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| Dining room |
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| Looking over the harbor to the Gold Coast Hotel |
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| beach houses ( looking from Ryan's flat) |
Thursday is a holiday here because they celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival. Families get together for supper then go out with their lanterns or to the various celebrations. At the Gold Coast people gather along the ocean in the evening and light their lanterns to celebrate the harvest and watch the moon, which is at its biggest, rise over the ocean. There are celebrations all over the city.Actually we never made it to these as it poured rain and everything was cancelled. There is a cake called a moon cake which is eaten at this time. It's made from lotus or almond paste and has a salted duck egg in the middle. They are quite beautiful to look at, as they are made in molds with various designs on the top. I did taste the moon cake and although not really really terrible, not the greatest either! Haagen Dazs ice cream has a version of the moon cake. Quit expensive.
There are many versions of the legends for the festival. When l saw the decorations in our building l couldn't help wondering how a lady, Autumn leaves, fish, and a rabbit came together, but in short a lady went to live on the moon so she could be near the human she loved (he had died) and the rabbit gave his life to feed an old man, so he became the Jade Rabbit, the leaves have to do with harvest. I guess the fish does too. They have a huge dragon in Causeway Bay that winds all through the streets snorting smoke. I'd have liked to have seen that too but can't be in two places at once! Maybe next year.
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| This is a pic of the complex Ryan and his family live in at the Gold Coast We were in the beach house to the far left and Ryan lives in the middle tower right in front of the beach houses. |
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| Looking out our balcony. This apartment block sits right out on the ocean. It's kind of neat. Yesterday fish were jumping all over in the bay area and l really enjoyed watching the ships, huge container ships and fishing boats coming and going All in all it was a good visit (even though l locked myself out) I took the cat litter out to the garbage which is between the two flats, and as soon as l went out l remembered her saying the doors lock automatically and sure enough they did!! So l banged on the door going into the next apt. 7:45am and they happened to have a guest from Germany staying with them who was awake and he let me in. I thought l could get into our place but no Blaine had gone for his walk and locked the main door. So the German fellow and l sat and visited for three quarters of an hour waiting for Blaine ( neighbor is from Kenya and had a very interesting flat). Thank goodness l had put my housecoat and shoes on before l went out (can you imagine if l'd gone out in my pj's) I thought the neighbor had an extra key but it was a holiday and l didn't want to wake her up. Anyway Blaine comes back, no key, Jill and one of her clients (he's from New Zealand) come over to look if we could get up to the balcony, No way. So off l go in my housecoat to Ryan's apt. People must have thought l was nuts. Anyway after being there awhile Ryan remembers there was a spare key hidden somewhere in the entry way, so back l walk and wouldn't you know it, in the bottom of the umbrella stand was a key. Thank you Lord. I was never so relieved. We met quit the international group of people with our lockout. Anyway that's it from HK. You just never know what's coming round the corner. God Bless Love Sandra |
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