The sights, sounds, smells and thrills

Time was precious and we tried to squeeze as much as possible into the last couple days before Mom and Dad had to leave. One of the things that is a must while visiting Hong Kong is to eat at the famous daipadongs (outdoor nightmarket) in Kowloon. They are known for their immense selection of fresh seafood, greasy dishes, loud and clanky atmosphere, dismissive service and somewhat dirty tables. We took a walk in the market afterwards and Dad got his fortune and hand & face read by a, what seemed to be, very successful entrepreneurial fortune teller (see pic) - btw, have you arranged your bed to face southeast for better fengshui yet?

We saw the harbourfront light show which I think is a complete embarassment for Hong Kong residents. There is a lot of uncessary hype and hoopla surrounding this so-called spectacular show, dubbed as a 'must-see' for tourists. Hardly. Seeing as Hong Kong prides itself as having one of the most incredible skylines in the world with layer upon layer of buildings, and not to mention one of the busiest harbours, they could really make something special of this light show if there was a bit more coordination. Basically, it consists of some really horrible Chinese music playing on crackling speakers as the buildings across the harbour light up at random intervals, a beat or two out of synch with the music. There is no method to the madness and ... ok, I'll stop there. On a positive note, there is something to be said about taking the Star Ferry at night when all the buildings are lit and a sort of incredible city-landscape emerges before your eyes. See pic of us in front of the famous clock tower.

Matt took both of them for a ride on the motorbike and, of course, they loved it! A visit to Victoria Peak, Stanley Market, the famous bird and flower market, and before they knew it, they were back on the plane heading home to Canada. This is just the first of many farewells we will do as we'll play host to several other guests in the coming months. Super exciting!

Old stomping grounds

We went to visit the places where Dad and Mom used to live back in the 50's and 60's. Dad's family lived on the Kowloon side near Hung Hom. Mom was on HK Island near North Point. At the time, it was rare to travel across to the other side unless it was for a special occassion, so my parents don't know much about the other's respective area.

We took taxis to get to each place and we lucked out as both taxi drivers were incredibly knowledgeable in terms of the changes in HK's geography and history. They gave us a little tour of the area, explaining how much land has been reclaimed, how the government has changed (for the better/worse) after the 1997 handover, what they think of the proposed GST law, etc.

When we arrived at Mom's old apartment building, we managed to get into the lobby where we took the old-fashioned elevator (the kind where you have to draw the brass gate across first) to the 8th floor where they used to live. As luck would have it, the woman who lives there now was just coming out and she invited us to look around the flat. They had completely renovated the inside, and even the walls are not where they used to be, but it was fun to see anyway.

That night we had our friends YK & Tomoe and Andy & David (old family friends from Cornwall who have moved back to HK several years ago) over for a bbq. It was the largest group of people we've hosted for a sit-down dinner so far and despite the shortage of cutlery and wine glasses - we had each couple sharing one knife- it was good fun. It was YK's birthday the day before and so on top of the cake, we took out the kava for everyone to sample. We bought it in the Vanuatu airport where they sell instant packs for souvenirs whereas the stuff we wer e given during our honeymoon was the authentic stuff: fresh and totally potent. Kava is made of tree roots grounded up and mixed with water. After a wee accident in the kitchen while preparing it, everyone had some to try with mixed reviews. You're supposed to drink it in one shot (see pic of David downing the stuff). It tastes extremely woody with a touch of mouldy shoe flavour, and it's supposed to leave you relaxed and in supposed bliss. Considered a drug, it is banned in Canada and probably elsewhere in the world.

It's a Family Day

Mom and Dad arrived in Hong Kong on Aug. 21st after their visit to see Anice in Japan (see Dad's entry on his impressions of Japan) and yes, they did come bearing my favourite cereal and chocolate bars!! During the first few days here, they managed to get their HKID card hassle-free, visit me at Treasure Island, see the world's largest outdoor Buddha at Ngong Ping and visit a few relatives.

Today we went to pay our respects to my dad's maternal grandparents. Situated in one of HK's largest shrines, we arrived early in the morning, bearing flowers, to meet up with our other relatives. Dad has not stepped foot in HK since 1977 (Mom was here back in 2000 on her way back from China), and so it was an emotional reunion with his aunties and uncles.

The entire place was simply beautiful, with colourlful temples, a turtle and fish pond, lovely sculptures and walkways and what makes it extra serene is the pleasant smell of burning incense from every direction. With the slight drizzle of rain and mist rising from the mountains, the atmosphere was just right for the occasion.

