Chinese Fire Drill. No lie in the name.

Yup. That's right! I participated in the office fire drill- my first and probably last CHINESE FIRE DRILL! Not the type in highschool where we parked the car and ran around it before the light turned green but the real kind- walking down 49 floors to get to the bottom and checking in that you made it safe. Intense right?!?!?

I don't know how often the building has the drill but it was that time of year and all new employees have to participate. Since I consider myself "new" I decided I needed to see what it was all about and be extra safe because who knows when a fire might strike.

I put on my flats (only brought 2 pairs of heels with me and they are my 'work' shoes and stay under my desk- a tan pair and black pair. Flats are for walking to and from work) and went to the back door with the other 8 newbies for the OK to head down the stairs. Since there is only one floor above us we were the back of the pack and had a lot of stairs to walk.

We started off. It wasn't bad at all because the stairwell was really wide and we were able to walk like 4 in a line and talk- not a bad little stroll down 49 floors!!!!

Finally we got to the bottom and they had directional signs that said where to go to line up. The funny part is during any real emergency I feel it would be completely CRAZY. if every.single.person. from all 50 floors in the building were rushing down the stairs and we were stuck closest to the top that would just be TROUBLE. and gives me anxiety thinking about it. Also, normal people not participating in the fire drill are all over the place so it can get confusing even with signs telling you were to go!

We did make it safe in about 20 minutes to check in and got a pat on the back and group picture for our participation. Such all-stars, I know.

But yes. A REAL CHINESE FIRE DRILL is another check off the good ole bucket list of life.

The little Las Vegas of the East

Doesn't compare to the huge one of the west!!!!!! But it was still a place that needed to be seen!

Macau is an hour fairy ride away from Hong Kong and is considered part of China (or when you get stamped in immigration it just says Macau so who knows for sure). Anyway, you have to have a passport to enter.

Well, one Saturday I was getting pretty tired of walking around alone just looking at things so I thought it might be the PERFECT day to jump a boat and get to Macau! I got excited and headed in the direction I was told the Pier was located and went as fast as possible knowing it was almost 1pm a boat would probably be leaving soon. I got there, bought a ticket for 140 HKD, had 15 minutes to spare so I went to McDonalds to get lunch for the long boat ride and was really excited that the day was now in my favor and things were looking up for a new adventure. I headed back to the way to get on the boat, checked in and went downstairs. That's when it hit me. I didn't have my passport because it was in the process of getting my India visa and there was the immigration line where I had to have my passport. HUGE BUMMER to say the least. And the worst part of it all- I didn't know how to get out of the area without looking like a huge loser but there was no "exit" so I had to go back up the stairs (that only cool people with passports were coming down really excited to go to on an adventure) ask a man how to get out and if I could get a refund. He was very nice and told me to come back for the 3pm boat, I could go then. I said thank you so much! (and he's probably still waiting for me to return...). SO. I took my McDonald's that I hadn't touched left the building and sat on a bench, arms crossed of course, and watched the boat leave. Then I decided to put on my big girl pants again (feel like I've had to do that a lot this trip) and find something else to keep me busy! I pitched the McDonald's and headed off to new places I hadn't seen.

WELLLLLL two weeks after that happened I got my passport back and there was no stopping me from the Macau trip now!!!!!! I was ready! Dan and Maureen wanted to go too so we met around 9:30 and headed to the ferry, bought our tickets, got breakfast and then fought the crazy crowd to get on a boat. Important lesson for those who don't travel much- ALWAYS ask someone who works there where to go and walk to the front of groups standing- you will save a ton of time, trust me. Dan once again was calling me Mentos girl for getting us to the ship so quickly! The boat ride was a little bumpy but we reached the other dock, checked into Macau, and headed out to the buses to take us to one of the casinos! There was a bus for the Wynn (of course I got on that bus first), MGM, and others. We ended up on City of Dreams bus and that is where one of the big shows takes place called Dancing Waters (its about the only show in Macau). I have to say, it was so similar to Vegas! The huge hotels, palm trees, decorations, it was almost like being at home.

Tables were kind of expensive. Cheapest one we found all day was a Blackjack table for 200HKD (about $38) so one hand in and you don't win isn't much fun. People had LOADS of money. I was going to cash in just a few chips and the guy in front of me had 90 $1000HKD bills he turned over. That's $11,980 USD folks! No joke there. And the worst part about the casinos- they don't pump in fresh oxygen and people smoke like CRAAAAAZY everywhere so it's horrible. But really, the worst part of gambling is they don't serve drinks so you are always thinking really clear and know when to stop instead of trying again. ZERO real drinks. They did have apple juice, orange juice, and hot tea if you would like. Nothing to give those children drinks a kick though. Huge bummer and left me just wanting to look at the decorations.

With a clear head and a lighter purse we headed to each hotel. I wanted to look at every single one to compare it to Vegas and just see them because they are amazing. The gang I was with didn't really care for that and wanted to see some historical sites. SO we headed off in a taxi to find a place for lunch that was in their guide book listed as a really good place to eat. The taxi took us to the totally wrong spot with no place to eat or English in site. They were trying to read a map in the guide book (hello Emily Beadle- I knew your habits of the map would find me somehow on this trip!) and I was just looking to see if any taxis were passing to get us away from where we were. They weren't. So we walked. And walked back to more casinos! They were the older ones and first ones so it was great to see them in all their glory. Finally I called a lunch break because we needed to re-fuel or it was going downhill fast. The girls got a pitcher of Sangria which helped to lighten the mood but I could have used about 5 more if I was going to play anymore games (don't worry mom- we only split one and I didn't play anymore blackjack).

After lunch we kept walking and seeing sites. It was late and again, she wanted to try and find the place to eat so we had some Chinese man write the address in Chinese for the taxi driver and then waited in the taxi line and headed off in a different direction than the first ride. We finally got to the area of the restaurant and found the little corner store. It was full and reservations were booked for the night...and on top of that, the taxi driver had not given Dan the right amount of cash and took off. They were both bummed out and there was no getting them back. So we found a bar, had a beer (and I had nachos!) watched some good ole American football, found the ferry again and headed home.

Overall, the hotels there are very, very similar to Vegas. The Viencian has the painted sky ceiling, the boat rides, the shops, etc. It was beautiful! But really made me miss the Dad and Daughters weekend we had with Mr. Ben and Blair 2 years ago and made me want to start planning the 2013 trip!

It was a great trip for me to see everything and not lose too much money!

Little Thanksgiving in Hong Kong

Thanksgiving Day and Weekend. Might be my favorite holiday of the year (it's neck and neck with my Birthday) but for sure my favorite holiday from July to December. And I think this is the first year I have missed being with my family for it.

I can remember in college the felling of driving home that first Thanksgiving and going back to Gibbons for a basketball game to see the dance team and the feeling of being home again. That feeling stays with you and happens every time I head south but ESPECIALLY on Thanksgiving week when you know for sure, without a doubt, almost EVERYONE will be home and getting together! Nothing beats that.

In my family we have some good ole family traditions that I love. Thanksgiving morning we usually have a golf tournement we play in. Either its with a lot of friends or just the family we seem to always play golf. Now there have been some Thanksgiving where I have missed out (may or may not be because I have fun the night before) and have been the one to take out morning cocktails and ham biscuits to the group as the pass our house on the 9th tee box- but I still count that in participating because I did something. After golf, mom and I head home and start the cooking. There is an order of what to do and when so everything can be done on time and nothing is left out. I LOVE cooking with my mom because I get to do a lot of it and she is really good at washing dishes as you go :) We watch the parades and listen to music while drinking wine- doesn't get much better. After all is ready, we head upstairs to change before sitting at the table. Christmas and Thanksgiving are the two times mom gets to use all her china and crystal so we have a formal, beautiful, table set and a wonderful meal with everyone. The BEST YEAR I remember the best is when we had my grandparents, Drake, and Beth in town and I think there was a soild 10 people around the table. That was the best ever.

Welllll this year was a little different. I found out that this amazing New Orleans style resturant was going to serve a Thanksgiving meal so I went a few days early to make a reservation (which was smart thinking ahead because we got one of the last tables!). I was really excited to get turkey and sides to enjoy the holiday Hong Kong style.

The day of Thanksgiving I was working and actually was participating in the Toastmasters meeting and decided to go ahead and give a speech to the group about Thanksgiving to help them understand our one holiday that we celebrate what we are Thankful for (and eat a ton and watch football). It was a great little talk even though my friend Dan (he's from Cville) started to tell everyone what we did, what we eat, etc. and I had to tell him to stop because he was giving my whole presentation! They enjoyed learning about our holiday and all the fun things we do and how we celebrate.

After work I headed off with another person from the cville office, James, who was visiting for work to the resturant for the dinner. We met Dan and his wife and had an ALL YOU CAN EAT Thanksgiving meal (typical right?). We had turkey, mashed potatoes, burssel sprouts, green bean casserole, stuffing, biscuits, cooked carrots, AND pie! (pecan, pumpkin, and apple! but you only got to pick one) It was a wonderful meal and made going back to work for a few hours after eating a little better knowing I had just enjoyed some good food.

