Having been a Wahyanite for five years, what means to me most is the strong bonding and the brotherhood between students. However, after the ambassador trip to Houston, Texas, I started to realize that brotherhood is not only bounded to the Wahynites of the same age group as I, but also the Wahyanites from one generation to another.
Arrival at Houston
In the early morning of 1st July 2013, Principal Tam, Mr Simon Cheng, Mr Silas Chan together with the representatives from WYK PSA sent me and Chris Chan, the WYK student ambassador, off at the airport. After the 15 hours lengthy flight, we finally arrived at Houston. Danny, our first host, picked us up at the airport and drove us to his home.
Houston
During the stay in Houston, we were pleased to have Danny and his wife to be our guide. On the first day, Chris and I were first brought to a renowned university in Texas, the Rice University. In spite of its small size, we were both amazed by the rich study atmosphere and the attractive scenery within the campus.
By noon, we paid a visit to the Toyota Center, where the well-known National Basketball Association team, Houston Rocket, stations at. At night, we were lucky enough to try out the most famous gastronomic delight in Texas, the dry aged steak. On the next day, we went to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, a vibrant, multi-faceted institution that aims on providing free exhibitions focusing on education and science.
At dusk, we attended a welcoming dinner to meet the Wahyanites who resides in Texas. Even though most of them were at the age of retiring, their passion and warm welcoming immediately broke the barrier between us. Chris and I shared the latest news of our schools and many hot topics in Hong Kong. After the dinner, we were picked up by Howard and headed straight back to his home.
Austin
After spending two days in Houston, we were then brought to Austin by Howard and his spouse. The three hours ride were followed up by a special lunch serving Cajun delights, including chicken fried steak, roasted pork rib with side dishes like fried okra and meshed potato.
After that, we visited the Presidential Library of Lyndon Baines Johnson, who is the 36th president of the United States of America. Not only were we fascinated by the exhibition, but also, delighted to have this chance to know more about the life and times of one of the US most successful presidents, and the era of his administration.
We went back to Houston after the visit and our day ended up with the astonishing firework show celebrating the Independence Day of the US.
Galveston and Sugar Land
On the following day, another big brother of Wah Yan, Hing Shuen, accompanied us in the whole-day trip to Galveston. We first went to the the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA in short. Chris and I were really thrilled of getting the opportunity to pay a visit to this illustrious space centre. Surprisingly not only were we allowed to visit the space museum, but also the Neutral Buoyancy Centre for the training of the astronauts-to-be and the Mission Control Centre, where the flight director communicates with the astronauts.
Apart from this amazing visit, we also went to the Moody Garden, the University of Houston and the exciting theme park, Kemah Boardwalk. At night, we dined at a well-known seafood restaurant along the coast, Fisherman's Wharf. This was truly a fabulous day.
6th July, 2013 was the last day of our trip. Howard, Chris and I went to meet the other three old boys including John, Hing Shuen and Patrick, and had lunch together at a Chinese restaurant in Sugar Land. We then visited the massive warehouse, COSTCO, and bought some souvenirs.
Besides, Chris and I were also interested in the US local brands like Hollister and Abercrombie and Fitch, therefore we spent our whole evening shopping in the mall. We, the five Wahyanites, aged from seventeen to seventy, had our last meal together.
The laughter and the tears brought the trip to the end – A bravo night with bravo Wahyanites.
Notes of Gratitude
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Past Students' Association for sponsoring and arranging the ambassador trip for me, especially Mr Gary Ching, Mr Raymond Yu, Mr Simon Cheng, Mr Silas Chan and Mr Michael Au.
Credits should also be given to Mr Danny Ngan, Mr Howard Fong and Mr John Fong for their generous hospitality and also Mr Chan Hing Shuen, Mr Eugene Lai, Mr Patrick Wong and Mr Carolus Shum for giving us valuable advices and showing us around Texas.
Last but not least, I would like to thank Father Chow, Mr George Tam for their utmost support and guidance. This is undoubtedly a precious experience that I will never forget!
Lee Kar Ming Chris
Student Ambassador 2012-2013