Hong Kong

Dearest diary,

After such a long time away, it's nice to have nearly a month of chilling with friends. I've spent three weeks in Oz with some brilliant people. Now I'm flying to Hong Kong to see Darrel. Darrel has been in HK for nearly a year now. Unfortunately he's away in Ibiza till Sunday (today is Wednesday). So I will have a few days in HK on my own, but in the luxury of his incredible house in Sai Kung (beautiful green hilly, by the sea, suburb in HK).
The flight from Melbourne is rather hazy, I manage to drink myself silly. Two bloody Marys then six mini bottles of wine. I'm drowning my sorrows. I have a twin seat all to myself so can happily pour my heart out, cry my eyes out, quaff my wine in relative seclusion. Opposite, on the other side of the isle, there is a Chinese man who intrigues me. So far he's buttered his salad, you know the little plastic pot of butter you get, well he scrapes it out and spreads it onto the salad? Then he mixes his beef stir fry with the apple and cinnamon rice pudding desert. My crying is briefly interrupted with chuckling. It's strange how these two emotions are so easily interchangeable. He sort of shovels the food into his mouth, and he also seems to be forever spitting into a funny plastic bag thing. When he's finished, he starts to pick his teeth loudly with the plastic fork, and I see a big bit of something hit his DVD screen monitor. I'm trying so hard not to laugh I'm crying, oh that's how I started. As a finale just when I thought he'd finished, he crumples up the metallic tray all the food has been served on, and tries to place it on the spare table next to him, unfortunately all the remnants of the food drip off the metal and into his lap. I bury myself into my sodden serviette. Thank god I wasn't sitting right next to him. I arrive in HK and sort of saunter through customs. Then once through I call Norma, Darrel's Filipino ama (maid), to ask for directions. I jump into a cab and head into town. Sai Kung is right on the other side of the city, in the burbs...I eventually arrive at the house after some mistakes and lots of misunderstandings the taxi driver. We find the house and wonderful Norma is waiting for me. She shows me round (wow wow wow) and then leaves. I collapse on the sofa drink another glass of white wine (open bottle in fridge). Then up to bed. It's so hot I strip and fall flat on the bed without the cover and wake up lying across the bed totally disorientated.

Sai Kung is a sleepy suburb of HK and in my view quite perfect. The view is stupendous. Darrel and Ross' house is about 5m from the sea. The water is twinkling blue, the trees luscious jungle green, and little white boats bob in the bay. Its about 35 degrees and the suns rays are like lasers. It's so beautiful and I'm so hungover I can't move from the sofa. Later in the afternoon I decide to try to walk into Sai Kung, to find the Internet. I walk in (very hot and sweaty), and cant find it anywhere, or a pink Maybelline mascara for that matter. Find some cool cafes though and order a yummy chicken noodle soup thing and green tea. Its all in Chinese! Don't understand a thing. I quite like this though...I equate being in a foreign land, a bit like my head sometimes. Quite often I feel everyone is speaking in a foreign language to me. I buy a few groceries and head back to the calm of the house for dinner and more TV (DVDs). The next day I hit HK. I have to take a bus to the MTR station up the road (20 mins) then take the MTR into Central (25 mins ish). The MTR is clean, fast and efficient. It takes me into another dimension.
Hong Kong is crazy. What a culture shock. I love it. I spend a fab day just wandering about and taking everything in. The same on Friday. But I call a friend of Yara (who I met in Melbourne). Her friend Yogi lives in HK and shes apparently warned him of my arrival. I call him from street noodle shop in Central under the escalator, on the off chance that he's about. He is! 40 mins later we're slurping vodka tonics in the Buddha Bar. Yogi is a local and keeps bumping into friends he knows. Its all very endearing and a lovely way to be shown HK. Eventually we stagger out of the bar to find more food. Then on the Lan Quai Fong (hideous ex pat street in Central, full of merchant wankers and other city folk, oh and us!) I'm way too drunk, but it's insisted that I try a flaming Absinthe. Why?? It melts the straw and nearly burns all my eyelashes off. Revolting. It's way past my bedtime. I wake up groggy and like Ive been hit by a bus. I decide never to drink ever again. I'm desperate for a camera, since mine is kaput. So we head to Mong Kok (favorite name in HK), to buy me a new camera. I always do good buys when hungover. Well apart from the stick on goblin ears, at the Secret Garden Festival, which I thought were a good buy, stuck them on my ears and then I forgot I had them on for the whole night and the following day. I get a camera. Without it Ive felt like my arms been missing. Its a Canon G9, and in still figuring out how to use it. Yogi is a real gentleman and spoils me rotten. I'm taken out for Dim Sum and then we meet up at Felix Bar at the top of the Peninsular Hotel to watch the dazzling light show in Hong Kong Harbour. The most expensive drink ever, but very worth it. We meet up on Sunday and he shows me how every Sunday all the Filipino maids gather in Central and make makeshift camps, with cardboard boxes and such like. Then they pique nique, do manicures, pedicures, cut hair, gamble, and listen to music. Some do karaoke. The Filipinos are natural singers, and love a bit of karaoke. It's like they are at an enormous festival, but in the center of town. They're all camped under banks and other big business buildings which are shut because of the Sabbath. Then at 1830 we have booked a ride on the Aqua Luna. Which is an old junk ship tarted up so its a bit like a floating Chinawhites. We sail around the harbour and watch the sun set and the light show start up. Luxe Guide is right, Hong Kong skyline kicks New York's butt. I head back to Sai Kung to meet Darrel!

