Cheung Chau

It had been some time since we'd booked the work Junk (i.e. boat), so we headed out a couple of weeks back to Cheung Chau (Long Island). I'd been once before - about 6 years ago. Little had changed: there's still a huge number of fishing boats in the harbour and cycle rickshaws on land. Although I did see one thing unknown to the island in 2005: a car. There was a tiny little police run around, but it seems of limited use on an island where the streets are steep and narrow. They've also got public baths in the truest sense of the word.

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Lights

The proliferation of Christmas lights is starting to become overwhelming. From our living room you can see a mass of different colours flashing. Flashing lights are not unheard of here with the nightly Symphony of Lights, but the Christmas lights achieve a whole new level. Sadly photos can't quite capture it. Across the harbour in Kowloon, there's a particularly fine collection of hypnotic colours. With Chinese New Year at the end of January, we may be treated to them for some weeks to come.

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New experiences

On Thursday, I experienced a sensation which I hadn't felt in a fair few months. After mulling it over for a few minutes, I realised what it was: I felt cold. Walking down the street in mid-December in my shirt, it felt a bit nippy.

On Saturday, we headed to Sai Kung for a trip out to an island about thirty minutes by slow boat. Deserted apart from our little group, it was great. It also has the distinction of being the only time I have ever been sunburnt in December.

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