Observations on Life - Place Names

I live in Hong Kong. The suburb that I live in is called Tsim Sha Tsui (pronounced 'Chim Cha Choy')

Nearby there is a suburb called Hung Hom yet everybody pronounces it 'Hong Hum'.

Why?

Observations on Life - One Day at a Time

Here is a song by Joe Walsh and the Eagles. I identify with every single word he sings......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9iIq3Tm44A

Observations on Life - Cancer

I have a friend of mine who is undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

A smoker consuming an average of 40 cigarettes each day for the past 32 years, she has consumed a little under 466,000 cigarettes in that time.

Recently she went for a second opinion on her treatment and she was told that what the previous medical practitioner was doing was not what the second medical practitioner would do.

Now she has someone to blame for her cancer.

Observations on Life - Attack of the Killer Pot Plant

I have a Filipino domestic helper who comes for a few hours each week to do some housekeeping. She is a lovely young woman named Jo Anne. She is always happy and cheerful.

My house is fairly clean and tidy but still needs some of that detailed cleaning that I never want to do. Each week Jo Anne comes and cleans the bathrooms, dusts the place and does some ironing.

Today I walked into my living room and Jo Anne was standing there, back to me, legs spread slightly apart, bending over slightly and leaning forward, with the straw brooom raised horizontally in front of her. On the low table in front of her was a small pot plant.

I made an offhand remark and enquired as to whether she was defending herself against the pot plant. She burst into hysterical laughter and tried to tell me that she was just getting some stuff off of the end of the broom. I said "oh......" but inside I knew what she was really doing. After all, pot plants can be very dangerous to deal with. Right?

Until next time, this is Tales of Asia saying "Don't forget to wipe".

Quote for the Day

There are two kinds of people in this life:
Those who walk into a room and say,
“Well, here I am!”
And those who walk in and say,
“Ahh, there you are.”

- Unknown

Observations on Life - Mister Peace

Last Friday I met Mister Peace.

We walked down to the Star Ferry terminal in Hong Kong together and Mister Peace told me a little bit about his life.

An Irish man, Mr Peace made his fortune in the hospitality industry when he was flat broke and found a derelict building in Ireland. He put together a business plan and presented it to a bank. Shortly afterwards this destitute guy was spending €2 million on the redevelopment of this derelict building as it was turned into boutique serviced accommodation. Mister Peace went on to tell me how his drinking problem will often find him sleeping on the bathroom floor of one of his guest rooms but how none of the guests discovered the wreckage of his private life.

Not happy with being a successful businessman and hotelier, Mr Peace sold his accommodation house in Ireland, popped the money in the bank and then went travelling to the past two years. I met Mister Peace some months ago when he was travelling through Hong Kong on his way to Miramar (formerly Burma) for a holiday. Mister Peace told me on Friday that he had recently returned to Miramar. On this trip he had done some volunteer teaching work in a local school for underprivileged children. On one particular day, one of the Buddhist monks gave him a Burmese name. The literal translation means "peace".

That's why I call him Mister Peace.

Observations on Life - People

Last weekend I was sitting in a Vietnamese style restaurant at Telford Plaza in Kowloon Bay Hong Kong.

As some people might know, space is at a premium in Hong Kong as there are so many people but space is scarce. Often, in restaurants two tables will be side-by-side and then there will be a little gap for the next set of two tables etc etc.

Anyway, sitting next to me was a guy who obviously liked to make those various open mouthed eating noises as he chomped into his Vietnamese lunch. Lipsmacking, teeth sucking, belching, chomping noises, sucking, splurting, speaking......... you get the picture.

Now, I am usually one of those people who think that everybody has the right to do whatever they wish provided they don't cause anybody else any harm or suffering when they are doing whatever they wish. I must admit though that the eating noises did start to get to me a little bit. I'm one of these people who was taught as a child to close your mouth was eating.

I looked over and noticed that the guy didn't have much food left to eat so I just thought I'd concentrate on my own business and leave him be. Shortly after, he finished his meal and I thought that I would then be able to commence my lunch in a pleasant circumstance and atmosphere. That was before the girl at the next table along sat down..........

This guy sitting next to me had nothing on the new girl sitting at the next table. If I thought that he made various loud noises when he ate, he had nothing on this girl.

Not only could she make all of the noises described above louder and more intensely than he could, she could also make other noises that I can't even know how to describe here.

In addition, she had the art of being able to talk through a mouth completely of food. She must have practised for years to be able to get so much food in her mouth that there was hardly any room left for air and then still be able to make noises from her throat through the food and to the outside world in a muffled sounds somewhat like someone trying to yell from the bottom of a well whilst wrapped completely in layers of wet burlap sack cloth.

Now, to her partner sitting across the table the conversation probably sounded a little like this "Wop hab yooo bein doooon deday?" or "Ware shwall weee goe apder dis?" and stuff like this.

Anyway, I thought this young lady who I dubbed "Barnyard Betty" deserved a mention here on Tales of Asia as you probably won't make a listing in the Guinness book of records although I think she should...........

After this uplifting experience in the Vietnamese restaurant I then went to IKEA to help someone find a wooden paper towel holder that is combined with a cling wrap holder as well as an aluminium foil holder. Now, chances are that these things aren't even invented yet or in existence anywhere in the world but that didn't stop us from scouring the whole of Hong Kong in case there was one.

Whilst in Ikea I had the opportunity to observe a family discussing a new dish rack, one of those things that you put on your kitchen sink and put your dishes in so that they can dry.

I could tell by the way that the lady was holding on to the dish rack and by the way that the whole family was having a very deep and meaningful conversation about the purchase of the new dish rack that the ownership of this new dish rack was going to improve their quality of life dramatically. I could even tell how ownership of this new dish rack was going to improve the drying quality of the dishes that they washed, as well as the overall cleanliness and hygiene of the kitchen. The mother looked passionate and she spoke and gazed lovingly at the dish rack, her mother obviously agreed because her head was bobbing up and down in agreeance like one of those little bobble head dogs on the back parcel shelf of the car. Her hildren looked impressed too as they could obviously see how this new dish rack was going to be a fantastic addition to the home. The father though, well, he just looked bored as usual. The tone of his voice seemed to suggest that he was saying " hogwash, what do you need a new dish rack for? We have a perfectly good 20-year-old rusty one right there at home."

People............. aren't they fantastic.

.........until next time, " don't forget to wipe".

Quote of the Day

That the birds of worry and care
Fly about your head,
This you cannot change.
But that they build nests in your hair,
This you can prevent.

-- Chinese Proverb