Well, the time has come…it is June and we have survived another month. Survival is not exactly the word that should be used; we are having a great time. It has been busy on many fronts. You will probably get tired of reading this long before I get tired typing but c’est la vie. Where to start? This is obviously a generic letter but that is probably the only way we can keep in touch. It is not possible to write personal letters to each person on the letterhead.
The apartment was our big concern last month and it still is to a certain extent. Our furniture arrived, one week after they suggested but that is okay. Three guys arrived and started to unpack. I had to tell them what rooms to put the boxes in; this seems pretty straight forward until you realize that the box says crystal but it isn’t really, it doesn’t belong in the dining room cupboards, it belongs in the living room and by the way half the box really belongs in the new den. The lady was at work or so she says so I ended running from room to room to keep ahead of these guys while they put dishes away and set-up televisions and den furniture. It was fun. The movers forgot some important pieces-they did not include the computer desk or the shelves that go above it; they also forgot a special piece of art that is six foot square. It needed its own crate. How they could miss this in Toronto is beyond me. They also missed 3 other cartons so we have a lamp and no shade and we are missing some crystal decorations for the living room and some Christmas ornaments. We also had some damage-minor but irritating-two plates were chipped and our good china sugar bowl no longer has a lid. Now, I suppose that china sugar bowls are not part of the upbringing of most of these movers; consequently, he did not look for it in the tissue and we did not notice it was missing until our first dinner party. Oh, the life of the idle rich! Well, the moving company apologized profusely and assured us that the rest of the shipment would arrive posthaste-which is July 4th. in their books. Anyway, most of the required goods arrived and we are pleased.
The art was up in one day thanks to a hammer drill from the previous director and his wife. I tried my drill which I brought from home, complete with a brand new concrete drill bit but it was impossible. Chinese concrete is really very tough! I told you that Kathleen took one look at the curtains and decided that they had to go. Well, three days later we had an order for curtains for the other two rooms as well. These guys are so good and so efficient; the curtains were cheap and they were up and looking great within the week. The young man arrived with a full steamer as well as all needed equipment. He had them up and steamed in one half an hour. We made a few other changes to the apartment. There is a shelf with a cupboard underneath in the front area inside the door; it is very serviceable and it looks good; however, it had one spotlight on a full 8 ft. shelf. Why one light? I have no idea. No it wasn’t balanced. We had them put in another light. 500 bucks please (divide by 5). We also did not have a microwave-but I asked and they brought one around.
Let there be light-or maybe not! Hong Kong is on a 220 circuit and we are obviously 110; well, we knew this but we still brought some of our appliances and lamps. Most of the lamps are fine. They are wired to take the 220. The appliances are another matter. The light bulbs have to be changed and I had guest services come up and install Hong Kong plugs on all our lamps (180 dollars please). The large dehumidifier that we brought from the basement is pouched. The “electrician” from guest services said that it should be fine-with this adapter and converter. Well, we were not communicating. I hope Sears can resuscitate the beast. We also pouched two bedside lamps and probably my good Cuisinart coffee maker that grinds the coffee before it brews it. I cried. Oh, well, chalk it up to experience. Everything else seems to be working. We do not have a great deal of closet space. Correction, the lady doesn’t have much space left, if any but my few “retirement garments” are fine in the cupboard. They clean our rooms everyday-not just a lick and a promise-they get down on their hands and knees and wash the bathroom floors and the kitchen floor etc. Our towels are removed every day. For the sake of the planet I communicated that we could go a week with the same towels. It took 2 weeks but when they see the towels in the tub they now know that they are to be changed. We even get our toilet paper supplied. How many rolls of toilet paper are you going to go through in the next 4 years?
There are many other services that they provide that are a godsend. We have a concierge and they have helped me to run errands expeditiously. They are marvelous and their command of English is exemplary. One of them, Chloey, was schooled for 17 years in Britain. Her English is better than mine. It is great when you have parcels arriving; they will escort the service up to your room. Obviously, then, you do not have to be there. The grocery stores deliver-what a common sense idea in a country in which most do not have a car. You forget that you can’t go to the mall or six other stores in an hour, throw everything in the trunk and go home. I’ve become the bag man of H.K. I have a suitcase on wheels that we bought before we came and it holds just about everything. We bought it to take over a king size mattress cover that we forgot to buy and have shipped. A case of wine is heavy you know! It will be necessary to get used to the idea of going to the store daily. Many people in Europe do this on a regular basis and it makes sense; it is also necessary because the refrigerator is not very big; the freezer works like a demon but it is small. We can freeze an ice cube tray in an hour. Great for unexpected company. We have surmounted a few other challenges with some services. It is surprising how irritating these little appliances and services can be. We have a bottled water machine-it takes 5 gallon jugs and it dispenses hot or cold water. We use it for cooking, for ice and for coffee. The lady can drink Hong Kong water but I found that I could not. All our friends have dispensers and I tried to hold out but the repercussions were messy and severe. This is definitely too much information so I will stop there. Suffice it to say, the water is grand. They are supposed to phone me each week so I can place an order; we are not communicating either. I have to phone them but after complaining about their phone service….if you want English press 2 etc. I landed on the desk of a Lorraine who has decided that it would be in the best interests of the company to service me individually. So, she phones me or vice-versa. All is well. This service is called Bonaqua which is owned by the ubiquitous Coca-Cola Ltd. Coke and Macdonald’s everywhere.
