Thanksgiving Bullets

The American holiday of Thanksgiving is a work day in Hong Kong. A turkey dinner would have really hit the spot, but I settled for a steaming bowl of spicy beef ramen at my local Ajisen. Not a whole lot going on, just a few thoughts rollin' around in ol' duder's head lately:

-In Thailand, I purchased a less than reputable copy of the movie Babel. Apparently it was burned from a Thai DVD, as some of the graphic scenes were edited or blurred out. Plus, every time someone drank alcohol or smoked something, a Thai warning appeared at the top of the screen. Until I can find out a proper translation, I will assume it is something like, "Please refrain from emanating the behavior you see displayed here. These are professional actors whose questionable morals allow them to act in such a way. Shame on you for watching them. Long live the King."

-Following the NBA via the internet is not the best, but it's better than nothing. We are at the point of the season where the talking heads offer their biggest surprises/disappointments of the season so far. My dad, brother and I each offered analysis of the upcoming season a few weeks back and my pick was none other than the Orlando Magic. I flipped on ESPN World this morning and NBA Fast Break was on. A segment where the commentators picked the biggest surprises so far came on and Jamal Mashburn picked, yes, the Orlando Magic. As of today, they are 10-3. They stayed with the Spurs in San Antonio today, but couldn't keep up in the 4th quarter.

-A week from Sunday, the Wanchai Hash Hourse Harriers will set off on a run on a trail that I've set. I am the nominated Hare. I was slightly stressed last week when both of the locations I was planning on running in were used very recently in trails we ran, so me recycling them on my run is not an option. So I flipped on Google maps and picked a subway station with a lot of green around it: Choi Hung.

- Choi Hung: A few hours of work wrapped up and I left my house and got a bus out to the area. I had been out here a few days earlier and inspected some good trails. It gets dark around 6pm these days, so when I hopped up on a rise and followed a trail up into the trees, it was only about 4:45 and I had plenty of time. Although I was on the slopes on Fei Ngo Shan, a 600 meter peak overlooking Kowloon and the Harbor, I had no intention of going up. I expected to follow the trail, cut across a contour path/catchwater and head down another trail. Funny things happen when climbing. The higher you go, the closer you get to the top. Turning around means you have to follow the same path you just came up. So I go up, and up, getting near the top, over a rise, still more to go, going. Then I am on the ridge, and it's 5:20 with a stiff breeze. I can see the sun setting over Lantau Island to the West and Sai Kung's to the East, the skyscrapers of Central right over there. But the sun's going down and the path down is steep. I head along the ridge path for a while looking for another trail down. There is a satellite/electrical tower at the very top. I expect there to be a road leading up to it, and I will take the boring but safe road route down. Once I get up to the tower, I find a helicopter pad, no road. Uh oh. They built all this with no roads. So my only option is a steep path down in the accelerating dark. This way, no, another dead end. 5:25. Here it is, going down. Don't bust ankle, you'll never get down. The tops of the high rises getting closer. I hear traffic, closer. Dead tired. I am regretting not bringing water. Legs like jelly. I hit the tree line. Concrete steps, then there it is, a cistern with clean mountain water. 5:45.

-Tomorrow evening, I will go to the Hong Kong Indian Club to enjoy some Lawn Bowling. I had no idea what this was until two days ago. Teams are divided by nationality and another Sepo Yank was needed to complete the American team, so I stepped up. I will dutifully sip a brew, puff a cigar, and enjoy a fine white collar sport with some fellow khakied gentlemen. Cheers.

-Monday morning I will be heading to the company office in Guangzhou for some meetings and training. After so much time in Hong Kong, I can't wait to go to mainland China.