Hello to all of our loved ones back home! Here's a quick update of our goings on in the past couple of days. We've got so much going on sometimes it feels like we can hardly keep up!
Our apartment is, wait for it,... 782 ft squared! Yup, tiny! Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, dining/living and galley kitchen. We're having fun figuring out the gas (heat for hot water), and this beautiful complex, which includes the spa (fitness room, pool, hottub, sauna), computer room, music rooms, restaurant and barbecue area. It's gorgeous. OPictures to follow when we get our computers We live about a $3 cab ride from Aberdeen center - a group of shopping malls, our bank, grocery store and everything else you could possibly need. We even got library cards, as we've read everything with English on it in the flat.... including the warranty cards for the appliances.
Yesterday, Bob and I went into Aberdeen to get said library cards and do some shopping, when an announcement came over the speakers at the library about a Level 8 typhoon warning just been posted in HK. We were told to leave the library and 'return to our homes'. We couldn't get a cab (thank god we just got our cell phones so we could communicate with the girls, who stayed at the apartment), and had to quickly figure out the bus system, and CRAM into a double decker bus which dropped us off about 2 blocks from our apartment complex. Level 8 typhoon means it's going to be right over HK - all businesses closed, public transport was stopped, and everyone was scrambling to get home. When we got to our apartment complex (pictures pending), all of the glass doors were taped with huge x's and sandbagged, and another couple who teach with us at CDNIS had gone to our apartment to help the girls tape sheets, etc. over our windows incase they were blown out by the high winds. Fun stuff.
We got a huge couple of gusts of wind, but other than that, and tons of torrential rains (Bob and I walked around the courtyard last night), that's as close as it got to our area. I guess the rest of HK got hit harder, but the news channel is chinese, so we may have to pick up a paper. what an adventure over here!
We're loving every moment, and have now met three other families who will be teaching with us - a great young couple originally from New Brunswick, who have taught in the Phillipines for 6 years, Bulgaria and Toronto. They are thrilled to be here in HK. Another family who taught at the Christian school up north in Stuart BC - three young children, who have already booked the girls to babysit next week, while they and Bob and I go to a movie and supper somewhere adult. And another couple this morning, who are just viewing apartments (with the same agent Sally who has been helping us) from Portland Oregon, who will be working with Bob in the guidance area.
We'll send more messages soon - Sarah and I are off to IKEA (our favorite store so far), and then home for supper. We're 15 hours ahead of you guys, so Saturday's going great so far over here!@ Love you all - talk to you soon! Hope all is healthy and well over there! Carrie, can you forward to the group of friends for me? Still haven't got the parcel we sent ahead.... so no email address loaded here except you lot and the Pearces, thanks! Love Bob, Jen, Sarah and Meg!! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX0000000000000000000000 �
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