Monday, November 24, 2008
New Pics and Posts.
See the new link in the photo section for new pics and read the two new posts below.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
November activity...
Since the last time, there hasn’t been too much going on, but here are the major items. Last weekend I went to Lamma Island with one of my new friends from work, Pramit. We hiked from one side to the other and you can find pics in my new link. (when I get them in here tomorrow) Lamma Island is one of the less inhabited islands within Hong Kong. We had to take a 25 minute fairy ride to the island, even though you can see it with the blind eye, from the southern side of Hong Kong Island. I dont think I saw one car while on that island. However, I did find what Shryock's house would look like if he lived on an island coast. (please refer to pics)
There are a lot of seafood restaurants on Lamma Island as well. The most famous being the Rainbow Seafood restaurant. I did not eat at either of them, however, I did take pictures. The crazy part about these restaurants is that the seafood is still alive and you pic it out. Not just for lobster, but for prawn, squid, and all kinds of fish. (again, you can see the pics)
Also last weekend I played soccer with another friend from work, Eugene. I was the only Gweilo on the team, but it was fun. (I am really out of shape)
I have booked the airfare to come back to the U.S. as well as scheduled two additional trips. For $1900 US, I was able to get a roundtrip ticket from HK to NYC as well as two short trips. I will go to Boracay in the Philippines (via Manila) during the Chinese New Year in January and will go to Xian, China during Easter in April. You can wiki these two locations, but Boracay is an island in the Philippines with white sand beaches and Xian is where the Terracotta Army was found. (and is still there of course)
Ok, so the week before last I went to the Goldfish Market, Flower Market, and Bird Market on Prince Edward Rd. in Kowloon. (the peninsula part of HK) This was really sweet. Let me start with the easiest to describe as I passed through it briefly, the flower market. The flower market is basically a street with numerous vendors selling flowers, houseplant, trees, and flower pots; any type that can be grown in the region and of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. The bird market was a line of shops which had birds (go figure) of different types, that one can purchase. There are mainly small song birds, mainly in individual cages. There are also some parakeets, canaries, and parrots. One bird said hello to me, but that was the only one that I found could talk. There are also many breeding grounds there for “live” bird food. Containers full of crickets, maggots, and worms. (yes, there are seeds as well, but aren’t as interesting to see)
Although the bird market was pretty cool, the Goldfish Market was the best. This is an area about 3 city blocks long in which this one street has tons of shops with fish. When I say fish, I am talking small fish to big fish that you can purchase as pets. Most are smaller fish which they already have in plastic bags, hanging on the sides of walls. They have a lot of exotic fish, prawns, turtles (never knew there were so many different types), and others that you can purchase as well. There are even shops here with other types of pets, most popular being rabbits and chinchillas. As with the bird cages and the flower pots, there is also everything you need to take care of a fish or other pet. They have aquariums from 5 to 50 gallons (or even bigger), food of all sorts, and every piece of aquarium exhibit you could think of. (pirate ships, bridges and the like) This place is great and definitely worth visiting.
That should catch you up for now. Pics to come soon!
There are a lot of seafood restaurants on Lamma Island as well. The most famous being the Rainbow Seafood restaurant. I did not eat at either of them, however, I did take pictures. The crazy part about these restaurants is that the seafood is still alive and you pic it out. Not just for lobster, but for prawn, squid, and all kinds of fish. (again, you can see the pics)
Also last weekend I played soccer with another friend from work, Eugene. I was the only Gweilo on the team, but it was fun. (I am really out of shape)
I have booked the airfare to come back to the U.S. as well as scheduled two additional trips. For $1900 US, I was able to get a roundtrip ticket from HK to NYC as well as two short trips. I will go to Boracay in the Philippines (via Manila) during the Chinese New Year in January and will go to Xian, China during Easter in April. You can wiki these two locations, but Boracay is an island in the Philippines with white sand beaches and Xian is where the Terracotta Army was found. (and is still there of course)
Ok, so the week before last I went to the Goldfish Market, Flower Market, and Bird Market on Prince Edward Rd. in Kowloon. (the peninsula part of HK) This was really sweet. Let me start with the easiest to describe as I passed through it briefly, the flower market. The flower market is basically a street with numerous vendors selling flowers, houseplant, trees, and flower pots; any type that can be grown in the region and of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. The bird market was a line of shops which had birds (go figure) of different types, that one can purchase. There are mainly small song birds, mainly in individual cages. There are also some parakeets, canaries, and parrots. One bird said hello to me, but that was the only one that I found could talk. There are also many breeding grounds there for “live” bird food. Containers full of crickets, maggots, and worms. (yes, there are seeds as well, but aren’t as interesting to see)
Although the bird market was pretty cool, the Goldfish Market was the best. This is an area about 3 city blocks long in which this one street has tons of shops with fish. When I say fish, I am talking small fish to big fish that you can purchase as pets. Most are smaller fish which they already have in plastic bags, hanging on the sides of walls. They have a lot of exotic fish, prawns, turtles (never knew there were so many different types), and others that you can purchase as well. There are even shops here with other types of pets, most popular being rabbits and chinchillas. As with the bird cages and the flower pots, there is also everything you need to take care of a fish or other pet. They have aquariums from 5 to 50 gallons (or even bigger), food of all sorts, and every piece of aquarium exhibit you could think of. (pirate ships, bridges and the like) This place is great and definitely worth visiting.
