And there's trouble in here, and trouble out there... lalala...

Oh boy, oh boy! What a weekend. If only all weekend's were like it, life would be ultra-cool indeed!

Friday, T-2 for guest departure:

We didn't do much whole day. My brother and sister went to see a local small zoo and found some happy primate-friends from there. I worked at the office until the end of office-hours after which I went to buy some movies (Mr. Bean on holiday, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands). I had agreed to meet Chi later in the night to watch a movie, so it was good to be prepared.

The evening went pretty much as planned. I got home around 19:30, ate some dinner (sushi) and then took a nap until 23:00. Then I picked up Chi from Yau Ma Tei, and we headed back to Tung Chung to watch Charlie's adventures in the strangely Michael Jackson-like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.

I gotta mention that even though I've found Charlie and the Chocolate Factory rather childish (well, it is a children's movie, right?), I still think what Johny Depp does as Willy Wonka is just awesome... I don't know what to make of that guy but I like the eerie psycho-thing he does.

Saturday, T-1 for guest departure:

Woke up late on Saturday. We got 3/4 through Charlie and the Chocolate Factory last night before Chi got sleepy. So, there's still some left for today evening. After several hours of relaxing sleep, we got up around 13:00. Everyone else was pretty much awake already so the day started quickly from then.

We went to Pacific Coffee to get some breakfast. Actually, we wanted to get some Dim Sum, but the local restaurant in Tung Chung had a huge queue (we got reservation number eighty-something, and they were going at forty at the time) so a cafe would have to do. It was OK too.

Since then the day passed rather quickly in terms of packing (well, my sister was the only one packing; I just sat in a coma; my brother decided packing can be done later).

We had decided earlier that Saturday should be a bit more relaxed day so we don't have to hurry around anywhere or do anything unless we want to.

Around 18:00 we decide it would be nice to do a little walkabout in Tung Chung area and then head for a last dinner together. After walking for about one hour in the Tung Chung park areas, we took the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui and went to our normal drinking hole Cafe de Fontaine, and had some food there too.

On a side note: I've run in to a strangely large number of restaurants that go under the name of "cafe". Is it just me, but shouldn't a "cafe" be mostly about, mm, coffee? I don't mind, really, but I just find it strange.

After a nice dinner of different kinds of Asian dishes and some good beer we leave the oasis and head for Yau Ma Tei to Temple Street where my sister still wants to buy some last minute purchase for a friend. All good, except it's really damned hot outside.

Around 22:00 we go to a Hong Kong-style bar to meet up with Chi. It was one of the kind of places where I've had the chance to go a couple of times earlier already.

It was funny enough entering the bar. We came up stairs to a place with only locals inside (not too crowded, but still quite enough of people) and as we entered we were quite aware of the fact that we indeed were the only gweilo's in there. Upon entering it almost seemed like all sound stopped and everyone looked at us. It was weird. But it passed quickly and we were accepted quite soon - and some actually were interested in having conversations with us. All good, all fun.

My brother and sister were supposed to leave already a bit earlier to catch last MTR to Tung Chung so they can finish packing and get enough sleep but instead they decided to stay with me and Chi, and follow us to a birthday party of Chi's friend. We were not supposed to stay there for very long but in the end we didn't leave quite as soon as planned.

In fact, we were home at around five or six in the morning. The birthday party was a lot of fun, though, and I think it was a really good experience for my sister and my brother too. These are the kind of parties normal tourists don't usually get to see. While they are 'merely parties' there's always a bit of local culture that can be experienced in parties such as it.

So, coming home late, my sister and brother went to sleep while me and Chi stayed up to watch the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Original plan for us was to stay up until the flight, so we'd take my guests to the airport and only then get some sleep. Since it was already almost 07:00 and the flight was scheduled to leave at 09:35, we thought it'd be an OK plan.

However, being up so late started to take its toll and alas, we fell asleep anyway. Not before I heard my sister's alarm clock go on, though, so I knew they'd be awake and me and Chi only needed to get up just before leaving to the airport.

Sunday, T-0 for guest departure:

Suddenly I wake up. It's bright outside, there's nothing happening around me: no sound of talking, walking, or packing. I look at the clock: 08:30. Shit! Crappidycrapcrap!! Why are we still at my apartment?!!

I rush myself up the bed, I go wake my brother and sister and tell them to get ready quick! In just one hour, their flight is scheduled to leave and we're still at my damned apartment in Tung Chung!....... And my brother hasn't even packed yet!

Blackadder: This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if you've got a moment, it's a twelve-storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour porterage and an enormous sign on the roof, saying 'This Is a Large Crisis'. A large crisis requires a large plan. Get me two pencils and a pair of underpants!

Feeling hazy in my head for sleeping so little and being hungry, I try to gather myself and make things happen as fast as possible. I tell my brother and sister to be as quick as possible and come meet me downstairs. I went down to the lobby myself to ask the receptionist to order us a taxi to the airport. Also, I asked for a phone number to the airport so I could call there and let them know we're coming, albeit a bit late to the check-in.

5 minutes later after my sudden waking up, we're all already downstairs as the taxi arrives. I call to the airport from the taxi. I let them know of our situation and they make a note of it, and to my relief, they say the check-in closes only 20 minutes before departure. That means we still have some time. It's good I live so close to the airport.

Another 10 minutes later we are almost at the airport. The taxi drives to the departure hall entrance. I leave my sister money to pay for the taxi and run myself out as soon as it stops to find where the check-in is.

A few minutes later I find myself looking at the heart-warming logo of Finnair, and a check-in counter with "Helsinki" as destination. And below a text: Due to delay in flight arrival, the departure time has been postponed to 12:50. So much for that hurry. It was about 08:50 and we had just made the impossible. No hurry anymore.

So, end is well - all is well. My brother and sister got to the check-in and we said our goodbyes. They still had few hours to spend at the airport. Though we couldn't have possibly known that the flight would be so postponed, I couldn't help but feel that our rush of the morning was in vain. Well, it doesn't matter - at least it made a fun adventure, albeit it was not fun at the time it was happening.

I went back to my apartment where Chi was still sleeping, oblivious to all that had been going around. I got myself back to sleep and woke up again at around 12:00. We got some breakfast and after that the day was pretty normal. I started to put things to their original places (things misplaced due to special arrangements of having two guests) and did tons of laundry.

Now, I can get back to my normal life again. Sweet...

Today I need to clean up my apartment properly, and also get a haircut!

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story." - Orson Welles