Wyoming Breezes

Hong Kong's skyline December 1979

Hong Kong street December 1979 See the sign on the right with red-framed eyeglasses? The shop had a machine that could "read" your current prescription and copy it. I bought an extra pair of glasses in that shop because my vision was really bad (I had LASIX surgery in 2001), and I didn't want to chance being overseas for two years without a backup pair.

Hong Kong harbor December 1979

photo taken by Sheila N. April 2012 As I was preparing for this post, I found this photo of airport baggage carts that Sheila N. had shared with me several years ago. It reminded me of a photo I took in a Hong Kong airport in 1979. John Hedberg Hong Kong airport December 1979 John and his wife Nancy were also teachers with the DODDS. Nancy taught at Sollars Elementary School and John taught at Robert D. Edgren High School on the Misawa AFB. I've posted about John and Nancy before in these earlier posts.     Brass Lamps story     Thanksgiving dinner  and Turkey Carving     Hong Kong The trips I took with other DODDS teachers were a lot of fun.  

Peggy Vaughn, Nancy Vandenberg, John Hedberg Hong Kong December 1979 I was nearly always the one behind the camera, so I don't have a photo of myself in Hong Kong. These three were all Dept. of Defense teachers on Misawa AFB, Misawa, Japan. Peggy (from Mississippi taught high school English), Nancy (from Michigan was an elementary teacher), John taught high school math. Nancy and John were married and had an interesting philosophy about purchasing souvenirs. Their philosophy can be seen here .

Hong Kong street scene Hong Kong December 1979 I can only imagine how congested Hong Kong is today. It was an amazing place in 1979, and as this photo illustrates, the variety of shops on the street was diverse. I felt safe as I wandered the streets snapping photos. Previous posts with photos and references to Hong Kong can be seen here .

Hong Kong harbor December 1979

Money from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, and Japan 1979 - 1980 When traveling it is important to carry coins and bills from the countries you are visiting. Having the foreign money provides peace of mind that you can purchase food, pay for a taxi, make a phone call, and tip if appropriate. It's never wise to cash in or spend all of your foreign money before leaving a country because the unexpected can always occur. I came home with a few dollars from some of the countries I visited. Of course, most of the money is from Japan. I never bothered to exchange any of the money when I returned to the base or even when I returned to the U.S. The exchange rate for a U.S. dollar was very good in 1979, nearly $2.30 for 100 yen; the exchange rate now is closer to $1 to 101 yen. According to exchange-rates.org , the Japanese yen in the photo would total approximate $17 at today's exchange rate. Today, the Thai bhat is worth $2.75, Singapore dollars and odd c...

Chinese Junk Hong Kong harbor December 1979 This photo taken from the ferry between Kowloon and Hong Kong is as close as I ever got to a Chinese Junk . I loved Hong Kong and would love to return. Most of my tour group was ill when we were there, so I was able to explore on my own for a full day.

John Hedberg, Nancy Vandenberg, Peggy Vaughn Hong Kong December 1979 John, Nancy and Peggy were also teachers in Misawa, Japan for the Department of Defense, and we travelled together over Christmas break in 1979. The tour covered several countries and cities - Hong Kong being the last. Most of the tour group became ill with the flu in Hong Kong and were confined to the hotel. I was fortunate and did not get sick, so I wandered the city alone for a couple of days. John and Nancy were married and were a real hoot. They had an agreement that either could purchase whatever they desired on a trip, but whatever it was they had to carry it. John would see Nancy admiring something and would not so subtly remind her that she had to "carry her own brass lamps." It is a phrase that I now use whenever I go on trips with my sister. We each have to "carry our own brass lamps."

Hong Kong Christmas 1979 December 1979, a large group of teachers on the base took an organized tour of Southeast Asia over Christmas break. The day after we arrived in Hong Kong nearly everyone in the group became very ill, and the hotel doctor ordered bed rest. Since I was not ill, I wandered around snapping photos and rode the ferry to the other side of the harbor . Despite the mass of people on the streets, I felt safe. I am sure our group would have seen more of Hong Kong if the "bug" had not grounded so many.

Border between Hong Kong and China December 1979 Boy, have I changed in the 30+ years since this photo was taken: my hair is now white, I've put on some pounds, and I no longer wear jeans that are too long. Yes, those are rolled cuffs on my jeans - how embarrassing. I wonder how this border check-point has changed since 1979.