Dim Sum Mum - Tess' Little Pieces

halfway to halfway home

sorry for the silence.

i am halfway to halfway home. home for the holidays.

assuming canada is home.

packing for the kids was easy. i went to the kids room while they were sleeping, pulled things out of drawers and shazam, that was done.

packing for me is proving to be a little more challening, shall we say. and time consuming. magnificent is really really emotionally tied to the royal canadian yacht club, where his family has so many memories and has spent so many good times. this friday night is the annual summer ball. of course charles was crazy to go.

tess, will you come with me?

personally, i think magnificent would have a better time without me. he could table hop and schmooze and catch up with old friends and not for one minute worry about what i was doing. (aka: sitting alone).

but, he claims he wants me there. so, i had to get a frock. and i have been tromping around hong kong island and kowloon looking for one for the past week. the theme of the ball is "beijing". i tried to find a dress with olympic rings on it, but there was nothing.

a lot of "traditional" chinese dresses are very beaded. i personally don't go for that look because i am neither a ballroom dancer or of that age where heavy beading is what i want to be wearing. so cross out that style.

which leaves the cheongsam. is a cheongsam formal enough to wear to a ball? hard to say. and what's to say that the waitstaff won't be wearing knee length cheong sams and if i am in a floor length i will just look like the head waitress?

so i discarded trying to firmly tie myself to beijing, and on friday found a gorgeous deep red gown (thats chinese enough i figure) with some black embroidering and beading. very occasional. it is a halter style, a line. i looped it over my head for the kids to see what it looks like and they said, "is it an apron dress, mummy!"

anyway, the apron dress, the shoes and the nylons not to mention the jacket take up a lot of room in my suitcase. you know me, i hate taking EXCESS THINGS in my suitcase. and dragging around the dress (THAT HAS CRINOLINE!!) for a few weeks is really righteously going to aggrivate me.

back to packing. it is just the last minute things. all the kids have field trips, i am trying take care of so many things. and i am going to be so ready to step on the plane, unwrap the girls' new strawberry shortcake colouring books, give the boys their new BEN 10 figurines and play away. and when the time comes, i will plug them into a movie and maybe even read my book.

i'm ready.

i think i might give up on shopping altogether and let carys take over completely.

today carys' class had an outing to a local pizzeria, "pepperoni's". the kids of k2 made pizzas, tried flipping the dough in the air, smeared tomato sauce everywhere (and i do mean everywhere), did some crayoning and in general, had a wonderful. tasty time. at the end of the session, i decided instead of heading back to school, carys and i would head home ourselves, firstly taking care of 3 of the 5476 tasks i have to do before we leave next week.

first was the bank. i deposited a cheque. (YAY ME!).

then we went to the central wetmarket. we were looking for bananas, but firstly, flowers caught my eye. flowers were on my list of things to get, because at noon i had luncheon at susan's house and since she was preparing the entire meal, the least i could bring was flowers! we wandered through the stands under i smelt some ginger flowers. although they have a relatively short life expectancy, ginger flowers are beautiful to look at and smell, so i picked up some of those and a few lillies, which live forever. the lady at the stand was quite enchanted with carys, and gave her a pink rose FOR FREE. carys was thrilled.

quite encumbered, we continued our quest for bananas, going downhill now. we were pretty much out of the fish stalls, which was a good thing, carys saw bananas, and i saw limes, so we counted eight limes and i bought them. and promptly forgot the bananas. i took five steps away from the stall when carys said, "mummy, i want bananas, please!" the lady at the stall was so pleased to make another sale (6 bananas for app 1 usd) that she gave carys a free bunch of grapes.

we continued our march, me really carrying a lot of stuff now and carys not overly concerned about the fact as long as i could hold on to her hand. she wanted to buy speckled eggs but i refused. they were bigger than quail, im not sure what they were and i didn't want to stop and ask. we kept going and a few stalls later, when i stopped to shift bags and hands, a lady gave her to biscuits, freshly baked. they were flat dutch types. they were quite tasty.

do you know how much money i could save if i just taught carys to read and gave her a grocery list? we could be on to something.

you know my much loved path behind my house? where i jog, walk, pray, relax and try to stay in shape?

the path is gone.

i was behind there this morning, and although it was kind of silty, the clean up crews had done a fantastic job cleaning up from the rainstorm. 2/3 through the run, there was some red tape, and a notice attached to it which said, "land slip ahead". i looked and the area ahead looked pretty clear, and it hadn't rained yet, (do you hear me justifying?) so i ducked under the tape and kept running. about 100 metres along there was more tape, and i ducked again, figuring the tape indicated the warning was over, i ran along.

and two minutes later, stopped. absolutely stunned.

the path was gone.

i'm not talking about the concrete covered with mud type of gone, i'm talking it was mud, roots, trees, tumbling down a violent hillside that wasn't there before. it was shocking, and a bit painful. although it is ironic to see nature restoring itself, i have loved that path for seven years, four children and so many crises and celebrations. i hope it is restored soon. that path means a lot to me.

moving on...

i have five general attitudes towards taxis and their drivers...

