现在因为是疫情关系改变了整个经济环境。有些父母有孩子在读高中的，比较担心孩子以后该挑什么课 ？我很幸运在高中和大学一直都有比较好的老师帮我。我也曾经回到我的高中学校做过 针对学生会成员Career Choice的一些指导。现在我把我和朋友的早年的一些选择在这里跟大家分享一下 。


我高中同学有上艺术高校，现在在做动画电影的。我在滑铁卢大学七年，同学周围有理科生，也有文科生可以给大家一些参考。滑铁卢我们因为有co-op，有些同学是每四个月都换一些室友。我头一年两个室友就是数学系的会计课的， 另外一个室友是文科的读communication。我后期的室友有的是数学系的 就是纯数学 。我本人是读生命科学，然后眼科视光学院。那时候的好朋友也是考一个医生或者是眼科的，另外当然也不少读电脑啊或者是物理，工程那些的同学。



其中我读会计的一些朋友很不喜欢会计已经改行了。有一些还在继续做。
其中有读会计比较喜欢，做完Deloitte 的Audit，做Financial Service，到现在做外面公司的CFO. 有一些读纯数学滑铁卢读完后，去MIT在读了统计学然后现在在Los Angeles是做金融做Quant Analyst. 其中也可能考虑改行，但是他有数学底子，如果改到做Data Science, Big Data, 都是很容易的不是大问题。还有就是有些人性格不大适合就读了医生，但是其实他可以找其他更适合的工作的譬如说他自己做编程做一两个App，或开个家教教数学，或进修做教授，这些对他来说也是很容易的事情. (没办法，滑铁卢理科生多）。



其中也有一些朋友是后来认识的。一个是校友是在读工程系的时候就已经跟医院做一些合作所以后来是跟他们参加比赛提供了一个工程课程合作，赢了后再跟医院提供一些自动贩卖机Automation. 其中也认识到一些读化学，读到博士后，后来成为Campbell汤的一个全亚洲范围的Director.然后他后来自己去开公司了,现在提供食物Loblaws, 公司差不多是可以上市了.


那高中的时候我们那时候十年级就有做career planning了。


那时候我最后有三个选择好像是药剂师，还有就是眼科视光医生，第三个我忘记了。那个夏天我刚好就已经在药剂师那里工作Part- Time. 同年暑假，我已经 16岁了。我也去做义工. 那时候，我在Women’s College做义工。那其间中午空闲的时间我就常去他们Career Center。那时候，医院的电脑有各种工作的招聘，也有电脑系统看看各种工作有什么学历要求，读大学要什么分数，很多种学院。当我18岁的时候我也是因为有前期的准备工作经验。我去验眼的时候，我的视光眼科医生就提供了我一份summer job, then part time。我就接受了，考大学那年也努力上班（part time）。这些义工，part-time工作让我在报读大学之前就了解到这个行业的每一个步骤，从前台需要做什么,然后医生需要做什么准备来学习。我就很幸运的减少了很多试错的成本。



对于现在的学生，他们要怎样选择呢？理科比较好的话尽量可以读一些什么呢.
我表弟高中的时候，他比我年轻两年他就问我他数学好他该学什么？那时候我就把滑铁卢的一些网站给他看了。但是那时候我了解还不够深，没机会和他说很多。所以最后他去了多大读电脑。现在还在做电脑。他也喜欢。


那以后的世界会有很多改变。现在的铁饭碗，十年后不一定还是铁饭碗。


长远来说学数学和学物理这两方面呢，那些学生在那个本科上市可以很深入的学， 以后可以用到很多方面。通常他们还可以自学编程。因为现在编程都不是很难的事。然后每一个不同的年代也有不同的那个编程语言。所以这个语言编程, 大学生都有了自学能力，都是可以自学，或上个网课学。那他如果数学化的物理很好的， 他以后出来也可以可以做电脑，做编程，或者是做就是做统计。这些都会比较好。如果以后这些情况改变了电脑已经完全成熟了以后改人工智能或者是他学这些也都比较容易。读完理科的人到最后如果生活需要，再学一点文科的话，他有理科这个，他是可以两边的情况都合并的比较好一些，打造出新的局面。以后我们的世界的大家都可能想像不到。20年后，30年后可能一个人就是一个团队。那他可能需要文理双方的学习资料。


