Back in the hood

I am back in Hong Kong and as such normal blogging service can resume. With the added bonus of my Twitter feed being included in the top right of the screen now. So now you get even more of my irrelevant ramblings for your pleasure.

Also have just finished re-reading Magician by Raymond E. Feist which is one of my favorite books by the author who is my guilty pleasure (I own all his books). If you haven't read I would heartily recommend it whether or not you are a fan of the Sci-fi/Fantasy Genre or not. There aren't many books that cover such a wide variety of people over such a lengthy period of time, character development is extensive and detailed and the plot isn't half bad. Unfortunately I forgot to bring back my copy of the follow up Silverthorn so re-reading that will have to wait.

In the meantime I have bought Elephant's on Acid, not literally, its another book this time by Alex Boese. I have a very disturbing interest in all these weird experiments and was thinking of ways that I would have changed the experiments to make them better or more interesting. My favorite experiment so far has been the infamous dog head transplant that resulted in several two headed dogs. I was thinking how this could have been much improved by the addition of a modern day stem cell research into spinal column regrowth and then realised what I was suggesting and put the book down for a bit.

I have almost finished re-reading the Watchmen comics in anticipation of going to see the film sometime in the next couple of weeks. I am going to go see it at the IMAX cinema in Hong Kong because I feel that a film of this visual magnificence deserves the best. I have heard some very bad reviews of the film and some outstandingly good ones. One reviewer for The Times loved it, another for the Sunday edition hated it, so this should at least provide some interesting debate with whoever I go to see it.

As a side note I have not got round to watching The Departed yet but intend to do so sometime this week now that I have it downloaded on my laptop, so my next blog maybe all movie reviews.

Music:

As a change this week and because I felt like doing something to distract myself i recorded myself playing the Guitar and have decided to throw it out there for the world to mock. The song I am covering is YYZ by Rush, which is my favorite Rush instrumental and in my top 3 Rush songs. Enjoy... or don't!

All over the place

It has been an interesting weekend to say the least. I had a great time at Sarah’s party on Saturday night. I haven’t been to a house party since I have been over here, mainly I think because the chances are that if you have more than about 5 people round to most homes over here you quickly run out of space. Not the case with Sarah’s apartment, which is the biggest I have been in since I came to HK. For one person it is almost too big, got to be about 2,500 square feet if it’s an inch.

Any way the party was good fun plenty of booze, lots of good interesting people to talk to. Lots of people who hadn’t met me to freak out by turning my false leg backwards and walking around with it like that! I have also discovered that Jack Daniels, Coke and chocolate brownies do not mix well. I had two JD and Cokes which had given me the alcohol munchies (well that and the two glasses of red wine, and 5 beers I had had by this point). Anyway I ate two brownies in quick succession and felt instantly ill and ended up puking up the brownies and JD and Coke, luckily we were getting ready to leave anyway hence why I ate the brownies too quickly. I am going to blame the eating too quickly as that is not enough alcohol to make me sick, I am sure a couple more JD and cokes would have been getting close to that. I was at least able to walk away without any assistance which was some comfort.

As you might expect I woke up late on Sunday, 2pm to be exact and was shocked and please to find that Gemma was still asleep as well. This is something of a rare occurrence as she doesn’t sleep well and even if she has been up very late doesn’t usually stay in bed past 9am. We got up had a snack and headed out to have some food at the dog of bulls in Lan Kwai Fong for our Sunday Funday with friends. That’s about where the good part of the weekend ends.

As we were heading into Central I got a call off my dad on my mobile. This is an event in itself as he usually never bothers me at the weekends and its also damn expensive to call a mobile over here from England. I got one of those feelings when I heard his voice on the phone that something was up, because we work for the same company I was expecting it to be some problem there. He told me that Gemma’s Grandfather, Harry had passed away very suddenly that morning and that I would have to tell her.

I don’t know if any of you out there have ever had to tell somebody some bad news like that, but its not pleasant and this is the second time I have had to tell someone some news like this. Losing a Grandparent is difficult enough, especially when it happens for the first time. However in Gemma’s case Harry was more than just a Grandfather as she had lived with her Grandparents since she was around 10 or 11 years old. They raised her during those years and in many ways made her the woman I know and love today, the decency and sense of family pride and duty that they instilled in her are qualities that I admire and respect in her.

Harry was a truly great chap, someone who was never short of an opinion or a view, but never opinionated. He had a sharp whit and could disarm you very quickly with it and was never afraid of poking fun at himself as well. My deepest sympathies will be with his wife of over 50 years Brenda, and all their children and grandchildren, especially Gemma.

I find it difficult that he is gone and I think I am finding it harder to cope than I thought I would, because in many ways he reminded me of my own Grandfathers who I lost several years ago and whose passing pains me greatly still. I will hold Harry in my mind in an equally high regard and although they never met when I think of one I am sure I will think of them all.

I will be heading back to England probably sometime late this week or early next for the funeral. Normal service will be resumed then.