The Promenade Again!

 Our apartment complex edges the Victoria Harbor Promenade.  The daily activity here is addictive.  I greet several “friends” on my morning walks who shout a vigorous “good morning” as we pass.  So much life is exhibited here.  I’ll try to share a sampling of what we often see.

One of my favorite sculpture graces the harbor view.  A prominent subject (painting, poster, or sculpture) is Bruce Lee.   Though not displayed here, I had no idea of his iconic status in Hong Kong. 

Busking!  A new term for me, denotes street performing.  Weekend evenings at Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) we see much busking.  The unusual costumes provide most of the entertainment.

Note this woman and her drum instruments.  Each “drum” is a different bucket.  The sound was actually very nice.  Now that’s talent.

                       The long sleeves are typically worn by dancers from Tibet.

 “Van Gogh’s Ear”.   Really?  Someone made a lot of money by naming this swimming pool after an artist’s lopped off ear.  This currently adorns the harbor art location in from of Musea 11 – an upscale mall.  How long will the display last?

The back side of “Van Gogh’s Ear” is equally perplexing.  Not my idea of great art – but others may be awe struck by this sculpture.

Our Sunday morning walks always provide a view of this group of dancers.  The lead woman is amazingly graceful in every turn of her fingers.

                 I love watching them dance with fans, so beautiful and graceful.

                            The varieties and extent of stretching the Asians do is astounding.

     I try to do my part by utilizing the recycling bins found in multiple locations near the promenade.

Oh, how we enjoy riding the harbor ferries.  This small ferry returns from the Central district to our own Hung Hom station – a 5 minute walk from our apartment.

Notice the man with his large, spread red fan.  Watching his disciplined turns and hearing the snap of the fan open and close provides sheer entertainment.

Next, the woman performs with the sword.  We have much to learn from the artistic and disciplined exercise of this generation.

Rick observes some of the young swimmers complete push-ups after a lengthy harbor swim.  They told him of a cool Caucasian guy who swims once a week.   Rick said, “That’s me.”  They didn’t recognize him with his glasses and hat.  We enjoyed a good laugh about that.

                               The water spewing dragon fountain is another of my favorites.

A Sunday morning wedding shoot shows the groom wearing authentic Chinese attire as his groomsmen sport a more modern style.

                      Another groom, with his casually dressed friends, snaps pre-wedding photos.

Ahh!  The children enjoy playing here every evening.  Apartment living requires a place to come and exercise.  We delight in watching the children, and their parents, utilizing this facility.  I frequently give thanks for a grassy yard my children used daily.

                                  Notice this sweet girl waving a farewell to her friend.

        My favorite photo – two best friends swing arms together while walking along the promenade.

Cape D'Aguilar - January 2021

 

Cape D’Aguilar lies at the southernmost tip of Hong Kong Island.  We take the ferry to the island, then the MTR train to an eastern stop, then board the bus for the cape.  The trail is paved and easy until the coast is in view.  The crowd then splits into several directions to explore this wonderful location.

             Walking along the trail we see a beautiful view of Stanley across the bay.

The whale skeleton rests in a unique spot.  The background construction project will be a marine biology research center.

                                            The rocky coast is a favorite climbing spot.

                                                Rick reaches the top of the rocky hill climb.

                                    I must watch every step as the rocks can be slippery.

Thunder Cave attracts huge crowds.  I must admit that watching the waves crash through this slit in the rocks is an amazing site.

We enjoyed the crashing waves on this beautiful January day.  It reminded me of La Bufadoro near Ensenada, Mexico.  We talked frequently of our children as they would enjoy such an ocean view.  They would have delighted in climbing and playing everywhere on the cape.  We share wonderful memories of times we’ve visited oceans with our family.  Suddenly, we wanted to share all of this with them.  After a few waves of nostalgic homesickness we carried on with our hike

Crab Cave was equally impressive with massive waves filling the cave and then reseeding to the pleasure of all onlookers.  It’s hard to beat nature’s entertainment.

                               The lighthouse stands splendidly against the clear blue sky.

      I found the lone mailbox behind the lighthouse.  I have no idea of its purpose or strange location.

We waited behind several others to take our picture at the door of the lighthouse.  We acted just like tourists.

From atop the coastal rocks Lohas Park is visible in the distance.  Yes, the water was really that blue the day we visited.

Rick captures this splashing wave perfectly.  Later, we noticed the Chinese woman posing on top of the rock.  We laugh constantly at their desire for photos EVERYWHERE!!!  The otherwise quiet and reserved Asians go all out when a camera is in view.

Someone volunteered to snap a photo as we stand on the peak in the strong wind.  What a glorious afternoon we spent at Cape D’Aguilar.

Celebrating Rick's BIG Birthday - December 2020

 Rick's "Birthday Party" included mini celebrations on several different days during the last week of December.  I'm listing a few of these events.

Rick’s first fitting for a tailored suit.  I could call it his "Birthday Suit".  The proprietors were particularly concerned about a superb fit.   

Cheung Hing Tailor – They were thrilled with the final product.  Their English was difficult to understand but we did capture the phrase, “Not too big, not too small, just right fit.”  Rick now owns a beautiful suit from Hong Kong.  The price for a perfect fit was unbelievably low.

It’s Saturday morning at Victoria Harbor.  The woman in pink begins her morning swim by testing the cold water with her toes.

            Others follow, as this morning ritual attracts the fittest of Hong Kong’s elderly population.

Rick joins in for a refreshing and challenging morning dip.  I insist he uses the bright buoy.  It gives me some assurance of his safety.  A whistle attaches to the floatation in case of real danger.

                              Rick emerges from the harbor after an invigorating swim.

A fellow athlete awaits his return with thumbs up and asks Rick’s age.  He wasn’t impressed with the number as most of these senior athletes are much older.

They all support each other in exercise ventures.  The talkative group gladly embraces Rick as a fellow athlete.

We've watched multiple ways to warm-up before a swim.  He stands on his head and then extends to his hands.  Impressive!

He’s not yet finished his stretching.  We stare in amazement at the extreme stretching we see from all athletes in this city.  Their flexing skills are amazing.

        This man stretches before entering the harbor.    I haven’t tried the splits since high school.

I love to hear this woman singing while she swims.  Her voice sounds operatic in ability and volume.  Then she finishes her routine with a long stretch.  Unbelievable! 

We celebrated Rick’s birthday after staff meeting.  The traditional cake was replaced with delicious fresh fruit.  Every piece was rapidly devoured in minutes.   Following a month of holiday treats, this was a welcome change.   Sorry, this is all that remains of three platters filled with sliced melon, pineapple, persimmons, kiwi, and blueberries.   He was honored with the birthday song in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Later in the week we enjoyed the OGC “Root Beer Float Day”.  That event provided one more good reason to celebrate Rick’s day with fruit instead of sweets.  Steve enjoys the tradition from home quarantine.  We love Zoom!  

The entire staff looks forward to this monthly social.  No doubt, we serve with marvelous individuals.

A senior couple serving with YSA mentioned the easy office hours they keep.  They commented on the 10^th floor (legal) as serving above and beyond a senior missionary daily schedule.  Yes, the legal office works long and hard and these attorneys earn every break received.