Please wait until 11 pm until you're back online

There's always a moment of panic when you wake up on a work day and the bedroom is slightly brighter than usual. It suggests that the sun is in a different position to when you normally wake up. The internal thought process usually goes along these lines.

1. That's unusual, why is it so bright?
2. What time is it?
3. Wait, it's Friday, why am I not at work
4. Wait, where's my phone? 

It's at dialog point #4 when you realise the reason that you missed your alarm is because your phone (ie: your alarm clock) is missing.

I log into the "Find My Device" feature - The phone is still online, the location shows somewhere deep in LKF. At least it wasn't stolen. It's probably lying somewhere under a sofa or table. I go into the office and call the bar "Sorry, you'll have to wait until the club opens and ask the lost and found department". 

Now I just need to wait until 11 pm for the bar to re-open to collect my phone. I embrace the feeling of not being bound to a smart phone. Technology and social freedom.

Careening through the darkness

Hypothetically speaking, if I had this blog in University or high school, what would I have written about? Exams, hanging out in front of arcades, girls, getting my license, underage alcohol consumption, sports tryouts? I fantasize about the content, in my head it doesn't make for good reading. Things felt a lot simpler back then, it was really only one external pressure. Graduate and find a job. At least that's what it felt like back then.

It's the first weekend since the end of the semester. School, has taken over my life and inevitably, taken over this blog. So when school finishes and you have the ability to reclaim your life and go out for a 'big night'.

Big night indeed. I've woken up on my sofa with: a 2K bill, a black eye and my concierge telling me that he found me sleeping outside the apartment building security door.

It's the first time I've not remembered a chunk of the night. It's also the first time I've googled "How to tell if you've been roofied". This is a stark reminder as to why I started a masters.

Two thousand and sixteen!

I struggle to open my bedroom door. The handle is jammed, the desultory jangle of the handle turning back and forth goes on for a few more seconds. I hear laughter on the other side of the door. I'm not alone in the apartment. I prise the door open, unconcerned as to why it took so much effort.

Two friends from lie sprawled in my tiny 120 square foot living room. One lies on the carpet wrapped in a duvet, the other awkwardly folded on my couch (he's > 6", my couch is  < 6"). Familiar faces from Sydney uprooted and temporarily living in my apartment. I take a deep breath and rub my eyes, the living room smells like dude, it's an olfactory shock. Like the inside of a mens locker room. I light a candle, it does little to dissipate the smell. My nose soon forgets what I was smelling as my other senses refocus.

Forgot how much fun these guys are and I'm stoked that they're staying over, only wish I could offer them more comfortable board. We play monopoly deal, watch TV (UFC, Making a Murderer, Seinfeld), laugh and chat; feels like only yesterday.

It's the 1st of January - Last night is what they call a doozy. Black out intoxication. Volar. Later interviews would include descriptions such as "Oh yeah, I saw you twice last night, once in LKF, the other in Volar, don't you remember?" supplemented with "you weren't really talking, it was more like barking littered with the occasional slur". My head confirms that all stories can probably be believed.

Time to make some changes this year. My attempts to complete my 2015 resolutions all but failed, except one 'to read more'; currently reading "The Martian". Time to roll last year's incomplete resolutions over to 2016, probably should break the tasks down into more quantifiable milestones.

Bring on the New Year!

Pander Panda

We've come to that age where a casual dinner is no longer enough to mark a birthday or farewell. Given the accessibility and access to more disposable income it's not uncommon for milestones to be used an excuse to travel and explore. Traveling forges new memories and reinforces friendships through new adventures and experiences. Chengdu, the Sichuan capital, famous for the apothegm, "Chengdu, can do" and the home of the giant Panda would be the next destination.

Chengdu is a destination that is not high on people's traveling lists with the question of "Why are you going to Chengdu?" being the most common question. The natural answer was of course "Chengdu? For Pandas and hotpot of course!" which meant we had to see pandas and have hotpot.

Due to the last minute nature of the trip and the unintentional coincidence with Mid-Autumn Festival this turned out to be quite a costly trip. We secured flights from Hong Kong to Chengdu for 4200 HKD, corporate rates at the Ritz Carlton for 1200 HKD and a half day tour at the Wolong Panda Club for 3000 HKD.

The first evening was spent carousing Chengdu's own Lan Kwai Fong. Unfortunately the rain and the national holiday meant that the scene was a little weak, none the less, we found late night dumplings, headed to Jellyfish and found ourselves in the psuedo-projects of the Poly Centre which still kept us out until 4 am.

Saturday morning 8:35 am we were greeted by our friendly driver/host who was assigned to give us a tour of the Wolong Panda Club. The astronomical prices (400 USD) for the panda club included entry into the reserve as well as the rare chance to dress up as a surgeon and take a photo with a panda cub. Upon arrival (we were late), we were immediately whisked to an aluminium bench where were we given protective gear and asked to line up 6 others.

The panda was brought out from his enclosure and propped up against the bench. Not the most natural environment but I assume pandas find human furniture just as comfortable. We were issued the following instructions "You can touch him, just don't touch his face" and then the procession started, the cub was busying himself with carrot sticks as the attendant screamed out "next person", each person shuffled in next to the camera took a photo before the attendant screamed "next person" with a sense of urgency that was not reflected on the cub. It lasted 20 seconds. The cutest panda. Over. What a quick but fun experience! The highlight!

The rest of the trip was spent exploring Jinli Street and devouring Sichuan food. So. Spicy. So. Good.

Currently reading "Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman!"

'Sometimes'

The bubble has burst - My impression of Hong Kong being filled with debaucherous marrow where true love only exists between the hours of midnight and 6 am has finally been repudiated. Sure, I know married couples in Hong Kong, but, like the yeti or big foot finding true love IN HONG KONG is something that I have not witnessed. Call it sardonic, but up until now I have been unconvinced. In any case, I've been invited to my first Hong Kong wedding! The disclaimer being that the couple are both from Australia, but the real flesh of the story is that they met in Levels (one of Hong Kong's most popular nightclubs).

Funnily enough, I met the bride out one night and have honestly only seen her between the hours of midnight and 6 am. To say that I was surprised (and honoured) to be invited to their special day would be an understatement. My biggest concern? Which table I would be seated on? I could count the number of people I knew on one hand so the real excitement would be whether I ended up on random "Chinese Uncles" table or "Random LKF dude" table. The answer, I would soon find out would be "Table 27". A table consisting of Alcoholic Anonymous members and the very epitome of wonton, reckless abandon; affectionately known to the bride as "the fun table".

Despite my initial apprehension it turns out there were quite a few familiar faces. On table 27 was Tinder Girl. The MC of the event was an old Engineering classmate from USYD. In attendance was my parent's friend's daughter from Sydney. Plus a slew of random Australians and LKF-denizens. The world is sometimes a very small place.

Hong Kong 101: The Basics

Welcome to Hong Kong.