Bauhinia

My Dear Great Ones:

For your information. FYI

Bauhinia blakeana commonly called the Hong Kong Orchid Tree^[1] is a legume tree of the genusBauhinia, with large thick leaves and striking purplish red flowers. The fragrant, orchid-like flowers are usually 10 to 15 centimetres (3.9 to 5.9 in) across, and bloom from early November to the end of March. Although now cultivated in many areas, it originated in Hong Kong in 1880 and apparently all of the cultivated trees derive from one cultivated at the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens and widely planted in Hong Kong starting in 1914.^[2] It is referred to as bauhinia in non-scientific literature though this is the name of the genus. It is sometimes called the Hong Kong orchid (香港蘭). Commonly called by the people of Hong Kong by its Chinese name "洋紫荊".

The Hong Kong Flag

1. The position of red and white on the flag symbolizes the "one country two systems" political principle applied to the region. The stylized rendering of the Bauhinia blakeanaflower, a flower discovered in Hong Kong, is meant to serve as a harmonizing symbol for this dichotomy.
2. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

On July 1, 1997, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) was formed following Great Britain's return of the territory to China. In celebration, China's Central Government presented a gilded bauhinia statue to the city. The statue was placed in the square next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre facing the Wan Chai waterfront. This location is now called Golden Bauhinia Square.

Have a great week everyone!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Having Some Fun With GoPro and the Wife

Hello My Dear Great Ones,

Similar to my wife Go Pro is a fun little camera that can be taken biking, or swimming, or skiing, or underwater, or anywhere really.    Last week I took the camera and my lovely wife biking and to the beach and had some fun with them.

Biking near our house to the country park.

There are some great views of Hong Kong along the bike trail. 

Going to Lamma with Celia is one of my most favorite activities of all time.  Here we are at Central Pier ready to load onto the boat which will take us to our destination.

 At the pier.

 Lo So Shing Beach  on Lamma is great.  The water was great on a plus 32 day.

 Views of Sok Kwa Wan on Lamma.

 Lo So Shing Beach.

 Picture of a shark net.

Dinner later at the Lamma Hilton with some fine friends.

Have a great week everyone.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Portraits of Some Men From Long Ago.

 My Dear Great Ones,
Last summer I went to Berlin and visited the Jewish Museum.  I highly recommend it.  It is very interesting and profound.  There are several portraits in the museum of famous and not so famous German Jews.  While I love photos of people there is something amazing about paintings of people.  Those that were painted before the advent of photography and are of the same quality, or arguably a much greater quality than a photograph is astounding to me.  Below is a small sampling of some of the portraits at the Jewish Museum.  Both artists and subjects are long dead but the life and emotion of the painting lives on.  And maybe that is what is so profound.  That when you look at a painting of a person you don't just see an image, but a life, recreated by the emotions, intellect, and being of the artist.  A life that was precious, a life that had its time here on Earth, an example of the miracle of life that is immortalized by the miracle of an artist's ability.

Sorry I don't know who painted the paintings below or who their subjects are, but in the future I will try to pay attention to those details more. And yes the museum did allow photography.

God bless you!

Have a great week!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Rooftop

My Dear Great Ones,
For most of my life I have lived in a house with a yard.  I have taken it is a given.  Yet, the longer I live here in Hong Kong it is becoming quite clear that the days where I am home in a private detached house with yard is a thing of the past.  Here in HK to have 700 sq feet of living space in an apartment complex is a privilege and you are fortunate indeed to be able to afford that "much," space. I have gotten used to this since going out in HK is a norm.  There is plenty of things to see and do, so staying at home is not done often.

Yet at times, especially after visiting family and friends in Old Germany and Young Canada, and seeing their backyards I have suffered a tinge of jealousy and sad nostalgic yearnings.  Well a few months ago I moved up in my village house from the ground floor to the top floor.  Not only do I get my usual 700 sq ft living space, but a balcony and the "rooftop."  Having access to an outdoor space again is pretty sweet.  Really I consider my rooftop more of a patio than a backyard and I consider the country park and its jungle nearby as the "backyard."    Celia and I have had a few guests visit our rooftop already and it is becoming a great place to enjoy good food, good drink, good company, good conversation, good views, and good air. I know compared to all the great patios and yards out there my rooftop is not remarkable, but I will take it and I am grateful.

 View of Kwai Chung, a part of Kowloon.

 My old furniture is now on the rooftop.

Entrance to the rooftop.

A view of a neighbour.  My village house is very similar.

You can talk to your fellow neighbours via the roof tops.

 The view from one side of the roof top.  Jungle.

 Chillin at night with some wine.

Have a great week.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk