Getting to the top of it...

Before we moved to Hong Kong, we knew we would have three weeks before school started. We thought we'd use this time to run errands and explore Hong Kong. I had lists of places to visit from the peak to Disneyland. But after being here one day, we realized we'd be lucky to get to the store to feed ourselves. Hong Kong in summer is 90 plus degree heat with 90 plus percent humidity. Basically you walk outside and you feel like your melting. Combine this with the fact that Hong Kong is a walking city and you have the exact formula for creating 4 year old meltdowns. I quickly chucked my list of tourist spots and we headed for the swimming pool every day.

In spite of it all, we tried to squeeze an adventure in. The family decided to check out the Peak in Central. The Peak Tram, a funicular railway that carves a steep 373-metre swathe up the lush mountainside. The tram has been in operation since 1888, and once competed with sedan chairs as the most popular way up. Try to get seats at the front of the tram on the right-hand side for the journey skyward. The only way to describe the views from this vantage point is "simply awesome". Of course the day we were there was hazy with smog.

After standing in a huge line at the bottom, we realized a valuable tourist tip. The huge line is just to buy tickets. If you have your Octopus card, you can walk straight up and get on. Oh well, it gave us time to check out the wax figure of Jackie Chan.

The kids were excited to get on and we quickly found seats in the crowed car. The ride is at such a steep incline that the persective of the high rises on the way up seem tilted. It was a short, fun ride to the top. At the top is a shopping mall. In fact at every tourist location in Hong Kong is a tourist mall. Just want you want... a Burger King, Bubba Gump Shrimp, book stores, souveniers and more. There are roads to walk around the peak, but we knew we were pushing it enough with what we were doing. Like good Americans, we went to eat. And yes, we ate at the Burger King. It was getting a lot of press as it was the first Burger King (besides a counter at the intl. airport) in Hong Kong. The kids were happy as they got a prize with their meal. We burned off the burgers watching a dancing water fountain and playing at a playground attached to the mall and then caught a taxi from the top home. We were going to take a bus just for the fun of it, but realized that traveling with 4 people it was cheaper and faster to take a taxi. Besides it was enough adventure for one day.

Our day at the top

The Peak Tram

First day at Hong Kong International School (HKIS)

waiting for the bus

First Day of School

Today was our first official full day of school. I know Ally and Austin have been excited for school as they’ve jumped up the last two days and got dressed in anticipation. But today wasn’t as easy to jump up, because we had to do it at 6:45 am instead of 8:30 am. Knowing our morning would be rushed, I laid out their clothes and packed their lunches and backpacks the night before. But what I didn’t allow enough time was for drying my own crazy, frizzy hair. We are sleeping downstairs as we have guests upstairs. The funny thing about all of our bathrooms is that none of them have outlets. So I was reaching around a corner with the blow dryer, trying to see in the mirror.

With still frizzy hair, I got the kids cereal and toast and rushed them downstairs. Steven stayed late and helped us get our school uniforms on. We hurried to the elevator. Steven and I anxiously stared at our watches each time the elevator stopped on a floor to let people in. We got downstairs just as the bus was supposed to be leaving, but with the first day of school crowd, the buses were running a little late. We took some quick photos and I jumped on the luxury bus with the kids. The school bus for HKIS isn’t the yellow school bus of my childhood. I felt as I was on a Reno motor coach tour. Ally walked down the aisle first and two girls from the club called her name excitedly. So she sat with them. Austin and I grabbed a seat. As he looked around and noticed most kids did not have their mom with them, he told me I could sit in another seat. I was proud of Parental Shame Level. I went to move, but since the last kids got seated and he would have been by himself, he reconsidered and said I could join him after all.

