All my photos are on facebook now so this post is a little shorter, but facebook can't really replace the long explanations and random commentaries of blogging. The past several days since I arrived Friday night have flown by. I'm a little anxious about the time to come when I will have to completely change my mindset from relaxing, enjoying, learning, more to survival mode of finding a place to live, work, figuring out life in Japan...but I trust in God's promises that he is always by my side and always works things out for good even if we don't understand it.
"Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:23-26
A while back I commented on a photo Sander posted of this macaroni and bacon schutel that his mom made saying it looked amazing, and she made it for us for breakfast!
Over lunch I learned the secret to making bright, shiny Chinese vegetables from Sander's mom. His dad is a vegetarian so she's a pro at it. I can't wait to try it out!!
Peking duck, Crab meat and crab egg on sticky rice, and much more for an early birthday lunch with Sander's family. We all ended up wearing black blazers. Sander's sister said she craved this particular Peking Duck even when she lived in Beijing (where it originates), she couldn't find it as good there.
We were talking about our favorite things to eat, but when his family asked me what "my favorite thing in Hong Kong" was, not knowing we were still talking about food, I said his family (then later answered the right question). I've always loved limited edition anything, usually food, but in this case the company is definitely in the limited edition category. I could probably come back to Hong Kong to visit, see the sites, and eat (maybe not as well as this time because I wouldn't know which local places were good and which might make me sick), but spending time with people can never be repeated and it has been very special. Their family's hospitality, along with the hospitality of other families I have met like when I did a homestay in Italy in high school, have always reminded me of what I should be like.
Shandong Chestnut Tart, chestnut desserts are popular here and so good!
I love the unique macaron flavors. Poppy, Banana Balsamic, Lychee, Oolong Tea.
I'm going to miss Gong Cha tea: today we got Roselle Tea with Seaweed Jelly and Passion Fruit Green Tea with Ai Yu Jelly
We had an Indonesian feast for dinner. Sander grew up in Indonesia, and his uncle owns a restaurant in Hong Kong.
My new favorite fruit, too bad you can't get it anywhere I know of and it's a bit expensive!! It's called "pitahya" and has the texture of jelly. The flavor mix is between honeydew melon and kiwi.
A surprise chestnut birthday cake at midnight from Sander's family. They are so sweet!
Some funny moments:
1. Maybe we take nice photos and make food look good but this is what we look like to everyone else haha, photo by Sander's sister:
2. I've been learning Cantonese from Sander so I wrote it all down, hopefully I won't forget!
3. I tried on another hat. It made me look like the mushroom from Super Mario. Sander's comment, "I'll chop it off and sauté it." Thank you...
4. "So you won't have instagram in Japan?" "No, I won't have internet on my phone because you have to sign a two year contract to get it there." "Oh but you can do it at home right?" "Yeah, I guess it would be like latergram instead of instagram..." "Hahaa, latergram" -----5 minutes later----- "OOOH instant-gram, and then do it later, like later-gram" (hiding his face in shame...so late)
NOTE:
I won't have regular internet for a while, I'm not sure until when. I'll be able to check my email though and probably do shorter posts. Next time I write I'll be in Japan!