Summer holiday II (Beijing)

2011 is the centennial anniversary of Hong Kong Scout.  It planned to have a grand celebration in the capital city of China, Beijing for six days.  The Hong Kong Scout Orchestra which I joined this year was also a section of Hong Kong Scout.  I was pleased to have a great week with it.

    

27th July (Wed.)

At ten that morning, Mum and my brother waved goodbyes to Dad and I as we got on the car of the dad of my classmate, Timmy.  Timmy was also a member of the Hong Kong Scout Orchestra.  The car started off to the Hong Kong International Airport. 

After three hours flight on the Dragonair plane with other scout members, the Hong Kong Scout arrived at Beijing.  As we went in the arriving hall of the airport, two reporters from the Xinhua News Network came for us.  On that tiring night, I did not remember things clearly except for the cold dinner with the extra spicy soup and the meat soaked in soya sauce….

28th July (Thu.)

At first, we all had to go to the Tiananem Sqare for the national flag raising ceremony in the wee hours that day.  However, the little ones were too tired for that.  So, only the older members had to go.  Dad and I could sleep as late as we wished.  When we got up, I could even enjoy some good movies in our cosy room at the Beijing International Hotel. 

After the group came back from the ceremony, it was already noon.  All of us had lunch and then went by seven coaches to a park full of attractive and lovely cedars.  There were also some bright red bridges crossing the crystal clear river flowing through the park.  Afterwards, we went to Tiantan, also known as the Temple of Heaven.  At Tiantan, we took a group photo holding a long banner after which we walked along the Tiantan Park.  At last, Timmy’s mother gave me several bottles of icy cold water because we were blasted with hotness.

At night, we went to a restaurant near the Bird’s nest.  There were some woman dancers performing for us.  The most special dish I ate was the sticky rice wrapped in bamboo sheets in the shape of a cone.  We were originally supposed to meet the Chinese government leaders and visit the Bird’s nest and Water Cube today, but the scout leaders cancelled it for some unknown reasons.  What a pity.

29th July (Fri.) am

Today might be the second most important day on the itinerary.  We went far away from our hotel to a well-known middle school called Zhongguanchuan Middle School for exchange and rehearsals.  As we were on the coach, a conductor said it would hail, but it didn’t.  There were also two brothers who sang silly impromptu songs.  Plus, they chanted, “Star! Moon! Sun! The girl…”  Someone thought their behaviour was annoying but some thought it was hilarious.  The orchestra administrative secretary even took a video of them. 

When we just got there, the school staff and students and us watched videos about both Zhongguanchuan Middle School and Hong Kong Scout in a medium-sized hall.  It was quite fantastic.  Then, our performing parties partnered with the respective counterparts  from the middle school.  We, the orchestra went into a room where their woodwind orchestra practiced.  The conductors gave a brief talk and we had a good practice.

At lunchtime, the scouts paced to a canteen where we had a mini buffet.  The food were quite okay.  After lunch, we headed for a small museum which belonged to the middle school!  I observed the amazing animal specimens.  The animal species I like best is the small cat.  And of course we watched other things but I like the animal specimens best.

29th July (Fri.) pm

This night, the leader relented and let us have a stroll along Huangfujing Pedestrian Precinct.  However, Dad and I went to Qianmen main street by the underground.  It looked exactly like the Chinese version of Main Street USA of Hong Kong Disneyland.  At last, we saw our orchestra members welcoming my piano teacher, Emas to join us after her wedding yesterday.

30th July (Sat.)

After the heavy rain just yesterday, the lovely blue sky appeared.  This sunny day was our performing day.  In the morning, we rode the coaches to Pinggu.  It took us two dreary hours.  My orchestra practiced, ate, then practiced and practiced again.  At breaks in the backstage waiting room, I played Angry Birds and watched others matching one another for Fruit Ninja.  I like the Angry Birds Seasons of Saint Patrick’s Day.

