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Diary   December 2009 and Jan+ 2010

ˇ@Diary       January - November, 2009

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Please note: I'm due to be in Australia December 30 to Feb 13. Australia mobile number: ............. (DV will appear here by Jan 1)

2009-11-25 Dear Friends

Good morning from a mild Hong Kong.  I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving Day tomorrow

Recent photos:

2009-11-19   Thank you Pat and Renee for visit to House of Hope and Jordan Center

2009-11-19 SCMP: "For the great communicator, China an uphill trip" + "US  manipulating currency" 

    Previous HK photos         Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar: 
 Sunday Nov 29:  9am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Dec  6:  10.15am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Dec 13:  10am children's English Mass in Caritas Centre hall next to St Teresa's Church, Kowloon
Sunday Dec 20:  11.30am  English Mass at Tai Po church
Friday  Dec 25:  10am Chinese Mass at Tai Po Church + 11.30am Chinese Mass at Valtorta College, Tai Po
Sunday Dec 27:  10.15am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan, Kowloon

Monday - Friday:   English classes    & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

December    30:  due to fly to Melbourne  
January 10 - 16:  due to attend annual charismatic retreat, Newman College, Melbourne
January        20:  due to go to  Gold Coast/Brisbane
February      14:  due to return to HK from Melbourne

Many thanks:  Connie & Bassanio (HK, Nov 19) and St Eugene de Mazenod Oblate Primary School (Nov 21) for donations to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area + support for the poor in China.  Special thanks to parishioners of St Alfred's parish in Shatin for donations of warm clothing for street sleepers

Recent items of interest

China
01:  China and Sudan (Darfur)...& Obama in Beijing
02: Lions and Demons to play AFL match at Shanghai Expo in Oct!
 03: Full English text of DVD "The Cross - J in China" (with link to Chinese homepage)
04: Prison for man who spoke out about Sichuan earthquake
 05: Chinese (& everyone else) descended from African "Eve"

Church: Pope skips language of love in Anglicans manifestoˇ@

South Africa: Archbishop Denis Hurley Homepageˇ@

USA/Australia: Celebrities lead charge against Scientology

HK radio program featuring friends from Peng Chau Island: 23 November to 29 January at FM104 Metro Finance Radio at 11.05 p.m.      Can also be found at this link

 Last Monday I saw the English 3D version of "A Christmas Carol"..... a story often in my English classes at this time of the year....through the cartoon version contained in the 1983 "Mickey's Magical Christmas".   New version's English of 200 years ago + faulty sound = a  not easy to understand English version. I recommend Cantonese version to Chinese friends.  Suitable for upper primary children accompanied by a parent.  Message of the movie more relevant now than in Dickens' time.

Usual reflection for Advent - "Why wait till mid-December to mention Christmas?"

One report of Obama's visit to China   had the words: "The lengths to which the Chinese Government went to prevent its people from connecting directly with Mr Obama were a measure of how far the state has tightened its grip on society in recent times.  I can't help thinking how "tighter grip" also seems to be the motto of the Catholic Church in recent times....as seen in reports like these:  01    02  03

I'd be grateful if some kind friends could please check this for mistakes in English or Chinese. Hoping to have it printed in coming months.

"I was hungry and you.....":   Meeting in Rome this week said that 17,000 children die of starvation each day.  At same meeting Pope Benedict called on weathy nations to live more simply (& see comments at end of link!).  See also:  One million children go to bed hungry each night - in USA!  and  One billion people starving as I write this. What can I do?       World Food Program

One year ago on Nov 3,  I returned to Zhaoqing after an overnight stay in HK ....only to be expelled when I got off the train at Zhaoqing station.  Please email me if you'd like the full story.  Each day I hope and pray to be able to return to the Mainland.  Thank you for a prayer to help me get back.  My hope is to be able to resume my work for the poor,  especially the handicapped children, most of whom have no access to education or therapy

God bless everyone, especially the 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, I in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you email me and don't receive a reply within 2 days, please send email again to john@china8.org or jdwomi@gmail.com 
Maybe your message or my reply did not arrive ˇ@

2009-11-18 Dear Friends

Good evening from a cool Hong Kong where Winter is making a record early/cold  appearance....while Australia is experiencing a record early Summer (Adelaide ten days of more than 40 degrees).
Cold weather (13 degrees and below) and typhoon 8 signal are when HK government shelters are opened for street sleepers. Around 80 men stayed at Yau Ma Tei shelter last night (10 degrees).  Many of these men are in need of more clothes....so...if any kind HK friends have some unwanted warm clothing....please contact me  (67095674 or john@china8.org )

Also in need of help:  the starving people of the world.  Meeting in Rome this week said that 17,000 children die of starvation each day.  At same meeting Pope Benedict called on weathy nations to live more simply (& see comments at end of link!).  See also:  One million children go to bed hungry each night - in USA!  and  One billion people starving as I write this. What can I do?

Barack Obama now in Korea after visit to China.  Mainland coverage of his visit was heavily censored. Obama himself was stopped from contact with ordinary people.  Wasn't  allowed to take questions from reporters. Even HK TV stations practised "self-censoring": Monday night's news on TVB gave as much if not more time to a story from Australia and to a  cricket game  between South Africa and England......as was given to Obama's historic day in Shanghai.  May his visit be blessed.
Report 1         Report 2        Report 3      Report 4
2009-11-19 update from today's SCMP: "For the great communicator, China has been an uphill trip" (moral for future: don't agree to trip under such humiliating conditions.)
2009-11-19 hope (9am): Obama will visit North Korea today!

Recent photos:

2009-11-13  How HK government was fooled by Disney

2009-11-14  Thank you Tom & Agnes for visit to Salvation Army Center  and House of Hope

2009-11-17   Caring for the environment.....a steel container rather than  rice boxes

2009-11-18   Former C.A.S. teacher (& HK Lands Dept official) Paul from Australia - at Jordan Center

    Previous HK photos         Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar: 
Sunday Nov 22: 11.30am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Nov 29:  9am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Dec  6:  10.15am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Dec 13:  10am children's English Mass in Caritas Centre hall next to St Teresa's Church, Kowloon
Sunday Dec 20:  (to be confirmed - either Chinese Mass at St Bon or English Mass at Tai Po)
Friday  Dec 25:  10am Chinese Mass at Tai Po Church + 11.30am Chinese Mass at Valtorta College

Monday - Friday:   English classes    & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays :  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

December    30:  due to fly to Melbourne  
January 10 - 16:  due to attend annual charismatic retreat, Newman College, Melbourne
January        20:  due to go to  Gold Coast/Brisbane
February      14:  due to return to HK from Melbourne

Many thanks:  Anon (St Bonaventure church, Nov 15) and Paul (Australia, Nov 18) for donations to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area + support for the poor in China

Recent items of interest:

Afghanistan: A way out

Australia: Climate change will put 250,000 coastal homes (+ Sydney & Brisbane airports) under water 

 China: Hundreds of thousands of security (= surveillance) cameras in every city  (Shenzhen already has 800,000!)

Church:  Some people trying to roll back Vatican Two

Corruption, country by country  (NZ 1; Aust/Canada 8; HK 12; UK 17; USA 19; China 79; Congo 162)

Food & oil link:  Oil to peak sooner than admitted  

Israel: More illegal homes (can't they see that this policy is promoting  more terrorism?) 

USA
01: Annual lucky draw for 50,000 green cards - applications close Nov 30
02: Available in 2011 - not a flying car-pet but a flying car, a carplane! 

Special item: The Chinese in Congo

Antonietta Mongiò, a member of the Italian secular institute, Oblate Cooperators of Mary Immaculate (COMI), writes of the poverty she sees every day in Kinshasa, DRC.

The rains have finally arrived in Kinshasa. We were expecting them for at least a month, after the dry season and the first really hot days. Word was going around that the Chinese had worked magic in order to block the rain, because the streets of Kinshasa are huge construction sites and the water would have caused problems for the outcome of their work projects.

In fact, the city is one big construction site in the control of the Chinese who are building streets, hotels, hospitals. Itˇ¦s all part of a political-economic collaboration plan between the governments, whereby, on the one hand, there is a country rich in natural resources but in need of infrastructures and without the means to build them, and on the other hand, there is an immense power in full growth, hungry for the mineral wealth of this land. I wonˇ¦t go into things beyond my competency, but one must ask how much all of this will be a real advantage for this country.

Why in the world are they building so many hotels? And so many monuments? Why are they thinking of a superhighway while the only access roads to the outlying districts are impassable? Why install a fiber optic system when only 15% of the population, obviously the rich, is able to enjoy a stable flow of electricity? They are building a mega-hospital, but if you go to the university clinic, which should be at the heart of professional competency and research, you want to run away because of the lack of care, the filth and the lack of resources.

The contradictions go on, and the poor stand there wondering where all of this will lead. For example, to widen the boulevards, they have cut down all the trees (waiting for a taxi on the edge of the street has become a calvary, not only because of the means of transport, but also because there is not a bit of shade to stand under); they have also destroyed many homes. The Chinese have begun to struggle with the Congolese over the little food stands on the edges of the streets. The cost of living is growing, as is the lack of jobs. The doctors go on strike in order to have a bit of regular wages, and in the meantime, the people die: the strike ends with nothing resolved and with the awareness that it will begin again, sooner or later.

One could become discouraged, especially because at times one gets the impression that, in this sea of misery, everybody thinks only of himself, not excluding betrayals, compromises and exploitation on various levels. They lose sight of their grand feeling of solidarity which is, on the other hand, a characteristic value in Africa.

Following a bit the work of the Synod, I was struck by something the bishops said and wrote in their final message: ˇ§In all this, Africa is the most hit. Rich in human and natural resources, many of our people are still left to wallow in poverty and misery, wars and conflicts, crisis and chaos. These are very rarely caused by natural disasters. They are largely due to human decisions and activities by people who have no regard for the common good and this often through a tragic complicity and criminal conspiracy of local leaders and foreign interestsˇK.

ˇ§In most cases, we are dealing with greed for power and wealth at the expense of the people and nation. Whatever may be the responsibility of foreign interests, there is always the shameful and tragic collusion of the local leaders. ˇK The negative consequence of all this is there before the whole world: poverty, misery and disease; refugees within and outside the country and overseas, the search for greener pastures which leads to brain drain, clandestine migration and human trafficking, wars and bloodshed, often by proxy, the atrocity of child soldiers and unspeakable violence against women. How can anybody be proud of ˇ§presidingˇ¨ over such chaos? What has happened to our traditional African sense of shame? This Synod proclaims it loud and clear: it is time to change habits, for the sake of present and future generations. ˇK Africa, rise up, take up your pallet, and walk!ˇ¨ (Jn 5:8)

Typical of our daily experience is to make of this Gospel text ˇ§rise up, take up your pallet and walk,ˇ¨ the slogan at the root of our presence and of our service among the poorest of the poor. I believe it is possible to express the heartfelt feelings which spring up at the sight of children who are poorly nourished, sick, dirty and abandoned such as we take in at Siloe: rebellion and sorrow, love and helplessness. Much could change if each person became responsible for what little he has been given; it people were more able to become involved and to act. Itˇ¦s important to form people to become responsible and we try to do our part, but our poor words become lost in the pressure to find 500 francs to buy a bit of food, or the money for school tuition, or to pay the rent. Our words quickly go unheard in the midst of the sea of words preached by pastors of sects that sell an impossible happiness and a mythic future, confusing hearts and consciences (what they are really doing is robbing the people of the little bit of money that they do have).

Nevertheless, this is the reality where the Lord has put us and, at times, perhaps nails us to it so that our being here, our remaining here might mean something beyond what we ourselves can see. And what gives us strength and joy are the little things which come along, not always every day, as something positive to counterbalance and neutralize all that which seems false and empty. To side with the poor is at time possible; to put oneself in their place is not, because one cannot even imagine, at least I believe, the thoughts and feelings that fill the heart and mind of someone who sees her own children dying of hunger. We can only try to be instruments, at times a bit out of tune, certainly small, but who give everything in order to serve and to love. For life goes on, at times heavy-handedly, and forces us to hope and to believe.

from: www.omiworld.org 

Important background info:
Multi-nationals leeching Congo      Equal  worst villain is Rwandan army - excellent Monbiot article

President Kabila trained by PLA in China       Friends of The Congo

I'd be grateful if some kind friends could please check this for mistakes in English or Chinese. Hoping to have it printed in coming months.

One year ago on Nov 3,  I returned to Zhaoqing after an overnight stay in HK ....only to be expelled when I got off the train at Zhaoqing station.  Please email me if you'd like the full story.  Each day I hope and pray to be able to return to the Mainland.  Thank you for a prayer to help me get back.  My hope is to be able to resume my work for the poor,  especially the handicapped children, most of whom have no access to education or therapy

God bless everyone, especially the 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, I in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you email me and don't receive a reply within 2 days, please send email again to john@china8.org or jdwomi@gmail.com 
Maybe your message or my reply did not arrive 

2009-11-11  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong on Remembrance Day.  In another 15 minutes it will be 11am ....when we remember how at 11am on November 11, 1918  (11-11-11) World War One was officially ended.  I can't help recalling these words from The Age of Consent by George Monbiot:
p.8: "Our (national) loyalties have made us easy to manipulate. In the First World War, a few dozen aristocrats sent eight million men to die in the name of nationhood".
p. 18: "The institutions founded 'to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war' have failed. Since the end of World War Two, some thirty million people have been killed in armed conflicts. Most of them were civilians".

In today's Guardian, a most important Remembrance Week article re Afghanistan

Recent photos:

2009-11-08 Another happy day at Peng Chau Island church

2009-11-09 Thank you Shirley for visit to House of Hope + future cooking classes

    Previous HK photos         Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  
Sunday Dec 13:  10am children's English Mass in Caritas Centre hall next to St Teresa's Church, Kowloon
Monday - Friday:   English classes    & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays (except Nov 14....exam preparation time):  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

December    30:  due to fly to Melbourne  
January 10 - 16:  due to attend annual charismatic retreat, Newman College, Melbourne
January        20:  due to go to  Gold Coast/Brisbane
February      14:  due to return to HK from Melbourne

Many thanks:  Anon (HK, Nov 3), Anon (HK, Nov 6),  Peng Chau friends Nov 8 (Margaret, Mrs Lau, Mrs Mak, Mrs Cheung) for donations to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area + support for the poor in China

Looking for work:  Toshiya, a 22 year old HK Chinese lad who graduated from technical college after a 4 year course (studying entertainment, human resources and many other courses).  Willing to take any job. A member of youth group at Peng Chau church.  Anyone able to help him find a job please?  He's one of thousands of young people who graduated in May/June in HK and still  have not been able to find a job

Recent items of interest:

China: From Nov 16, internet names in Chinese (& other langauges)

Church - Anglican offer - "spot the difference"
01:  The Vatican thirst for power divides Christianity
02:   "The above article contain lies"

El Salvador: Remembering the Jesuit martyrs (who died twenty years ago, Nov 16, 1989)

UK: Champions of the overdog  (most important article re media control)

USA
01: Last ditch effort to stop Vatican massacre of English liturgy
02: :  Chomsky at 80 in London

Dreams:  When I go past Noah's Ark  (opened two years ago in HK) and when I read about Harmony Christian Park to be built in China,  I can't help dreaming of this 

One billion people starving as I write this. What can I do?

I'd be grateful if some kind friends could please check this for mistakes in English or Chinese. Hoping to have it printed in coming months.

