Lay ho means hello in Cantonese. I'm trying my best to learn some of the local lingo as there are times when no-one speaka-de-engrish so good. I can now say: Do you speak English?, Where is the toilet?, How do you say ________ in Chinese? and various other sundry greetings. I tried out the Do you speak English? one at the department store my first weekend here and it worked! Well, at least the lady understood what I said and then said "no" (in Cantonese). So apart from the fact that she was no help what-so-ever, I walked away feeling elated. The local shopping centre in Tuen Mun is 10 minutes away on the bus and is HUGE... encompassing what seems like blocks of shops - vaster than any Westfield I've been to. Thus it's easy to come out at some random exit and be completely and utterly and entirely and possibly hopelessly LOST. I spent the first 1/2 hour of my time trying to find the department store and going around in embarrassingly hopeless circles, past the same bemused guard, getting hot flushes of frustration and very nearly giving up, when I discovered another block of shops connected by walkway to the one that had become my no-exit labrynth and lo! department store! Then I was off, got all the things I needed and felt entirely trimphant at having conquered Tuen Mun Town Plaza...
Last Sunday after church I went to Sham Shui Po (same place as the exhibition last week) to find myself a mobile phone as mine wouldn't work with the new sim card I got... Sham Shui Po is the place for cheap electricals and I got a good deal on a phone for $800HK instead of $950 I saw it for in Tuen Mun. The streets of SSP are lined with stalls selling everything from pots and pans, electic tools, mobile phone accessories, electicals of all descriptions and etc. It's also a very poor area as far as living conditions go. Great for photography...
Yesterday I went for a good long walk with Kathryn (who's a good deal fitter than me) up a very steep hill which mercifully became flat and quiet and beautiful. The first pic at the top of this post is the view a one point looking back down... And here is me:
Today I started working on the menu and posters for the recently opened Silk Road Cafe here at Crossroads. Next I'll be doing banners and other signage and then applying the logo design to cups and other paraphernalia. I also had the privilege of visiting the kids at our little school here to photograph them all with their teacher Miss Helen who is (sadly) leaving at the end of the week. Here they are, a beautiful and multicultural bunch (who REALLY need a replacement teacher - long term - if anyone is inclined to come to Hong Kong to teach voluntarily... anyone??)
Finally, I worked out how to include video on my blog page, so here is the promised clip of Jessie doing the hoola... enjoy! Feel free to leave comments people... the comment facility should work just fine now... looking forward to hearing from you!
3 comments:
That's a great blog Marnie - complete with the classic hoola clip - what more could anyone ask for in a blog. Enjoyed the pics too.
See you soon.
Love,
Sarah
Glad that you have found a way to share Jessie's famous hoola-hoop movements with everyone! Love, Mum
Hi there Marnie,
I'm LOVING getting the updates of your adventures. It's almost like being there - I can almost smell the soy sauce and hear the traffic!
Life is not quite so exotic here but always very busy. I'm now almost working full time during school hours. I'm loving the work but I just wish the office was a little more social. Aaahhh, it's this age of computers - no-one has to speak to one another any more. But I must be getting old - and I was reminded of that as I laughed in the car this morning when Tony Squires and Rebecca Wilson were asking listeners to ring in to share their favourite Muppets. Those were the days - I LOVED the Muppets. But perhaps you're too old to remember the Muppet Show?
Anyway, must go and watch "Bones" with Ian - our Thursday night indulgence!!
Love from Melinda M.
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