Gone skiing

So far only Norman guessed what the title meant. "P and K go skiing" stands for-- Peter and Katie Go Spending Kids Inheritance.
There were some things that just worked on this trip. We had given ourselves enough time at each stop so there was no feeling of "if it's Tuesday it must be Belgium"and could take our time looking around in the early mornings, and the afternoon for naps! We flew on British Air in a hybrid class called World Traveler Plus. This is basically an economy class that had extra leg room and a small cabin of its own, and costs a lot less than business class. This left money to be spent on nice hotels, private tours and cars and drivers when we wanted. The latter was really helpful in Beijing where the distances are great and although taxis are plentiful they are not always there when you need them. Four hours of a car and driver worked out to about $80 Canadian and was worth every penny. We are absolutely nothing at any of the food markets that looked so enticing. We ate only in hotels and good restaurants, and had not a spot of tummy trouble. We bought a little light lap top computer and it was a joy. It only weighs 3 pounds and fits in a knapsack. It meant keeping up with Peter's office and doing the blog was an easy task as each hotel room has an internet hook up. And thanks to all who checked in along the way with comments and e mails to let me know they were reading.
The traffice is hard to describe. Our guide told us there are now 1.2million family cars in Beijingg. As they think there are now about 15 m. people living there we feel this is not a lot of cars on the roads compared to population. There are still millions of bikes on the road, and if just a few million of them can swing a car purchase in the next few years, the traffic will get worse,if that can be imagined. And even though most of the big streets had green pedestrian "go" signs, cars turning left or right, and bikes pay no attention to them. It was always a little Russian roulette out there on the streets. I figure they will pick off a few hundred visitors to the Olympics with no problem.
Some of my favourite things.: Seeing Norm and Karen so happy and settled in their new life in Bangkok, the most stunning view of the trip was from the top of the Star Tower in Bangkok, watching the light show from a Harbour dinner tour in HongKong Harbour, visiting the little Portugese tiled streets in Macau, walking the Nanjing Road to the Bund in Shanghai and looking over to the Pudung area in Shanghai, visiting the Great Wall on a day with sun and rare clear blue sky.
Peter says it will take months to absorbs all we have seen.
Imagine walking from Tianaman Square, past the walls of the Forbidden City.. take a right turn and you will be in the massive shopping Olympic Shopping Centre; turn left and you will walk through blocks of the old hudongs, greet the street cleaner (every block has one) who is learning to say Hello in English, and who is probably hoping to one day own a bike let alone a car, dodge those bicycles lined up 10 deep at the light, have a gander at the block long store selling only cell phones, into your hotel lobby with Channel, Ferragamo, Gucci, and every other big name store you can think of, order a nice glass of Australian chardonnay, and settle back to listen to a very good group of young Chinese play some very cool American Jazz.
Funny old world. That's a wrap.
As ever Katie

We finally got around to some shopping! We headed for The Friendship Store-- a large store orginally set up to cater to the Russian workers in the seventies. It sell a wide variety of goods and at 0ne time only tourists could buy goods there. It is hard to imagine that it is not that long ago, the Chinese could not buy very much of anything and certainly not imported goods. Now of course, most imported goods anywhere are made in China and if they have the money they can buy anything.
We had a wonderful time at the Panjianyuan Market. Vendors come from far away provinces (which you could really see in their faces) every Sunday and sell collectibles and antiques, rugs etc. And you are expected to bargain which was great fun.
We actually went to see the Chinese acrobats one evening. It is a very touristy thing to do, but we did enjoy the show as it was the week to showcase the children who come from the acrobatic school. There were most entertaining, and do quite the most amazing contortions at a very young age. I am sure they will all have agents and be heading very soon to Las Vegas to work for Cirque de Soliel!!
