Go West Young Fam!

It's A Girl!

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:33:00 +0000

We are so blessed to welcome our new baby girl to the world. A name is forthcoming...but she was born at 1:28 pm local Hong Kong time and weighed in at 8 pounds (very auspicious). Our midwife was also quick to point out that the phonetics of her time of birth (13:28) is also very auspicious with a meaning in Cantonese of 'eternal prosperity.' Mother and daughter are healthy and happy. More pictures, and a name to follow!

Off to the Hospital

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Family and Friends, Bob and I are about to leave for the hospital for a 10pm check-in. The new little Gardner will hopefully be born without too much trouble, in the next few/many hours. Feel free to pray for the birth to go well and for me to be strong.
Much love, Lizzie

Big Game

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:57:00 +0000

EXCRUCIATING...

Scrooge

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:06:00 +0000

Lizzie and I took in the new Christmas Carol version in full 3D and loved it. The classic story is the classic story, but we were totally impressed with the gee whiz motion capture and 3D technology. And it was the first 3D movie either of us had seen in a theater!

Biker Show

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:52:00 +0000

We stumbled upon the Hong Kong Motorcycle last weekend. Born to be wild locals flocked to the event in full toughie biker gear. It seemed the rest of the crowd was made up of cameramen snapping away at saucy biker models perched upon or beside the latest/greatest cycles. Ingrid wasn't so keen on the biker dudes or the revving engines as she clung to me like a leach. She did loosen up those when she had the chance to sit on a police motorcycle, and cried when I had to take her off.

Incredible

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:43:00 +0000

Wow, what a result from todays Stanford/USC game. Aside from victory over our rival across on the undesirable side of the Bay, nothing beats a win against USC. Here are just a few of the things that have me smiling after today's 55-21 scalping of the Trojans.

- USC has 2 home losses in their last 49 games, both to the Cardinal
- USC surrendered more points to the Cardinal than any other opponent in their history dating back to 1888.
- It was Homecoming Weekend at USC, and 90,000+ Trojans fans were at the Coliseum
- USC's worst home loss since 1966
- Pete Carrol's worst ever loss
- Harbaugh was accused of running up the score because of the late-game decision on a 2-point conversion.....running up the score, ON USC!!!!

HK Disney

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:54:00 +0000

I played hooky from work this afternoon and took the girls to Hong Kong's Disneyland park. We had a blast! True to form, Ingrid had a great time but freaked out whenever a costumed character encroached into her 25 foot 360 degree comfort zone. It amazes me how Ingrid flips thru Disney books and talks my ear off about how much she loves Goofy and Pluto but when we're at the park and one of them approach her, she goes berzerk.

Hong Kong's Disneyland has had its difficulties since its opening in 2005. Mainly it has been skewered for being too small and lacking the marquee rides, which is true with the exception of It's a Small World and Space Mountain. It also suffered a PR mess when it opened for serving shark fin soup in its canteens. Its easy access to central HK has been a revenue crimper because it keeps visitors from paying big bucks to stay captive at the Disney themed resorts. And last week's announcement that Disney Shanghai will be opening soon could be the death knell of the HK park (why is Shark Fin soup such a big deal when the PRC will be displacing massive numbers to build Disney Shanghai).....Anyway, my point is that all of the above factors result in my ideal amusement park scenario -- few people and short lines for rides and food!

Very Superstitious

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Came across this site on my way into the office this morning......For a society that is so superstitious of everything, local Hong Kongers had no problem walking under this guy's ladder, though it wasn't as if he was really giving people much of an option! I had to stop and think for a second. Despite being silent around Ingrid in the past two weeks as she obliviously opens and closes her new toy umbrella in our apartment, in this case I elected to take my chances walking along the road with the taxis. With baby on the way, I don't need any bad juju in my life.

Royal Asiatic Society

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Lizzie and I are not members of the American Club, the China Club, the Hong Kong Club, Club Lusitano, The Foreign Correspondents Club or any of the hoity toity social clubs here in Hong Kong. However, we are card carrying members and also likely the youngest members of the HK branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. To quote a line from Swingers, "Guys like you and me, we got to kick it here, old school.....yes, this is old school..." Well, the organization dates back to 1823 and its charter aims to 'provide a forum for those who are interested in the history, languages, cultures and religions of Asia. There are frequent meetings and lectures from local and visiting scholars, most of which are pointed toward local topics of interest relating to HK's colorful history. Our attendance is spotty, but when we do go we are always very happy we did.

So on Saturday we went on a walking tour of Sai Ying Pun, a historic area that is slated for government 're-urbanization,' read: Goodbye charming neighborhood, hello Starbucks. Our guide was a visiting professor at HKU and he did a great job describing how government, greed and government greed can shape the real estate development in a small slice of HK. Why some buildings are left to rot in the shade of its neighboring high-end glass tower.

