Hot Pots and Hiking in Hong Kong

Thursday night I went out to eat with Calvin Chin from our Singapore office (the one who introduced me to pepper crab and durian) and Winnie Chan (who is the head of finance for Asia). Winnie chose the restaurant and asked if we were okay with spicy food. If you recall, spicy food is not too popular in Hong Kong as it seems most locals don't like it too hot. We both told her we loved hot foods and she took us to a place called the little sheep. It is a famous "hot pot" restaurant with places throughout China. This was my first hot pot experience. When they seat you they cover your jackets (we had our suits and took off our jackets) and bags. I am assuming this is so that food doesn't get on them. Then you select a bunch of food to cook. Winnie chose for us as we can't read Chinese too well. Then they bring a big "pot" that is split into two sections. In one section is a "soup" of boiling water that is spicy. It has chili peppers, garlic, some twigs and other interesting and yummy things. The other side is the "less spicy" side. They delivered our food and we realized that Winnie ordered enough for probably 8 people. We had squid, oysters, pork, beef, shrimp, bean curd balls, mushrooms, greens, and more. It was amazing. Then you grabbed some raw stuff and plopped it in the hot pot until it was done. IT WAS FANTASTIC! I have never seen this in the USA. I'm not sure if they don't have it because of legal implications or what, but it was so fun and was very spicy and one of the best meals I've had here. I ate more than I wanted, but I felt bad that Winnie had ordered so much food. The meal was fun as we talked about how things could have been had I stayed here. They are great people. I will miss them. Our meal lasted nearly 4 hours and it was so fun.

Today I couldn't decide what to do. I had thought about it for a while and had been flipping (a flopper?) on what to do. In the end I decided to go down to Central and eat at a restaurant called Shiffy's Malik Restaurant which is a Halal restaurant that we would see on the way back from church and we always wanted to eat there since it had Malik's name. Then I would do some shopping and probably head over to Kowloon. But as I walked out to the bus it was HOT out. I was in a long sleeved shirt and pants and I knew I would be too hot. So I decided to change my plans and go hiking. I went back and changed; grabbed my backpack and some drinks and headed out for Parkview. I started at the reservoir where we took moms and pops with the boats. There was a 5K path that went behind our apartment in Repulse Bay and I thought it would be fun to see it from the perspective of on the mountain. It was a very simple trail (e.g. no big hills, etc.) and was beautiful. The day was crystal clear and I could see for miles over the ocean which is rare. As I reached the end of the trail there was a path that leads to the main trail called the Wilson Trail which goes across the whole island. This section went down to Stanley and went over two peaks called "the twins." It was beautiful out and I thought it sounded like a good idea so I took the longer trail towards Stanley. It was a tougher trail than I expected. There were like a million stairs up to the top of the first "twin" but I made it. It was a great little workout and gave me a gorgeous view of the south island and Stanley. I took many pics, but I can't get them off of my camera until I get back to PHX.

Tonight I think I'll go eat at Spices and then tomorrow is church and I should get to see uncle Craig. About this time next week Tevia will be here!

Enok's free balloon

This post isn't nearly as entertaining as the saga we are all reading so ardently, but it is a post never the less.

When I was out running errands I happened to stop into a Hallmark to fax some documents (a very expensive place to fax documents I learned) and the lady behind the counter was very enamored with Enok and his insatiable cuteness. She asked if she could give him a balloon and I, of course, said yes. This balloon went with us everywhere today. I tied it to his belt loop since he didn't like it on his wrist. If I just handed it to him, he would let go and then "bye-bye balloon." On the belt loop proved to be just the ticket. He could hold onto it when the fancy struck him, and then he could let it go and it would follow him around like a little puppy making it easy for me to see him no matter where he went.

It will be a sad day when the balloon is no longer floating above his head, but I am sure he will then just drag it around after him until ultimately, it pops!

over the river to grandma's

we leave tomorrow morning early to head to Cleveland. It is supposed to rain the whole way, but at least it is not snow.. we will miss the funeral, so we feel bad, but they are using our home for the private brunch after the funeral and cemetery. we are glad they feel comfortable using it without us being here. we are having dinner at dad's on Friday night, then we will be at my mom's from then on if you need me. she doesn't know that Kathy and Fred our coming in, they told her that Fred would be in Germany. we are having her picked up in a limo. she has never been in one. we are all going to the Pomeroy house, it is supposed to be delicious. we will drive home right after church on Sunday. we may hit snow in the hills of PA., but we hope not. I can't believe my mom made it to 80.

Tour De Phoenix -- Part II

PART II
There is no need for a play by play of the next 8 hours. Paragraphs will suffice in this part of the vacation. We really should ask our phone companies to transcribe the cell phone calls out during the drive as I am sure they would add to the historical accuracy and altogether ridiculous environment I am about to illustrate. For posterity sake, I will continue to speak from a third person point-of-view.

Jacob seems to think we left Provo some time between 5 and 6 with the goal of being replaced as the driver soon after Provo traffic. And, after pulling back into the apartment parking lot one last time we remembered the special cord required to experience the bliss of Tom's musical selection on his new MP3 player. There is a major flaw with the MP3 player not previously understood. Someone has to actually select the songs to listen too. The controversy that arose was impressive and after several arguments and vetoes, it was decided only Tom was allowed to select songs. This was unfamiliar to Jacob who, being used to his own car DVD MP3 filled of only songs he liked, still hung to the now fabled idea that the driver of the car is the musical selection expert.

About 30 seconds after Cari was banned from ever selecting a song again and about 30 seconds before a massive wind gust full of white stuff smashed into the car, a new phase was born. "Fox Three, Fox Three!" were the first words out of Jacob's mouth after the screaming, laughing, and dodging began. Kathy being cautious after her name was mentioned so many times in PART I, had requested a bag in case history was in fact repeatable. Irony, sometimes cruel, sometimes funny, and in this case just plain disgusting, found itself into the bag Kathy was using. It only had one task, but it performed magnificently by becoming a small hole in the bottom of the bag.

This is where the dodging part mentioned earlier began. Kathy, upon finding her circumstances rapidly declining in elegance as somewhat suspicious substance was exciting her bio-hazard containment device, decided it would be prudent to escape further humiliation by attempting to keep the substance airborne by accelerating the said device in a circular pattern. Gravity however prevailed and the substance was unwilling to stay airborne but did discover, that in fact, the laws of physics provided the said substance new vectors and magnitudes of direction. When the worse was over "Fox Three," a Hollywood exclamation when firing a missile, was introduced and used as a warning in future physics experiments in to hope the chapter on collisions would not be discovered. Kathy, Tommy, or Jimmy may want to provide a back seat follow up on the physics described above.

Jacob will not say who, but soon after "Can we go back to Provo?" was asked by one of the 5 crew members. Jacob replied "no," but soon found himself missing his house at Bag-End err Provo.

The next 4 hours were fairly repetitive and only a few new discoveries were made. However one that comes to mind is the sudden change from a two lane highway to a one lane highway every time the wind would peak over 40 miles per hour and Kathy would throw up. While the truckers seemed to be annoyed at this inconvenience, they at some point must have noticed either the large number of families having picnics on the side of the road with strange parking habits, or they also decided the middle of the road provided an excellent view.

This view may need to be examined a little closer. It was very similar to a modern day computer monitor. Depending on the speed of a machine a monitor can have a variety of refresh rates. However, if you use the computer too fast, the rates will drop and anomalies will begin to become discernible. The windshield, or car monitor if you will, was currently displaying an older screen saver from earlier versions of windows called mystify. This simulation gives the effect of flying through space at light relative speeds. There are setting which can increase the number of stars viewable and the speed at which they randomly pass the screen. In our car version, the the number of stars was equivalent to the number of times Jacob has made up a statistic in random conversations, and the velocity being set to ludicrous speed, or about 30 miles per hour. This speed kept the refresh rate up just high enough to hypothesize we were currently on a highway. The term, "White Knuckle driving," was now understood by Jacob.

As I have class in 10 minutes, I guess the Cedar City portion of the trip will be moved into part three of this blog.

Hazel Marie Wall Says Hi!

That is all...

Tour De Phoenix -- Part I

PART I
In the upcoming months and weeks we are sure to see many different versions of the now famous Tour De Phoenix but I need to state for the record that mine will remain the most accurate. If you could play the vacation backwards I am sure it would be sitcom worthy. Yeah we are talking like a 800,000 dollar Ted Danson episode here.

Events leading up to the drive:

October:
Dre Scott(Cari's friend) is getting married!(no date)
Nicole Knutti decides to get married!(no date)


November:
Kathy asks us to host Jimmy for a bit and take him down to PHX.(no date)
Dre establishes a wedding date and we book our flight to DC from PHX.
At this point, Kathy is still driving back with Tommy.(no date)
Kathy informs us she will be flying out to NY with Jimmy from PHX.(no date)
Nicole locks down her wedding date and we are relieved it does not conflict.

December:
Tevia is pushing harder for an arrival date in PHX of which we have no clue.
Kathy and Jimmy buy plane tickets and we know the dates of their planes.
An estimated departure of Wednesday morning is scheduled.

Mid December:
Kathy learns her last final is not until Thursday.
The new time of departure is Thursday afternoon.

Late December:
Kathy discovers she can take her last final early.
The departure time moves to Tuesday night after Tommy's last final.

Sunday before:
Kathy explains she must drop Christmas presents off at her job on Thursday.
Departure delayed until Thursday afternoon.
Tommy decides to spread his finals out since more time is available.

Monday:
Tommy and Jacob only take one final.
Kathy explains we really don;t have to wait all the way to Thursday.
Wednesday night becomes the new goal of departure.

