Hong Kong Day 7: Rubbing the Giant Buddha

It is official! I have been here for 1 week now. I am beginning to get comfortable with things, but still feel like a tourist sometimes. Well, todaywe went to see the big buddha, and well he was definitely enormous. Unfortunately I couldn’t get close enough to rub his belly for luck, but I guess that was ok. It was worth seeing, but I struggle sometimes with seeing monuments etc. this was still cool. It was very very foggy though. We had to go on 2 different subway lines and a train line to get to the place where we got on the bus to go to the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island. Did you know that this island is larger than Hong Kong Island and is where Disneyland and the airport are located. Anywho, I didn’t think about this at the time, but the bus ride to the monastery is twice the cost on Sundays. But we didn’t realize that at first –I think I read about it in the guidebook from the library, but I didn’t remember. Anywho, I wore my bathing suit. Who knows why…I heard there were beaches on this island, but I should have known they wouldn’t have been around a monastery…I mean who swims at a monastery –it’s not like they have swim with the monks like they have swim with the dolphins. Anywho, the bus drive was crazy! Our drive went through some of the poorer district of HK so that was interesting. But the route was soo windy and narrow. The buses passed each other so closely –it was rather unnerving! Sometimes the bus would have to wait at a spot while another bus passed. I think they knew when to do this by the use of big convex mirrors and radio communication. Anywho, we did pass beaches, but we didn’t stop. the view was cool, but as we went higher into the mountains on the island it got foggier and foggier. When we got off the bus we couldn’t see more than 10 feet in front of us –let alone any monastery or Buddha! We were pointed in the right direction to see the Buddha and we climbed up a ridiculous number of stairs without being able to see the large Buddha we were approaching. Finally we saw him –but barely. We went and saw some pictures under the Buddha but none of us (by the way Mike, Michael, Nick, Andrea, Sam, Chelsea, Meghan, and I all went on this trip, Guangming had someone else to hang out with or something? And John didn’t go) there is a museum you could go to, but it cost money and didn’t seem that interesting so we didn’t go in it. Then the fog began to lift and we could see the big Buddha a little bit better. Then we left and went across to the monastery. There were lots of places to burn incense. Sam did and prayed at a little prayer chapel. She said that she was not buddist, but just felt compelled to say a prayer. I got photos of it =) she looked like she knew what she was doing and looked good doing it. There were a few monks walking around. They all shave their heads and wear grey robes. You are only allowed to eat vegetarian meals here, but we didn’t stay for dinner.

Then we walked along the Path or Wisdom. It smelled really bad at some points. We walked past the Tea Garden Restaurant which was very small and dinky. hehe, anywho we walked past some tea plants? Or maybe they are called tea bushes? And then we made it up to this place where the fog was very thick and there were circles of tall wooden posts with writing on them. And a brightly colored giant rooster –I don’t know why. Also there were a number of turtle statues around. I don’t know what the connection is between turtles and Buddha, but it seems like there may be some? We stayed rather quiet along the path or wisdom and around the wooden posts of wisdom. Overall the monastery was very peaceful even with the tourists. I could experience the tranquility of the nature. Although all the bright golden buddhas were somewhat strange to me. They seemed almost tacky, and yet impressive at the same time. It was very weird. After our wisdom walk, which I didn’t not feel the wisdom, so maybe I didn’t walk along it well enough or tried to get enlightened and one with the universe like a true Buddhist might. Anyways after the walk we got back on the bus and went back to Festival Wok.

On the train back to the subway, we met a super friendly Chinese man. He talked mostly with Michael and I because he was near us and he liked Michael’s hat. His name was John Lee and he seemed to be a blue collared worker, but he spoke excellent English. It was really impressive. He was really friendly and chatty –the most chatty and friendly asian I have ever met in fact. He told us about his plan to save money enough to start a business of building boats in the Caribbean. He said HK is ok, but he doesn’t like it that much anymore because the population keeps growing but there is no land to hold them. We told him that we were here studying math. He didn’t know what that was, so I don’t think he went to school but I think he is teaching himself English and he is very good. When he didn’t know a word (which seemed pretty infrequent) he asked us to spell it and then he usually understood. He said he would listen to the BBC to get used to hearing and understanding English. =) he was very adorable. He told us that he liked to watch American movies like Entraptment, Zorro, and the Terminal – we think he had a thing for Catherine Zeta Jones =) . He talked about the church he would sometimes go to called St. Andrews church in Kowloon. He said that he liked it and the Austrailian pastor. He asked if we went to church and I said I did back in the states. He told me that I should go to St. Andrews sometime and call him if I decide to go and he will meet me there. Michael asked him if he was a Christian then, and he beamed and said proudly, “Yes I am a Christian and I am very happy.” It was obvious that he implied that his Christianity made him very happy. And I was very pleased because of this. I don’t know if I will go to the church and I don’t think I will call him, but I will always remember him. We left paths when we got on the subway and he left to go buy “a white shirt, 100% cotton!” =) ahh adorable! He gave us his card which said “no job too small!” so I think he is just a hired worker. I really hope he achieves his goals and gets work enough to build boats in the Caribbean.

When we got back to Festival Wok, Meghan left to go clean her skirt that had gotten some mud on it, but the rest of us went to this American Chicago Restaurant. It was delicious and a little pricey, but I enjoyed getting a burger and fries. And ice water! The buns were funny and more breadlike than in the states, but everything was delicious! It was so funny, the menu had a warning on it stating, “ Warning: We Serve American Sized Portions!” As we left I saw many of the locals sharing entrees. It was cute and well kinda embarrassing to be an American =P

We got back here around 9:30 and some of us (Meghan, Mike, Nick, John, Chelsea, and I) all played a game called 22. it was fun. I won the second game =) woo gooo me! Anywho I am not looking forward to work tomorrow, but I guess vacation time is over. Hopefully I can hook up and play some more soccer tomorrow. Have a good Sunday. I am kinda sad, while I am sleeping, my sister will be celebrating her baccalaureate and my family is having a huge party at our house. Congrats to my lil sister!! Way to graduate high school –I know it was rough reading through class and still getting A’s, but way to pull through. We are all sooo proud of you ;) anywho talk to you all later!