2017 Archives

News from GITPA (December 2017)

January 2, 2018

Farm Eco-tour

The Farm Eco-tour 「GITPA 新生互動農場生態遊」 was successfully held on 10 December 2017 (Sun). 22 colleagues, family members and friends participated.

It was a fulfilling and fruitful day for the participants. After arriving at the New Life Interactive Farm in Tuen Mun, the participants started their “busy” agenda with a series of activities. First of all, it was the T-shirt making workshop, in which the participants designed and painted their own unique eco-friendly T-shirt.

After having a healthy lunch of organic food, participants experienced the fun of organic farming. They learnt techniques for tilling, hoeing and raking using farming tools.

Lastly, they had an organic cookie making workshop and enjoyed their own tasty herb cookies!

Coming Activity

GITPA held its first mindfulness activity last year. Through a day of mindful experience, participants were able to relax themselves in a beautiful and tranquil environment, and apply the practices into their daily life afterwards. As there was a lot of positive feedback on the activity last year, we will organise the well-received 「GITPA 嘉道理農場靜觀遊」 again on 7 January 2018!

Valentine’s Day is coming in February. Have you chosen the gift for your beloved one? Would you consider making your own preserved fresh flower to represent your forever love? Here comes a good chance! GITPA is going to organise 「GITPA 情人節表白神器 – 「永生花」浪漫手作坊」 on 3 February 2018. Act first to enroll by 29 December 2017! Don’t miss it!

GITPA Ex-Co 2017-18

GITPA 新生互動農場生態遊

December 1, 2017

各位親愛的同事：

秋季正式來臨了，總算有點秋天的感覺了。

想在秋高氣爽的季節渡過一個輕鬆、有趣又能享受大自然的週末？ GITPA 將於十二月份舉辦「新生互動農場生態遊」，就能一次過滿足你三個願望。詳情如下：

新生互動農場佔地4.1公頃，農場同時榮獲兩個本地有機認證(由香港有機資源中心認證有限公司及香港有機認證中心頒授)，專門種植有機農作物、香草等。新生互動農場讓繁忙的都市人有機會親親大自然，舒展身心。

活動內容：
☼ 參觀農莊，專人講解有機種植及大自然的知識
☼ 於教育田了解及嘗試有機耕種的日常工作程序，如除草、翻土、起畦、移苗、淋水、施肥、下種及使用農務工具
☼ 親自體驗有機耕種的樂趣
☼ 使用農場物料，自己設計及完成一件獨一無二的環保T恤
☼ 利用有機迷迭香製作鬆脆可口有機牛油曲奇

如有任何疑問或查詢，請致電 2860-6051 (Tony Ho) 或 2829-3302 (Hebe Lau) 聯絡我們。

Information

News from GITPA (Novmeber 2017)

November 30, 2017

News from GITPA (November 2017)

Aroma Candle Workshop

Modern life is usually stressful. If you want to relax a bit after a long day, lighting an aroma candle may be a good choice for you! Candles made of aromatherapy oils can enhance your emotion and relieve stress.

The Aroma Candle Workshop「GITPA 香薰手工蠟燭工作坊」 was successfully held on 5 November 2017 (Sun). 12 colleagues, family members and friends participated. Each of them got the chance to make two types of candles with natural herbal essential oils: soy candle and jelly candle. After learning the candle production procedures and some precautions, the participants made their own exquisite, natural and environmental friendly aroma candles. Apart from enjoying the candle making experience, the participants brought home with their handmade candles which can be a small gift to their beloved friends or relatives!

Coming Activity

Feel the taste of autumn? Want to have a relaxing weekend in the nature? The 「GITPA 新生互動農場生態遊」, which will be held on 10 December 2017, might be a good option for you! Participants can experience the fun of organic farming and make their own organic cookies! Don’t miss it!

GITPA Ex-Co 2017-18

Information

News from GITPA (October 2017)

October 31, 2017

Kayak & Snorkeling Fun Day

The Kayak & Snorkeling Fun Day「GITPA 獨木舟浮潛體驗同樂日」 was successfully held on 7 October 2017 (Sat). 30 colleagues, family members and friends participated.

It was a sunny and energetic day. The 30 participants got out of the office and caught some rays at The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp. Known as the “back garden of Hong Kong”, Sai Kung is a beautiful place with its natural scenery well preserved.

After doing warm-up exercises led by the professional instructors, participants learned the basic kayak and snorkeling theory and techniques such as mirror drainage, breathing tube drainage, buoyancy control in the water and techniques to avoid ear pressure, and safety practices.

They then experienced the kayak tour with the beautiful scenery on the outskirts of Sai Kung, and enjoyed their lunchbox in outdoor environment. While participants snorkeling in the colorful underwater world, they had the chance to have close contact with marine life.

Despite feeling exhausted after all the vigorous physical exercises, all participants wore a satisfying smile on their faces when they left the camp site under the sunset!

Coming Activity

Want to relax a bit after a long day? Lighting an aroma candle may be a good choice! The 「GITPA 香薰手工蠟燭工作坊」 will be held on 5 November 2017. We will share the happy moments of the activity with you in the next issue! Stay tuned!