That should catch you up for now. Pics to come soon!
Halloween is still scary for some...
It's been awhile since I posted. Pat Scott, this one is for you.
Let me start back around Halloween. For Halloween I went to a local club on the Kowloon Peninsula called “Club PP”, not to be confused with Club Pee Pee. Anyway, this is quite a large club with laser lights flashing around like it’s the 4th of July. (I considered wearing sunglasses when I saw the pictures of the place online) The club was decorated for Halloween and all of the servers, bouncers, and bartenders were dressed in costumes. However, none of the customers were dressed in costume, including me. I was the only “ex-pat” in the entire club of well over a thousand people. I had gone there with Jackie Chan, his cousin Anthony, and a couple of Anthony’s friends. We drank pitchers of Green Tea and whiskey and played a dice game in which you try to bluff the other person on the number of dye that are showing. (the dice are shaken in a cup like yahtzee)
Around 2:45 we decided to leave. Not because the bars were closing (as many bars in Hong Kong don't close, or at least not til 5 in the morn) but because we finally decided to go to LKF. (as you remember from my previous posts, this is the main ex-pat area) Well, we got to LKF, but went to a bar a street above the main area, so I didn’t get to see the chaos as described to me later in the week. However, this bar was still crowded and was a lot of fun. As I had been drinking liquor already, I continued with this approach and bought multiple rounds of shots and beer for my new friends. I have no idea what we were drinking as this bar did not know the OU favorites of “Angry Pirate, Hot Nut, etc.” I do know that I spent a lot of money and that we got into a cab to head home around 4:30 am. That was the last thing I remember. The next thing I remember is my front door closing behind me and me standing in the hallway of my apartment complex.
Let me clarify and give more embarrassing description of this event. You see, I had transported home without a problem (surprising as it was the first time that I had drank while living in my new apartment). Once home I had gotten undressed for bed and then went to use the restroom or perhaps simply go to bed. Instead of opening the door to my bedroom or bathroom, however, I had opened the front door to my apartment and stepped out. This is where my memory begins again and I see hear the door shut beside me. You see, the doors in most Hong Kong apartments will lock every time they close, as did mine that early Saturday morning. Well, needless-to-say I was standing in the 66th floor hallway of my apartment building in nothing but my boxers. No tee shirt. No socks. (thank God I don’t sleep naked) Realizing what I had just done, I for some reason did not panic, but instead further realized that I had to do what I had to do. I took the elevator down to Level 6 which is the floor that connects all of the towers together. I walked past the two security stations to the other set of elevators and took that one down to Level 2, the Administration Desk. There were two security guys working there as well, mind you it is around 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning from what I can tell. I tell the guy I locked myself out and ask if he can call a locksmith (as my realtor had said they would do) You see, the apartment complex actually does not own the apartments, they only management the property. They have no keys to the apartment. Anyway, I sit down in the chair and wait 20 minutes for the locksmith. When he gets there, I walk up to my apartment with him, he picks the lock, and I have no money to pay him. So I have to get dressed, go back down, walk up the street to an ATM (with the locksmith) and give him 300HKD (roughly $40.
I got back to bed and slept until 5:00 in the afternoon. Not sure what I drank that night.
