Macao News Macao News https://macaonews.org Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:20:29 +0000 <![CDATA[The Philippine polymath]]> Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:16:50 +0800 Kenny Fong 68009 2023-12-01 15:16:50 2023-12-01 15:16:50 Poet, artist, educator, linguistic scholar, author and former missionary, Oscar Munoz Balajadia Jr. has quietly become one of Macao’s cultural treasures. ]]>After a long day of teaching, Oscar Munoz Balajadia Jr., 53, sits beside me in the dimly lit courtyard of his apartment building where his Chinese wife, Lei Kam Sio, is still busy tutoring students. Then he produces a can of cider from his backpack and hands it to me with the hospitality that Filipinos are famous for.  Despite his conviviality, Balajadia is an outlier when it comes to his compatriots in Macao. “I just don’t know the [Philippine] community,” he says, attributing that to his passion for creativity. “I’m married to my writing and to my art.”  As a friend to Balajadia for almost a decade, I can vouch for that. Since 2004, he has held five solo art exhibitions in the SAR, in addition to participating in many group exhibitions. On top of that, he is constantly producing visual and literary works, which he publishes online and in book form.  “I am simultaneously preparing manuscripts of etymology books, dictionaries, poetry, and collections of artworks,” Balajadia tells me. He also happens to be an English teacher, a linguist, musician, an amateur historian, and a YouTuber. To put it simply, he is a polymath, although he refuses to label himself as such. The language of learning [caption id="attachment_68013" align="alignnone" width="2000"]Balajadia is an accomplished author, with a study of Kapampangan etymology among his published works Balajadia is an accomplished author, with a study of Kapampangan etymology among his published works[/caption] Born in the Philippines in 1970, Balajadia was the middle child in a large family of five children. “I was a sickly kid who was not out a lot. And I was always with my mum,” he remembers. The time that he spent indoors sparked his love affair with poetry. “The first poem that I heard from any person was from my mum,” Balajadia recalls. “She was reciting Joyce Kilmer and that poem stayed with me. From then on, I said to myself, ‘I could be a poet.’” He also attributes his interest in visual art to his mother, saying that she “was doing embroidery and that inspired me a lot.” Balajadia graduated from the Catholic Holy Angel University (HAU) with a bachelor’s degree in literature in 1993, publishing a collection of verse while still an undergraduate. Intending to become a priest, he enrolled in the Comboni Missionary seminary. His superiors planned for him to study theology in Portugal, and to prepare him for that sent him to Macao – then still a Portuguese-run territory – so that he could familiarise himself with Lusitanian culture. Balajadia worked under the first Chinese Bishop of Macao, Domingos Lam, in the Cathedral library and assisted the nuns who ran the diocese’s Cineteatro Cinema. But he came to realise that the priestly life was not for him and parted ways with the church.  To support himself, he found work at the Livraria São Paulo bookstore and it was there that he met the woman who would become his wife. It was an encounter that changed everything, for as the relationship deepened Balajadia realised he would now be making Macao his permanent home.  [caption id="attachment_68012" align="alignnone" width="2000"]Balajadia with his wife, Lei Kam Sio Balajadia with his wife, Lei Kam Sio[/caption] He also found his calling in education. Over the past 20 years, Balajadia has had a long and varied teaching career, having worked at Colégio Diocesano de Sāo José 5, the International School of Macao, Hou Kong Middle School, and Macau Anglican College. At present, he teaches English to primary school students at Escola Xin Hua.  Another great love is the culture of his home province i​​n the Philippines, Pampanga. He has written two large volumes on the etymology of the endangered Kapampangan language. The first – at 950 pages – won him the 2017 Philippines National Book Award in the language category. Rather than accept the prize money, Balajadia donated it to his alma mater, with the request that it be used to fund a songwriting contest that would encourage students to write and sing in Kapampangan.  An opening in Macao [caption id="attachment_68011" align="alignnone" width="2000"]Balajadia’s intricate pen drawings are completely improvised Balajadia’s intricate pen drawings are completely improvised[/caption] While teaching remains one of Balajadia’s lifelong passions, he is also equally drawn to art and poetry, which he produces under the pseudonym of Papa Osmubal. The “Papa” part because of his love of Hemingway (“Hemingway’s nickname was Papa”) and “Osumbal” being a portmanteau of the first syllables of his given name, middle name and surname. As Papa Osmubal, he held his first solo exhibition in 2004. Entitled White and Black, it showcased his abstract charcoal and ink art pieces. The event, he says, “validated my presence in Macau – it cracked an opening for me.”  Balajadia has since experimented with a range of media. For his 2015 exhibition, Voice in the Murk, he used pen, pencil and ink to create abstract sketches. He presented the major historical landmarks of Macao in the form of intricate paper cuts for his 2016 Voice on Paper exhibition. He is equally gifted as a poet, having published on numerous platforms. His latest poetry collection, The Only True Eye features many poems inspired by his experience in Macao. “It’s an obligation that you open your eyes to your surroundings,” he says.  Balajadia shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. “While I’m alive,” he says, “I have to work more.”  At present, he is compiling an encyclopaedia of the history of Macao, with short entries related to its historical sites, early governors, and more. For the past three years, he has been constantly gathering information for the book, but is unsure of when and if this long-term project will be completed. Even if it isn’t, the mere fact that Balajadia has committed to such an undertaking is an eloquent love letter to the city that he proudly calls home.   ]]> <![CDATA[Shelley Grace Calangi]]> Thu, 23 Dec 2021 11:42:44 +0800 Rafelle Allego 46049 2023-06-26 22:40:18 2021-12-23 11:42:44 Literature and music have greatly influenced veteran educator Shelley Grace Calangi. Now a children’s author, she is passing on her life lessons, everyday observations and good humour in the form of poetry. ]]>A short crop of silver hair, infectious smile and warm laugh – Shelley Grace Calangi makes an unforgettable first impression. After immigrating to Macao in the late 1980s, Calangi made a life and developed a reputation as one of the most enthusiastic, effective teachers in the city. She has been an educator in the city for three decades, leads the choir at the Instituto Salesiano Sunday English mass with Father Aidan Conroy and has recently published her first book of children’s poetry, Now, I Play. Education, music and literature have been themes throughout her life. But her story begins in Manila, where she was born in August 1961 into a large family (the fourth of six children) and attended the now-closed St Theresa’s College with her two sisters – one of the best educational institutions in the Philippines.  “I was fortunate to have been raised by parents who valued education first and foremost,” she says. “They raised us in English, put us in English-language schools, and were the kind of parents who would not allow us to watch TV during weekdays.” Her mother was a teacher (a “disciplinarian”) and her father worked as an accountant ("the quiet one”, who was “very quick with numbers”). They made a great team when it came to helping their children with projects and nurturing a love for reading and writing from an early age. “Because my mom was an English teacher, she exposed us to a lot of literature, from Kipling to Shakespeare,” she says, adding that all five of her siblings eventually worked as teachers in Macao. Each child had their own stash of books in their rooms and the family also shared a library, where they would gather after school.  “Back then, there was no internet, no Google,” she says, adding that her parents invested in a complete encyclopaedia set. “The books and common library were their way of keeping us all together. They expected us to work together as siblings, even though we each had our own bedroom.” “Even as we grew up, we still stayed really close and lived nearby whenever we could, thanks to that connection we felt as children,” she continues.  [caption id="attachment_46073" align="alignnone" width="1333"]Shelley Grace Calangi Influenced by her parent’s values, Calangi says homework should be meaningful – not just busywork[/caption] Music also figured into her daily life. “My dad played the guitar and, when [my parents] got married, he bought my mom a piano because she really loved the instrument.”  Calangi grew up tapping away on the piano’s black and white keys. She also picked up the guitar, recorder and some percussion instruments.   Many years later, when Calangi enrolled in an architecture programme at the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1979, music got her through a tough period in her life. Calangi couldn’t finish her studies due to a family issue that she prefers not to discuss. At 24, she dropped out of school and worked at an audio-visual company, learned how to DJ and scored a job at a nightclub.  “Music and prayers have and always will be my go-to anti-everything,” she says. “The melodies and rhythms act like anchors tethering me to what’s important, to what makes sense, while prayers strengthen me.”

