Spring is finally here in Hong Kong!

I am here! I assure you, no harm has come to me, I have not died....but, life was a little busy for a small while there in March.

The month was full of report cards, teaching observations, parent teacher conferences, GID trips, beauty and the beast rehearsals...but also a fabulous 5 day trip from my delightful parents, and then a second visit shortly after by a friend from Abu Dhabi! I was so blessed to have guest and visitors, and had a chance to go sightseeing again!

The thing about living in a place is that you are not having adventures all of the time, so it is less likely that I'll have anything to write now that I have my way around the city. But, random things do happen often here....really random, so, it keeps life interesting.

We'll start with the light topic of weather. It was cold for an entire month longer than it should have been. I was thoroughly disappointed by the fact that it simply wouldn't warm up! There would be one promising day, and then it would rain again, or just be icky and cold. Again, when I say cold...it's nothing like what Canadians put up with, but it is still uncomfortable. Praise the Lord that yesterday was a beautiful day....but then today is not as pretty actually, so, I'm not sure when spring or rather, summer (there is no spring, who am I kidding), will get here.

My parents came around the middle of the month as part of a huge month long excursion through austral-asia. It was great to see them, and I am blessed by having parents who ejoy travel, and following dreams. It is inspirational, and I hope to keep having adventures in every part of my life, just like they've been able to do.

We did all of the touristy things, enjoyed eating at my favourite places, and showing them a few new ones too, we went to one of the islands and saw a craft fair with some of the people from my plus group. We had a good time reconnecting in my teeny tiny living room, whose pull out couch served the purpose of being the sleeping quarters. We went up to the peak, and we enjoyed exploring TST and central. I attempted to take them to see the legendary Bobby Taylor, but, as things tend to work out for me, no matter how many times I clarified that it would be just him...he ended up not showing anyway and there was a different "special" band...one night only. So, it was a bust, but we meandered through the now familiar streets of Hong Kong and I impressed them with my directional skills.

Then, after they left I had three days to put things back together, and my friend Jen came to visit. The day that she came we also went to a "gangster" party. It was open to interpretation I think...it was a combined birthday party for two of the teachers at the school, and we rented a city trolley car and simply rode it through all of the tracks in the main city for two hours while listening to music, dancing, chatting, and enjoying the fresh air of the open windows. Of course, a gangster party brings with it costumes. Mine turned out to be more of a Russian maffia then any kind of gangster, but, It was really fun to put on a different look for a while.

Jen and I, during her visit, enjoyed going to the Peak again, and having fun here at home. Most of the days Jen would explore the city on her own, with some guidance from us, maps, and strangers, and then meet back at home or we'd go for dinner. Alicia took her to Macau for a day and they had a great time catching trams, seeing Cirque de Solei, and riding the boats. It was great to have another friend visit. And, in April, Alicia's boyfriend will be here too, so, my house is becoming a real guest house of sorts. It's fine by me!! You should ALL come visit!

Friday at school was April fools day, so I came dressed as "Granny Ritz" who is a character, based on my grandmother. She's quite funny, but the kids guessed right away...but, both my EA and myself, and several other teachers, kept the gag going for so long that many of the students were double guessing themselves. And I think a couple by the end had simply accepted that I was really a Granny.

I haven't been on Facebook for quite a while, as I am fasting from it for lent. It just felt like I needed to get a few other things done. So, I hope you check for this post!

I also can't figure out how to put pictures in the right places, so, bare with me....you'll have to match the picture to the correct story I guess.

Love you all, and I'll see you in July!

Talia

Hello March. How did you get here so fast?

So February is nearly over...as I'm sure you can tell based on the fact that the entire world shares the same calendar, however, I'm working on winning the "queen obvious" award this year. Anyway, enough of that digression.

It is true though that this month seemed fast. Probably because I am so busy this week that I can't remember the start of February, therefore, it isn't in my scheme, and instead I am only thinking of this past week. Regardless, it was a good month.

The theme of the month has been love. I am indeed learning more and more about love. How to love, and how to prioritize myself so that love is included in my life. I think I've been pretty severely convicted about NOT showing enough love to those who need it. Passing people by when they're hungry or tired or simply if they need help. Or, not being generous enough with the gifts that I've been given. Or, simply getting myself into a panick over things that truly don't matter in the grand plan, but I feel like they make all the difference to my life.

It's time to change. How? I'm not quite sure, but I bet that God has a pretty good idea, and I'm equally sure that he'll let me know.

Other than focusing on love, I've been fairly busy with life in several other aspects as well. School being one of them. I know that I didn't want to teach in Canada because the expectation is much higher than anywhere on the planet...but I laugh at myself now. Ha ha ha Talia. Boy were you wrong. You are catching me right directly in the middle of report card season right now. So, I will likely be out of commission the next week and a bit. Not to mention my being involved with the high school musical, the upcoming GID trip to China and the several meetings per week that we are all used to going to, and finally, more kindergarten interviews coming up.

A teacher needs to be a very special individual to want to do all of these things. I am evidently not a teacher at heart, but merely in practice.

