--Diane Arbus
Even after living in Hong Kong for 6 months, in the last 2 weeks, I think I've gone to a hundred places I've never been. And even going back to some of the same places, they couldn't have felt any different than on this crazy and wild adventure with the Gerber Girls...
In a jam packed 7 day adventure, we were able to see Hong Kong from top to bottom and even managed to squeeze in Macau and Shenzhen! It was non-stop laughs, non-stop memories, and non-stop fun! I could never include all of the things that we did, but I can certainly post the pictures which are worth a thousand words... =)
The night of arrival, touring the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui.
The girls first day and first adventure, the BIG BUS tour! The only way to sightsee in HK!
Then an evening at the peak including dinner and gelato! (We love Amy's floating head in this picture!) =)
Day 2 included lunch at the Shangri-La buffet! Chocolate fountain included! =)
Day 2 also included shopping at the famous Stanley Market! We haggled the day away for good deals!
Day 2 evening included the beautiful HK laser light show from a junk boat!!
Day 3 began with some VIP treatment on our ferry to Macau! (What a way to travel!!!)
Day 4 was DISNEY DAY! This included a parade down main street where the 5 white girls became the main attraction... =)
Day 5 took us to Ngong Ping for a nice, relaxing 20 minute cable car ride to see....
The largest bronze buddha in the world!!!
Day 5 was finished off with a 5 hour karaoke session with our favorite German friend!!
Day 6 was all about the Pandas on our Ocean Park adventure! Roller coasters included!
The end of day 6 was completed with a delicious crab dinner and mango dessert with some of my most wonderful friends!
Then we had to end with a bang on Day 7 and hit the road up to Shenzhen, China where we lived like queens in the Futian, Shangri-La Hotel! And enjoyed the free shower caps!
And then what else could we do except to top it off with a 3 hour spa/massage experience in pajamas? =)This barely skims the surface of what happened in those 7 days of craziness, but you can talk to the girls if you want to hear more! =) It was a great experience for everyone though and I'm happy to say the Shangri-La is still standing after the attack! =)
Whew, so after all of that madness, it was time to put on my big girl pants, man up, and face one of my greatest fears in the world...
Needles... hospitals... blood... IVs... scalpels... you get the idea.
So if you read the last post, you saw where I tore my left knee ACL at the end of September and was advised to take surgery to repair it if I ever wanted to play volleyball again. The thought of not being able to play volleyball or tennis again was more painful to me than the idea of needles in my knee so I buckled and agreed to the surgery for October 15.
I'm happy to report that the surgery went well and there were no complications! My sister was "lucky" and got to stay in the hospital with me for the hours before and after. She also got to see me super hyped on anesthesia and pain medication. Wheeee! I can't recollect all of it, but I do remember hassling every nurse near me for water.... which they all sternly refused. Mean nurses... Actually, they were all super cute and I couldn't be mad at them because they kept asking me if I needed to to "wee-wee". How can you possibly be angry with someone that keeps a straight face when they ask you that? =)
Anyway, after a long 2 days in the hospital, the doctor released me and Karyn and I made our way back to the hotel. We got to spend one more night together before she hopped back on the plane on Saturday afternoon. =( It's sad to be alone again after more than 2 weeks of non-stop family time, but my HK friends have been really sweet and have come to visit, brought me flowers, and kept me company! Yay for friends!
So now it's just me and my computer for a week or more, so I'm looking forward to catching up on emails, facebook updates, TV shows, and movies I've missed! It will be a super awesome recovery time... =)
Hope you have a wonderful week and I love you all!!
Hugs and love,
Sonya Rae