哪如果很喜欢文科的男生女生那他们该读什么呢？其实我觉得读一些心理学，还有就是marketing市场推广方面来，这两边可以结合就是挺好的。


随便一个公司现在都需要市场推广。如果有一个心理学的底子，他可以更好的了解客户，提供他们生活所需。


但是如果只是局限在这些课的话呢，这个范围还是比较空的。他/她个人情绪上会很容易受到影响。因为不是每一个市场推广都是有效果的。很多人都说钱花了，只有50%是有效果。但是其实你作为买方是不知道哪50%才有效。所以如果到最后他做了那个推广，然后买方觉得没有效果的话，他个人也可能觉得没有成就感，很沮丧。那他如果再加一些有大局的那些课程，想法有大局化的她就不会停留在这个情绪里面。譬如说可以学一些历史，可以看到历史这么几百年来，几千年来的变化，世界各地各朝代的更替，就会看到世界会有一个循环。个人心情比较容易放松一些。当然，也可以学一些统计学，或者是其他数学方面的加一点底色，了解这个世界的运作。就会比较有一些对自己多一些自信心。



如果学生是喜欢那艺术方面的，包扩了画画，音乐还有跳舞，这三大项。我有一个同学和他在高中的手就很喜欢画画。然后也那时候他也有参加参加各种比赛。他画的其中一个图，他是在千禧年比赛画的，是现在我们还在用的一个25 cent 的图像。如果学生还是有这方面爱号的，就让他们多参加比赛，跳舞比赛，音乐比赛，哪些画画比赛都可以参加。


如果他继续有这个兴趣，也愿意为之付出努力的，那要给他们这试错的机会。那他们这一行是一定要多付出努力，才有出人头地的一天。不是说做这爱好就一定一辈子贫穷。我那个朋友是他做完这些比赛之后他就申请Sheraton,他学成了后来Pixel要他，他没去。他决定留在多伦多。但是那时候他是的随便去Pixar. 后来，他所在的影片动画公司关闭了。我们那时候在夏天，BBQ的时候他和我们说了。我还安慰他说，以你的Talent, 到哪都不用担心，都是没有问题的. 结果，我说了不到两个星期，他就收到新的Offer了。（我看talent是不是很准?! 哈哈）

哪一个学生不知道读什么那怎么办？
那你更要给他这个试错的机会。


这个是错可以是他毕业后，做一年Gap Year. 这一年是做一个就是随便去打工啊。可以去澳洲打工，去欧洲打工啊 （顺便学门外语). 然后看看他喜欢和什么样的人或东西 （电脑，机器，机器人）打交道，或者是不喜欢怎么样的工种。各种都可以尝试一下，也可以试试他自己是怎么可以赚钱，了解到赚钱的那个辛苦。那你更要给他这个试错的机会。


不然呢他可以先读读心理学，好好了解一下自己。因为psychology心理学其实就是一个看清楚自己，看清楚这个世界的一个过程。然后物理是看清楚这个世界的本质。所以什么都不懂的话可以学点心理学。如果是理科比较好的可以学一点物理学，然后他以后再转读其他的科目。都可以在比较有宽松的，有底气的情况下可以再继续学习，深造，或读个商科。


那之前几年很出名的一段话是章子怡的在<一代宗师>电影里面说的就是，看自己，看天地，看众生。那这个文课的psychology心理学，就是帮你看自己，然后历史是帮你看天地，你都了解了,自己多观察积累，你就可以看众生了。


那如果你说孩子的学习能力不怎么好，也不能专心的话，那怎么办？
这个我想给大家说明一下有些人是很不容易集中精神学东西的。。
有些人是有读写障碍的，有些是双眼不协调，有些是双眼调节失调，或双眼读书时集中不够持久。学校可能也不一定照顾到每个人，每个人都会注意到。检查过来有些人可能已经是读私校了，然后已经接受到老师额外的帮助了，然后可能不觉得有问题。但是这些会在高中后两年，读书紧张的时候影响学生。造成他们成绩不稳定，考试期间容易病倒。


