Team Hong Kong Newsletter #14
Out To Eat
March 11, 2008
by Karen Martin

Every Tuesday morning we leave at 8:45am. After riding two buses, which total to one hour of travel, we arrive in Tuen Mun. The morning is spent learning Cantonese taught by June Kauffman. One way of practicing the words we learn is simple hands-on experience. This is done at HoHo Restaurant. It is important to note and remember that in Cantonese hoho means 'very good'. Now back to the story. HoHo isn't just any restaurant. It's the place where we eat lunch every Tuesday. If by chance it was closed for a day, we would be absolutely heart broken. The place is know in Cantonese as a 'Dye Pie Dong' which equates to a highly authentic and cheap Chinese outdoor restaurant. We sit on small plastic stools around a small table under the shade of a tree. Sometimes seats are offered to us before the table has been cleared from the previous customers. I've learned that this can be good thing. Looking at other peoples plates of food expands my own ordering options.

The process of ordering at HoHo gives an interesting perspective on our team. Typically it goes something like this . . . We sit down and Maria places before us the pink tattered menu she faithfully carries for our reference (we've translated nearly every item on the menu). After staring at the menu for a few seconds, our waiter (affectionately named 'HoHo') appears. June encourages us to order in Cantonese. Ben looks at the menu for reference then rattles off his order to HoHo (in Cantonese). Next is Maria's turn. She barely has to open her mouth before Hoho says 'sing jua chua my'. Singapore noodles have become a predictable favorite for Maria. Now it's my turn. I turn to June telling her that I would like to order what the person is eating at the table next to us. The words aren't familiar to me, so June gets the task of explaining my order to HoHo. My love for variety can be a nice disguise for not remembering many Cantonese words. Next we turn to Josh who isn't ready to make his meal selection. He's looking at the papers on which he has listed every food item we've learned or heard of. After contemplating for a few more seconds, he clearly states his order. HoHo seems very impressed (along with June and the rest of us). In a matter of minutes huge portions of rice, noodles, pork, beef, and vegetables will be sitting in front of us. HoHo Sik (delicious)!

Prayer Requests:
- We are preparing to lead an Easter themed presentation at a local school on March 20. We'll be sharing in 'simple' English with 400 students. This is a new and exciting challenge for each of us.
- We are going to Cambodia for a few days in May to be a part of EMM's retreat for the missionaries here in Asia. Our task is to provide activities/teaching for the children. Pray for us as we make preparations - for creativity, excitement, wisdom, and discernment.

Praises:
- We now have visas for China
- Karen's hand is healing quickly after being burned by hot coffee