The Soul of the Sea

By Stanley Randolf

Fighting a huge blue marlin threatens the life of his grandfather. Exciting struggle between boy and fish in the gulfstream off Cuba. By author of Adventures of a World-Traveling Scientist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stanley Randolf
• Release date: Aug 27, 2019

Book preview

Prologue

If I had to pick a city—just one—to best illustrate humanity on our planet, it would have to be Hong Kong. It runs like a block buster movie that encompasses a large spectrum of human activities and circumstances, from modern marvels and lavish luxury to traditionalism and poverty. But it leaves a huge middle ground that allows the majority to thrive.

The Hong Kong area, including Kowloon and the New Territories, was returned to China at midnight on June 30, 1997 after 156 years of British rule. It was a peaceful transfer of sovereignty! The Chinese had agreed to manage Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region (SAR), allowing the people special privileges for at least fifty years. It would be kept separate from mainland China and remain a free trade zone with a capitalist lifestyle, private property ownership, and freedom of speech. One country—two systems was what they called it in Beijing. Margaret Thatcher had bargained hard to get this!

Hong Kong SAR, May 1998

Over here, partner! Tom Wong's voice reverberated. An air port taxi had dropped me off at the Peninsula Hotel in Kowloon and Tom was standing in the lobby, waving.

Dr. Tom! I responded with a smile. You haven't changed in six months! I had been to Hong Kong in November.

Neither have you, Stan! How was your flight from Singapore?

Uneventful. As they all should be! We had talked on the phone for an hour before my flight, so no hello or how are you was required. We man-hugged and slapped each other on the back. Tom was born in Guangzhou (old Canton) but grew up in California; he lived in Hong Kong now with his wife, Jill. He was my age, tall, with alert brown eyes and short black hair—a smart guy I'd known for twenty years since graduate school. He had a PhD in Food Science and a wise business acumen.

Get checked in, there's a lot happening since we talked this morning! He started pulling my suitcase as we walked and talked. Prawn farmers across South China want to talk to us; I spoke with several big aquafarms while you were napping six miles above the South China Sea. I told them of our successes with probiotics in Taiwan—they want to work with us!

That's exciting news, Dr. Wong! Music to my ears.

Everything was bright and white in the