A Day of Fun

Sunday was the first day in about two months that I didn't have to deal with details. The move part three is over, most things have found a home and we decided to go to one of our favorite places. I know I have posted about Ocean Park before (and I will again since we bought season passes), but most of what we saw and did this time was completely different from last time. We were joined on our visit by Catie and Rommel. It was Catie's first time at the park which is always fun.

We started our day in the main aquarium. We missed this last time so Shayne will definitely need a revisit. The first thing you could do was pet a starfish.

After that it was look but don't touch. Oh, but the looks were great.

Those wormy things in the last photo were a bit creepy. In the next photo the large bumpy rock is actually the head of a fairly large octopus. Calamari anyone?

The chambered nautilus were huge as was the main viewing tank.

The sea dragons and seahorses were delightful. I especially like the first one pictured, the leafy sea dragon. At first you think the tank is only full of seaweed until you see the little dragon head and watch it swim.

The spider crabs were impressive. (Don't tell anyone, but I think I ate one of their cousins in Singapore - with chili sauce.)

This aquarium is certainly one of the best I have seen for its variety and the unusual specimens on display.

From there it was on to the panda exhibit. There is a red panda and a pair of the black and white ones we all recognize. This day one of the pair was hiding (or resting out of sight) and the other was just having a lazy day.

Next was the goldfish exhibit and some of the most unique specimens I have ever seen.

From there we boarded the cable car to head to the top of the mountain and the rest of the park. The views are lovely and the ride very relaxing. Except for the part where our car stopped for several minutes and we thought we might have to do some fancy climbing.

As we neared the end of the ride, Catie and I spotted our first big ride of the day. This roller coaster was being tested when we came to the park with Shayne. Now it is up and running and another is under construction that  winds underneath it.

The cars on this coaster seat four across. The couple ahead of us in line (who spoke no English) managed to ask if we wanted to ride with them. Of course we said yes. We all got into the last car and screamed and laughed our way through the ride. A few minutes later they found us again because they wanted to take photos together.

His shirt says "Trophy Boyfriend."

Finding where the food stands were was quite easy.

Ken and Rommel battled it out in the bumper cars while Ken and Catie spun till I got dizzy watching.

The view from the stands for the dolphin and seal show is really something. 

The show this time was a bit unusual. It seems the dolphins decided to go on strike. The trainers would give commands, the dolphins would ignore them and the crowd would laugh. This went on for the first half of the show until they brought in the second cast. Even then there was one dolphin who did his own thing. It was actually very funny.

Though we barely touched the surface of what was offered, the afternoon was growing late and we had two "must sees" before we could head off for some Mexican food and margaritas. First up was the sea jelly exhibit. This is like walking through a mirror maze with tanks of jellyfish interspersed. The specimens are incredibly beautiful. Here is a little tour.

After the Sea Jelly Exhibit, we rode the cable car one more time to get our spot to watch Symbio. Ken and Catie patiently waited for darkness to fall and the crowds to gather.

Symbio is the story of the water dragon and the fire dragon who battle for dominance till they see that together they can live in harmony and accomplish great things. If you have been to the Phantasm show at Hollywood Land at Disney Orlando, then you have an idea of what this was like (just a lot smaller). There was water, fire, fireworks, music and amazing projections onto the water wall. It was well worth the wait.

It was a great day at the park and I am looking forward to many more. I want to take my better camera out one day and have a photo shoot with more of those amazing animals and sea creatures. What a fun and educational treasure Ocean Park has become. It keeps growing and educating and I am lucky to have it so close by.

Now off to the margaritas!

Lyuba

Imagine my surprise when coming out of Hong Kong Station and into IFC Mall I found a replica of a large wooly mammoth skeleton. Every few weeks there is another surprise when it comes to mall exhibits. This one was educational as well as entertaining.

This skeletal creature will most certainly catch the eye and make you want to see more. The exhibit told the story of the wooly mammoth and how they roamed the upper reaches of Russia more than 40,000 years ago. Just looking at the foot of one of these creatures puts you in awe of the cave men who hunted them. I just cannot imagine.

