This summer seems shorter than usual, not only because I spent most of January in Germany and Hong Kong and thus experienced an extra winter (although I am hopeful that I can be compensated!) but also because the weather is indeed cooler than the previous summers. Stretches of days above 30 degrees were few and far in between, and more often were the days with grey skies, dreary rain and cool temperatures. No wonder another German colleague and I both felt some semblance to a typical German summer.
這個夏天好像比正常短，除了因為我一月大部份時間到了德國和香港，平白多過了一個冬天外（雖然我是有希望可以補償的！）天氣也的確比前幾個夏天清涼，連續幾天高於30度的日子絕無僅有，更多的是天灰灰雨綿綿「涼浸浸」的時候，我和另一個德國同事都不期然覺得有點像德國的夏天。
The whole summer has kept me occupied as my time was always filled up with things to do even after work. Fortunately there was still time to take some diversions.
整個夏天，就算工娛都忙這忙那，時間排得密密麻麻的，幸好也有可以忙裡偷閑的時候。
Last summer my family went quite a long way for picking strawberries; this summer we went instead to a farm belonging to one of my cousin’s colleagues for the cherries and blackberries right after Christmas.
上個夏天我們一家跑到老遠採紅草莓（港稱士多啤梨），今個夏天我們剛過了聖誕則光顧了表姐有個同事的櫻桃（港稱車厘子）和黑莓園。
Located in Mount Dandenong, the farm was in fact a backyard but with quite a sizeable operation, as there was even a workshop for packing cherries and blackberries into punnets for sale in supermarkets. It was a rare chance for city folks like us to re-connect with nature. At least it was my first time seeing what a cherry tree was like and reminded me that the blackberry was more than just a smart phone.
果園位於丹頂農山，其實是那個同事的後園，卻頗有規模，連家中也自設工場，把櫻桃和黑莓包裝賣到超市。我們這些城市人，能得有機會接觸大自然，櫻桃樹是怎麼樣我還是第一次看到，採黑莓時我也感概，另類的黑莓我聽也聽得多了，那天倒是提醒我甚麼才是真正的黑莓。
Views in the farm 果園景色
Fruitful outcomes 碩果纍纍
Came mid-February, my parents were back in Hong Kong so I had to find ways to entertain myself. On a Saturday when I went to visit a friend, I took a detour to the Abbotsford Convent. It was rather easy to forget that the Convent was actually not too far away from a major road, But once inside the hustle and bustle outside were nowhere to be heard or seen, and a spacious tranquil world opened up in front of me. There was also a restaurant in the convent with an alfresco dining and seating area. It felt a bit like Germany except that home-brewed beer was missing!
過了二月中，家中兩老都回了香港，自己一個人得找點消遣，一個星期六，趁去探朋友，途中繞道往Abbotsford修道院參觀一下。修道院其實離大馬路不遠，但一走進去，車水馬龍變成鳥語花香，走進修道院的花園，更令人頓時忘記外面的繁囂，所以不期然令我想起志蓮淨院。修道院還開了餐廳，擺了露天餐桌，供遊人閒坐吃東西，有點德國修道院的味道，祇可惜祇欠自家釀製的啤酒！
Thanks to the plentiful rainfall, this summer has been one of the rarer ones when the vegetation still looks lush green and many flowers are blooming. Hopefully this is a harbinger for better things to come for the rest of the year after such a tumultuous start!
這個夏天水頭充足，草和樹都難得綠油油，不少花也爭着綻放，令四周生色不少，但願今年經歷種種天災人禍後，會百花齊放、花開富貴！
這個夏天好像比正常短，除了因為我一月大部份時間到了德國和香港，平白多過了一個冬天外（雖然我是有希望可以補償的！）天氣也的確比前幾個夏天清涼，連續幾天高於30度的日子絕無僅有，更多的是天灰灰雨綿綿「涼浸浸」的時候，我和另一個德國同事都不期然覺得有點像德國的夏天。
The whole summer has kept me occupied as my time was always filled up with things to do even after work. Fortunately there was still time to take some diversions.
整個夏天，就算工娛都忙這忙那，時間排得密密麻麻的，幸好也有可以忙裡偷閑的時候。
Last summer my family went quite a long way for picking strawberries; this summer we went instead to a farm belonging to one of my cousin’s colleagues for the cherries and blackberries right after Christmas.
上個夏天我們一家跑到老遠採紅草莓（港稱士多啤梨），今個夏天我們剛過了聖誕則光顧了表姐有個同事的櫻桃（港稱車厘子）和黑莓園。
Located in Mount Dandenong, the farm was in fact a backyard but with quite a sizeable operation, as there was even a workshop for packing cherries and blackberries into punnets for sale in supermarkets. It was a rare chance for city folks like us to re-connect with nature. At least it was my first time seeing what a cherry tree was like and reminded me that the blackberry was more than just a smart phone.
果園位於丹頂農山，其實是那個同事的後園，卻頗有規模，連家中也自設工場，把櫻桃和黑莓包裝賣到超市。我們這些城市人，能得有機會接觸大自然，櫻桃樹是怎麼樣我還是第一次看到，採黑莓時我也感概，另類的黑莓我聽也聽得多了，那天倒是提醒我甚麼才是真正的黑莓。
Views in the farm 果園景色
Fruitful outcomes 碩果纍纍
Came mid-February, my parents were back in Hong Kong so I had to find ways to entertain myself. On a Saturday when I went to visit a friend, I took a detour to the Abbotsford Convent. It was rather easy to forget that the Convent was actually not too far away from a major road, But once inside the hustle and bustle outside were nowhere to be heard or seen, and a spacious tranquil world opened up in front of me. There was also a restaurant in the convent with an alfresco dining and seating area. It felt a bit like Germany except that home-brewed beer was missing!
過了二月中，家中兩老都回了香港，自己一個人得找點消遣，一個星期六，趁去探朋友，途中繞道往Abbotsford修道院參觀一下。修道院其實離大馬路不遠，但一走進去，車水馬龍變成鳥語花香，走進修道院的花園，更令人頓時忘記外面的繁囂，所以不期然令我想起志蓮淨院。修道院還開了餐廳，擺了露天餐桌，供遊人閒坐吃東西，有點德國修道院的味道，祇可惜祇欠自家釀製的啤酒！
Thanks to the plentiful rainfall, this summer has been one of the rarer ones when the vegetation still looks lush green and many flowers are blooming. Hopefully this is a harbinger for better things to come for the rest of the year after such a tumultuous start!
這個夏天水頭充足，草和樹都難得綠油油，不少花也爭着綻放，令四周生色不少，但願今年經歷種種天災人禍後，會百花齊放、花開富貴！
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