Author: katherineyiend

Hi all. Well another month has past and life in Hong Kong continues at a pace of knots. Isn’t life like that. You blink and you miss it, it doesn’t matter how many times we like the lovely sayings of live every moment like it was your last etc. We need too make the conscience decision to stop and look.

Me with some of my very special ladies and friends in my home group at church

I was recently without a fully functioning phone after having dropped it. Yes it was a little frustration but it was also very freeing. Unfortunately it’s so easy to slip back into bad habits when phone is replaced. However, whilst walking through Victoria Park the one morning it was so beautiful I felt like it would be a perfect tome too takes a photo, I couldn’t because of no phone, bit then it reminded me off that lovely film, ‘The secret life of Walter Mitty’ with Ben Stiller. In this movie he eventually tracks down Sean Penn on the Himalayas trying to capture a picture of the rare snow leopard, he eventually doesn’t take the picture and says something to the effect of how it’s nice to just be in the moment without having a photo to remember it. It got me thinking, how often do we think I’ve got to capture this in a photo that we miss the moment totally, we don’t engage in the moment, we miss the essence. Now don’t get me wrong, I like photos and being able to remember and having a keep sake but I also don’t want to miss the special moment and being fully engaged in it.

I haven’t been able to go walking recently as my days of have included torrential rain. I haven’t really minded as I enjoy the rain but it’s still been extremely hot and humid. However I did manage to do two stages one Wednesday, at times I wondered what I was doing as it was so hot, but it is worth it. I took a couple of videos, one to show you the step climb, but when viewing it back it doesn’t look steep but I can assure you that it is. I must admit to looking forward to my hikes/walks. They get me outside and in the countryside, although I enjoy Hong Kong I’m still a country bumpkin at heart.

As you can see it’s quite beautiful, a little like Africa but still so different.

On Sunday I went and watched one of my little cousins perform in her first ever ballet recital. She was the cutest little cat ever. It was wonderful watching all these little tots doing ballet. In true small child fashion you had them doing all the right steps but not necessarily in the right time or order. It was a joy to watch and it was a moment to cherish.

Here is the cutest little cat ever, thanks Christal for the photos.

Well, I’m going to sign of for now I’m about to go on another walk/hike. However to close I will leave you with a quote from Diane Ackerman “Where there is no risk, the emotional terrain is flat and unyeilding, and, despite all its dimensions, valleys, pinnicales, and detours, life will seem to have none of its magnificent geography, only a length.” It took me many valleys and pinnacles with a few humps but at the end of the day life is precious and it is made me appreciate life even more. God bless you all.

As Bilbo Baggins said “It’s a dangerous business, going out of your door, you step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no telling where you might be swept off-road.” Isn’t life just like that. Every day we get up, it’s a new day and anything could happen that we don’t always have control of. Unfortunately, the majority of the days are just the mundane routine, get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, repeat. We can get so bogged up in the routine, or the living and working till our next adventure that we forget to be grateful for today. I wonder what new lessons I have to learn today?

It’s been over a month since I last wrote, so there should be lots to write about but apart from the normal every day routine life is pretty much the same.

March has come and gone. We saw the return of my wonderful wandering cousins, missed celebrating an important birthday of my mums. Can’t believe it was 10 years ago when we had the fabulous round the world dinner party for her. Promise to be there in 5 years time for the next one Mum xxx

March going into April also saw Easter and although it is wonderful to now be able to eat chocolate again (I made the worst decision to give it up for lent and although I did it before it was never this hard before). It was a brilliant time to just reflect and remember the great sacrifice that Christ made for my sins and for the world. Christmas and Easter are always important to me, and I try and remember the true meanings every year, but even more so now that I’m in a foreign land. I thank God for my cousins and St Andrew’s who have been a huge help in keeping me centred and remind me daily of the glory of life.

At the beginning of March I did go and see an amazing lantern display. It was incredible. Here are a few photos.

I also decided to do what most Hong Kong people enjoy doing- hiking!!! This led to another adventure in the attempt to get to the peak, the first time. I went on bus and MTR trying to find the Peak Tram. This took most of the day, which was a miserable day. After a lot of walking and many scenic detours I eventually found it to realise it was an expensive experience for that day so I turned around and went home. The next Wednesday I managed to do it. I caught the no 15 and went up to the peak.

