Hong Kong Day 5

I am on a quest today… I call it Val’s do nothing vacation day. I am inspired by my friend Yogi who caught on a while back that running around at the speed of light was probably not the best route to search for meaning and relaxation… Laurent actually figured out the same thing years ago.. They both inspire me and I aim to find comfort in being still. So I am going to stay in the hotel, and enjoy having no plans, and doing absolutely nothing today, even though I am in Hong Kong and feel a tad guilty about the whole thing.
It is raining outside anyway… We are back to Typhoon level 1 (no danger, just rain), and the rain looks like it’s here to stay. I get back in bed after breakfast. I resist the urge to turn on the TV (haven’t even found the remote yet after 5 days).
But my computer is looking at me and kind of asking me to pick it …. I nagivate online for a few hours… research any subject that comes to mind. I create a blog… I call it SametimenextweekValou. I clean out my hotmail inbox (which means I file over 2000 emails), my work inbox (I get caught up on anything outstanding since I left for vacation). I comment on a hundred facebook profiles. I research more stuff on line
I have made it to 1pm and I have done nothing (J!!! ) I head out into the rain and find an Australian (yes, you read right, I am eating Australian in China) bistro for lunch. I dine by myself. I don’t bring a book. I try to sit still and enjoy my own company. The pumpkin risotto is delicious. I try not to rush through lunch, but I am back in the room 30 minutes later.
By 3pm I can stand it no more. Laurent has emailed me a number of ideas of what to do in Hong Kong… So I book us a cruise on the ferry for tonight to watch the lights show… And how about High Tea at the Penninsula Hotel this afternoon?
So working it backwards if the cruise is at 7h30, and we meet at High Tea at 5h30, I need to leave the hotel at 5pm, and its 3h30pm now and I have not run my 10k yet so I better get moving… Yikes!
I manage to clock 56h45minutes on the 10k… I make a mental list of what I did differently from yesterday which might have helped me go faster (listened to my music instead of Laurent’s, programmed the machine from the outset on goal time, focused on my running instead of how horrible my legs look in the gym mirror…could running be my form of meditation?).
I make it to the Peninsula Hotel on time, despite a barrage of tailors who want to make me beautiful dresses in less than 24 hours. Come visit my shop, see fabric, just look, touch fabric, high quality, best fit, good price just for you… I have actually gotten dressed up for tea time (white dress, heels, make up, the whole nine yards) so I turn a deaf ear to the tailors beckoning.
High Tea is a very classy experience. It reminds me of Tea time on the ships, except that nothing is moving and the hotel hallway is huge compared to the Crystal court at sea.
Laurent joins me to munch on cucumber sandwiches, scones with strawberry jam and whipped butter, little cakes and cookies… We get caught up in a philosophical conversation and barely make it to the harbor on time to catch the Ferry for our cruise at 7h40. We run to find the right pier, and as we board the boat, it starts raining awfully hard…
Drinks and snacks (a bag of peanuts) are provided on board, and we try very hard to watch the light show…however it is raining so hard that we can barely see five feet in front of the boat! We huddle with other passengers in the middle of the ferry in order not to get soaked by the rain. So much for the light show! We end up chatting with a lovely retired couple from Adelaide Australia (Maureen and Pete) who tell us their travels and life story…. When I ask them what the secret is to their long and happy union, they tell me that they complete each other (opposites attract) and that tolerance is key….
Back at the hotel I assess my Do Nothing vacation day…. I might have to try again tomorrow…