After our meal finished in Hong Kong it was time for everyone at home to start their day of Thanksgiving! I called home where my aunt and uncle were visiting and had missed them as they left with my dad to go see Jimmy and Sarah run in a Turkey Trot and momma was busy getting things ready in the kitchen! I don't think they played golf this year but the pictures from the day were wonderful and my Aunt is so special and sent me a lot of love through many pictures. The one with the sign that said "Missing You" and everyone holding it  was so my favorite! (side note- I have a picture like this from my graduation that says Miss You to Jimmy who was fighting for our freedom overseas) I sure did feel the love and missed being there!

I am so so Thankful for this experience and all of the support from friends and family from back home. It's amazing when you are alone all the hours when you are not at work how much you think about everyone in your life and all that you have. I miss and love you all and can't wait to get home and see each of you! Thank you for being amazing and know I think the world of you.

Sending love and hope you all are getting ready for the Holidays! I can't wait to be home to help celebrate!!!!!!!!

OHHH do I have a lot to recap!

My Blog Fans. I have to take a second and apologize for being such a not so great blogger the last couple of weeks. It's been a busy time here in Hong Kong with the Exam weekend (what I have been working on planning the last 6 months) is finally here and there have been some long days and nights of not wanting to look at my computer- so I apologize and hope to give some fun updates!

QUICK RECAP just to keep you all interested in my travels!

So I left off on November 12...the day the Blue Devils pulled one on our CATS for the W. And then I heard that they went on and have had some other big wins over different top 5 teams so I didn't feel too bad. I did feel good about UNC not pulling off a W...just sayin :)

That Thursday night I attended an event that CFA hosted to help people within the industry to network and learn more about careers and what it takes to have a great resume, interview, and how to get the job. I was the greeter and checking people in (of course I was, right?!) and then I ran the question cards and giving them to the panel. There were around 200 people at the event and it was a great panel and speakers! I even took notes...

That Saturday night we went to dinner and we headed out to a part of town I have not been to yet. It was the area with all the bars and everything else- bars might be not the right word- they were bars I would not go to alone and probably don't want women in them if that gives you a better idea. It was fun to see that part of town and have some really good thai food! We headed back to our central area for drinks though!

Soooo...when we got back to the central part of town and to the LKF area where the crazy Halloween things took place we came to another event- A CARNIVAL right in the heart of Hong Kong!!!! Everyone was singing in the streets and dancing, beer booths lined the streets, you could walk into any bar and not buy their drinks, people were all wearing hats, there were stages, it was just WILD! Kind of like a fair...but with just beer. I will do a whole post I promise with videos of the clowns, me wining a prizzzzze!!!! and just the people dancing to that gumgum style dance song (whatever its called) be ready! It will be good :)

AND Then it was Thanksgiving! Yes, I had the privilege to work the whole week last week. Monday thru Friday- first time in my whole life I have had to work the whole week- I know, I'm such a grown up now and was for sure wearing my big girl pants all week since I kept a smile and acted like I didn't miss having a 4 day weekend. BACK TO THE POINT. Thanksgiving! Since I was at work and it was a Toastmasters meeting day I thought I would get involved and help educate my friends on some American Traditions so I gave a speech on Thanksgiving! I started with how Thanksgiving was started and why people started a day to give thanks, moved into what is traditional for thanksgiving (eating multiple times with family and friends and football), what types of foods are served and then what else goes on that weekend (Macy's Parade, start of Christmas holiday, etc). Everyone loved it. It was a great experience for my 2nd Toastmasters ever! That night I went with Dan, his wife, and someone else from the Charlottesville office to this restaurant that was serving an all you can eat Thanksgiving dinner. It was great, we got a bottle of wine and unlimited mashed potatoes- amazing.

I sure did miss being in Raleigh especially since my Aunt Karen and Uncle Rick were in town and I don't get to see them too much! It was great to have multiple calls home and hope everyone enjoyed being with your family!! :)

Last weekend (after Thanskgiving) I went to Macau which is the Las Vegas of the East- seriously they have an MGM, Wynn, Encore, etc. All pretty much the same but I do have to admit I like Vegas a whole lot better and can't wait for another dad and daughter weekend (Ben and Blair- hope you're ready!). Also, they don't drink at the casinos. And I mean don't.at.all. They served apple juice, orange juice, water, and tea. After losing a hand a blackjack and seeing only apple juice I got up from the table. Now if that was a cold beer it could have been a different story.

Now I am off to some where far far away (or maybe a little closer to you?) for work and will be back on Tuesday! And then it's only like 1.5 weeks before I head home.....and then its like 2 weeks before Raleigh! CRAZY!!!!!

