Buddha and Baloot

This temple day was super good, had a great temple experience. Good to hear that home sounds like it's getting more normal, I think. Things are going well over here in HK, getting some good work done here. Really not much new to tell you about this week.

Any cool new things going on at home? Is Downton Abbey still good? Any cool new TV shows come out recently? Yeah, I have now idea on what to talk about today. Got the christmas card, I liked having me in it. 

Hope things keep going well for yawls, I'll send some pics and keep you updated.

Well I'll fill out the thing, keep up the good work at school and stuff. 

Got the christmas card?: Yes

For pday: not much, just temple

Best thing this week: temple

Food: ate this filipino stuff called baloot, basically when a chicken egg starts to develop but dies before it hatches, and they cook it and eat it. so yeah.

Wearing: a suit and a bright red tie.

Investigators: nothing new

Story: i'll just send pics

Weather: cold, but not unpleasant

Pictures: ok BIG BUDDHA!

Advice: keep up the good work, you're doing great.

Anything else: Thanks for the old pics of me, I liked it. Keep it up and keep me updated on people.

Love,

Elder Osborne

baloooooot! Ate it like it was nothing. Some elders can't even get it down without almost throwing up:)

Advice on Homesickness

This week was pretty good, it's crazy how many miracles and blessings come when you are doing your best with what you got. We're doing good. Home sounds good, Honey sounds homesick, I didn't expect that from her so much, but it's good, means that we grew up in a good home with a good mom. I've got mission blessings to help me not be homesick. Life just keeps moving on.

Yeah, I still can't cook for myself that well either. I'm not really sure what to tell you about homesickness, you know just about as much as me at this point. I never really got that homesick, and if it did hit me I knew I would see you guys again no matter what. That's a huge blessing of the gospel that I never realized until I moved out. It's a good lesson to learn.

By the way, I just sent some books and poopy pants and stuff your way, should take quite a while, air is too expensive and I got time. The tiger pants are for Alex, Madie can choose a pair if she wants to as well. The rest are mine, but feel free to wear them when you want;)

I'm not going to stay on the mission schedule when I get back, that's weird. I don't think I'm going to be a weird RM. Hopefully. I am going to be awesome though. I'll fill out your thing now.

For pday: Not much, just sent a package home.
Best thing this week: Just seeing miracles keep happening and getting some cool revelations on how to help our situation.
Food: Ate some super good spicy taam jai twice this week. It's this awesome spicy noodle soup stuff. Got up to a spice level that most natives wont even dare to eat. Actually hong kong people don't really like spice at all. I'm not really sure why the restaurants still have this level of spice. I'm glad they do though cause it's awesome.
Wearing: a grey floral tie.
Investigators: got some good potentials coming up, got fonged a lot this week, but it's ok.
Story: Nothing really specific that I can tell as a story this time. Sorry.
Weather: raining.
Pictures: I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, I left my adapter at home on accident. I'm a terrible brother, ugh. I feel so dumb on this one. I promise I'll get you TONS of pics next week. Next week is temple day too, so I'll be emailing on tuesday instead of monday.
Advice: Do what you know to do, work hard, have purpose in all you do, that will fight the homesickness more than anything except for praying and studying scriptures
Anything else: Keep up the good work. Been on any dates lately? Any guys that you want to date around campus?

Hong Kong is doing well, I love it more and more every day. I'll miss being a missionary but the Lord put a limit on it, so I guess I'll just trust Him and adapt when the time comes. That's about it for this week, I love you all and I'll hear from you soon!

Love,
Elder Osborne

New Year

Home sounds different, Honey's moved out, huh? That's a weird thought. Still seems normal though. I'm doing good, not much too different, working hard and seeing miracles. 2014 went by so fast in in such a different way than I'm used to. Time is weird, I don't even want to think about it.

Just barely had a super happy p-day, went up to big buddha by our house. Lantau island is pretty cool, I'd send pictures but I forgot my SD card adapter, so I guess next week. We all had a ton of fun, just got to goof off a bit and relax. (In a good way.)

Matt hasn't emailed me yet, I think I'll email him in a bit. That's crazy fast. I don't know how I could ever do that so fast. Seems like everyone's getting married, I guess all my mission buddies and I will be hanging out a lot then. Any other noteworthy people getting married? I'd like to know maybe.

