Grandpa

I've had company!

I've had some special guests on the thirty-second floor in the past month! Looking back, the last month feels like such a blur, a busy and beautiful blur! I don't even think I blogged about Tara and Nicole's visit, though the week was very deserving of a blog!

They were a blast to have in HK- totally eager the minute they arrived! They proved themselves to be committed adventurers on their first day, when we decided to go hiking despite the ahem, monsoon icon on the weather website (but really, it said "a few scattered showers"!). The site was right on the 'scattered showers', at least for the first half hour of our hike! For the next three, it poured!!! We were absolutely soaked. It was hilarious, actually. We hiked through the crazy wind and rain, feeling very adventurous. We ran to catch a ferry to start the journey back and then ended up waiting for half hour along with 200 other Hong Kongers to catch a bus...then another bus...and a taxi. We finally made it home. They did all of this on day one! When it was back to school for me, they spent their days exploring the city (as well as one crazy spa day in Shenzhen, across the border in China)...and I always looked forward to the Daily Report from Tara afterschool. It usually lasted about fifteen minutes and was very entertaining. I wish I would have captured one of the Daily Reports on video...:) Anyway, I really enjoyed having them with me!! Not sure if I've ever laughed so much in a week...

the beginning of the hike- day one

bubble tea + foot massage = :)

in the kowloon city walled park

Then Mom, Dad, Autumn and Andrew spent last weekend with me. It was their fourth time stopping in Hong Kong! They are experts now! It has been so neat to create new memories with them each time. Each visit ended up being unique and fun in its own way. This time around was special because we spent a lot of time with the girls that came to India with me; they have become dear to our family. We went out for a local Chinese meal the first evening (their specialty was Peking Duck, and we ate a lot of other notable things, like eel and jellyfish), we went on a beautiful bike ride (though it was so crazy busy on the holiday weekend that you felt you were in the Tour De France, Hong Kong style), and enjoyed meals with other special friends in Hong Kong. Again, another weekend with great memories!

the bike riding crew (new territories, hong kong)

ahhhhh!! traffic galore!

andrew's favorite (and cheapest) and meal: wonton

out for starbucks together by the harbor

at church with pastor sam and his wife, lisa (special people, too!)

the peking duck meal

Adventures with Steve and John..(19/31)

It's been a fun, full, fantastic week! Last night we went on a little adventure through three distinct areas of Hong Kong. It was John's only chance to see as much of the city as possible, so we did the best we could with the time we had and the remaining energy from a busy week!

The adventure started with supper at one my favorite Thai restaurants in an area known for its great Thai cuisine. My good friends Tammy and Maureen joined us. The guys enjoyed the dishes, though they were a little thrown off by the traditional Tom Yum Thai soup. Some people love the stuff, but either way Tom Yum is a taste like no other, really. Thai food is the best!

After we polished off the likes of the pad thai, red curry, papaya salad and satay, it was time for a walk to...Starbucks. Ha! Starbucks is so...cultural?! But necessary for two guys fighting jet lag and needing to a see a big city in one night. Next stop was The Peak, one of my favorite destinations. We were caught in a bit of a cloud at the top, but it cleared up a bit and we were able to catch a decent view.

The last stop was Mongkok. Drop-off point? The same sick and smelly corner I walked Steve blindly into a couple days before- stinky tofu corner. Love it. John didn't exactly love it, but again, it's all about the experience. We navigated through the crowds and did some late night shopping in the market. John was overjoyed when he found a shop specializing in Chinglish magnets. I'm pretty sure most of the market heard him laughing. What a character.

We finished things off with one of my favorite drinks- a mango coconut sago drink. I got a funny look from Steve when he discovered the little sago-tapioca like balls in the drink. "What is that?! Fish eyeballs?!" Stretching the ol' horizons, we are...ha ha! They were both ready to escape the crowds and "go somewhere without people" by the time we were finished in the market! Most Canadians would be; it's a chaotic place to spend a couple hours!

