Toto we are not in Kansas anymore

Sometimes I can forget that we are living in Asia. When I am going about my day (usually running behind three kids, literally running since V just learned to walk) it doesn’t feel that removed from my life in London. Then something happens and I’m definitely not in Kansas anymore.

A few days ago I managed to convince the girls to go into the garden to play on the trampoline. It’s so hot here I have to convince them to step out where during London summers I had to coax them back into the house. As we stepped on the grass i saw a snake, yes a large SNAKE slither across the grass. I’m not talking a tiny water snake, but a fairly large one. I’m generally not that faint hearted when it comes to pests (i have a pic of a snake around my neck from our honeymoon in Singapore to prove it), but seeing one in my garden definitely threw me. Hearing my shriek, L turned and saw it too (so I know I did not imagine it). Convincing them to play in the garden will be a LOT harder from now. At L’s orientation today I mentioned this, and her assistant teacher (without batting an eyelash I might add) said “oh ya you can just get a vibrator stick for the garden to keep them away“. That should make for an interesting search.

This wasn’t my first encounter with HK’s lovely creatures. Just a few days before, I saw a lizard running across the fireplace in the living room. (First of all why is there a fireplace in this scorching place). Since then i have had one nearly give me a heart attack by leaping out from behind a toilet roll. Needless to say I’ve been vigorously shaking my clothes before putting them on. Bugs seem to be a daily part of HK life. I’m all for sharing, but sharing my house and garden with reptiles is a bit over the top. I’ve always bragged to hubby about how bugs don’t really like me - WRONG. The bugs here love me and are having a feast of my legs which now look like I have chicken pox with all the bites. They haven’t spared the poor kids either.

Speaking of creatures, our local grocery store has a large fish tank. It’s the main attraction when convincing three kids to accompany you to grocery store. As the kids were standing there admiring the fish and V shouting “fishie”, I asked L if she knew why there was a fish tank in a grocery store. She had a puzzled look that soon turned to horror when I explained it was so people could pick the fish they wanted to take home to eat. That was definitely her ”we are not in Kansas” anymore moment.

I think I have mentioned the heat before - it’s unlike any heat I have ever experienced - well bar visiting Morocco in August. In fact, it’s so hot here people will use any excuse to hang out indoors for a bit of air conditioning relief. It’s a thing to hang out at the exit of a grocery store (and apparently IKEA I’ve heard) and enjoy a drink or snack before bracing yourself to head out into the heat.

We joined in this cultural practice as we enjoyed an ice cream while trying to kill some time before our soft play session.

If I thought HK central was crowded, soft play puts that to shame. It was an absolute zoo - London me would have walked straight out, but everyone here is vigilant about masking and they do temperature checks at all the doors and you aren’t even allowed to drink water outside of the reception area.

Another thing I’ve learned in my short time here is that being subtle is definitely not an art here. I was walking with V in the plaza when he saw a dog. There are two things in life that V loves and will stop him in his tracks - cars and dogs. He saw a cute dog and started pointing saying “doggie“. The owner stopped smiled at V, saw him unmasked and said “doggie wear mask he he he”. (The dog actually did have a mask though it wasn’t over his mouth at that moment”. If it was London, I would have thought she was making a joke, but given the mask culture I‘m going to assume that was a ‘hint’.

Girls are off to school so mummy gets to finally have a cup (if you can call it that) of coffee. Took me five min to figure out how to drink from it and I still don’t think I did it right!