[HANASHIR:13723] Angela's back in Hong Kong! #1

[MoVFTYite <MoVFTYite...>]

Yes, it's not entirely on-topic, but many of you have been following my story 
and wondering, and I have been advised to keep the listserv updated... so 
here you go :-)
Angela...

Ney Ho, Ma?  (roughly translated: "hey, how are you")

Well, here I am, back in Hong Kong!  I have actually been back here for 5 
weeks already, and the time has just flown.  So much has gone on since my 
return, and I want to catch you all up and share the highlights!  (get ready 
-- this is not a short email)


The trip before the trip: Jan 23-25:

I stopped in the Northeast on my way back to the Far East -- saw some 
wonderful friends in Connecticut: Rick, Anne, Steve, Amy, Rebecca, Sarah; in 
New York: Ellen, Merri, Danny, Shirona, and in New Jersey: Leon.  I had an 
amazing 2 days of visiting, walking around the shoreline of Connecticut, 
playing/singing music, attending a Friday night dinner and service in New 
York, and joining in on a Saturday service in New Jersey before heading to 
the airport!  Leon came to the airport for a quick visit before meeting up 
with my friend Randy (who had flown in from Boston that morning and was also 
flying to Hong Kong).  Leon turned out to be quite a lifesaver, as there were 
computer virus issues at the airport that day, plus general stupidity issues, 
so Randy and I almost missed our flight, but at the last moment, we made it 
to the gate (which was, of course, the very last one at the end of the 
hallway!)


First 2 Days:

After the 16-hour flight, my friend Aviva met Randy and me at the airport.  
We got onto the airport express tram, which took us from the airport (on 
Lantau Island) to Hong Kong Island.  Everything was so familiar...  sights 
and sounds and especially smells... so great to be back!  Since it was early 
evening here, it was actually morning in our tummies.  Aviva was so nice to 
make us french toast!  .....It was nice to come back to work -- seeing 
everyone at services and in the office, it felt almost like I hadn't left.  
There was one new person in the office this time, though -- Ilan, the rabbi's 
son, had been working in my place temporarily.  He stayed here through my 
first 2 weeks back, and we were sure to get a lot of music in before he left 
for his adventurous journey to India and Nepal.  Hopefully, we'll have 
another chance to lead music together sometime soon.  Meanwhile, he is 
singing lots of new tunes on his trip (many of which I learned from you hava 
nashira folk out there!)


1st weekend:

I thought it was quite appropriate to return to Hong Kong just in time for 
the Chinese New Year, and my resolution: staying healthy!!!  Kung Hei Fat 
Choy!!! (that is the greeting people give to each other on the Chinese New 
Year) .  So... it's the year of the goat... or is it the lamb... or the 
sheep... or the ram... well, I saw different depicitons of which animal it is 
all over the place.  The buildings downtown (especially the ones in Central) 
had these great light displays on them.  Also, there were red and gold paper 
decorations everywhere, and lots of flowers and little plants with oranges.  
These are all very traditional for the new year.  There are also lycee 
packets (little red envelopes with a bit of money inside) which, 
traditionally, are given to "people younger than yourself who are not 
married", so I am told.  It is also common to give them to service workers, 
such as the doormen at the bottom of my building.

Randy and I had fun checking out the New Year's parade, crowded streets and 
all.  Aviva and some of her friends had a New Year's party at a local bar.  
We were supposed to dress as what we wanted our fortune to be in the coming 
year.  For lack of costume clothing, I put on an Indian top and jeans and 
called myself a hippie -- wanting peace (on so many levels!) in the new 
year.  On Tuesday, Randy and I braved the crowds and headed out to Shenzhen, 
the land of copies (of everything!).  It was a beautiful day, so we walked 
around a bit -- I got to see a little more of the city than I had the last 2 
times.


