Merry Christmas everybody.

Maybe Santa will come and visit some of us tonight, maybe, if we’ve been nice and good people through out the year. I meet him on the 20est in Sai Kung. It was the day we were leaving to go to holiday in Aberdeen –not the Hong Kong version, but the real one, in Scotland. Well I was surprised to see him there on the 20est, but then again I thought that would kind of be all right as he then could manage to be here n Scotland sometime tonight to unload all our presents. Just to be sure he knew that we were not in our house in Tai Wan village a approached him and made him clear we wouldn’t be there. By the way, I’m not sure how he can manage to give the Hong Kong people their presents, as there are no chimneys on Hong Kong houses. FA change from the recent 23 degrees during the day, to just above 0 degrees in just 12 hours. It could be a very quick change from summer to winter, without the autumn but it isn’t. That is the fact when you travel from Hong Kong to Scotland in December, so if you believe it or not, it was two very cold passengers who got picked up at the airport in Aberdeen at noon on Sunday the 21st. The preparations for the arrival of Santa in the morning is all going well and we’re on time, the 7,5 kilo turkey is in its “bath” of water, herbs and different vegetables, just waiting the last 24 hours before being cooked, the stuffing is ready, the sausages wrapped with nice slices of bacon and the wine is selected and put in the right temperature, so what could possible go wrong; well the fact that Santa is still stuck in Sai Kung, enjoying the nice temperatures around there. Merry Christmas to all out there and enjoy the next few days – and more- and don’t eat too much. And just to follow the big majority of UK shops and warehouses: en joy Slade and their Christmas hit from 1977: “Merry Xmas everybody”

Glædelig julemåned

It is hard to get in a Christmas mood with temperatures at around 20 degrees and sunshine from a clear blue sky.
The shops and big shopping centers tries their best though, as all over, everything is set and decorated for the biggest shopping event of the year; the Christmas shopping. And what is a Christmas without the Christmas markets? In Dresden we got spoiled in that case, in fact in all of Germany they get the best of that kind in nearly every city, town or village, and exactly at the weekend they opened one of the most famous ones; "the Christ Kindl Markt" in Nuerenberg, our school had the yearly Christmas fair.
Around the buildings and all over the basket courts and playgrounds the parents support had put up numbers of stalls, selling all kinds of goods and food. It is a nice tradition and a couple of thousands came to celebreate this "summer" Christmas fair.
But who can drink "Glueh Wein" or "Ruhm Grog" by sunny 23 degrees? No that was not the way to adapt some Christmas mood, and the lot's of Santa figures and the Christmas trees planted around the school area didn't help either as they didn't look real to me or how I remember them from happy my childhood in the dark and cold Christmas time in the middle of no where in Denmark, where the snow nearly covered every thing, except maybe the big chimneys of the the saw mill. So I guess I have to go through December again without any kind of Christmas feeling, just like last year.
But what, it isn't worth it either, and in about one month everybody have forgotten already.
By the way, tomorrow -the 4th of December at 7:30 PM, my football team -(Traktor)Sai Kung Yacht- has a game on the grass pitch in town, so I have to go out and buy some real football boots, but that hasn't any thing to do with Christmas either.

Last Christmas we went to Hanoi

It is the 1st of December and we’ve opened to first door in the Dresden Christmas calendar which Lone –my sister in law send to us after they visited Dresden in October. Well, already again Christmas time. Amazing how time just flies past us and leaves us stunned and older. Like last year the Christmas mood doesn’t seem to get to us here in the south china area, and mainly that is because of the weather. November has been extremely beautiful and nice. It has become colder though, now the temperature sometimes at night goes down to 14 degrees, and during the day only up to 22 to 23 degrees, and the humidity has dropped to about 60, so it feels rather cool but quite nice, in fact like in the summer in Europe. The Christmas month has started and like last year I will try to post something Christmas like everyday like the doors in a Christmas calendar. Last year we spent the holidays in Hanoi in Vietnam visiting Julia Hatch, and this is where to days Christmas picture is taken. And why do I show that now? Well, among my colleagues at work, there is a lot of people from Australia and New Zee land, And in November the males normally grow a beard or a mustache to put focus on men’s health. So did I, and at the end of the month it is common that you show a picture of a famous resemblance. This is not what I choose, but I am too shy to show the famous person I in fact chose, so here you have one, to who’s famous beard I couldn’t reach in a month. (And a photo that shows my November Mo and OK then, but just for you; my resemblance)

