The Great was exactly that

Yes yes, I'm writing about food again. I went back over to Pacific Place today and found The Great, which is the expat grocery store in the basement of Seibu. It lived up to it's name. They had "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray ... enough said. I got spicy tuna rolls to go and ate them back at my office. The thing I can't find for the life of me is real yogurt. Everything here is water, sugar, and milk solids ... gross. I'm going back to pick up dinner!

When I was in The Great, it was the first time where I felt like I was back in the ethnic majority again. That sounds awful, but it has been a weird experience being a minority. It's not like I'm uncomfortable or anything, but I find myself sometimes acting much like my dog back home. Each time I see a young Caucasian person, I find myself pulling at the proverbial harness wanting to go play. I envision my opening line will be, "hi! I'm not a freak, but I just wanted to ask if we can be friends because I don't know anyone here." Then we would sniff each others' butts and go run around the park.

When I got back to the office, I told some of my co-workers about The Great because some had mentioned they didn't know it existed. One said to me, "you ate Western food again?!?" I explained to her that I actually had Japanese food, to which she shrugged as if to say 'same difference!' and went back to her work. The other said I need to try things more local. Here 'local' doesn't imply proximity to your home or office, it means it's a closely-held ethnic food in Hong Kong. Like egg tarts (or et tot as they say), which were okay. I told them they tasted like tapioca ... then tried to explain what tapioca was and eventually gave up. Chicken feet is also 'local' ... no thank you. I'll stay nice and foreign.

Flooring or Frooling?

For some reason, the Internet is not working at my apartment and I'm sure you all were waiting with baited breath to hear my daily adventure. Well, there really wasn't one. I took a long walk home last night and noticed there are so many hardware and home improvement stores in Wan Chai; it's amazing. The selection is actually really incredible - sinks, hardwood flooring, tiles. I passed at least 30 of them on one street alone. I obviously have no need to go in, but it's neat to see.

I was a little offended that I only got propositioned once on the way through the ho' stro - it must be the rash that's dampening my appeal. It wasn't even a real proposition; she just screamed at me "Beer! Beer! Ten dolla! Only ten dolla!"

It's amazing how they all speak multiple languages here. Almost everyone at my office speaks at least three - English, Mandarin and Cantonese. I know this is a total mean stereotype, but I still crack up at their struggles with the letters "l" and "r." On my way out the door, one of my co-workers was asking me if I liked using my Blackberry. Only it didn't sound anywhere remotely close to that word. It sounded more like, "do you enjoy Brackbelwy?" Okay, so I'm thinking this must be some kind of food that I haven't tried yet, so I shrug hoping she won't repeat the question. But she persists. "You know ... you have Breckbawwy, right?" Hrm ... did she just diagnose my mystery face rash? I don't enjoy it, so that must not be what she is taking about. She pushes on. "You know. Brachbalwy! Bjechbawly! Brackbelly!" Finally she looks me right in the eye and says very slowly, "brrraaaaccckkkbbbeeeewwwwwyyyy." Ah ha, I've got it! "Yes, I like using my Blackberry very much."

I'm actually getting much better at understanding:

Umbrerra = Umbrella
Et Tot = Egg Tart
Mar = Mall

As I sit here in my office, I can hear coughing, sneezing and sniffing all through the office. I don't think anyone was sick when I got here, so it's totally all my fault. Only I bet they have no immune system to fight off the American strain of this bug. Maybe we're finally getting our payback for SARS ...

It's the neighbor's baby's party ...

I think my bed is right next to the baby's room next door. It cries all night long. I actually don't notice it as much as you'd think, but it has a way of working itself into my dreams. Each night, I dream, well, that I've had a baby and it won't stop crying. Not very original, I know.

I got up today to find that my entire face was covered by a ugly red rash. I totally wanted to cry. I told myself, "you're in a foreign country - who cares if you're ugly?" That worked until my interview that took place at high tea at the Marriott Hong Kong with a sales manager from a major competitor. He was easily the best looking person I've seen since I've been here. I wanted one of those Phantom of the Opera masks to hide my hideousness. Is that even a word?

My co-worker showed me how to get to Pacific Place, which I've really been wanting to go to. It was so nice. I can't wait to go shopping there. They have places I've never shopped at like Seibu.

Tonight is the first night that I can honestly say I'm a little lonely. Okay a lot lonely. I must have reeked from it, because I got propositioned four times on my way home. I had never seen so may prostitutes out as I did tonight. They always look so sad and bored - so I guess tonight we maybe had something in common.

I made dinner for myself (stir fry with prawns, baby corn, asparagus and zucchini - it was disgusting). I went to 7-11 afterward (surprisingly, that is the most major chain here - everyone goes there) to get water and ice cream too. I stopped by the soccer field by my house and watched the game for a little bit. They are sooo into soccer here. There are tons of little old men sitting around, smoking, watching the game. I actually wanted a cigarette too. I ate the ice cream instead. Like a depressed fat girl. I think I'll turn in early tonight. And suck my thumb or something.

Looks like I'll be in Tokyo for the majority of next week. Mmmm ... I could go for some good Japanese food.

Hey you. You know who you are. So are you ever going to respond to any of my emails?

Flea Market Fun

Sunday afternoon ... feeling infinitely better. Hardly any coughing ... took no cold medicine but was taking it easy just to play it safe.

But I was so bored out of my mind, I just had to get out of the apartment. I found myself in the middle of this crazy flea market. I snapped a few pictures that I thought I'd share. They didn't come out as good as I'd hoped. The weird thing is that as soon as I was outside, I was coughing up a storm again. In the grocery store, my nose was running like crazy. I wonder if it's the air pollution that's getting to me. Now that I'm back inside again, no coughing. Weird ...

