A Cold, Hong Kong & Fasting

3 SIGNIFICANT WORDS seem to surface when I reflect upon the past week.

I think I see a window opening when I met Albert and Deborah at Tropicana City in PJ. I am about to see how my creativity workshop skills developed during the last 22 years will play in this new venture. As a trainer and facilitator, I will see how my gifts will fit into a world of corporate training, hopefully with more emphasis on self actualization and personhood. Time to play!

Early in the morning I had felt a little disturbance in my throat. It was at this meeting that I shivered cos the aircond was cold. I am already a pretty animated person when I talk, and with my shivers I looked like an energizer monkey strapped with a 1000V battery! And with 2 days left before flying off to HK, a definite "alamak" moment.



The Hong Kong trip was amazing. Traveling with my parents and sisters abroad for the first time was a much delayed dream. These plans were actually made many years ago before finally buying tickets for a Sept 2007 trip. Then my accident happened on Aug 12th, 2007 and had to sadly cancel those plans. Fortunately, we could seek a full refund.



HK had its many funny moments. We had laughed so hard when we first walked into our rooms at Butterfly on Prat Hotel at Tsim Sha Tsui. The bathroom had see-thru doors and panels! Imagine lying on the bed and one can even see another showering! Wait a minute; beyond seeing the showers, one can also see another sitting at the bowl! When I discovered that, I called my sisters and they laughed and giggled when they realized it only after a few minutes settling in the room.



Anyway, we had some of the panels "designer"-covered by the hospitality ladies. Such are the modern hotel rooms these days!


Man preparing Mixed Beef Stew


Loved the Stinky Tau Foo! The Malaysian Stinky Tau Foo can give the HK one a run for their money!

And so we had fun eating and walking around. With Wendy and Calvin, it was easier to get around HK with our MTR cards as we hopped from one station to another. As it was raining most of the time, it became a joy even to brave the wind and seeing each other fumble with their umbrellas. Our highlights included funny and insightful meals, especially Dim Sum (mouth watering), Stinky Bean Curd, Mixed Beef on Skewers, Wanton and Mixed Beef Noodles, Curry Fishballs and meals with lots of dishes! There were 7 of us especially during the big meals! Our bills ran from HKD 241 (Dim Sum - 14 dishes) to HKD 500 (7 dinner sets).


Yummy Prawn Wanton Noodles!


Dim Sum: Prawn Dumpling and Mixed Beef Stew


Claypot Lamb

Since we were right at the centre of HK activities at Tsim Sha Tsui, we attended Sunday morning Mass at Rosary Church on Chatham, a 5 minute walk. Much fun buying souvenirs at the shop next to the church. I think I bought over 20 items!



We capped off our trip upon touching KL with a Sichaun Steamboat Buffet Dinner at Puchong. 10 of us. Woo hoo... amazing to have tasted the scallops, "malat" Sichuan Soup, sliced beef, their special onion-coriander mix, mushrooms and even ice cream. Nothing much to add except *burp*.

The next day... catching up with all the news. Having twitter'd from and in HK, we as Perakians were aware with the fiasco there. In solidarity with home, I had decided to do my own version of fasting. My parents went back to Ipoh this morning. I had taken only bread and water today. Fasting is not new to me as I still fast from meat on Weds and Fridays since 1988. Sometimes it becomes a habit but I pray that this will renew my passion to be a tiny speck for change, a hope for love to eclipse any earthly greed. One of which is for the greed for political power to be erased.