Big Reveal: Fact or Fiction?

So.

You came here for a reveal, huh?

You came here to find out if I was LYING.

Yeah, I know you.

I expected you to show up here today.

So don't pretend you're here just to "read a blog post."

You totally came to find out which of my stories was fact and which was fiction.

Don't try to deny it.

(tee hee ... just felt like working on my *threatening dialogue.* Did you feel threatened?)

And now, on to the BIG REVEAL!

Story #1 was ... FACT. Yes, Perfect Pool really was that perfect and that scary to reach (if you were coming from the top of the mountain).

Which makes Story #2 FICTION. I did lose myself on several hikes growing up, but this particular getting-lost story was unfortunately made up.

In the summer of 2011, I visited my family in Hong Kong and we spent the night on Sunset Peak in one of the cabins, for old time's sake. Here are a few pics of that trip, just to give you a visual of what Hong Kong hiking is like. We didn't attempt to visit Perfect Pool this time around ... would have been pretty treacherous with a baby strapped to my front, especially going across that cliff face!

 

My beautiful sister, Michelle

My mom (in the background), my then-9yo, Baby & moi

Enjoying a top-of-the-mountain meal ... we were trapped in clouds for our whole stay!

A big thank you to Emily and Melodie for the superb blog hop!

Fact or Fiction #2

The summer before my senior year, I went on a hiking binge. My friend Chris was also an avid hiker and for one excursion we thought it would be fun to climb Hong Kong’s Eight Fairies (or Eight Immortals), a hike we’d never attempted before. 

We began on the trail, but when we came to a stream and took a break, for some reason we decided to leave the meandering (read: boring) path and try our luck going straight up the mountain following a stream. 

We could see the first summit from the path through a break in the trees. How hard could it be?

After an exhausting hour of steep climbing, we reached a point where we couldn’t stay with the stream because of a waterfall, and couldn’t climb around without traipsing through the jungle. Instead of admitting defeat and heading back downstream, we plunged into the trees.

We kept climbing, picking our way through, getting slaughtered by mosquitoes and, after awhile, running out of drinking water. It was horribly humid, which both helped and hurt—drenched outside, parched inside.

I have no idea how much longer we hiked, but we were at times literally on our hands and knees, crawling under prickly bushes and through rust-red mud.

When we finally came out of the forest onto a trail, we found we were on a completely different mountainside than the one on which we’d started. We gave up on finishing the Eight Fairies that day. We didn’t even make it up one! Instead, we turned tail back down the trail, passing fellow hikers who gave our mud-smeared appearances quizzical looks. 

The train ride home was memorable, too. We were so dirty that all the other passengers gave us extra bubble space, which is pretty priceless in Hong Kong, let me tell you!

You’d think I would have learned a lesson about trailblazing after that, but unfortunately this wasn’t the last time I got lost while hiking. 

Not too long after, my class got lost on an overnight group hike, in which we ended up camping in a clearing literally blanketed in huge black cicadas.

But that’s another story.

**

Thanks to Melodie Wright and Emily King for hosting this fun bloghop!

Now tell me in the comments, is this story fact or fiction? You can read Monday's story here. 

Fact or Fiction #1

Sometimes in a summer, we packed large backpacks full of as many belongings as we could carry and made our way an hour by ferry to Lantau Island where we hiked up a mountain and made our home for a couple weeks on the windswept saddle of the third tallest mountain in Hong Kong. 

I don’t have any bad memories from our time on Lantau. 

There were stone cabins in which we lived, without electricity, and with only the water that collected in water barrels next to the roof.

There was a naturally-fed swimming pool in which we swam and bathed.

There was a mess hall where volunteer cabin-goers took turns by the week preparing food for all the cabins’ residents.

It was a lesson in community, in not being bored, in having nothing and everything.

The summer I was sixteen, several of the teenagers decided we would hike down the opposite side of the mountain (there’s an airport there now, but there wasn’t one then) to a place called Perfect Pool. 

I’d heard of it, but had never been there. It was the stuff of Lantau legend.

We took off with a couple adults, down to a saddle and straight down the back of the mountain through the jungle without a trail. We reached a bare cliff face that we had to cross without safety belts, holding on to one threadbare rope while our feet rested on another. 

After a grueling but exciting journey, we reached the pool, which was on a small river.

There was a cliff above the pool, and a waterfall feeding it. At the bottom of the waterfall sat a huge boulder. The water hit the boulder and slid down gently, generating bubbles, so that it felt like sitting in a cold jacuzzi.

If you dived into the deep of Perfect Pool, you could see large fish as long as my forearm swimming. I didn’t inspect them too closely; I definitely didn’t want to find out if they had teeth! 

We had so much fun jumping from the cliff. This is where I discovered my love for cliff jumping. I don’t get to do this often anymore, but Perfect Pool was my introduction. It unleashed the daredevil in me – the girl who wouldn’t stand and wait around to find her strength. I found it easier to suck in my breath and jump.

We returned to camp by a safer route: heading down stream until we came to civilization and taking a bus that took us to the base of the actual trail.

I still think of our trip to Perfect Pool as one of those times when I was perfectly happy. 

I’ve heard Perfect Pool isn’t the same now. Something happened to the boulder, so the waterfall tumbles differently. It's sad to imagine this place, which I hold so vividly in my memory, as changed.

**

Thanks to Melodie Wright and Emily King for hosting this fun bloghop! I'm excited about hopping around to see if I can guess who's fibbing and who's not. 

Let me know in the comments if you think my story is TRUE or FALSE. I'll post another (possibly true, possibly false) story on Wednesday.

All you Americans out there, enjoy your Labor Day! <3>

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

I wish you all a very happy and prosperous

Year of the Dragon!

I have an affinity for Chinese kites and I may tell you why someday ... how's that for cryptic? 

Photo credit: sideshowmom from morguefile.com

This photo was taken in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Gorgeous stonework.

Photo credit: samhakes from morguefile.com

I remember when we lived in China how loud Chinese New Year was. Firecrackers exploded outside our windows day and night for a week. 

I feel a little nostalgic that we're missing all the excitement--my crazy friends launching stuffed animals on rockets into the sky, for instance.

I remember lying in bed and watching a firework display directly outside my bedroom window. People spent hundreds, thousands of kuai on firepower. The more they purchased and fired off, the more good luck they were supposed to have in the coming year. 

How about you? Have you ever celebrated Chinese New Year? Any memories? What Chinese zodiac sign are you (and that's not considered a pick-up line in Asia, so don't feel weird answering)? In full disclosure, I'm a snake. 

As we say in Hong Kong (Cantonese):

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

And in Mainland China (Mandarin): 

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

("May you become prosperous!") 

Movie Monday: Hong Kong Homeland

My good friend and critique buddy, Krista V., wrote a neat post entitled Writing What You Are ... and she used me as an example in her post! (Thanks, Krista!) Not because I'm brilliant or have everything figured out, but because over the last few years I've been writing novels that reflect my experiences in Hong Kong and China. It's a good place to start--with what you know, what you feel passionate about. Head over to Krista's blog and read >>her post<<. It's really good (and not just because I'm in it, promise).

But before you jet, stay for a couple minutes and watch this short video about Hong Kong, where I grew up. This video makes me homesick and proud every time I watch it! Enjoy!


[ Homeland ] - with my DIY motion-dolly from Asa Li on Vimeo.

What unique life experiences do you bring to your writing?

Hong Kong Photo Journal: Part 2

Here's the second (and last) installment of the Hong Kong photo journal! To view the first part of our trip, click here.

I should have put this one with the last photo journal entry because this is Naomi up on Sunset Peak (on Lantau Island) in the stone cabin. We nicknamed her "Mountain Baby" because she took to mountain life so readily.  As you can see we were still trapped in a cloud that morning, so the picture is foggy. Such humidity must be good for the skin, right?

My parents took us out to dim sum (traditional Hong Kong breakfast) with one of my dad's students, Mandy, and her adorable baby boy, Joash. Naomi and Joash have an interesting connection. In Chinese, an older boy would call a younger girl mei mei (or mui mui in Cantonese), which literally means "little sister," regardless if he's related to her or not. Younger girls call older boys ge ge (or go go), older girls call younger boys di di, and younger boys call older girls jie jie. Now that you know all that, here's the dilemma: Naomi was born on January 17th at around 7p.m. in Washington State in the United States. Joash was born on January 18th at 1a.m. in Hong Kong. Joash was technically born first, but Naomi's birthday is a day before his. So, who is the mei mei/di di and who is the jie jie/ ge ge? Mandy and I weren't sure what to have our children call each other! Big problem, right?

Gorgeous Hong Kong Island. The building in the distance with the two antennae is the famous Bank of China building. When it was built, many feng shui experts were incensed because they said it looked like a knife being driven into the heart of Hong Kong. Ouch! Wouldn't want to be the architect handling that kind of criticism.

This picture was taken from the Central ferry pier on Hong Kong Island, looking across the harbor at Kowloon. I'd just like to point out the mountain in the background: Lion Rock. It really does look like a lion resting. You can see the head-- the larger lump on the left side of the peak. Directly on the other side of the mountain is Tai Wai/Shatin where my parents live.

A huge skycraper: The IFC building.

We visited Lamma Island and my great friend and critique partner, Dora Tsang. Dora and I were roommates at the SCBWI conference last summer in L.A. (We hadn't known each other before the conference, so it was quite a fluke that we were both from Hong Kong!)  Dora writes pictures books, YA verse novels, and is also an amazing artist. She's just oozing talent, people. Plus, she's an amazing, wonderful person. This picture was taken on the little Lamma ferry.

Isn't Lamma gorgeous? And such beautiful women, too: Dora, my mom and Olivia. This is on Lamma near Dora's house. Look at the beautiful, lush island behind them! We were waiting at the pier to catch the little ferry back to the main part of the island.

Dora and Naomi at Dora's house, with some of Dora's amazing artwork in the background.

Hong Kong was a blast. The time went so fast, but also slowly because it was hard to be away from my dashingly handsome sidekick and the three "middles" for so long. I feel thankful that I was able to visit home for a couple weeks. Next time I'd like to take everyone with me and stay longer!

Hong Kong Photo Journal: Part 1

We had a great Hong Kong trip. Not only was it wonderful to see my family, but it was just plain cool to be back home. I lived in Hong Kong from age 5 to 18, so when I'm in Hong Kong I'm back in my comfort zone. I'm an expert in crowds, great at pushing my way into a jam-packed train. I can handle humidity and heat. I can keep my balance on a moving double-decker bus. And some of my favorite foods in the world might be foods you've never tried before (or maybe you have!): cha siu bao (barbequed pork buns), fish balls (processed fish balls in a spicy sauce, served on a stick from street vendors), Hong Kong waffles (they're just different from American waffles -- you buy them from a vendor and eat them out of a paper bag), Maltesers (chocolate!), and much, much more. 

Okay, now that I've made myself hungry, on to the photos!

Olivia waiting for the bus in Central. See the double-decker buses behind her? Those are one major form of transportation in Hong Kong, along with high speed trains, taxis and mini-buses.

My Dad, Mom and Olivia on the Star Ferry, a famous Hong Kong tourist attraction. We didn't take it for the attraction, but because it was the most convenient way to get where we wanted to go.

We visited Ocean Park, a massive Hong Kong amusement park. It was hot and crowded, but one of the highlights of our visit was visiting this AIR-CONDITIONED enclosure and getting this close to a giant panda. Do you see her sleeping in the background? She later came right up to the glass where we were standing. It was a very cool close encounter.

Olivia with her grandparents in front of the Hong Kong Disneyland castle.

Disneyland in the rain. When it rains in Hong Kong, it pours! People were still happily riding the outdoor rides in raincoats, however.

Hong Kong has over 200 outlying islands, many of which are uninhabited. Lantau Island is the largest of the islands and IS inhabited. In fact, that's where the airport and Hong Kong Disneyland are located. But the opposite side of Lantau is still relatively undisturbed. You can still find small villages there, and miles and miles of jungle. And hiking! We hiked up one of Hong Kong's highest mountains (which has no road-access-- in other words, you have to hike and take everything you need up with you), Sunset Peak on Lantau. It took us about three-and-a-half hours. We stayed on the top overnight in a stone cabin.... This picture is just above the treeline. As you can see, we're already getting into the clouds!

Michelle and Olivia -- we stopped at the first waterfall to enjoy the cool, clean water.

These are my new shoes. I wore them on the trek up Lantau and they were amazing. I know they look a little weird, but they were extremely comfortable on the hike.

This was dinnertime in the stone cabin on top of Lantau. We were literally in a cloud. Can you see how fuzzy the picture is? I now know the real definition of damp.  My sister, Michelle, was the cook: mac and cheese and hotdogs tasted great after that long hike.

What do you think of the pictures so far? Have you been to Hong Kong? Would you like to go? Do these photos reflect what you expected Hong Kong to be like?

Hallo from Hong Kong

Here I am, way across the ocean in my Hong Kong home.

I'm visiting my parents and my sister. I brought my oldest daughter and my youngest daughter along for the adventure. I would have liked to bring the whole clan, but they stayed behind to hold down the homestead. They're swimming and ripping out arborvitae from the backyard (yes, the dashingly handsome sidekick is keeping himself busy while I'm gone).

I'm planning on posting some Hong Kong adventure photos, but haven't gotten around to downloading yet. The weird thing about this trip is that it feels like such a VACATION and I wasn't expecting that. I thought bringing two children halfway around the world would be WORK, but my mom is attentive to our every need and I actually have time to read books in the middle of the day (when I'm not out playing.) It's a bizarre feeling to be this free.

This is what we've been busy with:

• Ocean Park where they have an aquarium and dolphin shows and cable cars and roller coasters ... this wasn't the most fun day because it was boiling hot and super crowded. The amusement park is built on hills, so we were walking up and down hills, pushing our way through crowds, waiting in lines, and sweating like we were volcano inspectors. 
• Shopping! I don't frequent all the expensive stores that Hong Kong is famous for ($cha-ching!$), but I love the markets where they sell all the seconds from the factories. Great deals-- if you can dig for them.
• Disneyland ... Yes, Hong Kong has its own Disneyland and my nine-year-old was determined to visit. It poured rain the day we went (we're in the subtropics, so when it rains, it RAINS), but it was still loads of fun. Sort of like a Disneyland-Waterpark combo. 
• We loaded up our packs and hiked up to Sunset Peak on Lantau Island where we stayed overnight in a stone cabin without electricity. It was so great to revisit this place because my family stayed up there when I was a teenager. The mountain was in a cloud the whole time, so there wasn't a great view, but I now know the true meaning of DAMP. I'm just proud of myself that I made it to the top with backpack and five-month-old in tow. 
• I've read DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth (good) and BEFORE I DIE by Jenny Downham (amazing writing, but difficult topic). I'm working my way through a short story collection (I'm in love with short stories), and my sister just loaned me THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy (jaw-dropping good so far). 

Four more days until we head back to our American home! And isn't this the way it always is-- as soon as you get over jet lag you're turning around to leave again?

How is summer going for you?

Waving

When my two big kids got out of the minivan to cross the road to school, I called, "Don't forget to wave at me when you cross the street!"

Brandon Heath's Love Never Fails was playing on the radio.

I pulled forward to the cross walk and waved at my kids, but they forgot to look at me or wave back. As they opened the school door and went inside, I got all choked up.

All I could think was: They're forgetting their mother already!

I remembered being a little girl on the school bus in Hong Kong. Sometimes I'd get so wrapped up in the excitement of seeing my friends that I'd forget to wave to my mother. But I always, always realized it when she was out of sight. I remember missing her so intensely and feeling so conscience stricken about forgetting that I'd actually cry on the school bus.

Remembering that just made me homesick, so that as I was driving home I shed tears in the minivan. Feeling so far away from my mommy. Grieving how quickly my babies are growing up.

Thankfully I came home to snuggle time and kisses from my little girls. That helped.