Lunch with the Team
Episode 164.2
16 years ago
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Hong Kong - Snoopy World.
Ever heard of it? No me neither until yesterday.
At 10.15 we took a cab down the hill to Central. From there we took the MTR two stops over to Tsim She Tsui where we met with our new friends Debbie, Tommy and Ali. Next we got a KCR train to the New Town Plaza in Shatin.
We negotiated our way through the shopping center(yet another one) to find SNOOPY WORLD. Hurrah I hear you say. Well, by the time we got there the sun had come out and it was so hot that we could only bear 20 minutes in the playground that is Snoopy World.
When all else fails my moto is go and have some lunch. We found a child friendly restaurant so that Debbie and I could chat continuously while occasionally tending to the children.
Of course we followed the same public transport route home and my two exhausted children did me proud by just going with the flow.
Dinner was simlpe and they both fell asleep within minutes of ther heads touching the their pillows.
Another good day
At 10.15 we took a cab down the hill to Central. From there we took the MTR two stops over to Tsim She Tsui where we met with our new friends Debbie, Tommy and Ali. Next we got a KCR train to the New Town Plaza in Shatin.
We negotiated our way through the shopping center(yet another one) to find SNOOPY WORLD. Hurrah I hear you say. Well, by the time we got there the sun had come out and it was so hot that we could only bear 20 minutes in the playground that is Snoopy World.
When all else fails my moto is go and have some lunch. We found a child friendly restaurant so that Debbie and I could chat continuously while occasionally tending to the children.
Of course we followed the same public transport route home and my two exhausted children did me proud by just going with the flow.
Dinner was simlpe and they both fell asleep within minutes of ther heads touching the their pillows.
Another good day
Hong Kong - Dinner on The Peak.
Nik managed to get out from work a little earlier last night so we decided to have our dinner up on The Peak. It is one of the main tourist attractions here but because of the bad weather recently we had not made the trip up there.
The tram ride up is quite something. It is incredibly steep and it goes at some pace too. I hope they don't get leaves on the track or the wrong kind of rain! I can't imagine the disruption it would cause. Oops sorry, I forgot there for a second that we were not in the
We chose Shooters for dinner. It was practically empty and the food was certainly plentiful along with the large beer that Nik ordered. See Photo.
However the best bit as far as the girls were concerned was the fab indoor playground they had. Oh! The balloons were pretty popular too. The playground was so good that Nia (our even tempered, easy going child) threw a huge screaming fit when we said it was time to leave. Nik of course legged it out of there asap.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Hong Kong - Sunshine.
Yippeeeeee! The sun is shining at last. The girls have spent the morning in the pool and have had a great time. They made a friend who's mother is from Wales. Now doesn't that sound familiar?
Monday, June 27, 2005
Hong Kong - Toy Library
We had a small adventure today. The girls and I(Catherine), Nik was safely tucked away in work, went to Hong Kong Central Library to visit the toy library. You book a 45minute session where you can go into a play room and have fun playing with lots of different toys. It is all free to which is the bit that Nik likes best. Check it out: The Library
The girls had a great time.Nia spent the whole time in the kitchen area offering me 'a cup of tea' and Rhiannon climbed up and down the stairs a hundred times to the wooden playhouse they have there. I tell a lie she did play with a shape sorter and a pull along bus for a few seconds.
Tomorrow if the rain holds off a little we will go swimming I think.
The girls had a great time.Nia spent the whole time in the kitchen area offering me 'a cup of tea' and Rhiannon climbed up and down the stairs a hundred times to the wooden playhouse they have there. I tell a lie she did play with a shape sorter and a pull along bus for a few seconds.
Tomorrow if the rain holds off a little we will go swimming I think.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Hong Kong - Family
Today has to be the best day so far in
We had a fabulous lunch. The choice of food was vast and I think Rhiannon managed to find a bit of t shirt for every dish available. I must start taking a spare set of clothes for her out with us.
After lunch the children played in the fantastic play area while we adults made great attempts to sit down but with not much success. As if that wasn't enough fun we then went up a few more floors to find the Chill Zone. There was a huge room with foam balls, canons, climbing frames etc. Nik had a great time and I think the kids did too. After a drink and a snack we were played out.
Hurricane Brunner made there goodbyes and I am sure the De Souza family found relative silence in our absence.
We sincerely hope we get to spend more time with them while we are in
As if that wasn't enough of a great time.
We made our way home and did the normal quick dinner, bath and bed for the girls only to my great excitement notice that my great friend Dawn was trying to call us via the computer. I have missed my chats with her very much.
After a few false attempts we managed to set up a video and voice link with Richard, Dawn and Yaz in Tiptree. It was so great to talk with them and we managed to make enough noise to wake the children. Nia thought it was great to see Dawn again seeing as she spends most of her play time here pretending to talk to Dawn on her toy phone.
So I am sure you will agree that was all in all a pretty good if not great day. Oh yeah! It didn't rain quite as much today either.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Hong Kong - Hang Over
Well on Saturday morning I have to admit to having a Titanic hang over. I don't go out so often these days and I really did give it some large on Friday night. But self pity doesn’t really work with my two girls around so I had to get up and get on with it.
We were meeting with a bunch of Expats at Fat Angelo’s for lunch before moving on to see the Lions v. All Blacks game. Fat Angelo’s was a great restaurant and a huge plate of Spaghetti Bolognese washed down with a beer was absolutely perfect for my condition. It was a bit of a mad lunch with a lot of kids running around which, needless to say our two enjoyed.
After lunch we headed over to the Dickens Pub in the Excelsior hotel which we had been told might be a good place to see the rugby as it is slightly further from the crowds than the bars in Lan Kwai Fong. When we got there we were told that you had to book seats and that the place was completely booked out for the game and had been for some time. I then made arrangements to go an watch the game in Lan Kwai Fong and Catherine said she would go home with the girls…she was understandably not impressed.
I met up with Paul, a friend who I used to play rugby with in Zurich at the Bulldogs bar. I was expecting the place to be packed but it was far from it. I finally got hold of Catherine and she got a taxi and arrived about 10-15 minutes into the second half.
As for the game itself I guess the conditions didn’t really make for the best rugby as I couldn’t really stay glued to the game. I thought the Lions never really looked dangerous at all and New Zealand played the perfect game for the conditions and walked away with not only an easy win but I think the Lions will have a lot to do to beat them.
After the game Paul, Catherine, the Girls and I went for a bit of a look around. We went up the Mid-Levels escalator to the top which would have been OK if there was something to do at the top but it seemed to stop in a more or less completely residential area. Paul took out his guide book and on his list of things to do/see was a place called Bonham Street. We got a Taxi down there to go and have a look around. In the guide book it described the weird and wonderful things you can get there. It was not far wrong but it was pretty difficult to find some one who spoke English.
The shops were all the Chinese Medicinal kind. Selling deer velvet, dried out sea horses, Fungus of all kinds and swallows nests. One other thing they had was deer tails which were like black pieces of rubber and resembled something I would rather not chew.
