Preparing for the Chinese New Year

So, the kids have learned a lot this week about the upcoming Chinese New Year. Trey informed me that the kids are supposed to try and stay up as late as possible tonight (on the eve of the New Year) to bring good luck to their parents. The later they stay up, the more luck they bring. My response "come on, do I look that naive?" Apparently, it is a true custom so we are, of course, participating in it. However, Craig said no caffeine-induced awake time...they have to stay up as late as they can naturally. :) Way to put your foot down, dad! I hope to post a picture tomorrow of the kids with their dragon costumes on. They are very proud of them. Kyra is doing a sleepover with one of her friends tonight so we didn't get the picture taken tonight, but tomorrow!

CHURCH
It is very amusing to me that attending church here isn't much different than back home. We went to the contemporary service this morning and sang the exact songs we've been singing back home - we knew them all, closing with the sending song "Open the Eyes of My Heart"...too funny! Most people have gone away on holiday here so it was a little empty in church, but still good to start getting connected.

SECOND ATTEMPT AT THE FISH
Craig and the kids made a second visit to the underground of Billy's Bakery and picked up five new fish, as well as some additional care information in an attempt to keep this next batch alive. We also learned that this is not the right season to buy a turtle as they tend to dry up and die. Wish we would have had that information the first time around. Wish us good luck!

Our Admirers

I'm attaching some pictures of our admirers and the kids at the beach...

Mt. Dew is Found on Hong Kong Island!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank those dear friends of mine that have been praying for me and my Mt. Dew addiction. You can stop worrying about me...my loving husband was quite diligent in attempting to find some Mt. Dew on Hong Kong Island - and he succeeded!! I think he was feeling a little guilty about his long trip or he might just love me so much he'd do that for me. I have to say that I MIGHT be able to give it up. Don't get me wrong, I'll enjoy the 8 cans that he bought me...but it is tasting a bit sugary after not having it for a couple weeks. I might get past that though!

Air Shipment Arrives!

So, I am so excited! Our air shipment finally arrived with our computers. So, I got right to work at getting them set up. I plugged in my Mac...took two minutes and we are up and running. So, then I went to work on the brand new PC we purchased for the kids (the last one was on it's last leg but used it until we left). I specifically searched the pc to make sure it was compatible with the different electrical voltage and sure enough, the manual says it is. I looked all over it to make sure I was plugging everything in correctly. I plug it in and turn the electrical switch on and BOOM! I had a little blast. Oops...apparently there is a very tiny switch to slide over about 1/8 of an inch to switch the voltage. Now...the nice new computer doesn't turn on. Technical assistance suggested I send it to a friend or family member in the states to have it serviced...or not. I'm replacing the part myself...as soon as I find it in Hong Kong! Never a dull moment here.

"God Things"
I just have to laugh at some of the "back home" connections we have had. As it turns out, the son of the Edina woman that I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs that we happened to run into in the hallway the other day, is in Kyra's class! He also plays hockey. Although, Kyra has become less inclined to play hockey here as the program we have her currently in only has 3 girls in it...and none of those are her friends from Eden Prairie. We're still working on her with that as we know that she truly loves to play...so maybe in a little time.

Also, the principal of the Upper Primary (Trey's school section) is from Fargo, North Dakota.

Reality Check
Trey is enjoying the "basketball program" although I've learned how high/different sports expectations have become for us given the Eden Prairie programs that we are used to. To participate is quite expensive here and today the leader asked the kids if they wanted to play dodge ball instead of playing basketball. I quickly texted Craig (in Australia) and said "are you sure we have Trey signed up in the right program...I'm confused...what are they thinking wasting our time on DODGE BALL...isn't that for Phy Ed?" I think Trey was a little disappointed at first also as I know he really looks forward to being able to play basketball with other boys his age, but by the end I could tell he had a lot of fun and was starting to build those initial relationships with some boys. Isn't that what it should be about? For that, it is worth whatever amount of money...even for dodge ball.

Drinking the Water
So, to save money on groceries, I've been encouraging the kids to drink water from the tap. My lecture went something like "we are not so spoiled that we can't drink the water from the sink. Do you know how much the bottled water costs here?" Oops...not such a good idea...I can't remember what the parasite or whatever is, but diah..... (sorry I just can't even say it) for 10 days or more if you get it, is enough for me to pay for the bottled water!

