sha yu

---

Hello All!

Thought I would make my location Hong Kong even though I am at my trusty starbucks in Shenzhen because I went there two weeks ago and haven't updated since. My fault for telling you all to email me, used up all my internet time replying.

Hong Kong though, what a place! Definitely on my list of suggested places to visit. Wandered into a Marks and Spencers and looked fondly at all the English food, then walked a street over to a Chinese marketplace where you can buy your live fish and dig through second hand Chinese stores complete with ancient looking chinese scrolls or ratty old shrek dolls. Hopped onto a random ferry and saw the famous victoria harbor skyline. Someone very smart designed Hong Kong and decided all those people wandering around on the street would just be too crowded, so threw in an above road tunnel system (are tunnels just underground?) to keep all the people out of the way. As soon as I stepped off the ferry and into the above ground tunnel it started to typhoon all over the show (it actually rains sideways here) so I was safe. Only lasts half an hour or so, so soon enough I was down on the ground doing my exploring. Found a temple where it rains ash, lit some of my own buddha incense, hope I didn't insult anyone's faith. I like the offering tables here, people leave all manner of fruit, chocolate cakes, and the occasional rice meal in a box. I'm sure buddha appreciates it.

Annoyed a lady trying to sell me paintings by looking very closely at all of them and then telling her I had no money, for a second I thought she might pull a Hong Kong tour guide on me and start shouting. (not sure if that gets onto the western news, but it's all over the news here, yesterday was her official apology to her tour group). Thought it would be a smart idea to get a different ferry back to Hung Hom because that metro station was closer to my way home. Somehow didn't realize Hung Hom was the name of an area, not just a metro station, so spent a few hours chasing broken english instructions around in the rain until I found the "little yellow bus" with a 26 on it and thankfully made it back to the metro station. Visa all set though, so should be here at least until next june when it expires. Given that I don't forget to cross the border every so often, i won't be arriving back in the US with my deportation papers.

I'm sure some hilarious things have happened to me in the last two weeks but whenever I sit down to write all i can think about is dinner. Had some pretty decent food lately, have started to properly documented it so when i get back i can make a good food guide of Chinese supermarkets. Every day I check out the display at the (deli?) and point to some random things. Yesterday I ended up with a crab roll and a squashy orange thing.

Getting into the Chinese KTV scene with some buddies from work, private karaoke rooms generally lead to a good time, good thing Chinese girls don't really drink because I feel that my marist gang could do some pretty good damage with a private room of couches, karaoke machine, and a small table the perfect height for drinking games.

Have met several old men interested in 1. taking me to their home country (which is generally australia or new zealand) and 2. my phone number. I choose either a lie (i dont' have a phone) or the truth (i'm probably not going to call you), which both don't go over too well. I need to prepare a good list of places I need to be so that I'm not clearly searching for a lie.

Last weekend I took a bus to it's last stop and got dropped off in the middle of nowhere. On the map it looked like it was by the ocean but in real life it looked like a road and a bunch of factories and fences. Wandered and luckily found a cool temple where a group of chatty Chinese tourists took 5 pictures with me and gave me a bottle of water and a nectarine. More incense ash rain and a nectarine later, I wandered a bit further and jumped back on my bus (hoping it was going the other way) and was pointed up a large hill to where i hoped to find a statue of a famous guy that was on my map. Found him, and also found probably the oldest thing in shenzhen, the fort built in 1669 to protect against the japanese? Something like that. Funny how I think I am alone in China but I seem to end up with new friends wherever I go. This one happened to be able to explain the history of China in English, which was handy. Bought some ripped off DVDs to finish the day.

This weekend two more people are moving into my apartment, bringing the total to 8. Got a new set of bunkbeds yesterday, Sandy was not pleased, as her double has become a quad. I switched rooms and grabbed the bottom bunk so that I dont' roll out of bed and break my neck in a fit of mosquito slapping and look forward to seeing how 8 people can possibly fit in our tiny little house. I predict it will be something like our ducks' winter house.

Today's highlight: thinking it would be a good idea to carry michael 1 to the toilet because he was barefoot and didn't want to walk in the bathroom after our fun friday water fight, then realizing I had to hold a naked 3 year old crazy kicking boy as he went to the toilet, and then back to the classroom because everyone knows it's impossible to pull a swimming costume back on a wet child, especially when it is a one piece tiger suit with a tail and a hat. Seen more naked boys than I thought I every would.

Loving and missing most of you, thank you for the wonderful emails :) Still safe and happy.

Avalon

---