52

So it's all been a little quiet on the western front. There hasn't been much going on out here. This past week things have picked up a little. Of course, Christmas happened, but it was a strange one. It felt like it was a summers day outside and everything was still open. It's not as big a celebration for the locals as Chinese new year is and as such Christmas day felt like a non-day. It was almost like I was watching it go by, and it did go by in a flash.

Then there are the films that have come out recently. First Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2.

 I had to go and see this one. I have seen all the others in the series and had, therefore, to finish the job. It was much better than the last offering, but to be fair the fist half of breaking dawn was also my least favourite part of the book series. The film in the twilight saga was very good and almost as fresh as the first one, and cleverly directed with good opening and closing titles. There was a moment when I feared a terrible deed had been done and the ending had been altered but thankfully my fears were alleviated and overall it was one of the better films of the saga.

Next came The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

I was so excited about this film. I have been waiting for it since Lord of the Rings came out and I could not wait to get the cinema to see it. I was not disappointed. In fact I loved it so much that tomorrow I am going to see it again. The acting is superb, the costumes and make-up sublime and Peter Jackson delivers the story with love and care. There were moments I was unsure of, as many things that are mentioned in passing in the book are expanded on, but Jackson does an excellent job of explaining the Lord of the Rings after he has made it. It will, I think, make all six of the films  (once the following two installments of The Hobbit are released) into a complete unit.

The final film is, of course, Les Miserables.

I have also been eagerly anticipating this release, though I knew I would be somewhat hard to please. I grew up listening to the 10th Anniversary Cast, featuring Colm Wilkinson who has dominated the role of Valijean since it's inception. I have not heard, and will be hard pressed to hear, a rendition of Bring Him Home that matches Wilkinson's. Despite being hard to please, I thoroughly enjoyed Les Mis. Anne Hathaway was excellent as Fantine and her I Dreamed a Dream was a highlight of the film. Hugh Jackman delivered an award worthy performance as Valjean and Eddie Redmayne's Marius was the best I have seen him act. Russel Crowe's Javert was strange. He brought Javert to life well and I liked his interpretation of the character, but I struggled with his voice, It was nothing like I was expecting, and I am used to more strength and depth than he had. That said, Crowe's numerous duets with Jackman worked very well and their voices meshed together excellently. Isabelle Allen was a revelation and Amanda Seyfried voice was perfect.
Overall, and regardless of my gripes, there is no doubt in my mind that Les Mis is a cinematic masterpiece and I do hope it does as well as it deserves during awards season.

That has been my time back at the cinema and I am now plotting a further task. Reading is one of my favourite things, and I have more books than I remember on my kindle, so to help me get through them I am taking on the challenge of reading 52 books in a year, one a week. The list is nearly done (though I am sure it will change a few more times, and may even cross over to next year) but I am rather exited. Nothing like a bit of structure and a list to make you do something! Here's just hoping I can stick to it!

...!!!...

The Dark Bathtub: #4

They clung to each other and in that moment, there was no one else. Only the two of them united in their cause. Huddling together they watched it taking in every detail, ever colour and every sound. It was nothing new to them for they had seen it many times before but the fear, the excitement, the suspense never got old. The feelings were always as fresh as they had been the first time they had seen it. He held out his hand to her a sign of comfort to what was to come. They held on to each other, knowing what was coming but each, in their naive way, hoping that it would not happen.
But the elephant always appeared as the clock struck six and the grandfather clock lay in pieces.


© Nancy Laidler 2012

Coco Delights!

To conform to female sterotypes, I Love chocolate. However I becoming ever more discerning about the chocolate I do and don't like. At this point in time I prefer dark chocolate, and preferably lindt, though
Cadburys had it's place. I say had because Cadburys in the UK and Cadburys here in Hong Kong are two completely different beasts and the Cadburys out here isn't nearly as gratifying.

Today however I broke the mold and purchased a bar of dark chocolate based purely on the label (Ali - Hope you love this!). This turned into a win on so many levels. The chocolate (70%) was lovely, and the bar itself was tiny. Lots of joy and not very much guilt thanks to the size of the bar (the other boon to having a penchant for dark chocolate being that you can't eat a lot in one go :)

Dropping degrees...

