Monday, December 31, 2007
Justin is the coolest
Justin just got back from Thailand today and he has the best tan ever.. He's RED all over... I don't know what to write so I'll write anything I want... hmmm... If you're still reading this then you really are bored huh? better yet.. if you're still reading this then you really have nothing better to do and should go away... By the way.. if you haven't noticed yet.. this is actually Justin typing.. And if you're still reading this.. you are a total loser!!!
(some portions have been edited out by blog owner... this is China we can do that here... buy the DVD)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Arrival
It's 2am and since I just slept for 3 hours I am wide awake. I'm actually in Justin's friend Veronica's house (more like mansion) because his family went to Thailand for Christmas and is coming back tomorrow. I got picked up by her driver in a Jag... the sign with my name at the airport and everything! His name is Noy and he's Filipino, as is most of the service staff in HK. His sister Vicky is the family's maid, and they both live at the house. By the way, the community has a fancy gilded gate and we passed a ferrari and some fancy audi on our way up the driveway. The house is in the hills above Wan Chai (I think), and has a gorgeous view off of the huge balcony which has a pool on it! I read in the travel book that it's essential feng shui to have an ocean view, but if you don't then you should just have an acquarium with a lot of gold fish in it (apparently that represents the ocean). Well they have both so I think they're set.
Most people though live in apartments in these ginormous, densely-packed high rises. St Petersburg has the same thing, but they're not as tall or as close together. It's crazy driving by them at night - the light is blinding. Noy said that Hong Kong is too bright, which I can definitely see. The apartment buildings are enough to turn the night into day, plus you have the neon signs, billboards, and when you are in the narrower streets in some of the neighborhoods, the stores are really really bright. The initial impression is New York because of the skyscrapers, the busy neighborhoods, and nightlife. Oh and London too, although I've never been there, but they drive on the left side here and there are double-decker buses.
By the way, I arrived at 8pm (I guess I'll do this backwards). The second half of the flight was really rough. The first 8 hours I must have fallen asleep for a while, so when I woke up and saw that we're half way there, I thought, not too bad, I feel a bit rested even. Yeah well the second 8hrs did not go as well. What's really annoying to me is that the seats on the plane have the ability to recline further than is politely acceptable so it's constant torture. I pushed my limits though and got asked twice to move my seat up.
Oh and just as I was getting disappointed that I won't experience Chinese culture at all on the plane, we got the United brand of cup-o-noodle as a snack, served with chopsticks and a spork.
When I got to Veronica's house, Vicky cooked me food (Noy called her and asked to start!), which I ate by the TV coffee table sitting on a teeny tiny stool. I had to ask her what is the proper way to sit on these, as crossing your legs was definitely not an option. The rest of the house has couches, etc, this was just a cool little bit of culture. I chose to watch the HK channel (no subtitles) instead of Jerry Maguire and 101 Dalmatians, and it actually had really interesting commercials, most of which I didn't understand, but they were entertaining to watch. There was one that was in English that was reminding you of the proper way to prevent spreading avian flu. I am not sure how to prevent getting it, I think it involves not touching birds??
Veronica got home later, after I had taken a shower and proceeded to pass out, so I got up and decided to start on this. I fully intended to visit Victoria Peak tonight and see one of the two must-see views (the other one is Victoria Peak by day). But that second half of the flight beat it out of me.
O I think the melatonin is kicking in finally! sweet that bed is so comfy
Most people though live in apartments in these ginormous, densely-packed high rises. St Petersburg has the same thing, but they're not as tall or as close together. It's crazy driving by them at night - the light is blinding. Noy said that Hong Kong is too bright, which I can definitely see. The apartment buildings are enough to turn the night into day, plus you have the neon signs, billboards, and when you are in the narrower streets in some of the neighborhoods, the stores are really really bright. The initial impression is New York because of the skyscrapers, the busy neighborhoods, and nightlife. Oh and London too, although I've never been there, but they drive on the left side here and there are double-decker buses.
By the way, I arrived at 8pm (I guess I'll do this backwards). The second half of the flight was really rough. The first 8 hours I must have fallen asleep for a while, so when I woke up and saw that we're half way there, I thought, not too bad, I feel a bit rested even. Yeah well the second 8hrs did not go as well. What's really annoying to me is that the seats on the plane have the ability to recline further than is politely acceptable so it's constant torture. I pushed my limits though and got asked twice to move my seat up.
Oh and just as I was getting disappointed that I won't experience Chinese culture at all on the plane, we got the United brand of cup-o-noodle as a snack, served with chopsticks and a spork.
When I got to Veronica's house, Vicky cooked me food (Noy called her and asked to start!), which I ate by the TV coffee table sitting on a teeny tiny stool. I had to ask her what is the proper way to sit on these, as crossing your legs was definitely not an option. The rest of the house has couches, etc, this was just a cool little bit of culture. I chose to watch the HK channel (no subtitles) instead of Jerry Maguire and 101 Dalmatians, and it actually had really interesting commercials, most of which I didn't understand, but they were entertaining to watch. There was one that was in English that was reminding you of the proper way to prevent spreading avian flu. I am not sure how to prevent getting it, I think it involves not touching birds??
Veronica got home later, after I had taken a shower and proceeded to pass out, so I got up and decided to start on this. I fully intended to visit Victoria Peak tonight and see one of the two must-see views (the other one is Victoria Peak by day). But that second half of the flight beat it out of me.
O I think the melatonin is kicking in finally! sweet that bed is so comfy
Intro
OK here goes blogging...The trip is 12/29/07-01/07/08 -- New Years!! Justin has been inviting me to HK for the last two and a half years so here I am! Never been to an Asian country before, and have a much more vague idea about what to expect than I did before Europe, so I'm a little nervous for some reason.
I do have the impression that Justin's personality/clothing/attitude/sleep schedule(4am-10am usually) are the quintessential Hong Kong culture, so we shall see...
I do have the impression that Justin's personality/clothing/attitude/sleep schedule(4am-10am usually) are the quintessential Hong Kong culture, so we shall see...
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