Ebola, Swine Flu, etc

Been running a temperature all day, with a chesty cough, and sore throat.  I rarely get sick.  I put it down to only 3 glasses of wine since I left Australia, so invoked the western medicine at the Royal Yacht Club of Hong Kong. Perhaps, Daisy should have feed me chest of goat!

Hong Kong Etchells

Small world, met Mark Jukes at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Love to Brendon and Brian.

Hong Kong

Walked across the border from China and entered Hong Kong.

That was easy, but once in Hong Kong, it is just a bus terminal, with no currency exchange, shops or other facilities.

The bus takes RMB. At the rate of 1 to 1, but does not give change, so having no small notes the bus trip cost a little more than normal.

Once off the bus, I got a taxi to Kowloon, where I am staying.

Checked in at 7 pm, and walked the street to find an ATM to get some HK dollars.

Using one on the street with no reading glasses, got my PIN wrong twice. Tried another ATM in a lit bank lobby to discover the number pad is in a different order to Australia. The higher numbers are at the top of the keypad. Got my PIN correct this time, but it triggered a rejection, by the bank, but at least did not swallow my card. Got to love the ANZ FRAUD FALCON.  I have other cards so not a problem, but they were back in the hotel safe. 

Just had breakfast - Vegemite toast, orange juice and coffee. How enjoyable.

Factory, random photos

The front of the factory, note the Santa in the window of the guard house.

Employee parking.

The employees are offered free accommodation. This is very good compared to most of the other factory accommodations in the area. The windows have glass and open and shut.

For lunchtime and after work entertainment, pool tables in the street.

The tables are level.

Every available space in the street is used to grow food, I think the employees are given lunch, but provide their own dinner.

My last day in China

Today, Daisy and are going to the saltytag factory, to meet the production supervisor.

I will then be driven to the Hong Kong border, and Daisy to the airport for her flight back to Shanghai.

Daisy has been great company, the whole trip has exceeded my expectations.

Guangzhou tour

Daisy and I were met by Bryan, Manager Trading Department, Viennois Fashion Jewellery Company.

This the company that makes the saltytags.

We went across town via taxi to their offices. The trip took about 40 minutes, with no end in sight to apartment buildings and office blocks. The population is estimated at over 14 million people, but difficult because of the number of itinerant workers.

The offices are across the road from the modern Canton Fair complex, in a newish building.

The take up an entire floor for the office space which includes a large well laid our showroom.

http://www.viennois.com/en/

Daisy and I were shown many new designs, that incorporate interesting materials and high quality finishes.

Designs customised for specific markets Re evident, not just the same products. African exports, are gold, bold and earthy colours, Abu Dubai extremely over the top in size, China, blingy, Italy, semi precious materials etc.

We met the designer responsible for the saltytags, and discussed further products and enhancements.

As seems to be the tradition in China, we were taken to lunch. The restaurant was housed in the same building, and had open and private dining rooms. Marble floors, gilt columns, chandeliers, silk wallpaper and timber carvings. 

We ate in a small open area. The tea brewing and pouring was perfect theatre.

Daisy and Bryan did the ordering, all in Chinese, so I had no ideas what was in store. I did have a peek at the prices on the menu and it was very very expensive for Chinese standards.

Dishes started arriving, and I got an English description on each. I joke with Daisy that if I spent any more time with her I would live to 200, because she gives me the traditional Chinese medicine reason for eating each food, and if you can eat them in winter or summer.

Dish 1 - a soup with various items and a light Chili flavour. Vegetables, meatball dumplings, chicken feet (good for the skin).

Dish 2 - Goose Tongue, cooked in a very spicy sauce. (Good for the brain)

Dish 3 - Eel, steamed. With green vegetables.

Dish 4 - Whole Turtle, complete with shell, carved on the plate to keep the structure. (Longevity and fortune).

Dish 5 - Rice plain steamed.

Dish 6 - Ocean Fish

Dish 7 - green vegetables and mushrooms, broccoli (eat every day to ward off cancer)

Dish  8 -Lotus Cake.

The next stop, was the wholesale bead, stone and gem market. The company send their buyers here to source many of the semi precious items for use in their jewellery designs. What is on display is not the top quality, but the buyers know who and how to get the best. They also use these suppliers to do the polishing and cutting as they do not have that expertise in house.

The market is also full of fake amber, fake diamonds, coloured stones, real amber, lots of different coloured agate, Australian opal (of poor quality). 

This was the highlight, an Ammonite opalised fossil closely related to living octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish not the Nautilus species. The photo does not show the colours and fire. They are found in Madagascor, and sold wholesale in the China gem market.

We got the Metro back to the hotel, and I bought Bryan a glass of Australian red wine, Jacobs Creek and Daisy who does not drink a pot of red date and honey tea, which is good for something, but I can't remember. Wine is very expensive in China.

Said goodbye to Bryan, and then Daisy and I got a taxi to the Pearl river and walked the riverside promenade.

Guangzhou Neon City

Taken from a moving taxi , Boiling Crab of Sailor?

The Pearl River

Even the dogs have neon lights on their collars