A Month of Firsts

Well, December is almost over and it has been a busy time with a lot of new experiences.

Hong Kong Christmas

This year we decided not to go home to the States for Christmas. We went last year because the kids had three weeks off and Sarah was so little and changing so much. But the kids have two weeks off instead of three this year.  And last year was insanely hectic to the verge of unenjoyable, trying to see everyone and get through jet lag, only to turn around and come back and be in decent shape to start school again. Our decision was made a little easier knowing that both sets of grandparents were going to visit at some point during the year, and our good friends had asked/offered to come for the month of December.  So we seemed to be set and ready to have a different kind of Christmas...but as it got closer I missed the impending anticipation of going home and seeing everyone.  Plus, I realized this was the first time I have not seen my family at some point for Christmas...ever. I battled through bouts of disappointment, but knew that we would still have a great time and having our friends come to visit really helped alleviate the "pity party." I spoke to another friend at church who was dealing with the same thing, and we both came to the same conclusion...you don't compare Christmases, you simply be grateful for the Christmas you have...even if it's different.  Things were also put into perspective for me when I took Abby to the bus stop the week before Christmas.  I spoke to a sweet helper who comes to the bus stop every day and who has befriended our Marina.  She asked about Marina and I told her that she was getting ready to go home to the Philippines for Christmas. The helper said how lucky Marina was...that she hadn't been home for Christmas for 20 years.(Helpers receive one week vacation per year, and the employer gets to decide when). Wow.

So we have been able to keep most of our traditions here in Hong Kong...Christmas tree-ordered and delivered, stockings and ornaments, church Christmas Eve service, and even Christmas cookies and Christmas morning rolls (although I had to make the bread dough from scratch since I couldn't get our Rhodes dough balls). The weather has obviously been warmer than we are used to, although the two weeks before Christmas we got into the 40's.  We clearly have "Hong Kong blood" because it felt like the 20's...we were freezing.  It could also be that we don't have heat...Andy went to bed a few nights with a hat and gloves..sorry, I didn't get that pic:) There are a lot of lights (although Andy misses putting his lights up) and lots of "Merry Christmas"...but there is not a lot of meaning behind the greeting.  There are also a ton of poinsettias...so things look beautiful and sometimes (ok, many times) over the top...but we definitely have the Christmas spirit.

                                               Waiting to go downstairs Christmas morning

                                                          Christmas dinner with friends

Phuket, Thailand

One of our Christmas gifts to ourselves was a four night, four day trip to a resort in Phuket.  It was spurred on by a great deal through a friend, and we thoroughly enjoyed two two-bedroom villas between five adults and five kids.  Its very challenging to find that kind of room anywhere in Asia, so we took advantage of it. This was the first beach vacation since living in Hong Kong, and we made the most of it. Of course, to keep the trip affordable, we had to take some unconventional flights...leaving at 11:30pm and 5:30am...but it all worked out rather well.

Our first full day we went on a boat tour of some beautiful beaches surrounding the mainland of Phuket.  Even though the first boat trip was a bit rough, the gorgeous fine white sand beaches and scenery made up for it.  We got to feed some monkeys and enjoyed a lovely Thai and international lunch by the water.  All of the kids (even Abby) got to snorkel, and we had some time to beach it while Sarah and I took a snooze in the shade, enjoying the ocean breezes.

The second day we took a wonderful elephant ride and had an amazing time seeing the jungle on the back of a very large pachyderm! The kids had a great time on the ride, and then we got to feed and take pictures with our new friends.  Sarah LOVED the elephants, even getting excited looking at the pictures.

The rest of our time was spent enjoying Thai food, playing in the pool and enjoying the beach at the resort.  We soaked in the wonderful weather...80's and sunny everyday! This vacation was a wonderful distraction from missing our friends, family, and all the fun snowfall at home. And we felt extremely blessed to be able to enjoy it with our friends.

 

 

 

 

 

10K Run

Well, if you know me at all, you know that I am not a big fan of running.  I really want to be a fan, but all the years of "having to train" for soccer and other sports have ruined my enjoyment of just plain running.  Well, now that I am done being pregnant (an excuse that I have used a lot), and the weather is almost always great, it seemed I should try again. When we came back after our summer in the States, I began running with my neighbor.  She had started running the previous year with a Dutch friend, who had just moved back to The Netherlands.  We are compatible runners and enjoy each other's company.  Then we decided to do a run together.  There are runs all the time, so we picked out one in February that was set in the city.  Well, we were online trying to sign up, and in between her signing up and me signing up, the run closed.  I'm not sure who was more disappointed.  So, we decided to keep training and find something else. She was already signed up for a run the weekend before Thanksgiving, that I bowed out of because of our trip to the Philippines. So as we were still training, another run came up in mid December.  Another new friend had signed up with my Aussie friend, and because of circumstances beyond her control, she had to stop training.  I asked if I could take her place, and she graciously gave me her spot. This seemed divine intervention...and I kind of did it without thinking.  I didn't think about how busy I was that very week, but that was probably a good thing or I wouldn't have signed up.  So the morning of the race was a little dreary, and the promise of a downpour was glaring at me.  Because of the rain, I told my family not to come...so I went by myself, meeting a few other people I knew.