This part of Hong Kong is quite strange. You have all the little side streets with little market stalls and people are doing all kinds of trade there. Most of the buildings are quite old apartment block kind of buildings but you can always see a modern skyscraper of some description in between the bedlam. It is also amazing that if you are in and around Central every body can speak or understand English, even if not too well. This part of town is only 5-10 minutes on foot and it was very difficult to find anyone who speaks or understands English. I guess it reminded us we were indeed in a foreign country.
We were meeting with a bunch of Expats at Fat Angelo’s for lunch before moving on to see the Lions v. All Blacks game. Fat Angelo’s was a great restaurant and a huge plate of Spaghetti Bolognese washed down with a beer was absolutely perfect for my condition. It was a bit of a mad lunch with a lot of kids running around which, needless to say our two enjoyed.
After lunch we headed over to the Dickens Pub in the Excelsior hotel which we had been told might be a good place to see the rugby as it is slightly further from the crowds than the bars in Lan Kwai Fong. When we got there we were told that you had to book seats and that the place was completely booked out for the game and had been for some time. I then made arrangements to go an watch the game in Lan Kwai Fong and Catherine said she would go home with the girls…she was understandably not impressed.
I met up with Paul, a friend who I used to play rugby with in Zurich at the Bulldogs bar. I was expecting the place to be packed but it was far from it. I finally got hold of Catherine and she got a taxi and arrived about 10-15 minutes into the second half.
As for the game itself I guess the conditions didn’t really make for the best rugby as I couldn’t really stay glued to the game. I thought the Lions never really looked dangerous at all and New Zealand played the perfect game for the conditions and walked away with not only an easy win but I think the Lions will have a lot to do to beat them.
After the game Paul, Catherine, the Girls and I went for a bit of a look around. We went up the Mid-Levels escalator to the top which would have been OK if there was something to do at the top but it seemed to stop in a more or less completely residential area. Paul took out his guide book and on his list of things to do/see was a place called Bonham Street. We got a Taxi down there to go and have a look around. In the guide book it described the weird and wonderful things you can get there. It was not far wrong but it was pretty difficult to find some one who spoke English.
The shops were all the Chinese Medicinal kind. Selling deer velvet, dried out sea horses, Fungus of all kinds and swallows nests. One other thing they had was deer tails which were like black pieces of rubber and resembled something I would rather not chew.
This part of Hong Kong is quite strange. You have all the little side streets with little market stalls and people are doing all kinds of trade there. Most of the buildings are quite old apartment block kind of buildings but you can always see a modern skyscraper of some description in between the bedlam. It is also amazing that if you are in and around Central every body can speak or understand English, even if not too well. This part of town is only 5-10 minutes on foot and it was very difficult to find anyone who speaks or understands English. I guess it reminded us we were indeed in a foreign country.
Friday, June 24, 2005
Hong Kong - Temporary Post From the Observatory
NICE
Changed to RED @ 10:37am
RED RAINSTORM WARNING SIGNAL
RED RAINSTORM WARNING SIGNAL SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ISSUED BY
THE HONG KONG OBSERVATORY AT 10:02 A.M.
Click HERE to see the full warning.
Changed to RED @ 10:37am
RED RAINSTORM WARNING SIGNAL
RED RAINSTORM WARNING SIGNAL SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ISSUED BY
THE HONG KONG OBSERVATORY AT 10:02 A.M.
Click HERE to see the full warning.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Hong Kong - Rain Rain Go Away
Another two days have passed. Work has been hectic and the weather has been rubbish so there really is not much to write about.
Rain is becoming a regular event and I am finding more and more that a lot of the buildings in this city are linked by bridges. From the point where I get off the bus I can now have to walk about 10 metres in the weather and I am fully undercover from that point on, not to mention a lot of it is in air conditioned buildings.
Catherine and the girls came to join me for lunch today which was nice. We went to The Spaghetti House and all in all it was pretty good especially for just over 20 quid for the whole family.
I got a mail last night from one of the guys I used to play rugby with in Zurich. Turns out he will be in Hong Kong on Saturday on his way to New Zealand so I am now making sure we have a venue to watch the first test. Will be good to catch up and it will be good to catch my first look at the Lions in New Zealand. I am quietly confident that the All Blacks will win comfortably (by at least one point) but I am not going to say too much until the game is done.
I have a busy day at work tomorrow with one of the team leaving UBS we are going for lunch and then drinks after work. I must say I am quite looking forward to going out seeing a few places around Hong Kong to go out and not having to worry about paying 200 quid if I miss my last train home. I think I might even take the little camera along and see if I can get any worth while pics to post.
Rain is becoming a regular event and I am finding more and more that a lot of the buildings in this city are linked by bridges. From the point where I get off the bus I can now have to walk about 10 metres in the weather and I am fully undercover from that point on, not to mention a lot of it is in air conditioned buildings.
Catherine and the girls came to join me for lunch today which was nice. We went to The Spaghetti House and all in all it was pretty good especially for just over 20 quid for the whole family.
I got a mail last night from one of the guys I used to play rugby with in Zurich. Turns out he will be in Hong Kong on Saturday on his way to New Zealand so I am now making sure we have a venue to watch the first test. Will be good to catch up and it will be good to catch my first look at the Lions in New Zealand. I am quietly confident that the All Blacks will win comfortably (by at least one point) but I am not going to say too much until the game is done.
I have a busy day at work tomorrow with one of the team leaving UBS we are going for lunch and then drinks after work. I must say I am quite looking forward to going out seeing a few places around Hong Kong to go out and not having to worry about paying 200 quid if I miss my last train home. I think I might even take the little camera along and see if I can get any worth while pics to post.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Hong Kong - Blood, Sweat and Beer
It has been a pretty quiet start to the week actually. I must say that I feel a whole lot better for the sleep I managed to get in the weekend and any effects of the flight are now completely gone. It is back to life as I know it in a different location.
Those of you that know me will understand when I say the Humidity does not agree with my body and needless to say the deodorant is flowing freely…sorry to go into detail but it really is steaming hot out here. Everyday I look out the window at cloud that would make me consider wearing a coat in England and I forget that all the clouds do here is raise the humidity. Even after the week I still get a bit of a shock when I walk out the door and feel like I can’t breathe properly.
On Monday night after work I went down to catch the shuttle bus. As it had not yet arrived I decided to take a few pictures and play with the settings on the camera a little. The results are posted below and I thought they came out pretty well. I had to wait 5 minutes after taking the camera out as it steamed up from going between the air con comfort of the office and the 30+ degrees out side!
Nighttime down on the waterfront is pretty awesome. And looking back up the hill towards Mid Levels is a great view. I swear that the buildings on Mid Levels are built on hills steeper than even a Swiss engineer would consider normal. Maybe I should be considering a bike to get to work, or a skateboard then I don’t have to ride it home.
Although it was reported that the girls were in bed early on the Monday night when I got home they woke and proceeded to want to come and say hello to me. They did so and then of course there was no way they were going back to bed in a hurry. I think the best part of that session was when they disappeared into the kitchen and suddenly all was quiet. Catherine went to check it out and they were swigging from an open beer can that was in the fridge, both of them. I tell you they slept all right once they did go back to bed.
Tuesday was my first real taste of the hours they do here. I started at 9am and finished at just before 11pm. I have to be back in the office for 6am to speak to people in Hawaii. Will be doing my best not to make a habit of it.
