Big Wave Bay

Big Wave Bay
Not just another beach!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Philippines

My Dear Great Ones,
Sorry about being a little late.  Computer problems, travel, etc all took their toll in getting this out.  Needless to say I am with Eli and Elsie at Tonglen Resort on Boracay Island in the Philippines.  It is a sweet place.  We are all sunburnt after a day laying on the beach and going snorkeling.  The weather has been good so far.  We are enjoying each other's company and there is peace.  Thank you for your prayers and Christmas wishes.  I wish you all the best, Merry Christmas,  and as an extra bonus I will try to enter something every day for the week we are here. 

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk 









Off to the Philippines.  Eli and Elsie.

On the road to our resort.
On the beach at Boracay.


Eli and Elsie after their snorkel time.




Thursday, December 13, 2012

Christmas 2012

Hello My Dear Great People,
Ok I have to admit it.  I am not the biggest fan of Christmas.  Too much kitch, too many memories (good and bad) it has been especially tough for me in the last two years.  My Christmas trips have softened the blow somewhat, but when you go from years of Christmas filled with family to nothing it is pretty tough.  This year Eli and Elsie will be joining me here in HK for the Christmas season and we are heading to the Philippines.  I am very happy about that.  Thanks to everyone who has filled my life with encouragement, prayers, and love over the last two years.  I am very thankful and grateful.  Now to lighten the mood up abit here are some Asian Christmas decorations that have evoked some emotion in me.  

God bless you all!  Enjoy your Christmas.  Next posting may be a little late due to travel, but I will give it my best shot to provide something.  

Thanks!

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk












What it is all about.



Rather surreal.



Nut crackers?



Skiing santas.





Kitch City



At a golf course in December.



Kitch city.

Real poinsettas in the lobby of my apartment building.





Saturday, December 8, 2012

Barbecue in December?

Dear Amazing Ones,
It is December 8th and I am writing this with my balcony door open, while wearing shorts, and a tee shirt.  The sun is comforting my shoulders with gentle heat and a delightful cool breeze is wafting through my abode.  Local Chinese music from somewhere outside is serenading my spirit.  Looking out I see plenty of green foliage swaying in the breeze.  It seems absurd that there are Christmas decorations around with signs that say: Let it snow, or , I wish you a white Christmas,   ha ha ha ha ha yeah right, it won't happen, has never happened, will never happen.  It is still kind of bizarre to me not to have snow or ice during this festive season.

Yesterday I went on a barbecue with a few friends.  It was warm enough that a few people were swimming in the ocean. Forgot my swim suit otherwise I would have been in there as well.  As I contemplated my life a little bit here in Hong Kong, after a great social time and eating time, I realized that my desire to come back "home" to Canada has dwindled dramatically over the few years I have been here. I miss the great people back in Canada, but there are great people here too, and the weather?    Barbecue in December?  Swimming in the ocean in December?  Dressed like summer pretty well all year round?  I'll take it. I think I am staying. God bless you and keep you.  Take care.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk


Deepwater Bay.  



Barbeque Chinese style.  Cement pits, cement benches, cement, cement, cement.



Some great people.  Left to right: Selenna, Cam, Daniel, Jim, Vivian

More great people.  Left to right:  Celia, Kelvin, Vivian, Jim Bill, Daniel, Selenna

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Local Snack Time

My Dear Excellent Ones,
Along with a few friends of mine I braved myself into a rather sketchy establishment.  When the menu is written in Chinese on the walls outside and there is nary an English word, you can't help but feel a little wary…






… especially when one of the photos is offering stomach and other unmentionables as a tasty side dish…




…yet we braved ourselves into the "restaurant," and with the help of some Chinese friends, we ordered, Tong Ning Cha (Cold Lemon Tea), soya milk, Chinese donuts (fried flour mixed with grease) some of the donuts were covered with glazed rice, and a weak peanut butter sauce,  and noodles with chicken wings,  sorry did not have the stomach for stomach, (bad joke sorry)...





…and as you can see by my wry smile I survived, infact we all did, a little richer from the cool cultural experience and a little fuller from our tasty snack...




