From a rainy Hong Kong

It's raining in Hong Kong. I am watching Monday Night football, San Fransisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, live game on Hong Kong television. That's pretty darn sweet. At the same time I cannot stop thinking about my friends and old colleagues on the east coast that right now are trying to survive the gigantic storm Sandy. I just want you all to stay safe, to make it. I am reading your status updates on facebook and I am so happy to hear that things seem to go well considering the circumstances. Just hang in there and hold on to each other. My thoughts are definitely going out to you all. 

Hong Kong has finally starting to cool down to a bearable temperature. I don't get as many heat strokes anymore. In fact, I was thinking about finding my jeans and long sleeved shirts the other day. Those clothes are still stowed away in a suitcase. There is no room to unpack. Our apartment is just too small. Anyway, the temperature drop is a nice change. Now the weather is starting to be comfortable, just the way I like it, around 23 to 27 degrees (74 to 81 Farenheit), still a bit too humid though, but absolutely bearable. It makes it easier to take walks or go outside for a run. 

There is no change to winter or summer time here, which I guess is just not necessary. Daylight during summer or winter doesn't differ that much. 

The weather will get cooler before it gets warmer here. Let's just hope that the weather stays nice and warm like this at least on our wedding day in December. 

It looks like 49ers are kicking some Cardinal ass this Monday Night Football... 

Stay safe on the east coast my friends!!! 

I know, I shouldn't make fun of how people dress, but this is
typical Hong Kong.  It is!

The spirit of Hong Kong

The first time a city spirit slapped me in the face was when I was studying in Montpellier, France, a city with a harsh spirit at that time, almost a bit angry. One weekend a bunch of us international students took a bus trip to Barcelona, Spain. As soon as I stepped off the bus I felt a warmth, a welcoming and happy place. It was like the city was actually happy to have me there. It was overwhelming. Yeah, Barcelona physically got to me. Not all places does that, but New York also has that effect on me. When I'm in New York I actually feel butterflies in my stomach, like I'm in love. I truly enjoy the intense atmosphere that only New York can deliver. 

But what about Hong Kong? First time I visited I knew I had to come back. We got along well, the city and I. It wasn't the physical emotion as with Barcelona and New York, but spiritually it got to me. And yes, Hong Kong has many spirits. Most of all, it's the city of contrasts. 

Work
Hong Kong is a lot about work. Work, work, work. Everywhere you see people in suits, the city is filled with fancy shopping malls, expensive brand stores and luxury cars. Next to all these money you have the other hard working population, the 85-year-old woman still selling fruit and vegetables at a stand on the street, the 79-year-old man still sweeping the streets, the 14-year-old girl who's waitressing at her family's local cafe/eatery, the 5-year-old kids in school uniform on their way to school. It's work from early age, no matter if you are rich or poor. 

Safe
Hong Kong is safe. So far I haven't felt unsafe anywhere here. I never hear of bad neighborhoods, I never heard anyone who's gotten mugged, beaten or even threatened. Honey told me to close my purse when we were up in people packed Kowloon, around Women's Market, but that is just common sense. Hong Kong is a safe city. Women can actually walk home alone from the subway or bus without worrying. That feeling alone makes me love this city. 

Green
Considering how many people, cars and buildings there are in Hong Kong, it is a surprisingly green city. Usually you don't have to walk far to see a park. The park may be small, but it still means something. It's not just concrete and roads, there are green areas where people can sit and relax, sit and talk, or, as they do in the mornings, exercise of all kinds. The parks makes Hong Kong even more human, more alive. It's not only parks, there are trees and flowers planted all over the city, and they are truly city trees, because they survive all the pollution coming from the traffic. Sometimes I wonder if they are mutated haha. 

Friendly
Hong Kong is friendly. It has to be with so many people living here under so many different circumstances. Generally people mind their own business and they don't step on each other's toes. We all have our burdens. When I walk in to a restaurant where I am the only white person in the room, they don't care. If I need help at the store and the person I ask cannot speak English, he or she will find someone who does. Let me give you an example; I was trying on wedding dresses and the lady who helped was alone in the boutique and didn't speak English.  She went through the effort of communicating with me by calling her daughter and I spoke to her on the phone to find out the information I needed. That is service. And yes, people do get out of their seats in the subway or on the bus to make room for an older person. It's so nice to see. However, people generally don't hold up the door for you, because if you do you will be standing there the whole day due to the constant flow of people :). Most doors close super slow here anyway, there is virtually no risk of getting the door slapped in your face. 

