Homework Day..boring blog warning!!

For most of the day I did homework. Frank and I stayed home and had Thai food while Carrie went to a concert with a friend and the girls had a sleep over. The food was way to spicy for me but really excellent. We watched Australia and it was better than I expected. The little boy was adorable and the acting was good. I also learned a lot about Australia from the movie and Frank.

Rain Rain Go Away

When I woke up today it was pouring. Carrie reassured me that I really didn’t have to go paddling with her if I didn’t want to, but since I had promised I went anyways. Dragon boats are those really long thin boats and everyone has to paddle at the exact same time. At the end of May they have their big race and the winning prize is a pig. When we went out there in the water it was pretty wet and rainy, but after a while it cleared up. You are supposed to use your core muscles to paddle, the only problem is I didn’t really know how to do that and so my arms got extremely tired fast. But overall it was really fun and a great work out.

When we got home and showered Alex, Catherine, Carrie and I went out. Frank was sick and so it was just us girls today. We took this double-decker bus and then the metro to the city. They took me on the famous Star Ferry to Kowloon for about two dollars! We were able to see one of the world’s most remarkable harbors and skylines. Then through the city we took a tram, it was a great and cheap way to see the city. I saw the famous racetrack and a huge graveyard right smack dad in the city. The streets were so crowded with billboards and flashing signs everywhere. All of the buildings look so old and dirty on the outside because of so much pollution.

Much to the girls excitement we then went up The Escalator. This is a series of escalators in the steep Mid-Levels district of northwest Hong Kong Island. It is meant for people going to work who live there. In the morning the escalators go down and at night they switch to moving upwards. There are shops on the first floor and apartments above. We had duck skin rapped up in these thin pancakes. With every bite I thought of Mrs. and Mr. Duck. I’ll have to apologize when I get back. The girls were insistent on getting Ben and Jerri’s so after finding some we took a cab back to Bamboo Bay.

Boat Rides and Dinner Parties

Right when I woke up today Catherine, Frank and I got to work making marinades for the meat and fresh pasta for later. After we had finished we went to High Island. Frank, Catherine, Alex and I went by boat and Carrie ran the six miles there. It isn’t actually and island anymore, the made a reservoir there and there are three damn connecting it to the mainland. While on the boat Frank explained to me that there are all of these islands that are only for graves. It has been a holiday here where everyone goes out and cleans the graves of their loved ones. They make these little figures of clothes, cars, food ect out of paper and burn them. The ashes then go up to heaven for the dead to use.

Graves cleaning holidays happen twice a year and one of them is going on the weekend. Also we passed fisheries where they put nets underneath their boats and catch little fish. They then wait until the fish get big and harvest them. The clusters of boats are like little villages on water. People will live there their whole lives and never set foot on land. The people just walk from boat to boat like we walk through streets.

Once we got to the island the girls ran for the beach in front of the restaurant. At lunch I try fried squid that had lots of salt on them. To my surprise I loved it! We walked through the village and went to a local temple. On the way there were old and abandon houses. People just picked up and left leaving all, or most, of their belonging. The temples here are so much different from the temples in Japan. They are much more colorful here and decorated. Japanese temples are more elegant and simple.

One of the things that I love about it here is how international it is. All of their friends are from different countries. One family was from France and they were tall and skinny, verrrry athletic, and hilarious. The wife, Corinne, was an amazing cook, and the husband is training for Iron Man. He almost had a heart attack when someone said that Michael Phelps relationship with his mom was a bit “odd.” They had two little girls who refuse to eat Chinese food even though their family has lived here for eight months! Another couple at the party, I think they were Scottish or Irish had the cutest little girl. She was about five years old and had long blond hair. They also had a little boy that was adorable. The whole family was very nice. The other couples, Mandy and Brian, are both locals and were hilarious also. They food was amazing and I was exhausted by the end of the night. I had also promised the French lady that I would try dragon boating the next morning.

First Day In A New Place

Today I met Catherine and Alex. They are adorable, smart, and talkative and have tons of energy. Their house is beautiful. It has three stories: the fist has a kitchen, dinning room, and living room; the second is the guest room/Franks office and a family room; the third is Catherine, Alex, and Frank and Carries bedrooms. Then there are stairs to the rook which has an amazing view of the ocean and a nice comfy couch. They have a pool that spills over viewing the ocean and two golden retrievers. While Frank was taking a hike with his friend and Carrie was doing dragon boating with the girls I just hangout at the house.

