Should Milk really cost this much?

So I had this talk with my sister on the phone last week - about the price of milk. Here it goes:

1 liter of milk in Sweden cost 8.90 SEK which is USD $1.27
1 liter of milk in Norway cost 19 NOK which is USD $3.36
1 liter of milk in Hong Kong is 29.90 HKD which is USD $3.86.

That means, that if I would buy 1 gallon of milk in Hong Kong - it would cost me $15.44 USD.

I do not understand why the price is so high in Norway - they have lots of cows there. In Hong Kong, there are no cows. The milk comes from the cows in Australia......so there is an added shipping cost.

Milk should not cost this much - but some places in the world it does. I am not sure if humans should really drink cow milk anyway. Most "health freaks" say it is not good for us. Anyhow - most of my recipes have milk in them, so I continue to pay "to much" for milk.

Moo

A Proud Parent Moment

As Mattias was practicing with his new soccer team last Thursday, I was so proud of him. He tried out for the Tai Tam Tigers 9-10 year-olds Soccer team . There were 35-40 kids trying out, 9 players returning from last year, and they were looking to fill 7 spots. The coaches son was one of the 7 so he does not count - of course he made it. Mattias got one of the sought-after 6 spots on the team. This was a drilling try-out experience. The first try-out consisted of 2 hours of dribbling skills - timed! Yes - they were actually using stop-watches and writing down the numbers. They had to do 60 toe-taps in 30 seconds, all kinds of other dribbling skills. It was pretty serious. Even Henrik, the seasoned soccer player he is, said he has never experienced such a serious try-out ever. Completely over done - if you ask us. Hello - they are only 9.....

They had 3 of these two-hour tryout sessions over a 3 week period - constantly throwing new in-sane dribbling activities at them. It was a happy moment when he got the "congratulations" message.

I know that I am bragging - I just had to get it out of my system :). He is enjoying playing and having so much fun - and so are we.

A really proud "Soccer Mom".

International Peace Day!

Hope peace finds you as we celebrate an International Peace Day on September 21. Visit the link if you wonder what that means..... :)

http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

Peace to you all.

Some funny Chinglish - from Henrik

Enjoy.

Henrik in Delhi - India

Henrik is in India this week and he is very intrigued with the way things are there. It is like mixing big city, with countryside, with farming - all in one place. Quite fascinating. Enjoy some of his pictures from lunch on Monday.

Virtual School - please never again.....

Both Upper and Lower Primary school has been closed for a week and we have had the privilege of having "virtual school"........ It goes like this: each teacher, in every subject, writes down homework that the students are supposed to be doing at home every day. It includes, Chinese, PE, Music, Math, Reading and Writing. It has not been a pleasant experience. I know for certain now - I will never do home school. :)

School reopens tomorrow :) What a great day it will be. I actually think the kids are as excited to get back to their normal teachers, and not their freaky mom.....(that hates homework anyway...)

Hope you are all well. Went to a beach yesterday after church. It was WONDERFUL.

School closed

Just have a couple of minutes before I get Heidi from the school bus. HKIS middle school is closed for a week due to more than 106 students home sick, most of them with H1N1 Swineflu. We have to take our children's temperature every day, record it, sign it and return it to school every day. If you have a temp higher than 37.5 you are not welcome to school. I am impressed with Hong Kong Governments way of dealing with all this.
Gotta go and get my princess.

"It's Gonna Be a Night, to Remember" (from HSM3)

As I was getting REALLY stressed packing for another year's journey, I outsourced Heidi's going away party to my sister Trine. Now - that is probably the best decision I made this summer. Now there is a real party planner. We started out getting everybody ready for the HSM 4 auditions in Cheerleader outfits, make up and hair. Then we drove the "Limousine" (thank you Kristen Gallup :) ) up to East High School where the leader of the Cheerleading squad (thank you Melodie) taught the girls some cheerleader moves. What a night it was. It really was a night to be remembered as they sing in the latest HSM3 movie. Thank you Trine and everybody else involved. Same place, same time next year! OK?!

Thanks for a great Summer friends.

Two days before we left Utah, we had a surprise going-away party for Mattias. We invited some of his friends and when he came home from a soccer camp we all jumped out and surprised him. It was a great night with Twinkies, chips, cookies (thanks Jill), fruit and fun. Thanks for all the fun memories. See you in a year. SEND ME AN EMAIL: osthedmattias@gmail.com.

What a Summer it has been.

June 15th to August 1 went very fast this year. It was wonderful to see friends, family and our home again. Sometimes in life it is good to miss something and be away from it. I was reminded of how much I loved our house and yard. Even though it is way to big, I still love it. Mattias and Heidi went into high gear as soon as they walked in the house. They played with every toy. They played with every friend. When there was 5 minutes of peace, they went out to find another friend to play with. They really enjoyed having all their friends around and being able to go on their own play dates, without taxis, helpers and moms.

We are back in Hong Kong. I am happy about that. I am breathing again. I am very grateful that we have another year here to experience new things and to make new friendships. School starts Monday - which means that I get my life back. I get to go back to Yoga and have some time for myself. I am really done with summer and I am welcoming school, homework, activities and routines.

