I have failed at updating my blog after Christmas as I promised but I really am trying to get better. Before I embark on my Chinese New Year travels to Malaysia and Thailand, I will give a quick update. As I write this blog from school, the students are celebrating Chinese New Year in style. They have all wore traditional Chinese clothes as well as a few traditional hats. The teachers, me included, wore brightly colored traditional Chinese shirts as well. Everyone looks so beautiful and the kids are cuter than ever! The year of the tiger is approaching as we say goodbye to the old year. Traditions calls for new clothes, haircut, and shoes to bring in the new year. Myth has it that your new items will help you to become prosperous in the new year. I have a new hair cut so who knows what treasures await me!
Last post I told of a Hong Kong teacher's wedding Toby and I were attending. The reception (which is the only part friends typically go to) was unbelievable! I thought weddings in the South were extravagant but this one blew Southern weddings out of the water. It was a 400 plus sit down dinner with 13 courses! This was after two cakes had been cut and served to the guest waiting to be seated. Also, before walking into the banquet hall for dinner, the foyer displayed 6 different wedding photo shoots from all over the world including Paris, Japan, Bali, and parts of Italy. Toby and I were able to view these after we signed the 7x10 photo of the couple which doubled as their guest book. Once we were seated, the 13 courses began. These included black truffles, bird nest soup, shark fin soup, abalone, roasted pig, and soo much more! The groom not only sang the bride a love song on stage but also made a music video complete with footage of his studio time! Not a detail was missed in this incredible wedding!
Christmas at home was a blur and I loved every minute of it! I raced from both grandparents house, to sleepover with friend, to a deb ball, hunting in the mornings, and topped off with being a bridesmaid in a fabulous Southern style wedding. Then jetted back to Hong Kong.
Since coming back to Hong Kong, I have celebrated my birthday with a wonderful birthday party thrown by my friends complete with champagne and then a night in Lang Kwai Fong. It's great to know that even though I am away from home, there are still people to throw a birthday party for me!
There is always something to do in Hong Kong and Sara Beth, my roommate, is great at organizing activities. She found a great 3k run to benefit cancer research call Beat the Banana! This was probably the first race I've done since the Turkey Trot in elementary school and I was a bit nervous that I would not be able to finish this short run. It was early Sunday morning and the race course over looked the harbour. The morning was perfect for a run and you'll be happy to know that not only did we finish the race but both Sara Beth and I beat the banana!
I leave tonight for my first long backpack trip and I am getting excited for my Chinese New Year trip where I will fly into Kuala Lumpar with Becca, another NET teacher from London. From there we will take an overnight train to Krabi, Thailand and have no real plans after that. I will update after the trip with pictures and great stories! Until then....
LT
