Yeah, I Know....

Over a week and still no post, right? I know, I know, we are supposed to be more on top of things right now. Sorry about that. As our first tour in Hong Kong as a couple draws to a close, things have been pretty hectic. We have been filing for visas, visa extensions, submitting thesis drafts, attending seminars...just a lot going on.

The good news is that things are getting done. Carina's dependent visa was filed and they will be sending the visa acceptance form in a little less than two months (awesome). I also filed for my visa extension with no problems, aside from a two hour wait, and I will be picking it up 13 May. Usually I would make more fuss about the time spent standing in line at the Immigration Center, but I have been trying to improve my outlook on life and lower my stress levels. I took it as a great opportunity to be around people who spoke the two languages I understand: Mandarin and English. It was nice to be able to follow conversations again. It was also a great opportunity to watch some adorable kids play with their parents and older siblings. I complain about crying babies a lot, but nothing helps to redeem a city in my eyes more than watching the joyous bond develop between parent and child. Call me a sap if you will; I will take the label happily.

Still, it will be great to head home in the not-too-distant future. Carina and I have been missing access to quality food ingredients and a decent cooking space (bending at a ninety-degree angle to reach the counter is killing my back!). It will also be great to be away from all the pollution and crowded sidewalks. Speaking of the latter, here are two sites I dug up today while continuing my investigation into why Chinese people simply will not get out of the way:

http://www.batgung.com/walking-speed-hong-kong

http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/phpbbforum/bumping-into-chinese-people-on-sidewalk-t105927.html

Some of the comments are a bit NSFW, but the article and the comment thread are (in this man's opinion) hilarious and a wonderful encapsulation of what I deal with on a daily basis. I may have to try that head-scratch-feint technique.

Other than that, work goes on as usual. My first thesis section is (hopefully) almost draft-worthy. I have now written over two hundred pages this academic year alone, only to be told that my thesis should not exceed eighty pages (one hundred pages maximum). Well, whatever; I can save the rest for my dissertation, I suppose. Also, Carina is well-set for recommendations to the MAT program she will most definitely get into. Sorry, hon, but you are a shoe-in. Accept the confidence. Squares and quadrilaterals, people...whatever that means.

Not sure how many more posts we will squeeze out here before the flight home, but I am hoping to get some more writing in. If nothing else, I just like keeping the folks at home up-to-date.

Much love,

Colin

You Know You are in Hong Kong When...

1. any food you order is prepared by boiling with lots of salt
2. you go outside in 70 F weather and people are wearing jackets
3. there is a cat in every shop (and sometimes in-between, too)
4. you can get Chilean wine for roughly USD 4
5. there are so many people that you cannot get around a corner until the light at the cross-walk changes.
6. everything is uphill
7. the phrase "locally grown" means "from Australia"
8. "milk" actually refers to a soy product, despite there being a cow on the carton (do not ask what cheese is made of!)
9. dried seafood is the best thing around to smell (aside from your own armpits)
10. demonstratives lose all meaning and value ("This is Game"? No, this is Engrish!)
11. the customer is always wrong
12. the sea glows in the dark
13. you go out at any time of day or night and have to avoid little old ladies who, despite being less than four feet tall, manage to take up the entire sidewalk
14. the "sidewalk" consists of the concrete slabs not occupied by random poles
15. you can haggle for almost anything
16. Sunday is random-and-largely-ignored protest day
17. the national pastime is Tai Chi
18. people who honk their car horns also drive and not the other way around (you have to be here to get it)
19. you are a giant despite being only 5'7" and weighing 155 lbs
20. being social is accidentally bumping into someone on the sidewalk

A walk along the water

The weather (like in many other places of the world) has been up and down for the last month - some days raining and cold, some days sunny and hot. This weather was not conducive to doing anything. It has led Colin to rely on what he calls the umbrella method of inductive logic, which goes something like this: If Colin carries an umbrella, it will not rain. If Colin does not carry an umbrella, it will most assuredly rain.


Now they have settled out - sunny and hot. This makes the city exceedingly humid, but at least stable enough in weather to plan what to wear/carry with us.

It led to us taking a walk Saturday afternoon. We took a jaunt down to the park to stroll along the water and found families with lots of children and even some bikini clad girls sunning themselves on the circular green at the park. It was a lovely day, if not a bit too warm, and it was drawing everyone outside.

Our walk to the ferry docks includes passing a dog park, which was also quite full. Several corgis and dachshunds along with a variety of larger mutts and terriers were tramping around the rectangular grassy area set aside for them.

A brief note: when I mention grass, this indicates that everywhere else there is concrete. In fact, unless I mention grass or being inside a building, you should always suppose that we are walking on concrete.

We always take the route through the mall, because the traffic tunnel in the middle of our trek is a bit dodgy for pedestrians. It was also full, but that is normal. I teased Colin about stopping at KFC (very popular here, but not on the list of foods Colin eats - an me neither, particularly).

On the other side of the mall, we've reached the ferry docks. They're set about fifty yards apart and are made up of three and four story buildings, some of which have accesses to the different ferry levels and some of which just house small shops and tourist waiting areas.

On the boardwalk (again - all concrete - no actual boards) across from the second to last of these large ferry buildings is a beer stand. Many of the shops in this area cater to the British and Aussie tourists that are visiting Hong Kong or Macau. We picked up a StrongBow (British hard cider) before making our way back to the apartment for a Friday night dinner.

This week we had Carina's Hong Kong version of Philly Cheese Steaks (I had ground beef with onions and cheese; Colin had chicken with onions, peppers and cheese - not as big of a beef fan). Ice cream for dessert - a good night. :)

Not Dead Yet

Ugh, it has been a while since I posted last, so I figured I would pop up and let everyone know that I am still alive and kicking...just mostly at my thesis...and other philosophical scrawls.

Things have been busy lately, but not particularly exciting.  As I close in on the final sections of my thesis draft, I am left wondering what comes next for us here.  After I complete my project and defend, the plan is to head back to the States and begin working toward my doctorate which will, hopefully, be at a certain school I used to prowl around.  Nothing is certain, though, and even if those plans come to fruition, there is still no way of knowing what will happen next.

Right now, all I know is that I am here in Hong Kong with my wonderful wife, working on philosophy, and frequently indulging in kitchen experiments that may or may not involve copious amounts of red wine.  That is nothing to be unhappy about.  Even though I do not want to spend the rest of my life here, I really am enjoying this experience and want to continue to explore Hong Kong.  We still have a lot to see and do, and I am hoping to get Carina up and out of the apartment in the next few weeks so we can go out and adventure.  Of course, that also means I need to sit still and finish my draft, but I think we can manage.

The good news is that we have a weekly seminar series coming up, so that should keep us stimulated on Thursday nights through the end of the semester.  After that, the plan is to come back home for the summer.  I am looking forward to that as well:  It will be like coming up for air after holding my breath for almost five months.

Spreading the awareness... and understanding

Hello!

This month is Autism Awareness Month. I thought I would post a wonderful article from the author of Time Crafted, who has written over the past few days to help make a move toward acceptance and understanding.

http://aut.zone38.net/2011/04/01/awareness-understanding-acceptance/