Editor Introduction (Issue 1)

Dear community of readers,

It is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of Issue 1 of Inscribe: A journal of undergraduate student writing in and about Asia. This journal is supported by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s English Language Centre (ELC) and examines ideas by undergraduate students writing from Asia or from an Asian context. The muse for Inscribe stemmed from the observation that many of our undergraduate students have the potential of developing into published writers and that they should have a platform to showcase their work outside of the immediate classroom, to become polished researchers, to have relevant English language learning opportunities and to gain experience in editorial, marketing and managerial leadership skills.

Inscribe, in its current form, publishes work from undergraduate students who display a penchant for outstanding writing. With an expected annual publication using an online platform, Inscribe aims to showcase the best student writing. The next goal now is to extend the journal’s readership and student authorship internationally. Inscribe also aspires to offer an interactive platform for the PolyU and global communities to engage in dialogue with the authors and each other.

This inaugural issue includes work from seven aspiring young creative writers, researchers, and essayists, as well as a banner cover design featuring the work “Bamboography” – exploring the relational possibilities between bamboo, paper, rice milk, the principles of lion head making and typography – by HK PolyU School of Design student, Edith SHEK Yuen Wa. Our authors have engaged in the process of honing their writing skills not only over the duration of their English Language Centre subjects but also through working closely with the editorial team dedicated to this issue:

In Elaine IP Ling’s “Aiko” the age old idea of immorality is re-visited through a futuristic world in which a husband who loses his wife to an avalanche turns to the advancement of technology so that his digitised life partner can “live forever in the virtual world.”

Katy YAU Yuk Ki imagines the imperfect world of a once perfect life in “Fight or Flight”. In this fictional narrative, a law enforcement officer struggles to understand his fate, after he wakes up in a hospital, in a predicament reminiscent of a world he thought he had left behind, with nothing more than a pair of boots, a tattered jack, and the onus of absolving himself of a murder he is certain he did not commit.

Courage is a theme that can be found in LEE Shuk Ching’s short story “The Greatest Fear”. A factory owner is accused of murdering the husband of a justice-seeking housewife, and the couple living next door not only become her champions but also join her on a journey which will take them to face their greatest fears.

Moving from creative fiction to scholarly research, Marco WONG Kwan Ho impresses with a “Project proposal – The integration of GPS tracking and aerial shooting technology in outdoor sports events”, exploring the development of a GPS tracking and aerial shooting system for sporting events. Engaging a series of technological tools, including the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, a Wescam Camera System, CAD and C++ coding language, a sophisticated, smooth sporting animation device is proposed in order to replace traditional helicopter coverage of outdoor sporting events.

Another product proposal is Venus WU Cheuk Yan’s “Proposal of all-rounded educational toy – Mickey Ball Catcher” which recommends the engineering of a playful and educational toy cum game for 6 to 10 year old children. Benefits include increasing knowledge in Mathematics, reacting more efficiently to stimulus, and socializing more effectively. Wu additionally considers marketing, budgetary and customer service issues for the implementation of a potentially successful product.

WONG Him Chin’s “The reflection of identities between my grandfather and me in different centuries” closes in on the biographical essay of the author’s paternal grandfather and this ancestor’s life as a former general of the Chinese national youth league. Observing the pull of Hong Kong during the height of the Cultural Revolution of the 1950’s, the author continues this biographical exploration through her grandfather’s immigration to Hong Kong, reflecting upon the issue of identity as reflected through Hong Kong culture, Chinese immigrant status, and the self.

Our final article considers language learning in virtual environments and is examined by essayist Lawrence HO Lap Kwan in the argumentative essay “Learning English in 3d”; debating the extent to which Second Life could help undergraduate students in Hong Kong universities improve their English language skills. Focusing on the precept that the digital space is a fluid platform which simulates the physical space, Ho infuses personal experience during an English Language Centre subject exploration of Second Life to investigate this issue.

I believe that you will enjoy our students’ explorations and I look forward to continuing these journeys with you in the upcoming future. Lastly, I would like to thank the Inscribe editors, blind reviewer, senior advisor, technical staff, and Dr. Bruce Morrison, Director of the English Language Centre for helping make this inaugural issue possible.

Yours respectfully,

Dean A. F. Gui

Editor-in-Chief,

Inscribe: A journal of undergraduate student writing in and about Asia