We thoroughly enjoyed it, but with an 8-month pregnant Lizzie, the walking aspect of the tour forced us to bow out at the 2 hour mark. But less was more in this case.

Early Xmas

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:24:00 +0000

Xmas comes early in Hong Kong. With no Thanksgiving to compete with, retailers in HK have put away the pumpkins and spooky decorations and rolled out the XMas tidings. Here is a photo from Starbucks today (November 7th) where I'm drinking from a red holiday cup and pre-ordering my Christmas tree, shipped fresh from the US. Nat King Cole might have been playing over the sound system.....Lizzie called the 'tree lot' to confirm our order and was met with a friendly but choppy "You want 6-foot or 8-foot?! Noble fir or Douglas fir?! You tell me!?"

Star Wars

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:25:00 +0000

Apperantly the force was with us all on Halloween. While Lizzie dressed as Princess Leia here in Cloud City, her little nephew Wyatt and his pal Wesley were dressed as Yoda and Chewie back in the desert of Tatoonie.

Hong Kong Halloween

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:18:00 +0000

Halloween Dance Party

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:29:00 +0000

Our building held a Halloween costume party last evening which culminated into a big dance party for Ingrid and all her pals.

Thanks for the Care Package

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Thanks for the care package Grandma, Ingrid loved it. She broke a major rule of superstition by opening the umbrella indoors, but she had a lot of fun doing it.

Pollution Record

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:51:00 +0000

Why does the United Nations hold its Climate Change conferences in clear-aired cities like Kyoto and Copenhagen? To show the world how wonderful clean and cool air can be? They should have held the conference in Hong Kong yesterday when the city set a new record for air pollution, to show how disgusting unchecked industry and consumption can be on a city's breathable air. It was nasty, we just stayed inside and stared at it through our windows, though it did make for a pretty sunset.

Halloween Prep

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:36:00 +0000

Something we miss greatly about home is being able to go to a proper patch to pick out our Halloween pumpkins. Pumpkin patches in Hong Kong are found only in the supermarkets that cater to the expat crowd, so today we headed to Oliver's market and picked out a nice 20 pounder. We brought it back to the apartment building and all Ingrid's friends marveled at its size. If only they could see the 1200 pounder that won this year's HMB festival!

Ing & the Wy Guy

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:15:00 +0000

Ingrid and Wyatt had a professional photo shoot last time they were together in Phoenix....we're quite happy with the results.

Back in HK - Some Things Never Change

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:51:00 +0000

We had a great trip to Japan but now we're back in HK and must celebrate all the things that make it such a unique city. With that comes news of an apartment that sold yesterday to a Mainland buyer for $57 million. It is actually in a building that looms above ours on Conduit Road, if you look at this photo our building is the white one to the left and behind of it.

The developer's advert touts the building saying the buyer "will enjoy an exclusive address in the hills of Hong Kong's main island - a majestic realm for the city who's who".....that must be us! Not making the news was a $51 million apartment sold in the same development. This is a crazy city.

Kyoto Temples

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Kyoto is absolutely dreamland beautiful. It was Japan's capital city for nearly 1000 years until the capital was moved to Tokyo in the late 1800's. Kyoto escaped the double devastation of natural disasters and Allied bombing that leveled many/most Japanese cities and left them to undergo the ugly rebirth that modernity and poor urban planning has wrought. Nowhere is Kyoto's beauty more visible than in the thousands of small temples and shrines that are so easily happened upon in any short stroll out your hotel doors. The big shrines are mobbed by the busloads of tourists but we found the small neighborhood temples to be the most charming. Here is a photodump of our temple explorations

Geisha

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Late each afternoon thru the early evening is the prime time for Geisha spotting in Kyoto's Gion district. And in the heart of Gion is Ichiriki Ochaya, a near 300 year old tea house that is a geisha hotspot, so much so that tourists gather in hordes to get their 'fish in a barrel' photos of young Maiko entering/exiting their evening engagements. The tourists stand outside because entry to Ichiriki is a total impossibility -- over the 300 years it has been in operation only a handful of foreigners have gained entry. You must be a member or a highly recommended guest and it is very secretive, kind of like the Bohemian Club without the ritual sacrifice. Those of you who have read 'Memoirs of a Geisha' will remember that Ichiriki was a frequently cited setting in the book, however the current proprietress is apparently adamant to spread the word that the gaijin author never has set foot in the establishment.

As a general travel rule we despise tourist rabble and forced photo opportunities. So we stuck to the back alleys and lesser traveled areas of Gion and while we didn't see nearly the number of geisha as the paparazzi did outside Ichiriki, we had far more genuine experiences with those we did see. To see a lone geisha clickity clacking her way past us in high-rise wooden geta clogs and full kimono and white-faced get up was really kind of exciting. And we behaved like normal human beings by not firing our camera shutter at them like they were zoo animals (the pictures on this post are from my 2005 visit when I was a less respectful person it seems). I think it was something they appreciated, and it even earned us the odd eye contact and a quick smile at Ingrid.