It's November. It's that time of year again when the poppies come out and the travesties of years gone by are remembered; our heroes honored and when there is a mutual hope that we will never see anything like that again. And so the hunt for the poppy has begun. A hunt this year because in Hong Kong there is more seeking required to find this flower, and I cannot let a Remembrance day pass where I am without one. In addition I am feeling the urge to purchase one of these:

A poppy for all year, the knowledge I will always have one (though I can guarantee I will probably still end up with a good seven of the regular ones per-year - always happens) and my money will still go to the British Legion. Hard to see the flaws in such an investment.

Remembrance day has always been important, but it seems even more so this year. That probably has a lot to do with being away from home, and it being something that makes me proud to be British and proud to be British. Hanging on with traditions is a way of keeping home alive.

The other thing November has brought to Hong Kong is "colder" weather. It has fallen bellow 20C, but has yet to fall below 15C and yet the scarves and coats are out. I have to admit that I too have been feeling a pinch chilly very much to my shame. My hardy northern-ness is suffering in this warmer climate.

On the other hand I have a new favourite fruit:

Even though the dragon fruit looks bizarre, if you are a fan of kiwi fruits odds are you'll like this one. It's not as tangy but the texture is similar. My next challenge is to attempt a salmon chowder, now that the weathers getting cooler. Here's hoping it works...

Sepia Sunday

A few weeks ago now I had a weekend that was a belter. Epic in every way. It was weekend of firsts with my first Kareoke and my first swim in the sea and a weekend that contained one of the most epic farewell parties I have ever attended (hence the Kareoke) followed by the hangover swim in the sea.  Last weekend was Halloween, that of course featured dressing up and LKF (Lan Kwai Fung) packed to breaking point. I have never seen such madness in my life.

The Kareoke was mental:

Followed by Halloween several weeks later:

The Loss of friends (for however brief a time you knew them) when they return home to the UK is always worthy of a great celebration, and  the craziness of Hong Kong at Halloween was not something to be missed, not this year anyway:

Take a look at how packed this place was!!

After all the *ahem* partying, came the come down (others nay call this a hangover). This was my cure:

not to mention the additional swim in the sea.

This place has it's pros and cons and people come and go, but you couldn't ask for a better place for all of that to happen!

Change is going to come.

The first three months out here were tough, there's no denying that. Being so far away from home; adjusting to jet lag whilst working; missing simple things; missing comparatively nothing. It took the three months everyone said it would to settle in. The following three months were amazing.

At the six month mark I've been, not quite floored, but buffeted. Call it an emotional hurricane if you will, though I have no doubt that Hurricane Sandy more than outweighs my feelings of misery.

There had been the possibility of kind of (in a round about way) touching base in the next few weeks, that's now not happening. It's not a blow per se, but it's not ideal either. In addition things going on back at home make me wish I were there; wish I could lend a hand or simply just be around if needed. When on the other side of the world, dropping everything isn't as easy. As a friend said, you feel like nothing should get in the way of you being with your family, but then life just happens. It does happen. And in this instance it sucks.

As you get older, the trappings and the hooks that held down your childhood begin to disappear and fade. People die, houses get sold, minds and memories get lost. Knowing all this will and does happen doesn't make any of it any easier. Watching it happen to friends and distant family makes it, if anything, harder when it comes round to being your turn. And when you are one of the youngest in the family the loss of that childhood is more pronounced and happens at a faster rate.

And then you remember that you are away for Christmas. That it is the first time that any of your immediate family has spent Christmas away.

The Childhood dreams are over. The transition has happened and nothing is ever going to be quite the same again. Did the final break come when I moved away, or was it going to happen regardless. They may not be an answer, but the one thing we know for sure is that whatever we do; whatever our actions (or not), change is going to, and will, come!

You're toast!

One of the things I did before I left home was make my sister a set of stationary featuring toast (sad I know but that's the way it is.) Since leaving home I've missed her hugely and I've been sending her letter - we're on a mission to bring snail mail back! However on our most recent coresspondance there has been no sighting of the aforementioned toast.
But the toast is back....and on a snail mail mission soon!!!

All with a pinch of salt...

