Unlike the mid-autumn festival in San Francisco, Hong Kong celebrates this day with more festivity. In Hong Kong, they put together this huge lantern where people can get inside it and there will be longer hour performances and lion dances. At night, this huge lantern looks really beautiful like a jewel in the city. Many people gather at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, to see the lantern. Some people carry their own small lantern and the environment feels quite magnificent. 

Mid-autumn festival also known as Moon festival/Moon cake festival/Zhongqiue festival. It is a popular lunar harvest festival. It has been known over 3000 years ago from Western Zhou Dynasty and it becomes popular during early Tang Dynasty. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. 
Other cultures that celebrate mid-autumn festival besides Chinese (Overseas Chinese, Mainland Chinese, Hong-Kongnese, Taiwanese, etc) are also Philippine, and Vietnamese. 

There are many legends related to this festival but as for me what I observe is people seen the moon at their brightest and perhaps the older generations create different type of stories to explain the moon's changes. That's just my personal interpretation. The common theme is family gathering around this time, eat the moon cake, and enjoy some public performances. Moon cake is very delicious but it is high in calories. If you happen to be in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, around this time please do try the moon cake or go to see some of these performances. 

The arrival of new innovation in technology has pushes the envelop of the complexity in human's life. The notion of space-time compression is not a theoretical idea anymore as modern's life transforms how we think and live experiencing the world at our finger's tips. As I begin to realize our modern's life complexity, I analyze my own role in this world and surprisingly I learn further about the multiple responsibilities that I have and start to think how to fulfill them? Everyone has their own way of living and in how they design their life. In the art of living, it is important to analyze how we live. Socrates says that "unexamined life is not a life worth living". This is so true because from time to time, it is good to examine how we live, where we are and where we are going. In realizing my multiple responsibilities, I know that there are: personal, familial, institutional, national, and global responsibilities that each person has. It takes skills and experiences to learn how to balance these roles. I believe a meaningful life should go beyond personal and family affairs because we do have responsibility for society and even the world where we live in. Whether this responsibility is big or small, each one of us are called to fulfill this role. There is also a sense of joy in accomplishing task that can be meaningful beyond our personal benefit. This is a challenge that I personally take and an on-going discourse to think about while I continue my journey as a researcher and an educator. How to prepare the next generation not simply to realize their multiple responsibilities but also to be skillful in tackling the new demand in the 21st century. This complex world will not stop for us because of our inability to catch up so we need to learn how to run and keep up with it. Having say that, it doesn't mean everyone has to compete against each other, but instead collaborate with one another and together manage the complexity of this global world instead of being victimized and overwhelmed by it. 

English Translation of Lyrics: 
"Brighten Me with Virtues" 
by Sam Hui, Kay Tse, and Adrian Chow

The Road made by those who walked before us, 
kindles a flame with insight, 
Knowledge enlightening our souls, 
with a spirit of exploration we seek after wisdom. 
Seasons change, but our heritage remains. 
This journey of a hundred years has nurtured us, 
sharpened our vision and broadened our horizon. 

Brighten us with virtues; brighten us with the clarity, and 
perseverance of corsage. 
Let wisdom be our shield, 
guard our intellect as we tread the path, 
even through the darks night our spirit remains ablaze, 
abounding in truth - this is our motto. 
Standing fast against the wind and storm - this is our motto. 

We blaze a trail, following our hearts, pursuing truth; 
seeking insight, we build the future. 
With wisdom, we embrace freedom and commitment, 
discerning right from wrong, like the holy fire, 
burning ever brighter when challenged. 
The world advances, a heritage built by generations. 
From the last hundred years to the next, 
We learn from history, we create history.

I arrived in Hong Kong safely and right away feel the humidity and hot Summer weather in this cosmopolitan city. Hong Kong is a dense populated urban area whereas people seem to be very busy in their work and do almost everything in a fast pace. My flight was really good and got to watch a movie titled: "The Lady", which is about Aung San Suu Kyi struggle as she was trying to introduce democracy to Burma. The movie depicts how she sacrifices her personal and family life to help the other Burmese people. What a great courage and life example to live. I've always admire those who can put aside personal needs for the benefit of others. 

I've enjoyed the privileged of living in the U.S with much freedom of speech, expression one thought, protection from government, and many others. At a personal level, moving to Hong Kong is actually leaving my comfort zone and accepting "The Un-Known" future of what this place will do to me. Academic journey is one thing, but cultural exposure is another thing. I am thankful to be in Hong Kong as it is a place where so many things are going on at once. I can see how rapid this city evolved from the first time I visited this place back in 1989. It is a new journey, a new adventure, and I can only do my best to embrace it with an open heart and open mind with the hope that my study will benefit others beyond it benefit me. 

"A Bird can never learn how to Fly if it never leave its Nest." (Ailin Iwan) 
note: Thank you so much for my loving parents who always support whatever I do even though often times they may not understand what I do or plan. I know that my success belongs to you guys and even though if I fail, you'll always accept me as who I am. 

