March 24 Women Infant and Children Hospital

We were privileged today to see the only Women, Infants, and Children's Hospital today in Mongolia.  It provides the only Intensive Care Unit for babies and children.  The number of patients are often twice the number of beds available.  It was quite an eye opening experience. 

This afternoon we enjoyed a beautiful drive in the country to a National Park where we visited the Chinggis Khan Monument Center.  It is the largest statue in the world of a man seated on a horse.  There was a museum, gift shop, and we got to go out onto the top of the horse for some cool pics!

Tuesday, March 22nd

Today we visited the National Cancer Hospital in Ulaan Bataar. It is a very dated facility going back to the time of the Soviet Empire. Mongolia has had a hard time recovering from the withdrawl of the economic impetus to its economy that existed during that period. Things are beginning to improve, and it appears that there is a political awakening occurring in a better educated and growng middle class. Mongolia has incredible mining riches in coal, copper, gold, and uranium, which are being developed aggressively. It is expected that these resources will provide the funding necessary to moernize the economy, and particularly the healthcare sector. There are many opportunites, however, while this is happening, to respond to current needs.

The most notable issue at the Cancer Hospital is the very high incidence of primary liver cancer due to an epidemic of hepatitis B in the 1950's before the advent of disposable syringes and a complete understanding of transmission of this disease. The infant immunization rate is nearly 100% now, which will take 2 generations to eradiciate maternal-child transmission, in spite of the fact that 2/3ds of the population is either nomadic or living in very remote areas. In association with this, infants and choldren receive all of the current WHO recommended vaccines. The development of primary care services to achieve this level of care has been a focus of the government, and is accomplished by increasing the pay of primary care providers in these locations. An idea that might benefit our system.

Big Sky country in Mongolia

Today was our first official day in Ulan Bator. We took a scenic drive though the rural outskirts of the city. Seemingly wild cows, sheep, horse, and camels wander the countryside. The air was clear and the mountains created a beautiful contrast against the blue sky. We were treated to traditional Mongolian food at a tourist camp. Outside the main lodge, the camp ground was surrounded by "gers" (pronounced somewhat like "gairs" to my Western ears), the traditional round houses of Mongolia. We made a short video to give you perspective on these cozy homes.

Lion Dance

Here is a little of the entertainment from the beginning of the conference. It was pretty cool to watch!

We were also invited to dinner Sunday night at the District Governor Nominee's house. What a beautiful home and a spectacular dinner with great company! David, you are a wonderful host!

We are also happy to have met and spent some time talking to the GSE outbound team's doctor from Mongolia, Gonzorig. What a nice guy! We are so looking forward to having the outbound team to our district in April.

Monday the 28th.

The last two days have been spent at District Conference, with presentations about RI, represented by RI Director David Liddiatt, local officials, and local officers. The Breakouts were rich in information about club projects, mostly in mainland China, where the need and opportunity are great. We learned more about the Sichuan earthquake, the issue of endemic leprosy, and the continuing needs for healthcare support and for education of young women. The Team made a presentation, based almost entirely on what we have seen and done here, which was well received.

Today we are on to Mongolia, through Seoul. We have met some of the Mongolia Club members and they will be travelling with us.

We are famous!

本澳越國際化負型血需求增三倍 - 新聞 - TDM


Click on this link to watch GSE on the local news in Macau on Sunday March 13 as they helped to promote the 10th annual Rotary Blood Drive!

March 18th

Let me apologize for the delay in posts. We have had some difficulty with internet access for many of us, despite that it is free in many common areas of Macau.

We started the day by getting together in the Rotary's office to work on our presentation for the Rotary District 3450 Conference. We managed to get quite a bit accomplished, which is good considering it it tomorrow! Having time to work on it has been a bit of a challenge.

We had a wonderful dim sum lunch with the Rotary Club of Guia. Another great group of people, many of whom we will see again tomorrow in Hong Kong for the Conference. Just when we thought lunch was over, more food came! We were already full! (Hey, what's another bite?)

We then proceeded to the ferry terminal to head back to Hong Kong. Boy, what a trip that was! We were seated at the front of the ferry and, much to our dismay, the seas were a bit rough. I actually had to hold onto my seat to keep from getting thrown from it at one point. I normally don't get seasick, but I have to admit to grabbing a "barf bag" though I thankfully didn't have to use it. (Note to self, don't overeat on dim sum lunch before embarking on ferry next time!) Maria however, used her skills (or superpowers) to fall asleep!

