OK, so I wrote a post about the fabulous weekend we had and it has pics to describe it, but the pics won't download for some reason. I keep trying, but nothing will come up. Therefore, you will get another tidbit until I can load them:)
The Tram and the Tour Guide.
When Ashlynn started her first year of school I was delighted to have the privilege of taking her to school. This was in Hong Kong and her school was located at The Peak. The most convenient and fast way for us to get there was via tram, straight up the mountain. So every morning we would walk a couple of blocks to the small path which led to the MacDonnell Road tram stop. Along the way we would pass the trash ladies taking out the accumulated trash from all of the high-rises , where they would deposit it in heaps along the road, and the trash diggers who would be pawing through it all looking for anything fixable or salvageable that they could try to sell or give to family members. One old man had a little stand on the road and he would always squeeze every bag listening for the crunch of a soda can to recycle. Then as we turned up the step the aroma of “the stinky stairs” would hit. These were the stairs that every dog in the neighborhood used as a bathroom. It was forbidden to fall on these stairs as your hands and everything else would have to be thoroughly scrubbed and sanitized before they would ever again be considered clean.
Now, the tram itself is a huge tourist attraction. Everyday thousands of people are transported up and down. The views are spectacular and it truly is a fun experience to be going at such a steep incline, in a boxcar, and realize that the buildings themselves look like they going perpendicular to you; like they are going to slide or break off. Also, there is always a point when you are going up and the tram clears the tree line where, if the pollution isn’t too bad, you suddenly come upon a view of the entire Hong Kong skyline, Victoria harbor and across from that you can see the Kowloon skyline as well. It is truly breathtaking.
Yet, it only took us a couple weeks of riding before we forgot to look and appreciate what we had. The tram became another chore in the routine of our day and we didn’t stop to think about its beauty. Most often we would be talking about the coming day or perhaps a dog (usually a small, little guy named George) we had seen on the stinky stairs. That was when the Japanese tour guide came along. He started bring on the tourists’ once or twice a week. This guy got a kick out of going into the aisle at the steepest point and demonstrating, using the angle of his body, just how steep it really was. Well, as soon as he would step into the aisle the entire group would gasp and his smug smile would be appreciated by all as they took pictures and clapped. I loved it.
Every group loved it. Then, as soon as we would cross the treeline he would point, like a proud father, at the beauty of the view. It was great. It taught me to always look at things with fresh eyes. So many times we fall into a pattern and get used to the present, forgetting to open the box and appreciate the contents. Life is about the opening the box and inhaling the aroma even if you already know what it smells like.
Hopefully everyone will be able to keep up with our adventures with this blog. We love and miss you all!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Ash's Debut
Brielle being goofy!
Ash singing with the others
I so tried to get a good picture of the two of them, but they were being goof balls and this was as good as it gets...This is a video of Ashlynn singing her New Years song in Mandarin. She was asked to do it for a Chinese New Year celebration held at Hoss's work for the local nationals. She was super nervous before, but did great on stage. The girls won best dressed too:)
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Today's Picture
To make it even I thought I should post this older picture of Ashlynn in her GI:)
Brielle wants to do anything and everything her father does. In her eyes he is a god. Her dreams of joining him in the profession are only shared with becoming "the barbie that rides on a Pegasus" and being a dancer. So, ever since he started Brazilian Ju Jitsu she has been begging to go. Well, today she had to get her four year old shots and was so good that he told her she could finally go:) Here is a picture of the two of them when he was stretching out. She lasted about a half hour before she got completely bored, but I definitely think it was the highlight of her day!
