#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
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!
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