January 11

Something silly but I would like to share... I hope that Gillian will be okay with me sharing. Gillian woke before our alarm went off. She showered got dressed, not too long after I woke up and began to get ready. We thought we were running late for breakfast and most certainly did not want to be late to our first full day in HK. So we decided to go downstairs eat something really fast then come back up to finish getting ready. We took the elevator down to what we thought the first floor (the café) however the elevator did not stop there, so we decided to go to the second floor and walk down the stairs. Well we took some round about way and ended up on the main floor. Not to forget that we were running late… we didn't have any time to spare. We got up to breakfast and no one was there. We thought oh no! We missed breakfast and everyone left. We thought that for sure. Well we decided to check the main desk to see what time it was. The concierge told us it was 5:30am! Our call time was 7:30am! That's what jet lag does to you! ☺

7:30 came around and we finally began our day. We started with a trip to the Man Mo Temple. It was actually very different than I envisioned it. There were lots of colors, a few different rooms, and the coils were much bigger than the size I thought they would be. This was a really great way to become introduced to the culture. The temple was directly off of the street right next to houses and little shops. In fact there was a clothesline attached to the temple. The smell of the incense was stronger than incense I have ever taken in before. The amount of Buddha's in the temple was extrordinary. Visiting different temples was something I was really looking forward to when I arrived in HK. What I didn't realize how many of them there were. I guess it is compared to that of our churches and synagogues in the States.


Today we also traveled to the Hong Kong Park and the Bird Aviary. Don't worry no one caught the bird flu… not even for a day to get out of rehearsal. These beautiful places with man made lakes and waterfalls, with beautiful trees and birds of all kinds were all right in the middle of the city. It was absolutely incredible, if you looked in almost every direction you could see the skyscrapers and then the mountains behind it. Seeing these mountains was by far one of my favorite images. While I was sitting for a little bit in the bird aviary (trying not to get pooped on) my mind began to wonder. I couldn't believe that a city this large could be so busy yet so peaceful. I have noticed that people are constantly trying to find happiness, rest and relaxation in the midst of their busy lifestyles. But the amazing part about living in HK is that there are trees! There is LIFE in Hong Kong!