My Birthday and Hong Kong
Last night we left Narita-Tokyo after about an hour on the runway due to rain in the "south pacific seas" according to the pilot. Jon and I sat across the aisle from each other. The young man on my right--who had the window seat--picked his nose and wiped it on his barf bag. It looked like he was just going to leave it there, but he ripped off the soiled piece and folded it before putting it into the bag. After taking off, I sat on Jon's side of the aisle since the only person sitting in the center aisle of the 747 was a young woman who sat on the other aisle. Jon read his new Murakami book--the Vintage British edition of Hard Boiled Wonderland and I read my Vintage American edition of Maxine Hong Kingston's Warrior Woman. Spanglish was the movie they were playing in economy.
For dinner, Jon got the seafood noodles thinking that it was curry seafood. I got the chicken curry. We went half and half on it because they both equally tasted just as good. Jon dropped some curry on one of his few shirts that he brought--of course it was white and not even the same one that already had smatterings of curry from the udon on.
It's my birthday!
Okay, well now it's August 30th, and I'm still unemployed so I thought I might as well do this right.
So what was I saying? We got to Hong Kong around midnight. It was hot and humid and so gross. The airport itself is a nice piece of architecture, but once we got out to take a cab, everything was gross except for air conditioning. We decided to take a cab because the people at the airport hotel desk told us that we could get to the hotel by the time the bus comes. It would cost just about the same amount too. The cab driver did something gross like spit or picked his nose before we got into the cab.
In the cab, there were many instructions on what the cab driver should and should not be doing. One is that they should not be on their cellphones, but of course they all were. Well mostly all were. The ride from HK airport to Kowloon (area just outside of Hong Kong Island) is pleasant. There are lots of lights and tall buildings. The slummy parts from when I was there last time (about five years ago) seemed less slummy. There are also mountains or hills that remind me of driving down from New York state from the Poconos, but these look much more stable. There are also stairs and oddities like that on the mountains.
When we arrived at the hotel, it seemed nice. It definitely was not as breathtaking as the Park Hotel, but it seemed a bit fancy. There was a bar by the elevator shafts that had stinky business men smoking stinky cigarrettes. We arrived in our room, which would be Jon and Jeremy's room the next day. It was HUGE, but the beds were hard. Seriously. the sofa in the room was so much more comfortable. I thought I was getting black and blues from my tossing and turning. The whole place didn't seem that clean either. It had the potential to be four stars, but let's say it was two.
So that was all Thursday. On Friday, it was my birthday. And that's what I kept saying to remind Jon that we had to do what I wanted because: "It's my birthday." We got a message from the front desk from the manager wishing me a happy birthday, and I got two vouchers for birthday drinks at any of the hotel bars. We woke up early to get to Sam's tailors. Because we didn't know where anything was, even with the advent of the Internet at our fingertips, we took a cab. It was about two blocks away. I figured out really quickly where we were relative to everything because Nathan road is like the main artery of Hong Kong.
Sam's Tailor is a very impressive shop with thanks and autographs and pictures from everyone from Bush and Clinton and other American presidents, some Canadian politicians, and then the models like Kate Moss and musicians like Barry Manilow (my birthday buddy) and actors and princes like Prince Charles. The people there spoke English very well. Sam is a nice old Indian man. There were about three other people who helped him. One tall girl who swept and gave us water. A woman who helped us figure out what a suit should look like. And a man who measure Jon. We picked out the fabric and got the estimate and scheduled to come back the next day before dinner.
I was starving. Right outside was a woman selling dim sum, so I made Jon get some since I wasn't about to pronounce anything wildly. The lady apparently yelled at him for his bad pronounciation. I can't even spell the food. It was good though.
We napped and then walked through the park in the middle of everything. There's a community pool/park in the middle of it all. There's also a place with lots of flamingoes where I got a huge mosquito bite. Also a totem pole. I had Jon take a picture with it.
We arrived in the shopping area where it's like shopping on Bergenline. There were stalls and a lot of stores. I found a store that had been there the last time I went to Hong Kong. It had a $1 bin when I was there last time and it was there then. We went in and I got the cutest and best cardigan ever! Jon loves it. I love it too. It's a shame I didn't get more--and when I went back they were all gone. It was only $3. I also got a skirt and a shirt that came with a tank top and necklace for a total of $10. It's the best shop in the world.
Jon bought a clear plastic umbrella that was so fashionable in Tokyo. It started raining too. We found the mall where I got my Veeko coat and glasses the last time I came. We couldn't find the glasses place though.
We went to the Peninsula for dinner at one of the restaurants. The Peninsula is soooooooooooo nice. We were lost and finally we found the shaft that went to the restuarant. The colors in the elevator changed colors when we arrived. I thought it was broken. And that would have sucked because I was starving. Jon checked his umbrella.
The place said to dress nicely, but people were dressed however they wanted. But whatever it was my birthday. I got a delicious drink, and Jon got a really sweet brandy. I ate a great lamb, and I forget what Jon got...a risotto? Western food, I missed. We got a dessert, and I asked Jon to ask the waittress to put a candle on it because it's my birthday. They happily obliged.
There were lots of weird people there for dinner. Like an old woman who wore a see-through shirt that showed her bra. Not the classiest place.