Tuesday:
The weather report predicts a ridiculously bad storm to hit on Wednesday.
Jacob and Tommy each only take a single final as Thursday is the new target.

Wednesday:
Not a cloud in the sky, finals are not done but could have been.
The weather prediction is a horrible night with the passes closed.
Tom and Jacob schedule to take their last final Thursday morning.

Thursday Morning:
Still not a cloud in the sky.
Flurries develop just after finals are completed.
The weather prediction says the worst of the storm hasn't yet hit.
It also claims Friday morning will be the worst.
The decision is to beat the storm or wait until Friday afternoon.
Kathy throws up.
Jacob decides if we wait until Friday the vacation will be too short.
Kathy throws up.
Jacob turns into Grandpa Wall in an effort to get people put the door by 3.
Kathy throws up.
Jacob is apparently not mean enough.
Kathy throws up.
We leave Provo at 5 to 6.
Kathy throws up.
Tevia still doesn't know when we will arrive in PHX.(either do we)
To be continued...

Best of 2007

Here is my annual best of list.

Best songs of 2007:

Stronger - Kanye West:
Yes, he really bugs me, too. But dang he makes me want to dance. Plus he mentions Bapes!
Boys Don't Cry - Fergie:
Her new album was, surprisingly, good! I guess I shouldn't have doubted her so much. This song showed her softer side and almost made her good looking; for an old meth girl. BTW - Tevia HATES her. :-)
Please Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna:
Her new album was the bomb. I like almost every song on it. This song makes me want to dance. And you gotta give her props for using "ma ma say ma ma sa ma ma coosa" in her song. Nobody's done that since the King of Pop.
Piece of Me - Britney:
Hey, her new album was one of her best with several songs that remind us why she got famous in the first place. In this song she strikes back at her critics - right before going mentally insane and going to the hospital and losing her kids.
This is Why I'm Hot - MIMS:
This was Soulja Boy's Crank That part 1. Yes, it will be his only hit - just like Soulja Boy.

Best Film: Pirates - At World's End. Critics and others didn't like it, but I loved it. Chow Yun Fat was great; Keira looked good again (after looking oddly ugly in Dead Man's Chest); and Johnny Depp was able to play the same character without making it feel played out. Runner up: Transformers.

Best Book: Harry Potter 7. JK is a genius and deserves her money. She finished this series without any disappointment. I loved every word of it and she even made me cry for the death of a character I don't even like! Runner up: Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer.

Best New Geek Application: Grand Central
When this came out and I discussed with Tevia she thought I was crazy. When Google bought the company and it got bigger, she listened. When we went to HK and we needed some sort of solution for our phone she bought in and now we love it. I love this app which lets you get a phone line and have it as your primary number and you can route it to your other phone numbers (e.g. home, cell). It tracks voicemail and stores them as well. It can stop spam callers, screen calls, etc. And it is all free.

Sick Festivus 2007

I realize that I never posted about Christmas from MY perspective. So since I am all alone in HK and have all the time in the world, you will see me blogging much more. So here is my take on the Christmas holiday.

Thankfully I was able to land in Phoenix as scheduled (thank you good fortune and Cathay Pacific). I was able to wait around for a few minutes after landing and waited for my parents. Once they arrived and we picked up their luggage (which took nearly an hour) we loaded up in the Airport Shuttle and headed back to HOME. I was excited to be with family. Jake and crew were supposed to head down that night but there was a big storm going on. In the end, and after several phone calls, they stopped and stayed the night in Cedar City due to foul weather. I believe the trek down from BYU could be a blog in itself and though I wasn't in the car which was packed with 5 adults and luggage in a small Accord on icy roads with a girl puking her lungs out. I'd say the Pioneers got nuthin' on the Wall family trek of '07 to Phoenix. They did finally make it the next day. And that is when I relived the film "The Thing." Except in our case "the thing" wasn't an alien but a virus. But he was just as effective at taking out his victims.

With at least one person being sick every day for the next week it was understandable that there wasn't much adventure on this trip. Indeed, there wasn't even much eating. Tevia's fabulous Christmas Dinner was enjoyed by a few but for the most part left in hopes of being eaten later by hungry - er, non-queasy - guests. I'm not sure what Kathy brought down from Provo, but at least we know it wasn't the Avian Flu from here. I find it interesting that I can go 6 months in Hong Kong - the capital of SARS and high pollution - and not get sick once. I return to the promised land for 2 weeks and get the flu???? At least I didn't throw up. I kept my streak going. Sorry Tommy! We all must be broken down from time to time.

It was great to see everyone and enjoy company. We were also lucky enough to meet Jimmy - or I guess Tevia and I were - everyone else had already met him. Jimmy was great to have around. He was a little quiet - but that is understandable. I am quite intimidating. I was happy to get to know him better. Once Santa came people were quite anxious to leave Slave I. In fact some people left on Christmas day! By Friday everyone had bailed except for Tommy. With several people concerned about him driving home alone (yes, the group who suffered through that awful trek decided air travel was much better than an Accord) I decided to take the chance and drive with him up to Provo.

So we headed out on Friday afternoon and decided to drive up through Vegas. The drive went well until we got to Hoover Dam and we were welcomed by a 90 minute backup. According to my google search this is quite common at Hoover Dam since 9/11. But I could not see any reason why. After 90 minutes we made it over the bridge but noone ever stopped any cars or anything like that. Maybe it is just a big rubbernecking thing. Due to the big delay we decided to stop in Vegas for the night. We had Tevia research some cheap places for us and she found Sahara for $50. So Tom and I booked a room in the oldest casino I have ever imagined and set out to see some of Vegas. It was very cold - which limited our curiosity. But we did see the Bellagio and the fountains. We ate some pizza at Ceasar's Palace and were happilly offered our fair share of hookers and Red Bull (yes, the Red Bull girls were quite disappointed that Tom and I did not take their free Red Bull). I realized that Tom really wasn't even old enough to be in the casinos - so the hookers were out of the question.

We headed back to the room which was about what you'd expect for $50. Still recovering from our viral attack we went to sleep to the sounds of rollercoasters and slot machines. We woke up early - especially since we were in Vegas which is on Pacific Time - and headed towards Provo. The ride went great from there. I will always remember our little trip as two of the Wall brothers sang Fergie and Britney songs along I-15. Who knew all of us Wall boys would be suckers for pop princesses? Upon arriving in Provo I demanded he play me in Madden on Jake's monstrosity of a TV. I soundly beat him the first game with my pathetic Rams and then watched him destroy me the next two games. I remembered Tevia's line from her book which said gamers hate 90% of the time they play. Oh how true that was! And I wanted to play again even after each touchdown I would sware how much I hated this game. At night we went to dinner with Jake Webb and Millie (and CJ!) at the Training Table which brought memories of Tevia and I. From the window I could see the place where I first told Tevia I was in love with her.

After dinner I went over to the Webb's place and got to see their chateau. It was fun being with them. We watched some Simpsons and they were also kind enough to let me beat them in Rumikub. While in Utah I realized how pretty snow is and there were times I was almost tempted to want to live there again. J Webb tried to bring me to my senses on the way to the airport. The plane ride back was uneventful and I was able to spend the next few days with Tevia and the boys in a post-flu environment. I loved every minute of the holiday. Can't wait to do it again. :-)

Goodbye 2007

2007 has come and gone. I would have to say it was a good year - though one of much change and stress. Some wonderful things happened in 2007. Jarek took his first step in the gospel and was baptized. It was a wonderful baptism and I am so proud of him. My prayers were answered in my career as I asked for an international opportunity. This provided us the opportunity to spend a good deal of time in Hong Kong. The experience helped our family in many ways and was a great experience. In the Spring of 2007 I returned to one of the areas of most joy in my childhood memory: the desert trip. This time I was able to bring my wife and three children and was thrilled to see my boys climb in the rocks and enjoy the same things I enjoyed as a kid. I even got to sleep in the big, green tent that we slept in when I was young. This trip meant a lot to me as it brought back great memories and at the same time gave my children some of the same memories.

2007 brought sadness with bad news from Tevia's father. This news brought much sorrow on Tevia and will take months to heal. It showed me once again the necessity to focus on the family and the importance of a father's influence. This year had a conference talk that has made me think of things more different than any other talk I can remember. It was the talk by Elder Oaks (who I also got to meet in person in 2007) about good, better, best. I have strived to think of more things in my life and try to determine if they are just good, or can I be doing better.

Through the good and the bad the year passed quickly and my family was blessed as usual. We escaped major sickness, major accident and continued to stay close. I am grateful for my family and look forward to being a better - or the best - father I can be in 2008. And the best husband as well. Once again in 2008 I will be praying for guidance in my career. I am not sure what will happen, but foresee changes ahead. This makes me nervous, but also excited. Who knows where we could end up? Maybe in South America? Europe? Texas? :-)

As 2008 will bring many changes on my family (missions, graduations, babies, weddings?) I look forward to spending as much time as possible with my family - both immediate and extended. Our families are so important and provide us so much support and love. In a society where the culture of community is slowly seeping away (or online) I am glad our family remains close. I love you all. Happy New Year.

For Mom: Malik's Testimony

Book of Mormon

As the church will be studying the B of Mormon this year for Sunday school, and I assume you are all going to be reading it, I thought I might start a blog for any cool inspirations and comments on the Book or Mormon. Is this possible for me to do? I challenge all of you to read it this year, even if you just read it. It is worth reading every single year. as many of you know, I just finished reading it backwards. I read it every year now, backwards every other year. I like it that way, it takes the story line out and makes me concentrate more on what the author is really writing about. This year, instead of just reading it, I plan on studying it more, and making notes as I read.
I know you are all busy, but I hope you all read at least a verse or two a day, hopefully a chapter a day. Good luck!

