Located in the New Territories and surrounded by beautiful nature and scenery, Shing Mun Reservoir has numerous trails that are suitable for people of all ages and fitness levels.
A circular route around the reservoir requires about 1.5 – 2 hours to complete. However, it takes longer to hike along the reservoir, although people with basic fitness levels can manage it. My friends and I spent 4 hours completing the circular route. Half of it was pavement, half of it was a hiking trail. Many trails are under the shade of trees, suitable for hiking in sunny weather, but the reservoir views are mostly hidden by tall trees and branches.
Hikers usually take the minibus 82 from Tsuen Wan to the starting point. Getting off any buses passing through Lei Muk Shue is another option as getting up to the starting point takes only around 20 minutes only. I walked along the road to the reservoir with an old lady who made it all the way from Shek Yam. She walks up to the reservoir almost every day and is a regular hiker to the reservoir.
My friends and I started walking up the stairs from the left. We passed through Pineapple Dam, then the entrance to the Butterfly Garden Nature Trail after 20 minutes, followed by the Waterside paperbarks. The distinctive papery barks from the tall trees on the sides offer a picturesque setting for photo-taking. They are not particularly spectacular on a cloudy day but make the path cool and pleasant to walk along.
After around 1.5 hours, we reached the Tai Shing stream surrounded by lush forests. We then turned to the shaded hiking path which seemed endless. After another 2.5 hours, we reached the Gorge Dam of Shing Mun Reservoir. This tallest dam is 84m tall and was built by the British Empire. A beautiful spot to take a selfie.
As we walked towards Lei Muk Shue, we added another 30 minutes to our trip. The bus stop provides a few more bus options than the starting point of the reservoir. By the time we arrived at Tsuen Wan, we were starving and we only wanted to sit down and eat.
Try the inexpensive curry rice at Bentoya on the ground floor of The Mills which is now a shopping complex revitalized from a textile factory in Tsuen Wan. The Taiwanese eatery Cha Fan at 8 ½ in Tsuen Wan has a variety of bubble teas and fruit teas that instantly quench our thirst and satisfy our palate.
Learning to grow vegetables on a small farm improves mental health and well-being. The joy of harvesting vegetables is beyond buying something that I like in a shop.
Today and yesterday, I took home a few potatoes from the community farm. Some were tiny, some were regular. All are organic and no pesticides are used. The skins are particularly tender and thin, so it is easy to rub them out for cooking.
Growing potatoes is very easy. Seed potatoes are handy when the “eyes” grow bigger and wider over a week or so. Simply put the seed potatoes in the soil with the eyes facing up. In January, when the sun was scarce, my brother planted around 6 seed potatoes. Surprisingly, they grew fast.
I was told that each seed potato produces 4 to 8 potatoes. So far, I have harvested 7 potatoes. They are quality produce, organic, and enough for 3 meals.
It is quite a lazy plant as some of my farm mates just leave them there on their farms. I could see potatoes near the root of the plants.
It took less than three months for me to harvest the first crop. The skin of some potatoes is exposed to the soil when they come close to the surface. I simply added some soil on top till they turned from green to yellow.
Basically, when the leaves turn yellow, it is a sign that they are almost ready.
Since last summer, I have felt the power of horticultural therapy. Gardening, such as loosening the soil or planting sprouts individually, makes me feel mindful.
Learning what produce is cultivated on a farm is fun; growing from seed to harvest is surely a sense of achievement. I had beans and okra for two months in summer and now have potatoes in spring. Mints and herbs are usually grown in any season here.
Want to learn more about farming? Farm mates and an instructor taught me how to manage the farm and grow some vegetables. Many YouTube videos can help as well.
My friend’s New Zealand trip just began. She followed my advice to explore the small French Akaroa town south of Christchurch.
The Giant’s House is one of the key attractions in this picturesque town by the harbour. I missed visiting this special garden last year, and I can only blame the rain for that decision. After all, the joyous garden should be a place for taking pictures. Going there in the rain is no fun.
My friend shared this Giant’s House with me, which was built by artist and horticulturalist Josie Martin. The house was built in 1880 by a bank manager who came from England. When Josie bought the place over 25 years ago, the house needed serious repair and had no garden.
Josie has always enjoyed gardening and is passionate about art and sculpture. She has a dream of sharing her art with the community in a playful and magical environment. Her house in Akaroa therefore has become a blank canvas for her creative work.
She turned fragments of lovely old china buried in the ground into mosaics for the floor of the conservatory and steps. The idea worked well. With the help of local craftsmen, her installations evolved and grew.
One of the best things to do when spending ME time is to get engaged with people around the world with interesting conversations.
Dating and living with someone can be very romantic, and living by yourself can equally be romantic.
I feel lucky when I could just lie on a sun bed, welcoming the heat touching my body and seeing the clouds drifting in the sky.
When I watch an inspiring movie or read a good book, I feel “wow”, how people can be that creative or talented to do so. A book called Grit tells me that talents may not be as important as passion and perseverance. If you have the intention to do certain things and intent to put them into practice, you can be an expert in that area.
The world has unlimited possibilities and adventures that I would like to create with friends and share.
I spent the weekend visiting the elderly, I saw the sparkles in their eyes and how happy they were when a stranger came to visit them. An 84-year-old man told me that he felt so scared by the protest during the social movement and the pandemic. He dared not to go out unless necessary, but somehow let us (three volunteers) whom he didn’t know to meet him in person, talking for half an hour. He told us how happy he could talk about his feeling and he didn’t quite want us to go. When comparing the fear of the COVID virus and a lack of social connection, actually the latter is far scarier.
Much of the research proved that social connection and support are one of the secrets of longevity and happiness as well. I definitely believe so. Modern life can put us under a lot of stress and unconscious comparisons. I always appreciate connecting with nature and new people. Their stories intrigue me and we all have moments we would like to celebrate.
Enjoy Me time and enjoy time with old friends and new friends.
Friendship can be magical when two people meet on a special occasion, and then connect and become friends. At a certain point, friendship may continue or end.
As a kid, I mainly looked for friends to hang out with or do activities with. I enjoyed helping my friends with their homework.
Friendship becomes complicated as one gets older; parties are fun, and traveling together is fantastic, but sharing the same values and thoughts, or even discussing specific topics, is more meaningful to me, and maybe you, too.
There is always mysterious chemistry when you interact with some people, but not with others.
I don’t mind not having many friends, but I consider myself lucky to have 2-3 best friends and a few likable friends. Friendships are incredibly dynamic and mutual. A critical event such as COVID can reveal the true personalities of our friends. We definitely lost some time to connect with friends and meet new people in the recent 3 years while our lives did not just halt to a stop.
I realized a friend or two had numerous excuses for not meeting for more than 2 years in a small city like Hong Kong, I should refer to them as acquaintances instead. My closest friends might no longer be with me because they have made new friends, are preoccupied with other tasks, or have moved to live in another city. After a relationship ends, it is upsetting that the relationship cannot be transferred to friendship. I lost a friend of mine and I feel frustrated. It is sad to put such a close friendship aside.
I moan at such a loss, and I stand up again, looking for opportunities to meet new people and discover engaging activities with them. In a not-so-familiar environment, meeting new people gives me a sense of excitement.
Life is more enjoyable when I have people around me. Having ME time helps me unwind and appreciate life, but adventures are more remarkable when shared with family and friends.
experience today 