The Security Guard
There is a local gentleman who works on the corner by the pee tree (the tree ALL the dogs pee at) as a security guard. He is rather abrupt and mean looking and he works at an apartment building with signs posted everywhere about not letting your dogs pee on the planters, building and walls. One of my first encounters with him was one bad morning before I had, had my coffee. I was walking Ashlynn to the bus and Hoss was still at PT. So, I had Brielle with me and, as is the custom, I brought Max down with me for his morning bathroom duties to get everything knocked out at once. However, we live on the 7th floor and there is only one main elevator (the back elevator is a crickity, old service one) and the main one kept coming up and down with people in it. This matters because most people are terrified of Max and so I have to wait for an empty elevator to get into. I would have taken the back elevator, but the cleaning lady does trash every morning at 8:00am. When she does this, she takes the back elevator up to the 25th floor and holds it as she hits every floor on the way down. This happens every morning, but usually I can get main elevator within a five minute period. Unfortunately, this was not the morning that it happened; instead we waited for an elevator until I was uptight and we were late to catch the bus; then we had to run down the 11 floors of stairs (including the carport). So, I dropped Ash off at the bus and Brielle, Max and I went for Max’s morning relief. We walked him around for a bit but he didn’t seem to be able to complete the pass on the solid end and after a while we just started walking back. As you can imagine we got right in front of the guard shack and down he crouches. The security guard runs out and starts yelling at me in Cantonese about Max and I just shake my head at him and grab out the newspaper to clean it up. However, as I start to clean it up Brielle starts playing on the cement railing by the road and Max starts pulling at another yappy dog that is walking by. So, I start yelling at Brielle to come down and try to pull back and get Max under control so I can stretch out my free hand to scoop up the poop. It was chaos and the security guard, who had by this time grabbed a jug of water, is watching the whole thing go down with distain; as if he thinks I am the typical out of control, disrespectful American with the crazy kid. I guess it did appear that way, but that is neither here nor there. Well, I know you don’t need the descriptor but it was the crumbly type and it was a disaster. I managed to get all but the tiniest crumb and the security guy is still yelling at me. I can tell you that I didn’t have any more paper and for Pete’s sake it was on top of a storm drain grate! So I told the security guard to splash it down with the purposeful bottle and walked off, cursing him under my breath. It was a rotten morning and hard to recover from.
Flash forward to the present. I have tried my best to forget the incident and every time I pass I make sure to wave and smile. On Chinese New Year he came out of his booth to wish me a happy new year and he makes sure to wave and smile at the kids when we pass. I feel like the one rotten experience was just a fluke and through my respect (by not letting my dog pee on his building or ever poo again near him) he has learned I am different. Now, I look forward to waving at him and his friendly smile. I think I will actually miss seeing him on the morning routine and I hope he will notice my absence as well. Maybe we have both gained something from the experience. I know I have.
Flash forward to the present. I have tried my best to forget the incident and every time I pass I make sure to wave and smile. On Chinese New Year he came out of his booth to wish me a happy new year and he makes sure to wave and smile at the kids when we pass. I feel like the one rotten experience was just a fluke and through my respect (by not letting my dog pee on his building or ever poo again near him) he has learned I am different. Now, I look forward to waving at him and his friendly smile. I think I will actually miss seeing him on the morning routine and I hope he will notice my absence as well. Maybe we have both gained something from the experience. I know I have.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Before and After
I thought I'd post the two pictures to show you how much the girls have changed and grown. The first was taken last week and the second was taken over a year ago. How sweet and cute they are!
Happy Birthday Brielle!
This is a clip of Brielle singing for me today. It was another of her nonsense songs from the heart...you'll also notice the shelves. She took all her birthday ballons and made a "balloon store":) The cardboard is a "holder shelf" she made to keep the ballons I bought in.
Today was Brielle's 4th birthday!!!! She was such and angel about everything. For breakfast she started out with blueberries, strawberries and grapes (apparently she wanted mango too, but I didn't hear that part yesterday:). Then opening family presents and up to the rooftop to get some energy out and play with the friends who came for her party. Remember we don't have many toys so I had to occupy them some other way for a bit. After that it was back downstairs where we had more fruit, corndogs and chips with the cake. This years cake was nothing like last years. Last year I did a really cool one (I'll try to find a picture, sorry couldn't find it I looked) and this year all I had was the spatula they gave us in our moving kit. So I bought a Reynolds pan and cooked up a round cake that I decorated with store bought icing. Then as was the theme this year, I put some new "My Little Ponys" on top. She was funny about her theme. She had My Little Pony stuff for her friends and then insisted on getting camouflage plates and napkins for Hoss and his coworkers (who she pretty much begged to come for the last couple of months). They did come and were so sweet about it. I am very thankful for everyone here that we have been privileged to be around here. It was a great day. Ashlynn had a really hard time of it as we made sure Brielle felt special and was able to dictate the day, but I think she still had fun at the party.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A tidbit...