On Friday I finally braved the fortune tellers of Temple Street and had a palm reading. The result that (apparently) I am very stubborn - I like to argue my side of a debate; I will have a career change at 28 (and apparently I will be at home in the world of finance); I like to travel, but as my travel line is faint I may prefer to stay at home; I will marry between 31-34 and have three children, two boys and a girl....

All taken with a pinch of salt and a healthy dose of raised eyebrow. It was certainly an experience that's for sure.

Prior to this most outrageous (or not) of occurrences was the long weekend thanks to the Mid-Autumn festival and National day. On Saturday we lit our lanterns:

Sunday was spent first glorying in the lie-in and the knowledge that there were three days of no work. Eventually I wended my way to Cheung Chau, a small Island near Lantau from which you can just see the power station on Lamma in the distance. There are no cars on Cheung Chau' (bar the ambulance-come-police-come-fire service vans that are as dinky as the island they are on. Cheung Chau is a lovely chilled island with more seafood than you can shake the proverbial stick at. You can hire bicycles on which you can ride round the island and see the caves, the rock carvings, the mini great wall and the multitude of temples. Having only done a fraction of these I will have to go back and do the rest.

Monday was a day of lazing and meandering that concluded in fireworks (loud according to the wee boy on his daddy's shoulders!):

And Tuesday was spent in my favourite of palces, Stanley!

One of the highlights was finding one of the throwbacks to British control:

Though this was a lovely weekend it has been tinged with tragedy. The ferry crash near Lamma Island on monday night has now claimed 39 lives and the latter half of the week was a period of national mourning. The light show was suspended out of respect for those who lost their lives and the shock is dissipating into a swift moving police investigation. Hong Kong is a place known for it's safety, it is rare to hear news of such disasters from here. Lets hope we don't hear of any more!

From Day to Night

When it get's dark in Hong Kong it get's dark fast. It's one of the things I like most about coming home from work on a Saturday evening. Every time you look up into the sky it is a different colour, a darker shade of blue. I managed to capture a small  hint of the speed of this change in two pictures as I crossed a footbridge to get home:

All I did from one photo to the next was walk from one side of the footbridge to the other. Oh the speed of light.

A Day Out

Sometimes a day out merits a blog post. Today the sun was out, the humidity was low and the temperature was high. It was a lovely day...for going to a museum. In fact today was exactly my kind of lazy Sunday. First we headed off to the Hong Kong Museum of History, originally to see the Terracotta Warriors exhibition that is here till November, however it was sold out till 9pm... so the warriors will have to wait till another day! Fear not, we still went and meandered around the main exhibition, entitles "The Story of Hong Kong."

The Museum is brilliant. I feel I need another visit or 6 to really appreciate it (here is where the acquisition of a Museum Pass is going to come in handy I feel) but the first impression was a good one. There is lots going on without there being a sensory overload, and it is spread out, making it a more personal and contemplative experience. Your journey through the museum takes you chronologically through the "story" of Hong Kong becoming what it is today, concluding with a decent enough gift shop (who doesn't love a gift shop!)

Outside the Museum, alterations have been made in-tune with the special exhibition:

Following our cultural quota, we wended our way slowly back to Hong Kong Island, and to the IFC mall where we decided to try our luck in one of the cafe's. We plumped for Simply Life, a French feeling cafe with a view over Victoria Harbour (admittedly not at it's best at the moment, but somewhat bizarrely fascinating):

  

and with cups of tea that were not only spot on, but came in awesome cups:

And the day was rounded off in spectacular fashion with the purchase of a book from the shop round the corner... And all before my evening skype date with home. Museum > Tea > Books. My perfect Sunday.

The Dark Bathtub: #3

It had been many years since their marriage; since that first flush of new love; since that so called "honeymoon" period. True it had not always been easy, but who's life had? What mattered was that they were still here. Still together. United. No matter how many sunrises and sunsets they saw, no matter the moments of despair or happiness, they had each other to guide them through, to hold on to. They hold on to each other now, for balance as well as comfort. The years have been kind to them both, but old age catches up with them all. The shoulders begin to hunch and the steps becomes slower, more cautious. But they still did everything together and they had each other to support them, to tether them to life.

Ways and means

Sometimes all you need for a bit of inspiration is the ways and means to make it happen. Enter the childhood favorite the moomins.

