Hong Kong and I have a mixed history. The first time I went, it spat exams at me, and when I wasn’t cramming, or in the exams, it just spat at me (rain and more rain). The next time, for a work conference it didn’t spit at me. But, by being a work conference, I was trapped in a Gold Coast Hotel, with just the briefest glances of the warm sunshine outside.
So, I guess, that last month’s trip was Third Time lucky. I finally managed to get out and do something. OK, it was planned that way – not for exams, not for a work conference, just the Dodgess and I going out and having some fun time together.
In many ways I had always thought Hong Kong to be a strange place to go to from Singapore – after all, it is all about a big built-up City, with food and shopping malls with A/C. As opposed to Singapore, which is all about a big, built-up city, with food and shopping malls with A/C. Before we went we were given a whole list of restaurants to go to, and shopping malls to visit. To which we paid no attention whatsoever.
Instead, we headed off to a little arts and craft building, the sort of place they make Chinese instruments. Then off rambling around the islands, which gave us some nice, cool, un-humid fresh air, and some great views. We went exploring around Lantau Island, and a village without a single car – they get around by boats. We took a tour on a boat, which worked well, then went on a self-guided tour which left us with very wet feet, and a 5 minute confrontation with two dogs, who eventually lost interest and we sprinted back.
Lantau Island has the world's biggest Buddha!
And we had a nice display from some friendly pink dolphins alongside!
Another day we went up Dragon’s back. This is a brilliant walk, if somewhat obscure – you get dropped off by a bus in the middle of nowhere, and end up at a beach. Then wonder how you are supposed to get back. There are buses, but only a few a day – I think we were lucky to only wait a few minutes.
Big Wave Beach. Wonder where it gets its name from??
It was third time lucky for getting up Victoria’s Peak as well. I had tried the first time, but I couldn’t see the Peak (buried in the clouds). Then the second time I didn’t really have the time (ok – I didn’t have it at all). Getting up on the tram is what I imagine getting onto the subway in Tokyo to be like. Unpleasant. The top also feels like a place designed solely to separate one from the contents of a wallet/purse. It need not be, there are some brilliant vantage points that are free, but why do I have to be pushed past those I have to pay for? Still – the views are very good! But, unlike our other travails on this trip, this is one place that you really do not escape the whole madness of HK.
It all sounds very busy - and it was. We spent very little time in our hotel. I sometimes find it ironic that often when the Dodgess and I stay in nice hotels, we actually spend very little time in the room. So it was here. Our view out over the harbour was a hotel room I could have stayed in for a long time without getting bored (albeit, they don't really compare with the ones from the Peak). We could also have watched the ‘Round the Island’ race as it progressed, and only missed a little bit.
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I remember as a child my father observing that the family opposite had become a two car family. This past week, I’ve observed that the Dodgess and I have become a 4 laptop married couple, both having a work, and a personal laptop.
My work one is the latest addition to the group – given to me in theory because I do a lot of travelling (or at least more than 2 weeks per year) and that I have had to liaise with the USA, and need to do that on their time. This included being awake to respond to any early emails from CA (around midnight here) and also being able to respond to any evening emails from New York (around 6am here). Joyous indeed, as you can imagine.
For the past 6 months or so, I have done rather little other than bidding and Quality Management stuff, other than a tiny little project that took up perhaps 25% of my time over 6 weeks. The last two weeks in particular have been manic: 4 bids in Indonesia, including 450km of coal railways, an airport rail link, and a signalling upgrade study for their whole country. In Singapore, I have managed the design for a D&C contract, and I was also involved in the bid for a feasibility study in Vietnam, and 1000km (?!) of railway in Oman. Interesting stuff... just a challenge to push it out. The next one is a link from Singapore to Johor Bahru in Malaysia... at least that one is not back until next year! (Hang on – that’s not all that long away now!!)
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