我也有读写障碍，因我的隐形斜视引起的。我当时高中没检查到。但很幸运，我九年级的英文老师一直给我额外的帮助。然后，我以后就认定他了，都挑他的课上，（差点连拉丁文课都上了）有事没事都问他。其实，我高中和大学第一年就成绩不稳定。


但是其实这些有读写障碍的学生都可以提高学习能力. 其中70%是双眼不协调引起的。这些都可以用眼科视觉训练解决。


如果以后孩子想在任何一方面的科目成功或者是学得更好呢，我们可以帮助他：
第一，提高读写能力和速度，
第二，减少眼睛的疲劳让他学得更轻松. 


那现在学画画的也会用一用电脑上的一些工具来画，容易造成眼睛疲劳. 如果是学跳舞的也会在网上学别人的舞姿。看别人怎么跳，我也看很多不同的视频。我也会眼睛上造成视功能的影响。


无论学生想读哪一科，如果他们学习上想更提高一步的话，可以找眼科视光医生做眼科视觉训练。
如果学生，孩子的成绩只是在C和D的范围的话呢，视觉上方面，眼科视觉训练可以提高他们的读写能力，让他读得更快，写得更快，无论他读理科要理解一些比较大的几何方面的话，或者是他读文科书，书要看得更多一点书做积累，眼科视觉训练都可以帮到他们。
.
如果你觉得你孩子的学习能力和成绩还有提升的空间，欢迎你来做眼科视觉训练。这可以帮他们更轻松的学习，也可以减少眼睛疲劳和近视的发展. 还可以帮这些学生提高他们的学习能力，不必浪费太多的energy, 让他们更加容易触碰到他们的梦想.



作者简介：
梁艳玲医生毕业于滑铁卢大学,在七年内从滑铁卢大学拿到了生命科学和视光眼医科双学位。期间，她去了美国的中部的白内障和激光视力矫正中心实习，作为交换生到香港理工视光系实习，和到广州中山眼科中心实习。她有十多年视光眼科经验。
她曾是加拿大视光医生牌照,临床考试的考牌官。
她也曾是安省视光医生协会董事会成员。
梁医生工作以外还做义工, 给本地的各个义举筹款，做公益活动。
梁医生说粤语和国语,和英语。
她还是Seneca College 和 Georgian College Optician (配镜师） program的实习课程导师。
她不只是做一般的验眼配镜，梁艳玲医生毕业后还参加最新的临床视光课程培训, 成为发育和复健的眼科视光医生。

​Contact, http://www.drliangoptometrist.ca/life-coach.html

First posted on wechat  梁艳玲LiangYanLing

On Four Stages of Life, after reading the notes by author Mark Manson, who wrote The Subtle Art of not Giving a Fuck.

Yan Ling Liang
Dreamer

I am glad I had the chance to go to Utah for a sports vision conference. After having learned about my hidden eye turn, and concussion, I still want to snowboard, and to help others. 因为， 生命在于折腾！ I couldn't say no to snowboarding in Utah, and the learning too. Who knows who I can help next to improve their dance, gymnastic, hockey or soccer performance, aside from fixing crossed eyes. 

So I packed my snowboarding gear with me as well. I still have only the carry on, aside from the snowboard gear. You can see how I packed so light in the video.

I am so glad that I made the decision to come. I got to snowboard at Park City. It was pretty darn good views. Good note is to bring a charger when go uphill, the search for signal can drain your battery real fast. 

The snow conditions was great, lots of runs and powder all the way. On day one of the course, I was told by one of the lecturers that having both eye dominance is better than one eye dominance. So although I was used to using heels and my left side forward, I tried using both sides. It was hard to switch to the right leg, but it got easier after the first run. I got on the black runs, but it's wider than those in Tremblant and Courmayeur , so it was safe to experiment. It was harder to switch to toe and right at the same time though. I still have my down time, trying to knee myself away from the edge of the cliff when I was too far to the right in kicking off.

