FLIGHT HONG KONG

     Cathay Pacific with all its amenities gets you off to a great start.  Sitting in the upper deck in business/first class made the 14 hour trip a great experience.  The oriental stewardess, Kuki, makes you feel like a king.  She taught me my first word of japanese.  Kuki means snow.  What a lovely name and a great time. She is from Tokyo, but is based out of Hong Kong.

     While I didn't spend much time in Hong Kong this time, I already know that this is a city that I am going to like.  I am glad that  it will be my Hub city for the next two months.  After checking through customs, I realized that I left my jacket on the plane.  Going back through customs and to the Cathay Pacific desk, my stewardess brought it to me. I'll be back.

HONG KONG

Cathay Pacific had been advertising the Spring Moon Restaurant located in the Peninsula Hotel.  It is one of eight 5 star restaurants in this hotel.  This hotel has a fleet of Rolls Royces, a helicopter, and personal valet at my beckon call any time of the night.  I am embarassed as to what that night cost.  I paid with travel check for most of it so that Rebecca wouldn't see the total. Our valet brought us some fruit and wine.  Later, we had a massage in our room. It was a beautiful suite with and in-laid TV over the jacuzzi.  Even though it was 82 farenheit outside, the snow was fantastically beautiful.  What another 24-7 night.

During the late morning, I had to catch a plane for Bali Hai and hopefully some sleep.  No, I didn't take a Rolls Royce to the airport.  We took a damn taxi and train. Snow was flying elsewhere.

HONG KONG (returning from Indonesia)

After sleeping on the plane, I arrived at Hong Kong enroute to Auckland, New Zealand.  It was a stop over, but it was not the same.  Hell no.  I did not stay at the Peninsula Hotel.  I did grab a beautiful room at the Marriott in down town Hong Kong.  Don't kid yourself, anything is expensive in Hong Kong.  I think this city is neat, though.  In a few hours, I will be back on a plane headed for New Zealand and Australia for about a month, I think.  I hope it is a slower pace as I have really abused the hell out of this body and mind.   I weighed today and learned that I have actually lost 13 pounds.  This inner conflict with the love of life and the reckless and indifference towards my life has been stretched to almost its limits.  Then compound it with the feelings of no roots, no one knows what really will happen.  I can only say I recognize my mind set as to having those same thoughts when I first went to Europe for one and a half years on $117 and a one way ticket. The last eight and half months I didn't do any work, but simply blew with the wind.  I pushed the envelope then and it appears that I am sinking back into it again. Sine die