Another Update from Hong Kong

Right after I posted the last blog entry I came down with a horrible head cold. That's all it was but it kicked my butt! I was down for a good four days and missed two days of school. My first Hong Kong bug! I've been told I'm in for a lot more. Bummer - my immunity was finally pretty strong last school year and I only suffered from allergies...well after the experience of living out here I ought to be pretty tough!

I was on my way to school today and it hit me - I'm living in Hong Kong! It's been such a whirlwind that sometimes you just have to step back and see the experience for what it is. I've always wanted to experience another culture and not just as a tourist. And here I am. And I was thinking - it's so different to live here then to just visit and how cool is that?

We had dinner last night at the apartment of another couple from our school ICS. They are originally from California. He teaches middle school science and math and she taught the grade above me but has two kids and stays home now. Ernie coaches track with him. They've been here five years. It was our first experience in a true Hong Kong apartment. Up until now we've been bouncing around the 7th floor here and we all have basically the same apartments. This couple lives on the 35th floor of their building! That's higher then the tallest building in Phoenix which I believe has only 32 floors and they weren't at the top. I thought it was so cool but Ernie wasn't so fond of being up that high. Their views were amazing but apartments here are tiny! Tiny!!! It makes our school apartment feel so spacious! Mostly it's the kitchens. They don't really have built in ovens - they don't do that here. It's all counter top convection ovens. But I guess they don't really bake much so it's all good for them. We Americans struggle with that...there are plenty of bakery's around though. :)

The weeks are going fast here - we are always so busy! There are plenty of things to do and see when we aren't working. And Hong Kong people keep long hours. They work late and do stuff after - we are the lame ones who go to bed too early. It's a crazy, exciting place. I am looking forward to our long four day weekend in two weeks though - I feel like I've been working since I got here and need more then two days off. So that will be good. It's fall festival or something like that. It's all about the mooncakes right now. That's really interesting. There are several stories that go with them and who knows what the right one really is. It's kind of like mythology. Anyway, they are filled with sesame or lotus paste and some have chocolate but not like a chocolate cake. It's an interesting texture. I like the lotus paste ones a lot and my co-workers were surprised and said I like so many things that I must have Asian somewhere in me! I didn't care much for the sesame one - I don't much like sesame. I guess most Westerners don't like mooncakes at all. But everywhere kiosks and shops have opened up selling them. Hagen Daaz even does them here. It's huge. So that's neat to experience.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I'll try and take more videos or something soon! Thanks for reading.