Sunday, April 17, 2016

This is Spring DAYBOOK


Outside My Window
A thick-wet-cloud, with no end in sight. We counted down the days to the swimming pool opening...

in the fog

less fog - more birdsong & a fog horn in the distance


      POOL OPENS!
 

5 minutes later.... (darn this weather!)


I'm Thinking About
taxes. Do I have to?

What a girl has to do to get some peace and quiet around here. :)

I Don't Want To Forget 
The Bop Story.

I finally girded myself for the inevitable :: the removal of the binky. I told Bunny Cakes that she was going to grow up in 3 days time (we marked it on the calendar together, carefully counting the boxes). I explained that on that day, she'd wake up older and it would be time to give mommy the bop. She'd get a very special present from mommy when she gave me her bop. Then, no more bops.

In those 3 days, she would wake in the morning (strongly clinging one or even two bops in her fists and mouth) and ask to look at that calendar. We'd count the boxes up to the picture of the bop. She started to do something amazing. Self-talk. "I'm going to give mommy my bop. Then I be a big gewl." Then - she even asked me to practice it! She'd practice giving me her bop, then grinning and demanding it back.

The day came and it went without a hitch. She loves her new Ariel doll and clutches it tightly - though I notice less and less so every passing day. After the initial mourning period, she no longer asks for her bop and has (thankfully) finally figured out how to get herself to sleep without it.

I'm Learning
some fantastic dance at CCDC - I'm still the only gweilo in class.

I'm Hearing
Loreena McKinnit.

I'm Reading
It's brilliant so far! Expertly written. Dense. Real. And packed with the tumultuous history of the cultural revolution in China. Women friends - everything that we have today came at a cost. Even though this is Chinese history - it makes me think of all that women have done everywhere for the privileges we have today. And our work is not yet finished.

Around The House
Great finds at a store going out of business... hallway rug, bookshelf, and a quilt for movie nights. Textiles add so much to a home.
 

At Work
We celebrated diversity last week with food shares from 12 different countries represented in my classroom. Yum! 


Eating Out (confession - I'm never in the kitchen anymore)
Beef & Liberty - Good hamburgers are hard to get in HK. This place has got it down. That Black Pepper burger with carmelized onion! Also the best milkshakes in town. (Dad - we'll go here when you visit someday!)

Carbone - still my favorite restaurant in the city. Fresh NY Italian food served family style. I'm drooling just thinking about that spicy vodka rigatoni. 

Yardbird - a happy new find! Took me awhile to work it out (which all of you reading this probably already have)... yardbird means bird of the yard, in other words: chicken. They serve all the parts of the chicken. Yes, everything. In tasty little bite-size servings. With yummy sake on the side. For a girl who is kinda "off" chicken - this place might bring me back.

An amazing app we've gotten pathetically addicted to: deliveroo. With a touch of a button, easiest food-delivery ordering I've ever seen in my life. And at the doorstep in 30-45 minutes every time.

And... dim sum!



So Very Hong Kong
teeny tiny post office

According to the VISA renewal application - my daughters are "spinsters"

whoops. bit of an oil spill in our turtle-cove-bay

bamboo scaffolding on our high school

How crazy is that!? People climb up there - and these are the footings!
 LAUNDRY: $54 for Chinese brand, $268 for Tide.

I have no idea what it says on those green detergent bottles - but that's what I buy!

One Of My Favorite Things
Going into the city. The lights, the energy, the connection to all the people. The window displays, the hanging laundry, the endless bar and restaurant choices.

A Less-Than Favorite Thing
This weather. It's really, really depressing. Day after endless day of muggy grey. And enough with the mold/mildew already!


let's just hide in here till the sun comes out...


I'm Thankful
For my husband. How did I get so lucky?

I'm Planning
A trip home this summer - and a ferry ride to Juneau, AK.

Picture Thoughts :: new pets





silk cocoon!
 See you soon -

Friday, April 15, 2016

Disney HK - revisited

Day Trip! Disney Take Two: (#latergram from spring break)



Our epic 14 hour day began with leaving the house at 7:30am (probably a little over ambitious).

virtually SILENT as you drift through throngs of people in Central MTR station


    
Make us a plan, girls!

no lines - first thing in the morning!




This time - LOTS of princess sightings!!






.... and the highlight princess for our preschooler.... 
Sophia The First (very, very long line!)

Bunny - "I love your amulet. I want to kiss you and hug you."



Lion King Show - loud but good






check out the girl in the background 



cultural differences :: sunglasses or umbrella? // short sleeves or long?






BIG DAY -- Bunny gave mommy her pacifier ("bop") in exchange for a very, very special doll. She had her heart set on an Ariel doll for some time. The big exchange was successful and we are now binky-free! Why do they grow up so fast!??