April 14, 2009: The $4 shirt

Unfortunately, I had to head back, but I was glad to be going home healthy, this time. If you remember, our trip back from Thailand was miserable; Brandon and I got food poisoning.

The plane landed at Fukuoka International Airport around 8 o’clock. It was such a nice surprise to see that Brandon had successfully made it. He was waiting outside the arrival gate. This was the first time he had tried driving to the airport (we usually take the bus) and he explained that it took him 2 hours to get there (when it should’ve taken one). I was excited to see him! We were able to talk on Skype a few times during the week, but it felt like we hadn’t seen each other in awhile. I was particularly eager to show him my bargains. I wanted to see if he was impressed with my haggling techniques. When we got home, it sounded a lot like this “This was only $10 and this was just $5 and this was a whopping $4!” He mostly laughed at me, during my presentation and he kept making fun of me for always including the prices after item. Secretly, I think he was astounded by my skills! Who else could get a Polo shirt for $4? No one! It shouldn’t matter if the shirt is a knock-off; it sure looks authentic. In fact, since then, he’s worn that red shirt more times than I can count.

April 13, 2009: "The Scorpion"

I got up so I could get my picture taken with both princesses at once. Emily & Jenna were working the same shift today, so I took the train and a shuttle bus to the Disneyland Hotel to see them. I was the first few people in line at the “Meet & Greet” for Cinderella & Sleeping Beauty. It was a very magical experience! Once again, the little girls were over-the-moon to meet the very princesses they’ve seen in movies. So, it’s safe to say that the star status is one of the biggest perks to being Disney royalty!

After the photo session, I was on my own again. It was about one o’clock and I was planning to meet Emily & Jenna after they got off work around 5, so I decided to stick around Disneyland. It was a 5 minute bus ride back to the park from the hotel. Emily & Jenna recommended I watch the “Lion King” show. It was colorful and entertaining, but I still had another 2 hours to waste. There’s only so much fun that you can truly have at an amusement park…by yourself. Fortunately, the park wasn’t crowded, so I decided to ride a couple rides. I even jumped in the “single riders” lane, so my wait time was even shorter! I rode the “Teacups” and “Space Mountain.” I was a little lonely, but I made the best of it! By the late afternoon, I got to see Emily & Jenna in the parade. However, it started to rain. Conveniently, I was near the bakery, so I ducked inside, in hopes that the rain would pass. It didn’t. It’s ok, though; I passed the time by eating. It’s a little too irresistible for me to just stare through the glass at the pastries and chocolates and not have a bite. Only a bite, of course! Ha!

Emily & Jenna were ready to meet me at the entrance and since it was still raining, I ran through the entire park (it took 10 minutes or so) with my purse over my head. I added that part because I didn’t bring an umbrella and I was too cheap to buy a new one. When I made it to the front, my clothes were soaked, but my face and hair were perfectly dry!

They finally met up with me and we headed to a mall (surprise, surprise), which was only a few train stops away. We actually didn’t plan to shop; we wanted to see the movie, ‘He’s Just Not That Into You,’ but it was sold out. Go figure! It seems like a random movie to be sold-out in Hong Kong! After the disappointment settled, we decided to window shop, instead. After awhile, Jenna decided to head back home and Emily and I went to a Deli for dinner. Here’s the real shocker: Emily & I decided to make another trip to the “Night Market.” I needed one more chance to get some last minute souvenirs and that’s where I found an interesting necklace. It was from Laos and Emily thought it was pretty hideous; she nicknamed it “the scorpion.” She wanted to show her disapproving

attitude by posing with it.

"the scorpion" necklace

She went a little overboard with the poses, but she tried her best to make it look as ugly as possible!

Her stance didn’t change my feelings at all; I thought it was unique and original! We realize that our taste is sometimes different, so we just laughed about it. We closed down shop again. I think we were one of the last customers to leave, so we rushed to catch the last train (again). We just had this tendency to close shop almost every night and this time, we made it back without needing a taxi. What a great way to end my “girls’ week!” To sum it up, the week went like this: shopping, eating, shopping, eating, shopping and more dessert, please!

April 12, 2009: A Star-Studded Evening

It didn’t feel like Easter Sunday because usually slip on a brightly-colored dress, go to church and eat a large Easter lunch. Seeing as I was in Hong Kong, things went a little differently. We started our day with ham sandwiches in front of the TV and we chose one of the select few English channels, the Discovery Channel. There was a special about the history of Christ, which was intriguing, so we watched that for awhile until we got dressed for another day of more Hong Kong sites.

After an hour train ride, we had to walk for a half hour before arriving at our destination: the Peak Tram. We planned on riding in this cable car up a mountain peak. At the top is a shopping/restaurant complex. At the ticket counter, we learned that there was also a Madame Tussand’s Wax Museum up there.Emily had never heard of it, but I knew of the famous chain from watching stories on the news. I was ecstatic!

