Days 29-31

Day 29

           August 16, 2012

We were supposed to meet a friend for brunch at the Galaxy hotel around 10. We had her phone number but could not get in contact with her. We walked around until 11 and then went home. Joel did get a chance to get some Starbucks.

Upon arriving home we had gotten a facebook message from her that her alarm clock did not go off and she was very sorry. We intended to meet later.

Throughout the day, the skies became darker and the wind picked up. A typhoon was moving into the area. By the evening it was at a 3/10.

Around 10pm, our friend emailed us and told us she had an extra room at her hotel if we wanted to have a night out. Of course we jumped at the opportunity. We started to get a little tired waiting for her to give us the details and soon thought we lost our chance. At 1am, while climbing into bed, she responded and told us to come over. We packed a few items and then headed out. By this time the typhoon was at 8/10 but we did not want to lose out on this chance.

Upon arriving at the hotel we found out that it was actually a suite. We looked up the price for the room and it runs about $325 a night. It was so nice and huge.  After talking with our friend for a while, Joel took a bath and I watched Animal Planet in English on one of the three TV’s. We finally went to sleep on a comfy King bed with many pillows.

Day 30

August 17, 2012

We woke up in our cold, dark suite well rested at 10:30 a.m. I couldn’t resist the large bathtub so I jumped in and relaxed for a while. Joel got up and made us espresso from the espresso machine. We ate some complimentary fruit then Joel went to wake up our friend from her room.  After she showered and got ready we went to go get some lunch from a Korean restaurant and to Starbucks. We visited with our friend some more before she had to go to a business meeting. 

In the afternoon we went to the hotel pool though it was still a little cloudy from the typhoon. There is a man made beach 2 pools including a wave pool and 3 hot tubs. It was nice to relax.

Day 31

August 18, 2012

We went to church then came home for lunch. I was able to talk with my mom on Skype for about an hour and catch up. After we woke up from our nap, I went for a run before making dinner. We then watched The Proposal and I made doughnuts.

Days 22-28

Day 22

August 9, 2012

We spent most of the day planning and relaxing. In the evening we played badminton with our friends. We are undefeated. I also started knitting again. I brought all my needles but only one skein of yarn so I need to find a shop.

Day 23

August 10, 2012

I woke up congested. When we went to Hong Kong there was a man who sat behind me and then stood in line behind me through immigration coughing on me so I knew that I had been infected. Throughout the day I started feeling worse. I took a nap and when I awoke I had a fever and an awful headache. Since it was Friday and we needed food for the weekend, I sent Joel to the store with a list. Back in the US, Joel has been to the grocery store with me a handful of times and never cooks so I knew it was iffy. I tried to be as detailed as I possibly could but I still received a few items that were off like the cinnamon. I meant ground but he brought me the sticks and we have no grinder. He actually did considerably well and it got us through the weekend. I went to bed early but my sleep was not restful.

Day 24

August 11, 2012

We did not attend church because of my cold. I was able to sleep in and felt a little better. Our boss brought over some food which was very thoughtful since I did not feel like cooking. Joel was really great about helping. I again rested around and slept most of the day.

Day 25

August 12, 2012

I woke up and felt better but still congested. I expelled all my energy doing laundry and cleaning a bit. Joel and I watched movies and relaxed. In the evening we went and tested out the community track. He is not into running but complied for me. He was sore for the next few days. It is smaller than the tracks in the US so I am not sure how far I ran but once I added up the minutes that I listen on my ipod, I would say about 2 ½ miles. It is nice to get back into exercise again.

Day 26

August 13, 2012

                Since I was feeling 100% again, I made a grocery and we went shopping at the market. I bought a pan so I could start baking. I have so many recipes that I want to make and have plenty of time to do it.

In the evening we played badminton for awhile and then I wanted to go jogging. We were already at the gate so we decided that Joel would walk me to the track, go home and get the keys (our gates lock around 7), and then come pick me up. We left it cracked so Joel could make it back it. I ran for my thirty minutes and he had still not returned. I started walking home and when I reached the school, Joel was just leaving. In the 10 minutes that it took us to walk to the track and him to walk back home, someone had locked the gate. He had to wait for someone to pass that could let him in which took twenty five minutes. We are learning to take our keys every time we leave. We have been locked out several times but never for that long.

