Getting Kicked outta the Hongk

It is in my best interest to leave the the Hongk for a minute while my application for an employment visa is finally submitted. Since I have to leave for a bit, I thought I'd take the opportunity to return to the land of LaLa. I still have to work at our company headquarters in Northridge, and I'm not psyched about that. It looks like I'll have to pause on the blogging for a bit, so I'll leave you with a slice of life...



This is one of the many "westernish" groceries that I shop at. Taste is indirectly on my way home and has a pretty good selection.


You know, just in case you needed mac n cheese in a can.


Or some PBRs


Space is so tight that they don't have full size carts, I mean trolleys, at markets. There's something on wheels that can carry two of your shopping baskets.

Which is fine, I can't fit or afford a whole lot of food anyway. Non-chinese products are rather expensive so it's cheaper to eat out in the land of most restaurants per capita. My shopping list is usually limited to coke light, water, gatorade, yakult, nature valley granola bars, fruits, veggies, tofu.

Thrilling I know. I'll see you soon.

Never Let a Hongkie Sit

I've heard it more than once. The Hongk is so fast paced that you're not allowed to let them sit, or else they'll pass out. It's true!

Here's some lady at McD's.


And some dude Saturday night VIP at Beijing Club.


And this guy. I miss him. We call him Big Baby Buddha. This was Chinese New Year, at the foot of a stripper pole, at Homebase.

I even caught one guy wearing a sleeping mask on the MTR. When I finally scraped up enough guts to take a picture of him, he woke up and exited the train. Dang.

The Numbers

I had to take a picture of this. These are numbers I've never seen before. (To get it in USD, divide by 7.8)

Powers' dirty 30th bday party on the boat was postponed due to a level 3 typhoon. Instead we did dinner and drinkin and dancing.


I guess we got our money's worth, as the bill was presented to us in this fine box!


Don't make fun. Everyone wanted a picture of the check.

I Heart Hangover Brunch

I heart day drinking and it's probably a good thing that this doesn't happen too often. I can't remember the last time I did for real day drinking. Maybe Sunset Junction? I love it. It reminds me of the college days, hangover Brunch at Bob Dobbs, or Thirsty Thursdays at the Frog, when we were supposed to be at a screening.

This is me with my newish and newest friends, celebrating Powers' 30th, as if a big party the night before wasn't good enough.

We nabbed a good spot for people watching, left the group to meet some other friends for Mexican, then we regrouped at our original spot where we took over the life of a lonely sailor, and accidentally invited a prostitute to join us.

After 7 hours of drinking, I pulled it together to meet Nat for Street Kings. I still heart Keanu.

Slammed!

I've been officially slammed at work. It's good, cause the day goes by really fast and I don't have time to dilly dally, but I'm going to need more staff members soon! We are planning on hiring additional team members are I'm also looking for a larger office space. I wish I could tell you I'm doing something more interesting by the basic cycle is work, sleep, work, drink, sleep. I'm off ninja patrol at the moment since I still have a bum ankle.

Anyway, I'll leave you with some pictures so enjoy! These are Pepper's, from his wanderings in the goldfish market and bird market. I haven't even been there yet.

Good Lucky

Anthony Bourdain went to the races when he was in the Hongk. So it was necessary for us to do the same thing when Pepper and Joel's fam was in town.


Happy Valley Racecourse. So cool to be at a facility surrounded by high rises.



The races are usually on Wednesday nights, and it's a big hit around town. This may be the only regular sporting event around.



The Hongkies come to gamble and the gweilos (translated essentially means ghost man or, whitey) come to drink. The two worlds don't collide. The horses have great names like Fat Dragon, Travel Agent, and Shuttle to Mainland.

The night Pepper and I went, we caught a taxi and our driver didn't speak English, so it was like a game of Taboo to see if he could get us where we needed to be. Happy Valley? Racetrack? Horses? Gambling? He finally figured it out and when we got out he wished us "Good Lucky."

The night I went with Rach, Joel and his fam, it was a little wet outside



But Joel and his bro Sam won some cash.


Just don't gamble your life away.


We then took the winnings to the bar. Joel's mum was such a team player, we hit up Hong Kong Brew House, Le Jardin, Stormies but it smelled bad so we left, Bar George, and ended it like all other good nights... with a Wellington!


Joel's last Wellington.