Here is how the last part would have read from the security guard’s log of the day’s activities. “Young white boy come into office at 7:30 this morning. He think it only 5:00. He drunk. He wearing nothing. He say he have no key to apartment. He say he want me open door. I say I can’t. He say, ok, goodbye and start to leave. I stop him and say that I call locksmith for him. He say thank you, release toxic gas, and sit on chair. 30 minute later, locksmith come. Thank god”
I only have a couple pics from that night. One of a random group of people at Club PP and another I took for Pat Denbow and Sean Boetcher of two Asian girls dressed up as Ghost Busters. (will post new pics tomorrow)
Let me start back around Halloween. For Halloween I went to a local club on the Kowloon Peninsula called “Club PP”, not to be confused with Club Pee Pee. Anyway, this is quite a large club with laser lights flashing around like it’s the 4th of July. (I considered wearing sunglasses when I saw the pictures of the place online) The club was decorated for Halloween and all of the servers, bouncers, and bartenders were dressed in costumes. However, none of the customers were dressed in costume, including me. I was the only “ex-pat” in the entire club of well over a thousand people. I had gone there with Jackie Chan, his cousin Anthony, and a couple of Anthony’s friends. We drank pitchers of Green Tea and whiskey and played a dice game in which you try to bluff the other person on the number of dye that are showing. (the dice are shaken in a cup like yahtzee)
Around 2:45 we decided to leave. Not because the bars were closing (as many bars in Hong Kong don't close, or at least not til 5 in the morn) but because we finally decided to go to LKF. (as you remember from my previous posts, this is the main ex-pat area) Well, we got to LKF, but went to a bar a street above the main area, so I didn’t get to see the chaos as described to me later in the week. However, this bar was still crowded and was a lot of fun. As I had been drinking liquor already, I continued with this approach and bought multiple rounds of shots and beer for my new friends. I have no idea what we were drinking as this bar did not know the OU favorites of “Angry Pirate, Hot Nut, etc.” I do know that I spent a lot of money and that we got into a cab to head home around 4:30 am. That was the last thing I remember. The next thing I remember is my front door closing behind me and me standing in the hallway of my apartment complex.
Let me clarify and give more embarrassing description of this event. You see, I had transported home without a problem (surprising as it was the first time that I had drank while living in my new apartment). Once home I had gotten undressed for bed and then went to use the restroom or perhaps simply go to bed. Instead of opening the door to my bedroom or bathroom, however, I had opened the front door to my apartment and stepped out. This is where my memory begins again and I see hear the door shut beside me. You see, the doors in most Hong Kong apartments will lock every time they close, as did mine that early Saturday morning. Well, needless-to-say I was standing in the 66th floor hallway of my apartment building in nothing but my boxers. No tee shirt. No socks. (thank God I don’t sleep naked) Realizing what I had just done, I for some reason did not panic, but instead further realized that I had to do what I had to do. I took the elevator down to Level 6 which is the floor that connects all of the towers together. I walked past the two security stations to the other set of elevators and took that one down to Level 2, the Administration Desk. There were two security guys working there as well, mind you it is around 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning from what I can tell. I tell the guy I locked myself out and ask if he can call a locksmith (as my realtor had said they would do) You see, the apartment complex actually does not own the apartments, they only management the property. They have no keys to the apartment. Anyway, I sit down in the chair and wait 20 minutes for the locksmith. When he gets there, I walk up to my apartment with him, he picks the lock, and I have no money to pay him. So I have to get dressed, go back down, walk up the street to an ATM (with the locksmith) and give him 300HKD (roughly $40.
I got back to bed and slept until 5:00 in the afternoon. Not sure what I drank that night.
Here is how the last part would have read from the security guard’s log of the day’s activities. “Young white boy come into office at 7:30 this morning. He think it only 5:00. He drunk. He wearing nothing. He say he have no key to apartment. He say he want me open door. I say I can’t. He say, ok, goodbye and start to leave. I stop him and say that I call locksmith for him. He say thank you, release toxic gas, and sit on chair. 30 minute later, locksmith come. Thank god”
I only have a couple pics from that night. One of a random group of people at Club PP and another I took for Pat Denbow and Sean Boetcher of two Asian girls dressed up as Ghost Busters. (will post new pics tomorrow)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Hong Kong - Weeks 2 and 3
I hadn't posted in a while it seems. Over the past two weeks, I have started to get settled in. I ordered some furniture for my apartment (including a 37 inch full HD tv) and was involved in a two day Global Capital Markets meeting. During the two days I had dinner with Randy Anstine from the Columbus, OH office, who is currently in the middle of a three year rotation in Tokyo. I also met some new people from South Korea, Singapore, China, and the Philippines.
