Just back from a week in Hong Kong, where I was privileged to train up another 30+ people to carry the message of Awakening the Dreamer.
Got to tell you a bit about the city, which is like New York on speed. Crammed on to a few small and rocky islands, 7 million people create one of the busiest ports and financial centres anywhere. Its one of the most densely populated cities in the world, 40% of residents live above the 14th floor, largely because 70% of the land mass is either too mountainous to build on or protected habitat.
I got to experience both of these elements first hand. staying as I was in an apartment in Causeway Bay, one of the most crowded areas (and this courtesy of the generosity of a friend of a friend). The apartment was 2000 square feet, four bedroom, and was palatial compared to the average size living space here. To get some sense of what this part of HK looks like check out the video at the bottom of this post.
I also tripped out by commuter ferry to Lantau Island to visit Merrin and Louise in their idyllic hideaway, 20 minutes walk to the end of a steep path in the forest, a small house completely off the beaten track, enjoying fresh spring water and great views of the countryside.
The business end of the trip was organised by the indomitable, tireless Ms Jo Fok, who has taken on the organising of Awakening the Dreamer in HK. She was largely responsible for organising the Symposium there last Thursday, Lynne Twist and Marcia Martin delivered this to a crowd of about 170. The response of the audience was as moving, and moved, as usual and so we had 32 people show up the following Sunday to train as presenters of the symposium.
From this, and from the many contacts of contacts in this highly networked city, we already have options to share our work with universities in mainland China and Hong Kong, at least three schools and a host of groups of all kinds. Another friend of Jo’s, film star Michael Wong, wants to take us into the educational hierarchy of the city and a Thai Buddhist sect – I can only say watch this space, things are happening in Hong Kong.