Well Catherine is making plans for the weekend and I am going to try and convince her to post some stuff on here during the week because all in all my week days are more about work. I don’t want to tell you about work and I don’t want to have to write about my perspiration problems constantly so Catherine….PLEASE????
Those of you that know me will understand when I say the Humidity does not agree with my body and needless to say the deodorant is flowing freely…sorry to go into detail but it really is steaming hot out here. Everyday I look out the window at cloud that would make me consider wearing a coat in England and I forget that all the clouds do here is raise the humidity. Even after the week I still get a bit of a shock when I walk out the door and feel like I can’t breathe properly.
On Monday night after work I went down to catch the shuttle bus. As it had not yet arrived I decided to take a few pictures and play with the settings on the camera a little. The results are posted below and I thought they came out pretty well. I had to wait 5 minutes after taking the camera out as it steamed up from going between the air con comfort of the office and the 30+ degrees out side!
Nighttime down on the waterfront is pretty awesome. And looking back up the hill towards Mid Levels is a great view. I swear that the buildings on Mid Levels are built on hills steeper than even a Swiss engineer would consider normal. Maybe I should be considering a bike to get to work, or a skateboard then I don’t have to ride it home.
Although it was reported that the girls were in bed early on the Monday night when I got home they woke and proceeded to want to come and say hello to me. They did so and then of course there was no way they were going back to bed in a hurry. I think the best part of that session was when they disappeared into the kitchen and suddenly all was quiet. Catherine went to check it out and they were swigging from an open beer can that was in the fridge, both of them. I tell you they slept all right once they did go back to bed.
Tuesday was my first real taste of the hours they do here. I started at 9am and finished at just before 11pm. I have to be back in the office for 6am to speak to people in Hawaii. Will be doing my best not to make a habit of it.
Well Catherine is making plans for the weekend and I am going to try and convince her to post some stuff on here during the week because all in all my week days are more about work. I don’t want to tell you about work and I don’t want to have to write about my perspiration problems constantly so Catherine….PLEASE????
Monday, June 20, 2005
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Hong Kong - Fathers Day
Another sleep in today, fabulous. Although the girls were up till after midnight they made up for it by having a good sleep in the morning. I was woken up by them baring Fathers day cards. Nia had bought one that she made in school before leaving the UK which was very special and Rhiannon had one in her hand but was slightly hesitant to give it up!
We headed out at around 11am to Times Square for a fathers day lunch. Catherine had booked us in at a Chinese place that had been recommended to us via some of the ExPat community. Catherine ordered several Dim Sum dishes all of which were pretty good. There were Steamed Chicken Feet on the menu but we decided to give them a miss for now as I have already been threatened that I will have to consume some with the people from work...I can't wait.
After lunch we headed to the MTR (The Hong Kong Tube) to go to Mong Kok where it is supposed to be easier to get a bargain on electronics than in Tsim Sha Tsui as the salesmen are not so "wily". Well I can tell you that it all looks pretty much the same. We proceeded to walk the wrong way down the street thanks to my Swiss Army map reading skills (need a compass to go the right way) and once we realised we turned around and I quickly handed the rubbish map over.
I put Nia on my shoulders and not long after missed a low hanging sign which Nia gave the full forehead treatment!!!! I thought someone was trying to pull her off my shoulders...NICE ONE NIK!!! Poor Nia had a huge fright but got back on the horse with in minutes after a good cry. I still feel bad about the whole thing!
We crossed back over the main road that I crossed incorrectly and headed to the Ladies market. OH MY GOD. I had to more or less shimmy down the market and there was just stand after stand of hand bags of all makes...and brief cases full of watches. We did not buy anything but inquired about some prices. Some Chinese children’s Pyjamas started at 99 HKD and we did not even do any bargaining but she wanted us to buy. As we walked away she said have them for 40 HKD then...it was no more than 1 min between the 2...so when we go back we will aim for 20.
It got so hot and we ended up getting a drink at Pizza hut. Just to get out of the heat and humidity which really got on top of us suddenly. Some ice-cream and cool drinks sorted that quickly.
What we had actually made the trip for was a Bluetooth headset and dongle to set up the PC to make phone calls. We got the lot for 500 HKD (35 quid) which we thought was a bargain and we did get the guy down a fair bit.
We then walked to the MTR station again. The MTR is pretty special compared to the tube. The stations are air-conditioned along with the trains. The stations are clean and big and it really was a pleasant experience using it. We got off the tube at Admirality and went through to the Pacific Centre for a look. Not long after we decided to go home.
We headed out in to the street to catch a taxi. But there really was nowhere to stop a taxi so we asked some guy what the story was. I was to say the least surprised when he said go to the fourth floor. The fourth floor, no we want a TAXI!! Yes go to fourth floor on long escalator. We took his word for it and I spent the whole time expecting to find a shop called Taxi but sure enough there was a road right outside the fourth floor! We got our cab home and that was pretty much the end of the weekend’s events.
We headed out at around 11am to Times Square for a fathers day lunch. Catherine had booked us in at a Chinese place that had been recommended to us via some of the ExPat community. Catherine ordered several Dim Sum dishes all of which were pretty good. There were Steamed Chicken Feet on the menu but we decided to give them a miss for now as I have already been threatened that I will have to consume some with the people from work...I can't wait.
After lunch we headed to the MTR (The Hong Kong Tube) to go to Mong Kok where it is supposed to be easier to get a bargain on electronics than in Tsim Sha Tsui as the salesmen are not so "wily". Well I can tell you that it all looks pretty much the same. We proceeded to walk the wrong way down the street thanks to my Swiss Army map reading skills (need a compass to go the right way) and once we realised we turned around and I quickly handed the rubbish map over.
I put Nia on my shoulders and not long after missed a low hanging sign which Nia gave the full forehead treatment!!!! I thought someone was trying to pull her off my shoulders...NICE ONE NIK!!! Poor Nia had a huge fright but got back on the horse with in minutes after a good cry. I still feel bad about the whole thing!
We crossed back over the main road that I crossed incorrectly and headed to the Ladies market. OH MY GOD. I had to more or less shimmy down the market and there was just stand after stand of hand bags of all makes...and brief cases full of watches. We did not buy anything but inquired about some prices. Some Chinese children’s Pyjamas started at 99 HKD and we did not even do any bargaining but she wanted us to buy. As we walked away she said have them for 40 HKD then...it was no more than 1 min between the 2...so when we go back we will aim for 20.
It got so hot and we ended up getting a drink at Pizza hut. Just to get out of the heat and humidity which really got on top of us suddenly. Some ice-cream and cool drinks sorted that quickly.
What we had actually made the trip for was a Bluetooth headset and dongle to set up the PC to make phone calls. We got the lot for 500 HKD (35 quid) which we thought was a bargain and we did get the guy down a fair bit.
We then walked to the MTR station again. The MTR is pretty special compared to the tube. The stations are air-conditioned along with the trains. The stations are clean and big and it really was a pleasant experience using it. We got off the tube at Admirality and went through to the Pacific Centre for a look. Not long after we decided to go home.