Food glorious food!

So I opted for the closer Chinese grocery store rather than the expat store that's in the basement of a upper-scale Japanese shopping center (but you KNOW that I'll get there eventually). I realize that it may seem extremely dull that I keep writing about where I shop, but you have to understand I had the totally wrong idea about what my options were. For days and days, I had only passed stores with no English in the windows (but loads of dead chickens hanging instead), buckets of barely-alive fish on the sidewalk, and a wide assortment of strange-smelling food. I thought I was going to be eating at Subway every day.

The Park 'n Shop has saved my life (but for the record, has no parking lot). The produce was amazing (including an extensive organic section) and they had lots of American foods too (I walked away with some Pepperidge Farms cookies and Ben & Jerry's!). You know how they have live crabs and lobsters in stores in the US? Add fish and freshwater eels and you have a Chinese seafood section. I also set off the alarm as I was leaving ... another nice reminder of home. I think I have something magnetic implanted somewhere.

I'm finally starting to feel human (although I almost died coughing on the phone with AC today ...). By the way, he wanted me to write that I've almost been run over about 9 times. I keep looking the wrong way before cross the street. For those of us who aren't experienced travelers, it's easier to do than you think.

The picture is dragon fruit - looks much more interesting than it tastes. Kind of like kiwi, only blander.

Subway - tastes FRESH!

Ah the end of the week ... I broke down and had Subway for lunch today. I can hear AC right now saying "well so much for experiencing new things," but I was short on time and it was a refreshing taste of home. Aside from the guy in front of me who got a mystery seafood foot-long, it was exactly like the US. *sigh*

So my boss pointed out a few grocery stores on the map that I will check out tomorrow. She said one is a "foreign" store (read: expatriate), so even though it's a little further I'm totally going there. It will be nice to be able to cook for myself again!! She promised it rivals Whole Foods. I can't wait!

For those who are asking, I'm putting up a few pictures of my place. They said it was 400 square feet on the brochure, but there's no way that's right. Our place on 17th street in San Francisco was 400 square feet ... this place is 250 at best.

1) The kitchen - about four feet wide 2) the living room / dining room / bedroom 3) the "park" next to my building 4) the salon across the street (I wonder if they give senior discounts?) 5) down Luard Road

old ladies and nudie bars

Everyone in the office must think I have SARS. I just want to be better!

Nothing exciting to report from today. I took an extra hour this morning to wander around my new neighborhood and it's growing on me. Whoever told me that Hong Kong was like New York only cleaner apparently hasn't spent much time in Wan Chai. I've experienced funk-pockets that put San Francisco to shame. For breakfast, I picked up what I thought was like a "go-gurt", which was more like sugar-water with "solid milk product." I also had a doughnut-like substance with what was kind of like grated cheese on top. Food is so weird here. For lunch, my co-worker took me to a French place in our building which was okay. It's like right, but not quite right. I imagine this is what it must be like for a native Mexican to eat in a Mexican restaurant in Europe. Close, but a little off ...

I was phone screening a candidate today and I'm starting to realize that outside of Hong Kong, language is going to be a problem. I had a really tough time understanding her. There's so much that I don't even know to ask, like what currency her sales figures were in and that I needed to question both her Mandarin and Cantonese skills ... but she's from Thailand. Uhm, okay. So much to learn ...

So half way through, the coughing fit started. I was the first person to leave the office (at 7:00 pm, the entire office was still working hard!) I stopped to get some more thera-flu (at least that's what I think it is) on my way home, and then my body decided to reject Hong Kong. In entirety. It wanted to be beamed back to the US (in the middle of a Wal-Greens or Safeway preferably). I was going to pick up dinner (it would be my first since coming to Hong Kong), and I just wanted to barf. I got a little turned around and ended up by a bunch of nudie bars ... that interestingly have little old ladies checking ID's. Then I went through animal carcass row ... the only thing I could recognize was the underside of turtles and some kind of brown eggs. I guess no dinner again tonight ...

PS - the picture is a partial view from my office window ... nice, huh?

dim sum & lung butter

I woke up this morning and actually didn't feel jet lagged at all. That's surprising considering that I didn't sleep at all on the flight and slept only a few hours at the apartment. I debated for hours if I was going to go into the office. I looked like hell. Red nose, red runny eyes, and a froggy voice to match. I really asked myself if I felt good enough, or was just chickening out on some level. I decided to buck up and go in.

What a huge mistake. The office is very small - probably about 20 people in total. My office overlooks Victoria harbor, which is just beautiful. After meeting everyone and quick email check, we went out to dim sum for lunch. It was awesome - only my 'no meat' thing is totally not going to work here. There were next to no veggie options, so I threw caution to the wind and ate what was brought to me. They do this weird thing were if you take your coat off and hang it on the back of your chair, they cover it up with what looks like a large seat cover with the Visa logo all over it. I guess that's just in case a food fight breaks out. I'm not sure if this is cultural or not, but I was totally doted on during lunch. My coworkers filled my plate and tea cup until I wanted to barf. It was awesome though.

So my voice got worse and worse and by the end I could hardly speak. My lungs are full of phlegm and my throat burns like fire from coughing. My boss offered to let me go home, which I quickly took her up on. I have been splayed on the couch ever since. Hot, cold, hot, cold. I'd love to take a hot shower, only I haven't quite figured out how to make my personal water heater work yet. I left it on last night, but it was luke-warm at best this morning.

I've only eaten 3 times since leaving on Monday. Twice on the plane and dim sum today. Generally no appetite. I wonder if I should go to the doctor ... and not even really sure how that works here.