Holiday Pics

It's been a really busy December between travel, Christmas get togethers, Santa sightings and preparation for the big day on Friday. So here is a selection of photo's pulled from December's endeavors, in no particular order -- Meeting Santa at the obtrusively advertised but oh-so-HK Pacific Place mall (we had to ply Ingrid with gummy bears to sit on Santa's lap, then she told him 'I want a pink bike!), Ingrid's Disney trip with her good buddy Griffin, Tillie and her pal Kali suspended aloft, meeting the lurky Chinese Santa at our apartment building's holiday party and watching the marionette show, friends from around the building, and the beautiful service of holiday hymns held at historic St. John's Cathedral. It's Christmas Eve Eve so I'll be sure to post more pics from the coming days.

Crispy Christmas Tree

It's not even Christmas and our tree is already bone dry! But we're not alone, as I walk the shopping malls and stores it seems that all the city's trees are crispy. Ingrid doesn't care which is all that matters, she still loves it. But I suppose a dead tree is what you get when it's cut before taking the slow boat to China, literally. I just hope it's not brown when Santa puts presents under it.

Xie Xie

Ingrid loved the pre-Christmas care package sent by Matt & Katie. Thank you!!

Is that you Santa?

We live on the 43rd floor of our building so there is no fireplace but we've been reading Ingrid plenty of Christmas books that show Santa coming down the chimney and down thru the fireplace. So when we went to our apartment building's annual Christmas party last night held at an old building adjacent to ours, Ingrid was quick to check out all the fireplaces in search of Santa. Very cute of her.

Ni Hao Class

Ingrid has been taking a weekly Chinese language class or 'Ni Hao Class' as she calls it for the past year or so. It is done thru a program called "Mandarin for Munchkins" and she's getting pretty good! She can count to 10 and knows the words for most basic colors and animals.

Bye Bye Shanghai

My final view of Shanghai out the back window of a taxi cab on a biz trip late last week. By bye for now!

T Minus 1 Month

Many of you know that Lizzie, Ingrid, Tillie and I will be returning to the States in mid-January as my contract in Hong Kong comes to a close. Hard to believe it's already been over 2 years! I'll remain with the company but will be working from the West Coast, with duties that will include having a foot in Asia. We are really excited to get back around family but the feelings are bittersweet as we'll really miss the lives we've led here in Asia. We'll have to really live it up over the next month!

Ingrid-proofing the Tree

We decorated our tree a week ago and since that time the ornaments have gradually migrated up to the upper half of the tree, out of Ingrid's grasp...

Damaged Goods

I walked by this advert in the Hong Kong airport last night and had a laugh. Just learned this morning that Accenture has dropped Tiger as altogether as a pitchman. This poster is quite telling!

Raffles Nightcap

The Raffles Hotel in Singapore is one of our favorite hotels in Asia and beyond. It is well out of our budget so we employ a well-rehearsed tactic of going to the hotel for drinks and pretending like we're staying there, and then retreating to our lower priced hotel down the street. But the Raffles really is a throwback in the colonial charm category, exemplified by the Sikh doorman who two years ago was kind enough to pose with Ingrid and this time around did the same with Tillie. Pictures of both are below -- Two makes a tradition!



The hotel was done up beautifully for Christmas, inside and out. We had a nightcap at the Writer's Bar where we were captivated by Jimmy the resident piano player. Arkansas-born Jimmy became a local legend over the past 25 years in the south of France before relocating to the Raffles two years ago where he is now a nightly fixture playing everything from the classics to the classical. You can name any/most songs and he'll belt it out. Lizzie had heard him play on a past trip so she requested the Gospel hymn 'Can't Give up Now' and I must say that his rendition was quite a powerful thing to hear. Both girls were asleep in their strollers, we had full glasses of wine, were being treated to unbeatable entertainment and were in as romantic a venue as it gets. An awesome close to a great trip!