The end has come...

No, the sky isn't falling or anything so apocalyptic as the end of life as we know it...

It is, however the end of Francis Goes to Hong Kong on Blogger.

It is still in the early stages and more changes are on the horizon, but I can now be officially located at Cat and Muse.

My blogger account will still be up and running for a while, but there will be no new posts here.

If you still care to tune in, please use the link(s) or type http://catandmuse.com into your browser!

Hope you will all join me at my new site!

Big changes...

are closer than you think...

http://catandmuse.com/

New picture of Pixel...

and adventures in how to be a bad mom.


Here he is, all grown up...my little Pixelator:

I accidentally dropped Pixel into a bowl of water that was soaking in the kitchen sink. I have read that it is not healthy for hamsters to be wet or bathed, as it can kill them if they catch a chill. That having been said, I do NOT recommend dropping your hamster into a bowl of water.

I feel the need to explain myself, so you all should know I was just cleaning his exercise ball and he was running around on my shoulders. He speeds up the longer he is out and he managed to run down my arm and for safety reasons I allowed him on the counter top with the intention of putting him back on my shoulder. Before I could grab him, he slipped on the stainless steel edge of the sink and plopped right into the bowl of water. Ooops.

So, I searched what to do if your hamster gets wet and found that you should use a hairdryer on him on a cool setting with about a foot of space between the hamster and the hairdryer.

FYI, it takes a very long time to dry a hamster with this method.

Another time, I accidentally went to bed after handling him and forgot to close the door to his cage. At about 4 am, Francois (my cat) was frantically trying to wake me and I chose to ignore him. He was apparently trying to wake me to inform me that Pixel had escaped and was cruising around our flat.

I didn't know this until I awoke around 7 am, at which time the search party began. We weren't entirely sure if Francois would eat him or not, but it turns out that he just isn't all that hungry. We didn't find him that morning, so I put hamster food all around in places I thought he could be hiding in hopes of coaxing him out.

No such luck, but Francois did lead Cybr to where Pixel was hiding and we recovered him intact.

Bonus that he was still alive, I felt like crap already.

So, that should sum up how NOT to care for your hamster! Any questions?

P.S. At least I haven't dropped him like three or four times like his dad has done!

Added bonus in Paradise...

I forgot to mention something about our upcoming honeymoon to Koh Yao, Thailand that I find very interesting...

We first fly from Hong Kong to Phuket, Thailand and then from Phuket we will be taking a SEA PLANE for a 45 minute flight to Koh Yao.

I think this is SO FREAKING COOL! A sea plane. I have never been on one and always wanted to. We were told to have our cameras ready for the flight, the views we will see while on the sea plane are supposed to be awesome.

Just another added bonus, we are so psyched about this trip.

Happy Birthday, Buddha!!

Today is Buddha's birthday. It is also a public holiday here (yea!).

We decided to join in the first day of celebration for Buddha's B-day by attending the Bun Festival. I have some pictures and a better description that I will update very soon.

For now, I am extremely sunburned despite all attempts to keep sunblock on. I used to be so tan back in the day, but now that I have been anti-tanning for nearly a decade I am officially very white. Unless I spend the better part of a day in the sun and sweating off all sunblock. Then I am red. I do have an interesting pattern between my shoulders, it looks just like Mexico. Kinda weird, but true. It is uncanny!

Anyway, after I sleep for a bit, I will continue to update this post on Buddha's Big Birthday Bash...


I'm baaa-aack!

This is the harbor at Cheung Chau where the first day of celebration for Buddha's B-day begins.This is the main street facing the harbor, near the ferry pier and also a major parade route where the bun climbers run through to climb the tower of buns. It is the Parade of Bun Festival, after all! We missed the actual climb, but that was okay...it was so hot!
This after alighting from the ferry, there is crowd control for all the gazillion people trying to see the parade of buns...it was absolutely crazy.
This is one of many dragon dancers in the parade. There was a marching band, banners, dragons, kids all painted up in tradition make-up and wardrobe and balancing on these three prong platforms.
These are the buns that are on the tower, they are filled with something unidentifiable and you can purchase them. We weren't certain at first if they were edible or not and even if they were if it would be offensive to actually eat it!
In addition to the parade, there were a lot of ambulances going through due the intense heat. Apparently, people were passing out left and right, which it was definitely hot enough for that. Notice how small the ambulance is, people are as tall as it is and it isn't that long either. I doubt Cybr would fit in it lengthwise.
Ahhh, the perfect ending to a miserably hot day.

Are we in some weird moon phase or something?

I saw a small boy today, maybe 3 or 4 yrs old, urinating into a clear plastic bag that his mother was holding for him. Something like a ziploc bag, approximately quart size.

I know that perhaps we could color this scenario a variety of ways. Maybe a bladder urgency, maybe a physical illness, maybe a thousand different reasons that this wouldn't be strange...

However, this was taking place in a shopping mall about 5 feet in front of a public toilet.

Seriously, this is a very odd thing to see. I double took. So did everyone else, there was a people traffic jam caused by the mass confusion it caused all the passers-by.

Weird.

Random thoughts...

1. I was just made aware via comment on the post that I never said when we were going to Paradise. We are going in July and will be there on our Anniversary. I believe the dates are the 19-25th. I CAN'T WAIT!!
2. I just had a Swedish massage (so cheap here! depending on where you go) that actually hurt (so good).
3. The massage lady actually stood on the massage table. It was kinda like in the movies!
4. I get really tired of picking up every one's poop. I pick up so much poop it seems surreal. I do not pick up my own poop or Cybr's for any reason. Just thought I would clarify. I am not sure why.
5. I have a lot going on right now and it feels good.
6. I have had a perpetual ear ache since the return flight from the US to HK back in April. It comes and goes about every other day.
7. I saw the doctor about the ear ache and she says there is nothing visibly wrong with the ear. That helps.
8. I yacked a slightly chewed french fry out of my mouth today because it tasted funny. Cybr did not appear to be overly impressed by this.
9. Even though I am extremely busy as of lately, I am still bored. Kinda crazy, huh?
10. If my latest employment endeavor works out, then I will have obtained a goal of mine that I thought to be a bit out-of-reach.
11. I am addicted to playing Meteos on my DS Lite.
12. I have so much to blog about, but not enough hours in a day...but, I will get to it.