A completely new perspective

Not long time ago someone told me to be patient, and that the good things will come to whom who wait. Looking back on my life I can only agree on that. One week ago one of the residents here in Tai Wan village, Bruce, asked me if I would like to inherit a set of golf clubs he had in his house, as he couldn't bring them on the move when his was going to move house.
It was down at the village watering hole, and I was a bit skeptical about it, as I know myself, and knew that could just mean another obsession. I tried to avoid the theme and told him; "maybe, let's see".
But he wanted to know, as those clubs meant something to him and he wouldn't just throw then away. Then Ralf, my German friend around here, caught up with the conversation and as he understood what was going on, he just told Bruce, that of course I would take the clubs, and use them and he personally would teach me how. Then I was caught, and couldn't resist as I understood that those clubs had a history, and a value and that it was important to Bruce to give them to somebody who would have a pleasure of having them and also would use them.
Down at our watering hole, most visitors are in fact golfers, and often they've told me, that golfing is the natural retirement game for soccer players, and that they've all done it that way, and for them, golf is now like playing the decisive pass, or even score the most fantastic goal, and I for sure should go for it, as I'm getting to old for playing soccer.
I've always said nonsense to that, as I don't feel it that way -yet, and, for me, golf has always been like a game for older men, who could afford the tools (clubs) and the membership in a golf club, some where in the world.
This, of course, is my own ignorance, but before I came here to Hong Kong, I'v hardly ever known anybody of my friends or people in my envoirement, playing golf. Except of course my Scottish brother in law -Bryan in Aberdeen- but he is nearly a professional player, and as a Scot, he's kind of brought up playing golf, so I don't really count him in.
Though I have never thought that I was going to have a set of golf clubs, as that was never in my range, nor in my interest, to be honest. Suddenly I've got a set -even if it's an old one- but I were nearly denying accepting taking them, as I knew that this would only give me more headache, trying to do everything I want to do + now also have to find the time to play golf. How can I just fit all that in.
But last Sunday afternoon, I looked at the clubs standing there, alone and lonely looking, and I remembered how I felt as we just came here and I was desperately looking for a football team to join. "How long time has these clubs been standing in Bruce's house, without anyone using them for what they were made for, it's not their fault." I thought to myself. (Funny expression, I mean to whom else can one think)
Ralf was tho one who'd said to me: "Take the clubs, and call me when you want to go to the driving range, then I'll try to coach you".
Nice guy he is, Ralf, but I also think he likes to have someone with whom he can speak German. Anyway I called him to ask if it was possible and if he had time.
"I'll pick you up in 20 minutes".
I even forgot to ask about the dress code, for that matter, as I've heard something like that, and remember how Bryan always had a remark towards somebody on a golf course, dressed rather casual, or like me, in fact, when we passed one of the many courses in Scotland this summer.
" You certainly need other shoes." Ralf said, as I met him at the car park in our village, looking down at the flip flops on my feet; "other wise it is OK for the driving range". I felt happy about that.
2 minutes later I put MY set of golf clubs in the back of a car, for the first time in my life, and it was a strange and completely new feeling as I sat down in the passenger seat, and head toward a driving range with MY set of clubs.
"How many balls have we got?"
I needed to know, because I had none.
"Don;t you worry about that, there's plenty".
I still quite couldn't figure out what it meant; "going on the driving range".
If you've never seen or been on a driving range, then here a short explanation.
It is like a training field for golfers, where you just shot balls out in the nature, with the only purpose to train to hit them right and shoot them as far as possible, in a straight line. Only that in golf it is not called to "shot", it is called; to "drive". For the fee you pay to do so, you get as many balls you can "drive" in an hour or more, if you pay.
We went to the "Garden Farm driving range" a bit outside Ma On Shan. Here there is maybe 70 or more stands, from where golfers, just drive balls out on to an open field, for maybe 8 or 10 hours a day. At night a little tractor then drives around and hover them all up again, then they get washed, put into baskets and placed by every stand, ready to get "driven" out again the next day.
As we came at 3 PM, it already looked like the field was overgrown with thousands of white mushrooms. So here I were just to add more mushrooms to that field.
And so I did, or tried to, as in the beginning most of them just landed out side my stand, just a few meters away, and I could in fact have picked them up and try to hit them again, but why do that, when you've paid for just driving them as far out as possible, for others to collect. So I just grabbed another one in the basket in front of me, trying to hit them again, and to "drive" them towards the 150 yards mark, way out on the field.
Ralf was patient with me and told and showed me how to hold the club, how to place my feet and to keep the eye on the ball in the swing.
And I did the best I could to follow his advice, and once in a while I succeeded, and saw how the ball just took off in a straight line, far out on the field. And that was surprisingly fulfilling, so I just wanted another of those, and another and so on. I started to see and to understand the idea of a driving range.
After an hour and dozens of balls, we left the driving range, and on the way back I found my self involved in a conversation about golf, golf clubs, puts and such.
"But it will take some time before you should go on the course, we'll go to the driving range a lot more before that." Ralf kindly announced. I was quite happy about that, as I still don't know why i have so many different clubs in MY golf set.