GITPA Ex-Co 2017-18

GITPA 香薰手工蠟燭工作坊

October 28, 2017

GITPA 「香薰手工蠟燭工作坊」

現代人生活壓力大，回家後，若想好好放鬆一下，點燃香薰蠟燭可能是一個不錯的選擇。

加入香薰精油製作而成的手工蠟燭能促進和提升個人情緒，舒緩壓力，而真正以有機材料制作的香薰蠟燭，還可以作香薰按摩或潤膚油之用。

功能性的香薰精油種類繁多，例如檸檬草、薰衣草，可驅走蚊蟲之餘，後者更有寧神作用；而茶樹則可殺菌、消炎。如果喜歡氣味清香的話，可以選擇果皮類如甜橙和檸檬味的精油，兩者均有放鬆及清新功能。

想增加對香薰蠟燭的認識，現在是大好機會！

每位學員將會製作兩款蠟燭：大豆蠟燭、果凍蠟燭，並會選用以上提到的天然草本精油為材料。

手工蠟燭杯小巧精緻，天然又環保，除可自用外，也適合作為小禮物贈送親友。

如有任何疑問或查詢，可致電 2153-2011 (Shan CHAN) 或 2860-6051 (Tony HO) 聯絡我們

Information

News from GITPA (September 2017)

September 30, 2017

Luna Lamp Workshop

Three classes of the Luna Lamp Workshop「GITPA 浪漫月球燈製作班」 were successfully held on 2 and 10 September 2017 (Sat). 46 colleagues, family members and friends participated.

It was a romantic workshop, in which participants made their own “moon” with their beloved ones. After doing warm-up exercises led by the instructor to stretch their fingers, arms and shoulders, participants started to put on their masks to do the craftwork.

Everyone enjoyed the workshop a lot and brought home their hand-made luna lamp for celebrating the coming Mid-Autumn Festival!

Staff Consultation for Enhancing Staff Appraisal Form of AP Grade

Change in performance appraisal system affects everyone of us. Your active participation and contribution is instrumental. GITPA has received comments/feedback from members regarding the staff consultation for enhancing staff appraisal form of AP Grade. We have consolidated a submission to AP Grade Management Support Team on 22 September 2017. Thanks for all your valuable comments/feedback!

Coming Activity

After holding indoor workshops for three consecutive months, GITPA is going to organise an outdoor activity in October! The 「GITPA 獨木舟浮潛體驗同樂日」 was well-received in the past years and will be held again on 7 October 2017! We will share the happy moments of the activity with you in the next issue! Stay tuned!

GITPA Ex-Co 2017-18

GITPA Annual General Meeting cum Dinner 2017

May 20, 2017

Dear GITPA Members,

Thank you for your support over the years. Time flies. It is time again for our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and get-together in May every year. In addition to sharing with you our work this year, the current and the to-be-elected Chairmen, as well as other ExCo members, are keen to meet you on this occasion.

This year, the time and venue of the AGM are as follows:

Date: 17 May 2017 (Wednesday)
Time: 6:00 pm
Venue: Club House, The Hong Kong Medical Association (香港醫學會宴會廳) 5/F, Duke of Windsor Social Service Building, 15 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai.

In view of the extension of the service of civil servants, the ExCo has reviewed the life membership fee, and proposed an amendment on the Rules of GITPA. The proposal will be voted on at the AGM. The agenda of the AGM and the proposal on revising the Rules of GITPA are enclosed for your information.

All GITPA members are cordially invited to attend the AGM! As always, your participation is instrumental to the success of GITPA. If you cannot attend the meeting in person, please send us your proxy form, which will be sent out to you shortly.

The Annual Dinner will start immediately after the meeting. To facilitate the catering arrangement, please reply by email before 10 May 2017 if you would like to join the Annual Dinner at HK$180 per person.

Lastly, to sustain and develop our GITPA to better serve AP grade colleagues, we would like to invite members to join the new ExCo of 2017/18. If you are interested to join, please don’t hesitate to send us an email before the AGM.

Thank you for your continued support to GITPA!

Yours truly,
Vinci CHOU
Chairman
GITPA 2016/17

Events

News from GITPA (Mar 2017)

March 30, 2017

Glass engraving Workshop

Did anyone of you ever face the challenge of choosing a gift that you hope it will be appreciated? Choosing a gift that is unique, memorable, or even with a message that will last forever is always a challenging task, especially in those festive seasons. Glass engraving is surely a way to make a gift that can create a moment truly special.

A glass engraving workshop was organized by GITPA on 27^th February. Basic skills on glass engraving through abrasion, together with the use of the rotary drill for engraving were introduced. It was then followed by the demonstration of the artworks provided by the trainer. We also had the time to exert our creativity and imagination to create the decorative glassworks of our own.

Here were all we needed: a marker pen to draw our design, some alcohol tissue for erasing the sketch on glass, a piece of wet cloth to wipe away any dust or water as we work, and black cardboard to rest our glass on to see our design better. And the most important thing was a handy rotary drill with diamond ball burr.