Well, I'm doing good, not much to report, having fun, working hard. Well, let me know how you're doing lately. I'll fill out the thing now.
For pday: Went to big buddha, this huge buddha statue on lantau island where I'm serving.
Best thing this week: Had some cool miracles I'll tell you about in the story section.
Food: nothing new I think.
Wearing: normal people clothes.
Investigators:
Story: So I was emailing last week when this chinese guy comes up to me in the library, speaks English to me and I end up just giving him a flyer. Calls us the next night, which never happens, no one calls us! So we end up going to meet him in this richer spot in our area, and we taught him! Turns out he is an economics professor in Vancouver visting his mother who has alzheimers. He's planning on staying at least a year here. Super prepared and cool.
Weather: nice, but cloudy, but it's usually cloudy here so it's ok.
Pictures: sorry, forgot my adapter.
Advice: just be yourself wherever you are, do the right thing, have fun.
Anything else: not much, seems like everyone's getting married now, what's going on with stuff?

Weeeeelllllllll, that's about it for this week, keep doing good, I love you all and I'll hear from you in a bit.

Love,
Elder Osborne

Shoutout to Nelson Leung!

Calling was awesome, it's good to hear everyone, Jug's voice went low, that was super weird. Things are about the same from the phone call. I feel like we went a tad long, but oh well, it was good. I hope that you're all having fun in sanfran, just relax and enjoy the weather and all the awesome asians. I'm going to look forward to checking out San Francisco, sounds like my kind of place.

Today I'm going to check out mong kok again a bit, we were going to big buddha, but the assistants cancelled going with us to pick up Elder Falk's suit at cheung hings so we'll just be picking up our custom white shirts and shopping a bit. Too much shopping lately, really looking forward to a hike p-day. The weather is beautiful today, it's too bad that we're not going. Still doing good though, had a really good Christmas time and I'm sure we'll have a great new year.
Hope you're having fun/ maybe watching the sweet hotel cable. I'll fill out the thingy now.

For pday: Picking up shirts/ shopping cause we nothing else to do.
Best thing this week: the phone call.
Next temple day: jan. 14th? i think...
Food: had lots of good stuff for christmas, sister chan and her family in our ward made some really good chicken stuff for us from a pinterest recipe, not chinese, but still super good food.
Wearing: a tie I got from hong kong with a cheap suit coat I got a mong kok to match my black finding pants.
Investigators: not much new, might end up teaching this one guy named simon that Elder Maddux might have taught before. He's like 71, but looks like he's 50 and is part chinese, japanese, and korean.
Story:
Weather: super nice today.
Advice: have fun on vacation:)
Pictures: ok, so the one with me and the guy is me and Nelson Leung. He's in our branch and loves my blog, put this pic up and give him a shoutout. He's a cool guy. The other is When we visited a super nice less active. this is her half middle eastern, half asian son, she married a middle eastern guy.
Anything else: nope, not really.
If you’re shopping, what are you shopping for?: Not much today, might get some MK jai stuff. Ask kobe if you don't know what mk jai is. 

Keep playing hard in sanfran and I'll keep working hard in hong kong. Eat some chinese food for me, maybe take some pictures of china town, I'd like to check it out. I love you all and I'll hear from you next week.

Love, 

Elder Osborne

Here's some pics of our apartment

kitchen and bedroom My bed is the one with the kissing bunnies

Merry Christmas from HK

So transfers happened like they always do for me, I'm staying with Elder Koochin in Tung Chung, so no big changes here for me, like the whole mission moved around and I'm still here. I guess I'm either indispensable or just a huge pest;) Also Elder Williams, one of my old companions is now my zone leader. That's pretty cool. As for christmas calls, I think You'll be getting a call from me christmas around 5ish your time, so you can plan on that.

Tell Madie I said congratulations!!! City missions are the best. There's just something about the city just gets me now. I guess I've just turned into a city boy now. Don't tell dad. Yes, I like Neil Diamond, I like everything by now. pretty much everything. Oh, I got yours and Grandmas package now, thank you guys so much! This apartment needed some snacks and stuff, the shirts will be good for exercise and hiking too. I'm so grateful for you guys, especially you, Mom. I especially liked your note, your notes make me want to work harder and harder.

I'll fill out your thing now.
Did you get moved?: no
(If yes) where to, tell us about it: haha
New comp?: no
For pday: got a christmas party with the zone, should be fun.
Best thing this week: found a golden person for some sisters in another area. Haven't found someone this golden in like pretty much ever.
Food: lots of candy.
Wearing: a nice red christmasy tie
Investigators: not a lot for us
Story: not much, just found the golden on the street and she was super nice.
Weather: cold, but not nearly as bad as last year.
Pictures: ok so here's some christmas pics.
Advice: go on a mission
Anything else: doing good, looking forward to calling you guys.

