Day Three is Less Sightseeing and More Business

This morning started with an early departure for BSD on our own with no help from our hosts and arrival at 8am.  We sat around the conference table with our breakfast that had been ordered the night before via "What's App".  We had an organizational meeting about the day and a brief overview of the itinerary for the remainder of the week. And, then the work began with the students heading off into one of the lab spaces to begin their three hour class.

A brief break about halfway through and then a return at the end of today's class just in time to head out to lunch at what the office staff affectionately refer to as the Blue Door Cafe (because it has a blue door).  We had pre-ordered the lunches and they were all set for us when we arrived. 

 In 30 minutes we had enjoyed a wonderful neighborhood cafe lunch with a number of other locals to add to the atmosphere and then we were back to the office to pick up our backpacks to jump into a coach that was waiting for us.  Our driver took us under Victoria Harbor via the tunnel into Kowloon to visit the Aoi Pui School.  We were met by the CEO and the School Principal.  In the conference room they provided a slide presentation on the school and its various programs.  The Hill Top students asked questions about the program and made comparisons between their school and Hill Top.  Mr. Brent Bell, who is the Managing Director of SEI, Hong Kong has a 13 year old son named Henry who is a student at APS.  He also spoke about the importance of a school like the one his son attends.  He related how difficult it was before the school began and how much APS was responsible for the growth that Henry had achieved in the 5 years that he has been there.  No matter how different the ability levels are of the students of these two schools, it is clear that one common factor is the appreciation on the part of the parents for schools that can make a difference in the lives of their children. Several APS students came to take us around the school and tour the facilities.  They told us what took place in each school and what the students learned.  Once we had seen all the school, some photos were taken and we loaded back into the coach to return back to HK Island to visit with the folks at SEI Hong Kong.
The SEI Hong Kong office, while much smaller in square footage than their campus located in Oaks, PA, is located in the prestigious Hong Kong Club.  Founded as a men's club

in 1846 during the colonial outreach of the British empire it is now the most famous of any club in all of Asia for private dining and corporate connections.   Our students appreciated seeing the views from such a high venue that they had seen earlier when we there for the Remembering Ceremony just earlier in the week.  They were also interested to see more artworks from The Al West Collection which is on exhibition in SEI offices worldwide.  Meeting us at his offices, Mr. Bell provided us with a tour of the office suite and explained the business of SEI and its investment

partnerships.
A return to the coach allowed us an easy ride to our hotel.  A nice rest allowed us to gather our strength for the evening events for dinner and after.
We took an Uber from our hotel to the pier area of Hong Kong to purchase a ticket with our Octopus card on the famous Star Ferry that takes tourists and residents alike back and forth across Victoria Harbour.  Operating since 1898, The Star Ferry Company is the second oldest transportation system in this part of the world.  Prior to the construction of the harbor tunnels it was the only way for people to travel between the two islands.  It continues to be the cheapest form of transportation still in existence to get between these two islands.
After we boarded the old ferry and headed across Victoria Harbour the students began to understand what we had been showing them on the map with Hong Kong being a separate island and Kowloon being on the mainland connected to China.  We disembarked the ferry and walked about 10 minutes to a hidden gem of a restaurant that specializes in Indian vegetarian meals.  Hidden because there was no signage on the street for this restaurant and it was located on the fourth floor of an old building on one of the back streets and off the beaten path for tourists.  The people were so welcoming and the food was delicious.  We had wonderful things made with vegetables that were highly seasoned but not usually spicy. 

We had four different kinds of breads and then we had fermented rice patties, many chutneys, and a pancake made with the fermented rice and red onion. This was especially popular.  The drink of choice tonight is Mango Lassi which is made with fresh yogurt, mango juice, sugar, salt and spices.

The attraction for tonight is the laser light show which comes right from the buildings across the harbor on the shore of Hong Kong island.

Music is piped in from the Hong Kong Symphony and the light show is choreographed to this music on the other side of the harbor.  It was just wonderful.

Now, not wanting the evening to end without something sweet, we headed for what everyone in China is looking for that truly embodies the culture of China.  What else?  Gelato, of course!!!

The ferry ride back and we were exhausted in the Uber ride from the docks to the hotel.
It was a quick thank you and good night to our hosts and off to bed.