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Lesson #1: Give up your reliance on the soft paternalism of drinking in the states. While in most cities 2am is about the time bartenders get to shout “last call” and you are forced to go home, here in HK you are allowed to drink as long as you have money and can walk or talk (well, sort of walk and talk). Clearly pacing oneself is key if you have any plans the following morning (or afternoon as the case may be).
The beer signs swung across the narrow party center of Lan Kwai Fung -- of which I live a mere two staircases away, seem to beckon....
Lesson #2: Understand how to lock and unlock your front door. There are separate keys for each individual lock – the lower lock has a key, the middle lock has a key, and you guessed it, the upper lock has a key. So unless you have a spare $650 HK, three hours to kill with a locksmith with whom you can’t communicate, and a tolerance for 95 degree hallways with sweating walls – take all your keys when you leave your house.
That little screw wasn't there before...... they had to break the lock
Lesson #3: When at the gym having a good work-out, remember to stop yourself at 75% effort. After all, one still has a walk home in the steamy air, which includes two steep inclines and no less than 300 stairs. And unless you plan on taking a rather long breather, sweaty and florid, along side the floor to ceiling windows of an ultra-hip restaurant and bar where all of your attractive neighbors are lounging with a cocktail or pint, you will, either way, feel like dying by the time you make it to your building.
Two of my three staircases before getting home; to the right is the stairs between Hollywood Road and Arbuthnot in Midlevels Central; to the left the continuing connection between Arbuthnot and Caine Road.
Lesson #4: Understand the difference between a power adaptor and a power converter. One could potentially leave themselves bald and burned should, say a hairdryer, spark rather dramatically and die. Another hypothetical scenario, one could find themselves sleeping on a (rather short) sofa until their mattress made it through customs, possibly due to a malfunction with one of those inflatable mattress pumps – which may not respond to 240 volts the way it would 120 volts (truth be told I don’t even know if it’s a voltage problem – I just know I am no longer plugging anything in that isn’t locally bought)
It's amazing how comfortable green felt starts looking after eight nights on a loveseat
Lesson #7: Never go shopping in Wan Chai on a Sunday and always ask for delivery service on heavy items. Imagine a cattle call in the hottest east coast August imaginable, now add thousands of pushy locals, sweaty and confused ex-pats (sadly I fall into this category), and loud high pitched groups of domestic workers on their one day off – now imagine the same exact thing, except you’re carrying a 40 pound air purifier.
Lesson: #6 Buy a DVD player as quickly as possible. Television programming is, how shall I say, lacking. Even HBO Asia is questionable – as I was attempting to fall asleep (on the afore mentioned short sofa) last night, I had a stellar choice of “Uncle Buck” or “Radio”. Let’s just say my decision to have a read instead was quite easy.
