My first trip to Hong Kong was 2001, on the way back from Shanghai after attending the 1st World Planning Schools Congress. As I recall, Chin Hock was trying to entice me to Hong Kong to experience typhoons. Something like this : watch the weather forecast - when typhoon is imminent Chin Hock will let me know - I then hop on the plane to Hong Kong. I said, "no thanks". But since there was no extra charge for stopping over in Hong Kong, I popped in to visit. Stayed at his condo in Fo Tan, overlooking the racecourse. That's almost ten years ago. I remember his mother-in-law cooked a really tasty soup. I am quite sure we went up to The Peak. Everything else is a blur
My second trip was in 2005 on the way back from Beijing on a family holiday. All five stayed again at Fo Tan. And of course we visited The Peak. Chin Hock was busy so the wife borrowed a people mover from her brother (?) and took us around - straight from the Airport to the Buddha statue in Landau Island near the airport. And to Stanley where you can get all the knick-knacks. [Ah, now I remember - we visit Stanley on my 1st trip too and I bought two Imperial chops carved with our Chinese names in old Mandarin - but I got the animal year of my wife's birth wrong.] We went to Mongkok too in 2005 - and Chin Hock still remembers the two girls had a haircut there.
At The Peak, 2005, courtesy of Chin Hock's Archives
At The Peak 2010 - photographer Chin Hock
July 2001, at The Peak with Jason and Joyce, courtesy of Chin Hock.
And then came May 2007, Nihal Perera invited me to the conference at the Baptist University (see entries - Hong Kong is for walking ; Conversations over dim sum ... ).
So this is my fifth trip to Hong Kong. Now at the Hong Kong terminal 1, about to board AirAsia back to Penang - minus one. Vivian is staying another 2 weeks to apprentice at Ocean Park. Will write more, if I find the time, and inclination. Thanks again Chin Hock, Jason, Joyce and Dr Wan for another lovely visit.
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