One year ago on Nov 3,  I returned to Zhaoqing after an overnight stay in HK ....only to be expelled when I got off the train at Zhaoqing station.  Please email me if you'd like the full story.  Each day I hope and pray to be able to return to the Mainland.  Thank you for a prayer to help me get back.  My hope is to be able to resume my work for the poor,  especially the handicapped children, most of whom have no access to education or therapy

God bless everyone, especially the 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, I in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you email me and don't receive a reply within 2 days, please send email again to john@china8.org or jdwomi@gmail.com 
Maybe your message or my reply did not arrive 

2009-11-04  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong where a cool change arrived yesterday, no doubt related to snowy weather in Beijingˇ@

Recent photos:

2009-10-31  Final day of Sat English for Sep/Oct  at Oblate Primary School, St Eugene OPS, and Notre Dame College

2009-11-04  Visit to House of Hope for homeless men  by  Mui Wo dear friend  Ah Yau with her sister and Mr Luen

Previous HK photos             Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Nov 08:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 

Monday - Friday:   English classes    & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

December    30:  due to fly to Melbourne  
January 10 - 16:  due to attend annual charismatic retreat, Newman College, Melbourne
January        20:  due to go to  Gold Coast/Brisbane
February      14:  due to return to HK from Melbourne

Many thanks:  Anthony (Tung Chung, Oct 25), Oblate Primary School (Oct 31), Margaret (Peng Chau, Nov 1) for donations to help
my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area + support for the poor in China

Looking for work:  Toshiya, a 22 year old HK Chinese lad who graduated from technical college after a 4 year course (studying entertainment, human resources and many other courses).  Willing to take any job. A member of youth group at Peng Chau church.  Anyone able to help him find a job please?  He's one of thousands of young people who graduated in May/June in HK and still  have not been able to find a job

Recent items of interest:

Africa
01:  Why Africa welcomes the Chinese
02:  Summary of Synod document ( Fr Steckling)

China: Guangdong drought

Middle East: Playing with fire: UN turns Gaza shelling into theatre

New Zealand:  John Dear's diary

World: Berlin wall had to fall, but today's world no fairer (Mikhail Gorbachev)

One billion people starving as I write this. What can I do?

I'd be grateful if some kind friends could please check this for mistakes in English or Chinese. Hoping to have it printed in coming months.

One year ago yesterday (Nov 3....also my baptism anniversary!) I returned to Zhaoqing after an overnight stay in HK ....only to be expelled when I got off the train at Zhaoqing station.  Please email me if you'd like the full story.  Each day I hope and pray to be able to return to the Mainland.  Thank you for a prayer to help me get back.  My hope is to be able to resume my work for the poor,  especially the handicapped children, most of whom have no access to education or therapy

God bless everyone, especially the 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, I in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you email me and don't receive a reply within 2 days, please send email again to john@china8.org or jdwomi@gmail.com 
Maybe your message or my reply did not arrive 

2009-10-28  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong at the end of October, when we remember the link between Halloween & All Saints....and also remember The Melbourne Cup (first Tuesday of Nov)

May the drought in Southern China soon end.   Media keeps talking about the strong recovery/growth of Chinese economy. But on the ground in many areas, people are not only out of work, they also are struggling to survive since the rice crop has failed. 

May the Lord bless trip of Vice Premier Li Keqiang as he pays an official visit to Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea from tomorrow Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 

Recent photos:

2009-10-23,24  House of Hope visitors: Fr Slawek & group, Georgina & Petrina from Australia +  G&P at  Oblate Primary School Sat English

2009-10-26   Special visitors watching special DVD at Jordan Centerˇ@

2009-10-28  House of Hope visitors from Lantau: Agnelo, Melba, Nene, Purita & Sony; birthday lunch for Melba & Mr Yu
-------------------------------------

Previous HK photos             Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Nov 01:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church
Sunday Nov 08:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 

Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

December    30:  due to fly to Melbourne  
January 10 - 16:  due to attend annual charismatic retreat, Newman College, Melbourne
January        20:  due to go to  Gold Coast/Brisbane
February      14:  due to return to HK from Melbourne

Many thanks:  Mrs Chan (St Alfred's Parish, Shatin, Oct 23), St Eugene de Mazenod Oblate Primary School (Kowloon, Oct 24), Andrea (Peng Chau Church, Oct 25), Agnelo, Melba, Nene, Purita & Sony (all from Lantau Island, Oct 28)  for donations to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Recent items of interest:

Afghanistan: Matthew Hoh's resignation comments -  important article

Australia: Australia welcomes Chinese investment (article includes list of 15 countries that are the top investors in Australia)

China: Mentally ill Briton facing death penalty. (article includes fact that "the death penalty was banned in China during the Tang Dynasty, between 747 and 759, which certainly put it ahead of any European nation at the time")

Church: Anglican deal - cans of (good)worms    Pope's move ill-thought out     John Allen's report    Good for England

Climate change: Drop meat for vegetarian diet, since meat production is responsible for about 18 per cent of global carbon emissions (?!)

Internet: Coming soon - addresses in non-Latin letters

Iraq
01: Iraqi's still paying with blood for invasion
02: Arresting Tony Blair   (some years ago, this diary said that Bush, Blair and Howard should all be arrested...)

UK
01: For many years I've been floating the idea of China buying a football team in the English Premier League....as a way for China's players to gain experience against the best players in the world....as a way of finally making it to the World Cup.  So....when I heard about a HK business man recently buying Birmingham Football Club I thought it was a great idea, until I read this article  (as you get to end of the article, the question arises: how could they allow it?!)

USA
01: J Street (...J stands for Jews...)
02: New church missal a disaster


One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?    

Any mistakes - in English or Chinese - in this?  Hoping to have it printed in coming months DV

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 8 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  

Once each year (mid-Oct) I usually put a message like this in my diary:
In the event that I have an accident/illness of some sort that leaves me incapacitated or worse, information about the future of my websites can be obtained from David Clark (dj@djclark.com) who has kindly been helping me with the sites for some years now. 

God bless everyone, especially 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-10-21  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong.  November will soon be here.  "The year so quickly passes and we are growing old" as the poet more or less said.  

Many new  photos:

2009-10-15   OMI gathering at St Alfred's, Shatin, in HK 

2009-10-16 "When you have a party, invite the poor"  (see beautiful true story of loaves & fish)

2009-10-17  Saturday morning English  at Oblate Primary School, Tokwawan, Kowloon

2009-10-17 Saturday morning English at Saint Eugene de Mazenod Oblate Primary School, Kowloon

2009-10-17  Wedding of Howard Chow and former Notre Dame English Club  student  Scuby Lee at Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon

2009-10-17 Saturday afternoon English at Notre Dame College, Kowloon

2009-10-18  A happy  Sunday at Mui Wo, Lantau Island, HK
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previous HK photos             Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Oct 25:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 
Sunday Nov 01:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church
Sunday Nov 08:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 

Wed      Dec 30:  due to fly to Melbourne  
January 10 - 16:  due to attend annual charismatic retreat, Newman College, Melbourne
January  20......:  due to go to  Gold Coast/Brisbane
Sunday  Feb 14:  due to return to HK from Melbourne

Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

Many thanks:   Bonnie, Mrs Ma, Jennifer, Mrs Yuen and Agnelo (all at Mui Wo Epiphany Chapel, Oct 18), Julie (St Alfred's, Shatin, Oct 18) for donations  to help my  work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area (and to help poor people in other parts of the world)

Flat for rent: Anyone like to rent  Jordan Center (Temple Street near Jordan MTR)  while I'm in Australia (Dec 30 - Feb 13)?
Rental for one month is HK$2,300 (+ water $40 + electricity c. $60)

A most unsuccessful advertisement...... no kind offers so far...

"House of Hope" has now shifted to a new location - corner of Jordan and Nathan Roads.
Jobs for the boys:   men at House of Hope  are looking for part-time work.  No one wants to employ them because they have recently "graduated" as "guests of Her Majesty" (pre-1997 language).  If any HK friends know of  part-time work available, even on a trial basis of say one month, please  contact me  (john@china8.org or 67095674)

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?    

Recent items of interest:

Africa: Sub-Saharan aid = $10billion; debt repayment = $14billion

Regimes in decline....grasping to tighten controls:  ABC boss takes on "Emperor" Murdochˇ@

Any mistakes - in English or Chinese - in this?  Hoping to have it printed in coming months DV

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 8 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  
God bless everyone, especially 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-10-14  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong on a warm October day.....after the hottest September (& Feb)  since records began 125 years ago.

One special piece of happy news for HK in the past week:
Nobel Prize to retired head of HK Chinese University (a former student of St Joseph's College)

Recent photos:

2009-10-08  Visit to Jordan Center by dear friends Ling and Peter

2009-10-09  Visit to street people, Salvation Army & Jordan centers & House of Hope  by friends from Christian Life Community  (...House of Hope needs a cooker...see photo)

2009-10-11 After Mass youth group at Peng Chau Island Church

Previous HK photos             Previous Zhaoqing photos


My Calendar:  
 Sunday Oct 18:   9am Chinese Mass & 11am English Mass at Mui Wo Epiphany Chapel on Lantau Island 
Sunday Oct 25:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 
Sunday Nov 01:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church
Sunday Nov 08:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 
Wed      Dec 30:  due to fly to Melbourne  (more details next week)
Sunday  Feb 14:  due to return to HK from Melbourne

Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

 Many thanks:   Anon (HK, Oct 5), Anon (HK, Oct 6), Dorothy (Sydney, Oct 8),  Doris (Brisbane, Oct 13)
for donations  to help my  work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area.

Many thanks Qantas for special promotion fare HK$5,388 (AUD$770). 
From HK Sales Manager, Willie Choi (wchoi@qantas.com.au):
 We have a program call "Business Essential" which offers special fares for the small and medium business company.  The company needs to register in our website.  We will then offer a membership number.  With the membership number, they can book discounted fares through our  website.  I have referred to this website and offered what is the best available fare for your ticket. If someone is interested in joining our Business Essential, they are welcome to contact me.

"House of Hope" has now shifted to a new location - corner of Jordan and Nathan Roads.
Jobs for the boys:   men at House of Hope  are looking for part-time work.  No one wants to employ them because they have recently graduated as "guests of Her Majesty" (pre-1997 language).  If any HK friends know of  part-time work available, even on a trial basis of say one month, please  contact me  (john@china8.org or 67095674)

Recent items of interest:

Africa
01: Excellent daily reports from Synod
02: Synod members attend special meeting (note the reference to Chinese migration to Africa)
03: One of the main reasons for poverty and war  in Africa is corruption etc of "leaders".
If only something could be done to form better leaders.  And it is being done...check this!

Afghanistan: Best article I've seen on what to do now

Australia:  Food waste bill tops $5 billion

China:  China's "Economist" in crisis

Climate change:  The first country to go under the sea will be .......

Sri Lanka
01: BBC Photos of the detention camps were 240,000 are still imprisoned
02: Monsoon threat to people imprisoned in detention camps

USA
01:   Review of new book by Cardinal George o.m.i.  "not conservative or liberal, but simply Catholic"
02:  "Fr" Michael Moore??
 03:  War between Fox and White House (...remember who owns Fox: RM )
04:  How to avoid road rage

World:
01:  Millions of people will starve if rich countries continue to cut aid
02: The world's top 100 universities  c.f. Eight Aust unis in top 100  .... Hong Kong University no. 24

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?    

Oxfam on HK   TV
Date: 17 October (Saturday)
Time: 10:30 pm (ATV Hong Kong) & 11:05 pm (TVB Jade)

Oxfam Ambassadors Vanessa Yeung and Louis Cheung, along with Oxfam Youth Ambassador Claire Lam joined the ˇ§Dream to Exploreˇ¨ trip to visit Oxfam project sites in India in early September. They share with you how Oxfam really works with poor people to find solutions to poverty

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 7 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  
God bless everyone, especially 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-10-07  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong at the end of the "Golden Week" holiday in China (for National Day, Oct 1) which has seen more than half a million Mainlanders visit HK over the past seven days. 

Smile: click here to clean the inside (sic) of your computer screen

Recent photos:

2009-10-07   Cantonese:  a revival in Shenzhen ....and....how it almost became the national language
 ˇ@
2009-10-06  Visit by Sr Stella & group to Shek Kwu Chau center run by The Society for the Aid & Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers

2009-10-06   Everywhere you go in HK in the early morning, free newspapers (Chinese and English) are being given out

 2009-10-05  Further update to article re China's control of South (East) Asia's rivers

2009-10-01   Welcome (back) to Hong Kong  Fr Harry Dyer o.m.i. & Oblate Outreach Co-ordinator Lesley

2009-09-26   Macau visitors in Hong Kong:  Fatima and Thomas
----------    ---------------   -----------------------

Previous HK photos             Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Oct 11:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 
Sunday Oct 18:   Masses not confirmed yet - maybe Peng Chua, maybe Mui Wo 
Sunday Oct 25:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 
Sunday Nov 01:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church

Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

 Many thanks:   Anon (St Bonaventure Church, Oct 4), Anon (Peng Chau Church, Oct 4), Catherine (St Alfred's Church, Oct 4) 
for donation  to help my  work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area.

"House of Hope" has now shifted to a new location - corner of Jordan and Nathan Roads.
Jobs for the boys:   men at House of Hope  are looking for part-time work.  No one wants to employ them because they have recently graduated as "guests of Her Majesty" (pre-1997 language).  If any HK friends know of  part-time work available, even on a trial basis of say one month, please  contact me  (john@china8.org or 67095674)

Recent items of interest:

Africa:
01: Church is right - condoms not the answer
02: Pope says spiritual garbage poisoning Africa 

China: 
01:  China's missing 30 years
02:  Stern Hu / Rio Tinto
03: Coal for China - Feed the Beast
04: China may lose rare metals monopoly

Church:
01:  USA nun takes on hierarchy

Pacific countries - disaster relief:
01: Military help from Australia  (..."beat their swords into emergency relief equipment"..)

USA:
01: Hundreds of millions spent by vested interests to stop health care reform
02: Michael Moore's new movie "Capitalism: a love story" has explicit themes
03: Obama & nuclear weapons....words and deeds

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?    

China8 server  has plenty of space.....C8 and associated  sites currently using 4.7 G out of 100 G available. If anyone would like a subdomain like these   www.liam.china8.org   www.scotsman.china8.org   www.marist-thai-burma.china8.org  just let me know

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 7 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China tomorrow  will produce some amnesties for criminals? 
God bless everyone, especially 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

Two interesting dreams recently:
01: " 5 years from Sep 28, 2009"
02: President Hu saying "I will follow Christian principles"

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-09-30  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong where the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner (night of Oct 2, with public holiday on Oct 3).  Mid-A is the 2nd happiest festival in the Chinese year (after Lunar New Year).....and the joyful sense of expectancy  these days is a  like the few days before Christmas.
Tomorrow also is a holiday - for  the 60th Anniversary of the PRC.  But no great enthusiasm on the ground in HK. As mentioned in last week's diary, the PRC is where most HK people  or their parents or grandparents fled from....although now they are happy to go back and visit / do business.  A celebration or a ???
Between these two holidays (Oct 1, Oct 3) is a new world day:  World Non-Violence Day, on Oct 2 (the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi)

Recent photos:

2009-09-25   Mrs Chan and Mrs Tang, from  Shatin.  Thank you for visit and meal at "House of Hope"

2009-09-24  Signs from Africa
 ----------    ---------------   -----------------------
Previous HK photos       Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Oct 04:    9am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan & concelebrate 3pm Feast Day Mass at Peng Chau
Sunday Oct 11:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (& maybe  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai)
Sunday Oct 18:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church 
Sunday Oct 25:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (& maybe  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai)

Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

 Many thanks:   Oblate Primary School (Sep 26)   for donation for the poor in China. Many thanks Thomas & Fatima (Macau, Sep 26) 
for donation  to help my  work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area.
Thanks also to kind friends who donated clothing and other items for House of Hope which now has some 9 full-time residents

Speaking of donations: today's South China Morning Post (whose article I can't link) says that Australia's aid to storm-battered Philippines (AUD$1,000,000)  is equal to that of the rest of the world combined

Jobs for the boys:   men at House of Hope  are looking for part-time work.  No one wants to employ them because they have recently graduated as "guests of Her Majesty" (pre-1997 language).  If any HK friends know of  part-time work available, even on a trial basis of say one month, please  contact me  (john@china8.org or 67095674)

Recent items of interest:

China
01: Stern Hu and the unpleasant truth about Rio Tinto
02:  New book from Paul Hattaway: Henan: the Galilee of China

Church: no more Communion in hand; no more priest facing the people ?