The apartment really does look very good. We have a terrific view from the 27th floor. There are hawks that fly in front of our windows almost all day long, but especially in the morning when the sun is getting up in the sky. I’m concerned about a few of them because they are literally going in circles around the buildings. I’m not sure what motivates a hawk but I hope they don’t hit any windows. I have found a match for the paint colour on the wall and have sealed and touched up the many holes it was necessary to make. They are supposed to charge us for any changes to the unit so we shall see what happens when and if we move. We bought a huge 7ft. shelf from Ikea and for $10. Canadian they installed it; I had to sign a waiver to get the guy to drill holes into the concrete and to secure it to the wall! Wait until they see those holes; however, I think we are going to be pleased with this place. It has not started to close in on us yet but friends say it might considering the size of the house we left. I will send pictures and some measurements in a later letter. I have not had a problem with the lack of a garden and I’m surprised at that. I guess there is so much that is new and different that I have not had a chance to think about it. I saw some workers weeding and tending to some shrubs the other day and I was tempted to go over and offer my services. Kathleen does miss the late summer nights. It is dark when she goes to work some days and it is definitely dark when she comes home. The sun goes down, the neon comes on and it happens in the space of about a half hour, at six thirty to seven o’clock. It is beautiful and our view takes on a whole new look but the lack of light will need an adjustment.
That brings me to a discussion of the job, the reason we are here. I asked the lady if she likes her job and she said it was too early to tell. This cryptic answer will have to suffice in the short run. She does not like the long hours. She has recruiting sessions at night and on Saturdays; she has to be there. The other night she was not home until close to 10. The faculty who come here from Ivey to teach do so on week-ends to a large extent; they do so because the students give up their week-ends for 2 years to take the MBA course; this scheduling minimizes the interruptions to their jobs. It also means that the director has to be there. She also has had 3 conference calls with faculty and others at Western ( the dean’s office, graduate studies etc.). The calls are at 9-9:30 or 10:00 for the benefit of the Ivey group; it just means that she has to be here, on duty, at night while they take the call in the morning. The hours are long but the work is not difficult is what she is saying now. She has been very busy though. They are launching the part time MBA program; they have had to hire promotional people; they have scoured the adjacent buildings to try to find new office space and space for another classroom. One of the professionals in the Ivey office has decided to look for another job; replacing someone is never easy. Difficult week. We have had 3 Ivey alumni functions-all great meals, at private clubs or on one of the adjacent islands-Lamma-fresh seafood. You see the fish in the aquarium, pick it out and eat it a few minutes later. She has been very busy and this is the nature of the beast but classes will end soon and before the launch of the new class in August-September we will get away to Thailand or Vietnam or some other exotic place. She would also say that it is nice to be able to call all the shots without much interference, if any, from mother Western. She has really appreciated having the former director, Larry here with this overlap period. They can bounce ideas off each other and it works very well. The Wynants are still scheduled to leave around Christmas when she will have to steer the ship on her own.
The retired guy has also been very busy. I was determined not to sit in the apartment all day. I have enrolled in the Y and that has kept me very active. I went to mainland China, Shenzhen, with a small group the other day. We had a ball, shopping for knock-off bargains. I bought the lady three purses. I ordered a shirt made to test this tailor that the group leader recommended; it was only $145 hk so I’ll see what it looks like next week. I hate to report to Bill Gates that I bought a copy of Microsoft Office for $20. Can. Well, it worked. We have been having trouble with our version-too many computers and laptops etc. Now, we’re kicking ass again and all is right, electronically. I’m continuing with my Cantonese course. This punishment goes for 9 weeks; there are ten in the class and she picks on me, the old guy. I’m struggling but I’m having fun. The language is very guttural and abrupt; I have determined that if you shout and grunt loudly enough it will work. I ordered bottled water the other day. The waiter trotted away; I had no idea what he was going to bring back but the ubiquitous Bonaqua appeared. I was pleased. I talk regularly to the cleaning staff and to the concierge group. They really do appreciate someone who is trying to learn the language.