As I'm driving in the taxi, I'm wondering what my goal should be...what is realistic and how disappointed I will be if I miss my goal. It was also getting cold, with a slight drizzle.  But when I got there and met up with people I knew, I started to get amped up and felt better about just getting it done.  In fact, the anticipation was worse than the actual run.  I ended up meeting my goal, and got finished before the downpour began. I did enjoy the race, and am signing up for another one in March...but here's hoping that I will be less nervous and I will catch "the bug" that everyone raves about.

Our Filipino Thankgiving!

We get all kinds of reactions when we tell people we are going on a family missions trip. Some people think they are just for adults-what could children possibly do to help?  Others have shared their concern for the kids safety. Still others have gone so far as tell me the children will just get in the way.  All of these are personal opinions...not to be judged.  For us, we felt that one of the huge opportunities we have living in Hong Kong, being part of the school community that we do, is to get involved in missions.  It is something that Andy and I have always felt strongly about, not just for us, but for our kids...for us as a family. This past Thanksgiving we got to experience that blessing again, as a family.

We left for our third missions trip to Manila, Philippines in shifts.  Abby, Sarah and I left Wednesday evening with nine others.  Andy, the older three children and our helper traveled with two teachers after school on Thursday. Our family spent time with the KIM (Kids International Ministry) organization last spring and we were all eager to get back.  We went with the same leader from our last trip, his two children, two friends from his church, two teachers from the school, and an American family and their helper who were our friends before we even moved to HK. Before leaving, my prayer was that we would be prepared for what we were going to experience, that we would glorify the Lord's name, and we would be changed. Since we had just been there 7 months ago, I knew better what to expect and I was eager to jump in!

The organization is located in the middle of a squatter village and it has had a huge impact in trying to break the cycle of poverty and despair in their community.  They have had a large hand in starting a school that serves over 200 children, and is in the midst of building an early learning center for babies and toddlers.  The also opened an orphanage about 200 yds from the missions center that has over 50 children, and a home for girls who were in at risk and abusive situations.  Finally, they provide feedings to other squatter villages twice a day, seven days a week.

These are just the things that we were able to be involved in for a short time, and doesn't mention the medical clinic for women with at risk pregnancies or the other children's home in the southern part of the Philippines.  We all went on at least two or three feedings, serving at least 100 people.  These people are amazing and their joy is contagious. Yes, it is heartbreaking to see these mothers who are doing their best to care for their little ones, as they send their shoeless children for the food.  But most often what was remembered was the gratitude.

One night, after dark, we decided to do some "street ministry" We visited a group of children who were being cared for by a few adults, who worked for another organization, giving them food and singing with them.  They were children with no home, who would be sleeping on the streets.  As our van pulled up, you would have thought we were rock stars, as they ran to our door.  I was pulled off by a little girl who grabbed my hand and didn't let go for the next 30 minutes.  She was a little younger than Abby, with short brown hair and a ponytail on top.  She was also in pajamas...and even though it was dark, I could see her bright smile. She broke my heart...clinging to me like she had known me all her life.  We started to play games with the kids, and she got together with a friend for a partner.  We spent about an hour with this group of about 30 kids, singing songs and playing games.  They laughed and danced and sang their hearts out.  Before we left, we prayed for the couple of adults who were there serving them.  Then we were gone.  It was pointed out to us that the few adults on the other side of the road, sitting on the curb, were the pimps, ready to take advantage of when these children were left alone...that thought makes me sick.

Another night we (the women and older girls) got to go to the girls' home and have a spa night.  We painted nails and braided hair and talked to these beautiful girls.  One girl that I remembered from our previous trip shared that school was hard...then she proceeded to tell me the courses she was taking.  I told her that I thought Calculus was hard too!!!  These girls are so intelligent, and even though they have been hurt in the past, the Lord has pulled them out and placed them in a loving situation with doors open to opportunity.  It was interesting to see the walls of distrust break down the longer we were there.  First, most of the girls didn't want their nails painted...but they would paint our nails (I gladly accepted). Then they started to take us up on our offer, and then ask us to braid their hair...their thick beautiful hair.  It was a wonderful night.

