Halloween-HK October 31, 2006

Halloween, October 31, 2006

It may come as some surprise to you, it did me, that Halloween “American-style” has really caught on here. I know that most countries have some sort of day when spirits come back and inhabit the world, but I did not expect to feel like I was at home...which is how it feels here. Not true in China, now, but in Hong Kong SAR, around the early ‘90s, it started getting some attention.

Now, Halloween decorations (pumpkins, bats, spider webs) are quite popular, particularly in the restaurants. The kids have been dressing up in costumes and getting their pictures made at the mall. Our mall has an area with a couple of tombstones and grass. HK-Disney was the place to take the kids for some all-American Halloween fun this past week. The grocery store near us has Halloween decorations strung everywhere and has a whole area set aside for Halloween candy and costumes. Carved pumpkins are all around too. Please remember that we live is a VERY Chinese area... very few expats, so it is not for us!
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According to an article in the South China Morning News, Halloween has become popular because the Chinese can make this a fun, long, drawn out deal that they would never do to their own holidays. Commercialization of their holidays is NOT done or approved.

And there are holidays celebrated in October. First, there is one VERY major holiday, Founders Day (Oct 1) of the PRC. Tying this in with the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Chinese, both mainland and HK, are off up to a week. We were lucky to arrive during this period. RL , Charlie, and I were able to be off together and settle in. It was a really good thing.

Then, just Monday, 10/30, Hong Kong SAR (not China, RL worked), were off for the Chung Yeung Festival. This, like the Spring Festival, is a time to visit the graves of ancestors and have a family meal. Also, it is good luck to get to the highest place you can, so many visit the country parks or fly kites.

I don’t think that we will have any trick or treaters tonight. We bought two bags of candy, just in case, but I doubt we will see any children. To make it difficult, our building is locked, with a doorman, but more importantly, I do not think that the Chinese consider approaching strangers and asking for something to be appropriate. In areas where there are a lot expats, trick or treating is going on as I write.

So, I guess the only option is just to eat this candy......darn. All of you know how I just hate chocolate. (Bill Matthews is having a giant chuckle at this moment). But to keep the American tradition going, “ here’s a Snickers bar to you”!

Love and may the Great Pumpkin be with you— Mart

Lion Rock Country Park, Saturday, October 28, 2006

Lion Rock Country Park

As hard as it is for me to believe with all the people, skyscrapers and well, just huge urban life, 40% of Hong Kong SAR is reserved in national parks, called "country parks". Hong Kong Island alone has four country parks, with the largest, Tai Tam, taking up 1/5 of the island. With the real estate prices there, you can bet these parks are very steep and rocky AND space reserved before the prices went up. But for us, these parks are about the only areas that allow dogs to be off leash, so I have wanted to visit the one closest to us, Lion Rock since the day I first arrived. I did not think it would be too hard, as we live at the base of Beacon Hill, which is a part of the park...boy was I wrong!

There is no road access into the park, which complicated things, but after putting in a lot of walking, and several days of disappointment, we finally found a trail into Lion Rock Park on Saturday. YEAH! (I could have really gone on here, but I hope you can get the picture.)

The park is named for a huge rock formation that can be seen from almost anywhere in Hong Kong. From the right distance, it looks like a lion (you probably already guessed that part) sitting regally with its head facing west as if to keep HK safe, and we do hope so when those typhoons blow in...

There are many trails, and you can hike for miles. There are shelters built, some official, some not so official, for protection from rain, etc. Apparently, you can even find a small country store or village back in there, although we did not do that. That would require a bus trip back to where you started, and dogs are not allowed on the bus.

Anyway, it is quite a climb, beginning with far too many steps. The steps were made of stones set in concrete and are really quite nice. But they are so steep! Nearer to the top of Lion Rock, we left those behind and had to climb up stones, rocks, roots. It was a sheer drop off beside us, but what views. Here we were in the middle of what seemed like the Red River Gorge and you look out and you feel like you can almost throw a rock at a 40 floor apartment building... Wow!