And a dinner at the Family Li restaurant in a very old area of Beijing. This restaurant is in their actual house down a very old, dark and narrow street. The little lanes and houses called hudongs are rapidly being torn down and replaced with new high apartment towers. According to the newspaper 600,000 people have been moved to new apartments getting ready for the Olympics. Papers are all government controlled so you are sure you are getting the whole story or if you are getting a what we want you to know. So it is quite possible many more people have been moved. These old time areas of Beijing are disappearing at an amazing rate so we were pleased the hotel had steered us to Family Li and their little house--really a series of little rooms, no decor to speak of, and a fabulous Imperial Style Bangquet consisting of about twenty different little courses of fabulously interesting food.
Peter went to visit another factory(not rare earths this time, rather this factory makes magnets) and I went to the National Art Museum to see an exhibit I had read about called "The Farmer". The exhibition was huge (of course!) about five floors of paintings. Most of the gallery seemed to be taken up with various forms of Chinese paintings, but this exhibition was really a series of group scenes and portraits. There was an audio guide which was quite painful to listen to. If each painting had a two minute blurb, most of the talking was about the artist educational background, where he learned his painting, who was his teacher and how many committees he now chaired--all quite boring. There was a big sign in Chinese and English at the beginning of the show, explaining the Central Committe was now focusing on the importance of the farmer and the farm. So the whole exhibit was some sort of politcal statement; "a lets all thank the farmers and their wonderful life". All the figures seemed to be very jolly and well fed! And the group pictures from the '40s all had little paintings of Mao in there somewhere. Still there were some very good artists for all that and some of the current painters in "new open era" were very strong indeed.
And as luck would have it, we had dinner that night with a niece of a dear friend and her husband who is serving at the Canadian Embassy as the Trade Commissioner for Agriculture. They live out in a new area by the airport which suites them very well, as J. must travel all over China and the international schools are nearby. All the various embassy folk used to house their staff in compounds near the offices, but with traffic now so bad in Beijing, more and more families are staying closer to the schools. It was such an interesting evening to hear how things are going out in the countryside that J visits regularly. The Chinese government is in fact focusing on support of farmers and farming, and trying to clean up the polluted land and food supply. So the art exhibit was all part of the current propaganda compaign. Not for the first time we heard that the biggest pollution problem was not the air but the earth and water and all the pesticides that had been used over the years now accumlating in the food supply. And of course, with all the building projects going on in all the big cities, workers are leaving the land and heading for the bright lights--sort of a "How are you going to keep them down on the farm after they have seen Beijing"
The newspapers actually had an acticle about how tea sales were way down as Japan was not buying anymore tea till the tea plantations were made"green". Needless to say after reading that I dropped tea purchases from my shopping list, and not for the first time marvelled at just how much these papers were allowed to say.
I will wrap tomorrow.. as ever Katie

We have been totally surprised and captivated by Beijing. It could be that our expectations were not high, too many memories of events from here, perhaps. But if Shanghai, Hong Kong and Bangkok are about skyscrapers and wonderful lights, and rush and bustle, Beijing is about wide tree lined avenues, massive buildings, and quiet night lights. You can not imagine the shear size of The Forbidden City or Tiananmen Square. We started with the Forbidden City (a walk from our Hotel) . The hotel recommended we take a guide as we would probably find it, overwhelming. It was very good advice and was indeed , overwhelming, even with a guide. She was very experienced and was mercifully brief about describing each building (there are many many temples) and just let us sort of slowly try and take it all in. While there were plenty of different buildings to see, many are under renovation. I gathered the government wants as much restored as possible for the Olympic visitors. During the cultural revolution appreciation of the Ming and other dynasties disappeared. In fact some tombs in China were actually looted Fortunately this phase didn’t last long(in Chinese time !)
