Science Museum

We used our museum passes last Sunday to visit two great museums. The first of these was the Science Museum. This place is lots of fun. It is really geared to kids, but kids of all ages can enjoy it. There are four floors of hands-on, interactive demonstrations and experiments. It is very reminiscent of the Indianapolis Children's Museum but with the entire focus on science. 


We enjoyed the various areas and joined in on many of the experiments. The most impressive exhibit is a four story tall "machine" that does all types of energy demonstrations. It shows different types of energy ranging from pulleys to musical instruments. There were exhibits on human and animal science, weather, telecommunications throughout the years, shipping, nutrition, automobiles, city planning and more.

And of course, some of the best fun was watching the little ones enjoy their play time.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum

Ever since arriving in Hong Kong, I have seen signs directing visitors to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum. I knew it was nearby and after telling myself for the past four months that I needed to be sure to see it, I finally took the time to walk to the museum (uphill this time).

The legacy of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen was not terribly familiar to me. I knew that he was one of the leaders of the revolution that freed China from dynastic rule. After touring these exhibits I learned just how instrumental he was in leading the many revolutions until the one in 1911 succeeded. He began his education as a medical student and through his exposure to others of like-minded political persuasion, he was transformed into one of the most significant political figures in Chinese history. 


His secondary and university education was in Hong Kong and much of his political planning and financing was funneled through this then-British colony. I learned of his world-wide travels recruiting supporters and participants to the cause of a free China. I also learned of the sacrifices of so many to the cause. Dr. Sun died knowing China was no longer under dynastic rule, but was far from his hopes and dreams. What I thought would be a 20 to 30 minute walk through a few galleries, turned into nearly two hours of reading and observing the displays focused on this remarkable man.

Another surprise to this visit was the house where the museum is located. Kom Tong Hall was built in 1914 by Ho Kom Tong and is a blending of Chinese and Western architectural styles. Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed within the building, and nearby construction greatly limited the angles from which to take good exterior photos. But believe me when I say that the home itself was worth the price of admission.


The Museum is only the third occupant of this home. The family retained it through several generations and then sold it to the Mormon church. The church agreed to sell it back to the government for use as a museum. Before installing the exhibits, the home underwent a complete restoration. While adding necessary fire and safety equipment, great care was taken to disguise the modern requirements and retain the original look and feel of the home. The woodwork was all restored, the tiles reset, the railings redone and more. You truly felt like you were walking through someone's home and the wood and stained glass were most impressive. 


It was a great way to fill an afternoon and my brain. I hope to discover more of these great exhibits in the weeks to come. And thanks to the huge focus on cultural education in Hong Kong, it will be easy. For US$12 a person can buy a  pass good for seven of the largest and most impressive museums in Hong Kong for one year of unlimited admissions. For Ken and I it was only US$6 because we are over 60. Additionally, each museum has one day a week of free admissions for those who cannot afford the modest entrance fees. The emphasis on cultural education should be a model for all.

Sculpture Park & Chater Garden

Once again I decided to take a walk and stumbled upon a beautiful area right in the middle of the city. I was heading to the Sculpture Park and according to the map it is located next to the original city hall. It is a short distance from our apartment and an easy downhill walk.

The old city hall is a fine example of British architecture from the colonial period. Much of the statuary area was under construction but there were a few nice examples still on display.

When I walked to the far side of City Hall, I once again discovered a gem of a park. This one is called Chater Garden and is different in that the water feature is more structured and the trees and shrubs are labeled for the education of the visitors.

Among the trees I saw were both a breadfruit tree and a jackfruit tree. The breadfruit was not bearing at this time, but the jackfruit was and to my surprise the fruit grows on the trunk rather than hanging from the branches.

Hong Kong is a never ending array of beautiful surprises and I am grateful to be able to explore so many.

Victoria Harbor 8 P.M.

Every evening at 8 P.M. Victoria Harbor comes alive with lights and music. It is a celebration of the best kind. People gather by the waterfront to enjoy the beautiful evenings and see the spectacle.


If you travel to the Kowloon side of the harbor and watch from the Cultural Center, you are treated to an introduction to the individual buildings along with a projected light show on the main performance hall walls. It is not merely the buildings displaying lights, but also laser shows timed to the music and some individual building lights actually "dance" to the music. The colors are vibrant and it is like Fourth of July and a block party all rolled into one. You never tire of seeing it. Once the show has finished, the lights remain on to keep the city looking bright and happy each and every night.

Dinners with Friends

The title of this blog does not have a typo. Last week was a banner week for eating. May Lene arrived Sunday in Hong Kong from her trip to GR and we decided to go Malaysian her first night in since she had been eating Western food while in the US. The following day she & Ken went with a group to Dungguan. That night I ate at home. Little did I know it was in preparation for a feasting orgie for the remainder of the week.

The group arrived back in Hong Kong Tuesday evening and we were joined by Rommel for dinner. We decided to do American "dim sum" at one of out favorite places, Bourbon Street. In the U.S. we call it grazing, here it becomes dim sum. We had ribs, onion rings, a nacho and a twist on the traditional corn dog - shrimp corn dogs. And of course there were fries, beer and cider. It was a thoroughly unhealthy but yummy meal shared by friends - the best kind.

