Wine Cellar

If you know anything about David and me, you know we love wine. I’m not exactly sure how it started, but it’s become our hobby. For us, wine is more than just a drink, it’s a social experience. From the sound of the cork popping to the romance of holding a beautiful glass to conversation had as the bottle dwindles away – there’s something magical about drinking a good bottle of wine.

Being in Australia has afforded us the ability to experience some of the most amazing boutique wineries – probably some of the best in the world. We decided that there is no better time for us to establish a personal wine cellar than while we live here and have access to these unique and wonderful wines.

Yesterday we made the investment in our hobby – we purchased 115 bottles of vintage wines to start our cellar. I’m certain this is only the beginning! My biggest challenge is going to be convincing David that we need to actually let the wine age instead of drinking it all now!

~LAA :)

Anzac Day

Sunday was Anzac Day - Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand to honor members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War I. Today it is similar to Memorial Day in the US as it commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for their countries.

The day traditionally begins with dawn service, followed by a military parade and culminating with drinking and merriment for those in the military and the people who support them. Although we missed the dawn service and most of the parade, we joined our friends Sam and Jaclyn in the Sydney CBD to support the troops. The bar was filled with Navy and Army Officers in their full dress uniform. Each was adorned with a sprig of rosemary which we learned is the herb of remembrance.

We enjoyed supporting Sam, and celebrating the efforts of his fellow Australian Naval Officers yesterday afternoon. I couldn’t help but think of my brother Tim and the rest of our many family members who have served our country.

To all those in the military, no matter the country you protect, thank you for strength and courage. I’m so grateful for your efforts.

~LAA

Team Player

There’s something magical in the air when a team first feels that cohesive bond that brings the individuals together as a single unit. It’s that moment when you feel everything clicking – like when a music ensemble is all singing the same note and the entire group feels like it has once voice, or when a sports team anticipates each player’s move – and the next and the next – so that the other side can’t get in the way of success.

I’m incredibly lucky to be able to say that I have felt that magic more than once in my life. The adrenaline that comes from that high is like no other. I’m humbled and proud to say that I have felt that exaltation not only with the large teams that I’ve been a part of but also the small teams – the relationships that make a person who they are. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to connect with loved ones and to be blessed with the feeling of being part of a TEAM.

~LAA :)

Hong Kong

David was in Hong Kong and Singapore last week for work so I joined him in Hong Kong for the weekend. We flew out on Thursday night on the red-eye and worked from the hotel on Friday (David went into the office for a bit). The fun began late afternoon on Friday!

One of the most interesting things about Hong Kong is that it’s a massive metropolis positioned between the water and a towering mountainous rainforest. The buildings are so closely packed and smashed up against the mountain that the weather gets caught overhead – it’s often foggy or misty from about 50 stories up and it makes it difficult to take in the full splendour of the skyline. We had this problem during the laser show put on every night. (check out the pictures), but the florescence of the corporate signage (EVERY building is labelled in some way!) and the sharpness of the lasers could be seen to relatively well.

The public transport system is highly used (train, bus, ferry). The trains are exceptionally clean and take you to most everywhere you want to go. The ferries are efficient but dirty. The majority of the city is pretty old and decrepit. There are signs of new buildings here and there but you can tell most of the structures have been around for a long while. The culture attempts to keep things clean but since much of the city is so old, there is little to be done to make and old surface feel new again! Nonetheless, the overall feeling of the city is welcoming. The city is more Westernized than I anticipated. Most all signage is in Chinese (some Mandarin, some Cantonese) and English. We were grateful for that since otherwise we would have had a real issue!

Hong Kong is known for shopping, eating and custom made suits! Although we had determined previously that we wouldn’t have enough time to do it, we decided after getting a recommendation for a tailor from one of David’s co-workers that we would get custom suits made. We had no idea what we were getting into but it was a pretty cool experience. We chose the fabric from books of samples and the styles from magazines. Three days and as many fittings later we had two gorgeous, custom made suits! Goodness they move fast!