Day 27

August 14, 2012

Our days are starting to become redundant. We wake up, eat, plan, eat, plan, eat and then find an activity for the evening. We played badminton again. We are still undefeated. After a shower we retired for the night.

Day 28

August 15, 2012

I was able to talk skype with my friend from my old job and get caught up on things around there. I also made our menu for the week. Joel and I went to the grocery store where I exchanged my baking pan that I had bought for few days earlier since it was too big for my oven. We also stopped and had dinner at a restaurant.

Again in the evening we played badminton. We did lose one game but we are still on top. Joel has to have practice sessions with me, where he teaches my strategies to improve my game. He did not like losing.

Day 21

 August 8, 2012

We left our apartment at 9:30 to catch a shuttle bus at the Galaxy Casino to the ferry terminal. It is free and only a 5 minute walk.  The ferry was very smooth this time and we were able to see more since it was daylight. 

We arrived in Hong Kong around 11:30 and then made our way through customs and immigration. Not my favorite part of traveling. We met up with our friends Johnny and his girlfriend, Moon. They live in Hong Kong and were able to give us a tour. From the ferry terminal we went down four stories to the subway. 

  

We first went to a Korean barbeque restaurant. They had a buffet with several selections of raw meats and another buffet of cooked noodles, rice and traditional Korean foods. Once you choose your meats you take them back to your table where this is a gas grill built into the counter top. I am actually surprised that Joel did not get sick considering that he never cooks and he was in charge of his own food. We were able to try many different foods here and most of them were very delicious. Joel even tried a pickled chicken foot which grossed me out.

After eating, Joel and Johnny went to a giant music store where they shopped for musical interments for the school. While the shopped, Moon took me to do our own shopping. We stopped in several shops and then she took me to Harbor City which is a big tourist mall and a must see. It had very expensive stores. When the boys were done, we went to the Ladies Market which is another must see. It is similar to a flea market only is large stretching over four blocks. 

We had one cell phone but Joel decided we needed another in case we are separated. They took us to a sort of cell phone outlet place. It was two stories of nothing but wall-to-wall cell phones. We were able to buy a new, older model phone for around 20 USD. It was now dinner time and we decided on Thai.

 I did not realize that while we were eating the sun even went down because of how many lights there were. They then took us to the Harbor where there was a laser light show with music. While walking there I could not believe the amount of people. I must say that I did enjoy my time there because of how much English there was. I almost did not want to leave. We walked down the boardwalk to where there the Avenue of Stars is (similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame only Chinese style).

We then went back to the Subway station to take us back to the ferry terminal. We said our farewells and went tour our gate. I was able to see the escalators that my poor husband had lost all of our luggage on the first night which made my day.

Our seats were at the very front of the boat making it a very bumpy ride. Joel and I were very sick along with many of the other passengers. The stewardess moved us all to the back.

Once back in Macau we went through customs and immigration again before getting on the shuttle bus back by the school. We had no trouble falling asleep after our big day (and Dramamine).

Days 17-20

Day 17

August 4, 2012

We went to church and then had lunch with the Principal and his wife. Bryan also joined us. We had Chinese rice, noodles and potato salad. For dessert we had a red bean and coconut mixture that was actually very delicious. We took a nap and woke up late in the afternoon. That night we had a movie night.

Day 18

August 5, 2012

Very laid back day. We did laundry, which now takes 3 times as long, power cleaned and grocery shopped. 

Day 19

August  6, 2012

We took Bryan to the hospital on Macau to get his physical for work. Afterwards, we gave him a mini tour of the area which were basically the only places that we know. Once back on Taipa we ate at a E.S. Kimo. I was able to talk to my friends from my old job which was very comforting. We spent the rest of the evening planning.

We blew them up on the big screen

Day 20

August 7, 2012

We are planning on going to Hong Kong tomorrow so we had to “power plan” to make up for the day. Bryan invited us to lunch so we tried out a new place. Not my favorite but decent. I am starting to lean towards my home country foods. We also played badminton with a few guys in the evening. 

 

Day 16

August 3, 2012

Originally, we were supposed to go to the beach with the school doctor at 10am. His car was having issues so we changed our time to 3pm. Instead we took Bryan, the American, to the immigration office where we spent most of our morning. Joel and I filled him in on everything as far as what to expect and when.