At night, we ate McDonald fast food on the audience seats at the theatre.  The junk food was okay.  The celebration performances that night were so varied and excellent that they were beyond words. But I can say there were a lot of good performances, for examples, dancing, singing and Chinese lion and dragon dancing.

This was the best night!

 

31st July (Sun.)

In the morning, we went to the headquarters of Xinhua News Agency where visitors are by invitation only.  We watched a moving video made by the Agency about our tour.  At lunchtime, we had a yummy feast.

The next stop was the incredibly beautiful Bird’s Nest.  First, we waited a long time on the square.  Feeling too hot, some members swallowed ice-lollies bought by the conductor.  However, I didn’t.  After we got into the Bird’s Nest, we took a few group photos on the audience seats.  In the stadium, I noticed some people flashing past coolly on the Segway transporters which only had two wheels!  They were usually used as police transporters.  After that, Dad and I bought a Soffie Mixed ice- cream.  Mine was vanilla and his was chocolate with vanilla.  It was the smoothest ice-cream I ever had.  As I almost finished my ice-cream, I took photos with my favourite Fuwas Jing Jing, Ni Ni and Ying Ying, mascots of the Olympics 2008.  They were simply cute.  At last, we bought the souvenir.  Still, Dad said the Fuwa stuffed toys I wanted were too big to carry back to Hong Kong.  Actually, all kinds of Fuwa stuffed toys I found there were either too big or too expensive.  We also went to the wax exhibition showing waxes of the Olympics Committee leaders.

At night was the farewell dinner of Hong Kong Scout with some guests like the Zhongguanchuan Middle School headmaster.  Unluckily, I was not even hungry.  Timmy and I watched performances besides the table.  The most hilarious was the fat guys playing the drum in an extremely rapid speed, wearing bathing cloaks and sandals from the hotel!  Everyone burst out laughing.  Timmy’s Mum then gave me a box of glass key rings of the whole collections of Fuwas!

At the late night, Timmy came to my hotel room.  He lent me his iPad for playing angry birds while he watched the Transformers 2.

1st August (Mon.)

After the buffet breakfast, Dad and I went to the small lawn outside the breakfast hall.  I stroked the dainty rabbit.  There were ducks and swans too.  Then, Dad took Timmy, Timmy’s mum, Justin, Justin’s dad and I to the Tiananmen by underground.  I felt faint at some moments.  The most special after the last lunch was that I took photos of everyone of the Hong Kong Scout Orchestra with Dad’s camera.

At last, the afternoon of the last day came to an end.  The Hong Kong Scout flied back to Hong Kong.  I don’t understand why that flight was especially short.  Dad and I arrived at our lovely home at last.

Summer Holiday I. (July)

I spent a very busy but dulcet time in July.  The days below were the most notable.

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12th (Tue.)

It was the second last day of primary four.  It made me feel quite excited. That day, some schoolmates who joined the  Leadership Training programmes and the DNA Group paid a visit to a secondary school for doing a short and simple experiment.  The experiment we did after visiting all the storeys was a common way to take and gather the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of a kiwi.  When we finished the stuff, for examples, sprinkling washing powder into the kiwis and putting them into the hot water, we put the watery paste of kiwis into some test tubes.  After that, we had to wait for ten minutes.  At the moment, we started to study and watch the general models of DNA and a fake fetus in the womb.  At last, we saw the DNA floating in the lighter liquid.  Its shape was just like bubbles.  How interesting! 

17th (Sun.)

This noon after church, an uncle who is fond of insects gave my brother and I a lovely, light orange and grey cocoon in a plastic box with leaves.  A few days later in the afternoon when Mum was gossiping on the phone and my brother went out, I saw an odd-looking butterfly crawl out of the cocoon.  Its body was amber with black stripes just like that of a bee.  Then, I cried to Mum, ‘Help! Help! Help!’ ……  On the twenty first of July, Dad headed for the Kowloon Park and freed the baby butterfly.