Of the three of us, Charlie was the most sure footed. He is a mountain dog for sure. The Grand Canyon needs to hire him on as a guide. He did slide on his butt a few times on the way down, but he quickly was up and nimbly traversing the rocks and narrow pathways. He just simply loved it and so did we.

Just a quick note that in all of this, we never forget Dillon (our Lab who died in April). We decided that if she was along, she would have loved it but we weren't too sure we could have talked anyone into a helicopter rescue. I can guarantee that she would either have fallen off the cliff OR fallen flat on her face and broke something! We still miss her so much, but perhaps mountain climbing was just not "her bag, baby" (Austin Powers quote, not mine).

About four hours later, when we finally got home , we were three tired pups. Naps were had by all. Other trails in the park are on our list and if we can get wheels and can travel to other parks, the possibilities are endless.

I have to confess, (in all fairness) although there were serious hikers on the trails, there were also plenty of older folks...... and I do mean a lot older than us. No one at home would ever expect this, we sure weren't-- this hike was not for the faint hearted. If you can believe this, near the base we met a man who had a stoke and was paralyzed on his right side. He walked with a cane down a steep, unpaved path and then later, maneuvered steps and a busy four-lane highway, all the while, swing his paralyzed right leg around. He had no use of his right arm--i.e., no easy way to stay balanced. Physical therapists, stand back!

Got to run, love to all, many kisses, and stay active-- do we all need to sign up for Tai Chi?

See yu on the trail---Mart

This is not a Territory-- its a SAR, Oct 23, 2006

I think in one of our previous posts (going into Mainland China), I referred to leaving the territory of Hong Kong. Sorry-- that is just so last 10 years.

Hong Kong, since 1997 and the turn over, or as the HK Chinese call it, "The Return", all the areas controlled by the British-- HK Island, Kowloon penninsula, New Territories, and 200+ islands are now called "Special Administrative Region" or SAR for short.

When SARS came about, it was not lost on these guys that the nomenclature was just a little too close. The economic problems from this bore that out. Some say, though, that land investors are hoping for another SARS--property values really went down and there were lots of bargains. Money was made, big time. The bird flu is a whole other thing- no one wants that!

What I can gather is that the PRC has allowed "one government, two systems" to exist in a SAR. We are not the only SAR. Portugal had Macau, a major gambling resort area now, for hundreds of years. When they gave it back to the PRC in 1999, it returned as a SAR. Frankly, in HK, the Brits were not all that great to the Chinese for a long, long time-- only allowing real elections just prior to the take over by China. At the time that they did this, the PRC said that when the take-over occured, they would null and void them-- and they did. I don't get the feeling that the Chinese are all that unhappy with the PRC- especially since they can see their families on the mainland and freedoms here are much like under the British.

When I first came here, I thought that the 1000 yr plan of the PRC was to choke these guys out and make a Chinese city like Shanghai the premier site. Since arriving, I now get the impression that HK is proving to be very useful to the PRC and that it may well keep on going, as is. I hope so. It seems to be the best of both worlds and I think it has to be done on a small scale. I don't know why we are so lucky to experience this, but we are.

I could write more on politics here, but I would probably get it wrong. Nothing with the Chinese is simple. Write back to me if you discover more info. I would so appreciate it.

Take care- luv, Mart


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Trip to the Mong Kok Flower Market Sunday Oct 22, 2006

Sunday October 22, 2006
Hello everyone!

RL and I have had a wonderful weekend. Friday, we ate at Lawry Steakhouse in Wan Chai. This is the "happening" district on Hong Kong Island and Lawry is the maker of "Lawry Seasoned Salt" which lots of folks, including the Bandys, use in the US. On Saturday, we ate at Ruth Chris and then went to Delaney’s, an Irish pub, with some expats from Lexington. We got into bed at 3 am Sunday– way too late for me! We had a blast, although no more red meat for us for at least a week, ok, a couple of days...

