vancouver

Here are some pics.....
Kassie and Kaitlyn in their cute little dresses, dinner with my Dad, Whitney, Hilary, Judy and Shannon, and Benji the kitten.

Vancouver

Brrrrrrrr!
It's COLD here!
I've been in Vancouver since Friday catching up with everyone while trying to stay warm. It is actually in the minus' here! I have also been watching all the TV programs I don't get in HK.
Suds is coming to join me on Tuesday and will hopefully remember the camera cord so I can download some of the pics I have taken....Kaitlyn and Kassie in their little Cheongsams, lots of my Dad and Judy's new kitten Benji and dinner at their house, and if the weatherman is right, I will have some pics of snow tomorrow!

Changing seasons

This being our first year in Hong Kong, everything is new, including the changing of the seasons. We don't have too much oppurtunity to see fresh buds on the trees for spring and orange and red leaves to know fall is on the way. But I think winter is about done here.

It has been weeks since the temperature has fallen below 17degrees. Another tell tale sign for me has been the humidity. Now when I walk outside, even if it looks deceptivly overcast and maybe chilly, the air is warm and thick with moisture. A simple walk up the block produces an all over body sweat. A hike up to the Peak yesterday turned our backs into river beds. And I have stopped lugging a sweater with me everywhere; I don't ever wear it anymore but have it "just in case".

It is going to be a shock to the system to visit Vancouver this weekend. With single digit temperatures and the threat of "wet snow" it sounds like an alternate universe!!

Teeny Weeny Wildlife

This is what was waiting for us when we came home the other night!
The little gecko is hardly bigger then the keyhole!

Post SARS Hong Kong

This is typical of the "post SARS" Hong Kong.
No spitting allowed! Now people cough it up and spit it into a kleenex (yuck!) because as a people, the Chinese here seem to be enthusiastic spitters.

Everywhere you go you will see people cleaning. Inside and outside you'll see someone cleaning the escalator handrails, public doors and handles, elevator buttons are cleaned every hour (a sign tells you) and hand sanitizer dispensers are easy to find. Half their workforce must be ladies with cloth in hand wiping down every conceivable surface and sweeping under everything else.

Happy Valentine's Day

Not the best picture, I know. We took it with our web cam, so what can you expect?

This is our Valentine's picnic. Suds was heading the London that night so we decieded on a picnic at the beach. Of course this was one of the handful of days it has rained here. So it turned into a living room picnic.

I am heading to Vancouver this weekend!! I arrive Friday afternoon with Suds meeting me on the 21st. See you soon!

Downtown Hong Kong

These are a couple of pictures I had sent to me. A crowded market and mini bus traffic jam. It is not always that busy here, but it is not unusual either.

Drycleaning question

Does anyone know if drycleaning jeans will shrink them in length??
Those jeans I bought in Shenzhen are all dryclean only because of crystal details. They need to be hemmed. I am not sure if I should dryclean them first and then hem.

Shopping in Shenzhen

After picking up our passports we were on the MTR heading towards TST station. There we transfered to the KCRC line headed to Shenzhen. The trip only took about 30 minutes.

Getting off the train we had to clear Hong Kong customs and then Chinese customs. It took us much longer than it needed to because if there was a wrong line to stand in, we did. Next time we will be quicker!

Right out the doors of customs and right off the bat we were convinced by a touter to go to his "special wharehouse" filled with purses. Up and over a walkway into a building and up a couple of flights of stairs we were in a room with all the windows covered by sheets. Floor to ceiling with knock off Gucci's, Chanel's, LV's, Coach, and Dior's. Everything from purses, wallets, ties, watches, shoes, clothing. You name it, they had it. But being our first taste, we had to move along without a purchase.

We walked to the main building, the Lowu Commercial Building. Five floors of knock offs to be bargained for! The top picture is of a shoe store with the "A1" quality hidden up in the roof, away from the police. The sales guy on the floor yells up to the poor guy in the ceiling, and down drops a pair of shoes! The prices are unbelievable!!! A pair of Puma runners started at$500HK and while I walked away the shop girl offered them to me for $50HK!!! (Please feel free to use the currency calculator link on the side!!)

The store people hang around out front of their shop and try to get your attention as you walk by.
"Missy missy! Come look. Special price, missy missy"
"Very good quality"

It was a bit much at first, so we headed to the BBC Restaurant for some food. Of course the food I ordered was horrible...I now know how to ruin a simple club sandwhich...fill it with no condiments, bird flu chickenparts, and some mad cow slices for good measure! I did mange to eat all us Ryan's fries, though. Fueled up, we were ready to drive some hard bargins!!!


Our final tally: 3 pairs of sox, flashlight, men's
watch, 2 Cheongsams (for little girls gift), 1 pair sunglasses, 1 pair timberland boots, 1 pair 7 jeans, 2 pairs Rock and Rebuplic jeans, 1 ipod mini, cd holder, coach wallet, coach wristlet, coach purse, 2 pedicures, 1 manicure and one massage. Total cost?? approx $1500HK
Buyers' remorse.... zero!!!

Shenzhen

Today we are off the the government office to pickup our passports with visas for mainland China newly added. Then hop on a train heading into China for a day of serious bargin shopping. We should hopefully clear customs on the other side an hour after we first get on the train. As soon as we get off the train there should be a huge complex named Lowu Commercial City. Five floors and thousands of stores. Everything from clothing, shoes, custom tailor shops, handbags, artwork, golfclubs, jewelry, furniture, antiques, fabric, custom curtains (made same day) pillows and who knows what else!!!
Will post pictures plus more tomorrow!

Hong Kong park

We walked thru Hong Kong Park, which is right in the middle of the city. The park was quite busy with families walking thru, people chatting on the benches, ect. We found a big pond FILLED with turtles of all sizes. They were all clamering for top spot on the sunny rocks.

Aberdeen

This our afternnon snack on the Top Deck of the Jumbo Restaurant in Aberdeen. We took a mini bus to there, about 25 minutes for $7.5HK then wandered around the waterfront area. Afterwards we hopped on a free ferry that took us to the largest floating restaurant in the world(?) Up on the top deck are some great comfy chairs and tables, perfect for afternoon drinks and snacks. We shared this fab platter for $168HK. This will definetly be a place to go when visiters come.

Veggie stall

veggie stall

This is me buying some veg at the little stall down the street. Buying veggies at places like this is WAY cheaper than the grocery stores!!
And they use less plastic. In the stores everything is wrapped. A single red pepper will be on a styrophome plate and then wrapped in plastic wrap with a big sticker on top. Such a waste!!

Chinese New Years decorations

This store is just down the street from our apartment. During the New Year there was red stuff everywhere! It is a good luck colour thought to scare away demons.