Australia Trip Part 3 - Sydney

After barely making our flight to Sydney, we arrived to more gorgeous weather and an amazing view of the harbor as our flight landed. It was definitely surreal to see the harbor, the Opera House and the bridge...all places we had seen in pictures and never for a second thought we would see in person. We had a pretty easy time getting all our luggage and finding our rental van.  Then it was off to our Airbnb...a God-given gift that Ron and Rebecca only reserved in October.  It was a beautiful place, very modern, with a great view of the harbor, a wonderful breeze, and a very convenient location.  The owner met us, gave us a tour of the apartment, and even gave Ron and Rebecca a tour of the town in her car.

Then it was time for my husband's favorite past time...a trip to Costco with Ron.  Yes, we brought some boxes and had this trip all planned out and scheduled.  Rebecca and I stayed with the kids and found a yummy pizza place across the street.  We enjoyed getting settled and went to bed relatively early.  Andy and Ron were in the sweet spot...Andy in Costco and Ron helping Andy spend his money. The only disappointment was finding out that my parents' flight had been canceled and they wouldn't be arriving until Friday.

So, instead of making a run to the airport, we had another day before my parents joined us.  We decided to drive to Bondi Beach and do the beach walk.  After finally finding a place to park, we got to the crowded but beautiful Bondi Beach.  We decided to do the walk, much to our children's dismay.  The scenery was picturesque...like looking at a movie.  The deep blue ocean, big waves, cliffs and cloudless blue sky was amazing.  We walked for about an hour before returning back.  Then we spent some time in the surf and on the sand.  The water was pretty chilly, and the surf was so rough that you were only allowed to go in quickly and then back out.  But that was enough for us!!! The sand was hot...and by the time Ron got back (he had walked the entire beach walk) we were ready to be done and get back for lunch. We did find a great souvenir shop  It was such a fun time...but we were a bit tired and someone needed their nap:)

The water was COLD

Miss Sassy-pants

That night, after a great meal in, we actually had the energy to go out and explore.  We found ourselves in Darling Harbor.  It was a great atmosphere. We took in a street show run by some Americans:) We also found a wonderful playground...Australians know how to make a playground!

Darling Harbor

The next day, Andy and I went to the airport and found my parents with no problem.  They were able to get a lot of sleep on their flight and didn't have much jet lag.  On the way back, we picked up some fish for dinner...as well as some sashimi (yum!) We got back in time for lunch and while Ron and Rebecca checked out more of Sydney on ferry, the rest of us set up our blankets and chairs on the green space across the street...yes, it was New Year's Eve and we needed to get our plot of land:)
We had dinner(the best fish tacos!!) then went out about 8:00pm.  The first set of fireworks were at 9:00pm, with the big fireworks coming at midnight.  We had a good time eating ice cream, waiting for the show.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed the 9:00pm show...and they were impressive.  Then my parents, and the younger two went to bed.  We went out and waited for the 12:00am fireworks.  It got more crowded, but some people did leave, so we readjusted our position for more quality viewing. By 11:30pm it was packed, and we were chilly and glad we had brought some blankets.  Then we all stood up and watched the amazing fireworks.  We weren't right on the harbor, but had an unobstructed view...and we didn't have to camp out two days in advance to get it! It was fireworks we will not soon forget.

Fudge sickles waiting for fireworks

People who have waited for 48 hours

For New Year's Day, my parents and us went to Tsonga Zoo with the kids. To be honest, we were probably zoo'd out by then, but we greatly appreciated the shows and the beautiful scenery.  The Zoo actually is on the opposite side of the harbor from the Opera House, which makes for some great pictures and worth the price of admission.  It was a hot day, so we only stayed a few hours, but it was long enough for all of us and we left on a happy note. That evening, we got the kids settled, and then the adults went out to dinner by ourselves!  We took a friend's suggestion and ended up at a "cook your own meat" restaurant that had been around for a long time.  The food was amazing!!! Then we walked to the harbor, took pics of the Opera House, and made it to Starbucks before heading home...it was such a great evening and we were all grateful for some adult time.

Taronga Zoo

Our Monkeys:)

Cook your own...restaurant suggested by our "German" friends:)

Love adult night out:)

Our last full day, Ron and my dad went golfing, while the rest of us went to Manly Beach.  This was a larger beach, but even more crowded.  We had a terrible time trying to find parking (it took us about an hour) but when we finally got settled, we enjoyed ourselves...spending a lot of time in the water.  There were also a lot of shops, and we got some snacks before heading back to pick of the golfers. It was a full day, and felt like we had seen some amazing beaches on our Australian Adventure.  We had another wonderful meal and started to pack for home.

