Day ?

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Well what a busy few days it has been. Since I last blogged, we spent a day at Disneyland HK and before you hear it from someone else, yes I did a very stupid thing. If I thought I could keep it under wraps I would not say anything but I know that Mr. Perfect (aka NIck) will blab to all. I went for a ride on Space Mountain. Yes I did and of course I got vertigo. People probably thought I was a bit tipsy as I stumbled around for the rest of the day but it did wear off by the next day. So there, you heard it from me first.

Nick had the opportunity to take in his favourite ride at Disney. "It's a Small World'. He wanted to go round a third time but we had to say no as it was getting late but we did agree to another ride on Dumbo instead.

One conversation that repeatedly comes up is this:

Hello Madam. This your son?
Yes
This your daughter?
No. That's my son's friend.
Oh. They look the same. (ie. pale with brown hair).

And I finally realize that just as Asian people in general look the same to us, we all look the same to them. The people have been amazing. We have learned how hard life is for some of them. There are many "touts" or toads as Sarah thought they were called - and these are men in their 20-30's who come mostly from Bangladesh or Pakistan. They stand on every corner and try to sell you "genuine Rolex watch, copy Prada bag". We learned from one man that he will only get home to see his wife and children every 2-3 years. And yes, I did buy myself a genuine copy of a Rolex Lady Date Just'. Looks very nice on my wrist instead of my 25 year old watch which has seen better days.

The hostel where we have stayed is full of tiny shops run by Indian and Pakistani merchants. They sell Indian food and there are even several dessert stalls. My favorite is gulab jamun and burfi - I think it is made from condensed milk but very delicious and much healthier then a slice of western dessert such as cheesecake.

Food prices to eat out are very cheap in HK. The food is so varied and delicious and healthy because it is all fresh - no frozen or canned or processed. You can eat really well and not worry about putting on weight. When the food is flavourful you are satisfied with less.

I am currently sitting in the airport waiting to board the flight to Bangkok. We should arrive by around 7pm and we agreed that we would be taking a swim when we get to the hotel. It will be a welcome change of pace after the hustle and bustle of HK.


On a side note, we are very glad that we brought Sarah with us. First of all, she is a lot of fun but also Nicholas listens to her. He won't listen to me anymore and I feel like chopped liver. So I will console myself with shopping. And another thing about shopping. Sarah takes it to a whole new level - a competitive sport of sorts whereby the race is not over until every store has been checked out or until you physically cannot go any further. HK was mall heaven for her but she is proving to be a savvy shopper and knows a good bargain. NIck says that he doesn't understand why women like to shop so much and we don't really mind that he doesn't understand. Maybe he will one day - or not.

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