HK Media observation
Watching TV at my aunt's.
There are chinese skin products for women to "whiten" their skin. Contrast that with our western products where everyone wants to be darker. Some people even use a "spray" to get a tan - which I find is ridiculously hilarious - paint your skin? Ha! Disgusting, I wonder if people get that crap on their bed sheets.
Culture Shock Watch
Still waiting for the Culture Shock that everybody talks about. Maybe because my parents adequately prepared me by scaring me. Telling me about the Chinese toilets (a hole/pipe in the ground) and covert shadow-ninja pick-pockets that rip your pants pocket without you knowing (we could use some of those types in the Canadian Intelligence service).
Guilo dept
I visit my aunt's apartment and my place daily - there are guards at the condominiums. Each one knows me.
These condos are 30-40 stories high with 8 apartments on each floor with at 2-4 people in each...Do the calculations: That's about 850 people. I was wondering why they stopped me - I think it's because I'm white (or off-white). My aunt tells me it's because they remember every person who lives there. Sucks when they stop me, I can't talk Chinese. Yesterday I had to call my aunt, who complained to the security guard that he shouldn't stop her son from coming up, and he apologized. Some guards. But I don't mind that they stop me - good protection I suppose, and I would hope they would do the same to others. Today, the security guard stopped me. I tried to tell him I lived with my aunt on the 16th floor. He understood 16 - he pointed out my aunt's post office box corresponding to her Flat number: 16J, I agreed, he let me go. I think the security guards know me as the white guy from 16J.
There are so many children here! And old people. Lots of adults too. There are lots of females. Males too. Ha ha. But there are alot of children - and the affection and attention from their parents impresses me.
Also, people are not fat. Maybe some are by their standards -but not nearly as fat as people are in Canada and the US. Maybe with the heat people sweat off all the pounds and with all the hills they work it off to boot. I know what it is! The people their big meal early in the day - and a refresher dinner at night - that way they work off the pounds. They also work harder because they can concentrate from starting the day with a good meal. That's the secret to the competitive edge of the Chinese!
My aunt's friend brought me to HK Island (main part of HK) to go to immigration to find out if I can get residence here (I'm currenlty on a tourist stay), very positive news. Will write more about it if there's positive news. While I was there i saw a mountain that's being carved. The rock gathered is dumped into the harbour to make more land for commercial and residential development. It's a shame. i remember an item on the news a year ago about someone trying to stop it - the HK harbor is gradually disappearing. My family friend's co-worker - who is close to my age (Allen - 27 years) tells me that the harbor is very important to HK. It's a shame - I have an opinion and I want to do something about it - but it's not my issue and it's not my business - I'm not a stakeholder.
Adapatation note
Found out yesterday I am deathly afraid of moths. Let me specify: chinese moths. Specify further:
Asian Condo moths. Those are the kind of moths that are the size of your hand. They look you in the eye and feed on fear.
I dropped of my forms for HK immigration. If granted, I get a right of stay that is indefinite (instead of the current stay of 3 months) and I can work (currently I'm not allowed to do any work, paid or unpaid, nor take courses). It took a while, and a lot of researching and gathering of the right information. Fortunately my mom was able to dig up the documents attesting to their HK status - documents dating back 30 years and more. Whoa.
I'm starting to miss things back home. I hope this isn't a snowball effect. My friends were so good with me before I left - group gatherings going out places. I had dimsum with 7 friends and my parents - on a sunday at 11am! An outing to see Fahrenheit 911, comedy show, clubs, etc. I sorta miss it, but I prefer to appreciate the time than regret not having more of it.
It started with me missing my dog - it's at my parents. There are plenty of dogs around here - I was a bit surprised that people would have dogs with the size of the flats (apartments) being what they are. Then I sorta recalled that I may not see my dog again - they don't live that long. I looked at a picture of my dog and that sorta helped, sorta.
Watching TV at my aunt's.
There are chinese skin products for women to "whiten" their skin. Contrast that with our western products where everyone wants to be darker. Some people even use a "spray" to get a tan - which I find is ridiculously hilarious - paint your skin? Ha! Disgusting, I wonder if people get that crap on their bed sheets.
Culture Shock Watch
Still waiting for the Culture Shock that everybody talks about. Maybe because my parents adequately prepared me by scaring me. Telling me about the Chinese toilets (a hole/pipe in the ground) and covert shadow-ninja pick-pockets that rip your pants pocket without you knowing (we could use some of those types in the Canadian Intelligence service).
Guilo dept
I visit my aunt's apartment and my place daily - there are guards at the condominiums. Each one knows me.
These condos are 30-40 stories high with 8 apartments on each floor with at 2-4 people in each...Do the calculations: That's about 850 people. I was wondering why they stopped me - I think it's because I'm white (or off-white). My aunt tells me it's because they remember every person who lives there. Sucks when they stop me, I can't talk Chinese. Yesterday I had to call my aunt, who complained to the security guard that he shouldn't stop her son from coming up, and he apologized. Some guards. But I don't mind that they stop me - good protection I suppose, and I would hope they would do the same to others. Today, the security guard stopped me. I tried to tell him I lived with my aunt on the 16th floor. He understood 16 - he pointed out my aunt's post office box corresponding to her Flat number: 16J, I agreed, he let me go. I think the security guards know me as the white guy from 16J.
There are so many children here! And old people. Lots of adults too. There are lots of females. Males too. Ha ha. But there are alot of children - and the affection and attention from their parents impresses me.