We headed out in to the street to catch a taxi. But there really was nowhere to stop a taxi so we asked some guy what the story was. I was to say the least surprised when he said go to the fourth floor. The fourth floor, no we want a TAXI!! Yes go to fourth floor on long escalator. We took his word for it and I spent the whole time expecting to find a shop called Taxi but sure enough there was a road right outside the fourth floor! We got our cab home and that was pretty much the end of the weekend’s events.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Hong Kong - One Week Later
Well it was a week since we arrived in hot and steamy Hong Kong today. I think it is only just starting to be real now. We had a sleep in this morning and the girls slept till 10:30 which was absolutely fabulous. The conditions for the weekend were set to be pretty good so we were looking forward to getting out and about.
We left the apartment at about 12ish after having some breakfast and headed off to the Aberdeen Marina Club to meet the couple that Catherine had arranged to meet via the Expats forum. It was an interesting drive and being about 15-20 minutes in a Taxi it still surprised me that it was only 5 pounds worth. We got to the club a little late but only fashionably.
The club was pretty impresive with large pools on the ground floor out by the marina and one on the 3rd floor, 5 restaurants and some pretty cool kids play areas. We had a buffet lunch from the BBQ which was pretty good. Our hosts gave us one insight into life in Hong Kong. Expensive and Difficult are two things that sort of filtered out of the discussion. It reminded me a lot of the discussions I used to hear in Zurich actually but it was a good heads up and I know a little more about life here now.
After the club we went back home and I did the walk down to the supermarket for some more provisions. I took Nia with me got to the shop and realised I did not have my wallet with me. We turned around and walked home, and believe me that hill is seriously STEEP! I got to the apartment could not find my wallet and sure enough it was in the bag which I had with me all the way! Very Nik. I ended up going back on my own, I think Nia wisened up after one walk up the hill but I, being a bloke it took that little bit longer to set in!
One I got back we headed down to the swimming pool. It is a great facility with a large Jacuzzi and a huge pool with a little channel area that jets shoot out into. The girls loved it and both of them are starting to really enjoy being in the water more and more. After that we were all pretty tired and headed back inside for dinner and some sleep.
We left the apartment at about 12ish after having some breakfast and headed off to the Aberdeen Marina Club to meet the couple that Catherine had arranged to meet via the Expats forum. It was an interesting drive and being about 15-20 minutes in a Taxi it still surprised me that it was only 5 pounds worth. We got to the club a little late but only fashionably.
The club was pretty impresive with large pools on the ground floor out by the marina and one on the 3rd floor, 5 restaurants and some pretty cool kids play areas. We had a buffet lunch from the BBQ which was pretty good. Our hosts gave us one insight into life in Hong Kong. Expensive and Difficult are two things that sort of filtered out of the discussion. It reminded me a lot of the discussions I used to hear in Zurich actually but it was a good heads up and I know a little more about life here now.
After the club we went back home and I did the walk down to the supermarket for some more provisions. I took Nia with me got to the shop and realised I did not have my wallet with me. We turned around and walked home, and believe me that hill is seriously STEEP! I got to the apartment could not find my wallet and sure enough it was in the bag which I had with me all the way! Very Nik. I ended up going back on my own, I think Nia wisened up after one walk up the hill but I, being a bloke it took that little bit longer to set in!
One I got back we headed down to the swimming pool. It is a great facility with a large Jacuzzi and a huge pool with a little channel area that jets shoot out into. The girls loved it and both of them are starting to really enjoy being in the water more and more. After that we were all pretty tired and headed back inside for dinner and some sleep.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Hong Kong - Friday Already
Well how quickly has Friday come around. It will be a week since we left already and it hardly feels like we have arrived. Going to work I suppose takes some of the effect of the whole thing away from me. I am nearly fully set up at work now and by Monday I should have no restrictions as my complete systems should be moved from London to Hong Kong.
Today was a nicer day than some of this week. It did cloud over quite severely later in the day and there were even a few spots of rain but all in all it was a good day. The humidity and heat are still a little brutal to me and when people say it is quite cool today I just think cool for here, not cool!
A couple of colleagues took me out for lunch and we went to a Vietnamese place just off the bottom of the Mid Levels escalator. I was surprised that I recognised the place that Catherine and I had gone to eat when we came through here in '99 on our way to NZ. I had remembered that it was off the Mid Levels Escalator but was surprised i remembered so clearly when I saw it.
After our lunch we headed down the street and I was shown where the Pub District was. Apparently it is the one part of Hong Kong where you might forget that the population here is 98% Chinese. It is apparently crawling with Brits and other 'Caucasians' and t can resemble being in a street in a European country. I guess we may try it one day but it is not a place I am desperate to go to.
We also went to the Shanghai Tang store on the way back to the office. This is the place that I have been warned if I take Catherine there it could ruin me. The place was full of very nice things. Silks and Fabrics upstairs and followed up by furniture and more clothing downstairs. Thanks for the warning Robin, I will do my best to keep Catherine as far away as possible.
We have arranged to meet some other expats tomorrow. We are going for lunch at the Aberdeen Marina Club which I am looking forward to. They have a child close in age to Rhiannon so it will be nice to meet some other people who have been here longer with children who can maybe give us some advice or tips.
As for Sunday I believe Catherine has booked a table at a restaurant that is popular for it's Dim Sum in the Times Square complex as a Fathers Day treat. More food, that seems to be a lot of what Hong Kong is about actually. I am told there is a huge eating out culture here and with the selection available in all honesty I am not surprised.
Today was a nicer day than some of this week. It did cloud over quite severely later in the day and there were even a few spots of rain but all in all it was a good day. The humidity and heat are still a little brutal to me and when people say it is quite cool today I just think cool for here, not cool!
A couple of colleagues took me out for lunch and we went to a Vietnamese place just off the bottom of the Mid Levels escalator. I was surprised that I recognised the place that Catherine and I had gone to eat when we came through here in '99 on our way to NZ. I had remembered that it was off the Mid Levels Escalator but was surprised i remembered so clearly when I saw it.
After our lunch we headed down the street and I was shown where the Pub District was. Apparently it is the one part of Hong Kong where you might forget that the population here is 98% Chinese. It is apparently crawling with Brits and other 'Caucasians' and t can resemble being in a street in a European country. I guess we may try it one day but it is not a place I am desperate to go to.
We also went to the Shanghai Tang store on the way back to the office. This is the place that I have been warned if I take Catherine there it could ruin me. The place was full of very nice things. Silks and Fabrics upstairs and followed up by furniture and more clothing downstairs. Thanks for the warning Robin, I will do my best to keep Catherine as far away as possible.
We have arranged to meet some other expats tomorrow. We are going for lunch at the Aberdeen Marina Club which I am looking forward to. They have a child close in age to Rhiannon so it will be nice to meet some other people who have been here longer with children who can maybe give us some advice or tips.
As for Sunday I believe Catherine has booked a table at a restaurant that is popular for it's Dim Sum in the Times Square complex as a Fathers Day treat. More food, that seems to be a lot of what Hong Kong is about actually. I am told there is a huge eating out culture here and with the selection available in all honesty I am not surprised.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
Hong Kong - A Full Nights Sleep
What a dream, the girls now have there own room and we all managed to sleep undisturbed through the night last night. It makes a massive difference. Getting up in the morning was so much easier.