Wintertime

Since yesterday afternoon it is now the official wintertime here in Hong Kong, this is not like in Europe where the clock is set one hour back or forth, no here it means that the temperature at night can be below 20 degrees, and it has been. Just overnight you can feel it, it is cool and pleasant and in the daytime the humidity is down to like 75 percent and the maximum temperature at about 26 degrees. Just like a good European summer. But I can assure you; we are going to have some real cold days ahead too, in January and February, where the temperature can go down to 5 - 7 degrees. Nevertheless, we wont get any snow.
I've been caught in a kind of a trap, as I accepted a certain gift. But that is another story, which you can read more about here in the next few days.

The island hoppers.

It has become very quite on this blog, here since Mum and Ricky left and went back to the cold and wintery Edinburgh. And as you might see; without mum's diary, there is nothing much to write home about. For the matter of this blog, I can only say thank you to Mum and her diary. I could write about work, but I'm quite sure, that wont be so interesting for many, maybe beside my former colleagues at the Medienkulturzentrum in Dresden, who is doing kind of the same stuff. I will though write something about work later - not now- as I will start to tell about Cheung Chau island and Cheung Sha beach. For the sake of the entertainment for you, dear readers, we sacrificed our last weekend and went to stay for two nights on Cheung Chau island. Again, some might think, as it is not long ago I wrote about that place. Since the first time we visited that place, it has been an ongoing reason for an irresistible interest, as this island is so different than the Hong Kong the most people either know or have an imagination about, big, busy, loads of cars and traffic and huge buildings. Well, Cheung Chau is quit busy too, but busy in another way than Hong Kong is it.
The island is not big and there is only one town or city -depend on the definition- there and that town seem to be embedded in the whole area of the island. Assumedly about 35.000 inhabitants lives there, and that makes it -for my point of view, coming from Denmark- a quit large town, and the fact that there is no cars, except for some small police vehicles, ambulances and one big and some small fire engines. The main subject for transport of people is the bicycle and for goods and cargo, it is some small motorized tractors.
The many houses is typical Hong Kong village houses, like the one we live in ourselves. 750 square feet, two stocks and a rooftop and built so close to each other that mostly only a path of about two meter wide between them.
The bigger streets running straight through in sort of a grid, with all the shops and eating places at their front, is maybe 3 meters or so.
And here is the interesting thing; Cheung Chau is always busy and filled with people, just wandering around looking into all the shops or sit and eat at the amazing number of small or bigger restaurants and eating places. Bicycles is crisscrossing in and out between the pedestrians and every now and then one have to jump aside to avoid getting run over by either one of the bikes, or one of the small tractors with its cargo of Blue Girl beer, thundering through the pathways while it's smiling driver has his break foot resting across his other knee.
The whole atmosphere is like on one of the big summer rock festivals in Europe, the streets feels as busy and with the same relaxing feeling, as no one is in a real hurry, because once there, there is not more else to do, and you cant really get away, as there is no cars, and no way to go really.
From the promenade at the harbour on the east side, you can walk straight through the town to the main beach on the west side in only 6 - 10 minutes. Here you might find one of the reasons for the many people; the quite big and quite beautiful beach in the middle of the town, so to say.
So in fact, Cheung Chau is like a rock festival "town" with a nice beach, and what do you want more? Hiking opportunities? Well thats also quite handy, as the northern and the southern parts of the island are two hills with a lot of hidden caves and small remote beaches, reachable either by foot or bike by the solid pathways spread out on all the island, making every corner accessible.
We went there Friday evening straight after work with a little overnight backpack each. Just when you get of the ferry, you will be met by a row of small stalls. offering vacancies. We checked into one of them, a basic small room with TV, fridge, bath and a little balcony towards the beach. Small but relatively cheap and clean, nothing more than a place to sleep.