I have also attended a number of cooking classes. Yes, cooking classes! I figure that the lady is in no position or mood to prepare a meal when she comes home so I thought I would rise to the challenge. I had a class which made Singapore style fish with a coconut milk sauce and spicy fried noodles.(Fresh coconut milk I might add ) I bought the mother of all woks-non stick, so I’m ready to go. I rose to the test of making Tom Yum soup which is one of our favourites. I also made a great Thai red curry. Neither dish was really very difficult. I have been sourcing the many services that we will need-grocery stores, dry cleaners etc. Well, when the first ingredient on the recipe was lime leaves I thought I was in trouble but after a bit of scrounging in the Wan Chai wet market I found a Thai store. The second ingredient was Senegal ginger (which is much milder than the traditional Chinese ginger which can be overpowering). The recipe also called for Tamarind paste. When is the last time you used that? Well, the benefits of a market are obvious; all the ingredients that you can think of are there. They also have stores which specialize in gourmet dining; one is in the basement of the mall our building is attached to. Imagine a Sebastian’s but 5 times bigger with food stations where you can buy fresh hot meals from Thailand, China, Japan, Malaysia, North America etc. The market is different; I’m not quite used to the animals hanging on hooks out in the open. (no dogs or cats yet ) There are body parts strewn every which way; it looks like an accident at some stalls. There are lots of pieces that I don’t recognize; I haven’t a clue what they are. I’ve accepted the flopping fish but we have not tried any of the fresh meats yet. The supermarkets are westernized and they have fresh and frozen meats and vegetables. The veggies we’ve tried from the market are really fresh but, its still a no on those hanging hunks of meat. They are called wet markets because of the amount of water and blood! You pick out your chicken; they give you a numbered piece of paper and then you return in half an hour after they have killed it, drained the blood and plucked it. A grisly affair to say the least, but Hong Kongers do like fresh ingredients and you will not find anything fresher.
If you’re still reading this you have far too much time on your hands! I’ve got to wrap up, but there is so much that is new and fascinating that it is hard not to find more to tell. We have been active socially, beyond the alumni functions. We have been invited out to three dinner parties including one at the house of Canada’s chief Trade commissioner. Dave and Kay are a great couple and I’m sure we will see more of them in the next few years. I’ve volunteered to try to help revive the ailing Canadian club so that should be fun. One fellow at this particular dinner was a Chinese lawyer; he told of his climb and struggle to succeed. There were 6 children in the family, in social housing, of 180 sq. feet. As the children grew they had to sleep out in the hall on cots; there were 60 units like this on each floor. Before you start to feel sorry for him, you should know that he just bought a $35 million (hk), house on the peak. I think he’s okay now. We have had people to dinner three times this last month including one party for eight. Well, fun but it is going to be demanding socially. The expatriates (expats) are a tightly knit community. There are approx. 35,000 Americans, and Canadians and more Brits and Aussies. Since for some Chinese, language is a barrier, the expats tend to stick together and to socialize together and from what we’ve seen so far, there aren’t too many times that the groups are mixed-students yes, but perhaps not the general public. Chinese do not invite people to their homes. The previous director has not had one invitation in four years; they celebrate in restaurants and that is done regularly.
Prices…wow! I took one outfit of the lady’s in for dry-cleaning. They inspect each garment-top to bottom. This was a three piece suit and it did have some marks on it-some mysterious ones on the back that looked like wine and a few more following a lunch and a lost battle with a slippery piece of Chinese food. This I was told would need special cleaning and she would have to contact me later with the price-$404. Hk dollars. Dividing by 5 that is one hell of a lot of money to clean an outfit! Dry-cleaning will be our biggest expense-that is besides dining out. Last night we ate at an Americanized restaurant in our very upscale mall. It is called Dan Ryan’s and it is a Chicago roadhouse. We ate with a friend; we shared a plate of Nachos; we had a slab of ribs and a hamburger/fries and three beers. Our share was over $400-imagine paying $80.00 Canadian for that small amount of food; however, we have had some Chinese food and Thai food-plate after plate, and we’ve been stuffed to the gills and it has only been 20-25 dollars Canadian. Go figure. Bargains can be found but it is necessary to do some scoping.
Well, I’m getting tired. If you are still with me you are special. We are having a great time, to repeat myself. I can see the difficulty in coming back to little old London Ont….boring to the max. So, who knows where we will go. We will probably accept boredom and old age in London. I will write next month of our trials and tribulations abroad….hope to hear from some of you and we know we will see some of you over here.
From the lady and the retired guy….Joi Gin.