I got the shuttle bus down to work and it stops about 5 mins walk from the office which brings the total home-work travel time to about 10 mins! That saves me 50 mins everyday and thanks to the hours over here it means I do not need to get out of bed until 8am.
At lunch time I went to a shop that stocked Early Learning Centre gear from the UK. Once in the shop it felt like I was actually at an ELC shop in the UK. I got the girls an art starter kit, a couple of walkie talkies and a DVD which they were severely impressed by when I got home. Courtesy of some information I got at work I also found a supermarket in the IFC mall which sells pretty much anything you could want. If we are missing anything from home I honestly think it would not be a huge problem to find it here.
Catherine found the club quarters in the building and was pretty impressed with the layout. Something about treadmills in a spot with a great view and they are hardly ever all used so I could go before work in the morning. Not quite sure what she is trying to say there! I was much more impressed when she said they sell my favourite ice-cream there.
It rained for most of the day today. When I woke it was misty and looked like drizzle but by the time I left it was solid rain. It is good to see that they really are prepared for it here and it does not seem to make a big difference to the way things run.
Dinner tonight was a Chinese take away from Soho. it was great stuff. I am surprised at how similar it is to the Chinese food in the UK but the real difference I have found is that the spicy dishes seem to have a bit more bite and you can somehow tell that the ingredients used are that little bit more fresh or local.
I got the shuttle bus down to work and it stops about 5 mins walk from the office which brings the total home-work travel time to about 10 mins! That saves me 50 mins everyday and thanks to the hours over here it means I do not need to get out of bed until 8am.
At lunch time I went to a shop that stocked Early Learning Centre gear from the UK. Once in the shop it felt like I was actually at an ELC shop in the UK. I got the girls an art starter kit, a couple of walkie talkies and a DVD which they were severely impressed by when I got home. Courtesy of some information I got at work I also found a supermarket in the IFC mall which sells pretty much anything you could want. If we are missing anything from home I honestly think it would not be a huge problem to find it here.
Catherine found the club quarters in the building and was pretty impressed with the layout. Something about treadmills in a spot with a great view and they are hardly ever all used so I could go before work in the morning. Not quite sure what she is trying to say there! I was much more impressed when she said they sell my favourite ice-cream there.
It rained for most of the day today. When I woke it was misty and looked like drizzle but by the time I left it was solid rain. It is good to see that they really are prepared for it here and it does not seem to make a big difference to the way things run.
Dinner tonight was a Chinese take away from Soho. it was great stuff. I am surprised at how similar it is to the Chinese food in the UK but the real difference I have found is that the spicy dishes seem to have a bit more bite and you can somehow tell that the ingredients used are that little bit more fresh or local.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Hong Kong - Good Bye Mandarin
The day had come. We were to move out of the hotel into the apartment on Old Peak road. It was good to know that come the evening we would be sleeping in our own room and the girls would have their room. Even better would have been that each of the girls had their own room but it was a good start.
After breakfast we re packed the things we had out of the bags and got prepared for the bus which was due to come and collect us at 10am. I had the morning off work so was available to help out which was great. We were duly ready and called for our luggage to be collected. It was once again amusing to see the look on the face of the poor individual who had to collect all the bags.
We went downstairs to reception and settled our bill and moved outside where our bus was just coming through. It is amazing how well a place in a location and of this size works and it never ceased to impress me. They loaded all our gear into the back and we were driven to our new apartment.
The drive up to the apartment was amazingly steep. It reminded me a lot of the hills coming up from the beaches of Akaroa in the south island of NZ. My plan of walking home will need to be seriously reconsidered.
The apartment itself is fine. It is at the rear of the building as we thought with a view up to the Tram Station (the flying wok) and over all the jungle. It is a 2 bed apartment on the 20th floor of an apartment complex so as you can imagine and will see in the photos it is surrounded by more apartment buildings. We went to the supermarket near by and bought some provisions before I headed back to work.
When I got back down to work I met up with the team for a team lunch at Jardine near the IFC. It was a fantastic "Dim Sum" lunch with a huge range of dishes ordered and I am pretty sure I tried at least one of everything. The thing that stuck out was a chicken that had been flattened, It had been fried and laid on a plate with its head also presented. As my colleagues had told me that they were going to get me eating chicken feet I was slightly concerned the head maybe on the menu.
We had also arranged a dinner with my direct team and Catherine at Lei Garden in the IFC. It was a fantastic Chinese meal and I could not tell you what all the ordered dishes were but it included Scallops, Beef, Pork, Vegetarian and a host of others. The restaurant was great and looking into the kitchen you could see the tanks of fish, Lobster, Crab and they were all swimming and looking perfectly healthy.
An enjoyable day by rights and the fact we are now in the apartment has given us hope of a full nights sleep. Also the taxi fair between home and the IFC is only the equivalent of £2 so if we do need to get into town it is not the end of the world if we do not want to take the shuttle bus.
Before I forget, Today was the first "Amber Rainstorm Warning". It was issued at 16:30 and then removed later in the evening. Atleast it is hot and wet not cold and wet.
After breakfast we re packed the things we had out of the bags and got prepared for the bus which was due to come and collect us at 10am. I had the morning off work so was available to help out which was great. We were duly ready and called for our luggage to be collected. It was once again amusing to see the look on the face of the poor individual who had to collect all the bags.
We went downstairs to reception and settled our bill and moved outside where our bus was just coming through. It is amazing how well a place in a location and of this size works and it never ceased to impress me. They loaded all our gear into the back and we were driven to our new apartment.
The drive up to the apartment was amazingly steep. It reminded me a lot of the hills coming up from the beaches of Akaroa in the south island of NZ. My plan of walking home will need to be seriously reconsidered.
The apartment itself is fine. It is at the rear of the building as we thought with a view up to the Tram Station (the flying wok) and over all the jungle. It is a 2 bed apartment on the 20th floor of an apartment complex so as you can imagine and will see in the photos it is surrounded by more apartment buildings. We went to the supermarket near by and bought some provisions before I headed back to work.
When I got back down to work I met up with the team for a team lunch at Jardine near the IFC. It was a fantastic "Dim Sum" lunch with a huge range of dishes ordered and I am pretty sure I tried at least one of everything. The thing that stuck out was a chicken that had been flattened, It had been fried and laid on a plate with its head also presented. As my colleagues had told me that they were going to get me eating chicken feet I was slightly concerned the head maybe on the menu.
We had also arranged a dinner with my direct team and Catherine at Lei Garden in the IFC. It was a fantastic Chinese meal and I could not tell you what all the ordered dishes were but it included Scallops, Beef, Pork, Vegetarian and a host of others. The restaurant was great and looking into the kitchen you could see the tanks of fish, Lobster, Crab and they were all swimming and looking perfectly healthy.
An enjoyable day by rights and the fact we are now in the apartment has given us hope of a full nights sleep. Also the taxi fair between home and the IFC is only the equivalent of £2 so if we do need to get into town it is not the end of the world if we do not want to take the shuttle bus.