Dad's aunt and uncle recounted stories about their childhood, the occupation, how their mother had died at a very young age from illness and stress, leaving their father to care for 4 young children. He opted to never marry again so as to not have to worry about bringing in a 'wicked stepmother' to his children. Living in constant fear during the war, he burned all the family photographs so that the enemy could never get hold of them and track them down. And so, unfortunately, there are no pictures of my grandmother and her siblings until after the war ended. However, fortunately, he forgot one photograph taken of his new bride when she was 19 years old. This is the one that is now forever immortalized on plaque number 336, beside the picture of her devoted husband.

We did the customary three bows and then tried to find the site where my Aunt (Mom's oldest sister) has her 'grave'. I should clarify here that they aren't actually graves as we know it, where the body is buried there. In fact, it is just a plaque with the name and sometimes picture of the deceased, symbolizing the grave itself. Usually the person has been creamated or that he/she's been buried in a plot too far away to visit on a regular basis.

Having only met my Aunt once when i was one year old, she died of breast cancer ten years ago, leaving beind two sons (my cousins who are now in Toronto). We were only given scant information from another Aunt of where her grave was and after a lot of searching, we found it with the help of the office worker (see pic of Mom looking for the grave). There are dozens of rooms on site, each with hundreds of people's graves inside. As each room is given a name, you must know at least the room name in order to look up who you want. This shrine is so popular, that not only do tour groups come to visit the place, but the actual value of one of the shrine's room can be more than a modern condominium building due to the high cost of each grave. Side note: I read in the paper this week that because cost for a proper burial site has skyrocketed in HK, people are taking out mortgages for their own plots while they are still alive!

After a delicious dimsum meal we all trooped up to Dad's Uncle's, Sok Gong, apartment where we paid respects to my Dad's paternal grandparents. They have a mini shrine in their house so there is no need to trek all the way up to the New Territories to visit the actual grave site. This is very common among the older generation of Chinese people; it also allows them to pray everyday to their spirits as well as offer some siu-mai (smoked bbq pork meat, chicken, duck) to their ancestors. We performed a tea-pouring ritual, offered colourful crepe paper as a blessing and then trooped down to the open courtyard to burn them (see pic). It is customary to offer the spirits things from the living world so that they can use them in the afterlife. It is not unusual to see paper money, paper Ferraris, paper houses and even paper Heineken bottles being burned! Apparently people have been known to have died from toxic chemicals in their flat from attempting such burning ceremonies.

Afterwards we were treated to a little show from Sok Gong who has been learning the er-hu for a mere few hours but managed to make beautiful melodies nonetheless (see pic). He was still quite a lively fellow, although his vision was slowly deteriorating and he had to walk with a cane. He loves to tell stories of the past and he certainly didn't spare any that day!

A horrific story from his childhood was when my grandfather (Dad's dad) was already serving on a navy ship as a cook when one day Sok Gong went out to buy bread with his 3 younger siblings. A bomb fell directly in front of them, killing the 3 children instantly. Luckily Sok Gong was not injured, but he had the unimagineable task of returning home to tell his mother the devastating news. He was 17 years old at the time. He decided to join the army and eventually worked his way up to serve under one of China's most-feared generals.

Overall, the day was full of new revelations about my family and history. It was a happy reunion for my parents and that, to me, was a joy to see. I'm also very happy that Matt got to meet these relatives of mine and, even though most of what was said went over his head, he charmed everyone with his heavily Mainland-accented-Cantonese and they in turn embraced him as a member of the family.

Roadtrip

On Aug. 9 we met Mom and Anice at the Hiroshima train station who arrived on the shinkasen (bullet train). They had just finished visiting Mount Fuji but unfortunately couldn't make it to the summit due to a torrential rainstorm.

We stayed at the World Friendship Center hostel run by an American couple who are here as volunteers from their church. The Centre was set up after WW2 when the founder, Barbara Reynolds, decided to create a place where "people from many nations can meet, share their experiences and reflect on peace." She helped many A-bomb victims, bringing some to the States for reconstructive surjery. Today, the Centre offers English lessons, discussions on politics and world peace, talks given by WW2 survivors and a friendly atmosphere for backpackers who are looking for budget accommodation and a Western-style pancake and sausage breakfast.

That night we had a huge meal of Hiroshima's famous okonomiyaki (cabbage, eggs, octopus, noodles, special sauce, all fried and done in omellet style). The following day we spent the morning walking to the A-bomb memorial (see pic) and visiting the museum. Quite intense and heavy for a morning's sightseeing, the museum offered a lot of background information regarding the making of the bomb, the decision to use it, the aftermath and the steps that the world is taking to prevent another such catastrophe. It is incredible to think that such grotesque horror can be inflicted by humans on other humans, and until you visit this place will you get a small glimpse of what the world has done, and is still doing wrong in the name of 'technology, advancement and modernization'.

