Junk Cruise

A lady from church invited our 30's social group to join her and her visiting friends on a Junk Cruise yesterday. We sailed from Central to a small island to the south of Hong Kong Island called Po Toi. When I was told it was a Junk Cruise, I had visions in my mind of a wooden boat with bright red sails, but it turns out the modern day 'junk' isn't quite so romantic. None the less it was a fabulous day especially as the air is still so clean (that is to say, the winds are still blowing in our favour and there's barely any pollution). We were caught briefly in heavy rain as we were sailing, but most of the time it was just fine and very cloudy.

We got off at Po Toi just in time for the second heavy deluge of water from the heavens, perfectly timed for the 5 minute walk to the seafood restaurant at which we all arrived looking like a collective something the cat dragged in. But it's not like it was your typical posh Sydney seafood dining experience... This little in-the-middle-of-nowhere joint had us entering through a storage room off the kitchen... there were people packed in like sardines and a dog eating scraps under the tables. That is all to say, bedraggled as we were, we fit in perfectly well, and were soon hoeing in to some fabulous fare. I'm not much of a seafood fan, but even I liked everything on offer, including clams which I decided I may as well just try, very much expecting to not like them but they were fantastic. The Chinese have a way with sauces! We ate fit to bursting, then waddled back along the path to the jetty where our 'junk' picked us up and tootled around to a little bay of the same island for a swim off the back of the boat and rather a lot of talking and various amounts of drinking (including a "boutique beer" from New Zealand that Melanie brought along with the thickest, creamiest froth you ever saw)...



When the sun was just about finished with the day, our captain started up the motor and took us back via the other side of Hong Kong Island to our starting point at Central. It was a balmy evening and we enjoyed the cool wind and spectacular view from the front of the boat, the light of the sun slowly fading as urban lights popped to life on the islands around us. By the time we came in to the harbour we were treated to an amazing festival of lights from all the apartment buildings and perfectly timed to watch the nightly laser show which is beamed off the commercial high rise buildings on both sides of the harbour. All in all, a superb day! Check out the full photographic evidence under My Pics - Po Toi Cruise.



While you're at My Pics, have a look at the photos from my time in Sydney last week - the link is called Sydney July 07.

Lamma Island

Yesterday was a spectacularly clear and hot day and a group of us from my church headed off to Lamma Island (one of Hong Kong's many outlying islands). The plan was to stop for lunch upon arrival at one end of the island and walk to the other end (a good hour's walk) with a refreshing swim along the way. We had the lunch. Some of us had the swim, but the hour's walk was happily forfeited (by me at least) with the view of tackling it at a later and rather much cooler date. Lamma Island has no roads because there aren't any cars (or is it the other way around) and it has a wonderful holiday, bohemian feel to it. There are bars and restaurants and shops selling all manner of things from clothes and knick-knacks to seafood, fruit & veg, snacks and plastic things to play with at the beach. It's great! In fact I started day-dreaming about living there until I thought through the logistics of carrying shopping home from Hong Kong island (there's no supermarket on Lamma), or purchasing something large like say, a fridge... and I decided it may be more fun for day trips or holidays.

The beach was a 15 minute walk from where we had lunch, by which time we were wet with sweat from the stroll in the heat. One of the girls taught me how to say "my clothes are wet" in Cantonese which I think might be a useful expression as an answer to "how are you?" eg. "How are you?", "my clothese are wet". It pretty much sums up the situation... basically saying, "well, hot and bothered actually, thanks for asking". I was really looking forward to having a swim and was BITTERLY disappointed to find that the water was FILTHY. I mean, we had plastic bags in every stage of disintegration and all manner of other waste. It quickly became apparent that none of the foreigners on the beach were going in. Apart from that it was warm and the whole effect was like a tepid soup going off in the sun. It's not always like that we were assured by an expat resident. It was coming from the River Delta in China. China has a lot to answer for!!

After not swimming at the beach we had a cup of cold elderberry tea at a little tea farm and then 3 of our gang went on to explore the windmills and the rest of us turned around and headed back to the ferry. Which we missed by 30 seconds. Note to self: now THAT would be annoying if you were heading to work in the morning if you lived here. So we went back to the nearest bar to take the edge off the disappointment and general 'hot and botheredness'. The drink did wonders and before we knew it the next ferry was due and we headed home. Can't wait to go back. Check out the pics - the link is under 'my pics' called "Lamma Island July 07".

It's June!

Not the month, the woman herself! June Dally-Watkins is staying with us here for the week, as she does a number of times each year (her being an ambassador for us and we being her charity of choice). It's been an experience for me to meet her now after doing one of her 'finishing' courses SO many years ago. Not sure that I came out very 'finished' but I've been re-inspired just now after she gave us a short workshop on Being The Best You Can Be. The image that will stay with me for some time yet is the startling effect of posture on one's being. June just carries herself well and it's part of who she is but I had no idea that that is one of the very great reasons that she looks so GREAT for having just become an octogenarian. She performed a number of serious slouches for us and she sudden looked all her years. Just like magic, as she re-poised herself, voila... an incredibly fine example of ageless womanhood! So, she had us all 'sitting up like jacki' (as me mudda would say) and speaking proper-like (still gotta werk on that one) and thinking about good health and nails and smiling with teeth showing and not bearing belly buttons with chandeliers hanging off them (as is the latest fashion), and in fact, not to go for latest fashions at all but to go for STYLE darlings! (I'm fine with abandoning fashion but acquiring style will be a challenge). I have to say though that I'm posturally inspired. I've got a new appreciation for and determination to be Properly Upright. My chiropractor will be pleased.

I sat with June at lunch one day this week and it was such a pleasure! I just have to know more about her so I've gone and bought her book on ebay and she's promised to sign it for me when she returns in September! (I feel like an excited kid.) I had to tell her the story of nana winning a radio competition (quite some years ago) because she guessed the mystery voice to be June Dally-Watkins. I'm sure that has endeared her to me greatly!