“I didn’t understand a word she said”, the bloke opposite me at the airport laughed last night. “And I’m Chinese”, he said, in response to the woman on the public address system at Hong Kong telling us it was time to board our flight. As I looked around the room during this announcement people were … Continue reading »
“Congratulations guys”, I said to the two Australians wearing Paralympic T-Shirts at Hong Kong airport today. To be honest, I don’t know if they were paralympians or officials or had just bought the t-shirt, but they seemed to quite enjoy a moment of recognition as they were making their way home. Hong Kong, by the … Continue reading »
Having spent a couple of days in and around Kowloon, I was keen to discover today a little more of the “real”, Hong Kong. I’m not saying those areas around Kowloon and Central aren’t “real”, but I just wanted to get a non-tourist sense of the place as well. So I hopped on the train … Continue reading »
The first thing you notice when walk into the YMCA in Hong Kong is the smell of chlorine. “It really is a YMCA”, I said to the nice American bloke I’d met at the airport who was also staying here. In the queue at customs he’d asked me where I’d obtained the map of Hong … Continue reading »
Two days ago I was climbing the Eiffel Tower. Two weeks ago I was on a boat cruise around the canals of Amsterdam. Two months ago I was in the far north of Norway, experiencing the midnight sun. In stark contrast, I’ve spent most of today at airports and on planes. It’s one of those … Continue reading »
“I’d like to know who approved this”, my friend David said today of the Jeff Koons exhibition at the Versailles Palace. “I mean, I quite like his work”, he added, but wondered why this world-famous building was deemed an appropriate space to exhibit Koon’s famous statue of Michael Jackson and Bubbles. “Maybe it’s because of … Continue reading »
“Just keep walking, it’s a scam”, I shouted to the young tourist couple, hoping they understood my English. I knew something was awry when on the approach to the Eiffel Tower, I saw a young girl approach them, pretending to have found a gold ring in the sand and asking if it was theirs. Just … Continue reading »
“Oh my God, she’s going to ask for directions”, I thought to myself when the forty-something glamorous woman with a suitcase called out to me today. “Oh my God, how do you say I’m a tourist?” I thought to myself, as she beckoned me to stop. She quickly recognised I was an English language speaker, … Continue reading »
