Hong Kong Wedding

Chinese Wedding

Several Weeks ago Nate and I were invited to our first Hong Kong wedding. When Nate lived in Beijing he attended a Chinese wedding there and was quite excited for this event. We were invited from one of my co-workers, a teacher we call Ms. Chan Chan.

We received a beautiful red invitation with gold writing, all in Chinese of course. I had to ask another teacher what it said so we knew where to go! Instead of a wedding reception they have a wedding banquet, which is essentially the same thing. Included in the invitation was a small envelope containing a crisp $10 HKD as well as a gift certificate for a small Maxim's cake. Now, I will say that most of the bakeries in Hong Kong do bread and rolls very well but fall short when it comes to desserts. Maxim's has amazing treats!

It is customary for a guest of a banquet to give between $500-1000 HKD in a red packet. This is approximately $65-130 American Dollars. Nate's coworker gave him the appropriate red packet for us to put the money in for the banquet. The banquet started at 8:00pm. Some guest show up between 7:30-8:00pm to take pictures with the bride and groom.

We arrived shortly after 8:00 with one of my coworkers. When we arrived most people were seated in a very large banquet room. Upon arrival we saw some previously taken photographs of the couple. Ms. Chan Chan was wearing a beautiful white wedding gown with an amazing head piece. These pictures were taken at the beach. I knew she had a total of 5 dresses so I was excited to see them all! She had a traditional (well, what we Americans think of traditional) white dress, a traditional Chinese red silk dress (we did not see either of these in person, these were dresses worn before and seen in the pictures and videos) another white dress she wore as her entrance to the banquet gown, a yellow ball gown style dress and her favorite, a turquoise beaded dress. She looked stunning in all of the dresses.

Before dinner we were treated to a video and slide show. The music was 98 degrees (you know, 90's and 2000's boy band!) "I Do". It was perfect. They showed a slide show of pictures of both bride and groom growing up. They had a video from earlier that day of the bride and groom going over to different members of the families' homes. They said a prayer for lots of money in their red packets (we had a lovely woman sitting next to us who was kind enough to translate). There was what we would call a maid of honor and best man emceeing the event. Both bride and groom did a little speech on stage as well. I have to say that Ms. Chan Chan looked petrified!

Dinner and drinks were served. There was unlimited beer, wine or juice. This was exciting for us! The red wine was good and the beer was cans of Heinekin! I am very proud to say I tried a bite of everything even things I didn't want to. We had suckling pork which tasted like pork grinds so I did NOT like those. We had some wontons with egg whites inside which were ok. We had some yummy potato balls and also crab balls. Both were delicious. Shrimp was served which was also delicious. They serviced Abalone which is expensive and I thought it was slimy and gross. They had baked fish which I ate, including a bite of the cheek. They served shark fin soup which Nate was upset about. Look it up if you so desire. I'm told that they catch the shark, cut it's fin, then throw it back into the water. The shark either drowns or is eaten by other animals in the water. For dessert they had bowls of oranges and jello with chrysanthemum flowers crunched up inside.

During the meal the family comes around to talk to each table. It was a very nice experience. We were not sitting with the two tables of my coworkers so we went to speak with both tables. It was so nice to see them outside of our work uniforms. Nate was the hit of the night. All my coworkers kept commenting on how handsome he is and how he looks like a movie star. Of course, Nate loved it! I had read about this before we went to the wedding but it was still quite a site nonetheless. At the end of the night everybody just gets up and leaves, just like that! All of a sudden we were chatting and BOOM everybody stands up and leaves. We were called to the stage to take pictures with the bride and groom.

It was a very fun night! There were so many similarities among a Hong Kong wedding and an "American" or Western wedding reception. We look forward to being invited to another wedding soon!

Hong Kong Halloween

Hong Kong Halloween

Like any major city, Halloween is a bit of a big deal in Hong Kong. Unfortunately Nate and I did not make it out the Saturday before Halloween but we made up for it on the actual night! There is an area in Hong Kong called Lan Kwai Fong or LKF for short. LKF is a square of bars, clubs and restaurants that is very popular among expats (ex-patriots). There is a pizza slice restaurant and Mexican restaurant that are both pretty good. The area is a bit steep in price. We can usually buy two tall can beers of $12 HKD (that's about $1.50 American, boo ya) in 7-11 but they were double the price. They have what I like to call the "untz untz untz" clubs.

