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Life Without Hassles

_SAM2205 (Medium)A make-shift shrine clinging around one of the oldest trees on Cheung Chau

Probably like any other small islands in and out of Hong Kong (recently very interested in this isle), Cheung Chau is filled with anything but hassles.  This statement proves to be absolutely true as I strolled around the island in the morning.

The residents seemed to go on their morning excursions for whatever errands at half the walking pace of the city people.  No traffic noise could be heard but the bikers dinging the bells and birds chirping on the balconies.  It was so quite that some barely audible chit-chatting wafted to my ears from afar.  I moved along what was left for the lane I was in before it ended at a turn to the left, joining to the middle of another lane.

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I entered another lane to find a man on the ground floor talking to an old lady who was on the balcony on the first floor.  They were having a discussion of a very important matter to the stomach: where to have a yumcha.  I was amused as I moved on between them.

Not long afterwards, I came to another big piece of coarse concrete which served as a shrine.  This crude structure was typical of what could be easily spotted all over the island.  Talking about "filling with nothing but", it is certain that Cheung Chau is replete with shrines big or small.
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Just took place yesterday, the Buns Festival was related to worshipping a god, the North King.  When the holiday-makers hurried to take the next outbound ferry after watching the fanciful parade, there was actually the first climax of the day.  It was the parade team leaders racing back to the North King Temple.  The traditional belief has it that the first team arriving there will be blessed for the whole year.  As I was thinking about this, I ran into a peddler selling homemade candies on his colourfully decorated kiosk.

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I like this island a lot.  Culturally, it is unique.  Environmentally, it is so very different from the other parts of Hong Kong.  Cheung Chau is simply in a world of its own.  It is sort of backward.  But this backwardness is exactly what every busy urbanite in the fast moving cities should cherish and savour more just to bring back peace to their hearts.

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On my way back to my B&B accommodation, I passed through a bakery.  The scene of the cakes being sold on the trays without covers would be unimaginable in the city.  So I pointed the NX10 to the cakes, taking the perspective to show the greatest sense of depth and waking for the passers-by (here a bike) to give some reference of proportion and balance the composition, and shot the picture.

_SAM2161 (Medium)Wait for the next lot of photos from my Cheung Chau-NX10 trip.

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