$1,650 Hong Kong dollars (HKD) on the line.  My hands are sweating.  Bobby Lee couldn’t even watch.  He was smart enough to get up from the table and pace – I just sat there, legs shaking, about to pull my fingers off from the stress. By the way, $1,650HKD is about $215US and that was just the beginning. When I told people that my friend Bobby Lee was coming to town and we were going to Macau; everyone said I should gamble and that I was going to love the food there.  They got half right. As far as the…

I conquered Hong Kong yesterday!  Again, I put on my big girl pants and went it alone.  The funny thing was however; I wasn’t so alone. Once I got my bearings and a mocha, I headed out in search of an area of Hong Kong called SoHo (south of Hollywood Road) – it’s also known as Central.  This is where the Central-Mid-Level Escalators are and where there is a huge concentration of shops, restaurants, bars, antique stores, and art galleries.  I have been here almost every time I have been to HK (it’s fabulous) but someone else has always been…

Yesterday, I headed into Hong Kong with some friends from school.  Each of us had some specific things we needed so off we went. Now, any chance I have to go to Hong Kong; I try to go because well, I love it there. So as we were walking around, we passed a fantastic breakfast place called The Frying Pan.  It’s really a bit of home with good prices and good food.  I really wasn’t even that hungry, but as soon as I saw that sign, I suddenly had a craving for a good, hearty American breakfast.  Unfortunately, some others…

It’s difficult to imagine that a little more than 24 hours ago; I was relaxing in the warm waters of the Andaman Sea off of the Phi Phi Islands. I didn’t realize how much I missed a sunny blue sky, or the white cotton clouds that are a rarity here in China until I saw them both again in Thailand. My first day in Bangkok was a bit shaky. Two of my traveling companions were under the weather, while the other two were in a conference.  However, we decided to go to the Chatuchak Weekend Market.  Think of about 1,000…

Sleep in or go to my photography class in Hong Kong?  Believe it or not, this was a difficult choice to make last Sunday morning as I laid in my warm bed on a chilly morning. The night before, I had this great foot rub at a place called Medu. I have heard raves about it, but never went.  I ended up going with a couple of friends of mine and it was completely relaxing.  So getting up in the morning just wasn’t ideal.  As I boarded the 7:45am ferry though, my motivation began to quickly rise. For me, there…

I would like to take a moment to share with my friends and family a sad break up of a beautiful relationship. This particular relationship was with a soul mate that has been with me since I arrived in China.  You could say that he got me through some tough times.  I mean, he offered me sweetness and comfort when I was new to this unfamiliar place.  He went with me to school and shopping trips.  He was even with me on several death defying cab rides.  I can’t tell you what how much I depended upon him.  We were…

Last week in Bangkok was one of the annual job fairs for international teaching.  I did not go as I already have a two-year contract, but it’s been fun to hear where other people are going.  It got me thinking about where I want to go next. One of my teaching partners got a job at a school in India.  It made me think about the job fair last year in Boston. It was bitterly cold.  I had no idea the temperature on Earth could drop that low and on top of that, I had absolutely no idea what I was…

The banknote for a hundred RMB is pink.  There are coins, but there is also a piece of paper that represents half an RMB (think fifty cents).  It’s still like Monopoly money to me and I have been spending like I own Broadway. Today, I went to the ATM and pulled out 1,000RMB. 100RMB is about $15US, so I have about a hundred and fifty bucks in my wallet.   That’s a lot of cash to me.  And it is soooo easy to spend here. What surprised me about Shekou is that the cost of living is actually higher here than…

My friend Holly has asking me to show her how to use her camera better.  Since my class in Hong Kong, I feel a bit more qualified showing her the basics, so we planned a morning dedicated to this end. The great part about this whole day was that we only traveled about 15 minutes outside of where I live, but I actually felt like I was in China!  When I told this to a friend of mine, he kept repeating, you are in China… but to be honest, it simply does not feel like this sometimes.  I mean, I…

Hope your holidays are filled with fun!