The Ferry to Hong Kong

Should Dave get into the foreign service this year, it could be quite amusing to look back and count how many places we will have called home within a 12 month period. But this evening, it just feels unsettling. Dave has left again, flying to Shanghai to spend the work week - just as he has the past few weeks. Most of our things sit tightly packed in boxes in a warehouse in Guangzhou, much akin to life in DC when most of our things will sit in inaccessible boxes in a storage unit in Maryland. I'm becoming unnerved at having my home so close at hand, but so entirely inaccessible. We managed to borrow birthday candles, but I had to buy new wrapping paper. And we ran out of infant milk formula entirely, and had to purchase some Chinese formula.

The latest report on the ongoing milk powder crisis in China was published on August 21, 2010. This is not one story that the media will not let die - infant formula continues to be randomly unsafe for young children. And with tears in my eyes, I bought a box of it on Thursday.

One of the biggest benefits of our life in Shenzhen is our proximity to the Hong Kong Ferry. We are a 3 minute bus ride from the ferry terminal, and a 1 hour ferry ride to the heart of Hong Kong - where they sell infant formula imported directly from the United States. So, to add to an already festive weekend (Lilly turned 5 years old yesterday!), we took the ferry to Hong Kong today. Dave and the girls spent some time in Hong Kong Park while I checked out the import grocery store. Then we met at Dan Ryan's Chicago Grill for burgers and nachos, and headed home. Dave even fit in a quick shoe fitting before we headed back to the ferry for an afternoon ride home, still in time for our weekly movie night. We came back with two cannisters of Enfamil, a few jars of baby food, a relieved mom, and some tired and happy girls.