Christmas

We had a low-key christmas at home.

First presents from Santa.    Hannah was excited (and perhaps releived) to find that Santa has visited and filled her stocking.   She received a music box, play doh and a play doh accessory that makes 'ice-cream'.

Video:  christmas stocking

Then exchanging presents from the family.   We gave Hannah a set of Harry Potter DVDs.  (with the unexpected consequence that we had to buy a new DVD player in January after one of the disks mysteriously got stuck in the DVD player)

For christmas lunch we went to the teahouse.  This was a lavish buffet

with lots of decorations

 silly hats

a visit from Santa

and face-painting for the kids

After Christmas we went briefly to Japan for new year.   We stayed briefly in Tokyo again then went down to Izu for New Year with Baba and the family.   For some reason I didn't take any photos at all in that trip.

Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe

As a special treat for  Christmas Eve we went to see the Wuhan Acrobatic Troupe.  

I'd left it late to book so we could only get tickets for a show in Yuen Long in the New Territories near the border, which was an adventure in itsself.  

There were only a few single seats left but luckily near the front so we had an excellent view.

The show was terrific display of skill with acrobatics, traipse, plate spinning...

hat juggling...

...and my favourite, the bendy ladies.   One thing that surprised me, but perhaps shouldn't, was how chunky the female acrobats were.

Here is a link to a video of the show (here).

We also had a interesting trip home.  Since the theatre was some distance from the station, we walked through the new town which was very lively with diners and shoppers.

We eventually took a night bus back into Hong Kong along route 3 which goes through Tai Lam tunnel through the mountain then past my work, and under the harbour.   The lights looked lovely and Hannah snuggled up and went to sleep in my arms.