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.