Foxymoron

Bidnez in the front

Lately, time goes by like it's nothing at all. In the past week or so, there have been level 3 wind warnings and one level one typhoon warning. The result is days of sporadic rain storms, one left-behind umbrella. All I have left is this crappy $15 one I bought this morning. Even though it's new, it'll break the next time I sneeze.

I know, it's quiet in the blog world but what can I say? I've been busy doing stuff...

Friday - dinner with Con at Sidewalk, which was unsatisfying and there was curry, again when we ordered tomatoes and beef damnit. Phonecall from co-workers and I found myself singing (terribly) at the Green Spot in Mong Kok. Karaoke with the locals, just like I dreamed of and it was fun. Although, nothing like karaoke with my former co-workers at that classy joint, the Gladstone. I really shouldn't sing, because I can't, unlike every Hong Konger out there. They grew up singing "K" and Avril's "Don't Tell Me" is a lot harder than I thought it'd be. But there were no flies in our beer this time.

Saturday - The Pancakes with openers False Alarm. False Alarm was so bad, they were good. Let's just say that there's something very sincere about a Chinese guy shouting "I want...I want...I want more...free porn!" into a microphone, squirming on the ground and running across the stage screaming into a microphone, dissapear and then run across the other way screaming into the microphone. Any further explanation just wouldn't do the performance justice. The Pancakes was OK. The band was tight though, but I secretly just wanted to see more of False Alarm's antics. Free porn for all!

Sunday - I got a haircut. The jury is still out on whether it's a good one or not. I'm just glad it didn't stay the "hipster" mullet it was. Of course, on me, a hipster mullet would just be a mullet. I stopped all that when I said to Michael, the adorable hairdresser, "yo, less party in the back please." He looked dissapointed and of course I didn't actually say that word-for-word because no one where knows what a mullet is, let alone what "business in the front, party in the back" means. No one here thinks I'm funny either, so I just don't bother.

Today - Met with Canadian-born business man Allan Zeman, after a long walk in the rain. He said I was "clever" to come to Hong Kong. He put the idea of Shanghai in my head. He doesn't miss Canada, says it's too slow and boring. Now comtemplating leaving work or waiting for co-workers. I need hair products but I have no money. Food or good hair, the choice is simple...

Pop post it notes

1) Feist sings "Mushaboom" though my television screen on a daily basis. Her song, which by the way is also downloadable as a ring tone, is featured on a Lacoste cologne commerical. The commercial has no dialog just Feist's whoa-whoas and a handsome European-looking blue-eyed brunette hopping along a pier with waves crashing in the background. He has a freckle on the tip of his nose which I guess is cute, but Feist is hotter. Go to www.lacoste-essential.com to view said commerical.

2) There are also government sponsored "Support the World Trade Organization" commericals. The premise of these commericals are usually a couple shopping and one of them talking about how much variety and how cheap everything is because of the WTO. No comment.

3) I'm going to see The Pancakes on Saturday. The Pancakes is actually one woman named Dejay who plays lo-fi indie pop. It's not really rock, it's sugary sweet pop but not CantoPop and that's all we can ask for at this point.
3b) Alphabetizing your favourite things is the new blogging. By the time you read this, it will already have spread like wildfire.

4) Maisonneuve's pedestrian columnist, Christopher DeWolf writes about walking around. He was in Hong Kong and wrote a number of interesting columns about his pedestrian experiences. He uses Hong Kong as a model for Canadian cities to be more pedestrian-friendly. He fails to mention the dangers of air condition drip down from the floors above, but still, go read them.

5) I purchased Sufjan Stevens' Illinoise for more than I should have but I'm glad I did because it's lovely.

I'm sick, you're tired. Let's dance.

I spent the weekend doing absolutely nothing but watch TV, read the newspaper, write and make mix CDs.

Friday night was the exception. Moe and I tried to see some British indie rock at the Fringe Club. We got their early, ordered beer and sat in the back to chat. All of a sudden, the place was packed and we couldn't hear the music. So it wasn't really a concert experience. It was OK though, $80 cover that included a free drink, so we didn't complain.

