This weekend we did a longer hike in Clearwater Bay. We had the option to climb to “High Junk Peak” for an amazing view but we decided against it. It was a hot day and didn’t come prepared with enough water, so we decided to come back and attempt the summit another day. Even without going to the peak, the trail follows a mountain ridge with views of Clearwater Bay on one side and Junk Bay on the other.
The best part for the kids came at the end of the trail at a spot along Clearwater Bay Road where enthusiasts fly remote controlled gliders off the steep cliffs there. One of the guys even gave Riley a lesson and let him man the controls. Reese and I were also offered a chance to try it but we chickened out. Even though Riley made it look easy, all we could think about was how bad we would feel if we crashed his glider into the ocean. I wish I would have tried it. It was probably one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time, and certainly not something I ever imagined having the opportunity to try.
People say that the world just isn’t the same anymore and that it’s no longer safe to let your kids ride their bikes to school or go out and play unattended. I really find that a shame because I seem to remember having a great deal of freedom as a kid. I rode my bike to school starting in about 2nd grade, maybe earlier. Our town still had plenty of undeveloped space and there were lots of trails and forests to explore. I remember venturing miles from home without any adult supervision. I would come home with frogs, tadpoles, or some other interesting discovery. I had bb guns that were made of metal and looked and felt like real guns. I am not sure how many kids these days have the opportunity to do those sorts of things anymore.
It’s funny, but Hong Kong seems to be more like what I remember as a kid. Other Expat families we have met from Europe and North America have said that they enjoy the fact that Hong Kong is so safe. One parent told me that he believed that you could drop your kid off in any part of Hong Kong at any time day or night and you could count on the fact that someone would return him home safely. I am not sure I would want to test that theory, but I do believe that it is a more true statement in Hong Kong than most other places. I recently saw a news article about a kid in New York who was lost on the subway for 11 days before anyone noticed him. The feeling in Hong Kong is that if someone looks lost, people will actually take notice and get involved. Kammy and I were in a shopping mall the other day and we paused trying to remember how to get to a particular store. Right then a mall employee asked Kammy if she needs help. Not exactly a lost child scenario, but I did make a comment about how amazing it was that right when we needed help, someone was there. Kammy’s response was: “That’s just they way it is in Hong Kong”.
I have really been enjoying the freedom and open spaces here. I guess I am reliving my youth exploring the forests and shooting bb guns with my son like I did when I was his age.
Here are some photos of a recent adventure into the hills around our house and of Riley shooting airsoft guns with his friend Barney.
If you read the post Hong Kong Outdoors about our trip to Trio Beach and wondered why Riley was not in any photos, that’s because he had a Karate seminar and was unable to attend. In an attempt to try and make it up, I took Riley to explore a different beach in Clearwater Bay the following weekend. We enjoyed getting off the beaten path for a more technical hike that required finding the best path over the rough rocky terrain. Riley challenged himself with ascending and descending some pretty high rock faces while I lugged my camera around snapping photos.
It was another warm day and we didn’t go swimming but I did go in the water up to my knees to cool off.
Most people know Hong Kong only as a densely populated metropolis of skyscrapers, crowded streets and neon signs. Even tourists who’ve been here may not have ventured outside of the urban areas of Hong Kong Central or Kowloon. The reality is that the city lies in a territory that’s mostly countryside, with woodlands, rugged hills and islands. Even with all the ongoing development, 40% of Hong Kong is protected park land and special areas.
We live in the district of Sai Kung which is surrounded by parklands with extensive hiking trails, beaches and marinas. One of the family traditions that we hope to establish here is to spend time on weekends hiking and camping. This past weekend one of Reese’s classmates and her parents arranged a hike for us to one of the local beaches here. One group of us would hike to the beach, and another would sail. The weather had been cool all week so a trip to the beach seemed a little out of place, and we dressed in our hiking gear and left the beach wear at home. The hike was short, probably about 30 mins at casual stroll. The girls walked fast ahead and I lagged behind stopping to take photos along the way. There were some great vantage points along the way, but what made the hike worthwhile was the beautiful beach at the end. Sai Kung has some of the most beautiful and cleanest beaches in Hong Kong.
Trio Beach is only accessible by foot or boat and being off season the beach was mostly empty. The weather turned out nice too, hitting 25-26 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. When the sailboat arrived with the rest of the party, I was really wishing I had brought a bathing suit. Luckily I was able to borrow one and take a swim to cool off. I was even able to borrow a waterproof jacket and sail back with them which was quite an experience. Two weeks in Hong Kong and I am already starting to get a picture of how good life could be for us here.
I put some pictures together in a slideshow, enjoy!
Reese’s school put on an outdoor fair last Saturday for the kids and it was one of the first opportunities that I had to get to know more about the school she attends. It was a carnival where the kids participated in games and won tickets that could be exchanged for prizes.
For the most part I was just casually observing and didn’t really get to meet any of Reese’s teachers, classmates, or other parents. I volunteered for a shift at one of the booths and Reese was mostly running around playing the games so I kind of missed out on introductions. That’s a shame but it was a pretty big turnout so it all was pretty overwhelming. I was happy to just observe, after all it was only my second week in Hong Kong.
Even though I didn’t meet many people, it was a great event to bring parents, teachers and students closer together. The annual event was extremely well organized, the decorations were amazing, and there were plenty of parents and faculty who volunteered to help out. The experience seemed to fit with my expectation of what a great school should be like and I look forward to getting to know the school better in the future.
I should probably say that the best part about the whole event that they had a beer garden and were serving Stella on tap. They also had wine and I think some other mixed drinks as well. The organizers sure know how to put on an event that’s fun for kids and parents.
One other thing that impressed me was at the end of all stage performances, the MC announced that they would be playing music and that kids would be allowed to dance on stage as long as long as they don’t break the microphones (which were still standing in their mic stands at the front of the stage). The kids danced around all over that stage but not one single kid touched the mic. I thought it was cool that kids were allowed to have a good time and were trusted to follow the rules. The kids, mostly younger grades, knew exactly how to have a good time, and followed the rules. I captured it on video using my cell phone; the quality is bad but I couldn’t resist sharing it here.