Outside of work, I continued to do a little sightseeing. I went to Victoria Peak two weeks ago, which is the tallest mountain on Hong Kong Island (but second tallest in Hong Kong). From here I took multiple pictures of the mountain side and the Hong Kong skyline. (I went to the Kowloon side and took some pictures of the night time skyline later in the day) I took a bus up the mountain, which was considerably easy to figure out which one I needed. However, there was a lot of traffic on the way up. (big torist attraction) There was a big shopping center with an overlook of the south side of the Island and then the huge observation tower for viewing the downtown side and the Harbor. Within the observation tower was a shopping mall, restaurants, and a Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, which I went to. On the way down, I took the mountain tram, which is a cable car running up the side of the mountain.
One week ago I went to Stanley. Stanley is on the south east side of the Island and is a big ex-pat area as well. (I took a bus through a tunnel and across mountain sides) It is not as crowded there, which I liked, but had many things to see. I went through the Stanley Market first, where one can purchase a bunch of chinese memorabillia or other items for a haggled price. Then I walked alongside the coast, to the pier. I went to the mari-time museum, which was supposed to be the nicest in Hong Kong. Well, it was nice, but small. There were a lot of model wooden ships, and history of colonization, the Olympics, and commercial freight carriers.
After the museum I went to a German restaurant with authentic German food, cooked by authentic chinese. :-) I got the all you can eat lunch buffet and it was great! Following lunch I visited three small temples and then headed to the beach. I didn't go swimming as this was more of an exploratory trip, but I was excited to see it. One girl from the office had said it was like Miami Beach, so I was pumped. Of course when I got there, I saw that the beach itself was small, probably about that of which you would find at Dillon Lake near Zanesville. The people were not as good looking as those you might see on Miami beach either. (just average people) and the sand looked pretty course as well. However, there were a lot of people wind surfing, which seemed like fun. (maybe another day) Needless-to-say, I have made note not to listen to anything that girl has to say int he future.
Outside of work, I continued to do a little sightseeing. I went to Victoria Peak two weeks ago, which is the tallest mountain on Hong Kong Island (but second tallest in Hong Kong). From here I took multiple pictures of the mountain side and the Hong Kong skyline. (I went to the Kowloon side and took some pictures of the night time skyline later in the day) I took a bus up the mountain, which was considerably easy to figure out which one I needed. However, there was a lot of traffic on the way up. (big torist attraction) There was a big shopping center with an overlook of the south side of the Island and then the huge observation tower for viewing the downtown side and the Harbor. Within the observation tower was a shopping mall, restaurants, and a Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, which I went to. On the way down, I took the mountain tram, which is a cable car running up the side of the mountain.
One week ago I went to Stanley. Stanley is on the south east side of the Island and is a big ex-pat area as well. (I took a bus through a tunnel and across mountain sides) It is not as crowded there, which I liked, but had many things to see. I went through the Stanley Market first, where one can purchase a bunch of chinese memorabillia or other items for a haggled price. Then I walked alongside the coast, to the pier. I went to the mari-time museum, which was supposed to be the nicest in Hong Kong. Well, it was nice, but small. There were a lot of model wooden ships, and history of colonization, the Olympics, and commercial freight carriers.
After the museum I went to a German restaurant with authentic German food, cooked by authentic chinese. :-) I got the all you can eat lunch buffet and it was great! Following lunch I visited three small temples and then headed to the beach. I didn't go swimming as this was more of an exploratory trip, but I was excited to see it. One girl from the office had said it was like Miami Beach, so I was pumped. Of course when I got there, I saw that the beach itself was small, probably about that of which you would find at Dillon Lake near Zanesville. The people were not as good looking as those you might see on Miami beach either. (just average people) and the sand looked pretty course as well. However, there were a lot of people wind surfing, which seemed like fun. (maybe another day) Needless-to-say, I have made note not to listen to anything that girl has to say int he future.
Friday, October 10, 2008
New Pics
I am getting behind on Pics. Click on the new Flickr link below for pics of Central, Lan Kwai Fong during the day, and Macau.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Week 1 Recap
Ok, so after the first week... I frickin love this place. I began work on Thursday and went to lunch on Thursday and Friday with the people in my group. The majority are ex-pats from the U.S., Canada, France, Taiwan, South Africa, and Singapore, with some locals thrown in as well. They seem really cool. I am one of only two seniors in the group as there are about 10 Managers, 10 Senior Managers, and 5 Partners in the Capital Markets Center here.