Today, we had every intention of going to Lion Rock Country Park, but that just took too much effort. I have wanted some plants for our front balcony for some time, so off RL and I went to the "Flower Market" in Mong Kok.
Mong Kok is about a 30 to 35 minute walk from where we live. You can hop on the train and get off at Prince Edward (don’t you love the British names in the midst of Asia?), but we like to go by foot and see the sights. We started out down the path RL takes every morning to work which takes us by our big mall, Festival Walk. We stopped there and had a late breakfast at DeliFrance and then RL got a Starbucks coffee which is right next to it. Then out the front door of Festival Walk onto Tat Chee Avenue, took a left and then walked down to the market which is located around Fa Yuen Street.

Whoa, dude.. Is this flower heaven or what!

Never have I seen so many flowers and tropical plants. Unbelievable orchids... oh my gosh! We have to get a dining room table just so I can buy orchids and display them! It is one whole street plus side streets. Color, aroma, incredible. I should tell you that though it is called a "market", it really is actual stores and shops, with most of the fronts open to the street. The shops that have dried flowers, pots, and arrangements actually have a door you enter through. Anyway, you can buy cut flowers, tropical plants and trees and have them delivered to your flat. We purchased two arborvitae which are quite tall and a bourgenvilla tree in a very heavy pot and had them delivered, a quick one hour later, for about $100 US. Our balcony looks fabulous. It just makes setting in our living room so enjoyable to look out the window. I hope I can keep them alive!
Right next door to the Flower Market is the Yuen Po Bird Garden. We walked by it, but did not go in. Frankly, I stay away from birds here, it just seems prudent. From what I have read, it has stalls with many different kinds of songbirds and parrots. In the morning, senior citizens will come to the garden, carrying cages with their songbirds. The cages will be hung from branches and the birds will sing and compete against each. Towards the evening, they will take the cage with their bird and head for home. I hear that you should bring along a scented handkerchief because of all the bird smell...

Anyway, we did look up at the second and third floors of the flats across from the entrance. Bright yellow canaries in cages were hung outside the windows. Real cool. Also for sale were ornate bird cages and seed, the Chinese dote on these birds like we do dogs and not only feed them seed but also catch live crickets for them to eat (UGH) and feed them honey water to "sweeten" their singing. All I could think about was Bird Flu.. What a great place to catch it.

Further down was the Ladies Market. We wandered a little through this, but we needed to get home for our delivery. The Ladies Market is an open air market with vendors selling jewerly, panties, shirts, pants and lots more. There is so much to look at and see, but it was getting more humid, we needed to get home to get our plants, and after a while, you need a little break from all the people.

Once home, we were delivered our purchases, took Chuck-boy for a walk and then grilled a beautiful piece of salmon for dinner. Why does Monday have to come around?

Love to all my family and friends.. Martha

Picture of Hong Kong at Night

This is a picture I took looking from Kowloon toward Hong Kong Island. This is one of the most beautiful skylines in the world. .....R.L

Mart's First Trip to Mainland China (PRC)

Sat October 14, 2006



I finally have been into mainland China!


Friday, the Lexmark-Shenzhen employees were playing two intramural basketball games starting at 5:30 P.M. I was invited to come over to meet them and watch them play.

RL was a wonderful husband. He went to a lot of trouble to meet me at Sheung Shui, the last KCR stop (Kowloon-Canton Railroad) before you enter the PRC.

Just for background info- every work day, RL walks 15 minutes down Beacon Hill, to the KCR station at Kowloon Tong. Here, he takes the KCR into Lo Wu. Lo Wu is the border crossing. After clearing HK customs and then China customs, he takes the subway or a taxi into Shenzhen to the Lexmark office. He repeats this, except you clear China customs first, every evening coming home. It really eats into his time. It takes about 30 min by train to reach Lo Wu and another 10 min to get to his office. Clearing customs can take an additional 20 minutes or so each way.

After being very grateful to my sweet husband for meeting me, we continue on to the last stop, Lo Wu. Getting off the train in Lo Wu was so confusing. People everywhere! RL had given me the China and HK custom forms on the KCR for me to fill out ahead of time. He had to help me as I had no idea how to fill in many of the blanks. When we get our HK resident cards (Oct19th), we will use it like a credit card, plus our thumb prints, and get through fairly quickly on the HK side. RL is looking forward to that! Anyway, we proceeded to HK customs, got through fairly quickly and then queued up at the China customs line labeled "Foreigners".. unreal! We had to wait quite a while, but finally we were both through.

