Much to be thankful for

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

We hope you had a fabulous weekend filled with all the things you love about Chris's favorite holiday. I realize that it's Tuesday already but the last week has just flown by.

All in all, we had a very traditional Thanksgiving weekend. Here's the low down.

Biggest Going Out Night of the Year
Yes, that would be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I realize that we (well, most of the people reading this blog) don't celebrate the night before Thanksgiving with as much enthusiasm as we used to, but Chris and I did head out for the evening. We spent the night at the Happy Valley Racecourse for the Wednesday night races. Our friend Lorraine's parents were in town visiting so a bunch of us headed out for an all-you-can eat and drink buffet in one of the restaurants at the racecourse.

You can tell that we haven't totally acclimated to Hong Kong because we are terrible at gambling on horses. I mean, I picked the horses with "Diamond" in their name or anything sounding remotely cool to win. Let me tell you, that didn't work out so well. I don't totally know what Chris's tactics were but they didn't turn out all that well because I don't think we won one race. Very pathetic considering that there are 10 or 11. I guess next time I will have to study my horses and jockeys beforehand.

Regardless, it was a fun night but much less drinking than normally accompanies this night. That turned out to be a good thing since Chris had to get up and go to work in the morning and I had to get ready for our Thanksgiving feast.

Beijing Politicians say "No Thanks"
For those who hadn't heard, Chris and I, along with our friends Mike & Sara, were planning to host 4 American sailors for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night. For the holiday weekend, the USS Kitty Hawk and its supporting ships were scheduled to dock here to give over 8,000 U.S. servicemen & women an extended stay in port. We thought it would be a nice way to share the holiday and thank our servicemen & women.

I think we should have figured that there would be a problem when we heard at 1:00 on Wednesday that the ships couldn't get permission to disembark on to Hong Kong and they were sitting out somewhere in the harbor.

Since the 1997 Handover, the Chinese central government in Beijing is required to grant permission to any ships coming in to port. It wasn't a problem in late September when the last ships were in town but, then again, the Dalai Lama hadn't yet received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. That happened mid-October which made the Chinese government none to happy. The NY Times reported Tibet's Communist Party Boss as saying "If the Dalai Lama can receive such an award, there must be no justice or good people in the world." Sounds a bit melodramatic in my opinion. Granted there was probably some translation issues going on but I mean, come on. No good people in the world? I mean, really?

So the Chinese were a bit testy with the U.S. and managed to make their point by not granting permission to the ships when they arrived on Wednesday afternoon. I imagine that when the military had enough of the shenangans, they decided to turn around and head back to wherever they were off to next (I was hoping to find out where they were going but Chris insists that it might go against national security if they share these things with me). Several hours after the ships had left, Beijing announced they would grant permission for the ships to dock. Coincidence? Bad timing? Hmm, I think I'll let you decide.

The Standard newspaper here reported on Friday that the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said "We have decided to allow the Kitty Hawk strike group to stay in Hong Kong during Thanksgiving, and it is a decision out of humanitarian consideration only." Again, believe what you may.

It was too bad for us because our Thanksgiving Day plans quickly fell apart when we found out about it but it was much more disappointing for so many family members of sailors on the ships who had flown to HK to spend the weekend with them. They had apparently descended upon HK in quite large numbers.

So, what did we have for dinner? I have to say that after cooking and cleaning all day, I wasn't really up for a big dinner without our guests. If you've been reading our blog, you probably don't need two guesses to come up with what we ate for dinner that night: tuna fish sandwiches and wine. The good news is we like both of them. It was a bit odd to be sitting there by ourselves with nothing to do but at the same time, not really, because it didn't really feel like Thanksgiving. It's hard to explain but I am sure that other people who have spent holidays away from home know what it's like.

Turkey time
Friday was really our Thanksgiving. We got up early and called all of our family in Chicago, Buffalo, Milwaukee and Sheboygan. That's really when it started to feel like the holidays and then Chris went off to work! Not exactly your typical holiday but the businesses don't exactly celebrate Thanksgiving here.