Hopefully it snows a bit for christmas for you guys this year, that would be nice. I'll send some cool christmas pics of me and Elder Koochin in one of my new suits. I think you'll like it:) We're doing good though, doing some good work, doing awesome.加油! Have fun, keep it up and have a merry christmas!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Osborne
龐長老

HEY!!!! that's my dad!!!!!

Life in HK is good, christmas is coming and moves calls is this week. This week was a bit uneventful for us too, just lots of christmas stuff. The international Elders in our apartment just baptized a french guy though, that was cool. Things are good, i'm really liking this year's christmas, makes me want to stay here longer.
Just got my suits, they're super nice, I'll send pictures next week:) The weather is good, a bit warmer than normal hong kong winters but that's ok. We'll be doing some more shopping too today. Sister hawks almost outlawed contacts because a lot of missionaries are getting winter eye infections so I bought a super nice cheaper pair of eyeglasses that I'm picking up today. We found a really good store, so the whole apartment got a pair. The work here is going well 啊俊(a-jeun), one of my investigators in kwun tong just got baptized, so I'm pretty happy with that. Yeah that's about it this week, oh and matt just emailed me that he's getting engaged, help him!!!!!!! 太快,太快 (too fast, too fast)!!!!!

Is madie excited to get her call soon? I'll fill out your thing now.
For pday: shopping!!
Best thing this week: lots of baptisms everywhere, and we're getting super close to reactivating brother ho.
Next temple day: 唔知 (don't know)
Do you think you will be moved next moves?: can't say, I got a feeling as what's going to happen, but I can't tell you
Food: nothing new
Wearing: a nice hk purple tie
Investigators: still the same
Story: I'll tell you the story of joel, the guy who got baptized yesterday. One day a chinese member invites his chinese wife and him to a cantonese ward, goes once, can't understand anything, but got a good feeling. 6 months later he runs into a white member that started going to the english branch and invited joel to come. hasn't missed a week since. When he got baptized his son was awesome, he just points to another kid and point and yells at him right after. "HEY!!!! that's my dad!!!!!" funny kid. so yeah, there's a story.
Weather: nice
Advice: 加油! (refuel)
Pictures: here's when we went to this super boonie place in our area to follow up on this potential chinese family that the english elders found a while back. Got rejected, but got to ride a cool ferry back home and also got to see the giant bridge to mainland and macau getting made.
Anything else: not really, have you heard about anyone else getting married or other big stuff happening?
If you’re shopping, what are you shopping for?: Eyeglasses and thinking about stuff for you guys.
Did you get your suits yet?: yes. they are very very 靚仔 (handsome).

Love,
Elder Osborne

Christmas is coming!

This week was good, It's gotten much colder here, but still nice most of the time. We're doing great, things are good here. Doing some good work with helping the ward with the work here and having good success with some less-actives. Christmas is coming, I'm super happy about that lately, I'm not sure why but I just feel super into Christmas this year, I love singing christmas hymns and stuff.

I might be getting you some cool fabric and stuff, I checked out pearls, but they might not be real, how do you know if pearls are real? I feel horrible, Honey will be very happy to know that I've learned to love shopping. Especially in Hong Kong, Hong Kong is a unique fun place for just looking at cool stuff.

Thanks so much for the package, I love your packages, packages are nice. I'll fill out your thingy now.

For pday: Going crazy shopping, found a place to buy perscription glasses for about 25 dollars american. Awesome. We're going to mong kok, the coolest place to shop ever.
Best thing this week: I can't tell you my favorite part, but on of my favorites was teaching a bunch of little 6-10 year old boys and their moms about suit and formal wear vocab this last weeks english class.
Food: red thai curry is awesome
Wearing: a cool stripy hong kong tie
Investigators: Got a refferal named a-ming, she's super nice and has two really cool sons named charles and wilson.
Story: Funny? spritual?
Weather: colder
Pictures: ok
Advice: Be patient in trials, be happy, and keep going for your dreams.
Anything else: Not really, any stuff you want from Hong Kong?
When will you call for Christmas? Do you know what time? I can call any time I want, as long as it's around christmas, we'll figure it out.

well, 加油, 我愛你哋大家! Also I messed up on the last chinese stuff I sent really bad, sorry. I'll get you some stuff that you can use for christmas stuff. there is 家庭是永恆的 is families are eternal and there is 聖誕節快樂 is merry christmas 龐家庭 is the pong family. Let me know if there's any special requests for me, I'll do my best. 繼續努力! I love ya'll and I'll hear from you soon.