This is when you get that eerie, scary feeling- you cross a wide bridge that spans a deep trench, no cars- and you are now in the People’s Republic of China. I am telling my age, but I remember when Nixon was the first American here in over two decades and here I am, a little woman from Leitchfield, Ky. Quite heady for a country girl! RL told me to look back. I did, and at first, all I saw was razor wire on the HK side (none on the China side, I might add). He pointed off to the right. There, on the right is a huge hill covered in graves. These are Chinese that were stuck in HK during the cultural revolution. They could not return to their homeland, so they asked to be buried facing it. How sad.

Once you cross the bridge, you pass a giant shopping center. Like shopping centers in HK, it is many, many floors high. When we left China later that evening, we passed through this. It truly is a zoo. RL says it is like that bar in the first Star Wars movie with all the weird creatures. You have to be very careful of pick pockets and you have to ignore all the people that try to hawk you something. Being a Westerner, you are really targeted. However, there are a lot of bargains here. Everything is a fake, but you can get some real deals.

But the real stunner was Shenzhen itself. Unbelievable! Shenzhen was once a fishing village. It was founded as a city sometime in the 70's. It is now a city of 13 million, and is the largest manufacturing base in the world! It is dirty, polluted, and has a constant traffic jam of cars. That said, it also has huge, major highways where you sometimes see grass, trees, flowers. I told RL that some areas reminded me of Paris. He got a laugh out of that... Dorothy goes to Oz!! Anyway, there are tons of skyscrapers and they are so interesting-- it's like the builders all tried to outdo each other. The roofs may be spiked, platformed, tiered. One has a huge world globe built into the side of it. Wow.

China is, however, not as safe as HK. Drivers will run over you in a heart beat. There are also other issues, which makes me very happy to live in HK. For one thing, there is very little English. Unlike HK, where road signs, ads, bus schedules, subways, menus, etc, etc are written in Chinese and English, most everything in Shenzhen is written in Chinese–NO ENGLISH! Lots of people in HK speak English– not true in Shenzhen. I did like being in a car where the driver sits on the left and you drive on the right hand side of the road. It just felt so right.

We did not eat in China, but I did go to the bathroom at the Lexmark building. Just like I was warned in the travel books, there was no toilet paper. So when you visit the PRC, take some Kleenex.

Also interesting, the Lexmark PRC Chinese go to HK on the weekends to shop. They cannot trust the products at stores in Shenzhen to be the real thing. Electronics, fabric, clothes, bags, purses, watches, etc-- When you do buy in HK, the sales people will tell you to buy products not made in the PRC-- poor quality they say.

Watching the Lexmark employees play basketball was very entertaining. They played on an outdoor court, surrounded by skyscrapers, just a few blocks from the office. I don’t think they are raised playing basketball like we are. One guy from Lexington played on one of the teams. Being taller than everyone else was a huge advantage. He was really a good sport and did not take the game over. It could have been a one-man show, easily. Most interesting is what was provided at the games. For making noise, each side had a drum and cymbals. Most of the time, someone just banged on the drums regardless of what was occurring in the game. For food, we had roasted chestnuts (pretty good), soft rolls filled with a red bean type paste (pretty good), chocolate wafer candy bar kind of like a Twix (not so good), water, and bananas. For napkins, we had rolls of toilet paper...where was that we I needed it!

We left about 7:30 pm, during the middle of the last game. Traffic was even worse, if you can believe it.

Every one was very nice to me and I hope I get to return and visit soon. Leaving the PRC was a nice thing. HK does not feel that much different than the US in many ways– the PRC felt different.

