Last Night I Ate A Fish Head

Dear Friends and Family:

I love Hong Kong; I'm never coming home.

Wow, where to start?

THANK YOU for the great emails! I skimmed quickly and will hopefully have time to go back and read slower.

I can find everything I need here and almost everything I want here.

I love being on a mission. Thank you, everyone, for supporting me with words and prayers and letters and love--it is just so kind.

Remembering home helps me talk to these people, because I know their family--like mine--can be blessed with the gospel message I have. So good.

Oh, I know: the wards (Sha Tin, Ma On Shan and Tai Wai) thinks it's HILARIOUS that Sister Baahk and I have the same name. One of the Relief Society Presidents, Sister Heui (at whose home I ate the fish head last night and who has a nonmember, nonsupportive husband, awesome rock-solid teenage boy named Kung Fu- not kidding-and an extremely brilliant little girl who reminds me a lot of a younger Crystal) has named Sister Black and I "Baahk dai Yat, and Baahk dai Yih" as in, Lei Fei dai Yat (1st Nephi) and Lei Fei dai Yih (second Nephi). HA.

I am required to carry a picture of my family around because at all our "chang-outs" (dinner or lunch appointments) with members, they want to look at it while I introduce my family.

Everyone wants to know where my brother is going on his mission. Ian, think of it. People in a ward half-way around the world are waiting. Wanting. Dying to know--WHERE is Sister Darcey's sai lou (little brother--you can call all little boys this on the MTR (train) and it's totally OK. Little girls are muih muih, lil sister) going on his mission?? They always say he is "leng jai" = handsome boy. It's the equivalent of sheui guh, or however you spell that, in Mandarin.

They also often say that they want to try my Mom's pie (I carry around our Xmas picture). And at that point I usually break down crying and say "Ngoh DOU seung!" (= MEEEE TOOO!). The MTC totally spoiled me for food. Now at meals I keep looking around for the freezer full of GF goodies. Then I remember I'm in China and go back to my delicious fish eyes.