After that meal I was thinking of perhaps a nice salad the following night. Ken left for Shanghai and things would be pretty quiet. Not so fast on those plans. On Wednesday evening I was invited to join a Rommel, May Lene and a group from Dungguan who were in for meetings in Hong Kong. I apologize for not remembering all of their names, but two were new fathers (one has six month old twin boys and the other a four month old girl and a six year old son). The other two were young mothers so some of the conversation revolved around parenthood. It is the same everywhere when you have a baby. A fun conversation.

We went to the Regal Hotel for their dinner buffet and it was fabulous. I especially like the Alaskan king crab legs and the desserts. The choice were too numerous to mention and everything was delicious. We had a long leisurely meal with lively conversation. Between the food and the company it was an exceptional experience.

So you might think my week of great dining had wound down. Not so, Grasshopper! The following night brought new visitors, Raj & Sya Rifah from Kuala Lumpur and Sim from Shanghai. Once again I was invited to join in. This time we went to a Chinese restaurant that featured several hard to find delicacies. With Rommel and Barbara choosing the menu, I just grabbed my chopsticks and enjoyed.

Barbara has been telling Ken how impressed she was with my willingness to try anything and everything. Among the new treats that night were jellyfish (an appetizer) and bird's nest soup. Rom didn't tell me how the birds nest is incorporated until after I ate it. Suffice it to say it is considered vegetarian and very good for your lungs. You don't want to know the rest. We also had warm almond milk with egg white for dessert. The milk has a delicate flavor and along with the mango and pomelo custard made for a great finish to the meal. Raj and Sya Rifah are vegetarians so their menu differed from ours but looked tasty none the less.

Following dinner we decided to wander for a bit and found ourselves in the toy department of Sogo (a large Japanese department store in Causeway Bay). They had a demo set up for the X-box Kinect and Rom decided to give it a try. It looks like loads of fun.

As we went our separate ways to home/hotel for the night, Rom, May Lene and I found ourselves in a Haagen Dazs shop. Wonder how that happened? After a "nightcap" of sorts we headed home full and happy. I am grateful to all of our Steelcase friends who are so gracious and include me even when I am "single" for the night. It has been fun and interesting and I love the time I spend getting to know everyone.

(I also think my night doorman is raising his eyebrows. Arriving home by myself at 11 P.M. and midnight two nights in a row with Ken out of town is not my usual M.O. Let him wonder!)

Hidden Surprises

I am continually amazed by the "hidden surprises" of Hong Kong. No matter where you go, there will be something unexpected. Sometimes these surprises are small like a tiny shrine tucked into a store front. Sometimes they are bigger like an entire park hidden between office buildings.

I went to Hong Kong Park to pick up some things at the Tea Ware Museum gift shop. Although I have been to the park several times there is always something new to find. This time I found the best view of one of my favorite pairs of buildings in Admiralty. They are the Lippo Buildings and they remind me of children's building blocks.

No photo can ever show the amazing reflections that make these buildings catch the eye.

Once in the park I discovered a statue outside the Tea Ware Museum (which is a former garrison building for the British forces). It is dedicated to the troops of every nation who defended Hong Kong in 1941. There is also a marker in Chinese. I have not yet found out what it says, but it is lovely none the less.

After leaving Hong Kong Park, I decided to try a different way to walk home hoping for more shade on a very hot day. As I was crossing walkways between office buildings, I came upon on of the bigger hidden treasures. Cheung Kong Park. This gem is literally located between several office and government buildings on a level at about the third floor of the buildings on the street below. It has beautiful paths through lush foliage along a small stream and waterfall.

The city sounds fade away and in just a few steps you are surrounded by nature. The park is small yet it is a great place to escape the city that surrounds it. 

At the end of the garden path sits St. John Anglican Cathedral. It is a very old church in Hong Kong. Another building is the Court of Final Instance (I think that is the appeals court).

After arriving at this spot, I wasn't sure how to leave the area. There were gates to government buildings above and of course the way I entered, but finally I saw the entrance to the Battery Path. This park land had been a British battery used to defend Hong Kong. The path was tree lined and sloped downward. At the end I found myself on Queen street which is one of the busy, high end shopping streets in Central.

But my surprises were not over yet. Recently someone had told me about the gas lamps. Hong Kong was the first Asian city to convert to gas lamps from kerosene in the mid 1800's. The city used these lamps until the advent of electricity for street lighting. Although now they are on timers, for the entire time the lamps were in use they were lit and extinguished by a lamplighter and his pole.

The remain lamps (there are four) are on Dudell Street. Many streets in this part of Hong Kong are both streets and stairs. You can drive to a certain point then the street becomes a stairway to go up the steep grades. Dudell Street is one of these. Once the roadway ends, there is a steep stairway with one of the original gas lamps on each corner. I do want to return and see them after dark. They are lit each night at 6 P.M. and extinguish at 6 A.M.

As I continually find these hidden surprises, I can't help but wonder what is around the next corner.