Finally, I spent a good bit of time at the children's home, specifically in the nursery.  I was able to bring Sarah and Abby with me.  They had a ball playing, and the kids were fascinated with them.  They took to Abby because she was older...and they loved on Sarah since she was little and couldn't resist their hugs...too much! The home just received five new little ones...including twin 3 year old girls who were beautiful, but extremely hesitant.  I wondered what they could be thinking...they were too young to understand that living with their mom wasn't safe...but it was their mom? And you could see the other kids checking them out.  I was only too happy to play with some of the older adjusted children who had been there awhile so that these new little friends could begin making connections to the workers who would be there on a consistent basis.  Of course, I also got to help with some little babies.  One little 5 month old boy would not go to sleep, so I was only to eager to rock him.  And then the next day I helped with another little peanut who was only a month old, but two months premature.  None of my kiddos had ever been that small out of the womb.  The whole miracle in this is that it did not cause me to want another baby of my own...praise the Lord!

My children were able to play with the older kids at the orphanage and they really stepped up at the feedings...passing out food, making kids laugh, giving out stickers and toys...they never ceased to amaze me.  I never heard complaining from them and they already talk about going back.  They did a great job of spreading hope and joy to these people who struggle daily for the simplest of things that we take for granted...food, water and shelter...not to mention a means to provide for one's family.  Andy and I were so proud of them.  This experience of doing missions as a family is priceless.  It has spurred on more discussion and challenged us individually as well as a family...how can we show gratitude and where are we spending our resources of money, time and energy?

Finally, I would do a disservice if I didn't share what we learned about Tacloban and surrounding areas that were directly affected by the typhoon.  KIMS has been inundated with donations and now the challenge is getting the means to take it to the affected areas.  So they have been sending teams down to "ground zero" to serve and take supplies.  When we talked to the head of KIMS, he had just gotten back from a short trip down there...and to say he was shaken to the core would be an understatement.  He shared two specific stories that I cannot get out of my mind.  One, he spoke to a father who had lost his daughter in the storm.  He was hiding in a tree with her as the winds were raging.  He was squeezing his little girl so tightly, that he actually suffocated her.  He didn't even realize that he was killing her until it was too late.  The devastation is real and overwhelming.  Complete villages were just washed away.  I don't know what the media is reporting in different parts of the world, but as usual, the farther away we get from this event, people are going to forget. The head of KIMS couldn't emphasize enough that this was such a dark place...not just complete devastation and loss..but just plain evil.  He shared another story of his departure.  While he was at the airport he witnessed a man trying to smuggle 10 little girls out of the country in order to sell them into sex trafficking.  He had told the authorities that two of them were his daughters and the others were cousins and friends.  As he continued to get questioned, they also questioned the girls and found out that they didn't know each other.  He was immediately arrested.  Unfortunately, he will be an exception to the rule.  I don't pass these stories to depress you...simply to share the anarchy that is happening and that you would be motivated to pray.

So we walk away from another trip to Manila, changed. Sharing this experience as a family bonds us closer together and deepens our individual faith, as well.  We seem to be blessed more than we have blessed others...being given the gift of perspective and the joy that comes from serving. I highly recommend serving with your children in any capacity...the "fruit of your labor" is beyond comprehension. 

Abby and her new friend, Hannah, at the children's home

Beautiful smile

Grace and Emma serve the food

Josh passes out stickers

Abby loves on the baby

The children loved the stickers

I enjoyed holding sweet babies, too

Sunset over Manila

Marina and Sarah enjoying mango (Yum!!!)

Malaysia! By Grace

The week of Nov. 11-14, I got the privilege to go to Malaysia! This was just one of the many trips that were happening this week- some in Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand! I chose Malaysia because it was recalled as a "fun trip" not a service one. Not that I don't want to serve, just spacing out the 2 service trips that I have to do in middle school (6th and 8th grade). I thought that since 7th grade was the "fun year", considering I'm not leaving the next year, nor arriving this year either. So Malaysia was the trip to go on:)

When I was packing my bags for the trip (which was like a week before, due to excitement!), I thought about my friends in the U.S, and how their parents would never in a million years let their child go to Malaysia by themselves. But fortunately, living in Hong Kong, Malaysia's pretty close, and being the oldest, I think I can manage it:) But I also thought about being able to not loose anything- like my passport and HK ID card. I'm known to loose things sooooo I was promising to my parents that I would pay EXTRA attention to those;) Finally, Monday morning approached us. I was sleeping over at my friend, Caroline's house, because she has a car, and she's one of my closest friends in HK.  I was waking up at 4:30am to catch our flight, feeling a mixture of sleepy, anxious, and super excited!