It was a lovely hike down to Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Rd, ending up at a riding school which the smell brought back happy memories of horse riding. While walking it was so peaceful you wouldn’t think that you were in a City at all.

Easter came in between then and my next hike, plus the dratted lurgy. A week spent either at work or resting trying to get better. It lasted just over a week, which is good apparently for Hong Kong colds. However on Wednesday I felt enough was enough I’m not going to just stay in the flat I’ll do the next leg of the Hong Kong Trail. So of I went to Pok Fu Lam Reservoir Rd to carry on from where I left. I must admit the first 1 hour was hard as it was up hill. Actually I don’t know what was worse going up hill with a tight chest from the lurgy or burpees at British Military Fitness!!! Nope, definitely the burpees even if they are good for you. It was a lovely walk, the sun was shining and the birds were singing. You couldn’t hear anything from below. Here are some photos.

However, and I know this should be at the beginning but I’m saving the best to last. Our family seems to be expanding at the rate of knots. My cousins all seem to popping babies. This year has seen the birth of Carla Rose and Whitney Jean. Both beautiful little girls and I long to have a cuddle with them all. This has been added to by the very recent birth of my first great nephew Eliah Chad Warren

He is gorgeous even if he does have his grandfathers button nose 😘 (love you Richard). I wish Jess and Chad all the best in raising this boy to be the type of man his name means

‘God is Lord.’ May all you babies grow to be strong, independent and loving people.

God bless you all.

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.

Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you had a blessed festive season and that you have had a wonderful start to the new year.

Mine has been good thanks.

New Years Eve was spent very quietly with Christal and the children and New Years Day with Christie. Both very special and a wonderful way to begin.

Then reality check. On the 2nd January I finally officially moved into my new flat. This involved lugging two suitcases on the MTR (Hong Kong’s underground) from Tung Chung to Tin Hau. This is about an hour each way and I had to do it twice. The first time was fine. The second time included me loosing my balance and like a scene from Harry Hills bloopers falling backwards into the arms of two nice Hong Kong men. Embarrassed much, definitely and where a confident cute woman would be able to turn it into an opportunity to flirt all this young lady could do was go red and apologise keeping her eyes down for the rest of the trip.

This was strenuous work but I had a mountain to climb at the end. As the apartment is on the fifth floor of a walk up building. BMF is a great way to keep fit and as many know when I finish that I look like an overly ripe tomato 🍅 and that’s after an hours workout. After dragging the suitcases up the stairs (as there is no lift) I looked more like a lobster meets tomato red.

Finally, in and life begins again.

The first week involved buying new curtains so that any peepers (and apparently it’s common in Hong Kong) looking won’t get the horror of me changing. The other curtains, although black, were a little transparent. This involved my first ever trip to IKEA and although it is a great place to get stuff I don’t know if it’s really my cup of tea.

The highlight of my first Sunday in January was going and watching my very talented cousin, Gabby Parker, performing in Cats as Victoria the white cat. It was a brilliant performance and one that I enjoyed. It was also great to meet up with my cousin Julie, Gabby and Dougal on the Monday evening. So nice to just catch up. Let’s not leave it as long as before.

My roommate is back from her Christmas in Germany with her family and it’s so nice to have another person in the flat. She’s lovely and hopefully we will get on. We are so far.

This Saturday she had persuaded me to go to my second live concert in Hong Kong. Again to a group that I had never heard of before, Imagine Dragons 🐉. Although totally different to what I normally listen to it was a brilliant show. My new resolutions is just to say yes to new experiences. After that we went to an area called Wan Chai which is where the night life of Hong Kong can be both wholesome and on the rather risky side ( I did the wholesome side) it was interesting.