Hong Kong has so much to offer. It's modern and old at the same time. For example, many buses offer free Wi-Fi, but when I get home I have to turn on the gas manually to get hot water. There are escalators almost everywhere, but in the public bathroom I have to stand and aim in to a hole on the floor. 

It has contrasts, it's alive, it's beautiful. It's Hong Kong. 

Food and reality in HK

I've moved to the US without gaining weight. I've moved to France without gaining weight. I move to Hong Kong and gain weight! I mean, seriously, how can that be?! I don't like much of their food; it is just too much fat, bone and tendons in the meat, many soups are too oily and the bread is as sweet as a dessert. I find it weird. 

Photo from www.hkphoto.com

I want to cut the carbs, but since most of the meats here still have skin, bones and fat left on them I basically just eat rice or noodles. And with family dinners sometimes several times a week I have to eat what's offered. My fiance's family usually have problems with what to order during family meals since I don't eat what they eat. I tell them not to worry; I eat the decoration, which usually is some kind of vegetable like carrots, bell peppers or broccoli. Don't get me wrong, I have tried almost all food; squid, jellyfish, stinky tofu etc. But I won't eat chicken feet or intestines, just cannot do it. 

I know, there is a way around this, I just have to start cooking more food at home. Then I will get just the food I want and like. I just wish I didn't dislike cooking so much. And when I cook at home I will have to do both the cooking and the cleaning. Honey, who actually likes cooking, will of course cook meats and food with skin, bones and fat, and as we have established, I cannot eat that, so I am stuck both ways. 

Thank goodness we joined a gym! I'm there basically every day, sometimes twice a day. I have started to gain some control over my weight, but I'm not satisfied yet (like I ever will be...). I must be among the fattest, fit persons at the gym. I can run for a long time, I lift heavy weights, but still have a fairly thick layer of body fat. I am obviously doing something wrong. I think my diet is the key...

Another factor is unfortunately age. It's a common knowledge that the metabolism goes down after you turn 25 years old, and it gets a little more difficult to get in shape. As you get older you have to push a bit harder, run a little longer and lift a little heavier than before. And you also have to accept that the body is getting older and may not be able to take as much as before. However, this definitely doesn't mean you should give up, not at all! Every little work out is always better than none! Hell yeah it is! 

"The Happiest place on earth"

Disneyland, “the Happiest place on earth”. I have now visited all but one Disneyland in the world! The only place missing in my Disney life is Disneyland in Japan. I know we will make it there one of these days.

Disney parks are enchanting. Disneyland, Disney World or Epcot; it does not matter what they are called you know that you will be met with professionalism and extreme attention to details. No matter how old the park is, it looks impeccable. Of course Disneyland Hong Kong lived up to all this.  

First time I ever visited a Disney park was in 1992, the year Euro Disney opened outside Paris. I was 15 years old and on my way to Eastbourne, UK, with one of my best friends to attend a four week English course (including live-in at a British family). I honestly do not remember much of that Disney because A) it was too crowded (the line to one ride was at least two hours long), B) we were 15 years old and “too cool” to care about cartoons.

Disneyland Hong Kong is by far the smallest of Disney parks I have been to, which is not surprising considering how everything related to living areas in Hong Kong is small. It took about ten minutes to walk from the entrance to Toy Story land (all the way in the back of the park), and a very leisurely walk too, to not collapse in the heat. But it got the details; the perfectly cute Main Street, the smallest Princess castle I have seen, "It's a small world"-ride in Fantasy land, the outstanding fire works right before the park closes and much more. 



In Disneyland you have to visit the shows, all included in the 399 HKD entrance fee. Their shows are outstanding! The first show we watched was the Lion King show in Adventure Land. I have to say it was absolutely fantastic! It was a half hour show with amazing costumes, professional dancers and singers and just an outstanding performance! Nothing was left untouched, every detail down to the shoes was perfect. For all I know they could have very well performed this on Broadway. 


Of course the sun was blasting viciously all day. It was soooooooo hot! I was almost catatonic from the heat every time we had to walk in the open between shows or rides. But it was fun, we both enjoyed Disneyland a lot! A welcomed surprise was a water parade in the afternoon where they sprayed water on the audience, and we both loved it. And guess what? We got the year pass! Yeah, I could not help it. If we just go there for one more visit the year pass already paid off, so it's all good. Disney makes me happy, despite the blistering sun :). 


Oh, one last thing; something that really surprised me was the food! I mean, it was basically fast food, we ordered fish and chips, and a cheese burger meal, reasonably priced, but it was pretty darn tasty!

