The Good and The Bazaar

Hong Kong is proving to be quite unique. Every corner there is something different. You just have to look at the street that I live in.

You can see big posh buildings some areas but you get these street markets that would fail English Health and Safety laws probably but to be honest I love it. However, it is weird when you walk past the wet market and there are live chickens in cages that get killed there on the spot. I mean in Zimbabwe we had live chickens and you could see them being taken home on the bus’s but they weren’t killed there and then so yeah that’s bizarre.

Well February has come and gone. It has seen a deepening rootedness in St Andrew’s, my church, my birthday and Chinese New Year.

St Andrew’s is really becoming my second home from home. The ladies in my home group are all so welcoming and we have all bonded together extremely well. We are studying Exodus at the moment and it really is both encouraging and thought provoking.

My birthday on the actual day was a normal working day really. However on the Wednesday I spent with my wonderful family. First babysitting one of the cutest one year olds in my family followed by lunch with her parents and then a lovely evening playing barbie and having pizza with a five year old girl and her family. I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by my extended family. Admittedly I don’t think I’ve played with barbies since I was a child and it’s not a common thing for me to do but it’s nice to have a valid excuse to be allowed to play with the innocence of a child again.

Hong Kong has a rich and vibrant story and even to today they have blended modern with tradition. We have just had Chinese New Year. According to tales and legends, the beginning of the Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian. Nian would eat villagers, especially children. One year, all the villagers decided to go hide from the beast. An old man appeared before the villagers went into hiding and said that he’s going to stay the night, and decided to get revenge on the Nian. All the villagers thought he was insane. The old man put red papers up and set off firecrackers. The day after, the villagers came back to their town to see that nothing was destroyed. They assumed that the old man was a deity who came to save them. The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the color red and loud noises. When the New Year was about to come, the villagers would wear red clothes, hang red lanterns, and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again. (Thanks Wikipedia)

Many countries still have beliefs deeply rooted to traditional roots. In Zimbabwe we had the Nyami Nyami, mermaids, the Tokoloshe. People in the West may laugh and wonder how anyone can believe such things (we’ve been good at concreting the world and taming it that we forget that we’ve our own myths and legends)

Anyway, Chinese New Years is huge here in Hong Kong, even bigger than Christmas. I’ve enjoyed experiencing it. I’ve been trying to work out what is culturally appropriate or expected from me. I’m apparently meant to give little red packets called lai see with money in to anyone beneath me in status. However, apparently it is more expected from married people than single people. Also you cannot give anything with four in as the number four sounds like the word for death. I’m sure I’ll get something wrong but it’s interesting. We are in the year of the dog. Which seems fitting now that I’m living here that the first one to experience is also the same as the one I was born in.

With all the talk of wealth and riches over Chinese New Years it was good to sing this song at church.

I will not boast in riches
I have no pride in gold
But I will boast in Jesus
And in His Name alone.

It is easy to get swept away in this world and it is easy to want what we cannot have but if money may help but doesn’t always bring happiness. As one of my students wrote “when you find the beauty in life then you will find joy” (I know, isn’t that great writing) it’s true though. Things in life are fleeting, material things come and go what lasts forever, or means the most, are the memories, the joy in the child’s laugh, the beauty in the sunset and time spent with family and friends.