The following days we went around by car, visiting more of Shimane's rural paradise, stopping for a late afternoon gorge walk along the highway, touring the Iwami Silvermine (historic site where silver was mined and shipped to the New World), and passing through the town with the World's Largest Egg Timer (apparently at the stroke of midnight every New Year, it gets flipped over so the sand can start flowing out the other way).

One night we stayed in a small fishing town on the Japan seacoast called Yunotsu. Famous for its multitude of onsens, we even met an owner of one who has a son living in Discovery Bay! She had just come back from a visit to HK and gave us her contact details. Small world. We were treated to a traditional dinner where we had to wear the customary yukatas (robes), sit legs-folded on the tatami mats and figure out what each little dish of food contained and how it was supposed to be consumed. Yunotsu was probably one of my highlights of the week, a charming little village with a lot of character and community spirit. See pic taken by Anice of the peaceful morning street in Yunotsu.

We visited the famous Izumo Taisha Shrine, famous for people coming to pray for finding true love. Matt came here as a student a decade ago asking for a nice, diligent and obedient wife (just kidding!), and so as miracles do happen, we went to give our thanks to Izumo for fulfilling our dream. There are these humongous ropes that are knotted together in front of the shrine and you are supposed to take a coin and throw it up so that it sticks (see pic). This is for good luck in finding your true love. He must've had a helluva throw ten years ago.

Practically every night we went to a different onsen. I love the feeling of getting completely clean in a natural bathtub with a view of the valley or mountain, bliss! Mom and Anice went to the Ikeda Radium Hot Spring where apparently it was too hot to even get into the tub!

We left Mom and Anice early Sunday morning to drive the last few hundred kilometres back to Osaka. Mom will be coming to HK in a week (with Dad) and Anice will make her HK visit in October, so this farewell will be shortlived. We returned the car and checked-in at the airport. Another delay - this time due to the hyped-up security in the UK that caused flights to backlog. So we ventured into Osaka town where we rode on (what they claim to be) the World's Largest Ferris Wheel. For those who don't know, it has been a longtime phobia of mine, to ride in a tiny enclosed cab of a Ferris Wheel. But conquer it i did! And i must admit it wasn't as bad as i thought. It's probably because i'm about 20 years older and 2 feet taller.

Japan bound!

On August 6, after another late night packing session, we arrived early at the HK airport only to be told there was to be a delay on our Air India flight to Osaka. When we finally landed, after a flight on what must have been the oldest functioning aircraft judging from the tattered seats and musky smell, we picked up our rental car and drove to Matt's old host family home in Kobe. An absolutely lovely family, they laid out a feast for us, and then some! It was okasan's (mother) birthday so we celebrated with a cake afterwards.

The next day, okasan, Matt and I visited a local shrine and then headed towards the famous Himeji castle (the largest wooden castle in the world declared a UNESCO heritage site - see pic).

The next few days Matt and I (re)discovered Shimane prefecture, winding our way up and down the mountains, tiny fishing villages, farming towns, all in unbelievably picturesque settings, the kind you see in the movies. We stayed in little rural onsens (hot spring hotels), visited Hinomisaki Lighthouse, swam in the Sea of Japan, and camped in a trailer with canoe rentals nearby (see pic of Matt splashing me on the Go river).

The food was out of this world: fresh, organic and healthy. Soba and udon noodles, tempura, traditional Japanese meals of hot pot, seaweed, tofu, pickled veggies, eel, etc. My favourite meal was at a local sushi restaurant where the cook would make the same thing for every customer in the restaurant (which only sat about 5-6 people) and when you had had enough to eat you just had to tell him to stop and pay for what you had eaten. Great atmosphere, lots of interesting stories told and the best was, due to cultural miscommunication, while telling the cook of my peanut allergy, it ended up being "Bonnie, the girl who could not eat peanuts and allergy." Who ever heard of an allergy allergy? :) Well, it was safe to assume it wasn't on the menu that night.

It was nice to visit the places where Matt used to live; meet his old work colleagues at the International Centre in Matsue; see the old ski hill at Mount Sanbe where he attempted snowboarding for the first time; see his old apartment building; eat at his old favourite restaurants; meet Harakun (see pic), his old work/riding buddy and his extremely hyper mom and still-active grandmother who showed us his shiny Harley Davidson and the tricyle he spiced up for his 2 year old daughter, a biker in the making.

Matt remarked on several occasions how he has grown to appreciate the landscape and people in Shimane a lot more this time round, having 'grown up' and seen more of the world. As Marcel Proust so famously said, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes." Returning to the place where Matt once called home and being privileged enough to get an insider's, albeit snapshot, view of the area, i understand more deeply the impressions left on Matt and like him, appreciate Shimane as a place where tradition merges gracefully with modern life, all the while eclipsed by the awesome natural environment that dwarfs most other places.

