New Years Eve ponderings

I've never been a big fan of New Years Eve. It's hard to say why exactly but I suspect that over the years I have set my expectations too high. It's the climax of the year and it should end well...it should end the way you want the next year to begin. At least that has always been my belief. This year we have no big plans, and that is intentional, after all the travelling we have done this year, not to mention over Christmas itself. I am quite content to be still for a while. To take some time to replenish my energy, because of that I am in need, despite the time spent relaxing on a beach last week. Physical relaxation is great of course, but if the mind does not want to relax then you don't stand a chance really.

So, recapping on 2009, it's been one very amazing and unique year and it naturally falls into 3 parts...three chapters almost.

Chapter 1 was spent as a part-time yoga teacher - very much immersing myself in learning, practicing and teaching. Building my confidence as a relatively new teacher. I didn't truly appreciate it at the time but the fact that I was in this phase proved oh-so valuable in coping with the undercurrents of what was to come finally to fruition later in the year.

Chapter 2 was very unsettled, wondering if and when we might be changing countries again. We also took a visit back to our homeland and spent some wonderful weeks with family and friends which allowed us some freedom and a brief escape from all the wondering, even if it was only temporary.

The 3rd and final chapter saw us moving to Hong Kong. Just for a year. Despite the short time frame and in the end the extremely short notice to Go...it involved a huge amount of paperwork and well, stress. And here we are, 3 months later, pretty much settled in our apartment, in the physical sense.

And yes, on the last day of the year, I am still wrestling with the new lifestyle I find myself in. Suddenly the year ahead is wide open. Full of opportunity. Full of choice. And no doubt reasonably full of travel. It's all positive. So why do I feel fear creeping in? I suspect it's once again to do with expectation. High expectations of myself. There are so many things I could do with my time and I feel I should be doing as many of them as possible. After all, this is the first time in my life that I have not had a job at all and for that to be OK. The times I've been jobless before have all been stressful times, when I needed to have a job to survive. It's also easy to use your job to define yourself, to give you an identity. "I am a secretary, I am a yoga teacher"... you automatically present an image of yourself for other people and yourself. I realise this is false and that we are not what we do, but it's hard to get away from.

So whilst I am not setting new years resolutions...I am setting intentions for the new year and lets just hope that I can get out of my own way and let that opportunity find me in 2010.

Escaping Christmas

Today is Monday, 21st December. On Saturday, Alan and I were planning to be here in our apartment on Christmas Day. I was planning to cook a traditional christmas dinner in our small and not-very-social kitchen. We went out and did a spot of christmas shopping...just a spot, after all it is just us this year. No family, no friends. Then on Sunday we were both feeling rather under the weather and spent a quiet day at home. And we got to thinking. Perhaps we didn't want to spend christmas here after all. I had not been motivated to christmas-up the apartment so it does not exactly look festive - we are honoured to have some lovely cards from family and friends and one small string of fairy lights that Alan found in a box and put up at the beginning of the month but that is it. And it's cold. OK, maybe that seems appropriate at christmas time, but it's the wrong sort of cold. It's not snowy or freezing outside with bright blue sky...in fact, outside it's about 12 degrees and very damp and overcast but inside the apartment it feels SO cold. You see, there is NO heating in the apartment. In Hong Kong they only install air conditioning. Not heating. I guess that tells you something about the weather here, but even so, for the 3 months or so that it is not ridiculously hot and humid, it is the sort of cold that chills your bones. I wish now that I'd brought my slippers with me from Canada. Funny thing is, I never wore them in Canada, the house was always warm and we had carpet throughout half of the house. I have not actually worn them since I was in the UK. Now I wish they were here. Slippers, I hear you cry! She is in Hong Kong, surely she does not need slippers...well, let me tell you, I do!

Anyway, I am getting way off the point. We took a moment to consider our options. We checked out our loyalty points, hotel and flight availability and before the evening was out, we'd booked ourselves into a hotel in Phuket for 5 nights and we leave tomorrow morning!

Those of you who know me, may be shocked by my impulsive behaviour... I know I am! We booked so late that we actually had to check in when we confirmed the flights!

So, no food shopping for me tomorrow...no menus to prepare...instead, an early flight to catch to an exotic location where I'm hoping they will cook christmas dinner for us! It may seem a rather extreme step to take to get out of cooking christmas dinner, but hey... we always said this year was All About Travel, and with trips taken in October and November so far, it seemed only natural to take a trip in December too! :-)

Merry Christmas to you All, I hope wherever you are and whatever you are doing, it is filled with love and good times.

December was a bit of a roller coaster

It's been a while since my last entry and I have plenty of good reasons for that. Well, reasons.

December has actually been a bit of a roller coaster month. Just a small roller coaster, nothing too dramatic but it has been enough to keep me from wanting to look some of my emotions in the face, by blogging. Instead, I've found other things to occupy my time, not all of them terribly useful as I have been finding it hard to get motivated. Not having a job or a regular routine has been a factor. Being in a new city and having to find a new life can bring forth all sorts of new and wonderful possibilities and opportunities but it can also bring forth overwhelming feelings and they can creep up on you and really take you by surprise.