2nd Weekend:

On the second Friday I was here, there was a going-away dessert party for 
Ilan at the Rabbi's place.  We did lots of singing and took several photos.  
A fun night was had by all.  On Saturday night, some of us went for a nice 
vegetarian Chinese dinner in Causeway Bay, and then made a trip to the night 
market in Kowloon.  That Sunday afternoon, Ilan and Tali and I found a soccer 
field in Tin Hau where we plopped down in the sun and played some tunes.


3rd Weekend:

UJC members made a visit to the China Coast Community -- a retirement home in 
Kowloon where most of the residents speak english and are from all over the 
place.  They are fascinating to talk with, and we had a great time singing 
with them.  We did a little Havdalah service in the courtyard afterwards, 
then some of us had dinner at Dan Ryan's Chicago Steakhouse in a nearby 
shopping mall.  It was strange to walk into an American style steakhouse -- I 
forgot I was in Hong Kong for a moment, and then I saw the menu -- "set meal 
for 2, $395" -- and poof!, I was back in Hong Kong!  Later that night I went 
to a Lantern Festival -- in honor of the Chinese Valentine's Day (Feb 15th 
this year).

In other random news from my 3rd weekend: I was very proud of myself for 
going to Pigeon Laundry (would you take your laundry to a place called 
"Pigeon Laundry"?), where I had my clothing successfully cleaned, and then I 
went home and mustered up enough courage to ask the doorman his name in 
Cantonese!  (thanks, Charles, for teaching me!)  I must have pronounced it 
right, because he answered "Mak, M-A-K, Mak!"


4th Weekend:

Some friends and I got out to Wanchai (a nightlife hotspot -- lots of clubs, 
restaurants, etc).  My friend Shamus and I went to Stanley Market on 
Saturday, and the Peak on Sunday.  Great weather and scenery on both days!  
Food variety has been nice as well -- Thai food on Saturday evening; Sunday 
evening, I met up with 6 others for a Korean BBQ dinner.  Tuesday, I was 
introduced to the most incredible Japanese food buffet I've ever seen.  Sushi 
heaven!  Must go back there!


5th Weekend:

This past weekend was good and relaxing.  Jonathan (another new friend) and I 
took a day trip to Lamma Island, just a 30-minute ferry ride south of Hong 
Kong Island.  We had a great seafood lunch right on the fishing dock.  Then 
we hiked around the island, got down to the beach, and over to the little 
"downtown" area.  It was nice to see and smell vegitation.  Also nice to see 
no building more than 3 stories high.  On our return to Hong Kong, we went 
out to Lan Kwai Fong (another great nightlife spot) and got some Thai food in 
a popular alley off of the main street.   After that we headed to a party.  
It was the day that felt like a mini-vacation.  On Sunday afternoon, I went 
to the City Hall Theatre to see the Hong Kong Singers' performance of Fiddler 
on the Roof.  It was a pretty good show, all things considered.  No the cast 
was not all Chinese -- there was quite a mix, actually.  Still, it was a bit 
funny to see some Asians wearing tzitzit... 


Okay, you are really really nice if you've read all of that -- I know this 
was a really long email (and to think I've actually cut things out to make it 
shorter than it was!)  Just to wrap up... things with me are going well -- 
I'm back at my same apartment, working my job again, and feeling good, thank 
goodness.  I hope all of you are well too.  Thanks again to every one of you 
for being supportive to me in so many ways during the last several months.  
Such blessings... how can I thank you enough...

I have new photos to share -- many of which will illustrate things mentioned 
in this email.  Please find the new album (along with the first one) by 
logging onto <A HREF="www.ofoto.com">www.ofoto.com</A> and signing in as a 
returning member -- using the 
email address "photos (at) silverbygold(dot)com" and password "photos".  Email 
me if 
there are technical difficulties.

Love to all,
Angela

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23-C Midland Court
58 Caine Road
Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
(we don't have zip codes here!)

(852) 2522-7533 (home)
(852) 9427-6633 (mobile)
(852) 2117-2414 (office)
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