On Friday we ate Dim Sum for lunch. Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese meal that is usually served with tea. There were multiple types of food that we ordered family style, in which everyone can simply have a little of everything. I ate quite a few things that I would never order on my own. An interesting experience but not a type of food I will eat on a regular basis.
On Friday evening, Jackie Chan, his cousin, and I all went to Lan Kwai Fong for drinks. Lan Kwai Fong is a block of multiple bars and clubs, and the largest ex-pat area in Hong Kong. Jackie said that locals will come to that area just to see British people. I met a few people there from Spain, France, and the U.S. I even had a little luck with a local girl using my newly learned Cantonese pick up lines. (Thanks to Jackie Chan) I am sure I did not do it justice, but she started a conversation with me in English. (They appreciate you just for trying) We left that bar and went to another, so I didn't speak with her for too long.
Now for Saturday. During the day I went to Kowloon (the pennisula portion of Hong Kong) While there, I went to the flea market. (that's what I call it at least) Here there are tents set up throughout this one street and it runs for at least 6 blocks. In these markets you can find a little of everything, mostly clothing items. (everything from belts, watches, purses and jerseys, to toys and chinese decorations) The items are not very expensive but they also expect you to haggle with them. (Dave Wagner would love it) I went into a video store in which I saw DVD's on sale for about $2.50 USD. Supposedly you can get them in mainland china for less than a dollar, but the quality may not as good.
On Saturday night I went to dinner with a manager, senior manager, partner, and their spouses, in SoHo. I had Indian food for the first time and I actually enjoyed it... the night before. (today is a little rough) After dinner we went to Lan Kwai Fong and had a couple of drinks. We went to this Filipino bar in which there was a live cover band. The band was Filipino as well, but were singing in English. It was great. They actually sounded really good. They sang mostly 90's American songs, but also some newer ones like Maroon 5 and Fergi. There was a girl and a guy who sang. The guy looked like a Filipino Enrique Iglesias (hilarious) and the girl was great. She could be my little Tia Carrere. Her voice was awesome and she was cute. But as the saying goes, "Don't fall in love with the first Filipino, English speaking, Cover Band singer that you see". And therefore I didn't. According to my co-workers, almost every bar in Manila has a live band every night, with equivalent talent. (can't wait until I visit the Philippines!) Also, they told me of a midget bar in which all of the servers, bouncers, and bar-tenders are midgets. (also in the Philippines)
Well, if that wasn't enough, then came the best part of the evening... Wan Chai. Wan Chai is full of what is called "sailor bars". It is every American with an Asian fetish's dream come true. (Sean and Dave, you will love it when you come visit) There is one section of Lockhart Rd. with girly bars. (strip clubs) Here, the strippers are not actually stripping. They are in bikinis just dancing on the front stage. At these bars, the girls will literally try and pull you in from off the streets. (a lot like Bourbon street in New Orleans) Because, even though the girls on stage aren't stripping, they are trying to get you to buy some over priced drinks and perhaps a little "something else" from the girls that aren't on stage. We didn't go to any of those bars.
We went to some other bars which were dance clubs. However, all of the girls are still "working". It is great place to go and dance with / talk to some of the hottest asian girls you have ever seen. If you have some cash on you, you can even do more with them. Of course, me being me, I talked to the girls as if they weren't "professionals". I met girls from the Phillipeans, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and even some from South America. I told them that they don't need to do what they are doing and they should move to America, where they can get real jobs. They said they can't get visas for America and while drunk I might have told some of them that I could get them visas. :-) The one girl actually said she is going to America in May and will be working as a nurse's aid as she just finished college. However, she needs the money to get there and that is why she is doing what she is doing. Interesting people at these places, and all of them speak English pretty well.
On Friday we ate Dim Sum for lunch. Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese meal that is usually served with tea. There were multiple types of food that we ordered family style, in which everyone can simply have a little of everything. I ate quite a few things that I would never order on my own. An interesting experience but not a type of food I will eat on a regular basis.
On Friday evening, Jackie Chan, his cousin, and I all went to Lan Kwai Fong for drinks. Lan Kwai Fong is a block of multiple bars and clubs, and the largest ex-pat area in Hong Kong. Jackie said that locals will come to that area just to see British people. I met a few people there from Spain, France, and the U.S. I even had a little luck with a local girl using my newly learned Cantonese pick up lines. (Thanks to Jackie Chan) I am sure I did not do it justice, but she started a conversation with me in English. (They appreciate you just for trying) We left that bar and went to another, so I didn't speak with her for too long.