My eyes! MY EYES!!

I saw a man on the MTR (subway) today that had on pants that were so small on him that he had the most gruesome man camel toe (aka moose knuckle) ever to be seen...

And it had to be me standing across from him.

I do not, for the record, look at every one's "area". You had to be there to understand. It could not be avoided no matter how you divert your eyes.

Ewww and seriously, that so cannot be comfortable!

Final Destination....Paradise!!

We did it! We found Paradise and we booked a trip there!

Literally...we are going to The Paradise Koh Yao, check it out at http://www.theparadise.biz/.

We will be staying in a Pool Villa that is on the beach with our own private pool, private jacuzzi and a private access to the sea. Now this is what we were looking for all along, although it doesn't have the water villas like Maldives, it is still everything we could ever imagine. And it is about half the price or less. And we are staying 6 NIGHTS! Wooo hooo!

I was flipping through all the channels when I saw an advertisement for this place, which is apparently a newer resort, so I googled it and the rest is history.

It is an island near Phuket, Thailand. There are so many things to do. We can snorkel, rock climb, hike, bicycle, and kayak to explore places like this:

This is so right up our alley... and I know Cybr's favorite thing is NOT beaches but he loves me so much that we are going to a beach!!

I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!!!

Picture Day!!

Romantic Honeymoon/1st Anniversary Getaway

When I returned to Hong Kong after visiting back home for three weeks, my sweet husband surprised me with the news that he has been looking at places for us to take a belated honeymoon. Or a First Anniversary getaway, whichever you prefer to refer to it as. We are sticking with Honeymoon in hopes of getting free stuff. Not to mention, we haven't actually had a Honeymoon.

We have been doing a lot of research on finding a private, romantic beach resort to stay for several weeks (probably a month by now!)...

Anyway, the big hold up is this...Cybr found this great place that has "water villas". It is in Maldives. It is gorgeous. All the resorts there look cool and most of them have "water villas", too.
Check out just one of the resorts here: http://www.clubrannalhi.com/pre_index.htm
They are all gorgeous, each one is nicer than the next. Some have glass bottom villas, some have a private jacuzzi, and they all walk out off a small private deck into the ocean. Holy crap!

So, what is the problem, eh? All the packages are 5 day, 3 night. This makes no sense until you delve into it a bit and then you find out that two+ days are spent in transit. I know we were going for remote, but DAMN! I still want to enjoy the time, not just commute. These packages for 5 days, 3 nights are all very expensive. All vacation packages are pricey, we get that, but we just cannot seem to get past the sense of really getting screwed on these packages. We pay out the ass and we get to relax for two nights and go to bed early the third night so we can travel at the butt-crack of dawn.

Ummm...this is starting to not sound relaxing! So, meanwhile, we are still trying to see what else is out there. The problem so far has been that after looking at Maldives and the "water villas", everything else has been about the same price but disappointing in comparison. The only thing we are finding is that for the same money we will get a full 5 day, 4 night package and actually be there the whole time. Nothing we have seen thus far offers the seclusion, romance and total coolness of Maldives...

Things could be worse! I realize this problem is so very much not a REAL problem...but it is my duty to share what is happening here.

So that is the story so far, when we figure something out, I will post.

Q8 - How do the "locals" treat you & Cybr? Specifically Americans?

Another good question, Heather!

Cybr and I read some customs and etiquette books before we ever came here. One of the things we read is that Chinese people are quite often misconceived as being rude. This is often a perception based on behavior. Westerners tend to perceive many behaviors of this eastern culture as being rude.

When we first visited here last year, I did not stay long enough to encounter this "rudeness". I was only here ten days, during which I found most everyone to be pleasant and extremely accommodating. We received a few stares when we would enter "local" restaurants and be the only white faces amidst a sea of Asian faces, but these were not uncomfortable stares nor did they last more than a moment.

During our visit I spoke to a native Australian that had been living here for a decade and she asked where we had been during our visit and the "local" dining came up in conversation. She was shocked and appalled! She said "We just don't do that", meaning that if you are not "local" then you don't dine with "locals".

This struck me as odd and rude. Beyond rude, really. I mean, the food was good. The people were nice. So why not? The only answer I have is...we just aren't like the "everybody else" that she lumped into "we".

What I learned from this is that "locals" are mostly very considerate and accommodating. I have seen some "non-locals" behave in rude and appalling ways. Mostly Europeans, Americans and Australians to be specific.

During our initial visit, I did not experience any "local" rudeness; however, since living here on a day to day basis, I can honestly say that there have been moments that it was made clear that my presence was nothing but an annoyance. But mostly, there is just the realization that it is okay to butt in line if there is a gap between people and it is okay to sit at an already occupied table in a restaurant and it is okay to push your way down a crowded street if you are from here. It is not rudeness, just the way things are done here.

These have really been few and far between, though. Overall I would say that strangers in St. Louis have been more rude to me than anyone here. Hell, I have had so-called friends and family treat me worse than any of the locals here have!

More than likely, after adapting to life here, we will ourselves be considered rude upon returning to the U.S. and butting in line or pushing through a crowd. But we won't see it that way any longer, hehe! Our horizons have definitely been broadened in this area.

Insight gained from living abroad...

No matter what race, religion, language barriers or other differences, ALL children really do laugh, cry, and play exactly the same. In a manner consistent with being children that transcends all those things that separate them by their unique characteristics, they are all learning, laughing, loving, hurting, crying and ultimately experiencing the same things. Even if they express these things verbally in many different languages, which happens frequently here in Discovery Bay, it is very easy to understand.

I find great comfort in this.

I have thought this was true all my life, that people are all the same inside, and now I find that my experience here has given me the gift of seeing it first hand. We may all look different, speak different, act different, believe different...but ultimately our humanness binds us as one.

Maybe to some this all sounds stupid or naive, but it makes me smile every time I find myself in a position to be seeing it first hand and on such a grand scale of diversity.