Alex and Carrie took the dogs to the beach while frank and Catherine gave me a tour of Sai Kung. Before we got there, we went to get meat for the party the next night. There are black cows everywhere on the roads and tons of homeless dogs. When we got into town EVERYONE had a dog. Along the pier there are all these boats filled with live fish that people are selling. It was insane and like nothing I have ever seen before, but also intriguing. Imagine buying your dinner like that! Frank showed me their equivalent to a Safeway with more live fish, dead fish, and dried fish. They have tons of other stuff there too from clothes to nail clippers and fruit. We went to a temple and all through the town.

We met Alex and Carrie for drinks before our diner reservation. For dinner we went to an oceanfront sea. At the restaurant, and all of the other ones near it, you get you table and then go up to pick your meal. There are huge tanks full of fish and little trays with shrimps, octopus, and other kids of sea food I cannot name. You tell them what you want, how much you want, and how you would like it prepared. They then take it out of its tank and put it in a plastic bag (still alive) and through it off to the side. I was a bit skeptical when the food first arrived at our table, but I was determined to try everything.

Everything was whole with the eyes, legs, brains, shell, everything. I usually am not a shrimp lover but it was goooddddd. Everything was good! It was so fresh! This one kind of shelled fish was my favorite, I don’t remember what it was called, but I do know I’ve have never seen it in the U.S. before. I also got the fish cheek, which is supposed to be the best part besides the eyes. Also we had fried rice and vegetables. I also am not a huge fan of fried rice, but it was excellent. Our waiter was this cute old lady and she wouldn’t take anything away until we ate all of it. She would get the all of the meat off of this fish and put it on our plates. After that, we got dessert. I had sesame walnut soup and I didn’t like it very much. Sesame is definitely and acquired taste.

SURPRISE

Because of some complications there was a change of plans. I am going to spend the rest if my trip in Hong Kong! While talking to Lynn, my best friend’s mom, my mom told her about the predicament and that I had no place to stay for the rest of my trip. Lynn told her that she has good friends who live right on the ocean in a 5,000 square foot house and would love for me to come and stay with them. So now I leave for Hong Kong tonight.

Before I left Jake and I took a 15 minute bike ride to a neighboring city and go to a temple. On our way we go through this cemetery where generations of a family’s ash will be placed in one plot. It is truly magnificent, they take very good care of them are clean the stones regularly. Also, there are some stones that are hundreds of years old that are also very beautiful; I wish the pictures captured it better. Anyways we walk down these little windy stairs laid into the dirt. I guess that people will be walking and find them randomly in the country side; people have taken the time to make staircases in the remotest of places.

Surrounding the temple where are restaurants, flower shops, and all sorts of things. There was a little river with a gorgeous bridge across it and blooming trees everywhere. The temple was one thousand years old and had recently been restored. I cannot believe people actually live here and get to see this every day. It truly doesn’t look real! We walked around trying to find an old castle, but ran out of time and had to go and have lunch before I left.

Jake saw me off at the bus stop. I sat and watched the city fly by for the two hour ride to the air port. I was checked in and at my gate by 4:50 and discover my flight boards at 6:40. There was a very long delay on the tarmac, but eventually we take flight and are on our way. There are screens that show you your take off and landing from a camera at the front of the plane, it was sort of scary but exhilarating watching it. I think I was the only one on the flight that was remotely interested though; everyone else was sleeping of reading.

The service was so nice for ANA Airways; they offered you beverages every 5 minutes and the food was surprisingly good. It was a very empty flight and so I got to sit by myself and stretch out a little. They kept offering me free alcohol but I denied them every time mom when I got to the airport the customs line was gigantic, much longer than the one in Japan. I felt so bad for Frank and Carrie waiting so long for me. I meet Carrie and Frank for the first time and they are the nicest people I have ever met. When we got to their house there was a sign on the door welcoming my from their oldest daughter Alex, who is ten. And another big sign on my bed from seven year old Catherine.

A Very Big City For Such Little Girls

Today Olivia and her little friend Hannah took me sight seeing. She is half black American and half Japanese, TINY, and veryyy self confident marching right up to people for directions and chatting a way a million words a minute. Olivia and I met Hannah at a metro station near Olivia’s old house after at least an hour of standing in packed trains; and when I say packed I mean you can’t move and hardly can fit or breathe. They have people whose job it is push you into the train to let the doors close because they get so packed. You could literally lift your feet of the ground and still be standing. Thankfully it isn’t like American subways though; everyone is clean and dressed in suits, friendly, and the trains are very clean. I am not used to standing in a moving vehicle so when most of the people appeared to be reading, sleeping, and doing their make up I was trying to stay upright while we swayed and made sudden stops.

