Life in Hong Kong – going with the flow & free things to do
Things that I love – my kids, travelling and learning new things. One of my new learnings from life in Hong Kong is to go with the flow. You might think that I would have or should have mastered that already, being a nomad for over 2 years. And sometimes I am, in fact, very good at going with the flow. But sometimes I am a slow learner. I want to be in control and I do not flow at all.
Mid-Autumn Festival
When I do relax and flow, it often leads to different adventures. Recently I had decided to do an urban hike to Red Incense Burner Summit. This ‘summit’ is reported to be an incredible sunset view. I weaved through busy sidewalks, climbed many stairs, and navigated several neighborhoods for over 90 minutes to get to the start of the nature trail. The start of the nature trail turned out to be a giant locked gate 🙁 Sadly, no beautiful sunset view for me. However, I chose not to be upset. I had gotten an excellent workout and noticed 2 coffee shops that I will try out one day.
On the way back down towards the harbour – and this is the beautiful thing about going with the flow – I saw some sparkly lights and decided to investigate. I stumbled across the opening display in Victoria Park of the Mid-Autumn Festival and it was wonderful. Hundreds of lanterns and Chinese art, music and children dancing. It was such a wonderful evening and I would have missed if I had gotten upset and just went home. Plus it led me to reading about the Dragon Dance during the Festival that I attended a few days later with a new friend. Sometimes going with the flow is a delight!
Lamma Island
Another beautiful going with the flow moment happened a few Sundays ago. I had asked another new teacher to go for coffee. She messaged me that morning asking if I would like to go to the beach instead with her son and his partner. I adjusted quickly, said yes and packed a beach bag. And then I had the most delightful day at a little island called Lamma Island. First, I got to take a ferry for only twice as much as the metro costs. That was a delight because I love a good ferry ride. At first, we got lost looking for the beach. However, along the way we discovered this little village street with tons of cafes and vendors.
We finally found the beach and I had the delightful experience of swimming in the South China Sea. It was one of those really weird but deeply happy moments. Sometimes, I cannot believe where little old me from North Battleford, Saskatchewan has ended up 😉 On top of that, going with the flow helped me meet 2 more friends. It allowed me to have one of the most relaxing days that I have had in many months. And it opened the door to discover the beautiful ferry system here in Hong Kong.
On a side note and to give some useful information to those that do not know Hong Kong. The metropolis of Hong Kong is composed of Hong Kong Island (where I live), Lantau Island, the Kowloon Peninsula (where I work) and the New Territories, which include 262 outlying islands. Lamma Island is one of the bigger of those outlying islands. It’s quite amazing as the underground metro goes between Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Lantau Island and the New Territories often and easily. There are also over 700 bus routes, many of which go between the 2 main islands and the mainland.
Then there are between 8 and 19 “main” ferry routes between Hong Kong, Kowloon, Lantau, Lamma, China and Macau. There seems to be no clear consensus as to which are the main routes although the Star Ferry between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon is definitely the most famous. There are also dozens are smaller ferries called kaitos. Inspired by an article I read while researching ferry schedules, I am going to try and take one new ferry or kaito every month. (I will link the article below.) Last little fact, the Hong Kong Special Administrative region comprises 2,755 square kilometers. So some of the little islands are very remote, rural and traditional – I read in another blog that it is like they are a million miles away.
Teaching trials
Back to going with the flow – I have learned that I am not very good at going with the flow in certain situations, like work. I love teaching. And I am a very organized teacher. I like to be really prepared – usually considered a strength. However, here it seems to be a burden.
At my learning academy students can do make-up classes whenever they miss a class. It is a very nice thought in theory. What is not nice is that they can make up in any class and with little notice. This means for me a lot of agitation, frustration and anxiety. The teachers have zero input as to who and when classes are made-up. When you arrive at the academy each day, you get a printout with your schedule. Sometimes they change your actual classes or add extra assessment classes on the day, which is my least favorite thing. There are often additional students added to your student list. They may or may not normally be in that class or that level. We also often have ‘trial’ students added to random classes. They are brand new students, some with no English at all.
It is very difficult to ensure the ‘regular’ students get the class they deserve and also teach additional students, some being brand new or in the wrong level. A fellow teacher told me to ‘care less and just do your best’ but it is a struggle. Caring less doesn’t seem like an option. Adjusting to teaching methods and chaotic structures is making me feel frustrated, ineffective and honestly really sad. Having said that, I want to enjoy my time here. I also want to be an effective and happy teacher for my students. And so I am trying to learn to ‘let go and flow.’ I think, though, this may be a year long learning process.
10,000 Buddhas
A day that was not a struggle but easy, breezy & peaceful was the day I visited the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. It is actually not a monastery as no monks live there. And despite the common translation of its name, there are more than 13,000 Buddha statues. It is incredibly beautiful and a serene place to visit on a Wednesday. The main journey up to the monastery is an attraction itself (and a bit of a workout). Golden Buddhas line the path on both sides. Each one is unique. At the top of the climb, there are several temples, each a different size and purpose. And there are more buddha statues plus an amazing view of Kowloon all the way to the main island.
It was founded in 1951 by the Venerable Yuet Kai who moved to Hong Kong from mainland China in 1933 to spread the teachings of Buddhism. The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is located in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, at 220 Pai Tau Village. It is both free and managed solely by laypersons. If you are visiting Hong Kong I highly recommend it but definitely wear comfortable shoes and prepare for a good quad burn.
Some days I am still surprised that I am here; teaching, living, exploring and learning to go with the flow. I have traveled a lot the past 2 years and I’m lucky to have had many ‘big’ adventures. But so far, life in Hong Kong seems like one of the biggest adventures. I would love to know if you think you would ever move to a different country and if so, which country? And I will keep you posted on if I learn to fully ‘let go and flow.’
https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/explore/great-outdoor/wellness/lamma-island.html
https://www.hongkongextras.com/_ten_thousand_buddhas_monastery.html
Pam, you got this. Take each day as a new day with new changes and experiences. Accept the things you cannot change and have no control over. You will soon be less frustrated. Take Care and continue to enjoy your life experiences, I know I enjoy living through your adventures.
Thank you Dawn. I am getting learning to let go of what I cannot change… and learning what I can change with less stress. Happy to have you follow my adventures 🙂