I am not really a flower person, but.....

In light of the snow that has fallen on our Canadian home (seriously, 28 cm on March 23rd!), it seemed like a perfect time to share something I did last week here in Hong Kong.

As many of you know (and my mother still is baffled by), I don't know flowers at all.  Oh, I can identify a daisy or sunflower, probably a general lily and rose, and as a Canadian who searches for signs of spring I can find tulips and daffodils...but beyond that, flowers become "purple ones" or the "little yellow ones that grow close to the ground" or even "you know, the big ones on trees".

Knowing that, you may be surprised to hear that I spent many hours at the Hong Kong Flower Show in Victoria Park last week.  No, I don't know any more names of flowers, and "purple ones" are still "purple ones", however I had a fantastic time playing with a new macro lens that Jeff bought me for Christmas.  That was my motivation to go.

This show is fantastic (even for a non-flower person like me).  There were many things designed and built out of flowers:

 












There were many people taking pictures of the many flowers (yes, I did have camera-envy numerous times!):

 








There were also beautiful displays that incorporated things other than just flowers:

 

And of course the Queen the park is named after sat, overseeing the whole event:

(As an aside from flowers, this statue was first located in Statue Square in Central, Hong Kong, and was erected for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.  During WWII, it was shipped with most statues to Japan to be melted down for the war effort.  At the war's end, it was found unharmed in a Japanese scrapyard and returned to Hong Kong.  It was placed in its current home, Victoria Park, in 1952.  Interesting, eh!)







Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my hours with the flowers.  It was interesting to view large beds of flowers, where at first glance all the individual flowers melded into one mass of colour.  Yet by stopping, bending down, pulling out my macro lens and patiently REALLY looking, a whole new world was revealed.  Who knew that "purple ones" were actually many different kinds of "purple ones".  Once I started to notice the details in the flowers, I actually appreciated them much more. Hmmm...seems like a good analogy for our interaction with each other, doesn't it - stop, bend down, get close, be patient, focus and you will see and appreciate each other even more (sermon to come some day)

I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures - oh, don't worry, you don't have to look at all of them (unless you want to sometime).  Here is a video of the top pictures in my view, and I hope it warms your hearts as you look out at snow, and brings you hope that soon you will see these in your neighbourhood also. Enjoy, and imagine you and I wandering and enjoying these flowers together.  Maybe you can teach me some names!

As always, love you all.....Linda

The Great Hong Kong Visa Adventure

One of the requirements of completing the visa and Hong Kong ID card registration process is to enter immigration to receive a stamp on the new visa. Of course, in order to do this, we had to leave Hong Kong and then come back.  The easiest way to do this is by a one hour turbo jet ferry ride to Macau.  Many people simply go and turn around and come back...not us, have to use travel points somehow!  So an overnight stay for us ! 


When we turned on the tv, we discovered this, and once
again, Jeff was "and party" like our trip to Bali!

 Macau was a Portuguese colony and therefore has a mix of Europe....

 

...and Asia

 

There is also the old...

 

....and the new

 

...and some interesting views that bring them together

Here are a few other interesting things we discovered:

Seriously...don't cross the yellow line!  The drop from the
hill top fort would kill you!
(note to mothers:  Jeff did not cross the line)



This needs little explanation....
would you eat here?



We saw no dog





Lost in translation.
This was on top of a closed well



On the street corner were worship
singers and these folks handing
out "Jesus Loves You" bags



 We found the Protestant cemetery (no where near the centre of town) - and did what I love to do!  Just wander and wonder....



The most interesting headstone




Very cool.... tomb of
the father-in-law of
Hudson Taylor
(Google him and learn!)



Perfect scary cemetery picture -
trees, well, and more



What we learned is that Macau has actually surpassed Las Vegas in gambling revenues.  The rich from all over Asia flock to Macau to lose their money in high stake games.  Jeff played a three-card poker game for 20 minutes, winning $138.  He then wisely quit and paid for supper.

This type of town is fascinating to walk through, day and night.  Enjoy this show from the front of one hotel complex.

Our 24 hour trip to Macau was great fun, and we will continue to share our adventures with you.  Love you all, Linda and Jeff

Everything is New Again

Well, we are both in this very hectic city and discovering that everything is new again.  Our temporary home is in Causeway Bay area, an area of reclaimed land filled with hotels, high-end shopping, skyscraper office buildings and many many people.  This is the inside of Times Square, one of the shopping malls. 

 Because land is limited in the city, it is built more upwards rather than the sprawling malls of Canada (this one is 10 floors high).  Some malls even have just two stores on a floor, but go up and up and up!  The escalator companies in Hong Kong must be very wealthy!

As we walk these very modern streets, we are never far from the less-rich and less-modern.



Typical one-block-back -
note the natural dryer
(hang out your window)



Note the bamboo scaffolding - used
everywhere.  It is the only type of
scaffolding used in Hong Kong
(perfect renewable resource....
Sarah would be proud!)



At times, we find the ancient.  Under an overpass on a main street nearby, these women set up "shop" daily.  Little altars surrounded by little plastic children's stools.  For a small fee they will help you burn incense and paper items for your ancestors, and tell you your fortune.  The ancient is interwoven into their daily lives it appears.

Jeff is working hard (actually, as I type this he has just landed in Tokyo....be back Wednesday), I am doing my usual exploring the neighbourhood.  Actually, I have started Cantonese lessons so am challenged every day with the two hour lesson, home work, and attempting to say a few words to people.  I have heard it takes six years to become completely fluent in Cantonese - my goal is to just carry on a short conversation.  No better place than here to learn it!

Amongst all of the new things, we have found a few familiar things we did not have in Manila, and they bring us a taste of home........



So, those I have trips to Ikea with,
this is our next stop!  When you step
in the door, you think you are in any
Ikea in Canada



Well, we are over 45....





Seriously, you have to love a country
that imports beer brewed 30 minutes from
our Waterloo home, and sells it in
the grocery store!

When Jeff returns next week we will start to look for our permanent home.  It will be good to really settle in, have our few belongings from Manila delivered, and then our new lives and routine can really start.  So far, we are loving it. This is a vibrant, busy, but VERY organized city, and we feel very comfortable already. There are so many things to show you all, but we will try and not put too many pictures on at one time.  (we will try and blog more often though....just for you, Alice!)

One last thing to share - watch this very bumpy video I took today walking from the mall in the first picture towards our home.  It is like a video game trying to walk through the number of people. At times, the video game throws in a surprise, so keep your eyes open for:  

• double decker buses and trolleys
• meat shop with meat hanging (including numerous plucked ducks)
• red taxis - well, all the taxis on Hong Kong Island are red (they are other colours in other parts)
• lady carrying bundles of flattened cardboard
• bike delivery
• man pushing cart (almost running you over)
• non-Asians (how many can you count?!)

Enjoy the video - be aware that the foot traffic was less when shot this because it was Saturday....even more people on a work day!

Love you all....and looking forward to sharing more of our lives in Hong Kong with you