Stopover in Hong Kong
10-12 July, 2003
| Dragonair is the only airline flying nonstop to Hong Kong now. Royal Air Cambodge went bankrupt and the new startup airline, Mekong Airways flew for a week before the drop in traffic because of SARS forced them to suspend their operations. Dragonair only flies to Hong Kong four times a week, however, so I ended up going to HK on Thursday night but not leaving for Montreal until Saturday morning. |
 One of the reasons for stopping in Hong Kong was to pick up a laptop computer being donated by Tom Danaher, a Maryknoll priest and computer wiz based at St. Matthew Parish in Tuen Mun in the New Territories. Here Tom is checking software on the laptop.I also went to the HK Immigration office to see about replacing my lost HK ID card, but I was told there that I had to make an appointment at one of the five district offices to do that so I'll have to wait until the next time I come through. Tuen Mun is across a bay from the new airport so Tom graciously came to pick me up even though I arrived at 10:30 PM on Thursday. Then he took me to their apartment in Tuen Mun where I spent the next two nights. On departure day, he also helped me drag my luggage onto the ferry from Tuen Mun over to the airport, making the trip a lot easier with an extra pair of hands and someone who knew the way. Thanks, Tom! |
 The pastor at St. Matthew's is Fr. Franco, a P.I.M.E priest from an Italian missionary community. Franco and Tom live on the 22nd floor of one of the high rises right on the coast in Tuen Mun. Previously he worked in Bangladesh. |
 This is the kitchen window in Tom and Franco's apartment on the 22nd floor in Tuen Mun. They are fortunate enough to be right on the edge of the water, and can look north across the bay to the south side of Lantau Island where the new airport is located. The rack at the bottom of the photo is for drying clothes in a space between apartments. |
 Hong Kong was taken off the SARS-affected list by the World Health Organization and I only saw three people wearing masks. But there are many signs of the battle with SARS in HK. Here in a shopping center, special anti-bacterial carpets are placed at the foot of the escalator and the floor is marked "Disinfecting Carpet". |