A question we ask ourselves much of the summer in Hong Kong. Here, summer means monsoons, typhoons and icky-sticky-hot-days. So off to the Museum we trekked - along with half of the city, it felt like!
Despite the line to get in, we had a wonderful afternoon. 90 minutes well spent - and plenty of science to explore when we go back again as we saw less than half of it.
So much to see and do in the the permanent exhibits alone --- plus there is a special seasonal exhibit for a little extra $$ (which we didn't do this time). Mirrors, optical illusions, magnets, air pressure, logic puzzles, dinosaurs, planes, physics..... the works. Completely interactive and engaging. We had so much fun - I forgot to take pictures for most of our time there!
At appointed times, a GIANT MARBLE ROLL takes action - and what a sight with marble after marble being released into the larger than life maze that fills multiple floors. What fun it must have been to dream that up!
Then - out into the pouring rain to catch the subway to dinner....
they refused umbrellas - hot shower, anyone?
Dim Sum !!!!!! Our favorite dumplings. Great ending to another rainy old day in Honkey Town.
This - my classroom. As I type, this room is sitting empty and covered in half-finished packing boxes, tape and bubble wrap strewn on the floor. Tomorrow I go finish the epic task of moving a classroom, inventory, and signing out for the year. Tonight - I pause to reflect on this brink of summer.
Outside My Window
It's HOT - and humid.
A TYPHOON and 'red rain' to close out the school year... landslides blocking one of the two roads out of our school, keeping children in classrooms on the last day of school well past dismissal until the roads were declared safe for buses.
BEFORE the storm -- just look at it! Stunning day in Hong Kong. That's on my morning walk to school.
I'm Thinking About
changes.
goodbyes.
hellos.
and traveling solo with my 2 girls - 20 hours to DC, bring it on!
I Don't Want To Forget
The image of my girls sprawling, limb across limb, in my bed on Tuesday morning.
The way friends make me feel whole. And good. And a better me.
hip hop teacher dance crew
I'm Learning
to breathe and remain calm despite not being able to control and organize everything the way my imagination envisions it. And learning to cherish and value the downtime.
This book. These ideas. This world! These kids. I raise them. And I teach them. And there are certainly specific challenges (and costs) to our rising affluent culture. Any mother or teacher might want to grab this book.
Around The House
So - you know we're moving, right? Yeah... movers come in 3 more sleeps. I'm SO not ready! But again - learning to let go of that a bit to keep eyes on the important things like friends, goodbyes, taking care of myself, and loving on my kids. So - pretty much I'll let the movers do most of the work. And I'll be unpacking some disorganized junk. But it's our junk. And that's ok. That's why I write this instead of packing my suitcase (or maybe I'm just an excellent procrastinator).
Upper Primary - last day of third grade
traditional POOL JUMP straight from the bus, fully clothed - let summer begin STRAIGHT AWAY!
At Work
Packing boxes. Saying farewells. Always someone moving away, someone moving in. Always changes. International school life - makes 'change' the new normal.
teachers touring our new campus - still under construction!
Eating Out (confession - I'm never in the kitchen anymore)
tomorrow - a new restaurant with my girlfriends (important things, remember?) ;)
So Very Hong Kong
Finding no crosswalks to get to the other side of the street in downtown.
HK is fabulously equipped with amazing 'lifted sidewalks' all across the city. Many of them run building to building. You could travel miles (I think) without ever actually crossing a street on the ground. But I'll tell you - it's not instinctual when you are from America!
These next photos do not show this.
Rather - an afternoon trip to Sham Shui Po - a market area where we went in search of trinkets, motors, wires, LED bulbs, and other treasures for our 9-year-old-inventor... a dream shopping trip for her!
no, not a junkyard - this is a market stall of wares!
subway home - still crowded...
Also very Hong Kong - Tai Chi in Stanley on weekend mornings. :)
One Of My Favorite Things
lazy pool days
A Less-Than Favorite Thing
peanuts on airplanes.
I have learned (from embarrassing past experiences) that since I have a peanut allergy, I have to call the airline directly to inform them prior to my flight. It's stressing me out that I haven't done this yet - I SWEAR it's on the high-priority list for tomorrow!! (Along with 264 other important things.)
