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Update 42
Hugh, Hackers & Idols
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
SUMMARY
- Hugh, Hackers & Idols!
- All moved in
- Little Luxuries
- Many thanks
___________________________________________
HUGH HACKERS & IDOLS
___________________________________________
We are back in Hong Kong after a wonderful 3 week holiday in Australia during which Ad's sister Georgina got married to Hugh and is now Mrs Dircks! When the new couple return from their honeymoon We will ask them if we can post some wedding photos on our website.
Speaking of our website, www.matt-ad.net was hacked by a Moroccan hacker group on Christmas day! We would like to think that we were targeted because of our site's great significance but it may be more a case of bad luck. A temporary homepage is back up now and the rest of the site is unaffected. For unrelated reasons we have had to revert to an older contacts database, apologies if your details are incorrect.
We noticed a few changes around our hometown while we were there. Some classy new hotspots around town and juice-bars in abundance. But the most notable change is Australia's deep obsession with the "Australian Idol" T.V show. Suddenly Guy Sebastian is on Pepsi billboards and everybody's lips.
___________________________________________
ALL MOVED IN
___________________________________________
This was the first time we flew into Hong Kong without jumping on a bus for a winding bus ride over the mountains of Lantau Island. Instead, we took an excitingly flat bus journey from the airport to our NEW home in Tuen Mun, New Territories. Unfortunately, showing our holiday photos to Adam who'd met us at the airport caused us to miss our stop so we had to backtrack in a taxi.
It was also strange not to go into Kai Tak to work - Crossroads moved out of the old airport building on new year's eve 2003. So, we spent Thursday morning marvelling at the new Crossroads site, a hop skip and a jump from our front door. Most staff have now moved into their new offices, which have (unlike the airport basement) natural light streaming through the windows! There is still a great deal of work to be done on the buildings, but they have come an incredible way in the three weeks we were gone. This is in large part due to some amazing teams and individuals who joined over the holiday period, such as a bunch of guys and girls from Samoa, and a great family from New Zealand with three kids. These kids are amazing - it was their Christmas present to take a trip to Hong Kong and help us out by painting and patching and scraping buildings! Better than a Barbie doll!
___________________________________________
LITTLE LUXURIES
___________________________________________
Adelaide got an email this week from a year 7 student at a Hong Kong high school. "I would like to interview your organisation," the email said, "as a part of my project entitled 'Global inequality: A Study on the Different Perceptions of Basic Needs and Luxuries in First and Third World Countries.'" (Sounds a lot more advanced than any project we ever did in year 7!)
One of the questions the student wanted to discuss was 'what are luxuries in the eyes of poor people, and what are luxuries in the eyes of wealthy people?' Reflect for a moment on what you'd consider a luxury in your life and what you'd consider a basic necessity. In Australia over Christmas we enjoyed so many luxuries, like gourmet food, a beautiful beach holiday and new stylish clothes. We had some interesting food for thought, though, on this question in the form of another email in Adelaide's inbox from a school in Papua New Guinea who recently received a container from Crossroads:
>The desks have been a pure delight.
> Last year we donated some desks and at lunch time on the first day nobody
> went out to play. They were so excited with the desks that they stayed in
> class thoughout the lunch hour.
> This is the level of excitement that is generated by the desks donations.
> Children who have been sitting on the ground for up to five years really
> appreciate the luxury of sitting up and having a nice surface to right on
> after using their crossed legs as a backboard.
I'd say we definitely have 'different perceptions of basic needs and luxuries' to these kids.
___________________________________________
THANKS!
___________________________________________
We want to say 'thank you' to everyone we caught up with in Sydney - it was such a refreshing and lovely holiday, although extremely jam-packed. It was sad that we were not able to see everyone we would have liked to. We have such precious friends and family and are always grateful for any time we have together. It was great!!
We will be putting up photos from our time in Australia on our website soon, as well as some of the new Crossroads location and all the progress being made, for those who are interested.
Till next time!
