Some Pictures Around My New Flat

I have added a few more pictures

In the morning and after work I walk through Tsing Yi Park and see the fish and occasionally turtles resting on the rock - you'll have to click on the pick to see the turtles.  It's a small park but a pretty one with lots of birds and photographers with impressive cameras and more impressive lenses.
 

 My students a the annual camp out day and BBQ.
 

 A happy couple - Hello Kitty craze is not dying down.

 On our way to the mixed choral speaking competition and passed by my apartment (center). 

 Heading home on the bus going over the Tsing Ma bridge.  It's the second biggest bridge in the world - if you want to know more about the bridge check it out here http://www.cityu.edu.hk/CIVCAL/book/bridge.html

 

 Riding in the moving van to my new pad.  Google images has lots of great photos https://www.google.com/search?q=tsing+ma+bridge&client=firefox-a&hs=6Qk&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=WFmoUqGLGYTOiAfFuoHoBw&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=596

 The ferry from Ma Wan to Central - 25 minutes to the heart of Hong Kong.

 Tsing Ma Bridge from the other side of the ferry terminal.

 Arriving downtown Central pier.  This is the ICC building (International Commerce Centre) - the other similar looking building is behind me called the 2IFCi (International Finance Centre) - Hong Kong makes so much cash they need two of these monstrosities.  The building here is the 7th largest in the world and 118 floors.  The IFC is not slouch as the 8th largest building in the world.  The guys in Central are always saying how great they are - me thinks they have some building envy - Kowloon is bigger baby.
   

 Another photo heading home over the Tsing Ma bridge.

 My beach on Ma Wan - this is less than a 1 minute walk from my apartment.

I love the sand - no rocks here at all - smooth - another nice photo of the bridge.

Noah's Ark.  No really this is Noah's Ark.  It's a tourist attraction on Ma Wan and sits on the end of the beach.  With all the typhoons in HK - at least I know I can get to the Ark in 1 minute.  Since only two of every animal is allowed - I can only take one of you with me - and sorry guys but it ain't going to be you.  Ladies - you have my number :-)

 Ma Wan from the other side of the island.

Don't have to tell me twice.

 The beach again.

 There are several restaurants right on the beach - the above is a German restaurant which has good food - not cheap for HK but it is good.  I had a German meatball with sauerkraut and a flat potato gratin with salad - it was about $13.  A pint of beer during happy hour is about $5.  That's about half of what it is most places so it;s good for Hong Kong but not if you've lived in Korea.

One of the 4 pools (the picture below is an extension of the above.  I would count that as five but they don't.  It's close for winter but this one looks more like those Greek pools.  This one is not deep - I think it's meant more for relaxing than any sort of swimming.  I believe it 0.9m deep

 One of the many walkways around my apartment complex. 

Walking down the path by the waterfall down to the stairs to the lower level.

On my way to the ferry is the small shopping district.  The P is for Park and Shop (no cars allowed so no parking) but it is a pretty big grocery store chain in Hong Kong and this one is one of the bigger stores.  Near the center by the trees there is a Chinese Restaurant, Pacific Coffee and 7-11.The bus depot and Mannings drug store is under and behind me.

Moved Again

I was growing tired of the old flat and decided to move to Ma Wan - a man made island trying to be, and largely succeeding in being, a 5-star resort.  The island is 15 minutes away from a big MTR train station.  Buses run every 5 minutes during rush hour (which seems to include weekends)  and every 15 minutes outside of those hours - 24/7.  There is a ferry which takes 25 minutes to the heart of Central that runs every half hour to every hour. 

 The walk to my apartment above

My view of the tennis courts - not quite as nice as before but between the two buildings I get a sea view - my HTC camera phone is responsible for all these photos and it's not as good as my main camera as you can see.  Still for a camera phone it's not too bad.

 This is called the Green Green club - and it is one of the two main clubhouses on Park Island (Ma Wan).  Inside is a nice indoor swimming pool with hot tub and sauna.  Their is a large gym, and various activity rooms to be booked.  Volleyball, table tennis, billiards, study rooms, squash etc.  I have not been to the other clubhouses yet but they offer more again - there are four swimming pools and I believe two are indoor.  They run from 9am to 11pm with lifeguards. It costs about $3 Canadian each time or you can buy monthly.  They also have a video movie box rental machine (in English yippee)

A kitchen with a double sink - a three tier fridge and the washing machine is the cabinet next to the fridge.  Three burner stove this time.  It doesn't look it from the photo but it's bigger than my last place by a fair bit. It's all just newer - Ma Wan (Park Island) is about 7 years old - my last place is 23 years old. 

 The landlord left some cabinets so I have since put them in my second room - it's nice to have a second room.  This is much wider than my last place.  This apartment is about 700sqf while my last place was 393sqf

 The second room - you could fit some bunk beds or a single bed in here - that's about it.  I'm such a guy - this is a walk in closet at best right ladies?

The bedroom is quite large for HK and I will be able to get my bed in here and even a TV stand if I put my wardrobe in the second room.  And I will so do that!

 It's a fairly big place but it only takes about 15 minutes to walk around the whole main living area.  There is an escalator for the upper level apartments and kindergarten and primary school.  The island is somewhat tailored to expats.

This recycling hub is right outside the exit to my building - glass, metal, plastic, paper.  Excellent!

