LIVING IN NORTH POINT

North Point, on Hong Kong Island is one of those communities that makes living here so interesting. There are still so many small old shops and very narrow streets that is a Hong Kong that I never new existed. Indeed I am finding out about Shaukiwan and Lan Kwai Fong now that I work in Central. After 15 years in Hong Kong I had never ventured into these areas.

Yesterday I found a very very long street market that only sells fresh vegetables and fruits. All covered stalls and the most beautiful vegetables I've ever seen....and so reasonably priced. I buy stuff even when I don't need it. Terrible habit.

Back to North Point. I live about a block away from the water, so the North Point Ferry terminal is just down the street in case I want to venture over to Kowloon side. The MTR station is 1/2 block away from my front door which means I can be in central in 11 minutes. There are even direct buses to China on the street next to where I live. Not sure where in China they go, but they have Chinese license plates on the buses.

I live in Island Place, a very nice up market 3 tower residential complex with a big swimming pool, and a nice shopping mall all below the apartments so I can go to Park n Shop grocery store easily and the food court is famous for its Chinese and Shanghainese food. Actually North Point was mostly inhabited by people from Shanghai who escaped China in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution.

I am 2 stops away from Taikoo Shing which is were I used to live, and the location of Cityplaza where the ice rink is that brought me to Hong Kong in 1987. Its still there and still doing very well. They have 35 coaches working at that rink and a very high demand for skating lessons. Has to be one of the busiest skating school's in the world. All the same coaches are still working there as well so I see Jatherine, Dior, Tony Leung, Sam Lee, Marco Chan, Tammy, Bikas, Robin, and all the rest still working there day after day.

Hong Kong in summer is quite warm, but not as warm as Hangzhou. I think HK might get to 34 or 35c on a really hot day but Hangzhou is at least 5c hotter all the time which is a big mystery to me since its more than 1000 km. north of here. Its even hotter than Shanghai which is in the same area.

So, back in Hong Kong. Just getting started on my work at Ice Rink Concepts, so awaiting my first real rink assignment which should be happening very soon. Tomorrow have meeting with the famous Bernardo, the owner of Arquitectonica....world famous architectural firm in Miami, Florida.