We started by sketching our design on the glass with the marker pen. Design varies from some simple dot and line art to far-fetched ideas that are beyond anyone’s imagination. With the design finalized, we started engraving our glasswork using the rotary drill. The drill is so handy that even a primary school kid can handle it with the help of his parent. With some trials and assistance from the trainer, some of us started to be able to manage the engraving tools skillfully, and the final products were simply gorgeous.

As a wonderful way to end the workshop, we held a little competition to choose among ourselves the best 5 pieces of glassworks. Most of the selected artworks were, out of our expectation, produced by little kids.

Upcoming Event

The 2017 GITPA Annual General Meeting (AGM) cum Annual Dinner will be held on 17^th May 2017 (Wednesday) at the Hong Kong Medical Association Club House (Wanchai Premises). We will share our work and activities in the year 2016-17. New GITPA ExCo for year 2017-18 will be also elected.

All GITPA members are cordially invited to the AGM to participate in the election of the new GITPA ExCo and meet other colleagues. Please join us.

Stay tuned to our coming announcement and see you at the AGM cum Annual Dinner on 17^th May!

GITPA ExCo 2016-17

Events

News from GITPA (Feb 2017)

February 28, 2017

Chinese New Year Hiking

As part of GITPA’s tradition to celebrate the Chinese New Year, 「雞年新春行大運 (黃泥墩，大欖涌水塘)」was held on 5^th February. Colleagues, together with their family members and friends, made a group of some 40 people joining the hiking activity. We all enjoyed the time with our minds refreshed to welcome the Year of the Rooster.

Hiking is one of the greatest ways to enjoy the outdoors, with day hiking being the most popular kind. With different trails you take, the spectacular landscape of different parts of Hong Kong unfolds before you.

Wong Nai Tun Reservoir
We started our journey by hiking to Wong Nai Tun Reservoir. Although the reservoir is small, its surrounding is tranquil and exhilarating with a view of emerald water surface. We took beautiful pictures on the dam.

Tai Lam Chung Reservoir
After around 2 hours of leisure walk, we reached the splendid view named “Thousand Islands” for Tai Lam Chung Reservoir. It looked like there are many small islands resided in the lake. Its sophisticated meandering coastline appeared to be a refined picture from the natural pattern. It’s so amazing that we have such a precious view inside the city! Tai Lam Chung Reservoir gets more and more popular and we even met some hiking friends there!

We ended our journey at Tai Tong with a view of sunset.

Hiking also has a number of benefits for the body. It requires no special equipment and you can simply start no matter how fit you are. It’s easy to adjust to any level of difficulties. No matter what level of difficulties you have chosen, your body will still be exposed to sunshine, and the level of vitamin D within your body increases.

In addition, hiking with a group of friends can feel more like entertainment than exercise. Hiking offers us chance to do away texting at our mobile phones and have face-to-face communications. It gives us some precious moments to chat, and to share the happiness and sadness with our friends and beloved ones.

There is a quote “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Reaching the top of a mountain is an impressive physical and emotional accomplishment. It reminds us that we can accomplish something in my life if we dream big and put in the work.

Upcoming Event

In February, GITPA will present a glass engraving workshop for you to decorate your favorite glassware and turn it into a personal treasure that is unique and special for you.

GITPA 2016/17

Information

News from GITPA (Jan 2017)

January 27, 2017

Are you looking for a beautiful decorated cake for your next special event? GITPA offered more than just a delicious cake to fulfill your wish, we made it! A self-made cake will absolutely make your family and friends squeal with delight.

Our GITPA baking day on 8^th Jan consisted of 2 sessions. The 1st session was to make tiramisu and the 2nd session Chocolate Concorde; from traditional to whimsical, from simple to sassy.

A Chocolate Concorde Cake is a combination of two simple elements – meringue and mousse. It was created in 1969, but soon becomes the favorite of many cake lovers.

We were glad to have a chef, who formerly worked at a five-star hotel, to share with us from fundamentals to advanced techniques in making cakes.

In the cake-making process, we did not only make a cake, but also shared the enjoyable moments with friends and family. Can you see the happy faces of our members?

Proverb quotes “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”. This might be possible now if you know how to make a cake. Back to our life, be well equipping yourself, grab life by the horns and make it what you want. You deserve to pursue all that make you happy.

GITPALeaks for New APIIs 2016-17

47 new APIIs joined our GITPALeaks gathering on 13^th Jan right after the induction course. During the gathering, GITPA ExCo members shared their experiences and views with new colleagues on various topics that the new colleagues were interested to know more, such as core competencies for AP grade staff, career development and prospect, posting arrangement and the difference between working in OGCIO and ITMU. The atmosphere was open and sincere. We all had an enjoyable evening.

Upcoming events

As a tradition to celebrate the Chinese New Year, we will have our annual hiking activity “雞年新春行大運” on 5^th Feb. Hope to see you there.

GITPA wishes all our members, families and friends a happy and prosperous Year of the Rooster.

GITPA 2016/17