Sunday was just what the doctor ordered. SB and I slept in and then had breakfast at our favorite cha chaan teng, Cheung Sing Cafe. Sometimes all you need is a dan tat (egg tart) and lai cha (milk tea) to brighten up your day.
SB confessed that he has lived in the valley for ten months and is not completely familiar with everything. We are very well acquainted with the main roads as well as paths on the South-East that lead you to the extensive HK trail system. Further West, near the Jockey Club Sports Complex, was a mystery. So we trotted out and just meandered around the area. We discovered several parks that we didn't know existed. One that was maintained by the Jockey Club took us up to Shan Kwong Street and on to Tung Lin Kok Yuen Temple and Po Kok Free School. The architecture was a treasure and I wish I had taken pictures. We crept inside and were waved into the main rooms by a female monk. There were an assortment of drums and percussion instruments in the temple that were very interesting and beautiful.
There was a small bridge connecting the temple to the school. Upon closer examination we saw that the bridge crossed a walkway that was not part of the temple property. This walkway led to another treasure-- the intimate and terraced Jewish Cemetery at 13 Shan Kwong Street. It was empty and quiet, set apart from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong and buffered next to the peaceful temple. One groundskeeper was carefully sweeping the nonexistent debris on the paths and raking leaves. He seemed surprised to see visitors and waved cheerily at us. SB and I walked about, admiring the layout of paths and garden.
SB confessed that he has lived in the valley for ten months and is not completely familiar with everything. We are very well acquainted with the main roads as well as paths on the South-East that lead you to the extensive HK trail system. Further West, near the Jockey Club Sports Complex, was a mystery. So we trotted out and just meandered around the area. We discovered several parks that we didn't know existed. One that was maintained by the Jockey Club took us up to Shan Kwong Street and on to Tung Lin Kok Yuen Temple and Po Kok Free School. The architecture was a treasure and I wish I had taken pictures. We crept inside and were waved into the main rooms by a female monk. There were an assortment of drums and percussion instruments in the temple that were very interesting and beautiful.
There was a small bridge connecting the temple to the school. Upon closer examination we saw that the bridge crossed a walkway that was not part of the temple property. This walkway led to another treasure-- the intimate and terraced Jewish Cemetery at 13 Shan Kwong Street. It was empty and quiet, set apart from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong and buffered next to the peaceful temple. One groundskeeper was carefully sweeping the nonexistent debris on the paths and raking leaves. He seemed surprised to see visitors and waved cheerily at us. SB and I walked about, admiring the layout of paths and garden.
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Finally we stopped by an antique store to look at various boxes and desk tops that I covet, and door screens that SB covets. I found a jewelry box that I loved, but not for the box. I loved the wood. It had a strong grain pattern and beautiful, rich colors similar to Rosewood but with less red and higher contrast. I wished that I was still in San Antonio at Alamo Hardwoods, where Bubba would identify hundreds of sexy woods for me to drool over.
The shopkeeper could only give me the Cantonese name for the wood, although she did say that it was becoming rare b/c Vietnam was no longer exporting it. Hmm... Rather than making me want it more she succeeded in making me wonder why it was no longer being exported. Perhaps it was becoming endangered. In that case, I could not rationalize contributing to such a magnificent wood's extinction by purchasing it. But it was beautiful!
Update: It is called Huanghuali in Chinese. I think it is also called "yellow flowering pear" wood, yellow Rose Wood, or "Vietnamese Rose Wood". It is critically endangered. Boo.
"The finest huanghuali has a translucent shimmering surface with abstractly figured patterns that delight the eye--those appearing like ghost faces were highly prized. The color can range from reddish-brown to golden-yellow. Historical references point to Hainan Island as the main source of huali. However, variations in the color, figure, and density suggest similar species sourced throughout North Vietnam, Guangxi, Indochina and the other isles of the South China Sea." [Source]
![[source]](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:HK_Happy_Valley_Po_Kuk_School_Jewish_Cemetery_n_Footbridge.JPG){kind=link}
Finally we stopped by an antique store to look at various boxes and desk tops that I covet, and door screens that SB covets. I found a jewelry box that I loved, but not for the box. I loved the wood. It had a strong grain pattern and beautiful, rich colors similar to Rosewood but with less red and higher contrast. I wished that I was still in San Antonio at Alamo Hardwoods, where Bubba would identify hundreds of sexy woods for me to drool over.
The shopkeeper could only give me the Cantonese name for the wood, although she did say that it was becoming rare b/c Vietnam was no longer exporting it. Hmm... Rather than making me want it more she succeeded in making me wonder why it was no longer being exported. Perhaps it was becoming endangered. In that case, I could not rationalize contributing to such a magnificent wood's extinction by purchasing it. But it was beautiful!
Update: It is called Huanghuali in Chinese. I think it is also called "yellow flowering pear" wood, yellow Rose Wood, or "Vietnamese Rose Wood". It is critically endangered. Boo.
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