Crowds

Hello Amazing People,
Talking about amazing and people there are 8 million of them packed here in Hong Kong.  99% of them, like myself, live in tiny apartments, or flats as they say here, (old British influence) that are crazy expensive $700 000 Canadian for my little two bedroom flat.   Some flats are much smaller than mine and have 10-15 folks squished into them.

 In Canada everyone seems to have a house and an average Canadian spends a good chunk of their life span maintaing, landscaping,  paying off the mortgage , and living in their house.  Here in Hong Kong people's lives are centered around work, eating out, shopping, and basically doing anything to stay away from home.  With no maintenance, mortgage (most pay rent) and hardly any space why would you?   Mind you the weather, excellent for about 350 out of 365 days a year helps a lot too.  As a result people are out on the streets of Hong Kong constantly.  And not just a few people.  A lot of people.

One of the most crowded places on earth is the Mon Kok area in Kowloon City because it has the Ladies Market and The Night Market, infamous for their wide variety of knock merchandise plus it has several streets blocked off for pedestrians to roam around and shop.  It also attracts various organizations like Greenpeace, Amnesty International, plus traveling music and acting groups that display and perform for the masses that invade Mon Kok pretty well every day.  Only a typhoon warning and the early morning hours causes the crowds to wane a tad.

Elsie, our little Elsie now 21 and officially an adult, got a chance to perform with her DRIME (Disciples Ready In Mobile Evangelism) team from Trinity Western University in Mon Kok.  Drime is basically dance depicting the life of Jesus and people's response to Him.  It is quite good and was well received by the audience in Mon Kok.  Elsie is planning to go on to Thailand later in August with a DRIME team and she is certainly looking forward to that.

Well that is all for this week.  I failed to get a picture of Chinglish this week, but I did see a sign on a boat that I was disembarking and did not have time to capture on digital:  "Remain seater until boat is secure at berth."  Or something like that.  Next time I will have the camera ready.  Enjoy your week.

Love adios and peng on,

Dirk




  

Shenzhen

Hello Excellent Ones,
It has been raining, it has been dreary, so Elsie and I did something rather spontaneous yesterday to cheer our selves up a bit.  We hopped on the train, rode north for half an hour through the Hong Kong Territory and went into Shenzhen, China.  Some quick facts about Shenzhen first.   In 1979 Shenzhen was a little fishing village just over the walled border between Hong Kong and China.  Think old East/West Germany and its border.  A big bad wall with plenty of razor wire and guards with orders to kill anyone foolish  enough trying to cross.  

Yet the Chinese government decided in 1979 to do an experiment with Shenzhen.  It made the little fishing village a "Special Economic Zone."  They called it "socialism with Chinese characteristics."  Yeah right. "Over the top capitalism" is what it really should have been called.  The Chinese government chose Shenzhen due to its proximity to Hong Kong, one of the world's most blatant capitalistic places on earth.  The experiment's goal was to attract business interests from Hong Kong and around the world by offering a place where they would be charged little or no taxes to run their businesses and have access to a work force that would work for practically nothing.
Well this little experiment basically worked well to say the least.  Businesses from Hong Kong and around the world poured in and at last count 30 billion US dollars has been invested into Zhenshen making it one of the fastest growing cities in the world even 30 years later.  More Special Economic Regions followed and it  propelled China to where it is at today, the world's second largest economy, soon to be number 1, a country whose investments around the world, Africa, Brazil and yes Canada is basically keeping this world afloat economically.  The leader of Brazil was asked why they are doing so well economically now after years of tough sledding.  "Chinese investment," he said.  Any way Shenzhen in 32 years has grown to a city of 14 million!  Include Hong Kong's 8 million that makes 22 million in an area much, much , much smaller than Alberta.  Thank God there are some green patches and nature parks around here!