So that is all for this week.  Exciting things are in store for me.  I am moving, Eli and Elsie are visiting and we will be going to the Philippines for Christmas.  Things are looking good and I am very grateful.
Thanks for your prayers, God bless you and have a great week.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk











Saturday, November 24, 2012

Faces of China

Dear Excellent Ones,

One of the things I like doing is sneaking pictures of people.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.  Yet when you take pictures of people and they don't realize it, you get a glimpse of who they really are.  So without further ado here are some sneaky pictures:

A flute player busking for money at a subway station.

Near the forbidden city.

Deep in thought.

In front of the Forbidden City.

Serious dude by the Forbidden City.


Hey how are you?

Everyone loves a baby,


Respecting your elder.

Huh what?  You are kidding!

Tough times.

Have a great week everyone!

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Great People Great Walk

Hello Excellent Ones,
I work with a great group of people.  Smart, funny, and friendly.  This past Saturday I went with a few of them for a hike to Amah rock and Lion rock. The weather was just right for walking and the sights and smells were life giving.  After summiting Lion Rock we ended up in Kowloon City where we finished the day with a superb Thai meal.  Yes, indeed I am thankful and grateful for good friends, health, and the opportunity to go on great hikes.

Excellent people.  Left to Right; Evelyn, Vinci, Celia, Clem, Wing Yee (sorry for misspelling), Jim

We had some curious observers.

Amah rock with Shatin in the background.

On the back of Lion Rock.  Can you make out the the Lion Head?

Vinci and Celia overjoyed to have made it,

Overlooking Kowloon, Hong Kong is in the distance.

On top of Lion Rock, a marker that states Jesus Christ is Holy.  I agree.

Jim, using clues from the internet, found a treasure on top of Lion Rock.  Apparently these boxes are all over the world.  Who thinks of stuff like this…

Well have a great week everyone.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Interesting Times

Dear Amazing People,
A week does not go by without something interesting happening here in amazing, interesting Hong Kong.  Highlights this week included a picture scavenger hunt, with friends from school, in the market of Sham Shui Po, a gritty, worn down area of Kowloon loaded with character.  There were some interesting sights thats for sure.  Here are a few samples:

A little fan of mine.



Pig head for dessert anyone?  Anyone?


A little down on his luck.


This week I also ran a sports day for my kindergarten kids.  We have the sports day in November because the weather is usually ideal then, plus 25 sunny, little cool breezes floating along, think perfect Alberta summer day, sorry my dear Canadians who have shovelled snow this week, I should not really be taking a little dig like this.  No pun intended.  Nevertheless, crazy as this may sound the weather was actually a little hot for the kids and the millions or parents with cameras who joined us.  Highlight of the day was when 80 kids and some parents started blowing bubbles at the same time.  It was magical, amazing, we were in a bubble land.
Charmaine is pumped for sports day.


Bubble land


Finally I went to the "World Famous" Hong Kong convention centre and spent time sampling wine from around the world.  All the countries I have lived in were represented so I had a sampling from each:  Germany, Canada, USA, Austria, and China.  I also tried some french and italian wine since they are considered world class.  Note: I only took a few sips from each, and was still standing, moving, and talking coherently afterwards.  My fav wine?  ze German wine was best.  I like ze fruity flavour, und ze Germans had a very fruity wine.  Canada was a close second however.  Was fun to remember all the great bike trips I took in the Okonogon, going from vineyard to vineyard.  There were some pictures too at the Canadian display.  Ah sweet memory lane.

Believe it or not but the Chinese have embraced wine and are growing it themselves and of course have become a major market for wine.  Wine producers around the world are rubbing their hands in glee.  And then to top it off I went to the first art exhibition of a fledgling artist.  At first I was not that impressed with her art, but after some time and looking at the pictures again and again I am slowly coming around to appreciating the little details, like the reflection in the knife of the strawberry, blueberry dessert and the details of the bowl of rice and shrimp.

The convention center is that low, wide, building with the curvy roof right in the front, and middle of the picture.

A few wine bottles at the exhibition.

The American display was very cool.


Yuck.

Interesting


Not bad.

Well thats it for now.  Have a great week everyone.  God bless you all.

Love adios and peng on!

Dirk