Lessons in the classroom

This was also about the time that Macao came on Calangi’s radar. A year before, Calangi’s mother had moved to the city for a teaching job at the Chan Sui Ki Perpetual Help College.  When Calangi visited the then-sleepy Portuguese enclave in the summer and for holidays, it made an impression on her. Compared to today, the streets felt quieter, she recalls, with fewer cars, no reclaimed areas, and a much more affordable cost of living.  Bus fares cost around 50 cents, while the taxi flag-down fare started around MOP 7. You could also buy a mixed grill – a platter 12 inches across filled with big pieces of beef, chicken, pork, sausages, bacon, carrots and potatoes – for just under MOP 15. “It was a very stable, simpler, peaceful society, with an underlying sense of security,” she recalls. Over the next few years, Calangi’s family members joined her mother in the city one by one. In December 1988, Calangi made the move with her daughter, Jools Calangi, who was just about to turn one. Two years later, she gave birth to her son, musician and songwriter Ari Calangi. At first, Calangi worked as a DJ at the President Hotel’s Skylight Disco Nightclub, which has since closed, on Avenida da Amizade for around a year. However, she didn’t enjoy Macao’s nightlife scene and instead took a teaching job at the Santa Rosa de Lima English Primary School.  “I couldn’t picture myself in the classroom with kids at first,” she says. “Then eventually, I tried teaching music, which I loved.”  Soon after, she started teaching other subjects she loved, such as dancing and sports. A quick study, Calangi learned on the job, grew more familiar with the children’s needs and was able to overcome language barriers, since she could not speak Cantonese. As time went on, she taught English, literature, mathematics, history and drama.  She also learned how to instil discipline with what she describes as “not a very strict face” with a laugh. Rather than sticks and carrots, Calangi developed her own relaxed, approachable style. She realised students respond well to sincerity – it helps them warm up and pay attention. “I honestly feel [a strict approach] wouldn't work with this generation,” she says. “It might create a bunch of rebels.” Now, still at Santa Rosa de Lima English Secondary School, Calangi teaches geography to Form 5, geo-literacy to Form 6 and drama to Primary 2. To keep her classes engaging, she always brings in real-world applications. For instance, before the pandemic, she would travel and take photos of water and landforms for her geography students to study. 

Reflections and poetry

As part of her teaching philosophy, Calangi emphasises classroom discussions because she feels it is one of the best ways to learn. There is no wrong answer, she says, since even wrong answers  “might inspire other ideas”.  “If you ask me, more learning takes place through errors because errors not only foster realisation but also reflection and evaluation,” she says. “When students are brave enough to take chances and possibly make mistakes, they also open themselves up to fresh ideas, new thinking processes, and new perspectives – that is learning!” When she taught literature, Calangi took her students to art exhibitions where she asked them to choose pieces that inspire poetry and describe why that specific piece resonated with them.   “When we assign work, it shouldn’t be about meeting quotas but giving something that's meaningful. That is where the challenge is,” says Calangi. “Thankfully, I’m [teaching] geography and it’s very interactive.” [caption id="attachment_46074" align="alignnone" width="2000"]Shelley Grace Calangi After years of writing children’s poems, Calangi published ‘Now, I Play’, the first of three children’s poetry books, in August 2021[/caption] After having taught hundreds of students over her 30-year career, Calangi has watched many of her students grow up, and lead their own unique lives. She has considered retiring and travelling the world but she's not quite ready for that yet.  In fact, Calangi has been working on a creative passion project in her spare time. Having written poems for her children to recite at recitation competitions under the pseudonym “Softwinds” for many years, Calangi turned her collection into a book, entitled Now, I Play, which will be part of a trilogy. The second and third instalments are due to be published in the coming years.  Designed for children, the book features illustrations by Filipino visual artist Qathleen Sioc to bring the poems’ energy, scenes and lessons to life.  Poems for children tend to be image-based and rhythmic with simple language, but that doesn't mean they “don’t have deeper meanings,” she says. “Often, they have life lessons strung between the lines.” Calangi loves writing poems, since they help her observe the world around her and celebrate everyday beauty and quirky interactions.  Much of her poetry, she says, came about from everyday life – whatever catches her eye. For instance, she remembers bumping into someone who was “forever in a bad mood”, which resulted in the poem, “A Day in the Life of a Grouch”.  I’m a grouch, though not the violent kind. And, as usual, I am furious. Just don’t ask me why. “I suppose it's just a matter of being more aware of what's going on around you and having the imagination to create a story from what you see and making something out of the ordinary,” Calangi says. “But this much I’ll say, I tend to be quite observant.” Calangi has come into contact with “quite a number of interesting and inspiring people” in Macao, who she often features in her writing in some way or another. Perhaps mentioning a particularly humorous interaction, their unique traits or idiosyncratic mannerisms.  “When an idea hits, the words just flow,” she says. “My observations stretch beyond my workplace, and so do the inspirations for my poems.” After all, she continues, teaching and poetry are similar – they’re both about learning, exploring life and sharing ideas. As Calangi says, “teaching sort of makes life a never-ending poem.”  
You can purchase Calangi’s first children’s poetry book, Now, I Play, via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online distributors.  ]]> <![CDATA[Serge Stinckwich]]> Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:39:56 +0800 Vivianna Cheong 44719 2021-10-29 14:53:29 2021-10-29 14:39:56 With a quarter-century of teaching and researching under his belt, United Nations University of Macau’s Head of Research, Serge Stinckwich has long sought new ways to harness computer science to help people and the environment.]]>Born in the historical Beaujolais province in Lyon, France, in 1967, Serge Stinckwich felt the call of science in his youth. “I was interested in how machines worked at a young age, dismantling alarm clocks and radios from time to time,” recalls the computer scientist, who is now the head of research at the United Nations University Institute (UNU) in Macao.  But it wasn’t until his uncle bought him a Texas Instrument 57 programmable calculator that Stinckwich’s scientific adventure truly began. “When I was a teenager, I spent much of my time during lunchtime [with the calculator] in the computer club of my school,” he says. “I played games and puzzles, and solved basic math programs like computing the value of Pi.” As time went on, Stinckwich developed a wide range of interests, keen to learn as much as he could about computers, music and board games. When it came time to make plans for university, he considered pursuing a bachelor’s in physics or astronomy. But in the end, he chose computer science – a path that would soon open new doors around the world.  From 1985 to 1987, Stinckwich studied computer science at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in France, then enrolled in a master’s programme in the same subject at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon for the next three years. Adding another feather to his academic cap, the ambitious student earned a PhD at Savoy Mont Blanc University, in the heart of the French Alps, in 1994.  After graduating, the scholar took a job as an associate professor at the University of Caen Normandy. He held the position for roughly 25 years, from 1995 to 2020, taking a few sabbaticals to pursue research projects abroad.  At the same time, Stinckwich worked as a senior researcher in the L'Unité de Modélisation Mathématique et Informatique des Systèmes Complexes (UMMISCO) – an international research unit that’s part of the French Research Institute on Sustainable Development (IRD). Among his many responsibilities, the scholar explored social and environmental issues in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 2008 to 2012, and Cameroon from 2017 to 2020. 
“I became interested in finding an intersection between computer science and sustainability because I saw the consequences of pollution and unsustainable lifestyles on our environment.” -  Serge Stinckwich

Building a better world through technology 

[caption id="attachment_44723" align="alignnone" width="2560"]Serge Stinckwich While teaching and researching for IRD in Hanoi, Stinckwich worked extensively on a programme called Autonomous Robots for Observation of Urban Networks - Photo courtesy of Serge Stinckwich[/caption] After earning his PhD, Stinckwich gravitated towards artificial intelligence as well as projects that would solve everyday problems. For example, while teaching and researching for IRD in Hanoi, the academic worked extensively on a programme called Autonomous Robots for Observation of Urban Networks. The programme aims to design an automated observation system for search and rescue robotics in developing countries, he says.  Essentially, an autonomous mobile robot can collect information within impacted urban sites and maintain communication links between rescuers on a local level. On a global level, an interactive, computer-based system helps governments and rescuers make decisions in affected spaces.  “We were working on [environmental disaster management] and hazards – trying to address some of the challenges of sustainability,” recalls Stinckwich.  Between his time in Vietnam and Cameroon, Stinckwich worked as a lecturer at Sorbonne University in Paris from 2013 to 2017. As a self-described “city person,” Paris was not a significant change for him, but he appreciated the chance to see more of the world and better understand society.  “From time to time, it is important to reflect on what you are doing,” he says. “It is a good practice when you are a scientist to ask yourself from time to time, ‘Why am I doing this?’ This is just a way to assess your priorities and maybe focus on new things because they will give you more insights in the long term.” While working in Cameroon from 2017 to 2020, the scholar turned his focus to agronomy (the science of soil management and crop systems) and agroforestry, which seeks to incorporate more trees and shrubs into agricultural areas. He worked on Deep2PDE, a project supported by the French National Research Center for Tropical Agriculture, to model cocoa agroforestry systems using artificial intelligence.  [caption id="attachment_44724" align="alignnone" width="1024"]Serge Stinckwich While working in Cameroon from 2017 to 2020, the scholar turned his focus to agronomy and agroforestry - Photo courtesy of Serge Stinckwich[/caption] “This ambitious programme explores three research fronts: the mathematics of modelling, artificial intelligence (neural networks and machine learning) and agronomy to optimise agroforestry systems via modelling,” he shares. “This third objective should, for example, enhance understanding of how competition for light between species affects cocoa production.” The researchers’ goal was to design an agroforestry simulation to test the system and make it more productive. “It is quite difficult to research some places of the world,” he says. “But the interactions with local students always motivate me to stay focused on what is important for them.”  Helping his students has always been a big part of his motivation as an educator and researcher. “The most memorable experiences are always when my students make progress and achieve success, such as getting a paper published or defending their PhD thesis. I know this is extremely hard for them, especially in developing countries where education and university are not the top priorities.” 

