So what have we been doing for the past 2 months?
The following in order of events:-
The following in order of events:-
- Stef went to Paris and got caught up in the volcano frenzy
- My sister Julie came out for two weeks to see her new nephew Charlie
- It was my brother Steve and sister Julie’s birthday
- I passed my PADI Open Water Scuba Diver qualification
- Stef started at JP Morgan Chase in Sha Tin
- My old school mate Steve Brown came to HK on business
- I have successfully interviewed with a Japanese bank and just awaiting formal job offer
- We went to the Hong Kong Museum of History
- We got a dog from the Protection of Animals Lantau South (PALS)
- My brothers' mate Clive came out for 2 weeks
- I enrolled on a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course
1. When we arrived back from Australia, time was tight for Stef, as she was due to start work on the 26th April at JP Morgan Chase in Sha Tin. The highest priority for her was to go to Paris and see her parents and family. So, just two days after our holiday, she took another long-haul flight back to Paris. It coincided with the Icelandic Volcano eruption and she ended up spending 5 more days with her family - fortunately no big problem there.
2. and 3. My sister Julie came out to stay with us for 2 weeks, to see her twin brothers' new son Charlie and also to celebrate their birthday together on 25th April.
For the twins birthday we had a bar-b and Isabella was 1st to be ready
Half cooking, half eating and messing around..
Stef had literally just arrived back from the airport
..and everyone got a present
Yes everyone!
Then we had the twins birthday presents
and some silly cards...we had a great night!
Jumbo
We hired a San Pan to get us there, rather than the free boat
And we begged the lady to drop her prices..
San Pan
We ate in the more impressive 2nd floor restaurant
...and ordered everything on the menu, twice
...and then ate it all!
The wine gave us delusions of grandeur and we took to the throne
Our last good meal
And we now rule the Kingdom of Jumbo
We had a great night in Wan Chai, that's Steve on RHS & Neil LHS
We went to some lively bars!
Julie arrives April 12th and I pick her up in the Z3 convertible
Lunch at Tung Chung Food court with nephew Ben
Isabella gets excited by the fountains in Tung Chung
Isabella, Steve, Ben, Olivia and 1 month old Charlie
Isabella and brother Ben at Hong Kong Park
Isabella and Ben chill
Me, Julie, Olivia and Charlie spent a very wet but enjoyable lunch on the local island of Cheung Chau
Me and the twins go to Temple St night market - great trip!
Tired after a long hard shop, we have dinner and a beer at a Dai Pai Dong (outdoor food stall)
A successful trip, as we wait for the Star Ferry on the Harrods coloured seats
Steve does us Sunday lunch
We went to the Flower Market on Flower St in Mongkok
Then next door to the Bird Market
The Bird Market has shrunk dramatically since the bird flu outbreak a few years ago
Charlie is happy anywhere...
Mongkok fruit market and Ladies market
Steve, Olivia and Charlie thinking about yams
Some great bargains
And some great bikes!
Home on the Star Ferry and then the First Ferry back to Mui Wo
Dinner in Rat Alley at Lan Kwai Fong is always good!
On the way to Sha Tin races
A day at the races
We went to Cheung Sha beach for lunch one day - looks like we're always eating!
We washed the cars on the way to the beach
I wonder which car Julie will want to travel in?
The following day was Julie's last day and 1st we went to Tsim Sha Tsui on the Star Ferry, walked through Kowloon Park to Temple St. and then came back down to pick up her taylor'd suit and then over to Central. We took a taxi from Central to Steve's old work place, Shambala in Ap Lei Chau for some shopping and then on to lunch at the famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen.
...and ordered everything on the menu, twice
That was it for Julie's trip, she's very energetic and likes to burn the candle at both ends, so myself and Steve were pleased to say goodbye to her at the airport ;o) But we've now recovered, so she's welcome back anytime.
4. You'll be pleased to know that there are no photo's of me passing the week long theory for the PADI Open Water Scuba Diver course, or of the 6 dives in Sai Kung in 2 days. Just to know that i'm now a card carrying member.. We'll go diving in the Philippines, where it's much more scenic underwater.
5. Stef started at JP Morgan Chase in Sha Tin and Quarry Bay on Monday 26th April the same day Julie flew back to the UK. She's getting on well there, but working far too hard for my liking.
6. My old school mate Steve Brown, yes another one – there were 3 Steve Browns in my/my brothers year at school, came to Hong Kong/Shenzhen on business.
7. Over the past few weeks I've had a number of successful interviews with senior global management at a Japanese bank in Central. All looks good and I'm just waiting for HR Tokyo approval. And then the parties over for me as well ;o(
8. A few weekends ago we went the Hong Kong Museum of History and also walked down from Victoria Peak to the mid-levels.
But were really pleased to see the depth of history on display
I've always been interested in the history of Hong Kong and have read quite a few books now, but this museum was a gold mine!
The displays were excellent and we'll go back and back
Whole shops are recreated
With great enlarged photos - this is of the Tea trading
I may do a whole blog on the History of Hong Kong
HK Island with the old pagoda amongst the shanty towns - now THE most expensive real estate in the world!
Interesting - click twice to enlarge
But Margaret Thatcher gave it all back, signing the Joint Declaration in Beijing on 19th Dec, 1984
A sad day on the 1st July 1997 when the handover was effected - I know we stole HK, but we played a major part in the success it is today
Great pic, great museum
Charged up after that great visit to the Museum, we took the Star Ferry over to Central/Hong Kong Island and took a taxi up to Victoria Peak. It was a bit foggy up there (not smoggy as it can be..), but the views from HK across to Kowloon and the New territories were still good. We walked around the peak, and then down to the Mid-Levels, before getting the boat home.
Tallest building is International Financial Centre IFC Two, the Feng Shui Bank of China is in the centre
The funicular train up to the peak
Love the trees!
Great walk down amongst the sub tropical flora and fauna
9. Now this is a bit of a shock, although not entirely... I was working on Stef for about 6 months to agree to move to Hong Kong, and one of the things I kind of promised her, was that we could finally get the dog that she'd always wanted. Unfortunately we regularly eat at a local restaurant in Silvermine Bay called the China Beach, Rachel cooks great food and Julie serves it whilst we gaze out across the South China Sea every saturday lunch time. Well they happen to have a lot of dogs (yes, they scare the $hit out of me most of the time!) and a couple of weeks ago they asked us what dog we liked the most, to which we replied a Jack Russell (I thought it was as safe bet as there are very few of them here..). They checked with the Protection of Animals Lantau South (PALS)
Wilson is a Jack Russell / Chihuahua cross
Isabella's taken to him big time!
We walk him together every lunch time now
They're about the same size with the same energy
High energy that is! (Steve's dog Ruby in the background)
So there it is...18 month old Wilson with 3 years old Isabella
We now have a dog that I walk 3 times a day
10. My brothers' mate Clive and family came out for 2 weeks to stay with his in-laws
11. Finally, I enrolled on a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) online course. And that's how I'm spending my days at the moment. Hopefully I'll be qualified in a couple of weeks and maybe some time in the future I'll use these skills... There's big demand for them over here in Asia in general.