But the real purpose of the exhibit was to showcase Lyuba. Lyuba is a Russian word meaning love. It is also the name given to a fully preserved baby mammoth. It is believed that Lyuba lived about 42,000 years ago and was buried in the permafrost until a few years back. She was found as the area around her began to melt. She is 7 or 8 months old and the lack of hunting scars and marks from predators has led the scientists to believe that Lyuba froze to death. She is only the third baby mammoth to be found and the best specimen to date. It is anticipated that there will be more finds as climate change affects the state of the glaciers and the permafrost area decreases.


After examining her using modern day imaging and checking the contents of her stomach, she has proven a valuable source of information on life at that very cold and difficult time. She is now fully preserved and used for educational purposes. She was a bit difficult to photograph because of the glare from the glass, but I did get one good shot.

The signs promoting her visit to Hong Kong simply read "We Love Lyuba." After seeing her, I do too.

Bali

Recently Ken was on a travel blitz where he went to Malaysia, was home for two nights and one day, went to Bali, was home for one night then off to Yokohama, Japan. He snagged my purse camera for the Bali trip and brought home some fabulous shots.


This was a meeting for the Singapore sales team and this year they stayed at the Eden Resort where life is definitely beautiful. The lobby was pristine...

The beaches unbelievably beautiful...

The atmosphere very relaxed...

And each bungalow had its own pool.

The next day was filled with meetings and planning sessions and team building exercises. Working in paradise doesn't seem too difficult. It would certainly be inspirational to me.


Before heading to the airport to leave beautiful Bali, the local Steelcase dealer took everyone on a shopping trip to the town. 

Local artisans showed off both their wares and their skills.

The last stop before the airport was a lush green rice paddy. It was beautiful to see and a very relaxing place for a luncheon.

It was a quick visit but most enjoyable. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was continuing to prepare for the arrival of our furniture. However, I did get a Balinese necklace of a silver snake with a turquoise eye. It is quite fun and impressive. Maybe next time I will get to go as well.

Who wants to be a Millionaire?

One of the fun things about living in and visiting foreign countries is the currency. Sad to say, U.S. money is rather boring even though we all would like to have more of it.


While Ken was getting ready for a few recent trips, we had to get some new types of currency for his travels. Boy were we thrilled to walk out of the TraveleX with one million. Of course these were rupia which is the currency of Indonesia and worth about US$120. It still looked great sitting on our table.

While we were photographing it we decided to show some more of the "fun" money we get to use. There is the Malaysian ringget.

The Indian rupee.

The Singapore dollar (also the closest in value to U.S. money).

We even found a few Euros left over from earlier travels. We hope to be using them in June when Ken has a trip to France planned and I am tagging along.

And there is our local currency, the Hong Kong dollar. Each note is a different size and color and there are three versions of each note because each bank licensed to produce notes has its own design.

The most common paper notes are the $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1000. The coins include $.10, $.20, $.50, $1.00, $2.00, $5.00 and $10.00. Since there is no sales tax there is no need for pennies (love it) and except for a few items most prices end in even dollar amounts. The $2.00 and $.20 coins have curly edges so they will not be confused with the $1.00 and $.10 coins which are similar in size. The $.50 coin is darker in color, the $5.00 coin is double thick and the $10.00 coin has a dark center with a silver rim. 


At times can feel like you are using play money. But the real challenge is figuring out what it is all worth in US terms to you know what you are really spending. So when kids balk at learning to multiply and divide in their heads, tell them it is a skill well worth learning.

The Show Outside My Window

We are as settled as we can be for the moment in out new apartment. Our sea container does not arrive for another nine days. So we have set up house with a guest bed, a small table and chairs, a TV and a desk. It is a very spartan existence but also very doable. The biggest problem so far has been seating. With small hard chairs and hardwood floors, it was almost impossible to feel comfortable for more that a few minutes at a time. Enter our friend Janet who lives two floors up. She has loaned us a chair and ottoman to use until our goods arrive. It has been heaven.


