Becoming a Real citizen

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Things are progressing extremely smoothly: I have a bank account now, I have found a flat, and I have registered for a resident Hong Kong ID card!
The flat is in the Mid Levels part of Hong Kong, ie near the centre of the city and it's actually where many many many many (yeah you get it) expats live. I was actually set on living somewhere a little bit more "authentic", where there are Chinese shops and supermarkets. But then I saw the flat and loved it at first sight. And it's on the 28th floor, and given my birthday is also a 28th, that was a HUGE SIGN, right?
Yes I am becoming supersticious like the Hong Kong people. For example here they really don't like the number 4, because it's a sign of death. So in many buildings, they simply leave it out of floor numbers, so in the elevator you see 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 etc. Same for 21, 22, 23, 25 etc. Sometimes they simply put the ground floor on floor number "5". The old buildings though still have the "4" numbers (apparenly older people don't really give a damn as much as the younger folk) and I am pretty sure the rent is much cheaper on the 44th floor. Which is a good deal because usually the higher you go, the more you pay.
Oh yeah and the one funny thing about my future new building, is that it's Bright Pink. Yup, as if Barbie herself had designed it.
The moving in date should be at the end of this month, watch this space for the pictures! (yes it will be pictures of a totally empty flat though, as it comes totally unfurnished, and all I have so far is a mattress, and a book shelf..).

Going to get my ID cas was really efficient and organised, as I suspected. I turned up at the Immigration Tower (imagine, there are so many people arriving in HK they need a whole 25 floor building to process it all). I got given a ticket with a number on - You then sit and wait for your number to come up (like in Europe), but the incredible thing the numbers appear on massive flat screens (not like in Europe). Then I sat with a lady who took my finger prints in a machine (this is mainly for the airport tourist queue-jumping, with an ID card you just swipe your fingers through and don't even need to speak to an airport immigration guy). She also took my picture, and was kind enough to ask me: "Are you sure you don't want to arrange your hair a little bit?". THANKS LADY. But I did as suggested and she took two beautiful shots of my face and I even got to chose which one I wanted to keep. What a service eih?

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Photos

Hello Hong Kong
Last call to board the Thai Airways flight to Hong Kong.

London Crowd
A piece of London in Hong Kong, with Catherine, Valerie and Michiel

Csaba - about to be hit by the Pepper Mill
More London in HK :)

The Peak
The Peak, the mountain on top of HK, feels like being on top of the world. The tower here is IFC2, which is where I work!

View from the Peak
Feels like having the city at our feet

Three girls and a baby
Valerie, Elena, and Evan. Near a rubber tree

My temporary flat
My current flat, piece of living room and room

View from my flat
So currently, when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I see is the office! (tall tower in the background)

The Escalator
And here is the escalator that goes up the Mid Levels, my daily commute

The Barbie Building
Spot my future new flat on the 28th floor

Comments

[nadejda]

are you really in HK?
Looking at the photos I have a little doubt: are you really in HK? and it is not a photomontage? I see same faces I saw visiting you last time in London :)....

[ElisabethV]

London HK
I know, it's a bit confusing. Though I do hope to get more shipments of London and Paris faces soon :-)