Rugby

A couple snaps from Chase's last rugby practice.

































































Hubs was a coach, but also played for the Kowloon team...














There were so many players I couldn't get them all in the photo...

Am I Doing The Right Thing?

So I talked to a friend of mine, who happens to be a local actress, about getting Chase into modeling (for fun). Her husband, it turns out, is pretty linked-in. He wants to submit her pics to Elite, the top modeling agency in Hong Kong. I sent her pictures tonight, so we'll see where it goes. Maybe nowhere. Maybe somewhere. But any money she makes will be divided between 1) college and 2) her Candy business.

Bananas

Mads has been teething AGAIN. As a result, Mads has been waking every morning around 4 a.m. asking me for "cold banana. Half." Just to be clear.

So I carry her downstairs - down two flights in what feels like the middle of the night - and pull a frozen banana out of the freezer. We sit downstairs, in the dark. Mads cuddles close. Eats her banana over the course of the next half hour and then asks for juice. So I give her juice, and we tip-toe back upstairs. And she falls asleep just as the sun rises. Just in time for Chase to wake up - and wake her back up. And then poor dear is crabby for the rest of the day. And so am I.

True Love

We went to Dim Sum today with a friend, who has an older son. Chase told me on the drive home that she wanted to marry the boy when she gets older. I told her that was nice, but she had a lot of life to live and a lot to do before she should think about getting married.

And then I said, "Chase, there are going to be a lot of boys who will want to marry you. You need to take your time deciding."

And she said, "I think when it's time to get married, I will go for a walk and a boy will come to me and tell me he wants to marry me." I said, "Yes, that's probably what will happen. A lot."

Dragon/Lion Dances

To celebrate Chinese New Year, our little town held a dragon/lion dance -- it was fabulous, or so I was told by Hubs. We arrived at the designated time, only to hear it was going to start an hour later. After an hour, Mads was ready to go -- just in time for everything to start. So we played in the playground nearby, while Hubs and Chase watched the dancers. Here are some pictures!

What Keeps Chase Busy

I thought this was worth posting, because I came into the playroom and asked Chase what she was doing. She said, "I am writing a story about Pink-o-licious." The funny thing is I could actually read it.














The next picture came as a result of one music lesson with a new teacher. As a result, she can now write music for any song she can sing. I wonder what she will learn this week?

Updates

Chase:
- After one piano lesson with her new teacher, she can now write (not play) the music for any song she can sing. Okay, she doesn't actually score (it that right?) the notes, but she can tell what kind of notes are used to achieve the rhythm/pattern within the song.
- I have decided to start her in a new ballet class. The one we've been attending has been lovely, but I want to give another teacher a try.
- Mandarin is going really well. Her language is improving to the point where she is correcting me on pronunciation.
- Spelling and reading are going REALLY well. She is doing both. She can read anything she doesn't get too upset trying to figure out. She is always writing something. Some kind of book about something. She mad a chart the other day about Madoc. When was Madoc nice? When was she naughty? Chase made sure to make notes throughout the day.
- Tennis lessons are now her favorite. Absolute favorite. Maybe it's because the tennis coach has a son named Will, who is super cute, and age 8. (WHOA!)
- Swim lessons are on hold until it warms up a little.
- We hear about schools THIS WEEK. Fingers crossed we get into ONE.
- Oh and Chase saw a friend being naughty and decided to try it - after 45 minutes of screaming (her) there were loads of tears (Chase, Mads and Me), and finally it ended.
- LOVES her dolly Mezzabelle, she takes her EVERYWHERE.

Madoc:
- WOW. Really coming into her own.
- Has started counting.
- Puts three words together. Says things now that she has come up with on her own ... for example, we entered the house and she said, "shoes off."
- Very much her own person. Knows what she wants, when she wants it.
- Started Mandarin lessons.
- She is IN our first choice school for next year, thank goodness!
- Can draw a face with eyes, nose, ears, mouth, hair.
- Loves puzzles and is pretty good at 9-piece puzzles.
- Loves, Loves, Loves her BABA JOJO (a doll my mom gave her who she has named after our helper)
- Still has problems falling to sleep (this started in October when we took her to the US), but I think she is very close to giving up naps, which will make sleep time much easier.