It was a short trip to the top of the mountain and since it was getting dark, all we could see were bright lights. Emily had done this before and she preferred this vibrant nighttime look over the typical hazy, grey skies, during the day. We reached the viewing deck at the top of the peak and it was just incredible! It was drizzling, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the fluorescent skyline.

We got our share of pictures and then saved the rest of our picture-taking for the wax museum. We were like little kids in a candy shop. It was nearing closing time, so hardly anyone was in the museum when we were. We had free reign and could touch, poke or feel any of the wax figures.

The one exception was: Barack Obama. Immediately after walking through the doors, you could pose with Obama, for a promotional picture only and you could buy it, but you couldn’t use your own camera. Typical marketing ploy!

There were three different floors of sports icons, musicians, movie stars, models and foreign leaders. Their features were so meticulous that it could’ve fooled me a time or two! Emily was especially entertaining with her goofy comments and uninhibited dance moves. So, I took the opportunity to use my video camera. After about an hour and half, the place was really empty, so, we took the hint and headed to the exit.

This week has been full of American restaurants, so add one more to the list: Bubba Gump. Don’t worry; I offset the ice cream covered chocolate chip cookie dessert with my main course, a delicious strawberry and pecan salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Just the sound of it is mouth-watering to me!

The food hit the spot, but since it was nearly 11PM, we had to head back to the peak tram and catch a ride back down the mountain. We made it in time for that and one of our trains home. However, the last train we were supposed to catch had already left; so, a cab ride was our only option. So, back to the hotel we go!

April 11, 2009: I'll have the poo poo platter!

Emily didn’t have to work today, so we had a full day planned. We, along with her friend Leah (spitting image of Angelina Jolie), started our afternoon with lunch in Mong Kok.

Leah & Angelina...sisters?!!

This is a well-known shopping district. We ate at deli and then took off on our shopping extravaganza! We started at a mall, but didn’t stay long because we were gearing up all of our energy for the popular ‘Ladies Market.’ This was very similar to the ‘Night Market,’ but bigger. It didn’t take long for me to get into my shopping mode and Emily and I were bargaining maniacs! Actually, some of the booth owners got angry with us (like…shouting matches!) because we were trying to bargain too low. They said we were horrible for suggesting that their quality products should go for such a cheap price. Sometimes we would even walk away, telling the booth lady that we would only pay a certain amount and she would say no! So, we would walk away and next thing I know….5 minutes later, she has chased us down. She changed her mind! We may have made some enemies, but we sure got a lot of excellent bargains!

It’s hard to believe that we spent 5 or more hours at that market. Time flies when you’re shopping at a market! We worked up an American appetite (again!)…this time: Pizza Hut! It was absolutely delicious. I almost forgot what greasy, flavorful pizza tasted like.

Right around the corner from Pizza Hut was this place called “The Modern Toilet” and we were craving dessert (again!) so it sounded like a good idea. Emily explained to me that toilet humor is huge in Hong Kong, so I suppose this is one example. Our table was a bath tube and the seats were…surprise: toilets! The entire atmosphere revolved around the bathroom scene, even down to the menu.

We didn’t have much of a choice for dessert. We had chocolate soft serve ice cream in a miniature-size toilet (if this toilet shape doesn’t look familiar it’s because it’s the Japanese-style toilet). The three of us laughed about it all and had fun with our odd themed dining experience. We got in late again and went to bed at 4:00AM this time!

April 10, 2009: Hong Kong Nights

Emily had to work again, so I was on my own. I slept in a little and explored the hotel’s gym facilities. Keep in mind; this wasn’t your typical simple hotel workout room. Talk about state-of-the-art! I counted…about five treadmills, a few elliptical machines, rowing machines, a small running track, free weights and several weight lifting machines. Those machines even had digital screens to they tell you the number of repetitions and a calorie count. The gym area had another room for different aerobic classes and then the bathrooms were another story. Along with the modern toilets and sinks, the bathrooms were equipped with a steam room, sauna and showers. After the fascination wore off, I took advantage and got some exercise.

I left there ready to eat lunch, so I headed for the attached grocery store. I found a few American brand favorites that I missed, but for lunch, I just found stuff to make a ham sandwich. Before long, it was time to meet Emily at one of the train stations for dinner. Which means, yes, I was able to figure out how to manage the Hong Kong train system (it's called the "MTR"). Piece of cake!

Emily and I both love American food, so we were on the same page when I suggested “Outback Steakhouse” for dinner. To say the least; we indulged!