I hope to get some pictures posted soon!

First Day of School...

Our first day of school is here! The kids were great. I'm going to have to get used to making three lunches every morning. I'm already missing the hot lunch program at Eden Lake! I got to ride the bus to school with the kids and Keely got to go with too. There is a "bus mom" who shows you where to sit and to remind you to buckle up! Their school bus is more like a small chartered bus, not your usual yellow school bus. I think we fill half of our bus from the kids in our apartment building alone.

MORE MINNESOTA...
I walked Trey to his class this morning because he was the only one that didn't get to pre-meet his teacher and see where his classroom was or anything. He is actually in a combination grade class, which means there are both 3rd graders and 4th graders in his class. Anyway, the principal was asking us where we were coming from and we said Minnesota. He then informed us that Trey's class would be having a temporary student teacher in his classroom that is from Minnesota. Of course he does! It turns out she is from Bethel College. I guess I should not be surprised anymore, but it is truly amazing what small world it truly is.

Phew! First day off and started...now if we could just get our air shipment with our computers!

The Deaths Continue...

I'm sad to say that the Sandness family has lost all of their new members...a plague seems to have hit...either that or ignorant owners. Boris and Maddie keeled over last night. Trey is convinced they got hurt by insisting on going in the castle we bought for decoration in the tank. They both could often be found in there...in fact, that is where we found Maddie dead this morning. So, the fish deaths prompted Kyra to take a look at her turtle and she freaked out because it looked like its eyes were gone...basically, it looked like its head dried up...hmmm...where to go from here?

Keely keeps asking where Maddie went. Kyra tells her she died. And Keely says "where?" This conversation has been repeated several times already today. I think we might just replace Maddie with the same looking fish and pretend she never died. How's that for good parenting?

School starts tomorrow for the kids...at last! Even they feel that way. Trey is anxious to meet some boys. He's been bombarded by the overwhelming number of girls that come knocking at the door to see who the new people are. We saw some potential when he started the basketball program last week. There are a few boys that seemed right up his alley so hopefully he'll see them at school also. We know there are at least one or two boys his age in the building, we just haven't seen them yet. Soon, we hope.

A few things...

Well, per the request of a dear friend, I figured out a way to change my settings so that anyone can leave a comment on this blog. You do not have to be a registered member. So, comment away!! We look foward to it.

So, Trey and I decided the other day we were going to splurge and have steak for dinner. We are the true red meat lovers (besides Craig, who I am sure is having plenty of steak while he's traveling) in the family. Well...I scouted out the steak options at the grocery store and found a very small steak in New York Strip type family for the bargain price of nearly $25 USD for one. Needless to say, we had hamburgers that night instead. I told Trey that maybe for his birthday we can all watch him eat a steak.

I guess that's all I have for tonight...Kyra is at a birthday party...yes, the girl has already been invited to someone's birthday party! She is still missing home quite a bit, but for the most part we are all doing quite well. I'm anxious to have our own computers so that I can post some pictures up on our blog. Crossing my fingers for a Monday delivery, but not holding my breath.

It's A Small World...

So, we jumped through our final hoop today to get Tyson into the same school as Kyra and Trey. He had to have an "interview" with one of the principals. While we (me, Trey, Kyra and Keely) were waiting in the hallway, a mom walking through stopped and said "did your daughter play hockey in Eden Prairie?" She could tell that I was completely surprised at how she would know that and so she pointed to Kyra's hockey jacket that she was wearing. It turns out that she is from Edina, moved here 6 months ago and her son is playing hockey here. He played previously for Edina. Also, as it turns out, the principal that Tyson was meeting with is originally from Duluth.

It truly does not feel like we have moved to the other side of the world...just had to share...

A Death in the Family...

Well, as new fish owners we are struggling a little bit...we lost Carl this morning. We aren't sure why or how, but he was belly up at the bottom of the tank, not moving. Tyson shed a few tears before school, but per usual Sandness mode, we didn't have a whole lot of spare time to focus on Carl before we had to run out the door to catch the bus. The poor kid had stared at this fish among thousands for about 45 minutes to make sure he got the fish he had wanted. He said a prayer for Carl this morning before he left for school. I'm pretty sure the Sandness family will be returning to Billy's Bakery in the near future...