We have been sticking to our “up early to do a good fast walk” to start the day. This advice had been offered in lots of guide books and it has been a great way to see the city streets before they get too crowded, to watch people scurrying to work and going about their business. One of the most interesting walks has been the fast hike over to Tiananmen Square to join the Chinese tourists line up to watch the flag raising. This occurs each morning at first light, so the time is not fixed, hence a bit of a gamble as to when it actually starts. We were in luck, got there it time and joined thousands of Chinese already there, quite a stirring site really. But as Peter says, “Not quite up to British Standard in London”!. Still I am sure I was the only person out that morning in the entire world that was marching along to the Ohio State Marching Band on her IPod, which did give me a good giggle. Go Bucks
The tourist maps on the internet may tell you where things are, but you just don’t understand how far things are away from each other. The blocks are huge and the hotels and office building make us with mass but they lack in height.
We were very lucky to get the same guide, Rose Lee for out trip to the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall. The Tombs are in a very favoured site in the hills near Beijing, chosen for the wonderful feng shiu. These fellows wanted to spend their after life in perfection. Only one of the tombs has been opened, and few years ago and was filled with gold silk, gems etc. A few of the smaller tombs were looted in the cultural revolution times, but the big ones remain untouched. The scholars feel they are full of huge wealth. Rose said it is considered very bad luck to disturb the tombs, so they are being left alone. I did share with Rose that it seemed a pretty good life for the Emperors, and their families but how about all the other poor people who had to support them. This did strike a cord with Rose—these people are communists after all!-- There are 56 different peoples that make up what we know to be China (Rose says the Hans are the true Chinese)—everyone else is just nations within China,-- a very interesting comment I thought!
And the Great Wall is just that. It is two thousand years old and six thousand kilometers long. We have been blessed with great weather on this trip. For our trip to the Great Wall we actually had blue skies. It cannot be described, except it is a thrill to have actually stood on the Great Wall of China. At one time more that 30 per cent of the population was working on the wall. Most Chinese shared very little in any riches, really generation after generation of serfs. The last Ming emperor was still around in the early 1900’s. These very old civilizations of the nations that make up the Chinese probably that good old Chairman Mao was not such a bad comparison. As ever Katie

Shanghai to Beijing:
The train trip was a special as we could have hoped. We arrived in good time at a very huge train station. Traffic in these very huge cities can be very quixotic, so best not to cut this too fine. The taxi stops, and as we pay the driver, three young men arrive and take our four very large suitcases, and race away. Fingers crossed that this is supposed to happen and glad that our passports, tickets, and credit cards are fixed to us we attempt to follow, down some long stairs and up some very long stairs we arrive at a little gate, where we find them and the cases again, and realize we are paying for this very welcome service. Race up some more stairs, and we are placed in a large waiting room. This is the waiting room for the soft seat service to Beijing. Some stellar charade work and a point to a time on one of their cell phones, we work out that they will return at 6:20pm (in about twenty minutes) to get us on the train itself. They keep their word and racing us again down a long long long platform into our car. Frankly I don’t know how we would have managed without them. I know I say this every time, but next time not so much luggage!! All the racing on their part, was, of course, to get as many passengers on the train in their limited time available.
We had booked two soft seats on the overnight train. This is a bit of a gamble as the cabins come with two and four seat configurations. You could find yourself with two bunks in a four bunk set up, with two strangers in the other beds. We were in luck, and into the little two bunk cabin, with own loo, we went. This took a little doing, putting the luggage up in the top bunk, so we could sit. The linens were white and immaculate, and the towel came with the tooth brush in a little compact form. You had to soak it to use. We had a very good dinner in the dining car… chefs on board so the Chinese dinner was freshly prepared, and about 9 o’ clock we moved the cases around, and hit our bunks, We each had TV screens which were not working on our car (the staff was very mortified about this, but programming would have only been in Chinese anyway) started to read, fell asleep and with very few breaks, work up at 6 am! So this set up on the Bombardier made train, was very comfortable. This was a good thing as the preordered breakfast arrived a 6:15. The translation on the menu was a little vague, and we realized we had made a big mistake by ordering the “western fit breakfast”. We found this to be a rather dubiously cooked fried egg with un-toasted white bread. The coffee however, was very good indeed. I would travel by train again in China in a heart beat, the staff all gave big smiles, lots of trying with their English and the stations are in the middle of the cities.
