To be completely accurate it is best described as a memorial site. Dozens of small buildings each with hundreds of names of ancestors and loved ones who had completed there time on earth. I felt somewhat awkward walking by individuals and families who had come to memorialize their dead. I guess it is a reasonable thing to have on a path to a monastery though. Problem was, I soon found out, it wasn't the path to the monastery. After reaching the top of the memorial hill I looked down to take in the spectacular view and reflect on the fragility of life. As I turned around a tall, wiry fence separated me from the courtyard of the monastery temple, just a few meters away. Best part was, there was not gate and no passage.

I had travelled this far out into the new territories and felt almost obliged to myself to fulfill  the purpose of my journey. So I slowly made my way back down the hill to the gate of the memorial walked a few steps across the parking lot and onto another path. I then started my journey up the same mountain again to the 10,000 Buddha Temple and Monastery. This time I felt confident about my journey since I could easily see there were going to be a lot of Buddhas.

The path, however, is misleading because those statues are not the 10,000 Buddhas of the 10,000 Buddha Temple. I would venture that the 10,000 Buddhas are the ones in temple shown below. That's probably about 1/4 of the room - go ahead and count if you like if you disagree with my hypothesis.

After a nice vegetarian meal, I made my way back down the mountain (again) and onto my final destination for the day; another alcove of meaning and cultural significance and perhaps home of one the world's biggest beagle houses.

More photos from this week's adventures. Also, note below the new feature for emailing blog updates if interested.

Week 6 (Sept 6 - 12, 2009)

The Time is Near at Hand

Soon the 8-month barrier will be crossed. I can now count the days before I fly back on my fingers and toes. As the probability of arrival of the new addition goes up exponentially with each (at least that is my unproven hypothesis) the mind becomes flooded with a myriad of questions: am I ready? what will the first days be like? how does the baby passport picture work? how many diapers do I need to pack on a 15 hour flight? and how many diapers will I need to use over the next couple of years?

(my estimate on the last is [#Diapers = 360t^-.37] with t being baby's age in months, thus estimate for the penultimate question yields 7.5 diapers for the flight alone...I'm sure I can let someone else borrow the other half of the diaper since I won't be needing it)

Yet besides all these questions spinning around in my head, the past week has primarily been fraught with anxiety over "baby-friendly" living arrangements. While I'm not too worried about baby-proofing just yet (since he won't be crawling, climbing, and wreaking havoc just yet, mostly lying there like a starfish), I am concerned about facilitating the care of a baby in Hong Kong. Simply trying to imagine life with a stroller opens one's eyes to a tremendous amount of things unseen before. Thus, this week I've reconsidered the original plan to stay in this apartment building and reverted to apartment hunting to find the ideal environment. To be fair, it isn't so much hunting, Citi has provided me with information but it is still up to me to visit and assess. Perhaps a more accurate term is "Apartment Evaluation."

While Eliza and I think we found the one we want, we have to cross our fingers to make sure there is availability sometime around D-Day +15...and on that note, negotiating a contract with a wide range of starting dates is moderately problematic.

The Reprieve from the Housing Search

After a action packed weekend of residential treasure hunting, I sought for liberation from enclosed areas and braved the heat once more in search of a different kind of gem. I suppose it is due to my simple addiction to beauty, tranquility, and maybe escapism that I wandered around Kowloon City for a time, pretty much lost and starting to despair. This was the second attempt to find a certain location there. I was unsuccessful on the first attempt (no iPhone acting as my second brain anymore) and also beginning to worry that after such effort, what if the finding was a letdown-a small, forsaken, and unkempt area that would make me wish I was again apartment hunting the comfort of air conditioned buildings.

Below it a snippet of what I found (trying out the new media format this time around):

I was in no way disappointed. In fact, I fell in love and have found one of my favorite places in Hong Kong.

The history of the park is quite colorful and interesting. I suggest interested parties take a few minutes for a quick read of the history here. It's almost like the Princess Bride, where there is "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles." Well maybe not all of that but probably close especially if you include the "Depictions in Popular Culture" section from Wikipedia as well as part of your perusal of the history.

