… as the old Aussie advertisement for Cathay Pacific used to go.
So, to confirm my sanity, I decided to spend the spring break in Hong Kong, which is only a hop and a skip and £150 return from KL.
The harbour views are fantastic
and the crew on the Star Ferry have the cutest uniforms –
But as Hong Kong is all about the food, we took a food tour and discovered my new favourite food – crispy egg waffles-
Not so sure about the vegetarian pork though –
We saw this decidedly flat duck in the market-
— and he was looking fairly pissed off with life in general. Luckily the roast goose we ate arrived ready sliced –
– so we were spared the lugubrious expression.
These cakes are all for dogs …
because everyone buys their dog a birthday cake, don’t they? Or a bone shaped biscuit at the very least?
We walked past multiple agencies offering maids for hire –
– and our guide explained that the most important thing to find out about a prospective maid is their Chinese horoscope animal and their zodiac sign –
– and the next most important thing is their position within their own family
… and to hell with whether they can wield an iron or boil a dumpling.
The logic behind this is that all maids send cash home to their family in Indonesia or the Philippines, and elder children are more likely to feel a sense of responsibility to their younger siblings at home and be obedient to their employers and eager to please.
They earn about £90 a week, and on their days off, sit under bridges or on staircases chatting with their friends – not much of a life.
But these two looked cheery enough when I took a photo.