Additions to the Family

I forgot to mention the newest additions to the Sandness family. Craig and I had promised the kids that they could get pet fish once we got to Hong Kong. We decided we would do that as a family outing yesterday before Craig left on his trip. As we were waiting for a taxi in the lobby of the apartment building, Craig inquired with the front desk on where to go to find a fish for a pet. It was obvious there was some miscommunication going on, so we stressed that we were looking for fish that were still alive and NOT to eat.

So, we think we've now been understood and the front desk person tells the taxi driver (in Chinese) where we want to go. Well...after a half hour drive to the city, we get to a very busy corner where there is plenty of food places including some fish to eat and the taxi driver is encouraging us to get out of his taxi and pay. Right on the corner is Billy's Bakery...pretty much sure we are in the wrong place, but Craig insists we get out and at least check it out. As it turns out, if you go two floors down underneath Billy's Bakery, there is a whole bunch of fish...IN AQUARIUMS! Persistence prevailed despite my skepticism :)

An hour or more later, we became the proud owners of our very first aquarium with three new fish. Kyra decided to get a baby turtle instead of a fish. Keely named her fish Maddie, Tyson named his fish Carl, and Trey named his fish Boris. Kyra named her baby turtle Flippers.

You had to figure the Sandness family couldn't go very long without a pet in the house...

I thought the groceries were going to be expensive...

So...Craig was talking another family on the soccer field the other day about some of the ins and outs of getting started living here in Hong Kong. We'll take whatever tips we can get to make our transition as smooth as possible. In their discussion of many things, Craig inquired about if the electricity could really be as much as $1,000 U.S. dollars per month (as our relocation guide had informed us) and the couple said to Craig that their LOWEST monthly bill was $700 and that is when they weren't here and they were on holiday. Their first month here was $2,800! As you can imagine, this seriously cramps my style :) Can you imagine?

The kids and I just returned from the supermarket. It is funny how spoiled/lazy we had become in Eden Prairie. We take a taxi when we must, but it really is an easy walk to the local supermarket, the church, the beach, the school, the coffee shop... Unfortunately, it is all uphill on the way back. So each of the kids carry a bag. It helps when they ask to get something at the market...I say, do you want to carry it home?:) That helps them determine how badly they want it.

That's all for tonight...

A Change in Schooling

Well, after three successful days for Tyson at Bradbury School we have now been informed that there is an opening for him at the Hong Kong International School which is where Trey and Kyra are enrolled. We are going to take it, but are disappointed that we will have to eat the costs of the tuition and uniforms that we put out two days before finding this out. God is truly looking out for us as this is the best possible situation for us is to have all three going to the same school.

Found out today that our computers are "somewhere" and scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong next Friday. Not sure what that means as far as when they'll actually arrive on our doorstep. Not really sure why you pay for air shipment...should have just added another couple of extra boxes to the "Sandness checked baggage" perhaps.

We visited Stanley market AGAIN (we seem to be regulars there already...a short taxi ride and at least provides a change of pace for me and the kids). Trey and Kyra now both own ripsticks...I'm not even sure if that is what they are called, but they are already becoming quite good at them after only have them for a day. We also went to one of the Hong Kong malls that has a skating rink in it. Trey and Kyra ice skated for a while, which was fun for them.

Groceries are quite expensive here. And since the size of most things are smaller, the items add up quicker. The Sandness family can go through one box of Frosties (Frosted Flakes) in one breakfast...not good on the budget!! It will be very interesting as I keep track, of how much we spend on groceries.

Craig's company had a nice outing for us last night. A boat ride in Victoria Harbor that lasted a few hours. Yesterday was the coldest day of the winter here so far so everyone had their parkas and down jackets on...us in our sweaters and sweatshirts. Very funny. It was very fun to see the city skyscrapers so lit up...reminded us of New York City.

I think that is it for now. Craig leaves on a trip on Monday and is gone for 11 days. I'm so excited for that...having all four kids home all day for another week with no technological escapes...luckily they've been taking advantage of the raquetball court with a basketball hoop and just running outside by the play area. It is hard with all the other kids their age at school. Perhaps we'll try the beach again...maybe they'll show up on Utube with all these photos - who knows????

Miss you all, but honestly we feel like we are on a vacation still...although Kyra is starting hockey tomorrow and Trey is starting baseball on Wednesday...hmmm...am I still in Eden Prairie with my routine of activities??? And so it begins. :)

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At Last They Speak...

