White people withdrawal symptom

It has barely been two weeks since I left Sydney & I have been suffering from white people withdrawal symptom for about a week. It's just weird. I've been too used to being surrounded by white people in everyday situations that constantly being surrounded by Asians (Honkies mostly, but also Filipinos) has been a little unsettling. Going to the more touristy places like 'Moh Loh' Street (摩囉街) helps a bit. Yesterday's trip to Macau helped even more, because even though there were hoards of Chinese-Chinese there from across the river, there were also relatively more white and white-ish people/tourists. I wonder what I'd feel like when I head north to become a 好漢 & visit the Great Wall next week...

Shopping

East Asia is such a shopping haven. With the high exchange rate (approx. A$1 = HK$6, and A$1 = NT$24), everything just seemed so much cheaper. I bought this pair of Converse (on sale) for just HK$159 (you do your own calculation). I can't get anything like this back in Aus for twice as much!?!?!? Almost bought another pair (red tartan) in Taipei for NT$690 (use a calculator you lazy asses!) but they didn't have my size. Fine! Spoiled my plans for having 5 pairs of red shoes. Guess I'd just have to get by with 4 pairs only :P

Things were even cheaper in Taipei. These were of course my half-day shopping in Dan Shui (淡水). The Snoopy board game you can see, for example, was only NT$300, & it's an official merchandise!!! I've bought more (other stuff I mean) since, but simply couldn't be bothered to take more photos. If only I can bring home all my shopping in First or Business Class luggage allowance & still pay only Economy fare......

Macau tomorrow. Well, if no rain.

Still need to do my SmartID.

Three weddings & a funeral

As most of you who have been following my blog would know that I've already attended 2 weddings this yr - once as a groomsman & once just as a normal guest. On top of that, I would also have alerted you to the fact that there is a third wedding coming up (in about 4 weeks' time), which makes it 3 weddings in the 1 year. The 1st 2 were in & around Sydney, & this 3rd is in HK, so, in an effort to try & make myself finish the blooming PhD quickly, I booked my flights early to arrive HK 5 weeks before the wedding just before the prices started to go up. As such, I'm here (HK) already. Alas, writing being writing thy just come & go at will (not my own will) so needless to say I still haven't submitted the darn thing. In fact, I've brought along Ch 1 with me to fix up while here in HK. Anywho, that's beside the point. I arrived late Wednesday night (re: previous blog entry) & by Friday (yesterday) morning the '3 weddings' turned into '3 weddings & a funeral'. My cousins NG's & Clara's grandma was involved in a traffic accident - she was hit by a school bus while crossing a suburban street & was killed instantly. Sad news, sad news. I've met her quite a few times throughout the years, always a kind lady. Shall be sadly missed. Actually, come to think of it, it is getting awfully similar to the plot in 4 Weddings & A Funeral, where there were 3 weddings, then a funeral, & then the botched 'wedding' between Hugh Grant & Andie McDowell. Hmm, who will be the permanently engaged '4th wedding' in this episode?

Hump day

It’s hump day and, no, there’s no hump in any sense. Right now I’m in the departure lounge of the Sydney International Airport waiting for my flight to Honkers. I’m off for 5 weeks to see family, do yet another wedding (that’s #3 for the year. Thankfully no more for a little while :P), and travel through East Asia for a bit. By East Asia of course I mean only Taipei & Beijing. Got the Taipei trip booked, just need to do my China travel document when I arrive & I can go & book my Beijing trip. Back home in time for another blisteringly hot Xmas. Yes, I’m a sucker for torture :P

Now that I think of it, there was a little hump. Flying Virgin Atlantic for the first time & as I found out they’re not very lenient with the luggage situation. Everyone’s allowed 23kg, but because of the weighty souvenirs & gifts that I’m bringing with me (mostly food – 2 x 3kg tubs of premium honey, a dz of Tim Tams (bar original flavour)) I ended up being overweight (well, my check-in). Also, they have a lower carry on allowance (6kg instead of the normal 8kg), so when I got to the counter I was asked to move some of my carry on into my checked in, which pushed it overweight (I was 26.something to begin with. The move pushed it to 28.something) & they charged my $60 for it!! That’s like half of my TRS gone! Even the old trick of 'but I weigh next to nothing' didn't work. Must stock up on duty free on the way back !?!#(!%*

Great, more humping. We were already on the runway when the captain announced that 1 of the wheels' cap was loose & we had to turn back & have it re-fastened. An hour's delay. That's why I only just arrived an hour late. A quick shower, & it's already 4am Sydney time. Some zzz might do me good.

Melbourne Cup 2006

It was that time of the year again & of course everyone has to have a little bet. I was no exception. It is the only time of the year that I actually gamble (well, apart from the occasional lottery tickets, hee hee), but unlike last year there wasn't a hot HOT favourite like Makybe Diva last year. Not really a horse person myself, I obviously had little/no idea on what to bet on this year. For some reason, Pop Rock stood out, & with my usual tactic of 5-&-5 on 2 horses, I need a second horse. Given that I had pretty good luck with the hot favourite last year I went with the favourite (Tawqeet) at the time. Not that I thought that it would win with that shoe problem, but there was still hope of placing, so I went with it. Back to the office, the office sweeps started going. Not wanting to feel left out, I went in on a couple of bucks as well. & which horses did I get? Land 'n Stars &, wait for it, Pop Rock! On the tiny, snowy TV in our conference room, we watched the race as we were still dishing out the snacks. Pop Rock, Tawqeet and Land 'n Stars did not feature anywhere in the front pack. Great, $22 down the drain. But wait, it's coming back, it's coming back, it's catching up... Ah crap, half a nose! Bloody Japanese horse Delta Blue won by half a nose over Pop Rock! Well, at least I won some back from TAB & the office sweeps.


Absolutely exhausted right now. Brutal tennis session last night, playing in light drizzle. The balls were so much heavier & so much harder to move around & slide around. Luckily I had 2 leftover bananas when I got home so the recovery session is going well.

Finalising 1st year marks in 1/2 hour. After that am done with teaching. Oh wait, there's still the marking of the 3rd year online tutorials. Hmm, can't wait to get out of here & do some packing that I said I would do last wkend...