If anyone out there is wondering if our medical skills are getting rusty - don't question! After our ferry ride and on our way through the MTR station (subway), the man in front of us collapsed at the bottom of the escalator! I was very impressed when Darren and Erin dashed to the man's side and immediately checked on his condition. He was unconscious, but breathing and soon, the MTR personnel arrived with a stretcher. A little shot of adrenaline for those of us who might have been getting sleepy this late in the afternoon.

We have the evening free back at our Hong Kong host families homes. Time to catch up on email, blogs and the presentation.

A-Ma Temple, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Yesterday was yet another great day of cultural sight seeing in and around Macau by our gracious Rotary hosts. We began the day with a visit to Macau's A-Ma Temple, a very famous Macau temple and a Unesco World Heritage Site.

According to the legend, a 16 year old girl named A-Ma was looking for passage on the boats in port to Canton, and was declined passage by every boat except that of a poor fisherman. A sea squall blew up and destroyed every boat in the water except the boat of the poor fisherman carrying the girl. After arriving in Macau, the girl disappeared into the hills and reappeared as a goddess. On the site that the girl reappeared as a divinity, the fishermen build the A-Ma temple in her honor.

The Macau A-Ma temple is the largest of 2500 temples devoted to A-Ma the world over, and incorporates the natural elements into its design with multiple prayer halls, courtyards, and pavillions for worship.

Monday the 14th of March

Today has been a day of cultural events. We started the day at the facade of St Paul's Cathedral, and architectural landmark that has become the emblem of the city. It was constructed in the 16th century by early Jesuits and burned in 1834. It was associated with a school that was regionally important, and was said at the time the to be the most beautiful cathedral in the world after St Peter's in Rome.

We went on to the adjacent Fortress, also constructed by the Jesuits, interestingly, with fabulous views of the city of Macau, as it is at the top of a prominent hill. Here we had a class in Tai Chi presented by Mac Chio Leong, a master, who, in spite of the language barrier was very interesting and drew us all in to participation. It was a great learning experience, and all of us saw direct clinical applications of Tai Chi not only to our personal lives, but to our work. He even volunteered to send us a VCR to help guide us after we get home.
Lunch was another wonderful dim sum ("delightful morsels") meal in a local restauraunt. We have all conquered chop sticks, much to the detriment of our growing waist lines. The GSE coordinator here, DGN Kenneth Wong says that the measure of a good GSE experience is measured by the weight of the departing team, and it appears that we are measuring up!

In the afternoon we visited one of the many Temples of A Ma. China is a polytheistic culture, and A Ma is the Goddess of fishermen and merchants on the sea. It was our second experience with use if incense and the burning of intentions. This temple location is high on a hill and has a hugh statue of the Goddess looking out to sea. The temple yard has a fountain with Koi and turtles (symbols of good luck).

We went on to the village of Coloane, a very provincial Portuguese town that felt like it had been unchanged from the 19th century, town square, church, civic buildings, shops, and all. We sampled egg custard tarts that are made best at this location over all of Hong Kong and Macau. Delightlful. We ate in a small park overlooking a 1/4 mile wide waterway separating Macau from Mainland China. We we were told that there was a regular stream of swimmers crossing to Macau, but that this has ceased since the improvement of the employmment sitation in Mainland China.

After a short (civilized) rest we were the guests of the Rotary Club of Taipa, a new and small club with only 18 members. Inspite of the fact that the club's meetings are usually held in Cantonese, were well received and had a good interaction over healthcare issues in Hong Kong/Macau and the US.

Blood drives, Pandas, and Elvis

Today was a great day packed with a balance of vocational and cultural experiences in Macau. We began the day by participating in a local blood drive sponsored by Macau Rotary clubs. It was a great event packed with plenty of dancing and singing performances put on by local Rotarians and Rotarian supporters, and we are proud to say that our GSE team has learned what really happened to Elvis- he is alive and well in Macau and a proud supporter of the Rotary club!! (See pics for proof)

Our team was unable to donate blood today due to the strict schedule we have as GSE members and the need to keep our health and energy up, but we did have an interesting afternoon observing how large scale blood donations are set up here and also reading the educational materials set up for donors. We were surprised to learn that there is a shortage of Rh- blood here in Macau, because it is apparently not very prevalent in the Asian population. This presents an area of need because with 30 million tourists coming to Macau every year, there are a fair amount of Caucasians in the city every day and the blood supply to assist them should they need it is always running low.

