Hong Kong Ginny

(Number one dork ...)

Those of you who know me well know that I rarely get sick. In fact, in the 11 years that Lewis and I have been together, I have only been sick a handful of times (OK, maybe 2 hands). So, it says something about my current stress/activity level that I have been sick twice in the past month.

I've had to write all the copy for a 100-page kitchen catalog TWICE. Then I spent a week in Hong Kong and Taipei for work. I got back in time to help Lewis renovate our house. Then all of our stuff arrived a few days ago (yes, it's been 7 months since we've had any of our things from Denver!). And now I have a few minutes on Sunday night before another week of work.

Yeah, I know, poor me. I can't complain really ... things are awesome. But I do regret that I don't have more time to myself, for blogging and what not. Sorry I have not been better about keeping in touch.

A lot happened all at the same time. Seeing Asia for the first time was incredible. I absolutely fell in love with Hong Kong and highly recommend it. I only had a few hours on my own to explore, but I can't wait to go back. The hotel we stayed in was called the Royal Pacific in Kowloon, which is across the water from Hong Kong City. I took the Star Ferry across to check out downtown, and it only cost about the equivalent of a quarter. I found the city very romantic, and the people were the nicest I've ever met while traveling.

(As an example ... I got on the ferry and took a seat facing what I thought was the front of the boat. A woman about 10 yards from me smiled and pointed the other way. It was a kind gesture that I think would not happen in most cities ... especially on a commuter boat. Most people just keep to themselves and don't go out of their way to help people.)

Also, since Hong Kong was British until recently, most signs are in English and it was easy to get around. The reason I was out there was because I am the lead writer for the Asia and franchise catalogs (places like Greece, Iceland, etc.). So we met our client out there and made home visits to see how people live there. It was really eye-opening. These people cram 3 generations of a family into 50 square meters (500 square feet). Unbelievable. The home is completely functional to them. It made me feel ridiculous to have just bought a 165-square-meter house.

Needless to say, I ate extremely well while I was out there, and I think I still have a pound or two to lose from the trip. I managed to stay away from miscellaneous animal parts, luckily, although my colleagues didn't fare as well. Being a vegetarian has its perks!

Back in Sweden, all is great. Lewis and I are both feeling much more comfortable here. (It helps that it's sunny and warm now! What's not to love about Sweden in the summer??!!!)

We have been busy renovating and moving all of our belongings into the few rooms that we've been able to finish so far. And we've been trying to catch all the World Cup games in between painting rooms. My favorite team is Brasil. I just love Ronaldhino. The guy is so fascinating. I can't get enough of his smile and fancy moves. He was recently quoted as saying, "I'm ugly but I'm nice." Cracks me up ...

We spent our Saturday night screaming at the TV while we watched the US-Italy game. Good god, what a load of crap. The refs did a terrible job. The US should have won and got totally robbed.

OK, so we're off to Northern Sweden on the 28th for a Sigur Ros concert. And then we're driving over to Norway to check out the Fjords. We have Tilly's pet passport, and we're all set! Now all Tilly needs is her own blog. :)

Happy summer!

Ginny

Few more pics of Taipei ...