Playground Night

I'm not sure if it's because we don't have to drive home, or because we live in an international community, or simply because people in Hong Kong just seem to know how to have a good time, but it is an interesting fact that no matter what the event, there will be wine. Birthday parties, teacher conferences, parent nights, school shows: the wine flows freely. In fact, last Saturday I went to pick up Jack from a birthday party. 5 bottles of wine, a cheese and pate platter, and 3 hours later, we made it home.

Tonight was no different. We started out Jack's "Playground Night" by relaxing for 30 minutes next to the open bar where the teachers sufficiently liquored the parents up so that we could better enjoy constructing playgrounds with our 6 year olds for the next hour. After we were sufficiently hydrated, we headed back to the classroom where we had to follow Jack's design and playground plan by constructing his playground. Jack being Jack, he had the whole thing mapped out and knew exactly how he was going to proceed. Much to his dismay, however, his engineer father was stuck spending the night up in Shenzhen, so he was left with his rather artistically challenged mother to help him make his playground. We did a pretty good job, I think, and his teacher even exclaimed, "See Jack, you were able to do it even though your dad couldn't be here!" What?! I get no respect...