We had been told by the hotel to stay in our train car and they would come for us and guide us through the station. Only, we arrived right on time at 7am instead of the 8am time we had told the hotel.
We decide we have to get off the train at the platform as the cleaners are lined up to get on. We ask if we can stay on the platform and no one seemed to have much problem with that. We stand in the deserted train station, pretending to be in a movie, -in was very dark--but in the wondrous time in which we live, the Canadian registered cell phone works, hotel concierge answers and problem is solved when the porter shows up in 30 minutes and the race through the station with the luggage begins again. This time we are in the mob scene with the workers arriving, plus the travelers coming in from country destinations. And the rush this time was the poor driver was double parked outside with all the buses. You just don’t get the same experience coming in from an airport. So to Beijing.
As ever Katie

Whoever said Beijing was boring was wrong. We are just off to meet the guide for the trip to the Great Wall, but did want you to know the train trip was terrific! Much more later. as ever Katie

Some idea of the global village: We had dinner last night in a French restaurant with a fellow we had met in Hong Kong at Rotary and again here. Pico is of Indian heritage, raised in Gibralter, has lived in Hong Kong since the early 70's and has been coming to Shanghai on business twice a year since '94., so his perspective was fascinating. We had a drink first in the Cloud 9 Bar (the highest bar in the world!) at the Grand Hyatt in the New Pudung business area. Pico reports none of this area was there in '94. It was farm land when he first starting coming to Shanghai. Millions of people live and work there now.
We couldn't visit Shanghai without a trip on the maglev train. We went to the station on the metro system to check out how it worked(pretty simply really once you got into it.. all instructions in English and Chinese) and then on the maglev train to the airport. The train runs somehow on magnets and reaches speeds of 431km. and travels 30kgs (19 miles) in seven minutes, and was a most exciting ride. They plan on adding more to this line in the future.
Beijing may be very excited about the 2008 Olympics, but here in Shanghai it is the 2010 World's Fair. I cannot imagine what can happen here in another four years!
I have just had my hair done, and althought the English was a bit fractured, the service was terrific. Best shampoo and manicure ever, with lots of massaging to go with it. I couldn't work out where the girls took their training, but it was wonderful wherever.
I mention this, because it was only 20 or so years ago, Mao cultural revolution took millions from Shanghai and put them in the county. The children of those displaced have been allowed to return for the last ten years or so from their peasant life in the country. They are all only children, of course. And now they are working in smart hotels giving manicures!
Interesting fact, people are not just citizens of China, they also are citizens from regions. So, if you are not from Shanghai you can work here, but you have no benefits from here, ie health and education etc. But it does not stop many from wanting to come to the land of milk and honey that many feel is Shanghai.
If you and your spouse are have no siblings (most would fall into this catagory) you may now have two children.
It may be time to buy General Motors stock again. They are very big in China. The Chinese have lots of choice for cars. Every maker in the world is here cashing in on the new prosperity and they also make a very popular brand of their own cars. However, for some reason they are loving the Buick ! Hundreds of thousands were sold last year. And GM is going to help the Chinese with a hydrogen car. Lots of press about this.
Pico says the big problem for the government is this. Hundreds of millions of people here are really started to become consumers. Unfortunately, that still leaves a BILLION or so you are still very impoverished. One just has to hope they don't get too mad.
That is it from Shanghai. Thanks to all who are letting me know you are reading!
