Wednesday 11th August 2010

Today, we played tennis for the penultimate time.  We only have one more lesson - I will miss Ron and Victoria Park. 

In the afternoon, the weather wasn't great so after working out at the gym, she and I went to IFC mall in Central to have a girly shopping trip.  Dad stayed in the apartment and snoozed mostly!  Our shopping trip was fun.  I bought a skirt from Zara and some books from Dymocks.

In the evening, we went to the watch the Symphony of Lights show at Tsim Sha Tsui.  It was as good as we remembered.  The buildings take turns at lighting up at the beginning when they are introduced and then there is a music and lights show.  Bank of China Tower always looks the best I think - maybe my view is a bit biased though! 

After the Symphony of Lights show we had a drink and some nachos at the waterfront and played Uno. 

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Tuesday 10th August 2010

Today was a relaxing day by the pool because the wather was gorgeous.  We also ate by the pool too because we planned to go to Temple Street Night Market in the evening to buy some gifts.

Later in the afternoon Dad decided to go to the Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lean Gardens.  Mum and I didn't want to go so we stayed up by the pool! 

When he came back he said it was a very pleasant walk around.  He had taken four photographs as evidence that he did actually go! 

I talked to my Japanese friend today and she is called Stephanie and she is 10 years old.  She is really nice. 

Before Temple Street we went to a big Chinese department store (Yue Hwa) and bought a lazy Susan and some bowls, spoons and plates which we arranged to have shipped home.  We haven't room to put it in our luggage because I've bought so many souvenirs! 

Temple Street was the usual tat, tat and a bit more tat!  We managed to buy some really nice stuff though.

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

PS.  Answers to the final quiz are as follows:

1.  Sapporo - Japan
2.  Seoul - South Korea
3.  Tokyo or Kyoto - Japan
4.  Beijing - China
5.  Pyongyang - North Korea
6.  Shanghai - China
7.  Hanoi - Vietnam
8.  Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
9.  Chengdu - China
10.  Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam
11.  Manila - Phillipines
12.  Bangkok - Thailand

Hope you enjoyed my quiz.

Monday 9th August 2010

I can't believe that one week from today, I will be home. It seems like only 5 minutes ago that we arrived here. I suppose - 'time flies if you're having fun!'

Today is another tennis day followed by lunch from Great and a relaxing afternoon. I am really enjoying our tennis lessons with Ron. I wish we could have more lessons because after today we only have 2 more. Booo hooo!!

I am writing about my top five buildings on Hong Kong Island today. I will write a small fact file about each one.

5.  Central Plaza

Constructed: 1989 - 1992
Architect: Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers Ltd
Floor count: 78 above ground and 3 below ground.
Use: Office space
Height: 374 metres or 1,272 ft
It is the third tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong.  It is home to the world's highest church - Hong Kong City Church. 
Shape: triangular
I like this building because it is very prominent in the skyline and it is a different shape to most of the other buildings.

4.  The Center

Constructed: 1995-1998
Architect: Dennis Lau Ng Chun Man Architects & Engineers Ltd
Floor Count: 80 floors
Use: Office space
Height: 346 metres or 1,135 ft
It is the fifth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong.  It is known for hundreds of horizontal neon bars arranged towards the top of the building.  They scroll through the colour spectrum at night.  Even though it is called The Center it is near the boundary between Central and Sheung Wan.
I like this building because of the multi-coloured lights at night and it is a very irregular shape.

3.  The Lippo Centre

Constructed: 1987-1998
Architect: Paul Rudolph
Floor Count: 48 in each tower block
Use: Office Space
Height: Lippo One - 172 metres or 564.3 ft; Lippo Two - 186 metres or 610.2 ft
They are twin tower office blocks and are built to resemble koalas climbing a tree.  I like this building because of the koala shaped design.  It is very distinctive.

2.  2IFC or International Finance Centre

Constructed: 1997-2003
Architect: Rocco Design Ltd
Floor Count: 88
Use: Office space, parking garage and retail
Height: 415.9 metres or 1,364.2 ft
Directly beneath 2IFC is the Airport Express/Hong Kong Station.  It is the second tallest building in Hong Kong, behind the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in West Kowloon.  It is the fourth tallest building in the Greater China region and the eigth tallest office building in the world.  I like it because it dominants the skyline and it has a claw at the top. 