Before I forget, Today was the first "Amber Rainstorm Warning". It was issued at 16:30 and then removed later in the evening. Atleast it is hot and wet not cold and wet.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Hong Kong - Sleepless in Central
3am yes 3am is when I finally got to sleep thanks to the all singing all dancing Brunner girls. It was entertaining although my mood did swing a little as I was already relatively short on sleep. Luckily I had set an alarm for at least an hour earlier than it needed to be set and I proceeded to go through countless snooze phases and had to get ready for work in what nearly resembled a hurry.
I met up with Catherine and the girls for lunch and we walked around the IFC mall looking for somewhere to go. We tried several places which all had queues outside and we ended up at ....McDonalds. What was fabulous however was that this McDonalds provided waitress service. So all though there were massive queues at the till we got sat down and our order was taken, I was rather impressed, sad but true!
We arranged our check out and minibus up to the apartments for 10am tomorrow. I am looking forward to having a seperate bed room and living area again. It will make a large difference and the girls can dance around to their hearts content once we get to the new place. As good as the Mandarin Oriental is I have had enough of dinning out all the time and not really feeling like we live anywhere.
The weather closed in today, there were thunder storms and the lightning was pretty spectacular looking out from the office window. The rain which followed was not so cool but thanks to my new short walk home....who cares! We will see if that changes after tomorrows move.
Other than that a pretty quiet day! Cameras travelling with me all day tomorrow for the move, team lunch and dinner with the CSG lot and Catherine and girls (which will be interesting) so should be some more photos in the next couple of days.
I met up with Catherine and the girls for lunch and we walked around the IFC mall looking for somewhere to go. We tried several places which all had queues outside and we ended up at ....McDonalds. What was fabulous however was that this McDonalds provided waitress service. So all though there were massive queues at the till we got sat down and our order was taken, I was rather impressed, sad but true!
We arranged our check out and minibus up to the apartments for 10am tomorrow. I am looking forward to having a seperate bed room and living area again. It will make a large difference and the girls can dance around to their hearts content once we get to the new place. As good as the Mandarin Oriental is I have had enough of dinning out all the time and not really feeling like we live anywhere.
The weather closed in today, there were thunder storms and the lightning was pretty spectacular looking out from the office window. The rain which followed was not so cool but thanks to my new short walk home....who cares! We will see if that changes after tomorrows move.
Other than that a pretty quiet day! Cameras travelling with me all day tomorrow for the move, team lunch and dinner with the CSG lot and Catherine and girls (which will be interesting) so should be some more photos in the next couple of days.
Hong Kong - Back to Reality
Well we slept well last night until the girls decided it was time to party at 3am. Luckily I did not have to be at work until 9:30 so being able to get back to sleep at 5am made the whole situation a whole lot more bearable.
The alarm went at 7am and of course I decided a bit more sleep was called for at that moment. I was then woken at 7:30am by the delivery of another great breakfast. This morning it was toast, croissants and of course Tiptree Jam. After breakfast it was get ready and head to work. The girls were still sleeping when I left and it is reported that they were asleep till 2pm.
Once I got to the door I finally found out about the rain that we read and heard about before we got here. It was raining in sheets and I made a hasty retreat to the room to go and pick up the umbrella before even attempting to go outside.
The walk to work was short and that includes going the 'Nik Brunner way' There were several roads crossed and several walked along that I really did not feel safe on. However I got to the entrance and duly got my Visitor pass. I was told to head to the 52nd floor where the main reception is located. The View was absolutely stunning. Looking out over the harbour it is amazing how much you can see from that height.
As for the actual office what can I say. It is very new and it has Desks, Computers and all the other bits and bobs you might find in an office. Sitting near the window is a pleasant feeling with that view and the complete team is friendly and helpful.
After work I discovered that the whole walk between Hotel and Work should only see me out from under cover for about 50 - 100 metres and do not need to walk across a single road. Of significant interest is that just before I get to the walkway or just after I come off it there are 2 shops between that point and the walkway. One is a golf equipment store and the other is a Cuban Cigar store so should it be raining there is at least good shop hopping to do on the way back to the room.
I decided to get a new mobile phone and after picking up Catherine and the girls we headed to Whan Chai to see what was available. It was easily sorted and although I feel I got a bargain I made very little effort to haggle, bugger, I had got pretty good at it lately as well. After the cab ride there we decided to walk home which given the heat and humidity, I am still not sure it was the best idea. Anyway, we made it back and got out of our rather sweat clothes, NICE!
Also today it was confirmed that we will be leaving the Hotel on Wednesday which is a good thing as we are slowly getting used to the service and I am constantly making sure I am not taking getting carried away with ordering food. Difficult to do with a menu as good as this one but I have done pretty well sampling just one thing at a time.
On Wednesday we will be moving to the serviced 2 bed apartment on old peak road. The apartment looks fantastic and we are confirmed as on the 20th floor. Although I believe the two beds face the hill I am looking forward to moving into a place where I do not have to share one room with the two little devils children!
Anyway, they have a putting green so hopefully I will be able to sharpen up my putting skills and of course use the pool and gym, facilities, yeah RIGHT!
The alarm went at 7am and of course I decided a bit more sleep was called for at that moment. I was then woken at 7:30am by the delivery of another great breakfast. This morning it was toast, croissants and of course Tiptree Jam. After breakfast it was get ready and head to work. The girls were still sleeping when I left and it is reported that they were asleep till 2pm.
Once I got to the door I finally found out about the rain that we read and heard about before we got here. It was raining in sheets and I made a hasty retreat to the room to go and pick up the umbrella before even attempting to go outside.
The walk to work was short and that includes going the 'Nik Brunner way' There were several roads crossed and several walked along that I really did not feel safe on. However I got to the entrance and duly got my Visitor pass. I was told to head to the 52nd floor where the main reception is located. The View was absolutely stunning. Looking out over the harbour it is amazing how much you can see from that height.
As for the actual office what can I say. It is very new and it has Desks, Computers and all the other bits and bobs you might find in an office. Sitting near the window is a pleasant feeling with that view and the complete team is friendly and helpful.
After work I discovered that the whole walk between Hotel and Work should only see me out from under cover for about 50 - 100 metres and do not need to walk across a single road. Of significant interest is that just before I get to the walkway or just after I come off it there are 2 shops between that point and the walkway. One is a golf equipment store and the other is a Cuban Cigar store so should it be raining there is at least good shop hopping to do on the way back to the room.
I decided to get a new mobile phone and after picking up Catherine and the girls we headed to Whan Chai to see what was available. It was easily sorted and although I feel I got a bargain I made very little effort to haggle, bugger, I had got pretty good at it lately as well. After the cab ride there we decided to walk home which given the heat and humidity, I am still not sure it was the best idea. Anyway, we made it back and got out of our rather sweat clothes, NICE!
Also today it was confirmed that we will be leaving the Hotel on Wednesday which is a good thing as we are slowly getting used to the service and I am constantly making sure I am not taking getting carried away with ordering food. Difficult to do with a menu as good as this one but I have done pretty well sampling just one thing at a time.