 Climate change: Don't blame population growth

UK:  Relics of St Theresa on inspiring  tour     Tomorrow, Oct 1, her feast day: a beautiful reflectionˇ@

Recently I watched the excellent DVD: "World Trade Center" ....and couldn't help thinking that the real reason for the attack  was/is
the USA's blind support for Israel (which has for decades been treating the Palestinians unjustly) + manipulation of price of oil

Highly recommended, especially for any family that has suffered the tragic loss of a child: The Shack.  Has sold more than 2,000,000 copies

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?    

China8 server  has plenty of space.....C8 and associated  sites currently using 4.7 G out of 100 G available. If anyone would like a subdomain like these   www.liam.china8.org   www.scotsman.china8.org   www.marist-thai-burma.china8.org  just let me know

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 6 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China tomorrow  will produce some amnesties for criminals? 
Must admit that Oct 1 celebrations in Beijing are shaping up so much like a North Korean or East German type extravaganza, with expensive  pomp and ceremony  so  inappropriate while tens of millions in China are lacking education/health/accommodation/employment etc ...... that I'm  having trouble   stopping  myself from praying for rain/storms in B at 10am tomorrow 

God bless everyone, especially 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

Happy Mid-Autumn!

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-09-23  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong where Moon Cakes are selling like, well, like hot cakes, as the Mid-Autumn Festival draws near (night of Oct 2, with public holiday on Oct 3). 
Sixtieth Anniversary of PRC also coming soon (Oct 1), but no great enthusiasm on the ground in HK (...for most HK people, the PRC is where they or their parents or grandparents fled from....although now they are happy to go back and visit / do business)

Recent photos:

2009-09-14  to  2009-09-17:     flags - Liam - climate change

Previous HK photos       Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Sep 27:    10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Oct 04:    9am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan & concelebrate 3pm Feast Day Mass at Peng Chau
Sunday Oct 11:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (& maybe  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai)

Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

 Many thanks:  Mrs Dang (St Alfred's, Shatin, Sep 18) and  Oblate Primary School (Sep 19)   for donations for the poor in China.
Thanks also to kind friends who donated clothing and other items for House of Hope which now has some 8 full-time residents, two of whom last weekend started an Alpha Course

Recent items of interest:

One of the great speeches of our time....something for older students to study....something everyone should have 10 minutes to read

China:  Next president?  (has background info I'd never seen before)

Church: Anyone who has read "The Light in the Window" by June Goulding will sadly realize the truth of this upsetting report: "The Catholic Church sold my child" 

Climate change: Dust storms in Sydney and Brisbane    Dust just the beginning

Disarmament: There are  23,574 nuclear weapons in the world, possessed by 9 countries (Israel has more than China or UK)

Health:
01: Swine Flu could kill millions in poor countries (& thus destabilize many economies)
(Twenty  HK schools now temporarily closed  because of SF)
02: Toxic Assets

Sri Lanka:  Denial and rage
(unconfirmed report: people are being "allowed out" of detention camps....only to be interned in other, less-accessible-to-media camps).    (...a boycott of Sri Lankan cricket....may it come soon)

I'm continuing to look at some old DVDs from time to time - partly in preparation for English classes, partly for relaxation.  Had many a laugh when I recently watched "The Bells of St Mary's" with Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman.  A great film.

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?    May this week's meeting of world leaders at UN and G20 produce action and not just words re global starvation and global warming

China8 server  has plenty of space.....C8 and associated  sites currently using 4.7 G out of 100 G available. If anyone would like a subdomain like these   www.liam.china8.org   www.scotsman.china8.org   www.marist-thai-burma.china8.org  just let me know

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 6 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals?.  Must admit that Oct 1 celebrations in Beijing are shaping up so much like a North Korean or East German type orchestration  +  pomp and ceremony are so  inappropriate in a time of global starvation and global warming...... that I'm  having trouble   stopping  myself from praying for rain/storms in B on Oct 1 

God bless everyone, especially 26 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 18 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

This Sat afternoon, Sep 26, some 100,000 people will pack the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for this year's AFL Grand Final.
My head says Geelong. My heart St Kilda.  Go Nick Riewoldt!

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-09-16  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from HK after visit by Typhoon Koppu on Monday night.  Lots of trees and advertising signs down, but no casualties or major damage DG.   On Monday night I paid a visit to Yau Ma Tei  emergency shelter for street sleepers = an indoor basketball court.  About 40 men and two women were bunking down for the night on soft matresses (+ blanket, in airconditioning).  Went back early the next morning to find that the 40 had become 90.    

Linked report above says that on Monday night 248 people took refuge in 26 temporary shelters....which supports the theory that
the Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area of HK has the highest number of street sleepers.

I'm still trying to work out the meaning of  typhoon signal no. 8's arrows at bottom of this link.   Monday's night's signal was the third one, showing wind was coming from the North East.  But the typhoon was heading inland, in a Westerly direction.  One explanation from a local teacher:  the wind of a typhoon is circular, not head on, so even though the typhoon was heading West, the wind in HK was coming from the North East as the typhoon spun round (...presuming it spun anti-clockwise?)

Recent photos:

2009-09-11 Afternoon English class at Jordan Center

Previous HK photos       

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Sep 20:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Sep 27:    10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Oct 04:    11.30am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan  (& maybe 6pm at St Alfred's, Tai Wai)
Sunday Oct 11:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (& maybe  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai)

Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturdays:  English classes at Oblate Primary School (9.20 - 10.50), St Eugene Primary School (11.20 - 12.50) and Notre Dame College (3.30 -5.00)

Many thanks:  Anon (HK, Sep 3), Anon (HK, Sep 8)   for donations  to help my  work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Recent items of interest:

China:  The last two paragraphs of this article - "tell me about it"

Sri Lanka: 
01  EU takes action:  maybe now they'll start opening detention centers where 280,000 exist in misery
02: Australian diplomat a legal timebomb for Sri Lanka
03: One thousand have died in Sri Lankan internment camps
 04: British graduate witnessed bloody conflict  (released from internment camp after campaign by Guardian)

India:  Sonia Gandhi abandons private plane in austerity drive

Africa: Lord's Army carries out raids in Congo   Lord's Army terrorizes Congo

Climate change: If Obama can't defeat the Republican headbangers, our planet is doomed

History: Not accurate to say Russia started World War 2

Russia: 17 journalists murdered in last 10 years

Australia: Selfless injured bus driver helped children after crash

Health: Abortions may pose risk to future babies, according to study

Church: Well said, Sr Joan

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   - maybe something like what Sonia Gandhi did (see link above)

China8 server  has plenty of space.....C8 and associated  sites currently using 4.7 G out of 100 G available. If anyone would like a subdomain like these   www.liam.china8.org   www.scotsman.china8.org   www.marist-thai-burma.china8.org  just let me know

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 6 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals???        Previous Zhaoqing photos

Friday Sep 18 - day of prayer for Burma as Aung San Suu Kyi's court appeal due to be heard today
Saturday Sep 19 - final day of this year's Ramadan

God bless everyone, especially 25 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 17 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-09-09  Dear Friends

Good morning on 9-9-9, a lucky day in this part of the world (like 8-8-8 last year for opening of Olympics)....a day when tens of thousands will be married in China    (and also in Queensland!)

Recent photos:
2009-09-02 Updated street sleepers' file: "House of Hope"

2009-08-31 Updated caged homes file

 Previous HK photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Sep 13:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Sep 20:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Sep 27:    10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Oct 04:    11.30am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tze Wan Shan  (& maybe 6pm at St Alfred's, Tai Wai)
Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturday  afternoon 3.30 - 5pm:  English Club for Primary 2-3-4 group at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me if you can help: 6709 5674

Many thanks:  Flora (Kowloon, Sep 5),  for donation  to help my  work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Recent items of interest:

China:
01: On going row between HK media and officials in Xinjiang (after rough handling of HK journalists) - scroll down this link for lots of English

02: No. 1 cause of death for 15 -34 year olds in China is suicide (...just as in so many other countries)

03: Spot the differences in these reports of the same event:  Beijing report    Guardian    Epoch Times

 04: Rio Tinto updates:  No. 1   No. 2 (this probably means that decision to grant bail has already been taken)

Sri Lanka:
01: Australian UNICIF official facing expulsion from Sri Lanka. "Sri Lanka worse than Burma"
 02: Sri Lanka: access denied  (see "comments"  - a call to boycott  Sri Lankan cricket)

Excellent commentary on 70th Anniversary of World War 2

Climate change is here; it's a reality - As one devastating drought follows another, the future is bleak for millions in east Africa

Gordon Brown's on-going responsibility for financial crisis

American nun leading the fight against AIDS in Papua New Guinea for 20 years

Plenty of puns in this: Nicolas Sarkozy stands accused of manipulating his height ....  Worker says she was chosen to pose behind president because she was short....Elysée dismisses claim it stage-managed Normandy factory visit as a tall story

Not a joke: officially banned in HK = illegal in HK: the Communist Party  (no one has got round to changing old British law)...think about it!

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 6 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals. ???        Previous Zhaoqing photos

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   Recently I heard of a HK parish which, instead of having an expensive restaurant dinner for its annual feast day (..."feast"...) had a simple buffet in the parish hall.....and sent money saved to a project for the poor in China.   This is what is needed:  action by individuals/groups/governments

Thanks to a good supply of English students (Jordan Center)  I used my Visa card on Aug 8 to donate another US$50 to SaveDarfur.org  

Friday Sep 18 - day of prayer for Burma as Aung San Suu Kyi's court appeal due to be heard today
Saturday Sep 19 - final day of this year's Ramadan

God bless everyone, especially 25 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 17 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

p.s. Go Lions on Friday night!  (available live on internet at www.justin.tv ??)

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through.  

2009-09-01  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong where the new school year began yesterday.  For all students/staff/schools/parents in this part of the world: "Come Holy Spirit!"

Global warming:  HK, China, Australia  - (one of) the hottest August(s) on record + bush fires in USA/Greece  + severe drought in China, late rains in Sub-Continent

Recent photos:

2009-08-29  Saturday afternoon English Club at Notre Dame College 

2009-09-02 Updated street sleepers' file: "House of Hope" opened yesterday
Previous HK photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Sep 06:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Sep 13:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Sep 20:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Sunday Sep 27    10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Tai Wai
Monday - Friday:   English classes & work for street sleepers -  Jordan area
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me
(6709 5674)   (..last Saturday, Aug 29, about 20 volunteers....thank you everyone!...please come again....more helpers needed, so that student groups can remain small.  From this Sat., Sep 5, Primary 2-3-4 group in hall will continue; P5-6 & secondary will not continue)

Many thanks:  Anon (Lantau, Aug 26), Catherine (St Alfred's, Shatin, Aug 29), Margaret (Peng Chau, Aug 30), Joe (c/- St Alfred's, Shatin, Sep 2), Daughters of St Paul (Shatin, Sep 2)  for donations  to help my  work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Recent items of interest:
Abortion advertisement in China stirs controversy (...more than 1,000,000 per month..)

Mao's last dancer & former USA citizen      now Australia's top Dad

29 billionaires in China charged with bribery / being investigated

Really excellent program on BBC at moment: Why is Africa poor?

------------------- Sri Lanka:  man-made tragedy continues ----------------------

 • Almost 300,000 Tamils  detained in highly overcrowded camps

• Sanitation   in camps abysmal -  diseases  spreading fast

• Aid agencies  not able to move freely through the camps 

Should there not be a boycott against Sri Lankan sports teams?  (Sri Lankan cricket team now in New Zealand...)

Should not Sri Lanka be threatened with expulsion from Commonwealth 
(like Fiji...Fiji's crimes miniscule compared with Sri Lanka)

Journalist praised by Obama    given 20 year sentence

Oblates freed from Sri Lankan detention camps

Sri Lanka's totalitarian government
 (c.f. something I read a few days ago: totalitarian regimes rarely if ever change willingly.....but when change comes....it comes quickly)

Moving report by Sri Lankan editor before he was assassinated


Hong Kong friends most most welcome to borrow books/dvds from library at my Jordan Center

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 6 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals. ???        Previous Zhaoqing photos

A few days ago I watched again the DVD "A Man for all Seasons" (the life of Thomas More).  So relevant in a world where so many countries are afflicted by corruption.

An interesting HK website:  www.ho-sum.org  (helping charities and volunteers to make network)

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   Recently I heard of a HK parish which, instead of having an expensive restaurant dinner for its annual feast day (..."feast"...) had a simple buffet in the parish hall.....and sent money saved to a project for the poor in China.   This is what is needed:  action by individuals/groups/governments

Thanks to a good supply of English students (Jordan Center)  I used my Visa card on Aug 8 to donate another US$50 to SaveDarfur.org  

God bless everyone, especially 25 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 17 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

p.s. 01:  Thinking about English 03

p.s. 02:  Just a co-incidence, only in English language (?), that the word "evil" is in the word "Devil"?

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through.  ˇ@

2009-08-26  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong as I listen to the BBC......one of the best sources of news as distinct from propaganda....despite the frequent strange accents:  "noothing" (nothing), "Loondon" (London), "woon" (one) and "past" ("parst")

People in this part of world getting ready for new academic year due to begin September 1 (except if there's a No. 8 typhoon signal).
May all students and staff have a happy start to the year

Recent photos:

2009-08-26   Updated SCMP article of Aug 8

2009-08-21 Updated street sleepers' file with special request for help from  social workers. I'd be most grateful if some kind friends could help with this request as soon as possible

2009-08-22   Saturday afternoon English Club at Notre Dame College

Previous HK photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Aug 30:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church
Sunday Sep 06:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at Tai Wai)
Sunday Sep 13:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at Tai Wai)
Monday - Friday: 2 or 3  English classes in Jordan area.
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me
(6709 5674)   (..last Saturday, Aug 22, about 20 volunteers....thank you everyone!...please come again....more helpers needed, so that student groups can become smaller)

Many thanks Mr & Mrs Leung  (c/- Notre Dame,  Aug  22) for donation  to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Recent items of interest:

Mid-November: Obama to visit China, Singapore (+ Indonesia?, Philippines?, Australia?)

Global warming: 
01:  Egypt's Nile Delta going under water (a foretaste of what's to come for New York, Shanghai, Calcutta, Florida & lots of other places....)
02: BBC news yesterday:  thousands of farmers in India have committed suicide in the last 10 years because of lateness and paucity of rain

Sadly, another tip of another China iceberg
 800,000 spies are being recruited to help keep law and order for 60th Anniversary of PRC on Oct 1.  
More reports each week of lawyers/editors being punished for doing their job. 