So yesterday I had a wonderful time in China!!!! The pearl market was too much fun and I could have spent days there looking for the perfect strand. At any rate I am still a bit exausted from the long day and have yet to go out and pick up everything for Brielle's birthday tomorrow. So, in the interest of my mental capacity and time, I am going to post a piece from the book I've been working for the girls. It's going to be filled with stories about me. I guess as I move forward in my life I wish I had more to reflect on in my past. (and my recollections of my father get more and more dim). So, in case anything ever happens to me I want them to know who I was. Anywho here is a piece from it:
The Sunrise over the Ocean.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so at peace as when I am near the ocean. Everything about the ocean is calming for me. I could sit on a beach from sun up to sundown and just feel the beauty in the motion of the water. I am enthralled by the sound and enchanted by the life and pattern of the waves. The people who are around me have no bearing on my mesmerization and I can always find my center at the water. Just the smell alone when I am standing near an ocean, without seeing it, is enough to make me take a deep breath and remember who I am and where I came from.
I believe my love of the ocean comes from fond memories of visiting my relatives in Rhode Island. My brothers and I would spend our mornings at the beach digging in the sand and splashing around with my cousins. My grandparents’ house is only a short walk away from the Providence beaches. Sometimes we would heave enormous rocks (big in a small child’s eyes) onto the sand and wait for the squirt of the clams that would gush up through the grains. Then we’d dig down as fast as we could to try to get the offender. Our parents were even good natured enough to cook up the few we caught and let us destroy the unlucky oysters looking for the elusive pearl.
This fondness only grew as my childhood in Montana was dominated by mountains and land-based adventures. I should stop right here to mention though that once I was invited to a birthday party at the lake and our sleepover spot was in the cabin of my friend’s father’s boat. I didn’t last fifteen minutes before my mind was convinced that the boat was going to go down while I was sleeping and we all would drown. I left embarrassed and crying. So, it is rather funny that my love with the water progressed until I eventually joined The U.S. Navy when I was eighteen.
This led to my first duty station, the USS Belleau Wood. We had such the relationship, that ship and I. Some days I walked on with an enthusiasm and joy and others were a lot harder; those were the days I walked off with joy. I remember the day we pulled out on our six month deployment. Hoss dropped me off at the pier and said his usual quick goodbye. We were determined not to make a scene and if I remember right he didn’t even get out of the car. I made it to the berthing and that was about it. I spent the next two hours balling my eyes out and willingly myself off the ship and back into his arms. I distinctly remember one girl’s mom was there seeing her off and she just looked at me with such pity and asked her daughter about me; who told her I was married. It was not pity I wanted, it was Hoss; but that is neither here nor there.
That night, the next morning and during the many that followed I would make my way to the opening in the hanger bay that reached out onto the water. I would look out and watch the sunrise and sunset with nothing to get in the way. The blue of the water was so deep it could not be perfectly captured in any of my pictures and the sun simply melted into it until only its reflection was left to remind you of the events past. No matter the time of day or night I could always make my way to the ocean and feel as if my problems were nothing compared to the vast control of the sea and the figure behind it who never let it swallow me up. Then I could go below again and the water would rock my small bed to sleep where I could wake refreshed to face another day. I do miss those days and the comforting feel of the ocean beneath my feet.
The Sunrise over the Ocean.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so at peace as when I am near the ocean. Everything about the ocean is calming for me. I could sit on a beach from sun up to sundown and just feel the beauty in the motion of the water. I am enthralled by the sound and enchanted by the life and pattern of the waves. The people who are around me have no bearing on my mesmerization and I can always find my center at the water. Just the smell alone when I am standing near an ocean, without seeing it, is enough to make me take a deep breath and remember who I am and where I came from.
