Not what it looks like

1) A few months ago, there were stories out of china about butchers selling pork as beef; they would take the pig meat, which is far cheaper and more prevalent in China, marinate it with something that may end up causing cancer, and then sell it as beef. Well, China has now outdone itself in its ability to bootleg anything. Now it is bootlegging animals.

2) Why do I not blog as much anymore? Nearly 6 years, dude, takes it out of you. It's not like I am using facebook instead; instead, it seems to be emails or skype or something else.

Plus, my life is more boring than 5 years ago. Back then, everything was new. Now it is just annoying. Yay for cranky old men!

3) That, and have been busy hosting beer junks as I try to clear out the beer for my initial venture as a beer wholesaler. Two junks so far, and a third on the way. Just a boat filled with people, 10 cases of microbrews, a few bacon explosions and other foods, and lots of fun. (Though if someone tries to play Billy Joel again on the next junk, violence may ensue.)

The one thing I have learned about this: It really sucks trying to move a container full of ice and beer when it is 85 degrees Fahrenheit and humid outside. One the upside, the gods have smiled on our junks, with sunny weather on both days, despite all the other days surrounding it being cloudy and meh.

4) I get back on Saturday from the junk, and find I cannot open the front gate to my building. Try different keys, no dice. Kinda drunk, really not happy, and cursing my situation before a neighbor on the first floor arrives, calls her son to buzz her in, and then tells me the door is, indeed broken.

I call my landlady, who calls the building's board president, who says that yes, she does know it is broken, but does not consider it an emergency and will get to it in a few days.

To which my landlady and I both respond: "People cannot get into their homes. How is this not an emergency?"

Four days later, the door still is not fixed, and is propped open all the time. Not that I mind. Just a reminder that Hong Kong is the safest city I have ever been in. I would not want the door propped open even in my Wisconsin hometown, but I trust it here. Plus, if they want to rob me of the 60 cases of beer in my apartment, go ahead and break your back, buster.

5) One of the eternal construction projects behind me may finally be open; it just opened the other day, and might be a hotel. (or just a fancy apartment). If it's a hotel, I still am wondering why anyone would stay in Kennedy Town, outside of saving money, or wanting to be only a half kilometer from a garbage sorting facility and former crematorium. (The upside of living in the land of a million highrises is you only smell the garbage facility when you walk right by it.)

6) Among the recent closures in my hood: The upscale grocery store that once was nice, but became less friendly about a year ago, when the couple that once ran it disappeared (my guess is they could not pay for it, and had to turn it over to someone); and 2) the big sports bar around the corner from me with 2 free pool tables. One pool table is a rare sight in Hong Kong. Two is unheard of. I can't say gentrification is taking a hit, because my guess is they just got priced out with rent increases.

7) Speaking of, rent is crazy high. I worry what my increase will be next spring. The cause? There are over a million millionaires in China. Many of them are buying places in Hong Kong, sight unseen, which is really driving up the cost here. I just heard last night of a coworker who was told his rent would go up 43 percent on the new lease, as he lives near Central. I am hoping mine will be a lot less, but there will be pain, I am sure.

8) At least I will have a freshly painted building. They are doing renovations, and it will either be light green or light pink. Another strange fact about Hong Kong: Because freshwater here is very limited, most of the toilets use saltwater, since we have a lot of ocean. It comes up in a separate line, and since construction started two months ago, or more, the water input into the toilet has been turned off. Which means I fill the cistern with water from the shower every time I use it. These are just things you deal with here.