DV Obama close to Middle East deal.  Really good article showing how problems since 1948 (not just 1967) need to be faced.
(Dream:  some day soon a Middle East Economic Union, like the EU)

A most interesting Jew - keep going, mate! Yours is the sort of voice that more people need to hear

"The best cardinal Africa never had" - Archbishop Denis Hurley o.m.i.

Coming soon?  Communion only on the tongue (not hand), while kneeling down (not standing) at a Mass (in Latin) where priest no longer faces the people but faces the altar as before Vatican Council II:
Report One       
Report Two (one USA bishop no longer saying Mass facing the people).   
Pope John XXIII, where are you? Help! Please get them facing outwards towards icebergs  like global starvation and climate change....instead of just re-arranging the ship's deck-chairs. 
As someone has said:   Ben XVI keeps making JP2 look ever better.
And I can't help thinking of similarities between Church and China:  each has 1/6 of human race; each is run by a group of old men whose main concern seems to be less and less the welfare of their people but, sadly, more and more about keeping/exercising power

Hong Kong friends most most welcome to borrow books/dvds from library at my Jordan Center

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 5 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals. ???        Previous Zhaoqing photos

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   Recently I heard of a HK parish which, instead of having an expensive restaurant dinner for its annual feast day (..."feast"...) had a simple buffet in the parish hall.....and sent money saved to a project for the poor in China.   This is what is needed:  action by individuals/groups/governments

Thanks to a good supply of English students (Jordan Center)  I used my Visa card on Aug 8 to donate another US$50 to SaveDarfur.org  

God bless everyone, especially 25 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 17 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

p.s. Thinking about English 02

pp.s.  Recently I renewed my annual subscription for the anti-virus anti-spyware program CA Security.  Latest version includes a Parental Control program which I soon regretted enabling as I had to keep on putting in a password before I could access news etc.
I put up with it for several days, even when asked for p/w for church news stories, but straw that broke camel's back was p/w request to read preview of last Saturday's football match between Dogs and Lions.  P. Control program now disabled....and....go Lions this Sat night against Swans!

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through.  ˇ@

2009-08-19  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong where the sun is getting up later each morning....but still very hot during the day

This morning I spent a few hours on a trip to prison, accompanying a lady visiting her younger son.  Older son is in another prison. Lady is divorced.  My problems small compared with problems of family like that

Recent photos:

2009-08-08   A  most important article - "Water Bomb"

2009-08-13 Street sleepers' file

2009-08-15  Notre Dame Saturday Afternoon English Club

2009-08-15  Thank you computer doctor Hennedy  for new sound card etc!

2009-08-16  Opening today of  Austin MTR Station, near Jordan

Previous HK photos

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Aug 23:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   
Sunday Aug 30:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church
Sunday Sep 06:   10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church
Monday - Friday: 2 or 3  English classes in Jordan area.
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me
(6709 5674)   (..last Saturday, Aug 8, about 20 volunteers....thank you everyone!...please come again....more helpers needed, so that student groups can become smaller)

Many thanks Margaret  (Peng Chau church, Aug  16) ) for donation  to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Recent items of interest:

China-Australia relationship:  Can't be too bad when you sign a US$41.3 billion dollar deal

Global warming - the big picture

Vested interests not interested in truth when attacking proposed US health scheme

Archbishop Quevedo o.m.i. in Southern Philipppines: "Enough is enough" (of senseless war between government and rebels)  (click Abp Quevedo: Enough is enough)

Hong Kong friends most most welcome to borrow books/dvds from library at my Jordan Center

Cheap accommodation in Jordan area: "Lucky House", 1/F, 115 Shanghai Street.  One night, one person, one half of two-story bunk: HK$70 ....shared toilets/showers etc.  Manager a very friendly old man from Shanghai. Phone (852) 23885919

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 5 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals. ???        Previous Zhaoqing photos

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   Recently I heard of a HK parish which, instead of having an expensive restaurant dinner for its annual feast day (..."feast"...) had a simple buffet in the parish hall.....and sent money saved to a project for the poor in China.   This is what is needed:  action by individuals/groups/governments

Thanks to a good supply of English students (Jordan Center)  I used my Visa card on Aug 8 to donate another US$50 to SaveDarfur.org  

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

p.s. Thinking about English 01

pp.s. Thinking about HK's fantastic Metro system (The MTR):  would not work in many other cities of world where there are level crossings and road traffic has to wait for trains.  Reason: a train every 60 seconds means the boom gates would never go up ....and road rage would be at every crossing!

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 

2009-08-12  Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong.  May everyone on Summer Holidays in Northern Hemisphere continue to have a safe and happy time.  Long queues most days now at HK stores as students buy books for new academic year starting September 1

Recent photos:

2009-08-08  Opening on August 16  - Austin MTR Station, near Jordan

1985-1988 Hong Kong Oblate News (after 20 years, finally on www....will bring back memories to  people who visited or lived in HK in those years)

Previous HK photos

My Calendar:  
Sunday Aug 16:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church  
Sunday Aug 23:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   &  6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin
Sunday Aug 30:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church
Monday - Friday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area.
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me
(6709 5674)   (..last Saturday, Aug 8, about 20 volunteers....thank you everyone!...please come again....more helpers needed, so that student groups can become smaller)

China - Australia relationship under stress:  Graphic from front page of today's SCMP
Melbourne Film Festival update 01       update 02      Update 03 (see especially the comments)

China boycotting Australian iron ore?   Beijing report

Rio Tinto case:    ABC update      Beijing update     The Age's fighting words
Stay calm award to Stephen Smith, saying how Beijing report was an unofficial work and now been taken off original website,  but when you go to www.china.org.cn  the report is still there ˇ@
Four Rio Tinto staff formally arrested: Beijing report      ABC report

Many thanks to HK Anon (Aug 4), HK Anon (Aug 6),  Mrs Yeung (Peng Chau church, Aug 9) and Mr Fung (Jordan neighbour, Aug 9) for donations  to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Recent items of interest:

Baby boom keeps Australia out of recession

The economy? - someone worth listening to

This happens not just in UK

To extend quote attributed to Disraeli: There are lies, damned lies, statistics, USA claims about UK's NHS ..... and .....Mainland  statistics

What to do about Burma?  Second last block paragraph of this article has excellent suggestion
And see Burma: Land of Darkness

Future of newspapers (and other groups wanting to maintain/increase contact with society) - most important article.    See especially this paragraph:
"Local newspapers are quietly dying when they should be staging everything from commercial fairs to sporting events and arts and book festivals. There is money in all of them. Newspapers should not be investing in fancy printing presses but in the "long-tail" economics of live enterprise, with the printed word as a mere core activity."
(...can't help thinking this applies to any group...e.g. church!..... wanting to maintain/increase contact with society....a most, most important article)

China cracking down on everyone and everything....look out NGOs  

Photos of Catholics in China some 70 (?) years ago  (I'm not sure what script says. Please let me know if best not in diary)

Asia Harvest site has several new features including: 
An interactive Quiz about Asia (I got 10/16...can you beat that?), Asian People Group Profiles, and 
More than 20 video clips (including videos of Brother Yun preaching)

Patron saint of troublemakers

Trouble maker? "Conscience led me to ordination as a woman priest"

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 5 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals. ???        Previous Zhaoqing photos

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   Recently I heard of a HK parish which, instead of having an expensive restaurant dinner for its annual feast day (..."feast"...) had a simple buffet in the parish hall.....and sent money saved to a project for the poor in China.   This is what is needed:  action by individuals/groups/governments

Thanks to a good supply of English students (Jordan Center)  I used my Visa card on Aug 8 to donate another US$50 to SaveDarfur.org  (May Hilary Clinton's  visit to Africa bear much good fruit)

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

p.s. An English teacher's reflections

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you    

2009-08-05  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong  after visit by yet another Catholic typhoon (....they are from the Philippines...and often come for church on Sat/Sun)

Recent photos:

2009-07-29  Wednesday afternoon activity for street people  - at Salvation Army Yau Ma Tei Center

 2009-07-31  Thank you Chan family from Shatin, for meals for street people in Yau Ma Tei area

2009-08-01  Saturday afternoon English Club at Notre Dame College, Kowloon

2009-08-02 Jordan Center special Sunday lunch guests - in 37 degree heat 

----------------

1985-1988 Hong Kong Oblate News (after 20 years, finally on www....will bring back memories to  people who visited or lived in HK in those years)

Previous HK photos


Reflection re street sleepers: they are "H" people:  homeless, hungry, helpless, hooked (on drugs, which is the main reason why most of them won't/can't move into government shelters or ordinary accommodation).
Comment by JC: "I was hungry.....I was homeless....and you ....."  (Mt 25.31).

Which reminds me of something I heard a few days ago....a bumper sticker: "My Boss is a Jewish carpenter"

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Aug 9:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)
Sunday Aug 16:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)Sunday Aug 23:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin) 
Sunday Aug 23:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   
Monday - Friday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area.
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me
(6709 5674)   (..last Saturday, Aug 1, about 20 volunteers....thank you everyone!...please come again....more helpers needed, so that student groups can become smaller)

Recent items of interest:

Gregorian Lunar calendars conversion table

Most beautiful and powerful article: Desmond Tutu's tribute to Aung San Suu Ky
(note: this article, like so much world news, appeared in The Guardian several days before appearing in other major media.  So many world news items in say today's The Age were in The Guardian of a day or two ago. No wonder The Guardian is the most linked/tweeted paper in the world)

Thoughtful tribute to the Cory Aquino who died August 1

Slack news from Sudan: women flogged for wearing trousers

Abortions in China - more than one million a month   Beijing report   New York Times report
(reflection:  the mind boggles at the thought of how much counseling/prayer  is needed to heal the effects of so many abortions, given that abortions are so often linked to sickness in a family.  "Healing the Family Tree" by Dr Kenneth McAll an eye opener on this topic)

Anguished questions - Darfur

The Rio Tinto Stern Hu case:  - Compare with this case       Iron ore prices:  www.china.org.cn

Australia's (film festival) " wrong doings":  Beijing report    Melbourne report

O no!  It keeps getting worse.....fighting has broken out between China and Australia....at women's football match!

But some good news: Canada helped Australia, now ANZ helping Canada


Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 5 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security".  Recent article in SCMP: maybe 60th Anniversary of China on Oct 1 will produce some amnesties for criminals. ???        Previous Zhaoqing photos

Many thanks to Bernard and Mandy (Notre Dame English Club  volunteers) for  donation   Aug 1 to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   Recently I heard of a HK parish which, instead of having an expensive restaurant dinner for its annual feast day (..."feast"...) had a simple buffet in the parish hall.....and sent money saved to a project for the poor in China.   This is what is needed:  action by individuals/groups/governments

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you    ˇ@

2009-07-29  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong  in the middle of Summer

Recent HK photos:    visitors at Jordan Center (including Margaret & Lawrence;  Sunday guests;  Notre Dame friends Fanny, Daisy, Rosa);   Notre Dame English Club;     one of several new MTR (metro) stations soon to be opened - Austin Station)

All of the men who come for Sunday lunch at Jordan Center  are former "guests of Her Majesty the Queen" ( = prisoners in HK).
Their crime: drug addiction.
Which reminds me of something I heard on BBC recently:  25% of all the world's prisoners are in .....(not China, but) USA.
One percent of Americans are in jail  (1% of 300,000,000 is 3,000,000)

My Calendar:  
 Sunday Aug 2:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)
Sunday Aug 9:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)
Sunday Aug 16:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)Sunday Aug 23:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin) 
Monday - Friday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area 
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me
(6709 5674)   (..last Saturday, July 25, about 15 volunteers....thank you everyone!...please come again....more helpers needed, so that student groups can become smaller)

Twitter - many people sending  explanations of what it's all about.  

This is a big week for relations between China and Australia, and the relationship soup contains many related ingredients:
- iron ore price due to be decided in next few days
- Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu languishing in custody in Shanghai (c.f.r.  China's spies in Germany)
- allegations that government of Guinea was stirred up by China  to have a fight with Rio Tinto
- steel company manager in China beaten to death by workers threatened with the sack
- Beijing  trying to streamline China's sprawling steel industry, the world's largest, by orchestrating  mergers aimed at creating globally competitive producers.  The mergers often are accompanied by layoffs that sometimes spark complaints that workers receive too little severance pay.
- Melbourne Film Festival boycotted & website attacked by China because of Xinjiang film/visitor
- calls for a boycott of Expo 2010 in Shanghai  to protest treatment of Stern  Hu etc

USA health care whistleblower

Two Bible Questions:
1: Why Egypt is called "The Land of Ham"  (Mass readings last Monday)
2: If Mary of Bethany is not Mary Magdalene (c.f. last week's link),  does she have a feastday? (like her sister Martha whose feastday is today, July 29)

Darfur crisis:  recently to get ammunition for my Africa prayers, I read up about the history of Sudan....and came away with my head swirling....what a complicated situation

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do?   Recently I heard of a HK parish which, instead of having an expensive restaurant dinner for its annual feast day (..."feast"...) had a simple buffet in the parish hall.....and sent money saved to a project for the poor in China.   This is what is needed:  action by individuals/groups/governments

Many thanks to Lawrence & Margaret of St Alfred's Parish, Shatin, and Mr and Mrs Yu of Peng Chau Parish, for  donations  July 23 and July 26  to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Would any HK friends have copies of DVD's "Spirit", "The Fox & the Hound", "Joseph" please?.  My copies never made it from Zhaoqing and I could sure use these movies for my English classes in Jordan area

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 4 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security"           Previous Zhaoqing photos

Dear Lord, please move the hearts of Burma's leaders re verdict for Aung San Suu Kyi (due this Friday July 31)

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.
Thank you to parishioner of St Alfred's, Shatin (a lady in remission for 15 years)  for tip off re St Peregrine and cancer prayers

John W omi

C'mon Lions against Pies this Sat night in Melbourne!

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you    ˇ@

2009-07-22  Dear Friendsˇ@

Good afternoon from Hong Kong on Feast of St Mary Magdalene.....saint or sinner? ( "not what I was taught at school")

 Animals in India and China still trying to work out why sun went on strike for 6 minutes this morning.   Just hope not many people's eyes were affected  (not much if any  warning to people in China about danger of looking at sun during eclipse)

This week's most important article....a really thoughtful and important piece: Heard the one about a rabbi, an imam and a priest, who walk into a bank?  

Related topic re China's banks (whose debts are larger than those of recently bailed out US banks)

And a final money story: US bingo $ funding Israeli settlements

Recent HK photos:    visitors at Jordan Center (including UK Alex),   Notre Dame English Club,    HK caged homes

My Calendar:  (...keeps changing...such is life in HK)
 Sunday July 26:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (!)  (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)
Sunday Aug 2:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church )  (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)Sunday Aug 9:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)
Sunday Aug 16:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)Sunday Aug 23:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin) 
Monday - Friday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area 
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me
(6709 5674)

Case of Australia Rio Tinto executive arrested in Shanghai:  spot the difference between this   and  this.
See also this excellent article    (which includes reason why Mr Hu's first name is "Stern")

Looking for new free subscribers:  www.eurekastreet.com.au 

One billion people starving as I write this.  What can I do? 

