Year of the Lotus: Get-Out-Of-The-Apartment Activities

Adjusting to apartment life has not been easy for 4 kids who are used to a big, spacious house and a big, grassy yard with plenty of room (inside and outside) to run and play and dance and kick or bounce a ball. Living in an apartment with people above, below, next to, and across the hall has awakened a new sense of awareness in our family. We've realized how loud and annoying some of our activities can be and we think twice about doing them so as not to annoy or disturb our neighbors too much. Often it's hard and frustrating to tone down an activity or eliminate it all together but we don't want to be like some of our neighbors who practice the piano very late every night, bounce marbles or other small toys across the floor frequently, talk in extremely loud voices, or watch TV all day and night long. Some days we just HAVE to get out of the apartment to release our built up energy. Here's a few of our go-to activities when we "need" to get out of the apartment.

HIKING

One of our favorite activities is getting out of the city and hiking in the Taipa Pequena or Taipa Grande hills. They've become our little "get-aways". During our hikes, the kids love to collect rocks and leaves, pick flowers, and climb up and over all the boulders.

And, hiking is even better with friends!

Near the top of Taipa Grande there is a sledding hill (no snow just plastic) that's also a fun get-out-of-the-apartment activity.

EXPLORING

Since moving here almost 8 months ago, Kyle's been determined to see every nook and cranny of this 11.5 square mile city. He knows Macau very well and I'd be surprised if he hasn't already walked on every street. Part of getting to know Macau, has included taking the family on exploratory walks to get lost in the city. On these "walks" we've discovered a number of different landmarks and lots of interesting things. We've found the cool dragon wall,

a statue of a Portuguese explorer,

a statue of a Portuguese poet and colonizer,

a Catholic church,

Buddhist shrines of all shapes and sizes,

Old Taipa Village,

and the Kun Iam Statue (goddess of mercy).

Sometimes we stumble upon performances, like this Lion Dance,

or cultural exhibits,

or just enjoy great views of our surroundings.

It's also fun to come across more unusual things like the round "hobbit" door,

a rickshaw,

uniquely designed cars,

or the giant Fanta and Coke bottles.

(Coke and Fanta are favorites here but other sodas like Root Beer are extremely difficult to find)

We've had lots of good times exploring Macau. Our new twist on exploring is letting one of the kids lead the expedition. They can take us to their favorite place or wander down new paths. They love being in charge and making the decisions. And surprisingly, they can get us home with little or no help. Even Leah recognizes landmarks and can tell us the right direction to go back home.

PLAYING AT THE PARKS

There are lots of different parks around Macau. The closest park to us has a playground,

swings, exercise equipment, a fish pond, and gazebos. We visit this park frequently, especially Leah and I when the kids are in school.

Another big park near our apartment also has playgrounds and swings but there are full time guards watching to make sure adults don't get on any of the equipment, even to help babies or toddlers (just one of the many strict rules we don't understand here). This park also has a running track, exercise equipment, basketball court, swimming pool, and a football court (I can't call it a soccer field because it's enclosed and doesn't have grass). Here's Cade playing a 3 on 3 game in it (he's in the blue shirt).