Love,
Matt and Ad
SUMMARY
- Hugh, Hackers & Idols!
- All moved in
- Little Luxuries
- Many thanks
___________________________________________
HUGH HACKERS & IDOLS
___________________________________________
We are back in Hong Kong after a wonderful 3 week holiday in Australia during which Ad's sister Georgina got married to Hugh and is now Mrs Dircks! When the new couple return from their honeymoon We will ask them if we can post some wedding photos on our website.
Speaking of our website, www.matt-ad.net was hacked by a Moroccan hacker group on Christmas day! We would like to think that we were targeted because of our site's great significance but it may be more a case of bad luck. A temporary homepage is back up now and the rest of the site is unaffected. For unrelated reasons we have had to revert to an older contacts database, apologies if your details are incorrect.
We noticed a few changes around our hometown while we were there. Some classy new hotspots around town and juice-bars in abundance. But the most notable change is Australia's deep obsession with the "Australian Idol" T.V show. Suddenly Guy Sebastian is on Pepsi billboards and everybody's lips.
___________________________________________
ALL MOVED IN
___________________________________________
This was the first time we flew into Hong Kong without jumping on a bus for a winding bus ride over the mountains of Lantau Island. Instead, we took an excitingly flat bus journey from the airport to our NEW home in Tuen Mun, New Territories. Unfortunately, showing our holiday photos to Adam who'd met us at the airport caused us to miss our stop so we had to backtrack in a taxi.
It was also strange not to go into Kai Tak to work - Crossroads moved out of the old airport building on new year's eve 2003. So, we spent Thursday morning marvelling at the new Crossroads site, a hop skip and a jump from our front door. Most staff have now moved into their new offices, which have (unlike the airport basement) natural light streaming through the windows! There is still a great deal of work to be done on the buildings, but they have come an incredible way in the three weeks we were gone. This is in large part due to some amazing teams and individuals who joined over the holiday period, such as a bunch of guys and girls from Samoa, and a great family from New Zealand with three kids. These kids are amazing - it was their Christmas present to take a trip to Hong Kong and help us out by painting and patching and scraping buildings! Better than a Barbie doll!
___________________________________________
LITTLE LUXURIES
___________________________________________
Adelaide got an email this week from a year 7 student at a Hong Kong high school. "I would like to interview your organisation," the email said, "as a part of my project entitled 'Global inequality: A Study on the Different Perceptions of Basic Needs and Luxuries in First and Third World Countries.'" (Sounds a lot more advanced than any project we ever did in year 7!)
One of the questions the student wanted to discuss was 'what are luxuries in the eyes of poor people, and what are luxuries in the eyes of wealthy people?' Reflect for a moment on what you'd consider a luxury in your life and what you'd consider a basic necessity. In Australia over Christmas we enjoyed so many luxuries, like gourmet food, a beautiful beach holiday and new stylish clothes. We had some interesting food for thought, though, on this question in the form of another email in Adelaide's inbox from a school in Papua New Guinea who recently received a container from Crossroads:
>The desks have been a pure delight.
> Last year we donated some desks and at lunch time on the first day nobody
> went out to play. They were so excited with the desks that they stayed in
> class thoughout the lunch hour.
> This is the level of excitement that is generated by the desks donations.
> Children who have been sitting on the ground for up to five years really
> appreciate the luxury of sitting up and having a nice surface to right on
> after using their crossed legs as a backboard.
I'd say we definitely have 'different perceptions of basic needs and luxuries' to these kids.
___________________________________________
THANKS!
___________________________________________
We want to say 'thank you' to everyone we caught up with in Sydney - it was such a refreshing and lovely holiday, although extremely jam-packed. It was sad that we were not able to see everyone we would have liked to. We have such precious friends and family and are always grateful for any time we have together. It was great!!
We will be putting up photos from our time in Australia on our website soon, as well as some of the new Crossroads location and all the progress being made, for those who are interested.
Till next time!
Love,
Matt and Ad