A guide to Hong Kong weather
1) We just entered a new season a week ago. We have four of them here, all centered around appliances.
The first (or the last, depending on how you look at it) is Heater season, when you complain with your friends how your little space heater really doesn't help heat up your 55-degree-F apartment that is designed to shed, not keep heat. Runs from early December to late January.
The second, right now, is Dehumidifier season. Not as dry anymore, and some days can be quite humid, though not painfully sticky yet. You unplug the heater and plug in your dehumidifier so mold doesn't break out. Runs from mid February to mid April or so.
The third, and longest, is Air Conditioner season. Runs from late April to sometime in October. Some people just ignore using an air conditioner and extend Dehumidifier season to October. They're fools, and masochists, and not to be trusted.
The fourth is No Appliance season. Runs from mid October to early December. If you must visit, come then.
2) Another crappy sign of gentrification in my hood: The Circle K convenience store around the corner from me (the bigger one; there's a smaller one 30 feet from it down one street, and another Circle K 40 feet down from it on another street, no lie) now sells People magazine. Uggh.
3) Good sign of gentrification: One bar that has opened near me, the one with cement floors and two pool tables (if only they would get pinball!) said they would be interested in getting some American microbrews in stock if I can get my Chinese distributor to ship them some.
4) Made another Bacon Explosion last Friday for a poker night I was hosting. I upped the italian sausage inside it from 1.5 to 2 pounds. This caused said bacon explosion to explode. No lie.
5) Seen on the subway tonight: The local English language paper, the South China Morning Post, is promoting its classifieds section with poster ads showing Barack Obama with words like "Dreamer" and "Achiever." Yes, that's how he got his job, reading classified ads. Weird to see the president being used to pimp classifieds, I must say.
6) Also up are posters for the next act coming to Hong Kong: Rod Stewart. My music soul is constantly dying little deaths when all we get are shows like this.
7) Debate at work about a posting by David Byrne about Hong Kong's lack of green space. I give the guy credit for trying to bike around the island, which is suicide. And while others disagreed with him, saying there is greenery in Hong Kong, I gotta agree with Mr. Byrne. All the parks here are paved, and signs warn kids not to play on the grass; it is there to be admired, not torn up. There are no parks where you can just lounge about and stroll around; every part is designated for something, and if you want to sit, you should just go to designated sitting areas. (They have them in the city here, little blocks of space with benches or chairs where people are supposed to sit and read or relax.) Part of this is economic reality, I admit: With so little flat land here, you can't just set up 20 acres for a park in the middle of the city; you need that for housing. But as I pointed out, even the hiking trails here are paved. If something can be made into concrete here, they will.
The first (or the last, depending on how you look at it) is Heater season, when you complain with your friends how your little space heater really doesn't help heat up your 55-degree-F apartment that is designed to shed, not keep heat. Runs from early December to late January.
The second, right now, is Dehumidifier season. Not as dry anymore, and some days can be quite humid, though not painfully sticky yet. You unplug the heater and plug in your dehumidifier so mold doesn't break out. Runs from mid February to mid April or so.
The third, and longest, is Air Conditioner season. Runs from late April to sometime in October. Some people just ignore using an air conditioner and extend Dehumidifier season to October. They're fools, and masochists, and not to be trusted.
The fourth is No Appliance season. Runs from mid October to early December. If you must visit, come then.
2) Another crappy sign of gentrification in my hood: The Circle K convenience store around the corner from me (the bigger one; there's a smaller one 30 feet from it down one street, and another Circle K 40 feet down from it on another street, no lie) now sells People magazine. Uggh.
3) Good sign of gentrification: One bar that has opened near me, the one with cement floors and two pool tables (if only they would get pinball!) said they would be interested in getting some American microbrews in stock if I can get my Chinese distributor to ship them some.
4) Made another Bacon Explosion last Friday for a poker night I was hosting. I upped the italian sausage inside it from 1.5 to 2 pounds. This caused said bacon explosion to explode. No lie.
5) Seen on the subway tonight: The local English language paper, the South China Morning Post, is promoting its classifieds section with poster ads showing Barack Obama with words like "Dreamer" and "Achiever." Yes, that's how he got his job, reading classified ads. Weird to see the president being used to pimp classifieds, I must say.
6) Also up are posters for the next act coming to Hong Kong: Rod Stewart. My music soul is constantly dying little deaths when all we get are shows like this.
7) Debate at work about a posting by David Byrne about Hong Kong's lack of green space. I give the guy credit for trying to bike around the island, which is suicide. And while others disagreed with him, saying there is greenery in Hong Kong, I gotta agree with Mr. Byrne. All the parks here are paved, and signs warn kids not to play on the grass; it is there to be admired, not torn up. There are no parks where you can just lounge about and stroll around; every part is designated for something, and if you want to sit, you should just go to designated sitting areas. (They have them in the city here, little blocks of space with benches or chairs where people are supposed to sit and read or relax.) Part of this is economic reality, I admit: With so little flat land here, you can't just set up 20 acres for a park in the middle of the city; you need that for housing. But as I pointed out, even the hiking trails here are paved. If something can be made into concrete here, they will.
posted by throm at 1:41 AM
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