We took Bryan to lunch at our favorite restaurant and then shopping. We showed him the two closest markets, the bank, restaurants and, of course, bakeries. We then rushed back to meet Dr. Steve and his son to go to the beach.

 I was expecting to go swimming in the ocean, but Dr. Steve took us to a swimming pool at the beach. It was a fresh water pool which was a new and pleasant experience. He then took us to dinner at an outdoor restaurant where we had fresh coconut water in the original coconut to drink which was amazing. There was also a stray dog which kept begging customers for food. This is when I found out that Dr. Steve is a huge dog lover like me because he kept giving him scraps. We then went for a walk at sunset on the beach. I had a very enjoyable time and I look forward to working with him.

 

 

Day 15

August 2, 2012

We had a very relaxed day spending most of it watching movies. We did get in a bit planning though. Our friend Man kin is going back to the U.S. for a visit and gave us a projector to hook up to our computer. Now we have a big screen. Only now the picture display I just hung had to be taken down for our viewing pleasure.

Also, the pastor and his wife moved back to the U.S. and sold us quite a bit of stuff. We now have a cell phone which has been very handy. They gave us a desk that was in one of their rooms so now we share the office. Of course I love it, but Joel…let’s just say he was less than enthusiastic about it. He does use it to put pile of his junk.

We were not able to go to Hong Kong because we were waiting for another American to arrive so we could show him around. His flight was delayed in Tokyo so we didn’t have a chance to show him anyways, but we were on stand-by. Hopefully we will get there next week.

Day 12-14

Day 12

July 30, 2012

We started off with several meetings to plan out the year. Joel got a chance to play guitar with another music teacher. In the afternoon, we went with a few teachers to go get the results of the physicals on the other island of Macau.  By the time we sat through afternoon traffic, we were pushing the 5 p.m. deadline. While we were waiting at the connecting bus station for number 8, several number 8’s came by packed to the brim with people.  We decided to walk to the 2 miles to the hospital. We were sure that we wouldn’t make it but by the power of our 40 minute speed walking we made it.

 Day 13

July 31, 2012

Today was the last day of summer school so many of the teachers that were here last year are going home. We have to plan for the next few weeks but we hope to get in some sightseeing in Hong Kong.

Joel and I went back to the other island to turn in our applications for school supplies. Our friends told us to take the 22 bus back to Taipa. Once on the bus back home we found out that the 22 wasn’t going to take us home. It came to a stop and everyone got off including the driver. We had no idea how to get back to Taipa and no clue about where we were. We started roaming the streets looking for a bus that would take us home. We passed a bakery and to the stress off I had to eat a pastry. We as several people for help but no one could speak English. We saw a bus and chased after it to find the next station. We finally found a bus that was marked with “Taipa” on it. We jumped on and went back to Taipa. Once safely on our island, in the place that we knew, we stopped at a restaurant called E.S.Kimo.

 

Day 14

Aug. 1, 2012

I started off my morning on skype talking to my family. I found out that my babies are still alive, which is the most important thing. We went to the bank to cash our check and then had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. I have found that it is cheaper to eat out most places then to buy the food and prepare it.

While we were in the area we stopped at a stationary shop where I was able to buy a bulletin board to hang up pictures from home. Later, when we arrived home from all our shopping, I realized that I left my bulletin board at the store and we had to go all the way back.

Joel and I then went grocery shopping where I was able to buy a blow dryer.  We bought a new fruit item called durian also know as a pillow fruit because it literally feels like a pillow. When we tasted it at home we realized that it was awful and nearly ruined our dinner. It must be an acquired taste because I told a friend about it and he said he loved it. 

I made tacos for dinner since I have been craving Mexican food and all our curtains were hung. I can finally take down all the blankets. Now we go to sleep. We are planning a trip to Hong Kong tomorrow.

Day 11

July 29, 2012

After breakfast (apparently ants got into our brown sugar so Joel probably ingested a dozen of them) we started our morning by meeting up with several teachers to take a trip into mainland China. The city busses took us right to the border where we had to go through customs and immigration. Since we went so early in the morning it went rather quickly.

Once on the other side, we went to a very nice hotel restaurant where we had very traditional Chinese/Malaysian food. It was the best since food I have tasted since we have been here. The family style dining allowed us to try several dishes and share with our two lunch guests.