More photos of the park.

That's all for this week. Stay tuned next time to learn more about the heavy pelting rain and 50 MPH typhoon winds pounding my window as I put the final period on this relation.

Week 5 (August 30 - Sept 5, 2009)

All Quiet on the Far Eastern Front

I believe it's time for a deep breath both to unwind from the pressures of the past (new role, relocation, baby anxiety and preparations, exams, etc.) and to prepare for the frenzy of the future (new role redux, re-relocation, baby arrival, one more exam, etc.). Furthermore, the summer has all but ended. Work thus far has been busy but relatively stress free as almost everyone has been on vacation and off capitalizing on the final days of summer. Yet now the quiet is threatened as Labor Day in the U.S. marks the beginning of school, the end of vacations and consequently increased market activity which will carry through the end of the year (remember I do work for a New York-Centric financial company). Thus, with one final act of prolonged respiration, many in the global community relax, reflect, and refocus on the coming months.

December 31. The date strikes me as interesting in its passive power. An arbitrary date but yet a date which silently dictates "the end" and marks a significant cut-off point to measure performance. Is the money manager beating the market? Have organizations meet their goals? Did I (or you) fulfill the list of New Year's resolutions established at the beginning of the year?

(And just because I've never been a fan of New Year's resolutions, I think I'm going to move my goal-setting to March next year and enjoy the hiatus between the deadline of when I was supposed to do things and the new arbitrary date when I supposed to start doing things again. Plus, winters in the Northeast are too long anyway.) If the answer to those questions is "No," now is a realistic time to ponder on what needs to happen between now and then to increase levels of performance and potentially reach those goals.

So to make a long story short, this week was quiet, a time of reflection and yet a welcome respite knowing what has already past and what lies ahead. And I'm completely happy to simply savor the calm before the storm.

This Week's Stops: Plum Nest and Tai O Fishing Village

And speaking of storms and respite, this week I ventured again to Lantau island. There one can experience both the hustle and bustle of the city with the international airport, shopping centers, residential high rises, Disneyland...and yet just across the hilly landscape, one can escape the concrete labyrinth and enter landscapes filled with rolling green hills, picturesque beaches, and quaint villages which I find is a combination perfect for reflection. One such village on the far end of the island is known as Tai O, a fishing village, where many of the houses are built on stilts over the waterways leading to the ocean. This village is easily affected by storms and in fact was severely damaged by flooding in typhoon Hagupit last year.

And what do you expect to see in a fishing village? Fish. However, not as you may think. Scattered all throughout the town are shops filled with the scent and sight of all kinds of varieties of dried fish. And I must say the sight of the immense product display at some of the shops is nearly spell binding but the scent of those same shops can quickly help unbind the spell.
One house has their catch out to dry. Notice the multitude of hanging fish but also below in the baskets the matrix of fish also arrayed in the sun in a process of unpretentious desiccation.

A couple more views of stilted houses and fishing boats semi-silhouetted by the distant hazy sun.

More of this week's photos.

Week 4 (August 23 - 29, 2009)

How to Choose a Baby Name: General Guidelines

First off, who would have thought choosing a name for a baby could be so difficult? The person receiving the name definitely doesn't have much say in the matter. For some reason I doubt that would make a good business model for life in general. However, I did see an ad for a restaurant recently something to this effect: you pay whatever you want for the meal. The catch? You don't get to order it and are thus at the mercy of whatever the chef dreams up. Perhaps I could start a business to sell "baby-name" insurance which will handle legal and administrative fees and processing if the baby later on decides he or she is not as keen on the name received as the parents were at the time their little darling came forth into the world.

So in essence, the underlying quandary stems from the relative permanency of one's birth name. With that in mind, parents are then tasked to give it their best shot and bequeath a name upon a child that will serve throughout life. Below I've put together some of my thoughts and findings as I sifted through census data and name lists to try and come up with the "perfect" baby name.

