Snakes Alive!

Nuch and I were doing some weeding in front of the house at MKT today and out rolled this little fellow from under the leaves. Probably no more than 10cm long but beautifully marked.

What is it?
A white spotted slug snake

Is it venomous?
Not at all

Is it rare?
Apparently not at all

What did we do with it?
We evicited it from the garden and put it in the bushes down by the stream.

I am sure it will be back though as there are slugs aplenty.

Christmas 2008

This is why we do it

Gone Fishin'

What else is there to do after you have opened up all your Christmas presents, eaten turkey until the elastic in your pants is like a wire belt and there are no more chocolates in the family sized selection jar that was supposed to be kept for visitors? That's right, go fishin. So armed with our rods, Henry, Arthur, Eddie, Matthew, Laval and me set forth to MKT pier wher most normal days the fish are jumping and came home with precisely nothing except some huge smiles and wind burn from the chilly wind and weak sun.

The Menagerie

I guess its true, we have gathered up quite a few waifs and strays in recent years. first there was the Amazon parrot, Wong Dai, whom I bought from a pet shop here in Hong Kong back in 1999. She or he, has never uttered a word but is the most sweet natured parrot imaginable.

Then there is Mango, our beloved macaw. Mango is a talker and has an uncanny ability to say all the right things at the right time. If we get on our bikes, she says "bye bye", if we give her a treat she will respond with "thank you" and so forth but unlike Wong Dai she has a a mischievous side and likes nothing more than luring unsuspecting visitors up to the cage and when they are right next to her she will lunge forward and say "boo!'. She then has fits of giggles.

Then came along "Tup Tin" our African grey parrot who sadly died of pneumonia after only a few months. No digital photo I am afraid.

Next, Siu Gat" our pedigree Lantau Water Terrier. (Mongrel). Siu Gat is possibly the best guard dog we could have imagined. He is on duty 24/7 and has a fierce bark and growl that has kept welcome and unwelcomed visitors refusing to pass through the garden gate. A real scrapper, he defends us from wandering buffalo, cows, snakes mice, rats and dogs. Ther have been many an occassion when he has limped home and refused to let us even come close enough to clean up his cus and bites. We inherited Siu Gat when we moved into MW8, for a while he drifted between us and his old family but eventually decided to stay. In return all he asks for is rice and left overs. We tried dog food but he ignored it! To be fair to the old boy, 2008 was a rough year, he was poisoned, had tick fever, and heart worm all at the same time. It was nearly curtains for the old fellah but with the kind assistance of the SPCA he pulled through and is now healthier than ever and even a little more relaxed around us, allowing us to give him a pat on the head every so often.

Next, Garfield the laziest ginger tomcat in Hong Kong. Adopted from the SPCA a few years ago after we discovered a rat in the kitchen, he has distinguished himslef as being the most vocal cat in Asia and also the laziest cat in Asia. Although I have to admit we have had not more problems with rats or mice.

Next on our list is poor little Cleo, the fox terrier who gave up her life defending us from a cobra that had slithered into the yard. Cleo came from Hong Kong Dog Rescue after being dumped by a pet shop. Timid yet full of beans and energy. We discovered her lying by the back door next to a cobra that had been bitten in two. We can only presume she grabbed it and as terriers do, shook the prey from side to side and in doing so was biten by the snake. Cleo takes pride of place under a shady tree in our back garden.

Finally there is Nipper. We were lucky enough to discover Nipper as she had been put to the back cages of the SPCA and earmarked as unsuitable for adoption. Another fox terrier and another live wire, she likes nothing better than chasing cats and chasing cats and chasing cats and chasing cats. Nipper lives outside with Siu Gat and has her own kennel. Garfield lives inside and comes outside on supervised visits only! What is it with terriers, you leave them alone and they clamour and whine and bark and do not shut up unitl they are under your feet but as soon as you take them for a walk and let them off the lead they run off?

The list is not yet complete, we currently have two fish tanks and two budgies (on loan) but enough is enough for now.

The boys in the tree house

The boys spent most of the Christmas holidays standing or sitting in this tree. Amazing what fun can be had from an old pallet and some rope. Not a bad view from up there though!

Man Kok Tsui after the last typhoon - what a mess!

The Ralf Wiggum Quandry

Hmmmmmm. Jury is still out.

Ralf Wiggam has a stunt double!

I am not sure whether to be pleased or worried but Matthew has begun to turn into the spitting image of a n Hollywood film star. Trouble is it's Ralf Wiggam of the Simpsons. It's getting scarey.

Quotes from Matthew to follow as well as comparison piccies. Let's hope it's only a phase.

Our Day out at the Queen Mary Hospital for sick actors

What a day indeed. Yesterday morning as I stumbled across the landing to the bathroom I felt a slight twinge in my lower back. Yep you guessed it by lunchtime I was flat on my back in none too good a mood to say the least. After spending the majority of the day on the floor and a rather restless night I called it quits on Monday morning and we set off for hospital. Living on Lantau that is no mean feat either.

As I was lying on the floor I remembered the last time this happened, some fifteen odd years ago and how I had languished in bed for weeks. Anyhow I digress. The three poor ambulance men who turned up probably weighed in at a combined weight of me and had to work hard to get me and the stretcher into the back of the van. One of them looked like he needed the stretcher after picking up the trolley and shoving me into the ambulance. If he is reading this, sorry. After a shiort stop at the local first aid post by the post office, we went by ferry to Hong Kong to discover no ambulance had tuned out to pick us up. I crawled (literally) into the back of a taxi and eventually turned up at the hospital.

