Virtual Experience
Eat
You’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy! Moving to Hong Kong has been a great personal and professional decision met with expenses not experienced during my first international post. My tummy has had tantalizing delights that at times have been met with sticker shock after converting HKD to USD. After one hot day, I decided to reward myself with two scoops of gelato which when converted equaled a “Gotta Love It” at Coldstone. I will admit that one of my best meals has been courtesy of my school and there newbie dinner gathering. The roasted duck and all of its fanfare were delicious! Another benefit to moving to HK is my opportunity to have a healthier quality of life. Who knows one could have such an intimate relationship with stairs? If I am not paying for them physically I am paying for them financially. Shall I explain? Each day I have multiple opportunities to exercise being that I live on the fourth floor of my apartment building with no lift. And if you thought the chance to exercise ended there you are mistaken. I work on a campus that has one elevator for both the middle and high school and it is more efficient for me to use the stairwell then wait for the elevator. Now to the financial relationship I have with stairs. You pay per stair for delivery so my arrival with five big suitcases was only the beginning. My shipment and furniture delivery required that I compensate for the 72 steps that are required to navigate to get to my new home. Less I tarry too long on this topic let’s get back to the highlights of this section food and exercise. I guess in no time I should shed my pesky US pounds and stop blaming the humidity for a plausible cause for not fitting into my clothes.
Pray
The theme for the school this school year is centered around flourishing and is grounded in 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” What does flourishing mean to me? Being rooted in God’s word and what He has planned for my life so that as I travel through the seasons of life and endure the pruning and fertilizer experiences I bloom accordingly.
Another statement resonated with me upon my arrival. While taking the escalator down to the subway platform the PA reminds people to hold the handrail and stand firm for safety reasons. My thought is that is what one should do in life. Hold the handrail, which is God’s word, and stand firm in their faith so that they can get to the desired location, which yes sometimes is not where they want to go but where they need to go.
And one more for the road since it has been a while since I have blogged. With Hong Kong’s population exceeding 690 persons per square kilometer real estate is premium. There have been a number of instances when my GPS has stated that I have arrived at my desired location and what is in front of me does not match where I would like to be. I was given this piece of advice from a wise woman who is a gem of a frolleague, “Always remember to look up when looking for your desired location.” This reminded me of the words penned in Colossians 3:2 (MSG), “Don’t shuffle along eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ – that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.” As Eric Butterworth puts it, “Where you are in consciousness has everything to do with what you see in experience.”
Love
There is so much to love about this opportunity. First and foremost I love that fact that God answered this heart’s desires. I love the fact that He has continued to make provisions along this transition. I love the fact that I work at a school that is grounded in Christian principles. I love the fact that I am able to witness God’s beauty in landscape on a daily basis. I love that I am able to take the lessons learned thus far in life and apply them to this phase of my life.
No, not every prayer nor plead before God has been answered with a yes but every time I have chosen His will over my limited understanding I have been blessed tremendously. Approximately fifteen years ago I wrote out a list of seven items to accompany the words Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:18, “Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere.” God has answered my plea in five of those seven items and I believe He can fulfill the other two should it be His will. Perhaps I will share the list one day. In the meantime, I am thankful for His wisdom and I love the fact that He knows what is best for me and knows what will bring Him glory.
Teach
Hong Kong is a country that when in town has a New York city feel. I, however, chose to live away from all of the hustle and bustle in an area known as Stanley. It is said to be one of the oldest villages on Hong Kong Island dating back to 1573 in some accounts. In my new neck of the woods, there are markets, restaurants along the promenade, shops, police station, military cemetery, and a prison. Within walking distance are two beaches that I consider jewels and are perfect for my exercise regiment. To learn more about visit Next Stop Hong Kong.
One of my recent excursions was a hike to Big Wave Bay courtesy of the Dragon Back hike. The hike is classified as being a difficulty level of 5 out of 10 to which I would like to rebuttal and state that it was an 8.5. Perhaps my rating is due to a novice hiker who wishes to remain with that title. At any rate, it was monumental with breathtaking views and it was until yesterday that I fully appreciated that adjective! The hike that boasts of elevations as high as 269 meters took two hours to complete and will probably take two days to recover but I am happy that I persevered and hope this opens me up to other opportunities to strengthen my endurance.
I have completed eight of the twenty things on one “bucket list” of HK but as the author of the article “Twenty Ultimate Things to Do in Hong Kong” says, “A New York minute is a Hong Kong second!”