monthly news Archives – Page 7 of 7

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

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

Events

News from GITPA (Nov 2016)

November 30, 2016

Autumn is always considered as the best time to get outdoors. GITPA recently organized two outdoor activities. They were surf kayaking and snorkeling (獨木舟浮潛體驗同樂日) and eco-cycling tour (錦田南生圍單車生態遊). Let us have a quick review of our adventures.

Sai Wan beach is a great place to practise surf kayaking, snorkeling and to hang out for the weekend. On 30 October, a group of GITPA members and friends joined at Sai Kung to explore its leafy landscape and sandy beaches for an action-packed day of fun! Under the guidance of our expert instructors, though we could not manage a kayak from zero to hero in one day, we all mastered the basic skills to control our kayak to the middle of the sea to kick off our snorkeling adventure, which was definitely a perfect way to get to know the beautiful underwater environment of the Sai Kung sea. Many of us were there the first time to explore the beautiful sights, which have only been accessed by a very small percentage of the population.

After taking a sea adventure, our second adventure explored the natural countryside by bicycle. Our eco-cycling tour was conducted on 13 Nov 2016. This guided tour passed through scenes of an age-old walled village, a mysterious tree house and an internationally recognized bird migration area. The view was so amazing making this an unforgettable bike tour for all of us.

Both are fantastic experience for our members and friends; there are few things more relaxing than navigating on kayak or bike to fully enjoy the beauty of the surrounding natural landscape.

Please stay tuned for upcoming GITPA activities.

Events

News from GITPA (Oct 2016)

October 31, 2016

GITPA cycling adventure

Autumn flies by in a flash. It’s always a good idea to take advantage of the crisp weather and ride into the countryside to meet the authentic scenery.

Have you ever thought that “Cycle touring sounds like fun but it isn’t really for me”? “I am not in shape”, “I don’t want to do it alone”, or “I simply don’t know how to get started” are exactly the reasons to go for our cycle tour, not your excuses.

GITPA is now organizing a guided cycle tour. This guided outing is not just a workout on two wheels. First you’ll cycle to Nam Sang Wai, a place where you will be surrounded by a landscape of farms and glistening fish ponds, a place that makes you feel a world away from urban Hong Kong. After that we will visit the mysterious tree house (Kam Tin Tree House), and wind our way along Kam Tin River for a reviving Farm Flavor lunch, which emphasizes on fresh, seasonal food that is locally grown.

2016oct_news1 — The Kam Tin Tree House is an ancient Banyan tree. According to folklore, the stone structure beneath the tree used to be a Tin Hau Temple or a Q’ing dynasty village study hall. It is considered one of Hong Kong’s most important living trees.

Cycle touring is very different from car travel. It is not just cycling for exercise; a cycle touring should be a journey. Please let the autumn sun warm your cheeks, and stay curious as we believe each road should bring breathtaking vistas.

If you’re ready for a cycling adventure, grab your helmet and stay tuned to our coming announcement!

GITPA ExCo 2016-17

Events

News from GITPA (Aug 2016)

August 31, 2016

Balloon Twisting Workshop

Balloons are a budget-conscious, yet colorful, means for decorating any events. Having these lovely balloons at the venue will just lift a party to a whole different level of fun and excitement. On 14 Aug 2016, GITPA members and friends learnt how to make simple decorations and toys with twisting balloons. In a few twists and ties, we all mastered the basics of balloon twisting in no time!

It all started with making dog balloons. A dog balloon is a fundamental sculpture in the art of balloon twisting and balloon animals. Many animal balloons such as deer and giraffe are just variations of the dog balloon.

After the warm-up exercise, it came to our first challenge in making the fantastic heart-shaped flower, which is a perfect gift idea for Valentine’s Day.

With the mastery of the basic techniques, it’s time to release our unlimited creativity. Beautiful flowers and magic wands were all created at the drop of a hat and even cool characters jumped out from mobile phones. We all had a FUNtastic time.

Is it fun? Stay tuned for the upcoming events. We look forward to seeing you there!

GITPA Ex-Co 2016/17

Events

News from GITPA (June 2016)

June 30, 2016

Greetings from the new GITPA Ex-Co

At the beginning of the new term, we wish to take this opportunity to thank members and friends of GITPA for your support and participation.

With pleasure and honour, we will continue to serve our members and listen to your every need. Members are more than welcome to contact any of us to express your views and convey your ideas on matters relating to the Analyst/Programmer Grade. Every opinion counts!

Coming Activities

The new Ex-Co will continue to help maintain Work-Life Balance for members; so we first come up with an annual activity plan. We are gearing up for the activity plan with a bunch of exciting activities to enrich and liven up your spare time throughout the year. Stay tuned for the upcoming events. We look forward to seeing you there!

GITPA Ex-Co 2016/17