With Love, from Japan

Below is my Dad's mass email to friends and family around the world, describing his thoughts and impressions of Japan. I pretty much agree with what he says and thought i would post it here, to also give another 'voice' to this blog:

Sat. Aug. 19, 2006.

Hello All, After almost a week of travelling here in the ultra-chic urban area and the countryside, I am not just looking for the contrast of the old and the new, but also the wondrous, the exotic and the unconventional. Sometimes, the unexpected or the illogical encounters seem to be dubious, it is borne out of a culture of bias and outlook of a western North American society.

To quote the Insight Guide of the Discovery Channel, it is a unique place. Through the history of the land of the rising sun, Japan has adopted and adapted the best from her neighbours, such as the philosophy and writing from China, the Korean art and ceramics to the advances of the western technology. Along the processes, she has maintained its individuality, through her culture and people. It has become the second strongest economy over the years (and only surpassed by China recently), its infrastructure, development, and trade have created a high standard of living. You will find it expensive and yet people are willing to spend. Its recession of the last decade has gradually seen the light with the stock market registering double digit gain over the last two years. Yet the high value of the yen curtails many visitors from North America.

In my travels to different countries, the most striking and attractive highlights are the local people. To touch the surface, the distinctive well mannered behaviour has amazed me. Not just saying the usual Thank You is suffice to describe how citizens respect each other and care for the society. The unusual bowing of the train conductor to the passengers at the entrance and exit of each car speaks to the well discipline of the company's policy and yet the deep devotion to tradition and honour.

The unusual cleanliness of the environment and any establishments project the image of an advanced and developed state. The seemingly low number of public garbage can allows the populace to dispose habitually intelligently. With a 21st century equipped warm toilette, one can hardly feel the cold underneath in the winter time. With also sophisticated projectiles, the modern day toilet sure keeps you clean from the top to the "bottom".

Alas, the dominance of the Japaneses auto industry can be witnessed at the huge Toyota show place where one can test drive any available domestic cars, see any available latest models which become part of the North American models in a few years, examine and ride some future concept cars, and experience the whole universe of hybrid, Formula racing, safety equipments and the general knowledge of automobiles. In summary, it is an enlarged Ottawa Auto show by itself.

The acceptance and advancement of the western culture are uniquely Japanese. The willingness to compete and excel in this tight world market place yield unparallelled efficiency and accuracy, of which I suspect the high sacrifice of workers sometimes becoming slaves of time.

In this short window of time, I am amazed of what I have witnessed and experienced. As the owner of the new Nikko Lodge where we spent a night in the mountain resort, Kent portrays the new spirit of entrepreneurial after spending 35 years in Colorado in the States. As his very first Canadian guest, he has shown great care of ensuring us properly looked after, including a lesson of Yoga with a monk at 7am.

Well, we are now on the way to see more of the love of western cult in the Shibuya where the Harajuku girls dish out their ultra modern fashion and the Japanese Elvis' will do their twist.

Sayonara for now and talk to you again.

Cheers and take care,

Kam

TGIF!

Whew! Friday has arrived!

After arriving home late Sunday night from Osaka, Japan, due to our 4.5 hour delayed flight back to HK (tighter control systems at checkin were in place because of the incident with terrorists at Heathrow days earlier), it has been nonstop from waking up early, spending all day in the baking sun with 32 children on Surf Camp, riding for 3 hours a day on ferries, only to collapse every evening for a quick meal and then bed by 9pm.

Matt has been ever so good and provides all the comfort i need, and what's a plus, i don't have to yell at him to 'sit down'; wipe spaghetti sauce off his shirt, face and floor; remind him for the umpteenth to put on sunscreen and a hat; help find his shoes/glasses/earplugs/water bottle/towel/goggles/epipen!/sanity; dry his tears when he trips over the open drain in the shower and slices his toes; tear him away from a fight with another boy half his size over a shell found on the beach.

Things that make it all worthwhile:

Good-girl Irene picked up a spiral shell on the beach on Monday, brings it back on Wednesday in a little plastic container with some water in it covered in saran-wrap. She tells me that she thinks there is something still living inside the shell and that she wanted to bring it back to the ocean to release it.

10 year old Lucas telling 8 year old Jordan that "marriage can't be that bad since most adults do it some time or other.. and well, as for the kissing bit, it's disgusting, but i guess you just have to put up with it.."

Tiny Thomas with round specs asking me literally every three minutes on the ferry ride every morning and every afternoon how much longer until we get to Pui O/Central pier. Granted, it is a slow ferry and the ride is over 50 minutes - an eternity for kids who have no concept of time. I taught him that there are 60 seconds in every minute and that we should count: "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi..." I had him counting up to 32 minutes, then he gave up. Don't blame him.

