The cripps in Hong Kong Hong Kong, Repulse Bay, Cripps, Crippo, Mark Cripps, Joss Cripps

Zai Jian 再見 (Hope to see you again soon)

A diary about our expedition to Hong Kong

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Saturday, December 16, 2006

Bintan, Indonesia






Bintan is an hedonistic island c. 1hr's ferry ride away from Singapore -- and I LOVE the place -- last weekend was my second time there & I'd go back again without hesitation.

Relaxed.

Cheap.

Great beach.

Chilled.

GO THERE.

The lady with the brolley was fascinating. Standing hip-height in the surf watching over (presumably) her kids. She was fully clothed. With sun-brolley. Hmmmm.

M

Mana Mana Resort, Bintan, Indonesia





The Mana Mana Resort, Bintan, Indonesia.

Love the place!

Oh SO BASIC

£30 per night (@ the weekend -- cheaper in the week) for two sharing a (very basic) cabin.

Great beach etc. Cheap food & beer.

This was my second time staying here -- 1st time was 4 years ago when I stayed 4 or 5 days on my way from the UK to Japan to see England in the Japanese World Cup.

Great memories :: Martin Horne & I sitting @ the beach bar late one evening watching England beat Argentina live on the bar's small TV -- . FAR FAR FAR too many Bintang beers that night! And so so so so ill on the ferry back to Singapore next day (4 years ago).

Much more restrained this time. Honest!

Compared to Singapore hotels, the Mana Mana Cabinas are basic -- and so are the facilities (what do you expect for £12 per night each during the week?) but a 3 min walk down the beach and you get to a slightly more sophisticated place. I blagged my way to the facilities "Andrews - Room 1150" ... nice pool BTW!

Anyway, if you're thinking about flying to Oz via SING --- my recommendation would be to re-coop 1/2 way down on Bintan ... <£100 (including ferry transfer) extra well spent!

M

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Our first visitor





Here's Archie looking very cheeky indeed -

We finally had our first visitor...

Our friend Tessa who had an action packed weekend going on cable car rides, visiting big buddha (it's enormous), and of course entertaining Billy and Archie.

We had a visit from an 18th centre replica Swedish ship - it's going round the world and has dropped into Hong Kong to avoid Typoon Edna before it went on to Singapore. We went on board for a tour. It was amazing - all built out of the original materials and had taken 10 years to build, unlike the original which had only taken one and a half years.
The original ship used to come to trade in China, via Spain where it picked up silver which was the trading currency. When it sunk the hold was full of wonderful porcelain and other Chinese treasures.

The boys were most interested in the cannons and made friends with the crew - who were mostly gap students taking 6 months off to sail round the world - how cool.

By the way the other person in the shot is Sophia, our helper. Who is a complete treasure and has the patience of a saint.

J

Toni and Guy and the Forbidden City

Went to Beijing yesterday for a 4 hour meeting.

I expect it is an amazing city although I didn't see much of it.

What did depress me though was that from the limited view I did get of the city, I could have been anywhere.

The Grand Hyatt is located in a morass of marble and fountains. There's a huge angel of the north type sculpture and if you didn't know where you were, it could quite easily have been Manchester, Newcastle or any other trendy new city gleaming with glass and concrete urban redevelopment.

It didn't help that the shops outside the hotel were - Toni and Guy (really can you believe it - in China) Burberry, Chanel and some Italian posh shoes Ermingnio something or other.

So all very international and well known luxury brands but all rather depressingly homogenised.

Next time I go I'll go to the Forbidden City and Tianemen Square - but no doubt there will be a Starbucks right outside.

J

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Spider - Collective Noun

Could not sleep last night for fussing over what might be the collective noun for spiders. Sad life I lead.

* A web?
* A fly?
* A funnel?
* A cob?
* A fang?


According to this site, the collective nouns are 'cluster' and 'venom'.

A venom of spiders? Makes sense s'pose.

I particularly liked their: 'convulsion' of belly dancers!

M

Father Xmas -- Bintan style!!!!!!



This image reminds me of that story I always bore people with -- Japanese Dept store in the 50's; Father Xmas and a Crucifix. You know the one.

Singapore Tyler Prints Institute -- Chun Kwang-Young




Took a tour around the Singapore Tyler Prints Institute ... Annie works there .... very interesting art ... all prints funnily enough. Great walking round the studios/workshops.

Clocked some stunning work by a Korean artist called Chun Kwang-Young .... would love some of his artwork but it goes for $quillion$ ... handmade mulberry paper sculpted into abstract shapes and painted. Fantastic detail.

Want want want.

147 Bus



This is one for my family -- Anthony spotted a 147 bus! Can you believe it? Ilford comes to Singapore.

This will mean nothing to most of you!

Sorry.

M

I like Singapore






Singapore gets a bit of bad press "sooooo boring and nice" --- but I quite like it actually.

Not sure I'd want to live there mind you.

Much prefer Hong Kong.