From research to everyday impact

In the early days of the pandemic, Stinckwich came upon a great opportunity in Macao. So in March 2020, he moved to the SAR to work as the head of research at United Nations University Institute in Macau (UNU Macau). “I change from time to time; I like changes,” he says of the move. “I go for new opportunities.” “I guess my younger self would be really surprised,” he continues. “I was a bit reserved when I was young. I never imagined that if you want to pursue a scientific career or work with computers, you also need to go out in front of people and understand their needs.”  Thanks to his passion for social issues, the UNU Macau proved an excellent fit for Stinckwich. The organisation performs UN policy-relevant research and addresses critical issues from the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through innovative approaches and digital technology.  The agenda outlines 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs), which aim to end poverty, protect the environment and ensure everyone in the world enjoys peace and prosperity by 2030.  [caption id="attachment_44722" align="alignnone" width="1708"]Serge Stinckwich Stinckwich and his team are working to meet the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - Photo by António Sanmarful[/caption] The UN’s grand visions attracted the academic because he always wanted his research to have more of an impact on day-to-day lives. At UNU, Stinckwich and his team work on the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI). “AI has played an important role in achieving meaningful development and innovation across the world, bringing several positive impacts, such as automated disease diagnosis, growing efficiency in the workplace, and assistive technologies for education,” he says.  “At the same time, many researchers point out ethical and legal concerns related to accountability, transparency, and responsibility in designing and using AI for different social sectors.” In this context, he continues, multilateral organisations such as the United Nations need to “play a key role in building a framework and guideline for the sustainable development of AI” so the technology can be adopted responsibly worldwide.  Recently, the scholar joined a group of international experts to work towards an ambitious goal set by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. They hope to protect the world from future pandemics by revolutionising how data is gathered and used globally, following the absence of accurate, real-time data available in the early days of Covid-19.  

Changing with the times 

Like many people living abroad during the pandemic, Stinckwich has seen his fair share of challenges. In his personal life, his wife has been in France, so they have had to adapt to a long-distance relationship, and professionally, he says, work, by necessity, has become more digitally connected. “With Covid-19, it has been more difficult to connect with other researchers and there are fewer opportunities to do field research in other countries.” Before the pandemic, researchers travelled to conduct interviews and research or establish relationships with local academic institutes, universities and partners. But at the moment, most collaborations must be done virtually. “This has also given us an opportunity to reflect on the impact of the trips we make for our activities as researchers on the planet. As citizens, we will also have to redefine this to participate in the sustainability effort that everyone must lead.” “We need to address many challenges around the world, such as the pandemic and climate change,” he says. “It is important to understand these challenges and the interlinkages between SDGs in a holistic way.”  Taking digital technology as an example, Stinckwich says technology and innovation will play an important role in our global society: “It will definitively play an even more critical role in the future. We need to understand the positive and negative impacts – not only on the economy and society but also on the environment.”   ]]> <![CDATA[Glenn McCartney]]> Thu, 23 Sep 2021 12:25:43 +0800 Rafelle Allego 43019 2021-11-19 10:32:18 2021-09-23 12:25:43 One of the city’s most respected resort and entertainment experts, Glenn McCartney says perseverance, discipline and self-growth have driven him to success in Macao.]]>A familiar figure in Macao’s integrated resorts industry, Glenn McCartney has had a front-row seat to the city’s growth trajectory since he arrived in the city in 1996.  “I remember a time when the Cotai Strip was nonexistent, with just a single lane [road] connecting Taipa and Coloane,” he laughs.  Originally from Northern Ireland, McCartney would spend his first few years in Macao working in hotels and resorts. Then, in 2001, a chance encounter would lead him into the world of academia, where he remains a respected authority on the city’s all-important tourism industry.  From growing up in a conflict zone to meeting the world’s most famous royal, Glenn McCartney’s story is one of perseverance and discipline – something he chalks up to his traditional, structured upbringing.  “Growing up, I developed a high level of work ethic,” he says, crediting his daily chores. It instilled an early sense of responsibility and aspiration, he says, that never faded. “I realised early on that if you’re not pushing yourself every day, then you won't succeed. It’s given me an instinct to always keep pushing myself forward.” 

A troubled start

Born in February 1970 in Northern Ireland’s County Tyrone, McCartney was the second of three siblings. Growing up in the 1970s and ‘80s, he witnessed firsthand the disturbances of the “Troubles”, a three-decades-long conflict between the country’s Roman Catholics and Protestants.  “I remember very vividly that the army helicopters would land on our school hockey pitch almost every day because the police station was right beside it,” he says. From the constant presence of soldiers to military checkpoints, tanks in the streets, and bombs going off in the distance, McCartney says his childhood often felt like a scene ripped from the anti-war music video, “Zombie” by Irish rock band, The Cranberries.  “Having gone through that for the first 20 years of my life, I know that those images stick with you forever.” Still, he believes the experience made him stronger, and ultimately changed him for the better.  “I became more conflict-averse in terms of how I carried myself,” he says, adding that he has a propensity for peace. In 1988, McCartney started his bachelor’s degree in Business Studies at Teesside University, in northern England. It was the first time he had left his homeland. The experience pushed him out of his comfort zone, where he flourished as an active member in several campus clubs and societies. It also taught him the value of communication.  “I think getting involved with the community and talking to people from different backgrounds to gain their insight is really important,” he says. “I discovered that there’s always something new to learn – and the degree does not always define the person.” After graduating in 1992, it was time for McCartney to embark on his “gap year”, a traditional year-long break where fresh graduates either travel or work abroad. While most of his friends chose to travel to the US, picking up odd jobs like harvesting fruit, he went in the opposite direction to Asia.  After a friend showed him photos of Hong Kong, where her father worked for the Hong Kong Police Force, McCartney set his sights on the city – still a British territory at the time.  “I loved history and was fascinated by the British empire – and I knew I wouldn’t require a visa to travel there,” he explains. Armed with a British passport, he received his Hong Kong ID card and had settled there by the end of the year.  His first job was as a barman in Central, which introduced him to the hospitality industry. He quickly picked up on how to put guests at ease, through good conversation and an affable nature. “I learned to always have a story or two lined up, so you can better engage and connect with people.” That approach would pay off for the young bartender. At work one night, he struck up a conversation with a customer who offered him a job organising conferences – a sizable step up in his still-nascent career. He worked in that position for the next three years, learning the ropes of event management and slowly building a foundation in Asia. 

Moving to Macao

In 1995, a Hong Kong company that organised conferences sent McCartney to Macao for a work trip and, as he remembers, was instantly enamoured. “I immediately liked Macao so much,” he says, describing the city as tiny and laidback. “At the time, it was just such a contrast to Hong Kong.” He travelled back and forth between the two cities for over a year, organising conferences at a few of Macao’s 41 hotels at the time. In 1996, a marketing executive asked him to work on a campaign in Macao, and he relocated permanently. A year later, he landed two positions at the New Century Hotel (which closed in 2016) as both its Director of Sales and Marketing and Director of Public Relations.  He would spend three years there, which just happened to coincide with one of Macao’s most turbulent periods of history, as turf wars between triads broke out across the city during the late 1990s. Shootings were commonplace, and much of the city’s residents lived in fear – not unlike McCartney’s own childhood in Northern Ireland. The effects of the experience impacted residents mentally and economically. “Before that, the business was doing very well,” he says. “But as the violence started and continued for about a year and a half, the hotel industry went into a bad way because our occupancies dropped.” The turf wars subsided by the turn of the millennium, and Macao’s hotels returned to business as usual. But McCartney soon realised that he wanted more. Always one to push himself since his earliest years, he started teaching public relations and marketing at the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) and the Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) as a part-time instructor. “I'm a person that always wants new challenges to keep my mind active,” he says. “If I have 24 hours, I want to fill up every one of them with something that keeps me advancing intellectually.” When he was invited by then-IFTM president Virginia Trigo to teach full-time in 2001, he left his job at New Century Hotel a year later. 

