Erik

Dear Great Ones,

I got this email from Erik several years ago:  

Dad,

You are a good Dad.  I respect you very much.  I know we are very different, but I love you very much. I don't think I am better than you at all, and I never will.  I understand you and your life, and as I grow as a father, I'm realizing that I would like very much to be your friend.  It's taken me some time to process our life.  But I sincerely believe that we will be good friends.  I love you with all my heart. I am your son.

I will cling onto those words for the rest of my life.  I loved Erik too very much and I would not be going through this horrible grief over his passing if it was not so.  I am his dad.  Yes our wildly different personalities and beliefs and outlook on life caused plenty of strife, but there was also much effort on both our parts to try and understand each other.  As a result we had many, many good

moments.  Moments that no one can ever take away.  I am grateful and thankful for those. They are a big part of me.  

Thank you to everyone who is walking with me through this time.  I truly believe God has given you to support me.  Erik left behind a wife and two kids.  Pray for them too.

God bless you.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

A Walk Around Nam Cheong Neighborhood

My Dear Great Ones,

I was invited by a friend to help out at a ministry for the homeless and addicted near the Nam Cheong MTR station.  The contrasts of the area around Nam Cheong are startling:

Very typical Hong Kong (Nam Cheong) scene.

The ministry had people gather under the "sky bridge," elevated highway.  They preached and sang to them before giving them food.  Near the gathering place were slum shacks made of wood scraps and tarps.

There were many old people who came to be ministered to.  Hong Kong has the sad stat that one out of three senior citizens live in poverty.   They depend on ministries to provide free food for their survival.

Other views of the slums under the sky bridge.

Near the ministry gathering and in the midst of the slum was a Jade Market.  This shop keeper had succumbed to boredom or weariness or both.

Some very nice stones.

Also nearby was a Chinese orchestra playing and singing traditional music and song.

Others were doing Tai Chi.

While others were playing majong or Chinese checkers.

Meanwhile this fellow overcame the middle armrest, put in to prevent this very thing, (having a nap) in a creative way.

A group of men hanging out, while watching an intense game.  These kind of scenes are all over Hong Kong on a nice day, which is most of the time.

Hong Kong continues to be an interesting place for me.  I am always discovering something new Have a great week every one.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Chimelong Revisited

 My Dear Great Ones,
Celia and I celebrated our last day of summer holidays by going to Chimelong Aquarium located in Shenzhen, China.  It has the largest aquarium tank in the world and has a pod of whale sharks.  This was blogged a while ago.  This blog should have come right after, but the arrival of Sven scuttled those plans.  Anyway, Chimelong has more to see than the whale sharks:

 The entrance is amazing with a large screen on the roof projecting sealife:

 The dolphins sleeked by frolicking and spinning upside down and up...

 The sturgeon were impressive....

 As were the manatee...

 Lots and lots of people all armed with iphones enjoyed what they saw...

 Colorful catfish...

 Several aquatic creatures together...

Puffer fish (I think)...

 Sturgeon...

 Manatees...

 Why are arctic wolves in an aquarium?  Terrible enclosure.  This pack stood like statues in a space that was inhumanly small...

Turtles.... 

 Jellyfish were lit up in different colors...

 Tails of the Manatee.  I think they were getting fed...

Penguins had plenty of room to swim and groom themselves... 

 Seals fighting over something...

Pelicans are ugly beautiful if you know what I mean...

 Yeah, skis at an aquarium.  Part of the arctic theme at one display.  Hmmm... 

 Bears?....

Box turtles....

Overall a neat place, but the bear and wolf enclosures are terrible and cruel.  The aquarium is astounding.

Have a great week.  

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk

Up Needle Hill Again

Hello My Dear great Ones,

I am so grateful to live with Celia near the Shing Mun Country Park.  A few weekends ago we went on a major 3 hour hike that took us to the back side of Needle Hill.  This hill is like a pyramid.  Steep and pointy with amazing views.

The steps up Needle Hill are steep and seemingly endless.

View of Needle Hill from afar.  Note the steep trail to the top.

On the way up Needle Hill there are great views of Shatin:

Almost to the top.

Views of Shing Mun Reservoir and Tsuen Mun, and Kowloon.

Great views, great workout, the Needle Hill hike is awesome.

Have a great week everyone!

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk