Getting to Lamma

It’s official. We have moved into our first overseas (long-term) apartment. Aaron and I have begun to settle in and already Aaron has calculated and charted everything we still need to make our apartment a home. I took my time at the grocery store and happily spent the evening making guacamole. We accepted an invitation to a roof-top barbecue with our new neighbors. We ate fish balls with Allen, an Australian editor. He was sure to point out the quirks of the island such as the foot long centipedes that like to bite you in bed. This brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” Maeli acquired a tricycle and push along dump truck from the former tenants. Since I’ve been eyeing riding toys for three months now, they make a wonderful housewarming gift.

Our new home feels warm and safe. Aaron and I are mostly relieved that the move to Lamma went so smoothly. We both had our concerns with toting three very heavy suitcases on and off Hong Kong’s public transportation. Even this morning when we told the bellhop that we were headed for the light rail line he looked at us sideways. Without skipping a beat we attracted all sorts of looks today but for different reasons.

Our luggage situation has changed slightly. We discarded our smallest suitcase for a large one. We could barely contain our belongings within the seams of our cheap Sears luggage. When we travel, Aaron handles the two largest suitcases, also the two heaviest, while I get one suitcase plus one little two year old. Even if I were to attempt the two biggest suitcases I would still get stuck with the two year old. Everyone knows that little girls like their mommies.

To review the order of operation, we started off on the light rail. We rode that until the end of the line and then had to transfer to the subway system. Mostly this involved a lot of walking to find the lifts. No one says elevator here. We rode the subway to the end of the line, dropping us off in Hong Kong central. We ended up walking through IFC Mall with lots of stares. I could hear people thinking, “Who are these lost travelers? Are they looking for a hotel?” After a long walk we made it to the ferry pier. Upon arrival to Lamma we walked to the real estate agent office who thankfully let us use their trolley to cart our stuff to our new place. All told it took us two and a half hours for the entire journey. I think we made excellent time and in the end we were wholly astonished that our journey avoided stairs of any kind.

Tomorrow we will make a trip to Hong Kong to pick up some essentials that are hard to get on Lamma. Now if only we have this much luck with me finding a job.