But, the next morning, at the crack of dawn, Rebecca, Andy and I had a date on a bridge.  We decided to do the Bridge Climb over the harbor...and it didn't disappoint!  While we got our training and did the climb, Ron, Grace and Emma went to a pancake house and walked around Sydney.  The cool thing was that while we were climbing to the top, we spotted Ron, Grace and Emma below walking across the bridge...which apparently never happens, according to our guide. When the three of us got down, we met up with the other three...they toured the tower while we hit the pancake house.  We ended our time at a couple more souvenir shops before heading back to the apartment. Then Ron and Rebecca had to catch their flight to Melbourne, so Andy took them while the rest of us kept packing up.  By the time Andy got back, we had just a little more time to spend with my parents before we had to get to the airport.  My parents were staying in Sydney a few more days before joining us in Hong Kong.  As we drove to the airport, it started to rain.  While we took quite a bit of time to check in, we got to the gate feeling like our time in Australia was full...full of great memories of family and friends, full of laughter and adventure and experiencing more of God's amazing creation.

Can you spot Ron, Grace and Emma?

A Month of Performances

January was full of performances for the Puffenberger's oldest girls.  Grace and Emma were on the ICS stage about two weeks apart, and they did amazing and gave us shows we won't soon forget.

First, it was Grace's turn.  Grace is in Show Choir (think Glee)...and was originally one of two freshman chosen to join back in May.  Beginning this summer, she and the rest of the Choir have worked tirelessly to learn and practice several songs, both for the Christmas concert and the January performance.  The Christmas concert, where all the high school choirs perform, was just a warm-up for the big yearly Show Choir performance called TIME.  This year the theme was about respecting and understanding the importance of the elderly in our communities and in our lives.  The Choir sang and danced to twelve different songs, and in between the songs they showed interviews of some of the "older generation" and what it was like to grow up during their day and what lessons we could all learn from them. The performed the show three times...the first two were for the public, and the third show was a special show just for domestic helpers.  The great thing was that my parents, who had put off their trip to HK for a year, were able to be here for the show and see their oldest grandchild in an element they've never witnessed before.  It was so great to see Grace perform with confidence after seeing SO much practicing at home.  We were all very proud of her.

Next, it was Emma's turn.  The Middle School show this year was Beauty and the Beast and Emma got the role of Babette, the feather duster.  If you know anything about this character you know that she couldn't be more opposite of Emma's personality.  Babette is flirtatious and forthcoming, so for Emma to play this role was a stretch...but she rose to the challenge in a big way.  No one could believe how confident and hilarious Emma was...I think even Emma surprised herself! The group started practices the end of October, so they put a lot of time into this production...and it was wonderful.  So wonderful that I had to go watch it all three times:)

It's been amazing to see how this move and this school, that has a heavy focus on the arts, has opened my children's eyes to more opportunities than their very sports oriented parents could have dreamed of...we are very grateful and are amazed at the gifts they have been given.

The Day I Gave Away My Rings

So I have been waiting to share this post for a number of reasons...but I think it is finally time.  It's a new year with a fresh start and I am not wallowing in my despair anymore.  Some people may take great angst in this post, and I may get some pity, but the reason I am writing it is because I want to have a record of what living in Hong Kong meant to us...our experiences, our feelings, our ups and our downs.  So this doozy of a story needs to be included:)

I have been able to play tennis since moving here and it has brought me a great competitive outlet...as well as great exercise.  I noticed a couple months ago that my rings were starting to give me some callouses.  Now I only wear three rings...my wedding ring, my engagement ring, and a ring that my husband gave me for my 21st birthday.  They are all very significant and I have been wearing them all for almost 20 years.

Because of the callouses, I started to take my rings off and leave them at home before tennis.  Sometimes I would forget to do so before I left, so they would go in my change purse in my wallet...thinking that I always have my wallet and never use my change.

