We are here! Wheeee! I'm posting from my cell in the hotel lobby and there is a good chance I will nod off to sleep as I write, I'm so exhausted.
Please excuse the formatting as I post from the phone. Bear with me! No laptop yet.
Leaving the USA in a whirlwind of visiting friends & family was both exhilarating & difficult. We have been living out of suitcases for 30 days now and counting. Yes, that's with 2 children (and sporadic access to do laundry). We have slept in 7 different locations, 3 countries, and visited over 50 folks since leaving our dc home. 19 hours on airplanes.
Then, on a crystal clear evening, our plane arrived at dusk in Hong Kong. Blurry eyed and with grins pasted on our faces, we were greeted at the airport by hkis staff and whisked away to our hotel, gaping at the twinkling lights of the immense skyline that will be our new home. (We sleep on the 26th floor).
We are wrapping up our third day here, and I'm desperately hoping the girls will sleep past 4:30am tomorrow! Jet lag isn't brutal, surprisingly, but it does impact our days.
I have a hard time not feeling like a tourist. Wrapping my mind around the idea that this vibrant, dense, amazing city is now my city.
So. First impressions....
(in no particular order)
* it's kinda gross, but kinda funny that as we walk around, anywhere, we run the risk of being "rained on" by hanging laundry or window a/c units from many stories above.
*sunscreen is called "sunkiller" here, based on what I saw at the grocery
* grocery shopping is probably going to take a full 12 months to get used to. Very few things look the same. Even Bunny's diapers are sized differently (and I needed the conversion app to figure out how many kg's she weighs to buy the right size)
* Bear's most burning desire has been to enjoy dim sum. She attempts some every buffet breakfast. We treated her to a hole-in-the-wall place the concierge referred to as "dim sum local style". Suffice to say, that didn't go over well. But it was fun to be in a dive where no one spoke a single word of English... And where the entire meal cost $11 USD for the whole family. (compared to easily $100 USD for a meal in the hotel midrange restaurant). Bear continues to work on her chopsticks skills with unparalleled determination. Gotta hand it to her. She's embracing her new home.
* the smells. I'll leave it at that. (It's unfortunate that Bear has a quick gag reflex to bad smells)
* FOOD: McDonald's serves sweet n sour with the nuggets. The "chicken ceaser wrap" at Starbucks is decidedly NOT ceaser, and likely not chicken. (tho Starbucks accepts my American Starbucks cards, so I won't complain about the food there). Hotel bfast buffet is divine: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and "American". (The American food is worthy of a chuckle and gets props for excellent attempt). THE WINNER SO FAR: Nachos tonight consisted of a handful of spicy Doritos and (on the side) a dollop of guacamole over a pile of lettuce (see photo)... Which cost over $10 USD.
*Chinese are superstitious. Number 4 is bad (of death) so it isn't used anywhere. Ever. There is no floor 4, 14, or 24 in the hotel. You cannot get a phone number with a 4 in it. (8 is a good luck number). Also, blonde hair is good luck. As you know, Bunny is nearly platinum blonde. She gets openly stared at everywhere. People reach out to touch her, hoping that good luck will rub off. So far, she's not upset by the extra attention.
* saw our apartment today. It's gorgeous! Fresh, clean, up high with a spectacular view that my photos don't do justice to. Larger baths & kitchen than we've had, but smaller overall space. Shocking to discover that there is no washer/dryer nor is there a refrigerator! Big expenses we had not even considered.
Oh, and we've been getting some unbelievable strong winds, rain, and dark clouds from this nearby typhoon. The wind/rain was so wild this morning we all burst into nervous giggles as we ran through it to the car, leaving our apartment.
Well, that's more than enough for now. Have questions? Please write them in the comment section!
Please excuse the formatting as I post from the phone. Bear with me! No laptop yet.
Leaving the USA in a whirlwind of visiting friends & family was both exhilarating & difficult. We have been living out of suitcases for 30 days now and counting. Yes, that's with 2 children (and sporadic access to do laundry). We have slept in 7 different locations, 3 countries, and visited over 50 folks since leaving our dc home. 19 hours on airplanes.