It has been awesome having them here. It's always wonderful to share this place with people you love! I know they were both a real blessing to our secondary students at the camp, and certainly a blessing to me! Great memories made.

Look who showed up...(16/31)

Steve!!! :)

A Canadian Christmas

Some of you might enjoy this....bits and pieces from my Christmas in Canada.

Feeling Goooood

Finished!!!! It's such a great feeling. Two months without my year long boyfriend Mark Ng (think hard), planning, report cards, waking up early because I have to, and solving ten year old's conflicts (unless my nieces and nephews stir up trouble). Yeeeeeeah. Feeling good.

Even better is the fact that the sun is shining and the sky is actually....blue! Gorgeous.

And to add to it is the fact that my summer reading material just arrived in the mail. A perfect way to start things off. I was happy to learn about Paddyfield.com, a small scale, Amazon-like service just for Hong Kong, with a solid selection of reasonably priced books, and free shipping! Sweet. To get things started this summer, I've got Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by one of my very favorite authors- Anne Lamott. I also bought Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and A Revolution of Hope by Brian McLaren, and my last choice- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Plus, Viva La Vida is ringing in my ears...good books and good music.

It was so nice to have Mom, Dad, Autumn, Andrew, Pamela, and Raysha here. I must say it was a bit of a teaser though. I came home from school yesterday sad to have an empty house. They were here for two nights. Again, we packed in as much as we could in the time we had: eating Chinese food, walking the streets of Mongkok to find bubble tea (for Raysha) and delicious mango drinks (especially for Dad), they had an adventure in the rain- lost in Mongkok on their own (ai ya, I was working!), we went to the Peak and had fun shopping, while imagining what it might look like if we weren't in a cloud, enjoyed some good Mexican food (after getting lost again in a different area) followed by Krispy Kreme. It was lots of fun...I love them so much and it was much easier to say goodbye because.....I'M FLYING HOME IN NINE DAYS!!!!! One more BIG reason to be feeling gooooooood.

The Turkey Sandwich Symptom

What I really have felt the past two weeks is just this: I miss my Mom, and I miss my Grandma. This has got me thinking about my roots, because these two women are so deeply a part of who I am. What tipped it all off was a longing for my mom's sandwiches. Seriously. White OK-Economy bread with turkey sandwich meat and cheese. And Mom usually added butter back in those days. Throw in a token piece of fruit, and a butterscotch pudding or an apple sauce. Of course there's a lot more to it than No Name sandwich meat. I just miss her all over! The everyday chats and fixings of encouragement and friendship from Mom. I wish that we were living in the same place. I'm glad we'll have one more day in HK, together with the rest of Team India- that would be June 18, and then summer is just around the corner!

And then there's Grandma. It's her 91st birthday, you know! I was telling my students about my Grandma. How she has a legacy, or perhaps a profession, in letter writing, makes a mean cinnamon bun and loves flowers and granddaughters (okay, and people in general). So we decided to write Grandma McMillan letters. A good ol' fashioned handwritten birthday letter, with a wealth of stamps of all kinds for home-made fancy letter writing paper. They did a fantastic job, and don't tell Grandma, but we're sending one a day. I hope it brings her cheer, and just a sampling of the encouragement that has been spread through her own letter writing. I am so looking forward to seeing both Grandma and Grandpa this summer.

Mom's Adventures

Mom's blogging! I love reading about their adventures in India. They are definitely have a fresh set of experiences in Guwahati- a big, smelly, dirty city. It's not the wakeup-in-the-clouds experience that Aizawl was, but sounds more like classic India. Plus, they get Pizza Hut for a treat every once in awhile! Reading her blog makes me itch to get back to India. I hope I can make a trip next year; maybe this time I will bring a few of my colleagues with me to experience the wonders of India. There's not a place on Earth like it! Stop by Mom's blog and leave her a note!

The Big Visit!