1.  Bank of China Tower

Constructed: 1985-1990
Architect: I M Pei & Partners
Floor Count: 72 above ground and 4 below ground
Use: Office space
Height: 367.4 metres or 1,205.4 ft
It was the first building outside the USA to break the 305 metres/1,000 ft point.  The location is Murray House's former home before it was moved to Stanley.  It is the fourth tallest building in Hong Kong.  I like it partly because Dad worked there but also because it is a really strange shape and the lighting at night is really cool.  (see photograph of Bank of China Tower).

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Sunday 9th August 2010

Today we caught the fast ferry from China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui to Macau!  On the ferry at 11.30 am, straight after we had had breakfast, Dad ordered Imperial Big Meal Spicy Beef Noodles: the equivalent of a giant pot noodle!  According to him it was reasonably nice!

Once in Macau and after queuing for ages in passport control, we walked out of the ferry terminal to find a bus to the main area in Macau.  Dad accidentally kicked an orange fruit that was laying on the floor, the juice squirted on him.  It looked like someone had been sick on his trainers (white trainers might I add!). 

On the watefront of Macau are wacky casinos (it is the Las Vegas of Asia) - a volcano, a Chinese temple and an Egyptian town.  They are all fake of course. 

We had a little stroll round and we came to a ruined church/monastery.  Dad and I climbed up to the first floor and Mum took a photo of us!  It was really high up and a bit scary because the floor had tiny holes in so you could see through it.  There were a lot of mainland Chinese in Macau and like last year when we went to Beijing they were all looking at us.  While Dad and I were climbing up to the first floor of the ruined church, a Chinese lady asked if she could have a photo taken with Mum!  Later on some Chinese girls were looking at Mum and I and smiling.  They eventually plucked up the courage and went up to Dad to ask if they could have their photographs taken with Mum and I, but Dad misunderstood and thought they wanted a photograph with him.  They looked slightly disappointed as they walked off with their camera! 

Afterwards we all bought freshly baked Macanese egg tarts.  They were really nice.  We then got the same bus which we thought would take us back to the ferry terminal.  We felt quite proud of ourselves that we had managed on public transport.  However, as the journey went on and we went deeper and deeper into unknown territories we didn't feel as proud of ourselves.  We eventually had to get off the bus at the Chinese border and find a taxi to take us back to the ferry terminal!

In the evening, we went to a bar in TST to watch Sheffield United v Cardiff.  The bar - Delaneys - had a really relaxing atmosphere.  I had a roast dinner which was very nice.  We drew the footy game which was ok.

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Saturday 7th August 2010

Tonight, we went to the Palace cinema in IFC to watch Toy Story 3 in 3D.  We ordered paninis and drinks to be delivered to our seats during the film.  They were delicious.

Toy Story 3 was really good!  Slinky was a toy dog with a slinky for his body.  He was my favourite character because he made a few jokes and he is funny to look at.

There was also an evil purple strawberry smelling bear called Lots-o-hugs - lotso for short.  I didn't like his character because he was a bully but I still thought he was cute! 

On the way back from the film we stopped at a Circle K to buy some water.  We spent 47 HK dollars and received 2 coupons.  The coupons have either 5, 10, 20 or 25 points written on them.  If you collect 100 points, you can retrieve a pen with different Toy Story characters on.  I really want to shop at Circle K now to try and collect 100 points! 

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx


Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Friday 6th August 2010

Today was another tennis day.  We were playing on different courts today because we couldn't get on a court at Victoria Park.  However, the courts we did play on were on the opposite side of the road - Causeway Bay tennis courts.  We all really enjoyed the lesson today!  Fortunately it wasn't as hot as previous days.

You will recall on Wednesday I told you about Queen Victoria's bronze statue in Victoria Park and that she used to be living in Statue Square near the Cenotaph.  This time, I will talk about the Cenotaph.  At the end of this post, I will add my next and final quiz! 

The Cenotaph is Hong Kong's war memorial situated opposite Statue Square, Central.  It is almost an exact replica of the memorial in Whitehall, London.  At first it was built to commemorate the dead of the First World War.  Then the dates 1939-45 were included to remember those that fought and died in the Second World War.  Also, words were added to show that the Japanese conflict had been a Chinese war too. 

In the early to mid-1900s the Cenotaph was visible as you approached Hong Kong harbour as it was right next to the Star Ferry Pier but now you can no longer see it from the harbour.  This is a result of land reclamation - the ferry pier has been moved several times.  Buildings have since surrounded the Cenotaph.  It seems lost among the many skyscrapers and busy roads whilst still being immaculately kept (see photograph - Cenotaph in the background).  But since the 1997 handover it is no longer used.

