CAFFEINE, SLEEPLESSNESS AND SURPRISES

FRIDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
It was another restless night for me. It was extremely hot and the constant whirring of the ceiling fans (they sound like a helicopter coming in to land and are on all night every night) seemed louder than usual.

I had been out all day exploring Hong Kong so I was tired from walking but I just couldn’t settle. Perhaps it was the four coffees I had had during the day? I had drunk only two cups of coffee in the previous 9 days so maybe they had affected me more than usual. A filter coffee for breakfast (and bacon, egg and beans!), an Americano for ‘coffee-time’, a Mocha for lunch (with cream) and a Latte in the evening. Perhaps it was over indulgent!

My day out was spent exploring Hong Kong but it was spoilt by a thick fog which hung around all day. I had planned to go to The Peak overlooking Hong Kong to get a view from above and travel up a couple of the high-rise buildings to look down on the city, but instead I stayed on the ground and looked up. I walked through the tightly packed markets and marvelled at what was on sale, some of which I’d rather not have seen, and toured the towers. It’s easy to forget that Hong Kong is part of China now. According to the locals, nothing has changed and when I went to the Norman Foster designed HSBC Tower there was a very vocal protest outside with banners proclaiming, ‘HSBC – The world’s local crooks!’ I visited the Bank of China building as well, apparently designed to capture the best Feng Shui energy lines in the area!
It gives you such a different view when you are on the ground looking up, in fact it is easy to lose sight of the landmarks because you get too close to them. Every so often I’d dive into the air-conditioned shopping malls with their high class designer outlets and cathedral like design. Impressive! They are everywhere and always packed with people.

Despite the day, I still couldn’t sleep. It had felt a little strange being out on my own all day. I kept thinking about what was happening back in the house and what I was missing. In fact, having been in such close community for 9 days, I felt a little vulnerable in the space outside. The noise, traffic, people accosting me to buy fake Rolex watches (at least they are honest about them) or the offer of a ‘foot’ massage – I resisted both – on every corner just got to me and when the gate slid open to let me back into St Stephen’s, I was glad to be back.

When I got back in at 9.00pm, I found that the new boy, TM, was now on the dorms, now a Brother, no longer a New Boy. That was great news. Then as I was going to bed, J, the 37 year old I wrote about a few days ago, told me that he was going to be able to go home to see his wife and children for the first time in the 9 months he has been in the House. He was very excited! Then he told me that he would like me to go with him! Well that totally blew me away. His first visit home and he wants me to go with him. How could I say no? So I’m off on Monday 6th from 5.30pm – 9.30pm to sit around a table with J, his wife, his 4 and 2 year old and his mum and dad in their flat.

So perhaps my sleeplessness was the coffee, or the excitement of what was going on in the house and in the lives of the people here and the privilege of being able to be a small part of it. I was glad to be back in the house with the people I have grown to love, pray for, cheer on, believe in. And I felt that they were glad that I was back.