Didn't See That Coming! - 16th-23rd September

I was told many a time by many people and by myself that while I was out in Hong Kong, I was going to have experiences that I wouldn't have in the UK. Now when that was said, I had imagined new culture experiences, teaching experience, new friendship experiences. I had not, in all honesty, expected to experience a T8, the second strongest, Tropical Cyclone, the biggest this year.
It wasn't a pleasant experience, wind howling at your windows sounding like screaming children and rain hammering at the panes like someone trying to smash the door down meaning I had to sleep on the sofa and then floor after the former got too humid to sleep on. It is advised that you shouldn't be near windows in a cyclone and as my bed is right by two..well it put a good night's sleep out of the question. Below you can see photos of the precautions and results of the cyclone in Tuen Mun, and we were nowhere near any terrible danger.
However that was the scary end to a rather pleasant four day weekend (four and a half if you count the fact that we got this morning off as the T8 signal was still in place). Last week Thursday and Friday saw the celebrations for the Mid-Autumn festival, where people light Sky Lanterns, although technically lighting them is illegal, eat Mooncakes (which...hum...not so keen on...) and spend time with family and friends. Will, Katie and I went to Golden Beach about 20 minutes from where we live and spent time with some friends from a charity called Crossroads and from The Vine. With around 160 glow sticks, a good picnic involving a lot of crisps and waves crashing in front of a beautiful sunset and surrounded by hundreds of other people, it was a fantastic experience of a first Hong Kong festival of many that I am looking forward to.
On Wednesday, we had a 'Birthday Party' at school. This meant that a) we got the day off teaching and b) we got to go around the classrooms and try to get food off the kids! Okay, it isn't as bad as it sounds! Each kid had to bring in food to share with the class. As friends of the teachers, we were offered (by the kids!) the food that they were eating: cake, chicken wings, jelly, salad, it was a great mix! We spent the day photographing the kids who had/have birthdays in the month of September. They do this every month, I think it is rather ingenious!
So going back to teaching this afternoon was a bit of a shock, especially when I remembered that the classes in the afternoon aren't exactly the best behaved children. It was a refreshing week full of surprises and fun, giving me yet another taste of the awesomeness of Hong Kong. I look forward to the coming week and seeing what surprises it will bring.
Batkinson xxx

Cantonese word - pronunciation: ah-mun translation: amen!
Prayer Points:
- a lot of the children tend to talk in Cantonese even though I have asked them not to. Control is difficult.

Sunset on Golden Beach looking back home.

That should be the top of the tallest mountain in Hong Kong, smog is taking it's effect.

Tree casualty at Siu Lun Court of the cyclone!

Umbrellas are affected by high winds.

Broken branches en route to school! 

Bedding down on the sofa to stay away from the windows! Not that humidity helped a night's sleep!

Adhesive tape over glass to reduce cracks in glass due to high winds.

There must have been thousands of glow sticks on the beach, an incredible thing to view.

Katie with the 'Birthday Stand', the place where the kids with birthdays in September get a photo taken.

Cake and chicken, not actually a bad combination! I know you think it's disgusting but actually not too bad!

Our picnic of a variety of different things including PLENTY of crisps, pasta salad and sushi!