Heidi and Mattias miss their friends, but they are settling in very well. When we arrived in Hong Kong and Henrik picked us up at the airport he asked Heidi if she still hated Hong Kong. She looked at him and said: "Dad, I was just kidding about hating Hong Kong. I love Hong Kong." Now that is a good thing. Heidi got accepted into Hong Kong International School with Mattias and we are so excited and grateful for that.

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Discovering Macau and Cirque du Soleil

April has been a bussy month with many fun activities. One Saturday morning, we decided to take the ferry to Macau - Asia's Las Vegas. We took a taxi to the ferry station and the ferry ride took about an hour.

As we got into Macau, we went straight to the Venitian because we had ordered tickets to the Cirque du Soleil ZAIA show.

The Venitian was spectacular - unlike anything I have seen in Vegas. It was new and fresh and really over the top when it came to design. The shopping was amazing and the restaurants were fabulous. We went to a great Italian restaurant and then we checked the kids in to a massive playground for two hours and Henrik and I got some "grown-up" time :)

The Cirque du Soleil show was amazing. We all really enjoyed it. Mattias' favorite part were the "ninjas" climbing up and down poles doing tricks and the fire jugglers. Heidi's favorite part was the girls singing and when the heart baloons were released at the very end of the show.

It was a nice spur of the moment thing day. It was fun to see and experience. We are greatful for all of our experiences here. We are however getting homesick. The kids often ask how many more days until we go back to America. And when Henrik and I saw some pictures of the trees in our back yard that Judith sent, we looked at each other and we both had the same feeling: we miss home. That is a good thing. Thanks for your letters, e-mails and phone calls. It is so nice to stay in touch.

Love you all.

Dear 2nd grade at Willow Springs

Dear Class,

Thank for your letters class. I liked them - all of them. I felt happy when I found a "huge" envelope in our mail box for me with your letters. I wish I can come back to America and come to Willow Springs again. I will be there for 3rd grade.

I go to Delia School of Canada. I am in grade 3. I think the subjects are easy to medium hard. My favorite subject is Science. I built a car out of tubes and it was cool. I have metal bay blades that I bring to school with me. I have 5 recesses every day. I have soccer club after school on some Thursdays. We are going to Thailand for 6 days over Easter holiday. I am excited to get back to school after Easter.

It is fun to live in a tall building because I can see a lot of things like tall buildings and a lot of cars from a Birds Eye View and an Arial View.

This is what I see outside my window when I go to sleep at night.

Kung Fu is easy and a lot of fun. I am still working on my Dragon Patton and sparring so I can get my yellow/green belt. It is super easy to get higher belts. Here I am in my class practicing my jumps.

Baseball was fun but it is over. It is fun to bat. I did get a homerun and that was fun. Sometimes we get to go to the market where they sell live fish. It is fun to watch when they fish them out of the tank to sell them to people so they can eat it for dinner. They also eat Chicken Feet here. hehehe I am not going to taste it.

They eat mostly rice and noodles here in Hong Kong. That's what most of my friends bring to school for their lunch. We don't have a cafeteria at Delia School, so we all bring our own lunches and we eat in our class room. Most of the people in my class are from Korea, China and Japan. They speak funny. Most of them are good at speaking English, but almost all of them are ESL students (English as a Second Language).

I will let you know how my trip to Thailand went. I am excited. My mom says we can snorkle there.

Talk to you later.

From Mattias - "the little man"

An update from Asia

Hello everyone.

It has been a while since we wrote so it is time to make some noise :). Thanks for all of your emails and comments. It is so fun to hear from you all.

Summer is approaching in Hong Kong. The weather here has been muggy, foggy and overcast for the past three weeks. The sun finally came out a couple of days ago and I get that "crazy" feeling that I use to have in Scandinavia when the sun came out......"let's cancel everything and go out and stare at the sun all day - it may not be here tomorrow or the next day...." It is nice. It is not too hot yet, so we are enjoying it.

Mattias and Heidi are now finally at the same school, which has been so fun for both of them. Heidi is enjoying her new class mates (all 6 of them) and she is loving Mrs. Fox, her teacher. Mattias is making new friends every day. He is known as "the midget man" at school :). He has a little performance that he does that is quite funny.

I attended the Asian Women's conference this weekend and was truly inspired. There are some really great women here in Asia (most of them expats) and I will share with you some of the things that I thought were great at a later time.

Henrik is working hard in China and found a fantastic Italian restaurant there which is great! He mentioned to someone at his client that he wished there were some cold drinks available......the next day when Henrik arrived into work, there was a brand new fridge fully stocked with sodas...... for HIM :) He is working on some "The Office - Asia" episodes that would be quite funny. Did you all know that the Chinese take out their mattresses at a certain time every day and lay down for a nap at work? All the 20.000 workers at Henrik's client take a nap every day. From CEO to the janitor. The lights are turned off, the phones are off and the computers are off. Then they sleep for 1 hour. What an experience.

We hope you are all well!!!!