As the courses go from 1-8pm, I had the chance to swim the next morning. There was a crater across from our hotel, with warm water all year round. So why not? For those who has more time, they do snorkling and diving programs too. 

Park City is a bit of a town in itself. Nice shops around. I didn't have time to shop, but did try out one of the restaurants. It's better to eat meat there than seafood there, I should say. Check out my video!

To do in Utah
Snowboard in winter, hike in summer

• Deer Valley Resort $$$$ ski only
• Park City Mountain Resort $$$
• Sundance Mountain Resort $$

Homestead Crater Swim, Snorkel, Dive

To eat in Utah
Riverhorse on Main
Bodega 

​Yan Ling Liang
Dreamer

Memphis is having its blue's challenge this week as I flew in the last two week of January. I even met a Korean flying in from Seoul for that.

As I was chatting with the Uber driver coming in, he shared with me his friend who is writing the master's paper on how a woman whose language memory changed after a concussion. Apparently, she spoke Spanish in her native tongue, and learned English in childhood, and spoke English very well. After the concussion, she didn't a word of English, only Spanish. I thought, isn't that interesting. I am going in to learn about vision and learning, and a bit on concussion treatment this week.


​

​To do in Memphis
Graceland, Elvis’ home
Sun studio, where Elvis did his music
Beale st, local drinks music, atmosphere. You can drink on the street. 
The lookout at the pyramid, view

To eat
Blue city cafe, ribs, or garlic shrimp
​Flying Fish
Beauty salon, fine dining
Gus’ fried chicken, chicken

Yan Ling Liang
​Dreamer

 What kind of shopper are you?

I used to be a bit of a shopaholic, having worked at an Optometric office in a large downtown mall during high school in Toronto, although I was only earning slightly more than minimum wages at 18 years old.

The benefit of that is I know where and when is the sale, and have an eye for some of the finer things (helps to be a buyer around the world, and a personal shopper for my current job). 
The side effect is that you usually don't have much money left for food. That's one reason I avoided the mall in my university years. And those were seven years of no co-op and no part-time jobs. I managed. 

I liked my shirt from the Benetton outlet while it lasted in Toronto, my gloves from Danier at the end of season sale, and my best gift to myself have always been a nice scarf. I don't buy LV purses, my high end would be coach purse. As a migrant, I had to showed off that I have made it as an outsider coming to this country, sometime after my work started. I bought myself a nice Hermes scarf. I blamed my friend at the time to introduce me to the wrong colour. ;o)

In time, we learn to manage our money. I for having to save for a start up while working 6 days a week in first 8 years of my post-grad life, and later to pour money into my office/start up in my first three years, and still pay myself very little after that. Others I know such as having to pay for their babies or dreams of large house and nice cars, or having it all.  

Started a years ago, I started to living small, moving to a smaller space, up in the air. I still managed to have purchased a lot from my earlier work years. (While you say cannot afford to travel, you end up buying stuff to feed your anxiety from work or life or both.) I bid my rarely wore dresses, shoes, and purses good bye. I gave away half of my clothes to my cousin's family, some cocktail/work dresses to a lady that's finishing school. And some of the nice purses  to my cousins and donated some away to value village and sorts.

A couple of years ago, I started to realize those company are making a killing for the products I donated.I started selling them to second hand shops. It's green, it's local and it's helping me to get to financial freedom a dollar earlier. 

Last year, I found a few shops that are worth selling too, and better organizations to donate clothes to. 
Extoggery takes high ends stuff. It's around mid town, they do give you a time limit (3 months) to collect your items if they didn't sell, or else they will donate it for you to Diabetes Canada (which may sell to Africa).
Fashionaly Yours takes high end to mid range stuff. It's at Queen West.
Common Sort is in a few places, including Queen East. 
Plato's Closet is in Scarbrough, Vaughan and mississauga. 

Sometimes, you might find some nice things that you can use too! Especially for kids that outgrows clothes and shoes very fast. 

The ones on my good donation lists are,
Trillium Lions Club, Warden Optometry takes donations for it every October to November. It goes directly to the local homeless in Queen and east Moss Park. There is no money spent to transport it to Africa, and less carbon waste.
The other one is Convenant House of Toronto. They take used winter jackets for the children that needs shelter there. The other items they need are money, tokens, new men's boxers and women's underwear. It's right at 20 Gerrard St E., near Yonge and Dundas. 