Well, I have to say that it ABSOLUTELY KILLING ME not to have a computer, internet or a telephone. I am so technologically spoiled that I can hardly stand it. I have been quite anxious to put an update on here since we have experienced so much already. So...this may be long or it may be short, since I might get kicked off the "apartment computer" that is for public use.

We Arrived! Yes, we made it all in once piece with our 14 extra large duffle bags, 2 large boxes and six carry-on pieces with blankets, pillows and stuffed animals strapped to each one of them. Our journey was typical Sandness style with stories to tell at nearly every corner. What kind of adventure would it be if there wasn't?

OUR JOURNEY HERE - BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS
Our journey out of Minneapolis was highlighted by a passenger fighting with the gate personnel over whether or not she could bring her very large carry-on on board. After the "f" word was thrown around a few times, security was called. We did eventually see her board the plane toward the end - bagless! I was then a bit concerned for the journey as a whole when Keely was screaming (I mean screaming) for the last half hour or so of the flight to LA. A very kind woman in front of us (who had no kids of her own) was MORE than helpful offering things to Keely after I very kindly told her she would likely choke on those items. That story is too long to bother telling at this point...needless to say, we were happy to be off that flight.

Unfortunately, they temporarily misplaced one of the two pieces to our stroller to transport Keely from one flight to the next. We can get creative, but no matter what there was no way we could get to our next flight without a stroller. So...we waited...then rushed to the next flight to wait again...long boring story there also, but needless to say we were packed like sardines in a shuttle bus being taxied out to a gate and we get there and there is no plane...of course there isn't...so we waited as sardines in the shuttle bus some more... :)

After all this and more, I'm extremely fearful of what the 15 hour flight has in store for us. I prayed several times throughout the day for this flight...apparently I should have been praying for the WHOLE journey, but this flight was a BREEZE!!! The kids were great, even Keely. Kyra turned to me at about 10 1/2 hours into the flight and said..."mom, this flight feels way shorter than the last one." Praise God is all I have to say!

IN HONG KONG
Things have been fine since we've been here. It is very funny that everyone knows that we are the new people in the building. Every time we get in an elevator with someone new they turn to us and say, "you're the new people, right?" The kids are very amused by this.

Since Trey and Kyra don't start school until the 19th, we have been enjoying walking down to the beach that is about a 10 minute walk down to (about a 20 minute walk back up!). The last two visits they've put their swimsuits on despite the fact that Craig said the water is VERY cold. These are our true Minnesota children. The beach has lost it's luster a little bit. There are Chinese tourists that are brought to this beach by the busload daily as it is the most popular beach on Hong Kong Island. That isn't the problem...the problem is that they won't stop posing with us and taking our picture. They come and congregate around us and pose with Keely especially, but today they were around us for nearly an hour...each taking their turn asking to take our pictures. I said yes to the first few, which was my first mistake, because then when i started saying no, they just nod their head and start snapping away.

The funniest story that came out of today's "photo shoot" was that one particular man was taking pictures of us for nearly a half an hour and he was pleasant enough. When he was finally ready to leave, he said to Kyra, "how is it the word you say in English when you are leaving?" Kyra didn't understand what he said so she just responded to be polite "Oh, that's awesome" so he waved to her and Trey with a big small on his face and said "AWESOMMMMEEE" The kids got quite a kick out of that. We finally had to leave because they wouldn't leave us. Some even followed us off the beach a ways.

Tyson started school today at a different school than Trey and Kyra. After a few days of the kids home with no other kids around I quickly realized that Tyson needed to be around other kids during the day. He is a little timid about it, but went to school just fine. He did great and we are so proud of him. I think he is still a little sad that he isn't going with Trey and Kyra to their school. He has to ride a bus by himself also. I know it is the best thing for him, but it is hard to see him sad and wish this wasn't the way it is. Hopefully, he will get into their school for next year. We are optimistic.

We've met several families in the building...from all over the place...for the most part very nice and helpful, so that's good. Hopefully, it will continue.

Well, I'm sure there is much more but I'm sure my family is wondering where I am or at the very least, what has happened to me. We hope to have internet and our computers next Monday. If not, I'm going to cry!!! Seriously.
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