On Wednesday we will be moving to the serviced 2 bed apartment on old peak road. The apartment looks fantastic and we are confirmed as on the 20th floor. Although I believe the two beds face the hill I am looking forward to moving into a place where I do not have to share one room with the two little devils children!
Anyway, they have a putting green so hopefully I will be able to sharpen up my putting skills and of course use the pool and gym, facilities, yeah RIGHT!
Monday, June 13, 2005
Hong Kong - A New Adventure
Sleep was not an easy thing last night. The body clock does not have time to adjust like it normally has when I travel onwards to New Zealand. We woke up at some ungodly hour and I got on the computer and the next thing I knew there was a knock on the door and our breakfast had arrived.
After finishing our breakfast we got ourselves ready for a bit of a sightseeing trip. We did not really know what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go but we got ready and left the hotel shortly before 10am.
Our first port of call was the shopping mall right next to the hotel where Mothercare was to be inspected but alas being early on a Sunday did not bode well for Catherine looking to part me from some more hard earned money.
We finally left the air conditioned comfort of the buildings to go outside. We decided to go and have a look at the HSBC building with it's 60m tall atrium and Bronze lions which are embedded with shrapnel marks from the second world war. What we had not expected was that there would be thousands of Filipino women under this atrium which made it sound a lot like a place where we used to go and buy eggs from in Matamata. As far as the lions are concerned there were indeed shrapnel marks to be found. They were obviously not directly hit as the marks are minimal but taking even a small chunk out of a bronze statue could well mean there was a bigger price to pay.
From here we headed towards the Star Ferry terminal on the Harbour. We decided to go over to Kowloon Side and have a bit of a look around. The ferry was a pleasant surprise at 5.70 HKD for the whole family which total up to about 40 pence in UK money. I couldn't wait to get on the boat and see Catherine turning green. The ferry ride itself was fine, I noticed Catherine puffing the air out heavily a couple of times but as it was only a short trip it seemed fine. The girls enjoyed the trip and Nia in particular giggled for the majority of the way. Once we got to the other side of the harbour the boat began to Rock pretty heavily and we were standing waiting for them to drop the gang planks. I nearly got to feeling a little ill myself at that point.
The second we came out of the ferry terminal we had blokes trying to sell us Watches, Bags, Suits at bargain prices. We told our selves to give it a miss this time but before we return home we will be buying some of this stuff so when you get that Rolex from me in the mail remember it might only last a day! We moved across to Nathan road to check out the Electronics, Jewellery and Fashion stores. It was an interesting place to say the least. The electronics seem reasonable and without really doing any negotiating we could have had an Ipod Mini for £100 and an 11 inch Samsung Slim line DVD player for £200(Graeme I reckon we could get this for around the £180). And I mean we really did no negotiating.
We popped into a Tailors shop that just happened to be called Nick's Fashion. We went into this one as he was not outside touting for Business. He went through his list of clients and it was to say the least impressive. Now call me a pessimist but why would the German Secretary of State buy a Suit on the Cheap in Hong Kong? I will wait for some recommendations before moving forward with that particular purchase.
We then decided to make a move towards or stomachs and find a restaurant that would serve us and two small children. On the way we were overwhelmed by 3 ladies in a clothing shop who were all standing at the front of the shop going crazy about our 2 beautiful girls. They gave them sweets and loads of hugs and kisses. Nia was rather overwhelmed but smiled once she saw the sweets and I do believe Rhiannon was pretending to be asleep and glad to be in the stroller!
We found somewhere to eat lunch on Canton Road. A small Chinese place and we ordered a multitude of dishes, or at least that is what was bought to us after we ordered. I know I ordered some Deep Fried Tofu and Special Noodles in Soup with Beef Brisket. It was good and although we ended up with about 6 dishes it only cost us about £15. Probably too much but as we were still tourists today we thought we had done OK.
We returned to the hotel had a sleep and hung out in the room for the afternoon. 32 degrees and 90% humidity are not the best mix for walking the city streets of Hong Kong.
When dinner time came around we were planning on going to the Clipper Lounge in the hotel and sampling the Buffet which we were then told is not available on Sundays. We moved on to the Mandarin Cafe where we proceeded to be seated and we enjoyed a thoroughly delicious meal.
Impressions so far:
Walking on the Street everyone with out fail stares, I think this is mainly due to all three girls having blonde/strawberry blonde hair and me being (much) larger than the average person round here.
Getting a tailor made suit is not a problem
The hotel...what a place. To quote our guide book on Hong Kong "Mandarin is considered by many to be the best Hotel in the world...The cafe is a favourite tai tai lunch spot, the Chinnery Bar is where bankers come to unwind, and the Mandarin Grill is where government officials and taipans come also have their power lunches".
Hong Kong Day 2 Slide Show
After finishing our breakfast we got ourselves ready for a bit of a sightseeing trip. We did not really know what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go but we got ready and left the hotel shortly before 10am.
Our first port of call was the shopping mall right next to the hotel where Mothercare was to be inspected but alas being early on a Sunday did not bode well for Catherine looking to part me from some more hard earned money.
We finally left the air conditioned comfort of the buildings to go outside. We decided to go and have a look at the HSBC building with it's 60m tall atrium and Bronze lions which are embedded with shrapnel marks from the second world war. What we had not expected was that there would be thousands of Filipino women under this atrium which made it sound a lot like a place where we used to go and buy eggs from in Matamata. As far as the lions are concerned there were indeed shrapnel marks to be found. They were obviously not directly hit as the marks are minimal but taking even a small chunk out of a bronze statue could well mean there was a bigger price to pay.
From here we headed towards the Star Ferry terminal on the Harbour. We decided to go over to Kowloon Side and have a bit of a look around. The ferry was a pleasant surprise at 5.70 HKD for the whole family which total up to about 40 pence in UK money. I couldn't wait to get on the boat and see Catherine turning green. The ferry ride itself was fine, I noticed Catherine puffing the air out heavily a couple of times but as it was only a short trip it seemed fine. The girls enjoyed the trip and Nia in particular giggled for the majority of the way. Once we got to the other side of the harbour the boat began to Rock pretty heavily and we were standing waiting for them to drop the gang planks. I nearly got to feeling a little ill myself at that point.
The second we came out of the ferry terminal we had blokes trying to sell us Watches, Bags, Suits at bargain prices. We told our selves to give it a miss this time but before we return home we will be buying some of this stuff so when you get that Rolex from me in the mail remember it might only last a day! We moved across to Nathan road to check out the Electronics, Jewellery and Fashion stores. It was an interesting place to say the least. The electronics seem reasonable and without really doing any negotiating we could have had an Ipod Mini for £100 and an 11 inch Samsung Slim line DVD player for £200(Graeme I reckon we could get this for around the £180). And I mean we really did no negotiating.
We popped into a Tailors shop that just happened to be called Nick's Fashion. We went into this one as he was not outside touting for Business. He went through his list of clients and it was to say the least impressive. Now call me a pessimist but why would the German Secretary of State buy a Suit on the Cheap in Hong Kong? I will wait for some recommendations before moving forward with that particular purchase.
