Honkers, PART DEUX!

Not my best and brightest write up, but it gives you the highlights:


After a quick coffee on Sunday morning the group was off with maps in tow. We first headed towards the convention centre. Deb found a great place to go for Dim Sum in travel book and it was just blocks from the hotel. Honkers was hot and humid, even warmer than in Cebu. We trekked around the bay and found an entrance to my first Hong Kong dim sum experience.

Upon entering we were all surprised to be the only ones in the restaurant. It was already eleven o clock and I thought that on a Sunday the place would be hopping. Nonetheless, we sat at a large circular table and waited for the carts to start appearing. To my surprise, this particular restaurant did not utilize the familiar a la cart technique which I was used to back home. Instead we had to rely on menus; a Dim Sum practice which was not completely foreign to me. I was, however, surprised that a fair number of my group were Dim Sum virgins. This meant I was responsible for a majority of the ordering; the group was in good hands.

The food was good but the waves of food were rather sparse. I certainly was not disappointed with the quality, but I could easily compare it to some of my favorite haunts in Edmonton. BBQ port buns, dumpling, chicken feet, etc…the usual suspects were all accounted for. One special find was a mini soup dumpling. It was fun and tasty but I completely burnt the top of my mouth.

Afterwards, we did a bit of shopping on the waterfront and decided we would attempt to walk to a rail tram which would take us to “the peak”. The walk looked easy enough. I mean, it was only a few inches on the tourist map.

WRONG! I lost about 10 pounds on that walk alone. Combine the muggy heat, me wearing a black shirt, no water, an aching neck, with hot pavement and you get one crabby SOB. After about an hour of walking I gave up completely. I did not quite throw a hissy fit but I’m still not proud of my reaction to my present circumstance. I simply told the group that I would meet them back at the hotel. I was tired, delirious from the heat, in pain, and thought, “isn’t this my vacation”? I was just looking for the next available cab and I was out.

Typically, at this time I was only about 50 feet from our destination. Slightly embarrassed I told the group that I would continue, but I would NEVER admit to enjoying the view. ;)

We went up the tram which was on quite and angle and reached the peak. It housed a building with about 6-8 flights of escalators with loads of shops and restaurants. The view was stunning, albeit a bit hazy. Char asked me if I was glad that I kept going. Me being stubborn, I merely advised that it was very nice but I would still never admit to having a good time. By this time air conditioning and about 2 litres of water assisted in bringing back from the edges of sanity, but it also dried me off into a big salty mess. Far from a shower or change of clothes there was no other course of action open to me. BEER TIME!

After a few beers I did feel better, although still salty. The team convinced me that instead of heading to the hotel for a shower we might as well make our way to Kowloon. I agreed and the group split in half to get into taxis. One group arrived at the destination; my group. The other group…well…we waited for about 20 minutes and decided to hop on a fairy (I think some are still a little bitter about this).

Unbeknownst to us there was an anime festival in town. We quickly figured this out as we entered the boat and suddenly found ourselves surrounded by people wearing hats or carrying fake samurai swords. We even saw a few people in cosplay (a preview for Japan, I guess). While we were on the boat, I noticed that the second group pulled up to the ferry port. They were too late; we were on the way but we made sure to wait for them on the other side.

We had a few hours to kill before it got dark so we headed over to the bay mall; a large shopping centre with many international stores. Tyler and I lasted about 10 minutes in the crowd before heading up to the patio for a beverage. Afterwards, all of the rest of them joined us for a drink as the sun went down.

Just before 8pm we headed to the waterfront of Kowloon to watch the light show. All of the large skyscrapers on Hong Kong island had elaborate lights which were turned on at 8pm. The city worked with the owners of these buildings to sync the lights into a 20 minute show every night. It was like neon Christmas 3099. I loved the entire package…the cheesy synth music, the brightly lit buildings, the patterns of light, the vacant expression on the crowd’s faces as everyone frantically took pictures.