Caroline's car approached the airport, and I grabbed my big duffel bag, and carry on. Before we arrived to the airport, we stopped at an MTR stop and picked up my mom. Of course, we had to do this because she hadn't of said enough goodbyes already:) We found our group of about 40 students, and the adventure began. Well, actually the adventure doesn't start until your parents leave ;) , so we had to wait until our bags were checked in, and we were headed to security check. I said goodbye, and we were off. WE, being the whole group, but specifically my 2 friends: Caroline and Dawn.
Finally we were on the airplane (Cathay Pacific), and 3 and 1/2 hours later were in Malaysia!!

Yayy! My 3rd out of 5 countries I would be going to before Christmas! We started out by going to a Chinese restaurant, eating spicy food (#yum). Since their were only six 7th graders, we all just hung out together. They all cracked me up! After lunch, we took about a 30min bus ride to the amusement park! This was the largest indoor amusement park in the world (literally)! I had an AWESOME time going on the rides, eating lots of snacks, and hanging out with the 6 of us! My 2 favorite things was the DNA mixer, where your basically sitting normally, and then it twists you backwards, forwards, all for about 7 minutes. It was awesome! The second one was the Haunted House. Even if it WAS scary, it was hilarious to watch everybody's reaction after. Even in it was awesome (especially when the 3 boys screamed like girls!). After the 3 hr. experience in the amusement park, we headed out for dinner. We had seafood. Mr. Jacus, my science teacher is an HILLARIOUS guy from Michigan (BOO0o) , and loved the shrimp. He had 7 SHRIMP on his plate, and it looked like he was reaching for more. Funny moments that day, but their was way more that I was going to be able to experience throughout the day.

Day #2! Waking up at 7am with Caroline as my roommate, I was tired, but not exhausted. We had breakfast, and was on the road to Taman Negara, about a 2-3 hr. road trip, depending on traffic. We arrived to the place where we would be four wheel driving to the water fall!!! I was SUPER excited, cause I had never actually done 4WDriving before. When we arrived, me, Caroline and Dawn and this 8th grader hopped on to the 4WD. We had no idea how bumpy the ride was, but I found that out when I let go for a second and almost fell off. After the drive, we walked to the waterfall, and swam into it. Well, actually it wasn't a very long swim due to it being EXTREMELY COLD! :0
We had spicy chicken for lunch (Mr. Jacus said it was better then the shrimp so you can imagine how much he ate ;), and of course: A bottle of water. Its very important to stay hydrated in 90F+ degrees!
After the waterfall, we rode back, and went back to the bus where we drove another 1-2 hours to the place where we would be zip lining and white water rafting! :) I was thrilled, cause once again, I have never been white water rafting! ( I have been zip lining).  When we FINALLY arrived, we unpacked because fortunately the place happened to be a hotel as well (lodges), so we dropped our bags off at the room. Then we took a tutorial "class" on how to zip line and white water raft down the river. After listening to instructions we did it:) It was amaaazzziinnngg. After that, we cleaned up, had some free time, and had dinner. Before I knew it, I was sleeping...a lot. I was tired. But it didn't feel very long before...

I woke up to Day #3! Day # 2 was known as "Wet Day", well today was known as "Wet Wet day!"
We had spaghetti breakfast (#random?), then were off to Taman Negara, to the next hotel. We got there, found our hotel room, and headed down to the floating restaurant to eat lunch. After that, we took a "water taxi" to the Longest Hanging Canopy Walkway Bridge in the World. I was anxious to go:) We went, and after that, we got back on to the water taxi. The teachers gave us a lovely surprise of splashing us throughout the ride. But, it was fun, I enjoyed it:) We rode to the Asilly people who were a tribe that lived on a tiny island. We learned the way they live, and how they managed to live life by cooking and feeding themselves because after all, they were in extreme poverty. We left the place, and decided to play in the river for about 20 minutes. Then, we headed back to the hotel, and washed up for the night walk. Ahhh yes the moment I've been waiting for. When we headed to the trail. I was amazed but slightly creeped out about the things I saw. We was an aardvark, a  tarantula sized spider, elephant (wild) watching, a goat, pigs, termites (if they bite your skin, then their teeth get stuck in your skin), and of course, the mosquitos came for a visit as well. Finally, when it was over we went back to the hotel and "zzzzzzz" I was asleep. Today, was probably the most action-filled day.

