Xmas Time is Here

Christmas came early today with an expedition to go pick up our tree. There is no Cheap Charlie's Tree Lot in Hong Kong so we headed to the neighborhood supermarket catering to expats like us where we were happily gouged for 3x the US price of 7-foot Noble Fir shipped in fresh from Oregon's Willamette Valley. But I must say it is a beaut!

Problem is we don't own a car so we had to stuff the tree into the back of a local HK taxi. Our driver was apprehensive because the tree stuck out the trunk by a couple feet but he warmed up when I assured him we'd make it worth his while. A 30HKD ride and a 70HKD tip is better than paying the supermarket's 300HKD tree delivery charge. We wound our way thru the streets of HK with a tree hanging out the back, avoiding police and surrounding vehicles. The only (very) concerning stretch was when we were exiting the Mandarin Oriental's valet area and the tree passed within a couple feet of the maroon paint on a $300K USD Ferrari Scaglietti. Whew... and our driver actually grew to humor the experience and even posed for pictures with us when he dropped us off. Sorry for the pine needles in your trunk sir.

More Disney HK

We flexed our Annual Passes at Disneyland yesterday. Donna got to sit with Ingrid on It's a Small World, the Winnie the Pooh ride, merry-go-round and the teacups, all Ingrid faves. The baby got quite a bit of attention and a lot of stares from the mostly Mainland crowd, equal part amazement and probably a bit of 'what are you doing with a 4-day old baby at Disneyland?' But we had a blast!

Gobble Gobble

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner tonight at the Four Seasons, one of the few spots in HK that had a traditional turkey dinner on the menu. Baby G slept thru the entire meal, Ingrid squirmed thru the entire meal, but it was a great night.

Baby G Leaves the Hospital

More Baby G Pics

Matilda Hospital

Our stay at Matilda Hospital in HK has been quite the experience. The medical staff has been great, but the true charm is the hospital itself. The main building is over 100 years old and was built by a British transplant at the turn of (last) century and named in memorial to his wife Matilda. It retains an architectural look and feel of a bygone era, more like bye bye gone gone in HK. It is now the spot where many/most expats on HK Island choose to have their babies. Best of all it is perched atop Victoria Peak and set amongst the megamillion dollar homes of HK's rich and famous. Is that Jackie Chan scaling our balcony? Anyway, you pay a price but we have our own private room complete with hardwood floors, crown moulding and a beautiful balcony with commanding views of the city and South China Sea beyond. From my typical guy point of view where I've not gone through intense labor and am not bed ridden, this place feels like a luxury resort!!

It's A Girl!

We are so blessed to welcome our new baby girl to the world. A name is forthcoming...but she was born at 1:28 pm local Hong Kong time and weighed in at 8 pounds (very auspicious). Our midwife was also quick to point out that the phonetics of her time of birth (13:28) is also very auspicious with a meaning in Cantonese of 'eternal prosperity.' Mother and daughter are healthy and happy. More pictures, and a name to follow!