Photos of Buddist Monastery

SURPRISE VISIT FROM DECEPTION BAY

This week has been a week of surprises, Tues night just as I was about to get into bed we had a knock on the door, and lo and behold there stood Clare Dalgety from the Bay, my eyes nearly left my head altogether, she was on a cruise with her sister and had a stop over in HK we had a cuppa and then they had to head back to the ship, it was short but so lovely to see a familar face.

Through the week we heard about a Buddist Monastery so we decided to go seek and find it, which we did and it was so peaceful and tranquill, you would not believe something so peacful and beautiful co-exist within such a busy and crowed place as here the gardens were so beautiful. We decided to have lunch there (all vegetarian of course) but even by HK standards it was very cheap. We spent most of the day there I just loved it.

Then we came home had dinner at the presbytery and watched the election results blow by beautiful blow. Just a pity that Bob's team didn't come in second

all for now


Oblate Primary students looking at the cups that they won for singing

 One of my reading groups at Oblate Primary

enjoy the photos

RETREAT- MACCA'S AND SAINT PATRICK

I know I've become very tardy with the blog, but some times I just can't seem to become interested in writing,   So I'll get up-todate now

Last Sunday we had a retreat, starting at 1pm, now my idea of retreat is praying and maybe a sermon or reading, but no it was 1.The Stations Of the Cross, and 2 then the Priest (A Franciscan from the Seminary here) a very learned man but he had the softest voice I've ever heard, as a result I didn't hear a word the good man said, then there were confessions for an hour or so. By this time I knew that Tony was not quite as impressed as you would imagine, nor was I really for that matter. And 3. we had to wait around for Mass at 4 oclock

I decided we'd go for a coffee!, great idea, but around Notre Dame there are no coffee shops (that we'd go into anyway)  But ! I spotted a MacDonalds, the weather was foul cold and wet and it was sooo warm inside, we had a big Mac, French fries, and an apple turnover and coffee. I can't remember enjoying something so much in such a long time, incidently that is the second that Macdonald has come to our rescue.(the other time was in Belfast on a Sunday morn)
Gotta love Macca's

Yesterday was St Patrick's Day as we all know, except in Hong Kong that is, but we were not defeated with our Polish Priest and Fillipino one to a lesser extent, he didn't really have any idea how important he was. Fr John Wotherspoon (Australian)  joined in the celebrations, we had Guiness Irish Whiskey and Baileys Irish Cream with a very nice dinner prepared by the Fillipino cook for us
We finished up  singing Molly Malone and others as well, we had a fantastic St Patrick's Day
Fr Slavic says he is going to  celebrate every year from now on, as he gives up alchol for lent each year, but I assured him its ok to have a break for St Pat.
all for now

PHOTOS

 THIS IS THE GIRL TONY TUTORED FOR DEBATING

 Fr Harry with us

Stella with us at the Luncheon

RETRACING OUR STEPS.

 The more I see of Hong Kong the more amazed I am, as I may have mentioned before we live in a very poor part of Kowloon but all you have to do is walk for ten minutes or so and you are in an exclusive part.  So today we decided to check out the area of the  hotel we stayed in when we came here 4 years ago in Mon Kok , we were told it was quite close to us so we decided to walk there, we eventually got there and sure enough its in the tourist area, just like another country altogether, but we decided we would go in and have a drink there and really blow our budget, but it was airconditioned and we were fussed over and ever so nice,  we lapped it up but soon enough we had to move on.  We then visited the Ladies  and the flower markets and Tony drooled when he saw the orchids three for $7au, they were so beautiful.

When we got back we met the Principal of OPS (Monica) and she presented us with two traditional chinese jackets, they are beautiful.
FRIDAY

Today the schols have some kind of teacher seminar, and we have been invited to have lunch with them afterwards at some beautiful restaurant,(we've been there before)  Lunch was delicous and went on for over 2hrs, they had some kind of awards and it was all in Cantonese so I didn't understand a word of it, but they were all very happy.  I wore my chinese Jacket, I felt very chic in it.

Tonight I'm off to the Stations of the Cross and I've printed them out in English, hope that will help.

All for now

HONG KONG NEWS

Well the past two weeks have been very uneventful, to say the least. At the schools for the most part of the week and then on the weekend catching up and maybe a little sight-seeing, and as one gets to see more of Hong Kong it turns out to be much of the same. The weather has turned quite mild but ever so sultry, but it is nice not to feel so terribly cold all the time.

Last Sunday we visited the Cathedral, and I think it was a bit different to what I'm used to, there were a few pews at either side and then mostly only standing room. As they have just had a new Cardinal appointed here, we thought we might go to his Mass on the Saturday but when we saw the seating arrangement, we decided against going.

Then we visited the gardens and the Zoo all in the one enclosure, it was very interesting as they have so many types of moneys and birds and even some plants from Australia, very enjoyable, then we had  a trip around HK by Ferry.


Fr Harry Dyer arrived on Sunday and will be here for 3 days for meetings etc, he did say Mass yesterday, he was extremely tired but we were delighted to see someone from home.

Start of school OPS 

Part of the Assembly Line

Tony in the Cathedral not sure what I did here but you can see him

OOPS sorry these pict's seem to have got mixed up somehow,  kids marching into class

Mass Centre OPS

Choir Area Cathedral

Just me in Cathedral