We are off on the sleeper train to Beijing.-
as ever Katie

We have been to two Rotary meetings on this trip. The first was a lunch meeting in Kowloon. This is a very active multi cultural groupp. Chinese, English, Indian, Arab.. giving you a sense of just what doing business in Hong Kong is all about. The dinner meeting in Shanghai was completely different. There is no Rotary allowed in mainland China! The Chinese government does not allow clubs as we know it. So this group is made up of expats who are living and working in Shanghai. And they just get together as friends to have dinner--wink wink--Several of the Chinese we met had Canadian passports, other had connection to some overseas country somehow. We met Australians and Germans who had lived in Shanghai for many years. One told me it is a great life if you have a sense of humour! The club does some fundraising, and concentrates on giving wheelchairs to senious and children.
The biggest problem with life here is the driving. One fellow had just given up driving himself, and now had a driver. He concurred with me, you just get in the taxi and close your eyes and start praying!
You have to be very careful when crossing the streets on foot. Most (not ALL!) cars will stop for a red light, but bikes and scooters stop for nothing. They just keep going against the crosswalk signs. This of course makes the morning walk very interesting! Lots of marching in place looking for a gap in the action as it were.
Taxis are very plentiful, and inexpensive. They are also very clean with white seat covers that are washed regularly. We always make sure we have where we are going written in Chinese to give the driver. But we have been very impressed with just how many people here speak English. English is taught in Shanghai region from preschool now. It is fun to hear them speak, some have American accents, the young bell hop in our hotel has a distinct English accent. Guess it depend how where there first teachers came from. All road and highway signs are in English. All instructions at the airport were in both languages. Those who we met that have lived here for a while say the city has been transformed in ten years. The part of the city that tourists and business people visit are clean, the new sky scrapers spectacular and public transportation plentiful and efficient. As with Bangkok and Hong Kong the night scenes are breathtaking. And here in Shanghai they have lots of wonderful buildings from the 1890's to 1930's. After 1949 the life here sort of ground to a communist halt, so nothing really was done to these buildings. The old French quarter is intact,..street after street lined with French plane trees (we call them sycamores) cut through with wide avenues. And neon and lazer lights everywhere over the streets, up and down buildings. The old poor areas in the centre have all been razed and the population bought out or moved to the outskirts. Urban clean up is easy when you don't have to worry about voters.
Interesting fact: Chinese people view Shanghai as their Paris or New York and if they make one trip from the country side it will be to see the lights of Shanghai. bbChina has so many different areas and people and you can see the visitors with quite different facial and skin colouring. On national holidays you cannot get a hotel room. As for dress, young people here dress as at home or Europe.. blue jeans, running shoes, and cell phone!
KFC, Starbucks, McDonalds, etc. are on everyblock. And lots more coffee chains.. Chinese have discovered coffee and they love it.
We have been interested English language newspapers on this trip. Needless to say, there is not much in the way of criticism of government in Thailand or China ! Still I had been amazed in Thailand to read about past mistakes of the disposed PM. The South China Post was full of stories about the recently arrested officials in Shanghai. And the China Daily here in Shanghai had scathing editorial about the problems with civic leaders and corruption. And if Shanghai wanted to be the financial capitol of Asia they would have to clean up their act.
Don't know if those at home read about the China Africa summit held last week in Beijing. Every country in Africa was here. The Chinese did not care whether these leaders were under sanction by the west or not. They have promised lots and lots of aid seemingly with no strings..
Except in the fine print.. all African countries promised to support Chinese peaceful reunification of all territories. Think I might be worried in Taipei, Taiwan!!
as ever Katie

On the plane trip on Dragon Air, lovely crew, nice food and service and arrived at yet another huge airport. Still we were through immigration, customs and picked up the luggage which arrived promptly in under 30 minutes!
A very nice young man named Jason met the plane and the drive in from the airport reported in the guide books to take one hour, took Jason 25 minutes. I think he was practicing for the Macau formula three race this weekend.
