Flutterby™! From 2015-04-01 to 2015-04-30

It's lunch, I've just had three tofu dumpling like thingies, a smoked fish, some lightly sauteed greens, and a bit of broth. And damn they were yummy. Spiced just right.

After a busted generator kept us on the ground for 3 hours at SFO, got into Hong Kong at after 1:00AM local time, checked into the hotel at about 3:00AM, successfully reading signs out of the window of the bus to get off at the right place. The good bit? Everything is very clearly labeled.

[ related topics: Photography Dan's Life Travel Hong Kong Dan's December 2002 Hong Kong Trip ]

I'm staying at the Panda Hotel. The penchant for "cutesy" isn't just a Japanese thing, the safety posters in the MTR are Power Puff Girls based. The other thing that strikes me, though, is that that earnestness we associate with first generation asian immigrants isn't just an immigrant thing, in bilingual Hong Kong I walked past a shop labeled "Very Good Tailor" last night.

Food is kick-ass, and dirt cheap. I love walking down the streent and buying a wonton here, a steamed bun there, eating as I meander. "Pick the fresh seafood you want cooked" is quite common, fish, squid, shrimp and octopus in 5 gallon plastic buckets, plucked from the water and cooked on demand are all over. Sanitation probably isn't up to contemporary American standards, lots of open food by the street, guys rolling out huge amounts of dough right by the sidewalk, but it tastes so good I really don't care.

Went down to the market at Temple Street last night, blocks long bazaar flea-market sort of thing. Amazingly small wireless cameras, the voyeur thing must be really hopping over here; the porn I saw seems to have genitals fuzzed out; lots of cheap textiles and cheap electronics, some of it of decent quality. Less knock-off jewelry than I expected.

Overall, I'm having a blast, both personally and in business. Today I go talk to the Hong Kong office of a fashion line you know to video a fitting and critique session, and to discuss information flow with their IT department.

[ related topics: Photography Sexual Culture Dan's Life Food Travel Fashion Hong Kong Dan's December 2002 Hong Kong Trip ]

On Friday I took the tram to the top of the peak. On the north side of the bay I'd noticed that there were still lots of undeveloped slopes, when I asked if the mountains were stable enough to build on I was told "if the government would let us, we'd find a way".

I chalked that up to arrogance 'til I rode the tram, and discovered that on the south side there were skyscrapers built on some pretty amazing slopes. Then it really did get too steep.

Had dinner at a small restaurant at the top, worst meal I had in Hong Kong. Not actively bad, just not mind-blowingly good.

Saw this sign in the entrance to the restroom at the airport. Words to live by.

Saturday morning I watched the sun rise from the Hong Kong airport, got on the plane, and arrived at SFO slightly earlier on Saturday. Had to actively start using English again.

Great trip, but it's damned good to be home. Observations and more pictures dribbled out over the next few. Need to stitch some panoramas together, too. Alas, there's only so much interesting picture taking at night, but I got a few shots worth sharing.

[ related topics: Interactive Drama Photography Dan's Life Food Travel Hong Kong Dan's December 2002 Hong Kong Trip ]