Today on my walkabout, which took in the waterfront, the Star Ferry Terminal and the food market in Graham Street- absolutely incredible- I went into a restaurant which was packed with Chinese people and in which the menu (Speisekarte) was all in Chinese.
I was very proud of the fact that I was able to order some food, even though it was not what I expected- but was better. I got a big bowl of soup with rice, and an assortment of fish pieces and green vegetables in it.
Marvellous. I'm going back there again, maybe to try the dim sum.
On the way back up the escalator, I met the man I had been sitting beside on the plane! With his daughter-in-law. Nice man, we will have a drink later in the week.
Good afternoon, McTag!
And for this report!
(Incredible: you are not only posting from Hongkong, but look exactly the same way as always :wink: )
Have a nice day/time!
Thanks, McTag. Sounds like you're doing well even without Clary's book. How amazing to meet the man on the plane. Perhaps he's a spy -- was he wearing one red shoe? Were you?
Can just picture you there! Worth taking a ferry to an outlying island from in front of the new ultra tall IFC building. Bet roast goose of all time, if you have a chance, in a village called Sham Tseng on the mainland, beyond Tsuen Wan, a minibus ride away from the MTR station. When in doubt ask a schoolchild of about 16, they are supposed to have 10 yrs of English. Give your kinswoman my love!
Today was very warm, but good visibility, no mist or haze. I went across to Kowloon again, intending to get a sail on Duk Ling, the tourist junk, but it was fully booked all day, so I had to content myself with lots of photographs instead. Met a Belgian chap, briefly. Then I went on the tramcar past Western Market to Kennedy Town...saw all the dried seafood shops! Mein Gott! What an amazing place Honkers is.
Yesterday evening/ night (darkness falls early in the tropics, Miranda) we went on the Peak Tram and saw the lights of the city and the bay by night. Very impressive.
I have doubled my Chinese vocabulary now...I have added "Lei-ho!" to "M'goi".
Coming back Saturday, unfortunately. McT
M'goi (my spelling) in Cantonese is XeiXei in Mandarin.
The other means "hello" and it's easy to remember because it's "hello" backwards, almost...
It's 'ni hao' in Mandarin, JB!! Should be 'nei ho' but local dialect substitutes L for N. I knew someone whose English name was Lormal...
Ni hao
你好!
could anybody see it properly?
I can't read characters much, but I know those. Good 'hao' = woman + child
Initially these two characters form up a single word just means "woman".
But i have no idea about the relations between it and "good"
ah well, it's all in your perception of good. What would you say IS good?
Good is my memory of Hong Kong. Just flew in yesterday bmi from London, after a longish journey, about eighteen hours door-to-door.
The eight hours time difference is a bit awkward, especially for a short holiday. Still, never mind, the city was vibrant and an amazing place to visit. I loved the small restaurants, and the lively harbour, and the ease of transport, and the cheap prices, and the good service, and the smiling, friendly folk.
We lived at Mid Levels, about three-quarters way up the Central Elevator, so I was well placed to enjoy the delights of Soho and good access to the downtown area, and the waterfront.
Met a few expats and sank a few beers. I din't have time to do any trips, so I just saw Stanley and some of Kowloon, and had tew trips up the mountain, one by night.
All in all, a most enjoyable trip.
Excellent, I'm so glad you finally made it - you'll have to go for longer next time, and go into China too. The flight's a killer really, isn't it? However often I did it, it never got better.
WOW!! IT was a slow day at work and I wanted to check out Clary's trip and went through (whew!) all 62 pages of both trips.
I want to thank you all for that amazing journey and its side bar commentary. Clary, we're not worthy! Walking across a plank with luggage, all the bumping on funky roads- You rock! And thanks McTag for the pickup of journey-ness.
Clary, you had a description, way back around, I don't know, maybe page 15 or 20 about the monk with the umbrella and the robes--you didn't need a camera; you created the image for me completely! Wish I painted...Osso?
Clary wrote: The flight's a killer really, isn't it? However often I did it, it never got better.
What a bunch of wusses! We have to fly about twice that time to get anywhere (except for NZ and Asia!)
So greetings from the large clean city of Munich. I'm here for only 2 days, and enjoying cold crisp air (they say it's quite warm at 2degrees) - still and dry. About to walk around the city centre. It's odd for my generation to see Dachau on the map, it's just a place but has such resonance for us´- spologies Walter if you are there! Wish I spoke mehr Deutsch!