I believe my love of the ocean comes from fond memories of visiting my relatives in Rhode Island. My brothers and I would spend our mornings at the beach digging in the sand and splashing around with my cousins. My grandparents’ house is only a short walk away from the Providence beaches. Sometimes we would heave enormous rocks (big in a small child’s eyes) onto the sand and wait for the squirt of the clams that would gush up through the grains. Then we’d dig down as fast as we could to try to get the offender. Our parents were even good natured enough to cook up the few we caught and let us destroy the unlucky oysters looking for the elusive pearl.
This fondness only grew as my childhood in Montana was dominated by mountains and land-based adventures. I should stop right here to mention though that once I was invited to a birthday party at the lake and our sleepover spot was in the cabin of my friend’s father’s boat. I didn’t last fifteen minutes before my mind was convinced that the boat was going to go down while I was sleeping and we all would drown. I left embarrassed and crying. So, it is rather funny that my love with the water progressed until I eventually joined The U.S. Navy when I was eighteen.
This led to my first duty station, the USS Belleau Wood. We had such the relationship, that ship and I. Some days I walked on with an enthusiasm and joy and others were a lot harder; those were the days I walked off with joy. I remember the day we pulled out on our six month deployment. Hoss dropped me off at the pier and said his usual quick goodbye. We were determined not to make a scene and if I remember right he didn’t even get out of the car. I made it to the berthing and that was about it. I spent the next two hours balling my eyes out and willingly myself off the ship and back into his arms. I distinctly remember one girl’s mom was there seeing her off and she just looked at me with such pity and asked her daughter about me; who told her I was married. It was not pity I wanted, it was Hoss; but that is neither here nor there.
That night, the next morning and during the many that followed I would make my way to the opening in the hanger bay that reached out onto the water. I would look out and watch the sunrise and sunset with nothing to get in the way. The blue of the water was so deep it could not be perfectly captured in any of my pictures and the sun simply melted into it until only its reflection was left to remind you of the events past. No matter the time of day or night I could always make my way to the ocean and feel as if my problems were nothing compared to the vast control of the sea and the figure behind it who never let it swallow me up. Then I could go below again and the water would rock my small bed to sleep where I could wake refreshed to face another day. I do miss those days and the comforting feel of the ocean beneath my feet.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
What I will not miss about Hong Kong
A fun pic of the girls playing in the "snow" (bubbles) at Ocean Park.They were convinced it was real... I will not miss standing out in a bad way...
You see some people here do not really enjoy people of a lighter skin color. It's not my fault, there have been many before me, but it's definitely something I deal with on an everyday basis. For example, if I am trying to take a taxi and put my arm out to get an available one coming down the road it may pass me up. It will pass me up and not one block further down (where I can see) it will pick up a person with a more Asain look than my ancestry gave me. This racism will happen in lines (called queues here), buses, resturants and any other place where you may need service or be waiting. I have done what little I can to change these people's perception, but have never seen the fruits of my labour manifest themselves.
I will not miss my kids being sick.
As I write Ash has had a fever for the last four days. This is nothing new, just something we deal with and that I have developed lots of techniques for. We even now will go out. I have brought them to birthdays and everything like this. All it is, is a fever. There are no other symptoms. They eat and sleep just fine and as long as I keep them medicated they feel just fine. There seems to be nothing I can do to prevent it. Their bodies just can't deal with the pollution, at least I think. I used to bring them into the doctor every time, but after so many times I just call now and the staff will give me the rundown and the reassurance over the phone. So, life goes on, but I will be glad when it goes on without the fevers:)
But enough negative...
