The Peak and Christmas dinner

There is a building just up the stairs, promise!

I've visited the Peak in Hong Kong twice, and both times it was foggy! Actually beyond foggy, so foggy you can see just a few meters ahead. So far I haven't got a chance to see what it actually should look like. When I bring my family there during their visit in December I hope that we will get a glorious day there, so I know for myself what it actually can look like. 

Today me and three other girls hiked all the way up to the Peak. It was fun! Well, except the thick fog of course. And the fact that it started raining on the way down. But it was still fun, now I know it's possible! 

By the way, it has been raining for a few days now, and it got cold... I mean, cold enough to wear pants and sweaters, even a scarf. 

Last night the Swedish women's club had their yearly Christmas dinner. As in true Swedish midsummer spirit we were sitting outside, even if the weather was 15C (59F), rainy and windy. I have to say that the place who cooked the Swedish Christmas dinner did a great job with the Christmas ham, meatballs, Jansson's temptation and herring. We were all greatly amazed. It was probably the only Christmas dinner I get this year, so I truly stuffed my face. It felt great! I look forward to that food all year! 

Wedding progress update

I know, it's just a few weeks left til the wedding. Time flies! Let me give you a brief update on what's going on. So, since I don't have the interest of planning for the big wedding I have left most up to Honey, and eventually he has started it and I have helped finish it. I have been nagging a lot, but he says he doesn't mind. I have tried to help more, but unfortunately the people haven't been too keen on speaking English. Like, I tried to call and get a quote for the flowers, but he just said "Busy, call later" (!) and hung up! I have emailed the guy a couple of times and just no reply. Honey says he will call. Perhaps there won't be any decorations for the wedding, but either way it's going to be fine. 

So, what's done? 
- Sent out the invitation  (Via Facebook invite only, no printed and mailed invitations, too much work). 
- The rings are ordered and in progress. 
- My family has booked and arranged for their trip to the wedding. So excited to show them this fabulous city!
- The lawyer who will handle the ceremony has all the paperwork they need (except the program, which Honey and his family is putting together). 
- Wedding dinner restaurant is booked. Still working on the dinner guest list. 
- Honey has his tux tailor made and is already hanging in the closet. 
- I have rented a wedding dress that will be ready the week before the wedding. 
- I have booked a lady who will do my hair and make up on the wedding day. 
- My nice friend is helping me fix my nails so I have beautiful hands for the the wedding. 
- Wedding mingle music is almost done. 
- We did get a quote from a photographer that is available that we basically just need to say okay to. 

Almost done is the flower decorations. We know what we want (thank you Alice!) but we still haven't found who will provide them to us. 

Either way I'm not too worried. Things always work out. It will be fine either way. We will have a nice day with friends, acquaintances and strangers, but in the end, it's all going to be good, with or without decorations. I find it more important to have our friends there. I know that many of you that matters a lot to me cannot be there in person on our wedding day, but I know you will be there in spirit, and that feels so amazing. 

Lots of love! It's out there for everyone! 

Love Christmas - Love Hong Kong

It's getting close to Christmas. Well, it's about a week left of booooring November, and I can't wait to put up the Christmas decorations! I want to go to IKEA this weekend to buy some Christmas lights that we can decorate our tiny apartment with. It's just a special feeling with the Christmas lights and decorations. I love Christmas, it's so nice. I mean, especially if you grew up in a country as grey as Sweden in the fall/winter you truly learn to appreciate the brightness that Christmas brings, both literally and spiritually.

It's the weekend before 1st of Advent. I know the rules... No Christmas decorations before 1st of Advent. But you know what? I don't care! Christmas decorations make me happy, and I want to enjoy it as long as possible, so I'm gonna decorate this weekend already!! Ooh, it's gonna be so nice. Perhaps we can go to IKEA already tonight. That would be great! It will be nice and Christmassy in our Hong Kong apartment even if it's still 23 degrees and humid outside. My Christmas spirit works anyway!

Hong Kong has already started the Christmas decorations. They are all over the city. Hong Kong's already astonishing skyline has become even more beautiful with the Christmas decorations. The fancy shopping malls also started, and the Christmas gift specials and packages is already on display. I have to say it looks absolutely great. Hong Kong is going all in, and I love it! Hong Kong's tagline for this year's Christmas celebration is "Love Christmas - Love Hong Kong". It fits like a glove.

