Hong Kong Blog

Another day, another blog. Meeting with MT Chan later. He is our placement supervisor over here; this meeting has been greatly anticipated. MT to the Chan has been deemed somewhat of a ledge by Rich because of his name. I hope he lives up to this title or there will be trouble.

Anyways let’s quick fire with the events that have caused me to double take or open wide my eyes. Rich and I went to Mong Kok the other day to scope out these headphones I have searched the globe for but to no avail. Anyways Langham Place, one huge mother-lovin complex, happened to contain the said headphones. So me and Rich decided to shake a leg and make tracks. We got there no probs and headed up to the top floor, no easy task were it not for several massive escalators. Then we saw it, a massive bundle of tiny people wanting in on the action. The action being a signing done by some movie stars from a film called ‘Eye in the Sky’. I just stood there oblivious to the madness as everyone was going wild. My favourite moment being a security guard, no bigger than a thimble trying to jump up and see the goings on. Bloody funny. (I do not know what use is a security guard you can pick up with ease or knock over with some well timed flatulence)?

Work is jolly good fun. Thanks to the work mates, I am adjusting to the cheap labour by now. They (by them I mean the ‘family’) have asked me to join the JP Morgan basketball team, so I thought it would be rude not to oblige. Plus I played a good bit with my real family back in the motherland and I reckon I still hold the record for the best shot (rebounds of my dads van, caught it with my back facing the hoop, over 1km away (maybe not), thrown over the back of my head and ‘nothing but net’). So I went and boy was it fun. I was greeted with a massive round of applause and a spotlight. That’s when the fun began. I would knock these people about easier than I would move chess pieces…and they loved me for it. Apparently I have made the team and I am ‘really big man’ accompanied by impressions of people puffing themselves up. I bloody love it mate, except I play centre and have to be where the action is either side court for rebounds and such = knackering.

My neighbours are either really friendly or gay. Just doing the old brushing my teeth malarkey the other morning, this was whilst I was hanging loose at the time one could say. When lo and behold a neighbour pops into the bathroom (2 rooms share the 1 bathroom), so I did the understandable thing and hid round the corner of the sink hoping he would do one. Thinking there was a slight chance he might be a normal person I decided to venture out into the open again, turns out he wasn’t normal. Undeterred by my obvious nakedness and the fact I jumped for cover he just stood at the sink staring at me like I had 2 heads (and he could see both of them at this point). I had to grab a towel and then talk to said weirdo about the weather as if nothing was wrong.

Massage parlours everywhere here. Blatantly want to get in on some cheap massage action but I know I will probably be asked for extras, and knowing my luck the English for ‘No Thanks’ will probably translate to ‘No, you do me love and I like it rough!’. So there I was walking with Rich the other day after he picked up his rucksack for an absolute steal, when we were approached and broached about the subject of massages. Having had this rigmarole played through many a time, I opted for the universal language of ‘No’ followed by a horizontal movement of the head and hand. She was having none of it. She pegged it down the street after us; ask Rich mate it was hilarious. All I could hear was Rich from behind me saying she is still following me and I could see her trying to keep up in the hustle and bustle out of the corner of my eye. I in 22 years have never encountered anyone so hell-bent on getting her customer; she would even make a souvenir shop clerk blush (and half of them would try and sell ice to Alaskans). (when she gave up she even shouted down the street “I bet you will be back”. What a mentalist)

I love working for an investment bank. This bit is really going to make it sound like I have my head-end planted firmly up my other-end. But I must take a few moments to appreciate the fact that I believe I am one of the most privileged students to come out of UKC. After all JP Morgan was the world’s first billion-dollar corporation according to good old wiki and it is not just the job title that makes me say this, it is the fact that I have been given the chance to experience a culture so different from what I would call the norm. I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel, and there you have it my head has popped back out:-) Did cheer me up when I got my welcome pack from JP, though I think there should have been a saddle in it because I am being taken for a ride with these work times. I got some suave stuff plus a cool bag containing: a carton of water with a 5 year shelf life, a serious glow stick (biggest one I have ever seen), and a whistle. I don’t know what the hell they expect me to do with that twoddle, I just laughed and asked Jenks were there secret raves on the weekend. Turns out there are no raves, so I am just left with a glow stick and whistle with no party P.S drank my water already = very dodgy, think it must have been on the shelf for 4 years and 364 days before I received it by the taste of things.

Just a few lose ends to tie up. People over here are as cool as a cucumber, but I must say talk about vain. Jesus mate, the slightest reflective surface and you would think that they think they are God’s gift or something. I kid you not; there is no shame involved either. I said this to Rich and he too has copped how everyone is self obsessed as well. In the toilets you would think they were about to exit the door to be greeted by a catwalk and thousands of adoring fans, in lifts it’s just plain embarrassing to watch someone try every hairstyle feasible. You can just watch them and they don’t pay any heed, in some instances I think they are waiting for me to give an opinion if it works or not.

Life on the whole is getting busier and busier. Cantonese and Mandarin classes to start soon, basketball and badminton every Sat with my posse. Footie Monday and am going swimming on Sun. That is along with the long fast paced struggle known as work. I am only kidding, I love work because of my mates and everyday is worth it.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 6th, 2007 at 9:17 pm and is filed under Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.