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!

Juxtaposition

The kids had a ball playing pillow fight with Noelle. If you look closely, you can tell she's under all those pillows.

It's so humid here, that the my camera lens fogs up for the first few minutes of the day. The pics have a nice "haze" to them.

Waterfall at Hong Kong Park with steps to walk under it!

We've seen many interesting signs since we've been here and I want to start taking pictures of some of them. We walked into what felt like a jungle and there was a sign for "free wifi"

We were so excited to see this pond and all of the turtles hanging out in it!

Sydney makes sure we never get lost. She figured out the way to the playground without climbing stairs. She definitely didn't inherit my map reading skills or sense of direction.

The view of Central from the park....it's crazy how close the buildings are to this oasis.

This is a Jack fruit tree. I don't know what Jack fruit is, but it certainly looked cool.

The aviary had over 600 types of birds in a very natural enclosure.

These birds look like they're practicing for their America's Got Talent audition.

We finally made it to the park! Cole was beyond thrilled and had a blast even when he had to scoot down the slide due to humidity and sweaty legs.

The park is 4 stories with a little something for everyone.

Skye and Cole going down the 2 story slide.

I found it odd that a photo "hole" that is kid sized and obviously designed for children would depict said child smoking a pipe.

Inside the waterfall on our way back to  out apartment.

My proof of life photo.

The 2 story slide.

Swimming at Hong Kong Country Club.

This outdoor rain shower made Cole's top 5 best thing about Hong Kong. He spent about a half hour turning it on and off and playing with the stream of water. The simple things in life...

The girls winding down from a long day. They both fell asleep in the taxi on the way home.

This is from last night's dinner. I made sure to get a few pictures of myself as requested by some friends!

A family picture complete with a set of keys. Cole's obsessions hasn't curbed a bit. Now, he just has new keys to play with!

Each day here feels like two days in one. Due to jet lag, we have all been getting up really early. We've been heading out on a morning adventure, coming back to the apartment for lunch and naps, and then rebooting for late afternoon/early evening fun. This morning, after a little playtime at home with the kids, we went to Hong Kong Park.  This is just blocks from our apartment and unless you are purposefully looking for it, you wouldn't know the depths of it's existence. It is a huge park with gardens, an aviary with over 600 birds, waterfalls, water fountains, rivers, and a 4 story playground.  It's like a tropical jungle merged with a huge concrete city. My first thought when we stepped into the park, was how quickly my dad would be on the internet looking up airline ticket prices. This place is definitely his type of thing and some of the photos I took are just for him! We spent a few hours exploring and playing there.

After a much needed early afternoon break, we met up with one of Todd's friends that lives here at Hong Kong Country Club.  The kids went swimming with a backdrop of beautiful trees and mountains. We ate outside with Jeanie and her family at a table next to the club's outdoor playground. It was much more enjoyable having dinner where we could order the meal and go and run around and play while the food is being prepared. Noelle said her dinner was the most fabulous meal she has ever had. Cole had his first experience with chopsticks. Granted, he used it to stab a tortellini, but he gave it a try! Everyone we have met here has gone out of their way to make us feel welcome.  It has really helped us with our transition here. All three kids are now tucked soundly into bed and I am hoping they all sleep in a little later tomorrow as their bodies adjust to the time change.  Overall, it was another wonderful day full of new experiences. So many, that I don't know how I am going to choose the photos I use today. I probably took a couple hundred photos and have the "good" ones narrowed down to about 60.  I even added a few of myself today!