Day 3 - Monday 8th February 2009 - We meet DG Albert Wong

After a late sleep-in this morning, we met in the Lodge coffee shop for breakfast. It was a full buffet breakfast – we are going to put on weight at this rate. I think Santosh is right – we are going to have to skip a meal per day in order to stay the same shape! The food is great and there is so much available! While the rest of us were having breakfast, Brendan arrived back from a run – looking fresh. He ran so far he had to catch a train back to the Lodge! Picture: Booth Lodge, WinSing Street, Yaumatei, Hong Kong

After breakfast Santosh and Jonathan went looking for a print shop to make a new name-tag (ID style) for Nivashni. We were amazed by the fact that most high street shops in Nathan Road, Kowloon – especially the specialist ones, only open aroung 12noon. Not suprising I guess when they are still open at 11pm at night.

After being quoted 150 Hong Kong Dollars by one vendor we found someone about 20 meters away who made one for us and laminated it for HK$20 – quite a large variation in price.

That done, we shot back to the hotel, seeing some real sights along the way – one being carrots bigger and thicker than cucumbers. The other stall we passed was cooking something that smelled suspiciously like “afval” or raw tripe. At this stall we watched a lady trimming some octopus-tentacle kebabs. Great tasting I’m sure by not very appetising. The good folk of Hong Kong haven’t got any qualms about seeing their dinner in all it’s original glory but I guess it’ll take a bit of getting used to. Picture: Dinner on the Kowloon Street Market!

District GSE Vice-Chair PP Joseph Chan is a marvellous fellow. He arrived at 12noon to meet us and take us to lunch at the Wanchai Rotary club which meets at the Hong Kong Hyatt Hotel in the Hong Kong Convention Centre. Luxurious isn’t the word.

After travelling on the MTR – Hong Kong’s underground tube service – we arrived in Central Island. The MTR beats any underground that I’ve been on. Spotlessly clean and efficient, it is also safe and super-efficient. The transport system is so jacked-up here. Busses every couple of seconds, red and white Toyota Crown taxis – everything just moves. We have been told and I believe it, that there is no hassle getting to any place. PP Joseph gave us each an Octopus Card which one just swipes as you go past the turnstiles and down into the MTR. They were each loaded with HK$150 and can apparently be used on the MTR, buses and just about anywhere, including 7-11 convenience stores. We are very grateful to him. Apparently it is easy to recharge these cards when the credit is used up.

But back to Central Island, Hong Kong. What a magnificent place. The buildings are out of this world. The room at the Hong Kong Hyatt where the club met today is stunning. With the regalia out and everyting in place we were welcomed by the club President David Sarju, a friendly erudite man who really made us feel welcome. At the club – with about 22 members present, we did a banner exchange and had photo’s taken. We also met a visiting Rotarian, Tim O’Connell from California USA. He is in town to investigate marketing some of his firm’s fire-fighting equipment. District Governor-Elect Ada Cheng was at the meeting as well as Wangchai is her home club. She will become District Governor of District 3450 (Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia) on 1 July 2009 – the same date upon which PP Natty Moodley becomes DG of District 9270. Brendan got the contact details of a rugby club in the area. He either wants to do some training with them or he is considering a career as a Hong Kong rugby star! We’ll watch developments. No presentation because this was just a courtesy visit to PP Joseph’s home club. We are doing our first presentation tomorrow at lunch at the Rotary Club of HK City North.
Picture: The team with PP Joseph Chan (left) and Wanchai Club President David Sarju

The meal was 5-star – Prawn and Peach salad starter, Grilled Sea Bass main course and a delicious desert. This was followed by coffee. The speaker was a gentleman who owns an Internet marketing company and was very interesting. He spoke about the advantages of marketing on the internet – huge audience and very quick turnaround. One of the statistics he gave was astounding – in Shenzen, China which is a shopping mecca, apparently 42% of all sales ore done online despite the profusion of shops of all varieties. Something to make one sit up and take notice.

At the end of the meeting, Jonathan was presented with a leatherbound momento of his and the teams visit including a photo taken at the banner exchange at the beginning of the meeting. Organised!!

After the meeting we strolled through the magnificent Convention Centre and PP Joseph got us into a fire-fighting equipment exhibition. Very interesting and we bumped into Tim O’Connell again.

After that it was MTR back to the hotel and freshen up and move some luggage. Jonathan and Nivashni are moving to home hosts – Nivashni to PP Winnie Yuen of Happy Valley Rotary Club and Jonathan to a room in an apartment owned by Rotarian Or Sik Ling. The move will take place after the evening welcoming function and the Craigengower Cricket Club. Siyanda, Santosh and Brendan will stay on at the Booth Lodge for the time being.

The welcoming function was wonderful. At that meeting, which took place in a private dining room, we met District Governor Prof. Dr. Albert Wong. He is a lovely, warm and friendly man. Apart from the team and DG Albert, people at the supper were PP Joseph Chan (District GSE vice-chair), DGE Ada Cheng, PP Kenny Chow, DG Nominee (2010/2011) Jason Chan, PP Tenny Leung, PP Alex Leung (who is the team leader for the GSE coming to District 9270 this year), Rotarian Or Sik Ling (who despite being in his seventies is fondly referred to as Baby Or because he has only been a Rotarian for 2 or 3 years. Picture: (from left) DG-Elect PP Ada Cheng, District Governor Albert Wong, Jonathan and PP Alex Yeung who is the District 3450 Outgoing Team Leader of the GSE team coming to District 9270 from Hong Kong during April and May 2009

DG Albert welcomed us with a speech to which Jonathan replied on behalf of the team, bringing greetings from the team and DG Hennie, GSE Chair Annette and D9270. The HK Rotarians knew each team member and their bio details. It was moving that they had taken the trouble to do this. Banners were exchanged and each team member was given a gift and a Chinese New Year lucky packet. Jonathan presented DG Albert with a gift from DG Hennie which was gratefully received.

We then had a 12-course (I kid you not) dinner. The food was Chinese – absolutely delicious and everyone sort-of eventually mastered the chopsticks. We didn’t know it was going to be 12-course – so we tucked in enthusiastically at the start. Some of us were taking a bit of strain by the time the desert arrived, but I can tell you, the team were wonderful and one would have thought we ate 12-course Chinese meals every day. Remember what I said about our shapes!! Weight-Watchers get ready!! You’ll have a couple of new members when we get back.

All in all a lovely day. We are all looking for places to jog before we get ready for our meeting tomorrow. It’s our first presentation and we’re meeting at a coffee house at 11.30am to go over our presentation before the meeting.
Hoping everyone at home is well. We’ll keep you up-to-date. Goodnight.