Tomorrow I get to take my last trip over the border and into China!!!! I'll be visiting the markets of GuanZhou! I can't wait! I do feel terribly guilty leaving Ash with a fever, but Hoss has assured me that he'll be as paranoid as I usually am. And since it's Ash I know she'll vocalize if she needs something. Brielle will get up to 104 and never say a word. If Ash crosses 100 she starts talking about her eyes and head and temp. So yeah, I'm really looking forward to it and I'm bringing my computer so I can work on the dreaded paper on the way there and back. I have loved all my shopping trips across the border, hopefully this one will be no different and I can get the last something special to keep for myself and or the girls for memories of this foreign land.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Fun Pictures
The girls at the nunnery. My absolute favorite spot in Hong Kong!
On the boardwalk (Thanks Kels for the editing!)
Lantern Festival (careful about the mooncakes, they are made with lotus paste and lard...yummy:)
Toy Market at Chinese New Year
The Big Buddha!
Christmas time with Kelly Friday, February 18, 2011
I will miss...
I will miss the fabulous people here who have made the Hong Kong adventure so much more fun. The playgroup crowd and all the people who are so supportive of Hoss and the guys. It has made this a pleasant place...but enough of that...as sincere as it is, it sounds cheesy to say.
I will miss the adventure you can find in every day. Even just a trip downtown can be fun when you turn down a side street and find a random store filled with trinkets or a wall of jewellery. You wouldn't believe the amount of markets here. There is one for beads, one for flowers, ribbons, jade, fake designer brand names, toys, furniture...you name it they will have a section of the city set aside for millions of overwhelming choices to be haggled for. And even if you take a wrong turn you will only find a better place. Once I went out the wrong train exit trying to find the ribbon market and poof I found a place with old, replica coins and hanging things:) There is always something to be discovered here. Of course it is much easier with Ash in school, because Brielle is so much more willing to be dragged along with the bribe of an ice cream than Ash is. Also, she still manages to fit in our backpacks so I can put her in there and she is safe and happy and good for 3+ hours.
I will also miss the smells. Hong Kong is translated literally into "fragrant harbour". Everywhere you go there is a unique smell that goes along with the area you are in. Soho has the smell of food and makes you think of a hip, swanky place. Downtown is dominated by the smell of pollution and the push of crowd that swells to an unmanageable pace during the lunch hour. Brielle, the poor thing, hates this time because she is purse level and constantly gets whacked by peoples purses in the crowd. Most the time I just end up picking her up to avoid it. Causeway bay has the smell of the ocean mixed with pollution. Bowen road smells of the jungle and pollution...Do you see a trend:) but anyhow, I do love the smells!
Pollution takes up every aspect of our lives. When I first moved here and read the reports I figured it couldn't be that bad...but it is. As of October the girls bodies are done with it. Brielle's nose drips on a regular basis and she has a cough most of the time. Speaking of which, during this time I ave managed to find both menthol and strawberry scented kleenex:) Both girls get high (102-104) fevers at least once a month and Ashlynn's tummy hurts a couple times a week. When the index is high they don't even recommend us to go outside. I think our bodies have just broken down and need fresh air. Even wiping down the TV a couple times a week yields a layer of black on the rag. Yet, I think Hoss has the worst of it though, he has to PT in it and some days comes back from his runs and spend the next two hours coughing and feeling awful. I was told that there are three things that makes this a ripe atmosphere to get sick in.
1. It never gets cold enough to kill viruses and is the perfect temperature/humidity to incubate them and keep them going.
2. The population is so dense that we are in close contact with people on a regular basis, especially the elevators.
3. The pollution aggravates the back of your throat and mouth so it is more susceptible to germs.
But back to what I'll miss.
The temples.
I've talked to lots of people from around Asia and they are sick of the temples. I love the temples! I could never see enough. There are tons. At least one or two can be found in any area and they are just beautiful and so inspiring. It makes me want to study their religions just to see what motivates the harmony found in their buildings. I am constantly in conflict with my feelings when I visit these places though because Christianity lacks the grandeur and peace that these buildings invoke. I know that we are supposed to get our comfort and center from inside and look to the Lord for our reward, but the places that I visit just give such a better head start in the mood department than a regular North American church. Even in Europe the regular Christian churches are so much more inspiring. They are buildings whose very walls have become museums over the years; a place where the ordinary tourist, without a religious affiliation, can walk in and feel a presence. Thailand had a definite edge on the temple department but Hong Kong is not far behind in their more demure temples. I will miss the temples.
