I am Woman hear me roar! (NZ Woman's Weekly article)

Yeah, girl, yeah!

Or should I say, Yeah, woman, yeah! Haha!

I've been sitting on this nugget for the last couple of months and now it's finally OUT! Super excited!
I have been stoked to be able to share my story on this blogging platform and now, I get to share it in hardcopy - well, a small portion of it anyway.
My Mama and I had a lot of fun doing this photoshoot! Getting all dolled up in between being interviewed. Can anyone say, Rock stars!?! Haha! Thank you NZ Woman's Weekly for helping me check another thing off my Bucket List... [winky wink]

Here's the deets:

"Born in Hong Kong and raised in Gisborne, Kiwi Mum Sama has doubled the love in her life.

Some would say her family life has been challenging, but Sama believes she's extremely lucky. That's because she has two wonderful mothers. First, there's Annette, the Kiwi woman who travelled to Hong Kong to adopt Sama from an orphanage when she was only two years old. And then there's [her birth mother] who was forced to give up her daughter as a teenager.
  Aucklander Sama says she shed many tears during her search for her birth mum, particularly when it resulted in an emotional reunion in Hong Kong this past Valentine's Day. And Sama was especially grateful that her Kiwi mother was able to be there with her. 
  "Annette is my mother in the sense that she was the person who came and got me when I was a baby," begins Sama. "She was the one who raised me, comforted me, made me laugh and became my best friend. We started this journey together and it was symbolic that she was with me when I met my birth mother. I needed her there."
  Annette and her e-husband John already had two children of their own... when they adopted [a son] in New Zealand, and then Sama from Hong Kong. They later went on to have [another son] completing their family of seven.
  As young parents, Annette and John belonged to a Christian organisation called 'Asian Outreach'. who asked them if they were interested in adopting a baby. It took them a year of red tape before they could adopt Sama, whose name means "flower of God".
  "I fell in love with Sama as soon as I saw her," recalls Annette.
  Sama doesn't remember what her life was like in the orphanage or arriving in New Zealand, but to Annette, the memories are still very clear. Obviously, there was a language barrier but, Annette says, "Sama had three siblings to help encourage her to talk and I spent every day teaching her. She picked up the language very quickly."
  But there were many other challenges. Growing up in Gisborne, Sama looked very different from her family. People would often approach Annette and ask if Sama was her exchange student.
  "The teenage years were really hard on her," Annette says. "I would just hold her and talk to her, and remind her that she was very important to us."
  The decision to search for her birth mother came about after Sama started her own family - a baby daughter Ever, with her husband. 
  "My brothers and sister had kids, and the hardest thing was seeing them discuss who in the family their children looked like, I couldn't participate in those discussions with my daughter. That's when I knew I wanted her to grow up with some knowledge of her blood line and culture."
  With the help of Annette, Sama obtained the orphanage papers and learned her birth mum was only 16 when she fell pregnant. They then contacted the adoption unit of the Hong Kong government, who helped Sama locate her birth family.
  Last July, Sama made contact with her birth mum. [She] was so overjoyed to hear from Sama that she offered to pay for her, [her husband] and their daughter to fly to Hong Kong and meet her. 
  Sama didn't want Annette to miss the reunion and fund-raised for her to share the experience.
  In Hong Kong, Sama met not only [her birth mother], but her grandmother and two half-siblings.
  "As an adoptee who has found her birth mother, you never know what you're going to get. My birth mother has lived a hard life, but remained honest and tender. She was full of love for me," says Sama.
  Annette says it was wonderful to see her daughter finally meet her biological family. "Since the meeting, she's changed. She's found her roots and she is whole."
  Sama is still in contact with her birth family and hopes they will visit New Zealand to see the wonderful life that she has built for herself. 
  "The final piece of the puzzle has slotted into place," Sama says. "I now have a history and a culture I am getting to know."


Now that's done and dusted, I am awaiting the next exciting chapter of this journey. My B-Ma and some of the whanau want to come to New Zealand but there are a few obstacles at present. Hopefully it will happen this year. Fingers crossed! I will keep y'all posted so watch this space...

Home Sweet Home

My gosh! It feels like a dream.