I had picked our hotel for its location and for once I got it absolutley right. Thank you Fodor guide book. We are situated right on the Nanjing pedestrian mall and between Peoples Park, and the Bund district on the river. The stores are all open on Sunday and you can not imagine the throngs on parade. Nanjing is called the "shopping street of Asia"and has not changed in hundreds of years. And there is a merciful lack of the brand named stores in this stretch. At the end, you will find The Bund, the restored area of the old British Concession area right along the Huangpo River. All these buildings were taken away in 1949 by the communists, and once again, are filled with Banks--both Chinese and foreign and some fabulous restaurants. The place is magic at night and we joined the crowds in strolling, definitely a favourite passtime. Being such a centre of commerce there are hawkers everywhere trying to sell us the particular watches, and bags! Someone must be buying these knock offs but I have yet to see anyone buying. They are also selling little wheels that light up that you strap on your shoes. The people selling these are all very proficient on whirling around you with wheels on their shoes. Valueing my limbs I have not been tempted! We went to check out the city from the top of the Marriot and then went to one of the old institutions on the Bund left from the old Shanghai glory days, The Peace Hotel. It sort of reminded me of the old part of the CPR hotels before they renovated them. Lots of pillars and wood and very old and dingy. In the Peace Hotel you will find the Old Jazz Room, with an old Jazz Band to boot. These guys look as if they have been playing the same tunes in the same place for forty years. Now this is not to say they actually play well mind you. Peter thought his old high school jazz band, The Kollege Kats would have fit right in. Quite enchanting none the less, although we nearly choked with laughter.
We spent a day going to Jiangjing to visit the JAMR factory, about two hours outside Shanghai. Peter is Chairman of the AMR Barbados company and in these days of post Enron thought he should actually visit a few of their factories to see that they actually exist. They are in the field of Rare Earths --if you ever think of the Atomic Tables from your high school chemsitry class, these are the elements you never thought you would ever run across-- The refined elements are used in lots of contemporythings like plasma screen tvs etc. We were picked up by John Jiang, the AMR President here in China. John spent some considerable time in Canada, and is a CA who has come back here with AMR to run things. The drive gave us a real view of the spread of this area and just how big a truly big city it is. We were on the most wonderful wide road ways the whole way there, and it seems there were lots of options if one road didn't work. I cannot begin to tell you how many office buildings, and apartments we found under construction. I am sure we saw at least 1000 cranes coming and going. We were given a tour of the factory which extracts the rare materials from clay mined from Northern China. This is a very exacting process, and the standards for puriety very high. Quality Control is paramount and there are lots of labs. along with the processing. Also they are very proud of their enviromental safety standards, and are considered to be the standard setter for the industry in China.
We were treated to the most amazing lunch. It was a proper banquet in our honour, with many dishes including the fresh water"hairy crab" which is in season. I am quite a dab hand with chop sticks, but I am afraid I was not very adept at eating the crab in a neat fashion. In fact I was a disaster!
Poor John had us in the car for four hours and I am afraid we peppered him with quesions the whole way. Still, not many visitors would have had such an opportunity to see how this China revolution is working. We have another factory visit outside Beijing next week so more industry to come.
And we have been to O'Malley's--the famous old Irish bar in the French Quarter to watch NFL football (it was the Sunday night game shown on ESPN here on Monday), great old spot which sells the most Guinness in Asia. There were not too many expats around, but seemed to be a great favourite with the locals.
More Shanghai to come. Such a place. as ever Katie

Saturday afternoon took us to Macau on the hydrofoil from Hong Kong, about a 55 minute trip . There are a lot of islands out there --probably to be built on by next year.- Macau is an interesting little place. We picked up a private guide at the port who gave us a tour of the 0ld city of Macau. This has been made a UNESCO world heritage site. It has a wonderful Portugese colonial past and was founded by the Jesuits around 1600. Much of the original old city has been retained, with cobblestone streets, and Portugese tile sidewalks. We then had him drop us off at a very typico Portugese restaurant. Steve, the guide told us that living there was very inexpensive compared to Hong Kong, thanks to their very flourishing casino business. Sir Stanley Ho has had this pretty much to himself and is one the world's richest men to thank for it. You may remember he used to like to entertain Princess Diana and get his name in Hello magazine. Portugal returned Macau to China in l999, and a few years later Sir Stan's hold on the casino business was lessened a bit as new licences were handed out. In have come the Las Vegas boys who see Macau as the future of gambling in the east. An airport has been built, and charter airline in the works that is going to service Korea ,Japan Malaysia Thailand etc.