A change of pace

Teaching at IFTM opened up a new world for McCartney. He encountered some of the world’s leading experts on tourism research, people like Richard W. Butler and Bill Gardner, who have both had significant impact on the global industry. “To this day, I still distinctly remember sitting there fascinated, just listening to these professors who were such prominent speakers,” he says.  One day while having lunch together, the two esteemed academics suggested that McCartney pursue a doctorate in his field. He took their advice, completing first his Master of Philosophy in 2001, followed by his PhD in Tourism Management in 2006 via the University of Surrey’s School of Management’s distance learning programme. Ready for another new challenge, McCartney left IFTM in 2010 to teach tourism at Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST). In 2011, he became an Associate Professor in International Integrated Resort Management at the University of Macau, eventually becoming the Associate Dean at the Faculty of Business Administration in 2018.  Through his roles as both an industry insider and accomplished academic, McCartney possesses a unique perspective of Macao’s tourism sector. Academia, McCartney says, offers much-needed solutions for modern challenges faced by the industry. His latest research delves into Macao’s Covid-19 response from the start of the pandemic and its effects on recovering the tourism industry. He says was inspired by a segment on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, which referenced a similar paper on New Zealand’s hospitality industry.

A balancing act

Following his life philosophy that an idle mind is a wasted one, McCartney keeps his days tightly packed with a full roster of activities, interests, and personal projects. Managing it all is a talent that he says he has honed over time. “As you get older, you learn to balance everything, ” he laughs. [caption id="attachment_43025" align="alignnone" width="2000"]Glenn McCartney practicing the drums Always looking to expand his skills, McCartney started learning the drums recently - Photo courtesy of Glenn McCartney[/caption] Besides his academic research, he maintains an active interest in both sports and music; he holds a third-degree black belt in kung fu, and also plays the piano and drums. His next big challenge, he confides, might even be starting a band with some friends.  McCartney also opened two businesses – Irish Bar in 1998, and the Irish Coffee House in 2013 – proving that even after more than a quarter of a century spent in Asia, McCartney still cherishes his Irish roots. Since 2005, McCartney has also served as the British Honorary Consul of Macao, as an unofficial ambassador between the United Kingdom and Macao. For his contributions, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II awarded him the ​​Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2016. [caption id="attachment_43022" align="alignnone" width="1429"]Glenn McCartney MBE, dated 2016.10.25 McCartney shaking hands with the Queen when he was awarded the ​​Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 25 October 2016 - Photo courtesy of Glenn McCartney[/caption] “It was an amazing day,” says McCartney of the investiture ceremony, when he had the opportunity to shake hands and speak with the Queen. “You get less than a minute to chat with her, because there are about 70 other people waiting,” he says. The experience was surreal, he says, adding that he struggled to keep his composure during such a momentous occasion. “You get emotional, especially when you see your parents in the crowd and they’re so utterly proud of you.” When reflecting on his time in Macao, McCartney is all too aware of how change is an inevitable part of life here, something he’s long ago come to terms with. After closing his bar in 2018, followed by his cafe in 2019, one would expect him to be forlorn – but that’s not his style.  Nothing, he believes, should stand in the way of progress. “Everything has a beginning and an end. That’s absolute and that's life,” McCartney muses. “Just keep pushing forward, and always keep going.”  ]]> <![CDATA[Iao Tun Ieong]]> Thu, 18 Feb 2021 17:05:55 +0800 Vivianna Cheong 36329 2023-06-26 22:39:15 2021-02-18 17:05:55 Iao Tun Ieong is the Principal of Hou Kong Middle School of Macao and Vice President of the Macau Association of Chinese Calligraphy.]]>Raised by farmers in a humble home in Shunde, Guangdong province, Iao Tun Ieong learned diligence and persistence at a young age. As the eldest of four children, Iao was born in 1945, right around the Dragon Boat Festival (known as Duanwu Festival in Chinese) as his name states in Chinese. Working on a farm, his parents could not afford much day to day, week to week. But they wanted more for their eldest son and worked tirelessly to give Iao the “best gift”, which was “to be sent to school,” he says.  At the age of 15, he began studying at Shunde No. 1 Middle School, a boarding school, where he displayed deep dedication to both his schoolwork and family.
“Every Saturday, I walked [17 kilometres] home from school, and it took me four hours,” recalls. “On Sundays, I walked the same distance back to school.”
He soaked up as much as he could, and his mathematics teacher, in particular, influenced him greatly. “I really admired my math teacher. I aspired to be as good at math as he was,” recalls Iao. “I worked on 10 extracurricular math questions after school every day.” Iao was also passionate about science, which eventually led him to study biology at South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou from 1963 to 1967. In addition to an RMB 17.5 (MOP 23) per month grant awarded to Iao by the university, his younger brother, who had become a farmer, supported his studies. When Iao talks about his siblings, he radiates joy and gratitude. They have a tight bond and still visit each other often, he says. Upon graduating in 1967, Iao worked countless odd jobs to make ends meet in Guangzhou, a relatively expensive city at the time. He recounts the five social classes back in the old days – workers, peasants, merchants, students, soldiers – and says, proudly, that he has done them all, including a two-year training in the People's Liberation Army Garrison in the Doumen district of Zhuhai, Guangdong and in Hunan province.  [caption id="attachment_36344" align="alignnone" width="2000"]Iao Tun Ieong Chinese calligraphy handwritten by Iao Tun Ieong - Photo by António Sanmarful[/caption] Iao Tun Ieong started his first teaching job in 1970 as a math and biology teacher at Dongfeng Middle School in Zhongshan, Guangdong. He was 25 years old at the time, and his eldest student was 17. He recalls this period with satisfaction: “The income was low. I earned RMB 51.5 [MOP 64] a month. But I was close to my students – we played sports and hung around together after school. These were fond and happy memories.”  After five years at the school, he worked at a factory for the next five years. In 1983, he relocated to Macao with his wife – who was born in Macao – and his children to start a new chapter. But at first, Iao was focused on finding another job in education. He initially worked as a secretary in a school, then eventually secured a job as a biology teacher at Hou Kong Middle School in 1988. And in 1992, he furthered his education studies with a remote programme administered by Shanghai Normal University for two years.  When Iao joined Hou Kong, the school saw more than 8,800 students, with roughly 65 in each classroom. “Our management team comprised one principal, three vice-principals, and some directors. It was difficult to manage such a large number of students in terms of their behaviour and learning. They smoked, fought and some had troubled backgrounds.” Hou Kong is known as one of the more patriotic schools in Macao. The former principal, Du Nam, became known for raising the first five-starred red flag in Macao on 1 October 1949 – the founding day of the People’s Republic of China – with the teachers and students at the school in attendance. She also carried out Mandarin teaching and flag-raising ceremonies on the school’s founding anniversaries and China’s National Day – even during the Portuguese administration of Macao.  “Principal Du has influenced the school and me a great deal. She demonstrated her patriotic spirit throughout her life,” recalls Iao. “The first word of our school motto is loyalty. She has taught us at Hou Kong to be loyal to our country and people.” She also shared Confucianist philosophies that resonate deeply with Iao as an educator, such as: ‘Education without discrimination for all who are willing to learn.’ “This is important,” he says. “In her time, even kids with criminal pasts had the opportunity to study; she also said we could find hidden gems among our students.” In 2000, Du stepped down, and Iao became the school’s principal while continuing to teach biology. The responsibility has been a significant motivator for the academic, who says it was challenging to follow Du’s footsteps.  “Principal Du is a world-renowned educator. The stress of taking over her extraordinary work was incredible. The only thing I could do is to try my best,” he recalls feeling during the transition. “Thankfully, I have had a great team to support me.”  Over the years, he has kept some of Du’s principles close to his heart; however, he also saw opportunities for change. “We firmly defend Principal Du’s belief here [at Hou Kong Middle School], but we apply an elite-training approach at [sister school] Hou Kong Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School [HKP].” Iao is also the principal of HKP, which was established in 2010. The school provides a rigorous, international education to intellectual students from kindergarten to secondary school. Classes cover everything from the sciences and humanities to arts, music, languages and social skills. Citing a high bar for entrance exams, Iao says English language proficiency is one of the main focuses. As such, the school has hired many English-speaking teachers, including some from the US. The international atmosphere, he says, helps students develop a cosmopolitan perspective to better contribute to society and compete on the international stage. 
