Danger!! ... of the metal in the microwave!

There have been several things about living in Hong Kong that have gone against everything I know to be right. This is at the top of my list today.

I wanted to defrost chicken for dinner.

The pictures speak for themselves.

Metal Rack

Aluminum Foil

IN

Microwave Oven

THIS is just OH SOOO WRONG!!!

The process was successful though.

Chicken portions defrosted in 5 minutes.

Chicken Curry for dinner!

Our Little Chinese Dragon - our first animal encounter

We were walking home from a FANTASTIC morning of Lion Dance viewing (see previous post)
when suddenly a dark brown SOMETHING runs across the grass right at our feet.
No one but me, Steph, saw WHAT it was - a 6 inch long dragon looking LIZARD!!!
I SCREAM -- Haleigh danced-- and stepped right in the middle of IT'S back!!!
Of course, I was screaming "Danger, danger, danger", Haleigh was dancing the high step and the boys, Fred included, were stunned by my screams. It ran away and stopped about 6 feet from us.

Our little Chinese Dragon was very still when we took this photo (Zoom in on the dark spot of the photo to see the details).
We didn't stick around long enough to find out if he was mortally wounded, BUT we did draw a crowd that was taking pictures as we left.

Chinese New Year Lion Dance

Tradition is that during Chinese New Year
a Lion Dance is performed at the door
of all the major businesses to ensure prosperity
throughout the upcoming year.

Drums and cymbols are played loudly to scare away the evil spirits. Lettuce is offered with a red ribbon & red envelope attached.
The offering is tied high above the door and the Lion must reach to grab it in his mouth.
The red envelope has money in it, the payment for the Kung Fu fighters performing the dance.

Here's OUR little Kung Fu fighter

And our new friend, Isabelle,
doing her own little Lion dance.

The Lion Dance at the North Plaza
of Discovery Bay

Let the NEW YEAR begin!

The Lunar Chinese New Year BEGINS today.
It is a 15 day celebration!

2011 is the Year of the Rabbit.



Streets and homes are decorated with
red lanterns, little orange trees - decorated with red envelopes with money in them (Lai See),
to be given as gifts, and fresh flowers - orchids & mums.
Red candy dishes are displayed - decorated with Chinese characters with messages of prosperity, luck, health and happiness.
Red banners are hung on doors and gates to bring
good things for the new year.



Flowers and tree branches with buds represent new life.
Each bloom that opens during the New Year
will bring you prosperity & luck.




Little orange trees bring good luck.
The tiny oranges are preserved in brine and eaten
throughout the year.




Fairs with booths selling Red Chinese decor,
flowers, budding branches, dim sum (traditional chinese food),
are CROWDED with people.




We plan to enjoy it all!



As they say here in Hong Kong
Kong Hai Fat Choi - May you have a prosperous New Year!

Let's WALK to the grocery store!

Go down the street, Headland Dr., and turn left.

Follow this road until you see the beach

off to your left and turn left.

Walk past the row of golf carts

(each costing $130,00 US dollars) and turn right.

Wait! - Before turning right, take a look

at the BEACH through the trees.

After a 10 minute walk.

You have reached the Plaza and are ready for shopping.

Turn right and go to the back of the plaza.

Fusion is the name of the store

for grocery shopping.

Next time you can take the bus,

if you wish,

but walking is oh so nice!

HAPPY SHOPPING!

7 Days in Hong Kong Makes One Week (WEAK?)

Friday, January 21- 8:45pm - Arrival in Hong Kong.

11:30 - Arrive in Kowloon - Langham Hong Kong Hotel.

Saturday, 22 - 7am - Breakfast at the Langham Hotel

8:30 - Catch ferry to Central and

another ferry to Discovery Bay

9 - Meet agent to view rental properties

12 - Break for lunch

1pm - View one more property

29 Headland Drive and make an offer

1:45 - Offer accepted!!

We have a place to live in Hong Kong.

Will move in on Friday, 28.

2:30 - 6 - Shopping at IKEA

Furniture will be delivered Friday.

7 - Dinner at KFC

8 - Return to Hotel and SLEEP

Jet Lag!

Sunday, 23 - 1pm - CHURCH in Discovery Bay

Small branch of 100 members.

4 - Discovery Bay Branch YW New Beginnings

6 - Dinner at Rollins

A family in the DB Branch

8:15 - Watch Disneyland fireworks while waiting for ferry

10 - Back to Hotel and sleep.

Monday, 24 - New cell phones - getting acclimatized to new time zone &

NEW way of life - money, food, transportation, etc.

Tuesday, 25 - Haleigh goes, on her own, via ferry, to dinner with D.B. YW in Tung Chung.

She rides, by herself, on the MTR (subway) home

and walks to the Hotel. Miss Independent!

Wednesday, 26 - 10am - Travel by subway to Shenzhen, CHINA to activate Hong Kong Visas

12pm - Leave Hong Kong and enter Communist China

THIS was a little intense!

1 - Reenter Hong Kong

8 - Laser light show at Victoria Harbor

Thursday, 27 - 11am - Another trip to IKEA

1pm - Meet Katie, our agent, to get keys to house.

1:30 - Arrive at our new place for final inspection.

4 - Shopping in DB Plaza

5:10 - Steph & boys back to Kowloon

Haleigh stays in DB to babysit.

9:45 - Haleigh takes ferries (2) from DB on her OWN

10 - Fred meets Haleigh at the ferry

10:15 - Everyone safe and sound back at the hotel.

Friday, 28 - 8:30am - Leave Hotel for Discovery Bay

9:25 - Shop for necessities (TP, garbage bags, dish soap, lunch) at Fusion (grocery store).

Grab smoothies for breakfast.

10 - Jump on bus from plaza to Headland drive.

10:20 - IKEA arrives with furniture.

1pm - IKEA done setting up furniture.

3 - Broadway Electronics delivers

printer, rice cooker & iron

3:30 - Steph & Haleigh make another trip to IKEA.

Ammon's bed was the wrong size.

One hour travel time each way - ferry, subway, LOTS of walking.

Challenge: getting all the bags from IKEA to fit on little carts we purchased.

New bed for Ammon to be delivered on Wednesday.

7 - Return trip to D.B. Meet Fred on the DB ferry -

the last leg of our trip.

8:45 - EXACTLY one week later - Climb in to bed.

Getting Settled in Hong Kong, China!

We have SO MUCH to share

and will give the details when we get settled.

We have secured a house in Discovery Bay

and will be moving in on Friday!