1) when i don't need a taxi, i am disdainful of the taxi's that slow down the minute they see me, "yes, i am a caucasian woman walking...of course i must need a taxi."

2) when i do need a taxi..."of course, speed up when you see me. could you be any more callous? could you please slow down?"

3) when i am in the taxi "why is there no smoking allowed in taxis but all taxis reek like smoke?" and "why can't your taxi get a clear transmission to a radion station?"

4) gratitude: "thank you so much for stopping."

5) as we approach a light turning ambert: "SPEED UP SPEED UP SPEED UP..." and if they dont, i get quite cross. i mean really. this is a world city. any world city driver knows, amber lights mean speed up! i don't even have a driver's license and i still know that! )Even if MC doesn't.

sorry for the long absence...

last saturday i awoke from my sleep to hear yelping coming from the kids room.

in the back of my mind i was aware that there was a thunderstorm going on, but it wasn't enough to seriously wake me up. there have been so many late nights recently...i wanted to snooze until at least 8am. i am selfish that way.

but the yelping got me up. it was unlike the typical "you have something i want give it back" timbre yelp, and it was a bit disconcerting.

i turned on to my back, and became aware that underneath my eyelids was going white then immediately dark again, and that there were crashes and booms right alongside our flat. there was a rainstorm unlike anything i had ever seen before. and i have been here for 11 years.

turns out, it was a black rain storm, with 145mm (a metre and a half) of rain coming down on hong kong between 8 - 9am. it was the highest hourly rainfall since records began. from midnight until 6pm on june 7, 308 mm of rain fell, the fifth highest daily rainfall recorded in june. but the real kicker was between 8-9am.

539 flooding reports were recorded, and two deaths were recorded as well.

check out this youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on7PtuDghSs&feature=related

around 2.30 there shows a couple on their way to their traditional wedding...gorgeous footage!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfZsun3CW9s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqPht9TCthY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajr6bzxDs44&NR=1

 

the entire family went for a walk. the triplets made it as far as the front gates. then the thunder and lightening freaked them out to such an extent they wanted to head home, so i took them home and they consoled themselves spectacularly by wearing my high heels and walking up and down the carpet runner/catwalk.

sebastian and charles walked down the hospital drive and into the hospital, where they saw the ground floor of the hospital, which is against the mountain, was covered in water. the force of the water had broken down a set of doors, and there were seniors shuffling along the corridors, pushing their oxygen tanks, ankle deep in water. he took a few pictures. it was really incredible he said.

we went for a drive after the rain stopped (and it stopped very suddenly) and saw boulders in the road, branches and so much silt. and deep deep puddles. it was really amazing. the kids were overwhelmed.

then we started getting calls from friends telling us how they had been caught in traffic for three hours, and then we started getting calls from loved ones asking if we were all right. and thankfully, we were. my email isn't however, all my emails are sitting in my outbox instead of my "sent" box, and i can't figure out what is going on. oh well, that's a small problem when all is said and done.

 

Tess talx - Sex in the city

i have been to see SEX AND THE CITY.

i saw it with my husband and then again with my girlfriend andrea, who is having a birthday today. (happy birthday, andrea!)

while critics are bashing the movie, this girl is not. i roll my eyes at girls who say, "oh we're just like carrie, samantha, miranda and charlotte" because really, are you? wearing designer, vintage, pearls to bed, with no parents, stilettos around the house and able to afford a personal assistant .... all on a journalist's salary (and did we ever see her doing work?)

like with the series, i found myself liking carrie the least of all the four protagonists.

I think the writers did a good job of keeping the characters true, but there was little "new york love" except for samantha's declarations of it..one thing that struck me odd was that carrie had been gung ho to have children when she was with alexsander, and we were supposed to believe that desire just died? and they seem to have shaved years off the girls (carrie met big when she was 30? don't think so), although samantha is so toned she doesn't look anywhere near 50. and honest about the botox! makes me laugh.

i liked the emphasis on friendship. that was good.

jennifer hudson was BAD. not good at all. she needs acting lessons. she is a pretty girl with a great voice, but she is no actress, yet.

seeing SATC was like spending time with friends i have missed. not close friends, but friends i cared about. i was upset that charlotte only was there for comic relief, essentially. and that her fish tail dress was so tight that what could have been a powerful moment in the movie had us all unwillingly giggling instead.

what i liked best is that the girls have all grown up, one way or another. the series doesn't try to convince us that we can continue a way of life forever, but instead that we embrace change, make it part of us and our present.

not sure what to make of the charge that the movie is "racist" (a claim also made about the television show)...let me think on that one.

in the meantime, i would say, go see the movie. i was grateful for my marriage and lot in life, even if i don't have  walk in closet the size of carrie's. then again, she has more junk than i do.

review rating: 6.5 - 7/10

three things

update:

jasper's appointment - overall went well. he has to continue with the high dose chamber steroids, but the doctors could really hear an improvement in his lungs. so thank you Father GOD! i am really pleased about that. the bad news is, when jasper lifted up his shirt so they could check his lungs and breathing, the doctor lowered the stethoscope, looked at jasper's stomach and said, "does the stomach normally look like this?"

and darn it, whenever i get scared, i get defensive. i do i do i do. it is a bad thing but it is a me thing. it is also the doctor's fault for not approaching it in a better manner. and i mean really, what did they mean by that vague question?

possible defensive responses...you choose which one i went with.