Baby-Naming Guidelines:

1) The initials have to sound good and be "make-fun-of-me" repellant. Probably want to avoid initials like JRK, MUT, DUM, etc.

2) The initials without middle name(s) have to sound good and be laugh-at neutral as well.

3) The name and middle name(s) have to sound good. This requires a proper balance between boring, original, and flat-out cheesy, not to mention probably should be something most people can pronounce and spell...you know, something like Quetzalcoatlina.

4) The name, middle name(s) and last name combination has to flow (it doesn't necessarily be poetic but that wouldn't hurt) and make logical sense (e.g. is it too long that it won't fit on exam bubble sheets? is it natural fit for schoolmate jokes, like Ima Terd?)

5) The name has to have either 1) significant meaning (positive of course - not like naming your kid Adolph or Osama) or 2) interesting origin (emotional ties, great story, etc. - like Bertha or Moby)

6) There must be buy-in from all key stakeholders. (primarily both actual parents but also grandparents, other family members, godparents, debt collectors, etc.)

7) The name must pass the "first impression" test at birth. What if he just doesn't look like a Gargamel or what if he turns out not to be a HE? This calls for risk mitigation strategies and backup plans (Note: random intuitions by mothers-to-be in online discussion forums place the possibility below 5% that the gender declared at 20 week ultrasound will be incorrect - but that reminds me of the one of my MBA professor's famous lines: "Remember that 80% of statistics are made up on the spot.")

Those are just a few guidelines. I'm sure there are more but my analysis paralysis only got me that far. No wonder I haven't ever written a novel - I don't think I could ever get around to giving the characters names and simply granting them ID numbers would not be that facilitative to the reader.

Still, the clock is ticking for the little one...some of the possibilities are

Middle name = Yi (all but confirmed)

First name (the most recent super abridged short list)

Joshua (the obvious narcissistic choice) [Meaning: Jehovah is Salvation; Initials: JYT, JT]

Miles (for the hidden Jazz fan inside of me or just obsession with the absurd English measuring system) [Meaning: (Unknown origin); Initials: MYT, MT]

Lucas [Meaning: From Lucania, Luke in the New Testament or for the Star Wars connects Luke Skywalker or George Lucas; Initials: LYT, LT]

Mojag [Meaning: Native American for Crying Baby (literally never silent)...ok so maybe not but had to throw it in there, thanks Dad]

Feel free to suggest additions or cast a vote.

This Week's Adventures

One can only take so much of wandering around in steamy 90+ degree weather. These are the days that makes one think of cold lemonade, people sitting on their porches fanning themselves or struggling not to move at all so that no additional body heat is created thereby worsening the already oppressive heat. It's almost like reverse-hibernation where mammals will find a place to flop themselves for the summer, not to conserve energy to survive through the winter, but to avoid spending energy to survive the brutality of summer.

So I could do that, or I could just visit places with air-conditioning. In fact, there are areas of the city where one can walk around through many buildings and cover a large area without leaving the comfort of the air conditioner's hum. Most of these are interconnected pathways between shopping centers. No wonder, shopping is one of Hong Kong's major past times (the other two are eating and hiking).

However, since I would rather not spend my weekends wandering aimlessly through a labyrinth of malls, I headed to the other large buildings with air conditioning, the museums.

First stop, the Hong Kong Science Museum.

Naturally, the design focuses around activities for school-aged children. Yet, there are still enough interesting things for adults to do an learn as well. The current special exhibition was about candy.

As soon as you walk in you are greeted with the following tower:

So what's the significance of a few thousand bags of sugar? This is the estimated amount of sugar the average "American" (I wonder why the pick on Americans) will eat during their lifetime. I estimate just under 5,000 bags from a quick calculation and assume the are 10lb bags (no markings so just guessing from size). Perhaps my assumptions are off but that puts the average American at a good 50,000 pounds of sugar or 25 tons of sugar during their life time.

