I was about to post some pictures taken with my siblings in Hong Kong but my Nikon camera went kaput on me again. Anyway......
Last August 25 to 30, 2015, the Ledesma siblings except Imelda (our eldest sister) went to Hong Kong for a family bonding get-together trip. We were:
Jeannette
Jun, Jean and Jacy
Helen
Heddy and Lucas
Wilson, Diane, Miguel and Martin
Ollie and Solan
Thirteen of us from the Philippines. Our Hong Kong brother Uy Chiong Bian and his wife who lived in Kowloon came to meet us too.
All 13 of us from the Philippines stayed at Best Western Inn in Cause Way Bay. It was an old town location but very conveniently located. All the good and small street eateries, restaurants, stores, bakeshops, groceries, wet market, and shopping district called "Time Square" were just 'around the corner'. Each morning Lucas and I would walked the stretch to have our breakfast. We found two perfect places to satisfy our cravings: Favorite Chinese breakfast would be Chiakoy, fish congee and soya milk at a roadside eatery; for western breakfast, we ate at Maxim and ordered eggs with bread and sausages and coffee. At night, before ending up at the hotel, we bought bread or pastries or fruits or frozen ice cream to munch. I tell you Hong Kong was truly a lively place and a gastronomical heaven. Hahaha.
In Hong Kong, the family members met and ate together during lunch. The restaurant would sit the fifteen of us around one table. The Ledesma ate fast and with gusto. There was no denying that we were voracious eaters, hahaha. For 5 days, I got to eat Hainanese chicken, roast goose, roast duck, Peking duck even, siao long pao, all sorts of dumplings, noodles, birds nest soup, herbal soup, fried rice etc, etc........After lunch we split in groups to go shopping.
My sister Jeannette however visited her acupuncturist every afternoon. She would be accompanied either by Jun and Jean or by Chiong Bian or via taxi by herself. She relentlessly met her doctor for 4 succeeding afternoons to treat her tri-geminal nerve pain. My companions on the other hand, most of the time were Lucas, Helen, Ollie and Solan. One afternoon, together with Jun, Jean and Jacy, we explored the Kowloon side, reaching Tsim Cha Tsui, went to the museums around the harbor, walked a part of the Avenue of the Stars and went farther through Nathan Road and more.... finally reaching the cozy Charlie Brown Cafe, which (niece) Jacy was looking for. Hahaha! Sister-in-law Solan said "It was worth it." the long walk. Peanuts was my favorite comic strip by the way. Hehehe...
One memorable event was visiting Rev. Father Peter King, OMI at Notre Dame Parish/ Collge in Kowloon - Jeannette my sister was insistent on locating and meeting our long time Cotabato City, Queen of Peace parish priest in Hong Kong. It was not an easy feat, but after several persistent phone calls, she was able to take hold of the Reverend address in Kowloon. Chiong Bian took the task to bring us there. We were Jeannette, Lucas , Jun, Jean, Helen, Ollie, Solan and I. It took us about an hour of tram ride and a quick walk to reach the place. Father King was waiting for us, but alas, he could not remember any of us, even Jeannette nor Lucas and me. I guess because at 93, although still strong and healthy for his age, he could not see very clearly anymore. He however remembered my sister-in-law Conchita Tan, when I mentioned that Lucas and I were from LCT Hardware. As a gregarious host, Father King took us (we used the lift) to the 4th floor where he was staying. We were extremely glad to see that he lived in a nice, clean and comfortable environment. He showed us around. He took us first to the prayer room, where me and my siblings said a few prayers before proceeding. He showed us his private room and it looked clean and spacious. He brought us to the receiving room or library. On the coffee table of the receiving room were copies of his curriculum vitae. Adjacent to the receiving room were the dining room and the kitchen. The parish even had a maid (a Filipina) who prepared our tea. There were tea cups and cakes and cookies on the coffee table waiting for us to partake. Father King received us with great enthusiasm and he talked lengthily. The afternoon was extremely hot, even the air conditioning unit was not functioning good. I offered to open the windows instead. My husband Lucas was most attentively listening to him talked, while I took pictures of everybody and moved around. When we finally had to leave, we asked for his blessings. He readily brought us to the prayer room, gave another lengthy homily, and concluded the blessings in Latin. So we bade farewell to him. My husband Lucas who had a soft spot for Father King in his heart, hugged him and his tears swelled. We were all thankful and so grateful for this opportunity to visit our long time parish priest. Who knows when will we be able to visit Hong Kong or see Father King again.
(to be continued)
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