A time of thanks...

Each year during the week of Thanksgiving, I would read the poem below with my class. We would sit in a circle and discuss all the things we were thankful for in our lives. The responses of the students were always so touching. I've heard everything from "I'm thankful for my Pokemon cards" to "I'm thankful there is enough rice for my whole family to eat for dinner." One student even told me that the poem I shared with her made her thankful for everything she had in her life!

Thanksgiving Delights
by Joanna Fuchs

On Thanksgiving Day we’re thankful for
Our blessings all year through,
For family we dearly love,
For good friends, old and new.

For sun to light and warm our days,
For stars that glow at night,
For trees of green and skies of blue,
And puffy clouds of white.

We’re grateful for our eyes that see
The beauty all around,
For arms to hug, and legs to walk,
And ears to hear each sound.

The list of all we’re grateful for
Would fill a great big book;
Our thankful hearts find new delights
Everywhere we look!

This year, like every other, I have a lot to be thankful for. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, and food! I'm very lucky to be spending the holiday in the US with my family and friends (minus my wonderful husband, but since he's Canadian, he doesn't celebrate this holiday anyway!)

School Days

"School days, school days, dear old golden rule days."

While all my teacher friends were preparing their classrooms for the new school year, I was preparing for my new life in Hong Kong. It was a strange feeling to walk out my front door and see the little Chinese kids lining up in their uniforms. It was an even stranger feeling that not a single one of them would be in my class this year. For a whole 5 minutes I longed to be back in room 249 in Chinatown. Then, I realized how nice it was going to be not to have the responsibility of caring for the needs of 28 students on a daily basis. I took a deep breath of polluted air and a sense of freedom and relief passed through my body.

Now don't get me wrong, I loved teaching for the past 6 years. I got such a sense of fulfillment when a student would come into my room, not knowing a word of English, and leave my classroom at the end of the of the year with an entirely new vocabulary. I wanted to continue to make a difference in the lives of youngsters so I decided to volunteer my skills.

I started teaching a conversational English class at a local girls school on Hong Kong Island. The girls are a little older than my usual students (they are 15 instead of 6, 7, 8 or 9). The first time I entered the building it was hot September day so I wore a long strapless dress. The staff looked at me in utter disbelief. One of the other volunteers said, "you do know this is a Catholic school don't you!" I took my sweater out of the bag and have only worn sweaters since then.

The girls I teach are amazing. They speak better English than half of the people in NYC. Schools in Hong Kong are much more formal than in the US. The students wear uniforms and stand up behind their desks when they want to speak. The girls have a deep respect for their teachers and learning. Several of them told me they want to go to University in Austrailia so being fluent in English is extremely important to them.

The girls in my class give up their lunchtimes to practice their oral skills. We have a blast talking about everything from Gossip girl (which they stream over the Internet) to their favorite singers Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber (I had to google them to get the latest updates). They love the fact that I'm from America and enjoy asking me questions about NYC. When I told them I was going to be away for a while, many of them were so upset. "Make sure you bring us back something cool from America" one girl said to me as I walked out of the room. Does anyone know where I can get 9 posters of Taylor or Justin?

Hanging with friends in Florida

Crystal blue skies, sunny warm weather, large hungry gators.

If anyone wants to come down to Florida and play golf, our friend is waiting for you at the 3rd hole!

If you're not a golfer like me, you can hang out in our backyard....as long as you don't mind Florida black racer snakes! Hisssssssssssss..........

Another serving please!

Vegetables have always been a big part of my life. Growing up, my mom always made at least one or two veggie sides with every meal. In grade school, we learned the importance of eating several servings of fruits and vegetables each day. When dining with my girlfriends in college, salads were usually the most frequently ordered item off the menu. (ok this doesn't apply to ALL of my girlfriends!) I have to admit, I really like the taste of most fruits and vegetables...the problem is they don't like me!

I have always struggled with trying to maintain a balanced diet. I have the carbohydrate and protein area covered, but that's about it! Fruits and veggies have always been hard for me to stomach. One of my goals that I set for myself when moving to Hong Kong was to try some of the local fruits and vegetables.


One afternoon, I walked down to the Wan Chai market and was amazed by the variety of fruits and vegetables that sat before my eyes. There were stalls and stalls of green leaves and other Chinese vegetables I had never seen before. There was Bok Choy, different kinds of Chinese flowering cabbages, bamboo shoots, fungus, bean sprouts, and radishes. (none of which I would eat, but are served in many of the dishes I order!)