We stopped at one --the new Sands which is now the biggest Casino in the world. It was also very busy on a Saturday afternoon. Cannot imagine what Saturday night will bring in the way of customers. By the way, they didn't seem to be too worried about building Celine Dion type entertainment rooms. There was a very lack lustre little lounge on the main floor and that was just about it. These people come to GAMBLE.
We say good bye to Hong Kong and understand why so many of you have let us know that it is one of your favourite cities. There is a definite kinship with Canada. Roots is opening a store, Manulife in huge there and in China, and there is even a quite wonderful totem pole from BC we discovered when doing our morning walk in Kowloon Park. So many we met had relatives in Canada who emigrated in the early ninties ahead of the hand over to China. But for now things are very cool indeed in HK. They consider themselves lucky to have their feet in two camps and we consider ourselves very lucky to have had a wonderful visit.
On to Shanghai.. as ever Katie

Let me assure all you shoppers out there, that Hong Kong is still the great shopping mecca of this part of the world. Every big name retailer is here, and not just with one branch All the big hotel chains have large shopping centres attached, Ferragamo, Fendi, Chanel--all the gang. And you see the names over and over. The rents are very high, apparently, so the prices are not bargains as far as I am concerned. I am not a shopper by nature so this is not an expert account. Between the big new beautiful hotels, office towers, wide streets, are literally millions little street vendors, and markets so there is something for all. Hong Kong has 7 million people in this crowded area, and goodness knows how many visitors so I guess there are lots of customers. Some of the group found some real bargains by hoping a train and going over the border into China. There are sort of outlet stores there where they sell seconds from the factories. These are not knock offs, but last years styles etc. At least that is the claim!
We have had a grand time exploring all over Kowloon and Hong Kong. And we haven't really scratched the surface. Although distances are short, the streets are so crowded, and traffic so heavy it takes awhile to find things. I am still in awe of the metro system and know that the bus system is exceptionally good as well. And the prevalence of English pretty much everywhere makes this a good place for a North American visitor. So exploring is fun. It you get lost you can just ask for help from most.
We were treated last night to a Harbour Dinner cruise. All the meals have been varied and exceptionally good. This is such a cosmopolitan city that there is something for all to eat. We have seen vegetarian option offered everywhere. This is not just a current"fad" practice, but a way to look after those whose dietary religious laws require same. The theory is it is good for business to make everyone happy!
The shear magic of the Harbour all light up leaves one quite breathless. And every night at 8 o'clock, there is a light show in the Harbour. There are lazer lights on both sides of the water, the lights play off each other accross the way and race up and down the building sides. And music plays at the same time. Hundreds line up to stop and stare.
To come tomorrow: Our trip to Macau and lasting thoughts from Hong Kong.
as ever Katie

Peter's conference with the Youth Business International (Peter is a trustee of the Barbados Youth Business Trust, which is what we are doing here) has been most interesting with participants from the 40 countries that now make up YBI He has been involved for 10 years, and the organization has grown world wide in that time. It has been quite special to have been around for the start up as it were. What distinguishes YBI from other loan for young business schemes, is that each person who receives a loan also gets a mentor from the business community. The success rate for these little businesses is really quite high, mentorship being a big part of that. Last evening the Chinese business community hosted the banquet as Trusts have been started here and in mainline China. We watched a very good video showing the young people and their first little businesses in in Beijing And we heard from their mentors talking about how the volunteering had enriched their lives. Communist China would not have had a lot of this sort of thing--fascinating times.