​I haven't been to the mall to shop for myself for almost 8 months (only for gifts). I only buy basic white tees recently and re-buy them when it starts to look coloured. I wear them alone in summer, and under sweaters for winter. But today, after my yoga work out, I found this great sweater at Muji. It was on sale, (I cannot say no to 70% savings on wool sweaters). and I have an older sweater that I can sell/donate after this week. So I grabbed this nice grey wool sweater that you see at the top! ;o)

If you have furniture to sell or buy, you can find it at sellmystuffcanada.com

​Happy shopping for what you really need!

How do I get a great career?

People from my high school days have asked me about career options. I wasn’t good at advising it. But I still try to talk to them about it. I was later asked to return to my high school to talk to some students preparing for university. I just read The alchemist then, so I talked about finding out about your life goals. I have people ask me at work now, for their kids, on thoughts on career options. I thought I shouldn’t stop sharing.

I don’t have experience with too many careers, but I worked part time in different fields and have the pleasure of meeting many people from University of Waterloo in my students years who had to think hard about their careers, especially when there are co-op options at the school. My career has expanded from just doing eye exams and eye wear and dry eye treatments, and now neural vision rehab. I am taking more courses that are relevant, and trying to improve my writing. In the future, it may perhaps expand into other fields as well. Who knows, it's a changing world. 

I had the luxury of watching Larry Smith on his Ted talk, Why you failed to have a great career . Later, I was reading up on his book, What you need to do have a great career.  He is an economics professor, and an advisor for the co-op students. He had some wisdom to share as his time being an advisor to the co-op program.

Here are some of his thoughts,

“To actively and positively enjoy your career is the single largest step you can take toward your ultimate success and no exertion is too great to move you toward this indispensable condition.”

“Competition is causing the standard of performance to rise and it will continue to do so. And all the performance measures are rising.”
“Once, you needed only to talk about your initiative. Now, you need to show evidence of initiative before you even begin your career. Tomorrow your record of initiative must begin from the first year of secondary school.”


In his book, he shared an example of one student going into tech who felt great loss after five years, and one student going into arts and make leaps and bounds with it after five years. The difference is passion. He share how he helped students turned passion into a career.

Feel free to read it, and apply the knowledge. It’s also a great gift for parents of teenage or university kids.

He also helps students become entrepreneurs now. Here are his updates on the website.
http://economics.uwaterloo.ca/smithdat/career1.html
​
His last words,

“There is no shortage of work.
There may on occasion be a general shortage of jobs and particular jobs are always disappearing. But those are shortages of jobs, not work to be done.
How can there be a shortage of work in a world of stupidity, failure, disease, accident, pain, unhappiness, ignorance, betrayal, boredom and death? The challenge of work is to find a feasible solution to one of 10 million problems, to raise the resources to implement the solution and to persuade people to use the solution. That is work, entrepreneurial work. Soon there will be no other kind of work.”

“A few workers are preparing for yesterday's competition. Most are preparing for today's competitive pressures. The elite workers are preparing for tomorrow's competition.
If your preparations for career consist only of academic success and a few reasonable co-op or summer jobs....”





我怎样才会有一个好的事业？
我诊所里验眼的一些孩子每年都回来。有时候，他们到11， 12 年班的时候，他们的妈妈会问我一些孩子选课， 读大学的问题，和以后的事业。

我很早就决定要读眼科了， 15岁的时候。现在还在这一行，个人转型经验不多。但是，我本科和眼科都是在滑铁卢读的。十七年前，大一的时候，我身边的朋友们很早就知道读什么，进哪个 Co-op，找什么工作了。（这不一定是一件好事，因为，世界在变）

滑铁卢的其中一个导师，他叫 Larry Smith. 他是经济课的教授，也是Co-op学生的辅导员。他说，

”去主动和正面的享受你的事业， 是你迈向一个成功的事业的最大的一步。没有其他更值得你一辈子去花费力气去做的事了。”
“竞争会提高入门的要求，一直都会。所有的标准都在提高。“
“以前，你只需要提供一个倡议。现在， 你要拿出你落实你的倡议的证明。明天，你高中第一年就可能要拿出证书或案例。”