Moo.

Q7 - What do you absolutly LOVE about Hong Kong? What do you NOT love about it?

Thanks for the question, Heather! This is a really fun questions to answer...

LOVING:
1) The sea
2) The simple fact that I finally moved out of Missouri
3) The food
4) The breeze coming off the sea
5) The idea that (HOLY CRAP!) I am in freakin' China
6) The cultural differences...too many to mention
7) The wet markets/cool shopping for food, clothing, etc...
8) The flowers
9) Tao Ti Apple Green Tea. Mmmmmm....
10) Extreme diversity
11) Not having to work right now.
12) How safe it is in our community, kids are able to roam unsupervised without danger. I know, impossible to believe unless you see it first-hand. Part of this has to do with the cultural belief that children are EVERY ONE'S responsibility and therefore perfect strangers look after children that are unattended. I swear that as crazy as it sounds, it IS SAFE.
13) Outdoor seating at many restaurants so you can take your dog with you.
14) The local pub cat that begs for food at our table while we dine and is ALWAYS there...has a big belly, too!
15) Trying new things constantly
16) Meeting really nice people from all over the world
17) Our view of the water with Disney fireworks across the harbor
18) Exploring "local" areas
19) Walking/riding bicycles as transportation and efficient, cheap transportation everywhere you wouldn't want to walk or ride
20) Everything that is Hello Kitty...and there is soooooo much


NOT LOVING:
1) Missing my friends and family
2) Being so far away in case of emergency
3) Being so far away all the time, especially on holidays
4) Not working right now (yes, it is a love/hate thing and I am exploring my options thoroughly)
5) Not having a Cecil Whittaker's
6) Not having a car/driving
7) No IHOP
8) How long it takes to get to certain areas due to public transportation
9) There is no "one-stop-shopping" here
10) Not having a yard for the fuzzy kids to run around in
11) No WalMart, Target or Kohl's
12-20) Missing my friends and family a lot...

Not too satisfied with Blogger.

I am not extremely satisfied with Blogger, so I will be changing things here soon. It isn't that it is so terrible, just that it has it's limitations and I am not able to do things I would like to do.

I now have my own domain, which Cybr will be hosting and I will unveil the name to you all soon.

There is still a lot of work involved with the change-over, so it won't be immediately but hopefully soon...

Happy Birthday, My Little Angel Chicken!

It is belated, but only because I forgot to post about it.

My little girl turned 7 years old on Cinco de Mayo.




I cannot believe she is seven and I am really hoping that my friend Heather will correct me on her age by saying "she can't be 7, because Benny is only going to be 6 yrs old". Our dogs are only a few months different in age. I hope I am wrong.

Let's all wish Missy Chini Poochini Chicken Britches a happy birthday and many, many, many, many more! (I am kind of attached and maybe a little crazy).

Picture Day! YAY!

These photos were all taken in Utah during my westward journey to L.A. with the dogs and cat.

These are all from Black Dragon Canyon.

This was just a cool rock.

The shadow in the foreground is from a storm rolling in.

Q6 - What foods will you typically refuse to eat? (fuzzy pork comes to mind)

I have actually tried the fuzzy pork. I didn't like it and won't do that again.

I refuse to put 100 yr old eggs anywhere near me. They are black and have been buried in dirt. I thought eggs went bad if you didn't refrigerate them and after a certain amount of time they went bad anyway. So to me, a 100 yr old egg is not a delicacy but more of a rotten egg. Ewww.

Anything that involves chicken feet. Need I say more?

Runny scrambled eggs...I just can't handle the runny-ness, it is like snot. That seems to be common here at any place that makes breakfast or egg as the main course dishes, they often seem to be a bit runny.

Ox tail. Won't even try it. It sounds like butt to me.

Shark fin soup, which is very popular, but I can't do it based on principal. I would probably like it, I just can't eat it. They catch the sharks and hack off their fins and toss them back in the water, or at least that is what people say. If it is true, I do not condone it and I will not eat it. Until I know for a FACT that this practice is NOT occuring, I will have to avoid it.

That is all I can think of for now...

Introducing Lantau Island's Most Popular Feral Cats...

Q5 - Have you been to any Hong Kong action movie auditions? (this could be a cybr question)

Thanks for the question, Yoshi. Please refer to Cybr for this question, as I have had no such experience.

He had a scene be filmed in the service apartment he stayed in before I got here. I don't know much else other than that but I am sure he would LOVE to tell you about it!

Q4 - If you had to move from STL to Hong Kong again, what would you do differently?

The only answer I have is...

I questioned how we handled shipping our pets, but I am not sure there is a better alternative even though I hated how stressed they were.

I have thought it may have been better if Cybr didn't leave 6 weeks before I did, that he would have been able to help out more...but in truth, his being gone gave me quality time to spend with family and friends, it kept us from having our stress take it's toll on our relationship, and in all honesty I think I got a lot more done on my own than if he would have been there.

Other than having questioned those two things, I don't think I would have done anything differently.

Great question, though, it really made me think. Thanks, KD!

Pictures of our view...

Mae has requested pictures of our view and I have had numerous reasons for delaying this, as I have previously explained. I thought this would be a good time to post the pics I have, in hopes of lifting Mae's spirits.

So, here goes...these are not really good pictures, but it tends to be very hazy so this is the best I can do...

Even Francois enjoys the view...Ahhh, it is a cat's life.

This storm cam through this week and brought a "Black Rain Warning" with it, but it didn't last very long. This pic overlooks the Kowloon peninsula in the distance.

This pic shows the Disney Castle across the harbor from our flat.(bottom left)

Disney fireworks as seen on Sunday, 29 April 2007.

Same as above. Notice the little blue Mickey heads on the building? They are difficult to distinguish in my photo...so sorry.

I hope that this satisfies the request. If I actually do get any really good pictures on a clear day, then I will post them, too.

Sorry it took me so long!

Q3 - What foods have you been pleasantly surprised after trying?

I loves me some kimchee. This is odd because I hate cabbage and that is all kimchee is, but it is so freakin' good!