One day, all is well, you feel good, feel like you are settled and "at one" with your new life and then the next day, you feel like you've been knocked over the head with a heavy object and you're reeling, not sure quite what to do about anything. At least that is how it's been for me. The good news is that those days I get whacked on the head do tend to propel me into action. It may take a day or two though to pick myself up and dust myself down. But that's OK. I am learning that timing in life cannot be controlled or scheduled and that is not easy for me to accept...but I am doing my best. I get frustrated that I have not made more progress, whatever that means. I think to me, it means that having always had a full time job up until a little over a year ago, I'm used to being busy, having my time filled but not necessarily with things I want it filled with. Now I have a chance to fill it with almost anything I want. Within reason. And what am I doing? Good question. I am still working that out but in the meantime I am being a tourist, I'm being a wife, a yoga student, a travel co-ordinator and last week, a host to our very first visitors - Yay! All those things are good and I am lucky to be in a place where I can simply be those things without a need or a demand to be anything else and yet....I think there is something else....maybe I'll find it in 2010.

Another Hike in Tai Tam Country Park

Today I went on my first AWA (American Womens Association) "easy hike". And it was, relatively speaking. Just a small group of 10 women who managed to get themselves to Tai Tam Country Park for 8.15am on a morning that seemed just ideal for a hike. There was a slight chill in the air as we set off (well, OK...not exactly a chill but it was cold enough to want to wear a fleece which I think is a pretty momentous occasion here) but as we began to lengthen our stride, the fleeces came off. The majority of this walk echo'd the one that Alan and I did a few weeks ago and it was quite nice to tread a familiar path. I know that I would have wanted to slow my pace and stop more to admire the view (and take photographs of course) if it had been my first time around but as it was, I was quite happy simply hiking. Once we reached the end of the trail and we said our goodbyes I managed to navigate my first HK bus and find my way back to Wanchai and home and I have to admit that it felt rather good walking back into the apartment at 11.15am with a 5 mile walk under my belt and the rest of the day ahead of me. I will do that again.

Settling in to my new life

Now that our furniture has arrived and 99% of all the stuff we shipped now has a new home, there is a new challenge to be had. What do I do now? Lets just recap. I don't have a job and without a work visa, I don't intend to get one in the coming year. I don't have any friends here, any family or a support system in general, excluding my lovely husband of course, who is obviously otherwise engaged during the week and indeed, currently most evenings too. I need a plan. It's not that I am yet climbing the walls or anything, or desperately lonely, over all I am dealing pretty well with the situation but I am aware that I need to find something to occupy my time, to give me a purpose, even some goals because all I really seem to be focusing on right now is trying to keep up with the usual household chores and let me tell you, this apartment (and I suspect this is not unique to our apartment here!) gets so very dusty! After the vacuum-sealed house in Ottawa, this place seems to manufacture dust. Of course the continuous construction outside will not help..nor the pollution in general. Canadians, take a moment to be very grateful for your beautiful clean air!!

It's not that I'm simply saying that I'm bored with housework, although that in itself might be a valid statement. Neither am I about to do what (apparently) most Brits do here and hire a maid to remove the burden. However, there is no doubt that this is an opportunity to have an adventure and whilst stuff does have to be done around the place and bills have to be paid here, back in Canada and even in the UK and that alone is capable of causing regular confusion, and a degree of attention, there is more to life...at least to this life, right here, right now and if I am not careful the PA and the Capricorn (aka very practical person) inside of me will somehow manage to make a full time job out of it and my year off will be over before I've finished the ironing pile!

So...I need that plan and I need it now!

We have a list of Things To Do while we are here - places to visit, things to see etc and with the weather currently perfect for hiking we are doing our best to get out and about at the weekends on the trails and we are slowly exploring new areas and trying to get fit again. Having spent the best part of November in hotels, eating out and over-indulging in general both my waistline and energy levels are suffering! It's definitely time to re-engage with my yoga practice (again) and maybe even make regular use of the gym facilities downstairs. Maybe.

I have also just joined an "expat group" which is made up of other newcomers to Hong Kong from all over the world, but I suspect mainly the US and the UK. It seems to be the way to go here. Making friends can take time, especially with the advancing years and the absence of children and there is no time to waste given our small window of opportunity here. My first outing with the group is on Wednesday. I'm off on another hike...did I mention it's a great time of year for hiking? :-)

So, we have a list of things to do together in our leisure time and I have been proactive about meeting some women who find themselves in a similar situation to me...time will tell how that goes. But I need more...I feel the need to be creative in some way. This in itself is relatively new for me. A few years ago, if anyone ever dared suggest anything I did was creative, I'd have strongly denied that it was even possible and that I simply was NOT creative. Then I did my yoga teacher training and I did finally acknowledge that I had at least some creative bones in my body. No pun intended.

What might evolve, remains to be seen. I have a few thoughts, a few ideas but nothing I am ready to broadcast just yet. For now I have my blog...which I'm enjoying. It's fun to do and it helps me to organise my thoughts...sort through them even and decide whether they should be filed, left on the pending pile or brought forward to be actioned.

Home

Today is a momentous day here in Hong Kong. Today is the day The Sea Shipment arrived at Bamboo Grove. I'm oh-so-grateful for my recent 2 weeks away which provided me with a much needed break from the frustrations of living in an empty apartment for 6 weeks, but Now, we can sit in comfort, eat our meals at a table, listen to CDs, watch DVDs, cook with the proper implements and we don't have to wash up immediately after each meal, as we now have a cupboard full of plates! It took 8 weeks for our shipment to arrive. That wasn't quite part of the agreement, but hey...life does not always go to plan. Sometimes the challenges just keep on coming.