After a lovely lunch with our Rotarian friends, we each went our separate ways with our host families. Erin and I went to the zoo with my host brother Envo to try to sneak a peak at Macau's most famous celebrity- the panda!! Unfortunately we were unable to sneak a peek because by the time we got there all the tickets had been sold out. We then spent the remainder of the afternoon walking the beach and trying Portugese coffee- mmm!! After dropping Erin off, Envo and I picked up the rest of my host family and we went out for a traditional Chinese hot pot dinner- so much fun and a great experience for me to try!!

We are all having a great time here in Macau. Tomorrow morning we are waking up bright and early to begin our vocational day with Tai Chi in the park. After all the excitement we've been having these few weeks, it will feel good to get some exercise in!

Arrival to Macau

Saturday we had free time to relax and pack for our trip to Macau.  We waved goodbye to Kenneth at the ferry terminal in Hong Kong.  We were greeted by our new host families and treated to a Cantonese dinner.  Fabulous food and great conversation.

Mar 11

Sorry for the delay in posts. We got to sleep in on Friday AM because we had a late night last night coming back from Guangzhou. We met for the lunch hour meeting of the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Northeast. Yet another great group of people, including a Red Sox fan! He let us know he was a member of "the nation" not the "evil empire".

After lunch we spent time at the Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital. It is a private hospital and we were able to see the private and semiprivate rooms. It looked like a luxury hotel to most of us, with a private room having a large screen TV, refrigerator, floor to ceiling windows with a view of Happy Valley Racetrack. Apparently there is quite a waiting list to get in here, so there seem to be many people willing to pay for their outstanding service.

We got to see their impressive gym that both the patients and employees can use. Also quite beautiful. I don't think I would mind hanging out on a treadmill as much if I had this view. I was able to see more of the physical therapy department while the others went to see the ICU.

We were then on our own for a free night. I can't speak for the others, but I had a great night with one of the former GSE team members from Hong Kong to Brazil. Her name is Pauline and she was an amazing companion again, just like in Shenzhen. We had dinner at a local restaurant and then went shopping along Temple Street, a night market. I am not good at this bargaining thing, but I was happy to have gotten a few souvenirs.

Guangzhou- Mainland China

Top to bottom: Factory scene; The finished product; Shen Nong statue at museum garden; Tracey finding balance with ying and yang.

Thursday was an early start for all of us because we were going to the mainland by car. This gave us a different perspective on our surroundings in many ways. Our first stop was to a factory owned by my host family, Wanda and Wilson Lam. Wanda's father began working in the electroplating factory as a young man. What I have previously considered the "American dream" of achieving great success through hard work and determination, her father worked his way up in the business from worker to owner. After Wanda and Wilson were married, both of them joined the family business. It has changed a great deal over the years from manufacturing parts for electronic devices, to costume jewelry, and now primarily making the metal components for compacts, make-up cases, perfume bottles, etc. Looking at the variety of products this company has produced, you may start to think of 5th Avenue in Manhattan- Dior, Chanel, and YSL to name just a few. They are now working on a product for Taylor Swift's upcoming fragrance. What was even more amazing was the process it took to make these deceptively simple objects. Over 700 people work for the factory in various departments. There is a lot of effort, time, and attention to detail that goes into making the final product.

We next visited a Chinese medicine pharmaceutical factory. Thanks to the skillful translation provided by Kenneth Wong, we were able to have a thought-provoking dialogue with the staff there. The manufacturing and capitalization of ancient Chinese traditions is an interesting concept to consider. The factory has also built an outdoor garden museum honoring the heritage of Chinese medicine from it's legendary founders to present day.

Our evening was spent supporting a fellowship of Rotarians in Guangzhou trying to continue their devotion to service in China. While not officially recognized by the Chinese government, this club is allowed to meet and even make fundraising contributions to the community. They are currently unable to form any new clubs. Members are comprised of former residents of Hong Kong who have brought their commitment to Rotary with them to this growing city. One of the highlights of the evening was hearing from a young college student who went the the RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) program in Hong Kong with his English teacher. Enrico spoke of how he felt hesitant to interact with the other members, especially as he was the first representative from Guangzhou. Over the course of the program, he developed confidence, leadership skills, and friendships. His speech was eloquent, a great credit to his enthusiastic teacher, Tina. To learn more about RYLA, please see the link below.