他写了一本书，叫 ”你需要什么来拥有一个很棒的事业？” 书中，他给了他遇到的很多他曾经的学生的例子。其中， 一个理科的IT男头五年过的很顺，但是，后来就不好了。另外一个文科女的， 刚开始不容易，但是五年后，步步高升。差别在那？是激情。 作者本人也帮了很多学生把激情做成事业。

他现在还辅导滑铁卢的学生创业。他说，
“这世界不缺工作。
有时候，有一些工种会减少刚需， 但是工作还在。
当这个世界还有很多愚蠢， 失败，意外，疾病，痛苦，无知，不开心，背叛，无聊，死亡，怎么会没有工作。你的挑战就是在这十万个问题中找一个答案，找出资源来实行这个解决方案，和说服别人来买你这个解决方案 （买单）。这就是工作。你的工作就是创业者。很快的未来，这可能是唯一的工作。”

“有一些人可能为昨天的竞争做准备。很多人在为今天的竞争做准备。精英阶层在为未来的竞争做准备。 如果你还在只是想读书好，然后有一两个好的暑假工作，或者co-op的工作就够了，那你。。。”
(The Link)

这本书值得一看。 也适合圣诞节当礼物。现在在我的眼科诊所 Warden Optometry 消费超过$500, 会送一本。 送完即止。

梁艳玲视光医生
Yan Ling Liang
Dreamer
www.drliangOptometrist.ca
​www.wardenOptometry.ca
905-940-2015
101, 30 Gibson Dr. Markham ON

​

My friend Sam (Giesele) from Dusseldorf took a train and came to meet up! Kris from Australia made it here from his wondering in Europe. It was a while since we last talked in Hong Kong in 2007. Time flies!

​

Sam was borned in Holland, so she took us around. We walked through the back side of the red light district to the local market, China town and then the parks nearby. The mini pancakes in the market were delish! They speak English, so Sam didn't have to translate for us. 

Wine and cheese was fun in the park, since we can't drink in the open in Canada. We didn't get the twist cap, so it was also fun watching Kris trying to borrow an opener and opening it for us. ​Sam went home by train on the same day. Kris stayed wondering about in Europe. 

I spent the last day of Amsterdam in a walking tour, and bought a couple of things. I moved to an airbnb a bit further out, just to taste how was it like to live in a local home. I got the attic. the room was not small, but the steps are steep I must say. The dutch kitchen is enormous! 

My best finds are fresh OJ and great shoes! What else can a girl ask for? Can you believe that these boots went through rain and snow with me in Canada for the last 5 years! I guess Amsterdam's weather is no better than Toronto sometimes, so their shoes fit our weather too! I told Matt about the Pancake's I had then. Matt's got a family recipe for them. Would love to try it here someday!

A friend I met from Hong Kong student exchange was from Dusseldorf. She was born in Holland. So she suggested to meet in Amsterdam. She came by train for a day to meet me and this other friend from Australia. I gladly agreed.

I took the train from Munich to Amsterdam. Being on the Euro train for the first time, I missed my stopover at Cologne while I was napping. I waked up soon after that and told the train staff. I think this probably happens all the time. He was quick to point out that there is another train to leave at the next stop in 9 minutes. So I jumped off at the next stop and switch over. I made it there to Amsterdam around the same time! Didn't miss a beat at all. Can't complain about German efficiency. 

I booked for a few days of hostel and an airbnb for the last day just to experience it all. I was travelling outside of busy season, so it was not hard to find a good hostel at good locations. I was staying at Hostel Van Gogh, which is also managing Hotel Van Gogh next door. There are a few museums nearby and fun places to explore. It was the first time I book a hostel by myself, without friends (now I remembered we did in near Central Park at New York when we finished high school). So I was a bit airy. But it worked out quite well in a 6 beds female room with an ensuite bathroom. 

First order of business was drop my bags and visit the Van Gogh museum across the street. 