It was amazing Imagine Dragons 🐉 and believe it or not I came away with some very theological thoughts. One of the songs about how you cannot have a tomorrow without a yesterday. Although this may seem like we are missing today,what I came out of it thinking is that for so many years or days we dwell on the yesterday’s. The what ifs of life, the if only I had or hadn’t and this sometimes, mostly just brings us down. God doesn’t want this for us. He wants us to have a full life. We must be grateful for the past – and yes I know it’s hard (believe me). I’ve often thought what would it have been like if I didn’t leave Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 and I still miss it every day. For me that’s home and always will be but to dwell on that strips the joy of today. I have to trust that I’m here in Hong Kong for a reason even if I don’t know the reason yet. Being secure in the past, enjoying or appreciating today makes me trust that the future will be fine no matter what. I have God’s promise to be there for me.

Whatever or wherever you are may 2018 be a year of blessings, growth, and a deeper understanding and appreciation for where you are. Know that whatever you’re making a difference to even just one person and that like a butterfly 🦋 in that saying it will ripple out to others.

God bless you and keep you x

Well, I guess I haven’t been much cop in writing each week. It’s not that I don’t think of everybody I guess you just get involved in life.

Life in Hong Kong goes by at quite a pace really. I’m enjoying the hustle bustle. Work keeps me fairly busy, which is a good thing.

Two weeks ago Nick, Christal and Kayli braved taking me to see Shawn Mendes. It was an experience and one I really enjoyed. Though, I’ll admit to feeling a little out of place with teenage girls all screaming around me, I guess I would have been the same at their age.

However, the night was enjoyed by all, and I have now been educated on who Shawn Mendes is, there may be hope for me yet. 😄😄😄

Christmas is tomorrow and it’ll be the first Christmas for me without mum and dad so what to do. I needed to make it feel Christmasy in the flat so here’s my attempt

To be honest I’m quite happy with the finished results. However when you compare it to Elements Shopping Mall that puts it to shame.

Isn’t it incredible. It was so nice seeing all the children enjoying the characters.

However, in this materialistic world it is hard sometimes to remember that we are celebrating the birth of the Son of God. The ultimate gift. Not wrapped elaborately in bright rich paper but as a baby born in a stable (one that was probably smelly and cold) and put in a manger (a feeding trough). He didn’t come in glory or as the people had wanted but He came to save us, to comfort the broken and lost. To guide us all to the light and love of our true Father.

2017 has been an interesting year and God may at times feel far away but know that He is working all for our good. May 2018 be a year of healing, of peace and love to you all.

God bless.

Katherine

Xxxxx

I have found my church!! St Andrew’s in Kowloon, Hong Kong. I had heard good things for a while now but I got myself up and went this morning. I walked in and felt home, a place I want to get involved in, a shelter in both good times and in the storm.

We sang a wonderful hymn today called My Shelter In The Storm. The opening verse really touched me.

I Have A Shelter

I have a shelter in the storm
When troubles pour upon me
Though fears are rising like a flood
My soul can rest securely
Oh Jesus I will hide in You
My place of peace and solace
No trial is deeper than Your love
That comforts all my sorrows.

Now don’t go worrying, I have no troubles or trials. I’m not fearful but I do worry at times and I do get flat, I’m human. I just love the image of a Shelter. Someone who I can hide in when I’m low. God will hold me up.

The lady who prayed finished her prayer with Revelation 21.

“REVELATION 21 Then I saw  a new heaven and a new earth, for  the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2And I saw the holy city,  new Jerusalem,  coming down out of heaven from God,  prepared  as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold,  the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and  death shall be no more,  neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Excerpt From

ESV Classic Reference Bible

Crossway

God will be my refuge, my shelter and my comfort and I look forward to the day when there will be no mourning, crying or pain.

Life is going ok here in Hong Kong. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas and they are going all out decorating the shopping malls. It’s looking very festive.

I have also found a flat and am going to share with a lovely German young lady. She seems lovely and we get on. Which is a huge bonus. Two Saturday’s ago I went to drinks with her on the roof of the flat and met some of her friends. All lovely people and it was so good to have a good laugh and meet people.

Work is also going well. I’m getting to know the students and getting a report with them.

Anyway, not much else to report. Until next time xxxx

Hi all.

I’m sorry for going two weeks without any blog. I’m now going into my fourth week and can’t believe how fast it is all going. Anyway, let me take you back to week two.

Hong Kong Night market.

