Kung Hei Fat Choi

as you might have noticed, I love showing off my cantonese knowledge, especially because it helps me to forget that after 4 months here what I wrote so far is basically what I can say :D

what does it mean this time?...buon anno/happy new year/feliz ano nuevo...for the second time this year (so eventually i can start using my red underwear more often hihi)!! the year of the pig has just started and apart from having the advantage of some holidays (monday and tuesday office closed) and overall a relaxing week (mainland China is still celebrating, office closed the whole week for the most important festival of the year hence less work to do even here in HK), it has been nice to take part to some of the local celebrations, like dragon dance, fireworks (wow...can't imagine how many people were there both in Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui to assist to the 30 mins show - unfortunately the camera I bought sucks and the one above is the only decent picture I could take), food (a lot!!!! of course won't talk about drinking this time since i would be monotonous), gambling, etc...and of course red pocket, which is a very curious way for people (married people) to bless the unmarried ones donating them a red envelop with money inside..always good not being married, even on the other side of the world!! LOL

Apart from this, and apart from the fact that in these days my brother and his friend Mattia are in town to make my nights longer (and Mattia in particular has immediately understood the chinese "gom bui" culture giving a wonderful show yesterday :D right?) and my fridge less empty (I guess i have now enough parmesan for the whole year of the pig), the big news is here to come and next week I will finally start (and end) my ski season in Japan, 5 days (2 of which travelling...:s) in Niseko, looking for the best powder in the world - at least that is how they sell it, no doubt i will update you right afterwards with pics and full summary of what happened (hopefully i will come back with no damages..)

Now it's time to leave you again, ready to go out but not till late since tomorrow we will go to Shenzhen to buy some fake dvds (I already saw all of those i bought the last time), bags, belts, socks etc etc..and especially to enjoy some (not full) thai massage at Queens Spa...I am not becoming gay yet, promise!! you should try it!!!

a presto!

gio

P.S. what about the credit card story??? mmm...ehmmm....well not that bad actually, at the end it seems that i only used it twice, around 60 eur in total...it could have been much worse!! anyway next time I will avoid going to that place in those conditions, that is for sure! ;)

Enjoy! :p

Gom Bui!

...I haven't kept my promise this time either, 3 weeks with no news from my side, right after some people started writing the first comments (come on don't be shy...:p)..too bad, but unfortunately this period is getting extremely busy with work due to the Chinese New Year getting closer...people are now working like crazy, since in less than one week (almost) everything will stop to start the celebration of the lunar new year! but this does not matter since it still looks so far away, I need some vacation!!!

some of you will wonder what is the meaning of the subject this time...well, it's pretty easy, it's the classic "bottom's up", "alla goccia" common in the western style..with the small difference that when chinese people are involved, at least from what I have seen and experienced, the results are even more out of control.

The history begins this tuesday, after another hard working day, with the annual company dinner supposed to celebrate the Chinese New Year (with a typical chinese menu made of jellyfish, shark's fin - by the way, wonder why someone has to spend 50usd for a shark's fin soup that tastes like chicken :p - abalone, and other chinese delicacies). Wine, as mentioned so many times, is an expensive rarity here in Hong Kong so whenever there is an occasion, how can I miss it and avoid cheering up with locals? the problem, is that I have never got so drunk before (somebody I talked on the phone to can witness, right dodi/besso'?). Luckily this year not being in Italy there is no picture putting myself in a bad situation, but colleagues the day after at work (can't remember what time and how got back home, guess it was 4 maybe? just know that i slept on the couch and i could only wake up at 10 - supposed to be at work at 8.30 hihi) easily spotted what happened the night before since after 30 minutes of struggles in front the pc, I took the sane decision of going back home and close well in advance another work day :D legend! I wish I could tell something more about that night, but the problem is that I absolutely have no idea of what happened (and i am still waiting to know what I paid with my credit card which can be pretty scary...)

So, next year at the first "gom bui" mentioned by some local colleague I will start thinking that it's time to go home..

What else..I eventually booked my holiday, first week of April 5 days in Langkawi followed by 3 nights in Kuala Lumpur to assist to the F1 GP...maybe next month I will alos fly over Japan for skiing but still needs to be decided...the thing is that I though it was cheaper to travel around here in Asia but it's not really the case

to the next update....
ciaooooooooo