We then decided to make a move towards or stomachs and find a restaurant that would serve us and two small children. On the way we were overwhelmed by 3 ladies in a clothing shop who were all standing at the front of the shop going crazy about our 2 beautiful girls. They gave them sweets and loads of hugs and kisses. Nia was rather overwhelmed but smiled once she saw the sweets and I do believe Rhiannon was pretending to be asleep and glad to be in the stroller!
We found somewhere to eat lunch on Canton Road. A small Chinese place and we ordered a multitude of dishes, or at least that is what was bought to us after we ordered. I know I ordered some Deep Fried Tofu and Special Noodles in Soup with Beef Brisket. It was good and although we ended up with about 6 dishes it only cost us about £15. Probably too much but as we were still tourists today we thought we had done OK.
We returned to the hotel had a sleep and hung out in the room for the afternoon. 32 degrees and 90% humidity are not the best mix for walking the city streets of Hong Kong.
When dinner time came around we were planning on going to the Clipper Lounge in the hotel and sampling the Buffet which we were then told is not available on Sundays. We moved on to the Mandarin Cafe where we proceeded to be seated and we enjoyed a thoroughly delicious meal.
Impressions so far:
Walking on the Street everyone with out fail stares, I think this is mainly due to all three girls having blonde/strawberry blonde hair and me being (much) larger than the average person round here.
Getting a tailor made suit is not a problem
The hotel...what a place. To quote our guide book on Hong Kong "Mandarin is considered by many to be the best Hotel in the world...The cafe is a favourite tai tai lunch spot, the Chinnery Bar is where bankers come to unwind, and the Mandarin Grill is where government officials and taipans come also have their power lunches".
Hong Kong Day 2 Slide Show
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Hong Kong - How Quickly It Happened
Thanks to a unique opportunity I find myself in a hotel room at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong. When the possibility of coming to Hong Kong for 3 months was offered and it was confirmed that Catherine and children could join us there was little chance we were going to turn it down. Ever since leaving New Zealand I had hoped to have a position where I might be offered chances exactly like this.
It was exactly 2 weeks and one day after my return to work from our Holiday in Cancun, Mexico that this came up. We had only really just got back to any sort of normality in our routine. The cases had only been away for a few days and suddenly they found themselves back down from the loft and all the clothes were being packed back into them.
Catherine was doing loads of Hong Kong research on the web and contacting pretty much anyone we knew who might be able to give us any info. Thanks to all those who helped especially Robin for the unnaturally long email outlining things to do, and not to do....it will be a great help.
Another win for me was that at the 11th hour a chat from a work friend in Hong Kong provided me with just the information I needed to have an excuse to pack and take my golf clubs. They are now in Hong Kong with us and I hope to add some Asian golf clubs to the portfolio of places I have played...and very possibly a trip to New Zealand.
We were joined by some friends on Thursday for a few drinks and a whole lot of banter. It was fantastic especially since it got us out of all the packing we still had left to do. We said our good byes and went to sleep knowing we would have our work cut out for us in the morning.
Having one week to arrange all the details of care of the house when we are away and all the other little bits and pieces were handled so well by Catherine that I really just had to follow a few basic instructions on Friday morning an we were ready to go at pretty much exactly the point that the Taxi turned up. I think Catherine might have some Swiss blood in her after all, it really was that efficient!
The 11hr 20min was the part of the trip I was least looking forward to, apart from the one heading back that is. We took our seats and let the hours trickle away. The BA staff helped make the trip so much easier that the trip we had to Mexico where I can honestly say that the Cabin crew might as well not have been there. Both the Girls and Catherine slept well and I watched movies and moved through different levels of consciousness during the whole flight.
Hong Kong airport is one of my favourites. It is my 3rd time through here and the place has a certain feeling of calm about it that I just never feel at any other airport. Due to having the children in tow we got fast tracked through immigration(handy considering we were the last off the plane due to the amount of stuff that accompanies us) and the priority labels on our bags actually worked for once. They were already on the carousel by the time we got to it.
As we came out of the arrivals hall we were met by our Hotel transportation and that was about all I had to do... since that point I have not had to carry, push or pull a bag. The trip from the airport by road is great, some stunning views and the roads are great. We got to the hotel, checked in and relaxed.
After a couple of hours we caught a taxi over to times square as we were after a couple of items fro the Laptop. 3 levels of shops selling electronic equipment I spent the whole time telling myself I have 3 months so I do not need to buy it all today. We bought a Web cam and a Small wireless optical mouse for less than £20 which seems to be fantastic value.
That was pretty much the end of the day, we went back to the hotel, had some dinner and all went to be exhausted from the last 24 hours.
Some Pictures..
Hong Kong Day 1 Slide Show
It was exactly 2 weeks and one day after my return to work from our Holiday in Cancun, Mexico that this came up. We had only really just got back to any sort of normality in our routine. The cases had only been away for a few days and suddenly they found themselves back down from the loft and all the clothes were being packed back into them.
Catherine was doing loads of Hong Kong research on the web and contacting pretty much anyone we knew who might be able to give us any info. Thanks to all those who helped especially Robin for the unnaturally long email outlining things to do, and not to do....it will be a great help.
Another win for me was that at the 11th hour a chat from a work friend in Hong Kong provided me with just the information I needed to have an excuse to pack and take my golf clubs. They are now in Hong Kong with us and I hope to add some Asian golf clubs to the portfolio of places I have played...and very possibly a trip to New Zealand.
We were joined by some friends on Thursday for a few drinks and a whole lot of banter. It was fantastic especially since it got us out of all the packing we still had left to do. We said our good byes and went to sleep knowing we would have our work cut out for us in the morning.
Having one week to arrange all the details of care of the house when we are away and all the other little bits and pieces were handled so well by Catherine that I really just had to follow a few basic instructions on Friday morning an we were ready to go at pretty much exactly the point that the Taxi turned up. I think Catherine might have some Swiss blood in her after all, it really was that efficient!
The 11hr 20min was the part of the trip I was least looking forward to, apart from the one heading back that is. We took our seats and let the hours trickle away. The BA staff helped make the trip so much easier that the trip we had to Mexico where I can honestly say that the Cabin crew might as well not have been there. Both the Girls and Catherine slept well and I watched movies and moved through different levels of consciousness during the whole flight.
Hong Kong airport is one of my favourites. It is my 3rd time through here and the place has a certain feeling of calm about it that I just never feel at any other airport. Due to having the children in tow we got fast tracked through immigration(handy considering we were the last off the plane due to the amount of stuff that accompanies us) and the priority labels on our bags actually worked for once. They were already on the carousel by the time we got to it.
As we came out of the arrivals hall we were met by our Hotel transportation and that was about all I had to do... since that point I have not had to carry, push or pull a bag. The trip from the airport by road is great, some stunning views and the roads are great. We got to the hotel, checked in and relaxed.
After a couple of hours we caught a taxi over to times square as we were after a couple of items fro the Laptop. 3 levels of shops selling electronic equipment I spent the whole time telling myself I have 3 months so I do not need to buy it all today. We bought a Web cam and a Small wireless optical mouse for less than £20 which seems to be fantastic value.
That was pretty much the end of the day, we went back to the hotel, had some dinner and all went to be exhausted from the last 24 hours.
Some Pictures..
Hong Kong Day 1 Slide Show
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