You have to be careful of getting too excited about seeing 'poser geisha,' women who visit the salon and photography studios to be done up like a maiko and then to be photographed in front of Gion's famous sites. I like to call them Barbizon model geishas -- Train to be a geisha, or just look like one! It's a funny site to see a Barbizon geisha being stalked by camera toting tourists, but it really can be tough to tell the difference unless there is a Japanese businessman on their arm. We came across one geisha in the early afternoon -- we couldn't tell whether she was legit because she looked and acted legit but our timing was suspect. Ingrid didn't care, she marched straight up to her and put her hand out and touched her kimono. Out little ice breaker, very cute.

Museum of Japanese Hairstyles

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:27:00 +0000

Most signs in Kyoto are in Japanese so when we saw a sign for the 'Museum of Japanese Hairstyles' we knew we had to check it out out. Turns out the museum is run by one of the 5 remaining keppatsu-shi, or Geisha hairstylists and the only male who practices the lost art. Apparently the other four look down upon him because he's a bit promotional in an otherwise secretive world. He's written a couple of books, has published an instructional DVD and of course has the museum. But he must groom good geisha hair because as we were exiting the museum we could him in his adjoining salon fast at work dolling up a couple geisha's doo's. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6563-2004Aug16.html

Kyoto Odds and Ends

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:36:00 +0000

Dining in Kyoto

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:16:00 +0000

Kyoto's historical Gion District is a maze of dimly lit alleyways that are chock a block with neighborhood restaurants. But you'd barely know the restaurants are there because they are so discreet in their signage, all of which is in Japanese. It is only until you build up the guts to slide open the shoji screen door that you know what you're getting into. Will the place be big or small? Chairs or tatami mats? Tempura or yakitori? English menu or not?

The bigger question for us is whether a restaurant will be Ingrid-friendly or not. We've become artful in our management of her sleep schedule so that we can get adventurous in our dining. Many/most of the restaurants are small and very quiet so if Ing is sleeping we just lay her down on the tatami mat beside us and do our best not to spill tea on her. But at other times she is awake and can be a major pill, like the time in Matsumoto when she spilled the entire chili flake jar in my lap. But the best times are when she is well behaved because she does have a way of charming the most surly of sushi chefs or the most business-like of businessmen sitting at an adjoining table.

ADDENDUM: Alright, this time we have absolutely no excuse for our whining in the above commentary. Earlier today at lunch we got brave and made our way into a very traditional-style restaurant only to be told that the eel was the only thing on the menu, a common theme since many restaurants specialize on a single thing, however we don't know that until told because everything is in Japanese, in this case they even pantomimed an eel for us.....back on go the shoes, back down the stairs goes the stroller, the walk of cultural shame is upon us as the other local customers watch our retreat.....So not an hour after posting the previous post we had an overtired Ingrid fast asleep in her trolley at dinnertime, a dream scenario. We hit the town in search of a great meal, popping our heads into place after place only to come up with one reason or another why not to take the plunge.....so we left the traditional quarter and stumbled into this place (pic below) only to be told "just Octopus!" by the proprietor. We could only laugh, we're the fools and have no excuse after seeing the painting above the door on this one.

Kyoto Zoo

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:43:00 +0000

The day following the typhoon was glorious, so we thought there was no better way to enjoy it than to take in the the city zoo. Going to zoos is something we enjoy doing in new cities, even before Ingrid arrived in our lives, as we feel the zoo tells a lot about the city. As everything in Kyoto is very civilized and the city is remarkably well kempt, we expected a lot. But it was kind of depressing, mainly because its quite small. The premise of zoos has always depressed me a bit, but zoos with insufficient habitats or cage sizes is even more depressing. So we were bummed that the Black Bear had just enough room to make a U-turn in its daily pacing, same with the hippo and the elephant. The upside of small zoos is that all animals are practically within touching distance so you can take pictures of them as though you're a Nat Geo photographer in the wild.

Ingrid didn't care, she loved all the animals. Particularly the baby Rhesus monkey that was as curious of her as she was of it.

Stormchasing

rsg_25@yahoo.com (3GsHK) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:38:00 +0000

We busted out of Takayama a day early because we'd heard that Super Typhoon Melor was on its way and that there would be no rail service available. So we coughed up a night's lodging at the Best Western and jumped on a late evening Shinkansen bullet train for Kyoto, the last stop in our trip.

We're excited to be staying at the Miyako Hotel in Kyoto, a classic. The image on the blog header was pulled from http://www.travelbrochuregraphics.com. The site showcases the travel ephemera collection of a former colleague of mine. Quite a collection and a very cool site if you have the time to get to the website.