Heading Home

We are packing up the van that will drive us and our loads of luggage across the border and bridge to Hong Kong airport.

We read it is snowing in Utah. It's 80 degrees here and very humid.

What We'll Miss

As we squatted on our foot-high stools around our 2 1/2 square foot table and pick up our dinner meal with chopsticks, I asked everyone what they would miss about our time here.

Isabel: Sitting like this and using chopsticks
Jacek: Bus #43
Sofia: The theme music that wafts across the apartment complex in the evenings
Kif: Our concentrated family time
Stirling: Where are we going this week?

Our flight leaves Hong Kong at 5:05 pm on Wednesday. We get to San Francisco at 2:07 pm, before we've even left Hong Kong.

What they want to eat when they get back: Grandma's Spaghetti, Shauntell's Meat Sandwiches, Costco Pizza.

waigouren/zhongouren

As we left our apartment building this morning for church, two little boys in red shirts scootered to a quick stop in front of us. "waiguoren! waigouren!(Foreigners! Foreigners!)" one pointed at us with surprise. On cue, Jacek, Sofia and Stirling all pointed back "zhongouren! zhongouren! (Chinese! Chinese!)." Confused, the boy shook his head no. The three "waigouren" nodded their heads yes. "You are too Chinese," the laughed.

Hong Kong

We've had a wonderful day: pastries from a Golden Mile shop; subway to Hong Kong Island from our hotel on Kowloon; funicular up Victoria Peak; 360 degree view of Hong Kong from the Sky Terrace; Graham Street market with sliced fish so fresh their hearts still beat; Fu Yuen Street Market open from 6:00 am to 2:00 am every day; tangerine skins at the Wholesale Food Market; bargaining (again!) at the Jade Market; the Langham Place Mall with escalators going up four flights through an open air lobby and then another escalator going up another four flights; Shang Shang Shanghai food for dinner.

Then our luck turned. At the Mong Kok station, Isabel stepped into the subway car. Stirling stopped on the platform, said "Wait" and turned to look for the rest of us who trailed behind. The yellow caution light flashed. The inside doors closed. Stirling turned back, saw Isabel inside, and instinctively shoved his body between the closing outside glass doors, then wrenched them as hard as he could to open them. I ran up and pounded with my fists on the inside doors as Stirling shouted to Isabel "Tsim Sha Tsui" the stop for our hotel. Magically, the inside doors opened and a crying Isabel shot into Sofia's arms. We were very grateful the engineer was watching.

On every trip, I've had Isabel tell me over and over again what hotel we are staying at. Here it is the Imperial Hotel on Nathan Road. We've talked about finding an adult with a child to help her if she gets lost. Now we've added, "If you get separated from the group on the subway, get off at the next stop and stay put." But, it won't happen again.

Isabel's subway separation happened very quickly and only lasted a few minutes. Really, it's been a very wonderful day.

Broken Necks

In Hong Kong, there are no Broken Necks. That’s the name Sofia, Jacek and Isabel have affectionately given to the myriads of people who openly stare -- no, gawk -- at us in Shenzhen. I’m afraid we’ll cause a traffic accident when truck drivers spot us up ahead and then lean out the window to crane 180 degrees and beyond as they drive by. “Broken Neck,” I say to Sofia as a woman riding tandem with a crying child swivels around to see us. “Broken Neck on the right” Isabel says as a grandma stops sweeping the street to tracks our steps. I thought I’d be used to it by now, but we just arrived by subway in Hong Kong and I can feel the difference. Not a soul has stared at us, not one.

And, I have VPN-free blog access. I(heart)HongKong.

Who are the people in your family?

While I was judging a moot court tryout round this morning, Cheryl, one of the office assistants, waved at me insistently through the glass window of the classroom door. I finished judging moot court, then went down to the office to see what she wanted. She searched around on her desk for two documents, one white, one pink and said “These are in Chinese. Maybe I will tell you what they say” as if I might already know what she was talking about. I didn’t. She said “When you live in an apartment complex, you have rules.” “Oh, no” I thought, “someone has complained about us at Lakefront Fairyland. We’ve probably broken all kinds of rules, but it’s a little late to tell us exactly what the rules are.” She continued “I have to register your apartment contract. When I register your contract, you have to register your family.” “But,” I say “we are leaving in a week.” “But, I tell them that you are leaving, so they say you don’t register your family.”

Cheryl’s pause gave weight to her next words, “The family planning count will happen at your apartment on Tuesday.” “What?” I said in surprise. “In China, we have a family planning rule, one child per family. It is a very strict rule.” My mind raced “Right, I know that . . . but, I have three children . . . They are already here. . . The rule can’t possibly apply to us . . . I don’t need or want family planning advice from the neighborhood clinic or the Chinese state.” “On Tuesday,” she repeated “the family planning advice will happen at your apartment. “ “But . . . but . . .” I spluttered. She looked me in the eye, “Your family is not registered. Don’t open the door.”

What do you need: bullhorn or cell phone?

October 20, 2009

Question: In China, who is louder, someone with a bullhorn or someone with a cell phone?

Answer: The cell phone screamer.