Hotels Near the Hong Kong International Airport

There are only two hotels on the Hong Kong International Airport (HKG or HKIA) property;  The Regal on Cheong Tat Rd. and HKIA Tower on Sky Plaza Rd.  The reason is simple.  Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok) is an island and, as such, space is very limited.

The Hong Kong International Airport Hotels

Both of the on site hotels are near the loop road on the bottom third of this picture and they are both very expensive.   The only other choice for accommodation on airport property is the in-terminal lounge which is open 24 hours and serves food and offers massage.  It has small rooms and offers hourly and daily room rates.  

Be very careful if you're shopping online for a hotel near the airport.  The Hong Kong airport is located on Lantau Island near Tung Chung yet hotels as far away as Kowloon and Hong Kong Island will pay to have themselves listed as airport hotels.  While it is not difficult to get into Kowloon or Hong Kong island on the bus or MTR subway service, (both of which run to HKIA) finding a 40 minute bus ride on the end of a 17 hour flight can be a rude surprise.

I would make one of two choices.  If I wanted to stay near the airport, I would get a hotel in Tung Chung, there are many, or, if I was vacationing in Hong Kong, I would leave the airport behind and take the bus on in to a guest house in Kowloon.  Good luck!

I-129f Petition for K-1 Visa Update

Just a quick update.  W got our I-797C, Notice of action from The Department of Homeland Security.   This is just the receipt that says that they have received our I-129F petition and are now processing it.  I think this means that they are checking to make sure Minxi is not secretly trying to undermine the government.

I-129 f petitionee

Ummm...nope.  Just a cute chick from China who happened to fall in love with a Kansas honky.

This came just a day after we received an email letting us know that we had been assigned a case number.

The K-1 Visa will allow Minxi to enter the United States so that we can marry.  This will start a whole new round of immigration paperwork but lets just stay focused on the here and now.

For those of you keeping track of the dates:

We sent the petition to the lock box in Dallas, Texas on April 16.  They show a received date of April 19 a notice date of Apri, 23, and I received the form back in Kansas today, April, 25.

The online filing info. shows that a 129f petition filed in April is likely to result in a K-1 Visa being issued in November.  Cross your fingers!

K1-Visa Update

We got our I-129 F receipt by email today.   For those of you just joining the story, Minxi and I are seeking a K-1 Visa for her to enter the US so we can marry.  This process can take a long time.  We got stopped short right off the bat when our packet was returned to us because I had sent $10 more than the processing fee.  On April, 16 we resent the packet.  This morning April, 24 I got an email from the USCIS letting me know that the Dallas facility received our packet and forwarded it on to California.

I got this email notification because I sent an additional form requesting early notification.  Normally, the first notice I would have gotten from the government is the I-797 notice of receipt which I should receive in about a week.  The advantage to having gotten our notice early is that we now have our official receipt number.  With this number we can log on and see where our 129-f petition is.

For reasons both mysterious and arcane, the processing times vary widely from petitioner to petitioner.  The earliest date that we might reasonably think Minxi could get permission to enter the country is Mid-November.

Hang on baby, we're getting there!

Love on the beaches of Hong Kong

Chiung Yao The Secret of Romance

I have mentioned before the role of romance in Chinese Culture   Chiung Yao it turns out is the heart of Chinese affair of the heart.  Born in mainland China, Chiung Tao grew up in Taiwan and is the author of more than 50 romance novels many of which have been converted into movies.

Author Chiung Yao

Mixni is a self-confessed Chiungyao fan and describes her stories this way:  "First a lady wants to meet a man.  This man is very tall and hansom and has long legs.  They fall in love but there is some problem.  They cannot be together but they still love each other so soon they are married.  Still there is another problem and they cannot be together but their love is so strong they can beat any problem and then they are together forever."

That's more or less a quote.   In the West Chiungyao is best know for "Princess Pearl" which was released in English and a mini-series.  

Getting to Know the Hong Kong Subway MTR

The Subway (MTR) in Hong Kong is about the best, fastest way to get around the city.   It's cheap, fast, and for the most part, clean.  Here's what you need to know.

Hong Kong Subway Map

The MTR goes where you're going.   You can get back and forth from Hong Kong Island to Kowloon, all the way up into the new territories and even onto Lantau to to the border crossing with China.  It's goes everywhere.

Here's how to find the Hong Kong Subway:

MTR Logo

Just look for the MTR logo.  Most MTR stations have several entrances, so if you think you're near a station, just look around.  Odd are, you are only a few steps away from an entry way.

How to use the Hong Kong Subway:

The MTR accepts the Octopus card.  Just swipe the card and walk on in.  You can buy the card at any subway station, at the numerous 7-11's around town or at kiosks around the city.  I think some hotels sell them as well.  The Octopus card is rechargeable, and can be used for buses, taxis, and at some grocery and convenience stores as well.  Whether you're planning on taking the Subway or not, an octopus card is a handy tool for the traveler or tourist.  

Be aware that the Hong Kong subway is several stories deep.  The subway you're looking for may be up or down a level.  Also watch the signs in terminals where two lines meet, the lines may actually be as much as a block apart from each other with tunnels connecting them.   You may end up hiking a ways between lines so plan accordingly.

Myself, I loved the Hong Kong subway.  It was clean and fast with signage and audio messages in both English and Cantonese.   When it got out into the New Territories and Lantau it even came up above ground giving you a good view of the countryside.  Here's me, on the red line headed for the border crossing in Shenzhen.

Hong Kong Subway Red Line

Fun With Chinese Pop Music (In English)

It can be said that Chinese is a very romantic county.  By this I mean that there a strong sense of romance in relationships in China.  There's still a quaint "boy meets girl power of love overwhelms" kind of sense to dating.  I find the frankness lack of cynicism refreshing.   This spirit shows up in Chinese Pop music, where love themes abound.  The thing that's fun and funny for me, is that a lot of this music is in English.  The younger generations in Chinese all grew up around English and there is quite a culture of Chinese pop sung in English.  Maybe it makes it a little bit of kick to mom and dad, who probably can't understand a word of it.   Minxi and I listen to Chinese pop music from time to time so I thought I'd post a couple of hopelessly sweet songs sung in English.  It's so sweet.

From The Depth of My Heart

I've Been Searching

Speak of Love

There's the occasional word bobble, and the riffs occasionally sound a bit odd, but Chinese pop produces great love songs, and  in English.  That's awesome!