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

P.S. The final quiz:-)

The final quiz of this holiday is KNOWLEDGE CONUNDRUMS. You will need to unscramble the city from Asia and then tell me which country it is in (Hong Kong isn't in it because that would be WAY, WAY too easy!!!) You get one mark for unscrambling the name and then an extra mark for telling me the country. Here it is, enjoy:

1. PRSPOAO

2. USLOE

3. KOYTO (with this one there are two possible answers - for one and the country you get two marks but if you get both of them and the country they are in then you get three!)

4. JBIIGNE

5. YAYGPGNON

6. GIHAHSNA

7. OHANI

8. LAUKA PURLMU

9. NUHEDCG (for all you BLADES out there!!! GIANT CLUE)

10. OH HIC MNHI TCYI

11. NAIAML

12. GBKAKNO

Good luck!!!

Thursday 5th August 2010

Today it was very hot and so we decided to do some swimming, reading, etc before going out later when it had cooled down.

When we were getting ready to go out, an horrific storm broke out.  This confined us to the lobby of the hotel for quarter of an hour until it eased off.  Even then we managed to get wet through just walking to the star ferry pier in Hung Hom.  We all dried pretty quickly though.

Once in Central, we went up the escalator to Hollywood Road.  We had read that there were some nice antique shops there.  Unfortunately when we arrived they were all closed.  Probably because of the weather!

So we carried on up the escalator to look for a tapas bar.  After 15 mins trudging about in heavy rain, we stopped looking and went for a return trip to Rick's - the lovely Greek restaurant.  We all really enjoyed the meal and atmosphere again and hope that we have time to go back again before we leave.

I can't believe we only have one week and a half left.  I am looking forward to comijng home though and seeing my friends and family. 

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

PS.  Tennis tomorrow!!!

Wednesday 4th August 2010

Today was another tennis lesson day at Victoria Park with Ron.  It wasn't too hot today so we weren't as exhausted as on Monday.  After the lesson we went to Great in Pacific Place.  Mum and Dad bought some noodles, a salad and a vegetable samosa for me.  It was all very nice.

For the rest of the day we chillaxed by the pool.  It was such a nice way to spend the afternoon.  In the evening we decided to cook in the apartment rather than go out.

As Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this week and next week we are having tennis lessons at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, I thought it would be nice to give you some information about Victoria Park.  Fronting onto Causeway Road, Victoria Park is one of Hong Kong's most popular open areas.  It has numerous sporting facilities including: tennis courts (obviously), a jogging track, a swimming pool (a new one is currently under construction), areas to play football and other sports.  A bronze statue of Queen Victoria looking unamused sits guarding the entrance to the park.  I am sure that you would look unamused too if you had been through what she has: starting life in London, she was then erected in Statue Square in Central Hong Kong.  During the Japanese occupation, she was taken to Japan to be melted down along with other statues from the square.  After the Second World War she was placed where she stands today.  However, that wasn't the end of her troubles - she suffered a blow to the nose by vandals.  Now she is fully restored and sits looking unamused (as I'm sure you understand now) at the Causeway Road entrance to her own park. 

It is a pleasure to play tennis under Queen Victoria's watchful eye but I wonder how many of the people using the park know who she is! 

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Tuesday 3rd August 2010

Today is a non-tennis day so we caught the East Rail line from Hung Hom station to Tai Po Market in New Territories.  Our destination was Plover Cove.  From Tai Po Market we caught the 75k bus to get there. 

We rented bikes and cycled along the 2km dam wall which had the reservoir on one side and the sea on the other.  It was a scorching hot day with not even a breath of wind so we all had to drink plenty of water. 

During the cycle ride we stopped at a cafe to have a drink.  I had an ice-cream too!

Once we had finished our drinks Dad led us halfway up a steep hill which had beautiful views of the reservoir.  We were all hot and bothered and out of breath by the time we stopped.  We enjoyed a 5 minute break before pushing our bikes back down the hill.  We then sat by the sea in a bbq area and had our picnic lunch and played Old Maid.  It was very relaxing.  There were lots of Chinese teenagers and families barbecuing and playing games.

As we cycled towards the rental shop, we passed a group of teenagers taking part in a summer boot camp.  It was fun to watch.  Because we had travelled a lot to get to Plover Cove we decided just to have a relaxing night at the Waterfront cafe outside the hotel.  It is a lovely place to sit and watch the boats pass.  Lots of cruise ships were going past as we ate our meal.   I had fish and chips and it was gorgeous.  After the meal we played Uno. 

Speak soon.

