Happiest (and Hottest) Place on Earth

We have built our marriage on a mutual understanding of several parenting protocols, one of which was the decision that we would give our children one trip to Disneyland before they reached age 18. One trip. No more. It is not that we have anything against Mickey and his posse; Josh and I both fondly remember our respective childhood trips to Florida's famous theme park. It is just the details of what our friends' have done and spent to have their week(s) at the happiest place on Earth are not exactly our idea of a good time. And the fact that most, if not all, tell us, that you need a vacation from your Disney vacation is enough to have us happily save for our next sans-children vacation to Jamaica.

That said, once I realized that we were going to Hong Kong, I spent a good evening reading and researching the Asian version at Hong Kong Disneyland and it appeared to be a good value and something of a treat that the kids would enjoy after our many weeks in China. And I will admit that Josh and I were actually very excited once everything was booked, that we were going to surprise our kids with Disneyland on our last day in HK. So on last Sunday, we left then island and with our luggage and mini men in tow, we walked several blocks then subway-ed ourselves (over three different transfers!) to the Sunny Bay line for our holiday. 

I am finding it difficult to know how to write about our visit to the Disneyland Hotel and park without making ya'll feel like you're reading a TripAdvisor review. So, if you are in for the short version, here it is: We. Had. A. Wonderful. Time. If you are one of those Disney park hoping, fast pass carrying, pin collecting freaks that I know and love, then read on for all the details:

Now, maaaaybe because our hotel for the first five nights was the size of my college dorm room and maaaaaybe because our new hotel room was the size of the biggest suite in Graceland, but I will say that I was in love with all the Disney garb from the minute we arrived. Heck, I forgot until just now that I have a ton of quick picks on my phone from the subway ride alone. Our subway was ALL Disney too! Those little handles hanging from the ceiling? Mouse ears! Blue velvet tufted seats. Mickey-head shaped windows. But those will have to come later. Here are two pictures taken one direction and then the 180 degrees of the hotel property. That is Josh's head peeking out of the Mickey maze. Hudson is in there somewhere tearing up the boxwoods to find the fastest way out. The second picture shows the water of technically a bay, but there is nothing substantial south of here but the South China Sea until you reach Indonesia.

For all those of you who are Disney aficionados, you will surely give my amazement at the general theme development of our hotel a big fat eye roll, but I was so ridiculously impressed with the details the hotel provided to make life with kids so much easier, not to mention their continual helpful bilingual service. Maybe I have just been in China too long, but my favorite particulars included: free life jackets at the WARM water pool, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs themed personal hygiene products, the hidden Mickey shapes in everything from the carpeting to the design on the elevator, a pint sized robe and slippers for both the boy, plastic plates and cups all in theme (of course), fantastic kid menu options, and 24 hours of 6 different Disney channels.

So, if you have not guessed already, I think that the Disneyland Hotel was absolutely wonderful. The park had some Goofy-sized shoes to fill if it was going to beat our relaxing experience of arrival, swimming, drinks, cartoons, bedtime stories, on Sunday.

Monday we had our character breakfast which was good food-wise, but poor ole Tucker about gave himself an ulcer with how genuinely upset he became at the proximity of the giant sized Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto who started circling the dining room. We caught a quick shuttle over to the park and were there for "gate drop" whatever that is.

This is just a typical group of older Asian women. You can see why I stick out
wearing a tank top and sunglasses.

The park itself was gorgeous with eight different areas all decorated perfectly. We hit the ground running and did not really stop. Lines were short and the crowds were manageable. But it was hot, ridiculously hot that day and we were super appreciative of the water stands where we filled up our water bottles countless times. I had smuggled a bottle of MiO water flavoring in my bag and we had went through it by lunchtime. 

Toy Story Land was so neatly decorated!

As far as the rides are considered, the thing I had read and will affirm is true is that this particular park is perfect for young children. As in, we rode EVERY SINGLE RIDE (but one). Yep. There was one RC car ride in Toy Story Land that Hudson was too short for, but we did every thing else! We even saw the Lion King show (that was Tucker's favorite thing). So, I am going to assume that must mean that this park was smaller than some others. We definitely did not waste much time sitting around, but I am even impressed that we rode nearly everything.

Hudson's favorite rides were the Mad Hatter Teacups, which he rode and spun like a fool with his Father, and the Toy Story Parachute Drop. Josh really liked Space Mountain, but Hudson did NOT like it (we made him ride it twice, so both of us could go though!) I really liked the other roller coaster which was a mine car themed one. It did a couple of very unexpected things that I have never done before.

It was a very sweet day and I tried to just take it all in, perhaps reminding myself too often that we only intended to do this once. I got weepy three times. Once when Tucker buried his head into me on the classic flying Dumbo ride, once when I wistfully looked at my son during It's A Small World (but that just might have been tears of joy because the air conditioning felt so amazing...ha!) and once during the perfectly synchronized firework finale, which was conveniently at 7:30 p.m., so we were able to enjoy the full Disney experience and still make it back to the hotel in time for a night swim and dinner by the pool. For the most part, I tried to keep my camera put up with my eyes and my thoughts in the moment.

