Hi Kids!
Just arrived at Ania's and am off shortly for a swim. Cora Lee and Ania are off shopping, in a few minutes, for tonight's dinner. Just a brief note now, more later, but do you have our tickets for Sydney to Melbourne? I'm hoping you can forward an e-version. Coriander is just checking her email travel files and can only find Cairns to Darwin so we assume you might have details. Since you are no longer staying in Sydney, I guess we simply forgot. Anyway, let me know and we'll act accordingly. Sunny, with some cloud, so quite a change after fog and drizzle of HK. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Goils!
I know we have been in brief contact via Facebook but wanted to keep you in the Loop so here are some recent messages before I have time to update the Kowloon Diaries! Love, Dad!
Pics: MTR sign for station closest to our hotel. Small temple near-bye HK Coastal Defense Museum. Ram, from Ghana, chap on street corner, soliciting business, who convinced me, ("Just look, no need to buy!"), to accompany him to Prince Tailors, just across street from Y, to look at suits. Chinese tailor and Shahid, from Pakistan, one of owners of shop, who took my initial fitting. Tailor called him Ali Baba! Some of the wonderful dishes selected by friend, Daniel "Ting" Chen, we met back in early 80's when he was doing an MA in Architecture at UBC. View of cityscape from The Peak. Couple of shots of the stunning ceramic ware on display at the Museum of Art.
Hi Harbour Terrace!
Thanks for latest Sarge. I was going to send another message asking for name of airline but we figured it out, Virgin Australia, and were able to login at website to confirm booking. I've tried to print out pdf page but printer won't connect. Will have to ask Ania when she is back.
Speaking of which, Marysia, Ania's sister, (Danny, her husband, is in Whistler until Wednesday or Thursday!), was over for a wonderful lamb dinner last night. We sipped a Knappstein 2010 Riesling, Clare Valley, 12.5% before meal and graduated to a Kirrihill 2008 Shiraz, again from Clare, 15%, with lamb!!! Both wines were stellare, red only $15, and a gangbuster! At any rate, during ensuing conversation Marysia mentioned that it is quite convenient to take a bus from airport to the Spencer Street Train Station and then get a free shuttle to Marriott or other downtown hotels. This is what she does when she is visiting her daughter there. Let us know if it works, Sarge, as you will be first guinea pig! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Cora Lee and Daniel at Sushi One; Noah's Ark, a creationist amusement park! Jim; view from our hotel looking towards HK; just a few of the incredible ceramics on display at the HK Museum of Art; Goils watching Revenge after dinner last evening. You can make out Cl's rash if you are able to magnify image! Onion didn't want her picture taken!
Hi Harbour Terrace and Tinsel Town!
Here is the gist of what I sent to Sarge as we needed to obtain details of our flight to Melbourne on Saturday. Originally, he was going to stay overnight with us in Sydney and we were to fly to Melbourne together, next day. When he discovered the Grand prix was on in Melbourne that weekend, he changed his booking from Sydney to Melbourne so is going there shortly after landing. He made booking and we forgot to get details before leaving!
Hi Tiptoe!
Arrived at Ania's about 10:00am this morning and have already been for a swim at Victoria Park! Give us a call when you have a moment and we'll arrange to meet when everyone's schedules are meshable! We leave for Melbourne on Saturday, March 17th, at 3:00pm. Hope we can see you before then. Fondestos from Cora Lee. Cheers, Patrice!
Il Conduttore has finally surfaced! At any rate, this by way of suggesting a new time and venue for the NRBC: this coming Friday, (your Thursday), at 10:00am, (breakfast meeting for me, 5:00pm your time, I think), at either Sean's Panorama, a wonderful restaurant, or one of the bars at the Ravesi Hotel or the Swiss Grand, all at Bondi Beach. Let me know which venue and I'll arrrange the food! Trust everyone is well. I'm reading A Night of Long Knives, a Hannah Vogel novel, by Rebecca Cantrell, set, for the most part, in Berlin during the rise of the Nazis, so my heart and spirit are witht he NRBC, if not my aging frame. Bestestos and Cheers, Il Conduttore! |
Hi Big Al and Marilyn!