The last full day! :( Noooo! When I woke up, I knew we were doing three main things: Cave exploring, chocolate shopping, and going to a fancy banquet! But of course we had to drive there first. It was back to Kuala Lumpur. 3 hours. We arrived at the cave, and had a wild adventure. Bats, rock structures, and cave crickets. Beautiful sites too, because the caves were in the middle of the jungle. After the caves, we went to a restaurant that had a shower, so we showered in it because we were covered in mud and bat poo! I have to say, I don't think I've ever smelled worse then that day haha!:) We showered and rode the bus to chocolate shopping! We got there and right away started to shop. I got mint chocolate, and Hot Spicy chocolate (that I would later trick my dad with ;). Right after the shopping, we headed to the banquet. It was amazing! There was singing, dancing, and most of all, the food was excellent. We watched the show for about 1 hour, and headed out back to take pics of the Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. It was a great sight that I will never forget. We went back to the hotel that we stayed the first night, and didn't go to bed at first actually...we played the card game: "Cheat", until 1am. It was SO fun! Then we went to bed, and all of a sudden I regret playing till that late.

 I was tired! We had breakfeast, and sadly had to go to the airport to catch our flight :'( As much as I wanted to stay, I knew that my family missed me, and I missed them. As the plane landed in HK, I still felt like I was Malaysia, but sadly we weren't:(

Even today, I miss Malaysia and all its wonderful memories. It is a place that I will never forget.

 

Time Well Spent

I have always felt very blessed with the children God has entrusted us with...and I find it a little unique that we have quite an age gap (age 1 to age 12).  I often feel like I am comparing the joys and challenges of babyhood to pre-teenhood because they are so similar:) But, I am also reminded of how fast our children grow up and how I need to soak in every moment, because it will soon be gone. 

My oldest just left on a school trip to Malaysia yesterday.  If I'm honest, I don't think I knew where Malaysia was located until we moved to HK last year. She was thrilled to go, and I was happy for her.  I tried not to think of what it meant for me...to have my little girl in another country without me or her father. If you were to have told me two years ago that we would have let her do this, I would have laughed.  But after surviving last year, when my three oldest children moved with my husband without me, a month before I moved...this was a no brainer.  I do miss her terribly, but I know she is having an amazing time doing some awesome activities in a spectacular place. Its also hard for me to realize she is old enough to be doing this, but that's when I remember she is not even in elementary school anymore with her long braided pigtails and her bangs that are growing out since I cut them too short.

Its because of these feelings that today I changed my plans.  I was supposed to go out this morning, but instead I decided to just stay home and play with Sarah.  Of course, there were other things I needed to get done...phone calls, mailing packages, email.  But, all that could be done, and was done, during her nap.  No, I just spent most of my morning playing with and watching Sarah.  Trying to soak it all in.  And that child is hysterical.  Her faces and the way she can get into trouble is so funny.  I don't take the time to do this often enough, I'm sorry to say. I have never been great at just playing with them at this stage.  But because I am a little bit older and maybe wiser than I was with my oldest, I have and will continue to enjoy this little blessing while she lets me:)

 

loves her apples

favorite spot to "read"

nap time!

a pic without her knowing

she caught me

playing with her Noah's Ark

My sweet and silly Sarah Jane

 

 

 

 

 

To Drive or Not to Drive?

It's been a busy last few weeks...I think I say that every time I write.  But all of a sudden I find myself writing November on the calendar and wonder where the time has gone. I think it has been a little bit easier to lose track of time here because of the lack of seasonal change.  It's still in the 80's, I'm still wearing shorts, and I still have my air conditioning on. Thus, to me it still feels like early September, not November.

So after getting back from Beijing, we hit the ground running to catch up on what we had missed. The kids had some make-up work and we all had some work in getting back in the groove.  I'd say it took about a week.  A week after we got back, a friend of mine invited a group of us to go down to Stanley for the day to do some shopping and have some lunch.  Everyone talks about Stanley, but I had never gone before and was excited to go...especially if she was driving.  It's also not the easiest place to get to by public transportation, which has been a deterrent for going in the past.  This was a great opportunity! So the four of us left around 10am from the kids school and got down there in about 30 minutes.  This was definitely faster than I anticipated.  Hong Kong is not that big, but Stanley is on the south side of the island.  When you factor in traffic and windy roads, locations that generally "appear" closer, can take a long time to get to.

We had a GORGEOUS day! It was a beautiful, sunny day, upper 70's, and the skies were so blue.  It was amazing to sit at lunch with my new friends, remembering what I was doing just a year ago, and thinking how far I have come.  Last year, I wasn't able to be out for the day, certainly not by myself without baby in tow. I even remembered thinking how I was looking forward to a time when I could be out with friends and not worry about my three hour nursing window.  It was refreshing to finally be in that place.  It was freeing..