Ok back to the trip Elsie and I took.  We crossed the border into China, it reminded me so much of the old East Germany days, minus the guns, lots of passport controls, lots of cool stamps from unsmiling guards, lots of waiting around,  that is so painful for me, yet when we got through we took a short walk to  the Luohu Commercial  Market Mall.  We had  been told about this "mall," but seeing is believing.  Really the mall should call itself the: "The Knock off Centre of the World."  You can literally get anything and everything here for a very decent price.  There are thousands of little shops, it is a maze where you can easily get lost in.  You can also get clothes tailor made.  Elsie came with a few pictures of what she wanted, I came with a sample shirt and after was all said in done we were fitted for clothes that in Canada would have set us back around $1000 Canadian.  Instead we paid about $350 Canadian.  We also bought several DVD's, that were of good quality for about 3 dollars a disk.  It was quite an experience being at this place and I will let the pictures and comments give you a better idea of this place where, "socialism with Chinese characteristics," thrive.
Have a great week everyone and I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Love adios and peng on,

Dirk

Cliff Jumping

Hello Amazing People,
I am slowly letting myself unwind.  I am getting into serious relax mode.  Elsie is working at a tutor place and I am teaching a little basketball on the side as well.  Yet we had plenty of time to go to one of my favorite places on earth, namely Sai Kung Country Park.  We went on a 40 minute trek, once we arrived at the Sai Wan trail head by taxi, through a jungle to a deserted beach.  The little settlement of Sai Wan nearby provided us with water and lunch.  At the end of the beach was another rather rugged trail through some more jungle.  Elsie and I took that trail, then clambered up some rocks to a fantastic waterfall.  We did some cliff jumping there into a deep pool of refreshing water. It was unsalted which was nice.  We spent several hours enjoying ourselves and then marched back through the jungle to a waiting taxi that we had called ahead for.  Taxis are relatively cheap so no problem.  All in all it was a treat to fly through the air and plunge into some nice, cool, fresh water.  Ya hoo.

See you next week.

Love adios and peng on,

Dirk

18 Things I Bet You Have Never Seen In Your Life

Dear Incredible People,
Sorry I am a little late this week, but I spent the last four days in China on a school mission trip and I am just now finding the time.  The group that goes on these trips to China call themselves Glow In The Dark, as Jesus is often referred to as light in the darkness.  The kids are led by a teacher named King Yu who has been at CAIS for almost forever, but did start out in North Dakota and New Jersey where, because he is Chinese, he really stood out.  Eventually he found himself back home in Hong Kong.  King Yu and his group of grade 10-12 kids are all quite excellent and what they do is put on a program for local churches in China.  So they sing, dance, and act out gospel songs and stories.  I came along to help King ride herd on the kids and I also was coerced to sing a few songs with them.  My voice, like my physique, cough, cough, blended in nicely with the numbers presented.  After the program is done the kids, and most of them know Chinese, tell other kids who have shown up for the program about the Lord and many decide to become followers.  It is all very real, sweet, and beautiful to witness even though I don't understand a word, but the kids often translate so that helps.

Any way I have titled this edition 18 Things I Bet You Have Never Seen In Your Life because I saw some very interesting things on this trip, which by the way included the city of Keiping, and the villages of Ma Gon, Chek Hum and the San Cheun Church in Keiping.  I am sure you can google the locations.  Ok where was I?  Oh yeah if you have seen five of the things I am about to present or more you are pretty cool, if not don't worry I still think you are cool.  And just to make sure you know that I am not making some of this stuff up I have included photo evidence.

1.  Crowd at the border between Hong Kong and Shenzen, China.  Lots of people.  Lots and lots.
2.  Urine district.  Thats what the sign said at the Chinese restroom.  Really.
3.  Over the urinal were the words Close Easy and Close To Civilization.  Ok whatever you say.  I love Chinglish!
4.  A Bamboo pipe.
5.  Chinese Bible
6.  Old people sorting out Lychi nuts on a street corner.
7.  Majong games.  Kinda like rummy.
8.  Fireworks in front of a restaurant that had a million motorbikes, preferred method of transportation for many Chinese, in front of it.
9.  Chickens pecking at garbage on a street corner.
10.  Kids from a variety of Asian countries singing English gospel songs to Chinese people.
11.  Visible minority standing amongst real Chinese junior high girls.  I was a rock star for a moment.
12.  Kids riding with umbrellas to ward off the sun.
13.  Narrow "road," in rural Chinese village.
14.  Chinese Coca Cola.  Its the real thing!
15.  Kid eating a chicken head.  I understand the comb of a chicken is quite tasty.
16.  Europe meets Asia.  All great.
17.  Empty street with cool buildings.  In Chek Hum.
18.  Great Kids.  I am sure everyone got this one.  At least I hope so.

Have a great week,

Catch you next time,

Love Adios and Peng On,

Dirk