Day Three

Well it is hard to realize that we have only been in HK for 3 1/2 days now. Once again I am waking up at 5 a.m. only today, everyone else is still asleep, including 2 little urchins that really need to be asleep!

Yesterday (day three) we traveled the public transport system with Scott Smyth then went down to the area where he works. He Scott, his wife and 2 daughters just moved back here to HK in January after beeing in the states for a couple of years. It was very hard in the states for his wife Evelyn. She was born here in HK in the "farmland" area so she is considered a country girl here. She does speak English, but it is still limited and is was hard on her to be away from her country. Anyway since being back, Scott has started his own business that is just now taking off, He rents an office space and is using it as an English teaching facility. He has just hired one other teacher and needs to hire one more. He has also co-written four English education books here in HK.
We went to see a large Buddhist temple very facinating, with rooms and rooms and rooms and rooms dedicated to prayers to their ancestors. Micah is just taking it all in. In the main temple area, there were soft kneeling cushions. Micah had seen someone bowing I guess and later he went over kneeled and said, "Do you do it like this, mommy?" That was my opportunity to talk to him about other idols, not bowing down etc. He's heard all that before, watched kids videos about not bowing down to idols, probably sung songs who knows, but it never meant anything really. So as he listened to me explain and as he looked around with eyes as big as saucers, he understood. That's why we had to come tell people about Jesus.
Of course Scott took us to lunch for more Chinese. If anything that has been our biggest challenge. Jean says she's going to lose weight (A. it takes her forever to eat with chopsticks, B. She can barely get the food to her mouth with chopsticks, but C. She is determined to not use her hands and continue to use the chopsticks!) No one ever gives you napkins anywhere, you are suppose to you the tablecloth. So we need to start carrying around paper towels or something. Honestly their custom of eating is no problem for Ariella though. She puts holes in all of her food with the chopstick and thinks that's neat, then she ends up using her hands to eat anyway (something she always does back home and I am constantly reminding her to use her fork)and who needs napkins, her shirt and yes the tablecloth work just fine for her. Also, after walking around and being incredibly hot, we all have sweat dripping down our faces, we sit down to heat and the first thing they do is offer us HOT tea and Hot soup. So we are not used to that yet, it is actually a big feat to get ice water. It's almost like we have thrown them for a loop. Ice water? whats that? where can we find ice? water? you want to drink water? and why are you waiting until your tea cools down before you drink it?
Seriously though, the flavor of their tea is awesome. Our versions pale in comparison.

Barbie