Being in Stanley also brought up another question that my husband and I continue to get often. "When are you going to get a car?" People cannot believe that we don't have a car when they hear where we live...which is a bit out of the way and a little bit of a distance from the kid's school, and far from our church. And of course, when they hear our family size, that's when the jaw drops. Last year I couldn't even fathom getting a car.  I was on information overload and the thought of learning something else new...like driving on the left, wheel on the right, was overwhelming for me.  It was also amazing to me that I could get anywhere I needed to be by trains, taxis and buses.  Navigating the public transportation was empowering to me and helped build my confidence and get more comfortable in my new surroundings.  BUT, that doesn't mean it isn't exhausting or easy, or even useful when we want to go to some more remote locations.  So, a year removed and we are back to that question..."To drive, or not to drive?"

There are so many factors on both sides of the argument that make this a challenging decision.  We have made it a year without one, the cost (of gas, insurance, tolls, maintenance), lack of parking, not to mention a little bit of fear (see previous post about my car accident in taxi). These are valid...but now the other side of the coin.  Easier to get to places like Stanley and Sai Kung, less exhaustion (quality of life) and more options...all ring true to me as well.  So...we will keep discussing, revisiting, and I will keep you posted.  For now, we will continue our adventures on the trains, buses and taxis. They do make for great stories.

Beautiful Stanley

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, the kids were able to go trick or treating again this year.  We may live in one of the few areas in all of Hong Kong where this takes place.  The kids had a great time going around the neighborhood with Andy and some friends.  This was the first year Grace did not go...which was timely since I needed to be at a parent's meeting for her upcoming trip. But our Indian princess, cowboy, fairy and cow all had a good time.

Abby, Sarah, Emma and Josh

 

Our cute little cow making her new "fishy face"

 

Getting ready to go!

 

My Thoughts on Beijing- by Grace

Beijing was a wonderful experience that I know I will never forget. Its one of those "once in a lifetime" opportunities. Hong Kong is, too,  but I have 3 years to enjoy it :) When we were on the airplane to Beijing, I tried to remember the times when my dad would tell me about his trips there. I asked him if it was similar to Hong Kong, and he said it was fairly different. I tried to imagine: something not too similar to Hong Kong, but definitely not the same as U.S. I guess I would have to wait and see :)

On the mini bus to the hotel, I tried to look out the window without falling asleep. It was almost midnight and my eyelids were heavy and closing. Lights and buildings were surrounding me, and I knew that this was the city part. Also, it was definitely fall temperature! The last time I got to experience fall in the U.S was in 2011. That blew my head: Has it really been that long? I went back to sleep. In the morning, I got up early, but not that early compared to my school day (6:00am). We were going to the Forbidden City :) I got ready, and we headed for breakfast. Like my mom said in her post, It was such a privilege to have western food. After breakfast, all 13 of the Savvy's and Puff's, plus our tour guide and driver, climbed into the 13 seat passenger van. I have to say, that is one of the most squishiest cars I have been in. But at least I was next to my best friend in HK, Karhie Savonoff. When she stands next to me in the pictures (if there are any) you would think she is 2 years OLDER. But no, she is 2 months YOUNGER. She is a hilarious person, and is going through the same thing as me, having at least 3 younger siblings, so we know how each other feel. Hard to get that good of a friend with 3 younger siblings just like me in HK! We finally got to the Forbidden City (after traffic :P ), and walked out. People around us just kinda looked at us, shocked. But people in HK do that, too, so it should be the same right? I found that out easy. Instantly when we tried to get our first shot of the 13 of us, about 5-6 more people came up to take a picture of us. Then after, they would come up, and smile at us, thinking we cant speak Chinese. Well, in China, they speak Mandarin which is what I'm learning, so I can give off a good basic summary of me and my family which is all they need to know. So, they are usually looking at Sarah, since she is a pretty cute western baby with bright blue eyes. I first tell them she's one, then they ask me if I can speak Chinese. I tell them yes, and then we start to chat in Chinese. Personally, I think its fun :) Its funny what the people ask you though. I think I got asked 3 times if I was French. I then have to tell them that I'm American, and we are just visiting Beijing, but live in Hong Kong. Sometimes, I need Karhie to help me with the words. She is SUPER good at Chinese, even if she has been only studying for 5 years. Its fun to be able to do go to Beijing, speak Chinese with them, and get your picture taken all at once. I told Karhie: "I could live with this." She agreed.

