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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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Down and out in Portland Oregon

I'm currently in Portland on a business trip -- I was really looking to coming here as I've been to Seattle a few times - and to the extreme North of Norther Calif ... but never to the bit in the middle.

Portland is billed as the 'greenest city' in the USA.

I admit the town planning (which it's famous for) is very much evident ... the streets are well laid out and, unlike many other US cities I've visited, the public transport systems looks excellent. What's more, there are loads of trees and green spaces. But I'm finding it really depressing. I spent an hour walking round yesterday afternoon and again in the evening - I found it lacked a heart - apart from the vagrants, there were very few people around. I took my camera with me (natch), but found nothing of interest to snap!

At times I was actually quite intimidated. I'm used to walking round big cities after dark on my own - but there's an undercurrent here which made me feel a tad uncomfortable. Nearly every street corner boasted an aggressive drunken beggar. And quite a few of the parks etc had bunches of youffs hanging around. Maybe I'm getting old (birthday tomorrow). I just wiki'd (that's a verb now) 'Portland' and read that it's famous for being a 'hub of American youth culture'. Read for that grungies and itinerants being dragged along by 'whippets on strings' (as Joss would say).

Interestingly, almost everyone I saw was white - in stark contrast to many other cities I've visited in the States. Apparently, Portland was populated almost 100% by people of European descent until the late 40's.


Taken from Wiki:


"From the late 1980s through today, Portland has been a major center for movements such as zine-making. Portland is also home to radical feminist and lesbian activist movements, and the city is also considered a haven for punk, hardcore, crust punk and anarchist movements and subgenres, including the self-reliant DIY culture movement that has been part of the aforementioned subcultures".


I noticed that there are more Starbucks here than anywhere else on Earth. Almost every other store is an SB or indie coffee house. Not surprising really, given that SB are headquartered up the coast in Seattle. I saw three indie coffee houses under construction on one street block alone ... I wonder how they're all fare now that SB have announced that they're going to start closing stores. Coffee is an expensive discretionary spend and it has to be one of the first items to disappear in a recession.

Portland also has one of the largest concentrations of microbreweries in the States. This is the highlight of the City for me! I had a couple of glasses last night (very pleasant) and intend to celebrate my B'day tonight with a few more!

Cheers

M x

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

veggie-ish food @ bix san francisco



yum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yumyum yum

just returned from noshing down a fab night's food @ bix in san francisco. have been to SFO many times of course, but somehow this place has escaped me. yumorama!

great starters including cheese/truffle toasties; devilled shrimps and cheese-stuffed green chillis.

main courses were sublime -- i went for the scallops as i don't eat red meat or poultry any more ... mmmmmmummmm ... pan fried scallops with black eyed peas and truffle mash. heaven

LOVE san fran

m x

FROM DINESITE.com

Bix

56 Gold Street
San Francisco, California 94133 ph: 415.433.6300


Perfect for a clandestine martini or a celebratory glass of Perrier-Jouet, Bix may be the sexiest restaurant in the city. The lights are low, the walls display moody Art Deco paintings, and piano music plays softly in the background. Best of all, the food has made great strides in the past year. The menu changes daily, but on a recent visit, heirloom tomato salad with arugula showcased Bix`s use of California`s freshest produce. Game is expertly prepared: when available, try seared duck breast with chanterelles, or roasted rack of lamb. This fine dining facility prepares and serves an American menu where people frequently get seafood. Expect the average entrée to cost $20 to $30, and you`ll be fine if dressed casual.

Atmosphere: The establishment has an elegant décor The restaurant is spacious with high ceilings. It has a romantic atmosphere and patroned by all kinds of people. Table talk is easy - this restaurant is quiet and subdued.

More Reasons to Go: The live jazz is a great part of your dining experience at this restaurant. Bix is appropriate (if not ideal) for anniversaries and other romantic evenings.

Eating & Drinking: Open for lunch and dinner.A full selection of alcoholic beverages are served, and you`ll find that there is an excellent wine list.

Notable Mention: One of San Francisco`s better restaurants.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008




We recently escaped typhoon ridden and rain sodden Hong Kong for a few days in Phuket.

We knew we were on to a winner when we heard from friends that it had a water slide and daily elephant feeding and washing. Weather was spectacular and we had a great time, including a picturesque boat trip out to some islands with some subterranean canoeing thrown in for good measure.

J

Thursday, July 10, 2008

I bet Noah lived in Hong Kong





THIS WEATHER IN HONG KONG IS DRIVING ME MAD

Weather's been FOUL for weeks it feels like.

Non-stop torrential rain. Low grey clouds. Stinking heat 30+ degrees. Stifling humidity - 99% this morning was the official figure. No wonder so many Europeans hot-foot it back home during July and August. The weather for most of the year is so glorious here that one forgets the summer months. Horrid.

Several weather warnings were in operation this morning - Amber rainfall; Danger of landslips; Thunder and Potential flooding in the Northern Territories.

On the way to work this morning over 3cms fell in <30 mins (the definition of Amber rain). I managed to get a taxi as no buses went past after 30 mins of waiting - I took a different route into work (over the top of the Peak Vs my normal bus route via the Aberdeen tunnel).

The rainfall was monsoon like up in the hills - rather incredulously, I noticed several of streetsweepers out on the road - they were shin deep in rainwater and dressed in big black bin liners and with large straw hats on (to keep the rain out supposedly). They were busy wading through the gutters sweeping their brushwood brooms. It took me a while to realise that they were keeping the gullies and drains free of detritus. The rain was so strong, it was forcing its way vertically gushing up and out of the drains - fountains about 2 feet tall in some instances.

What a miserable job.

I've noticed, there's a distinct lower caste of workers here in HK employed to do the manual labour - toilet cleaning and roadsweeping etc. Shorter and stockier than the average Cantonese, they work so hard but are nearly almost always smiling (I'm talking here about the cleaning ladies I see in the office). I've asked my colleagues about this - and if there is a separate under caste ... understandably, I guess, they don't really acknowledge it.

According to offcial stats, the average labourer earns about HK$500 per day ... about 35 UK pounds ... but I suspect it's a lot less than that (some taxi drivers I've spoken to say they earn less than HK$300 per day - 20 pounds ... and that's for 10-12 hour shifts).

M