Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Monday, 28 June 2010
Amber Warning (not a song title)
Ok, so I've mentioned in passing a couple of times that it rains a bit here. You may have missed this, I've played it down a lot.
Well, today I arrived at work to be asked if I had seen the Warnings (I consider this to merit capitalisation). What Warnings you ask (I note a tone of concern in your voice, and I thank you for that). The Warnings that show on your tv screen. Ah, I've not watched tv...
Well, today we had an Amber Warning (rain was falling at >30mm per hour and there was a risk of flooding in poorly drained and low lying areas) and a Thunderstorm Warning (risk of thunderstorms, take shelter indoors during thunderstorms and avoid highly conductive objects).
So there you go! I started wishing the building could not easily be dismantled... (I've told you the dismantling story, right?)
So far as I have established rain Warnings can be Amber (floods), Red (bad) or Black (very bad, you don't have to go to work - mostly due to you being advised not to go outdoors). Wind alerts are based on numbers (I think 3, 5 and 8. 8 being really bad - again do not leave the house). Thunderstorms appear to be a bad thing generally. Particularly when combined with rain or wind. Watch out for them.
New google favourite for me it is - the Hong Kong observatory! Please send dvds - I think I'm going to be indoors a lot!
It was actually quite scary and I sonewhat wished I had never been made aware these Warnings existed (I acknowledge this is possibly not the safest option, but still, it has merits). I am sure you will be pleased to hear though that the Warnings were removed and I am home safely. I must enquire about the level of insurance cover I have and whether I get danger money for this.
Great quote today from someone who has been here before (I am stealing with pride). "Nowhere to go when it rains for a social life except maybe Lan Quai Fong although you have to accept that it is full of 40 year olds pretending they are students again". This is entirely correct. Dvds please!!!!!
Well, today I arrived at work to be asked if I had seen the Warnings (I consider this to merit capitalisation). What Warnings you ask (I note a tone of concern in your voice, and I thank you for that). The Warnings that show on your tv screen. Ah, I've not watched tv...
Well, today we had an Amber Warning (rain was falling at >30mm per hour and there was a risk of flooding in poorly drained and low lying areas) and a Thunderstorm Warning (risk of thunderstorms, take shelter indoors during thunderstorms and avoid highly conductive objects).
So there you go! I started wishing the building could not easily be dismantled... (I've told you the dismantling story, right?)
So far as I have established rain Warnings can be Amber (floods), Red (bad) or Black (very bad, you don't have to go to work - mostly due to you being advised not to go outdoors). Wind alerts are based on numbers (I think 3, 5 and 8. 8 being really bad - again do not leave the house). Thunderstorms appear to be a bad thing generally. Particularly when combined with rain or wind. Watch out for them.
New google favourite for me it is - the Hong Kong observatory! Please send dvds - I think I'm going to be indoors a lot!
It was actually quite scary and I sonewhat wished I had never been made aware these Warnings existed (I acknowledge this is possibly not the safest option, but still, it has merits). I am sure you will be pleased to hear though that the Warnings were removed and I am home safely. I must enquire about the level of insurance cover I have and whether I get danger money for this.
Great quote today from someone who has been here before (I am stealing with pride). "Nowhere to go when it rains for a social life except maybe Lan Quai Fong although you have to accept that it is full of 40 year olds pretending they are students again". This is entirely correct. Dvds please!!!!!
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Spa heaven
Those of you with wallpaperguides, flick to page 94. Now book your flight to visit. It is even better than it looks.
What can I say... Crystal amethyst steam room, tropical rain showers, cold mist pods, ice baths, water massage pools., hot seats, relaxation rooms and orange water.
So I arrived, sipped my hot tea (lemon, ginger and honey - delicious) and changed into my spa robe. A very nice robe. Plus, a freebie spa bag. Goodies!
After making the most of the facilities for three or so hours pre treatment (I'm going 24 hours pre next time) I went for my first treatment, a Rasul. For this you are entirely covered in mud. You are then left in a gorgeous copper coloured room in a little throne-like seat and the treatment starts. First dry heat, then wet heat then a shower. All while in the one seat. The idea is the heat treatment assists in the minerals soaking into the skin (or similar). Anyway, a wonderful if slightly overly-warm treatment. It was too hot to pick up the glass of water provided!
Following this a wonderful massage. Relaxation beyond relaxation... I'm going every time I'm rained in!
Yes, those of you that are wondering, the rain has started again. My task for the week is to try and find a pair of these. Unless Chloe see my blog, mistake me for a celeb, and ship me a freebie pair. Or similar... www.netaporter.co.uk/product/60415
What can I say... Crystal amethyst steam room, tropical rain showers, cold mist pods, ice baths, water massage pools., hot seats, relaxation rooms and orange water.
So I arrived, sipped my hot tea (lemon, ginger and honey - delicious) and changed into my spa robe. A very nice robe. Plus, a freebie spa bag. Goodies!
