Thursday 2/27                        End of Conference, Fancy Hotels, Club Ing

 

            Our group presented last.  The funny video got a good reaction.  I suddenly got nervous for my part but kept plugging, not sure what came out of my mouth, and hoped to redeem myself during the Q&A session.  But of course Q&A ended up totally off our main topic and no one asked any questions about Taiwan.  At the end we were all given a conference feedback survey to fill out where I definitely spoke my mind.  I didn’t leave my name but I’m sure they can narrow it down by my one missing name.

 

It hadn’t been SO bad overall, just eh, a little too China-slanted maybe.  As for the NTT and breakfasts--maybe we’ve been spoiled by the cush treatment from Taiwan FSE.  And as Jonathan keeps saying, “It’s a free trip to Hong Kong, how can we complain??” 

 

             Jon, Nic, and I all skip lunch (yes, though it’s been PAID for); Gin and I pack and check out (I made her wait a bit and slip out separately—not taking any chances).  I have to run back to the conference buidling to call JieFu since I JUST got his message from last night now (it was slipped under our door written in Chinese, I’d assumed it was call charges) and the front desk wouldn’t let me use their phone, bastads.  We cab it to the hotel he booked for us, the Kowloon Hotel.

 

            The KH is small and not super fancy but nice and way better than NTT.  We planned to go to the 88HKD afternoon tea downstairs later.  JieFu met us in the lobby and checked us in.  He’d bought me a MienNao AND refused to let us pay for the room, PLUS this time he used cash so I “[can’t switch credit cards at the front desk like you tried last time]” he said grinning.  DOH!  He’s on to me.   Then he insisted on taking us to a better place for afternoon tea.  It turns out it’s the InterContinental where we had the fancy lunch.

 

            The IC lobby has the best harbor view of all the HK hotels.  We watched ships roll by; Gin and I shared the (250HKD!) tea-for-two set.  Incredibly cute pastries and strong coffee.  There was one of everything—cheesecake, tiramisu, bagel with cheese, cream puff, scones and clotted cream, etc. etc. and we split every single one in half to share.  I told Ginger, “Man, I’m always so happy when he takes me out.”

 

            We bid him goodbye then ran quick to see the Pacific Mall and Conrad hotel where Dave used to be the lobby pianist the summer he was 15.  The cheeseball that I am, I wanted Gin to take my pic at the piano and send it to him.  But there were two—one in the ballroom downstairs and one in the restaurant of the lobby, I wasn’t sure which was his.  The restaurant one looked roped off and off-limits so we chose the ballroom one.  It’s a really nice hotel in a “dim” way, painted murals on walls, beautiful chandeliers etc.  Versus the IC which is bright and sunny (JieFu tried to book us there but it was full). 

 

            Met Niclas at the MTR and we walked through Hong Kong park to take the Tram to Victoria’s Peak.  He was amused we kept stopping to snap pics even though we’d wanted to see the sunset view at the peak. 

 

            Am just amazed how each building has a distinct feature and at every turn there is another.  But Niclas lived here awhile before so he’s jaded and finds many buildings ugly:  “There’s the Asshole building” he says, referring to the building that has round windows like Connect Four.

 

            The tram slants up steeply, I grab a seat but they two stand and lunge forward.  At the top is a big tourist place with Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and Madame Tussaud’s.  We walk around the plaza (is crowded at the best view spot) and shoot more pics (Niclas:  “I shoulda brought a book.”)  We ate dinner at Café Deco where Visa was having some kind of awards ceremony upstairs.  I felt slightly ill again, nausea was coming in waves, maybe from the sugary pastries and coffee on an empty stomach.  Drank lots of water with my pizza, helped some.  I wasn’t THAT impressed with the food—why was Niclas raving about it?  Maybe cuz I recently had good pizza at home in U.S.

 

            At our hotel he napped, Gin showered and we had some of the free hotel chocolates. We got ready for clubbing, Nic worried that it was a fancy place (Club Ing, ladies night, ladies free admission AND drinks) and he was wearing jeans, fleece and sneakers.  But we were meeting Jon with Orianne and another girl so we hoped it’d be OK.

 

            It was in a hotel in the middle of nowhere, next to another building I’d thought was pretty and interesting but what Niclas called the “flying cockroach”.  Club Ing was thumping and had posted “We reserve the right to turn anyone away if wearing…” and listed all the things Niclas was wearing.  Also, “Any gentleman abusing the free drink policy for ladies only will be escorted out.”

 

            We waited for them in the lobby where we ordered drinks and watched a jazz band with a sexily dressed HK woman singer (Niclas asked the seating hostess:  “Can we get a table with a view of her?”)  We wondered why this place had big windows like IC’s, but a bad view.  It turns out they used to have a good harbor view, but things were built around them and they lost it.  That must have peed them off.

 

            Jon comes with Orianne and supersweet Stanford girl (found out I knew her boyfriend at Brown) and another girl dressed hoochie mama, so we get in no problem.  For ladies night, there were STILL a lot of guys, and much more aggressive (starey) than Taiwan guys.  All the girls were very pretty. 

 

Weak drinks and long waits at the bar to be served.  The girls were really aggressive at cutting me off.  I stood for a long time until Gin impatiently reached over the bar, grabbed a bottle and added lots of vodka to my drink herself.  Bartender never noticed. 

 

            We started to dance in the house room (Niclas:  “Haven’t seen Grace boogey in a long time!”) and Jon stuck with the girls in the crowded hiphop room  (“I guess he’s happy to finally hang with people his own age”).  It took me forever to find and then wait for the bathroom.  Had another couple drinks and finally learned to order a vodka rocks with lime, which is MUCH stronger than their lame mixed drinks (Niclas:  “That’s why I only order whisky.”)

 

            Gin had to go to the loo too, so I recommended she go to the guys’ to avoid the long line.  We paused in front of the door and suddenly two guys came out, immediately grinned and introduced themselves.  Each one talked to one of us, then they switched.  They were kind of cute but I was buzzed so maybe they weren’t.  They had Scottish accents which are rather cute-sounding coming from Asian guys.  But I was buzzed so maybe they aren’t. 

 

            Nic and Jon came up and suddenly poof!  I never saw guys disappear that fast.  Obviously because Nic and Jon look so snarly and fearsome.  Gin went into the men’s room but was shooed out by the janitor inside, she tried downstairs but it was closed, so she had to wait in the girls’ line anyway.  As I waited for her, another random guy smiled at me and started hitting on me like mad.  I ran away. Gin, Nic and I danced til the place is quite empty, the guy found me again and asked to take our pic together and where I’m staying in HK.  I should know better than to keep being polite to him but since I haven’t gotten hit on in a long time, maybe I’m rusty. 

 

            We moved to the hiphop room which was crowded and not so fun, so we left.