Also, people are not fat. Maybe some are by their standards -but not nearly as fat as people are in Canada and the US. Maybe with the heat people sweat off all the pounds and with all the hills they work it off to boot. I know what it is! The people their big meal early in the day - and a refresher dinner at night - that way they work off the pounds. They also work harder because they can concentrate from starting the day with a good meal. That's the secret to the competitive edge of the Chinese!
My aunt's friend brought me to HK Island (main part of HK) to go to immigration to find out if I can get residence here (I'm currenlty on a tourist stay), very positive news. Will write more about it if there's positive news. While I was there i saw a mountain that's being carved. The rock gathered is dumped into the harbour to make more land for commercial and residential development. It's a shame. i remember an item on the news a year ago about someone trying to stop it - the HK harbor is gradually disappearing. My family friend's co-worker - who is close to my age (Allen - 27 years) tells me that the harbor is very important to HK. It's a shame - I have an opinion and I want to do something about it - but it's not my issue and it's not my business - I'm not a stakeholder.
Adapatation note
Found out yesterday I am deathly afraid of moths. Let me specify: chinese moths. Specify further:
Asian Condo moths. Those are the kind of moths that are the size of your hand. They look you in the eye and feed on fear.
I dropped of my forms for HK immigration. If granted, I get a right of stay that is indefinite (instead of the current stay of 3 months) and I can work (currently I'm not allowed to do any work, paid or unpaid, nor take courses). It took a while, and a lot of researching and gathering of the right information. Fortunately my mom was able to dig up the documents attesting to their HK status - documents dating back 30 years and more. Whoa.
I'm starting to miss things back home. I hope this isn't a snowball effect. My friends were so good with me before I left - group gatherings going out places. I had dimsum with 7 friends and my parents - on a sunday at 11am! An outing to see Fahrenheit 911, comedy show, clubs, etc. I sorta miss it, but I prefer to appreciate the time than regret not having more of it.
It started with me missing my dog - it's at my parents. There are plenty of dogs around here - I was a bit surprised that people would have dogs with the size of the flats (apartments) being what they are. Then I sorta recalled that I may not see my dog again - they don't live that long. I looked at a picture of my dog and that sorta helped, sorta.
posted by CCS at 02:46
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14 Comments:
Two things:
Mom having something that is over 25 years old.
Duh, mom keeps everything. Knowing where it is, is another story.
The dog belongs to me. The cat was yours. And if you really miss her, I'll periodically send you some pics of her.
Wai-Shun
The dog is yours? You should come and clean her now. Late last night a baby skunk came in through the back gate, Orca fatally injured it, it's still lying there barely breathing. The house stink, the dog stink, Bob took off to have breakfast on route to work. I called Ed, he said it's too early (6 a.m. here). The garbage truck has already gone by. Do you remember last time, she killed a cat, it's deja vu, except it's worse this time. HELP!!!
OH God I laughed so much after reading this -
I can hear my mother's chinese accent between the lines.
It's hilarious - and of course unfortunate.
Holy crap, it stinks in here.
Good news and bad news.
The dog is a killer... The bad news is, she killed a skunk. When I got here, the skunk was under a garbage can. When I lifted it, it was already dead. Estimated time of death, between 9 and 10am. Man that little bastard can stink up a storm! Pics to follow...
orca should be restrained, or kept in a cage
Well I could hardly have breakfast at home, with the house smelling of skunk!
Actually, we didn't realize that Orca had actually attacked the skunk until I let her out this morning and noticed something black and white lying by the back gate.
And if you want to hear something REALLY funny, get your mother to tell you about her experience on the phone with the animal control people. They wanted her to go pick up a trap to try to catch the skunk, and she was trying to explain to them that the skunk wasn't going to go into any trip considring that it was unconscious and bleeding to death with its neck broken. "Well maybe if you put some food in the trap." Then the guy got really confused when he thought your mother was telling him he was "sexy". Actually, she was using some choice Cantonese.
Orca IS restrained. We keep her on a leash whenever she is out of the house or yard, (which when you think about it is really just a big cage). Any animal that wanders into her space is the one in need of restraint.
Really?
And if a kid climbs the steps to the pool, and falls in, you get dibs on disposing of the body too?
"I'm just walking this way, minding my own business, waving my arms in the air like this, and should anyone get in the way, it's not my fault!"
Aw man...we washed her twice, once with a mix of peroxide and baking soda, and once with her regular dog shampoo and she still smells like a skunk sprayed her. Oh well. Looks like we'll have to wash her again. It seems like it's just her head that got sprayed cause her muzzle and paw are the only parts that still stink.
Owning a dog is more trouble than it's worth.
Me, dispose of the body? Hell no! His parents let him climb my fence to get to the stairs, let them dispose of the corpse. I have a well-maintained five-foot fence, with gates that I keep locked. Because I've done my due diligence I'm not liable for whatever happens to any ankle-biter who manages to defeat the reasonable measures I've put in place to prevent such an occurrence. So there!
If an intruder comes into your house, are you inviting him to have tea with you, or are you going to defend yourself and your property and call the police to have him taken away? In Orca's case, she did according to her basic instinct, nothing wrong there.
i once had to wash a skunk-sprayed dog. bought 4 big tins of tomato juice, took him out back and poured the stuff all over him. every couple of minutes he'd shake and tomato juice would go flying all over me. but dang, did that tomato juice ever work! also, i made him sleep in the garage for a week.
Nothing like a skunk-spraying-a-dog story to bring people together.
Wait, I didn't write a skunk-spraying-a-dog story - and I did write about other things in that post...
Since you mentioned about the Asian Moth... It's a Chinese belief that their dead ancestors come to visit them in the form of moths. So Douglas all your ancestors must have heard about you and come to check you out. Don't kill them!
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