End of Summer Summary

Phew! If you’re reading this you must have survived my lengthy Hong Kong posts – I had so much fun looking through all those pictures and while they were heavy on the journaling it was all done before I even got home and I figured it was easier to post it as it was written than spend time editing it.

Summer was over WAY too early – I seem to have missed August entirely.  (So much for not having ANYTHING going on this summer!)  School is back in session, soccer is in full swing, Justin’s busy season at work is upon us, we are busy and I am loving it.  I’ve spent the last few days trying to get the house back in order – the floors are vacuumed and mopped, two of the toilets are clean, and the laundry is finally under control.  

Just a few pictures to wrap up our summer…

Carly took a six week art class early in the summer that was taught by the girls’ piano teacher.  Carly looked forward to going each week and the end result…

Now to find the perfect place to hang it.

When Abigail and Carly were little we went to storytime at the library every single week – rarely did we ever miss it.  The librarian, Ms. Debbie, knew the girls well and they loved participating in all the fun activities.  Feeling a bit guilty, I took Jason and Katie to our local storytime a few times this summer.  The librarian is energetic and fun – now if only Jason and Katie would participate.

Would a summer in Seattle be complete without attending a Mariners game?  Our family went on Tuesday, July 31st on LDS Night when we could get discounted tickets and free t-shirts.  We bought tickets with several families in our ward which makes it even more fun.  Grandpa Fletcher came along too and we introduced him to CPK for a pre-game dinner. I didn’t want to bring my camera so we brought our old point-n-shoot and let the kids take the pictures.

It was during that game that I learned Brenda was serious about going to Hong Kong the following week.  After that life became even crazier than usual.  We still managed to squeeze in an afternoon with friends in Auburn though before I left.  I only took one picture and Jason appears to be pinned down by a cute little blond girl (maybe this little girl's mother can send me some of the other pics she took?) 

Just a few days after I got back from Hong Kong I read that the Auburn Drive-In was having free admission with a food donation.  A drive-in sounded like the perfect summer evening so we packed up some munchies and headed south.  The movies weren’t fabulous so we only stayed through the first, but it was the experience we were there to enjoy.  It was a fun night and I hope we do it again next summer.

Hong Kong Day 11: Church - Home

Another opportunity to attend the Pilipino branch today. We got there early for choir practice, I marveled at the sweet spirit of those sisters as they learned the simple Primary song Heavenly Father Loves Me. These women lead such difficult and lonely lives. They leave their families in the Philippines to work as "domestic helpers" in Hong Kong to send money back home, some living in abusive households, getting paid so little. I felt sorry for them, but they seem to be so happy. Their one and only day off and they chose to spend it at church thanking God for their blessings. They have every reason to question and ask why, but instead they accept God’s will for them and they choose happiness.

After sacrament Mom and I headed back to the apartment to eat lunch and finish packing my bags (thankfully, we rode in a taxi so I could maintain some sort of cleanliness for traveling home). Mom rode with me to the end of the MTR and my bus pulled up right as I got in line, leaving no time for good-byes. We sent hugs and kisses through the window and I was off. So hard to say goodbye knowing it will be another year before I see her again. My mom is the best! This trip was amazing and Mom and Val were awesome hosts and travel companions. Their energy is exhaustingly fun. And of course it wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without Brenda there to enjoy it with me. Major props go to Justin who supported me from the get-go and managed the house, kids, and work while I was traveling the world without him.

The flight home wasn’t as comfortable without the extra space I had near the window and I was seated in between two men.  I was still able to sleep a few hours and I watched a few movies as well.  When I got through customs and baggage, Justin and the kids were waiting for me at the top of the escalator.  It was so great to see them.  The house was clean, Justin had made chicken enchiladas for me to eat that night and an extra batch for dinner the next day.  A very welcome home!

Hong Kong Day 10: Sai Kung – Kowloon Tong

Saturday was my last full day in Hong Kong.  I've have loved being here. I have experienced so many things in the last week and a half - truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Absolutely no regrets. Not for a moment have I felt guilty about being here. Knowing the kids are well taken care of and have enjoyed each of the nannies they've had since I've been gone allows me to not have to worry about their well being or happiness. Justin has been supportive from the get go - without a doubt that plays heavily in my being able to relax and enjoy being here.

My Mom was insistent that visiting a wet market was must-see while I was here. It was an eye opening experience and I'm further resolved to avoid eating much meat. 

live toads

have a heart (or any other vital organ)

yep, that’s a tongue

We decided to head north to Sai Kung - a small fishing village that is a mecca for seafood lovers (we ate at McDonalds). 

Doesn’t get any fresher than this!

We walked along the beach promenade where Val arranged us a private junk ride to see the surrounding islands. The entire trip took over 2.5 hours. It was beautiful. Our captain didn't seem to speak any English, but we were able to communicate good enough. Once we left Sai Kung we didn't see another white person until we got back - we seemed to be heading off the beaten path, which I loved. 