Little Ben coming up to me to say a final goodbye today, wraps his arms around my neck and plants a wet one on my cheek.

This was Week 7 of Summer Camp. There is one week left before everyone is back in school. But I'll be working on the high school outdoor ed curriculum again, taking refuge behind the computer screen and stepping into my Leader Pants when/if necessary.

We have all survived, there were no barfers (hooray) and *i think* the kids all had a good time. I sure did, despite the continuous mundane questions. However, this week was just confirmation to why i opted to go into secondary school teaching. There may be more 'developed attitudes' at the secondary level, but at least conversation will be bit more sophisticated. Here's hoping.

Pic1: Angus and Dylan on the ferry wearing their beaded necklace they made in Arts & Crafts.
Pic2: The young sufers in training, crazy cheeky little monkeys!

so this is HK summer

There was a drowning on Pui O Beach last week. Just as the lifeguards went off duty at precisely 6 oclock, a 19 year old university student who was here for a day of sand and surf, drowned. Fire trucks pulled up followed by hoards of cop cars and ambulances, and half of South Lantau too. I'm not sure of the details, but this is just one tragic incident that seems to be occurring more often than not in HK's waters. According to an article in the South China Morning Post, drownings have increased 155% after the government decided to swap the full-time more experienced lifeguards for younger, part-time (aka CHEAPER) ones. See pic.

Heavy rain and wind whipped through Hong Kong the past few days. At work, the waves were crashing right into the sliding doors of the restaurant as we yelled to each other over the roar of the waves. It was a "Heavy Rainstorm", The Hong Kong Observatory says. And so they only issued a warning signal #3 which, in my opinion, was way off the chart. It should've been closer to a signal #8 (which means everything shuts down and people are sent home). According to reports, where we were on Lantau Island, winds were recorded to have reached 209 km/hr. That is no mere 'heavy rainstorm'. Trees were completely uprooted, and anything that wasn't bolted down was sent flying in every which direction. Matt even saw a yacht washed up to shore from his office window and a mast of another boat snapped in two! The HK Observatory has defended its issue of the #3 warning signal but has promised to revamp its system.

Work has been extremely busy. We managed to finish the document for Friday's meeting where we presented it to 'a very special lady in the education field in Hong Kong who will have a lot of say in the success of our outdoor ed programme.' It was a lot of revamping the old programme into a new 'look' and also ensuring the aims of the national curriculum were met. It was fun and challenging and we've only just touched the surface. It's been good team-bonding to say the least. We've been taking our regular breaks of brownie&tea and the occasional dip in the sea (we all abandoned our computers after an intense meeting and went surfing for the afternoon - it was fantastic, what a rush!) Now our task is to write up the meat of the program in terms of lesson plans and training manual. But i get to skip out for a week...

In about 12 hours, we'll be making our way to the airport. Mom should be boarding her flight in Ottawa any time soon. It's been go go go the past few days and not that i don't welcome a change of scenery, but i would like a day of R&R here at home to do absolutely nothing first. Have been feeling a bit moody and today i'm plagued with stomach cramps and my bed looks so tempting...

After the summer, I'll be returning to University to do my postgrad degree in Education. I just went to pick up my schedule; that anxious/excited feeling of starting school again is growing strong. Dad will also be going back to school, to fulfill a dream he's had for a long time: to retire as anAssociate from Shoppers Drug Mart and take the Executive MBA course at Queen's University in Canada. He wrote the entrance exam the other week and passed - well done!

There is something very nice about going 'back to school' with Dad, well, at the same time i mean. We can talk about studying, reading, researching and making deadlines together. We can give each other moral support on assignments and exams. We can be proud of the other for following through with his/her dream of going back to school.

Happy Birthday Anice

May your year be as beautiful and inspiring as the sunrise.

HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

It's our one year anniversary. To commemorate our Canadian Wedding (July 23) and our Jersey Wedding (July 29) we decided to dine in in the comfort of our own home.

Living in HK provides one with the luxury of good food at reasonable prices at all hours of the day, and so we figured going out for dinner wouldn't be as special as preparing one ourselves.

So after spending 2 hours at the grocery store, we went home and managed to create a feast of Sushi a la Thornington. Wrapped in seaweed, we had mackeral, eggs, veggies, pumpkin salad, mangoes and sticky rice as our filling. It was delicious, messy and very 'us.'

working in a bikini

Just taking a mini break here at work. It's been ridiculously hot in HK the past few days. Apparently thundershowers will roll in in the middle of the week to break up the intense heat. Thank goodness. In the meantime, i'm working in an open area with no a/c in 44 degrees Celcius, and being on the computer doesn't help either. But i suppose after 40 degrees it doesn't really matter. This heat can't be good for the machines either, can it?

