I always get the pretty girls

I think I have a friend - a real one!! Her name is Pau-Ling, she's the Finance Mgr at work (ie. she pays me), she's from Melbourne, but her family is chinese and she speaks more cantonese than me (which isn't hard). [Only negative, is she has a boyfriend (a serious one at that), so I probably need to find a single friend too.]
She invited me out for a quick drink after work last night, but only a quick one as she was flying out to BrisVegas at 11:30pm! So we had a very nice glass of NZ white, sitting in the middle of (HK's) Soho right by the escalator. Was very cool. We figured we had time for 1 more drink - so 2 lovely glasses of wine.
Then a guy wants to buy her a drink, but in a very HK way. This is what happens:
The waiter comes up to us, with this guy's business card, and he tells us how he knows this guy, he's very trustworthy, and wonderful and blah blah, and he would like to buy us a drink.
Really its all aimed at Pau-Ling but he was being polite and bought me a drink too! I love having pretty friends! (Yes mum, I know I'm pretty - but not pretty in the way that strangers want to buy me drinks!)
So the waiter brings over our drinks (no 3) and goes. Were left with our yummy wine and his business card.
This is where it gets wierd(er). The guy doesn't come over. So Pau-Ling has to work out which one he is, from the description the waiter gave and when he walks past - she stops him and thanks him. And what makes it even funnier was that the guy is a director of one of Michael Page's competitiors, and knows everyone we work with. He didn't seem all that impressed at wasting a drink on us!
Another guy started talking to us, and he was also in recruitment company - where were all the bankers and lawyers? Obviously we weren't at a ritzy enough bar!
Oh and then an extra drink appeared in front of me - we were sitting round the bar, so maybe someone ordered too many, or something - who knows - either way I ended up with yet another glass of wine. I was very drunk by the end, and of course we lost track of time and Pau-Ling had to rush off to the flight - hopefully she made it in time! (I bet she slept well on the plane!)

No big plans for this weekend, going to do some washing today, and buy some fruit and veg at the market, and maybe get a massage today. Tomorrow I'm doing volunteer work, which should be interesting and I'll get to meet some people. But apart from that, a wkend with my thoughts.

The Typhoon came & went. Kinda like the Matrix Sequels....

It wasn't even a good storm. A small gust of wind, a little rain - that was it! And they gave it a level 3 rating. Wimps!
So life goes on, work is just as exciting as ever - highlight of the day was going out for a yummy lunch with 3 of the girls from the office. Got to bitch about work, was good fun! And good news people - looks like im should be going to Tokyo, will keep you in the loop.
I have spent the last hour tidying the flat, as I have Mary and Josse coming round for our first lesson tomorrow night. I bought some bottled water and rice snacks for the occasion - What a host!
Weekend coming soon, and as per normal no plans for moi. Doing some volunteer work on sunday, selling rice I think ;) Hopefully something else will come up... (or at least I will get to sleep in and hopefully book my Ben Harper Tokyo trip!)
Hey the paper said the OC was on, and they have stupid soccer on. I want the OC! (yes, this is what my life has come to!)

The Typhoon is coming! The Typhoon is coming!

HERE IS THE LATEST TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING BULLETIN ISSUEDBY THE HONG KONG OBSERVATORY.THE STANDBY SIGNAL, NO. 1 IS IN FORCE.THIS MEANS THAT A TROPICAL CYCLONE NOW CENTRED WITHIN ABOUT800 KILOMETRES OF HONG KONG MAY AFFECT US.

Rumour has it, its arriving tomorrow - but I just got in, and the weather seems pretty stable at the moment. I'm pretty excited about my first typhoon (everyone else thinks I'm a little crazy).

Work is still painful - don't see it getting better, but I'm thinking of cheering myself up by treating myself to a wkend in Tokyo to watch Ben Harper. Going to make a decision by the end of the week.

Tonight I met with Josse (the Dutch guy I met at lunch last wk) and Mary ( a local girl who's going to teach Josse and I mandarin). She's such a sweetie - shes studying her Masters and did a semester in Oz, and is really funny. She was explaining a couple of the symbols to ask, and Josse asked about another one on the paper (The first was country, the second was people) and I said - oh that's probably popcorn. (Nat, being sarcastic) Mary looked at me and was like "how did you know?" Turns out that symbol, together with another one (for rice) is popcorn. So they're convinced I have a hidden talent for mandarin ;) Lessons start Thursday night! Can't wait!

Time to go to bed, send me lots of emails! (I may need well wishes during the Typhoon ;)

Vote Now! Should Nat go to Tokyo for 1 night to see Ben Harper??

Ok so it would be a very quick trip - a weekend in tokyo to see Ben Harper - and the flight and ticket would cost $550 (aus) so wouldnt be a cheap wkend.
Please post a comment - as to whether u think I should go. Need your opinions!!

An Ode to my Mum!!!

I have always known my mum is super powered amd can do all sorts of thing, but you really don't value your mum, until you come home after 5 hrs of cycling to find your flat in an absolute mess. I spent all yesterday tidying my flat, and this morning was running late and couldn't find the sunscreen, so ended up turning the place upside down to find it. Which is the view I entered into, this evening after a far too energetic day. And it was at that exact moment, that I missed my mummy. Terrible I know, because she is far more than miss tidy- but hey thats the most obvious.
Oh and I've never lived alone before - so I have to take the garbage out - yet again, do the laundry - yet again, tidy up - yet again. Oh what fun. On the upside, flats in this city are so small, sharing would suck. (Photos to come)
So bike ride was good, a big bbq with 25 ppl, then a 3 hr bike ride (involving getting lost, yet the locals don't want to lose face, so much riding round in circles). People were nice, but no one stood out as potential best buddies, or love interests. Oh and they were pretty young, one guy I was chatting to, turned out to be 20! Definately people were older, but a pretty young bunch (the girls especially).
Oh and as much as I love my mummy, I am a little in love with my rice cooker. I got home from the bike ride, put on my rice cooker, jumped into the shower, and my rice was ready - its a great invention!
Oh well sunday night, another week of work coming up. I dont wanna go............