After the show, we all went to Temple Street Night Market. This was my kind of place. A narrow street packed with people, stalls and venders. The constant shouting by the patrons in Cantonese, the shop keeps beckoning in broken English, the washing hanging out of windows like flags. As you walked down the congested road your senses were accosted by the bright colors and the smell of roasted animal bits in the air.

By now I had sharpened my bartering skills and was ready to put them to the test. Again, the group took two cabs and again, we got separated. Apparently both groups got dropped off at either sides of the market so we conveniently met back up in the middle. After some shopping a few of us sat down for, yet again, a bit of beer before taking the last ferry back to Hong Kong.

After an entire day and evening walking and gawking we finally arrived back at the hotel. Although we were tired, we were all determined to go out even on Sunday night. I stopped into a 7/11 and picked up a random energy drink which came in a small vial and promised to enrich me with Amino Acids. I don’t know what was in it but it kept me buzzing for the rest of the night. We went down the main strip of bars in Wan Chai and went into The Dog House. It was pretty quiet but we didn’t mind. It gets kind of blurry from there.

Fun in Hong Kong Part 1...

I've had a few weeks to collect my thoughts so here we go.


Honkers was absolutely fantastic. A bunch of us needed a bit of a vacay from work and the August long weekend (the first long weekend we've had) was the perfect opportunity. I did a bit of organizing to get the trip booked and then I stepped back. I told the rest of them I was fine with anything as long as I got my Dim Sum.

The party started right on the plane heading out of Cebu. We all worked our night shifts and then headed to the airport. The security was unsurprisingly lax in the local airport. We all quickly shifted through the usual metal detectors and x-ray machines before settling into a smokey airport bar for a few more bottles of Red Horse for the road. Once our brains were provided a bit more lubrication we were all ready to fly.

A few hours, a few comp drinks, the chicken (not the fish), and a lot of immature giggling and joking later we all arrived safely in HK. No issues as our accommodation also supplied us with free transit to our hotel. We never really got a great view of the actual city when we spent the night a few months ago. I wasn't prepare for the amazing sights as the bus drove through Kowloon and onto Wan Chai. Rolling lush green hills, bridges that seemed to expand on forever, the sharp angled architecture, streets upon streets of people, shops, and shenanigans. And people were WALKING; something that seems like a foreign concept for the foreigners in Cebu. We arrived at the hotel and planned our next move.

For those who don't know, Wan Chai used to be the red light district back in the 60's. Although some (but not all) of the sleaze has disappeared the neon signs have remained. The view from my hotel room was a perfect preview and pump up for the night again. No time for napping; my plan was obvious: beer, walk, eat, gawk.The group rallied in the lobby and a few maps were looked at but it didn't really matter. We all spilled outside and I said, "hey, let's go that way and look for food". For some reason, I suspect people thought I had an idea where I was going. At the very least I think that some thought I would take charge of this Motley Crew but this was not the case. Like i said before, my only expectation was to get Dim Sum later in the weekend. I was only in the mind set to walk (I cannot stress enough how much I have missed this activity in Cebu) and take in everything laid before me.

Neon signs were everywhere. Even at dusk, all of the shops were buzzing with activity. I could see that the group was hungry, but I wasn't up to making decisions. Most of us has been up for over 24 hours and with empty stomachs grumbling we were all getting a little crabby. We continued to walk past restaurants with Chinese only menus until we inadvertently stumbled into Causeway Bay.

Causeway Bay is a large shopping area, both indoor and outdoor. Words cannot really do it justice but try and think of outdoor advertisements which stretch up stories high to a group of flood lights. I think Karla said it best when she mentioned that it felt like she was inside.

We all quickly turned a corner and Deborah led the way past the giant television display and into a nearby mall. The mall seemed like organized chaos; a mess of twinkling lights and escalators which seemed to go in every direction. Somehow we made it to a noodle house, took a number and made it in. I'm not sure if the restaurant knew what they were getting themselves into when they took in seven tired, silly, non-Cantonese speaking gwai-lo but they sure got their money's worth!

