Boy, oh Boy

Julie took the day off of work. So while my daughters and I were at work and in school. Julie took my sister Janna and my niece Ellie out for a day in Hong Kong. After shopping in the jade market they were riding the MTR on their way to get foot massages. They found themselves in the same train car with more than a dozen western students in their high school uniforms.

Julie chatted with a few of them. At first Julie was confused when she thought she heard them say that they attended Australian International School here in Hong Kong. It took a few moments before they were able to clarify that they were actually from Australia and were in Hong Kong for a week-long exchange program.

While a couple of the students were busy trying to straighten out my wife, several of the young men had discovered my niece and were busy getting her back story. These young fellows from Down Under seemed to be quite enthralled with this young, blond, sixteen-year-old from America. They were quite enthusiastically chatting her up.

It was a very nice cross-cultural exchange; but alas, all good things must come to an end. The train pulled up to the Sha Tin Wa station and it was time for the Australians to disembark. Some of the young men were loath to leave and had to pull themselves away. After the doors of the train car closed, they attempted to prolong their conversation with Ms. Ellie just a bit longer.

One of the boys pointed to himself, pointed to Ellie, and brought his hand up to his ear indicating that he would call her -despite the fact that no phone numbers had been exchanged.

As the train started to pull away, another young man simply pointed at Ellie through the window, brought his hands up to his chest, and formed them into the shape of a heart.

Ai-yaa.

Good thing overprotective Uncle wasn’t there to help all these overheated young bucks simmer down.

I think I am developing a clearer picture of why Ellie liked Hong Kong so much. It might not have had as much to do with yummy red-bean cakes as I had previously thought.