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Leaving HK ... But first,

Lunch and natter with the lovely girlfriends in central followed by a visit to Kenji.  E is lovingly occupying himself now, while waiting for me to be done here at Kenji's (did I tell you? Kenji has left his old place and now owns his own shop - good for him non?). E and I had checked out of our hotel prior to lunch and after some time packing. We have time to play before departing later tonight. We hope to get a massage after this.

Whistle stop in HK

Our HK girl friends surprised us with a marriage themed tea party on Saturday. The dining room at L's home was decorated with candles and the table hosted an array of goodies to look at and eat. We were plied with champers. I was very touched. Afterwards we went on a surprise junk boat cruise across the harbour for dinner at a Spanish restaurant where the manager sang us a love song before we said goodbye. 
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The night before (and upon arrival) E and I had hastily left our luggage at the hotel to meet up with a few of my ex-colleagues for a Friday post work drinks. It was lovely to see them and catch up. I had not eaten much since we left Copenhagen and hardly drank these past weeks (save for the few glasses at the closing ceremony at school) so the affect from the merry making sin dinner left me stupidly disoriented on Saturday.

 

 

Dear Hello Kitty,

I love your "I am awesome-live with it" mantra. Inspiring and deserving of a smiley even so here you go:  :-)

Bed Stories from Basel as promised -

1. Weather - its cold here (between 1-6 c today), but thankfully not as windy as the UK Midlands. And the sun is shining which surprises me. And makes me happy. I sat in the comfort of our warm living room today, and basked in the sun - can't say I've done that in either UK or HK.

2. I'm enjoying my course very much. However, I do feel a little bit defensive when my mates comment that I appear to be super eager about the work ("super" being subtext for "overly"?). Bloody hell - it reminds me of when I was 12 in the school dance group and  being laughed at because I was dancing too enthusiastically to the "Eye of the tiger". 

3. I'm biking to and fro school these days as E is travelling or we have different schedules. This biking thing is novelty for me - I can't stress it enough! Navigating the hills and country lane traffic (horse carts, people and their dogs) and tram/car filled roundabouts. This morning I nearly fell when I had to quickly swerve and brake when a dog lunged towards me - not for the first time.

4. I'm missing my Saturday HK routine - involving facials, mani-pedi, massages, etc. The mani-pedi places here are small and I've noticed operated either by 1 or 2 persons. I tried to fix appointments twice. The first time, my appointment was cancelled because the assigned manicurist was ill and couldn't come in (I was told when I showed up at the scheduled time). The second time, the manicurist told me she was too busy to slot me in and did not offer alternative dates. I remember and miss places like Iyara, - soothingly run by gentle, friendly, Thai ladies. 2 ladies pampering a patron. How luxurious. 

5. I'm loving Big E and Little E more and more. Living together with Big E means more disagreements but we have so far been able to resolve our conflicts amicably. 

6. I miss working. A lot. Not just the earning of dosh which gave me so much financial freedom but the professional environment and the interaction at work - business and after hours. I'm using the time I have now to reflect on the type of work I would like to do next year. I'm attracted to sexy high profile/pressure-pay-me-lots type of work but recognise that I need to find something where I'm allowed/encouraged to be creative and where the outcome is the betterment of society or somefink like that. Can I find something that combines both? 

Are you still awake after reading this? I miss you lots. And our hanging out sessions. Drinking mai-tais (Zuma did good ones but fuck them for poisoning you with their food). I'm serious about visiting you in NYC. 

Picture from HK

Sometimes I think about my life in HK

I passed by this tree everytime I went out to hail a taxi. 

Friday email to HK

T, Missing the HK typhoon action (or inaction) - as well as all the 19 and 28 floor banter and all you regular suspects. Deep sigh. Excellent re: losing weight and wife's appreciation. Like it that you guys are having fun after so many years of marriage. What is the trick you think? (short essay more than welcomed). We are learning about human rights this week. Case studies on slavery and torture. I wondered out loud a few days ago, while having wine with my course mates, (nice fun bunch) about finding employment which involves dealing with humanitarian issues but also pays well - that killed the conversation swiftly. I fear I may be asked to go to the thinking corner anytime now. Have a great weekend. Say hi to Hvl if you see him - I will send him an email (I think).