Well, once they finally made it to Hong Kong (a mere 39 hour adventure from Regina due to delays), we had such a good time together. They were great sports in trying different kinds of Chinese food, squishing into my flat (everyone gets 120 sq. feet to themselves, ha ha!), embracing the crowds, and riding in style on the double decker buses around town. Saturday was a beautiful day with a blue sky and we spent it at Disneyland! The favorite ride was definitely Space Mountain! Ah, it was just so much fun to have them here. My students were thrilled to meet my parents and interrogate them on what they imagined to be my evil childhood. Ha ha. They were a little disappointed to find out I really was an angel. Ha ha ha!

It's never easy to say goodbye to my family though, even though it's only five months this time around. I'm glad they get to sneak in one or two more days on their way back home. I was reminded again, of how blessed I am to have such awesome parents. And, just how special Autumn and Andrew are to me. Even though I don't get to spend as much time with them as I'd like, I feel pretty lucky to have some sweet traveling memories with them. Last year, their home in India as well as Nepal. This year, my home in Hong Kong!

Follow this link to my pictures of the weekend!

The Space Mountain Thrill.

Team India 2008. It was great to hang out with Pam and Raysha. They're going to do an awesome job in India!

Buzz and Andrew.

My New Desktop Image

The joy of new life. The joy of a new nephew! Welcome to the family, little Jesse!!!
I am so excited to meet you.
More pictures of Jesse at his Daddy's blog.

Family Picture 2007

My family. How I miss you already. It was so much fun to enjoy time together this summer.

My Sister! Isn't she grrrrreat??

Back in YK

From Cowtown to the Knife...big sun, big sky, trees, rocks, and squishable babies. Yes, I'm back in Yellowknife, enjoying the small-town feel and the great people of the North. It's always an enjoyable place to be in the summer. I am staying at a friend's place, my parents are staying on the next block over, and Tim and Tara are across the street from them. I love that!

In keeping with the summer theme of nieces and nephews, Yellowknife has been no exception. Andrew, Autumn and I have been out riding bikes, playing tennis and going to the beach. Michael is 6 months old and just so sweet (yes, he's very squishy too). I love babies. Although, I can tell I've been spending more time than usual with little ones because last night I had a dream (or was it a nightmare?) that I had quadruplets rolling everywhere and I couldn't stop them from rolling, and I had no husband, and there were no Aunties or Grandmas to be found. It was terrible!

Anyway, being an Aunty is much better. Elijah makes me laugh time and time again. He's so much fun and all-boy. What a cool kid. He really likes cars and wanders up to every car he sees and tries to get in. Again, we're off the charts when it comes to cuteness, folks.

Other than hanging out with family and friends, I was happy to join in the big NWT Open. I think I have a match with Sharapova tomorrow. I've heard she's in town. I guess Nic hasn't, because he's still griping about Northern tennis. Serious though, it's fun that I'm here on the same weekend as the local tournament. It's great experience and tennis is such a good time.

A couple other random things I'm excited about- my friend Mary and I got our tickets for the Women's World Cup in Shanghai in September. I can't wait! I'll definitely be waving my Canadian flag!! And, I just read on Jason's blog that my favorite group, Caedmon's Call, has a new album coming out on August 28. This is fantastic news!

Signing off from the land of the midnight sun...

Too Long

Other than trying to fit some new Mandarin into my brain tonight, you four were on my mind and stuck in my heart. I miss you Mom, Dad, Autumn and Andrew!!!

Look what came in the mail!

Package from Little E, Little Z, T, and T....= Happy Harm!!!! Cookies (including ginger snaps!), icing and sprinkles to decorate, candy (mmm, NIBS and Reese's Pieces!), maple cookies, and goodies from one of my favorite companies- Crayola!!! Pure goodness!! Thanks SO much- you are awesome!!

Snaps!

I'm not attempting Flickr while using this turtlish internet connection. Here are a few recent pictures for you!

Andrew and our Christmas present from the neighbours! Dad butchered it and Mom and Becky plucked it. A few hours later we enjoyed it for a birthday supper meal! Tasty and fresh.