The part of learning about art is to see more of it. I feel like I am living through a bit of it while I walked through Van Gogh museum. I learned later that the replica outside the museum are actually done by many Chinese painters in Shenzhen, China. There is a documentary about it, called China's Van Gogh's.  

I went back to the hostel, and was greeted by a new roommate from Argentina. She's looking to take a break from her personal life. So we ended up exploring Heineken Experience together. 

I think Toronto took the idea from Amsterdam to have the sign at the city hall. :o)

I spend the rest of the night meeting new roommates. We did the touristy stuff, including tourist menu at the restaurants and hit up a club and a cafe. What's a local Amsterdam food? I forgot to check it out. I had Chinese the next day while meeting my local friend. 

I was working at two of my own practices that year when I took off to Europe. I was at a side-by-side office for 2 days of the week (I lost that one after), another one for someone else for half a day at downtown Toronto, and my own start up full service Optometric office for 3.5 days a week. I did all three for about one year by that time. By September, I was working for one full year, six days a week without a break. I got into my first car accident with my old Honda civic after a long day at work on Monday. I was at fault, for a left turn. The airbag popped out and hit my head, the car was old and was wiped out. I did not do any therapy since the emergency doctor waved me off at St. Michael's. 

So I decided it's probably good to to use some of the VISA points I got from buying those nice collections of glasses and schedule some time off. (I got into a second accident in September Labour day just before my trip. I only realized in 2018 now that I should have seek help in vision therapy after my first accident. It might have prevented my second accident, since I had an airbag concussion that hit me hard at the front of my head.)

I made some friends while I was in Hong Kong for an Optometric internship in Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2007. Some were locals in the same program, but many of them were actually the fellow exchange students that stay in the same residence in the University. Most of them are from France, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Germany, and Holland. Some are from US and Australia. So I made contact with a few of them and made plans to visit Munich for Oktoberfest, then Amsterdam to meet my other two friends from Hong Kong exchange, and fly back through London, UK.

All was great!!!! My German friend in Zurich couldn't make it to meet at Munich, but he recommended his friend's place for me to crash. My other options was to sleep in Hostels, since I am actually pretty easy going on rooming. I ended up making friends with the girlfriend of my German friend' schoolmate. It's the best thing that ever happened to me in Munich, meeting local people! She was warm and took me around town. The streets were festive before we even go into the fairgrounds. We bumped into my other friend from Hong Kong exchange, during his Euro trip from Australia! What are the chances! We ended going to a smaller part of the tent in Okertoberfest, and having a blast! 

I didn't drink too much beer, the chicken and pretzels helped too. So when one of us had the crazy idea of trying some of the games in the fest, (similar to CNE in Toronto, they have games and prizes to win, and rides), I jumped to it. This is a human centrifuge. Legs were up in the air while we got spinned. Amazing isn't it? The best part is, none of us three had any side effect from it, unlike others who got drunk before the spin. ​The Tower near the exit was my favourite though. You go up by surfing position on a conveyor belt (I didn't surf before, and fell many times!), and come back down through the spiral slide. 

I spent a couple of other days getting to know Munich on bike (curtesy of my local friend Veronika) at the Olympic Park and enjoying the English Garden. There were definitely many tourists around. A symphony happened to be playing at the Chinese Tower in the garden. I was lucked in.

I just want to say this again, I was at the Chinese Tower where they were playing classical symphony music, drinking German beer, in the English Garden...

I don't discriminate. 

I didn't feel very proud of my alibaba purchased Wiesn-Outfit for the occasion at the time, but here it is for a good laugh.

English Garden was a great place the locals hang out and exercise. You might run into the surfing crowd where the waves are strong in the river too.

​I went off to see the Oktoberfest parade, and visit the BMW museum the day after. It was fun to see very trained staff dressed in Wiesn-Outfit showcasing the classical BMW cars from 1970s. 

​I went off to check out the Neuschwanstein castle the other day and a smaller Bavarian town nearby. I got myself a tablecloth that i still use to this day. It's worth the day trip. It's definitely good to get away from the city and see some greens too! 

​Keep an eye out for the ones on Amsterdam and London!