The dinner was held at the Shangrala Hotel HK..quite the most beautiful hotel you could imagine. SEVEN HUNDRED crystal Chandeliers so we all looked quite smashing in that lovely light! Each evening with the participants has seen us all together eating at one restaurant more fun that the last.
Yestereday I had a great adventure. I figured out how to find the Metro, then how to USE the Metro and took myself off the a Feng Shui class sponsored by the Hong Kong tourist board. The class was in an old office building off the Argyle Road. It was great fun and the teacher was very encouraging in saying if the chi is bad in your house, you do not have to move, simply move the furniture! I loved the neighbourhood.. not a Chanel Dior, Fendi sign in site.
If it weren't so interesting above ground, one would be tempted to spend alot of time riding around on the metro system. It is very bright, and clean. In fact I have found HK very clean this visit. I have yet to see one person spit which used to be the fashion (suppose Bird flu and SARS my have helped on that score). All forms of transportation have instructions in Chinese and in English. All the metro cars air conditoned, have little maps that light up each station as you go along and a CLEAR voice announces each station in both languages.
All for now..time to walk off that dinner, along the harbour front. cheers Katie

The Thai airlines flight from Bangkok was most uneventful (two and a half hours). But I must mention just how pleasant and numerous were the staff. Attendants all wear Thai silk uniforms in the most beautiful hues, and I just KNOW that when I get my outfits made out of the silk purchases at Jim Thomson's silk emporium I will look nothing like those little size zeros!
We had organized a car to pick us up and the transfer went smoothly. When we were last in Hong Kong thiry five years ago, the airport was right in the middle of Hong Kong and you could look in the windows of people in their apartments. Now a very large engineering marvel has been constructed out of land fill and is very modern and sophisticated, as is the highway and bridge system that sweaps into Hong Kong proper. For you old HK hands may be reading, we are staying at the Marco Polo on the Kowloon side, right next to the Star Ferry terminal.
If you are not an hold HK hand, this is how it works. The whole former colony of Hong Kong consists of a number of different districts and areas. Lantau, Kowloon, New Territories, and Hong Kong, Sort of like New York New York, and the main areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong city face each other across the harbour.
I remarked to the driver how fast the trip was and he explained it was a holiday in Hong Kong..and that the traffic would be back tomorrow. He was right.
After we unpacked, discovered we had a view room of the harbour, we set right out to a recommended tailor so Peter could have some jackets made. Just in the short walk to the tailor you are hit with the full weight of the place. There are little shops and big stores everywhere.. It may be a holiday but they are all open, and if that is not enough, every few feet is someone trying to sell you something as well. Knowing the place was full of tailors, we had asked the hotel concierge by e mail to recommend one and so off to Baron Kaye we went. The jacket transactions begun (Peter will need another fitting) and then they will be ready by Thursday. This kind of time turn around would give them heart attacks in Barbados.
Peter is here for a conference of Youth Business International (more later)so he registered, we went and had a welcome drink with the group, and had an early night in the room . Family memebers should note we had club sandwiches! (Our family always orders club sandwiches from room service anywhere in the world!)
Peter goes to the gym the next morning, but I decided to be adverturous and out the door I go, and find the harbour walk. Lots of people about jogging and walking(tourists) and dashing for work(locals). Across the harbour is the Hong Kong skyline, sun coming up behind and through the haze you can just about make out the skyscrappers. This bears no bearing to thirty five years ago. It isn't just the mile after mile of slender tall buildings, but I realize the harbour is different. Turns out they have been filling it in on both sides to build these office towers. The Star ferry run is simply much quicker now across the bay. The harbour now "squished" and building after building is taller than the next. And the pollution gets worse.
Off for now, as I am off to my walk and the Tai chai class held on the quay. More on that later.. and thanks to those who are adding comments so I know you are out there!
as ever Katie