Sai Kung

 

We were a little nervous when our captain decided to take us through this small rocky route

On the way back to the mainland he stopped at a few locations. The first was Kau Sai Fisherman Village - population of 10. Okay, so there are probably more than 10 people that live there, but there didn't seem to be more an a dozen small homes along the shore. 

There were several floating platforms out on the water for people to fish from - this one seemed to be a restaurant of some sort.

The next stop was Hap Mun Bay Beach. We walked around a little bit, but the beach was pretty rocky so we didn't venture off the walkways.

It was neat to have our own private captain at our disposal. When he saw us walking back to the pier he'd start up the engine and come pick us right up. 

Our junk for the day

He was going to let us off at another (more popular) beach as well, but we decided we were ready to head back to town.

Instead of heading straight home we went to Kowloon Tong to see where Mom and Val lived before moving to their cushy apartment this past May. What a difference! Their old apartment cost about $9000HKD a month compared to the apartment they live in now that is a little over $15000HKD a month (that's about $2000USD a month for a 600 square foot apartment). Thankfully there's an out of pocket cap for lodging for the senior missionaries so they don't have to pay too much more for the nicer place. Another bonus is that several other couple missionaries live in their same building so that makes it more fun.

Mom and Val lived on the third floor of this building

This is where they live now – an interesting tidbit:  the building doesn’t have a 3rd, 4th, or 14th floor because those are considered unlucky numbers

One of the main entrances to the building, walking through those doors was always so wonderful because the lobby was immaculately clean and cool!

There's a little market near their old apartment where they get some American brands - they stocked up on nuts and we picked up a few little apple pies for Val and I to enjoy later that evening. Mom and I also walked to the grocery store (about a mile away) later that night. I enjoyed seeing all the strange foods on the shelves. I pulled her little granny cart of groceries home for her and we were lucky I didn't break any of her eggs. It had cooled down enough that the walk was pleasant and we timed it perfectly to catch a little of the laser light show along the promenade - the Hong Kong skyline is her own backyard. I love this city!

Hong Kong Day 9: Ladies Market – Hong Kong Temple

With Brenda on her way home, last night I moved from the couch in the front room to the twin bed in the second bedroom. With blackout curtains on the window I slept in til after 8am, when I woke up my Mom had already left for the mission office and Val was on his way out. I took my time getting ready and talked with my family back home before hitting the town. I decided to go back to the Ladies Market in Mong Kok to shop for souvenirs to bring home for the kids. I wasn't feeling well the night Brenda and my Mom went shopping there and went home to rest instead. It was a fun market and I felt like a ole' pro at bartering for a good price. I met up with my Mom that afternoon at the mission office so we could go to a session at the Hong Kong Temple together. It is such a beautiful building and I couldn't let an opportunity pass to spend a few hours in those sacred walls. 

We picked up Val who was working late in the office and decided he needed to experience CPK (who I am to object?). I'm relatively new to CPK as well and while many things on the menu looked delicious I had to stick with the waldorf salad. It tasted so great - not as good as state side, but I left my plate clean.

Hong Kong Day 8: Disneyland

Today was Brenda's last day so I left it completely up to her to decide what we would do. We've pretty much hit all the must-see sites so she wavered between museums or Disneyland. Disneyland ended up winning out - how many people can say they have been to Hong Kong Disneyland? There is a special MTR to the Disneyland Resort. I got giddy as I saw it pull up to the station - so stinkin' cute! 

Leave it to Disney to get you feeling the magic right from the get-go. In addition to the windows being in the shape of Mickey Mouse, the handle bars were Mickey'd out, there were bronze characters on display in the cars, stars on the ceiling. Awesome!

I was surprised how similar Hong Kong Disneyland is to Anaheim. Mickey Mouse greets you atop a landscaped hill by the entrance, right below the railroad - you can enter Main Street to the left or right by going under the bridges. Main Street was nearly identical in design. The park itself is much smaller but is laid out in much the same way. 

Walking down Main Street toward Sleeping Beauty’s castle – notice all the umbrellas to help keep cool.

We headed to Tomorrowland first and, for Justin, hit up Astroblasters first. 

I don’t think I’m exaggerating to say that the majority of Chinese flash peace signs when getting their picture taken.  We even saw a little one year old girl being coached to hold up her two fingers for a picture.  We just couldn’t resist.

We actually got to go twice because one of our guns was broken the first time - Brenda was so kind to give me her working gun so I could get warmed up. We also hit space mountain - going through the single rider line was much quicker than waiting in the regular line.

We decided to eat an early lunch to avoid the later lunch crowds. I got vegetable tempura that came with noodles and watermelon. Brenda tried the dum sum called Pork Piggy Buns - so cute. At the table next to us we noticed that the rice was molded into a Mickey shape, the sauces in Mickey shaped containers, etc.. it's all in the details! 

The last 3 times we’ve been to Disneyland “It’s a Small World” has been closed because they’ve been decorating it for the holidays.  So this was the first time I’d been on it since high school.

Toy Story Land is a similar concept as It’s a Bug’s Life in Anaheim – very cute! 