However, as the old saying goes: Be grateful for the good things in life. And i am. I get a stunning view of Pui O Beach from my computer (see pic) and just a few metres away is the ocean. Katy (Corporate Communicator for Treasure Island) and i have just returned from a quick dip to cool off. We even had mini schools of fish leaping in the air around us as we lounged in the water, which incidentally enough felt like a jacuzzi. Instead of coffee breaks, we take swim breaks. Even as my sweat pours over the keyboard, i have to say it really doesn't get much better.

Ok, time to be productive again before the next break.

Surf's Up

After narrowly missing our connecting flight back to Hong Kong (delay in Dusseldorf airport from all the England fans returning home on a Sunday), I finished my last week of work at Bradbury School. Because the school will be going under intense renovations and repairs during the summer, we had to inventory everything in the classroom and pack it into boxes. Everything was done in good time and by Thursday there was nothing left to do so I bid farewell to the kids and John.

The next day I started work at Treasure Island, an outdoor educationan organization that offers HK residents an opportunity to experience outdoor activities (camping, hiking, abseiling, kayaking, biking, surfing, snorkelling, sailing, gorging, dolphin watching). Our philosophy is to spread awareness of the natural environment where even in a bustling urban city, it is crucial to maintain a harmonious balance between resources and consumption. I had already visited Treasure Island with Bradbury School on a day-trip (see previous blog entry) and just my luck, they needed more female instructors for the summer, so I was taken onboard almost immediately as Outdoor Education Teacher/Co-ordinator.

This past week was the Surf Camp and by Friday I was absolutely drained from being outside all day (not to mention it was the hottest day recorded in HK on Wednesday this year!). Besides keeping 35 kids (5-10 years old) in line, I was riding on ferries 3 hours each day going between HK Island and Treasure Island (which also comes with the joy of projectile vomit from various pale-faced kids). All in all, it was a fun-filled week and by Friday I had long perfected the art of not-yelling-until-absolutely-necessary. They don't teach you that at school i betcha!

Some of my responsibilities are to lead the Arts and Crafts activity, to develop a template of lesson plans for future use and to coordinate and train youth volunteers on leadership and outdoor edu skills. On the weeks where I won't be leading Surf Camps, I will be coordinating schedules and writing curriculum for an outdoored program based on the British National Curriculum. This second component of the job will be great prepartion for my course in Uni, where I will be working in collaboration with other educators on how best to package a 5-day overnight camp to HK highschool students whereby experiential learning through outdoor activities is most effective.
* Picture of cutie Oliver and his missing front tooth on the ferry ride home. As exhausting as they are, it's these sorts of cheeky smiles that make it all worthwhile.

Other unrelated updates:

I've finished my 3 mandatory motorbike lessons and now i just have to practice a bit until my exam at the end of August. I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed the whole experience and can hardly wait to be let loose on the streets! (No worries, I will be very careful. In fact Matt is constantly stressing Health & Safety so it is drilled into my head). The instructors have all been extremely patient and encouraging. I was a bit doubtful at how well i would be able to cope during the lectures since it was all in Cantonese. Even though I have an English manual and they try to inject a few English words here and there, I'm thankful I can at least follow along.

The first test is only the off-road part (cornering, emergency braking, shifting gears). After that, i must get a learner's permit, take a few more lessons on-road and then take another test which will entitle me to a full motorbike license. I've already got my own helmet and gloves and Matt's been looking into second hand bikes for me online. Excited? Oh, extremely.

As always, we've got lots to look forward to this summer. The main one is our holiday in Japan where we will rent a car (with a built-in GPS!!!) and visit Hiroshima, Shimane and surrounding area where Matt used to live/work. Anice and Mom will join us in the middle of the week and we'll stay at a rural onsen and attend one of the biggest shrine festivals of the year.

Then Mom and Dad (who will be flying over a week later bearing Coffee Crisps and Quaker Harvest cereal - no that's not a hint, just a hunch) will come to HK for a week where I'm sure we'll be doing lots of visiting relatives, seeing the places where they grew up, etc. I can't wait to see their reaction after so many years! Did someone say full circle?

Quarter Final: ENGLAND vs. PORTUGAL!

The stadium in Gelsenkirchen was brimming with noise, nerves and mainly England fans in red and white.

Appropriately enough, today was also Canada Day and so what a coincidence to be consumed in a sea of red and white people, deliriously happy from sun and drink. It would have been the exact atmosphere happening across the pond.

Unfortunately, Englad couldn't handle the pressue and lost after going all the way to penalty shots. There was drama up until the last moment and the now-famous incident of Rooney doing the crotch-stomp on Carvalho happened to a disgusted crowd of over 50,000.

Well, we definitely got our value for money. Gotta start saving up for the next World Cup in 2010: SOUTH AFRICA!

