Terminal 5 - chaotic

Pingpong at Victoria Park again.

Sunday brunch with Min. Rosa, Axelle & Kitty will be leaving after summer. She has to build up a new social network. Depends on the luck of having what kind of new comers. Her experience with Star & Eagle is precious. She will meet Karin in the afternoon and Axelle in the evening.

I had spent 3 hours at waiting for her yesterday. Mike drove us to the Tung Chung Pier and had a walk at the big big Citygate Arcade. We stayed in the Spaghetti House for a while.

Min came out shortly after 7 pm. The luggage was left behind. She filled in the claim form and awaited for the return of it today. It is a billions' worth internationl airport. How could they be like that?

The suitcase was indeed sent back by noon time. But the red strap was missing.

I bought some skin care products for Min and a local tel card for her use during these 3 weeks. Booked a tour to Taipei fpr 4 days. All tours to Thailand are full.

Dinner at Porpor's place. I gave the green jacket to Marga. She accepts it. I must refrain from buying clothes for the 2 girls. They, like all young people, do not share the same taste. So, I better save my money & money & save the disappointment of being rejected.

Terminal 5 - i keep my fingers crossed

Pray for Min for a smooth journey by BA.

Lunch at ZEN with a table of 13.

3rd taiji lesson. Quite a slow learner.

Dinner at Old Restaurant, Miramar Shopping Arcade. Suen's birthday. We bought him a Parker ball-pen.

Tension over the chaos and confusion at T5. I don't think I can go to sleep before Min will confirm her check-in in due course.

star & eagle

Never thought that I would spend 3 nights at Marden. What is more, Min will work there for 5 days. She had been serving as a waitress on Wednesday for the whole day until 9 pm. She had also served breakfast on Thursday and tidied the bedrooms. Good for her development.

I had a busy day yesterday. Yet cheerful! Lunch with Van. She is happy.

Pam does not seem to care about money very much. Every time it is me who urges her to send me the bill. May be English people - the educated class is ashamed to talk about money with greed. Disgraceful for them. Always subtle.

It is raining quite heavily this morning. Unusual.

Min has just come back from the boarders dinner - a formal dinner. She wore the black long sleeves + a green skirt and all the blinks blinks. Wore make-up, too. Obvisouly she enjoyed it so much.

Just read from Yahoo that Terminal 5 had a very messy opening. BA suspended all luggage check-in. Passengers waited for 2 and half hrs for retrieval of luggages arriving. Those who departed had to go with hand-carriers only. They could have money back or re-booking. T 1 & T 4 are normal. I don't know how Min's luck go. My Goodness!

wang jia sha at Taikooshing Plaza

Lunch at home - congee with pork ribs, mushroom & conpoy. Stir-fried ho-fun with beef & bitter gourd.

Ella & I went to North Point to buy clothes - our long-term entertainment.

Dinner at Wang Jia Sha. Shanghai food has become my favourite recently. Chatted from 6 - 9:30 pm.

She will go to Osaka on Friday with her elder sister & daughter. It is nice to have travelling companions.

ma ying jeou has won

Went to Ah Yee in the morning. Lunch at Lippo for Catherine.

Bought a pair of trousers - muddy brown and tight in Admiralty Centre.

Taliana - shampoo & cut. David, May & Helen.

Went to Dentist - Philip. He is as nice as ever.

Dined at home with Nita. Van is working late. Reserved some food for her.

IDD Wenjun. Lorraine had gone home and went out to the supermarket.

Gungung has returned home from UCH.

Min must be working in Star & Eagle now.

Portofino, Clear Water Bay

Lunch at Po Toi O with Paus.

Went to Second Bay. Then, we passed by the JC Studio. We viewed 2 houses at the Portofino and its Club.

Had tea inside UST.

Visited Gungung in UCH.

Dinner at Porpor's home.

IDD Min at Pam's place. Snowing intermittently. Min sounded cheerful. She said Pam, Tony & Peggy all liked her and said she was the best stdent they ever have. She has got a lovely Mom, they said.

Irene, too, told Van her Mom has talents in literature.

In a world full of hopelessness and pains, the kind words brighten me a bit.

Lorraine will leave tomorrow. I hope Wenbang will like the book by Jeffrey Archer - short stories.

