Hong Kong Fuey

[SeoraeMaeul]

Having felt guilty for hijacking Rillyrillygoodlooking's thread I decided to start a new one. Any HK'ers who wish to join me feel free!

Just arrived 6 / 8 weeks ago and still feeling a bit lost. Actually I think thats what I need to do is actually just have some time to get lost walking or driving round the island until I feel like I know it. At the moment the place I know best is Ikea in Causeway!

So tell me the good, the bad and the ugly of Hong Kong and help me get to know it

Anyway hello or Ni Hao and look forward to hearing from you all!

How do you find Sai Kung Woodies? We're considering a move up to CWB early next year so we can get an extra bedroom and some outdoors space. We're currently on the Peak.

We love Sai Kung! Fantastic family environment, country park, islands and beaches, some good restaurants and bars & a couple of bookshops! TASTE in Hang Hau is just 15 minutes away.

Our daughter is at the local Sai Kung Kindergarten, along with a growing group of non-Cantonese speaking families which keeps us on our toes.... just finished another art project this morning, Sophia looked at it and said, 'it doesn't matter if we don't win, does it, Mum?'. My best effort as well, I had to smile!

Bless! Yeah, my friend's kids go to HIS and they actually send communications to parents telling them that their kids need to sleep and not be up studying till 1am.

Seems most people really like CWB/SK. I definitely need to come and have a look at some places.

Hello all,
Thanks the bride, i love gough street, will have a look.
Beautiful weather! Out on a boat tomorrow
We usually sail to sai kung, we are always tempted by the move when our lease comes up. is the local esf very much oversubscribed too?

Sorae, hope you are finding your ground

Thanks for asking.
Have to say the gorgeous weather is helping. Meet up with DS's school friends yesterday at Repulse Bay so he is feeling more settled. And our building does a huge trick or treat party so again kids having fun and I'm getting to meet more folk.
Counting down the days til they go back to school and then I'm grabbing this thread and off exploring.

Dont know if you have plans tomorrow Seorae, but there is the Sedan Chair race on the Peak at 10am. Basically teams race from the Matilda Hospital on a loop circuit, carrying a sedan chair with someone in it (although the kids just have a puppet in the chair). The serious teams are really fast, and the fun teams do fancy dress. There's a bazaar at the Matilda afterwards. Get a cab up, or No 15 Bus or Minibus 1 and get off at the stop after the road bridge as you approach the Peak. Best place to watch is Mount Kellett Road.

Hello, can I join you all? I've been in HK since March and MN for a lot longer under a different name. SeoraeMauel - thanks for starting this thread, there are some really good ideas of things to do that I've yet to get around to - normal life has taken precedence over exploring our new surroundings. Maybe we should organise a MNHK meet up? I already organise a regular dinner with some great women that I've met over the last few months, and they are really great fun, so perhaps there can be a MN spin off?

We live in Happy Valley, have two boys, 3.5 and 1.5, the oldest has some special needs which were only diagnosed since arriving here in March, and we've found it great so far, in particular to get him the help he needs.

Did anyone go to the sedan chair race? I completely forgot about it and took 2 very unwilling children to a party at Middle Bay instead. They hated the fancy dress and I've asked my husband to remind me how bad it was so that when I see something similar in future, I don't think it will be a great day out and in fact remember that it's a complete waste of money!

Tbh, having bigged it up, it wasn't that great this year. The number of teams doing it seriously (ie actually running with the sedan chair, which is the impressive bit) was much lower and it kind of lacked atmosphere. Not sure why. Maybe I was just in a bit of a "meh" mood.

The weather is so gorgeous, maybe we should meet up at the beach while the kids are in school

Good idea. South bay is lovely - could head there?

Sorry i missed the sedan race - I'm sure we'd have enjoyed it even if it wasn't up to previous years.
Happy for a meet up too, we're Pok Fu Lam so Central or Southside is good for me.
Last day of the school holidays tomorrow so heading to Disneyland (lord give me strength!) but after that its all about me!