Thanks to ye who helped facilitate :)

That Holiday Feeling

The end of a long working week makes you feel in need of a holiday - we've all been there. Wanting to get away. Be somewhere else. Be somewhere different. Feel entirely removed from the city and workplace. I may now be living on the other side of the world but in Hong Kong, a tiny Island a fraction the size of the County I grew up in, I have found that holiday feeling half an hour from my front door. My holidays name is Stanley. (And it was about time there were more photos added to this blog - I must thank google for them all!)

All I need to do is hop on the double-decker bus and for c. 80p each way wend my way along the narrow winding roads to Stanley, putting all my faith in the driver of the vehicle that is far too big for the road. It sometimes feels like the attitude to road building here was at times similar to the mindset of those who built the multi-story car park in Kendal: not quite big enough for vehicles. This put-your-life-in-the-drivers-hands feeling is more than worth the initial trauma (after a few journeys you get used to the renegade branches and sudden breaking... it's all about rolling with it!)You leave the city quickly and there doesn't seem to be any gradual change from city to countryside. It is very much a *bam* and you're in it kind of journey.

The bus journey to Stanley from either direction also allows for excellent beach viewing. Not being a huge beach lover (I still haven't properly "been to the beach" yet) I wouldn't know what to look for, but a few of the beaches I have seen on the way to Stanley have made me want to hop out of the bus and straight into the sea. Turtle cove beach is on the top of my list, being slightly removed and nicely enclosed:

Stanley itself has changed dramatically in the years between family visits (but then we are talking a healthy 35 year gap) though Stanley market remains essentially unchanged and the post office looks pretty original:

With the water and the sun and the relaxed feel of the place, any time spent in Stanley is like having a holiday - made better by the the knowledge that it doesn't matter if you don't "do everything" as you can always pop down again next week and you never know what you're going to find anyway!

The Dark Bathtub: #2

They had little in common, the younger woman and the older one. At the root of these differences was of course age, but this was compounded by differences in culture, in class and in language. They could not communicate with each other through speech. So when the younger woman went in search of something, it was not going to be a simple task to achieve. At first the older woman wasn't there. Every time she went in during that day she did not see her. Not once. It was very strange that it should be so, for it was more usual to see her what felt like ten times a day; and this week of all weeks she needed to find the older woman. Two days later their paths once again crossed. The older woman saw her and approached her from across the room. She said something. Something that the younger woman had no hope of understanding. The younger woman shook her head and smiled apologetically as she made this point clear. The older woman advanced towards her - towards the cupboard on wall. Opening it, she took down what the younger woman had been looking for and handed her the two knives.

© Nancy Laidler 2012

The Dark Bathtub: #1

They ran to a strict timetable, especially in the afternoons when the frequency of people milling around the small space was higher. Each lesson ran seamlessly into the next, the changeovers at 4pm and 5.30pm smooth and on the dot like a well oiled machine. A machine that did not cope well with disruption. He appeared in the doorway of the classroom at 3.55pm. 'Do you know where the Guess Who? cards are?' he asked, easily heard by the assembled mass in the library. The two teachers for whom the remark was intended knew what he meant and both shook their heads and uttered apologies. He nodded and, muttering, withdrew back into the classroom closing the door behind him. The two teachers subliminally glanced at the clock, and then at each other. Unable to say anything whilst surrounded by parents and students they simply raised their eyebrows in a simple, wordless communication. The class was not going to finish at 4pm.

© Nancy Laidler 2012

On Finding Your Way...

In all honesty it is a wonder how anyone finds anything in Hong Kong. There is hardly a direct route to anything. The one exception I can think of is the elevated walkway that takes you straight into Immigration Tower (though as I discovered this only works if you exit the MTR station in the right direction.)

No, in Hong Kong it sometimes feels like you have to go round in five circles, do eight star jumps, a hopscotch and then you might as well throw in the monster mach for good measure - and that's well before you even reach your destination. It's not that things aren't well signposted - the signposting in Hong Kong is some of the best I've seen - You just cannot go anywhere in a "straight" line.

Not that this is something to really complain about - you get to see a lot of the city and take in the atmosphere, but at this time of year the heat (or rather humidity) can make it somewhat of a challenge. On the upside, this convoluted way of getting to places means that you can stumble across the most extraordinary and fantastic things that otherwise you might never have found.