Love Meganxxx

PS.  The answers to the previous quiz are:-

1.  Typhoon
2.  South China Sea
3.  Macau
4.  Star Ferry
5.  Japan

Well done everyone who got them all right.  The last quiz will be posted this week before I return to the UK.

Monday 2nd August 2010

Today we had to get up at 7.30 am because all three of us are having two weeks of tennis lessons with Ron.  Mum and I are really excited because we were taught by Ron last year so we know him.  Dad, however, is nervous because he has only been playing for two months and has only been coached by Natalie in the UK. 

We caught the 8.21 am ferry fro Hung Hom to Wan Chai.  Then the 8P bus to Victoria Park tennis courts.  When we saw Ron he said that I had grown quite a bit but other than that Mum and I hadn't changed.  We had one hour of our two hour lesson and then we had to stop because it rained really heavily.  I was really disappointed because I was enjoying the lesson. 

After tennis we got the MTR from Tin Hau to Admiralty and went into a shopping mall called Pacific Place.  Mum and Dad sat me down on some seats outside a shop whilst they went to a really awesome supermarket called Great to buy some lunch.  We walked with lunch and an iced coffee from Starbucks down to the cenotaph garden.  It is really nice to sit there and watch the fountains.

In the evening, aftger a couple of hours by the pool, we went over to Wan Chai to an English style pub for tea.  It was a typical stone/colonial British building that was really nice to sit in.  The food was delicious!   Dad had an incident with a cockroach while we were sat outside on the balcony.  All of a sudden he looked down and there was a cockroach crawling up his leg.  After that we went to sit inside! 

There was a live band singing as well which was really cool.  They played Angels by Robbie Williams (one of my favourite songs).  Afterwards we caught the tram back to Central which was a really interesting journey at night.  The streets were lined with crazy neon lights flashing on and off. 

A really nice but tiring day. 

Speak soon

Love Meganzzz

Sunday 1st August 2010

Today we caught a ferry from Central to an outlying island called Lamma Island.  I enjoyed the ferry ride because it was a fast ferry and we saw lots of giant container ships passing through Hong Kong.

When we arrived in Lamma we found that it was a real contrast to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.  Along the water's edge were ramshackle houses and huts, a bit like Cheung Chau last year, and in the bay were lots of fishing boats.  As we walked along the main street of the town, we browsed through lots of craft shops.  They all had beautiful trinkets inside as well as jewellery and other things. 

For lunch we stopped at a lovely cafe called the Bookworm Cafe.  It is an all vegetarian cafe with a collection of second-hand books.  We sat outside and had a great time playing games and drinking LOTS of water - it is very hot here at the moment.

In the evening we all collapsed after tea because tomorrow is our first tennis lesson with Ron Doctrove, our tennis coach from last year.  I am so excited!!!

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Saturday 31st July 2010

Today was yet another lovely, relaxing day by the pool.  I welcomed a lie in after having to get up early three out of the last five days!  Mum and Dad made pancakes for breakfast/brunch.  They were delicious.

In the evening, Dad took us to a bar called Sevva, on top of the Prince's Building in Central for drinks.  We arrived at around 6.30 pm so that we could watch the sun set over the city.  The lights on the surrounnding buildings started to come on as the late sunlight melted away.  From the Sevva balcony it was a fabulous view of both Central, Wan Chai and Kowloon side. 

After about an hour at Sevva we got a taxi to Lockhart Road.  On Lockhart Road there is a Chinese restaurant called the American Peking.  Because we had reserved a table our name was written on the board downstairs.  I had the best stir fried chilli beef, lemon chicken, egg fried rice and Peking duck and pancakes I have ever had in my whole life.  They only cooked whole ducks so we had to have one to ourselves!  A waiter brought the whole duck to the table to show us and then carved it!  Dad ate most of it.  It was one of the best nights out. 

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Friday 30th July 2010

Today we had to wake up early because we were going on dolphin watching trip Part 3!  We caught the free shuttle bus from the hotel to Hankow Road and then a coach from there to Lantau Island.  From Lantau we boarded a boat that would take us to look for the Chinese White Dolphins (they have pink bellies).

On the boat we met some really nice people - there was quite a mixed crowd of Japanese, Hong Kongers, Americans and Germans.  One of the women we met worked for the SCMP (South China Morning Post) newspaper.  Talking to her was really interesting. 

After about one hour we found some dolphins.  There was a mother and baby pair that were so cute.  We saw lots of them following fishing boats trying to catch some escaping fish.  It was really cool.  (website if you are interested in the Chinese White Dolphins http://www.hkdolphinwatch.com/). 

