"Even monsters think pink icing is the tastiest"

I don't do baking activities with the children very often. However, today is Saturday and we have no other commitments, so we decided to bake cupcakes just for the fun of it. As we left most of our kitchen utensils in Australia, I had to borrow a muffin tray from a friend. We used this box of McDougall's fairy girl cake mix.

Normally out of our price range at $7 AUD, I was happy to find it on the clearance trolley at the supermarket for $3 AUD, no doubt because it is approaching its "best before" date.

We read the instructions...

We mixed the ingredients...

We spooned the mixture into the patty cake papers...

We licked the bowl and spoons...

And we decorated the cakes just how we liked!

Jemilla's creations...

One of Keegan's cakes says "ACB" for the Australian Cricket Board. (Not that he's obsessed or anything!)

The hardest part of today's cooking exercise was deciding which cake to eat! (I'm such a mean mother; I only let them eat one!)

Just in case you were wondering, the title for today's post is from one of our favourite series of books and TV shows by Lauren Child about two siblings named Charlie and Lola. In This is Actually My Party, they decide that pink icing is the best.

I think the Harveys would have to agree.

Good-bye, Miss Mona

Keegan's teacher Ms Irene has been on maternity leave after having twins. (Yes, Amanda, I know you sympathise!) She will return to K3 next week, so today was substitute teacher Miss Mona's last day.

Here are some other photos of Keegan at school...

Making gingerbread men

Keegan with Jay during "Pet Week"




Chalk drawing fun

Praise point

Thank you to those family members and friends who have been asking about my job hunting situation. I am pleased to report that just yesterday I signed a contract of employment. God has dropped in my lap a very exiting position as special education teacher at the International Christian School in Hong Kong. Starting on Wednesday I will be working one day a week ordering resources, preparing my classroom, and assessing students to create a class of no more than seven primary aged children with moderate to severe disabilities. Around April when the class is ready, I will begin full-time teaching at the school in a self-contained classroom. Those of you who know me well will understand why I'm so thrilled to combine my interest in kids who have high support needs with the opportunity to teach in a Christian international school.

So, for the meantime things will remain much the same in the Harvey household. Craig will work from home on the day that I am at work so that he can look after Tirzah and do the school runs.

My mother has tentatively agreed to stay with us for two months or so from April, so we're hoping that will tie in neatly with my move to full-time teaching.

Hong Kong does not have long day care centres for young children whose parents work. Instead, most families hire a domestic helper/maid/nanny from the Philippines or Indonesia. These women usually live with their employer, but we are very reluctant to have a stranger in such close quarters for months on end. Please pray that God will provide a clear solution to our child care needs.

ICS offers free tuition to children of staff members, so Jemilla and Keegan will move from NIS to ICS in the new school year (August), subject to placement. Please pray for their transitions.

In spite of the confident front I presented to the headmaster and educational psychologist who interviewed me at ICS, I am still quaking in my Colorados about the prospect of returning to full-time teaching after so long. Please pray that I will daily rely on the Lord for patience and wisdom in dealing with students, staff and parents.

If you want to find out more about the school, you can investigate their website here.

And please join with us in thanking God for answering our prayers for a job here in Hong Kong.

Wordless Wednesday (three)

Word for the day: JOSS

One of the more bizarre customs we've encountered here in Hong Kong involves burning paper gifts for family and friends who have passed away. Whole market stalls are dedicated to the sale of these paper offerings, called joss paper in English. As with other cultures around the world, precious possessions  such as gold and silver used to be buried with the dead to ensure ancestors were well-supplied in their afterlife. Unfortunately, many graves were robbed and this practice proved too expensive, so Chinese people began burning paper money offerings instead. The act of burning the offering  with incense ‘sends’ them to the underworld. The offerings are burnt during specific festivals or on the anniversary of the person's death.

Nowadays you can purchase miniature paper representations of just about anything that an ancestor might possibly need in the afterlife. Some offerings look just like paper money. Others look like gold bars. Others resemble official documents like passports. I find that the most interesting paper offerings are detailed miniature representations of houses, cars, mobile phones, televisions, clothing, and other personal possessions. Over time these paper products have become more elaborate, some reflecting traditional culture while others are testament to modern consumerism and Western influence.

You'll see what I mean with these photos of joss representations I found online. Remember that these products are all made out of paper or cardboard...

Tennis shoes

Money

Rice cookers

Toothpaste, brushes and dentures

Mobile phone

Beverages

Chocolates

Fast food

Stereo

Personal products

Food

Jewellery

Food

Man's suit

Car

Men's outfits

Women's outfits

Jewellery

Digital camera with charger and battery

Handbag

Laptop

When I see joss products at the market I am intrigued by the detail and cunning designs. Two things prevent me from purchasing joss paper jewellery or other items for our children to play with or as souvenirs. The first is that it would likely cause offence to Asian people, as the products are associated with death. The second is my belief that as a Christian I shouldn't have anything to do with ancestor worship.

And here's something to ponder...As strange as I find the Chinese practice of burning paper offerings to help deceased relatives in the afterlife, it must be just as bizarre for other people contemplating Christianity when they first hear of the virgin birth or Christ's many miracles.

 

Our God is a great big God

During family devotions, one of our favourite songs to sing and act out is "Our God is a great big God". The lyrics about God being "higher than a skyscraper" have become more meaningful since moving to Hong Kong, a city famous for its jagged skyline. It's so comforting to know that God is omnipresent and omnipotent "beyond our wildest dreams", yet we can each have His full and undivided attention any time we pray.

OUR GOD IS A GREAT BIG GOD
Our God is a great big God,
Our God is a great big God,
Our God is a great big God,
And he holds us in his hands.

He's higher than a sky scraper
and he's deeper than a submarine.
He's wider than the universe
and beyond my wildest dreams.
And he's known me, and he's loved me
since before the world began.
How wonderful to be a part of God's amazing plan!

-- Jo & Nigel Hemming
Copyright © 2001 Vineyard Song

Bubble fun

This afternoon the weather was unusually warm for a winter's day. We took advantage of the setting sun to spend an hour at the local playground, our time made even more fun with bubbles.

Return to Playscope

Last month I raved about our discovery of Playscope, an indoor play centre in Tai Po. We bought yearly tickets and hope to visit every fortnight or so. This month I was even more impressed with the effort the staff have made to encourage imaginative play with the establishment of a pretend bakery within Playscope.

Jemilla, Tirzah and Jane carefully arranged the shop shelves with sandwiches, pastries, and cakes.

Most of these delicate pastries and realistic sandwiches were hand-made with foam, sponge, plastic and paper. (Toddler Time mums, you might like to copy these ideas if you do a "food" theme at playgroup this term.)

Then the bakery was open for business. As is the custom here in Hong Kong, we placed our selections onto trays with plastic tongs before paying at the cash register.

 

Tirzah liked wearing an apron to do "cooking".

Keegan and Elliot toasted some bread and decorated some (foam) cakes with fruit.

Tirzah arranged her pizza (again cleverly made with bits of coloured foam) carefully on a tray....

Then Keegan put the tray in the huge "woodfire oven", adjusted the temperature....

Then closed the door to keep the heat in. Mmmmmmmm...I can nearly smell the pizza cooking now!