A nice stroll and no a billion people like usual.  Many dog owners on Ma Wan

A view of the Tsing Ma Bridge - Bigger than the Golden Gate!  Looks kind of the same too - they love copying - maybe they ran out of red paint.

My lunch - here's a random picture but since it's here I will keep it.  You see in Asia - everyone loves taking pictures of their food.  And then apparently they will look at the food they ate - later.  I think this is the TRICK to staying skinny.  The Chinese have figured out that you eat one meal, take a picture.  Then when you are hungry just look at the picture of the food you ate and "imagine" you are eating it again.  Anyway - at lunch I usually head to the mall to have my lunch at one of three restaurants.  This lunch set runs me $60 HKD ($8 Canadian) including service charge.  The miso soup is rated best in town apparently as it has salmon in it.  It is usually quite good.  Real ginger on the green plate - yum.

 A vending machine for umbrellas.  About $10 each in a subway station. As you can see it is very important to match your umbrella to your outfit.

Move over Hello Kitty there is a new fur-ball in town and this cat has a heart shaped nose.  Just one of those random things you will see pop up in a mall for awhile and wonder what is going on.  I like being out of the loop - I can create my own story line as to what this is about.  HK is a choose your own adventure story.

 I have a full time class this year.  Here is my form 1 class (Grade 8) doing their discipline lessons after school every Monday.  Now if only they could bring that discipline into the classroom - which umm is the intent of the whole thing.  argh.  Still they're a nice class - MOSTLY!!

So we save the desert for last.  For about $1.25 the take a lemon.  Cut out the inside and fill it with lemon sherbert.  They then stick the top back on and freeze the thing to a rock hard levels.  Man I love this thing.  See it's healthy because you're eating a lemon. 

Christmas and New Year's in Thailand

Hong Kong hovers around 12 Celsius in December - way too cold for me - sorry my fellow Canadians but I'm so over sub zero temperatures.  Thailand with its dry 30c and relatively cheap flights from HK made it a pretty easy choice.

I flew in around midnight on the 22nd and stayed at a nice little father daughter run hotel for a mere $20US a night.  It warmed my cockles to stay in such a nice little hotel in Bangkok.  I had to use that expression given that it's Bangkok :-)

Thailand is probably "THE" place to go in Asia for a holiday - it's cheaper and more organized than the Philippines, arguably has the best food, is right up with the best places in terms of shopping and beaches, and most everyone is friendly.  If they paid teachers half decently I'd move there.

Random photos in and around Bangkok

 Above photo of a giant lucky cat in Terminal 21 - the best mall in Bangkok for themes.  Each floor is a different city - this floor was Tokyo style

I don't know why I went to San Francisco - the top floor of Terminal 21 was all San Francisco complete with a cable car and Fisherman Wharf.  If only they had an In & Out burger.  Pattaya did have a Carl's Jr and Sizzler. 

 Interesting crepe deserts.  75 baht is $2.50 Canadian (30 baht to a dollar)

 It's hard to see but these are very small eggs - a little bigger than dollar coin size

The above two shots are outside Siam Paragon Shopping mall - This is a massive high end mall - the fourth floor you could stop buy and purchase a Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, or a top MBL Stereo system (ahem around $500,000US for my non stereo system friends).  And of course they, like Hong Kong sell the million dollar watches. 

Ronald is giving the Thai greetings gesture.  Or the "I pray you don't get sick and sue" gesture.

 Someone needs to explain the Asian fascination with poop dolls.  It's just plain weird.

 Ferrero Roche Christmas Tree outside yet another mall.

 Tuk Tuk - the best way to travel - if you like to pay more and worry for your life around every turn.  The back bumper sticker seems to make sense for a city called Bangkok.

 The above three photos taken on an insanely cheap boat ride up the river on my way to the Recling Buddha

 This is the massive reclining Buddha which if memory serves signifies Buddha's preparation to move to the great beyond.

 The gold is dizzying.  So is my shirt.

 See - Fisherman's Wharf Bangkok style - in a mall!!

 You didn't believe me about buying a Rolls Royce in a shopping mall - here you go.

A great restaurant - they have fun with their city's reputation

Santa and his new bride - blow up the pictures to see what their clothes are made from

Pattaya view from hotel's swimming pool.  Pattaya is a sleazy dive - but there are places around it that are quite nice.
 

A VW bus converted into a bar.  These were very popular all over Thailand.

A Russian version of the Moulin Rouge - a Russian dancer/escort/prostitute dances in the window while about 6-7 blond bombshells are out front convincing men to go in.  You better be rich if you walk into this bar.  Your drink, buying her a drink and the cover charge and watching a few dances will set you back around $200-$500US.  This is a place for the Russian mob which apparently has taken over this city.

 Say what you will but there's no place like Pattaya.

One of the few good zoo/garden (in terms of treatment of animals) in Thailand - 20 minutes outside of Pattaya.  I pat him/her behind the ears and he/she yawned - just like my old cats.  I want one.
 

 This was an interesting garden - they used the pots to make art - animals, boats and this love mobile

 Thai kickboxing  - this was not the real deal - just a show illustrating Thai culture - also part of the zoo/garden

 The reenactment of the elephant battles of long ago.

The name of the zoo/garden above and an elephant throwing darts at the balloons - he hit it every time.

 Elephants giving folks in the audience a ride

 Crazy folks from the audience agreeing to lie under the elephant as it walks over you.

  Elephant giving this guy happy ending massage - it's Thaialnd for you :-)