In the afternoon we did nothing.  In other words we vegetated by the pool.  The evening was also very relaxing.  Dad cooked whilst I had a shower and mum went to the gym. 

Overall a great day - it wasn't the same without you though Lesley & Ash. 

Speak soon.

Love Meganxxx

Thursday 29th July 2010

Today Susheela (one of Dad's work colleagues) invited me to spend the day with her kids: Izzy, James, Gabriella and Georgia, at their house in Discovery Bay.  I was really looking forward to having some other kids to play with.

Dad took me over on the ferry from Central (25 mins) and Izzy and Susheela met us from the ferry pier.  Dad and Susheela went back on the ferry whilst Izzy took me on a bus to their house.

When I got there I found out that later we would be going ten pin bowling, then swimming at Club Sienna. It is a really nice club with delicious food and loads of different swimming pools.  We played two bowling games: Izzy won one and I won the other.  Our reward was to push the others into the swimming pool afterwards!  It was really fun.  Izzy and James tried to teach me to dive, but I was hopeless!

In the evening when my day at Discovery Bay had ended, Mum met Dad and I off the ferry and we went to a restaurant called Isola.  They had really nice food.  We sat on the balcony overlooking Kowloon at first but we had to go inside because an horrific storm began. 

I really enjoyed my day! 

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Wednesday 28th July 2010

Today we took a shopping trip out to Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui.  We didn't go for anything in particular but just browsed around all of the shops.  I bought a Nintendo DS game from Hong Kong Records.

For lunch we stopped at a Japanese cafe/bakery called Panash.  I had macaroni cheese and it was very nice.  Once we finished shopping we planned to go to Hong Kong Space Museum.  Unfortunately, when we stepped out of the door we found that an horrific thunderstorm was passing over.  I heard the loudest crack of thunder I have ever heard in my life during that storm.  It scared me so much that it made me jump!

Eventually we did arrive at the Space Museum, somewhat wet and soggy!  The Space Museum was good although I preferred the Hong Kong Museum of History.  But it was still great.  I went on a ride involving the power of a gyroscope which was really good. 

Tonight Mum cooked us Normandy Chicken which is delicious chicken in a creamy sauce.  It is my favourite meal of all time. 

I am still tired from yesterday so I am going to bed now. 

Speak soon.

Love Meganxxx

Tuesday 27th July 2010

Today it's Ocean Park day! Woooo! I have been looking forward to today all holiday. If you don't know, Ocean Park is a theme park/zoo where you can go on cable cars, see pandas, watch dolphins (with pink tummies) and sea lions in a spectacular show!! In other words it's fab.

We had to get up early to take the ferry from Hung Hom to Central and then we waited for the bus through the Aberdeen tunnel to Ocean Park. It was a good day to go as the weather wasn't too hot. I think Dad was quite excited as he didn't get to go to Ocean Park with us last year.

The first thing we did on arrival was watch the summer special splash show. It was really good. There were five divers, diving into a small round pool from great heights. It was amazing to watch - an excellent show and Dad really enjoyed it.

After that we walked toward the Giant Panda enclosure.  Jia Jia (the female) and An An (the male) were really funny to watch because they walked around their enclosures (one each - pandas lead solitary lives) and ate bamboo!  We stood watching and trying to catch them on camera for more than half an hour.  Below is our best effort.  It is my favourite attraction at Ocean Park.

Then we took the cable car ride over the mountain.  It was spectacular.  There were beautiful views of Repulse Bay and huge container ships out at sea.

My other favourites included: the sea lion and dolphin show, and the sea life carousel where I sat on a sea horse (not a real one!).

Overall Ocean Park was a tiring but fun day out.  When we arrived back at the hotel we all relaxed and went to bed earlier than usual.

Love Megan xxx

P.S.  The answers to COUNTDOWN CONUNDRUMS are as follows:

1. PROGRESSIVE
2. ARTICULATE
3. HERITAGE
4. SKYSCRAPER
5. RETRIEVAL

This week's quiz has more of an Asian theme.  You may need to do some research.  Good luck:

1. In Hong Kong, what is another name for a hurricane or cyclone?
2. Which sea surrounds Hong Kong?
3. What is the name of the city that used to be under Portuguese rule, that is close to Hong Kong?
4. What is the name of the ferry company which has run a regular ferry service across the harbour since 1898?
5. Which country occupied Hong Kong during World War II?

Monday 26th July 2010

Today we slept in late because we were so tired from the full day out yesterday. We were going to make a trip to Ocean Park today, but from looking at the weather forecast (http://www.hko.gov.hk/contente.htm) we decided that it would be too hot. Instead we went on the tram from Central to North Point and back. It was a really interesting journey.

