Hardee's Lives in Hong Kong... and MAIL! I GOT MAIL TODAY!

And PRESENTING.... MY HOME. Still in progress.

My little apartment in Hong Kong is slowly looking more like "home." I am all about decorating CHEAPLY because I won't be able to take any of this stuff home anyway... SOOOOOOOO I found these pillows for like $5 US each. So I got four of them and when I find some more colors I'll add to it. Ha ha. Rainbow colors. Random... whatever. It's cheap! I also bought a PLANT.

Brooke, Blake, Biff, and any Shreeve people appreciate this next picture: Hardee's is still here in Hong Kong- only it uses the Carl's Jr. star! Weird huh? Anyway, I had to take a picture because of all the time we used to spend at Hardee's. Every Saturday morning we'd play in the balls at Hardee's. Ha ha. Our grandpa would take us there while he met with all his friends, and afterwards we would go to the CAR WASH. THAT was living I tell ya! :-)

Again, I heart Bryan Madsen. He officially wins the prize of being the first person to send me mail... and BOY was I excited!!! YAY! He sent me a DVD of our New York Showcase back in May. Made me smile. It also made me a little sentimentally sad inside. I love all those people and it's weird knowing that now we've all gone our own ways and are doing whatever...

Last week- On my day off I went to Kowloon Tong and saw the temple. Happy. :-) I also went into the mini Distribution Center they have. It was fun.

This is the view from my living room and guest room on a CLEAR day here in Hong Kong. Have I convinced anyone to come YET????

What the??? This magnet was here on my fridge when I came. I thought it was funny so I am posting a picture. :-)

This is the gate to Hong Kong Disneyland. Just thought I'd show y'all where I am working. :-)

Anyway, so life here in Hong Kong continues to be good. Tonight I started a Cantonese class that the sister missionaries in the Branch are teaching. I am sure I will just learn the basics... this language is INSANE. It has 9 different TONES, so the same word can mean something COMPLETELY different depending on the TONE you use. Scary. Ha ha. Anyway, I will give it a try, I guess. :-)

Wednesdays and Thursdays are my days off until November 11. My "work week" really goes fast- it's five days long and my schedule goes something like this:

* Friday: PM Shift (I go in at 2:30 and finish around 7- ususally 2 shows)
* Saturday: Standby (USUALLY two shows... depends on if it's a PEAK day or not)
* Sunday: I am SCHEDULED for the AM shift but one of the girls has been GREAT to trade me for PM several times so I can get to church in the morning
* Monday: Standby (1 show... not a peak day)
* Tuesday: AM shift (Start at 11:00 and work till 2:15)

I am starting to really recognize places and I don't feel NEARLY as disoriented as I have. I am learning my way around! WAHOO!

Oh yeah... and another big

CONGRATS

goes out to my dear friend and former roomie Andrea... she was just cast as Laurey in Oklahoma at BYU. I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER!!! YAY YAY YAY!

So that's life for me here. All is happy and well in the HK. I still want visitors. :-)

One Month!

Today I have officially been here in Hong Kong for

ONE MONTH!!!

Wahoo! Let's hear it for six more!
(And let's hear it for some VISITS from y'all in those six months!)

Outings on My Day Off... and a New Baby!

My Yissa, Steve, and new baby
Nathan Reid Voorhees
Born September 19, 2006 at 7:43 PM
8 lbs 8 oz and 22 inches

Tonight I went out on the town with some of the other single members in the branch. We took a ferry over to Lamma Island and ate lots of really great seafood! I don't even like seafood, but I was daring and really loved it all... well, MOST of it! :-) It was SOOOO nice to get out into Hong Kong at night. The skyline here is absolutely stunning and it was just so wonderful!

Wednesday and Thursday are my days off, so I've just been hanging out doing whatever. Uh, if anyone is willing to send me books to read I really would LOVE it. Books here are really expensive, and I am DYING for some. Two of my five days at work during the week I am on "standby-" WHICH MEANS that I sit in the green room all day and have to find ways to entertain myself. I need books. I really need books. :-) That is all. Yes, I am begging. Loves.

I "Heart" Bryan

First of all, today, I have to give a big cyber hug and

CONGRATULATIONS

to my favorite Bryan Madsen. He just emailed me and told me that he has been cast in the national touring company of the musical "Wicked." I AM

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

proud of and happy for him!!!! I need to find a pic of Bryan and his sexy hair. Hee hee. :-)

For those of you who don't know Bryan- he graduated from BYU with me in April. We went through the last couple years of MDT together, and I gained so much respect for his incredible talent and kindness! :-) I love the guy! I never had any doubt that his talent would give him amazing opportunities like this!!!

