We are packing up to leave this place. I gather my final thoughts and make note of my experiences. Westerners The first 10 days here there were NO westerners to be found. We were such an oddity that the Chinese wanted us (the kids) to pose for pictures with them like either we were movie stars or zoo animals. SO friendly, so kind, SO taken with the girls eyes. The younger Chinese are more animated than I remember from the last time I was in this part of...

Before leaving New Zealand I got a bit of a jolt. My husband, and major proponent of being in Hong Kong over crazy Chinese New Year time, would be accompanying the girls and I to the Hong Kong then leaving for Europe less than 24 hours later. Instead of 1 week absent as planned, he will be gone for 3 weeks- pretty much the whole Hong Kong stay aside from a day at the end. Hong Kong on my own with 3 kids, not knowing a soul…it will be alright, it's a wester...