From today's Guardian:  (reminds me of Pharisees and JC....Ph no compassion re the sick....just out to bring down JC)
Some Republicans sense Obama is on the back foot. Senator Jim DeMint was recorded in a conference call discussion saying that Republicans should block healthcare reform to undermine the president.
"If we're able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him," he said  

Many thanks to Mr Wong of Notre Dame Parish for donation  July 18  to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Would any HK friends have copies of DVD's "Spirit", "The Fox & the Hound", "Joseph" please?.  My copies never made it from Zhaoqing and I could sure use these movies for my English classes in Jordan area

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 4 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security"           Previous Zhaoqing photos

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen.
Thank you to parishioner of St Alfred's, Shatin (a lady in remission for 15 years)  for tip off re St Peregrine and cancer prayers

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you    ˇ@

2009-07-15  Dear Friendsˇ@

Middle of the month good morning from Hong Kong. Hope you have had a good week

Recent HK photos  (including last Saturday's English Club at Notre Dame College, last Sunday's special lunch guests at Jordan Center)

My Calendar:  (...keeps changing...such is life in HK)
 Sunday July 19:  8.45am English Mass & 6pm Chinese Mass  at St Alfred's Church, Shatin
Sunday July 26:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church (!)  (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)
Sunday Aug 2:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church )  (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)Sunday Aug 9:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)
Sunday Aug 16:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin)Sunday Aug 23:  10am Chinese Mass at Peng Chau Island Catholic Church   (& maybe 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Shatin) 
Monday - Friday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area 
Saturday  afternoon - English Club at Notre Dame College, Ma Tau Wei....volunteer helpers needed each week. Please phone me

The latest from Sri Lanka ....you won't find this in ordinary media....2 Oblates among thousands in detention camp:
(final paragraph very moving)
--------
In the June issue of OMI Information, we reported that two Oblates, Fathers Edmund Reginald SAVERIPILLAI and Alfred VIJEYAKAMALAN, continued to work with their people in the ˇ§No fireˇ¨ zone that was the scene of heavy fighting in the last stages of the bloody civil war that had plagued Sri Lanka for so many years. Now that the heavy fighting has ceased, we have learned that these Oblates are now held ˇ§incommunicadoˇ¨ in camps that are housing up to 300 thousand Internally Displaced Persons (IDPˇ¦s). Four other Catholic priests from the diocese of Jaffna are also held in the camps.

Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam of Jaffna has asked for their release but so far, he has had no response from the Ministry of Defense.

The priests are isolated within the camps. They were witnesses to the horrible events of the last days of the military campaign between the army and the Tamil Tigers; it seems that the civil authorities do not want witnesses speaking with the outside media. In fact, three government doctors who had circulated the figures of the dead during the last days of the fighting have disappeared and there is no news of their fate. The doctors had estimated that 25 thousand Tamils had been killed, a figure rejected by the authorities.

The IDP camps are scattered between Mannar and Vavuniya. Approximately 5 sq km of forest land were evacuated and now the inhabitants of the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu and people living in certain areas of Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya are held in refugee camps.

In the camps, the detainees live in tents and temporary accommodations. The tents are for five people, but house between 15 and 16. There is a chronic shortage of water and lack of health services for everyone: for about 1500 people, there are only two bathrooms.

Because of the painful situation in the camps, a large number of elderly people die of infections like diarrhea and chickenpox which spread quickly. There is an urgent need to organize relief services and humanitarian organizations must be allowed to work in the camps.

The Oblates have been working for some years with orphans from the war-torn area. Even in the IDP camp, Fr. Alfred has gathered about 70 youngsters (ages 7-20), to help them cope with the distressing conditions.

There is a fundamental need for treatment and psychological support to help people who have been traumatized by war. A team of four Oblates is involved in providing humanitarian help to at least some people in the camps. They provide food (breakfast), powdered milk, utensils, clothes, buckets, pots and pans and attend to their immediate needs. NGOˇ¦s are not allowed to work among the people: they can visit the camps, bringing aid but they must hand it over to the military who are the only ones allowed to distribute it. They control the camps and keep everyone under constant surveillance. The priests who are allowed to celebrate mass are always accompanied by the army.

The world is silent before this tragedy. No journalist, no agency, no human rights activist, and even relatives of the IDPs are allowed visit the camps. People who live there are deprived of their freedom and want to know when the government will allow them to return home. The authorities say that the areas from which the refugees come are dotted with mines and it takes time to render them safe, so they must remain in IDP camps. The government keeps the refugees segregated for fear of LTTE militants infiltrating the camps. Plainclothes agents of the intelligence services roam the camp, checking on every possible sign that may reveal the presence of cells or supporters of the Tamil Tigers; some people have disappeared. (Much of this information is from www.asianews.it)

Excellent review of DVD "The Singing Revolution"....the story of Estonia

Riots in North West China - excellent commentaries:     01         02

Australian business man and local colleagues  shanghaid on spying charge:
How this is being reported in China
Seeing the thing in a wider context
Tongue-in-cheek warning to foreign tourists:  be careful not to carry bus or train time table with you in China...you might be accused of having obtained  state secrets

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 4 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security"

Zhaoqing a wireless city?            Previous Zhaoqing photos

Many thanks to kind anonymous Hang Seng  friends  for donations  July 3 & July 7 to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you    

One billion people starving 

2009-07-08  Dear Friends

Good morning from a very hot and very sticky Hong Kong......where I saw two happy things on way from Shatin to Jordan on train this morning:  a group of local  teenagers giving up their Summer holiday to collect for the Red Cross outside Tai Wai station....and a young local man, who works in a legal firm, reading Genesis in Hebrew on the train.

Not yet picked up by mainstream media:  President Hu is on his way back to China to deal with riots in North West. He's deputing another  member of the 9 man Politburo to take his place at G8 meeting

HK's South China Morning Post has been excellent in its coverage of the riots.  Most mainstream media has just referred to "unclear causes" of riots.  But Post put it very clearly:
On June 26, in the city of Shaoguan, two hours north of Guangzhou (where Matteo Ricci lived for 5 years after leaving Zhaoqing)
a fight between local workers and Uighur migrant workers from North West China left at least two migrants (and possibly several locals) dead, and some 140 injured.  Fight was over alleged mistreatment of local women by migrants (about which an exaggerated report was put on internet, but which in fact had some basis in reality).

Last Sunday, July 5, in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Province, a group of local Uighur (pronounced "Weeger") Muslims held a rally to protest the Shaoguan deaths.  According to witnesses checked by the SCMP, police using batons moved on the rally which quickly changed from a peaceful exercise to a horrible riot.  China media is saying the riot was pre-meditated and orchestrated by Uighurs in the USA.  But the evidence points to police heavy handed tactics as the match which lit the fire.

Mind you the fire has been prepared for decades by real injustice against the Uighurs by Han Chinese settlers who have taken over the region and secured the best jobs, education etc. ...relegating the Uighurs to 2nd class citizens in their own land.  
As The Guardian reports today:
"Two weeks ago Xi Jinping (the rising Communist party star who may one day succeed President Hu Jintao), paid a significant though barely reported visit to Xinjiang. He insisted that the local party should appoint officials who could do a better job of handling ethnic relations. He warned that they should solve the "real difficulties" that Uighurs suffer in housing, food, health, education and employment. It is an important admission, but it should have been made long before".

Where's it all going?   Over the past 10 or so years, protests and disputes  in China (especially concerning  corruption of local authorities) have been growing in number and intensity.   There are so many of these protests that very few of them get reported  (e.g. the June 26 Shaoguan fight, did not, as far as I can research, get a mention in any media until the July 7 riot to which it was  linked).
These protests/disputes  are like a kettle coming to the boil.  Sadly, Beijing is unwilling to turn off the gas by introducing some real justice in the legal system and a measure of democracy for the people.  In fact, really sadly, Beijing is going the opposite way and trying to crack down on everyone and everything everywhere  (c.f. latest efforts re control of internet).....just stoking the fire.
Many cases like this

Anyone who loves and cares about China must be very concerned about this situation.
My hope (if it's not too late):  

A two house system of government, at provincial and national level....with the lower house being elected....and, for the time being, the upper house being made up of members of the Party....until time right for upper house also to be elected.
This is more or less what is happening now: a two-tier system....Government and Party....all members appointed by Party.
The difference:  the lower tier would be elected by the people instead of being appointed by the Party.
A pilot project could be tried in several provinces like Guangdong....whereby the provincial administration would try out the above model.   Special political zones .... akin to special economic zones

Unless something like this is done, and done soon, Hong Kong and Macau can stand by for an exodus of refugees as in the 1950's (after Mao's victory) and in the 1960's (during the Cultural Revolution)  as China again descends into chaos.   Please God, no!

Recent HK photos  (including some special guests for meal last Sunday at Jordan Center)

Some beautiful pictures for English conversation

MTR missing/empty one "R" 
Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:  (some changes from previous week....a flexible calendar)
 Sunday July 12:  10.30am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon
Sunday July 19:  ((8.45am English Mass at St Alfred's Church, Shatin))
Sunday July 26:  9am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon 
Sunday Aug 2:   9am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Aug 9:   10.15am  Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloo
Sunday Aug 16:  ((1pm English Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon))
Sunday Aug 23:  ((1pm English Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon))
Most days Monday - Saturday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area (including, from Monday July 6, a class each weekday at Yau Ma Tei Community Center for mainly new-arrived-from-Mainland primary children, organized by a HK NGO)

Many thanks to kind anonymous friends at St Alfred's Church, Shatin,   for donations  July 3 & July 5 to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Hong Kong on-line street directory

Cotabato attack outside cathedral kills 5 while Oblate bishop saying Mass   (reason for attack, not mentioned in report: store was selling pork)

40%of world lives in China-India....their relationship =  dragon and elephant dancing....Gandhi biography "The Good Boatman" soon available in Chinese

One billion people starving, suffering from chronic hunger
ABC report              John Dear            Jesus: I was hungry and you ....           

Asia and the Pacific - 642 
Sub-Saharan Africa - 265 million
Latin America and the Caribbean -53 million
Middle East and North Africa - 42 million
In developed countries -15 million 

What can I do?  
1. Choose a country  and pray for it each day. Pray that it's leaders avoid corruption. Pray for it's  peace and justice.  Pray that it's people are energetic and honest,  not lazy and dishonest.  Best prayer: The Our Father ....said several times a day....looking at a map of the country can be a help...praying that the people of that country have daily bread, that God's kingdom of love and justice and peace comes in that country, that the people of that country are saved in time of trial....protected from evil.

2. "Live more simply so that others may simply live".  Save a few dollars each month by simpler meals (a meal at a simple canteen rather than at an expensive restaurant). Save a bit each month by cheaper travel (bus/train  rather than taxi; walking rather than bus;)

3. Use money from 2 to help some reliable NGO in 1

e.g.
1.  I'm going for Sudan in Africa, for the Darfur region of Sudan.  Classic example of link between starving people and unjust government.
2.  I'm going to try to save HK$200 each month.
3.  I'm going for Oxfam (which works to change poverty-causing unjust structures, as well as working to alleviate poverty in urgent situations). Have just now used my Visa card to donate HK$200 each month.  How Oxfam is helping Darfur.
For a couple of years now I've also been sending donations to Save Darfur, which is run by  wonderful Jewish leaders  Jerry Fowler and David Rubenstein who only too well understand that  Darfur is spelt Holocaust.

St Paul says how the real battle front in this whole business  is a spiritual one, between powers of light and powers of darkness.  Politicians  are just the minor characters.  Main characters are behind the stage lighting fires.  People who pray are fire fighters. 

Darfur is a tragic repeat  of Rwanda.  The movies "Hotel Rwanda" and "Shooting Dogs" tell the story. (HK friends welcome to borrow my copies).  See also the book re "Hotel Rwanda" -  An Ordinary Man, by Paul Rusesabagina,  how he saved 1,200 people at his hotel during the genocide in Rwanda

Sudan government is able to avoid sanctions/change  because of support of China, whose support also keeps Burma and North Korea protected .  Read message between lines of this report,  a  message spelt our here.  

Prayer + support for Save Darfur  & Oxfam     are a   way to bring about a change in this situation = a practical way to help some of the one billion people who are starving right at this minute as I type/read  these words 

Let's pray also for Obama, Ban Ki-moon,  Benedict and other leaders to find ways to help our suffering world:
When he was a senator, Obama tried to visit Darfur when he went to Kenya....but not allowed in.  He's genuinely trying to help.
Needs more prayer warriors to help him take action.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has courageously visited Africa, Gaza and just now, Burma (where he was unceremoniously refused permission to see Aung San Suu Kyi).
Benedict spoke out forcefully on his recent visit to Gaza, and some time ago met the Sudan leader.  His latest letter
May all three be blessed with more courage to speak out and take action.

Final food for thought about this topic:  I can't remember this topic being given any coverage on local  TV news....unlike USA July 4 hot dog eating contest which had a 3-4 minute sickening coverage ....how men ate 60 hot dogs in 10 minutes

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 4 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security"

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-07-01  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong on a public holiday for the  12th anniversary of the hand back of HK to China in 1997 (...sometimes in English mistakenly called the handover..).   All sorts of marches and demonstrations today

Today also the  88th birthday of the Party ... born 1921 largely as a result of the unfair way China was treated at the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 (...German concession territories given to Japan, not China, even though China had sent 200,000 soldiers to the Western Front)

Not forgetting  the 242nd anniversary of Canadian independence in 1867 on this day

Recent HK photos  

Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:
Sunday July 5:  ((an English or Chinese Mass at St Alfred's Church, Shatin)
 Sunday July 12:  10.30am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon
Sunday July 19:  1pm English Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday July 26:  9am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon 
Sunday July 26: 1pm English Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Aug 2:   1pm English Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Aug 9:   ((8.45am English Mass at St Alfred's Church, Tai Wai, Shatin))
Sunday Aug 16:  1pm English Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon
Sunday Aug 23:  1pm English Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Shan, Kowloon
Most days Monday - Saturday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area (including, from Monday July 6, a class each weekday at Yau Ma Tei Community Center for mainly new-arrived-from-Mainland primary children, organized by a HK NGO)

Many thanks to kind anonymous friends at St Patrick's church, Lok Fu  and St Bonaventure Church, Tsz Wan Chan  for donations June 28 to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

There are one billion Chinese, one billion Indians, one billion Catholics, one billion Muslims....and now the latest group of one billion (.."must read"..)

Recommended dentist in Jordan area:  Dr Kitty Louie  2781 0008  (near Jordan MTR)

Israel & USA - stopping settlements?

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 3 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security"

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-06-24  Dear Friends

Hello from Hong Kong on the Birthday of John the Baptist.

All primary schools and kindergartens  now closed because of Swine Flu (until new academic year in September), some 20 something secondary schools already closed ...with most others due to close as soon as exams finish.  HK now nearly 500 cases of SF.
Newspapers are praising government for shutting schools, as are some better off parents.  But  ordinary  parents at lower end of economic scale  are throwing their hands up at the thought of the disaster this extra long Summer Holiday will be....a time when kids have nothing to do and just get into trouble.  A time when they won't go to bed till extra late....then won't get out of bed in morning till near mid-day....a time when they  have no interest in anything except computer games etc.   Government would be better off keeping schools open (and just giving time off to students who show up with high temperature).  Strong case also for more Summer holiday activities to engage young people in useful activities.

This morning as I caught  train from Shatin to Jordan, I couldn't help noticing how most passengers now take a free newspaper from stalls (and human distributors) as they enter the station.  How long can ordinary papers survive against free papers + internet?

All trains in HK are  run by the MTR (Mass Transit Railway).  One of the best systems in the world.  Never have to wait more than a few minutes for a train.  During peak hours, before you've gone down the station escalator after getting off a train,  the next train is already arriving at the platform (...that's a train every 60 seconds!).

Recent HK photos  (including  June 22 Fr Steckling o.m.i.; June 23 Matthew & Samuel; June 24 Peter B)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

My Calendar:
 Sunday June 28:  7.30am Chinese Mass at St Patrick's, Lok Fu;  11.30am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Diamond Hill
Sunday July 5:     8.45 English Mass at St Alfred's, Shatin
Sunday July 12:  10.30am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon
Sunday July 26:  9am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon 
Most days Monday - Saturday: 2 or 3 afternoon English classes in Jordan area

Some amazing illusions - thank you, Gerard!