Before we left the restaurant I was advised to use the bathroom because I would not enjoy the ones I would find on the street. Of course, being there for 10 hours, I did have to use the toilet again and I found out why I was given the warning. Basically it is a hole in the ground with no toilet paper. According to Joel, it wasn’t nearly as bad as what he had to experience while on our mission trip to Peru. I luckily had tissue paper with me.

I had my first haircut today. They start by shampooing with a head massage lasting 15 minutes. After the rinse, my interpreter told the stylist how I wanted my hair cut. With the first cut I knew that it was not going to be the way I had intended. Instead of the 1 inch trim I had asked for, I received a 3 inch cut with layers. Not that I am too concerned about it. The total time was almost 45 minutes it was only 4 USD.

We then went to an underground mall that was more like a flea market. We were able to get great deals on clothes and American movies. Since we had Chinese speaking people with us we were able to bargain well. Joel was able to buy some nice work shirts for cheap.

 I stopped in a women’s clothing store and was instantly surrounded by 3 women with armfuls of clothes for me to try on. The sizes here are much different and not in a good way. I went up three sizes and was unable to fit into their largest size pants. I did feel like a VIP with all the help I experienced there.

While Joel was paying for some of the clothes we purchased, a woman with a young boy walked up to Joel and started talking to him in Chinese. She kept pointing at the boys’ mouth and gesturing with her hands. Man kin, our interpreter, listened to what she was saying and of course she wanted money to feed her son, though he looked well fed.

When we went into a CD/DVD store, a man took us aside and asked if we wanted English movies. When we said yes, he led us to the back of the store, into a hidden room with hundreds of DVDs. Later we found that this is because when immigration does the inspection, they close the back doors and it looks as though there are only legitimate items for sale. Joel and I got the latest season of “The Office” and “Modern Family” seasons 1-3.

We ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant before heading back home. I am trying to become fluent in chopsticks so I try not to request silverware through it is rarely available anyways. Joel is getting much better at using them. Then we headed back to border to go through immigration and customs again.

Once home I did a few loads of laundry and tested out our new DVD’s. They are not the greatest quality but they are what I expected for the price. And they will do the job I need. Now I go to bed for I have much planning to do for this next year. Every day I am given a new class to teach or new interest course to start. I am very excited about getting this show on the road.

Day 10

 

 

July 28, 2012

Joel and I slept in until 8:30 a.m. which is a big accomplishment since we usually have been waking up around 6:00 a.m. We got dressed and went to church after talking with friends and family on skype. Following church there was a potluck lunch consisting of egg salad sandwiches and spicy noodles.

We decided to take a nap since we knew we would have a late night. When we woke up and decided to go for an afternoon walk in Taipa. It had finally stopped raining and the sun was shining so it was a beautiful time to explore. We walked to a historic Portuguese where there are museums and parks. We had to return early since there was a farewell party for all the teachers that are not returning next year.

At the celebration we danced, played games and ate amazing Filipino food. I have never met such hospitable people as there are here. They do not allow me to be shy. Joel made his playing debut which everyone loved. Once we had partied ourselves out we retired for the night.

 

Day 9

July 27, 2012

We started off our morning with staff worship followed by a staff meeting. We then went to get our photos taken for immigration and school accreditation. I learned that when someone says “it’s not that far”, it means at least 15 minutes of walking. Joel and I can easily walk up to 5 miles on a slow day.

We ate lunch at a casino buffet. Much different than the buffets in the US and there are not quite as many options. The casinos are not as busy as the street restaurants and they are much cleaner. Many of the restaurants here do not offer anything to drink but water and hot tea. I was able to try many new desserts and some were not so great. I am impartial to the street bakeries which we  

After lunch we walked around the city. Our friend, Man kin accompanied us and gave us the tour. He took us to various shops to price toasters and I finally bought one. I cooked a pizza in it for dinner. We also stopped to buy a SIM card for our phone but realized at home that the phone is locked. We are planning a visit onto the mainland Sunday where we hope to buy a new phone.

When we arrived back at the school we went into the principal’s office go over and sign our contracts. We filled up our 5-gallon jugs for the weekend, got a new table for our apartment and cleaned.

It had been raining constantly since we arrived. Some of the teachers informed us that they have never seen it rain this much in all their time here. I love rain and even I ‘m needing a break. There is supposedly going to be a break soon which will be nice when we travel inland. We have heard that there are good prices over there.