As I ventured further into the market, I came across the fruit section. My nose led me straight to a very strange smelling and looking fruit called a Dorian, a round fruit covered in hard spikes. I'm not sure what the fruit tasted like, but the smell was extremely overpowering. The man at the stand asked me if I wanted to try some but I was too turned off by the odor.

There was a large selection of other fruits which I did sample and bring home for D to eat. They had everything from sweet ripe mango and crispy Asian pear (D's favorite) to hairy melon, which can be described actually as it sounds.

Each week I plan on trying a new fruit or vegetable. With all of these choices at prices that won't break the bank, I guess it would be silly not to have another serving!

Falling Back

View from our NYC Hotel Room


Fall in New York...Fantastic

I've spent the past week wandering aimlessly around the city. I admired the leaves changing colors and falling off the tress in Central Park. I hit up my favorite department stores, (thanks D!) restaurants, and spent time with my favorite people...well most of them!

For the first time in 4 months, I've pulled on my skinny jeans (not as easy a task as last year) and boots. I wrapped myself in my cozy wool sweater and took my down puffy jacket out of the cedar closet. Several friends have commented on the fact that I'm overdressed for November but I couldn't be more comfy in my Uggs and cashmere scarf.

When I left Hong Kong a few weeks ago, we were all still wearing sundresses and open toe shoes. Our air conditioners were running all day and night, and D couldn't make it home from work without sweating through his shirt. I was ready for a change...in season.

One of my favorite things about the fall is the brunch food! I love pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes, and pumpkin bread (which we all know is really cake!) On this glorious, crisp, Sunday morning, while many of my friends were running in the NYC Marathon, my brother, sister-in-law, and I ventured out for some brunch.

Since my brother was worried that I was eating too much Chinese food, and not getting the opportunity to enjoy my favorite fall foods, he decided to plan a special breakfast for me. As we arrived in the Jazz room of Blue Water Grill I noticed we were the only three diners. I asked "Where is everyone? It's 11:30 am!." "Oh I rented out the room for you," said J. Just then a three piece Jazz Ensemble started playing a private concert. We ordered Banana Foster French Toast, Omelets, Cranberry Pumpkin Pancakes, and Hot Chocolate.


My brother thought I might still be feeling a little out of place, so he tried to make me feel more at home and ordered me an omelet with 4 egg yolks. He said it was his way of making up for not sending me a moon cake during the Mid Autumn festival. Unfortunately though, he did not get a discount for waiting until after the festival like I did in Hong Kong. Thanks J!

Throughout the meal I couldn't believe we had the entire jazz room to ourselves. I was thinking the whole time it was crazy that my brother had done this. However, as we got up to leave I noticed people starting to fill the tables. I asked, "Did you really rent out the room or is everyone eating late today?" My brother said, "No its still early, it's only 11:45am." I looked down at my watch and realized I hadn't changed it overnight for day lights saving. I had failed to "fall back".

You're WELLCOME

One of the first things I did when I arrived in Hong Kong was check out the local supermarkets. Just like in NYC, you have your different tiers of markets. There are markets like 360, City-Super, and Great, which can be compared to a Whole Foods. This is where I spend most of my time…and my money. If you think Whole Foods is expensive, you don’t even want to know what I pay for an avocado in Hong Kong.

One tier lower you have your Park and Shop which would be similar to your Gristedes or Food Emporium. This is a good place to go for basics like yogurt, cheese, and canned goods. And on an even lower tier, we have the grocery store called WELLCOME.

WELLCOME stores can be found all over the city so I thought I would check one out to see what they had to offer. I was hoping to find an avocado that cost less the 2 USD but I found a little more than just that!

D was tired from a long day of exploring but I made him come inside with me to check it out. Upon entering the store, there was a strange odor which immediately turned me off from wanting to shop there. Like most people, I am very particular about the freshness of my food…ok I’m actually neurotic about it. I won’t eat anything that’s even approaching a sell by date and I hate leftovers.

As I made my way down an aisle, the stench was getting stronger. I said to D, “what is that horrific smell?” As I turned around the corner I saw a sight that made my stomach churn. The butcher had just slaughtered a pig in the middle of the grocery store! People were lining up for bloody pieces of pork. D is usually not fazed by this type of thing, but the sight and smell were so grotesque that he actually needed to leave the vicinity. I of course, needed to have closer look.

As I exited that store, amazed by what I had just witnessed, D said to me “thanks for making me go in there”. I smiled and said the obvious thing to say in that situation...”You’re WELLCOME”.