It's been an interesting time, living without all the usual "stuff" that surrounds us. Some days I have barely given it a thought and have been quite content with the space that has been my Home. Other days, not so much and on those days I have tried to work out what it is that I am actually missing..what it is I really NEED. Some days it was simply comfort, either physical or emotional. Other days I longed for a particular "thing"; a book to read, or CD to listen to. On the days my body was crying out for a restorative yoga pose, I desperately missed my yoga props but some days I was just plain angry. It just did not seem fair. Those were the bad days and said more about how I was coping with the transition than the situation itself but I'm pleased to report there were not many of those. I thought there would be more.

It often got me to thinking about Home. About what makes home a Home. Surely it's not just about your "stuff"...material possessions, about bricks and mortar; it's much more than that. Is it friends and family? Is it where you "feel" at home? What is it that makes you feel at home somewhere? I confess I've had these thoughts before, when we moved to Ottawa. It was harder first time around. More confusing. More things were new and unexpected. Of course everything was new and different in ways you didn't expect them to be and you missed all the familiar stuff and that included people; family, friends, colleagues.

Second time around it feels different. Yes, it is a different country but that is not why it feels different. I feel less "at home" in this country than I did in the previous country and yet it's easier this time. I miss familiarity less. The separation from friends is less intense, and this probably has a lot to do with today's technology. The wonders of Facebook and Skype, of MSN and similar applications. I also have more time to connect and communicate this time around. Being here on a tourist visa has its perks!

So now that we have our sofa, our books, our kitchen stuff and other personal items surrounding us, yes, of course it feels much more like home. We have comfort and more choice about how we spend our time while we are within these four walls. We can re-engage with things we had to put on hold. It feels good. However, I believe Home extends beyond the four walls of our physical abode. It's also about people and our surroundings. About what surroundings you feel comfortable in. Even the climate plays a part, I believe. I often think that I was born to live in a cold or at least cool climate as I generally don't do well in the heat. How our body responds to temperatures can really affect our mood and how we deal with situations...at least that is true for me. Then there's people. We all need people to interact with and those people, and they can be complete strangers, can make a difference to how you experience life. Are they friendly and welcoming, are they approachable and easy to talk to, or do they appear completely disinterested in anyone else around them as they go about their daily business? I'm taking it all in....every country seems just a little different and it can affect the way I behave or respond and I find that really interesting.

I don't believe I have quite finished with this particular subject yet so I will continue to watch my reactions but I do believe I am getting better at finding Home regardless of the country I'm in.

Searching for the Beauty in Canberra

It's a bit of an odd day today. Alan had to go to Canberra for a meeting and decided to drive it rather than fly, so I opted to jump in with him and steal a day trip to another new city.

After a slow exit from Sydney, we were out on the open, empty road to Canberra. We had been warned to expect dull scenery so were pleasantly surprised by the varying geography...nothing drastic but there were definite changes along the way. Some roadworks, lots of speed cameras and warnings of police radar made our journey a bit longer than it could have been but overall, it was a good drive.

Upon arriving, we managed to miss the city centre...and drove straight passed it which was not encouraging but we did a u-turn and found it. I think. Alan dropped me in what appeared to be the city centre and drove off. That was 3 hours ago, not heard from him yet but I'm sure he won't forget me.

I have to say, and sorry if anyone from Canberra ever reads this, but it's a bit of an odd ball place. I wanted to record it on film so decided to take a few snaps...tried to find a picturesque angle....Hmmm... tricky. So I took some anyway. It is, what it is. I took my time just wandering the centre to see what my options were and how I could occupy my time here. Yesterday the advice I got from some Sydney locals was to head for the War Memorial Museum or the Parliament buildings as they were the highlights. Clearly I didn't do that...my head is still full of facts on Sydney architecture from yesterday and I was not quite ready for more facts and serious-ness today. However, maybe there was a reason I was pointed in this direction. My heart sank a little as I looked at my watch and wondered what on earth I'd do for the next 4, maybe 5 hours....then I realised I had a choice here. I could feel that way or I could see this as a challenge. So, I decided to look for the beauty instead. It's everywhere after all and there is more chance of seeing it, if we choose to see it.

I can't say that miraculously Canberra sprung to life and the concrete buildings, office blocks and largely uninspiring shops suddenly looked any different but I did begin to stumble on a few treasures. I found Siam Senses, a day spa and indulged my weary walk-a-holic feet with a reflexology treatment then found a magical alternative book shop that providing I bought a book and a coffee would provide me with their wireless password and allow me to access the internet...so here I am! I decided to buy a book on dreams because I keep having some really interesting ones lately and I want to record them and see if I can do some dream interpretation over the coming year. It's the most indepth book on dreams I've seen so far, so I hope it's good.

I'm wondering what time the shop shuts...I'm hoping I have a little longer before they throw me out and given that Canberra appears to be "closed" I'm not sure where to head next in this spread-out city...perhaps Alan's meeting will end early...or perhaps I'll find another gem around the corner.

