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In Hong Kong, every room that has water has one of these boxes. It supplies our hot water.

It is so different than what we are used to for hot water in the U.S., but it is sooooooo much more cost efficient.

You want hot water, you press the little button and viola! you have hot water. You are finished with the hot water, you press the button and it shuts off. Simple.

When we first moved here and I was schooled in the art of ‘how the hell do I get hot water?’, I was a little concerned that I may never have a good, hot shower ever again. Or at least as long as we live here.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Not only do I get instant hot water for my shower, I also never run out of hot water…believe me, I can take a long shower. At my house, as well as Cybr’s house, I used to have to run the tap for a few minutes to get hot water and I almost always ran out of hot water before I was finished showering. That never happens here.

As awesome as this device is for the perfect hot shower, the best part is that our gas bill ranges from $37-$100 HK dollars per month. That is so ridiculously cheap compared to how much we paid for gas back in the States. It is the equivalent to $4-13 US dollars monthly. Oh my God, is that cheap or what?!?

I was thinking the other day that I don’t post enough about Francois. I really should post more about him, as he is my orange kitty inspiration.

So, here is some B Doo-ey goodness, as we refer to things that involve Francois B. Dioux Dioux in my world:

Let me start by saying that I hate Crocs. I know they are super-comfy and great for walking/standing/being on your feet a lot. But they are the uglier than Jellies back in the 80′s. I am not over it yet, I have not decided they are so ugly they are cute, they are just plain ugly…but making improvements.

I have a pair of psuedo-Crocs because my mom thought they were cute and despite the fact I told her I hate them, she got them for me for Christmas. Cybr got a pair too, even though I suggested that she not attempt to buy my husband ANY shoes EVER. He likes what he likes and that’s all the he likes. But I digress…

I bought a pair of Crocs and they aren’t hideous, they are kinda cute and they have that level of comfort that can only come from ugly shoes (apparently).

And here they are:

And yes, I have Flintstone toes.

I just returned from the pizza buffet at Sopranos restaurant in Discovery Bay and it was rather tasty. The lasagna was almost as good as my own, however the brownies were a bit dry. Mmm…pizza buffet.

I caught a feral cat today for de-sexing, she will go tomorrow to the SPCA. I will give it another go on Thursday, as well.

I just fed all the fuzzy kids, both permanent and foster. I brought out the boiled chicken and soon regretted that idea. The foster kids, who act like they didn’t just eat two hours ago, just leaped into the air and stuck to me like velcro. Yeah, like velcro made with a thousand sharp needles. Ouch.

I think we are going to watch Zodiac tonight, we have been wanting to see it and it is $10 Tuesday at Movieland. That would be ten Hong Kong dollars (HKD), so it is really cheap compared to the usual $25 HKD rental fee.

Speaking of movies, did anyone see Premonition? It was okay, but it really just pissed me off.

As far as the Blood Moon, we weren’t able to see anything here in Discovery Bay, HK. That really sucks.

Oh, and I am relatively certain that I have a kidney stone in my left kidney as I type this…

This is my new 4 GB Flash Drive with the cool, orange kitty. I loves me some orange kitties, just ask Francois B. Dioux Dioux.

I am officially able to say, when I look back on this experience in Hong Kong someday, that I was passively molested by a local man of approximately sixty years of age.

How’s that for making memories of Hong Kong?!?

I went to Central and took the path through IFC Mall that leads to the escalators that go up through the city. I noticed a frail looking older man in my peripheral vision and he just so happened to be touching himself. I simply looked away, giving the benefit of doubt that he may just have an itch. As I was exiting the covered alleyway, I got a glimpse out of my left eye that someone was REALLY close to me and sure enough it is the old fondler guy I had just seen with his hand on his crotch. I speed up, keeping an eye on this pervert and when I realize he has headed off the opposite way I intend to go, I veer off to the right to take the stairs to Queens Road. I am nearing the last few stairs and I’ll be damned if the same fuck-head isn’t brushing up against me. It is a busy city and people brush up against other people all the time, but this guy had to make an effort to follow me since he was out of sight when I took the stairs. Not to mention, I am the ONLY other person on the stairs and he “accidentally” brushes up against me…uh, yeah, I’m not oblivious to reality so I get it, this guy is Pervy Perverson. I am now beyond wary and I have officially made it to pissed off and finished with this nonsense.

He heads out in front and takes a street off to my right and I think, “Good riddance, pervert” and continue on with my destination in sight. About a block past the point I lost creepy dude, I go into Watsons for some facial cleanser I love but can no longer find and take a look around. As I am taking a last look at the cleansers, the crotch of an old creepy man is pressed quite intensionally against my hand which is hanging at my side.