This week saw excursions into Hong Kong. We went from a traditional or very basic street market at night, where we sat and ate Chinese food on the street to Pacific Place on the Wednesday with its high end shops in a modern shopping mall.

This also saw me at immigration getting my ID card sorted out. Boy was that an experience, not quite as bad as Zimbabwe ID process but close. Did involve sitting and waiting for your number to be called, having your photo taken and thump prints, and then waiting in another line to pick up the temporary one followed by having to go again and pick up the original one two weeks later. Which is good since I’m still waiting for my Zim one for the last 18 years😁.

On the street outside Pacific Place waiting for the bus.

Hong Kong seems to be that. A blend of the old with the new. It’s good to remember the old with a look to the future and I guess that is what remembrance is about. I had decided even before I got here that I wanted to attend the remembrance service at the Hong Kong Memorial in central so I got researching and managed to find the time and place. I managed to go and get absolutely soaked as the heavens opened and it rained and not being prepared I had no umbrella or anything. Thankfully when you do go into shelter you dry quite quickly.

So everything is going ok, I hear you ask. The truth is when it comes to life in Hong Kong yes it is. I’m finding my way around, I’m getting on with the people I work with. I love the children and I feel very blessed to be getting this wonderful opportunity. You will be correct in regards to the there being a but, and it is a big but.

The Saturday before Remembrance Sunday whilst traveling back home on the MTR I received tragic news, and although I’m not going to go into details I was knocked. It’s amazing though how God puts the right people there as when I had got off the phone with regards to the news a lovely chap checked if I was ok, he allowed me to express my anger at above but he reassured me that there is light. When getting of the MTR he said he had just finished praying for me. This allowed me to keep it together (mostly) until I got back to the flat where I collapsed in tears then.

I will admit that that week went by in a bit of a numb state. It’s hard to feel totally helpless and so far away that actually what you need to do is just get on with the every day living. I went to work, I was able to give the work my best (hopefully) and allowed the children to be the balm I needed.

On my day off I decided to go out. The last thing I wanted was to sit at home and allow myself to think. As you know my brain is sometimes my worst enemy. I went to Hong Kong Park, it’s absolutely gorgeous. So green and quite in the midst of a city.

I then went and watched Loving Vincent which was lovely.

The week has gone on. I went to church with Nick and Christal which was wonderful. I then had a lovely lunch with them and realised again how blessed I am to have a wonderful family and to know again that what matters in life is not belongings but the people and relationships that you have. To allow yourself to be touched by people’s lives and to hopefully make a difference to theirs. So thank you for being apart of mine and that wherever you are and whatever you are going through may God bless you and hold you tight through good and hard times.

Well it’s been just over a week since I landed. I would love to say it’s been an adventure Bear Grylls style but it hasn’t. So far I am enjoying it but this week has consisted of settling in, of working out dress codes of some sort and for dealing with the right of passage of new shoes -BLISTERS – that make me look funnier than normal when I’m walking. My cousins, Tina, Norman, Christal and Nick have been a huge support. Tina and Norman have had to put up with the tears on Thursday that eventually hit after a week of trying to navigate a new way of life. I have been informed that is normal and it’ll probably won’t be the last, and knowing me that is true.

My two very special cousins on the way to church first Sunday.

Work is going well. The children are lovely and I have been blessed with a wonderful boss who is kind and willing to do anything to help me settle in. Ann-Marie knows the children and the culture in-depth and has an ability to pass on her wisdom that I know I will be always learning.

The commute to work is easy and the MTR is so simple to navigate. A lot like the underground in London just cleaner and above ground most of the time.

I’ve managed to go to church each Sunday. The first was a non denomination and this Sunday an Anglican. Both good though I will try others to get a better feel.

Until Friday. I hope you all have a good week and that life is treating you well. XxOutside work.

Hi all, just to say that I have indeed arrived in Hong Kong. Some of you have requested that I write a blog. So I shall try however I’m not the greatest writer but will give it ago.

The plan for my blog is that maybe the beginning of the week I will update you on my week just gone and then on Friday or the end of the week, I will have more of a spiritual blog post, to be able to reflect on Gods plan, and how He has been working that week or it may end up just my musings.

Anyway I hope you will enjoy it.