When Nate and I arrived to LKF we were surprised. It was before 8:00pm and the streets were PACKED. There was a stampede where people died in 1993 and I could see why. The streets are narrow and sloping so it would be easy to get stuck. There were many police officers patrolling the area and attempting to control the flow of people "traffic".

Nate and I wanted to be cheap so I dressed in all black and bought a little package that included a cheetah tail, bow tie and ears. Nate bought a fake mustache. When we arrived in LKF it was like we were Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel on their honeymoon! I have never been photographed so much in my entire life. Not only were we having our photo taken but many people wanted to take a photo with us. I really thought yikes is this what the paparazzi is like? No wonder famous people get annoyed! We walked around once and noticed it was getting more and more packed. It was very interesting to see people with their children out and about. Although it was fairly early I would have been frightened that my child would get squished! A man was dressed in an orange costume holding a baby on his shoulder....very odd. There were some very ornate costumes as well as people who were not dressed up at all. The police began walking through attempting to clear a path. There were also areas on the side that were gated off. We saw quite a few Geishas. We also saw a man dressed as the "Gangnam Style" guy.

After we walked around once we needed to find a restroom. We were not allowed to go back the way we came so we stopped into a bar/restaurant called Taj that was one floor up. The views from the patio were amazing but unfortunately they were taken. We sat inside and ordered some drinks. We then noticed that people were smoking hookahs! Since I have never tried a hookah before we thought, what the hay, let's try! There was an entire hookah menu. After some himming and hawing we decided on Mango. It was very sweet and actually good! I only had a little bit since I had been sick previously with a cough. It was a very fun Halloween experience!

Partner Yoga Hong Kong Style

Partner Yoga

At Core Power I believe that they have had partner yoga classes from time to time. Not an ongoing recurring class but a "special class". On 10/28/12 Nate and I tried our first ever partner yoga class.

When we first walked in I was a bit nervous. We saw a man and a woman practicing some moves. I thought, are you kidding? That man is half my size! I'm not going to be able to do that!!!

At Pure Yoga they do things a bit differently than I am use to. Depending on the teacher, the "front" of the classroom can be at the mirrors (which I consider the front) or towards the windows (which I consider the back). This has been a little confusing to say the least. Some days I don't want to be in the front, some days I want to hide in the shadows of the back!

Nate and I walked into the class at what we thought was the back of the room. NOPE we were in the front. It seems that all these people I've been taking yoga classes with are experts! It's a bit annoying. I don't even want to try an advanced class. I would probably just have to sit there! So us two beginner partner yogis are smack in the front....awesome.

We start with an individual flow which was quite lovely. I have been taking a class called hot flow but it really doesn't flow that well (my yogi friends will know exactly what I'm talking about). Our first partner activity was doing warrior II leaning into each other. Boy, did I get sweaty! We then did a few other moves where we had to lean against each other. Ok I thought, no big deal. Then came the acrobatics.....

I don't even know how to clearly explain the moves we were doing! The first move Nate was in a down dog pose and I essentially did a back bend over him. Nice for stretching. The kicker came at the end when I was to do a hand stand and Nate was to catch my feet and have my knees hang over his shoulders. Then he was to bend forward and place my feet on the ground so I could stand up. Easy enough right? Wrong. I got a little scared and tried to sit up while Nate thought he was hurting my back. Between us, I managed to slide fall off of Nate and get a rug burn on my shoulder from the mat!

This was a very fun and challenging class that we will be going back to!

The pictures below are obviously not pictures of Nate and I but rather examples of the poses we did. Can you tell which pose I fell from?

Walking in Hong Kong

Hong Kong boasts a population of 7 million people. The land mass of Hong Kong is approximately 426 square miles. What this means is that it is extremely densely populated, in fact, one of the highest if not THE highest in the world. What this means for me is that the simple act of walking can be quite difficult!

Walking on the sidewalks on Hong Kong is like NASCAR racing. You have to speed up, slow down, attempt to pass people without getting rammed by a bag, umbrella or a shoulder. Whenever I see a couple holding hands I get a little agitated, like come on really? You two are blocking the sidewalk! A part of me really wants to red rover right through them! I haven't yet but I may have to try one day...