http://www.rotary.org/en/studentsandyouth/youthprograms/rotaryyouthleadershipawards(ryla)/pages/ridefault.aspx

Wedneseay, March 9th

Today we got a walk around Central, the middle part of Hong Kong Island that overlooks the harbor. We then went on to the original courthouse, finished and occupied in the early 1900's. It is currently the home of the legislative branch of the government, the Legislative Council. Our amazing and ever-present guide and GSE co-ordinator Kenneth Wong was able to arrange a meeting with the Legal Advisor for the Legislative Council, Jimmy Ma. We had an hour to hear from this eloquent and highly placed offical about the powers vested in the Colonial Governor from the Queen, the history of the Unequal Treaties that originally defined the relationship with the China, and the creation of and the the nature of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative District, the document that governs the relationship between hong Kong and China since the reversion of Hong Kong to Chinese soverignty in 1997. This document also governs the reversion of Macau to Chinese soverignty, and hopefull will be the model for Taiwan, as well. The fundamental foundations of the relationship between Hong Kong and China are stipulated in this document, and provide for a 50 year period of gradual integration of Hong Kong fully into China, protection of the Hong Kong civil structure until that time, and gradual introduction of freer elections, with full individual sufferage by 2017 in the Executive branch of government, and by 2020 in the legislative branch of government. There are sufficient areas of theoretical cecession of power to the Republic of China and maintenance of day-to-day control in the civil institutions of Hong Kong to protect the people of Hong Kong, assure the ROC of the integration of the Colony into the Republic, and to allow the economic vibrancy of Hong Kong to extend into China, to entwine both in a mutually adventageous arrangement. And things seem to be going well. It is my own opinion that the amazing growth of China, with the accompanying creation of increasing wealth, both in China and Hong Kong, will move thing so rapidly that the de facto relationship of China and Hong Kong will occur more rapidly than the 50 years provided for in the Basic Law document.

On this day we also had presentations at two events, with the usual opportunity to make new friends and relationships, The Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile, and The Rotary Clubs of Hong Kong Central and of Bayview Sunshine--a joint meeting.

The "private" side of healthcare in HK

This afternoon we were exposed to a different side of how healthcare is delivered here compared to our previous experiences in HK's public system.  Our first stop this afternoon exposed us to a full diagnostic suite and assoociated specialty providers.  The second visit was to Hong Kong Baptist Hospital, a large private hospital offering the typical array of medical services including medical, surgical and emergency care.  These services are geared toward patients who either have employer based health insurance or who are able to pay out of pocket.  The differences were immediately apparent.

The benefit of private medical care is that there is no queue (or wait time) for seeing providers or for getting diagnostic tests.  Much of these can be performed the same day w/o the typical 4-12month delay seen in public care. Timeliness to these services does have its benefits....for those who can afford it.  Both private offices and private hospital bedrooms are larger and more plush than in the public sector.  Because there is a population willing and able to pay for these more expensive benefits; doctors, nurses & associated staff are paid more working in the private system.  Retaining healthcare workers and providing more timely care continues to be a challenge for those in the public system.  A question that comes to mind when comparing the private & public systems is:  Which one produces better outcomes? 

March 8th

We had yet another amazing day here, starting with the Heep Hong Society that provides early intervention services to children with physical and mental disabilities. Many of their students have autism and they have a wonderful way of providing learning opportunities for all of their students. They also have this really fun looking sensory integration room and, guess what? Compliments of Rotary!

We enjoyed more fellowship with Rotarians for lunch at the Rotary Club of Hong Kong, which just celebrated it's 80th anniversary.

After lunch, we went to the Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, which is quite well known here and has a very long history as well. They provide very inexpensive if not free care, including medical services, Chinese medicine and dental services. They also had schools for girls in the "olden days" when it was not commonplace unless you had a lot of money. They took us for a walk to the Kowloon Walled City. This was a place fought over between the British and Chinese for a while, until it became a very poor city, mostly of ill repute. Because of this, it was eventually demolished in the early 1990's and is now a park. We met a man in the park, who is locally well known for his ability to fold and tear paper into works of art. Our hosts asked him to create a souvenir for us of the Rotary symbol, which he amazingly did right before our very eyes! Please see the above photo. (I am new to this blogging thing and my picture ended up in the wrong place! Oops!)