My Big Fat Chinese GREEK New Year - Of The Rabbit

A friend invited us to her home to celebrate Chinese New Year. As Chinese food can be found any day, our hostess decided to have a GREEK Chinese new year. Fabulous - and so hilarious.














I arrived a little early to snap some pictures...














Mads, of course, heads for the swing...













Good thing Chase is such a great big sister!













Everyone looked great!




















Greek style ...













Ready to party ...




















Friends...



















































































The hostess with the most-ess ...













Ah yes, the swing (again!)...














More friends...



























Hubs and Mads...














More friends...














Hey Mads, where are you going?














I should have known.... to get cookies ...




















































Oh the cuteness...




















The kids (about 30) ...






































































































Chinese (Greek?) New Year wouldn't be complete without lanterns...

































As the day came to a close... Mads ... "I don't want to go! I want to swing (more!)"






































And for those who want to know more about the new year...

The Year of the Rabbit will be a placid year; welcomed after the ferocious year of the Tiger.

Good taste will shine. People will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy and international relations will be given priority.

A time to watch out that we do; do not become too indulgent. The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too much comfort.

Rules will not be rigidly enforced. The scene is quiet and calm. We will all have a tendency to put off tasks as long as possible.

Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be leisurely. A temperate year with unhurried pace.

Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) and Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese)!

The Help

I hesitate to talk about this. Mostly because people back home will roll their eyes. And people here will be, like, "shhh, don't talk about that."

We are blessed with a fabulous helper (seriously blessed and I am so grateful). Not only do I not have to have my two children come with me to every single appointment (Chase had a front row view of everything for three years - from doctors to dentists), but I can also let Mads sleep when she's tired (no wonder Chase gave up napping before she turned one). The other benefits include a clean house, hot food on the table (a big plus at breakfast and after a long day), and never having to do laundry (clean, ironed clothes magically appear in your closet).

So what do I do? I spend every moment I can with my kids. I don't have to put them in front of the TV because I need to clean my house or I'm having guests over, and that, I feel, is the biggest luxury of all.

But I also have to say that one pays in other ways. More is expected of wives here, because they have help. Granted, some wives get to enjoy a most enviable lifestyle. But there are unspoken rules - homes are always sparkling clean, clothes always pressed. Fresh cakes are always coming straight from the oven. Puts Martha Stewart to shame. It feels, at times, like I'm living in Stepford. There are silent pressures here, as there are everywhere, but it just feels like it has been turned-up a notch. There doesn't seem to be much room for error.

Husbands, meanwhile enjoy, what my friend calls "Man Town," because they've just hired someone to get them out of doing dishes (special thanks to my own, oh-so-loving husband who has jumped in to do dirty dishes whenever he sees them because he knows how much I dislike it), clean-up after work - even watching over their kids. This is not to say that husbands don't do anything, it just removes the stress about who will do what.

But I think the kids pay the most. At the end of the day, they have someone to spoon-feed them and wipe them at every turn, so they are not taught independence. They do not carry their own things. They don't make their own food or clean up after themselves. It's unreal, but yet expected.

And so I try every day to keep it real. To have the kids make their beds. To set the table. To clear the table. To pack their own bags. To clean up (PLEASE). To be gracious. And kind. And care for each other and others. And while a helper can help build these skills and instill these values, I must say no one does it better than mom and dad.

Interview #2

After the interview, I asked Chase what they did. She said, "They read a Kipper book and asked us lots and lots and lots of questions."

And then she said they asked her to draw a picture of her family.

I said, "What was mommy wearing?" Chase said, "nothing." I would be worried, but I have never seen Chase actually draw a nude before - but hey, there's a first time for everything. And what better time to break that out, then a school interview?