On the way back we got off at Admiralty and went shopping in a western shop called GREAT. We bought lunch and walked up to Hong Kong Park to eat it. The fountain was working in the park today so I walked under it and got quite wet (see photograph at the top of the page!).

After lunch we all felt exhausted from our trip so we trudged back to the hotel. Guess what we did next - relaxed bythe pool!!! It was a really cool day.

In the evening we caught the shuttle bus into Tsim Sha Tsui and went to a restaurant called La Villa. We remembered that the food was brilliant from last year and we all ordered the same meal. My fish and chips were delicious! I really enjoyed today. Ocean Park tomorrow!!

Speak soon

Lots of love Meganxxx

Sunday 25th July 2010

Today we were invited to one of Dad's work colleague's houses, Mabel, who lives in Tai Po up in New Territories for a poolside bbq. To get there we had to get up early and catch a train to Tai Po Market from Hung Hom. It was a really enjoyable ride even though I wasn't properly awake!

When we arrived at Mabel and Edward's house, there was the sound of barking dogs. Once we were insidce we saw why - Mabel has four dogs! Mabel and Edward had thought of everything - from towels to insect repellant and suncream to inflatables in the pool. I jumped in the pool almost straight away because it was such a hot day.

Susheela and her husband and four children came as well. It was cool having other kids to play with instead of just me!!!

The day passed really quickly (because I was having so much fun) swo when we had to leave I was disappointed but also very tired. Mabel had bought me a really nice toiletries set as a gift. Thank you Mabel and Edward for a great day.

Once we got back to the apartment, Dad cooked bruschetta, salad and potatoes for tea. Delicious as usual.

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Saturday 24th July 2010

Today was Dad's first day off so we took him up to the pool for a swim as it was a nice day. He really enjoyed relaxing. Dad and I had planned to go and watch the dragon boat racing in TST in the afternoon but he was enjoying himself too much so we didn't go!

In the evening we took the ferry to Central and walked up the escalator to a greek restaurant called Rick's. It is the BEST RESTAURANT this holiday. I had chicken souvlaki and it was GORGEOUS!

After our fabulous meal, we got a taxi to Wan Chai Convention and Exhibition Centre. There was a book fair going on down there and we went to have a look. There was a section called 'English Avenue' where all the English books are so we walked around there. Mum didn't see anything she fancied but Dad and I bought 2 books each. It was really busy. We then got the ferry from Wan Chai to TST and a taxi home. There was a massive queue for the taxis and we eventually got home at 12.00 midnight!!! We're off to Tai Po tomorrow. We've been invited to Mabel's house there - Dad works with Mabel. I'm looking forward to it.

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

Friday 23rd July 2010

Today as soon as we were ready this morning, Mum and I caught the Star Ferry to Central. We were heading for HK park, a lush green park surrounded by skyscrapers in the middle of the city. We remembered the way from last year and hot and bothered, we finally arrived.

There is a fountain/waterfall that you can walk under and cool yourself down. Mum and I were both looking forward to that. After a small walk around we walked towards the fountain. When we got there we saw that the fountain wasn't working. We were SO disappointed. We also went in the conservatory at the park and looked at the plants - lots of cacti, as well as looking at the fish and terrapins.

Not long after we arrived back at the apartment, Dad arrived home. He told us that he had two conference calls one at 7.30 pm and the other at 9.00 pm. So we weren't able to go out to eat. We therefore ordered a Chinese to be delivered to our apartment from the website 'Food by Web'.

Whilst Dad was on his conference calls, Mum and I went for a walk in Whampoa. We visited Pacific Coffee (a sort of Starbucks) and had an ice chillino. It is a type of coffee chilled - it was really yummy!

Speak soon!

Love Meganxxx

Thursday 22nd July 2010

Today Mum and I got the shuttle bus to Hankow Road in TST and walked to Harbour City (a massive shopping centre). It was raining really heavily (again) so our umbrellas had another outing! We went into a few shops including H&M and Hong Kong Records where I bought some new clothes and a DS game.

When we had finished shopping, Mum and I got the Star Ferry: TST to Wan Chai (where we bought lunch at Pacific Coffee) then Wan Chai to Hung Hom just for fun!!! It was really cool!