Walking can be dangerous! Just last week I was minding my own business walking along when I felt a searing pain in my left hand. I looked down and I was covered in cigarette embers from some fool behind me! I turned around abruptly and said hey! I walked away with a burned left ring finger complete with blister. It is usually unwise to wear flip flops or any open toes shoes while walking around. I have been stepped on as well as "flat tired" (you know, when somebody steps on the back of your flip flop and it feels like the top of your foot is going to be ripped off by the straps!).

The best time to go walking is early in the morning. This is a late city. Bars stay open until 5am! Saturday mornings I enjoy my walk to the gym because I can actually zip along!

Thankfully some areas are worse than others. When I walk during my lunch breaks in the area of Whompoa Garden in Hunghom I can easily stroll along which I do NOT take for granted

Mid Autumn Festival

Mid Autumn Festival

On October 1st we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival here in Hong Kong. For us that meant a 4 day weekend!!! But, there is much more to this festival than that.

The mid autumn festival is also known as the Lantern Festival, the Moon Cake Festival or the Moon Festival. The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese Calendar close to the Autumnal Equinox.

There are several popular traditions that accompany the Mid Autumn Festival. One of which is moon cakes. Below I have posted some pictures of traditional moon cakes which are, to be blunt, disgusting. The first time I tried a traditional moon cake I took a huge bite and wanted to spit it out. I didn't realize that the big yummy looking center was an egg. The combination of sweet outside and an egg yolk center did not compute with my taste buds. They also have "icy moon cakes" or "snowy moon cakes" which are delicious. They are kept frozen or refrigerated and have a variety of flavored centers that include chocolate, red bean, and hazel nut. These are in fact down right delicious. Many parents brought moon cakes to the teachers at school. The "icy moon cake" varieties are not cheap.

Another part of the tradition is lanterns. At school there were lanterns hung on the ceiling for the children. There were many different types that included Hello Kitty and Garfield. While at Victoria Park we witnessed many families spending time with each other with lit lanterns and candles.

Traditional Chinese attire and Dragon Dances also happen during this festival. It was very interesting to see the amount of people at Victoria Park. It was extremely overwhelming just to cross the street to get into the park with the amount of people walking around. A friend we were with has blonde hair and a family stopped her to ask if she could take a picture holding their baby. It is said that blonde hair is like gold!

Mong Kok

Nate and I live one MTR (the Mass Transit Railway, what they call the subway) stop away from an area called Mong Kok. Legend has it that the word in Cantonese is Wong Kok but somebody put the sign upside down.....I'll have to verify this. We have been told over and over that this is the most densely populated neighborhood in the entire world. I certainly would not doubt this. It does not matter what time day or night, there are massive crowds of people everywhere. It is quite difficult to cross the street as there is a giant swarm of people coming right at you trying to cross themselves. You can find anything and everything in this area. There is an area called the "grey market" because the electronics they sell may or may not be exactly legal....We have had to go on this street to buy a phone and SIM cards. I instantly turn into a grouch the minute we step foot on this street. There are so many people going in every direction, it is complete sensory overload!

The great thing about Mong Kok is Langham Place. This building has been
me and Nate's refuge. We have a membership to Pure Yoga and Pure Fitness located in the Langham Place building. Their emmenities are superb. Free Wifi, sitting areas, sauna, steam rooms, excellent locker rooms, etc. Each cardio machine has a DVD player and TV with a giant wall of DVD's to check out. There are full seasons of some great shows that include House, Mad Men, Sex in the City as well as movies. They have a huge variety of workout and yoga classes. By far the nicest gym I have ever seen. This giant building is also a mall and is connected to the Mong Kok MTR. There are department stores, grocery stores, food courts as well as a theater located in this building. Anything we need is right there! Right down in the MTR there is an awesome Fro Yo place! H&M is also attached. Like I said before, anything you could ever need is located there.

A down side to Mong Kok is the smell. Because there are so many bakeries, literally probably five different bakeries on every block, you will get a lovely wafting of sweet smells followed abruptly by the most horrid smell known to man. I cannot even describe this putrid stench. I think maybe it is some of the intestines hanging on the streets in one of the food stops. I still have not been brave enough to try some of the different "street foods". I am working my way there. There is also something called dried seafood stores. This is also not a great smell to encounter. One evening we were walking home from Mong Kok and I heard a loud shriek. There was a giant cockroach making a run for it over some poor girls feet. I have seen approximately ten cockroaches on the streets. Some are HUGE. Nate was right, I should NOT wear flip flops!