Happy New Year!

As we start this new year, we already know it will be full of changes and fun. Babies will be born, and I am guessing someone in our family will possible move on, (not one of us, like Milan or mom or uncle Sam). Some of us will change jobs, places of residence, etc. I pray for each of us, that we can make all our decisions carefully and with the guidance of the spirit. Maybe dad should have given out father's blessings. I say we go forth with a great optimism, directing our lives instead of letting life totally direct us. Let's enjoy the good, see each other often, share the pain, and make each other smile. I am so very grateful for all of you. I am still amazed at my life. I wake up in a safe beautiful home in cute warm pink pajamas, having yogurt and fruit and granola for breakfast. I can talk to any of you whenever I want. I have no fear. I have no war here in our land. I can pray whenever I want, buy whatever food looks good at the grocery store, even though I didn't have to plant it or grow it or weed it or even go looking far for it. I have scriptures to read, that I can choose to pick up every single day. I have a plan for my life, and I am living it. I have a temple close by, (well, kind of close). I have so many blessings. I continue to wonder why. It doesn't seem fair to me that some small children may wake up today hungry and in fear. It boggles my mind, and I hope the Lord can explain it to me someday. All of you have great blessings too. I exhort you as your mom to use them this year to bless others. Share the Gospel, read your scriptures, attend the temple, celebrate your freedoms, start your food storage, build your spiritual and financial reservoirs, and be kind to everyone around you. We are going to need each other. It is going to be a great year!

Enok

What a cutie! for those who weren't there, a few minutes after he learned he could climb up and play the piano by himself, he also learned he could stand on top of the piano! Jarek saw him standing on the keys, and simply said to Bret, "dad, I think you need to see this", to which Bret said something like 'in a minute'.
I don't know how Tevia is going to keep him from climbing up there and 'playing' the piano all the time....

Christmas 2007

I wanted to see who had the time, desire, and guts to blog about Christmas. I started to blog, and was interrupted by an Aquire game. by the time I got back, I see Tevia has already blogged about it on the other site.
cute pics, Tev.
I agree with the stinky adjective, literally. It was actually surprising to me to see this virus take us all out one at a time. I really didn't think we would all get it.
But- for the good parts:
- the singing! oh how I love to hear all of you singing together. It is remarkably uplifting to me, and brings the spirit so strong. I thank you for keeping the Christmas eve tradition of reading the story and singing. I love it.
-Being together, whether sick and tired, or just sick or tired... a mother can just sit in a room and see all of her kids and their precious spouses, and a boyfriend, and watch them and feel such joy. Thank you all for making the sacrifices to come together, through the snow, with other travel plans pending, being pregnant, all the gas and time and efforts are noted and appreciated.
-I know we didn't get to go many places, or play many games, or even each all the much hooplad food and treats, so, kind of like in the Grinch, we can say, "it came without presents, it came without bows, it came without......" of course, we did have presents and bows, (btw, thank you Tevia for all the wrapping paper and bows!), but even these were note the emphasis of what made us all happy this Christmas. we will look back on this year and see Enok's smiling face, Cari's little tummy and Jacob being so kind to her, Jimmy playing with the kids, Jarek getting older, Malik laughing, the boys entranced with Tom's air ball thingy, the chalk drawings, the walks, the hikes, the talks, the smiles, the love.
- thank you to all for the gifts. Tevia, you gave so much! the stuff from Hong Kong is great! the ornaments, the little boxes, the coasters, etc. and I know what I am going to get with my gift certificate. Kathy, I love my calendar. Tom, I can't wait to read my book. Santa, thanks for filling the stockings.
-I am glad we didn't focus on food or stuff. sorry Tev to leave you with so much leftover food.
- I have many great memories to keep me warmed and filled with love of you guys. I can't wait to see you all again, and I hope it is soon.
Maybe we should make a 5 year plan to all be in the same area by then. We will watch what Bret does, and then go from there.
a Happy New Year to all of you. it will be an interesting 2008!

Exercise Ball

Jacob told me that I could blog about pretty much anything and not only for cool amazing stories or events. So, here goes!! :)

I got a big exercise ball for Christmas from my parents. It came with a DVD with some exercise routines. Now, I love working out but just haven't had the time to do it for a long time. Especially with a little baby crawling around. So, this morning I tried it out while the baby was taking a nap. The routine was ok, I've had better. But it felt so good to work out and stretch all my muscles. It was way fun. I'm going to be better at exercising more and lose those last 5 prego pounds!!

Settlers two days after Christmas!!!

Tonight Bret, Tommy and I played Settlers. The first game I was positioned on a nine wheat and a nine ore. Oh yeah baby. And nines were rolled like crazy!!! So I pretty much kicked butt that first game. The second game I figured there was no way I could win because I didn't have my settlements on anything really that great. However, it was my super lucky night. I was on double threes for brick and built cities on them, then a settlement on a 2:1 brick port then turned that into a city. Now it wouldn't seem that threes would get rolled that often, but they were HOT!! I won again! Every time a three got shook, I picked up six brick. It was awesome!!! What an amazing Settlers night for me! I guess that was my prize for all the laundry I did today!! hehe.

In Vancouver

So, it is my first time in Vancouver. From the windows it looks beautiful. I am here waiting for my last leg of my flight back to Phoenix. Getting here proved a trial. I left my apartment at around 11:15 as the cleaning lady came in and I felt akward with her there. I arrived at the airport express after substantial traffic and I was worried the airport would be packed. Upon arriving at the gate the lady told me that the flight had been delayed 5 HOURS! Of course, that meant that I would miss my flight to Phoenix. She was very nice as she said that it was okay and they would get me a flight the next day and have me stay in a hotel in Vancouver.

I tried very nice - as I don't like to get angry - to explain that staying in Vancouver would not work. I had family coming in and they needed me there. So we spent about 30 mins looking for other options and none really came up. In the end she said I could "try" to get on the Cathay Pacific flight an hour later and then I would still have time to catch my Phoenix flight. But she said she could not confirm that over the phone and that I had to go to the airport to do it. So I hopped on the MTR to the airport and called Air Canada. They were very nice but once again said that Cathay can only do it at the airport. So I prayed a lot. And Tevia prayed a lot.

At the airport I went to the Air Canada desk and the woman - Sonia - was very nice. She went through the same scenarios and then said the same thing: that I would have to check at Cathay. She assigned me a "guy" whose job was to accompany me to Cathay and try to get me on business class there. Cathay put me on stand by and told me to come back in an hour to see. I hoped and hoped. I really didn't want to delay getting home by a night. An hour later my "guy" from Air Canada met me at the Cathay desk and we got a ticket. I was so excited.

Upon entering the plane I was even more excited as the plane - a 747 - had just redone the interior. This meant that the business class was set up like suites where you each get your own little "cabin" where you can't even see the guy next to you. Each could like down entirely flat to sleep. And each had a 15" television screen to watch movies, etc. I know for a fact I would not have gotten that on Air Canada. So my luck paid out on this trip. The flight went quickly. I didn't really sleep - but I'll try on the way to Phoenix. I finally got to see the Bourne Ultimatum. It was good. I also watched a Hong Kong movie called "Flashpoint" which I liked. It even had a scene in it that showed the Mormon church in Wanchai. It was cool.

So thanks Air Canada for delaying your flight. I got to fly a much better airline. The only thing is I'm not sure I'll get the miles - but it'd be worth it anyway. One funny note. The guy across the aisle from me was very odd. He must have had some mental issues or some sort of health issue as he could not sit still - even when he was sleeping. I think he annoyed the nice stewartesses. But he made it okay. Let's cross my fingers for the next leg.

Last night in HK in 2007

I had wanted to go to Stanley on my last night here to do some last minute shopping, but I ended up staying later at work than I wanted. So instead I hopped on the 40 minibus and headed home. I ate at Spices on my last night in 2007 - Singapore Noodles. It was great. Now I'm just chillin' until tomorrow. I can't wait to get home and be with family. I am excited.

We Miss Bret

I am glad you are having fun, but we miss you!!!! And even though I enjoy reading about your fun trips, I am sad that i can't go with you. :(

At church today Malik asked why we were always waiting for you and couldn't we just go find you. I said that it would be a long way to get daddy in Hong Kong. We are all looking forward to you coming home. We miss you and love you!

A Day Trip to Macau

After debating for a few days I decided to go to Macau yesterday. I had to do some laundry first in the morning, but then I grabbed my passport and a backpack and headed down to the pier. I bought my ticket and got on board the ferry which is a Turbojet boat that takes about 1 hour to get to Macau.


Macau is the oldest European settlement in Asia and was settled by the Portuguese back in the 16th century. It remained under Portuguese rule until a few years ago when, like Hong Kong, it was given back to China in 1999 and is now a Special Administration Region (SAR) for China (just like Hong Kong). It is a small "country" but since it is an SAR for China they have their own immigration, etc. As a US citizen I don't need a visa and could just get in using my passport. Let me just say quickly here how wonderful Hong Kong is with its immigration as to get in and out of Hong Kong I don't have to go through the immigration line. With my Hong Kong Identification (HKID) card I just stick it in the machine, put my thumb on the reader and go through. Why can't the US do this? It is so quick and easy. I love it.

Macau was appealing to me because since it was a Portuguese colony the official language was Portuguese (like HK was English) though most people speak Cantonese. But all signs and buildings have Portuguese names which was fun. It is very interesting being in a place where you are surrounded by Chinese people, but everything is in Portuguese. It seems like the ideal place for me as I speak Portuguese and a little Chinese. :-)

Upon arrival I had decided to follow a walking tour outlined in my National Geographic traveller book. It takes you to about 15 of Macau's places of interest and is all done on foot. I grabbed a taxi at the pier and had him drop me off at the Leal Senado (Senate building). Immediately I was amazed at how European (and Brazilian) it looked. The architecture and even the black and white tile streets/walkways reminded me so much of Brazil. A very interesting thing to see in Asia.