First we went to a little temple and inside a museum with very old painting that Olivia translated into being worth three million dollars. There were also samurai swords, artifacts, and outfits that were worn when putting out fire. Also there were these things that were kind of like little intricate houses which were carried in celebrations or something...I’m not positive though because they didn’t really know how to describe them to me in English. Then we threw money into this thing in front of the temple and said a prayer. After that for about a dollar you can get a fortune of sorts. After you read it you fold and tie it to this thing (even though I wanted to keep mine). Olivia said my fortune wasn’t very good though and that I should not hope too much for what I want.

After that we walked through a street that is famous. I’m not exactly sure what for or what the name of it is but they said people come to film there, that it was old, and something about how the shops are important. We then went to a sort of mall. Except it is kind of one store at the same time called ABAB. Many teenagers hangout there and it is all sort of one store but many stores inside of it. There are no walls or anything but different sections have different styles and people to ring you up. Hannah kept trying to get me to buy things or try them on but I had no doubt in my mind that everything would be way to small. Everyone wears uniforms and jobs have different uniforms even if they are working for the same company or in the same place.

Inside of the store we got lunch. It was one of those self serve places all you can eat sort of thing. They had rice and pastas, a bell would ring and a new kind of food would come out and you could go up and get it. But the main thing that they had was dessert. Tons and tons of desert, all of it was soooo good. I wish that I had been hungrier so I could have had more! Many, many people were waiting to get in and eat the line was very long, so while waiting, I went and got some gifts;)

Once we were done eating we went to this store that was loud and huge. It had soooo much stuff! Mostly just little nick knacks and characters from books/tv/movies. But you could get anything. After we bought some stuff from there and got overwhelmed by it all we left. We went to a city (all of this is in Tokyo but in different parts) that had many many more tourists. We went to a huge electronic store. I mean HUGE, much bigger than in the U.S. and many, many stories high. Hannah wanted to get a high school musical game (her favorite character is Chad) and Olivia had to get a new pen for her game boy.

By this time we have been walking around and riding trains for about five or six hours. After this we went to a HUGE bookstore. Everything is huge! Haha. We went to KFC after that and finally got to sit down and rest. They tired to figure out what to do next but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, considering I have no idea what there was to do or what was nearby. But they were persistent in asking so finally after many questions and my vague answers we decide to just go home. It was a very fun day. I have gotten to see some city and some country so overall this trip feels very well rounded.

My First Day Abroad

Surprisingly, I slept all the way through the night soundly, even though the floor is pretty uncomfortable. Their house is small, but it is not too bad. They have one room full of boxes from their recent move to the suburbs, two bedrooms, one bath and a dinning room/ living room/kitchen area. The only furniture is the dinning room table and a coffee table. I decided to have a traditional Japanese breakfast, which is hot rice with raw egg and wasabi mixed in. you eat it with nori (seaweed). It wasn’t that bad even though I stop thinking that I was willingly eating raw egg…I am not that into raw animals/animal products...haha. The chopsticks are hard to use and I make a huge mess at every meal but it is getting easier.

Olivia, Jake, and I went to a park that was huge and beautiful. We rented bikes and barely managed to see half the park, even at Jake’s fast pace. Inside, every single tree is perfectly manicured and touched to make each branch look a certain way. It is cherry blossom season and everything was absolutely spectacular. Inside of the park there is a garden that they spend even more time on, making it look perfect and natural. Inside that garden is another garden, called the Bonsai Garden, which they spend even more time on then anything else. In the Bonsai Garden are trees that you pass on from generation to generation. Each tree was 80-250 years old and they are miniature and bizarre, yet delicate and beautiful. They rap these cords around the branches to form them and bind them. The tiny trees live in a very thin layer of soil with a stone slab underneath. I don’t know how they can survive with their roots constantly being trimmed, but I guess a massive amount of fertilizer does the trick.

For lunch we had rice balls under these beautiful blooming cherry trees with fields of different types of flowers on each side of us. It was a cold day with gray skies, but still nice. There were lakes, fields of flowers, fields for games, weird playgrounds and craft areas, trees, and lots more. The bike was way tiny and I had it on the highest gear because I thought it was the lowest so it was a difficult ride. Or maybe it is the other way around…the peddling was much too easy that it made it harder.

I was exhausted by the time we got home. But I had to stay awake until a reasonable hour in order to get used to the time difference. Dinner was a sort of soup with very thin strips of beef in it that you just dip in for a few seconds. It was...interesting. Every thing is IKEA style (put it together yourself) and so while you eat you go through the process of adding vegetables and meat. I am still not quite used to the time change.