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July 28 "The Days" Movie - Boi is in Town! UPDATED (3rd August) - Director Boi (our 3rd Visitor) is in town this week for his movie post-production. Mr FancyPant Randy sent a couple of messages to me - making sure that I won't missed out Boi's number. (Yes...I didn't miss him...we met!) Tracy and I met up with Boi and Winston for a short lunch today in Hong Kong. (Time is too short for us to smuggle him to Macau). We had congee and wantun noodles at IFC. It was good catching up the old times with all the "lao bengs" of Temasek. Until today, I am still puzzled how Boi is able to click with Randy and Christina. One is a "hokkien beng" and the others belong to the "ang moh" gang. Boi described it the "ang moh gang" best - he calls them the "Far East Kids". Still, it was a very "insightful" lunch. I got to know a lot more updates about the other friends. The Temasek friends are leading very interesting lives out there. And a couple of updates moved me. Thankfully, Boi is still the same (except putting on some weight - he is still the candid funny old Ah Beng of yesterday...and Winston as "arty" as ever... he shed some kilos and sported a nice hairdo. Coincidently, we just found out that we all worked at the same area in Central. Boi's movie "The Days" (Rating NC16) will be screened islandwide (at Golden Village) in early Sept. Just heard that a couple of friends are specially flying back just to catch its premiere. (Boi promised us DVD with his "signature"). In desperation, I am still pestering him for a 1-minute XXX role in his future art movies. We sure be seeing more of the crew... Randy, you coming hor?   My Temasek pals - Randy and Boi's movie "The Days" is finally completed and it will be screened this Sept 08! Check out their new movie here! (Click to play!) For more info: goto - http://www.thedaysmovie.com/
July 27 Exclusive Lane!
I always wanted to do this! It is like fulfilling one of my childhood's fantasy (pranks) without anyone one telling me off! That is - to walk down the bowling lane and come face to face with the pins. Like a small kid, I ran down the lane with my camera - jumping and hopping along the marked lane! It is so fantastic to have your own "private bowling alley" - I was "pig-walking" down the lane and Elkan was rolling on the carpet! For that short 2-hour, we (Sandy and son were here too!) had all the fun! The price is very reasonable - it only cost us S$50 to book this room for 2 hours! 4 of us each played 4 matches! Surely, this is one of the my preferred facilities in our house clubhouse - certainly not the gym and the running track.
p/s (Sorry, Joanne, we forgot to explore the clubhouse during your short stay! This is really fun! Gareth, when you are here in August, allow me to roll your son down the lane! It is not oily. Socks not provided.)  f   Macau Venice
Dazzling Saturday Yesterday, I brought Felicia, Elkan and Tracy to Tsim Sha Tsui to see the 8pm HK "Laser Show". Sandy and son (just came back from their London trip) came to join us too. Before the laser show, Sandy gave us a quick tour at their "pet street" and "night market" (which is not temple street and woman street - but looks similar to me.) Mum and Aunty Amy will love this place - there are so many "night markets" like this in Hong Kong. These markets are by far bigger and longer than those in Taipei and Shanghai. The prices? Cheap and good.     Knowing we wanted to see the laser show, Sandy (a very thoughtful friend) specially reserved a big table for us (window seats, overlooking Hong Kong Island) at "The Pier - Habitu". Sitting inside the air-con restaurant, we avoided the humid, hot 32-degree breeze outside. Elkan was so excited and kept screaming during the laser show. He definitely gave us away - his screams made us looked like "tourists". I was guilty too, I was busy snapping photos of the laser show outside. The desserts were great. I can't remember their names but it is worth going back for more. Elkan ate a "chocolate spoon" and daddy took care of the scoop.When it was time to say "goodbye", Elkan was sad. He insisted Sandy and son to go home with him - so they can see his "new house and club-house". With such sincere invitation, Sandy and son couldn't say no. They will pop by our house next Sat.     0824 on Fire! My mum-in-law called us on Friday night. A big fire started just outside her door (at the common refuse chute). Within minutes, all the neighbors rushed out and contained the fire. It must be hard for my mum-in-law (She just recovered from her bus accident in Malacca and now this fire shock...) The good thing is no one is hurt and we didn't suffered any property damage. (Here are the photos Chups took the next day.)     