They quickly moved us into a private room with a large table and lazy-susan, probably to separate the insanity from the rest of the establishment. The place looked pretty good:

filled with locals and not a lot of white people...CHECK!
menus with some English and pictures...CHECK!
dude kneading fresh noodles in plain view...CHECK!
old waitresses who spoke about as much English as I do Cantonese...CHECK!


We must have been perceived as the typical ignorant "Americans" but I don't think any of us cared. We had at least one waitress lose patience with us enough to turn her head away in disgust (nothing we did, just a language barrier and a few of us acting a little silly). The manager then quickly came in and took our orders patiently and with courtesy. What can I say; the beers were cold, my soup broth was spicy, the noodles were fresh and firm, the brisket was tender. This is known as Evan's "happy place".

The rest of the evening included a lot more walking and staring. We even went and went past some of the bars and hostess clubs on the main strip. We all stayed pretty tame, because tomorrow was going to be a packed day. It was my day for dim sum, after all...

to be continued...

A couple Cebu stories - Reading Discretion is Advised

I'm told I don't post enough so here I go...here's a couple random stories from Cebu which I wrote on the way to to Hong Kong . Bosses and parents may not wish to read on as the following blog contains real stories featuring real people (but I know some of you will anyways). You have been warned..


Shocking Finds on Fashion Avenue

When Kat got here she said that she found an awesome place to shop at the local mall. Awesome, of course, means lots of fake clothes at silly cheap prices.

Fashion Avenue seems to be less of a store and more of a random collection of stalls. Almost like a flea market full of club clothes, sequend purses, disco balls, and discount wedding rings. To say the least, I enjoyed the cluttered mayhem.

About 90-95% of the place was women's clothing; filled to the brim with Wilter scarves and Louise Vuitton handbags. The men's section was small but silly with Afliction shirts (note the spelling) and designer LV hats with upside down logos.

As I got lost in the murky merchandise I did find a few shirts which I wanted to try on. For the price (both less than 10 Canadian) it was a snap; but I did not trust the sizes. Shirts in the Philipinnes are more fickle than in Europe and I wasn't about to buy 2 carwash rags (I don't own a car anyways). I quick jaunt to the change room was all I needed to secure my purchase of kontraband. One of the few men's fashion outlets seemed to have the necessary facilities so I tempted fate and entered.

It seemed like a normal change room. Sure, it was thrown together out of random sheets and contained numerous boxes in the corners but there was a full sized mirror to my right which ensured I made the right choice.

Then i turned to the left.

I was greeted by a full sized glass case full of rubber genetalia. You name it and they had it.

So the shirt fit, I left the room, made my purchase (the shirt, you sicko) and then promptly left the store.

I met Tyler outside of Fashion Avenue and told him all about my experience. He returned the favor (another story to match mine, sicko) with one of his own including him in the public washroom surrounded my locals who constantly stared at him as he used the facilities. I instantly felt better about my own circumstance and we headed out to the patio for beers.

Theivery at Bubbles

While staying at the local hotel we all utilize a local laundramat to get our clothes clean without paying hotel prices. Blue Bubbles is situated right down the street from our hotel and offers quick and clean service with little issue. That is, unless you are me and have to put up with the constant flirtation from one of the employees (picture a female who seems to undress you with her laugh; trust me its not as great as it sounds). But this story isn't about me, it's about Tyler.

Being the youngest of the group, a lot of the ladies here like to tease Tyler. One of his many lifestyle choices which gets a quip from time to time is his choice of socks. The man enjoys his white ankle socks. Not that I can blame him (I'm wearing a pair as I'm typing this) but the ladies like to tease him on his "un-masculine" choice in foot covers. Let's face it though; it's way to hot here to put on the warm woolies.