Love to all– Mart

Mart and Charlie Take a Walk

Good morning all...
Today’s writing will involve a Charlie episode....
On Thurs of last week, Charlie and I went for a very long walk. He is on a very short leash, but Charlie always walks calmly and quietly right beside me. We went down Junction Street, passed Lok Fu Park. We turned on Inverness Road which took us by Holy Family College and then Kowloon Tsai Park. We then took Nga Tsin Wai Street, got on Waterloo then Cornwall St which took us back to our Beacon Hill area.
I need to point out here that both parks are fairly large with road access through them. Cars, trucks pass thru the Kowloon Tsai park and yet no dogs are allowed. You really have only sidewalks to take your dog for a walk on. One should also note that I was the only Westerner anywhere around after passing the Hong Kong Baptist University on Junction Street. Charlie was the only dog– a significant point!
I now know how Moses felt. We scattered people like dividing the Red Sea. People grabbed children, crossed the street, and even turned around. As we progressed in our walk, schools let out. What was bad became worse, if you can believe that. The most frightened people of all were the 12-14 yr old girls. In this area, they wore pink school uniforms– that should tell you something. Literally, they were screaming! Charlie and I would quietly approach from behind them (any that approached us changed to the other side of the street). We would pass them– I placed Charlie so that I was between him and any person.. AFTER we passed them, the screaming would start. Picture three girls in pink outfits screaming bloody murder. Charlie and I were traumatized by the time we got home. Actually just me, Charlie did not seem to mind, although the really loud ones, he would turn his head and look back at them... need I say that this was no help!
I wish I could describe it. Anyway, when I got home, I did a search on the fear of dogs in the Chinese culture. Apparently many Chinese are taught that dogs are sly–submissive and obedient with their masters while eying others, ready to lash out and bite them when their masters are not looking. Amazing. And lets face it, Charlie is a bit scary, too which doesn’t help matters.
So, I had purchased a muzzle like the ones greyhounds wear when they race except it is plastic before leaving the US. I got it out and now put it on him when we go out for a walk. I think it has helped some. To RL and I, we think it makes him look scarier, but to the Chinese, I think it curbs some of their fears. After all, I think their real fear is biting. I am also considering dressing him up. A little pink hat, sunglasses, I don’t know– a ballerina outfit maybe. I may have to wait until we are home to buy it, but I think that might make him fun to see. I am willing to try about anything.
I should also tell you that where we live, there are lots of dogs, and we live in a mostly Chinese resident area. I have seen one Westerner in our housing complex in the 14 days that I have lived here. In our complex alone, there is a german shepard (muzzled), two chows (muzzled), one rotweilder, golden retriever, plus several smaller dogs. In our neighborhood, there are spaniels, poodles, and a sheepdog--he must be hot! Anyway, just take a 10 min walk and you are in another world! What a deal!
Well, I must close. It is 9:30 am, the girls should be at their schools by now, so I think it is safe for us to venture out for a walk. Wish us well.... Love to all— Mart

The Adventure Begins!

Hi folks--

We have arrived safe and sound-- all three of us!

Getting here is a story in itself, so here goes---

On Sunday October 1, 2006 at 1:08 p.m., as RL, Charlie, and I pulled out of the Champions subdivision. It was a beautiful day, as we slowly made our loop around the neighborhood in our rented van.. Good bye family, friends, neighbors, house, golf course, running routes! We plan on the humans of this group being back in March for a visit. I hope I remember how to drive! (Or maybe I can talk RL into a car in HK!)

The trip to Chicago was a long and trying one for us, Charlie however, enjoyed it! If we do this again, i.e. on Charlie’s return, we both vowed that we would get up early. The traffic was non-stop. We almost were involved in two accidents! We got into Chicago at about 7pm, but it took well over an hour to reach our hotel due to construction. What a pain. Maybe a car in Hong Kong is not a good idea...city driving is just no fun. We grabbed a bite at the hotel and were very happy to call it an early night. I brought a sheet and spread it over the bed so Charlie could sleep with us, as he had no where else to sleep. Again, Charlie is pretty darn happy. So far, this adventure would be a doggy heaven if there were just a few squirrels to chase.

Monday, I had us up at 5:30am for a run. RL wasn’t sure this was a good idea because it was still dark, or was it because it was so early and he secretly thinks I’m nuts? Anyway, we all felt better for it, as RL and I were really getting nervous about this time. After the run, RL worked via the computer and cell phone while I paced the hotel room.