I turn and see you-know-who pressing himself against me and I say, “If you do that again, I will beat the crap out of you. Do you understand English you creepy fuck?” (that is a direct quote, by the way). He smiles and nods, either not understanding English or making like he doesn’t understand it. Just to make myself clear, I bring my hand to eye-level and make my best crushing balls gesture with the most crazy/pissed off expression I can muster up (which was not a difficult task at the time). He seemed to understand that and he high-tailed it out of the store.

Wow, it must be a full moon. Clearly, I was wrong when I said this past weekend must be creepy people weekend. It is obviously going to carry on into this week. I think I’ll stay in.

If I have a freak-magnet, I wish some one would show me where it is located so I can have it removed.

Oh, this is a little unrelated extra…I spell-checked this post prior to posting and it corrected me on “fuckhead”, as it is apparently hyphenated. Hehe.

One more thing…If the phrase “passive molestation” is not already coined, I think that it should be.

We toured a rubber farm in Koh Yao, Thailand. There isn’t a lot to see at a rubber farm, but what we saw was absolutely fascinating.

They cut the tree, tap it, and attach a coconut cup to catch the rubber that drains out like white sap. They collect all the white liquid and mix it with vinegar to dry it out, which makes it thicker and rubbery. They flatten this rubber into sheets with a flat roller, then roll the flat sheets thru another roller to make rivets so water runs off it, then they hang them out in the sun to dry. This is the final product they sell to manufacturers to make everything made of rubber. The rubber soles of your sneakers were made this way. I think it is cool.

This is a rubber farm. Every one of these trees is a rubber tree.

This is a tap with a coconut cup in a rubber tree. The white liquid is the rubber.

This is the rollers used to flatten and to rivet the rubber into sheets.

The ones is the stack in the bottom right corner are all riveted.

This is all the sheets of rubber hanging in the sun to dry.

It really was a cool thing to see in person. It really makes you think about where all of our things, or the materials used to make them, come from.

*UPDATED*
The lady didn’t come see the kitten today. Her husband said “no”, so she didn’t come. Those damn husbands!
She is making like a good wife and coming to see the kitten behind his back on Tuesday. Hehe. At least I hope she comes, for the sake of the kitty getting a good home.

I went to my second fitness boot camp class Saturday morning. It was great and it was brutal.

I came home, loved on the fuzzy kids, and got cleaned up and dressed to go back to Sham Shui Po for a little shopping. It’s the same place we went last Sunday, but we decided to go back and pick up a few things.

Before we left, Cybr informed me that I missed a call while I was getting ready. I checked my messages to find a woman who is interested in adopting my little black foster kitten (who still doesn’t have a name). I called her back and she will come see the kitten today (Sunday). I am so happy to have potentially found her a home and so sad to see her go. I have always wanted a black cat (because of all the superstition hoopla) and now I unofficially have one who is sooooo sweet and I am giving her away. I must be crazy! But if it is a good home, then all is right in the world and I should be happy that I made a tiny speck of goodness happen. I am going to miss her like crazy if she goes.

So, back to Sham Shui Po we go. Along with all the crazies in Hong Kong. There must have been a crazy convention near our destination. We encountered an old man, probably Brittish as if it matters, that was with two underage Asian girls. They were acting all giddy and he was acting all creepy. They spoke to us. That just made my creepy-old-dude-alarm sound off even louder. He did tell us a couple of places to check out off the beaten path in Sham Shui Po and later I informed Cybr that they are probably dungeons with leather whips and chains.

Anyway, we switch trains and a Chinese guy walks up and asks if I am a Christian. I say no and he says “Touch my hand”. I reply “Are you going to pray for me?” to which he says, “Touch my hand”. That is apparently the only English he understood. I may have been saved. I am not for certain.

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I beginning to think no StL Bloggers are going to enter the Blog Carnival #2…I have only one entry so far with only a week to go. *sigh*
If anyone is reading this, please send me an entry. Pretty please with sugar, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. That is all.

In other, less exciting news…

I posted about making strawberry-custard cakes yesterday and I did and they turned out really good.

However, custard + Hong Kong humidity + an hour commute to Cybr’s office = really icky, spoiled, slimy cakes.

That was a bad idea, so much for being all Susie Homemaker-ish.

Yesterday I was in pain from my boot camp workout, but today I feel good. Yay, good news! I was a little worried that I may still be hurting come Saturday when I have my next class. Go me!

The fitness instructor called me today to see if I was okay. I am the only “fat” girl in the class, since I actually weigh more than 100 lbs. He was glad to hear I was not hurting too bad. He also said he was a little concerned at first but I really held my own and that I may not be slender like the other women in the class but I am in better shape than a couple of them. I think that is a compliment, so I will take it as such. I actually surprised myself at how well I did.