Surf and Sand - Proof of Life Off the Main Island

Life as I know it has been progressing at a lightning pace. Consequently, the lack of writing has reflected my zeal for participation over observation in its activities. My list of students continues to grow as I take on new one-on-one sessions, but beginning Summer Courses at school in just a two weeks - International Affairs, Literature through Film, and History, to name a few. June has started and a new rhythm takes place: Yawn, wake up, read an IB text for school lessons, shower, step outside, (need another shower) step lightly through the dense humidity, go to school, breathe in the suffocating air conditioning, teach, step outside, remember why I stayed inside, breathe in the suffocating sweat at the gym, 15 minutes of cardio, pump some iron for another 15 minutes, stand on my head for 60 seconds, 30 minutes of conditioning, sit ups, another shower, step lightly through the dense humidity, then run through the dense humidity, eat a cup of noodles (a staple), take another shower, moisturize dry skin (Why do I need to do that when there is so much moisture outside? I don't know), watch Animal Planet or HBO asia, maybe finish a little more reading, go to sleep....



Did anyone catch how many showers I take in a day? arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh.

My office (below)



Just a week or so ago, a group of fifteen departed Pier 9 to see a small island past the Hong Kong main island; we enjoyed grey skies and a crisp wind. It rained the night before the Super Fun Day Out. But, I didn't care. Somehow it was a sign of good will - and despite the cloudiness that followed us out into the harbor the next morning, we were all in high spirits. The occasion? A friend's wife was in town just for a month before leaving Hong Kong. The couple will be moving back to Aussie country in just another 30-60 days. It is amazing how many Hong Kong residents are expatriates moving back and forth from different countries around the world. I would not be surprised at all if both move back in another few years.

The sunshine peeked out from the clouds intermittently and we managed to get a bit tanned red. Consequently, I was sunburned for the past few weeks. The best part was the jump into the water- diving, laughing, and all slick from the rain (Yes, it rained -- it won't stop pouring in HK!!! Make it stop!!) We may not have had a chance to windsurf, wakeboard, or wander around because of the strange weather, however, it was a lovely day. Highlights: red sangria and sundeck relaxing before the rainfall, five of us diving in swift simultaneous perfection into the swirling waters below off the top deck, a $500 prize for who could do a double back flip off the boat, (No one was succesfful.) catching teeny tiny fish on one side of the rocking boat during the rain, shrimp salad, potato salad, and chicken kebabs (with a sort of satay sauce - yumm), water fight a half hour before docking at the day's end, the naps on different cabin hideaways and in/on/around the boat, and the lovely view of the main island upon pier arrival.



A few arts festivals and events have come to Hong Kong recently. The HK International Arts Festival presented works from international galleries in Japan, Thailand, United States, Canada, France, Spain, just to name a few. My friend toured the warehouse in Wan Chai where these art pieces were showcased: paintings, light installations, and photographs lined these walls and hallways. It was such a pleasure to gawk at these works. Not all art is impressive to me, but to have so much at your fingertips gives you the gift of choosing one or two to stare longingly at. Art has a way of speaking to one's soul. I don't know how it manages to make such an impression on me each and every time, but I will feel contented, uplifted and sublimely thoughtful when I'm in its presence. Simon Birch, a popular English artist who has been living in Hong Kong since 1997 recently had an exhibit space art show called "Hope and Glory," which was an ode to the hero's journey. Simon is a friend of several of the people I spend time with and I was quite impressed with his art pieces. He is an accompished painter, but he also used the aid of many of his friends to create some interesting quasi-virtual art. As referenced from Birch's art brochure, Valerie Doran comments on the region of the the journey, as a massive, "immersive environment."For example, there was a green room which showed up looking like a grid (glow-in-the-dark living room) where the audience can sit and watch two videos on the death of an artist and a satire of American Idol about an artist. (Irony: Simon Birch is still alive and he enlisted the aid of dramatic tears and fascinating comments on the purpose or impact of his supposed termination.) There was a chasm created by a skateboard ramp where space ships sailed over, and they showed an eventual crash to a pile of residue or rubble, as any war. The collateral damage of these hanging warships was a strange culmination to the journey of our hero. I was not-so-surprisingly brought in by the reference one of my classic favorite sci fi films, Star Wars. (I will show these photos in my next blog. Valerie Doran states that Simon has constructed art, which "embodies the realm of wonder (in both its dark and light manifestations)... the paradox is that (like any circus) the physical materials from which this experience is created are mundane, of the present world: wood and paint, plastc and metial, computers and holograms. What this means, of course, is that the tools to transport ourselves are already here with us. We only need to understand and assemble them in a new way."



My thoughts: break away. Art can take you there.