 “Always learn from the others,” says Iao, of his career motto. “We may not have the ability to learn everything from one person or place, but just a tiny bit is enough.” 
He applies this modest attitude to his work and Chinese calligraphy, an art form he started practising in 1996. That year, while serving as the vice principal of Hou Kong, Iao led over 30 Chinese teachers to participate in calligraphy workshops. Since then, the art form has developed into a lifelong passion.  For Iao, calligraphy nurtures one to be calm, persistent and attentive. It not only allows practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture but also enhances one’s cultural awareness and attention to detail.  Practising every Saturday and Sunday, Iao has exhibited his works alongside his peers in the past. He is also the vice president of the Macau Association of Chinese Calligraphy, where he studies many calligraphy styles. Of the many scripts he practices, his favourite is “clerical script”, which he values for its elegance, symmetry and order.  He also teaches calligraphy at Hou Kong school, in an effort to share his belief that writing “good calligraphy” is one way to be a “good Chinese” person. In the “cultural corridor” outside of Iao’s office, the teacher’s passions for education and calligraphy converge as he proudly exhibits students’ calligraphy artwork.  Over the past decade, Iao has embraced other unconventional teaching methods, too. For instance, he adopted an ‘independent learning method’, which he says was first introduced by Du Longkou Middle School in Shandong Province.  Under this style of instruction, students are encouraged to learn, explore and manage their work independently. They’re also expected to partake in discussions with teachers, practice public speaking, develop critical thinking skills and express themselves through writing.   “Many of our students are not confident enough to express themselves. We hope to encourage them to learn, think and debate independently,” says Iao, adding that the school often uses a traditional teaching tool, the chalkboard, to facilitate such exercises. “Teachers write questions on the chalkboards; students are encouraged to write down their answers, then other students debate and correct their peers. The chalkboard is a place where they can learn to express themselves proactively and independently.”  Iao also believes that a strong sense of community spirit is essential for youth development. In 2008, he began introducing a series of festivals – Sports, Reading, Gratitude and Technology – that occur every year at Hou Kong. “I once led our teachers to visit Shanghai QiBao High School, which arranges eight festivals a year,” he recalls. Inspired, he chose to introduce four festivals at his own school soon after.  As physical wellbeing, literacy and innovation are key components of his teaching philosophy, Iao felt this combination of festivals would make sense for Hou Kong. In addition, he hopes to instil an attitude of generosity in his students through the annual ‘Gratitude’ festival, where students usually arrange charity sales to support disaster relief efforts across the region.  Looking back on his career, which has spanned five decades so far, Iao has witnessed considerable improvements when it comes to access to quality education in Macao, especially after the establishment of the SAR in 1999. Free schooling and government support have ensured that children across all levels of society have an opportunity to learn, he says.  In the future, he hopes to see a greater emphasis on diverse perspectives, social skills and critical thinking. “Students can learn a lot by memorising things, but they lack social and practical opportunities. Hopefully, there will be more educational and social activities so that they can diversify their development and cultivate a cosmopolitan perspective,” he says.  “Mandarin and English proficiency are also important. Through language training, students will be able to better contribute to our country, Macao, and the world at large in the future.” ]]> <![CDATA[Hans Lee Rasmussen]]> Wed, 02 Dec 2020 11:32:06 +0800 Mariana Sa 32400 2021-02-18 17:15:46 2020-12-02 11:32:06 From Denmark to Macao, chef Hans Lee Rasmussen brings his farm to table principles to the dynamic melting pot that is Macao cuisine.]]>Hans Lee Rasmussen is not your typical Macao chef. As the chef de cuisine at the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies’ (IFTM) Educational Restaurant since 2014, Rasmussen has brought a unique Scandinavian point of view to the menu, while innovating and reducing waste at every opportunity.  Born in Macao in 1978 to a Danish father and Macao-born mother, Rasmussen and his family moved to Funen Island, Denmark, a small community with around 4,000 people, “where everybody knew each other,” he remembers. Growing up, Rasmussen spent most of his free time outdoors, bouncing between the ocean and the forests. “My father used to take me fishing and riding on his motorbike... I remember running and cycling around the island,” he recalls. “And we used to grow our produce in the garden – carrots, strawberries, apples, pears. That made me appreciate high-quality produce and the whole cultivation process.”  But it would be years until he would realise that all paths led to cooking. When he was 12, Rasmussen landed his first job as a paper delivery boy and at 15, he left home after his parent’s divorce. In his final years of secondary school, he spent five weeks working at an automobile parts factory and took a job at a deli, earning just enough money to pay for the rental deposit on an apartment in Copenhagen where he moved at the age of 18. 
“I realised early that nothing comes for free. So if you want something, you need to work for it,” he says. 
Soon after, he started working at Sticks'n'Sushi, a Japanese restaurant chain while finishing high school. Rasmussen didn’t exactly pass with flying colours. “But I did pass,” he adds. At the Japanese restaurant, he began as a dishwasher, then gradually moved up the ranks and became a kitchen assistant, before moving on to take a job at a French restaurant. Two years later, in 1999, Rasmussen started a four-year vocational course at Denmark’s Copenhagen Hospitality College. He recalls working gruelling, 15-hour days, long mise en place (kitchen preparation) lists, making consommé sauces, studying  French techniques with a cast of “funny characters”, and staying out late to party, only to wake up early and do it all over again.  “The disciplined environment suited me. I liked the control that came with that. As you know, I moved away from home when I was 15, living alone and things felt all over the place. But when I joined this hospitality environment, it felt like things all made sense, they were consistent, and nothing bad would happen if you stuck within the parameters,” Rasmussen recalls. “It wasn’t so romantic in that sense. I had a flair for cooking, sure, but the passion and obsession followed later.”  After graduating in 2003, he started work in an Italian restaurant owned by a friend. Then, one day, Danish TV host and cookbook author Bo Jacobsen called to offer him a job at Restaurationen, a famous restaurant known for serving a new menu every week. “This was the go-to place in Copenhagen at the time. So I was nervous: Should I take this job? And Bo just asked me: Do you want to go all-in and develop your career, or do you want to be somewhere that’s easy, be complacent with no demands?” Ever ambitious, Rasmussen took the job, starting at the very bottom. “They had me cracking 10 kilogrammes of hazelnuts on the very first day. It made my fingers bleed, but it was like an initial test”, he says. And he passed with flying colours.  Jacobsen took Rasmussen under his wing, becoming something of a mentor to the young chef.   “He said it didn’t matter if I could cook or not; if I was willing to learn, he could teach me,” he says. “So he took everything I learned and deleted it. Then he rebuilt it and made me a better chef. But the most important thing was my attitude, my motivation.”    It was also at Restaurationen, which has since closed, that Rasmussen developed a passion for seasonal farm-to-table dining, supporting local producers and using every last ingredient to reduce waste. “From the neck to the intestines, liver, heart and so forth, we used everything,” he says. “And we always worked with the seasons: asparagus in May, strawberries in August, shrimps in June, rhubarb in September...” After six years at Restaurationen, Rasmusen took a short break before accepting a job on a mining camp in a remote area of Greenland, where he “lost a little bit of his soul” due to the isolation and utilitarian meals. He then returned to Copenhagen and was offered the position as head chef of Restaurant Paustian –  another venture by  Jacobsen –  where he worked from 2010 to 2014.  