I can not think of anything about the park I did not like that could be helped. I don't need to go into the scuffles I got into with the grannies who were line jumping, those would make better stories in person. (This is a kid blog so I need to keep it clean.) The notorious behavior of the "mainland China visitors" that was well documented in all the reviews I read lived up to its reputation. That was unfortunate. 

I did have my camera out for the parade. It was fantastic.

It is about 100 degrees at this moment. We were sweating a river.

The crowds were getting a little too cozy about this time.

Avon girls, you know who I am thinking of right now, correct?!?

 Couple of other favorites:

Thank you Grandma & Grandpa for taking me to Disney all those years ago! I still love this ride!

My son, the ham.

Asian adult women are OBSESSED with Minnie Mouse. For real.
If I had a quarter every time I saw a person with ears on, I could retire.

"I'm not tired, nope, not. at. all."

This was Tucker's favorite moment. I wanted to document it for him.

All said and done, I think we did it right. The day might have been hot, but it felt like a vacation. The park was perfect for the age of our kids. And our wallets were not impacted too much by the experience:

Two nights at resort hotel, two dinner meals (for 4) which included alcoholic drinks, character breakfast buffet (for 4), two adult and two children's park tickets, lunches and drinks throughout our day at the park, all transportation and taxes....total cost $1,980. (For comparison sake, just one day tickets for our family of 4 to Disneyworld would cost us $1,209.84)

Easy to Miss

 Welp. It took about seven seconds out and about in public to remember the KEY thing that I left off of my last blog. A key difference that makes our life in central China so much harder than it needs to be. A very significant part of Wuhan that will not be missed once we leave.

Josh is on vacation this week; most of China is shut down, so to speak, to celebrate National Day (October 1, 1949 China became Communist). So there have been random mid-day firecrackers and the intense red flag with yellow stars now adorns every street corner. Josh has been anxious to see some of the places that the kids and I frequent while he works. Yesterday morning we gathered up and headed to Breakfast Street and Fabric Market in the Wuchang area for food, shopping, and to get Josh a suit made.

We did not even get ourselves organized and walking in our intended direction before I realized the groups of locals stopping to stare. People doing doubletakes over their shoulder and finding it difficult to walk without tripping. Oh yes, the reminder was clear, we are no longer in Hong Kong, a city where we were able to melt into the masses of internationals. We are back home where we stick out like a sore thumb.

I am kind of intrigued by how we all deal differently with the attention we get here. Tucker, naturally receives the most attention. His features are so different. Those blond wispy locks have received more petting than the rest of us combined. I have contemplated cutting them off. Everyone always asks me if he is a boy or a girl. Knowing the words "nan haizi" (boy) has answered the confusion numerous times. I asked one bilingual woman at Mr. Mai's Language Club one Saturday if he looked like a girl. She said not really, but he is just so beautiful that people probably think he must be one. Anyway, he does NOT like the attention at all. Tucker does not want to have his picture taken. He does not want to be touched. I spent the first month stressing over it and now proudly cheer for him if he squawks at someone who, when my back is turned, gets in his face. I will say that he does not mind the occasional selfie with a pretty Chinese girl who coos at him if he is in the right mood.

Now, his brother is just fine with the attention most of the time. Hudson does not get it as often, but his gregarious nature wins the crowd over quickly. There is one particular woman who works at the Citadines who loves Hudson and never looks at Tucker. I find this really interesting because it is so different from the general masses. Just today --at another scooter market-- Hudson had girls giving him fruit in exchange for a couple of posed pictures. They all want to sport the "peace" sign in every shot and usually insist that he does the same.

Josh does not mind the attention. He waves at anyone who stares. I find myself as embarrassed by it as I used to when my dad would wave at random strangers while driving. But, I will say this, it is effective. If there is a group of women who are staring at us and Josh waves at them, they either immediately turn their heads in awkwardness or giggle then genuinely smile. 

All this to say, we are "home" again. I had a hard time thinking of Hong Kong trip in general as a vacation, but now I realize that it was. It was a fantastic respite from our current position. How fortunate we were to have those days. And as I continue to watch the news and cheer for the people of Hong Kong as they try to make a difference to their lives, I will be grateful that I get to go back to my real home where we are easy to miss.

My view of Hong Kong was pretty sweet.

One country, two systems

You have to reprogram your brain for driving on "the wrong side of the road!"

I am not sure I have ever left a place and then so obsessively studied it in the news. It is National Day and the protests literally on the streets I just walked continue. We have lost our access to any news without our virtual private network. They have taken CNN off our television in the apartment. The Chinese government says that Hong Kong is a part of their country and the people are just confused. I don't care. They can call it whatever they want, but Hong Kong is not the same country as China. Two systems mean two completely different realities. Needless to say, we really enjoyed our time in HK for, as those around here put it, we were able to "de-Wuhanize" ourselves and get back a taste of the Western culture we miss.