A sweet, life-changing, crazy, fun, emotionally exhausting dream. It doesn't help that we've had hardly any sleep since we've been home. Poor Ever has been teething and vomiting since we've been back. I was hoping the adjustment period would be a lot shorter...

We left Hong Kong on Tuesday (Feb 24th) around 6pm and arrived in Aotearoa 10am on Wednesday (Feb 25th) Thankfully, losing a day seems irrelevant when you don't actually know what day it is. Haha!
The trip was easier this time around. Ever slept on and off and we now knew what we could do to entertain her in a small enclosed space... and the airplane peeps gave us a baby bassinet that *just* fit her. So way less stress-mess than our trip over to H.K where The Hubband and I had to be her makeshift 'bed'. Passing our bebe-parcel when either we lost feeling in parts of our body or we had to go toilet. (It also helped knowing that at the other end wasn't a first meeting with a long-lost B-Ma in a foreign country. [winky wink])

We arrived to sunshine so bright it almost blinded us. The sky so clear. The air so fresh... We immediately peeled off our airplane-scented layers and soaked up a few rays. Finding a taxi big enough to accommodate us and our luggage was a challenge. In Hong Kong they pretty much said, yes, to everything. Instead we had to go down the line of gruff drivers who didn't want to drive the 10 or so minutes down the road to our whare. Finally a van rocked up. Chur!

15 minutes and NZ$50(!?!) later we piled out in front of our tiny whare. It was surreal. Yesterday we were in Hong Kong surrounded by grey and people, now there is so much green, and not another soul within ears reach. After a brief cup of tea with Nanabear she bid us adieu. She was crashing at my sisters house for the night, as they were away, then driving home in the morning.

After that our life got pretty much back to normal (apart from the abnormal amount of washing! Argh!) The Hubband went back to work the next day, Ever didn't sleep. I didn't sleep. I did housework... I'm not sure where we go from here? Maybe, it's better to not know since this entire journey has been a nonstop ride of surprises.

I know I am definitely not the same as when I left. God has restored so much to me in such a short time. After 31 years in the orphan wilderness I have now found a sense of peace. I'm not saying everything in my life is now peachy-keen jellybean. It is more of a mindset shift. The way I see myself now has a point of view. A back bone. It comes from a solid foundation instead of from a little girl lost and alone. I still have moments where my reactions are still tinged with this sadness and rejection, but on a whole I feel like the next chapter of my journey is being shaped from a new perspective of myself. A respect to who God has created me to be.

I am Sama. I am Sunshine. I am a child of God. I am a child of my B-Ma's. I am my Mama's daughter. I am a Wife. I am a Mother. I am a lover of finding the extraordinary out of the ordinary. I am Me, and don't'cha forget it! [winky wink]

There's no place like home, there's no place like home...

xo

Sunshine

Ps. I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who gave generously whether through 'Give A Little', prayers, kind words and of course, the amazing generosity from my bio-whanau while we were in Hong Kong. I will NEVER forget everyone's input into this trip of a lifetime. Thank you ALL from the bottom of my heart. Arohanui.

D-Day

It's over, rover...

Well, almost. Today is D-Day. Departure Day. On one hand I have *just* begun to get homesick, as of yesterday. So great timing really. On the other hand I have had almost 11 days getting to know my Bio-Ma and a little bit of the rest of the Bio-whanau. After 31 years, 11 days doesn't seem like enough time... but hey, reality beckons.

Yesterday (Monday, Feb 23rd) was our last full day here in H to the K, as I now refer to it (jokes. That's way too long) It was a bittersweet day. We started our day mid-morning - erring on the side of lunch-time, really. Excited to be finally seeing where my bio-sis and her whanau lived. I had only seen it once during our first (random) Skype with her and the bio-cuz. She lives in a nice part of town in a fancy building with a doorman. Up 42 (freaking) floors (out of 60) the vertigo hit hard.
Her apartment was modern and slightly larger compared to my B-Ma's. Though the layout was a little unusual going through the first 'bedroom'(which was used as a wardrobe/storage) to the main bedroom. The floors were wood veneer, with white plaster walls. There was no real 'style' aesthetics, as she reminded me most places came with furniture and the fact it's a hassle to move furniture from apartment to apartment.

