Me and My Gin

I hope everyone is enjoying the long Memorial Day weekend. It's just another weekend here in HK. Not much is going on. Paul is studying for some sort of securities test, kind of the Hong Kong version of the Series 7. It's next Saturday.

I met with a couple of the English girls this week at Mix in Central, the cafe with the smoothies where I used to take advantage of the free internet... ah, the early days. By the way, the Mix closest to us closed. Paul said it was because they couldn't afford the rent because of the people who would use the internet without buying anything. One time! Once! Just once I refused to buy a smoothie while desperately needing to search the internet for internet service providers.

I learned a new English, as in British, slang word. One girl used it two or three times and I had trouble understanding what she was saying, but she was using the word to express somebody being exhausted. I had to look it up online and I think the word is nackered or knackered. So, I am learning a new language here.

I don't have a lot to say today, so my simple plan is to list some things that I either miss or that I find Hong Kong oddly lacks.

1. Napkins
They have them in restaurants, but they don't sell them in supermarkets. The only kind they sell are the tough paper type that would fill a dispenser in a public bathroom. The closest I've come is the select-a size paper towels.

2. 1% milk
They have regular milk, skim milk, and 2% milk. I used to prefer 1% milk. I also try not to let it worry me that the cartons sometimes say "milk drink."

3. Decaffeinated tea
I have a very low tolerance for caffeine, but I love drinking tea. They sell a wide variety of brands, but not one is decaffeinated, so I have to plan my tea drinking carefully. I already have trouble getting to sleep before 3 a.m.

4. 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner
They can make a washer and dryer in one, but not shampoo and conditioner? I guess they believe in saving space but not time, as demonstrated by the functions of the washer/dryer. They have common brands of shampoo and conditioner like Pantene but no combos. When I run out of the last of the bottle I brought, this could add to my shower time. And what fun Paul will have throwing that commentary into his blogs.

5. Vanilla vodka
Somebody (yes, you Sherri) introduced me to Stoli Vanilla and tonic a couple of years ago. If I'm someplace where I don't want wine, that was usually my cocktail of choice. There are bars here with many types of vodka, but Stoli Vanilla or any other vanilla is rarely among them. Then it's just me in the corner with some gin.

That's all for now, as Paul just read over my shoulder and saw something about napkins and milk and questioned my ability to entertain. You know, Paul, the one who has written about three blogs.

We are slightly homesick this weekend for hanging out in Scott's backyard all day, listening to his downloaded music, and then burning the disposable parts of Scott's house in the fire pit at night.