Val and Simons Visit - Chinese New Year 2007

DAY 1

Last night (5.02.07) Will's mum and brother arrived in Hong Kong. After we got their luggage home and introduced them to our HUGE apartment (not) we headed to SoHo for dinner at Nepal. Simon sampled his first Nepalese beer along with their first Nepalese curry.

In true Hong Kong fashion the girls ended the evening with foot massages and Shanghai pedicures whilst the boys headed to Lan Kai Fong for a beer (or two)!! Welcome to Hong Kong.



DAY 2

After a lazy morning in, we took off to explore Hong Kong. First stop (after the steps to our house) was the temple just down the road.



After the temple, we continued through the Wanchai wet market heading for the MTR station. Simon and Val may never eat meat again after witnessing a local butcher and the fish market (filled with yummy fish, toads, eels, turtles - you get the picture!!!)



We made it onto the MTR - bound for Yau Ma Tei... we are off to explore the markets



Our first pit stop - the Jade market. Whilst Chinese New Year is a great time to visit Hong Kong from a cultural point of view, the immediate days surrounding New Year is a little crazy (rather like Christmas eve at home) and many of the market holders had packed up shop to head to their village to celebrate the New Year with their families. That didn't seem to matter too much as we still managed to find plenty of goodies to buy:)

Val was SOO intriged to see all of the elderly people still hard at work (despite being well into the 80's and 90's and not being able to stand upright anymore!!).

Dan - we were thinking of you when we passed the seafood stalls in the local market (dried sea-food that is). Everything you could imagine - sea cucumbers, scallops, squid, oysters - fresh from the boat (NOT). Hungry??



The fam the midst of the wet market.



Val was very concerned to find out how this ambulance could possibly transport a patient to the hospital... lets try not to find out!!



and also at how people could live in such densely populated areas!!



Ah, kids are the same the whole world over.



The crowds...



Aside from the width (or lack thereof) Val was also amazed to see the bamboo scaffolding on this building. Anyone game to give it a try?



A tourist shot with the local police:) Nice Harrods bag hey (there's a story to that one which we will save for another time:)



Next stop was the flower maket (bad move). We neglected to realise that the whole population of Hong Kong was on their yearly pilgrimage to the flower market to stock up on their "lucky" flowers to celebrate the New Year.


We couldn't walk past the bird market (well I am sure Val and Simon could have once we told them not to breath in during our tour - just kidding). We managed to escape unharmed - oh except, Val, what about that nasty cough you have now developed...



Enough markets - time for a break. To rest our weary feet we headed to The Peninsula for their famous High Tea. We could have sat there all afternoon listening to the string quartet, sipping fine teas, and indulging in the amazing selection of scones, cakes and pastries. This is the life!

Time to head home now, thats enough adventure for one day. We caught the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour, passed the Star Ship cruise boats and reminisced about Suzie Wong all those years ago.

The happy campers on the Star Ferry

Home time!!

Tomorrow we are off the Macau, lycee packets in hand.

Happy New Year!!

Welcome to 2008

Hi there strangers!! Yes, before you say it - we have been extremely slack in updating our blog over the past month or so!! Sorry...

This is just a short one to let you know we are alive and well!! The plan is to update you on the past few months happenings shortly (but not today as it will take too long and we will be late for work). Keep checking and hopefully by the end of the week we will be sorted (fingers crossed).

Until then, cheerio

Light at the end of the tunnel

HOORAY!! Its all over. I have managed to come out the other side of the OLQE nightmare in one piece... What an ordeal. Whilst results aren't out till Jan/Feb next year (and there is a good chance I will have to re-live the ordeal next year:( ) I am soooo glad that for now it is all over and I have my life back (and so is Will).

To celebrate we jumped on a plane Friday afternoon and jetted off to Bangkok for 4 nights. First stop - Facebar for a quick drink before dinner at Lan Na Thai.

Saturday we visited Jim Thompsons house, I met up with the Hens for lunch at Glow, then we braved Chatuchak market for an afternoon of shopping (and a cool beer). Saturday night we stopped in at Skybar at the Dome for a very cool cocktail before heading off to Breeze for dinner.

Sunday we headed off to Divana Spa in Sukhumvit for 4 hours of blissful pampering, then relaxed by the pool in the afternoon.

Monday we took a cooking course at The Blue Elephant cooking school (yeap - same people that supply Great for those Hong Kongers amongst you). We cooked Tom yum goong, Green curry, Som Tam and Pad thai. We were very proud of our achievements (and they didn't taste too bad either...). Before the cooking class, the chefs took us to the local market to source our wares

Tuesday we headed back into Sukhumvit for more shopping before winding down by the pool in the afternoon and jumping on a plane that night.

Now we are back to reality - albeit todays reality is far better than the reality that we have been living for the past 4 months.

More exciting news - Ebony and her friend Cholena arrive next Tuesday night. Ebony is here for a month before Chrissy to keep us company and bring in the festive season:) We cant wait to see her!!!!!