Camping at Lake Mohenesee

Gutentag! Just a klein entry here.

Here we are: in Hamm, Germany, at an internet cafe, sun shining, tummy full of pumpernickel bread and creamy cakes, everyone psyched for the Germany vs. Argentina game this afternoon... !!

We´ve been camping at a beautiful lakeside campground by Lake Mohenesee with Sue and Guy. Couldn´t ask for better weather, rented bikes yesterday and stopped off at a Canadian log cabin for some cold bier. Lots of good hikes too, delicious breads and cheese and cakes - omigod, heaven!

Our London weekend was good. More to come at a later date. Basically we crammed in an Eritrean christening, met with some of Matt´s friends, saw the Body Exhibition (recommended!) at the museum, and of course saw as many football matches as possible.

Tomorrow we take the train into Gelsenkirchen to watch the quarter final match between ENGLAND and Portugal!!!! We were so happy when England qualified for the quarter final, but whether they will pick up speed and actually play well as a team has yet to be determined. Nevertheless it´ll be a good rowdy game. I´ve been learning the names of the players and to toot my own horn, I´m getting quite good! We´ve got the shirts and facepaint all ready to go! Hope i can sleep tonight, I´m very excited!!

Tchus!

Yohanna's Christening

We were blessed to be asked to be godparents to one of Matt's old classmates from Atlantic College in Wales, Ghebre and his wife Nigisty. Their third child, Yohanna, a son, was born in January and although Eritrean custom dictates that he be baptised within 40 days, we couldn't make it to London until this weekend. Fortunately the family and Orthodox priest understood. What a celebration it was! After a 5 hour ordeal at the church, there was a reception with delicious homemade Eritrean food and home brewed liquor.

After absolutely stuffing ourselves with injere and curries, the band played traditional music while we all got up to dance. Pictured here is baby Yohanna's great-grandmother dancing as the guest of honour.

It was special to be a part of the sacred rite of passage in the baby's life. Definitely a memorable day.

We even managed to sneak out for a couple of hours to watch the England match at a friend's house. Like they say, the World Cup only happens every 4 years!

Familiar Faces

Uncle Hong, Aunt Ivy and cousin Calvin on a visit from Toronto to Hong Kong, posing on the rooftop of our flat and bounding for joy on DB's beach. Why is it always so nice to see such familiar faces from back home in my present home? The two halves merge and I realize that I am one person connecting the dots in her own world.

quick hello and goodbye

After a final interview and acceptance for my summer job at Treasure Island (more details on that later), attending my first West African drumming class (Matt and I signed up for a beginner's course that runs for 6 weeks), an Ultimate Frisbee league game where we are back on track to winning all of our matches, rushing home sweaty on the ferry, packing, squeezing in two hours of sleep, rushing to work for a hectic day of classes, scrambling to the airport the moment the lunch bell rang, I arrived in Tokyo late Thursday night, high on adrenalin at the start of an exciting long-weekend.

With a lot of sign language, I managed to buy the correct ticket and navigate Tokyo's extensive train system to Anice's place in Niiza, northwest of Tokyo centre and just over two hours by train from the airport. She had just finished work and was pretty tired but she was a good little hostess and cooked us a curry dinner. I couldn't believe how good it tasted - seriously! The last time i think i tried her cooking was a few years back when she made scrambled eggs for breakfast, or something of the like. I think I was more shocked that i was shocked, happily of course. I'll never forget it though.

Another thing I observed, although i always knew it while we were growing up, is how much neater and organized she is than me. Everything has its place and that's it, no messing about. I tend to be a bit more random in where I put things: socks and underwear in the same drawer, shirts and shorts/pants thrown on the same shelf, unhung and/or not folded at all. When you look at my sister's closet, everything is hung neatly, the fronts of shirts/pants all facing the same direction. It could be partly due to the fact that her flat is a typical Japanese apartment, tiny with not very much room to move about in. In any case, it goes without saying that her culniary and organization skills has not gone unnoticed, even from Big Sister.

We talked and ate and pretty soon we collapsed into deep sleep, only to be awakened this morning by the garbage truck doing its weekly run. It plays this ridiculous carousel tune on repeat at full volume so the whole neighbourhood can hear it and rush their trash outside before the truck leaves. The next morning I was awakened by the vibration from the man's alarm clock in the flat upstairs. You would never believe it, but it was L-O-U-D!

My first day in Japan was like complete immersion in some sort of hyper-stimulated world of busy-ness. And yet i found calm and solace in deserted parks, big crowds, my mp3 player. Walked around Ueno Park, the Imperial Palace Gardens, Shinjuku area. The next day I hit Shibuya and got lost for quite a long while. I can spend hours lost in people watching and Tokyo certainly provides one with a bigger range than you'd ever image for people watching.