More than anything, it made me think of this Video. The photographer presenting in the video aims to help visualize things we normally don't think about by bringing it to a macro scale to try and thus emphasize important issues we ought to be thinking about (but aren't).

Of course, there was much more than just candy and more than I could take in during my few hours there...but I moved on to the next air-conditioned event, the Museum of Art.

Unfortunately, about half of the museum was under renovations and the museum itself is not extremely large. Yet, for the admission price of $1.29 it is hard to complain when there are still some fascinating works of art can be taken in without the inconvenience of frequently wiping humidity intensified sweat from one's brow. And depending on how next weekend's weather forecast turns out, there may be even more exciting museum gossip (and if you don't find that interesting, trust me it's better than photos of me poolside).

(Courtyard outside of Space Museum and Museum of Art)

(Sculpture Court - Over the Harborfront Promenade at the Museum of Art)

(Wooden sculpture of GuanYin or Avalokitesvara closing in on its 1000th birthday; Asexual Bodhisattva and key figure in East Asian Buddhism...For many the Bodhisattva is a She and referred to as a the Goddess of Mercy and especially venerated by women. In Tibetan Buddhism, on the other hand, Avalokitesvara frequently chooses to reincarnate Himself as the Dalai Lama.)

More of this Week's Photos

Week 3 (August 16 - 22, 2009)

An Anniversary and A Birthday: Attempting to Celebrate ~13,000 km away

So what do you get when you cross a wedding anniversary, a birthday, and an one ocean and one continental land mass between the primary parties in question?

Homesickness? Frustration? Sadness? Happiness? Renewed perspective on life? All of the above?

Well thinking how that situation may have played out 25 years ago, I can imagine a couple of carefully planned letters sent weeks in advance, a few expensive international phone calls of questionable quality, and with enough foresight perhaps some gifts from a mail order catalog or something wrapped and tucked away hidden somewhere in the house a month before the actual occasion.

But today is not 25 years ago. An additional answer the question posed above would be, a profound appreciation for the internet, Skype video conferencing, and Amazon.

As a token of celebration of these events, I gave away my wedding ring. Well, not really gave away, but left it at a jewelry store. In fact, it just so happens to be the company and city where it was purchased years ago when Eliza and I tied the knot here in Hong Kong. They have been charged with restoring it to its original splendor and glory.

So while I cannot be there in person, I can be virtually. Furthermore, of all the places I could be, I happen to at least be in the one of most symbolic importance with access to the same jewelers that originally forged the wedding band she placed on my finger years ago.

I did ask if they could also add the invisibility feature as they serviced the ring this time, but they said the guy who can do that passed away a few years back at the hands of a couple of short people. Figures.

Tuesday, August 18 9:00 A.M. Eastern Time- 58,400 People All Trying to Access One Site at the Same Time

I can't claim all of them were trying at the same time, but, as I was one of them, it sure felt like it. The fact that the server was hosted on the other side of the earth probably didn't help my chances. Yet, there I was at 9:00 P.M. hitting my refresh button for 28 minutes until slowly but surely the login screen appeared. I frantically typed my name and password but the "submit" button still had yet to load. I waited, nervously tapping my fingers against the desk as if subconsciously hoping the vibrations would magically speed up the process. Finally, the button appeared. I had already seen the pass rate: 41%. So what were my odds? Did I really want to hit submit? Was I ready for defeat if I was among the 59%?

I clicked...swallowing down the nervousness lodged in my throat and had been building for 28 minutes.

There it was...the CFA Institute Logo...the date...Joshua Tomsik...and then in big bold letters the verdict:

Level 2: Pass

Relief. Rapture. Joy for the reward of many long hours of preparation over the course many months. Approximately 16,000 people around the world passed level 2 of the ~39,000 people who took the test (the other 19,000 assumed to be accessing the web site had taken the final test, level 3).

Now I must celebrate while I can...Level 3 registration has begun and the exam is now less than 10 months away. I can feel the butterflies already.