I stopped at a street shop and ordered a ham and grilled cheese sandwich and some passion fruit slush. It was dirt cheap and wonderful. The local currency is different, but they also accept Hong Kong Dollars, so I never even used the local currency. I walked up and down to the different places. The first really cool place was the Ruinas de Sao Paulo (Saint Paul Ruins). This is an old facade of one of the oldest churches/cathedrals built in Asia in the 1600s. It is beautiful and has a sense of awe about it. I can't upload my pics, but here is one from the web. When I am able to post my pics you can see some cool things. One is at the top it has carvings of the sun, the moon and the stars. The sun looks very similar to the sunstones on the Nauvoo temple. This was really cool to see a big symbol of Christianity in Asia. From there I went to Fortaleza do Monte (Fort of the Mountain) and some other churches and cemeteries. It was most enjoyable. I also went by the Lou Lim Ioc Gardens which were beautiful. Then Sun Yat-Sen's house and finally Guia Forte which is the setting of the oldest lighthouse in China.



By this time it was nearly dinner time so I hopped on a bus and decided to stop by a place I had seen upon arrival. It was called Fisherman's Wharf. Let me sotp and say that Macau has recently become the Las Vegas of the East. They have opened numerous casinos and most people come here to gamble and do other Las Vegas-like things (e.g. prostitution is legal). I avoided the hotels, though I have been curious to visit the new casino that opened a couple of months ago called The Venetian. It is a huge casino with water all around it and you can take gandola rides, etc. One of the new places they have built is called Fisherman's Wharf and it has a bunch of international places built up. For example there are places that look like China, Germany, Rome, etc. There is a huge Roman Colloseum and a big Volcano that apparently erupts each night. It was quite beautiful. There was also a part not complete yet called Tang Dynasty which was a huge Chinese building that is amazing to see. I am curious to see what is inside of it when completed.



While looking through these buildings I saw a place that looked like a bunch of African huts and smelled divine. It was an African BBQ place called Afrikana. It was an all you can eat buffet type place like a Brazilian churrascaria. Though I am not a huge meat fan nor eat a lot, I thought I would splurge and try it out. I had only spent about $3.00 USD since arriving and felt like I could fork out the $20 to eat there. It was good. They had some weird meats that I tried - some of them were awful. One of them was crocodile but I couldn't remember which one or if I liked it. The best was the roast lamb. In the end it was okay, but fun to try things. It seemed to reinforce that I am not a big carnivore. The best thing I had was from their dessert area which was a peach cobbler type of thing. :-)



I then walked back to the pier (remember Macau is fairly small) and got back on the ferry to head back to HK. I was back in my apartment by 10 PM. I definitely would consider going back - but I'm glad we didn't take the kids. It wasn't very child friendly and not much they would like to see. Maybe when Tevia comes back we can stay a night at the Venetian and check out some more of Macau. When I was leaving was when everyone was coming from HK. Almost all of their tourists come from either Hong Kong or Guangzhou (China). It was a quick, but pleasant trip. I most enjoyed reading the Portuguese everywhere and also seeing some of the differences between Brazilian Portuguese. I think the highlight of the day was sipping my passion fruit smoothie while sitting on a bench looking up at the Ruinas de Sao Paulo and feeling almost like I was in Brazil.

Ellery vs The Stairs

Ellery has been doing this the last week or so... we just wanted to share the fun with everyone! Hopefully I'll be able to log on a bit more for the next two weeks... till classes start up again at least!

Beowolf and Karaoke

The last two nights I have been looking for things to do to pass the time and do things that I normally wouldn't get to do if I were in the US or the family was here. Thursday I decided I would go see a movie. I was trying to decided on three movies: I Am Legend, The Warlords, or Beowolf. In the end I decided to go see Beowolf as it was being shown on an IMAX 3-D screen over in MegaBox. MegaBox is a mall on the Kowloon side (Kowloon Bay) which is really cool looking. It looks like a big "box" as you can imagine. I wish I had taken a picture. To get there you have to take the blue line MTR to the purple line to the green line. So at this point I have been on every MTR route in Hong Kong.

At MegaBox I ran into a missionary couple from Oregon and talked to them for a while. They had been here for 2 months. I then grabbed something quick to eat at MOSBurger, a Japanese burger joint that I learned to like in Singapore. I then headed up to the theater. The theater wasn't very full, which was strange for Hong Kong. I think that is probably because the movie has been out for a while. I grabbed my 3D glasses and went to my seat which I had purchased online prior. I had just seen "The Nightmare Before Christmas" in 3D a few weeks ago, so I expected something like that. But this was MUCH different. The IMAX screen was awesome, of course, but the 3D was amazing. It was 3D the whole movie, not just in a few scenes. It was very cool. The odd thing was that the 3D kinda made the people look fake - almost like computer-generated faces. But once you got used to that it was really cool. The movie itself was OK. The best part, to be honest, was seeing Angelina Jolie all golden on a huge screen. :-) I enjoyed the movie. During the end of the movie my Blackberry started buzzing like crazy. I turned it off after a minute. Afterwards I found out it was my pops trying to contact me. Sorry pops. I then called my mom and talked to her for a while on my way home.

Last night I went with a few people from work to do Karaoke. They have karaoke "stores" where you go in and you get a room that has a TV and some microphones. You then choose your songs and have fun. You can also order food and play games. You can even play Wii with friends or other things. It was a lot of fun. It is very fancy karaoke so you sound really good when you sing as it adjusts for bad tone, etc. We stayed for nearly 4 hours. Sometimes people stay all night long. We also played a dice game which I guess a lot of people play while doing karaoke. It was the dice game from Pirates of the Carribean. Who knew that was a real game? If you lose you have to drink. Since I don't drink they made me do push-ups. But I only lost a couple of rounds. We sang songs from Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls" to "Hot Summer Nights" to mandarin songs. Some of the mandarin songs have pinyin so I was able to sing them, too, since I really can only recognize a few dozen characters. I had a lot of fun. I then made my way home and was once again amazed at how crowded some places in Hong Kong are even late at night. It really is such a unique place.

desert trip and spring 2008

we did it! we went ahead and got tickets for Utah! we are hoping the weather holds out, and that some of you will want to go. we are coming in on March 19, a wednesday, and leave the next wednesday. if the weather is too cold for a desert trip, we can all find some other fun thing to do. we can drive all the way down to Zion, or we could go skiing. we will be flexible. we used frequent flyers, so we can always change them. I still plan on going out also after the baby is born, maybe early June, depending on when Jacob and Cari want me to come, and the blessing, and when Kathy and Tom come home, and if they need help driving our car back, etc. We understand that no one else will know if they are going on the desert trip for awhile, but we found a good ticket and took it. we have a big storm coming in tomorrow. I feel so bad for the Cangelosi's. We had all kinds of fun plans for tomorrow, and now everything is getting cancelled. They already cancelled
R S, and she wanted to go see everyone there in one place, like Ilene Angel, Lucky Edmonds, etc. too bad. I hope I still get to spend some time with her before the snow starts to fall.

Losing my mind - IKEA and Tokio Hotel

The last day or so two things have happened that make me think I am losing my mind. The first was yesterday during I lunch I thought I would walk over to IKEA and get an ice cream cone. I've been there a few times and it is like 5 -10 minutes from my office. 40 minutes later (say it in spongebob narrator voice) I was still walking around Causeway Bay and could not find it for the life of me. I couldn't believe it. I went back to my office so frustrated (you know I need my ice cream!) that I looked it up on Google Maps and it was right where I thought it was. I'm not sure if I went through a void or they moved it that day or what, but I could not find IKEA.

Then today something else made me scratch my head. Here in Hong Kong the music we get exposed to is different than in the USA. One group that is fairly big here that I have started to like is a German group called Tokio Hotel. They recently released an English album and I like a couple of their songs. Funny thing is that for the last few weeks I totally thought the group was a bunch of girls. To my surprise, they are all MEN! I couldn't believe it. I've seen a few of their videos and even listening to their voices I would have sworn they were girls. I do recall the first time I saw the video I looked hard to make sure it was a girl, but by the end I was sure. But I was wrong. I think that is so crazy. Are we at a point in society where we can't even tell who is a girl and who is a boy?

You can check out Tokio Hotel on Youtube. You can watch their video "Monsoon" and tell me what you think. :-)

Our Christmas Tree

Jacob and Tommy were ever to kind to go out and get a real Christmas tree this year. After about 45 minutes of driving around Provo Canyon, we found that very cute and small little tree that Jacob cut down with his saw and we brought home. Having never actually gone out to get a tree, this was pretty exciting for me. It might be a little on the Charlie Brown side, but it makes me happy. :-)

Sunday - Deep Water Bay - Romney's Speach

Church was lonely today without the family, especially after church as I headed up the stairs and passed the second floor where I usually go to pick up the boys. Not this week. Instead I went to get set apart and tell them I will most likely be leaving in January. Brother Collins in his Scottish accent said that wouldn't get me out of the setting apart. He gave me a great blessing and blessed me understanding to get through this time of choices and opportunities with my career. He also blessed me to remember my priorities of my wife and children. It was a great blessing. He then shook my hand and winked and said he hoped we would stay. He said you never know what happens and that he'd be pulling for my company to change their mind. :-)

This afternoon I decided I would take a walk along the ocean over to Deep Water Bay. I have passed that bay and beach many times on my way to and from work, but had never really gone there. It was a cool, overcast day and so I headed out and walked along the "seaside promenade" from Repulse Bay to Deep Water Bay. It was a gorgeous walk and a beautiful day. It was probably a little over a mile or so and I continued past Deep Water Bay to go as far as I could go until I ran into Ocean Park. On my way back I took off my shoes in Deep Water Bay and walked in the waves. The water was still quite warm and refreshing. By the time I made it back it was nearly dinner time so I heated up my Thai Red Curry in the microwave and ate. It was such a contrast to my day yesterday which was spent in the hustle and bustle of the city. Here it was like taking a walk at a resort with families and kids riding bikes and people walking their dogs. I wish we had taken the boys down here before. I'm sad that they missed out on this neat walk.