That night we hosted 6 of our friends to dinner. For being away from our family, it couldn't have been a more perfect day. After we talked to everyone and Chris went off to work, I headed down to the wet market to get some last minute veggies. It was a beautiful day and I was in my capris and t-shirt, very happy that I wasn't in the snow in Milwaukee. I managed to get to the market at just the right time. How cool to see half a pig slung over some guy's shoulder as he delivers it to the butcher, a truck full of dead pigs hanging from their hooves and a cart full of beheaded but fully furry lambs coming down the hill. You obviously don't get this just anywhere and the wet markets are very special places here. I love moments like those and am very grateful that I get to experience them.

My friend Sara came over and helped me do a little cooking. I was a bit nervous because this was the first time that I cooked the turkey, stuffing and gravy but it was a relaxing day. Doesn't sound possible, I know, but we weren't eating until 8:00 that night so there was no need to rush through things. I was able to almost recreate my grandma's stuffing, my favorite, and the food turned out better than I could have hoped. We had a really nice night with friends and even watched the Packers beat the Lions! So cool. Our British friends enjoyed their first Thanksgiving dinner and are thoroughly convinced it was a good thing the pilgrims crossed the Atlantic.

Black Saturday
No, there really isn't one big shopping day here in HK. Actually, with the number of malls here, just about everyday is the biggest shopping day of the year. However, I did head out to one of the malls the day after our Thanksgiving to do a little shopping.

Things are decorated to the 9's here for Christmas. The malls are covered in Christmas decorations of all sorts and people everywhere are in the holiday spirit. Well, not really, given that only 10% of the population is Christian but give the Hong Kongers a reason to shop and they will partake. It is strictly a commercial holiday here. Not to say that it hasn't become partly that in the U.S. but not to this extreme. As I understand it, all of the stores and restaurants are open on Christmas Day and the bars are fully packed. The government and businesses are closed so people head out for a good party.

We didn't bring Christmas decorations or anything with us so it doesn't really feel like the Christmas season just yet. I am listening to Christmas music as I'm writing this and trying to get in the mood. I'm only getting away with the music this late at night because Chris is in Jakarta for the night but I'm not sure it's totally working. I may have to go buy some poinsettias or something to at least brighten up the house.

A second meal
On Sunday, we got invited to another Thanksgiving meal. It was a nice afternoon and the food was fabulous but I have to tell you that I am not as excited to eat leftovers after eating a second full meal. It didn't take long but I think I may be turkeyed out.


Chris and I have a lot to be thankful for this year. It has been one of the crazier ones that I've experienced but in a good way. We have been blessed to have had so many new beautiful babies become part of our circle of friends this year, an amazing number when I really think about it. I just realized that I forgot to mention that Bob & Renee Robbins welcomed their son, Brock, on Oct 9. True to Robbins-form, he was nothing close to a small baby but he is happy, healthy and loved by his big brother, Dan and sister, Rachel.

We are so thankful for our entire Hong Kong experience so far. We have had amazing support from family and friends and we couldn't have gotten this far without everyone back home, that is for sure.

I have always been a firm believer that all Americans should live abroad at some point in their lives and the last 4 and a half months have solidified my belief. I am truly thankful for this opportunity at this point in our lives. I am thankful for the ridiculous number of funny stories that have gotten us through the not so good days. I am thankful for the wonderful friends we have made and the small but expanding support network we have built here in our new home. I am thankful for the countless new and wonderful things and places that I have seen in the last year. I am thankful that I can now wear jeans again.

I could go on and on, which is a good thing, but I think you get the picture.

You will hear more from us in the next few weeks but, in the meantime, here I am with my first turkey! It's not exactly the greatest lighting but you get the idea.

Traveling Man

Hello everyone, this is Chris!