My phone just rang...my chauffeur is on his way :-)

Day 1 Solo in Sydney

Today is my first solo day in Sydney. It's started somewhat slowly but that's OK. Sometimes you just need to slow down the pace a bit and take stock. Once again, I am keen to maximise my time and experiences in this city as who knows if I will ever return. I seem to be having more trouble engaging with my guide book here though for some reason, but I am slowly getting some plans made and some thoughts about what I want to do, clear in my mind.

Yesterday Alan and I headed to Bondi. We took in the Bondi sunday market and made some customary purchases...a hammock amongst them...! Now we just need to find some perfectly spaced palm trees and we're all set. Bondi was not quite what I expected, although I'm not sure why...I think it was more that I'd never given much thought to what it might be like than anything else and that it was just not what I had envisioned for our sunday outing. However, we had a good day. After the shopping spree we managed to find a spot for lunch at a pavement cafe and did some people-watching (a popular sport in Bondi I'd imagine) while we grazed on lunch and contemplated our after-lunch walk along the cliff-top.

Unfortunately...or some would say fortunately...depending on your outlook, it turned out that the route of our planned walk was also that of the Sculptures by the Sea exhibition which takes place annually in November. It was PACKED with people. I was hoping for a brisk and bracing walk but we could barely manage snails pace. Ah well.. we got to look at some interesting sculptures instead. To add insult to injury though I managed to acquire a bump on the head courtesy of Alan's new giant super-dooper camera and I had to navigate the course with what felt like a mild concussion...to be honest, it's all a bit of a hazey memory now!

This morning I have been communicating with the internet. I do love how you can plan your days without leaving the hotel room. Tonight we are off to the ballet...at the the Sydney Opera House - that should be very interesting, a special treat for us both. Not that either of us knows much (indeed anything) about ballet but it has to be a great thing to do here and I'm sure it will be memorable.

For the rest of the week I've booked myself for a few solo tours - an architectural walking tour of the city and a tour of the Opera House...a kind of behind the scenes look... so Wednesday is to be my day of culture. Tomorrow, I am hoping to jump on a boat and explore Manly while the sun shines.

And now...to meet my friend Kate for a cup of tea.

The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Experience

I just wanted to remember, although I am sure I always will, a moment that occurred in the Buddhist Temple in China Town, Singapore yesterday, Wednesday 11th November. I’d been in the temple for a little while. I’d taken some photos outside in the courtyard, I’d lit my incense stick and said my prayer. I’d sat down on a chair and contemplated the huge Buddha statues in front of me, with the others who were either praying or meditating, or possibly sleeping given their slouched position, or just sitting and looking, like me.

I had got up, walked around the edge of the seating area and through to the back of the temple, one of the exits...I nearly left at that point, but something drew me back in. Thankfully. It would have been so very wrong to leave so early. So I walked back in and back through to the main part of the temple. As I walked down the side aisle that was separated from the rows of chairs, I happened to glance into the seating area and my eyes met with those of an old lady...I’m not sure if she was already praying, or looking at me, but she instantly gave me such a beautiful smile, truly one from her heart and gestured the Namaste gesture to me, bowing her head slightly. With that simple but huge gesture I was immediately filled with love. I cannot quite explain it. I felt honoured. i felt like she cared. Like she knew. Knew what I was thinking, feeling, what I’d been through lately. Good and bad. It was quite incredible and to some perhaps, unbelievable. But to me, it was a very real and pure moment and one that I will remember for years to come. I felt strength in that smile, in those eyes. Strength I could use in my life. It almost sends shivers down my spine.

Exploring Singapore

It's hot here. Very hot, especially for anyone who does not endure heat well...like me...but I think after a few days of it I am starting to acclimatize.

So, Alan is working. He heads off to the office or to meetings first thing in the morning and returns at the end of the day during which time I am left to my own devices. And, I'm pleased to report, I'm enjoying it. Of course it would be more fun if there were two of us discovering the sights together but that cannot be and I am just lucky to have this opportunity to explore...with or without a companion and I am determined to get the most out of it. Each morning I have found a place for a spot of breakfast and sit with my guide book and decide what to do with my day. So far I have been really lucky with the weather and by that I mean it has hardly rained. Until today in fact...as I sit here and type I am listening to the torrential rain, crashing of thunder and of course every so often the flashes of lightning make me jump as they light up the room.

Today is Day 3 of my solitary explorations in this city and finally I decided that it would be sensible and beneficial to take a break between 12-2pm when the sun is directly overhead and the heat of the day can be totally oppressive. I headed for the MRT station at City Hall and welcomed the over-cool coolness of the air conditioned Mall which leads to the underground train system here. Having made the decision to head back to the hotel to escape the sun I was somewhat surprised to be welcomed by puddles and grey clouds when I re-surfaced at Orchard Road. Then again not so surprised...I've been lucky after all so far this week and this was proven once more as just as I was stepping inside the hotel lobby, the heavens opened and down came the rain...

