1. A lot of people have maids or helpers here. These are women, typically from the Philippines or Indonesia who either live with the family or are hired for a set amount of time each week to do a variety of tasks-including walking dogs, taking care of children, and cleaning house. Sunday is the day off for all the helpers in the city. They all gather in a specific park/area for the day and set up little picnics and play games. Based on the turnout at these areas-there are a LOT of helpers in the city
2. When they make repairs on buildings, the scaffolding is made up of bamboo. It doesn't matter how high up the scaffolding is, it is all bamboo. Here is a picture
3. There are raised walkways all over the city. You walk from building to building, rather than walking on the street. This cuts down on street traffic, but it is hard when you don't know exactly where the walkways are. Richard and I tried to walk to Causeway Bay from Central on the street, and got lost. You have to use the elevated walkways. There was virtually no way to get to where we wanted to go without using the elevated walkways.
4. They have boxed milk like they did in Ireland. It is milk that isn't refrigerated until you open it. It is a little funky.
5. Although it is very humid here, I've have very bad dry skin.
6. I got bloody noses for the first few days because of the pollution.
7. We took a 40 minute cab ride yesterday for about $15 (U.S.)
8. A mini watermelon (at an organic grocery store) cost about $20 (U.S.)
9. The English channels that we get include 2 HBO's, Cinemax, CNN, Fox News, Discovery channels (including travel, real time, science, home and health), Animal Planet, Nickelodeon and some channel called Star World which has some US shows like Heros, 30 Rock, Prison Break and Seinfeld reruns
10. We are going to Thailand (just Bangkok) this weekend.
5 comments:
I can't wait to go there and see all the sights. Dad says we will probably go there in the summer of 2009. Stacey was saying the other day about how you guys have had some pretty incredible opportunities to see the world. I agree. I never did anything in my life like you all are doing. I think of Ryan just picking up and moving to Utah back in 1999, and how it changed his life. I think of Margie and Brandon leaving Chicago for North Carolina. And then Rusty and Meridth, and Betsey and Richard.....I just can't get over how brave you are.
Maybe it speaks to my age or something, but I feel really secure here in little old Decatur. I want to see all the great places in the world, but I always want to be able to come home to my house here. I think Dad and I have gotten to that point where we are really comfortable with the status quo. We've become boring old people!
Betsey, it sound like the TV there isn't all too different from what we watch here in Decatur. Give us Seinfeld reruns, and we'll be happy. I was telling Ed just the other day how little we know about what's on the regular networks. I just don't watch television like I did in the Dallas heydays. I remember Friday nights: first it was the Dukes of Hazzard, the Rockford Files, and of course...duh,duh, ...Duh Duh...du duh Duh duh duh duh....Duh DUH duh duh duh duh (the Dallas theme, in case any of you didn't recognize it.) Can you believe what a psycho I was?
Anyway, I hope you're all doing well. I miss you all.
Love, Claudia
Betsey - that sounds very interesting. so are these elevated sidewalks inside buildings - not outside or in open air??
you are a brave little toaster (have you seen or heard of that move)
Wow Stacey, Meridth and I just watched a bit of that movie. She loved it as a girl. Classic.
Anyway, it was great to talk to you this week Bets, we totally miss you out here.
-Rusty
notice my name doesn't come up in the talk about doing exciting things. I haven't done anyting interesting. I think I'm going to take dad's advice, come home, live in the attic and work at driggs... wait, what dad, you weren't being serious? I can't live in the attic til I'm 40? damn.
-karl
Stacey,
the elevated walkways are outside and lead into buildings. They connect the buildings, but are usually covered, just in case it rains (It usually rains every day)
Karl, you can live in my attic until you are 40!
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