Date: November 8, 2014
Mood: Thoughtful
Weather: Rainy
Listening to: A Thousand Kisses Deep by Leonard Cohen
Reading: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
Dh woke up early and went on walkabout, aka a trip to HK by himself. So it's just me and the girls for the day. Stayed up reallylate last night, so they are enjoying this lazy and rainy Saturday morning tucked in between their covers dreaming of sweet nothings. Meanwhile, I woke up fairly early to discover dh gone, but then couldn't fall back asleep. Opted to start my day off with a coffee and my book between the sheets. Nothing pressing to take care of today, so might as well just enjoy the relaxed and definite Fall like air of the day.
Finally caught up on last week's episode of Parenthood. I can not express how much I love this show. I'm not sure there's ever been a show just so real to life as this one. I mean, the family dynamics are so pure and raw. I literally cry at some point during every episode because the writers and actors come together to form such a perfect portrayal of life. It hits home. Every time. I don't come from a big family. Well, I have a fairly big extended family, but as far as an immediate family goes mine was small- just me, my dad, and my mom. I lack the sibling experiences, but somehow this series sucks me in to it in such a way that itseems like it's all wrapping around me. No more unknown. It's kind of nice. lol And, well, let's just say I'm really sad it is in the last season. :(
It's nice to be able to have these small pieces of home even though we aren't there right now. Thank God for the internet. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have the modern day conveniences the world wide web brings us today compared to twenty years ago. When I was growing up in Hong Kong it was a rarity to get to talk to my grandparents in the States or to get care packages from home. Long distance calling rates were insane and the postage rates were utterly ridiculous themselves. But here we are, twenty years later, and it's all different. With the internet I get to talk to my mum or my grandmother whenever I want via Skype. I can chat via Facebook, WeChat, e-mail, etc. It's like we aren't quite so far apart. I like that. It doesn't make the homesickness any less when you really just wanna hug your mom or grab a frappe' at your local McD's with your bestie though. I guess it can't be perfect. sigh Maybe in another twenty years they'll have an ap for that. lol
Sometimes people ask me what I miss the most about living in the States. Aside from the obvious (family and friends), my answer may change on any given day. There are so many things to miss, yet you do acclimate and find somewhat passable substitutions where you are. For me, I'd say my most common answers are good pizza and Mexican food. lol It's not that you can't find them here, but they are few and far between and not always that fabulous.
Pizza, for instance, is available both here in China and in Hong Kong. Predominantly in HK, but even there it isn't what I wouldcall great pizza. There is a little hole in the wall place called Pizza Box that, I've heard rumored, is some off shoot from Dominos. I have no idea if that is accurate or not, especially since there seems to be only one branch of said restaurant. And they only do carry out or delivery, no dine in. It's tiny. Anyhow, back on point, they have decent pizza- probably the best I've had here. It's not gourmet or anything like that, but they seem to have the concept down fairly well. Compare that to Pizza Hut, which is the most common pizza venue you'll find in these parts, and I'd pick Pizza Box any day. But then I'm not a Pizza Hut fan even in the States. Something about their cheese or crust or something. It's just never been a favorite of mine, and certainlyless so here. Here in our little town in China we have a little hole in the wall dine in pizza place too. Again, nothing to write home about, or not for the positives anyways (lol), yet it's okay in a pinch. They even have little bottles of real Parmesan cheese on each of the tables. I'd say that's a pretty good selling point, even if the pizza names and toppings aren't always real traditional.
The best part of going to this restaurant though, like many restaurants locally, is reading their English menu. It's hilarious. At this particular one they have a pizza on the menu called the “Happy Memory”. Sounds interesting, yes? That is until you read the ingredients... onion, green pepper, own flesh and bone, shrimp, and tomato. You read that right, OWN FLESH AND BONE! Ummm... Yeah. I'm not sure I'm keen on chopping off parts of my body for you too cook up and toss on the top of my pizza, but thanks though. lol Okay, so truth be told, it's undoubtedly a really bad translation. Pretty certain the proper translation is something along the lines of you pick your own choice of meat to go on with the other ingredients. It sounds far more menacing the other way around. haha
Mexican food is much harder to locate around these parts. I've heard rumors of several really delicious taco stands or Mexican dives in Hong Kong, yet they aren't in areas close to where we live when we are there. Therefore we haven't had the pleasure of trying them ourselves yet. Hard to believe we've been here since February and still haven't managed to seek one of them out. Mexican food was like a family staple back home in Oklahoma. Man alive do I miss it! On the Border, Fajita Rita's, Senor Tequila's, even Taco Bueno and Taco Bell. Ahhhh I can almost taste the guacamole and salsa now.
On a complete and total side note, this “station” I seem to be on on xiami.com is streaming some great dreary day music. I started out listening to Leonard Cohen; then let it keep playing when my song was done. I've since been introduced to Gerard Darmon, Lou Reed and John Cale, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, among several others I've never even heard of.
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