I am now going to become a Wicked National Tour groupie. Lindsey and Kallie, start saving because we are going on a trip in my new Mazda 6 when I get home to see "Wicked" on tour!

Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong....

OK- here are a few pics that I took in the last few days. The first is the entrance to the theatre I work in. And the second is the amazing sunset that I witnessed tonight. I wish that the picture could do it justice, but it just doesn't even come close. The sun looked HUGE from my living room window... it was stunning. Hong Kong might be polluted, but it sure makes for pretty sunsets. :-) Hee hee.

I am working hard to get a picture of me as Belle, but they are REALLY REALLY not budging on the "taking pictures backstage" thing. I need to find someone to just watch the show and take some good pics. I also wanna find someone with a good digital video camera to get another video... but we'll see. Anyway...

My cousin Melissa is having her baby Nathan today!!! She is being induced at some point today... and I am sitting by my MSN to hear all about it. :-) Hee hee.

Goodbye Hotel... Hello "Home"

Well, goodbye to the elegance and service of being waited upon. Yesterday I moved into my apartment at the Gold Coast in New Territories. The apartment is great- granted, not as deluxe as the website makes it sound (but what website ever really tells the truth??). Anyway, it's nice and moving here makes me a little TOO anxoius for people to come use the extra room. :-) I am on the 11th floor in tower# 7. It's got a great view, and after getting it decorated a bit it will be quite a nice little home for me. (By the way, the above picture comes from the hotel... I just thought those elevators were awesome...)

Moving in was a bit tough. Yesterday it was POURING all day long. All I have ever seen it do here in Hong Kong is "mist heavily." But yesterday it was POURING rain. I had to get all my stuff moved in that- and it was hard, but I made it. I finally got into my apartment only to discover that the phone, the internet, and the TOILET weren't working. Fuuuun. Actually it's funny because not having the internet gave me the biggest trauma of all. I am waiting to hear if my cousin Melissa is having her baby... and noy having that connection with home made me wanna scream! :-)

Anyway, so all is well here in Hong Kong. Today I went out into a few places I haven't been before. I am reminded that I AM IN CHINA. The streets smell funny and women smell like mothballs. I love them, but they do.

So this next picture is something that made me smile SO big. For those of you who don't know, the bear in the picture is "Binky Bear." I have had her since I was three, or "free," and brought her along with me. Well, one night after rehearsal I came into my room and "turndown service" had occured. Whoever did it had found Binky Bear and placed her on the bed with a breakfast menu in hand. It made me laugh! I loved it. It was like something my mom would do at home. I felt taken care of. Ha ha.

This is the only "Belle" picture I have so far. More will be coming. The mother of one of the girls came and took some pics... so hopefully they will have turned out MUCH better.

Uh, IN CASE YOU NEED A HOOK. These were ALL OVER the walls in my spare bedroom. I was like, "Oooook." But then some guys came and chipped them all off and painted. "Ooooook."

My "living room." My camera STINKS. I need to buy a new one. :-) I also need to decorate...

The view from my bedroom

The view from my "Guest Room" (On a typhoon day) - COME SEE IT LIVE!!! :-)

To Go Along With the Video

Well, as of tomorrow I have been here in Hong Kong three whole weeks! I think I am here for 32 total, so 29 more to go! But who's counting? I mean really though. I am loving it here. I really CAN NOT believe that dressing up and singing is my JOB. I am used to going to rehearsals and doing shows and all that, but THAT is my JOB. I don't have to get a "day job." Uh, THAT makes me happy- no working in the chiropractor's office for me!!! Anyway...

I spent time this week exploring a bit more. I was feeling like Miss Independence on Wednesday when I went into Wan Chai (downtown Hong Kong Island area) by myself and managed to find exactly what I was looking for. Granted, I had to walk around the block twice to "orient" (HA HA!) myself, but I DID it! It was fun.

My first show was on Friday at 5:15. It went really well and I am VERY happy to do done with rehearsals and to be into a regular work schedule. I am scheduled to work the AM shift on Sundays, but one of the girls was REALLY generous and traded me her afternoon shift for my morning one. Now I can at least get to church in the mornings on Sundays. Hopefully, once I have been here a little while, I will be able to request Sundays off. We'll see. Tomorrow I am going to the Victoria 1st Ward in Wan Chai. I take a few different trains to get there, but it's worth it! My days off for the next month are Wednesday and Thursday, so that will be great this week, because on WEDNESDAY I am moving into my apartment! YAY! There are good places to get things to decorate with, and if I can do it cheaply, that will be lots of fun. More exploring ahead for Amy!!! I need to figure out all the places that we went last year on YA tour... we went to a big marketplace on one of the last days here in Hong Kong. Anyone know where that was (Chad Little....) ??? :-)

Yep, so life is good. I am anxiously awaiting word that my cousin Melissa is ready to have her baby boy, Nathan. She is due on the 10th and I am excited to get pictures and everything. Thanks LOTS everyone for comments on the blog and for emails and stuff. I miss everyone a lot. I miss a great social life, but things are GREAT here and I know it's where I am supposed to be at this point in my life. Life is beautiful!!! Be happy.