Cooking his way to Macao

Growing disenchanted and bored in Copenhagen, Rasmussen turned his attention to Macao. Having visited aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents in the city over the years, he was already deeply familiar with the culture and environment.
“I’ve lived half of my life in Denmark, so I might as well spend the other half here. It has to be yin and yang; it has to be balanced.” He also looked forward to the change of pace in Macao, the weather and the people.  
“When I was a child, we used to visit once or twice a year, usually during the school holidays. I have always loved the small-town feel of Macao, how the same shops are open for decades,” he says. “We used to always go to a sweet shop, where I’d order mango and fresh coconut ice cream. The little old lady always remembered me, calling me “fei zai”, which means ‘fat boy’, and never made me pay. It's that warmth that I love – they treated us like family.”  Rasmussen, who already had permanent residency in Macao through his mother, began setting up interviews with hotels and restaurants big and small, looking for a suitable transition.  “I did a few trial dinners at hotel restaurants, but it was different from the small restaurants I had worked in before,” he says. “Then I learned about the chef de cuisine job at the IFTM and thought it would be a good way to get my bearings since it is only 40-50 seats. It’s easier to execute, and I could focus on quality over quantity.”  That same year, he started his new role, in charge of everything from restructuring the staff to updating the cooking line, streamlining communications between the kitchen and service teams, establishing consistent standards, and introducing new menus. He also works with the school’s Bachelor’s, Master’s and Diploma students, who often have an opportunity to gain practical experience in the restaurant during their internships.   [caption id="attachment_32444" align="alignnone" width="2000"]Hans Lee Rasmussen Chef Hans at the IFTM restaurant - Photo by António Sanmarful[/caption] “It’s all about discipline, working rationally: How do you get from Point A to Point F in the best possible way, in the shortest time, creating the least amount of waste possible without sacrificing quality?” he says of his leadership role. “And then there is menu composition, which ingredients work together? Which don’t? There is a lot of implicit knowledge that you gain through experience or that other chefs passed down to you.”  Trained in French and Scandinavian cooking styles, Rasmussen started incorporating more regional ingredients, but using only local produce is “difficult, since there are no farms in Macao,” as well as a few techniques he’d brought from home, like smoking and fermentation. “Fermentation is very typical in Scandinavian cooking,” he says. “In Denmark, we use leftover strawberries, rhubarb, white asparagus and ferment them before Christmas. So I did something similar here with Asian ingredients, like papaya and bitter melon, using the same techniques.”  He also added more handmade, time-intensive techniques onto the restaurant’s menu, such as house-cured bacon. It’s a lengthy, five-month process: Rasmussen must cure the bacon for 72 hours, dry it 72 hours, smoke it twice for 12 hours each time, then hang it for three to four months.  “Sometimes, people don’t realise how long it takes to make a nice piece of bacon. They think you bought it at the supermarket, cut the bag open with scissors and fried it up. So why do I go through the effort? It’s the satisfaction of looking at your product and knowing you have strived for the highest possible quality,” he says. “Trust me, it is easier to buy outside. But it makes me really happy to create something excellent. This discipline is what drives me, what keeps me going.” Rasmussen also features several classic Macanese dishes on the menu, but he doesn’t touch these too much. “As a government institution, we have to be loyal to Macanese heritage,” he explains. “We can play and tweak them every once in a while, within limits. Usually, I will adjust the ingredients or the plating, but keep the recipe traditional.”  The IFTM Educational Restaurant has gone from strength to strength under Rasmussen’s watch, maintaining a Bib Gourmand status from the Michelin Guide Macau every year since 2013. But crafting noteworthy cuisine is only half the picture. Rasmussen has also been integral in reducing the restaurant’s food waste and increasing awareness in the broader culinary community –  principles he’s developed throughout his career.  “When we standardised and streamlined the kitchen’s processes, this immediately cut down on waste – so that was an important first step. Then we installed a food decomposer, which turns food waste into soil, but I think we need to reduce more waste in the first place,” he says.  “Now we are looking at: how do we install a water filtration system? How do we use AI food waste management systems to analyse our waste? How can we adjust portion sizes? We are always exploring new ways, but it takes time.”  Being a good leader for the next generation of chefs is equally vital to Rasmussen. That’s why Rasmussen, now 42, is pursuing an MBA to enhance his “basic knowledge of management, business and leadership” –  skills he hopes will elevate management abilities. To Rasmussen, it’s essential to continue learning and improving throughout his life and career.  “When I first started, we didn't learn about leadership or psychology or how to manage people. Chefs yell and shout until they get their way, but that’s not how to get what you need or make long-term improvements,” he explains.   “It is about delegating and creating structures. You need to be a leader, but you need to delegate, so the chefs have ownership. When I make a new menu now, I gather everyone and try to have a dialogue and include the team.” One of the most important things he has done at the restaurant, he says, is to put younger chefs in charge. “Even if you have only been at IFTM for five years, you can be a leader if you are hungry and you have a vision and aspirations, and you want to make changes,” he says.  “We always have to be more innovative, more creative – it is a challenging environment.”  He continues to innovate year after year, with plans to introduce a new website and digital menu in early 2021. Essentially, when diners sit down, they can use a QR code to review the menu on their phone, then place an order. A server will then come by to confirm the order and send it to the kitchen.  “We are hoping this will reduce waiting time for guests, while still maintaining that personal service level,” he adds. “We need to adapt. We need to follow the trends and think about the future.”  And when he’s not in the kitchen? Rasmussen enjoys the simple things in life. “When I am off, I like to go running outside, laugh, be silly, drink my beer or my wine,” he says. “I am not a big spender, so I don't have a car or a fancy apartment or a gold watch. I am just a regular gentleman.”  ]]> <![CDATA[Mamello Thinyane]]> Fri, 03 Jul 2020 18:00:28 +0800 Macao News 26430 2021-02-03 10:31:00 2020-07-03 18:00:28 Computer science research may not be for everybody but it is an exciting and rewarding career for Mamello Thinyane.]]> Mamello Thinyane is a respected researcher at Macao's United Nations University Institute - Photo by António Sanmarful[/caption] In 2009, Thinyane received his PhD in computer science from Rhodes University in South Africa. Studying and working there for 17 years, he then moved to Macao in July 2016 and joined UNUI. Over his career, the researcher has steadily become more interested in issues related to technology and sustainable development, in particular Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D). This is an initiative aimed at bridging the ‘digital divides’ – the disparities between technological ‘have’ and ‘have not’ geographical locations or demographic groups – and aiding sustainable development by ensuring equitable use of information and communications technologies. This focus on technology and sustainable development is actively promoted by the United Nations. It was this very focus that brought Thinyane to Macao. Here, he co-ordinates small scale-yet-meaningful projects at UNUI, including his work with Macao’s branch of Catholic relief and social service not-for-profit organisation Caritas. He was working with the organisation to develop a system to manage their homeless services when Typhoon Hato struck in August 2017. “When Hato happened, they lost a lot of their data,” says the researcher. “This is an organisation that is mission-driven. When they get affected by an adverse event like that, everything is disrupted.” This previous experience with Caritas became ‘part of the motivation’ for a new project called ‘Smart City-zen Cyber Resilience’, which was launched earlier this year. Backed by Macao’s Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT), it seeks to expand the scope of ‘operational stability’ concerns such as the one that affected Caritas, including adverse effects caused by nature and people, such as cyber-attacks – which can trigger data loss and breach online privacy. “My concern with this project,” he says, “is that citizens and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are sometimes not aware, not prepared or not engaging with these issues. How do we prepare Macao’s society to function in the face of these adverse events?” For the next year and half, ‘enhancing the cyber resilience of Macao citizens’ will occupy the researcher’s time. It’s a rising concern in Macao. “We’ll definitely be looking into expanding,” says Thinyane, who is also the chairman of the board of the African Footprints of Hope Organisation, an NGO that empowers young people in southern Africa with skills so they can improve their livelihoods. “There is so much [going on] around [the issues of] cybersecurity and cyber resilience. A lot needs to be done. We are the only UN agency in Macao and with that connection, there are specific insights and advantages that we can bring and hopefully contribute as well.”  ]]> <![CDATA[Karen Araño Tagulao]]> Fri, 19 Jun 2020 18:26:50 +0800 Rafelle Allego 26459 2021-08-13 11:01:59 2020-06-19 18:26:50 Professor Karen Araño Tagulao's work over at USJ is helping to promote the conservation of mangroves in Macao. Hear her story here.]]>Karen Araño Tagulao was born in Cabagan, Isabela, in the northernmost part of the Philippines, just 30 minutes away from Tuguegarao. The eldest daughter in an academically-inclined family – her parents are retired professors and several of her five siblings have pursued academic careers. Having grown up inside the university campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, she and her sisters were surrounded by books and activities all relating to academics. And thanks to the numerous pools and the accessibility of nature in the campus, they also grew up loving sports and nature. As she shares, her father would bring them swimming or even hike in the forest of Mount Makiling nearby. Today, her father is still as active as he had been many years ago as a natural scientist, with the added benefit of being retired and getting to do more of what he loves. “I still remember those times when my dad used to bring us to the forest,” she shares, “you know leeches used to stick on our legs, and we’d scream. But that’s part of the fun. I think all of these experiences in that setting influenced me to become a biologist — to love nature and water.” Finding her vocation in biology had come when she was in high school, crediting the school she went to: “I went to a science high school so we always did experiments, we did fieldwork. And I knew — I think I was just a sophomore that time — that I will be a biologist”. After pursuing Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of the Philippines, she became a PhD fellow in marine biology in an integrated scheme involving the Netherlands’ Radboud University and the UNESCO-International Institute for Infrastructural, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, now known as the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Her ongoing doctoral research consists of applying molecular techniques to study the evolution and relationships of seagrass populations in the Indo-Pacific region. In January 2003, shortly after she was married in the Philippines, Tagulao arrived in Macao. She moved to the city because her husband was already there – he’d been working in the territory since 1992. “I was uncertain about the future,” she admits, “but I was optimistic that I could continue my scientific work in Macao because the city is surrounded by water.” The marine biologist soon settled in and became a mother. Two years after her son’s birth, on his baptism, she met Father Denis. She mentioned her background and was asked to come in for an interview a week after at the university (formerly known as the Macau Inter-University Institute). In 2008, she landed a position at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), returning to teaching and researching. Today, she is now a senior lecturer at the Institute of Science and Environment and the co-ordinator of USJ’s Pre-University Programme, which helps prepare students for university in Macao or overseas. In 2010, she also became the principal investigator of the institute’s project on mangrove forests – a position she still holds as she and her team investigate these unique habitats that are characterised by vegetation growing in tidal coastal swamps. “In a city like Macao,” says Tagulao, “which is vulnerable to the impact of storm surges, mangroves can help protect the coastline by acting as natural barriers.” She adds that mangroves are ‘equally important in the protection of the city’s coastal waters from pollution due to their ability to act as filters’. Featured in a BBC StoryWorks-produced series for International Association of Universities (IAU) in 2019, Tagulao, alongside students and other researchers at USJ shared their efforts in promoting the conservation of Macao’s mangroves. Aside from working closely with Macao's coastal areas and mangroves, she had also given workshops to local schools about DNA technology and have coordinated on environmental education initiatives focused on wetlands as part of the university's science promotion program. "We need to do more in collaboration with the government and the community to make our environment a better place," she says, "Sustainability is to find balance between the economy, equity and the environment." As a way to de-stress, she had always gravitated towards sports. She had loved swimming when she was much younger, with scuba diving a big part of her life as a marine biologist. Today, she does more tennis than swimming. Her whole family engages in tennis and occasionally, she and her husband play doubles with friends. Her youngest son also plays for the Macao Tennis team. Their family also go on hikes in Coloane. Running and jogging too. As Tagulao says, it keeps her "motivated and disciplined". And staying active has definitely been kept a family affair.  ]]> <![CDATA[Rev. Deacon Stephen Morgan]]> Thu, 28 May 2020 15:11:42 +0800 Catarina Brites Soares 25904 2021-02-03 09:59:10 2020-05-28 15:11:42 Rev. Deacon Stephen Morgan is the new rector of the USJ. He previously served in the Royal Navy and worked in the financial sector before dedicating himself to the Church and to teaching.]]>new rector of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), succeeding from the former USJ rector Father Peter Stilwell in 2020. He previously served in the Royal Navy and worked in the financial sector before dedicating himself to the Church and to teaching, which brought him to this part of the world. He arrived, or rather, returned to Asia about two years ago. Having never lived in Macao, he still knew the city from the years he spent in Hong Kong in the 1990s, leaving shortly before the transfer of administration in 1997. Macao again appeared on his horizon after he met a priest from the city’s diocese, who became his friend and eventually introduced him to Bishop Lee Bun Sang and to Peter Stilwell, the rector since 2012. They invited him to become dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies, where he has also given classes since September 2018. His family remains in UK, where he spent most of his life; he returns often to see them. Stephen Morgan was born in Wales on 4 August 1965, though part of his childhood was also spent in England, due to his father’s work as an engineer. In 1982, when he was 18 years old, he joined the Royal Navy, thereby fulfilling a childhood dream (his grandfather served in the military). “I felt it was what I ought to do. I like sailing a lot, the sea; I was quite good at maths, so navigation was a natural choice,” he says. Although he doesn’t regret serving, he admits that the choices one makes at such an age would be different if made later. The Cold War (1947–1991) was then in full swing, he explains, and the Royal Navy’s main task was to locate Russian submarines in the North Atlantic, while at the same time the UK was also recovering from another conflict with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. “So there were some major issues in the Atlantic,” he observes. It was an incident in the Mediteranean, though, that especially marked Morgan. It was in 1984, when the UN sought to base troops in Lebanon to help keep peace in that country. “Witnessing the bombardments by US warships in Lebanon was a powerful image that made me realise what war was – it was no joke,” he recalls sadly.

