Our Chapel

This is where we go to church. Our branch meets on the first floor, but different classes are on different floors. Our bus stops right outside.

At the Beach

Above are some pictures of St Stephen's Beach - a lovely, less used swimming beach just around the bay. Hugo and David walked to it and went swimming a couple of times last week. It is really lovely, and is kept quite clean.

The photos are grey, as it was very overcast - it's been rainy for a couple of weeks, now.

The odd building you see is some kind of housing, with roads. The architectures here is amazing. There can be these stainless steel and glass monoliths fifty metres from a back alley which should be in a Jackie Chan movie. I've never seen a Jackie Chan movie, but I suspect they have lots of alleys like the ones I'm talking about, in them....

Kowloon Cricket Club

On Friday night we had a great time at the Kowloon Cricket Club. My former teaching partner, who was formally known as Prince, but casually called Mr Kennedy, grew up in Hong Kong, and his dad still lives here, so our family had dinner with Mike and his lovely wife Geraldine.

I have to explain the first photos above. We were travelling at about 6pm, and got the bus to Admiralty, from where we took the MTR to Jordan, in Kowloon. It was very busy! There were people, people, everywhere, lining up for the train. They come every couple of minutes on that line, at that time, so we only had to wait for a couple to come through before we could get on. There is also a photo which David took inside the train, of us. I'm sure the other passengers enjoyed this...

Mike suggested the Kowloon Cricket Club, and it was a hoot. It's a large facility, with beautiful grounds (pitches? fields? courts?) of a sporting nature..... There are great facilities, including a variety of places to eat, drink, listen to music, sit about, watch stuff, or even play ten pin bowling, which is what we did, after dinner. I won the first game, but Mike pulled out the pins (HAHA) and beat us soundly the second time around. It was a lovely night, and wonderful to be with someone with whom we had an association, in though we'd never met before. We're going to give them a ring when we're going to the Ladies' Markets, and they're going to join us. They were both so friendly and warm, and keen to share their insights about Hong Kong life.

The 'Club' is big in Hong Kong. Mike explained that some clubs have a waiting list of twenty years, and people book their children in. As you can imagine, they're rather expensive. Rachel and I were thrilled that when we went to play ten pin bowling, we had to get some socks from the Club Shop, with the logo emblazed on the ankle. We tried to pay, but were rescued by Geraldine, as the Club is cashless.

The strangest thing happened when we went into the restaurant. We stood for a couple of minutes looking around, and I saw a couple of men looking at our group. One then said to the older man, "No, Dad. That's Mike, not John. Mike." I couldn't believe my ears. Apparently our Mr K must have been a bit of a legend at the KCC... I took a photo of one of the trophy cases, because I'm sure there's one with his name on it somewhere, and I suspect he may be hidden in the photo of the early members....

I tried to get the real story about Mr K joining the ladies' bowling team to come to Australia, but I suspect we will never really know how that really happened.... Perhaps I should never mention it again....

Some pictures of our apartment

Rachel says I should wait until we take some better apartment photos, but that could take me weeks, so here are some pics. Rachel's room is incredibly pink, and bright, and stripey, but you'll have to see that later. It's got the basics of what we need, but it's still a bit empty. I suppose we will gradually add bits and pieces.

Where are the people my age?

One thing about Hong Kong rather disturbs me...... I see lots of people who look thirty or less, and lots of people who look eighty or more, but I can't find any people in between.....

I asked someone at school about this, someone who has been here for years. She said that she had noticed that Chinese women look really young until they hit fifty, and then they age quickly. I'm not sure about this, I will have to do some more research. I like her answer better than the possibility that there just aren't any people between forty and eighty!

There is a really old lady at the Stanley Markets. She's about four foot eight, and she wears those matching pyjama-style tops and bottoms that some of the elderly ladies wear. She pushes a trolley around and picks up cardboard and takes it away. She has really bandied legs.

I saw another elderly man walking through the markets this week. His t-shirt proudly announced, ALCATRAZ - PSYCHO WARD - OUTPATIENT.

One day I'll be old. And I want a t-shirt like that.

Last night's dinner adventure....

Yesterday afternoon, we had our final session with Rehana Shiekh, our fantastic relocation consultant. She took several of us, on a bus, to Wan Chai, to walk about Queen's Rd East, which is a shop lined with interesting furniture and homeware boutiques. We ended up at Pacific Place, another large multi-storey shopping centre. We thought we might go to a movie, but everything was booked out. You buy your movie tickets quite differently, here. The counter is a flat bench, with the staff standing behind it. When you choose your movie, they use a touch screen to bring up the theatre layout, showing which seats are available. You actually choose your seats when you book. Also, movies at the start of the day are nearly half price (around $6 a ticket) and after that they go up to normal Australian tickets. Every morning is Cheap Tuesday.

