Entries this day: Hong_Kong transcribed_from_tape

Hong Kong

5:44pm CST Thursday 26 May 2005

I'm back on the boat after Hong Kong. I plan to eat at 6pm in the Topaz Room, then see if I want to go back out. We've got to be back on the boat at 8:30. Even though the boat will not leave until 11pm, it will be a problem if I come at 8:31.

Basically my stuff will be removed from my room and given to me at the port.

If I'm not available at all, my stuff will be left on the port.

But.

I'm on the boat already.

But that's not why I'm writing.

I mostly wandered around alone, exploring the streets of wherever I was on Hong Kong island. I basically wanted to see the World's Longest Escalator, which turned out to be a big load of hooey. It's not an escalator 800 meters long, it's a set of escalators, not even all connected, possibly 800 meters total. I wasn't really impressed with the false advertising, but I did get a good picture at the top of the escalator. There's a phone booth across the street, and my rabbit needed to make a quick phone call.

Colleenie Beanie gave me this rabbit for Easter in 2003. I hung him on the wall for 2 years and then when it was time to go on PB, he said he wanted to go, too. He hasn't told me his name yet.

12:15am CST Friday 27 May 2005

Ummmmmmmmm Oh, I went out with Hiromi and Toyoyuki (Toyo) to find some foodage, but I came back early since it was so close to the deadline. Saw Kim while I was talking to the Dr from Iraq. I told her about Ben & Jerry's and she bought me an ice cream!!! We hung out on the front deck; she told me the story of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Hitomi came up and chatted with me as we left the port. Showed me her new camera.

Hello Kitty branded snacks
It cost me $5 to get away from the guy after allowing me the pleasure of posing in front of his taxi. Damn if I ain't putting it on my site.

transcribed from tape

12:49am CST Saturday 28 May 2005

11:49pm ICT Friday 27 May 2005

(We get to set our clocks back again tonight!)

8:58am CST Thursday 26 May 2005 (Hong Kong Day)

We're in Hong Kong! It was really weird to look outside and see...

A Building! outside the ship and not like water and waves and nothing. And we ain't movin'.. it's like "hey man, why are we stopped?" Oh, I remember - "we're in Hong Kong!"

So that's kinda weird, but..

Went outside and I was like "I'm in Hong Kong!" and I was thinkin' to myself, "hey the shops are closed; it's a holiday. I should write that down." Then I'm like, "I can record it!" but, I didn't have my recorder, so I had to go back and get it, and for some strange reason I had to actually pause and think, "okay, get back on the boat; you'll be really upset if you don't go get it."

So now, I can walk through this hallway and be like, "hey the shops are closed!"

I was even smart enough to bring an extra tape, though I wasn't smart enough to bring an extra battery. But, we're in Hong Kong! Can buy new batteries. Changed US$20 to HK$150 and they say an internet cafe is about HK$20, and I'm like "that's enough for me"

I'm gonna take Star Ferry to get outta here. I found Shawn; we're trying to escape this shopping mall. We're docked right next to a huge shopping mall. I'm lost; Shawn is lost; both sides of this hallway are filled with kids' toys.. 5, 6, 7, 9, 5000 kids clothes and toy stores, and I'm like, "c'mon jack; there's adults here too," but everything is closed so it doesn't matter.

There are benches shaped like giant fish with no faces on the ground; everything is clean and white, and here is an information desk.

- - - -

I switched into shorts and not pants because it's not raining, just overcast, and it's definitely not cold.

- - - -

Shawn and I are on the ferry and it's rockin' and we're rockin' like rock stars.... I said something funny in front of Shawn, which is good; I'm trying to catch up with him. Shawn took a picture of me and Colleen's rabbit in Hong Kong.

9:25am

We're in Hong Kong, and we're not off the ferry yet, but I'm out of video tape; d'oh!

It's 3 dollars to send a postcard from Hong Kong. And I'm mean 3 HK dollars. I don't know the exchange rate. I've decided I don't care about exchange rates.

9:57am

The sign that says "ESCALATOR LINK ALLEY" is fully as tall as I am.

- - - -

I think I've found the 800 meter escalator, but, if it is this, then it's more of a moving sidewalk than an escalator, so I won't be *as* impressed, but it will still be alright.

It keeps on going.... no it stops! That's not 800 meters! Piece of crap. Ah well; whateva.

10:19am

I just made it to the top of the escalators, but it's not one big escalator. Certainly 800 meters long; it's an 800 meter *set* of escalators, but it's not one escalator by any stretch.

11:11am

Kinda frustrating; I walked up and down the escalators, came down to the shopping arcade and bought a thing and a drink for HK$50 (fifty dollars! haha) but I couldn't get online there.

12:06pm

I'm in a Starbucks now. I tried another coffee shop, but they had the same ISP as the first one, so I fired them, and went to Starbucks. Starbucks had the same ISP as both of them, so I sought something else.

12:58pm

Got wireless access for free at a computer store in Hong Kong. My journal entries are uploaded. I was checking a bit of Gmail, but then my battery died; I took that as a sign that I was done.

I found some royalty free images (30+ gigs) for several HK$, (like 1400) and I was like "wow" but didn't buy any since my budget had started at HK$150. Thought about telling Matt so he could buy it for GET materials.

1:00pm

If this is the 27th, this must be Hong Kong. I just bought some Star Wars branded M&M's with "I sense much hunger in you" and "Luke, I am your peanut."

3:17pm

I just paid HK$10 to get these two photos of me pulling a rickshaw with no one in it.

4:30pm

I just spent HK$23 on Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream cone. It was supposed to be HK$25, but the girl gave it to me even so. I wonder if she didn't rang it up. Good for her.

7:12pm

Just ate dinner in the Topaz Room. I have to be on the boat in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Until that time I can be off the boat, or on the boat.

I can't tell if my plants are growing, but now I've been to Hong Kong.. I know the shape of .. kindof the shape of Kowloon, and the shape of Hong Kong island.. basically a lump and an oval, but it's a start.... Before today I didn't know shit about shit. Now I know poo about kaka.

Right now I'm laying on Shawn's bed but he's not here so he doesn't know. It's a secret!