22.2.14 - GUEST ED 4 - The one where I write my last blog

Within a week I have adjusted to life in Hong Kong. I have adapted to living in a small flat and keeping tidy because you have to. I pop into the 7 Eleven to top up my Octopus card (much like an Oyster card, but better as you can also use it for shopping). Using trains, buses, trams, ferries and taxis is becoming second nature. At home we would happily wait for a taxi for 30 minutes, but here I start to get impatient after 30 seconds! I now accept the view from the flat window is quite normal, whereas at first it was quite a shock. I expect public places to be perfectly clean and tidy, nobody drinks or eats on public transport or drops litter. At home we seem to turn a blind eye to vandalism or graffiti, I now have high standards.

Yesterday we went back to Hong Kong park, they have a wonderful aviary, a tea museum, visual arts centre, Olympic park and conservatory. We met Paddy for lunch in the sweetest little cafe/restaurant as he works near by. Whilst shopping in the Pacific centre (sorry I can't help myself!) we were outside Harvey Nicholls when a young lady asked us if we could help her. She gave us a newspaper cutting written in Chinese, we didn't understand what she wanted us to do with it. Basically she tricked us into getting free samples for her from the Lancome counter! Later we spotted her enticing other willing victims being taken in.

When we got back to the flat, I was hurried out the door to a 'Surprise Location'. It turned out be a private cinema complete with my favorite film and Indian food plus the most delicious chocolate cake, EPIC SURPRISE! I want to say a HUGE thank you to Paddy and Claire for everything, this trip has been fantastic, an experience I will never forget. I don't wanna leave :(

Thank you for putting up with my blogs, I hope you have enjoyed them!:)

Hong Kong? Been there, done that, bought several t shirts....

21.2.14 - GUEST ED 3 - The one where I do 3 blogs in 1

On Tuesday we went to CHINA! After several 'Foreigners' immigration checks and obtaining my first ever visa we made it across the border. I was suddenly aware of a strange gabbling coming nearer and louder. A flock of about 300 tiny kindergarten children burst through the turnstiles. They were completely out of control, I felt sorry for the staff as the children were running, pushing, fighting, hiding, crying, throwing shoes! To make matters worse they had to take each child's coat and bag off to to be checked...individually.

The reason we went to China was to shop in Shenzhen  (a five storey market shopping mall). On the fifth floor we discovered Claire's dress maker, Shona. She helped Claire select fabrics from thousands and thousands of bolts of cloth, as she was copying a dress and cardigan for her. We shopped for bags, purses and dresses. I found the haggling process extremely stressful, fortunately Claire can haggle like a PRO!

On Wednesday we did the Big Red Bus tour, the highlight of which was the Peak Tram. Although it was a cold day we were lucky enough to have a clear view from the top, breathtaking scenery. In the cafe a young Chinese couple, also tourists engaged us in conversation. They had been to all the places we had been and had taken similar pictures. They were very taken with my blue eyes and blonde hair, apparently I was the 'most beautiful girl they had ever seen' (coyly blushing) and asked if they could take my photo, which of course I agreed to!

In the evening we went to Happy Valley race course. I was amazed to discover such a place in the middle of the city (all a bit random). Mum and Paddy both came away with a profit, mum 42 dollars and Paddy 120 dollars. The atmosphere was amazing! From there we went to a karaoke bar, with a live band. Paddy entertained us with his renditions of  'Can't take my eyes off you' and 'Mack the knife'. By the time I plucked up courage to sing it was too late :(

On Thursday we continued the bus tour to the Sampan boat ride, Man Po temple and Hong Kong Park. This was the first day we had actually seen sunshine, bad decision to sit up top on the open air bus, me and mum now have sun burnt faces. We took the ferry to Kowloon and had a delicious dinner. Half way through we received an intriguing phone call from Paddy and Claire asking us to come to the Ritz Carlton Hotel. We met them at the bar on the 118th floor. I never guessed we would drinking champagne in the 'HIGHEST BAR IN THE WORLD!' I did feel slightly under dressed as I was wearing Converse. After a quick whizz round Temple street night market, mum and Claire had a foot massage whilst Paddy and I went home to watch Harry Potter!

19.2.14 - GUEST ED 2 - The one were we went to Disneyland!

As promised in the advert the 'expanded fun' began as we boarded the Disneyland Express; complete with Mickey Mouse windows. The grab handles, also Mickey Mouse shaped were lower than usual, designed for shorter people, this resulted in Paddy banging his head on them. In each carriage there were glass cases containing golden Disney statues.

Now, I am lucky enough to have been to Euro Disney when I was 5 and Florida Disneyland when I was 10, this did not prevent me from acting like a five year old as soon as we got through the gates. I think we must have stood out in the crowd as we were all wearing Converse like some weird pop-band that was about to burst out into song and dance at any moment.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of all the rides as you can imagine they were all typically Disney themed. My favourite crew member, coincidentally called 'Kerry' (close enough!) took us round the Jungle Cruise. She said things like, "Ooohhh sit down, sit down or I'll feed you to the crocodiles ya..?.ha ha!" Then she whispered, "Ooo be quiet so the hippos don't eat you..." then she shouted, "AHHH tribal people noooo, get down, be careful of the spears...!" I loved her.

