Grandpa 's Journey

  This morning was quiet. Peaceful. As I looked out the window, the day felt new—sunshine waiting to break through, white clouds drifting slowly across a calm sky. Moments like this don’t shout for attention. They simply are . And if we pause long enough, they speak to us. That calm led me to a thought I want to share with you. There is a special joy in talking with a good friend or companion. You feel it immediately—not because of clever words, but because of expression . The simple act of communicating. Sending and receiving. Sharing and being heard. That back-and-forth creates a warmth that’s hard to describe, yet easy to recognize. That same joy is why I write. When I finish a blog post, I don’t just publish it and move on. I read it again. And again. Not only to check the content, but to study how I expressed myself. I’m learning the art of expression—how to be more sequential, logical, and, if possible, beautiful in English. Some people speak and write effortlessly. T...

Yesterday, I shared a simple early-morning moment—waking up before dawn, easing body stiffness with movement, sipping water, making coffee, and sharing the first sip with Julie. That quiet morning reminded me of something important: Life doesn’t need big events every day to be meaningful. So this week on Grandpa Journey , I’m going to continue with small, honest reflections—one gentle post each day. Nothing heavy. Nothing rushed. Just everyday moments, thoughts, and lessons that come with age, experience, and slowing down a little. These posts won’t be about teaching or advising. They’ll simply be about noticing : how the body speaks to us, how routines comfort us, how love shows up in small ways, and how peace often lives in ordinary moments. If you’re walking through your own quiet season of life—or just looking for a calmer start to the day—I hope you’ll walk with me this week. One morning. One thought. One small moment at a time. The Comfort of Familiar Routine...

  Early mornings have a way of revealing life’s quiet blessings—movement, a warm cup of coffee, and sharing the first sip with someone you love. I woke up very early this morning—not because of an alarm, but because my body felt a little uncomfortable. At this stage of life, that happens sometimes. What I’ve learned, though, is not to fight it. Once I got out of bed and started moving, the discomfort quietly faded away. No medicine. No panic. Just listening to the body. The first thing I did was drink a small amount of water—half a cup, maybe less. Just enough to gently wake things up. Then I sat down at my laptop, letting my thoughts drift. I wasn’t trying to force a blog idea. I simply asked myself, What feels real this morning? Next came a familiar ritual: making coffee. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the house—so inviting that it sometimes wakes Julie. Sure enough, she stirred, came over, and took her first sip of the day. She loves that first mouthful. Then, cont...

  Introduction As the winter season approaches, it's essential to have the right tools to tackle the snow and keep your pathways clear. One tool that promises to make snow removal easier and more efficient is the GW 80V 12" Snow Shovel with Directional Vanes by Greenworks . Whether you're a seasoned snow remover or a first-time user, this snow shovel could be your new favorite winter companion. I just got one from Costco Richmond Hill at C$299 + tax special promo price.  Check it out while supply available. Unboxing the GW 80V 12" Snow Shovel Unboxing the GW 80V Snow Shovel is an exciting experience. It comes neatly packed with all the necessary components, including the shovel, a charger, and a powerful 80V battery. Greenworks has made sure that the assembly is as easy as possible. Simply follow the easy-to-read instruction manual, and within minutes, you’ll have the tool ready to go! The shovel itself has a sleek design, with ergonomic handles that ensure a co...

  2025 U.S. Economic Strategy: Global Leadership or Wealth Extraction? Why Some See It as “Wealth Extraction” 1. Stablecoin Regulation as a Digital-Dollar Trojan Horse With the GENIUS & STABLE Acts, U.S.-backed stablecoins become safer, more trustworthy, and more widely used globally.In countries with weaker currencies, people may adopt U.S. stablecoins as their primary digital money, reducing demand for their local currency and indirectly shifting monetary control toward the U.S. Result: Local economies lose seigniorage while the U.S. benefits from dollar dominance in digital form. 2. Tariffs as a Global Value Grab Tariffs make foreign goods more expensive in the U.S. market, forcing exporters to cut prices or lose market share. The U.S. collects tariff revenue from foreign-made goods—effectively transferring some exporters’ revenue to U.S. coffers. 3. Big Beautiful Bill as a Capital Magnet Lower corporate taxes, R&D incentives, and generous inve...

 This personal reflection feels especially relevant today, as wars and conflicts continue to displace families around the world. Christmas memories   are often described as a season of warmth and joy. Mine began in the cold. In the late 1953, a fire burned down a two-storey building in Kowloon  石硤尾大火 . By nightfall, my family and I were standing in the street—homeless, hungry, and unsure what would come next. It was Christmas Eve. And it was the night I learned what the spirit of Christmas truly means.                                  A fire broke out and burned down houses Childhood stories It was 1953. A fire broke out and burned down a two-storey building. I still remember the flames climbing through the night, fast and merciless. By morning, we had lost our home. We stood in the street with nothing—cold, hungry, and unsure where the next hour would take us. The wind cut throug...

