On Wednesday, five of us (my dad, my brother, Priscilla, Jadon, and me) went via speed boat to a restaurant on Lamma Island for seafood dinner. All of us, though, spent some time at the harbor in Tsim Sha Tsui before the boat left:

When we got there, the restaurant itself was outdoor (under a canopy). In good Hong Kong tradition, we composed the menu while looking at the fresh seafood in the tanks.

One of the more unusual places we went to during the week was a “toilet-themed” restaurant. Yes, I know–the potential jokes are endless. We were afraid to have a full meal there, so we went just for dessert. Not exactly a place I’d want to go regularly (I can’t avoid the puns even if I try!), but it was eye-opening nonetheless.

We were also glad to be in Hong Kong near the end of November, when the famous Christmas lights in Tsim Sha Tsui east are put up. Here is just a small sample:

All in all, a whirlwind trip, but lots of fun was had by all.

Last week I had the chance to be in Hong Kong with my family: my parents, my brother Derek and his family, and my aunt Agnes. Unfortunately Sherwin wasn’t able to make it, but at least she got to experience a genuine American Thanksgiving dinner in Chicago (see earlier post). Anyways, after a long day of travel, we arrived and were able to have dinner with my aunt Terry, my uncle Antonio and cousin Kevin:

As always, our trip to Hong Kong involved a lot of eating. On the left is me with my mom having breakfast as “Cafe de Coral,” a popular fast-food place. On the right is an amazing bowl of dan-dan mien we had at a restaurant in the Whampoa area:

On Tuesday, my dad arranged for us to spend a day in Sheung Shui at the jockey club. Priscilla even took a horse-riding lesson:

There was a playground there with some interesting installations I had never seen before–including this non-stop spinning chair. You physicists out there can figure it out.

my plans for post-thanksgiving black friday shopping fell through (due to illness), and so i had to settle for the next best thing which was post-thanksgiving weekend shopping (felt much better). on my way up michigan avenue to meet with grace (who’s in town for a conference), i bumped into the nutcracker. even HE has an ipod. i guess they’re so high-tech now you don’t even need fingers to operate them.

joe is still away in hong kong/vancouver this week, but fortunately i was able to join a few families from church for a traditional american thanksgiving dinner. turkey time! in fact, kurtis cooked a deep-fried turkey out in the alley (kids don’t try this at home) which keeps the bird moist while cutting down cooking time. i was really full after dinner…it was a great time of eating and conversation. i’m thankful for a loving husband and for all the things God has and is teaching me during my time here in chicago.

while we do enjoy living in an old apartment because of its character, it does come with some inconveniences like occasional elevator breakdowns and leaky faucets. yesterday felt pretty chilly and so i tried turning on the heaters: the super sensitive knobs which basically have the settings of off, on, or boiling. unfortunately they also sometimes take a day to kick in, and so while i was glad they had finally turned on when i got back from work today, i proceeded to turn them off cuz the weather got warm. really useful.

tonight i got to hang out with some girlfriends; homemade pizza, gingerbread cookies, makeovers and a movie. thanks bethany for hosting!

today we joined in some birthday singing for mom. too bad no birthday cake for us though. ain’t the internet great?

the longer i live here in the states, the more i realize how different canada is from its neighbour. first of all, i’ve noticed that americans say AMERICA, while we tend to use THE STATES. last winter i learned that a “toque” is a canadian thing after realizing my friend had no idea what i was referring to. here they would call it a winter hat or something, which to me doesn’t capture it quite that well. i mean, a toque is a TOQUE. and today i was surprised to learn that ketchup and all-dressed flavoured potato chips are also a canadian thing! life without ketchup flavoured potato chips?? it’s so odd. i’ll have to bring some the next time i cross the border and share with my american friends.

this isn’t meant to be a free advertisement, but i received my martha stewart living magazine for december today. december? i just got my november edition last week! i’m constantly being reminded of christmas already; on my drive home from work this week, i’ve noticed one particular radio station that is playing ALL christmas songs already. it’s actually quite remarkable…i didn’t realize how many non-christmas-carol christmas songs there were, including many different renditions of that “sleigh ride” song.

although joe and i are sad that this year will be our first christmas away from vancouver, i’m looking forward to our first one in chicago, in our own apartment, and a chance to decorate! (of course it helps that my family will fly out to join us ). i know, settle down sherwin, it’s not quite middle of november yet…

pretty shadows and fall colours on a stroll through hyde park.