looks like I'm staying a while

Ok so I can't tell you I've moved out just yet but ...

Two exciting developments at work are that I've passed my 3 month probation period (not sure how, it's only been a little over 2 months and I'm sure I deserve to be fired but there you go!) and I've found the kitchen! The second point was kind of vital, I'm not sure why it took me about two months but I can now drink rancid tea (sits stewing on a hot plate all day) whenever I want to and more importantly I now have access to the office gossip circle!!!

In other news I'm now officially fit, I've not actually physically done much to promote this beyond the amazing round of golf however I've joined a gym (only been once but I hear it's the thought the accounts) and I've signed up to a local footie team.

The footie team has proved rather interesting as I'm the only none Chinese person in the squad and in the two games I've played so far I've been the only one on the pitch! I admit it, communication is a bit of an issue but they let me play in the middle of the field and don't complain about my lack of skill in English so I can only assume everything's ok.

What was an issue for a while was me thinking everyone was shouting to me as people kept calling "gwy" meaning white person (short for gwylow - phonetic spelling - literally translated it means ghost). However my paranoia proved unfounded as gwylow in football also means man on, as in someone is shadowing you or there's a ghost behind you, makes sense really but for a while there...

On top of learning to say white man or man on I've also picked up an amazing five Cantonese phrases (though one doesn't really work!). I know, all in a little under five months, clearly a natural linguist! So, to help you out if you're ever over in HK here is my first Cantonese lessons for you - Taxi Cantonese;-

Gin jaw - turn left
Gin yow - turn right
tchek hoi - straight on (the one that doesn't work very well - not perfected it just yet!)
Lido - here (stop here)
Um goy (sai)- excuse me/ Thank you (very much)

I know I've not reported exciting eating for a while but, a few weeks ago Woo was over in HK (joined me at the lingerie fashion show the lucky bugger!) and under his slightly dodgy guidance I ate a 1000 year old egg, a local delicacy apparently! In reality they are 100 days old duck eggs preserved (if you can call it that) in powdered ash, strong black tea and garden soil (after I'd tried it I was told horse urine is also used but thankfully that's just a myth) - the white is a translucent gelatinous brown, the yoke a putrid dark green, a real must try!!!

You may or may not remember my theory from Africa that stated that things that don't die easily taste better (ie, Gemsbok - strong, fast antelope with big horns are hard to kill and taste great, sprouts on the other hand can't move, aren't big or strong, grow at a convenient height for picking and taste crap!). I can tell you the African theory also works here in HK, 1000 years old eggs are clearly suicide cases and are rancid.

And that's me, I'd explain why I've not moved just yet but it's really all far to complicated so I'll save that for a later date. Hope you're well and having as much fun as I am.

Laters

Jonathan

Still in O Pui Village
New Territories
HK

China tripping

I know I've been saying its happening for a while but I can now say I'm 100% legal!!! A couple of weeks ago I took the train to Lo Wu on the Chinese boarder and passed through immigration and had my HK working visa stamped, happy days!

Now seeing as I made the effort of getting a Chinese visa to be able to leave HK and taking the 45 minute train ride up there it seemed ridiculous not to take advantage of the opportunity to take in a little prime Chinese culture, namely shopping for counterfeit goods!

Now I'm not a big fan of shopping but Lo Wu Commercial City is an "interesting" place to browse through for a couple of hours. It's the home to everything you could possibly want an illegal copy of (yes, I went to China to become legal and use the trip to smuggle illegal goods back into HK - nice!) so... Now I didn't go crazy but, on top of the standard instant DVD collection I picked up I made the important investment of about 75pounds to buy a set of Taiwanese fake Taylor Made golf clubs.

You'll note they are Taiwan fakes here, none of the rubbish knock offs China produces, these are high quality graphite shafted pieces of art, and having bought them I clearly had to try them out.... And so last Tuesday Sean and I took the ferry into China, found the country's hardest course (water and sand everywhere), hired caddies (oh yes!) and off we went.

I don't know but I think the caddies may have been laughing at us not with us as the first 4 balls we played were sliced dramatically and flew amazingly quickly into the lake were trying to play over to reach the fairway - not dream start!!! However, having banished our ridiculous jumbo sized drivers to the bottom of our rather funky fake golf bags the game got underway. I have to admit, the pro surfing tour hasn't called about my exploits in Oz but after last Tuesday I'm quietly confident the PGA as searching for my HK number!

Other than my two trips up into China and an accumulative time of 9 hours outside HK I've not done a massive amount. I've not quite moved out of Sean and Bev's place as yet but have found a flat and flat mate so just need to sort out the fine print. Sonny (Sean and Bev's dog) has become slightly less annoying by becoming slightly less of a dog I almost felt sorry for the mutt when he returned from the vet less two vital parts of his anatomy, haha!

And that's pretty much it, oh except that last Thursday I had the stressful obligation to spend a night in the VIP section of a lingerie fashion show. Free champaign and scantily clad models, what can I say, life is tough!

And that is it so, until the next time, bye for now

Jonathan

The Center
Central
HK