In fact, on my recent travels I've not seen anywhere else in Asia/Pac Rim I'd prefer to live. I can honestly say, 8 months ago I did not expect to be writing that sentence.

Sydney or San Francisco perhaps?

M

Atrium Holiday Inn - Singapore






My heart dropped a bit when my Bro said we were staying in a Holiday Inn ... I've had such mediocre/middle-of-the-road itinerant photocopier parts salesperson-type experiences with them in the past.

The rooms were as I expected.

But the Atrium was drop-dead stunning. Mix of Vegas meets Logan's Run! Was expecting to see Michael York and Jenny Agutter dash past at any minute.

27 floors of this!

Took several tens of photos of this view -- I'd had a few Tiger beers by that stage.

Interesting though no?

Oh, suit yourself.

M

Annie Bacon in Singapore






Whilst in Singapore, I met up with my friend Annie - we used to work together years ago and have managed to stay in touch.

Annie = bonkers!

(Pics of Annie & one of her dogs -- also experiementing with my camera again!)

Weekend in Singapore - Brother Tone






Just back from a weekend spent in Singapore and Bintan (Indonesia). Met up with my brother (he was @ a conference in Sing ... jetted in from Kyoto to meet up) - not seen him in 19 months or. Need less to say, he's not changed a bit and has turned even more Japanese.

I LOVE this site -- has resolved sooooooo many arguments!

Turning Japanese
The Vapors
(Charlie's Angels Soundtrack)

I got your picture of me and you
You wrote "I love you" I wrote "me too"
I sit here staring and there's nothing else to do
Oh it's in color
Your hair is brown
Your eyes are hazel
And soft as clouds
I have to kiss you when there's no one else around

I got your picture, I got your picture
I'd like a million of you over myself
I want a doctor to take a picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
and turning in and turning 'round

I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so

I got your picture, I got your picture
I'd like a million of you over myself
I want a doctor to take a picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down
and turning in and turning 'round

I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so

No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women
No fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark
Everyone around me is a total stranger
Everyone avoids me like a Psyclone Ranger
Everyone

That's why I'm turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so
Turning Japanese
I think I'm turning Japanese
I really think so...

Langkawi Tarantula Pic



Been dieing to post this up for weeks -- kept forgetting.

When we were in Langkawi a few weeks back, we went on a nightwalk.

The guide was EXCELLENT .. showed us lizards; flying squirrels etc etc

He also said "look at this". Pointed his torch to a hole in a tree about 2 ft away from my head "Tarantula" he nonchalently commented! It was a female. Two weeks previously, it'd had a brood (must look up collective nouns for young Tarantulas) ... she was off-limits to casual on-lookers during that period.

Ugly wee beasties.

M

Monday, December 11, 2006

Repulse Bay residents Xmas party





Last Wednesday, the 'management' held a Residents' party on the grass in front of the apartments here. I took the boys to it thinking it'd be a load of amateur carolists banging out the usual seasonal tunes (+ maybe a mince pie or two). But it was quite an affair actually (all free) -- a local male welsh voice choir; a local school choir; loads and loads and loads of food & drink - including as many roast chestnuts as you could possibly eat plus as much wine as you could drink .... and an appearance from Santa.

But best of all -- they'd hired half a dozen snow machines. Great fun to be dressed in shorts + t-shirts dancing in snow on the beach under palm trees!

I look disturbingly like my Grandmother in one of these photos.

M

Santa arriving by chopper etc






A few pics of the St Stephen's Christmas Fayre Saturday week ago. When I got sunburnt!

Must say, the boys don't look too convinced by that Santa -- but there again it was pushing 30 degrees and it must have been hot for him Vs the North Pole.

Billy took the shot of the pipers. Until they were about two paces away, we had not realised they were all about to march right over us ... so a quick shuffle was urgently required!

m

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

End of October Festivals :: 2 - Harvest Festival/Mooncake Festival






Right, apart from the shot of the tarantula we saw in Langkawi, and the 100's of Angkor Wat temple shots Joss needs to post, these photos bring us up-to-date with out adventures since July.

The Mooncake festival (public holiday) celebrates the harvest moon @ the end of Oct.

Mooncakes are (traditionally) a yellow bean and dried egg yolk affair - shared by all as a symbol of the new moon. Weird taste - hard to describe -- cross between an old egg (taste) and one of those yellow banana shaped sweets (texture) you used to get. But you can also buy ice cream versions -- coffee flavours etc etc

We were told that the beach in front of the apartment was a great place to spend the festival evening -- sure enough, the whole of HK was there (and remained there partying until 02:00+).

A beautiful clear night -- very warm. And then, as if by magic , the largest full moon I've ever seen suddenly popped up over the mountains/hills North of the coast. Quite stunning.

And I discovered the time lapse/flash mode on my camera that night -- they were selling these neon glow lites for about 5p each ... so everyone got hundreds and made castles/fortresses out of them -- or just danced with them like the boys did!

I know you can only see the back of him, but I really like the shot of Archie dancing with the sticks.

M

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