My family hikes everyday

The above is an English lesson via P.  

Not to sound like a broken record, but damn Linguini Fini gets better every time.  Our dinner plans fell through, so Paul and I trudged through the yellow rain to our usual bar perch at LF.  We were immediately greeted by our man Wahid, who inquired, 'Where have you been!?'  It had been a while, since the Sevens actually.  He welcomed us back with a cocktail on the house; Salty Dog (vodka grapefruit juice) for  P and Catail (gin lemonade) for me.  It's no Prosecco cocktail, but refreshing nonetheless.  Wahid is amazing.  He's always in there when we come, and he always goes so far out of his way to make sure we're taken care of.  I must say everyone in there is super accommodating, but Wahid certainly leads the pack.

Tiramisu

Then we moved onto a Verdure pizza- delish as always.  I suppose we still looked hungry, because our man came back and said, 'how bout some calamari?" I moved onto wine, Montepulciano, while Paul switched over to a lovely craft beer, Red Tail.  I suppose we've lost some weight or something, because man came back with a tiramisu!  We had such a lovely pizza date night...with Wahid :)

Despite the enduring rain, we ventured up the hill to meet Derek and Laura for some cocktails.  I met Laura months ago on a junk while she was here visiting her then boyfriend, Derek, who was here for a 3 month work stint.  We instantly bonded over our love of JCrew and boats, and now five or so months later they're back and engaged!!  They took us to their favorite local haunt, Bourbon.  Paul and I had never been before, but this place is great!  The entire staff wear Saints jerseys, there is an extensive whiskey/bourbon menu, and happy hour goes til 8:30.  Can't beat that (well, LF can). 

Fruit, veg, protein, carbs

Twas a nice little Friday night out and we were home by eleven.  This morning we Paul slept in, I caught up with the world at Starbuck's via The South China Post, and made a lovely soft boiled egg breakfast a la www.eatliverun.com.  No matter how much this blog annoys me, I somehow have to read it every morning with my breakfast.  

Off to work a wine tasting and hit a trolley party!  Woo. 

Flights Booked!

August 4th Paul and I land in Newark!  Sherine, I'll be home for your birthday!  This is the first direct flight from Asia to home, which is super exciting.  No stupid 13 hour layovers in Beijing for these kids.  This is also the most expensive flight ever, wtf!?  I've been looking into flights for my parents to come here in October and it's almost equally as expensive.  What's going on?  I'm thinking insane gas prices, no?

Yey, it's Friday!  Yesterday I worked at the YWCA (who knew there was a women's version!?) Spring Bazaar with Sean.  Ugh, I'm really pretty sick of these things.  Standing around all day and every time I try to go to do something somehow Sean circumvents me and says 'I've got it.'  So stand I do.  All day long....

Tomorrow is Buddha's birthday so everyone's off work (by everyone, I mean Paul because most foreigners don't work Saturday here); except me.  Paul's going to Beertopia and I'll be manning a tasting at Manchester United in TST.  It's only 3 hours so it shouldn't be too bad.  Followed by tram party!  Sip and snack on a trolley cruising east to west on the island? Sounds good to me!

Oh and big detox success.  So I may have had some chicken, and one diet coke, but no boozes and lots of healthy eating for four days!  And  lots of planks and pushups to boot.  Should be in bathing suit shape in no time.  Ha I'm eating chocolate for breakfast as I type this....

Paul got a job!!!

Two interviews last week and Paul has already been offered a job as an eight grade English Lit teacher at the Harbour school! That means summers off and that we can move!! Oh and guess where the school is!? My favorite hood, sheung wan!!

Later the same day, Paul just won a case of beer from a FB contest. Lola like the luck has shifted his way!

Macau and Back

And it only took me 5 hours.  I ran to the MTR, ran to the China Ferry Pier, just made the 11:30 ferry.  Read/relax for an hour and I'm in good old Macau.  Only had to wait 30 minutes in immigration, which I can tell you from past experience is crazy fast.  Then walked upstairs to the departures, got on the next boat out and was on my way back to Hong Kong.

No questions.  No second glances.  No eggy tarts :(

This was an article in the on-ferry mag about snake massages!!! Kill me now.

Now I'm good for another three months. There is absolutely no reason why my visa shouldn't come through, but if it doesn't next time I'm going somewhere cool.  Japan?  Vietnam?  Thailand?  We shall see.