Teasing aside, Tyler mentioned that he had quite a rapport with the ladies at Bubbles. He would arrive every week and would offer light conversation while dropping off his usual bag full of his work and casuals. That is, until, he noticed his return bag was a little lighter.

Tyler arrived in Cebu with eight pairs of white ankle socks. Eight gloious pairs of short shoe comforters. In a few short weeks he was down to four. He was confounded by the experience at first but didn't think much of it. That is, until, he next returned to the laundramat.

Upon arrival Tyler noticed that none of the ladies provided the same level of conversation he was used to. He also took note of the general lack of eye contact. His eyes tracked down and he quickly found out why.

All the ladies were wearing white ankle socks.

What was he to do? Would he accuse them of theft under four pairs? Was such a statment worth ruining an otherwise happy business transaction? Would he take stand and put up with hotel service for the rest of his stay?

The short answer is no. He merely continued his usual routine and the criminal act remained unjudged and unavenged. For now on, though, he limits his sock intake to one pair at a time.*

*Alright, Deb and I made that last part up, but it's funny and we firmly believe this policy should be instated*

I guess the moral of this store is don't put all your socks in one load or ensure your mom labels your socks as well as your underwear.

Halfway done and still enjoying the view

Another few weeks but not much to talk about. Been mostly working, but I have had a few trips out and about.

A week or two ago a few of us went out to club ultima (insert link here). Apparently it's the tallest building in Cebu as well as being a hybrid hotel/resort/restaurants)/theatre/ride/suicide walk. We hit the top of the building for a bit of a view and then got on a ride which gives you a full 360 view as well as tipping you 55 degrees over to have a great preview of what you would see for the next ten seconds before becoming a street pizza (this run on sentence is dedicated to my sister, the English teacher).

Most of us were quite excited but one began to feel the sting of fear; especially with the others teasing her about loose bolts. Suffice to say; she decided to go with me because I chose this rare moment to keep my trap shut. On the ride we
started at 50 degrees and she (who will remain nameless) did great...and then I tilted it another 5 degrees just to freak her out. Sorry Kat, but I can't be nice all the time. :)

We then went a level down to go on the sky walk which included us harnessing up and taking a walk outside on a steel and glass walkway with no guardrail. We all made it around the building and even dangled our feet over the edge while soaking in the picturesque view. It was nice to take some time and remind ourselves where we actually were. A coastal city in Southeast Asia. It's too easy to forget the amazing geography when one spends their nights working and days sleeping.

A few weeks later a troup of us made our way back to Maribago (so far my fave beach) for some much needed R&R. This time the tide was out for a majority of the day, but I was determined to remain active and not just laze the day away on the beach getting sunburnt. I guess one out of two isn't bad.

Sunburns aside, the day included a round of massive chess (note my ingenious replacement for a vacant black knight), a shallow swim to a man-made island, and another fantastic seafood meal. Suffice to say, another excellent day.

I also received some amazing news; it looks like Paul and Jacquie are meeting me in Japan after work is complete. Flights and hotels are currently being booked and lists of crazy things are being written. If any of you have any tips on strange

sights in Tokyo please let us know. So far our list includes a Hello Kitty Mall and a restaurant where you are served by monkey butlers. A Hong Kong trip with the crew is also happening next weekend. The tickets are bought and the we're all getting quite excited. All is certainly on the up and up for the Cebu crew.

Bohol - with a few camera snaps!

Proof that the old camera works like a charm. Here are a few snaps from last week's trip to Bohol.

Bohol was a beautiful island which seemed much more of a resort than the places I've been thus far. The main port was busy but not congested at all. Small villages were sprinkled throughout where one could see various artisans honing thier craft. A few of the more interesting entreprenurial expeditions seen was a smithy that specialized in machete making and a group of people who made furniture out of old tires.