I would share SO much more, but the other 3 older puff kids need to write, so I wanna give them room to write ;) I was glad when my mom told me I could write a little bit of what my experience was, especially since this was one of the major 5 places I will be going before Christmas (HK, Beijing, Malaysia, Phillipines, and Thailand.). Besides, that's the last family trip before I go by myself to Malaysia in 3 weeks! Beijing was such an experience that I will be remembering for as long as I can. I never thought at my young age I would be doing this at all. God really does work in mysterious ways, doesn't he:)

Beijing - A Trip of a Lifetime

Wow...what an adventure!!!!  It was a lot of work to prepare a trip for four adults and nine children, but we managed to see what we wanted to see and  I think the word "Amazing" keeps coming into my head to describe these last several days. So here is the "blow by blow" description of our packed trip to Beijing...bear with me, lots of details ahead for my own recording purposes:)

                                                              Day One - Travel Day

I picked up the kids after a half day of school.  All the teachers were so encouraging and excited for our adventure, which made it easier for me that they were missing a couple days of school.  We got to the airport in really good time...about three hours before our 5:30 flight...and we were through check-in and security in record timing. The flight was about three hours, and I'll never forget the many , many RED iridescent lights I saw as we were descending into Beijing. It reminded me that we were in CHINA...and just how crazy that was.  The kids did great on the flight...I actually sat with Andy (with Sarah) next to the window and the other four were across the aisle next to us.  Apparently, Wednesday night is a good time to fly into Beijing because we got through all the checkpoints pretty quickly and found our driver, who brought a 13 passenger van.  We arrived to our hotel around 11, met up with our friend who had arrived with his family earlier that day, and then started the process of getting settled.  Not as much sleep happened that first night, but we were all excited to get going the next day.

                                    

                                                Day Two - Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City, Silk House,                                                        Acrobat Show and Peking Duck

We started breakfast early at the hotel...all 13 of us in a relatively small dining area.  In fact, the staff looked a little overwhelmed, but by our last day, they didn't run out of bacon!  And actually, the food was pretty good, and our kids (and adults) loaded up on a great western breakfast. After meeting up with our driver in the same van, and our tour guide, we headed to Tian'anmen Square and Forbidden City.  The traffic maybe the worst I have seen in quite awhile, and it took us about an hour to get there.  The day was sunny and the weather was a perfect fall day, with temperatures in the 60's...but yes, there was smog. That didn't bother me...I was LOVING the weather!!! We walked across the Square, trying to take it all in while keeping an eye on the kiddos among the masses.  The Square was enormous, and while we didn't take a lot of time focused on it, I couldn't help remember what had happened there and why it was famous in my mind...a very sobering thought. 

 

 

Walking towards the Forbidden City, we took pictures here and there...trying to get the "perfect" shot, while keeping a good pace.  Our tour guide was very patient with us, but as he learned early, our group had two speeds...slow and slower. As we neared the first gate, the crowds started to increase, and we started to get more and more attention.  I don't remember when the first person asked to take our picture, but apparently our groups' photo had already been taken in the hotel lobby as we waited (as we found out from a friend...his guide showed him a picture of us) By the time we were through the first gate and well into the Forbidden City, our children were celebrities.  The older girls loved it...even posing, while the little girls were not so excited about all the attention.  At one point I looked at Andy, who had Sarah in the front carrier, and he had a group of older "fans" just oogling over a sleeping Sarah.  It reminded me of throwing bread crumbs to birds.  Finally, our friend's son explained to them in Mandarin that the baby was sleeping, and they were very respectful, backing off and even telling the newcomers to back off as well so the baby could sleep.  For the most part, the paparazzi were kind, and even though we had heard about this and tried to prepare the kids, it was very overwhelming for all of us.  We found that if we set up for our own picture, or even stopped for just a couple minutes to get our bearings, we were "fair game".

We stopped for a break....

 

 

which turned into a photo op:)

The City itself was unbelievable.  We had gotten through three gates and were still in the outer court.  I think we were there for about two and a half hours, and I felt like we hadn't even scratched the surface.  But our kids were troopers and how many palaces, halls and gates does one need to see?

 

 

The number of animals on the roof indicates the importance of the building

 

 

 

 

After the Forbidden City, and a great Chinese noodle restaurant for lunch, we headed to a Silk House that gave us a great tour of how silk is made...starting with the worm.  It really was fascinating and the kids enjoyed it, too.  We perused the many items of silk they had for sale, and then we were off to the acrobat show.

Stretching the silk is very difficult



The acrobat show was CRAZY!!! There were so many times I looked at Andy and said "you have got to be kidding!!!" This was a definite favorite with the kids and the adults.  Some of the things that were done should not even be attempted, and we all walked away with..."did you see that?" So fun!!!

This woman was doing a toe point on the man's head!

Well, with all that we had accomplished, we decided to pack in a bit more and go eat Peking Duck.  It was on our list of things to do, and since we knew what we had the next couple days, it was a good time to do it.  Our guide took us to his favorite Peking Duck restaurant and we got a room with huge round tables...so we all sat at one table.  Peking Duck is not only popular and delicious, but it is an experience that I highly recommend.  It brings together Chinese culture with a little Mexican (taco). Everyone enjoyed it and walked away quite full...even the little ones.  We got back around 9 or 10...tired!!! Oh, and we slept much better!!!

