Because...

quite obviously, Andrew and I have trouble sitting still or staying in one place for more than a few days at a time (that's why we're the International Couple of Mystery), tonight we're off to Bangkok, Thailand for a few days (for the HK/China Reunification Holiday).

We only have a few weeks left here in HK, but what better way to enjoy our last moments in this country than to use it's location to hop a flight to a city we hadn't quite made it to yet. Thanks to Ros for having her annual birthday bash there this weekend, and luring us with all kinds of words like spa, and massage, and cheap :)

But lest you think we all about relaxing (ha, I'm not sure Andrew knows the meaning of the word, unless it means asleep :) ), we are adding in some sight-seeing with our very own local gal (thanks again Ros!), as well as catching up with friends Jeanne & Robert, that is in addition to the birthday celebrating. Let's just hope the forecast for rain (everyday) decides to change it's mind, it's birthday time after all!

(photo care of travel.nationalgeographic.com)

S Unit

Storage. That's what I've been knee deep in this week. Getting our boxes and stuff ready for removal. The moving people arrive on Monday to cart our China designated stuff away, after which we won't see it for about 4 months. I'm hoping it arrives before my Mum comes to visit in October, as I'd love to have everything nicely set up for her stay, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

It's kind of exciting and worrying all at the same time to be packing your stuff for your new place, imagining where you'll put it, how you'll set it all up, etc., but it's scary to think it might arrive broken, or missing, or wet, or damaged, or censored. I'm sending our things off with a prayer and lots of padding! :)

In other news, I had a wonderful time visiting with my family in the UK. I got to stay and spend time with my Mum, have dinner with my Grandma, Sally and my Dad on his birthday, see my two nieces in their ballet/tap/dance performance, get to know my youngest nephew who was a month old when I last saw him Christmas 2007, see my dear friend Louise, and enjoy time spent with my sisters and brother. We had lovely sunny weather for most the week, and I even managed a slight tan! Something I haven't managed in the year I've been in HK!

On to the US, and fortunately it hasn't all been hard work here. My father-in-law took me with him to the Rochester International Jazz Festival and we had an evening with the Dave Brubeck Quartet (yes that Brubeck of "Take 5" fame). I've also been able to stay and spend time with Andrew's parents, enjoy some homemade molasses cookies care of Alyson and Tom, for which I gave their 2.5 year old daughter a manicure this morning, my way of saying thank you! :) Tomorrow I'm off to Ithaca for some catch up fun with Whitney, then back to the grindstone for a few days before flying home to HK.

I love my two families and my good friends. We truly miss them being so far away, but it does make the time we do spend with them so precious. I wish Asia were closer!

House Hunting

Sorry it's been a while since my last post, I have several in draft I'm working on (Russia, France, our anniversary, etc) but things have been busy. In fact we just spent the last week in Beijing, look for our new home because we're moving there in July and are therefore in the market for a place close to Andrew's new office. Fortunately we've found the complex we want, just got to find the right apartment now!
On a side note, I couldn't access blogger at all while I was there, which casts some shadows on me being able to continue this blog after we move, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

I flew from Beijing to the UK, where I'm now visiting with my family, then next week I'm flying on to the US to visit my other family... (oh, and pull our stuff out of storage to ship it to China). It'll be busy, but so good to spend time with everyone, AND it's the Summer! Yay! Hopefully I'll have a chance to post here and there as I find some time to get up to date on everything.