Yan Ling Liang
​Dreamer

I was just at Milan for a trade show in February. It was a very short trip. I was feeling burned out from the winter, so I managed to make it to the mountain for some relaxing time (somewhat) before the trade show on the weekend. 

The bus ride from Milan goes to Courmeyeur, Monte Blanco (Mont Blanc in French) once a day in the afternoon, and return the next morning. It stops at a few places and can get quite full. I was travelling in the slow season. In the busy season, you get to pre-designate your seat to the front of the bus for 1 Euro more. 

My hotel was just right behind the bus stop and the visitor center in Courmeyeur. I figured out all the bus routes to and from the mountain, and to the next town over for next night's stay before I checked in at the hotel. People at the visitors centre speaks a bit more English than those in Milan, and some French. So it was easy. 

I walked into the boutique hotel thinking it is done up like it would be in Tremblant in Quebec. But they are all small boutiques built to the shape of the mountain and the town. It was unique in its own charm. I was greeted by a nice older gentleman. He showed me around the cafe and breakfast area, and to my room. The key was very retro, with the keyhole. But a side connects to the electrical in the room, to allow for electricity. The great thing is that, hotel is almost half the price during the weekday, as opposed to the weekend. It was a good Thursday. 

I took my time for the evening, and explore the town a little bit before going to the mountain for the morning after. Wine and meat seems like a good option here. 

The night was still young after I checked out a food joint and a bar. There was many English tourists. I guess they have more direct flight going here to Milan or Mont Blanc. 

The hotel provides full breakfast with a great selection of omelette, egg and cheese, cold cuts, more eggs, cereals and all kinds of juice, tea and coffee. The breakfast room was small and charming. 

I started my snowboarding around 8am. I didn't research any details on boarding or buy anything online prior. Luckily, between the tourist office, the hotel keeper, and fellow snowboarder, I was able to make out what I need to do for getting the pass and equipment. The hotel sent us to the lift area with their own van. I was able to get my rental gears, and there is only one entrance to the hills. I was excited to finally go up!

The lifts are similar to the ones in blue mountain. Naturally, there were more difficult runs. My personal challenge for to try a black run there. There must have been some blue and blacks. I lost myself a few times, getting to the midhill with no way to go any further down. The view was beautiful. 

It fogged up near noon. Naturally, I was lost again while I thought I was heading to the bottom. So I went down my last run in very hard to see conditions. At some point, I was following a group of small children after their instructor, and I thought I was faster than them, so I headed left and went off on my own. Within minutes, I was seeing all white in front of me, to the left of me, to the right and behind me. Where on earth are the people, and the trees? I couldn't possibly just went blind!!!

I thought my glasses (transitions) fogged up, so I took them off, I still see nothing! I know that I didn't have snow-blindness, as my eyes are not burning. 

I was also stuck, as I got to a patch of very rough area, it's rocky, I can't move fast. So I freak out. I never really asked for help. It's been like that for the whole life as the eldest child. My teacher friend had shared with me early that she was told to learn to ask for help when she was being trained as a teacher. It doesn't work like that when you are suppose to be the doctor and the last resort at work. But hey, you have to face your fear ultimately. 

So I cried out for help! Loud and clear. Nobody came, not even those instructors. They might have went on quite far already. Those kids actually could be quite fast if they weren't doing figure Z. 

I pushed on, I had too. Not long, I heard noises. I still can't see. But the noises helped. I got down to the bottom. And there was food! It's great for squeeze out that last bit of stress, if I didn't get enough drinking in me the night before. It also feels great to conquer your fears!

I had to call it a day, due to the fog. The soreness kicked in. I was glad I planned for the bath house in the evening. But the place was the town over, close to my second hotel. The bus ride was suppose to be short, but I felt asleep. So I missed my stop. It was nice to have the bus driver send me back with the next one going the opposite direction.  

The bath was good! The italians know how to enjoy themselves. It was hard to have conversations with the locals. They were similar to Torontonians. They didn't start talking to me until I accidentally dropped my phone in the water. (My phone survived it). I thoroughly soaked myself before heading back to Milan the next day. 

YanLing Liang
​Dreamer