central, hk

each year at christmas
live trees and flowers appear
lots and lots of lights

north point, hk

it has been a christmas tradition since matt was a child,

to create gingerbread houses that are beautifully styled. 

together with our friends, we spent one evening making,

masterpieces of various types without any baking.

wan chai chapel, hk

it's christmastime!
song is in the air,
it's christmastime!
here's a sample of our fair.

st. john's cathedral, hk

every year at christmas time,

the lawyers in hong kong sing in rhyme.

at st. john's cathedral the solicitor's choir proudly sings,

about the joy that christ's birth did bring.

tst light show, hk

hong kong after dark

the skyline is light and bright

tst light show

for twenty minutes

watch buildings light to music

feel the harbour breeze

mosque junction, hk

hanukkah, hanukkah,

light the menorah,

hanukkah, hanukkah,

the festival of lights!

can't celebrate the season without latkes and dreidel!

colombo, sri lanka (2)

beautiful sunday
at church, members are impressed
missionary's back

during the meeting
at the end of all speakers
they asked matt to talk

he bore testimony
after many came to say
hello and thank you

colombo, sri lanka

"when you're alone

and life is making you lonely,

you can always go downtown

when you've got worries,

all the noise and the hurry

seems to help, i know, downtown

just listen to the music of the traffic in the city

linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty

how can you lose?

the lights are much brighter there

you can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go

downtown, things'll be great when you're

downtown, no finer place for sure,

downtown, everything's waiting for you"

- petula clark

at the beach and in the indian ocean

doughnuts are hard to come by in hong kong, so we stock up when we can!

around colombo

temple of the tooth, sri lanka

temple of the tooth

holds buddha's left upper tooth

come to worship, pray

beautiful murals

entrance

never enough elephants!

beautifully carved, inlaid wood

hand painted murals

the tooth is protected inside this inner temple flagged with elephant tusks

a mote serves as protection from intruders

kandy, sri lanka

ride an elephant

through rice fields and countryside

big, tall animal

pinnawala elephant orphanage, sri lanka

to the elephant orphanage we go,

sri lanka's favourite tourist spot.

the elephants come down the hill rather slow,

into the river they gingerly trot.

some are big, others are little,

some have been hurt, others left behind.

together they live safe in the country's middle,

in peace and quiet, with their own kind.

singapore, around town

matt's old mission haunts
churches, apartments and stores
bring back memories

flora and fauna
even in the misty rain
so magnificent

mmm mmm hawker stands
yummy, yummy cheap food
can always eat more

mission haunts

flora and fauna

hawker stand food

lamma island, hk

another visit

this time with r.s. sisters

pretty, sunny day

alight from ferry

hike from one end to other

finish with fish lunch