It is very interesting to see so much attention on the church due to Mitt's campaign. I think it has done a lot of good, but it will also cause a lot of backlash if his candidacy continues to be successful. I have tried hard over the past few months to like Mitt Romney. I find at times he seems great, but at other times I have disagreed with his stances and responses. I was excited to see his speech this week. Upon watching I think it came off very well. I agree with the WSJ article (link below) that the first few minutes seemed a little stiff, but he got into his own and more comfortable. I think it was a well-written speech and it would appear that most of the media embraced it. I thought his story about the founding fathers praying together was a great touch at the end. I must say that he won respect in my eyes after this speech. There have been numerous articles discussing his speech. I have linked a couple interesting ones here. They are what you would expect: a conservative response from the Wall Street Journal and a more liberal response by the Times. But both good.

I am excited to return to the States and get more involved in politics at a local level and to see how the Presidential campaign goes. It looks to be a fun race.

WSJ Article here.
NY Times here.

Saturday Alone

So what do you do on a Saturday in Hong Kong by yourself? Well, today I got up and made a plan. I decided to wait around until I knew Tevia and the boys got in safe, which they did, and then head out. I was so happy to talk with Tevia. She seemed happy, though it sounds like Canada Air isn't all that great. I guess I'll get my chance to try in two weeks. Sorry honey!

I got on the bus and headed down to Admiralty. I went through Statue Square where the "black man" statue is. It is some British guy. I then headed for the escalator. This is the world's longest escalator. It was built to help all the people that live in the Mid-Levels which are up the hill from Central. It goes down during the morning and then goes up the rest of the day. I was a little disappointed to find out it actually is not one big, long escalator. It is a combination of many escalators. But it was interesting. My plan was to head up the escalators and then head over to the zoological park.

I had heard that the zoo wasn't all that great and it was true. The kids and Tevia didn't miss out on much here. Certainly nothing like the Singapore Zoo. But it was neat having a large park in the middle of all of the buildings. From there I headed back to the escalator to eat at Taco Loco's which is one of the few Mexican restaurants here in Hong Kong. They weren't open yet so I had to linger around until the opened a little after noon. I ordered a barbacoa burrito and refried beans. It was a little like Chipotle but not quite so fast foody and not as tasty. It was good, though. It was unique hearing Mexican music in Hong Kong. The refried beans weren't really refried, but they were still good. The lime juice was fantastic. It was a good lunch.

From there I headed down the stairs (remember the escalator only goes up after the morning) to the MTR station to catch a train to Mong Kong. I shopped around looking for some little things. I bought a few things, but not nearly as many things as I expected. I did find my shoes that I was looking for, though, so that was worth the whole trip. They have a whole section next to the Ladies' Market that is just stores full of sneakers. I spent most of my time there even though 90% of the shoes are the same in each store. It's hard to understand how they all stay in business next to each other. But it was fun.

After that I headed back to Hong Kong island and decided to take a tram ride to Causeway Bay. Our family had done a tram ride last week, but it was short and at night. I thought I'd try a longer ride and during the day. It was fun as I got the front seat on the top level and got to see a lot. It took quite a while - so the trams downtown aren't nearly as efficient due to traffic. From there I got on my mini bus (#40) back to Repulse Bay. It was dinner time and I bought some food, which buying for one person is more expensive than just eating out downtown. But that's okay.

Now I am blogging and listening to some new music. I really like Simple Plan's new song (Untitled). It is sad. I also very much enjoy most of Britney's new album. Surprising. I tried to watch some shows on the computer using Tevia's one site - but I am too impatient. After 15 minutes and not being downloaded I just give up. I was very tempted to download BSG Razor, but I didn't! I'll wait til I get home. :-)

Until tomorrow.

Christmas Party - Hong Kong

Last night was our office Christmas party. The ironic part of it is that in the US our office is not allowed to have Christmas parties or even "end of year" parties for fear people might think it is a Christmas party. So here in a country where Christianity isn't very big we can have a party and sing Christmas carols about the Savior. In our own Christian USA we can't even have a party. Very odd. There is something odd about being in a bar and seeing 30 or so people singing Silent Night while they hold tequilas in their hands and are drunk beyond recognition.

It was a fun party. I left fairly early (10ish) as it was Tevia's last night and I couldn't rationalize staying out late on her last night. Many people, including our President and the Executive VP were out past 2 AM in Lan Kwai Fang doing jello shots and partying. For one of the few times in my life I actually felt a little uncomfortable not drinking. I think it is just such a part of the culture here. There were about 3 of us that didn't drink, but so many people kept trying to get me to drink. I think in the US people aren't quite so pushy - maybe because we have so many alcoholics that don't drink. We did some dancing (I was one of the few people to dance in the circle) and watched people act like idiots. Sometimes this is funny, but usually not. The odd thing was that the people that were the craziest tended to be non-Asian. They were the caucasions from Australia, Europe, or the USA. Most of the local Hong Kong employees just watched and laughed and took pictures. It was the first time in Hong Kong that I felt like maybe this isn't a town I would do well in. I mean, I could live here easily, but I am not a partier and it is such a big part of this town.

Tevia and the boys left today. I missed them the moment I walked out the door this morning (we were able to start work late today since most people were so drunk it was hard to get in early). I really don't like being alone. There are some things that I'll be able to do since they are not here, but the reality is I would rather have them here. Tomorrow I am going to do some shopping looking for the Adidas I should have bought last month but can't find now. It is pretty lonely here in the big apartment by myself. Maybe I'll go to a movie or something, too. I am just hoping the next two weeks go by quickly. I think they will. Work is much less motivating and so the days have dragged a little, but for the most part I am busy.

Oh, I also won the song contest at our party. We had to guess songs from lyrics and then sing some songs. Of course, most people wouldn't even participate since you had to sing, but I'm not shy. In the end we had to sing Christmas Carols. :-) I won, but they couldn't give me the prize since I am management. LOL.

Flying Home

Today I get to undertake a large task. I get to fly home, by myself, with three small children, halfway across the world. Am I crazy, perhaps a little. If I weren't just a tad touched in the head I would never be able to do this. I am so, so, so , so infinitely grateful that we are flying business class rather than coach. We will get to utilize the business class lounges and have attendants help the kids and I while flying. I think my biggest worry will be when we land in Vancouver and having to maneuver all the luggage(6 check on, two carry on, stroller and car seat) through customs. That will be a challenge, but I have four hours in which to accomplish this task since that is the amount of time for our layover there.

I will definitely not be too proud to ask for help, and I am sure I will need it. I have prayed mightily that my kids will be on their very best behavior and be very helpful. I have faith that all will go well. I don't feel nervous, just excited and anxious.

I was sad to have to say good-bye to Bret this morning. We all traipsed down to the apartment lobby with him to bid him farewell, and then I stood on the balcony and waved good-bye to him until he got on the bus. I know he will be sad and lonely because he will be all alone. I will have the kids and then someone with me at least until the 17th. So I will be fine.

I can't wait to see my sister at the airport. My heart leaps with anxiety just waiting to see her there waiting for us. I will get to see my family and then all of you guys (except for jake and millie boohoo, sniff sniff) in the very same month. I am so lucky!

Well, here is to seeing you all on the flip side. Much love to all of you...

My December

It is hard to believe it is December. The year has gone way too fast, and even worse, our time in Hong Kong has seemed to fly. It is crazy that Tevia and the boys already leave this week. Then two weeks later I will be back in AZ for Christmas. After that, who knows. It has been somewhat frustrating dealing with my company the past few weeks. As I work in the relocation industry, I am very much aware of the issues that arise with international assignments. The truth is, a large percentage of people leave their company within a year or less upon returning from an assignment. The reasons are varied, but the biggest reason is that while they are on assignment they tend to be given larger responsibilities and opportunities. Upon returning to the their home country they tend to go back to a job they may not even want and certainly have less responsibility. That seems to be exactly what is happening with me. Here in Hong Kong I have had much more responsibility than in Phoenix. Now that my time to return is approaching, the thoughts of where to put me begin to come up. It is amazing that companies are willing to spend so much money on an international assignment and then don't manage the repatriation. My coming here was a huge advantage to my company. I was able to bring stability and leadership in a time of major unrest and distrust. But while I was away there were many changes that took place in Phoenix. Opportunities that may have presented themselves for my future development in Phoenix have come and gone while I didn't even have a chance to apply for them. The company didn't know what to do with me as they had an idea that maybe I would stay in Asia. The reality is that I would love to have stayed here, but not as a local hire. With three kids that would be way too expensive. So when coming up with something for me to do when I get back to Phoenix my name comes up for many projects that need some leadership and experience. The problem is that these are not ideal career paths and may further disrupt my growth at my current company. And so, like many expats returning to their home, I feel unwanted, forgotten and uncared-for. It isn't true - I know that many people do care about me and do want to see me grow in the company. But so much of growth in a company comes from timing - and by being away for 6 months I have missed out on some of those opportunities.