Mattias - The Kung Fu Master

Congratulations to Mattias who unlocked his yellow belt in Kung Fu yesterday. He did so well and we were all so excited to share in his joy. I have never, ever, seen him this excited. He was so happy that he was shaking all over. He could hardly speak. He has worn his boxing gloves, that you get when you receive a yellow belt, since he got them. We were able to get them off him while in church for 3 hours. :)

Mattias got his hair cut as well, and man did he get spoiled. First he got some magazines to read, some candy to eat and something to drink. He got shampooed before and after his haircut. After 1 hour - he had gotten an awesome fro hawk - all without even using any scissors :).

Heidi has been sick. During a fireside for Elder Nelson on Friday, her fever skyrocketed out of the blue. So I took her home and we got to visit the hospital here in Hong Kong. I was relieved by the experience. It reminded me a lot of the treatment we received back in Sweden. We were in and out in about 25 minutes. Her fever continues to fluctuate, however, I think she is on the rebound. We suspect influenza.

We have had a great weekend as a family and we are ready for a new week. I thought I would give you the pleasure of viewing some more photos I took of "The Market" while getting some mangoes.... :) I have also included some pictures of the building we live in and the view from our Living Room.

Happy Birthday to Dag Andreas who is now 18......and ready for adult life. We are happy for you and hope that your celebration this Friday is a blast. Wish we could be there with you.

Have a great week everyone.

Want some chicken feet?

When you go to "The Market" you better be ready for new experiences :). The Market has become Mattias and Heidi's favorite place to go.....no wonder....it is almost like a zoo. The fish is thrown alive on big platters and cut. Talk about fresh fish. The other day we saw a cow leg, with the hair in tact, hanging from a butcher's shop. Hmmmm.....and some people question why in the world I would spend $15 USD for one slice of beef :) in a store where you can't see the cow's hair?! Well, now you all know why.

Anyhow, the fruit is wonderful. We have a new obsession: Mangoes. We eat them constantly. We are continuously amazed by Hong Kong and all it has to offer..... in every sense of the word. :)

Hope you are all well.

Sun hien fai lok & Gung hay fat choy

Happy New Year & May You Become Prosperous. We have celebrated Chinese New Year in January. We saw beautiful decorations of firecrackers and blossoms, a live OX walking around, Dragon dancers, fireworks and the Chinese in their traditional clothing.

Heidi has started school. She is now in an all-day school, which is a little long for her. However, she is enjoying it, likes to go, meeting new friends, playing and learning. They are pretty advanced so she is focusing. It is nice to finally meet some children after being with mom and her big brother for 1 1/2 months every day - all day.

Mattias started school yesterday. He was SO excited. He was dressed and ready to go at 02:00 am, 04:00 am and 5:55 am. He was also excited about celebrating Henrik's birthday. His first day of school went great. He started out with Chinese which is enjoyed. He came of the school bus smiling and told me he had so many recesses, that he had learned so much and he started teaching me about division. He is actually in a 3 grade curriculum because they go by calendar year. So from being the oldest in his class, he is the youngest. I was worried at first as I saw his class mates, most of them were pretty tall. He said he made two new friends and was excited about returning this morning.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRIK! We got to celebrate Henrik's birthday on Thursday. He came home from China Wednesday night so that we could celebrate him on the morning of the 5th. After visiting Heidi and Mattias at school he went back to China and will be home Friday. He is working very hard. It is a very different working environment and culture in China. He is definitely learning patience through this experience working with them. He is doing well and is looking forward to the end of the project :)

Oh......we finally did get of on the right train station last weekend. We got on the Mickey Mouse train and went to Disneyland. We had a magical day. We also saw the movie BOLT in 3D. Heidi and Mattias laughed so hard. I do not think I have ever heard them laugh like that during a show. The movie is highly recommended.

Hope you are all well.

Finally "BLOGGERS"

We have arrived safely in Hong Kong and we are actually adjusting quite well. Aside from our welcoming committee - roaches - things are quite smooth. The exterminator has been here and let me tell you, we have enough traps and spray to kill all the bugs in Hong Kong..... Anyway, we live in a beautiful apartment with panoramic view, floor-to-ceiling windows, crystal chandeliers in each room, etc etc. It is absolutely beautiful and we are so grateful for this place.

The kids are amazing. There have been several "bliss moments" since we got here. You all know those moments where you are just so grateful that life is. The children and I, visited the Buddha statue here in Hong Kong and this was one of those moments for me. As I stood there holding Mattias in one hand and Heidi in the other, I felt truly blessed to have them both in my life. The kids and I got to "walk with Buddha" and follow his life journey in search of inner peace. It was so inspiring and the children where so fascinated. It was truly amazing as we took a cable car in the air for about 5 km to arrive to Ngong Ping, a small village in the mountains, to see the biggest bronze statue of a sitting Buddha in the world. What a blessing.

.....I felt bad though, the MTR train was full of kids getting of at the Disneyland train-change station. As the kids where exiting the train, screaming while crossing the platform, the Mickey Mouse train pulls up and both Mattias and Heidi looks up at me......."No kids - we are going to see the Buddha......." Well, we had a wonderful time together that day. It enriched my life in so many ways - forever!