14 Days...

Well it's now 14 days till I arrive in Honkers and i'm starting to try to discern what I want to bring to Hong Kong as oppose to what I need. For example I want to bring Cadburys chocolate, as I have found out the chocolate in Hong Kong is rubbish. But I need make space for important things like pants and shoes. Besides, what I dont want is a combination of chocolate, Hong kong heat and my pants all in one bag. That would leave a mess which would need to be explained to Hong Kong customs whether I want to or not. Speaking of heat, if anyone wants to check out what the weather is like in Honkers for the next seven days (click this link) I have also found out that from my Dad's days working for British Airways, Robyn and myself can take advantage of cheap air cargo fares to ferry all the junk we will undoubtably collect over the next year back home again to England. So if any family or friends want something in particular sent over just let us know (maybe a couple of giant pandas?) The company we will be working for has been in contact quite alot in the last couple of days. We have been given information about what to expect when we arrive, and it goes into a fair bit of detail, right down to the prices of shopping goods.

1. A McDonald's meal (Big Mac, chips/french fries and a soft drink) $22 (£1.50)
2. A large pizza from Pizza Hut $111 (£8.00)
3. A meal at a cheap local Chinese restaurant $30 (£3.00)
4. A litre of milk $23 (£1.60)
5. 1 dozen eggs $11 (£0.70)
6. Ending the year looking like Jabba The Hut... Priceless.

Lunch?

This apparently is a market for fresh seafood in Honkers...well at least there is no question that it's fresh.

Jackie Chan

If Jackie Chan tells you to come and visit, what choice have you got?

Hong Kong Video

Here is a pretty well put together video of Hong Kong and some of its attractions that I found on youtube. This is just a test to see how easy it is to put vids up on a blog (pretty damn easy). I'm thinking about buying a digital video recorder when I get some money out there, so maybe we can put vids as well as pictures of our travels up on the blog.

Top ten things for a newbie in Honkers

I found online a site called Big White Guy In Hong Kong It is a white guys experience living out in Honkers. If your friends or family (and not some random) planning on coming to visit us out here, take a look at this site because there are parts which are really good. I especially like the "Top Ten Things For a New Arrival in Hong Kong" And "Things to do in Hong Kong Before You Die" . There is also a useful little bit where he maps the "Chinese festivals in Hong Kong". Plan to come visit during one of those periods, and there is a good chance Robyn and myself will have more to show you than just the cheapest vodka serving local bars.

Tickets

Tickets have arrived, which makes the next year seem that little more realistic. I have had my Hep A, Hep B and about three other injections from a sadistic nurse, i attempted to turn on the charm in the hope she would go easy on me, to no avail. She smiled only once, and that was when she started to go to work on my other arm with fresh needles and saw me flinch.

Dirty Anne

I know family will view this blog, but what an unfortunate name.

Where we will be

For the first two weeks we are going to be at the Anne Black Guest House which seems like quite a nice place judging by their web site. (Click the underlined name to go to it) In addition, because I have WAY to much time on my hands, here is a map showing Mongkok, where the guest house is and the general direction of the airport.

Jetlagged, grumpy and confused we have to get from airport to Mongkok, there is just as much chance we may end up in Tasmania.

Watch out Honkers
........

The first test

Well this is it i guess, the first of what i hope will be many postings so friends and family can keep track of Robyn and myself (Ben) throughout our journeys across both Hong Kong and the world. This is just a test, (as i have only found out how to make the damn blog) but I hope this site will turn out to be a month by month account of the events, experiences, pictures and opinions that we encounter on our journey. Just in case anyone finds this blog just through surfing online, here is quick explanation of what me and Robyn have got ourselves into! Around Christmas time, an hour before I was to sit an exam, I found a website advertising a charity based in Hong Kong which supplies graduate students to work in schools around the area to teach English. Robyn and myself decided to apply, and three interviews later found out we were going to be spending an academic year out in Honkers! (what the local ex pats call the place). It is now one month and about ten days before we are due to start our contract, and we have both just found out that we have got 2:1's from our degree...... so let the countdown begin :S !