Red bean paste. Sounds odd, looks gross, tastes excellent. I have only eaten it in pastries and haven't been brave enough to try it in a beverage, since it looks a bit like vomit when it's in a glass.

Tofu Fa, or soy milk curd. Served cold looks like tofu snot, but tastes delicious. I could have eaten two. It also comes served hot, but that looks even more disgusting.

Sweet potato paste, also served in a pastry, and I wish I had gotten more.

I had this local treat and I have no idea what it is called, but it was sooooo good. This little old man stands on the street with a cart and takes these little crispy, wafer-y looking things and sprinkles them with what appears to be a cinnamon/sugar mixture and wraps it in a tortilla-like thing. Mmmmm...whatever it was, it was delicious.

I am really not a picky person and will usually try anything once. Anytime I hesitate to try something, it usually has more to do with texture and I will at least try something once. I even ate deep fried shrimp heads once. See, not at all picky. There are only a few exceptions, but that is a whole other post.

thanks for the question, Yoshi!

Picture Day!!! Oooh...pretty...

A Tale of Two Cities...er, and one really small town.

So, let me tell you about our visit to the US...

It began with being awake for approximately 30 hours in an attempt at avoiding jet lag, which did in fact help. We were welcomed to the US by having two out of three pieces of luggage lost in transit and wasting a LOT of time at the airport trying to get that worked out. From there, we went to dinner with Cybr's mom and step-dad and had a yummy adult beverage to add to our state of tired confusion.

We spent the first several days at Cybr's moms house, during which we went to WalMart and oohed and aahed at the ginormous selection and one stop shopping that we so greatly miss. We also had dinner with a close friend and met his girlfriend for the first time. We had sushi at a really great place I had never been before and the company was great, too.

By this time, as I have failed to mention, I have been coughing up a lung since first disembarking from our final aircraft. It was only getting worse, not better. I had no fever and didn't feel bad, but there was definitely respiratory congestion involved and we had NUMEROUS babies to visit, so we went to the Urgent Care and had me checked out before heading to Cybr's dads house to stay for a few days.

Not much more than seven months ago, there were no babies...then we leave and when we return there are now two babies in Cybr's family. His step-brother and his step-sister have added on to the family (separately, of course, this isn't Jerry Springer!). One is a boy about 7 months old that they had right before I left for HK and the other is a girl and was only four days old upon our arrival at his dads house. We all visited and had dinner and I got my baby squishing fix. Good times.

During this first week we also visited another close friend and his children, one of which missed me VERY much (and I missed her, too). She is three and is such a character. I love spending time with her. We played with her My Little Pony's and Barbies and she entertained me very much. Our playtime was only interrupted twice...once by going out for pizza and another time by an unexpected bowel movement. But that is a story for another time...

From there, we went to Marquand, Missouri to visit with my family. We had a big Christmas/Thanksgiving/Easter dinner with my parents, grandmother, aunt, cousin, second cousin, close family friends, etc... It was great. I had a great time. I also spent some time with another cousin and his children, who I consider as nieces, and my other grandma.

This time of the visit was tough. It was great to see everyone, but it was also a time of closure, finality, and loss while I had to visit my Grandpa at his grave. I also visited my deceased cat's grave.

Yes, we have a pet cemetery. And no, it doesn't lead to a place that brings things back from the dead.

After that, Cybr and I made our final visits. We were able to visit with Mae and see Boo and Boo2. It was a good visit and I got even more of a baby fix.

We then stayed a night each at Cybr's dads and then his moms before we headed out to the airport together and parted ways.

This brings me to my second city, Chicago. I made it in time to enjoy a birthday bash for 4 year-old twins and had a great time. My dearest friend and I hung out together and with her two sets of twins. We went to the zoo. We made pancakes together. We shopped. We worked out. We got waxed....seriously, I still am not sure why I agreed to that. Again, story for another post.

Anyway, this is getting to be too long of a post. I may go into more details and I may not. It all depends on if I get my photos sorted out and if I get my groove back (see previous post to make sense of that)...

Tryin' to get my groove on.

I am not yet in my groove.

It took me a very long time to create a comfortable groove once we moved to Hong Kong. Now that I have been away for three weeks, not only is my groove service interrupted but I had WAY too much time to think and now I am having a career crisis and baby crisis on top of that.

I had been a designer for almost eight years when we packed up and moved to HK. I have looked into doing that sort of thing over here and it really has no appeal. It is different. I am not interested. I would definitely consider going back to that once we are back in the States, but not here. It isn't worth explaining. I am just not interested.

What in the hell is a girl to do? Should I go back to school? Maybe. Should I self-learn something new? Maybe. The question is 'what?!?'. I have no idea. I am in a rut. Any suggestions are welcome. I am open to considering anything within reason and anything else would simply be entertaining...

As far as babies, we want some. The big question is when. And the more complicated questions are where, how, etc...
My brain is on baby overload. I think we should just get drunk and see how it plays out. Hehe.

I have been very preoccupied with thinking of these things and thinking them to death, which is just my way. All the while, I am trying to re-adjust to walking the dogs, shopping for groceries daily, laundry and lots of it, trying to find a home for all the crap laying around our flat from unpacking and hoping my legs don't take as long to adjust to walking so much.

I will get there and when I do then I will get back into my blogging groove, too.

Home is where my fuzzy kids are...

I am back in Hong Kong.

I made it. I survived the worst flight ever. No air blowing in the whole plane and the entire intercom system shorted out and chirped, crackled and other annoying noises very loudly for more than 11 hours. It was great. Not even ear plugs could drown out the noise. Add to that sweating so bad my underpants were soaked and flying doesn't get much better!

Anyway, I have been unpacking and doing laundry non stop since my return. And it isn't done yet!

I have loved on all my babies and they are so happy to have their mom home.

So is Cybr. He now has clean spoons.

On our way...homeward bound.

UPDATE: We made it in one piece! YAY! FYI...IHOP no longer has Griddle Cakes...*sigh*




We are headed home for a couple weeks.

Chini and Guinness are at the sitters. Francois and Pixel are being cared for by our neighbor. I am going to be worried sick about them, although they are in good hands. I miss them so much already.