Now for Saturday. During the day I went to Kowloon (the pennisula portion of Hong Kong) While there, I went to the flea market. (that's what I call it at least) Here there are tents set up throughout this one street and it runs for at least 6 blocks. In these markets you can find a little of everything, mostly clothing items. (everything from belts, watches, purses and jerseys, to toys and chinese decorations) The items are not very expensive but they also expect you to haggle with them. (Dave Wagner would love it) I went into a video store in which I saw DVD's on sale for about $2.50 USD. Supposedly you can get them in mainland china for less than a dollar, but the quality may not as good.
On Saturday night I went to dinner with a manager, senior manager, partner, and their spouses, in SoHo. I had Indian food for the first time and I actually enjoyed it... the night before. (today is a little rough) After dinner we went to Lan Kwai Fong and had a couple of drinks. We went to this Filipino bar in which there was a live cover band. The band was Filipino as well, but were singing in English. It was great. They actually sounded really good. They sang mostly 90's American songs, but also some newer ones like Maroon 5 and Fergi. There was a girl and a guy who sang. The guy looked like a Filipino Enrique Iglesias (hilarious) and the girl was great. She could be my little Tia Carrere. Her voice was awesome and she was cute. But as the saying goes, "Don't fall in love with the first Filipino, English speaking, Cover Band singer that you see". And therefore I didn't. According to my co-workers, almost every bar in Manila has a live band every night, with equivalent talent. (can't wait until I visit the Philippines!) Also, they told me of a midget bar in which all of the servers, bouncers, and bar-tenders are midgets. (also in the Philippines)
Well, if that wasn't enough, then came the best part of the evening... Wan Chai. Wan Chai is full of what is called "sailor bars". It is every American with an Asian fetish's dream come true. (Sean and Dave, you will love it when you come visit) There is one section of Lockhart Rd. with girly bars. (strip clubs) Here, the strippers are not actually stripping. They are in bikinis just dancing on the front stage. At these bars, the girls will literally try and pull you in from off the streets. (a lot like Bourbon street in New Orleans) Because, even though the girls on stage aren't stripping, they are trying to get you to buy some over priced drinks and perhaps a little "something else" from the girls that aren't on stage. We didn't go to any of those bars.
We went to some other bars which were dance clubs. However, all of the girls are still "working". It is great place to go and dance with / talk to some of the hottest asian girls you have ever seen. If you have some cash on you, you can even do more with them. Of course, me being me, I talked to the girls as if they weren't "professionals". I met girls from the Phillipeans, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and even some from South America. I told them that they don't need to do what they are doing and they should move to America, where they can get real jobs. They said they can't get visas for America and while drunk I might have told some of them that I could get them visas. :-) The one girl actually said she is going to America in May and will be working as a nurse's aid as she just finished college. However, she needs the money to get there and that is why she is doing what she is doing. Interesting people at these places, and all of them speak English pretty well.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Macau
Yesterday, Jack and I went to Macau for a little day trip. If you don't know what Macau is, then I would recommend checking it out on Wiki. Basically. as Hong Kong is a Special Administrative region of China, so is Macau. Hong Kong, however, used to be a British province, while Macau was ruled by the Portugese. Today, Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia. It brings in more revenue than Vegas, has the world's largest casino, and the casinos are a lot nicer / newer than that of Vegas. (oh, did I mention it is on a penninsula / island, as is Hong Kong.
Ok, so we took a ferry over to Macau, which took about 45 minutes. We then took a free shuttle to the Venetian Casino, which is the world's largest. It was pretty gigantic. We ate there, which had tons of different types of restaurants (perhaps 35 in the food court alone) There was a huge shopping mall there as well. In the middle of the mall was water with Gondolas for which you could ride around under bridges and be serenaded by Gondoliers. I have never been to Vegas before, but perhaps this is the same there. The walls around the mall resembled Venetian architecture and the ceilings were painted like clowdy blue skys.