Hi everyone - will be lovely to get together. Seorae we're also Pokfulam - bel air?

I do have a question - we're staying in HK for Christmas, and am not sure how to fill the days with Christmas-type activities. We have booked Christmas day dinner at AMC. Does anyone have any good tips - I guess Disneyland will probably go a bit Christmasy?

Perhaps we should have just booked to go to Thailand!

Christmas isn't such a prolonged affair in HK. Christmas Day is a Sunday, so Monday will be a PH, and then I think most people will go back to work on the Tuesday.

There will be a Santa grotto in the Landmark, full on decorations in Central and the big malls, and many many Christmas bazaars, but it's not as full on as the UK, hence why many people go away after Christmas until the schools go back. I like it though. Stayed last year and it was great.

Thanks - did a bit of googling, and there does seem to be a few Christmas things - we'll just have to go to all of them!

We'll also be here for Christmas as are a few people that we know. I'm looking forward to it being a bit more of a relaxed and less full on affair than it is in the UK. The only downside is that I can't do all my shopping online like I usually do because of lack of options for delivery to HK. Hoping a trip to Shenzen will sort out the UK relatives.

Mummysaysno - yep Bel Air or the "multis looking over the shipping lane" as we call it

So did my first day out today to Tsim Sha Tsui - which may seem a straneg choice but I really really wanted to try the Jjimjilbang (Korean Sauna) and this is where the only one in HK is. So spent a couple of hours wandering around that side - still touristy but in a different way and a much better choice of shops than Central (for my taste!) and then for a scrub. Scrub was great but the Baths were not, so I will have to keep looking for the nearest equivalent as I became addicted to Korean Scrubs - guaranteed to kick you into gear if done well and thats exactly what I need at the moment.

Night out with my pal on Saturday and next week I'm thinking of the Star Street area - beginning to get my feet and coming out of that 2 month "wall"... so thanks everyone for your help on that!

Hey all

There is a great blog called Sassy Hong Kong. They also have a Facebook page. Full of great info for shopping/ restaurants and places to visit. They also do a Sassy Mama blog for I guess mums with younger babes.

Lantau is a great day out. Scenery fab and very local. Great beaches too. This is where I am based.

Lamma great for family hikes and then seafood for lunch and a cooling beer!

Enjoy your exploration. I have been here for a few years and prob not seen the half of it!

Muffintummum was it you who told me to focus on lychee martini? Well if so, I've had two, lamely never been able to finish them, but looking forward to becoming firm friends with alcohol laced lychees.

Indeed mummysaysno! Am glad to have been able to pass on some useful local cultural info

Just checking in to see how Seorae and all the other Hk'ers are doing.

Dh is travelling this week, so ploughing through "Songs of Ice and Fire" (the book on which Game of Thrones is based- I couldn't wait for series II), playing lots of tennis and getting the car fixed (again). HK is not kind to cars.

Another good resource for mums in HK is HKMoms group on FB. I don't think you can add yourself, but if you pm me, I can add you.

(This is TheBride btw. I just fancied a name change)

hello TheBride aka RealLife!
Thanks for checking up. So far so good - what a difference it makes having kids settled in school and help in the apartment, I've managed to go out and wander about much more so beginning to feel more like home. And I met the lovely MummysaysNo today [waves across the Bel Air residences at her]
And will PM you to get added to the FB page.

So far we've stuck to exploring HK Island - the weather has been so lovely to go to the beaches here on the Southside. But the next adventure has to be to one of the smaller islands - Lantau shounds like a good first step. But I think I'll be waiting til this wind dies down before I go anywhere on a boat!

Anyway, shall we do a pre Christmas meet up?

Yes lets! Shall I be bold and suggest a time and a place?

Yes go for it!
And hello to my bel air neighbour!

Yep I agree - name a place and a time. Happy to go with your recommendation

Would love to join a meet up. Any chance of keeping it to Central as will need to catch ferry in?