The weather in Hong Kong is slowly starting to turn. Saturday was fairly dull and the humidity was on the up. Not really the weather to be outside in - I did a system level review of my GTD process and finished off Gears of War. This stuff is way better than therapy!

Sunday was a different story - HK took on a new warmth and vitality: Twenty-five degrees and the sun was out in all it's glory. I love Hong Kong when it is like this. The air is fresh and crisp: suddenly you don't mind the crowds of people so much and the city takes on an amzing beauty. (Plus the smog lifts a little and you can actually see the mountains on the Kowloon side).

Jordan saved me from festering in my apartment and frog-marched me to Lamma island. A ten minute walk to the pier in Central; a 20min ferry ride and we were there!

Lama Island is the third largest island in the country (after Lantau Island and HK Island). A laid back population of just 6,000 - the village you arrive at is wonderfully hippyish (Jordan's words). We trekked our way from Yung Shue Wan (also know as Banyan Tree Bay) to Sok Kwu Wan, where we enjoyed the standard Cantonese seafood lunch - by which I mean hand picked, outstandingly fresh and amazing.

A few things surprised me - firstly the sheer amount of expats who were around. With only 3,500 caucasian expats in HK (populations 6.9 million) a lot of them have found their way to Lamma isaland..... And why not? Kids and families walking their dogs, idylic and peaceful - this place was like any other tropical fishing island. (With the exception of the whopping great big coal burning power station).

The second were the "Kamikaze Holes" that are hidden alongside the trails. These were 5-10 metre caves dug into the hillside by retreating Japanese soldiers during their occupation. The Kamikaze Holes were to be an efficient way for troops to meet an honourable end - they'd be gathered up and dynamite charges would then be set. A bitter reminded or Hong Kong's history.

Lamma Trek

Das Leben Den Aneren

This is actually the first film I have seen in the theatre since I moved to Hong Kong in November. (Even if you include the two months I spent here over the summer!!) But what a film!

Das Leben der Anderen - The Life of Others, is set in socialist East Germany and follows a member of the Stasi (the secret police of the Communist Regime) and the interplay between the writer and actress he has under surveillance. Some similar themes to Equillibrium, I think - Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's film swept the awards at the Deutscher Filmpreis, and hopefully it will do the same at The Oscars on Sunday.

Weekend No15 - Kung Hee Fat Choy!

Happy New Year!

Weekend No14 - Mission Hills

The Mission Hills Golf Resort is a short stop from the Chinese border near Shenzhen. This is the worlds largest golf course with 219 holes over 20 square kilometres; it was voted Gold Resort of the Year in 2006.

You see that wonderful lush, sceneic, green in the photo? Well - we didn't go there... my friends and I had to settle for 12 hours intensive tuition at the driving range with the David Leadbetter Academy.

We didn't get lessons from David Leadbetter himslef - this was the guy who rebuilt Nick Faldo's swing; was recently inaugareted in the Golfing Hall of Fame and voted the second best Golf Instructer of all time. He was understandably a bit busy...

We did however, get some great tuition (as our backs will atest). And also some great Chinese massages afterwards. Just watch out for those happy endings.....

Speaking of massages - on our way up on Friday after work, we stayed overnight at a classic Chinese parlour in Shenzhen. It was a real experience - one I loved, once the culture shock has worn off. (And here I was, thinking I had done it all ^_^).

It was VERY Chinese and it highlighted the whole psyche of communal living and shared space. My favourite bit (apart from the intimate massage) - was sleeping in a little Japanese style cubby hole arranged row upon row. Not built for western tastes - you've been warned!

A Day at the Races

I won a DS Lite at the office raffle at the Jockey Club - woot!

Daniel won a Wii (grumble, grumble....) All in all, a good haul for the OMW team ^_^

Lazy Weekend No13 - Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien

This was an auspicious weekend. There were many frags.

I also finsihed watching Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien. A 14-part series, it is consistantly rated amongst the top 10 anime of all time. Currently it is number 4 on AnimeNfo.com - so it came on good recommendation!

Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien is a really introspective bitter-sweet romamce between 3 high-school students (yes, I know), years after their lives are torn apart by a tragic accident. Despite my summation - this series manages to avoid many clichés, especially considering it was adapted from a game. With themes of guilt, destructive relationships and depression - it's fairly heavy stuff, but well worth the heartache.