Massive Update

Just to warn you, this is liable to be a really long blog post, at least in terms of viewing time, not quite sure how long it’ll take to write.

Well firstly, videos. As I type these they are currently being uploaded to YouTube, but for some reason videos don’t seem to work. If it doesn’t, I’ll just take some pics of everything, but you’ll miss the “before” shot, showing what I started with. Oh well, maybe it’s for the best since I haven’t really done much.

So here you’ll see either a set of pictures or a video of my youth room. It’s really cool, with a modern décor, nice floor and cool chairs. The band area is off to the side as oppose to the front, for a variety of reasons, and there’s a small library and CD stack at the back. For size reference, it’s probably about the size of the stage of CLC, maybe wider, but not as long. The walls curve and it actually is quite cool.



Every Sunday we have “Sunday School” at 10 that goes till 11. Then we have our Worship service at 11:15 and that goes till 12:30 or 12:45… depending of what’s happening.

I’ve mentioned the youth a few times over the past few posts, and for the most part everything I’ve said before is accurate. They are an awesome bunch with great potential but they are very busy due to their massive commitments at school and to extra curricular stuff. I feel that to them, church is more of a duty rather then a joy, and I guess I can remember what that was like. In most ways they weren’t that much different then I was when I was younger. Hopefully they can grow in knowing God more each day, and I’ll have some small part to play with that.

Anyway, let’s move on.

Here’s a few pics, or a vid, of my new place. Hopefully you’ll get the “before” vid.



You’ll notice a lot of junk lying around, and it’s really not that big or that flash, but many of the places I was looking at were about half the size for almost the same price. Plus Hennessey road (or is it street, I don’t remember) is like right outside my house. It’s really just like living on Swanston Street, except there’s more places to shop in HK.

Anyway moving it was really funny. Like several of the mums in my church really helped out and pretty much all the smaller stuff you’re gonna see in the video (or pics) of my place after I’ve unpacked is free. Like all the stuff in the drying rack is from them. The cutlery set was the best, the handles are hollow and they hang from that metal from thing, which is great cause I don’t have any drawers.

So I bought a table, brought home some chairs from work (via a crowded subway (MTR) and like a 15 minute walk) and moved some stuff around. I’m getting a microwave (free, yay!) and also a rice cooker. I think I’ll put the microwave where the TV is atm, on top of the fridge.



Anyway, so here’s the vid of my place after everything has been like done, cept the micro. You can excuse my on the stop commentary, it was random. Also I don’t have a macbook pro, I have a macbook, my bad. And yes, my bathroom literally does have a towel hanging from the ceiling (to dry) but there’s no real change anyway, no it wasn’t dirty or anything.

As for everything else, hmm. My arm has healed completely, and my pinky has recovered. Living by myself is actually quite lonely, but it’s also good, don’t have to worry about interrupting other people, waking them up when I go to sleep and all that other jazz. I wouldn’t want to do it forever, but for the moment it’s good. That and the awesome location rocks. You know there’s a BB gun shop, a Sword shop and like 3 VCD shops like 30 meters from my place? *sigh, pity I A: can’t bring any of that back and B: can’t afford anything. Oh and it’s not illegal here, so I don’t feel bad = )

As for prayer needs, hmm. Well in general just really making an impact on these kids in whatever way. Also I’m getting this weird stabbing pains in my stomach when I stand up sometimes, but maybe I just need to eat slower. So general health and impact is all.

Oh and one last note, it seems that people in this city don’t do much laundry, ie many of them don’t have washing machines. You may have noticed that I didn’t either. So it seems that I get to dodge that bullet, which I was definitely not looking forward to.

Anyway, next I’ll tell you about 180, was going to, but my battery is dead.

My first sermon

Well a quick course of antibiotics can work wonders for an infected pinky. Lol. Yes my finger has returned to an unswollen state after some meds, though my arm is a bit slower in the recovery stakes.

Anyway, for those of you who have been following along carefully, I did indeed preach my first sermon on Sunday! I was very happy about it. To be honest I was a tad nervous, however I felt sure that God had given me a good message to start out with and so I had a lot of peace about it. I pretty much talked about my life, and the changes that occurred throughout. My three points were about God's plan, the gifts he's given us to fulfill that plan, and how he'll help us reach the goal when we've done all we can.

Now I thought I'd post a few pics, and a video, of the Youth room, just so you can get an idea of the size of our youth group. I didn't film while the kids were there, I'll do that some idea time, maybe when D goes on holiday and leaves me in charge for a few weeks. Tomorrow I'll try to post what my house is like.

