Saturday, August 20, 2011
August 20: What a Week!
This past week was a typhoon of change. It was one day after another: Maggie and Nicholas both started at new schools and took new buses.
Nicholas had been going to the Woodland Montessori school near us. We had wanted to move him to Woodland Harbourside from the beginning and an opening came up. Maggie started kindergarten R-2 at the Hong Kong International School (HKIS).
Monday: free day for everyone. Except Katy and I.
Tuesday: Maggie, Katy and I went to HKIS for meet the teacher and after school sign up day. After school sign up was in the morning. Maggie is focused on Girl Scout Daises, swimming and gymnastics. We were invited to lunch by our HKIS host mom. Then off to meet the teacher, Ms McGinnis. She is from New Zealand and we think we will get along great.
Wednesday: First day of school for Nicholas. And first time taking the school bus. So Katy and I took Nicholas down the to school bus. It comes up to the lobby drive up level at 8:10. We put him on and drove with him to the school. He saw all the neat stuff at school and was like "bye bye." His day goes from 8:30 to 10:30 M-W-F. I went to pick him up and meet his teacher Ms Jemma. Again very nice.
Thursday: D DAY. Maggie's first day of R2. Her day starts with a school bus pickup at 7am down on the street level. As you can imagine a gaggle, if ever that word applied to people it does to parents standing around waiting for a school bus, of parents and kids. Maggie's bus came, she had a little hesitation, but got on. Maggie's day ends with the bus drop off at 2:15 or so. She had a great day per her own report.
Friday. D DAY PLUS 1. Niocholas' second day. We decide that maybe he should ride the bus by himself. Well he gets on OK and actually stays OK till it pulls out and leave then starts crying. Katy and I figure we will see on Monday. But when Eva picked him up at 10:30 the only thing she heard was he keeps being reminded to sit down in class. But as my friends at FUMCDC will know, it was hard for me to see him cry.
Later that morning I head to HKIS for new parent orientation. The principal and her staff all gave presentations. It was really nice and there will be a lot of chances for us to get involved.
Oh.....During this whole week, Nicholas on Monday somehow got scared of his shadow and would NOT GO TO SLEEP in his room. Crying, screaming, just..wow. So every night Katy or I would have to rock him to sleep. Thankfully it seemed to pass Friday night. The night we were most worried about was Wednesday nite, so Maggie got a good night's sleep for her first day. Through rocking and rocking we finally got him to sleep at 9:30pm. As Katy said, of all the weeks to pick to have sleep trouble, this was not our first choice. So during the week Katy and I got less and less sleep.
So that was our week. In a strange way after all that, I feel more a part of this place than before.
Nicholas had been going to the Woodland Montessori school near us. We had wanted to move him to Woodland Harbourside from the beginning and an opening came up. Maggie started kindergarten R-2 at the Hong Kong International School (HKIS).
Monday: free day for everyone. Except Katy and I.
Tuesday: Maggie, Katy and I went to HKIS for meet the teacher and after school sign up day. After school sign up was in the morning. Maggie is focused on Girl Scout Daises, swimming and gymnastics. We were invited to lunch by our HKIS host mom. Then off to meet the teacher, Ms McGinnis. She is from New Zealand and we think we will get along great.
Wednesday: First day of school for Nicholas. And first time taking the school bus. So Katy and I took Nicholas down the to school bus. It comes up to the lobby drive up level at 8:10. We put him on and drove with him to the school. He saw all the neat stuff at school and was like "bye bye." His day goes from 8:30 to 10:30 M-W-F. I went to pick him up and meet his teacher Ms Jemma. Again very nice.
Thursday: D DAY. Maggie's first day of R2. Her day starts with a school bus pickup at 7am down on the street level. As you can imagine a gaggle, if ever that word applied to people it does to parents standing around waiting for a school bus, of parents and kids. Maggie's bus came, she had a little hesitation, but got on. Maggie's day ends with the bus drop off at 2:15 or so. She had a great day per her own report.
Friday. D DAY PLUS 1. Niocholas' second day. We decide that maybe he should ride the bus by himself. Well he gets on OK and actually stays OK till it pulls out and leave then starts crying. Katy and I figure we will see on Monday. But when Eva picked him up at 10:30 the only thing she heard was he keeps being reminded to sit down in class. But as my friends at FUMCDC will know, it was hard for me to see him cry.
Later that morning I head to HKIS for new parent orientation. The principal and her staff all gave presentations. It was really nice and there will be a lot of chances for us to get involved.
Oh.....During this whole week, Nicholas on Monday somehow got scared of his shadow and would NOT GO TO SLEEP in his room. Crying, screaming, just..wow. So every night Katy or I would have to rock him to sleep. Thankfully it seemed to pass Friday night. The night we were most worried about was Wednesday nite, so Maggie got a good night's sleep for her first day. Through rocking and rocking we finally got him to sleep at 9:30pm. As Katy said, of all the weeks to pick to have sleep trouble, this was not our first choice. So during the week Katy and I got less and less sleep.
