Bethia in Hong Kong: I HAVE A ROOMIE!!

It's always fun to have some time with friends and this week has proved no exception. Part of the Gap Year experience will always be about making friends, meeting new people and building relationships. This week has made this part of my gap year a key theme, with many more new friends and having good and stimulating conversations with those I have known for a little longer.
I am delighted to announce that, after a month of solitude, I am going to have a roommate!!! Ruth, who will be working at a sister school to Siu Lun, arrives in October and I am really excited and looking forward to being able to share a flat with someone, getting used to yet another change in my life and getting to know yet another person which I cannot wait for.
On Wednesday I travelled down to Wan Chai to The Vine church, a vibrant community with close ties and similarities to my home church, Holy Trinity Brompton, for their quarterly Newcomers Evening. This gave me a chance to meet the pastors/leadership team, meet others who are new and learn about the vision and history of the church over a plate of food. No complaints there! It was a wonderful time and made me ecstatic to learn of the Worship Central conference taking place, a little piece of home making an appearance in this unknown place! I can't wait and am currently planning to volunteer which will be a new and exciting experience for me. It was wonderful also to meet the outgoing Senior Pastor who is incredible and hear from the new one who is full of passion for the church which is reassuring.
Following a frankly rather exhausting week with kids being all sorts of annoying and smart and cute but distracting each other at the same time, it was good to be able to relax and read all the spoilers about Season 7 Episodes 1 and 2 of The Big Bang Theory which sound promising.
Saturday morning and afternoon saw Will and I joining the two girls, one of whom I have mutual friends from Oxford, and the guy working in Yuen Long, in Mong Kok for a spot of shopping in the pop up market that happens there. It was such a vibrant place with amazing thngs to look at, loads of I <3 HK t-shirts and I won't deny the fact that I will be buying some at some point, as well as a variety of other items. I was on the hunt for a dress up costume for our monthly Birthday Party which in October requires us to dress up in fancy dress. I am cheating and going as a St Trinians school girl, photos will follow!! I need to go back, however, as we have a Chinese culture day in a couple of week's time and they had beautiful dresses that I am set on buying.
Saturday night saw the gaps from Britain hitting the streets of Central and Lan Kwai Fong, known for its bars and pubs as well as good company, including Batman...everyone bar Ruth and a guy Jacky was there, Charles joining us late. It was so good to finally meet the gaps, stomach bug and loss of Octopus card (Hong Kong equivalent of Oyster card) preventing me beforehand. It was a fun experience and now I can say that I have been clubbing...sure let me see a new side to some people! I managed to remain sober but it is always true that you can have an awesome time without needing to be intoxicated! It seems that when you are dancing with people who are drunk, it doesn't matter whether you are or not, even if you are a bad dancer, only you are going to remember in the morning if you were sober!
I can't wait to see what National Day tomorrow will bring! I hear fireworks may be on the cards and this evening, I've just returned from meeting with some amazing friends from St Peter's who have been incredible supporters of my trip out here and delivered the Care Package from home that does have the biggest bar of Cadbury's Chocolate I have ever seen and probably will ever see for the next 10 months.

I also adore this week's cantonese word, I learnt it at church yesterday and it is awesome!

Batkinson xxx

Cantonese word of the week - pronounced: hey-mon; translation: hope!
Quote (not from here but a general quote that I adore) of the week: 'What is the point in fame if you have nothing significant to say?' - Curt Mega
Prayer points:
- I NEED SLEEP!! I am running on very little, due to just being not able to get to sleep...
- continued patience with the kids, some are testing my patience and it is wearing me down. I'm getting used to it slowly but it is still hard.

My first mail that wasn't spam from England from my mummy and the gorgeous Matilda!!! Thank you!!!

Hanging with Tim and Elizabeth this evening, such wonderful people and so good to see some familiar faces!!

The African Fellowship Choir leading the 4pm service at The Vine!! It is one of the few times that I have been totally exhausted by worship, and in a good way!