Austin smiled and laughed on the way. Two boys behind us were being silly and calling the bus a toy bus. That was enough to make Austin crack up. Once we pulled up to the school things were a little chaotic. The huge bus turns around and backs up a steep hill lined with traffic of parents dropping of kids. Our bus is one of at least 20. The bus mother makes sure the backpacks are on and the seat belts are off. Then they pile out of the bus. I lingered slowly trying to see if they could find their way on their own. Austin was halfway up the stairs (yes, everything here is vertical) before he realized I was stopped at the gate to sign in with security. I called out that I’d be right there. When I caught back up with him, he was having an animated conversation with a group of boys. I followed 10 paces behind and watched the teaching assist match photos to her kids, round them up and herd them up another 2 flights of stairs. Their classroom is right adjacent to the R1 playground. But the playground is the gathering spot for the whole school until the bell rings. It was crowded and chaotic, but Austin and Ally just flowed like fish in a stream. Austin ran in the class. I had to call him back to come say goodbye to me! He came back, gave me a 2 second hug and was off. Was this the same kid who ran through the American club screaming hysterically when I tried to leave?

I walked upstairs to the library on the fourth floor. I had an unshakeable feeling when I woke up that morning that Austin was going to do well and I am not sure why I knew this. Maybe I could tell he was very excited about going to school, where most other events he drills me with angst ridden questions. He loved to look at his uniform and patches. And he loved the thought of being a big boy. The library has a parent corner with newspapers, parenting books and audio books. I settled into the couch and started to read the Parent Handbook which I should have finished the night before, but was instead was sewing patches till midnight. After 20 minutes, I couldn’t stand to look at another mission statement or philosophy, so I walked downstairs to the office. I would have stalked the kids and peeped in the window, but I couldn’t figure out how to get to the window. So I had the secretary call the class for a progress report. All was well and the kids were happy in circle time.

On the way to the office I passed another mom. She stopped and cried out “Annie”. It was a mom I had meet in the dragon shop on Monday. This was another example of how friendly and welcoming the expats are here. The dragon shop had set up a uniform sale in the school gym. (It was on my horrible day where we shattered the taxi window.) I was standing in a huge line holding my order slip since they had run out of the clothes I needed. Ally and Austin, near exhaustion, were fighting on the bean bag. I stood in line behind two moms who obviously knew each other and were catching up after their summer vacations. I felt like the new kid at school looking around the gym watching the tight knit community. Then as we were almost to the register the moms turn around and ask me who my kids were and introduced themselves. They were up next bought their stuff and were gone. Our meeting was a grand total of about 3 minutes. And yet here was that same mom calling my name out in the hall of the school like an old friend. She told me a couple of moms were going to coffee if I wanted to come along.

I jumped in the mini van with four other moms and headed to Pacific Coffee in Repulse Bay. We chatted for an hour and then a mom named Molly, who had relocated from San Francisco, and I caught a cab for Stanley. She lived there and I went on to the market to run some errands. It was my first time in the market without the kids and the first time I could actually look at what they sell there. Normally, I am trying to keep track of heads. In the market stalls I bumped into Nicholas and Albie. Nicholas is a stay home dad and his son is in Austin’s class. Albie is a mom of twins and lives in our apartment. We stayed chatting in the alley way for a while. Afterwards, I hit the ATM and grocery store and headed home. I was able to clean up and make calls for an hour before I had to greet the bus.

The return bus is smaller as it’s only for the smaller kids who get out earlier. I would say half the kids on the bus were asleep. Austin was the first one out. (The competitive thing.) I asked how school was and the both said, “Oh, school was great.” We went upstairs where the kids had the biggest snack ever. Two hours later they ate a huge dinner. We stayed mellow that night and I tried to get them in bed early. As usual Austin crashed right away and Ally kept sneaking out of bed.

I was proud of how well they did at school. They were definitely ready to be in school. Yet at the same time I am very sad to see my babies get older. School is the end of our freedom to explore museums and parks during the week. We are now on the same schedule as the rest of the world.

Mr. Frumble has a bad day….

