New Friends

Street vendors that look like they've been there a hundred years.  Dried fish staring at you as you walk by. Smells unique to our noses. Huge sparkling skyscrapers in the distance. The largest outdoor escalator system in the world. A cute coffee shop. And New Friends.

Pictures taken from various windows in our apartment.

Today, we ventured into the mid-levels to meet up with some new friends. I met Lori, who is from Texas and will live here for 2 years) through a Baby Center Message Board about International Moms while I was researching Hong Kong and traveling with kids. I emailed her when I found out she lived in Hong Kong with her children that were close in age to mine. We emailed back and forth and she has been amazingly helpful with everything related to our trip. She even lent us her stroller and had a bag of goodies waiting for us when we arrived. It was such a thoughtful gesture, one I hope to pass along someday. We decided to meet with the kids today for some play time at their apartment.  The girls hit it off with her daughter immediately and Cole and her 2 1/2 year old son shared a common interest in Buzz and Thomas. Cole's eyes lit up at all the new toys and he had so much fun playing. They live in the mid-levels, an area built in the side of a mountain, making for extremely steep streets and stairs. They have an outdoor escalator system that runs down in the morning and up in the afternoons. We ventured into the wet markets, a bunch of vendors lined up on very narrow streets crowded with people. There were fruits we've never seen before, toys, traditional Chinese items like fans and lanterns, and more raw meat and dead fish I ever cared to see.  I feel like we were transported back in time and got a sense for a more traditional Chinese culture...until I looked up and saw skyscrapers looming ahead and a McDonalds down the street. We found a tiny coffee shop that offered sandwiches for lunch - the only one we could find with seating for 8. It appears that everything is small here (even the stairs are shorter in length than U.S. stairs. My feet are too big to fit fully on them). By the time we were finished, the girls were holding hands and asking to play a bit more. But, as a downpour of rain was about to hit us, we hailed a taxi and made it home a little wetter, a little more cultured, and with some new International friends. I would call that a good day.

Cole wearing Buzz wings playing with a Thomas whistle at Lori's apartment.

Our first venture into the wet markets.

We still don't know what this fruit is called...

...but, being adventurous and a lover of all things fruit, Skye decided to give it a try.

The verdict....Yummy! We ended up buying some to bring home with us.

A little Bit of Home...

Cole decided to share his juice with Quinn. Too cute.

The girls waiting patiently for their food.

Back at home, Cole continued to entertain us. He was following Noelle or Auntie Bubbles as he calls her with her sunglasses on. He thought he was hysterical!

Noelle taught the girls how to make friendship bracelets during our down time/Cole's nap time  today. They loved it and made about a dozen bracelets.

Cole was being very quiet while the girls were showering after swimming and I was making dinner. He got my camera,, turned it on, and took several pictures. They were mostly of his feet and index finger until he figured out how to turn the camera around and take a self portrait. I have several, but this one turned out the best. I'm glad they're digital!