Over the weekend there was some bargaining over who got the chair and for how long. But with Ken traveling all but one day between now the the arrival of our things, it is heavenly to have a comfy place to sit whenever I want. And one of my most favorite past times as I sit is watching the weather as it comes in and leaves. Now Shayne and Kyle have been known to call me "Doppler Patti" because of my fascination with the weather. (It also comes from the fact that they never keep up with what is coming and so I often have to let them know of impending snowstorms, hurricanes and severe weather alerts.) 

Well, the view from my window is better than any weather channel you could name. And in Hong Kong the weather changes sometimes minute by minute. A day that starts out sunny can see clouds roll in and obscure the view. It also often works in reverse. The other morning I woke to an interesting set of clouds hanging over small portions of the higher elevations. These wispy little things just seemed to meander in and out of the mid-levels as though looking for the right spot to rest.

Looking off toward the harbor usually gives a clearer view and the advancing weather is easily seen.

Looking up the mountain to the Peak is often an exercise in futility. Although the views from there are spectacular, those living there often see nothing but the insides of the clouds. On this day, the view to the Peak was clear and the flat topped viewing tower is easily spotted in the middle of the photo. It is a "must see" spot for visitors to Hong Kong.

The other day we had perhaps the worst rain storm since our arrival last May. Most of the time there was little or nothing to see through my private viewing "screen." As the storm came and went throughout the day the buildings we are so familiar with came and went as well.

But no matter what the weather, when darkness falls our view turns magical. At times I cannot believe that I get to see this amazing skyline each night. The buildings light up and at 8 PM they put on the daily light show. When it has ended they just sit there and sparkle and make me smile.

The show outside my window is most often the best one in town.

An Interesting Moment

Yesterday I had an interesting moment. Alongside the escalator on the way up to our apartment there is a very old mosque. I have seen it since shortly after our arrival. As I passed by, some gentlemen from the mosque were asking people if they would like a tour. I was wearing shorts and when I indicated my dress they said it was no problem, please enter the grounds. There a gentleman met me and told me that the mosque was erected by the British government after world war two for the Indian Muslim soldiers who were assigned to Hong Kong. The actual foundation stone was set in 1915 with the current mosque dating to 1949.

As I neared the front door a young Chinese Muslim woman came to show me the interior. We removed our shoes and entered. There were men praying, children being taught their lessons and beautiful stained glass windows. The space is wide open and covered with beautiful carpets.

While she was explaining about the various functions that take place in the room she asked me if I was British. I told her I was an American. She then asked me if I hated Muslims. The question made me sad. I told her I judge people by how they behave and how they treat others, not by religion or race or other such qualifiers. In some ways it was a surreal moment. I was in Hong Kong standing inside a mosque dressed in shorts and a T-shirt speaking with a Chinese Muslim woman at the invitation of the Muslim men at the gate. It felt like a very profound moment. We talked a bit more and she then escorted me back to the gate. I thanked her for the tour and thanked the gentlemen at the gate. 

I kept thinking about her for the rest of the day. What an interesting start to a Sunday morning. It is an experience more people should have.

The Move Continues

It is Monday morning and Ken is on his flight back from GR. He will arrive tonight around eight. For him it will be like the kid who went to summer camp and the family moved while he was gone.


For me, however, it is a moment to catch my breath between segments of this three part move. What we have in Hong Kong is all loaded into the apartment. At the moment it is sitting in a lot of piles since the furniture it goes into will not arrive for another two weeks. A few Ikea items are giving us a place to eat and sit for the time being. We purchased a guest bed here and I have been test driving it the past few nights (and for the next few weeks) for all of you who plan to visit. 


Everything has gone quite smoothly with the exception of the cable/wi fi service. Why am I not surprised by this? They set it all up (took two trips) and now the remote will only go down one channel no matter which button you press and the wi fi only covers half of the apartment. I guess cable service is the same the world over.


The adventure in moving continues.