Hong Kong
March 4-6. 2007
What words can you use to describe Hong Kong? Let me try a few: Razzle, Dazzle, Neon, Hustle Bustle, Rolls Royces, Glamour, Shopping, Ferries, High-Rises, Fishing Boats, Lights, Energy, Food, and two more very special words….Jeanne Thornhill!
My good friend in Atlanta, Dick Bunn, put me in touch with his cousin, Jeanne Thonhill who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for over fifteen years! What a dynamic person she is and how generous she was to share her adopted city with me.
The ship pulled into Hong Kong Harbor known as Victoria Harbor around one in the afternoon. The decks were filled with almost everyone on board…each more excited than the other (especially the shoppers!). High rises, both residential and commercial, soared around us so densely packed into the hill sides that it seems unimaginable to live and work there. We learned that there is an average of over 16,000 people living in each square mile of Hong Kong. Compare that with only two people per square mile in Australia and you get some idea of how populated this exciting city is. As usual, Holland American had arranged for us to be berthed in THE spot…at the Harbor City in the Ocean Terminal on the Kowloon side of the city. Hong Kong Island is a short (and very inexpensive) ferry ride across the harbor. It wasn’t long that I found my way to the Marco Polo Hotel where I met Jeanne. It was instant friendship! We walked a couple of blocks to the famous and beautiful Peninsula Hotel where we dodged all the Rolls Royce Limos (there was one bedecked in pink bows and ribbons for a wedding!) where we enjoy a beautiful and delicious High Tea. The scones, cucumber sandwiches and small delicate chocolates set in such an historic space gave Jeanne and me a chance to chat and for me to learn about her exciting life in this exciting city.
For the past 15 years, Jeanne has worked as a personal chef and assistant for a wealthy Chinese man. She apparently thrives on her work. She usually prepares dinner for him and one business associate…sometimes lunch and/or breakfast. An occasional party or special event might also be on her schedule. In addition to her cooking duties, she has some oversight responsibilities on his personal staffs and even helps him with his interiors. She is a busy and talented person. Since he is an extremely busy man, Jeanne never knows from day to day exactly what her schedule will be…but her charming and pleasant demeanor allows her to be flexible and agreeable. My hat is off to her!
After tea, Jeanne and I grabbed the Star Ferry and in about 10 minutes were on the Hong Kong side where we took a taxi to retrieve her car. What a great tour guide Jeanne is. Off we went, with her skillful maneuvering in and out the busy traffic of Hong Kong. She pointed out sight after sight explaining what was going on in various sections of this exciting city. She highlighted her office building where she has a kitchen and does most of her cooking. We continued on enjoying the drive eventually arriving at a very exclusive part of town that looks more like a national park than a busy city known as the Shek-O district. Here, nestled among other large estates I soon found myself in a very contemporary wood and glass house that hovers over the ocean below…one of Jeanne’s employers many homes. My…so beautiful. I have seen nice contemporary houses….and this was one of the best. With one bedroom (there is a guest house with two or three bedrooms!) the house is simply furnished and beautifully appointed. I was particularly impressed with the Japanese bathing area….complete with a huge sauna and dunking tub detailed to the nth degree. So beautiful! Jeanne showed me the Chinese kitchen as well as the Western Kitchen (She prepares only Western food…when Chinese food is requested it is either catered or one of the other staff prepares it). We walked around the infinity pool talking about the special parties they have enjoyed. Apparently, Jeanne’s employer uses this house sparingly….I can’t imagine not living there all the time!
For dinner, we made our way back to the city and found a lovely restaurant overlooking the harbor back to the Kowloon side. Most of the buildings are normally aglow with tons of lights, but since we were there for the very end of the Chinese New Year’s celebration there were even more lights. Jeanne and I chatted and chatted and chatted….what a special evening!
The next morning since Jeanne had a bit of business to attend to I took a long Harbor cruise which gave me a close first hand look at the coast line and the plethora of high-rise structures that ring the harbor. Cramped in among those tall buildings we came upon colorful fishing boats, jammed into a protected part of the harbor….what a contrast.
The afternoon was spent again with Jeanne, this time going high up on the Peak (The highest part of Hong Kong) to the #1 House (as she called it!) to retrieve some special equipment that she needed in the office kitchen. Again, although slightly more traditional, it was a treat to see the beautiful main residence of her boss. Three or four stories, each with a magnificent view of Aberdeen below, again, my breath was taken away with the scope of this beautiful house.
Returning to the office was equally interesting to see where Jeanne actually spends much of her time preparing delicious food for her much respected employer. Very impressive.
Since Jeanne had to work the next day I decided to take an hour’s fast ferry to Macau, an island colonized by Portugal for 400 years. What a contrast to Hong Kong. Although very busy, the pace seemed to be different and far more European in feeling…..mixed with Las Vegas….Macau, is the gambling center of the area and, like Las Vegas is chocker block full of casinos. I visited the recently opened WINN Casino…what a beautiful place…and Yes! I won enough to pay for my day.…great fun!
So, although it has been twenty years since I was in Hong Kong before, I do not intend to let that length of time elapse before I return. It is such an exciting and vivacious city and pulsates with non-stop energy and it was great to enjoy it through the eyes of a “native”….thank you Jeanne!!!!!