Min has returned to her school. She has a wide network of friends.

nan lian garden & chi lin nunnery

3 sis brought Porpor to tour around in Diamond Hill - Chi Lin and the Hollywood Plaza.

It could be nice that we explore more places within HK for leisurely walks.

Lunch - Thai - not really good.

Pingpong.

Dinner at Porpor's place. Marga fried the big fish heads with red chilli and spring onions - yummy. She learned it from the chef in Miramar.

The dinner last evening in Megabox chiuchow restaurant was not of high standard.

Andrew bought some Chinese mushrooms and Christy bought some bird's nests for Porpor.

Gungung is in UCH.

IDD Min in the Old Vicarage and talked to both Tony & Peggy - the old lady who wrote a book about Marden.

Mug from the Harrod's

Friday - a walk in the Peak with Marga & Lorraine and Pau. Met Fanny & some colleagues of the Paus.

Lunch at Wanchai - a Chinese restaurant too noisy and not up to our standard of hygiene. Will not go again.

3 sis shopped in Sogo - both Causeway Bay and TST.

Dinner - Wu Kong - pig's knuckles in wine, rice with cabbages and ham, soup with ham & bamboo shoots and ham in bun with crispy bean curd sheet.

I like the mug from Harrod's with a red bus: a double-decker and a queue in front of it.

Van is happy. Her ring is very pretty.

Min has started her placement in Star & Eagle. She will say in Pam's house for 4 days.

sis comes home

Glad to talk to Min over Skype last night and she was able to greet Van at mid-night.

Yesterday, Van & A dined at home. I bought a birthday cake for Van - black forest. As she likes truffle chocolate cake, I bought 3 pcs for her as well. We sang a song for her. I like celebration for birthday.

Lorraine came over to have noodles. The trip to India sounds very interesting.

Dinner at KT. Marga bought a strawberry cake from Italian Tomatoes.

Van has gone to Disneyland. No work for this day.

10,000 BC

Tuesday: L16 - set lunch - sea bass.

I went to see movie with Porpor, Jeffrey & Jason at APM Palace. Just for fun. No logic nor proof of history.

Sailor has won the game, time and again.

Van will have a duty visit to China this afternoon.

Hello Monday

Gungung attended the birthday dinner party of Uncle Poon in Mongkok. Nice to meet old friends (really old) and played mahjong and shared their fond memories.

Jeff & Jason have no school. Mak brothers have to take lunch in Porpor's home as no adults are with them during day time.

Shop rentals have arisen everywhere. Many boutiques have to close down.

A lambswool cardigan - grey with coloured dots & stripes. I like it and its price after discount.

AE platinum card has been sending repeated invitations - quite tempting.

sai tso wan walk

Saturday - lunch with Gungung and Porpor at Lei Garden, APM. Gungung is clever and maintains a very good memory. All he wants is our affirmation of his knowledge and analytical power. He deserves it. So we had happy chat.

Bought them 2 CDs.

I had a walk at the recreation ground. Some children were playing baseball while some ran and walked and did exercises. I like the place. Such a relaxation. Just enjoy the fragrance of trees and flowers.

Shopped at Jusco and had dinner with Nita at Kai Tin. The new chiuchow restaurant is not impressive. Very noisy and the food so-so.

Stella & Chrystal worked late.

I found the answers to the puzzle on the internet. The internet world is very large, wide-covering and has been dangerous to some who do not handle things well.

Van came home around 11 pm. We will have lunch together today before I play pingpong in Mongkok and go to Porpor's place afterwards.

min is happy playing squash

Min is playing squash with Wingki again and she is happy. It must be more vigorous than badminton.

We dined last evening - 5 of us. 23 years have slipped away since we first met. Fun to chat with old folks. All mature, friendly and interesting guys.

Today is Friday and it is so quick to have another weekend. The ceremony and the Cheung Chau walk were still fresh in the memory.

When I was asked about my wish list, the first one that popped into my mind was Min.

min plays squash

I am glad that I am able to provide Min such a good-quality education. I wish she will appreciate and grasp the chance to path her own way in life.

She appeared to enjoy playing squash with Wingki. What an exposure. Can't imagine she could have the same facilities and environment in HK.

