We're OBSESSED with this city

Kristine and I are in LOVE with Hong Kong!!! EVERYTHING is so cute and we are suckers for aesthetics. We don’t have to window shop because we just stare at the women passing by, our pitch increases whenever children are near. Our viliage is so calm and wonderful to come back to. And the Ramen here is spicy. I’m packing a suitcase-ful to bring home! Here are some snapshots of our adventures (the internet is in chinese over here and I can' figure out how to rotate the pics so bear with me haha.....

 Everything in Hong Kong is so Cute. This is an upper end coffee shop on the Island side, where all the westerners live. We had a personal British guide from church take us to the Island hot spots (in blue). Hong Kong is a tight-knit community for westerners and they all have dream jobs and posh social lives- a fun idea.
 

 We had Dim Sum in China for lunch. So cute!!! Comes in little bamboo baskets. Our Hong Kong friend Christy helped us pick out things. Lots of Dumplings with meats and veggies- most similar to pot stickers, only jucier and more flavorful. So Yum!

 waiting in the hectic line for Victoria Peak

 This is right next to the IFC tower (2^nd tallest in Hong Kong with claws at the top) Huge skyscraper with mall below with Korean guys playing jazz. Inside, white marble floors echo voices as everything seems to sparkle. On the deck here above, are tons of chic bars and couches where the “cool” kids hang out.
 

 Irish Coffee!!!! Everything here is so stinking adorable!!!! Fun coffee shop

 Japanese style food (which is apparently very trendy right now in hk)- you pick your own raw veggies and meat and cook them in the pot. It took us 90 minutes to eat and with chopsticks is one of the most frustrating meals I’ve ever experienced, but the cooking time left moments for Kristine and I to connect with our new church friends who soooo welcomed us and took us out to eat. They love that we are from San Diego and want us to move here. They are from all over Singapore, Indonesia and other parts of Asia. We will be going to church with them every Sunday at C3 and seeing some of them throughout the week J yay, hk friends!!!

 Ladies market- 20 blocks of mom and pop stands with everything you could possibly imagine, very local.

The peak is AMAZING!!! Breathtaking. You feel like you are on top of the world and you can see the entire city. Incredibly romantic. It wouldn’t be hk if there also wasn’t a mall attached. Kristine and I jammed out to Brittany Spears in the bookstore and met the cutest girl named Kelsey in a souvenier shop. She was 8 and far better dressed and polished with curly hair and shiny shoes. She made us look like bums. All the asian children here are sooooooooooo cute!!!!

 Every Sunday the entire Filipino population lines the streets of saks ffifth, Armani, Prada ect and trade clothes, exchange food, and just sit on the side of the street for hours, def some staged Gangnam style dancing to PSY happening #mademyday

 All the Chinese wash their chopsticks, bowls and cups in the tea before using them- a fun little custom before teatime

Absolutely beautiful. The picture cannot do justice to the moment

Pictures :)

 Our Room, so cute!!!

 One of the many brilliant skylines

 Kisses from Hong Kong

 A pure moment in Paradise

With my bestie in Nuan Long.... We are the only white people lol

The adventure Beckons

I suppose I did fall victim to jet lag because it is now 6:30 am in Hong Kong and I haven’t been successful at trying to sleep for the past three hours. But the light in the sky is new, the mist is settled in the crests of the mountain, birds sing as the wind sends a cool chill through our village. We are staying in the New Territories, where it is very local and very little English is spoken.

Hong Kong is very beautiful- the perfect mixture of nature’s serenity and metropolitan wonder. We went to Nuen Long yesterday- we were the only foreigners I saw and our friend directed us to this place to get Chinese noodles for lunch. Seriously AMAZING! Way better than any pho I’ve ever had. The lady didn’t speak English and I don’t even know how to say hello in Chinese, so our conversation was reduced to pointing and facial expressions. And apparently, you don’t tip here. I LOVE the metro here!!!!!! La needs to catch up. And can I just say, free government wifi?!!!!!! #WelcometoHongKong

Kristine and I went to the clock tower by the sea and wandered the avenue of stars, but our favorite was this two-story starbucks where we sat enjoying the sunshine and breeze for hours over green tea frapps. Let me attempt to paint the picture: A soft breeze, the sun welcoming you like an old friend, the choppy sea is just feet away and across the harbor is the most expansive and dense skyline I’ve ever seen with name brands for the world to see. All the locals are well dressed below us tenderly sipping wines of all kinds. And speaking of well dressed, there are malls EVERYWHERE. And I thought the Us was a consumer society. Most people downtown have a louis vutton, Gucci or otherwise accessory.

It’s quite a romantic city with lots to do. Dim Sum is supposed to be this amazing dish to get here, not really impressed- the texture is too gummy. . Our apartment is soooo cute! I love coming back to it. And it’s just the first day!

The night before

10-31-12

Hello Friends and Family!

This is for those of you brave enough to go on this journey with me. And others who are curious and want to stay in touch :) My childhood best friend, Kristine and I planned a mission trip to Hong Kong for 26 days. I was having a post graduation crisis trying to figure out what to do with my life, so when Kristine found a great rate on airline tickets to Hong Kong, we couldn't resist.

Kristine and I knew each other since we were 2, so we get each other. When we went into fifth grade she moved a couple cities away. But when you are in middle school and are car-less, that might as well be on the other side of the world. We didn't really see each other for a few years as life drifted on. The next time I saw her we were half way across the world in Thailand. She was doing a residence in Chang Mai and I was on a mission trip.We were able to spend one night together there! We biked around the night bazaar, dodging people as I piggybacked on the back of her bike. Of course she was joking and our giggles echoed down the streets with tin roofs and dangling lights hanging in the balance. It was truly a bonding experience.

3 years later we are on another adventure. We will be working with YWAM in Hong Kong another ministry in mainland China and visiting Thailand for a few days. All that thai food was calling our name and we both have friends there.

Am I excited? YES. My heart beats for a good adventure! Hong Kong seems very pretty and sparkly and glamorous. I don't doubt it will be nothing but fun. I hope we can fit everything in. Our itinerary is packed and we are game for anything. And yes, we are two young girls. We won't do anything stupid like get married to Chinese men looking for a green card, unless they are incredibly attractive and stinking rich... that was a joke. Mostly, I am excited to grow closer to God. I get antsy when I've been in America too long. There's a freedom when you can temporarily ditch the job, expectations, and think about other people for a change. I will probably fall in love with all the kids at the orphanage.

Please PRAY for us whenever you think about us, even if it's just for 2 seconds. We know that God is going to do great things and prayer is powerful!

oh, and if you want to post smiley faces or if something I say triggers a memory or a response, I'd love to hear it. post post post--- let's be artisitc about this haha.

Thanks guys and much love!