In Hong Kong you never know what may be around the next corner!

The Thor Factor

I can now truly say that I can understand how Norse myths and legends came about!Wednesday nights thunderstorm was incredible! There were thunder claps that I could swear made my bones shake and at times the lightening might as well have been strobe lights, and all as I was about to go to sleep! Naturally the only reasonable thing to do in this situation was.... to get up and watch the storm!

Here is a picture of the storm that was the prequel to Typhoon kai-tak (coincidentally also the name of Hong Kong's old airport!)

Thanks to a more skilled photographer than me for managing to capture this most incredible of storms. And much as I enjoyed and in awe of the spectacle; I do request that next time Thor is up for a fight that he goes about it with a little more subtlety.... Is that asking too much....

Always worth a try...

The comfort factor

When you're in a foreign country there is nothing quite like having a few home comforts hanging around. Luckily for me, Hong Kong Public Libraries have plenty of them, the highlight of which came when I paid a visit to my local library and found this most wonderful of books on the library shelves:

This books has always been a favourite and curled up in my room I could've been anywhere. The story is told so brilliantly and however many times I read it I am still enchanted (no pun intended). One of the (smal) irritating things about moving away was not being able to bring my books with me. I love my kindle, but even so there is nothing like an actual book in your hands and turning pages instead of pressing buttons.

But now I have a new book to read, The Zahir, by Paulo Coelho was pressed into my hands only yesterday with the instructions to read it - instructions that I am now about to follow.... never having read any of Coelho's work I am intrigued....

The Properties of Elastic

So I have had my light-bulb moment. I recently heard someone say "Find what you love, then do it for the rest of your life." This got me thinking. What do I love doing? I love writing. So why wasn't I doing it. Was I scared? Did I lack the motivation to finish? Then I found a second quote from Syd Field; "Writing is a personal responsibility - either you do it or you don't."

I have taken my responsibilities back into my own hands and boy, am I writing.

The newest and rawest material is finding its way into the ethere here: http://thepropertiesofelastic.blogspot.hk/ I'm not going to lie it is terrifying knowing this is out there, but it is also liberating. I am writing. I am a writer. It's what I love, so I am going to find a way to do it for the rest of my life. Whether opportunities are made or not is debatable, but there's never any harm in trying!

A Little Bit of Calm

Sightseeing on a hangover - not the most sensible of things i'll admit, but it can be made bearable depending on the location. One such location was found on the mandatory Sunday sightseeing visit (before these were decided on being pointless when one was in a less than bouncy state, especially in the ever increasing heat!)

The Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lain Gardens at Diamond Hill were just the place to wander around on a lazy Sunday. Large, tranquil and not overcrowded, I felt so much like I was in China and rather zenned out (and shattered) by the time I was on my way home.

Entering into the gardens you are met by masses of shrubs, trees and rocks all laid out neatly and pruned to perfection. I find the precision in the gardens here far from fussy. On the contrary the neatness and organisation has a calming effect. Whether it is tailored to do so I do not know, but if this is the case it works and allows magical moments like this to pop up:

The path continued on its winding way eventually leading to more open views:

Eventually it seems that almost a full circle has been covered and signs (of which there are many, but subtly so) point you in the direction of the lily garden that is in fact in the same location as Chi Lin Nunnery. The two are linked by a bridge that crosses the road. Looking back on the Nan Lian gardens as you climb the stairs gives you this stunning view - I still have't tired of looking at it!

Finally you reach the Nunnery and the lily garden. It is a beautiful place, welcome and calming. There are often many people milling about but never does it feel crowded. 

This is one of my favourite places in Hong Kong and one I keep going back to. You can alter your route around the garden, find new nooks and crannies and focus on different details every time, sometimes it's just nice to sit and relax. The other thing I love about the gardens and Nunnery is a theme you will see running through nearly all of these picture. The city pops up in the skyline and yet is so unobtrusive. The meshing of garden and city, of peace and quite and hustle and bustle is handled with such a delicate balance and the results are captivating.

Typhoon... What Typhoon

So.... I managed to sleep through a T10, the equivalent of a Hurricane 4, and I didn't bat an eyelid! So I can add that to the list of "Things I Have Slept Through". The only other thing on this list is the Cumbrian Earthquake!