Why people power won't reform Iran

Da Vinci exhibition in Brisbane ....but don't forget that a lot of his ideas came from ...China

A HK group that is fighting cancer

A Canadian lay Oblate group ministering to women on the street

President of Burma now in jail (after spending the past 19 years in house detention)

Five star performance in politics of denial (c.f. several other places in the world where a group of old men run a similar tight system of control over disenfranchised plebs .... the Vatican being one)

Iraq invasion .... starting to hit fan

The collected writings of Franz Jagerstatter (when friends/clergy/bishops failed to stand up to Hitler, this man did.....and he paid the price in more ways than one)

HK friends:  you might like to check out a new nutrition  center (which has been getting me to help with English translation): "Shake Cafe" - near corner of Austin Road and Nathan Road in Jordan - phone 9092 5123.
Cafe is in Pine Tree Hill Road, near corner of PTHR and Hillwood Road

(Heavenly) Reward offered - for any mistakes found in English or Chinese of this file (thank you kind HK translator!)

Many thanks to The International Ladies Club of Macau for another kind donation to help the poor in China.  Donation was received in China yesterday.  Thank you also to Mr Cheung of St Alfred's Parish in Tai Wai, Shatin, an anonymous parishioner of St Patrick's Parish in Lok Fu  and Mrs Zhou of Notre Dame Parish  for donations June 19, June 21 & June 22  to help my work for the poor in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which some 3 months ago agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland. Thank you for a prayer to help ZIC realize I'm not a "threat to national security"

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia, 16 in HK, 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

John W omi

If you ever see a horse's name in  this space, best advice is: ignore it (Sacred Kingdom 5th last Sat at Ascot)

 If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-06-16  Dear Friends

Good morning from a rainy Hong Kong.  Storms on the menu here most days now....as usual for this time of year

All kindergartens and primary schools in HK now closed for 2 weeks because of H1N1 Swine Flu, with closure of secondary schools imminent.
Conspiracy people are sniffing, not a pig, but a rat:
Swine flu vaccine ready for trial: manufacturer    After hearing the costs involved (USA alone ordering $289 million worth)...which means big money for drug companies....and remembering how an Australian scientist said this flu might have started when germs "escaped" from a research laboratory ...maybe the heading should be "Swine flu manufacturer ready for trial"?

My Calendar:
Sunday June 21:   7.30am Chinese Mass at St Patrick's, Lok Fu; 6pm Chinese Mass at St Alfred's, Shatin
Monday June 22:  Fr William Steckling, Oblate Superior General, in HK for one day of meetings (on way to meeting in Indonesia)
Sunday June 28:  7.30am Chinese Mass at St Patrick's, Lok Fu;  11.30am Chinese Mass at St Bonaventure Church, Diamond Hill
Sunday July 5:     8.45 English Mass at St Alfred's, Shatin
Sunday July 12:  10.30am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon
Sunday July 26:  9am Chinese Mass at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church, Shun Lee Estate, Kowloon 
Most days Monday - Saturday: two English classes in Jordan area

Longest total solar eclipse for 500 years -  July 22

 Where is church going?

Recent HK  photos  

Previous Zhaoqing photos

HK friends:  you might like to check out a new nutrition Herbal Life center (which has been getting me to help with English translation): "Shake Cafe" - near corner of Austin Road and Nathan Road in Jordan - phone 9092 5123 

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.  Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security"

Many thanks to Notre Dame Parish friends for June 15 help

God bless everyone, especially 24 special friends on my cancer list - 5 in Australia , 16  in HK , 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen -
and also all Dads (Father's Day in this part of world this Sunday, June 21)

John W omi

p.s.  This Saturday, June 20, Hong Kong champion Sacred Kingdom (winner of big international race in Singapore a few weeks ago) due to run at Ascot

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2009-06-10  Dear Friends

Good morning from a warm  Hong Kong

Some interesting recent articles: 

Cashing in on the luck of the Irish

Britain's wealth linked to poverty of other countries

Future depends on Asian languages

To be pro-life is to be non-violent

A good news story to balance some of the bad stuff

Looking for help in HK

Recent HK  photos  

Previous Zhaoqing photos

 "No news is good news"? - Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.  Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  

Speaking of national security... strange things happening at moment: on the one hand top officials being brought down for corruption (mayor and party secretary of Shenzhen recently....like bringing down governor and premier of a state in other countries); on the other hand lawyers being denied licences to practise, censorship of media/internet being tightened.  Country reverting to macro management from Beijing.....which is just impossible given size of country/population.....which is why crime on ground level is increasing (triads + manufacture/sale of guns etc)....can't anyone see the "Going the wrong way" sign?

Many thanks  to anonymous kind friends of June 3 & June 8 (... a big help for my new work among poor in Jordan area...) and to students and staff of Manly State School in Brisbane for another kind donation to help the poor in China (...will be forwarded...).

Sincere sympathy to the de Weger family in Brisbane in loss of their father/grandfather Nicholas, a founding parent of Iona College.
A beautiful poem by son Robert.

God  bless everyone, especially the 24 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia , 16  in HK , 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
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Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you   

2009-06-03  Dear Friends

Good morning from a warm and becoming wet Hong Kong

Recent HK  photos  (including first photos of Jordan Center)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

"No news is good news"? - Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.  Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  

20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square incident tomorrow:   my usual reality check file (now with full text of 1999 email from BBC's James Miles).   

Other anniversaries this week: 
Yesterday, June 2:    2001 Dr Kenneth  McAll
Today, June 3:  1905 Hudson Taylor   (last Sunday, May 31, at World Day of Prayer meeting at HK Govt Stadium, a moving address was given by the widow of Hudson Taylor's grandson)
Saturday, June 6:   1661  Martino Martini s.j    

Some interesting recent articles:

China and North Korea

Isreal could learn from Sorry Day

USA Boys' Town founder warned Ireland about abuse in children's institutions in 1946

Atheists are bores  

Big gap between free education theory and practice in China

Many thanks  to anonymous kind friends of May 5 and May 6

God  bless everyone, especially the 23 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia , 15  in HK , 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
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2009-05-27  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong where people are in a happy mood ahead of tomorrow's holiday  for the Dragon Boat Festival

Articles from the past week:

About 5 years ago, a file was started "Earthquakes: any link with nuclear testing?". File updated with link describing how North Korea's nuclear explosion caused an immediate earthquake

Beloved USA Oblate murdered in Guatemala    In a week when the church hangs its head in shame re report from Ireland, 
these comments show the other side of the coin            Listen to Larry (scroll down to December 22, 2006).
Larry a classmate of Cardinal George          Tribute by John Dear

Africa: trade, not aid, the answer

Burma trial backfires

Irish Government report re abuse of children in Catholic institutions:
A sobering commentary re structural denial in the church  
It's about misuse of power/control
Celibate clerical subculture needs fearless examination

The full report (no. 15, sadly,  an Oblate institution)

Still no word from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  

As 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square incident comes round,  my usual reality check file

Recent HK  photos  

Previous Zhaoqing photos

God  bless everyone, especially the 23 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia , 15  in HK , 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

Happy Pentecost  this Sunday, May 31

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

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2009-05-20  Dear Friends

Good morning again from a very hot and sticky Hong Kong

If you read nothing else in this week's diary,  please read: Obama's speech at Notre Dame University

Other items of interest:

Map of world as I've never seen it before - based on population size

YouTube:  Muslim demographics  (in 40 years, France will be an Islamic country)

New search engine will make Google look obsolete

Unemployment forces Chinese migrants back to the countryside

Setting up an international  non-profit organization in China - too difficult

Global warming shrinking China's beaches

A remarkable example of downward mobility - Jose Hobday

Pope must tell truth about Bethlehem    &    "Vatican must search its soul over Jews

To accompany launch of "Angels and Demons" in HK,  local TV is re-showing "The Da Vinci Code" on May 24...and bookstores are putting Dan Brown's works at front door.  May I recommend the excellent UK documentary "The Real Da Vinci Code" (available from ABC shops in Australia) and this timely article:  "Religious violence" a small part of the story"

David Miliband (UK): There's a joke that goes: After 1989, capitalism saved China. After 2009, China saved capitalism

Still no word yet from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  

As 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square incident comes round, my usual reality check file

Recent HK  photos  

Previous Zhaoqing photos

May the Risen Lord bless everyone this Easter Season, especially the 23 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia , 15  in HK , 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

Happy Feast of the Ascension this Sunday, May 24

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

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2009-05-13  Dear Friends

Warm hello (32 degrees & 90% humidity) from Hong Kong.  It's now Summer in this part of world according to Oxford dictionary ("mid-May to mid-August").

Yesterday the first anniversary of Sichuan earthquake. May the new buildings be built properly.  Conspicuously absent from ceremonies yesterday (in Sichuan and Beijing) was Premier Wen Jiabo.  Sure hope he's ok.  Hasn't been seen in public for a couple of days.

Recent HK  photos  (including May 9 photos of wedding of Kevin and Teresa) 

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Another Gaza....Sri Lanka: Shells killing people in hospitals are coming from .....the government side
c.f. Sri Lanka's totalitarian government  &   moving report in diary of January 15

Strong article -  Memo to bishops: - most Catholics aren't listening

Recently I started using an excellent commentary on Matthew's Gospel - by Craig S. Keener. 
Highly recommended.  It constantly links up with modern life. See this piece re the Virgin Birth
which  shows how Joseph and Mary would have been regarded with shame for a pregnancy outside of marriage.  Mary was no princess in the eyes of her neighbours....she was more like an outcast.  Maybe another reason no relative in Bethlehem had a place for them?

Bible - as life gets more complicated/difficult - let's get back to it / give it a bit more time

Still no word yet from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  

As 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square incident comes round, my usual reality check file
May the Risen Lord bless everyone this Easter Season, especially the 23 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 15  in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area, 1 in Shenzhen

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
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Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you   

2009-05-06  Dear Friends

Good morning from  Hong Kong on a very warm day....the second day of Summer according to the Lunar calendar.

A smile to start the day (don't read if you are a lawyer....unless you are Chinese)

May the Lord  protect everyone from H1N1.       Flu a serious concern in HK after SARS.
Did you know (.. I didn't until last Saturday...) that not one person died from SARS in Macau  when it claimed some 300 lives 
in next door HK in 2003? ....even though travel between HK and Macau was so common.
Reason given by  faith-filled Macau people:  during the months of SARS,   there was a 24 hour 7 day a week prayer service in a Macau church

Also recently realized:  911 is emergency phone number in USA, so choice of 9/11 was particularly sinister

Recent HK  photos  (including May 2 photos of Rosa & Macau Thomas/Fatima) 

Previous Zhaoqing photos

"Present economic climate calls us to live more simply" - OMI leader

Tutu:  Obama and Burma

Fair Trade HK having a special promotion  May 9-17 ...c.f.  my file of some years ago

Wanted in Hong Kong:  part-time or full time jobs for people who are being rehabilitated by Salvation Army social workers in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area of Kowloon.  Please let me know  (contact details at top of this page)

Live interactive learn Chinese from ABC

Still no word yet from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  

As 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square incident comes round, my usual reality check file

Many thanks to Anonymous kind friends of April 7, April 3, March 6, March 3, Feb 7, Feb 6

Happy Mother's Day on Sunday!

May the Risen Lord bless everyone this Easter Season, especially the 22 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 15  in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area.  

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you   

2009-04-29  Dear Friends

Hello from Saint Paul retreat house in Sheung Shui, not far from China border, where about 17  of us are taking part in OMI annual retreat.   OMIs this year being joined by special lay partners.....excellent idea.

Recent HK  photos  (including photos of street sleepers + Salvation Army social workers) 

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Calendar:

Thursday April 30:
Afternoon: funeral service of baby Maria.   Evening: installation Mass for Bishop John Tong

Sunday, May 3:  In Sydney - Gathering to celebrate 20th Anniversary of AITECE Australia.  Some 90 teachers from Australia have served in China since 1989.   I will be with this gathering in spirit

Wanted in Hong Kong:  part-time or full time jobs for people who are being rehabilitated by Salvation Army social workers in Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area of Kowloon.  Please let me know  (contact details at top of this page)

A short 5 minute film - please watch

Food for thought if you're from US, UK, Canada, Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Netherlands, Poland, Italy, Germany   

No word yet from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  DV  I could be allowed back to Mainland by June 

Some kind friends have started helping with translation of a Simple Bible, which can be given to first-time readers of the Scriptures (who often find the whole Bible too difficult).  Any comments re translation of Exodus?    (Other books of OT)

May the Risen Lord bless everyone this Easter Season, especially the 21 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 14  in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you   

2009-04-22  Dear Friends

Good morning from a warm and sticky Hong Kong.  Going to be a long, hot Summer

Recent HK  photos  (including photo of John & Marie-Louise from UK  + funeral photo of Lamberto's family)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

No word yet from Zhaoqing Intermediate Court which  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland.
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  Some local HK friends feel I could be allowed back to Mainland by June DV

 Anti-virus program highly recommended by UK computer expert friend : AVG

April 25...Anzac Day...."Lest We Forget (Armenia)"

Crazy? 01     Crazy? 02

Our dying rivers  (not forgetting the Murray-Darling).  Do I need to turn on (so many) lights in daytime?  Could I turn off computer and water boiler at night?

Fair Trade HK having a special promotion  May 9-17 ...c.f.  my file of some years ago

Recent discovery:  Tagalog Christian radio program - each Sunday 9-11am on A.M. 1044

Congratulations to Bishop John Tong who became HK's bishop-in-charge at end of last week, following retirement of Cardinal Zen

Some kind friends have started helping with translation of a Simple Bible, which can be given to first-time readers of the Scriptures (who often find the whole Bible too difficult).  Any comments re translation of Exodus?    (Other books of OT)

Now with the Risen Lord:
Mrs Pat Halloran, loyal secretary to 5 principals at Iona College in Brisbane. Funeral service being held as I type these words. 

May the Risen Lord bless everyone this Easter Season, especially the 21 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 14  in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you   

C'mon Lions against Geelong this coming Sunday afternoon

2009-04-15  Dear Friends

Warm good morning from Hong Kong where most schools are still enjoying their Easter holidays.  Has been a very busy Easter here at Tai Wai....big crowds at all services.
Easter Sunday's South China Morning Post Magazine had a cover story re growth in number of  Christians in China...and how they are  the best citizens.  Magazine cover was photo of T Square,  with image of Sacred Heart of J  replacing poster of Chairman M

Also on the cultural front: a most interesting article re revival of interest in Confucianism in China

Recent HK  photos  (including yesterday's English activity arranged by Caritas)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland, but this will "take some time".
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  Some local HK friends feel I could be allowed back to Mainland by June

In the meantime, I'm continuing to use the mornings of Mon-Sat for study, reading, email etc, 
and the afternoons and early evenings for prayer with sick people (especially cancer patients), hospital visitation, contact with street people and Mainland tourists in the Jordan & Yau Ma Tei areas.  Many of the local residents in those areas are recent arrivals from Mainland.

I've also started doing some English teaching. 
Have had lots of contact with many local people - seeing how they are coping with the economic downturn, living ever more simply and frugally.....a humbling  experience.