Explorations

So I figure I might as well try to get as much exploration in as I can before the changing of diapers, the feeding, the burping, and hitting the books. First stop this week, the White House.

Ok, so it's not called that. It is known as the Government House and served as home to British Governors for over 100 years. Now it houses the "Chief Executive" of the SAR (Special Administrative Region) of Hong Kong. Obviously, Sir Donald Tsang was not out waiting for me that day (in spite of my test results). Could it have been the 90+ degree weather and drowning humidity (oddly no one else was around on the street)?

Off to the west, nestled between high-rise apartment buildings sits the Man Mo Temple. The temple is over 150 years old and dedicated to two ancient gods: one is the god of literature and the other the god of war. The temple is frequented by those searching for prosperity and good fortune.

One feature that sets this temple apart from many other in the region is the distinct incense coils. The coils range from small to large. Some of the large ones shown below are rumored to burn up to 3 weeks! I suppose that smoke carrying one's wishes to heaven for 3 weeks instead of just an hour or so can't hurt one's chances.

Down the hill a few blocks is the HSBC building which is renowned for its architecture. One element is the free standing escalators to the main floor. Rumors online say that these may be the world's longest freestanding escalators...however, I think the CNN building in Atlanta actually holds the ownership to that claim. Regardless, they are quite remarkable going from the concrete into the glass above. Furthermore, the direction and angle adhere to the tenets of proper Feng Shui in case you were worried.

In spite of my best efforts to get lost and wander aimlessly, I always seem to find my way back home. I guess my strategy of randomly jumping on a bus or subway and seeing where it goes makes for good adventure but I always know I can jump on the same bus or subway back to where I came from. Perhaps I could try not looking at the bus number and see how that goes...either that or get in a taxi and randomly say some Cantonese words hoping the driver will understand it for something and then just nod when he repeats to confirm the location. Maybe next weekend.

One of the places I ended up was on the Kowloon side. There numerous streets look like the one below.

I can't help but think to myself each time I see streets with a thousand signs all competing to get in front of one another whether I can actually find the store I'm looking for. Here I wandered around looking at shops, finding a restaurant with no English, walked in, threw the hostess and a few waitresses into a frenzy as they tried to see if anyone spoke English. Eventually the chef came over to me to try and begin what he supposed was going to be a communication adventure pointing to menu pictures. Luckily I just said what I wanted and he chuckled taking my order and turning to his coworkers declaring they could let go of their panic since the gwai lou (or "Gringo" loosely translated) could speak mandarin.

On the way to the next adventure I encountered a magic tree in the middle of a luxury shopping court.

Still wondering whether they built the whole shopping plaza around the tree, whether it was transplanted, or whether it grew from magic beans because the complex is too new to have it grow from a small sapling in such a short time. I tend to go with the magic bean theory as it is the most logical.

From there it was onto another bus and off to a small port town called Stanley. Here I enjoyed the ocean view, a beach, a quaint market, a group of modern dancers and some mediocre nachos.

After watching the sunset, I jumped on another bus, hoping to find my way home.

More of this week's photos

Week 2 (August 9 - 15, 2009)

A.M. - The Rain Comes Crashing Down, Noon - The Pummeling of the Rain Breaks, Evening - The Sun Pierces the Clouds - Thursday Aug. 13.

Such a series of events draws forth a variety of images. First, seas of umbrellas and so many in fact that everyone has to stand in line for a few minutes to leave the subway station. As one leaves, one must carefully avoid being jabbed by the synchronized pop and expansion of a rainbow of nylon. The good news is, if you forgot your umbrella, are too lazy to take it out or simply an opportunistic fiend for efficiency, you hunch a little and just walk with the crowd. The canopy formed by the throngs surrounding you, literally, has you covered.

Second, we must realize what starts must stop and what goes down must go back up. The heavy rain has drowned the air with humidity as as the sun rises behind the cloudy ceiling it heats the air creating the wonderful sensation we call muggy. However, this particular afternoon, an auspicious breeze gently prods the cloud cover and stickiness away. The sun breaks through thick clouds just as people are punching out of the office. These are the kinds of moments when the pollution and haze is swept away. These are the kinds of skies that give rise to spectacular evening imagery.