At 9 am, Clay from AARK Air, showed up and we put Charlie in his kennel. He was loaded into Clay’s van which also contained a golden retriever and a loudly, continuously barking chow. Those dogs were headed to India. I think Charlie will like Hong Kong better, although the other dogs won’t have to be worried about being eaten, you know that Hindu anti-meat thing.

I finally got to meet Clay. He was a super nice guy. We have e-mailed and talked via phone, but never met. I guess we looked very worried, as he gave each of us a hug and said not to ... that was just not possible! When they left the hotel parking lot, I just hoped that Charlie would not have a heart attack, that he would be able to rest, and that there would be no problems with his flights. You don’t sedate dogs on air flights. Sedation compromises a dog’s ability to respirate, which is also how they sweat. When the plane is on the ground, the cargo area can really heat up. It is air-conditioned just like the passenger area. But if you have flown much , you know that they really don’t start pumping air out until the plan takes off. How many times have you burned up setting on the tarmac waiting to take off? In addition to that, when a dog wakes up from sedation, he is disoriented and unstable..ergo he can fall and get hurt in his kennel.

I should tell you now, Charlie made it fine. He flew KLM to Amsterdam where he was unloaded and taken to KLM’s pet hotel. Yes, pet hotel. There, KLM staff walked him, fed him, gave him water, cleaned his cage and then allowed him some rest in a larger kennel area before re-boarding him 8 hours later for his flight to Hong Kong. Both his flights took off not more than 6 minutes behind schedule...perfect. Charlie, you the dog! I think Charlie slipped off to the Red Light District while he was in Amsterdam, but he is not telling.

RL and I, on the other hand, did not get off so lucky. We were booked on a direct flight from Chicago to HK. We boarded right on time, and then the problems happened. Too much baggage was the first problem. It took over an hour to re-position the fuel. Then, area storms stopped us. We finally left but had to stop in Anchorage, Alaska for more fuel. We ended up four hours late. I was so happy I had listened and read up on transporting Charlie to Hong Kong. U.S. airlines are a real problem for delays. According to everyone, pets are much better off on long flights on airlines like KLM or Cathay Pacific.

Flying into Honk Kong at night is a real treat, though. We would have missed this if we had been on time. The skyline is beautiful. We took a taxi and reached our apartment at 10 pm. You should note that we have gained a ½ day. It is now Tuesday 10 pm here, in the US it is 10 am Tuesday morning. Too tired to pay much attention to anything, we again fell into bed and slept... for only 4 hours! Wide awake, we got up and unpacked, our main thoughts on Charlie. At 9 am, Marc, the pet importer here in HK, called and said that Charlie had arrived and was fine and that they were in the process of clearing him through customs. He estimated he would have Charlie at our flat at 11 a.m.

Oh my, it was a happy reunion ! We watched for the van and saw it pull in. Both of us ran down the steps and then outside . Marc let him out of his kennel, and I gave Chuck a big hug. Charlie, I think, was a little disorientated. He seemed fine, but he didn’t greet me the way he usually does. He had sort of a dazed look. Could that be from that side trip in Amsterdam? Anyway, I grabbed his collar, took him upstairs to our flat and let him out into our garden. He quickly took care of both businesses...good boy. By the way, he had done nothing in his kennel. Marc was much impressed. I guess all those years when I worked 12 hour days and Charlie had to hold it was excellent training for his new jet setting life!

Charlie pretty much just drank tons of water and slept for the rest of the day. We had his dog bed shipped over from the States, and he looked quite at home, curled up on it sleeping. He slept the hardest I have ever seen any warm blooded animal sleep. We had a furniture delivery that afternoon. Several guys were in the condo for a couple of hours putting things together, and he never moved. Normally, he would have checked them out. Periodically he would stir--getting up and consuming massive amounts of water and then he would go back to sleep. Remarkably, he was totally himself when we woke up the next day. It took me over a week to get used to the time zone change. I think his only problem was that he was just simply dehydrated. That was it.. Charlie, you win the Best Travelers Award for the Bandy family!

On Thursday morning, with a healthy, happy dog in tow, the Bandys officially leaped into a new, exciting life in Hong Kong. We are so thankful that we all made it safely. Cheers to our adventure, wish us luck, and we miss you guys.. Much love --Mart