It's so different from NZ where our style influences are reflected in our homes. It seems we are more concerned with the 'feel' and look of our home, as well as the comfortable functionality - and of course, space. The bigger the home, the better! [winky wink] Whereas, from my short time here, it seems like most Hong Konger's aren't overly concerned with how 'trendy' their home is - plus, it doesn't seem like they like to spend a lot of time at home if they can help it.
The other startling contrast I noticed was that there were no pictures on the walls. No staged smiling-family shots. No wedding photos. There was no artwork to speak of. No floral paintings or blown-up landscape shots of the beach. I guess it's the same dealeo as NZ when ya renting - My bio-sis told me it is almost impossible to buy an apartment unless you have an absurd deposit. Most people give up knowing they will be old by the time they save enough, so they enjoy the 'now', which in some ways sounds better than the never-ending fight to buy in Auckland) but of course, 'Hello Kitty' made a few appearances in the form of duvet covers and toys...

 I have to admit, I love the architectural landscape of Hong Kong. The rainbow of colour. The flashes of greenery. The way each building tries to distinguish themselves from the next. The modern mixed with the aged. There is something exciting about this city. It seems like a nonstop place of reinvention.

 Lunch was awesome. My bio-sis sure can cook! It really seems like everyone in Hong Kong knows how to make a mean feed. BBQ (or Be-Be-Que) king prawns, corn, seafood and avocado salad, marinated fish, and macaroni - we were off to a flying start!
Afterwards we decided to walk it off in her hood. Checking out the scenery and the shops...

 Next thing we know it is time for the BIG 'New Years' whanau dinner at Grandmas. It was pure Madness! Kids running riot in the hallway, Adults laughing, eating, smoking and gambling going from apartment to apartment(Grandma lives across from one uncle) and let's not forget why we all came, food! More food and then oh my goodness, more food! They kept piling more food on our plates after we finished. I really don't know how much weight I've gained... Haha!
We watched several rounds of Mahjong, trying furiously to figure out how it works. Next thing we knew it was 11o'clock. Time to get Ever into bed! she's officially on Hong Kong Time...

Nighty night!

...just kidding! Bio-sis and bio-bro came to pick me up. They decided they had to take me to Mong Kok to witness the (illegal) Night Markets. The Hubband, Ever and Nanabear were in bed, and I was super tired, yet super hyped because it was my last night and part of me never wanted it to end... and the other part wanted to crawl back into the tiny double bed with Hubband and Ever. Fun won out.

 Just after 1am and we were in the heart of Mong Kok, with an 11 year old niece and 9 year old nephew in tow. I seriously couldn't believe that their father let them out this late at night... but to each their own?! Haha! By the time we got to the markets they were mostly packed up. It was awesome to see them deconstruct each tented shop. Scaffolding, roofing, tables and of course, their wares. We watched them tetris everything into small storage sheds lining the street.
We did however, manage to wrangle a couple of little souvenirs (Batman luggage tag for The Hubband! Woot woot!) before we made our way to get second dinner at 2am... yes, ridiculous I know, but the others were hungry. For once in my life, I wasn't keen on eating.

The streets were still filled with people. Mostly loitering or eating. There were buckets of live seafood lined up on the pavement outside some of the eateries. Each one seemed to scream, pick me! (Though I think they were screaming out in agony over living in a little bucket...) We sat down on stools in the street while my Bio-sis ordered. I didn't eat more than a few mouthfuls...
Afterwards we realised that it was over. I was way too tired to make coherent sentences and there wasn't a lot to look at. So we taxi'd our way back, dropping my Bio-bro off on the way. We walked the nephew and niece home, stopping for a corn ice block... yes, with real chunks of corn.

Er, not my cup of tea, thanks. In the bin it went. (Sorry!) 

It was 3am when we dropped the kids home. They basically started playing! One hooked up his newly purchased remote control helicopter; the other went straight onto the computer. My B-Ma was chatting with her bro until the nephews helicopter crash-landed into a tin of biscuits, spilling them onto the floor! Uncle was not happy... Me and bio-sis made a quick exit. We had a pretty coolio chat as she walked me back to my B-Ma's apartment. It was nice... I'm glad I ended up going out with them - even if it was after 4am when I finally laid my head on the pillow.

