The World is a Big Place

 Dear Family,

It's been a wonderful week, partly because it's been slow and manageable. We've done the usual things, work everyday of course, an FHE evening of games with the sr. couples, an evening playing ping pong, the temple on Wednesday, a late night of work on Friday, and a day at the beach Saturday. We haven't been terribly social doing most of these things by ourself, so we've gone at our own speed which has been much less intense then some weeks.

You know it's a slow week when I tell you about going to the dentist! Wednesday I finally got up the courage to find a dentist and go fix a broken tooth. I've been putting this off for a couple of months and had the usual dental anxiety going into it but to my relief, the procedure was easy, and I met the most delightful British dentist who put me together painlessly. AND, because the AC was on overdrive in their office they tucked a warm fuzzy blanket around me before they started, and I've decided that should be standard procedure for all dental visits. It was so cozy and comforting I forgot I didn't want to be there.

In the end I felt like I'd met two new friends, Dr. Burrows and Melinda
who tucked me under a fuzzy blanket!

Dr. Burrows office is in Central, the financial district of Hong Kong and the very high end part of town. As I came out of the office I could hear loud beating drums and found myself on the edge of a crowd of people on the sidewalk drinking champaign in glass flutes and feeding lettuce to dancing dragons!

In Chinese culture dragons are not the scary beasts they are in our western lore. Here in China they are your protectors and healers. Remember the Dragon Parade a few weeks ago to commemorate the healing of the plague? Well, on Wednesday the dragons had been invited to the Grand Opening of a Breguet Watch store. The owners were feeding them lettuce to appease them and to insure that the dragons would watch over and protect their store. The dragons danced all around the outside and then entered the store dancing all around the glass cases. It was a moment that made me so happy I was living in China. 

Another reason I like living in China is that when you go to the beach you might also be able to go to a Buddhist Temple! 

I just love this guy sitting right next to the sand, looking out to sea!!

Not much to say about the beach except that this is my view lying on my towel...

...and this is the view when I sat up. 

You don't need anything on a day like this but your book and a bottle of water!

*************

The weather has hit a sweet spot here, it's warm enough to go to the beach during the day, but cool enough to go to the park at night. Tonight, after several months of staying away because of the heat, we returned to our Sunday night park walk. We've sent plenty of pictures of the park before, and it was nice to be back sitting on our bench and people watching. Tonight as I walked around the park I heard music coming from a distant corner (remember that this park is huge, full of trees and multiple patio's, fountains, and large gazebos). I love Sunday night music at the park and I wandered through the trees and down some stairs until I found the source.

These women were just singing, beating their drums, and shaking their tambourines.
It was the happiest sound!

And not 15 yards away was this group of women singing more worshipful songs.

Then 15 yards the other direction was this huddle of picnickers with their food spread out on the blanket as they ate with their hands.

But this was my favorite group, these women, right in the middle of all this hubbub. They were huddled together with their books studying, writing, and discussing. 

I know we talk about the domestic workers continually,  you simply can't move around Hong Kong without seeing them all the time, they are a dominant piece of the culture. Because this particular park is built directly next door to a mosque, the majority of the women that use this park as their day-off-hangout are all Muslim. Each of these women spend 6 days a week living in a closet sized back room of a home -or apartment-with a family whom they serve 16 hours a day. Then they gather for a few brief hours on their day off to be with others like them, who speak their language, eat their food and sing their songs and they celebrate their own beliefs and culture. I've been here for months, I see this everywhere I go, but it just never stops being jarring. It stirs up my heart with questions I can't formulate and answers that don't come. Especially tonight as the world stands on the brink of a new war where one side wears hijabs, these women truly moved me, and filled my heart. It is full of prayers for those who are living in fear tonight, and full of gratitude that I am here in Hong Kong where I am constantly reminded that the world is very big with so many people to love and learn from.

As always though, of all the people in the world, know that I love you the best!!

LOVE 

Mom and Dad/Grandma and Grandpa