Learning that they were all full, except for the odd single seat, we started to look for something to eat. Every time we go out to forage for food, we end up in trouble, ie. at Mcdonalds, so I should have known it was a bad idea. It turned out well, as you will see. The restaurants in Pacific Place looked a bit formal and expensive for a needs of the moment, so we took off towards the bus, hoping we might find something suitable. Rachel was thirsty, Hugo was hungry, so we were on a mission. In the rain, of course.

It was near the bus stop that I saw the sign for a steak house. Imagining something like Lone Star, at home, I was immediately enthusiastic, and told David that I would really like some kind of steak sandwich with crusty toasted bread. The minute we stepped in the door, I had an inkling of what we were in for. Beautiful, dark, cherry wood. Everywhere. Several steps leading up to a desk, out from which stepped two staff dressed in black suits and bow ties. Uh oh. They welcomed us warmly and said yes, they could accommodate the four of us, without a booking, so in we went. And this is where I switch to the present tense... so you can imagine what it was like!

We follow the two of them down a atmospherically dimmed corridor. We sense what we have gotten into. I look at David. His eyes are very wide. We walk past little private booths set into the wall, where people are eating. Well dressed people. I'm in casual three quarter pants and Chucks, Rachel's in shorts, T-shirt and thongs, and Hugo and David have shorts, T-shirts and Chucks on. We look quite casual. The waiters don't bat an eyelid, and take us to a table in the main area, which we enter through glass doors. It is small, cosy and everything is the dark wood and white linen. We sit. They bring the menus.

I take a breath. The steaks are all around $100 AUD, and you buy the vegetables and other bits on top of that. I look at David. He whispers, "We could make a run for it." I can't do it. He suggests this again, but I can't. Perhaps if there had been a window open next to us, I might have dived out of it, but I can't get up and walk out..... I suggest that we order the less expensive things. The less expensive things...... I look for them, and look again.

So here is what we order. Hugo has a potato for dinner. Fortunately, he says he isn't very hungry, as apparently, they had Mcdonalds just before I met them for the bus orientation. Mind you - it's a find potato, large, in foil, with sour cream and herbs and cheese and bacon. A $10 potato. Rachel has a ceaser salad. About $20. It's a generous serve. David chooses the shrimp (prawns). There are about 20 small ones in a sauce, and it's about $40. One of us has to sacrifice and eat a steak, so I opt for the petite fillet - US Beef - some description I can't remember - it would fit in the palm of my hand and it costs $50. We share a salad - $10, some onion rings - can't remember how much - and the bread is free. The food is fantastic, actually. Really delicious. The steak is extremely tender ( it would want to be) and our waiter is incredibly attentive and friendly, without being annoying.

I realize before the meals come that I have made quite a mess of the bread. There are crumbs liberally spread all over the table. Suddenly, the waiter appears, with a small silver item with a handle. He then moves our glasses and sweeps the table with this small device. We sit, all amazed. The table restored to its pristine condition, we eat, feeling very spoiled. David says later that that little comb experience with the breadcrums was worth the bill.

We relax, tell ourselves this is our tax check splash, and really enjoy ourselves. At this point, I notice the dessert trolley. The waiter unfolds a stand at a table nearby, and places a large tray full of delights on it. This is actually how they serve everything. There are waiters everywhere carrying large trays high in the air - I expect them to start tap dancing at any moment. We looka t the desserts. They are huge. The waiter says that people usually share one. Good idea. Rachel chooses a cheese cake - that's right - not a slice. It's about 13 cm in diameter. She shares it with David. Hugo chooses a chocolate cake, same size, with chocolate sauce (warm) through it, and chocolate pieces on top, with a perfect scoop of ice cream on the top. He shares it with David. I choose the apple crumble. Same size - shortcrust crust, filled with cinnamony, buttery apples, with a mound of tiny pastry balls on top, all warm, with another perfect scoop of ice cream on top. I share it with David. The desserts cost about $13 each, so they are not too expensive, given that you share. With David, apparently.

The desserts appear, and this is where Hugo reveals a problem he's having. He has a very loose tooth, and he thinks it is going to interfere with his dessert consumption. We consider possible solutions. David offers his handkerchief. I beg him not to bring this out, even though he says it is hardly used. Hugo rejects the suggestion that he duck down and yank it out with his unused linen napkin. It looks boiled, to me. He opts for Dad's suggestion, and leans down, puts that handkerchief right into his mouth - forget the fact that we've been vigorously applying germ-gel every time we go anywhere or eat anything) and he yanks it out. He sits up and tucks into his pud. At this point, I start giggling. I'm not really a giggler, but I giggle until my eyes water.

After dessert, I ask Rachel to show me the bathroom, and we walk past the other elegant diners towards the bathroom. Suddenly, I hear a clacky sound, and look up to see a staffer trying to control a very large, live crayfish she has just pulled out of the fish tank, and placed on a metal tray. I whisper thanks that I didn't order one.

