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.