Today's Random Thoughts

I have nothing specific to blog about today, but just some various things that have happened or come to mind.

I've been sick for a few days, and today particularly has not been so great. I have a cold, so I'm coughing a lot, and was up last night painfully hacking away, resulting in a very hoarse voice today. And the sniffling and sneezing continues, but I have been taking my Panadol extra strength (similar to Tylenol) so I am hoping it will clear up soon, and my headache will go away.

Despite the cold, I decided to head into the city this morning for church, since I missed last week and really wanted to hear today's sermon on Acts. The bus was completely packed (not because they all go to church, just because it's the only bus from where I live that takes you directly to Central), so I had to stand for the 45 minute ride, trying to find something to hold onto and not step or fall on anyone when the bus took a corner fast or stopped abruptly. I sometimes feel like I'm surfing, the way I have to maintain balance on those huge, lumbering vehicles. Normally, I don't really mind the standing, but with not feeling well, it was a difficult 45 minutes. Plus, I was trying to break in some shoes, so my feet were also killing me.

In Central, I got off the bus and headed to the MTR to go two stops over to TST where I go to church. Fortunately, I had packed my flip flops in case the new shoes hurt too much, so I changed into them because I already had huge blisters on my feet. (Side note: Maz and I went to Tuen Mun, nearby, last night to find the shoes because I needed some nicer shoes. At the store I ended up buying from, Maz was also looking at some of the nicer flip flops, and we were able to teach the Chinese sales girl how to say "flip flops.")

About halfway through the service, I really needed to lie down, but the way the church is set up, and the fact that the early service is pretty empty, it would have been too disruptive to get up and leave in the middle, so I held out. After service, I headed to the MTR, and took the train to Causeway Bay to turn in a book and renew my others at the library there. Hong Kong is ALWAYS crowded, no matter what day it is or time of day, and particularly Sundays on Hong Kong Island are full of people. I pushed my way through the myriad of crowds, was in and out of the library, and soon back on the bus home, just in time as I started to feel very bad and needed some food.

The rest of the day was mostly spent in bed. I was reflecting, however, on the fact that I have been in HK now for seven months!! Hard to believe, but it's true. I've realized how much I've learned about this place - knowing which streets lead where, what shortcuts to take, which buses to take where and what times, and then what bus or train to transfer to when going certain places, where to buy various items, and many other random things you learn when you live somewhere. I am definitely a city girl, and I love it, but I never thought I'd live in such a major metropolitan city as Hong Kong. There's lots of big cities out there that are not as big as HK or New York or places like that, but are still big though less crazy, which I could envision myself in. But, then when He is in control, anything can happen. Anyway, all this to say it's very empowering to be able to maneuver around a place like this, on my own, and to feel comfortable with it.

Finally, Maz and I are going to a wedding tomorrow, and so tonight, as we both lay collapsed, sniffling and coughing, we decided to do what we could tonight so we wouldn't have to do much prep in the morning for the wedding (we have to leave at 10 am). Despite sickness, she started ironing her dress (she is wearing a sari, which a non-Indian couldn't really get away with wearing that anywhere else, but in HK it's so international that no one will care, and the woman lending her the sari, and helping her put it on, is Indian). I decided to straighten my hair, which hasn't been done in six months. And I must say, having straight hair makes me feel normal again. It's just such a nice feeling. With the weather here as it is, and my hair being so incredibly thick, it's pointless to straighten it (as I was saying the other day, "Even my frizz has frizz!"). But it is finally cooling off, and I wanted to do something different so I straightened. Sometimes it helps to do something familiar, and to feel normal again.

Well, that is all for now. I am back to bed with my tissues to sniffle and cough and hopefully get some sleep.