jackie, and other highlights from this day

It's been an interesting Saturday. Here are some of today's highlights:

• We're in the middle of a typhoon signal 3, complete with the kind of wind and rain that sees you drenched immediately after stepping outside, regardless of whether or not you are carrying an umbrella. But I left the house this morning anyway...

• I recorded some monologues for an ESL website that some friends are putting together. I've been exposed to a large number of ridiculously bad English listening exercises in my lifetime, so I can tell you with some confidence that these do not fall into that category. I might be a little biased, but I think they're pretty good. I will be sure to share the link to the website once it's up and running, so that you can listen to me introduce myself as Millie Smith from Boston (I thought about trying to do the accent, but in the end chose comprehensibility over authenticity). The recording was done in Kowloon Bay, so after finishing up, and having lunch with everyone...

• I went to Megabox (I was already in Kowloon Bay, so how could I not?). My favorite (read: only) Hong Kong (Australian) craft store, Spotlight, was having a sale, so although I didn't really need anything, I felt compelled to go and check out the deals. The sale was less than spectacular, and I left with only a few skeins of yarn.
  

• After all the shopping, I decided it was time for a break, so got a latte and a slice of dulce de leche cheesecake at the Cheesecake Cafe. It was as good as it looks.

• While enjoying my cheesecake, I tried to zone out the California Fitness promotional event that was going on nearby. I'm actually quite surprised by how easy it's become for me to ignore blaring techno music, shrill nasal voices shouting over loud-speakers, and the like. I might have heard Jackie Chan's name a few times in the shouting, but didn't think anything of it. He's been the California Fitness poster boy for a while now, so I wasn't surprised at the name-dropping. But then I happened to look up from my cheesecake just in time to see Jackie himself going up the escalator. Just like that. Unfortunately, I had no time to get my camera out -- otherwise, maybe I'd have proof of the sighting. I thought briefly about running out and following him, but he had quite the entourage with him, and then there's the fact that I would have had to leave my cheesecake, which would have been down-right unthinkable. I guess I should point out that although Jackie calls HK home, and probably spends a good deal of his time here, I don't run into him often. In fact, my only other Jackie sighting was in Virginia, when he spoke at William and Mary (on a tangent, I attended that event decked out in everything HK that I owned, hoping that Jackie would notice me, but he didn't).

• While heading back to the train station (through another mall), I noticed some very interesting Beijing Olympics decorations. There were no Friendlies (don't get your hopes up), but what there was was possibly more amusing. Think along the lines of Japanese cartoon characters (1) dressed as a certain charismatic Chinese species, (2) participating in Olympic events, all the while (3) making strong political statements. Stay tuned for my next post -- complete with photos!