Wednesday, January 30, 2008

My Little Greenies

Since I came to HK, I have been slightly depressed as you can imagine, what with being away from family and my cat and being jobless and all. Well. My depression got a little worse when we had to move to a super duper teeny tiny studio apartment. Once or twice I caught myself thinking, I left home for this???

But on my way home from someplace one day, I passed a florist and got me 2 of these little greenies. I put 1 in the bathroom and 1 in my kitchen/bedroom/living room/dining room. Since then they have really done well and have grown into really pretty and very very green pots.

I find them seriously comforting though I just cannot explain why...

Smoke Signals

Every Tuesday and Friday, some very pretty fillipino ladies will come to change bedsheets and clean my room.They are very very nice people and we had lengthy conversations but I'd rather not be around when they do come around to do my room. You know what I mean. Today, like clockwork, they show up at 10 and started their rounds. So that was my cue to make myself scarce.

Armed with The Innocent Man and me spanking new British wrap courtesy of MBB, I headed towards Starbucks at Times Square. I thought a cup of caramel macchiato would do wonders for my groggy head and runny nose.

As I left my building after checking that temperature for the day was 10 degrees, the wind hit me in the face and literally took my breath away. As i drew some air and exhaled, 'smoke' came out from my mouth. You know the kind you get when the weather's really cold? I got that! So the excited nak mampos, i was busily exhaling to see more 'smoke' coming out of the mouth! Ya Allah! I called MBB and to my excited squeals, his reply was, "Okaaaay........." Sungguh tak excitingable!!

When I came back a few hours later, I opened the window and leaned out the window and continued to make my smoke..... hehehehe....

Ok dah.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

SAHW

It's 8.15am and MBB just left for the office. Given my newly knighted title of stay at home wife, this would be the time when I'll just roll around in bed with Grisham or switch on the google box and catch whatever is on. Having worked since I can remember, this new title surely takes some getting use to. Not the title per se but the implications that comes along with it. I now have plenty of time to myself. I have been catching up on my sleep, my reading and now that my YELLO has arrived I have been presented with the opportunity to catch up on my pictures upload and my blogging. Sometimes I wonder why on earth do I blog and who is so bloody free to actually read my entries but I digress......

I have yet to get busy with housework and cooking and stuff as we have yet to move to our new pad so I'm basically being very indulgent and doing things that I have not had the opportunity of doing while I had a job. I now have the opportunity to lepak at Starbucks and read over a venti caramel macchiato without feeling guilty about the piles of books that have not been marked or that stack of essays that has yet to be graded. The catch is, my kakis aren't here, so I'm pretty much left to my own devices. I've yet to hook up with my friends here but as you can imagine, the're working too.... Life's little twists.....

As a SAHW it means I have no work which means no money. Now this aspect, I don't like. If I'm dysfunctional, it probably will take my self worth away. Fortunately, I'm not THAT dysfunctional. We had a sit down discussion about my working or not while we are in HK. I thought I'd give myself 3 to 4 months before deciding if I was going to be bored out of my mind and would desperately needed to get a job. MBB says he'd rather I stay home and take care of him and that we will be able to live comfortably PROVIDED I be tres careful with my budget.... that means, not so many bags and shoes ok? I guess I can live with that.... for the time being. By the way, I have already bought a pair of UCB ballets and a spy bag!! Haahahhh....

Anyway, if I wanted to work, I can actually go and teach at the Singapore International School but I thought of doing something that has got NOTHING to do with teaching. I was considering becoming a mailto:barista@Starbucks or becoming a tram driver or mailto:waitressing@shadowman or something like that lah.

Another thing that bugs me is that if we had stayed in SG, I would be driving my RAV4... but that can still happen when we go back lah. AND... given how things have developed back home, I am so bloody grateful we decided to make the move to HK. I cannot imagine what I'd need to do if we were still in SG. The pressure at work plus the stresses of handling home would probably drive me and MBB nuts! Speaking of which, I just have to say, just when you think nothing worse can happen, it does! and it'll just render you speechless. THAT'S another story for another day.....

But all things considered, I'm truly thankful for my life.....I do not envy my friends who are at work right now. Also very thankful that work is going well for MBB. May life get better from here on. Cheers!

Monday, January 21, 2008

YELLO

It's here! My yellow lappie is here! I named her yello! Ok Ok I know, not very clever the name but I love it! No more dependancy on MBB to bring his laptop home. Yaayness! This laptop is supposed to be a birthday present, but since I got it waaay earlier, let's see if I can wrangle another one out of him... hehe.... But given that I'm not working ( read: mo money ), might be a bit difficult to get him a really great present lah..... how like that?

But I can now finally update my pictures.... so exciting... Ok people, be prepared for an onslaught of visual delights.....heheheh

Sunday, January 13, 2008

It's Raining Men....

Well, not exactly men lah, but it rained today, the first time since I came to this land of the Cantos. It got really cold, when it rained just now. What with the wind and all. I think temperature was about 12 deg celcius. Cold right? So yours truly,was freezing her butt off although she was wearing her layer of babat. Heh. We were out when it began to rain so we thought we'd get out of the rain by popping by the first Starbucks we saw, but so did the many other people who were out so, there were no seats available.

We went to Ikea today. Pretty much the same things available, which was such a delight to me because I knew I could then get my cheap crockery for the new place. If ignored all the Cantos around me, it almost felt ike I was at Alexandra...

We went to Kowloon yesterday. I enjoyed the ferry ride. The ferry had very clever seats where the back rest can be moved so that you can be facing front or back depending on the direction the ferry was moving towards. Sounds complicated? Nevermind, when you come here, I'll gladly show you.

