Happy Birthday Andre!!! Part 1

On April 30th, Andre reached a big milestone...turning 30!!! Luckily, we have some AWESOME friends who really wanted to celebrate this special day with him. We ended up going to dinner with 20+ friends at a local Chinese place, having cake at our apartment, and then going to a bar. A good time was had by all...especially the big guy!! :)

Here I am, slaving away on Andre's birthday cakes.



We had a TON of food!!



Half of the group...enjoying their dinner.



Andre, gracing us with an entirely inappropriate song that everyone LOVED. :)



6 cases later...



I made him a cheesecake AND a chocolate cake. I am quite the cake maker!! ;)



After the cake, everyone had lots of energy to burn. This is Andre dancing with our friend Zar.



And this just isn't even RIGHT!! haha



Some of the guys, busting a move!



He was REALLY getting down!!



After this picture was taken, security showed up because we were being too loud and we left for the bars. What a night!! :)

Hong Kong

As an end to my friend Cindy's trip, we went to Hong Kong for the weekend. I have been twice before, but we did so much more this time in an effort to see everything. We arrived in HK on Thursday evening and went for a fantastic dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel. This place had the most fabulous view of the Hong Kong skyline. This skyline is AMAZING...all the lights and buildings, mmmmm...I love it!! Anyway, we had dinner at the steakhouse and then drinks in the lobby while we enjoyed the view. After that, we went back to the hotel to get some rest for the busy Friday we had planned!
On Friday, we got going and went to try this dim sum place I read about online. Dim sum is a really popular Cantonese dish, and therefore really popular in Hong Kong. We went to try it out, and ended up being an hour early! Apparently I am terrible at planning! ;) So we ended up going to Lan Kwai Fong, which is a really popular bar district that is filled with foreigners at night. We got some sandwiches and headed to the bus station. Here, we caught a bus to Stanley Market which is a typical street market that totally caters to visitors and carries all types of "Chinese" souvenirs. Cindy loaded up with little things to take home and we headed to the bay to take some pictures and have a beer. After that, we took the bus back and then boarded another bus to go up to the peak. The peak has the most beautiful views of Hong Kong Island. Because we were so high up, it was COLD and windy!! We got a coffee and soaked in the sights. Afterward we took the tram down and headed to Soho. We walked around Soho for awhile and took the Mid-levels escalators...which are outdoor escalators that move thousands of people everyday from district to district. We had a couple of drinks at a local bar and then headed out for Mexican food. If you know me, you know I LOVE Mexican food. It pretty much can't be found in mainland China so it was a MUST on my list. Once we were filled up with as much pintos and tortilla chips as we could manage, we headed back to Lan Kwai Fong to check out the nightlife. Since Cindy was leaving early the next morning we didn't stay out late, but this place was BUMPIN!! I couldn't believe all the gwai lo's...I felt like I was back in America!! (Gwai Lo is a term that Chinese people use to refer to foreigners...it translates to white ghost...hahaha) Here are some photos from our busy weekend in HK.

Cindy and I on the train from Shenzen to Hong Kong.


Cindy in the lobby bar at the Intercontinental Hotel.


You have to come see this place in person...pictures don't even BEGIN to do it justice!


A really bad photo of Cindy and I on the double-decker bus headed to Stanley Market.


We love HK!!! :)


Cindy posing for a picture in front of the bay.


Andre and I.


From the peak...sooooooo high up!!




These are for you Dad. I think the window-cleaners should come to Hong Kong and do some bids!! :)



Typical view of a Hong Kong street or alley.



Lan Kwai Fung at night...and this picture was taken fairly early in the evening!!

Our 1st Visitor

Last week, we had our first visitor...my friend Cindy. Cindy and I used to teach together, and she decided to come to Dongguan during her Spring Break. She was only here for a week, so it was pretty action-packed trying to cram everything in. Here are a few photos from her trip.