I will also miss the cultural festivals. They are filled with exotic shows and lights of weird animals. During any holiday season every mall has some enormous exhibit set up, with a bizarre take on the meaning, that people will line up to get their picture taken in front of. For example, at The Peak right now for Chinese New Year (CNY) there is a 20 foot circular, separated bowl with all of the individual CNY foods (dyed pumpkin seeds, sesame cookies, nuts...) that are each huge and it has a furry white ball with legs sticking out of it that guards it?! Yeah, I know I should really go take a picture. And these are everywhere! It's just fun to see and the displays are always changed out to something more creative than the last. You just can't see that in America.
I will miss the diversity here.
Walking through the city you can hear at least four different languages spoken in any short trip and you can get any kind of delicious food from any ethic category. We love the food! The girls are great they have learned that a weeks menu can include Philippino pancit, Thai green curry, Japanese sushi or curry, Spaghetti, Dimsum, Chinese dumplings and they'll eat any and all of it. I have learned to cook most of it and where to find any of it in the wet markets (which are full of vendors selling fruits, veggies and freshly killed meat).
The safety.
After Tunis this place was the best thing for my sense of safety. It is a great, safe place to be. I can walk anywhere, during anytime and be fine. Mind you, I still carry my pepper spray and pocket knife everywhere but it's best to over prepared than in trouble. Also, Ash's school is awesome in this area. You have to get buzzed in to open the front and only entrance. It is small and the teachers and staff know every child and caregiver. I don't worry about what can happen to her there. As much as I have hated the lack of education in her Waldoff Steiner school the atmosphere and her confident socialization have been amazing. Boy is she in for a change when she moves to public school! Do you know there are six pedophiles within a 2 mile radius of our new address? Terrifying!
My Cushy Life!
I love my location. They spoil us in this house. It is in the middle of the city and huge. Not only that, but for $20 a week I get a sweet lady to come and thoroughly clean my house. In 3 hours she has it sparkling and smelling good. So every week is a fresh start. She even irons! Even better, in Hong Kong everything can be delivered. Since we don't have a car this is wonderful. I can order my groceries online and they will come to my front door the next day or I can go into the store and buy everything and they will box it up and deliver it for free within a couple hours! Believe me, I know how lucky I am:) I will miss this.
There is so much I love about this place. I sometimes wish we could go on like this forever overseas, but the thing that we would miss out on is family. I really miss my family and it will be really nice to be where my girls can see them on a more regular basis.
Coming tomorrow: Things I wont miss...
I will miss the adventure you can find in every day. Even just a trip downtown can be fun when you turn down a side street and find a random store filled with trinkets or a wall of jewellery. You wouldn't believe the amount of markets here. There is one for beads, one for flowers, ribbons, jade, fake designer brand names, toys, furniture...you name it they will have a section of the city set aside for millions of overwhelming choices to be haggled for. And even if you take a wrong turn you will only find a better place. Once I went out the wrong train exit trying to find the ribbon market and poof I found a place with old, replica coins and hanging things:) There is always something to be discovered here. Of course it is much easier with Ash in school, because Brielle is so much more willing to be dragged along with the bribe of an ice cream than Ash is. Also, she still manages to fit in our backpacks so I can put her in there and she is safe and happy and good for 3+ hours.
I will also miss the smells. Hong Kong is translated literally into "fragrant harbour". Everywhere you go there is a unique smell that goes along with the area you are in. Soho has the smell of food and makes you think of a hip, swanky place. Downtown is dominated by the smell of pollution and the push of crowd that swells to an unmanageable pace during the lunch hour. Brielle, the poor thing, hates this time because she is purse level and constantly gets whacked by peoples purses in the crowd. Most the time I just end up picking her up to avoid it. Causeway bay has the smell of the ocean mixed with pollution. Bowen road smells of the jungle and pollution...Do you see a trend:) but anyhow, I do love the smells!
