Wardrobe Malfunctions

Sporting lovely black and red shades this season - Amy and Maya (no boob shown here!)

Today is the school celebration of Chinese National Day (October 1st)! And it's a big one - 60 years of Communism! If I was still living in China right now, I am SO sure that this post would not make it out of the country! However - long live Hong Kong!

I am not going to pretend I know ANYTHING about Chinese politics - I had to ask my neighbour exactly what we were celebrating - thankfully a 'laowai'! I'm not THAT stupid...well.. I did buy a vacuum cleaner!

Anyway, on the weekend we ventured out to the 'Lanes' in Central to buy our mandatory Chinese costume for this day. Unfortunately being the bigger one of the bunch, I was not able to fit into a dress - plus the splits really were quite high for my cellulited thighs - I was happy to purchase - on the school- a black and red Chinese top.

Bonnie and Allie with Mooncakes - Yum!

All happy this morning to be dressing up - I LOVE IT - at the last minute I put on a singlet underneath just in case. Just in case was right!!!! Being a well endowed westerner - YES, I have boobs - the intricate workings of the small domes would not hold and as soon as I moved my arms up down, or around POP! Right boob exposed! Thankfully I have some rather resourceful colleagues and safety pins have saved the day!

Thank god, I don't teach in a proper Chinese school, I will stick to private all the way! Once a year of boob outage is enough!

Enjoy your week,

Hopefully the sun will shine tomorrow and it will be off to the beach we go!

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo

Further proof

The day I get paid.....I rush out and buy a vacuum cleaner....need I say more!!

God, what a worry!

Arohanui

Love Amy

P.S - Happy National Day - 60 years - Go China!

How you KNOW you are old!!!

Today is my brothers 24th birthday - the age which I still think I am, and keep telling people....imagine the shock I get that I am already 2 years older than that! I feel old!!!!!! Especially when I stay home on a Saturday night to clean and am in bed on a Friday night - WAY before 12! L.O.S.E.R!!!

After talking to my brother - he told me I wasn't invited to his birthday dinner - hmmmm - wonder why that is!? - I looked out the window...

....I know that i have talked about the weather here before, however it never seems to amaze me! Today although still 28 degrees it is pouring and it won't stop, the wind is crazy, making the rain spray everywhere.

Apparently, after looking at the government website, there is nothing happening, oh except that a monsoon is coming - apparently NOTHING to worry about! Only black rain and typhoon 8 means to go home! Hmmmmmmm, oh well, I am sure that I will learn the different kinds of rain and be down with the weather patterns by the end of my 2 years!

Happy birthday Justin, you old man! Love you lots!

Now, I am OFFICIALLY old!!! Talking about the weather qualifies me for that...aswell as making me BORING! Oh no, what a worry!

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo

She's so lucky!

In all seriousness, I cannot believe the luck that I have had here!

Stunning collegues and new friends at Jaspers in Happy Valley before 'Time Travellers Wife'

After the challenges - mainly social and emotional - of China and being back home and experiencing the funkiness and good times of Melbourne, I was seriously doubting my decision to keep on trucking and head to Hong Kong. I was seriously considering packing it all in and heading back to Wellington.

I am so glad that I decided to stay on and slowly but surely I have managed to start setting up a more stable - and hopefully pill and operation free - life for myself. Healthy Amy all the way.

I cannot believe how much more of a home I can make for myself here in HK and the great people, friends and colleagues that i have been privileged to meet already.

Sam and Maya riding the Tram to Happy Valley

Maya, Sam and Darren have been fabulous friends and I have no idea how I would have survived without them! I have also met some fantastic colleagues who have shown nothing but kindness and patience towards me, with all of my queries and questions - poor them, I know you are thinking!

Hong Kong offers so much more home comforts and exciting activities than I have epereinced before, including a HUGE slice of NZ aswell!

First time on HK trams - I love public transport!

Hong Kong - does it have it all for this Martin?
Only time will tell!

Arohanui
Love you guys,
Love Amy xo xo

For you Dad!

This week has been a relatively sane one, rearranging schedules, leading meetings on Numeracy, analysing my teaching and taking on new views in relating to team teaching. Luckily I have a great team of English teachers and a fantastic Grade Leader to help keep me in check and sane!

After talking to my Dad on Tuesday, he told me I needed to cut my hair (ie.Wash it), etc. SO in tribute to my Dad (well, more to myself) I posted the above picture to prove that I am TRYING to look after myself!

