chunshek.com

Biography

My name is Chun-shek Chan. I am a 24-year-old TV journalist, world-traveler and true jack-of-all-trades.

After spending the first 19 years of my life in Hong Kong, I moved to Massachusetts, United States, and stayed there for almost 6 years. Now I am living in Wilmington, North Carolina, where I work as a photographer for a local TV station.

I am the kind of person who grabs his backpack and sleeping bag and takes off for a week or two at a whim. I am constantly looking for new places to see and new people to meet. Although I am a big-city kind of guy, I fit quite well in a small town, as long as something keeps me busy.

I speak English, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, French and German. Being able to talk to people from around the world excites me. I love deciphering roadsigns and restaurant menus in exotic languages.

I am a news-junkie. I am constantly keeping up with things happening around the world. My passion for current affairs led me to my decision to pursue journalism for my graduate studies. I worked as a one-man band reporter in the summer of 2005 for a small TV station in Saint Joseph, Missouri.

Despite calling myself a “geek-defector,” I am an experienced programmer and have a degree in Computer Science. I like web technologies because they bring people closer together in amazing ways. I am a loyal disciple of the Jeffrey Zeldman school of all things web.

For a few years, I worked at a police station as a part-time dispatcher, and volunteered on an Emergency Medical Services squad. My involvement with these public safety agencies is now over, and I am looking forward to new challenges in life.

I am a full-time optimist, wear boxer briefs, and am a pretty nice guy.

Chun-shek’s Timeline

1981

I was born in Hong Kong on May 19 at 22:20 HKT or so. I lost my father to cancer 25 days later.

1982

1983

I started attending nursery school. My mother was amused that I did not cry on the first day of school, even when she was about to leave me. Other mothers in the room wished their children would just shut up like I did.

1984

My mother went on a tour in Europe for a month without me. My favorite food was cake. I wanted to be a fireman when I grew up.

1985

I was such a brat. I don't know what I did, but all 4-year-olds are brats, and I must have been no exception.

1986

My mother's flatmate moved out. I finally had my own room! I slept on a mattress on the floor, but that was quite enough.

1987

I started elementary school. My favorite lunch was chicken legs. I've been a fan of dark meat chicken ever since.

1988

I kissed a schoolmate's mother at lunch on Valentine's Day. She found it so funny that she laughed out loud. I felt quite embarrassed afterwards. I finally had my own bed. No more sleeping on a mattress on the floor.

1989

I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.

1990

My mother woke me up at the small hours on school nights to watch FIFA World Cup matches instead. West Germany won that year.

1991

1992

They installed Star TV in our apartment building. I was hooked on MTV like all other teenagers. I wanted to be a MTV host when I grew up.

1993

I started middle school and joined the boy scouts. I went to Indonesia for the first time.

1994

I woke my mother up at the small hours on school nights to watch FIFA World Cup matches. Brazil won that year.

1995

I went to the United States and Canada for the first time. I decided I really liked Vancouver.

1996

I left the boy scouts, citing ideological differences with my scout leader. For some reason I was entered in triple jump for the track-and-field meet at school. Not surprisingly, I lost, since I had no clue how to triple jump.

1997

Hong Kong was handed over to China. I was in the choir that performed for British government officials for the last time on June 30. You saw me on TV. I finally had my own air conditioner. No more sleeping up a puddle of sweat every night. The death of Princess Diana was a great shock to me.

1998

I got into United World College of Hong Kong. I went to South Africa for the first time. I did not watch FIFA World Cup matches, but France won that year.

1999

I backpacked on my own for the first time in the Gobi Desert, taking three other friends who did not speak Chinese. I also saw the strongest typhoon to have hit Hong Kong since I was born.

2000

The world did not fall apart on January 1 from Y2K. I went to Singapore and Vietnam for the first time. I moved to Worcester where I started university.

2001

I took my mother to backpack in Europe. I forgot to bring anything but my change of underwear. She remembered to bring everything but her change of underwear. That made the day for the hostel-keeper in Paris. I went to France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and UAE for the first time. I no longer knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.

2002

I lived in Iceland for two months, and went to United Kingdom, Guam and the Northern Marianas for the first time. I woke up at the small hours to go to pubs to watch FIFA World Cup matches. Brazil won that year. I joined a fraternity.

2003

I translated a book from Chinese into German, and went to the Netherlands for the first time.

2004

I graduated from one university, and got into another university. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series. I wanted to be a reporter when I grew up.

2005

I lived in northwest Missouri for three months, and worked as a TV news reporter. After that, I spent a semester teaching how to shoot and edit video to a group of college students.

2006

Still happening... check back in 2007!