The Morning Veranda View.

Poinsettias growing just down the road.

Old friends Para and Mawia. They came for Dad's birthday. They are simply wonderful people, and funny!!!

Live from India

An update from Hong Kong Harm is overdue, now situated in Aizawl, India, Mizoram.
I have been here for four days now. I traveled safely to Kolkata and was hollered at by some foreign guy in the airport. The foreign guy turned out to be my Dad, who successfully surprised me by meeting me in Kolkata. We spent the night in Kolkata and I took in a quick blast of Kolkata craziness (smells, sounds, generally an overload to the senses, however, always intriguing, intense, and in short bouts- enjoyable). All things India were brought from memory to reality again- drooling cows, staring men, garbage galore, rickshaws and Ambassador yellow taxis with all kinds of flashy gods adorning the dash. This is Kolkata!
A one hour flight to Aizawl and a 90 minute taxi ride later, I found myself on Mom and Dad’s doorstep, smack in the middle of the magnificence of Mizoram. Magnificent for one, because it holds the treasure of family, and magnificent for two because of its wonderful scenery. Waking up after the first night reassured me of the wonders of this place. Looking out the window, I gazed upon a stretch of cotton ball clouds sitting in the valley. Mizoram itself is a gift.
Christmas Day was very nice. I am amazed at how my Mom can manage to essentially make everything here that she does at home. A Christmas dinner with all the fixings, including homemade buns and pumpkin pie. Awesome!
Unfortunately I’ve been slowed down by some kind of bug since Christmas night. I’m not sure what it is but I wish that it would tire of me and move along. I am happy to feel hunger at the moment as I haven’t felt that way for a couple days. It’s not a terrible flu or anything, but I know something is not quite as it should be. Anyway, today I did go to town and enjoyed taking in the life of Aizawl. It is fascinating to observe, watching all the busyness and the milling of people around town. Culture is wonderful. I wandered in and out of the many little shops that line the road, ventured down to the market and sat outside a shop to read a book.
Around the house, I’ve spent time with Autumn and her buddies (pics coming soon), as they have been enjoying new skateboards. Andrew is a pyromaniac and spends most of his time blowing things up. Oh, that sounds a bit dramatic. Basically he thoroughly enjoys firecrackers, sparklers and these little spitballs that blast when they touch ground. Nic will enjoy this freedom and share Andrew’s passion for this pastime, I’m sure. I have enjoyed many a hug from both A and A. They are great!
Tonight we are having a birthday supper for Becky (who helps my parents) and my Dad. Tomorrow is his big day! We will have a tea and enjoy the company of many of his friends from around Aizawl. Some of you will smile at the thought of seeing Para and Mawia. I’m excited to see them again tomorrow.
We will go back to Kolkata on Tuesday, stay a night and then fly to Kathmandu, Nepal on Wednesday. I fly back to HK, via Bangkok for a night, on Saturday. The holidays are flying by!
Anyway, this is a lengthy report and I’ll say goodbye for now. Love from India!

It's Go Time!

Well, I've been in China for almost five months now, and I've been teaching for four months in Hong Kong. It's time for a break! Ahhh, it's nice to take a rest from the go-go-go taste of life and trade it in for something fresh, fun, and family- filled! India fits that description, so here I go!
The bags are packed, the house is clean, my head is going to pop due to a bad headcold, and I'm very ready for bed. Tomorrow I fly to Kolkata via a stopover in Bangkok. I will stay the night in Kolkata (always interesting!) and take the one hour flight to beautiful Aizawl on Christmas Eve.
So, the next time I stop by the blog, I'll be in Mom and Dad's house in Aizawl, hanging out in the hills with Autumn and Andrew. How's that for a Christmas gift?!
Til India...

This makes me smile!

I've been loving this picture ever since Steve posted it on his site, along with other AWESOME pics taken by Bec. I couldn't resist adding a caption! Hope it makes you smile, too! I miss you, Aiden!