Typhoon Vicente looked like this (courtesy of those who uploaded to Localiiz Hong Kong http://www.facebook.com/localiiz ):

As this chappy partied hard he also managed to rip up a few trees, flood a few roads, and cause general mayhem around the city and surrounding areas as we battened down the hatches and (in my case) got a bit of shut eye.

There really is nothing like a raging storm to lull you to sleep at night!

The Ovenless Diaries #1

There is no doubt that one of the things I am missing most out here in HK is an oven. It's not something I'm used to being without and now I realise just how much I relied on it, so it almost feels like I'm going back to square 1 with my cooking. On the side of the pro-points, we do have a gas hob, which makes hob only cooking a little more variable.

This weeks revelation was a family fave (sadly now the all hallowed apple crumble and custard) but a tasty one nonetheless. Ginger and honey marinaded salmon with mashed potatoes (skin left on) and pak choi. I suppose this isn't really a recipe, but the marinade is simply chopped fresh ginger, runny honey and olive oil in the quantities of your choice. The oil works its way though the fish as it's marinading, making it so easy to fire into a wok/frying pan and cook gently through. I just wish I had taken a picture....

For now however, I need to bend my mind to more exciting things that I can cook and expand my hob cooking skills...

Three months in....

Ok, so not quite three months in, but almost there and finally I feel like I'm settling in here. The latest bump hasn't been nearly as much of a low as the previous ones... Slowly, bit by bit, Hong Kong is starting to win me over.

There is so much to love about this city - this Island - the people for a start are lovely. They are not exactly welcoming, or indeed overly warm, but they are accepting and happy to return a smile, say hello in the morning and even have a laugh with you when strange things happen when the lift reaches floor 13.... true story! It's the little things that make the people so appealing. True it is hard to understand anything, but that is half of the joy of it.

On top of the people there's the city and the weather. Hong Kong isn't a big place, but you certainly can't traverse it by foot. The place is labyrinthine in it's make-up. There is no real direct route anywhere, you have to go round in circles at least five times before getting to your intended destination. Far from annoying, this is becoming one of my favourite things about Hong Kong. You get to see so much of the city. In addition the transport systems function beautifully, making walking an option rather than a necessity - always a bonus!

The humidity is certainly a challenge to begin with, but arriving in May has allowed for acclimatisation whilst the humidity builds and now, as it's reaching its hottest I can deal with it better - Still think I'm more comfortable in cold weather, but not going to lie, it makes a nice change to be in the heat, even when there is a Typhoon.

Another amazing thing about Hong Kong is the amount of green that they have managed to cram into even the smallest of spaces. Hong Kong Park (though not the smallest space) is one of the craziest places I've been. You're in this garden haven, with beautiful ponds, masses of Koi Karp and even a waterfall, and all you have to do is look up and you see city.

It's made even better by the fact that these two towers look super-imposed in any photograph you take of them. Space age city and tranquil garden all in one.

So much more to share, but it'll have to wait for another day - off to enjoy the last wee pinch of excitement at witnessing (or rather sleeping through) my first proper Typhoon!

Hong Kong is happening.....

And I know I've been very quiet of late... So for something to do i'm going to share some Hong Kong prep of the sewing variety.....

The two-year Weekender

I bought Amy Butler's pattern for this bag two years ago, and have only just got round to making it. I have been attached by the hip to my sewing machine for three afternoons, and although I still have to finish the lining and make the false bottom I got so over excited that I had to share it!

I did alter two things, one was that I piped the top of the side pockets as well, and I also only used one layer of heavy interfacing on all of the outer panel. I have no idea where to begin in finding Peltex (I don't know if that's a me-thing or and English-thing) and also I like my bags to have  a little give in them! I just love it!

I also made the luggage tag. I drafted the pattern myself and managed to make a strap with a buckle, but I need a few more goes to get better. The best bit about the luggage tag is that it takes barely any fabric. As I'm going to be travelling soon I'm about to embark on the passport cover and the travel card holder...!

I would definitely consider making one again, although I'd consider using a heavier weight fabric for the outer. All in all it wasn't as daunting a project as I had read it could be and the result is immensely satisfying!