The little things

It's the little differences that let you know when you are not at home. For example I decided I needed to get money from the ATM yesterday. I always manage to bring almost enough money when I travel but never quite enough. This usually means on the last day I have to withdraw money and decide whether I should take out a little, and pay a proportionally large transaction fee, or take out a lot and then have to change it back to Aussie dollars, and loose money anyway. Usually I end up doing the latter and just keeping the funny money in case I ever go back. This is why have a collection of US$, €, SG$ and Vietnamese dong at home. Although I kept the last for humour value really.


Anyhow I go to the ATM yesterday and try and withdraw. It's always a little nerve wracking sticking your only piece of plastic into a foreign hole in the wall but I'm pretty used to it. Only this time the machine takes my card, I put I the number and wait. And wait. And wait. There's lots of whirring and then it asks for my PIN again. I follow instructions, generally speaking, so second attempt. Still much thinking then my card is spat out and a receipt which says "Unauthorised attempt. Contact your bank"! This is not good when you really need to eat and get taxis. What the hell, I wonder, is happening. So I do what every sensible person does and stick the card back in the machine and have another go.


It's only at this point that I look at the ATM keypad and realise it's not like any ATM I've ever used before, the numbers are in a different order. This of course is no problem if you know your PIN, but if, like me, you have no idea what it is and you just have the pattern of buttons to be pressed in your subconscious it is a bit of a problem. Also as soon as I try to think of the number it just goes from my head. Am I the only one like this? I really could never be tortured for my passwords as I pretty much can only remember them when I'm not trying to remember them. I suspect it's something to do with left handers and their pesky visual, artistic memory and pattern recognition brains (that's a real thing by the way, I'm not being a smart arse). So I leave empty handed for now.






I needed the money as I was off to the Ozone bar at the top of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. It's the highest bar in the world and at the top of the big building opposite my hotel room. I knew I'd need money as any "Tallest/Highest In The World" is always an expensive proposition. I've mentioned my almost irresistible need to go up tall buildings and the almost certain disappointment that follows before. However this was a bit different. For a start there would be gin. Had to find the place first of course which, as it's Hong Kong, is on top of a shopping centre. Never before have I had trouble finding a 1600 foot tall building, but this was a nightmare. I had to ask three different people and it involved four escalators and three lifts.


It is a beautiful hotel, white gloved flunkies on every door and lift button. The reception is on the 109th floor and it's not a place for the vertiginous. The bar is higher still on the 113th floor and you get there in a leather and chrome lined lift. It sounds tacky because it is pretty tacky. I was worried they wouldn't let me in wearing jeans and T-shirt but I needn't have worried. The only restriction is thongs apparently. The view was amazing, the gin was excellent and the service was oddly average. And it wasn't too pricy. My G&T was about (deep breath) $23 Aussie dollars. Including almonds. I've actually paid almost that much at Helvetica in Perth and the view is nothing like this:






I'd thoroughly recommend a visit if you're here. It was suggested to me by a work-mate and now I'll be suggesting it to everyone.


It's also a great place to jog the memory as after the first drink I suddenly remembered my PIN, so I won't have to drag my luggage all the way to the airport after all.