Looking after myself on the MTR - standing in the right place!

I also decided that I had better try being dairy free - only about 8 years too late. I wanted to see how I felt after a week of eliminating it from my diet altogether. Unfortunately for me, I have ended the week feeling pretty good and have been less moody - yes, I am girl who knows she can be moody and ADMIT it!

Also, unfortunately for me I spotted Kapiti Cheese in the local supermarket and managed to buy a few! Ops - oh well, the week is over tonight and the occasional piece of Cheese (when shared among friends -maybe...), won't hurt...hmmmmmm, well here's to another week...diary free of not! Gym and Netball here I come!!!!

Arohanui,

Looking after myself (I promise),

Love Amy xoxo

Where do the weeks go?

Sangria Sunday rest - Christine, Maya, Sam and I at Moet Sunday!!!

Almost a week to the day of my last post I am finally putting down the work and making time to write! Once again my class has made the isolation list so back to lunchtime supervision we go!

Moet of tap!!! YAY!!!

Last Sunday, to round off Sam's birthday week, we had a girls' day and headed to the mainland to have a Champagne brunch at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Cheers!!! Loving the Champagne!

Maya's BIG plate - haha - she will kill me it is actually mine and Sam's cheese plate!

View from the table

I can't believe (and neither can anyone else) that this is my first time off the island since arriving only a short 6 weeks ago!!!

The: I can't believe I am off the island, shot!

A lot of interesting things and developments have happened this week and I have been bursting to write, however it may have to wait until the weekend as IT class is looming and lunchtime to follow!

View from the Star Ferry on the way home around 4.30pm

I am still in the honeymoon phase here, however, yesterday left me wondering if indeed I will still be this in love with Hong Kong after a few months - it feels like I have been here for years, when in reality it isn't even 2 months yet! Hmmmmm, only time will tell!

The usual, after a few wines shot!

Sam showing off her stuff infront of the camera

ACTION!!
A nice one, with our island home in the background

I found Jackie Chan - I knew no one else except Bruce Lee thou!

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo

Happy Birthday Sam!

On the terrace at the Excelsior

Thursday was Sam's big 2,8 -sexy age! And we decided to celebrate by heading out to a Japanese restaurant, a drink up on the top floor of the Excelsior and at good old Lan Kwai Fong.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAM!!

It was a great night and a great way for Matt to spend his last night in Hong Kong.

Enjoying his last night in HK

The highlight of the night was definitely the view from the terrace of the Excelsior - this hotel is right next door to my apartment - Mum and Dad this is definitely where we will be going when you come!

Prices being through the roof - literally - we decided to enjoy one cocktail and move on! Imagine our surprise when the bill came and it was basically halved! Happy hour!!! Needless to say for our girls night, we will be heading there for another Pomegranate Cosmo!

Lan Kwai Fong at the HK Hockey Draft - Darren got picked 23rd out of 85 in Division 1! Good job!

Have a great weekend everyone and GO THE ALL BLACKS!!!

I LIVE HERE! This is actually Causeway Bay - may neighbourhood

All my love,

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo

Something to make you laugh!

Seems like I cannot avoid the swine flu and it seems that that, along with Influenza A and fevers has taken over my class! I only have 9 today, instead of the usual 24!

We are now in isolation, with the children having to have lunch in the classroom and play in the 'isolation playground' on the 9th floor! Unfortunately we are the only P1 class in isolation so I am sure that the novelty of a new playground will wear off shortly. We also have to wear masks constantly.

Thought I'd sahre this picture with you to make you laugh:

Unfortunatly being a good teacher and role model means I have to wear the mask at all times and it is so HOT in this humid weather, I really do feel for the kids!

How hilarious do I look!

Go the isolation!

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo

I'm a survivor!

Emil and I waiting out the Typhoon!

The typhoon hit rather early in the morning at about 1am - 3am, and with it still being a T8 at 6am, school was cancelled and we were told to not even come in when it went down to T3! Oh yeah, HK just keeps getting better.

The typhoon wasn't anything to out of NZ's weather, however when it rains, it buckets down! Actual cats and dogs, I am sure! The people who do the rain scenes in movies, must definitely be from HK I have decided!