Actually, I wore my black uniform of Hong Kong Scout Orchestra the first time that day too because I had to practice in the building where the Hong Kong Scout Orchestra stayed.  It was cool.

18th (Mon.)

That pouring Monday was not really special but was the very most busiest day in July.  In the early morning, I had to go to the football class which lasted for two hours.  Then, after a brief shower, I had to go to the Cha Duk Chang Cantonese Opera class in Kwun Tong by travelling a long trip on the MTR train.  In the class, I had to hear the thunderous roars of the ‘cha!’, 'duk!’ and ‘chang!’ batting by the whole class, including me.  After that, I rushed to practice with the Hong Kong Scout Orchestra.  At last about five o’clock, I was just gonna have the first lesson of music theory with another teacher.  PHEW!  What an engaging but happy day.

22nd (Fri.)

Today, our Pilipino helper left Hong Kong for her summer holiday.  Hence Mum called my uncle’s Indonesian helper, Ann to lend a hand for a few days.  Uncle’s family and Grandma had a vacation trip to America last week.  So, Ann lives with uncle’s mother.  Most importantly, Ann helps us to cook and takes us to activities.  Ann is a great helper.

23rd (Sat.) I.

This was the most exceptional day, the final lesson of the interesting class of Cha Duk Chang Cantonese Opera Association.  ‘Cha… Duk… Chang…’ are the sounds of the old Chinese percussion instruments: a small cymbal, a piece of wood – but in the old days it should be a drum - and a rather hefty gong.  They are used at Cantonese Opera performances. 

My teacher was Ms Ma.  I had eight Cha Duk Chang lessons.  The six major things about Cantonese Opera are ‘sing, do, say, bat’.  The lessons included visual art (do), music (sing, bat), Chinese Cantonese tones (say), English (say, do) and physical education (do).  The last lesson’s topic was art.  We all had to paint our faces into a red, pink, black and white mask of Cantonese Opera.  I had a mixed feelings about it.  I even suffered from skin allergy afterwards.  My favourite lesson was physical education.  We acted with a light spear each by circling them.  I did it really firm, speedy and steady.  However, Miss Ma appreciated that I did the nine Cantonese tones with distinct and outstanding results. 

Today, on the seventh lesson, the students’ family could come and watch our performance of what we had learnt.  Dad, Mum and my brother were invited.  I performed the cymbal, a Cantonese poem and the spear.  I felt extremely good.  In this Cha Duk Chang Cantonese Opera programme, I discovered loads of knowledge about Cantonese Opera and I desired to have more lessons.    

<<Ms Ma

23rd (Sat.) II.

Besides, Dad, Mum, my brother and I also went to a cinema in Tsim Sha Tsui in the morning.  We watched Kung Fu Panda 2.  The exciting movie was funnier than Kung Fu Panda 1.  The new characters were Lord Shen, the wolf and gorilla army, master Thundering Rino, master Storming Ox, master Croc, Wolf Boss and the Soothsayer.  I like the movie.     

           

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Half a summer holiday has already passed.  Next, I will go to Beijing.                               Why?!!?

Star Wars Savage Opress

Last night, Dad, my brother and I watch the Star Wars cartoon on the television.  This chapter was about Savage Opress, the new character.  I like him very much.  However, I really hope the pity Opress would have never been chanted and transformed by the witches… …  

Savage Opress was once a very just and strong young Dathomiri Zabrak male, who lived as a member of the Nightbrother clan on the star called Dathomir. Opress had a younger brother who was weaker but he loves him.  As a noble warrior and the one who cared for the well being of his kin, Opress was the leader of one of the Nightbrother tribes, who lived subservient to the cunning and evil Nightsister witches.  They lived on the other side of Dathomir.  Following his ***transformation into a tool of the dark side of the Force, the enchanted Opress was a merciless brute who employed weapons such as the witchcraft blade of the Nightsisters and a double-bladed lightsaber.  Wearing his black amour, he drove the Sith Nightspeeder with the top Nightwitch Mother Talzin’s daughter, Asajj Ventress off to serve the Sith Lord Count Dooku as well.  They were ready to rule the galaxy by threatening the Republic.

