It's the little things...

Sometimes when I am in HK I feel like a tourist. I almost think of it as an extended vacation. I know this will pass with time as I get more and more used to things. I will learn to take the mini-busses that have no real route or schedule. I will walk the streets with confidence that I only need to “have” my map and not pull it out all the time to triple check that I am going in the right direction. I think I will feel I “belong” when I know every meeting place the American Women’s Association (AWA) has in its bag of tours.

There are things that I miss buying from the store. Certain day to day products that are difficult if not impossible to find in Hong Kong.

Enter Kirk

Kirk lives in downtown Seattle close to school. It’s Derrick who lives in the house and takes care of the day to day world of cats and mail and cats and lawn and cats and basic house maintenance. (can you tell the cats are the number one priority in MY mind?)

Kirk’s BIG job is mail maintenance. He opens the mail every week, sorts it, goes over it with Corey and forwards the important things and makes sure we don’t miss any bills that need paying . That’s Kirk’s job with his Dad. As we have been here, the need to mail things over has decreased.

My need for my day in day out things has not decreased. I am sure I could learn to live without these things, but why should I when I have … Kirk.

Kirk’s job for me is to gather up items I miss desperately and have decided I can’t live without and mail them to me.

One of those “stuff the box as full as you can” jobs from USPS costs about $54 US dollars. What could I need that warrants that cost?

Let me tell you.

DAWN Dish Soap. The kitchens here are ridiculously small. With that in mind, the dishwasher’s name is “Kate”. Because of this, I need really good dish soap. After trying a couple different brands, I had Kirk buy me two bottles. When I am back in July, I will be at Costco buying the super-size.

Splenda Sweetener Packets: The cost of these are off the hook! I had a box in my pantry and it just seemed right to mail the rest over. I am NOT the kind of girl that goes from Starbucks to Starbucks pilfering these, so they made it into the box!

Moroccan Oil – This is for my hair. My hair has decided that FRIZZ is its new natural state. Ivy (new hair person for now) recommended this but it’s not available in HK. Amazon ROCKS.

Bare Escentuals’ Cleanser and Moisturizer – I can’t get this brand here. Thank heaven for Ulta and free shipping straight to the house. I have tried other things, but this works for me...and heck, a box was coming anyway right? It didn’t help that I left a full cleanser in Australia…I could have set that $28 dollars on fire I guess

This last one is big.

Anyone who has EVER sat in a WW meeting will realize how important this last part of the shipment is.

Ready:

94% FF popcorn in the 5 cup size. – YAY TEAM!!!!! First, low fat or no fat is almost impossible to find here. Second, small sizes like this are REALLY impossible to find. I have two boxes of this in the pantry and did not think to bring them. I went through a phase of “stovetop: popcorn but that was not good for my weight…so I insisted that Kirk “fill the spaces” of my box with this. Corey was just crazed that I would have this sent over. But, those who have met me know I am Popcorn-A-Holic. I love the stuff and this keeps me in control.

Well, there is one item that did not make it in my box. But that’s OK. I will be able to talk about that and look forward to it when the next shipment is sent…or MAYBE, Corey can bring it to me when he is back at the house!

I opened this box and I swear it was like Christmas. I mean I was truly joyful.

I am not sure what else I will have sent over at some point. These items made me happy for the time being.

So, as I said…it’s the little things. I won't go into my "be appreciative" speech yet. I just did not know how the little things meant so much until I could not get them!