I would yet again love to tell you that there have been an infinite amount of random things to see and adventures to be had, but there really isn't. The cold lifted today though, Praise the Lord a million times! I don't hate anything today, and I had the energy to cook and clean. It's interesting what effect the cold has on me. I become this crazy hating lazy slothy gluttonous, dirty monster. I don't like people to see me like that. So, I am also antisocial. Thank heavens it's above 15 today!

I also got a thank-you gift of a camera from Alicia's boyfriend who is still in Alberta. So, my lost camera has been replaced by a snazzy orange fabulous canon! I would have done all of these things for him anyway, because they're for Alicia and I love Alicia, but, that doesn't mean I won't take a thank-you in the form of a new camera.

I will be having an adventure Saturday this week. Maybe something sweet will happen with that.

Oh yah, speaking of which, the other Saturday I went with my small group on a hike up one of the hills outside of the city. It was actually a nice walk. They paved all of the hiking trails up here, and even put stairs into the hills, so you always know where you are. It's a strange thing. And, frankly, I find climbing 300 steps more difficult than climbing a slanted hill or a mountain...so, I was a little pooped by the end of the 3 hour excursion. BUT, the part that was the best, was that is was so quiet. Not a sound except our breathing, the wind, and an occasional bird! The view was amazing, oceans and green hills. I felt like stopping right on the trail and pitching a tent and moving in. I simply belong in the country. Next year I think my friend and I are still going to try and move into a bit of a quieter area, so, I'm praying that we can. The issue is that one must take on a one year contract, and if I only sign from September when this lease is up, to June...that's ten months. So, we'd have to get special permission and have a ten month lease instead, and people don't always want that. So, it will take bit of a miracle...but, that's what God is in business to do. Miracles. Maybe not all the ones we want...so we're trusting in him.

Anyway, I feel as though I have nothing of value to say, as I am without adventures. I"m going to write a book. Basically the only thing I know anything about is being Single. So, my friend and I are writing a book about being single. I feel it is a fun venture. If it sells, it sells. If not, at least it's thoughts on paper.

Ok, enough jabber....I miss you all. See you in June.

Talia

Febuary time!

Hong Kong is the place to be in february. It is warm now....well, warm is operative. It's not so cold now. The afternoons are a balmy 22 degrees, and the mornings are charming.

Since we last chatted, only a few things have happened.

My musical was cancelled. Well, "postponed" but no one knows what that means. It's good news for me because it was a fairly risky play, and I only went for it because I wanted to get my name out. Now, successfully, my name is out, and, I don't have to encourage men to strip on stage. Holla! And by "my name is out" I mean: people have asked me to sing at charity events and want to sing with me for musical reviews....yay!

Secondly, We finished those kindergarten interviews, pushing over 100 kids through over two weekends...I only put a star by 4 kids the second round...out of 60. So, if I have my way, I"ll get ten kids I like, and another random 8.

Thirdly, we just got back to work today from a nice ten day week off...thank the Lord for Chinese New Year, where people still celebrate the astrological signs of old...and apparently fight each other to be placed in a higher "lucky" category that their neighbours. Interesting. They also have decorative orange (tiny mandarin/tangerine) trees all over, perfectly uniform, and, cheery blossom trees which blossom right on Chinese New year! Amazing. Apparently young unmarried ladies are supposed to purchase these cherry blossom trees, and then walk around it "x" amount of times. If they do this for three consecutive years, they might find their true love. But for me, it didn't seem like it was worth the three year wait.

During the holiday I did some fabulous sight seeing of the island. I went to the North Western corner, Tseun Wan (pronounced Chun Whan). I got lost there in a graveyard with a friend of mine, as we were seeking the solice of a wide open grassy park land...ha ha ha is all I have to say to that. Hong Kong just does not understand "nature" or "parks".

I also went on to a "girls night" with several teaching colleagues. We enjoyed exploring a lovely little island off the airport called Ma Wan. I would very much like to live on this island next year, if at all possible! But convincing people that it's ok to travel for 45 minutes to work, and they've been living a 5 minute walk from work for the past year and a bit is no small task. And I don't know if I could live out there all alone.

Finally, I was invited back to the Sai Kung Area (which is heavenly) for a pig roast! It was lovely. Pig can be delicious! Not like a dry porkchop, but a moist pork neck...mmmmm.

Anyway, I feel much more rested than I have in a while, and that MAY just get me through to the next holiday which is in about 12 weeks.

Though I made promises to a couple of people to NOT make any life changing plans, it seems that I couldn't help myself, and have decided a couple of things.

#1: I want to get my international development masters degree at St. Mary's in Halifax.

#2: I am uncertain whether or not I can go there directly after this contract (fall 2012), OR, if I should work yet another two years before I go there, and thus be able to pay for the whole thing without any loans....

I am up for opinions, so leave a comment.

In not as nice news, I lost my camera. I am planning to get a new one soon, but until then, I once again will have to make lame entries....soon though I hope to be able to get back to photos again.

I am currently on a bit of a facebook fast, as I have so incredibly much work to get done by the end of Febraury. Therefore, I bid you adue, I should start on this "work".

Love you all.