Has it really been that long? Reflections on living in Hong Kong - the first 12 months

 

Hi peeps, 

It caught me by surprise a few days ago realising that we have been living in Hong Kong for 12 months - a whole year now.  It has gone so fast.  Some days I still can't believe we were crazy enough to move countries.  Did we really do that?  Yes, we really do live in Hong Kong. Most days I am grateful the Universe gave us this amazing opportunity to live some where different and experience a new culture.  I love Hong Kong.  It is an amazing city.  Yes, it is hot.  Stinking hot and humid at the moment.  But that is just part of this adventure.  

Of course I miss my friends and family.  I ache some days missing my mum and some dear people back in Australia,  I try not to think about it too much.  I cried the day my Grandma did not want to talk on the phone, she just can't hear anyone properly on the phone, even when she wears her hearing aids, it was not personal.  I just wanted to hear her voice and have a chat.  Thank goodness for skype I say!  

I miss op shopping.  I did miss yummy bread until I started to make our own, most of the bread here has sugar in it and tastes wrong (to us).  I missed Jaffas, so my mum sent me two packets. I gorged myself on them, got a terrible head ache, and no longer miss them.  I don't think I will miss them for a long, long time.

I stressed for 10 whole months, worrying that Abbey did not have a place at a school, terrified that I might have to home school her.  Then in a short period of time, she had offers from not one, but two schools. We then had to choose.  I could write a whole long winded post about the International school system here, about needing to apply years before a place is even needed and the long waiting lists and the fees just to get on a waiting list.  But I need to let that all go.  Abbey now has a place at a lovely school (thank goodness!)  

We have experienced typhoons, tropical storms, amber rain, red rain and black rain.   Hong Kong does get cold.  I can attest to that.  But winter here is brief, and the summer feels very long, hot and humid. The summer is easier to cope with when we have access to an amazing pool complex, which contains 4 pools and 2 spas.  There is photo of it here. 

I am enjoying the lifestyle we live here.  We do not need a car, I can walk or catch a bus or a train to get around Hong Kong.  If all else fails, a taxi ride is not that expensive.  The trains are ever so clean and efficient (and air conditioned!), the buses stick to their timetable,  if anything, you could miss your bus as it was early to your stop.  Seriously.  

There is still so much to see and do here, but that will have to wait until after our summer holiday.  Soon we will be off to Paris and then on to explore Denmark.  I am reminded that this was one of the reasons to move to Hong Kong - we can see more of the world from here.

I hope you are having a great day.  Cat.

A Christmas day we shall not forget in a while

Hi peeps,

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and New Year.  We had what felt like a whirlwind trip back to Melbourne.  The three weeks we had there, went so quickly and were very busy. But good busy, catching up with friends and family, celebrating Christmas and enjoying some of the food we have missed.  I think I have come home to Hong Kong for a break.

Our Christmas day was certainly one we will not forget in a long time.  We were driving home from my Grandma's house, and got caught in the crazy hail storm that swept through the Northern suburbs of Melbourne.   Driving in the hail storm was quite terrifying.  We had to take a detour on the way home, as some roads were flooded.   The noise the large hail stones made on the roof of my mum's car was booming. With some stroke of luck, there was no damage to her car.  I really don't know how that happened.  My brothers car and some friends cars were not so lucky. This was the scene we had to drive through, with the huge hail stones everywhere and the mist rising off the road, as the temperature before the storm hit had been quite warm (28C I believe).  It looked like snow on the road.  It was so slippy and crunchy to drive over.

We were dressed for summer and this was what greeted me when I got out of the car (when we finally made it back to my mum and step-dad's house)

This was the hail piled up on their front steps.  So much hail.  Such huge hail stones!

This is one hail stone in my hand.  Huge.

I had to go and put on some more appropriate footwear.

The back garden was covered in hail stones and tree debris. The smell was amazing with all the eucalyptus trees that had lost leaves and small branches.  The funny thing is, Zoe slept through all of this in the car.  She was still asleep, in the car, in the garage as we cleaned up the front steps and I took more photos.

After all hail and more rain, would you believe it,  there was a rainbow.  We were on the front porch, watching the flood waters in the creek over the road rise. Very grateful we were up a steep hill.  

An hour or so later, part two of the storm hit.  There was a lot more rain, by then it was dark and we were happy to be inside, nice and dry.  And safe.

So Christmas day 2011 is one we shall not forget in a long time.

Cat