After a little walk through the town and some cheap seafood in one of the many eating places, we fell asleep to the sound of the sea and the waves washing onshore just outside our little room.
We woke up again the next morning to the same sound and the strong morning sun hitting the windows and the balcony, it was the 1st of November and the temperature close to 27 degrees.
We had an appointment with two friends in Mui Wo on Lantau island at 2 PM. So we went out to find some breakfast and then embarked the inter island ferry to Mui Wo.
25 minutes later we sat down at the China bear pub at the harbour in Moi Wo, waiting for our friends; Craig and Sophie, who would arrive from Central on Hong Kong island a bit later. Together with them, we wanted to go to one of the most relaxing and beautiful places in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong; Cheung Sha beach on the south coast of Lantau island.
The first time we went there was by bike, so we knew what was ahead of us, if we chose to do that again. Therefore we were honest, and told Craig and Sophie that if they wanted to go by bike, we had to climb two category 3 mountains before getting there. The decision was made in two seconds, and we headed for the Taxi pick up place at the ferry terminal in Mui Wo, asking the driver to take us there. 15 minutes and 43 HKD (ca. 4 Euros) later, we got out at the beach and entered the fabulous "Stoepp" restaurant, placed just at -or on- the beach. In fact this was probably the main reason for going there again, because just to go there for the beach itself, didn't really occur to any of us, but having this as a backdrop accompanying an excellent south african lunch, seemed for all quite reasonable.
If Cheung Chau is relaxing, then the south side of Lantau island and Cheung Sha beach must be super mega relaxing, as there is nearly no one there. It is not so remote from main Hong Kong, and the ferries leaves every half hour from Central, but that nobody can take their car there -except the people living there- makes it seem just impossible for the majority of Hong Konger to even imagine going there, as they can't just drive there and throw themselves, their dogs, loads of picnic accessories and cans of beer and coke out onto a barbecue place, and leave the remains of it there, as they've finished it of.
But that is what makes it worth going there, and often I have had the thought, that in fact this was just what should happen in our own of Sai Kung, to avoid the inevitable traffic jam, which causes hour long stop and go traffic to and from Sai Kung every Sunday.
I was the only one going for a swim after our hour long dinner, drink and talk afternoon at the "Stoepp" terrace at Cheung Sha beach. Remember this place, if somebody is planning a visit to Hong Kong, it is worth it. A good plan could be to go by MTR to Cheung Tung, take the cable car one way to the big Buddha, take bus no 2 from there towards Mui Wo, get of at Cheung Sha beach, enjoy a meal at "Stoeep" (closed on Mondays) and see the sunset, before going to Mui Wo and the ferry back to Central and Hong Kong island. In Moi Wo you should go for a walk along the beach and turn in at the "China Bear" for a last Lantau island drink. Or maybe plan to stay a couple of days on Lantau, as there is much more to see and do than just that, but that most be another story.
Back to the terrace and "Stoeep". Suddenly the restaurant dog, and with him the couple of stray dogs living on and at the beach, started barging and ran out on the beach with their tail between their legs. As I looked towards the water I saw a big water buffalo slowly making it's way along the beach.
As we got back to Mui Wo. Catriona and I embarked the inter island ferry again to go back to our little sleeping box on Cheung Chau island.
It was a Saturday night, the town was lively and full of locals and visitors buzzing through the streets and sitting in the eating places all over. it was about 10:30 PM, and we were heading towards our vacancy, as we passed a little local eating place, showing English premiere league football. I decided to stay there to watch. Like every where else, outside England, the knowledge of English football is the big four. Often I have the feeling that all Hong Kong football fans -or football interested people- consider one of these four teams to be a Hong Kong team, as they are the only one they know and support, so I was sitting there, among full blooded Manchester United supporters, being the only one supporting Hull City, but they just laughed at me, of course only a "gweilo" would support a foreign team, and not the local champs, as they might have thought.

