19 October 2011 ~ Settling In

Listening to: Bob Marley & the Wailers ~ Concrete Jungle

A concrete jungle is definitely what I feel I have stepped into. I'm not in Berkeley anymore...

Today I went on a walking tour of the neighborhood offered by my apartment agency. They showed me the nearby "wet" market - so called because the vendors will pour water on the ground for cleaning. Lots of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, roasting chickens, etc. I was also shown very practical things, such as where to get a haircut, electronic stores, the public library, banks, a nearby pharmacy and groceries. They will be providing me information on where to take a Chinese cooking class also.

I started my yoga routine today. It felt so good to stretch. The apartment offers yoga mats and a free yoga class soon, which I may join. That and the cooking class will be a good way to start meeting people outside of work.

Speaking of work, I have been so busy getting ready to do a training next week. Also doing interviews this week. That, combined with jet lag, have prevented me from venturing too far from the immediate area. Hopefully this weekend I can go for a hike, or at least a walk through Victoria Park. The weather is absolutely beautiful, with temperatures around 80 during the day and 72 in the evenings. The weather should stay lovely through December.

Our Workday "office" (it holds 3 desks for the 3 of us working here) overlooks the horse race track in Happy Valley. Here are pictures of the track as well as 2 other views from the 31st floor.

I will be looking at new apartments on Friday. The reason I will not stay here is that although now it is across the street from the office, as the Workday presence grows, we will need larger space. Also, once I start on projects, I may need to go to the customer offices anyway. (The training I will be doing is actually in the IFC building in Central.) I will be staying in Hong Kong for at least a year, so I want to find a nice, safe place, that of course is willing to house Skye. And have room for guests!!! Who will  be the first to visit I wonder?