Emil made it here safely, unfortunately poor Matt, on route from Auckland got delayed and had to land in Taipei! Lovely AirNZ put all passengers up in a hotel, plus gave them 3 buffet meals and also supplied shuttles at 1am to their destination when they arrived in HK!

I had set my alarm for 2am, to enable myself to hear my door being knocked on and then proceeded to wake up every hour on the hour before and after this - wondering if he had made it once again?

6am, I go and check out the peephole - nothing....10 mins later I hear a knock on the door! Poor Matt has been asleep on my doorstep for the past 4 hours!!!!!!

Needless to say, I feel exceptionally bad and I am sure that he will score a dinner out of it tonight!

No such luck - no Typhoon warning today, although plans for Sam's birthday are in the works and it's looking like a fun 4 days, concluding with a Champagne brunch - Moet and a harbour view....

...this is the life!

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo xo xo

And it gets better......

Sam, Bene, Claudine, Maya and me at American Peking Duck - YUM! A taste of China!

This is the week of my first round of visitors! I am both very excited and mentally exhuasted already....it is Sam's birthday Thursday and I can see that one being HUGE!

To start off their visit, one has been welcomed by a T8 typhoon hoist (shops have closed, taped up their windows and taxis are non-existant) and the other is flying in tomorrow morning when it is supposed to either be gone completely or much worse! Hmmmm.....Welcome to Hong Kong!

Apart from that I have a fun week planned for the boys and I am sure that they will have a great time. One being a relative local - he was born here, I am hoping he will have some more insight into what to experience here - in the pouring rain! Haha!

Have a great week everyone and enjoy your typhoon free weather!!

How fantastic!

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo xo xo

Upside down T and a 3

Typhoon territory!

Apart of living in Hong Kong is having to always be aware of the weather.

If it is rainy, then we need ot check the weather weather report - it could be 'black rain' and school is cancelled. I still really don't know what that means but....oh well!

If it is windy we need to check the weather report/TV to see if it is a typhoon warning. If it is Typhoon 8 before 6.30am we don't go to school, leave the apartment and have to keep checking to see if it goes down - if so we have 2 hours to get our butts to school. If it increases during the day i.e. today, then we have to keep an eye on things and if it reaches T8 we need to close the school.

Everything looks fine to me!

Today has only reached Typhoon 3 (symbol is upside down 'T') but it makes another hilarious aspect of living in 'The Kong'!

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo

Sangria Sunday!

Stunning girls - Sam and Maya on the Mid-Levels Escalator - Ahhhh, this is the life!

Despite only being here for less than a month we have an established tradition already:

SANGRIA SUNDAY!

It has been fantastic spending Sunday's relaxing in Staunton's in Soho, drinking pitchers of Sangria in the open air restaurant and eating lovely meals, whiling the day away! Exploring the streets and areas of HK island I have the dreaded feeling that I may become a 'HK island snob', never leaving the island for anything! Even the NZ shop, complete with NZ reduced cream and onion dip is in my hood!

Go the Sangria and great food! All hail, Sangria Sunday!

I have actually been VERY good here and have been out socialising but have made it home relatively early and have been the geek in IKEA late on a Saturday night!

Loving it!

So far we have seen 3 movie/TV scenes being shot and numerous models being shot around the city

Arohanui,

Love Amy xo xo xo

Be prepared....

Sam getting ready to battle the crowds with her new TV and DVD!

it's been awhile but be prepared for the blog to be updated reguarlarly! I finally got internet at home and instead of doing a full replay of what has been going on, I'm just going to start from now and maybe back track along the way.

I am now moved into my FANTASTIC apartment, after looking at some not so hot ones - photos to come later - but IKEA has been my savior!

Right now I am preparing for parents night and getting head around being PYP coordinator for my grade, house leader for Amazon (Green House - I am the Amazon Queen! haha), having a co teacher (running every little thing by someone else) and coming to grips with HK and the school. It's great!!!!

At the moment the foremost aspect of school that is cracking me up is SWINE FLU! Yes, you heard me right. We have 9 confirmed cases, 4 isolated classes and numerous masks around the school.

We have a confirmed case of Influenza A in my class, awaiting Swine confirmation, however the new staff and I are thinking this is hilarious! None of us are used to this and for PR we are are overkill on the isolation, cleanliness, mask usage and all that comes with it.

What a laugh...that is until I catch it!

Lots of love,

Arohanui,

Amy xo