Days in Hong Kong

The Days were going to be in Hong Kong, so that is where we had to be too.  It was great to go on holiday with family so far from Aspendale Gardens and we had a really fun time.

Day 1: Kowloon.  Dim Sum for lunch at Jade Garden in Star House, with a fantastic view across to Hong Kong island.  Followed by shopping, dinner near Mong Kok (very local:  California Pizza Kitchen!) and the Ladies Market.

Day 2: Macao.  A 1 hour ferry ride and a new set of stamps in our Passport.  A former Portuguese colony, Macao was handed back to China in 1999 and is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) like Hong Kong, but with Portuguese signs and architecture mixed in with the Chinese.  We hired a van and driver and enjoyed seeing all the sights.  Lunch was yummy seafood at a Portuguese restaurant and then we visited some older villages, old churches, the city center and the ruins of St Pauls.  At Taipa village, there were at least eight bridal parties taking photos.  Macao is known for its casinos and we ended up at The Venetian where we were duly impressed by the indoor canals and themed shopping district.

Day 3: Drama.  Kim and Lucinda started the day early, attending an open air Tai Chi class with a spectacular backdrop.  After a swim in the pool we checked out of the hotel and headed to Disneyland.  A traumatic two hours then ensued when we all got out of the taxi, except for my backpack containing our passports.  Luckily the customer service manager at Disney hotel was great, the guard had written down the taxi number which I could half remember and the police were able to track him down via the taxi company. The missing bag was found still in his boot and he brought it back to us safe and sound.  For the afternoon, we caught the Disneyland train to nearby Tung Chung for some retail therapy at the outlets mall.

Day 4: Disneyland.  Another magical day at Disneyland, beginning with breakfast in the hotel where we were visited by Pluto, Goofy, Micky and Minnie.  It was then off to the park for a day of rides and shows.  We ended the day with a farewell drink in the lounge, sorry that the Bertrams would be departing the next morning.

Circus Circus

On the second last day of term 3, Alice and Felicity performed in their school musical "Circus Circus".  Due to a change in music teacher and only 8 weeks to prepare, it was not quite as elaborate as the past two years but the kids all did a great job and worked very hard with lots of rehearsals.  Our girls were both in the main cast of 15 as ribbon dancers and with small speaking and singing parts.  They also performed in their class numbers, Felicity as a Pony and Alice as a Clown.

Originally, we were going to skip the last day of term and fly to Hong Kong to meet Rohan and Kim.  However, when Lucinda and I received not one but three invitations to attend the final assembly it became very apparent that we were not going to be able to quietly sneak off.  So we changed our flights and continued to be proud parents at assembly where both girls received Phoenix Awards for Perseverance and Commitment (Felicity for PE, Alice for Chinese), Felicity received an award for being the Year 4 cross country champion and as house captain, Alice received the plaque on behalf of Lyons House for winning the overall cross country competition.  A great way to finish the term.