It was still raining heavily when we arrived back in our apartment. Mum checked the weather forecast on the HK Observatory website and there was a Black Rainstorm Warning in force! This meant that Dad couldn't get on the Star Ferry to come home because he wasn't allowed out of the office! The thunderstorm passed after about 15 minutes so Dad wasn't too late home. He forgot to take his umbrella to work, so I went to meet him from the Star Ferry with his umbrella because the rain was still heavy. He was very grateful.

For dinner we had roast potatoes, bruschetta and salad, followed by Saint Etoile egg tarts! It was REALLY DELICIOUS!

Speak soon

Love Meganxxx

PS. Well done everyone on the last quiz. You all got it right so I've decided to step it up a bit. This week's quiz is COUNTDOWN CONUNDRUMS. All you have to do is unscramble the eight to 11 letter words. Answers to the same e-mail addresses by Monday. Here you are:-

1. sgeorrpvsei

2. ltuacrieat

3. ghetreia

4. payrkscsre

5. lvtrireae

Wednesday 21st July 2010

Today we knew that it would be a bad weather day because typhoon warning No.1 had been hoisted. Knowing this we decided to go to Hong Kong History Museum in TST. We wanted to go last year but we didn't have enough time. I thought that it would just be lots and lots of reading about boring stuff! However, it was really good. It was better than the Science Museum we visited last year (which is next door!).

The museum is really interactive and there are loads of great photo opportunities. Dad would be proud of us because admission is free on a Wednesday so we didn't have to pay anything either! If it's a rainy day and you don't know what to do go to the Hong Kong History Museum on Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Then we had to walk down to the Hotel Shuttle Bus and there was an incredibly heavy tropical rainstorm. Everyone got their umbrellas out but you still got wet. It is quite strange when it rains here because the rain is like taking a warm shower.

Vanessa Cheung had organised the DLA summer party and it was really good. Thanks Vanessa! We all sat round a long table and had drinks and tapas. There was a really mixed crowd - Hong Kongers, Australians and Brits. It is interesting to meet people from different places. Mum, Dad and I then got the ferry to TST and a taxi home - it was a late night!

Love

Meganxxx

PS. Today's quiz will be posted later - got to dash now as I'm off out.

Tuesday 20th July 2010

Another lazy day by the pool (after running yet some more errands for dad!) because it was too hot to do anything else. When we picked up the laundry from Mrs Chi King, we also dropped off two of dad's work shirts.

Dad had told us earlier that he was going out for lunch, so he wouldn't want a big meal when he got home. Mum and I decided to order lunch by the pool. So we ordered a Margherita pizza (for us to share) and a caesar salad (for mum only!).

When Dad arrived home from work, we had a snack for tea and then went out for a walk in Whampoa (the local neighbourhood). Dad bought me an ice-cream from Haagen Daz and we looked in a book shop called Popular.

Once we got back to the apartment, we played a card game called Boggle Slam. It is really fun!

Love

Meganxxx

Monday 19th July

Today we went out to drop off our laundry at Mrs Chi King's (see picture - me outside Mrs Chi King's in Whampoa). We then went to Park 'n' Shop to buy various things that Dad and and I forgot. Mum also let me have a look in ROXY (a fantastic clothes shop) but we didn't buy anything (again, much to my disgust!).

After that a chilling day by the pool was in store which I really enjoyed. Mum still hasn't swum as many lengths as me!

When we came down from the pool we realised that we forgot to buy bread to go with the spaghetti bolognaise we were making for tea. Mum couldn't go and get it without me because she was cooking. I decided to go so I went to Saint Etoile by myself and then went to meet Dad from the ferry! Dad was surprised but pleased to see me!

Love

Meganxxx

Sunday 18th July 2010

Today we took Dad across to Central and went on the Escalator. It didn't feel as hot as last year but still a lot warmer than the UK! Dad really enjoyed it . He is usually the 'man with the map' showing us where to go but we showed him where to go today! It was quite funny!!!

After going on the Escalator, we walked down to the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens to show Dad the animals. The apes were the best by far. Most of the other animals were sprawled out in their enclosure sleeping because it was too hot for them! There were belts hanging from the top of the apes' enclosure and they were swinging on them like Tarzan! One of the males was holding a stick in its feet and swinging at the same time! But then it dropped the stick and it went off into a corner to sulk! We were surprised at how human-like their behaviour is!

We all felt hot, sweaty and ready for a swim after that so we caught the Star Ferry to Hung Hom and had a refreshing swim at the hotel.

That evening Dad's work friends, Neville and his girlfriend Clara and Andy Cooper came over to dinner at the Waterfront. Nev brought a swear box (a bear poo from Winnie the Pooh!) to put money in if anybody swore! Andy brought some history magazines for Mum, a Hong Kong phone for Dad and a game called Gobblet for me. At the end we played a card game called Uno. Clara was really good at it and she won!! It was a really fun night!