They had a Manchester United Experience (for Chris Peters), which was a store with everything you could ever want that is Manchester United. (sandles, key chains, mousepads, jerseys) We did see a jersey that was number 7, Ronalod. Yes, it was spelled incorrectly. On a side note, let me add that Hong Kong is huge into the EPL (English Premier League ) soccer. There is no place in Hong Kong which shows NFL games live, and perhaps only a couple that will shows some recorded games. (minus the Super Bowl) (no college football shown here at all)
So, I did some gambling, but did not take much money. You gamble in Hong Kong dollars or Macau curreny and therefore I lost about $520 HKD (only $68 USD). We then left and went to the oldest casino on Macau. I would say that it simply looked like a regular casino, but there was something interesting about it. Around the Macau casinos are "professional" women, trying to get you to spend some of your winnings on their "services". I didn't notice any at the Venetian, even though Jack said he saw multiple ones. Well, at the oldest casino, they're extremely obvious. They walked back and forth down a single hall way, so that you passed them on the way in and out. I will say this, they were dressed appropriately for their line of business. (you know, like most girls in the States)
We walked the old city and had some signature beef jerky next to some sweet antique stores. We walked up some stairs to the ruins of St. Paul and then to the Mountain Fortress, or such. (cannons and all) The Portugese influence could be seen in some of the architecture of the old city. We ate at the Wynn casino before departing, in which there was definitely an older European Hair band, rock star present. I just couldn't tell who it was. (he sounded swedish but wasn't Yngwie, I don't think)
We capped off the day by having a Stella Artois at a pub near our apartment. This could become a new hang out for me. Would compare to the Union in Athens, but with a slightly older crowd than college students. (mostly english friendly locals with a splash of ex-pats)
Ok, so we took a ferry over to Macau, which took about 45 minutes. We then took a free shuttle to the Venetian Casino, which is the world's largest. It was pretty gigantic. We ate there, which had tons of different types of restaurants (perhaps 35 in the food court alone) There was a huge shopping mall there as well. In the middle of the mall was water with Gondolas for which you could ride around under bridges and be serenaded by Gondoliers. I have never been to Vegas before, but perhaps this is the same there. The walls around the mall resembled Venetian architecture and the ceilings were painted like clowdy blue skys.
They had a Manchester United Experience (for Chris Peters), which was a store with everything you could ever want that is Manchester United. (sandles, key chains, mousepads, jerseys) We did see a jersey that was number 7, Ronalod. Yes, it was spelled incorrectly. On a side note, let me add that Hong Kong is huge into the EPL (English Premier League ) soccer. There is no place in Hong Kong which shows NFL games live, and perhaps only a couple that will shows some recorded games. (minus the Super Bowl) (no college football shown here at all)
So, I did some gambling, but did not take much money. You gamble in Hong Kong dollars or Macau curreny and therefore I lost about $520 HKD (only $68 USD). We then left and went to the oldest casino on Macau. I would say that it simply looked like a regular casino, but there was something interesting about it. Around the Macau casinos are "professional" women, trying to get you to spend some of your winnings on their "services". I didn't notice any at the Venetian, even though Jack said he saw multiple ones. Well, at the oldest casino, they're extremely obvious. They walked back and forth down a single hall way, so that you passed them on the way in and out. I will say this, they were dressed appropriately for their line of business. (you know, like most girls in the States)
We walked the old city and had some signature beef jerky next to some sweet antique stores. We walked up some stairs to the ruins of St. Paul and then to the Mountain Fortress, or such. (cannons and all) The Portugese influence could be seen in some of the architecture of the old city. We ate at the Wynn casino before departing, in which there was definitely an older European Hair band, rock star present. I just couldn't tell who it was. (he sounded swedish but wasn't Yngwie, I don't think)
We capped off the day by having a Stella Artois at a pub near our apartment. This could become a new hang out for me. Would compare to the Union in Athens, but with a slightly older crowd than college students. (mostly english friendly locals with a splash of ex-pats)
Monday, September 29, 2008
First of my Pictures
In case you didn't see, there is a link to the first of my pictures further down this blog on the left. They are in the form of a Flickr slideshow. Enjoy.
Day 3 - Hong Kong
FYI, I will not post something everyday (especially once I start work) After saying that, I went to get my HK ID card today and then to the bank. (which did not have my cards ready to pick up as they were supposed to) Jack and I went up the mid-levels escalators which is a long, interconnected series of escalators and conveyor belts. (the ones that are not in the form of stairs) This may not seem impressive to you, but we are talking about a distance of about 16 streets that this crosses. Something like the distance from the Brewery District to the Arena District in Columbus. (all up a steep hill side)
On the way back down, we stopped at Subway; where I ordered a coke for my drink. Upon filling up the cup with coke from the fountain machine, I noticed that there were tons of bugs floating on top and stuck around the inside of the rim. I told the woman working the counter and she just said, oh, no problem, take another cup. Well, I second guessed myself as to whether the bugs were in the cup beforehand, or if they had come out of the fountain station faucet. Needless-to-say, I drank bottled water for the rest of the day.