Some kind friends have started helping with translation of a Simple Bible, which can be given to first-time readers of the Scriptures (who often find the whole Bible too difficult).  Any comments re translation of Exodus?    (Other books of OT)

Now with the Risen Lord:
Dot Weise and Alan Wheeler (Brisbane....dear family friends and loyal friends of Iona College)
- and Lamberto Gulapa (Hong Kong), whom I visited in hospital on Holy Thursday, before he died Good Friday...having know him and his family in Mui Wo on Lantau Island where we had a happy gathering in 2000

May the Risen Lord bless everyone this Easter Season, especially the 20 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 13 in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674 

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you   

C'mon Lions against Collingwood this Friday night in Brisbane.  How kind of Collingwood....over the past few years...in the game before one against Brisbane....one of the C'wood key players always manages to get himself suspended.  Extremely thoughtful

2009-04-08  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong on this "Spy Wednesday".  I wish everyone a Happy Easter.  May the energy of Easter bring help and hope to the problems of daily life.  May the Easter Lord especially bless April 10-12 Asean meeting in Thailand

Pleasant surprise a few days ago:  after a break of 5 months, I checked my Call2 phone account, and found I had been credited with
1,400 points, which became HK$300 credit in same account....thanks to a number of friends who have been using 
Call2 from link at top of this page  ("Cheap International Calls")

Since last week:  Shenzhen residents are able to visit HK more easily....HK$20 for a 7-day permit which can be renewed as often as desired.  Which means that  the number of Mainland visitors will soon exceed the present total of 1,000,000 per month

Recent shootings in USA:  may one state soon pass a gun control law....that other states will eventually follow

President Obama due to visit China (and Indonesia) later this year.  Has Beijing  forgotten what happened when Gorbachev  visited China in 1989?

Baby Maria went home to heaven last Sunday

Recent HK  photos

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland, but this will "take some time".
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  Some local HK friends feel I could be allowed back to Mainland by June

In the meantime, I'm continuing to use the mornings of Mon-Sat for study, reading, email etc, 
and the afternoons and early evenings for prayer with sick people (especially cancer patients), hospital visitation, contact with street people and Mainland tourists in the Jordan & Yau Ma Tei areas.  Many of the local residents in those areas are recent arrivals from Mainland.

I've also started doing some English teaching. 
Have had lots of contact with many local people - seeing how they are coping with the economic downturn, living ever more simply and frugally.....a humbling  experience.

Some kind friends have started helping with translation of a Simple Bible, which can be given to first-time readers of the Scriptures (who often find the whole Bible too difficult).  Any comments re translation of Exodus?    (Other books of OT)

9/11 conspiracy theory video - sure makes you think

Sri Lanka's war on Tamils is about racism, not terrorism

Speaking of genocide....one I had never heard about:  the slaughter of more than 200,000  Naga people by Indian troops in the 1950s.
Nagaland is in India near Myanmar/Burma border.  Story told in Paul Hattaway's "From Headhunters to Church Planters", available from www.asiaharvest.org 

May the Risen Lord bless everyone this Easter, especially the 19 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 12 in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

C'mon Lions against Blues this Sat night in Melbourne!

2009-04-01  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong ....where today's April Fool's Day is not very important......unlike Saturday's Ching Ming Festival which is a public holiday here (and from last year also in China)....a lovely custom whereby the whole place shuts down to give people a chance to visit graves and pray for the dead.  An excellent preparation for Easter Sunday just around the corner.... of the grave.

Maria's situation unchanged. Thank you for continuing prayers

Recent HK  photos    (new photo:  John & Teresa)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland, but this will "take some time".
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  Some local HK friends feel I could be allowed back to Mainland by June

In the meantime, I'm continuing to use the mornings of Mon-Sat for study, reading, email etc, 
and the afternoons and early evenings for prayer with sick people (especially cancer patients), hospital visitation, contact with street people and Mainland tourists in the Jordan & Yau Ma Tei areas.  Many of the local residents in those areas are recent arrivals from Mainland.

I've also started doing some English teaching. 
Have had lots of contact with many local people - seeing how they are coping with the economic downturn, living ever more simply and frugally.....a humbling  experience.  May this week's G20 meeting do something to help the ordinary people of the world, especially the poor people of Africa.....particularly Darfur

Some kind friends have started helping with translation of a Simple Bible, which can be given to first-time readers of the Scriptures (who often find the whole Bible too difficult).  Any comments re translation of Exodus?    (Other books of OT)

God bless everyone, especially the 18 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 11 in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

C'mon Lions against Blues this Sat night in Melbourne!

2009-03-25  Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong of Feast of the Annunciation (...9 months to Christmas!).  Some welcome rain now bringing relief to HK where temperatures have been unusually high for March.    c.f.  Hottest March for 59 years in Beijing

Maria file has  update since last diary

Recent HK  photos    (recent visitors:  Sandra & George; Pauline & Frank)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland, but this will "take some time".
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".  Some local HK friends feel I could be allowed back to Mainland by June

In the meantime, I'm continuing to use the mornings of Mon-Sat for study, reading, email etc, 
and the afternoons and early evenings for prayer with sick people (especially cancer patients), hospital visitation, contact with street people and Mainland tourists in the Jordan & Yau Ma Tei areas.  Many of the local residents in those areas are recent arrivals from Mainland.

I've also started doing some English teaching  to support myself (... like St Paul with his tentmaking).
Have had lots of contact with many local people - seeing how they are coping with the economic downturn, living ever more simply and frugally.....a humbling  experience.

Two interesting groups I've had contact with over the past week:
Inner City Ministries  (looking for local volunteers in HK to tutor mainly South Asian children  in Chinese, English, Maths, Music and other activities)
China Tourist Ministry - making contact with visitors from Mainland

Airfares getting cheaper.....HK-Aust  now at lowest prices in memory

Shame, Israel, shame  Israeli troops "shot civilians in cold blood"  Investigation uncovers evidence


The clemency of Billy Neal Moore

Invitation from Leeanne,  a dear cousin in W.A., past president of W.A. Herbal Society, to check her site: 
  http://www.aromabals.com.au/about.htm 

Heard from recent Melbourne visitors who are active in Right To Life  how a visiting lecturer at medical school of Monash University (my old uni) was applauded by listening doctors when he outlined a new procedure he had developed for "partial birth termination" to solve the messy problem of late term abortions.....(don't want a live foetus jumping around in a dish). 
Baby is manoeuvred to come out feet first as for a breech birth, but  while head is still in womb, a tube is inserted in back of neck to suck out brains....so that baby is "born dead" and doesn't jump in dish or cause legal problems. 
Over the past 7 years in the Mainland, I have come across many cases of post-abortion women (and subsequent children) having big sicknesses.....making me convinced there's a link between abortion and subsequent illnesses.  All the more reason to help
work for a society where abortion is not necessary

Invitation to USA friends to watch a very special weekly tv show    (I continue to be gratefully  amazed that the largest number of
China8.org's  fifty  or so daily viewers are in the USA!)

God bless everyone, especially  16 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 9 in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-03-18 Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong where today's temperature range is 19 - 27

Maria file has  update since last diary

Recent HK  photos  

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Zhaoqing Intermediate Court  has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to the Mainland, but this will "take some time".
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".

In the meantime, I'm continuing to use the mornings of Mon-Sat for study, reading, email etc, 
and the afternoons and early evenings for prayer with sick people (especially cancer patients, see growing list below), hospital visitation, contact with street people and Mainland tourists in the Jordan & Yau Ma Tei areas.  Many of the local residents in those areas are recent arrivals from Mainland.
I've also started doing some English teaching  to support myself (... like St Paul with his tentmaking)

Media was a part of the problem - America cheers as satirist delivers knockout blow to TV finance gurus who misled public

Dalai Lama's reincarnation needs nod from central government

Handful = 712

Global warming - does anyone care?  (do I care enough to turn off unnecessary lights/computers/water boilers etc?)

Many excellent books, especially about China,  at www.asiaharvest.org 

God bless everyone, especially  16 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 9 in HK(2  "all clear"), 2 in Zhaoqing area

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-03-11 Dear Friends

Good morning from HK which, according to today's news, is now the world's 11th most expensive city in which to live

Maria file has  update since last diary

Recent HK  photos  

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Zhaoqing Intermediate Court has agreed to hear my appeal for a return to Mainland, but this will "take some time".
Thank you for prayers to help ZIC understand that I am not "a threat to national security".

In the meantime, I'm continuing to use the mornings for study, reading, email etc, 
and the afternoons and early evenings for prayer with sick people (especially cancer patients), hospital visitation, contact with street people and Mainland tourists in the Jordan & Yau Ma Tei areas .....yesterday met a former CAS bus driver now working in a store in Jordan!
I'm also  hoping to do some English teaching  to support myself

Navel standoff

More details   re   this story in last week's diary

Sri Lanka's totalitarian government  c.f.   moving report in diary of January 15

Interesting for this article to see the light of day on government site:  ordinary people unable to be heard  

spot the difference:
Cost of Beijing Olympics c. US$44 Billion      Beijing Olympics made profit of US$16 Million

Anything that William Dalrymple writes is always  spot on, with a wisdom and depth of knowledge  rarely  surpassed by  other commentators.  This incisive  article by WD helps understand several  most important aspects of Islam & life in Pakistan
(& c.f. links at  www.williamdalrymple.com)

God bless everyone, especially  14 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 8 in HK(1  "all clear"), 1 in Zhaoqing

John W omi   (852) 6709 5674

Happy St Patrick's Day on March 17!

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-02-25 Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong in the first week of March after the warmest February on record

More than 4 weeks now since last stage of my visa appeal was begun.   Please keep the prayers going....each little prayer
creates a bit more spiritual energy 

Maria file has several updates since last diary

Recent HK  photos - including last Saturday's photos with  Bassanio, Betty, Connie, Josephine, Gloria & Shelley

Australian slumdogs in India.   I saw "Slumdog Millionaire" last week.  Powerful messages. Well worth seeing,  though I'm not sure I'd give it 8 oscars

Judges in Pennsylvania convicted of jailing  2000 children in exchange for bribes from private prison companies

Paul once rightly criticized Peter, and now many people are questioning  Bennedict's leadership:   UK    USA 

God bless everyone, especially  14 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 5 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 8 in HK one "all clear"), 1 in Zhaoqing

John W omi  ( at St Alfred's, Shatin for the time being)  (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-02-25 Dear Friends

Good afternoon from Hong Kong on a very warm (c.27) Ash Wednesday

Prayers please for 5 month old Maria (born Sep 8, 2008), fighting for her life in HK's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.  Her lungs are unable to function as a result of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and she is suffocating.  Doctors have told parents "to prepare".  I visited Maria this morning - after her father saw me (wearing my Cross) on the street, introduced himself  and asked for help

Still no news re visa ....continuing to hope and pray....maybe news by end of this month. Please keep the prayers going....each little prayer
creates a bit more spiritual energy ...and this case sure needs a big dose of energy 

Recent HK  photos - including photos of recent visitors:  Nick & family from Melbourne, Notre Dame Lunar New Year group, Anne & Mrs T from Kowloon,  Zhaoqing benefactors Steven & group from USA

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Last Sunday: as I walked along Shatin River, I passed some 200 children and adults, including many volunteers, from special school for hyper-active children - taking part in a charity walkathon for the school.  Then at Tai Wai train station, a team of secondary school students were conducting a promotion for UNICEF.  Then as I got off train at another station - another team of secondary school students were collecting for the elderly organization "Helping Hand".    Three teams of angels on legs. Many good things happening in this old world

Zhaoqing officials filmed and fired after  fact-finding(?) trip to Africa      HK report of same item  (see also much fuller report in yesterday's SCMP, but not on-line)

Sichuan earthquake caused by nearby dam's  destabilizing influence?

Amnesty calls on US to stop military supplies to Israel

Ash Wednesday today:  see this file   which proposes Ash Wed become Ash Sunday... since so many people are working today and will
have no chance to receive ashes....and liturgy people with their inflexible mindset won't allow ashes to be given out next Sunday

God bless everyone, especially  14 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 6 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 7 in HK, 1 in Zhaoqing

John W omi  ( at St Alfred's, Shatin for the time being)  (852) 6709 5674

p.s. News item on radio yesterday morning....concerning the illness of some 70 people in Guandong Province, caused by eating  infected pork.  News item was read by Chris Hogg of the BBC

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-02-18 Dear Friends

Hello  again on a slightly cool but sunny morning in Hong Kong. 

No news re visa yet....continuing to hope and pray....maybe news by end of this month. Please keep the prayers going....each little prayer
creates a bit more spiritual energy ...with this small mountain  needing a big dose of energy indeed to be moved

Recent HK/Macau/Australia  photos can be seen at JT  (please email me for address if necessary)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

After seeing tv program re some 30 people dying in HK last year for lack of organ donors, I signed on-line at this site

Am continuing to read Obama's "Audacity of Hope", having finished "Dreams of My Father"  and "Promise to Power".
Never realised until reading Audacity that senators in US senate  show up only for votes. When someone is giving a speech, only a few officials are present, rarely any other senators. Since such reading I have noticed on tv news  that this is true. "In the world's greatest deliberative body, no one is listening". 

Israel election result - excellent article

New Mexico to end death penalty

USA sisters/nuns  - touche!

God bless everyone, especially  13 special friends on my cancer prayer list - 6 in Australia (2 of them now "all clear" DG) , 7 in HK

John W omi  ( at St Alfred's, Shatin for the time being)  (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

DVD "The Cross" can be watched/downloaded  free

2009-02-11  Dear Friends

Warm good morning from Hong Kong.  Last year this part of world had its coldest Winter in memory. 
2009 is shaping up as one of the warmest in memory.  
Global warming....record drought in Northern China....no rain in Beijing for more than 100 days.....hottest days  on record in Southern Australia....Victorian bushfires....may something good come out of this terrible tragedy...a determination to do something about climate change: Australian fires and climate change....relevant for all parts of the world   

Climate change action.....turning off unnecessary lights/boilers/computer connections etc

Australian spirit at its best: Flood victims help fire victims

How to put out bushfire called Afghanistan  (see especially the words of George McGovern in this article)

Many thanks once more to so many people who are continuing to pray and help behind the scenes in HK, the Mainland, Australia & other places re my visa  appeal.....ball still in play but we're now a few points down at time-on in final quarter....ball is in our forward line...need a goal urgently .....please keep up the prayers to keep the players going

China8 camera is still on a working holiday, but recent HK/Macau/Australia  photos can be seen at JT (please email me for address if necessary)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Recent  donors 
(Please let me know of any mistakes/omissions etc)
Feb 03  - Feb 09:  six members of "Woh Jai" group, HK
Feb 08  Parishioners of St Alfred's Parish, Shatin, HK
Please note:  no more donations needed for time being for Zhaoqing. My part of China8's work in Zhaoqing at present is in Good Friday tomb.  DV there will be a resurrection  in the near future....maybe  we can help in the area of re-training for unemployed "migrant workers" (...now 20,000,000 of them) as well as helping handicapped children.  The Lord gave, the Lord took away...blessed be the name of the Lord. Many thanks to so many people who have helped over the past seven years. May the Good Lord reward you for your generosity.
Any money remaining in kitty is being used to help the sick in Zhaoqing per RC.  
For the time being, China8 is not employing any Zhaoqing staff (from Feb 09)

Recently read/seen:

Brockey: "Journey to the East. The Jesuit Mission to China 1579 - 1724".  A must for anyone interested in history of China.

DVD: "The Cross. J in China"   - More than a must

Tardiff: "J is the Messiah" - so many stories of healings.  An old book which repays re-reading.