We are excited to see everyone. We are making the whirlwind tour to visit all of our family members and as many friends as we can. We will be exhausted, but it is worth it.

I am interested to see if after this trip to St. Louis, "home" will remain St. Louis or if "home" will come to mean Hong Kong for us. As it is, we both still refer to home as going home to St. Louis. I am curious if being away from HK and away from our fuzzy children will change our perspective on that...We will see soon enough!

We are going to have a Christmas/Easter/Thanksgiving/Birthday dinner with all of our families.


We will inevitably be eating a lot...

Hopefully we get to have IHOP while we are home...Mmmm...IHOP.....Mmmmm...griddle cakes.

I already miss them and we haven't left yet...

That can't be good!

I am sure they will be fine, it is me who will be worried sick.

Little do they know, as Chini and Guinness prepare to take a ride in the back of a mini bus they will be saying good-bye to their mom and dad for two whole weeks. When they figure it out, they are gonna be pissed! Trust me, we will hear all about it when we return.


Q3 - Who will be watching the furry babies while you are in the States?-Ruff Ruffman

Dear RR,
The kids will be staying with the local in home dog-sitter close to our flat here in Discovery Bay. He takes dogs into his home to stay as long as they are social and friendly with other dogs. It is a much better alternative than kenneling. They can play and go in and out. Andrew takes them for walks four times per day. It is a good place for our kids.

Yet I still worry about them and already miss the hell out of them...

The kids waiting to board the mini bus.

Q2 - When are you going to post a view from your window overlooking the water?

Mae really wants a picture of our view and I have seriously been trying to get a halfway decent shot of it.

The big delay has been fog/haziness during the early winter, the scaffolding/mesh netting that was erected around our building for construction, and now back to fog/haziness. Hehe, I said erected.

Now I am going to be in the States for three weeks, so there's the next delay.

I swear I will do this. I will get a picture during visibility, if it drives me crazy(er) trying!

Dinner and a show.

I just returned from dinner on the waterfront at i'Caramba, our only Mexican restaurant in Discovery Bay. There are others in HK, just not here where we live.

Anyway, I just enjoyed a strawberry margarita and chicken tacos with rice and black beans. Mmmmm, that was so good. I loaded it down with Jalapeno Tabasco sauce which is my new favorite condiment.

While I dined waterfront, I was able to sit back and enjoy the cool breeze coming off the harbor and watch the Disney fireworks light up the night sky.

The only thing that could have made it more enjoyable is if my hubby were there with me, but he is in Singapore working his butt off...

The price of dinner is a rip off, but damn it is good. And it will feed me lunch tomorrow, too, so that evens out the price.

Ahhh, it doesn't get much better than that...

It's Picture Day!!

This was taken at the common area by our pier in Discovery Bay.

Q1 - What is it like to grocery shop in Hong Kong?

I absolutely love shopping for groceries here.

I take my environmentally friendly bags, which most people here do, and I shop for a day or two of food. Preservatives seem to be used less here, which creates a much shorter shelf life, even in some frozen foods.

For produce and fresh seafood (by fresh I mean still alive, even the shrimp) there are two ways to shop. You can purchase fresh produce and live seafood in grocery stores as well as at the street markets. There is a great variety for both and everything I could get in the U.S. plus things I have never heard of are available. They do not spray wax on the fresh fruit to make it look pretty and shiny, which is fine by me since I am not lacking in dietary wax...

As for chicken and beef, it is available very fresh at the grocery stores and is VERY affordable. We actually eat WAY better here than we ever did at home because everything is SO affordable here.

You can buy some really weird stuff here, too. All I can think of right now is chicken feet. A styrofoam tray, like what ground beef comes packaged in, but it is filled with chicken feet. Yes, the feet of a chicken just hacked off with skin and claws.

I initially thought it would be annoying to have to grocery shop daily, but after doing it for six months I find that it actually works well for us. When meats are frozen, I don't take the time to thaw them and we eat out. When I buy it fresh and unfrozen, I have no excuse.

There are several grocery stores to choose from here, much like in the U.S, but the one closest to us is called Park 'n Shop, which is kinda ironic since no cars are allowed here. Hehe.

Thanks for the question, Mae!

Questions and Answers

You ask 'em, I'll answer 'em...

Does anyone have any questions about Hong Kong or about living in Hong Kong? Anything remotely related? Curious about anything? Just have to know something?

If you do, please post it in the comments and I will respond A.S.A.P.

I already have one good one I am working on. Feel free to ask away...

EDIT:
You all asked some really good questions! There are quite a few and I will answer them all as quickly as I can. Thanks!

He couldn't hold on anymore...

My Grandfather, Ivan Lee SanSocie, died Sunday morning, 18 March 2007.

He just missed me going home to see him by two weeks. I know he was trying really hard to hang on to see me, but in his heart he knew before I left that he wouldn't see me again. He told me so.

He said to me when I told him I was moving here, that he was happy for me to see the world and sad that he wouldn't see me again. He was right.

Out cruisin' in our Benz

Cybr and I went with a group of friends to Tai Mei Tuk and rented bicycles. In the rain, although that part wasn't planned.

There were seven of us total and four of us rented Benz's. That is what they are called, I swear! And I am seriously referring to the funny red two seat-er bicycle with an extra passenger seat in the front.

We rode along a dam that separates Tolo Harbor from a reservoir. That is what you see in the picture above, the dam we rode along. There were speed bumps along the way and we would pedal as fast as we could, hit the speed bumps and bounce hard, then skid sideways to a stop. We almost tipped once. It was a great time.

Everyone else rode safely and thought we were absolutely insane.

We had a delicious lunch and learned that Beef Stroganoff is just not the same over here. I thought it was good, but it had A LOT of veggies in it. I had a local dessert that sounds gross, but tastes sooooo good. It is steamed soy milk curd. Sounds icky, huh? Well, it looks it too. Mmmmm...I wish I had some right now. It is called Tofu Fa and I am certain that is not how to properly spell that, but that is the best I could do.

None of us are getting any younger!

Better late than never, I am sharing Cybr's birthday cake with everyone. My lovable Pisces had a birthday recently, which many of my readers already know.