Duty

His memorable experience in the navy led him to the next stage. “I had a Catholic education; I grew up in a home where Christianity was important. The question of whether I should become a priest eventually arose. I ended up thinking probably not, though I did feel I was ready to be tested.” [caption id="attachment_25906" align="alignnone" width="4500"]Deacon Stephen Morgan Installation as the Fourth Rector of the USJ in May 2020 - Photo courtesy of USJ Macao[/caption] Morgan spent the years from 1987 to 1990 as a student for the priesthood for the Diocese of Clifton, at St. Mary’s College, Oscott in Birmingham. “It gave me the opportunity to think seriously about what my aims were. The relevant question is not what we want to do, but rather what we can and should do with our talents: the sense of duty,” he affirms. He decided to leave the diocese for a year to reflect on things. He met his wife six days later, and two-and-a-half months after that they were engaged to be married. “In the last 25 years or so, that [sense of] duty has been to be a husband and father of three children.” That’s why, despite his devotion to the Church, Morgan shifted course. In 1990 and 1991, he worked as a tax manager for Smith and Williamson, Chartered Accountants, in London and Salisbury. It was a challenge, though he says the decision was made for other reasons. “I needed to earn money. The economy wasn’t going well. I had to go where there was work.”

To the Far East

After London, Morgan accepted the post of senior international tax manager at Grant Thornton Hong Kong in 1991. He recalls the time spent in the former British colony as “a strange period”, due to the upcoming transition. The eventful times, however, did not prevent him from being happy. Only a short time had passed since China’s policy of openness and reform was advocated by Deng Xiaoping and Hong Kong was visibly growing. “It was definitely the place to be,” he says. But once again, more important matters intervened. “As our children grew up, there was the question of where we wanted them to study. We ended up deciding to return home.” Morgan wouldn’t live overseas for another 22 years. From 1996 to 2004, he was a partner at Morison Stoneham, Chartered Accountants, in the City of London, as well as head of personal tax and corporate finance. His shift back towards the Church began in 2004 with his appointment as Oeconomus of the Diocese of Portsmouth, a position that combined that of chief operating officer and responsibility for all financial management, legal compliance and administrative support for the institution’s activities, encompassing 156 churches and 73 schools and academies. The next year, he was named chairman of the National Conference of Diocesan Financial Secretaries, serving until 2009. He also became a member of the Insurance Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of England and Wales and Scotland, a position he still holds and in 2006, he was appointment non-executive director of Catholic National Mutual, the Church’s insurer in Great Britain, which he still holds. Meanwhile, he earned a bachelor’s in divinity from Maryvale Institute in 2007, before continuing his studies at Oxford, where he completed a master’s degree and then a doctorate at St. Benet’s Hall in 2013. “In my forties,” Morgan reflects, “I realised that my schoolteachers had been right. My vocation was to be an academic.” He was still studying himself when he began lecturing, first at Maryvale in Birmingham then Oxford. He continues to lecture on sacramental and liturgical theology at Maryvale and, since 2014, has been a member of the Academic Board of the Quarterdeck Series, an educational programme under the UK Defence Academy. Even as Morgan juggled education and teaching, he was also attached to a number of parishes in the New Forest area of southern England: Lyndhurst from 2007 to 2013 and New Milton from 2013 to 2017, as well as Lymington and Brockenhurst for the entire period from 2007 to 2017. He was attached to Holy Family, Southampton from 2017 until he came to Macao. “There was never a specific moment when I decided I didn’t want to be a priest. A priest can’t get married and have a family, and I realised I wanted to [have that]. Becoming a deacon was my way of bridging the two worlds,” he explains. “If the Church changed its position, might I then want to be a priest? I don’t know; it’s a hypothetical question, so I don’t waste time thinking about it.” Another area is writing. This year, he will publish a book on John Henry Newman's theology of development – though the exact publishing date is yet to be set due to the effect of COVID-19 – adding to the many chapters, articles and other publications he’s already written. He spends his free time listening to music and to “interesting people”, a hobby he especially appreciates when accompanied by a tasty dish and good wine or beer. He also likes to hunt and fish, spending 1997 to 2000 as a trustee of the Wild Trout Society which then worked to improve trout habitats across the UK. Morgan enjoys rugby and is a fan of his hometown Cardiff Blues and Bath Rugby, besides being a member of the Hampshire County Cricket Club and supporter of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. And if he tires of balls and bats, there’s always his old childhood passion: sailing.  ]]> <![CDATA[Seng Fat Wong, Alfred]]> Wed, 24 Jul 2019 18:11:40 +0800 Macao News 18986 2021-02-03 10:02:13 2019-07-24 18:11:40 Wong has now been teaching at the University of Macau for 20 years, during which he has studied in his spare time and obtained a doctorate in industrial and systems engineering in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.]]>A chance encounter with teaching Stepping into Seng Fat Wong’s office at the Faculty of Science and Technology at University of Macau feels like you have stepped into another world – on one side of the room, his paintings of lotus flowers calligraphy hang on the wall, on another sits a tea ceremony table with a miniature turtle on top of a teacup. Yet above his office printer and boxes of business cards, there are dozens of miniature Spidermans and on the opposite side of the room sit dozens more miniature superhero figures ranging from Iron Man to X-Men. Wong jokingly says, “Don’t worry about knocking them over, it will give me a reason to buy more!” [caption id="attachment_18989" align="alignleft" width="640"] Miniature superheroes in Alfred Wong's office at the University of Macau[/caption] Born on 22 May 1973 in Macao to parents who worked in the knitting industry, Seng Fat Wong has loved artistic creation since he was a child. He spent his summers working with different techniques from watercolour to pencil to calligraphy – setting himself goals to create beautiful work by the end of summer. As much as he loved art, Wong knew it was difficult to make a living as an artist. So, he set himself a different path, skilfully integrating artistic creation into his study, work and life. After graduating from Yuet Wah College in 1991, Wong went to National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan to study mechanical engineering, hoping to design some original mechanical products – particularly within human factors engineering – in the future. After completing his studies there, he obtained a scholarship and pursued a master’s degree at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in industrial engineering and engineering management. Upon graduation in 1997, he found himself without a job. With his then-girlfriend (now wife) based in the sister SAR of Macao, he decided to return to the city to be with her and to try to find work there. Wong sent out more than 40 cover letters, most of which received no response. Only one company replied, saying: “You are so highly-educated that we can’t afford to employ you.” (At that time, there were few masters in Macao.) In the face of this poor economy, he turned to the Labour Affairs Bureau for help. The bureau happened to need a part-time teacher to teach the Cangjie input method (entering Chinese characters with a standard keyboard) at that time. This chance opportunity would prove an important turning point in his career. “The beeper was popular then, so they needed a lot of telephonists [switchboard operators]. There were various types of students enrolled in the Cangjie input method course: the unemployed middle-aged, young people who failed in schools and people who lacked skills. It was far from easy to teach them and it took a lot of patience. Some students had never even used a computer. I had to help them finish the course and meet the standards for being a telephonist for beepers.” Unexpectedly, this part-time job ignited his now decades-long passion for teaching. Even though the University of Macau did not have any teaching positions available at the time, Wong applied nevertheless and convinced them that he would be able to contribute to the university. He managed to get a part-time job teaching production management and in September 1998, he landed his first full-time job as a lecturer at the University of Macau. Wong has now been teaching at the university for 20 years, during which he has studied in his spare time and obtained a doctorate in industrial and systems engineering in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Wong believes that teachers should not only teach students to learn but also comprehend their ideas in turn. Therefore, he often chats with students during class breaks. He draws on his own experience to encourage students to participate in social practices related to their majors and establish work contacts, guide them in planning their life, and persuade them to give back to the society when they get better-off. In fact, Wong credits his own teachers in Taiwan with nurturing his passion for engineering back when he was at university. Uncertain of what to study and skilled at drawings, his professors recommended engineering and he hasn’t looked back since.

Promoting smart technology

Wong is not the chatty type of teacher. He usually puts words into practice. In addition to holding important positions in various engineering associations, he is also Vice President of Macao SAR Government Traffic Services Committee, and often makes suggestions to the government. This leads the media and others to sometimes mistake him for a government spokesperson, rather than a concerned citizen simply offering advice in his areas of expertise. “City planning, city renewal, transportation and flooding are interlinked,” he explains. “Macao first needs an overall city-planning blueprint to carry out city renewal work in an orderly manner. Macao has a limited area of land, so it must be treated like Tetris.” The iconic video game certainly captures the importance of maximising usage of space and the interconnected nature of various city elements, but Wong’s approach to urban renewal also resembles a game of musical chairs – with a purpose: “Lao Hon is the pioneering district where residents can move to temporary houses and move back after the district is reorganised. Afterwards, residents in the Inner Harbour move to temporary houses and the Inner Harbour will be reorganized. The rest of the areas should be treated in the same manner and gradually, the whole Macao will be renewed.” Meanwhile, Wong says, the issue of updating the outdated rotary traffic mode can also be addressed. “[It can] be changed into a three-dimensional traffic mode and the underground drainage should be re-arranged. Finally, the problems of traffic congestion and flooding in the Inner Harbour will be effectively solved.” Efforts like these, along with more technological elements of the smart city approach, aim to optimise the life of the citizens. Wong has served as executive director of the Smart City Alliance Association of Macao for the last two years, advocating for ideas including improvements in transport via big data and developing a new smart city legal framework for Macao. In the process of teaching, Wong has collaborated with his student research team to develop various products, including the design of an award-winning smart wheelchair. He proposes that “cooperation among government, industry, academia and research institutes” is the future in technology innovation. Specifically, the government should provide more support to establish high-quality business platforms and promotes the cooperation between the manufacturing industry, academia and the R&D field. In this way, he argues, designs can be turned into products and economic diversification can be promoted, thus bringing more convenience and comfort to citizens. He hopes that the government may learn from Israel, Singapore and Hong Kong to industrialise Macao’s innovative technology.

Life is like a cup of tea

Outside of his academic and social work, Wong nurtures a deep love of tea ceremony and traditional Chinese painting. Around 2006, a few years after when his daughter had been born, Wong was experiencing intense stress in both his personal and work life. When his wife brought him with her to a tea workshop one day, he was hooked. [caption id="attachment_18990" align="alignnone" width="5568"] Alfred pours a cup of tea at his University of Macau office[/caption] “Every time the tea is brewed, it’s necessary to sweep or pour a layer of tea on the outside of the teapot so that the tea inside and outside will exchange, and the teapot will get brighter. The machine that only sprays tea on the surface of the teapot is no match for our hands, because the machine is in a hurry to finish, while we take time to beautify the teapot,” he explains. “This is just like being a man. We must cultivate ourselves internally and externally. It’s incomplete to be attractive but lack depth.” While his wife discontinued attending the tea classes, Wong dove deeper into his new hobby, becoming the Vice President of the Chinese Teaism Association of Macao. He sees it as a form of meditation, where he can calm the mind. During busy work periods, he still tries to make tea for his wife and two teenage daughters at home. Painting, another passion of Wong’s, returned to him as an adult courtesy of his ‘tea buddies’, as he calls them – he has since become Deputy Council President of the Association of Keng San Painting and Calligraphy of Macao. In a corner of his office is placed an elegant tea table with exquisite tea sets. A scroll of calligraphy on the wall, which reads “Flavour’s outside the tea,” is derived from his remarks. The piece was a gift from Wong’s tea ceremony teacher, Lo Heng Kong. Promoting the profound Chinese culture is an important item in Wong’s to-do list. “In fact, the most popular lecture I give at universities is about the tea ceremony. Generally, students don’t understand the knowledge of tea until they come into contact with the tea ceremony. This knowledge includes the water temperature, time, and proportion of tea and gestures. Actually, we can also combine the tea ceremony with artistic elements like music and camellia to make it more vivid and fashionable. This will instantly change their stereotype about the tea ceremony.” Wong is busy with teaching and research work as well as arduous social affairs, but he still tries hard to promote Chinese culture. He hopes to learn more about Chinese cultures in the future and promote them in universities and communities.  ]]>