Today after we sent the kids off on the school bus, B and I headed to Kowloon to buy a giant wok for his mom. We found it for $8usd. How cool is that? And even cooler, this was a very productive day!

We have decided that shopping is a totally different sport over here. Especially since we are so new I think. You always have your list of things you'd like to accomplish for the day when you are out and about, but in addition to that we have developed a Master List.

Like today, the errand was specifically to go buy a wok for my mother in law so B can take it home to her when he goes to the USA later this week. Mission accomplished.

But that Master List is tricky. It has the stuff on it that we would really like to buy or places we'd like to check out in the city but we haven't found where to buy it or we're never in the neighborhood with enough time to spare.

Today we crossed three things off the Master List which is huge. First we walked by a school that we are considering for our kids after next year. Looked like a nice building in a nice area. Great information.

Second, we have had our eyes peeled for a globe that wasn't too expensive and had Chinese as well as English--found it today! Kids love it. G was spinning it very gently between the USA and Hong Kong just checking it out and then she said "Daddy, where is Japanesa?" I had to exit the room in a hurry because I sure didn't want her to see me laughing at her but man it struck me as so funny. B said "You mean Japan?" And she stood her ground with "No I want to know about Japaneeeeza. Where is Japaneeeeeza?" We got that all cleared up. I think this globe is going to spark some pretty amazing conversation around here. And right before bed tonight I asked her to find Hong Kong on it. She spun by herself to Asia and pointed to Macau which is just west of Hong Kong. She was SO close--check google maps.

Third, we have been on the lookout for chalkboard paint. B swears he saw it right when we first moved here but since that day when he should have bought it, we've never seen it again. We were walking on the opposite side of the street today from a big paint store. And I just knew with the size of that store they had to have it. And they did. The had the magnet paint and glow in the dark paint and every kind of fun paint in the world. The guy working there had to make two different phone calls to see how much he should charge. I don't think they sell much chalkboard paint around here.

I mentioned a few days ago that I am beginning to be able to hear Cantonese a lot better with help from my pilates/yoga instructor. Today we were on the MTR (subway train) and I was noticing I could her the names of the stops a lot better during the Chinese portion of the recorded announcement. (There's an English announcement following the Chinese.) And then a bit later the recording said to exit from the "left side" of the train and I UNDERSTOOD IT. B happened to be looking at me right when I realized that OMG I just understood that announcement when the lady said "left side" because I hear "jaw bean" in my yoga class. I think I made a really amazed face--and I was pretty excited about it.