That isn't to say I haven't had opportunities. This assignment in Hong Kong has given me great chances to learn new skills and things that I would never have learned in Phoenix. It will look awesome on my resume and truly be representative of a great growing opportunity. And it was something I wanted. I asked for this - and was fortunate to receive it. So isn't it ironic that after having received this great opportunity and my company investing so much in me that I now wonder about my future with them? As a relocation company this should have been handled so much better. I mean, I still don't know when I will be going back! I thought I did, but then all of the sudden some things came up relating to my next project in Phoenix where they are now asking that I go back sooner. I remain patient but it becomes ever more frustrating as I am unable to make plans for my return. And so now I may be working on an exciting project, but at the same time not taking of my best skills which is motivating and leading people. It is amazing how often this takes place.

So hopefully we will find out more this week. But I am not optimistic. And for the first time in my career with this company I feel like it might be time to move on. Once again, I find it ironic as I love this company and have enjoyed the people so much. But at the same time I need to look out for my career and make sure that I am doing what I like and being rewarded for what I can bring to a company. I would love to make that happen with my current company, but if not then I will make the jump. It has been a crazy ride lately. 6 months ago I had no idea I would be living in Hong Kong at this point. And certainly had no idea that in 9 months I would most likely be back in Phoenix doing something altogether different. Hopefully it will all work out.

I will miss much of Hong Kong. It really is a great place to live and work. I love my employees here and the work I am involved in. I enjoy many aspects of life here. I love the church here. The one thing I really miss is basketball and working out. I'm sure if we stayed here longer I would find ways to play basketball or develop habits of playing other sports, but for now I just seem to work and eat and that combination is not good for a waistline. In that respect I do look forward to Phoenix.

Snowing! and Christmas Around the World

Well, it's snowing in Provo. :) It's not the first snow of the winter, but it looks like it'll be the first snow that sticks. And it seems fitting somehow to wake up to snow on the 1st of December. And now, if only I could sleep in past 8 am on a Saturday. Ugh.

Jacob and I went on a date last night. Novel, I know. We got tickets for the BYU Folk Dance Show, Christmas Around the World. This was one show we'd never been to before, but we really enjoyed it. They did dances from about 12 different countries. I think the ones I liked the most were the dances from the Philippines and Slovakia. Really cool. Jacob LOVED the band they had playing for most of the songs. They were extremely talented. Made me want to play an instrument again. Probably not enough to actually start playing again :) , but it was still really cool.

Bret's Deezer

Okay, so I recently have been hanging out online at the site that Bret likes for music called Deezer. He generally finds all these sites online and at first I scoff at them and then eventually I give in and check it out and then I become a super advocate of it and find myself loving it. Deezer is a case in point. I LOVE this site and have been creating quite a creative Christmas play list. There are so many different versions of all the Christmas songs by so many various artists. I was totally laughing this morning cuz as I was browsing through the songs I came upon "It's Christmas at Ground Zero" by Weird Al and was laughing at all the memories this song brought back!

So it has been fun adding songs to my play list from artists ranging from Wham to Eartha Kitt to Barry Manilow to Manheim Steamroller! And of course I put Weird Al in there. There is a fun version of Frosty the snowman by an artist I have never heard of, but it is cute and very different from the version you hear on the radio. So fun!!! I will keep building my play as it really gets me in the Christmas spirit!

A Modern Tower of Babel

I watched a show on Discovery Channel this last week on the Burj Dubai - which will be the world's tallest building and man-made structure on Earth when completed next year. Click the link to check it out on Wikipedia. It reminded me of the post on the Tower of Babel a little while ago. Dubai is really getting pretty cool. With the developments of The World and The Palm Islands along with this it sounds like a really cool place to visit.

On a separate note, in our Elder's Quorum meeting (after dropping mom and pops off at the airport express) we had a few General Authorities in our meeting like we often do. In fact, it was funny because one of the talks the teacher had to discuss was the talk "Do It Now" by Elder Hallstrom . The teacher joked that he had never given a lesson based on a talk with the person who gave the talk in the class (as Elder Hallstrom was in our class). Elder Hallstrom also spoke in Sacrament Meeting and gave an excellent talk. I was glad mom and pops got to attend the meeting and hear his talk. Anyway, in our meeting one of the other general authorities (whose name I can not recall) told an interesting fact. We were discussing Elder Oaks' talk "Good, Better, Best" and this man said that he had been in SLC during conference and had been able to see the teleprompter of Elder Oaks during the talk. He noticed that near the end of his talk Elder Oaks skipped a bunch of his talk and ended his talk. When the Ensign came out he noticed the talk was the same as in conference and had not included the skipped parts. With Elder Oaks in the region a couple of weeks ago, he asked Elder Oaks what was at the end of his talk. Elder Oaks mentioned that he considered adding the ending to the Ensign but left it out to be consistent with the audio and video conference. He had ended early to give President Hinckley more time for his talk. He said he was to end it something like this:

It is good for a man to be moral and try to follow Christ and if he does so he will be rewarded with a place in the Terrestrial Kingdom. It is better for a man to make covenants with God and live to be like Christ and he will be rewarded with a place in the Celestial Kingdom. It is BEST for a man to be sealed to his companion in the temple of God and that man will be rewarded with Eternal Life. This evening at dinner we spoke about this as a family. We always say in our family that "family" is most important. I added to that this bit of unspoken revelation that at an individual basis there is one high priority above all other. It is the "best" we can do. That is to marry in the temple of God. I thought this was a great ending to his talk and so thought I would share it with you. :-)

Hong Kong hilites

We are having a marvelous time. everything is going well, and we have done such fun things every single day. we did nature things as well as city type things. we started out feeding turtles and fish, and walking along the beach. we went on a tram all the way up a steep incline to the highest point, Victoria Peak. we made it to the temple, Bret's work, and saw downtown. we got to see the fish, bird, jade, and flower markets. Here, they take a bunch of shops, like all their pet stores, and put them all in one area of like a few blocks or more. (picture china town) I don't understand why, because every shop basically sells the same thing. So, the fish markets were pet store after pet store, full of hundreds of fish tanks and fish in plastic bags, hoping someone will buy them. The bird shops were the same, amazing. Hundreds of birds, all kinds and colors, in little cages and boxes, even babies being fed by hand. Pretty cheap, too. and beautiful bird cages.
The flower stores were also amazing, full of all kinds of beautiful flowers, arrangements, plants, etc. Very inexpensive. Malik bought me gorgeous peach-colored roses. we bought Tev those sweet smelling lilies. Kathy would love the jade market. our guide told us that most of it was not real jade, and there was no way to tell which was which, but there was also tons of jewelry, all handmade, and very inexpensive and beautiful. I actually bought myself a necklace made of black lava stone, coral stone, and onxy. Big and bulky, not like me at all. I felt I wanted something different to remember Hong Kong by.
Tuesday we went to Disneyland. Tev blogged about it on her other blog. we enjoyed it a lot, being with the kids. Lots of adults were there, by themselves. Dad and I found this funny. We wouldn't see the fun in going there without being with the kids. Kathy would have liked it. Tom would have been bored the entire time.....
we also went on a ferry and saw the city by night and a cool light show, where many of the buildings flick lights on and off, all colors, and all different shapes; it was really pretty.
Bret and Tevia's apartment is great, comfortable and spacious. we love looking out their huge windows at the bay and boats. there are usually people swimming, and always huge boats coming in to the harbor.
We also love watching Enok walk and dance and smile. Malik and Jarek are always fun to be with.
so are Bret and Tev!

start of trip to Hong Kong

I guess it is easiest to document this trip on here for now. it started today at 2pm when daddy got home from work early, smiling and happy, and announced, "I'm on vacation!". We went and picked up a rental car, packed, talked to Bret and Tev, went over the details, and we are finally ready. Dad is watching a movie, and I am going to read. I don't think I will be able to sleep much, as I am excited and nervous. Kathy called to say goodbye. That was sweet. The house is clean, I feel very caught up, and David Cotter is staying here to watch Daisy and the house. Stacie and Jake will also be coming in and out during the week, as the Hettingers home is crowded for the holiday. Yikes. What have we done?! The chicken part of me is saying I wish we would have let Kathy and Risa go. I really don't know what I am scared of, but I want to see Bret, Tevia, and the boys enough to adventure across the sea. I want to thank Bret and Tevia ahead of time for this opportunity to grow and experience another part of the world.

Singapore - the rest of the trip

On Tuesday I started the day off early with a trip to the office on the MRT (subway). For lunch I went out with Calvin Chin who is one of the few people out here in Asia who has been with the company for a few years. I have known him for some time and find him to be great. We went to a local little joint and he suggested I order the Mee Goreng which in Malay means fried noodle (like chao mian in Mandarin - which is where we get Chow Mein). It was fantastic. It was very spicy (love that) and so good that I actually went back there by myself the next day for lunch for the same dish. At this place you actually pay for your meal before you eat which is also common at some of the food courts in Hong Kong.

That evening Cal promised to take me to see the "real" Singapore and to try some of their famous Chili Crab and Pepper Crab. So after work we took a taxi to a local place called "No Signboard" restaurant (the no "signboard" is a play that it really doesn't have a name). Here we tried the chili crab which is famous in Singapore. We actually had the chili lobster as the crab is very messy and we were dressed up and Cal didn't want us to get stains on our clothes. We also had an appetizer that was like deep-fried squid with a sweet sauce on them. They were tiny squid (about the size of a grasshopper) and were very crunchy. I loved them. The chili crab was also very spicy and fantastic. Cal also ordered the White Pepper Crab for our main dish and it was amazing. I absolutely loved it. It was quite messy as we had to break up the crab and fish out the meat, but the taste was spectacular. We ate all this with a yummy coconut where we sipped the coconut water out of the coconut.