When we got to Kowloon, I was almost shocked to find that there were just SO many people. I thought HK Island was crowded but Kowloon in the TST area was just packed! I think, if I had come to Kowloon first when I first came to HK, I would have turned around and high tailed my way back home. The people in Kowloon were unfriendly and not nice. I find that the people on the island are much much nicer.

But we did meet someone really nice. We had lunch at this place called Shadowman Cybercafe. The owner is this friendly old man from SG. He came over and chatted with us. We exchanged numbers and promised to keep in touch and oh his food was fantastic as well.

Then off to MongKok we went. It's like a huge pasar malam. They are quite blatant with their fake stuffs. A bit confused also. they had Coach designs with Gucci stripes....hehe.... anyhow, I got me a Longchamp Bag, my designated pasar bag.... There are many many Billabong stuff, which I think Yun will love lah. They also have many shoes that I think Farah will go gaga over. I just can't wait for her to come.

Anyhow, all in all, my one day in MongKok didn't turn out to be too bad..... maybe round 2 will be better?

Friday, January 11, 2008

A Little Victory

WE GOT THE APARTMENT!!!!!!!!!

I'm so bloody happy I tell you! Today we went over to Dan and Reika's place, over tea, we got to know one another. Dan's actually a financial journalist. He's the Deputy Editor of Finance Asia. How cool is that!! He's married to this very chio Japanese lady so being posted to japan is making her very happy....But what is waaaay cooler is that we got the apartment. The rent's HKD18000 but it is inclusive of EVERYTHING! Quite worth it lah. It even comes with a cleaning lady....! It's a load of our minds to finally have found a place that we actually like and is actually big enough for us to literally roll around. Heh. At least when we receive guests, there'll be ample space for them too. I cannot wait for my 2 little darlings to come over.

To celebrate this little victory of ours, MBB is taking me to Kowloon this weekend. We are on HK Island so we're gonna take the Star Ferry across. I'm rather excited about that. Will post pictures once my new-yellow-birthday-present-lappie is delivered!! That's right! I'm getting a new laptop for my birthday..... yahoo!!!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Wheels on The Bus Go Round And Round

Remember that nice big place we found in Causeway Bay? We were invited to bring our references and the lady of the house had wanted to see us and so yours truly thought she had it in the bag...... So I was jumping for joy, calling home, telling Farah the good news.... feeling sooooo very thankful..... all this at 10am.

Fast forward to 6pm. MBB called to say that the ang moh fella had received a generous offer from someone to BUY his flat and that we were no longer in the running to get the flat!!!! I was devastated!! Such is how volatile the property market here in HK.

I had thought we were done with the searching. Sigh..... now we're back to square 1. MBB and I had a talk and we decided to consider serviced apartments. Searched the net and found some promising ones..... We shall see how that turns out.....

Till later...

Monday, January 07, 2008

Krispy Kreme

While we have Missy Donuts, Donut Factory, Munchy Donuts back home, I now have Krispy Kreme!!! It's really as nice as Has says it is.... the original glaze, the vanilla glaze cake, the new york cheesecake all very very the shiok..... it's just that right now, i dunno where my stupid camera cable is missing.... dunno where lah.... must be in one of my 5 bloody huge and heavy lugggage....so i cannot upload pictures for all to drool......

And Starbucks is everywhere here..... the other one is pacific coffee, you know the coffee place with the big red armchairs in Citylink.... so the many many here tau..... so every other day I get my caramel machiatto...... nice....

I still have not visited any of the touristy places here, Disneyland included.... see lah if some people want to surprise me on my birthday....... this hint can only be directed to the only other person who is with me in HK lah kan.........

HK....So Far..... Errr, no pun intended....

I'm currently holed up in a teeeeny tiny place aptly called cozy studios. It's alright I guess for temporary lodging except that the previous tenant was a super duper heavy smoker and the smoke dah melekat in the curtains and aircon..... Quite the choking. To make things worse, they DO NOT have my vicks inhaler. They don't have the Vicks brand here. Fortunately, Mdm S has agreed to send me a vicks care package soon. Thanks darling!! What would I do without you.

I'm getting very very frustrated with the rental situation in Hong Kong. The prices are EXORBITANT! I mean, terrible..... they are asking for $4k for a place the size of a 2 room flat in SG, I mean, you tell me lah..... teruk tak???? Today we went to see an apartment at this place called the grand promenade. It's a brilliant place. It's on the 62nd floor!! Imagine that! My ears actually got blocked while going up the lift...It's small but new and bright and has a fantastic view. But the rent's HK$20k .... which is about 4k sg.... it's completely unfurnished. so not a good deal at all.....

In the evening we went to see this place at Causeway Bay, right next to a fire station. the building's a bit old but it's right smack in town and the place is relatively big compared to anything we've seen so far..... The owner's english, he and wife are going to tokyo so looking to rent out the place. I like it. It comes fully furnished, internet ready, cable enabled and the rent's HK$15K. which is not too bad considering the deal..... good vibes about this place. hope he likes us enough to lease it to us...

Speaking of good vibes, or rather lack of it..... at one of the places we went to visit today, we were greeted by police and the body of a man who either jumped down or fell off.... no matter what, I told MBB under no circumstances are we even going to consider THAT place......

After being here for 2 weeks, i dare say that Hong Kong is very much like New York...Not that I have ever been to New Yorkl ah but from whatever I have read about NY and seen on tv, there are many many similarities.... In both places, the steet sides are always shaded coz the buildings are so tall.... both places have Times Square, Radio City, Soho, Central many things lah....

So, if we do get the ang moh's place, I'll be living right smack in the heart of town. Something to really look forward to.....

By the way, friends and family, who loves and misses me, please feel free to send care packages consisting of spices, ready to use mixes, kicap manis...... all these I will welcome with big open arms....