It was in that poetic moment of reflection that spontaneity attacked me. I raced to the historic tram (which made its first journey in 1888) and shoved my way through the crowds (ok gently made my way but shoved sounds more dramatic). I did so that I could experience and share with you the following:

Oh, and they have a mall at the top of the mountain too. No not a monastery (we'll get to that soon) but a mall.

Ngong Ping, Lantau Island - Saturday A.M.

Off to the mountains again it was. I journeyed on the one of the subway lines to the final stop. When I got on the subway was pretty full. At each stop more and more people poured in...after 15 minutes or so the sardine effect had begun.

"There is no way that all these people want to go to the same place I'm going," I thought. And yet the doubt had entered my mind that I had picked a common weekend getaway for what I thought would be a rather peaceful excursion.

Luckily, I was wrong. The ever growing multitude suddenly dispersed just one stop before mine. As the doors opened, the throngs of eager people squeezed out as the recorded announcement proclaimed..."This station is Sunny Bay. Transfer available to the Disneyland Resort Shuttle."

So no, I didn't get off and take the shuttle with Mickey Mouse shaped windows. Instead I exited at the next stop and then took a cable car for 30 minutes...over the ocean, up mountains, past hilltops and waterfalls, into the mist of the clouds.

(There is a steep hiking trail up these two hills and beyond if you want to take the adventurous route)

At the top beyond the tourist village and gift shops lies a the Ngong Ping Monastery (with a nice vegetarian dishes) and Giant Buddha surrounded by lush vegetation and mountains. The wisps of clouds tickling your face, the sound of running water, chirping birds, and the leaves blowing in the breeze create the serene atmosphere ideal for getting in touch with higher forces...except all the noisy tourists with cameras. Still there is imagery that inspires awe and peaceful corners for introspection.

Avenue of the Stars - Saturday P.M.

Instead of calling it a day after hiking stairs in the humid 90 degree weather...I stopped one subway station before my destination to explore the touristy side of Kowloon. I ventured down Nathan Road where hundreds of stores line each side and tourists from far and near go to buy luxury brands, local brands, and fake Rolexes from the guys standing on the corner.

Beyond that buzz, is a long walkway along the harbor which also serves as home to the "Avenue of the Stars" (the HK equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame). Here you can find handprints in the concrete from most of the Hong Kong stars. The most popular of these, with people from all nationalities bending over to place their hands in the cement, belongs to Jacky Chan. Yet, in my opinion, the founder of it all guards the starred walkway with his legendary kung fu. So legendary that he gets his own statue while everyone else gets handprints. Give it up for Mr. Bruce Lee.

The "Avenue" also provides great views of the Hong Kong Island skyline and the diverse sea-bound vessels that inhabit the harbor.

What?! Contractions?!

As I made my way down the mountain I received a phone call. Eliza was on her way to get some pain checked at the hospital. Yeah, just pause a moment and think...what would you do when you got that call? Luckily, after monitoring for a time the contractions stopped and Eliza was sent home. From what the doctor's said, these weren't just Braxton-Hicks contractions either...these were the same type that come later on only not nearly as powerful. Just keeps one on their toes...I can say that after that incident my suitcase now no longer remains safely tucked away and the airline booking office number is no longer foreign to me. Still, I don't think even with that preparation, one could book a ticket, travel to the airport, fly 16 hours, and arrive in time to actually be useful. So I am starting to ask the little one to wait. But to be polite, the little one needs to be properly addressed.

Yo Yo, The Little One

Huh? Yeah. We've picked a name. Well not a real name yet but a nick name (Chinese tradition for kids). Yep, Yo Yo. So you're probably thinking of the toy. Well that's not it, that's spelled yo-yo. So now you're thinking Yo Yo Ma right? Well, not really but not a bad association, right? World's most famous Cellist...I could go for that. If not, then is it short for Yoda? Again, I would not wince at the suggested significance (though would not want to deem my child to that height for all his earthly years).