愛,
龐長老

Elder Osborne 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was good, had a big thanksgiving lunch with our zone, had turkey, pie, mashed potatoes, everything. It was super happy. We're doing good, not too much new, working with lots of less actives lately. We had a branch barbeque this week and a ton of less actives came and brought friends that might actually have gospel interest. It's funny how less actives can be better at being missionaries than the active members sometimes. christmas decorations are going up all over here, makes me happy. I don't need deodorant yet, I'm doing all right so far on all that stuff, just treats and cookies would be nice. Also popcorn. I'll try and send some pics for the christmas card, any special suggestions? We set up a little christmas tree in our apartment, I'll send some of that. Our apartment is technically the biggest in the mission, so we have plenty of room for it.

I've gotten so asian out here, I'm even drinking the super bitter herbal teas and doing all sorts of weird asian stuff now. I'll show you some stuff one day. I'll fill out the thing now.

For pday: Getting a second fitting for my suits and also going ice skating.
Best thing this week: Had a pretty happy branch barbeque, our branch president is awesome at organizing stuff, he's so cool.
Food: I'll have to teach everyone how to chinese barbecue, it has way more meat and is way different from ours.
Investigators: got some referrals this week, should have some cool new people soon.
For thanksgiving: zone thanksgiving party.
Story: nothing too big to tell
I want for Christmas: money to buy hong kong stuff for me and all of ya'lls.
Weather: finally got cold today, it's been unseanably warm and nice here for all of november
Pictures: next email.
Advice: keep up the good work, you seem like you're doing great lately, enjoy christmas and be happy.

Love,

Elder Osborne

雪 Means Snow

This week was really good, Working hard, not much has really changed since thursday, got a new young ward correlator so that was cool. I'll see what I can do to get to stuff you want me to bring back for you, pearls aren't that big here in hk, thats more japan I think. Jade is huge though. I think I know a place to get some cool fabric for you.

we're doing good, the thanksgiving party with missionaries is this thursday, so that should be fun. Is there anything else special you want me to get for the family? I might send some stuff for christmas maybe and also maybe some other things.


I'm super excited about madie! It looks like we'll just have a constant steam of missionaries out in the osborne family, the world does need a sister osborne, hopefully she'll go to asia! Tell her that I'm super proud and I said congratulations!!!!! Missions are awesome!!


Why is our house always so full of babies all the time? Also white handbook says that I shouldn't meet up with past friends and associates on the mission, so tell jason player I'm sorry that we probably won't be able to see each other. Super cool that he's in hong kong though. I'll fill out the thingy now.


For pday: Going to this place called the jade market near mong kok
Best thing this week: besides temple, seeing some huge progress with some less actives and stuff, it's cool to see people grow.
Food: not much new, a member made mexican food for our lunch on sunday though:)
Did you get your suits? Not yet, I still need to go in for a second fitting, but they haven't called yet.
Investigators: not much new, still got sister sung, 宋姊妹
For thanksgiving: got a big zone thanksgiving party
Teach us a word (haha kobe taught me how to say toast-something like tosi?, he said my chinese was so bad):
多士 is dosi which is toast. I'll teach you how to say snow: 雪 syut. Also I'm thinking about making everyones chinese names. pretty close with jugs, lou will definitely have 雪 in her name cause her hair and people actually use it in names. You I'm not so sure
Story: not much new yet.
Weather: super pleasant, unusually warm for this time of year.
Pictures: didn't take any new ones yet, sorry:/
Advice: Trials are just opportunities to grow and become better than you were before. Many of the trials of my mission are some of my most precious experiences and I'm glad they happened to make me stronger and closer to Jesus Christ. Having trials means Heavenly father trusts you and knows how great you can become.




Well, there's not much else this week, have fun, be good, and 加油!

Love,

龐長老 Elder Osborne
記隹,我好愛你他大家!

1000 Year Old Egg

This week was pretty good, seeing lots of progress, we'll see how things go in tung chung. Just barely got back from the temple, which was super nice. Not really too much to report this week. I got 2 suits last pday so I'll send you pics of the fabrics, they're not done yet. they were actually cheaper than I thought they would be, so that's good. Things are happening so fast, everyone is getting married, the sisters in the MTC with me are long gone, time just moves by so ridiculously fast now, I hate it.
So how was trevors wedding? Where was it? Home sounds crazy as ever. I'm really not sure what to tell y'alls this week, I'm sorry. Things are going good though, I'm happy, I'm growing, and things just keep on happening so fast.