After making the most of the facilities for three or so hours pre treatment (I'm going 24 hours pre next time) I went for my first treatment, a Rasul. For this you are entirely covered in mud. You are then left in a gorgeous copper coloured room in a little throne-like seat and the treatment starts. First dry heat, then wet heat then a shower. All while in the one seat. The idea is the heat treatment assists in the minerals soaking into the skin (or similar). Anyway, a wonderful if slightly overly-warm treatment. It was too hot to pick up the glass of water provided!
Following this a wonderful massage. Relaxation beyond relaxation... I'm going every time I'm rained in!
Yes, those of you that are wondering, the rain has started again. My task for the week is to try and find a pair of these. Unless Chloe see my blog, mistake me for a celeb, and ship me a freebie pair. Or similar... www.netaporter.co.uk/product/60415
Saturday, 26 June 2010
My apartment
A few of you have been asking about my current home so, as I'm rained in, here are a few pictures for your enjoyment...
Friday, 25 June 2010
Raindrops keep falling on my head...
Well, I have to admit that this blog is becoming more and more devoted to West Wing than to anything else at the moment (I've just finished Season 4 and will be hoping for a chance to go buy Season 5 later today). Many thanks for the posted wispas, they have been keeping me company :o)
This is not due to a lack of desire on my part to go and see all HK has to offer but is a direct result of month end and the commencement of monsoon season. Auditors and rain. Hurrah.
I'm not talking a pack a brolly, light scattering, I'm talking sheets of rain and an inability to leave the apartment without getting drenched! The dvd player and I and also the indoor/outdoor terrace and I are going to become good friends!
[In case of confusion, the indoor/outdoor terrace is level 5 in my block. It has a roof (there are a number of floors above it) but no walls / windows. Hopefully clearer now].
Whilst I have watched rain here, it appears all sorts has been happening in the UK so a big CONGRATULATIONS to Gem and Lee on the birth of Eliza Amber (hurrah!), WHOOP WHOOP to my sister for getting her degree AND a job and a final (but equally important) ENJOY and CONGRATULATIONS to James and George who are getting married today!! I look forward to celebrating in person with all of you in a few months.
Anyway, this week has taught me a few new things. I have learnt that a "bigha" is a unit of measurement. However, if you look this up on wikipedia it is not entirely clear what size this unit is. Always handy when assessing the value of land. "We have two bighas of land for sale, who would like to argue how much the buyer actually gets?" - I'm amazed London estate agents haven't (officially) taken this approach. From reading property adverts it appears they, unofficially, may have done so. Anyway, for those of you who already knew what a bigha was I apologise for boring you. Those who would like more information on bighas can find it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigha. I just liked the name.
I also learnt that my inability to correctly pronounce "I am a vegetarian" (if you recall, you say "I eat vegetables") which means I have been saying "I eat baby boys" and accounts for the horrified / amused yet confused faces I have been getting in local restaurants when attempting to order. Ahem. Less than ideal.
A further discovery was "lunch handbags". Yes, the women I work with have a, smaller, 'lunch' handbag. This is so you do not have to lug your big bag when you go for lunch. Strikes me as a genius idea and (just as soon as the rain stops) I'm going shopping!
A final discovery, as advised by my team, is that whilst HK is a very safe place to live, pickpocketing is very common. They were horrified at the lack of attention I paid to my handbag and possessions generally and I have promised I will keep a closer eye in future.
On the food front, this Friday I was taken to a noodle bar by my team, this one famous for its fish soup. Here my (delicious) food was kindly ordered for me, to ensure I tried the specialities. (I had fishball and tofu soup - the fish and the tofu are mixed and fried), and Chinese turnip (taro) in fish soup. I also had lemon barley water, famed here for its cooling and healing properties. I'm hoping this will make up for my complete lack of attendance at the gym. yes, even when pretty much locked down in my apartment here I cannot find the will to walk (ok, take the lift) to the in-building gym.
Last night I went to Posto Pubblico, an Italian Osteria, which made a bit of a change! Delicious pizza, home made pasta, tapas style starters and a nice wine list too! www.postopubblico.com YUM.
This was followed by the discovery of lychee daiquiris. Delicious but deadly. I did however cut my night short so I could be up nice and early for my excursions today. Please note, it is gone 1pm and I'm still waiting for the rain to stop! Should have gone dancing...
Anyway, had there been marginally better weather I was planning on taking a trip to Lantau Island to see the Big Budda and take a trip on the skyrail there. It is supposed to be fabulous, I will keep you all updated if I get there!
Tomorrow I have planned for rain and am off to spend the day at a spa. I'm almost hopeful the weather doesn't improve.
Anyway, I hope to have more interesting news soon. Until next time!
This is not due to a lack of desire on my part to go and see all HK has to offer but is a direct result of month end and the commencement of monsoon season. Auditors and rain. Hurrah.