We were also treated to the cake shop owned by one of the Rotarians. Many yummy samples here! We then had tea and more desserts at a restaurant common to the locals. We had egg custard tarts and "pineapple buns" which were a sweet roll with an even sweeter coating on top (and no pineapple by the way). More yumminess!

We proceeded on to our evening Rotary Club, the club of Kai Tak, which is there newest club, chartered only in November! Another group of very warm and welcoming people!

Thanks to all who made our day another spectacular one!

Stand Tall

Today was a great day full of vocational site visits.  It is very apparent that District Governor Nominee Kenneth Wong has worked very hard to ensure a variety of vocational experiences to expose us to many issues that we were curious about, and also some that we were not previously aware of.

Our site visit this afternoon to Prince of Wales Hospital focused on the Stand TALL Program, a humanitarian organization started by Dr. K.M Chan, Chair Professor and Chief of Orthopedics at Prince of Wales Hospital in response to the devestating earthquake in the Sichuan Province in China in May 2008.  This earthquake, measuring a 7.9 on the Richter scale, killed 69,000 people and left an approximately 4.8 million people homeless.

Realizing the extent of suffering of his fellow Chinese people in the Sichuan province, Dr. Chan was able to mobilize the goodwill of the Hong Kong people into Stand TALL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing state of the art prosthetics and technology to victims of the earthquake who suffered amputations and spinal cord injuries, with a strong emphasis on providing aid to affected children.

Three years later, Stand TALL has evolved into a comprehensive rehabilitation program attending to the physical,  functional, and psychologcal needs of it's patients, as well as an educational program which provides training to Chinese medical students via Tele-education, with the aim of increasing the local orthopedic services in the Sichuan province.

With the support of the Hong Kong people and the local Rotary Clubs of District 3450, this program has not only successfully changed the lives of victims of the earthquake, but is poised to continue its mission of supporting the health and wellbeing of the people of the Sichuan Province for years to come.

Learn more about Stand TALL by visiting their website at http://www.standtallchina.org/

Maria D'Andrea

Shenzhen- Mainland China

From Top to Bottom: The Gang at Splendid China; Splendid China; Shenzhen skyline from museum; Shenzhen street musician

Our Passport pages are filling up! Saturday, we all went to the Mainland to the city of Shenzhen. We were accompanied by our host Kenneth Wong and several of his GSE team members that went to Brazil last year- Pauline, Joe, and Yolanda, along with another guest. First stop was Splendid China, a cultural theme park that explores the many different regions, cultures, and history of China. Detailed model villages, life-size replicas, and costumed actors portrayed the variety found in China. We all tested our taste-buds limits at lunch eating Sichuan (or Szechaun as it's known at home). With most dishes very being very spicy, it was quite a meal. At the Shenzhen Museum of history, we learned how this small rural village has now become a growing metropolis. Only about 25 years old since urban development has started, the city population has grown to an astounding 8 million people and is responsible for about of 1/3 of China's GDP (along with two near by cities). We then went to a large book store/mall. Outside, some of us were treated to an elderly street musician that wowed us with his talent. Hopefully Darren will able to share that video on this blog. The feasting continued at a Shanghainese restaurant where one of the highlights were the "Chinese" doughnuts. We ended our long day of walking with a traditional foot massage, based on reflexology practice. This massage lasted for 1 whole hour! We were all ready for a good nights rest after that.

The last two days have been full of vocational activities.

On Thursday we had a day of traditional Chinese Medicine, first at the Baptist Hospital, where there is an organized faculty and fully funded university level teaching program leading to a degree of doctor of chinese medicine. It is backed up by a highly developed and equiped research program evaluating the formulation, stability, purity, and manufacture of herbal medications. Such issues as source contamination with heavy metals, consistency, purity, efficacy, and formulation into granules, capsules, or tablets were being researched. We also saw our first chinese medicine pharmacy with drawer after drawer of botanicals of all sorts, which were being weighed and mixed to be taken home and steeped into tea. We also had an introduction into acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion. And and introduction into the traditional approach to examination and diagnosis.

We then went on to Tung Wah Hospital in the afternoon to see this famous charity hospital with a 100 year history of voluntary non-profit work with 1000 beds, three sites, and associated schools. They, to, had an active chinese medicine clinic and pharmacy, this time with an automated prescription fulfillment robot, if you can believe it. They were using an electronic medical record in the clinic that had been there for 9 years! State of the art, I'd say.