"you mean with the belly button?"

"you mean pink? yes."

"round? like he just ate two packets of crisps and a banana and drank an ice tea because we were waiting for 45 minutes before we got in to see you?"

well, no need to go into detail which one i said, but i am sure you can figure it out. again, i was defensive. but why the sudden interest in how my child's belly is shaped? he is not with child, he is a child.

i have been googling to try and figure this one out, and i have not been successful. if jasper was a dog i would think the vet was suggesting he had worms.

anyway, it really was a good appointment, can't you tell? it was. have to continue with steroids. got some cream for the exema. stay away from heavily cross pollinated areas. the doctor was very impressed that i keep a nebuliser in canada.  so i gained some points back there.

confession: have you ever been overly emotional with someone that you don't know very well? today i was. background: last night i went to a mum's evening with the mums from sebastian's class. and i have to say, they are fantastic. a great group of mums, no one slags each other off, no division based on class, race, wealth. great ladies.  i did have to mention the word epilepsy seven or eight times as every time we moved places people would cry loudly BUT YOU"RE NOT DRINKING!

i am digressing more than they were drinking. this one really lovely mum said something really nice about sebastian. you know that sebastian is "different" from mainstream kids. there are "different okay" and there are "different not so okay" and sebastian is just "different, very okay". very creative. he has a high sense of justice,  fairness is so important to him. and he daydreams. but rarely, so very rarely do i get a mum who volunteers in the classroom who walks up and says, "your son is a pleasure". most times i get, "your son looks just like your husband".

 i understand, sebastian is different, but that is not wrong. but last night, a mum complimented me on sebastian, called him sparky. said a few more things that she really liked about him, and i could tell that she meant it. it brought tears to my eyes, as really, i had never heard anyone say these things about my child before. not someone who wasn't a friend of mine already. another mum, who was sitting with us, actually started to disagree. i don't blame her or didn't get upset. but this other mum kept talking him up.  she sees what i see! sometimes you think you are seeing illusions.

today i called her to say thank you, and i started to tear up. and yes, cry, as i was thanking her.  i think she was a bit embarrassed, and i know i was.

lastly, also about sebastian. a friend of mine, nicole, who is in our book club and also lives in our building, is the ea in the classroom next to sebastian.s she sent me this message about sebastian standing up for his faith and what he believes is right.

In Year 1 they have been comparing the natural environment and man made...that's the context...

I don't listen in to 1A (trying to keep track with the class I work with)... but my interest was tweaked when I heard Sebastian say something like..."God made the world and the things in it." Not sure of the teacher's inital question.

His teacher politely replied. "We don't know if God exisits"

Sebastian's response "But God does exist!" ( He was not going to let it go)

His teacher diplomatically had to reply again "Some people believe God exsits and some people don't. People have to respect other people who don't believe in God just the same way people respect people who do believe in God".

I just thought Sebastian was great.

i am really thrilled. i am sure his teachers were polite and i know this is the response that has to be given in public schools, but i am proud that my boy stood up for his faith.

 

spent this morning in wanchai markets with a new friend. all in all, a great couple of days.

june already!

what a great time of year it is. the kids are racing around in their summer pajamas, all except jasper who clings to his dorothy the dinosaur pajamas, which now end several inches before his wrist begins. they are so short. he digs past all his summer short pajamas to his flannel dorothys and wears them, smiling happily and sweating muchly. little jasper.

tomorrow jasper is seeing a doctor about his lungs. last month the doctor was really concerned about the state of jasper's lungs and his harrison's sulcus, noting that jasper wheezes even after a short walk. he doubled up on his drugs and tomorrow we will see if the steroids have had any effect and if not, what he recommends.

last visit, i touched on the possibility of leaving hong kong. might that be best for jasper? and then the doctor asked me if jasper has ever needed his nebuliser anywhere else. and i said he had. interestingly, when we were in toronto and edmonton, of all places.

not for one moment do i believe it was pollution that caused that reaction, instead it was the cross pollination of trees. apparently it is a real problem. so the doctor didn't think an immediate exodus from hong kong was necessary, but then again, we never know what God has planned, do we.

hopefully tomorrow the doctor will say there is improvement in the wheezing. that would be really nice. as for the blonde man himself, right now he is curled up asleep, wearing his new (yes, i am trying to bribe him away from dorothy) power rangers pajamas. also a nice change, not to see him in sky blue and pink. do you think i should tell jasper i am about to throw away his favourite pajamas and let him say goodbye, or should they just not be here at the end of the summer when we return from vacation?