So that was our week. In a strange way after all that, I feel more a part of this place than before.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Air Travel in Asia
While I am somewhat hesitant to share this with my American friends, after flying Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airlines and Singapore Airlines, a clear trend emerges: Flying here in the region is GREAT and I am talking about economy class.
First security at the airports is strict, but reasonable and helpful. They usually look the 4 of us over and make the same conclusion any reasonable security professional would: "if there was a category below low risk, that is the one we would tag them with." So Katy can go through the scanner leaving Nicholas in his stroller and rolling it through. If I forget to take the water bottle out of the carryon bag because I am trying to make sure Maggie stays with us, the security politely and friendly apologizes that they have to throw it away and then politely let us pass. No "Sir we will have to rescreen the bag" stuff.
And no ones takes their shoes off...ever.
Actually everyone in the air travel system here is polite and friendly. The only people who are dead serious are the immigration people.
At the gate for our Malaysia Airline flight back to Hong Kong, the 4 of us got in line when they called for first class, business class and families with small children can board first. Well we were about 15 people deep. A nice attendant saw us, gave me the look that "this will not do" and escorted us to the front of the line..after telling a irritated business class gentleman that he would have to wait in line.
On the plane, well, first you get a real meal..and they have kids meals. Actually they serve a snack first, then the meal which includes dessert. And of course wine, beer, whatever you like. Have I said this is economy class. They ran out of coffee and the flight attendant apologized and remembered to bring me a cup later in the flight.
When we flew to Pukhet on Thai Airlines, they were celebrating either 60 years or 100 year anniversary in air service. Every child got a present. Nicholas got a 1 foot inflatable plane and Maggie a coloring book!
I don't know the differences in the cost models between these airlines and the US, but it is clear that they are doing something different and right that makes family travel really easy.
First security at the airports is strict, but reasonable and helpful. They usually look the 4 of us over and make the same conclusion any reasonable security professional would: "if there was a category below low risk, that is the one we would tag them with." So Katy can go through the scanner leaving Nicholas in his stroller and rolling it through. If I forget to take the water bottle out of the carryon bag because I am trying to make sure Maggie stays with us, the security politely and friendly apologizes that they have to throw it away and then politely let us pass. No "Sir we will have to rescreen the bag" stuff.
And no ones takes their shoes off...ever.
Actually everyone in the air travel system here is polite and friendly. The only people who are dead serious are the immigration people.
At the gate for our Malaysia Airline flight back to Hong Kong, the 4 of us got in line when they called for first class, business class and families with small children can board first. Well we were about 15 people deep. A nice attendant saw us, gave me the look that "this will not do" and escorted us to the front of the line..after telling a irritated business class gentleman that he would have to wait in line.
On the plane, well, first you get a real meal..and they have kids meals. Actually they serve a snack first, then the meal which includes dessert. And of course wine, beer, whatever you like. Have I said this is economy class. They ran out of coffee and the flight attendant apologized and remembered to bring me a cup later in the flight.
When we flew to Pukhet on Thai Airlines, they were celebrating either 60 years or 100 year anniversary in air service. Every child got a present. Nicholas got a 1 foot inflatable plane and Maggie a coloring book!
I don't know the differences in the cost models between these airlines and the US, but it is clear that they are doing something different and right that makes family travel really easy.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Why Hong Kong is Like a US College Town
I know this seems a very odd comparsion on first glance. But it is not....if you are an American expat. Let me explain.
Most families here have what we fondly refer to as a "trailing spouse." This is the non working parent. She/he (usually a she) has come to HK with her husband's opportunity or order. She has a "dependent" visa. I know sounds very flattering.
For the record I am a trailing spouse. While I have a work visa and my own job, in essence I would not even be here if not for Katy. When I tell people that here, I feel like I get that look one must get when people say they are gay. First complete confusion because you have turned their world order upside down and then either 1) wow that's cool or 2) never really going to be comfortable with it. Very nice place but for women, the US is light years ahead. Let's hope it continues. But I digress.
So during the summer, the spouse usually takes the kids and returns to the US for an extended period of time. The people you meet here and their kids leave town. They will return in August for school to start.
It feels like alot of people leave town for the summer and HK clears out of expats...at least the wives and kids.
Thus a college town in the summer. Never really considered it, but when you do, it kinda makes sense. But being here, there is alot of neat summer camps for kids though.
Most families here have what we fondly refer to as a "trailing spouse." This is the non working parent. She/he (usually a she) has come to HK with her husband's opportunity or order. She has a "dependent" visa. I know sounds very flattering.
For the record I am a trailing spouse. While I have a work visa and my own job, in essence I would not even be here if not for Katy. When I tell people that here, I feel like I get that look one must get when people say they are gay. First complete confusion because you have turned their world order upside down and then either 1) wow that's cool or 2) never really going to be comfortable with it. Very nice place but for women, the US is light years ahead. Let's hope it continues. But I digress.
So during the summer, the spouse usually takes the kids and returns to the US for an extended period of time. The people you meet here and their kids leave town. They will return in August for school to start.
It feels like alot of people leave town for the summer and HK clears out of expats...at least the wives and kids.
Thus a college town in the summer. Never really considered it, but when you do, it kinda makes sense. But being here, there is alot of neat summer camps for kids though.
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