I'm Thankful
for Nimfa. Our helper. Our nanny. Our all-around go-to gal. She cooks, cleans, watches the kids, reminds me of appointments, manages the kids' library days and show-and-tell days, facilitates playdates, runs errands, grocery shops, translates, and hums and sings and keeps our house feeling calm and happy. She's a wonder. And I've been leaning on her a lot lately. And I am SO GRATEFUL.
I'm Planning
seriously? why are you reminding me of what I'm supposed to be planning?
don't even talk to me - I see our future in this photo - on so many levels!!!!
I mean, I grew up in the misty Pacific Northwest of Washington State. I was that girl who, upon moving to the East Coast, giggled in my Columbia raincoat as people ducked their heads and bumped umbrellas down the street. Growing up in the PNW, rain has about 8 different types and definitions: misting, drizzle, sprinkling, light rain, showery, pouring, downpour, heavy, blowing sideways, partial-rain, rainy spurts, sleet, hail.... I guess that's plenty more than 8. And counting. We are intimately familiar with the wet stuff. But we don't have rain-by-the-color.
Amber Rain - wear your Wellies (fashion is not worth having soaked feet) Red Rain - forget finding a taxi or bus (schools closed if announced early enough) Black Rain - take cover! and stay put!
Last week, Hong Kong straddled two storms coming up from the South. The second one being a 'super typhoon' headed for the Philippines, then us (well past typhoon season). We were hit with a deluge of rain unlike anything I've seen in my life, flash-floods and landslips. Most of the scary stuff happened when we least expected it - on a day in between the two storms.
It was a normal Wednesday. We (teachers) got drenched ushering kids out to the afternoon buses (boots weren't cutting it). We hunkered down for our weekly meetings (distracted by the weather, of course) and were in the thick of it when Red Rain, and then Black Rain were announced.
Must be a good newspaper!
disclosure -- This pic (of an uncle in Chai Wan) and those following, of the storm, are from hongkongers out and about Wednesday afternoon. They are not my own.
The amount of water that released from the sky was astounding. Unreal.
yes, there are people in that bus
Streets were immediately flooded all across the city. Not by a breached riverbed. By rain.
this is around the corner from us - at Pacific View, near the Manhattan - this, among other spots, between myself and ABear
We were told not to leave the building. Vehicles were stranded. School buses were gridlocked. Some were able to turn around (lucky for my oldest daughter) and get kids safely back to campus (she's on a different campus than me).
Stanley Beach Road
our bridge - over Tai Tam Reservoir
Stanley Market
ABear ended up being bused home after 8:10pm that night. Even knowing that she was safe, I was unable to think, eat, or do anything until she was safely back in my arms. I was ravenous for information. Thank goodness she remembered my number and found someone's phone to borrow.
Safe she was, along with hundreds of other children well cared for by the amazing teachers, bus drivers, TAs, and peers around them. I am so grateful and, after the shock, in awe of the warmth and capable response of everyone in the community. Everyone stepped up. Every story I heard (and there were many from friends, colleagues, and students) was filled with positivity and care. Spirits were good the next day, though every person was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. I'm feeling pretty proud to be part of a gritty, capable, and caring bunch of people. And HK was prepared for the typhoon headed our way. Further precautions were taken.
home at last!
apparently she learned "flip cup" while waiting it out at school :) hahahaha
Today, we all huddled cozily in our flats watching the T8 gale force winds blow past, whipping rain against our window sills. This, while we ate fresh baked cookies, sipped coffee, napped, and played Twister.
Lessons learned:
Black Rain is no joke.
Flash Floods are fast. Really fast.
Trust your peeps. And do what you can to help.
The gorgeous day (Thursday) between Black Rain and Typhoon
and last...
The reason everyone is safe is largely because of the many people who made split-second decisions in the moment of chaos. They kept their wits about them. They were zen. They didn't imagine it away, or pretend it wasn't happening. They didn't panic. They didn't let that sense of the surreal take them over. They saw the reality and took action. And the next day, they didn't curl up into an internal canvas of personal breath-catching. They got up, went to work, swapped stories, offered support, exhaled together. Together. And it was good. (And it's also good that we had today to do some at-home unwinding.)
