Ocean Park

Right now is about Fri 11:30am (Sat 12:30 here) ... yes, I know it late at night here, but I have some stuff in my mind (and no, it is not cobwebs =P ) that I want to put down on paper ... or hehe ... soft paper. Plus I was told that the 2 wedding banquet that I’m attending for the next 2 days are going to be late in the evening ... and therefore I should not wake up too early.

Today, Joe, Vivi, Sisi, and I went to Ocean Park, HK ... I was here about 17 years ago ... and the only memory of this place is the cable car and bird sanctuary ... which feel totally different now. We went on the spinning top to get a bird’s eye view ... saw the shark tank, the aquarium, dolphin & seal show ... took the cable car over to the main site (waited on a very long line ... lots of school kids) ... saw the pandas (got some great vids and pics) ... and finally raced around the track on a pretty fast go-cart (lets say that you can “drift” a little if you step on the breaks hard enough on a sharp turn).

Went back to shopping in Mong Kok ... I started to pick up stuff after checking out all of the best price ... one can save 30 to 40% if you shop around ... then you can even bargain for more saving ;) In watching Joe hop from one store to another on the hunt for the best deal ... I’ve learned a lot from him ... how to ask/bargain in Cantonese ... and checking out all sorts of places ... from the expensive to the cheap basement bargains.

I did have several profound thoughts ... but only a few survive ... read below ...

One ... I thank God for all good that come from this trip ... He made me realize that no matter where I am, I am safe with Him ... and He continues to show me more about myself ... my strength and weakness ... and where I lack, He fills in the void. I wish I have my big old fat study bible with me ...

Some people have been asking me why I believe in Jesus Christ ... my answer may vary from case to case, but the main reason is freedom. Yea, many think that there are too many rules and restriction ... but that is quite the opposite. If you want to talk about rules and restriction ... then let’s talk about the rules of following a culture ... here in HK, everyone walks on the left ... there are signs in the hallways and stairways telling people to walk on the left ... it is a rule that everybody live by ... a habit ... and it not really a hassle to everyday life for the locals. But for me, as an outsider, if feels weird ... there is no signs in NY to tell me to walk on which side ... everyday, I have to tell my self to consciously walk on the left. So the same principle applies to believers and non-believers ... it depends on how you look at everything. For me, Christ is freedom ... freedom from my burden ... freedom for my sole ... and the freedom to choose to follow His way.

Next ... on the subway coming back to from Ocean Park ... I looked at an old lady in front of me and started to wonder what would I be like when I’m that old ... fat? ... bald? ... and pain in the but? =P Then I started to think of home ... my fam ... what to buy for my sis who wants to here but not. I saw lots of stuff that my sis may like, but I wanted to pick the best for the best value ... just the way she likes it. And finally, I started to day dream about Chica on the subway ... I miss her a lot ... I wish she can be right there with me at that moment ... yea, I can dream, can I??? =P ... sadly, I really miss her.