Truly glad to be able to write this to you, even if late! What a horrndous
experience! Can't even imagine what went through everyone's minds during the
nightmare! Anyway, you survived to be able to complete the StanchionOmetre!
There is a reason for everything in the Universe!!!
I have lots to tell but like you have to catch up first. Hong Kong was
incredible and we barely scratched the surface. Hope to be able to return at
some point. Will be a bit more relaxed here for next week so plan to catch
up on The Kowloon Diaries and begin the Bondi Diaries.
Dinner is about to be served. We are sipping a Knappstein 200 Riesling,
Clare Valley, 12.5% before meal and will graduate to a Kirrihill 2008
Shiraz, again from Clare, 15%, with lamb!!! Fond regards from Cora Lee to
you and rest of family. Cheers, Patrizzio!
I think this is the pilot that was flying your plane!
Once upon a time, a pilot asked a beautiful princess, "Will you marry me?"
The princess said, "No!!!" And the pilot lived happily ever after and flew
jets all over the world and drove hot cars and banged skinny long-legged
big-titted flight attendants and hunted and fished and went to topless bars
and dated women half his age and drank whiskey and Captain Morgan and never
heard bitching and never paid child support or alimony and kept his house
and guns and ate cold spam and potato chips and beans and blew enormous
farts and never got cheated on while he was at work and all his friends and
family thought he was frickin’ cool as hell and he had tons of money in the
bank and left the toilet seat up........ The end.
Hi Patrice,
First of all hahahahahahahahahahaha! Ah the life of a pilot? I would believe
it too but most of the flight attendants I've seen of late have been
overweight surly bitches!
Glad you made it safe and sound and look forward to future excerpts of your
travels. We are well here and despite the harrowing experience on the plane
we had a fantastic time in Disneyland. Gerry and Sue were really good
sports, they started by saying they weren't going on any rides and by the
end they were going on Space Mountain the wildest and fastest rollercoaster
in the park! . I haven't laughed that hard in years especially when on the
rides with Maureen, hearing her laugh and watching the expression on her
face sent me into fits of uncontrolled belly laughter.
I'm not sure weather I will wind up in Aus. at this point as I have been
offered a job that is better pay and about ten minutes from my house so at
this point I'm weighing my options. As much as I enjoy my time in Australia
the time spent actually working on the ship is kind of tedious and getting a
little familiar as the work is the same every time. The major upside to it
all is getting extra time to travel around afterwards and as attractive as
that is I wind up spending a good portion of the money earned on the ship
and of course I'm away from the family and putting other projects on hold.
I'm not sure if we would connect as I probably wouldn't arrive until the
15th which I think is the day you are leaving but I'll keep you posted.
Still haven't heard anything from Allegiant airlines in regard to the
incident. I found an article in the Bellingham herald which described
several incidents of them having to make emergency landings for various
reasons this year alone! One of the plane load of passengers which had to
put down in Portland as a result of smoke coming from an air conditioning
unit had a similar 6 hour lay over and were offered a $75.00 dollar voucher
for their trouble. Allegiant personnel announced over the PA while we waited
for a new plane that they would email all of us a whopping $25.00 voucher
for our inconvenience, This sounded like a bit of an insult but I was too
tired to be bothered to say anything at the time. Upon getting home and
seeing the article in the Herald however we started feeling a little angry
and sent them a scathing email demanding some proper compensation! I will
let you know what happens. Give our love to Corrine.
Take care, Al
Hi Raymond!
Glad you enjoyed Keeper. I'm looking forward to reading it upon return. Corinne found it much to her liking as well. Had another message from Jim and he mentioned ribbing "the old guy"! We'll tak ehim up Seymour and half-wheel him until he cries for mercy!!! He'll be dreaming about latte stops with Branko!
Too bad about poor cycling weather! You and Whirlygig should pop over to Sydney. Today, after a full morning of trying to catch up with email, I was back to Victoria Park Pool for a glorious late afternoon dip. Started at 4:00pm and finished just after 6:00pm. Water was divine, (Just the right temperature as pool at Y was too warm for any reasonable distance. Furthermore, I needed an Underwater FlugelSnorkelStanchionOmetre as there were some pretty buxom U of Sydney co-eds in scanty bikinis whizzing by me in the Slow Lane!) Did a lazy two miles but would have liked to have done three, if only to watch the undersea life! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pat,
Hope they have the right medication in place for Corinne's troublesome foot. What a nuisance.