Obama: "Dreams From My Father".   Couldn't put it down.  Incredible to think that someone who has gone through such a hard life and who genuinely cares about other people is now in the White House.  The chapters in this book on Obama's years as a community
organizer help explain the priority he is giving to community organizations as in these  reports:

Obama at prayer breakfast -  re value of  faith groups  

Obama said the officeˇ¦s top priority will be ˇ§making community groups an integral part of our economic recoveryˇ¨ and relieving poverty. The office will also address teenage pregnancy, abortion reduction, and ˇ§support fathers who stand by their families,ˇ¨ especially young men.
ˇ§There is a force for good greater than government,ˇ¨ Obama said in the statement. ˇ§It is an expression of faith, this yearning to give back, this hungering for a purpose greater than our own, that reveals itself not just in places of worship but in senior centers and shelters, schools and hospitals...ˇ¨ (Full report: http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/3301 )

Rise of moderate Jewish voices

Spot the differences - from South China Morning Post of February 10, 2009,  A4, re human rights in China (UN review session):
China's UN ambassador, Mr Li Baodong:

"China has never restricted freedom of speech,
there is no media censorship,
we guarantee full religious freedom,
and journalists, lawyers, and human rights advocates
have full freedoms.
The public can express their opinions freely,
and nobody will be punished or investigated for making opinions"		 Amnesty International:

Hundreds of thousands of people are now incarcerated 
without trial or access to a lawyer.
Submission to UN lacks input from domestic NGOs and activists, 
and ignores arbitrary detention, disappearances & torture.
Underground Christians persecuted.
Abuse of human rights lawyers, including loss of the right to practise


Anyone who loves China will be saddened at Mr Li's denial of the real situation.
 Such denial just makes things worse....as happened in time of Chairman Mao 
when officials routinely used false figures re crops/production/disasters.
Mr Li should learn from Premier Wen Jiabo:
he's not denying there's the worst drought in 50 years in Northern China
 (a denial that might have been made in time of Chairman Mao).
Wen Jiabo is pushing local authorities to do all they can to combat the drought (e.g. more irrigation).
Premier Wen watering wheat!

God bless everyone, especially  twelve special friends on my cancer list....on this World Day of the Sick, February 11, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

John W omi  (in HK, at St Alfred's, Shatin for the time being)  (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-02-04  Dear Friends

Good morning again from Hong Kong.  HK schools back at work after Lunar New Year holidays, but Mainland schools not due back till next week.  Many Mainland families still on holidays in HK.  Mainlanders now HK's largest group of tourists

Headline in today's South China Morning Post:  "(China TV) airs full footage of shoe attack on Premier Wen (in UK)".
A most unfortunate event.  As this diary has often said, the Premier is a really good man. He didn't deserve the shoe

Many thanks once again to so many people who are continuing to pray and help behind the scenes in HK, the Mainland, Australia & other places re my visa  process.....ball still in play but we're now a few points down at time-on in final quarter....ball is in our forward line...need a goal urgently .....please keep up the prayers to keep the players going

China8 camera is still on a working holiday, but recent HK/Macau/Australia  photos can be seen at JT (please email me for address if necessary)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Recent kind donors 
(Please let me know of any mistakes/omissions etc)
Jan 19  Graham & Tineke Edwards, Melbourne
Jan 29  Anon, HK
Please note:  no more donations needed for time being for Zhaoqing. My part of China8's work in Zhaoqing at present is in Good Friday tomb.  DV there will be a resurrection some day in the near future....maybe can help in the area of re-training for unemployed "migrant workers" (...now 20,000,000 of them)The Lord gave, the Lord took away...blessed be the name of the Lord. Many thanks to so many people who have helped over the past seven years. May the Good Lord reward you for your generosity

Pollution causing birth defects every 30 seconds in China

God bless everyone, especially nine dear friends local and abroad who are fighting big sicknesses, particularly nine special friends on my cancer list

John W omi  (in HK, at St Alfred's, Shatin for the time being)  (852) 6709 5674

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-01-28 Dear Friends

Happy Lunar Lunar Year of the Ox!  Today is final of three public holidays....millions of people in HK following usual custom at this time of year ... visiting relatives ...+ local temples to pray for blessings in coming year.
These past few days have been fine but very cold during night and early morning - opposite of Australia where many places are experiencing record heat
Chinese communities in Australia happy that Lunar New Year this year was a public holiday (for Australia Day, Jan 26).
This diary once again hopes that certain special days - e.g. Christmas Day, Lunar Near Year, Yom Kippur, Eid ul-Fitr - will be celebrated in every country of the world as International Holidays

Many thanks once again to so many people who are continuing to pray and help behind the scenes in HK, the Mainland, Australia & other places re my visa  process.....ball still in play but time running out...so.... .  please keep the prayers going

China8 camera is still on a working holiday, but recent Australia HK/Macau/Australia  photos can be seen at JT (please email me for address if necessary)
Previous Zhaoqing photos

Recent donors who have helped support China8's work for the poor in Zhaoqing  -God bless all donors! : 
(Please let me know of any mistakes/omissions etc)
Jan 22 Mrs Lau, Tung Chung, HK
Jan 26 Parishioners of St Alfred's, Shatin, HK
Please note:  no more donations needed for time being. My part of China8's work in Zhaoqing at present in Good Friday tomb.  DV there will be a resurrection some day in the future.  The Lord gave, the Lord took away...blessed be the name of the Lord. Many thanks to so many people who have helped over the past seven years. May the Good Lord reward you for your generosity

BBC & Gaza

Vat II - called 50 years ago - most important article

God bless everyone, especially dear friends local and abroad who are fighting big sicknesses, particularly seven special friends on my cancer list

John W omi  (in HK, at St Alfred's, Shatin for the time being)

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-01-22 Dear Friends

Good morning from Hong Kong where excitement is in the air as Lunar New Year approaches (Jan 26).
I wish everyone good health and safety in the Lunar New Year of the Ox!

Also great excitement in HK as everywhere   about |President Obama. May the Good Lord bless, protect and guide him always

Last Saturday night I arrived back from Australia, and after two nights at Notre Dame, I'm now at St Alfred's in Shatin for the time being.
HK mobile:  (852) 6709 5674.  

Many thanks once again to so many people who are continuing to pray and help behind the scenes in HK, the Mainland, Australia & other places re my visa  process.  Please keep the prayers going

China8 camera is still on a working holiday, but recent Australia photos can be seen at JT (please email me if you need address)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Recent donors who have helped support China8's work for the poor in Zhaoqing  -God bless all donors! : 
(Please let me know of any mistakes/omissions etc)
Nov 04 DB3 & friend, HK
Nov 21 Connie & Bassanio, HK
Nov 24 Stephen Lam, HK
Dec 02 DB3 & friend, HK
Dec 3  Graham & Tineke Edwards, Melbourne
Dec 21 Anon, HK
Dec 24 Stephen Lam, HK
Jan 05 DB3 & friend, HK
Jan 13 Anon, HK
Jan 18 Mrs Zhong, HK
Jan 18 Anon, UK
Jan 21 Nick Marandola, Melbourne

Gaza  (and see previous comments/articles in diary of early this month, below)
Angry UN chief  Amnesty International accuses Israel of war crimes in Gaza
Brutal lessons Moral defeat for Israel

On the plane from Sydney to Macau I read most of "Project Pearl" |(*****)

God bless everyone, especially dear friends local and abroad who are fighting big sicknesses

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

Australian mobile:  (61) (0)404 3119 07    (only until January 16)

January  11-16:  Retreat at Newman College , Melbourne
Jan 17:  due to fly from Melbourne to Sydney , then from Sydney to Macau , then ferry to HK.
Due Notre Dame, HK, late on night of Jan 17
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2009-01-15    Dear Friends

A quick update from Melbourne where Iˇ¦m attending annual charismatic retreat for priests, religious and lay associates
ˇK.a group of some 90 from all over Australia and New Zealand.  A great experience

As you can see from top of this page, Iˇ¦m due to return to HK this Saturday, Jan 17  DV.
Days after that are in hands of the Good Lord as I continue waiting and praying for new China visa.
See last weekˇ¦s diary for more info re this situation

Retreat group praying hard each day for Gaza situation.
My feelings the same as JD in this:
http://ncrcafe.org/node/2363

Excellent article by former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser:  http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/israels-actions-foster-extremism-20090115-7i5h.html

So many signatures ˇKto this message of outrage at Gaza killings: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/16/gaza-israel-petitions

UN speaks, but Israel ignores:  http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/16/2467716.htm

 

Please also read this moving and powerful article from Sri Lanka .  What a courageous man.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/13/wickrematunga-final-editorial-final-editorial
How similar situation in Sri Lanka is to Middle East :  a ruthless government using violence to solve an unjust situation for which it is largely responsible  (..see comments last week..>)

China8 camera is still on a working holiday, but recent Australia photos can be seen at JT (please email me if you need address)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Twenty four years ago yesterday I left Australia for Hong Kong :  http://jesustower.com/Photos/1985-1994/1985-01-14airport.htm
Thank you Dear Lord for all the graces and happy times since 1985.

God bless all I have met and all who have prayed for me and helped me over the past 24 years

John W omi

--------------------------

Best joke heard this week:  letter to Harry from Jane:
ˇ§Dearest Harry,
Iˇ¦m so sorry for the big argument last week.
It was all my fault.
I was crazy to give you back the engagement ring.
Please accept my apologies.
Letˇ¦s meet up again as soon as possible

Your dear and loving friend

Jane

p.s. congratulations on winning the lottery yesterday

------------------------------------------------------------------------


2009-01-08 Dear Friends

Good morning again from Melbourne in Australia .  Once more I wish everyone a Happy 2009

Thank you OMI communities in Camberwell, Sorrento and Moe for kind hospitality over the past week.  Was good to see so many old friends at annual Moe Golf Day....and to make many new friends last weekend at Sorrento/Portsea

Good news from Beijing received yesterday:
We have been informed by the Guangdong Public Security & Border Patrol Division that the administrative reconsideration process has been started.
As soon as result of this process is known, it will be put on this diary. Many thanks once again to so many people who are continuing to pray and help behind the scenes in HK, the Mainland, Australia & other places re this process.  Please keep the prayers going. DV there will be good news before Lunar New Year holidays start (in a week or so)

Please see last week's diary (below) for more background info re my stay in Australia

Over the past week I've read the life story of Eric Liddell (1902-1945):   born in China, educated in parents' home country of Scotland, won 400 metres Gold Medal at 1924 Paris Olympics, returned to China to continue ministry of parents, worked in war-torn hospital with Dr Kenneth McAll (also born in China; author of "Healing the Family Tree), died in Japanese internment camp, life featured in movie "Chariots of Fire".....first Gold Medalist born in China.

Reading the lives of people like Liddell makes me realize how slight our modern problems are

China8 camera is still on a working holiday  but recent Australia photos can be seen at JT (please email me if you need address)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Recent donors who have helped support China8's work for the poor in Zhaoqing  -God bless all donors! : 
(Please let me know of any mistakes/omissions etc)
Dec 22 Melbourne Overseas Missions, Vic
Jan 04  St Thomas parishioners, Portsea, Vic

Gaza situation - does anyone care?...so few leaders speaking out...world news in "Melbourne Sun" usually appears about p. 25

Gaza pastor: "We cry and nobody hears"
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/3045

Israel barks, US media wag tail:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/07/gaza-america-media

War on terrorism a failure - aggression fuels extremism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/05/terrorism-israel-obama

( + see last week's articles and comments below):

Beautiful reflection on "Trust" (after economic crisis etc):
http://www.omiworld.org/GSText.asp?L=1&T=495&Linguaggio=1 (need to copy and paste)

God bless everyone, especially dear friends local and abroad who are fighting big sicknesses

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

2009-01- Dear Friends

Happy New Year from Melbourne.  I wish all friends of China8  good health,  safety and every other blessing right through 2009

I arrived in Melbourne on December 26 and am most grateful to Burke Road OMI community for kind hospitality

In the past few days I've heard from friends in Beijing that the process is continuing to help me obtain a new visa for China . How much longer this takes I'm not sure.  Sure would be lovely to be back home in Zhaoqing for Lunar New Year (January 26).
Many thanks once again to so many people who are continuing to pray and help behind the scenes in HK, the Mainland and Australia re  my visa

All of Marco Polo's handicapped families are now in alternative accommodation, assisted by China8.  This assistance will continue.

Marco Polo's orphans have also left the center:  Ming Ming back to Deqing Welfare Center, Charmaine & Franky back to their home village, Wendy & companion back to custody of their fathers.  China8 will continue to stay in contact with them and try to be of help to them again in the future

China8's teachers are from this month temporarily in Limbo:  up till now they've been helping the handicapped and orphan children + taking various courses. DV we will soon have a new center - mainly for some of Zhaoqing's hundreds of handicapped children - which will need the services of our loyal staff

The future of our Marco Polo site is not yet decided.  Re this and other issues continuing the future of China8, please don't believe everything you hear unless it's confirmed by myself.   Some recent information going around is not all that accurate

Yesterday I finished re-reading the life of Hudson Taylor who spent many decades serving in China .  China8 will continue to follow two of Taylor 's main principles:  a flexible plan that adjusts to current changes, and a reliance on Providence for guidance and sustenance

Reading the lives of people like Taylor, who lived in China in times of war etc, makes one realize how slight our modern problems are

China8 camera is still on a working holiday, but recent Australia photos can be seen at JT (please email me if you need address)

Previous Zhaoqing photos

Recent donor who has helped support China8's work for the poor in Zhaoqing  -God bless all donors! :  (Please let me know of any mistakes/omissions etc)
Dec 25  Lily Chan,  HK 

GAZA SITUATION - WHAT DO I THINK?  WELL......

When I was a student at school, and even later when I was teaching Australian history at school, I had no idea of how the Aboriginal people of Australia were treated in the country's early and not so early colonial  history.  Only in recent decades did I learn about the ethnic cleansing practices of early European settlers and the "stolen generations" issue of last century....leading up to a public apology to the Aboriginal community by new prime minister Kevin Rudd last year

In the same way, my ideas about Israel and the Palestinians have changed.  I'll always believe in Israel 's right to exist as a nation, but not in it's right to ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.  So I am saddened to hear many Australians, good and kind people, many old friends, saying things that I have learnt are no longer true.....things that meekly follow the Murdoch media

I'd invite people of good will to take the time to read articles like these:  (..sorry..unable to link any of them except the first one...you'll need to copy and paste..)

Aug 05: The world's largest prison:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/05/israelandthepalestinians.middleeast

Dec 28: To be in Gaza is to be trapped:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/27/israelandthepalestinians-terrorism

Dec 29: The logic of colonial power:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/29/gaza-hamas-israel

Dec 30:  I dream of another Israel :  http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/i-dream-of-another-israel-20081229-76sc.html

Dec 31:  Salt in the wounds:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/dec/31/israelandthepalestinians-middleeast

Jan 01:  Israel 's deadly games:  http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/the-deadly-consequences-of-the-games-that-israel-plays-20081231-77x8.html?page=3

 

For me, Israel is carrying out a Holocaust.  Israel is treating the Palestinians the same way Jews were treated by the Nazis.
For me, Israel is carrying out an Amritsar Massacre:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jallianwala_Bagh_massacre

Dear Jesus, you who are the only source of real peace, please soon give lasting peace  to your homeland!

 

God bless everyone, especially dear friends local and abroad who are fighting big sicknesses

John W omi

If you  do not receive a reply within 2 days,  please send email again to  john@china8.org  or jdwomi@gmail.com . 
Your message / my reply may not have got through. 
Please use a distinctive "subject" like "Zhaoqing" to make your message stand out from junk mail.  Thank you     

Diary for September - December  2008