I'm not talking a pack a brolly, light scattering, I'm talking sheets of rain and an inability to leave the apartment without getting drenched! The dvd player and I and also the indoor/outdoor terrace and I are going to become good friends!
[In case of confusion, the indoor/outdoor terrace is level 5 in my block. It has a roof (there are a number of floors above it) but no walls / windows. Hopefully clearer now].
Whilst I have watched rain here, it appears all sorts has been happening in the UK so a big CONGRATULATIONS to Gem and Lee on the birth of Eliza Amber (hurrah!), WHOOP WHOOP to my sister for getting her degree AND a job and a final (but equally important) ENJOY and CONGRATULATIONS to James and George who are getting married today!! I look forward to celebrating in person with all of you in a few months.
Anyway, this week has taught me a few new things. I have learnt that a "bigha" is a unit of measurement. However, if you look this up on wikipedia it is not entirely clear what size this unit is. Always handy when assessing the value of land. "We have two bighas of land for sale, who would like to argue how much the buyer actually gets?" - I'm amazed London estate agents haven't (officially) taken this approach. From reading property adverts it appears they, unofficially, may have done so. Anyway, for those of you who already knew what a bigha was I apologise for boring you. Those who would like more information on bighas can find it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigha. I just liked the name.
I also learnt that my inability to correctly pronounce "I am a vegetarian" (if you recall, you say "I eat vegetables") which means I have been saying "I eat baby boys" and accounts for the horrified / amused yet confused faces I have been getting in local restaurants when attempting to order. Ahem. Less than ideal.
A further discovery was "lunch handbags". Yes, the women I work with have a, smaller, 'lunch' handbag. This is so you do not have to lug your big bag when you go for lunch. Strikes me as a genius idea and (just as soon as the rain stops) I'm going shopping!
A final discovery, as advised by my team, is that whilst HK is a very safe place to live, pickpocketing is very common. They were horrified at the lack of attention I paid to my handbag and possessions generally and I have promised I will keep a closer eye in future.
On the food front, this Friday I was taken to a noodle bar by my team, this one famous for its fish soup. Here my (delicious) food was kindly ordered for me, to ensure I tried the specialities. (I had fishball and tofu soup - the fish and the tofu are mixed and fried), and Chinese turnip (taro) in fish soup. I also had lemon barley water, famed here for its cooling and healing properties. I'm hoping this will make up for my complete lack of attendance at the gym. yes, even when pretty much locked down in my apartment here I cannot find the will to walk (ok, take the lift) to the in-building gym.
Last night I went to Posto Pubblico, an Italian Osteria, which made a bit of a change! Delicious pizza, home made pasta, tapas style starters and a nice wine list too! www.postopubblico.com YUM.
This was followed by the discovery of lychee daiquiris. Delicious but deadly. I did however cut my night short so I could be up nice and early for my excursions today. Please note, it is gone 1pm and I'm still waiting for the rain to stop! Should have gone dancing...
Anyway, had there been marginally better weather I was planning on taking a trip to Lantau Island to see the Big Budda and take a trip on the skyrail there. It is supposed to be fabulous, I will keep you all updated if I get there!
Tomorrow I have planned for rain and am off to spend the day at a spa. I'm almost hopeful the weather doesn't improve.
Anyway, I hope to have more interesting news soon. Until next time!
Thursday, 24 June 2010
When it rains it pours...
I can honestly say I have never in my life seen such sheets of rain as those that came down this morning. I stepped out of the house and instantly (despite new super-sized umbrella) I had wet feet. Hmm. Great way to start the day. I actually wondered if this was some form of punishment for my 'late' night watching the football.
I then discovered that when it rains it takes materially longer to get to work as navigating your way through the puddles (I use the term lightly, some would have come up to my knees) and the umbrellas means slow progress is made.
I had joked about buying wellies before. Today I discovered that all sensible women wear wellies or flip flops (this only makes sense when the rain is warm which is hard to imagine I know) and keep their shoes and stockings in the office. This assists in the getting to work and not freezing from the air con / wet shoe combo on arrival. Note to self, go buy wellies.
On my way home it was dry as a bone, not a spot of water to be seen. Incredible!
And I'm told this is just the very start of monsoon season. Mum, I take back all the 'plastic shoes' comments...
I then discovered that when it rains it takes materially longer to get to work as navigating your way through the puddles (I use the term lightly, some would have come up to my knees) and the umbrellas means slow progress is made.
I had joked about buying wellies before. Today I discovered that all sensible women wear wellies or flip flops (this only makes sense when the rain is warm which is hard to imagine I know) and keep their shoes and stockings in the office. This assists in the getting to work and not freezing from the air con / wet shoe combo on arrival. Note to self, go buy wellies.
On my way home it was dry as a bone, not a spot of water to be seen. Incredible!
And I'm told this is just the very start of monsoon season. Mum, I take back all the 'plastic shoes' comments...
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