I see the opportunity to go to Asia to study to be beyond an academic pursuit. I feel as if I am given the chance to re-discover my Chinese heritage. Being born in Indonesia, even though my family background ethnically is Chinese and we are keeping the Chinese tradition, doesn't always make me feel as a Chinese woman. I never deny my ethnic heritage but at the same time, I am having a hard time to understand the complexity of Chinese culture. Despite the effort of learning Mandarin language in the past, the Chinese teacher always told me that I have an accent when I speak Mandarin. What a sad reality that I am a Chinese by heritage, but can't speak Chinese fluently and with no accent. It takes me a while to feel okay with this fact that I do not have to master everything because I was not born in China and thus it is only natural if Mandarin is not my mother tongue. I do want to learn this interesting language, but I will keep in mind that Indonesian is my mother tongue and Chinese language will be just like English language to me, they are foreign languages. I hope during my stay in Hong Kong, I can pick up learning some Mandarin and Cantonese as learning languages is one of the many ways to learn the culture.

In about a week, I will be leaving San Francisco. This place has been my home for the past 14 years and as much as I feel the excitement of moving to Hong Kong to start a new journey of continuing my education, some part of me feel very heavy. This feeling brings a lot of memory of my first moved from Indonesia to America. I just graduated from high school at that time and I was so open to new things, but still in the U.S I did experience my first culture shock. I am not as young as before but somehow I realize that I will face another culture shock in Hong Kong. Although I believe it won't be as bad as my first culture shock when I was only a teenager. Tonight, as I walked around my neighborhood and spend the time with my parents, I feel very sad knowing that I will leave them soon. Not just my parents but most of my other family members in the U.S. Moving to a new place is never been an easy thing to do but often times there's a sacrifice that comes in order to follow your calling or perhaps it is more appropriate to say: your dreams. 

When I was an undergraduate student, I laughed at my friends who wanted to pursue a PhD because for me it is a very long years of studying and I just couldn't wait to get out of school. Now, here I am about to pursue my doctorate degree in the field that I never planned it before. My childhood dreams to be an architect was somewhat fulfilled when I worked as a design director, but career path can change and interestingly I feel stronger about the calling as an "Educator". I don't understand it either why it takes me so long to actually find this career path? I can only reason to myself that for some people career path is not always linear and that happens to me. One of the American value that I embrace is the openness for change and non-discrimination of age in learning. Perhaps for Asian standard, I would be considered late to pursue a doctorate degree at this age. I always tell myself that it is better late than never, so pursuing dreams shouldn't be confine by age, race, gender, or even financial capacity. 

I am thankful for such opportunity to enter the academic world again and learn formally about the field that I am passionate about: Early Childhood Education. I hope to combine ECE with Architecture through learning how "Environment can be the Third Teacher". Despite all of these heavy feelings that I have to be away from my family members and friends that I love; the city, the food and the culture in San Francisco that I already feel so familiar and fond with, I can only strengthen my weak heart at this moment and be reminded of a higher goal. I don't want to live just for myself or my family, I do want to live to benefit others as well and this is the price that I have to pay. I think it is not that expensive considering some people may not even get such opportunity or blessings. I should not complain and just work hard that hopefully all the tears and hard-work will get pay off. 

Recently, I got to reflect my diaspora experiences as a Chinese Indonesian American while I was preparing for a unique interview experience for 'Kabari' (an Indonesian magazine for Indonesian community who live in the U.S). I got to think deeply about the various ways of how the Indonesian diaspora community can give back to the homeland while many of them are not physically living in Indonesia. On the flip side, it makes me think about my-own naturalized citizenship as an American. Having done research in global citizenship complicates my thought process as I realize now that it is much more important to benefit not even just certain countries where one feel belongs too, but also the world. Yet, such a novel and big concept takes centuries to implement. What will be a smaller step for an individual like you and I can do to support a bigger dream that perhaps many of us are longing to accomplish such as world peace or harmony in diversity? Some ideas that come to my mind is to run together in finishing the marathon race of development and self-improvement.  

It is a human nature in wanting to compete with one another or even worse comparing ourselves with others. However, isn't better if we compete with ourselves while collaborate with others? Isn't it better if we strive to be the best of ourselves while trying to see others positively despite their differences? I question myself often on how much respect and tolerance that I have for the others who are different? As a human being with many flaws, I find that it is already hard to get along with family members or friends that I know well, let alone if I have to get along with people who are totally different than me. This will require a lot of open-mindedness, tolerance, care, and grace. Can we achieve this together? I would say "Yes" and changing such perspective doesn't require a degree in social justice or human development, but I would say it is require an "Open Heart" to accept one's own strength and weaknesses as much as to embrace others as well. In a marathon, everyone run to compete with one another in order so that one person can be the winner. I wonder whether we can change the rule so that everyone can finish the race and be consider as winners? Why is it society are focusing so much on winning and loosing while in reality such idea creates more enemies than friends, animosity instead of generosity? I don't think that I have the answer yet, but at least I promise to myself not to be too skeptical in my interaction with others. It is a transformation of heart that hopefully with God's grace, I will be able to understand such concept beyond the intellectual level, but also learn how to implement it daily. As for those who happens to read this blog I want to encourage: Let's run together and finish the race as winners together. 


Note: I will leave the "How to actually run the race together and win together?" for all of you to interpret and figure out on your own as everyone have their own unique situations and different desires in life. 


Interview with KabariNews Links: 
Ailin Iwan speaks about Children Education (Part 1)
Ailin Iwan speaks about Children Education (Part 2)