Birthday cakes as we know them are difficult to find here...there are birthday cakes, as this clearly is, but this is a Tiramisu. Kinda different. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Just sharing! We would share cake, if we could ship a slice to everyone. But I have a feeling everyone would rather I not...

It's Picture Day!!!

"Beggars can't be choosers"

I love to take pictures. Some of you may know this. I am pretty good at it, too, not to toot my own horn. Much. So I thought I would post some random pictures periodically. I am not going to designate a specific day for this, 'cause that way I don't have to remember to do it. Hehe.

This picture is one I took in Vancouver in 2005 while we were there on holiday. The trip was initially to Seattle, then a train ride to Vancouver and back to Seattle, and a then onto Olympia for a friends wedding.

This raccoon actually attacked some dumb chick that was striking a pose next to it and a sign that says to leave the raccoons alone because they bite. It tried to bite her and it successfully scratched her. Her boyfriend proceeded to throw stuff at it, like it was the raccoons fault. I said something rude about hoping that she gets rabies and leave the raccoon alone. Then I took these beautiful pictures...

Time for a change

It was time for a drastic change. So here it is. New hairdo and new hair color. It was just time.

I have been stuck in a style rut for a few years and wasn't sure what to do with myself, so I did nothing.

I have a rule of hair for myself...that it not require doing anything other than washing it and maybe drying it. I prefer very low maintenance style.

And now I have it.

What do you think???

A side note regarding hair:

Having experienced summer months in St. Louis, I think of myself as being informed on the subject of humidity. What I know about it is that it is damp and sticky. I have always been lucky with my hair not being effected by it. Until now.

Now that spring has sprung here in Hong Kong, so has the humidity. It isn't unbearably hot. Yet. However, the humidity is in full force right now. Even my board straight hair is frizzing out. It was so puffed out the other day that I tried to pull it away from my face so I could see. I caught a glimpse in a mirror and I had a frizzy mullet. It was that bad.

Midwest girl gets acquinted with Typhoon Warning Signals

Typhoon.

Just the word gives me a sense of uneasiness.

Having lived in the Midwestern U.S. my entire life, I have seen some serious storm damage. I have been witness to three floods; two of which I was old enough to prepare sandbags for, one of which destroyed my Aunt and Uncle's home, one passed us by with minimal water damage and one left our home in ruins. I have seen the aftermath up close and personal after a tornado left my Aunt and Uncle's home flattened and nearly killed both my uncle and my cousin. I have seen some nasty storms and what Mother Nature is capable of, yet I still love to stand outside and watch a storm go through.

Even still, the word typhoon scares the hell out of me. I suppose that is because in the Midwest there is clearly no ocean or extremely large body of water to fuel a storm and I have only ever seen tropical storms via television.

So, here is how it works...

Hong Kong has the following system of Typhoon Warning Signals:

Level 1 = Standby, there is a storm within 800 km(498 miles). More of a "watch" signal

Level 3 = Strong Winds 41-62 km/h(25-40 mph) and gusts exceeding 110 km/h(68 mph). It may or may not rain at this point, but most Kindergartens close for safety. I guess five-year-olds blow away easily in strong winds...

Level 8 = Seriously, if you skip all the numbers between 3 and 8, then we must be totally screwed at this level. This level is gale force winds, whatever the hell that means. It does mean that travel by ferry will cease and most businesses will close, preferably not in that order.

Level 9 = The gale force winds are increasing. Oh, crap!

Level 10 = Hurricane. Yikes! I hope this NEVER happens while we are here. Yes, I said yikes.

I never really gave a lot of thought to tropical storms before moving here, there wasn't really a lot of need. But, now I know. I just really hope not to know...

A cup of joe with a lady I don't know (poetry, isn't it?)

I just spent entirely too much time sitting in a coffee shop talking to two complete strangers. I had a mental list of things I planned to do today and very little will get done now, not that it's a bad thing.

I ordered a cup of coffee and planned on playing with my new toy (DS Lite) and unwinding a bit after my violin lesson and before doing everything else. While I waited for my coffee, I made some idle chit chat with an older lady who was also waiting on coffee. This turned into a three hour chat and uproarious laughter with this 60 year-old Brit and her 60(ish) year-old Australian partner. We covered every subject including history and politics. They were cracking me up.

It is not uncommon for me to strike up conversation with strangers, but rarely does it continue for three hours. They are very nice people and batshit crazy, but in a good way.

I have been invited to shop with them next week at a market they know of here that is difficult to find. They have been coming here on holiday for fifteen years and now come to visit her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

They are a riot, my cheeks actually hurt.

There is a possibility that this is the same crazy, old British lady that I spoke with while wading in the ocean during our visit last May. The same crazy, old lady that asked me how I was enjoying my holiday and then informed me that she "had sex with a China man once, but that was a long time ago". It may be her. Or not.

Either way, I had a great afternoon.

My very first time doing one of these thing-y's...Awww...