This morning (Feb 24th) I arose at a brisk 9am. My gosh, I am leaving Hong Kong on a high. A sleep deprived high. Ever woke at 5am and didn't go back to sleep until 6... Thank God for The Hubband!  I was keen to see if I could get some last min presents for the whanau back home. I left Mamabear, The Hubband and Ever behind and hightailed it with B-Ma to meet Jane and bio-sis at the next suburb over. I hadn't been there apart from to catch the MTR.
When we arrived we got a call that they were behind schedule, so me and B-Ma perused the shops together. It was nice...but weird. Haha! (I know I keep saying 'nice', but I don't know exactly how to phrase it?) I kept thinking maybe this would be what it was like if I had grown up with her? I didn't have my NZ husband or Mother, or baby to remind me of where I'd come from. Everywhere I looked were people who looked similar to me... except I couldn't understand them or relate to their culture...  It was an unusual train of thought that I quickly squelched as I was on a mission with only an hour to shop! So speed shopping I went. My B-Ma seemed perplexed as I darted in and out of the tiny shops, talking to myself as I went. If I had a question she would interpret it to the sales assistant. Finally, the crew arrived, with my bio-bro in tow. Their first port of call was lunch. I left them behind... Haha! They found me shortly after and handed me a bowl of noodles. I ate as I walked. Finally, I had found the last present. The pièce de résistance! Stoked with my purchases and the fact that time had run out, we gapped it back to get the NZ crew so we could head to the airport.

My bio-sis, bro and Aunty had all put in for a HUGE green fancy suitcase for us - I had been complaining(naughty me!) that they were giving us too many presents to take back to NZ - So they solved the problem. Haha! Everyone was in a somber dither as we hurriedly squished the new items into the suitcases. Trying to put the fragile things with the soft, ready for the rough ride ahead. We would be gutted if we arrived home and they were broken. Boo...

We taxi-vanned to the airport carpark in record time, as my B-Ma lives about a suburb away... sort of.  Okay, not really. The airport is on an island and her suburb is near a main road that goes to the island. Only problem was none of us knew where the front door was! (and we were a wee bit late for the er, suggested two hour check-in time...) so instead we ran/power-walked until we found our way. The place is confusing. I had no idea where the signage was?! Thankfully, my B-Ma's partner works in the airport so she rang him and he found us in less than 5 mins. He was an older gruff-mannered man. Not big on pleasantries or smiles. But he was cordial enough... and we were off!
We found Check-In and, well, checked in. Then grabbed a bite and a coffee. We were pretty chillaxed until we saw the time.

Saying farewell was hard/easy. I didn't cry. My mama did. My B-Ma did... I feel happy and sad, yet relieved to be going home. As much as I have enjoyed the adventure of this life-changing trip, it has also had it's fair share of challenges - not to mention the emotional roller coaster of it all! I feel thoroughly full. Full of new friends and family, experiences and memories. My eyes are clear. I have seen so much and tried to take in everything I could. The details. The smells. The faces... and if not, I have a ton of photos, and this blog, to remind me of this amazing journey. I can't express how I feel at the moment? I am just preparing for the next step... The plane ride with a toddler!

Mama's Day. When nature calls...

Today (Feb 22nd) after the worst sleep in our Hong Kong life (Ever was awake from 4 - 8:30am! Ugh!) we gathered what remaining energy we could muster and headed off to meet an Uncle and his whanau for brunch. Jane, ever the organiser, was hooking us up with tickets to Ocean Park (friends discount ye-yah!) but due to some serious lack of enthusiasm(not from me...) and time-keeping skills(chur, B-Ma...) we decided to go for a hike up the mountain to the water resevoir cos Mamabear wanted to be eaten by some monkeys. Jokes! - She wanted to get some fresh air - She did try to befriend them even when we all tried to explain to her that they are wild. As in, wild. She didn't get it. (Haha!) That's what I love about her...

We travelled by taxi, winding through tiny one-way streets up the mountain. As per usual there were families of people everywhere you turned. It was a traffic jam of cars and taxis haphazardly parked wherever they could fit. At one point we did an awkward dance with another car who was 10-point turning around to get back down the hill. But it was well worth the wait...