He took me to a Lebanese place, kind of dai pai dong place around the corner from Club Mod. We ate an amazing lamb pita. IIt was one of the most satisfying pitas I've ever tasted. Afterwards, we went to OM Lounge, which Moe says is his favourite place. It's a low-key martini bar with Buddist influenced decor, dim lights and really chill music. Connie came to meet us and she fell asleep. We left and just a few doors down is Joyce Is Not Here. Of course, Joyce was there and I popped into say hello. She squealled when she saw me but I don't think she could remember my name, she just leaned in and said, "I'm drunk." And that was that.

They recently installed an entertainment system of sorts at JINH. They were projecting some kind of live concert DVD when I visited on Friday. They've sent me e-mails with the schedule of films 'til the end of the month. It's absolutely adorable. I promised to visit on Saturday and fully intended to but never made it past Kowloon Tong for the rest of the weekend. I blame the full moon.

Photo: A picture of Stanley's boardwalk. Taken a few weeks ago.

New modern love

Yeah well so what if you're all at the Bloc Party show RIGHT NOW.

I'm not jealous. Nope, not at all. I got to play with dolphins yesterday.

That's the new modern love. Dolphin love.

We are the living dead

I think Tilly and the Wall is making me miss the city pictured above. Teri made me a wonderful mix CD that I've listening to non-stop and on it Tilly's song "Night of the Living Dead." It makes me miss my early 20's (I know, I'm 25, but I can say that now), the heartbreak-induced reckless debauchery and the friends who were there to see me at my ugliest. God, it was ugly.

It's been almost a month since I braved American fucking Airlines. I remember eating McDonalds cross-legged on the floor of Chicago O'Hare waiting for my flight to Tokyo. It was a Filet-O-Fish meal. Looking out on to the runways I asked myself what the hell I am I doing? Why am I leaving the city I'm in love with, co-workers I'm in love with, friends I'm in love with? I don't even like Hong Kong. I don't even like MacDonalds, I mean, ethically.

You're electric, I'm a powerout

That time I said I'd write about the beach, yeah, that was an empty promise, I'm sorry. There are pictures of Stanley on the Flickr site if you're really curious.

But I'll try to highlight the past couple of weeks in no particular order. But let me first tell you that I'm sitting at a very busy Pacific Coffee in Kowloon Tong. Next to me are school girls gossiping and texting each other from across the table. I'm very easily distracted, me being a self-diagnosed ADD kid and all. Nico and Yvonne are across the world 5-something a.m. MSN conversing and I'm jealous that they're discussing post-Dance Cave antics.

BUT...

Saday

I'm feeling extra sentimental today. I think it's because it's Sunday and some may say it's God's day, but I like to reserve Sundays for reflection and the day to be sad if I want to. The lack of internet access makes me depressed. No MSN, blogging, flickr or Skype whenever I want it? I don't even know who I am anymore! Pathetic but true.

Seriously though, without the internet, the world seems so much bigger and I am the type of person who will cheer up by just seeing a friend's name on her buddy list. Things may be looking up however, I just found out that the Pacific Coffee in Telford Plaza has free wireless internet. It closes at 10:15 everday but that's still better than nothing. I wonder if the mall is open and I could sit there with my laptop regardless of whether shops are open. That would also make me happy, although a little strange in this city of people who fear being different. Then again, I get stared at on a daily basis so what's being a little more strange?

See you at Pacific Coffee.

EDIT: Apparently the person who answered the phone at PC and said that yes, wifi is free, doesn't understand that free means you don't pay to use the internet. So here I am, sipping a $28 HKD frozen drink thing and paying $48 HKD for 200 minutes. Boo! Oh well, it's the Internet.

Net not here :(

I've just moved to Kowloon Bay to an apartment much closer to work. But unfortunately, the apartment also lacks internet access so my blogging and e-mailing is limited. I'm determined to figure out a solution since I'm techologically-dependent. Currently, I'm sitting at Joyce Is Not Here drinking coffee and eating a "black and white" cookie. I try not to stay at home much because there's not too much to do. There are two, maybe three English television stations, no food (except crackers and cream cheese) and across the street is a major construction site which means lots of noise and lots of dust for me. It sucks. BUT it's close to work and a lot bigger than my old place on Pok Fu Lam. I miss Pok Fu Lam.

Since I can't upload pictures from my past week (I went to the beach!) I'm recycling older Flickr photos from a couple weeks ago. This one was taken at Telford Plaza, the mall near work and my new apartment (or as they say here, "flat"). I'll tell you about the beach once I'm able to upload related pictures because you need to see the beach to appreciate the beach...