Scrooge

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.