Can summer 2009 be "history?"

Last Saturday we left the apartment, rode the tram (ding-ding) for about 45 minutes, transferred to a bus, continued another 25 minutes, and arrived at Aberdeen. It is on the shore, here on Hong Kong Island. Dinner at the Jumbo Restaurant was most enjoyable.

Travel by water taxi for a short distance takes diners to the restaurant.

The contrast between the boats in the water and skyscrapers in the background is quite remarkable.

It was a fun way to spend Saturday afternoon and evening. The trip back to our apartment only took about 15-20 minutes, because we took the "direct route."

As we left the temple on a recent Thursday night, it seemed like a good time to have a photo taken with the Hong Kong Temple as the backdrop.

Several of the women in the office were wearing their traditional Chinese mandarin blouses on the same day. They are lovely, and reportedly very comfortable.

The six days of meetings and seminars in August required weeks and weeks of preparation, but were wonderful in every way. We made connections with three Australians whom we had known those many years ago when we lived in Melbourne (or we knew their extended family members). It always reminds us of the "small world" in which we live!

James and Ken are among the great people who helped with set up and all the facility details. We needed translation for those attending from Japan and Korea. There were 43 leaders of the church at the Saturday/Sunday 8th Quorum of Seventy meetings. They also came from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, Indonesia, Philippines, China and Taiwan.

The senior couples were an amazing help in so many ways. This crew washed heaps of dishes after serving a beautiful, formal dinner to one of our groups. We even had a very nice restaurant come to our building and prepare the four-course meal on site. We then served and had beautiful tables, place cards, printed menus, floral arrangements and piano music. Lovely atmosphere!

Lunch and dinner breaks were always popular. We had ten meals to organize, some for 20 people, and others for the larger group of 43. During the morning and afternoon meeting sessions, breaks were held and the participants always enjoyed the treats we provided!

Ashley (senior secretary to the Area Presidency) has a real talent for floral arranging. She is meticulous and everything is truly exquisite. Six arrangements were on the dining tables (complete with linens and cloth napkins).

Other arrangements, such as this one, adorned the women's special session meeting room, the foyers, and even in the ladies' room! What a nice feeling was created!

Sister Mary Cook (wife of Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) was in her black suit with green accent. I was dressed similarly, so we decided to take the above photo. She and Elder Cook are from Logan, Utah, and we had a great time reconnecting, as Ned had known Elder Cook at Utah State. Elder and Sister Claudio Costa (he is in the presidency of the Seventy) also were our guests and they were delightful as well as very inspiring.

One evening all the Mission Presidents (we were fortunate to be included in all activities and meetings) traveled to The Peak for dinner at a beautiful spot. The night view was spectacular.

However, the view with daylight is also quite good.

We continue to be amazed at this remarkable city!

I remember hearing a few years ago that August is a popular month for weddings. Here in Hong Kong, we were invited to two weddings in August. One was on the 15th -- Nicole from the Asia Area Offices was married at the Hong Kong Temple and had a celebration in the afternoon which we happily attended. Then later in the evening was a traditional Chinese banquet (which we were not invited to, but understand that there were almost 300 people for this feast).

The children were part of the afternoon celebration and were adorable.

Another wedding was held earlier in August -- the son of the controller at the office. He and his bride live in Hawaii. We enjoyed seeing the extended family and watching some of the traditions for the afternoon celebration (informal and friendly). Again we heard about the evening banquet which was very elaborate and filled with Chinese customs.

As we were walking on an above-ground skybridge one Saturday, we looked "down" at a street vendor preparing Chinese meals for sale. We are always surprised at the number of little food eateries that dot the streets. We often comment that people must pick up their food for most meals, though we are sure that isn't completely the case. But it seems so!

The line up of trams and buses is always fun to view, especially from "above."

CARS, CARS, AND MORE CARS!!

On our way to and from the office, we pass many, many "car dealerships;" we see showrooms with amazing cars in their windows - everything from Mercedes Benz to . . .

a beautiful Maserati . . .

to this very sleek Lamborghini . . .

to a real beauty of a red Ferrari , , ,

and finally . . . Ned with a great BMW. We cannot believe the number of luxury cars on the streets -- even Rolls Royce's. There are no clunkers here, as it is almost impossible to register a new car and keep your existing automobile. They "deport' the used cars away from Hong Kong. We really can admire the cars, but are happy to be walkers and don't miss navigating the busy roads. We do miss their trunks for hauling, however! As we've said before, the public transportation is reliable, runs often and is very reasonable. But we do enjoy seeing these beautiful vehicles.