This waiting period has been longer than expected, so I have gone to Macau twice since returning from USA. There is nothing much to do in Macau as well, but Wife is happy I can join her. At least I got to speak last week and it turned out much better second time round, a far improved version of the same message delivered a month ago. At least my good friend from USA is around this week to break my boring routine. He was lost around East TST, but I managed to locate his relative's residence after worship. It was rare another good friend came at the same time to the worship (4th), not knowing I was the speaker. Tomorrow (7th) we will eat at my favorite Engish diner at Festival Walk, then visit the biggest Christian bookstore in Hong Kong.
Yesterday (8th) I finally got my dependent visa renewed, surprisingly for a longer period of three years, which was unusual. The first time was a year, the second two years and now three. Sometimes it just seems like I arrived in Hong Kong yesterday, but I have three valuable years locally behind me now. I came back from a briefing today for my new work with a local church. All is set to go on 26th, where I will attend a workers retreat in Shenzhen. I am excited about returning to pastoral ministry, but I am not sure if pastoral ministry is the same anywhere, so we'll see.
As before, a lot of folks, including outsiders, are in Ma Wan to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival today (12th). It was a merry occasion. The supermarket was still flooded with customers when it closed at 10p. Wife and I strolled around and sat on our favorite bench before she called it a night while I continued walking for another round. I have taken up walking since returning from USA. Now I am hooked. I usually walk as much as 45 minutes to distance myself from 930p primetime TV, which is not worth watching. Most of the series involves revenge, money and sex.
Yesterday I had unplanned high tea with a friend. I had asked for help around lunch time and discovered he still had not had lunch, so I suggested we go to lunch together. By the time I reached his place and got things done, it was slightly past 2pm, so the logical thing is to order from the high tea menu, which is HK$10 off the lunch menu. I enjoyed the lower price, so today (16th) I did the same, having lunch after 2 pm. It is a sad commentary on Hong Kong that around 10 seniors and ordinary folks line up with me for the fast food bargain price (HK$23-24), which is the normal lunch price before inflation set in. Right now, people uses newspaper $2-$3 discount coupons to stretch their money.
I got my passport with a six months China visa back yesterday, which was good news for a change. It means I can join the Shenzhen retreat next week, something I am looking forward to, my second trip there. I also had to perform self-surgery on the pinkie of my left foot that has been bothering me for many weeks due to a blood clot. After repeated trys I managed to burst the thick skin with a pair of sharp scissors and a trickle of blood oozed out. Yesterday was a good time as any other since I figured I had to take a few days off walking anyway because I am leaving for Macau in an hour to help Wife move.
Moving yesterday (23rd) was accomplished in two and a half hours, minus packing time. We decided to move the things ourselves because the apartment was just two blocks across the street and it was hard to determine when we would be ready for movers to come. I took five trips and Wife four. The hardest things to move locally were her oversized executive-type chair, the fan, the humidifier, and kitchen ware. After that we had a hearty lunch and returned to HKG. Then I had to cart a foldable single bed mattress to the ferry back to HKG. We were thankful that things worked out as they did.
A number 8 typhoon blew into the city late last night (28th) at 11 pm when I was walking the blocks, even though the observatory did not announce it then. This morning all work stopped and most stores were closed except for Pacific here. According to the lone worker he was there before the announcement after 4 am, so he opened shop anyway, which was a good thing because I spent 4 hours there with my laptop. I also invited a friend and his family to breakfast. Tai Chi did not stop for a few students. but elsewhere a strong tree toppled and bus services were sporadic in Ma Wan. The funny thing was that I was supposed to start work, but so far the first work week includes a two-days' retreat, a briefing next day and a canceled day, but such is life.