I've tried to balance my experiences and sightseeing so that I get a true flavour of Singapore but also do the stuff that interests me. On Tuesday, my first day, I decided to get to grips with the MRT system..having experienced the MTR (how confusing do they have to make it) in HK and learning how wonderful it is..how clean, efficient and safe, I suspected Singapore would be similar and thankfully I was right. Very organised and clean and even cheaper than taxis. Having navigated my first journey successfully, I made my way to the Art Museum, as according to my guide book they have free entry between 12-2pm on a weekday. Woohoo - free stuff and an escape from the midday heat! Upon entering this beautiful white building, very calm and cool with it's white walls inside and out, I soon discovered perhaps why it might be free at this time. It seems I was not alone. I counted at least 2 school parties doing the rounds. At first it appeared quite cute as I walked into one gallery and observed some young girls sitting on the floor, sketching...then the boys made their entrance and the silence was history. Stampede is the word that springs to mind. From that point on I did a pretty good job at dodging them...and it was a good experience. It was actually interesting to watch them...their excitement and energy. I emerged into the heat once more after my bit of culture for the day and took a walk in Fort Canning Park...a place steeped in history and thankfully plenty of shade from some huge trees. The noises coming from the trees was quite unnerving though...no idea what was in them but they were very loud!

Finally, my legs became weary from all the walking. Did I mention that I got a bit lost and couldn't find Fort Canning Park for what seemed like ages? I was about to give up and change direction when of course, I stumbled upon it. Having found it, of course I had to do it justice and take a decent walk around. By the time I was done I was desperately in need of a late lunch and preferably an air conditioned mall. I found both...and then I found some shopping to do...well, it's Singapore...it's hard to resist the lure and the sales are on :-)

Yesterday I decided to head for China Town. I was a bit apprehensive..just a bit..strange really having just moved to Hong Kong...but off I went, open to the experience ahead and I have to say, it was great fun. Firstly, MUCH less crowded than the streets and market stalls of Hong Kong and they smelled much better too (if I haven't mentioned it before, Hong Kong really stinks at times..a mixture of the heat and all the unusual food smells I think). So I strolled, again, in the tropical heat...through the market stalls and shops, trying to browse without getting pounced on by over-keen market vendors (I'm really not "into" bartering and bargaining) with christmas music being played in the background...yes really...O Come O Ye Faithful, in particular, seemed to be very popular. Quite a bizarre experience :-)

Once more, I seemed to get slightly lost wandering the narrow streets but thankfully you can't go too wrong, it's really not that big and I finally found the temple I had been looking for. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. Wow. I've been in a few buddhist temples recently having visited the Land of the Medicine Buddha for some yoga training and of course being in this part of the world, you do stumble upon such things quite easily but this has to be my most inspiring so far. It was immaculate and the energy of the place seemed calmer, purer than others I'd been in. With so many tourists pouring in I found it amazing that there was this sense of calm within these walls. I spent some time in there and also visited the free (yes that was mentioned in the guide book too) museum upstairs which housed the story of Buddha and displayed some wonderful relics. That was definitely the spiritual high of my day. Quite a place.

Last night, Alan and I did what all good tourists do in Singapore. That's right, we went to The Long Bar at Raffles Hotel and had a Singapore Sling, ate peanuts and threw the shells on the floor :-) When in Singapore..... it simply has to be done. We arrived by taxi and pulled up at the front of the prestigious Raffles Hotel...a truly spectacular sight. All floodlit and of course the christmas decorations are already up but that only adds to the splendour of the place. Not sure the pennies would stretch to dinner at Raffles given that we could not even bring ourselves to have that second cocktail in The Long Bar, so we moved on to a wonderful italian restaurant called Oso and enjoyed an extremely impressive meal there, complete without outdoor dining on the balcony. Quite a memory.

Today I was on a mission to "find" the Esplanade. This had been on my list for Tuesday but after the "losing" of Fort Canning Park I didn't quite make it, so this morning I returned to the Raffles complex and popped in to the Ah Tengs Bakery for a rather good coffee and danish, which made up for the disappointing atmosphere and the rather rude sound of drilling which I found particularly amusing, given that I was so glad to escape that very sound this week in our apartment back in HK....and from there made my way to The Esplanade on foot, via the War Memorial Park where once again I met up with a school party. I'm amazed how often children both here and in Hong Kong get outside for their lessons!

Thankfully everything was well signposted and I made it safely via the underpasses, escalators, bridges...and finally emerged by the river and finally got my shots of the opera house and the Merlion. Unfortunately I am struggling with photo downloading this week but at some point I will post some photos too. It was touristy here but again not too crowded and I managed to find a Starbucks under a cool shady bridge where I was able to indulge in a refreshing iced cappuccino whilst listening to jazz and take a moment to review the morning's photographs. Nice.

Finally, that brings me up to date. The rain has stopped. Next I should pick out a place for us to eat this evening and get our reservation made for Little India tomorrow night, before we fly out to Sydney at midnight!

Kuala Lumpur

On this cloudy Monday I find myself in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was not on the agenda when we left Hong Kong on Saturday, until the very last minute...a last minute business meeting for Alan, not me of course! Another decision to make. Should I go with him for this 24hr detour or stay in the hotel in Singapore..alone? It was a close call really. I'd been in Singapore 24 hours already and was starting to get a feel for the place, and it certainly does feel like a relatively safe place to be a tourist..and a solitary female one at that. However...here was an opportunity to see another part of Malaysia, albeit in a whirlwind kind of way and to keep Alan close by. Either way, I was going to be alone in either KL or Singapore for a day while Alan attended a full day of meetings, so it didn't really seem to matter. The fact that we finally agreed I'd be better off in Singapore is irrelevant now because meanwhile Alan's assistant confirmed the flights anyway...right at the end of the day when we had no other option than to stick with them :-) So...fate it seems wanted me to be here. I'm not entirely sure why because I haven't really taken this opportunity to explore today but I'm sure it's in my best interests somewhere along the line. I have had a rather pleasant, leisurely day though. I indulged in a much needed lie-in, in a most comfortable Hilton bed and then made my way to the hotel gym. Not at all shabby either and although I'm not a big gym fan, I enjoyed a pretty good work out on some up-to-the-minute equipment, watching CNN of course. It's just what you do here. Maybe it's what you do in all gyms..to be honest, I'm not a regular so I wouldn't know.