My sermon went well, people said that I did really good and was very interesting. Several people (youth and adults) even told me what they got out of it. I personally think I did good, and that God really allowed me to speak the message he wanted me to. I might have done better in my practices, but hey.

Turns out the picture and video won't fly... oh well.

Temporarily Unavailable

If you're wondering why I haven't been, and probably won't be typing much for the next few days...



Yes my right pinky has been bitten or something worse and it's a bit swollen... ok a lot swollen. My right arm too. However I've gotten a tutoring gig going!

Updates when I've recovered.

Jackpot!

Yo yo YO! Just letting everyone know that I've... almost... found a place. :P haha

I've paid for it, signed for it, but am waiting for the landlord to sign for it as well. It's REALLY tiny for you Australian people... and I'll post up a Vid as soon as I go back again. I should be moving in on Monday. Yatta! Thanks to all of you who prayed... or encouraged me :)

So far the job part is going awesome... and I'll be preaching on Sunday. That will be awesome too. I'll be posting up something with a job routine and pics of the youth room soon.

Woot!

Interesting Issues

Hmm, I'll post a blog with pics of the youth room over here soon... but for the moment, let me assure you that life is NOT all a bed of roses. Sorry that they aren't that clear.






The dodgy thing is that I never used to get the reaction in Malaysia... or China... but here... *sigh

Lessons Learnt

You know I've been here about 1 week. I've had a few random reflections in that time... mostly from just living with Dan and Geeta.

1: I realize why marriage is such a good thing.

I mean don't get my wrong, God has gifted some people with celibacy... and there's no need to rush into a marriage... but properly done... marriage is really l33t. I can't really think of another word that adequately describes it. Like the relying on each other, the taking turns... even the money you save on cab fares. It's awesome. That's not to say that I didn't notice it around my parents... I just took it for granted around them :P haha I guess it can operate for anyone who's found the right person and made a commitment to making their marriage work.

2: I appreciate my parents more.

Now most people think... "obviously, cause they looking after you, clean up, pay for stuff etc.." Actually I haven't reached that point yet. I'm still staying with people who, while they don't pay for me, they look after me really well (D&G are awesome) and they have a maid who does the cleaning and I haven't had to do laundry... and I'm not even ALLOWED to wash any dishes (which is weird let me tell you). Nah I just realized that while my parents can be annoying and some times irrational... they aren't actually bad parents. They are, for the most part, understanding and caring... and what bothers me more often then not is simply how MUCH they care (and how little they think I can look after myself). It's not like they would force me to do something I didn't want to... or try to blackmail me or anything... and for that I am most grateful. (Not that anyone's done anything like that here lol)

3: How much I miss my friends

But that much is obvious...

I leave you with a pic of HK island at night.

WhamPoa

It's actually pronounced Wham Po.

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few more photos of the apartment area and neighborhood. I uploaded the rest of the photos on Facebook if you wanna see.

So first up, the apartment area. It's really quite big... here's some shots to show you how GRAND a simple apartment estate (and there are a lot of them) is.




You'll see the sculptured gardens and statutes... the fountains and all the what not... it's so... grand. It's really quite cool when you first see it. However it's just one side of this city; the modern and grand side. For just 2 minutes away...



It's quite incredible... and so me in a way. The mixture of cultures that make up this fascinating city. I learned a new phrase the other day. 3rd culture kid. It refers to a child who doesn't share their parents culture... nor the culture of where they grow up... but rather have a 3rd culture. And it expands. I'm a 5th culture kid, cause my parents are multicultural (Chinese, English and Malaysian) and I've got Australian, a touch of the States and a good dose of Chinese. It's really quite cool.

Oh and check this out. I'm living on the docks yeah... and a boat fully plowed into the ground!



Haha just kidding! It's a mall that was built to look like a boat. This city has some strange ideas... but hey I'm pretty random too!

Anyway that's my spree of photos for the moment. Hopefully the next lot will be of my new place... which I have yet to find (and it's proving stubborn)

The path to the office

Hey there!

Now that I've got a camera, time to go PICTURE CRAZY!!

So yes, this is a bit of what my day at work is like.

I wake up, take my usual 30 mins to shower, change and eat (with everything else in between) before heading out (with Dan) to the Ferry.

I didn't get any shots while walking (didn't think about it) but here's on inside the ferry.



After that, we walk about 2 mins to get to the office.



I should have taken a pic of my desk, but I did remember to get one of the view from one of my two offices. It's stitched.



