Northern Expedition
I've left it a bit last-minute, but I shall be heading up to Beijing for the Easter weekend. I'll be going from Shenzhen. Return tickets from HK are at over HK$4000 - you could fly to western Europe and back for less than that! It seems especially daft when you consider that the tickets from SZ are about half the price. It's not usually worth flying through Shenzhen if the difference in price is only in the hundreds of dollars. You'll probably spend that getting the train over the border. But in this case, it's what is referred to in some circles as "a no-brainer".
It will be nice to go back to Beijing and see CK and my friends up there. And possibly get some cheap DVDs. And bring back my DVD player.
My main task while I'm in Beijing is to post my belongings to myself in Hong Kong. Several boxes full of clothes (mostly useless in HK, being winter clothes), DVDs, books and musical equipment have been sitting on CK's balcony all this time. It's going to cost a packet to post my cymbals but I have a feeling it will still be cheaper than buying a new set.
Friday, March 30
Monday, March 26
Tuesday, March 20
Monday, March 19
Fewer shoes
CK went back to Beijing on Sunday morning. The flat already seemed emptier by the time I got back after Mass at St Jude's. Only one pair of shoes next to the door.
On Saturday evening, to inject a happier note, we had dinner at Voyager, a French restaurant (with Breton tendencies) on Graham Street, off Hollywood Road. I recommend the place to any and all who live in or pass through Hong Kong. It's pricey (our meal came to just under HK$800) but worth treating yourself to at least once. It's a small place, so probably worth booking ahead - the two owners provide attentive and affable service. The food itself is not worth killing for, but it's close. I had the duck breast salad as a starter, CK had the mussels ("jet-fresh" flown in from Brittany) and clams in garlic. I think she got the better deal there, but both were good. We both had the sirloin steak, so I can't really compare and contrast the main courses. Suffice it to say I was in a very happy food-place by the time we got to dessert, which for CK was blueberry cheesecake (she kept interrupting the owner while he was going through the desserts with cries of "ooh!", prompting him to reply, "Wait, wait, there is more.") and I had this Breton pudding type thing called far Breton.
So, yeah, Voyager comes highly recommended.
CK went back to Beijing on Sunday morning. The flat already seemed emptier by the time I got back after Mass at St Jude's. Only one pair of shoes next to the door.
On Saturday evening, to inject a happier note, we had dinner at Voyager, a French restaurant (with Breton tendencies) on Graham Street, off Hollywood Road. I recommend the place to any and all who live in or pass through Hong Kong. It's pricey (our meal came to just under HK$800) but worth treating yourself to at least once. It's a small place, so probably worth booking ahead - the two owners provide attentive and affable service. The food itself is not worth killing for, but it's close. I had the duck breast salad as a starter, CK had the mussels ("jet-fresh" flown in from Brittany) and clams in garlic. I think she got the better deal there, but both were good. We both had the sirloin steak, so I can't really compare and contrast the main courses. Suffice it to say I was in a very happy food-place by the time we got to dessert, which for CK was blueberry cheesecake (she kept interrupting the owner while he was going through the desserts with cries of "ooh!", prompting him to reply, "Wait, wait, there is more.") and I had this Breton pudding type thing called far Breton.
So, yeah, Voyager comes highly recommended.
Monday, March 12
Working life
Good grief. When did I become the kind of person that actually uses a desk planner?
Mind you, my probation period should have been over last Thursday, so I'm set here in the office for a while - I say 'should have' as I haven't yet been officially told I'm hired, but the fact that I'm still coming to work and was asked to turn up to the launch seminar for our new range of textbooks on Saturday (and I've got some name cards now) seems to point I'm OK on that front.
CK will be back off to Beijing in about a week. Only about a fortnight more before I go up there over Easter, though, so not too bad. I've also been struggling a bit to be around her - I'm not complaining that she's here, but the fact that I'm out to work every weekday and she isn't means that I can't very well get on with things like freelance writing when I get home. We're already working on getting her a residence permit for Hong Kong, with her uncle sponsoring her.
Good grief. When did I become the kind of person that actually uses a desk planner?
Mind you, my probation period should have been over last Thursday, so I'm set here in the office for a while - I say 'should have' as I haven't yet been officially told I'm hired, but the fact that I'm still coming to work and was asked to turn up to the launch seminar for our new range of textbooks on Saturday (and I've got some name cards now) seems to point I'm OK on that front.
CK will be back off to Beijing in about a week. Only about a fortnight more before I go up there over Easter, though, so not too bad. I've also been struggling a bit to be around her - I'm not complaining that she's here, but the fact that I'm out to work every weekday and she isn't means that I can't very well get on with things like freelance writing when I get home. We're already working on getting her a residence permit for Hong Kong, with her uncle sponsoring her.
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