A- Available or Single? Neither. Married. Second time is the right time.
B- Best Friend? My husband, my Dad, and Heb (I could go on, but I won't)
C- Cake or Pie? Ooooh....cake if there is milk and pie if there is coffee.
D- Drink of Choice? Tao Ti Apple Green Tea. The best beverage EVER. I came across it when we first visited Hong Kong and I brought as many bottles as I could fit in my suitcase, which was about 6.
E- Essential Item? Lip balm and lotion
F- Favorite Color? Purple, blue and black. Sounds like a bruise, doesn't it? Hehe.
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Definitely worms. Eating worms appeals to me more than eating bears.
H- Hometown? Marquand, MO (yes, it is the middle of nowhere.)
I- Indulgence? Massages. And Hello Kitty. I want to be her. Kinda.
J- January or February? Neither
K- Kids and names? Fuzzy kids. Chini, Guinness, Francois B. Dioux Dioux, and Pixel
L- Life is incomplete without…? Fuzzy kids
M- Marriage Date? It was in July…..I am sticking to Cybr's answer. Yes, July. It was hot.
N- Number of Siblings? zero. only child.
O- Oranges or Apples? Fuji apples. Mmmmm...with peanut butter. Or without.
P- Phobias/Fears? Killing bugs with hard shells. Not waking up.
Q- Favorite Quote? Profound, "Your emotions are often a reverse indicator of what you ought to be doing". Funny, "What doesn't kill us sometimes makes us wish we were dead". Straight from my mouth recently, "Did he just pull that out of his butt and eat it?".
R- Reasons to smile? my fuzzy kids, my husband, sunshine, ridiculous song parody's going through my head like, "Monkeys, in the corner of my mind, Giant watercolored monkeys, flinging their poo..." to the tune of "Memories".
S- Season? Garlic and lots of it.
T- Tag 3 people? Tag they're "it"?
U- Unknown Fact About Me? That is a toss up between having swallowed six thumbtacks and having been stabbed with a pencil that broke off between my ribs and had to be surgically removed. I didn't have a healthy relationship with office supplies as a teenager.
V- Vegetable You Hate? Brussel sprouts. They still make me throw up a little just smelling them
W- Worst Habit? Jumping from one subject to the next in conversation. And singing and acting weird because I forgot other people were nearby. I get looks. Not all of them good.
X- Xrays You’ve Had? back, teeth, finger, neck, thumb, ankles (I have been called accident prone)
Y- Your Favorite Foods? Chocolate with caramel. Greek pizza. Pancakes, especially griddle cakes from IHOP. Blueberry and/or Banana nut muffins. This list could be VERY long, Food=Good.
Z- Zodiac? Traditional: Cancer Chinese: Rabbit


Stolen from Cybrpunk

Separated by a dildo...or ribbed for her pleasure, whichever title you prefer.

Clearly I should disclose that this post may not be appropriate for children under 15. Maybe not appropriate for anyone. I don't know.

I want to note an interesting difference between Hong Kong and the U.S.

You can purchase birth control pills over the counter at any local drug store or dispensary. Seriously, they are on the shelf right next to the condoms. Not behind the pharmacy counter, right on the open shelf. No prescription note needed, no need to ask for assistance.

The U.S. is way behind the times on this issue. Birth control and disease control are openly advertised and discussed here. Don't think that it is because HK is more risque than the U.S., for instance the UK shows more nudity and sex on television than we do. Believe me, there is a lot of conservative thinking here regarding nudity and/or sex, but probably no more or less than in the U.S., or at least it would seem so. However, there is not the religion and/or politics factor to interfere with keeping people safe. Not to say they don't have religion or politics, just that they very clearly do not create the same sense of moral dilemma here as they do in the U.S.

People stand on sidewalks and hand out free condoms and at some retail stores you get a free condom with your purchase.

The attitude is very honest regarding sex and safety. Knowledge and availability of protection are the only things that keep people safe. That attitude is acknowledged here.

Oh, and you can buy a dildo at the same time you buy birth control or condoms at the drug store. They are right on the shelf. Right there. No curtains or blacked out windows. Hehe, I said dildo.

So, on a seemingly normal trip to the local drug store, this could be your list if you were in HK:

• Chocolate bar. Check.
• Tampons. Check.
• Lip balm. Check.
• Greeting card. Check.
• Birth control pills, no script needed. Check.
• Dildo. Check, check.

I don't know, maybe people in Hong Kong just have a lot of sex with things that require batteries (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

In that great street carnival...

We went to the AIA World Carnival last Wednesday evening.

This is my observation.

In my experience, carnival rides from Europe are WAY better than any carnival rides in the US. There were three rides that were an absolute rush. Two of which had me screaming like a little girl. One of them, or maybe a combination of all three, made me want to puke.

Now that is what I call a good time.

The haunted house sucked equally as bad as any carnival haunted house back home.

The games were cool, some the same as what we have seen before and some were different. They had games of chance, for instance a number game where you spend five tokens and you receive a bag with five numbers in it and odd numbers win a toy. And they were BIG stuffed animals of all varieties.

Oh, the best part is that it only costs the equivalent to $15 USD to get in and that includes ALL RIDES AND 25 GAME TOKENS.

That is a much better deal that in the States, the last time we went to a carnival you had to buy tickets to ride the rides and one ride could cost like 10 tickets. And that didn't include games. It was a total rip off. Plus the rides sucked, too.

I have no point. Just sharing.

We are SO going back before the end of March when it closes.

It's a nice day for a white wedding...er, I mean pink.

Here are some wedding pics, for those who may be interested in seeing them. We wish we had more time to plan and to arrange for all of our friends and families to be there. It was a great day.

I clearly did not wear a traditional dress, as there was really no time for that. I am not normally a "pink" person and in spite of my daintiness (no laughter, please), I am not very "princess-ey". But on this occasion, with very little time for selecting a dress and not really time for major alterations, a princess-ey pink dress caught my eye. I shopped non-stop for days after work. It was exhausting. Nothing ever fits me because I am short and (eh-hem) shapely. Not to mention, I really do NOT like to shop. So, while trying on dress after dress, I kept passing the clearance rack and seeing this princess-ey dress. It was not at all what I was looking for, but it kept calling to me saying "You know you want to be a princess for just one day and you like to play dress-up, you freak, so just try me on...". And lo and behold, it fit. Except for the length which was a minimal alteration. That is how the pink dress came about. And I loved the princess for a day feeling, it was great. And I love a good bargain, too -- BONUS!

Now that I have bored everyone to tears about my dress, here is the good stuff...

We were married at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. More specifically, the ceremony was held in the Chinese Garden area of the Botanical Gardens. It was a place that is apparently not highly sought after for weddings, as it was available on short notice...of course, that could be because of the oppressive July heat, as well. Either way, we were there and it was lovely. There was a very cool artist display there at that time, as well. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Chihuly for more info. It was pretty cool.

My favorite picture is the one of my feet...in the bathroom. This pic is courtesy of Mae. I love that one! She must understand my sense of toilet-humor. Hehe.

Mmm...soup...er, I mean noodle soup!

I like to cook. I prefer quick recipes that have some nutritional value. But I don't like them to taste "nutritional".