Had a short talk with Jim on Skype and he said you had been able to get together. He was in constant demand in his office so we weren't able to continue for any length of time. He often stays with us when he comes to Vancouver. I was at a dinner party on Saturday night with an old friend of his so we exchanged information to be passed along.
We stayed a short walk from Bondi Beach when were there in the late 80's with friends of Sylvia's mother, a lady she worked with in England doing the aircraft reconnaissance. Enjoyed the area very much.
George and I have tried to get out for rides on 2 occasions but weather and unavailability have deterred us. Cycled to some tutoring on 5th near MacDonald this morning and on to the gym. Winds 90 km/hr and a tough ride in spite of the short distance. Power outages for several hours in our area and downtown. Campbell River suffered some serious damage during the storm and the weather doesn't look much better for the rest of the week. I think the Carters are back but haven't spoken with them. Word from Australia and NZ is that it has been a very poor summer by their standards. Hopefully it will be all sun and warmth from now on.
Ray
Hi Sylvia and Raymond!
Well, I have finally surfaced! (Whether this is viewed with delight or displeasure remains to be seen!) Life on the road has been exciting, hectic and full and, hard, to believe, has necessarily meant that I have had very little time to submerge myself in vacuumland. As a direct result, the Kowloon Diaries have suffered and the unfinished entries, Harpy-like, plead for scrupulous attention, weighing heavily on my guilt ridden shoulders. I hope to rectify this scandalous oversight, (Friends and family members assumed Cora Lee had finally had enough and had had, (Dear Reader, is four "hads" in one sentence too, too much?), me dispatched, for a mere pittance, in a darkened alleyway somewhere in Tsim Sha Tsui, the vibrant neighbourhood where our hotel, The YMCA Salisbury Hotel, is located!), the coming week as we will be enjoying another "hardship posting", here in the Eastern Suburbs, but a most pleasant 20 minute stroll, downhill, to Bondi Beach. Whether I swim at the ocean pool, Icebergs, there, remains to be determined. I was able to buy a twenty visit pass at Victoria Park Pool, (I swam there regularly when visiting in both 2003 and 2006), close to the U of Sydney, yesterday, very inexpensively as young lad at ticket counter gave me the Senior Concession Rate, 60 here in Australia, although I didn't have a Seniors' Card from Canada! (Had an email from Chloë informing Cora Lee that her application for Old Age Pension had gone through. Maybe we won't have to come back now!) Managed just over a mile, (2.33K!), to help overcome jetlag. Only a 9 hour overnight flight from HK, (left at 7:00pm and arrived at 7:40am), so we wanted to fit into local time as find that works best in terms of adapting to new chronological zone.
Unfortunately, Corinne has had to deal with a recurrence of the rash on her right foot, some on the lower leg of her left foot as well. This started last Wednesday and I convinced her that she should seek medical attention. She resisted until Thursday morning when not much improvement overnight. Fortunately for us, friend, Daniel "Ting" Chen, we met back in early 80's when he was doing an MA in Architecture at UBC, who has lived here ever since and whom we'd seen the evening before, mentioned that he could probably arrange an appointment with a dermatologist friend, Dr. Francis Yu. He did just that and Cora lee saw him on Thursday morning. he prescribed antibiotics, (He was concerned about infection as well.), antihistamines and ointment. He said prescription for latter, made in Vancouver, was far to weak to be effective. Last few days were still uncomfortable for much walking but we paced ourselves and Corinne soldiered on. We will basically be taking a vacation from our vacation for rest of week and then we fly to Melbourne on Saturday to meet Flamin' and Sarge.