Time is flying and my flight is about to do the same! have to put last minute touches on things and head out the door! Sure do miss you ALL! and promise to do more updates maybe tonight :)

Sending lots of love!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best Time of the YEAR!

That's right ladies and gentelmen! It's BASKETBALL SEASON!!!!!!!!!! Woop woop! Best time of year is finally here!

I don't know about in your house but where I come from (i.e. 212 South Bank Drive) basketball is a BIG DEAL. Those are some of the best conversations when I call home and talk to dad about any basketball game that's been on TV. Dad knows everything about basketball, coaches, sports in general and I am so lucky he has shared that love with me!

So even while I am 13 hours AHEAD of East Coast Time I am still keeping up with all the games. And this morning was a BIG GAME that I couldn't miss!! The Kentucky Wildcats were taking on the Duke Blue Devils. BIG GAME!!!! I was born in the Bluegrass state and have always loved the CATS but I was lucky enough to be a ball girl (kid?) for the Blue Devils so I enjoy cheering them on as well! (and really love Coach K and his good ole Army background).

So I was logged onto ESPN this morning around 10:30am for the start of the game at 9:40 EST. Since it is a Wednesday I did have to get a lot of work done (exam takes place in 2 weeks!!) so I could only watch the score climb as the minutes in the half went down. WOW Duke must of looked good to be leading after the 1st half!

And then it was lunch time here. I joined a group for Dim Sum (something pretty amazing- a ton of different dishes and you share everything- it was so good!!!) but I had to miss the 2nd half. Don't worry thought, I came back and saw all the highlights and the end score. Congrats, Duke- you are ranked 9th and beat the number 3 seed. Gooood luck to both teams this season! Can't wait to ge thome to watch the games!

Either way, I was wearing blue today so I was a winner no matter what team won :) (Ok..maybe it was a navy blue dress but whatever.)

OOOOOOOOOH and While I'm talking basketball- I have some major questions. Who can explain this?!?!?!?!??

INDIANA #1!??!?!?! MOM- this picture is for you because I am pretty sure this is the first time in about 15 years or longer this has ever happened (mom is born and raised an IU girl and hasn't been able to participate in the fun in basketball the last couple of years because red has not been an "in" color..) AND North Caroline STATE ranked #6?!?!??!?! Red must be a color of the season...

 

Funny......that Caroline Blue color must have been so last year because it's not even showing up in the top 10. Juuuuuust saying :)

 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!! sending love!

SUNDAY- Discovery Bay

OOOOOOOOH Sunday. It has become my laziest day full of just me time.

I woke up late, wrote a blog and made myself go for a run. A run. I know. So not Margaret. I'm not going to lie...I just don't like running. I'll do it but don't care for it. If I have a friend to run with, I actually enjoy myself. Alone..I can do other things besides running. But for some reason I just needed to get out and go.

SO. I past all the women sitting and hanging in their groups on Sunday, down the the harbor walk area, and took off. I ran until there was construction at the end and I couldn't run anymore. So like Forrest Gump, I turned right around and kept on ruuuunnnin. It was weird for me since I don't usually run but it felt great. No means was I breaking in records with the pace but it just felt good to hear some old jams from the Ipod and get out.

To reward myself for my run I packed $30 HKD with me to stop and get yogurt for breakfast- yes, breakfast because I got granola on it (so a breakfast food). It was pretty great and if I knew I could get icecream yogurt after each run, I would totally run every day! It was a great treat and helped put a big ole smile on my face.

I checked the times at the dock and saw the boat to Discovery Bay would leave at 1:00pm and I had 30 minutes to go home, change into my bathing suit (beach in November? yeeees please!) and get on the boat ferry. So I did just that.

I felt like I was on a first class ferry with these legit seats. And it was really quite. AND it had great AC.

After the smooth ride to the island I got off the ship and headed to explore. The first thing I noticed was the beach was HUUUUUGE! So.much.sand!! And as I was walking on my left were just restaurants with outside seating and tons of people/families enjoying lunch outside.

I walked around the corner and saw the cute little parking spots for all the golf carts! This could be my favorite place- a big beach and you get to drive golf carts?? Huge double win! (if you don't know when I was younger I begged my parents to get me a golf cart when I turned 16 instead of a car...thankgod they didn't listen to me!)

And then I saw this gem...just in time for basketball season! I'll be cheering on the Blue Devils EXPECT on Tuesday night when they play the good ole Kentucky WILDCATS! GO CATS!

 

But thought that was awesome in Hong Kong you still have super proud parents of a student on the opposite side of the world!