We then had lunch on a boat which took us on a scenic trip up river. Mother nature, never to be outdone, decided to drop a heafty amount of rain on us; adding to the ambience of the trip. On the banks of the river we saw flowers, children swimming, and a musical number put on by the locals using ukelele's. Normally I would be fine with such a production but I found some of the MTV-style grinding moves some of these 9 year olds attempting to be unsettling. The weather cleared up and so we continued on our tour.

We then went through a man made forest which felt very odd because it did not look indiginous to the area at all. Instead, the forst looked like something out of the Pactific Northwest. I was waiting to see ewoks swinging through the trees or to be clipped by a speederbike.

We then reached the chocolate hills, which are large hills originally coral deposits pushed up through the prehistoric sea bed. It was quite a stunning display, even after a 200 + stair climb (nothing Tyler nor myself could not handle). The combination of the heat and the view was energizing; Tyler and I agreed that we would be able to climb one of these hills but higher/more sensible powers advised otherwise. One strange thing I noticed at the top of the view point was a camera booth set up for picture development. At first it looked like the usual "we can take your picture in front of the Chocolate Hills and put it on a shirt" trap, but this one went a bit too far. Instead of taking your pic in front of the actual hills, they had their own backdrop which you can stand in front of. That way you can stand in front of a backdrop of the hills which is placed in front of the actual hills. I'm not sure I understand that. Then there was the option to look like you are riding a broom while your picture is being taken. I asked the guide if there was any significance to which she responded, "it's fun".

We then went to see some tarsiers, which are one of the smallest primates in the world. Though a noctournal animal, we visited an area which housed them in the day but covered. Understandibly dossail at this time of the day and although protected, I felt a little bit sad for them. Don't get me wrong, they were not in cages and are protected by the local government but to have tourists like us constantly in their faces when they are trying to sleep....I just think of how I would react. Still, they looked pretty easy going and if they took offense, we would know about it.

That pretty much finished up our trip. I had a great time in Bohol and would like to return to sample some of their beaches. I hear there are some of the best in the world.

Birthdays, updates, and randomness

Hi everyone!

Since last time not much as happened. Working in the call centre for the past few weeks brought back memories, particularly because Katherine and I were on the same shift. One day we even had Paul supporting us from back home...OLD SKOOL ASQ UNITE!

I felt like i got in a good rhythm working nights and very much enjoyed being able to walk back to the hotel in order to have breakfast for lunch.

This week I've been back in training and it could not have happened a minute too soon. New class, new material, and yet very familiar. I always enjoy the first week with a new class; sensing the vibe of the group, testing the waters, trying to figure out personality types...it's one of the biggest reasons I enjoy training so much.

That's about it for shop talk. Probably shouldn't say much more, except it's still a re-donk-u-lous amount of work. On here I pretty much write about the one day every two weeks (average) we all get to let our hair down.

Since last time I've done a bit of shopping, went to another beach, and solidified plans for my suit. It will be done on Monday! HUZZAH!

Last weekend at the beach Charlene and I got on a seadoo and only got thrown twice. I hadn't been on one since I was 14 and it was an absolute blast.

The other week Tyler made his way out here and brought me my camera. It looks like the curse is over and I can finally take pictures (and we all know how great I am at taking pictures). Thanks again to Paul for sending it with a package of camera goodies all in a ziplock bag. Along with Tyler also comes a bit of freshfaced energy which really has helped to perk up my spirits. The guy never runs out of steam and wants to do and try EVERYTHING. I appreciate that, even if I've been told multiple times to watch out for him.

I also finally made it out of the hotel to a bar called "The Wine Shop" the other weekend. It was very pub-esque and offered some decent, but not great, tapas, live music, and a decent mixed drink selection. I helped myself to a rusty nail to remind me of home but after one the waitress kept sending me rusty nails regardless of how i changed my order. Somehow I persevered. The music was not to my liking; a smathering of 70's and 80's pop and disco hits, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and company thoroughly. I shall be back soon.

