Sign Language

 

 

 

 

Touring Hong Kong
8 March 2008

 

Thursday was the official meetings with Nippon Foundation, Friday was the day for touring the sign language linguistics center, and Saturday (today) was for touring Hong Kong. Chea Sokchea, the sign language researcher from Cambodia, is good friends with two researchers from Vietnam, so we met up with them for the day.

On the Kowloon waterfront The Vietnamese researchers were staying in the northern New Territories of Hong Kong and Sokchea and Charlie Dittmeier were staying at the Maryknoll house on the south side of Hong Kong Island, so we met about midway, in the MTR (subway) station near the harbor. From there it was a short walk to the Promenade of Stars along the Kowloon waterfront of Hong Kong harbor. The statue and various medallions set into the sidewalk commemorate different Hong Kong movie stars such as Jackie Chan.
Three friends The two sign language researchers from Vietnam (left) and Sokchea have become very good friends. Dr. James Woodward, a sign language linguist from Gallaudet University and now based in Ho Chi Minh City, has trained all of them in professional level linguistics.
Advertising the Beijing Olympics
At the base of the clock tower, all that is left of the previous railway station, are colorful figures promoting the Beijing Olympics. The railway station used to be the terminus for the Orient Express train which ran from London across Europe and Asia to Hong Kong.
View of Hong Kong harbor We took a double-decker bus up to The Peak, a viewing point above Hong Kong that provides a panoramic view of one of the most scenic harbors in the world.
Hong Kong harbor at sunset At sunset, and from water level, the harbor presents itself in a different setting. The boat with the junk-style sails is now a tourist boat. The last real junks disappeared from Hong Kong harbor 20 years ago.
Departure time In late afternoon the Vietnamese and Sokchea went to a night market and Charlie went to a street market to get tools and other supplies. At the end of the day, the group rejoined inside a subway station for a final photograph. Dr. Woodward and his wife Hoa are next to Charlie.

Go to Hong Kong trip main page
Go to Activities page on DDP website
Go to Charlie Dittmeier's home page