Darrel and I spend a super week chilling. He's back at work but we meet up after and go for dinner. Ive met up with Ken who I met in New Zealand. We've had a great day just hanging out and eating! More Dim Sum and strange Chinese desserts and octopus balls. I drag him along to meet Darrel and we head out for some Thai. Darrel has invited Sarah, who is a sweetheart and drop dead gorgeous. Ive had to break the bad news to Darrel that I'm off the booze. Hes quite grateful. Usually us two out and about = trouble. Darrel and I spend a week of sobriety and its does us good. During our week we do a Kooks concert, I cook the worst soggy noodles ever and we weather a bloody typhoon! Typhoon 'Nuri' hits Hong Kong and everything stops. Darrel and I are neatly cocooned in his house so don't really get the full force. Initially it seems very calm, the calm before the storm. Then it strikes and the wind gets up to 70 mph, not easy smoking a fag in that. I give up. We officially get cabin fever after being holed up the whole day and watching about 50 episodes of Alias and Dexter. We are still sober, god sobers so boring. In the morning the wind has died down. But the wreckage is everywhere. Some of the boats in the bay have sunk and there is all sorts of debris everywhere. Darrel has booked a yoga instructor to visit us and do a class on the roof terrace. Very civilised. I take it easy because of my back. The storm seems to have disturbed dragonfly larvae. After the yoga we sit and chill watching dragonflies buzz above us as the sun goes down. We're heading into town to meet up with Ken, his girlfriend and her sister. On Sunday Ive said I'll help Darrel out doing some errands with him for work. Ive been back into work mode since being in HK and have sorted out my CV and asked around for work. HK is made of money, you can smell it. I'm taken to the swishest shopping mall Ive ever seen to check out cool shop interiors. Beautiful. We also visit Bernice, a lady I worked with for a while back in London and who lives with her boyfriend, a dog and three cats. We're invited over for a bbq. I hope to meet up with her again to discuss a possible venture. Ross, Darrel's boyf has been away in the UK with his parents. He arrives back on Monday and it's great to see him before I shoot off again. I cook us a better dinner (honestly I was starting to worry that I've forgotten how to cook). The next day I have a flight to Manila. I'm dreadfully sad to go. I pack up by bag again, its still saturated even though Ive sent more stuff home. I've treated myself to a cab again because of where we are in HK. I'm really sad to be leaving. I like HK a lot and I hope to be back soon. Darrel has been the most gracious host and has really looked after me. I miss him already. Next stop Manila.

Hair Report: very fucking frizzy.

Hong Kong on a budget? - Don't bother.
In Hong Kong on a budget? - Start crying.

'Wing On' garage.
The Escalator
Flying Pan breakfast 4 x 4 x 4 = four eggs, four bacons, four breads, four sausages etc...BIG (heart attack on a plate and I don't try it).
I go for a walk to the beach behind Darrels house. Chinese boy in wetsuit, goggles and floatation device.
I give up coffee, headache, OW... what the fuck???!
oneatatime.com
Pile Up - sexual slang term.
Alias - Sydney Bristow rocks.
Dim Sum and Chinese tea - perfect.

Imelda hold on, I'm on my way...

xxxx