I had been planning to follow my strenuous activity with a little relaxation by the rather lovely pool complete with waterfall, poolside bar...cocktails, you know the sort of thing. However it seems the weather had other ideas and I watched from my cross trainer as the rain literally blew in and put an end to that particular plan. Ah well...that's fine. A spot of lunch in Caffe Cino (or something like that) was welcome...in particular, a rather good cappuccino that I have not been able to get my hands on for a few days now. I settled down to continue reading my Singapore guide book and plan my week ahead. Both the solitary bits (the daytime) and the evenings when I would be reunited with Alan. Seemed like a perfectly good use of my time. Around me sat people mainly engaged in business conversation. Various cultures. Interesting to observe the differences.

Now, back in the hotel room...the rain is really going for it. Just had a few flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder and the rain is beating against the window. The view is of grey...lots of grey.

A perfect time to blog...and draw up my Singapore itinerary, through til midnight on Friday, when we head onwards to Sydney, Australia. Life could be worse.

Hiking in Tai Tam Country Park

Last weekend we went hiking in Tai Tam Country Park. Before we left home, we consulted the Leisurely Hiking Guide and selected a Sunday walk. It started out very comfortably and although steep in places the pathways were very civilised and our route was full of families of all ages doing the same thing. We strolled. After an hour we reached the end of the path and bearing in mind this had been pitched in the book as a 3hr walk, I was somewhat surprised and not quite satisfied! I was expecting more...so we took a look at the park map and decided to take a different route back. Something a little more challenging. OK...something a lot more challenging, as it turned out! Challenging but fabulous! The return took about 3 hours I think...and it was a completely different terrain. The pathway was steep and rocky. At times it resembled a dry river bed more than a foot path which is pretty accurate actually given the weather here. A few months ago we would not have been doing this walk as our path would have been replaced by a river rushing down from the mountains, I have no doubt about that!

This particular day though it was dry, not a spot of rain in sight and all the young families seemed to have disappeared. It was a while before we met any other hikers. The views were stunning. It was a little hazy as is often seems to be here but this did not detract from the beauty of our surroundings.

Quite incredible to think that we took a 15 minute taxi ride from home to get to the start point for this walk.

Finding Sanctuary amidst the chaos

Today is a good day.

Unlike other mornings recently I managed to get up with Alan and walk with him to the British Embassy..why? Well, that's another story and not for today...but I walked with him from Wanchai to Admiralty at which point we went our separate ways for the day. After a quick stop off at Starbucks for a necessary morning perk-me-up I wandered back out and soon found myself in Hong Kong Park, just steps away from all the hubbub of city life.

I can't say that is was like stepping into a sanctuary of peace and quiet...it was pretty busy even at 10am but it was rather wonderful to find this beautifully landscaped park among the high rise buildings that surround it. I love the contrast of nature and oh-so-modern buildings. It fascinates me.

There were school parties..young children sitting down in a very orderly fashion having an art lesson - at least that is what it looked like to me. All pointing in one direction with their white pads of paper, every so often looking up from their paper towards the same view of trees and skyscrapers. Lovely.

Then there were the weddings. Or rather the wedding photographs. In the short time I was in the park I saw 2 different parties trailing around with photographer close by.

Then of course there were plenty of people just like me. Tourists. Taking photos.

Finally though, near the end of my exploration I found a dead-end...a secluded corner hidden by trees and flanked by waterfalls. The sound of water falling into the pool below drowned out all the other noises. The traffic, the voices. This was my little slice of Sanctuary - and I sat there for quite some time, just letting the sound of the waterfalls work their magic for me. Nice.. I will return....

Yoga

I have been debating the whole new yoga centre thing for the last couple of weeks and today I finally went to try out a class at what I believe will probably be my yoga centre for the coming year. It is a beautiful centre, in a high-rise block, like most other yoga centres in Hong Kong, spread over 2 floors. The staff are friendly and polite and everyone removes their shoes before entering. Pretty much what I'm used to so far.

It has I think 3 studios, again, given my experience with yoga centres in Ottawa, sounds about right and a bonus for me, there is no hot studio :-) I don't have to feel like I "should" do a hot class every so often, just because it's there...just because I don't really want to but surely it's good for me, so I should...there's that word again... Anyway...no hot studio and I'm happy with that, I don't feel like I am losing out at all.

The changing facilities are just beautiful. Nicer than we have in our apartment. OK so there are more people queuing up to use them but really, very nice and clean and a pleasure to use. They even provide towels for your personal use so you don't have to remember to take one and neither do you have to lug it home and wash it afterwards. They have hairdryers, lots of them. Wow. Now I am really impressed. To be fair, I know that other centres here do all this stuff too...it seems to be the norm and I like it. Having said all that, of course these things are great but the most important thing(s) in any yoga centre, are of course the teachers. Are their classes empowering, compassionate, safe but challenging and do they leave you feeling relaxed and open? At least these are the things I ask of a yoga class, other people may have other criteria, but for me these are the most important things.