Pollution takes up every aspect of our lives. When I first moved here and read the reports I figured it couldn't be that bad...but it is. As of October the girls bodies are done with it. Brielle's nose drips on a regular basis and she has a cough most of the time. Speaking of which, during this time I ave managed to find both menthol and strawberry scented kleenex:) Both girls get high (102-104) fevers at least once a month and Ashlynn's tummy hurts a couple times a week. When the index is high they don't even recommend us to go outside. I think our bodies have just broken down and need fresh air. Even wiping down the TV a couple times a week yields a layer of black on the rag. Yet, I think Hoss has the worst of it though, he has to PT in it and some days comes back from his runs and spend the next two hours coughing and feeling awful. I was told that there are three things that makes this a ripe atmosphere to get sick in.
1. It never gets cold enough to kill viruses and is the perfect temperature/humidity to incubate them and keep them going.
2. The population is so dense that we are in close contact with people on a regular basis, especially the elevators.
3. The pollution aggravates the back of your throat and mouth so it is more susceptible to germs.
But back to what I'll miss.
The temples.
I've talked to lots of people from around Asia and they are sick of the temples. I love the temples! I could never see enough. There are tons. At least one or two can be found in any area and they are just beautiful and so inspiring. It makes me want to study their religions just to see what motivates the harmony found in their buildings. I am constantly in conflict with my feelings when I visit these places though because Christianity lacks the grandeur and peace that these buildings invoke. I know that we are supposed to get our comfort and center from inside and look to the Lord for our reward, but the places that I visit just give such a better head start in the mood department than a regular North American church. Even in Europe the regular Christian churches are so much more inspiring. They are buildings whose very walls have become museums over the years; a place where the ordinary tourist, without a religious affiliation, can walk in and feel a presence. Thailand had a definite edge on the temple department but Hong Kong is not far behind in their more demure temples. I will miss the temples.
I will also miss the cultural festivals. They are filled with exotic shows and lights of weird animals. During any holiday season every mall has some enormous exhibit set up, with a bizarre take on the meaning, that people will line up to get their picture taken in front of. For example, at The Peak right now for Chinese New Year (CNY) there is a 20 foot circular, separated bowl with all of the individual CNY foods (dyed pumpkin seeds, sesame cookies, nuts...) that are each huge and it has a furry white ball with legs sticking out of it that guards it?! Yeah, I know I should really go take a picture. And these are everywhere! It's just fun to see and the displays are always changed out to something more creative than the last. You just can't see that in America.
I will miss the diversity here.
Walking through the city you can hear at least four different languages spoken in any short trip and you can get any kind of delicious food from any ethic category. We love the food! The girls are great they have learned that a weeks menu can include Philippino pancit, Thai green curry, Japanese sushi or curry, Spaghetti, Dimsum, Chinese dumplings and they'll eat any and all of it. I have learned to cook most of it and where to find any of it in the wet markets (which are full of vendors selling fruits, veggies and freshly killed meat).
The safety.
After Tunis this place was the best thing for my sense of safety. It is a great, safe place to be. I can walk anywhere, during anytime and be fine. Mind you, I still carry my pepper spray and pocket knife everywhere but it's best to over prepared than in trouble. Also, Ash's school is awesome in this area. You have to get buzzed in to open the front and only entrance. It is small and the teachers and staff know every child and caregiver. I don't worry about what can happen to her there. As much as I have hated the lack of education in her Waldoff Steiner school the atmosphere and her confident socialization have been amazing. Boy is she in for a change when she moves to public school! Do you know there are six pedophiles within a 2 mile radius of our new address? Terrifying!
My Cushy Life!
I love my location. They spoil us in this house. It is in the middle of the city and huge. Not only that, but for $20 a week I get a sweet lady to come and thoroughly clean my house. In 3 hours she has it sparkling and smelling good. So every week is a fresh start. She even irons! Even better, in Hong Kong everything can be delivered. Since we don't have a car this is wonderful. I can order my groceries online and they will come to my front door the next day or I can go into the store and buy everything and they will box it up and deliver it for free within a couple hours! Believe me, I know how lucky I am:) I will miss this.