Its been quite awhile since we’ve had an opportunity to write a blog entry. The truth is, much like the US, everyday life simply isn’t that interesting, and very busy. Now that it’s the holiday season (in the US anyway) we have quite a few things coming up such as hosting multiple Thanksgiving dinners, charity events, and horse races. I’ll let Erin cover those at another time. I thought I’d give you an update of where I’ve been traveling to, since they lifted the corporate travel ban at the end of September. For those who are unfamiliar with the corporate travel ban, it comes every year in the fourth quarter (in the case of Johnson Controls, that would be July – September) which is our fiscal year end. The thought is if you limit travel, you reduce global expenses, and then you can show your shareholders a larger full-year profit. I’m not sure it actually works, but I’m not in charge. Anyway here’s where I’ve been since October 22nd, when I started traveling:

Singapore
I spent most all of May and part of June here and not much has changed. Its very close to the equator so its really hot at all times and it rains for one hour every afternoon. Very good Indian, Thai, and Singaporean food, although you have to watch out because they put very hot, red chili sauce on everything. This is also the place where I had the most interesting dessert I’ve had since coming to Asia. It came in a medium sized bowl with what looked like (and tasted like) shaved ice. On the ice was a red color on one side and blue on the other. On top of that was creamed-corn. Once you ate into it (which reminded me of a big 7-eleven Slurpee with corn on top) you discovered there were green beans at the bottom. It wasn’t terrible, but didn’t taste good. Other than that there isn’t much to say. It a perfect place if you are moving your family to Asia. Its very green and very clean, but it can feel a little sterile. Its not a bad place to go, but if you are traveling to see Asia I’d skip it, there are better places to go. It is interesting that Singapore gained quite a bit of fame for caneing (probably not spelled correctly, but hitting someone with a cane) a teenager for throwing gum on the ground, but there are more prostitutes operating in the open in this city than you can count.

Bangkok, Thailand
I spent about 24 hours in the city, but I like it a lot and I will be going back. The food is wonderful and my favorite in Asia (although it can be very spicy). The people are incredibly nice and the service in the hotels is incredible. The traffic is nuts, which is why we had a driver. The city is a spectacular combination of super-city and third world. You see brilliant new skyscrapers and condos built on back alleys with vendors selling some type of grilled meat or other food right out on the street. I’m not sure what type of meat it is, but I didn’t see any dogs running around.

(OK that’s a lie, there are actually stray dogs wandering around everywhere….I still wouldn’t eat the meat)

Manila, The Philippines
I was in Manila for two days. Accidentally, the first day I was there was a national holiday. You see a week before the “President” declared a national holiday so the people could vote and no one told me. According to our driver, whoever is in power can call elections when they are ready, this gives them an advantage over their competition…because the competition doesn’t actually know when the elections will be held. Surprisingly the incumbent won. Anyway, Manila is a wild town and the traffic makes Bangkok look tame. There are no traffic lights anywhere. Think about that. In front of my hotel there was a three-lane by three-lane intersection with no traffic lights and a lot of traffic. One side just starts going when they are ready. Its an amazing process and a lot of accidents. The food is also very good, lots of fish, rice and noodles. This is probably a town you can skip on your way through Asia, although it is interesting.

Shanghai, China
I was in town for three days and it was awesome. Because I was there for more than a night I had the opportunity to explore the town a little bit. If you are in Asia and have the opportunity, visit Shanghai. The downtown area is amazing. New skyscrapers across the river from European style buildings built in the early 1900s. The area referred to as “The Bund”, which is basically a river walk on the river that cuts through downtown. They light up all the buildings at night and it is very cool. A friend of mine named Roy was in town, so he and I met up for a few drinks at a bar right on the Bund. Getting to the Bund (or anywhere else in Shanghai) to go and meet Roy was a bit challenging since for the most part no one speaks English. I had the hotel tell the taxi driver where I was going, but about 20 minutes into the trip when he turned around and gave me the “I don’t know exactly where it is” look, I thought I might be in trouble, but I got there. Another area I checked out was Xintiandi (or shin-tan-de for the non-Chinese speakers in the group). Basically it is an entertainment district with about 40 bars and restaurants. It was a bit touristy, but I was able to find a cool jazz bar that served food. Check it out, but be prepared for crowds. Overall, it was a very good trip. Erin and I will definitely go back there before we come home.

Jakarta, Indonesia
I’m scheduled to go to Jakarta on Tuesday, November 27th. All the travel guides I’ve read said it's an interesting city but to be prepared for gridlocked traffic, a lot of pollution, and tons of people. I’m not sure what I think, but I’m looking forward to seeing it. I’ll only be there for about 24 hours, so even if its terrible I won’t be there long.