A big bite for Obama!

I guess it is a historic day today, and a historic day deserves a post. There has been an election today -like quite often somewhere- but this election seems to have the whole worlds attention. Even I cannot vote in that country -like the majority of the inhabitants in this world- everybody in the whole world has been forced to follow this event. And like in the late 70ties and early 80ties, where everybody hoped for a change in the former Soviet Union -that the old regime would disappear, and a new area begin- so have everybody I know seen forward to this election in the hope that an area of intolerance and aggression would end on this day. So let's wait and see. From here far away from everything; Congratulation USA, and a big bite for Obama and the changes. Please look at the logo on my shirt; FC. ST. Pauli. The best soccer club world wide.

Mums diary # 19. Tuesday the 21st October 2008

Today we are off to Macau to see Zaia/Cirque du soleil at the Venetian….yippeee!!
In 1999 Macau was handed back to China by the Portuguese. It is a tiny island, just nine square miles. Even so it gets 10 million visitors every year. Apparently it has changed a lot. It is known as the Las Vegas of the East. Macau itself was awarded a World Heritage site listing in 2005.
We needed our passports and to fill in forms for departing HK and arriving in Macau. We traveled by ferry. Catriona had booked our tickets on the internet.
The ferry was called the Taipa/Cotai Strip ferry and the entire journey took only 45minutes. We had a McDonalds breakfast before boarding. It was like traveling by air as the ferry terminal seemed just like an airport with long queues to board, a stand by line and immigration. We did not need visas because Macau counts as a special region of China.
A free air conditioned bus transported us directly from the ferry to the Venetian hotel. We had a wander around. Inside was a mega casino and best of all a fake Venice complete with canals, gondolas and expensive shops. High above us a realistic, painted sky with clouds and birds. I’ve never seen ANYTHING like that before.
We walked to Taipa village to have a drink in the old Taipa Tavern. Catriona and I used umbrella’s to shade ourselves from the sun as we walked.
We took local transport to Macau city from Taipa on the number 11 bus. Macau is a very busy city with so many casinos. We walked around to see the façade of a famous church at the top of many steps which burnt down long ago. This is one of the most famous tourist spots in Macau.
I was interested to see all the street names were written in Portuguese too. Catriona stopped at a local shop to buy a lovely top for her sisters Xmas present. Macau is so different form Hong Kong, you can see it as soon as you arrive. We did a little shopping for some Portuguese/ Macanese treats such as almond biscuits, garlic cashew nuts, dried pineapple, nougat, fish and chilli sauce. We all tried the famous egg tarts too.
We decided to go to a Portuguese restaraunt called Pinnocchio for dinner. Thats here where Catriona thought that Macau got attacked by small red UFO's. We managed to calm her down by explaining that what she saw, was only the reflection in the windows, of the restaurants red lamps.
Then we headed off to the circus. Leaving our shopping bags in a cloakroom we went in to see the show.
In the line up to go in we met 3 teachers from Renaissance College- what a coincidence! We have never seen a show like it before. Clowns riding bikes upside down, an enormous robotic polar bear and incredibly talented trapeze artists and gymnasts who climbed and leaped from pole to pole through the air. There was so much activity on stage and above us in the air at all times that it was virtually impossible to concentrate on everything at once. It was not alloved to take any photos or video at the show, so please enjoy my description or better; go there for your self.
One last drink in the mega size Hotel, it is said that the Venetian Macau is the second largest building in the world.
Our ferry was due to leave at eleven thirty pm and it was time to leave and make our way to the Macau Ferry terminal. We all fell asleep on the Ferry so we missed the form that we needed to fill in so that we could get back into Hong Kong so when we showed security our passports they sent us back to fill in an immigration form. Finally into Central a Taxi took us all the way home to Taiwan village in Sai Kung. As all the trains stop at midnight, a taxi is the only way when your out that late and the cost is 170 Hong Kong dollars or about 12 pounds. We finally arrived home about 2.30 am but it was well worth the visit.