A Grandpa’s Reflection on Learning, Writing, and Growing Old with AI December 24 is the kind of day that makes an old man pause. The year is almost over. Christmas is just around the corner. The world feels a little quieter, and my thoughts naturally drift backward—toward how things were, and how quickly they have changed. One of those changes, surprisingly, is ChatGPT. When I first heard about something called “GPT-3,” I honestly didn’t think much of it. Another piece of technology, I thought. I’ve lived long enough to see many “big breakthroughs” come and go. But this one stayed with me. When ChatGPT Was Still Learning to Walk In the beginning, ChatGPT felt like a clever but clumsy student. It could write sentences and answer questions, but sometimes it missed the point entirely. I would read its replies and think, “You’re smart, but you don’t quite understand yet.” Still, there was something promising about it. It reminded me of watching a child learn—awkward at first, full of mista...

Four “Good Habits” That May Be Quietly Harming Our Brain** As we grow older, one quiet fear lingers in the background — “Will I become confused one day?” Not physically weak, not financially insecure, but mentally unclear. Forgetful. Lost in conversations. Unable to follow a train of thought. Recently, I watched a Cantonese YouTube video with a striking question: “Want to grow old without becoming ‘muddled’? These four habits look healthy, but they are actually dismantling your brain.” At first, I was skeptical. After all, many of us believe we are already doing the “right things.” We rest more. We avoid stress. We enjoy simple routines. But that’s exactly what made the message uncomfortable — and worth reflecting on. Here are the four habits discussed in the video, expanded with my own observations as a retiree walking this journey alongside many friends of the same generation. 1. A Brain That Is Too Comfortable After retirement, life finally slows down. No deadlines. No bos...

Dongzhi (冬至): A Grandpa’s Reflection on the Day the Light Turns Back Every year around December 21 or 22, when winter feels at its coldest and the nights seem endlessly long, Dongzhi quietly arrives. When I was younger, I barely noticed it. Life was busy, days rushed by, and seasons blended together. But now, as a grandpa, Dongzhi means something different. It reminds me to slow down, to look at the sky a little longer, and to remember that even in the deepest winter, light has already begun to return . What Dongzhi Meant to Our Ancestors — and What It Means to Me Dongzhi is not a modern idea. It comes from thousands of years ago, when ancient Chinese observed the sun with nothing more than patience and wisdom. They noticed that on this day, the sun’s path reached its lowest point in the sky. The night was longest, the day shortest. Yet instead of fear, they saw hope. They believed that when Yin (cold and darkness) reached its extreme, Yang (warmth and light) was reborn. Fro...

  T hey were  with me  in the song. A few days ago, I stood in front of my friends at a karaoke party and sang “My Way.” In that moment, I wasn’t thinking about hitting every note perfectly or sounding flawless. I was inside the song—feeling every word, every pause, every rise and fall. The lyrics weren’t just notes on a page; they felt like a reflection of my own life. And as I sang, I realized something magical was happening: my friends weren’t just listening—they were with me in the song. I sounded like a professional After I finished, several friends came up and told me I did an excellent job. They said I sounded like a professional. I felt proud, of course—but when I got home and listened to the cell phone video a friend had taken, I was surprised. The recording sounded… just okay. My voice didn’t have the richness I felt while singing. Some of the subtle details of my phrasing were missing.  The emotion in the highs and lows And then it hit me: what I hear...

  By Grandpa Journey Lately, everywhere on TikTok and YouTube you’ll see headlines like: “HUGE PRICE CUTS on China houses — 40%, 50% discounts!” “Buy now before it’s gone!” Sounds like a jackpot, right? Well — let’s slow down and look at what’s actually happening on the ground. 🏘️ Are Prices Really Slashed 40–50%? Yes — in some places and under some conditions — but it’s not the whole picture. You’ll see big discounts in: ✔️ Secondary (resale) homes in weaker markets ✔️ Inventory that developers or owners want to clear fast ✔️ Projects with financial stress or unfinished construction Reports from property analysts showed that some assets are being offered with steep discounts — sometimes 30–40%, hitting 50% in rare cases — especially for bulk deals or distressed sales. Yicai Global But that’s not the same as every house in a city suddenly dropping 40–50% off standard market value. It’s more like: “If an owner must sell quickly to raise cash, yes — aggressive pr...