A Weekend of Surprises
Back home and back into the groove after a weekend in HK dropping down thousands of HKD on those annual check-ups and doctor visits. My credit card is still smoking from the activity...
Friday was Tai-Tai and expat son visiting doctors...primarily Tai-Tai's yearly yuck visits to the OB/GYN. As most offices are fairly small and located in various office buildings, they don't necessarily have all the equipment needed to check everything they can. Instead, you go to one office, and they shoot you across town to another office for the 2nd part, and then another for the third, etc. They also did their visit to the optometrist on this day too.
On Friday evening, I arrived, after finishing up stuff at work. I hopped on the afternoon KTT train to HK and I was checked into the hotel and meeting Tai-Tai and Expat Son at Dan Ryans by 6:15pm for dinner.
Dan Ryan's is a regular stop for us (and many others) in HK. It's just a typical American food place, specializing in steaks and burgers. It is always crammed packed with people and the food is consistent. This visit was a bit different. When Tai-Tai made the reservation, the girl asked if we would be out of the chair by 8pm. Usually that isn't a problem...and we usually so OK. So, when I arrived to grab the table at 6:15, the same girl (Tai-Tai would tell me later) asked me if we would vacate by 7:45pm. I told her, 'That all depends upon your service and hospitality, ' but really wanting to say, 'I'll leave when I and f*ing well ready to leave.'
So, we sat down and enjoyed our meal...way in the back of the restaurant. Expat son and I shared the fisherman's platter (which was decidedly smaller than when previously ordered) and Tai-Tai had the prime rib. Food was good...drink was good. But...just as we were about to think about finishing, here came the hostess with her pad and pen, peeking at our table to see if we were done or not...it was 7:15pm. I dunno about you, but I hate...absolutely hate...to be rushed out of a restaurant.
As the hostess' luck would have it...we were all stuffed. No dessert on this night, but after finishing up my beer and ordering the check, it would be right at 7:45pm before we would get up to walk. Had we ordered dessert...we would have been late and she would have been in a hurt, because she overbooked the restaurant.
This whole episode was a bit surprising as we have plunked down thousands in Dan Ryan's over the years. The food is always good and consistent...but the service on this time was just a bit too much for us. It left a bad taste in our mouths. A taste that could be easily replaced, as we would find out the next evening.
On Saturday, it was off to the dentist for the lot of us...getting the general check-up and cleaning required each year. I heard once again how crappy my teeth are and Tai-Tai heard, once again, how wonderful her teeth are. Same old...
I had an appointment with the optometrist immediately after the dentist, so I had to hoof it from Jardine House to the Prince's Building in less than 15 minutes. Made it just in time and went in for the exam. Surprise number two was coming.
About 4 months ago, I went to HK to have a chalazion removed from my eyelid. Immediately upon returning from our trip this summer, I had a return case on the upper eyelid. It was minor and was going away, at least that is what I thought. The Dr. looked at it and told me that he couldn't examine my eyes, because of the infection, he would have to do a little surgery to remove it. Arrghghg...OK. So, he snipped it out and I was rewarded with a big ol' patch on my eye for the remainder of the day.
After walking around with one eye for the day, I was getting a bit woozy from it...so I headed back to the hotel for some shut-eye. Tai-Tai and I agreed to meet at Jimmy's Kitchen for dinner that night.
Jimmy's is a HK institution and has only been the past couple of years that we have discovered it. Step into Jimmy's and you step back in time to the 60's, with waiters in white jackets and hostesses that greet you with a smile and seat you at the table of your choice, if you want. Jimmy's does it all...from steaks and seafood to curry's and pasta.
Needless to say, we had a wonderful meal...very relaxed and not rushed at all. It was fantastic. In the past, I had always though Jimmy's was a little more expensive than other restaurants, like Dan Ryan's. Well, it is...but only slightly. I think I may have paid HKD200 more for this meal that I would for a similar meal and Dan Ryan's...and they don't push you out the door at Jimmy's. I think Jimmy's is now our first choice for International/Western food when in HK.
The final surprise I had was on our final day. We did a little shopping and we had a break in the mid day while awaiting our departure. I decided to head downstairs and have a stogie outside the hotel. We were staying at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile...first time for us. The hotel is located on Nathan Rd, right in the middle of the Indian section of Kowloon. Loads of Indian merchants and touts bugging you at every street corner...'Copy watch...handbag...tailor???' Ughghgh...I can't stand that. Anyway, I walked up and down the back streets enjoying my stogie.
In doing this, I noticed many Indian men and women just sort of hanging around. The women were dressed brightly in traditional clothes. Some of them sat...others strolled along, alone. I was just window shopping, passing back and forth on the same street, looking at watches and cameras. There I was, puffing away, when this hand eases up around my elbow and this woman asking, 'Massage? Very good company.' Ughghgh...Indian whores! Now, I had seen it all. HK always had the nightlife of Filipino and Thai girls down in Wanchai...but this was just over the top. An Indian woman with a nose stud, traditional clothes, asking if I wanted 'good company.' ughghghhg... One thing she did have going for her...a very nice smile and white teeth...the rest of it was just creepy.
Repeating 'no thank you' about 10 times didn't seem to discourage her. Finally, I had to pull away my arm and walk away. All I could think of was...how disappointing to have this going on outside the hotel we were staying...a hotel that sort of specializes in families, etc. Then I thought...she is one of millions...and I pity her life. Hope she can get out and have a real family some day.
Back to work today...fussing with computer/network problems and attempting to rip the new CD's I picked up in HK...I'm just hoping for no more surprises along the way!!
UPDATE: Thanks to my spell checker Tai-Tai...I misspelled 'surprise' in the title. :(