So I am led to my complimentary class. I chose a Hatha Yoga class and the receptionist insisted that I try a Beginner class the first time. Fine with me...it's been a while since I attended an actual yoga class with all the travelling and disruption to my lifestyle recently. A beginners class actually sounds perfect.

They ask that you don't take your own mat as they provide them for you and when you enter the immaculate, mirrored room their black mats are all perfectly positioned and almost gleaming with cleanliness! Another pleasant surprise. The mats are staggered so that when we stretch we don't have to hold hands with our neighbours and everyone gets a decent view of the teacher. They have beautifully rolled hand towels placed in little pigeon holes, bit like mail slots for each student to claim and take back to their mat, in case they should perspire during their practice. It's all terribly organised. Yogically, I'm not used to this but again, I like it.

Before we begin our teacher asks if anyone is pregnant. There are a few girlish giggles but nobody owns up. He asks again - apparently he was told there was a pregnant lady in the room...nope, nobody confesses. We are about to begin when another student enters..a woman..immediately he asks her if she is pregnant...she looks a bit shocked but yes..finally, he has found his special student and I have to say, she did get a lot of attention. And I know this because she was directly in front of me. I'm not sure she wanted quite that much attention but the teacher was quite adamant about what she should and should not do. There was more hands-on assisting and adjusting in that classroom than I'd experienced in any other class. Ever. It was quite an experience.

My own practice has changed recently. Not least because a lot of things in my life have changed and my practice has adapted but also because I did some training with Paul Grilley. I am going to go "all out" and say that this was for me, the best training I have ever taken. I learned lots. The teaching was compassionate but fun. A lot of fun...lots of laughs, laughing that helped lift us up from the intensity of learning and remind us that we are all human. It was a fabulous 2 weeks and instrumental to how I now practice yoga. To be honest, it's not that I do it completely differently now...I was always leaning towards this style but now I understand why I prefer to practice this way and I've become somewhat reluctant to practice it any other way.

Then came my class today. I expected it to challenge my own beliefs about yoga teaching and it did. I respect that there are many different styles and ways of teaching yoga out there. There are so many teachers with different bodies, and different backgrounds, it is only natural. What I'm looking for is a Paul Grilley yoga centre in Hong Kong but I'm not sure there is such a thing. Yet. Or maybe there is and I haven't found it yet! For now though, my internal debate goes on.

Is my personal practice too compassionate?

It certainly became more compassionate over the summer with the onset of a couple of different injuries and aches and pains. To practice yoga at all for a while I had to take it extremely easily. For a while I stuck purely with restorative yoga and gradually progressed back to hatha and yin - my preferred styles but the pace was slower and gentler than it had been before the injuries. I was worried I would injure myself again if I did too much too soon. Then came the Grilley training, right on the back of my recovery. I eased back into my yin (and yang) practice over those 2 weeks and it felt wonderful. It felt safe. It felt like MY yoga, for MY body. I returned to Canada, feeling New and Healed, it was fabulous.

Now though, I'm not in Canada...I'm in Hong Kong. Life is different. The culture is different. My days are wide open, waiting to be filled. I'm free like I have never been free before. To try something new. To do nothing. It's my choice. Seems ironic in a country where nobody seems to have free time, where they are always dashing to the next appointment.

Of course, I want to try something new, I'm just not sure what yet.

While I wait for this decision to evolve, I do know that I want to practice yoga, with a teacher, in a studio. It's been a while since I had any regular guidance on my own practice. However, finding a teacher who truly resonates for me these days is not as easy as it used to be. How do you know you can trust them with your body? My body is not as young as it used to be and needs more care than it used to. I've learned how to care for it over the years I've been practicing yoga but I also have an insight into how easily we can harm ourselves, even through our own yoga practice if we are not truly present within that practice. I've also heard horror stories about teachers who try and force their students into postures that their bodies are just not built to accommodate. I guess like anyone else in any other country, I go to class, I evaluate my experience and decide whether that teacher is for me or not. It's that simple.

They say that the teacher shows up when you're ready...nobody ever said you'd seek that teacher out and love them to bits for eternity...learning can be challenging in many ways. Perhaps it is time for me to allow another teacher to take me to my edge. It's probably about time. 2009 has been quite tough, personally, and my refuge has often been yoga. Gentle yoga. Compassionate yoga. More compassionate than ever. Perhaps in order to make the most of this year ahead, I need to be taken to my edge on a more regular basis...stepping away from the comfortable poses of old and just see where I end up.

The View

So although we don't yet have our furniture from home, we do now have a few essentials items - thankfully amongst these a brand new (very comfy) bed. And...this is my favourite thing about the apartment..the view from the bedroom. The windows are dual aspect and if you look in the other direction the view is quite different...high rise buildings and a distant harbour view but if you sit in bed with the curtains pulled back, this is what you get. Not bad.

The first morning I spent alone in the apartment, I pulled out my yoga mat and pulled back the curtains and enjoyed an amazing yoga practice overlooking the mountainside, watching little fluffy white clouds pass over the top of The Peak, glimpsing little bits of blue sky. Unfortunately I didn't take this photo that day but this is a more common view - a bit hazy and grey but still beautiful in it's own way.