Riding on the trains during rush hour i felt some sort of normalcy in joining the masses. I never thought that something so trivial could really satisfy me in the way it did; i was part of something, a movement, a flow, but not knowing a soul and vice versa. As strange as it was, it left me feeling content and still, I have to say it was when i was happiest all day.

The concert was fantastic (see previous blog entry). I met up with new friend, Natalie, who also made the trip from HK to see Ben, but she justified it by including a visit to the partner office of where she works into the weekend. We met another random girl, Renee, who was also attending the concert on her own. So the 3 of us hung out all night, front row, dancing and screaming (i lost my voice somewhere between Exodus and Walk Away). I forgot how much I love attending live concerts, such energy and beauty.

The following morning, Natalie, Anice and I met up with Naoko, a friend of Matt's in highschool. She took us to this famous okonomiyaki restaurant in the Harajuku area. We were seated in a cramped room with low ceilings and dim lighting. Infront of us was a hot grill where men in black show off their culinary skills. A show and a feast!

Back to HK later that evening, a quick 4 hour flight. All in all, the weekend's left me feeling more intrigued about how Japan is such a distinct culture within the Asian countries. Will be back soon enough. Thank you Anice for letting me crash on your floor and wear your clothes. Just like old times!

SO worth the trip, and the company ain't bad too ;)

The Ben Harper concert tonight was undescribable, just absolutely fantastic... and then some. I'm sitting here speechless not knowing what to say but wanting to say it all. Ben's got this stage presence, along with his very talented bandmates, that just ooooozes with sex appeal. We were FRONT ROW, standing literally into the railings, crushed from the crowd. Amazing! Going to bed very happy and satisfied, la dee da... ;D

all in a day's delight

We were doing some spelling in class yesterday. Each kid gets his/her own white board with a marker and eraser. We were teaching a Year 1 class (6-7 year olds) and reviewing words that begin with 'blends' such as string & scram, and 'chunks' such as chill, short, thorn.... Us E.A.'s are situated around the room to help with the students' answers and just maintain classroom order. I was seated beside Sarah, a cute brown-haired girl with scabby legs and large green eyes. A decent speller but by no means phenomenal, she suddenly taps me on the leg and shows me her white board. On it she had written in perfect letter formation: I love you. I could hear my heart smiling and told her I loved her back.

Matt's in Hamburg for 9 days, one of the longest spells of separation for us. He left yesterday morning and although I'm super busy with work and hooray- upcoming Japan long weekend!!! i miss him so much already. And so, darling, this is my little "I love you" message on my own electronic 'white-board'.

Tuen Ng Dragon Boat Festival!

Today was a public holiday in Hong Kong, supposedly a day of rest and relaxation, but thousands of keen paddlers got up extra early to row in the annual Dragon Boat competition held in various bays around the city.

I joined the DBMC (Discovery Bay Marina Club) team a couple months back as they were looking for more people to complete their mixed crew. It was my first time ever rowing in a Dragon Boat but I must say it is really exhilerating and quite challenging to get all 20-22 paddlers in synch. Most of the people on my boat live aboard yachts in the Marina. From the stories they tell, it sounds like a fabulous lifestyle with a lot of work. Maybe someday...

Despite practicing only about 10 times, we were all pumped with energy and in top form on race day. With matching uniforms, we geared ourselves up for a terrific first race. We came second in our heat with an incredible time of 2 minutes and 7 seconds. Our second heat we weren't as quick (we blame it on the sausages and buns we had just after heat #1 which must've weighed us down) with a time of 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Still, we were in 10th standing (out of 28) which was pretty darn good, considering we were all beginners.

During our third race we got sandwiched on either side by the other boats and so a re-race was called. One of the boats didn't stay in their lane and the other boat had a steerer who was under some impression that he was also supposed to row for some strange reason, which basically meant their boat ramming into us.

During the re-race there were 4 boats all competing for first place in order to progress to the finals. We pulled out all the stops and put mind, heart, muscle and buckets of sweat into it, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I then raced in the ladies race but because i had literally given it my all in the previous 4 races, i barely had enough energy to lift my paddle up from the water. It was also incredible to feel the difference that a few men make in a boat; the finish line felt a lot further away that time.

It was a fantastic experience nonetheless and i hope to do it again next year. It was nice to see practically all of DB out and about despite the rain showers. There were stalls of food and clothes set up in the plaza along with a stage of performers. Everbody and their dog was in a good mood and there was that buzz in the air that i'm told only happens on this special day in Hong Kong. Buzzed out and all, once the races were completed, I went home and collapsed into a vegetative state on the couch.

*pics of our team in action! Note Liz, our drummer, and our mascot (pink dolphin) on top of her hat.