So yeah that's a bit of work stuff. Next I'll upload some of the place where I'm staying and maybe a bit of HK.

stay tuned!

Pictures and places

Well I finally got a camera. A Canon Ixus 75. I could have gotten a nice 860, with wide angle and all that... but it was about 1k more... and I just need something to take photos. So yeah.

Here goes my uploading btw, never done it before. These are the pictures of the place I'm staying at the moment. It's really quite big by HK standards.. but if you want some size comparison, it's about the size of my living room and tile area minus the kitchen. I've included a pic of Dan, but not Geeta (she's not home yet). I'll add some photos of HK (it's a bit late to take photos) and the apartment area tomorrow.

The first two pics are of the living/dining room. The brownish couch is where I was sleeping... but yeah I've moved to a make shift bed on the floor, which isn't out atm.










The interesting thing is... at my current budget if I was to live by myself, I'd have a place about the size of my kitchen with a tiny tiny space for bathroom and obviously no kitchen for myself. So a place like this is really quite nice. *sigh... we're having a few accommodation issues as the cost of rent has skyrocketed in the last 2 months.

Also does anyone know how to turn the photos properly?

All a blur

So day 3… or is it 5?

Already the time is beginning to blur in my head. I swear I’ve been here at least 2 weeks, but really, if you but count back, I flew off less then 5 days ago… and really have only been in the country for 4. It’s amazing how time can fly when you’re doing stuff. It’s almost like when you’re on a missions trip. Where two weeks seems like a month or even 3. You can really get to know people over 2 weeks of 12 hours a day contact.

Anyway. I thought I’d blog a bit about my own personal feelings and thoughts at this present moment, and less on what I think about the people and place. Also some of the plans I have. Then, once more stuff starts happening, I’ll be writing a bit about events and stuff.

Well firstly I’m actually quite tired. I’m staying at Dan’s place, sleeping on his couch. While it’s not an uncomfortable make shift bed (soft yet firm… it’s good) my rather lengthy nature makes for a bit of a tight squeeze. A mattress would encounter the same issues and there is seriously NO space to put on out anyway. Also, I’m sleeping under a window. The curtains are… thin? Plus Geeta has to head out to work at her school really early, so that wakes me up a few hours earlier then I intend. I’m not complaining though, it’s just that I’m feeling a bit tired that’s all. Looking forward to getting my own place (which will solve all those problems). Until then, I’d appreciate prayers.

However that’s really the only negative thing that I can feel atm.

I’m excited for the future and looking forward to meeting more people as the weeks go on. There’s a new group that I will visit on Saturday, plus some dance teachers who are good friends of Dan and Geeta (henceforth D&G). Furthermore, I’ve seen enough of the church, youth and kids over here to get a real sense of the potential that exists over here. It’ll be awesome to see what God will do, especially as I learn to rely on him more and myself less.

I’m also looking forward to getting a camera and sharing with you guys the awesome pictures that I see everyday. Hong Kong is a beautiful city, even with the smog, and sharing that with you will be cool. That and my new phone ;) hehe

I’m feeling a lot of peace too, which is great. Over the past year, my vaunted “never stress” policy was made false a few times… maybe people stress as they do get older. However here, despite what is happening around me and the potential issues that I see, I have a real reassurance that it’s going to work out, it’s a mystery. I hope that doesn’t sound patronizing or arrogant or anything, but yeah I believe it’s God’s grace. The sea view helps too I reckon.

I AM stressed however by the technology that I’m dealing with. Might I point out, at this moment anyway, that I really dislike using MacBooks. Anyway.

Stay tuned for plans and pics as I go on.

Sooo... Hong Kong

Well today I've finally had my first real taste of what it's like here... and more to the point, what it will BE like as my time progresses.

So let's talk about my impressions of the city.

Well I can see why people think there's lots of shopping here. Cause there is. I mean for those of you who haven't been. Picture the Glen including Kings Way, and multiply that by say 3 or 4. That's the average shopping area around the place I'm staying. It's just that theres an area like this in EVERY suburb... and the suburbs are like 1/2 the size of ours! It's like a city of shopping malls, shopfronts, markets and skyscrapers. Really it's like living in the CBD all the time except with less offices and more malls. It's crazy!

There's a lot of walking and public transport here. The roads are filled with trucks, vans, dodgy old taxis and really hot sports cars. Lots of porsches, Nissans and convertibles. Crossing roads is interesting, as are the signs which tell you which way you should be looking when aproaching the street.