Peking Duck with our tour guide, David

 

 



     
                                                    Day Three - Beijing Zoo, Hutongs

Our day started early again...just not quite as early :) We left for the zoo and it was noticeably more "foggy." The kids were SO excited about this day because we were off to the zoo.  The first thing we headed for were the pandas...and while they were shy, we got some great pics of elephants, tigers and monkeys.  We spent a lot more time than allotted, but we could have been there all day.  There were also parts of the zoo that were very scenic...with beautiful willow trees and lakes. From there we left for lunch, eating at a dumpling place that wasn't as good as the noodle restaurant from the day before.  Then, we went to the Hutongs...an area of narrow streets that show traditional Beijing culture.  We all started with a rickshaw ride through the streets, then walked to the Drum Tower and Bell Tower, where we had a drum exhibition and tea demonstration.  I found these towers fascinating...first built in the 1200's, then rebuilt in 1420...like so much we had already seen, these structures held so much history.  The Drum Tower had over 6o steps almost straight up...and these towers were integral in keeping time.  Finally we raced back, stopped at some fun stores that we ran pass on our way the towers, to our waiting rickshaws.  We got an even faster ride back to meet the van.  And we finally got back to our hotel in time to go get some Papa John's pizza...yummm!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rickshaw Rides



 

 

Drum Tower

 

Bell Tower and Tea House

 

 

 

 

Day Four - The Great Wall, the Birds Nest

Ahhh...the day we all were waiting for. Well, maybe not all of us.  The kids were definitely tired.  But one of the funniest comments came from Josh, who said sleepily from his bed, "I'd rather stay in bed than go to the Great Wall." I told him that I would write that down...and now I did:)  We were shooting to leave around 7:30, but I think it was closer to 8am.  We met up with an associate and friend of Andy's in the lobby.  James and Andy have worked together for years, and they had talked about our family coming to Beijing for a long time...it was neat that it came to fruition.  The other huge blessing was that we got a small bus for our travels.  The van was great for the first couple days, but we were a little crunched, and with four plus hours of road time for the day, we were grateful for more room!!! The other HUGE blessing was the weather.  We could already tell when we left the hotel that we weren't going to have the same degree of smog we had before.  But by the time we got to the wall, the skies were BLUE!!! We could not have asked for better weather.  We did our time in the bus, got out and walked a bit because of heavy traffic, and got our tickets for the lift.  We went to a part of the wall that wasn't as crowded - Mitianyu.  We had our share of "fans", but definitely sensed there were more world-wide tourists.  We all went up the chair lift, and just going up takes your breath away.  I couldn't believe how beautiful this place was...the weather was gorgeous, and the leaves were changing...something I have mentioned before that I miss. When we got to the top, we took our time to take some pics, and then we walked on the wall...so exciting!!! It was definitely crowded, but we were still able to take pics without other people in the shot. And we did have space...something that is relative speaking in Asia. We definitely took our time, finding pictures to take wherever we turned.  And since we were taking so many pics, our pace was slower than normal.  We finally realized that we needed to turn around because we were planning to go down the toboggan, which was located where we came up at the chair lift.  So after some more pictures, we got in line at the toboggan and figured out who would ride with who.  When we finally got to the head of the line, I was told that Sarah was too small to go down at all, and that I would have to ride the lift.  While I was pretty disappointed, I wasn't surprised, and I enjoyed my peaceful and quiet (Sarah was asleep) ride down.  When we all got to the bottom, we got subs (from Subway) to go, and left that amazing place.  One thing we all kept saying was that pics wouldn't do it justice...but at least you will get the idea:) Finally, on our way home we stopped pretty quick by the Birds Nest, the Olympic Center. Even though it was a quick "run out of the bus and take a picture" stop, it was nonetheless, really fun to see...and it was HUGE! 

 

 

Toboggan and lift

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grace on the toboggan...the kids favorite part!

 

Sarah gives our friend, James, a high five for a great day

 

Birds Nest ..Olympic Park

 

We got back to the hotel in time for the kids to have a quick swim and then went out for some Yoshinoya (Japanese fast food) and Dairy Queen.  The next morning we would be on our way back "home".  I also realized it was still funny to go on these trips and then go home to Hong Kong.  But we are happy to be home.  We are SO thankful for an amazing trip with some wonderful friends.  I know there is so much more to see in Beijing, but with 9 children, you can only do so much. There is also so much more about our trip...but enough is enough:) We made some awesome memories that will not be forgotton!!!