I walked all the way down the beach, saw there was only a "private access" area and didn't feel like getting into trouble so I stopped, had a seat and watched all the families play on this huuge playground that was IN THE SAND! How awesome of a sand box is that?!?! Not only were kids playing on the playground, kids were playing ALL OVER. On roller blades, bikes, scooters, running, strollers, playing rugby, building sandcastles...kids were EVERYWHERE. It was not like regular Hong Kong at all. This was family friendly 24/7 safe and a ton of things for families to do! Also, I noticed this was the most English I have heard spoken during my whole trip here. Tons of expats live in this area. There's no traffic, no tall buildings, etc. It was just peaceful and clean.

After a few hours and a coffee I caught a glimpse of these guys...

At first- I totally thought they were dressing up because they are grownups who dress up in the spare time (there was some TV show about it and I was laughing thinking I was watching those people) but it turns out HBO was doing some Action Figure something so that's why Spiderman, Captain America, and others were in attendance. kinda weird...

And so I got back on the ferry. Saw this dock. Thought that's a way to save money...

Then on the ride back to Hong Kong Island we saw all these sailboats (heeeeey Becca Jane- come visit and we'll go sail!!!!!!) and I really wanted to see where I could rent one but of course, had zero luck. I think on the other side of the harbor you can get a boat..

AND of course, on my way back to my apt I was going by the hardware store on my street (shout out to my momma and her family hardware store!) I saw this- YUP. that man is cutting metal in the middle of the street, no protection, no eye glasses, straight up doing work. Good for him. I chose to walk on the other sidewalk.

Well I made it home safe, did laundry and go to dinner with Jenny. It was a great a relaxing Sunday and I enjoyed hearing all the football updates from Saturday. Excited about getting to hear some basketball news here soon!

Here's to WEEK 5 in Hong Kong! Cannot believe how fast time is flying! I saw today that tomorrow we only have 48 DAYS LEFT IN THE YEAR 2012!!!!!!!!! You better stop being a bum and get to workin on that bucket list you had planned since Jan 1 2012! Time is about to run out people!

Happy Monday friends! Sure do miss you!

SATURDAY- Research Challenge in Hong Kong

OOOOOOOOOH Saturday! It was a good ole morning here in Hong Kong and I started the day a little late (around 10ish) with a walk around town before having to head to the CFA Research Challenge.

I took off and had caught mom and dad at home- the first time in a long time to get to talk to BOTH of them during the same call!! Dad was watching the Kentucky Basketball game and I was jel I wasn't there with him! It was so wonderful to hear their voices. It had been one of those hard weeks here in Hong Kong and have really missed all of you who are State side!!! So it was so great to hear some familiar voices throughout the weekend :) Makes you realize how blessed you truly are.

Moving on from the walk I ended up at the FLYING PAN! This is one restaurant that I have really been wanting to go to and just have not yet. Its 24 hours breakfast- think Waffle House but 100x better. It was clean, the menu was huge and took me about 10 minutes to order! After ordering the waitress asked if I would mind sharing my little table for 2 with someone who was sitting at the bar stool (he was sitting between 2 seats and a party of 3 was waiting..) of course I said yes! I was in need of a friend, he looked nice (actually really nice- jeans, sweater with a button up, drinking a latte) and come to find out- we ordered the same thing. He lives in Amsterdam and was there for business- he works for a bike company (haha- of course he does!) and we had great conversation all through our breakfast date! Never asked his name but it was a great start to the morning!!!!!

Moving on to the Research Challenge. I headed off and met Jennifer to help me get to the hotel. It was a wonderful experience getting to see the 8 teams from all different Universities from Hong Kong present to the judges and get asked really hard questions on their research. This was INTENSE research- I mean one group had a 100 page report! I was so so glad to be part of the experience.

After attending that event all afternoon and into the night Dan, Adrian and I headed off for food and a beer. Adrian took us to this awesome restaurant called Inside Out. It was AWESOME!! Peanuts you drop on the floor, big beers, great menu, etc. Great spot!

All in all it was fantastic. We left there and headed back towards home- it had been a LONG day and it was about 10pm by the time we got back. Of course I was hungry because we did not eat at the bar and I had only had some finger food at the Research Challenge so I headed out and up the hill to my good ole pizza place. I got a slice to go, a little thing of ice cream and a water. It had been one of those weekends and I was in need of comfort food.....but I have to say. The pizza really disappointed me and I didn't even eat it all. SHOCKER. I know. thankgod for the ice cream :)

Hope you all had a great Saturday!!!! It's crazy here they are already decorating for Christmas! Which actually really makes it wonderful since I won't be with family and friends for Thanksgiving.

MISS YOU ALL. xox