Key Differences: 

Language--The ability to communicate without constant translation makes a day go so much smoother! While Cantonese and Mandarin are both spoken throughout HK, we had no trouble finding an abundance of English speakers and signs. 

Money--We were introduced to yet another form of currency. Not to mention that they use coins as well as paper money for denominations up to $10. Everything is substantially more expensive in Hong Kong, but not as expensive as NYC would be. I found myself going grey from trying to do a different mental math conversion to USD. That said, imported food was cheaper. We came home with the largest jar of peanut butter you have ever seen and a box of 52 Quaker instant oatmeal packets because they were so reasonable.

The overall opulence was evident throughout the city. It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that if you removed the taxis, at least half the cars were Porsche, Audi, Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes.

Food--You will just laugh if I were to I tell you the wonderful foods that we had on our trip mostly because YOU have them available to you at every corner throughout the US.  We had not seen decent American beers and steaks in too long! Even though Wuhan has its own ....variety of "seafood", we had obviously a much better selection. We went to a famous crab restaurant where they smothered the giant guy with spices, and also frequented an Outback Steakhouse where we had simply one of the best steaks we've had in a looooong time. One night I had nachos made with a base of Doritos nacho cheese chips at a restaurant called Trafalgar Brewery (isn't that funny?) and an Italian meal of mushroom risotto that knocked my socks off. Josh had BBQ ribs and the boys had real pepperoni pizza. Just to have bread brought out as an appetizer is a concept that we have missed for 10 weeks. Yes, I gained weight despite the heat and carrying Tucker throughout the city. 

Ogling a gorgeous bakery and its offerings.

Religion--From the church listings on the city map to the billboard "Jesus is Lord," we knew we were in different place immediately. But it is still Asia, so there was substantial evidence of Taoism or Confucianism. Nearly all the businesses and restaurants around town had one of these "street shrines" at floor level, near doorsteps, where incense was burned by shop owners. Sometimes we also saw food or flowers, like oranges, left as well.

Height--Like major cities of the West, to enjoy HK you had to look up or get where you could get a good view of the skyline. I have read that the skyline is considered the best in the world. I do not disagree. With a half a dozen of the world's tallest buildings in one small space, it was impressive. At night they have a light show viewable from the mainland. We went up the tram to Victoria's Peak high above the city and also enjoyed the scenery from the Star Ferry which crosses the harbor.

Our pollution filled view from the Peak.

Appreciated beauty-- Unlike the heavily littered and poorly maintained free spaces we have seen thus far throughout China, HK had an abundance of lovely free parks and trails. We did not let these go to waste. Hong Kong Park in Central district, which is in the heart of the area now filled with those voicing their desire for freedom, was enjoyed by us on two different days. It had the most splendid foliage and ponds filled with turtles sunning themselves on rocks and koi. 

The boys on Hong Kong trail at the Peak.

Tired boys in the park with the Lippo twin-tower skyscrapers behind them.

fun fountain in Hong Kong city park

Shopping-- Oh my! We knew that we were entering a shopping haven before we arrived, but they were not kidding! I had my share of drooling in the most packed and cheapest camera equipment store ever, which was conveniently just two blocks from our first hotel. Street shopping provided enjoyment especially for the boys when we found we were just a handful of blocks from Toy Street. Discounted toys of all kinds called longingly to our children in voices not audible to us. There may or may not have been massive crying fits. (No photographic evidence to prove or dispute.)

Clothing in the street with toy stores one after other behind them.

These two images really capture the juxtaposition of Hong Kong. They strike me especially because they were taken one after the other on my camera. The first shows the high brow, expensive shopping options of the city. Every major designer was represented. I saw three Tiffany and Co. stores alone. Yet, you could walk out of the shopping mall, literally go a block, and see a whole different world of back alley Asian market shopping that I have become so accustomed to.

I spy a pig's face and feet. 

After five nights of hotel life with Josh working and getting new Chinese visas, we left Hong Kong island and went to Disneyland Hotel. I will post that experience in a whole different blog. But first, here are some of my favorite HK island pictures:

The kids proved that they would be unfettered by our very modest accommodations. Our hotel room in the Wan Chai district was literally no bigger than my college dorm room. With our two twin beds and absolutely no room to walk (or play) Tucker was "situation normal" if he had access to his beloved Cars. The light in our hotel was gorgeous and one day I caught him playing.

 Big boys also found toy stores of their own.

Little Man proved to be a big man walking many miles and riding the trolley in a seat apart from us.

Hong Kong is not paradise, but it might be an Asian oasis. Had we not already successfully survived ten weeks here, I doubt that we would have appreciated it as much. The thick, humid, smoggy city air was very similar to what your kitchen would be like if you boiled lake fish in a large uncapped stewpot all day. People were pushy and not all of them had adopted the use of deodorant yet. Sidewalks were safe, yet small for the mega-sized population. Subtropical temperatures were amplified by hot buses and congested streets. Yet it had just enough of home to make it a favorite place. Our thoughts are with the citizens of Hong Kong as they protest.

Colorful, but good gracious did these fish scale stores stink.