March 4-6. 2007
What words can you use to describe Hong Kong? Let me try a few: Razzle, Dazzle, Neon, Hustle Bustle, Rolls Royces, Glamour, Shopping, Ferries, High-Rises, Fishing Boats, Lights, Energy, Food, and two more very special words….Jeanne Thornhill!
My good friend in Atlanta, Dick Bunn, put me in touch with his cousin, Jeanne Thonhill who has lived and worked in Hong Kong for over fifteen years! What a dynamic person she is and how generous she was to share her adopted city with me.
The ship pulled into Hong Kong Harbor known as Victoria Harbor around one in the afternoon. The decks were filled with almost everyone on board…each more excited than the other (especially the shoppers!). High rises, both residential and commercial, soared around us so densely packed into the hill sides that it seems unimaginable to live and work there. We learned that there is an average of over 16,000 people living in each square mile of Hong Kong. Compare that with only two people per square mile in Australia and you get some idea of how populated this exciting city is. As usual, Holland American had arranged for us to be berthed in THE spot…at the Harbor City in the Ocean Terminal on the Kowloon side of the city. Hong Kong Island is a short (and very inexpensive) ferry ride across the harbor. It wasn’t long that I found my way to the Marco Polo Hotel where I met Jeanne. It was instant friendship! We walked a couple of blocks to the famous and beautiful Peninsula Hotel where we dodged all the Rolls Royce Limos (there was one bedecked in pink bows and ribbons for a wedding!) where we enjoy a beautiful and delicious High Tea. The scones, cucumber sandwiches and small delicate chocolates set in such an historic space gave Jeanne and me a chance to chat and for me to learn about her exciting life in this exciting city.
For the past 15 years, Jeanne has worked as a personal chef and assistant for a wealthy Chinese man. She apparently thrives on her work. She usually prepares dinner for him and one business associate…sometimes lunch and/or breakfast. An occasional party or special event might also be on her schedule. In addition to her cooking duties, she has some oversight responsibilities on his personal staffs and even helps him with his interiors. She is a busy and talented person. Since he is an extremely busy man, Jeanne never knows from day to day exactly what her schedule will be…but her charming and pleasant demeanor allows her to be flexible and agreeable. My hat is off to her!
After tea, Jeanne and I grabbed the Star Ferry and in about 10 minutes were on the Hong Kong side where we took a taxi to retrieve her car. What a great tour guide Jeanne is. Off we went, with her skillful maneuvering in and out the busy traffic of Hong Kong. She pointed out sight after sight explaining what was going on in various sections of this exciting city. She highlighted her office building where she has a kitchen and does most of her cooking. We continued on enjoying the drive eventually arriving at a very exclusive part of town that looks more like a national park than a busy city known as the Shek-O district. Here, nestled among other large estates I soon found myself in a very contemporary wood and glass house that hovers over the ocean below…one of Jeanne’s employers many homes. My…so beautiful. I have seen nice contemporary houses….and this was one of the best. With one bedroom (there is a guest house with two or three bedrooms!) the house is simply furnished and beautifully appointed. I was particularly impressed with the Japanese bathing area….complete with a huge sauna and dunking tub detailed to the nth degree. So beautiful! Jeanne showed me the Chinese kitchen as well as the Western Kitchen (She prepares only Western food…when Chinese food is requested it is either catered or one of the other staff prepares it). We walked around the infinity pool talking about the special parties they have enjoyed. Apparently, Jeanne’s employer uses this house sparingly….I can’t imagine not living there all the time!
For dinner, we made our way back to the city and found a lovely restaurant overlooking the harbor back to the Kowloon side. Most of the buildings are normally aglow with tons of lights, but since we were there for the very end of the Chinese New Year’s celebration there were even more lights. Jeanne and I chatted and chatted and chatted….what a special evening!
The next morning since Jeanne had a bit of business to attend to I took a long Harbor cruise which gave me a close first hand look at the coast line and the plethora of high-rise structures that ring the harbor. Cramped in among those tall buildings we came upon colorful fishing boats, jammed into a protected part of the harbor….what a contrast.
The afternoon was spent again with Jeanne, this time going high up on the Peak (The highest part of Hong Kong) to the #1 House (as she called it!) to retrieve some special equipment that she needed in the office kitchen. Again, although slightly more traditional, it was a treat to see the beautiful main residence of her boss. Three or four stories, each with a magnificent view of Aberdeen below, again, my breath was taken away with the scope of this beautiful house.
Returning to the office was equally interesting to see where Jeanne actually spends much of her time preparing delicious food for her much respected employer. Very impressive.
Since Jeanne had to work the next day I decided to take an hour’s fast ferry to Macau, an island colonized by Portugal for 400 years. What a contrast to Hong Kong. Although very busy, the pace seemed to be different and far more European in feeling…..mixed with Las Vegas….Macau, is the gambling center of the area and, like Las Vegas is chocker block full of casinos. I visited the recently opened WINN Casino…what a beautiful place…and Yes! I won enough to pay for my day.…great fun!
So, although it has been twenty years since I was in Hong Kong before, I do not intend to let that length of time elapse before I return. It is such an exciting and vivacious city and pulsates with non-stop energy and it was great to enjoy it through the eyes of a “native”….thank you Jeanne!!!!!
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