Will meet Mong etc this evening in a restaurant in Nathan Hotel. Nice to have everyone around.

Van is excited. We all are. I am grateful for everything! Life is after all a blessing.

van caught a cold

Monday - Van was sick and took leave. Glad to have Sailor back. Noodles for lunch.

Tuesday - Some issues resolved. Set lunch with Meg. Min sent some photos over Skype. A pie, a brownie, a dish of pasta, Dan Brown and Tom Lloyd and her interview with Karin at the Star & Eagle Hotel. She looked great. A young lady wearing a trouser-suit & taking notes in style. She will go to the Careers & University convention at Brighton racecourse on 22 April.

Wednesday - Van is better and very busy. I wrote to Schooledge & Thorpe.

Lorraine will stay in Marga's place. The boys cannot come. What a pity!

Sakura in Cheung Chau

Thursday - no bad news in the medical report, regualr check-ups required. The young doctor was very friendly and told me some details about my illness years before.

Friday - busy in Gascoigne Road for the whole day. Much relieved after everything was finished.

Saturday - lunch at Lee Theatre Plaza with some friends. Then we took a walk in Cheung Chau. At first, we planned to go to Lamma Island. But it sounded attractive to view the cherry blossoms in Cheung Chau. Only a few trees were having flowers. They looked more like peach blossoms. Darker red than what we expected. Those in Japan are lighter in pink and in great abundance. Anyway, it is nice to watch the stalls selling salty fish etc. We also went to Warwick Hotel. The dining rooms were fully booked for banquets. We had dinner in some shop at the side-walk. So romantic. There was a shop selling a swirl of potato chips put through a stick. Young people and tourists were ready to buy and take photos.

Fun and joy scatters everywhere if you have a heart set to it. We examined the B & B. Some looked tidier and cozier.

The pingpong rooms and squash court in Victoria Park are to be used as control rooms for Flowers Exhibition. So we will play in Mongkok for these few weeks. Dinner at Porpor's place.

Sweaty in the afternoon but cool in the evening.

Chat with Min over Skype. She has earned 30 pounds by baby-sitting in Friday evening. The parents of 2 girls aged 10 & 13 had to go to a party. She just stayed in the house for 4-5 hours, watching TV and playing computer games with them. She thought that was easy money. The house is just next to the Head Master's. They drove her back to school afterwards. Just a few minutes' time.

Fung Shing - Shuntak cuisine

Wednesday - usual group for lunch at Wanchai. Most entertaining by Allan's stories.

Dinner at Sheung Wan near Western Market. The old-fashioned cuisine from Shun Tak. Gone home by taxi as I had spent more than 2 hours standing or walking in the afternoon for recci.

Will have lunch with Van today. Medical appointment in the afternoon. No news is good news, I hope.

Rice Paper & Camellia Seed Essence

Monday - we celebrate Tam's birthday in Rice Paper. I like the 2 desserts most. We bought him a pingpong racket. An enjoyable evening.

Tuesday - another birthday celebration at lunch at Chiuchow Garden.
Van & A dined at home with me. Chatted with Min over Skype.

Rosana had kindly bought for me a bottle of Mei Camellia Seed Essence (Pure Wild Red). It is good for the skin.

Kyushu & Fukuoka

A routine of my Saturday programmes: morning walk with Nita - she is becoming a mate other than a maid.

Went to Flora.

8th Happiness has delicious Taiwanese food. I tried soy-sauced pork and rice, eggplant with sesame sauce and wine-chicken.

Dinner at home. Spent lots of time playing computer mj. So don't blame the youngsters. The fun is there and keeps one ongoing.

Van has bought a book on Hakata & Huis Ten Bosch. I am reading it so to grasp more information.

Anticipation is meaningful. I look forward to seeing Min by the end of March and going to Japan with Van by the end of April. I will pick a scarf with beads and floral patterns made in India - a blue one.

Today: pingpong in the morning; lunch at Times Square with Van & A and dinner at Porpor's home.

* Eventually, I went to Tabla at M/Floor in Prince's Building and selected a pink and cream coloured scarf with embroideries. The shops is selling items from India. I like a dark blue one with strings of silver beads. Too expensive.

Watched the ceremonies in memory of Lydia Shum on TV.