Pet Dryer

Check this out!

This fluffy pup is hanging out in what essentially is a small wind tunnel at our local pet groomer's. Pretty neat!

Top Ten Things I Love About Hong Kong

It's exactly one year today that I arrived in Hong Kong. It took me a while to get used to this city. At the beginning, I would bemoan the loss of my dear NYC. However, over time, I've come to realize that this place has charms all of its own.

Here's a list of my favorite:

1. The tram. It's quaint and riding from the top deck gives you a different view of the city.

2. Junk trips. It seems everyone's company out here owns a junk, and they're a boat-load of fun to be on for the day.

3. Tropical plants growing EVERYWHERE ... the kind we keep as house plants in NYC.

4. Dim sum. Hong Kong's answer to weekend brunch.

5. The Star Ferry. The Hong Kong tourism board actually requires that the Star Ferry be added to any list on Hong Kong. It is a pretty great ride from Central to the Kowloon side.

6. Urban hikes. Having so many mountains means you can hike in Hong Kong just by walking outside your door.

7. Outdoor escalator. Did I mention the mountains? For those who don't want to hike, there is an outdoor escalator in Central. Very cool.

8. Gleaming skyscrapers. OK, so most cities have them, but I think that Hong Kong takes the cake when it comes to architecture. My favorite - Bank of China.

9. Shek-O. More like Vietnam than Hong Kong. In just 20 minutes you feel worlds away from the city at this shanty beach town.

10. Sheung Wan. This has become my favorite neighborhood. Antique shops, quaints cafes and restaurants, plus an old Hong Kong charm that seems to have faded from the rest of the city.

Beach Days

One thing I really like about Hong Kong is that summer doesn't end after Labor Day. In the Northeast, winter is about 6 months and summer is really only about two. But the tables are turned here. From what I've gathered, I got another couple of months of beach weather here.

For the past two weeks, we've been exploring some of the Hong Kong beaches.

Shek-O. I really love Shek-O town. The beach ... not so much. It's beach-blanket bingo, for one. And there's an entire flotilla of blow-up rafts in the water. It made me feel as if I was at a giant pool, not an ocean.

South Bay. Great vibe here. The beach is heavy on the expats drawn to the laid-back lunch bar. Some people even just camp at the tables. The one drawback is leaving. Taxis are few and there can be a long line for the buses, too.

Next weekend ... Big Wave Bay. What's your favorite beach?

Rain Dance

I thought moving to a sub-tropical location meant that I would be able to go to the beach every weekend. Well, I was wrong.

It rains A LOT here. First, there was the winter monsoon season - cold, clammy and rainy. And now it is the summer monsoon season - hot, humid and rainy.

This summer has been wetter than in years past. So far, it's rained like three weeks straight - some days continuously. My umbrella is rusted ... no joke! I've never had an umbrella rust!

Could this be part of the problem?

Don't Forget the Charmin

OK ... it should be don't squeeze the Charmin, but when you go to China don't forget to bring toilet paper. Bathrooms are ... how should I put this ... rudimentary at best.

Public buses are no fun

They don't allow anything ... not even spitting.

Let's go to the movies ...

Going to the movies in Hong Kong is a civilized affair: they have assigned seating.

At first, I was put off by this idea, but after trying it, I liked not worrying about getting to the theater early to get a good seat since you choose your place when you purchase the tickets.

Word to wise: buy your tickets online in advance , since seats fill up fast as the movies don't stay in the theaters very long. Even popular films only stick around for about a week ... two at most! The theaters are all quite small, too, so don't worry about taking a seat towards the back.

One overarching complaint about HK movie-theaters is that they don't seem to take their sound systems seriously. This girl likes her movies loud. Oh ... and if you're a butter lover, you're out of luck: popcorn comes two ways only, salty or sweet.

Details: for theater listings and tickets, go to Cityline or Broadway Circuit.

No standing on toilets

I guess that if you’re accustomed to squat-pots, it’s kind of hard to get used to seats. But really, it must take some effort to climb up on top of one.

Here’s a reminder that’s posted in our workplace bathrooms:

Shopping wears me down

Clothes Shopping: Some stores only carry up to a size US4, and they actually have a size negative 2. Even when shops have my size, the style is usually for a waif figure. Everything is a tunic. Or the pants are too short.

Why shouldn't a tall,Western girl wear Asian styles, you ask? I went to my yoga studio wearing a new tunic and was given a pass to the pre-natal yoga class - I wanted to go to Hot Yoga. I wore my gym clothes home and threw the tunic out.

Shoe Shopping: I was told by a sales clerk who just LOOKED at my feet that they didn't have my size shoe. I don't know what's more embarrassing: having sales clerks notice how big your feet are or being stared at in disbelief when you actually do ask for your size. (I'm a 9.5 for the record).

I don't know how much more shopping my ego can take!