Hong Kong island: south side

A university Professor friend teaches her grad students about the "6th grade science introduction."  This is the introduction that proves some ridiculous thought wrong.  "Did you think clouds are big fluffy marshmallows?  Well actually (YOU MORON), they are drops of liquid suspended in the atmosphere."

Every travel guide about Hong Kong begins with this sort of intro.  Wikitravel guide may say it best:

"The traveller weary of its crowded streets may be tempted to describe it as Hong Kongcrete.  Yet this territory with its cloudy mountains and rocky islands is mostly a rural landscape.  Much of the countryside is classified as Country Park and, although 7 million people are never far away, it is possible to find pockets of wilderness that will reward the more intrepid tourist."

Surviving the fire dragon

This is either 2 weeks late or 50 weeks early for next years festival...

Montessori Myth number 2

See part 1

Myth 2.

            In Montessori a child is allowed to avoid a subject that scares them.  A child might get great at math or reading but completely neglect other subjects.

Montessori parent's night, Common Myth 1

Parent’s Orientation and Common Myths about Montessori Education

            My first private school parent event was nerve wracking.  As a first year Montessori guide I feel insecure in gaining the confidence of parents who are paying huge sums of money for this education.  I needed to seem confident while I was still nervous and insecure about the looming first day of school.

I promised this blog wouldn't descend into showing only pictures of funny signs

Because that's what every American who goes to Asia does, is nothing but "haha look at how they tried to phrase that."

But there the signs are, staring me down every day, taunting me, daring me to share them with the world.

And so I'll give in, but this sign isn't funny because of misspelling of words.  Its instead a great example of the overly cautious public safety campaigns you see in wealthy Asian countries.

What's going on here?  These people win the MTR escalator trophy because they are holding the handrail, standing still and "not looking only at your mobile phone".  And yes, the trophy is a gold sculpture of a person standing and holding a handrail on the escalator.

Upon further research I found there's even a video...who will win the prize for escalator safety??  Everyone holds on, everyone wins!
http://www.mtr.com.hk/en/customer/main/hero_of_escalator_safety.html

Funniest intercultural exchange of the week?

Me: "What do you like to eat?"
Philipino friend: "Anything except spicy things and raw food.
Me: "Aww man, I wanted to eat raw frogs."
Philipino friend: "Gross!  I only eat frogs fried in a stew."

Temple Street night market

Pictures are sporadic because I didn't feel comfortable snapping away in many of the shops (Got yelled at enough as is!).  Thought about using someone else's but you can google Temple Street market if you would like to see more.

            The other night I went to the Temple Street night market with Adriana, R, and N in search of school supplies and silliness.  The night was perhaps defined by desperate searches for bathrooms.  Perhaps these searches were brought on by overindulging in the newly found freedom to buy 1 dollar beers at 7/11 and drink them walking down the street, but who can say.  We get better and better at knowing where to find public toilets but I do need to find an app that shows them.   I once laughed at my mom for having such an app in New York City but I understand now.