To cut a long story short Nuch and I had a great day at the hospital. Nuch had the stndard plastic chair to sit on and I had the bed next to a procession of people who all probably attended the Royal Academy for Performing Arts and graduated with honours in impersonating persons who are on the brink of death but after a quick chat with a doctor and being handed a two day sick note miraculously recover, jump out of bed and skip down the corridor. Actually to be fair there was one fellah who looked quite ill.

Nevertheless, after six hours waiting (no doubt lengthened by my refusal to enter into the spirit of the amateur dramatics) an injection of pain killers in my bum cheek and some antics with a rather bossy nurse on the x-ray table I was told I had "lower back pain" and could either be admitted or go home. As there was no miracle cure on offer........

After two nano seonds of indecision I chose the latter and was swiftly handed three pieces of paper. I wonder how many papers I would have been given if I had decided to stay? The first paper was a list of clinics for physiotherapy, the second to see a specialist on the seventh floor and the third to collect some pills from the first floor.

Nuch andf I shuffled off to the first floor pharmacy where all the actors were hanging around, we then moved on to the seventh floor to make an appointment with the specialist. The nurse there was happy to tell me that I was at the top of the shortest list which meant I could expect to get a letter in the next three weeks telling me when to come back . I asked what it would be like at the bottom of the longest queue and she just laughed.

We went back to the pharmacy to collect the pills and while there we rang the physiotherapy clinic to make an appointment. The kind lady there told me to call back later and put the phone down!.

We went home. I will call the physio clinic tomorrow. Night all

Typhoon Hagupit - A wet and wild night

This is the track of the latest typhoon to zoom past Hong Kong yesterday. Typhoon Hagupit was the third typhoon in the last two months to come our way. Pictures courtesy of the Hong Kong observatory. However unlike other countries who shall remain nameless, we all simply got on with it and did not turn it into international news. OK it did not directly hit Hong Kong but it did (as do most) come quite close. Close enough to close the stock exchange, all schools, banks and ferries and in fact send everyone home from work. No national guard call out though!

This one, on 23 Aug 08, typhoon Nuri was a direct hit and went to typhoon level 10.
And this one, Typhoon Kammuri, on 08 Aug 08 had so much fun it hit land ran down the cosat of China towards Vietnam causing chaos as it went and then turned around and came back on itself before eventually calming down.

Hot gossip re the kindergarten lanterns

It's just too much to bear. It cannot be true? Are the rumours right or is it just malicious tittle tattle to unnerve us all before the results are out? What if it is true? What should we wear? What did we wear last year? What should we say? Do we make a speach or should we shrug it all off as a lucky accident? How will we ever keep ourselves from smirking at all the other pushy parents who laboured long and hard to no avail? It's just too much to take in. Has Matthew really won the "Best in class" award? Roll on the 26th when the votes are finally counted and the prizegiving takes place. Oh if only it could be true?

Disneyland - Hmmmmm

Today we took the boys to Disneyland Hong Kong. We must have been mad. 90 degrees plus and completely cloudless skies. The boys of course were oblivious to the heat and the crowds and just in awe at all the rides and toys and ice creams and rides and toys and ice creams and rides and toys and ice creams. Although children love it, hot and irritable parents are less forgiving when forced to stand in line for an hour and a half to go on a five minute ride of Winnie the Pooh's hunney pot.

You know, actually its not that child friendly a place. They make barriers at the ride queues that just scream to children "climb on me." And the poor attendants spend most of their time runnning up and down the line telling kids to stop climbing them. The answer is (in my synical world) to either make more rides so the kids do not have to queue so long or bring out some distractions, (TV screens with cartoons, actors dressed in character, etc.) and make the barriers less attractive to bored chidlren. Hey ho.

Oh and while I am busy slating Disneyland management I suppose I should add that its great to be able to get food quickly but its not much use when you find there are not enough tables and chairs to sit on. Try explaining to a three year old and a five year old why they cannot have their pizza shaped like Mickey Mouse for twenty minutes while you stalk around the between the diners, silently pressuring some other overheated parent to gobble down the food and vacate the tables. It got me all antsy but the kids still ate the pizza even if it was soggy and cold.

Anyhow, I still got to level 5 on the Buzz Lightyear ride, which is four levels higher than most of the other five year olds who were sitting around me. Who said military training was not useful!

I'm off to bed, I am obviously too tired to be positive about anything.

Night all

Man Kok Tsui - Off with the Roof!!!

We spent Saturday knocking down the wooden roof structure at Man Kok Tsui. Hot and very dirty work but quite rewarding. We had been hiding from this task (or at least I had been) as I had no idea how easy or difficult it would. It turned out to be a doddle.

The roof was made of large 8 x 4 feet sheets of wood, covered with bitumen felt and then netting. We ripped off the netting and then used crow bars to pry the sheets up from the supports. The bitumen was so degraded it just ripped away. Once the roof was off we set about the beams and legs. Sorry no technical terms.

After much grunting and puffing we eventually finished the job in time to have an hour on the beach with the boys and the dog before jumping in the boat back to civilization.

Obviously and before anyone mentions it, the reason I am not in the pictures is I was taking them! . We think removing the roof has done a lot to reveal how much potential the place has. Next will be the wriggly tin affair on the left side of the house.

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