My first on-time entry

Hi yawl, thanks for all the words of support. Love you all and miss you heaps.

Since it is not quite midnight here (though a tad before 2am for you guys), I'm on time with starting this one for Tuesday. The kids have only been in bed for less than an hour, so hopefully that will have the effect of getting everyone sleepy enough to not want to do anything tomorrow morning, but functioning adequately in the early afternoon.

Today, first off we headed back to the Golden Dragon Mall for brunch again (same issue as before, there are like 3 places open before 11:30am). We had a meal at a different one, which included 12 dumplings (basically gyoza style), a bowl of rice and pork and veges for me, a bowl of noodle soup, veges and beef brisket for Jovia, two toasted sandwiches for the girls and 3 iced teas (some of the best we've tasted - better than the taiwanese style). I think it cost us a little more (around $30 AUD), but we ate considerably more (again, didn't need to eat until dinner, which was around 10pm, with the exception of bowl noodle we picked up from Wellcome).

We poked around the mall (we'd actually not done that much - just went there to eat), and looked at the "apple mall" on Level 5. It is like all these tiny hole in the wall shops doing everything from nails and hair to selling lego and bras (of course a "big" bra is a B cup here).

It belted down rain, so we really hung around, until it cleared a little and headed back. I finally got Jovia to buy herself a pair of sandal-like thongs, because her poor feet are bruised in certain areas, and I was annoyed with her (in a caring manner), for not looking after her feet better (and annoyed in a not so caring manner for the whining it caused). They are like Jelly on the bottom and seemed to have helped a bit.

After going to Wellcome (which included the purchase of the picture of 1L of Asahi, I'm about to post) and getting some poppers, food for breakkie (since we are struggling to purchase food before 9am) and snacks for going places with, among other things and seeing the rain had reduced, we headed back. Via 7-Eleven and the usual $4 AU worth of drinks (non alcoholic).

We hung around here for a while and left a little before six pm to tackle the Temple Street night markets again. I'd realised, upon reading my guidebook again, that it had the night markets in a different location to the local tourist map from our reception. I asked the girl Joey in reception about it, and apparently the whole thing is - my map book had it in Yau Ma Tei, and the tourist map, in Jordan - the whole thing was a market precinct.

We got a taxi in, which was great, because the driver spoke reasonable English and understood Jovia and my conversation enough to recommend where to start from and work to, and so he dropped us off in what he considered the ideal location.

How right he was. Because we went all the way to the end (another block) and realised that it wasn't the best place to take young kids (or innocent adult eyes, either). So we departed fairly hastily from the far northern end of the market (which I rather succinctly renamed "dildo alley") and back into the market proper. From there I read the kids the riot act (which did squat, they were monstrous) and we looked around.

There are plenty of bargains to be had, and one can acquire all sorts of things of varying usefulness. Having said the knock-offs - as a rule, are of very good quality. The other good thing is, although it can be frustrating seeing a third stall with the same stuff again, it does give one bargaining power.

Which brings me onto bargaining. Yesterday I got caught, and didn't bargain hard enough, and was the object of some derision from my wife. I still didn't pay much for what I had, but I did have someone try to play the sympathy card on me, and so paid more that I could have. Jovia is a nasty so-and-so to bargain with, but it can get her unstuck at times, because she does come across rude occasionally. So we figured out by the end of yesterday's trip that playing 'good cop, bad cop', seems to work.

You see, bargaining is all a sport - so long as you play the rules, it's all fair. The shop keeper might try to play the "you're twisting my arm and it hurts" card, so you may have to play the "I'll go down the road and buy it cheaper" card.

Or Jovia will say "I really like that", and I'll stand there apathetic, indifferent or even say "No way am I paying $x - do you realize that is $y AU?".

Jovia has a good trick she picked up near the end of tonight, where, after getting them down so far, and they don't want to budge, she says "where does this go on the shelf, I'll put it back for you" and they usually cave. Mine is the sad shake of the head, and "m goi" (thank you) and start to wander off.