The water resevoir was awesome. Stunning, clear water. Surrounded by beautiful mountainous views, including the infamous 'Lion Rock'

The only downside was that I had chosen to wear red, in honour of New Years and of course, monkeys be loving red... Thank the Lord I had a jacket to tie around me waist. Haha!

One of the coolest parts was the open BBQ areas (they pronounce it, Be. Be. Que...) Those monkeys all hiding in the trees or sneakily going through the garbage... it was pretty trippy. My mama trying to beckon them down from their leafy spy towers. We were clearly warned though that those monkeys won't hesitate to attack...

To be honest, the hike was one of the highlights of the trip. I didn't know it until we did it, that I had craved the peace that only nature could bring.

It's so easy to forget how good we have it in NZ. I am the first to admit that this trip opened my eyes to what could've been. What should've been. What is.
Nature vs Nurture. Would I have still been interested in living simply and organically(as financially viable) as I try to now.  Would my interests still include gardening, hiking and animal welfare if I had grown up in Hong Kong? There are so many variables in this debate, so instead I will just say, it was awesome...

That afternoon we made our way to meet my bio-sis' at the Kowloon Walled City, which was high on my Mama's priority list. Steeped with history and traditional architecture, it was a serious blast from the past; intergrated with these amazing projection screen walls that you could 'touch' to change the slides by swiping across the wall. It was some crazy futuristic shizzle ma nizzle! My Bio-Ma disclosed that she once lived within the walled city. She used to hike down the dirty streets to collect buckets of water, in bare feet. Surreal.

In a city that is populated with over 7 million people, to find a part of the city that wasn't stuffed to the brim was extremely disconcerting. There were people of course, but not many more than a Friday afternoon at a local park. We wandered, while Ever slept in our arms, and just chatted. Mamabear found a little kid with these trippy giant plasticky bubbles! She was literally jumping up and down playing with this giant bubble. We are all just kids inside...

The next thing we know it starts pouring down. Thankfully, my B-Ma is overly prepared and handed us a cute 'Hello Kitty' umbrella. Score! We jetted toward the city, past this awesome bike circuit (which also houses a sweet jogging lane) If I had been prepared I totally would've brought my skateboard... Haha!

Ten minutes later we were refuelling at a pizza joint in a nearby mall. The day had been long and it was great to be off our feet, even for a moment. There was talk about grabbing Thai for dinner, but it seemed like pizza was the easier option since it was already almost 9pm. Next thing I know we are playing in the arcade above. My B-Ma handed each of us a bag of coins, so away we went. I felt super 'Asian'... and I loved it! Haha!
They had an awesome kids play area adjacent to the games arcade. They had a sweet ball-pit, that included airguns! I have to admit, I crawled in there with Ever and started a war with a couple of other kids... yep, doesn't matter how old you are. Straight ballin'...

By 10pm us kiwi's were yawning like nobody's business. We packed up our crew and headed for the exit, only to have a communication breakdown with everyone. They were discussing how to get to the Thai restaurant... yes, you heard right. They wanted to take us for 2nd dinner. At 10pm at night. I lost my shizz...

Half and hour later we were seated at the third Thai restaurant we could find. (The others were either closed or too full for our crew) My poor bebe had fallen asleep in the baby carrier on James back. I had wedged a sweater under one side of her head to keep it from falling...

I have to admit, the food was pretty choice. Lot's of choice... but there was a naggling at the back of my head that wouldn't go away.

I think the benefits of being in Hong Kong, face to face is fairly obvious. The difficult part of this trip has been having (pretty much) no freedom or space to digest. To discuss things or plan anything. To discover Hong Kong for ourselves. Most of the options have been taken out of our hands, and it's hard not be grateful given the generosity in almost every arena. I feel like a dickhead for even mentioning this...

After 8 days, it is of course easier to understand each other, but on the other hand we are still essentially strangers trying to get to know each other. There are awkward times on each side where me and my wee whanau will have quick whispering convos on how we are feeling, and I guess they must too? Well, maybe not whispering... we have learned that Hong Konger's like to yell. There isn't a deep sense of the NZ politeness. When someone bumps into you in the street there is no acknowledgement we have even touched, let alone a, "mmm...goi" (sorry about that)There has been a lot of times where we are just standing there like idiots not knowing what's-what, while they are talking(yelling) to each other and gesturing wildly. We have no blinkin' idea whether we are coming or going sometimes...

