Melbourne Australia - the perfect fall day

I did the night flight to Melbourne.  We got out between storms.
I arrived to sunshine and a 60F fall day - life couldn't be better than that.  Spent much of the day hanging along the river in the center of the City and enjoying the food, view and all the people also out enjoying the day.
Melbourne is way south - I think we lucked out and got a great day......

Hong Kong - and the storms continue

I left in the rain and returned, very late, in the rain.
There seems to be an ongoing storm that runs from Japan south of Hong Kong.  I think it is a similar type of storm as we would see in the midwest in spring where the cold and hot weather is fighting.
We get tornados they get tons and tons of water.......
It delayed the return but I got in very late despite the rain.  And got in the apartment about 5 minutes before the skies once again opened up and woke up everyone else in HK for most of the rest of the night.
And the heat has come in to join the humidity so it is a very early start to the summer season this year.

Saint Paul MN - A few more moments with Petar

A few more moments from Dragan Petrovic.

Saint Paul MN - Petar Graduation.....the proof

The official graduation moment....it happened!!!

Saint Paul MN - Mac Graduation 2014

After a few years of inside graduations we got a perfect day and everything went on outside.
It is always a lovely day but a much more exciting and enjoyable event when they are able to host it outside on the front lawn of the campus.
Lots of conversation and words - some much longer than probably needed but a great day for all.

Saint Paul - Graduation Day 1 The Petrovic's have arrived

I got in from Hong Kong and the celebrating began.
International Student Graduation Event on Thursday night - the Petrovic Family was there and ready to go.   Even Clemens found a way in........
Great to meet them all and to get the celebrating started.  Look forward to a great weekend.

Hong Kong - another lull before the next storm

The latest pass time seems to be watching the next storm roll in over the water or the towers before it dumps significant amounts of water on us - once again.
We seem to be caught in quite the storm system it just keeps rolling in and when it rains we get inches - sometimes feet of water.
A quick view from the apartment as the next wave rolled in Sunday evening.

Hong Kong - The rains have arrived once again

By the end of this week it started to feel a bit more like "normal" Hong Kong - grey, super humid and unbelievable amounts of water coming from the sky.
We had the grey, and some humidity but it was just a constant fog - but now the rains have arrived and will be around all weekend of course.
We had mostly "amber" rain - more rain coming out of the sky than you can imagine.  But on Thursday evening we had an hour of "black" rain - hard to describe but it is multiples more rain than has been coming down at a great pace and usually if very specific locations.  Whatever they call storms over here they tend to involve lots of water at some point - and sometimes that same large intensity of water for hours and hours.
The streets are always very full with both people and vehicles on the weekend.  When you add umbrellas to the mix, even on a slow day, it is an every person for themselves war zone - a definite reason to wear glasses if you want to save your eye sight.

Hong Kong - brakes and gears

I truly behave like everyone else in Hong Kong - we all believe and live and die every day believing that gears and brakes ALWAYS WORK.
It is amazing when, where and why we step in front of vehicles.  No hill is too high or too steep to not just walk in front of cars, vans, buses and trucks.  It is the rite of day to day life.
And the wonder is as far as I know, they always work.......
In many ways, always good to be back in HK - know the rules and the day to day rhythm.....

Sydney Australia - Friday night at the Australian Hotel

Out with some of the JAMF Team on Friday night at the Australian Hotel in the Rocks.
We had the last celebration of my 40th birthday here - lovely night, almost cold, and great to be outside.
Entered a fundraiser and Jason won second and third place - a paddle of beers and a rock melon, cantaloupe to those from the USA.  Should have been a fruit plate but the fruit didn't show today - hence a rock melon.
And we got to enjoy the evening with a local that needed someone to talk to and talk to and talk to......

Sydney Australia - A night of Strictly Ballroom

The have taken the movie Strictly Ballroom from 20 years ago and brought it back to life as a theater production.
I enjoyed the movie back when it came out and was able to find an evening to take it in shortly after it opened in Sydney.  A big production by Baz Luhrmann.
And nothing like a last minute seat in row 8 in a cool newer theater I was in for the first time.