Pixar planning

Back from the weekend, where my sole goal was to see “Inside Out.” We just don’t get that many pictures here, but Hong Kong usually has better odds. A couple of weeks ago, I decided I was due again and made plans to go.

Originally, I tried to go last weekend, but the first three trains were full, so I postponed it. Sadly, I’d forgotten how quickly movies come and go here. The week before I made plans, “Mad Max” was also showing and I thought I’d do a twofer, but by the time the weekend rolled around, that one was gone. And it looked like the odds of seeing “Inside Out” were dwindling, too!

Fortunately, I did wind up seeing it and completely loved it. First, it’s Pixar, and for the most part, the movies are awesome. I really can’t pick my favorite. It’s like trying to name your favorite Coen Brothers film. I know what’s not my favorite, but that really narrow it down.

Second, I had no idea the main character was named Riley and loved hockey. Sold! Just a fantastic movie.

Anyway, backing up to the planning stage again, I had my ticket in hand and some hostel reserved when I started to verify where the movie was playing and discovered that show times had really been cut drastically.

It was no longer showing in the theater next to where I was staying (and had planned to stay for that reason) and the theaters where it was staying had dropped it to once daily. So long as the timing’s good, that’s not a problem, but logistically, I was scheduled to arrive around 10:30 Saturday morning and leave at 2:30 on Sunday. An 11:30 showtime doesn’t mesh well with either one of those, and that’s what was turning up.

I finally found one theater fairly near the train station (like maybe a total of metro stops on two different lines) at 11:20 and figured if the stars aligned, that would work. My back-up was an 11:30 p.m. showing in what would have been a long way from where I was staying, but that was the only other option.

And the stars aligned, but then fell out of the sky. I got in, breezed past customs (thank you, dip line), got on the train and found the right metro station with no problem. And then the problem. The theater’s ad had said there was a shuttle bus from the metro station to the theater, but it neglected to mention where it left from. There were lots of bus stops, but they were city busses, not shuttles, and everything else was written in Chinese.

At the very least, I figured if I walked really fast, I could get there in time for the thing to start. And I probably could have – if there had been a road. Instead, both exits on the metro put me on the opposite side of where I needed to be, and it was a solid building walking for 5-7 minutes in either direction. It had to have been the longest city block in the world. I didn’t have the address written in Chinese, either, so I couldn’t just flag a cab.

So … no 11:30 showing. Dejected, I went out exploring at that metro stop, which I hadn’t done before. (Hong Kong is a lot like New York – there are just all kinds of places to visit each time you go.) And, upon exiting through a shopping mall of some type, I surfaced outside with a completely different theater in front of me. I went in and discovered that they were showing “Inside Out” as well, but only once a day. Fortunately for me, the English showing was at 8 p.m., so I bought the ticket really early. As it was, there were only about 6-8 seats left.

Deliriously happy that I was going to see the movie, I ran across a Ruby Tuesday’s (American food!) and paid way, way too much for a meal of chicken, broccoli and pasta. I never should have done it, but it was good.

Upon finding my hotel, I went to my fallback Saturday plan, the one where I would still have something to do if I couldn’t see the movie. I went up to a beach and had a great time a wandering around.

The coolest things I discovered (while looking for rocks for me and Riley) were glass rocks. I’ve never seen them before, but the rocks appeared to have been beer bottles in former lives. I found bluish, brown, white and green. They were really awesome and I got a handful. I really don’t know how they got broken and churned up, but they were smooth on the edges and wouldn’t cut you no matter what. I ran into a mom and a little girl collecting them, too. They were going to put them into a bottle to display. I didn’t get that many but maybe I should have! Anyway, I really liked how God used the ocean to return trash to something useful. 

 

While searching the beach for some brown rocks – they were harder to spot – I found a TINY sea urchin shell! It was amazing, but it didn’t survive the trip home. It was not a full inch high. Completely intact until my bad packing job. I opened the little box I put it in and it disintegrated. But trust me, it was beautiful.

My trip was so successful that I decided to quit while I was ahead and head home early. It was only an overnight trip and my ticket was for the 2 p.m. train but I was able to change it and get back by 1:30 p.m.

The train is just phenomenal. I got off the train at 12:45 or something and by 1 p.m. I was solidly on the metro. The train station is only three stops away, so by 1:30 p.m. I was not only home but had stopped at the grocery store.

My roommate, who departs for good on Tuesday, is also out of town so I have the house to myself. I took advantage and cooked, then went back to the grocery store to get the drinks, cups and plates for my boss’ going-away party (still having nightmares over that one) and then baked the world’s ugliest cookies for it. I have no idea what is up with that sugar cookie recipe, but it does not work for me.

So I’m pretty much done for the evening, which is good because I am exhausted. The hostel was fine, but the walls were thin and the bed really hard. I did not get much sleep at all.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day – my new boss starts. So for a week I have two. Not sure how I feel about that part of the deal.