BootsnAll Travel Network



Archive for March, 2009

« Home

reality check

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

You think we’ve shrunk? Or used funny mirrors?
Shame on you, dear comment-ers on the last post!

Here’s real proof taken today of Rob’s fine form – and just take a look at Rach’s waistline (or what you can almost see of it).
Yes, there’s a mirror, but there ain’t anything funny about it.
Cameras don’t lie, you know.

And while we’re dreaming 😉 , Rach found her dream cottage today:

More details of today’s magic coming later, but right now it’s 11pm and we’ve only just got everyone into bed (we were still eating dinner at 9:30)…..it’s been one long wonderful day and we’re ready to crash get our beauty sleep.

1-2-3 a-b-c

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

by Mama-Teacher
Hong Kong (back in Kowloon)

It almost felt like a New Zealand kind of learning day today.
When I popped down to the bakery to pick up our lunch goodies (OK, so maybe not entirely NZ-ish!), a biggish boy accompanied me, along with the two-year-old, who was enthusiastic about playing at the playground. As we walked I instructed Boy about how to watch Little Girl and left them safely under the watchful eye of many Chinese Grandmas while I conducted my business. Business, which included a great deal of mathematics (price and size comparisons as well as plenty of addition) for the remaining Bigger Girl at my side.

On our return to the flat I had my arm twisted behind my back (not that they had to try very hard) to read aloud from a delightful book discovered on Mr Generous Couchsurfing Host’s bookshelf. Some of the kids had already delved into it and were eager for a Mama-reading. The eldest two disappeared to another room to try to finish the massive tomes they’d been lost in every spare moment for the past two days while I read out “Hanukkah in the Poorhouse” from Isaac Bashevis Singer’s “Stories For Children”. We wished we’d had time for more. There were a number of great lines, and one especially for a travel blog….

“When you wander you come to all kinds of places.”

We wandered in the afternoon and definitely came to all kinds of places. Most specifically the Science Museum. We don’t actually have a science museum anything like this in Auckland, but the wonder and awe of exploring afternoons at home made me think of home learning.

And of course there was plenty of opportunity to give reminders about turn-taking and thinking of others first when everyone wanted to fly the plane into Hong Kong’s old airport. Just like home learning (the sharing thing, not the airport).

They also got to do other exciting things like take a driving test and cycle off an apple’s worth of kilojules and put together the bones in a body and use morse code and pound millet the African way and giggle into mirrors and play virtual reality games and do an exercise course and watch a science experiment (which admittedly we didn’t finish, not understanding enough of the Mandarin to make it meaningful – although all the kids got excited that they DID understand the word for apple!)….and could anyone tell me how Mboy6 knew how to go up to an interactive display on electricity and put it all together so that the light came on? He had the light shining before I had even worked out what the activity was about!

Then there was reading out passages to interested children.
And encouraging one to finish something she was finding difficult.
And enthusing with another over a discovery.
And trying to answer too many questions at once.
And knitting a few rounds.
And checking that someone knew where the little ones were.
And thinking about what to have for dinner.
And realizing again that food doesn’t figure when the children are engrossed in learning.
And comforting someone in tears.
And enjoying watching their interest, their engagedness, their marvelling, their concentration, their co-operation, their fun.

I tell you, it was just like learning at home.

PS.

do not worry about what you will eat nor what deodorant you will use in your armpits

Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
by the parents Hong Kong "Should we pick up some food to take with us for tomorrow?" Ever since spending the good part of a day looking for food in Kampot, we have usually taken an emergency one meal supply with ... [Continue reading this entry]

Hong Kong Island Tour – The North Side

Monday, March 9th, 2009
by the mother, who found the nearly-3-year-old to be quite heavy after a few hours in a wrap Hong Kong When you come to Hong Kong you can take a tour in an open-top bus and it really does look like ... [Continue reading this entry]

08/03/09

Sunday, March 8th, 2009
by Rach New Territories, Hong Kong We left Downtown Hong Kong behind.

Headed to Tai Po Station on a train. (Had an interesting conversation with fellow passengers, but no time to divulge details tonight.)

[Continue reading this entry]

money here and money there

Saturday, March 7th, 2009
by Mr & Mrs (empty) Money-Bags Hong Kong

 

Never mind the Rolexes or precious pearls. Our needs are more modest. THERE a plate of rice covered with a selection of meat and vegetable dishes cost a ... [Continue reading this entry]

different, but familiar

Friday, March 6th, 2009
by Rachael Hong Kong We continue to notice differences in Hong Kong, comparing this new experience to others we have had in the now-five-months away. "There are no motorbikes, Dad." That's true, and much less honking than other places too. What's more, the vehicles ... [Continue reading this entry]

chalk and cheese

Thursday, March 5th, 2009
by Rach Guangzhou, China to Hong Kong

 

We went from Chinese rice porridge for breakfast (just like they've been eating for centuries) to the most modern of cuisines - if you can call it that ... [Continue reading this entry]

?do you know?

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009
by Rach-who-does-not-know-but-wonders Guangzhou, China What do these pictures have in common?

[Continue reading this entry]

downtown sights and sounds

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
composed by everyone as we walked 12km round town today - go little legs! Guangzhou, China DOWNTOWN....

....SIGHTS....

[Continue reading this entry]