Regrouping in Hong Kong

Tom and Emma left Tuesday; Sam and I bought tickets to Hong Kong Wednesday….to leave on Thursday. We found tix $60 cheaper (each) than all of our previous searches thanks to John at Dada. Even better, at the beginning of the week, Erica in Anchorage reminded us that Bentleys, friends of hers had moved to Hong Kong, so we connected with them pronto. It fell into place beautifully and Thursday afternoon, we flew into Hong Kong. They are on Lantau Island, same as the airport, so easy to get to.

(above, view from Bentley's apartment) Heavenly Father must know I need these recharges periodically because this little diversion has been heaven sent. We heard nary a word all week re: court rulings even though judge has had unresponsive birth mom info for 2 weeks at least. We made all our decisions LAST MINUTE this whole week, hoping to hear something. In the end, we decided not to overstay the visa and get monetarily penalized, but to go to Hong Kong and start the 30 day clock over on our return to Taiwan.

So, to come here and stay with a wonderful family and be shown around....taking a break from all that pesky thinking and figuring things out...it has been SO good.

We spent our first day at the science museum where the kids all shot through the place like pinballs in a machine. Sam spent a very long time at the Archimedes Screw exhibit moving pellets through from top to bottom.

Then we went to the Temple Street Night Market....that was mostly not there...because of the rain. No matter, still a fun outing wandering the streets, seeing the lights.

Church on Sunday was just down the road in a local school...small branch with a few American visitors from China, and a treat to listen in English. A good number of expats live in Discovery Bay, so they make up much of the branch.

The day before we left, I got a special treat...Maren and Audrey gave me a pedicure! Bright purple polish done by professionals...what's not to love about Hong Kong??

As a sidenote, this trip has been funny in a different way. We've read MANY books aloud to the kids all through the years and generally hope that they find their way to wanting to read.

While Sam LOVES to listen and learn in many ways, reading has decidedly NOT been one of those ways. He started reading Fablehaven before we left Anchorage and is on book 5 now. Those are literally his first 5 chapter books, so last week I asked what he would do once he finished them and he said, "Maybe I'll just start them again."

But once we got to the Bentleys, he saw lots of other options and from Friday to Monday has read through 6 volumes of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. So, all of these pictures only LOOK like the same book.

He is in the same location, mostly same clothes, but different books at different times of day in every picture. And, believe it or not, we really did get out quite a bit and did active things (there were some late nights of reading).

It has been hugely entertaining to me (nothing new for lots of you parents, I know). I admit that there were days I wasn't sure it would happen, but eventually, it has to, right??

our first city weekend

Over the weekend, John and Ching took us to Yang Ming hot springs, north of Taipei.  It was a WINDY drive on a narrow road with many switchbacks, men and women went their separate ways, Japanese style dress (birthday suit), mud baths and electric massage (pulses of electricity flowing into a small hot tub).  It was an Experience, with a capital E.  Our hosts have been so generous and accommodating.  They have a primary goal of exposing the kids they teach to the world and its citizenry…broaden horizons, and they walk the walk themselves.

This is my first time traveling in another country where I haven’t lived a cushy life with hotel amenities and familiar food etc…and it’s different!  Harder beds than usual, different cleanliness (and everyone who knows me, knows I don’t have very high standards), very different foods-obviously, and it’s just disorienting to not recognize anything with being surrounded by Chinese characters-more English in Taipei than Jhong Li. 

Sunday, I was ready for some familiarity, so we went to church (the first building we landed at in Jhong Li).   A former American missionary now married and going to school in Taiwan translated for us (thank you Malachi!).  It was a lovely testimony meeting and uplifting to sing in English along with everyone else in Chinese.

We spent the remainder of the day exploring Taipei…228 Memorial Park, Chiang Kai-shek statue, and the Botanical Gardens.

This is a rock garden where you try to walk along barefoot.

This is Longshan temple, a Buddhist temple in Taipei built in 1738.  

Adoption Update: We’re still working on being able to skype little number 3 who is in foster care as opposed to the older 2 children who are in an orphanage.  We cannot see them until the judge’s first ruling which will come… when it comes.  They are trying to find birth mom; it is unknown how many letters the judge will want sent out to find her.  We have our hopes that it can move along of course.  Meanwhile, we see so many little Taiwanese children and ask ourselves, “Is he 3", or "She looks 4” and we are amazed to think of what life will be like.  DIFFERENT but oh so fun!