Monday, March 30, 2009

W Hotel

The W Hotel is literally next door to our apartment. It has a very cool lounge/bar, and we seem to always gravitate there. We go so often that we have a favorite waitress who comps us shots. On Saturday, we went to hear DJ Ravin. Erik took this cool photo.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Cheung Chau

On Sunday, we explored a small island near Hong Kong named Cheung Chau. It is a small, quaint fishing village with lots of seafood restaurants and nice walking paths. It was a very enjoyable day walking around and experiencing a slower paced Hong Kong.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Government House

Recently, I visited the Hong Kong Government House which is similar to the white house in that the Chief Executive lives there. The house is only open once a year for public viewing. The gardens were beautiful, and the interior was lovely, although only a small portion was open. When originally built, there were no buildings near by. Now it is dwarfed on all sides by huge skyscrapers.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Dragon’s Back

On Sunday, I went hiking with my friend S on a well-known trail called “Dragon’s Back”. The hike is along a ridge, and there are sweeping views of Big Wave Bay and the small village/beach town called Shek-O. The area is also very popular for paragliding. We finished the hike in Shek-O with a few beers. The weather could not have been better--low 70s and very clear. It was the first nice day in more than two weeks. Perfect day.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Tagged

I was tagged by The Fab Miss B.

Here are the rules: Instructions: Answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own. Then tag eight other un-tagged people. (I only know 4 others!)

What are you wearing now? Purple jacket and tights with a black A-line skirt and black mary janes.

Do you nap a lot? Rarely

Who was the last person you hugged? Erik

Which item from your closet are you wearing most lately? Very well-fitting new bra from Marks & Spencer. It makes everything look better.

What's for dinner? Leftover pasta

What was the last thing you bought? Vanilla ice cream cone

What are you listening to right now? The hum of the computer server behind me.

If you could have any super power, what would it be? Mind reading

What is your favorite weather, and why? Beautiful, sunny, summer day at the beach, my favorite place on earth.

What time do you usually get up? Before 7:00

What is your most challenging goal right now? The same one as always—trying to find happiness and peace in each day.

Say something to the person who tagged you: The Fab Miss B is uber talented and a wonderful friend. Thanks for being in my life.

Favorite Flower? Iris

Favorite vacation spot? I can’t choose just one. I love something about every place I travel.

Name the things you cannot live without: Coffee

What movies can you watch over and over? Leaving Las Vegas, Darjeeling Limited

What is your favorite tea flavor? Lemon Ginger

What color is your umbrella? Purple

I tag:

fenwickmama
aggie94
Maura

Laura & Marcus

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire

I realize all of you have probably seen the movie, but the international showings are behind the US, so we just saw it this weekend. It was wonderful. All the horrible parts such as the mountains of trash, sprawling shack neighborhoods, and child beggars were very representative of what we saw in India. Before our trip, I read the fiction book A Fine Balance by the Indian writer Rohinton Mistry. It was recommended by our tour company. The book describes many of the other horrors depicted in Slumdog such as the Hindu/Muslim conflicts, ghetto mafia rule, and the general unfairness of life in India. Based on my limited knowledge, this movie did not exaggerate the difficulty of life in the country.

My trip to India changed something fundamental inside of me, and Slumdog Millionaire was a reminder of that change. I am working to make the change one of benefit to myself and this world.