Happy to report that Her Majesty is working in Ania's back garden as I scribe. Our hostess is a wonderful individual but she needs a Royal Gardener, (Any interest Raymond?), so Corinne is weeding and raking. Last visit she transplanted a number of potted plants and generally tidied up so Ania was very pleased. She has gone for a walk around Bondi and Bronte but Corinne isn't up to that yet. Glorious day today, right from the start. Yesterday was quite cloudy, with a few drops of rain, until late afternoon and then it was hot enough that I walked in the shade when I could! First real sunshine we'd seen since leaving as weather in HK was very foggy, some drizzle and a few bouts of heavy rain. Fortunately we were either on the Big Bus Tour or in a museum when it was pelting down so weather didn't actually matter. Of course, it would have been more enjoyable if it had been warmer and sunnier but believe conditions were true to historical patterns, according to Daniel.
Had a very brief, but most pleasant, delicious breakfast with Jim, (He very kindly treated us.), at a most convivial café last Saturday. Enjoyed meeting him and found his company very agreeable indeed. We tried to convince him to visit in the next little while and he mentioned that with the recent takeover of his company, by a French firm, he thinks he might arrange a trip via Vancouver. In the interim, he hopes to motorcycle down the Ho Chi Minh Trail in May! Well, just wanted to connect. I see you are experiencing wet weather. Trust everyone is well. I'm reading A Night of Long Knives, a Hannah Vogel novel, by Rebecca Cantrell, set, for the most part, in Berlin during the rise of the Nazis, and am quite enjoying it. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Small temple near-bye HK Coastal Defense Museum. Ram, from Ghana, chap on street corner, soliciting business, who convinced me, ("Just look, no need to buy!"), to accompany him to Prince Tailors, just across street from Y, to look at suits. Chinese tailor and Shahid, from Pakistan, one of owners of shop, who took my initial fitting. Tailor called him Ali Baba! Some of the wonderful dishes selected by Daniel. View of cityscape from The Peak. One of incredible ceramics on display at the Museum of Art
Hi Sylvia and Raymond!
Well, I have finally surfaced! (Whether this is viewed with delight or displeasure remains to be seen!) Life on the road has been exciting, hectic and full and, hard, to believe, has necessarily meant that I have had very little time to submerge myself in vacuumland. As a direct result, the Kowloon Diaries have suffered and the unfinished entries, Harpy-like, plead for scrupulous attention, weighing heavily on my guilt ridden shoulders. I hope to rectify this scandalous oversight, (Friends and family members assumed Cora Lee had finally had enough and had had, (Dear Reader, is four "hads" in one sentence too, too much?), me dispatched, for a mere pittance, in a darkened alleyway somewhere in Tsim Sha Tsui, the vibrant neighbourhood where our hotel, The YMCA Salisbury Hotel, is located!), the coming week as we will be enjoying another "hardship posting", here in the Eastern Suburbs, but a most pleasant 20 minute stroll, downhill, to Bondi Beach. Whether I swim at the ocean pool, Icebergs, there, remains to be determined. I was able to buy a twenty visit pass at Victoria Park Pool, (I swam there regularly when visiting in both 2003 and 2006), close to the U of Sydney, yesterday, very inexpensively as young lad at ticket counter gave me the Senior Concession Rate, 60 here in Australia, although I didn't have a Seniors' Card from Canada! (Had an email from Chloë informing Cora Lee that her application for Old Age Pension had gone through. Maybe we won't have to come back now!) Managed just over a mile, (2.33K!), to help overcome jetlag. Only a 9 hour overnight flight from HK, (left at 7:00pm and arrived at 7:40am), so we wanted to fit into local time as find that works best in terms of adapting to new chronological zone.
Unfortunately, Corinne has had to deal with a recurrence of the rash on her right foot, some on the lower leg of her left foot as well. This started last Wednesday and I convinced her that she should seek medical attention. She resisted until Thursday morning when not much improvement overnight. Fortunately for us, friend, Daniel "Ting" Chen, we met back in early 80's when he was doing an MA in Architecture at UBC, who has lived here ever since and whom we'd seen the evening before, mentioned that he could probably arrange an appointment with a dermatologist friend, Dr. Francis Yu. He did just that and Cora lee saw him on Thursday morning. he prescribed antibiotics, (He was concerned about infection as well.), antihistamines and ointment. He said prescription for latter, made in Vancouver, was far to weak to be effective. Last few days were still uncomfortable for much walking but we paced ourselves and Corinne soldiered on. We will basically be taking a vacation from our vacation for rest of week and then we fly to Melbourne on Saturday to meet Flamin' and Sarge.