Yesterday we spent at Princes Margaret Hospital, thee infectious disease hospital in the city and center of the SARS epidemic management in 2003. It was fascinating to see the huge impact that event had on the city and the reorganization of the health care system to deal with future threats of tha type. It is also clear that the event of that time have left a hugh impact on the citizens of Hong Kong, and especially the healthcare workers involved, many of whom died.

Burt Dibble

Do you remember 2003?

Top-Simulation Lab on Infection Ward with our host Dr. Danny Tong who worked as an ICU nurse during SARS

Bottom-Waiting to enter Infection Control Ward (thankfully empty at present)

Intensive Care Unit, Princess Margaret Hospital

If I really thought about it, I could remember that 2003 was the year of SARS. But it would take me a few minutes. While 9/11 is a date that will forever be in our minds, here in Hong Kong it is March of 2003 that changed everything. Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), known for it's expertise in infection control since the 1970s, became the epicenter of SARS. Policies for hospitals and public health were drafted and carried out at this facility. These practices have since shaped they way infection control is approached in Hong Kong today. Everywhere we go, there are alcohol based cleansers, posters encouraging hygiene, and surgical masks (at times). While concerns for another epidemic are not always at the forefront of lay people's minds, it is not far from the health care workers at PMH. Entire floors are dedicated to the care of critically ill and infectious patients. Life and death in both patients and health care workers were very real in 2003. We all admire the dedication and sacrifice that these people made.

After touring the general isolation ward and dim sum lunch, we were treated to specialty-based visits for each team member. Burt, Karen, DGN Kenneth, and guests visited the local mental health hospital; Darren to the medical records center; Maria to the CCU telemetry and medical floor; Tracey to the physiotherapy rehab; and I to the ICU. I am again pleased and surprised by how similar we are (well, I don't wear a mask all the time). The comprehensive and up-to-date medical care that these ICU nurses provide is excellent and more than just equal to our own. I won't bore you all with the details, but my coworkers at home will get an earful! We all went home to our host families for the evening to share fellowship with them. I was lucky enough to spend it with my host family's daughter Chloe, who took me to my first Vietnamese restaurant. Delicious! We then bargained our way through the Night Market on Temple Street. We rode back home on my first double-decker bus. I'm sure my teammates had equally enjoyable nights as well. Tomorrow, Shenzhen on the Mainland!

East Meets West

March 3, 2011

The morning was spent learning about Chinese medicine at Baptist University.  Amazing scientific studies are being conducted at to prove that herbs are an effective treatment for many illnesses.  Darren was the volunteer for acupuncture demonstration.  The afternoon was spent at Kwong Wah Hospital to which incorporates both Western medicine and Chinese.  We all got to try some herbal tea to balance our energy.  We had a beautiful dinner at Regal Hotel International with two local Rotary Clubs.

Past, Present, and Fun in Hong Kong

Top: Avenue of Stars
Bottom: Hong Kong Museum of History

Top: View from Victoria Peak

Bottom: Happy Valley Race Course

Today was all about history, sightseeing, and at the end of the night a little bit of luck. We started the day on Wan Chai Ferry to the Waterfront of Tsim Sha Tsui along Victoria Harbour. We walked the Hong Kong version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and saw names like Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat, and of course, Bruce Lee. Next was a little bit of history at the Hong Kong Museum of History. We were then treated to an incredible Indian lunch at the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC for us "natives") where old fans of Indian cuisine and new converts enjoyed many offerings. Our gracious host Ken Wong made sure I got some "Indian hot" dishes for my taste buds! After a tour of the cricket club (by the club president no less and also a Rotary charter president), we traveled to the top of Victoria Peak. There were beautiful views of the city despite the hazy weather. Then it was off the races! We enjoyed another diverse and delicious buffet in the KCC Club box at the Happy Valley Race Course. Our host Vito Lee made sure we were well taken care of whether we won or lost. And there were winners! Darren, Karen, and Burt had lady luck on their sides, with Karen and Burt winning twice! Thank you to SiuPo, Wendy, Karen, and Fonia for being our guides today.

Mar1st

We started the day at HK Red Cross JFK Center. An amazing place that does great work with children with physical disabilities. It was nice to see how the Rotary has made several improvements in helping the children. We had a beautiful lunch at Lusitano and gave our second presentation. In the afternoon we went to the Genetic Center. Dinner was held at the Boy Scouts Building which opened up to a patio where we got a birds eye view of the lazier lights.