Last thing, as I was writing this blog entry our building had a fire drill. In the US, this is not a big deal. In Hong Kong I realized that for a drill I would have to walk down the steps from the 20th floor, stand outside for 15 minutes, then wait for an elevator as 2,000 people tried to get back into work. Not good times. Our assistant came up to me and asked if I was going to participate, when I told her I wasn’t sure and I didn't realize I had a choice, she replied that none of the expats ever participate so it wasn’t a big deal. One of the benefits to being the tall white guy in Asia I guess.

Take care, have a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Chris

'Tis the Season

No, not of holly and jolly but of Open Enrollment. It's that time of year when Corporate America tells its employees that their benefits aren't changing from last year (or at least not really) and employees & spouses get to travel down the road of guessing"Which plan will cost me the least amount of money this year?" And let's just face it, your odds are better in Vegas.

Because of my extensive use of health care systems in multiple countries, I have the pleasure of registering for health insurance in our family. Oh, how I loathe this responsibility. In my mind, there is nothing worse than dealing with health insurance companies who do their best to deny you of any small benefit you may be entitled to, but the annual selection of which company to dutifully give your money to is never anything short of a pain.

2008 is already turning out to be true to form. I just logged on to the new online registration system through Chris's work (name withheld just in case!). The first step of registration was a relative success and I am safely guarding my username and password just in case someone wants to change my health care selections at the last minute??? Well, I'm just following instructions.

There is supposed to be this slick new tool that will compare the costs of the available plans for you online. I was really quite excited about this for a couple of reasons. First, the Benefits-At-A-Glance that they gave us requires a magnifying glass to read it. Second, this means I don't have to plug it in to my spreadsheet. Yes, I do have a model for picking our health insurance and it's been useful in the past. You'd be surprised at your break-even so splurging, but I digress.

Any guesses as to what the tool told me? Well, if Swing Low, Sweet Chariot is any indication, I won't wait for your response. I'll just tell you. They're all the same cost. Isn't that amazing! Why? you ask? Well, turns out there are no premiums attached to our available plans. Now, the only place where I've ever gotten free health insurance was when I worked for the University of Wisconsin during grad school, and I have to say, that was a little ridiculous. I could digress again but I'll refrain. Somehow I think something is missing. Now I'm just waiting for a response to my email.

Who knows, maybe I'm wrong? Then again, I'd be willing to bet it has something to do with us being on a different insurance plan than the majority of the company since we now live out of the country. In some respects, it should be easier because it doesn't matter if we pick a PPO or a PPO with a co-pay because there is no such thing as a PPO in Hong Kong. We have to pay everything out of pocket and then get reimbursed. Doesn't that sound like fun? Not so much. Ugh!

So what's the answer? With an election year coming up, I wish I knew or had a solid opinion actually. Our friends from the UK don't have very many good things to say about the National Health Service there. It's fine if you have a god-awful emergency or don't have anything wrong with you, but if you have any sort of chronic, non-emergency type problem, good luck getting the treatment that you need. Here in HK, there's a bit of a mix of both worlds but most people purchase supplemental health insurance because the insurance provided by their employers generally isn't good enough to cover any actual problems. There's very good doctors and hospitals here and they are largely affordable by U.S. standards, even the ones that cater to Westerners (i.e. they speak English). But I know quite a few people who don't know which hospital they are going to deliver their babies at in a month or so when they're due. Women/doctors actually have to reserve a spot on a specific day at a hospital for delivery and it is not uncommon for the fully English-speaking hospitals to be booked up. This because there are floods of mainland Chinese who come to HK to have their babies so that they can be HK citizens.

Really, every system has its positives and negatives and there are trade offs. Chris and I are fortunate to have relatively good health care coverage available to us, all things considered, but I would give just about anything to not have to ever deal with health insurance companies. So the saga will continue, I suppose. I just hope my first haircut & color in HK tomorrow doesn't prove to be as dramatic.

The Answer

Well, I didn't get a lot of guesses about Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, but the one comment posted is the actual answer. Kudos to my friend Alex who is apparently in to European/World sports even though he really doesn't follow American sports. Go figure.

Here are some pictures from the evening.