Victoria Harbor Promenade - September 2020

We begin each Sunday morning with a refreshing walk on the promenade.  If the evening schedule permits, we return to the harbor promenade for a cool down stroll also.  

Each Sunday morning many domestic workers from the Philippines set up small tents to “camp” on their only day off.

They leave the employers home or they don’t have “time off” so they fill the parks and covered footbridges in Hong Kong.  This area provides a nice option, when the weather cooperates.

The music is amplified as they dance at day’s end.

The Filipina sisters in our branch use the church all day for family history research, piano keyboarding classes, self-reliance classes, chorister classes, choir practice, Branch Missionary meetings, Family Home Evening groups, and much more.  I feel comfort knowing the actual church building provides a haven for these dear women.  We anxiously await the opening of our churches again.  Our branch sisters currently meet in parks as they tune into Zoom church meetings.  The pandemic has been most challenging for this segment of the population. 

We see lots of stroller, scooters, bikes, wheelchairs, walkers, and runners.

Entire families can be seen each evening as they come to enjoy the pleasant temperatures and let the children play outside their apartments.

                                                     Every culture is represented here.

The elderly workers keep the entire harbor promenade clean.  Notice her hat – it protects her from heat or rain.  It seems to be a combination of a cap and a partial umbrella.

The brooms are great.  They seem to be assembled from dried reeds.  I don’t really know their material content but they are just fun to see.  I can easily picture this broom as a Halloween accessory.  

                                           She pushes the cart filled with her working “tools”.

I feel quilt for those who stick advertisements here and don’t know this elderly woman is the one who scrapes away the outdated material.

The yellow “caution” tape has surrounded this old phone booth since the protests last year.

          His fish traps (baskets) are set with several pieces of bread and a brick in the bottom.

She pulled a successful catch of craps from the harbor.  Notice the heavy, pink rubber gloves.  They were needed as she reached in to grab the crabs.  They were fighters.  Years of experience gave her the upper hand.

 

Tung Chung Fort - Lantau Island - September 2020

 

The original fort was erected in the 1600’s.  The Fort received repurposing updates in the 1800’s.  I expected to find this site on a hill but it sits off a main road in a less-traveled part of town.

Rick stands at the Fort entrance.

Cannons can be seen at the top of the outer wall.

A closer view of one cannon

We discovered this banana tree near the back corner of the fort.

From the top of the fort we viewed the cannons and one of the checkpoint cabins.

The back wall nestles perfectly into the forest landscape.

Find the large spider near Rick’s hand.  Its color provides a perfect camouflage as it easily blends into the rock color.

This abandoned restroom sports five nonfunctioning sinks on the exterior wall.  Such a modern structure was not part of the 1800 fortifications.  Today this would be called "yard art".

Walking around the fort wall was delightful.  The endless stone steps gave us some climbing exercise.

Multiple stone staircases lead from the wall to the interior.

The fort is hundreds of years old, yet the modern tile bench at the entry is “out of order”.

We return home on the metro train.  No crowds here as Covid-19 deters Hong Kongers from unnecessary travel.  Escaping the office/apartment on Saturday is an absolute necessity for us.

Tai O Fishing Village - Lantau Island

September 2020

We board the ferry to Lantau Island.  Notice the tram line in the background.  That leads to the Big Buddha.  We hiked there last January.  The adventures are connecting themselves.

The ferry enters the bay of Tai O Village.  The mountain backdrop adds to the secluded feel.

We feel as though we’ve stepped back in time to a simpler era.

The shops display some interesting fish items.

The displays were amazing.  One could buy anything related to preparing and eating fish.

We see endless packages of fish stomach.  It resembles pieces of soft foam.  This provides flavor to soups and sauces.  Who knew?  I didn’t buy this product.  My culture is showing.

Another food flavoring item - I don't even know what it is.  A church employee purchased a fish sauce here.  The odor is so offensive his wife insists the jar can never be opened in the house.  Jones promises it is tasty with fish.  I'm not sure I believe him.  

Clothes drying and fish drying – how will the clothes smell at day’s end?

I’m not sure why the heads are covered in paper?  Guesses?

A Tai O home with boats and fish on the clothes line - What a classic scene

Starfish!!

Drying egg yolks – I can’t explain the use of the final product here either.

Enjoy a few fruits and veggies with those fish.

Unique topiary type trees

Notice Rick on the bridge - he's easy to spot with that hat.

The photo taken from the same spot on the bridge, with a sudden gust of wind.

What a clever way to recycle – the “fish” is filled with cans and plastic bottles.

Working from home and discovering new places in Hong Kong - September 2020

      Home office.  We’ve worked here, most days, for nearly six weeks.  As the Covid-19 numbers drop        we now go to the church office two days a week.

     I work from the 2^nd bedroom (which is much more like a hallway).

      Nan Lian Nunnery Gardens

     Nan Lian Nunnery  - I thought “Convent” was the appropriate name but all the signs and literature         guide us to the Nunnery.

THE JADE MARKET!!!  Sandra and her brother Kevin and sister Sarah manage our favorite booth.  They were raised with Gem skills as their father is the professional.  They are patient as I take time with my selections.  I appreciate their counsel and help with styles and colors.  Who knew the varieties were so vast and beautiful?

I love this place.  Sandra is the supreme “Jade Queen” all the missionaries visit.  She knows everything about jade and pearls and she values missionary business so we are given the best prices imaginable.  

The old Western market – this is still a prime location for purchasing silk and finding a tailor.  

 See one of the main streets in the Central Hong Kong Business district.  It's always busy.  This quiet moment during the pandemic displays a very quiet pedestrian and auto traffic pattern.

We visited the Tsz monastery last February.  The Guanyin Bronze Statue  is 76 meters tall.

Ma On Shan walkway along the bay in the territories.   Can you see the Bronze sculpture in the background?  I was thrilled to make the connection.  All our self-guided tours and travels often make such connections with places we’ve previously seen.  

New friends we met on the MTR.  The children ask the most honest questions and try to practice their English skills.  We know they are speaking about us when they say something in Cantonese and the parents blush.  Hey, we can successfully start conversations with families if we begin by talking to the children.

                    The children are adorable and we enjoy watching their doting parents.

I pass this man nearly every morning while exercising.  He always smiles, waves, and nods as he bids, “Good morning, good morning!”  When I stopped and asked for a photo he said, “No speak English.”  He is waving for the photo so you can’t see his cute smile.

The California Pizza Kitchen is open again.  This hostess said she will never again complain when they are crowded.  She values every customer and we appreciate the specialized attention.   She described how well she managed her wage cut during these Covid months.   She assessed her previous spending as extremely “prideful” and the decrease provided a greater sense of joy.  I was touched by her poignant honesty.