I'll fill out the thing now.
For pday: Temple and mong kok
Best thing this week: temple
Food: lots of curry
Investigators: still got sister sung
I am studying: lots of characters and how to say bible quotes in chinese
I am feeling: happy
Next temple day: next move
Teach us a word: jou sahn is good morning:) I say this all the time
Story: none, mwahaha!
Did you buy a suit? if yes, what color? in the pic
Pictures: ok, didn't really take any this week, sorry
Anything else you want to say: Not really , doing good, just not too much going on right now.

Also, we ended up having an adventure last week showing some couple missionaries what 1000 year old eggs were like and she set this thing up to show everybody, hopefully you like it.

I hope everyone is doing well, I'll keep up the good work, and so should all of you!

Love,
Elder Osborne

There were two documents attached in the email talking about the 1000 year old egg and the salted duck egg. Here they are:

#1 - Century egg  also known as preserved egg, hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, thousand-year-old egg, and millennium egg, is a Chinese cuisine ingredient made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing.

Through the process, the yolk becomes a dark green to grey colour, with a creamy consistency and an odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, translucent jelly with salty or little flavour. The transforming agent in the century egg is its alkaline material, which gradually raises the pH of the egg to around 9–12, or more during the curing process. This chemical process breaks down some of the complex, flavorless proteins and fats, which produces a variety of smaller flavorful compounds.

Some eggs have patterns near the surface of the egg white that are likened to pine branches, and that gives rise to one of its Chinese names, the pine-patterned egg.

The origin of the method for creating century eggs likely came about through the need to preserve eggs in times of plenty by coating them in alkaline clay, which is similar to methods of egg preservation in some Western cultures.  The clay hardens around the egg and results in the curing and creation of century eggs instead of spoiled eggs.

According to some, the century egg has over five centuries of history behind its production. Its discovery, though not verifiable, was said to have occurred around 600 years ago in Hunan during the Ming Dynasty, when a homeowner discovered duck eggs in a shallow pool of slaked lime that was used for mortar during construction of his home two months before. Upon tasting the eggs, he set out to produce more — this time with the addition of salt to improve their flavor — resulting in the present recipe of the century egg.

Traditional

The traditional method for producing century eggs is the development and improvement from the aforementioned primitive process. Instead of using just clay, a mixture of wood ash, quicklime, and salt is included in the plastering mixture, thereby increasing its pH and sodium content. This addition of natural alkaline compounds improved the odds of creating century eggs instead of spoilage and also increased the speed of the aforementioned primitive process. A recipe for creating century eggs through this process starts with the infusion of three pounds of tea in boiling water. To the tea, three pounds of quicklime (or seven pounds when the operation is performed in winter), nine pounds ofsea salt, and seven pounds of wood ash from burned oak is mixed into a smooth paste. While wearing gloves to prevent the lime corroding the skin, each egg is individually covered by hand, then rolled in a mass of rice chaff to keep the eggs from adhering to one another before they are placed in cloth-covered jars or tightly woven baskets. The mud slowly dries and hardens into a crust over several months, and then the eggs are ready for consumption.

Modern

Even though the traditional method is still widely practiced, modern understanding of the chemistry behind the formation of century eggs has led to many simplifications in the recipe. For instance, soaking the eggs in a brine of salt, calcium hydroxide, and sodium carbonate for 10 days followed by several weeks of aging while wrapped in plastic is said to achieve the same effect as the traditional method. This is because egg-curing in both the new and traditional methods is accomplished by introducing hydroxide ions and sodium into the egg.

The poisonous compound lead oxide increases the curing speed of century eggs, which has led to some unscrupulous producers in the past adding it to their curing mixtures. However, zinc oxide is now used as a safer alternative. Although zinc is an essential micronutrient, excessive zinc consumption can lead to copper deficiency, so the zinc content needs to be checked for safety.

#2 - A salted duck egg is a Chinese preserved food product made by soaking duck eggs in brine, or packing each egg in damp, salted charcoal. In Asian supermarkets, these eggs are sometimes sold covered in a thick layer of salted charcoal paste. The eggs may also be sold with the salted paste removed, wrapped in plastic, and vacuum packed. From the salt curing process, the salted duck eggs have a briny aroma, a gelatin-like egg white and a firm-textured, round yolk that is bright orange-red in color.

Salted duck eggs are normally boiled or steamed before being peeled and eaten as a condiment to congee or cooked with other foods as a flavoring. The egg white has a sharp, salty taste. The orange red yolk is rich, fatty, and less salty. The yolk is prized and is used in Chinese mooncakes to symbolize the moon.

Despite its name, salted duck eggs can also be made from chicken eggs, though the taste and texture will be somewhat different, and the egg yolk will be less rich.