Happy to report that Her Majesty is working in Ania's back garden as I scribe. Our hostess is a wonderful individual but she needs a Royal Gardener, (Any interest Raymond?), so Corinne is weeding and raking. Last visit she transplanted a number of potted plants and generally tidied up so Ania was very pleased. She has gone for a walk around Bondi and Bronte but Corinne isn't up to that yet. Glorious day today, right from the start. Yesterday was quite cloudy, with a few drops of rain, until late afternoon and then it was hot enough that I walked in the shade when I could! First real sunshine we'd seen since leaving as weather in HK was very foggy, some drizzle and a few bouts of heavy rain. Fortunately we were either on the Big Bus Tour or in a museum when it was pelting down so weather didn't actually matter. Of course, it would have been more enjoyable if it had been warmer and sunnier but believe conditions were true to historical patterns, according to Daniel.
Had a very brief, but most pleasant, delicious breakfast with Jim, (He very kindly treated us.), at a most convivial café last Saturday. Enjoyed meeting him and found his company very agreeable indeed. We tried to convince him to visit in the next little while and he mentioned that with the recent takeover of his company, by a French firm, he thinks he might arrange a trip via Vancouver. In the interim, he hopes to motorcycle down the Ho Chi Minh Trail in May! Well, just wanted to connect. I see you are experiencing wet weather. Trust everyone is well. I'm reading A Night of Long Knives, a Hannah Vogel novel, by Rebecca Cantrell, set, for the most part, in Berlin during the rise of the Nazis, and am quite enjoying it. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pics: Small temple near-bye HK Coastal Defense Museum. Ram, from Ghana, chap on street corner, soliciting business, who convinced me, ("Just look, no need to buy!"), to accompany him to Prince Tailors, just across street from Y, to look at suits. Chinese tailor and Shahid, from Pakistan, one of owners of shop, who took my initial fitting. Tailor called him Ali Baba! Some of the wonderful dishes selected by Daniel. View of cityscape from The Peak. One of incredible ceramics on display at the Museum of Art
HK is, 太冷了 jim
Hello Jim!
Sorry that it has taken me so long to reply! Thanks once again for the delicious breakfast. Both Corinne and I certainly enjoyed meeting you and we do hope to see you in Vancouver in the not too, too distant future. Thanks, as well, for website of camera shop. I did take a look at a few stores near to the Y but I don't really need a new camera so decided to save my money for Shiraz in MacLaren Vale! I didn't actually read your message until we were already in Sydney but I'll file address away for our next visit.
Well, thanks again Jim. Trust all goes well with takeover. Best of luck with motorcycle ride down the Ho Chi Minh Trail! All the best. Cheers, Corinne and Patrick!
Pics: Sushi with Daniel at Hollister House, I believe, in Central; Noah's Ark creationist theme park; Goils watching Revenge last night, after dinner, while I did dishes. If you can enlarge image you can see rash on Corinne's foot! Ania didn't want her picture taken. The Sisterhood!!!
Hi Ruthless and Gander!
Trust you are both well! Sorry I have not replied sooner but Il Conduttore has finally surfaced! (Whether this is viewed with delight or displeasure remains to be seen!), after more than a week of email/blog silence. As you know, we were in Hong Kong from March 6th to 11th. Thanks for tips, Randy! I did buy a suit but not near Star Ferry Terminal! Never tired of any Chinese food as Daniel took us to wonderful restaurants with simply remarkable dishes! I did pick up a few coins from the street with no apparent disastrous consequences. I was considering buying latest Canon GX1 but decided I didn't really need a new camera jsut yet. Friend Jim Crowe gave me the name of one of best places to pick up electronic stuff/cameras, (www.photoscientific.com), but we didn't have time to find place. I spit on jet-lag and milk tea! Big Bus Tour gave us an overview of K/HK with two day's worth of travel, including ferry crossings. Still, very much appreciated all your tips even if we were not able to see and do as much as we'd have liked!
Hi Robert!
Trust you are well! Glad to learn that writing and reviewing go so well.
Patrice,
Give me call when convenient so we can arrange to catch up. Tiptoe
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