Rosana, Swimming, Pigs Feet & Party

April 4 (Monday)

P-day. Today we met with Rosana Li and her mother. Rosana is a childhood friend of my BFF, Pauline Loo Wingerter. It was great getting to know her. She spoke so highly of Pauline and what a kind, giving person she was even as a child. Rosana was from a very poor family, and Pauline would often give her things knowing she had very little. But from meager beginnings, hers is a story of rags to riches. Today she is a super extraordinary  entrepreneur, a successful business woman and CEO of an international company VITAS.

John was all impressed when he found out that Rosana was a personal friend of Bruce Lee. She used to be the host of a long running TV program here in Hong Kong and is very well known. Though it's been over 50 years since Pauline moved to Canada, they have remained life long friends.

The weather has been in the low 70's, but warm enough for the outdoor pool to open. I decided I'd go swimming today, but by the time I could fit it into my schedule and went down to the pool, I was advised it was closed due to a pending storm. Bummer.


April 5 (Tuesday)

Our first shift of a new week. It was a quiet day.


April 6 (Wednesday)

Burrrr. The water was cold, but refreshing. It took me a while to get totally submerged, but once I got all the way in, it wasn't bad. Swimming in an unheated pool with water temperature around 70 is great once you get used to it. I had the whole pool to myself for most of the time, just me and 3 lifeguards. I think I was pretty safe. Swam 60 laps, approximately 25 meters/lap. My goal is to swim 3 times a week if my schedule allows. Unfortunately, the pool closes at 6:00 pm which I think is crazy because I would think a lot of people would enjoy swimming after getting off work. I find the hours of operation of many business here are quite strange compared to what we're used to.

That's not me. John saw this guy swimming in the bay. No way, Jose!
The water is so stinkin' polluted, I wouldn't even put my toe in it!

We went to my new favorite burger place, Mos Burger. It's a Japanese burger franchise and they make awesome American style burgers and fries. It's in Whompoa area which is walking distance from our apartment. Handy...maybe too handy.


April 7 (Thursday)

Had the early shift today. I don't like getting up at 6:00 to leave by 7:00 and start at 7:45. It's not bad once I'm up. It was exciting to have 8 members from Thailand come to the Temple today. 2 couples were sealed for time and eternity and one family had their 13 year old daughter sealed to them. Such a special moment. Missed getting a photo with them, since photos are not allowed in the Temple.

I had a craving for "gee gek tu" pig's feet soup. So dear old John made a big pot of it and we polished most of it off in one sitting. Mmmmm....delicious!

Pork Hock, Peanuts, and Hard Cooked Eggs in Black Vinegar

 April 8 (Friday)

We met with Auntie May Soo for lunch today. What a zoo! We waited forever for a table at Maxim's. Good thing we weren't in a hurry. After lunch we went by taxi to Just Med, a place that sells walkers and wheelchairs. Auntie was checking out the various options. I think she's probably going to go with the "cadillac" an electric driven wheelchair. My only concern is that the places don't seem to be very handicap accessible. She'll think about it before she decides. She is also wanting to get a domestic helper. The last two she had were not very honest. We're trying to help her find a Filipino helper. They seem to be more industrious and honest.


April 9 (Saturday)

Because we get the General Conference Broadcast a week after it happened, they will be showing it at Wan Chai. Therefore, the Temple is closed this Saturday. Since we can watched it on line, that frees up our Saturday, a rare occurrence. There is also no church on Sunday, due to the rebroadcast of the Sunday Conference sessions. Yesterday was our OAD, and then Monday is p-day again, hence we have a 4 day long weekend.

Family and Friends in the Village

We were invited to Gillian's 9th birthday party. She is one of four primary children in our branch. The Filipinos sure know how to put on a party...endless food!

Fun with my girls...Kate, Megan, ???, Gillian

Avocado salad, BBQ chicken and pork, noodles, pasta, corn, sweet potatoes and more

The Jacinto Family - Rommel, Rowena, Shannon, Kate, Gillian

April 10 (Sunday)

A rare Sunday off. We actually got to sleep in. Got up. Watched some conference talks. Worked on one of the stories for my book. Had a nap. Researched quotes. Listened to more talks. Fell asleep. Made meat loaf for dinner. Overall, a very dreary, rainy, lazy day. I'll review conference a talk at a time since I have such a short attention span.