There is so much I love about this place. I sometimes wish we could go on like this forever overseas, but the thing that we would miss out on is family. I really miss my family and it will be really nice to be where my girls can see them on a more regular basis.
Coming tomorrow: Things I wont miss...
Moving and Changes
Hello!
I feel like there are so many changes going on right now and the transitions are always memorable so I wanted to put them down while it's happening...no I haven't finished my thesis yet. Yes, I know it's been two years. No, I don't have any excuses. Believe you me, EVERYONE will know when it is complete:) Now, please get off my case about it (I know this is directed at nobody, but just in case you wanted to mention it to me next time we talk...please don't...it's a sore subject especially with Hoss and I). I fully realize my shortcomings in this area and am working to overcome it:)
Anyhow, we leave in 17 days!!!!!! Can you believe it?! We've been overseas for six years two months and it will all end soon. In retrospect it's odd that I left with no kids and a carefree life and I'm coming back to the same place but a totally different person with kids, responsibilities and much more awareness for the people around me. San Diego here we come!
Everything seems to be going smoothly. We had them come pack us up on the 7th. hoping that it would arrive before we do so we are now living the simple life. We have furniture and a trunk full of basic kitchen stuff and linens and of course our suitcases. (And can I take this point to say, I miss non-stick pans! Everything I make has a terrible presentation to it and is most likely burned, but we are eating and the kids are pretty good natured about it:)) Anyhow, the girls were able to pick out their favorite things to play with, but after a room full of toys to only have a bag they have been getting really creative. The My Little Pony's have taken over the bathroom during the day. Brielle uses it as her special hangout and the pony's are often found sliding down the walls and hiding in their clubhouse behind the shampoo...and when they get really bored I pull out one of the boxes I asked the movers to leave behind and they go nuts decorating, cutting and setting it up as a fort, stage (flattened of course) or dollhouse.
Ok, so that's enough for now. I need to shower and go track down a few more things for Ash's Hong Kong scrapbook so I can finish my part and get it to her school so they can do a couple pages for her like they promised. Her teachers are so great! More tomorrow I promise!
I feel like there are so many changes going on right now and the transitions are always memorable so I wanted to put them down while it's happening...no I haven't finished my thesis yet. Yes, I know it's been two years. No, I don't have any excuses. Believe you me, EVERYONE will know when it is complete:) Now, please get off my case about it (I know this is directed at nobody, but just in case you wanted to mention it to me next time we talk...please don't...it's a sore subject especially with Hoss and I). I fully realize my shortcomings in this area and am working to overcome it:)
Anyhow, we leave in 17 days!!!!!! Can you believe it?! We've been overseas for six years two months and it will all end soon. In retrospect it's odd that I left with no kids and a carefree life and I'm coming back to the same place but a totally different person with kids, responsibilities and much more awareness for the people around me. San Diego here we come!
Everything seems to be going smoothly. We had them come pack us up on the 7th. hoping that it would arrive before we do so we are now living the simple life. We have furniture and a trunk full of basic kitchen stuff and linens and of course our suitcases. (And can I take this point to say, I miss non-stick pans! Everything I make has a terrible presentation to it and is most likely burned, but we are eating and the kids are pretty good natured about it:)) Anyhow, the girls were able to pick out their favorite things to play with, but after a room full of toys to only have a bag they have been getting really creative. The My Little Pony's have taken over the bathroom during the day. Brielle uses it as her special hangout and the pony's are often found sliding down the walls and hiding in their clubhouse behind the shampoo...and when they get really bored I pull out one of the boxes I asked the movers to leave behind and they go nuts decorating, cutting and setting it up as a fort, stage (flattened of course) or dollhouse.
Ok, so that's enough for now. I need to shower and go track down a few more things for Ash's Hong Kong scrapbook so I can finish my part and get it to her school so they can do a couple pages for her like they promised. Her teachers are so great! More tomorrow I promise!
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