More memories

I can't believe that we are already nearing the end of September. Time is going by so quickly and it's reaching 7 months that I've been in HK. I can no longer call myself a newbie. I have to be honest. I am adjusting. I am starting to enjoy it just a little more than I did before.

Seeing the new winter fashions of nice long coats and the sexy winter boots make me feel very excited. I often wonder whether HK will be that cold that I'll need to wear those mega wolley jackets. I was told HK wasn't even cold enough to wear a leather jacket. This will be my first Autumn, winter in HK. I've managed to get through my first summer in HK. I have to say - it's not too bad.

This year will be my first mid-autumn festival in HK. Seeing people at work start buying lanterns for their little kids, lights and decorations on the streets, the colourful butterflies, the beautiful flowers and the traditional big lanterns.

My memories of playing with lanterns lie back home in Sydney 1990. I remember choosing a bright pink butterfly lantern, my brother, a blue car lantern. On a full moon night glowing into our backyard in Haberfield, my dad placed candles inside our lanterns and we played for hours, listening to stories about the rabbit in the moon.

I walked past the markets in Central today, seeing the lanterns for sale and realised that now they have the ones that have lights in them. I wasn't suprised. There was a clitch on the handle to turn the light on and off. There's no need to worry about the weather on the night, no need to worry about whether it was raining or too windy and no need to take 5 second steps to ensure the candle doesn't blow out. I still like the candle lanterns though. It brings me back memories of the days that Dad, Mum, Mike and I were sitting in the backyard, under the moonlight, the four of us happy & smiling and telling stories.