Speak soon!

Love Meganxxx

P.S The answers to the MISSING LINKS quiz are as follows:

1. SUGAR

2. BRANCH

3. IDLE

4. STANDING

5. RAG

Another quiz, COUNTDOWN CONUNDRUMS, will be posted within the next couple of days.

Saturday 17th July 2010

Today we went to Jusco - a Japanese supermarket in Whampoa - to buy some food to stock the fridge up. Then we decided to go and lay by the beautiful rooftop pool and go for a swim. I really enjoyed it and swam 31 lengths!!

At lunchtime we shared a burger and a salad. The food by the pool is GORGEOUS!! We stayed by the pool until 6 o'clock when we went to our room to get ready to go out. We went to the New Sangeet (an old favourite - see last year's posts) for an Indian meal in Tsim Sha Tsui. It was just as good as last year and one of the waiters remembered us!

After eating we went shopping and looked for a new phone for me. We didn't buy anything though - much to my disgust!!!!

It was our first full day in HK and I really enjoyed it.

Love Meganxxx

P.S This year I wanted to make my blog more interactive so from now on I will be posting various quizzes along with my posts. Send the answers to mine, Mum's or Dad's email address. You get one mark for each correct answer. I will count them all up at the end and the prize will be a present from Temple Street Night Market in Hong Kong. For this one please, email the answers to me by Wednesday. I will post the answers on Wednesday evening. Enjoy!!

MISSING LINKS

Each clue consists of three words which have a fourth in common. For example, PAINT, ELBOW and PROOF are linked by the word GREASE.

1. Brown - Daddy - Cane (5)

2. Local - Olive - Line (6)

3. Thought - Bone - Away (4)

4. Order - Stone - Ovation (8)

5. Time - Doll - Trade (3)

Friday 16th July 2010

Read Thursday 15th (below) before this.

We woke up after an interrupted 5 hours sleep and turned our mind to arriving in Hong Kong. All of us were really excited - especially me!!! As soon as we stepped of the plane onto the airbridge, we felt the heat of Hong Kong and thought, 'It's good to be back!' I thought of all the places that we visited last time we were in HK but I especially remembered the hundreds of times that we went on the Star Ferry to Central. Once Mum and I got the ferry from TST to Central then Central to Hung Hom, just for fun!

After catching the Airport Express to Kowloon, we got a taxi to the Harbour Grand. It used to be called the Harbour Plaza (where we stayed last year) but changed its name since last year. We had so many bags and suitcases that all three of us had to squash in the back with hand luggage on our knees! It was quite a tight squeeze and warm too!

When we got to the hotel, we found out that we had the same room but three floors lower! We were really happy so we unpacked and went down to the Waterfront Restaurant for tea. I had their Margherita Pizza which is really gorgeous.

After the meal we all started to yawn because we didn't sleep properly on the plane. Mum suggested that we go up to the room and go to sleep so that's what we did. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

Love Meganxxx

Thursday 15th July 2010

Today we have been driven down to Heathrow airport - a 3 hour journey from our house - to catch our connecting flight to Zurich, Switzerland then from there to Hong Kong. I was (and still am) very excited about revisiting Hong Kong this year. Because we are flying business class, we got to go in the Star Alliance Gold lounge. It was so cool!

When the time came to go to the gate, a message came up on the flight screen that our flight would be delayed 1 hour because of storms in Zurich. This meant that we might miss the connecting flight to Hong Kong. We all groaned. I was so annoyed with the weather!!!

Just before we landed in Zurich an air stewardess told us that our flight would wait for us to get on. We thanked her and Dad became ridiculously giddy. It was really funny.

There was an Australian lady who was on her own and really worried about missing the connecting flight to Hong Kong. She wasn't in business class so we got the stewardess to give her a message about where the gate was and waited for her to help her get to the flight. She was a very nice lady and grateful for our help. She had also got another flight back to Australia the next day from HK. Yuck!!! We got on our flight with minutes to spare and we all felt really relieved. 'I wouldn't have minded a night in Zurich after all!' Dad said. I wouldn't of either but I would have preferred to be on the way to Hong Kong!!

(This plane journey is continued in the blog entry above - Friday 16th July!)

Love Megx

I'm back!

Hi everyone!!

Just to let you all know that I am going back to Hong Kong this Summer so I will be restarting this blog. I hope you like it as much as last Time. Watch this space!!!!

Love Meganxxx