I made the most delicious chicken noodle soup with an Asian motif and I am going to share:

Ingredients:


3 cups chicken stock
3-4 cups water
grated fresh ginger, to taste
2-6 cloves of garlic, to taste
2-3 T. soy sauce
2 small red chillies, thinly sliced
2-3 chicken breasts
approx 1 lb hokkien noodles (or any noodle, really)
fresh asparagus, maybe a 1/2 lb.,
cut into bite-sized pieces
4 green onions, chopped

This really only takes about 20-25 minutes. Seriously.
1)Combine stock, water, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and chillies into a large pot; cover, bring to a boil.
2)Add raw chicken breasts, bring back to a boil. Then simmer for about 15 minutes when the chicken should be cooked through. Remove chicken from stock mixture.
3)Return stock mixture to boil, add noodles, separate noodles with a fork. Add asparagus and some of the green onion. Simmer, until noodles are tender.
4)Meanwhile, slice up the chicken.
5)Divide noodles and soup into serving bowls and top with chicken slices; may also top with raw green onion and chillies if you like that sort of thing.


There is only 6g of fat per serving, this recipe serves 3-4 people.

And I thought it was delicious and so did Cybr (and he isn't a big fan of veggies).

This is the end result:

Please pass the Pepto.

I am cooking a steaming hot bowl of rice for Chini.

Once again, she has scrounged up something delectably disgusting to eat outside. There are so many things to choose from here. Her favorites are dead crustaceans, wet/squishy cat food, dried poop, and anything else that you can imagine that will make you want to puke in your mouth a little bit...

This bad behavior of hers has only one result...diarrhea. Bad things are happening in her cute little girl belly.

This is the number one SUCK thing about living in Hong Kong...NOT HAVING A YARD so the dogs can just poop and I can be none the wiser. I miss the days of just opening and closing a door and the dogs just do their business. Ahh...the blissful ignorance. Now, I am all into their business. Not by choice, by shear necessity. Poop pick-up is necessary here since the grassy areas are public areas.

Imagine for a moment, if you will...having to pick up dog poop is one thing but the added twist of having it be in a non-solid form is just more than I am prepared to handle. This is where the Pepto and rice come into play. These two things combined will settle and solidify her ickyness. (Please don't try this at home without consent from your vet.)

I know, I am gross. I am sharing entirely too much info. Go ahead and say it, "TMI!!!".
The way I see it, THIS is all part of living in Hong Kong compared to living in the Midwestern US.

Gross or not...I just want everyone to share my experience.

And I like to think I am grossing you all out, too. Hehe.

UPDATE:

Chini had to have a trip to the vet shortly after I posted this entry due to passing an enormous amount of blood.

As it turns out, her diarrhea was due to poisoning. She was poisoned by our grass. More specifically from the insecticides that are sprayed on the grass and are activated by our polluted rain.

Apparently, per her vet, it absorbs through the skin, through sores and goes to the blood. And, since she licks her feet and chews her nails, she digests the toxins as well.

So, she is having to take four kinds of medicine to correct her digestive system and liver function. And she has to eat yogurt once a day to restore good bacteria. And her feet must be washed with soapy water everytime she is on the grass to prevent further digestion.

The vet said it should have caused permanent damage. He said the reason for all the blood was that all of her intestinal lining is gone.

She still has a belly ache and her little butt is sore, but I can tell she feels better already...

It was an accident...I swear

Here's my story and I'm stickin' to it...We acquired these lovely creatures from McDonalds. Even though we really don't like McDonalds much, who can resist a Happy Meal toy of Hello Kitty characters. We have ChocoCat, Kuromi, Bad Bats Maru, and Hello Kitty herself...

If only I had remembered that they were sealed in plastic, we could have prevented this tragedy.

Now, they are all dead having asphyxiated in their plastic death shrouds.

I have to live with the guilt for the rest of my life...

Okay, I'm over it.

I do have this obsession with Hello Kitty and friends. I always have, since I was a three year old kid who received a pair of Hello Kitty scissors that looked kinda like this (only mine were WAY cooler and they were red and white):

I have been in love ever since...and it has become increasingly more difficult to locate Hello Kitty merchandise in the states. You can do it, but it is nothing like Hong Kong...I am in Hello Kitty heaven over here, it is everywhere and I love it.

I wish my name was Hello Kitty, or at least Kitty, which is funny because one of Cybr's co-workers has the English name Kitty and she hates it because everyone says "Hello, Kitty" and it drives her crazy (we discussed this over dinner one evening). I told her I would LOVE THAT and she thinks I am crazy, but that is okay with me. I still think it would be cool to have that name. Hehe.

I have one of these back home in storage: and I miss it. I just have to hold onto the hope that someday I will be reunited with my toaster.

I also wear Hello Kitty pajamas. Yeah, I'm sexy. You know it. (insert modified rendition of "I'm Too Sexy" song to include Hello Kitty pajamas.)

There will be no pictures of my pj's, you'll have to take my word...super sexy Hello Kitty pj's, YEAH!

Blah, blah, blah...

That is how I am feeling today and for no apparent reason. I just feel blah. Not bad, not good, not really anything.

I am sure it will pass.

I think too much, that is the real source of my problem. I can't stop, my mind never seems to shut off. I haven't been sleeping well because of it, I go through phases like that.

So, I will just maunder a bit...

I read a lot in order to focus my mind on something other than the constant reel of thoughts and images. I just finished all three "Books of Blood" by Clive Barker. I read them back when I was in junior high, but wanted to read them again since it had been a while and I enjoyed every morbid detail. Before that I read "The Rising" and the sequel "City of the Dead" by Brian Keene. Those were great. I was on edge waiting for the sequel to come out. It was just as good as the first book. I also recently read a few biographies on severely abused children. Books like "Sickened", "Ghost Girl" and "Behind Closed Doors". I have this morbid fixation on these terribly sad, true stories. I can't get enough of them for some reason. I think it captivates me that the people writing these stories really experienced such horrible atrocities and survived. I relate to their strengths and weaknesses in a number of ways, as I am sure many people do.

So, when I read I don't think as much. I sing, too. It makes my mind slow down.

Today I am listening to and singing Tori Amos - "Happy Phantom".