We knew that there was a possible typhoon somewhere out in the sea, but we didn't think it would affect our day. We were wrong. At 2pm, just as we arrived in Toy Story Land, they made an announcement that the typhoon warning had been raised to a level 3 and that all outdoor attractions would be closed. That's basically every ride except the three we'd already been on (Space Mountain, Astroblasters, and It's a Small World) The only other indoor ride is a Winnie the Pooh ride, but the wait was 80 minutes and our fastpass for it wasn't valid til 6:25pm. The most frustrating part is that the day was beautiful, blue skies, slight breeze... it just didn't make any sense. I can understand being cautious, but let's not shut down 90% of the park until a risk is within an hour of possibly occurring. We were surprised though that people stuck around - Disney raked it in because everyone was shopping and eating instead. We saw a neat Lion King show…

Walked around the park and then left at 6pm to meet Mom and Val for dinner. I don't regret going, but of course I'm disappointed we couldn't enjoy more of the rides.

We ate dinner at a Teppanaki restaurant in the mall near the airport. I ordered a chicken meal against my better judgment - the chicken was fatty and had the skin on it so I didn't eat much of the meat, but the veggies and rice were really good - I got out my camera to take a picture of them cooking it right in front of us, but was told no pictures were allowed.

We walked around the mall a bit and as we enjoyed Mom's treat of Haagan Dazs for dessert Val found out that the typhoon warning was being raised to a level 8 and that they were advising everyone to make their way home. It was sad to say good-bye to Brenda. She was a great traveling buddy and it wouldn't have been nearly as fun without her here to enjoy this experience with.

Note: nothing became of the typhoon - just a whole lot of hype for nothing. I gave Brenda a hard time cause she mentioned how neat it would be to be here during a typhoon, but I'm sure we'd both have preferred it not put in a wrench in our day at Disneyland.

Hong Kong Day 7: Stanley – Repulse Bay

I thought we wouldn't experience anything hotter than Tuesday at Ocean Park - I was wrong. Today reached 97 degrees- add in the humidity and it was scorching. I've never sweat so much in my life. Mom and Val took the day off from the mission office and we spent the day on the south end of Hong Kong Island. Before catching the bus that would take us south Mom wanted to show us the area office - smack dab in the middle of the city. 

The building is beautiful. It's eleven stories high. On the top floor are apartments for the area president and other big wigs. There are a few office level floors for those who have responsibilities in the area. One of the missionaries showed us a map and explained that the "area" the Hong Kong office covers spans from China to India to Indonesia - the area is huge and Hong Kong is the hub for all that. He said that 1/3 of the worlds population is in this area.  The building also has three chapels and holds regular church services on Sunday as well as a daily service for those that only get one day off of work a week and it's not Sunday.

The bus ride to Stanley winded along the coast and was beautiful. Stanley is famous for its relaxed ambience, beautiful sea views and bargain buys. 

We walked around the Stanley market looking for great deals and fun gifts to take home to the kids... 

Picking out an adorable little owl backpack for Katie (apparently I take my shopping very seriously)

The bartering wasn't as successfully as previous shopping experiences as I wasn't able to get them down very far. I bought a few of the same things Brenda picked up the previous night in Mong Kong, but paid more (drat!)

We also visited the beautiful beach at Repulse Bay. Like I said it was a hot, humid day. I've been hauling around my camera pack everyday, which is an additional 15 pounds. Today we also brought with us swimsuits, water, and then the items we purchased at the market. We were all dripping with sweat. Changing clothes was like peeling off a wetsuit and then pulling on a swimsuit onto a damp, sticky body... yuck! But it was worth it. No better way to cool off than to go swimming in the South China Sea. The water was refreshing and the setting was gorgeous.

There was lots of interesting statues and decorations by the beach

My Mom took this picture, if you look real close you can see Val out there waving at her.  Brenda and I are out there somewhere too.

Val took the picture below of Repulse Bay.  Right in the middle there is a building that has a huge rectangular hole in the middle.  It is the "Dragon Hole" and is good Feng Shui - it allows the dragon to come down from the mountain to the ocean to drink.

We rinsed off when we were done, but with humidity like it was today I stayed damp the rest of the day. Since it was Brenda's last night before heading home we decided we needed to try out a restaurant someone recommended to my Mom back in the SOHO area of central Hong Kong.

Who could object to eating dinner at a place called Chocoholic??? 

It looked like a dive from the outside, but if was full of yummy goodness inside. For dinner we shared two small pots of chocolate fondue with kiwi, marshmallows, strawberries, and bananas. We had a little chocolate leftover so at my suggestion we broke out the granola bars we had in our bags and dipped those - we let no chocolate go to waste! 

Enjoying every last drop of chocolate!

For dessert we each got something different: Mom: macaroons with ice-cream, Val: a brownie sundae, Brenda: brownie cheesecake, and Me: chocolate banana crepe with ice-cream. We all left satisfied. We walked around the shops at SOHO a little before heading home to relax and shower. It feels so good to be dry, clean, and cool!