In all honesty it can be super frustrating. Especially since I am a planner. I like to be in control or at least take charge. In my mind it makes sense to ask everyone what they want to do then go from there. Instead we are outsiders along for the ride... But I digress.

It's been a crazy ride so far and I knew there were bound to be moments of intense emotions. Good and bad. Happy and Sad... Though right now the only emotion I have left is exhaustion. Nighty night!

Chicken Feet and all that jazz

Yes, my Hubband ate a chicken foot...

Everything in Hong Kong always seems to begin with eating... and of course ends with eating. It's not just the typical have a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Everything is a feast. A table laden with different, mostly savoury, delectable dishes. Me and my wee whanau seem to hoover down meals here in H.K - though of course we got nothing on the locals appetites!

I have begun to take notice of how different the traditional Hong Kong food is to what they serve up in our slice of paradise, Aotearoa. The "Chinese" food from your local is garbage compared to what we have been experiencing here, in the Heart of Hong Kong. Between the home-cooked meals and the many restaurants we have sampled, I have got to say it's (mostly) all delicious. It is rich, yet light. Seafood and meat dominate their palate and it is fairly broth/soup based. There is no rice, like I had envisioned. The closest I came was rice noodles. There is also no real feeling of 'fresh' vegetables. Everything is either hidden in dumplings or as a smattering of garnish. Of course there was the odd side of steamed greens now and then. I will admit, I have craved a salad or a veggie-filled sandwich! But that feeling passes when the food begins to roll out... 

After lunch, and The Hubbands aforementioned foot eating; my B-Ma and our lil gang departed ways with the extended bio-whanau and headed to Hong Kong Island to take a ferry ride.
My Mama was super excited to be getting away from the crowds and catching some sights... until the moment her foot hit the gangplank - granted it was a slightly windy day made more apparent by the uneasy rocking of the boat we had just boarded.

We sat down, shuffled onto long bench seats in the centre of the boat. My Mama's long awaited time-out was unfortunately rewarded with a boatful of people who had the same idea... coupled with the swaying, meant she wanted to get off. NOW. Even though we had already left the dock.

Thank the Lord we were only taking a short trip across the harbour. Twenty minutes later it was all over, rover. Nothing to see here, y'all!

The city was jam-packed as the New Years fireworks display was happening later that night. We had decided earlier on that there was no way in Hong Kong we were getting stuck in this debacle (though secretly, I would've totally stayed but Mom and Ever wouldn't have handled it)
The cops had already begun to limit transport out of the city, and had started cordoning off the streets for the expected swell of people that were arriving en masse - Cue us getting the heck out of there!

Jostling our way out through the crowded ferry terminal we heard a funky musician chick singing indy/pop in english. She had amassed quite a crowd. We were enamoured. Not just because it was one of the few times we encountered english naturally, instead of just when we asked; she was also enigmatic. In a sweet yet edgy way. We left the ferry terminal after her cute rendition of a Katy Perry classique and stepped into the smoggy sunshine only to be ear-bashed by the sounds of a three-piece rock'n'roll band. The chick on the drums was bad-ass! (You go, girl!)

Two hours, two trains and one stinky-nappy-change in the middle of a crowded street later, we were back at my B-Ma's home eating, of course. This time a traditional 'New Years soup'. My B-Ma had been preparing it on and off for the last few days. Staying late at night telling us to go to sleep, but quietly banging - I mean cooking, away in her little kitchen; all for this delightfully rich soup. (Man, we NZ cooks are lazy... haha!) We had just settled in to a cozy night in when more family members randomly decided to visit. The upside of having a movie interrupted - Red Pockets!!! Haha! Their generosity has me dumbfounded. Eyes welling. Mouth agape. I always search around trying to think of things to give back...

