Going out this morning, it was great to pass a store labelled “De Beers”. Maybe I don’t get around enough but I’ve never seen one in South Africa. It trades in the most magnificent diamonds and it’s display includes branded watches with the De Beers label. SA capitalism scoring in HK.
Good old De Beers in HK
Our only meeting on Wednesday was a lunch meeting at the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Metropolitan where the speaker spoke in Cantonese about the art of Fung Shui – the art of keeping yourself and your surroundings with the right vibe, basically. A lot of Chinese are very dependant on this to stay healthy, wealthy and wise. He was also a bit of a fortune-teller and we were astonished to hear him telling one of the older lady Rotarians that she was going to be having health problems in the future. Siyanda wasn't impressed and said he wouldn't like it if someone walked up to him, unsolicited, and told him this. We all felt pretty much the same. A light moment was when one pretty young lady asked him about finding the love of her life. His response was “Don’t get too serious now – just play around a bit first”. Great hilarity.
Team with RC Metropolitan Rotarians and Fung Shui Master (seated left front)
Here’s a pic of one of the courses at the meal:
Oh, and we sang a Rotary song:
We have encountered this song in a few clubs now. In Port Shepstone, we sing our National Anthem at the start of each meeting, but quite a few clubs in Hong Kong, especially the Cantonese clubs, this song is sung. I’ll teach it to you when we get back. It has a catchy tune.
R-O-T-A-R-Y That spells Rotary
R-O-T-A-R-Y Is known on land and sea
From North to South, From East to West
He profits most who serves the best
R-O-T-A-R-Y That spells Rotary
R-O-T-A-R-Y That spells Rotary
R-O-T-A-R-Y Is one great family
Where friendship binds for man’s uplift
Where each one strives his best to give
R-O-T-A-R-Y That spells Rotary
The rest of the day was free so we went our separate ways and on Thursday morning at our report back, some had slept, some had shopped, some had just chilled, but most were feeling a bit homesick.
Thursday turned out to be a busy day.......
Before going out I was on the terrace and noticed an adjacent rooftop – to my surprise it is a Nursery School – on the roof of a 15-storey building. Only in Hong Kong!
Rooftop Nursery School
Our first meeting was at the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Financial Centre. There are lots of big hitters in this club. The view from the meeting venue was amazing – more land reclamation. Very nice Rotarians – although it was a Cantonese club, we did our presentation and there was tremendous interest – particularly in South Africa as a destination for Soccer 2010 and for wildlife. Lots of questions and interest. A bottle of Marula Cream was produced and we had a little sip and thought of home.
Santosh talking about Broadcasting in South Africa
After lunch the President Joe-Joe took us to see a Traditional Chinese Doctor who is a Rotarian. Traditional Chinese medicine is practised alongside Western medicine in Hong Kong. Practitioners have to have a basic certificate in Western medicine which is really a very condensed course in medicine, in order to be registered and practise.
It was fascinating, we watched as he consulted with a few patients, taking pulses, looking at eye and complexion colour and writing prescriptions which are then filled in his office from behind a “pharmaceutical” counter in reception. I spoke to a Western style, Australian doctor at our evening meeting, and far from being sceptical, he said that a lot of these traditional doctors are very good and there is a good fusion of old and new in medicine in China these days.
After our introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine we had a break until our evening meeting. I went back to my host's home in Mid-Levels, Hong Kong. Hong Kong is really beautiful in the evening.... how's this view from the rooftop terrace:
Our evening was meeting was a delightful affair. President Wendy of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour made us feel very welcome and there were a number of visitors including our friend President David Sarju of Wanchai Club, PP Joseph Chan, our superstar GSE vice-chair and HK mentor, an ambassadorial student from California and a visiting Rotarian from Australia. Our presentation went down very well. Brendan got huge applause for his exploits on the rugby fields here – apparently the team he played for last Saturday is as popular as the Sharks in KZN and they were very impressed that he actually was one of the try-scorers!
Two GSE gentlemen waiting to present to the RC of Hong Kong Harbour!
Tomorrow we go to Macau, a one-hour ferry trip. We’ll keep you updated. We think of everyone back home all the time.
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