Coffee

I LOVE coffee. I look forward to a delicious cup of joe each and every morning. I especially love fall and winter because there are new varieties of fun festive creamers. White Peppermint for example. Or even better Pumpkin Spice! At home (Well before when I lived in America :) I would make exactly one cup from my Keurig, place exactly one tablespoon of creamer and approximately a half a packet of Splenda. Perfection. I am so sad to say that the coffee here in Hong Kong is HORRIBLE. For the most part they only sell instant coffee at the grocery store. I have yet to see an actual coffee maker anywhere. I have been told that they do exist but are very expensive. I recall my late Grandma Mero drinking instant coffee (I think Folgers?) with a great amount of cream and sugar. Here in Hong Kong they sell "2 in 1" as well as "3 in 1" coffee packets (2 in 1 coffee and milk, 3 in 1 coffee, milk and sugar). The flavor is't great, the coffee is very weak and there is quite a high number of calories per cup!

Another coffee that is huge out here is the infamous chilled Nescafe drinks. There are typically 3 varieties sold at every 7-11 for $8 (this is approximately $1 in America). These are chilled little cans. If I'm in a pinch, these can do the trick.

McCafe is VERY big out here, as is McDonalds in general! There is at least one Micky D's on every corner and they are always incredibly busy! The McCafe has their own separate booth at McDonalds. It is more like a Starbucks counter with specialty coffee drinks and pastries. The drinks there are generally $24-40 HK. Too much for my blood.

THANKFULLY there are many Starbucks in Hong Kong! I guess they really are taking over the world. Unfortunately, they are just as expensive here as they are in America. My delicious skinny vanilla latte is about $4 in America and about $32 HK which equals out. How I wish I could go to Starbucks everyday, sigh.....

There is another great coffee place called Pacific Coffee. They are Starbucks competitor. Their prices, pastries and food are comparable to Starbucks.

Everybody wish me luck on finding a better coffee solution!

School Has Started!

We began our training for Cannan Kindergarten on Monday 9/5/12. The training was....interesting. We learned about the History of our schools. The trainer also told us the mission/vision of the school. She told us we should memorize this in case anybody asks (I later learned from people who have worked here awhile that this was the first they had heard about this). The training ended with a delightful clip from Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, I Believe. Very interesting choice...

Myself along with the other three teachers at my school went back to our location. We had the task of making an English Board. How four adults took 4+ hours to complete a hap hazzard board I'll never know. These Chinese teachers have the most amazing boards I've ever seen! They spend many, many hours on this.

The second day at School I noticed a very large group of elderly Chinese people doing some Tai Chi in the court yard in front of my school. These people are legit. They have swords and everything. We sat around, again, perfecting our English Board. The two returning teachers helped us two newbies with some ideas. I was grateful to Tracy as she taught the Pn Class (pre-nursery) the year before and this is the group I will be working with. Pre-nursery means that they are between the ages of 18 months through 2 years. Once they turn three they are in the N Class (Nursery).

Wednesday the "bigger" kids came to school. Our duties include meeting them at the door, spraying their hands with alcohol, making sure their temperature was taken at home (if not they need to have it taken at school). The English teachers are asked to be standing in front saying Hello, Good Morning/Afternoon. While the children are walking in there is music being played....very weird music for children....it starts out fine with Puff the Magic Dragon but then includes songs like How Many Roads, Country Road, etc.

My little babys didn't show up until Thursday. There was a group of kids that came to summer school. Those children came to class without their parents. A larger group came with their parents Thursday, Friday and Monday so they could get acclamated to preschool. There is a LOT of crying going on. On Thursday I held a crying child for an hour straight. This little bou would only stop to say "go home go home go home". You could get him to stop crying if you said, "one two three SMILE!" He would stop to smile and then start crying again.

The Peak

We traveled up the winding roads on the double decker bus up to Victoria Peak. The view is breath taking!

HOT HOT HOT!

This is the HOTTEST soup I have ever had! Nate and I went out to lunch with two of our bosses. James explained that there were four levels of "hottness". I chose mild and Nate chose hot although James encouraged him to have medium. My mouth was numb and on fire. My face was red and my eyes and nose were watering. If we had been there alone I think I would have just left. But because we were with James, I had to finish! (Please refer to post 1).