Quick Catch Up

Well, hello.  It's been a few days now hasn't it?  And for good reason.  I've been busy!  Saturday morning I head with Greg and JC out to the Gold Coast.  I was completely unaware that Hong Kong even had a Gold Coast, I thought it was just the magical land where Emily works on her tan all day.  But no, if you drive way past Tsuen Mun as far West as possible, there it is.  It's an upscale neighborhood with cute restaurants, nice apartments, and a beautiful boardwalk from which the billionaires can take out their 200 meter yachts.  Anyway, it was cool to check out, the weather was nice and there weren't many people, so it was a relaxing way to work...on Saturday!  Then I had to bail to go get ready for dinner.  Nina put together a little get-together-before-the-holidays at one of Hong Kong's (well actually Singapore's) notorious restaurants; No Signboard.  They're famous for their chili crabs, so for the 8 of us we got 2 giant chili crabs, 2 giant white pepper crabs, noodles, rice, fried and unfried buns, and of course a green.  It was delicious!!! The crabs were already cracked for us, but it didn't matter you still had to work, and wear, your dinner. It was awesome to get everyone together again (first time since Thanksgiving) before we all take off.  

Kenny, Nina, Me, Kira, and Paul about to embark

Sunday funday indeed!!!  As we're heading up to our helicopter at the top of the Peninsula hotel in TST, this young Asian woman with a very much older white dude, walks down the stairs with her hand up in the air, "I just got engaged!!!"  Pretty smooth old dude!!  Our trip wasn't quite as eventful, but it was fun to listen to Kenny talk flight talk with the pilot as the rest of us oohhhed and ahhhhed from the back.  We saw the entire island in just 12 minutes.  Pretty cool.

Yesterday was my first full day in the office.  No events thankfully, and I was finally able to get a lot done!  We're making some progress!  And post work was even more successful.  I'm on about 4 million email lists at this point of events in Hong Kong (hey got to fill your time during unemployment) and somehow I got invited to a Glenlivet tasting.  It was on the top of Pier 6 where the Mongolian Village pop-up tent is and it was just stunning at night.  We had our own private tent for the event and I'm guessing Paul and I were the youngest there by at least 10 years.  The Scottish dude got up and gave a brief history of their whiskey (and why everyone else in the world tries to copy them), talked about the make of it, the tastes and aromas and then told us to try the two unnamed whiskeys in front of us.  We had to guess which was the brand spanking new only released in Asia 12 year Excellence whiskey.  Paul got it, and I preferred the other, which I later learned was Macallan.  Yum.  Then we were left to our own devices to drink as much whiskey as possible as waiters came by with little snacks.  Then my favorite part of the evening.  The lucky draw!!!  And guess who was called first!?  ME!!!  I answered a question, "What color is the 12 Excellence?" "Golden."  And won a bottle to take home!!! Asa.  I think the best part of this was Paul's reaction.  We don't drink much whiskey and after the tasting he was totally getting into it saying we need to go buy some...umm I don't generally spend $80 on my boozes, but hey, here we are for free!  So yeah, fun evening and now Paul can get his fancy pants drink on. 

Today is another day in the office.  Paul has off and is loving it.  He's currently sleeping while I get ready and catch up on this.  It's 9 am man, get up!  ha.  But after work we're going to meet in Causeway Bay for a free flow wine dinner complete with lobster and grouper, then head back here to pack, watch movies and then head to the airport at 5 am.  AMERICA tomorrow!!!!!!!