Tuesday, November 26th, 2002:
I think I’ve managed to repair most of the damage… See, shortly before we set out across the Pacific Ocean from Vancouver, my number came up for an upgrade to business class. The other six in my party weren’t so lucky. And upon check-in for our Hong Kong-Singapore flight, I found myself upgraded again, though this time only to United‘s “Economy Plus”. And what exactly is “Economy Plus”. Apparently Economy plus four extra inches of legroom. I didn’t notice…
I’m on that flight right now, writing this in a desperate attempt to stay awake after a full day in the Pearl of the Orient. We touched down about an hour early and were in downtown HK by 8am, at which point we split into two groups — the neophytes went off to see the city from its famous peak, and the veterans boarded a rickety local bus bound for the junks of Aberdeen.
The ride there was almost the best part of our south side island jaunt. Our fearless driver swung his vehicle around blind corners with enough reckless abandon to challenge any theme park attraction for sheer white-knuckle thrills. Once we got to our destination, a half-hour tour of the harbour there gave us more than our money’s worth. You’ll have to wait for photos of that.
After a requisite dim sum brunch at the Star Ferry harbour I dragged the gang over to Kowloon, so’s I could get myself fitted for a custom-tailored suit. A mere two hours after my initial measurement-taking, I tried on an actual pair of pants, a vest, and a one-sleeved jacket. All without cuffs, collars or lining, of course, but a mightily impressive feat nonetheless. Apparently no less than 65 people will be working on this one-of-a-kind ensemble over the next week — I’m picking it up this Sunday, and hope to wear it at Second Cine on December 3rd!