Finally - we have internet access in the room. We are in Hong Kong and it is absolutely beautiful. Very foggy and wet - apparently it has been raining for 2 days non-stop. It wasn't raining when we arrived - but very, very humid. This is actually the first day on the trip that it has been hot. We arrived yesterday - Sunday, June 1st. We got here about 4:00 Sunday afternoon - dropped luggage off at the hotel, and then walked to where we could catch the ferry, took a gondola ride up to Vitoria Peak. Then we could see the entire city. The peak has a huge mall at the top. We ate at a restaurant - we got a hamburger and it was $70.00 in US money. We will not eat at a restaurant again - it is too expensive!
We are staying at the New Work Rnaissance - which is owned by Marriott and it is gorgeous. While we were coming back last night on the ferry, we ran into 2 from the Marriott School - Dean Ned Hill and Jim Engebretsen. I think there are 1.3 Million people in the city - and we ran into those 2. Kelsey and I are on the hunt this morning for a laundromat. The hotel said there is one around the corner from the hotel. We've been washing clothes out in the sinks and tubs and hanging them in the shower. Then when they clean our room, they always leave the instructions for allowing the hotel to wash our clothes - but at the hotel, it is very expensive. They probably think - if they can afford to stay in this hotel, they should be able to pay someone to do their laundry (little do they know).
If you could take the good from each country - and put it into your "perfect" country - I would take the friendlyness, the reverence and respect from Japan, the beauty of the chinese culture from Beijing and the uniqueness of the people in Hong Kong. We have seen some amazing places on this trip - and we still can't believe that we are here. Today we are visiting 2 companies in the morning and then on to Stanley's market.
The students love the luggage tags of the grandkids - they comment on that all the time. It has been hard for those who have spouses - because they miss their kids. But those who didn't bring their spouses - now wish that they would have done so.
This is a wonderful group of students and it has been a very spiritual experience for me to be among them on this trip. Sacrament meeting in the hotel yesterday was incredible. It was fast and testimony meeting - from start to finish it was 35 minutes - and very spiritual and uplifting. I just kept thinking of all of the students that come fronm all over the world to attend BYU - some leaving their country for the very first time. I cried all the way to the airport leaving Beijing. Our tour guide Vivian has never left China - and here we are seeing 4 countries. How really blesses we are. Give all the kids a kiss. Love you, Mom
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