Mums diary # 18. Monday 20th October 2008

Today we are all off to see the Big Buddah on Lantau Island. It is the biggest island on Hong Kong and also where the airport is located. We started the journey by minibus once again from Sai Kung, then to Choi Hung. We caught the MTR to Prince Edward and changed to the Tsung Wan line for Tung Chung. Once there we found an amazing outlet store and a great supermarket; “Taste”, where we bought the things for a little picnic.
Then we took a fabulous cable car ride which lasted about 25 minutes traveling up,up, up with incredible scenery all around.























At one point we realized our cable car was actually higher than a plane which was flying below us. Finally at the top we couldn't miss the sight of the Big Buddha, but before climbing up to it, we wanted to sit in the monastery garden enjoying out little picnic shopping's. It was very hot and I found out that an umbrella isn't only a very useful item for when it rains. We climbed 260 steps to the top to see Buddah which is 85feet tall.
Once again the views were awesome.
On the return journey back to Hong Kong island and later to Sai Kung, Catriona and Jørgen wanted to take us to a South African restaurant on the south side of Lantau island, which is famous and located right on the famous beach of Cheung Sha. So we had to catch a bus down again and in the opposite direction of which we came. Ricky was a little disappointed not to use his return ticket on the cable car…….ah well maybe he can use it next time?? By bus we slowly climped down very steep roads to the south side of the island and got of at the stop at Cheung Sha beach. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed, but we were able to have a drink next door and we also went paddling in the South China sea. Once again I noticed a shark net protecting a small swimming area near the beach.
After a while we caught a taxi to Maui Wu driven by a Chinese guy whose name was Ricky!! He was a friendly, happy chap. We went straight to the China Bear pub where we had a nice meal. My fish was particularly delicious.
We went away from Mui Wo and Lantau island by ferry to Central on Hong Kong island. We arrived home in Tai Wan village some time later after using minibus and taxi.
We were all tired but the experience was very worthwhile.

Mums diary # 17. Sunday 19th October 2008

The day began with us doing some laundry. Then we ate breakfast which was our usual cereal and fruit, and today also some sausage, egg and toast ,kippers, fruit juice, tea and coffee. Yet another lovely breakfast.
Jørgen sat at the computer and showed us all of our photos. We started to type some of my scribbled diary into the computer. In the evening we met up with Bob, Yvonne, Christy from school (she is Bob’s secretary) , Bob’s sister and her daughter -little Heather- and her husband, in Sai Kung for another seafood meal on the sea front. They've also just arrived from Canada to spend two weeks holiday in Hong Kong and china. There were just too many dishes on the table but we all tucked in. I used a fork and spoon instead of chopsticks. It is easier for me. We are back at the house and about to watch a film so that is going to be relaxing. It is nice and cool inside the house with air conditioning always running.