Tuesday, June 29, 2004

the Times Square plaza plays Abba. All the time. I am so over "Dancing Queen" already!
we have our new apartment, where the first shop across the road is Gucci. seriously. fortunately, Times Square also has a regular supermarket and there's a "wet market" nearby. I'm learning the uses of the "do not disturb" sign in a serviced apartment full of housekeepers and management staff.

as I was told he'd be, the baby is a star attraction here. I counted five shopgirls at once yesterday, all crowded around the pusher cooing at him. this isn't "oh, nice baby" casualness like at home. this is full on "cuuuute!!!" touchy-feely adoration. he's so fair and blue-eyed - it must be what it's like for people with identical triplets, you can't walk a step without a fan club forming. not sure if it will be good for his baby ego or spoil him. but I have to agree with them all of course.

weather: stinking hot. this is like setting up house all over again, and my immediate future is not the Gucci store, but sourcing organic baby food and cooking oil.

Sunday, June 27, 2004

By upgrading, we've downgraded. ie, the new g5 (actually the second one, the first one was faulty, Mac reliability notwithstanding) does not have Word and all that guff, just a basic text program. of course we could buy one. it has sans serif as a default and I am starting to think the anti-sans serif people are right. but who has time to worry about such things? not when one is enjoying the sights of Hong Kong holed up in a small hotel room creeping around the baby so he can sleep, occasionally making short dashes for more bottled water, fruit etc.

yes, we made it. just. various near-disasters on the flight included: Qantas checkin clerk failing to realise we had a seat for the baby and trying to sent his seat off to the hold; further failure to allocate a seat, which we only noticed an hour before boareding; "gate check" of the stroller meaning "carousel collect" at the other end (eventually they sent a person to help us with: the 8kg baby. my handbag. the nappy bag. the car seat. the trolley full of electronics. the toy bag. Andrew's backpack. which was lucky or else we'd still be at the exit gate.

the upside of - and I break off here to note that "ctrl+s" does not mean on an Apple what it does on a Mac, and don't give me any of that guff about not needing to save because Apples don't crash because the first G5 had a t,g,b and 5 key that didn't work - anyway the upside of the company's inexplicable decision that we'd spend the first week in a hotel was that the hotel had a "limo" (car) for us.

the downside is that we're in one room, with no kitchen, nowhere for the baby to nap unless I turn all the lights off and pretend not to be here (and I further note that small differences between this and the old keyboard make typing in the dark harder, shoulda got the illuminated keyboard after all), a tiny fridge so we have to go to the restaurant for breakfast (dependent on baby nap times), that all our stuff has arrived at the airport but we don't really have room for it here, and that all my arrangements for this week are for the apartments we're not in.

ah well. at least the hotel sits atop a mall that runs down half of Kowloon, so we can get quick food/papers - but not baby cots - without venturing into the 30 degree, 90 per cent humidity, real Hong Kong. the park is close by, but it's just green and hot instead of grey and hot like the rest of Hong Kong.

(ps - may never post this. have no idea how to cut and paste on a mac. why no right mouse button?)

pps: like a pencil, the g4 touchpad works better if you wet your finger...

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

yes, baby still cute. yes, still moving to Hong Kong. which would be why I haven't posted much. Saturday. that's the day after tomorrow.
my new cousin's blog. warning: cute baby pix

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

what to wear
Need a babysitter? Rent-a-Mum specialises in finding babysitters, nannies and short-term childcare. You can reach them in HK at Tel/Fax: 2523 4868
hong kong webgrrls
hong kong women's site
although having done all that, I notice there's a Marks and Sparks store. I think I may have underestimated the availability of the stuff I'll need in Hong Kong. it'll be OK. it's just this going headlong into the unknown that has me searching for information while I'm still here. though we will need to gear up pretty quickly once we get there. once we have an apartment. once we even have flights booked.
this post is all business. so much to organise: packing, housesitting, flights. etc.


organic food in HK

vegan restaurants


post from a bulletin board: There is also a new organic cafe opening up, along the escalators at Stanton Road close to SOHO area. I am not sure if it has opened yet, but I have seen a very BIG sign of the organic cafe opening soon.

shops:

Organic Gardens - Organic vegetables and wines
1/F, 38 Cochrane Street, Central, Hong Kong, , Tel +852 2850 7919, Fax +852 2850 4633

All Things Healthy
Unit 1503, The Centrium
No.60 Wyndham Street
Central
Tel: 852-2525-1778
Fax: 852-2525-1783
Opening Hours: Mon - Sat, 10:00am - 6:00pm
or Email us below:

Green Concepts - Total approach to healthy living
2/F, 54 Jardine's Bazaar, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, , Tel +852 2882 4848, Fax +852 2890 8469

Health Gate - Full range of healthfood
8/F, 106-108 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong, , Tel +852 2545 2286, Fax +852 2854 0770



Organic Gardens sells mainly organic foodstuff. As to protect the environment, Organic Gardens pays great efforts in advocating organic agriculture and natural organic food consumption.


WE DO NOT USE any pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers to grow our vegetables. Developing the habit of natural organic food consumption can be beneficial to ones health. It is especially good for people who live in a busy world.

Organic Gardens is located in Sheung Shui, Hong Kong. The total area of the farm is approximately 500,000 sq. ft. Organic Gardens is the largest organic farm in Hong Kong.

Outlets of Organic Products / Vegetables

list of wellcome supermarkets

1) Greendotdot Shop

Shop No. MEF1, Mei Foo MTR Station, Kowloon

Shop No. KOB10, Kowloon Bay MTR Station, Kowloon

Shop No. OLY3, Olympic MTR Station, Kowloon

Shop No. FOH8, Fortress Hill MTR Station, Hong Kong

2) Euro Cafe

HOK 12C, M/F, Hong Kong Station, Airport Express, Central, H.K. (between Check-in Concourse & Train Platform)

Shop 1B, 1/F., Entertainment Building, 30 Queen's Road Central, Central

3) Coffee Chateau

KOW12A, Arrival Hall, Kowloon Station, Airport Express, Kowloon



general shopping guide site

baby equipment rental


sogo: like Myer, only in HK. have baby clothes etc

general listing of babygear at geoexpat - lookes really useful

big baby supplies shop

another long list of links to baby product shops.