The restaurant was in an the red light district of Singapore. Most tourists don't know much about this area nor even realize they have a red light district. This comes from the history of its place in military strategy as many military people came to Singapore for shore leave and would look for a good time. The government eventually took control of the situation and now the places are registered by the government and they try to keep control of the industry. In this area they also serve durian, which is known as the king of all fruits. It is also highly known as being "stinky" and tasting awful. I remember watching a show on the discovery channel where a guy goes around tasting "odd" things and when he tasted the durian (after nearly throwing up from the smell) he couldn't really finish it. At our office in Hong Kong - where they also have a milder durian - the people in the office won't even get around it let alone eat it. It is banned on all planes and many hotels. So when Cal suggested we try some durian I was excited. We found a little shop (that you could smell long before you could see it) and we picked out a durian. They were surprising expensive - which could also be due to the fact that they were out of season. It was about $10 USD for a medium sized one. Cal picked one which they opened. He touched the fleshy yellow interior and decided it wasn't ripe and asked for another. They took another and after touching this one Cal thought it was perfect. We then headed across the street where they have tables set up with stools and a garbage can to toss in the seeds. It was like a little durian cafe. And there were several people there already sharing their durians. By this time the smell no longer bothered me. I had been given many different adjectives to describe the taste, so I was ready for anything. I took one of the fleshy yellow pods and it felt like slimy mud. It was very slippery and messy. I took a bite and to me it tasted fairly mild and a little like custard. It certainly was a different taste. I wouldn't say I loved it, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I at my entire seed - or at least the flesh on the seed. I didn't try another one. Cal ate the other three or so. He loves durian. I can say that the taste lingered all night. Even the next morning I could taste it after having brushed my teeth a few times. That night my stomach was a little weaker than usual and rumbled somewhat. I'm not sure if this was from the durian or my lunch or from traveling, but my mind certainly attributed it to the durian since that was mostly what I could taste.

The rest of my trip went fairly normal with trips to clients and reading my book. Thursday afternoon I got on the 747 to go back to Hong Kong. I sat next to a fairly rude couple and tried to ignore them by reading and watching movies. I started Live Free or Die Hard but was unable to finish as we landed. It was actually really good and I look forward to finish watching it at some point. I got home very late and was happy to see Tevia. Once again I loved my visit to Singapore. I'm not sure it is a place I would ever go as a tourist, so I am even more grateful to have been able to go these two times. It is a unique place and has a great feeling about it.

Singapore - my return - day one

I arrived in Singapore on Monday afternoon (Nov 12). The first time I arrived in Singapore I was with Tevia and the boys and we were greeted by a brilliant sun and the beautiful landscape. This time it was overcast and grey. This downplayed the beauty of the drive to downtown, but I still found the place wonderful. I checked into the Suissotel The Stamford and went to my room on the 53rd floor. It overlooks the Singapore River and was a sight to see. I had a call and then afterwards set out to explore. My first stop was the Taco Bell we had found on our last night in Singapore. We hadn't gone in to eat, but I was craving some good ole american tacos so I walked down there. They had a limited menu with no beef options (I am guessing to please the Indian population). I ordered the gordita with chicken and sat down to eat. It was good - not as good as in the USA. The chicken was dark meat, which was a good touch. They even had Fire sauce - and actually it was the only sauce they serve.

I had planned to go down to Clarke Quay but saw a patch of green that I felt I wanted to see. It ended up being Fort Canning Park. This was the original place where the kings and later governors of Singapore lived and ruled. It was lush and green and I could hear many loud bird calls. There were huge trees with large vines hanging down and green moss growing all over them. It was still cool as the sun was behind the clouds and it had a feeling of tranquility. It was also very empty - I felt like I had the whole park to myself. I read a lot of the signs and from the hill you get a good view of the city.

I then went down to the river and through Clarke Quay which is a trendy spot with night clubs and bars. I walked over the bridge and along the river as the sun began to set. It was just a great experience to see the boats on the river taking tourists around with their chinese lamps and lights. At one point I sat down on the river's edge and just looked at the area. Somebody had put some incense on the bank near me and the smell brought such a sense of a foreign land. It was amazing to think I was sitting in Singapore miles from my homeland. It felt so calming, exciting and exotic at the same time.

I finished the evening with the walk back to my hotel where I went down to the mall (remember, most hotels out here have malls in them) and had some sushi and a salad. Salads are rare in Asia, so this was a nice change. I then went to the bookstore and bought the next book in the series by Stephanie Meyer (New Moon) and went back to my room to dive in. I missed my family and boys, but couldn't help enjoying such a neat location. I snuggled into my king-size bed and went to sleep.

The Tower of Babel

This is really not that difficult. We had a Seventy this last week do a devotional in our area for our temple workers. I guess these things are annual affairs. Anyway since I am a veil worker, I got invited with Karen. So we really just slipped in there with barely an invitation. Anyway this meeting was great. At least Mom and I felt that we were taught like we had not been taught for some time. Likely we are just too proud, but that is another story, back to the Tower. So this Seventy apparently had a different take on the Tower story. I personally had always thought it was very strange that the people would try and build a structure that would get so high that they could reach heaven. Their total skills at the time were likely only 4-5 stories, and they could see the Sun and Moon and stars, not to mention the mountains. They must have been dumber than a sack of hammers. I think that all our early ansestors were just as capable as we are brain wise they just did not get taught the theory of relativity or the Bohr theory of the atom in HS. So very unlikely that they would actually do something so utterly stupid. Well if you go back to the version in the KJ and look at it much more carefully, he thinks, and I and mom agree with him, that a different, far more believable story is being told. You also may want to keep in mind the words in italic in the KJ are added words by the translator to make things sound better but were not actually in the original Hebrew (or the Greek for the NT). What ever the bad folks were up to, it was not at all pleasing to God. Think about it from a temple corruption perspective. After all there is more than one way to "get to heaven". Especially the "name" thing. After considering it, I doubt they were ever trying to build a really tall building at all. What do you think?

Back to the routine

The other night when I came home from work and found Malik having difficulties breathing, it reminded me of another time he was like that and we had to take him to the hospital. I knew at that point that I needed to pack him up and get him to a hospital. I wasn't worried, but calm. We had been through this before. I remember my first week in Hong Kong when I was alone looking for the nearest hospital knowing that at some point we may need to know this crucial piece of information. Every day on the way home from work I passed the Hong Kong Adventist Hospital and so I always knew I could go there. So that is where I took my son. I left my wife in tears in fear and asked Jarek to take care of her. Tevia really struggled with this. I think there was a lot of fear about taking Malik to a hospital outside of the US. I prayed for her to be strong and took Malik to the hospital.

Most hospitals I have been to in the USA (which isn't many) always seem crowded. I was expecting this one to be worse. But in fact, it was quite dead. It was around 6:30 PM and we were immediately admitted. The "urgent care" room was small and they hooked Malik up to oxygen and I showed them his charts and gave his history. Their English, though not perfect, was understandable and didn't seem to cause any issues. A little later a woman was admitted who was in undeniable pain. She was doubled over and was speaking in English though she looked Asian (couldn't see her face). She asked for pain medication and moaned. I was glad they got us out of there quickly so as not to frighten Malik.

I was asked the type of room I wanted - which was surprising to me. I could choose from a "private" room, or one with 2 people, or one with 3-5 people. Each had a different price, and so I had to choose. I chose the private room. In the end I probably could have chosen the 2 person room and still had a private room as the pediatric section was fairly empty, but I'm glad I chose the private and so we were really in our own little world. The room was large and had a bed for Malik and one for an adult. There were two flat screen LCD TVs and DVD players as well. We had our own bathroom and a table with chairs and some windows with a beautiful view over the area of Hong Kong called "Happy Valley."

The service was great and I never felt scared or fearful of getting a disease (which I usually do in hospitals). I think this was mostly because we were in our own room and felt completely separated from the rest of the hospital. Malik had wires and tubes everywhere so he couldn't do much. He had an IV in his left arm, an oxygen reader and heartbeat monitor on his right big toe and was usually hooked up to oxygen with a mask. He, as usual, stayed in good spirits. He didn't cry when they gave him the IV. I told him it would hurt and he looked at me as they did it. He flinched and grimaced and then said to me with a little moisture in his eyes, "well, at least I didn't cry." It was nice to have him be so strong. It helped me.

Being in a hospital room for a day and a half wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. I was fasting the first day, but the food we could order looked good and Malik liked it. The second evening Tevia and the other boys came and we had dinner together. I ordered curry fried rice and it was great. Jarek ordered the very typical meal of noodles in soup with beef and it was awesome.

I prayed a lot that first day. I wasn't worried Malik would die or anything, but I wanted to get him home. I felt guilty that I had dragged my family here to Hong Kong and was causing pain for my son and wife. I knew deep inside that this can happen, and has happened, in the USA, but I prayed a lot to God to calm my wife and make the rest of our time in HK like the last couple of months. The reality is that our family has been super healthy since arriving here - which has been a little surprising to me. With the pollution, a new country, stress, and different food I was expecting a few more coughs and colds.

One positive thing of the stay in the hospital was I was able to start the book "Twilight" that I have wanted to read for so long. We had purchased a copy here a couple of weeks ago. Tevia loved this book (and I believe Cari and Tevia's mom did as well). I absolutely loved it and finished it in the time I was there. It was also refreshing to know that this book was written by a member of the church and yet it wasn't preachy or anything. Just good, solid reading and a wonderful story. It is about love and what we will do for love. It made me think of the love my wife has for me for being willing to come out here with my boys and stand firm by my side. Though I am sure she wanted to come, I don't think she truly anticipated the sacrifice from her side. She is with the boys all day long since they aren't in a school and though she has enjoyed homeschooling, she still gets little break from them. I come home later than usual and so she sees me less. She has no friends to talk to and can't get around easily with the boys. She has shown her true love for me by coming here and standing at my side. I love her so much for that.

