Saving money on bicycles

Yesterday I dug my bike out of its bag, dusted it off, discovered the gears didn't shift and the brakes didn't stop, and took it to my local bike shop, where I yelped "Fix it" and then ran away.

Ching Ming Festival

Today is Ching Ming Festival, which is a public holiday in Hong Kong for its inhabitants to go sweep their ancestors' graves. Nobody in the office is doing this, because there will be too many people sweeping graves. That feels a bit odd to me; it's akin to saying you'd go on a pilgrimage, except it's a bit inconvenient. But then I can't criticise; it's not like I'm taking the opportunity to fly back to the UK to sweep any of my ancestors' graves.

Out in the woods

This morning I was crouched in the woods out on Lantau, with three other topless men, rubbing the thighs of one of them.

No, it's not like that. He was barely capable of standing, from the cramp produced by riding in today's ridiculous temperatures, and we had to do something to get him mobile.

Cycling in Hong Kong

I'm lying on my bed, racked with pain and exhaustion, after spending the day cycling in the north of Hong Kong. It turns out that my body isn't too forgiving of my two-year failure to go biking, particularly when I celebrate it with a four hour ride.

Strange things arriving in the post

Yesterday I was telephoned by the ever-efficient, ever-helpful Benson, Guardian of the Mansion in which I reside, to be informed that there was a parcel from Sweden waiting for me.  I could hardly wait to get home and find out what it could be.  More Pepparkakor?  More frankly painful licquorice-based throat pastilles?  A big bag of Plopp?