I met with my Realtor today as well, and I have found a place to live. It is pretty close to the building I will be working in, however, it is not close to much else. (hopefully I will be able to find my way the 6 subway stops from the Central district to my new apartment when I am wasted) I will move in on October 20th.
(Pictures of the Central District and the Mid-Level Escalators to follow as I have run out of download space on Flickr) P.S. The Central District is really nice and I now have a better appreciation for the Island, rather than the initial idea that it was all old and dirty.
On the way back down, we stopped at Subway; where I ordered a coke for my drink. Upon filling up the cup with coke from the fountain machine, I noticed that there were tons of bugs floating on top and stuck around the inside of the rim. I told the woman working the counter and she just said, oh, no problem, take another cup. Well, I second guessed myself as to whether the bugs were in the cup beforehand, or if they had come out of the fountain station faucet. Needless-to-say, I drank bottled water for the rest of the day.
I met with my Realtor today as well, and I have found a place to live. It is pretty close to the building I will be working in, however, it is not close to much else. (hopefully I will be able to find my way the 6 subway stops from the Central district to my new apartment when I am wasted) I will move in on October 20th.
(Pictures of the Central District and the Mid-Level Escalators to follow as I have run out of download space on Flickr) P.S. The Central District is really nice and I now have a better appreciation for the Island, rather than the initial idea that it was all old and dirty.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Last Stop... Hong Kong
So, I arrived in Hong Kong yesterday after flying over the North Pole. I did see Santa from the airplane window and I would like to point out that the hand gesture he gave me was completely uncalled for. (Even though I did moon Dasher; Chris Peters would be proud but the couple sitting next to me were unamused) I got to Hong Kong and Jack's brother met us at the airport. We took a cab and checked into our Corporate housing. I now know what it is like to be a Keebler elf living in a thousand year old tree. (yea, the apartment is small and the buildings are old; basically like a Comfort Inn hotel room)
I am pretty sure that Jack's brother doesn't like me as I am a white American. He will only speak in Cantonese to Jack even though he knows English. (and I dont think he has said more than one word to me) They went to dinner last night and Jack apologized for not being able to invite me but said that his brother's friends would be there and they dont really get along with Americans. I am getting tired of always being the victim of racism. (it sucks being a middle class white American male)
Well, you will be able to see by my pictures that the 7 Elevens here are like Starbucks back home. So, my first impression of Hong Kong is crowded, old, somewhat dirty looking, people not as friendly, and there are many people who do not speak english. No one speaks English in preference to Cantonese, even though most everyone knows it. They will only speak it to the foreigners like myself. (and even then it is difficult for us to understand eachother)
I am pretty sure that Jack's brother doesn't like me as I am a white American. He will only speak in Cantonese to Jack even though he knows English. (and I dont think he has said more than one word to me) They went to dinner last night and Jack apologized for not being able to invite me but said that his brother's friends would be there and they dont really get along with Americans. I am getting tired of always being the victim of racism. (it sucks being a middle class white American male)
Well, you will be able to see by my pictures that the 7 Elevens here are like Starbucks back home. So, my first impression of Hong Kong is crowded, old, somewhat dirty looking, people not as friendly, and there are many people who do not speak english. No one speaks English in preference to Cantonese, even though most everyone knows it. They will only speak it to the foreigners like myself. (and even then it is difficult for us to understand eachother)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Biking in Hong Kong
So I thought about getting a bike and taking it to Hong Kong; as I wont' be able to drive for a year and a half. But I got scared and decided not to. Yes scared. Bicycling is dangerous! If you dont think so, then you obviously haven't heard of the "Left Turn incident of 1979". In 1979 a cyclist was riding down the street. He stopped at a red light and stuck his arm straight out to the right side. (the universal sign of making a left turn) At the same time, the light turned green and a speeding motorist drove past on the right side of the man, taking his entire right arm with him. This story has given me nightmares since I was 4 yrs old. Because of it, I have never made a left turn on my bike. Recently I have come to appreciate my right arm even more as it has proven itself capable of beating Jimmy Bowes in an arm wrestling match. And thus, I have given up on biking in Hong Kong... and perhaps ever again.
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