Okay. Let's start with a challenge. Thought it might be interesting to try and keep you all motivated to read my tales over the next weeks and months so from now on, every e-mail will have a line from a song interwoven oh so subtly within the revealing cultural insights and witty stories from everywhere I go. The challenge then, is to keep a record of each song and the relevant artist and the person with the most correct answers next May will win a fabulous prize, yet to be acquired. We'll start with an easy one so see if you can spot the famous song as we go along.
Arrived in Hong Kong, or to give it it's relatively new, proper name, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), early on Sunday morning (Nov 2nd) after a long 11 hour flight and checked into my hotel on the Kowloon peninsula which lies north across the harbour from Hong Kong island itself.
Have explored most of the Kowloon and Hong Kong Island areas and it turns out to be everything I've seen and read about. By day, it's warm, humid, slightly polluted (weatherman says we need rain) and non stop busy. By night, it's Blade Runner, illuminated by buzzing neon with the aromas of all types of exotic cooking, sizzling and steaming from what seems like every doorway. Have actually been out for Chinese food on three of my four nights here, although here, of course, they just call it... 'food'! (Joke © Chandler Bing)
Peaceful gardens and temples lie serenely between the skyscraper canyons and the whole things feels like someone's thrown San Francisco and New York together and then tossed it across the Pacific. One of the main differences, however, is that I'm one of the tallest people here! In fact, I've found it really surprising when I see another western face. Dropped in to the historic Peninsula Hotel on Sunday to experience some British Empire opulence and then found out later that Sting was upstairs at the same time holding a press conference for the launch of his new album and singing a few songs. DOH!
On Monday, got the Peak Tram to the top of the... eh... Peak for spectacular views of the city and also visited Lantau Island to see one of the largest Buddha statues in the world called, appropriately enough, The Big Buddha. This involved a hair-raising bus journey through the mountains with a driver who had a love affair with his accelerator and only a fleeting but abrupt relationship with his brakes. Approaching one village, we pass a sign saying "Slow Pedestrians" which I read as if it has a comma in the middle. Feel a bit stupid at not understanding the nuances of the language however, when I find out that this clearly means put your foot down smartish before any ambling pensioners or disabled people can think about crossing the road.
Interactions with the locals have been interesting. To date, I've had about 73 Indian gentlemen approach me asking "Suit Sir? Very cheap!" and one elderly Cantonese woman ask me if I would like a "message". Her hand gestures suggest something very different so before she can spit out the word "thleesome?", I'm running in the opposite direction. Not daft me, I've heard about those triad gangs! Strangest approach I've had though was from a man/woman in a bar who came right up face to face with me and whispered, "Scaramouche, scaramouche, will you do the fandango?" Very, very frightening, I can tell you!!!
Also got fleeced for $100 (about 8 quid) by a Holy/Con Man who accosted me at a coffee shop, did some slight of hand with bits of paper containing lucky numbers and colours and told me that I MIGHT (not WILL) have some good luck between 2004 and 2006. He actually wanted $1000 for this stunning news and was insisting on accompanying me to the ATM to withdraw it. I told him that he'd get the balance in the next life or between 2004 and 2006, whichever comes first!
Was going to go to the famous Happy Valley racecourse tonight to give away the rest of my Hong Kong dollars but just found out that it's the one week of the season that they move the meeting to a Tuesday because of the Melbourne Cup. Oh well, will just have to have a starter AND a dessert with my dai pai dongs, whatever the hell they are!
Tomorrow morning, I fly to Bangkok for nearly four weeks touring around Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. I've heard so many diverse stories about these places, some good, some not so good, that I'm expecting nothing but the unexpected. Till next time.
Your No.1 Super Guy
Neil x
P.S. Well, did you spot it?
Arrived in Hong Kong, or to give it it's relatively new, proper name, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), early on Sunday morning (Nov 2nd) after a long 11 hour flight and checked into my hotel on the Kowloon peninsula which lies north across the harbour from Hong Kong island itself.
Have explored most of the Kowloon and Hong Kong Island areas and it turns out to be everything I've seen and read about. By day, it's warm, humid, slightly polluted (weatherman says we need rain) and non stop busy. By night, it's Blade Runner, illuminated by buzzing neon with the aromas of all types of exotic cooking, sizzling and steaming from what seems like every doorway. Have actually been out for Chinese food on three of my four nights here, although here, of course, they just call it... 'food'! (Joke © Chandler Bing)Peaceful gardens and temples lie serenely between the skyscraper canyons and the whole things feels like someone's thrown San Francisco and New York together and then tossed it across the Pacific. One of the main differences, however, is that I'm one of the tallest people here! In fact, I've found it really surprising when I see another western face. Dropped in to the historic Peninsula Hotel on Sunday to experience some British Empire opulence and then found out later that Sting was upstairs at the same time holding a press conference for the launch of his new album and singing a few songs. DOH!
On Monday, got the Peak Tram to the top of the... eh... Peak for spectacular views of the city and also visited Lantau Island to see one of the largest Buddha statues in the world called, appropriately enough, The Big Buddha. This involved a hair-raising bus journey through the mountains with a driver who had a love affair with his accelerator and only a fleeting but abrupt relationship with his brakes. Approaching one village, we pass a sign saying "Slow Pedestrians" which I read as if it has a comma in the middle. Feel a bit stupid at not understanding the nuances of the language however, when I find out that this clearly means put your foot down smartish before any ambling pensioners or disabled people can think about crossing the road.Interactions with the locals have been interesting. To date, I've had about 73 Indian gentlemen approach me asking "Suit Sir? Very cheap!" and one elderly Cantonese woman ask me if I would like a "message". Her hand gestures suggest something very different so before she can spit out the word "thleesome?", I'm running in the opposite direction. Not daft me, I've heard about those triad gangs! Strangest approach I've had though was from a man/woman in a bar who came right up face to face with me and whispered, "Scaramouche, scaramouche, will you do the fandango?" Very, very frightening, I can tell you!!!
Also got fleeced for $100 (about 8 quid) by a Holy/Con Man who accosted me at a coffee shop, did some slight of hand with bits of paper containing lucky numbers and colours and told me that I MIGHT (not WILL) have some good luck between 2004 and 2006. He actually wanted $1000 for this stunning news and was insisting on accompanying me to the ATM to withdraw it. I told him that he'd get the balance in the next life or between 2004 and 2006, whichever comes first!
Was going to go to the famous Happy Valley racecourse tonight to give away the rest of my Hong Kong dollars but just found out that it's the one week of the season that they move the meeting to a Tuesday because of the Melbourne Cup. Oh well, will just have to have a starter AND a dessert with my dai pai dongs, whatever the hell they are!Tomorrow morning, I fly to Bangkok for nearly four weeks touring around Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. I've heard so many diverse stories about these places, some good, some not so good, that I'm expecting nothing but the unexpected. Till next time.
Your No.1 Super Guy
Neil x
P.S. Well, did you spot it?
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