          ***

Ouch! Opress is transformed by the Nightsisters' horripilate magic.

Lamma Herboland

On Saturday, my family, Dad’s three co-workers and I went to Lamma Island by ferries in the morning.  We were going to visit a herb garden, Herboland.  Lamma Island is an island near Hong Kong Island.  This was the second time I went there this year.  However, it was the first time for me to visit Herboland.  While we were waiting at the pier for the ferry to arrive, I read a few books about Kung Fu Panda 2, which will be screened in cinemas this summer holiday, at the newspaper kiosk.  My favourite character was master Tigress, one of the furious five.  She was a tiger.

When we got there, some Lamma villagers walked us to Herboland through a long path.  At the entrance of Herboland, I saw the word ‘Herboland’ carved on a small rock instead of a usual welcome mat at the doorstep.  Then, I walked to a shack covered with plants on the roof, with some bees buzzing around which had a waxy blue abdomen.  Inside the shack, there were many tables ornamented with herbs and tiny fishes in the clear water in several long rectangular glass vases, and seats which were actually logs.  We met our guide and his partner there.  After that, my brother and I went to a big cage where lived an amenable and amicable pink parrot, Bo Bo.  It belonged to a tourist before, but the tourist forgot to bring it home unfortunately.  There were some rabbits in the cage too.  Bo Bo always stuck its head out because it wanted people to tap its head.  How cute!

After the meeting, we started to make herb cookies.  To make the cookies, we needed cinnamon powder, flour and two pockets of Earl Grey tea leaves.  An egg, brown sugar, dry raisins and half butter were also the ingredients for the dough which we used to make the cookies.  Lastly, we went outside and each people cut a twig of rosemary.  Rosemary is a kind of herbs which can make the cookies taste good.  We put a basil leave on each of the coolies for decoration before baking them.  Just after making the cookies, a small wild ant climbed to my chest and bit me.  I cried in pain and knelt down at once.  Mum helped sprinkle water on the bite for me.

When the cookies were baking in an oven, we went to the herb garden and listened to our guide who introduced the herbs to us.  All the herbs were very fragrant.  My favourite herbs were rue that smelled like Chinese red bean soup, stevia which has leaves that can stick on clothes powerfully like velcro, and passion fruit that has leaves like springs.  Next, we went back to the shack and it was time to have some tea and the savoury herb cookies.  I found that although there was only one kind of cookies, they have two different colours.  One was rather brown and the other one was brownish.  The rather brown ones were crispier and the brownish were softer.  I like the crispy cookies better.  There were two kinds of herbal tea to serve us too.  They were the lemongrass and stevia tea and peppermint tea!!  Guess what?  Yuck.

Before we left, Mum, my brother and I bought a thing each.  Mine was a pot of rosemary and my brother’s was a pot of basil.  Both of ours were the herbs we used to make the cookies today.  In addition, rosemary can do for the chicken wings, and basil can make the tomato sauce taste better.  Mum’s was not a herb but it made from herbs.  Hers was a teabag that we can use to make drinks when catching a cold or having a flu.  Lastly, we took a photo in the shack with our two guides.

After visiting Herboland, we went to the home of Dad's co-worker on Lamma Island.  She has two chameleons which had eyes with black rings around like those of the pandas.  She also has a frisky pet dog on the roof floor.  Soon afterwards, we had a late lunch in a restaurant called Beer Garden.  We could eat Indian and western food there.  I ate a lot of spicy food but my favourite was the spaghetti which was not spicy.  At last, my family and I went to a mini public library which was no larger than two buses.

I always say that I really, really hate insects very much. However, I love Herboland and longed to go there again.                  

              Rosemary                                     basil    

       

lemongrass and stevia tea                  peppermint tea