Today (Saturday, Feb 21st) We finally got to have down-time with just us kiwi-whanau... and the bio-cuz, Jane, who took us to Mong Kok to do what Hong Konger's do best, shop! We kicked the trip off with another sweet Hong Kong tradition, eating... at McDonalds (- one of my requirements when traveling is to sample McD's in each country. You have to have life goals, right?)
So we finally got to order from a menu! Granted it was only a fast-food joint but we were still a little nervous to see if they would accept the english version of ordering...
McD's is pretty similar but you can order curly fries (yuss!) You can also order corn-kernels for kiddie-winkles (You're welcome, Ever!) The chicken burger isn't processed, but it is super brown! The other delightful surprise was the red bean pie! The best part, NZD$17 for three combos. Winning...

Later that night I finally met my bio-bro two days before I leave. I was seriously wondering if he actually existed! Haha! He came in with a shy demeanour. It was a wee bit awkward as he didn't want to speak in english. He did begin to loosen up, thanks to the magic of Ever! She has been my ice-breaker through most of this nerve-wracking trip!

Most people are smitten with Ever on first sight. Seriously. In New Zealand I get strangers coming up trying to squish her cheeks! Not to mention the never-ending compliments... (Why, thank you. I made her myself! Haha!) It's nice to see in our Hong Kong "Homeland" she is still just as appreciated.
To be honest she has been pretty amazing on this trip. She endures nonstop travelling/shopping and eating, sleeping in our arms, being pass the parceled, not to mention never-ending strangers in her face. Now, if we could just get her to sleep at night, this trip would be pretty close to perfect...

Goodnight from us. xo

Chinese New Yeah-Yeah-Year!

 #IhopeYouAreWearingRedBecause...

HAPPY (CHINESE) NEW YEAR!!!

 Every day has been nonstop and I am running on adrenaline fumes. I want to take in everything I can because I know my time is almost up here. Unfortunately we haven't done half the traditional stuff they wanted us to do. Mostly because we ran out of time. My B-Ma said she needed a lot of time to prepare special meals and some smelly herb water to wash ourselves (and the house) but because we were staying in her home, and she was staying at her little bro's down the road, she couldn't do it in time. I felt stink(not just cos we hadn't washed. Jokes!) because we had kept her busy with our "touristing" and other agendas (like the Orphanage etc) when she would've been cooking and preparing for New Years Day. But I guess spending time with your long-lost daughter takes precedence over traditions, eh?

Yesterday (Feb 18th) we spent half the day at my B-Ma's. Even though I love go-go-going we needed to rest and spend some time together getting to know one another.

Just us.

She told me a lot about her life. Her past, her hopes, her regrets, her thoughts, her desires. She cried, I cried. I even got to see the only baby photo of me on her fridge. Just casually stuck on the fridge - She didn't even tell me! I noticed it and asked who it was. (Boy, was I chubbster! Haha!) I have to admit my heart has always ached over the lack of a little rectangular piece of paper. I have never had any baby photos of me... Something I think a lot of people take for granted.
I have always struggled with a deep sense of loss when I looked through peoples baby albums, and felt awkward and saddened watching other family members compare similarities with their offspring & relatives; so the baby photo on her fridge - My baby photo! Me, as a newborn bubba! - really cemented God's goodness to me. He cares about the little things.

Piece by piece...

Peace.


All systems were go later that afternoon. Since it was the day before Chinese New Year (I guess it's still called 'New Years Eve'? - I never asked) my B-Ma took us by bus back to Sham Shui Po to visit a mall called 'The Dragon Centre' - With a name like that of course we were psyched to go! Unfortunately everyone and their grandmas were out stomping the streets looking for bargains - Like New Zealand the shops are legally required to close tomorrow.
For other H.K newbs: Go to 'The Dragon Centre'! But set aside a few hours as it is H.U.G.E! Floors and floors of shops and eateries. Ranging from chainstores to little arcades of teeny-tiny shops the size of a changing room. Unfortunately for us the prices are roughly the same as in New Zealand. So I have been pinchin' me pennies waiting for that special 'something' that catches my eye! (Knowing me I will just go crazy on the last day! Haha!) What really makes this Mall memorable is the...

Freakin' Rollercoaster!!!

It is situated just under the ceiling on the top floor and twists and turns over the entire floor. It's apparently in the shape of a dragon - hence the name of the centre - Unfortunately due to an accident a while back it is now inactive. (Boo...) but it's still flippy-trippy to look up floors and floors and floors to see a rollercoaster suspended in the air (there is a cargo-net a few floors below just in case...) Ps. There is also an active ice-skating rink on the top floor! 