We just read a Richard Scary story book about a pig named Mr. Frumble who has a very bad day. Today we know how Mr. Frumble feels. We jumped out of bed, threw on clothes and rushed out to a taxi. We headed to the Immigration tower in Central. We needed to pick up our permanent Hong Kong ID cards. I cannot apply for a credit card or school ID card without it. Immigration is like DMV on steroids. People start lining up before it opens in roped aisles similar to Disneyland. Once the building opens at 8:30am, the guards open the ropes and everyone rushes to different departments. Our cards were on the 8th floor. That meant we rode escalators up 8 floors. Yes, escalators, not elevators. Once we got to the correct floor, we turned in our information to wait our turn. We are told if you don’t do the early morning rush, you need to bring a good book—because you may finish it while waiting.

We actually didn’t have to wait that long upstairs as we were number 2. And we were entertained by an elder Chinese man who loudly called out heavily accented, broken English phrases out to the kids – from “Newcastle Movie” to “Don’t come back, now.” He was quite the character.

From there we headed back down 3 floors to the Domestic Helper Visa area. We are desperate. While it sounds like pure luxury to have a helper, you realize that life here almost necessitates it. You’ll understand after you hear about our day. I told the kids they could be naughty at that window: touch, yell, whine, whatever they wanted. They looked at me in disbelief and then got excited. While they weren’t as “naughty” as I had hoped (even after giving them a little pinch,) I realized it was in vain. As at that window you just had the letter asking for the Visa to be expedited to a worker who stamps it and puts it in your file. The sad looks were wasted on him.

From there we took a taxi to Pacific Place. We could walk from Pacific Place to Admiralty Center to get to Fortress. Fortress is our version of Best Buy. It’s where you buy any electronics. After finding our way through tunnels, walkways and escalators we got there to realize it didn’t open until 10:30. (Which I remembered is actually early for Hong Kong, most shops don’t open until 11 am) The 45 minute wait would have killed us. So we kissed dad goodbye to catch the MTR (subway) and we weaved our way back to Pacific Place. Ally and Austin only wiped out one time on the escalator with Ally landing on top of Austin at the top.

We grabbed a taxi and went to an apartment in the Mid-Levels. We were buying a bean bag from a family there. So far most of our furniture has been used from other expats. The used furniture market here would put Craig’s list to shame. We put the large, blue bean bag in the trunk and headed on to Redhill Plaza in Tai Tam. It’s where the high school and middle school for Hong Kong International School are located. We had to buy our school uniforms and patches there at a special sale in the gym. So down we went 4 floors of stairs to arrive at a crowded gym full of moms and kids trying to navigate long lines. You have to remember I am carrying a large, blue bean bag with me the whole time. It actually came in handy in the gym as Ally was about to have a breakdown from hitting her line standing boiling point. I put the bean bag against the wall and sat her in it. Austin bounced back and forth from the bean bag to me, making sure I didn’t desert him. They were both hot and tired, which probably explains Austin’s rational when he bit Ally’s toe and made it bleed. So now I am still in line with two screaming and crying kids. I had promised Austin a soda drink for being so patient and obviously he lost it by exercising his chomping power. Now he is screaming even louder as he is crushed by the loss of his soda. If people weren’t staring before, now everyone is. I grab my big, blue bean bag and two kids that are screaming they don’t love me anymore and start the trek up four flights of stairs. Back at the road we grab a taxi for our 5 minute ride home. I can imagine the cool A/C and cold drink now. We pull up to our building. As I am pulling out the money, a large crash makes me scream. Austin had pushed on the taxi window as he was getting out and shattered it everywhere. The driveway, the cab and our bodies are covered with small shattered glass. I see blood on Austin’s nose and he’s trying to hide behind me. After being forced from the taxi, he runs and hides behind a pillar crying. The building management is called and they negotiate a deal with the cab driver for me. There was lots of screaming in Cantonese and this was the first time it wasn’t my kids screaming. They come up with a payment of $350 HKD which is only about $45 dollars. I felt so bad and guilty I gave him $400 HKD. Austin ran for the elevator in shame, screaming he would never ride in a taxi again.

We are home. We need to clean up and finish unpacking for our first guests tomorrow. I would love to run to the grocery store and pick up some things and hit the small home store to get a plastic drawer for our undies that are piled on the floor, but we learned something from the story book. After Mr. Frumble’s bad day, he goes home.