We have arrived in Hong Kong!!

After our 14 hour flight from San Francisco, we have landed safely in Hong Kong! It was later in the evening when we checked in. After a nights rest (but we both were unexplicably wide awake at 4 am on the dot-- jet lag), we eventually showered and ventured outside our hotel room to explore the Hong Kong Airport and our hotel further.

I think that the first after travel shower feels about as glorious as the first shower after a trip camping!

We found a buffet at our hotel and were amazed at all of our options. There were typical American things like espresso (yep, coffee is definitely not the same here as in the states), eggs, sausage, yoplait yogurt and cereal. But there were also some new things: rice, curry, naan bread, pho noodles with dumplings, japanese chicken, etc. There were lots of other things offered, that we didnt recognize.

We also found the airport here is huge. We couldn't believe how many airlines go through here. We also have never seen so many Taxi's before!

Taxi's at the Hong Kong International Airport

We walked around a bit, to get our bearings of where we are and what is around us. We found some comforting places (hello, Starbucks and McDonalds!) but the menus are a little bit different than what we are used to in the States:

The airport has some nice views. We didn't realize just how HUGE of a city Hong Kong truly is.

Jesse and I also seem to have caught the colds our boys had, so we are feeling a bit under the weather today. We plan to mostly lay low and get lots of rest today. Prayers that we would recover quickly are definitely needed and are appreciated.

So, here are a few things we have learned from our travels:

1) Bring a pen. We (for the first time ever) didn't have a pen on us. It must be blue or black ink (writing in red is a no-no). You will need this to fill out your customs slip on the plane to make getting through   immigration easier. We got a lot of odd looks not just at the airport, but restaurants for asking to borrow a pen. We have a pen with us whenever we leave now. 

2) Peanut butter, if you bring it-- must go in stowed baggage and not in your carry on. Even though it's  not what most think as a liquid, it's a TSA no-no. We lost our Jiffy PB in Boise this way. Oddly enough though, powdered peanut butter is just fine (I asked).

3) Personal space: Yea.. That space bubble we all love in the US.. Not a thing here. In fact, I lost Jesse more times than I can count and had people cut us in line if we left anything close to a foot in space between the person in front of us. There is also a lot of general pushing.. (Not shoving) but general jostling and herding in big groups to get any place.

4)  Be sure to exchange some (a small amount, like $100 or so) of money once you arrive. We were told that most of Hong Kong readily accepts US money. Which, many do.. But they have to convert it, then pay you back in Hong Kong dollars, and it's just.. Awkward. 

-- Also, HK money is different from whats used in Mainland China, which uses the Yuan. At this time, we are exchanging small amounts as we need them, as to avoid exchanging more $$ to the yuan, once we are in mainland China.

(Hey boys, we are saving some of these coins for you!)

We are experiencing a bit of culture shock as well. We did our research before travel, but reading about traveling somewhere and actually experiencing it are two things all together!  As our friend pointed out, this is giving us a glimpse of what Kameron will experience when he comes home to the US. The sounds, the smells, how people act/interact with one another, the language barrier, exchanging money, socially-- (knowing you have just done something not quite right, based on the faces of the other people and feeling frustrated because you have no idea what you just did), culturally, Etc.We have felt this heavily in the past 24 hours.

I keep whispering, "help them to forgive us, Lord. For we know not what we do...."

We will be trying to update this blog as much as we can and have access/the ability to. Thank you for your words of encouragement and prayers. Thank you to our friends who live in and/or have been to Hong Kong and have helped advise us. And thank you to Lifeline (our agency) for helping us every step of the way. Im not sure we would be on thus big adventure without all of you!

Love, 

Jesse & Sarah