The number 4 is considered unlucky in some Asian cultures. That’s because the word for 4— 四 [sì]—sounds similar to the word for “death” (死 亡 [sĭwáng]).
2014 was not a good year for a lot of people, myself included. The first two quarters were hell for me, but I started to see the light in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, God gave us a special gift: we received Christian’s birth certificate. That meant we could get him a passport and get away for the holidays.
We were able to rush a passport for him and our helper Mariza, and book tickets to Hong Kong.
On January 29, we left the house at 5 AM for an early morning flight.
Let me tell you the kids really love it when we leave the house while it’s dark. It’s an extra treat for them.
We checked in seven pieces of luggage
Christian settled into his seat and pretended to be the pilot.
We were lucky to get two upgrades, so we let Ben and Markus sit in first class.
I’m really picky with hotels. I knew that this season in Hong Kong would be crazy and I wanted to spend quiet time with the family. So I booked two rooms at The Upper House.
The rooms were 80 square meters each. I’d say half of it was the bathroom.
I like The Upper House because it feels secluded. There is no bustling lobby and you are not likely to bump into people you know if you want to get some rest, which is exactly what I needed this December.
The nearest mall is Pacific Place, which is probably the most boring mall in Hong Kong, sad to say.
But since shopping was not my goal, that was OK.
Luckily there were a couple of stores I actually like (Céline and Joyce), so quota na!
The boys loved the Nike store in Wanchai, which was a ten-minute walk from the hotel.
The Upper House is known for pampering its guests with the the best cookies and milk in your room
Thank you James!
and the best pancakes Café Gray
Up next: Hong Kong Disneyland