Stormy Week It has been stormy and windy over the last 10 days in this part of the world - Typhoon seasons. I have just caught myself in action - traveling to Taipei on Friday - during the same time Typhoon Kalmaegi hit Taiwan. Surprisingly, the flight wasn't as bad as I expected. Still, the landing was dreadful and unbearable. For the first time in my life, I saw lightning within the clouds on the plane. It was really bright and "sparky". And never I heard rain beating so hard on the outer shell of the air-craft. It was a nervous 5-minute decent. Over in Hong Kong, the past week was wet and stormy. It is a frightening sight during stormy nights. We have never seen such "bright lightning". The rainy clouds can be so low and thick...like the movie "Fog". (Photo taken from Elkan's bed - at 2am).     Goodbye "Hai Yue" (Back-dated Blog) Finally, PCCW activated my broadband and cable TV yesterday. I am able to upload some of my back-dated blogs. In fact, there is only one blog that I would like to upload here. It contains one of my most precious and unforgettable moments of my life in Shanghai. For my past 2 years, Hai Yue Gardens has been the place we lived. It is the place where I welcomed 60 over visitors. It is also the place where Kalinda, Joanne and my family spent a great deal of time in. I am sure many of you missed the old warmth of my old Hai Yue Gardens. Here are the last look of the place.   Left: Gone are Joe's toys... Right: Elkan's sofa bed was given to Francis.   Left: 67 8-Days Magazine! Right: Elkan did it again (with his metal head!) July 13 Leon Meets Elkan
Yesterday, I had a surprise visitor. Cousin Leon, my 2nd Visitor, was in town for only 1 short day. Leon only called me at 2pm and we met at 2:50pm (how last minute!) Most importantly, it is a very significant visit for him. Leon visited me 3 times in Shanghai but he never gets the chance to meet my boy. Poor timing I say, Elkan was in Singapore when Leon was in Shanghai. Finally, two of them met yesterday afternoon and both of them clicked like old friends at the very first second. “Mmm…this gor-gor look very nice”, Elkan smiled. “Mmm…and you also smell very nice.” Haaa.. Elkan was referring to the strong perfume Leon was wearing. Man. he was so full of praises for Leon. Unlike his usual shyness towards stranger, Elkan was very friendly and held Leon’s hand throughout our 3-hour outing.
At 4:30pm, Leon left for Xiamen. We sent him off at the HK Express Train Station. Elkan asked Leon “You must come and stay at our house.”
“Elkan, Leon is flying off now” I said. Elkan gave a disappointing look and sighed
“Then, you must promise to visit me 2 more times, okay?”
How sweet and charming his words are! Guess this meeting is worth-waiting afterall. 3 years…it is never too late to know one another - between uncle and nephew. My Daily Mornings... Gone are the days of cab-flagging. The fastest way to beat to crowd and jams is to join them on the MTR. Surely faster and cheaper than cabs. Blah..Blah...Bra??? (Photo taken: Billboard at Causeway Bay MTR) - Mmm...very corny. My 1st Week and my 1st Visitor
I can’t imagine how fast time flew. I am already in my 2nd week in Hong Kong.
It has been an awful hectic start. Work is horrendously demanding (from 9am to 9pm) and I had a couple of rough dealings with my “unscrupulous and scheming” property agent. If I were to take this negative reference and stereotype all HK people, I have only one word to describe them – “rigid”. Thankfully, I have made many nice HK friends over my last 2 years to change my perception.
One good and valuable lesson learnt – HK agents are tough and rigid negotiators – they are sharp, ruthless and useless. “Snob dealers”, I would call them. Our old way of bargaining tactics are useless over here in HK. I hate negotiating with these “air-heads” cos’ they are inflexible and narrow-minded. In short, I underestimated my wits and had my worst business defeat here. (At least, in China, deals are made out of “relationship” and “best interests”. Deals are very conditional and one-sided here.) After dealing with 4 different agents, I concluded and Elkan forbids - “F*** my useless agent”. Period.
On a positive side, HK is beautiful and dynamic. The hills, the sea and the skyscrapers. We got a nice apartment (away from the city) at the eastern side of the island. It is quiet, peaceful and beautiful. We have a great sea-view, overlooking Kowloon. Every night, Elkan and I will sit by our bedroom window, watching and counting the passing “floating lights” (ships of all sizes and types).
    Last Wednesday, I received my 1st visitor in HK ~ Joanne! She arrived just in time to “cut ribbon” at my new home. (Coincidently, that was also the first day when we moved into our new apartment.) Everything was in a mess, there was nothing at home – no shampoo, drinks etc. We were basically living out of our suitcase.
Work stole most of my time away from her. Poor Joanne, she had to loiter around HK all by herself. I certainly wish she can stay a little longer (like her last Shanghai stay). At least, I can show her around – perhaps planning a short trip to Macau or Shenzhen. Still, her stay is controversially memorable. I won’t disclose much online but I am just happy to have her here with me. Just exactly 30 days ago, Duuk and Juliana were there in Shanghai to help me pack…and Joanne came to HK …er…to help me unpack? Mmm… wonder if there is another group who can just pop by to clean up my small house.
