Hap- py San-lingh fai-lohk!

I wrote to a former boss of mine... I copy & paste out of laziness to update you about me.

He/she/it/they/da boss wrote:

Hi Doug,

I just wanted to wish you a happy, healthy and presperous new year.

What was it like to be in HK for X-mas and New Years?

Did the tsunami have any impact on you there? Here, it is everywhere you look. Everyone talks about it, there is a lot of fund raising going on, and it is in the news constantly.

I wrote back:

Hey (former boss name),

Very kind of you to write me, and I too wish you the best for a new year...

but ours hasn't begun! Well, not the Chinese one.

At the HK harbour, you can see the lit buildings on the other side of the harbour. Many have decorate light displays that complement the scenic view. The displays are even more sophisticated on some buildings - for the 60-second countdown to the new year, one building displayed the countdown as people chanted out the countdown. It was a cultural suprirse to hear the New Year countdown in Chinese. It was a pleasure being able to catch up.

Not to say I am unfamiliar with Cantonese. My evening was spent with locals, mostly in Cantonese. Into the night we drank and played games at a bar nearby. Photos to come.

I was invited at my father's old friend (from the HK Police days)'s house for brunch. He has been in HK over 30 years, speaks Cantonese fluently (so I believe), he's from England. I brought a friend, who has been in HK for 3 years from England, with me to enjoy Xmas the way the Chinese don't (by shopping)...it was an amazing dinner, with pleasant conversation with my "uncle" and the other guests. And my friend enjoyed it immensely as well, with tears almost, reminiscent of home I guess (as she said politely). It was a great day which lasted into the evening, even though Christmas wasn't the same. Of course. But something about seeing palm trees in the distance and open windows during Christmas. All the better since I didn't feel homesick...not until...

Not until I saw a snow machine atop the entrance of a club blowing snow out onto the street...SNOW! How I miss snow. Snow. I love snow, and winter. I've attached a photo of me and a friend new year's eve on our way to meet our friends at the harbour New Year's Eve, and again after new Year's at a bar.

Yes, news of the Tsunami is everywhere. It was reported that donations from HK have been tops worldwide at $400M HKD. 8 deaths are confirmed.