On October 30th, I had a very busy day.  I ran from my tennis lesson to home for a quick shower, then to the school where we had parent/teacher conferences.  In fact, I was so stressed to get there on time...because who wants to be late to the first of 16 conferences...that I ended up getting a speeding ticket, sent to me later in the mail:)

Andy met me at the school and we made it through all the conferences.  As usual, we made a date night out of it and drove into the city.  Driving to and parking at the IFC is relatively new in our repertoire of comfortable places, so it was fun to practice. We didn't have a reservation, but were both very hungry.  As we walked from the garage to the escalators in Soho, there are lots of areas where homeless sit and ask for money. Many times I dont think about it...or the questions of "are they really in need" or "what will they use it for" prevent me from giving, but this time was different.  I had just had a conversation with a friend who had been convicted about spending more money on her coffee than giving to the people she was passing by.  Immediately, I stopped, and almost without thinking, grabbed a handful of change out of my change purse and gave to the woman on the corner.  I made a point of looking at her face, wanting to make a connection, and only looked down briefly at her little hat she was using to  collect so I didn't miss the mark.  Andy just looked at me in a funny way, and I told him that something struck me to do it and i wanted to be obedient.  Then we hurried to the escalators, found Pottinger street for some last minute halloween costume shopping (wigs for our children's Inside Out costumes), and then found an Italian restaurant that was delicious.  When we were done, we strolled back to the car, not really in a hurry, but with a purpose because we were both tired.

Fast forward to Sunday morning...we were coming home from church and I was sitting in the second row since Ben (our house mate) was in the car.  As we were about to drop him off at University MTR station, I realized I didn't have my rings on and opened my purse to go into my change purse.  Before I even unzipped the change purse, PANIC STRUCK! I quickly poured into my hand all the change that was in the purse.  As I had dreaded...my wedding ring and engagement ring were gone.  Silver lining...my special 21st birthday present from my then, fiancé, was stuck in the corner of the purse.

Suddenly, the enormity of what just happened hit like a ton of bricks and tears started to well up in my eyes.  Unfortunately, I was in direct eye sight of my husband, the driver, when he used his mirror, so I quickly pulled out a book and started to read to Sarah, seated next to me.  Abby was on my other side, and sometime before we got home she asked why I was crying.  I told her there was something in my eyes.  But as soon as we got home, I went into our bedroom, closed the door behind Andy, and told him what had happened.  His first response was, "What??" But he quickly circled his arms around me and let me cry.  Then we talked about me going back down there to see if I could find the same woman.  It was a long shot, but he thought that I would regret it if I didn't, and I felt that I owed it to him.

I headed down on the train, in no condition to drive, and made it down in record time.  I listened to a podcast on generosity:) When I got to the same spot the woman had been, she was still there! Although, I wasn't 100% it was the same woman, but she looked very similar and was in the same place.  When I went to talk to her, we had a severe language barrier.  I decided to call a friend who could speak Chinese.  When I finally got a hold of her and walked back to the women, she was gone.

By the time I got home, I had stopped crying and Andy had told the kids what had happened.  They had drawn me signs and told me they were praying for me that I would get my rings back...it was incredibly sweet and healing.

I decided to go back the next night with a friend who could speak Cantonese and Mandarin.  Soda is a fellow YL leader and was incredibly gracious to take the time to help.  When we got to the same spot, there was a woman there.  Again, I wasn't 100% sure she was the same woman, but Soda talked to her anyway.  The woman told Soda that she didn't have the rings...that if she had been given rings she would have given them back.  I was discouraged, but Soda was upbeat and encouraged me to keep looking.  We talked to five other women that night.  It was such a sweet witness to see Soda bent down to talk to these women...some more responsive than others.  She was so gentle with them, it was true beauty.

I never did find that woman, or my rings.  While they had extreme emotional value...and financial value...the Lord has given me some perspective.  I'm not sure what the lesson is except not to take off your rings, but I am trusting that those rings were used by God:)

Our November Visitors Part 2

By the time Gretchen and I arrived home, we ate dinner with the family and spent time with them.  We decided that Sunday would be a very slow day...going to church, coming back for lunch and staying in the rest of the day.  So that is what we did!

But Monday was a different story:) We took an impromptu trip back the Shenzhen with Ben.  He was going to show us the Art Village and we were going to meet our friend Suzanne for lunch.  On the way to the village, Ben needed to stop at his tailor and have a suit made.  Well, Gretchen has been holding on to a picture of a wedding dress that she fell in love with.  The dress if beautiful...just not the price:) So she showed Stephanie, the tailor...and within about 30 minutes, Gretchen was having her wedding dress made...in China!!!