    I am now typing this blog offline on my computer and will upload this tomorrow morning at my famous (as Joanne coined it) “SRC-like clubhouse”. Please bear with me, I have no internet at home at this moment. (PCCW needs 16 days to activate my broadband – talk about efficiency!). Right now, I am in this "computer corner" - with a bunch of little Jap monster kids - who is right now abusing the iMac with their violent nature. (Feel like plucking his head off!)
Life is certainly different over here in HK…A big difference I would say – No dirt-cheap DVD (we are renting DVD now at HK16/title - double the price of a priated disc in China). No daily taxi ride to work (would cost me SGD14/trip). No cheap good restaurant food. And no cheap premium massage/spa. No Carrefour.
Sure, there are many more new things in place. A lot of rain, wind, flood and thunderstorms. A lot of 7-Elevens and MacDonalds. A lot of stairs and slopes to walk. A lot of Filipinos (it is amazing to see them every Sunday). A lot of “packed sardine-can MTR rides”. Lots of drippling aircon water. Late night dessert stores. And a lot of men and women in black suits.
Perhaps the only common thing that stays constantly unchanged between Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai is – Time. (And yes, that dreadful green shop - Starbucks - it is everywhere).
July 02 Running a new race in Hong Kong
Finally, after more than 12 months of planning, my new journey begins in Hong Kong today! (Siam ah! The Singapore torch-bearer is here!) This should be my 30th odd trip to Hong Kong - but this is certainly my 1st trip here with so many luggages - a total of 11! (and 37 more boxes coming in 2 weeks' time). Immediately I touched down in Hong Kong, I made my way to my company to get my neccessities (HK SimCard etc). Later the day, I met up with the agent to settle my new house. Urghh.... I couldn't move in until 3rd July (cos' the stupid landlord need the cheque to be cleared before giving me the keys - how rigid and cold-blooded!) At least, the mainland Chinese are flexible in such arrangement. Over here, it is very black and white. Just discover one thing - language. It is more difficult for me to survive in Hong Kong than Shanghai. Cos' the old folks here dun speak English or Chinese. They only understand Cantonese. If I speak "English", they think I am trying to westernise myself to be like "ABC" or "Ah Mao wannebe". If I speak "Chinese", they think I am a disgusting filthy rich mainlander. So one word - Siow liao! (Even my company receptionist said I dun look like Chinese, Singaporean or Malaysian - she thinks I sounded more like I am from Taiwan!) And when I tried to "singaporise" myself with "singlish" - she snapped "Dun speak English like this - with the lors and lahs, very degrading and unprofessional! It sounded bad!" Opps. Bad attempt.   Today (1st July) is a public holiday in Hong Kong - it is the day to celebrate the return of Hong Kong to China. In all true spirit, both Tracy and myself made our return trip to Shenzhen (okay, crappy metaphor). We aren't really "returning" to China - but technically, you can say yes too cos' we just came out of Shanghai yesterday. Anyway, to cut the story short, we need to go out of Hong Kong and then back into Hong Kong to "activate" our work permit. All we need is a sticker and a chop at the inbound HK customs. So, the fastest and easiest way would be a short 2-hour trip to Shenzhen. (mmm.. I wish it can be Macau too. Got cha-bor with me, hard lah)
Here are some nice photos of "me" as "resident" in Hong Kong. Sigh, I am no longer a "tourist" anymore - no more luxury hotel stay or entering via "Foreigner Counter". My passport says "imported worker" - so I guess I must live life like the locals. (See, I am cutting down my cab trips and taking MTR! - with the Octopus Card!)     Thanks for all the nice sms messages, greetings and calls! Many of you (Richard, Cousin Yei, Yixi, Duuk etc) have called and asked about my 1st day - really, I am so grateful and happy to have you guys around! Oh yes...Lucky me bastard, I am already expecting my 1st visitor in Hong Kong tomorrow! (that is pretty fast!) Show you guys more later this week! July 01 My last 36 hours in Shanghai  9:00pm Farewell Dinner with Cousin Yei and Summer! 10:45pm: A surprise farewell gift from "Ah Ye" -our food deliveryman!   9:45am (Sun): Farewell breakfast at Starbuck with Lisa! 11:00am: Uncanny! The place where I had my welcome lunch... (back in May 2006)   11:00am: ...is also coincidently my last farewell lunch (at Future Perfect with Hong Ai and Soseki) 6:00pm: Our Golden Chinese Couple and their 2nd baby - Violet!   9:00pm: Our last farewell dinner with Francis, dad, mum and in laws 10:00pm: Felicia's first fireworks in China! (Same for Elkan!)   10:30pm: Get ready...at the side of the road... Finale!: 15-min fireworks! (till Security guard came...) |
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