It was getting late, maybe 9 o’clock, but we knew that this was only the beginning of our night! There’s a place called the “night market” and it doesn’t close until midnight, so we had plenty of time to inspect each and every stall. It’s overwhelming, at first, but then you just get sucked in. I felt like I was in a shopping daze, I was wanting to look at all of the sunglasses, purses, watches, jewelry, t-shirts and every possible item with the words “Hong Kong” on it. It was mesmerizing.

Brandon, on the other hand, would be finished looking after 10 minutes. He’d be looking for something else to do.

We practically shut-down the place and left when people were taking down their booths. We caught the last trains back to the hotel, just in the nick of time. We almost missed them! Another late night!

April 9, 2009: Hong Kong Disneyland

Emily had to work, and she thought it would be fun to have Jenna show me around. Then, by the afternoon, we could come and see her in their daily parade. One particular bonus was: we got in for free! It’s much smaller than the original Disney amusement parks, and this park is only a few years old. We rode the staple kiddie ride,“It’s a Small World,” and we watched a couple shows. It was nice to take it easy at the park, versus rushing around to cram in as many rides as possible, to get your money’s worth. We had a lot of fun, though!

The Disney magic begins on the train that takes you to the park.

Jenna and I

By mid-afternoon, we wanted to find a spot to watch the parade. Emily told us where the best view would be and after we got video at that location, we scooted to where the parade would end. It was fun to see Emily in action! Jenna had some errands to run, so she left me for the last little bit. I was going to get my picture with Emily in another hour. I’m glad I got to her “Meet & Greet” early because kids start lining up before and the line formed along this long sidewalk and around the corner. It was so funny to see her and hear her princess voice. The little ones were so excited to see her; some were even dressed in their own Cinderella attire. The parents were pretty enthusiastic themselves, very similar to paparazzi, making sure to snap as many pictures as possible. You can tell “Cinderella” loves her job!

Emily and I

Emily got off work shortly after her “Meet & Greet” and we planned to spend a little more time in the park. We rode “Space Mountain” and then for dinner we ate a surprisingly delicious slice of Mickey Mouse pizza.

We finished just in time to see the daily fireworks show. Emily considered them mediocre, compared to the spectacular display back in Florida. Anything bright and sparkly is pretty impressive, so I thought they weren’t bad at all. The day went out with a bang! After some minor damage at the Disneyland stores, we left and got back to Emily’s after midnight. I think we hit the pillow again at 2:00AM!

April 8, 2009: Whim decision to see Cinderella

It was a whim decision to book a flight to Hong Kong. After getting back from Thailand, I had an extra week and half of vacation until I was back to work. This was going to be my one and only chance to see Emily before leaving this part of the world. Emily, one of my best friends from high school, got transferred to Hong Kong Disneyland from Florida. She is Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty & Ariel, for Disney. Which means, she: dresses up, smiles, waves, lip syncs and hugs little kids all day long! She has a 6 month contract and she’s already been there a month.

My trip to Hong Kong lasted about 4 hours, including an hour layover in Taiwan. It was about 4 o’clock when I arrived; the time difference is an hour earlier than in Japan. It didn’t take long for me to get my Japanese Yen exchanged and locate the correct shuttle to Emily’s hotel. She gave me precise directions of how to find the right bus and the exact amount, so it was a smooth process. Everything was clearly labeled in English and so far, everyone spoke English, so I could immediately tell that there was more English than I was used to. I got to her hotel with an hour to kill. I grabbed a drink from the 7-ELEVEN (yes, they have this chain EVERYWHERE) and I found the most comfortable looking chair in the elegant, yet inviting lobby of the Harbour Plaza Resort City. I wanted to continue reading “Twilight.”

Our friendship didn’t skip a beat! The moment Emily walked in the entrance doors, she ran over to me & we were hugging, laughing and talking about when we last left off. She showed me her luxurious set-up. Her hotel suite is complete with a queen-size bed, dresser, desk, kitchenette, cabinets, shower, sofa sleeper, and the list goes on.

She actually shares a wall (and door) with her friend from Disney World, Jenna. You see, the way their contract works is: they pay the girls for working, plus they pay for the airfare, a fully-furnished hotel suite, transportation to and from work, along with most amenities at the hotel (swimming pool, well-equipped gym, maid service). What more could a girl ask for? These princesses really got a great opportunity! I wonder if there’s enough Disney Magic to come my direction.

After the grand tour, we opted for a nearby American favorite, McDonald’s. They have those everywhere too. I am pretty tired of it, but we wanted to avoid a long commute to somewhere else, seeing as it was already 8 o’clock. The McDonald’s, along with a grocery store and a mall; they are all attached to Emily’s hotel. We got back to Emily’s room and talked for a few more hours before noticing the clock read 2:00AM. Emily had to get up for work, so we decided to go to sleep.