HK parks in the mornings

So far Hong Kong has not been good to my body. I have gained weight, and I’m probably about my heaviest right now. I did expect this to happen since I went from working out 5 times a week at the gym, eating my normal Swedish food and having routines to drop all that. Now I don’t work out, I eat new kinds of food, the heat is killing me and I got no real routines. I was bound to gain weight. Being 35 years old doesn’t help either, metabolism gives up on you as quick as you can say “no pickles please”. 

Anyway, I have started a routine; to get up and run in the park when Honey goes to work (although this week he started his summer vacation and I got a stubborn cold, so the running is on hold). Hong Kong do have many parks, most of them very small, but it leaves a green area between the 30+ stories buildings. Normally I love a good morning exercise, and running is great, but in Hong Kong it’s already 29 degrees C (84F) at 7:30am! I know, it is a bit late to be called a morning workout, but that is my life right now. While I’m sweating like a fat pig running around the park (I did find a nice but short running track in a park close by our apartment) there are all these old folks, mostly women, who do their morning Tai Chi. It is real, it is not just a Hollywood stunt.

The groups of Tai Chi exercisers seem to be solid groups of people. I see them sit around, talk and joke, even some innocent (I think?) flirting among some of them. With a heat and humidity like it is here I can understand why Tai Chi is so popular. I mean, it is martial arts in slow motion, slooow mooootion. Honey’s dad told me that Tai Chi is all about defense. There are no offensive moves at all. Each move is about to disarm the attacker. You do all the movements slowly but firm, no need to work up a sweat. However, if you actually get attacked you do the same moves in warp speed instead.

Tai Chi must be a good work out. These older ladies and gents in the park are all in good shape. Yes, I keep mentioning older folks do Tai Chi. So far I haven’t seen anyone under the age of 65 practices it. Could be that the people who’s at the park at the same time I am does not have to work (aka retired)?

Well, we will see if my running results in any weight loss, at least to get back to my normal state. I will keep you posted. I already told Honey we need to cut back on the ice cream, delicious cream tea and yummy bubble tea. Oooh bubble tea…

Heat Stroke!

I have now been in Hong Kong for over a month. Most of the Hong Kong people I met asked me what I think about their city. I always answer honestly and let them know it’s too hot and too many people everywhere, no matter if it’s day or night, the apartments are really small and the food is super cheap, at least as long as you eat at one of Hong Kong’s many thousands local café’s. Don’t get me wrong, I still love it!

People who know me know how much I hate winter and cold. However, the heat here IS a problem. My boyfriend asked me the other day what kind of summer day I prefer: 32 degrees C (90F) and high humidity or 12 degrees C (54F) and rain. In all honesty none of those options are ideal to me. But when I think about it I rather walk in to a building with nice cold Air Condition to cool me down than to have to walk around in jeans and a thick sweat shirt in July. Since I love going to the beach, surviving 32 degrees C heat is very plausible.

I keep asking the locals if I ever will get used to the heat, and I have got the same answer every time: ”NO, I will not get used to it”! Sigh... doesn’t sound very promising, considering that I already got several heat strokes where I just shut down and won’t function again until I have cooled down in an air conditioned place (thank god for all the stores, all with AC). And that is from walking leisurely on the side walk with a gazillion others and in the shade (people do walk very slowly here for being a city, perhaps because of the heat?). 

Even though the heat is not my friend, the city is loud and crowded; I will do what I can to make this my home. I know it will require some adjustments from my side, but that doesn’t scare me at all. Everything will be fine, everything will be okay, and it always works out one way or another. 

About this blog

Being pretty much a Globe trotter my whole adult life I have met a lot of fantastic people from all around the world. But it’s this one man who swept me off my feet, many times, my boyfriend Toby. After being in an ’on again-off again’ relationship for nearly six years he finally asked me to move to Hong Kong (where he’s born and raised), and of course I said Yes! I quit my job at Philips Consumer Lifestyle, packed my bags and shipped me and my pet rabbit Miss Poo to Hong Kong to start all over again.

Toby and I met at Mercer University in Macon, GA in August 2006, where he studied for a Master’s Degree in choral conducting, and I had managed to get one semester abroad as an exchange student when I studied Marketing at Kalmar University in Sweden.

So, here I am, a Swede in Hong Kong, and for the first time since I was 15 years old I don’t have a job. It feels totally weird. For some reason that’s okay, since being in Hong Kong feels a bit odd. It’s a special city and I am happy to be here. I know it will take time to adjust, it usually does. I have done this several times before. Everything will be all right, I know it will. Anyway, here is where I will write my impressions, good and bad, and let you know what this Swede think about Hong Kong.