Belle (Bad quality... but it's SOMETHING!) :-)

A Sniffle as BYU Starts Without Me

Well, school starts tomorrow for all you BYU people. Graduation is a great thing, but enjoy your time there. It seriously is SO weird knowing that everyone, EVERYTHING, will go on without me. The KMB and all it's drama will still exist, dealings at the HFAC (with freshman girls running through glass walls.. ha ha) will still go on, and trips to Smart Cookie and J-Dawgs will occur several times daily, and I won't be a part of it. Yeah yeah, I'm sentimental, but I will miss those good ol days. :-) I am happy to be where I am now- life is good- but it's just kind of a reality check when you know lots of your friends are still at school... and now I have a diploma that tells me I accomplished something and don't ever have to go back into the HFAC or KMB ever again. Ok. Sure. I'll go to Hong Kong. :-) Hee hee. Anyway, above are some pics... happy memories of my time at the "Y"!!

"I Love Belle" and Other Adventures of Sunday in HK

Kaitlyn Sloan (6) drew this picture for me during Sacrament Meeting today. She overheard me talking to her parents about the fact that I am playing Belle in a show at Disneyland. The best part is that she noticed that I am a blonde, but Belle is a brunette. So, she drew me in a wig with some blonde hair coming through. TOO, TOO CUTE! In case you can't tell, the picture says "I love Belle." This kid was adorable- with a cute little Austrailian accent and everything!

The handles in the train to Hong Kong Disneyland. Too cute.

Disney even went all out on the trains that take guests to the park! This train is FANCY!

So the last couple days have been great. Yesterday (Saturday) I explored Hong Kong a bit. The train system here is pretty simple to figure out, so I'm not afraid of it anymore! :-) Hee hee. I am excited to get into the show and a work schedule so that I can really get out and explore now that I kind of have the transportation thing figured out. I was able to get to a grocery store (YAY YAY!), and I also found a Pizza Hut- where PS- they have Hawaiian pizza. Yup, I can survive here. Ha ha. It's still really humid here. Ugh.

Today I took the train and the bus to get to church in Discovery Bay. The branch there is very small, and full of many different nationalities. I went to church today with Phillipenos, Koreans, Japanese, New Zealanders, and Americans. There were probably other nationalities represented there but these are the ones I can remember off the top of my head ;-) Everyone was SO friendly and basically attacked me- the new American girl. Like I said, this little girl Kaitlyn, who sat behind me, was so adorable. I will keep the picture she drew for me forever! Where's my scrapbook?!?!?! :-)

I am scheduled to be on stage on Saturday! YAY! I am anxoius for that because that also means I will be able to move into my apartment. That will be really nice. Yup, life here is going just swell! :-)

I AM TAKING RESERVATIONS AT THE "AMY'S APARTMENT IN HONG KONG HOTEL." It's a first come, first serve thing, so reserve your dates now!!! :-)

Today in Hong Kong...

Well, with one week left of rehearsals, I am happy to say that we are now in run-throughs and I personally feel almost ready to go on! YAY! Today was great- we did four run-throughs of the show, and I got to, for the first time, sing with my mic on the stage. IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!! Seriously, I had a rush of giddiness as soon as I heard my voice on the mulit-million dollar sound system that they have in that theatre. (I assume it's worth millions anyway...) :-) AH! It was just SOOOO much fun and I am so thankful to be here. I miss everyone at home dearly, and I'm sure those feelings of missing home will be more and more intense in the months to come. But for now, Hong Kong is my home- and I'll make it that. :-) Anyway, like I said, that mic check today was awesome. It made me feel, for the first time, that I am REALLY working in a professional setting- "Working" in what I have a degree in- I have a job and am making money. WOW! It's a good feeling!!! (Especially after -cough... SEVEN YEARS... cough- as being a starving student!!!!)

Thanks tons to everyone who looks at this and posts comments and everything. It's fun and gives me an easy way to keep everyone updated. Keep posting!!! Loves to you all! I will get some pics up as soon as I take some. :-)