Our final 'quest' of the day was to (simply?) have our photo taken in front of the Chinese New Year display.

Now, the thing to remember about Hong Kong is there is no such thing as queuing or taking turns. It's more elbows out and push your way through. "Forget your manners and courtesies get stuck in," Paddy told me.
We waited patiently whilst endless children were pushed forward by eager parents, one after the other. In the end Paddy had had enough and jumped in and shouted, "WE ARE NEXT, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR AGES!!" leaving me and mum laughing our heads off, whilst we had to bear the look of confusion and worry on the faces of the many people waiting.

All in all a pretty amazing day.

(Side note: Hope you are liking the blogs!!)

17.2.14 - GUEST ED 1 - the one where I went to Hong Kong

Even though I'm sitting here writing my brother'S precious blog, trying think of something witty to open up with and I have no idea where to begin.

On Saturday we were sitting drinking tea in Paddy and Claire's flat after a 12-hour flight from London Heathrow, I still felt as if we were in Britain. When Claire drew the blind, my view was filled with over 30 high rise tower blocks. I finally realised that we were in Hong Kong.

2 hours later we took a ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui. There were valentines couples posing for photos in front of what seemed like a huge bouquet of roses with cherubs and unicorns (very surreal). Having said that we stopped and posed for a photo on a green astro turf covered chair because...who wouldn't!

We watched the sun go down from the Zegna cocktail bar over looking the skyline, which was breathtaking. Later on we had dinner in Paddy's favorite restaurant. It is so popular you're given a ticket and wait till your number is called before being seated. Also whilst wait you fill out a order form for your food.

When food arrived Claire had ordered a wide variety of greens and the famous house dumplings. Little did I know there was a strict way to eat these, as they contained pork in soup.

1. Place small shreds of ginger on a ceramic bowl 
2. add 3 splashes of soy sauce and 6 splashes of vinegar
3. carefully pick up your dumpling with chopsticks from the steamer (which I had difficulty with)
4. dunk it in the sauce
5. either bite the top and suck out the contents or Paddy's way shove the whole thing in at once!

Mum was caught out by the cucumber dish expecting it to be cool, when in fact it was the opposite! She has just about recovered. 

On a more amusing note in the ladies Claire showed me a device which you could chose to use. It was supposed to sound like a toilet flushing when in fact it sounded more like a round of applause. So instead of saving your modesty it sounded as if you were being congratulated!

And so to bed. Disneyland tomorrow. Yes, Disneyland Hong Kong

16.2.14 - keptman guest author...

Just a short one from me.

My mum and sister are out in HK as part of a birthday present (long awaited - we first had the idea over a year ago I think!)...and as I am going to be sadly tied up with work almost the whole time they are here, I thought I'd give the blog a bit of a fresh face just for a week.

So I am handing over the reins to my sister Ceri for the next 7 days. She's coming up to her GCSEs, and wants to do both English, photography and media at A-Level, so this blog is perfect practice for all three.

Hope you all enjoy her photos and perspective on all things HK...and that she does't upstage me too much!

14.2.14 - V Day HK

Another annual milestone. Another blog about how it’s a bit same-same-but-different over here.

I have time to write to you about it because my lovely wife is cooking a 3-course French extravaganza next door. Onion soup smell is wafting through the door…yum yum. Anyway, 3 main things to say about it:

Firstly, it appears to be something that the locals have embraced to the extent that they wish it to one another, as you would for Christmas or New Year. Or the time the chap who made our hammock emailed me to wish me Happy April Fool’s Day. Bit bizarre. Best manifestations were: at work, Claire received an email from a distant colleague saying nothing but “Happy Valentine’s Day!”. Whose first name is Funny. Well, quite. For me, it was one male local colleague buying every female in our office some chocolates in heart-shaped boxes. Which on opening turned out to be mouldy. I’ve never seen mouldy chocolate before. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Secondly, the overengineering of everything Valentines related is a thing to behold. So, were I back in Brixton and wanted to buy my lovely wife a single red rose, I would jump out of the tube and see some enterprising chap with a bucket of single roses loitering. I’d pluck one out, stem dripping along the pavement, and head home. Here, impromptu ‘pop-up’ florists appear in every mall. And the single rose – beautiful surely for its simplicity?! is:

Attached with tape to some red berries
                wedged into that foam they keep flowers in
                                Inserted into a box that has a heart-shaped hole to let the flower in
                                                Which in turn is wrapped in ribbon
                                                                and then put in a bag.
                                                                                [see picture]

And the cards. Well. The cards are pretty special. I avoided them ad bought Claire a tasteful non-Valentines number with a paper junk on. Claire embraced the madness and got the WORST card she could fid. It’s in the picture – the one that looks a bit like a seedy, dirty-handed man groping a faintly unwilling lady? Yeah, that one.

To make my point, here’s the caption in full. Look out for my favourite rhyme of ‘leashed’ with ‘feast’:

I know how your skin feels silky and smooth…
the casual, confident, way that you move
your muscles, their power and energy leashed
the way that you look at me like a feast

I love how you stand
how you walk how you flirt
your lips which are sweeter than any dessert
and how tempting it is
every time we are together
to melt into you and stay there forever.

Happy Valentine’s Day!