Then, on a crystal clear evening, our plane arrived at dusk in Hong Kong. Blurry eyed and with grins pasted on our faces, we were greeted at the airport by hkis staff and whisked away to our hotel, gaping at the twinkling lights of the immense skyline that will be our new home. (We sleep on the 26th floor).
We are wrapping up our third day here, and I'm desperately hoping the girls will sleep past 4:30am tomorrow! Jet lag isn't brutal, surprisingly, but it does impact our days.
I have a hard time not feeling like a tourist. Wrapping my mind around the idea that this vibrant, dense, amazing city is now my city.
So. First impressions....
(in no particular order)
* it's kinda gross, but kinda funny that as we walk around, anywhere, we run the risk of being "rained on" by hanging laundry or window a/c units from many stories above.
*sunscreen is called "sunkiller" here, based on what I saw at the grocery
* grocery shopping is probably going to take a full 12 months to get used to. Very few things look the same. Even Bunny's diapers are sized differently (and I needed the conversion app to figure out how many kg's she weighs to buy the right size)
* Bear's most burning desire has been to enjoy dim sum. She attempts some every buffet breakfast. We treated her to a hole-in-the-wall place the concierge referred to as "dim sum local style". Suffice to say, that didn't go over well. But it was fun to be in a dive where no one spoke a single word of English... And where the entire meal cost $11 USD for the whole family. (compared to easily $100 USD for a meal in the hotel midrange restaurant). Bear continues to work on her chopsticks skills with unparalleled determination. Gotta hand it to her. She's embracing her new home.
* the smells. I'll leave it at that. (It's unfortunate that Bear has a quick gag reflex to bad smells)
* FOOD: McDonald's serves sweet n sour with the nuggets. The "chicken ceaser wrap" at Starbucks is decidedly NOT ceaser, and likely not chicken. (tho Starbucks accepts my American Starbucks cards, so I won't complain about the food there). Hotel bfast buffet is divine: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and "American". (The American food is worthy of a chuckle and gets props for excellent attempt). THE WINNER SO FAR: Nachos tonight consisted of a handful of spicy Doritos and (on the side) a dollop of guacamole over a pile of lettuce (see photo)... Which cost over $10 USD.
*Chinese are superstitious. Number 4 is bad (of death) so it isn't used anywhere. Ever. There is no floor 4, 14, or 24 in the hotel. You cannot get a phone number with a 4 in it. (8 is a good luck number). Also, blonde hair is good luck. As you know, Bunny is nearly platinum blonde. She gets openly stared at everywhere. People reach out to touch her, hoping that good luck will rub off. So far, she's not upset by the extra attention.
* saw our apartment today. It's gorgeous! Fresh, clean, up high with a spectacular view that my photos don't do justice to. Larger baths & kitchen than we've had, but smaller overall space. Shocking to discover that there is no washer/dryer nor is there a refrigerator! Big expenses we had not even considered.
Oh, and we've been getting some unbelievable strong winds, rain, and dark clouds from this nearby typhoon. The wind/rain was so wild this morning we all burst into nervous giggles as we ran through it to the car, leaving our apartment.
Well, that's more than enough for now. Have questions? Please write them in the comment section!
posted from Bloggeroid
Wow! Gorgeous view from your apartment window!! Still giggling over the "nachos". This will trulu be a new and wonderful adventure for you and I can't wait to hear and see more!
ReplyDeleteBetter than HGTV House Hunters! Love getting a glimpse of your new life in Hong Kong. Your photos are wonderful and as always, great writing! I cannot imagine the patience that goes into such a journey... especially with young children. The girls are beautiful! Looking forward to hearing more. Take care family Mac!
ReplyDeleteAh, yes...I remember the "smell" of Korea when I first arrived. You'll get used to it. Looking very much to following your adventures on this journey. Bears got that adventurous spirit of her mommy!
ReplyDeletePB