Clear

Talking about the weather is so middle aged and Anglo Saxon (shit, what age does middle age start, am I not still young and can I not play the Irish card now), but it is amazing how the weather can dominate your thoughts and observations and affect your mood. My view from my office window takes in Hong Kong Park, Garden Road, part of Victoria Peak and reflected in the shiny mirrored towers opposite I can see Victoria Harbour and part of Kowloon. For one of the only times in many weeks I can see all clearly without a hint of the cloud and smog within which it has been habitually cloaked. It is great to have a view of greenery, mountain, sky and sea. Despite this I usually end up looking out at the traffic snaking its way up the hill towards Mid Levels and the Peak. I smirk (I am quite good at that - nasty habit) at the poor driving and decision making of the local drivers. I have been driving for 20 years, although have spent large chunks of that time carless and an infrequent driver, yet I have a superior complex about my driving ability, having been well taught. Whether that will be borne out on the first time we rent a car here or even buy one in the future is yet to be determined.

Today I made my customary walk to work, iPod on, constantly shuffling to get to a song I like. I settled on Caldonia by Muddy Waters."Donia, Donia, what make your big head so hard..... Talkin' about my baby, Caldonia is her name." I live on the urban thoroughfare that is Robinson Road. At a guess I reckon up to about 60,000 people live on that one road. Our building complex must house 2,500 people. I walk through the Botanical Gardens, past the mini-zoo animals, down through the "mushroom fountain" garden, down Garden Road and into the Chater Square area on the overhead walkways to Bank of America Tower. Today was one of those days in which I do not recall noticing anything much. I guess I was lost in my thoughts and thinking I need to do my blog. I did not even see/notice the zoo animals today, where as some days I stop and talk to the monkeys or at least whistle to them. When I reached the fountain garden I saw my old friend the be-visored, mirror holding, backwards walker. I adore the fact that the all ages of people, especially seniors are out in the public spaces exercising (there is a group who stand in a circle and kick a large shuttlecock type hackysack thing around and I see a lot of tai chi and general swinging of limbs and slapping of one's own body parts), but a lot of it is kind of abnormal exercise and this woman is my particular favourite. She looks elegantly daft with her spotless exercise gear, bum bag, huge visor covering her whole face while she moves swiftly backwards while glancing in her mirror which she brings to her face every two or three seconds..... She is probably some eccentric millionaire, famous actress of triad boss wife (Ahh, my imagination is back). She probably is blogging right now or telling her husband, girlfriend or imaginary friend about the stupid gweilo she sees every day walking to work and who creeps her out by staring at her. If you are reading this, Doh san!

Doh san to everyone.

I am a lucky man and today my trams are definitely not clouded. They look pretty busy though.