We are now back together at home. It almost feels like it was a dream and didn't really happen. The boys are back playing Nintendo; Tevia is reading her books. And I am grateful to have this. To be together as a family. Life is so fragile. Things do go wrong. But we must go on and thus take advantage of every moment we have together with those we love. I try hard not to take that for granted. I am excited to see my parents in a week.

is it too late for Donovun?

The things I see and hear in the schools, I should write a book about. I think I will. so today, I was subbing for a special ed teacher. I had a self-contained class with about 9 students. for 7th period. some of these students go to keyboarding. I have been in this class before, as a TA. I had complained then to Don as to why they needed me. there were again today, 5 adults in the classroom.
I was asked to work specifically with Donovun. he was over in the corner, looking at Utube, and the teacher asked me to have him stop going on other sites and try to get him to do his work.
I took a deep breath, and went over, pulled up a chair, and smiled at him.
It would take a long time to describe the entire 45 minutes.
short version- he said, ( hard to believe everything he said), he was 18, school was bull----, it was a waste of his time, he was on parole, he lived with his aunt, he hated his parents, his 12 year old sister was raped last week, he had to buy his own clothes and food, but couldn't get a job cause of school, etc.
He was good-looking, and said to me, when I asked him to do his typing, "I'll do it for you." he continued to hit on several times, saying, "are you married? would your husband let you?", what are you doing later? can we hook up?" so funny. I told him I was a happily married woman and a grandma, and he said, "so?". but he let me teach him how to use the tool bar, and he started typing as we chatted. I asked him if he ever went to church, and he said no, but I'll come to yours, (with his smiling glimmer).
later, after he left, the computer teacher teacher told me good work. he had gotten 3 paragraphs typed. she said he never does his work, and she said it was good that I got him to do it. she told me he did live with his aunt, was on parole, met with a judge weekly, and had a hard life.
driving home, I prayed for him. what can people do? the teachers at RCK try, but little gets thru. he meets with counselors there, and says that is bs. he has no guidance, no church, no values, no goals. he lives in wappingers. where has society failed him? who is left to help him? I told him to look after his sister, and asked if I could help. he said the cops didn't even care. I told him it was his job as her big brother to talk to her, watch out for her, and tell her not to ever go anywhere alone.
he said that he would try, but that she was 12 and acted like 21.
he asked if I could come back, and I said I would try. I told him the other teachers cared too, and he said that he didn't think so.
poor kid. how do we fix things like this? where is he headed?
when we left, I told him to finish school, and that he owed it to himself to be somebody, and that he couldn't do anything without finishing school.
oh how I wish I could do more to save the world.

Malik coughing = Tevia stressing

I know you all have heard it before, but i just have to say once again, I really get so stressed and worried when Malik has this stupid cough. He is on treatments and it is now twice as stressful for me because we are in another country. He is miserable which makes me irritable because there is not a lot I can do but wait it out. Bret says that everything will be "fine" which is true, but the waiting till it's fine part really is very hard. I know it is super hard for Malik too since he is the one that is having a hard time breathing. He doesn't move much because he gets winded and he is dizzy if he tries to stand too long. It is so hard to keep him drinking too, which is what he needs to keep his body hydrated so it can try to fight this off. Anyhow, I know this is very boring for all of you, but it helps me to get it out of my system. If you don't mind sparing a few prayers for him, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks guys!

teaching special ed at kinry

Yesterday was the first time I had the opportunity to teach at kinry, a 3-6 grade school that my kids attended for only 6th grade. a really nice school. I had signed up to TA for 4th grade, but when I got there, they desperately needed someone it the self-contained special ed class, because the TA there had just called in sick, and the teacher could not do that class alone. I agreed. it was 5th & 6th grade mixed, only 9 kids, and 2 were absent. the teacher has it hard, having to switch subjects and levels all day, with kids going in and out for different specials. the kids were extremely good for that day, according to her, so it was not difficult for me. I fell for each student, immediately, and they bonded to me right away. there was a boy, short, skinny, no socks in oversized tennis shoes, dirty hands, dirty jeans, long, unkept hair, a hole in his shirt- you get the picture, who seemed nice enough when he first came in. now, I am never told what reasons these kids are in this self-contained class. I can guess some. as the morning wore on, he got more and more uninterested in class. he refused to work, put his head down, and spaced out for 15 minutes at a time. the teacher or I would go over and calmly ask him to participate. he would just sit up and look bored. at 11am, the kids get snack time. he had none. he put his head down. I felt so sad. the other kids had juice boxes and gatorade and twinkie type things and candy from Halloween and bags of popcorn. then it was science. the teacher asked me to see if I could get him to do his paper on his own. I kept saying I would help him. he said he hated science, and would just stare ahead, and not give me eye contact. I tried 3 times. I almost gave up. then I went over one more time and gently persuaded him to do one question, just one. I struck up a conversation about what he likes to do. he has no bed time, and plays computer games all night, or so he claims. He asked me to guess what game he plays. I told him if he did 2 more questions, I would. he did, and I guessed Diablo, and he laughed. and we were friends the rest of the day. after lunch, he returned with more energy, and participated more. he smiled more. he had to stay in for recess because he owed work. I would have let him out to play. I would teach differently. last night, I felt sad that I couldn't really be a teacher. my little moments of effectual teaching are few and far between. after praying and dreaming about people on welfare, I am wondering if maybe after this year, I will change my field and go up into Poughkeepsie and work for social services. right now, this job is perfect.
tomorrow I work at Ketcham in English. I like the variety and hours of choice.

Fast & Testimony Mtg - Happy Birthday Sis!

Today was fast and testimony meeting and as usual it was great here in Hong Kong. But the testimony that touched me most was near the end when a young man dressed in jeans and a button-up shirt got up. He had arrived a little late for sacrament meeting with another young man and I wondered if he was a tourist. He got up and told everyone he was a Marine based in Okinawa and was here on a short leave. He bore his testimony and it was a sweet and sincere testimony. My heart was touched as he bore witness of the truth and talked about the temple and how excited he was to go to the temple soon with his wife as it was a big goal for them.

It was obvious for me to think of Jimmy even though I have never met him. I thought here was a young man defending our country and looking to improve himself. His testimony touched my heart and I found myself in tears. I turned to Tevia to see her in tears as well. Even Tevia's mom was crying. I made it a point to talk to him afterward and thank him for his testimony. His friend actually had been based at Hawaii some time ago. They were amphibious reconnaissance and here in Hong Kong for a couple of days. I gave them both my business card and told them to call me if they wanted to do lunch or dinner. The one was not a member but had come with him since you have to be with a buddy to go on shore. Reminded me a lot of a mission. After church many members went up and shook their hands and thanked them for all that they do. It was interesting because I couldn't imagine that happening in the States, but here in Hong Kong there were many Americans grateful for what they do.

On another note: Happy Birthday Sis! Though technically it is not your birthday where you are yet, it is here! I miss you.

Our Scant Halloween...

We didn't do a big Halloween celebration this year. No costumes, no trick or treating. Bret did get a bunch of candy at the store and let the kids gorge on Halloween night. We didn't carve our pumpkin until the day after, but it was still fun. Malik chose the mouth, Jarek chose the nose and actually carved it out, I picked the eyes and Jarek created the eyebrows and Bret carved those out. We didn't have a candle so we used a flashlight to light up our pumpkin.

A visit from the Webbs

Tevia has posted much of what we have done with the Webbs, but I thought I would recap with my perspective. I haven't seen Tevia so excited in years as we waited on our balcony watching each car and van turn into our apartment driveway. It was like me at Christmas. She was so happy to see her parents. It has been fun seeing them look in amazement and unbelief at everything around them - trying to believe that they are actually in Hong Kong. Monday at the nunnery and gardens was wonderful. I particularly loved the nunnery and garden. I enjoyed talking with my boys about the different gods we saw and explained to them that even though they aren't the true gods and we don't worship them that we respect the beliefs of others and that all religions have some truth in them. I loved watching the people come by and do their short little bows. One man was chanting in a low chant that sounded like I have seen on TV. Even for me on days like these it is hard to believe I live here. I just adore the architecture and marvel at the beauty.

Disneyland was awesome. I had been told by many that I would be so disappointed by Hong Kong Disneyland as it is not as big. But I loved it. Some of the rides I even thought were better than Anaheim. The fact that the park was not crowded was so nice and many times we had rides or areas basically to ourselves. I truly felt the magic of Disney here. I look forward to going back in a couple of weeks.

It wasn't fun going back to work, but work has been busy and so that makes the days go quick. I look forward to Tevia's parents returning from Nippon and taking them to some good chinese restaurants and some other places. It has been fun for the boys having them here as well.

On a side note, for the past year or so I have been looking for a good music player to use on my computer. I have used Rhapsody and iTunes and many others. This last week I picked up WinAmp after they did a major rehaul and love it. But the reason I love it is mostly due to a little add-on they have called minilyrics. Basically it finds the lyrics to the song that is playing and then shows the lyrics scrolling and highlights the line that is currently being sung during the song. It works for almost all songs. As a person who loves music lyrics, this has been awesome. I think mom would love it. So as I listen to Simon and Garfunkel right now I can see the lyrics and sing along. It is almost like having a karaoke machine. Try it out. It's free.