Which Way Did She Go

I didn't fall off the face of the earth nor am I jumping from the Schoolbooks Ship but, for the moment, I'm blogging my Hong Kong adventures over here. It's a joint-venture blog with Dear D. Enjoy.

The Sweetest Thing

Hong Kong doesn't want for flashy supermarkets which carry all sorts of goodies including many of the same things stocked by markets in the States. Nonetheless, we have been advised by many new friends that when it comes to produce, it's best to skip the supermarket and head for the street markets where the produce is extraordinarily fresh and cheap. We were not led astray. The markets closest to our place have an impressive selection all at why-don't-you-just-buy-hundreds-of-them prices. Besides many of the fruits and veggies with which we are familiar there are also many new and exotic things to try. Allow me to introduce you to the mangosteen for example:




So amazingly sweet with a nearly indescribable taste, these unique gems(which were up until last year forbidden in the US and now enter the market in such tiny quantities that the price mark is utterly jaw-dropping. Here, I can pick up six or seven of them for about 20HKD or $2.60!) Sadly, there's a limited season so we're gobbling them up while we can.

Dinner Party Aftermath

The photo from yesterday was, sadly, not my apartment but rather a very comfy coffee shop nearby. In any case, the photo above is our place. It was taken immediately following my first dinner party here which I hosted after only four days on the ground and having no idea how to operate my oven (the control knobs are all greek chinese to me.) Nonetheless, I think it was a successful party and judging from the four empty wine bottles polished off by five diners, I would say a good time was had by all. In time, I hope to better understand my kitchen (and those pesky cooking temp conversions) so that I can continue to entertain here in Hong Kong.

The City Skyline

Whether at night from sea level...


Or mid-morning from way up above....


There's no doubt that it's one of the best skylines in the world!

out and about

Dear D and DevilDog got their first good look at Hong Kong from Victoria Peak on Saturday morning.


Having taken in the view they were up for a little olympic silliness... and a little breakfast...


The following morning we did a massive hike at Tai Tam Country Park:


DevilDog ran his little heart out in the park:


And slept soundly the whole ride home:


And here he is settling in with his new buds, Bruno & Mulan:


I think it's fair to say that far we're all adjusting just fine.

From The Flip-Side

So in my last post I was all, Hey! I'm done with the bar exam and now I'm a free woman and I'll start posting on a regular basis again. And then... radio silence. But between that last post and this one here I had to, you know, move to Hong Kong. True, I could have posted whilst in the throws of the move; but it would likely have read like a string of expletives rattled off at rapid fire and, well, I wanted to spare you that. Between getting the dog on the plane (and the emotional wreck that I became over flying him cargo) and Typhoon Kammuri which seemed determine to arrive in Hong Kong at the same time we would, I didn't have a lot of constructive things about which to blog. The good news is we're here! And 'we' includes Devil Dog who handled the 16 hour flight like a champ. And, what's more, he kept his legs crossed the whole time! I am still floored by the capabilities of his iron bladder. Moreover, Kammuri shoved off in advance of our arrival and we were treated to a very smooth flight. A girl couldn't ask for more.

And so now we set about unpacking and setting up house (and sleeping of the jetlag)(with the exception off Devil Dog for whom jetlag seems not to apply). Once we get settled in I'll get some photos up, promise. For now, suffice it to say that we're all happy and healthy in our Hong Kong home.

I am pleased to report the following:

I can now officially cross "Take bar exam" off my To-Do List!

It took two months of intensive study and two days of pure exam hell (and consequently my brain is total mush) but as of 4:37 this afternoon, that baby was put to bed. All that's left to do is cross my fingers and pray that I passed. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have a margarita or two twelve. Have a great weekend! :)

My Little Garden Elf-Dog

My mom has always had a green thumb and some gorgeous gardens to show for it:


And while we all appreciate her landscaping, perhaps the most entranced with the greenery is DevilDog:


Can you see him back there? Every time I let him out he heads straight for the depths of the garden...


I promise he's in this next photo, just look carefully!



And all this time I thought he was a beach dog. Now I'm considering letting him apply for a membership to our local gardening society!

A few photos of our new digs:

I can't wait to get in there to decorate and turn that space into my own! The view from both the living room and bedroom windows is green. Apparently, from the windows around the bathtub there's a great city view. I was excited about that until Dear D. pointed out that if I can see out across the city while lounging in my tub that would necessarily mean that the whole city can see me too! There's got to be an easy solution there; I mean I can't be the first person in all of Hong Kong to have this problem, right?

Remember that thing I said I wasn't going to do?

I'm tired. And stressed. The Bar Exam is looming and so is our departure date. It takes a lot of work to prepare for both the bar and a move half way around the world at the same time. But I find it silly to complain, after all, this is exactly what I signed up for. And I wouldn't change a thing. Besides, with days like this:



and evenings like this one:



It's clear that I have an awful lot for which to be grateful.

Anyway, I do have one tidbit of exciting news: Dear D. and I rented an apartment in Hong Kong! Remember how our plan was to wait until we were on the ground to do a proper search? Well... I hate waiting. And when this listing popped up it was simply fate-like. Not only is our new home located in the (devil)dog-friendly mid-levels, but get this: it is also right upstairs from my little brother! (And I pause to again appreciate the wackiness of moving such a great distance only to find myself thirteen stairs away from my own family...) Details to follow.

I should be studying for the bar but...

Water Concert from Libby Santella on Vimeo.

How can I refuse concert? Particularly when it's Handel. And double-particularly when it's Water Musick played on a gundalow floating in the Piscataqua River. This instrumental suite may well have been played for George Washington when he visited the same location back in 1789 and it was originally played for King George I in 1717. Now that's what I call timeless.