Basically, it's like paying poker - you might be holding a pair of twos and bluffing your way out, or you might be holding a flush and trying not to overplay your hand. And sometimes, you need to fold and walk away.

By the time the night was up, we were consistently getting things for half (or less) the original price quoted. I forgot to mention, we bought a suitcase yesterday to actually carry the stuff yesterday (and obviously on the plane home).

There are some things, though I find are missing from the markets - men's jeans (lots of shirts, tshirts and stuff like that), football and sporting jerseys, women's clothing (bras, undies and sleepwear excepted). I think that might be the haunt of the women's market, which we should be hitting tomorrow.

They won't know what hit them, the poor suckers. They'll have these westerners, with bargain skills honed by two days at temple street.

The kids starting getting really awful by the end, so we ended up going into a clean eatery, that invited us in and said that they would find a spot for the pram. The food was fairly average, but a no-brainer, and again, feeding a family of 5 for well less than $20 AU (including a 640ml beer Jovia and I shared). I'm really starting to appreciate Sham Shui Po for the food - we've had our best meals here consisently and paid less than anywhere else. Plus the locals are friendly (if somewhat bewildered, as they don't get many westerners here). There is a hole in the wall dim sum place I want to go to, but it is a poo fight going anywhere with the pram.

Take on board your comment about not eating at "Restaurants". Hard to eat anywhere, where a wide pram won't get into the door. Plus the "food court" culture here is different - they are actually places where the nicer food is served, not the most plastic, like home (and apparently the US as well).

Caught a cab home for well less than $8 AU, which makes it a great investment in our feet, sanity (kids) and getting everything back.

I'll post some pictures of the lights around the streets bordering (and in) the markets. They don't do it justice - the lights and signage is incredible - even in this - a poorer district. These ones are a glimpse, but you'd have to see it to believe it, because, unlike the lights in a western city (like London or NYC) or even Tokyo (if the pictures I've seen tell the story) - these are from the building right over the road and virtually the scaffolding on the signs on one side of the street meet with the scaffolding on the other side - like they are all competing for their piece of sky.

That's about it for today's events, other than the laundry. I will add an addendum to yesterday:

In TST, I've noticed that (and the guides mentioned it) a lot of people try to solicit tourists to sell them "real copy" watches or tailoring. And they are all Indian (southern - the darker variety). And every corner, they approach you.

We started off super polite, and by the time we went to the markets yesterday, we were point blank very short (they are around the major arterials in TST, not in the market areas). There was one guy, I saw his face from a mile off (I got to the point where, if I saw an Indian, I'd already be ready), he saw mine, starting to walk toward me and I just put my hand up, shook my head and then ignored him.

It's hard, because they are taking trade and the like from tailors and stuff who are legit - in shops, charging market rates. Plus there is the possibility of being robbed. The guides say "don't go with anyone who solicits you and don't buy anything from them".

We also had it happen (though not from an Indian), when we got into the airport and a man approached Jovia to offer her a taxi. We had an airport plain clothesman kindly hand us a leaflet in both Chinese and English talking about the dangers of using an unregulated (and illegal) taxi service. They are heavily regulated, and you have the ability to complain easily, if you feel like they haven't treated you well (you get a card written in both Chinese and English with the route's details and number to call). And whilst I wouldn't say all the taxi drivers are the most social people, they are professional, will help you out (including lifting bags in and out of the boot/car) and charge by the book. They also accept tips (round up to the next $10 is the norm according to our guides - they are one of the only people you tip), with gratitude.

Off to bed - way too late, though I can get up late too - nothing is open! The rain has cleared some of the haze, and I can see the suspension bridge over to Tsing Yi (another island) - no more than 1km away.

We aren't going to get a heap done over the next few days - it isn't possible, but we are just experiencing what we are, and not pushing too hard - and exhausting ourselves.