We decided to be on-the-go tourists since we only had a few days so there was very little down time on our trip. Friday night we took the Star Ferry across the harbor and dinner at Peking Garden in the Star City Complex. The restaurant had the feeling of a cruise ship – low ceilings, huge chandeliers, tables lined up next to each other as efficiently as possible for the space. We were rushed through our dinner but were able to savour some of the best Peking Duck we’ve ever had (they served the ENTIRE duck – neck and all – and carved it right there in front of us). The French bottle of wine we had was lovely and once the food had come and gone we were able to enjoy the rest of the bottle without too much attention paid us. After dinner we went out to the take in the view of Hong Kong Island (from the Tsim Sha Tshi side) and watched the tail end of the daily laser show.

On our first full day of sightseeing, we started out by attempting to navigate our way to the Central train station from our hotel. One might think that would be easily achievable with a map and two intelligent individuals but let’s just say it was quite the adventure! The streets were lined with store front after store front. Some of which looked a bit scary (there were people eating in most and some of the shops were very crowded, but unfortunately the variety of dead animals hanging in the window was a bit of a turn-off!) I really enjoyed the walk even through there were twist and turns that we never could have anticipated. There is no such thing as a straight sidewalk in Hong Kong – more like a sidewalk for a block or two and then a staircase or an alley or some detour through a park to get from point A to point B. We made a big realization during that walk about navigation in our family – we determined that only ONE of us can navigate on any given trip – try giving two smarites a map and a voice and you’re just asking for conflict ;) We made it to the train station (finally) and were off to the Giant Buddha.

The trip to get up to the Giant Buddha includes a 25 minute gondola ride. Here are some pictures of the scene on the ride up. Disembarking from the gondola I couldn’t help but be impressed with the 3-4 story Buddha that stood before us on the top of a peak. To get there, we followed a stone street filled with storefronts and finally found ourselves at the base of the long staircase leading up to the Buddha. What I haven’t mentioned up to this point is that it was RAINING during this entire excursion! Beyond the rain, we were being blown about by strong winds and the omnipresent cloud cover – often completely covering the entire Giant Buddha making our ability to enjoy the experience difficult. My umbrella may have spent more time being inside out than protecting me from the rain. Check out the picture David took of me before we ran for the return trip down! It’s a bummer the weather was so bad – I think I really would have enjoyed the experience if it wasn’t raining.

Our big tourist adventure on Sunday was to take the tram up to Victoria Peak. The Peak is a one of the highest points on Hong Kong Island with stunning views of the Harbor. We got a couple of good shots from up there but unfortunately the cloud cover was so thick that we only got glimpses of the actual view. At least it wasn’t raining this time! Only misting a bit ;)

In the end, we both really enjoyed our adventures in Hong Kong. I’m not sure that we’ll go back, but it was a really interesting and different experience!

~LAA :)

Staycation

Who ever thought of a “staycation” was a genius. To take a vacation and stay home in the place that you’ve built to be your own little sanctuary makes so much sense. How much time do we ever really get to enjoy our homes? We run around day-in and day-out in our normal routines and rarely actually get to take a minute to enjoy the space we’ve created around us. This long weekend for Easter, David and I have taken the opportunity to enjoy our own little home. What a wonderful weekend we’ve had.

We went to The Blind Side (awesome movie!) and caught up on our Apple TV shows. We Skyped with family and had some wonderful meals. I made Boeuf Bourguignon one night and a pork roast stuffed with pears and cranberries another. YUM! I love being able to take a few hours to cook every now and again - it’s such a rare gift these days!

Today was great - we went for a long hike up to North Head by way of Collins Beach and ending at Shelly Beach. Here are some pictures of our adventure. We had lots of time in the peaceful bush surrounded by singing birds and (gasp!) spiders the size of a hen’s egg. It’s amazing to me how strong their webs are - it’s not uncommon for twigs and branches to get stuck in them! The good news is that if you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you (WHEW!)

Part of our hike today was through the Biggest Looser Australia campus. It’s an old artillery training school converted for the show. David and I watch the show religiously. I am so moved by the struggles and triumphs the contestants experience. To see someone proactively change their life so dramatically over a span of a couple of months is so inspiring to me.

I’m sad to say that our staycation is coming to an end, although I think 4 days of a low-key life is enough for me for a while. I have to admit that I’m getting pretty antsy staying home! This week is going to be really busy for both of us. David is preparing to be away for a week to Hong Kong and Singapore. I’m joining him in Hong Kong this weekend a a mini-adventure. We’ll share the details of our trip when we get back to town!

Happy Easter!

~LAA :)