The weather is perfect... and it's really quite pleasent to walk about (at least in this current season) as long as there's a good breeze. I'm staying near the harbour and so it's really awesome. I'll hopefully be getting a camera on Wednesday, so pics might be up by the end of the week. The air isn't all that bad, tho it IS more polluted, I think maybe my time in Malaysia has made me slightly more immune to the effects of air pollution.

Food here is actually quite expensive, like all the desserts and stuff. If you go to the local areas, not the cafes and stuff, then it's really cheap though... bakeries for like 3 HK (about 40 Aussie cents) which are decent. So far Dan and Geeta (youth Pastor and his wife) haven't really taken me to any of the seriously local districts, cause niether of them speak chinese or canto... so we'll wait for their friends to come back from some trips. I look forward to it.

As for the church... the adult service is quite big... I was a bit surprised. It reminded me of the churches in Malaysia, cause in Melb, all the churches have buildings of their own and stuff. Here they meet in office blocks (which they DO own) and stuff... it's weird :P I'll put up some pics, but the Youth Hall is awesome :P I like the set up.

The kids are.... shy? They come right on time and leave straight away. A few of the ones who I already know stay for a few more minutes... but not much else. No one hangs out like we do... it's really different. The services are different too... they have a "Sunday School" thing BEFORE their "church" thing.. which is strange to me... but they've been doing it for a while. However I really do like the church and the kids. They are friendly, I can tell, but I'm slightly tall and foreign sounding, so maybe I scare them. Hopefully as the weeks go on, it'll work out. I've decided that my first and most important step is to get to know them... and actually find ways to talk to them. Before even talking about God or prayer or whatever... hanging out is the place to start.

So yeah, this adventure is barely 3 days old, but already the plot thickens, the conflicts grow and the setting is clearer. One part of me seriously wants to just give up and go home... however I'm thankful that's only a tiny voice ;) I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me... and this isn't my church... or my plan... it's his, so he will figure out the details.

I miss ya all heaps already.. I wish all my friends could be here to share some of my experiences.

Come to China in July 08! You can stay after the trip for the olympics :P hehe

Pics coming soon.

The Eagle has landed, I repeat, the Eagle has landed

Hey there everyone! Just wanted to assure you that I've landed safely in HK, and have now woken up to my first morning in this new city. I was a touch tired last night, having had like 2 hours sleep accross 36 hours or so and still having spent the whole day with a friend in KL, and so I haven't really had a first impression of what it's like yet. Hopefully I'll get some clothes, a phone and a Camera by the end of today, so I can post some pics up and make a comment.

My hair's really long too ... *sigh

lol

Yes I am very happy to be here... but on the plane, I had a brief realization... I don't really have a home where I am anymore... no places that I can go to... no safe houses, escape routes or exit strategies... nothing. It was a bit freaky :)

Will update you all soon!

Iminent Departure

Yes, it's my last day in Melbourne and I'm getting that feeling in my stomach that I always get before a trip. I often wondered if it was my body preparing for the flip flops of taking off and changes in elevation... but I decided it was just excitement.

Just a short one, letting everyone know that I'm heading out. Well those who read this blog anyway. I don't actually know who reads it... cause people can't be bothered commenting. However it's ok, I do not hold grudges =D.

Anyway, please pray for me... and sympathised with the lack of good milk, cheese, yogurt and chocolate that I will experience over there. Thanks to all of you who e-mailed, SMS'd, called and chatted with me in the past few weeks, it's been awesome and really encouraging!

Prepare for my blogs from the otherside!

ps. Anyone got a good template that I could use? This one's boring, and stretching my photo for some weird reason.

No I haven't packed yet

You'd be surprised the number of times I get that question. I mean sure, it's a very standard and normal thing to say to a person who's about to go on a long trip... specially one that's a year... however I personally don't see why you would pack so soon before your trip. I mean maybe the day before, if not the day that you fly... so you have all your clothes to wear and wash right? I don't know... maybe my logic's slightly fuzzy.

But yes as the time approaches I'm getting more and more excited! Woot! Can't wait! I dropped by CCCV to say hi and ended up telling a whole buncha people about my trip... so maybe I'll have like 20 more facebook invites and a whole new group of readers for my humble traveling blog.

Either way... I can't wait! I want to thank all the people who are praying for me... randomly or not... even though I don't always know who, I appreciate it! I don't think I will survive this time on my own, without God's strength and everyone of your prayers will make it even more impacting for me, and for the youth that I hope to minister too!

Anyway, just a quick note, and thanks to all the people who commented!