Hong Kong. 3/17/2006 - 3/26/2006.

Anne and I spent about a week in Hong Kong. My sister Ruth was visiting from Australia, and my other siblings were going to be in town, so it would be a chance for all of us to get together. Anne wanted to visit her mother. The flights were all packed, the Newark - San Francisco - Hong Kong flights felt particularly long, over 20 hours total flight time.

We stayed at Rosedale, which I like very much because one could get a small suite for the price of a regular hotel room. And free broadband internet.

Sunday 3/19. Boat ride on Tim's boat to Lama Island. Lunch at Rainbow at Sok Kwo Wan, followed by a leisurely 1 hour 15 minute walk to Yung Shue Wan. Dinner at Hong Kong University Alumni Association, signature "duck with eight treasures" dish was very good.

Start of our trek. With Ruth and Alyson.

Monday 3/20. Visited History Museum with Elaine. Special exhibit of Zheng He was very informative. He led as many as 28,000 people to places as far as Kenya on seven different voyages (he died during the 7th trip). Ships were up to 125 meters long. By comparison, Columbus's fleet consisted of a few boats with about 100 people; and Zheng He predated Columbus by about 100 years. Lunch at one of the Japanese restaurants in Toy House on Canton Road. Visited Anne's mother in the afternoon. Dinner at Peking Garden, Alexander House, with Uncle Richard and Auntie Fannie. They were returning to Australia on Wednesday. Peking Duck was the main course.

View of Middle Island from Pinecrest.

Tuesday 3/21. Dinner at the Jackson Room at Hong Kong Club. Jacket and tie required, which I didn't have. Luckily they had a selection of them.

Wednesday 3/22. Visited Bel-Air with Elaine to look at some apartments, nice area. Dinner at Dynasty Court Clubhouse. Main course was a fish (bream) caught by Tim's friend.

At the Cyberport Arcade, with Bel-Air in the background.

Thursday 3/23. Visited Grand Promenade with Ruth and Steven. There were many restaurants around that so-called Soho East area, nothing particularly interesting though. Dinner at World Trade Center. They were doing a brisk business, we actually had to wait for about 20 minutes before we got a table.

Ruth & Steven along the Sai Wan Ho promenade.

Friday 3/24. Visited Ling and Wally at their apartment in Tai Po, and had lunch at a local noodle restaurant. Dinner at the Shanghai Restaurant in WTC was attended by all my siblings and their family members that live in Hong Kong. It must have been more than 10 years ago that all five of us got together.

At Ling & Wally's Apartment in Tai Po, New Territories.

The Five Cheung Siblings.

The whole gang. Second row (L to R): Vicky, Alyson, Tim, Anne, Joe, Alfred. Front row: Ruth, Steven, Wally, Ling, Rachel, Joy.

Alfred, Joy & Rachel.

Saturday 3/25. Lunch with Uncle Daniel and Auntie Rose. Larry and Elaine were there also. This was the third time I went to Hong Kong Club this week. Bowled atrociously at the Aberdeen Marina Club. Dinner at AMC's Chinese Restaurant. Stayed at the airport hotel for the evening.

Sunday 3/26. Ran into Mr and Mrs Wei at the airport. We knew them when they were in New Jersey in the early 80s. They now live in Boston. Their son went to Cornell for a couple of years and knows Joe. The trip back, via Chicago, was more bearable than the trip over. Total flight time was about 17 hours.