G&T

I like G&T - both the couple (my sister, G and her husband, T) and the refreshment.

The latter was in fact my default choice from University until last year when I was advised by my then super fit personal trainer (someone I had a girl crush on) to switch to this. Since then, I've only ordered G&T when I'm not thinking (after I've lost the battle and succumbed to peer pressure and downed the dreaded tequila and/or vile jelly shots) and in Menorca, last month, when E's brother and his partner insisted we try this. It lead to consecutive days of tasting to check the brand´s supposed superiority (my verdict: it's served so glamorously with a metal spoon, dry ice, fresh herbs but the strong fruity flavour only makes me feel more guilty about consuming the calories).

Anyhow - back to the present:

Last night's Spanglish dinner conversation topic inevitably touched on football, unemployment, recession and the closure of restaurants in Zaragoza (main conclusion: E continues to hate Barc, employment remains high, downturn is very depressing and surprisingly not many restaurants have capitulated to weak consumer demand). Apparently while the popular and trendy Argentinian restaurant closed its doors earlier this year, a number of flashy bars have mushroomed, all peddling G&Ts for 12 Euros a glass.

How come so expensive? Because they involve the fancy upmarket brands and bartender theatrics - metal spoon/straws, sprays et al. So the rage is not just limited to a specific Gin brand or Menorca then. Will this trend ever reach HK?

 

Pictures from one evening's samples while in Menorca (Fancy, Regular, Slightly Fancy respectively... I gave up taking pictures after the third one)

 

 

When we were in HK - Junk Boat

The fun (and funny) Hello Kitty helped to organize a junk boat trip whilst E and I were back in HK a few weeks ago. Her charming personality and  relationship with the boat company landed us with a surprise upgrade: a massive modern yatch which would have otherwise cost us double. It was a far cry from the one we were onboard not too long ago in Menorca(·) 

The weather was perfect for a day out and to appreciate (and in my case now to miss) HK's scenic views: the city's sky scrapers, harbour and mountains. We made a few stops for some swimming in the sea (which I also did! For the first time! A big hurrah!) and savoured some fresh seafood on one of the outlying islands.

It was a magical day and a fantastic way to remember HK by.

Footnote (·): The conversation between L and me after I recounted our adventure with old Domingo in Menorca...

Me: '....and there I was perched, alert... bla bla bla ... of course, I could only tell the others what happened once we left the boat!'

L: 'So, did Domingo speak any English?'

Me: 'No'

L: 'Did E´s brother, fiance and friends speak English'

Me: 'yes'

L: 'Ah, so you could have told them about when when they came back on board then...'

Me: 'F$%k!'

 

Our lush junk boat  - Pier 9, Hong Kong

 

Hong Kong - Shanghai

E and I are in Hong Kong for the weekend. It certainly feels weird coming here as a visitor vs. resident-joining the long line at immigration. And not walking up the escalators from central to go home. We have been busy catching up with friends. I feel like I've been away longer than the real case. Next stop: Shanghai.

Nice strangers

Busy Monday - visits to various goverment deparments and offices. The taxi drivers were nice to me today: wishing me a good day, waiting for me to hop off completely before slamming the door shut. So were people in general. The older lady infront at the cab rank (during peak time) offered to not only share her cab with me but picked up most of the cost. Amazing grace - for HK.

Drinks with a couple of mates from the Dragon Boat team (picture of our team below) in a bar close to work and then to home cooked Malaysian dinner at Hello Kitty's where I recounted the day's event, highlighting the non-typical encounters with the Hong Kong peeps (although I suspect the older lady was a main lander based on her Mandarin accent). Hello Kitty's BF suggested it's the cosmic way of giving me a lovely farewell-to-HK. This cheered and touched me (notwithstanding Hello Kitty's objections to all the fluffiness).

Not long now before I leave!  

The Motley Crew this year ---