Joel has ended his three month stint doing IT in the Hongk, spent a minute in Vietnam and is now back in the UK. I miss that kid.

Good Night, and Good Lucky.

Things You Learn About Yourself, Through People You Never Met

Taking a little trip back in time to wind up the Philipine tour.

Back in February, we paid our respects to my grandparents and my mom told us something I never knew. Well, this first part I knew. My parents were pregnant with their first child (that's me!) living in Glendale and on the other side of the world from their family. My dad woke up in the middle of the night and told my mom that his dad was dead. My mom told him to go back to sleep. Later in the morning, they found out my dad had been right.

So I never met my Lolo. I know very little about him, but now this part I know.

He was getting close to his retirement, and he and my Lola had big plans to travel the world. They had been waiting their whole lives. My Lolo passed away one month before retirement.

I didn't need an explanation, but that's why my parents are wacky and awesome... they aint takin nothing for granted. They're lovin their lives and they'll be ready to go when the time's up. I'm the same way. And that's why, from the getgo my parents have pushed me to travel. Who knew I'd actually listen?

It's Called Work for a Reason

Back in the day, when I used to complain about my job, my dad would always say, it's called WORK for a reason. That's why they have to pay you to do it.

When I put my mind to something, I'm amazed at how things actually come to fruition. Live without a car? Check. Travel more? Check. Fill up the passport? Nearly there.

However there are some things that no matter what I do, no matter where I go or how far I run, I can't escape.

On my way out of TV, I just wanted a regular job. Something I could do during regular hours, get regular benefits, regular holidays. My goal was to be LESS of an acheiver, so I could actually enjoy my life. At times, yes, I can leave at 5:30. I now have a regular paycheck, and someday I'll enjoy regular benefits. I still will never get OT, never get public holidays, but whatever. Turns out running a foreign office is pretty darn consuming. It's a good thing that everyone else I know in Hong Kong works til 2 AM and on weekends, so they won't notice. I didn't have to come back to the office after that 5:30 meeting, but here I am, two hours later, and I have always been guilty of not being able to leave the office.

All the big plans (not work related) remain on the backburner, and that's fine. The illiterate Nepalese kids will just have to wait a little longer for their books.

Now back to that spreadsheet...

I Survived Rugby Sevens!

This past weekend I survived my first Rugby Sevens!



That's ok, I didn't know what it was til I got here, but wikipedia will sum it up for you.

Bottom line, it's a world series of Rugby with teams from all over the world. I'm not sure why it's in Hong Kong since there are no sports here outside of stuff expats play. It took place this past weekend and it was a little mad because 40,000 peeps come to HK to party.

I didn't have tickets to any of the games but it didn't matter, there was enough action in the Fong and I survived the crazy, Friday, Saturday AND Sunday.



I missed the good photo opps, but people were decked out in crazy costumes, dudes were in drag, everyone had one of those yard receptacles of alcohol, and limbo was the big thing. It's kinda like Mardi Gras with a crowd that's 10 or 20 years late to Spring Break.



Friday night started off with a great and reasonably priced Sushi dinner with Rach. I'm adding it to my rotation. We sat at the bar with the conveyor belt o sushi, and the most genius invention yet... a hot water tap for easy tea refills.


Back to Rach's hotel for a bit of pre-partying and then we very cautiously entered the Fong.

We found refuge at The Cavern, where the new lead singer of Journey used to play. They are famous for Filipino cover bands and rocked out to some good stuff.


A couple other of our friends met us out and here's Joel after his very last day of work. He'll be leaving the Hongk this week.


After all that dancing, we needed a snack. Nothing defines happiness more than a Wellington at 2 AM.


I woke up on Saturday with the energy to be out and about, so I took a really long tour of the hood and plopped myself in the usual sitting place to read. It was fab.

Saturday night hung out with some old friends and new friends and friends I haven't seen since I first moved here. It was great. It was a very late night though because a couple of my friends had missed the 3 AM ferry back to Lantau Island where they live and they had to wait for the next one around 7 am. But it didn't matter, it was fun and highly enlightening.

After only a few hours I woke up feeling like a wizard. A genius. It was a lazy day, I watched a Heroes marathon, wandered around Mongkok, and met Joel and Rach back at the Fong for a night cap.

It was a fun and action packed weekend and I look forward to this coming holiday weekend... a holiday that I actually get... Ching Ming baby!

PS - New Zealand won.