Updates are fun eh

Dear Diary,

Success! I've managed to put another three months onto my passport! Yesterday, after finally rising from Saturday nights/sunday mornings drunken festivities, I managed to bath, have a small bowl of cereal and head out the door for Macau. From my flat in Hung Hom I took the ferry across the harbour to Central, then I made my way along the Sheung Wan promanade to the Macau ferry pier. Macau, like Hong Kong, is an SAR, and as far as I know it belongs to China right now, though it's history is deeply routed in with both China and Portugul. Macau is about the same distance from Hong Kong, as the closest docks between Ireland and England, and the ferry ride is quite fast (somewhere around two hours, round trip). Anyway, the reason I decided to visit Macau wasn't so much due to a desire to travel, as much as it was simply the means by which I could renew my tourist visa for another 90 days. This was the first time I've had to make the journey, and I'm happy to say that I didn't at all have any trouble getting back into Hong Kong. I wasn't even gone long either, and no one at customs on either side said a word to me about what I was doing in Hong Kong, how long I was planning on staying for (probably another year on top of this one) .........actually they didn't even say hello. I simply handed them my passport, they looked at me, I scratched my head, they stamped, and I left. HAHA GENIOUS!!! I may be writing quite a different story come the third or forth time I'll have to make the same journey, but that a risk I'm willing to make.

Gabe gets back from Canada today, so in a week or so myself, Gabe and Rob (we all live/ work together) should be speaking to our bosses about getting work visa's, instead of this sneaking around business. Interkids is notorious for screwing people around in regards to promissing, though never delivering work visas. They clearly have no idea how long myself and Rob (Gabe will probably move on to bigger and better things in Hong Kong) would stay in Hong Kong, at Interkids for if we were legel workers.

Aside from having to leave the country and worrying about whether or not I'll be let back in every three months, my life in Hong Kong is incredible. I am fully aware of how priviledged I am to be able to come to this beautiful city, make far more money than I ever could back home, especially considering that my only real "qualifications" are that I'm white, and I happen to come from an English speaking country. My flat this year is so much better than last year. Not that I would change a single thing about my life here last year, but it's just that this year it really feels like our home, not just a strange international rez. We live on the top floor of our building, which by HK standards isn't too high at all. The fourteenth floor lends a nice view, as well as the height to escape much of the noisy from the bustling streets below, though the real treat in that we have a fully accessable rooftop. Much of the rooftop is lined with large, leafy, green plants bought and taken care of by the buildings tenants, but the best part is the view we have of everything around us, including (on a clear night) the view of Hong Kong Island. Plus every single night at 8 o'clock there's (for reasons still unknown to me) a lazer show, that looks awesome from the roof, especially with a few beers in the belly.

So, I've finally decided on a name for my new guitar, Ho Wing Ka. Hahaha, oh man, to the few people who actually know who this little girl is, it's just the best name ever for a guitar. Ho Wing Ka is a little four year old girl that myself and Rob teach. She's absolutly adorable! She's so freaking studious, it's hillarious. She was actually in for a lesson earlier this morning, and when I first saw her she was standing in the middle of the hall with a newpaper unfolded in her hands. The paper was nearly the same size as her, so it looked priceless just seeing her standing there with an amused, however slightly confused expression on her face. I love my job! I get to teach little chinese kids all day long, and I don't even have to make any lesson plans!! Lesson plans last year were such a pain in the ass. After the first four months or so I started running out of ideas. I didn't have any sort of cirriculum to follow at all, and my only instructions were: "make it fun, but make sure you're teaching them." Yeah thanks! Anyway, tiz all in the past.

I've got to head out for another few lessons now, so I'll try and write again soon. It's nice to finally have an open form of communication to keep in touch with all of you back home. I hope everyone is happy and healthy, till next time.

peace and love
brendan