No Training Wheels!

I can't believe I'm old enough to have a girl that can ride a bike without training wheels! I am so proud of her!

Happy Halloween

 We got back from our trip just in time for the girls to go Trick or Treating. "H" is obsessed with parrots so she was a parrot and "B" wanted to be a bee, until it was time to put on the costume when her grandma took her out for a photo shoot. On Halloween I gave her the option of her bee costume, fairy wings, and princess dress, but she refused to wear any of them. I didn't want people to think she was neglected so I made her sign which reads: "I have a cute bee costume but I refuse to wear it!

 Overall the kids had a great Halloween, complete with 5, yes you read that correctly five pounds of candy.

The Peak Tram, Hong Kong

Tai O, the Venicce of Hong Kong

 This is one of my favorite places in Hong Kong. I love the simple, quiet way of life. Tai O is on Lantau Island. Nearby archeological sites date back to the Stone Age, but verifiable human settlements date back three centuries. Stories that would be impossible to substantiate have Tai O as the base of many smuggling and piracy operations, the inlets of the river providing excellent protection from the weather and a hiding place. When the British came to the area it was known as Tanka Village. During and after the Chinese Civil War it became an entry point of illegal imigration as people tried to escape from the People's Republic of China.

 Currently the fishing lifestyle is dying out. While many residents continue to fish, it barely provides a subsistence income. There is a public school on the island and most young people move away when they come of age. In 2000 a large fire broke out destroying many residences. The village is now mostly squatters huts and dilapidated stilt houses.

 I was sad to see that commercial fishing has taken over

the fishing waters around the town.

Tian Tan Buddha, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Spectacular view from the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car

 Performers

 Tian Tan Buddha aka Big Buddha

 Named Tian Tan Buddha because it's base

is a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount ofTian Tan

Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China.

 Symbolizes the harmonious relationship 

between man and nature, people and religion

 "The Offering of the Six Devas" and are posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha. These offerings symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary to enter into nirvana.

The Buddha is 112 feet tall and weighs 250 tons