Technically it would be spelled You You but then you may get confused. The pronunciation is Yo Yo, but the Chinese is spelled You You which You means superior or excellent. So there you have it...we've picked a name but still just need to pick a name. Hopefully, no he has at least a nickname we can convince him to hold on in that cramped, noisy environment for several weeks longer.

(More photos from this week's adventures here.)

Week 1 (August 2 - 8, 2009)

A Brush with Fame - Sunday 7:45 AM - Terminal 7 - JFK International Airport

After placing my laptop in the worn gray bin, I reached down to remove my shoes paying little attention to the conversation in front of me. As I looked up to walk through the metal detector, I experienced my first up-close celebrity sighting since coming to New York City over two years ago.

And so there he was, King Leonidas himself jovially chatting with the TSA agents. However, this time clothed in modern casual attire, a leather jacket and going for the sexy scruff look (which I'm guessing, for him, probably works). After looking up Mr. Gerard Butler on IMDB was also floored to discover he was the man behind the mask in the 2004 cinematic rendition of The Phantom of the Opera.

In the end, he walked to his waiting area and I walked to mine...just two guys about to get on a plane (albeit one much richer than the other).

(For more thoughts on this encounter, visit my other more contemplative blog Deliberations)

Sixteen Hours in a Flying Bus - Cathay Pacific Flight 841

All I can say is, good thing they have like 100 movies to chose from...I only got through three.

The Scent of a City - Monday 3:00 PM - Downtown Hong Kong

The translation of the name Hong Kong literally means "Fragrant Harbor." I didn't expect to actually test whether this name is accurate, but for some reason, the first impression I have when I step out of an airport is the city's distinct smell. Perhaps it is the dry, recycled air that starves the nerves in my nasal cavity thereby magnifying the effect of odors upon the first burst of outside air. Regardless of the cause, I wouldn't call Hong Kong "Fragrant" in the strictest sense of the term; the strong scent of the nearby maritime mist, the heaviness of the 90% humidity, the odors released from the microscopic organisms and vegetation that thrive in a hot and wet climate. Whether that conglomeration qualify as a "sweet or pleasant smell," I'll leave that up to you.

Hi-Ho, Tai Koo, It's Off to Work I Go - Tuesday - Friday

Wandering through double decker buses, taxis, shuttle buses, subway stations and thick crowds of people, I eventually successfully arrived on the other side of the island to my office building (on the right a few blocks from the Tai Koo station). After two years of emailing many of the people working here, I finally had the chance to start putting face to names. I know they say virtual and remote work environments can work, however, there is a transformational aspect in a work relationship when the voice or text becomes flesh and blood (at least I'm pretty sure none of them are hi-tech robots...this is Hong Kong not Japan [see what I mean here]) and the non-verbal now becomes visible and meaningful.

Still waiting for video conferencing in companies to become low cost and ubiquitous. Until then, I'll still wonder why it is so expensive and fraught with technical difficulties when Skype gives it to you for free with relative ease.

"Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" (Semisonic) - The Weekend

With each minute that passes, a male fetus in New Jersey grows bigger, stronger, and kicks harder; Eliza's honey-dew-like abdomen becomes more and more watermelonesque. People think we're crazy but in this economic environment, burning bridges is not the wisest of activities. Yet, to get my mind off the numerous "What ifs?," it is easiest to keep engaged in other activities. Thus, I venture to harder to reach corners of Hong Kong and outlying islands.

Below are shots off the shore of Lamma Island. One from the ferry of a pavilion on the rocks, a beach, a small village and part of the Hong Kong skyline from the ferry ride back at night (think The Dark Knight sequence [link to trailer if you have forgotten or not enjoyed]).

More photos here

Stay tuned. More to come on the baby, Hong Kong, and working in Hong Kong while expecting a baby in a land far, far away.