As I write, Margaret is packing and Duncan is enjoying his morning visit to our pool. He's been there every single day, he will be the only one who loses weight this holiday! Les has been up in Shenzhen for two days for business meetings, so we have been amusing ourselves, not a problem in this city! I went to my study group yesterday, conveniently located next to the Peak Tram, so Margaret and Duncan had a nice two hour visit up by the funicular tram service and enjoyed the views on what turned out to be a spectacularly clear day. After lunch, we went out to the Chi Lin nunnery and Nan Lian gardens, a haven of traquility in this busy city and easily my favourite place to take visitors and in fact to visit myself. We have also done all of the trips that our previous visitors will recognise: Stanley, Lamma, Temple St, Shenzhen, Sai Kung, Kowloon Park...
Wednesday 16 May
Wow! where did the time go? A week since I started this post. Let me see ....Margaret and Duncan made it home withourt mishap, although I discovered he left a pair of shoes behind! He'll need to do without till December as no one else from their neck of the woods is scheduled to visit. But never say never!
Les went to Japan on Saturday 12 and I popped up to China for the afternoon to collect my new glasses, had lunch and was back in HK by 5pm. Now that's an international lifestyle! 2 stamps in my passport in 6 hours. Sunday, I lazed about all day, including 3 hours by the pool. I didn't plan to be there so long, I fell asleep in the sunshine with a gentle breeze rippling the bright blue surface of the water and the lulling sound of the water wall trickling at my back...Jealous? Ha ha!
On Monday at Corona Club, we had a quiz morning which was great fun, really got the grey cells working out, then the NIA session which got the fat cells working out. Then 6 of us went for a late lunch to give the jaws a workout too, both from eating and chatting! Whew! Then I went to the library and did an hour research, came home with a bag of books and spent the evening trying to decide on my topic for next term's study group which will have us select an object, artwork or artefact and write a paper on it and it's time and place in Chinese history. So I have been reading up on the Dynasties but I still don't know my Song from my Qin.
On Tuesday, I attended a lecture about women in 19th century Hong Kong, it was fascinating and the lunch afterwards was delicious, in fact I had to have a nap when I got home. Then I had my Cantonese lesson, watched TV and went to bed early, I was exhausted!
Today I plan on finishing the ironing and housework...well I plan on starting it anyway. Then I will reward myself with an hour or so selecting some poetry for my poetry club this evening.The writing is not going too well, I am trying to impose some form on my writing and it's hampering the creative process. All that a-a-b-a-bb and such stuff I haven't thought about since school!That's my excuse, the truth is I'm really not that good or clever and it's beginning to show! I think I'll revert to reading out other people's proper poems.
Tomorrow I am going out to Tung Chung to meet Elaine and return the travel cot we borrowed when Jamie was here.
On Friday, I really will have cultural overload; In the morning, I am attending a concert of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, in the afteroon I have a VIP pass to the Contemporary art fair with my friend Lesley and in the eveing I have 2 functions to drop in to, one is a lecture on Indian silver with canapes and drinks then later there is a celebration party by the girl who makes the fabulous "blue button bags". I may just find it necessary to buy another one, especially after all the free drinkies!
On Satuday Les will be home for the weekend and we are meeting 6 friends for dinner in Casablanca...that's the name of the restaurant, we're not flying to Africa!