As for the parents, we were left alone to pick over already picked-over biscuits and make ourselves a cup of tea or instant coffee with no one to talk to (except each other) and a woman who was part of the administration. Lucky for me I had a good friend there. There was no one we could ask "official" questions to, and no one to show us the school. We couldn't even leave the room because school was in session. Now I understand and appreciate the need for parents to stay-put, but I really have a hard time when someone tells me I can't leave a room. It's like my very being wants to RUN from the room, screaming, "you can't make me stay!" But I held back, for Chase's sake. (I think I'd be singing another song if we were actually interviewing for a spot, rather than INTERVIEWING FOR THE WAIT LIST - like if another kid decides not to go to our amazing school then maybe your child will get a call).

So I asked the woman (the guard) if anyone could show my husband the Primary 1 classroom before we left. She said, "you can arrange for a tour in May." I said (knowing the answer full well), "When do you notify parents if their kids are accepted?" She said, "February 8th."

Because that makes sense. NOT.

The Hospital

So I went in for a procedure, which I will not detail here, but I did want to blog about my experience at the Hong Kong Sanatorium. The procedure was pretty minor, in the grand scheme of things, but it is something that requires a skilled surgeon who actually KNOWS about it, which was much harder to find then I originally thought. After talking to five doctors, I made my choice. Luckily, he worked out of the Sanatorium, which is known in Hong Kong as one of the best choices for "ladies issues."

First I was given a choice as to if I wanted to stay in a single room (1st class), a room with a shared toilet (2nd class) or a room where I shared it with 5 other people. At first I signed-up for the single room, because I thought it was like America, but then I found out that ALL EXPENSES (yes, that's right, it even includes the cost of the surgeon's time and doctor follow-up visits) are linked directly to which room you choose. So does this mean the surgeon does a better job for a 1st class patient then a 2nd class patient? Hmmm, I hope not. I was lucky enough (I think?) to secure a single room with a shared-toilet.

I arrived early, handed over my referral letter and was given my room number. A very dear friend (also a nurse) came with me. I went into the room, which was lovely and absolutely SPARKLING clean. I was given a "Welcome" bag, that had toiletries. Also a robe, slippers, soft pants and a soft shirt - nothing like those crisp, light-blue gowns we get in America. This one was made of heavy cotton; the weight was somehow reassuring.

Then a nurse came in - and this was the only part I didn't like - she was absolutely clueless why I was there. I even had to SPELL the condition out to her and explain it to her like she was 4-years-old (good thing I've had so much practice at explaining things to 4-year-olds). I said, "didn't the doctor send something? Didn't you know I was coming?" Poor thing. At which point my friend told me they just send the interns to check people in. Didn't make me feel too confident.

From there it got better again. They offered me warm blankets when they brought the wheelchair, and I found myself absolutely warm and cuddled up as I was rolled through the hospital. I was then transferred to a bed, with a very warm comforter. They then put two more hot blankets under and the chill was gone. I was then rolled into the operating room. Everyone was speaking in Chinese this entire time, which I found somehow reassuring because I actually didn't want to know what was going on around me.

And then the anesthesiologist arrived. I was totally tucked under the blankets, with a strap over the top of everything. Clothes still on. And I was thinking, at some point they'll ask me to take off the blanket, right? But they didn't. He asked me for my hand and that's all he needed. Before I slid off to sleep town, I remember thinking, this anesthesiologist is the happiest man I've ever met. I'll take some of what he's got... and then I was awake. And it was over. And I spent the next 20 hours in my room. And it was so quiet. So very quiet.

I had all these plans for making plans and getting things sorted while I was there, but I found having no distractions so distracting. I didn't watch tv. I just read a book and enjoyed the silence. By the end of the day I felt like I had slept a thousand years, maybe because I didn't have to "do" anything, or maybe because a surgery I had been dreading was over, or maybe because I was just relieved to get on with my life.

I made a little vow to myself to make every effort to protect the stillness and quietness inside. To stay calm and stop worrying so much. Easier said then done, especially for me, but even now I can still feel it. It's solid and strong and I feel as though I've been out of touch with it for so long. Welcome back.

Here is the "lobby" of the hospital...








The view from my hospital room...