Mint Mocha Musings

The hotelier's wife: an expat affair around the globe

Typhoon Utor turns Hong Kong into a Ghost Town

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I woke up this morning in a city at a complete standstill.   Hong Kong - the normally heaving metropolis from dusk till dawn -- a ghost town.  From the forty something floor, the tops of trees swaying below me were the only signs of movement - a dark sky and patchy rain, reminders a super-typhoon with winds gusting up to 140km an hour was skirting Hong Kong.   There was not a soul to be seen (apart from security guards at the front gate wearing crash helmets). In a city that never sleeps, Hong Kong was in a temporary coma. At 1:40am, with Typhoon Utor 300km off the coast, the Hong Kong Observatory hoisted Storm Signal 8 - the second highest signal - forcing the government to open 17 temporary storm shelters…and locals to batten down the hatches. … [Read more...]

One Night in Manila: Asia’s Forgotten City…..

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  When you're born in the land of the Long White Cloud - the place dubbed ‘middle-earth’ - and then raised in that other place they call 'The Land Down Under' -- getting to another country usually involves (at the very least) a good few hours up in the air.  Let's face it, flying within Australia can take up to five hours and involve jet lag! So, the idea that I can be in a completely different country, new culture, new language (heck even new chopstick etiquette) within a couple of hours still manages to impress me! Suffice to say, during my time here in Asia's World City, I've managed quite a few short flights that have landed me, rather excitedly, in exotic, seemingly far-flung locations…all within the blink of an eye. With this in mind, I took my latest trip to the Philippines with a grain of salt. It’s just up the road - been there done that. That grain of salt was in fact so teensy; I didn't even check my e-ticket (properly). I'd been invited to host a corporate awards night as Master of Ceremonies (as I have done many times).  But it seems the close proximity of this foreign land had me held hostage to a touch of complacency. Admittedly - I was a little sidetracked with family in town. As any expat will know, much-loved visitors on your turf means any semblance of normality is totally lost - you happily immerse yourself in the vortex of sightseeing, shopping and eating out. Every day is like a holiday in your own city (until reality bites). Click here to read more on EXPAT FOCUS   … [Read more...]

From Castle to Cage: Hong Kong – A City of Contradictions

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It goes without saying, the great divide exists in many countries, but Hong Kong is a place like no other when it comes to being a ‘city of contradictions.’ Never-ending rows of tall, sleek buildings jut sharply from the side of lush green mountains; tropical islands bask in azure blue seas while giant steel-clad container ships chug noisily by. All-you-can-eat Dim Sum bars and street food stalls snuggle up next to Starbucks and McDonalds. Markets selling cheap wares stand cheerfully amongst shiny designer stores; and ancient medicinal shops displaying traditional Chinese herbs reside next to modern day drug-filled pharmacies. Everywhere you turn in Hong Kong, you’re faced with a torrent of juxtaposing images. For the most part it's a pretty impressive sight!  For such a tiny spot on China’s south coast, nowhere more does the old collide with the new, the real verse the fake and the east meet west. But possibly the greatest divide on show in this city - is the blaring gap between the rich and the poor. … [Read more...]

Fake it till you make it: China’s counterfeit craze….

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I was at the mighty Mongkok Ladies Markets this week or as the locals call it "Wong Gog" - meaning 'prosperous and crowded corner.'  Crowded is probably a slight understatement, given the Guinness World Records has named it the busiest district in the world….Yes! Just the planet! Prosperous - most definitely not an understatement - with a brilliantly bedazzling array of colorful markets, shops and food stalls all competing for the shopping enthusiasts attention, it's a sure bet there's no shortage of money changing hands on this corner. There are approximately 130,000 people squeezed like sardines into each and every square kilometer, making it one of the liveliest and most authentic places in Hong Kong. Authentic in the sense that it showcases all the hallmarks of the city's traditional Chinese culture -- the same can't be said for the myriad of Chinese wares brazenly on display. It's no secret, Hong Kong is flooded with fakes or 'copies' as they like to call them. From handbags to teabags, everything is produced in China, shipped over the border and sold at rock-bottom prices.  And who am I to complain!  To continue, head over to Expat Focus..... … [Read more...]

Reinventing the Wheel: From Television News Reader to Expat Mum in Asia

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Last day on air as a News Reader for Sky News Australia My column for online magazine Coping with Jane…. I want my old life back! You know the feeling right? That nagging little voice in your head -- sometimes it's not so little though, it's screaming out, desperate to be heard. I suppose it’s all par for the course when you’re catapulted out of your comfort zone into a foreign land where no one speaks your language and everything from the climate to the culture is about as alien as eating a fish ball on a stick! The initiation into expat life is not all that different to those frenzied days as a new mum. To say everything feels unfamiliar is probably a gross understatement right? Babies definitely don’t speak your language and working out their culinary desires can be a far cry from your usual dinner date. I copped a double whammy. From television news reader living the (sort of) glamorous life in the harbour city of Sydney, to the unknown fragrant harbour of Hong Kong, unemployed and up the duff! I’d been with Sky News for ten years and I’d worked hard for my dream job. I always assumed when or if I was lucky enough to have a family, I’d simply do what I’d seen the other mums do before me – come back to work after a year or so of blissful baby-dom, and slot into a few shifts a week on the tele. Perfect! That was until I threw a spanner in my own destiny. Click here to read more on Coping With Jane >>>     … [Read more...]