While over here I have also embarrassed i-tunes a bit and picked up some fantastic new albums including the latest from the Revolting Cocks, False Icons, and The CLSM. Paul has also ensured that I keep up and current with all the trendy stuff including a Notorious BIG/Frank Sinatra mash up album. I always appreciate new music.

While being over here and thus, unable to enjoy my glorious records I have also started searching the net and found some awesome free hardcore labels such as Zombfree at:

http://ninjacolumbo.co.uk/zombfree/

Paul, check this one out! I'm not sure if Redline, Boots, or Doner check my blog but hit up the link for some free tunes and also a great album by Michael J Rocks.

While watching tv here randomly today I saw a local entertainment show talking about, believe it or not, a megarave that occurred here back in Jan. It had some familiar names such as Max Graham, Krafty Kuts, and Mat the Alien (http://www.cebuurbanmusic.com/). Not really my speed but I enjoyed that a bit of my ol' culture comes here once in a while. I really enjoyed how the reporter described one room as being "R&B" when it was more of a hip hop, dubsteb, and jungle. I wonder if she meant "rukkus and bass"?

It's now the 26th here and I guess that makes me 28. Most of you are probably wondering what shenanigans I have planned, but there's nothing (unless the ladies have something in mind)! I'm working late and then have to go to bed so we can all go to Bohol Island (http://www.bohol.ph/) fresh on Saturday Morning to view some natural beauty and some creepy little lemur/monkeys. I guess it's time to start using this camera.

EZ

Further in the Cebu

I know, it's been a few weeks. I think it's a combination of working a lot, laziness, changing shifts, and settling in a bit. Anyways...

Since last time we went to the beach and I did get to work on my tan. Unfortunately i was wearing my big sunglasses and iended the day looking like a reverse racoon. After a few chuckles, Trina came to my rescue witha bit of aloe vera lotion(something which is in short supply here fore some reason). By the time i headed back to work all my agents could see was my sun-touched face; no pasty peepers in site.

The following weekend we all went island hopping and it was a right trip! Clear blue water, warm sun, cold beer, picturesque beaches...you get the idea. We all went for a snorkle and it was a blast. Lots of tropical fish, some urchin, a few starfish, and one long sea snake! We enjoyed an excellent seafood lunch with our Wipro hosts in a sea-stranded hut before heading to our final destination.

Approaching the beach a few of us decided to jump off the boat and swim to shore. The current was strong but it didn't seem too far a distance. As we swam closer we realized that the beach was surrounded by vegetation and rocks. It must have been quite fun to watch all the weterners drag ourselves to the shoreline belly first in order to get to the actual beach.

The rest of the afternoon was spent laying around and sipping beer until one of the Wipro staff saw some other beach bums throwing a football around. Before I knew what was happening i was attempting to frantically explain the basic rules of football to an unknowing crew of Indians and Filipinos. I kept thinking, "wouldn't my father and Matt Cassie be proud". Luckily (for me) we just ended up throwing the ol' pigskin for a bit.

Other goings on includes my upcoming made-to-measure suit. I will be going for a final fitting sometime in the next few days and if it all turns out I will be sure to get a few more made (including a smoking jacket which i've wanted for years). Apart from that, it's been a lot of long hours and hard work for the entire crew here. Trust me, there is a ton to do, but luckily the team is well suited for the demand (right Marilyn ;)).

Last week i did get smacked in the face with a bit of home-sickness when those wonderful Boodang guys booked me for a rave, in Edmonton, on my birthday. It just reminded me of home, my fam, crew, music, subculture...GEEZ! Furthermore, a rather crap-tastic internet connection has recently hindered my Skyping capabilities. Still, the whole crew here has done a great job supporting one another and i have talked to the rents, Paul, and Boots. I also received a message from Marty of Boodang. He was very encouraging and hopefully I'll get some DJ Lego time at the next rave up when I get home. Also, a large record order from IMO helps to ease the sickness (take care of my babies for me, Pinkboots). BRING ON THE NEXT BATCH OF TRAINING!

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