Getting ready in our shoebox

After I rushed home from the ferry pier, I had just enough time to throw on a green dress (I got a few too many reference on FB to the last 7 times I've worn this dress, so it is officially retired), and run out the door with Paul to the Tung Chung Charity Ball.  This ball was for a wonderful cause; placing orphans in loving foster homes in Nepal.  And after just visiting Nepal, it felt right that we were the wine sponsors.

But, it being my first ball, it was kind of disappointing.  To be fair I was working, but still, I expected a little more glamor.  There were a couple cool dresses, but no Bjork style crazy ones.  Poo.

Paul, Sean, and I were tasked to serve wine during cocktail hour which was a blast.  Tons of people asking your opinion on wine and asking for sneaky top offs.  We were only there to 'taste' but come on, it's for charity.  I think Paul got a little overwhelmed by the crowds, but he didn't realize, people will wait for booze!  Maybe not happily, but again, hell this is for charity, how mad can you get at waiting 3 minutes for a glass of *free* wine?

Anyway, we served for an hour then everyone head in, except us of course.  We waited around for a while for some food, but were told there was not a morsel left for us.  Come on!  It was 9 pm, we'd had a few glasses of wine and no food, so Paul and I bounced leaving Sean to deal with the clean up.   Oops!  He ended up staying til 2 and I can't imagine what he did until then.  It was just us in the hallway outside the ballroom.

 Cinderella?  Not so much.  I think the funniest part was realizing in the almost two years Paul and I have known each other, we hadn't gotten this dressed up once.  The closest was the opera last year and we were by far the most dressed up there.  I need more balls in my life.  Get yer head out of the gutter!

Sun is Shining, Weather is Sweet

After two weeks of grey (minus a beautiful Sunday!) the sun is back and my motivation to exercise came along with it!  My morning runs have turned into morning walks, but today I was back.  Instead of the normal 40 minute jog, I did some intervals; walk, pushups, run, dips, run, squats, walk, leg ups...etc.  Made the whole thing go much faster and I feel overall worked out.

Cheese, sushi and watermelon picnic on the beach

This boot camp style work out comes thanks to Nicole and dragon boating.  Paul debated all morning on Sunday about weather or not we should go.  We rationalized that we need a day of rest, a day of just lounging on the beach, so we head down to Stanley just in case we wanted to boat.  Who do we run into at the grocery store?  Our coach.  There was no bailing now.  We spent a lovely afternoon picnicking and soaking in the sun then it was time to work.  An hour (20 mins since everyone's late) doing land exercises followed up an hour in the boat. In the end we were glad we went, as always, and definitely felt the fruits of our labor on Monday in the form of sore muscles.  This week is detox week.  Healthy eating.  No boozing.  Exercising.  So far so good!

Fishmen dragon boat competition in Stanley

Sour Milk

Remember that 'best smoothie I have ever tasted' from a couple days ago?  Yeah, def made with sour milk.  Hmmm.  The next morning I went to make my usual coffee and the milk came out in little chunklets.  Check the expiry, yup 8 days ago.  Wow, gross.  

Yesterday I went to an amazing wine tasting at the Four Seasons.  Read about it here. And now it's 4:25 on Friday, almost the weekend!!!  Tutor, dinner with P and relax (nasty Amber rain out there).  Tomorrow, tutor, Macau run, BALL!

More on that later...........

Man O Man

Did I make the best smoothie this morning!  For some reason frozen bananas are sooo much better than their lukewarm counterparts.  Especially when blended with random HK berries, milk and peanut butter.

It's like ice cream for breakfast.

Today at work was quite interesting as well.  I can't believe it's after 4 already.  I got to work, picked up new business cards and foam boards, then immediately went on my first solo delivery!  I took a van down to Central, dropped off two cases of wine for my favorite jewelry gallery AME, then vanned right back.  It is so much faster to van around than MTR it!

Then right when I got back Greg's family friends from Ireland popped in to say hello.  Maggie and her husband (not sure I caught his name) have two sons living and working in Hong Kong, so they come over at least once a year to visit.  Greg showed them our warehouse, told wine battle stories, and then we all went out for a lovely lunch at Corner 90, which is the local go-to with guests place.  And now here it is 3 glasses of wine, one seafood curry, and two new friends (they're cooking Paul and I dinner on Friday week, which in Irish means a week from Friday) deep on a Wednesday.  And it's race night!!  Hopefully the rain holds!