The bill comes, and we're still felling pretty rosy. I didn't mention that we only drank water. $50 worth, apparently. With the water, the bill is about $230. It could have been SO MUCH WORSE! The service was incredible, very warm and friendly, and we felt thoroughly spoiled.

Note to self - choose a restaurant from the guide before we go out next time!

Let's talk about the weather

This week we had a typhoon adventure.

On Tuesday, at school, in the morning, it was announced that we were at a T1 warning, meaning a typhoon was in the area and could affect us. If it turned into a T3 during the day, the evening barbecue for staff and their families would be cancelled. The T1 created a huge sense of excitement at our house. Typhoon! As it turned out, it turned around, and we were left with rain. It has rained on and off for about a week now.

On Friday, we saw the return of Pabuk. Apparently the little devil turned around and was coming back at us. It was T3 in the morning, but at school, the message came around at about 2pm that it was going to be upgraded to a T8 and we had to be out by 3pm. It was quite blowy, and raining, and darkening, and I hurried through the High School to get to the bus stop. There were tons of people! Another teacher came out, and after we waited for a while, someone he knew from school, in admin, came by in his car, and we had a lift with him to Stanley.

At home, the water was amazing. It was like surf - lots of peaks and actual waves, splashing spray metres into the air, against the sea wall. Inside the apartment, I had to convince David and Hugo not to walk along the pier, so they watched through the windows. The wind was very noisy, but we didn't see anything much blow away, although I did hear that an nearby Repulse Bay, palm trees blew over.

Sunday night, and it's still raining. The way the Typhoon warning system is basically like this - T1, there's a typhoon looming somewhere - be on the alert. It then jumps to T3. This means take precautions, like packing away loose things, and be on the alert - it's closer. It then goes to T8, with a wind direction, and at this point the public transport shuts down and everyone is expected to get inside and stay there. Next is T9 and T10 which is when the windows are at risk of shattering, and you're right in the thick of it.

You can follow the Hong Kong weather at: http://www.hko.gov.hk/contente.htm

At this moment there is a tropical depression about 1500km from Manilla. Stay tuned!

Ocean Park

Today, Hugo, Rachel and three new friends from church and I went to Ocean Park. It's set on a hill (as is virtually everything in Hong Kong) and it was an absolute hoot. I was so annoyed when I arrived though, to discover I'd forgotten the camera! You can see pictures of it at:
http://www.oceanpark.com.hk/eng/main/index.html
It's like a cross between Dreamworld and Sea World, and I thought it was more fun than Disneyland, which had more shows than rides, in my opinion. We bought annual passes, and an adult's, a child's and a student's cost about $200 AUD. Today we went on the roller coaster, the cable car, and a ferris wheel. The problem was that we had to walk up so many stairs and hills in terrible heat and humidity that we all withered after about two hours, and we had to come home to the air conditioning. I didn't get to see the pandas! If we go again in this heat, I think we'll go to do something specific, like see the pandas, or the dolphin shows, and not try to spend a whole day there. The dolphin pool was tantalisingly gorgeous - I just wanted to fall in. That's probably hard to imagine if you're sitting in Brisbane in jumper... It has a flume ride, but after the mountain climb to get to it, we found it closed. Next time I promise we'll take photos!

Spotlight and the Star Ferry

A couple of days ago, Rachel and I set off on a journey in search of curtains. You can see right into our bedrooms from the pier, or the top of Murray House, at night. Everyone says the best way to buy curtains is to have them made in Shenzhen, but you need to hang them yourself, and make a day out of the trip, and organise a Chinese Visa, so we went to Spotlight. That's right - SPOTLIGHT! It's just opened at a huge new shopping centre called Megabox, in Kowloon Bay, on the other side of the harbour. We decided to take the Star Ferry, a very popular way to make the crossing.

Megabox was quite amazing, with escalators which travelled between three or four floors in one go. It was nice to be in Spotlight, and the B&Q store, which is a UK home improvement store. We bought more bits and pieces, and when all the stuff is delivered and in, I shall post some photos.

The last picture is David and Hugo assembling Hugo's bed. Assembling the Ikea bits and pieces took DAYS!!! I regretted not opting for assembly by their staff - it really took forever.

Everyone in Hong Kong has an Octopus

I can't believe I haven't mentioned this already. The first day we went out with Rehanna, our relocation consultant (she's the extra person with us at Krispy Kreme's, and did a fantastic job of helping us get organised) she took us to the MTR (like a subway - the train kind, not the sandwich kind) and we each bought an Octopus Card. It looks like an atm card, and you put credit on it, then swipe it as you get on a bus or a train. You can also use it at MacDonalds (Hugo did this the day after he got his) and many shops. You can set your card up so that it recharges on your credit card whenever it gets below a certain point. Hugo's is in the form of a watch, but the strap broke, so when it's out of credit, David is going to take it apart and see if he can attach the gizmo to Hugo's regular watch. You can just wave your wallet over the scanner, you don't have to feed it through. They're fantastic.
The last thing we say as we leave the house is, "Do you have your octopus?"