June in Hong Kong

... and the weather is steamy!
A typical conversation goes like this:  "When are you leaving"  "I'm only going to Canada for two weeks in August"  "Summer in HK is awful.  Next year you should plan to go home for six weeks".
We are starting to get our bodies and minds used to summer and even higher pollution in this part of the world.  The bottom line is: wear a lot of deodorant, don as little as you can get away with, and ignore the water splotches all over your clothes and body.  This link is to an "image consultant's" blog - she gives very good advice about how to cope in HK in the summer (see Wed., Aug. 26, 2009) image consultant  One last piece of advice: wear waterproof makeup!
Last August, when we visited HK for our "look-see", we were appalled that all of the stores kept their doors open to the street with the AC turned up to max.  We now appreciate the waste of energy as we walk through the city gasping for a bit of cold air while the unrelenting heat engulfs us.
Some of the thunderstorms we've had have been quite spectacular, lighting up the entire harbour.  We can hardly wait for the real typhoon season to begin.  There are notices in our lobby telling us how to batten down the hatches (i.e. tape up the windows and have lots of towels on hand) and prepare for the "season".  Life still goes on at its normal frantic pace, although I've started to pare down my walking and have begun taking taxis to avoid the heat.

Since returning from Canada, I've resumed my usual activities - meeting friends for lunch, working out with my trainer, eating lots of good food, attending lectures,  and walking through new areas.  My "degree" in Hong Kong continues.


While Jeff was in Toronto, I took my new camera and went for a walk along Bowen Road.  The hardest part of the 12 km walk was actually finding the beginning of the trail!  I walked along Robinson Road, the main street around the corner from our flat, until I arrived at the "spaghetti" intersection:  there are overpasses and underpasses and traffic lights and merges - all for vehicular traffic. Navigating the roads on foot is a mystery until you discover the concealed stairways leading down under the expressways.  Fortunately, there were a lot of dog walkers out who pointed me in the right direction.  I passed a lot of beautiful high-rise apartments including the one on the left with an elaborate "Miami Beach" entrance.

Unlike most of Hong Kong Island,  Bowen Road is a flat route, so it is extremely popular with joggers and walkers.  It is very high up the mountain, so the unobstructed views are spectacular.  Banyan trees shade most of the path, and there are playgrounds, exercise stations, and public toilets along the way.  Many locals use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun, and I've started to adopt this habit, too, especially on 30C days.

Bowen Road marked the highest city limit 100 years ago.  In those days, HK was called Victoria.  The photo on the right is Happy Valley - the racetrack and neighbourhood.  The cemeteries mentioned in our Mar. 28 blog are at the eastern edge of Happy Valley, just beyond the racetrack.

An interesting sight along Bowen Road is "Lover's Rock", garlanded with offerings from marriage-minded young women.  The top of the rock is phallic-shaped, and there's a wonderful view of the harbour.  

One of my fitness goals is to start running again, culminating in the Beijing Great Wall 10 km run next May.  I am determined to practice on Bowen Road once the weather cools down (in November), but for now I am sticking to the treadmill at Pure Fitness!

Last Wednesday was Tuen Ng Festival, more commonly known as the Dragon Boat holiday.  Races are held in various venues, but the most popular site is Stanley on the south side of Hong Kong Island.  When we got off the bus, the first team we saw were wearing blue t-shirts with large maize M - University of Michigan!  We proudly told them that our daughter and her husband are professors there.  Most of the team were graduates now working in HK.  Canadian content included Air Canada employees and U of T/UBC alumni.  The entire venue reminded us of the Big Swim Meet at the end of the summer in the West Island.  One of my friends was on a team that won the best costume award.  I think that's equivalent to the Miss Congeniality award at the Miss America pageant.

We watched a few races and then headed off to the market to shop and eat.  The competitors were enjoying their post-race lunches, too.

The past two weeks have been full of culture and history.  Chloe and I went to see a beautiful photo exhibit called "An ethereal world, journeys to the edges of Asia".  The photographer, Matthieu Paley, (http://paleyphoto.com/) is based in HK, but his photos represent the farthest reaches of Asia - Siberia, northern Afghanistan, and Pakistan.  A few days later, we joined a tour of the LegCo (Legislative Council) building.  The Neoclassical granite building is one of the few remaining colonial buildings still in use, dating back to the early 1900s.  Our guide mentioned that it was designed by Webb and Bell, who also designed part of Buckingham Palace.  The photo of Chloe and me is taken in front of a backdrop that is often used for photographs of visiting dignitaries.  The guide explained the system of government:  there are 60 members - 30 are elected by direct election, and 30 are elected by indirect election (?).

The Asia Society of HK hosted a luncheon with a very interesting guest speaker.  (Cambodia lecture) Benny Widyono was the United Nations ambassador to Cambodia during the 1990s.  He gave us a short history lesson on Cambodia from 1969 to the present day, explaining how and why the United Nations continued to recognize the Khmer Rouge as the government of Cambodia even during the Vietnamese takeover from 1979-1991.  His involvement in Cambodia has continued, although he is now retired from the UN.

This week's treats were back-to-back lectures by Jason Wordie.  Jason's first talk was about material culture and the rise of modernity in HK and China.  The second talk was a historical overview of triads.  The triads are the equivalent of the mafia in this part of the world. They also thrive in the Chinese diaspora - Singapore, Malaysia, Los Angeles (read Michael Connelly's "9 dragons"!) and Vancouver.

Miscellaneous:  there's a very busy tunnel that links downtown HK with suburban Aberdeen.  At the entrance to the tunnel, there is a neon sign that lists how many accidents occurred last year, and another sign that gives the current tally.  In 2009 there were almost 18,000 accidents in the tunnel.  So far there have been 7875 accidents this year.  Boggles the mind.

On the home front, we revisited Horizon Plaza (blog Jan. 15) and bought an antique Tibetan chest to use as a coffee table.  It doesn't really "go" with our Ikea style apartment, but it's probably one of the few items we will definitely bring home with us.