Hong Kong women's beauty secret revealed..?

You know how Asians always look young even when they are old? I think I found their secret... ;). 

You know I spend a lot of time at the gym. And after spending time in gyms in several different countries I think I find the women's changing room in Hong Kong the most fascinating. No, not in a dirty way, just hear me out. 

After a hard work out followed by a refreshing shower we are all getting ready to go back out to the world. Me, I put on body lotion, deodorant, face cream, some powder and mascara. Then I'm done. It takes me around 2 minutes. As far as I can see, most other Caucasian women at the gym changing room do what I do. However, the Asian women are different. Not only are they already sitting at the dressing table when I got there. They are still working on their appearances when I'm done! For example, the Asian lady next to me has a small toiletry bag with six (!) different jars of creams. She takes her time to massage each cream on to specific parts of her face. She's on her third creme when I'm done... That is pretty darn impressive. And I am sure the creams are nice and expensive. Once she's done applying the creams and the carefully selected make up she of course looks stunning. Perhaps I should ask next time what's in those creams... 

This is not the woman from the gym. Photo:  makeupjournal.net 

But creams are not their only secret to looking young. According to Honey's mom it's also important to drink soup with each dinner to keep your skin and inside hydrated. Every dinner we eat at Honey's parents house they finish dinner by serving a soup that looks like a clear broth. Unfortunately another Hong Kong food that I don't like (tastes like drinking grease), but I guess I eventually will have to bite the bullet and learn to drink that broth (ewww) if I want to look as young as the Asian women... Perhaps I should start by finding out the secret creams... Yeah that sounds better :). 

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!

A Hong Kong Wedding

Last Saturday Honey and I went to a real Hong Kong wedding. It was a friend of the family who got married. Let me tell you how I experienced the wedding. 

The wedding started at church where Honey's mom works. It was all in Cantonese, including the printed program for the ceremony, so I was merely there to watch. The couple who got married met in church, and they made that a big deal for some reason. We were around 150 people or so at the ceremony. The bride had five or six brides maids, and the groom had just as many grooms men. During the wedding ceremony we sang hymns, then the priest talked for a bit, then the groom's father (also a minister) talked for awhile. There was a choir singing. Then the couple said their vows, both said Yes and while everybody was watching they signed the marriage certificate. Then their fathers signed as witnesses, and the couple could now kiss as husband and wife for the first time. They walked down the aisle with the people around cheering and applauding. Once the wedding couple reached the end of the aisle they turned around and walked back. The groom started thanking everyone who had helped with the wedding, he thanked so many people. Then the bride thanked her family and friends. They kept thanking people for about 15 mins. (Honey translated for me the whole time). 

When this was over there was picture taking in the church with the couple. There was a list printed in the program of when each person should approach the couple for picture taking. The list said for example "Family", "Close friends", "Groom's co-workers", "Bride's co-workers", "Friends from Church" etc. Simple and clear. We got in the picture together with "People who work at the church where the wedding ceremony is held" (Honey's mom works there). After we took the picture and congratulated the newly married couple we went back home to chill for a while. 

At night we went to the wedding banquet, a traditional banquet. We arrived around 8pm. It was a big banquet hall with a stage, a registry where you pay the traditional 500 HKD banquet fee per person. Yes, you pay the couple to eat at their banquet. There was 29 tables, each table seats 10 people, so pretty darn big wedding banquet. We were seated with co-workers of Honey's mom. They served a 10 course meal and free drink refills of your choice. The food was traditional Chinese food and not too impressive. Apparently it is rare with good food at a wedding banquet. 

While the food was served the couple had two MCs that ran a small show on the stage. They showed videos on big screens about the couple, and they showed videos from earlier during the wedding day. The couple showed up in different outfits during the evening. The groom, also a musician, sang a song to his bride. That was probably the best thing all night. It was real nice. 

We did leave before the end of the dinner, which Honey and his parents said is very common. I never got to taste the desserts, the thing I actually looked forward to on the menu... 

After having experienced a traditional Hong Kong Wedding I am very happy that we won't have a banquet at our wedding. It just felt dull. Honey said that is how it is. The banquet is almost more for the parents and older relatives, so it's not so much party. Actually, no party at all. I'm not saying that parents don't like to party, I know my parents do :). But party is not really what Christian Hong Kong parents are famous for... However, I am very happy to have attended a traditional Hong Kong wedding! 

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.