ZippyTurtle

At Knot's End - Chinese style.

My first Craft in HK; a Jade and Chinese Knotting bracelette.

I think I mentioned ChocolateRain a few posts back.  It very much reminds me of Make Workshop in the Lower East Side - but smaller, more intimate.  Lovely Janyce received 3 girls including me today - and taught each of us our respective class of choice.  I have three more sessions to go - so let's see how I progress. I love the simplicity, playing and pulling with strings - much like summer camp.

Here's a close up.

And me, knotting away...

I didn't bring any yarn to HK, and so I was feeling famished for a little 'creativity'.  I haven't cooked for myself since I've moved here, nor brewed my favorite Ethiopian coffee, or done anything otherwise to nourish myself emotionally/mentally.  OK, a wee fib here - because I am enjoying rockstar views of the  Hong Kong skyline from my power yoga studio.  Really really brilliant and breathtaking - maybe I can sneak in for a snapshot for you soon.

Escalating Commute

This is literally how I commute everyday to my cube; up and down the Hillside Escalator that runs from Central through MidLevels districts.  The escalator follows the ebbs and flows of the commuter tides -- down to Central in the AM - and vice versa in the PM. 

I've learn to point and spread my toes out and waddle like a duck... it's quite hilly here where I live on Hollywood Rd and the streets are very mean to kitten heels. They don't do the sneaker thing here, it seems; I've always my Havaianas ready tho' for sudden thrashing precipitation.   

Otherwise, I've adjusted quite a bit to the rhythm of life here; although today, I had a mysterious pang of homesickness.  I tell you:  Home is where the Heart is.  And my Heart is always New York. 

These Kripsy Kremes cheered me up, thank goodness.  Green Tea Doh'Nuts!!

HKCraftiness

I've survived my first cubicle week in HK ; it'a slight challenge , I do really miss my girls in NYC - where we've intermittently morphed into impromptu chatterboxes over our ghastly cubic walls, but then again - there is beauty in autonomy and independence, as I am virtually/temporarily alone here representing my group. Still, if only I can place a bug on them -- I would feel right at home in HK having the din of our latest office gossip lull me to sleep.  That said, I am loving the tempo, the vibe here - much more so than New York. 

Today was a continuation of pengyou de pengyou (see previous notes) - as I shared brunch with an acquaintance of a woman I met on my last Cathay NY/HK flight in April.  We discovered we were swapping lives, you see -- she about to start a new life in NYC after 6 years in HK, where I was about to embark my American dream in HK (does that make sense??)  After a 4 egg omelette (quail, I suspect  - it was a small omelette despite cholesterol guilt) and a promise of another get-together, I picked up a few dresses I had altered for $pennies. Thereafter, I had a cute hair cut from an ex-Londoner, Beverly, who's been in HK 17 years today (no curlies yet, Kerra!)- before venturing out in my 'hood on a brisk kitten heel walk around the block.   

I'll stop the mindless chatter now and share pictures worth a few honkies/HKD from my neighborhood excursion today; admittedly, after venturing out to MotherlandChina last week, this is very tame - but I wanted to share details of my new 'hood.

Up my street.  Yay - Everyday Fun Laundry ( I love oxymorons !)

   

Ooh, "Crochet" - a craft store???

  Sadly, no - just a local designer boutique with a penchant for sequins (not my thing... yet.) But, teetering futher, I found chocolaterain.com, a cute crafty-friendly DIY store, where they teach Antique Jewelry - and where I bought a home-stitched bag (shown with my new and matching China red & gold Sony Ericcson w660i cellophone, fabulous!)  Yay - for HK Crafties; I signed up really quick. 

And to pat myself back on my kitten-heel walk around the block.... a Stella ! 

Off to a little HK nightlife... I shan't be sharing pictures here, since this is a parents-friendly site :) 

The End.

Pengyou de Pengyou

A treat of an adventure today; with my Japanese passport in hand, crossed the HK New Territories border into the Republic of China.   With a little trepidation, I entered the Motherland into Shenzen city. Here's the river that divides HK and China:

I tagged along with my new HK friends into a tailor-store; where for 80cents - they will hem your pants. For USD 8 bux, a measured-pour-vous shirt in your choice of design and fabric.  Give them 3 hours, while you shop bop shop.

We headed a little further into Shenzen for another Mall-of-America style behemoth; it's amazing to see, to witness, the vast consumption engine of this country.  A little sad to feel - that so much of their Energy is propelled and contorted for the vapid pleasure of buying, purchasing, acquiring ...  things, that really have no value. I won't lecture here - to each his own - considering I just bought tons of silly things, too.  (shoes shoes shoes below)

We shared lunch at a Sino-Japanese teppanyaki place, where I tried common offerings - beef, calamari, oysters.  And then the not-so-Common:

1. Bullfrog, sauteed with oyster sauce and garlic (tasty - just don't stare at the legs too much)

2. Pigeon Papillote - steamed in ginger/soysauce (yummy, definitely local, not NYC pigeon)

3. Snails, steamed with veggies  (aaaaaaargh - I ate from tail side up, then saw the teeny tiny snail antlers, and promptly hid the offensive head under a pile of jellyfish spaghetti)

I would've shared pictures here -- but I didn't want my new friends to think I was 'shocked & awed' by any of these treats, so I kept a cool face.

We digested afterwards at a Massage Parlor; 2 hours - USD 10 bux.  Lovely boy; we conversed solemenly for a good portion of the time; he in Chinese, me in English.  Something like: 

Boy:  "Where does it hurt? (Chinese)" 

Me:  "Yes, I miss my ex's dog. (English)."

And so on, and so forth.

The fireworks at the Harbour in celebration of the 10th Year Anniversary were lovely - although it gave me a homeache pang -- thinking about all of you in NYC celebrating your 4th of July.  But I got over it, soothed by catching up with a friendly face from my NYC days and his colleague, lingering over a tall glass of frothy Hefenweizen at the Peak Cafe.   

Finally, the word of the day is "Pengyou de Pengyou", literally "friends of friends".  I knew no one here 3 days ago, but from 1 contact, made 4 today.  Our world is collapsing, and for once, it's a good thing.