First Weekend in HK

We're busy enjoying life before Dave officially starts work tomorrow....so Friday, the three of us headed to Kowloon Park to let Fin run around for a while.  I don't want to brag, but Dave and I are SO Hong Kong that we got on the Chai Wan Line at Sheung Wan, transferred to the Tsuen Wan Line and took it to Tsim

Sha Tsui.  It sounds much more impressive than it was, but I'll let you all give me a pat on the back for our mad navigation skills. =)  Anyway, Kowloon Park is a huge park that has lots of open space, an aviary where we got to see lots of birds, a playground, fountains and lots of other things we didn't have time to take in.  Again, Finley loved being out of our "mini-apartment" and it was good to see another part of the city. 

Playing at the park....our big, Caucasian, curly-haired kid may have stood out a bit. ;)

Watching the flamingos....

Navigating the train system like a pro....

Yesterday, we took the ferry out to Discovery Bay to look at some more flats.  DB is originally where we thought we'd want to live in HK, but now we've switched gears and decided that the south side of the island is the best fit for us.  We have a rental offer in on a place in Tai Tam and hope to know by Tuesday whether or not it's been accepted.  The landlords here can be pretty kooky, so we're hoping that it works out but not counting on it until the lease is signed! 

This morning we took a ride to Times Square, an area about 10 minutes from where we're currently staying.  It's yet another big shopping district, so we ran errands, had lunch and are now relaxing back at home.  Not the most exciting day, but here's another pic of Fin waiting for the train to arrive. 

Aright, I'm being kicked off the computer so Dave can do some work.....more later!

Holy Humidity

After hibernating for the winter, it appears as though Finley's curls are back.  And yes, this picture was taken as she was sitting on my lap in a moving cab.  Don't judge. 

Yesterday (Wed), Dave went into the office while Finley and I went down to Stanley for lunch and playtime.  Stanley is an adorable village on the south side of the island with a plaza, market, shops and excellent water views.  After being in the heart of the city for a few days, Finley was in HEAVEN running around and burning off energy.  I was in my own heaven, enjoying lunch with our new friend Jessica (an expat from Boston) and enjoying the slower, more laid back pace of this part of HK. 

This morning, Dave, Finley and I began our apartment search in an area on the south side of the island called Tai Tam.  The complex we spent most of our time in was a pleasant surprise - really spacious places (by Hong Kong standards), wonderful facilities (pools, gym, tennis courts) and close proximity to the American Club (a private club with pools, tennis courts, a spa, classes for kids, a kid's playroom, restaurants, etc.).  We then continued on to the center of the city to an area called Mid-Levels, but the places were smaller and not quite as kid friendly.  While Dave would have a longer commute to work from Tai Tam, it seems to be a good fit for our family.  Plus, if I can move to HK for him, he can suck up the 40-50 minute commute...right? =)  We're going to look at another area called Discovery Bay on Saturday morning, and see what we find there.  DB is a car-free neighborhood located a ferry ride away from Hong Kong Island, and it's really popular with expats and families because of the more laid-back lifestyle and open space.  The downside is that we'd be tied to the ferry schedule whenever we wanted to come to the main island.  The rental market in HK is really hot right now, so we'll see what happens!  Hopefully we'll know where we're going to be living by early-mid next week. 

Greetings From Really Really Far Away

Well, we made it to Hong Kong in one piece!  Here is Fin at the very beginning of our 15.5 hour plane ride.  All in all, she handled the flight well for a toddler, but wasn't too keen on sleeping.  She actually stayed awake for the first NINE AND A HALF HOURS of the flight, but thanks to snacks, movies, toys and the comforts of business class we managed to survive.   

After landing in HK, we were greeted by a driver and taken to the serviced apartment we'll be living in while we find our "real" apartment.  It was a bit of a letdown - VERY small, no bath tub for Fin, no stove and the crib was in the living room as it didn't fit into the second bedroom.  Add that to my exhaustion, and I was pretty crabby.  As you can see from the pic below, Dave and Fin weren't too phased by it. ;)

We woke up Monday morning and Dave went off to work for a bit, while Fin and I got down to business.  We managed to get moved to a new and improved apartment, which is great news.  It's still not ideal, but we'll suck it up for the net few weeks until we're outta here.  We ventured out for breakfast, played for a while, ventured back out for lunch and then ran some errands.  Dave has a great organic grocery store in his work building, so he brought us home some "supplies" and we all managed to stay awake long enough for dinner.  Poor Fin was so tired that she fell asleep while Dave was putting on her jammies, and in spite of her jet lag she slept soundly from 7pm until about 4am. 

This morning (Tues), we went out for breakfast, did some more grocery shopping and then met our relocation consultant Stephanie for some improtant to-do's.  We received our resident ID cards, opened local bank accounts and got cell phones.  Stephanie was then kind enough to take us to her private club (Hong Kong Cricket Club) for lunch, and Finley was able to burn off some energy in their AWESOME children's play room.

Tomorrow Dave is going into the office for the day, so Finley and I are heading to the south side of the island to meet a new friend (another American in HK) for lunch.  The area we're heading to is called Stanley, and it's right on the water and has a nice plaza with shops and a market too.  Should be fun!

I aologize for the loooong post, but thought I would update everyone on what we've been up to.  Our next step is viewing flats Thursday and Saturday, so fingers crossed that we find a good place to live!

Other Recent Pics

Hanging at Whole Foods with her best gal pal, Emma. The only way to keep these two from destroying the store is to restrain them in a cart. And yes, my friend Courtney and I are SO lame that we hit up the grocery store together.

Playing at Fantasy Kingdom with Siena, Emma and Lila. Photo courtesy of Siena's photographer mama, Michele Kasuboske Smiejek. =)

Playing dress-up at Fantasy Kingdom.

At the Kohl Children's Museum.

I'm 2!

Between life in general AND getting ready for our move to Hong Kong (just 9 days away!), my blogging has been less than stellar.... However, here are some pictures from Finley's birthday party and actual birthday. Fin is a TON of fun lately - she's sweet as ever, and unbelievably chatty. For some time, she's been able to sing her ABC's, count to 15, sing about 5 songs from Mary Poppins, and more! She's also developing a sense of humor....the other day, she threw a blueberry off of her tray at lunchtime. When I picked it up, I asked her to say sorry for throwing food. First she said no, but when pressed to apologize she finally said "Sorry Charlie" and started cracking up. Anyway, Dave and I are really enjoying our time with Fin and can't wait to see how she'll do as a big sister to her brother...

Balloons from Nana, Papa and her cousins

Opening presents

Enjoying a birthday cupcake!

Fin loves her present from Mommy and Daddy....she calls it her "bicycle" rather than a bike or a trike.