Just one thing after another....

Last night the laptop died.....it quite un-dramatically just switched itself off and won't switch on again. Lights come on but it doesn't even get as far as a POST. Quite unimpressed as I now have to find a way of getting all the photos off the HDD before I send it back (should be under warranty). I went to buy a new laptop this morning (a touch extravagent but the need for Skype and email are overwhelming).

Went shopping around and found a couple of places , but prices are pretty similar, so in a shop called PCCW (I think they are the Chinese version of PC World) I borrowed a calculator and worked out the prices. A bit lof a surprise really - I've just bought for a compaq presario v6000 for 485 quid. The new iBook was only 515... it might be worth me coming laptopless next time and buying one to bring home and sell on. After handing over my credit card a slightly traumatic dialogue occurred behind the counter as the card was declined. This distressed me greatly as the card has an extremely high limit and is reserved for emergencies only and there was a zero balance on it when I left the UK. All sorts of images of card cloning and people stranded in foreign lands entered my head. I went back to my room, paced around a bit, swore a lot, then went for something to eat while I waited for 4pm Hong Kong time (8am UK time) so I could phone the Bank. Went past the tattoo studio again as well, but it appeared to be still shut(?)

On calling Natwest they advised that they had stopped my card due to suspicious activity. When I asked what the suspicious activity was they advised that it had been used in Yorkshire, then at Gatwick, then in Hong Kong. I asked if they did this to everyone who went on holiday, but the humour had obviously long since been drained out of the poor lost soul in Natwest Card Centre....card re-activated, I went back to make my purchase....

Anyway, just writing this while installing all the essentials. It's got XP Media Centre on it so gonna give that a whirl.

On my wanders this morning saw the Lin Fa Kung Temple. An odd little buddhist temple down a side street that you wouldn't know was there. This is why I have made a point of walking wherever possible as on public transport little gems like this would have been missed. It's also a great opportunity to get to know the geography of an area. The best way to learn is to get lost a few times, although I dread to think how many miles I've walked since I've been here. My legs ache most of the time, but I'm still loving it.

The other thing that has leapt out at me this last couple of days is how many high-end cars are in Hong Kong. I must have seen over 20 Lamborghini's, countless Porsche's and Ferraris, and a couple of heavily modified 3000GT's and Impreza's. For a city where traffic doesn't go much faster than walking pace anyway, thats a hell of a lot of horsepower. Anyway, found out that Gloucester Road is where most of the retailers of these beautiful machines are....so took a few snaps of whats there...

Going for lunch with my cousin Julian tomorrow.