We then took a taxi to the Art Village where we walked around and saw some beautiful paintings. We met Suzanne for lunch and Ben ordered some amazing dumplings to share. Then we found a quick coffee (because basically that is what this whole visit has been about:) and Gretchen and I found our way back to the homestead in time for dinner. She and I actually stayed up later than the kids and watched Madame Secretary...and then we crashed.

Tuesday was yet another full day.  Gretchen and I took the bus to Stanley where we hit the markets and had Paisanos Pizza for lunch.  Then, we met Ben at the beginning of the Dragon's Back hike.  I have been wanting to do this hike FOREVER!! We had a blast as Ben, our guide, directed us all the way to Big Wave Bay...another place I have been wanting to go.  It wasn't the clearest of days, but it was comfortable and we had a great time.  Then we took the bus to the station, got foot messages at Gao's, found a bite to eat at K-Roll (Korean Burrito), stopped at the YL office, and then back home in time to kiss the kids goodnight.

Our November Visitors Part 1

For the last three years, I have joked with my friends, Gretchen and Anne, about coming to visit me in Hong Kong.  I knew that this would be difficult for both of them for many different reasons, but I just kept putting a bug in their ears.  Last spring, when they confirmed they were coming, I was speechless. I understood what a sacrifice this was and I greatly appreciated the investment in our friendship.

They booked a trip over Thanksgiving week, from Sunday morning to Saturday night.  Unfortunately, due to some issues with their China visas, their trip was delayed until Wednesday morning and Anne wasn't able to extend her trip because of home obligations that couldn't be changed.  Gretchen was able to stretch it to the following Wednesday.  This was a disappointment, but we didn't let it get us down, and when we picked them up at the airport, we hit the ground running!! And let me just say...they are rock stars!!!

After leaving the airport, we dropped Grace off at school and Andy at the train station to go to work.  Anne and Gretchen got settled, took showers, and then we were off again.  We took the train into TST to meet my monthly lunch group.  Our group meets monthly for lunch to try a new restaurant, since HK isn't hurting for restaurants.  We met at Master Thai and got to eat outdoors.  Even though our server was on the grumpy side, the food was good and it was fun for my HK friends to meet my US friends.

From there, we got back on the MTR and took the train up to Shenzhen.  It was really our only time to make the trip, and I wanted Anne and Gretchen to power through...not to mention, they were not missing China after the visas delayed their trip.  We were there for a few hours, focused on getting some gifts and checking things out, then got home in time for dinner.  We were all wiped out, but I couldn't imagine how my friends were functioning?!? They were amazing...and in bed by about 8pm.

The next day was a coffee in MOKO, Flower Market, Bird Market, lunch with Andy at Nha Trang, Ladies Market, Young Life club at our house, then out to dinner at Hutongs.  It was a FULL day...not sure we could have packed more in? Gretchen and Anne were able to lie down a bit during Young Life, but other than that, there was no rest and they cemented their reputations as rock stars.

Friday was Anne's last full day, and when we were celebrating American Thanksgiving.  Other friends were arriving around 3pm, so we had all morning to explore and show them more of the city.  We drove to IFC, then walked to the Peak Tram to go up to the Peak.  It was probably the most gorgeous day I have ever had up their and was so thankful that they could experience it with such great weather.  After taking lots of pics, we traveled down by taxi, which dropped us off at the escalators.  We traveled up enough for them to experience it, then walked down to IFC, drove to City One to pick up Lauren, and got back home in time to get a few more things for dinner, pick up the turkey at the club, and enjoyed our Friendsgiving.  We decided to watch Inside Out after dinner.  I was the only one in the family who hadn't seen it, and unfortunately I fell asleep in the middle of it...I will have to try that again.  Gretchen and Anne and I wanted to stay up to talk, but none of us had the energy.

Saturday was Anne's last day, as she was flying out that evening. So Gretchen, Anne and I drove to Lo Ping and the Big Buddha.  We had another beautiful day.  Even though we bought tickets online, we had to wait in line for an hour.  This was a bit disappointing, but we got lots of good talking in:)
We took the beautiful cable car ride, ate lunch and ate Greek kabobs, walked the 200 steps to see the Buddha, and then did the reverse back to the car.  We navigated back to the airport where we said our sad goodbye's.  I know we were all disappointed that Anne had to leave, but I was so grateful that she got to come.  I'll share the rest of Gretchen's visit in the next post. And if you want to see better pics or a more detailed account of our trip...check out Anne's blog!