Cindy and I the night she arrived. Having dinner & drinks at our favorite pub.


Cindy at the wet market down the road from our house...posing with the white & black (?) chickens!!


Doing the traditional Chinese pose in front of the Papa John's. Why not? :)


Cindy & our friend Bella at Bejing Bar.


Oh what a night!! This one put Cindy down for the count!! :)


Cindy...all ready for her first foot massage.


We got pedicures as well!! :)


Here she is trying squid...she did NOT like it!!


We ended her time in DG with a full body massage and facial...for her birthday!! :)

Expect the Unexpected

When we moved to China, I really had no idea what things would be like. Half the time, I still don't know what to expect!! :) One thing I did not expect, was that I would miss teaching. Not only do I miss the kids, but I miss having co-workers, my own classroom, and MOSTLY...a purpose in this world. So, about a month ago, I put out some feelers to see what I might want to do about this predicament. I learned that tutoring would be something easy to pick-up and I would have flexibility in setting my schedule. But, I knew that this would not satisfy my needs...I needed to get back to the classroom. So, I went out and got a job!! :) I will be teaching at Eton House, which is an International School that is about a 5 minute walk from our apartment. I am starting in July (for a summer camp), but the real school year doesn't start until the end of August. I will be teaching 1st grade which is new to me, but I am SO looking forward to all the challenges it will bring. I will have a co-teacher who speaks both Mandarin & English, but everything in the classroom will be conducted in English. I am thrilled with the prospect of meeting new people and with submersing myself in my passion. As I sit and reflect on this new opportunity, I can't help but think that a year ago I had NO CLUE that I would be where I am today. Not only in China, but also having the opportunity to teach 1st grade at an International School. I am one lucky girl! :)

This is a picture of the school.

File Hydlant?

In my husband's words..."Hmmmm.. I hope there isn't a file! I don't know how to use a File Hydlant."

Public Display of Affection

In America, affection between couples is normal and expected. You see couples everywhere holding hands, or putting their arms around each other, or even kissing (although hopefully not with TOO much enthusiasm!!). I never really gave this much thought, because it is so normal. In fact, I have known couples that can't agree on how much PDA is acceptable, based on personal preference of course. But, all-in-all people like it, and it is a way of showing that your are happy, in-love, or maybe...just in-lust! :)
Anyway, one of the first things I noticed about China was how affectionate the people of the same sex are with each other. Guys walk down the street with their arms slung around their guy friends, and girls walk down the street holding hands with their girl friends. This caught me a little off guard, because in America people would do a double take at this. Guys in America, especially, are so worried about doing ANYTHING that would downgrade their masculinity. In fact, isn't there a special "back pat" you guys do when you hug...to let other guys know that you don't swing that way? So, even though there is this same-sex affection here in China, you don't see much between couples.
Our friend, Bella, recently had her parents, from a province up North, here to visit for about a month and a half. Andre and I grew very fond of them, and would often have dinner with them (her parents make the most delicious dumplings, meat pies, and Chinese tacos by the way!!). On their last night in town, Bella told me, "My parents think you and Andre are SO CUTE!!" As we discussed this more she began to tell me that her parents think we are SO in love because Andre and I display so much affection. She says that we always touch, hug, kiss, or look at each other in "that loving way." Then she went on to say that she didn't think her parents had EVER kissed in public. Wow!! To me, that is so crazy. And so different from America.

Weirdest Food?

People are always asking me, "What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten in China?" I have to say, I haven't eaten tons of crazy things. But, I am MUCH more adventurous than I was in the US...and I will pretty much try anything. Including...SQUID LEGS!! And not just any squid legs, either. These were squid legs that were barbecued in a "dark, dodgy alley (as described by the friend who took us to eat there)." The place was really good...although, I must admit that I had to have a little liquid courage to try it. In the end, I am so glad I did it. Now, I have an answer to the most popular question...although, I am sure it will be ever-changing!! ;)