Archive for 'April 2008'
The wishing tree
I did have a long walk today, not hiking but just did some walking. I am so tired right now. We went to visit Lam Tsuen Wishing tree and the Tin Hau Temple. The Lam Tsuen wishing tree is a well known tourist place in Hong Kong. The tree is said to make dreams come true if you can throw your wish, written on a piece of red and gold paper and attached to an orange, into its branches. I did it once long time ago, but now you can’t throw your wishes on it anymore. Overburdened with oranges and wishes, the eight-meter main branch of the tree snapped off two years ago. Since then the tree has been protected, people can’t walk near to it. You can see the tree is now supported by those wood made big trunks. This tree has survived more than 100 years and is based on the story of a father who had his wish granted that his son become a brilliant scholar. This is the reason why everyone paid a visit to it. The government bought a new tree to replace the old tree last year in order to maintain the tourist spot but also keep the old tree survived . They bought one from Guangzhou, and relocated it next to the original one. However, visitors can’t throw their wishes into the branches of new tree anymore. They can place their wishes around the area. Well, tourists are no more around in this spot now since they can’t throw their wishes into branches of both trees.
The original Wishing Tree
The new Wishing tree, it looks so different from the original one.
The wishes, they used to be on the Wishing Tree.
Tin Hau Temple
The awarded winning public toilet. The following street scene looks so much like the area nearby where I live.
I really like the top roof of this house. The exterior decoration looks so sixties…I love it!
Fishes..fishes…fishes….
The local Tofu dessert, delicious…. and the sweet dumping that you can’t find them easily anymore unless your grandma still makes them. My grandma used to make lots of them, and I love them. My mum didn’t learn any of her dumping skills at all, so how I can make some?? lol Such traditional dessert always passes on by generations.
We did have a nice dinner in a local well known western restaurant, not bad.
Anyway, I am sooooooooo tired because of all those walks… zzzzzzz
6 commentsWork hard, fly right!
This ads caught my eyes. It’s from Continental Airlines. I have never flied with them, but maybe I should try once. Continental Airlines flies to New York from Hong Kong non stop everyday now. Not sure if they are effected by the merge of North West and Delta therefore they offered the new service.
Please do not call me!
The do-not-call register has been set up in Hong Kong eventually. I have been waiting for it. I always feel annoying by getting all those unnecessary calls and messages sent by promoters of local companies. However, this service doesn’t cover against cold calls made by individual promoter of commercial companies. You can only register for fax messages, pre-recorded telephone messages and short messages. The following is what the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) stated.
The provision of do-not-call registers is an important measure in the UEMO to protect the public from receiving unsolicited commercial electronic messages sent to their telephone or fax numbers. The do-not-call registers aim to strike a balance between the interests of recipients and senders of commercial electronic messages. The do-not-call registers will be made available to senders of commercial electronic messages for them to ascertain whether the user of a telephone or fax number does not wish to receive unsolicited commercial electronic message at that telephone or fax number. By registering his telephone / fax number to a do-not-call register, the user in effect has opted out from receiving further commercial electronic messages at this telephone / fax number from all senders. Similar registers have been set up by the USA, UK, Australia and India governments.
Hope that they can cover against individual cold calls made by local companies.
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Dogs, dogs and more dogs…
Believe it or not? Two families moved in our area lately. They all keep dogs. They have so many dogs. Six dogs are living on the top roof of the opposite house. At least five dogs are living in the next door. Every house has dogs in our area. Everyone got more than one. We used to have two, but Bibi had gone so we have one now. There were two I saw from the next door balcony this afternoon. They are so cute. They should be a mother and a baby. They both are Siberian Husky. Many Hong Kong people like keeping Siberian Husky, but this kind of dog is not very suitable to live under such humid and exotic hot climate. I feel sorry for them when they are kept outdoor during summer. The puppy turned around the first time when I tried to take its photo. It doesn’t like me taking its photos. 
I think all dogs hate cameras. Ours don’t like it very much either. It was ok the second time I did it. The puppy looked very curious with my behaviour. I wanted to play with it. hehe….I guess it’s him because it looks like “boy”…
American Indians in Hong Kong
After our meaningful event, we went to Ocean Terminal in the late afternoon. A group of American Indians dressed with American Indian costumes for the street performance. It was very interesting when you saw them in the crowd of Hong Kong.
We had drinks in a new Italian restaurant on the fourth floor of Ocean Terminal called Spasso. There was a cruise right in front of us while we were sitting on our table. It’s a very good place for rest and drinks. Too bad that the weather was a bit misty.
Meaningful event
I joined a volunteer event as a helper of elderly who live at home alone. There are many elderly who live on their own without their close relatives nearby in Hong Kong. They need care and attention. Some local charity organisations do provide assistance on these issues. Local people can sign up for their volunteer team as home helpers of elderly. The home visit was involved with two volunteers, so it was two of us. We visited an 85 years old man, who lives alone. We brought him lunch. We talked to him. We helped to clean up his place. His son’s family did move to Canada three years ago. His son did ask him to move to Canada with them, but he doesn’t want to move. He explained to us that he doesn’t want to fly all the way from Hong Kong to Canada. He also doesn’t want to leave Hong Kong, as Hong Kong is a place where he was born. He doesn’t want to adapt into new life, and in a new place. I can understand how he sees his situation at his age, but it will be great if he could change his mind.
We all will get old but we all need companions in our life. No one wants to be lonely. It’s meaningful to spend quality time with the elderly who need our helps that make our life valuable.
Intelligent tool
Hey! Google translator is such a wonderful tool on internet. I use it very often now for translation of English into Chinese. I can’t type Chinese. I still can’t type Chinese. Chinese typing is very difficult to learn I found. I don’t even have the tool of Roman pronunciation typing software in my laptop. Google translator does give me a great assistant for all the business letters I have been tying everyday. I typed everything in English on Google, and it translated them very well in Chinese. The translation is fluent without many problems. Sometimes, the translation does sound funny when you use computer translator, but I don’t find this problem in Google translator.
My book arrived
My handmade jewelry book eventually arrived. I ordered it from Bead Style. I subscribe the Bead Style magazine since I visited L.A. a year ago. I will stop ordering it after the subscription is completed this year as the content is very much the same every issue apart from the new materials have been introduced. The design and style are not something special. I can do my own design. I learned enough the handmade technique from the magazines. This Birthstone jewelry book is something special with 38 projects designed with various birthday stones. It came with a free ring project included Swarovski crystals. After I got this book, I really have everything I need, and able to do more design.
Beijing Olympic 2008
The Olympic torch relay has been going through obstacles, and disturbed by the pro-Tibet protesters in both London and Paris. The Olympic torch flew to San Francisco on Tuesday. I doubt it will be a smooth event. The torch relay will be in Hong Kong next month, and guess it won’t be a smooth event either.
Anyway, I got a little gift that sent by my sister. She went to Beijing for exhibition last week. It’s a Chinese fan shape mobile strap and a magnet with a gymnastic logo.
Thinking
I like this photo. Kit Kit is thinking. Bibi is not with me anymore, so I play around a bit more with my sister’s cat lately. She is more sweet compared with my dad’s cat. I like pets being sweet and gentle.
I really doubt I will have pets again. Having one in life time is enough. They can’t be with you for the rest of your life, so I want it no more.