After spending a couple of hours riding escalators up and down with a pram, we stuck to what we know best... the Streets yo! There are shops everywhere you turn. There is even an area solely dedicated to electronics (Score! says The Hubband) not to mention all the fashion & beauty shops and of course kitschy toys. Things you wouldn't ever think of needing, but find yourself suddenly wanting it.
My B-Ma informed us that the shops along the streets are way cheaper than the malls and the street markets are usually even cheaper - though some are legal, and some are... not around New Years period. The government makes it illegal to be open over the few days of Chinese New Year but the vendors just open up in random places - like the "Adidas" street vendor (just two full clothes racks & a sign drawn with a vivid) I saw underground on the way to the MTR. When I came back through 15 minutes later they were gone! Poof!

For the next two hours we (window)shopped until we almost dropped. Tensions ran high, as we all had different styles of 'shopping'.
My Mama is a leisurely shopper. Going back to the same store several times to see the same bag... Whereas, The Hubband is a "shop for 30 minutes then get the heck out of there" man-shopper. Meanwhile, bebe Ever loves to see everything she can - until she gets cranky and finally goes to sleep. I, on the other hand am what's considered a "Power-Shopper". I go hard, and go fast (and then eventually, go home. Haha!) Cover as much ground as I can in the limited time I have. Yep, tensions were high... Nothing a drink of pure sugarcane juice can't solve... yeah right. (Thanks for trying B-Ma!)


This morning (Feb 19th) all was forgotten... or at least forgiven. We rose leisurely, relishing the free time by ourselves. We tried to stick to some of the traditions my B-Ma had told us. I wore red, The Hubband cooked up a delicious vegetarian meal (last night we ate a special gooey ball in ginger syrup my B-Ma had made us... I didn't like it. (Sorry B-Ma!) After my B-Ma, bio-sis etc arrived we decided to head to the local Thai Buddhist Temple, hidden high up in the rock-faced hills, not far from her apartment. Mongrel guard dogs look out over the cliffside. Huge incense coils hang from everywhere. Complete with a turtle pond. (My Mama kept threatening to smuggle one home... but that's another story!)

After the temple Mamabear and B-Ma headed back to her whare to cook and rest. Us young'uns randomly decided to go to the local Pizza Hutt for (first) dinner - which is so not like NZ! It looks flash az, bro! - A real hipster modern cafe-vibe with their subway tiles, wooden accents, industrial exposed pipes and dangling light fixtures. They also serve coffee, chicken & mushroom soup and custard & fruit jelly-cups! Pizza and pasta was up to standard. 3.5 stars... Haha!

Next up we were off to a birthday (second) dinner party at  an uncle's apartment (which is across the hall from grandma's) his cute wee son turned 4 today!
When we arrived it was already chaos! Just about the whole whanau was there (apart from the Jane's family) The kids were already nuts zooming up and down the walled concrete and tile hallway - since the apartments were packed with adults eating, laughing, and competitively playing Mahjong for moola; there weren't exactly a lot of places they could play. (It's so easy to take for granted having even a strip of grass for a backyard...)
We sung the "Happy Birthday" song in English, and ate a sponge-type cake, with fake cream and delicious slivered mango around the outside. We were given pistachios and special Chinese biscuits as good luck(I think? Lost in translation... Haha!) Most of the 20 or so adults didn't speak any English, but thankfully the intermediate-aged kids spoke pretty well (can anyone say, free translators?! Haha!)

The icing on the already pretty sweet New Years Day cake was the ridiculous amount of 'Red Pockets' we received upon arrival (red envelopes with money in them) - Which is a Chinese tradition over New Years - They are usually given to kiddie-winkles but we were an exception! #feelingsoblessed

I remember about this time last year thinking, "Man, wouldn't it be awesome if we got to meet my birth mother in Hong Kong and celebrate my FIRST Chinese New Year together. New Year, New beginning!"  (Yes, I am that cheesy)

Fast forward 6 months later and I am literally doing what I had dreamed of. God is pretty funny like that... 

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!