The Flying Breakfast and Foggy Foody Days

Revisiting my online journey through Hong Kong on this lovely April evening, the topic for today is food. I am not certain I've dedicated enough time to this subject as my success and happiness has been quite inspired by its presence. Lately, it seems that the abundance of meals has been giving me the vital energy to survive fruitfully in this crazy urban jungle. And so I will relate a couple stories about one of my passions - delectable, edible eats.

Story 1: Belgian Waffles Inspire Laughter
It seems like only yesterday I was sitting down with a quite familiar face in a favourite breakfast spot, one afternoon at The Flying Pan. Who eats breakfast in the morning anyway? This is an exceptional spot in the SoHo district where you can order omelettes, pancakes, many juices, and bottomless coffee and all for a very reasonable price. If you can even ask for more, they provide sides of grilled tomato, baked beans, green salads, or lyonaise potato. Every meal comes with two additional choices and a heavenly cup of pineapple, apple, orange, or a million other varieties I cannot recall...It is a very English spot, but they have the Latin side, the Mexican twist, the French, or the American breakfast versions with tons of syrup and lots of sides, if you wish to over-indulge. The best part of this meal was the face smiling back at me. I'd been to Flying Pan a few times, but today I could not decide on what to order. In a particular quandry - triple pancakes with the sweetness of butter or belgian waffles and ripe red strawberries? On this day just like any other, the familiar dark hair and grin across the table smirked as I asked what choice to make. In true fashion, he made the harrowing decision to order one and I'd order the other, a share - a compromise. Right?! Only we could not decide who would get the Belgian side. It was finally agreed that I had the more desperate need to be Belgian. Two waffles for me and one pancake.

He would sacrifice with two pancakes and one waffle.

Oh, my. I felt a bit selfish, (and I'm certain I was!) but blessed. I just thought, How lucky am I! It was one of those moments where you can feel the smile before it overtakes you. You realize how silly you sound. Two waffles!? You grab your sides and your body shakes with all that energy and love because someone has given you the gift of laughter. I thought I was going to burst. It seemed like God had shed some light on what I wanted so much out of in that split second - connections, real connections with those you care for, the passion for the little insignificant things like waffles and the significant things like family, all at once. A small thing can be part of a small moment. But it isn't small somehow. It is big. It means so much more. In that laughter, I felt like time stood still.

That's how I knew I was happy the one sitting across the table was my boyfriend. If you knew this character, you would agree. He may be intelligent, and funny, but the laughter and kindness in his eyes is what really gives me that enthusiasm and enjoyment. A dear friend and yet so much more.

And yes, I did eat both waffles. And I tried to eat his. He forgave me. (I think.)

Story 2: Jurassic Park
Two weeks ago, a group of us took a taxi cab to the remote greenery of Sai Kung. We woke up late on a weekend afternoon, traveled the forty-five minutes to a distant and relatively uninhabited area of the city to skewer a few pieces of meat. (Uninhabited is a word used here more as a reflection on the opposition of the great no. of people swarming Central - ah! City life.) Upon arrival in these outlying lands, the grey, thick clouds descended upon the streets and parks we saw from the cab's dinghy windows. Although there was not rain for several hours, the fog gave this nearby park an early morning dew feel. We stepped out gingerly, and the driver took off - banging down the road. He probably was excited to return to civilization. As for myself, I soaked in the climate here. The moisture was felt everywhere. With a few companions by my side, we set up our apple tea, racks of lamb, quail, steak, and enokitake mushrooms. Nick had prepared slow, pressure-cooked delicious ribs and macaroni salad, and another smart friend had remembered soft, sweet, luscious marshmallows for later!

The array of options was making my mouth water. However, the fog in the not-so-far distance was quite distracting for all of us. It made us feel we had to keep our voices quiet as we started a fire and began the barbeque. There were two words hanging in the air, as we waited for some long-distinct species to come out of the misty woods - Jurassic Park, we laughingly called it. While the photo you see here shows a rather different portrayal of a summer's day, we found ourselves in the midst of a shadowy winter day at a melancholy beach. Above the ocean water and surrounded by good friends and a small fire, we were simply focused on the food. Yummm.... It is hard to describe a good barbeque only because it is an example of such a perfect day. What if one ruins by shedding too much downcast energy on the fog? The meat was cooked with excellence and scrumptious accuracy, the friends and company were electrifying, and the fog rolled on. The clouds were more a source of comedic discussion than anything else...Who could ask for more? Well, I did!

I asked for rain and it appeared. Drip, drop. Clip, clop. A few hours after we'd polished off a few tons ribs and the macaroni salad and stuffed in those fluffy, toasty marshmallows and we were pushed into a cab with our overstuffed stomachs and greedy, yawning mouths. I took a nap on the way home. It was the best slumber I've had in months. I woke up a few days later and had a monster burger at a gourmet fast food place. I just can't get enough!!