We watched TV and dozed off when everyone else finally came to Hong Kong.
The China trip was finally beginning. Grandpa, Charlotte, Mr. and Mrs. Chin, Jeremy, Aunt Margaret, Aunt Veda, Jean, PoPo, and Ma. All arrived safely.
For dinner, Jon got the seafood noodles thinking that it was curry seafood. I got the chicken curry. We went half and half on it because they both equally tasted just as good. Jon dropped some curry on one of his few shirts that he brought--of course it was white and not even the same one that already had smatterings of curry from the udon on.
It's my birthday!
Okay, well now it's August 30th, and I'm still unemployed so I thought I might as well do this right.
So what was I saying? We got to Hong Kong around midnight. It was hot and humid and so gross. The airport itself is a nice piece of architecture, but once we got out to take a cab, everything was gross except for air conditioning. We decided to take a cab because the people at the airport hotel desk told us that we could get to the hotel by the time the bus comes. It would cost just about the same amount too. The cab driver did something gross like spit or picked his nose before we got into the cab.
In the cab, there were many instructions on what the cab driver should and should not be doing. One is that they should not be on their cellphones, but of course they all were. Well mostly all were. The ride from HK airport to Kowloon (area just outside of Hong Kong Island) is pleasant. There are lots of lights and tall buildings. The slummy parts from when I was there last time (about five years ago) seemed less slummy. There are also mountains or hills that remind me of driving down from New York state from the Poconos, but these look much more stable. There are also stairs and oddities like that on the mountains.
When we arrived at the hotel, it seemed nice. It definitely was not as breathtaking as the Park Hotel, but it seemed a bit fancy. There was a bar by the elevator shafts that had stinky business men smoking stinky cigarrettes. We arrived in our room, which would be Jon and Jeremy's room the next day. It was HUGE, but the beds were hard. Seriously. the sofa in the room was so much more comfortable. I thought I was getting black and blues from my tossing and turning. The whole place didn't seem that clean either. It had the potential to be four stars, but let's say it was two.
So that was all Thursday. On Friday, it was my birthday. And that's what I kept saying to remind Jon that we had to do what I wanted because: "It's my birthday." We got a message from the front desk from the manager wishing me a happy birthday, and I got two vouchers for birthday drinks at any of the hotel bars. We woke up early to get to Sam's tailors. Because we didn't know where anything was, even with the advent of the Internet at our fingertips, we took a cab. It was about two blocks away. I figured out really quickly where we were relative to everything because Nathan road is like the main artery of Hong Kong.
Sam's Tailor is a very impressive shop with thanks and autographs and pictures from everyone from Bush and Clinton and other American presidents, some Canadian politicians, and then the models like Kate Moss and musicians like Barry Manilow (my birthday buddy) and actors and princes like Prince Charles. The people there spoke English very well. Sam is a nice old Indian man. There were about three other people who helped him. One tall girl who swept and gave us water. A woman who helped us figure out what a suit should look like. And a man who measure Jon. We picked out the fabric and got the estimate and scheduled to come back the next day before dinner.
I was starving. Right outside was a woman selling dim sum, so I made Jon get some since I wasn't about to pronounce anything wildly. The lady apparently yelled at him for his bad pronounciation. I can't even spell the food. It was good though.
We napped and then walked through the park in the middle of everything. There's a community pool/park in the middle of it all. There's also a place with lots of flamingoes where I got a huge mosquito bite. Also a totem pole. I had Jon take a picture with it.
We arrived in the shopping area where it's like shopping on Bergenline. There were stalls and a lot of stores. I found a store that had been there the last time I went to Hong Kong. It had a $1 bin when I was there last time and it was there then. We went in and I got the cutest and best cardigan ever! Jon loves it. I love it too. It's a shame I didn't get more--and when I went back they were all gone. It was only $3. I also got a skirt and a shirt that came with a tank top and necklace for a total of $10. It's the best shop in the world.
Jon bought a clear plastic umbrella that was so fashionable in Tokyo. It started raining too. We found the mall where I got my Veeko coat and glasses the last time I came. We couldn't find the glasses place though.
We went to the Peninsula for dinner at one of the restaurants. The Peninsula is soooooooooooo nice. We were lost and finally we found the shaft that went to the restuarant. The colors in the elevator changed colors when we arrived. I thought it was broken. And that would have sucked because I was starving. Jon checked his umbrella.
The place said to dress nicely, but people were dressed however they wanted. But whatever it was my birthday. I got a delicious drink, and Jon got a really sweet brandy. I ate a great lamb, and I forget what Jon got...a risotto? Western food, I missed. We got a dessert, and I asked Jon to ask the waittress to put a candle on it because it's my birthday. They happily obliged.
There were lots of weird people there for dinner. Like an old woman who wore a see-through shirt that showed her bra. Not the classiest place.
We watched TV and dozed off when everyone else finally came to Hong Kong.
The China trip was finally beginning. Grandpa, Charlotte, Mr. and Mrs. Chin, Jeremy, Aunt Margaret, Aunt Veda, Jean, PoPo, and Ma. All arrived safely.
posted by Unknown at 2:19 PM
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