Our Apartment

So this is our apartment building. Bamboo Grove. It is 35 floors high and consists of 6 towers comprising 345 apartments. We are on the 22nd floor - a good way up and the view is good. In one direction we overlook the green mountain side and on the other an array of high rise buildings and if we squint a little then we can see the Harbour through the skyscrapers. In fact from Alan's study there is a pretty good view of the evening Light Show which performs every single day from around 6.30pm.

This of course is Alan..outside the entrance to Bamboo Grove where one just has to stand for usually less than 30 seconds before a taxi drives by ready to take you

wherever you want to go...it's not so bad not having a car here with a taxi service this good!

Our first Meal in The Apartment

Since we moved into the Apartment we have never appreciated tables and chairs quite so much. It is a treat and a luxury to eat at a restaurant...at a table - wow..how decadent! :-)

This was taken almost 2 weeks ago. The good news is that we do now have a proper chair each and a 2 trays so we no longer have to sit on the floor but we are still longing to see our furniture again...ETA in to HK port is 21 November.

Everything is Different

So it sounds like an obvious statement and perhaps your first impression of this is that it's rather inconsequential. And to an extent I believe it is. We can all adapt if we want to, as challenging as it can feel at times. But "Different" does takes some getting used to, and the more things that are different, the more challenging Different can feel.

Those who know me will know that I'm quite particular about food, about what I eat..what's good for me...what I like the taste of, the texture of etc. Yesterday I tried dim sum for the first time. No big deal really...we went, we ate, we left. The whole experience was over in a hour. Before we got to the restaurant, which by the way, was reminiscent of a room used to host a very large, impersonal wedding reception, with lots and lots of round tables and a vast array of waiting staff milling about with trolleys of food, I adjusted my "normal" attitude to food as much as I could and tried to be open to the food that was about to be placed in front of me, reminding myself that millions of people eat it all time...how bad can it be? As it happens, it was all fine...our hostess thought to ask about any dietary preferences before the food arrived so that meant I wasn't presented with anything too outlandish, which helped :-) By my standards, I did pretty well but yesterday afternoon was not so good for me. I felt nauseous and my belly hurt. Yes I had surrendered my boundaries to accommodate something new but my body was letting me know that maybe, just maybe...that wasn't the best thing, for me.

So now I'm caught in a place I keep finding myself lately and it's interesting to observe. The question is, how much should we adapt to our surroundings to fit in to a new culture, to belong and most importantly to try new things and gain new experiences and how much should we just trust our own instincts about what is good for us? Actually, when I see it written like that, for me there is no deliberation...Trust your instincts and your body! However, I sometimes have trouble distinguishing between Instinct and Fear and herein lies my problem. Instinct, we need to learn to trust. Fear, we need to learn to overcome.

There are I believe, many people out there who have no trouble trying new stuff, whether it be food or something else. I admire these people and often wish I could be more like them. So I try...but often it backfires. Sometimes I will have a wonderful experience and wonder what all the fuss was about...but other times, there is something deeper within me that continues to shake it's head and say...Hmm...see...told you so...it's not for you!

Of course all this soul-searching is nothing much to do with whether I like dim sum or not but yesterday dim sum for me was a trigger that set me thinking and this is how it goes for me, in a new country. In fact, these days, in any country! I continue to question my reactions to things over and over and that question is...Fear...or Instinct?

My First Blog

Welcome to my first ever Blog!

I thought about writing a Blog or something similar when we first moved from the UK to Ottawa, to record the experience and to keep friends and family at home up to date with our new life, but due the the very Real Experience taking over that new life, it never actually happened. A few entries made it to my personal journal, and to be honest, it's maybe better that they remain there as it was a somewhat emotional journey for me, especially for the first year. I would say it takes this long to truly find your feet in a new city.

I made a point of re-reading my little green journal, which has captured some wonderfully emotional moments over the last 3 years, on the plane ride from Toronto to Hong Kong, a long 16 hour flight, just to remind myself what I was letting myself in for, all over again. Parts of it were definitely entertaining, some bits made me laugh out loud, other bits made me wonder why on earth I wanted to move from a country I had just got to grips with and start afresh in another totally foreign land! More than anything though, I was left with the desire not to miss the opportunity to record my thoughts and feelings on this Part II of the Big Adventure. So, here I am...attempting my first Blog just 3 weeks in to The Asian Chapter.

My main intention, in blogging, is to record the ups and downs of our year in Hong Kong. To capture on paper the highs and the lows, because there will be both. Life is about balance...yin and yang...I fully believe that and I have no problem with a few life lessons along the way. That is after all, how we learn and get stronger and ready to face yet more of life's challenges!

In addition to my own need to capture this part of our life..mine and Alan's...I confess my desire to keep in touch with family and friends around the world and by sharing snippets of our life on a regular basis, I will feel closer to them and I hope, they will in turn feel a bit closer to me, despite the physical distance. After all, simply in time zone terms we are a whole 12 hrs away from our Home and friends in Canada and 8 hours from our family and friends in the UK. It's hard to keep in touch with this additional complication - I know..I've been practicing for the last 3.5 yrs!

As I begin to write, I have no idea in reality, how many people will read this and neither do I care.... but if you are reading, it would be nice to know, so do not be shy about adding your own comments or simply letting me know you're there....